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Extra rich bread pudding for mock French toast Make this bread pudding up to a day in advance, chill, then slice and cook on a griddle for French Toast, but without the mess. This is flavored with cinnamon, but one can vary the flavorings to suit your tastes. Dried fruits can be added to the mixture if desired, mixed in just before pouring into the loaf pan. Extra Rich Bread Pudding 8 extra large eggs 3 cups milk 1 cup cream (or half & half) 2/3 cup sugar (or Splenda to cut calories, it works just fine) 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 4 to 5 cups rough bread cubes (Tear day old bread into pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes.) Spray a large loaf pan with canola oil (or Pam) (can also use a Bundt pan) Combine eggs, milk and cream, sugar, vanilla, salt and spices in a large bowl. Beat until eggs are completely blended. Add the bread cubes and press down into the egg mixture with a spatula. Cover and set aside for about 20 to 30 minutes until the bread has soaked up most of the egg mixture. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan to within 1/2 inch of the top. Set the loaf pan into a larger baking pan and place in the oven. Pour boiling water into the pan to about 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep. Bake for one hour. Test by inserting a thin knife blade into the pudding near the center. If it comes out wet continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. Test again until knife blade comes out clean. (It will take longer to bake in humid weather.) Remove from oven and immediately brush top with melted butter. This can be chilled overnight then sliced and the slices fried or grilled, using butter, and served with maple or other syrup, honey or jams and jellies. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you must. This tastes exactly like French toast but is much easier for those who are not skilled in the kitchen. This makes a great Mother's Day or birthday breakfast for husbands who seldom cook and even for older kids who want to do something nice for Mom without a lot of mess in the kitchen. For an even more interesting taste, after the slice is on the griddle or in the pan, sprinkle the uncooked top side with granulated maple sugar. Brush the griddle with melted butter, turn the sugared side onto the griddle. The sugar will carmelize, forming a sweet crust which, when turned again is the presentation side. ( RG1518 )

Alberta's Cornbread Dressing Serves 8 as Side. This recipe belongs to my nanny that raised me from the age of 6 months. She is an amazing cook. 1 lb box self-rising Cornbread Mix 6 Eggs 1/2 bunch of celery, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 stick butter 2 slices day-old white bread 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup 1 can Cream of Chicken soup 1 can evaporated milk 2 cans chicken Broth or homemade stock 1 T dried Sage Bake cornbread according to directions. Crumble bread and cornbread. Chop celery and onion and saute in butter until onion is clear. Add chicken broth and simmer. Pour over bread mixture. Add soups. Mix well. Add eggs, milk, sage and Accent. Bake at 350 until lightly browned-about 40 minutes. Should still be quite moist. Keywords: Side, Easy, Lunch, Dinner ( RG1497 )

Mildred Tays' Salt Rising Bread Salt rising bread (SRB) is a delicious American (U.S.) food item the origin of which is unknown. Past misunderstandings have caused it to fall from grace -so to speak. There are many recipes published for SRB. Unfortunately, most of them are accompanied by misleading instructions. The accompanying recipe from "The Mississippi Cookbook" (1972) is all but foolproof in the original and, with my modification, one must work to make it fail. sweet milk corn meal sweet milk sugar all-purpose flour shortening sugar salt shortening to brush tops of loaves oleo to brush tops of loaves sweet milk corn meal sweet milk sugar all-purpose flour shortening sugar salt Scald 1 cup milk. Add corn meal and cook until thick. Place in a quart jar with top and place in warm place to sour overnight. When bubbles form, it is ready to use Mix 1 quart of milk and 1 tablespoon sugar and scald. Cool slightly and add to first mixture. Gradually add six cups of the flour. Set in warm place to rise double (approximately 2 hours). Next add shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Mix well. Gradually add six cups flour and work in. Put remaning flour on board and turn dough mixture onto board. Work in more flour and knead for about 20 to 30 minutes. Divide into four equal parts, make up loaves, and put in greased and floured loaf pans. Brush tops with shortening and place in warm place to rise double (about 2 hours). Place in preheated 200 degree oven. Gradually turn heat to 300 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. Take loaves from oven and brush tops with oleo. Total cooking time is approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Yields 4 loaves. Loaves will be flat-topped if not concave. "This recipe is over 150 years old. It was handed down by the families of Mrs. Gordon Smith and Mrs. Andrew A. Tays. Miss Mildred Tays, Booneville, Miss." SRB is leavened by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens which functions best at temperatures near and slightly above 100F. A gas oven with pilot light can be the "warm place" if the temperature holds above 80F although 100F will be better. Rather than scalding the milk quantities, simply warm the initial cup to about 100F and add half of a wine-makers Campden tablet (potassium metabisulphite) which yields sulphur dioxide when hydrated. Sulphur dioxide is a more reliable yeast killer than scalding. No need to cook until thick nor for Campden in the quart of milk. Cover on the quart jar prevents entry of random yeasts, etc. Overnight, the starter will become gassy and may increase to double volume. Use stainless steel bowls for convenience in heating the flour before incorporating with liquid ingredients. My version of gradual addition is dumping the flour into a bowl and hand-stirring in for the sponge. Final flour is dumped into bowl of a KitchenAid, with dough hook, together with the sponge. Let the KitchenAid work the dough for 10 to 15 minutes. It climbs the hook and must be pushed back down, but that's less work than 20 minutes of hand kneading. Finished product has the characteristic SRB odor, fine pores in the crumb, and a a nice crust. Some have described the bread as cake-like because the crumb is tender and somewhat sweeter than that from other recipes. Keywords: Intermediate, Bread, American ( RG1479 )

Swedish Sourdough Cookies (aka, Lofthouse copycats) This is a recipe I found while looking for soft, cakey cut-outs. People seem to think they taste like a brand called Lofthouse. 1 c butter 1 c sugar 3 eggs 1-1/2 c sour cream 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 5 c flour, plus extra for rolling Beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and sour cream. Mix together dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough to a 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness using a generous amount of flour. Cut out shapes and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Frost and decorate. ( RG1475 )

Pide (Turkish Flat Bread) Serves 4. This is a Turkish flat bread that is traditionally served during Ramadan, but is also served all year round. It can be sprinkled with sesame or nigella seeds or stuffed with various fillings of meat or vegetables or cheese. This recipe has been adapted from Classical Turkish Cooking by Alya Algar. Sponge 4 tsp active dry yeast 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 c warm water 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour Dough 3-1/2 c bread flour 1 tsp salt 3 T olive oil 1 c plus 1 tbsp warm water Glaze 2 eggs, lightly beaten Topping Nigella seeds and/or sesame seeds Mix the yeast and sugar in the warm water and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes, until bubbly. With a fork, stir in the flour, cover with saran wrap and leave to rise for 30 minutes. Place the bread flour in a large bowl, make a well and add the sponge, salt, olive oil and water to the well in the middle. Add the flour, a little at a time until the dough is soft and sticky. Knead the dough on a floured board for approximately 15 minutes until the there is no resistance. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, cover with saran wrap and rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size. Divide the dough into two parts and mold into a ball. Cover with a tea towel and rest for approximately 30 minutes. Preheat a baking stone in a 550 degree oven for 30 minutes. Stretch the rested dough, using wet hands, into a 10-inch circle. Glaze the dough with egg, leaving a 1-inch wide boarder. Dip your fingers in egg and make four horizontal rows of deep indentations with your fingertips. Place the pide on the baking stone and sprinkle it with nigella and or sesame seeds. Bake for 6-8 minutes and place in a towel. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Keywords: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Dish, Snack, Intermediate, Middle Eastern, Lunch, Bread ( RG1455 )

Bread Pudding with Blueberries Serves 6 as Dessert. Bread pudding is a classic dish, an example of the kind of peasant cooking that comes of using every odd and end available in the house. It's a great use for stale bread, but it's also worth going out and buying bread just for this recipe! 8 egg yolks 3 whole eggs 2 c light or heavy cream 2-1/2 c whole milk 1-1/2 c sugar 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 loaf challah or brioche bread 1/2 c fresh blueberries, washed and picked over Pre-heat the oven to 315 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the custard: In a large, heavy mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, cream and milk until well-combined. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and whisk until sugar is thoroughly incorporated. Set custard aside. Prepare the bread: Slice the bread into 3/4 inch thick slices. Remove and discard the crusts from each slice and cut remaining bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Assemble the pudding: Line the bottom of a large oval baking dish (approximately 10x15) with a layer of bread, then sprinkle on the blueberries so that they are evenly distributed. Spread the remaining bread cubes on top of the blueberries. Pour the custard mixture down over the bread and berries, and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes before putting it in the oven. Transfer the oval baking dish to a large baking pan filled with enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the pudding. Bake the pudding for 60-70 minutes, until golden brown and cripsy on top. Remove from the oven and cool on top of the stove, in the water bath, for twenty minutes. Remove from water and cool for additional 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Keywords: Dessert, Easy ( RG1391 )

Irish Soda Bread I got this recipe from a friend. After making a few modifications, I like to bake it to eat for breakfast. 2-2.5 cups unbleached flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 cup sugar (if desired) 1/8 cup butter (ab. 1 oz) 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk Mix the dry ingredients and place them in food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. This can also be done by hand, using a knife or a pastry blender. Place the mixture in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the egg and buttermilk, then add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix and place the dough on a surface dusted with flour. Knead the dough until smooth. Flatten into a disc about 1.5 inches thick, dust with flour, and cut a cross on top with a sharp knife (do not cut all the way through). Bake on a greased sheet for about 40 minutes at 375 F, or until nicely browned. Cool on a rack. This is the recipe I got. And here are my modifications: 1. I shape the dough into 2 loaves: one with caraway seed, and the other one with added Splenda and dry cranberries. 2. For the flour, I use 1/2 cup unbleached flour, 1/2 cup soy flour, and the rest is whole wheat. 3. I don’t usually keep buttermilk at home, but I always have kefir, so I substitute the buttermilk with 3/4 cup kefir + 1/4 cups water (because kefir is thicker). Keywords: Breakfast, Brunch, Bread ( RG1387 )

Spinach, Dill and Goat cheese Bread Pudding Home Cookin 4.9 Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Spinach, Dill and Goat cheese Bread Pudding =========================================== 1 to 2 tablespoons butter 2 leeks chopped (White part) 1 garlic clove minced approximately 2 cups, of fresh baby leaf spinach (tightly Packed) 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped 5 slices of bread, buttered, crusts removed and cut into 1 inch cubes. 2 to 3 eggs 1/2 cup cream salt and pepper goat cheese (small pieces) 1/4 parmesan cheese Heat butter and saute leeks, when tender add garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add the spinach and fry until just wilted. Remove from heat. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the leek mixture and add the chopped dill. Add the bread cubes. Mix well and then add the goat cheese and parmesan cheese. Pour into a buttered casserole dish, or 3 or 4 ramekins, sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese and bake in a Bain Marie for approximate 20 minutes or until golden. ( RG1358 )

Key Lime Dessert Bread 2/3 c unsalted butter, room temperature 2 c granulated sugar 4 eggs, slightly beaten 3 T Key lime juice Zest of 3 Key limes 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 c all-purpose flour 2-1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 c whole milk Glaze 3 T Key lime juice 2/3 c granulated sugar Prepare two loaf pans by greasing well with butter or oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and beat together well. Pour in the Key lime juice, zest, and vanilla extract and combine well. Set aside. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add a little of the milk into the dry mixture, then add a little of the creamed butter and egg mixture, and then alternate the additions until all combined into a batter. Divide into the two loaf pans and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until cakes are firm and nicely browned. Mix together the 3 tablespoons Key lime juice and the sugar. Spoon mixture over the baked breads. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from loaf pans. Wrap, and store for about 24 hours. Slice, and serve. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Breakfast, Brunch, Snack, Bread, Cake ( RG1339 )

The Gingerbread Man This is not to everyone's taste, but I like it. ml Morgan Spiced Rum ml Fresh Lime Juice ml Gingerbread Syrup (Monin) ml Grapefruit Juice ml Apple Juice Shake with ice, and then strain into an ice-filled hi-ball glass. Garnish with a wedge of lime. Add two straws. Keywords: Cocktail, Intermediate, eGCI ( RG1255 )

Marzipan filled brioche bread pudding Read all directions first. This recipe takes 2 days to do it correctly This is a recipe recreated from a note in one of my great grandmother's journals made while she was travelling in France in the 1860s. There was no recipe, just a description of the dessert and her suppositions as to how it may have been made and what the ingredients might have been. Easy Brioche Rolls Must start preparation the day before serving this dessert. 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 pkg. dry yeast 1/4 cup lukewarm water 1 egg, separated 3 whole eggs, beaten 3 1/4 cup flour *10 ounces marzipan* (Will be used later) Scald milk and while hot add butter (margarine), sugar, and salt. COOL TO LUKEWARM. Soften yeast in the water. Add to LUKEWARM milk mixture. Add egg yolk and beaten eggs and stir. Add flour and beat with wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place (80-85 degrees) until more than double in bulk, about 2 hours or less. Stir down and beat (stir) thoroughly. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge and allow to come to room temp. Take plain brioche dough and form into small buns (golf ball size works nicely), cover and let them rest for 10 minutes. Filling You can use store bought marzipan or make your own. Make a rope of marzipan about the size of a tootsie roll and cut into pieces about the same width. (You don't have to shape them.) Put one of the marzipan pieces on each bun, draw the dough up around it and pinch and twist to seal. Place in a buttered pan with seam side down. Cover and allow to rise about 30 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Place pan in center of oven. Bake till nicely browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire grid. When cool cover loosely with a cloth and let them set out several hours. We want them to be just a little stale. The next step which takes this into an entire new category Egg custard 4 eggs + 2 egg yolks, beaten till creamy 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 cup sweet sherry (optional) Mix all these ingredients and beat until completely blended Preheat oven to 325 degrees Place the marzipan filled buns in a buttered baking dish sides touching. Pour the custard in and around the buns but do not cover the tops of the buns. Let this stand for a few minutes then add more of the custard mix as the rolls will have soaked up some. Add a little to begin with and allow the base of the buns to soak up some of the custard mixture so they will not float as the rest is added. Place the pan in a bain marie and bake until the custard is set. (Time varies with the size of the baking dish and the amount of custard) For a 9 x 11 pan it should be done in about 25 minutes. Test with a thin knife blade BETWEEN THE ROLLS at about 20 minutes, then at 25 minutes. Test every 2 minutes after that until blade comes out clean. ( RG1220 )

Bread Pudding cabin style by Debra Diller This recipe I made for a crowd for our dinner night at the yearly family reunion. Makes 4 Lasagna aluminum pans (can buy at any grocery store) or can be made in two full length hotel pans or whatever vessel you choose. Variations I usually make are rum raisin (use spiced bacardi rum) and chocolate. Caramel apple, any other booze and your own creation are also easily acceptable. Oven needs to be set at around 325-350 F depending on your altitude. Timing on this varies on how dry your bread is but is around an hour. I usually press on the top and it is done when no actual liquid oozes. Very technical I know... 2 qt 2% or Whole Milk 2 qt Heavy Cream 3 T Cinnamon 1 Vanilla Bean scraped 24 (lg) eggs 6 Loaves of Brioche or other bread 28 oz sugar Preheat oven to 350 F. Put pan in bottom of oven with water. Often all I have available to use at the cabins is a broiler pan. Fill pan 3/4 full with Hot water and put in bottom of oven. Combine all ingredients in pitcher or large bowl except bread. Use an immersion blender to combine. Use 2T vanilla if you do not have a bean, otherwise use the bean seeds and save pod for other recipes (you can put in spice grinder to use as "vanilla bean"). Set mixture aside. Cut up bread or bread items (pound cake, sourdough, pull apart bread works well) into about 1 inch cubes. Divide bread into 4 pans to "measure". Have a bowl aside to toss bread with desired ingredient. When you take the bread out of the pans to toss, spray these pans with Pam or equivilent spray. Also can use butter if available. If using chocolate (I use about 3 pounds chocolate for two pans) melt chocolate first. Toss bread with ingredients of choice and press in pans. Pour liquid ingredients over pans and do not cover the top or fill liquid to top of bread. This gives a crunch for texture. Bake until when you press on the mixture that no liquid comes out about 45 min to an hour usually, depending on the altitude you are baking at. Rotate pans at least once during baking to make sure it is even. Serve warm with ice cream or creme anglaise Keywords: Pudding, Dessert, Easy, Immersion Blender ( RG1161 )

Aunt Ilea's Cornbread (Sweet) Serves 9. I like the Southern "sour" corn bread as well and have tried many recipes, but here is the one I always come back to, an unusual version using light cream instead of a fat and milk/buttermilk combination. It's from a great aunt, one of my paternal grandfather's seven sisters, who could have done a "Great Cooks" series all on their own. 1 c flour 2/3 c cornmeal 1/3 c sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 c light cream (half and half) 2 eggs Throw everything in a bowl, beat with a whisk until smooth and bake 25 minutes or so in a greased 8" or 9" square pan at 400 degrees, or until top browns. Keywords: Bread, Easy ( RG1145 )

Corny Bread Serves 6 as Side. I made this corn bread when I was in the middle of making the "Bacon Chipotle Cornbread" from here on RecipeGullet and discovered that I was out of cornmeal. Eeek! However, it turned out great and fantastically moist, like savory corn cake. 1 T butter, salted 1 10oz can of corn 5 chipotle peppers (canned) 1 egg 3 strips bacon, cooked 1 c flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1-1/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 c buttermilk Preheat an 8" iron skillet in the oven at 350 degrees. Add the butter to the skillet and leave it in the oven. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Take the can of corn & its juice and blitz it in the blender with the buttermilk and egg. Add this to the dry ingredients and just barely combine. Then add the bacon and chipotle, and pour the whole thing into the skillet on top of the nicely browned butter. Check after 20 minutes, but mine took about 25. It will be extremely moist and cake-like, nothing like the corn bread you've made from those blue Jiffy boxes. The salted butter seems to produce a nice crispy outer texture to the bread, so I specify salted butter rather than unsalted. You will be transformed into a corn bread eating machine. Keywords: Side, Vegetables, Easy, Pork, Hot and Spicy, Tex-Mex ( RG1140 )

Garlic Bread This is the recipe (approximately) for Susan's Garlic Bread. This is the garlic bread that gave my burgeoning catering business its biggest boost, back in the day. Proportions are approximate. 1 stick softened salted butter 3 T grated parmesan cheese (coarse grate) 2 minced garlic cloves 1 tsp Italian seasoning Mash everything together with a fork. Slather evenly onto bread with a spatula. Susan would either do rounds or slabs (cut the loaf lengthwise, then into sixths or eighths) of Alfaro's 4-Seed baguettes, and put under the broiler until molten and just browning around the edges. I'd stack that garlic bread up with any recipe/technique in the world. Keywords: Side, Bread ( RG1083 )

Sourdough Potato Skillet Bread This recipe is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. An easy to make skillet bread, that is a delicious change served with lunch or dinner. It is especially well suited to serve with grilled meats, and hearty soups or beans. This is not a strict sourdough bread, as there is the addition of yeast, due to the softness of the dough. But, you can enjoy it anyway. The recipe is very simple in its basic form and it disappears quickly. You can change the character for variety, by adding 1/2-3/4 cup of your choice grated cheese to the dough; either when you knead in the cornmeal at the end, or as a topping for your loaf. 3/4 c sourdough starter, set out in the morning 1/2 c warm water 1/2 c bread flour 1 T yeast 2 T sugar 1 large potato, boiled, and peeled, grated 1/2 c potato water, warm 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp lemon pepper 1/4 c light margarine or butter 2 c bread flour 1/2 c cornmeal **1/4 cup light margarine or butter for coating dough Combine first five ingredients for sponge; allow to set for 3-4 hrs in open bowl away from drafts. Boil, then cool and peel the potato. Grate potato; should be about 1 1/2 cups grated. Stir down the sponge; stir in grated potato and warm potato water with the garlic, salt, and lemon pepper. Stir through the 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix in with wooden spoon then knead by hand until a very soft dough. Knead in the cornmeal. Coat with softened light margarine or butter; cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Turn out into a well buttered 8 or 9 inch skillet. Coat again; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for 35-45 minutes. Bake in 425 oven for 25-30 minutes until nicely browned on top and done. *You can find salt free lemon pepper if that is an issue, or reduce salt in the dough accordingly. **Butter flavored cooking spray is a good substitute for coating dough, and for buttering your skillet, that yields less fat, calories, and sodium. This is very good with french bread or crackers as a party dip, and makes delicious sandwiches when served on toasted bread with tomato and lettuce. Keywords: Side, Potatoes, Healthy Choices, eGCI, Bread ( RG996 )

Garlic Herb Bread Sure, you can form it into a loaf or baguette and bake it in the oven, but a bread machine is so easy... 1-1/4 c water 2 T olive oil 1-1/2 tsp salt 1 T sugar 1 T dry milk powder 2 T herbs (I freeze pesto or basil oil in the summer and use one of these frozen cubes) 1 oz parmesean cheese, grated 3 cloves garlic, peeled 3-1/3 c flour* 1-1/2 tsp Bread Machine Yeast Put ingredients into bread machine pan in the order given. Set your bread machine to French Bread with Dark Crust setting if you have it. Garlic cloves can be left whole, the machine will break them up, same with the herbs, if you use fresh. * 3 cups of the flour, I use King Arthur Bread Flour, 1/3 I use whole wheat or rye or some other whole grain flour. If you don't have it just use all bread flour. Keywords: Bread Machine, Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, Bread ( RG918 )

Hamentaschen -- Yeast Dough I got this recipe from my friend Judy Aaronson. I assume it's an old recipe since it uses cake yeast. You can successfully convert it to active dry yeast -- 1 packet or 2 1/2 teaspoons. You will end up with a dough that is flaky and not too sweet. 1 cake yeast 1/2 c warm milk 2 c sifted flour 2 T sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 egg yolks 1 egg for brushing Dissolve yeast in milk. Let stand in warm place for 25 minutes. Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Work in butter. Add 2 beaten egg yolks and yeast mixture. Knead dough. On a floured board, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut in 4" or 5" rounds (other sizes will work fine too). Put a scant tablespoon of filling in the center of each round. Pinch edges together to form a triangle. Place on a greased cookie sheet(I actually prefer parchment). Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Brush tops with an egg that has been beaten with 1 or 2 tablespoons water. Bake at 350 for about 18-20 minutes. Keywords: Dessert, Snack, Cookie, Jewish, Kosher ( RG875 )

Chocolate Bread Pudding I enjoyed this dessert at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara by the fireplace in the downstairs restaurant. The Plow and Angel has a romantic atmosphere. SO enjoy this dessert, cozy by the fire, at home. Serves 8 6 cups Brioche (croissants, french bread O.K.) Use day old bread and cut into 1 in. cubes. 6 each Eggs 1 cup Sugar 3 cups heavy cream 1 t. Vanilla 8 oz. Semi sweet chocolate, melted (Valhrona) 1/2 t. salt 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Butter ovenproof dish or individual ramikins 3. Combine eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt and mix well. Whisk in melted chocolate 4. Add bread to mixture, let soak 25 min. until bread absorbs most of the eg mixture 5. Carefully fill baking dish 7/8 full with the butter 6. Place dish or ramekins in another larger pan and fill pan 1/2 way up with hot water (water bath). 7. Bake 30 to 49 min. until the center of custard is set. 8. Remove from oven and let set 15-20 min. before serving. 9. Serve with homemade whipped cream and I like white chocolate gelato. Garnish with mint and get creative. Keywords: Dessert, Chocolate, Easy ( RG817 )

Potato Farls (potato bread) I am including this recipe because I have never seen this bread served anywhere apart from Northern Ireland. Eaten warm from the griddle, with butter dribbling off and down your chin, it's just heaven. Disproportionate pleasure for such a simple recipe. We call this bread "slim" at home - because it is flat.. not because it is slimming! 1 lb potatoes 1 c plain (all purpose) flour 2 oz butter 1 tsp salt Boil the potatoes until tender. Mash with the butter, then add the flour and salt and mix. Turn out onto a floured board and lightly knead to a smooth dough. (It is easier to get a smooth dough while the potatoes are still warm.) Half the dough and roll out into two circles about 1/3 of an inch thick. Cut these circles into quarters. Cook on a lightly greased flat griddle (or heavy frying pan or skillet) at a medium/high heat. They take a couple of minutes on each side to get golden brown. Eat warm with butter. You can reheat leftovers in the toaster. Good as part of a brunch. Keywords: Easy, Brunch, Snack ( RG792 )

Scotch Raisin Bread My Daddy made this recipe every Christmas for as long as I remember. That makes sense because my sister remembers him making it in 1946. She was 7 years old and found it amazing that Daddy was cooking. That was the year I was born in October. He got out of the Navy after WWII in February. (Do the math. I am a Californian by conception.) The original recipe is a clipping from a newspaper taped into the inside cover of Mom’s Woman’s Home Companion general cookbook that I think she got when they were married in the 30s. As I grew up, I was tasked with cutting out the paper for lining the pans. I have a sneaking suspicion that Daddy made me reinvent the way to do this every year so that my geometrical skills would get a work out. He didn’t keep a pattern and I think that was deliberate. He used brown paper from grocery bags. My sister and I make several batches every holiday season as a tribute to Daddy, we even have his pans, and we give the loaves to family and friends. I still have to cut out the paper. But, we use parchment paper now and I keep a pattern. I think Daddy approves. 2 eggs 1 c sugar 2 c buttermilk 2/3 c molasses 3 c sifted flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1-1/2 c rolled oats, uncooked (get the regular type, not quick) 1/2 c chopped nutmeats (Dad used walnuts or pecans) 1-1/2 c raisins Beat eggs until light, add sugar gradually and beat well. Add buttermilk and molasses and blend well. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and soda and combine with rolled oats, nutmeats and raisins. Add to egg mixture stirring only enough to combine. Grease two 1 pound loaf pans. Line with brown paper and grease the inside of the paper. Divide the dough into the two pans. Bake at 350F for one hour or until done when tested with a toothpick. Store at room temperature for at least one day before slicing and serving. Serve with marmalade, jelly or cream cheese. Also great toasted with butter. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Bread ( RG789 )

French Bread Dough (for bread machines) The dough is made in the bread machine, then taken out, shaped and baked in the oven. 10 oz water 1 T butter 3-1/2 c all purpose or bread flour 1-1/2 tsp sugar 1-1/4 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine fast rise yeast Add water and butter to pan. Add the flour, sugar, and salt. Tap pan to settle the ingredients then level them, pushing some of the mixture into the corners of the pan. Make a shallow well in the centre of the mixture, add the yeast. Lock the pan into the breadmaker. Select the dough setting. When cycle ends, place dough on floured surface and let rest for 15 minues. Roll dough into a 15x12 inch rectangle. Roll up tightly from long sidge, seal and taper ends. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise for 45-55 minutes or until doubled in size. With a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts on top of loaf. Combine 1 egg white and 1 tsp water and brush the top of the loaf with it. Bake in a 350 oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Keywords: Side, Bread Machine ( RG783 )

Pita Bread (Khobz Arabi) 3 c Bread flour or All Purpose flour 1/2 tsp Instant yeast (or 1 tsp Active Dry yeast combined with a Tbsp sugar and ¼ cup warm water till foamy) 1/2 tsp salt 1 c warm water (reduce the water by ¼ Cup if using Active Dry yeast) Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, then add the yeast (or yeast/water mixture) and add the water slowly while stirring with a plastic or wooden spoon until everything is combined into a ball. You might need more or less water than the 1 cup. Once the dough comes together, transfer it to a floured surface and knead for a good ten minutes until it is soft and elastic. Roll the dough into a log and cut it into five equal parts (cut into fewer pieces if you want bigger loaves). Form each piece into a ball and put them all on a floured baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and let them rise in a warm place for about an hour or until almost double in size Preheat your oven to 500F (270C). If you have a baking stone, place it in the oven to pre-heat thoroughly. Flatten each dough ball and with a rolling pin form it into 1/8 inch (3mm) thick round about 6 inches (15cm) in diameter. After rolling all the dough, cover and let them rest on a floured surface for 15-30 minutes. If you have a baking stone then bake them on the stone by sliding the dough rounds onto the stone and baking till they puff up like balloons (about 2-3 minutes). Leave them in the oven no more than one minute after they puff up even though they might not have much color on them. This will insure that the bread will be soft and pliable once cooled. If you do not have a baking stone in your oven, place the rounds on a baking sheet (making sure they are not touching) and bake in the oven until they puff up As soon as you remove the baked bread from the oven, place in a container, flatten gently and then cover with a damp towel. Keep stacking the flattened baked bread on top of each other and covering them. Store the baked bread in a well sealed plastic bag. Never let the baked bread cool uncovered or it will harden Keywords: Bread, Lebanese, Middle Eastern, eGCI ( RG707 )

EG, Recently, I spent two weeks in Javea, Spain, mostly on holiday, but also giving instruction on bread baking in a wood fired oven. That's what I've done extensively in North America for the last five years with few if any difficulties. Before I left, I was alerted that real rising problems were being experienced using English Strong Flour imported into Spain, as well as "whole wheat" flour, also from the UK. Apparently, Spanish flours are of the "cake" variety. When I got there, I found that none of my formulas behaved as expected. High hydration ancienne baguette dough, one of my standbys, was simply unmanageable; didn't plan on pita. The yeast on hand was SAF Gold IDY, which has always performed well. After several disasters, I added 25 percent more yeast for somewhat better results, but only somewhat. Since then, the students there have been as much as doubling the amount of IDY with even better but not stellar results. Would anyone have opionions on what was going on? The yeast was active; proofed it. The salt was Fleur de Sel. The water was from a mountain spring. The villa where the oven was located was about 700 feet above the Med. The air was only a bit salty, and the temps were in the seventies. My only conclusion is differences in the flours from here to there, but I'd welcome advice. Thanks, Jim Wills, Mary G's Artisan Breads

Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse-style white bread is my go-to sandwich bread, especially for PB&J and grilled cheese. It's firm enough that it doesn't tear or squish too much when spreading peanut butter, and it stands up to having a crisp "grilled" exterior better than softer styles of bread. But recently I noticed a packaging change: they are emphasizing the "softness" a lot more. So, that had me a bit worried, and sure enough, when I tried one of the newly-packaged loaves, it seemed softer. But was it really? Is the change just in the packaging and in my head, or is it really softer than it used to be? Do I really need to find another go-to bread?!?