Bread

Moist and Warm Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Yield: 36 reg muffins / 72 mini muffins | Can be made egg-free and dairy-free

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder (2 tbsp if egg-free)

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp pumpking pie spice

1 tsp allspice

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of salt, optional and to taste

2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (regular-sized chips may substituted, us slightly less; or use 6-8 ounces chopped dark chocolate), or chopped nuts, or any combination

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

Wet Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin puree

2/3 cup coconut oil or other oil, melted

1/2 cup milk or milk substitute

1/4 cup mild or medium molasses or maple syrup

2 tbsp vanilla extract

4 eggs (1 cup applesauce if egg-free)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease muffin tins, or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and optional salt, and chocolate and/or nuts; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugars, pumpkin, oil, milk, molasses, and vanilla and eggs until combined.
4. Pour the dry pumpkin mixture over the wet ingredients 1/2 cup at time, and mix until just combined; don’t over-mix.
5. Divide batter evenly among the cups of teh prepared pans. Each cavity should be just under 3/4 full, (don’t exceed 3/4 full or they could overflow). Spraying a one-quarter cup measure (for regular-sized muffins) with cooking spray so the batter just slides off is handy here.
6. Bake for about 18-19 minutes for regular / 15 mini muffins, or until tops are domed, puffed slightly browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs dangling but no batter.
7. Allow muffins to cool in pans for about 10-15 minutes before removing and placing on a rack to cool completely.

TurleyFamily2025-01-08T19:21:37+00:00January 8th, 2025|

White Bread

Makes 6 loaves

8 cups warm water

1/4 cup active dry yeast

Dash of white granulated sugar

Mix together and let “foam” for 10 minutes in a warm place, covered.

After 10 minutes, pour yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add:
2 tbsp salt

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup honey

10 cups all-purpose flour + 4-7 cups more after mixing.

Mix. Add 5-7 more cups flour (ONE CUP AT A TIME) until dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead by hand on lightly floured surface for 5-8 minutes. Place dough in a greased large bowl and spray dough with cooking spray. Then cover with a dish towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 30-45 minutes. Generously grease 3 (9 x 5 in) loaf pans and set aside.

Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead it briefly to remove the air bubbles. Divide dough in thirds, knead each section a few times, and then shape into a loaf. Place the dough into prepared loaf pans. Rub the top of the loaves with soft butter then cover with a dish towel and let rise 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the loaves for 30 minutes. Immediately remove loaves from pans and cool on a wire rack. Rub the top with butter while still hot! You can freeze this bread in a freezer bag for up to 2 months!

TurleyFamily2025-01-08T22:33:39+00:00January 8th, 2025|

Date Nut Muffins

Ready In 50min | Yields: 12-14 muffins | Ingredients: 11

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chopped dates

3 cups hot water

3/4 cup butter or margarine (1 1/2 sticks)

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup pecan pieces

2 extra large eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine dates and hot water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain and discard water. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or lightly grease.
4. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy.
5. Add water, pecans, eggs, baking soda, vanilla and salt and mix until well blended.
6. Add flour and mix until just moistened.
7. Fold in cold dates and spoon into prepared muffin pans.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let stand a few minutes before removing from pan.

TurleyFamily2025-01-08T19:21:14+00:00January 8th, 2025|

Ridiculously Easy Buttermilk Biscuits

Course: Breakfast | Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

1 cup cold buttermilk*

9 Tbsp (113 g) butter, divided

2 cups** all-purpose flour, plus more for counter

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp table salt

Red Lobster Variation:

+1/2 cup cheese

+Sub Garlic salt for regular

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400° F. Line a sheer pan with parchment paper or spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.
2. Measure 1 cup of buttermilk and place cup in the freezer while prepping the other ingredients (you want it to be in the freezer about 10 minutes).
3. Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel and heat on high for 30 seconds. If not completely melted, return to the microwave for 10 second intervals until melted, then set aside to cool a bit while prepping other ingredients.
4. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
5. After buttermilk has been chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes, combine it with 8 tablespoons of the melted butter. (Reserve the last tablespoon for brushing the baked biscuits.) Stir with a fork until butter forms small clumps or globules.
6. Add buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until all flour is incorporated and batter pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be stiff and not super wet. If dough is wet, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring to combine, until dough is fairly stiff.
7. Generously flour a work surface. Dump biscuit dough onto prepared work surface, and turn to coat all surfaces with flour. Knead on counter 5-6 times (about 30 seconds). Flip over on work surface to coat with flour and then pat into a 6-inch square. It should be 1 1/2-2 inches in height. Cut four biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on prepared sheet pan. Knead scraps a few times until they hold together, then pat into a small rectangle and cut 2 more biscuits. Transfer last two biscuits to sheet pan, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. (see notes for an even easier cutting technique****).
8. Place in oven and bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 12 minutes. (start checking them after minutes as ovens vary. You want them to be a nice golden brown but not too brown – check the picture above for the right color.)
9. Re-melt remaining tablespoon of butter in the microwave, if necessary and brush tops of hot biscuits with melted butter. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated via Serious Eats.

* If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own. Place 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup. Fill to 1 cup level with milk and stir well. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Mixture may curdle a bit, that’s okay! Use in recipes in lieu of buttermilk.

Don’t skip chilling the buttermilk (step 2). It will definitely male a difference. If the buttermilk is not really cold, the little butter globules won’t form.

** I made these biscuits when I was in London visiting my daughter. I learned the all-purpose flour (Plain flour) is a bit different there and it seemed that I needed more, probably closer to 2 1/4 cups.

***These biscuits freeze well. To freeze, place biscuits on a sheet pan spaced at least a half inch from each other. Freeze till frozen, then transfer biscuits to a ziplock bag or air-tight storage container.

****If I am feeling pinched for time, I’ll just pat the dough into a 6-inch circle and use a bench scraper to cut the dough into wedges. I either put these wedges on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or in a 9-inch cake pan lined with parchment.

Recipe by The Café Sucre Farine at https://thecafesucrefarine.com/2016/02/ridiculously-easy-buttermilk-biscuits-2/

TurleyFamily2025-01-10T00:27:51+00:00January 8th, 2025|

Best Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

Prep Time 15m | Cook Time 40m | Rise Time 40m | Servings 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water

4 1/2 tsp dry yeast

1 tbsp psyllium husk powder (only if flour doesn’t contain it)

3 tbsp maple syrup or honey

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp salt

2 – 2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mix

2 egg whites

Instructions

Heat the water in the microwave till 42 degrees (or according to the yeast package). Mix the yeast with the water. Add the psyllium and let sit for ten minutes until it’s “gel-like” consistency (skip this step if your flours contain psyllium)
Add maple syrup, salt, olive oil and stir
Add the flour and mix with a mixer for 2 minutes
Add the egg whites and mix again for 2 minutes
Scoop into a greased loaf pan
Let rise uncovered for 30-45 minutes
Bake at 200° Celsius (390° Fahrenheit) for 35-45 minutes
Let cool in a pan for about 15 minutes, before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely
Store in an airtight container at room temperature

TurleyFamily2025-01-07T23:56:23+00:00January 7th, 2025|