Sweet Biscuit- the modified shortbread

This recipe is from my dad who believes came from his mom, Dorothy Jadwin. The way we eat this is you break the biscuit up into a bowl and then top with any berry that's been sprinkled with sugar (we do cut up strawberries). Then, you pour some milk over top, and eat it like a cereal as Scott describes it. You can play with the sweetness by how much sugar you add to the biscuit. The recipe as is has a hint of sweetness, nothing too extreme. -Lori

Ingredients
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 C sugar
5 TBS butter
3/4 C milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 450. Mix all ingredients in a mixer. The dough will be very sticky, so put flour on your hands to try and help. Make about 6 balls onto a cookie sheet that's been sprayed with cooking oil.  Cook in preheated oven for 13 minutes or golden on top.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Rolls

1- 1/4 oz package active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup margarine, melted

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

4 cups all purpose flour

Filling

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 tbs cinnamon

1/3 cup margarine

Icing

8 Tbs (1 stick) margarine softened

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup (2 oz) cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in warm milk in large bowl. Mix together sugar, margarine, salt and eggs. Add flour and mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough flat until it is approx 21 inch long and 16 in wide. it should be about 1/4 in think. Preheat oven to 400 F.

For filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the softened margarine evenly over the surface of the dough, and then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar evenly over the surface.

Working carefully from the top (21 in side), roll the dough down to the bottom edge. Cut the rolled dough into 1 - 3/4 in slices and place 6 at a time, evenly spaced, in a lightly greased baking pan. Let the rolls rise again until double in size (about 30 min). Bake for 10 to 15 min, or until light brown on top.

While rolls bake, combine the icing ingredients. Beat well with electric mixer until fluffy.

When rolls come out of the oven, coat each generously with icing.

Makes about 12 rolls.

*can freeze when done and then pop into microwave for 20 to 30 sec. to reheat

**Top Secret Recipes

Lemon Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp lemon extract

Direction:

Blend first 4 ingredients together. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix with egg mixture and stir in lemon extract. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. While bread is still hot, prick top all over with ice pick or fork. Pour glaze over top.

Glaze: Stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Pour over bread. Remove bread from pan when bread is completely cooled.

*Cooking for Two cookbook

Garden Cheese Spread

Mix together 4 oz softened cream cheese, 3 Tbs chopped green onions, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Serve on bagels.

*Cooking for Two

Banana Bread

From the Kitchen of Betsy Gottwald, a friend of Lori's family

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/4 cups sugar

2 packages (3.4 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix

1-1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

5 eggs

2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 to 5 medium)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions:

In large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, bananas, oil, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in nuts if desired. Transfer to two greased 8 in x 4 in x 2 in loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 55-65 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 min before removing from pans to wire rack.

Cornbread

2 C sifted unbleached flour
1 1/2 C yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
5 tsp. baking powder
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
2 C skim milk
1/2 C canola oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Combine the flour, corn meal, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add the eggs, milk and oil stirring quickly and lightly until mixed. Do not beat. Pour into 9x11 dish that has been sprayed. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden on top.

*I (Janeel) adapted this recipe from the American Heart Association Cookbook. Their recipe was a bit dry. My version has been a top prize winner for the last three years at our New York Terryville Ward Chili Cook-Off! In my opinion, the best cornmeal is freshly ground. I use yellow popcorn and grind it in the wheat grinder right before making the cornbread. Then your cornbread is especially delicious. Any leftover cornmeal should be stored in a tight covered container in the fridge to preserve freshness.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
1 cube softened butter
1/2 C mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1 clove minced garlic

Directions:
Mix ingredients together. Can be kept in refrigerator for several days. Spread on sliced French bread. Wrap French bread loaf in aluminum foil with shiny side in. Heat in oven until butter is melted and bread is warm but not dried out.

*Recipe from Hollie Barenz from Centerville, Utah

Easiest No-Rise Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups warm water
1 Tbs yeast
3-4 cups flour
1 Tbs honey

Directions:
Combine 1 ½ cups of warm water with yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes or until bubbly. Pour water into bowl of flour and honey and mix. Mix more flour as needed to get desired texture. Roll out onto pizza pan and top with pizza toppings. (this recipe makes for 2 crusts unless you like your crust super thick)

Strawberry Muffins

I found this excellent recipe in Jane Brody’s “Good Food Gourmet” recipe book

Ingredients:
2 c. all purpose unbleached flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. sugar
4 ½ t. baking power
1 ½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. apple cider or apple juice
½ c. canola oil
2 c. sliced strawberries (if using frozen, measure after defrosting and draining them)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium sized bowl, lightly beat the egg white and whole eggs. Beat in the apple cider or juice and the oil. Add this liquid mixture to the flour mixture stirring the ingredients until just moist. Gently stir in all but 24 slices of strawberries. Divide the batter among 24 greased muffin cups. Top each muffin with a reserved strawberry slice. Place the muffin tins in the hot oven and bake the muffins for about 25 minutes.

Cranberry-Pumpkin Muffins

Preparation tip: Cranberries are easiest to halve when they are frozen.

2 c. all purpose unbleached white flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. sugar

1 ½ t. cinnamon

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

¾ t. allspice

½ t. salt(optional)

½ c. butter or magarine, melted

2 ½ c. pumpkin

2 eggs

2 c. cranberries, cleaned and halved

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, allspice and salt. Stir the ingredients to mix them well. Add the butter or margarine, pumpkin, and eggs, stirring the ingredients until they are just moist. Stir in the cranberries. Spoon the batter into 24 greased muffin cups or use muffin paper liners. Place the muffin tins in the hot oven and bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of the muffin tin comes out clean.

*Makes approx. 16 muffins

This recipe comes from Jane Brody’s Good Food Gourmet recipe book. It makes a great “fall” breakfast muffin. Hint: purchase cranberries on sale around Thanksgiving time and store in the freezer for use throughout the year. 

Oatmeal Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 c. fat free milk

1 8-oz carton nonfat vanilla yogurt

3/4 c. uncooked oats

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 egg

1 t. melted butter

1 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 c. unbleached flour

1 t. melted butter

1 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. baking soda

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 c. dried cranberries

Directions

In a bowl, stir together milk, yogurt, oats and vanilla extract. Set aside 10 minutes, or until oats become soft.  Stir in egg and melted butter. In a second bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir oat mixture into flour mixture just to moisten.  Do not overbeat.  Stir in cranberries. Spoon batter into muffin tin sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake muffins in preheated, 375 degree oven 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 12 servings.  These muffins have the best texture when eaten hot. 

1.5 gram of fat per muffin

Flaky Biscuits

Ingredients

2 c. sifted flour

3 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. oil

2/3 c. skim milk

Directions

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Pour oil and milk into one measuring cup but do not stir.  Add all at once to flour mixture.  Stir quickly with a fork until dough clings together. Knead the dough lightly about 10 times. Place the dough on a piece of waxed paper 12 inches by 16 inches.  Pat dough out to about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with round cookie cutter or an overturned glass.  Place biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 475 (450 in New York) 8-12 minutes.  

*From the American Heart Association Cookbook

**One morning, George Bliss, our oil burner man, was here to clean the oil burner.  As a “tip”,  I gave him some hot homemade biscuits with jam.  He raved!  He said his favorite breakfast was biscuits.  He asked for the recipe and reports each year that he still always makes this biscuit recipe for breakfast.

Purcell Pancakes

DRY INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. rolled oats(I prefer the old fashioned oats)

1/4 c. wheat germ

2 T. sunflower seeds or finely chopped walnuts

4 tsp. baking powder

1 T. sugar

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt (if desired)

1/8 t. cinnamon                                   

1/8 t. ground cloves

1/8 t. nutmeg

 

WET INGREDIENTS

1 c. lowfat milk

1/2 c. buttermilk

2 eggs or 1 egg white and 1 whole egg

1 T. oil

1/2 banana, mashed

1 medium apple, finely chopped

2 T. raisins or currants

1 t. grated lemon peel(opt

1 t. vanilla extract

Directions:  

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and oil.  Stir in the bananas, apple, raisins or currants, lemon peel, and vanilla. On a hot, lightly greased griddle, use about 3 T. batter for each pancake, flattening the batter with the back of a spoon.  Cook the pancakes over moderately low heat until they are golden brown on the bottom.  Then flip them over, and cook them until the undersides are golden brown. This recipe as written is supposed to make 12-14 large pancakes. 

*After moving to Long Island in 1995, Rand was quickly called as the Terryville Ward mission leader.  He determined that 8:00 a.m. every Saturday morning was a great time to have correlation meeting with the missionaries.  The meeting always began in our home with a huge breakfast.  Elder Purcell, a new Samoan missionary from California, kept complaining that he was losing weight in the mission field.  Each week, Rand determined that we would have to fill up Elder Purcell but it was always to no avail.  When everyone else was stuffed, Elder Purcell was still hungry.  One school morning after serving “Susan’s Oatmeal Pancakes” found in Jane Brody’s Good Food Book, I was sure I had finally found a recipe which would fill up Elder Purcell.  Saturday morning arrived with extra anticipation and excitement.  We probably multiplied this recipe eight times.  This time Elder Purcell would definitely leave full and satisfied.  No other elder(or Smith family member could eat more than two pancakes.)  Elder Purcell ate thirteen when we finally ran out of batter.  He could have eaten even more.  We were in total amazement.  We then changed the name to Purcell Pancakes in his honor and state, “Any  missionary who eats more than thirteen will have the name of these pancakes  changed to his name in his honor.”  Elder Purcell’s record has never been broken.  No one has even come close. 

Karen's Amazing Rolls

Ingredients:
2 Tb yeast
1/2 C warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 C shortening (butter flavor)
1/2 C sugar
1 C water
2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
4 1/2 C flour

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in warm water and set aside. Put shortening, 1/2 C sugar, and water into pan and bring to boil. Once it boils, turn off heat and cool. Beat eggs and mix all ingredients together until smooth and sticky. Rise for 1 1/2 hours or double size. Roll out on floured surface. Cut out rolls in triangles and roll up on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes until golden on top.

*Recipe from Karen Schaffer in Stanwood, Washington.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
3 1/2 C sifted flour
1 Tb baking powder
1 tspn salt
1 C sugar
1 1/2 C buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 Tb caraway seeds
1 C raisins, steamed in hot water, drained and sprinkled with flour
2 Tb oil

Directions
Oven at 350 for 45 minutes or until knife comes out dry. Mix all together and place in a greased baking dish.
*Best to eat with Corned Beef and Cabbage

Amazing Pretzels

I have found the recipe of all time! It was the first one that I tried today, and it was so good I made a second batch right away. Oh it was delish, and here it is! It is made from the Aunt Annie's recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
3-4 cups flour
2 cups Warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
to taste coarse salt
4 tablespoons butter (melted)

Directions
Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise at least 1/2 hour.

While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 Tbsp baking soda. Be certain to stir often. After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope* (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape. Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet. Allow pretzels to rise again. Bake in 450 oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. (here in Idaho I do 400* for 7 minutes) Brush with melted butter and enjoy!

Toppings: after you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt. or for Auntie Anne's famous Cinnamon Sugar, try melting a stick of butter in a shallow bowl (big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another shallow bowl make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Dip the pretzel into the butter, coating both sides generously. Then dip again into the cinnamon mixture. Enjoy!

The longer and thinner you can make the dough rope, the more like Auntie Anne's they will be. (Of course I don't have the counter space!)

Sweet butter, not regular butter, is one of her secrets! (I didn't have sweet butter, so I sprinkled sugar on top before putting coarse salt on top)

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

The much anticipated recipe has arrived! These are my mother-in-law's famous rolls that everyone has been asking about! Be sure to read my notes so that you get them just right. This recipe makes A BUNCH, so make sure you have enough baking pans! You might remember my traumatic experience from the first time I tried making these.

Ingredients
4 C water
2 C oats
6 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
2/3 C warm water
2/3 C brown sugar
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp salt
9 1/2- 10 1/2 C flour

Directions
Cook oats using water, oats, a pinch of salt, and butter. Allow to cool. Put yeast in 2/3 c warm water and set aside for ten minutes. Combine cool oats and yeast. Mix in sugar, salt, and 8 cups of flour. Add remaining flour until it becomes a soft dough. Let rise 1 hour. Smash down and let it sit ten more minutes. Roll into balls and put onto a greased pan. Cover with a warm damp cloth and let them rise for another 45-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 18 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Notes
Make sure the oats are completely cooled down. A good idea is to cook the oats the night before and cool overnight. Make sure you measure the cooked oats, not just the dry.