Breads
Baked Boston Brown Bread
Our moist, delicious brown bread is unique in two ways. The fine flavor is further enhanced by beverage coffee. And - surprise!- this bread requires no steaming. Just bake it in the oven, using an empty coffee can as the perfect-size baking pan. You’ll find it’s the sort of bread you may want to substitute for dessert when you drink that final cup of coffee after supper.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cup buttermilk
½ cup strong coffee
½ cup light molasses
1 cup seedless raisins
Combine whole wheat flour and corn meal (do not sift). Mix and sift all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add to corn meal mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into 2 well-greased 1-lb. coffee cans. Let stand ½ hour. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Cinnamon Braid
Does the smell of freshly baked bread remind you of the old-fashioned goodness in your mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen? Today’s fast-paced life often leaves little time for baking yeast breads at home and any home-baked food becomes a treat.
Cinnamon Braid is just the recipe to provide the incentive for your yeast bread baking. Begin with a basic sweet dough and form it into strips. Roll the strips in cinnamon sugar, then braid them together. The recipe makes two loaves. When sliced, a lacy pattern of cinnamon sugar is revealed.
2 packages yeast, compressed or dry
¼ cup water (lukewarm for compressed yeast, warm for dry)
1 cup milk
½ cup milk
¼ cup shortening or oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups sifted enriched flour
2 eggs
¼ cup melted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons water
cinnamon sugar
milk
Soften yeast in water. Scald milk. Measure sugar, shortening or oil and salt into large bowl. Add hot milk, stirring until sugar dissolves and shortening is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in about 1½ cups flour and beat well. Beat in softened yeast and eggs. Stir in enough more flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured board or pastry cloth and knead until smooth and satiny, about 5 to 8 minutes. Shape into ball and place in lightly greased bowl, turning to grease surface of ball. Cover and let rise in warm place ( 80 to 85 degrees) until doubled, about 1½ hours. Punch down. Divide dough in half and shape into balls. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare two 4½ x 8½-inch loaf pans by placing 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon water in bottom of each pan. For braid, divide each ball into 3 parts. Roll each part into strips about 18 inches long. Roll strips in cinnamon sugar. Braid 3 strips together, tuck under ends and fit into pans. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 2 loaves.
Applesauce Butterscotch Bread
For lunchbox, for the tea table, for the coffee hour, a bread that tastes good anytime, and is easy to make. The secret of the tender texture, the good flavor is applesauce. Here is the recipe:
2 cups biscuit mix
1 cup rolled oats, uncooked
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
½ cup golden seedless raisins
½ cup broken walnut meats
1 egg, well beaten
¼ cup milk
1 cup canned applesauce
Combine first 5 ingredients by stirring (do not sift). Add chocolate, raisins, and nuts. Combine egg and milk; stir in. Stir in applesauce. Beat hard, with a spoon for ½ minute. Spoon into greased loaf pan. Bake in moderate oven, 350 degrees, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to rack. Cool. Do not slice until the day after baking.
Apple-Peanut Butter Muffins
2 cups sifted flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped apples
2 eggs
¼ cup margarine
¼ cup chunk style peanut butter
1 cup milk
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together into mixing bowl; add chopped apples. Make well in center. Beat eggs until foamy. Melt margarine and peanut butter in small saucepan; add to eggs; stir into milk. Pour into well in dry ingredients; stir, lightly and quickly, just until flour mixture is moistened. (Batter should be lumpy). Pour into greased muffin pans, filling cups 2/3 full. Bake in 425 degrees oven, 25 minutes. Serve warm.
Makes 10 to 12 medium-size muffins.
Lace-edged Corn Cakes
Cornbreads of every description are a stock in trade of the Southern cook. It has been said, and truly so, that the home of corn bread is the South. Cooking experts below the Mason-Dixon line are careful to point out that Southern corn breads should never be made with yellowmeal, but always with the best whitemeal. Lace-edged corn cakes are a favorite in many Dixieland homes. They are a perfect accompaniment to broiled or fried ham and gravy and are excellent with a vegetable dinner.
2 eggs, well-beaten
2 cups sweet milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted margarine
1 cup white corn meal
Beat together eggs, milk, and salt. Add corn meal and margarine. Bake on a well-margarined hot griddle, using a spoonful of batter to a small cake. (Stir batter well each time you bake a cake.)
Makes about 40 small cakes.
“The only night air that is injurious is last night’s.”
Herb Bread
Your home-baked Herb Bread will be fragrant with basil, thyme, oregano and nutmeg seasonings, and have that wonderful yeasty goodness of fresh bread. Fresh from the oven and cut in thick slices, it is delicious generously spread with softened butter or margarine.
2 packages yeast, compressed or dry
¼ cup water (lukewarm for compressed yeast, warm for dry)
1 cup milk
¼ cup shortening or oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups enriched flour (about)
2 eggs
½ teaspoon each basil, oregano, thyme and nutmeg
Soften yeast in water. Scald milk. Measure shortening or oil, sugar and salt into large bowl. Add hot milk, stirring until shortening melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in about 1½ cups flour and beat well. Beat in softened yeast and eggs. Crumble basil, oregano and thyme in palm of hand. Add to batter with nutmeg. Stir in enough more flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured board or pastry cloth and knead until smooth and satiny. Shape into ball and place in lightly greased bowl, turning to grease surface of ball. Cover and let rise in warm place ( 80 to 85 degrees) until doubled, about 1½ hours. Punch down. Divide dough in 2 equal portions and shape into balls. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Shape into two loaves. Place in greased 4½ x 8½-inch loaf pans. Lightly grease surface of loaves. Let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) 30 to 35 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from pans and brush surfaces with butter or margarine.
Makes two 1-pound loaves.
Apricot Rolls
It’s bound to be a good day when Apricot Rolls greet your family at breakfast. Even the sight of these twisted rolls, topped with tangy orange glaze, is sure to nudge the sleepiest family member into action.
1 cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup boiling water
2 packages yeast, compressed or dry
¼ cup water (lukewarm for compressed yeast, warm for dry)
1 cup milk
½ cup sugar
¼ cup shortening or oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups sifted enriched flour
2 eggs
butter or margarine, melted
sugar
2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon orange extract
1 or 2 drops yellow food coloring
Pour boiling water over apricots; reserve. Soften yeast in lukewarm or warm water. Heat milk until almost simmering. Measure sugar, shortening or oil, and salt into large mixing bowl. Stir in enough more flour to make a soft dough. Turn out into lightly floured board or pastry cloth and knead until smooth and satiny, about 5 to 8 minutes. (Dough may feel slightly sticky.) Shape into ball and place in lightly greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. over and let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees) until doubled, about 1½ hours. Punch down. Divide in half; let rest 10 minutes. Roll out each half to 12x16 inch rectangle.
Brush with butter or margarine and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Fold dough in half to form 8x12 inch rectangle; cut into 1x8 inch strips. Wind each strip around index finger to form an upright spiral, twisting strip while winding. Slip off finger and seal ends toward center of spiral. Place on ungreased baking sheet, 3 to 4 inches apart. Brush rolls with butter or margarine.
Let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. (During rising and/or baking, some rolls may topple slightly.) Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with butter or margarine. Cool slightly on wire racks. While rolls are cooling, blend together confectioner’s sugar, milk and orange extract until smooth. Stir in food coloring, if desired. Drip icing over warm rolls. Serve warm or cool.
Makes 24 rolls.
Date Hot Cross Buns
1 cup fresh California dates
1 package (about 13 oz.) hot roll mix
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 to 2½ tablespoon vanilla
Pinch salt
Fresh California dates, slivered
Chop cup dates coarsely. Prepare roll mix as package directs; stir in chopped dates and cinnamon. Let rise. When almost doubled in size, shape into 18 balls. Place in greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Brush with egg white; cover with towel and let rise in warm place until almost doubled in bulk. Bake 375 degree (moderately hot) oven about 20 minutes. remove from pan; cool on wire rack. Blend powdered sugar, hot water, vanilla and salt; frost buns. Top with date slivers to form crosses.
Makes 18 buns.
Basic Biscuits
2 cups sifted enriched flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup shortening
¾ cup milk (approx.)
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut or rub in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Blend in enough milk to make a soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured board or pastry cloth and knead 30 seconds. Roll out ½ inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter or sharp knife. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in very hot oven (450 degrees) 10 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 medium biscuits.
Banana Pancakes
1½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs, separated
1½ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons shortening, melted
1 cup (1½ medium) thinly sliced bananas
Fruited Vanilla-Lemon Sauce (recipe to follow)
Sift the first 4 ingredients together. Thoroughly combine egg yolks, milk, and pure vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture. Add melted shortening, stirring only enough to blend all ingredients. Add sliced bananas. Beat egg whites until they stand in soft stiff peaks. Fold into batter. Cook on a hot, lightly greased griddle, allowing about a third-cup of batter for each pancake. Serve hot with Fruited Vanilla-Lemon Sauce. Yields 5 servings.
Fruited Vanilla-Lemon Sauce
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
one-sixteenth teaspoon salt
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
8 maraschino cherries, coarsely chopped
2 slices canned pineapple, coarsely chopped
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine first 3 ingredients. Add water and mix well. Cook until mixture is clear and slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add butter or margarine and lemon juice. Heat. Add remaining ingredients. Serve warm over pancakes. Yields about 1½ cups.
Corn Pancakes
Stacks of hot corn pancakes with melting butter and surrounded with glistening brown sausages make an enticing platterful either for breakfast or supper. Serve them with syrup and a fruit compote on the side.
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 cups packaged pancake mix
1 cup drained whole kernel corn
Add water to milk and stir to mix. Add to pancake mix and blend, adding corn with last few stirs. Use about 3 tablespoons of batter for each pancake, and bake on hot, lightly greased griddle. Turn only once. Finished pancakes can be kept hot by placing them between folds of a towel placed on a cookie sheet and kept in a very slow oven (200 to 225 degrees) until ready to serve. Makes about 20 pancakes (5 servings).
Belgian Waffles
2 cups sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
1¼ cups milk
6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Combine with milk. Add gradually to dry ingredients, stirring until batter is smooth. Stir in melted butter. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold in. Bake in hot waffle iron. Makes 6 to 8 waffles. Top hot waffles with sliced, sweetened strawberries and whipped cream.
Vanilla Waffles
Mr. Westlund (Chief Confectioner of the S. S. America cruise ship in 1956), recipe for vanilla waffles uses evaporated milk for a light, tender texture. Serve them for a different breakfast flavor, or top with ice cream and fruit sauce for dessert.
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs, separated
½ cup evaporated milk
½ cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons salad oil or melted shortening
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat egg yolks; stir in milk, water, vanilla and salad oil. Add dry ingredients, mixing until just blended. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into batter. Bake on hot waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions. Yields 4 nine-inch waffles.
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