Poppy Seed Rolls / from a Mennonite Recipe Book

I have a great story about Poppy Seed Rolls. I'm not sure I expect anyone to actually make these , but.... you never know. There may be some very excited bakers when they see this recipe. I would like to make them, maybe I will some day.
We attend the MCC Sale ( Mennonite Central Committee), sale every year in Kansas.

Each year in Canada and the United States, thousands of volunteers come together to raise money for MCC. In 2012  over $5 million was raised to help MCC respond to basic needs and work for peace and justice around the world. Relief Sale events and auctions offer participants a little bit of everything - quilts, artwork, crafted woodwork, homemade foods, antiques and crafts.

I've posted stories about is and blogged about some of my recipes that have been passed down through my wife's family.
I was intrigued this year when I saw the price tag on the Poppy Seed Rolls, $40.00 apiece. I thought that was a bit extravagant compared to a $3.50 loaf of Bread or a $6.00 Pie.

The table was set up with $15.00 (small bags) of Poppy Seeds and an instructional video running to show us how they are made. It wasn't convincing enough for me to buy a roll, but it made me want to research them and find a recipe to make them myself.
I was told that the price of the difficulty of the harvest and the price of the seeds were what made the rolls so expensive.
One of my favorite things to do at the sale is rummaging through the 6 ft. tables piled high with cookbooks. The books range from company based promotional books to Church sponsored books, to speciality books like Slow Cookers, etc. But, my favorite ones are the family recipe books that people have donated. Some of them are so tattered and torn and stained. My favorites are the hand written ones. They evoke the history of family recipes that have been handed down through generations.

I bought many during this past sale and I sat down to see if I could find a recipe for Poppy Seed Rolls....not a single book had a recipe. When I returned home I began my quest to find a recipe.
I had a book that had been handed down from my wife's family. One of the most fascinating things about the book is the cover and back that are made of wood. It has a hand painted picture on the front of cactus and a mountain in the background. The best part is that I found the recipe I've been searching for, Poppy Seed Rolls!


Poppy Seed Rolls: it was difficult to read the recipe, I think it makes 4 rolls

2 C milk
1 C cream
1/4 lb. butter
1/2 C sugar
9 C flour
1 cake yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 C lukewarm water
1 TBS salt
Filling recipe to follow

Scald milk and cream, add butter and 1/2 C sugar, cool to lukewarm.
Dissolve yeast in water with 1/2 tsp sugar. Add to first mixture.
Add remaining ingredients gradually and mix well.
Knead dough, let rise until double.
Use approximately 1/4 of the dough for each roll
Roll dough 1/4" thick into a rectangle
Spread each roll with 1/4 of the following mixture:

2 C sugar
1 TBS flour
2 C ground poppy seeds
1/2 C cream, scalded
1 TBS syrup ( white corn syrup)

Roll as for a jelly roll
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Here's a basic Mennonite/Amish Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
I added the pecans because I'm from Texas!

1 C shortening
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 C old fashioned  or quick oats
1 C raisins
1 C chopped pecans ( Texans put pecans in everything)

In a bowl, cream:
shortening
both sugars

Add eggs, 1 at a time
Add vanilla

In another bowl,  sift together:
flour
baking soda
salt
cinnamon

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients

Fold in:
oatmeal
raisins
pecans

use a small cookie scoop and place 2" apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet pan
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 11 minutes, just until golden brown
Cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet pan then remove cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Lazy Cake Cookies

Here's a simple, easy, kid friendly recipe that my nephew shared with me.
This is crazy, it's so simple!

Lazy Cake Cookies:

1 box of cake mix ( yellow, white or chocolate) we did chocolate, photograph to follow
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
2 C chocolate chips

1- 9"x13" baking dish, sprayed with a vegetable spray or my Pan Release ( on the blog under Tips, Hints and More)

Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Cool completely
Cut into squares

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

The dough before baking

Other than a change in color, they look the same as before they were baked

Delicious! With the Chocolate Cake base it tastes like a brownie.
It's basically a bar cookie.
I'd like to make Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Chips
White Cake with Butterscotch Chips
Spice Cake with Cinnamon Chips

It's Wednesday, Taste Section of the Dallas Morning News / Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

There really wasn't much that tempted me in the Taste Section today. The cover story was about Lamb, not very vegetarian friendly. The other highlight was Wine, not my first choice to blog about . I've learned that if I look deeper into the Taste section, I can usually find something of interest.
Today, I chose..... Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes.
Americans are not afraid to buy a Pancake Mix , make the batter according to directions on the box and then throw in a handful of Blueberries. I admit I'm guilty.
When I realized that there are readers of the blog that may not have access to a pre- made Pancake mix, I decided to post this recipe so they can make them from "scratch", according to Alicia Ross of the Dallas Morning News Taste Section.

Homemade Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes:

1 C flour
1/2 C plain yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 TBS sugar
1 large egg
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 1/2 C buttermilk ( homemade recipe to follow, if you don't have buttermilk)
Butter for cooking
1 pint blueberries
Real Maple Syrup for serving

In a medium bowl, combine:
flour
cornmeal
salt
baking soda
sugar
Set Aside

In a small bowl, combine:
egg
oil
buttermilk

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, just until combined
Heat a griddle or non stick frying pan over medium - low heat
Butter the griddle
Pour the batter by 1/2 cupfuls onto the hot griddle and top with some blueberries
Cook pancakes 2 - 4 minutes on each side or until lightly golden brown

Remove to a warm plate
Repeat until all the pancakes are cooked

Serve immediately with maple syrup

Homemade Buttermilk:
1 TBS of Lemon Juice or 1 TBS White Vinegar ( to make 1 cup of Buttermilk)
Add the lemon juice or vinegar into a measuring cup and  then add the milk until it reaches the 1 C mark.
Let it sit for a few minutes



Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Texas Bread Pudding

Texas Bread Pudding

Texas Bread Pudding is a Cornmeal based dish similar to a Corn Pudding.
It's a great side dish with any Tex - Mex meal
I have posted several recipes with Corn.

1 can of Creamed Corn
1 C Cornmeal
3/4 C Heavy Cream
1/3 C Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Adobo Seasoning
1 small can of diced Green Chiles
1 C  ( 4 ounces ) shredded Queso Quesadilla

In a medium bowl, combine:
Corn
Cornmeal
Cream
Oil
Eggs
Baking powder
Adobo Seasoning
Mix well
Pour half of the mixture in 2 qt. Casserole sprayed with a Vegetable Spray

Sprinkle the top with Chiles and then Cheese

Gently pour the remaining batter over the cheese
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Tex - Mex Corn Balls

Tex - Mex Corn Balls:

1/2 C butter

1 C chopped celery

1/2 C chopped onion

1 jalapeno, finely diced

1 1/2 C herb seasoned croutons

3 C canned corn, drained

3 Eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 C vegetarian chicken broth

1 TBS Adobo Seasoning

Melt butter in a saucepan

Saute celery and onion, set aside to cool

In a medium bowl, combine:

croutons

eggs

corn

broth

celery & onion mixture

combine well

Use a cookie scoop and form 8 balls

Place on a baking sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes

Serve with Salsa or a Chunky Picante Sauce

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Terry's Cream of Tomato Pesto Soup / 2004

It seems that everyone knows a restaurant that serves the best Tomato Basil Soup. We have our favorite and every time we have it we comment on how amazing the soup is and then we talk about how no one else has Tomato Basil Soup that tastes that good. I decided that I needed to create a Best of the Best Recipe for my own Tomato Basil Soup.

Here it is!

4 TBS Olive Oil
2 TBS Butter
1 C fresh Pesto ( recipe to follow)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of Garlic , minced
1/4 C Flour
2 C Vegetarian Chicken Stock / regular for non vegetarians
1 -( 6 lb. 6.5 oz.) can of Peeled & Diced Tomatoes with the juice
1 quart of Half & Half
Fresh chopped Basil Leaves and Croutons for Garnish

Heat oil in a saucepan and saute onion and garlic
Add pesto
Reduce heat
Puree mixture with a stick blender
Remove to a bowl and clean the saucepan

In the saucepan, melt butter, add flour to create a Roux
When flour is cooked and golden brown, gradually whisk in the  Chicken Stock

Transfer the Pesto Mixture to a large stock pot or Dutch Oven on low heat
Add Roux to Pesto mixture and stir to incorporate
Add tomatoes and puree this mixture in the stock pot with a stick blender
Gradually whisk in Half & Half until well incorporated
Continue to heat on low
Add Salt to taste

Garnish each bowl with chopped basil leaves and croutons


Homemade Pesto:

2 C loosely packed Basil leaves
2 cloves of Garlic
1/3 C Pine Nuts
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 C grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese ( hold the salt if using Romano, it's a salty cheese)

In a Food Processor:
Add Basil and Garlic
Puree until incorporated
Add Cheese and Pine Nuts and process to a thick paste
Gradually drizzle in Olive Oil until desired consistency
Season with Salt and Pepper

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!