Six-Week Muffins -- Make up the batter, bake later . . .

     Susan Taylor was this month's featured cook in my cooking column that appears in Abilene's Reflector Chronicle. She offered up lots of delicious recipes plus a  recipe or two from her husband. Six-Week Muffins is Bruce's contribution and thanks to him I've revived a forgotten recipe and now we have muffin batter on hand in the fridge and some freshly baked muffins!


Bruce’s offering: Six-Week Muffins
Mix up this batter, store it in the refrigerator and enjoy fresh baked muffins for the next six weeks.

1 (15 oz.) box of Raisin Bran cereal
3 cups granulated sugar (I actually cut this down to about 2 1/2 cups w/ good results)
5 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup canola oil
1 quart buttermilk

1. Mix raisin bran, sugar, flour, soda, and salt in VERY LARGE bowl.  Add beaten eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Mix well.


2. Place mixture in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. 

3. When you are ready to bake: Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full, bake in preheated 400° oven for 15 to 20 minutes. After they’ve cooled for a few minutes, gently run a sharp knife around each, and remove from tins. Muffin tin can also be lined with cupcake papers, if preferred.


Great for breakfast, a snack or even for dessert.
Recipe without photos:
Bruce’s offering: Six-Week Muffins
Mix up this batter, store it in the refrigerator and enjoy fresh baked muffins for the next six weeks.
1 (15 oz.) box of Raisin Bran cereal
3 cups granulated sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup canola oil
1 quart buttermilk
  1. Mix raisin bran, sugar, flour, soda, and salt in VERY LARGE bowl.  Add beaten eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Mix well.
  2. Place mixture in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. 
  3. When you are ready to bake: Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full, bake in preheated 400° oven for 15 to 20 minutes. After they’ve cooled for a few minutes, gently run a sharp knife around each, and remove from tins. Muffin tin can also be lined with cupcake papers, if preferred.

Slow Cooker Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup – Assemble it & then Forget It!


     Not much time for kitchen duties yesterday so I wanted something I could quickly assemble and put in the slow cooker. We also had some leftover roast so this is what I came up with – Slow Cooker Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup. It was kind of like French onion soup but a lot more hearty!
      Note: Since I don’t always have leftover roast beef on hand, I’ve provided an option for using stew beef. Soup ingredients could also be prepped the night before, including sautéing veggies and browning raw meat – refrigerate and add all ingredients to slow cooker the next morning.
     And finally, it is helpful to rely on proven safety and sanitation practices when creating or adapting recipes for the slow cooker. I’ve included 11 great tips from the Food Network near the bottom of this post.

Slow Cooker Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup
6 to 8 cups+ beef broth
½ cup pearl barley
1 bay leaf
About 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
Leftover roast beef, chopped into small pieces or 1 lb. lean stew beef, cut into ½” cubes and dredged in flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
Pepper, to taste

1.     Add 6 cups beef broth, barley, bay leaf and thyme to slow cooker. Turn to low or variable setting.
2.     Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add diced vegetables and sauté. Add to slow cooker.
3.     Beef . . .
a.     If using stew beef, add additional oil to skillet and brown dredged beef over medium heat. Add to slow cooker.
b.     If using leftover roast, add directly to slow cooker.
4.     Add garlic powder, salt and pepper.
5.     Cook beef and barley soup on LOW (or variable) in slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours.
6.     After several hours the barley will expand and more broth may need to be added. Also check for seasoning after several hours and add more or refresh seasonings as needed.

Serving Suggestion: Add bread and a fruit salad for a balanced meal.

Slow cookers are a wonderful way to make a meal.
The key to creating a delicious slow-cooked meal? Knowing the rules.
Follow these 11 tips, and you'll be creating warm, hearty recipes all year long:
1.     Temperatures must reach at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safe slow cooking. (The low heat on most models is about 200 degrees F.)
2.     To keep foods out of the food danger zone, always use fully thawed meats. Don't use whole chickens or roasts; cut the meat or poultry into chunks to ensure thorough cooking.
3.     For best results, a slow cooker should be between half and two thirds full.
4.     Resist temptation to open the lid during the cooking process — each peek you take will add an additional 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time. Also curb your urge to stir; it's usually not necessary.
5.     Cooking on low heat takes about twice as long as cooking on high heat. A general rule of thumb is that "low heat" means about 200 degrees and "high heat" is about 300 degrees.
6.     The ceramic insert in a slow cooker can crack if exposed to abrupt temperature shifts. Don't put a hot ceramic insert directly on a cold counter; always put a dish towel down first. Likewise, don't put a ceramic insert straight from the refrigerator into a preheated base.
7.     You can certainly just pile food into the slow cooker and turn it on, but some recipes come out a lot better with a little prep time. Browning meat — especially ground meat — and sautéing vegetables in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker will greatly improve the flavor of your meal. If you dredge your meat in a little flour before browning, you will get a thicker sauce.
8.     For high altitude cooking, add an additional 30 minutes for each hour of time specified in the recipe. Legumes take about twice as long as they would at sea level.
9.     Fat retains heat better than water, so fattier foods, like meat, will cook faster than less fatty foods, like vegetables. For more even cooking, trim excess fat off of meats. If you're cooking a dish with both meat and root vegetables, place the vegetables on the bottom and sides of the insert and put the meat on top.
10.  Dairy products, like sour cream, milk or yogurt, tend to break down in the slow cooker. To prevent this, add them during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
11.  If you're adapting a favorite recipe to the slow cooker, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
a.     Liquid is not going to evaporate, so cut back on the liquids by about 20 percent.
b.     If you're using herbs, select whole leaves and spices, and use half the normal amount.
c.     If you're using ground herbs, add them in the last hour of cooking.

Recipe without photos:
Slow Cooker Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup
6 to 8 cups+ beef broth
½ cup pearl barley
1 bay leaf
About 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
Leftover roast beef, chopped into small pieces or 1 lb. lean stew beef, cut into ½” cubes and dredged in flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
Pepper, to taste

1.     Add 6 cups beef broth, barley, bay leaf and thyme to slow cooker. Turn to low or variable setting.
2.     Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add diced vegetables and sauté. Add to slow cooker.
3.     Beef . . .
a.     If using stew beef, add additional oil to skillet and brown dredged beef over medium heat. Add to slow cooker.
b.     If using leftover roast, add directly to slow cooker.
4.     Add garlic powder, salt and pepper.
5.     Cook beef and barley soup on LOW (or variable) in slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours.
6.     After several hours the barley will expand and more broth may need to be added.
Also check for seasoning after several hours and add more or refresh seasonings as needed.
Serving Suggestion: Add bread and a fruit salad for a balanced meal.

Cinnamon Popcorn — Gifts From the Kitchen


    The elves have been busy making Christmas popcorn . . . or maybe it was a few of the nutcrackers that seem to invade our house each holiday season. Nevertheless, sacks of cinnamon popcorn are now ready for delivery. And, the little helpers even attached recipes to the sacks! Just wished that they had washed the dishes when they were through!
     The recipe comes from Betty Krenger. It, along with lots of her other wonderful recipes, are included in the 3rd edition (2003-04) of the Heritage Society’s Home Cooking, Dickinson County Style.
     I just can't help it! Every time I make candy I am reminded of the food science class I used to teach. For example . . . the corn syrup and baking soda act as interfering agents in this recipe. Corn syrup is high in glucose which helps form small crystals in the final candy solution. Cream of tartar is an acid which can cause the hydrolysis of sucrose creating glucose and fructose (the resulting simple sugars also help form small crystals that create a better mouthfeel). Also the combination of the cream of tartar (acid) and baking soda (base) create the chemical foaming action that changes the cinnamon syrup right before it is poured over the popcorn.  End of lesson . . . for now!

Cinnamon Popcorn  Yield:  4 quarts                      
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 to 3/4 cup red hot candies (such as Cinnamon Imperials®) (I use 3/4 cup)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 quarts popped corn (I often use 5 quarts)

1.  Put the brown sugar, red hots, butter and corn syrup in a microwave safe bowl; cook for 4 minutes, stirring after each minute. Cook an additional 2 minutes more without stirring. Stir in the salt, soda and cream of tartar.
This is what the mixture looks like after the first 2 minutes in the microwave.
This is what it looks like at the end of the first 4 minutes. 
And, this is what it looks like after the last 2 minutes in the microwave.
After the salt, baking soda and cream of tartar go in, the mixture lightens and becomes slightly foamy.
2.  Put popcorn in a double brown grocery-type bag. Pour hot mixture over corn, stir and then shake well. Put bag in microwave and cook 1 to 1-1/2 minutes; remove and shake well. Microwave another  1 to 1-1/2 minutes and shake. (A total of 2 minutes in my microwave is enough.)
Popcorn is in the sack after the initial stirring and shaking . . .  ready to go through the
final microwaving process.
3.  Spread on a cookie sheets to dry. 

4.  When dry, store in an air-tight container or bag. 

Recipe without photos . . . 
Cinnamon Popcorn  Yield:  4 quarts                      
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 - 3/4 cup red hot candies (such as Cinnamon Imperials®)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 quarts popped corn (I often use 5 quarts)

1.  Put the brown sugar, red hots, butter and corn syrup in a microwave safe bowl; cook for 4 minutes, stirring after each minute. Cook an additional 2 minutes more without stirring. Stir in the salt, soda and cream of tartar.
2.  Put popcorn in a double brown grocery-type bag. Pour hot mixture over corn, stir and then shake well. Put bag in microwave and cook 1 to 1-1/2 minutes; remove and shake well. Microwave another  1 to 1-1/2 minutes and shake. (A total of 2 minutes in my microwave is enough.)
3.  Spread on a cookie sheets to dry. 
4.  When dry, store in an air-tight container or bag. 

Old Milwaukee Rye Bread


     I was introduced to this bread by Rethie Foster when I interviewed her for my February 2002 cooking column for the Abilene Reflector-Chronicle. Here’s what I said in the recipe header, This is a somewhat complicated recipe but well worth the effort!  It belongs in the 'sourdough' category and begins with an old-fashioned sponge starter. Rethie discovered this bread in the newspaper and it became a favorite.”
     She was just the fifth cook that I had inteviewed and she shared wonderful recipes. As a matter of fact, her collection of recipes is still available in the first edition of the Heritage Society’s Home Cooking, Dickinson Country Style

Old Milwaukee Rye Bread   Yield:  4 loaves
Sponge for Rye Bread -- prepare this in advance to use in the recipe that follows
1 (¼ oz.) pkg. active dry yeast yeast (or 1 scant tablespoon)
1½ cups warm water
2 cups rye flour
1 teaspoon caraway seed  (I omit)

1.     Combine the yeast and water in a large bowl.
2.     Stir to dissolve. Add the flour and caraway seeds and stir to blend. 
3.     Cover lightly with plastic wrap.
This is what the starter looks like.
Although the sponge is usable after six hours, it is best left to stand from one to three days at room temperature. Three days will give a more sour taste, which many people prefer.

Rye Bread
1  recipe sponge for rye bread (above)
1  (¼ oz.)pkg. active dry yeast yeast (or 1 scant tablespoon)
1  cup warm water (about 105° to 115°)
¼  cup all-natural dark molasses
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, divided (I just use enough to sprinkle on top of the loaves right before baking)
1 lightly beaten egg
1  tablespoon salt
1 cup rye flour
3  tablespoons solid white shortening
About 5 to 5½ cups all-purpose flour*
1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon milk for brushing top of loaves

1.  Stir down the sponge.
2.  Dissolve yeast in the water.
The development of bubbles in the yeast mixture indicates that is has been activated.
3.  Add the yeast to the sponge, stirring. 
4.  Add the molasses and half the caraway seeds. Stir to blend. 
5.  Add the lightly beaten egg and salt and blend once more. Add the rye flour and blend.
6.  Add the shortening and beat to blend. 

7.     Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and blend with a wooden spoon. (Or, mix with the paddle attachment of a counter-style mixer.)
8.     Gradually add 2 more cups, kneading constantly. (I continue to use the paddle attachment of the mixer during this step.)

9.  Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough has a proper pliable and workable consistency (it should lose it’s stickiness but not be dry). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and continue kneading about 6 minutes or longer. Knead and beat dough about 10 minutes. When ready, dough should weigh about 3½ pounds. (I insert the kneading attachment right before beginning this step.)
The kneaded dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl .
10.  Let warm water flow into a large bowl until bowl is heated. Drain, dry and grease the bowl with shortening (or drizzle bowl lightly with vegetable oil). Shape the dough into a ball and add it to the bowl. Cover lightly with plastic wrap.  Set aside to let rise one hour or until double in bulk. (Note:  To test for double in size . . . Press the tips of 2 fingers lightly and quickly 1/2” into the dough; if the dent stays, it is double.)
Kneaded dough has just  been added to the bowl.
This is what is looks like after an hour!
11.  If long bread tins or molds (such as French bread molds) are to be used, grease them (or spray).  Otherwise, use a Teflon baking sheet, ungreased.
12.  Divide the dough into four parts of equal weight. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape with the palms of the hand. The shapes should be about 15 or 16 inches long. Place in molds, or on baking sheet, and cover loosely with wax paper and set aside to rise about an hour or until double in bulk. 
Loaves have just been added to the bread pans.
13.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°. 
14.  Using a sharp blade, make several diagonal gashes on top of each loaf.  Brush tops with egg beaten with milk.  Sprinkle with remaining caraway seeds. 
Slashing the raised dough helps control splitting during the baking process.
15.  Place in the oven and bake about 40 minutes or until crisp crusted and baked through.  (Note: When the baking time is up, remove one loaf and tap the bottom or sides; if done, it should sound hollow.)

*Flour amounts vary due to weather conditions. In very humid weather, yeast recipes often require more flour because the extra moisture in the air keeps the dough soft. The protein content of the flour can cause variables.

Recipe without photos:
Old Milwaukee Rye Bread   Yield:  4 loaves
Sponge for Rye Bread -- prepare this in advance to use in the recipe that follows
1 (¼ oz.) pkg. active dry yeast yeast (or 1 scant tablespoon)
1½ cups warm water
2 cups rye flour
1 teaspoon caraway seed  (I omit)

1.  Combine the yeast and water in a large bowl.
2.  Stir to dissolve. Add the flour and caraway seeds and stir to blend. 
3.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap.
Although the sponge is usable after six hours, it is best left to stand from one to three days at room temperature. Three days will give a more sour taste, which many people prefer.

Rye Bread
1  recipe sponge for rye bread (above)
1  (¼ oz.)pkg. active dry yeast yeast (or 1 scant tablespoon)
1  cup warm water (about 105° to 115°)
¼  cup all-natural dark molasses
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, divided (I just use enough to sprinkle on top of the loaves right before baking)
1 lightly beaten egg
1  tablespoon salt
1 cup rye flour
3  tablespoons solid white shortening
About 5 to 5½ cups all-purpose flour*
1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon milk for brushing top of loaves

1.  Stir down the sponge.
2.  Dissolve yeast in the water.
3.  Add the yeast to the sponge, stirring. 
4.  Add the molasses and half the caraway seeds. Stir to blend. 
5.  Add the lightly beaten egg and salt and blend once more.  Add the rye flour and blend.
6.  Add the shortening and beat to blend. 
7.  Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and blend with a wooden spoon. (Or, mix with the paddle attachment of a counter-style mixer.)
8.  Gradually add 2 more cups, kneading constantly. (I continue to use the paddle attachment of the mixer during this step.)
9.  Add more flour, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough has a proper pliable and workable consistency (it should lose it’s stickiness but not be dry). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and continue kneading about 6 minutes or longer. Knead and beat dough about 10 minutes. When ready, dough should weigh about 3½ pounds. (I insert the kneading attachment right before beginning this step.)
10.  Let warm water flow into a large bowl until bowl is heated. Drain, dry and grease the bowl with shortening (or drizzle bowl lightly with vegetable oil). Shape the dough into a ball and add it to the bowl. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Set aside to let rise one hour or until double in bulk. (Note:  To test for double in size . . . Press the tips of 2 fingers lightly and quickly 1/2” into the dough; if the dent stays, it is double.)
11.  If long bread tins or molds (such as French bread molds) are to be used, grease them (or spray).  Otherwise, use a Teflon baking sheet, ungreased.
12.  Divide the dough into four parts of equal weight. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape with the palms of the hand. The shapes should be about 15 or 16 inches long.  Place in molds, or on baking sheet, and cover loosely with wax paper and set aside to rise about an hour or until double in bulk. 
13.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°. 
14.  Using a sharp blade, make several diagonal gashes on top of each loaf.  Brush tops with egg beaten with milk.  Sprinkle with remaining caraway seeds. 
15.  Place in the oven and bake about 40 minutes or until crisp crusted and baked through.  (Note: When the baking time is up, remove one loaf and tap the bottom or sides; if done, it should sound hollow.)

*Flour amounts vary due to weather conditions. In very humid weather, yeast recipes often require more flour because the extra moisture in the air keeps the dough soft. The protein content of the flour can cause variables.