Bread of Life

Well, I have been baking bread all day while juggling and chasing S since he can't go outside (in the front) without me. (long story about mean neighbors) Anyway, I am baking bread cause everytime I go to the store I end up with a million things I want but don't need. I can't remember where I got these recipes, probably the Taste Of Home magazine, but I have tweeked them just a bit to make them my own.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

5 cups water (70-80 degrees)
1/2 cup honey or sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
6 Tablespoons salt
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
7 cups white flour (or bread flour)
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups quick oats
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons gluten (optional)

Place water and sugar in a Bosch or Kitchen Aid mixer. Add yeast, let sit for about 5 minutes till foamy on top. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix for 5-6 minutes. Let rest in mixer (or another bowl, greased) till doubled in size (about 45 min. to an hour). Punch dough down and let it sit again for 20 minutes while you prepare the pans. Grease (using Pam) 4 bread pans and set aside. Divide dough into 4 loaves and put into prepared pans. Let them rest again for 30-45 minutes or until doubled. Turn oven to 350 and bake bread for 30-35 minutes or golden brown. When they are done, take out of pans and let cool on wire racks so they don't get soggy.



Cinnamon Swirl Bread

1 cup warm milk (70-80 degrees)
1/4 cup water (70-80 degrees)
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3-4 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

This recipe fits into a bread machine pan if wanted. I just use my Bosch since I usually have to double it.

Place water and milk into Bosch mixer, add yeast and sugar and let sit for 5 minutes till foamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix for 5-6 minutes. Dough should be elasticy and slightly sticky. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 10 X 8 inch rectangle. Mix together 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cornsyrup & 1 Tablespoon cinnamon together and spread onto the dough rectangle. Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with short side. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place seam side down in two greased 9 X 3 inch pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, then cover with foil for 5-10 more minutes (sometimes I do this and sometimes I don't). Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Sometimes I change the filling to orange. Just switch out the cinnamon filling with this: 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons corn syrup, 2 teaspoons orange zest and 1 teaspoon orange extract.

These are both yummy breads and freeze well for later. I will try to post a picture of the baked goods when I can figure out how to load the pictures! :)

Cake on the brain!

K's birthday is coming up next week and of course she wants a special cake! I have done some fun, some hard to decorate for a few years. M always asks for a barbie cake, which I hate by the way, but I always grit my teeth and decorate one more for her, thinking at the same time "I will never do this again, you can bet on that!"



Anyway, I thought I would post some pictures of cakes I have done in the past. Like I said, some are bad and some are good.

I personally thought it was the worst but M loved it. Oh, well.

Here is E's 9th Birthday cake. She is obsessed by horses right now if you can't tell. Sometimes, if you listen close, you can hear her neighing and clopping around the house. Seriously.

This cake was really fun and easy but as you can tell the birthday girl had to help decorate!

Here is S's 4th Birthday cake, courtesy of Family Fun. They have the best ideas for themed cakes.

Here is my first recipe for my new blog. Hope you try it, it is yummy!!

Chocolate Orange Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1 box yellow cake mix (1 lb. 2.25 ounces)
1 package (3 oz.) orange Jell-O powder (not sugar free)
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
4 eggs
1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Dump the dry cake mix into a large electric mixing bowl. Mix in the orange Jell-O powder. Add the next 4 ingredients and mix throughly until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Fold in the mini chips by hand. Pour the cake batter into the Bundt pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Loosen the outside edges and middle, then tip the cake out of the pan onto your serving plate. Let cake cool while you make the drizzle frosting.

Orange-Fudge Drizzle Frosting

2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can get this from me!! :) )
1 teaspoon orange extract (I have this too!!)
2 Tablespoons orange juice

Put the butter and chips into a 2-cup microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring after each interval. Stir till smooth. Add the orange extract and stir. Add the orange juice a Tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. Drizzle the frosting over the ridge of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Refrigerate the cake without covering it, so the frosting will set up. After the frosting sets up, you can leave this cake on the counter.


Happy Baking, everyone!!

http://www.blogger.com/www.thechocolateshop.net

I finally did it!!

Well friends, I did it! I am online...Now what?

I think my blog will be half food (because I love to cook and bake and it will be really fun to post what I make without little ones in the background making ugly faces!) & half family (because I really do need to start documenting the crazy and absurd and peaceful times in my life).

How does life go by so fast and yet so slow at times?

Anyway, here is to a new adventure in my life...Blogging!! Wish me luck!!