Search Results for '("C'

[rottiedogs]

Gooey Blueberry Rolls
Submitted by anna on December 05, 2007 at 11:41 am

DESCRIPTION
Gooey Blueberry Rolls

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Yeast Bread/Rolls (not sourdough)

INSTRUCTIONS
These rolls won first place in the NC Blueberry Festival competition in 2006.

Dough:
1 C. warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 C. unsalted butter, cut up
4-1/2 C. bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 C. white sugar
2-1/2 tsp instant dry yeast, such as Safýs

Filling:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 C. fresh or frozen blueberries

Icing:
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp milk
1 C. (4oz) confectionerýs sugar

Place ingredients in the pan of a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start. Make sure the dough forms a good ball and cleans the sides of the pan. Add more flour or milk if necessary.

In a small bowl, combine all filling ingredients with a whisk, except for the blueberries.

Roll the prepared dough on a lightly floured surface into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with the filling (keep 1/2 inch from the border when spreading filling)and sprinkle evenly with blueberries. Roll up dough down the longest side and pinch the seams as you go. Cut the log evenly into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

While rolls are baking, prepare the icing. To make the icing, whisk cream cheese and milk until smooth. Sift confectioner?s sugar over; whisk until smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds.

Remove the rolls from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes on a rack. Then, spread the icing on the warm rolls. Serve.

Yield: 12 rolls

Cinnamon Roll Filling

1 C. brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 C. butter, softened
1 cup pecan, finely chopped, or raisins (optional)

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. After rolling out dough, spread with butter. Sprinkle on topping. Then sprinkle optional pecans or raisins.

Cinnamon Roll Topping

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. butter, softened
1-1/2 C. confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 C. butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract. Spread frosting on warm rolls.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Submitted by anna on July 05, 2006 at 12:03 am

DESCRIPTION
Double Layer Pumpkin PIe

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & Requests

INSTRUCTIONS
Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups cool whip
1 graham cracker pie crust(6 oz)
1 cup cold milk or half-n-half
1 package (4 serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
16 oz pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Optional Topping:
more cool whip and toasted sliced almonds

Directions:
Beat cream cheese, 1 tbsp milk and sugar in a large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread on bottom of crust.

Pour 1 cup milk into bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 1-2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Stir in pumpkin and spices and mix well. Spread over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.

The optional topping can be spread over the top of the pie or placed on individual slices when served. It makes it pretty and the almonds give it a nice crunch.

Yield: 8 servings.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

Cooks Illustrated Yellow Layer Cake
Submitted by anna on August 21, 2002 at 3:18 pm

DESCRIPTION
Cook's IIlustrated Yellow Layer Cake

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakes

INSTRUCTIONS
1 tbs solid vegetable shortening
2 1/2 cups (12.5 oz) bleached all-purpose flour, plus 2 tbs for flouring pans
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temp.
1 cup milk, room temp.
1 tsp vanilla extract

Set oven rack in middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom and sides of two 9 x 1 1/2 inch of 2 inch round cake pans with 1/2 tbp shortening each. Sprinkle one tbs of flour into each pan; roll pans in all directions to coat. Invert pans to remove excess flour.

Sift together remaining flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter in bowl of electric mixer at med speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat, scraping sides as necessary, until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl.

Combine milk and vanilla. With mixer on low, add some of the dry ingredients followed by a little of the milk mixture. Continue alternating dry with liquid, ending with dry ingredients. Scrape down sides throughout the mixing process.

Divide the batter even between the two cake pans. Spread to pan walls and smooth tops. Arrange pans 3 inches apart in oven. Bake until firm in center when lightly pressed and cake needle inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.

Cool cakes in pans set on rack for 5 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with knife and invert onto greased racks. Reinvert. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Notes:
1. I made this exactly like the recipe said, but I would use Baker's Joy instead of the shortening/flour for the pans.
2. I beat the eggs 20 seconds after each addition.
3. I have a new conventional oven and it took slightly longer than 35 minutes, so you may need to adjust.
4. I used superfine sugar.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

Chicken Pot Pie
Submitted by anna on March 10, 2006 at 10:57 am

DESCRIPTION
Chicken Pot Pie

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & Requests

INSTRUCTIONS
Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1.5-2 lbs cooked chicken or turkey meat, light and dark
6 oz potatoes, medium dice
6 oz carrots, medium dice
6 oz tiny white onions
6 oz green peas
2 qt chicken veloute
salt and pepper
Four 13 inch rounds of flaky pie pastry(homemade or store-bought)
Four 9 inch round foil pie pans

Directions:
Cook the chicken, if not already done. (It may be boiled and the broth used for the veloute.) Cool chicken and cut into bite-size pieces.

Cook the vegetables separately in boiling salted water. Drain and cool.

Season the veloute with salt and pepper.

Prepare the pastry to cover the tops of the pie pans.

Divide the light and dark meat evenly among the pans.

Divide the vegetables evenly among the pans.

Ladle the veloute into each casserole, evenly.

Top the pie pans with the pastry. Cut holes/slashes in the centers to allow steam to escape.

Refrigerate until cool and freeze(use foil and plastic wrap) or bake right now.

To Bake:
Place the pans on a sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees until the crust is well browned. Let cool five minutes before serving.

Notes:
1. These are the vegetables we like. Feel free to subsitute the same amount of something else.
2. I don't put pastry on the bottom because of the calories, but you can.
3. If you make homemade pastry, you could change the sizes to make a rectangular pie in a 13 x 9 inch pan, for instance.
4. I have found that it's just as easy to make several pies as it is one. Once they are in the freezer, you can use them for a desperation dinner.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[BakerAunt]

Easy Buckwheat Oat English Muffins
Submitted by sue/theviewfrom... on February 08, 2013 at 8:32 pm

1 3/4 cups lukewarm milk (about 110 degrees)
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, to taste
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten (room temperature)
3 cups bread flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup oat flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
semolina or farina, for sprinkling on the griddle or pan (you can also use cornmeal)

Put everything except the semolina into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (not the bread hook) Alternatively, if you have a bread machine you can set it to the dough cycle.
Mix the dough on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and be smooth and quite elastic. I had to scrape the sides of my bowl a couple of times.

Scrape the dough down into a rough ball and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours until risen and puffy.

After the rise, gently deflate the dough. This dough will be softer than traditional bread doughs, so just handle it carefully. Turn it out onto a surface that has been dusted with the semolina, or corn meal, and form it into 12 pieces. (First cut the dough in half, then cut each half into three pieces, and cut each of those pieces in half)

Form the pieces into rounds, and then flatten them into disks about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Make sure they are dusted on both sides with the semolina. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest for about 20 minutes. They will puff gently.

Spray your griddle or large cast iron pan with a little cooking spray, and sprinkle with a little semolina or corn meal. Cook the muffins on a low to medium low heat for about 15 minutes on each side, until they are golden browned and done. You can test for doneness with an instant read thermometer...the inside should register 180 to 200 degrees F. If they are very brown before getting thoroughly done on the inside, transfer them to a 350F oven to finish cooking.

Be sure to use a fork to split the muffins to bring out that famous English muffin texture.
Notes: If you have an electric griddle, set it to 300F. Otherwise, use low to moderate heat on the stove. A heavy bottomed pan, like cast iron, works well to modulate the heat. The muffins have to cook through, so you don't want them to get too brown too quickly.

Yield: 12

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by BakerAunt.
• This topic was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: fixed typo

[rottiedogs]

Blueberry Cloud Cake Roll
Submitted by anna on June 23, 2008 at 7:34 am

DESCRIPTION
Blueberry Cloud Cake Roll

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakes

INSTRUCTIONS
This recipe won 1st place in the cake category at the 2008 NC Blueberry Festival.

Ingredients:
Cake:
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3 tbsp unsifted cornstarch
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup+1 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp powdered sugar for dishtowel

Filling:
2 pints fresh blueberries, washed
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
7 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp almond extract

Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and dried
1/4 cup almond slices, toasted at 350 degrees until light brown

For the cake:
Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Prepare one 17-inch by 12-inch jellyroll pan, greased, bottom lined with parchment, and then greased again and floured.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour and cornstarch.

Separate 2 of the eggs, placing the yolks in 1 large mixing bowl and the whites in another. To the yolks, add the additional yolk, the 2 remaining eggs, and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat on high speed 5 minutes or until thick, fluffy, and triple in volume. Beat in vanilla.

Sift 1/2 the flour mixture over the egg mixture and fold it in gently with a rubber spatula until the flour has disappeared. Repeat with remaining flour mixture.

Beat the egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining 1 tbsp sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the batter and pour into prepared pan. Level the batter with a spatula.

Bake 6-7 minutes or until golden brown and cake is springy. Prepare a clean dishtowel on a flat surface and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Remove cake from oven and flip onto dishtowel, carefully remove the parchment, and roll up tightly, towel and all. Cool on a rack.

For the Filling:
Puree the blueberries in a food processor and pour into a medium saucepan. Boil over low heat 10-15 minutes. Pass through a fine strainer over a bowl. Once 1 cup of liquid puree is obtained, discard the contents of the strainer. Add 2 tsp lemon juice and 7 tbsp sugar to the puree and stir well. Cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate mixing bowl and beater for at least 15 minutes. In a small heatproof measuring cup, place the gelatin and 1/4 cup puree mixture and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Microwave on high power 10 seconds, stir, and repeat. Remove the cup and stir the gelatin mixture into the remaining puree. It should now be cool to the touch.

In the chilled bowl, beat the cream just until it mounds softly. Add the puree mixture, almond extract, and beat just until stiff peaks form. Taste and fold in more sugar if you prefer. Use as soon as possible.

For the topping:
Using a chilled mixing bowl and beater, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble:
Unroll the cooled cake and spread the filling out evenly over the cake. Gently roll from the end closest to you. Using your hands or two spatulas, move the cake roll onto serving dish. Cover with whipped cream topping. (Use a pastry bag if desired.) Sprinkle the blueberries over the whipped cream. Finally, sprinkle the almonds over the blueberries.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut slices diagonally.
Finished cake measures approximately 12 inches by 6 inches.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Note: Alternatively, and if not using all of the cake right away, the toppings may be added to each serving of cake to increase shelf life.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

Blue Ribbon Blueberry Trifle
Submitted by anna on June 24, 2007 at 6:57 pm

DESCRIPTION
Blue Ribbon Blueberry Trifle

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakes

INSTRUCTIONS
This trifle won 1st place in the cake category at the 2007 NC Blueberry Festival in Burgaw, NC.

1 Angel Food Cake (store-bought or homemade), cut into 1 inch cubes
3 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried
½ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1 recipe of syrup (see below)
1 recipe almond cream (see below)

Ingredients/Directions for the Syrup:
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan and simmer until all of the sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate. When cool, measure out ½ cup of the mixture and add the vanilla extract. Save any leftover sugar/water mixture for another use.

Ingredients/Directions for the Almond Cream:
1 small box (3.4 oz) instant French Vanilla pudding mix
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp almond extract
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat with mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble in a trifle dish:
Combine the syrup and all of the blueberries in a large bowl. Toss gently.

(The cake and the almond cream will be divided into 3 portions and the blueberry mixture and almonds will be divided into 4 portions.)
Layer 3 times in the following order: cake, blueberry/syrup mixture, almonds, cream. (Try to get all of the syrup onto the cake as you are layering.)
On the final cream layer, place the last portion of blueberries in the center of the trifle. Place the last portion of almonds around the circle of blueberries.

Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Best served and eaten the same day it is made.

Yield: 10 servings

1. This trifle is great with pound cake substituted for the angel food cake.
2. For a longer shelf life, skip putting the almonds inside the layers and put all of them on top just prior to serving.
3. To spike, replace 1-2 tbsp of the syrup with Grand Marnier. Blueberry Wine would work well too if you are lucky enough to have some.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

Sourdough Starter
Submitted by macy on March 09, 2005 at 3:27 pm

DESCRIPTION
Sourdough Starter

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under sourdough

INSTRUCTIONS
If you are the curious, investigative type (or a sourdough purist :-), this can be done with just water in place of the juice throughout. For many (not all), a vigorous gas-producing bacteria will grow on day 2 and quit growing on day 3 or 4, followed by a few days or more of agonizing stillness. The fruit juice or cider should keep this bacteria (and a few others that are smelly) from growing and delaying the process. Either way, the end result will be the same sourdough starter.

Day 1: mix . . .

2 T. whole grain flour* (rye or wheat)
2 T. orange juice, apple cider or unsweetened pineapple juice

Day 2: add . . .

2 T. whole grain flour*
2 T. juice or cider

Day 3: add . . .

2 T. whole grain flour*
2 T. juice or cider

Day 4: (and once daily until it starts to expand and smell yeasty), mix . . .

2 oz. of the starter (1/4 c. after stirring down--discard the rest)
1 oz. flour** (scant 1/4 cup)
1 oz. water (2 tablespoons)

* Organic is not required.

** You can feed the starter/seed culture whatever you would like at this point. White flour, either bread or a strong all-purpose like King Arthur or a Canadian brand will turn it into a general-purpose white sourdough starter. Feed it rye flour if you want a rye sour, or whole wheat, if you want to make 100% whole wheat breads. If you're new to sourdough, a white starter is probably the best place to start.

Because this is a process involving variable live cultures, I think it may be better to outline the phases than to give a timetable. It's a natural succession that will progress at its own speed. You can influence it, but you can't control it--not an easy concept for a baker 🙂 "Relax. Be patient." You'll hear that a lot in regard to sourdough.

You don't have to taste the mixture if the thought really bothers you, but it will tell you a lot about the progress at times when there may be no other outward signs. Lactic acid doesn't really have an aroma, so you won't be able to gauge just how sour it is by smell. Taste the initial mixture to get a point of reference and pay attention to the sourness level as you go. Taste it before you feed and decide if it is more sour or the same as after you fed it 24 hours previous. Taste it again after feeding the next addition to compare in the next 24 hours.

The First Phase:
For the first day or so, nothing will happen that is detectable to the human senses. It probably won't taste any tangier or develop any bubbles. It will look much the same as when you mixed it. This phase usually lasts one day, sometimes two.

The Second Phase:
The starter will begin to produce its own acid and taste tangier (it may be hard to tell with some juices until you switch to the water). It will expand only if the juice wasn't acid enough to prevent growth of the gassy bacteria, otherwise there won't be much else to see. There probably won't be much gluten degradation. It may smell a little different on the surface, but shouldn't smell particularly foul unless you're using water. This phase could last one to three days or more. If it is going to get hung up anywhere, this is the place. If after 3 days, it still doesn't become more sour and show signs of progress, use whole grain flour instead of white for one or more feedings.

The Third Phase:
The starter will become very tart, an indication of more lactic acid production by a more acid tolerant bacteria. The gluten may disappear and tiny bubbles become more noticeable. Once the starter becomes really sour, it usually transitions right into phase four.

The Fourth Phase:
The yeast will start to grow and multiply, causing the starter to expand with gas bubbles all over, and it will take on the yeasty smell of bread or beer.

Exact feeding times aren't critical. Pick a general time of the day--morning, afternoon or evening--that will be convenient to feed daily for 4-7 days. It'll only take a few minutes, and if it varies a few hours from one day to the next, that's okay. But, try not to skip a day. There is a higher incidence of growing mold when an unestablished starter sits idle for 36 hours or more. Daily refreshing seems to eliminate that risk.

Keep the container covered to prevent mold spores, dust, undesirable bacteria and wayward insects from falling in. Don't worry--it doesn't need fresh air or oxygen, and all the microorganisms you need are already in the flour.

For the first few days of this procedure, you can leave the mixture in a bowl and set a plate on top. Saran Quick Covers work great too. Run a rubber spatula around to scrape down the sides after mixing. From day 4 on, it's a good idea to rinse the storage container before returning the freshly fed mixture. It is not necessary to sterilize the container, but old residue stuck to the sides or lid is an invitation for mold.

By day 3 or 4 it will need room to grow (day 2 if using water). Be sure to use a container about 4x the volume of freshly fed starter or you may end up with a mess on your hands. Wide-mouth canning jars are nice to gauge and view the rise. Also, the two-piece lids are designed to vent pressure. Straight-sided Rubber Maid containers work well too. Plastic containers with tight-fitting lids will pop their tops if they are sealed tightly. Gladware doesn't seem to have that problem.

You don't need to keep it in a special place unless your house is particularly cool--try to keep it in the 70's for the most part. 75-78F would be ideal, but you needn't go out of your way to achieve that. The low 70's will do fine. Below 68, things might be a bit slow to develop (but it will eventually).

One solution for those with very cool houses, is to turn on a desk or table lamp and set your container in the vicinity. Light bulbs put out a LOT of heat, so be sure to take a temperature reading of the site and set the starter where it won't be warmer than about 80F. Cool is better than too warm. If the starter develops a crust at any time, move it farther from the heat source.

The warmth helps more in the first few days because the various bacteria really like it and it helps them produce the acids needed to lower the pH and wake up the yeast. The yeast don't need it so warm. Once you have a good population of yeast growing, you'll be able to maintain it at cool room temp, even if that's less than 70F. They will grow faster if kept warm, but they'll also run through their food supply and exhaust themselves sooner as well.

It seems to be a widely held belief that if you add water to flour and "catch" some wild yeast and sourdough bacteria from the air, or from grape skins, etc., that they will grow and become starter, but it doesn't work quite like that. The "bugs" we're trying to cultivate will only become active when the environment is right -- like a seed won't germinate until certain conditions are met. When you mix flour and water together, you end up with a mixture that is close to neutral in pH, and our guys need it a bit more on the acid side. There are other microbes in the flour, however, that prefer a more neutral pH, and so they are the first to wake up and grow. Some will produce acids as by-products. That helps to lower the pH to the point that they can no longer grow, but something else can, and so on, until the environment is just right for wild yeast to activate. It is a succession that happens quicker for some than for others.

When using just flour and water, many will grow a gas-producing bacteria that slows down the process. It can raise the starter to three and a half times its volume in a relatively short period--something to behold. Not to worry, it is harmless. In fact it is a bacteria sometimes used in other food fermentations like cheeses and vegetables, and it is all around us in the environment, including wheat fields and flour. It does not grow at a pH less than 4.8, and the specified fruit juices serve to keep the pH low enough to by-pass it. Things will still progress, but this is the point at which people get frustrated and quit, because when the pH drops below 4.8, and it will, the gassy bacteria stop growing. It will appear that the "yeast" died on you, when in fact, you haven't begun to grow yeast yet. But they will come -- really, they're already there. When the pH drops below 3.5 - 4 or so, the yeast will activate, begin to grow, and the starter will expand again. You just need to keep it fed and cared for until then. Once up and running, it will tolerate a wider pH range.

There are many opinions out there about how to maintain sourdough starter. Feel free to refresh and store it per the cookbook you'll be using most often. You can adjust the hydration up or down according to recipe requirements. The way I like to maintain mine, is to keep just 2 oz in an 8-oz jelly jar--the canning type with two-piece lid. To feed, I measure 1 oz of it into a bowl (discard the rest), add 1 oz bread flour and 1 oz water. Mix, then measure 2 oz of that back into the jar (rinsed out). This is actually tripling it since 1 oz is increased to 3 (with equal weights of flour and water), even though I only keep 2. The measuring is easy keeping everything 1 oz. When I want to build up the volume for baking, I double, triple or even quadruple the entire amount each time it peaks until there's enough for the recipe and an extra 2 oz to put back in the jar. Don't forget to save some.

The character and flavor of new starter will improve quickest with a few more weeks of daily feeding at room temperature, but that is not a necessity for baking with it. The flavor-producing bacterial populations will shift and equilibrate in that time, but it is capable of raising bread whenever the yeast are active and vigorous. In the refrigerator, they will stay fairly active with once a week feeding. The longer you go between feedings, the more dormant it will become, but they can usually be resurrected with a few feedings at room temperature. Whenever you want to raise bread with it, plan on a few days of feeding beforehand to get it as strong as possible. You can use discards to make pancakes, crumpets and muffins, etc.

If you want to store it in the refrigerator, first make sure it is active and vigorous. Then when it is ready to refresh, feed it and put it directly into the refrigerator. Most cookbooks recommend weekly feeding to keep it in good form, but most home bakers forget about it for weeks or months at a time. Take it out of the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature and rise if it will. After it peaks and starts to fall, feed and put it back into cold storage. If it doesn't rise, feed and keep it at room temperature; feed at least once a day until it is in good shape again. It sounds more complicated than it is, but you'll develop a pretty good feel for it as you go. The process is very flexible and established starters are actually very resilient.

For the truly obsessed: To turn the starter into desem, feed with whole wheat flour and cold water, reducing the water to achieve a dough consistency. Knead it a bit and form it into a ball. Keep it in a cool spot (50-65F preferably) like a basement, cellar or wine refrigerator. Discard half and feed daily--weekly if kept in a regular refrigerator. The key is to not allow it to get warm.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

San Francisco Sourdough
Submitted by macy on December 30, 2002 at 4:10 pm

DESCRIPTION
San Francisco Sourdough

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under sourdough

INSTRUCTIONS
This may not be authentic or as sour without the SF culture, but I got really good sourdough tang with it using just my local strains. It calls for a seed culture or "chef" maintained at 100% hydration, i.e., with equal parts water and 20% bran wheat flour* by weight, not by volume (see below for info about the flour). Feed the chef and let it sit 1 to 3 days at room temperature before making the levain. I only gave mine 24 hours because I was afraid the critters wouldn’t make it through all the long fermentations, but they did fine. Just make sure your starter is active before you begin. The amount of levain used in most of the sourdoughs in this book (Bread Alone) is 18 ounces, but the SF recipe only uses 8, so you might want to scale back on the volume there. Maybe 8 ounces of seed culture and 2 ounces flour? The point is to end up with a stiff dough. This bread takes advance planning because it can’t be made in one day.
-Macy

"This famous light and airy California bread gets its tang from the traditional French technique of using some ripe levain mixed with a little flour and water to develop a poolish before mixing the final dough. A very long fermentation of the poolish develops the highly acidic acids that give the popular bread its pronounced flavor. But remember, the older your chef, the stronger sour punch your bread will have."

Makes 2 long 14-inch loaves or 2 round 9-inch loaves

24 ounces chef (seed culture or starter)
6 ounces (1 1/4 cups) 20% bran wheat flour*

8 ounces (2/3 cup) Levain
8 fluid ounces (1 cup) Spring water
8 ounces (1½ cups) Organic white flour with germ*

the entire Poolish
16 fluid ounces (2 cups) Spring water
27-32 ounces (5½-6½ cups) Organic white flour with germ*
3/4 ounce (1 tablespoon) Fine sea salt

Add the flour directly into the container with the full batch of room-temperature, batterlike ripe chef. Stir vigorously to add fresh oxygen to the mixture. This will form a stiff consistency more like a stiff dough than a batter. This firm texture is important for ripening levain, because a dense rather than loose levain creates delicious sour bread without an overpowering tangy bite. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly, and let stand in a cool to moderate (about 70ºF) draft-free place for 8 to 10 hours.

The levain should have doubled in volume. The texture will be somewhat light, with many tiny bubbles throughout. Do not let the levain stand for longer than 10 hours, or the yeast will become exhausted and not raise the final dough.

Combine the levain and water in a 2-quart clear plastic container with a lid. Break up the levain well with a wooden spoon or squeeze through your fingers until it is broken up. Stir until the levain is partly dissolved and the mixture is slightly frothy. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until very thick and sticky. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74-80ºF) place.

Measure the ingredients and calculate the temperatures. Combine the poolish and water in a 6-quart bowl. Break up the poolish well with a wooden spoon and stir until the poolish becomes loose and the mixture slightly frothy. Add 2 cups (10 ounces) of the flour and the salt; stir until well combined. Add just enough of the remaining flour to make a thick mass that is difficult to stir. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding remaining flour when needed, until dough is firm and smooth, 15 to 17 minutes total. Or make in a heavy-duty mixer. The dough is ready when a little dough pulled from the mass springs back quickly.

Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest on a lightly floured surface while you scrape, clean, and lightly oil the large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Take the dough's temperature: the ideal is 78º. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74-80ºF) draft-free place until doubled in volume. Note: If the dough temperature is higher than 78º, put it in a cooler than 78º place like the refrigerator until the dough cools to 78º. If it is lower than 78º, put it in a warmer than 78º place until the dough warms to 78º. The point is to try to keep the dough at 78º during its fermentation. If you have to move the dough, be gentle and don’t jostle it, or the dough may deflate.

Deflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74-80º) draft-free place for 30 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board and knead briefly. Shape into a tight ball. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap, and put in a moderately warm (74-80º) draft-free place for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Flatten each with the heel of your hand on a lightly floured board. The dough may be very soft and loose at this point. Shape into 12-inch-long torpedoes. The torpedo is the classic San Francisco sourdough shape. You may also choose to shape the dough into rounds.

Place the torpedoes, seam side up in a well-floured couche. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap. Put in a moderately warm (74-80ºF) draft-free place until increased in volume about 1 1/2 times, or until a slight indentation remains when the dough is pressed with a fingertip. (Place rounds on a cornmeal-dusted surface to rise.)

Forty-five minutes to 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven and homemade hearth or baking stone on the center rack of the oven to 450ºF.

The oven rack must be in the center of the oven. If it is in the lower third of the oven, the bottoms of the breads may burn, and if it is in the upper third, the top crusts may burn.

Gently roll one loaf from the couche onto a lightly floured peel so that it sits seam side down. Using a very sharp, serrated knife or a single-edged razor blade, score the loaf by making quick shallow cuts 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep along the surface. Using the peel, slide the loaf onto the hearth. Quickly repeat the process with the second loaf. Quickly spray the inner walls and floor of the oven with cold water from a spritzer bottle. If there’s an electric light bulb in the oven, avoid spraying it directly-it may burst. Spray for several seconds until steam has filled the oven. Quickly close the door to trap the steam and bake 3 minutes. Spray again in the same way, closing the door immediately so that steam doesn’t escape. Bake until loaves begin to color, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 425ºF. and bake until loaves are a rich caramel color and the crust is firm, 15 to 20 minutes.

To test for doneness, remove and hold the loaves upside down. Strike the bottoms firmly with your finger. If the sound is hollow, the breads are done. If it doesn’t sound hollow, bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Daniel Leader has a preference for unbleached, organic stone-ground flours for their superior flavor. Both flours specified in this recipe are 12-14% protein, which puts them into the bread flour category--a suitable substitute if you don’t want to fuss with specialty flours. If you would like to approximate these flours without mail ordering, here’s how to do it:

For each cup of bread flour, add 1 tablespoon raw or toasted wheat germ.

Mix 3 parts white flour with germ to 1 part stone-ground whole wheat flour (medium or fine grind).

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[BakerAunt]

High School Peanut Butter Bars
Submitted by mumpy on June 16, 2011 at 8:21 am

Chewy peanut butter bars with chocolate frosting; recipe courtesy of cafeteria ladies in 1964
Yield: 50 bars

3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
5 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
your favorite chocolate frosting

Combine flour, baking powder, salt; set aside. Beat shortening, sugars, and peanut butter till light; beat in eggs one at a time; add vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients.

Spread batter in 2 lightly greased 10 x 15 pans; bake at 350 for 15 minutes. While still hot, spread with chocolate frosting.

Cut when cool into bars, 3" by 2".

Comments
Submitted by uninvited-guest on Sat, 2011-06-18 00:32.
Oh yeah... Just what my sister and I have been looking for. We really missed these when the "new formula" of the peanut butter bars was put in place with the schools. Don't get me wrong, the "new" ones with the oatmeal are delicious, but these are the quintessential ones for us growing up. Thank you mumpy!

Submitted by dachshundlady on Wed, 2011-06-22 06:05.
Wow, these look good and would serve a lot of folks. I have an agility trial this weekend and we usually bring food. Might have to try these.

Submitted by bellesaz on Sun, 2011-06-26 11:28.
I was traveling back from Montana several years back and we had my in-laws from Australia with us. They love garage sales and yard sales and we had stopped at like our third one of the day. I happened to spy a notebook with a lot of handwritten recipes in it and it was .50 cents, so I just paid for it without really delving too deeply inside.

In the car, the in-laws were asleep in the back, so I started thumbing through this book. There were a ton of old recipes on beautiful stationary, cut outs from flour sacks, sugar bags and the like, and then there were dozens of recipes that looked commercial. I quickly realized that they were from the Ennis Montana High School Lunchroom Ladies. What a treasure!!

One of my very favorites are the Lunchlady Rolls. I had to scale down the recipe from 300, but that was easy enough to do.. my family absolutely loves them and they bake up large, light and fluffy.. it sure brought back a lot of memories!

Submitted by uninvited-guest on Sun, 2011-06-26 16:34.
Please put me in your will for that little gem... unless your families have already got dibbs! (My family would)...

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by BakerAunt. Reason: Forgot to include o.p.'s name

[rottiedogs]

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Submitted by macy on January 09, 2005 at 6:54 pm

DESCRIPTION
Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakes

INSTRUCTIONS
This recipe was published in The Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, Volume Two (wonderful cookbook -- both volumes). It was submitted by the Blue Quail Inn Bed and Breakfast in Santa Barbara, California.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Grease a 10-inch springform pan. In a large bowl combine the flour and 3/4 cup of sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture. To the remaining crumb mixture add the next 6 ingredients and mix well. Spread the mixture over the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Combine the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and egg. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the batter. Spoon the preserves over the cream cheese mixture. Add the almonds to the reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle over the top. Bake in a 350F oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are golden brown. Serves 8 to 12.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

Oatmeal Pancakes
Submitted by macy on July 02, 2003 at 12:41 pm

DESCRIPTION
Oatmeal Pancakes

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & Requests

INSTRUCTIONS
This recipe was published in The Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, Volume Two (wonderful cookbook -- both volumes). It was submitted by Ye Olde' Shelford House in Cloverdale, California.

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until will blended. Heat a skillet or griddle. Pour 1/2 cup of batter onto the hot skillet. Turn the pancakes when the edges are dry and bubbles come to the surface. Serve with Cider Sauce.

Note: If you use 1/3 cup batter they will fit in the toaster. These will keep in the refrigerator a few days and reheat well in the microwave too.

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup butter (optional)

In a saucepan combine all of the ingredients except the butter. Cook the sauce over medium heat until boiling. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the butter and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Note: This sauce is great on grated potato pancakes too.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

Ice Water White Cake
Submitted by macy on April 22, 2005 at 8:38 pm

DESCRIPTION
Ice Water White Cake

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakes

INSTRUCTIONS
I found this recipe for ice water white cake on another forum. It was in a thread where several white cakes had been tested and this emerged the clear favorite. It's from an old cookbook, A World of Baking by Delores Casella. I tried it and it is now my favorite white cake too. It is not at all dry, but take care not to overbake. You should use a toothpick or cake tester because it doesn't spring back when you touch it.

I get nice even layers baking at 300F convection for 30-40 minutes, one rung below center (what my oven manual recommends). For me, they bake nice and flat when I spray the pan with Baker's Joy, but they dome a bit when the pans are buttered and floured. For some reason the sides climb nice and high with the Baker's Joy, but set too quickly with the butter.

Some other tips:

-Beat the egg whites to soft peaks instead of stiff. They'll be easier to fold in and the crumb will be more even.

-Sifted into the measuring cups and swept with a straight edge (per RLB in the Cake Bible), my cake flour weighed 325 gm (11 1/4 oz).

Macy

With the exception of the water, which should be ice cold, all ingredients should be at room temperature.

3 and 1/4 cups sifted pastry or cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups superfine granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 cups ice water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4)

Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder. Cream the butter or margarine and gradually add 1 and 1/2 cups of the sugar. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Combine ice water and flavorings. Add sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the ice water, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat until smooth, but do not overbeat. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, gradually beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and beat until stiff and glossy. Very carefully fold this merringue into the batter, folding just until no traces of white can be seen. Turn batter into 3 8-inch round layer pans that have been buttered and floured. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto racks. Fill and frost as desired.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[rottiedogs]

Ice Water Chocolate Cake
Submitted by macy on May 03, 2008 at 4:25 pm

DESCRIPTION
Ice Water Chocolate Cake

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakes

INSTRUCTIONS
This recipe is from A World of Baking by Delores Casella (I ordered it after trying the Ice Water White Cake). I made a mistake the first time of baking in 2 8-inch pans---I thought my pans were tall enough to hold all the batter, but the layers really mushroomed in the oven. This is a very high-rising, cake. Light, soft, moist, with a lovely even crumb. It was slightly reddish, like devil's food cake, but that may have just been the chocolate I used. Makes enough batter for 2 9-inch layers or a large Bundt pan, like the 60th Anniversary special edition pan (15 cup capacity).

This cake doesn't taste its best on the day it's made, but it is really good on day two, and even better on day three so it is a great make-ahead dessert. 3 cups sifted cake flour weighs 300 gm.

Happy Baking,
Macy

This cake is tender, delicate, and tall, as delicious to look at as to eat. The old, handwritten cookbooks specified sweet well water or mountain spring water, but plain ice water will do just fine (but make certain it is icy). Except for the ice water, all ingredients should be at room temperature.

3 cups sifted pastry or cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 1/4 cups superfine granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups ice water

Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt and set aside. Cream the butter or margarine until very light. Gradually add the sugar and cream until mixture is thick and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and beat in thoroughly. Now blend in the melted chocolate and the vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the ice water, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix only until batter is smooth. Turn into 3 8-inch round layer pans that have been buttered and floured. Tap the pans lightly on the counter top to remove excess air, and then bake in a 350F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto racks. Cool thoroughly before filling and frosting. The Date Filling and any chocolate frosting go very well with this.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by rottiedogs.

[BakerAunt]

Rich and Easy Quiche
Submitted by mumpy on April 03, 2012 at 11:29 am

Faster and easier than a traditional pie crust
Yield: 8 servings
Source: variation of a recipe from a friend

Pastry:
1/2 cup (4 oz.) butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup (4.25 oz.) AP flour
Filling
1/2 cup (4 oz.) milk
1 large egg
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup grated cheese (cook's choice)

Options:
cooked and crumbled bacon or sausage
cubed ham or chicken
sauteed mushrooms and/or onion
well-drained cooked spinach or broccoli
tiny cubes of uncooked tomato
anything you think you'd like in a quiche

Cream butter and cheese.

Stir in flour on low speed till well blended.

Pat into GREASED 9" pie plate, and crimp edge.

Put cheese and optional ingredients in crust.

Combine milk, salt and egg: pour over cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Crust can be made ahead and frozen.

To double the recipe, use 8 oz. butter, 8 oz. cream cheese and 2.5 cups flour. This will make 2 very thick crusts or 3 thinner crusts.

OR: make 24 tartlets; bake 30 minutes