Busy Mommy Media » Bread Recipes

Orange Date Muffins – aka The Best Breakfast Muffins Ever

Rachel — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:04:13 +0000

I have a confession. I have been gorging myself on delicious treats. You will, however, be shocked to hear that it isn’t chocolate – I know my 6 year old was.

Since we moved to Southern California and joined a CSA (which I’d highly recommend to anyone who has one available to them) my family has been trying all kinds of new fruits and vegetables. I’ve discovered that I absolutely love fresh dates. Dried dates are delicious as well (and are very tasty in my blueberry date salad) but fresh dates are something divine.

If you don’t think you like dates, try them fresh. We’ve been using fresh dates to make these delicious orange date muffins for a healthy and insanely satisfying (and kid-friendly) breakfast.

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest from 2 oranges
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup chopped dates – you can use dried dates but if you have fresh dates available use them
2/3 cup slivered almonds

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, oatmeal and orange zest in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and butter.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir. I do use my stand mixer for this but it really only needs a few seconds. Gently stir in the chopped dates and the almonds.

Spoon this mixture into 12 muffin cups. This will make 12 fairly large muffins and it may look like not all the mixture will fit but it will.

Optional - Top each muffin with a small amount of granulated sugar or oatmeal.

Bake for 17 minutes.

(adapted from Joy of Baking)

Depression Era Bread

Lorie — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:29:43 +0000

Lately, I have really enjoyed making bread. Making your own bread is a great way to save money. In fact, I made a goal this year to make all my sandwich bread from scratch, and learn how to make other breads as well. As I was researching breads online, I stumbled upon this recipe for something called Depression Era Bread.

What is Depression Era Cooking?

During the Great Depression, many families had to cook with basic ingredients and learn to live with less. One woman, now 94 years old, decided to share the things she learned during that time with people today. Her name is Clara, and she shares recipes her mother made for her family during that time in an online cooking class. The videos can be found on YouTube. She is a very funny lady and shares lots of stories from the time. She said, “Everything was really bad, but the food was good.” People online seem to really enjoy her wealth of information, as many families are struggling with food budgets in our era today. She has become so popular that she has put her information in a book called “Clara’s Kitchen”.

Depression Era Bread Recipe

You can make Clara’s bread in your own home with only 3 ingredients, but the recipe I am using has 4 ingredients because I added salt. Here is the recipe I used based on her recipe and below you will find her video for making the bread.

Depression Era Bread

5 lb bag All- purpose flour

5 TBS Yeast (Clara used cake type yeast but I used Rapid-Rise yeast)

6 Tsp Salt (optional, but I think it added flavor to the bread)

6 cups warm water (more or less depending on your dough)

Pour flour in a large bowl. (I used a Tupperware “That’s A Bowl”.) Make a well in the center of the flour. Add yeast to well and then add enough of the water to the well to dissolve the yeast (you can use your hands). After yeast is dissolved start adding more water and mixing in flour until you form a dough. Knead dough in the bowl for a bit. Let the dough rise in a warm place with a towel loosely covering the top. After it has risen double in size, punch down the dough and divide it up into 7 loaves. Shape the dough loaves and put in loaf pans. I did not have 7 pans so I used a cookie sheet and the loaves came out just as nice as the ones in the bread pans. I served with beef stew. I find that it really goes well with soups, and I even made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with it.

Cost of Depression Era Bread

Flour : $1.50 (I got on sale during Christmas and stocked up.)

Yeast : about $1.00

Salt : pennies . . .

Water: pennies…

So for about $2.50 I made 7 loaves of bread. That’s cheaper than the cost of some single loaves from the grocery store.

Each loaf costs about $0.36, depending on the ingredients you use.

Taste of the Bread

The bread was really good. It was more of a rustic type of bread, kind of like French bread, and worked well with hot foods. My family really enjoyed this bread. I also gave several of the loaves away as gifts. What a neat inexpensive gift. They all raved about it as well. So, why not give it a try and get a little taste of history for yourself.

Make Your Own Homemade Bread

Lorie — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:59:10 +0000

As a young child, I remember my grandmother making homemade bread. Her specialty was yeast rolls. I remember thinking the process was so fascinating and exciting. It was not until I was a mom though that I learned to really make homemade bread. As a busy mom, I decided to buy a bread maker and, while I loved how it cooked and did all the work, I really did not like how it looked when it came out of the machine. So I mostly just used it to make the dough for me. For my anniversary this year, my husband bought me a Kitchen Aid Mixer. I have wanted one of these ever since I watched my grandmother using hers. The first thing I wanted to make with it was the dough I use to make homemade bread. I thought it would be so hard and time consuming, but it was really quite easy and took less time than I thought. Of course you can always break down and knead the dough the old fashioned way if you do not have a bread maker or stand mixer with a dough hook. I also love the look on my kids’ faces when I make them homemade bread; they think it’s a dessert or something. I also think bread making is a great way to save money.

Why Make Bread?

There are several reasons that you should make homemade bread. First, it will save you money. I can make a loaf of bread for about $1.00 or less a loaf. I also will usually have all of the ingredients on hand. Second, the aroma it leaves in my house is so wonderful and the flavor is also better than store bought bread. Third, it is more nutritious because the home baker can leave out chemical additives that you find in store bought bread. Fourth, bread making is a great time for your family to bond. Kids love to help make homemade bread. Making homemade bread is also a great way for you to be creative and it makes a great low cost gift.

Whole Wheat Tips

Some people do not like to make whole wheat bread because it comes out really heavy. Dough enhancers are a great way to solve this problem but some are kind of expensive. You can make your own for lots less. One way is to add gluten flour to your bread. You can find this at your grocery store. It is called vital wheat gluten. It is also relatively inexpensive. I also add vinegar to mine with the gluten. You add as much vinegar as you do yeast to the recipe. Some people also add things like potato flakes and grated vitamin C tablets. These are all things you can do that won’t cost you a lot.

Will it Be Like Store Bought Bread?

Many people get disappointed in homemade bread making because the bread they make does not hold up like the sandwich bread at the grocery store. I really think it’s all about finding the right recipe. I’ve found several and tried them and have had great results. I also bought a bread slicing guide. Many people report finding these at thrift stores for under $5. I really think this helps you make it more like store bought bread. Actually, I think these homemade recipes are better than store bought!

EZ Wheat Bread

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tblsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour 1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat non instant dry milk
1 Tblsp butter/margarine/oil
1 Tblsp vinegar
1/4 cup potato flakes (NOT potato pearls)

Mix ingredients in order listed in mixing bowl of mixer with dough hook attachment (like kitchen-aid) for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double, 1- 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, and shape into loaf or rolls. Let rise again until double and bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
If you are making this recipe in a bread machine, follow your bread machine’s directions for wheat or whole grain selection and add the ingredients in the order listed for their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)

From Everyday Food Storage

See a video of this bread made here. She doubles the recipe in the video.

EZ White Bread

1 1/8 cups warm water
1 3/4 – 2 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tblsp sugar (you can use a little more sugar if you like your dough a little sweeter)
3 cups flour
1 Tblsp vital wheat gluten (remember you don’t need as much gluten if you’re not using whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 Tblsp butter/margarine or oil
1/4 cup potato flakes
(you don’t really need vinegar for white bread, remember the dough enhancers are primarily needed for whole wheat bread)

Add the ingredients in the order listed into a mixer bowl (like a kitchen-aid) with a dough hook attachment and mix on low for 10-12 minutes. Or mix it on the dough cycle in your bread machine.
After all the mixing is complete, if the dough still seems too gooey and you are unable to handle it, add 1 Tblsp flour at a time, and mix after each addition until the dough is manageable with your hands.

Let rise 45 mins -1 hour, punch down and use to make bread, cinnamon rolls, cookie sheet pizza, rolls, or anything else you can think of! Let rise after you have made your creation and bake according to the direction of the recipe you are making.
If you are making it into bread, form into a loaf at this time, place in a loaf pan, let rise in a warm place 45 min -1 hour and bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
If you are making this recipe in a bread machine. Follow your bread machine’s directions and add the ingredients in the order listed in their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)

From Everyday Food Storage

Buttermilk American Sandwich Bread

3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup cold buttermilk (can use 1 cup of milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice as a substitute, mix milk and lemon juice and let it set for about 10 min. prior to using)

1/3 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

3 tablespoons honey

1 envelope instant yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once the oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain the heat for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven.
Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the milk, water, butter, honey, and yeast in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Turn the machine to low and slowly add the liquid. When the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and satiny, stopping the machine two or three times to scrape dough from the hook, if necessary, about 10 min. (After 5 minutes of kneading, if the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and up to 1/4 cup total, until the dough is no longer sticky.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.
Place dough in very lightly oiled large bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat lightly. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place it in the warmed oven until the dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
Gently press the dough into a rectangle 1 inch thick and no longer than 9 inches. With a long side facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed. Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and press it gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Cover with damp cloth; set aside in warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size 20-30 min.
Keep one oven rack at the lowest position and place the other at the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour boiling water into the empty pan on the bottom rack and set the loaf onto the middle rack. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim into the center of the loaf reads 195 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from the pan, transfer to wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

Garlic Bread

Courtney — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:17:09 +0000

This is simply the best garlic bread I’ve ever made. It’s a little involved, but those that love garlic, butter and crusty bread will swoon over it. Dusted with cheese and golden with garlicky goodness, it’s definitely one for the arsenal and can help make even a dinner of spaghetti and sauce straight from a jar a truly memorable experience.
The recipe calls for you to make a compound butter to spread over your loave before toasting. You may well have more butter than you need, and if so, it works very well to use in other dishes, most notably finishing steaks and wilted spinach. It is intense if not cooked, so do keep that in mind when using leftover compound butter in other dishes.

The Best Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 head of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
grated or shredded parmesan or romano cheese, for sprinkling
dried basil
1 loaf artisan french or italian bread

Directions:
First, make sure your butter is softened. If not, set it out for a bit at room temperature, as rock hard butter is not your friend here. Peel the garlic cloves and smash them with the flat of your knife. Cut butter into cubes and place into bowl of a small food processor or blender and add the garlic and salt. Pulse until well combined and the garlic is chopped fine, scraping down sides as necessary. Scrape butter out of the bowl and into a small mixing bowl and stir in a tablespoon of dried basil. Allow butter to sit for at least 15 minutes while you do something else. Split your loave down the middle like you would for a giant sandwich. Butter generously with the compound butter and sprinkle with a light layer of cheese and a little extra basil if desired. Pop into a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, then finish with a minute or two under the broiler to brown the top a bit. Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes before sliceing and piling into a basket to serve.

Lemon Berry Muffins

Courtney — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:41:38 +0000

I made these muffins one morning for a special treat, though they really weren’t much work at all. The can be mixed with whatever berry type fruit you have floating around in your kitchen or in your freezer. The lemony body of the muffin is the perfect foil to the jammy pockets of fruit that result from the berries cooking in the oven–you don’t even need to butter these to enjoy them. As breakfast pastries go, these are lower in fat than most using just two eggs or tofu and no butter or oil so enjoy without guilt.
If you don’t already have a mini food processor in your kitchen it might be time to consider one. It makes the tofu version of this recipe a snap since all the liquids can be mixed together right in the processor bowl and cleans up very quickly due to its smaller size. I have one from Cuisinart that I found in a thrift shop for $3, but I’ve seen them on sale for $20 or so fairly often. If you like having fresh pesto or making smaller batches of salsa or just don’t like having to put together a huge machine to do a little job it might be the perfect tool for you.

Lemon Berry Muffins
Yield: 12-16 muffins, depending on tin size

Ingredients:
2 c all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
zest of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs OR 1/2 cup warm water mixed with 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
1 cup yogurt OR 6 oz silken tofu, blended smooth
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 Tablespoons applesauce
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 c diced strawberries, cherries or other berries (frozen is fine)
cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling on top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients except zest in a bowl and set aside. If using eggs and yogurt mix all wet ingredients and zest together in a separate mixing bowl and stir in sugar until all is combined and there are no large lumps of brown sugar left. If using tofu and flax you can blend the tofu and wet ingredients together in a small food processor or blender until smooth, then scrape into a mixing bowl with the sugar and stir to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Gently fold in berries until evenly distributed. Prepare muffin tins and fill cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and tops are light golden brown. Remove from tins and cool on a rack.

Notes:
-If using the tofu/flax option when making these muffins I highly recommend either greasing the bare tin or using silicone pans as the batter really likes to stick to the paper liners. If opting for the traditional eggs and yogurt paper liners should be fine, but the reusable silicone cups are adorable if you happen to have them floating around.
-You can use dried berries for this recipe, but plump them a bit in some warm water first so you don’t get hard bits of fruit when you bite into your muffins. Drain them before folding in and bake as usual.

Blueberry Muffins

Guest Writer — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:38:31 +0000

Whenever my early morning hunger strikes, it can always be cured with a blueberry muffin. Truthfully, all I need is one blueberry muffin, any time of day, and I am ready to go. I found this recipe in the 1996 November/December issue of Cooking Light magazine, which someone tossed into the recycling bin where I use to live. Little did I know I would find in this issue several delicious recipes that have become staples in our home. The other funny thing is that the original recipe for these muffins, which I modified, was part of a paid advertisement for Chevrolet. They were promoting the cars and threw in the recipes to satisfy the cooking readers. All I have to say is “good job!”

These are quick and easy to whip up. I usually make them for breakfast when we have company and other times when I just want a good tasting muffin. While they are baking, I prepare the other items of our meal and everything falls into place and the muffin compliments keep coming.

Blueberry Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
2 to 4 tsp. grated lemon rind
1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
¾ cup nonfat buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
Vegetable cooking spray

The oven should be set at 400 degrees. Butter or spray your muffin pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and grated lemon rind. Pour the blueberries into the flour mixture and stir using a spoon or fork until the blueberries are lightly covered with the flour mixture. In a small bowl, beat the egg and then add the buttermilk, and oil and beat a few strokes until somewhat blended. Do not worry about mixing completely. Using a wooden spoon, make a well in the flour mixture and add the buttermilk, oil, and egg mixture. Continue mixing with the spoon until the dough is completely blended. The blueberry batter will become more like a dough consistency, sort of firm. Continue mixing and do not worry about bursting the blueberries because they will pop while baking. Once the dough is completely mixed, evenly divide the dough into your baking pan to make twelve muffins. If it appears that you have too much dough, then distribute the remaining amount evenly in the pan cups. The blueberries have a tendency to fill the cups of the pan, but while baking, the dough will settle and give you really nice sized and delicious muffins. Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes checking periodically to not burn.

Note: I usually use about 4 teaspoons of lemon rind because it gives such palatable flavor without overshadowing the blueberries. If too much lemon isn’t your style, then reduce the amount shown above or delete it all together. Another option it to try some orange rind in place of the lemon. Also, if you are daring, then sprinkle a little sugar over the top of the spooned dough before putting it in the oven. Organic cane sugar is the best and you don’t have to use a lot to get that sweet, sugary tasting topper.

By Jennifer Smeltser

Blender Pancakes

Rachel — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:44:45 +0000

This is a great way to get more whole grains into your diet and it is so easy to make. My kids love it and I know that I’m feeding them a healthy breakfast.

Ingredients

3/4 c. whole wheat (you do not grind & you do not have to soak it–just pour it in, trust me).
1 c. milk (in hard times, powdered milk mixed with water works great.
Dash of salt

Put all the above in blender and blend for 5 minutes.

Then add, while still blending:
2 eggs (again powdered eggs mixed with water works very well)
1/3 c. oil
2 t. baking powder

Preparation

Pour onto hot skillet (350 degrees is perfect) or cook on stove about med-high heat. Have your skillet ready when the pancakes are finished blending. For best results don’t let the mix sit too long. Makes about 8 – 10 med. pancakes.

Festive Holiday Cranberry Muffins with Rich Butter Sauce

Rachel — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:41:54 +0000

These cranberry muffins are a favorite at my house during the holidays. They are really simple to make and are absolutely delicious, especially eaten hot with the rich butter sauce poured over the top. These muffins are by no means low fat but they are so tasty and they make a great holiday gift for friends and neighbors. You can make a lower fat version by using whole wheat flour and serving them without the butter sauce. My kids love the healthy version for a fast breakfast during the Christmas season.

Ingredients for Cranberry Muffins

1 1/2 T butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cupevaporated milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t salt
1 t vanilla
1 cup raw cranberries (washed and sorted)

Instructions for Making Cranberry Muffins

Wash cranberries well and sort them. Cranberries should be firm to the touch and have smooth skin. Cranberries that are squishy or have breaks in the skin should be thrown out.

Preheat the oven to 350° Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the rest of the ingredients one at a time. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and spray with olive oil spray or nonstick spray. Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full. You should have enough batter to make 12 cupcakes.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for Butter Sauce

1 cube of butter
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
1 t vanilla

Instructions for Making Butter Sauce

Measure all ingredients and add them to a small saucepan. Bring the mixutre to a boil over med-high heat, stiring constantly. Spoon the butter sauce over hot cakes and serve.

Cornbread

Guest Writer — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:37:58 +0000

This is a great cornbread recipe that can be used for any meal. It is on the sweeter side and can be served with honey, or also eaten plain.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Cornmeal
1 1/2 cup Flour
2/3 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
2 Eggs
1 1/4 cup Milk
1/3 cup Oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients seperately. Then combine the ingredients and mix well. Pour the mix in a 8×8 pan and cook for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle is clean.

For a 9×13 pan size, double the ingredients and cook for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle is clean.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Rachel — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:18:49 +0000

I started making my own pizzas sometime last year when I realized how easy they were. I have my Pampered Chef Pizza Stone but you could also make this on a cookie sheet. The recipe I use for my pizza crust is from You: On a Diet. It is really easy to make even if you aren’t used to making bread and it is so much better for you than those pre-packaged tubes of pizza dough.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/8 teaspoon of sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (about the temperature you’d do for a baby bottle)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat four
1 1/2 cups all purpose enriched flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a small bowl, mix the 1 tablespoon of dry yeast with 1/8 teaspoon of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl combine 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour. You can gradually increase the whole wheat flour as your family gets used to this recipe to 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the flour mixture and stir. Add the yeast mixture and mix by hand. This is very easy to knead because it is such a soft dough but I have made it in my mixer before. If you are making it in a mixer you will want to take it out before you add the olive oil or it will make the dough too slippery for the dough hook. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and knead for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl and let it rise until the dough has doubled in size (about 20-60 minutes). Punch down the dough after it has risen and knead for 1 – 2 minutes. Divide into 2 portions. I store the extra portion in a plastic container in my fridge for several days and then use it for a second pizza later in the week.

Roll the portion you are using into a ball and roll it into a pizza shape on your pizza stone or baking sheet. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Poke the unbaked pizza crust with a fork to prevent it from developing air bubbles. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. Add your ingredients and then return to the oven until they are heated.

This may see like a lot of work if you aren’t used to making bread but it really is so easy and I always have the ingredients on hand so I don’t have to worry about anything going bad in my fridge. The prepackaged pizza crusts have so much junk in them that I hate to use them. With this, I know the crust is healthy and a little portion control on the cheese and some fresh veggies as toppings makes it a very healthy and easy dinner.