Apple Fritters

I've always enjoyed apple season. We used to go and pick apples at Stephenson's Orchard as a family when I was young. My sister and I would climb the trees to get some of the best apples from the tops. I have fond memories of blue rimmed heart shaped sunglasses during these adventures. Yeah 80's. I don't think you were supposed to climb the trees but we were little and probably light enough it didn't matter. We picked a ton of apples, mostly Jonathan apples, and stored them in a fridge in the garage. I miss the convenience of having an extra fridge or freezer. I don't know if the orchard still exists for picking in the Kansas City area, but the restaurant that had some of the best apple desserts does not. I was always fascinated by their caramel apples, and still am to this day. I'll be making my own soon so don't fret. I also have a special place in my heart for fried dough balls filled with apple chunks. 

I picked a variety of recipes for the month of September for the Easy Bake cOven blog but I chose to make the fritters first. I usually get around to making quite a few of the recipes but these were calling me. Michael asked why I bought so many apples at Trader Joe's when we got back from our NYC trip, my response was baking. It's usually baking when I buy an excess of one particular ingredient. Unless butter is on sale... 

I don't fry things often. Sometimes Michael and I will make tortilla chips if we're out and have nothing but corn tortillas, but this is the extent. Desserts are excessive to start and I feel worse eating something fried. Doughnuts fall in this category. I love doughnuts but don't have them often. Guilty pleasures. I really enjoyed these little fried dough balls. Simple and quick yet small enough you don't feel bad eating a few. 

Apple Fritters
Pioneer Woman
I halved the recipe and it made about 2 dozen ping pong ball sized fritters. 


2 C all purpose flour
1/2 C sugar
3 T sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 C milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 T melted butter
2 whole granny smith apples peeled and diced
powdered sugar for dusting

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Melt the butter in a large liquid measuring cup and add the milk, egg and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until little flour remains. Add in the apples and stir to combine. 

Heat a couple of inches of canola oil over medium heat. I kept my oil temperature around 325˚F and the fritters took about three minutes each. Using a small cookie scoop, drop a few blobs of dough into the hot oil, don't overcrowd or your oil will not stay consistently hot. Flip them over to insure even golden brown and test your first batch to make sure they are evenly cooked. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar for eating. 

Apricot Blueberry Cobbler

The other night I blew up a pyrex in my kitchen. I realize now I shouldn't put my trust in a brand name that has been around forever, claiming you can transfer your bakeware from freezer to oven and such. I could trust something made in the 1920's but not recently. They changed the glass product from borosilicate glass to soda-lime glass which can't handle the swing in temperatures and results in a shatter. I lost some good pastry cream and spent way too much time cleaning little glass shards out of my kitchen. Note to bakers: don't use pyrex on the stovetop (and definitely use caution in the oven with change in temperature). This little disaster put a bit of a hold on my baking for a while. I remade my pastry cream and finished a birthday tart for my office, but since then, I haven't been baking much. sigh.

Kitchen disaster behind, I decided to use some new ramekins to make individual apricot blueberry cobblers. Sugar Dough was the monthly recipe for June over at the Easy Bake cOven  and since I had some very ripe fruits in my fridge, I put together this incredibly simple dessert.

I think most people are more familiar with cobbler that has a fruit filling and a sugar dough topping. Sugar dough may range from a biscuity dough to a thick crumble, and even hunks of bread. The sugar dough recipe we used came from the restaurant stove in Portsmouth, Virginia. I was reading a blog post the other day and someone said they were skeptical of restaurants who published their recipes. Would they leave something out? Why would they reveal their secrets to ordinary people? Well, I can't tell you the answers to these questions, but I'm glad that some restaurants are confident enough to do it. I have a feeling knowing Stove's recipe will not keep Sarah & Eric from going back! Thanks for picking this recipe, it was fantastic!

Mini Fruit Cobbler 
you can use any stone fruit or fruits that won't obliterate when cooked

for one 10 oz ramekin:
slice 3 small fruits into a buttered ramekin
add 2 tablespoons blueberries
break up 1 scant tablespoon of butter and distribute evenly
sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top
top with sugar dough and press lightly into the fruit (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
set ramekins on a baking sheet
bake for 20-25 minutes at 350˚F or until the fruit is bubbly

Stove’s Sugar Dough

This is not a dough for rolling, you have to pat this dough out into the pan your using for dessert. It’s rich and wonderful and can also be made into a short bread as well. I have even used it for bottoms of pans mixed with pecans and then a cake batter over that for a crunch factor. Just don’t over mix it or you will have some good rubber dough

1 cup white sugar, baker’s sugar if you can find it

1lb unsalted double A butter

6 cups of all purpose flour, (unbleached and without chemicals if possible, King Arthur is good stuff and easy to find)

In the bowl of a 4 to 6qt. mixer cream the sugar and butter until light and somewhat fluffy. Stop the machine, scrape down sides and add all at once 6 cups of flour, raise the bowl and on the lowest speed blend the dough until it pulls together. If it’s winter and your environment isn’t warm you may need to spray from a mister water a little at a time till the dough starts to combine. Pinch a bit of dough to see if it will hold together, if so it’s ready for use. 

this dough stores in the refrigerator for a week or so. It also makes a ton, so feel free to half the recipe.

There's No Cake In Cheesecake

This past week we celebrated our friend Rebecca's birthday. She doesn't like cake. I have known her for four years now, and it still amazes me. How do you not like cake? We are going to keep asking!

So, instead of cake, I made her a cheesecake. It happened to work out well since cheesecake was one of the monthly recipes for the Easy Bake cOven for April. I made a lemon base cheesecake, and instead of topping it with the lemon glaze, I used fresh strawberries and kiwi.

It's been a long time since I made cheesecake! I also had never made a cheesecake without the water-bath technique. I decided to go ahead and try it without since the recipe said to... and the top cracked. Thankfully, I could cover it up with pretty fruit. No one seemed to care, and the cheesecake turned out well. I'd make this again, and it would be fun to try with the lemon glaze. I hope you enjoyed your birthday un-cake Rebecca!

Photo by M

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

I'm going to tell you first that I don't really like cheese flavored snacks. I was never a fan of goldfish crackers until they made the parmesan cheese flavor - and even those I would never buy. I don't like cheez-its either. Yellow cheese and I are not great friends. I have eaten more recently (meaning the past 5 years) in an attempt to be less picky and compromise on sandwich cheese with M. After all, we don't need to store multiple cheeses in the fridge or they get moldy too quickly. I like most other cheese, even the smelly ones. I've also grown to like bleu cheese, thanks to our good friends at Williamson Winery. It will be hard to forget Bleu cheese on top of Irish Cheddar with a little drop of honey. mmmm. 

Now that you know my history of cheddar cheese dislike, you may be asking why I chose to make cheese crackers for the Easy Bake cOven recipe of the month.... I could have made home made oreos or pop tarts. Home made graham crackers should have come before goldfish crackers as well! Fortunately for me, there was a block of neglected cheddar cheese in the fridge calling my name. It started to look a little frosty on two edges so I cut those pieces off and put the rest to good use. (yeah yeah, but all cheese is mold right?)

M and I eat a lot of crackers. They are a good snack to pack with lunch, and are good to munch on when we get home from work if we won't be cooking for a while. The whole wheat version of a goldfish cracker was pretty tasty. They puffed like goldfish (though I wasn't as interested in creating an exact replica as Smitten Kitchen). They had a nice crispy exterior, and as Nicole mentioned when she picked the recipes, you can control every ingredient that goes in. 

The recipes we used all came from Smitten Kitchen. The version I made using 100% whole wheat flour. I don't know that I need to try these with all purpose flour, but I imagine the AP flour version tastes slightly more like the original. Give them a try yourself! They are quick and cheap to make, and your children may love them! 


Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

1 1/2 C cheddar cheese coarsely grated
4 T butter
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse a couple of times to incorporate. Mix for two minutes or until the dough forms a ball and sounds like it might break your machine. Immediately roll into 1/8 inch thickness (if I did these again I'd make them slightly thinner). Cut with any shape cookie cutter as long as it is easy to eat. (I used a 1 1/2" biscuit cutter). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet as close as 1/4" and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Cool on the pan for 30-45 minutes. Remove and store air tight. 

Easy Bake cOven - Mint Chocolate Brownies and Hot Chocolate Mix

I can't believe the year is already over. I've enjoyed time home with family and am looking forward to slightly warmer yet rainy weather in San Francisco. It shocks me every time I go to the midwest. I'm not sure how I survived 23 years of my life in such bitter cold. Cold that makes your face hurt. Cold that makes you itchy and dry and thankful for long underwear. I know I'm a wimp, and even more-so after living in a temperate climate for almost five years. I don't deny it one bit, and according to my family it wasn't even that cold. Oh well, one thing I do know is I'll welcome all warm drinks into my hands no matter the temperature.

A few years ago (yes after moving to the temperate climate) I started drinking hot water. I know it sounds weird, but a friend of mine did and it's better than drinking tea all the time. Holding a cup of warm water in your hand is nice. Holding a cup of hot chocolate in your hand is even better. I probably drank way too much hot chocolate as a kid. I was never a fan of those tiny dried marshmallows that came in the packets though. I'd rather not have any marshmallows my hot chocolate even if they are fresh and fluffy. I like hot chocolate so much that I once bought a gigantic oatmeal sized carton of powder to have any time I wanted. This happened sometime during college and I had it for a long time (possibly two years). I was sad to see it go, but I used it all.

This is how the first recipe originated for the cOven this month; wishing I had the recipe to a hot chocolate mix I tried once in college. So I contacted Joanna, said recipe owner, and asked her to share her recipe and the story behind it. You can read about it and the other December recipes on the cOven blog.

I thought making the mix was something I could do with my nephew. I'm not sure how his kitchen skills are developing at the age of three, but why not make a mess and try it out? After all, we were at Grandma's house and I didn't think she would mind having powdered milk everywhere....

We didn't make too much of a mess and it was really fun. It was the second time I got him in the kitchen to "help" while I was visiting. The first time he was interested in the rolls my mom, sister and I were making so I gave him some to play with. Then he asked if I could make him a "Michaelangelo" out of the dough... the ninja turtle that is... so I summoned M to the kitchen. He made a pretty fantastic turtle out of dough and gave me permission to bake him. He ate him for dinner and was incredibly happy to nibble off all his limbs.
Like I said before, I was expecting to have a huge mess on my hands with powdered ingredients going into a large bowl, but we did ok (minus the periodical hand reaching in).

J: It looks like snow
me: yes, it's powdered milk
J: powder milk? I don't think so... WE NEED MORE POWDERRR!
me: ok, what about the chocolate?
J: yes put some in
J: MORE CHOC-O-LATE!
me: how about more white powder? (it's easier if you layer them in)
J: ok... looks like snow... more snow
me: what color is snow (just checking...)
J: WHITE....
J: I want more chocolate... can I eat some? 

Our conversation went on like this for a while until we had emptied all powdered milk mixes into the bowl. Whisking slow is key. Avoiding hands in the mix is also key. After it was all mixed in I let him taste some and he thought it was pretty good. Maybe someday he will be a lovely little baker like his Aunt!

I ran out of time to put the mix in cute little jars (and Christmas had already passed) but I still might. Unless you intend to feed an army or hoard your chocolate mix all winter like me, you should give some away. It makes plenty!

The other recipe I wanted to try was inspired by Smitten Kitchen. Mint Chocolate Brownies. I stuck closely to the brownie recipe, and deviated from the ganache toppings. Partially because I didn't have enough white chocolate on hand, partially because I didn't want a thick layer of chocolate ganache on the brownies.

They turned out extremely chocolatey and dense. Fantastic if you like fudge-y brownies with a subtle mint flavor. Instead of layering the peppermint in between, I piped it on top and it turned into a lovely plaid pattern with the ganache. I used about one third of the required ganaches from Smitten Kitchen and simplified the peppermint portion. M stated that they should have a hint of peppermint but not be overwhelming. He did a taste test to make sure my proportions were right. I preferred to eat them at room temperature or slightly warm, M preferred them cold. Either way, they may cause sudden peaks in blood sugar levels or cavities. They last just over a week in the fridge and a few more days in an airtight container. Now, if only there were some left to enjoy the hot chocolate with!

I am looking forward to days without tons of sweets. I fee like I ate an entire five pound bag of sugar this Christmas. This is supposed to inspire New Year's Resolutions right? I hope so, and I resolve to keep all of you updated on my baking a little more frequently in the new year. 

Recipe Notes
For the Hot Chocolate:
I didn't add the 2 cups of powdered sugar to the hot chocolate mix. After tasting the dry mix, I didn't think it needed to be any sweeter.

For the Brownie Mint Ganache:
Heat 3/4 C heavy cream on medium-high heat until it just comes to a boil. Immediately pour over a heaping half cup of white chocolate and let it stand for one minute without touching. Slowly stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Add one teaspoon of peppermint extract (or to taste) and let it cool slightly. I also didn't feel the need to make it green... maybe for St. Patrick's Day.

For the Brownie Chocolate ganache:
Heat 1/3 C cream until it comes to a boil. Pour over 1/2 C chocolate and let stand for one minute. Stir until smooth and pour over cooled brownies. Spread evenly with a spatula. Flash freeze for 10 minutes then add the mint ganache on top. 

Pumpkin Puffs

In honor of October and all things pumpkin, I made some pumpkin cookies. I like to call them puffs because they are cake-like and airy. It's been while since I've made these, and any cookie for that matter. Life is getting busier and I don't know how.  

It rained all weekend which made me sleepy and forced me to stay inside. I dislike wet jeans (they just don't dry fast enough). I spent most of the day Sunday in the kitchen making cakes for my office birthday celebrations this week and had almost a whole can of left over pumpkin. Since this recipe was one of three this month for The Easy Bake cOven I decided to go ahead and make cookies.  

I like when it's cold outside and I can heat the apartment fairly well with just the oven (oven on for 2 1/2 to 3 hours). It makes me feel less bad about cooking for long periods of time, and less necessary to turn on the inefficient baseboard heaters. Thankfully I get to say So Long to this apartment soon because M and I are moving! We will still be in the city, but were moving to a 2 bedroom with a LOT more living space. I can't wait. I am really excited about the dishwasher as well (and free laundry!) Once we are settled I'll take you on a tour. 

I made these cookies not just for our enjoyment, but as a bribe. I'm asking the guys in the mail room at M's office to save boxes for us. Here is how this conversation went with M the other day.... Me: Can you ask the guys in the mail room to save us boxes to move with?

M: It would be better if you asked.

Me: Why?

M: Because you are cuter

Me: Thanks, but I'll just make them cookies (big grin)

So, gigantic office with tons of shipments each day, I'm taking your boxes... and all you get are cookies. Not a bad swap I'd say. Unless you hate pumpkin which I'm hoping they won't. 

I plan on making more pumpkin treats this month/November but I have no idea when I will be able to post them. If you have some recipes you think I should try please send them! 

Pumpkin Cookies aka Pumpkin Puffs

2 1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C butter softened

1 1/2 C sugar

1 C canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Frosting Optional (I don't think they need frosting)

2 C confectioners sugar

3 T milk

1 T melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Mix together the dry ingredients including spices. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in egg and mix until incorporated. Add pumpkin and vanilla. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes. Cool and drizzle frosting over the top if using. 

Cookies are cake-like in texture and get better with age. I think they are best the next day. Store up to one week in an airtight container. The cookies will be puffy - hence the name "puffs" and should not spread out on the pan. If you want them to be less puffy, press the dropped dough down with wet fingers before baking. 

My House is a Crepe House

For the month of June, my other blog, the Easy Bake cOven was supposed to make some crepe creations. I had a base recipe from Alton Brown that allowed for great experimentation. I have eaten quite a few crepes in my day, but never made one. I know someone with a special pan, but you can make them in a non-stick and burn your fingers too. At the exact moment a little pad of butter was singeing off my fingerprints, I was wishing for a giant crepe maker like you see at fancy crepe restaurants. Oh, you haven't seen a crepe cooker before? (and I assure you this is the technical term "crepe cooker") I'll show you. 

Isn't she a beauty? Yes, I agree that had I used those utensils instead of my fingers for flipping I may not have burned them. I should probably get a heat proof spatula... 

I don't know why, but for some reason I just really wanted to make crepes this month. I have been so busy working the past couple of weeks that I haven't baked much... and I feel like I am missing a leg. I don't really have the energy to bake after a 11 hour day and I don't even want to think about dishes. I've been falling asleep randomly on the couch at night while watching tv, or trying to keep my eyelids open while watching a movie, and thankfully our project deadline has passed. This zombie is ready for a long weekend! 

While I was so busy working, I completely forgot to prepare for Meatless Monday this week. So, M and I had a meatless Wednesday. I sort of snuck it in. He caught on at dinner. hehe. I made savory crepes for dinner, and sweet crepes for dessert (along with two cakes for my office). There is nothing like catching up on your baking in one day. 

For dinner, I stole some ideas from the new grilled cheese restaurant near my office. I made crepes with rosemary and basil in the batter, filled with sauteed mushrooms, potatoes, spinach, red onion, and fontina cheese. They were pretty delicious - and super easy! You can even make a bunch of crepes and freeze them for later - or prepare the batter up to two days in advance. You can also fill them with just about anything you might want to eat for breakfast. 

During this crepe-a-thon, I realized how handy the shredding blade was for my food processor. Not for anything crepe related, but for shredding carrots for the cake. they make longer shreds, but it didn't seem to make a difference in the cake. Beats shredding those by hand with a standing grater! Everyone needs a food processor! 

I finished my cakes and started on the dessert course. I had no liquor to add to the batter, but they were still tasty. Anything smothered in hazelnut and strawberries is ok with me. I didn't use Nutella, I used the Italian counterpart Loacker, which is just as great. I sliced up some fresh strawberries and rolled up a crepe with more chocolate spread than necessary.

Results were great. If you haven't ever made a crepe, you should try it. It is super easy, and the options are endless. See what the rest of the group made at the cOven. 

Easy Bake cOven - Blondies

This month, I decided to ask everyone to make whatever recipe they wanted. Usually one member selects the recipe of the month, but I thought it would be fun to see what people made when given the chance. It is sometimes hard to find time to make the chosen recipe; either for lack of time, or lack of event that needs baked goods. I'm always looking for these events so M and I don't eat ourselves into sugar comas. Don't laugh, I'm not joking here. Food comas happen and sugar comas can happen too, thankfully not too often. 

I know it has been a while since I last posted, so before I share with you the recipe pictured above, I'll tell you a little about what's been happening this past month…. 

Work was busy during the beginning of the month. It's good to be busy. I'm pretty sure that M and I had something going on almost every night of the week before we left for vacation… and then we left for vacation. We visited family on the East coast, and set foot in the state of Texas to see more family courtesy of our unexpected layover. I didn't bake anything 3/4 of the month, but made it all up the Sunday after we returned. 

Since I am making our office birthday cakes now, I needed two for this past Monday. Yes, two. Why share on your birthday? And when my office has the opportunity for more cake, they will definitely take it. (The standing joke is screening new hires for birthday months we don't currently have). I also needed a sample cake for a large party I'm doing next weekend. Ambitious yes, possible yes. I even had time for a movie, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have one of those squishy gel mats they advertise for chefs in the back of my design magazines. Tired feet. 

So that Sunday I made ten six inch cake rounds, and assembled a single layer cake, a double layer cake, and a triple layer cake. The other layer is hanging out in the freezer for now. I guess you could say I made up for all of that non baking in one giant swoop. Satisfying. I'm not posting about cake though. I'm posting about Blondies. The ultimate cookie-bar-brownie-like dessert. They have chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut flakes, and walnuts. That is a lot of stuff in one bite. They are extremely sweet and will probably give you cavities if you don't brush you teeth, but I say worth eating. And worth passing out to your friends (remember - avoid sugar coma). I made these once before and it was a catastrophe. My oven would not ignite, my batter sat too long on the counter, and the leavening reacted too early. Later we learned to turn off the heater when we needed to start the oven - our 1920's era apartment may not have the necessary electrical service required to support all of our gadgets. Someday I'll have a kitchen of my own (with two ovens) and baking ten cakes in one day will literally be a  piece of cake. 

Be sure to check out the Easy Bake cOven blog for more recipe entries this month. 

Blondies

adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

2 C flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 C light brown sugar

1/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 C chocolate chips

1 C Butterscotch chips

1 C walnuts

1 C shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. (I don't have one so I used a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan - it makes thinner blondies - but for the thick version use a 9x13 pan). 

Cream Butter for 3 minutes with the paddle attachment. Add sugars and cream again until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix for one minute in between. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. 

Mix the dry ingredients together and add slowly to the mixer. Mix on low speed until just combined. (this means there might be a little flour visible). Add chips, nuts, and coconut with a spatula - or if you are feeling risky you can use the mixer on low. Spread the batter into the pan and even out the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is nice and golden and the bars begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. A knife tested in the center should come out clean unless you happen to stick it into a melted chocolate piece. 

Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, invert, and turn topside up to finish cooling. Cut into bars - yields 32. 

Easy Bake cOven - Traditional French Desserts

This month's recipes were chosen by Rebecca, who I'm sure would pack up at any moment and move to France if she thought it at all possible. That said, French desserts are at the top of her list (especially since she has an abnormal disorder... not liking cake) and she chose two to try this month. 

The first, a Clafoutis, which is kind of similar to a dense sponge cake with a layer of berries on the bottom. I made it for a group of friends we were having dinner with this week. I had not planned on making both of the desserts but I had everything on hand to make this the night before our dinner. 


The Clafoutis is very simple to throw together. Thanks to the food processor (or blender) all you really have to do is some measuring and press a button. I'm pretty sure this dessert might be great for all of those people who say repeatedly, "I can't bake..." so if this sounds like you, give it a try. Your friends will enjoy it. We enjoyed it topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. yum. 

I'm not sure how, but this week ended up being incredibly busy. Except for Monday and Friday, we had something planned. I wanted to make the Fruit Tart for Rebecca's birthday (since she hates cake remember) and I had a time crisis. I sat on the couch Monday night feeling like I might not have time for the tart after our dinner Tuesday night. Something about baking for purpose - for someone - must send me into overdrive because I was able to make a bunch of little Tartlettes for her happy hour celebration. Yes, it would have been much easier for me to make one large tart, but bringing a tart to a bar and slicing it up... and serving it on flimsy paper plates did not sound appealing. Two bite morsels were more appropriate for the situation. 

They turned out incredibly cute (the tiny tarts with two blueberries and one strawberry looked a lot like duck faces) and increased my biceps. So much whisking... my arm... and wrist... almost fell off. It may have been better if they had. All wimpy-ness aside, the pastry cream turned out like it should. Much better than my first attempt at lemon pastry cream about a year ago that killed my food processor. These tartlettes are perfect for a party, and if you have the time you can make everything in advance and assemble just before serving. 


Thanks for choosing a few great recipes Rebecca. Looking forward to next months recipes. Check out the cOven monthly post for the recipes and other posts this month. 

Easy Bake cOven - Maple Oatmeal Bread

Fresh baked bread is always present at the Townsend dinner table (my in-laws that is). Without question, the bread machine gets a workout when company is present, and that magical aroma fills the house.

I don't use my bread machine enough. I was doing really well for a while, and I can't say exactly why we stopped feeding it all the ingredients to make a nice loaf in the morning. Yes, we used to load it up at night and have fresh bread for sandwiches I made before work. I must be getting lazy. While bread machine bread is good and requires almost no work at all, fresh baked, handmade bread is irresistible. I've posted about bread before, and am always looking for new recipes to try. Thankfully, Dana chose the recipes this month for the Easy Bake cOven. She chose two recipes, one Dilly bread - a dill and onion flavored, savory loaf - and Maple Oat Bread - a typical loaf good for sandwiches or for toast.

I chose to make only the Maple Oat bread for now, because Dana (my mom in law) made it for us when they visited M and I earlier this month. It was moist and delicious and would be a great accompaniment to any soup or simple pasta. The bread turned out well. The oats and whole wheat give it a dense and chewy texture (perfect for a giant slice of toast), and while it is light in color, it isn't lacking in flavor. It's plain and simple - good bread.

Maple Oatmeal Bread

one 1.5 lb loaf

Sprinkle 2 tsp. yeast (bread machine or regular) over 1 c. lukewarm (105-115 degrees) water—let stand while combining

¼ c. oil

¼ c. real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)—can substitute honey

1 ¾ tsp. salt

add yeast mixture

Stir in 1 c. rolled oats

Stir in enough of the 3 cups bread flour (opt. substitute 1 c. whole wheat flour and 2 c. bread flour) until a stiff dough

Kneed in the rest of the flour, and more if necessary, until the dough can be kneeded for 5-10 min.

The ball should spring back into shape when indented and be smooth and not sticky.

Roll in a greased bowl and leave to rise in a warm place with a damp towel over the top until double (1.5-2 hours)

Punch down and shape loaf

Let rise uncovered up to 1 hour or until less than double in bulk (don’t let it over rise)

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 40 minutes.

For a Printable version of both recipes, click here.