Bread

If you've ever had homemade bread, you know how yummy it can be. Not just the taste, but it also smells wonderful, making your house or apartment just smell delicious.

While it may seem like a lot of work for something you can buy already sliced at the grocery store, it's well worth the work. (Hint: If you really get into kneading the bread, it also helps relieve stress! At least, it does for me.)

Here are six yummy bread recipes to try, including Classic Southern Buttermilk Cornbread and Egg Cinnamon Bread. Enjoy!

MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD

Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live. However, you might be able to check out a few episodes by Google-ing his name for the latest places that show him, or on YouTube. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 1 loaf.



Ingredients:

1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.

Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.

EGG CINNAMON BREAD



I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.





Ingredients

2 envelopes yeast

1 C warm water

1-2 T honey

1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)

1/2 C margarine (1 stick)

2 eggs, beaten

6-7 C unbleached white flour

1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)

2-3 C cinnamon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.

Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.

Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until double.

Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

This is from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, "This is an excellent cornbread to serve freshly baked in wedges with beans or greens or a big bowl of chili. It makes great stuffing, too!

"This cornbread is the classic buttermilk cornbread you'll find throughout the South. There's generally no sugar added to Southern cornbread, but if you prefer sweeter cornbread, add a few tablespoons of sugar or honey."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 22 minutes; Total Time: 32 minutes; Makes 6 to 8 servings

This can be viewed online at https://www.thespruceeats.com/classic-southern-buttermilk-cornbread-3054140.

Ingredients

2 cups white or yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons melted shortening (plus more for the skillet)

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Position the rack in the center of the oven.

Put about 1 tablespoon of shortening in a 9- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet and put the skillet in the oven.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Whisk to blend thoroughly.

In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and shortening.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until blended. Carefully remove the hot cast iron pan from the oven and set it on a metal rack. Pour the batter into the sizzling shortening in the hot skillet.

Return the skillet to the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375 F, and bake for about 20 to 24 minutes, until golden brown.

Cut the cornbread into wedges and serve hot with soups, stew, chili, beans, or greens. Many people like to crumble their cornbread in a glass and fill it with cold milk. A pan of cornbread also makes a great dressing to go with chicken, pork, or turkey.

Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

For a little extra flavor, add some bacon drippings to the cast iron skillet, or duck fat, if you have it.

For sweeter cornbread, add a few tablespoons of sugar or honey.

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

Yield: 12 rolls.

I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!



Ingredients:

2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.

"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)

MAPLE PECAN SWEET POTATO SCONES

This comes from United HealthCare, and begins, "Tender and fluffy, these spiced scones are full of veggies, whole grains and maple syrup and are best served warm. Even better? They’re easy enough to whip up for brunch or afternoon coffee."

Yields:12

You can view this online by clicking here.

Ingredients:

Scones

2 3/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 stick cold butter, diced

2/3 cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed

1/3 cup real maple syrup

2 eggs

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon real maple syrup

2–3 teaspoons milk

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry blender until crumbly. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, maple syrup and eggs until blended.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough in half and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat each half into a 6-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Transfer the two circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a knife, cut each circle into 6 wedges, gently separating the wedges with the knife until they are about 1/4 inch apart.

Bake the scones for 16–18 minutes or until golden. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the warm scones. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Yields 12. Calories: 231, Total fat: 10.8g, Saturated fat: 5.4g, Cholesterol: 51.3mg, Sodium: 96mg, Carbs: 30.8g, Dietary fiber: 3.7g, Sugars: 8.3g, Protein: 5.2g

"STROKE OF MIDNIGHT" PUMPKIN BREAD

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. The notes throughout the recipe are from the person who posted it on the list.

Preparation time: About 1 hr; Serves: 8 - 10

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups, sugar

1/3 cup, shortening (I use Smart Balance *Vegan*)

1/2 cup, applesauce

1 cup, pumpkin

1 2/3 cups, flour (I use a combo of wheat and soy)

1/4 teaspoon, baking powder

1 teaspoon, baking soda

1/3 cup, water

dash of salt

dash of nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger (Whatever you like)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the sugar, shortening and applesauce until 'light and fluffy' or well mixed. Stir in the pumpkin.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add the batter and water, alternatively.

Spoon into a greased and floured bread pan. Bake about 45 minutes – 1 hour or until done

Bread

For many years, I baked homemade bread on a regular basis. Then, as life became busy, my output slowed drastically.

But a friend of mine started posting regularly on Facebook that she'd baked another couple of loaves of homemade bread, and how wonderful they made the house smell.

Ah, yes, I thought. I remember how wonderful the house smelled after baking bread..., as I added yeast to my shopping list.

While I don't bake nearly as much as I used to, years ago, I have gotten back into baking bread again. In honor of that, here are six yummy (and wonderful smelling) bread recipes for your enjoyment, including Magic Caterpillar Peanut Butter Bread and my much-loved (by family) Egg Cinnamon Bread. Enjoy!

CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

My son and I were both on several long-forgotten emailing recipe lists. This is one of the recipes my son passed along from one of those lists.

Makes 24 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries [dust with 2 Tbl. - flour] - can substitute blueberry or raspberry

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line muffin pan with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In mixing bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each.

In separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mix gradually; fold in cranberries and nuts. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or til golden and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let muffins stand on cooling rack for about 3 minutes before removing from the pans.

MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD

Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live. However, you might be able to check out a few episodes by Google-ing his name for the latest places that show him, or on YouTube. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 1 loaf.



Ingredients:

1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.

Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

Yield: 12 rolls.

I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!



2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.

"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)

EGG CINNAMON BREAD



I've been making this for years – actually, for decades – and almost always gotten rave reviews on this recipe. It got to the point that several people have specifically requested this recipe – and, if I'm visiting, it's pretty much expected that I'll bake up a batch. This recipe makes three loaves.





2 envelopes yeast

1 C warm water

1-2 T honey

1 C milk (Note: 1 cup soy milk can be used in place of the milk)

1/2 C margarine (1 stick)

2 eggs, beaten

6-7 C unbleached white flour

1/4-1/2 C margarine (1 stick)

2-3 C cinnamon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Stir honey into warm water. Stir in yeast. Set aside.

Heat milk until warm. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 C margarine, cut into 4 pieces. Stir, allowing margarine to melt. Cool to room temperature. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and eggs. Add flour, 2 cups at a time until stiff. Place dough on floured towel and knead for 4-5 minutes.

Wash and dry bowl. Oil dough, place in bowl, cover with clean towel and place out of draft in a warm place. Allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until double.

Melt 1/4-1/2 C margarine. Grease 3 loaf pans. Punch dough down, then divide into three sections. Roll out with rolling pin, then brush with melted margarine. Spread cinnamon sugar over melted margarine, then roll all three sections into loaves. Place in pans, place clean towel over pans, and allow to rise again for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Remove towel, then place loaf pans into preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE-ZUCCHINI BREAD

This comes from Deb Wise on MyRecipes. She wrote, “Got a boatload of zucchini? A loaf of so-simple quick bread is a delightful, kid-friendly way to put it to use. This decadent twist spices up classic zucchini bread with cocoa powder, cinnamon, a rich chocolate glaze, and roasted pepitas. Easy-to-make, incredibly moist, and intensely chocolatey, this Mexican Chocolate Zucchini Bread is sure to be a new favorite.”

Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes; Yield: Serves: 10 (serving size: 1 slice)

To view this online, go to https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-chocolate-zucchini-bread.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini

1 2/3 cups (about 7 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. roasted and salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), divided

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped

1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

Place eggs in a large bowl; lightly whisk. Add granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Stir in grated zucchini.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl just until combined. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the pepitas into batter. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top with spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool bread in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of pan to loosen bread. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on rack, about 1 hour.

Combine cream and bittersweet chocolate in a medium-size microwaveable bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM until chocolate melts, about 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds. Add powdered sugar, and stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of cooled bread. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons pepitas.

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD WITH CARAWAY

This is a traditional bread to make around St. Patrick's Day, but I could eat Irish Soda Bread any time. This is from the March 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Pricking the surface of the unbaked loaf is an old Irish tradition to let the fairies out.” Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. caraway seeds

1 Tbs. granulated sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups buttermilk or sour milk

Preheat oven to 425F. Spray round 8-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine flour, caraway seeds, sugar and salt in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, whisk baking soda into buttermilk. Make a well in center of flour. Pour buttermilk mixture into well, and stir to blend, using large spatula or wooden spoon. Dough should be soft but not sticky; if still sticky, work in 1/4 cup flour at a time until dough holds together.

Scrape dough into cake pan. Lightly flour hands, and pat dough flat. Using sharp knife, cut deep cross on top. Prick each quarter three or four times with fork.

Bake bread 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan, and cool slightly on rack. Serve warm with butter.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 200; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 40 g; Sodium: 500 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 5 g

Bread of Life

What is it about homemade bread that makes us feel good? Is it the way it makes the house smell? The way we feel when we pull it from the oven? Who knows. All I know is that it's something very special. Enjoy!

CINNAMON EGG BREAD

I first found the recipe that this morphed from in an old, long-since-lost cookbook. Since losing the cookbook, the recipe has changed to this version. I've had numerous friends and relatives rave over this. One lady I knew said that it was one of the few bread recipes that could almost double as dessert.

1 cup milk (or soy milk)

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

2-3 eggs

1 cup warm (not hot) water

2 Tablespoons honey

2 packages yeast

6 – 7 cups flour

3/4 – 1 cup margarine, melted

2 – 3 cups cinnamon sugar

Heat milk to almost scalding, stirring fairly constantly so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup margarine, and stir until melted. Let milk and margarine cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place very warm water, add honey and yeast, then stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.

Add salt to milk, then add yeast and water to milk. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, for a stiff, non-sticky dough. Knead for about 8 – 10 minutes.

Wash and dry bowl, then place dough in bowl. Place cooking oil (I recommend canola or olive oil) in hands, then rub over dough. Place clean towel over the top of bowl and allow dough to rise until almost double, about an hour.

Take 3 loaf pans and spray with cooking spray. Take dough out and divide into thirds.

Melt ¾ – 1 cup margarine. Set aside.

With a floured rolling pin, roll out first third of dough. Pour some of the margarine over the bread and spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll dough, then place in loaf pan with the bread-seam down. Repeat with other two thirds. Place towel over all three loaves and allow to rise again, approximately one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then, removing towel, bake loaves for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes on cooling rack.

MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD

Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live, although the episodes can still be found here. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 1 loaf.



Ingredients:

1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.

Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

Yield:12 rolls.

I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!



2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.

"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)

PUMPKIN BUBBLE SPICE RING

YIELD:1 ring; about 12 servings.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 package Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, divided

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese

Directions:

Combine 1 cup of the flour, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and yeast in medium bowl; stir until well mixed. Combine pumpkin puree and milk in small saucepan; heat to 120 to 130 degrees. Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; stir until well blended. Add egg; mix well. Add 1 cup of the flour; stir until flour is thoroughly incorporated. Add enough of the remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, to make a rather soft dough.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Lightly grease a 10-inch fluted tube or Bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the nuts in bottom of pan; pour in half of the caramel mixture.

Cut cream cheese into 20 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Knead dough one minute, then divide dough into 20 pieces. Flatten each piece of dough and wrap it around a piece of cream cheese. Arrange 10 pieces of cream cheese-filled dough in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top. Arrange remaining 10 pieces of cream cheese-filled dough on top of first layer. Pour remaining caramel mixture over all. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled. The risen dough will not quite reach the top of the pan.

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Can be served warm or cool.

Note: The dough itself isn’t very sweet, because I think the caramel sauce has enough sugar. You could make a nicely sweet pumpkin bread by increasing the sugar to 1/2 cup and simply forming the dough into a loaf for a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. The baking time would be about the same.

BASIC WHITE BREAD

Yield: 2 loaves.

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour, divided

Directions:

Put water in a large bowl. Add yeast; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add sugar, salt and oil; stir to mix. Add 5 cups of the flour; mix well. By hand, work in enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with a clean towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place about one hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Divide dough into two equal pieces and form each piece into a loaf. Place in greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

Bake on lower shelf of a preheated 400-degree oven about 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pans immediately; let cool on wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Note: You could add 1 tablespoon of any dried herb or herb mixture to this dough to make an herb-flavored loaf.

ORANGE CRANBERRY BREAD

Yield: 1 loaf (18 slices)

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

Print Version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/412.shtml

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 medium orange

2 teaspoons margarine, melted

1 large egg, beaten, or 1/4 cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut aluminum foil to fit the bottom of a 9x5-inch loaf pan and spray the sides of the pan with nonstick pan spray.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

Grate the zest from the orange and set aside. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Add the grated zest and melted margarine to the juice and add enough hot water to make 1 cup.

Stir the liquids into the dry ingredients. Add the egg, vanilla, cranberries, and walnuts; stir to mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the top of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

If time permits, let stand overnight for easy slicing. Cut the loaf into 18 slices.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 108; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Cholesterol: 12 g; Sodium: 109 mg; Fat: 3 g; Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Fat

Homemade Bread

Is there anything more satisfying than pulling a loaf or two of homemade bread or a pan of homemade rolls out of the oven? The scent fills the house (or at least the kitchen) and the taste - yum! If you've never made homemade bread from scratch before, you might be a little intimidated. Don't be; it's really easier than you'd think. It does take a little time, especially since most yeast breads and rolls require two rising times. But it's well worth the effort.

With that, here are six bread and roll recipes to try your hand at. Enjoy!

EXCELLENT WHITE BREAD

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times' Cooking e-newsletter. Melissa writes, “This straightforward loaf is the white bread of your dreams, and its fluffy slices make for evenly browned toast. The 1/3-cup of sugar makes this mildly sweet and perfect for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but you can cut it down to 2 tablespoons if you’d rather have something more neutral in flavor. You do need some sugar, however, to feed the yeast and ensure a lofty rise. This recipe makes two loaves, one for now, and one for the freezer or to share with a lucky friend.” Time: 4 hours 15 minutes; makes 2 loaves

To view this online, go to http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017369-excellent-white-bread.

Ingredients

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted, more for greasing bowl and pans and for brushing the tops of the loaves

2 eggs

5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation

In a large electric mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk. Add the remaining warm milk, the sugar, the salt, the butter and the eggs. Add 5 cups flour and mix with paddle attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes. Switch to hook attachment and knead on low speed, adding more flour if necessary until dough is stiff and slightly tacky, about 10 minutes.

Grease a large bowl with butter and turn dough out into the bowl. Flip over dough so greased side is up, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Generously butter two 9-x-5 loaf pans.

When dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Return to greased bowl, cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Press down dough with your hand to expel the air. Divide dough in half and place each half into a loaf pan. Brush tops of loaves with remaining melted butter.

Cover and let rise until dough is just above the tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped, the tops are brown and the internal temperatures are 200 degrees. Remove loaves from pans and let cool on wire racks.

MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD

Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live, although the episodes can still be found here. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe and the next (Raisin Walnut Bread), as well as the Texas Moppin' Rolls and Crunchy Onion Loaf, are from Breaking Bread... This recipe yields 1 loaf.



Ingredients:

1 package FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.

Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.

RAISIN WALNUT BREAD

Also from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic. Yield:2 loaves.

Ingredients:

1 cup lukewarm milk

1 cup lukewarm water

2 packages FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast

2 tablespoons light molasses

2 cups rye flour, divided

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I prefer canola)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour, divided

2 cups raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Combine milk, water, yeast, molasses and 1 cup of the rye flour in a large mixing bowl; stir to mix well. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Add oil and salt; mix well. Stir in the remaining 1 cup rye flour. Let dough rest 10 minutes; the rye flour will absorb moisture.

Add 3 cups of the bread flour, one cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead vigorously 8 to 10 minutes, adding enough of the remaining 1/2 cup bread flour to make a firm (but not stiff) dough that is slightly sticky. Lightly oil surface of dough, and put in the rinsed mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 60 to 75 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to work out the larger air bubbles. Roll out dough to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle raisins and walnuts on top of dough. Fold the edges of the dough toward the center. Knead dough a few minutes to evenly distribute the raisins and walnuts. (At first the dough will be messy and seem to be falling apart, but be patient; it will all come together.)

Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf. Place loaves in lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Cover with a towel and let rise 40 minutes, or until nearly doubled in bulk.

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks.

Note: If you would prefer smaller loaves, divide the dough into four pieces and use mini-loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. I like the smaller size for gift breads or for a light buffet.

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

Yield:12 rolls.

I frequently make these (from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic) to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!



2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.

"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)

CINNAMON EGG BREAD

I first found the recipe that this morphed from in an old, long-since-lost cookbook. Since losing the cookbook, the recipe has changed to this version. I've had numerous friends and relatives rave over this. One lady I knew said that it was one of the few bread recipes that could almost double as dessert.

1 cup milk (or soy milk)

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

2-3 eggs

1 cup warm (not hot) water

2 Tablespoons honey

2 packages yeast

6 – 7 cups flour

3/4 – 1 cup margarine, melted

2 – 3 cups cinnamon sugar

Heat milk to almost scalding, stirring fairly constantly so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add ½ cup margarine, and stir until melted. Let milk and margarine cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place very warm water, add honey and yeast, then stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.

Add salt to milk, then add yeast and water to milk. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, for a stiff, non-sticky dough. Knead for about 8 – 10 minutes.

Wash and dry bowl, then place dough in bowl. Place cooking oil (I recommend canola or olive oil) in hands, then rub over dough. Place clean towel over the top of bowl and allow dough to rise until almost double, about an hour.

Take 3 loaf pans and spray with cooking spray. Take dough out and divide into thirds.

Melt 3/4 – 1 cup margarine. Set aside.

With a floured rolling pin, roll out first third of dough. Pour some of the margarine over the bread and spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll dough, then place in loaf pan with the bread-seam down. Repeat with other two thirds. Place towel over all three loaves and allow to rise again, approximately one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then, removing towel, bake loaves for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes on cooling rack.

CRUNCHY ONION LOAF

One more recipe from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic. Yield: 2 loaves.

1 package FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons margarine

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 1/2 cups white or yellow cornmeal

1 egg

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup bread flour

1 teaspoon white or yellow cornmeal

Solid shortening to coat 1 large bowl and baking sheet or baguette pan

Add yeast to the warm water & let stand for 10 minutes. In large measuring cup or medium-sized saucepan, heat milk & margarine to 135 degrees (about 1 1/2 minutes in microwave or 4 minutes in saucepan on medium heat). Pour this liquid into large mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt, & minced onions. Cool to lukewarm. Add cornmeal, egg, Parmesan cheese, softened yeast, & mix well by hand or with a mixer.

Add flours to make a soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface & knead until smooth & satiny, 10 minutes by hand, or 4 minutes in electric mixer or food processor fitted with dough hook. Put in greased bowl, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover with damp cloth & allow to rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Knead down dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half & let rest for 10 minutes. Shape each piece into a long narrow loaf, about 14 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on prepared sheet or in baguette pans and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Homemade Bread

What is it about homemade bread that makes us feel good? Is it the way it makes the house smell? The way we feel when we pull it from the oven? Who knows. All I know is that it's something very special. Enjoy!

CINNAMON EGG BREAD

I first found the recipe that this morphed from in an old, long-since-lost cookbook. Since losing the cookbook, the recipe has changed to this version. I've had numerous friends and relatives rave over this. One lady I knew said that it was one of the few bread recipes that could almost double as dessert.

1 cup milk (or soy milk)

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

2-3 eggs

1 cup warm (not hot) water

2 Tablespoons honey

2 packages yeast

6 – 7 cups flour

3/4 – 1 cup margarine, melted

2 – 3 cups cinnamon sugar

Heat milk to almost scalding, stirring fairly constantly so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add ½ cup margarine, and stir until melted. Let milk and margarine cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place very warm water, add honey and yeast, then stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.

Add salt to milk, then add yeast and water to milk. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, for a stiff, non-sticky dough. Knead for about 8 – 10 minutes.

Wash and dry bowl, then place dough in bowl. Place cooking oil (I recommend canola or olive oil) in hands, then rub over dough. Place clean towel over the top of bowl and allow dough to rise until almost double, about an hour.

Take 3 loaf pans and spray with cooking spray. Take dough out and divide into thirds.

Melt ¾ – 1 cup margarine. Set aside.

With a floured rolling pin, roll out first third of dough. Pour some of the margarine over the bread and spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll dough, then place in loaf pan with the bread-seam down. Repeat with other two thirds. Place towel over all three loaves and allow to rise again, approximately one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then, removing towel, bake loaves for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes on cooling rack.

MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD

Years ago, I got hooked on Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live, although the episodes can still be found here. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 1 loaf.

Ingredients:

1 package Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.

Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

Yield:12 rolls.

I frequently make these to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!

2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.

"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)

PUMPKIN BUBBLE SPICE RING

YIELD:1 ring; about 12 servings.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 package Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, divided

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese

Directions:

Combine 1 cup of the flour, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and yeast in medium bowl; stir until well mixed. Combine pumpkin puree and milk in small saucepan; heat to 120 to 130 degrees. Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; stir until well blended. Add egg; mix well. Add 1 cup of the flour; stir until flour is thoroughly incorporated. Add enough of the remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, to make a rather soft dough.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Lightly grease a 10-inch fluted tube or Bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the nuts in bottom of pan; pour in half of the caramel mixture.

Cut cream cheese into 20 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Knead dough one minute, then divide dough into 20 pieces. Flatten each piece of dough and wrap it around a piece of cream cheese. Arrange 10 pieces of cream cheese-filled dough in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top. Arrange remaining 10 pieces of cream cheese-filled dough on top of first layer. Pour remaining caramel mixture over all. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled. The risen dough will not quite reach the top of the pan.

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Can be served warm or cool.

Note: The dough itself isn’t very sweet, because I think the caramel sauce has enough sugar. You could make a nicely sweet pumpkin bread by increasing the sugar to 1/2 cup and simply forming the dough into a loaf for a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. The baking time would be about the same.

BASIC WHITE BREAD

Yield: 2 loaves.

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour, divided

Directions:

Put water in a large bowl. Add yeast; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add sugar, salt and oil; stir to mix. Add 5 cups of the flour; mix well. By hand, work in enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with a clean towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place about one hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Divide dough into two equal pieces and form each piece into a loaf. Place in greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

Bake on lower shelf of a preheated 400-degree oven about 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pans immediately; let cool on wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Note: You could add 1 tablespoon of any dried herb or herb mixture to this dough to make an herb-flavored loaf.

ORANGE CRANBERRY BREAD

Yield: 1 loaf (18 slices)

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

Print Version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/412.shtml

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 medium orange

2 teaspoons margarine, melted

1 large egg, beaten, or 1/4 cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut aluminum foil to fit the bottom of a 9x5-inch loaf pan and spray the sides of the pan with nonstick pan spray.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

Grate the zest from the orange and set aside. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Add the grated zest and melted margarine to the juice and add enough hot water to make 1 cup.

Stir the liquids into the dry ingredients. Add the egg, vanilla, cranberries, and walnuts; stir to mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the top of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

If time permits, let stand overnight for easy slicing. Cut the loaf into 18 slices.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 108; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Cholesterol: 12 g; Sodium: 109 mg; Fat: 3 g; Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Fat

More Soups and Rolls (And Challah)

It's another rainy day, which means soup and homemade bread or rolls. The first two recipes, Texas Moppin' Rolls and Bean Soup, were last posted here on February 12, 2012.

There are some foods that just go perfectly with certain types of weather. A hot August afternoon screams for a dinner requiring little or not cooking (think hoagies, potato salad, or burgers grilled to perfection) with a large glass of iced tea, iced coffee, or other cold drink. And cold winter days require something hot to warm you from the inside out.

While Florida doesn't get as cold as, say, New England, New York, Minnesota, or Canada, we still get our occasional cold days. Today, it is merely rainy as a cold front makes its way across the state.

Right now, I've got the beginnings of bean soup cooking on the stove while the dough for Texas Moppin' Rolls rises in the oven. While the beans come in a nice, neat little package with instructions on how to cook up a nice pot of soup, I have a habit of glancing at the recipe, then going my own way.

The Texas Moppin' Rolls are another story. Years ago, right after getting hooked up to cable, I was channel surfing and discovered a show on the Food Network titled Breaking Bread With Father Dominic. The show is no longer on the Food Network (hey, Food Network people: how about bringing Father Dominic's show back!), but Fr. Dominic still has a website.

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

YIELD:12 rolls

Ingredients:

2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: Fr. Dominic wrote, "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper. I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well.

BEAN SOUP

1 package 15-bean soup mix

3 quarts water (see first note, below)

2 onions, minced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can stewed tomatoes

2-3 celery stalks, chopped

1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped

Any small bag of frozen veggies

1 T oregano (see second note, below)

salt & pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Clean through package of beans to make sure there are not bits of small pebbles or dirt, then rinse. Place in large pot with 3 quarts water, bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat. Simmer for one hour.

Add remaining ingredients and cook for one more hour.

First Note: You'll probably need to add water as the soup cooks. This is normal. Just don't overdo it.

Second Note: Most 15-bean packages come with small packets of spices for whatever flavor the bag is labled as: chicken flavored, ham flavored, etc. I picked up the Cajun flavored packages. The beans themselves don't carry the flavors; while I haven't checked, I'm sure that if you take the time to read the ingredient lists, the beans on each flavor are the same. It's the spice packets inside that you're supposed to add near the end that add the flavor. I usually discard this spice packet, since I never know how much salt and/or preservatives are in the packets. I prefer to add whatever spices I feel like adding. So...if you want to add the packet, please feel free to. Just forgo the spices I've added...or, at least, forgo the salt.

Serve with Texas Moppin' Rolls.

ENJOY!!!

SPINACH TORTELLINI SOUP

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Total Time: 15 min; Prep: 5 min; Cook: 10 min; Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 9 ounce package cheese tortellini

Dried basil

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed

Salt and pepper

1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes

Directions

In a large pot, bring stock to simmer. Stir in tortellini and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Stir in spinach, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Return to a simmer and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.

Read more here.

BROCCOLI CHOWDER

Yield: 6 servings, 1 cup each

Source: "The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook"

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (1-1/2 cups)

1 large carrot, diced (1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery, diced (1/2 cup)

1 large potato, peeled and diced (1-1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3-1/2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth (two 14-ounce cans)

8 ounces broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated (3 cups)

1 cup grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more.

Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan. Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through. Season with salt.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup each): Calories: 180, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 15 mg, Carbohydrate: 23 g, Protein: 6 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sodium: 354 mg Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 High-Fat Meat

CHALLAH

YIELD:1 large loaf; about 20 to 25 slices

This one is also from Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic

INGREDIENTS:

2 packages FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

6 to 7 1/2 cups bread flour, divided

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten, for glaze

DIRECTIONS:

Combine yeast, 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl; stir to mix. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in 2 cups of the flour; let stand about 30 minutes to let the yeast develop.

Combine 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, oil and 3 eggs in a large bowl; mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the yeast mixture; mix well.

Add the remaining flour, about 1 cup at a time, until you get slightly firm dough. It will be a bit softer than ordinary bread dough because of the eggs. Knead in bowl about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly to work out the larger air pockets. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope, about 24 inches long. Braid ropes to form a loaf, tucking the ends underneath. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk. The loaf will be quite large.

About 15 minutes before loaf has finished rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaf all over with beaten egg. Bake in 375-degree oven about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. If your oven doesn't bake evenly, be sure to turn the pan every 10 minutes or so. Remove loaf from pan and let cool on a rack.

Note:

A large, braided loaf is one of the traditional forms of challah. One also finds it shaped as a large braid with a smaller braid on top. I generally prefer to make two smaller single braids, as may be necessary if you have a smaller oven.

MINESTRONE SOUP

Yield: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)

Source: "Cooking with The Diabetic Chef"

To make this truly vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken stock.

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

1/4 medium carrot, finely diced

1/4 stalk celery, finely diced

2/3 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 tablespoons leeks, finely diced

3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) canned tomatoes, chopped

1/2 medium zucchini, diced

1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme

3/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced

3 cups chicken stock

3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) frozen spinach, chopped

3/4 cup white beans, cooked

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the garlic and leek and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato, zucchini, thyme, oregano, and chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the spinach and white beans. Return the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes. Season with the salt and white pepper. Serve immediately and garnish with the Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (about 1 cup):

Calories: 110, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 3 mg, Sodium: 283 mg, Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g,Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

POTATO SOUP

I'm not sure where I found this recipe. Whoever wrote it added, "This creamy potato soup needs a crispy salad and crusty bread and voila! You have a meal." All I can really add is: Yum!

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cooking Time 25 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces

2 large yellow onions

6 leeks, well washed, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a large saucepan; add the salt. Add the potatoes, onions and leeks; cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes into the broth until it becomes a coarse-textured soup. Add the oregano, parsley, heavy cream and butter; simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Soup and Texas Moppin' Rolls

There are some foods that just go perfectly with certain types of weather. A hot August afternoon screams for a dinner requiring little or not cooking (think hoagies, potato salad, or burgers grilled to perfection) with a large glass of iced tea, iced coffee, or other cold drink. And cold winter days require something hot to warm you from the inside out.

While Florida doesn't get as cold as, say, New England, New York, Minnesota, or Canada, we still get our occasional cold days. Today, it is merely rainy as a cold front makes its way across the state.

Right now, I've got the beginnings of bean soup cooking on the stove while the dough for Texas Moppin' Rolls rises in the oven. While the beans come in a nice, neat little package with instructions on how to cook up a nice pot of soup, I have a habit of glancing at the recipe, then going my own way.

The Texas Moppin' Rolls are another story. Years ago, right after getting hooked up to cable, I was channel surfing and discovered a show on the Food Network titled Breaking Bread With Father Dominic. The show is no longer on the Food Network (hey, Food Network people: how about bringing Father Dominic's show back!), but Fr. Dominic still has a website.

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

YIELD: 12 rolls

Ingredients:

2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: Fr. Dominic wrote, "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper. I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well.

BEAN SOUP

1 package 15-bean soup mix

3 quarts water (see first note, below)

2 onions, minced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can stewed tomatoes

2-3 celery stalks, chopped

1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped

Any small bag of frozen veggies

1 T oregano (see second note, below)

salt & pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Clean through package of beans to make sure there are not bits of small pebbles or dirt, then rinse. Place in large pot with 3 quarts water, bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat. Simmer for one hour.

Add remaining ingredients and cook for one more hour.

First Note: You'll probably need to add water as the soup cooks. This is normal. Just don't overdo it.

Second Note:Most 15-bean packages come with small packets of spices for whatever flavor the bag is labled as: chicken flavored, ham flavored, etc. I picked up the Cajun flavored packages. The beans themselves don't carry the flavors; while I haven't checked, I'm sure that if you take the time to read the ingredient lists, the beans on each flavor are the same. It's the spice packets inside that you're supposed to add near the end that add the flavor. I usually discard this spice packet, since I never know how much salt and/or preservatives are in the packets. I prefer to add whatever spices I feel like adding. So...if you want to add the packet, please feel free to. Just forgo the spices I've added...or, at least, forgo the salt.

Serve with Texas Moppin' Rolls.

ENJOY!!!

Breaking Bread...

During the end of the 1990s, my better-half and I broke down and got cable TV. We'd gotten tired of having Florida's rainy weather doing a number with the outside antenna. Nothing like having one person standing outside in the pouring rain (especially during a thunderstorm; shocking!), turning the antenna while someone else stands at the front door, yelling, "Turn it a little more! Wait, stop! Now, back it up just a little bit! Perfect!" to convince one that it's time to get cable. Of course, now it's almost impossible to watch TV without cable or a converter box. No matter...

While channel-surfing one dreary January afternoon, I stumbled across a cooking show that I found absolutely intriguing. I love cooking shows, and will usually stop for a minute to see if it's something I might be interested in. Some will get only a few minutes of viewing before I check out the next station; others become ones I love to watch on a daily basis (anyone else love watching Paula Deen?).

This particular show featured a monk! And he was talking about baking bread! Anyone who knows me knows I love baking bread. Haven't had enough time to do that in recent years, but it's so cathartic and makes the house smell so good (not to mention that homemade bread just tastes so wonderful!) that it's still a favorite thing to do.

The show was called Breaking Bread With Father Dominic, and while I can't remember if it was on one of the local PBS stations or the Food Network (maybe both), it's no longer on TV. (Darn!) It would be great if it was brought back to TV.

I've included several of the recipes from the show (and yes, I'm giving full credit to the show - again, it was Breaking Bread With Father Dominic). And if you'd like to buy Father Dominic's cookbooks, they can be found here. Enjoy!

TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS

Yield:12 rolls.

I frequently make these to go with chili or homemade spaghetti. Definitely yummy!

2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.

Note: "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper.

"I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well." (All notes after the recipes are Father Dominic's notes.)

PUMPKIN BUBBLE SPICE RING

YIELD:1 ring; about 12 servings.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 package FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, divided

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese

Directions:

Combine 1 cup of the flour, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and yeast in medium bowl; stir until well mixed. Combine pumpkin puree and milk in small saucepan; heat to 120 to 130 degrees. Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; stir until well blended. Add egg; mix well. Add 1 cup of the flour; stir until flour is thoroughly incorporated. Add enough of the remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, to make a rather soft dough.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Lightly grease a 10-inch fluted tube or Bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the nuts in bottom of pan; pour in half of the caramel mixture.

Cut cream cheese into 20 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Knead dough one minute, then divide dough into 20 pieces. Flatten each piece of dough and wrap it around a piece of cream cheese. Arrange 10 pieces of cream cheese-filled dough in a single layer in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top. Arrange remaining 10 pieces of cream cheese-filled dough on top of first layer. Pour remaining caramel mixture over all. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled. The risen dough will not quite reach the top of the pan.

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Can be served warm or cool.

Note: The dough itself isn’t very sweet, because I think the caramel sauce has enough sugar. You could make a nicely sweet pumpkin bread by increasing the sugar to 1/2 cup and simply forming the dough into a loaf for a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. The baking time would be about the same.

MAGIC CATERPILLAR PEANUT BUTTER BREAD

YIELD:1 loaf.

Ingredients:

1 package FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

For decoration: tubes of colored frosting, candies, gumdrops, licorice, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine milk, peanut butter, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Let cool to lukewarm, then add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding small amounts of the remaining flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Rinse and dry bowl, then lightly oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Form rope into a large S shape on a lightly greased 18x12-inch baking sheet. Using a butter knife or dough scraper, chop rope into 3-inch sections, but do not separate completely. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes. (The caterpillar will magically grow back together during rising and baking.)

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake loaf 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate cooled loaf with frosting and gumdrops or other candy. Poke holes in the sides with a wooden pick and insert sections of licorice for legs.

Note: Decorating gel doesn't work as well as frosting as a glue for the candy decorations, so make sure you pick up the right tube at the store. Any candies will work to make spots for the caterpillar's sections. Thin red licorice makes the perfect legs and antennae, unless you know your youngsters prefer the flavor of black licorice.

THREE-PEPPER CALZONES

YIELD:4 calzones.

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 envelope FLEISCHMANN’S RapidRise Yeast

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Three-Pepper Cheese Filling:

1 1/2 cups sliced bell peppers (combine red, green and yellow)

1 medium onion, sliced

2 ounces pepperoni, cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) grated provolone or fontina cheese

Olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, cornmeal, undissolved yeast and salt. Stir water and oil into flour mixture. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. On lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into 8-inch circle. Place about 1 cup Three-Pepper Cheese Filling on one half of each circle; moisten edges. Fold dough over filling; press with tines of fork to seal. Place on greased baking sheet. With sharp knife, make 3 1-inch slits across top of each calzone. Brush tops with olive oil. If desired, sprinkle with crushed red pepper.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until done. Serve warm.

Three-Pepper Cheese Filling: In large skillet, combine bell peppers, onion, pepperoni and garlic. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool. Stir in cheeses.

Suggested Variation: ALL-VEGETABLE CALZONES: Prepare filling as directed except replace pepperoni with 1 tablespoon olive oil and add 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Proceed with recipe as directed.

PIZZA DOUGH

YIELD:Enough dough for 2 large thick-crust pizzas or 3 large thin-crust pizzas.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided

DIRECTIONS:

Combine yeast, brown sugar and the whole wheat flour in a large bowl; mix thoroughly. Add water; stir until well mixed. Let yeast develop about 15 minutes. (During this time you can be chopping vegetables or browning sausage for your pizza topping.)

Add oil and salt to yeast mixture; mix well. Add 2 cups of the white flour; beat for 200 strokes. Add two cups white flour; beat another 200 strokes. Add enough of the remaining white flour to make a stiff dough. Knead about 8 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Knead one minute. Return dough to bowl. Cover top with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Remove dough from the fridge about 30 minutes before you're going to use it. Divide dough into 2 or 3 equal portions. Roll each portion out to the size of your pan; a heavier-gauge pizza pan is recommended. Prick the crust all over with a fork or other tool (I use an angel food cake cutter). This pricking keeps the dough from inflating like a pita pocket in the oven.

Top with your favorite ingredients. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes or until crust begins to brown.

Notes: You can use it after the first rising, but the quality of the crust will be much better if the dough gets a second slow rising in the fridge.

For thick crusts, I usually roll out the dough and bake it for 5 or 10 minutes before I put any toppings on. This seals the crust and keeps it from getting soggy.

If you're not going to need this much dough, take the remaining dough and make focaccia, which is an Italian hearth bread. Just form the dough like you're making an extra thick pizza crust. Press the dough all over with fingertips to form dimples. Brush heavily with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, or other Italian herbs, and a little coarse salt. Allow to rise about 15 minutes, then bake on a pizza stone at 450 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. I like to sprinkle a little asiago cheese on the top as it comes out of the oven.

BASIC WHITE BREAD

YIELD:2 loaves.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups warm water

2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour, divided

DIRECTIONS:

Put water in a large bowl. Add yeast; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add sugar, salt and oil; stir to mix. Add 5 cups of the flour; mix well. By hand, work in enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with a clean towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place about one hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Divide dough into two equal pieces and form each piece into a loaf. Place in greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

Bake on lower shelf of a preheated 400-degree oven about 35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pans immediately; let cool on wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Note: You could add 1 tablespoon of any dried herb or herb mixture to this dough to make an herb-flavored loaf.