French Toast Made in the Oven

I was in too much of a hurry when I made these the other morning for my fellow former student body officers, but my daughter did snap a shot of the table setting. When you need a caramel flavor and want to serve 12 pieces all at once, bake your french toast in the oven--just prepare it the night before!


OVERNIGHT OVEN FRENCH TOAST

Finally took a photo this time! 7/22/13

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp corn syrup
12 Texas Toast slices
1/2 cup half and half
5 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Melt together butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Grease your large cookie sheet with Pam and pour the melted butter/sugar mixture in. Place the 12 Texas Toast slices on top of the mixture. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour them over the top. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Bake them the next morning at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Number Of Servings: 12 single servings

Preparation Time: 10 minutes the night before and 30 minutes the next morning to bake.

UPDATE 7/22/13:  Our house guest makes a quick version--on your griddle melt butter and sprinkle raw can sugar across it.  Place bread dipped in egg and cream mixture and place over sugar.  Put it on a higher heat to caramelize.  I used this when I ended up needing more for breakfast than I made the night before.

Fire Bread

Each year the Mountain Man Rendezvous we attend, we hope they will serve "Fire Bread", then name youngest dubbed it when he saw it being made over the campfire there. They ran out of it this year before we tasted it, so we had to make some at home. We ate Hawthorne berry and Elderberry jam on them made my the Mountain Man Leprechaun.

I searched the internet for an authentic recipe and chose this one to try.

NATIVE AMERICAN FRY BREAD RECIPES

4 cups flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shortening (I used oil)

1 cup warm water

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add in the shortening and water. Add only enough water to make dough stick together. Knead dough until smooth, make into fist-sized balls. Cover them with a towel for 10 minutes then pat them out into circles about the size of a pancake. Fry in hot cooking oil in cast iron skillet until brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels, serve with jam.

Bread Bowls

Diana Wilson has a great recipe for Bread Bowls that she shared.  Here it is:

Bread Bowls

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

2 tablespoons softened butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

Put all ingredients in mixer with the dough hook in the order listed.  Start with 2 1/2 cups flour and after it is mixing, slowly add enough flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.  Mix for 6 minutes.  Immediately take dough from bowl and place on a greased or floured counter. 

Divide into 6 to 9 portions depending on how big of a bread bowl you want. Shape into balls and place on greased cookie sheet,  making sure to  leave enough room for growth.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.  To serve, cut the top off and carefully hollow the bottom of each bowl.  Best when served with thick soups.  

Sunday Cinnamon Rolls

My daughter took a picture of the cinnamon rolls we made on Sunday.  She thought I should post it on my blog, so I am just for her.

She helped me make homemade rolls and we doubled the recipe, so that with the other half we made dessert at the same time.  We added a powdered sugar glaze to them.  I also added brown sugar on the tops at the last minute before I baked them.  It's better inside of them I've decided, but I'm looking for a way to make them more gooey inside and on top.  Any ideas?

I won 2 dozen cinnamon rolls from a sister in our ward at the Relief Society Service auction. She brought them a dozen at a time, most recently 2 weeks ago.  They were huge and light and delicious.  I need to get her recipe and learn how to make huge, light and delicious cinnamon rolls.  

Also, I need to try my hand soon at the Finnish version of turning pulla dough into cinnamon rolls.  

Mrs. Newberry Biscuits for Thanksgiving

Categories: Breads

Usually I put space between each so they are round instead.

Title: Mrs. Newberry Biscuits

Description:
Thanksgiving dinner means you'll need the Mrs. Newberry Biscuits recipe. Our family always ate these then growing up. My Mother got this recipe from her neighbor Mrs. Newberry when they lived in Fort Riley, Kansas while my Father was assigned there for the military. My brother and I would smash our first one out of the oven, much to my Mother's shagrin, and smother it with butter. Later that evening we'd use them for turkey and tomato sandwiches. I think it's the sugar that makes them:)

Ingredients:
2 T dry yeast dissolved in 1/2 c. warm water with a shake of sugar on top
2 1/2 c warm water
3/4 c powdered milk (scant)
1 t salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c shortening or margarine
7 1/2 c flour (about)

Directions:
Mix and knead as any biscuit dough. Raise until double or about 1 hour in a warm place or a dishpan of hot water. Form into round balls, golf ball size or a little larger. Raise covered with dish towel in a warm place for 2 hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Banana Pumpkin Bread

Since I had some over ripe bananas and some left over canned pumpkin, I gave this recipe for Banana Bread a try. I doubled the recipe, using the 4 bananas I had and the left over pumpkin.   

It made 24 muffins and 8 mini loaves.  I love the chocolate chips in it especially and was pleased with the blended taste of the banana and pumpkin.  I had never sprinkled sugar on before, but it was suggested in the recipe and I liked it, although I guess I need to add it sooner, so it melts in more.  

This made for a yummy after school treat and fun delivery to some neighbors too.  

Sunday Dinner

It's so nice to have help with the Sunday meal by everyone in the family.  Today I had help with the Pork Roast and gravy by my hubby.  When I was eating it I suddenly realized it tasted so familar. It was!  He'd snuck onto our RS Blog to get the recipe used for Kahlua Pork. 

Dessert, fruit salad, veggies, and biscuits were made by our kids and I did the mashed potatoes.  Our guests set the table.  

Since it was "Fast Sunday", where we fast for 2 meals and give the money we would have used for those meals to the Bishop, who gives it to those who need it as a "Fast Offering".   I didn't want to make rolls, because of the smells, before church, so we tried Drop Biscuits. Here is the recipe we used.    

Drop Biscuits<-----click here to go to the link

2 cups All-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk
Preparation:

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is course. Add milk, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 1 dozen.

Our  youngest did a great job making his 1st fruit salad all by himself, as neither I nor Dad had much extra time to do much other than answer questions like, "Do we have more pears?" or "Can I add another banana?"  He was so proud of his combine fresh and canned salad of whatever we had on hand.  It was so worth the stickiness and peels on the table and floor:)

Fire Bread

Since our youngest was just tiny, he has called "Fry Bread" at the Mountain Man Rendezvous, "Fire Bread"! It's mainly because he used to watch the Mountain Woman make them over a fire and because he ate them hot!

In anticipation of this event this week, we made them at home. We usually eat them for "Pioneer Day" as well in honor of our Mormon pioneers who ate them frequently along the Mormon Trail to Utah.

I've used the "Tiger Ears" recipe posted September 2007 usually, but decided to use this new one from the book "Boarding the Ark Today" which has recipes to make from your food storage.

Fry Bread
This bread is traditionally used as an edible plate.

2 cups flour, white or wheat
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil or shortening
1/2 to 2/3 cup water

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Add oil and water all at once and mix with fork until soft dough forms; knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Form dough into 6 to 8 balls. Flatten each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Deep fry in hot oil until crisp, about 1 minute on each side. Bread can also be baked on a griddle although it does not have the same traditional flavor. Serve with honey, honey butter (see recipe below) or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
From "Boarding the Ark Today", page 30.

We had these for breakfast one with ham and cheese on it and another with honey butter on it. I served Cantaloupe with them.

You can also use these for lunch or dinner as Najavo Tacos where you top the fry bread with your favorite beans, grated cheese, diced hot peppers and onions, chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce, etc.

Honey Butter
Making good fluffy honey butter is almost a lost art. A must for hot breads.

1 cube butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Whip butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add honey and vanilla. Adding honey too rapidly makes the butter lose its thick, fluffy consistency. Whip 2 to 3 minutes longer; cover and refrigerate. Stores well. Serve at room temperature.
From "Boarding the Ark Today", page 46.

Note: Our local pizza chain serves honey butter so that you can use it on your pizza crusts!

Let's Make and Break Bread Together

My Mother-in-law can whip up some homemade bread, rolls, french loaves or cinnamon rolls in nothing flat it seems. She uses this recipe for all of these variations. It's a family favorite which I've never made myself until today. It was so easy and is so yummy. Thanks to her for sharing her recipe with me and others all over the world over the years. She has taught many to make and break bread together!

Darla's Bread or Roll Recipe

In a large bowl or mixer, mix the following ingredients together (in order given):
2 1⁄2 cups of lukewarm water
2 tablespoons of yeast
3 tablespoons of sugar (white)
1 tablespoon or 2 teaspoons of salt
5 tablespoons (tbsp) of light olive oil or canola oil
6-7 cups of flour (may substitute) a couple cups of whole wheat flour

Blend in half of flour and mix well. Stir in the remaining flour a little at a time until dough rolls into a ball without being sticky. Lightly oil outside of ball with a small amount of oil on your hand, cover and let double in size.

For French Loaves: Cut dough in half and roll into two rectangles. Roll into loaves. Roll into a roll. Put seam on the bottom. Make slashes on the top of loaves with a knife and brush with egg whites. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake on a stone or cookie sheet in hot oven (400/425 degrees for 20 t0 25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on wooden board or something that won't sweat. Enjoy!

For Dinner Rolls: Shape as desired and bake same temperature for about 20 min.

For Cinnamon Rolls: Cut dough in half. Shape into a rectangle and spread with a thin layer of margarine. In a small bowl mix approximately 2 cups of brown sugar with about 4 tsp. of cinnamon. Spread about half of the mixture on the rectangle. Roll up and slice into about 1 inch cinnamon roll slices. Turn on sides and place on a cookie sheet. Let them double in size. Bake as above and ice with the following glaze or frosting:
2 cups of powdered sugar or icing sugar
1⁄4 cup of margarine
1 tsp vanilla
Just enough milk to make a thick icing. Spread a thin layer on rolls while warm.