Thursday, August 11, 2011

French Bread

1 1/2c water
1 TBSP vegetable oil
2 TBSP powdered milk
4c flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast

Put all ingredients into bread machine on French bread dough setting. Divide into two loaves. Flatten loaves into rectangle shape, then fold the lengthwise sides in until they meet in the middle. Karate chop the "seam" with the side of your hand until the middle is somewhat flat, then pull the edges in again and seal them together until you get the right shape. (Wow, that is really hard to explain. If anyone actually wants to make this and needs further instruction, leave a comment and I can put pics up.) Do the same with other loaf then cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30min. While rising preheat your oven and pan to 450deg. (I just use the back of my good cookie sheet.) Cut 4 slices at an angle across the top of your loaf, and then put your bread on the pan. (I grease it a little with oil.) Take 1/2c of water, and throw it in the bottom of the oven and close the door quickly. Bake for around 20min.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Chocolate Cake

This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe. (Minus German Chocolate cake, but that's something else entirely.) It's really good. I found it in one of my Mom's Martha Stewart catalogs, but it was so long ago I don't know which one.

1 1/2 c butter, room temp.
3/4 c cocoa
2 1/4 c sugar
1 TBSP vanilla
4 large eggs
3 c sifted cake flour (I just use normal flour, unsifted :) )
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk

Heat oven to 350deg. Grease 3 8" cake pans,and line bottoms with parchment.
1. Sift (again, I don't sift) cocoa into medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup boiling water. Let cool.
2.In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter until light. Gradually beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. (I just mix it in the measuring cup so I don't have to wash another bowl.)
4. Whisk milk into chocolate mixture. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the cocoa mixture a little at a time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Add to pans and bake 35-40 min. Invert pans onto wire rack to cool.