Easter Braids

My Italian mother-in-law has certain holiday treats that she makes. Usually these treats are made at Christmas time or for Easter. If you even think about making these family treats at other times of the year, you will usually get the 'eye'. Of course she broke this rule when she made her Easter Italian cookies one year for Thanksgiving because of the grandson's asked of it. So I guess, these special treats can be made anytime of the year, however, I'll probably still be afraid of getting the 'eye' and will only stick to making them during Christmas or Easter.

I've mastered making the Easter Italian cookies and Spritz cookies but still have a few more items to perfect. I've learned to ask Mom H about recipes she gave my husband and I when we got married because sometimes she 'forgets' to put in a certain ingredient or a technique. Another aunt and I wonder if this is on purpose so those of us that have married into the family fail at making one of these family recipes.

I know better to post one of her recipes so I picked a recipe that is close to what Mom H uses to make her Easter Braids. She doesn't make them in a ring nor does she dye the eggs that are used. I decided to do them differently than what she does. Hopefully this doesn't mean I'll get the 'eye' next time I see her.  Enjoy and don't worry, Mom H won't give you the 'eye'.

Ingredients: 1 package rapid rise instant yeast, 1.25 c milk, pinch of salt, .5 c butter, 2 eggs (beaten), .5 c sugar, 3.5 c flour, 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water, Raw eggs (dyed or not)

Instructions: (1) In a small pan, warm milk and butter on the stove to melt the butter but don't boil or make the mixture too hot. It can kill the yeast if it is too hot when poured in #3. (2) In a large bowl, whisk yeast, salt, eggs, and sugar. (3) Add warm butter mixture to large bowl. Add half the amount of flour and mix until smooth (using a mixture with a dough hook is best). Add remaining amount of flour until stiff. (If you have to add more flour to form a stiff dough, do so.) (5) Kneed until smooth either with dough hook or on a board sprinkled with flour. Place in a greased bowl and cover and set in a warm area to double in size, about 1 hour. (6) Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece to 1" thickness, about 14" long. Take 2 pieces and 'braid' them forming a loop/circle. Add to a cookie sheet spread with Pam or with parchment paper or silicon mat and cover and let rise. (7) Add egg to the middle and brush egg wash on to bread. Bake at 350 until golden brown, about 20 min.

*Eggs can be dyed without cooking, just make sure to not crack the eggs. Eggs will cook while the bread is baking. Eggs can be eaten just make sure to store finished bread in fridge to keep eggs safe for consumption.

*Add sprinkles to tops of bread before baking to add a celebratory flare.

Menu 2011

COOKIES
Half Dozen range from $7.00 to $9.00
Bakers Dozen range from $14.00 to $17.00

Oatmeal Based cookies:

Original: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
Holiday: Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip
Harvest: Oatmeal Blueberry Cranberry Cherry
Cinnamon Chip: Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip
Peanut Butter Cup: Oatmeal Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips
Toffee Chip: Oatmeal Toffee Chocolate Chip
Oaty: Just plain Oatmeal
Choc-o-lotta: Oatmeal Dark, White, and Semi Chocolate Chips
Black and White: Oatmeal Dark and White Chocolate Chips
South Water Caye: Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip
Southern Comfort: Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip
Grapevine: Oatmeal Raisin
Granola: Oatmeal Cranberry Almond
Blondie: Oatmeal Macadamia White Chocolate Chips
Freedom: Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Blueberry

Non-Oatmeal Based:
Ginger3: Fresh, ground, and crystallized ginger make this cookie snap.
Lemon Coolers: Spritz of lemon and powered sugar make this cookie melt in your mouth
Frosted Sugar Cookies- individual cookies $2.00 each
Italian Cookies

BREADS
$7.00-$8.00

Banana
Banana Nut
Chocolate
Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Chocolate Zucchini
Coconut Banana
Cranberry
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Date
Irish Soda
Lemon Poppy Seed
Maple Walnut
Oatmeal Raisin
Orange Nut
Pumpkin
Zucchini

BISCOTTI
Non-dipped Dozen range from $10.00-$11.00
Dipped Dozen $13.00

Anise
Chocolate Coffee Cashew, non-dipped or dipped
Orange Cherry Almond, non-dipped or dipped
Pecan Oat
Pistachio Cherry, non-dipped or dipped

CAKES
Range $20.00-$35.00

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
German Chocolate Cake
Italian Cream Cake
Louisa's Chocolate Cake
Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Tropical Carrot Cake

CUPCAKES   COMING SOON!!! COMING SOON!!!
$2.50 each             Dozen $25.00

 
TEXAS-SIZED MUFFINS  seasonal 
$2.50 each (Gluten-Free $3.00)

Banana (regular and GF)
Banana Nut (regular and GF)
Blueberry
Chocolate (regular, GF, and Vegan)
Coconut Banana
Cranberry
Lemon Poppy Seed (regular and GF)
Orange Nut
Trail Mix (regular and GF)


PIES    Seasonal
Range $15.00-$30.00

Blueberry
Cherry
Cranberry
Pumpkin
Coconut Cream Pie
Lime-Cranberry Tart

SPECIAL ORDER CAKES    For weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, anniversaries, and birthdays. Call for Pricing

Let us design your special cake. We offer a variety of cakes, fillings, and icings. Cakes can be created using icing flowers, figures and designs, fondant,  gum paste and mixtures of techniques. We're eager to work with you in designing a cake of your dreams.

CORPORATE
Call for Pricing

Appreciation boxes: individually wrapped cookies of your choice (small and large boxes available)
Platters: cookies, cakes, breads, biscotti, or combos of items

GIFT BASKETS AND CERTIFICATES ALSO AVAILABLE

Items can be made sugar-free and gluten-free for an additional charge.

Crisp Morning Air

 Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the morning in the kitchen experimenting. Outside was sunny but very cool. Fall is marching in and this time of the year has me playing around with different tastes and scents. I started the morning off with baking a batch of jumbo Blueberry Muffins with the blueberries harvested from a local grower. Instead of making Blueberry pies for the market this week, I went with the muffins instead. That way if they didn't sell, I would have easy breakfast food for the mornings.

After twelve plump and delicious smelling muffins came out of the oven, I tackled a few new breads. Orange Nut, Oatmeal Raisin, and Cranberry. The zest from the oranges filled with kitchen with that nice summer scent. I just wanted to keep zesting oranges just for the fun of it. I used locally grown cranberries just harvested from the bogs for the cranberry bread and the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice made the oatmeal raisin bread mouth watering.

 The day was perfect for experimenting and several new customers were impressed with the breads and loved the muffins. As one customer stated "I'll take 7 muffins. They look delicious and I can see the blueberries." Not bad for a morning spent playing in the kitchen.