The secret of good bread making beyond the ingredients … Don’t be afraid to use a little muscle in the kneading. No one made bread better than my grandmother. She often made 20 loaves at a time. That’s some kneading, or more correctly a lot of muscle. Yep, her arms were strong, and she had well formed deltoids before it was in vogue.
This morning I enjoyed a generous slice of this bread with coffee my grandmother’s way, cream and sugar. Yep, she was from the East Coast!
Just Perfect!
This recipe requires no condiments to enhance the flavor. Eat it hot from the oven. You’ll see. It’s amazing!
Happy Cinco De Mayo! We’re celebrating! How about you? Have you tried this cake? If you haven’t you’re missing out! A special surprise is in store for you!
This recipe is quick and easy. I hope you’ll give it a try!
Ripe bananas in our home are quickly made into muffins, bread, cake or pancakes. You will rarely see a banana with brown spots in our fruit bowl. In fact, we prefer eating a slightly green banana in our cereal.
Fruit makes a quick recycle in my kitchen today. No time for fruit flies. Fruit was never a turn-on in my early years. My father’s business was closely associated with ranchers and farmers. We had an abundant fruit bowl thanks to his generous customers. But in our warm house with open windows the fruit took on a less than appetizing appearance. Crates of over-ripe strawberries were made into jam. Peaches and tomatoes were canned. Watermelon and cantaloupe were eaten as quickly as possible. Freezing some fruit was done too but only after we acquired a deep freezer. It was just too much information for me then. Today I see how lucky we were. And how appreciated my dad was by his customers.
The habit of recycling fruit moves much faster today in my kitchen, and I have passed the habit onto my children. So, after the fruit smoothies my daughter and I made last week (with bananas just ripe) the overripe have been made into this delicious bread.
I’ve added a hint of orange flavor with orange zest and orange extract. It’s amazing. The crust is slightly crunchy and the texture of the bread is moist and not heavy. Black walnuts add a flavor that is just right. I’m not a fan of black walnuts as a snack but in this bread they add just the right taste change to make this extraordinary.
I hope you’ll try this recipe. It’s one of the best banana nut bread recipes I’ve tasted.
It’s all my daughter’s fault! Where are the chocolate chips!
This basic chocolate chip cookie recipe was my favorite for 25 Years before my daughter came along … embedded in my memory to pull up at any time. My two oldest sons had been eating these chocolate chip cookies for some years without any complaints … after school finding these warm cookies with milk. (Almond milk is now the fav.) Steve would leave behind a few uneaten walnuts but everyone agreed these were delicious cookies fully loaded. It’s still a mystery why but this cookie recipe became three one day! And now six!
What you see is one of my daughter’s favorite cookies. Chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips or walnuts. So, with that day each of my four children let me in on their favorite chocolate chip cookie version … to this day only one (me too) enjoys the fully loaded.
This is a very simple recipe with just a few pantry items. And if you don’t have chocolate chips let me help you pick from your pantry other items you might have. Thank you Missy for making this such a versatile recipe. Now my basic cookie recipe!
Whip up this recipe in minutes … Minimal ingredients you most likely have in your pantry … You’ll need a little time for these to rise but this definitely is not a labor intensive recipe. And did I forget to mention … they’re delicious!
My daughter will be here early morning and I may miss her arrival, a commitment. But I’ve already prepared a lovely welcome for her with these much loved cinnamon rolls.
I’ve had many requests for this German Chocolate Cake … A cake recipe I’ve been putting together since I was a teen. Three layers with cooked frosting and expensive ingredients make this a special occasion cake. One of my verybest friends (you know the kind … you don’t talk for years but you are there for each other when needed as if no time had passed) loves this cake. She and I worked together on and off for over 20 years … some of the most fulfilling work years I’ve experienced. Our work was grueling but Lori’s humor made often unbearable days bearable.
Here is your birthday cake … really late but I hope you enjoy it!
Amazingly simple, three recipes in one. The sequence is important … cook custard or pudding first, follow with preparing the pastry, and lastly, the icing or glaze. My glaze was done just a little too soon and became a little difficult to spread or dip.
A family owned bakery in our little town perfected this eclair and offered it with either custard or whipped cream filling. Our family preferred the custard filling but often didn’t get to the bakery before they were sold out. Now the bakery is gone and eclairs are even harder to come by.
So, here is my recipe! And yes, I believe I may like these better. There is something about making it yourself!
The ingredients in these two favorites, Mexican Wedding Cakes and Portuguese Almond Cookies, make a perfect marriage, Almond Wedding Cake Cookies. They’re rich and densely packed with almonds. To make it vegan I suggest vegan butter. I have substituted almond butter for half of the cup of butter called for in the recipe. This I do not recommend. Substituting no more than 1/4 cup of almond butter plus using 3/4 cup butter is doable.
35 years ago fresh bagels couldn’t be found in our city, Visalia. In fact, you were lucky if you found frostbitten bagels in the freezer section of your favorite grocer. Rather than driving the long distance to the big city to scout out bakeries for this hard to find treat, I made them!
I was never much at bread making then and was a bit fearful … believing bagels to be more complex. My husband was so impressed … So let’s keep the secret. Bagels are easy!
Bagels are very forgiving. This is a one bowl mix. 2-3 hours start to finish with only about 40 minutes total prep time. Top the water cooked bagels with sesame seeds and poppy seeds before popping them into the oven for the final baking. No one thought beyond plain, egg or onion bagels … not so long ago.
These filled mini-cupcakes are a great treat for both children and adults. My sister-in-law, Ruth, had suggested these mini-cupcakes for my blog … They are such an easy change up treat. Use my quick white cupcake recipe here, your own, or a box mix. You can change up the flavor of both the cupcakes and frosting-filling … And the color of the frosting-filling. This dessert will work for so many occasions … baby showers, bridal showers, holidays, birthdays….
