Tortillas

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 5 Tbsp shortening (can also use butter or oil) (I use olive oil)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup warm water

Combine the flour and shortening in a large mixing bowl and work the shortening into the flour with your fingers until completely incorporated. If this isn’t done thoroughly (until no particles of shortening remain visible), the tortillas will have an irregular texture. Dissolve the salt in the water and pour about 2/3 cup over the dry ingredients and immediately work it in with a fork; the dough will be in large clumps. If all the dry ingredients haven’t been dampened, add the rest of the liquid (plus a little more, if necessary). Scoop the dough onto your work surface and knead until smooth. It should be a medium-stiff consistency – not firm, but not quite as soft as most bread dough either.

Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each into a ball. Set them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes – this makes the dough easier to roll.

Heat an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

Flatten a ball of dough, flour it, then roll forward and back across it; rotate a sixth of a turn and roll forward and back again; continue rotating and rolling until you reach a 7-inch circle, lightly flouring the tortilla and work surface from time to time.

Lay the tortilla on the hot griddle (you should hear a faint sizzle and see an almost immediate bubbling across the surface). After 30 to 45 seconds, when there are browned splotches underneath, flip it over. Bake 30 to 45 seconds more, until the other side is browned; don’t overbake the tortilla or it will become crisp. Remove and wrap in a cloth napkin placed in a tortilla warmer. Roll and griddle-bake the remaining tortillas in the same manner – stack them one on top of the other in the warmer.

 

Recipe via http://theurbanspork.com/2010/05/flour-tortillas/

Santa Bread

Ingredients

• 4 to 4-1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 2 eggs
• 2 raisins
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 to 3 drops red food coloring

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Beat in the eggs until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into two portions, one slightly larger than the other.
• Shape the larger portion into an elongated triangle with rounded corners for Santa's head and hat.
• Divide the smaller portion in half. Shape and flatten one half into a beard. Using scissors or a pizza cutter, cut into strips to within 1 in. of top. Position on Santa's face; twist and curl strips if desired.
• Use the remaining dough for the mustache, nose, hat pom-pom and brim. Shape a portion of dough into a mustache; flatten and cut the ends into small strips with scissors. Place above beard. Place a small ball above mustache for nose. Fold tip of hat over and add another ball for pom-pom. Roll out a narrow piece of dough to create a hat brim; position under hat.
• With a scissors, cut two slits for eyes; insert raisins into slits. In separate small bowls, beat egg each yolk. Add red food coloring to one yolk; carefully brush over hat, nose and cheeks. Brush plain yolk over remaining dough.
• Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf.

Recipe Via: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Golden-Santa-Bread

Cornbread (Dairy Free)

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water, plus
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/3 cup oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Combine all ingredients and beat well.
3. Bake in greased and floured 8-inch cake pan for 20- 25 mintes

Recipe Via http://www.food.com/recipe/cornbread-dairy-free-104814#ixzz1fP9CbYtn

Parker House Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for brushing
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Place milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and sugar and let cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit until foamy. Combine milk mixture, eggs, yeast, salt, and 1/2 of the flour in a mixer with the dough attachment and mix until smooth. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir until a smooth ball forms.

Remove from the bowl and knead by hand on a floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 60 to 70 minutes. On a floured surface, punch down the dough and shape into desired shapes. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover again and let rise until doubled, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter before serving.

Recipe via here

My Favorite White Bread (Breadmachine)

1.5 lb loaf

• 1 cup and two Tbsp hot water
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups bread flour
• 5 tsp. yeast

2 lb loaf

• 1 and 1/2 cups hot water
• 3 Tbs. oil
• 3 Tbs. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 Tbs. yeast
  

1. Measure and add liquid ingredients to the bread pan.
2. Measure and add dry ingredients (except yeast) to bread pan.
3. Use your finger to form a well (hole) in the flour where you will pour the yeast. Yeast must NEVER come into contact with a liquid when you are adding ingredients. Measure the yeast and carefully pour into the well.
4. Snap the baking pan into the breadmaker and close the lid.
5. Set the bread machine settings.

Corn Bread

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Oven: 400 degrees
Makes: 8 to 10 servings

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cooking oil or melted butter

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. Add the 1 tablespoon butter to a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a 9X1 1/2-inch round baking pan. Place in a 400 degree oven about 3 minutes or until butter melts. Remove pan from oven; swirl butter in pan to coat bottom and sides of pan.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine eggs, milk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to four mixture. Stir just until moistened. Pour batter into hot skillet or pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wodden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Recipe via Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book pg 118

Banana Bread

-2 ripe bananas, mashed
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1. In a bowl, mash bananas. Add sugar, butter and eggs. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture. Stir until well combined.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour batter into greased bread pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Garlic Croutons

10 mins

• 1 slice whole-grain bread
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or cut into 2 or 3 pieces

Cut bread into small cupes. In a small skillet, melt butter. Add garlic. Saute briefly to flavor butter. Discard garlic. Add bread and saute, turning frequently, until crisp. Add cupes to salad, soup or vegetable dishes.

Serves 2


Recipe via Fit For Life

Monkey Bread

• 3 (10 oz.) packages refrgerated biscuit dough, or yeast roll dough
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup margarine

Mix together 3/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter. Quarter the dough with kitchen shears. Dip shears in water after each cut to keep the biscuits from getting too sticky. Dip dough pieces into butter and then into sugar mixture and place in a greased tube pan. Do this until all dough pieces are used. Pour any leftover butter and sugar mixture over the top. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Banana Bread

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup chopped nuts, optional
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 8 oz. canned crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins
• 3 eggs, beaten

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, stir in nuts and set aside. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients, and add to the dry mixture. Stir until moist. Spoon batter into 2 3x5x9 inch loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour, or until toothpick inserted into center of loaves comes out clean.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

• 1 Cup dried Cranberries (Craisins)
• 1 medium orange (you’ll need juice and zest)
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsps. Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup butter or margarine softened
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ½ cup milk (soy milk can be substituted)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Zest Orange; be careful not to get the pith (white part). Set zest aside. Juice Orange.

This is the zest I got from 1 orange.

In small saucepan add dried cranberries and juice of the orange (1/4 cup). Cook over medium heat just until simmering. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool and plump.

While Cranberries cool; Line muffin tin with papers, or grease and flour.

Sift Flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Now, In your mixer cream butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy. You will probably need to scrape the bowl.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Next, you need to alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the butter mixture. You DO NOT want to add it all at once. Separate it into at least 2 additions each. You will want to do this by hand, and try not to over mix.

Once all of the flour and milk has been added, fold in the cranberries and OJ.

Divide the batter evenly into the Muffin tin. You can sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Cool muffins in the pan on a rack. Serve Warm.

Recipe via afewshortcuts.com

Poppy Seed Rolls

• 6 Cups Flour
• 1/2 lb Butter
• 3 eggs
• 1tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 2 pkgs yeast
• 1-2 cans of Poppy Seed Filling (Found on isle with chocolate chips)

Directions

• Dissolve Yeast in warm milk.
• Mix together the rest of the ingredients, except for the filling.
• Add milk mixture.
• Refrigerate dough over night or for at-least 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 6-8 equal parts.
• Lightly flour the counter, you can use sugar instead.
• Roll out the dough into a circle about 10 inches across.
• Spread Poppy seed filling thinly across dough. Leave about an inch around the outside.
• Cut like a pie with a pizza roller. I cut mine into about 12 pieces. Roll inward.
• Place each roll onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for between 20 -30 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 6-8 dozen depending on size.

Recipe via afewshortcuts.com

Back to School French Toast

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• Sliced Bread
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Cinnamon

———————————-

• Heat large skillet or griddle on stove at medium heat
• Whisk together Eggs, Milk, sugar, and cinnamon.
• Dip Bread in milk and Egg mix. Flip to coat both sides.
• Place Bread on hot skillet.
• Let cook 2 minutes each side
• Serve with syrup or Powdered Sugar, or both.

Use soy milk, like I did, for the dairy free version.

Recipe via afewshortcuts.com

Short Cut Sweet Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2½ cup All Purpose Flour
• 3 TBSP Sugar
• 1½ TBSP Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1 Cup Buttermilk…or regular milk with a tsp of vinegar.

—————————————————————

1. Combine Flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl; blend well.


2. Add Butter…I use my fingers.


3. Stir in buttermilk until just mixed. (Don’t have buttermilk? Don’t worry Use a little less than a cup of milk and add 1 tsp vinegar. It will do the trick.)
4. Spoon Batter into greased Muffin tins and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.




5. Turn out and serve warm


6. Makes about 12 biscuits.

Recipe via afewshortcuts.com

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Prep: 15 mins
Bake: 50 mis
Stand: 20 mins
Yield: 36 cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

1.)Preheat oven 10 325 degrees F. Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl.

2.) With a mixer, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until smooth. Reduce speed; add flour mixture in 3 batches. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Press dough into bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake until golden brown and firm, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

3.) With a sharp knife, cut shortbreat into 36 rectangles. Cool completely.

4.) Melt remaining chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Dip each cookie into chocolate; shake off excess. Transfer to waxed paper and let stand 10 minutes.

Per serving (2 cookies): 240 Cal., 15g Fat (9g Sat.), 28mg Chol., 1g Fiber, 2g Pro., 7g Carb., 14mg Sod.

Recipe via All You Magazine

Chili-Cheese Biscuit Pies

Prep: 15 mins
Bake: 10 mins
Serves: 4

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes, with juices
• 1 15-oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• Salt
• 2 cups instant biscuit mix (such as Bisquick)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup grated Chedder

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly greese 8 muffin cups or place a foil liner in each.

2.) In a medium saucepan, warm oil over medium-high heat and saute onion until softened and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and chili powder and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until chili is slightly thickened. Season with salt.

3.) While chili is cooking, combine biscuit mix and milk in a medium bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 6-by-9-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 squares and put each square into a muffin-tin cup, pressing down gently and pushing slightly up sides of each cup.

4.) Scop about 1/4 cup chili into each cup. Sprinkle each with cheese. Bake until chili and cheese are bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Per serving: 537 Cal., 28g Fat (10g Sat.), 34mg Chol., 8g Fiber, 19g Pro., 58g Carb., 1667mg Sod.

Recipe via All You Magazine

Parmesan Breadstick Broomsticks

Prep: 20 mins
Bake: 18 mins
Yield: 12 breadsticks

• Two 1-lb. pieces of frozen pizza dough, thawed
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2.) n a lightly floured countertop, roll each piece of dough into a 6-by-10-inch rectangle. With a floured chef's knife, cut each rectangle into six 10-inch strips. Make 3-inch lengthwise cuts at one end of each strip, 1/4 inch apart, to form broom straws. Twist and pull uncut portion of strips to form a broom handle (each breadstick will be about 15 inches long). Gently transfer broomsticks to prepared baking sheet; place at least 2 inches apart. Separate cut ends.

3.) Brush broomsticks with milk and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving (1 Piece): 221 Cal., 3g Fat (1g Sat.), 2mg Chol., 1g Fiber, 7g Pro., 41g Carb., 391mg Sod.

Recipe via All You Magazine