Secrets to perfect bread

February 28, 2008 | Posted by Lorena as Bread Recipe at 10:16 pm | Comments »

Thinking of baking bread? It’s not as complicated as you may fear. Here are some tried and tested tips to getting that perfect golden loaf.

1. Place a small dish of water in the oven when you bake bread. This prevents the crust from becoming a dark, ugly brown or getting too hard.
2. Grease pans with shortening. Unlike butter or margarine, the batter won’t absorb it.
3. After you’ve baked the bread, rub the crust with shortening so they won’t become hard.
4. Control your water temperature. If it’s too hot it’ll kill the yeast. Check the temperature on your forearm.
5. Sift the flour.
6. If you use a gas pan, lower the prescribed temperature by 25 degrees.

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Black Bean Cornbread Recipe

September 21, 2007 | Posted by Allison as Bread Recipe at 8:00 am | Comments »

Sometimes nothing’s better that warm cornbread on a September day.

This unique Black Bean Cornbread Recipe calls for all the good stuff like cheddar cheese & whole corn. One bite out of these puppies & you’ll be hooked, I promise!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
2 to 4 tablespoons evaporated cane juice sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup (cooked) black beans

What’s Next:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Spray a 9X9 inch baking dish with canola or olive oil spray and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, melted butter, cheese, green onions, corn and black beans. Stir in any optional ingredients desired. Add to the dry ingredients, blending until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until done when tested with a toothpick.

Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

September 19, 2007 | Posted by Allison as Bread Recipe at 7:56 am | (4) Comments »

What with the weather taking it a notch down & the leaves doing a bit of changing, I decided to decorate my house a little bit early, pumpkin style.

There are more pumpkins decorating this house than I know what to do with. I fear that when it’s time for them to go bad, I will miss a couple & find them stinking up a corner of the bedroom I forgot to look in several weeks later!

But anyhoo, it’s pumpkin time & that always puts me in the mood for none other than a great Pumpkin Bread Recipe. And that’s exactly what waits for you below, enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed firm
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. Splenda
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. melted butter
2 tsps. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour**
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice
1. c. walnut, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. water

What’s Next:

Combine sugars in a large mixing bowl; add butter and cream together. Add eggs, vanilla and pumpkin; beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together until well blended. Add gradually to pumpkin mixture, folding in gently with a spatula just until well blended.

Add walnuts and 1/4 c. water, folding in gently just until blended.

Bake in a very well greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a testing stick pushed down through the middle comes out without any gooey stuff on it.

Cool on a wire rack for at least five minutes before you dig in.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Last Snack of the Day: Caper Buschetta Recipe

April 30, 2007 | Posted by Allison as Bread Recipe, Snack Recipes at 12:00 pm | Comments »

Well, the Snack of the Day posts end today & tomorrow will bring a new daily treat. So, let’s go off with a big bang with this fabulous Caper Bruschetta recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed & drained
5 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
salt & pepper
1 baguette
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

What’s Next:

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together tomatoes, capers, garlic, basil and 1 tablespoon oil, along with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler or grill. Slice bread into 1/2″ slices, brush with oil.

Toast bread on both sides. Sprinkle basil over toasted bread.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Snack of the Day: Cheddar Apple Scones Recipe

April 30, 2007 | Posted by Allison as Bread Recipe, Snack Recipes at 8:10 am | Comments »

Good Monday morning to you! I trust your weekend was spent relaxing & getting all those projects done that have been waiting for you.

Well folks, the month of April is about to pass us by & bring May with it. So, Snacks of the Day will soon be replaced with something else delicious, with that said, let’s make sure to enjoy today’s Cheddar Apple Scones Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. white sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
4-tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cold butter cut into small pieces
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated on the large side of a grater
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated on the fine side of a grater – reserve for top of each scone
2 apples, peeled, seeded and cut into small chunks
1 beaten egg, reserve for brushing the tops of the scones

What’s Next:

Preheat oven to 450 F 0r 230 C.

Combine dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. Combine buttermilk and egg in a small bowl and whisk to break up egg and incorporate ingredients.

Add the cold butter into the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, or your hands, work butter into flour until butter is broken into little pieces and the mixture is crumbly. Work quickly so butter does not soften up too much.

Toss in apples and cheddar cheese until just combined. Pour wet ingredients over dry and, using a wooden spoon, quickly mix together until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Do not over mix dough or it will become tough.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and flatten slightly. Roll dough with a rolling pin until it is about 1 inch thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, or a glass, cut dough into circles.

Place cuts close together to reduce the amount of scrap dough. Dough scraps can be gently kneaded together and reused. Arrange scones on a baking tray – it is okay if they touch. Brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg then top each scone with the reserved finely grated.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until that golden brown stage.

Eat well & Laugh often!

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