Homemade Flour Tortilla

from the kitchen of Sandi Taft

serves 12 6-inch tortillas

2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 T. lard, oil, shortening, or bacon grease
3/4 c. water

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together with fork. Add shortening and continue to mix into crumbs.

Make a well in the center of the flour mix and add the water. Slowly mix until dough forms. Place dough on a floured surface and knead for several minutes until dough is smooth.  Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into quarters and then each quarter into thirds for a total of 12 portions.

Roll each portion into a 6-7 inch circle.

Cook the tortillas in a skillet over medium-high heat for about two minutes on each side or until puffed and lightly browned.

Easy French Bread

from the kitchen of Julie Murphy
 
1 cup water
1.5 tsp salt 
3 cup flour
2.25 tsp yeast (a packet of yeast)

Put in the bread machine in that order, or knead it by hand, let rise, punch it down, let rise in 2 separate balls, then stretch into 2 loaves, let rise again, bake at 400 12-15 min.

Sandwich or Hamburger Buns

Jacquelynn Sokol, from the kitchen of tasteofhome.com


2 T. active dry yeast
1 c. plus 2 T. warm water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 to 3 1/2 c. all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add oil and sugar and let stand for 5 min. Add egg, salt, and flour.Mix and then knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-5 min.  Divide into 10 pieces (more or less depending on the size you want) roll into ball, and place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rest for 10 min.  Bake at 425 degrees for 8-12 min. until lightly browned. 

I like to make BBQ beef sandwiches on these.  

New Arrival Muffins

From the kitchen of Katie Willis

My friend in Colorado made these for me after Kate's arrival. They are a perfect snack to eat while nursing a baby in the middle of the night! They are pretty healthy, very sustaining, and higher in fiber.

4 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 cups Oil
16 Oz Can pumpkin Puree

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ 
1/4 cup oat bran
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 raisins (Craisins are good too)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup rolled oats to sprinkle on top  

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-In a small bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until well mixed
-In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients, except rolled oats for topping
-Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients
-Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients, stir to moisten
-Fill 24 greased or paper-lined muffin cups to the top. Sprinkle with rolled oats
-Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Yield: 24 large muffins

Variations:
-1/2 cup rolled oats may be substituted for the 1/4 cup wheat germ and the 1/4 cup oat bran
-1/2 cup applesauce may be substituted for 1/2 cup of the oil
-1 cup of all-purpose flour may be substituted for 1 cup of whole-wheat flour

Balsmanic Tomatoes Pizza

from the kitchen of Alisa Chytraus

Start by macerating chopped tomatoes in balsamic vinegar, evoo, & s&p

Dough:

2 T. Flour

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 T. Honey

1 pkg. Yeast

Combine & let sit for 15 min.

Gradually add:

4-5 cups flour

1/2 t. Salt

Let rise 1 1/2-2 hours. Bake on stone in oven at the highest temp it will go.

Topped with caramelized onions cooked in olive oil & butter with a handful of sugar, add extra evoo if needed to pizza, some italian seasoning, & mozzarella cheese

Put tomatoes on top after it gets out of the oven.

Honey Wheat Bread

from the kitchen of Lindsey Lamoreaux.

1 pkg. yeast
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 cup hot water

Mix and put salt and flour in last. Knead for about 5 min. Put a little oil in a bowl and cover with a towel. Let it double in size in the bowl (about 30 min.). Transfer to a baking sheet. Let it rise again to desired liking (I like the size of about a dinner plate). Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 min.

Buttermilk Cornbread

From the kitchen of Karen Sokol

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.

Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Naan Bread

From the kitchen of Alisa Chytraus. (Karen uses this for her Sonoma Flatbread Salad recipe)

I combined it until the dough cleaned the sides of the mixer bowl; let it kneed the dough for a few minutes; & then let it rise for 2 hours. I also added some chopped garlic on top & brushed it with butter when it came out. I would add more garlic & an olive oil & butter mixture, it needed a little more flavor!

SERVES 6

Ingredients

• 2/3 c. warm skim milk
• 2 tsp. melted butter
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 lb. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2/3 c. plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. sugar

Directions

In the mixing bowl of your bread machine, combine warm milk (about 80F) with yeast, butter and half of the sugar- set aside for 5 minutes.

On a piece of waxed paper sift together flour, salt and baking powder.

Add to bread machine bowl.

Add olive oil, second half of sugar, yogurt and egg.

Set the bread machine to the dough setting and let it run through the cycle.

When the bread machine has almost finished the dough cycle, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees F.

If you have a baking stone, place it in the top rack of the oven to preheat as well.

Take dough out and separate it into six equal sections.

Using a rolling pin or your hands, flatten dough out to ovals about 1/3 inch thick.

When oven has pre-heated, place rounds on pre-heated stone or heavy baking sheet.

Bake on top shelf of the oven for 90 seconds; the naan should start to puff.

Switch the oven from bake to broil for an additional minute or until the top starts to brown.

When brown on top, remove from oven and cover with a towel while you finish baking the remaining loaves.

You can brush the naan with butter before serving if desired.

Pão de queijo (Cheese bread or cheese rolls)

Hana Sokol (these are a spot on knock-off of the cheese balls at the Brazilian grills -Tucanos,Rodizio, Braza Grill)

1 c. water
1 c. of milk
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. tapioca starch (450 g)
2-3 eggs
200 g parmesan cheese

Bring to boil in a big pan the water, the milk, the oil and the salt. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tapioca starch. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cool down. Put the mixture in a bowl, add the eggs and knead well. Add the grated cheese and keep kneading until the dough is smooth. Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into small balls. Tip: Grease your hands with oil before making the balls. Wash your hands once in a while if necessary. Place the balls on a baking tray greased with oil or lined with baking paper. Bake the cheese rolls in hot oven (350 degrees) for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Put the cheese rolls in a basket and serve them warm.

This Tapioca starch is the only hard thing. You have to buy it at an asian market. But they are dirt cheep. Only a 99 cents per bag. And it takes about one bag per batch. So I just buy a bunch at a time. The bags are really small and white because the starch is white. In her explanation she says you can use your bread mixer to mix the dough. So I assume that waiting for it to cool is only because you can't kneed it hot. So when I make it it goes straight from the pot to the mixer and when the consistency is right I start rolling it out (oiling your hands is really essential). It's pretty fast. Bob says that Brazilians probably kneed it just from lack of having mixers. Also I have found that the best way to preserve left overs is to refrigerate and then warm in microwave. The consistency changes if left out over night. They don't increase in size very much so you can put about 30 per baking sheet.

Zucchini Bread

Karen Sokol

This was Nada White's recipe. She was a long time friend of my mother, Bernice.

3 eggs, well beaten

1 c. oil

2 c. sugar

2 c. grated zucchini, green peel left on

1 tsp. salt

1 T. vanilla

1 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 T. cinnamon

1 small package instant French Vanilla pudding

1 c. chopped walnuts

3 c. flour

Combine eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini, salt, and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix. Stir in nuts.

Pour into two large greased and floured loaf pans or 4 small.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted in the middle of the loaf.

Whole Wheat Bread

Karen Sokol

5½ c. hot water

2/3 c. oil

2/3 c. honey

2 T. salt

3 T. dry yeast

10 to 12 c. whole wheat flour (approximately)

Combine water, oil, honey, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water along with 2 tsp. sugar; set aside until it doubles and bubbles. Add about 1/2 of the flour to the water, oil, honey, and salt mixture. Add yeast. Add rest of flour until dough cleans the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead for at least 5 minutes. Put dough into greased bread pans and let it rise until doubled in size. This makes 4 regular size loaves. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes.

Sweet Muffins

Karen Sokol

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1/2 c. oil

3 c. flour

1 c. sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. If using dark muffin pans, reduce heat by 25 degrees. Grease bottom of muffin pans. Beat eggs with fork. Stir in milk and oil. Blend dry ingredients in; stir in just until flour is moistened. Batter should be lumpy. Do not over mix. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Muffins will have gently rounded and pebbled tops. Loosen immediately with spatula. Serve warm. Makes 2 dozen muffins. Stir in blueberries for wonderful blueberry muffins.

Rolls

Karen Sokol

This is the #1 comfort food according to my brother, Steve. My mother made and sent Steve packages of rolls on his mission to the southern states. When it took longer than usual for them to arrive and they would be moldy. He was always grateful to get them. It has to be doubled at Thanksgiving time. Mother got this recipe from her cousin Nov. 22, 1945.

1½ c. milk

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. (1 cube) butter

2 tsp. salt

Scald in a saucepan. (I usually mix in a large glass bowl and warm in the microwave until butter is melted and sugar dissolves when stirred.)

Let cool and add:

3 eggs, well beaten

2 T. yeast, dissolved in 1/2 warm water

About 6 c. flour

Mix with a spoon until dough is soft, it will be sticky. (Add enough flour that it stays together and is not too sticky. Too much flour makes rolls tough.) Leave in bowl and let rise until doubled in size for about 1 hour.

Roll out on floured counter top so you have a rectangle like shape, about 5/8" thick. Cut into approximately 1½ " X 5" strips. Tie each strip into a knot and place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until doubled in size again, about an hour. Bake 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until they just start to look golden in color.

Rhodes Rolls with Parmesan

Hana Sokol

12 Frozen Rhodes rolls

1/2 c. softened butter

1/2 lb. grated Parmesan

Grease muffin tin and place a frozen Rhodes roll in each. Cover with saran wrap covered in Pam and place in warm area to soften for 2 hours.

Roll and coat each roll well first in the butter then in the cheese then place back into pan. Re-cover and let rise another 3 to 4 hours. Before baking I like to throw more grated Parmesan on top…just for good measure. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until tops start to brown.

Red Lobster Biscuits

Jacquelynn Sokol

2 c. Bisquick

1/2-3/4 c. grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp. parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 c. cold water (or 2/3 c. milk)

1/4- 1/2 c. butter

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together baking mix, water, and cheese. Form small round balls and place onto a baking dish. Melt butter and seasonings together. Brush with the butter and spice and bake 8-10 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

Karen Sokol

This was our neighbor's recipe when we lived in Covina, CA.

3 1/3 c. flour

1 T. soda

1½ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 c. oil

4 eggs

2½ c. sugar

2 c. pumpkin

2/3 water

1 c. chopped nuts

1 c. chocolate chips, optional

1 small pkg. of instant French Vanilla Pudding

1½ c. chocolate chips

Blend all together in a large bowl or mix on low in mixer. Pour into greased and floured bread pans, 2 large or 4 small. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Pizza Dough

Tim Bahr

After Hayley made several attempts to make the perfect pizza crust and was unsuccessful, I decided to take it into my own hands.

2¾ to 3¼ c. flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. warm water

2 Tbsp cooking oil or olive oil

In large mixing bowl combine 1¼ cups of the flour, the yeast, and 1/4 tsp. salt; add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining flour.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes). Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.

Grease two 12-inch pizza pans or baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with cornmeal. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to pans. Build up edges slightly. Do not let rise. Spread sauce onto crust and top with your favorite pizza toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Paris Puffins

Karen Sokol, from the kitchen of Marilynn Berntsen.

My cousin, Marilynn, made these muffins in 1963.

1/2 c. shortening

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. milk

1 egg

1½ tsp. baking powder

1½ c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. raisons

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-muffin cup pan. Mix shortening, sugar, and egg. Blend flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and raisons; add alternately with milk. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Immediately roll in melted butter, then in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Serve hot.

Orange Rolls

Karen Sokol, from the kitchen of Diane Berntsen.

1 c. milk and 3 T. Butter–heated to melt butter

1/2 c. sugar

3 beaten eggs

1 tsp. Salt

2 c. flour

Mix these four ingredients with milk and butter.

Add 2 T. Yeast dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water. Mix and let rise 10 to 15 minutes. Add 2 more cups of flour; mix well. Let rise until double. Divide dough in half, roll out, spread with filling–1 cube butter, melted; 2/3 c. sugar; grated rind (zest) from 2 oranges. (Save the oranges, the juice will be used in the icing later.) Stir well until all butter is mixed in. Spread rolled out dough with filling, roll up and cut like cinnamon rolls 1/2 inch thick. Place in well-greased muffin tins. Let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 24 rolls. Recipe can easily be doubled.

Remove from oven when done and drizzle with Orange Icing:

1½ c. powdered sugar

2 T. Freshly squeezed oranges used in Orange Roll recipe above)

2 to 4 T. Half and half or canned milk

Mix until smooth. If icing is too thick, add more canned milk a little at a time. The hotter the rolls are when frosted, the thicker the frosting needs to be.

Norwegian Yule Bread (Julekage)

Karen Sokol, from the kitchen of Bernice Berntsen Pierson.

My mother made this sweet bread for us to eat many Christmas mornings. She was happy to make it because her father was from Norway.

1/2 medium navel orange, unpeeled

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. boiling water

2 slices red or green pineapple and a few candied cherries, cut up, optional.

3½ c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cardamom

1 T. yeast

1/4 c. warm water

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. milk

1/4 c. margarine

1 egg

Rinse orange, remove and discard seeds. Rough chop or process quickly in mini food processor. Set aside for later use. Combine 1/2 c. raisins with 1/2 c. boiling water, let stand 1 minute for raisins to soften, and then drain well. Turn raisins onto paper towel to absorb excess water. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. cardamom. Mix well. Set aside. Soften 1 T. yeast in 1/4 c. warm water with the 1 tsp. of sugar added. Set aside.

Heat but do not boil: l c. milk and 1/4 c. (4 T.) margarine. When cooled enough, add to the flour mixture. Add yeast mixture, and then add 1 egg.

Blend at low speed until moist and well mixed.

By hand, stir in softened 1/2 c. raisins, orange, and the candied fruit. Add more flour, if needed, to make a firm dough, probably 1/2 c. Turn onto a lightly floured counter and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover, let rise until doubled about 1½ hours.

Punch down dough. Shape into 1 round loaf. Place in buttered round 9" layer cake pan. Flatten dough slightly to spread it over the bottom of the pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double about 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cover last few minutes with foil if it gets too dark. Remove from pan to cool on a wire rack. Frost completely.

My mother made a flower on top using almonds for pedals with a candied cherry for the center. Makes 1 round loaf.

Frosting:

3 T. margarine

1 T. milk

Dash salt

1½ c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat margarine and milk together until margarine melts. Remove from heat. Add dash of salt, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat with hand mixer, adding more powdered sugar if needed to make thick frosting.