Sausage Bread Recipe

There is no yeast in this bread - just refrigerated all-ready pizza crust dough - which makes this recipe oh-so-easy!

Ingredients
2 1/2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil, divided
13 ounces veal sausage, removed from casing
1 cup each diced onions and green or red bell peppers
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seed (optional)
Dash each salt and pepper
1 refrigerated all-ready pizza crust dough (10 ounces)

Method:
Preheat oven to 425 degree F. In 10-inch skillet heat 2 teaspoons oil; add sausage, onions, bell peppers, and garlic and cook, breaking up large pieces of sausage with a wooden spoon, until sausage is crumbly and no longer pink, and vegetable are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. If desired, stir in fennel; stir in salt and pepper. Set aside and let cool.

On work surface, press pizza dough into a 12x10-inch rectangle. Spread sausage mixture over entire surface of dough, pressing mixture into dough. Starting from wide end, roll dough jelly-roll fashion to enclose filling; pinch each marrow end to seal and tuck ends underneath loaf.

Transfer loaf, seam-side down, to 9x5x3-inch nonstick loaf pan and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Using pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil over bread and bake 5 minutes longer. Remove pan from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To serve, cut into 10 equal slices.

Each serving provides: 2 Protein Exchange; 2 Bread Exchange; 3/4 Vegetable Exchange; 1/2 Milk Exchange
Per serving: 314 calories; 21 g protein; 11 g fat; 29 g carbohydrate; 17 mg calcium; 1033 mg sodium; 57 mg cholesterol; 1 g dietary fiber

Sandy is a food lover who has been into food business for more than 20 years. She shares her experience in cooking tips, recipes as well as healthy cooking way.

She maintains her site at: http://www.lowcarbdiabeticdiet.com
Read her blog at: http://www.lowcarbdiabeticdiet.com/blog

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Baking Bread - Cuban Pan De Ajo (Cuban Garlic Bread)

Last week I went down to Miami for the first time to sample and report on the vibrant Miami food community. What I found was a food community full of amazing exile stories, dangerous ocean crossing adventures, and wonderful snapshots of great Miami food fare, especially Cuban food. Along with my staffer Emily, we were especially smitten with the smell, taste,texture and serving methods of Cuban bread. 

Cuban sandwiches are world renowned and a staple at any Cuban restaurant. Emily thinks it is the bread that makes the sandwich. That debate can rage on forever. The actual Cuban white bread is not at all complex, but actually quite simple. It has a different baking method and is made with different ingredients than French or Italian bread. The bread is baked in a cold oven over boiling water before it reaches its desired baking temperature. Cuban bread is then baked with a dab of lard or vegetable shortening. Real Cuban bread is baked in long, baguette-style loaves. It has no preservatives so it will not keep long. After a few days, the bread becomes extremely hard. This bread is made to be enjoyed right away. The best way to use it besides in a sandwich, is to have it served at breakfast. In Cuban households, the bread is toasted with butter and served with a hot mug of cafe con leche for breakfast. 

This bread baking recipe is a great way to savor and enjoy Cuban bread. It is easy to prepare and blends wonderful flavors together to form an outstanding exposure to Cuban food and culture.  

Pan de Ajo (Cuban Garlic Bread)

Serves 8-10

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons diced parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 (2 feet) loaf Cuban bread or French bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices

1. Combine the oil, butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Let this mixture sit for at least 15 minutes, so the flavors can blend together.

 2. Preheat the oven to 350*F. 

3. Spread the garlic mixture on one side of each slice of bread. 

4. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 10 minutes, until the butter has melted and the bread has browned. 

Serve immediately.

I am the editor of a website devoted to all aspects of food and the creation of great food. You can join our food community, find and submit family recipes, read articles, learn cooking terms, and participate in numerous other food related topics by directing yourself to our website and view our baking bread Tips and Recipes.

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Three Traditional Dutch Recipes

Traditional Dutch food is rich in diversity. Savory fish and stew dishes, sweet treats and sauces, and hardy breads are just a few of the great foods that the Dutch culture has to offer. In this article, I am going to include some of my favourite traditional Dutch recipes. I hope you give them a try and enjoy them as much as I do!

Flemish Stew

Ingredients:
1 large onion
1.75 oz margarine
2 lbs cubed beef and pork
1 bay leaf
Thyme, salt, and pepper to taste
3/4 bottle of dark beer
1 beef bouillon cube
2 slices of whole wheat bread
4 oz whipping cream
Mustard

Directions:
Heat the margarine in a large pan over medium heat. Roughly chop the onion and add it to the skillet. Sauté the onion until soft, then add the meat. Be sure to brown it thoroughly. Crush the bay leaf and add it to the pan, along with the thyme, salt, pepper, bouillon cube, and beer. Thickly spread the mustard onto one side of each piece of bread, then put them face-down on top of the stew. Cover the pan and reduce to a low heat. Simmer for an hour. Before serving, warm the whipping cream (with a few tablespoons of the sauce from the stew), then pour it into the stew. Stir the stew well, then serve with boiled potatoes and stewed prunes.

Fish Cakes

Ingredients:
14 oz poached fish fillets
4 large potatoes
1 onion
1 1/2 tbsp margarine
Parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
Fine bread crumbs
Oil for frying

Directions:
Allow the poached fish to cool, then cut it into small chunks. Peel and boil the potatoes for about half and hour, then allow them to cool. Chop the onion into fine pieces, then sauté in a skillet with the margarine. In a bowl, mash the potatoes using a fork, then add in the fish, onion, and a sprinkle of parsley. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add a little milk if the mixture is too stiff. Form the fish and potato mixture into tight patties (should make about four). In a small bowl, whisk the egg and a tablespoon of milk. Dip each patty in the egg mixture and coat in bread crumbs. In a large skillet, heat the oil (enough to deep fry the patties) over a high heat. Fry the fish cakes until thoroughly cooked, then use paper towels to absorb the excess oil from the cakes. Serve with salad, pommes frites (French fries), mayo, or tartar sauce.

Currant Bread

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp fine berry sugar
1 cup lukewarm milk
1 oz yeast
1 1/3 oz butter
11 oz currants
1/2 egg

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and a teaspoon of sugar. In a separate bowl, pour a bit of the lukewarm milk in, then add the yeast and half a teaspoon of sugar. Let the yeast dissolve for a few minutes. In another bowl, mix together the remainder of the lukewarm milk and the butter. Pour the yeast, egg, and milk/butter mixture into the flour mixture. Mix well until the dough is smooth. Knead it by hand on a floured surface for about 15 minutes, then cover it with a damp cloth and let it rise until double in size. This should take at least an hour. Coat a bread loaf pan with butter. Wash the currants, dry them with paper towel, then dust them with a bit of flour. Knead the currants into the dough, then put the dough into the loaf pan. Spread the dough so that it fits into all corners of the pan. Cover the pan with a wet towel and allow the dough to rise again until it fills the whole pan. Bake at 395 degrees F for half an hour, or until golden brown.

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Old Fashion Bread

This is bread for bread lovers. It's bread similar to what people had made in the old fashion brick oven that was found in most people's back yard many years ago.

It is firm bread but with great taste and texture, it is especially good when served hot right from the oven with butter and jam. This recipe makes six loaves but you can break it down to two loaves just by dividing by three.

4 ½ pounds all-purpose flour
1-teaspoon salt
1-cup oil
½ pound sugar
1 ounce dry yeast
6 cups warm water

In a stainless steel bowl place your yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 cup warm water and let the yeast work, when the yeast starts to rise you know that it is ok to use and that your bread is going to rise properly.

In a 10-quart mixing bowl place your flour, salt, sugar, oil, and yeast you had started and 5 cups warm water. Mix on low speed using a dough hook on your mixer until well blended, then mix on second speed for about four minutes, at this time you should have a nice well textured dough, if the dough seems too dry to you just add a little more water and mix for about one more minute.

Remove dough from mixer and divide into 24 ounce balls well rounded and tight, let them stand for 5 minutes on table covered with a towel, at this time grease your bread pans, take a ball of dough and flatten it removing any air in the dough (don't get too rough with it) flap the bottom part of the dough up to the middle and the top of the dough in to the middle and press it down then fold it in half again and with the heal of your hand seal the seam of the dough, (it should look like a six inch hoagie bun) now place it in a well greased bread pan with the seam on the bottom and let it rise under a towel until it is double in size.

In a preheated 350 degree oven place all your loaves of bread and let it bake for 20 minutes then rotate it and let it bake for another 20 minutes, remove from oven and remove from pan, let it cool on a wire rack, even a refrigerator rack is good.
When it is cool enough to cut "enjoy it".

Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at present I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at For Free Recipes.net

NOTE You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end)

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French Bread Lasagna Recipe

For a really different take on the Italian classic, Lasagna, try this unique recipe for French Bread Lasagna. Instead of lasagna noodles, this recipe calls for half-inch thick slices of French bread. Tell the kids you are having an international meal to really peak their interest. Explain that lasagna is usually an Italian dish but this is made with French bread and being eaten in their American kitchen. Have a little fun with the concept and talk to the kids about the different cultures while you enjoy this meal.

FRENCH BREAD LASAGNA

1 lb lean ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
14 slices french bread (about 1/2" thick)
4 large tomatoes, sliced about 1/2" thick
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tsps olive oil, divided
3 tbsps butter
3 tbsps all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a skillet, brown the beef with the onion, celery, and garlic; drain well and set aside. Toast bread and line the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan or dish with 10 of the slices. Top slices with half of the meat mixture and half of the tomatoes. Combine the basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; sprinkle half of the mixture over the tomatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Crumble remaining bread slices over the top of the spices and oil. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in Parmesan cheese. Pour over the casserole. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

For her Quick Fix recipes, visit http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com

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Mexican Cornbread Recipe - Best Mexican Cornbread

Image : http://www.flickr.com

A wonderful South of the Border cornbread featuring cheese, cream style corn and jalapeno peppers.

2 (8.5 oz.) pkgs. corn bread/muffin mix

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 (14.75 oz.) can cream style corn

1-1/2 cups sour cream

4 eggs, beaten

1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, chopped

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the corn bread mix and onion. Combine the remaining ingredients. Add to the corn bread mixture just until moistened. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until lightly browned and the edges pull away from the sides of the pan. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

=> Mexican Cornbread Recipe: Southwestern Corn Bread

This reduced calorie cornbread is just the thing for those watching their diets.

1 (15.25 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 egg whites

3/4 cup fat free milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese

1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the corn in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until coarsely chopped. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, egg whites, milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Add the cheese, chilies and corn.

Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

=> Recipe Mexican Cornbread: Jalapeno Cornbread

A cornbread recipe that has real zip.

1-1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup all purpose flour

6 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup olive oil

1 to 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Stir in jalapenos. Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares or wedges. Serve warm.

Cha...cha...cha...it's chili time!

[http://www.best-chili-recipes.com]

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Easy Holiday Quick Bread Recipes

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Quick breads are a quick, easy accompaniment to any holiday meal.

For the best-tasting holiday quick breads, here are some helpful hints:

- Only grease the bottoms of the loaf pans or the sides of the bread will pull away from the sides of the baking pan.

- Bake in the center of the center rack of the oven.

- When adding liquids to the dry ingredients, stir only until dry ingredients are moistened. Batter will be lumpy.

- Quick breads can be made ahead and frozen from 1 to 2 months.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

2 eggs, beaten slightly

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup chopped cranberries

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin, mixing well. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the batter and add the pumpkin. Stir in cranberries. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour

1 egg

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup cranberries, sliced

1 cup sugar

1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

Juice and rind of 1 orange

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add water to orange juice to make 3/4 cup liquid. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

5 cups flour

4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 large can pumpkin

2 cups nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs. In another bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Add flour and pumpkin alternately to the egg mixture. Add nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

Apple Bread

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups oil

2 apples, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until well blended. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for about 1 hour.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.

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Original Salad Recipe and More Original Recipes For Fresh Tomatoes

Tomato Recipes for Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh Tomatoes are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, especially lycopene. If you do not have a Salsa Garden, you need to consider planting one this summer, or find a good roadside stand that sells fresh tomatoes. These are original recipes for Italian Style tomatoes, a Summer Salad recipe that is so great and simple to make, this salad makes it's own salad dressing with such a fresh flavor, you will make this salad again and again. Also a great Salsa Recipe and a positively delicious Stewed Tomato dish.

Italian Style Tomatoes Recipe

4 large tomatoes cut in wedges

1/4 cup olive oil, drizzle over tomatoes

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Sprinkle with oregano to suit

Sprinkle lightly with sea salt

1 loaf Italian Bread

Mix all ingredients together, except bread. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Tear bread into small bites for dipping in sauce.

Summer Salad Recipe

This salad makes it's own salad dressing with such a fresh flavor, you will make this salad again and again.

1/2 head lettuce shredded with a knife, use a plastic lettuce knife if you can

1 small yellow onion diced

1 large ripe tomato chopped

1 or 2 heaping tablespoons of Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of water

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving, add a little more mayo or water to your liking.

Salsa Recipe

4 ripe large chopped tomatoes

1 small onion diced

1 Jalapeno pepper diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Stewed Tomato Recipe 3 large tomatoes, peeled and quartered

1 medium green pepper chopped

1 small yellow onion chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 slices bread

In large pan, saute green peppers and onion in butter on medium heat, stirring frequently until tender. Add Tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes, or until tomatoes are tender. Remove the crust from the bread, tear bread into small strips and add to the stewed tomatoes, stir and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Janie Hotchkiss is the owner and webmaster for Up2Tempo Magazineestore, a Magazine Subscription Service that offers the lowest publisher authorized prices available. Janie has written and syndicated many articles on recipes, search engine marketing and email spam. Please visit http://www.magazineestore.com to purchase your magazine subscriptions for fantastic savings and the best customer service.

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Troubleshooting Machine Bread

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Bread machines-wonderful inventions that they are-don't think very well. You and I, when we have a loaf of bread percolating on the counter, can look and say, "My bread is rising a little slowly today. I think I will let it be for another fifteen minutes." Our bread machines go ahead and start the bake cycle anyway. The result is a dense loaf of bread that didn't rise enough.

The only way that we know to compensate for those loaves that aren't quite right is human intervention. Most loaves and most recipes that aren't acting right can be fixed to make perfect bread. Many recipes take a little tweaking to come out just right in the individual environments of our own kitchens.

We had a call from the Denver area this week, "My bread machine worked just fine in Australia. Now it bakes hard, dense loaves." (He hadn't tried our mixes yet.) Denver is a much different environment than Australia. Dough will act differently there. But then, dough may act differently in your kitchen than it does in the kitchen down the street.

Most days, in most kitchens, the bread turns out just fine (which is a compliment to modern machines). When bread doesn't come out just right, it's usually because the machine starts baking too soon or too late for a particular recipe in a particular environment. If it starts before the bread has completely risen, the loaf comes out dense. If it rises too much, the top starts to cave.

So, what to do? Most bread machine faults can be corrected if you apply a little human intervention.

o Keep conditions consistent. If you pull the machine and/or ingredients out of the cold garage this week but the warm pantry next week, you will have two different loaves. If you use more or less water or warmer or cooler water, you will have different loaves. Measure carefully and use a thermometer.

o Watch the dough ball. During the second mix cycle, check the dough ball to see if it is too wet or two dry. (Wet dough rises faster than dry dough.) If the dough ball appears too sticky and wet or doesn't hold its shape, add flour a tablespoon at a time. If it is too firm, flakey, or your bread machine begins to "knock", dribble in water a teaspoon at a time.

o Adjust the recipe. Even if your bread is not perfect, it is probably still good. Some recipes are going to take a little adjustment to work just right in your machine, in your kitchen, the way you bake bread. If your bread is not as light as you like, add another tablespoon or so of water next time. If the top has started to cave, add another tablespoon or so of flour next time. Even if your bread is not perfect the first time, it can be the second or third time. Similar mixes from the same manufacturer are likely to act the same in your kitchen.

o Use the oven. When you hear that little beep that most machines make to tell you that baking is about to begin, check your loaf. If your loaf hasn't risen enough or if it has risen too much-it looks too poofy or has started to blister-you have a choice: go ahead and let bake good but not perfect bread or rescue it. To rescue it, pull it out of the machine, form a loaf, place it in a bread pan or on a sheet pan, and let it rise on its own. When it has risen until it is light and soft (probably in 45 to 60 minutes), stick it in a 350 degree oven and bake it until is done-usually 30 to 40 minutes. The top should turn a nice deep brown and the interior of the loaf should reach 190 degrees. (Many bread machine owners use their machines this way and bake with their ovens most of the time.)

Once you have tweaked a recipe (or a mix) for your machine in your kitchen, keep conditions consistent and you should have picture perfect machine bread every time.

Dennis Weaver is the author of How to Bake, a free 250-page e-book. Which is free at The Prepared Pantry. The Prepared Pantry sells bread mixes and other baking mixes and offers a free Bread Center with recipes and techniques.

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Old Fashion Recipes For Walnut Breads - Walnut Date Loaf and Orange Walnut Bread

Walking into the house to the smell of fresh baked bread always brings to mind memories of grandma's house or coming home hungry after school and knowing mom had been spending time in the kitchen. Following are a couple of old recipes retrieved from my mother's old tin recipe box that I got when she passed away. Walnut date loaf and orange walnut bread can both be made with pecans, if you don't like walnuts. However, walnuts have known health benefits and we could all stand to eat more of them. Also, both of these breads make good gift breads. Give as hostess gifts, take to the office, wrap in plastic wrap, tie with a pretty bow and give for Christmas gifts, etc.

ORANGE-WALNUT BREAD

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

shredded peel of 1 orange

5 tsp double-acting baking powder
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup salad oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, with fork, mix flour and walnuts, sugar, salt, orange peel, and baking powder. In a small bowl, with fork, beat eggs slightly; stir in milk and salad oil. Stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Pour batter into a 9x5" loaf pan. Bake one hour and twenty minutes or until bread pulls away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack for ten minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on rack. Makes one loaf of bread. NOTE: Diabetics can enjoy this bread by replacing 1 cup of the sugar with Splenda granular.

WALNUT-DATE LOAF BREAD

1 cup chopped dates
1 cup boiling water

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, combine the dates, water, and oil. Let stand for 10 minutes; do not drain. Add the brown sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir flour mixture into the date mixture just until combined. Do not beat. Fold in walnuts. Transfer batter into a greased 8-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool ten minutes before removing from pan. Finish cooling on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

For her vintage recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com

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Fish Recipes

These recipes are wonderful and they are old family recpies.
Armenian Baked Fish

3 lbs. whitefish-in the white fleshed bland fish may be substituted

3 fresh tomatoes or one small canned tomatoes

1 cloves garlic mashed

1 tbsp. flour

1 c. water

4 tbsp. minced parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

fillet and rinse fish. Spread the fillets skin side down in a buttered baking pan. Cover fish with tomatoes garlic and the flour mixed with water. Spread with parsley. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Pour oil and lemon juice all around fish. Bake at 325 after 420 to 40 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Spoon pan juices over the fish several times while baking. May be served hot or cold. Garnish with sliced lemon. Serves six.

Pine smoked trout

Use a wire holder to get a smoky flavor when cooking trout. The idea is to be able to turn the meat over like the type made to hold hot dogs or hamburgers.

Cut server pine boughs and place them on your campfire. Lay the holder with your trout directly on top. Light the pine boughs, then the fire will sear, cook, and smoke your trout in about a minute before burning out. Just turn the holder over to sear the other side - repeat the process. A couple of boughs and less than a minute for each side is perfect for a half-pound trout.

Pickled Bluegills

Use only a stainless steel pan for good taste.

Cut fish into small pieces - you will need about 5 cups of fish. Soak in a quart of water and one cup of salt for 2 days. Rinse fish in cold water and drain. Then pour two cups of white vinegar over the fish and put it in the fridge for another 2 days. Pour it off.

Next, cook the following mix for five minutes and let cool

2 cups white vinegar

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp. mustard seed

1 tsp. whole black pepper

1 tsp. whole allspice

1 tsp. whole cloves

4 bay leaves

After it cools pour it over the fish, and place slices of lemon and onions on top. Refrigerate for 5 days, then remove the spices and pack into jars. It makes three pints.

Sunfish

Once you have skinned and filleted the Sunfish, try this recipe.

You'll need:

1 lb. sunfish fillets

2 scallionis sliced thin

1 green pepper sliced thin

1 small jar of spaghetti sauce

1 chopped tomato

½ cup water

½ cup white wine

Pinch salt

Combine scallions, pepper and sauce. Cover and simmer for r10 minutes. Add fish, salt, tomato nad wine. Simmer, covered, for six minutes. Ladle over rice and rim with parsley.

When you are all done skimming and filleting your sunfish, plant the carcasses deep in your tomato patch or rose bed. They make excellent fertilizer.

Fish Loaf

After you fillet your fish, don't throw away the bones. There is still meat attached to them, and you can make a tasty dish with the leftovers. Begin by either baking the backbone scrapings in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven or steaming them over boiling water until they are cooked. While the fish is cooking, gather the following ingredients:

1 cup toasted break cubes

1 small onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

½ cup tomato sauce

¾ cup grated cheddar cheese

Paprika

1 ¼ cups cooked, flaked fish (from the scrapings)

Mix all ingredients except paprika and one-quarter cup of the grated cheese in a large bowl. Work in the flaked fish until a uniform texture is attained. Spoon the mixture into a 9X5-inch bread pan and shape it into a loaf. Spread the remaining grated cheese over the loaf and sprinkle paprika on top. Bake the loaf at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. Let it cool five to 10 minutes before cutting.

Add chili peppers or hot pepper sauce as desired.

Baked Ciscoes

10 ciscoes, filleted

1 ½ tbsps. Lemon juice

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup light cream

1 ½ tsps. Flour

1 tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

Buttered toast

Quarter the fiillets. Place fish pieces in a buttered flat baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Heat butter and flour in saucepan. Add the two cups heavy cream and the cup of light cream slowly. Bring to boiling point, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over fish and sp rinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about one hour. Serve fish and sauce on (or with) buttered toast.

Copyright 2005 EveningSecretFishing.com Fishing

Frank Faldo is a Long-Time Fisherman and friend of EveningSecretFishing.com (http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/Fish_Recipes.php)

Feel free to use this article on your website or anywhere else - but all links and bio information must remain in tact.

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Baking Pans - Basic Training

There are so many different types of baking pans out there, that it may be difficult for the beginner to sort through them all. In this article, I am going to reveal 3 basic tips to consider that will help you choose the right baking pans for any occasion.

Let's say you're in the kitchen ready to bake something. Whether it's a birthday cake for your child's birthday party, some cupcakes for a school or office event, or even a pie for a special meal, when it's time to bake, you need to know which baking pan to use.

I know how over overwhelming it can be because there are so many different kinds of pans. I was once a beginner and didn't know a bundt cake pan from a cupcake pan. The fact that baking pans come in so many shapes and sizes, and are made of different materials doesn't make it any easier.

I'm going to help you out. The three tips I'm going to discuss are size (yes, it does matter), shape, and material and how to determine which pan is right for your particular baking need, so let's get started...

The first thing to consider is size. The difference in the size of the baking pan determines the volume of batter the pan can hold. It is important that you use the right size of pan for the dish you are preparing. For example, if you use a pan that is too big, it will cause the depth of the batter to be shallower. This, in turn, causes the batter to bake more quickly, and will throw off the cooking times, and even the consistency of the end result.

The opposite is true is the baking pan you use is too small. The batter ends up deeper and will take a longer time to bake. Once again, this throws off the cooking time and the consistency of the end product.

The second thing to consider is shape. The shape of the pan will be determined by what you happen to be baking. Some examples of different shapes are a cake pan, a loaf pan, and a pie pan.

Cake pans can be round or square, but they can also come in a variety of character and odd shapes. For example, there are cartoon characters, and football shapes.

Loaf pans are generally large with flat bottoms. Think of the shape of a loaf of bread that you buy at the store. Do you see the shape in your mind? A loaf pan will produce a similar shape.

Pie pans are only meant for baking pies. I know that sounds simplistic, but it's the truth. Pie pans are usually round and have a flat bottom with sides all around.

The third thing to consider is the material from which your baking pan is made from. There are generally two types...

The first material is metal. The most common metal now used is aluminum because of it's low cost, durability, light weight, and ease of clean up.

The second material is glass, although glass usually refers to baking dishes. Something to consider if you use a glass baking dish is that you may have to reduce the temperature of your oven by about 25 degrees.

Most recipes will let you know what material of pan to use, just in case you're a little confused as to which to choose. If they indicate that you can use either one, then they'll also include some sort of adjustment in cooking times. If not, jus remember the 25 degree rule I mentioned above.

There you have it--baking pans explained. Now you know the basics for how to choose the right baking pan no matter what you're baking. You're ready to face the kitchen and let it know who's boss.

You know how to choose a baking pan, now you're ready to purchase one too. Get your quality baking pans at http://cakepanstore.com - They offer a great variety of pans for all occasions, and at excellent prices.

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Bubble Head Bread

BUBBLE HEAD BREAD

Ingredients:

1-cup Warm milk (makes sure it is not hot)

½-cup Oil

1½-cup Sugar

1-teaspoon Salt

2-packs Dry yeast

2-large Eggs, well beaten

4 to 4½ cups Flour, all purpose

½-cup Butter, melted

1-cup Brown sugar

1-tablespoon Cinnamon

½-cup White raisins, soaked until soft

½-cup Pecans, chopped

Instructions:

Combine milk, oil, and salt. Cool to lukewarm then stir in yeast and beaten eggs. Add flour and mix to a soft dough. Turn out on floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, and does not stick to fingers when pinched. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch down and form dough into small balls about the size of a walnut. Mix the white and brown sugar and the cinnamon. Roll each walnut of dough in melted butter, then in sugar and cinnamon mixture. Grease and flour an Angel Food cake pan. Place dough balls in staggered layers in the pan, sprinkling with raisins and nuts at intervals. If there is any butter left, drizzle that over the top.

Bake the bubble bread in a 350° oven for 45 minutes, and then brush the top with melted butter after turning out of the pan.

Serves 8

This is just one of many delicious recipes you will find at http://www.cristiescookin.com. Be sure and submit your favorite recipe of the month and you could win a "Gotcha Covered" apron from Cristies Cookin.

Cooking lessons for Cristie began at 8 years old with the best teacher in the world -- her Mom! Later, she cooked for the restaurant the family owned, and her love of the "trade" has grown ever since. Cristie's creative cooking has continued for over 40 years. Her creations can soon be on your kitchen table. Check out Cristie's books at http://www.cristiescookin.com and http://www.tjstokes.com

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A Springtime Brunch

When the weather just starts to get warm, Sunday brunch becomes a popular outdoor meal. People love to get together for a great meal with their friends to plan for the summer ahead. Brunch is a terrific meal to slow down and enjoy time with family and friends.

A great brunch menu would include blueberry muffins, eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, Breakfast Ham & Egg Casserole, and a variety of juices. The Breakfast Ham and Egg Casserole is a good balance for men who believe quiche is too feminine for them to devour. For the juice selections, make sure to have tomato juice on hand for those who enjoy Bloody Marys.

To make the Breakfast Ham & Egg Casserole you will need: 4 c. French bread, cubed3 c. diced ham, 1/2 lb grated American cheese, 6 eggs, 4 tsp. flour, 1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, Dash of Tabasco sauce, 4 c. milk, 4 tbsp. melted butter and salt to taste. First layer the bread, ham and cheese in a 9"x13" greased baking pan. Beat the remaining ingredients together in the order listed above. Next, pour the mixture over the ham, cheese and bread layers in the pan. Refrigerate mixture in covered pan until ready to bake. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees.

Adding this Breakfast Ham and Egg Casserole to a brunch will round out any afternoon menu. It is light enough for a spring brunch, but has just enough weight if you choose to serve the casserole during the cold winter months. Regardless when you serve it your guests will find it to be a delight.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for brunch party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Brunch Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

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No Fail Herb and Cheese Bread Recipe

Everyone loves the aroma of homemade bread in their house but with the busy lives we all lead, no one can spare hours it takes to make bread from scratch. However, with the advent of no knead bread popularized by Jim Lahey, all this has changed.

This amazingly tasty and easy to make herb and cheese bread requires only 5 minutes of preparation the night before and 10 minutes on the day of bread baking. In between all that, you just let the bread rest and allow the yeast to slowly do its thing. You heard right, folks: all you do is mix the ingredients together, let it rest overnight, put it into your baking pan, let rise and bake. You never have to break a sweat.

This recipe has some whole grain in it for added depth of flavour and healthfulness. I recommend you make the dough after dinner so that it will be ready when you are the next morning. In the summer, you can replace the dried Italian seasoning with fresh herbs, increasing the amount to 3 to 5 tablespoons of finely chopped herbs. Among the yummy herbs you can choose are: green onion, sage, thyme, rosemary, basil, chives and tarragon.

Here is the recipe: Makes one 1 1/2 pound loaf; fits a 9 x 5 inch bread pan

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups rye or whole wheat flour
2/3 cup grated old cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/3 teaspoon instant yeast
11/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups water, room temperature

Combine all the dry ingredients, including the herbs, in a bowl and stir well. Add the water and stir. The dough will appear very loose and shaggy. Cover and let proof overnight for about 12-18 hours. The dough will appear bubbly at the surface.

The next morning, invert the dough onto a well floured counter. Fold the dough up in thirds like an envelope using a bench scraper. Gently lift and transfer the dough into a 9 x 5 inch bread pan. Cover and let rest until the dough rises to the top of the pan, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 35-45 minutes or until the bread appears golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool at least 1 hour before serving.

For more detailed instructions, including step-by-step photos and a photo of this delicious herb and cheese bread, visit Baking Bread & More and click under No Knead Bread.

http://www.homemade-goodness-baking-bread-and-more.com

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Common Words - The Spanish Word 'Hay'

Image : http://www.flickr.com

One of the most common words, Spanish word 'hay', is a small but powerful expression. Spanish speakers use it daily and therefore adding it to your repertoire is a must if you want to speak real Spanish.

So...how do you use this simple Spanish word to communicate effectively?

A. This one Spanish word, hay, is equivalent to both the singular there is and the plural there are. This is great, as you only have to learn one word for two expressions!,

It is pronounced like the English 'eye' or 'I'.

Here is how it works. Just add the 'hay' in front of the noun or noun and its adjectives that you want to talk about.

1. Hay un libro. - There is a book.

2. Hay dos libros. - There are two books.

3. Hay un carro rojo. - There is a red car.

4. Hay carros rojos. - There are red cars.

5. Hay pan. - There is bread.

6. Hay flores. -There are flowers.

B. Better yet, when speaking Spanish, all you have to do is change the intonation of your voice to make it into a question. When used in a question, ¿Hay? means 'Is there?' or 'Are there?'

Check this out:

1. ¿Hay un libro? - Is there a book?

2. ¿Hay dos libros? - Are there two books?

3. ¿Hay un carro rojo? - Is there a red car?

4. ¿Hay carros rojos? - Are there red cars?

5. ¿Hay pan? - Is there bread?

6. ¿Hay flores? - Are there flowers?

Just a reminder: When speaking, the intonation of your voice indicates a sentence or a question, but when writing Spanish, remember to use the two question marks to indicate a question.

C. Just add two more common words, Spanish 'si' for yes and 'no' for no. Now, you can communicate in both positive and negative answers to these questions, using basically the same vocabulary. Look how easily a few simple Spanish words can be combined to grow your speaking power!

1. Question. ¿Hay un libro? Answer Si, hay. - Yes, there is.

2. Q. ¿Hay un carro rojo? A. No, no hay. - No, there isn't.

3. ¿Hay carros rojos? Si, hay dos carros rojos. - Yes, there are two red cars.

4. ¿Hay dos libros? No, hay cuatro libros. - No, there are four books.

5. ¿Hay pan? No hay. - There isn't any.

6. ¿Hay flores? Si, hay muchos. - Yes, there are lots.

D. Now add another couple simple Spanish words like 'cuántos', 'hoy' and a number, like 'diez'. This allows you to start making longer and real conversations.

Q. ¿Hay libros? A. Si, hay.

Q. ¿Cuántos hay? - How many are there?

A. Hoy, hay diez. - Today, there are ten.

E. The common Spanish word 'hay' is very valuable and a must when speaking Spanish. So, how are you going to instill this useful little word in your brain?

One of the best ways to learn a new word is to use a trick or help to instill it in your memory.

1. Using mnemonics is one way to accomplish this. (A mnemonic is a rhyme that helps you remember both the pronunciation of the Spanish words and their English meanings.) They jingle the new words into your memory.

Hay means 'there is' or 'there are'. It is pronounced like the English word 'eye' or 'I'.

So, to help you remember try this:

Imagine a Cyclops saying, "There is something in my eye!"

Or (Hay) I noticed that there are oranges.

2. Or you can try and embed it in your memory with:

When you eye something, you know that it is there or you wouldn't be able to eye it.

3. Or another way is to remember a small phrase-something that has a special meaning to you.

For example: If you are really into hamburgers, try and remember. Hay hamburguesas. (There are hamburgers.)

As you can see, one of the most common words, Spanish word 'hay', can be used as 'there is', 'there are', 'is there' and/or 'are there'. Using it will let you begin making real sentences and questions immediately. Different people have different ways of learning, but I hope this helps you grasp some of the uses of 'hay' and instills it in your memory. Common words in Spanish, like 'hay', are priceless when learning to communicate effectively in Spanish.

Penny Howe is retired school teacher and has lived in Mexico for 15 years. She knows how important basic Spanish words and basic Spanish verbs are to communicating quickly in real Spanish. She wishes you the best in your quest to learn a new language. Learn the secrets of how to become a speaker of Spanish by combining only 138 basic Spanish words: http://www.synergyspanishreview.com.

Also, check out these other free Spanish materials http://www.synergyspanishreview.com/free-spanish-materials.

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Useful Quick Bread Recipes Ideas

Quick bread recipes are a great alternative to making homemade loaf the old fashioned way. Sure you can use a bread maker that will do the work for you, but then you would be missing out on all of the fun of making the treats yourself.

Most loaf recipes are incredibly easy to follow and the baked goods will delight your taste buds, as well as those of your friends. They will be amazed at how great a cook you have become and will be begging for all the recipes. Take the time to bake and see how quickly everything disappears!

Sweet bread recipes and biscuit recipes are perhaps some of the easiest quick breads to make from scratch. They do not have to rise and you will be able to eat them within an hour or so. There is definitely no fuss and no muss to these recipes.

One great sweet loaf recipe involves canned biscuit dough. It is called monkey bread and is a great dessert or breakfast treat that will wow any guest. The ingredients are very simple: two rolls of canned biscuits (the cheapest kind), a stick of butter, a jar of caramel sauce, sugar and cinnamon. Imagine simplicity and taste, all in one bite!

Take the preformed biscuit dough and cut it into quarters. Each quarter will be rolled in cinnamon and sugar before being stacked in layers in a bundt pan. As you stack each layer take the caramel sauce and lightly drizzle the layer.

This is optional and will add a hint of sweetness to your finished product. Continue until the pan is 3/4 filled, then take the remaining melted butter along with the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture and sprinkle on top. Sweet bread recipes and quick bread recipes are easy to prepare and a delight to eat.

A great website to check out for delicious quick bread recipes is "Allrecipes". They have pancake recipes, sweet bread recipes, banana bread recipes and a whole lot more to tickle your taste buds. They are all super easy to prepare and you can enjoy them in under an hour.

Just imagine some sweet banana loaf with a gooey cream cheese frosting just waiting for you when you get home from a long, stressful day at work. It is an ultimate comfort food and is well worth the little bit of time it will take to make and bake.

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Using Your Bread Maker - Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Bread machines are  kitchen appliances which have only really started to grow in popularity over the last ten years or so. Now though there are a substantial number of different models on the market and more and more homes are getting one. Although most of these bread machines come with an instruction booklet that tells you how to make a white or brown loaf, you may be at a loss as to what else you can do with one. You may already own a bread machine and be looking for something else to experiment with in it. Alternatively, you might be looking at buying a bread maker and want to know if you can do anything else in it other than make plain bread loaves.

Well to help you out, here is my recipe for cinnamon raisin bread. This is a great loaf for breakfast in the mornings, and if you have a bread machine with a timer it is quite easy to set the bread maker up so that it is fresh-baked when you wake up for breakfast in the morning.

Ingredients

·         400g wholemeal flour
·         150g bread flour
·         100g raisins or mixed fruit
·         1 ¼ cups of water
·         1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil
·         3 tbsp gluten
·         1 ½ tbsp powdered whey
·         1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
·         ½ tsp salt
·         ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
·         2 tsp yeast

Method

Once you have all of the ingredients ready, the rest is quite simple.

1. Assemble the pan in your bread machine and get it all ready to go.

2. Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your bread maker.

3. Select the basic cycle on your bread maker, which might also be called the white cycle on some bread machines.

4. Leave the machine to run for 10 minutes and then check the consistency of the dough. If the dough is sticky to the touch this is good - if not add a small amount (1 tsp) water to the mix, leave for a few minutes and then check again. You should keep adding water until the dough gets to a stage where it is tacky to the touch.

5. The bread machine will automatically finish the kneading cycle and then switch to the baking cycle, so you needn't do anything else once the dough is the right consistency.

6. After the bread machine completes the entire cycle then you should leave the bread in the pan for around 10 minutes so that the crust softens a little. You should then remove the bread from the bread maker and stand on a wire rack to cool.

7. Once the bread is cool you should be able to cut the loaf, which is best enjoyed with some butter and a nice cup of tea. This loaf will keep for a couple of days from being baked in your bread maker, but it is best eaten fresh.

UK author who is meeting a need for website reviews of the best kitchen and cooking equipment by publishing several sites including Bread Makers and Cooking Pans

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Zojirushi Bread Makers Review

Show your family you love them with fresh baked bread from your very own oven.  The Zojirushi Bread Makers make it simple.  You can make homemade fresh bread in the comfort of your own kitchen.  The people that love a loaf of fresh bread with their meals but hate trying to get it home before it cools they should definitely consider the Zojirushi Bread Maker.

There are a few different models of Zojirushi Bread Makers and they all produce results that will be very satisfactory.  All of the models have a LCD control screen that offers a wide variety of functions.  They have large windows for viewing the bread as it bakes and are made with a motor that is high powered and long lasting.  Most models come with a loaf pan that will hold a two pound loaf and two paddles for kneading.

The functionality of the LDC control panels makes using this product very simple and it provides several different options.  The three level crust controls allows you to choose from a darker, medium, or lighter crust.  There are up to ten different settings programmed into the machine so you can make cakes, bread, jams, and even a wonderful meatloaf.  There is a setting for two hour quick bake so you can make your wonderful treats quickly or you can set it to bake for up to thirteen hours if you would like to have the bread ready just in time to eat it at dinner or breakfast.  The memory function allows you to store up to three of your favorite recipes at once. 

The viewing window for the Zojirushi Break Makers is designed to be large so you can watch your bread rise and complete the baking process.  You will also have the benefit of seeing the exact moment that is it is time to add the special ingredients for the special bread that you are concocting.  Durable plastic is used to create the outer surfaces of the Zojirushi Break Makers.  The motor houses 700 watts of long lasting and very durable machine that has been proven to last for many years.

The two pound nonstick loaf pan combined with the kneading paddles allows you to knead thick dough or to mix several ingredients at a time.  Many of the other bread makers are not built to handle the tougher dough like wheat.  The Zojirushi Bread Makers also work very well when you are making gluten-free bread.

These Zojirushi Bread Makers have been designed to be easy to use and to assist the bread maker with nearly every process for making the bread.  While it does the majority of the work, if you are going to add specialty ingredients like nuts you will still have to do this after the bread is kneaded completely.  This is one thing that this machine cannot do for you.

The majority of the people that have purchased one of the Zojirushi Bread Makers are extremely impressed by them.  One person, who used to be a bread maker himself, compares the quality and taste to that of the handmade bread that he used to make.  He said there is no difference between the taste and the quality now that he is using the Zojirushi BBCCX20 to make his bread.  One other woman thought that it would be impossible for her to make her own fresh gluten-free bread.  She had invested several hundred dollars on two different bread machines before she discovered Zojirushi Bread Makers and now she makes the bread all the time for her family and friends.

The Zojirushi Bread Makers are not only convenient, fun, affordable and designed to last a long time, but the recipes and great things that can be done with one of these machines makes it a purchase that is worth every penny and then some.

Ahmed Bushra is involved with a Zojirushi Bread Makers Review website that informs his readers about the different styles of Zojirushi Bread Makers available.

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Dough Now or Later

MAKE IT AND BAKE IT NOW OR MAKE IT, FREEZE IT AND BAKE LATER

Ingredients:

3 to 4 cups Bread flour,

3-cups Flour,

1-tablespoon Salt,

2-tablespoons Butter, softened,

4-tablespoons Sugar,

2-packets or 4½-teaspoons Active dry yeast,

2½-cups Warm water (needs to be 120°F).

Instructions:

Combine 3½ cups of the bread flour, sugar, salt, butter and yeast in a large bowl. Slowly add warm water; beat with mixer on low speed for about a minute, scraping the bowl often. Stir in ½-cup of bread flour and start adding the regular flour one cup at a time until dough is easy to handle.

Lightly flour some wax paper, place dough on floured wax paper and knead dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Divide dough in half and shape, place in bowl and let rise. Take dough out of bowl and knead a few minutes; place into a 9x5-inch loaf pan and let rise again. Preheat oven to 425°; bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until loaf is a golden brown. Remove from pan to let cool and brush with butter.

Instructions for dinner rolls: After letting dough rise once, divide dough into 30 pieces and place into pan or cup cake pan and let rise again. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

To freeze and make later just divide dough in half; wrap each half-in airtight gallon plastic freezer bags. Frozen dough will keep for 1 to 2 months. When ready to use remove from freezer and place sealed bag in refrigerator for 8 to 16 hours or place sealed bag on your countertop for 5 to 10 hours. Remember to keep checking during this period to see if dough has thawed. Once the dough has thawed, follow the instructions above on rising and baking.

Makes 2 loaves or approximately 30 dinner rolls

Note: If you want wheat bread then use Whole Wheat flour in place of the 3 cups of regular flour. You can also add 1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts or 1 cup of finely shredded cheddar cheese to change it up.

Cooking lessons for Cristie began at 8 years old with the best teacher in the world -- her Mom! Later, she cooked for the restaurant the family owned, and her love of the "trade" has grown ever since. Cristie's creative cooking has continued for over 40 years. Her creations can soon be on your kitchen table. Check out Cristie's books at http://www.cristiescookin.com and http://www.tjstokes.com

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Homemade Bread Sticks for Baby

Is your baby teething? Homemade bread sticks are easy to make
and are great teething biscuits for older babies. You can make
bread sticks out of most any kind of bread by baking at a low
temperature (150-200 degrees) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until
bread sticks are hard and crunchy.

For the recipes below, after baking, let bread cool. Slice bread
into "sticks" and bake at 150-200 degrees for 1 hour. Store in
airtight container. Your baby will love it!

Banana Bread

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 bananas, mashed

2 cups flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs.
Add mashed bananas and mix well. Blend in other ingredients. Pour
into a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Carrot Bread

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups carrots, grated

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, salt,
and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased
loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Apple Bread

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups oil

2 apples, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all
ingredients until well blended. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf
pans. Bake for about 1 hour.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com

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Orange-Blueberry Breakfast Bread: A Delicious Way to Start Your Day

Coffee and tea drinkers look forward to the first cup of the day, the fragrant, steaming brew that gets them up, gets them thinking, and gets them on their way. Home-baked goods are also eye-openers for many of us. This Orange-Blueberry Breakfast Bread smells marvelous when it's baking and, thanks to the citrus tang, tastes as good as it smells.

Before you start baking look over the blueberries carefully. Remove any stems and leaves that you find. Discard berries that are starting to "turn" because they won't withstand the baking time. Rinse the blueberries and dry them well. This recipe is based on a recipe that has been around for years. To make the recipe healthier I added wheat flour, used Splenda for sweetness, and substituted unsweetened applesauce for the shortening.

After the bread comes out of the oven let it cool (in the pan) on a rack for 20 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan and let it cool completely. Use a serrated knife to slice the bread. One loaf yields about 16 slices. This bread has so much flavor you don't even need butter. Now on to the star of the show, Orange-Blueberry Breakfast Bread.

DRY INGREDIENTS

1 cup white and wheat flour blend

1 1/2 cups presifted white flour

1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking

1/2 cup Splenda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

WET INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon pure orange extract

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients with a whisk. Sprinkle the blueberries over the flour mixture and fold in gently with a rubber scraper. Make sure all of the berries are coated with flour.

In a small bowl beat the eggs with a fork. Add the orange juice, orange extract, applesauce, and canola oil and combine well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing with a rubber scraper just until the batter is moistened. Turn into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the bread starts to pull away from the pan. This bread freezes well.

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com http://www.healthwriter.blogspot.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the fomer "Rochester Magazine," in her hometown of Rochester, MN. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find another review on the American Hospice Foundation website under the "School Corner" heading.

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Quick Microwave Breakfast Ideas

I've come to love my microwave in more ways than ever. We have three boys who are growing so quickly and always on the go with sports, school and playing in general. They are always hungry and I have definitely found that starting them off with protein rich and fiber rich breakfasts keep them going longer than boxed cereals. In addition, I do dental hygiene on a per diem basis. I might be trying to get out the door in a very short amount of time and I want to be able to eat a quick breakfast that will also fill me up.

I've come up with a variety of breakfast recipes that utilize the microwave which significantly speeds up the cooking process without sacrificing flavor. These quick, microwave breakfasts will also save you money if you don't have to swing by the local fast-food window on the way to work!

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich

First, put toast or English muffin into toaster and get that toasting. Second, get egg, slice of cheese and two slices of pre-cooked bacon out of fridge (you can also substitute those precooked sandwich style sausage patties). Grab cooking spray and large coffee mug and small bowl to beat egg. Put the bacon into microwave while you prep the egg (probably takes 30 seconds or so). Break egg into bowl and beat with a bit of water. Generously spray inside of mug with cooking spray and pour beaten egg/water into it. Bacon should be just about done. Pull the bacon out, put the mug of egg in and cook on high for one minute (might take another 10-30 seconds depending on your microwave). While the egg cooks, take out the toast/English muffin and place cooked bacon on it, and then the slice of cheese. When the egg is done, use a fork to slide it out of the mug and out onto the cheese. You can fan the egg out by slicing it through the middle. Top with the other slice of toast or English muffin and voila, bacon/egg/cheese sandwich in less than five minutes!

You can also prepare several of these at one time, wrap each in plastic wrap and then refrigerate. In the morning, you can grab one out of the fridge, remove the wrap and microwave on a plate for about 30-60 seconds for an even quicker breakfast!

Omelets

You'll be using the same cooking technique for cooking the egg but this allows you to add fillings and still make it quick! I use a glass bread pan to make my omelets. First, get 2 eggs and various fillings out for your omelet. Some ideas for your omelet:
-diced vegetables like broccoli, onions, peppers, spinach (great way to use up small amounts of leftovers)
-diced cooked meats like ham and turkey
-diced up cheese
-fresh or dried herbs
SAVE TIME EACH MORNING-Have a small supply of pre-cut cheese, vegetables and meats in containers for easy morning prep.

Generously spray your bread pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat the two eggs with a tablespoon or so of water. Pour the beaten eggs into the sprayed bread pan. Place your fillings throughout the egg mixture. Microwave on high for about two minutes, keeping in mind each microwave varies on cook times. It will puff up a bit. CAREFULLY REMOVE FROM MICROWAVE-using oven mitts as the bottom of the pan will be hot! Fold out the omelet onto a plate and enjoy!

You can experiment with making a larger omelet in a 9" square baking dish using 4 eggs and more fillings. You'll need to microwave a bit longer as well. When you use the bread pan, you can easily fold the omelet out onto slices of toast for an omelet sandwich!

Oatmeal

I love oatmeal. I love quick oatmeal but not those pricey, little instant bags of oatmeal. I love old fashioned type oatmeal that is QUICK! It can be quick if you use the microwave!

I use a rough ratio of 1:2.5 to make my oatmeal. ¼ cup of old fashioned rolled oats to 2/3 cup of water. Vary the liquid to your preference to how you like your oatmeal. I will also add a bit more water when I add dried fruit to my oatmeal. My basic recipe is:
-1/4 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
-2/3 cup water
-few dashes of cinnamon
-tablespoon or so of brown sugar
-some cut up dried apples (I cut them up ahead of time so I can grab them quickly)
-just a pinch of salt

Give it a gentle stir and then microwave on high for two minutes. Stir it again, judge if it's the right consistency and add more liquid if desired (a bit of milk is tasty, too). It's hot so dig in carefully. Mmmmm, cold milk and hot oatmeal on a cold New England morning is so nice!

You can speed up the oatmeal preparation by mixing up the roll oats, the cut up dried fruit and the cinnamon together in a container. You'll just have to reach in and scoop out the desired amount of the mix. I don't add the sugar and salt because they tend to not cling too much and end up in the bottom of the container.

Let your microwave help you provide great tasting, fast, easy, filling and inexpensive breakfast options for you and your family. Enjoy!

Tammy Paquin is a work from home mom of 3 boys and the publisher of Frugal-Families, an online resource for everyone interested in frugality, budgeting and stretching every dollar. Here is another article with time saving meal tips Speed up Work Week Meals

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Keep it Simple Sunday Brunch Recipes

Sunday brunch is a great way to get family and friends together with limited expense and preparation time. Especially nice for the hostess is a brunch where the main dishes are prepared the night before. So invite over a dozen of your closest friends and join the party.

Night Before Caramel Rolls

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves about 12

(recipe makes two loaves)

Caramel Roll Ingredients:

2 rolls frozen bread dough

½ cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 package vanilla pudding

2 T. milk

Instructions: The night before, take two rolls frozen bread dough out of the freezer and thaw for about 2 hours. Then snip into bite sized pieces into a well greased 9 x 13 pan. Place the pan in the sink with a couple trays filled with (frozen) ice cubes. Bread dough will rise as the temp rises throughout the night.

In the morning, combine remaining ingredients and pour over the bread dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Night Before Special Eggs

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 40-60 minutes

Serves about 12

Special Eggs Ingredients:

24 eggs scrambled (no milk)

1 ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 soup can full of cooking sherry (or white grape juice)

2 (4 oz.) cans of sliced mushrooms, drained

Instructions: The night before...grease a 9 x 13 pan. Combine soup, sherry (or juice) and mushrooms. Layer ingredients in the 9 x 13 in the following order: ½ of the eggs, ½ mushroom mixture, ½ cheese, remaining mushroom mixture, remaining eggs, and then top with remaining cheese. Refrigerate overnight. The day of the event...bake at 350 for 40 to 60 minutes until eggs are set and browned on top.

Potato and Onion Casserole

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves about 12

Potato and Onion Casserole Ingredients:

2 (2 lb.) packages of frozen cubed potatoes

3 red or Vidalia onions

10 t. vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Chop onions the night before. The next morning, grease two 9 x 13 pans with 4 t. of vegetable oil (2 t. per pan). Layer 1/3 potatoes, ½ onions, some salt/pepper, 1 t. oil, then repeat. Top with the last 1/3 of potatoes, salt/pepper to taste and drizzle with last 1t. of oil. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. (uncover for last 10 minutes)

And finally, serve with a large tray or bowl of chopped fruit and a pre-cooked spiral sliced and glazed ham. Since the glazed baked ham from [http://www.pams-hams.com] is best served at room temperature and requires no cooking, it is a great choice for a simple brunch.

Pam herself. Owner of pams-hams.com and recently retired as marketing director for a specialty meat company in Michigan. As anyone with kids can understand, the move was made in order to have more flexibility with my family. I like cooking and entertaining but I love finding clever new ways to make a meal easier or better. Also fond of water sports, Samoyeds, cats and small red head children.

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How to Bake - Bread on the Grill

One of the slickest tricks we know is baking bread on the grill. Once you get to know your grill, it's easy-like baking your favorite recipe in the oven.

We can think of all kinds of reasons to use the grill. You can enjoy fresh baked bread while camping, or at the cabin, or at the next family reunion. Sometimes, it's just nice to get out of the kitchen, enjoy the spring air, and bake outside. (Watch the neighbors turn their noses upwind when the smell of fresh baked bread wafts over the fence.) And in the summertime, you don't have to heat up the kitchen to bake. Finally, if there is ever an extended emergency when the power is off, you may have the only fresh bread in town.

You can bake nearly anything with a covered grill. (If your grill doesn't have a cover, improvise with a large inverted pot.) The heat rises and circulates in the covered area just as it does in your oven. The heat source can be charcoal, gas, or even wood. We prefer gas because it is easier to control and does not impart a smoked taste to the bread. Since it is hottest near the flames, elevate the bread even if you have to improvise. In our grill, there is a secondary shelf for baking potatoes and such.

For this demonstration, we used Old-Fashioned White Bread mixes though any mix or recipe will do. We mixed according to package directions. After it had risen, we formed one batch into oval country loaves, one into hamburger buns, and another into dinner rolls.

The trick to grilling bread perfectly is controlling temperature and time. If your grill comes equipped with a thermometer, you've got it made (though outside temperatures and winds may impact how well your grill retains heat). If you have a thermometer, just heat to the temperature designated on the package or in the recipe. If not, guess. After a few loaves you'll have it perfect and we bet that the first batch off the grill will be just fine.

Rolls and buns will probably bake in 15 to 20 minutes and loaves will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on size and temperature. An occasional peek to see how your bread is doing as it nears completion is okay.

We made twelve giant-sized hamburger buns, just the ticket for that quarter-pounder. Form the buns as you would dinner rolls then press them flat several times until they look like those in the picture to the left. (The dusting that you can see on the pan is cornmeal.) Cover and let rise.

Just before baking, we washed the buns with an egg white wash (one egg white plus one tablespoon of water). We then sprinkled them with sesame seeds. On our grill, we baked them with the heat turned about two-thirds open for about 18 minutes.

For the dinner rolls, we used a 8 1/2 x 15-inch pan and made 20 rolls scaled at 2.5 ounces each.

We made two country style loaves from one mix. If you look closely you'll see that we forgot to slash the tops to release the steam and consequently ended up with a split on the side of the loaf. Don't do as we did-score two or three quarter-inch deep slashes on the top of the loaf just as you begin baking.

Here are a few more hints to help you along the way:

o Bake the bread before the burgers. The bread can cool while you cook the rest of the food. Burning grease in the bottom of the grill makes the temperature harder to control and the soot can stain the bread.

o If you are letting your bread rise outside where the temperature may be less than indoors or where breezes may swirl around the bread, consider using a large food-grade plastic bag as a greenhouse. Simply slip the bread dough--pan and all--inside the bag, inflate it slightly, and close it. If the day is cool, set the bag and the bread in a sunny warm place to capture a little solar energy.

o Grills tend to not circulate the hot air as well as ovens. To keep the bottom of the bread from burning, place one pan beneath the other and a wire rack between the pans to create space for insulation.

o If your bread is baking faster on one side than the other, turn the pan 180 degrees part way through the baking time.

o The tendency is to burn the bottom of the bread. Place the bread as far away from the flames as you can even if it means elevating the bread.

We hope that you have fun baking bread outside this summer. We do know that you will be the envy of the neighborhood, campground, or RV park.

For more articles like this visit The Bakers' Library

Dennis Weaver is the author of "How to Bake", a free 250-page e-book. Which is free at The Prepared Pantry The Prepared Pantry sells bread mixes and other baking mixes and offers a free Bread Center with recipes and techniques.

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Vintage Recipes For Delicious Gift Breads - Banana Walnut Bread and Rhubarb Bread

One of the great things about grandma's house was always the selection of delicious treats to be found in her kitchen. Whether it was meal time or we just wanted a snack, there was always something delicious available. And one of those "always available" items was bread. Grandma cooked on an old cast iron wood stove that had a warmer section. There were always biscuits and breads in the warmer section. Here are a couple of sweet breads from my vintage recipe collection that remind me of grandma. Banana Walnut and Rhubarb breads are both tasty treats you should share with your family and friends. They will love you for it and both breads are really easy to make.

VINTAGE BANANA WALNUT BREAD

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp vinegar

1 cup chopped walnuts

3 very ripe crushed bananas

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients and bake in greased loaf pan for 50 to 60 minutes.

RHUBARB BREAD

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup salad oil

1 egg

1 cup sour milk*

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix ingredients in the order listed above. Mix well and pour into two greased loaf pans and sprinkle over batter a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes. Freezes well. Makes 2 loaves.

*Sour milk is buttermilk. If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar mixed in.

Enjoy!

Visit Linda's blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com for more of her old-fashion recipes. For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://www.diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

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How to Make an Old Fashion Bread Pudding That is Diabetic Friendly

You can make an old-fashion style bread pudding that even the diabetics in your group can enjoy. This diabetic friendly version uses Splenda instead of sugar and uses half white bread and half whole-wheat. You don't have to be diabetic to enjoy this yummy Old Fashion Bread Pudding. This recipe is also a great way to use up excess bread. In today's economic climate many of us can't afford to "throw food out." So if you have bread that will go stale, why not use it to make dessert? You can adjust this recipe to suit your needs or your family's taste. You can use all white or all wheat bread. If you or other family members aren't diabetic, you can use sugar instead of Splenda. Don't have or like raisins? Use nuts. Change the flavor a little by using 1/2 cup sugar or Splenda and 1/4 cup brown sugar or Splenda brown sugar blend. Let your imagination take over!

OLD-FASHIONED BREAD PUDDING

3 slices day-old white bread, crust removed

3 slices day-old whole-wheat bread, crust removed

2 tbsp butter, melted

3/4 cup Splenda granular

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup seedless raisins

vegetable oil cooking spray

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups 1% milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish with the vegetable oil cooking spray; set aside.

Brush bread lightly with melted butter; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the Splenda granular and the cinnamon. Cut each bread slice into quarters and layer with the raisins in the prepared dish. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and remaining Splenda. Pour the mixture over the bread and raisins.

Place the dish in a baking pan that contains 1-inch hot water. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com
For her other dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com

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Perfect Shortbread: the Art and Science of Baking

Contrary to popular belief, I did not grow up in a Scottish family with an old family recipe for shortbread. Initially, shortbread appeared easy to me. How difficult could it be to throw together butter, sugar, and flour to create a tasty cookie?

It isn't difficult. But, there is some science involved and I'm here to tell you about the science and history of shortbread. Imagine that, a literature and creative writing nerd teaching science...I'm spewing coffee out my nose at the silliness of it all as I write. This article concentrates on the science of shortbread in unscientific language. My hope is that the insights gleaned from hours of trial and error will be of use to all novice bakers.

Initially I was drawn to baking because it's an exact science. You follow the recipe to the T and you get a perfect baked good, right? In the beginning, I could bake a perfect baguette if I followed the directions, but heaven help me if I had to be creative with spices and seasonings for a meal. When I first started cooking, I never understood how people tasted their work and just intuitively knew what it needed. Thus, I was drawn to baking. For this cooking novice, it felt more exact and scientific than the creative art of throwing together a meal from my imagination.

Originally Vermont Shortbread Company started out as a seasonal business out of my own kitchen. Back in the mid-90s, I didn't even own a Kitchen-Aid mixer. I mixed the dough by hand. And anyone who knows shortbread, can attest to the fact that the dough is very heavy with no liquid ingredients. Back in those days I had forearms the size of tree trunks from all that hand mixing. The good thing was I learned exactly what consistency the dough had to be to make the best shortbread. I learned exactly how much handling the dough could take before it became overworked and made a tough shortbread round. I learned not only by looking, but by feeling and of course, tasting.

As the business grew and people realized that shortbread was a perfect year round gift for any occasion the call to bake during the warmer months became apparent. However, summer shortbread did not always look as nice as winter shortbread. Most people didn't notice, but having baked thousands of rounds by hand, I was not satisfied with my summer shortbread. It took me a couple years to realize there were four factors at work here contributing to the texture, color, and taste of the final shortbread product: humidity, oven hot spots, butter temperature, and mixing time.

Humidity:

I don't know the chemistry behind this, but I can tell you that it's much harder to create a perfect shortbread round when the weather is humid. Perhaps the moisture makes the flour less fluffy...I don't know. I can only tell you that humid-weather shortbread is not as pretty, golden, and tasty as cold weather shortbread. For this reason, when I built my commercial bakery, I installed dehumidifiers in the bakery. So now, no matter what the season, we produce a perfect shortbread every time.

Oven hot spots:

When I began baking shortbread out of my home kitchen in the 90s, I had only a small household Whirlpool electric oven. I could only bake three 8" rounds at a time and the production was slooooooow. I hate cooking with electric and believe that the best cooks use gas, however, I have to hand it to that little oven that served me well for nearly a decade. All ovens have spots that are hotter than others. I intimately learned where all my oven's hot spots were and with each batch of shortbread shifted the position of each pan halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning of my product every time. The Whirlpool electric model was retired to appliance heaven in 2005. Now with my commercial oven (a big Imperial gas model), I can bake up to forty 8" rounds at a time in an environment with better convection (air flow around the items). Still, I shift the pans around in the middle of the baking period as I learn where this new oven's hot spots are.

Butter temperature:

When I began baking shortbread, I liked to remove the butter from the fridge a couple hours before I planned to use it so that it would be soft. Remember, I was mixing by hand and wanted to make it as easy as possible. When I began baking summer shortbread, however, the butter became runny and began separating. This did not make for a good texture in the final product. I don't know how to explain this scientifically; I can only tell you how it felt to me. The final product was dense and too doughy. What I really wanted was a crisp golden flakiness on the outside with a little bit of chewiness on the inside. I learned that if I was going to bake in the summer I had to use butter almost directly from the fridge. If the butter got too soft, I had to toss it in the garbage and start over. That's when I bought my first mixer with a dough hook to make the job of mixing hard butter easier. Butter directly from the fridge, not too hard, not too soft is the only way to make perfect shortbread. Again, I just had to learn by feeling my way how long to let the butter sit on the counter before it was perfect. Longer in the winter, shorter in the summer.

Mixing time:

Any dough mixed too long or not enough affects the final product. With shortbread, you first cream the sugar and butter together. That's the easy part. The tricky part is knowing how to incorporate the flour. I like to do it a pound at a time (remember I am now baking in pounds of flour, sugar, and butter rather than cups). Once the dough is completely incorporated and forms a ball with no bits of flour on the side of the mixing bowl, I know it's ready for baking. Now, when I got Trixie (my commercial mixer), I had to relearn the timing all over. Trixie can mix bricks. My hands and my old Kitchen-Aid could not. Therefore mixing time is much shorter now. Shortbread dough (as with any dough) becomes tough the more you mix it. The trick, which I learned by trial and error, is to find the exact timing for your dough. I am not an expert on all dough, but I've perfected shortbread dough.

You know, the funny thing about all of this learning how to make the perfect shortbread is that I never had any real training. Now that I've hired a professional baker, she's taught me a few things about making the process more efficient and making the final product more tasty and beautiful. When I think about it, that's pretty much how I learn: just doing it over and over.

When science and our imaginations work together, we create food art. With the holidays quickly approaching, this scientist and dreamer must retreat to the bakery to create new masterpieces. I hope that this essay provides you with creative insights for your own dough (shortbread or otherwise) and a little peek inside the art and science of perfect dough from a little Vermont company that handcrafts every item with love, imagination, and tender care (with a little science thrown in).

Copyright 2006 Ann Zuccardy, Vermont Shortbread Company. All rights reserved.

Ann Zuccardy, creative entrepreneur, food lover and owner of the Vermont Shortbread Company, invites you to sample a taste of her buttery-rich, authentic Vermont Shortbread. Place your online order for shortbread boxed fresh from the oven and shipped right to your doorstep at http://VermontShortbread.com

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