Around the Homestead

Posts Tagged ‘baking’

I decided to join Crystal at Money Saving Mom and FishMomma at Life as Mom in the freezer cooking day.  Although in my case I’m spreading it out over a few days.  I find with many young little ones it’s much easier to spread the work out this way.

I actually started a few days ago and a little differently from many people.  I’m partly emptying my freezers! Yes I’m working at taking many of the vegetables and fruits out and dehydrating them.  This will save us a lot of freezer space and keep them in good condition longer then freezing.

Below is my plan although it may change depending on the sales this week.

My OAMC list for the next few days:

• Smooth Marmalade x 2
• Grapefruit Marmalade
• dehydrate blueberries
  
• dehydrate zucchini from freezer
• Whole wheat bread x8
• Blueberry muffins x 2 batches
• Waffles
• BBQ marinated chicken

We had lots of baking fun today!  I remembered to grab a few pics to.  With the exception of coring the baked apples and peeling the apples for the pie, the girls did most of the work themselves.  They are so proud of themselves to!  The pie came out GREAT to.  We made two and there is one left over for tomorrow lol.

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and white and brown sugars.  Add in eggs and vanilla.

Mix in remaining ingredients.  Chill over night.

Roll a TBS of dough into a circle with your hands.  Place on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork.  If desired sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake for 10 min at 350F

Our favorite ginger bread.

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

1 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 cup water

1 cup raisins

Place raisins in hot water to soak for 5 minutes then drain.

Beat egg and add in sugar, butter and molasses mix well.

Combine dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients.  Mix and add 1 cup of hot water.  Mix well and add raisins if desired.

Pour into a 9×13 pan and bake at 325F for 45 minutes.

Yummy Traditional Biscuits

1 3/4 cup flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

5 tbs butter

2/3 cup milk

Combine flour, baking powder, salt.  Then add in butter, mix well. 

Add milk and mix until dough sticks together. 

Kneed on a floured surface about 20 times.  Roll out 1/2″ thick and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass.

Dot the tops with butter.

Place on a lightly greeced cookie sheet and bake at 450F for 12 minutes.

There are few things a comforting as the smell of bread baking.  And it’s so easy to.
Here is my recipe:

Bread
3 cups of warm water
1 cup milk
5 tbs butter or oil (1/4 cup)
4 1/2 tsp yeast (or 2 paks)
1 tsp salt
5 tbs sugar or 1/4 cup of honey
2 or 3 eggs
About 7 cups of flour

Place warm water in a large bowl, add sugar or honey and stir to dissolve.  Then add
yeast and let it sit for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile warm the milk up in a pot and
add the butter to melt.  Don’t boil it just get it nice and warm.  Add this to your yeast
mixture and add salt and eggs.  Stir well.  Start adding the flour a few cups at a time
until well blended.  Keep adding flour until you have a soft dough.  It will come a way
from the sides of the bowl.  Then turn it out on to a floured surface and kneed for 10
minutes.  The dough will be nice and smooth.  Place in a greased bowl covered with
a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise till doubled in size.  About an hour.  Punch
the dough down and divide it into 3.  Pat each piece into a greased loaf pan.  Let it
rise about 20 minutes and bake at 350F for 25/30 minuets.  To tell if it’s fully cooked
take the loaf out of the pan and tap the bottom it will sound hollow when done.