Monday, August 16, 2010

Apple Spice Waffles

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup oat bran
4 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
1 C apple (shredded)
1/2 C pecans, chopped
3 C milk
2 eggs
1/2 C butter
1 T honey

Combine dry ingredients. Stir in the apple and nuts. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and beat well. Add to dry ingredients, and stir until well combined. Bake in a waffle iron. Note: The batter will seem thin at first, but don’t add extra flour. Serve with apple topping.

Apple Topping:

1/2 C sugar
2 T butter, melted
2 T cornstarch
5 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 1/4 C apple juice
1/2 t cinnamon

In a large saucepan, mix together the sugar, butter, and cornstarch. Then add the other ingredients and cook until the apples are soft and the mixture is thick. It’s a good idea to start the topping first, and let it simmer while you make the waffles. You can also substitute honey for the sugar and water for the apple juice.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Amish Friendship Bread

Starter:

1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 C warm water
1 C flour
1 C sugar
1 C warm milk

Dissolve yeast in warm water for about 10 mins. Stir well. In a glass or plastic container, combine flour and sugar. Mix well. Slowly stir in warm milk and yeast mixture. Store in a large ziploc bag. Make sure to label the bag with the date, as day 1.

Day 1: Receive starter
Day 2: mush bag, push any air out and reseal
Day 2: ditto
Day 3: ditto
Day 4: ditto
Day 5: add 1 C each flour sugar and milk, mush bag
Day 6: mush bag, remove excess air
Day 7: ditto
Day 8: ditto
Day 9: ditto
Day 10: add 1 C each flour sugar and milk. divide into 4 bags with 1 C each. Give away 3 with instructions, keep one for yourself.

Combine your C of batter with the following:

2/3 C oil
3 eggs
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
1-1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 C sugar
2 C flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda

Beat until well blended. Grease 2 loaf pans with butter and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mix instead of flour. Bake at 325F for 45 mins to 1 hr.

Homemade Yogurt

4 C fresh, organic 2% milk
1/3 C powdered milk
1/2 C organic yogurt (starter)
thermometer

Slowly heat milk on stove over low-med heat. Add powdered milk. Pay VERY CLOSE attention to the milk. It must reach a temp of 170F without boiling. Once you've hit 170F, remove from heat and wait for milk to cool to 108-112 degrees. Once it gets to this temp, mix a small amount in with the yogurt. This will break up the yogurt and make blending it with the rest of the milk easier. Once you have blended the yogurt fully in with the milk, place in a preheated yogurt maker for 4-8 hours. Refigerate before eating. Makes 1 quart.

Stonyfield Farm starter: 6 active cultures, making faster fermentation (4-5 hrs), resulting in more whey (watery substance); also has a thinner texture; tangier flavor, more like a green apple

Fage starter: 2 active cultures, slower fermentation (6-8 hrs), less or no whey; texture is thicker, smoother, creamier; softer flavor, more like a pear

Add fruit, berries, cereal, sweetener (honey, summersweet, maple syrup, etc.), or jam to flavor.

PW's Chex Mix

250F

3 C each corn, wheat, and rice chex
2 C pretzel sticks
2 C mixed nuts
1-1 1/2 sticks butter
3 T worstershire sauce
6-12 dashes tobasco sauce
3 cloves mashed garlic
1 t seasoning salt
1/4 t onion powder

Dump cereal, pretzels, and nuts in a large bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix remaining ingredients and microwave until butter is melted. Stir in together and toss in to cereal mixture, stirring as you go. Transfer mix onto 1 or 2 baking sheets. Bake for 1 hr, 15 mins, stirring every 15 mins. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Ultimate Hot Chocolate

2 1oz squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 can eagle brand
4 C water
1 t vanilla

In your microwave or a small saucepan over med heat, heat chocolate and eagle brand until chocolate is completely melted (about 2-2 1/2 mins in the microwave). Whisk in vanilla, combine completely, and set aside. In a larger saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate mixture.
Serves about 6

Mexican Hot Chocolate:
Add 1 1/2 t cinnamon and 1/8-1/4 t cayenne pepper.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate:
Replace vanilla with 1 t peppermint extract. Use a candy cane to stir instead of a spoon.

Almond or Hazelnut Hot Chocolate:
Replace vanilla with 1 t almond or hazelnut extract.

Toffee

1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 C corn syrup
1 C butter
1 can eagle brand
1 t salt

Cook all ingredients together in a large pot on med, stirring constantly. Once ingredients are well mixed, check the consistency frequently by dipping a spoon in and cooling it in cold water. Remove from heat when it's the consistency you want. Pour in a WELL greased pan.

For turtles, push pecan halves into toffee in rows, as close together as you can. Do this while it's still warm. When it's cool, cut into rows and then pieces with 1 pecan half on each piece. Dip in melted chocolate.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Turkish Delight

3 T (pkgs) Knoxx gelatin
1/2 C cold water
2 C sugar
1/2 C hot water
grated rind & juice of 1 lemon & 1 orange
red food coloring
2 T cherry flavoring or juice from a bottle of maraschino cherries

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and set aside. Mix sugar and hot water in a pot ever med until sugar is dissolved, then add gelatin and stir until mixed well. turn down heat and simmer 20 mins. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Have someone hold a large strip of layered cheesecloth over a sprayed bread pan (you can also clip it to the edges, just make sure it's very secure and that the middle has some give). Slowly pour turkish through the cheesecloth into the pan. Pull the corners and sides of the cheesecloth together and use 2 spoons to gently squeeze out excess. Throw out cheesecloth and refrigerate turkish until firm. Cut into 9 strips, then each strip into 5 blocks. Cut each block in half and dip in melted chocolate.