For each casserole, you will need: 1 egg 2 Tbs. whole or reduced-fat milk 2 thick slices of day-old bread 2 Tbs. chopped pecans 1/3 cup maple-flavored syrup 1 Tbs. butter 1 oven proof bowl, about 5” across and 2” deep. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat the interior of the ovenproof bowl with cooking spray or butter. Trim bread slices to a shape and size that will fit the bowl. In another larger bowl, whisk egg and milk, then place bread slices in egg mixture until liquid

I'll bet you can smell this picture! County Fairs and local food festivals were always a favorite destination for my family, and to this day I try to take in at least one or two every summer. I enjoy the livestock and culinary exhibits, photography displays, craft and quilting contests, and of course, seeing who won the blue ribbon for a beautiful loaf of homemade bread! But let's face it---for many of us, county fairs are all about the food on the midway! Here are the recip

As many of you know, I am offering bread baking classes in the kitchen of our monastery guest facility, the Bethany House. Saturday I taught a class in braided loaves to a 7th-grader-to-be and she ROCKED it! We did a slab braid, a crown braid and a lattice braid with ham and cheese. Afterwards we made fresh butter and she gave me a little violin concert. Special thanks to mom and dad for taking such great pictures. Check out the slide show! Then Sunday I had an engaged couple

Dough (Check the notes below about substitutions) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tbs. granulated sugar 1 Tbs. baking powder ½ tsp. salt ½ cup (1 stick) butter ½ cup milk 1 egg Filling Zest of a medium orange 1/2 cup granulated sugar Glaze ½ cup powdered sugar juice of half an orange ¼ tsp. almond extract Directions Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium size bowl, stir flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly mixed. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut i

One of my favorite bacon recipes is for Austrian povitica ("poh-VEE-teetz-ah" or "poh-vuh--TEETZ-ah" depending upon which Slovenian you ask). My recipe for povitica has been in my family for four generations. My great-grandmother, Frances Zunic Sardick, brought it to this country from Austria. You most often see the Croatian or Slovenian versions of this bread (usually called potica) which use ground walnuts, cream, honey, and a much sweeter dough rolled into very thin laye

Ingredients 1½ sticks butter 1½ cups of sugar 3 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ pint fresh raspberries or ½ cup dried cranberries ½ pint fresh blueberries ½ cup white chocolate baking morsels Prepare topping (see below) and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in mixer on high until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Sift dry i

Ingredients 1½ cups sourdough discard unfed 1 cup evaporated milk* ¾ cup whole wheat or multigrain flour** 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil 4 large eggs, beaten 2 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda *The evaporated milk combines with the water n the starter to make a tender crumb for the waffles. **I keep a multigrain blend in my pantry at all times: 2 parts whole wheat flour, 1 part qu

During the Covid quarantine I produced a multigrain baking mix to use when yeast became scarce in the grocery stores. If you already use baking mixes, you might be surprised to see that this version requires refrigeration, but you might be equally surprised to discover that the package on the commercial versions also recommends that you refrigerate their product after opening. But most baking mixes use shortening and have a number of preservatives and therefore are more “shel

This image is from the manufacturer, Norpro If you spend any time at garage sales or in thrifts shops, you have probably seen these tin tubes for sale, and perhaps wondered what they are for. These unique pans are canapé molds, used to bake bread that have decorative shapes when sliced. The slices are used as a base for hors d'oeuvres or appetizers. I see them often on eBay, Etsy, and when thrifting, which suggests that the people who buy them don't use them very much. Person

You can use white, wheat, or multigrain doughs for this braid. This is a fairly simple technique but it yields dramatic results, and the loaf looks especially nice on a holiday buffet table. Yields one loaf Ingredients 1 batch of Single Loaf White Dough 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped ham 1 ½ cups sharp Cheddar cheese 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash (optional) Punch down dough and knead lightly to expel larger air bubbles; divide dough into two portions.

Sometimes you only need a smaller batch, for example to make a shaped loaf like my Ham and Cheese Braid. Here's what I've used in the past. Ingredients 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 ¼ cups warm milk (100° to 110° F) 1 Tbs. sugar 1 Tbs. vegetable oil 1 ½ tsp. salt 1 egg 3 to 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour Directions Put warm milk into a medium size bowl. Add yeast, stir to dissolve. Add sugar, egg, salt and oil. Add 3 cups of flour and beat well. Work in enough of remaining flour

These biscuits are not just for holidays! Biscuits of Victory I’d never had much success with biscuits until I came across a recipe which suggested adding some cream of tartar to the dry ingredients. Sure enough, that did the trick for me—victory at last!—although I’m sure there are plenty of biscuit purists out there who will scoff at the idea. Try it and decide for yourself. Ingredients 3 cups all purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon cream

A basic roll dough for many different shapes Ingredients 2 packages active dry yeast ¼ cup lukewarm water (100 to 110° F.) 2 cups of 2% milk 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 2 tsp. salt 5 to 5 1/2 cups flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten Directions Heat milk in a saucepan, but do not boil. Add butter, sugar and salt to milk; mix well and cool to lukewarm. Pour into a medium size mixing bowl along with proofed yeast and the two beaten eg

Hearty wheat loaves can be made in many sizes and shapes Ingredients 2¼ cups of warm water (100 to 110° F) 2 packages of active dry yeast 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons of salt 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 2 cups whole wheat flour 3½ to 4 cups of bread flour Directions Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, oil, and salt, and mix well. Add wheat flour and mixing well until flour is thoroughly incorporated. Allow batter to rest for five min

Since it is the foundation for literally hundreds of recipes, mastering basic white dough will give you a starting point for your journey of exploration of the world of breads. After you get this down, it’s all about the shaping. Ingredients 2 cups of warm water (100 to 110° F) 2 packages of active dry yeast 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 teaspoons of salt 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 5½ to 6 cups of all-purpose or bread flour Directions Dissolve yeast in warm water i

Makes about 1½ cups 3 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed 2/3 cup shelled and roasted pistachios 3 cloves of garlic ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or Conestrato ½ to ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Place the basil, pistachios, garlic and Parmesan cheese in the food processor and pulse until a paste forms—nuts should be finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until pesto has the desired consistency. I like to l

Banana Coconut Cookies are a Garramone family favorite, as well as in my monastery and our high school. Ingredients 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup (two 3.4 oz. packages) banana instant pudding mix 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine 1½ cups granulated sugar 2 eggs ¼ cup milk 1 teaspoon banana extract 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut Directions In a medium size bowl, combine flour, pudding m

Veggies, cheese and herbs flavor this unique loaf! Basic Wheat Bread Dough There are lots of variations on this basic white bread regarding the amount of water, sugar, salt and oil. I like this one because everything’s in “twos” except the flour, so it’s easy to carry in your head. 2¼ cups of warm water (100 to 110° F) 2 packages of active dry yeast 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons of salt 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 2 cups whole wheat flour 3½ to 4 cups of bread f

You won't believe it's zucchini instead of apples! Zucchini Crisp Ingredients 6 medium zucchini, about 3 pounds, peeled, ¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 half teaspoon nutmeg, Topping ¼ cup tightly packed brown sugar, ½ cup old-fashioned oats ¼ cup butter cold ¼ cup flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare an 8” x 8

In a casserole dish or canape mold, bacon dill bread is a winner! ½ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees) 2 tsp. brown sugar 2 pkg. active dry yeast 1 c. milk 1 c. cottage cheese 2 Tbs. fresh chopped dill (1 Tbs. dried) 1½ tsp. salt 2/3 cup cooked, crumbled bacon, drained (about 14 to 16 strips) 5 ½ to 6 cups of all-purpose flour Proof yeast with water and sugar in a small bowl. Blend milk and cottage cheese in a blender until smooth and warm mixture to 100 to 110 degrees.