Banana Nut Muffins or Bread

A recipe using brown sugar, and vanilla in Banana Bread- try it it is delicious!


1/2 c shortening
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla
1 c mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 average size bananas)
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans (leave out if you want to...I did :)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees if making muffins, if making a loaf of bread preheat to 350 degrees

Mix shortening and sugar in the bowl and mix then add eggs, vanilla and mix. Next add dry ingredients and half of flour and the mashed banana and mix that together then add the rest of the flour and mix together. Add in nuts if desired and mix.

If you are making muffins:
Pour in to muffin tin (greased or lined with muffin cup papers) makes about 24 muffins. Bake at 425 degrees for 19 minutes.

If you are making bread:
Pour batter in to two greased and floured medium loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes

To Die for French Bread or French Bread Rolls

(This recipe can be made in the bread machine)

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

If making in the bread maker- put your flour, salt and oil in the bread maker first and then add the yeast mixture on top after it has sat for the 10 minutes. Then use your dough setting and start it.

If you are making this by hand follow these instructions:
In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
You can brush with an egg white mixed with 2 T. water before baking.
This makes the crust golden and crusty.
Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Brush with butter.

Lightly Adapted from allrecipes.com "French Bread Rolls To Die For"

Easy Focaccia Bread

Ever wanted to make your own Focaccia Bread? Try this recipe!


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1.In a large stoneware bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast into that well. Carefully pour the water into the well. Let stand until the yeast begins to act, about 5 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the well. With a wooden spoon stir the mixture in the center of the bowl. Gradually widen the circle of stirring to take in all of the flour at the sides of the well.
2.Turn out on a floured surface, and knead just until smooth. Keep the dough soft. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of the oil into a clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to oil the top. Cover. Let rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
3.Punch the dough down. Use 1 teaspoon of the oil to coat a baking sheet, and place the dough on the baking sheet. Gently press the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over the top of the dough. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to dimple the dough at 1 1/2 inch intervals. Sprinkle with the rosemary and the cheese. Place in a cold oven on the center shelf. Place a flat pan of hot water on the shelf below the bread. Let rise until doubled, 20 to 25 minutes.
4.Turn on the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned on top. Remove from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Pretzel Bread

This past weekend I had a chicken sandwich on a pretzel bread bun and it was so good! I decided that I needed to find a recipe so I could make my own at home. You can make loaves, buns, rolls etc out of it! Try these- they make the best bread for a sandwich! :)

makes 2 small loaves

2 ¼ tsp yeast
1 cup water (110-120 degrees)
2 Tbsp room temperature milk
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp kosher salt
2 ½ – 3 cups bread flour

4 quarts water
½ cup baking soda

Kosher salt to taste
2 Tbsp melted butter

Add yeast, water, milk, brown sugar and butter into a large bowl, whisking until all ingredients are combined. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes for yeast to activate. Mix in kosher salt. Start by adding two cups of the flour to the bowl, combining it with other ingredients. Add more flour as it’s needed, reserving just a bit for coating the dough mat later.

The dough should form a slightly tacky, but firm ball. Oil the bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand or machine for at least 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and satiny. Place dough back in the bowl and recover for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and gently degas it. Form two separate balls of dough, forming them into the shape you want. Drop one of the smaller balls into the baking soda bath for no longer than 30 seconds, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with second ball of dough.

Sprinkle the kosher salt over the bread to your specific tastes, and make sure to use a knife to cut a small incision on the top of the bread so the dough has somewhere to expand.

Cook the bread for 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once.

Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the melted butter over the loaves to guarantee a soft crust.

Source: http://twobites.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/signature-pretzel-bread/

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (Clone Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45
degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving

Source: Allrecipes.com

Classic Sour Cream Banana Bread

This recipe came from www.breakstones.com- and my daughter and I tried it this afternoon! Delicious! This recipe will only make one loaf so I doubled it so I could make two at a time.

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed fully ripe bananas (about three)
1 cup Sour Cream
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add bananas, sour cream, and eggs and mix well. add combined dry ingredients mix untile moistened. Stir in nuts (if desired)
Pour in to greased and floured 9X5 inch loaf pan

Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and remove to place on a wire rack. Cool Completely and refrigerate leftovers.

*You can make a cinnamon sugar mixture and use that to dust your pan in place of the flour and then sprinkle some on top of the dough before baking.

Homemade White Bread

The credit for this recipe goes to my Mother in Law Jana Bradshaw- she came to my house and made this bread for us- it is delicious!!! I think my favorite part is that it is easy and most of the ingredients you will have around your house. You can also use this dough to make scones- also delicious! Enjoy!


Mix the following until smooth:

5 cups of hot water
2 tbsp salt
1 Cup Sugar
2/3 cup oil
4 cups Bread Flour

Add to the top and knead together:

3 cups of Bread Flour
2 tbsp Quick Rise Yeast
Add more flour as needed. Total flour will be about 10 to 12 cups.

Cover and let rise (I covered mine with saran wrap that I sprayed with cooking spray so the dough wouldn't stick to it as it was rising.) it will double in size- punch it down and let it rise again. Knead again and divide into four sections and place in greased medium size loaf pans. Let rise until desired size.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspooon vanilla
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (loosely packed)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 3 eggs until frothy. Gradually add 2 cups sugar. Stir in 1 cup vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until thick and lemon colored. Stir in zucchini.

In a medium bowl, whisk together to combine 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir dry mixture into wet mixture, stirring to combine. Add chopped walnuts or pecans, if desired.

Spray two bread loaf pans (approximately 8"x4"x3") with Baker's Joy, or grease and flour to prevent sticking. Pour batter into pans and level off with the back of a spoon.

Bake for approximately 1 hour or until done.

Allow loaves to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife along the sides to loosen bread and remove from pans. Cool on wire rack. Brush tops of loaf with melted butter while still warm.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Yes it is that time of year when you may have a plethora of Zucchini and not know what you can do with it so here are a few recipes that you can use to use up some of your Zukes! Remember you can peel and grate the zucchini and freeze it for this winter!!! The best part about these recipes is that they taste so good you would never know there are veggies in them!!!

2 sm. zucchini (about 1/2 lb. total) or 2 c. grated
4 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 c. oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter 2 (8 x 4) loaf pans.

Grate zucchini.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In another bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Stir zucchini mixture into the flour mixture, just until blended. Mix in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely.

Amish Friendship Bread

Ok- I will warn you ahead of time that this recipe takes 10 days to make but it is worth it in the end if you can be patient!!! So here goes:

Some points to remember:
1. Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for making this.
2. Do not refrigerate
3. If air gets in the bag let it out
4. It is normal for the batter to rise and ferment- yep I said normal.....

To make combine the following in a gallon ziplock bag:

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of whole milk- although I used 2% and it worked just fine

Seal up the bag and with a marker put Day 1 (and the date)also put what date day number 6 is so you can remember when you look at it! :)

Then you set it on your counter- pretty easy!

Day 1 Do Nothing
Day 2 Mash the bag
Day 3 Mash the bag
Day 4 Mash the bag
Day 5 Mash the bag
Day 6 Yea! You get to do something!!!! Add to the bag 1 C. Flour, 1 C. Sugar, 1 C. of Whole Milk (or 2% if you want) and then mash the bag to mix it up...
Day 7 Mash the bag
Day 8 Mash the bag
Day 9 Mash the bag
Day 10 Whew! You made it! :)
1. Pour the contents of the bag (and I warn you it probably won't smell great- but have faith it will turn out just fine!!) into a non metal bowl.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups of Flour, 1 1/2 cups of Sugar, 1 1/2 cups of Whole Milk (or 2%). Mix this all together.
3. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each in to 4 ziplock gallon size bags. Keep a starter bag for yourself and give the other three starter bags to friends (along with a copy of the instructions). There will be batter in the bowl. See baking instructions below:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. To the batter add:
3 eggs
1 C. Sugar
2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 C. Flour
1 C. Oil
1/2 C whole milk or 2%
1 large box of instant pudding- your choice of flavor I used chocolate pudding mix and added 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips

3. Grease 2 large loaf pans Mix 1/2 sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with 1/2 the mixture (like you would grease and flour a pan)

4. Pour the batter into the 2 prepared pans. Sprinkle the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture over the top of the batter in the pans.

5. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

6. Cool until the bread loosens evenly from the sides of the pan (approx. 10 minutes) Use a knife or a spatula to loosen the bread.

Something I have done is to keep one loaf out to eat and then freeze the other loaf for later.

Cinnamon Crisp-Topped Cream Cheese Banana Bread

I got this recipe about a year or so ago off of Good Things Utah- a morning show on one of our television stations. (www.abc4.com) It is easy to make and so delicious!

3/4 Cup of Butter or Margerine Softened
1 (8oz) pkg Cream Cheese softened
2 cups of sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder, baking soda and salt
1 1/2 Cups mashed Bananas
1/2 Vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 Cup brown sugar packed firmly
1/2 chopped and toasted pecans
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans and vanilla. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8X4 inch loaf pans; sprinkle with the topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and sides pulls away from the pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browing if neccessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove pans and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.