Bread Machine Rolls

Hi all, and especially to my Circle of Friends from WEEC, 100.7FM.  Today's recipe on 'Confectionately Yours' was my Bread Machine Rolls.

This is my 'go-to' recipe for bread.  I make it at least twice a week.  Depending on how you shape them, they can be hamburger or hot dog buns or dinner rolls.  I hope you will enjoy them!!

BREAD MACHINE ROLLS

(My "go-to" recipe for yeast bread)

1 egg
3 T. olive oil

4-1/2 c. bread flour
2-1/2 tsp. rapid rise yeast (I use Saf-Instant)
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar

Place egg in measuring cup and add enough warm water to bring total amount to

1-2/3 cup. Pour into bread machine pan. Add rest of ingredients in order given. Set

machine to dough setting. This cycle should run about 80 minutes. When cycle is

complete, remove dough. Punch down dough to remove air bubbles. It should be

smooth, elastic, and easy to shape. If handled too much the gluten will activate and

make the dough tough to manipulate. If difficult to shape, allow to rest 5 minutes for

the gluten to relax. Roll dough into long tube shape and cut 24 pieces for rolls or 16

pieces for sandwich buns. Roll dough into an oval shape for deli style rolls or round

for hamburger buns. Place dough on greased cookie sheet. Spray with nonstick baking

spray and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm draft free place and allow to

"proof" or rise for 45 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 350° and bake rolls

for 8-13 minutes until very light brown. Brush with melted butter immediately after

removing from oven. This will soften the surface of the rolls. Store in airtight

container when completely cool.--You may refrigerate dough after shaping and let it

"cold rise" in the refrigerator overnight (up to 16 hours). Remove from fridge and

allow rolls to come to room temp while oven preheats.--Dough may also be frozen

after shaping. When completely frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to use

dough, preheat oven to 200°, then turn oven OFF when it reaches set temp. Place rolls

on greased cookie sheet, spray with nonstick spray, cover with plastic wrap and place

in the warm oven to rise for 60-85 minutes or until doubled. Remove from oven, then

preheat to 350° and continue as directed above. Remove plastic wrap before baking. (I

use this oven method for my initial proofing also-it takes about 30-45 minutes for dough

fresh from the machine to rise.)

Note: Try not to be intimidated by yeast breads. I had some failures early on when I

didn't know what the dough was supposed to look like when risen or what was

"doubled." I didn't attempt bread again until the bread machine came along. It kneads

evenly & the instant yeasts of today make the most of our limited kitchen time and

yield great results.

You Have Not Because You Ask Not.

My husband and I were stationed in Fairbanks, AK from 1982-86.  We were young with no kids at that point.  Moving from MS to AK was an adventure for sure!!

We had a favorite restaurant there in Fairbanks that had a colonial English feel to it from the costumed waiters and waitresses to the food served in pewter like dishes.  The food was homey and hearty like one would expect of English fare, but it was the featured dessert that kept us coming back time and again.  They would even give you the recipe if you asked for it.

I was on the hunt for recipes even then and I was overjoyed to discover the recipe for “burnt crème” or crème brulee’ as the French folks might say.  I’m from Paris, MS…not Paris, France, so burnt cream it is for me. It is easy to make, economical, and so rich that one serving satisfies my sweet tooth.

I never make this recipe that I do not fondly remember that time in my life, and the friends I shared this decadent dessert with at Clinkerdagger’s, Bickerstaff, and Pett’s-that English themed eatery.  I was saddened to discover that this establish no longer exists, but grateful that they were willing to share this recipe with anyone requested it.

Many restaurants guard their recipes, and understandably so, but if I like a certain dish, I usually do ask if they share.  You just never know.  I have a few in my recipes in my files that came from those very sources.  I guess the scripture verse that might apply here is James 4:2.  “You have not because you ask not.”

Burnt Cream

2 c. whipping cream                                 1/2 c. sugar

4 egg yolks                                               2 tsp. vanilla (Mexican, if possible)

Heat cream until bubbles form around edge of pan. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until thick, about 3 minutes. Whisk a small amount of the heated cream into the egg yolks, gradually adding more until all is incorporated. Add vanilla.

Pour about 1/2-2/3 cup. into custard cups.  Place in large pan or casserole dish. Add enough water to the pan, bringing water level about 1/2" up the sides of the cups.

Bake in a preheated 350° oven about 45 minutes or until set. Cool to room temp, then cover and refrigerate.

For authentic creme brulee-at serving time, sprinkle extra sugar on top and broil until it melts and is golden brown. As the sugar cools, it will form a sweet crust you must break through to enjoy the creamy custard.   I prefer it plain, garnished with mandarin oranges and mint. Yield: Four-1/2 cup servings

Note: I have successfully made this with half and half instead of cream and also fat free half and half with Splenda as the sweetener for those with lower fat/calorie restrictions.

I have also baked this in glass punch cups, making sure to allow the custard to cool for 20 minutes in the water bath, then removing it to cool completely before refrigerating.

OTaste & See, the Lord IS Good!!...and a recipe

I have been thinking a lot lately about the senses-touch, hearing, sight, but especially, taste and smell.

We are invited from David in the Psalms-“O taste and see, the Lord is good.”  We are told our prayers are “a sweet smelling savor unto the Lord.” 

Often before a delicious meal is consumed, it is our sense of smell that invites us to taste and enjoy.

Have you ever come home from a long day to have something you threw in the crockpot earlier in the day greet you as you stepped inside?

Go to WEEC.org for a savory crock pot recipe.  Isn’t it kind of amazing that those ingredients that barely had a fragrance when raw, slow cook and become something special?

 The delicious smell is a promise of the good things to come.  It is when my prayer-a sweet smell in the nostrils of God-releases His Spirit & floods being with His Presence that I am overwhelmed and know that I have tasted, and found that, yes, indeed, the Lord is good.

As a young Christian, my prayers were kind of a laundry list of wants and needs. They were like those raw ingredients in my crockpot.

 I hadn’t learned the art of slowing down, being still, listening rather than talking, enjoying God, praising Him, and simply reveling in Him as the great ‘I Am.’  I often pray that I see God’s intervention in my daily life. 

When I discover the tire that just looks a little low to me and I’m able to get it inflated-THEN I’m told by the mechanic that it was almost flat, I acknowledge with gratitude God’s observable presence in this situation.

Beth Moore, one of my favorite writers and speakers calls these interventions “God-stops.”  S-T-O-P Savoring The Observable Presence of God.

I encourage you today to Savor God’s Observable Presence in your life.  Taste and see, the Lord is good.

CROCKPOT ROAST BEEF

3-4 lb. roast beef, trimmed of excess fat

3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 env. onion soup mix

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom, undiluted 

3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

3-4 stalks celery, cut into bite size pieces

1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or more to taste)

Place roast, soup mix, cream soup, and seasonings into crock pot. Add 1-1/2 cups

water. Cook on high for 3 hours, then add vegetables. Continue to cook for another

3-4 hours until meat is tender and vegetables are done. If you won't be home all day,

place all in crock pot with the vegetables on top and cook on low setting for 8 hours.

Serve with hot cornbread, butter, and sweet tea.

Note: I know this recipe seems simplistic, but most good recipes really are the result

of good seasoning and proper cooking times. I use the leftovers for the base of my

vegetable soup. Add a can of green beans, diced tomatoes, corn, pinto beans and/or

frozen lima beans(I like their texture better), and additional liquid with some beef

soup base and simmer for 30 minutes.

I am Sue Murphy, and I am Confectionately Yours.

Balance in Life...and a recipe

I made a recipe the other day that just seemed to be missing something.  It was very good, but I felt the balance of flavors just wasn’t there.  It’s a recipe called Grand Pot Roast.  The beef roast is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, tomato juice, and garlic, then baked in this marinade.

I realized the sweet needed a little sour to tone it down.  Apple cider vinegar was just the ticket. I removed the meat from the sauce, then skimmed off the fat. I heated the mixture in a saucepan. Then I added a few tablespoons of vinegar, to taste, to the sauce.  Now it needed to be a little thicker.  A mixture of flour and water took care of that problem and tightened up that sauce just right.

The end result was tender roast beef in an Asian flavored BBQ sauce.  So yummy!!  The balance of flavors took some work, but I was pleased with the result.

I strive for balance in my own life.  Too much work, and I am so tired that I tend to lose hope and see things from a sour perspective.  My leisure time is sweet, but too much leads me to boredom and procrastination of things that I should be doing.  Life just seems a little flat.  Missing my devotional and prayer time-well that’s just asking for trouble!!

I strive for that perfect balance of quiet time, work, and enjoyable activities.  I bet you do, too.

GRAND POT ROAST

1 3-lb. chuck roast, boneless 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

3 T. vegetable oil 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

3 large cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. butter

1/2 c. tomato juice 1/2 tsp. all purpose flour

1/2 c. dark brown sugar 2 T. sour cream

1/2 c. soy sauce chopped fresh parsley

Apple cider vinegar, 2-3 T.

Place roast in a large glass dish. Combine 2 T. of the oil with the garlic, tomato juice,

sugar, soy sauce, pepper and crushed red pepper in a bowl. Pour over the meat.

Refrigerate covered, turning once, overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour

before cooking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the meat from the marinade. Pat dry.

Heat 1 T. of oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Brown the meat on all sides.

Transfer the meat to a plate. Add the marinade to the pot, scraping the bottom and

sides of the pot. Return the meat. Heat to boiling and bake covered in the oven,

turning once, about 2 hours. Add a little water when you turn the meat if needed.

Transfer the meat to a heatproof platter. Cover and keep warm in a low oven.

Degrease the pan juices. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over med-low heat. Add

the flour. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. whisk in the degreased pan juices. Add the apple cider vinegar.

Heat  to boiling; reduce the heat. simmer 2 minutes. Whisk the sour cream into 2 T. sauce in

a small bowl, then return mixture back to the sauce. Cook over low heat 2 minutes.

Taste and add a little water if too concentrated. Do not allow to boil. Carve meat into

slices. Arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley. Pass the sauce on the side.

Note: Molasses stays shelf stable for a long time. If you are out of brown sugar, add 1

T. molasses to 1 c. sugar to make brown sugar. If dark brown is needed, just add 1 T.

more molasses. Thinned tomato sauce may be substituted for the tomato juice. This

recipe can be made ahead and reminds me of an Asian BBQ.

A Life of Serenity

I hate turmoil. I don’t think anyone could enjoy for any extended period of time chaos and disorder.

I experienced this feeling often when my husband died about 16 months ago. I had so many decisions to make, so much responsibility to take on alone, and frankly folks, I experienced hurt like I never have before in my life. I also had my kids to think of. They were hurting, too, and I couldn’t make the situation better, but I knew how I handled daily life would lead the way for them to carry on.

I ran to the Savior like I have never done before. My quiet time seemed to be the only thing I could control in my life at that point, and God’s Grace and peace was evident to me.

One day, I researched the Serenity Prayer on my computer. You know the one…

God Grant me the Serenity to Accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

These are wise and comforting words….BUT they are not the entire prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930’s. I found the meat of this prayer in the verses that I never knew existed.


The Serenity Prayer




God grant me the serenity


to accept the things I cannot change;


courage to change the things I can;


and wisdom to know the difference.


Living one day at a time;


Enjoying one moment at a time;


Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;


Taking, as He did, this sinful world


as it is, not as I would have it;


Trusting that He will make all things right


if I surrender to His Will;


That I may be reasonably happy in this life


and supremely happy with Him


Forever in the next.


Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

In loving memory of

Fr Bertram Griffin -- 1932-2000

Requiescat in Pace

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3, 5-6

I am trusting God daily to direct my path, I rejoice in the victories and joys along the way, and revel in the attempt to be reasonably happy in this life, knowing I will for sure be supremely happy with Jesus in the next.

I think I might just call this my Recipe for Living. I hope it encourages your heart as it did mine.

I am Sue Murphy…and I am Confectionately Yours.