My Little Soapbox » recipes

Bobbi’s Biscuit Recipe

Bobbi — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:32:45 +0000

1/3 Cup lukewarm water (105 to 114 F)

1 package active dry yeast

1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 butter or lard (or your shortening preference)

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the yeast, brown sugar and lukewarm water. Set aside (10 minutes or until foamy). In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the yeast mixture and buttermilk all at once. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn out and knead for 30 seconds to a minute on a lightly floured surface (adding flour as necessary for a moist dough). Pat or roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut your biscuits (2 1/2 inches is a good size but I just use my favorite sized glass to cut biscuits). Re-rolling as necessary. Place on un-greased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper brush tops with milk. Rest for 5 minutes if desired. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until golden brown. Serve Warm.

Enjoy!

Great Aunt Edna’s Swedish Rye Bread

Bobbi — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:23:25 +0000

My Great Aunt Edna was a small woman. I remember that she made me feel tall and I wasn’t. She always wore these just awful black orthopedic shoes with two inch heels. I remember her house had those old fashioned rag rugs and flowers. I never knew her when she was “young” for me Aunt Edna was always an old lady with a gentle smile and a small voice. Yet you listened if she talked. She commanded a kind of quiet respect. She was delicate and had the bearing of a lady. She was one of my favorite old people and occasionally I miss her still though she’s been gone many years.

One of the many things that she left our family were her recipes. This one has been paired down a bit as we modern day women don’t usually bake 5 to 7 loaves at once. I prefer this as a breakfast bread toasted with my homemade red currant jelly. It is slightly sweet and does not have an overpowering rye flavor. Enjoy it!

Swedish Rye Bread

1 package Dry Yeast
¼ cups Warm Water
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 cups Hot Water
? cups Butter (or Shortening Of Choice)
¾ cups Molasses
½ cups Brown Sugar
2 cups Rye Flour
4 cups Flour (all-purpose Or Whole Wheat Pastry)

**Note that this bread rises twice prep time is about 25 minutes but rise time is 2 to 3 hours**

Dissolve yeast in the 1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand until yeast is activated (foamy). In a separate bowl add the 2 cups of hot water, butter, molasses and brown sugar. Allow the butter to soften (melt) then mix well. Add the yeast mixture. Then mix in the flours (rye and all-purpose). If using a stand mixer knead until a somewhat stiff dough is formed. If kneading by hand mix in the bowl until unable then turn out onto floured board. Add additional flour as needed when kneading. Place in a greased bowl allow to rise until double. Punch down, knead and all to rise again. After 2nd rise form into loaves and put in greased pans.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes makes 2 good sized loaves.

Boxes for No Reason

Bobbi — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:55:49 +0000

We didn’t quite make our plan for our dear Uncle K. happen. But we had intended to send

BIG WISHES!!

Alas we were not quite successful and instead sent

small wishes.

Uncle. K on the other hand once again achieved “Jedi Knight” or maybe Yoda?? then again it is probably “Sith” status what with the boys’ drawn to the dark side (ha ha ha ha). How? By sending the boys a Box for No Reason that had….action figures in it!! I think Boxes for No Reason are almost better than presents for an occasion. I snapped a picture of the boys saying thanks and enjoying their new people.

Best part of this idea was the attempt to get the above picture. I have four or so that look like this one:

Grace in Small Things #65

1. finding an old friend after a number of years AND finding her in a wonderful, happy place in her life.

2. hearing that another friend getting a weekend all to herself and finding myself feeling bubbles of happy for her!

3. knowing that one of my favorite book sales is coming up in just a couple weeks.

4. getting all the packages in the mail!

5. locating the boys’ artwork so I can photograph it for the upcoming Kid Art Auction for Earth Day 2009.

Participate in Schmutzie’s Grace in Small Things!