Baguette Bread

We lived in Missouri for 19 months, and it was some of the best times of our lives! We met some of the best people we have yet to meet and they are now life long friends! Not only were they all amazing, but they were also amazing cooks. This recipe I got from my friend Sarah and it is a hit. The recipe produces a super soft bread with a crunchy outside. It is great with any pasta meal, or to just eat a whole loaf  hot out of the oven as a "snack".

This recipe calls for a Baugette Pan, this is what mine looks like

Baguette Bread
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This is a fast and easy french bread recipe. It makes 4 loaves so my favorite thing is to wrap the loaves, individually, in foil,  that we did not eat that night  and stick them in the freezer. Then I warm them up in the oven in the foil it is wrapped in and use them for several meals. I use a baguette pan you don't have to have a baguette pan.

3 C. hot water

1 1/2 T yeast

1 1/2 T sugar

3 tsp salt (I use kosher but you don't have to)

6 C Flour
1 Tbls Rosemary (opt.) (In this picture, I did not use Rosemary)

Directions: Mix water, yeast, sugar, & salt in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes (will be bubbly). Add flour & rosemary and mix until smooth and not sticky. (It may take little more flour). I put a little olive oil in a bowl and then put the dough back in it and make sure all of the bread is coated with a little oil. Then you let the dough rise until it is double in size. - Tip: I turned my oven on to WARM while I was mixing everything together and then when it was all warm I turned the oven off, put the dough in the oven with the door open just a little. That way it raised faster. I think I left it in there for 20-30 minutes.Then take the dough out and put it on lightly floured surface & knead until smooth. Divide into fourths and roll into baguettes and let raise another 10 minutes. (If your baguette pan only has 3 slots, then you can make 3 bigger ones, or just leave the fourth loaf off and cook it alone after your first batch)

Put onto a baguette pan.

Take an egg white and a little salt and mix in a bowl. Take a pastry brush and brush egg on top of bread (it gives it a shinny look).

Bake @ 400 for 20-30 minutes.It is very simple and very fast.

Recipe Source: Sarah Babbel

Cinnamon Orange Bread

There is a man that attends our church and he is known for being an amazing baker. Well I heard he had made something amazing for someone and so I of course emailed him right away asking for the recipe. I finally got around to making it and HOLY COW, it is SOOO good.
This recipe makes four loaves of bread, and I was going to give away two of the loaves, but once I tasted it, I could only bring myself to give away one loaf. It is so soft and tender and the addition of mashed potatoes and orange juice to the bread dough makes it so moist. My mouth is watering for a piece just writing about it. My entire family loves this stuff! And the one loaf  that I did give away to my neighbor, she loved and said that they pretty much ate the entire loaf in one day. You really must try this bread! Thanks Aaron for giving me this recipe and for letting me share it with everyone!

Cinnamon Orange Bread

(makes four loaves)
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Dissolve 1 T yeast in 1/2 c water

2 c scalded milk, then let cool to warm
Add to milk:
 1 c sugar
 1/2 c oil
 1 c mashed potatoes
 3 t salt
 1 1/2 c orange juice
 4 c flour
 Beat until smooth
Add yeast
Add 2 egg
Beat well
Add 6-8 c flour or until soft dough is formed (I used Bread Flour)
Place in greased bowl
Cover and let rise until double (1 hour)
Punch down and divide in half
Let rise 10 minutes
Roll each half into 15" x 7" rectangle (1/2 inch thick)
Spread butter, sugar and cinnamon on each half
Spray water bottle on top (Because the recipe says it is 4 loaves, at this point, I cut each rectangle in half to make my 4 loaves)
Roll and seal edge (make sure you seal the ends and the edges of the loaves)
Place in bread pans
Cover and let rise until double (1 hour)
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes (cover with tin foil the last 15 min)
Cool and spread icing on top

Icing:
Powdered Sugar and Orange Juice, not to thick not to thin (I used my Orange Roll frosting recipe)
Source: Aaron Churnos

Chocolate Chip Muffins with Pecan Streusel Topping

I made these muffins for our Saturday morning breakfast, they were a hit with my whole family! And sorry if the pics are fuzzy, my (little) kids broke my camera so I'm taking pictures with my daughter's I-Pod Touch til I can have an awesome garage sale and raise money for the new camera I want!! Or maybe a bake sale!! Would you please come??? hmmmmm............

Chocolate Chip Muffins
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Muffins:
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup (8 oz) plain Yogurt or Sour Cream, reduced fat would work fine
1 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Topping
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup chopped Pecans
2 Tablespoons Butter



Heat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yogurt and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill paper lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

For the topping:
Stir together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add chocolate chips and pecans, stir. Crumble in butter with a pastry blender or use your fingers til it's crumbly. Spread topping over muffins.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 1 dozen.


Recipe adapted from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook

Bakery French Bread

So the other day when I posted the Grilled Italian Chicken with Basil Butter, I mentioned making french bread. I still can't even believe I made this and how easy it was! And it is SO yummy and fresh from the bakery tasting, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. You know when you are at the grocery store and they bring out fresh baked french bread and it smells so heavenly? That is what your house will smell like while you are baking this. I got this recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up, and she says it's her very favorite recipe. I totally get why.

Bakery French Bread~ Recipe from Jamie Cooks it Up

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1/3 cup warm Water
1 Tablespoon Yeast
1 Tablespoon Shortening
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 C Boiling Water
1 C Cold Water
5 - 6 C Bread Flour or All Purpose Flour (I used bread flour)
1 egg

Stir yeast into 1/3 cup warm water in a small bowl, set aside. In the bowl of your mixer, stir together the shortening, salt, and sugar with a fork until crumbly. Your dough hook won't work, just do it with the fork! Pour boiling water over shortening mixture, then pour cold water over the mixture. Add yeast and warm water to mixture and turn on your mixer! Add flour one cup at a time, til it is dough is pulling away from the sides of your mixing bowl. Mix for 8 minutes, Jamie says to mix it on high, but I just set it to "1", I was worried about making the dough too tough. Cover your dough and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. (If you are really pressed for time, you can skip this.)
Separate your dough into 3 portions and sit them on a 15 x 10 inch sheet cake pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let rest for 5 minutes, this will make your dough much easier to handle.

Heat your oven to 170.

Roll out each portion of dough, one at a time, into a rectangle touching the sides of the pan like this:
Then roll up from long end so each portion looks like this:
Then you will want to fold each end in so they overlap like this:

Then just flip over your little future french bread loaf like this:

Next you will want to score three slits in the top of each loaf like this:
I have a bread scorer but you can just use a sharp knife sprayed with cooking spray.
Next just beat your egg and brush it all over each uncooked loaf, even the sides.

Place your loaves in warm oven at 170 and let rise for 15 minutes. While loaves are still in your oven, turn it up to 400 degrees. Once oven reaches that temperature, bake them for 15 minutes until they are golden brown and crusty. Open oven door and turn pan around. Close oven and reduce temperature to 350. Bake for 10 minutes more.

This did not last long at our house! My family LOVED it and even though it seems like a lot of steps, it was really easy! I can't wait to make this again! You can too, you will love it :)

Lion House Rolls

So my 15th wedding anniversary is in just over a week! And these rolls have special significance since we had our wedding reception at the Lion House and they served them there! Here is a pic I found of the Lion House in Salt Lake City Utah where we had our wedding dinner/reception and where they make and serve these famous rolls: I know, you're thinking "awww, how sweet!" But isn't it so charming?

I have tried several roll recipes, but these are our family's favorites by far. Also, just to note, these turn out AWESOME with Jessica's orange roll recipe, which HINT HINT she totally needs to post! These are guaranteed to get rave reviews at your Christmas dinner!!


Ummm....just need to say that I think the original Lion House roll recipe may have been changed because I have seen these rolls on several blogs and have double checked with my Lion House cookbook I bought while still in college, and the recipe on the blogs is NOT the same one as the one in the First Edition Lion House Cookbook. The amounts of sugar and salt vary slightly. The newer version calls for 1/4 cup sugar and only 2 teaspoons salt. I actually like the amount of sugar in the original recipe which follows, especially with ham sandwiches after Christmas and turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving, YUM!! Anyhow...this is the recipe I have successfully made over the years....here is the real deal from the original Lion House cookbook~

Lion House Rolls: Makes 2 dozen rolls

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2 cups warm Water (110 to 115 degrees)
2 tablespoons Yeast
2/3 cup Nonfat Dry Milk (instant or non-instant)
1/3 cup Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/3 cup Butter, Shortening, or Margarine
1 egg
5 to 5 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour, or Bread Flour

Extra butter for spreading on dough and finished rolls


In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes while you gather your other ingredients. Add sugar, salt, butter, dry milk, 2 cups flour, and egg. Beat til very smooth, and add 2 more cups flour, beat til smooth again. Add 1 more cup flour, 1/2 cup at a time. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand). Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour). Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead til smooth and satiny. NOTE, I just finish this process by continuing to mix in my bosch for about 2 more minutes.
Spread a little vegetable oil over top of dough, cover lightly with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise til double in size.

Scrape dough out onto floured board. I use a silicone mat, no extra flour/mess required! Divide dough in half. Roll each portion out into a large circle, about 1/4 inches thick and brush with melted butter. Cut like a pizza.
Then roll up from bigger end like this.
Place rolls on greased baking sheets.
Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light to medium golden brown. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter.

Helpful Tips for Making Rolls

Always add flour gradually and keep dough as soft as you can handle. A soft dough will produce a lighter roll.

It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour called for in the recipe—add only enough flour to make dough manageable.

To shorten dough's rising time, use one of these methods:

1) When dough is thoroughly mixed, oil bowl and cover dough with plastic wrap. Fill sink or larger bowl with about 2 inches of hot water or enough water to come about half or three-fourths the way up outside the dough bowl. Place bowl of dough in bowl of water and allow to rise until double in size.

2) Just before mixing dough, turn oven on lowest possible temperature. Place a pan of hot water on bottom oven rack. When dough is thoroughly mixed, place in oiled bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap; place in oven. Turn oven off, shut oven door, and allow dough to rise until double in size. Shape or cut into desired rolls. Place rolls on greased or parchment-lined pans and allow to rise until double in size. Bake according to recipe.

Chocolate Chip Scones with Vanilla Spiced Butter

Looking for a delicious, easy breakfast to serve all that company coming into town for Christmas? These scones are sure to impress, and they're SO easy to make! I am going to share the recipe for these, 2 ways. One is to make them with half and half, the other is to make them with flavored coffee creamer, they are both scrumptious!

Chocolate Chip Scones with Vanilla Spiced Butter

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Scones:
4 cups all purpose Flour
1/3 cup Sugar (+ a little more for sprinkling)
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
3/4 cup cold Butter~ no substitutes!
1 Egg, separated
2 teaspoons Vanilla **
1 1/2 cups Half and Half OR refrigerated flavored Coffee Creamer. I have used both French Vanilla and Hazelnut with delicious results!! **If using flavored creamer, omit vanilla.**
1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

In a bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Cut in cold butter til crumbly. Separate your egg and place the yolk in a bowl. Save egg white for later. Whisk with half and half cream and vanilla or non dairy creamer. Stir cream mixture into dry ingredients til moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Turn onto floured surface, knead 10 times. I use a generic silicone mat (like a silpat but cheaper!) so I don't need flour, I love mine and highly recommend it, I use it all the time. Divide your dough in half. Pat each portion into a 7 inch circle, then brush with egg white and sprinkle some sugar over the top.

Cut each circle into into 8 triangles. Place all 16 scones on a 15x10 sheet cake pan sprayed with non stick cooking spray. I kind of stagger mine to make them fit on one pan.
Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes, until tops are just starting to brown in a few spots. While your scones are baking, make vanilla spiced butter.

Vanilla Spiced Butter:
1/2 cup Butter, softened
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

In a small bowl, combine above ingredients. Serve scones warm with spiced butter.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE pumpkin chocolate chip bread and muffins! I remember when I was in college and I used to buy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins in the bookstore almost every day and then sneak them into the library to eat while I studied! Then after I got married I kept looking for a great pumpkin bread recipe and didn't have much luck til I tried this one. I tweaked it slightly and it is my go-to, never fail recipe. My family gobbles this stuff up and so I always double the recipe. One of my favorite things to do is freeze some of the batter in a plastic container, leave it on the counter overnight, and then use it to make pumpkin muffins for breakfast! That way you can even have hot, delicious pumpkin muffins with melty gooey chocolate chips inside on a school morning. I did that this morning and my kids were very, very happy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
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4 Eggs
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup Water
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 15 oz. can Pumpkin
2 2/3 cups Sugar
3 1/2 cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, water, vanilla, sugar, and pumpkin; mix til combined. Here's my trick: Just add the flour in a mound on top of the pumpkin batter, DON'T stir, then carefully add salt, baking soda, and spices on top of flour **without stirring them in**! Then take a fork, and gently stir spices, salt, soda into flour while it sits on top of wet batter, then just mix that all/incoprporate it into wet batter on bottom! Stir in chocolate chips. If making bread, this will make about 3-4 loaf pans. I HATE washing bread pans, so now I always line my bread pans with foil. You can then just fill with batter, and cool bread in there after you take it out, and wrap bread in foil. Then here's the best part, just put your bread pan away! Wa-la, back in the cabinet you go, thanks for the memories little pan! Rocks my clean kitchen world. For bread, bake at 350 for one hour. Tooothpick in center should come out almost clean with maybe a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. To make muffins, fill muffin tins about 1/2-2/3 full. Bake at 350, about 20-24 minutes. My oven takes about 22 minutes. Toothpick in center should come out clean.

Hootnanys

Ok so last summer our family made the journey up to our friends' cabin in Idaho. I was kind of dreading the 18 hour drive up there due to driving all 6 kids BY MYSELF since my husband had to work and flew up to meet us mid-week. But you know what? Kids and I had a blast, and like bonded and laughed and of course threw up! (just one of my little 4 (3 at time) year old twins.) But one of the highlights of our trip was stopping overnight to see my dear friend Becky Nelson. I first met her when I was about 13 years old and living in Southern California. She was a youth leader at church when I was going through a difficult time and seriously changed my whole life. I kid you not. So we still keep in touch and I remember her making this yummy, buttery, breakfast for me when I lived with her family one summer as a teen, and then when we stayed with her she made it for me and my 6 kids! And they all loved it too and my little Annie still calls them "Hoop-nannys!" But honestly, my kids mostly loved Becky and they still talk about how nice she was to them. So to remember our fun trip, this breakfast now makes a regular appearance at our morning table, even on school mornings! It is quick and easy, and my kids eat the whole thing every time! So this recipe will feed about 6-7 roughly, but if my husband is eating with us on the weekend, I make 1 1/2 of this, as in a 9x13 pan and a square 8x8 pan too.
So here's the recipe. Thanks Becky, we love you!

Hootnanys:
1/2 cup Butter
6 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Flour
Toppings:
Powdered sugar, syrup, jam

Turn on oven to 450. Place 1 stick of butter in 9x13 glass pan, put in oven to melt while you gather other ingredients. Remove pan from oven once butter is melted and starts to bubble a little. Turn pan around some to coat entire bottom with the butter. Beat eggs in a bowl, add milk and salt. Add in flour, mix well. Pour this mixture in pan over butter, do not mix. If anything, just stir lightly with a fork, just for a second. Once oven is preheated, cook for 12-15 minutes, or until mixture puffs up and is lightly browned. It is fun to turn oven light on while baking and let your kids see mixture puffing up while it bakes!!

Cut into squares to serve, top each serving with powdered sugar and syrup or jam.

Easiest,Yummiest Breadsticks Ever

I got this recipe from an amzing cook, Penny. I have sinced made them and shared the recipe countless times. These are the best ever, I promise after making them you will NEVER go back to complicated, time consuming breadsticks again!! These don't need time to rise, and they are fluffy and yummy and you will LOVE them! Penny says the secret is baking them at a high temperature, and also using bread flour. I bought bread flour for the first time ever for this recipe and LOVE using it in these but also cinnamon rolls and cookies.


Breadsticks:
3 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6-7 cups BREAD flour, no substitues!

Preheat oven to 480. Mix yeast and water in mixer, let sit for like 5 minutes while you gather other ingredients. Add sugar and salt, and 2 cups flour. Mix, then add 2more cups flour, mix then add 2 more. I usually use 6 1/2 cups bread flour, you want to add it til your mixer picks all the flour off your bowl, like this:


Then mix for about 4 minutes while you gather ingredients for topping and get your pan ready. ***You can do this all by hand if you don't have a mixer.***

Next, brush some melted butter and/or olive oil on the bottom of a 10x15 sheet cake pan. And this is the BEST PART!! Put some flour on your hands, and take your dough out of mixing bowl, and place directly on pan!

You can roll it out on there with a rolling pin, but honestly I just spread it out with my hands! Next, brush on the mixture below:



Topping:
6 Tablespoons Butter, can use 1/2 Butter, 1/2 Olive Oil(I use both)
3 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Salt, Dried Parsley
Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese, Optional

Melt Butter, add olive oil if desired. Add parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and parsley to taste. Brush over dough.




Top with shredded cheese if desired.


I make these breadsticks both ways, with and without extra cheese on top, they are both awesome but the cheesy ones are our favorites! The cheese gets a little browned and is just SO good, way better/cheaper than cheesy breadsticks from the pizza store! My kids even take them to school for lunches the day after I make these with some spaghetti sauce in a little container for dipping.

The next step is to cut them while in the pan, if you're nervous about scraping the pan just use a butter knife. Make 12 rows (11 lines) along the width (smaller width) of your pan. Then cut 2 lines to make 3 rows across the length (long length) of your pan, to make 36 total breadsticks.
Bake in oven at 480 for 8-11 minutes, remove when top is browning a little. You will LOVE these, I promise!
**Don't stress if you forget to cut breadsticks before you bake, I've done this before and they bake fine and you can just cut them when you take them out.**