Easy Soft Pretzels

1 package yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp. brown sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 tbsp. salt
pretzel salt

Preheat your oven to 425°.
Beat the egg in a small bowl and set aside.
Mix the yeast, water, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the flour and stir until dough is formed.
Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a cutting board, kitchen counter or table. Place the pretzel dough on the floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth. Once ready, form the dough into a variety of shapes and sizes.
Line a cookie or baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray.
Place the pretzel shapes on the cookie or baking sheet.
Brush the pretzels with the beaten egg, then sprinkle them with pretzel salt.
Bake the pretzels in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool for a few minutes. Eat warm.
You can freeze any leftover pretzels and reheat them in the microwave.

If pretzel salt is unavalible, sea salt or even table salt is ok.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Please note: Less kneading, the fluffier the biscuit. Also, always use SELF-RISING flour. Plain flour will create biscuits that look like shot-glass coasters.

2 cups self-rising flour
dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sweet milk
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly grease a 14x16-inch baking pan.

Sift flour, salt, and sugar together into a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with two knives or your fingers until the mixture is coarse.

Add the buttermilk, milk, and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Mix lightly until combined, but do not overmix. Pour the mixture out onto a floured surface.

With floured hands, knead the dough two or three times. (If biscuits are to be used for sandwiches, such as ham biscuits or other breakfast sandwiches, knead them a few extra times.)

With floured hands, pat out the dough approximately 1/2 inch thick. Using a floured biscuit cutter or standard-size can, cut out biscuits. Do not twist the cutter when doing this -- press straight down. (You can re-knead the dough scraps, but biscuits from this cutting will be tougher, more suitable for sandwiches.)

Place the biscuits on a baking pan. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove the biscuits from teh oven and brush them with the remaining butter. Serve immediately.

Zucchini Bread

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg,
baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs,
water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and
fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1
hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf
pans for about 45 minutes

Bannana Bread

3 1/2 C. ap flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp.salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 C. mashed bananas (4 to 6)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
3/4 C. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
3/4 C. milk
1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda mash bananas, add lemon juice and mix cream shortening and sugar at medium speed. Add eggs; beat 4 min.= light and fluffy add dry ingredients alternately with milk, a little at a time until incorporated.

Fold in bananas and nuts, beat well
Pour into 2 greeased 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 “ loaf pans
Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.
Cool 10 minuted, turn out onto wire rack

When cool, wrap in foil or plastic and let stand in cool place overnight before slicing or freeze.

Makes 2 loaves