Cinnamon Rolls

2 packages dry yeast
2 1/2 C. warm water
4 1/2 C. flour
1 yellow cake mix

Let rise 1 hour in warm spot. Punch down, then roll out on floured surface in rectangle. Spread with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Let rise 30 minutes. Cut and bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

Easy Bread

If you like a crusty bread such as French, Foccacia, or sourdough, you will love this bread. I am not a great bread maker, but this is unbelievably easy. My uncle sent me this recipe, along with the link to You Tube, where he found it. You must watch the video & do exactly as he shows. There is an added bonus with the video, Jim Mortenson is very entertaining!

I have made it about 4 times this past week & it turns out every time. I will confess that I don't let it set overnight. That takes too long, so when I get it stirred up in my bowl, I just set it over a pan of warm water, like I would do with any yeast bread to let it rise. It turns out exactly the same. I let it rise 4-6 hours, depending on what I am doing. The beauty of this bread is that it's not fussy. It just hangs out until you are ready to deal with it...my kind of breadmaking!

I bake it in the pie tin, like he shows & when it comes out of the oven, I brush the top with butter, but you wouldn't have to.

I am only listing the ingredients because you need to watch the video for the details of shaping it. You need to give this a try, it is so good & so easy. It's great for panini's, garlic toast, or grilled cheese.

3 C. flour
1 1/2 C. water
1/4 t. yeast
2 t. salt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E68iNfRHBpI

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Gingerbread Recipe

My son brought this recipe home from school when he was in 2nd grade. His teacher had included it in a cookbook that the school had sold as a fundraiser. I always wanted to see if I could authenticate it, so a year ago I searched the internet & found this letter along with the recipe. It was exactly the same recipe that was in my son's cookbook. This letter was written to author Jennie Lindquist at The Horn Book, a publisher of children's stories. The date was October 19th, 1953. I just thought it was great to have one of her recipes in my collection, as I was raised about 30 miles from her Rocky Ridge Homestead where she & Almanzo lived for over 60 years & where she wrote the "Little House" books. I am happy to share it with you.

"1 cup brown sugar blended with 1/2 cup lard or other shortening. 1 cup molasses mixed well with this. 2 teaspoons baking soda in 1 cup boiling water (Be sure cup is full of water after foam is run off into cake mixture). Mix all well. To 3 cups of flour have added one teaspoon each of the following spices:ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sift all into cake mixture and mix well. Add lastly 2 well-beaten eggs. The mixture should be quite thin. Bake in a moderate oven for thirty minutes. Raisins and, or, candied fruit may be added and a chocolate frosting adds to the goodness."

LAURA'S GINGERBREAD

(Recopied it in recipe form, for your convenience)

Mix all together:

1 C. brown sugar
½ C. shortening
1 C. molasses

Add:
2 t. baking soda in
1 C. boiling water

Sift together & stir in:
3 C. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 t. cloves
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. allspice
½ t. salt

Add last:

2 eggs, well beaten

Bake at 350 until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Note: I have made this many times & it is very good. One hint, you do have to dissolve the baking soda in the hot water, per her instructions or it doesn't turn out right.