Mrs. Eisenhower's Bread

Mother modified and doubled this recipe from what is found at the Kansas Wheat Commission website.

http://www.kswheat.com/recipes.php?id=113

Here is how mother dictated it to me over the phone along with my notes

8 C whole wheat flour ( I have used all-purpose for the entire recipe when I didn't have whole wheat)

1 C sugar

2 pkg yeast (4.5 tsp)

1 C powdered milk

1 TBSP salt

2 eggs

1 cup shortening or 2 sticks butter (Both seem to work just fine)

5 C warm/hot water

7.5 C bread flour/whole wheat flour/all-purpose flour (I have only used all purpose here)

Mix dry ingredients together.

Add eggs, shortening, and water and mix for 3 minutes

Gradually add the last flour. And knead for (hmm.. 13 minutes?)

Let rise and then shape and rise again (standard procedure).  

Mother says she makes 4 loaves that are 1.5 lbs each, then 2 lbs of cinnamon rolls.

Since I don't have a fancy scale, I divide it into 6ths, make 4 loaves of bread, and then dinner rolls and/or cinnamon rolls with the last 2 sixths.

The website says to bake it on 375.  I had been doing 350.

1/6th equals 267.33 carbs.

Big Cookie Cake

This is for people who want my recipie for a big cookie-cake.  I often do this cookie-cake for birthdays, but also for a quick dessert when I don't have time to do much else.

Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup cooking oil
1tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips.

Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix the cake mix together with the eggs, oil, and vanilla.

Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Press the mixture out onto a greased pizza pan or jelly roll pan.  (The recipie is really flexible on what size.)

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes.  (The original recipie that I found online said bake for 20-25 minutes, but most of the ovens I've worked with have taken 13-17 minutes.)

Note: You can use any combination of cake mix and add-ins you'd like.  Chocolate cake mix and peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips.  Add nuts or coconut.  Make what you like.  We like the simple yellow cake mix and chocolate chips.

Note 2: Each brand of cake mix works a bit differently.  I typically stay with one brand so I know what it is going to do and how much it is going to fill the pan.

Dairy Free Yeast Doughnuts

We based our doughnuts on this recipie: http://www.thecafesucrefarine.com/2013/07/blackberry-glazed-homemade-yeast.html#comment-form.  However, we didn't do the blackberry glaze.

Doughnuts:
1 cup warm water, 105-115˚F
1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup non-dairy margarine
2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 t salt

Directions:
1. Combine yeast and water in a medium size blow. Let sit about 5 minutes or until yeast is dissolved and foamy. Add 1 cup of flower and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat another 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yeast mixture, salt and additional 3 1/2 cups of flour. Beat for another 5 minutes. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with flour.

4. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Turn several times to coat with flour then roll out to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the doughnuts with a circular cutter. Cut out center with a small circular cutter (I often use the cover of a spice jar for this.) Place dough rings and centers (for doughnut holes) on prepared sheet pan. Gather dough scraps in a ball and knead of counter several times. Re-roll and cut more doughnuts. Cover cut doughnuts lightly with a kitchen towel. Allow to rise for about 30-50 minutes or until almost doubled in size. (if it's a warm day, the rising may occur much faster. Take a peek at the doughnuts every 5-10 minutes. You don't want them to over-rise.)

5. During the last 15-20 minutes of rising, heat a large pot with oil. (I like to use an electric pot with a temperature control but you can also wing it; drop a small piece of dough into to the heated oil. It should sizzle and within a minute turn golden brown on one side. If dough takes longer to cook, bring the temperature up a bit. If dough is cooking too quickly, reduce the heat a bit.)

6. Place several thickness of paper towels on a work surface near the oil. When dough and oil are ready, drop doughnut rings into hot oil in batches of 4 or five. Cook until deep golden on first side then flip over with a long handled spoon and cook till golden on second side. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes. When finished remove with a slotted spoon to prepared paper towels.

7. Allow doughnuts to cool for a minute or two, then flip onto opposite side (to drain any excess oil). While still quite warm, dip doughnuts into glaze mixture. You can either just glaze this one side or flip the doughnuts over to glaze the other side. You may have to turn them on their sides in the glaze to completely cover. Place each glazed doughnut on a cooling rack till glaze has begun to harden. Repeat with doughnut holes. Wipe the drool off of your mouth and start enjoying these delightful treats!

Makes about 2 dozen doughnuts (depending on size)  plus doughnut holes.

Glaze:
Combine:
3 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup Cold Water Or Milk (we used coconut milk)

Notes on the glaze: we might cut down the salt next time.  You could definitely taste it.  We also made a tiny bit of thicker chocolate glaze by combing a tablespoon or so of cocoa powder, 2/3 cup (or so) powdered sugar, and a splash of coconut milk.  We put the chocolate glaze in a plastic sandwich bag and clipped the corner so we could drizzle it over the glazed doughnuts.  Made them especially yummy!

No Bake Energy Bites

http://blissfulbritt.com/2012/10/15/love/

I found these on Pinterest...  Very quick and easy to make with no melting or stove-top cooking.  They taste good too.

1 cup oatmeal
2/3 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed or wheat germ (I used wheat germ)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together. 
Chill for 30 minutes.
Roll into balls.
Made about 24 small balls.
Store in refrigerator (probably to help them keep their shape).  

"Healthy Homemade Bread"

This is the recipie that I'm currently using as my go-to bread recipie, says Dorinda, because I only have to let it rise once.  Also, I buy wheat germ when I'm through an Amish bulk food store and it's MUCH MUCH cheaper (like $1.32 for a 2lb bag) than getting it in the jar at the local grocery store.  Then I freeze the germ and use it for the next two years.  This recipie is from Tanna Richard, Cedar Rapids, IA, and is published in the 2009 Kansas Wheat Commission recipie book.

Mix:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup quick oats (uncooked)
1 T salt
1T rapid-rise yeast

Stir in:
2 1/4 cups warm water (120-130*)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup oil
Beat for 2 minutes.

Gradually stir in:
3 cups bread flour (I use all purpose) to make a sticky dough

Knead in enough remaining flour to make a smooth dough. Knead 8-10 minutes by hand or dough hook. (I usually do 8 minutes by dough hook.)

Divide dough in half and form into loaves.  Put into 2 greased 8.5" bread pans.  Cover loaves - let rise until double (an hour?).  Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and done.  (May tent with foil last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning.) Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

All done!

Tanna's exact instructions for making loaves: Divide dough in half. To shape: form dough to fit into 2 oiled 8.5" by 4.5" bread pans; press dough down to fill pan. Smooth top. Cover loaves with a damp towel; let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Dorinda's notes: I think Tanna's notes sound weird, unless she makes her "smooth dough" much stickier than I make mine.  I just divide the dough in half and shape it quickly with my fingers and drop it into the loaf pan.  Not up to Cindy Faulk's standards, but works for me.  No 4-H judge is cutting into my bread in the middle to check the circular grain and Jonathan doens't seem to notice.

Croissants (and breakfast sandwiches)

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/croissants/Detail.aspx

Combine:
1 1/4 tsp yeast
3 TBSP warm water (110 degrees)
Allow to stand until creamy and frothy.

Place in mixer bowl:
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
(I tried substituting 1/4 soy, 1/2 whole wheat, and 1 all-purpose.  It worked but seemed heavier.)

Dissolve:
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2/3 C warm milk

Blend milk mixture along with yeast and 2 TBSP oil into flour.

Will also need later:
2/3 C butter
1 egg
1 TBSP water

Knead until smooth.  Cover and let rise until tripled.  Deflate.  Cover and let rise until doubled.  Deflate.  Chill for 20 minutes.

The following I copied directly:

1. Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 14 x 8 inch rectangle. Smear butter over top two thirds, leaving 1/4 inch margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 14 x 6 inch rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and put dough in a plastic bag. Refrigerate 2 hours. Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 14 x 6 inch rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap, and chill 2 hours.
2. To shape, roll dough out to a 20 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 15 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut into three 5 x 5 inch squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point, and make it 7 inches long. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash.
3. Bake in a preheated 475 degrees F (245 degrees C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Back to my notes:

This recipe makes for 12 small croissants.  I also have used it to make 6 sandwich sized croissants.  For the sandwich sized, instead of curving gently, I curve the end until they meet and pinch them together.

The baking temp/time seems a little high.  I think I did 450 for about 12 minutes and came out alright.  The bottom gets fairly brown.

To make breakfast sandwiches:
Cook six eggs
Cook six slices of sausage.
Slice cheese

Cut 6 large croissants in half, hamburger style.  Later sausage, cheese, and egg, with the cheese in the middle (to avoid leaking out the center hole).
Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in ziplock bag to freeze.
To thaw: remove from plastic wrap and wrap in a paper towel.  Place in microwave for 1 minute.  Turn over.  Warm for one more minute (sometimes more).

Using all-purpose flour:

6 large rolls = 30 carbs each

12 small rolls = 15 carbs each