Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

• This recipe is from Nie Nie.  I make it all the time.
• 
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips (if desired)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees;. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Crusty Pizza Dough

Since I've moved to Texas, I have been missing Trader Joe's tremendously. One of the things I loved to get there was their already-made pizza dough. It came in white or wheat, it cost 99 cents, you rolled it out, filled it and baked it, and it was so easy for quick weeknight-pizza. This week though, I found this recipe in the book that came with my KitchenAid mixer. It is very easy and very delicious! Problem solved!

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil
2 1/2-3 1/2 cups all purpose-flour
1 Tbsp. cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt and olive oil, and start with about 2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 minute. Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time until dough clings to side of hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Brush 14-in. pizza pan with olive oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Press or roll dough across pan, forming a collar around the edge to hold toppings. Add toppings and bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes.

Note: The original recipe says to start out with 2 1/2 cups flour and then keep adding, but I think it just calls for too much flour. You just add enough to get the right consistency. Also, you can add a little wheat flour to give it a nutty/crunchy flavor.

Zucchini Bread

i love summer because this bread is just tasty!! i make it with EVOO and it is wonderful!! best and easiest recipe i have found!!


Adapted from several sources
Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins
3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally.
Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

French Peasant Bread

This recipe is super easy that even I can make it. Anything with yeast really intimidates me. I come from a family of non-bakers; we used to joke that we would use my mom's Thanksgiving rolls as a hockey puck or door stop. But last night I was craving homemade bread and decided to make this. And besides it being so easy, I love that there's no oil or butter in it, so you feel a little less guilty.

I feel like Tom Hanks in "Castaway" whenever I make bread..."I...have made... BREAD!" (just like when he made fire.) I feel I have accomplished something, that I have conquered the elements and have connected with my ancestors....Anyway, enough of my feelings on baking bread, here's the recipe:

1 pkg. dry yeast (I use the rapid-rise)
2 cups warm water (make sure it's not hot, or it might kill or alter the yeast)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
Flour (now I don't really know how much. Start with 4 cups and go from there. You just have to keep adding it about 1/2 cup at a time until it pulls away from the bowl and is still sticky, but easy to work with.)
oil
cornmeal
About 2 Tbsp. melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar and salt in warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. (I use my KitchenAid mixer with the regular white beater but I'm sure a food processor with a dough blade would work just as well.) Do not knead. Cover and let rise one hour until doubled in size. Flour hands, remove from bowl and make two rounds on a well-oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise an additional hour. Brush the top with melted butter and bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 375 and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm.

Tips: You can spray your pan with Pam, it's quicker and healthier. Sometimes I like to substitute about 1/2-3/4 cup whole wheat flour, it gives it a nice flavor and texture. It also works great to half this recipe depending upon how much you want to make.

Texas Flour Tortillas

(adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)

Ingredients:Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Method:Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.Slowly add the warm milk.Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.

After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)

After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.

Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

Makes eight tortillas.

a slightly less fat option for tortillas. have i mentioned that i havent bought them for almost 2 years now!! wahooo!

Easy French Bread

I have never made bread until I made this. It was very easy, and super yummy! Also, I did not have a mixer, so I just mixed and kneaded the dough with my hands.

3 cups hot water
2Tbls yeast
2 Tbls sugar
1Tbls salt
2tbls butter
7 cups flour
Mix all ingredients on low till mixed
Then mix on high for 4 minutes
Divide into four rolled logs
Grease cookie sheet and sprinkle bottom with corn meal
Left dough rest for 30 minutes
Bake on 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Veggie Pizza Pie

I got this recipe off the Picky Palate website. I was so excited to try it, but I was also nervous because I didn't want to get my hopes up, and have it not turn out. Well, we had it tonight and I really liked it. I actually got a decent pic of it on my camera to post, but my camera is dead and needs to be charged so I used a pic from her website. Enjoy!

16 oz whole wheat or white pizza dough (I pick it up at Trader Joes or Fresh and Easy)

1 Cup ricotta cheese
¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese, like Kraft

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped

2 Cups fresh broccoli florets,

pinch of salt
½ Cup Roasted red bell peppers, from can or fresh
1 ½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Spread and press one piece of dough into the bottom and sides of a 9-9 ½ inch round cake or tart pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta and parmesan cheese until well combined. Spread into pressed pizza dough.

2. Place olive oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute spinach until wilted down, about 3 minutes. Place evenly over ricotta cheese layer. Place steamed broccoli florets over spinach and season with a pinch or two of kosher salt. Layer roasted red peppers, then mozzarella cheese over top. Press out remaining piece of dough and place over filling, tucking edges inside of pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cooked through.

3. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan or cutting into wedges

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This recipe is from one of my good friends, Cara Newman. She was my visiting teacher for a while and would make this for me every fall and bring it to my house. It is so yummy!

2 beaten eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup pureed or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 2/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Scant 1/2 tsp ground cloves
About 1/3-1/2 cup chocolate chips
Combine eggs and sugar, mix well. Add pumpkin, oil, and water. Blend thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased mini loaf pans about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

yummy bread pudding

via picky palate While on our cruise I had the best bread pudding ever... this is the first that has even come close!! instead of chocolate chips use white chocolate... PURE HEAVEN!!!

1 lb loaf Cinnamon Swirl Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

½ Cup semi sweet chocolate chips(I use white chocolate)

1 1/3 Cups 1% low fat milk

3 large eggs

½ Cup sugar

2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

Pinch of salt

½ Cup powdered sugar

2 ½ Tablespoons 1% low fat milk

1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place bread cubes and chocolate chips into a large mixing bowl.

In a medium bowl whisk the milk, eggs, sugar, brown sugar and salt.

Pour over bread cubes. Stir to combine.

2. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray and spoon bread pudding mixture evenly into muffin tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of pudding. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together powdered sugar, milk and syrup until well combined. Drizzle over bread pudding and serve warm. Enjoy!

Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast

2/3 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

Filling/Topping
2 tbsp butter, room temperature

2/3 cup brown sugar

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch ground cardamom

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tbsp milk or cream

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk, then stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.

While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly.

Divide the batter between 12 greased muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula.)

Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed.

Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the powdered sugar and milk together to form an icing and drizzling it onto the bread.Serve warm.

Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.

I love cinnamon rolls I just hate all the time it takes to make em! this speeds up the process and they taste SOO good!

Chocolate Oatmeal Chocolatechip muffin

1/2 c. quick cooking oats
2/3 c. boiling water
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. melted butter or marg
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 c + 2Tbsp all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg chocolate chips semi or milk ( I like to use half of each)

In large bowl, pour boiling water over oats. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and butter, mix in egg. In a seperate bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to batter, mix well. Stir in vanilla and half of the chocolate chips. Grease and flour a cupcake tin, I like the large ones the best. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining chocolate chips. bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes our clean. I like to wrap some in saran wrap and freeze them for later. Great for a grab and go breakfast!

sweet yummy bread!

1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbls. salt
6 Tbls. powdered milk
1 1/2 Tbls. instant yeast
3 c. bread flour
2 beaten eggs
3 c. hot tap water
1/2 c. crisco shortening (melted)
4 c. bread flour, approximately

In a large mixing bowl (or kitchen aid) combine sugar, salt, powdered milk, yeast, & 3 cups bread flour. Mix, so dry ingredients are blended. Add wet ingredients (I like to add the eggs first and mix the dry mixture so when I add the hot water, or melted crisco it won't make scramble the eggs then add water, & crisco). Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of bowl. Add the last flour 1 cup at a time. You may need less or more flour. It should be a soft dough. Let rise 45 minutes. Punch down. Divide into 3 equal loaves. Then divide each loaf into 3 parts. Roll into 3 ropes just longer then your pan. Braid dough. Tuck ends in and place into greased bread pan. Makes 3 loaves. Let rise for 1/2 hour. Brush with beaten egg (we skip this step, but it does make a beautiful shiny bread. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Put hot bread on cooling racks. We like to brush on butter over the tops of bread. it seems to soften the crust once it's cooled. Enjoy!

Breadsticks (smilar to Judds)

1 1/2 cup luke warm water
1 TBS yeast
2TBS sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
dash salt

mix.... knead.... let rise.


roll into long ropes twist.

Brush melted butter and sprinkle parm chz and garlic salt on top.

we like to dip in nacho cheese