Cheese and Garlic Buttermilk Biscuits

This recipe came from TheSistersCafe website.  Maybe not a super healthy option but SO YUMMY!  My kids gobble these up really fast - goodness, so do I! :)  I make them in my food processor to make it even easier since I really don't like cutting in the butter by hand.

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cold
2 cups flour
1 Tb sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
about 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tb butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut butter into flour mixture using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese then stir in enough buttermilk so dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead very lightly until dough forms a soft ball, about 10 times. Do not overwork the dough! The less you handle the dough, the more fluffy your biscuits. Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Mix together melted butter, garlic salt and parsley flakes. Brush the tops of the warm biscuits with the garlic butter and serve hot.

Blueberry Muffins with Lemon

Wow!  These were so yummy.  Another recipe I got from thesisterscafe.com.  They had just the right hint of lemon.  I used buttermilk instead of the milk called for because I needed to use it up, as well as fresh blueberries instead of frozen because that is what I had.  Also, I used butter, not shortening.  For the topping, I only made up about half of what is called for and that was plenty, with a little extra to spare.  Scott called these his new favorite muffin - although, he doesn't like blueberries so his were blueberry-less. :)  Totally worth giving a try!

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

zest of one lemon

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/2 cup shortening (or butter*)

1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping (this makes extra – you can try cutting it down if you want):

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 Tb lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Beat egg, milk and shortening. Stir in blueberries. Add dry ingredients and lemon zest. Stir gently to combine. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Combine butter and lemon juice. While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the butter and lemon juice, then dip in sugar. Makes 12 muffins.

 

Molasses Wheat Bread

I was going to try Rachel's recipe she posted on Sunday but I didn't have any dry milk. So I searched for another alternative to mix it up a little and found this recipe. It uses molasses so the bread looks a little darker, but it made it very moist and sweet. The recipe below will make 2 loaves.

1 envelope yeast
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup butter softened
1/8 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
2 Tbl Dough Enhancer
1/4 cup Vital Wheat Gluten

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water
2. In large bowl, combine butter, molasses, honey and salt. Mix well. (I did it in my Kitchen Aid)
3. Add yeast mixture then gradually add flours, enhancer, and gluten
4. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth
5. Place in greased bowl and let rise until double
6. Punch down and let rest a few minutes
7. Divide into 2 loaves, place in greased pans and let rise for 1 hour
8. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes

Dinner Rolls

We had these the other night for dinner, and I think they are my favorite rolls now! Suzy-this is one of the best bites recipes that isn't on the blog.

• 2 c whole milk


• 1/2 c plus 1 tbs sugar, divided


• 1/2 c butter


• 2 tsp salt 2 package (4 1/2 tsp) yeast


• 2/3 c warm water


• 8-9 c flour


• 3 beaten eggs

• Combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts.


• Remove from heat, allow to cool to luke warm. I usually rub some ice cubes along the side of the pan, or pop the entire pan into the sink full of ice cubes to cool the mixture faster. This step is really important because if the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.


• While the milk mixture is cooling, disolve the yeast and 1 tbs sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. If yeast hasn't bubbled, repeat this step with new yeast.


• In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 c flour and milk mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds scraping sides of bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes. Add beaten eggs.


• Stir in as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. This dough should be very soft. It will be coming away from the side of the bowl, but it will stick to your finger when you touch it. Don't worry it will firm up during the rising process.


• Place bowl in warm place and cover with a towel. Allow to rise 1 hour.


• Punch down dough, lightly flour your work surface and turn dough out onto surface. Divide in half. Spray two 9X13 inch glass pans with cooking spray. Roll first portion of dough into a rectangle. Cut into 12 equal size pieces. This dough should be very easy to work with, almost like playdough. Shape each piece into a ball and place into prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough into second pan.


• Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. When dough has 15-20 minutes to go, preheat oven to 375. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Wheat Bread

Mary, sorry it took me a few days to get around to posting this. I've been making all of our bread for the last month and a half or so and this is the recipe that I use. It makes 4 loaves. I use about 2/3 whole wheat flour and 1/3 white flour, but you can vary this ratio however you choose. This bread has turned out soft like store-bought bread every time I've made it. Even when I didn't let it raise quite long enough, it was still very good, just a little bit more dense. I got the recipe off of a forum on pinchingyourpennies.com and it was titled "Dad's Bread". It was posted by dougjenevans, who posted a bunch of other whole wheat recipes too that I am slowly getting around to trying - I'll post those too if I find any great ones. :)

10-12 cups flour (any combination of wheat & white flour will do)

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (I get this at Macey's - I'm not sure where else they sell it)

2 Tbs dry yeast

4 cups warm water (120-130 degrees)

1/3 cup olive oil (I use light tasting olive oil, NOT EXTRA VIRGIN, or sometimes canola oil)

1/3 cup honey

1 Tbs salt

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees.


• Place 6 cups flour into mixer bowl with kneading arm attached. (I do all whole wheat for this part)


• Add 1/2 cup wheat gluten and 2 Tbs dry yeast and mix well.


• Add 4 cups warm water and mix for 1 minute. (Be careful that the water is not too hot or it will kill the yeast and your bread won't rise)


• Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.


• Add 1/3 cup oil, 1/3 cup honey, and 1 Tbs salt. While mixing these, quickly add remaining flour 1 cup at a time just until the dough cleans itself from the sides of the bowl. (This is where I often just use white flour, but I've used more wheat flour too and it is great. IMPORTANT: YOU PROBABLY WON'T USE ALL 10-12 CUPS FLOUR. I USUALLY ONLY NEED ABOUT 9-10 CUPS TOTAL - also, the sides of my mixer bowl tend to become "clean" too easily I think, so I usually add flour until the dough is soft and just barely sticky)


• Knead for 10 minutes.


• Shape and place dough in 4 non-stick bread pans and put in preheated oven. (I spray my pans with PAM just to make sure the bread comes out easily. Also, if the dough is a bit too sticky to shape, spray your hands quickly with PAM too and that should make it easier. My oven only goes down to 170, so I preheat it to that and then turn it off when I put the bread in.)


• Let bread rise in oven until double in size. (The recipe says this should take about 15 minutes, but mine always take between 30-45 minutes. I seem to have a better result too if, when I check and they look ready, I wait an extra 10-15 minutes. Another way you can tell is if the dough is just above the top of the bread pans - you'll just have to experiment the first time with what works with your pans and your oven.) :)


• With the pans still in the oven, turn the heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. (When I think the bread is ready, I take one out of a pan, turn it over, and test through the bottom of the bread with a meat thermometer - that way the hole is in the bottom, not the top - I let it get to about 195 degrees before I take it out.)Take bread out of the oven and remove from pans immediately by turning onto cooling racks.

Since this makes a lot of bread, I usually freeze 2 of the loaves for later. I've read (and tried) that the best way to freeze fresh bread and have it taste good later is to slice it before you freeze it. Then, if you don't want to defrost the whole loaf, you can just take out a slice or two, heat in the microwave for 20 seconds or so and it tastes like it just came out of the oven. Good luck! I hope you try it out!

Coconut Bread

This is what I took to my neighbors this year for Christmas.

Bread:
2 C white sugar
1 C canola oil
4 eggs
2 tsp coconut extract
3 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C buttermilk
1 C shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9x5 loaf pans.

In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. Beat in eggs and coconut extract. In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, powder, and soda. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture, alternating with buttermilk and coconut.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes until toothpick inserted int he middle comes out clean.

Glaze:
1 C sugar
1/2 C water
2 T butter
1 tsp coconut extract
1 C shredded coconut, toasted

Combine sugar, water and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add coconut flavoring. Pour 1/2 of the glaze mixture over the bread while still warm. Top each loaf with shredded, toasted coconut, then pour over the remaining glaze. Let sit in the pan for 4 hours.

Wheat Bread Recipe

Dasha wanted me to post the recipe for wheat bread I have been using. I got it off the container for the dough enhancer (Blue Chip is the brand I think) I bought. The recipe will make 4 loaves so if you want only 2, cut it in half :). I think that using the dough enhancer and the Vital Wheat Gluten make the bread not as crumbly as previous loaves of bread I have made. It seems to last a bit longer. Also, mom pointed out that yeast and salt don't interact well together. The first few times I made this recipe, it didn't rise as well. The last time I cut the salt in 1/2 and it rose like crazy. It didn't taste any different either. So here you go Dasha!!!

Blend or mix on speed 2 for 2 minutes

• 6 Cups Warm/Hot water(120-130 degrees F)
• 2/3 Cup Oil
• 2/3 Cup Honey
• 2 Tbsp Instant Yeast

Add:

• 2 Tbsp Blue Chip Group Dough Enhancer
• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/3 Cup Vital Wheat Gluten
• 2 Tbsp Salt (if desired)

Blend and Knead:

Add slowly 9 Cups whole wheat flour until side of bowl is clean or mix on speed 1-2 for 8 minutes.

Shape:

Into loaf pans and let rise until double

Bake:

At 350 F for 30 - 40 minutes.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe was on Best Bites and I thought I would give it a try. It turned out delicious! I didn't refrigerate them overnight - just while we were at church and they turned out perfect. I took some over to the neighbors and they called 15 minutes later raving about them. I also made a cream cheese glaze instead of the one on the recipe. I put both so you can choose what you like. YUM! Watch out Cinnabon!

Dough
1 T active dry yeast
1/2 C warm water (105 degr F/ 40 deg C)
4 1/2 C all-purpose flour (22 1/2 oz 700g)
4 large eggs
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp

Filling
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 T cinnamon

Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
2 T butter, melted
2 T milk or cream
1 t vanilla extract

OR CREAM CHEESE GLAZE

• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 C of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.

Add the eggs, sugar, butter, and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth 10-12 minutes. Add a bit more flour to reduce stickiness if needed.

Cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

While dough is rising, prepare filling. Take 2 T of the stick of butter and set aside. Beat remaining butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined and slightly fluffy, about 1 minute.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 15x10 in. Spread filling onto dough and roll up length-wise.

Use string or dental floss to score and cut the dough into rolls. You can make 12 small rolls, 10 medium ones, or 8 large. Place cut side up in baking dish. Melt the reserved 2 T butter and brush on top of rolls. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

The next morning remove from refrigerator and let rise until half again as high, about 1 hour. While rising mix glaze ingredients until combined. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Spread the glaze over warm rolls and serve.

Easy Rolls

Mom gave me this recipe... this is the one I do when I don't feel like making the potato rolls.

3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast

mix all together

microwave:
1 1/4 cup water and
1/4 cup butter
for 1 1/2 minutes

add 1 beaten egg

mix wet into dry. Plop on counter and kneed. Let rise

Separate into 16 rolls. Keep halfing until you have 16 rolls.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Yum Yum

The Baldpate Inn Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 cans creamed corn
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9X13 baking pan. Using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until blended and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Gradually beat in corn and cheeses. Stir in remaining ingredients. Place in oven, close door and immediately reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake one hour until toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs. Top will still look moist. Serve warm. Serves 8 to 10

This is the best cornbread I have ever had.

Pumpkin Bread

Makes 3 loaves

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups unsifted flour
3 cups sugar
1 t cinnamon
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
2 cups Reese's peanut butter chips **this is the key ingredient!!!!
1 cup nuts (Optional-- I don't use)
1 cup raisins (optional--I don't use)

Blend pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs in large bowl. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; gradually add to pumpkin mixture; blend well. Stir in peanut butter chips, (nuts, raisins also if using). Pour into 3 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely. Although really good when served warm!

This was Julie Beach's recipe and it does tasted really good

French Muffin Doughnuts

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
melted butter
1/2 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon

Sift flour with 1/2 c sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. combine milk, egg, and 1/3 cup melted butter and vanilla. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture, stirring only until all ingredients are moistened. Fill muffin pan half way and bake at 400 degrees. Remove pan, brush with melted butter and roll in mixture of remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.
Sometimes I skip the last part and just sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top before I bake them.

Remember these are the muffins you guys loved as kids.

Roger's Banana Bread

No one has posted anything in a while so I thought I would add another recipe. Come on people - you are slacking! :)

This is Roger's favorite Banana Bread recipe. I don't personally like bananas in any form but I have to admit this actually tastes good (yes, mother, I tried the banana bread. You should be proud). Roger cuts it in half and only makes 2 loaves. The below recipe will make 4.

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Yogurt Muffins

I found this recipe online on some blog and decided to try it out. It turned out pretty good. Emma can eat these muffins all day long :)

1 egg 
1 c yogurt (i used stonyfield farms organic fat free french vanilla just because i bought some for emma this week) 
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla 
3 Tbsp canola oil (or try applesausce instead) 
2 c flour
1 Tbsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp baking soda 
extras (i used 1c of cut-into-pieces plums, mini chocolate morsels and also some almonds)

Combine and stir the wet ingredients, then sift dry ingredients together, fold the dry into the wet until just incorporated (do not overmix) and stir in your extras - fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, oatmeal, zucchini, whatever. Put batter into muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes (baking time may vary depending on the moisture level of what you've added)

makes 1 dozen muffins 

Raisin Bran Muffins

Mom requested I post this - these are pretty good muffins. The get a little crunchy on the top and taste really good warm.

1 1/4 Cup Plain Flour
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Cups Raisin Bran Cereal
1 1/4 Cup Milk or Buttermilk
1 egg
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

Begin by placing cereal in the bowl with the milk to soften. Stir in the egg and the vegetable oil into the cereal and milk mixture. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes about 18 muffins.

Bread Video

There are some videos on Youtube from the authors of the book telling all about this dough recipe. I am posting one video that i found helpful:

Arisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I don't know if you heard of this bread or not, but it's pretty cool. I am not a yeast dough person. Dough doesn't like me. But this recipe is very simple and the cool part is that you can put the dough in the fridge up to 14 days and just make bread whenever you feel like it. The more it stands in the fridge the more sourdoughy it gets.

There is a book about all this dough and they have more recipes like that. The book is "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

So here's the recipe that i found on the New York Times website, but now you have to register in order to view the recipe.

Time: About 45 minutes plus about 3 hours resting and rising

1 1/2 Tbs yeast

1 1/2 Tbs kosher salt (it's about 2 1/4 tsp of normal salt)

6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough

3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees)

Cornmeal

1. In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into lukewarm water. Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

2. Bake at this point or refrigirate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigirate it.

3. Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.

4. Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Yield: 4 loaves.

Variation: If not using stone, stretch rounded dough into oval and place in a greased, nonstick loaf pan. Let rest 40 minutes if fresh, and extra hour if refrigirated. Heat oven to 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Place pan on middle rack.

Dasha's notes: You don't have to do the broiler thing on the bottom of the oven. I forgot that with my second loaf anf the bread still turned out crusty and tasty. I read that some people just put the bread on parchment paper and on the cookie sheet and it still turns out well.

and here's the picture of my two loaves that i made yesterday.