Bread for the Journey

Happy Fathers Day

Loving Heavenly Father, today we want to thank You for our fathers.
We pray that they would desire to seek to have a heart like Yours, and follow in Your footsteps.
Give them strength and courage to lead their families with wisdom and gentleness, helping them to live a life of compassion, tenderness, mercy, grace and love.
We know that it's a happy day for many as they honour their father's today, and we also recognize that there is sadness, loss, pain and disappointment for others today.
Lord God, we ask that You would come along side those fathers and families who are struggling today. May you strengthen and encourage them as they need.
Thank you that You are our Heavenly Father, and that You desire to be the Heavenly Father to all.
We ask that You would bless each father today.
In Jesus name. Amen.

Deuteronomy 31: 6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Rhubarb Orange Sticky Muffins

My good friend Betti makes these wonderful Rhubarb Orange Muffins.
One day I tried adding a sticky pecan mixture to the bottom of the muffin cups before spooning in the batter and now I make them like this each spring during rhubarb season.
If you want to make the muffins without the brown sugar/pecan topping,
add 3/4 cup chopped pecans to the muffin batter.

For the sticky topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons cream

For the muffins:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups finely chopped fresh rhubarb
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 3/4 cup orange juice

1. Grease muffin pans. I use pans that make medium sized muffins and I usually get 16 muffins from this recipe.
2. Place 3 or 4 pecan halves in the bottom of each cup.
3. Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Place about 1 teaspoon of topping in each cup on top of the pecans
5. Mix muffin batter:
6. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
7. In medium bowl, beat egg.
8. Add oil, orange juice and orange rind to beaten eggs.
9. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture all at once and stir just until moistened.
10. Fold in rhubarb.
11. Spoon over brown sugar/pecan mixture in prepared muffin pans.
12. Bake for at 350 degrees F for 25 - 30 minutes.
13. Remove from oven, loosen sides of muffins and turn upside down on a rack.
14. These are best served the same day. If there are any left, store them in the refrigerator. (They will still be good the next day but will be softer in texture)

Old-fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

We are enjoying local strawberries, fresh from the fields these days.  Though strawberries taste good any which way, there's nothing quite like a serving of old-fashioned strawberry shortcake.  This recipe is more like a sweet biscuit more than a cake and came from my friend Marlene some three decades ago.

• 1 quart strawberries / 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 pint whipping cream / 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Wash and slice strawberries. Add about 1/4 cup sugar to sliced berries and set aside for at least 15 minutes.
2. Whip cream at medium speed until soft peaks are formed...adding 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Cut in butter to make coarse crumbs.
5. Combine milk and egg and add to dry ingredients. 
6. Stir with a fork or spoon...just until moistened.
7. Pat batter into greased eight inch round pan.
8. Bake at 425° F for about 15-20 minutes.
9. Allow to cool on wire rack.
10. Cut cake into wedges.
11. Split each wedge in half horizontally filling with strawberries and whipped cream...and topping with more of the same. 

Pineapple Dessert Squares

When I was growing up our family always went to church on Sunday morning and evening. Often after church on Sunday evenings my parents had several couples over for coffee. Mom would have a light lunch ready for her guests and us four kids always looked forward to the food. This is just one of the desserts she served on such occasions. The butter crust has a very delicate texture, and compliments the light pineapple filling and coconut meringue.

Pineapple Dessert Squares

Crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter

1. Using a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour until you have a fine crumble. 
2. Press into an 8x8 pan and bake at 325º for 2 minutes. 
3. Take out and let sit while you make the pineapple filling.

Filling

• 1 398 ml (14 ounces) can crushed pineapple, with juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. In a sauce pan stir together pineapple, sugar and cornstarch. 
2. Stirring constantly, bring ingredients to a boil until it thickens. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in butter. 
4. Spread over crust.

Meringue Topping

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/16 teaspoon salt

1. Beat egg whites, sugar, baking powder and salt together until soft peaks form. 
2. Fold in coconut. 
3. Spread meringue over pineapple mixture. 
4. Return to oven and bake another 20 minutes until the meringue is a light golden colour. It is best to let this square cool before cutting to let all layers set. These do not freeze well.

Pina Colada Dessert

This is a great little dessert that you can prepare in the morning and serve without any fuss.
It's easy, light, and fluffy.  It adds the perfect touch to any meal, especially now that the warmer weather has advanced upon us.

Pina Colada Cheesecake

• 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 14 oz can crush pineapple (1 cup)
• 1 tbsp rum extract
• 1 cup whip cream
• 1/4 toasted coconut

Graham Wafer Crust

• 1 1/3 cup graham wafer crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter melted.

1. Combine graham wafer crumbs and melted butter.
2. Press onto the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.  
3. Chill for 30 minutes.

Instructions.

1. Grease spring form with butter and prepare wafer crust.
2. Soften gelatin in water.  Stir over low heat till dissolved.
3. Combine cream cheese, and sugar mixture on medium speed with an electric mixer till well blended and fluffy.
4. Drain pineapple, reserving liquid to measure 3/4 cup.
5. Add rum extract to the reserved liquid.
6. Gradually add gelatin and combined rum juice to creamed cheese mixture mixing until blended.
7. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes stirring in between.  It should thicken, but not set.
8. Whip the cream and fold drained pineapple (1 cup) into the mixture.
9. Now fold whip cream mixture together with the cream cheese mixture.
10. Pour over wafer crust and chill until firm.
11. Sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes.

Plain Crumb Platz

On a recent trip I was making my choices at a breakfast buffet when I saw a crumb cake that I had to try. It reminded me of a plain crumb Platz that my mom used to make with bun dough. This makes for a slightly sweet bread type of crumb coffee cake, just wonderful with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
•  6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant quick rise yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour

crumb topping

• 1 egg, whisked
• 6 tablespoons butter room temp (or half cream and half butter) 
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar

Method:

1. Heat milk in a saucepan. Add butter and allow to melt. Remove from heat. Add cold water to cool liquid to a warm temperature.
2. In mixing bowl, mix sugar, yeast and salt. Add liquids. Stir in 2 cups of flour, using wooden spoon, mix to a shaggy dough and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Continue stirring in flour and knead lightly until you can shape a smooth ball with oiled or floured hands.
4. Cover bowl and let rise until double.
5. Grease a 9 x 12 inch pan.  For ease of lifting onto a serving plate, you can line the pan with parchment paper. Spread dough evenly into pan, pressing out any potential bubbles.
6. Whisk egg with a fork and brush over the base.
7. With pastry blender, blend butter (and cream, if using) into combined sugar and flour. Squeeze by the handful (to make crumbs) and drop onto cake. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
8. Bake at 375° F for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden. Check part way through baking and pop any bubbles with a toothpick. Allow to cool before serving. ( I like to lift it out of the pan onto a wire rack, like I would if I baked a loaf of bread)

Tip: you can double the recipe and add some small buns or Zwieback.

Strawberry Chiffon Roll

Strawberry season has arrived and though this dessert can be made all throughout the year using frozen concentrate...there is nothing like the garnish of fresh strawberries on the side or some juicy ripe berries tucked inside the chiffon roll. 

Strawberry Chiffon Roll

• 4 egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup cake flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 125 ml / ½ cup strawberry lime daiquiri mix  frozen concentrate
• 2 cups fresh diced strawberries*
• 2 cups / 500 ml heavy cream for filling cake roll
• ½ cup  sugar
• 1 packet Dr. Oetker whipping cream stabilizer or a teaspoon instant vanilla pudding or dream whip

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Line a 11  X 15 inch or  38.7 X 26.1 X 1.91 cm jelly roll pan with parchment paper with two sides hanging over edge.
3. Wash a metal or glass bowl to be sure it is perfectly clean.  Add the egg whites and cream of tartar.
4. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy.  Add the first part sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Put the egg yolks and oil and strawberry concentrate in a medium bowl and wisk together.
6. In a large bowl sift the flour, the second part of the sugar, the baking soda and salt together.
7. Add the strawberry mixture and combine to make a smooth batter.
8. Fold the egg whites gently into the strawberry batter until just combined.
9. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
10. While the strawberry chiffon roll is baking, barely dampen a clean teatowel with water and lay onto the counter.
11. When the cake tests done with a toothpick, remove the cake and put the teatowel on top of the pan and flip them together onto the counter.
12. Remove the pan and then roll the cake and the teatowel together from the short end.
13. Place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.
14. Whip the cream and sugar together until stiff.
15. Fold in the diced strawberries*
16. Unroll the strawberry roll, spread with whipped cream and roll back up.
17. Gently sift confectioners/icing sugar over top and garnish with remaining whipped cream and strawberries.
18. Chill until ready to serve or freeze the roll (without fresh strawberries) on a cookie sheet and then wrap in plastic wrap for up to a week.  Slice while still partially frozen.

*The fresh strawberries in the roll are best if the roll is served the same day and the roll is not frozen. If you want to make the roll a day ahead or freeze it...simply serve the strawberries on the side.

Food for Thought

Do not forget to entertain

strangers, for by so doing

some people have

entertained angels

without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

Zwieback

Ten years ago on June 7th, 2008 I posted Zwieback to begin the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog. Today's recipe is a bit different from my first, different from the one published in our original cookbook as well as the one published in Bread for the Journey. Anneliese and I were discussing our Zwieback recipes and agreed that what our mothers had in the kitchen is what they used to make their Zwieback.  So, if some weeks they had more butter or milk or flour than other weeks, that would have been what that week's Zwieback would have included. 

The best thing about Zwieback continues to be that they are best when shared with friends and family around a table. This blog has been a place of sharing with all of you who have joined us around this table, graciously encouraging us as we have shared our family favorites and as we have together learned new ways of doing things. 

We have wondered for some time now how long we should continue to post new recipes.  We will always remain the Mennonite Girls Can Cook but everything this side of eternity has a beginning and an end. We have over 3000 recipes on this blog and have decided that we will consider the recipe blog complete. Today is our last regular new recipe post. On Sunday, Judy will be sharing our final Bread for the Journey and on Monday we will have a look back at the past ten years. 


Rest assured, you will continue to have access to this recipe blog and all the recipes we have shared. You may notice that work will be continuing as we strive to make the blog as easy to navigate as possible.  We will be highlighting our recipes to compliment the changing seasons.

We would love to have you join us on Monday as we celebrate what God has done and thank Him for what he will continue to do.  

In the meantime,  stay calm, bake Zwieback and call a friend over to share them. 

• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water

• 3 cups warm milk
• 3/4 cup hard butter 
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• about 8 cups flour 

1. Sprinkle the yeast and the teaspoon of sugar over the warm water in a small bowl. Stir gently
2. Heat the milk until it is just warm,  room temperature is perfect.
3. In the bowl of a bread mixer,  or in a large bowl,  cut the butter into 3 cups of flour with a pastry blender. 
4. Add the milk mixture, sugar, and the salt and yeast mixture to the flour and butter.
5. Continue to add flour and allow the machine to knead until smooth. If you are mixing by hand, turn the dough onto a floured counter once stirring becomes too difficult.
6. Knead to a smooth dough.
7. Put the dough into a large bowl and cover with a tea towel or a lid.
8. Let the dough double in bulk, about an hour.
9.  Line 3 large cookie sheets parchment paper or grease them. 
10. Take a piece of dough the size of a large orange,  hold it in the hand it feels most comfortable.  With your other hand, squeeze a bit of dough between your thumb and forefinger about the size of a walnut, pinch your thumb and forefinger together to squeeze it off.  Take the dough and place it on the pan.  Again, squeeze the dough between your thumb and forefinger, this time a smaller piece to make the top bun.  Squeeze it off and place it on top of your first bun.   Press down through the top and bottom buns to seal them together.  Repeat with all the dough.
11. Cover the buns with a clean tea towel and let rise until they have doubled. Start to preheat the oven after 25 minutes so it is ready to bake. 
12. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for about 20 minutes.  If you have a convection oven, bake at 375 F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce

Nothing is simpler than topping fruit with a cake batter and baking it. Once baked just turn it upside down on a serving plate and you have a delicious dessert. I like to make a warm vanilla sauce to drizzle over each piece...and why not add a scoop of ice cream!

Ingredients for cake batter:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Beat butter until creamy.
2. Add eggs and sugar and beat well.
3. In a separate bowl stir together dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl add vanilla to buttermilk.
5. Alternately add milk and flour mixtures to butter mixture until well incorporated.

Ingredients for fruit mixture:

• 2 cups rhubarb
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Method:

1. Stir together the flour and sugar.
2. Add Rhubarb and stir well.
3. Pour melted butter over fruit mixture and stir.
4. Place the fruit mixture in the bottom of a greased 9" round cake pan.
5. Top with batter.
6. Bake in 350º oven for 30 minutes.

Warm Vanilla Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter

1. Melt butter in microwave.
2. Add milk and sugar, stir well and microwave for one minute. Stir and heat another minute until bubbling.
3. Add vanilla and stir well. Serve warm over individual servings.