Lemon Blueberry Bread

I haven't posted many recipes lately since I haven't been trying much of anything new.  I'm actually in a cooking rut over here so if you have any ideas, especially for creative and easy starch sides, please send them my way.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

Glaze Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Beat the butter, sugar, lemon juice and eggs.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt
3. stir into egg mixture alternately with milk,
4. Fold in the blueberries, nuts and lemon peel.
5. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes
7. Mix glaze ingredients.  
8. Pour over warm loaf.

Notes:

• I pureed the blueberries because the kids and the daddy aren't fond of fruit chunks.  I live with some picky eaters.  I blame their mothers.  I did add a few to the top before sticking it in the oven.
• I skipped the lemon peel because I didn't have any and it is a PAIN to get 2 tablespoons grated peel!
• I left out the nuts so I could send some to school with the boys.  The preschool is nut free (pain!).
• I skipped the glaze.  It probably makes it even yummier, but I thought it to be enough sugar as is.  
• This was ok, which is my opinion of almost all quick breads.  Nothing really compares to my banana bread.  I may attempt to use that as a base and add random fruits.  If you haven't tried it, I recommend you get to baking.  

Cream biscuits

Charlie makes these.  And I love them.  So does Freddie.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups self rising flour (White Lily flour preferred)*
• 1.5 cups heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine flour and cream in a bowl.
3. Stir until it becomes a sticky ball.
4. On a floured surface knead lightly until dough comes together.  (about 3 times)
5. Pat dough to about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Cut biscuits with a 2.5 inch round (or heart shaped!) cutter.
7. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes.

**Note: There's just something nice about White Lily flour.  We didn't use any today though.  We also don't use self rising flour either but rather mix our own using 1.5 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of all purpose flour.

Love him!  Love him even more baking biscuits.

Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Quaker or Aunt Jemima enriched corn meal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 400 F. 
2. Grease 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet.  Place in oven to heat skillet and oil.
3. Combine dry ingredients. 
4. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. 
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.  You should get a little sizzle as the batter drops in.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Amish Friendship Bread

I got the "starter" for this Amish Friendship Bread (really like a pound cake) from a student, along with the recipe that follows. It calls for instant pudding, so not sure how Amish this bread really is, but it's yummy!

The recipe also notes that if all "starter" is used or given away, you'll have to wait to be given another batch because only the Amish know how to create the starter. Luckily, in addition to getting vanilla pudding mix from the supermarket in the horse drawn carriages, the Amish are also revealing their secrets online, so the starter recipe is included.

With your "starter" follow the following steps:

• Days 1-5: Stir starter with a wooden spoon (do not use metal!) or mush it around if it is in a ziploc bag. Also, allow air from fermenting out of bag each day.
• Day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Stir or mush.
• Days 7-9: Stir or mush.
• Day 10: Add 1.5 cup flour, 1.5 cup sugar and 1.5 cup milk. Stir. Take out 4 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate plastic containers. Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to three friends and keep a starter for yourself.
  

With the remaining batter, bake your loaf. (About 1 cup batter is considered to be what is needed to bake a loaf by following the recipe below.)

Ingredients:

• About 1 cup batter (remaining starter)
  
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 large box of instant vanilla pudding
• Any additional "mix ins" such as nuts, chips, raisins, etc.
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease two loaf pans.
3. Dust pans with sugar.
4. Mix above ingredients and pour evenly into pans.
5. Sprinkle top of each loaf with additional sugar.
6. Bake 1 hour.

To make the "starter":

Ingredients:

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 cups white sugar, divided
• 3 cups milk

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
2. Let stand 10 minutes.
3. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar.
4. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added.
5. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
6. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly.
7. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle and follow above directions.

Pumpkin Bread

Being that we've been enjoying the "fall weather" with the 85 degree temperatures and breezy mornings, I thought I'd make a fall treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 1 cup vegetable oil
  
• 2/3 cup water
  
• 3 cups white sugar
  
• 3 1/2 cup flour
  
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Grease and flour three 7x3 loaf pans
   
3. Mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and sugar
   
4. Sift in flour, baking soda, salt, and spices
   
5. Bake for 50 minutes
   

I used a few various size pans, since I didn't have three 7x3 pans. I doubled the recipe and ended up with five loaves: 3 9x5 loaves and 2 8x4 loaves.

I also used 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead of the various spices since I was out of nutmeg. I also tossed in a few pecans. Next time I'll try walnuts instead and also toss in some raisins or cranberries. A teaspoon or two of vanilla wouldn't hurt either.

A nice fall treat. Next fall treat is Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

Banana Bread

We love banana bread around here. I had to have a warm slice as soon as it hit the plate, even before I took the picture. I made this last night and after breakfast I'd say it's nearly two-thirds gone.


Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp corn oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 2 large bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup pecans or chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cream corn oil, sugar, and beaten egg
2. Sift flour soda, salt, baking powder
3. Blend milk with vinegar to create sour milk
   
4. Alternate the addition of sugar mixture and dry ingredients with the milk
5. add vanilla, bananas, and nuts
6. bake 350 degrees for 1 hour