Flour-Less Chocolate Cupcakes Devine
By Lynne Hayes
This collection of recipes has been tried and tested on many occasions; I have included a couple of BONUS recipes that are family favorites.
Like my BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CAKE recipe, a favourite with my kids on their birthdays and everyone else who tries it. I use and recommend GLAD Bake & Cooking Paper as it is the best I’ve used to stop the Best Ever Chocolate Cake sticking to the tins.
Cooks tips
1. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start
2. Use caster sugar for a finer texture cake, as it is absorbed by the butter and eggs more rapidly
3. Always use the type of flour specified in the recipe
4. Cook cakes in the center of the oven
5. If you cook more than one at a time place them on the same shelf being very careful not to let the tins touch each other, the sides or back of the oven and always reverse the positions of the cakes 1/2 way through cooking time
6. Always line tins with paddy cases, glad bake or use silicone bake ware
7. Never substitute ingredients as the results will be entirely different
Flour-less chocolate cupcakes 200 grams dark chocolate (good quality cooking) 2 eggs 90 grams butter 1/4 cup caster sugar 1 1/2 cups almond meal
1. Place chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl. Either place in microwave for 1 minute & stir OR sit over a saucepan of simmering water until melted. Cool slightly.
2. Beat sugar and eggs in a small bowl for 6 minutes, the mixture should be thick and pale.
3. Lightly fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the almond meal, then fold into the egg mixture
4. Spoon mixture into lined trays using an ice-cream scoop, fill to about 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes then check with a fine skewer to see if cooked (inserted into cupcake, if it comes out clean then there perfect)
5. Remove from the trays straight away and cool on wire racks for at least 1/2 hour before icing. You can dust with icing sugar instead of icing these Cupcakes, or cook as one round cake.
http://www.yummymummycupcakes.com
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Cupcake Ideas for Weddings
The do-it-your-selfer can save tons of money and have great success using these 
cupcake ideas for weddings:
- You can make a beautiful cupcake tower with no cake decorating experience.
- Save on time and money.
- Mistakes don’t effect a whole cake. If you’re unhappy with a particular cupcake, don’t use it. Make extra cupcakes for this purpose.
- If you are bringing cupcakes in to a catering hall, you save on the cake-cutting fee.
- You can offer a variety of cake flavors to your guests.
- You can make a small cupcake tower for each table and save the thousands of dollars spent on floral centerpieces.
- You can offer your guests a second helping, if you like!
The cupcake tower consists of one of more different designs on the cupcakes, displayed on stacked cake boards. Even the simplest designs are enhanced by adding votives, fresh or silk flowers, or tulle alongside the cupcakes on each tier.
In advance, you will need to decide on the design of your cupcake stand and the decorations you will put on the cupcakes.
Assembling the Cupcake Stands:
Even though you can vary the size of your cake boards, the higher the tier, the smaller the cake board. To serve 150 - 200 people, you will need 2 cupcake stands. For each one, create a 4-tier stand with cake boards, starting with 16″, then 12″, 9″ and finally 6″. The boards can be square or you can cut out a shape, if you like, by purchasing large pieces of foamcore. Your local craft store will have most of the things you need. Cover each board with non-stick foil, which comes in different colors. The edge of each cake board can be trimmed with ribbon to match the color scheme. Use either craft glue or hat pins to secure it.
In between the boards, there are a number of things you can do to enhance the display. You can purchase clear vases (wide enough and sturdy enough to support the tiers above) and fill the vases with flower petals, glass marbles, seashells,etc. Very inexpensively, you can also use flower pots in between the cake boards. Just spray paint them and tie a pretty ribbon around them. Check the sturdiness of your cupcake stand before the big day to prevent mishaps.
You can offer 2 flavors of cake to your guests by placing each flavor on its own stand. Let your guests know with a hand-written sign you place on the table in front of each one. You don’t have to fit all the cupcakes on the stands. Placing them on the cake table around the cupcake stands enhances the display.
Decorating the Cupcake Stands:
Decorations should be placed towards the center of each cake board so guests can easily retrieve a cupcake without disturbing the arrangement. Extend the decorations out on to the cake table and intermingle them with the cupcakes.
Cupcake Ideas:
If you know how to decorate cakes, you can make royal icing flowers. They will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. These decorations can also be purchased. Or try adding molded chocolate decoration in hearts, seashells, or flowers. Craft stores carry chocolate in all different colors.
You can easily make the cupcakes more elaborate by adding silver non-pariels, pearl beads, ribbon, small plastic wedding bells, or other wedding decorations sold for making favors.
Cupcake Decorating Ideas:
Consider incorporating your wedding colors and theme into the cupcake decorations and the cake stand.Add a special touch to the cupcakes by icing them with a pastry bag fitted with a cake decorating tip. Once the icing hardens, the decorations won’t stick. If you work with someone else, have your helper add the decorations after each cupcake is iced. If you are working alone, you will need to keep icing handy to add fresh icing on top of the cupcake before adding the decorations.
Transporting the Cupcakes:
Any sturdy boxes will work fine for transporting the cupcakes. Separate them with balls of tissue paper to prevent them from falling over and bumping into one another.
Use your imagination to create unique cupcake ideas that will be the hit of the wedding!
Theresa Happe is a baker, cake decorator, and author of http://www.cake-decorating-corner.com
a website featuring cake photos with detailed instructions for all occasions, and cake and icing recipes.
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Easy Cake Decorating Ideas For Beginners
Beautiful cakes are not just for big bucks on extra-special occasions. You can learn easy <a href=”http://technorati.com/tag/cake-decorating-ideas” rel=”tag” class=”in”><img style=”border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em” src=”http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16×13.png?tag=cake-decorating-ideas” alt=” ” />cake decorating ideas</a>that you can do yourself to make even an ordinary boxed cake mix look extraordinary. With a few simple tools and techniques and the easy cake decorating ideas in this article, you’ll be able to make a beautiful cake yourself at home.
Icing The Cake
Most of the time, you’ll want to start with smooth icing all over the cake. To get a smooth surface, make sure the cake is completely cooled and your frosting is not too thick. Thinner icing will spread more easily and end up with a smoother finish.
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First, put a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake. This is called the crumb coat, and it will keep crumbs from getting mixed in with the frosting that you’ll see on the finished cake. At this point, you can refrigerate the cake to set the crumb coat and make it easier to apply the top coat.
Next, use an icing spatula to put on the second coat of icing. Start with a large amount of icing in the middle of the top of the cake and spread it toward the edges. When the top of the cake is completely covered, cover the sides of the cake. To smooth the sides, hold the spatula straight up and down and hold the edge against the cake as you spin the plate.
For the best look, try to get the frosting as smooth as possible all over cake. For the top of the cake, hold the spatula perfectly horizontal. For the sides, hold it perfectly upright. Try dipping the spatula in hot water and drying it before gliding across the frosting for even smoother results.
Getting smooth, even icing on your cakes is probably the hardest part of cake decorating. Practice these techniques until you can get perfectly smooth frosting, and you might find that you don’t even need any other cake decorating ideas for an elegant, beautiful cake.
Simple Cake Decorating Ideas
For a simply elegant cake with a really easy technique, dust your frosted cake with powdered sugar. Try using a stencil for a themed or geometric design on the top of the cake. Remember making paper snowflakes as a kid? Make one to fit the top of your cake and use it as a stencil for a one-of-a-kind powdered sugar design.
If you want a more detailed, three-dimensional design, you can buy ready-to-use decorations and cake toppers in just about any theme you can think of. Candy flowers and letters, sprinkles in special shapes, and even small toys can be used to top your cake.
For an especially tasty look, sprinkle the cake with candy, nuts, shredded coconut, or chocolate shavings. Or use fresh fruit, like a simple ring of strawberry slices or an elaborate pattern of a few kinds of fruits. For a different style, decorate only the sides of the cake and leave the top smooth, or surround a simply frosted cake with fresh fruit or flowers.
Another option is to use a decorating comb or decorating triangle to add texture to the frosting. A decorating comb is a simple piece of plastic or metal with a variety of shaped edges. You drag the comb along the frosting to leave a textured pattern in the frosting. This is a great option if you’re having trouble getting your icing as smooth as you want it to be.
Anyone Can Master These Easy Cake Decorating Ideas
These easy cake decorating ideas will help you make all your cakes more beautiful and are easy enough for anyone to learn. Master these techniques, and then consider taking cake decorating classes locally or online to learn more advanced cake decorating ideas and techniques like piping with a pastry bag and using fondant.
Want to learn more advanced cake decorating ideas and techniques? Try inexpensive and convenient cake decorating classes that you can take online.
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Fast Lemon Meringue Pie
Fast Lemon Meringue Pie
By Vince Platania
Lemon meringue pie is a favorite dessert for many people, especially as the weather gets warmer because the lemon flavor is so refreshing. Lemon meringue pie can be intimidating if you’ve never tried to make a meringue, though, because meringue looks harder than it is. One way to cut down on the work is by making a fast lemon meringue pie with an easy pie crust and filling that lets you devote the most time to making perfect peaks.
A commercial pie crust will work for lemon meringue pie but it’s even more delicious if you make your own. An easy and quick pie crust can be made by crushing half a box of graham crackers and mixing them with one stick of butter that you’ve allowed to soften at room temperature. Mix the two together, cover the bottom of the pie pan and bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees. This is a delicious pie crust that tastes great in lemon meringue pie or any of your favorite pie recipes.
Next make the pie filling by combining a lemon pudding mix like lemon dessert mix with 3/4 cup sugar, 3 cups water, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and three well-beaten egg yolks (separate the egg whites and save them because you’ll need them for the meringue). Cook according to package directions and pour into your baked piecrust. You can also add some grated lemon zest to your lemon meringue pie to give it even more of that fresh flavor.
To make the meringue, beat three egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar using an electric mixer. Add five teaspoons of sugar gradually and keep beating until stiff peaks form in the bowl. Spoon the meringue on top of the rest of the lemon meringue pie, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees in a preheated oven. Let the pie cool before serving (it should be ready in an hour or two). Add more egg whites and cream of tartar if you want a higher layer of meringue on your pie. You can also dress up the lemon meringue pie by adding Cool Whip and candied lemon slices on top when the pie has cooled off.
Rawleigh Products was founded in the late 1800s to create a line of “Good Health Products” that possessed both strength and quality. Visit http://www.rawleigh-products.com or Call # 1-800-992-1089
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Healthy Muffin Recipe with Yoghurt and Oats
Sweet treats for kids that are also healthy can be hard to come by, healthy treats that the kids actually like even harder. This recipe has been tried and tested by a part of the blogging community all around the world and as far as I can tell has been universally a hit with kids and parents alike. The muffins are moist and keep for a few days, have a good crust and flavour and get devoured as soon as they have cooled down enough to eat. Mums like them because the yoghurt and oatmeal ingredients spell Nutrition with a capital N, kids like them because they taste good and they didn’t actually see you putting that healthy stuff in, when you were baking them. If your kids are picky and recoil in horror from such things as plain yoghurt and oats, present them with the baked muffins without telling them what’s in them!
You can experiment with your own flavours. I used banana and cinnamon for mine, as that was what I had in the house and because my kids pick raisins out of any baking, leaving a trail of crumbs around the house, or a heap of raisins and crumbs for me to eat in Hoovermum mode. I’d like to try with nuts too, but again only one child likes nuts so the same thing would happen…I do believe that chocolate chips would go down well though, if only I had some in the house!
Yoghurt and Oat Muffin Recipe
1 cup unsweetened plain yoghurt
1 cup rolled oats
1 egg
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
1 ¼ cups self-raising flour
1 ripe banana mashed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Alternative flavour combinations:
instead of the banana and cinnamon try adding
1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ cup chocolate chips or
½ cup mixed nuts and raisins
or make up your own variation with whatever berries and fruits are in season.
Mix together the yoghurt and oats and leave them to soak in the fridge for half and hour. After they have soaked, beat in the egg, sugar and the oil, and fold in the flour with ingredients for whichever flavour combination you have decided on.
Spoon the mixture into a greased muffin tray. You will get either 12 large muffins or 24 small ones. If you are baking them for lunch boxes it is a good idea to line the tins with paper muffin cases. Bake at 200C / 400F for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is springy to the touch and golden brown.
Small muffins are excellent for school lunch boxes if there are any left over. They also solve that eternal dilemma of contributions to those school bake sales and class events when teachers ask for healthy foods only, but your child wants to take something delicious - if you tell the teacher what’s in the muffins they’re sure to count them as healthy, just use raisins and nuts rather than chocolate chips in this case!
Copyright 2007 Kit Heathcock
Kit Heathcock - worked and travelled in Italy for many years, is passionate about food and is lucky enough to work from home and have time to cook and write. She contributes to A Flower Gallery home of original flower pictures, Just the Planet and Original Orange.
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Quick and Easy Cookie Recipes - Drop Sugar Cookies and White Chip Apricot Oatmeal Cookies
If you love homemade cookies but you just don’t have a lot of time to indulge in baking, here are some cookie recipes for you. Maybe you are a young mother who works or just doesn’t have a lot of free time, yet you would love to bake with your children as your mother and/or grandmother did with you. These recipes are perfect for you. Drop Sugar Cookies allow you to make delicious sugar cookies without rolling, cutting and decorating. And the White Chip Apricot Oatmeal Cookies take oatmeal cookies to a new level! So get out the ingredients, grab the kiddos and have some baking fun.
DROP SUGAR COOKIES
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar + additional sugar for topping
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. In a large bowl, using a wire whisk, whisk eggs until blended. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest; mix well. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until well blended. Chill, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Mist the bottom of a 3-inch flat-bottom glass with water and dip glass in additional sugar. Press tops of cookies lightly with the glass, misting with water and dipping into sugar for each cookie. Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for two minutes then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
WHITE CHIP APRICOT OATMEAL COOKIES
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
10-oz pkg Hershey’s Premier White Chips
3/4 cup dried apricots
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add flour and baking soda; beat until well blended. Stir in oats, white chips and apricots. Loosely form rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or just until lightly browned. Do not overbake! Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy!
For more Quick and Easy Recipes visit http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com
For more “Sweet Treats” visit http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com
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Unique Brownie Recipes
By Jill Borash
Pineapple Brownies Recipe
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
2 (1 ounce) squares chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup chopped nuts
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add in vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Put one cup of the mixture and the pineapple into a small bowl. Mix well. To the other dough mixture, add in the melted chocolate and nuts. Mix well. In a 9 x 13-inch pan, spread out 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate mixture. Put the pineapple mixture on top of it. Drop by teaspoonfuls the rest of the chocolate mixture on top of the pineapple one and spread the chocolate mixture so that it covers the pineapple one. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes.
Black and White Brownies Recipe
White layer:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
2/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons cream
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add the oatmeal and cocoanut. Add the melted butter and cream. Mix well. Put mixture in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Chocolate layer:
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together. Allow to cool while you mix the other ingredients. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and chocolate mixture. Add the dry ingredients to this mixture. Add in the nuts and vanilla and beat until the mixture is smooth. Spread the chocolate layer over the white one. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Jill Seader shares more fun, free baking recipes at her website, http://www.YourBakingStory.com . Come enjoy the baking recipes and share one of your own. Happy Baking!
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Whole Wheat Bread Recipes - Something Great For Your Bread Machine
No matter what you may think, wheat bread is very healthy and delicious. American garlic & parsley bread, Amish bread, anadama bread and apple carrot bread are 4 recipes that prove just how 
wheat bread is so delicious.
Below are the recipes so you can make your own decision.
1. American Garlic & Parsley Bread - Machine
Amount Measure Ingredient: Preparation Method
- 1/2 teaspoons Active dry yeast
- cups Bread flour
- tablespoons Wheat germ
- tablespoons Wheat bran
- 3/4 teaspoons Salt
- tablespoons Sugar
- tablespoons Vegetable oil
- Garlic cloves — minced
- tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cups Water
Directions:
- Add all ingredients in the order suggested by your bread machine manual and process on the basic bread cycle according to the manufacturer’s directions. Use White bread setting.
- Let the loaf cool before slicing. Serve plain or toasted.
“This is good bread for a steak sandwich, French dip roast beef,
or a grilled mozzarella cheese and tomato sandwich.
Baking the garlic right in the bread lightens the garlic flavor.
10 of 151
If this is not a strong enough garlic statement for you, add another clove.”
2. Amish Bread
Amount Measure Ingredient - Preparation Method
—–1/2 LB LOAF—-
- 1 cup WATER + 1 T
- 4 tablespoons Olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 1/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons Yeast
- 3 teaspoons Vital wheat gluten
—–1 LB LOAF—–
- 6 ounces WATER
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups flour + 2 T
- 1 teaspoon Yeast
- 2 teaspoons Vital wheat gluten
Direction:
- Place ingredients into BM pan according to your machine’s directions.
- Bake on regular cycle. light setting.
3. Anadama Bread
Amount Measure Ingredient - Preparation Method
—–FOR 1-1/2 LB. LOAF—–
- 1 package Yeast
- 3 1/2 cups Bread flour
- 1/3 cup Yellow cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cups Boiling water
- 1/3 cup Molasses
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Butter
Directions:
- Place cornmeal into a bowl.
- Carefully pour boiling water into cornmeal, stirring to make sure it is smooth.
- Let stand for about 30 minutes.
- Stir in molasses, salt and butter.
- Place yeast into the B/M pan, bread flour, then cornmeal mixture.
- Select white bread and push start.
4. Apple Carrot Bread
Amount Measure Ingredient - Preparation Method
- 1 1/8 cups Apple juice
- 1/3 cup Carrots — grated
- 1 1/2 Eggs
- 2 1/3 tablespoons Maple syrup -=OR=- honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/3 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Vital gluten — to 3 tbls
- 3/4 cup Oat -=OR=- wheat flakes
- 3 cups Whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons Yeast
- 1/3 cup dried apples
- 1/3 cup Nuts — chopped (opt)
Directions:
- Add ingredients according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Medium color setting. Add nuts and apples at the beep.
Makes 1-1/2 lb loaf.
Next, you welcome to visit our website: The Delicious Recipes Package and Cheap Meal Ideas Recipes for more delicious recipes.
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Baking Bread - A Recipe for White Bread
Fresh bread is one of the simple joys of living: the appetising smell of it baking, then with the loaf fresh out of the oven, the temptation of tearing a hunk off the loaf before it has even had time to cool down. Riding home in the car from a bakery, or even a supermarket, with a warm, new loaf in a brown paper bag, you have to have an iron will to get home with that loaf intact, especially with children in the car with you too.
baking bread at home can be fun, if you are not under pressure. It is a task that children can help with, kneading alongside you. When you are forming the loaves you can section off some dough for them to make their own sculpturally shaped rolls, which they can take to school proudly in their lunch boxes the next day. Then you get to fill your house with the scent of baking bread, making it feel warm and welcoming on even the most dismal winter day.
Breadmaking machines, of the sort that you feed it the ingredients then it spits out a ready baked loaf a few hours later are a boon to those with no time to bake for themselves – you get the pleasures of waking up to the aroma of bread wafting through the house, without any of the labour to produce it. If you have time though, making bread is not hard. It can be a relaxing, meditative experience. As your hands rhythmically knead the dough, you can let your mind wander and feel the link with all the men and women who have gone about this daily task over the centuries.
If you have never tried making bread before, try this simple recipe for a plain white loaf first. Nothing fancy, just plain, delicious 
white bread with far more chew and texture than shop bread could ever have.
White Bread Recipe
1kg/2.2lbs white bread flour
15g/4 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon salt
about 700ml/ not quite 3 cups water
You need a large mixing bowl or you can heap the flour onto a clean surface and make a well for the water. I use a bowl and mix the flour and salt, make a well for the yeast, then pour the water in, gradually stirring with a knife. Once it has come together into dough, tip it out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, sprinkling on more flour as you go, when it gets too sticky.
Knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it away with the heel of the other, fold it back on itself and repeat. It will start off sticky and lumpy and gradually become smooth. After 10 minutes it should feel springy and rise up again if you dent it with your finger. Put it in the bowl again, cover with a plastic bag or clean cloth and leave in a warm place away from draughts for an hour and a half, till it has doubled in size. If you are in the depths of winter and no warm places are available, it will still rise, just taking longer. Go by the doubling in size rather than the length of time it takes.
Knock the dough down - squashing all the air out of it again - then shape it into two loaves, which can be round, long, plaited or sculptural! Put the loaves onto a floured or lightly oiled baking tray. Leave to rise again for 3/4 of an hour, again covering with a plastic bag or cloth, then bake at 200C/400F for 30 minutes. (If the kids make small rolls they’ll be done sooner, check after 15 minutes). The bread is done when it sounds hollow as you knock on the bottom of the loaf.
The great thing about bread is that it’ll be edible even if you over-bake it, just crustier. My only failure with this recipe was the first time I made it. I made one huge loaf with this quantity and the centre was a bit underdone, but even then we could eat the rest of it.
Cool your loaves on a wire rack and try not to scoff the lot while it is still warm…
Once you’ve had a few tries with this recipe, and convinced yourself you can bake, it is no great leap to try out other yeast breads. The process is the same for most of them. The only danger is that once you start baking your own bread, your family won’t let you stop!
Kit Heathcock - worked and travelled in Italy for many years, is passionate about food and loves being a fulltime mother. Co-creator of A Flower Gallery, home of original flower pictures, Food and Family and Great Books Reviewed
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Food Processor French Bread With Italian Herbs
A piece of crunchy bread can make the simplest meal - soup, stew, an omelet - into a fancy meal. Many restaurants are serving frozen bread these days. This bread is often under-baked or lacking in flavor. Instead of hearing a crunch when you bite into the bread you hear nothing. Even worse, the bread feels squishy in your mouth.
What a disappointment.
The way to avoid disappointment is to bake your own bread. Your first reaction, I would wager, is that you don’t have time to bake bread. Well, this recipe for 
french bread hardly takes any time at all and tastes as good as bakery bread. If you have a food processor you can have French bread in a flash.
Serve it straight from the oven and your family will say “Ahhhh.”
INGREDIENTS
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
Assemble ingredients in food processor. Pulse. Add 1 cup warm water and process on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Place dough in bowl that has been coated with cooking spray. Cover with a towel and let dough rise until it almost reaches the top of the bowl.
Sprinkle a bread board with cornmeal. Turn dough out onto board and cut in half with a serrated knife. Pull and stretch each half into a long, thin loaf. (You may have to roll the dough a bit.) Slash the tops of the loaves with a sharp knife or scissor. Place loaves in a nonstick baguette pan.
Put the pan on the top rack of a COLD oven. Put a pan of ice cubes on the bottom rack. Set the oven temperature to 450-475 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are light brown and the bread sounds hollow. A 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder may be added to this recipe for even more flavor.
http://www.harriethodgson.com
http://www.healthwriter.blogspot.com
Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the former “Rochester Magazine” in her hometown of Rochester, MN.
Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find another review on the American Hospice Foundation website under the “School Corner” heading.
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