Date Nut Bread (for bread machine)

nonstick cooking spray
1 cup chopped dates
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
¾ cup granulated sugar
1¾ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts

Coat the inside of the bread pan fitted with the kneading paddle with nonstick cooking spray. Place all ingredients, in order listed, into the bread pan and secure the pan into the Cuisinart® Automatic Bread Maker. Press menu button to select the Cake/Quick Bread program. Press Start/Stop to mix and bake. While the batter is mixing, scrape the sides of the bread pan with a rubber spatula to fully incorporate ingredients. When cycle is complete, remove from bread pan and place on wire rack to cool completely for best slicing results.

Grandma Coombs' Quick White Bread

I've been searching for the perfect sandwich-bread recipe for probably three or four years now. I can't tell you how many recipes I've tried. I've been looking for an even crumb and good heavy slices for sandwiches (i.e. not so fluffy that it falls apart when you spread peanut butter). Really I've been searching for the homemade bread of my childhood.

A few months ago, I went searching again in my collection of my Mom's recipes and found a "Quick Bread" recipe that I hadn't tried. Surely this couldn't be the wonderful bread that I remembered! But I was willing to try anything. So I pulled out the recipe and started mixing. Even as I began the first kneading cycle, I could tell that something was different about this bread. It takes an extra rise and requires heating the milk (which many cookbooks label as "old-fashioned and not necessary"). I suspect the difference comes from heating the milk (though I'm not sure why) so don't skip that step. When the loaves came out of the oven, they quickly disappeared and my family proclaimed this to be the best bread ever. My search is over and I had the recipe the whole time.

Grandma Coombs' Quick White Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. yeast
1 c. milk (I use whole)
1/4 c. butter [Grandma used shortening]
1 T. salt [I use less]
3/4 cups of cold water
6-7 cups of flour

Directions:

Mix a little sugar and yeast into warm water until dissolved at the bottom of the mixing bowl.

In a different glass bowl or measuring container, mix the milk, 1/4 c. sugar, butter and salt. Heat until butter is melted & milk is scalded (about 2 minutes in my microwave). Add the cold water to the milk mixture to reduce the temperature.

Add milk mixture and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture in the mixing bowl.

Mix until combined. Let mixture sit for 20 minutes.

Add 3+ cups more of flour until dough starts to form into a ball. Knead for 5 minutes in a mixer.

Let raise until double. Knead for several minutes and raise again for 30 minutes.

Knead for a minute more - to work out bubbles. Put into pans, raise until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Banana Bread

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup oil
3 cups mashed banana
4 eggs

*Add eggs and bananas to blender; blend. Transfer to mixer and add sugar and oil. Slowly add the dry ingredients.

*Makes 2 large loaves or 5 small. Bake at 350* for 50-60 minutes.

(Marilyn – nurse at Boulder Community Hospital in 1988)

Pan Breadsticks

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
Combine together until yeast dissolves

3 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 t. salt (add w/ last cup of flour)

Knead for 3 minutes
Melt 1/2 cube butter in 9x13 pan
Roll out to 1/2" (shape of 9x13 dish)
Cut dough into strips, roll in butter, set in dish. Let raise for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 for 10 to 20 minutes. Can sprinkle garlic and/or parmesan cheese before baking.

These are Noah's favorite breadsticks.