Oatmeal No Bake Cookies Recipe

1 stick of butter
2 C sugar
1/2 C milk
1/2 C peanut butter (sometimes I add more) (can substitute apple sauce)
3 Tlbs cocoa
1/2 tsp vanilla

Bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes. If you don't wait 3 minutes cookie will not set up. If you boil longer cookie will crumble

Take off burner and mix in 3 to 4 cups of oats. I use quick oats. If you use whole oats it might take less.

Spoon out onto counter and let set.

You may add raisins, coconut or nuts if you like.

Sour Dough Starter 1 pkg/cake of yeast
2 C. lukewarm water from cooking potatoes
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 C. flour

Soften yeast in some of warm potato water. Mix and set in a warm place loosely covered for 48 hours to ferment. Put in a jar and keep in a cool place till needed.

To make bread - Add 1 C. warm water
1/2 C. flour
1 tbsp sugar to the starter in the evening. The next morning take out 1 C. of starter and put in a jar and keep in a cool place for the next baking.

To save starter if you do not use if for over a week, add ingredients as for baking bread, at least once a week. This will give you extra starter, to share with a friend. *Milk may be added instead of water.

Sour Dough Biscuits

Take 1 C. sour dough starter
1/4 C. melted shortening
3/4 tsp. soda
1 C. flour

Mix well. A little sweet milk may be added if dough seems rather stiff. Back in muffin pans or bake on greased cookie sheets. Bake in hot oven (350) for 15 minutes until brown

Sour Dough Bread (1 loaf)

1 C. starter
1/4 C. sugar
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
flour (enough for a soft dough)

Mix all together to make a soft dough, knead well. Place in a warm place till 3 times its size. Knead well and shape into loaf. Let rise till light and double in size. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes.

Bread for two loaves

1 C. warm water
1C. starter
2 tbls. honey or sugar
5 to 5 1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. soda
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. salt
1/4 C. shortening or veg. oil
1 tsp. dry yeast (optional)
If you use yeast it will rise faster. Add yeast before starter.

Mix all ingredients and add about 1/2 the flour. Mix well. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth. Shape into 2 loaves, in greased pans. Let rise to double size. Bake in 350 to 400 oven about 1 hour.

Bread (2 loaves) Not sour dough

2/3 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tbsp. lard/shortening
2 1/2 C. lukewarm water
2 pks yeast (2 tsp.)
Flour to thicken (about 5 cups)

Combine sugar, salt lard and water. Stir and add yeast, mix. Set in warm place for 15 minutes. Add flour to make a soft dough. Let rise 30 minutes. Punch down. Let rise 35 minutes., punch down again. Let rise 1 hr. and form into 2 loaves. Let rise to almost double in size. Back at 250 for 20 minutes and finish at 350. Total of 1 hour.

Friendship Starter

2 C unbleached flour
2C warm water
1 package yeast

2C milk
2C unbleached flour
2C sugar

First day in a glass bowl, mix the first three ingredients thoroughly. Leave on the kitchen counter uncovered; don't refrigerate. The next three ingredients will be added on days five and nine.

Day 2, 3 and 4: Stir well with wooden spoon.
Day 5: Stir and add 1 Cup milk, 1 Cup flour and 1 Cup sugar. This will feed the starter.
Day 6, 7 and 8: Stir with a wooden spoon.
Day 9: Stir and add another 1 Cup milk, 1 Cup flour and 1 Cup sugar. Stir well
Day 10: Stir well
Day 12: Remove 1 Cup of starter into 4 glass containers. Keep one for yourself to make bread, Store another in glass and put in the refrigerator. Give the last two away to friends.
*Note: if you do not bake on this day add 1 teaspoon of sugar to mixture to feed the starter. Keep it in the refrigerator.

This is when you would start a new day and that is where the recipe picks up.

Recipe to Pass On

Accompanying these instructions when you make this bread and wish to give it to a friend should be a Ziploc bag of started. Keep the starter on your countertop. DO NOT REFRIGERATE!

HOT CROSS BUNS

Remember the children's nursery rhyme that goes as follows?

Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!
One a penny two a penny - Hot cross buns
If you have no daughters, give them to your sons
One a penny two a penny - Hot cross buns

Hot cross buns were sold in the street to the cry of "Hot cross buns!" around the period in English history dating back to the seventeenth and eighteenth century.

A hot cross bun is a type of sweet spiced bun made with currants and leavened with yeast. It has a cross on the top which might be made in a variety of ways. Using confectioner's frosting, is the most common way.

According to one source, hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of Christ and the resurrection. Have fun with the children and enjoy the process of being together in the kitchen. Here's my recipe for the buns:

Hot Cross Buns

2/3 cup raisins
3-1/2 to 4 cups whole wheat flour (or half bread flour and half whole wheat
2 TB yeast
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/3 cup sugar or honey
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 slightly beaten egg white
Frosting (recipe follows)

Cover raisins with very hot water. Let stand about 10 minutes or up to one hour at room temperature. Drain well. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, yeast, and cinnamon. Heat milk, oil, sugar or honey, and salt until warm (115 to 120�). Add to the dry mixture. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes if time allows. Add eggs, one at a time. By hand or mixer, stir in raisins and enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead/mix  until smooth and elastic, about 6-10 minutes.

Shape into ball. Place in greased bowl. Turn once to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Divide into 18 pieces. Form smooth balls. Place on greased baking sheet 1-1/2 inches apart. Cover; let rise until double, 30 to 45 minutes. Cut shallow cross in each. Brush tops with egg white. Bake in preheated 375� oven 12 -15 minutes. Remove from baking sheet. Use confectioner's Frosting to make a "cross" on the bun.

Confectioner's Frosting:

2 TB milk
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine these ingredients together and add milk or water as needed to get a good pouring consistency for the frosting. Place the frosting in a small zip-lock sandwich baggie, clip the corner and use the baggie to squeeze the frosting over the cooled buns in a cross shape. Small children will enjoy this process even if it gets a little messy!