Poppyseed Rye Bread

In the 1980s, I started using Saco Buttermilk Powder to make bread and sent away for a collection of recipe cards.  It was a wonderful set of cards and this was one of my early favorites.  I first made the bread in 1986 and rated it “excellent”; in 1987, it won blue ribbons at the Hamilton County and Harvest Home Fairs in Cincinnati and won a 5th place ribbon at the Ohio State Fair.

It’s wonderful toasted and also a great base for a Reuben sandwich.

POPPYSEED RYE BREAD

• 2 Tblsp. fast acting yeast*
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. salt
• ¼ cup buttermilk powder
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
• 1 Tblsp. poppy seeds
• 2 cups rye flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 Tblsp. oil
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2 cups water
• 2-½ cups to 3 cups all-purpose flour

*I use Fleischmann’s Instant Dry Yeast. I buy it in bulk (454 g) and the package says that it is made in Canada. I understand it is packaged under the name “Instant Dry” for distribution through stores like Sam’s, “Rapid Rise” in the U.S. and “Quick Rise” in Canada. The “Instant Dry”, “Rapid Rise” or “Quick Rise” yeast is especially formulated to be used mixed with the dry ingredients and can withstand the hot water.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place yeast, sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, cocoa, caraway seeds, poppy seeds, rye flour and whole wheat flour. Insert paddle beater and beat to blend dry ingredients.

In a four-cup measure, place oil, molasses and water.  Heat in the microwave to 130 degrees F.

Pour hot mixture into bowl and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

Remove paddle beater and insert dough hook.  Continue to beat for 6-1/2 minutes, adding flour a little at a time.   You may not have to use all of the flour – the dough should be smooth and elastic after 6-1/2 minutes.  The dough may feel slightly sticky because of the molasses.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn dough over once and cover with a napkin or tea towel.  Let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place that is free of drafts (I put mine on top of my microwave which sets under a cabinet).

After 45 minutes, punch down dough (press your knuckles into the dough to deflate it) and lay it on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough and form into two nine-inch or three 7-½ inch loaves. Turn over and pinch the edges to seal.  Place loaves in greased loaf pans.  Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes for nine-inch loaves, 45 minutes for 7-½ inch loaves or until bread is golden brown and has a hollow sound when tapped (210 degrees on a bread thermometer).  Cover with a piece of foil if top is browning too fast.  Remove bread from pans immediately, brush with butter, cover with a napkin or a tea towel and let cool on a wire rack.

Yield:  Two nine-inch or three 7-½ inch loaves

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Sort of Like Whip ‘n Chill

In the 1960s, there was a little box of powdered mix called Whip ‘n Chill which was mixed with water to make a very light and delicious mousse-like dessert.  On the rare occasions when my mother-in-law came for supper, I struggled to find something she would eat.  She didn’t like my cooking but one thing she seemed to enjoy was Whip ‘n Chill so that was always our dessert when Grandma Mary visited.

Whip ‘n Chill has been out of the regular grocery stores for many years and for a time could only be purchased at the Vermont Country Store.  Now, they no longer have it, but it is sold in bulk on Amazon.com at a pretty hefty price.  For our purposes, my version will do just fine.  If Grandma Mary were still with us, I wonder if she would like it.

Grandma Mary

SORT OF LIKE WHIP ‘N CHILL

• 1 envelope (¼ oz.) unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups milk, divided
• One 3.4 oz. package of Cook and Serve Chocolate Pudding (not instant pudding)
• 2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip)

Soak gelatin in ¼ cup of cold milk.  When dissolved, place in a medium saucepan with the remainder of the milk and the chocolate pudding mix.  Whisk over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Whisk the whipped topping into the pudding mixture and spoon into six dessert dishes.  Cover and chill for an hour.

Makes 6 servings.

Based on 6 servings – 156 calories/serving

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Cinco de Mayo Egg Sandwich

Since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed a fried egg sandwich with salt, pepper and a bit of mustard on soft, white Wonder-type bread.  It’s even a good meal when I’m not feeling well if I omit the pepper and mustard.

I wanted to make an egg sandwich that was more substantial and put together a good one with a Mexican flair – just in time for Cinco de Mayo.  The cheese is available in my local grocery …

…and I enjoy the soft pretzel buns that my bakery carries.  Fry the egg the way you like it best – I like mine golden brown with the yolk fried hard.

CINCO DE MAYO EGG SANDWICH (makes one sandwich)

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup sliced red bell pepper
• ¼ cup sliced onion
• Salt/pepper
• 1 large soft bun
• 1 egg
• 1 oz. Mexican cheese in small slices
• Several cilantro leaves

In a small skillet over medium low heat, heat olive oil and add the red pepper and onion slices.

Sprinkle lightly with salt/pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.  Remove vegetables from skillet and place on the bottom half of the bun.

In the same skillet, break the egg, stir the yolk with a fork, and cook until yolk is set.

Turn egg and cook on the opposite side until lightly browned.

Place egg on top of vegetables and immediately place cheese slices on top of egg.  Add several cilantro leaves on top of cheese.

Place top of bun on sandwich and serve immediately.  Delicioso!

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Ham Hash Supper

This is an adaptation of a recipe my daughter sent me in 2006.  I changed it to make a smaller casserole and to use convenience foods like dried onions, pimientos and garlic in a jar so the meal could be put together quickly.  It makes  a very tasty and filling plateful of food.   Really good with leftover baked ham.

HAM HASH SUPPER

• 16 oz. frozen hash browns, thawed
• 1 cup cooked ham, chopped
• 2 Tblsp. minced dried onions
• 1 Tblsp. chopped pimiento
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 Tblsp. spicy brown mustard

In a 9-inch casserole dish, combine hash browns, ham, dried onions, pimiento and garlic.

In a two-cup measure place cream cheese cubes, milk and mustard.  Microwave on high for two minutes until cheese is softened.  Whisk until smooth.

Pour sauce over ingredients in casserole and mix together.

Cover and bake @ 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.  Remove cover for the last 10 minutes to allow the top to brown.

I served some fresh cherry tomatoes with mine.  4-6 servings

Note:  Dish can be made ahead and refrigerated.  Bake for one hour @ 350 degrees F.

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Health Bread

I first made this bread in 1988 when it won a ribbon at our county fair.  The recipe came from an old publication called Blue Ribbon Gazette, a collection of blue ribbon winning recipes from around the country.  It’s a nice, sturdy loaf that’s delicious fresh from the oven or toasted.  It’s good to have a loaf tucked away in the freezer to make grilled sandwiches or to serve with soup on a chilly, windy day.

HEALTH BREAD

• 4-½  cups all purpose flour, divided
• 2 Tblsp. fast acting yeast*
• 1 Tblsp. salt
• ¼ cup buckwheat flour
• 2 Tblsp. oat bran
• 2-¼ cups buttermilk heated to 130 degrees F
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup sorghum molasses (or any strong flavored molasses such as Grandma’s)
• 2-¼ cups whole wheat flour

*The “Instant“ or “Quick Rise” yeast is especially formulated to be used mixed with the dry ingredients and can withstand the hot water.  Rising time is cut in half.

Grease two 9-inch or four 7-½ inch loaf pans

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, buckwheat flour and oat bran. Add 130 degree F buttermilk, oil and molasses.  Beat with a paddle beater at medium speed for 3 minutes.

Remove paddle beater and insert dough hook.  Add 2-¼ cups of whole wheat flour.  Beat a medium speed for 6-½ minutes, gradually adding remaining all-purpose flour until dough is smooth and elastic.  Don’t use more all-purpose flour than you need.  Dough will be a little sticky from the molasses.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turn, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Use your knuckles to punch down and deflate the dough.  Form into two 9-inch loaves or four 7-½-inch loaves and place in prepared pans.

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Bake 9-inch loaves for approximately 45 minutes; 7-½-inch loaves for approximately 25 minutes or until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Cool on a wire rack.

Yield:  Two 9-inch or four 7-½ inch loaves

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Sugar Cream Pie

In the 1970s, my young daughters and I loved a Sugar Cream pie that we could buy frozen at our local grocer.  As the years went by, the pie disappeared from the grocery store and several of my attempts to duplicate it failed.  Then in the 1980s, I adapted several recipes to come up with one that I thought was very close to our old favorite and it won a ribbon at the Ohio State Fair.  I made it again for the two daughters for this week’s Sunday dinner.

SUGAR CREAM PIE

• 1 cup whipping cream (1/2 pt.)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• dash salt
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 3 Tblsp. butter, melted
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 9” unbaked pie shell*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Place a piece of foil or parchment paper in the unbaked pie shell and pour in 2 cups of dry beans.  Bake @ 375 degrees F for 10 minutes to “blind bake”.  Remove foil and beans and let pie set on rack while preparing the filling.  Note:  I keep dry beans in a jar to use in blind-baking pie crust.  The beans can be used over and over again to blind bake, but don’t cook them for other uses.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Combine one cup whipping cream, sugar, flour, salt in medium bowl – whisk until smooth.

Whisk in half-and-half gradually, add melted butter and nutmeg.  Pour into blind-baked pie shell.

Bake @ 375 degrees F approximately 45 minutes.  Pie is done when knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.  Good at room temperature or chilled.  Chill leftovers.

6 servings

*Click here for my favorite pie crust

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Mother’s Swiss Steak and Catsup Gravy

My mother was married and cooking for her family while she was still a teenager in the years of the Great Depression.  She made simple, low-cost meals with a minimum of ingredients and fuss.  My father wanted mashed potatoes with practically every meal, so her Swiss Steak and Catsup Gravy went perfectly with his mashed potatoes.  I personally didn’t like mashed potatoes – except when they were served this way with gravy that was rich and deep flavored from long, slow baking.

Mother & Daddy, 1933

MOTHER’S SWISS STEAK AND CATSUP GRAVY

• 1 lb round steak
• Sprinkling of salt
• Grating of black pepper
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1-½ cups catsup
• ½ cup water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

Remove any large pieces of fat from steak and place in 9 inch casserole dish.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt and a grating of black pepper.

Slice onions and spread on top of steak.  In a two-cup measure, mix together the catsup and water.  Pour over meat and onions.

Cover and bake @ 300 degrees F for 3 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

4-6 servings

My father would have liked creamed peas and sliced tomatoes with a dab of mayonnaise to go along with this dish.

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Homemade Applesauce Cake

Every Christmas, we enjoy watching The Homecoming which introduced the Walton’s and I always wonder how Mama Walton made her Applesauce Cake.  Here’s my version of Livvie’s Applesauce Cake:

HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE CAKE

• 4 medium tart apples*
• ¼ cup pitted dates
• 1-¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup chopped nuts

Whipped cream or topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease and flour an 8 inch baking pan

Peel and quarter the apples.  Place in a medium saucepan.  Add water to cover the bottom of the pan and cook on medium low heat until the apples are soft, adding a little water as necessary to keep mixture from sticking.  This will take 15-20 minutes.  Let cool.  Measure ¾ cup of apples into a food processor.  Cut the dates into quarters and place in the food processor along with the cooked apples.  Pulse several times to finely chop the dates and smooth out the apples.  *You can substitute ¾ cup of unsweetened applesauce for the cooked apples.

Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice in a bowl, whisk together and set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, place the oil, sugar and egg – whisk until smooth.

Stir the date mixture into the oil/sugar/egg mixture, add flour mixture and stir until flour is absorbed.  Stir in chopped nuts.

Spread batter in the prepared baking pan and bake @ 350 degrees  F for about 45 minutes until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan on a rack.

6 servings.  Serve with whipped cream or topping.

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A St. Patrick’s Day Doll and an Easy Dessert

On this St. Patrick’s Day morning, my daughter had my doll table all ready for the celebration.  The doll was decked out in a hand crocheted shawl and tam o’shanter and there was a new embroidered cover for the table.  The picture of the cover doesn’t do it justice – it only measures 2-½ x 5 inches, so you can imagine how tiny the stitches are.

We’re having our traditional Reuben sandwiches for lunch (corned beef and cabbage in a more palatable form for us) and a quick and easy dessert with a little green to honor the day.  This is a deliciously rich dessert.

ST. PADDY PISTACHIO DESSERT

Crust:
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup butter, cut in small cubes
* 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Filling:
* 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 8 oz. carton of Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed, divided
* One small package of instant white chocolate pudding (four ½ cup svgs)
* One small package of instant pistachio pudding (four 1/2-cup svgs.)
* 1-1/2 cups milk, divided
* Green sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

To Make the Crust:

Mix the flour, butter and pecans well.  Press mixture in a 9×9 baking pan.  Bake @ 350 degrees F for 15 minutes until lightly brown.  Cool

To Make Filling and Assemble:

Layer 1: Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.  Fold in 4 ounces (half of an 8-oz. carton) of whipped topping.  Spread over cooled crust.

Layer 2: Whisk one package of white chocolate pudding and 3/4 cup of milk until thickened.  Spread over Layer 1.

Layer 3: Whisk one package of pistachio pudding and 3/4 cup of milk until thickened.  Spread over Layer 2.

Layer 4: Spread remaining 4 oz. of whipped topping over Layer 3.

Sprinkle top with green sugar – maybe you’ll be more creative than I was in sprinkling the sugar.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

6 to 8 servings

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Cracked Wheat Yeast Bread

I first made this bread in 1995, adapted from a recipe in a cookbook called America’s Best.  I have a note in my binder:  “Good flavor – chewy”.

This makes a hearty bread that is chewy due to the cracked wheat (bulgur).  It’s really delicious toasted and makes a very filling breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea.

CRACKED WHEAT YEAST BREAD

• 1 cup cracked wheat (bulgur)
• 3-1/4 cups water
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 T butter
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 Tblps. fast acting yeast*
• 4to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

*I use Fleischmann’s Instant Dry Yeast. I buy it in bulk (454 g) and the package says that it is made in Canada. I understand it is packaged under the name “Instant Dry” for distribution through stores like Sam’s, “Rapid Rise” in the U.S. and “Quick Rise” in Canada. The “Instant Dry”, “Rapid Rise” or “Quick Rise” yeast is especially formulated to be used mixed with the dry ingredients and can withstand the hot water.

Combine cracked wheat and water in medium pan.  Bring to boil, then remove from heat.  Add honey, butter and salt.  Cool to 130 degrees F (this will take about 20 minutes to cool).

Combine whole-wheat flour and yeast in large mixing bowl.  Add cracked-wheat mixture and with the paddle beater, beat @ low speed for 30 seconds and for 3 minutes @ medium speed.  Insert dough hook and knead for 6-1/2 minutes, adding all-purpose flour as necessary until dough is elastic.  Dough may feel a bit sticky because of the honey.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn dough over once and cover with a napkin or tea towel.  Let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place that is free of drafts (I put mine on top of my microwave which sets under a cabinet).

After 30 minutes, punch down dough (press your knuckles into the dough to deflate it) and lay it on a lightly floured surface.  Divide the dough into two portions …

…and roll each portion to form into a loaf.  Turn over and pinch the edges to seal.  Place loaves in greased 9-inch loaf pans -  cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to  350  degrees F.  Bake for 40-60 minutes until bread is golden brown and has a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.  Cover with a piece of foil if top is browning too fast.  Remove bread from pan immediately…

…cover with a napkin or a tea towel and let cool on a wire rack.

Yield:  Two 9-inch loaves.

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