Want to make your next retreat a delicious success? Try these amazing recipes, submitted by Retreat Central members.
Capon Springs & Farms – Baked Fudge Pudding
In a recent Capon Facebook poll, this Thursday lunch’s after meal sweet led all other treats in guest votes. So even though apple crisp is our classic dessert and the only one that shows up twice during the week, Baked Fudge Pudding is our featured recipe.
Here’s how to recreate it:
¾ c. flour 2/3 c. sugar ½ tsp. salt 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ c. milk ¼ c. butter or margarine softened 1 tsp. vanilla
1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted (cool)
Sauce:
½ c. sugar ¼ tsp. salt ½ c. packed brown sugar
3 T. cocoa 1 ½ c. boiling water
Into a large bowl, measure flour, 2/3 cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, baking powder, milk, butter, chocolate, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until ingredients are just mixed. Beat 4 minutes at medium speed, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
The batter will appear curdled. Pour into 8 x 8-inch ungreased pan. To make the sauce, mix ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, brown sugar and cocoa in medium bowl. Sprinkle over chocolate mixture. Gently pour boiling water over all. (Do not stir.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Pudding-cake will separate into cake and sauce layers. Cool slightly. Serve warm with whipped cream. (For variation, add coarsely chopped walnuts, Brazil nuts or pecans to cocoa mixture.) Makes 9 servings.
With a menu as timeless as your childhood, Capon’s made from scratch meals have been served on specific days for generations. In a chaotic world with some many decisions facing us, it is comforting to just show up and know what to expect and know that it will be good. Especially desserts!
Camp Louise – Sticky Buns
Makes 12 rolls
Dough
1 ¼ ounce package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm milk, divided use
4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
6 tablespoons shortening, melted
Glaze
1 ¼ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup honey
¼ cup dark corn syrup
2 cups pecan halves or pieces
Filling
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the dough:
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and ¼ cup of the warm milk. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
Combine the eggs, yeast mixture, remaining warm milk and melted shortening.
Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. The dough should be soft and a little sticky. Add a little additional flour if too sticky.
Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place dough into a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Prepare the glaze and the filling while dough is rising. For the glaze, mix together the dark brown sugar, butter, honey, corn syrup and pecan halves and spread evenly into the bottom of a well-greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Punch down dough. Turn onto a floured surface. Roll into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle; brush top side of dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Combine light brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough to within ½ inch of edges and press into dough.
Roll up jellyroll style, starting with the long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut log into 12 slices. Place cut side down in a prepared pan with glaze. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately invert onto serving platter. Serve warm.
Camp Louise offers the perfect venue for your next overnight retreat. Located in the Catoctin mountains of western Maryland, within a 50-mile radius of Baltimore and Washington, DC, we have 2 spectacular facilities for your next spring, end of summer or fall retreat. We are proud to offer complete dining services, accommodations, and recreational facilities in a wonderfully serene environment for an affordable price
Franciscan Renewal Center – Chef Elias’ Enchanting Churros
In small saucepan over medium heat combine, butter, water, first sugar, and salt
Bring to boil and remove from heat.
In a mixing bowl use paddle stir in water mix and flour for 1 minute on low speed, then 2 minutes on medium speed.
Turn mixer on low speed and add eggs slowly
Mix for 2 minutes.
With a pastry bag, pipe dough into a cookie sheet pan
Freeze for 3 hrs.
Heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees
Cut frozen dough into 8” sticks
Fry until golden brown
Drain in paper towels
Roll drained churros in cinnamon sugar mixture and serve.
Nestled in the lush desert valley at the base of majestic Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Franciscan Renewal Center (also known as the Casa) is a world-renowned, 25-acre
retreat center and conference facility for non-profit organizations. Our welcoming oasis offers spiritual retreats, adult education and informative programs, vibrant liturgies and an active faith in action community. We offer comfortable sleeping accommodations; flexible, technologically supported meeting spaces, a heated swimming pool, labyrinth, meditation chapel, desert walk and exceptional food to nourish the body, inspire the mind and soothe the spirit.
Capon Springs – Hot Dog Buns
Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water and set aside. Mix together potatoes, milk, and lard; strain through colander and mash lumps. (With freshly mashed potatoes, no straining is needed.) Add yeast mixture and eggs to sugar and salt; mix well. Add potato mixture and 2 ½ cups flour, mixing thoroughly. Add enough flour to stiffen, mixing well. (Dough should be less stiff than bread and less kneading is required.) Turn onto lightly floured board and knead. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Grease top of dough and cover with waxed paper. Let rise in warm place (80-85 degrees) until double in bulk, about 45 minutes to an hour. Punch down; let rise again for 30 to 40 minutes until nearly doubled. (If desired, omit second rising to save time.) Don’t punch down again, but immediately begin making rolls into a “snake” 5 to 6 inches long. Rolls will rise but not get any longer in baking. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 25 minutes. Makes about 2 ½ dozen hot dog rolls. And don’t forget to use a coal-fired brick oven!
We know it is not the frankfurter that lures guests back to eat more food after feasting on three all you can eat meals each day. Instead, it is the coal-fired baked rolls. Why most other camps focus on s’mores, it is the classic grilled hot dogs served on homemade rolls that Capon guests have a hankering for. Though the recipe will give you the mechanics, the real magic happens when they are baked in a coal-fired brick oven.
Thanks to all of our members for sharing their incredible recipes with our readers.
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