Bannock

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp baking powder

water

oil or lard

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix half the flour with the remaining dry ingredients.
2. Add water until the mixture becomes thick, "like a paper mache paste".
3. Add more flour until the dough feels like a soft earlobe.
4. Heat the oil or lard (or use non-stick spray) over a medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
5. Break off small pieces of the dough and flatten each to the size of your palm, about 1/2-inch thick.
6. Place the pieces in the hot oil (or use non-stick spray), turn after about 3 minutes, or when golden brown.
7. Place the bannock on a paper towel to soak up the excess grease.

I served this with Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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Paska

From Mennonite Girls Can Cook (my adaptations in bold)

• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. In a large bowl, put your yeast, sugar and warm water. Let sit 10 minutes. .if it hasn't poofed up . . either your yeast is old, or dead . ..if that happens, start again. There is no point in going on without nice poofy yeast.

• 1 medium lemon
• 1 medium orange

1. Take your citrus and peel it very thin. I use a vegetable peeler. (I use my microplane to shave off or zest as much of the peel as possible) You don't want to use any of the white part of the peel. Put the thinly sliced peel in the blender.
2. Once you have removed and discarded the white pith of the citrus.. .chop your lemon and orange . .removing all the seeds. Add the chopped lemon and orange to the blender.(I add the zest right into the yeast mixture but add the inside pieces to the blender.)

• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup of real butter

1. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter and milk until the butter melts. .or do it in a saucepan on the stove.
2. Once it is melted .. .add it to the blender. Start the blender .. and begin to puree.

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt (I do not add the salt)

1. Start the blender on high and allow the citrus, peel and milk, butter mixture to run for about 2 or 3 minutes.
2. Add the eggs, sugar and salt.
3. Continue to run the blender for another minute or two until very smooth.
4. Measure the milk/citrus and sugar mixture. . it should be about 4 1/2 cups. If you have a bit more or less that is fine. .you will just adjust the flour likewise. (My Kitchen Aid doesn't accommodate this full recipe so I just measure half of the yeast mixture and 2 1/4 cups of the blender mixture into a separate bowl and do the flour part in 2 batches)
5. Pour the mixture, along with the yeast mixture into a large bowl .. or the bowl of your kitchen machine, which has a dough hook.
6. Add flour. . .one cup at a time until you have a smooth soft dough .. .it will be sticky. I think about 7 cups of flour (or 3 1/2 cups if you are making it in the kitchen aid in 2 small batches) should be right. . but it will depend on the size of your eggs and the size of your lemon and orange. With a plastic bowl . .it is easy to tell when the dough has enough flour because it will stop sticking to the side of the bowl ..but with a metal bowl you really do need to stop the mixer often and touch your dough before adding additional flour. It really is best to stop the machine once it is getting close. . and knead the last bit of flour by hand. . .a little at a time until it is smooth. Do not add more than 7 1/2 cups flour. . allow it to remain sticky. If you measured the milk mixture and had 4 1/2 cups. .7 cups of flour will be enough. . .sticky but enough.
7. The amount of flour is a guide. .if your dough is still super sticky add a little more flour a dusting at a time. Look at the picture in the collage of my dough .. .that is how it should look. It should be able to hold its shape. There will be several factors in how your dough could be different than mine. . .the flour you purchase or how you fill your cup of flour. . I scoop and shake to level. Or. . it could be that you have slightly more liquid. Don't despair if you think it is still too sticky. . .go slow. . add a dusting more. .turn the dough on the counter and knead until you are out of flour again. .and then give it another dusting and continue this way until. . .it looks like mine in the picture.
8. After kneading it by hand or with the machine for about 8 - 10 minutes. . .transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, a tea towel and allow to rise until doubled. This should take about an hour. .to an hour and a half.
9. At this point, give it a bit of a punch down and let rest at least 10 minutes or up to another hour.
10. During this time prepare your pans. I spray mine with Pam. Make loaves and let rise until doubled in bulk .. .or about an hour to an hour and a half.
11. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the loaves about 20 minutes. .but again it totally depends on the size of your pans.
12. Allow to cool on cooling racks.  I put them in the freezer unless we are eating them the same day . 

Paska Icing

• 1 cup of soft real butter
• 4 pasteurized egg whites (young children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems should avoid raw egg whites)  I often  use egg white powder  and water.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• enough icing sugar to make a soft icing. It will harden again in the fridge.

1. Beat all together until light and smooth....and spread on each slice .. .and sprinkle with colored sugar.

Loaded Biscuits

I love biscuits! And I love all the extra things added to make these biscuits extra tasty. A recipe from my hubby's Mom.
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 3 tbsp finely chopped green onion
- 2 tbsp finally chopped green pepper (I used orange as that's what I had on hand)
- 1/3 cup oil
- 3/4 cup cold milk

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cheese, onion and pepper in a large bowl. Add oil and milk. Using a fork, toss the ingredients together until the mixture forms a ball or mass, which will stick together, adding more milk if necessary. Excess liquid makes a sticky dough that is hard to handle and too little makes a dough that will crumble and crack. Turn out onto a lightly floured board; knead lightly two or three times. Roll untili 3/4 inch thick. Cut into biscuit rounds with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees C for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.

* I think I rolled these a little too thin. Still tasted good, but wouldn't roll it quite so thin next time. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm!!

Raspberry Bread

Another great recipe from my friend Julie. Yay for raspberry season!
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups raspberries (fresh or thawed)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts*
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs until light and foamy. Add oil, sugar, raspberries and vanilla. Mix lightly but well. Sift together and then add flour, salt, soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Add nuts and mix gently. Pour into two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

*Walnuts optional
** Glazing the loaves with icing makes it extra tasty!

Lemon Loaf

So easy. So delicious!

• 1 package lemon cake mix
• 1 package lemon jello powder
• 3/4 cup salad oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup boiling water

Make up the jelly powder with one cup boiling water. Cool. Add cool jelly and oil to cake mix. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Fold into 2 loaf pans.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Glaze: 1 cup icing sugar with 2-3 tbsp lemon juice. Variation: use vanilla in place of the lemon juice.

Soft Gooey Cinnamon Buns

1 cup warm milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup margarine
2 eggs
2Tbsp. yeast
1 pkg. instant butterscotch pudding
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
8 cups flour
Filling:
1 cup soft margarine
2 cups Brown sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together milk, water & margarine till margarine is melted, add eggs, yeast, salt, sugar, then add flour & pudding. Mix until smooth and sides are clear of dough, you may need another 1/2 cup or flour, but this is an extremely soft dough.
Let rise in a warm spot for 45 min. punch down and cut into half. Roll out into using rolling pin to aprox. 15 x 8 inch rectangle and spread 1/2 cup of soft margarine on top, then mix together brown sugar & cinnamon and sprinkle 1/2 the mixture over top and pat down a bit.

Roll up and cut into 12 pieces,
and place in a greased 9 x13 pan or sometimes i use a cookie sheet and put 12 in each pan, i tend to score mine first and cut with a knife, many people prefer using dental floss whatever works for you is great, then repeat with second batch of dough to make a total of 24 cinnamon buns. Let rise 1/2 hr. and bake at 325 for 20 -25 min. After baking let rest a min. then turn upside down on a cookie sheet so buns will come out easily

Drizzle on some cream cheese icing or butter icing is also delic. I love making these so they're just hot out of the oven for supper, and one i put into the freezer for a needed dessert day or company.

Fergasa Bread Loaf

this is what we used to make in the bakery when i worked there, and it is so simple and tasty especially with any pasta dishes or even pizza, fresh hot out of the oven, spread with butter, hm...
Fergasa Loaf
1 portion of your home made bread dough or you can buy the frozen bread doughs and thaw
1 egg
1 cup marble or mild cheese
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup onion chives or onion greens

Chop up your raw bread dough into bite type size chunks, add one egg,

onion chives, ( it may look like a lot but once it comes out of the oven it doesn't seem that way) garlic powder and cheese and chop up together a bit more till nicely blended,

dump everything (it is quite messy) into a well greased bread pan and let rise for 50 min t0 an hr.

Bake 350 for 20 - 25 min. till nicely golden.

Pizza

Pizza Dough
3 3/4 cups white flour
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fast rising yeast
1 cup warm water

Mix flour & margarine, salt & sugar till crumbly, made a well in centre of bowl and put in the yeast and warm water and mix until you have nice and soft dough to work with. Let rise about 30 min. then roll out to size of pizza pan ( i have a large pizza pan) or cookie sheet. Make sure to spray pam or greese sheet. Let rise for another 10 - 15 min.

4 cups marble cheese or your fav. cheese
1 jar catelli pizza sauce or your fav. sauce
1 stick of peperoni sliced thin
1/2 cup parmasan cheese

spread on your favorite pizza sauce, i used Catelli and add your fav. toppings, i used peperoni & sprinkle generously with your fav. cheese, i used marble & parmasan cheese. Bake in hot oven 400 degrees for 10 -15 min. till golden brown

Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

I like to bake one pan right away and save one for the next morning. Fresh Cinnamon buns with coffee in the morning is the best!!

Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

• 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup butter

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the milk, sugar, oil, egg, baking powder, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smoth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn dough onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-in x 10-in rectangle. Spread each with 2 tbsp butter. Combine the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut each into 12 slices. Place cut side down in two greased 13-in x 9-in x 2-in baking pans. Cover and refigerate for upto 24 hours. To bake, remove rolls from the refrigerator and let stand 30 minutes. In a sauce pan, combine topping ingredients. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 1 minute. Pour over dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately invert onto serving plates.

Yield: 2 dozen

* Refrigerating for 24 hours is not neccesary. I found that baking them right away gives the same results as waiting 24 hours. But I do like to keep one pan in the fridge to bake later.

* Also, I usually double the topping ingredients. I like my buns nice and saucy!

Buttery Corn Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened.
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups milk
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter adn sugar. Add the eggs and milk, mix again. Add flour, cornmean, baking powder and salt. Mix.
2. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 400'F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

This is the easiest recipe ever. We love love love it. We pull it out of the oven, and serve it up immediately with butter.

Banana Pudding Cake

2 ripe Banana's mashed

3 eggs

1/4 cup oil

1 cup water

1 pkg. instant vanilla or banana cream pudding

1 yellow or white cake mix (name brands work best)

Mash banana's, add eggs, oil & water, mix till smooth with mixer, add cake mix & pudding, mix together for two min or so till smooth and pour into an ungreased angel food pan or if you have a bundt pan that would work great as well. Bake 350 for an hr. or when toothpick comes out perfectly clean and top is all golden. Cool and then take sharp knife cut around edges and take out of pan, cover to store. I like to eat mine plain, hubby spreads his with lots of butter

White Buns

3 cups warm water

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 TBSP fast rising yeast

8 + cups of white flour

Mix oil, sugar, eggs, salt together, add the warm water and then add your yeast, continue mixing and slowly add flour until dough is only slighly sticky ( sometimes i find depending on brand as well as humidity i can add up to another 2 cups of flour). Place in a large bowl and let rise 35 min. in a warm oven or in the sunshine covered with lid or clean tea towel & plastic.

grease 4 baking sheets and then roll out dough cutting off aprox. a sm. handfull and rolling into a ball. Place 3 buns across and 4 down if making regular buns or pan buns 4 across and 6 down. when all the dough has been cut and rolled. cover with a clean tea towel and plastic bag, and let rise aprox an hour, this also depends on humidity sometimes i find they'll be ready 45 min after letting rise. Bake 350 for 10 -12 min. this will also depend on your oven.

Rollkuchen & Watermelon

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 + cup whipping cream

Mix dry ingredients together add eggs, cream. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8"+ thick, cut into rectangles, cut a slit in centre and pull one end through. Fry in hot fat 375 degrees, till golden, turn and fry other side. Drain on paper towel. Serve with watermelon.

This is what's for supper tonight as its so toasty warm out, perfect meal for it. My hubby likes his thin and crispy so i use the same dough, just cut off a chunk and roll very, very thin and cut a slat in the centre and fry same temp. I like mine nice and soft & fluffy, he likes them cripsy

Home made White Bread

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup white sugar

4 cups warm water

1 egg

1 TBSP salt

2 TBSP fast rising yeast

10 cups white flour - depending on brand and humidity you may need more or less

Place oil, sugar salt and egg into mixing bowl, add warm water then yeast, slowly add one cup at a time of flour and mix until dough is soft but not sticky. Place in warm place for 35 min. cut into 4 and make loaves, (i have the large pans so if you have sm. pans i'm sure it would make 6) place in warm palce and cover w. plastic & tea towel. for aprox. 50 min - 1 hr. Bake 350 for 20 min. of course this will depend on your oven, as the oven i have now i bake 400 for 20 min.

When cool i slice my bread and put into bread bags and freeze so when i need a loaf i just take it out and let thaw. enjoy

Buns

Is there anything better than buns, fresh from the oven? I think not!
Buns

This recipe works well using a large mixer with a large bowl and fitted with dough hooks. Begin with a coarse whisk, switching to a dough hook as the mixing becomes heavier.

• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup oil
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp fermipan yeast

Mix first six ingredients and add 4 cups flour. Then slowly add 2 tbsp fermipan yeast that has been mixed with 1 cup flour. Continue to add flour (approx 8 - 10 cups total) until fairly stiff. Turn into large bowl and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down.* Let rise again until double. Shape into buns and let rise on pans. Bake at 350.

Variation: To make brown buns, use whole wheat flour for the first four cups. 1/4 cup wheat germ and 1/4 cup crushed flax can be added as well.

*I don't usually let the dough rise a second time. Once is enough for me! I've got things to do!

Banana Muffins

1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 egg 1 tsp soda 1/2 cup oil 1 cup bananas (2 bananas) 1.5 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. This is the only banana muffin recipe that has ever turned out well for me. Makes 12 muffins.

Italian Bread Wedges

This is a recipe I got from Home Ec. class in high school - it's been around a few years! This would probably be close to the top of the list of Devin's favorite foods. Great served as an appetizer or in place of garlic toast.
Italian Bread Wedges

Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt

This is the original dough recipe I used. Once I got my bread maker I switched to the pizza dough recipe that came with in the recipe book. Much softer dough!

Break maker recipe:

• 1 cup beer or water (I use water which is supposed to be crispier, but I still find it to be nice and soft).
• 1 tbsp butter/margarine
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 3 tsp instant yeast

Put in bread maker in order listed. Use dough setting. Makes two thin crusts or one thick crust (we like the thick crust).

Spread dough on greased pizza pan. Set oven at 450.

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/2 - 1/3 cup italian dressing
• parmesan cheese
• shredded cheddar or mozza cheese

Mix spices in a small bowl. Brush dressing evenly over dough. Sprinkle on spices and cheeses. Bake for about 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cut into wedges or strips.

I make this quite often, so I'll mix the spices in larger quantity and store in a big shaker. We like to eat it with honey dill sauce - bought is really good, but you can make your own by mixing about a half a cup of mayo with about a tbsp or two of liquid honey and adding dill.

No-Fail Breadmaker Bread

I'm not sure about yours, but I have found some breadmakers to be pretty finicky. I was telling my breadmaker woes to a co-worker of mine and his wife immediately went to the kitchen and came back with this no-fail recipe. Apparently, they have given it to many friends and family, and all have had success. So, if you are going through the breadmaking woes, give this a whirl - you will be pleasantly surprised.


Ingredients:

350mL water
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup flax seed (Ground or whole. This can be omitted, but I highly suggest giving it a try)
2 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp yeast

Add all ingredients, in order, to baking pan.
Insert pan in bread machine and select 'sweet cycle'.
When finished (breadmachines can range between 2.5-4 hours on their sweet cycle, be sure to check how long yours is), remove from pan as soon as possible and let cool for a few minutes.
Enjoy!




Nutrition Notes:
I really like that this bread is 50% whole wheat, it is low in added fat, and the flax seed adds terrific texture, softness, and a load of omega-3. Over all, the health value is almost as good as you can get, the recipe is easy, and it tastes great!