Butter Dips!

Snow is falling all around... Ok, it isn't really snowing today, but it was yesterday! I love waking up to snow. It made my day. Not everyone feels that way. I don't know why. It's so pretty and cold and peaceful. My thoughtful husband left early and came home with a surprise for me. (He calls them Tuesday presents. It's super cute.) This week it was a new book by one of my favorite authors: Traci Hunter Abramson. The book is Deep Cover and is really good. Since I just finished reading it, I can start posting again. Don't worry, Tuesday presents aren't always books that keep me away from you.

Since I was so warm and comfy reading my book yesterday and today, I decided to write about one of my favorite comfort foods. This recipe comes from when I was little. My mom used to make these magical breadsticks in twenty minutes. That was incredible because at that point, it seemed to take all day to make bread or rolls. I know now that it was only a couple of hours, but twenty minutes is still faster. My mom was gracious enough to let me help in the kitchen, and I'm sure I made a mess with this recipe.

Let me paint a delicious picture for you. The breadstick dough is mixed, rolled out, cut and dipped in butter before being baked. The butter helps hold garlic salt, parsley, and cheese to the dough as it bakes. Yum. They are super easy and delicious. Plus they are called butter dips. What could be better? Oh yeah, the fact that it only takes 20 minutes and can be bake while you make pasta and sauce to go with them.



Butter Dips
1/4 c butter*
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2/3 c milk
2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 450* F. Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and milk. Stir until mixture forms a ball.

2. Knead on floured board until the dough is smooth and not sticky. I usually add a little more flour than it calls for to make it easier to roll out.



3. Roll out dough to about 1/4"



and cut the dough into strips using a pizza cutter.



4. Melt butter on a cookie sheet. It only takes a couple of minutes in the preheated oven.

5. Dip strips into butter and leave on the sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt and/or parsley. (Sometimes I make this easier and add garlic and parsley to the dough before I roll it out.)



6. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. (If you want to add parmesan cheese, let it bake for 7 or 8 minutes, then add the cheese so it will melt and not burn.



*If you are trying to cut out some calories, feel free to make the healthier version. You just spray your cookie sheet with non-stick spray and then brush the tops of the breadsticks with butter. Almost the same concept, but you only use a couple of tablespoons of butter instead of a whole stick of it. You're welcome, skinny people.