Becca's Bread

When we lived in New Jersey, we had a wonderful friend who taught her daughter to bake bread and sell it weekly.  It was a so good.

5 c. warm water
6 T. sugar or ¼ c. honey
2 Tbsp. dry yeast
1 ½ T. salt
2/3 c. shortening, melted
3 + c. flour

Dissolve yeast into warm water. Add remaining ingredients, knead, adding more flour as needed. Turn out into greased bowl to rise for an hour or until double in size. Put into prepared loaf pans or baking sheets (depending on what type of loaf you want). Let rise for 30-45 minutes or until double in size. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from pans onto cooling rack, brush tops with shortening or butter.

Diane's Cinnamon Rolls

Famous.  She used to make these when I'd go over to her daughter's house and I thought they were perfection.  This dough makes cinnamon rolls or bread knots.

Diane’s Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups liquid – 1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup warm water (if doubling recipe, use 1 can of evaporated milk and the rest water to 4 cups)
4 Tbsp. fast rising yeast

- Water should be 100-110 degrees for yeast to activate
- Put these ingredients in kitchen aid and let sit for 5 minutes

ADD
¾ cup sugar
4 scant (less than) cups bread flour

- Quick stir to moisten

ADD
1 cup melted butter
4 more scant cups of bread flour

- Mix on high for 10 minutes (dough will be sticky)
- Let rise in bowl for 5 minutes, split dough in half
- Roll out on a floured surface about ¼ inch thick
- Spread melted butter, cinnamon, white sugar and roll up (cut with plain dental floss about 2 inches thick)...
- Place on greased (pam) jelly roll pan and let rise 45 minutes (about 12 rolls per pan)
- Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes – light brown on top
- Frost immediately for thinner frosting or let cool and frost for thicker frosting.
- Can make 12 cinnamon rolls and 12 knot rolls with dough, same cooking time.

Frosting
1 cube butter
4 oz cream cheese
1 lb box powdered sugar

Baguette

This is from my Visiting Teacher and Ainsley's former Activity Days Teacher.  Yum!

Baguette

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes - foam should form on the top.  In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. (I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet (or silpat) with seam down.

Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  With a very sharp knife (I like to use a serrated blade) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look.  Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter.

Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1/3 c. oil
1/3 c. brown sugar
7 c. whole-wheat flour
1/3 c. gluten flour

1 3/4 Tbsp. Yeast
1 3/4 Tbsp. Sugar
1/2 c. warm water
2 1/3 c. warm tap water
1 Tbsp. Salt

Mix 1 3/4 Tbsp. Sugar into 1/2 c. warm water. Mix yeast into sugar water mixture. Let
stand 10-15 minutes.

While yeast is standing, combine 2 1/3 c. warm tap water, gluten and half of the wheat
flour. Mix on low speed until blended. Add salt, oil and brown sugar. Continue to mix
until well blended. Add 1/2 c. of wheat flour and blend again. Add yeast mixture and
blend thoroughly. Add remaining flour until dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl
and is consistency of cookie dough. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes.

Spray bread pans with Pam. Grease hands and remove dough from mixture. Mold into
2 loaves and place in pans. Cover loaves with damp cloth, let rise approximately 1/2
hour. Cover with foil and bake at 350* for 38-45 minutes. Remove foil last 5 minutes of
baking time. Remove from pans. Cool on rack.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This came from Erin Becker.  I miss her and this bread.

1 2/3 c Flour
1 1/2 c sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c oil
1/3 c water
2 eggs
1 c chocolate chips

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.  In another bowl, mix all wet ingredients.  Combine the two bowls and beat.  Add chocolate chips.  Bake @ 350 for 1hr 15 mins.  Makes 2 big loaves or 4 mini loaves.

Cafe Rio Tortillas

So at our old school we hosted a fabulous teacher luncheon.  One year I was in charge I decided we should prepare the famed Cafe Rio dinner, since all the teachers had never heard of it.  THEY LOVED IT!  It was such a fun school to be at.

• 3 c. flour

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 3/4 c. butter

• 3/4 c. very hot water

Mix the flour, salt, & baking powder together. Cut in the butter with your fingers, fork or your mixer works great, until it is crumbly. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in bowl, cover with a slightly damp dishtowel and let sit for an hour or more. Pull apart a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Then use a rolling pin to smooth it out.

Preheat a large skillet or pan to medium-high heat. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly, golden, and no appearance of doughy-ness, about 1 minute (DON’T OVERCOOK.. remember these are supposed to be soft flour tortillas, you don’t want them to be crispy)

Dakin's Homemade Tortillas

Rochester days are filled with great memories of learning to cook all kinds of wonderful things.  I loved these homemade tortillas from John and Dakin.  Miss you guys.  Come cross the pond and be our neighbors again.

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1/3 water
1 Tbs sugar
dash of salt
2 cups flour

Mix liquid ingredients.  Add flour slowly.  Knead lightly.  Roll into tortillas.  Heat on skillet at medium heat until bubbles form and then flip.

Zucchini Bread

Another Dakin classic

3 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon
1 package of coconut cream instant pudding
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

chocolate chips
nuts

Mix and cook at 325 for an hour

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

½ c. margarine                     

½ c. buttermilk

1 ¾ c. sugar
2 ½ c. flour

½ c. oil                           

4 T. cocoa

2 eggs                          

½ tsp. salt

2 c. unpeeled zucchini, shredded
1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla                       

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in oil, eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Add buttermilk and zucchini.  Mix until well blended.  Spread in a 13x9 pan.

Topping:

¾ c. brown sugar

¾ c. chocolate chips

Combine and sprinkle over cake batter.  Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes.

Peach Cobbler Muffins.

Hosted a big shower this weekend. Made these. They were tasty. Thank you A Few Short Cuts.

Peach Cobbler Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups white sugar
2 cups cannedpeaches


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease 16-18 muffin cups.
In the mixer, mix the oil, eggs, and sugar. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour to the oil mix until well incorporated. The batter will be thick! Fold in the peaches. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan Streusel Topping Recipe
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup pecans, finely chopped, optional
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together all of the above ingredients. Fingers work best. Sprinkle a Tbs on top of each muffin before you bake!

Amish Bread

This was the first bread recipe that I learned to cook. It deserves much attention. It was given to me by Miss Glenna Mae, one of my YW leaders back when. Her direct quote was, "This is the easiest recipe and you can't mess it up." Weeeell, I have messed it up before and I've tried variations.

And I think I've made it into perfection.

Amish Bread

2 ½ cups milk (or water, but milk makes it much more moist)

5 Tbs sugar or honey)

3 Tbs butter

1 Tbs salt

… mix and heat in microwave until slightly hot to the touch.

add ...

2 pkgs (or 4 ½ tsp) of rapid rise yeast

Then pour into your mixer and add...

flour

You want the dough to be soft almost sticky. The less dry it is the less hard the loaf will be after cooking. Mix in blender just until mixed and then hand knead it a little bit. Do not over knead. Grease bowl and dump it in. Put in oven with no light to help the dough rise.

Let rise 8 minutes and punch it down. Repeat this 4 times total. Ooooor, just forget about it like I do and punch it down in an hour and again when you remember.

Divide the dough in two pieces. Roll into a log and bend it like an arch. For decorative purposes, cut ½ inch deep along top of bread. Brush egg yolk and 1 tsp milk over bread.

Place in oven and THEN turn it on to 360 degrees. When your oven tells you it has reached that temperature, then set your timer for 20 minutes.

Dreamy Cream Orange Cranberry Scones

So I have to help cook a breakfast for the teacher's next week. I am SOOO making these. I just made them tonight. I modified Smitten Kitchen's take on it and just couldn't resist adding an Orange Glaze.

These are perfect.

Dreamy Cream Scones
America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped into smaller bits
1 cup heavy cream (oh yeah baby)

1. Turn on the oven to 425°F.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl.

3. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. I like forks or using the food processor but just for a few seconds. Stir in cranberries.

4. Stir in cream.

5. Knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball. Form scones by pressing the dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle. Cut pieces with a biscuit cutter. Press remaining scraps back into another piece.

6. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are baaaarely light brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Orange Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

Orange Juice

Orange Zest (about 2 teaspoons)

Mix all together. Add just enough Orange Juice to get it to a liquid consistency.

Blueberry Muffins

These were made at a Kindergarten Mother's Day lunch last year. And I just had to make them again. I think next time I make them I will sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top to add an extra sweet and crunchy top. Perhaps a few drops of lemon juice too.

3 cups flour

1 Tbs bakin powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup plain yogurt (or buttermilk)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup blueberries

Heat oven to 375.

Combine flour, powder, soda, salt.

Blend butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla.

Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the yogurt.

Fold in blueberries.

Cook for about 25 min. Undercooking by juuuust a bit is great. Preferably just barely lightly browned. And if you haven't tried using silicone muffin holders .. you ought to. Holy cow they come out soooo easy!

Pumpkin Crumble Bread

'Tis the season for all things Pumpkin. I was looking to kick up my pumpkin bread a notch and this recipe from The Hungry Housewife knocked my socks off. We ate one whole loaf as soon as it came out of the oven.

Pumpkin Bread with Crumb Topping
by the Hungry Housewife

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz) Libby's Pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1.2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.
Lightly grease two bread pans
Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to the wet, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Fold in pumpkin and nuts (if you're the nutty kind.)

Pour into pans and top with crumb mixture and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup walnuts

In a medium bowl, combine 1st five ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 forks, so it resembles crumbles. Mix in oatmeal and walnuts.

Corn Bread

Mmmm MMMM. Nothin' says lovin' like a great slice of hot fresh corn bread. I like my cornbread to be more of a dessert and this recipe does the trick. Yeah ... bisquick. I don't really use bisquick for anything else except this recipe. Today I'm going to try using buttermilk instead of milk. Thanks to April for giving me this recipe back when I was first learning that cooking involved more than just going Costco.

CORN BREAD

2 Cups Bisquik
4-6 Tbs cornmeal
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
put into a 9x9 greased pan and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.