Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Butter

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Butter is perfect with homemade breads.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

PREPARATION:

Beat all ingredients until fluffy. Store in refrigerator

Basic Biscuit Baking Mix

This mix can be used instead of the store-bought biscuit baking mix.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups flour*
• 1-1/4 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups solid shortening

PREPARATION:

In a food processor** with a large bowl, place dry ingredients. Process to mix. Add shortening a few scoops at a time. Process until mixture resembles small peas. Store in a airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place.

*You may use all white flour, bread flour, unbleached flour, wheat flour or in combination.

Bread Machine Cheddar and Bacon Bread Recipe

This bread machine recipe for Cheddar and Bacon Bread is great for a brunch or with a salad for dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1-1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
• 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or swiss cheese
• 8 slices bacon, crumbled
• -or- 3 tablespoons bacon bits*

PREPARATION:

Place ingredients in bread pan in order listed or according to manufacturer's directions. The cheddar cheese and bacon are added at the fruit and nut signal. Depending on your machine this could be anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes into the cycle.

Irish Soda Bread

This recipe for Irish Soda Bread is made in the bread machine.

INGREDIENTS:

• Ingredient ----- 1-1/2 Pound ----- 2 Pound Loaf
• Buttermilk-----1-1/3 cups ----- 1-3/4 cups
• Honey ----- 2 tablespoons ----- 3 tbl.
• Vanilla ----- 1 teaspoon ----- 1-1/2 tsp.
• Shortening ----- 2 tablespoons ----- 3 tbl.
• Uncooked Oatmeal ----- 1/2 cup ----- 2/3 cup
• Bread Flour ----- 3 cups ----- 4 cups
• Baking Soda ----- 1/2 teaspoon ----- 3/4 tsp.
• Active Dry Yeast ----- 1-1/2 teaspoons ----- 2 tsp.
• Raisins, optional ----- 1/2 cup ----- 3/4 cup

PREPARATION:

Place ingredients in bread pan in order listed or according to manufacturer's directions. The optional raisins are added at the fruit and nut signal. Depending on your machine this could be anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes into the cycle.

French Bread Recipe

This is one of the easiest bread recipes. It only uses four ingredients, and makes a wonderful loaf of chewy bread.

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups warm water, 110-115 degrees
2-3/4 to 3 cups bread flour
1 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in the warm water and let stand five minutes, until bubbly. By hand, add 1-1/2 cups of the flour and the salt. Beat well for a few minutes. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth, springy and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place bread dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise until double, 1-2 hours.

Punch down dough. On floured surface, roll dough to a 12x6" rectangle. Roll up dough tightly, starting with 12" side. Thoroughly pinch edges and ends to seal. Roll and stretch dough carefully to shape, making ends thinner than the center. Place the loaf of bread, seam side down, on greased cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to an hour.

Slash top of bread loaf with very sharp knife in three places, if desired. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped with fingers. (You can, if desired, spray the loaf with water a few times during baking for a crisper crust.) Remove from cookie sheet and let cool.

Basic Biscuit Recipe

Here is a simple recipe for biscuits.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 cups self-rising* flour
• 3/4 cup (approx.) milk

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven 450 degrees F. In large bowl, cut shortening into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With fork, stir in enough milk to form a soft dough or until dough pulls away from the bowl. Turn dough onto floured surface.

With floured hands knead until smooth, 10 - 12 times. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-inch round cutter. Place biscuits, lightly touching, on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 12 to 14 biscuits.

How to Make Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate can be a delicious and comforting beverage, especially during cold winter months. If chilled, however, you'll have a refreshing drink or possibly a dessert depending on how you dress it up.

But hot chocolate should not to be confused with hot cocoa. The former is made with actual chocolate and is a richer, much more substantial beverage. The latter is produced from cocoa powder or from a manufactured product containing cocoa powder such as hot cocoa mixes available at grocery stores.

This article concentrates on hot chocolate and will serve as a guideline as to how you can prepare it. Experiment with your own recipes and see what you can create. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients

• Chocolate
• Milk or water
• Flavorings, such as herbs, spices, liqueur, etc.

Steps

1. Obtain some good quality chocolate. This can be milk, dark, or even white chocolate, depending on your preferences and flavors you wish to add.
   
   
   • If you have some unsweetened chocolate lying around, hot chocolate is a great way to use it up. Simply add sugar to sweeten it.
2. 
   
   Chop the chocolate finely on a clean cutting board or counter. Make sure the cutting surface has not been exposed to onions or other strong smelling foods. Residual odors can contaminate the chocolate and impart undesirable flavors.
   
   The amount of chocolate you use depends on how strong and rich you want the beverage to be. A good starting point is 25g of chocolate per cup of liquid. If you need more chocolate, simply add it.
3. Turn the stove top to a medium-low or low setting. Pour milk or water into the pot and gently add the chopped chocolate.
   • Some people prefer milk for a richer flavor, while others favor water. The choice here is yours, but whatever you use, make sure each serving of hot chocolate is at least 4oz (120ml) for a richer beverage and at most 8oz (240ml) for a thinner beverage.
   • This is the point where you can add liqueur if you wish. Doing so now will burn off some of the alcohol and mellow out the flavor.
   • Spices and other flavorings can be added here as well, to increase their flavor presence in the hot chocolate, because they will have the opportunity to steep for a longer period of time. However, if you want a subtler, less pronounced flavor, hold off for now.
4. Stir continuously with a whisk until the liquid and chocolate combine completely. Just when you think the two are incorporated, you might notice black flecks scattered in the chocolaty matrix. These flecks are bits of unmelted chocolate, so you should continue to stir until they disappear.
   • Sometimes, whisking vigorously is necessary to dissolve unmelted chocolate completely.
   • If the mixture becomes too hot, or you feel that it might burn, remove pot from the heat and continue to stir, allowing the temperature to reduce. Put pot back on heat once the mixture has cooled.
5. Add desired flavorings once you have a fully emulsified liquid in the pot. Liqueur can also be added, but if you do so now, you might find the flavor too strong because the alcohol will not have had a chance to evaporate.
6. Turn off the heat and pour in cups immediately afterwards. Garnish with whatever you wish, such as mint leaves, cinnamon sticks, or whipped cream.
7. Enjoy! And have fun with trying out all sorts of variations!

Tips

• The richness of your hot chocolate will usually determine how much you will drink or serve to others. Generally, a richer beverage should be served in 4oz cups such as an espresso cup due to the density of the beverage. A thinner, less chocolaty beverage can be served in more liberal portions, such as coffee cups or mugs.
• The cocoa content of the chocolate will contribute a lot to the flavor and intensity of the beverage. For example, hot chocolate made with 85% chocolate will be strong and not as sweet as most people are familiar with. To balance this out, add sugar, sweeter chocolate, or even milk chocolate for a more rounded flavor.
• Combine different chocolates of various origins, percentages, and even types, such as mixing milk with dark. You can even use flavored bars.
• Feel free to add a tablespoon or two of cream for added richness.
• Store unused portions in the refrigerator to enjoy at another time. Or, refrigerate an entire batch for a cold, refreshing treat.
• Experiment with different herbs and spices, such as basil, fennel, thyme, nutmeg, and ginger. Combine herbs with fruits for added interest.
• Play around with when to add the flavorings. Sometimes, certain herbs and spices will need to "steep" while you prepare the hot chocolate, so their flavor can be fully extracted. Other times, however, you can add them towards the end of the process. See what works for you.