Baking Today

Today's a baking day. We're making Grandma Schumacher's White Bread and Rolls (not my grandma; it's from a restaurant cookbook) and Irresistable Peanut Butter Cookies from Favorites of the Little Red Hen (a cookbook by my parents' former AAL lady).

White Bread and Rolls
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups cold water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1/2 cup warm water
10-11 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten slightly

1. In a large saucepan, heat butter, salt, sugar, and milk over medium heat until butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups cold water.
2. In a small bowl, combine yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Let sit 1 minute.
3. In a large bowl, combine butter mixture and 3 cups flour. Add yeast mixture and eggs, mixing well. Add remaining flour 2 cups at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each addition. Place dough on pastry cloth or floured surface and allow to rest 5 minutes. Knead until smooth, elastic, and small bubbles appear, about 10 minutes.
4. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Punch down dough; let rise again. Divide into thirds. Shape dough into 3 equal portions. Place in greased 9x5 loaf pans and allow to rise another hour, or until doubled.
5. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

To make into cinnamon rolls:
Take one of the portions of dough. Roll out into a large rectangle. Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Starting with the long side, roll up the dough. Cut evenly into rolls (I made 16). Place in a greased baking pan and allow to rise until double. Bake at 375 until golden, about 20 minutes. Glaze while warm and enjoy!

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl, and beat until well-blended. Add eggs. Beat just until blended. Add dry ingredients and mix until blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet and flatten with a fork. Bake 8 minutes until set and just beginning to brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes 5-6 dozen.