Whole Wheat Bread

6 cups warm water

2 T. yeast

2 T. salt

2/3 cup oil

2/3 cup honey

2 T.+ dough enhancer

3 T.+ vital gluten flour
16 cups whole wheat flour

Add water to the Bosch then add 4 cups flour and mix for a few minutes.  Add salt, oil, honey, dough enhancer, gluten flour and mix.  Begin to add wheat flour one cup at a time while the Bosch is mixing.  Keep adding until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  The dough should be moist but not sticky.  Knead in the Bosch for 10 minutes.  Dough will feel smooth and elastic.  

Shape dough on a greased counter into 6 loaves and place in greased loaf tins.  Let rise until about an inch above the sides of the pans.  Place in a cold oven, shut the door.  Turn the oven to 350º and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until golden brown.  You can tell when it is done if you pop the loaf out of the pan and it is golden brown. Makes 6 loaves.

Lime Rice Cafe Rio Style

2 T. butter
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups long grain rice
8 t. chicken bouillon granules or 7 bouillon cubes
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
6 cups water
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Fresh limes

In a frying pan, saute onion and garlic in the melted butter.  In square baking dish, like a 9 x 13, put rice, bouillon, onion and garlic, cumin and salt.  Add water and stir to mix.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove from oven.  Add cilantro and fluff with a fork.  Squeeze lime juice over the top and serve.

I usually half this recipe to serve 8.  I love baking the rice because it always comes out perfectly and I don't have to watch it so closely.  Thanks, Stacie, for that great idea!

Strawberry-Lime Shortcakes with Coconut Cream

amazing - made for Hailey's 2 month celebration - from Our Best Bites cookbook pgs. 232 and 42 (aka mom needs an excuse for more sweets!  Hailey gets it in milk form...)

Sour Cream Pound Cake (pg. 42):
1.5 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temp. [tip to quickly bring the eggs to room temp. place them in lukewarm water for 10-15 min.]
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2) In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.  Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about one minute.  Continue beating and add eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla and sour cream.  Slowly add the flower mixture while beating, and beat just until combined.
3) Pour the batter into a well greased 8 or 9 inch loaf pan and bake for 50-60 min. or until a skewer comes out clean.  Cool for 10 min. and then remove from pan.  Serves 8-10

Loved this pound cake, great alternative to Angel Food cake, that will be a new staple for us



 

Strawberry Lime Shortcakes (pg. 232):

6 slices of Sour Cream Pound Cake (recipe says serves 6 but perhaps more...)

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 Tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)

3/4 cup toasted coconut perhaps a little less - seemed like a lot to me?!

[preheat oven to 375 F. Spread desired amt. of sweetened coconut onto a cookie sheet or other oven-safe dish.  If your coconut is unsweetened, you can toss it with a little powdered sugar first.  Place in the oven and cook for about 2-5 min. depending on how much you're doing.  It's important to stir often, about every 30 seconds, especially when it starts to brown.  The coconut will be dry and lightly browned.]



 

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp. coconut extract (would be really yum, didn't have so I just used 1 tsp. almond extract since I love it, and knew you couldn't go wrong....perhaps will try one day with the coconut extract)

1 tsp. vanilla

 

1) Mix sliced strawberries, sugar and lime juice.  Stir well and set aside.  Stir occasionally over about 15 min.  You want the sugar to dissolve and form a light syrup.

 

2) For the Coconut Whipped Cream, pour cream into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about one min. Slowly add powdered sugar and both extracts.  Continue beating until soft peaks form.

 

3) Slice cake and spoon a layer of strawberries and line syrup on top.  Top with a generous dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

 

 Photo from the book, looks like they sliced their piece, and then cut in half to give it more umpf...

Matt's 2nd serving version... I didn't quite toast my coconut enough so it's hard to see, but still way good and nice addition, and I'm not even that big of a coconut fan~ Matt is trying to convert me.  I would have taken a picture of my 2 servings, but they were already in my stomach! 

yum yum - a new winner

 

French Puffs

A plain muffin with pizzazz!

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar (I usually do 1/4)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix flour, sugar and baking powder.  Add egg, milk and melted butter.  Mix until just moist; don't over mix.  Place in 10 greased muffin cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.  Remove from pan.    Dip muffin top in 4 T. melted butter and then in a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1 t. cinnamon.      Makes 10.  I usually double the recipe and make 16 muffins.

Vegetable Chowder

1 cup onions, finely chopped

1 cup finely diced celery

2 cups finely diced potatoes

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup cauliflower, cut in small pieces

1 cup broccoli, cut in small pieces

1 cup summer or zucchini squash, cut small

¾  cup butter

¾ cup flour

1 quart half and half (whole milk works fine)

¼ t. pepper

2 t. salt

1 t. sugar

½ cup frozen peas

Put onions, celery and potatoes in a medium pan and barely cover with water.  Cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.  Do not drain.

In another pan put carrots with water.  When they have cooked a couple of minutes, add the cauliflower.  When they have cooked a couple of minutes, add the broccoli.  After a couple of minutes, add the squash.  Cook until vegetables are tender.  Drain.   

While all the vegetables are cooking melt butter in large, heavy pan.  Add flour, blend and cook for a minute or two.  Add cream or milk and stir until smooth and thick, using a wire whisk to blend.  Add undrained vegetables, drained vegetables and peas and heat through.  Add salt, pepper and sugar to taste.  If too thick, add milk to thin to a good consistency.   Makes 8 to 10 servings. 

 

Chocolate Trifle aka Skor Cake

A family FAVORITE!!  Easy to make and yummy to eat.

1 chocolate cake mix, prepared and baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan (I like Devil’s Food)
1 jar Mrs. Richardson’s butterscotch caramel sauce
1 (3 oz.) instant chocolate pudding, made as directed
1 (12 oz.) cool whip, thawed (use 16 oz. if you are serving a bigger crowd)
6 Skor candy bars, cut small                                             

          Layer one-third of the cake, cubed, into a large glass trifle bowl. Drizzle with one-third of the sauce, spoon on one-third of the pudding, one-third of the cool whip and one-third of the Skor bars. Layer two more times.  Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.  Serves 14 - 16.