The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook (12 page)

Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until done.

To clean brass bottoms on cooking pots, rub catsup on a soft cloth and polish until the brass shines. Then rinse and dry.

Wheat Bread (Large Batch)

4 cups hot (not boiling) water

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup honey

2-3 heaping T. active dry yeast

2 T. salt (scant)

1 cup oil

4 cups wheat flour

12 cups white flour, approximately

In a large bowl (do not use metal) mix together the water, milk, honey, yeast, salt, and oil. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Add the wheat flour and mix well. Begin adding the white flour and when the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and you can no longer mix with a spoon, turn out dough onto a floured surface and continue adding the flour as you knead. Knead for 5-7 minutes.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Divide into 4 greased loaf pans and let rise slightly in pans before baking.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until done.

Wheat Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

3 T. melted shortening or butter

¼ cup brown sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

Mix together the flours, baking soda, and salt.

Mix together the shortening or butter, brown sugar, buttermilk, and egg; add to flour mixture. Mix just until blended.

Pour batter into greased muffin tins and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

Whole Wheat Crackers

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

½ cup sesame seeds

¼ cup wheat germ

¼ cup oil

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

½ cup water (slightly more if needed)

Mix together all ingredients. Add enough water to hold dough together. Roll out on a floured board (thinner dough makes crisper crackers) and cut into desired shapes.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

Whole Wheat Quick Buttermilk Bread

1 quart buttermilk

4 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp. baking soda

Mix together all ingredients and pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes.

This recipe is about as easy as it gets. But try it once and you’ll want to make it again and again. Delicious!

Zucchini Bread

3 cups flour

1½ cups sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups zucchini, shredded

1 cup nuts, chopped

1 cup raisins

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup oil

cinnamon sugar

In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the zucchini, nuts, and raisins. Mix together the eggs and oil and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir until blended.

Pour into two loaf pans or a bundt cake pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until done.

Zwieback

2 cups milk

1 cup shortening

2 tsp. salt

4 T. sugar, plus 2 tsp., divided

1 cup warm water

2¼ tsp. (1 package) active dry yeast

2 eggs, beaten

8-10 cups flour

Scald the milk and then add the shortening, salt, and 4 T. sugar. Cool slightly.

In a small bowl stir to dissolve 2 tsp. sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir, and let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Add yeast mixture and beaten eggs to warm milk mixture. Mix well and gradually stir in flour. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough until very soft and smooth, using as little flour as possible. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.

Pinch off small balls of dough the size of a small egg. Place balls 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet. Put a smaller ball of dough on top of the first one and press with your thumb to create an indent. Let rise again until double, about 1 hour.

Brush with beaten egg white if desired and bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes.

SOUPS AND STEWS

T
he Amish believe that children are a “heritage from the Lord,” and it’s not uncommon to see families with ten or more children. That’s a lot of hungry mouths to feed, and a steaming bowl of hot soup or hearty stew will help satisfy the hunger of growing bodies. These dishes are healthy, tasty, and economical too, and they will be found often at Amish tables, especially during the colder winter months. In summer, fruit soup is enjoyed at mealtime—often the fruit used in the soup come evening is whatever was processed in the kitchen that day.

When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you
.

P
SALM
128:2

Lord, I am so glad I’m a keeper of my home! You have set in my heart the desire to nurture my loved ones and I am grateful. When I am in the kitchen, kneading dough for bread or cutting up vegetables for a savory soup or stew, my mind often turns to thoughts of You.

I praise Your holy name, Lord, and I am reminded anew of Your love for me—Your child
.

Amish Bacon Bean Soup

1 pound bacon ends or sliced bacon, cut into small pieces

1 pound navy beans

1 chopped onion

4 quarts water, approximately

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large pot and simmer for at least 2 hours or until beans are thoroughly cooked.

Bacon ends are inexpensive and have lots of smoke flavor and meat
.

Amish Church Soup

1 onion, chopped

½ stick butter

3 cups cooked navy beans

4 quarts milk

bread, cut in bite-sized pieces

salt and pepper to taste

Brown chopped onion in butter. Add beans and milk. Bring just to the boiling point. Add bread cubes and salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe will serve 15 people
.

Amish Egg Soup

2 T. butter

¼ cup water

3 quarts milk

salt

pepper

allspice

2 quarts stale bread, cubed

6 hard-boiled eggs, chunked

Melt butter in a large saucepan; add water and bring to the boiling point before adding the milk. Add salt, pepper, and allspice to taste. Bring the mixture just to the boiling point and then remove from heat. Add the bread cubes and eggs and let stand for several minutes while bread softens and soup thickens.

Baked Beef Stew

¼ cup flour

¼ tsp. celery seed

1¼ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

2 pounds beef, cut into bite-sized cubes

4 small onions, sliced

5 potatoes, thinly sliced

2 carrots, sliced

4 tsp. beef bouillon

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1½ cups hot water

Mix together the flour and seasonings and dredge the beef chunks in the mixture. In a large casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid, arrange layers of meat and vegetables. Add the bouillon and Worcestershire sauce to the hot water and stir to mix. Pour evenly over the stew.

Cover the casserole dish and bake at 325° for 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure it doesn’t cook dry. If so, add a little very hot water.

Beef and Barley Soup

½ lb. hamburger

1 cup carrots, peeled and finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

¼ cup onion, finely diced

½ cup pearl barley

2 quarts beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger and drain off fat. Combine all ingredients and cook, covered, until barley is tender, about 1 hour.