Would You Like Fries With That?

 (Published on surfKY News on April 5, 2012)

Like many young people trying to work their way through college, I served my “McDonald's Time” and I am very proud of it. I had some of my greatest times in college standing behind the counter asking, “Would you like fries with that?”

We are coming upon the anniversary of the opening of the first McDonald's by Ray Kroc, who was a seller of milkshake machines. On April 15, 1955, Kroc opened his first restaurant near Chicago. Today, McDonald's is the top fast food chain and reported an all-time high revenue of $27 billion in revenue for 2011.

McDonald's has come a long way from their simple menu of just hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, shakes, soft drinks and apple pies. Today, the menu features frappes and cappuccinos, fruit smoothies, Angus burgers, salads, wraps, oatmeal and the newest addition, a wonderful strawberry and cream pie.
 

I love McDonald's coffee and literally have to fight off the urge to grab one each and every morning. I absolutely love coffee and I am usually not too pleased with the coffee served in different restaurants, but if McDonald's bagged this coffee to where I could buy it at the grocery store, I think I would hoard up enough to last the rest of my lifetime.

I think I will take the whole month of April to celebrate McDonald's and I will sing the jingle of the Big Mac, “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.”

Here are some copycat recipes for you to celebrate the golden arches.
 

MCDONALD'S CINNAMON MELTS
 
Dough
2 1/4 t active dry yeast
1/2 c warm water (105 to 110 f)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c whole milk
1/3 c margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 t salt
5 1/2 c all-purpose flour
 
Filling 

1 c packed dark brown sugar
2 T ground cinnamon
2/3 c margarine, melted
Icing
Ingredients
1/4 c margarine, softened
1/4 c creme cheese
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 T whole milk
1/4 t vanilla

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup and let it sit for 5 minutes. Use an electric mixer (I just did this by hand) to combine sugar with milk and melted margarine in a large bowl. Mix in eggs and salt. Mix in 1 cup of flour. When flour is combined, mix in 1 more cup of flour. Mix in the yeast solution, and then stir in the remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball, and then put the dough back into the bowl, cover it and store it in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours. Mix the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl, and set aside until needed. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until about 1/2-inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to slice dough into approximately 1/2-inch wide strips, and then slice those strips into 3/4-inch to 1-inch long chunks of dough. Use softened margarine to grease the cups of a large (Texas-size) muffin tin. Drop 6 chunks of dough into the bottom of each cup. Spoon 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon filling over the dough. Drop 7 more pieces of dough onto the filling in each cup, and then spoon 2 teaspoons of filling over the top of the dough. Cover the muffin tin with a cloth or plastic wrap and let the dough sit in a warm spot for 30 minutes so that it rises a little more. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake cinnamon melts for 17 to 20 minutes or until dough turns light brown. (I did mine about 25 minutes and they were still gooey on the bottom). As the cinnamon melts cool, make the icing by mixing margarine and cream cheese together with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the powdered sugar and mix slowly until all of the powdered sugar is incorporated. Add the milk and vanilla, then mix again on high speed until smooth and fluffy. Spoon about 1 tbsp of icing over the top of each cinnamon melt. Serve right away, or cover melts with plastic and freeze. To serve a frozen melt, remove one from the pan and microwave it on high for 35 to 45 seconds or until warm.

 
BIG MAC SECRET SAUCE

1 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup sweet relish
1/4 cup French dressing
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced onion
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate in a sealed container.

 
MCDONALD'S FROZEN STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

16 ounces prepared lemonade mix
2 cups ice cube
2 tablespoons strawberry ice cream topping

Prepare 16 ounces of lemonade according to the package directions. Place 16 ounces of lemonade, and 2 cups of ice in a blender. Blend until the ice is crushed completely. Place about two tablespoons of strawberry ice cream topping in the bottom of a glass, and then pour frozen lemonade over the strawberry topping.
 

NEXT WEEK—The Unsinkable  

Remember......Life is short. Eat Dessert first!!