Jonny's Cookbook

Nothing is more refreshing than freshly squeezed lemonade on a hot summer day...that is, unless you infuse that cold glass of lemonade with mint. This is our family's favorite summer beverage! It's simple & guaranteed to have people going back for seconds. This recipe is enough to make six quarts, which is enough for about 2 pitchers of lemonade. Ingredients 4 cups simple syrup (3 cups sugar, 2 cups water) 4 cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 16 large lemons) Handful of mint leaves Approx. 16 cups cold water (to taste) Directions Make your simple syrup by combining 3 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and let cool off. Mix together all the ingredients, tasting as you add the water to make the lemonade as strong (or weak) as you prefer. Infuse mint in lemonade 4 - 6 hours.  

Cinnamon rolls bring me straight back to my childhood. My mom used to bake big batches of them, which would come out of the oven just after we went to bed. I have so many memories of my mom coming in my room with a warm cinnamon roll to enjoy in bed (after bedtime...gasp!). This weekend, my wife (the queen of pies) had a special request: combine apple pie with a cinnamon roll. The result, which uses my mom's cinnamon roll recipe as a base, was decadent. It's a bit of work, but totally worth it. A great baking project for a rainy day at home. Ingredients For the dough: 1 1/2 cups warm water 1/2 cup sugar 1 packet yeast 1/4 cup melted butter 1 egg, beaten 1/3 cup dried milk 2 tsp salt 4 - 4 1/2 cups flour For the Apple-pecan filling: 1/2 cup melted butter 1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 2 Tbsp cinnamon 3/4 cup chopped pecans 1 apple, cored, peeled & diced (about 1/4 inch) For the Apple Pie topping: 2 Tbsp butter 2 apples, cored, peeled & diced (about 1/2 inch) 1/2 cup dar...