Thursday, May 14, 2009

Mom's Honey Wheat Bread Recipe


I have been asked a few times for this recipe. I make wheat bread every Monday. My boys are really picky eaters and I always feel they don't get enough good stuff in their bodies. They love toast, sandwiches and bread and butter. I decided to make my bread from scratch so I was sure they were getting at least one good thing each day. I grind my wheat, which I love because I am actually using my food storage. The thing above is my wheat grinder. It fits right on my Kitchenetics mixer. I love it!

This is the contraption that my Mom and I both use for our bread. It makes it so easy.

Honey Wheat Bread Recipe
This bread recipe uses wheat and white flour. It's the best recipe I've found for bread that is softer, but uses wheat flour and honey.
First I take a quart jar full of wheat and grind it with my wheat grinder.
After grinding the wheat it only takes 1 1/2 hours to make and bake this bread.
Turn on oven to lowest heat setting - (mine is 170 degrees) and warm the oven.
You will need:
5 cups hot tap water
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons yeast (I use SAF yeast)
Approximately 7-8 cups wheat flour (all the wheat you ground)
" 6+ cups white flour - I don't really measure the white flour
1/4 cup dough enhancer (Macey's)
1/4 cup wheat gluten “
Makes 4 large loaves
Put KNEADING arm on mixer
Put hot tap water into bowl. Add 5 cups flour, oil, and honey. If you measure and add the oil before the honey it won't stick to the cup. Mix briefly until flour is wet. Add yeast and mix briefly again. Mix in the salt and the rest of the wheat flour along with the dough enhancer and gluten. Turn machine on to Speed I (lowest speed) and continue adding white flour a little at a time. Stop adding flour when dough has formed a mass, and is not sticking to the sides or bottom of the bowl.
When dough reaches this stage, you have added enough flour. Put on the lid and knead the dough on Speed II for 9 minutes.
When the dough is ready, take the bowl off, and put a light coating of oil on your hands and on your counter. Remove the dough from the bowl. The oil will allow you to work with the dough without it sticking to your hands or the work surface. Use the oil instead of more flour. The dough will be a little sticky.
After removing the dough from the bowl, pull the Kneading arm out of the dough.
With a bread mixer you don't have to do any kind of hand kneading or let the dough rise in the bowl.
Divide dough into four equal portions, shape loaves and put into greased pans.
Turn off warmed oven and put pans in oven to rise until dough is double in bulk.
(I set my timer for 28 minutes for it to rise.)
After the dough has risen in the pans and the timer has gone off, don't take the pans out of the oven.
Leave the pans in the oven and reset the temperature to 350 degrees.
Set the timer for 35 minutes. You may have to adjust the cooking time depending on how fast your oven cooks, or what size of bread pans you use. My pans are 9 5/8" x 5 1/2".
You can cover the bread with foil if it is getting too brown.
Bread is done when top crust is nicely browned and loaf has a hollow sound when "thumped". The bottom crust should also be a little browned.
Cool loaves on paper towel or dish towel. When completely cooled put in plastic bags.



Dough Enhancer and Wheat Gluten. Both of these we find at Maceys.

This is what the package for SAF yeast looks like. We buy ours in Utah at Maceys.

The finished product. I rub butter on the top of my bread right when it comes out of the oven.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Fresh Lemonade with Mint



This recipe is from my favorite cookbook right now. It is by Julie Badger Jensen, "The Essential Mormon Cookbook." Honestly this cookbook is so good!

6 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 sprigs of green mint
2 quarts (8 cups) water

Cut lemons in slices and remove seeds. Place lemon slices in a large bowl. Sprinkle sugar over slices. Add two sprigs of mint. Let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove mint. using a masher, crush sugared lemons. Add water. Stir well. Pour into serving pitcher. Add ice and remaining two sprigs of mint. Pour and serve right away. Makes 2 quarts.

The recipe doesn't ever say to remove the lemon rinds, but I took out about half of them before serving after I had gotten as much lemon out of them as possible. If you have leftover juice, take the rest out before putting in the refrigerator or it makes the lemonade taste funny. This is perfect for Summer!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake



1 cup Oreo crumbs (about 12-not double stuff)
1 TBS margarine, melted
3 (8 oz) packages of softened cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 TBS flour
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped Oreos (about 8)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix together crumbs and margarine in small bowl. Press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla in large mixing bowl on medium speed with electric mixer until well blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold in chopped cookies. Pour over crust.

Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes (random!). Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Chill. Garnish with thawed Cool Whip, or Oreos cut in half.

The first time I made this it cracked. Someone gave me the idea to put a pan of water in with the cheesecake when it is cooking to prevent cracking.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Banana Muffins




Better Homes and Gardens cookbook! So Delish!

1 3/4 c all purpose flour
1/3 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 c milk
3/4 c bananas
1/4 c cooking oil
1/2 c chopped nuts
1 recipe Streusel Topping

1. Grease muffin tins or line with paper bake cups; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

3. In another bowel combine egg, milk and oil. Add egg mixture and bananas to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. If desired, sprinkle Steusel topping over muffin batter (which is so good!) in cups. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from cups.


Streusel Topping: Combine 3 TBS all purpose flour, 3 TBS brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Cut in 2 TBS butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2 TBS chopped nuts.

Pumpkin Cake Roll


I recognize that this is more of a fall recipe, but I like to "practice" things before I need to make them for someone, so I decided to practice this one.


3 eggs
1 c of sugar
2/3 c canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 c powdered sugar
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
4 TBS butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped pecans

Beat eggs and sugar together. Add pumpkin and lemon juice and mix together. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture.
Line jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Grease lightly. Spread pumpkin mixture evenly in pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn out immediately onto a clean dishtowel sprinkled with powdered sugar, removing the waxed paper. Sprinkle more powdered sugar on top of cake. Start at one end, carefully rolling towel and cake together. Cool on counter top.
Combine the 1 cup powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Gently unroll cake onto cutting board, removing towel. Spread cream cheese filling over top. Sprinkle with pecans. Roll back up. cover with waxed paper and chill in refrigerator. Best when made a day ahead.

Copycat Applebee's Walnut Blondie

I got this recipe on the blog Bakerella, and she got it from the Recipe Secrets website. I decided to make it tonight-it is so good!
Dough
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour, sifted
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or more if desired)
1/3 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Maple Butter Sauce
3/4 cup maple syrup ( I highly recommend using REAL maple syrup )
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the already sifted flour. Then sift dry ingredients again.
Add chopped nuts and mix well. Set aside.

Add brown sugar to melted butter and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add flour mixture, a little at a time, until mixed well.
Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread out dough in a 9-inch pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Use a toothpick or fork to test if it is cooked in the center.
Serve warm with ice cream and Maple Butter Sauce.

Maple Butter Sauce

In a pan, add real maple syrup and butter, cook over low heat until butter is melted. Next, stir in brown sugar until completely dissolved. If you desire, add walnuts.

Enjoy !

French Silk Pie



* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate pieces
* 1/3 cup pure butter
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 2 egg yolks, beaten
* 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
* 1 baked (9 inch) pie shell
* Chocolate curls (for garnish)
* 1 can heavy whipping cream (for serving)

Preparation
1. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine the 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chocolate pieces, butter and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, till chocolate is melted, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

2. Gradually stir about half of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Return egg mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, till mixture is slightly thickened and almost bubbly – 3 to 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream. Place saucepan in a bowl of ice water, stir constantly till mixture stiffens and becomes hard to stir (20 minutes).

3. Transfer chocolate mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Beat the cooled chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until light fluffy (2 to 3 minutes). Spread filling in a baked pastry shell.

4. Cover and chill pie 4 to 5 hours or until set best served within 24 hours, but will last 3 to 4 days if stored properly. Serve with whipped cream and a garnish with chocolate curls.
Notes
Be sure to use pure butter or pure margarine in this recipe. If not, water and oil will form in the chocolate and will ruin the chocolate silk. (No spreads!)

Pistachio Pudding Squares



So good! These recipes are all from "Essential Mormon Celebrations" cookbook. I absolutely love it!

1/2 C butter or margarine
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp water
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. pecans, walnuts, or cashews, chopped
1 (6 oz) package vanilla instant pudding
3 (3.4 ounce) packages pistachio instant pudding
6 c. milk, divided
2 c. whipping cream, plus sugar to sweeten

For the crust, cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add water, flour, vanilla, and nuts; mix well. Spread mixture in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until light brown. Set aside to cool.

Prepare vanilla pudding according to package directions, using 2 cups of milk; spread over cooled crust. Chill to set. Prepare pistachio pudding according to package directions, using the remaining 4 cups milk; spread over vanilla pudding to make second layer. Chill to set. Before serving, whip and sweeten cream. Top with sweetened whipped cream. Serves 12 to 15.

Vanilla Pudding


3/4 C. Sugar
3 TBS cornstarch
3 C. Milk
4 beaten egg yolks
1 TBS butter or margarine
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Palmer wanted dessert tonight after dinner. I didn't have anything and needed something fast so I made this wonderful recipe. I like to serve it warm with chocolate chips melting in it. Thank you Betty Crocker Cookbook. Yummy!

In a medium heavy saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk. cook and stir mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat. Gradually stir 1 cup of milk mixture into egg yolks. Add egg mixture to milk mixture in pan. Bring milk mixture to a gentle boil; reduce heat. cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour pudding into a bowl. cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Serve warm or cold (do not stir during chilling).

Hamburger Buns


I am a bread snob (my Mom spoiled me growing up, what can I say?). I make wheat bread every Monday because I don't like store bought bread. I have been looking for a good hamburger bun recipe. I tried one last week that was not very good. I was a little worried about this one, but I was determined to find a good one (sorry for all of the hamburger nights family!) This one was really good!



1 C. milk
1 C. water
2 TBS butter
1 TBS white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 TBS water

Combine the milk, 1 c. of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm. If the mixtue is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions. They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the egg yolk and 1 TBS of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.

The Best Waffles


I am not a huge waffle fan. When I was little I did 4H and my mom found this in a cookbook they had. It is the best waffle recipe I have tasted as it isn't dense. I also like that you can make a big batch of the mix and then use it for a while. First you make the quick mix and then you only take a little of that and add the fresh ingredients to it each time you want to make a batch of waffles.

Quick Mix Recipe

10 c. flour
1/4 c baking powder
1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
4 tsp salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 3/4 c nonfat dry milk
1 2/3 c shortening

Combine ingredients (cut shortening in with a knife) and store in an airtight container.

To make the waffles

2 1/4 c Quick Mix
2 eggs beaten
1 tbs sugar
1 3/4 c water
1 tbs oil

Mix and cook your waffles!

Good Syrup (my sister-in-law Amy's recipe)

4 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tbs corn syrup
2 c. water
1 tbs vanilla
1 tsp maple

combine everything except vanilla and maple. Bring to a boil and cover. Boil gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cool a little and add vanilla and maple.

Frozen Lemon Pie


Frozen Lemon Pie

1 1/2 c grahm cracker crumbs
1/4 c butter, melted
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cram, softened
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip thawed to room temperature
6 oz (undiluted) lemonade frozen concentrate
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 lemon, sliced
mint leaves

Prepare a graham cracker crust by combing graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Pat into a 9 or 10 inch greased pie plate to form a crust. Chill or freeze until firm. In a large bowl combine softened ice cream, whipped topping, lemonade concentrate, and the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Stir until blended. Pour over chilled pie crust. Freeze overnight or for several hours. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves. Makes 8 servings.