Buttermilk Wheat Bread

I wasn't overly eager to try this bread because I thought it would be an ordinary wheat bread. However, it is a spectacular wheat bread and probably my favorite "ordinary" wheat bread. The buttermilk creates a really great flavor.

Buttermilk Wheat Bread
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 tsp. yeast
3 Tbsp. canola oil, softened
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup wheat flour
3 cups bread flour

Heat buttermilk until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add oil, lemon juice, salt, brown sugar and wheat flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add bread flour. Mix until dough forms. Knead on medium speed until dough is smooth and springy but soft to the touch. Cover and let rise one hour.

Punch down dough, and divide into 2 to 3 loaves. Shape into round loaves, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until loaves are golden and wooden skewer comes out clean. Brush with melted butter if desired. Cool on wire rack.

Cinnamon Graham Cracker Cake

This was my labor of love for my husband's birthday, which was much appreciated. His family used to get a particular graham cracker cake for special occasions. I'd never heard of graham cracker cake, but I tried to recreate the deliciousness. It turned out well, even with my oven adventures.
Cinnamon Graham Cracker Cake
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used cinnamon)
1/2 cup ground pecans
1/2 cup cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 egg yolks, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk, lukewarm
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease two 9-inch round pans. Combine the crumbs, 1/2 cup pecans, flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the light brown sugar until fluffy. Slowly beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Alternately add the milk and the crumb mixture while beating on low.

Beat the egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Add the sugar slowly, and beat to soft peaks. Fold into the crumb batter, and pour into the pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. (I found this took a bit longer.) Cool in the pans on a rack about 10 minutes, then invert and cool completely.

Frost cakes using honey cinnamon frosting, and stack in layers. Sprinkle extra graham cracker crumbs in between the two layers, and press graham cracker crumbs on the outside edges of the entire cake.

Honey Cinnamon Frosting
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Beat all ingredients together several minutes until light and fluffy.

Halfway Homemade Oreos

The cookies aren't homemade, but the filling is. These were a huge hit with my husband, whose face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. (Don't laugh ... you'd smile, too, if you got gigantic oreos.)Oreo Filling
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream softened butter and shortening together. Slowly add powdered sugar and then vanilla on low speed. Once combined, cream together on medium-high until fluffy. Spread on inside of one cookie, and use the top cookie to smush the frosting to the edges. Enjoy!

St. Valentine's Day Pancakes

Awww, look at the double hearts. And then imagine the chocolate chips hidden inside them. Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup

This is a good soup. It's not one I would rank as amazing, but I like the spinach and love the tortellini. (I'm a sucker for cheese, though.)

Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup julienne-cut carrots
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup frozen small cheese tortellini
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 cups chopped fresh spinach

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until onions are softened. Stir in broth and chicken. Heat to a boil. Stir in tortellini. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes until tortellini are tender. Stir in pepper and spinach. Cover, and cook until spinach is hot (2 to 3 minutes).

Fennel-Rye Black Bread

This bread has quite the unique flavor. I'm not sure if it's the coffee, cocoa, fennel or the combination of all three. Although I don't have pictures of it, it's a really pretty dark bread.

Fennel-Rye Black Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. coffee granules
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
1 1/2 cups rye flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Heat water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add salt, canola oil, coffee, cocoa, fennel, rye flour and half the bread flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add remaining bread flour. Mix until dough forms. Knead on medium speed until dough is smooth and springy but soft to the touch. Knead in almonds. Cover and let rise one hour.

Punch down dough, and divide into 2 to 3 loaves. Shape into round loaves, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until loaves are golden and wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Sweet Orange Bread

This bread is good but not quite as sweet as I thought it would be. I imagine this would taste wonderful made into French toast.Sweet Orange Bread
2 eggs
6 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate, thawed
Water equal to 1 1/2 cups
2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. orange zest
6 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk
3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup wheat flour
3 cups bread flour
3/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Heat eggs with tap water. Crack into measuring cup, and add orange juice concentrate. Add water, and warm to between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed mixing bowl, and add yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add salt, orange zest, sugar, dry milk, butter and wheat flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add bread flour. Mix until dough forms. Knead on medium speed until dough is smooth and springy but soft to the touch. Knead in almonds. Cover and let rise one hour.

Punch down dough, and divide into 2 to 3 loaves. Shape into round loaves, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Brush loaves with egg wash and coarse sugar and/or additional almonds. Bake 35 to 60 minutes until loaves are golden and wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

This sounds like such an odd combination, but they taste delicious. It's amazing how much lemon flavor you get from the lemon zest. They are almost like toffee while still warm from the oven. Once cooled, they are crisp on the edges and soft on the inside.

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup light-colored corn syrup
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt, stirring with a whisk. In separate bowl, combine butter and sugar on medium speed several minutes. Add oil, syrup, rind and egg whites, beating until blended. Slowly add flour mixture, and beat well.

Drop dough by tablespoons onto greased or non-stick baking sheets about two inches apart. Bake about 10 minutes until edges turn golden. Cool slightly and then cool completely on wire racks. Makes 24 cookies.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

This is a relatively quick dinner to pull together. It tastes great, and hits the spot when you're looking for Southwestern flavors.
Chicken Tamale Casserole
1 cup (4 oz.) Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 can cream-style corn
1 box corn muffin mix
1 can chopped green chilies, drained
Cooking spray
1 can red enchilada sauce
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next seven ingredients, through the chilies, in a large bowl. Stir until just moist. Pour mixture into 9 x 13 pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes or until set.

Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the top. Top with chicken, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake another 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream. Serves 8.