Crepes

From Salena Thomas

• 
  
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, flour sugar and salt until smooth.
• Heat a medium-sized skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Grease pan with a small amount of butter or oil applied with a brush or paper towel. Using a serving spoon or small ladle, spoon about 3 tablespoons crepe batter into hot pan, tilting the pan so that bottom surface is evenly coated. Cook over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes on a side, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
• Fill with either sweet or savory fillings.  For a truly French experience, use Nutella.  

Cracked Wheat Bread

From Ann Carter

This is the nearest thing to the popular commercial honey-wheatberry bread.  It is light, pale, pretty, delicious - far better in every way than it's store-bought counterpart.

To use Cracked Wheat - The night before, mix the wheat, molasses, and cool water.  The water should cover the grain when you start;  add more if necessary.  Let stand in a cool place until morning.

To use Bulgur Wheat - Just before you dissolve the yeast and begin to mix the dough, boil 3/4 c water.  Mix the bulgur, molasses, and water in a heavy saucepan.  Bring them to a boil, stirring, and cover, removing from heat.  Set aside.

 1/3 c coarse cracked wheat OR 3/4 c bulgur wheat
2 tbsp molasses
water to cover, 3/4 cup
2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 c warm water
1/2 c honey
3/4 c boiling water
1 1/4 c cold buttermilk
5 1/2 c finely ground high-gluten whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter

Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 c warm water.  Dissolve the honey in the hot water and add the buttermilk.  Stir the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the buttermilk mixture and the yeast, combining them to make a dough.  Knead partway, for about 10 minutes only, then let rise in a warm place about an hour and half.  Test to see whether it is ready to deflate:  wet your finger and poke the center of the dough about 1/2 inch deep.  If the hole does not fill in at all or if the dough sighs, go on to the next step.  Otherwise, allow a little more time.
Drain any excess water from the wheat.  Spread the butter on the kneading surface and turn the dough out onto it, flattening the dough to a large oblong.  Spread the grain out on the dough and fold them together.  Knead the grain and the butte into the dough, and keep working them together until the dough is silky and lustrous, stretchy and even - except for the brown grains, of course.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Let the dough rise again as before;  this time it will take about half as long.
As soon as the dough tests ready, turn it out onto the tabletop and press to deflate.  Cut in half and round each part.  Cover and allow to relax very well - this may take 15 minutes unless your dough is quite soft.  Use flour on the board when you shape the loaves, and be very gentle to keep the gluten film from tearing. This dough makes very fine hearth loaves, splendid buns or rolls, and big spectacular pan loaves.
The shaped dough should rise quite high before you put it in to the preheated oven.  It does best in a place that is warm and not too humid.  Have the oven ready a a little early, and if the tops of the loaves begin to rip from the stress of the wheat, get them into the oven.  usually they won't rip if you have kneaded well, but whether they do or not, their crusts will be pretty if you slash them.  If there is a rip, slash so as to make it look intentional.
Put the loaves into a preheated oven as soon as yo finish slashing them.  Start the oven at 400; after 10 minutes turn the heat down to 325 and bake for almost an hour.  when the loaves come out of the oven, brush the tops with butter.

Cream Biscuits

From Ann Carter

2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 - 1 1/2 c heavy cream
1/3 c (5 tbsp) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425.  Have ready an ungreased baking sheet.  Toss together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl, stirring with a fork to blend and lighten.  Slowly add 1 cup cream, stirring constantly.  Gather the dough together;  when it hold together and feels tender, it is ready to knead.  If the dough seems shaggy and pieces are dry and falling away, slowly add enough additional cream to make the dough hold together.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute.  Pat the dough into a square that is about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into 12 squares and dip each into the melted butter so all sides are coated.  Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly browned.  Serve hot.

Fabulous French Bread

By Becky Sanchez

2 1/2 c. very warm water
2 T. sugar
1 T. salt
2 T. cooking oil
6 c. flour
2 t. yeast

Into a large mixing bowl, pour warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, oil, half the flour, and the yeast. Beat vigorously for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in remaining flour until all dry ingredients are completely mixed in. Allow dough to rest 10 minutes. Stir down. Allow dough to rest another 10 minutes. Stir down. Repeat this process until dough has been stirred down five times.

Turn dough onto floured board, knead only enough to coat dough with flour so it can be handled. Divide into 2 parts. Roll each part into a rectangle about 9 X 12 inches and roll up like a jelly roll, rolling from the long side. Pinch end of loaf to seal the dough. Arrange lengthwise on large cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with corn meal, allowing room for both loaves. Cover lightly and let rise at room temp for 30 minutes.

With a very sharp knife, cut 3 gashes at an angle on top. Brush entire surface with slightly beaten egg.

Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until brown.

Streusel Topped Pumpkin Bread

By Ann Carter

1 c butter

3 c sugar

4 eggs

2 c pumpkin (one small can)

2/3 c water

3 1/3 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
Streusel:
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c butter

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat.  Next add the pumpkin and water.  Mix together the dry ingredients and then add them to the rest.  Beat until mixed well.  To make the topping:  Mix dry ingredients together then cut in butter.  Divide batter into 2 loaf pans and top with streusel topping.  Bake at 350 for 60 - 70 minutes.  This freezes well.  It can also be baked in a 9x13 and frosted with cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin-Apple Bundt Bread

By Jocelyn Denyer

2 c flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c + 2 Tbsp butter, room temp, cut into 5 pieces
1 c pumpkin puree
2 c unpeeled shredded tart apples (abt 2 large)
2 Tbsp powdered sugar (opt)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350.  Generously butter 12-cup bundt pan;  set aside.  If using food processor, mix first 8 ingredients;  remove and set aside.  Process sugar and eggs until fluffy.  Add butter and process 1 minute.  Add pumpkin and apples and process 2 seconds.  Add dry ingredients, combining with as few on/off turns as possible to just blend flour into batter;  do not overprocess or texture will be coarse.
If using mixer, combine first 8 ingredients and blend well;  set aside.  Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl.  Add eggs and pumpkin and mix until fluffy.  Add apples and blend thoroughly.  Mix in dry ingredients.
Turn batter into prepared pan and bake until bread begins to pull away from sides of pan, about 50 - 55 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand on wire rack 5 minutes.  Invert onto rack and cool completely.  Press powdered sugar through sieve onto bread just before serving, if desired.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

By Salena Thomas

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
5 cups flour

Warm milk to luke warm.  Dissolve in sugar and yeast and let set for 10 minutes.  Mix in pumpkin, butter, and 2 cups of flour: stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces, divide each of these pieces into four pieces and then divide each of these 16 pieces in half to make 32 pieces. Form each piece into a round and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Pie Crust
From Salena Thomas

1/3 c + 1 tbsp butter flavor Crisco
1 c flour
Dash salt

Mix flour and salt. Cut Crisco in to small pebble size. Add 3 Tbsp ice cold water and gently toss in. Mixture will still be crumbly. Use hands to form into a ball. Roll out on floured surface. For easy clean up, roll on floured 12 x 12 piece of wax paper. (The paper is already 12 inches long; just tear a piece off approximately the same lenght.) Roll out into a circle to touch the edges of the wax paper. It's the perfect sized for a pie dish!

Sweetened Irish Soda Bread

From Monica Thiriot

I halved the recipe for my family

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar (I used heaping tablespoons the 2nd time)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Topping:
¼ cup butter, melted
2-3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or use skillet In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut an “X” into the top of the loaf. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with sugar. Brush loaf with this mixture. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Basic Irish Soda Bread or Farls

From Monica Thiriot

1 cup butter milk

(or 1 cup milk + 1tsp vinegar – let sit for 10 minutes)
2 cups all purpose flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 (or heavy skillet). In medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Make a nest and pour in the butter milk. Stir until mixture is smooth. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. For Farls, flatten down to ½ inch and slice like a pizza. For Soda Bread, pat dough into a round and then cut a cross on it to let the fairies out. Let the cuts go over the sides of the bread to make sure of this. Farls: Bake on skillet for 7 minutes per side.Soda Bread: Bake on 400 for 15-25 minutes (recipe said 15, but mine was closer to 25. Most recipes say 25-30 with more ingredients). If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread: if it is cooked it will sound hollow.