Posts Tagged ‘bread’

As some of you may remember, DH Rob usually bakes something for our breakfast on Sunday mornings. We still have a few blueberries in the freezer from the garden, so this past Sunday he made this delicious Blueberry Coffee Cake. We hadn't had it for quite a while and we both really enjoyed it. Here's the recipe that was originally from Quick Cooking magazine:

Blueberry Coffee Cake
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup plus 2 Tbsps. flour, divided
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries (do not thaw if using frozen)
3-4 oz. cream cheese, cut into small cubes

Topping:
2 Tbsps. flour
2 Tbsps. sugar
1 Tbsp. margarine or butter

Combine the 2 Tbsps. flour,2 Tbsps. sugar, and the 1 Tbsp. butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips. Set aside.

Grease and flour an 8" square baking pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Combine 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 Tbsps. flour. Gently stir the blueberries and the cream cheese cubes into the batter. The batter will be thick.
Spread in the prepared 8" square pan.

Sprinkle the topping on the batter. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 mins. or until the cake tests done. (Take care not to test in a pocket of cream cheese!)

After Rob made the coffee cake we had half of an 8 oz. block of cream cheese left so I made Boursin. If you have ever purchased it in the store you know that it can be quite expensive -- nearly $5 for a small container. This is quite tasty. It can be used as a spread or in recipes. It also freezes well. I am hoping to try a new chicken recipe that calls for Boursin that DD Megan sent me recently. I'll keep you posted if it turns out well.

Boursin on a Budget

1 clove garlic, pressed, chopped, or minced
3-4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 tsp. oregano
a small pinch each basil, dillweed, marjoram, thyme, pepper
(I used a grinding of pepper and about 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning instead)

Cream together all ingredients and then store in the refrigerator until needed. This will keep for about a week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. You can easily make a larger batch if needed. Use as a spread on crackers or fresh vegetables, in pasta dishes, in mashed potatoes, stuffed chicken breasts, or anywhere else you might use the commercial Boursin.

*Note: You will need to let this warm up a bit before using, especially if you have made it with butter, or it will be too hard to spread.

Becka

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I have always wanted to make bread bowls. I saw a recipe in a cookbook years ago, but just never quite got around to trying them – until this year. A few weeks ago I saw a recipe for Stuffing Bread Bowls on the King Arthur Baker's Banter Blog. This is a wonderful web-site with many great recipes for all of you who like to bake. I filled the bowls with Turkey à la King using up some of our leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Nora, Rob, and I all really liked them, so I am planning to have them again this weekend to help with the remnants of our Christmas turkey.

So, for all of you who need ideas for leftover turkey, here is one you might like to try. The bowls would also be delicious with just about any type of thick soup or stew.

Stuffing Bread Bowls
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup oil
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup semolina (you could substitute cornmeal)
2 tsps. poultry seasoning
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup dry potato flakes
2 Tbsps. powdered milk
2 1/2 tsps. yeast
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients in bread machine in the order given. Run the machine on the dough cycle.

After the dough has completed the cycle divide into 6 pieces. Round into balls.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let rise one hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 mins. Let cool completely.

Slice off the tops of the bowls and then carefully pull out the insides to form a "bowl". The bread that is removed can be dried in the oven and then ground into herbed bread crumbs.

Chicken or Turkey à la King
1 can (6 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 cups light cream or evaporated skim milk
2 cups water
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (or about 1/4 c.pimentos from a jar of olives)

In a large skillet cook and stir the mushrooms and red pepper in the melted margarine for about 5 mins. Blend in the flour and pepper. Cook over low heat until the mixture is bubbly. Stir in the water, the cream or evaporated skim milk, and the peas. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in the chicken or turkey. Heat through and serve hot. This was wonderful in the bread bowls, but is also good on biscuits.

How about you — any new ideas for using up leftover ham or turkey?

Whatever you will be eating on Christmas day or the days thereafter I hope you will have a blessed Christmas as we contemplate our Lord's sacrifice in coming to earth.

Becka

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