Amish Friendship Bread and Starter

Amish Friendship Bread is the recipe you both love and hate because it tastes amazing but in the end you are left with starter that you have to give away. Sometimes this is easy and people are chopping at the bit to have a starter and other times you'll find yourself begging people to take it off your hands. In its original form, you grow the starter for 10 days then divide it. Some you will bake into bread and some you will divide into more starter that you either keep or give to friends. This recipe will work if you are given a starter or if you want to begin your own starter.

Starter right after initial mixing

Starter 3 hours after initial mixing

Fresh out of the oven - Baking in stoneware is my favorite!

Moist & Delicious

Makes: 1 starter/2 loaves

 If you do not have a starter and want to begin your own:

Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water (110℉)
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. warm milk (110℉)

* As you mix the starter, be sure not to use any type of metal utensils or bowls.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. The yeast should produce some small bubbles. Stir well. While the yeast dissolves, combine the flour and sugar in a 2 quart glass or plastic bowl. Mix together. Slowly stir in the warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Mix until combined and most of the lumps are dissolved.

Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap and keep on the counter. The mixture will get bubbly and grow as the days go on. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle. For the next 10 days, handle the starter according to the directions listed below. You can also transfer the starter to a gallon-size zip-top bag and squish the bag each day instead of stirring it.

Amish Friendship Bread

If you receive a starter from a friend or make your own starter using the recipe above, here is what you do with it.

Day 1 - Make or receive the starter
Day 2 - Stir
Day 3 - Stir
Day 4 - Stir
Day 5 - Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk
Day 6 - Stir
Day 7 - Stir
Day 8 - Stir
Day 9 - Stir
Day 10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Mix well and place 1 cup each into 3 containers or gallon bags. Give 3 of the starters to friends with the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10.

After removing the 3 cups, follow the recipe below to make 2 loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.

1 c. Amish Friendship Bread starter
2/3 c. oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (depending on personal preference)
1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 325℉. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Using a fork or whisk beat by hand until well blended. Grease 2 9"x5" loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar (not flour). Bake for 45-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans.

Notes: I love Amish Friendship Bread and have fond memories of my mom receiving a starter from a friend. We would watch each day as the starter bubbled and grew knowing the amazing treat that was coming when it was time to bake. But she worked at a school and those bags of starter would get offered and passed around the staff and teachers until everyone had one and you couldn't find anyone to give it away too.

It's my goal to figure out how to keep my starter going without having to divide it each time and give it away. I'm happy to share if friends want some but that's not always the case. There are also many additions you can put into the finished batter before baking. You can Google to find those ideas and I will update my post when I successful make any of the additions.

This recipe has been around for a long time and obviously was not created by me. That being said, I'm unsure where I got my recipe from originally. I found it as a print-out in my recipe book.
 

Banana Bread

Makes: 1 Loaf

1 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
3-4 smashed, ripe bananas
1/3 c. water
1 2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
*See below for high altitude adjustments

In an electric mixer, cream butter & sugar. Once smooth, add in eggs and beat until well combined. Mix in bananas and water. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Gently mix into wet ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool for an additional 5-10 minutes on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes: Who doesn't love a good loaf of banana bread? I've tried a lot of different banana bread recipes and still had trouble finding one I liked. So I finally asked on Facebook and this recipe was perfect! If you tend to have bananas from time to time that get overripe, throw them in the freezer (I leave the peel on) and pull them out when you're ready to bake (be sure to remove the peel before you smash up the banana).

High altitude adjustments: Increase water to 3 ounces, decrease baking soda to 7/8 tsp, decrease baking powder to 1/8 tsp. All other measurements stay the same.

Recipe from my friend Krysta P.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Makes: 1 large & 1 small loaf

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
3 to 4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. buttermilk (see tips)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add bananas, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; mix well. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips; pour into lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and one small loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: I love different banana bread recipes and this one from the Hawaiian cookbook intrigued me. The chocolate chips add just an extra touch of sweetness. I'm hoping I can convince my kids that this is a special treat and substitute it for cookies or ice cream at dessert time. If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, just put 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar in a measuring cup then fill with milk to the 1/2 cup line. If this isn't quite what you're looking for, check out Blueberry Banana Bread or my other Banana Bread recipe which has yogurt in it.

Recipe from From Hawaii's Kitchen: Homemade Gifts of Sweets & Treats

Apple Coffee Cake

Serves: 6-8

Cake
1/2 c. + 2 T. sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 c. plain yogurt
3 T. butter, melted
1 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 medium apples, peeled & thinly sliced
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Glaze
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

To start cake, in a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup sugar and eggs; stir in lemon peel, yogurt and butter. Add flour, baking powder and salt to egg mixture; blend well. Pour into greased 8-inch square pan. Arrange apple slices on top of dough, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and almonds. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Meanwhile, in another small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients; blend well. Slowly pour over almonds and allow mixture to soak into hot cake. Broil 5-6 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator.

Tips: Granted that this coffee cake was a little bit of work between preparing the apples and making the glaze but let me assure you that it was well worth it. I made it when my in-laws were visiting and my father-in-law raved about it and had seconds the next morning. Be sure to watch the glaze carefully under the broiler, as the top tends to brown very quickly.

Recipe from Pillsbury: Best of the Bake-off Cookbook

Blueberry Cream Muffins

Makes: 1 dozen

Muffins:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Filling:
1/2 pkg. (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 egg *See tips
4 T. sugar
Dash salt

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon about 2 rounded tablespoonfuls into greased muffin cups. In a small mixing bowl, beat filling ingredients; place about 1 tablespoon in the center of each muffin cup. Top with remaining batter. Bake at 375 degree for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: These were great moist muffins and the blueberry/cream cheese combination tastes great. If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before adding them to the mix. For the filling, just do your best to make a whole egg into a half. The original recipes was double this but I think most families probably use 1 dozen muffins more often than 2 dozen. Also, my cream cheese filling was pretty runny but baked up just fine.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2003 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Golden Honey Pan Rolls

Makes: 2-3 dozen

1 c. milk (70-80 degrees)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 c. oil
2 T. honey
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. bread flour
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
Glaze:
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. butter, melted
1 T. honey
1 egg white

In bread machine pan, place first 8 ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add1-2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed.) When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down; cover and let rest 10 minutes. Divide into 24-30 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 12 balls each into two greased rectangular baking dishes and 6 balls into a greased square baking dish. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. For glaze, combine sugar, butter, honey and egg white; drizzle over dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with additional honey if desired.

Check my coupons resources page to save some extra "dough"!

Tips: I know that the work involved in these rolls don't exactly qualify them in the easy category but the result is worth the extra effort. Since the bread machine does some of the work it helps to speed up the process. These are great for a holiday dinner or potluck because they make so many. I wrote up the recipe the way it worked for me but since I live at high altitude it might be different for you. I did have to add about 1 tablespoon of flour after the bread machine started. Also my dough balls did not rise much in the pans before I put them in the oven. Since I was running out of time, I baked them anyway and they came out great. I also shared this recipe at 8 Muddy Boots' From Scratch.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2001 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Blueberry Banana Bread

Makes: 1 loaf

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
2 c. + 1 T. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 bananas)
1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk (see tips)
6 T. butter, melted and cooled
1 egg

In a small bowl, mix blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. In another bowl, blend remaining 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a another large bowl, whisk together bananas, buttermilk, butter and egg. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture just until evenly moistened, the batter will be stiff. Gently stir in blueberry mixture. Spread batter into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges to loosen. Invert bread onto a plate, remove pan, and turn over onto rack to cool completely, up to 45 minutes.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: This is a perfect recipe for this time of year since blueberries are usually on sale and bananas ripen with lightening speed. If you don't have buttermilk, put 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into your measuring cup, then pour in the milk up to the 1/2 cup mark. I made this for some friends who watched our kids last month while we went out for our anniversary. Since we usually don't pay friends who watch our kids (or take money from friends when we watch their kids), I like to be able to have a little something to say thank you. They told me that the bread was pretty much gone by the next morning.

Recipe from Firefly Blog

Bubble Loaf

Serves: 4

2 tubes refrigerated biscuits
1/3 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. walnuts, chopped

Cut each of the biscuits into four pieces. Melt butter in small bowl. Mix sugar & cinnamon in a separate bowl. Dip each biscuit piece in butter then coat in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place in a single layer in ungreased 9 x 5 loaf pan. When first layer is complete, sprinkle with walnuts. Repeat biscuits and walnuts until finished. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: This is one of my favorite breakfast breads going back to when I was a kid. My brother and I loved to sit at the table and get our hands all goopy helping our mom dip the biscuit pieces. The easiest biscuits to use are usually the cheapest tube of store brand biscuits. However, larger biscuits like Pillsbury Grands just need to be cut into more than four pieces and they will work fine. To make sure that the Bubble Loaf bakes evenly I suggest leaving a tiny bit of room between the biscuit pieces when you make your layers. Also, if you have nut allergies (like we do) the walnuts can easily be left out. As an additional treat, if there is any cinnamon/sugar or butter leftover, mix them together in a small resealable bowl and keep in the fridge for use on toast or pancakes.

Recipe from my mom.

Orange Pan Rolls

Makes: 8 rolls

1 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. cream of tarter
1/4 t. salt
1 t. grated orange peel
4 T. butter
1/3 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. nutmeg

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cream of tarter and salt. Add orange peel; cut in butter and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just moistened. Divide dough in eight equal pieces. With floured hands, roll each piece of dough into a ball. Place butter in a small bowl. Combine sugar and nutmeg in another small bowl. Dip balls in butter, then in sugar mixture. Evenly space in a greased 9-inch round baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: These were really good little rolls with just the right amount of sweetness. Don't be fooled on the size though. The picture was taken with these four rolls on a bread plate. So if you're baking for a large crowd be prepared to double the recipe. These rolls did stick a bit to the pan because the sugar baked and burned on the pan. This might be avoided by greasing and flouring the pan first (just a suggestion). I used my Microplane Grater/Zester to get the orange peel just right. It is also great for grating chocolate. I also shared this recipe at A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day, Momtrends' Friday Food, Balancing Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday & The Girl Creative's Just Something I Whipped Up.

Recipe from Taste of Home 30-Minute Cookbook

Bran Coffee Cake

Serves: 6

1/3 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. bran flakes, crushed

Topping:
2 t. butter, softened
2 T. brown sugar
1/3 c. bran flakes, crushed

In a large bowl, combine milk, egg and butter. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir into milk mixture. Add bran flakes. Spread into a greased 8-inch round baking pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until cake tests done. Serve warm.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: My whole family enjoyed this light coffee cake the other morning. Any bran flakes will work - I only had Raisin Bran in the pantry so I measured out what I needed and took out the raisins. I also shared this recipe at Trendy Treehouse's Sharing Ideas Wednesday, Someday Crafts' Whatever Goes Wednesday & Crazy Daisy's Tuesday Tastes.

Recipe from Taste of Home 30-Minute Cookbook

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins

1 c. quick-cooking oats
1 c. buttermilk *see notes for alternates to buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. oil
1 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

In a large bowl, soak oats in buttermilk for 10 minutes. Stir in egg, brown sugar and oil. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into oat mixture until just moistened. Fill greased muffin tin three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: These were delicious muffins that we used as bread with our dinner. They have a hint of sweetness that goes great with butter and jam for breakfast or just with butter to go with dinner. If you don't have buttermilk, measure 1 tablespoon of vinegar into a one cup measuring cup then fill with milk up to the 1 cup line. These muffins were featured at Simply Sweet Home's Sweet Thursday. I also shared this recipe at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday and Somewhat Simple's Strut Your Stuff Thursday.

Recipe from Taste of Home 30-Minute Cookbook

Yogurt Cornbread

Serves: 6-8

2 eggs
2 T. sugar
1 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
2/3 c. cornmeal
1/2 t. salt
1 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. butter, melted & slightly cooled

Beat the eggs, add the sugar, and mix well. Stir together flour, baking powder, soda, cornmeal and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the yogurt to the egg-sugar mixture. Stir in the cooled butter. Pour into a greased square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, watching closely after the first 15 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.


Tips: This was a wonderfully moist and tasty cornbread! I think this recipe will take the place of my usual Easy Cornbread. I still recommend the other but it is a bit drier and more crumbly so it might be better for cornbread stuffing. I used Brown Cow Greek Yogurt because it is thicker than regular plain yogurt but also fat-free. If you don't have Greek yogurt on hand, I find that regular plain yogurt works fine too. I always serve cornbread with my Easy Chili. I also shared this recipe at 8-Muddy Boots' From Scratch & I Heart Naptime's Sundae Scoop.

Recipe from Brown Cow

Spicy Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins

2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients until just moist. Spoon into greased muffins tins; bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: We love making muffins on Saturday mornings but often the problem is that the muffin recipe calls for a specific fruit or ingredients I don't have on hand. I like these muffins because these are all ingredients and spices I have in my pantry. They are also very tasty spread with some butter! We have nut allergies in my family so we leave the nuts out and they still taste great. I also shared this recipe at Blessed with Grace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Recipe from Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?

Overnight Pancakes

Serves: 6

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
2 T. baking soda
2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the bowl from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease with butter or nonstick cooking spray. When pan is hot, turn heat down slightly. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto skillet for each pancake. When lots of bubbles form on the surface, flip the pancake. Serve with syrup or your favorite breakfast topping.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: Up front confession - I did not make up the batter the night before so I can't promise how they turn out using that method. However, I can tell you that these were very tasty pancakes. They seemed to be a bit lighter than traditional pancakes but I liked that because then I didn't have to add quite as much syrup. I also used 1% milk instead of whole milk. I don't know if that possibly made a difference in the recipe but again, I liked it the way it turned out. Do make sure your skillet or griddle is nice and hot before you start or it will be very hard to flip the pancakes. If you need some other ideas for breakfast, check out Easy Waffles or Overnight Coffee Cake too. I also shared this recipe at 8 Muddy Boots' From Scratch.

Recipe from Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

White Rice Bread

Makes: 1 loaf (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

1 c. water (70-80 degrees)
1 T. sugar
4 1/2 t. butter
1 t. salt
3 c. bread flour
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast
1 c. cooked white rice, cooled

In bread machine pan, place the first six ingredients in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1-2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). Pat rice with paper towel until dry. Just before the final kneading (your machine may audibly signal this), add rice.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: This was a great bread machine bread that I made to go with Chicken Wild Rice Soup. I used slightly less than one tablespoon of butter. Unless you measure your butter in measuring spoons, I think it's just your best guess as to where to cut the stick of butter to equal 4 1/2 teaspoons. If you have plans to make stir-fry or any other dish that called for plain rice, plan ahead and make a little extra then you'll have it ready to go when you're ready to make this bread. I also shared this recipe at 8 Muddy Boots' From Scratch.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2003 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

Makes: 2 loaves *See tips

2 1/4 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. salt
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1/2 c. oil
1 c. fresh cranberries

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a separate bowl, mix pumpkin, eggs and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; mix well. Fold in cranberries. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Cool 5-10 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: This pumpkin cranberry bread had a wonderful flavor and the tart cranberries complimented the sweet bread perfectly. The bread turned out fine in two loaf pans but each loaf was a bit on the small side. If you have smaller loaf pans (smaller than the typical 9 x 5), then I would suggest making one regular and one small loaf. I also shared this recipe at A Southern Fairytale's Mouthwatering Mondays.

Recipe from Thanksgiving Every Day

Baking Soda Biscuits

Makes: 10-12 biscuits

2 c. flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 c. milk

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter. Stir in vinegar and milk until dough is sticky. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.


Tips: These are great, easy biscuits and you probably keep all these ingredients on hand all the time. They are very similar to Bisquick biscuits but I don't always have Bisquick on hand. I used apple cider vinegar so I don't know how white vinegar might change the flavor. I made these twice this week with Beef & Veggie Stew and Corn Chowder. Here's a twist: Try dropping a tablespoon of dough on the cookie sheet and putting a small teaspoon of jam in the middle. Great breakfast treat! I also shared this recipes at Life as MOM's Recipe Swap & 8 Muddy Boots' From Scratch.

Recipe from Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?

Cinnamon Mini Muffins & Cinnamon Butter

Makes: 2 1/2 dozen muffins & 1/2 cup butter

1/3 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. milk

Butter:
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened (No substitutions)
1 1/4 t. cinnamon
1 T. sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk; mix well. Fill greased mini-muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until lightly brown. Meanwhile, mix cinnamon and sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and cinnamon mixture. Serve with muffins.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: These mini muffins were nice and light and the cinnamon butter was a great compliment. It also tasted great on toast later. If you don't have a mini muffin pan, you should be able to use a regular size muffin tin and bake them for the same amount of time just increase the temperature to 400 degrees. As always I used my trusty KitchenAid Stand Mixer. I also shared this recipe at Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Recipe from Crafting Traditions Magazine (Nov/Dec 97)

Pineapple-Orange Streusel Coffee Cake

Serves: 10-12

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Pineapple Supreme cake mix
3 T. brown sugar, divided
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans, divided
4 large eggs
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 c. + 1 T. orange juice
1/3 c. oil
1/4 t. vanilla extract
3/4 c. powdered sugar
Additional water, as needed

For streusel, combine 2 tablespoons cake mix, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup pecans. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining cake mix, eggs, pudding mix, 1 cup orange juice and oil. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle with streusel. Swirl with knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. For glaze, combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon orange juice and vanilla extract in small bowl. Add powdered sugar gradually, stirring until smooth. Add water a teaspoon or less at a time to bring the glaze to a consistency that will drizzle. Drizzle half the glaze over warm cake. Sprinkle 1/4 cup pecans over glaze. Drizzle remaining glaze over pecans.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: This was a wonderful coffee cake and such a great change from the traditional cinnamon coffee cake. It might seem like a lot of work but since you start with a packaged cake mix half the work is done for you. If you bake at high altitude (like I do), I did add the additional 1/4 cup of flour to the cake mix like the box recommends. The top of my Bundt, which luckily becomes the bottom, did sink a bit. However, since you turn the cake over this didn't pose much of a problem. As always, I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer for the 2 minutes of mixing. (Who wants to stand there holding the hand mixer for 2 full minutes?)

I don't usually post pictures with my recipes for several reasons. First, I am usually rushing to get dinner on the table and don't have time to snap a picture. Second, I would never get recipes posted if I was constantly having to download pictures from my camera and upload them with my dial-up internet. However, I thought this cake was so pretty that I would break with tradition this time and show you how it turned out. I made this the night before and had it all ready to go for our first MOPS meeting of this school year. This recipe was featured at Simply Sweet Home's Sweet Thursday. I also shared the recipe at Somewhat Simple's Strut Your Stuff Thursday.

Recipe from DuncanHines.com

Parmesan Herb Bread

Makes: 1 loaf (1 1/2 lbs.)

1 c. water (70-80 degrees)
3 T. butter
1 egg, beaten
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. marjoram
1/8 t. thyme
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3 c. bread flour
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order suggested by the manufacturer. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1-2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed. The time delay feature is not recommended for this recipe.

Click here to see if there are any coupons available to go with this recipe!

Tips: I made this tasty bread machine bread to go with Baked Ziti for my Bunco group. It was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. I think it would compliment any Italian dish very nicely. I also shared this recipe at Life as MOM's Recipe Swap.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home's 2003 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes