Zucchini Bread

This is my favorite bread to make - and the family loves it. It is my mother-in-laws recipe. So yummy.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups zucchini, peeled and grated
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups white flour
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup nuts, optional

Mix together eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put in 2 big or 3 small greased and floured bread pans. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Julia's Banana Bread

We have a staple banana bread that we use - but, yesterday I didn't have one ingredient, and the bananas were perfect for bread. So, I found this recipe. It was a hit with everyone! Here's the link (courtesy of Cannella Vita):

http://www.cannellavita.com/2013/03/julias-banana-bread.html

Enjoy.

Zucchini Bread

Courtesy of Pam Miller

This is my favorite recipe for Zucchini Bread. I am making it today for a friend of ours, so I thought it was a good time to post the recipe.

Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups Zucchini, peeled and grated
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups white flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup nuts, optional

Mix together eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put in 2 big or 3 small greased and floured bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Courtesy of 100daysofrealfood.com
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/02/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-bread/

Since we've had to make a lot of changes around our house because of health problems, I have began following this blog - and I LOVE IT! This is definitely a favorite around our house. I usually try to make it once a week. You will love it - I promise!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread - Lisa Leake

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl mix mashed bananas with yogurt, honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
4. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. Do not overmix.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake large loaf for 40 – 50 minutes or until it comes clean with a toothpick.

Recipe of the Day - Pizza Factory Bread Twists

Courtesy of Life as a Lofthouse
(http://life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com/2011/02/bread-twists.html)

Difficulty Level: medium
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

So, if you have ever eaten at the Pizza Factory, you know how delicious the bread twists are. They are my favorite thing about the restaurant! I love them. I have tried a few different recipes, and this is the one I like the best. Here you go:

1 1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbs yeast
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
8 wet skewers

Glaze:

3 Tbs butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Combine water and yeast in a large bowl. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes or until yeast has dissolved. Then mix in sugar, salt and oil. Gradually stir in 3 cups of flour. Mix until all combined and dough is formed. Cover bowl and let dough rise until doubled in size. (30-60 minutes)
Take dough out of bowl and place onto a lightly floured, clean surface. Knead in 1/2 cup of flour. Knead for 5 minutes. Cut dough into quarters, then cut quarters in half to make 8 pieces of dough. Stretch dough and twist around a wet skewer to form a bread twist from top to bottom. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Once twists are all formed and on cookie sheet, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again until doubled in size. (30 min. or so )
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake bread twists for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. While bread twists are baking, get your glaze ready. In a small bowl mix together melted butter and all seasonings. Once twists are done, remove from oven and immediately brush with all of the glaze. After all the glaze is brushed on, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over bread twist and serve immediately.

Recipe of the Day - Garlic Cheese Bread

Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman
(http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/print-recipe/29538/#sizeFP)

Difficulty Level: Easy (a bit time consuming)
Rating: 5 stars

Ok, The Pioneer Woman NEVER lets me down! Everything I try of hers turns out fantastic. This is no exception. I have made it twice now. Friday I made it for a party at my house, and people were asking for the recipe. So, here you go:

Ingredients
3-½ cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
¾ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
½ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ cups (Real) Mayonnaise
4 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Minced
1 dash Salt
1 loaf Crusty French Bread
1 stick Butter
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

Preparation Instructions
Mix cheeses with the mayonnaise and the green onions. Add dash of salt to taste and set aside or keep in fridge until you need it.

Cut loaf of bread in half, then each half into half again.
Working 1/4 loaf at a time, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add 1/4 of the minced garlic. Place 1 of the 1/4 loaves face down in the skillet, swirling it to soak up the butter and garlic. Allow bread to toast in the skillet, removing garlic if it starts to get too brown.

Repeat with remaining butter, garlic, and bread.

Spread cheese mixture on warm loaves and bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Then get on the Stairmaster. Pronto.

Recipe of the Day - Homemade Bagels

Courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe
(http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/04/homemade-bagels-step-by-step.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+melskitchencafe%2FNvNP+%28Mel%27s+Kitchen+Cafe%29)

I have been dying to try another bread recipe - and for those that know me, I am in love with bagels. I can't wait to try these tomorrow. This is the same blog that gave me the recipe for the pretzel bites - best thing ever!! Enjoy:



*Note: I never have bread flour on hand, so I always use all-purpose flour, subbing 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten in for every cup of flour (or 1 tablespoon gluten for about every 5 ounces of flour if you prefer to weigh your ingredients). For this doubled recipe, I used 16 ounces of whole wheat flour, about 3 ounces of gluten and made up the rest of the 34 ounces with all-purpose flour.

*Makes 8 bagels

Dough
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 cups (17 ounces) bread flour (see note above for variations)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) warm water

Water Bath
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Manual/Mixer Method: To make this dough by hand or in a mixer, combine all of the dough ingredients and knead vigorously, by hand for 10 to 15 minutes, or by machine on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. Since a high-protein bread flour is used here (or a combination of all-purpose flour and gluten), it takes a bit more effort and time to develop the gluten. The dough will be stiffer than other soft yeast doughs but will still be pliable and smooth once it has finished kneading. It should be stiff and floured enough not to leave much residue on your fingers after pinching a piece but not so stiff that you can’t easily pinch off pieces of dough and work with it. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Set it aside to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until it is noticeably puffy.

Bread Machine Method: Place all of the dough ingredients in the pan of the machine, program the machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. Check the dough after 10 minutes; it should be quite stiff, and won’t have formed a smooth ball. The dough will feel quite firm when you poke your finger into it. Allow the machine to complete its cycle, then complete bagels as instructed below.

Transfer the puffed/risen dough to a work surface and divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a smooth, round ball. Place the balls on a lined or lightly greased baking tray and cover lightly. Let them rest for 30 minutes. They’ll puff up very slightly.

Once they have rested, one-by-one, use your thumb to poke a hole through the center of each ball then twirl the dough and use your other fingers to stretch the hole until it is about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The entire bagel will be around 4 inches across. Place the shaped bagels on a lined baking tray (the same one that you’ll bake them on).

Prepare the water bath by heating the water and sugars to a very gentle boil in a large, wide-diameter pan. You can use a large pot or a deep straight-edged skillet. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Transfer the bagels, three or four at a time, to the simmering water. Increase the heat under the pan to bring the water back up to a gently simmering boil, if necessary. Cook the bagels for 2 minutes, flip them over using a wide spatula, and cook 1 minute more. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels.

Top the bagels with your desired ingredients. If you are going to use a dry topping, such as sesame seeds or poppy seeds, whisk together 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon water and brush each bagel with the mixture before topping heavily with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc. If using Asiago or another cheese, there is no need to brush the bagels with an egg white glaze, simply place the shredded cheese on the bagels.

Bake the bagels for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re as deep brown as you like. Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool completely on a wire rack.

I only bake one sheet of bagels at a time, even though I usually double the batch and have four sheets of bagels ready to be baked. The bagels that have been boiled, placed on the baking pans, topped with cheese and then sat and rested for 20-30 minutes while the other bagels baked – well…they actually turned out more rounded and golden brown than the ones that were baked right away. So there is no harm in boiling all the bagels at once and letting them hang out on the baking sheets while the other bagels bake.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly and expounded upon from King Arthur Flour

Garlic Cheese Bread

Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman
(http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/03/garlic-cheese-bread/)

What can I say - bread & cheese! Is there anything better??



Ingredients
■3-½ cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
■¾ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
■½ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
■½ cups (Real) Mayonnaise
■4 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Minced
■1 dash Salt
■1 loaf Crusty French Bread
■1 stick Butter
■4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

Preparation Instructions
Mix cheeses with the mayonnaise and the green onions. Add dash of salt to taste and set aside or keep in fridge until you need it.

Cut loaf of bread in half, then each half into half again.
Working 1/4 loaf at a time, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add 1/4 of the minced garlic. Place 1 of the 1/4 loaves face down in the skillet, swirling it to soak up the butter and garlic. Allow bread to toast in the skillet, removing garlic if it starts to get too brown.

Repeat with remaining butter, garlic, and bread.

Spread cheese mixture on warm loaves and bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Then get on the Stairmaster. Pronto.

Recipe of the Day - Orange Marmalade Rolls

Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman
(http://thepioneerwoman.com/?s=orange+marmalade+rolls)

Difficulty Level: Hard
Rating: 5 stars

Ok, here you go. These rolls are to DIE for. They are pretty time consuming, but so worth the wait. I have tried them twice to get them just right (make sure you have 2 to 3 pans). The first time I tried, I made the rolls too big and fit them all in one round pan. they didn't cook all the way through and were exploding out the sides. But, I think 3 pans is the lucky number!
I hope you enjoy them. Oh, and if you haven't tried the chewy pretzel bites you really should. We just made some for breakfast - so yummy!!

Ingredients
■FOR ROLLS:
■½ whole Recipe Of "Cinnamon Roll Dough" (recipe below)
■8 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade (can find at Walmart)
■½ cups Melted Butter
■1 cup Brown Sugar
■½ teaspoons Kosher Salt

■ORANGE GLAZE:
■2 pounds Powdered Sugar
■6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
■½ cups Milk
■½ cups Orange Juice
■1 dash Salt

(cinnamon roll recipe)
Mix 1/2 quart of whole milk, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a pan. "Scald" the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point.) Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. Go fold laundry or sculpt or play Twister with your mailman or something.

When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in 1 package Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute so the yeast gets all warm and moist and happy. Then add 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let sit for at least an hour.

Now add 1/2 more cup of flour, 1/2 heaping teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 "scant" (less than a full) teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 heaping tablespoon of salt.

Stir mixture together. At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it—overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to splurge out of the pan, just punch it down. Or, of course, you can just go ahead and make the rolls.

Preparation Instructions for Orange Rolls

Roll out dough into a long rectangle. Spread marmalade over the top. Pour on butter, and then sprinkle on the brown sugar evenly. Sprinkle with salt.

Beginning at the long side farthest from you, roll the dough in a long roll toward you; begin careful to keep it tucked tightly. Pinch edge to seal.

Cut rolls into 1 to 1 1/2 inch rolls and place into buttered pans. Allow to rise for at least 20 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown (but not overly brown).

While baking, mix together the ingredients for the orange glaze, thinning with more milk or orange juice to make mixture thin enough to be pourable.

Immediately drizzle orange glaze over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe of the Day - Chewy Pretzel Bites

Difficulty Level: Easy
Rating: 5 stars

Chewy Pretzel Bites
Courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe
(http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/02/chewy-pretzel-bites.html)

So, these are pretty much delicious. We tried them yesterday, and made a double batch today - so YUMMY!


*Note: if using active dry yeast, increase the yeast to 1 tablespoon. Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar (let it bubble and foam – maybe about 5 minutes) before adding it to the flour and salt.
*Makes about 2 dozen pretzel bites

Dough:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Don’t be afraid of the high heat! This is what will help those pretzels to brown up perfectly and stay soft on the inside. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.