Basic 2-loaf White Bread

Basic 2-loaf white bread is the one of the easiest recipes for all beginners to learn. The recipe uses all the basic bread ingredients: flour, milk, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. It can be served fresh out of the oven or frozen for later use.
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
* 1 cup milk
* 2 tbsp butter
* 1/2 cup warm water
* 2 packages active dry yeast
* 2 tbsp sugar
* 1 tbsp salt
* 1 cup of warm water
* 6-7 cups of unbleached bread flour
Directions
1. Heat 1 cup of milk and 2 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat when the butter is melted. Set aside to cool.

2. Pour 1/2 cup of warm water into a small bowl. Slowly pour yeast into bowl while stirring. The constant stirring while adding the yeast will prevent the dry yeast from clumping. Set the bowl of yeast water aside for about 5 minutes while you work on the next 2 steps.

3. In a large bowl, add sugar, salt, and 1 cup of warm water. Mix.

4. Check the small saucepan of milk and butter. If the contents are warm to the touch, pour the liquid into the large bowl and mix.

5. Pour the yeast water into the large bowl. It is important that the batter is warm, not boiling hot. Hot liquid, such as the milk you heated up, will kill the dry yeast and prevent the bread from rising.

6. Begin mixing in the unbleached bread flour, one cup at a time. By the fifth cup of flour, the dough will begin to get stiff and it will be difficult to mix it with the wooden spoon. Turn dough out onto a floured board and begin to knead the dough. Continue adding more flour and kneading the flour into the dough until the dough is smooth, not sticky.

7. Next, grease a large bowl with butter. Put the bread dough into the bowl and then turn the dough over so that the top of the dough is now buttered. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise at room temperature until double in size or about 1 hour.

8. Punch down dough. Turn it out onto a floured board and knead out all the bubbles for about 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a loaf by rolling the dough into a rectangle. Roll the dough up like a jellyroll. Pinch seam closed. Pinch and tuck edges under the loaf.

9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter two loaf pans. Spread a light layer of yellow cornmeal on the loaf pans, if desired. Set loaves in pans, cover with kitchen towel, and allow to rise until double in size or for about a half hour.

10. Bake bread for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove bread from oven and turn out loaves onto a rack or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to cool before cutting.

Streusel Coffee Cake

Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel
1/3 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine
Coffee Cake
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
2/3 cup milk or water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 9-inch round pan. In small bowl, stir streusel ingredients until crumbly; set aside.
2. In medium bowl, mix coffee cake ingredients until blended. Spread in pan. Sprinkle with streusel.
3. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Bisquick Strawberry Shortcakes

Ingredients

Strawberries and whipping cream:

3 baskets of fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Whipping cream
Vanilla
Method

Remove the stems from the strawberries. Slice into thin (1/4" to 1/8") slices. Put into a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet the strawberries are to begin with) and mix into the strawberries. Set aside at room temperature to macerate (which means that the sugar will soften the strawberries and help release their juices).

After the strawberries have been sitting for 20 minutes or so, take a potato masher and mash them a little. Not too much, just enough to get more juice out of them.

Whip the cream, adding a drop or two of vanilla and a teaspoon of sugar.

To serve, break up one biscuit per person into big pieces into a bowl. Ladle strawberries over the biscuit. Add a dolop of whipped cream.

Bisquick shortcakes:

2 1/3 cups Bisquick baking mix
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp sugar

The strawberry shortcake biscuit recipe used to be on the side of the Bisquick box. For some unfathomable reason, the company has started to print the recipe on the inside of the box. Talk about not understanding your customers! If you can't find the recipe, here it is:

Heat oven to 425°F. Stir baking mix, melted butter, milk, and 3 Tbsp of sugar in a mixing bowl until soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 6 biscuits.

Pfeffernuesse (German Peppernuts)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Anise Seed or Oil
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup nuts
6 –7 cups flour

Directions:
Mix well - Let stand overnight in the refirgerator.

Roll the size of a pencil and slice off about peanut size and spread on ungreased cookie sheet.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350º F. for 10 to 12 minutes. Store in sealed container to retain crispness.

Pfeffernuesse (German Peppernuts)

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups butter or hard margarine
3 ½–4+ cups flour
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt, scant
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon anise
1/2 cup pecans

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix, adding enough flour to form a very stiff dough. Press well-chilled dough into cookie boards (flour mold well, press dough in with fingers, level it off, then turn the board over and bang one on the counter so the cookie drops out).* Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350º F. for 10 to 12 minutes. Store in sealed container to retain crispness.

We rolled them out the size of a pencil and sliced.

Baby BLT

Ingredients:
1 Pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
24 cherry tomatoes
Directions
Dirrections:
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes, or until evenly brown. Once cooled, crumble and set aside.
2. In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, bacon, green onions, and parsley until well blended. Set aside.
3. Cut a small slice from the top of each tomato. Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out the inside of each tomato and discard. Fill each tomato with the bacon mixture, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Serve chilled.
Nutritional FactsNutritional Facts

Servings per Recipe:24 Calories:73 per serving.

Amount per serving:
Total Fat: 6.8g
Cholesterol: 8mg
Sodium: 128mg
Total Carbs: 1g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2g
Protein: 2.1g
Serving Size

1

Candied Walnuts

Ingredients

* 1 pound walnut halves
* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 6 tablespoons milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread nuts in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn brown and the smell of roasting nuts fills the kitchen.
2. Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage of 236 degrees F (113 degrees C). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately. .
3. Add walnuts to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork. Cool, and store in airtight containers.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 238 | Total Fat: 18.6g | Cholesterol: < 1mg