Cream Biscuits

Picture from Smitten Kitchen

The next time you want some out of this world, buttery, melt in your mouth, make everyone fall in love with you, biscuits....look no further. These are the biscuits that dreams are made of. 

We have had these babies  numerous times and every time they turn out fantastic. Slathered in honey butter or topped with this delicious freezer jam, it's bound to turn your ordinary dinner into something to remember.   Because these use cream instead of butter, they are much easier to work with and have a lighter than air texture.

My husband always says they remind him of the biscuits his Grandma used to make. That's a big complement. If you have any leftovers they are perfect for homemade egg and sausage breakfast sandwiches.

Cream Biscuits
Smitten Kitchen

*Makes 10-14 biscuits depending on size*

3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the surface
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional, I used it)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter in a small pot or microwave dish, and set aside. Sift two cups flour, the baking powder, salt and (if using) sugar into a large bowl. Fold in 1 1/4 cups cream. If the dough is not soft or easily handled, fold in the remaining 1/4 cup cream, little by little. (I ended up using all  additional tablespoons cream.)

Turn dough onto a floured surface, mound it into a ball and, using your hands, press it to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. Cut into rounds, 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Gather dough scraps and continue to make rounds. Dip the top of each round in melted butter and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. (I had butter leftover so I brushed them again when they came out of the oven.) Serve immediately, or flash freeze for future use. [Biscuits can be baked straight from the freezer, and additional few minutes baking time will be needed, usually around 3 to 5.]


***P.S.  We're  working hard to make a recipe index and lots of other changes to make our blog better and recipe searching easier than ever. ***
Posted by: Sallie

Buttery Brioche Hamburger Buns

As promised here are the most delicious, buttery, sweet, AMAZING, hamburger buns I have ever had! We had these the first time with these delicious turkey burgers, but my kids have been loving them as mini sandwiches and even for a little snack with cream cheese or some strawberry jam. 

We loved them in miniature form but I am confident they would work equally well made as traditional sized hamburger buns as well. (Just watch the baking time, you might need to cook them for longer.)  With Father's Day just around the corner, this would be something that would make his day and yours!

Buttery Brioche Hamburger Buns
Cuisine at Home

1 1/2 sticks (12 TBSP) butter, room temperature
3 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
2/3 cup warm water (105-110 degrees)
1 TBSP. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
11/2 tsp. salt
1 egg combined with 1 TBSP. water

Whisk together butter and 3 eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed until combined, then whisk in milk. (The mixture will still be lumpy and looked curdled after mixing, this is ok.)

Combine 2/3 cup water, 1 TBSP. sugar, and yeast in a small bowl; set aside until foamy, 5 minutes.

Whisk together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a bowl until combined.

Add yeast and flour mixtures to butter mixture and knead on low speed with a dough hook attachment until dough is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Transfer dough to a large, oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, 1 1/2-2 hours or refrigerate overnight.

Punch down dough to release the air from it, then divide into 1 oz. portions. shape dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. cover buns with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 1 1/2 hours. (This will take longer if you refrigerated the dough.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush tops and sides of dough balls with egg-water mixture;bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool buns before slicing.

Posted by: Sallie

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

One of my favorite parts of cooking is the challenge. I used to be a terrible bread and roll maker. I would end up with sticky, gooey, dough or really heavy, small, rock like rolls. Every once in awhile I would get lucky and have a batch turn out great. Now am I much more comfortable with yeast breads and (knock on wood) 99% of the time end up with great bread. Those of you who've made or tasted homemade rolls and bread know that there is no comparison to store bought!

So how did I go from being a bread making disaster to getting great results? Unfortunately there is no big, magic secret (that I know of anyway.) It all boils down to PRACTICE. Here are the few things I can share with you that have helped me.

1. Start with good recipes. I like to get my recipes from well known cookbooks, blogs (that I've made great recipes from before), and friends. Try to start out with very simple recipes and progress once you feel comfortable.

2. Invest in a thermometer. If you have recipes that call for a certain water temperature, it takes a lot of the guess work out of the process and will ensure that you are not either killing the yeast (by getting the water too hot) or not activating it enough (by not getting the water hot enough.)

3. Don't over or under flour your dough. This is where experience really comes into play. A dough that is too sticky won't rise properly while a dough that has too much flour results in tough, heavy rolls. Use your recipe as a guideline. If you feel you need to add more flour or water, do it in very small amounts and give it a minute to come together before adding more. Temperature, humidity, etc. all have an effect so use your best judgement. Once you have made a recipe multiple times, you will know what the dough should look like. *Melanie has a great yeast tutorial on her blog with photos and lots of helpful information. http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/11/tutorial-working-with-yeast.html

4. Practice, Practice, Practice. It's how you become successful at anything. Take a class or ask a friend who makes bread to help you.Don't get discouraged. I had a lot of failures! If I can do it, you can too.

Now, on to my recipe (which comes from The Sister's Cafe.) I have been promising myself for about 6 months that I would start making all of our bread. I finally got myself in gear and purchased a wheat grinder and some really good bread pans. I have been trying out different recipes and this one has been one of my favorites. The loaves turned out beautiful! I love using the white wheat flour. It has a much more mellow taste and even my kids (and maybe an unnamed husband) who hate wheat bread like this bread. It makes 5 loaves which is great because you can slice and freeze the leftovers. If you have an electric knife it works fantastically!

Yummy, Easy Whole Wheat Bread
The Sisters Cafe

Yield: 5 loaves

3 1/2 cups hot tap water (helps offset the cool can of milk)
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
3 Tbs instant yeast (like SAF)
2/3 cup oil (I used canola)
1 cup honey (use the same measuring glass as the oil and the honey slides right out)
1 cup white flour
3 Tbs vital wheat gluten
2 Tbs dough enhancer (this is optional--I just happen to have some)
12 cups whole wheat flour (I used white wheat: approx 8c wheat berries= 12 c flour)
1 1/2 TBSsalt

*I ended up adding  1 cup of white flour and 1 cup of white wheat flour more than the recipe called for.*

Grind your wheat (in your electric wheat grinder) while getting everything else ready. Then, using a Bosch or other heavy duty mixer, combine ingredients in the order given, mixing well after half the flour, then add the other half of flour and salt. Add a little extra white flour as needed if dough is too sticky. Knead in mixer for 8 minutes. Dump out dough on your 'Rolpat' or if you don't have one, pour a little oil on your counter top and spread with your hand. Form into a long log, then divide into 5 loaves. Form each loaf into a log shape and place in medium sized nonstick bread pan. Press down the sides of each dough piece to fill the bottom of the pan, leaving the top round and smooth. Let rise in a warm spot until almost desired bread size. (about 1 hour). Bake in preheated 350 oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven to wire racks and brush tops of hot loaves with butter, if desired. Let cool about 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let cool completely before slicing. (if you can wait that long!!)

Posted by: Sallie

Streusel Topped Banana Bread

Pictures from dlynz.com

Bananas are one of my favorite fruits and I usually eat one everyday. That being said I am very picky about my bananas.I don't like to eat bananas that are more than two or 3 days old. They must be firm, unbruised and basically perfect. This makes for a lot of leftover bananas if the rest of the family doesn't eat them quick enough. I know you can relate.

This leave me with a 2 options
1- cut them into chunks and freeze them for smoothies

or

2-make banana bread/muffins/cake.

Being the great wife/mother/friend that I am, I decided to go with option #2.

Really I'll be honest. This is coffee cake in banana bread form and it is heavenly! Moist and dense without being too heavy, and just the right amount of banana flavor. I loved the delicious crumbs of stresusel topping ribboned throught the bread and on top. Not only is the bread amazingly delicious it's also beautiful. This would be a great neighbor, teacher, just because I like you gift. It would also be a great addition to any brunch.

Streusel Topped Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
3 or 4 very ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk

Stresuel Topping

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease four mini loaf pans.

Either in a stand mixer (or bowl with hand mixer) cream the butter and sugar. Breat in eggs, bananas, and vanilla.

Combine the dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to the butter mixture. With the mixer running, add the buttermilk and mix until completely combined and smooth (about 1 minute on medium speed.)

Prepare the streusel topping. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and work into coarse crumbs. (I used a hand pastry blender I have but two forks or your hands will work nicely.)

Fill each prepared pan about 1/3 full and divide half of the topping among the 4 pans. Fill with remaining batter and top with remaining struesel. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack about 10 minutes. With a thin knife loosen edges and carefully remove from pans. Cool a bit more and then slice to serve. Makes 4 mini loaves.


Posted by: Sallie

Crispy Garlic Bread

This is another recipe that has been lurking in the infamous "recipe pile" and all I can say is I wish I would have found it sooner!

Totally easy, totally buttery, totally garlicky and absolutely divine! The big bonus with this recipe is that you can even make the bread ahead of time and freeze it for up to 1 month. When you're ready to serve it just pop it in the oven and bake. It doesn't get any easier than that.

Crispy Garlic Bread
Cook's Country

Makes 12 slices

*For the smoothest texture, grate the garlic cloves on a rasp-style grater. *
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
4 cloves garlic , grated (see note) or minced (I put mine through a press and it turned out great)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 slices (1-inch-thick) slice Italian bread

1. MAKE PASTE Adjust oven rack to middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Using fork, beat butter, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in small bowl until combined. Spread butter mixture evenly over both sides of bread.
2. TOAST BREAD Arrange buttered bread on heated baking sheet and bake until golden brown on first side, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and bake until golden brown on second side, about 5 minutes. Serve.

*Freezer-Ready Garlic Bread After spreading the bread with the butter mixture in step 1, freeze the slices on a large plate until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer bread to zipper-lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, bake as directed, adding 2 to 5 minutes to cooking time. *

Posted by: Sallie

Soft and Chewy Pretzels

After hearing from my friend Andrea and then my son who ate them at Andrea's house how great these pretzels were I finally made them. They were really simple to make and would be something fun to make with kids. They turned out soft and chewy and were absolutely delicious. I took Andrea's advice and made half with coarse salt and the other half sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Queso dip and a vanilla glaze dip went along perfectly. They are best served warm from the oven but you can microwave them as well. Perfect for an after school snack or when the carb monster strikes.

Soft and Chewy Pretzels
All Recipes.com

Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

Optional but totally delicious :Tostitos queso dip for the salty pretzels

Vanilla Glaze Dip for cinnamon Sugar. I used this recipe and just thinned it out with a little milk until it reached the consistency I liked.

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.
Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.
After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape (I've included a link here in case like myself you have never rolled a pretzel. Don't worry, it's easy and quite fun actually), and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

*Note *
When forming the ropes, roll each one to about half the length you want, then set it aside while you roll the rest. By the time you get back to the first rope, it will have rested enough to roll further.

Posted by: Sallie

Orange Mini Muffins with Brown Sugar Glaze

Muffins are another favorite for after school snacks. Since some of my kids aren't big fruit eaters I have to get creative. I love practically anything with orange zest and what puts these muffins over the top is the brown sugar glaze. Yummy! Not only delicious for snacks, they go perfect with any kind of egg dish for breakfast or brunch. They are best served warm.

Orange Mini Muffins w/ Brown Sugar Glaze

Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
2 sticks Salted Butter, Softened
1 cup White Sugar
2 cups Flour
2 whole Eggs
1 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 whole Oranges, Juiced And Zested
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)

Preparation Instructions
Cream together butter and white sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, beat well, and mix in flour. Dissolve baking soda into buttermilk, then add to the rest of the batter along with the zest from both oranges. Mix well.
Grease and flour mini muffin pans (or spray with nonstick spray with flour). Fill cups 2/3 full. (This recipe yields 36 mini-muffins, or 3 tins.)
Bake at 375ºF for 12 to 17 minutes (or 20 to 25 minutes for regular-sized muffins), or until lightly browned.
In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar and juice from the freshly zested oranges. You should have about ½ cup. Mix well. Drizzle this glaze over the warm muffins. Remove muffins from the pan while still warm.

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to just under 1 cup of milk.

Posted by: Sallie

Quick and Easy Bread Sticks

I couldn't resist trying a recipe for these yummy looking bread sticks. They came together so quickly and easily and my family gobbled them right up. I loved the addition of garlic seasoning which made them taste like a perfect mix between garlic bread and bread sticks! These will be gracing our table often! Thanks Jamie!

Quick and Easy Bread sticks

Jamie Cooks it up

1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
3 1/4-3 1/2 C flour
1/4 C butter
3/4 C grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese
Johnny's Garlic Seasoning (you could easily substitute garlic salt, garlic powder, or the garlic bread seasoning you get at the store)

1. Mix the water, sugar and yeast in the bottom of your mixer until the yeast is dissolved. Let it sit for 5 minutes.2. Add the salt and the flour, one cup at a time, until it is well incorporated. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.3. Melt the butter and pour half of it into a jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet). 4. Place the dough in the center of the pan. Let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes. Letting the dough rest makes it MUCH easier to shape. 5. Spread the dough out flat onto the pan until it reaches all of the edges. Doing all of the spreading and cutting of these bread sticks, in the pan makes cleaning up your counter so much easier! 6. Pour the other half of the butter onto the dough. Spread it around with your hands. Sprinkle the Johnnys Garlic Seasoning all over the dough, and then the Parmesan cheese. 7. With a pizza cutter cut the dough into three rows lengthwise, and then into about 12 little height wise rows. 8. Put the pan into a 170 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes. The bread sticks should rise about 1 inch.9. Turn you oven up to 350 and bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 1 large cookie sheet or about 36 small bread sticks.

* I think these tasted best the day of or at the most the day after they were made. *

Posted by: Sallie

Honey Wheat Rolls

In an effort to help you keep your New Year's resolution to eat healthy ( You did make one didn't you?) I'm offering you another healthy, but delicious recipe. Have you ever had wheat rolls that are bland, hard as a rock and tasteless? Me too! Don't worry. These are the complete opposite. The recipes uses half regular flour and half of your choice of whole wheat flour or white wheat flour (which is what I used.) If you haven't tried white wheat flour, it's worth it. I use it in rolls, cookies, etc. and the kids don't even notice. These rolls are soft and moist with a little sweetness from the honey. The perfect healthy accompaniment to soups, salads, and all those healthy meals you'll be eating!

Honey Wheat Rolls

King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

1 packet "highly active" active dry yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup Unbleached All-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour or White Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

Directions
1) If you're using active dry or "highly active" yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.
2) Combine the dissolved yeast with the remainder of the water and the rest of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 5 to 7 minutes at second speed. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.
3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, till it's quite puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes to 2 hours. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy.
4) While the dough is rising, lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, or two 9" round cake pans.
5) Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into 16 pieces.
6) Shape each piece into a rough ball by pulling the dough into a very small knot at the bottom (think of a balloon with its opening knotted), then rolling it under the palm of your hand into a smooth ball.
7) Place the rolls in the 9" x 13" pan, or put eight rolls in each of the round cake pans, spacing them evenly; they won't touch one another.
8) Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the rolls to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. They'll become very puffy, and will reach out and touch one another. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
9) Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, and tent them loosely with aluminum foil. Continue to bake until they're mahogany-brown on top, but lighter colored on the sides, an additional 10 to 13 minutes.
10) Remove the rolls from the oven, and after 2 or 3 minutes, carefully transfer them to a rack. They'll be hot and delicate, so be careful. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Posted by: Sallie

Cranberry Orange bread with Sweet Orange Juice Glaze

I love cranberries and I especially love them combined with orange. The two flavors are so complimentary. This bread combines the two and then brings out even more flavor with a delicious glaze. It's dense, but still moist and tender and looks so festive with the dried cranberries. It would be a perfect gift for neighbors. It would also make a cute hostess gift in a basket with hot cocoa and some nice lemon curd or jam. This recipes makes 2 large loaves or if you prefer, 6 mini loaves.

Cranberry Orange Bread with Sweet Orange Juice Glaze

adapted from My Recipes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering pan
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup orange juice
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups powdered sugar
7 to 8 tbsp. Orange Juice

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 330°. Butter two 6-cup-capacity loaf pans (or, if making the mini loaves, butter six 2-cup-capacity pans).
2. With an electric or standing mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add orange juice, sour cream, orange zest, and vanilla; mix until blended.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and cranberries to wet ingredients and mix just until dry ingredients are absorbed; do not over mix.
4. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers of breads comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes for large loaves and 60 minutes for mini loaves.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and 7 tbsp. Orange Juice. Glaze should have consistency of thick maple syrup or corn syrup. If it is too thick, thin with an additional tbsp. of juice.
6. Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a cooling rack set over a large baking sheet. With a thin skewer or long toothpick, poke deep holes in tops of loaves. Drizzle with Orange Juice glaze so that it coats the top, runs down the sides, and seeps through the holes.
7. Let loaves cool completely, then slice and serve, or wrap and freeze (see Note).

Note: Loaves can be made up to 1 month ahead and frozen. Bake and glaze loaves and allow them to cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, put in zip-lock plastic bags, and freeze. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and defrost at room temperature.

Posted by: Sallie

Day 4- The Rolls Recipe #2

Okay, here is the second and very delicious second roll recipe. A hybrid of a soft, fluffy American-style roll and a crusty European one could make for the ideal dinner roll. We wanted the best of both worlds without having to make any compromises. I would have to say that they accomplished their goal. The rolls turned out soft and tender , more chewy than fluffy and still had wonderful flavor. The pros to these rolls--they are really easy to make. Probably one of the easiest I've made. I would recommend these if you are a beginner. Another plus is that you can make and shape the rolls and then refrigerate until ready to bake. Cons- This recipe only makes 12 rolls so I would recommend doubling it. (I'm still partial to Duane's Grandma's Rolls or the Lion House Rolls but these are great!)With all these make ahead recipes, you might actually get to sit down on Thanksgiving!


Soft and Chewy Dinner Rolls
Cooks Country

Makes 12 rolls

1 1/4 cups water , heated to 110 degrees
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup instant potato flakes
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 egg , lightly beaten

1. WARM OVEN Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease large bowl.
2. MAKE DOUGH Whisk water, oil, sugar, and yeast in liquid measuring cup until yeast dissolves. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, potato flakes, and 1½ teaspoons salt until combined. With mixer on low, add water mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 6 minutes.
3. LET RISE Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball. Transfer dough to prepared bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
4. SHAPE ROLLS Punch down dough on lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into quarters and cut each quarter into 3 equal pieces. On clean surface, form each piece into rough ball by pinching and pulling the edges under so that the top is smooth. Then cup each round with your palm and move in a circular motion on an unfloured surface to shape a smooth ball. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and return to turned-off oven until doubled in size, about 20 minutes. (Or refrigerate rolls for up to 24 hours.)
5. BRUSH AND BAKE Remove rolls from oven and discard plastic wrap. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush rolls with egg and sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon salt. (I didn't salt mine.) Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through cooking. Cool rolls on sheet 10 minutes. Serve.

***MAKE AHEAD: Bake as directed until rolls are just beginning to brown and outside is set, about 5 minutes. Cool completely and freeze in zipper-lock bag. When ready to reheat, defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour and bake 10 minutes in 400-degree oven.***

Posted by: Sallie & Julia

Day 4- The Rolls!

As far as Thanksgiving goes I have to admit that besides the desserts of course, I think the rolls might be my favorite part of the dinner. I especially love the leftover sandwiches the next day. Yum! I was all set to post my husband's Grandma's roll recipe but my Cook's Country Magazine arrived awhile ago with a new roll recipe that I couldn't resist trying it. So, lucky for you, I will be posting not one but two roll recipes today. I'll let you decide which to make.


Roll #1- Grandma's Rolls


The first time I was invited to Thanksgiving Dinner at Duane's Grandparents house, before we were even married, the first thing my husband said was " My Grandma makes the BEST rolls!" I couldn't wait to try them and as promised they were amazing. Of course after we were married I got the recipe and have now been making them on my own. The pros to these rolls are they make a ton! The original recipe calls for 18 cups of flour, but I usually cut it into thirds which is the recipe I have below. They are more on dense side, but still very soft and tender inside with a buttery flavor. I think they make the best sandwiches the next day! The downside to these rolls is they call for a triple rise so they really take most of the day. However, that being said, you can bake them for 15 minutes, then freeze them and finish baking for 15 minutes the next day. (I always just make them and bake them the same day so unfortunately I can't vouch for this method. I will let you know as soon as I try it. Duane's Grandma said she didn't think you had to defrost them but couldn't remember .) I hope I didn't discourage you from making these because they are amazing!


P. S. Sorry, no picture on this yet. Between traveling and sick kids it just didn't happen. Hopefully next week.

Grandma' s Rolls
Lorraine Sullivan


2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 c plus 1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted shortening, regular or butter flavored
6 cups flour, sifted
1 heaping tsp. salt


In large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup warm water. Add eggs, remaining 1 1/2 cups water, and melted shortening. Mix; let rise until double in bulk . Punch down. Rise again. Roll (I like to do mine Parker House style which is the way Duane's Grandma always does it) and let rise again. Bake in 375 degree oven until just set and starting to turn color about 15 minutes. Let cool. Freeze, then when ready to finish bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. I usually skip this step and just bake them in a 375 degree oven until golden brown. When rolls come out of the oven take a stick of butter and rub all over top of rolls.

Posted by: Sallie

The Ultimate Pumpkin Bread

Okay, so here's my last pumpkin post for the week and it's a good one. I just spotted this on Barbara Bakes who got it from Streaming Gourmet. All I can say is look at the ingredients. 1 cup of butter, 3 cups of sugar how could this be bad? According to Barbara it tastes just like the Great Harvest Bread Co. Pumpkin Bread. Delish! I'm a chocolate girl so I decided to go that route this time but I also think it would be really good to do half chocolate chips and half nuts.

See you next week when we'll be starting our Thanksgiving Countdown!

Ultimate Pumpkin Bread

Barbara Bakes & Streaming Gourmet

Yields 2 Medium Loaves

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter, really soft, half melted really

3 large eggs

1 16 oz can of pure pumpkin

1/2 -1 cup mini chocolate chips or 1/2 cup pecans or 1/2 cup of each

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and spray two medium loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire whisk attached, dump in the sugar. Take the butter and put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, so that it is half melted. Dump it into the sugar. Add the eggs. Cream these three ingredients together on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until fluffy. Add the pumpkin and combine well.

4. In three batches, add the dry ingredients mix gently until each batch is just incorporated. Scrape the sides between each batch. Mix in chocolate chips.

5. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake side-by-side for about one hour or until an inserted knife comes out clean the top is golden.

Posted by: Sallie

French Bread

My latest kick has been making bread. Maybe it's something about the cool mornings and fresh autumn air that makes me want to bake and fill my house with warm, yummy smells. I found this recipe at Sister's Cafe and it's so great. This bread is soft and tender and just perfect for a variety of recipes or just to go along with some fabulous italian or a bowl of creamy soup. It's one of those recipes that you can multi-task and be making the other part of dinner at the same time. It was really simple and uses everyday ingredients you probably already have. This recipe makes two delicious loaves so you can give one to a friend or use it in one of these delicious recipes :

French Bread Pizza

Make Ahead Garlic Bread

Overnight Caramel Pecan French Toast

Hot Hoagies

South of the Border Sandwiches

Grandma’s French Bread

Sister's Cafe

2 ¼ c. warm water

2 T. sugar

1 Tbsp yeast

1 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp oil

5 ½ -6 cups flour-stirred before measured

First dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof—or sit for a few minutes until it bubbles. Then add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and beat well (At this point I switch to my dough/kneading attachment on my Bosch mixer) Add in 2 1/2 -3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky. Knead for a few minutes. Leave the dough in the mixer to rest for 10 minutes and then stir it down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds) and then allow to rest another 10 minutes. Repeat for a total of 5 times. Then turn dough onto a floured surface and knead it 2 or 3 times to coat with flour. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a 9x13 rectangle. Roll dough up, starting from long edge of loaf to seal. Arrange seam side down on large baking sheet that’s been sprinkled with corn meal, allowing room for both loaves. Repeat with second part of dough. With a sharp knife, cut 3 gashes at an angle on the top of each. Cover lightly; allow to rise 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with egg wash (one egg beaten slightly with 1 Tbsp of water). If desired, sprinkle with sesame seads. Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Cool on racks

NOTE: For a crustier loaf, a pan of hot water may be set on bottom of oven while bread is baking.

Posted by: Sallie

Beautiful Hamburger Buns

With only 7 simple ingredients I am wondering why I waited so long to make these amazing hamburger buns. All it took was me thinking I had some hamburger buns in the freezer for dinner, which in fact I didn't, and not wanting to drag 4 kids to the store or call the husband, yet again to ask "could you please pick something up on your way home?" Soft and slightly sweet and a beautiful golden yellow, these buns would be perfect for not only burgers but chicken, ham, italian beef sandwiches or sloppy joes . Made smaller they would be excellent for mini sliders. Or, for those little picky eaters (which I'm sure none of you have) just slather them with some good old strawberry jam. They were simple to make and done in about 2 1/2 hours. Much easier and a lot less painful that a trip to the store.

Beautiful Hamburger Buns

King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast

Directions
1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—to make a soft, smooth dough.
2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it's doubled in bulk.
3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round 1" thick (more or less); flatten to about 3" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until very puffy.
4) If desired, brush buns with melted butter. Or brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5) Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, till golden. Cool on a rack. Makes 8.

*Note- brushing with butter will give them a soft, light golden crust. The egg wash will result in a shinier, darker crust.*

Posted by: Sallie

The Cornbread

Okay, here's another cornbread recipe you have got to make. Sorry for the repeat so soon but this is utterly, amazingly, delicious! I made a batch up at the cabin and my friend and I of course had to sample it because the oven up there was not the greatest. We just couldn't stop picking at it. Needless to say, between us and the kids by the time the husbands made it back there was none left! We ended up making another batch and I have made it again since I got home! It's sweet, tender and with the honey butter it is just out of this world! Thanks Mel for another awesome recipe.

Cornbread

My Kitchen Cafe

½ cup cornmeal

1 ½ cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oil

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Honey Butter:2 sticks butter, softened1/2 cup honey1/2 cup marshmallow fluff. Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

Posted by:Sallie

Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread

I was in Starbucks the other day and they were handing out these recipe cards with this recipe on it. It looked good, so I thought I'd give it a try. I made it for breakfast this morning and it was delicious, especially when it was still warm! I even substituted whole wheat flour and you couldn't tell.

Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread

From Starbucks Coffe Company

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp. buttermilk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 ripe medium-large bananas (mashed)

1/2 cup + 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 loaf pan and dust with flour. Blend together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Mix together the egg, sugar and vegetable oil until combined. Add the flour mixture and when blended add the buttermilk, vanilla and mased bananas and mix until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Top batter with remaining 1/3 cup chopped walnuts. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.

Posted by: Julia

Sweet and Easy Cornbread

Picture Courtesy of Our Best Bites

I am just willing Fall to get here so I can start breaking out my Fall recipes again. I love the spring and summer months that come with a lot of light dishes and grilling but I have to admit I think the warm comfort foods of fall and winter are my favorite. Truth be told, I never really liked cornbread until about 7 years ago when I tried this recipe. Most of the cornbread I had tried was too dry, too crumbly, not sweet enough, and basically, not worth eating. This recipe changed that and since then I have found several other recipes I like too. Another tip from Our Best Bites--replacing the water called for in the recipe with milk--made it even better. I'm sharing this one first because it's so yummy and easy. You can make it into muffins, or squares. I love it with Cinnamon Honey Butter.

Sweet and Easy Cornbread

1 yellow cake mix
2 Jiffy cornbread mixes
Oil, milk, and eggs according to package directions

Preheat oven according to directions on cake mix box. Combine cake mix and cornbread mixes in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and milk according to package directions (replace all water with milk). Mix together according to cake mix directions.

Bake according to directions on cake mix. Usually around 20 minutes for the muffins and 30 for the cake. If you find that it is not done in the center and browning too quickly, cover with foil and keep cooking until middle is done.

*This makes a lot of cornbread and since I don't really like using half a cake mix I usually just make it all and freeze the leftovers. You can either do 24 muffins, 12 muffins and a 9 x13 or a 9x13 and 8x8 pan. *

Posted by: Sallie

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

One of my all-time favorite breads is Cinnamon Swirl Bread. This recipe tops my list because it has an extra sprinkling of cinnamon & sugar on top of the bread. It also uses two kinds of sugar and lots of cinnamon for a delicious filling. Sometimes I skip the cinnamon/sugar on top and use a powdered sugar glaze. This bread makes really good French Toast too!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Cooks Country

Serves 8

Cinnamon Sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Bread
1 1/2 cups milk , heated to 110 degrees
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , 3 tablespoons melted
3 large egg yolks
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus more as needed
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) rapid-rise yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. For the cinnamon sugar: Combine ingredients in small bowl, breaking up clumps. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

2. For the bread: Spray large bowl with cooking spray. Whisk milk, melted butter, and yolks in large liquid measuring cup. Mix 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar, yeast, sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn mixer to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, 5 to 6 minutes. (If dough seems too sticky, add up to 1/4 cup more flour during kneading.) Turn dough out onto unfloured counter and knead to form smooth, round ball. Transfer dough to greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Do not place in warm oven or sugar in dough will melt.)

3. Spray 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, press dough into 20 by 8-inch rectangle, with short side facing you. Using spray bottle, lightly and evenly spray dough with water. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar over dough, leaving 2-inch border along top edge. Lightly spray cinnamon sugar with water until damp but not wet. Starting at edge nearest you, roll up dough, then pinch seam and ends closed. Place loaf seam side down in prepared pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until 1 inch above rim of pan, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt remaining tablespoon butter and brush over top of dough. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar and bake until top is deep brown and center of bread registers 185 to 190 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Slice as desired. (Bread can be kept in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Posted by: Sallie

Soft Wrap Bread

I've had this Soft Wrap Bread bookmared for awhile and after hearing Melanie rave about it finally decided to try it. I am seriously in love with this bread! This bread is so soft and delicious. The possibilities are endless. Top them with taco fixings, turn them into Gyros, Pb & J wraps for the kids, top with a little honey & cinnamon butter, or eggs and cheese for a breakfast wrap. They do take about 3 hours so you'll need to plan ahead but the recipe is made in stages and none of them require much work, especially if you have a mixer. This bread is going to be making lots of appearances at my house! Stay tuned to find out what I put in these delicious wraps.

Soft Wrap Bread

from King Arthur Flour

*Makes about 8-9 breads*

3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup potato flour OR 1/2 cup potato buds or flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast

1) To make the bread: Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.
2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and the remaining 1 cup of flour with the salt, oil and yeast.
3) Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough. Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it's not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky. Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled.
4) Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 or 2 hours)
5) Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
6) Roll each piece into a 7"- to 8"-circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out.
7) Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.