Cream Cheese Braids

 Cream Cheese Braid

(picture taken with camera phone...doesn't do it justice!)

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, melted


2 packages yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour

Heat sour cream over low heat; stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large mixing bowl, stirring until yeast dissolves. Add sour cream mixture, eggs and flour. Mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Cream Cheese Filling

2 8-ounces packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add egg, salt, and vanilla; mix well. Divide dough into 4 equal parts; roll out each part on a well-floured board into a 12x8 rectangle. Spread 1/4 of filling on each rectangle; roll up jelly roll fashion, beginning at the long sides. Pinch edges together and fold sides under slightly; plae the rolls, seam down, on greased baking sheets. Slit each roll at 2-inch interals about two-thirds of the way through dough so it will resemble a braid. cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Spread with glaze while warm (not hot!). Yields 4 12-inch loaves.

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
4 Tbs milk
2 tsp. vanilla
(sometimes I melt butter and mix it into the glaze. I add the milk last and adjust the amount based on the consistency).

Cream sugar and milk with a spoon. Add vanilla; mix well. Spread on warm loaves. 



(Taken from Down Home In High Style by Jack DeLoney, 2004)

Easy Whole Wheat Bread

(Tried this the other day--it was AMAZING!! Even John (who doesn't like wheat bread) enjoyed the nice, light nutty taste of this moist bread : )

3 cups warm water (or milk)
3 1/2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter or oil
5-6 cups flour (I use at least half wheat/half white. Just adjust the ratio to your preference)

In a large bowl dissolve yeast, honey, and water. Whisk to mix and then allow to sit still until the yeast is bubbly.

Add oil, salt, and 4 cups flour. Beat 200 strokes. If using Kitchen Aid, mix on level 2 for 1 minute.

Add remaining flour or until the texture seems good (about 1/2 cup addition each time). Beat until mixed and thick (about 1 minute). (If using Kitchen Aid, mix on level 2 for approx. 2 minutes.

Knead on floured surface for 10 minutes, adding flour as you knead until the dough is good consistency (not too sticky). If using Kitchen Aid, mix on level 2 for 2 additional minutes.

Place dough in oiled bowl, cover, and place in warm spot until dough doubles in size (about an hour). I put it in the oven after I've preheated it and then turned it off, and then I leave the door cracked open so it doesn't get too hot.

Remove and punch dough down, divide into two equal pieces. Form into loaves and place in oiled and floured bread pans.

Allow to rise again in warm oven until good size (about 1 hour).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees with bread in and oven door open.

Bake 20-30 minutes or until done.

Cool in pan 5-10 minutes and remove to finish cooling. Rub butter on the top of bread loaf if desired.

*Bread can also be wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and frozen for later.

(Taken from http://clayinhishands-sarah.blogspot.com/2009/10/easy-whole-wheat-bread.html)

Bran Muffins

2 cups bran cereal flakes, crushed (place in platic bag and crush with rolling pin)
1 1/3 cups milk
1/2 cup raisins, if desired
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1) Heat oven to 4oo degrees. Grease bottom of muffin pan.

2) In bowl, stir cereal, milk, raisins, and vanilla until well mixed. Let stand about 5 minutes or until cereal has softened. Beat in oil and egg with fork.

3) In another bowl, stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed; stir into cereal mixture just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

4) Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand about 5 minutes in pan, then remove.

(These are super good!)

From Betty Crocker Cookbook, New Edition.

Basic White Bread

2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 cup milk
3 tbs. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbs. butter
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
egg glaze: 1 egg white beaten with 1 tbs. water

Sprinkle yeast into warm water and let stand until dissolved.
Heat milk and pour into a large mixing bowl containing sugar, salt, and butter.
Cool to lukewarm.
Stir in dissolved yeast.

Add 3 cups flour and beat 5 minutes.
Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth/no longer stick, about 10 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl and butter top of dough lightly.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hrs

Punch dough down. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead gently a minute or two.
Divide in half and shape into loaves.
Place in two 9x5 inch loaf pans
Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Brush tops with egg glaze.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until brown and loaves sound hollow when thumped.

Variation:
Cinnamon Swirl bread can be made when you are dividing the dough in half (after the second kneading)

Roll into 15x7 inch rectangles.
Spread each one with 1 tbs soft butter.
Combine 6 tbs. sugar with 2 tps. cinnamon.
Spread half of mixture on each rectangle.
Roll tightly as you would a jelly roll.
Place in pans to rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 35 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

*I tried both of these a few nights ago and they were delicious!!

From Bread Baking by Lou Seibert Pappas

Banana Nut Bread

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 bananas
2 cup sifted flour
1 tsp soda
1 cup chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugar.
Add beaten eggs.
Cream banana until light and fluffy.
Add to the sugar mixture alternating with the dry ingredients.
Add chopped nuts.
Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Pumpkin Bread or Banana Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup salad oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 can pumpkin mix (16 oz.)
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
2/3 cup water

Cream sugar and oil together.
Add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well.
Sift dry ingredients and add.
Alternately add water.
Pour into well greased and floured 9x5" loaf pans.
Bake at 350 for about 1 hr. or until test done.
Let stand 10 minutes then remove from pan to cool.
Makes 2 loaves.