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 Bread Recipes from Sage Hill Farms

Black Orchard Apple Bread
Any good cooking apple will workPre-heat stove oven to 350*
Set Convection oven to 325*1 cup Blackstrap Molasses
1 cup grapeseed oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp real sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups peeled/chopped apple
1 cup raisins (soaked and drained – optional)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)Grease 2 large loaf pans

Beat together the oil, molasses, and eggs. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt, soda and cinnamon

Add dry ingredients to the liquid mixture
Add vanilla, apples, raisins, and nuts

Stir just until all dry ingredients are moist.

Pour equal amounts into loaf pans and bake for one hour.

After an hour check for doneness by running a butter knife into the center…should come out clean. If not another 10 minutes should do it…don’t over cook.

Cool on a wire rack upside down

Remove from pans as soon as possible to avoid sweating.

I serve with soft butter or jam

Can top with any good glaze or serve plain

I hope you try it and love it!

Grandma Lily’s Teacakes
(A Welsh Tradition)

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 cup-cold-unsalted butter (diced)
1/3 cup raisins
1 large egg (slightly beaten)
1/4 cup milk

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and mace.

Cut the cold butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with two knives or your fingers.

The mixture should look like course crumbs.

Stir in raisins, add the beaten egg and enough milk to form a soft dough.

Knead the dough gently on a floured surface and roll to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.

Cut into rounds using a 2-1/2 inch cookie cutter.

Heat a griddle pan to a medium hot…lightly butter.

Cook the cakes about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown but still soft in the middle.

Immediately after removing from griddle sprinkle with granulated or powdered sugar.

Serve warm with a slather of butter or jam

After cooling, can be stored at room temps for about a week.

Salsa verde

1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 cloves (or more) garlic (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped.
Sea salt to taste.

Salsa verde is really easy to make from scratch, all you need are tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, lime, and cilantro.

Broil or pan roast the tomatillos long enough to get a darkening and all the flavors have blended.

Then it’s a quick spin in the blender with the other ingredients…Done!

Sage Hill Farms Corn Cake

Easy to cook on an outdoor grill or campfire stove.
Also delicious served as a brunch or breakfast dish at home.
Organic ingredients will make all the difference in taste.

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal (white if possible)
3 tablespoons of local honey
Sprinkling of real salt
1/2 teaspoon rubbed Sage Hill Farms sage
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried berries
(cranberries are best)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

(Softened unsalted butter and maple syrup for serving, or you can eat these as a snack while hiking the woods or strolling the park.)

In a bowl stir together the flour, the honey, and a pinch of salt and the sage.
Stir in the cranberries.
In another bowl, mix the egg with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix, just until combined. Don’t over mix.

In an 8 or 9 inch iron skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil until shimmering hot. Pour and smooth the batter into the hot skillet. Cover partially and cook over medium low heat until corn cake has browned on the bottom. (About 5 minutes)

Using a spatula, remove from the skillet and add remaining oil to the pan. Gently invert the corn cake back into the pan and cook until it is brown on this side. (about another 5 minutes.)

Good hot or cold
Recipe serves 4 to 6 and is easy to double.

The Best Rye Bread

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
4 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees F) divided
2 cups rye flour
6 tablespoons Honey or raw sugar
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 teaspoons pink salt
7 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons cornmeal (I use white only)

TOPPING:
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 teaspoons caraway seed

In a 4-qt. glass bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water; whisk in rye flour until smooth. Lightly cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm place for about 4 hours or until batter falls about 1 in. and surface bubble activity is reduced. Stir in the sugar, caraway seeds, salt, 5 cups all-purpose flour and remaining water; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes (don’t over knead). Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Divide dough into four portions. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Shape into four round loaves, about 6 in. each. Coat two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon cornmeal. Place loaves on pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

With a sharp knife, make several slashes across the top of each loaf. Brush with egg. Sprinkle each loaf with 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, rotating pans after 15 minutes, or until browned. Cool on wire racks.

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

2 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup honey or pure cane-raw sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs-lightly beaten
3/4 cups sour cream
1/3 cup (half stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted real butter
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk (organic) or coconut milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 & 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 & 1/2 cups fresh blueberries-washed and drained

Pre-heat oven to 400*

Lightly coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking oil-I use grape-seed oil.

In a large bowl combine 21/4 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder and salt-set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, butter, milk, lemon juice and zest.

Using a fork, stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined (do not over mix).

In a small bowl combine remaining 3 tablespoons flour and the blueberries, coating gently and fold into the batter.

Spoon 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, loosen edges and turn out.

Serve with fresh butter while hot or store in an air tight container after completely cooled.

Blackberry/Cornmeal Muffins

1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup stone-ground white cornmeal or Organic yellow meal
1 Tablespoon baking-powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs…fresh or organic-lightly beaten
3/4 cup pure Organic honey
1 cup buttermilk
6 Tablespoons Organic unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 400*.

Butter 18 muffin cups or use liners. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine—-flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl combine—-eggs, honey, sugar, buttermilk, and unsalted butter…add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened….Gently fold in the blackberries.

Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling each cup 3/4 full.

Bake at 400*for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden test pick comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

These freeze really well and reheat well.

Buttermilk Hush Puppies

1-1/2 cup white cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached flour
4 green onions-chopped (can substitute sweet onion)
1 egg
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp melted butter (real butter)

Mix all ingredients-drop by tablespoon into hot cooking oil (grape-seed is best)

Fry until golden brown…drain on paper towels

Modenia’s Spoon Bread
Dates to my Great-grand mothers time~

2 cups whole milk
1 cup water (hot)
1 cup white corn meal
2 Tablespoons real butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs (separated)

Cooking oil…I use grapeseed

Combine milk, water, cornmeal, butter and salt
Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly, remove from heat

Beat egg whites until stiff and gradually add the yolks
Gradually add 1/3 of the hot mixture into the egg mixture
Add to remaining hot mixture stirring constantly

Pour into a well oiled 1-1/2 quart casserole dish

Bake at 350* for 35 to 45 minutes…don’t over bake.

Strawberry/Black Walnut Muffins/Bread
Makes 12 regular size muffins
Baking Time is about 30 minutes2 cups all purpose/unbleached flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with knife, plus 2 teaspoons more for tossing with strawberries
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick or 1/2 cup unsalted Real butter, softened
1 cup local honey or raw sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup milk (raw dairy or coconut milk)
3/4 cups finely chopped Black Walnuts
2-1/4 cups diced strawberries-divided
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners; spray the liners and the pan with non-stick cooking spray.In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.With electric mixer, beat the butter/honey or raw sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract (The batter may look a little grainy — that’s okay).With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three separate additions, alternating with the milk and ending with the flour.Toss the strawberries with 2 teaspoons of flour (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom). Set 1/2 cup of the berries aside. Add the remaining berries to the batter and fold with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over mix.Stir in walnutsScoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin (I use an ice-cream scoop) they will be very full. Scatter the reserved berries evenly over the muffins, then sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the center of each muffin (keeping the sugar away from the edges will prevent sticking).Bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Run a sharp knife around the top edge of each muffin to free it from the pan if necessary (the edges can stick), then let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely.

Grandma Williams Raisin Cake
(Bake in an Iron skillet)

2-1/2 cups dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, currants or dates
1-3/4 cups brewed black tea
2 cups self-raising flour
2 cups plain wholemeal flour
3/4 cups local honey or raw sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon mixed spice or….1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and allspice…a pinch of each-clove and ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp jam (peach, berry or apricot)

Night before: Set fruit to soak in the tea

Baking day….Preheat oven to 325, grease Iron skillet (can bake in Loaf pans-1 large, 1 small…or 3 small)

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, then add other dry ingredients and mix.

Beat the egg and add to mixture, along with the jam and fruit and remaining tea…stir until just mixed.

Divide into loaf pans or pour into a 10″ Iron skillet..bake about an hour or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean.

If using small loaf pans check at 45 minutes.

Cool about 15 minutes…turn out of pans and store in airtight container at room temp.


Flavored Butters
Stir these ingredients into a softened container of real butter.

Bourbon-Pecan Butter
1/3 cup-toasted, chopped pecans
1 Tbsp bourbon
2 Tbsp. cane syrup

Chocolate-Cherry Butter
1/3 cup finely grated semi-sweet chocolate baking bar
1 Tbsp cherry jam or syrup
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Honey-Ginger Butter
3 Tbsp chopped fresh Chives or green onion tops
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger

Mustard-Poppy Seed Butter
1 Tbsp. minced green onion
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. poppy seed
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Banana Bread (nuts are optional)

2 very ripe bananas
3/4 teaspoon stevia powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to *350
oil one med. size loaf pan

Mash bananas in small bowl.
Mix the stevia and lemon juice into the mashed bananas.
Set aside…

Sift flour, leavenings, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
( sift the flour twice if using regular WW instead of pastry flour.)

Beat the egg and oil until creamy.
Beat in the yogurt/buttermilk and vanilla.
Stir the mashed bananas into the liquid.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring as little as possible.
Mix in the walnuts just before the flour is completely blended.

Place into the loaf pan.
Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a rack and turn out immediately.

GOOD NO-YEAST DILL BREAD

2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups whole grain flour
1 rounded teaspoon dried dill seed, crushed
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

Sift together the first 4 ingredients, and then stir in whole wheat flour and dill seed. In another bowl, mix buttermilk, butter and sugar. Add to dry ingredients.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350* until brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

CRANBERRY ORANGE MUFFINS

1 cup copped, fresh cranberries
3/4 tsp powdered Stevia
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup, warmed
2- 1/4 cups whole grain pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 large free range egg
2 tbsp sesame tahini
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
grated rind of one orange
3/4 cup fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 375*. Oil the muffin pans.

Chop the cranberries by pulsing on grind in a blender. Place in a small bowl.

Mix the Stevia and warmed honey or syrup into the cranberries and set aside.

Sift the flour, leavening’s, and salt together in a bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the oil and egg together with a wire whisk. Mix in the tahini. Beat in the yogurt, then the orange rind and orange juice.

Stir the sweetened cranberries into the batter.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring as little as possible. Spoon into muffin tins.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, remove from pan and cool on a rack.

TIP: Soak the cranberries in the stevia overnight on the counter or in the frig. The soaking will give you a better blending of the two tastes.

Sage Buttermilk Biscuits

1/2 cup cold, unsalted real butter (softened)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1tbsp baking powder
1tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp honey or pure cane raw sugar
1 tbsp finely minced sage leaves (fresh or dried)
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp heavy cream

Heat oven to 450*

In a large mixing bowl cut the butter into the flour until it is like coarse meal.
Add the baking powder, salt, soda, sugar, and sage. Stir to combine.

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk – mix with a fork or your hands until all ingredients come together. (Don’t over-knead)

On a lightly floured work surface, form dough into a ball and roll to about 1/2″ thickness. Flour a 3″ biscuit cutter or a glass rim and cut the biscuits. Makes 12.

Keep rolling the dough until all is used.

Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet and brush with cream.
Bake until golden brown…10 to 15 minutes, depending on oven temps.

(Tribute to my mother for these delicious biscuits…I grew up loving them and still do.)