Ingredient: milk

Fresh Raspberry Bread Pudding

Bread pudding always gives me reason to remember good things. Why is it so beloved, aside from the extreme comfort food factor? It’s not that the dish was invented here — that honor likely goes to clever medieval or even ancient cooks in Europe and the Middle East who had a surplus of stale bread on their hands.

For those of you who haven’t tried it, sweet bread pudding is perhaps the ultimate comfort food. It’s simple to make, requires no special equipment and uses very basic ingredients. Just about every culture that makes bread has its own version of bread pudding. 

The bread you choose will have a huge effect on the texture of your pudding. Since raspberries seem to be appearing in bigger containers in the grocery store now and a teeny bit better priced, I wanted to share a recipe for an ‘unbaked’ or overnight version of Fresh Raspberry Bread Pudding with a Cream Cheese Drizzle. This is probably the easiest bread pudding recipe there is but it tastes soooo– good.

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 Fresh Raspberry Bread Pudding
Easy, decadent, no-bake dessert.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Servings
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
Cream Cheese Glaze
Course dessert
Servings
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
Cream Cheese Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Bread Pudding
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar & cornstarch; blend well. Add raspberries; stir. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils & thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
  2. Line a 8-cup mold with plastic wrap. Place some raspberry sauce in the bottom & top with a layer of bagel cubes; press down gently. Repeat, alternating layers with sauce & bagel cubes. Place plastic wrap over pudding. Cover with a plate that fits tightly inside mold, then place a heavy object on top of plate to help firm up pudding. Refrigerate overnight.
Cream Cheese Glaze
  1. Whisk together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter & vanilla. Add a little milk to achieve a drizzling consistency.
  2. To serve, remove plate & plastic wrap; unmold onto a serving plate removing plastic wrap liner. Drizzle cream cheese glaze over pudding.

Coffeecake with a Twist

Baking with yeast is not everyone’s forte. My mother, on the other hand, seemed to have it down to a science. Of course, since her wonderful bread and baked goods were the ‘norm’ at our house, we took it all for granted. When my older sister married, she and her husband moved to California, USA. Later on, when their first child was born, my mother made a trip to their home by way of the Greyhound bus. It was an interesting experience for all of us.

For mom, to travel that far, alone to be with her daughter and son-in-law. For dad, the rare occasion of being without mom to share all the work and responsibilities of kids and farm. For me, being the second oldest, meant I needed to step up to the plate and help dad with the three younger siblings, etc. I was in my early teens at the time. Dad and I had an ‘agreement’, I could stay home from school two days a week while mom was away. On one to bake bread and the other to wash clothes for the family. For this help dad would let me make the supper menus of my choice as well as making a corresponding grocery list. Without realizing it, I was once again learning those precious ‘life skills’.

In today’s blog recipes, I wanted to make a couple of pastries which normally have been made with yeast dough. There are numerous people experiencing a ‘yeast’ intolerance these days so I decided to make these ‘coffeecakes’ using baking powder instead. I also found using cream cheese in dough makes it very tender and the leftovers taste great, kept in the fridge, for a few days.

The original ‘Bear Claw’ pastry was similar to a Danish, originating in the United States during the mid 1920’s. A bear claw is a sweet, yeast-raised pastry usually filled with almond paste and sometimes had raisins. It is shaped in a semi-circle with slices along the curved edge. As the dough rises, the sections separate evoking the shape of a bear’s toes. In this bear claw coffeecake, your filling choices can be endless.

The ‘Poppy Seed’ pastry is shaped to resemble a flower. This is a nice little showy idea that I believe originated with the Pillsbury company years ago. There again, the filling can be your choice. Brion and I really enjoyed both of these pastries probably a little too much!

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 Poppy Seed / Bear Claw Coffeecake
Tender cheese-flavored coffeecake with a design & filling of your choice.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Coffeecake
'Bear Claw' Filling
Poppy Seed Filling
Glaze
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
Ingredients
Coffeecake
'Bear Claw' Filling
Poppy Seed Filling
Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. With a pastry blender, cut in cream cheese & shortening until mixture resembles coarse peas. Stir in milk. On a lightly floured work surface, knead dough gently 20 times.
  2. To make 'BEAR CLAW' pastry: Place dough on parchment paper. Roll out to a 12" X 8" rectangle, leaving dough on paper , lay on a baking sheet. Spread preserves lengthwise to cover 2/3 of the rectangle; sprinkle with nuts. Fold the third of the rectangle without preserves over the center. Fold over again, making 3 layers of dough and 2 layers of filling. Seal edges. From folded edge cut dough into 1-inch slices to within 1-inch of opposite side; twist strips so that cut side is up. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Remove coffeecake from baking sheet & allow to cool for 10 minutes. Prepare glaze & drizzle on warm coffeecake.
  3. To make 'POPPY SEED' filling & pastry: I a small saucepan, combine pudding powder, sugar, poppy seed & extract with COLD milk. Stir constantly until it begins to to simmer. Simmer while stirring for 5 minutes; remove from heat & cool slightly.
  4. Divide coffeecake dough into thirds. On a sheet of parchment paper, roll one portion into a 12-inch circle. Transfer paper with circle of dough on it to baking sheet. Divide filling in half & gently spread over pastry to within 1/4" or so of edge then sprinkle with 1/3 of walnuts. On another sheet of parchment paper, roll out second portion of dough. Using parchment paper, carefully lay second circle on top of first layer. Spread with remaining filling & another 1/3 of the walnuts. Roll out remaining dough in a 12-inch circle & place on top. Pinch outer edge to seal.
  5. Place a small glass in center. Cut from outside edge just to glass, forming 16 wedges. Remove glass & twist each wedge five times. Tuck edge under. Sprinkle remaining walnuts over all. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove coffeecake from baking sheet & allow to cool for 10 minutes. Prepare glaze & drizzle over warm coffeecake.

Summer Picnic Menu #2

                                                                MENU

WILD MUSHROOM & GOUDA QUICHE  — SHRIMP & VEGETABLE QUICHE                        

      FRESH SPINACH SALAD —  FRUIT KABOBS & HONEY YOGURT

Print Recipe
 Summer Picnic Menu #2
Quiche is great whether it is served hot or cold making it a nice picnic meal.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert, Lunch, Main Dish
Servings
Ingredients
Wild Mushroom & Gouda Quiche
Shrimp & Vegetable Quiche
Fresh Spinach Salad
Fruit Kabobs with Honey Yogurt Dip
Course dessert, Lunch, Main Dish
Servings
Ingredients
Wild Mushroom & Gouda Quiche
Shrimp & Vegetable Quiche
Fresh Spinach Salad
Fruit Kabobs with Honey Yogurt Dip
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Wild Mushroom & Gouda Quiche
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice green onion & mushrooms. Saute in margarine; add garlic, stirring often. Allow to cook for 5 minutes uncovered so moisture will evaporate. Cut broccoli into florets; add to pan along with red pepper & bacon bits. Cook another 6 minutes; remove from heat. Whisk together eggs, milk & seasonings.
  2. Sprinkle 1/2 of the Gouda cheese in quiche shell. Top with vegetable mixture; then remaining Gouda. Gently pour seasoned egg/milk mixture over all. Bake about 40 minutes or until quiche tests done. Since quiche is made with milk instead of cream (to lighten up on the calories) it tales a bit longer to bake.
Shrimp & Vegetable Quiche
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Microwave vegetables ONLY, for a few minutes to soften SLIGHTLY; lay on paper towel along with thawed shrimp to take up some of the moisture. Whisk together eggs, milk & seasonings.
  2. Sprinkle Italian cheese blend over bottom of quiche shell. Top with shrimp, vegetables & cheddar cheese. Gently pour seasoned egg/milk mixture over all. Bake on middle rack for 50-60 minutes or until just 'set'. Cover crust with foil, if necessary, to prevent over browning.
Fresh Spinach Salad
  1. In a large salad bowl, combine salad ingredients. Toss with salad dressing just before serving time or let each person put their own on at the picnic.
Fresh Fruit Kabobs with Honey Yogurt
  1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt & honey (cinnamon if using). Prepare fresh fruit of choice, cutting into bite size cubes. Thread onto 8" wooden skewers. Place in serving container along with sealed container of honey-yogurt dip.
Recipe Notes
  • If you prefer, quiche can be made individually for easy serving.

Brunch in St.Thibery, France

Brunch! The word evokes thoughts of a lazy week-end morning, sleeping late, eating ‘brunch’ while sipping a glass of sangria in the late morning or early afternoon.

In the food industry, brunch was a fun meal to prepare. Being a combination of both breakfast & lunch means the options are endless. If you are serving a large amount of people, generally eight food groups make up the menu along with beverages. I always enjoyed the visual beauty of a large brunch presentation all carefully prepared and set out.

At our house, Brion and I have always been early risers so brunch isn’t a meal that really works for us. That being said, I do have some special memories of a time when we enjoyed brunch.

It was in the south of France. In 2001, after we had left Paris, we drove 613 km (380 miles) south to the sleepy village of St. Thibery. This little medieval village, population of 2481, can be traced back more than 4000 years of known history.

As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, my sister Loretta had joined Brion and I on this French vacation. For this segment of the trip we had rented an apartment in St Thibery to use as ‘home base’ during our time there. Many of these houses are from the 14th, 15th and 17th century. The apartment was quaint but adequate even having a roof top patio. What’s not to love, amidst the beautiful French vineyards, close to that blue Mediterranean. 

We spent about a week in St Thibery and it was there that the three of us made some special memories enjoying our leisure French brunches. In view of all the world crisis we are experiencing today, I cherish the many memories we have from our world travels in more peaceful times.

A few brunch options that I think are noteworthy and would like to share with you today are Bacon & Egg Croissants with Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit, Peaches & Cream French Toast as well as Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes.

Print Recipe
 Bacon & Egg Croissants/Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit * Peaches & Cream French Toast * Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch
Servings
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
Bacon & Egg Croissants
Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit
Peaches & Cream French Toast
Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes
Course Brunch
Servings
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
Bacon & Egg Croissants
Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit
Peaches & Cream French Toast
Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
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Instructions
Cheese Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, dry mustard salt & pepper. Add milk. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens & bubbles. Reduce heat to low & stir in cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. Keep warm.
Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit
  1. In a saucepan, mix sugar & cornstarch. Stir in water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook & stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in lime peel, lime juice & gingerroot. In a large bowl, gently toss prepared fruit. Pour lime mixture over fruit; gently toss. Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve.
Bacon & Egg Croissants
  1. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Split croissants, lay on a barely warm griddle to warm. In a saucepan, pour water to a 3" depth & bring to boiling. Reduce to simmering. Break an egg into a shallow dish; gently slip into water. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs. Cook 2 -3 minutes. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon.
  2. Place 2 bacon slices on bottom half of each croissant then top with a poached egg. Ladle some cheese sauce over egg, placing croissant top on the side. Serve with side dishes of Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit.
Peaches & Cream French Toast
  1. In a small bowl, whisk eggs & 3 Tbsp peach preserves. Beat in half & half. Place a single layer of bread slices in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover & refrigerate a few hours or overnight until most of the liquid is absorbed. In a small bowl, beat 1/3 cup peach preserves & 4 Tbsp softened margarine with an electric mixer on high until fluffy; set aside until ready to serve.
  2. At serving time, Heat griddle to medium-high heat; melt 2 Tbsp margarine. Add bread slices & cook until lightly browned, turning once. Serve French Toast topped with peach butter & fresh peach slices. Sprinkle with toasted almonds & powdered sugar.
Asparagus Cordon Bleu Crepes
  1. Prepare crepes (see recipe on 'French Crepe' blog from July 25/16). Trim asparagus spears. In a large saucepan, cook asparagus spears in boiling salted water just until tender-crisp; drain. Place a slice of ham on each crepe. Spread ham slice with mustard. Top with a slice of cheese, asparagus spears & tomatoes. Sprinkle with parsley & tarragon, as desired.
  2. Roll up crepes. In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, place crepes seam-side down. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium saucepan, melt margarine; blend in flour, 1/2 tsp tarragon, salt & pepper. Whisk in half & half, stirring constantly over medium-high heat until mixture thickens & bubbles. Stir in sliced mushrooms. Pour sauce over crepes in baking dish. Bake 25 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe Notes
  • Lime-Ginger Fresh Fruit adapted from from pillsbury. com
  • Brunch ideas adapted from Pat Jester's Brunch Cookery (1979)

French Crepes in Paris, France

Today, July 25th, we celebrate my sister Loretta’s birthday.

                  ‘To have a sister like you is like finding a treasure in ones life’.                                                          ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LORETTA’, you deserve all the best!’

In the fall of 2001, Brion & I, joined by Loretta, made our first trip to Europe. Before that our holidays had pretty much been in the USA. This was a whole new learning curve that has forever changed the meaning of travel for us. Our destination was France, starting out in Paris, then renting a car and driving to the west coast then on down through southern France.

The hotel we were staying at in Paris looked out over a ‘pedestrian only’ street. When we arrived it was evening and the street was dark and pretty much deserted. The next morning we heard a lot of hustle-bustle in the street below. When we looked out, the sight was just incredible! The street was lined with shops which were now open for business. It was the most beautiful sight to look down on with all its colors and activity. During the next few days we enjoyed everything Paris  to the fullest.

Down from our hotel we came upon a little street vendor selling crepes of all things. The taste was amazing! Fifteen years later, they have joined our ‘taste of a memory’ food list, knowing that so much of it was time & place.

Crepes are such a great meal. Simple to make with so many options whether it is a savory or sweet version. One of our favorite savory choices is a Seafood Crepe,  which I feature in my ebook, ‘LIVING LARGE ON A LEAN FOOD BUDGET’. For a sweet treat, you might enjoy to try these Strawberry-Citrus Crepes.

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 French Crepes
Crepe batters can be stored in the fridge for a day ---- cooked crepes in the freezer.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Servings
Ingredients
Basic Crepe Batter
Parmesan Herb Crepe; add to ingredients of Basic Crepe batter
Chocolate Dessert Crepe; add toingredients of Basic Crepe batter
Basic Dessert Crepe; decrease milk in Basic Crepe to 1 1/3 cups & add the following
Seafood Filling
Gouda Sauce for Seafood Crepes
Strawberry-Citrus Filling
Servings
Ingredients
Basic Crepe Batter
Parmesan Herb Crepe; add to ingredients of Basic Crepe batter
Chocolate Dessert Crepe; add toingredients of Basic Crepe batter
Basic Dessert Crepe; decrease milk in Basic Crepe to 1 1/3 cups & add the following
Seafood Filling
Gouda Sauce for Seafood Crepes
Strawberry-Citrus Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Crepes
  1. Place all ingredients in blender; whirl for 1 minute at high speed. Scrape down sides, whirl for another 15 seconds. Pour into a bowl & cover; refrigerate 1 hour. Heat a non-stick griddle to 350 F. Measure about 3 Tbsp of batter per crepe onto griddle. With back of spoon form batter into an 8-inch circle. Cook until golden on each side then lay on a wire rack to cool.
Gouda Crepe Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, melt margarine; sprinkle with flour & seasonings. Mix well; add milk & broth, stirring until sauce becomes thickened. Add cheese & blend.
Seafood Filling
  1. In a large skillet, saute zucchini, onion & garlic in oil for several minutes. Add mushrooms, green pepper & water chestnuts; cook 1 more minute. Combine ginger, soy sauce & water in a cup; add to vegetable mixture along with seafood. Gently stir fry ONLY until seafood is cooked. Reserve 1/2 cup Gouda sauce & add the rest to mixture.
  2. Divide filling between crepes; roll crepes & place on serving plates. Spoon remaining sauce over each of the filled crepes. Place each meal in microwave (covered) for 15 - 20 seconds on high. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.
Strawberry-Citrus Filling
  1. In a small saucepan, combine water, cornstarch, lemon juice, orange juice & sugar; blend well. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture thickens & becomes clear. Remove from heat & set aside to cool. Slice strawberries either by hand or using an egg slicer. In a small dish, combine yogurt & honey.
  2. In a large bowl, gently fold about 1 1/2 cups citrus glaze together with sliced strawberries (I used about 3 large strawberries per crepe). Lay 12 crepes on work surface & place equal amounts of strawberry/glaze mixture on one half of each crepe. Fold over opposite side then fold in half again. Place 3 crepes on each of four serving plates. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Serve Honey/Yogurt on the side as well as any extra citrus sauce you have left from filling.
Recipe Notes
  • I have been making crepes for a long time but have never bothered to buy a 'crepe' pan to cook them in. A non-stick griddle has always worked great for me.  Using a 1/4 measuring cup, first to pour a circle of batter on the griddle then with the bottom of it, keep enlarging the crepe to the size you want.
  • Being able to make all your crepe ingredients the day before then putting it all together on the day served is such a bonus.

Rhubarb Desserts

I can not remember ever being able to pick fresh rhubarb in the middle of May here in northern Alberta, Canada. We are definitely seeing some serious changes in the weather.

I love everything about the plant — how good it tastes, the beautiful huge foliage in the garden and how it can keep on producing all season long. The uses of rhubarb are endless. For most part, I think it is usually thought of as a dessert ingredient. I tried making it into a spicy chutney with pork tenderloin for supper one night and it was real nice.

Bordering one side of my mother’s large country garden grew six or eight rhubarb plants. I can’t even imagine how much they would produce. I recall that special taste of her Saskatoon-Rhubarb Pie. Saskatoon berries grew wild in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This was a good reason for our family to pack a picnic lunch and make the drive on a Sunday afternoon to pick saskatoon berries. Not only did it make for quality family time but those fresh berries were soooo– good!.

Here are a couple of dessert recipes I made with some of my first rhubarb stalks of this season. One is Rhubarb-Blueberry Cobbler, an old fashioned baked dessert with a tender biscuit crust sprinkled with sugar. The other one is Rhubarb-Orange Cheesecake Parfait.   If a rhubarb plant isn’t growing somewhere in your back yard you can usually locate some at a neighborhood Farmer’s Market throughout the summer.

Print Recipe
 Rhubarb Desserts
Enjoy a little rhubarb nostalgia in two different presentations.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Servings
Ingredients
Rhubarb-Blueberry Cobbler
Rhubarb-Orange Cheesecake Parfaits
Servings
Ingredients
Rhubarb-Blueberry Cobbler
Rhubarb-Orange Cheesecake Parfaits
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Rhubarb-Blueberry Cobbler
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Mix chopped rhubarb & blueberries together in a large saucepan. Blend sugar & cornstarch together & stir into the fruit mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup cold water.
  3. Place on medium heat & bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low & cook until juices flow & fruit is soft. Pour into an 8-cup casserole dish.
  4. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, 1 Tbsp sugar & salt. Blend well. Cut in margarine with a pastry cutter until mixture is a coarse texture. In another bowl blend milk & egg.
  5. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add milk/egg mixture & stir until flour is moistened. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the fruit mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar evenly. Bake about 25-30 minutes. Serve plain or with a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream.
Rhubarb-Orange Cheesecake Parfaits
  1. In a plastic bag, coarsely crush gingersnap cookies; set aside.
  2. Chop rhubarb stalks & place in saucepan with water. Cook over low heat until soft. Remove rhubarb from heat. Add sugar, Cointreau & cornstarch; mix well. Return to heat & stir until thickened; cool completely.
  3. In a large glass bowl, dissolve jelly powder & boiling water, making sure it is completely dissolved before adding to cream cheese. Blend in cream cheese with a hand mixer on low speed. Whisk in juice & zest of orange as well as the Cool Whip.
  4. In parfait glasses, spoon a layer of cream cheese mixture; sprinkle lightly with gingersnap crumbs then add a layer of rhubarb sauce. Repeat layers one more time making sure to divide cheesecake, rhubarb sauce & crumbs evenly between parfaits ending with cheesecake mixture.
  5. Refrigerate about 4 hours; garnish a bit more orange zest & a fresh mint leaf if desired.

German Poppy Seed Coffee Cake

Today, March 28, was the birth date of my Mother. She passed away in 1978 at the age of sixty. Although 38 years have passed, it seems like it was only yesterday. She was truly an ‘Angel on Earth’, never to be forgotten by her family or by the people who’s lives she touched.

I have so many memories of her wonderful cooking and baking. In her honor today I decided to post a German Poppy Seed Coffee Cake.

Poppy seed has long been a popular ingredient in German and Austrian baked goods. Once again, as in the case of Easter bread, there are a great variety of versions. What always seemed to stick in my memory was that my mother’s poppy seed filling was never dry. It was almost as if the poppy seeds were in a vanilla pudding. If my memory serves me correct, she made it like a jelly roll.

Today I’m trying to re-create that ‘pudding filling’ and use it in a Bundt cake.

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 German Poppy Seed Coffee Cake
A tender sour cream coffee cake with a custard-like poppy seed filling.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45-50 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
FILLING
CAKE
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45-50 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
FILLING
CAKE
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
FILLING
  1. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine pudding powder, sugar, poppy seed & lemon zest with cold milk, stirring constantly until it begins to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes; remove from heat.
CAKE
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan. Using a hand held mixer on medium speed, beat sugar, margarine & eggs, scraping bowl occasionally, for 2 minutes. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt & walnuts. Fold into wet ingredients alternately with sour cream. Spread half of the cake batter in Bundt pan, pushing it slightly up the sides of pan. Spoon poppy/pudding mixture over cake batter. Gently spread remaining cake batter on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until tests done. Remove from oven, place a wire cooling rack over pan. Invert & remove pan. Serve with a dollop of Greek French Vanilla yogurt if desired or dust with icing sugar.

Easter Bread

With Easter right around the corner I couldn’t pass up the chance to once again try to create ‘the taste of a memory’.

It seems that every country as well as anyone who enjoys to make bread has their own version of ‘Easter Bread’. My mother’s Easter bread was baked in coffee cans, a beautiful yellow color and slightly sweet. As the saying goes, it was ‘to die for’. Somehow my sister and I can’t remember it having fruit or special flavorings but it was almost ‘cake like’ in taste and texture.

With my Easter ‘braid’, I’ve tried to capture that same texture as well as making some additions of citrus peel and flavorings. Not quite as memorable as my mother’s but a good second. Hopefully you will enjoy trying it.

Have a wonderful Easter!

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 Easter Bread
The pairing of anise with citrus gives this bread such a pleasant flavor.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Passive Time 3 1/2 hours
Servings
loaves
Ingredients
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Passive Time 3 1/2 hours
Servings
loaves
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, warm water in microwave to lukewarm. Whisk in yeast & sugar; let stand about 10 minutes. With an electric mixer, beat together 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, oil, anise extract, lemon zest, lemon extract, salt & anise seed. Combine egg mixture, melted butter & milk with yeast mixture. In another bowl, combine 4 cups flour with mixed peel & add 1 cup at a time to wet mixture. Stir well after each addition. Turn dough out onto a floured surface & knead until smooth & elastic, about 5-6 minutes, adding remaining 1/2 cup flour if necessary. Coat a large bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl & turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap & set in a warm place to rise until it doubles in bulk. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently punch down dough & divide in half. Divide each portion into 3 ropes. Braid ropes to form loaves & let rise until doubled in size. If you prefer, you can brush with a little bit of beaten egg white. Preheat oven to 325 F. Bake until golden, about 40 minutes. If you choose to ice braids, cool completely before doing so.

Orange Bread French Toast with Strawberry Compote

When I was 2 and my older sister was 6, my parents made a move to a farming community in southern Alberta. The farm my parents were able to purchase had been neglected for many years and took strong commitment and perseverance to renew the land and dwellings. The morning after we arrived, we had our first snow storm, which caught us without any coal. Fortunately my father was able to get some for our winter use. Soon after, Dad made a trip back to our old homestead. He drove the tractor pulling the combine all the way to our new farm with only one stopover in a city half way in between, a distance
of 231 km (144 miles).

One of my mother’s brother’s had gone ahead driving a grain truck loaded with what furniture and possessions my folks were trying to move. Along the way, being the truck was not covered, the metal lid flew off Mom’s flour storage container. Another traveler came upon it lying at the side of the road and stopped and hung it on a fence post. When my father making his long journey on the tractor came by and recognized the lid, picked it up and brought it the rest of the way home.

In the spring, my folks had to burn weeds and brush from 8-10′ (2-3 m) high in order to find a suitable area to plant a vegetable garden. ‘Mixed’ farming was truly a necessity as success was totally dependent on ‘Mother Nature’ when it came to grain crops.

Cattle, pigs and chickens all came into the equation, meaning my parents never had any part of the year that could be a bit more relaxed. As a teenager, I never realized what a special privilege growing up as a farmer’s daughter really was. Coming home on the school bus and having to do ‘chores’ seemed so boring as opposed to being able to spend after school hours with your friends. As I look back on those times now, it all comes clear as to how treasured and valuable those life lessons were.

My parents farmed until 1974 when they retired. They have since both passed away leaving my three sisters, one brother and I with many treasured memories.

I remember my mother making this orange bread loaf. I thought it was so unique because it used the fresh orange zest. The flavor was so distinct along with the bread being wonderfully moist. This recipe was one that has remained with me over the years, long after I had left my parents home. One year, on a holiday in Hawaii the restaurant we were at was serving orange loaf made into french toast complimented with a strawberry compote. I brought the idea home with me and used it numerous times over the years in my food service career. This year my husband and I enjoyed it on Valentines Day, but I’m sure you will find it great anytime.

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 Orange Bread French Toast with Strawberry Compote
Flavorful orange bread loaf with strawberry compote topping.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 60 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Orange Bread Loaf
French Toast
Strawberry Compote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 60 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Orange Bread Loaf
French Toast
Strawberry Compote
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Rating: 5
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Instructions
Orange Bread
  1. Peel oranges thinly and finely chop rind (zest). Boil with sugar and water for 10 minutes; cool Add egg and margarine Combine flour, salt, and baking powder Add flour mixture alternately with milk Pour into buttered 8 x 4 x 3 inch loaf pan Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes or until bread tests done.
French Toast
  1. In a shallow bowl, beat eggs; whisk in the milk, salt and spices. Soak the slices of orange bread for 30 seconds on each side. Cook on hot greased griddle until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
Strawberry Compote
  1. Rinse, hull and slice strawberries. Zest and juice lemon. In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, water and corn starch. Add strawberries, mixing gently while bringing to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Serve with French toast. Top with French Vanilla Yogurt if desired.