Apple Breakfast Cake

We developed this recipe for the family camp out, summer of 2015. The original recipe was made in a dutch oven over coals. But since then, we've been making it in the oven using a 9x13 pyrex pan. It's so good that I never have a photo to post...we eat it too quickly!

The night before, in a large mixing bowl, set 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats to soak in 1 1/2 cups sour milk. (1 1/2 cups of milk soured with 1 1/2 TB apple cider vinegar.) Stir together.

In a smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
Set these dry ingredients aside. They will be used the following day.

The next morning, melt 2 TB butter. Pour the melted butter into the soaked oat mixture along with 2 beaten eggs. Stir to completely incorporate.

Add the dry ingredients and stir again. Finally, add about 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) and one large, peeled and diced apple. Stir the entire mixture well and then pour into a buttered 9x13 pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar.

Bake in 350* oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm for breakfast. If you ever find left-overs,try it with some vanilla yogurt on the side.

• If you're not going GF, just substitute whole wheat flour for the rice flour. That's what my original recipe used.
• I like to use buttermilk or kefir instead of the sour milk. They all work well.
• The first times we did this in a 12" dutch oven. It was wonderful! Melt the butter in the bottom of the hot dutch oven, then pour it into the oat mixture. This does double-duty by melting the butter and coating the oven.
• We have had suggestions to use peaches or raspberries in place of the apples. Try it and post results for us!
• This is great for families! Put the cake in the oven While it bakes you can work on the usual morning routine. The wonderful aroma will get everyone to breakfast effortlessly. 
• I have cut the recipe in half for a 9x9 pan. Very successful. But then there is not any left-over!

Sourdough Biscuits

I was first introduced to sourdough by Uncle Bob. He was a not-really-related uncle who was loved by the Stewart family. He was visiting in Rexburg, Idaho, and was the first person I ever met who traveled with their sourdough start. His biscuits made an impression!

Several years later I came across an author at a preparedness expo that was selling her book about sourdough. It came with a sourdough start that was documented at 90 years old. Although I really wanted that book, I could not justify its expense with four little children in tow. However, the author was willing to share her start for free, without the book. So I obtained my first sourdough start, totally undocumented and delicious, in 1990. So far I have kept it going for 25 years. Here is one of our favorite recipes for sourdough biscuits.

Approximately 1 cup of sourdough start (I like to use leftover sourdough pancake batter.)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups warm water

I usually mix these ingredients in the morning, after breakfast. Cover the mixture loosely with a cloth and allow it to stand in a warm place all day long. By late afternoon the mixture should be bubbling. A couple of hours before service, continue with these additions:

1/4 cup sugar (This will cause browning.)
1/4 cup oil (I have used many different kinds!)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TB baking powder (You can leave this out and use a longer rise time.)
additional all-purpose flour, enough to create a soft and tender dough

Fully incorporate these last ingredients, kneading the dough lightly. Keep the dough soft by not adding too much flour; it should be slightly sticky. Pat the dough out on a floured surface and cut out with a floured biscuit cutter. Line biscuits out on a parchment-lined sheet; cover loosely with a towel and allow the biscuits to rest. When they show signs of slight rising, preheat the oven to 400*. Bake biscuits for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Sourdough Pancakes

Begin this recipe the night before you want to serve it for breakfast! Mix the following four ingredients into a large bowl that is not metal. Cover the mixture loosely with a towel and leave it in a warm place overnight.

Approximately 1 cup of sourdough starter
2 cups milk
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups lukewarm water

In the morning, beat together the following ingredients in a small bowl:

4 eggs
2 TB sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Add the egg mixture to the bubbling sourdough mixture and incorporate well. The batter will be thin. Cook pancakes on a hot griddle, turning them over when generous bubbles appear on top.

This recipe makes LOTS of pancakes. Cutting the recipe in half works well for a small family. I also like to use the leftover batter as a start for the evening's sourdough biscuits!

Oatmeal Pancakes Gluten-free

You'll never feel deprived by this GF recipe! Just don't tell anyone and they'll never know it. Start this recipe the night before you plan to serve.

Combine these in a large bowl:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups buttermilk or sour milk
Stir, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, add these to the mixture:
2 beaten eggs
2 TBS melted butter

Add in the dry ingredients all at once:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

This is a very thick batter. If you need to thin it down, just add more liquid. Cook on a hot, buttered griddle until pancakes are golden on each side. They are incredible served with fresh fruit!

I love to use this recipe if we ever have sour milk. Sometimes I will even sour the 2 cups of milk with 2 TB vinegar to make this recipe.

Corn Bread - Gluten Free

Even my gluten-loving family enjoys this corn bread recipe! It's a winner with all of us.

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup masa (corn flour)
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup rice flour (I've used brown or sweet white)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 TB sugar
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups milk plus 2 TB apple cider vinegar (or 2 cups of buttermilk)
2 beaten eggs

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix together the milk and eggs in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until they are smooth. Quickly stir in the melted butter.

Pour batter into a greased 10x13 baking dish. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown.

This recipe will also work without the xanthan gum. The texture will just be more crumbly without it.
Masa can be found in the ethnic section of the grocery store, with the Mexican foods.
This bread does not store well. You'll have to break out the honey-butter and eat it now!
This is a wonderful option for gluten-free stuffing at Thanksgiving.

Monkey Bread

This Jordan family tradition made it's way to our Stewart family table this Thanksgiving, and I think it's here to stay! Thanks for the recipe, Bobby and Kali!

2 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
2 eggs, beaten
4 Tbsp shortening, melted and cooled
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp salt
4 cups flour
1 cube butter

Combine water, sugar, and yeast. Add eggs and first 3 cups of flour; mix. Stir in shortening, salt, and remaining 4 cups of flour. Knead until elastic, then cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.

Melt butter and divide between 2 bundt pans. Roll dough to 1/2" thick. Cut out with 2" diameter circle cookie cutter. Place rolls upright in pans. Let rise two hours. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes.

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Jenny suggested that I try these lovely little bites after she had them with some friends. I was looking for some gluten-free breads (gluten-free anythings!) and this fit the bill. I must say that they are wonderful! They look good, taste good, smell good...I forgot that they were gluten-free.





Rather than try to create something that has already been done so well, I must direct you to a favorite site: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/02/quick-brazilian-cheese-rolls-pao-de-queijo-2/ Our Best Bites is a terrific food blog that Kali introduced to me. They are worth the time to check out.





Happy gluten-free bread!

Bread Pudding

This classic bread pudding recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It is great for breakfast or as a dessert (served with a caramel sauce or whipped cream), and it's a perfect way to use up old bread. Ben and Annie requested the recipe after we served it during Christmas break.

4 beaten eggs
2 1/4 cup milk or cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
finely shredded orange peel from 1 orange
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4-5 cups of bread (torn into bite-size peices)
1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional

Preheat oven to 350*
Toss bread peices and cranberries/raisin together in a 2-quart baking dish.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and orange peel. Pour egg mixture over bread.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until puffed and a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.

Rosemary Biscuits

This is a super cheater recipe that will make you look like total gourmand. It's awesome. It's adapted from this allrecipes.com recipe. I say adapted because the original recipe is low-fat everything. If you're shooting for low-fat, I say you have no business eating biscuits. ;)

• 3 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1 3/4 cup baking mix (like Bisquick)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

Cut cream cheese into baking mix until crumbly, then stir in milk and rosemary until just moistened. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until incorporated (about 10 times). Like all quick breads, do not over mix or it won't rise! Roll dough into a 6" square, then cut into four 3" squares, then cut in half diagonally.

Place on a pan coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

We've already made these twice in the past week. I recommend going heavy on the rosemary, although one of our friends told me this made it smell like a scented soap, haha!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This fabulous recipe comes from Sister Lisa Bezzant, in the cookbook "Our Best Recipes: a Taste of Heaven from Lindon 8th Ward".

Sift together and set aside:

• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp cocoa

Beat until well blended:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tbsp. vanilla
• 2 cup shredded zucchini

Add dry ingredients; beat until well blended. Stir in 1 bag small chocolate chips. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake at 350* for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on pan size. Makes 2 loaves.

Note: I used a glass bread pan and a silicon one. The glass was still doughy on the center top when the silicon one was done.

Truly Whole Wheat Pancakes

Scott often prepares breakfast on Saturday morning. These pancakes are delicious and rank right up there with his hash-browns. Delicious!

1 cup whole wheat (wheat, not flour)

2 cups water

The night before, soak the wheat in the water.

1 1/4 cups milk (approximate)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup canola oil

2 TB baking powder

Add the pre-soaked wheat to a blender. Pour the milk into the blender. (There should be enough milk to cover the wheat.)

Turn on the blender and allow the mixture to blend for aobut 3 minutes.

Add teh eggs salt and canola oil. Blend for aobut 30 seconds.

Add the baking powder and blend. Transfer to a bowl. (Have your bowl ready, because the mixure will expand radidly in the blender.)

Allow mixure to sit in bowl for about 3 minutes.

Stir the mixture before cooking; pour pancakes onto preheated griddle.

Cook until golden brown on each side.

Credit for this recipe goes to Chef Bryan Woolley of KUTV Channel 2 News.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

This recipe is AWESOME! Found it on allrecipes and made just a couple of modifications suggested by reviewers (white wheat instead of soy flour and honey in place of molasses). These turned out even better than the ones I've purchased in the stores! They actually had pockets! It's simple, but a little bit time consuming.

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)

1 (2.5 oz) pkg active dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

1.5 cups white wheat flour

cornmeal for dusting

1. In a bowl, mix together water, yeast, and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, then gradually mix in the flours and add the salt. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a large bowl lightly coated with cooking spray and cover with a towel. Let rise for 1 hour.

2. Punch down the dough and knead for about 5 minutes. Divide into 6 pieces and roll each piece out into a circle about 1/8" thick. Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Warm a baking sheet in the preheating oven for about 2 minutes, then remove and sprinkle with cornmeal.

4. Arrange the dough rounds on the baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the heat and cover with a moist towel to soften. When cooled, slice in half to open the pockets.

I used a pizza stone, which worked great for baking them. And when it says moist towel, don't skimp on the moist! It really is necessary. Also, don't allow any creases when you're rolling them out. That's what prevents them from puffing up into nice open pockets. Enjoy!

Cloverleaf Rolls

Yesterday was a looong Sunday of meetings, and Scott wanted bread when he got home in the evening, so we tried this new recipe for cloverleaf rolls from allrecipes.com. Cloverleafs are a favorite here because they carry a maximum amount of butter on top, and then you can pull them apart and put more butter on the inside. ;)

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Beat in milk, sugar, egg, shortening and salt and 2 cups of flour until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Roll into 90 balls; place three balls each in greased muffin cups. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

These were pretty simple and turned out fabulously. Happy butterfest! :D

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm baking these as I type this and the house smells AMAZING! Like fall just kicked in my front door and made itself at home! I haven't actually tasted these yet, but based on smell and the 4.5 star rating the recipe got on allrecipes.com, they're gonna be awesome!

Ingredient:

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1.5 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour muffin tins or use paper liners.

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add in wet mixture, then add chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 20 -25 minutes. (Only took about 17 in my oven).

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Thanks to Jenny for this recipe, which comes from the "Everyday with Rachel Ray" magazine. We made it for a quick, easy Saturday lunch and it worked great! It could become a weekend tradition. I doubled the recipe and cooked it in twelve regular sized muffin pans. I think we should try it out for a party sometime.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
4 ounced cut up pepperoni
1/2 cup store bought pizza sauce
2 Tablespoons chopped basil
1 red bell pepper, sliced.

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350*. Grease a 24 mini-muffin pan. Mix together flour and baking powder; whisk in milk and egg. Stir in cheese and pepperoni. Let sit for ten minutes.

2. Stir the batter and pour into the muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes, until puffy and golden.

3. Microwave pizza sauce to warm, and stir in 1 Tbsp. basil. Remove pizza puffs from pan and sprinkle with other Tablespoon basil. Serve puffs with red pepper slices on the side and sauce for dipping!

Marion Cunningham's buttermilk pancakes

This recipe has become our favorite when we make pancakes, which is quite frequently. I'm not sure what makes them so good, since it's very similiar to other recipes, but it works for us! The author says it doesn't work well to multiply the recipe, but you can double a batch and have it still turn out.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp. butter or oil for the pan

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Crack egg into the center and pour the buttermilk over the top of the egg.
2. With a fork or whisk, stir until it forms a lumpy batter and all flour is absorbed. Pour in melted butter and stir until buttter is just dispersed. DO NOT OVERMIX.
3. Spread 1 Tbsp. butter/oil on the griddle. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter on to form pancakes. Turn when bubbles form on the top. Brown the other side.
4. Eat!

No buttermilk? Just add a Tbsp of vinegar to a measuring cup, then pour in milk until it reaches 1 cup mark. Stir, let sit a few minutes, then proceed as normal. :)

Cheesefada

This post must start with a disclaimer: I have no idea how to spell the name of this dish! We have just spelled it as it sounded.
We originally enjoyed this breakfast dish in Idaho, when Kurt Johnson made it for us. I understand that it is a Hungarian dish that was passed down in his family. Of course everything tastes better at Grandpa's cabin, but this tasted great when we attempted it at home, too. The best description that I have heard for this dish is "scrambled pancakes".

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBS baking powder
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs, separated
milk

Melt butter in a large fry pan and set aside. Beat egg whites to form stiff peaks; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Beat in egg yolks, melted butter, and enough milk to form a consistency of very thick pancake batter. Finally, fold in whipped egg whites and pour into the hot fry pan with melted butter. Cook like scrambled eggs, turning and breaking the mixture as it cooks. Serve with syrup, fruit, milk or just as-is.
We have also had success with whole wheat flour; it adds a deliciously nutty taste.

Stir and Roll Biscuits

This recipe has received recent rave reviews. It's embarrassingly easy for a biscuit and makes for a quick supper addition. It's one of our favorites for breakfast biscuits and sausage gravy.

2 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk and oil all at once. Stir until combined. Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut into desired
biscuit shapes. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking pan; bake at 425* for 10-12 minutes.

Notes: Larger biscuits will take longer to bake.
I love to use half whole white wheat flour in this recipe.
Make sure the oven is preheated.
Corn oil and canola oil work well. Olive oil produced a lack-luster, greasy biscuit.