Wedding Celebration

Today we celebrated the recent wedding of Susie, one our Lovely Lunch Ladies.  We made "shower" food for everyone and even had a decorated cake.

Three-Meat  Stromboli made by Andrea

4 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli salami
1/2 pound thinkly sliced deli ham
1/2 pound thinly sliced pepperoni
1/2 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp pepper
1 egg yolk, beaten

Stretch dough out to cover a cookie sheet which has been greased.  Arrange a fourth of the meats down the center of the rectangle.  Cover with the 3 cheeses and then add the spices.  Roll up each rectangle jelly-roll style beginning with the long end.  Seal seams and ends and place seam side down on two greased baking sheets.  Brush the tops with egg yolk.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve warm.

Pistachio and Cherry Mexican Wedding Cakes  made by Diane

2 Cups (4 sticks) softened butter at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar plus more for coating
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shelled unsalted natural pistachios (about 4 ounces), chopped
1 cup dried tart cherries or dried cranberries
3 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
1 2/3 cups sifted all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 3 heavy large baking sheets.  Beat 2 cups butter and 1 cup powdered sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla and salt, then the pistachios and cherries.  Stir in all flour using a spatula (do not overmix dough.)

Shape dough by generous Tbspls into football shaped ovals.  Place on prepared sheets, spacing  inch apart.  Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until bottoms just begin to color, about 16 minutes.  Cool cookies on sheets 10 minutes before coating.

Pour a generous amount of powdered sugar into a medium bowl.  Working with 5 or 6 warm cookies at a time, add cookies and gently turn to coat thickly.  Transfer to a sheet of wax paper.  Repeat and coat cookies again.  Cool.  Store in an airtight container. 

Here is Susie our new bride at her "shower" with her cake.