Lime Bars with Pecan Crust

These are just like the lemon bars I posted last month but made with limes.  My grandson AJ just loves both of them.  He usually eats most of the ones I make.  This is such a quick easy recipe and can be ready in no time.
Printable
Ingredients
For the crust:

1/2 cup pecans
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
16-25 pecan halves, toasted (see note)

For topping

 Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F. Butter an 8-inch square pan.
In a food processor  (or by hand), finely chop the pecans. Add the melted butter, flour and brown sugar and process until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

 Filling:
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the lime juice and zest and the flour and whisk until smooth.
Pour the filling over the still hot crust. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool in the pan for 1 hour before cutting into squares. Top each square with a pecan half and press down lightly.
Thanks for taking time from you busy day to stop by, have a wonderful Day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna

White Whole Wheat Sesame Braids

This is a yummy bread and easy to make.  It look wonderful when it comes out of the oven, as you can see.  Makes a great presentation also.  You could make this into a regular loaf or rolls so it's also very versatile. Oh yeah makes a great sandwich too.

2 pkgs (4½ tsp) active dry yeast
1¼ cups warm water (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
4½ to 5 cups flour
1 egg yolk
1 Tbl cold water
1 Tbl sesame seeds
In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add oil, sugar, salt, eggs, and 3 cups flour.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).  Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once to coat top.  Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface, divide into six equal pieces. Shape each portion into a 20-in. rope. Place all six ropes parallel to each other on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  This makes two long loaves.
Working with three ropes side-by-side, start braid at center of loaf, yes, center.  Place right rope over center rope, left rope over center rope, continue to the end, pinch ends together and tuck under.  Turn baking sheet around to work other side so unbraided ropes face you.  This side place center rope over right rope, then center rope over left rope, continue to the end, pinch ends together and tuck under.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.  Beat egg yolk and cold water; brush over braids.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake at 350° 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

 Hope you try this bread, think it will become one of your favorites.  Thanks for taking time to stop by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna

Chai Banana Bread

Yet another version of banana bread.  This is really a wonderful tasting bread, had the right amount of spice and is wonderful as a snack or for breakfast with your coffee or tea.  Give it a try you'll be happy you did.

 Printable
adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3)
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
10 ounce all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
Cooking spray
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons 2% low-fat milk (can use 1/2 n 1/2 and water)

1/3 cp chopped nuts (optional)

1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberry (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350

 Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Add sugars; beat at medium just until blended.
 Weigh or spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Combine flour, soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.
Combine cardamom and next 3 ingredients. Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture and 1 teaspoon vanilla into batter. Pour into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan; cool.
 Combine remaining spice mixture, remaining vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk. Drizzle over bread.

I really enjoyed this bread and the spices and flavors are really awesome.  I will be trying this recipe with a variation of different fruits.
Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful St. Patty's Day and Remember to Find the Time to Do all the Things You Love.
Donna

Semolina Sandwich Rolls

I just love making bread and experimenting with all sorts of flour combinations.  Today I tried using one of my Italian bread recipes and adapted it to make these sandwich rolls.  This is my go to recipe so why not try and do another version of it.  My friends recently went to an Amish Store in Missouri and picked me up some different types of flours.  I had them get me Potato Flour, Cake Flour, Semolina Flour and Rye-Pumpernickel flour.  They also bought me some Cocoanut Oil which makes delicious french fries and awesome popcorn.  It was way cheaper from that store than getting the from the grocery store.  I might add their white popcorn is wonderful, will have to get more of than next time they go.
Ok back to these rolls.  My egg person brought me eggs last week so I thought I would make some more bread for them.  I gave them a loaf of the orange spice bread and these rolls.

After tasting these, they are very good, but I would like a little more sweetness so maybe next time I will increase the sugar to at least 4 TBL maybe a bit more, but they taste great as a sandwich the way they are, the sweetness would be nice when you're just eating them with butter.

Ingredients:
2 pkgs instant yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBL sugar
2 TBL vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
3 1/2 - 3 3/4 cup AP flour
1 TBL poppy seeds (optional)
egg whites for wash on top

Directions:
In bowl of mixer whisk the yeast, salt, sugar and 1 cup of semolina flour and 1 cup of AP flour, add oil and with beater blade on mixer mix on low adding the water, when all water is added increase the speed to med and mix for 3 minutes.  When done change to dough hook and slowly add 1/2 cup semolina flour and the rest of the AP flour.  You may need more you may need less.  Knead with the machine for 6 1/2 minutes until dough comes away from the sides and gets smooth.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Divide into 12 rolls, cut a slash on top with a serrated knife, cover and let rest for 30-45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees, brush with egg whites and sprinkle poppy seeds (optional) when placing in the oven spritz oven with water before closing the door.  (this helps give the rolls and bit of crusty crust)  Bake for 25 minutes.  Enjoy

Revised King Arhtur Sandwich Rye

I have been trying and trying to make a rye bread that would be good for sandwiches, well let me restate that. I have made rye bread that is great for sandwiches but it never is very big, soooooooooooooo you have to have several to make a decent lunch. Guess if you're on a diet the small loaves would be great for portion control. Ok back to this test. I have been searching and trying recipes with no luck......Until today, WOW look at this bread. I'm so pleased with myself and this bread. Now as to the flavor YUM, the bread is soft but has a good crumb, great for sandwiches.  So guess this is the new rye bread I will make when I don't make the No knead one.  Both are delicious.

Printable
Ingredients:
1 heaping TBL instant yeast
2/3 cup warm water + more if needed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup dill pickle juice
1 TBL sugar
1 tsp dill weed
1 TBL mustard (I used a sweet mustard with herbs)
1/4 cup potato flour
2 1/2 cups high gluten flour or bread flour
1 1/3 cups rye-pumpernickel flour
4 tsp wheat gluten
Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remaining ingredients, and mix till clumps form; the dough may seem dry at this point. Let it rest for 20 minutes, for the flour to start to absorb the liquid.

Knead the dough—by mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a stiff, but fairly smooth dough. It'll take about 7 minutes in a stand mixer at second speed, using the dough hook. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl; if it doesn't sprinkle in a bit more all-purpose flour. We don't recommend kneading this dough by hand, as it's hard to develop the gluten sufficiently. If you DO knead by hand, realize that the dough will take longer to rise, and won't rise as high.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise till it's puffy, about 1 to 2 hours. It may or may not have doubled in bulk, but it definitely will have expanded.

Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan (for a stiffer dough), or 9" x 5" loaf pan (for a slacker dough). Press it to the edges of the pan, and flatten the top.

Tent the pan with greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaf to rise till it's crowned about 1" to 1 1/2" over the edge of the pan, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Tent it lightly with foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes. When done the bread will be golden brown, and its internal temperature will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the bread from the oven, wait 5 minutes, remove it from the pan, and allow it to cool completely on a rack before slicing. Store for up to a week at cool room temperature. 

Thanks for taking time to stop by, leave a comment if you're so inclined.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna

Orange Spice Bread

I took one of my pumpkin spice bread  recipes and adapted it to make this bread.  I love orange desserts and bought some oranges last week when they were on sale so what better to do with them then bake.  Of course, they're good to eat too.
This bread has just enough spice and orange flavor and is very moist.  The recipe goes together very quickly too so if you're looking for a quick bread to make this would be one.  I would guess that it would freeze well also.

Ingredients:
 1 1/2 oranges, peel and all (make into puree)
1 Tbl water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups AP flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2  tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two loaf pans.  You could also make these into muffins, large or small.
In blender put oranges which you cut into pieces and 1 TBL of water and puree.
Add this to a large bowl with the eggs, water, oil and sour cream, whisk until
well blended.  In another bowl mid all the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Mix til blended, don't over mix.  Add nuts.
Spread into loaf pans and bake for about 45-55 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
You can put a cream cheese frosting on these loaves if you like or a sugar glaze, eat it plain or put some butter on it,  just enjoy.

Thanks for taking time to stop by,  have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things You love.
Donna