Recipes, I need recipes...cannot have too many recipes or cookbooks...



A few years ago my sister gave me a starter for Amish Friendship Bread which I've kept going ever since. I've had lots of fun trying variations of the basic recipe, and I am always open to suggestions for new ones. Here's the original recipe...

In med. glass bowl, combine:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tblsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
In large glass bowl, combine:
1 cup starter*
1 cup oil (not olive oil) I use Wesson Canola Oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla**
3 eggs
1-5 oz. box Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding (or 2-3oz. boxes; with latter I reduce sugar to 1/2 cup)
Using wooden spoon, mix together above ingred. and add half of flour mixture, then add:
1/2 c. milk, to which you have added:
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Mix well and add rest of flour mixture; mix till well-blended but do not beat.
Pour into 4 small loaf pans (5x3x3) or 2 large (9x5x3) that have been sprayed with Pam or similar product and dusted with mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
Bake in preheated 325 degree oven 42-45 minutes. Test for doneness before removing. (Tester comes out clean)

Variations I have tried:
Instant Choc. Pudding w/ choc. chips, **Creme de Cacao liqueur sub. for vanilla. Used walnuts instead of pecans. (Dust pans w/cocoa and sugar mixture after oiling and sprinkle on top as well.)

Lemon Pudding, w/poppyseeds (1 T or to taste) and **1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract sub. for vanilla. (Prep pans by sprinkling sugar in bottom of pans after oiled.) While still warm from oven, brush loaves with mix. of 2T sugar, 1T lemon juice (fresh or bottled) which has been microwaved for about 40 seconds to make a syrup. (Leftover syrup makes lovely addition to hot tea!)
I've also used 1/2-2/3 cup blueberries in place of poppyseeds.

Butterscotch Instant Pudding, with **1T Amaretto liqueur and butterscotch chips. After oiling pans, sprinkle sugar on bottom, and on top of batter before baking.

*Starter recipe:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk (I use 1 1/2 or 1/2%)
Mix in glass bowl with wooden spoon, pour into 1-gal. size freezer strength plastic bag. Knead every day in bag. Nothing will happen for a couple of days, then fermentation will start. After about 6 days, proceed with feeding:
Add:
1 cup each of flour, sugar, milk, knead in bag every day, and "burp" bag every day as needed to release gas build-up.
4-5 days later, feed again, and remove 1 cup starter. (This will be Day One of "start" for your next batch.) The remaining 3 cups may be used for baking within a couple of days or given to friends for starter for the bread.
I have frozen 1 cup of it (never refrigerate, however). When it reaches room temp. proceed as for Starter.

Any ideas for variations?

Here's an idea from DODay:

Piņa Colada Bread

Use Coconut Cream Instant Pudding, sub. rum or rum extract for vanilla; add 1/3-1/2 cup well-drained crushed pineapple to batter. (Macadamia nuts, perhaps? Extra shredded coconut?)
Thanks, DODay, it was "delicioso"!

Tip of the Month, suggested by GoldenBaby:
Put ingredients for tuna salad in a baggie, mix; no fuss, no muss, and you can refrigerate left-over spread in the baggie.


Home Page

Let me know what you think about my page. Send mail by clicking here.