I absolutely love our Zojirushi Bread Machine and this is one of our favorite recipes. Adding cottage cheese, pickle juice and fresh herbs makes for a delicious and tender (2 lb) sandwich loaf. Yummmm!
Dilly Pickle Juice Bread
1 1/3 cup cream-style cottage cheese
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
1 egg. beaten
4 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped or 2 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons active bread yeast
Fill bread machine baking pan in the order listed. Use Basic setting use medium crust.
When I don’t have time to make a traditional focaccia, this Italian herbed biscuit wedge is my “go-to” recipe. A quick dough is carefully pressed into a 9” baking dish and baked until golden. Served warm with tomato-based soups or pasta, it’s simply delicious!
Fresh Herb Biscuit Wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing pan
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading dough
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or chives, plus more for topping
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
Additional topping for after baking:
1 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch baking pan generously with olive oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Add the milk and 2 tablespoons olive oil and using a spatula, mix until combined.
Flour your work surface then turn out the dough.
Knead the dough for 1 minute, adding more flour as needed if it’s too sticky. (The dough should still be tacky and slightly sticky.)
Grease your hands with olive oil then transfer the dough to the greased baking pan. Using your fingers, press the dough into an even layer, then use your fingertips to make indentations across the dough. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on top and sprinkle with additional herbs.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes until pale golden.
Remove from the oven. Brush an additional 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the crust and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of Parmesan cheese. Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.
Tip: If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, use dried Italian seasoning or bruschetta seasoning.
I found this recipe in an old community cookbook. The ingredient ratios seemed off but I had extra buttermilk on hand and thought I’d give it a try with a few adjustments. I tweaked the flour quantity and flavor ingredients a bit and the loaf turned out splendid. I threw everything in the bread machine during the late evening hours so the bread was finished before I headed to bed. I sliced the loaf in the morning for hearty breakfast sandwiches to include bacon, eggs, and cheese. Yummers!
Dilly Buttermilk Bread (Bread Machine)
1/2 cup warm buttermilk (70° to 80°) 1/2 cup warm water 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon salt 3 1/2 cups bread flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoons dried dill weed 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 cup buttermilk
Directions
In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in the order listed. Select basic bread setting. Choose medium crust color. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
I visited a local blueberry farm this weekend. The large, flavorful berries were so irresistible, I bought far more than I needed. I gave some to my girls and froze a bunch for blueberry pie. Using one of my favorite cookbooks, I’ve adapted a blueberry recipe that I found for a delicious breakfast casserole. Be sure to assemble the casserole base the night before your breakfast. When you wake in the morning, just add the toppings and pop in the oven. Delicious!
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
1 loaf stale bread or buns, sliced 2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 6 large eggs 4 tablespoons sugar 2 1/2 cups milk 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon butter extract
STREUSEL TOPPING 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup flour 4 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Grease a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick spray. Line prepared baking pan with bread, filling all the cracks. Set aside. Whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, and extracts together until well combined. Pour over the bread. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove pan from the refrigerator. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over the top. Prepare the topping: Combine the brown sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cubed butter with a pastry blender or your fingers. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the soaked bread. Top with walnuts. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until slightly firm and golden brown on top.
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.
If you are looking for an easy coffee cake recipe that you can get to the table in no time at all, this is it! The base of the batter uses a boxed baking mix to add to the ease to which this coffee cake comes together. Great for the holiday season as you might have a few early morning guests in the house. It’s a winner!
Topping: ⅔ cup baking mix ⅔ cup brown sugar 4 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ cup walnuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a deep 9-inch pie pan. Combine baking mix, milk, sugar, egg, cinnamon, and vanilla in bowl; mix well. Spread into the bottom of the prepared pan. For topping, in a medium sized bowl, combine baking mix, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and walnuts. Using a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Spread topping mix over cake batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. (Optional: Drizzle with powdered sugar/water glaze.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts 