Hurry, bake this while you can still find some rhubarb....

I want to blog more regularly and instead I seem to blog more irregularly or let's face it, never. Sigh. I have taken several photos of recent and even not so recent things I have made; they just never seem to make it to the blog. Here's to trying to remedy that somewhat. First up:

Rhubarb Bread...

This is a recipe that my mom always made for us when we were kids. A yummy treat to make when rhubarb pies and rhubarb crisps have been over done. :) Which is really never but this bread is really good so find a little rhubarb before it's too late to come by and try this recipe.

The recipe:

1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. oil
1 egg
1 c. sour milk or buttermilk
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. raw, diced rhubarb
1/2 c. nuts (if you like them - I skipped them, I think my mom always used walnuts)

Mix together and pour into two greased bread pans. This time I baked mine in one 7 x 10 inch glass pan, like a cake. It worked out great. For all the baking I do, I really don't have any good bread pans. But I liked baking this in a cake form. And it baked at the same temp for basically the same amount of time. Just slightly less.

Top with 1/2 c. sugar and 1 T butter pinched together. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 to 60 minutes; or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

This is a slightly sour bread but it mixes with that sweet topping and it's so good topped with a little bit of butter! And as it sits the sweetness increases because that sweetness on top melts into the bread. Enjoy!!!!

Making Baking Healthier: Blueberry Lemon Cookies Revisited

One of my sweet friends just recently discovered I am blogging about baking when she saw my blueberry lemon cookie post posted to my facebook. She immediately tried the recipe out but gave it her own healthier twist. I asked her if I could share the healthier version with you and she agreed!!!

This is a photograph of her blueberry lemon cakes taken by her. Don't they look great???? And here is her recipe and a few words from her too (all noted in italics.)

The recipe

1/2 c. butter (any trans fat free version should work)
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
(Didn't have zest, so...)
1.5 -2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 eggs (could have used 3 whites)
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. skim milk
Lots of blueberries

Mine went in at 350 degrees in greased extra large muffin tins. Each had about 3/4 of an ice cream scoop's worth of batter. They probably baked 15-20 minutes. I removed them still warm and covered them with lemon icing (just powdered sugar and lemon juice) My family devoured them! They are extra yummy served warm out of the oven with a fork... Splenda people could also use like 1/2 c. Splenda and 1/2 c. brown sugar and that would still be good with a lower glycemic index.

Thank you so much for sharing, Amanda!!!!! And share again any time. :) Love getting ideas for lighting a recipe. I can't wait to try this one. We have to go and pick some more blueberries!

Swedish Pastry and What I've been up to lately...

So sorry for my absence on the blog. I had a couple of busy weeks and I wasn't even baking to be able to blog about it, if I had had the time to blog, which I didn't. :)

I attended the Orange conference in Georgia with a team from our church. It was a wonderful conference. So many new things to mull over, and real encouragement that our church really does a great job of loving kids and loving families. I am glad I am in a place that really great doesn't mean you don't keep working on making it even better. Anyway, all that to say that I was busy preparing to be away and then I was away and now I am home and trying to recover.

I baked Kristina Kregler or Swedish Pastry Tuesday for a brunch at our mom's group. It is one of my very favorite things and I love that, while it is pretty simple, it does take a little bit of technique to make it. I would love to learn how to really make pastry someday - you know from someone who was a professional. For now, I will continue to make Swedish pastry...

The Recipe:

1 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
Use pastry cutter to cut together into pea-sized pieces.

2 T cold water. Add these one T. at a time. You will probably need to add more than just 2. I added 5 1/2 T. on Tuesday. You add one T. and toss it in with a fork. You want the dough to come together and away from the sides. Like this:

This was even a bit on the dry side but once I picked it up and put it into two equal sized balls, it worked fine. (Just an fyi, the above amounts and directions are how you mix a pie crust.)

Take each half of the dough and on an ungreased cookie sheet, using the heel of your hand, push the dough into 2, 3 inch strips, that are just about the length of the cookie sheet. (Keep dipping your heel of your hand into flour as you press the dough out.)

Set aside.

Next, in a saucepan, bring to a boil:
1 c. of water
1/2 c. of butter

Take off the fire immediately and add:
1 c. sifted flour

Stir until smooth and add
3 eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. (You may want to get your eggs ready by cracking all three into a juice glass - it makes adding them one at a time that much faster; and get your muscles ready - this is hard work mixing the eggs in)

Lastly, stir in:
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. almond flavoring

Spread this mixture on top of the first (see the previous picture). Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

When cool, frost with:
1 T. butter to 1 c. powdered sugar.
Add 1/2 t. almond flavoring and enough cream (or I used milk) to make the right consistency to drizzle over the top of the pastry. You can make the pastry ahead but do not frost until just before serving because it will get soggy.

Doesn't that look yummy????? Enjoy!!!!!

Getting started...

I've decided it would be fun to share what I've been baking lately. I love to bake and I love to share recipes, what better way then a blog.

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Today, I baked my grandma's homemade bread. I've modified the recipe slightly to make a bit smaller batch then her original makes. And today I added some whole wheat flour to the recipe to give it more nutritional value and make it a bit denser. I find it keeps a little longer with whole wheat flour in the mix, as well.

It is really best enjoyed the day you make it though.

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 - 400 degrees Fahrenheit

1 1/2 T. instant, dry active yeast

1/4 c. of warm, not hot water

1/2 T. sugar to feed the yeast

2 eggs

1/4 c. vegatable (I use Canola) oil

1/2 T. salt

1 1/4 c. warm (again not hot) milk

1/4 c. sugar

4 to 5 c. flour (today I added about 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour and the remaining cups regular bread flour, bread flour works better than regular all-purpose but you can use all-purpose)

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the 1/2 T. sugar. Let this rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Mix in all the other ingredients. Stirring as you go.

It is easiest to mix the last 1/2 of the flour in with the dough hook of a Kitchen Aid mixer. But you could certainly knead the dough by hand. Cover and let rise at least one hour. Shape into three, french bread like loaves. Let rise a bit longer on the greased baking sheet (20 minutes to half hour).

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing with a bread knife.

Enjoy!!!!