Whole Wheat Honey Bread

2/3 cup milk
4 Tbsp. oleo
3 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raw bran flakes * (optional)
1/4 cup wheat germ * (optional)
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups bread flour (white)
2 pkgs. Fleishmann's dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp. sugar

(* Purchased @ Health Food Store)

Combine first 6 ingredients in small saucepan. Heat til warm and sugar is dissolved. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and 1 tsp. sugar. When frothy, which takes just a few minutes, add to above mixture. Combine the bran flakes, wheat germ and wheat flour, mixing well, and then add to liquid mixture, mixing well. Add in the white flour, kneading till well mixed. Place in large greased warm bowl: oil top lightly. Cover with wax paper. Allow to raise in warmed oven til double in size, about 45 minutes. Reshape into 2 loaves and place in greased bread pans. Oil tops lightly and poke holes in top with a fork; cover with wax paper. Allow to raise to desired loaf size. Bake in 350 degree preheated oven til bread sounds hollow when tapped on top. Yield: 2 loaves

Directions for bread machine: Combine first 6 ingredients plus the 1 1/2 cups of water in small saucepan and heat til warm and sugar is dissolved. Pour into bread machine pan. Combine the dry ingredients, mixing together well, before adding to bread machine mixture. Make indentation in top of dry ingredients and add yeast. Start machine. (I always check dough in case it needs a little more liquid. This dough will be somewhat stiffer than for white bread.) I just set my machine on the dough setting as I prefer to raise the dough in bread pans (as directed above) and bake in conventional oven at 350 degrees. Yield: 2 loaves

Grandma's White Bread

2 cups milk
2 cups water
3 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. granulated sugar
8 cups bread flour (may need more)
2 pkg. Fleishmann's dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. granulated sugar

Combine first 5 ingredients in small saucepan. Heat til quite warm. Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp. sugar. When frothy looking, which takes just a few minutes, add to warm milk mixture. Pour into very large warm mixing bowl. Add flour a couple cups at a time, kneading well after each addition. Place in large greased bowl; grease top lightly with oil. Cover with wax paper. Allow to raise in warmed oven til double in size, about 30 minutes. Reshape into 4 loaves and place in greased bread pans. Oil tops lightly. Cover with wax paper. Allow to raise to desired loaf size. Bake in 400 degree preheated oven til bread sounds hollow when tapped on top. Yield: 4 loaves

Directions for bread machine: I half ALL ingredients as I have found that my machine handles 2 loaves very well. Combine first 5 ingredients (halved) plus 1/4 cup of water in small saucepan and heat til warm and sugar is dissolved. Pour into bread machine pan. Add the flour, making indentation in top. Add 1 pkg. yeast in center. (No need to add the tsp. of sugar.) Start machine. I just set my machine on the dough setting as I prefer to raise the dough in bread pans (as directed above) and bake in conventional oven at 400 degrees. Yield: 2 loaves

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

1 Duncan Hines Devil's Food cake mix
1/3 cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
6 oz. chocolate morsels, semi-sweet or milk chocolate

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cake as directed on box. Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full. Beat sugar, cream cheese and egg together. Stir in the chocolate morsels by hand. Add a heaping teaspoonful on the top of each cupcake. Bake 22-24 minutes. After baking, the filling will have disappeared into the middle of each cupcake. No frosting needed, as it actually makes the cupcakes too sweet and ruins the effects of the cream cheese filling. I usually make a seasonal cutout of some design, such as a Christmas tree, heart, etc. and sprinkle confectioners sugar over it, leaving the design on the top of each cupcake. Makes 24. Betcha can’t eat just one!