Cooking Delicious Food Always » Breads and Recipes

Corn Meal Muffins

maschef — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:45:35 +0000

CORN-MEAL MUFFINS.–To many persons, corn-meal muffins, are more agreeable than plain white-flour muffins. Corn meal gives to muffins an attractive flavor and appearance and increases their food value slightly; but perhaps its chief value lies in the variety that results from its use.

CORN-MEAL MUFFINS (Sufficient to Serve Six)

1/2 c. corn meal
1 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 Tb. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
2 Tb. melted fat

Mix and sift the corn meal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add to these the milk and the well-beaten egg, and stir in the melted fat. Fill well-greased muffin pans two-thirds full, and bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

Nut Puffs

maschef — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:25:35 +0000

NUT PUFFS.–An example of a thin batter not in equal proportions of liquid and flour is afforded by nut puffs. In hot breads of this kind, aeration is used as the leavening agent. In order to assist with the incorporation of air, the egg yolk is well beaten before it is added; but the greater part of the lightness that is produced is due to the egg white, which is beaten and folded in last. The addition of nuts to a batter of this kind considerably increases its food value.

NUT PUFFS (Sufficient to Serve Six)

1-1/2 c. flour
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 egg
1 Tb. fat
1/4 c. chopped nuts

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt together, and add the milk and beaten egg yolk. Melt the fat and add it and the chopped nuts. Beat the egg white stiff and fold it into the mixture carefully. Fill hot, well-greased gem irons level full of the batter, and bake in a hot oven about 20 minutes.

Hot Bread Utensils Part Part 2

maschef — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:17:35 +0000

GRIDDLES.–A style of griddle in common use is circular and has a projecting handle, griddles of different shapes and fitted with different handles are to be had. Such utensils are made of numerous materials, but the most satisfactory ones are constructed of steel, iron, soapstone, and aluminum. Steel and iron griddles must be greased before cakes are baked on them so as to prevent the cakes from sticking; for this reason they are less convenient than soapstone and aluminum griddles, which do not require any grease.

The size of griddle to use is governed by the number of persons that are to be served. One that is unusually large, however, should be avoided if a gas stove is used for cooking, as it is difficult to heat a large griddle evenly on such a stove, and even a small one must be shifted frequently so that some spots will not be hotter than others. In this respect, a griddle made of aluminum has the advantage over the other kinds, for this material conducts the heat evenly over its entire surface.

Before a new steel or iron griddle is used, it must be tempered so as to prevent the food that is to be baked on it from sticking. If it is not tempered, much time will be consumed before its surface will be in the right condition to permit baking to proceed without difficulty, and this, of course, will result in wasting considerable food material. Tempering may be done by covering the griddle with a quantity of fat, placing it over a flame or in a very hot oven, and then allowing it to heat thoroughly to such a temperature that the fat will burn onto the surface. This same precaution should be observed with new waffle irons and frying pans made of steel or iron if the best results from such utensils are desired.

WAFFLE IRONS.–A waffle iron, consists of two corrugated griddles fastened together with a hinge in such a way that the surfaces nearly touch when the handles are brought together. These griddles are so suspended in a frame that they may be turned completely over in order to allow each side to be exposed to the heat. The waffle iron is intended for a coal range. In order to use it,a stove lid is removed from one of the openings and the waffle iron is set in the opening, which allows the griddle part to be turned. Another type of waffle iron is intended for a gas range. In this type, the griddle part rests on a base that is deep enough to permit it to be turned. In using a waffle iron of either kind, it should be heated while the waffle mixture is being prepared; then it should be thoroughly greased on both sides. No excess fat, however, should be used, as it will run out when the griddle is turned over.

Pinwheel Biscuits

maschef — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:50:35 +0000

PINWHEEL BISCUITS.–To create variety, a baking-powder biscuit mixture may be made into pinwheel biscuits, a kind of hot bread that is always pleasing to children. Such biscuits, differ from cinnamon rolls only in the leavening agent used, cinnamon rolls being made with yeast and pinwheel biscuits with baking powder.

PINWHEEL BISCUITS (Sufficient to Serve Six)

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
2 Tb. fat
3/4 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tb. cinnamon
3/4 c. chopped raisins

To make the dough, combine the ingredients in the same way as for baking-powder biscuits. Roll it on a well-floured board until it is about 1/4 inch thick and twice as long as it is wide. Spread the surface with the 2 tablespoonfuls of butter. Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle them evenly over the buttered surface, and on top of this sprinkle the chopped raisins. Start with one of the long edges and roll the dough carefully toward the opposite long edge. Then cut the roll into slices 1 inch thick. Place these slices in a shallow pan with the cut edges down and the sides touching. Bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

Dinner Rolls

maschef — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:39:35 +0000

DINNER ROLLS.–As their name implies, dinner rolls are an especially desirable kind of roll to serve with a dinner. They should be made small enough to be dainty, and as an even, brown crust all over the rolls is desirable they should be placed far enough apart in the pans to prevent them from touching one another. If they are placed close together, only part of the crust will be brown. When made according to the accompanying recipe, dinner rolls are very palatable.

DINNER ROLLS (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Rolls)

1 cake compressed yeast
1 c. lukewarm milk
2 Tb. sugar 2 Tb. fat
1 tsp. salt
3 c. white flour
1 egg white
1/2 c. white flour additional for kneading

Dissolve the yeast in some of the lukewarm milk. Put the sugar, fat, salt, and dissolved yeast in the mixing bowl, and pour the remainder of the milk over these ingredients. Stir half of the flour into this mixture and allow the sponge to rise. When it is light, add the egg white, which should first be beaten, and the remainder of the flour, and then knead the dough. Let the dough rise until it doubles in bulk. Roll out the dough until it is 1/2 inch thick, and then cut out the rolls with a small round cutter. Place these in a shallow pan and let them rise until they are light. Then glaze each one with the white of egg to which is added a little water and bake them in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

Corn Cake

maschef — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:18:35 +0000

CORN CAKE.–Corn cakes were among the first breads made of cereal foods in America, being at first often made of only corn meal, water, and salt. These cakes of corn meal were prepared and carried on long journeys made by people when there were no means of rapid transportation. The cakes did not spoil, were not bulky, and contained a great deal of nutriment, so they made a convenient kind of food for such purposes and were called journey cakes. From this term came the name Johnny cake, which is often applied to cake of this kind. The combining of flour, eggs, shortening, and sugar makes a cake that does not resemble the original very much, but in many localities such cake is still called Johnny cake. The proportion of corn meal to flour that is used determines to a large extent the consistency of the cake; the greater the quantity of corn meal, the more the cake will crumble and break into pieces. The addition of white flour makes the particles of corn meal adhere, so that most persons consider that white flour improves the consistency.

CORN CAKE (Sufficient for One Medium-Sized Loaf)

3/4 c. yellow corn meal
1-1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 egg
2 Tb. melted fat

Mix and sift the corn meal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the milk and well-beaten egg, and then stir in the melted fat. Pour into a well-greased loaf pan and bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Bread

maschef — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:03:35 +0000

WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD.–Bread made out of whole-wheat flour has a distinctive flavor that is very agreeable to most persons. This kind of bread is not used so extensively as that made of white flour, but since it contains more mineral salts and bulk, it should have a place in the diet of every family. When made according to the following recipe, whole-wheat bread will be found to be a very desirable substitute for bread made of the finer flours.

WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD–QUICK PROCESS (Sufficient for Two Small Loaves)

3 Tb. fat
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tb. salt
1 cake compressed yeast
3 c. lukewarm liquid
8 c. whole-wheat flour
1 c. white flour for kneading

Place the fat, the sugar, and the salt in the mixing bowl and add the yeast cake dissolved in a little of the liquid. Add the remainder of the liquid, and then stir in half or all of the flour, according to wether the sponge or the straight-dough method is preferred. Then proceed according to the directions previously given for making bread by the quick process.

The long process may also be followed in making whole-wheat bread, and if it is, only one-half the quantity of yeast should be used.

Nut Loaf

maschef — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:24:35 +0000

NUT LOAF.–The use of nuts in a hot bread increases the food value and imparts a very delicious flavor. It is therefore very attractive to most persons, but it is not a cheap food on account of the usual high price of nuts. Thin slices of nut bread spread with butter make very fine sandwiches, which are especially delicious when served with tea.

NUT LOAF (Sufficient for One Medium-Sized Loaf)

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 Tb. fat
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/2 c. English walnuts

Mix and sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and then work in the fat. Add the egg, well beaten, and the milk, and then stir in the nut meats, which should be chopped. Turn into a well-greased loaf pan, and bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes.

Blueberry Or Date Muffins

maschef — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:00:35 +0000

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS.–Muffins containing blueberries can be made successfully only in blueberry season, but other fruit, as, for example, dates, may be used in place of the blueberries. Cranberries are often used in muffins, but to many persons they are not agreeable because of the excessive amount of acid they contain.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS (Sufficient to Serve Six)

3 Tb. fat
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. milk
2-1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 c. fresh blueberries

Cream the fat, and add the sugar gradually. Then stir in the beaten egg and milk. Reserve 1/4 cupful of flour, and mix the remainder with the salt and the baking powder. Stir the dry ingredients into the first mixture. Next, mix the 1/4 cupful of flour with the berries and fold them into the batter. Fill well-greased muffin pans about two-thirds full of the batter, and bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

DATE MUFFINS.–The recipe given for blueberry muffins may be used for date muffins by substituting dates for blueberries. To prepare the dates, wash them in warm water, rinse them in cold water, and then dry them between towels. Cut them lengthwise along the seed with a sharp knife, remove the seed, and then cut each date into three or four pieces.

White Bread

maschef — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:07:35 +0000

WHITE BREAD.–Bread made from white flour, which is commonly referred to as white bread, is used to a much greater extent than any other kind, for it is the variety that most persons prefer and of which they do not tire quickly. However, white bread should not be used to the exclusion of other breads, because they are of considerable importance economically. This kind of bread may be made by both the quick and the long processes, for the ingredients are the same, with the exception of the quantity of yeast used. The amounts given in the following recipes are sufficient to make two large loaves or three small ones, but, of course, if more bread is desired, the quantity of each ingredient may be increased proportionately.

WHITE BREAD–LONG PROCESS (Sufficient for Two Large or Three Small Loaves)

2 Tb. fat
2 Tb. sugar
1/2 cake compressed yeast, or
1 cake dried yeast
1 Tb. salt
1 qt. lukewarm liquid
3 qt. flour
1 c. flour additional for kneading

Put into the mixing bowl the fat, the sugar, the salt, and the yeast that has been dissolved in a little of the lukewarm liquid. Add the remainder of the liquid and stir in half of the flour. Place this sponge where it will rise overnight and will not become chilled. In the morning, add the remainder of the flour, stirring it well into the risen sponge, and knead the dough thus formed. Allow it to rise until it has doubled in bulk and then knead it again. After it is properly kneaded, shape it into loaves, place them in greased pans, let them rise until they have doubled in bulk, and then bake them.

Combining the ingredients in the manner just mentioned is following the sponge method of the long process. By adding all instead of half of the flour at night, the straight-dough method of this process may be followed.

WHITE BREAD–QUICK PROCESS (Sufficient for Two Large or Three Small Loaves)

2 Tb. fat
2 Tb. sugar
1 Tb. salt
2 cakes compressed yeast
1 qt. lukewarm liquid
3 qt. flour
1 c. flour additional for kneading

Put the fat, the sugar, and the salt into the mixing bowl, and then to them add the yeast dissolved in a few tablespoonfuls of the lukewarm liquid. Add the remaining liquid and stir in half or all of the flour, according to wether the process is to be completed by the sponge or the straight-dough method. One yeast cake may be used instead of two. However, if the smaller quantity of yeast is used, the process will require more time, but the results will be equally as good. After the dough has been allowed to rise the required number of times and has been kneaded properly for the method selected, place it in greased pans, let it rise sufficiently, and proceed with the baking.