peanut butter bread

All who know me will tell you that I love peanut butter.

One of my friends shakes her head whenever I order toasted bread with peanut butter and kaya.  The traditional way to eat toasted bread with peanut butter is with... well... butter.  But I simply love the peanut butter and kaya combination although I will be the first to admit that it is a tad too sweet.

This recipe yields a lovely loaf with a wonderful peanuty aroma.  Be sure to use crunchy peanut butter (instead of creamy peanut butter) so that you get the crunchy bits when you eat the bread.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/8 cups water

3 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp oil

11/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp milk powder

3 cups bread flour

2 tsp instant yeast

METHOD

1. Add the ingredients to the bucket of the breadmaker in the order in which you see above.

2. Insert the bucket in the breadmaker.  Set to dough function and start the cycle.

3. When the cycle has been completed, turn the dough onto a floured board.

4. Using floured hands, knead the dough a few times.

5. Place the dough in a loaf pan that has been greased and lined with baking paper.   Spread out the dough in the loaf pan.

6. Cover the loaf pan with a dry cloth and leave for 1 hour.  The dough will continue its proofing process and rise further.

7. Bake the bread in an oven preheated to 180 degrees celsius for about 30 to 35 minutes.

TIPS

1. I use crunchy peanut butter.  Yums!

2. For the oil, I use a mixture of sunflower and canola oil.  You can substitute this with any other type of vegetable oil.

3. Da and I do not have a habit of drinking milk made using milk powder.  As such, we usually only have formula milk at home.  I use the formula milk powder when I do not have regular milk powder available.

pancakes for toddlers

These pancakes are not only yummy, they are popular with toddlers and they freeze well.

What more can one ask for?

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter (melted)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg (beaten)

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/4 cups fruit puree of your choice

METHOD

1. Sift the plain flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

2. Mix the butter, milk and egg in a bowl.

3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

4. Add the vanilla essence and fruit puree.

5. Spoon onto a hot non-stick pan that has been greased with butter/margarine.

6. Cook the pancakes at low heat on one side.

7. Flip the pancakes over to the other side and cook till the other side is done.

TIP

1. I used low fat milk because that is what I normally buy for our home.  You can substitute with full cream milk.

2. I usually make my own fruit puree (I steam a variety of fruits and blend them before freezing the puree in portions) but you can use commercially sold fruit puree that is meant for babies/toddlers.