Baking

Amish Friendship Bread.

Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 1 starter
Prep Time: 15 min
Ingredients

1 package of active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
Directions

Dissolve yeast in water, let stand 10 minutes.
Combine sifted flour and sugar together. Mix well so flour will not be lumpy.
Slowly stir in milk and yeast mixture. Mix well.
Put starter in a gallon Ziploc bag. (Do not refrigerate.) Watch the starter very closely at first and let the air out of the bag as needed. It will bubble and ferment a lot the first day. This is Day 1. Mark the date on your Ziploc bag and now you just follow the directions as you would if you received the starter from a friend.
See Amish Friendship Bread Recipe for directions to continue through Day 10 and baking.

Please note the following:
1. Do not refrigerate.
2. If air is inside the bag, let it out (“Burp” the bag as necessary).
3. It is normal for the batter to rise and ferment.

Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2 loaves
Prep Time: 10 days Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients

Amish Friendship Bread Starter from a friend or Start Your Own
Directions

Day 1: Do nothing.
Day 2 – 5: Mash the bag once a day.
Day 6: Add to the bag – 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Mash the bag.
Day 7 – 9: Mash the bag once a day.
Day 10: Follow the directions below:
Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1 1/2 cups milk. Combine mixture. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into four gallon-sized Ziploc bags. Keep starter for yourself and give another to 3 friends along with a copy of this recipe.
Note: If you keep a starter, you will be baking bread every 10 days. The bread is very good and makes a great gift. Should this recipe not be passed on to a friend on the first day, be sure to tell the friend which day the bag is at when you present it to them.
Note: You can freeze the starter you keep for yourself. When you pull it from the freezer, thaw, and start with Day 1.
Baking instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. To the remaining batter in the bowl, add:
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 cups self-rising flour (see note below for using all-purpose flour)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 large box vanilla instant pudding (fat free and sugar free work well also)
1 cup raisins and/or chopped nuts, optional
1/2 – 1 tsp vanilla extract
If you are using all purpose flour, then add:
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3. Grease or butter 2 large loaf pans (9×13 cake pan also works well). In a bowl mix an additional 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with 1/2 mixture.
4. Pour batter evenly into pans. Sprinkle rest of the sugar mixture on top.
5. Bake for 1 hour. Cool until bread loosens evenly from sides of the pans. Turn onto plate and enjoy!
Other variations include:
Lemon pudding mix and white chocolate chips.
Chocolate pudding, chocolate chips and nuts.

ENJOY !



Brownie Mix

8 Cups of sugar
6 Cups of unbleached flour
2 Cups of cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt


Mix together and store in airtight container.

To Make:

2 1/4 C. brownie mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 C. canola oil (or melted butter or margarine)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 C. chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 inch square pan.  Combine ingredients and mix until smooth.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until center is set. Cool, cut, serve.

Very Berry Blueberry Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light margarine, softened
1 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven.
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
Beat margarine at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and honey beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Fold in berries.
Spoon batter evenly into paper lined muffin cups.
Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan immediately, and cool on wire rack.
Makes 12 muffins.