Green Eggs and Ham!

Breakfast for Gentleman Farmer!

:>

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake on a vintage plate

Here's a recipe from Taste of Home

to use up some of my buttermilk ~

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake.

I put my test piece on a

vintage Homer Laughlin

Pastoral plate.

It. Was. Good.

Ingredients~
1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup water
2 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs



Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream



Directions

• In a saucepan, bring butter, water and cocoa to a boil. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cocoa mixture; mix well. Combine buttermilk and vanilla; add to batter and mix well. Beat in eggs. Pour into a greased 9X13in. baking pan. Bake at 350* for 23-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.


• In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir butter and cocoa until smooth. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt. Add cocoa mixture and enough milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Frost cake. Yield: 12-16 servings

I thought this was a very good cake. Almost like my Auntie's German Chocolate Cake. The only thing I would do different next time is make Auntie's fabulous Fudge Frosting or Boiled Icing instead of the Buttercream.

Buttermilk Bread and Butter!

Fresh homemade butter and Buttermilk Bread.

(Bread recipe from allrecipes.com)

~*~

To use up the buttermilk after making a fresh batch of

butter, I used this recipe for Buttermilk Bread.

The bread isn't pretty, but it tastes great!

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup warm water (110*)

1/2 butter (I used homemade)

1/4 cup white sugar (I used honey)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast (I used 4 1/2 teaspoons, I don't have packages of yeast)

2 teaspoons salt

5 1/2 cups bread flour

1. Proof yeast in warm water.

2. Place the butter and buttermilk in a small saucepan. Heat slowly until butter has melted. Cool to lukewarm.

3. Place sugar (honey), salt, baking soda, buttermilk mixture, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add 3 cups flour (one cup at a time) and mix with the dough hook attachment of an electric mixer. (I mix by hand with a wooden spoon). Gradually add the remaining flour while continuing to mix. When dough is not sticky, turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for several minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth. Place in a greased bowl, and turn once. Allow to rise until doubled in size.

4 Punch down the dough. Divide, and shape into 2 loaves. Place in two well greased 8 X 4 inch bread pans. Allow to rise until dough has risen one inch above pans. (Mine rose but fell just before baking. A few of the reviewers had similar problems with this recipe)

5. Bake in a preheated oven 350* oven for 30-35 minutes. Loaves are done when nicely brown and hollow sounding when thumped.

Serve with homemade butter and enjoy!

(When making butter from fresh, raw milk, you get faster results

using cream that is a couple of days old ~ not fresh from the cow! In my

post on making butter, I say that it takes 30 minutes or so. Using a little older

cream, it only takes a few minutes!)

Oh! You can make butter from heavy cream bought at the store ~ organic would be best!

Pulla

Finnish Cardamom Bread (Pulla)

This delicious recipe was given to me by a dear, departed

friend many years ago.

I have not made it too often, but my visiting daughter

loves this recipe and requested that it be made during her stay.

I thought you might enjoy it, too!

It is perfect with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

Pulla

1 quart milk

2 sticks (1 cup) butter (real butter!)

1 teaspoon crushed cardamom

(I could not find whole cardamom to crush so I substituted 1 tsp. ground cardamom)

6 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons salt

3 pkgs. dry yeast (I use bulk yeast so...6 1/2 teaspoons?)

1/2 cup warm water

14/15 cups flour

~*~

Heat milk, butter and cardamom to just boiling. Cool to lukewarm.

Mix eggs, sugar & salt in separate bowl; set aside.

Combine yeast and warm water to a smooth paste.

After milk has cooled, add egg mixture.

Add 10 cups of the flour to make a thick batter.

Add yeast and continue to add more flour, mixing well.

Knead on a lightly floured surface about 10 minutes.

Place in a lightly greased bowl (butter or coconut oil).

Turn to grease top of dough.

Cover and let rise till double in bulk in a warm place.

Punch down to rise again.

Turn out on lightly floured board.

Cut into 5 even pieces (recipe makes 5 loaves ~ great for freezing or gift giving.)

From each piece, cut and shape 3 stripes approx. 16" long

by rolling dough between palm and board.

Braid, pinching ends together and tucking under.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Let rise until puffy but not doubled in size.

Brush with beaten egg; sprinkle with sugar and sliced almonds.

Bake 350* 25-30 minutes

Cool on wire rack.

Makes 5 braided loaves.

Chocolate Walnut Fruitcake

This is a very old recipe that I got from my mother~in~law.

She has been making it for years.

While not a big fan of fruitcake, I do enjoy a slice of this one

at this time of year.

Do you like fruitcake?

Mine ~ fresh from the oven

waiting to be sliced tomorrow

at our ladies Christmas Party!

I should have baked it last week

but didn't read thru the recipe.

I'll know next time!

Chocolate Walnut Fruitcake

2 1/4 C. flour

1 1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 1/2 C. coarsely chopped walnuts

2 C. diced mixed candied fruit

1 C. raisins

1 C thinly sliced pitted dates

2 eggs

1 C. sour cream

1 t. vanilla

1/4 C. melted butter

Generously grease a 9-inch tube pan

On waxed paper, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the walnuts, candied fruit, raisins and dates.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Add butter, then flour mixture and blend well. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute or vigorously by hand until well blended. Add walnut/fruit mixture and fold in until well distributed. Turn into prepared pan.

Bake in a preheated 300* oven with a shallow pan of hot water on the floor of the oven until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean ~ about 1 3/4 hours.

Cool inn pan, placed on a wire rack for 10 minutes. With a small spatula, loosen edges and around tube.

Turn out on a wire rack and cool completely.

If cake is to be served shortly after baking, it will nave to be cut in thick slices and it will not have the traditional fruitcake texture. To have the cake change so the texture is beautifully moist and it may be cut in thin slices, wrap in transparent plastic wrap then place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for a week or so before using; may be stored this way for weeks and even months.

Before serving, slice cake when it is taken from the refrigerator, and arrange on serving plate, then let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes or so before offering.

Makes a 3 pound fruitcake.

(NOTE: For the mixed candied fruit, we used candied cherries and pineapple and found this a delightful combination!)
~

My mother-in-law bakes hers a couple months before giving.

While it is 'ripening' in the refrigerator,

she lays a wine soaked cloth on the top and refreshes it weekly.

Icebox Butterhorns

The counter was filled with the pre-assembled dishes of

dressing, green bean casserole, and Icebox Butterhorns.

My little Granddaughter wanted to help with the rolls

because she knew how to do them!

(She must be helping Mama alot! She did an

excellent job of rolling up the dough!)

(Please disregard the unfinished cupboard beneath the

oven. Hopefully the doors will be put back on before

Christmas. And maybe even the rest of the cupboards

will get painted!)

They must have been good! This is Miss R's

second roll!

~*~
Icebox Butterhorns

1/4 ounce active dry yeast

2 Tablespoons warm water (110* to 115*)

2 cups warm milk (110* to 115*)

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

6 cups flour

3/4 cup butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, egg, salt and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Beat in butter and remaining flour (dough will be slightly sticky). Do not knead. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (I made the dough early in the day ~ only refrigerated for 4 1/2 hours. Still turned out!)

Punch dough down and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll each half into a 12-in. circle. Cut each circle into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Beginning at the wide end, roll up each wedge. Place rolls, point side down, 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Brush tops with softened butter.

Yield 2 dozen

(Recipe from an old Country Magazine

Judy Clark

Elkhart, Indiana)

Last Night's Dinner

Heavenly Hash Browns (recipe follows)

turkey patties (from this recipe)

cole slaw

and

Old Fashioned Gingerbread with Warm Lemon Curd

for dessert! (recipe follows)

~Recipes~

Heavenly Hash Browns

Into a 9X13 baking dish add

1 2lb. package of hash brown potatoes, thawed

(I used one with onion and peppers)

Pour 1/3 c. melted butter over spuds

Sprinkle with onion flakes

Over the top add ~

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 C. grated cheese

and

your favorite bread crumbs

Bake at 350* for 1 hour

~*~

Old Fashioned Gingerbread

Ingredients ~

1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Pinch of salt

5 Tbsp butter, softened at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup Grandma's Molasses

3/4 cup cold water

Heat oven to 350*F

Grease an 8x8 pan.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the molasses in a slow, steady stream, beating all the while. Add half of the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until well combined. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the cold water and stir until well incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Let cool in the pan about 1 hour before serving. Cut the cake into squares and dust with powdered sugar.

Or

you can do as I did and

top with warmed Lemon Curd.

You can find many recipes for Lemon Curd on the Internet.

I had been gifted a jar from Trader Jo's

so that is what I used.

Enjoy!

(Old Fashioned Gingerbread Recipe from Grandma's Molasses Web site)