[Irish]

Well, Ashby rattled my cage on Friday that I hadn't posted for a while. And just a bit ago our good fearless leader, BobD, checked in on me. So I thought maybe I aught to stop by and say "Hey". The studio is a touch crazy right now and I just haven't taken the time to do more than read the postings.

Anyway, I am working on my Holiday presents and oddly my family isn't real excited about getting carvings after so long. So this years gift is a family scrapbook worked around some of my favorite cookie and snack recipes.

Thought I would share one with you ... This is great for when the kids are coming and about to eat you out of house and home. It feeds one hoard very well or one half a hoard for two days ...

It makes two huge loaves and you can fill it with your favorite meats and cheeses ... I just listed the ones my family loves.

Strombollie

Basic Bread Recipe:
1 package of active dry yeast
1/4 cup very warm water
1/4 cup sugar

2 cups scalded milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 table shortening
1 egg
6 to 7 cups well sifted flour


Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water, let proof. A well proofed yeast should foam and bubble and become at least double in size.

Scald 2 cups of whole milk. This means to heat the milk to barely bubbling along the edge of the pan and when you lightly blow across the surface of the milk is forms a skin. Remove from heat. Add sugar, shortening and salt. Stir until melted. Add the egg.

Stir in one cup of flour, this is called the batter. Add a second cup of flour, then a third. When you can not stir in any more flour with the spoon move the batter to a well floured board with the remaining unmixed flour. Fold and knead until the batter has taken as much flour as it wants and has become a smooth dough. Knead for ten more minutes. Kneading is simply folding over the dough then pushing that fold with the heal of your hand.

Butter a large pan well. Roll the dough into a ball, place in the pan and roll to grease the outside of the dough. Cover with a hot damp towel and let rise until double, about 2 hours. Refresher the towel occasionally to keep the dough warm.

Punch down ... take your fist and shove it right into the middle of the dough to release some of the air. Let rise again until double, about 1 hour.

Cut the dough into two pieces. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin or your fingers until you have a rectangle about 10" wide by 15' long, about 1/2 inch thick. Spread softened butter over the top surface of the bread. Over the butter spread wet garlic, oregano and basil. Place one layer each of pepperoni slices, salami slices, baked ham slices, mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, Romano cheese sprinkle. The meat layers will be about 1/2" thick.

Starting at one narrow end roll the bread dough into a roll, pressing along the sides as your roll to seal the edges. Place on a well greased cookie sheet or cookie pan. Brush melted butter over the top and sprinkle lightly with salt and garlic. Let rise for 45 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. Baste the top often with butter. Remove from oven and stand out of the way of the stampede!

You can make the dough roll the night before, wrap it loosely in tin foil and put the dough in the frig overnight. When the kids show up just heat up the oven and move the dough right to the baking stage.

Susan

[whitecree]

I haven't had a good strombollie for years and years. Just reading that recipe made my stomach growl so loud, it scared the cat!

Now, I wonder if I could build one of those for myself and keep it...

[Ashbys]

Susan ! =)

Welcome back ! Missed you.

Ash


well the cookies .......