Random Recipe #3: Beer Bread

Beer Bread

I love beer bread. My husband hates beer, but he loves beer bread too. It's almost a food staple at this house. I'm a Partylite Consultant, but when I need to appease the beer bread fans and don't have a box of mix handy, I use this recipe.

Photo courtesy of Partylite
http://partylite.biz/sites/MelissaAdamsKurtz



Oven Prep: 375 degrees Fahrenheit

3 c flour (I just use run of the mill all purpose flour)
1/4 c sugar (the original recipe I found called for 3 tablespoons, but it was too bland that way)
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
12 oz beer (a full can or 12 oz bottle)
1 T melted butter to top

mix dry ingredients, add beer (at this point it will foam a lot, don't worry), stir, grease loaf pan, pour mixture into pan, top with butter, bake for 35-40 minutes.

Sometimes I add cinnamon or rosemary to make flavored bread. This would probably be good with shredded cheese baked in as well.

Random Recipe #2: Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies- I almost have this recipe memorized.

This dough freezes well so you can make homemade cookies later without all the fuss. I recommend only keeping frozen dough for a year though, after that I can't say if it will grow things...

Oven prep: 375 degrees Fahrenheit

2 and 1/4 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 sticks butter or margarine (equals 1 cup)

3/4 c granulated sugar

3/4 c light brown sugar

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

2 c chocolate chips (approx 1/2 bag, I usually use Toll House Semi-Sweet)

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Mix dry ingredients together, then add in portions to the eggy mixture. Finally stir in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon (so you don't end up chopping them or hurting your handmixer.)

Drop tablespoon size cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet, bake for 8-10 minutes depending on how soft you like your cookies.

When pulling them out of the oven, let set for a minute or two, then remove from sheet with a spatula, cool on racks or papertowel covering the clean countertop.

Random Recipe #1: Holiday Wreaths

So from time to time I am going to post the Random Recipe series. I'm either about to make the recipe or have recently had a convo about the random recipe I post.

Holiday Wreaths: My husband was telling me how his long past Grandma used to make a huge cornflake wreath that sat on the holiday table and they spent an entire day cutting into it with a knife and devouring it. I think one big one sounds like a logistics problem, (and a germophobe's nightmare) so I am going to make the cookie sized wreaths. Here is the recipe I found courtesy of http://www.cooks.com/.

This wreaths are not mine, these are courtesy of Julie Coleman http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/20922997@N07/

30 lg marshmallows

1/2 c butter

1/4 t green food coloring

1/2 t vanilla

5 c cornflakes

Silver dragees (look at picture below to see what I mean)

Red Hots (Look below)

Melt the butter in the mircrowave for 30 seconds, Add marshmallows and coat with butter, then microwave uncovered for 1 minute. Stir, and microwave another minute.

Add food coloring and vanilla, stir. Fold in cornflakes and blend well.

Drop by the spoonful onto ungreased cookiesheet or foil. Shape into wreaths, then decorate!

This makes 20-30 wreaths, depending on your shaping capabilities. (mine are poor lol)

These are Silver Dragees These are Red Hots