Amish Friendship Bread: Starter and Recipe

Amish Friendship Bread is delicious and can become a great tradition, neighbor gift, or a great excuse to show up on someone's door just to say hello! Plus, there are so many variations from the friendship bread starter, so it's perfect for everyone. Just like friendship, you have to give it a little love and attention before it can turn into something great. I'll post a few of the recipes soon, but here is the starter to get it going:

1 package Active Dry Yeast

1 cup Milk

1 cup Flour

1 cup Sugar

*note: DO NOT USE METAL BOWLS OR SPOONS AND DO NOT REFRIGERATE

Dissolve yeast in a small amount of warm water. Mix in the remaining ingredients in an ample size plastic container or gallon re-sealable bag. IT WILL GROW! This is day 1 of the starter. Mark your bag/plastic container with the date.

Day 2: Stir once (or mush the bag)

Day 3: Stir once (or mush the bag)

Day 4: Stir once (or mush the bag)

Day 5: Add 1 cup Milk, 1 cup Flour, 1 cup Sugar and stir to combine.

Day 6: Stir once (or mush the bag)

Day 7: Stir once (or mush the bag)

Day 8: Stir once (or mush the bag)

Day 9: Do nothing

Day 10: Add 1 cup Milk, 1 cup Flour, 1 cup Sugar and stir to combine. Mark 3 bags or plastic containers with the date and add the starter (about 1 cup each). Give to friends with these instructions for days 2-10 and recipe below. Keep one for yourself.

Bread Recipe: using Starter

Starter
1 cup Oil
2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
3 Eggs
3 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
*3/4 cup Nuts *optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into two well-greased and sugared loaf pans. Bake 40-50 minutes or until done. Cool 20 minutes before removing from pan.

Creamy Sweet Potatoes

Growing up I never liked candied yams or sweet potatoe casseroles served at Thanksgiving. This year I had an idea! (I know, you're not supposed to experiment on a sometimes stressful meal prep.) It was amazingly delicious!

1 pound Sweet Potatoes ( 2 really big ones or 3-4 smaller ones)
1 pint Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Handful of Marshmallows for top

Peel and slice sweet potatoes and arrange in 1-2 layers in a casserole dish. In bowl, combine cream, sugar, and spices. Pour over potatoes. {This can be done the night before and left in the fridge.} Bake along side Turkey or whatever else is in the oven at 250 degrees for 3 hours. When you pull it out top with marshmallows (as much or as little as you like)...They will melt and be super yummy.

So easy and seriously amazing! Enjoy!

Christmas Treats

We had fun making treats! I'm not a very good baker so this year I decided to go with mostly candy for my plates of Christmas treats for friends and neighbors. I found some great recipes that will become a holiday tradition, and also used some family recipes that are a tradition already!

Carmels: Grandma Stahle

2 c. Sugar

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 c. Light Karo Syrup

1/8 tsp. Salt

1 c. Butter

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix together and stir constantly while cooking slowly over medium-low heat. Cook until it forms a firm ball in water (232-245 degrees) about 20 minutes. Take off heat and add vanilla. Pour into buttered glass pan. Let set then cut into small squares.

Tish's Microwave Fudge: click HERE 5 minute super easy and yummy fudge!

Marshmallows from Our Best Bites HERE I made mine with peppermint flavoring (soo good with hot chocolate) and then dipped them in red candy melts and crushed candy canes.

Pretzel Turtles from Our Best Bites HERE So easy and delicious!

Nutter-Butter Santa's:

1 pkg. Nutter-Butter Cookies

1/2 pkg. white Candy Melts or Almond Bark

1/2 pkg. red Candy Melts

small white Marshmallows

shredded coconut

red & black jel icing

Melt white candy melts according to package directions. Take a nutter-butter and dip the top and bottom in to the white chocolate. Dip one side into coconut. Set on wax paper to set. Once all cookies are dipped in white chocolate then coconut and set, melt red candy melts. Dip the non-coconut end of cookie into red chocolate leaving a little bit of the white chocolate showing, to form the hat. Stick a marshmallow on the side and put on wax paper to set. Marshmallow will stick as it cools. Use black and red jel icing to add eyes and a nose. Not hard, just a little time consuming!

Pumpkin Spiced Egg Nog Pancakes

1 Egg

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Spiced Egg Nog or Regular Egg Nog

3/4 cup White Flour

3/4 cup Wheat Flour

1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

2 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree

Beat egg; add soda and Egg Nog. Add remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Add milk if too thick. Pour onto low heat griddle and cook through turning once.

Not Your Average Pumpin Seeds!

Sweet & Salty Cinnamon Seeds

2 cup raw Pumpkin Seeds

1-2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

Combine all ingredients well in a bowl. Pour onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes flipping/stirring seeds once or twice.

Savory Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups raw Pumpkin Seeds

1 tablespoon melted Butter

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt

3 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Sprinkle of fresh ground Pepper

Combine all ingredients well in a bowl. Pour onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-60 minutes, flipping/stirring once or twice.

Pie Crust

I've decided this is my favorite pie crust recipe!

2 cups Flour
1 cup Butter Flavored Shortening
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 tablespoons COLD water

Cut shortening into flour and salt. Add in water and mix lightly with a fork. Handling as little as possible, form into 2 even size balls. Refrigerate until cold. Roll out with well floured counter and rolling pin. Bake according to filling directions. (Cut recipe in half for one crust.)

It's great for fruit pies, or savory pies. Last night I had some left over turkey so I added it to a can of Cream of Chicken soup, celery, onions, carrots, and peas. Then, put it in this pie shell and baked at 375 degrees until golden brown. Delicious!

Tish's Microwave Fudge

1 1/2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 cups Peanut Butter Chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup Butter
*1/2 cup Nuts (optional)

Put in bowl. Microwave on half power for 3-5 minutes-stopping to stir every minute until melted. Put in pan and cut into squares when cooled.