BREADS

Biscuits

2 cups flour           4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt                 2 teaspoons sugar
    1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
 1/2 cup shortening        2/3 to 3/4 cup cold milk.

Process:  Cut shortening into dry ingredients until  crumbs are the size of small peas.  Form a depression in the dry mixture. Gently pour in milk.  Beginning at the outside edge, turn dry mixture into milk  until just moistened.  (Here is where the difference between  light, flaky biscuit and doorstops comes in.
Over handling ruins biscuit dough.)  Turn out on lightly floured surface  and knead 15 times.  Pat dough out to 3/4 inch thickness  and cut biscuits.
Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. 
Serve with fresh butter  and orange blossom honey.

Lemon Cream Scones

2 cups flour          1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar 
  1 tablespoon baking powder 
2 teaspoons fresh snipped Rosemary
2 teaspoons shredded lemon zest
1/4 cup unsalted butter
  2 eggs, slightly beaten     1/2 cup heavy cream

Process: Cut unsalted butter into dry ingredients until crumbs are the size of small peas. Combine eggs and cream, pour into a depression in dry ingredients, and stir until just moistened.  Mixture will be sticky.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead gently 6 or 7 times. Pat into a 7 inch round about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 or 10 wedges. Place one inch apart on a greased baking pan.
Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. 
Serve warm, with fresh butter and home made jam or lemon curd.

Sweet Applets

1 1/2 cups flour     2 teaspoons baking powder 
  1/2 teaspoon salt    1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
   Sift together and set aside.
Cream together:
1/2 cup sugar       1/3 cup shortening
 Blend in one egg until mixture is fluffy and lemon yellow.
1/3 cup milk add alternately with dry ingredients
then stir in 1 1/2 cups pared, shredded apples.

Fill well greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan, cool 10 minutes the dip top of each in

1/4 cup melted butter, then a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Nice served warm with Cafe au Lait.

Cafe au lait

Follow the recipe for Boiled Coffee, using three cups of boiling water and three cups scalded milk.  When the coffee is placed over simmer burner to ripen, scald the milk in a double boiler, then combine the two.  This is a most delicious beverage and serves the purpose well when cream is scarce.

Dorothy's Cherry Muffins

3 cups flour   1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each:
salt, ground cloves, growing nutmeg.
Sift together and set aside.
Cream together:
1 cup sugar   &   1 cup shortening
Add 1 tablespoon water and the yokes of 
three eggs, reserving whites for later. 
Blend thoroughly and set aside.
Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda into
1 cup buttermilk.  Add to creamed mixture
1/3 at a time, alternately with dry ingredients.
Add 1 cup of the best cherry jam you can find.
Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
Beat reserved egg whites until stiff peaks form,
and fold carefully into the mixture. 

Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months! Bake as needed. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, at 350 degrees, until tops are golden brown and muffins spring back when touched.

One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
2 packages dry yeast    1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons sugar    2 teaspoons salt
1 cup scalded milk   2 tablespoons butter
one egg.

Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoons sugar in warm water. Allow it to stand about 10 minutes to "proof the Yeast". Scald milk and butter until butter just begins to melt. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and the salt. Add the milk and butter. Add the yeast and water.  Add the egg. Beat well. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a firm dough.  Knead on a floured board  until elastic.  Place in greased bowl, turning to grease the top.  Cover and let rise in a warm oven.  (to warm the oven - turn it on the lowest setting for a minute or two, then  turn it off, BEFORE putting the dough in.)
After 15 minutes remove the bowl, punch the dough down and turn out on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a rectangle about 13"x18" and 1/2 inch thick.  Brush with 2 or 3 tablespoons of melted butter. 
Sprinkle with 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar and  cinnamon to your taste.  Roll the dough,  jelly roll fashion, and cut into 12 equal rolls.  Place in a greased 9"x13" glass pan.
Cover and return to the oven to raise for another 15 minutes.  Remove cover. Turn oven to 375 degrees and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Glaze with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 3 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla,  moistened with just enough cream to  make the mixture spread easily.

Mom's Banana Bread

Cream together: 1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter   1/4 cup shortening
Add: 2 eggs beaten
2 cups flour    1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped nuts 

Mix well and pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.  Bake 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out dry, the bread is done.
I have found that finishing this loaf in my microwave for 5 minutes or so, keeps it moist and it tastes just like Mom used to make. It  seems to dry out if I allow it to bake for  more than 40 to 45 minutes in the conventional oven. .

Nana's Famous Pancakes

Basic White Bread

Make it in your Bread Machine !

* Tastes just like Grandma's *

We know that's a pretty bold statement to make.  But this rich, golden loaf comes out of our modern Bread Machine tasting exactly like we remember the bread from our Grandmother's wood burning kitchen stove in our childhood.  Smells just as good while it bakes, too. 

Add ingredients to the Bread Maker as follows:
Do NOT use  substitutes
these unrefined products are necessary to produce the "old-fashioned" qualities.

1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 cups of the least expensive, unbleached white flour available
3 tablespoons RAW sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

With your fingers, gently mix the sugar, salt, and dry yeast into the top of the flour, being careful not to dampen them.  Turn the Machine to a time of 3 hours (on mine that's "rapid" setting) and dark brown crust setting.
Get a plate, a knife, some fresh butter and a glass of milk.  Wait!

Wonderful Surprises from
* Basic White Bread *

Rosemary Bread

Snip enough fresh rosemary (soft tips of branches only) to produce 2 or 3 teaspoons of finely chopped herb Sprinkle it over the dry ingredient layer of basic white bread. This produces a mild and flavorful loaf.  It is wonderful toasted! Of course, you can also use thyme, sweet marjoram, etc., etc.
Pick YOUR favorite!

Onion Cheese Bread

Add about 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion and
1/4 to 1/2 cup hard, sharp cheese as above.
Serve with chili, soup or stew.  Chases winter's chill away!

Grandma's Rye Bread

Do NOT add olive oil
Replace 1 1/2 cups of the flour with a good quality
Dark Rye Flour
replace the sugar with 3 tablespoons molasses
After you mix the dry ingredient layer, divide
2 tablespoons of soft butter,
putting some in each corner of the mixing chamber
add 2 teaspoons caraway seed (optional)