Free Recipes

Marble Bundt Cake Recipe

by LeAnn Ralph on in Cakes, Desserts

When I was a kid growing up on our dairy farm in Wisconsin 40 years ago, marble bundt cake was one of my mother’s specialties.

I was always fascinated with the way that the marble seemed to appear in the cake “by magic.”

4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup cooking oil (I like to use Grapeola)

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Measure all ingredients into a large mixer bowl. Using an electric mixer, stir on low speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl constantly. Mix on high speed 3 minutes (scrape occasionally).

Put 1 cup of batter into a small bowl. Pour half of the remaining batter into a greased bundt pan.
Add 1/4 cup cocoa, 3 tablespoons cooking oil and 1 tablespoon milk to the 1 cup of reserved batter. Mix thoroughly.

Pour chocolate batter over the batter in the bundt pan. Pour the remaining white batter over the chocolate batter. Insert a knife into the batter (a butter knife or a small paring knife) and move it around through the batter in circular or swirling motions to swirl some of the chocolate batter through the white batter.

Bake at 350 for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool thoroughly. Remove the cake from the bundt pan. If desired, frost with a white glaze.

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter (or margarine)
3 tablespoons milk

Combine ingredients and mix thoroughly.

If glaze seems too thick to drizzle over the bundt cake, add more milk by teaspoons until the glaze reaches the desired consistency.
If glaze seems too thin, add powdered sugar by tablespoons until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle over the bundt cake.

Strawberry Shortcake Baking Powder Biscuits

by LeAnn Ralph on in Biscuits, Desserts

I have noticed over the years that there are two philosophies for Strawberry Shortcake. There are the people who make Strawberry Shortcake with biscuits. And then there are those who make it with angel food cake or plain white or yellow cake. My mother belonged to the biscuit philosophy. She also made baking powdered biscuits when she ran out of bread and needed a quick bread to serve with a meal.

My mom and dad both considered baking powder biscuits spread with butter and drizzled with pancake syrup or dark corn syrup to be an extra-special treat.

Strawberry Shortcake Baking Powder Biscuit Recipe

3 cups flour
1/2 cup shortening
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup milk

Measure the flour, shortening baking powder, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour with a fork until it resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in the milk to form the dough. If the dough seems too dry, add milk by tablespoons. If the dough seems too soft, add flour by the quarter cup.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for a minute or so. Then roll out to a half-inch thick and make biscuits with a biscuit cutter or donut cutter or round cookie cutter.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 or 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 12 to 18 biscuits, depending on the size of the cutter you use.

Strawberries

4 cups of fresh strawberries (or thawed frozen strawberries)
1 cup of sugar (or to taste)

Crush the strawberries. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Serve over baking powder biscuits and topped with whipped cream. Yum!

Summer Time Party Punch

by LeAnn Ralph on in Beverages, Misc




Awesome Cool Summer Drink!

  • 1 container of lemonade drink mix (19-ounce containers or thereabouts that makes one gallon of lemonade) (I like pink lemonade myself)
  • 2 gallons of apple juice
  • 1 gallon cranberry juice

Mix the lemonade according to package directions. We have one of those five-gallon stainless steel Coleman drink cooler/dispensers, which works well for making punch for large numbers of people.

Stir in the apple juice. Stir in the cranberry juice. Add ice to cool the punch.

Homemade Breadsticks

by LeAnn Ralph on in Breads

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

Mix the above ingredients. Roll into a rectangle approximately 10 inches by 10 inches. Cut into sticks (4 inches by 1 inch). Cover the bottom of a 9×13 pan with canola and/or olive oil. Put the breadsticks in the pan. Turn over to coat both sides with oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder (if desired). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen breadsticks.
Breakfast treats: Instead of garlic, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon before baking.

Molasses Oatmeal Bread

by LeAnn Ralph on in Breads

Not only is this a rich, dark bread that makes terrific sandwiches and tasty toast, it’s also high in fiber and low in refined sugar.

4 1/2 cups boiling water
2 cups dry oatmeal (either quick-cooking or old-fashioned; I like to use the old-fashioned because it gives the bread more texture)
1/2 cup shortening (I have also used Canola oil)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages dry yeast (or 4 teaspoons bulk yeast)
10 to 12 cups flour

Measure the oatmeal into a mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Let stand for a few minutes. Add shortening and stir to dissolve. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Stir in yeast. Add the molasses, brown sugar and salt. Stir in 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Add remaining flour. Knead until smooth. (Dough will be somewhat sticky.)

Put into a greased bowl and set in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes. Knead the dough for several minutes to remove air pockets. Shape into loaves. Makes 4 medium-sized loaves or 3 large loaves. You can also make round loaves and put them in pie plates. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes or until loaves are brown and sound hollow when tapped. Brush with shortening while the loaves still hot to help keep the crust soft. Let cool for a few minutes, and then remove the loaves from the pans.

Oatmeal Apple Raisin Muffins

by LeAnn Ralph on in Muffins

These muffins are quick and easy to make for breakfast. I also make them for the coffee that’s served after church on Sunday, too. The church is the same little white country church I attended as a child.

1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice added)
1 cup oatmeal (either quick-cooking or old-fashioned oatmeal; I like to use the old-fashioned oatmeal)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium-sized apple chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop the apple into small pieces and put into a mixing bowl. Add the raisins. Measure out the remaining ingredients. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Grease muffin cups and fill to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from the muffin tins. Makes 2 dozen muffins.

Hint: Instead of greasing the muffin tins, use cupcake papers. I always do. That way I don’t have to work so hard to scrub out my muffin tins!

Note: If you want bigger muffins, divide the batter into 12 muffin cups.

Extra note: Instead of chopped apple and raisins, you can use 1 1/2 to 2 cups of dried apricots cut into small pieces or 1 1/2 to 2 cups dried cranberries, if you like. Also add another quarter cup of milk to make up for the moisture in the apple pieces.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

by LeAnn Ralph on in Breads, Breakfast, Cinnamon Rolls

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a dozen times: “Make homemade cinnamon rolls? From scratch? Are you crazy? That takes all day!”

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipe

I have several recipes for homemade cinnamon rolls that do, indeed, take at least all afternoon — scald the milk and let it cool to room temperature (30 minutes); mix the dough and let it raise for an hour (1.5 hours); punch down the dough and let it raise for another hour (1 hour); shape into cinnamon rolls and let raise for another hour (1.5 hours); and then, finally, bake the cinnamon rolls (30 minutes) — for a grand total of 5 hours from start to finish. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You really can make homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch in two hours or less.

2 cups of warm water
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons dry yeast (or two packages of dry yeast)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Canola oil (you can use any kind of cooking oil, or shortening if you prefer)
6 to 7 cups of flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the sugar and salt. Mix. Add the cooking oil (or shortening), 2 eggs, 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Stir in 3 more cups of flour. Begin kneading the dough, adding the final cup of flour. If the dough seems too sticky, knead in more flour, a quarter to a half cup at a time. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. (I leave it sitting on the counter and use the time to wash up the bowl and other utensils and to clean off the counter top.)

Roll the dough into a rectangle that’s 24 to 30 inches long by about 16 inches wide. Spread with soft butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (about 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon). Starting at the wide end, roll into a log. Cut the cinnamon rolls into equal sized slices (approximately one inch wide each or slightly more) and place into two greased 9×13 pans. Put in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.

 

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes (or until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown).
Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn out of the pans.

This recipes makes two dozen cinnamon rolls. If you want REALLY BIG cinnamon rolls, cut into 12 equal pieces 2 inches wide. Total amount of time needed from start to finish (including time to bake) is about 2 hours.

This batch of cinnamon rolls below was made by Nedekcir, the author of the blog: In My Kitchen

Thanks for sharing the pictures. 😀

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Recipe

How to Make an Easter Bunny Cake

by LeAnn Ralph on in Cakes, Easter

Children love the Easter Bunny and this Easter Bunny cake is sure to delight all of the children at your Easter dinner. Or — consider making it as a treat for Grandma or Grandpa or Great-grandma or Great-grandpa.

For many years, chocolate has had the poor reputation of being “bad for you.” But researchers have now discovered that chocolate contains more antioxidants than tea.Easter Bunny Cake

To make this double-chocolate Easter bunny cake (chocolate cake and chocolate frosting), use your round layer-cake pan.

In addition to the cake and frosting, you will need:

  • jelly beans
  • coconut
  • malted milk eggs (the large ones that come in a variety of colors)
  • 2 wafer cookies (for the ears)

Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups flourEaster Bunny Cake
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup cooking oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Measure all ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Use an electric mixer and blend at low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl while blending. Beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes in a greased and floured round layer-cake pan. Allow the cake to cool thoroughly before removing it from the pan.Easter Bunny Cake

Frosting

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened (or margarine, if you prefer)
  • 1/4 cup milk

Measure all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Blend at low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl while blending. Beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping occasionally. If frosting seems too stiff, add milk by the teaspoon until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. If the frosting seems too thin, add powdered sugar by the tablespoon until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.

How to Make Your Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake

Remove the cake from the round cake pan. Cut in half. Frost the flat side of one half and put the two pieces together.
Place on a platter or a large plate, cut side down.
Frost the cake with chocolate frosting.
Place two jelly beans for the eyes and one jelly bean for the nose. Use a large malted milk egg for the tail.
With a sharp knife, cut a hole on each side of the head where you want to place the ears. To make the ears, use the sharp knife to trim a wafer cookie into the shape of bunny ears. Frost the ears. Put a little frosting into the holes to anchor the ears.
Sprinkle coconut around the Easter bunny cake. Decorate with jelly beans and malted milk eggs.

Hot Cross Buns

by LeAnn Ralph on in Buns

When I was a kid, my mother would talk about eating hot cross buns at Easter when she was a child. The buns were something that her mother made every year.

  • 2 packages dry yeast (or 4 teaspoons bulk yeast)
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2 cups mashed potatoes
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 5 to 6 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the potatoes, sugar, shortening, salt, eggs, cinnamon, raisins and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour. Knead for about 5 minutes. (The dough will be sticky and soft.) Place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Shape the dough into 24 equal pieces. Place on a greased baking sheet. Let rise for 45 minutes. (My mother said that after the buns are shaped you should cut a cross in the top with a scissors; I’ve always found that when the buns are finished raising, you can’t really see the cross. The buns just end up with four “points” on the top. But you can try it if you want.)

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

When the buns are cool, if desired, make frosting crosses on the top with icing.

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla dash of salt

Use a spoon to drizzle crosses on the top of the buns.

Friday Night Fish Fry Fritters

by LeAnn Ralph on in Fish, Main Dishes

This recipe is perfect for small fillets such as Bluegill or other sunfish. You will need 3 to 4 cups of fish (a quart freezer bag).

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 to 1 1/4 cups milk

Mix ingredients together until smooth. Add fish. Stir to coat fillets with batter. Place in hot oil by spoonfuls. Fry until golden brown (5 to 10 minutes each side). Serve with tartar sauce.

Norma’s Homemade Bread

by LeAnn Ralph on in Breads

My mother used to bake bread about once a week when I was growing up on our farm. Store-bought bread, she said, was “too fluffy” and “doesn’t taste like anything.” Here’s the recipe for my mother’s bread.

4 cups milk
1 stick butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 packages dry yeast (or 4 teaspoons bulk yeast)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
8 to 10 cups of flour

Measure the milk into a saucepan, add the stick of butter and warm over medium heat until the butter melts.

Allow the hot milk mixture to cool to lukewarm. Stir in the yeast. Add the sugar and the salt. Add 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Add 1 more cup of flour and continue beating until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour. Knead until smooth (about five minutes).

Place in a large greased bowl and put in a warm place to rise for one hour. Punch down dough. Knead for another couple of minutes. Shape into loaves and put into greased loaf pans. Place in a warm place to rise for another 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes or until loaves are light brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Brush the loaves with shortening after you take them out of the oven to keep the crust soft. Let cool 5 or 10 minutes and remove from pans.

Makes 3 large loaves or 4 medium loaves.