Buttery Pull Apart Bundt Bread

A friend decided to start a Facebook cooking page to share dinner ideas 

while we are all home because of the coronavirus. 

It's been fun to get new ideas and see what others are doing.

I tried this bread with the leftover roll dough from our Easter Bunnies*.

We liked it so much that we ate half the night before our Easter dinner.

Adding parmesan and garlic made all the difference.

recipe, beautiful new pan, and image from here!

Buttery Pull Apart Bundt Bread

1 c. warm water
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 T. instant yeast (see note for active dry yeast)
1 large egg
1 T. oil
1 t. salt
3 1/4 to 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (see note for whole wheat)
8 T. butter, melted (I use salted)

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (you can make this by hand, too) add the warm water, sugar, yeast, egg, oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour.

Mix until combined - it's ok if it is a little lumpy. With the mixer running, continue to gradually add flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and forms a ball that is soft but not overly sticky. 

Knead for 2-3 minutes. Cover the top of the bowl, and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes. It should puff slightly.

Pour half (4 T.) of the melted butter evenly in the bottom of a bundt pan (if you don't have a bundt pan, you can use loaf pans).

On a lightly floured or greased countertop, press or roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, about 12X10 inches. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 24 semi-equal squares.

Grab one square at a time, dip the bottom of the square in the butter in the pan and layer the squares against each other (kind of like a trail of dominoes that has fallen over on each other). See pictures in the post for a visual. All 24 squares should fit in a layer around the bottom of the pan. Lift and rearrange the squares, if needed, to fit them all in.

Cover the bundt pan and let the dough rise until noticeably puffy, 45-60 minutes. After the dough has risen, pour the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over and around the top of the bread.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake the bread for 20-25 min. until golden brown on top and baked through. Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for 5-10 min. before turning out onto a plate or platter (lay the plate upside down over the bundt pan and holding onto both the plate and pan at the same time, flip it over so the bread falls out onto the plate).

Serve warm or at room temperature.

YIELD: 8-10 SERVING

PREP TIME 25 MINUTES
COOK TIME 25 MINUTES
ADDITIONAL TIME 2 HOURS
TOTAL TIME 2 HOURS 50 MINUTES

Notes from website recipe:

Flour: I've successfully made this bread with half whole wheat flour/half all-purpose flour. I haven't tried it with bread flour (should work great) or 100% whole wheat flour.

Cheese + Herbs: I think this bread would adapt VERY well to other flavors. Maybe sprinkle Parmesan or Asiago cheese on the bottom over the butter before layering in the dough? Or some fresh or dried herbs? Yum.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

* Easter Bunnies

We started a tradition long ago of making bunnies out of bread dough to have with our hard boiled eggs for our Easter baskets and breakfast. It started with a Rhodes roll recipe, but now we just make roll dough in our bread maker. Here are some pictures of making them at Jason & Morgan's when we met baby Kinley for the first time in Georgia. We flew to DC and brought Virginia niece Brittany with us on the road trip. Such fun memories.

Chicken Chip Dip, Crescent Rolls

Scott and I went down separately to Texas

to help out when Marshall was born.

Carissa shared a couple recipes I wanted to remember,

so posting here.

Ethan was so happy to hold his little brother,
especially out of a blanket.

Chicken chip dip

2 chicken breasts (frozen or fresh, either is fine) 

Black beans (drain & rinse)

Pinto beans (drain)

Corn (drain)

Diced tomatoes

Packet of ranch seasoning

Packet of taco seasoning

Block of cream cheese

Literally just put all that in a crock pot for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Or I have also done it in the instant pot high pressure for 10 minutes. When it’s done, pull the chicken out and shred it, then add it back in and stir all together. Serve with chips, cheese, sour cream.

Such a sweet picture of Marshall with Riley.

Crescent Rolls

1 T. yeast

1 c. warm water

1/6 c. sugar

1/6 c. melted butter

1-1/4 t. salt

1/3 c. powdered milk

2-3 c. flour

1 egg

Mix, knead, rise and roll out into crescent rolls.

Addison with Marshall.

by Carissa, wife of Barbara's grandson Erik

Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread

recipe and image from here


I thought this was a nice, moist bread. Careful not to overbake.
I would like to try it with pineapple next time.

Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

2 c. granulated sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

¼ c. fresh orange juice

1 T. vanilla extract

3¼ c. all-purpose flour

½ t. salt

2½ t. baking powder

¾ t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of ground nutmeg

2 c. shredded carrots

1 c. shredded zucchini

1 c. diced, peeled apple (Granny Smith, Fuji, whatever you have on hand)

½ c. pecans, chopped

Cream Cheese Glaze/Frosting

½ cup cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

2 - 3 cups powdered sugar

1-3 tbsp orange juice as needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans. Line with parchment paper and set aside. (I use the baking spray with flour in it.)

Place zucchini in a large kitchen towel. Bring up the four corners and twist. Squeeze the towel to extract all the liquid from the zucchini, or as much as you can. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg together. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar.

Add eggs, orange juice, and vanilla and whisk until combined.

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients along with the shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, apples, and pecans.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake until golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes, or until loaves spring back when gently pressed with fingers.

Let cool completely before icing.

Cream Cheese Glaze/Frosting

Cream together cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer.

Add in 2 c. of powdered sugar and continue mixing. Drizzle in orange juice until desired consistency is achieved.

Frost bread and enjoy!

Notes

The carrots and zucchini in this recipe are interchangeable. Feel free to use less or more of each. You just want three cups total. 
Prep time:: 10 mins

Cook time: 55 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

es: 24 servings

Spiced Pear Muffins

image and recipe from here

We just got a box of Barlett pears. I love that fruit, but it has a short shelf life without a frigerator.

I tried these muffins to day and the recipe is a keeper. Since Scott isn't a big nutmeg fan, I halved that amount, didn't include candied ginger (again, he's not a fun), but did add walnuts (he's a fan!)

Spiced Pear Muffins

1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt.
1/2 c. milk [I used kefir mixed with ground flax]
2 to 2 1/2 c. pears, unpeeled and diced small (from 2 medium-sized pears, about 11 oz. whole)
1/4 c. chopped candied ginger, 1/2 c. chopped nuts, or 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (optional)
Cinnamon and sugar, for sprinkling on top

Heat your oven to 425°F. Spray the wells of a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray or place muffin liners in all the wells.

In a mixer on high speed, cream together the sugars and the softened butter until they resemble fluffy frosting, about 1 minute. Mix in the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated, about 1 minute each. Mix in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, mix 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture followed by 1/3 of the milk. Continue alternating between the flour and the milk, mixing just until the flour is incorporated. It's OK if there is still some flour on the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.

Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and stir gently to incorporate the last of the flour. Add the diced pears and any optional ingredients all at once and fold them into the batter.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. The batter will fill the cups and mound slightly on top. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar.

Place the muffin tin in the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 400°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan once in the middle of baking. The muffins are done when the tops looked cracked and toasted, and when a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool enough to handle, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Leftover muffins can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. (Reheat frozen muffins in an oven or toaster oven at 300°F or for a few minutes in the microwave.)

Makes 12 muffins. [I baked 4 dozen mini muffins for about 12 minutes, with this amount of batter.]

Zucchini Muffins with Apples and Carrots

image and recipe from here

Here's the best muffin recipe ever!...with fruit and veggies :) 

I may sub coconut oil for the butter next time.

I used fresh whole wheat flour and more carrots 
than zucchini as that's what I had. 

Plus, I had an older, dryer zucchini
and didn't have to use salt to drain it, 

so just added it to the recipe. 
Oh my goodness, it was yummy!!! 

So of course, I'm passing it on. 

Haven't tried it in loaves, 
but it made about 20 muffins. 

Zucchini Bread with Apples and Carrots

2½ c. shredded zucchini (approx 2 large zucchini)
1 t. salt
¾ c. shredded apple (approx 1 medium apple)
¾ c. shredded carrot (approx 1 large carrot)
½ c. melted butter
½ c. honey
½ c. maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 c. oat flour*
2 c. whole grain flour (wheat, spelt or combination of the two)
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
3 t. cinnamon
¼ t. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 8"x4" loaf pans.

Grate zucchini using a grater or food processor.
Combine zucchini and salt in a large colander and mix well.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Press as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible
while in the colander. Then, using either a salad spinner,
get all the remaining water out of the zucchini.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large bowl. Add honey
and maple syrup and mix well.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Add shredded carrot, apple and zucchini and stir to combine
very well.

In a separate small bowl, mix all the flours, baking soda,
baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and combine well.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and
stir to barely combine, approximately 5 big rounds of the bowl.

Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl and stir
to just barely combine, another 5-7 big rounds of the bowl.

Divide batter evenly between loaf pans and bake for
50-60 min.,or until a knife inserted in the center
comes out clean.


Notes
* To make oat flour, blend rolled oats in a blender until they
are the consistency of flour.

Inspired by Smitten Kitchen

Additional Recipe Tips-
To turn these into muffins instead of bread, measure 1/3 c.
of batterinto muffin tins (go reusable if you can) and bake
for 20-24 minutes,or until the top is golden brown.
If you really want to knock their socks off, consider
adding dried cranberries, raisins or coconut flakes to
the batter. If you’re low on carrots or zucchini,
both are interchangeable so long as you have 3
1/4 cup total. Make these muffins year round by
freezing zucchini now. Shred as normal,
sprinkle with salt and allow to sit.
Wring out excess moisture and store in a freezer bag.
Another genius idea – batter can be frozen uncooked
using this method here.

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Blueberry Oatmeal and Flaxseed Muffins

image and recipe from here

I found this recipe on a day I had boiled some whole flax seed to make a tea (a cough remedy). They turned out yummy. I was out of ww flour, so used white. I also subbed kefir for buttermilk.

Blueberry Oatmeal and Flaxseed Muffins

2 c.whole wheat flour
5-1/2 c. rolled oats
1-1/2 c/light brown sugar
2/3 c. plus 1 T. ground flaxseed
4 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
4 t. ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1c. neutral oil (vegetable, olive, and coconut are good choices)
2 c. buttermilk
2 c. blueberries (or use other fresh berries, or dried berries)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 standard-sized muffin pans with paper liners. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Add the eggs, oil, buttermilk and 3/4 cup water. Mix until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined, and then fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the muffins cups, filling each cup right up to the top, and bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely before serving. Makes 24 muffins

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

from here

My friend Karen gave me a loaf of bread and a huge zucchini. With our local, delicious blueberries I thought this was a good recipe to try. I baked a bunch of loaves to take to family in Utah, and add to a potluck lunch after Addison's blessing.  The bread was enjoyed by all.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. vegetable oil
3 t. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. white sugar
2 c. shredded zucchini
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1 T. ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans. Bake 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

I also found recipes for healthier versions, and linked here, here and here. 
There's also one here that they substituted rhubarb for zucchini.

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Jill's Cookie Magic +

My friend Dianne texted me this a.m. and said she was in sheer panic because she left her sugar cookie recipe in Utah. "Valentine's without sugar cookies. Shame Shame." She asked if I had mutual friend Jill's recipe, as she couldn't get a hold of her. I scanned Jill's blog for the cookies. Jill is the master cookie maker around these parts. She definitely adds the cookie magic to each batch! Since I was trolling the blog, I thought I'd link to all of her yummy recipes for future reference. Then maybe my boys will love me forever like they love Jill's cookies!

 One more recipe request for Jill: 

My niece Sarah wanted me to resend a Jill soup recipe I'd given her a couple years ago. I don't have it anymore. My collection is lost somewhere between paper and digital! It's your quick and yummy funeral lunch soup one with chicken, rotel tomatoes/peppers, beans and ? Could you leave a comment with the mystery ingredients? Thanks for sharing your cookie magic with our family for many years!

cookie recipes

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2011/07/chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies.html

image above

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentine-treat-no-bake-cookies.html

top of the post image

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/11/double-chocolate-cookies.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/12/monster-cookies.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/06/fruit-pizza.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/05/snickerdoodles.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2013/01/outrageous-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2011/06/cinnamon-rolls.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/01/chocolate-chip-cookies.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/01/blueberry-buckle.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/03/m-cookies.html

Jill's awesome hula girls from a gingerbread girl cookie cutter

and her sugar cookie recipe linked below.

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/01/for-sasha.html

non cookie recipes

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2011/06/make-ahead-mashed-potatoes.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/05/zucchini-muffins.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2010/04/crescent-rolls.html

http://jillatoz.blogspot.com/2009/11/kneaders-curried-turkey-chowder.html

18 microwave snacks to make in a mug

Remember the recipe that circulated for

Chocolate Cake in a mug?

Click here for links to a collection of 18 different items

to microwave in cup,

including the Strawberry Pie pictured above. 

This will be great for the college kids!

Not all the recipes are for desserts. 

Here's the list:

Breakfast

Cup Quiche 

Instant Blueberry Muffins

French Toast in a Cup

“Baked” Oatmeal In A Mug

Cinnamon Roll In A Cup

Snacking

Coffee Cup Coffeecake

Banana Bread In A Mug

Dinner

Mac and Cheese In A Cup

Meatloaf In A Mug

Coffee Cup Chilaquiles

Dessert

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake

Nutella Mug Cake

Cheesecake In A Mug

Chocolate Fudge S’mores Mug Cake

Cookie In A Mug

Chocolate and Caramel Mug Cake

Sticky Date Pudding In A Mug

Cabbage Salad, Mango Spinach Salad, Chia Lemonade, Lemon Chia Seed Muffins, Chia and Flax Egg Replacements

This post has been postponed from the summer. We were invited to a BBQ with friends, and asked to bring a salad. I wanted to try this new-to-us cabbage salad (recipe below). Our friends' daughter-in-law made the exact salad...and those were the only two for dinner. It was pretty funny! I should have gone with my other choice, the Spinach Mango Salad.

I also learned more about chia seeds this summer. 

Here are some facts:

just 2 tablespoons of chia has—

4 grams of complete protein

4.5 grams of omega 3 oils

5.5 grams fiber

9% RDA calcium

7% RDA iron

Here's another chia recipe Karen sent this summer. Give the little seeds a try. It's easy to add them to a smoothie, sprinkle them on food, or even just eat a few from your hand. There are stories about South American long distance runners historically using them because of their high nutrition. 

image and recipe from here

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins
1-3/4 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. chia seeds (black, white, or a mix)
1/2 c. unsweetened soy milk or 2% milk
2 t. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2/3 c. unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
1 T. lemon zest (or zest of 1 small lemon)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chia seeds. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill each well of the lined muffin tin 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until slightly golden in color and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

image from here

I got this recipe from the preparedness group leader we buy things through. The notes are hers.

Chia Agave Lemonade
For 1 gallon:
1 c. agave
2 c. lemon juice
2 c. hydrated chia - 6 T. chia to 2 c. water (I just add the chia to the water in the pitcher.)

Shake together in a 1 gallon container. Add water to make 1 gallon - shake. Chill overnight. Shake before serving.

I ran the lemonade through my Blendtec to pulverize the chia so the kids would drink it. I think it will actually be better that way. Lemonade is a personal thing. Some like it sweet and some tart. We like it tart so this recipe may need adjustment for your taste.

Finally, you can use chia as an egg replacement. No chia? You can also use flax seed!

Chia Egg Replacement

3 T. water

1 T. chia seed

Let soak for 20 minutes. Use for one egg.

Flax Seed Egg Replacement

1 T. ground flax seeds

2-3 T. water

by Karen, Barbara's daughter; and Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Onion Bread

Here's a quick idea using Rhodes bread dough. I used this recently with dough mixed and raised in my bread maker. It turned out very good; we had it with Creamy Broccoli Soup from Mom's cookbook.

Chocolate Cherry Berry Smoothie, Banana Spelt Muffins, Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

Cheryl tried this smoothie recipe and loved it. A healthy alternative to a chocolate shake. This came from Blendtec, the Orem company where Kyle works.

Chocolate Cherry Berry Smoothie 

10 oz. vanilla coconut milk
2 c. spinach leaves
1 banana
2 ½ T. cacao or cocoa powder
¾ c. frozen blueberries
¾ c. frozen cherries

Add ingredients to blender jar in order listed and secure lid. Blend until smooth, then serve.

Note: Use a ripe banana to add a little more natural sweetness to the smoothie. As the banana ripens, the enzyme amylase begins to break down starch which leads to the formation of sucrose, aka table sugar.

Nutrition info per serving:
Servings 2
Serving Size 12 fl oz
Calories 200
Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 45 mg
Carbohydrates 41 g
Fiber 8 g
Sugar 25 g
Protein 5 g

Cheryl made these Banana Spelt muffins and liked how they turned out.

She added three handfuls of oats to the mix.

Banana Spelt Muffins
1 egg
¼ c. butter or coconut butter, softened
3 ripe bananas
¾ c. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1½ c. wholegrain spelt flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
½ t. salt

Preheat oven to 375°F. Add first 5 ingredients to blender jar and secure lid. Press “Pulse” 4-6 times. Add dry ingredients to jar and secure lid. Press “Pulse” 4-6 times until dry ingredients are barely incorporated. Pour batter into a greased muffin tin or a tin lined with paper cups. Bake 15-18 minutes until done.

For a little spice, try adding ¼ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.

For a little crunch, try adding ¾ C walnuts to the first addition of ingredients. As the wet ingredients blend and the blender blade mashes the bananas, the walnuts will be chopped.

Note: All-purpose flour may be used in place of wholegrain spelt flour.

Nutrition Info:
Servings 12
Serving Size 1 muffin
Calories 170
Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 260 mg
Carbohydrates 29 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 16 g
Protein 2 g

by Cheryl, Barbara's daughter

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup 1 celery root, peeled and cubed 1 large parsnip, peeled and thickly sliced 1 large carrot, peeled and thickly sliced 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed 1 medium onion, thickly sliced 4 garlic cloves, peeled 3 T. olive oil 5-6 C chicken or vegetable broth 1 ½ t. white wine vinegar 1/16 t. cayenne pepper Salt and pepper to taste  Preheat oven to 400°F.  Add prepared vegetables, onion and garlic to 9x13-inch pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss vegetables in olive oil and bake for 45 minutes until roasted and tender.  Add 3 cups of broth to blender jar and roasted vegetables and secure lid.  Select “Smoothies”.  Pour remaining broth into large saucepan and add pureed soup. Taste and adjust salt as necessary and add black pepper, if desired and serve warm. For a creamy touch, try adding ½ cup of half and half or full-fat coconut milk before serving or garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream.  Serve with a sprinkling of paprika, cumin or fresh herbs of your choice. Nutrition info per serving: Servings 9 Serving Size 1 cup Calories 100 Fat 4.5 g Saturated Fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 380 mg Carbohydrates 13 g Fiber 2 g Sugar 4 g Protein 2 g

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Apricot Raisin Hot Cross Buns

Stephanie's 16th birthday (thanks Jannet!)

Today is Stephanie's birthday, so I asked her to share some 'foodie' thoughts with us. Happy Birthday Stephanie!! 

"Foods? I love so many! Favorite restaraunts are Big Bowl (Thai food) in Reston, Colors (a wide variety of flavors from around the world) in Hilton Head, and Tropical Smoothie. You can't go wrong with any of their smoothies; I think I have tried almost all of them. I love anything pasta and am really excited to eat Italian for two weeks in April. It's only 10 a.m. and you have me thinking about dinner. I think I will have to make alfredo tonight.... I love pies instead of cake, but Brittany is in love with cupcakes. I gave her a cookbook from Georgetown Cupcakes (D.C. Cupcakes on TV) and she has made the best cupcakes I have ever tasted. I would not be surprised if she makes some for my birthday. The kids have given up bringing me breakfast in bed; the few times they tried they had to honestly con me back into it after my run and shower."

 "I tried a new recipe yesterday that turned out great. Here it is:

Apricot Raisin Hot Cross Buns

4 - 4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 c. warm water (110 degrees F)

1/8 t. sugar

3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. (stick) butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs

1/2 c. finely snipped dried apricots

1/2 c. raisins, coarsely chopped

1 egg white, beaten

1 T. water

Dried apricots cut into strips (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl place 2 c. of the flour; set aside. In a small bowl combine the yeast, warm water, and 1/8 t. sugar. Stir until yeast is dissolved; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, butter, 1/3 c. sugar, and salt until warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F) and butter almost melts. Add to flour mixture along with the yeast mixture and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in snipped apricots, raisins, and as much of the remaining flour as you can with a wooden spoon.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft (not sticky) dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough in a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1-1/2 hours).

3. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Grease two baking sheets; set aside. Divide dough into 20 portions; shape each into a smooth ball. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Cover; let rise until nearly double (45 to 60 minutes).

 4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make a crisscross slash across top of each bun with a sharp knife or scissors. In a small cup combine beaten egg white and water. Brush mixture over buns. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Top with apricot strips. Serve warm. Store remaining buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, place 1 or 2 buns at a time on a microwave-safe plate and heat 15 to 20 seconds. Makes 20 buns.

by Stephanie, wife of Barbara's son Brandon

Artisan Bread

A few years ago a friend showed me how to make the crusty artisan bread that is great to dip in olive oil and spices. It's very easy, and inexpensive. Your hands-on time is minimal, you just need to plan ahead as it takes a long while to develop.

No-Knead Bread

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.


3 c. all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
[I use some whole wheat]
¼ t. instant yeast
1¼ t. salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.



2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.


3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.


4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.


Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.
(Martha Stewart adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, NY Times Nov. 2006)

My [former--haha] friend who taught me about this bread was helping prepare food for the youth pioneer trek. She let me know that another friend, she and I would be making all the bread for the first night on the trek. We each made 8 loaves, sending a total of 24. To make those 8 loaves, I used a simplified version of the recipe above. I doubled the new recipe (but put the salt down to the equivalent in the first recipe) and was able to mix 4 loaves at a time in my fake Bosch  mixer.

~~~

There is also a bread version that you keep in the fridge, allowing you to have a fresh loaf daily. 

I've not tried it, but have included it below.

From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking 

by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007). 

Copyright 2007 by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

Makes four 1 pound loaves.

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance.

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1-1/2 T. granulated yeast (about 1-1/2 packets)
• 1-1/2 t. kosher salt (or 3 t. table salt)
• 6-1/2 c. unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting dough
• optional 200g of well-fed sourdough starter
• Cornmeal for the peel (or leave on baking paper)

In a large plastic resealable container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm (about 100 degrees) water. Using a large spoon, stir in flour, mixing until mixture is uniformly moist with no dry patches. Do not knead. Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to shape of plastic container. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. 

Let dough rise at room temperature, until dough begins to flatten on top or collapse, at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; refrigerated dough is easier to work with than room-temperature dough, so the authors recommend that first-time bakers refrigerate dough overnight or at least 3 hours.)

When ready to bake, sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel. Place a broiler pan on bottom rack of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and repeat oven to 450 degrees, preheating baking stone for at least 20 minutes.

Sprinkle a little flour on dough and on your hands. Pull dough up and, using a serrated knife, cut off a grapefruit-size piece (about 1 pound). Working for 30 to 60 seconds (and adding flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands; most dusting flour will fall off, it’s not intended to be incorporated into dough), turn dough in hands, gently stretching surface of dough, rotating ball a quarter-turn as you go, creating a rounded top and a bunched bottom.

Place shaped dough on prepared pizza peel and let rest, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it in lidded container. (Even one day’s storage improves flavor and texture of bread. Dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in airtight containers and defrosted overnight in refrigerator prior to baking day.) Dust dough with flour.

Using a serrated knife, slash top of dough in three parallel, ¼-inch deep cuts (or in a tic-tac-toe pattern). Slide dough onto preheated baking stone. Pour 1 cup hot tap water into broiler pan and quickly close oven door to trap steam. Bake until crust is well-browned and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely.

link to the article

I've also included a local newspaper story on the youth pioneer trek. 

The teens (ages 14-18) in our stake (geographic area used to divide church congregations) re-enacted a company of handcart pioneers on part of the Oregon Trail near Mt. Hood this week. The local paper reporter/photographer team came as they were preparing to leave. The photo below is one of our cute young women.