WHO MAKES HOME MADE BREAD, COOKIES, HARD ROOLS ECT. ???

[reinhard1]

Thanks, Del. good luck.

[Leaky]

Finally had a chance to go through this thread. Good Stuff! I don't do much baking, but this has got me going. Nothing like the smell of bread, biscuits, ect on a snowy Sunday afternoon watching football. Keep it coming.

[deerminator]

I'm German and Czech but my wife is very Norwegian. Her dad even has the accent, saying things like, "that stew is really tick" instead of thick and so on. Great people and my wife's family taught me how to make lefse, which I usually spearhead the production of in my household each year. You need the starter equipment, all of which suprisingly you can get at Fleet Farm or Walmart these days, but its really not that hard once you get the hang of it. Just a lot of steps and patience. Here's the recipe we use. My wife's family likes it better than House of Jacobs and stopped ordering form there, which is saying something. We usally make 96 rounds at least in one baking to make sure we have enough to give to everyone.

Lefse Recipe

2 t salt

1/8-cup sugar

3/4-cup butter (1 and 1/2 sticks)

2 1/4 cups evaporated milk

4 cups potato flakes

3 cups all purpose flour

1.Bring the water to boil, add salt and sugar, and stir.

2.Add butter and stir till butter melts.

3.Turn off heat and add the evaporated milk and stir.

4.Stir in the potato flakes gradually, then stir for about a minute or two, or until VERY thick.

5.Cover the pot with a towel and refrigerate overnight.

6.The next day, add 3 cups of flour and mix, preferable in a mixer with a dough hook, or do it with your hands.

7.Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup ice cold water to make the dough come together better, forming a large dough ball. Take the dough ball out of the mixer bowl and roll it together between your hands, then place on the rolling surface (make sure it is floured) and roll out with both hands until it forms a log that stretches about 24 inches across.

8.Then carefully, so you don't cut or tear the cloth-rolling surface, cut into 24 equal-size pieces. Take each piece and roll into a ball, place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate.

9.Plug in your grill and heat to 500 degrees.

10.Flour your rolling pin and rolling surface prior to rolling each lefse ball.

11.Take the lefse, one ball at a time, place in center of floured rolling surface, rollout to a size that is slightly smaller than your grilland then gently slide the lefse stick under the center of your lefse round and gently lift it off the rolling surface. If you have used the right amount of flour, your lefse will lift without sticking.

12. Grill one side and flip. I like to get light brown spots on each side but not let the edges get brown.

As you pull the lefse rounds off the grill, it’s a good idea to kept them in between two lefse cozies or real thick towels so they can cool but not go stale on you. And it’s must to put a piece of parchment paper inbetween each round or they’ll stick together. Once completely cool, you can seal in good ziplock bags in the fridge or freeze them if not using for a week or two. Good luck.

[deerminator]

If you like sweets, this is another good one. We make lefse and a few kinds of cookies around the holidays now to keep it simple. This is one of the staples. We got the recipe out of a Star Tribune holiday cookie contest story we read.

Swedish Shortbread Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen.

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room

temperature

• 1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

• 2 to 2 1/3 c. flour

• 1/3 c. raspberry jam

• 1 c. powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. almond extract

• 2 to 3 tsp. water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl of an

electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat

butter and granulated sugar until creamy,

about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and

slowly add flour, mixing until just

incorporated and adding enough so dough

isn't sticky. Divide dough into six balls, wrap

balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30

minutes.

Place a dough ball between two sheets of

parchment paper and, using a rolling pin,

roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness, forming a

3- by 10-inch rectangle. Carefully peel away

top layer of parchment paper.

Make a shallow crease down long center of

rectangle and fill crease with raspberry jam.

Repeat with remaining dough. Carefully

transfer dough, retaining parchment paper,

to baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until

edges become golden brown. Remove from

oven, cool slightly and cut across short side

of rectangle at a slight angle, making 6 or so

cookies. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to

cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered

sugar, almond extract and water until

smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle glaze across

cookies.

[reinhard1]

thanks for that awesome sounding recipie. my daughter wanted a good recepie and i will tell her about this one. thanks. my dad and mom still have the German accent also and i have heard the "ting" many times among others. good luck.

[deerminator]

I also make really good chocolate chip cookies that my mom taught me how to make. She did so instructing me not to hand out the recipe since she's entertaining opening a bakery. I will tell you it's not all that differnt than the Nestle toll-house recipe. Like most great recipes, she mad her own adjustments in terms of the amount of ingredients and the way she prepares and bakes. That's my disclaimer on why I'm not sharing the recipe before I offer my suggestion for Chocolate Chip Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies:

Take your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and make it Christmas style. What I do is swap out about half cup of the flour with cocoa powder, the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips, the vanilla or almond extract (depending on what you use) with peppermint extract, and the nuts with some crushed up candy canes. For the latter, I take about half to 3/4 a standard box of candy canes, put them in ziplock bag on a cutting board and pound the heck out it with a big frying pan. til they're in little slivers. Good stuff!

[deerminator]

BTW, my roommates in college once started joking around after I made cookies asking me if I wanted an apron. While they were eating them, I said alright you yahoos, I don't need to make anything anymore and they shut up.

[deerminator]

Ha. Good to hear the recipe will hopefully be put to use. And yes, my Grandma was very German. She grew up on the prairie in North Dakota with other Germans and could speak the language very well into her 80s, singing silent night in German every Christmas until she died. Good memories. Now, I live amongs these foreigners and their strange Nordic customers in central Minnesota. lol

[reinhard1]

my parents still speak fluent German. i have to laugh everytime they say "shhhhicken". on those chocolate cookies were you change things around a little and sub this for that, kind of like the way i make sausage . thanks again. good luck.

[fishinchicks]

I'm mostly German/Dutch, and I am also in charge of the lefse making.

I will have to try deerminator's lefse recipe. It is almost like mine, only I use regular milk instead of the evaporated milk.

As soon as we get back from my sister's, I will begin the Christmas baking. We are hosting Christmas for both sides of the family this year, so cookie production will have to be in high gear. I'll attempt to post photos as I make each variety.

[reinhard1]

FAVORITE PULL-APART ROLLS

3/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup boiling water

2 packages [1/4 oz ea.] active dry yeast

1 cup warm water [ 110 to 115 deg]

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour

in a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. add boiling water; mix well. add yeast mixture and eggs to creamed mixture; mix well. add salt, baking powder, baking soda and 5 cups flour; beat until smooth. stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. do not let rise. divide into 32 pieces; shape each into a ball. place in two greased 9 in. round baking pans. cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

bake at 400 deg for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. remove from pans to wire racks. yield 32 rolls. good luck.

[fishinchicks]

Made a loaf of Sour Cream Bread in the bread machine last evening. It has a great texture, and makes awesome grilled cheese sandwiches! Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the grilled cheese...

Sour Cream Bread

(for a 1 1/2 pound loaf)

1/2 cup plus one tablespoon water

1 cup sour cream (not the lowfat kind - this is the only fat in the recipe)

3 1/2 cups bread flour

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions, with the water and sour cream put in first, and adding the dry ingredients on top. Set crust on medium and program for the basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for the delay timer)

When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing (the most difficult part of the whole process).

[reinhard1]

that looks perfect. great job. the grandkids love white bread, i bet they would love this as well as us grown kids. good luck.

[hoggsback]

Easy Dinner Rolls / Twists

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 T active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

3/4 tsp salt

2 eggs, room temperature

Put 2 cups flour in mixing bowl. Add yeast and salt. Mix well. Put whole eggs (do not crack open) in a glass and fill up with hot tap water, set aside. (This will bring the cold eggs to room temperature more quickly)

In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk, sugar, butter and melt on 50% power in microwave for 2 minutes or until butter is almost melted. Stir until butter and sugar are combined.

Drain water from eggs. Add eggs to milk mixture. Pour into flour mixture and mix well. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Add the rest of flour, one cup at a time, until dough almost cleans the sides. Touch dough lightly. Add more flour if dough sticks to your fingers.

Knead dough for 3-4 minutes on flour dusted counter. Dough should be soft, smooth, elastic and slightly sticky. Form dough into ball. Lightly oil a bowl and turn dough in bowl until lightly covered with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and allow dough to rise for 30 minutes.

Divide dough in two. Roll the two balls into log shapes. Cut each log into 5 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place on oiled pan. If doing twists, roll each small ball into long ropes. Fold each rope in half and then twist each end.

Cover again and allow to rise for more 30 minutes.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

[reinhard1]

your kitchen must have had a great aroma after baking those. here is a cookie recipe out of one of my late fatherinlaw's old cook books from the early 70's.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS COOKIES

1/2 lb candied cherries

1/2 lb candied pineapple

1 cup walnut meats

1 lb seeded raisins

2 tbls lemon extract

2 tbls orange extract

4 tbls vanilla

2/3 cup maple syrup

6 tbls sherry

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp nutmeg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbls sour cream

day before baking finely cut cherries, pineapple, walnuts and raisins. soak overnight in lemon and orange extracts, vanilla, maple syrup and sherry.

next day cream butter with sugar. add well beaten egg yolks, spices, fruit, nuts, soda mixed with sour cream, flour and stiffly beaten egg whites. combine. drop large teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. bake 10 minutes at 375 deg. makes about 7 1/2 dozen. good luck.

[Jim Uran]

My favorite cookie recipe

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup of brown sugar

2 sticka of butter (softened)

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs ( beat in one at a time )

cream together

in seperate bowl

2 1/4 cups of flour

1 tsp baking powder

a little salt

mix those ingredients together

slowly work dry ingredients in with the wet

add a cup of chocolate chips a handful of shredded coconut and a cup of Heath Toffee chips.

Drop tablespoons of cookie dough on ungreased sheet and bake at 360 for 10 minutes or so.

[reinhard1]

i realy like the added stuff at the end. this would be a fun one for the grand kids to make along with me. thanks. good luck.

[delcecchi]

It is the toll house cookie recipe with coconut and toffee. I saw some chocolate and toffee chips at the store today that looked like they would be good.

[reinhard1]

i think the grandkids would love doing that one. they like to nibble some while helping. talking about cookies, my wife said she has a friend who adds a box of instant pudding to some of her cookies when making them from scratch. have you or anyone ever done this? my wife had her chocolate chip cookies and she said they where excelent. i would think the pudding adds flavor and moistness/richness. good luck.

[Jim Uran]

My fiance adds pudding to her cakes, but not cookies, I don't think that would be a bad idea. We are making some cookies tonight so I'll give it a whirl!

Yes Delcecci it's basically the Toll house recipe with a couple of add ins, good stuff though!

[pushbutton]

2 eggs ( beat in one at a time )

Never pictured you as a baking snob Going to to have to try this, but, seriously, can someone tell me why you would have to beat them separately ? While it probably could make a difference, it is what i hate about baking....measure, order of ingredients, timers.....

[reinhard1]

i made some chocolate chip cookies last night with a pre made Betty Crocker mix to try out with a small box of instant chocolate pudding added. after following the directions i noticed the batter was dry because i added the pudding mix. i just added some milk [ about a quarter cup] until the batter was sticky. they turned out great, with a darker color and a rich texture and taste. will do this with future cookies including the Toll House recipe above. i will just add a small amount of milk until the batter gets to where its suppose to be. will do this with cakes also. they have a bunch of different flavors of pudding so it can be used for any cookie or cake recipe. good luck.

[fishinchicks]

Never pictured you as a baking snob Going to to have to try this, but, seriously, can someone tell me why you would have to beat them separately ? While it probably could make a difference, it is what i hate about baking....measure, order of ingredients, timers.....

From King Arthur Flour's baking tips:

After creaming together butter and sugar, the next ingredient in many cookie recipes is eggs. They should be added one at a time, each one thoroughly beaten in before the next is added, to allow the creamed butter/sugar mixture to most effectively retain its trapped air. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so all of the butter/sugar mixture is incorporated.

[Gordie]

My favorite cookie recipe is the cookie that in my tummy at the time

couldnt resist

[deerminator]

I've never had any issues with throwing the eggs in together and beating them at the same time but to each their own. People often do it the way they were taught and that's great! Thoroughly creaming the sugar and butter together, though is key to having the sugar crystals beat through, permeate and fluff up the butter if your cookies are going to turn out right. Some of my favorite tips (that my mom already taught me) come from Alton Brown on the Foodnetwork. If you type his name in along with "The Cookie Clause," on google, you'll get a show/set of recipes he did for Christmas where shows how to make a great sugar cookie and chocolate peppermint pinwheel cookie. Or if you type his name in plus "Chips for Sister Marsha," you get a show/set of recipes for thin, puffy and chewy chocolate chip cookies. Plus he offers lots of tips on the chemistry involved with making different cookies and making various ways.