Auntie Annes Matrimonial Cake Recipes

AUNT ANNE'S COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Crack an egg into a measuring cup and then fill add milk to make 1 cup. Stir in vanilla. Pour into crumb mixture and mix just until moistened. Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle top with streusel.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

AUNTIE ANNE'S PRETZELS COPYCAT

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or cup. Let sit for a few minutes.
• Combine flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water with yeast and vegetable oil. Stir with a spoon and then use your hands to form dough into a ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. (Dough will be nice and smooth when ready). Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, store in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until dough rises to double in size.
• When dough has risen, preheat oven to 425°F.
• Make a bath for the pretzels by combining the baking soda with the warm water and stir until baking soda is mostly dissolved.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 even portions. Roll each portion on a flat non-floured surface until it is about 3 ft long. Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little spin so the middle of the dough spins around once. Lay the dough down with the loop nearest to you. Fold the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the loop. The twist should be in the middle.
• Holding the pinched ends, dip each pretzel into the bath solution. Put each pretzel on a paper towel for a moment to blot the excess liquid. Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. If you want salt, sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt or pretzel salt. DON'T salt any pretzels you plan to coat with cinnamon sugar. You will likely have to use two baking sheets and bake them separately. Bake the pretzels for 4 minutes and then spin the pan around and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown.
• Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes. If you want to eat some now, brush them with melted butter first before serving.
• If you want the cinnamon sugar coating, make it by combining the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the unsalted pretzels with melted butter. Sprinkle a heavy coating of the cinnamon sugar on the pretzels over a large plate.
• Makes 8 pretzels.

AUNTIE ANNE'S PRETZELS - COPYCAT

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve.
• Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic.
• Let rise at least 1/2 hour.
• While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 tbsp baking soda.
• Be certain to stir often.
• After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape.
• Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet.
• Allow pretzels to rise again.
• Bake in oven at 450 for about 10 minutes or until golden.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Toppings: After you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt.
• Or for Auntie Anne's famous Cinnamon Sugar, try melting a stick of butter in a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another shallow bowl make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
• Dip the pretzel into the butter, coating both sides generously.
• Then dip again into the cinnamon mixture.
• Notes: The longer and thinner you can make the dough rope, the more like Auntie Anne's they will be.

CANADIAN MATRIMONIAL CAKE

Steps:

• Filling: In saucepan, cook dates, sugar, lemon juice and water over medium heat, stirring often, until the dates are soft, about 15 minutes.
• Let cool.
• In a bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, sugar, baking soda and salt; blend in butter until mixture is crumbly.
• Pat half onto bottom of 9 inch square pan.
• Spread filling evenly over the top.
• Sprinkle with the remaining flour mixture, patting lightly.
• Bake in a 350F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until nicely browned.
• Let cool; cut into squares.

AUNTIE ANNE'S MATRIMONIAL CAKE

Steps:

• Date Filling: Cook dates in water with orange rind {grated} with sugar over a moderate heat until thickened and smooth remove from heat and add fruit juices mix well and cool before spreading.
• Crumb Mixture: Sift flour, baking soda and salt rub in butter add sugar and oatmeal mix well spread 1/2 of the crumb mixture in a greased pan and press in smoothly. Cover with cooled date mixture evenly then cover with the remaining crumb mixture pat to make smooth bake 30 - 35 minutes in a cool oven 325 Fahrenheit then increase the heat to 350 Fahrenheit to lightly brown cake.
• Cut in squares while hot allow to cool in pan.
• Note: Date mixture can be cut in half if you do not want that much filling. Crumb mixture I blend the butter well with the crumb mixture then I put the mixture in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer on the lowest setting for about 3 minutes until well blended to crumb consistency only do not over blend in mixer it will happen quickly about 1 - 3 minutes depending on how soft your butter is in the beginning.
• Note: I use cold butter for the crumble mixture. We like like this date crumble very delicately browned so we don't turn the oven up to 350 Fahrenheit just keep it at 325 for 10 more minutes after the 30 minutes. I also add quite a bit more lemon and just about a 1/4 cup of dates more that are chopped and pitted that's how our family likes this cake. I also let the date mixture marry for a couple of days in the refrigerator and then reduce it somewhat on very low heat then cool for baking the cake.

GRANDMA'S MATRIMONIAL CAKE

Steps:

• Date filling: Place water and dates in saucepan. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the filling is thickened and smooth. If the cooking mixture is too thick, add a little water.
• Stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
• cake:.
• Mix flour, oats, brown sugar and baking soda.
• Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
• Press half of the crumbs into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
• Top with Date filling mixture. Spread evenly with a spatula.
• Top with remaining half of crumbs.
• Bake 350 35 minutes til lightly browned.
• Cut into 42 bars.

AUNTIE ANNE'S COPYCAT PRETZELS

Steps:

• Grease a baking sheet.
• Sprinkle yeast onto lukewarm (about 115 degrees) water in a mixing bowl and stir to dissolve.
• Add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve.
• Add flour and knead dough (in bowl) until smooth and elastic.
• Cover and let rise at least 1/2 hour.
• Mix the bath of warm water and baking soda in a shallow bowl and stir often.
• Divide dough and roll into a long, thin rope, the thinner the better. 1/2" thick is great if you have the skill and patience. This gets easier with practice.
• Shape into a pretzel (make a u-shape, twist, then bring ends down to form shape), dip into water bath and place on greased baking sheet.
• Allow pretzels to rise again (I prefer to keep them covered during the rise).
• Bake in a preheated, 450 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Bake ONLY until JUST golden. If they are overcooked, they are tough.
• While they are baking, melt butter and whisk a little bit of honey into the butter (I use about a tablespoon for 4 pretzels but you can use whatever you prefer).
• When pretzels are almost done, brush each one with the butter/honey mixture and return to the oven for about a minute.
• You can sprinkle on cinnamon sugar just after brushing on the butter, or skip the honey and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, garlic salt, coarse salt, or whatever topping you like.
• These can also be made into tasty pretzel sticks.