For Saint Patrick's Day - Irish Soda Bread!

3 C flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp butter, softened

1 C raisins (optional)

1 Egg

2 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325°F, grease bread pan.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda in a bowl, mix well. Work in butter. Add raisins if desired.

In measuring cup, beat egg. Add enough buttermilk to equal 2 C (this will be about 1 3/4 C buttermilk, depending on the size of the egg), mix well.

Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, mix well. Kneading the dough is not necessary.

Bake in greased bread pan for 1 hour. Let stand for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Best served warm with LOTS of butter :)

Perfect Banana Bread

I've used this recipe at least 5 times already this semester and it's fantastic. 

4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 C melted butter 
     (vegetable oil)
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten 
     (1/4 C Egg beaters)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 C chocolate chips 
      (highly recommended but          optional)



Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).

Mix butter in with bananas. Add sugar, egg and vanilla - mix.

Sprinkle baking soda and salt over mixture, mix thoroughly. 

Add flour, mix. Add chocolate chips last, if desired.

Pour batter into greased 4x8 inch loaf pan. 

Bake 1 hour. Cool on rack.

Due to the unusually high number of bananas in this recipe, the center of the loaf may remain a little gooey. It is advised to not cook the bread longer, as this may cause it to burn. Instead, enjoy the gooeyness. 




Merry Christmas, one and all!

Amish Friendship Bread!

Dave's mom came to visit us this weekend, and she brought with her a coveted Amish Friendship bread starter. I had made the bread earlier in the summer, but, due to travel, was not able to keep the cycle going. I will try to keep up with it this time, and even if I fail, I now have the recipe for the starter.

Note: I have yet to test the starter recipe, so if it bombs, please let me know.

To start:

1 package (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast

¼ cup warm water (110 degrees f)

1 C flour

1 C sugar

1 C warm milk (110 degrees f)

2 non-metal bowls

non-metal spoon

clean kitchen towel

1 gallon-sized Ziploc bag

Instructions:

Day 1

Combine the yeast and water in one bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. In the other bowl, thoroughly combine flour and sugar.

Slowly add the milk and yeast to the flour and sugar mixture while stirring. Cover the bowl with kitchen towel.

Let sit at room temperature until it is bubbly. Pour into the Ziploc bag and seal it. Store it at room temperature – DO NOT refrigerate. Don't worry, this is safe, the yeast just needs to grow.

Day 2

Mash the bag.

Day 3

Mash the bag.

Day 4

Mash the bag.

Day 5

Mash the bag.

Day 6

1 C flour

1 C sugar

1 C warm milk (110 degrees f)

Add flour, sugar and milk to the bag, mash.

Day 7

Mash the bag.

Day 8

Mash the bag.

Day 9

Mash the bag.

Day 10

1 ½ C flour

1 ½ C sugar

1 ½ C warm milk (110 degrees f)

non-metal bowl

4 gallon-sized Ziploc bags

Pour contents of bag into non-metal bowl; add flour, sugar and milk. Stir thoroughly.

Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 C each into the Ziploc bags. Keep a starter for yourself and give three to friends along with a copy of this recipe. (Note: if you keep a starter, you will be baking every 10 days.) You should have 2 C of the batter remaining to bake with.

Be sure to tell your friends what day the starter is on when you pass it along, so they know where to pick up the instructions.

Final baking:

3 eggs

½ C milk

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

1 large box instant Vanilla Pudding

1 C oil

1 C sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

2 C flour

2 large loaf pans

½ C sugar

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees f.

Add ingredients to the starter in the order given, stirring thoroughly after each.

Grease loaf pans. In a bowl, mix an additional ½ C sugar and 1 ½ tsp cinnamon – dust the inside of the pans with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Pour the batter evenly into the pans. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.

Bake bread for one hour, or until pick comes out clean. Cool until bread loosens from pan to turn onto serving plate.

Enjoy!