Bread – Page 2 – Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, cookies, Uncategorized

Apricot-Oatmeal Bars

Posted on January 1, 2021January 1, 2021 by lmc

I have a fabulous cookbook that highlights favorite recipes from bed and breakfast inns across the country. This week I found a recipe for apricot chicken breasts that called for a portion of a jar of apricot preserves to top the breasts while baking. I thumbed through the cookbook shortly thereafter and found a recipe for these apricot and oatmeal bars. What a great way to use up the balance of my preserves. This turned out to be a delicious treat as my family raved over these simple bars.

Apricot-Oatmeal Bars

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 – 12 ounce apricot jam/preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients to form a crumb mixture.
Pat 1/2 of crumbs into a greased 11x7x1 1/2” or a 9×9” pan.
Spread the entire surface with apricot jam. Top with remaining crumbs.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the surface is golden bown.
Cool before cutting.

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch

No-Knead Artisan Bread

Posted on November 29, 2020 by lmc

My daughter K kept asking about various bread machines and wanted to know if it was worth purchasing one to make an occasional loaf of homemade bread. I suggested she try this easy bread making method that turns out a delicious, crusty and flavorful loaf. Knowing that we had all of the ingredients on hand, we quickly stirred together the bread, yeast, salt, and water. We popped the shaggy dough into a bowl and covered it with plastic wrap. Then, we headed out the door for holiday shopping. When we returned home, it was time to pop it in the oven. This is a great recipe!

No-Knead Artisan Bread

3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon yeast, active dry or instant
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups hot water, about 125-130° F
2 Tablespoons, extra flour for bench

Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Stir in water until it’s well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. Using a bench scraper, fold dough over 5-10 times to shape into a rough ball.
Tear off a sheet of parchment paper large enough the fit in and up the sides of your Dutch oven. Place dough in a parchment paper-lined bowl and cover with a towel. Let stand on counter top for about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place Dutch oven with lid in a cold oven and preheat to 450° F. When oven reaches 450° carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Carefully, lift the parchment paper with the dough from the bowl and place gently into the hot pot. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove lid and parchment paper. Return dough to pot and place uncovered, back in the oven. Bake 7-10 more minutes. Let it cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Food, Uncategorized

Easy Breakfast Sausage Balls

Posted on September 27, 2020September 27, 2020 by lmc

While looking through one of my older cookbooks last week, I stumbled across a recipe for a breakfast sausage ball that would make for a welcome addition to my brunch menu. I had the few required ingredients on hand and I was in the mood to try something new.
Talk about an easy recipe… 3 ingredients are combined with an optional dash of water to moisten the mix. Adding a side of scrambled eggs, coffee, orange juice and fresh fruit rounded out the meal. This is a plentiful recipe. If you make the full recipe, you’ll have extras to warm up for weekday quick fixes. I throw them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and they are ready to eat. They freeze well too. A win-win for my busy family!

I’ve include the original recipe link below… along with the adjusted recipe that I am using instead.

Easy Breakfast Sausage Balls

4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups baking mix
1 (1 lb) package ground sausage

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 °F. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Mix well with your fingers. The mixture will be very crumbly.

Form into 1 inch balls, squeezing the mixture so it holds together, then rolling it between the palms of your hands to form balls.

Place the balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. To prevent sticking, move the balls with a spatula halfway through cooking.

Adapted from: https://www.pauladeen.com/recipe/sausage-balls/

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch, Cake, Desserts, Uncategorized

Easy Blueberry Coffee Cake

Posted on August 23, 2020August 23, 2020 by lmc

I have been without a proper kitchen for a number of months as the Corona Virus has ushered in a major kitchen appliance shortage in the US. We started a home remodel in May and everything is complete with the exception of a fridge, wall oven, cooktop, microwave and dishwasher. Ugh, this has been a bit of a pain.
Full disclosure, I have a second kitchen in my home and I’ve been using it to make quick and easy recipes. Most have a shortcut that I use so that I don’t have to pull out too many ingredients (many ingredients have been packed away in boxes from the original kitchen demo.)
I have to credit https://vintagerecipetin.com/blueberry-coffee-cake/ for this adapted recipe as I wanted to make a Sunday morning coffee cake with ingredients that I had on hand. This one included simple ingredients that made for a moist and delicious breakfast cake. I made a few changes to make the process even easier and to add a bit more flavor. I set up a small coffee bar and let everyone dig in while I pulled the rest of the meal together.

Easy Blueberry Coffee Cake

For the streusel:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

For the batter:
15.25 oz. white or yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup oil
3 cups blueberries

Optional drizzle:
1 cup powdered sugar combined with 1 tablespoon of milk. Thin with extra milk, if needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13” pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl add the streusel ingredients. Mix with a fork until combined; set aside.
In a larger bowl add the cake mix, cream cheese, eggs, water, extracts and oil. Mix together with a hand mixer until smooth; fold in blueberries. Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter.
Place in the oven on the center rack. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake. Place on a cooling rack; cool. Drizzle with powdered sugar and water mixture. Serve warm or room temperature.

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Desserts, Food

Glazed Pear Cake

Posted on June 21, 2020June 21, 2020 by lmc

I recently purchased a bag of pears, brought them home and placed them in the fruit bowl on my kitchen table. Those pears sat there all week as the family seemed to choose every other fruit in the bowl when snacking. I watched as the pears began to get overly ripe. Not wanting to waste the fruit, I remembered an apple cake recipe that I frequently make during the fall months. I thought I could easily substitute the pears into the apple recipe. So, I peeled and chopped the remaining pears and tossed them in. I was making a Father’s Day meal and thought this would be a lovely dessert.

Well, I was right… this cake was super moist, and tasted delicious pared with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’ll definitely be making this one again!

Glazed Pear Cake

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 cups pears, peeled and diced (apples work well too)

1 cup chopped walnuts

TOPPING:

1⁄2 cup brown sugar

1⁄4 cup milk

1 stick of butter

Cake:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13” baking pan. Mix all cake ingredients by hand in order the listed. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes; remove.

Topping:

In small saucepan mix topping ingredients; bring to a slow boil for 3 minutes.

Pour over hot cake and return to oven for 4 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Cake, Uncategorized

Oven Baked Maple Pancakes

Posted on March 1, 2020March 1, 2020 by lmc

On Saturdays, I usually make a big homemade breakfast for all those that may have returned home for the weekend. While it’s usually just my hubby and I, when the kids travel home for a few days, I enjoy the time we have catching up around the breakfast table.
When making pancakes, I usually use my old standby recipe, Oatmeal Pancakes, and stand at the stovetop griddle pouring individual mounds until I’ve cooked all of the batter into round-shaped cakes. Alternatively, this recipe is a lifesaver as I can mix up a batch of batter, pour it into a baking dish, and throw it into the oven while working on all of the other items that will need to be prepped and cooked.
During the late winter/early spring, we tap our trees to make our own delicious maple syrup. Our family loves its rich flavor and I use a healthy dose for this convenient recipe.

Oven Baked Maple Pancakes

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
½ cup maple syrup
1 ½ cups pancake baking mix
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. Stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar and the maple syrup until completely combined. Pour into greased 13X9” baking pan.

Mix remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, until well blended. Carefully pour over syrup mixture.

Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when touched in center. Cut into 3-inch squares; turn each square upside down onto plate. Serve immediately.

Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch, Food, Uncategorized

Banana Nutter Butter Pancakes

Posted on February 2, 2020 by lmc

We recently spent a week in Walt Disney World for their Annual Marathon Weekend and festivities. Record high temperatures made for a tough course. My daughter looked so relieved when she finally crossed the finish line. We are quite lucky as our Disney Vacation Club membership has allowed us to visit “the mouse” quite often over the last twenty-something years. We usually only travel down when attendance is low and crowds are at a minimum. In my mind, this is the only way to really enjoy all that WDW has to offer.

One of our new favorite dining spots is the Kona Café, located in the Polynesian Hotel and Resort. The restaurant is known for its Tonga Toast and Macadamia Nut Pancakes entrees.

This morning, I wanted to duplicate the pancake recipe but didn’t have the correct ingredients. I opted for a basic banana nut recipe as I have a freezer full of overly ripe bananas that I wanted to use. You’ll love this delicious and easy recipe. We top the pancakes with a dollop of butter and our very own maple syrup.

Banana Nutter Butter Pancakes

2 cups flour

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups milk

4 overripe bananas, mashed

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Mix flour, walnuts, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Next, whisk in eggs, milk, bananas, melted butter, and vanilla extract; stir until just combined.

Heat a lightly buttered skillet over medium-high heat. Drop batter into the skillet. Cook until bubbles form and the edges are firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Food, Gifts, Homemade Mixes

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Loaf

Posted on December 8, 2019December 8, 2019 by lmc

There is nothing quite as special as a homemade gift. Giving this holiday loaf mix is sure to make anyone smile. Pour the ingredients into stylish jars in the order suggested. Then, creatively attach the bread making instructions for a quick and delicious holiday treat.

Make a day of it… Turn on the Christmas music, gather your bulk supplies, and make an abundance of jars for the special people in your life.

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Brunch, Cake, Uncategorized

Banana Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips

Posted on November 3, 2019November 3, 2019 by lmc

Our local market usually has a reduced-priced cart of day old bakery goods situated in the back of the store. I always make a point to stop to see what’s available to perhaps make a batch of fresh bread crumbs, garlic bread, or a bread casserole. Most times, I use the bread for a morning breakfast casserole that includes eggs, milk, sausage, vegetables and cheese. But today, I wanted to make something sweet to accompany a bit of vanilla bean ice cream that I had on hand. I also had a few bananas that were beyond their peak of ripeness.

This recipe is a keeper! Served warm with a few small scoops of ice cream, this has become a family favorite!

Banana Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups French bread, cubed

2 bananas, sliced (overly ripe, if possible)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7×11″ baking pan. In a large bowl, combine and mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in bread, bananas, and chocolate chips, and let sit for 5-7 minutes for bread to soak up the liquid mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until pudding is golden brown and center is set.

Baked goods, Baking, Bread, breakfast, Cake, Desserts, Food

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 by lmc

Several weeks ago, a local orchard hosted a day of free apple-picking. Our family took a leisurely ride out to the farm and picked oodles of gorgeous red apples in the late summer sunshine. After it was all said and done, we had picked nearly seventy pounds of apples. Our canvas bags were overflowing as we loaded them into the car and headed to the farmhouse for a hearty lunch. As we waited for our table, I thought about all of the delicious treats I could make with our lot. I would make applesauce in the pressure cooker, several spicy applesauce quick breads, a special Bundt cake that holds an array of wonderful fall flavors, peanut butter and apple slice sandwiches, and lots of other apple flavored items.

This cake is one of our family favorites. I often bring it along to various outdoor parties hosted during the autumn months. It’s a great Thanksgiving dessert. Served up with a piping hot cup of tea or coffee, this one is a winner!

Apple Cider Donut Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

¾ cup apple cider

½ cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup coarsely shredded peeled tart apples (2 medium)

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

3 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray a Bundt cake pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat together the first 6 ingredients. Stir in apples. Pour into prepared cake pan.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let stand 20 minutes; loosen Cake and remove from pan to cooling rack or large, round cake platter.

Brush top and sides of cake with 3 tablespoons melted butter. In small bowl, mix sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon until blended. Carefully and generously distribute sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top and sides of the cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.