I am really excited to share this bread machine recipe with you today for Instant potato Bread! This is the most delicious loaf of bread I have ever made in the bread machine. I tell you no lie!
It has a beautiful crumb and a crisp crust. The interior of the bread is moist, fluffy and dense. And the flavor is amazing. In short it is perfect!
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I know, on the outside it looks a bit wrinkly and ugly, but this is one case where you definitely do not want to be judging the book by its cover. If you were to overlook this one you are missing out on a real gem of a bread!
One of the local grocery stores sells store made potato bread and whenever they have it on the shelves it is one of the first breads to disappear.!!
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Now, with this potato bread recipe, you don't have to wait for them to have it on the store shelves, nor do you have to wait until you have leftover mashed potatoes! It uses dry instant mashed potatoes!
This is an addictively tasty loaf, slightly tangy from the use of buttermilk, sweetened with honey and enriched with just a touch of olive oil!
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I was a bit dismayed when I first saw the loaf. I thought to myself, could this loaf be any uglier . . . . but all of my reservations disappeared as soon as I cut into the loaf. What a beautiful tight crumb it had!
It also cuts beautifully into nice even slices for making sandwiches with or toasting. I have enjoyed a few slices of it toasted every day since I baked it. Yummy!
I adapted the recipe from a book by Beth Hensperger entitled, The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook. If you have a bread machine you really need this book!
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE INSTANT POTATO BREAD
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 2/3 cup (160ml) buttermilk
- 1 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1 1/2 TBS dark honey
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) bread flour
- 1/3 cup (20g) instant potato flakes
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast
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The buttermilk in this recipe gives this bread a moist texture and a lovely bit of a tang. If you don't have buttermilk you can easily make your own by whisking together equal parts of plain full fat yogurt and full fat milk.
You can also make a good substitution by measuring 1 TBS of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup measure and adding milk to make up the full measure needed. Leave to clabber for 5 to 10 minutes prior to using.
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Bread machine loaves work best with bread flour. By that I mean flour that has a higher gluten count which is designed specifically for making bread.
I also recommend adding Vital Wheat Gluten, which, while it is not totally necessary, will give you a much nicer loaf and help your bread to rise higher. I have been most impressed since I started adding this ingredient to my bread machine loaves! I highly recommend!
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I used Instant Potato Flakes. These are the ones you can buy in the store that, when reconstituted make mashed potatoes. I believe any brand will do.
The recipe specified dark honey. I am not quite sure what she meant by that, but I took it to mean a honey that is darker in color. Perhaps a honey that is not quite as refined?
I love Greek honey. It has a beautiful distinct flavor and a lovely deep amber color. This is what I used with most delicious results!
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HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POTATO BREAD
This is a bread machine recipe, but you could also just do the dough in the bread machine and then shape, raise and bake in a regular loaf pan if you prefer. I know many people prefer to bake their bread in the traditional way.
In that case just use the dough cycle on your machine. Remove the bread dough when done, shape and place into your loaf pan. Allow it to raise again and then bake in the conventional way.
To do this, preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Uncover the bread, place it in the oven, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. A digital thermometer inserted into the loaf's center should register at least 190°F/88*C.
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If using a bread machine for the whole process follow the instructions as per your own model of bread machine for making a basic loaf, with a medium crust.
Place all of the ingredients into your bread machine according to the manufacturer's instructions for your particular machine. Make sure that the salt does not touch the yeast and that the mashed potato flakes are not in contact with the liquid ingredients, otherwise the potatoes will start to absorb the liquid and create a drier loaf.
Set crust on medium and program for a basic loaf. Press start.
Once the baking cycle has finished, remove the loaf immediately from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack at room temperature prior to slicing.
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This is a really lovely loaf. I have enjoyed it toasted and buttered, made into a tomato sandwich and on the first day I enjoyed it with a nice hot bowl of my Quick and Easy Chili. It went perfectly!
I am sure it would also be good alongside of any soup or stew. And if you are a person who loves bread and jam, this is your bread to use!
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MILK AND HONEY BREAD - This recipe produces a lovely tall loaf with a beautiful crumb. Soft, tender and slightly sweet. Perfect for sandwiches or along side a nice bowl of soup, stew or chili!
BASIC RUSTIC LOAF- Not 100% whole wheat but a beautiful combination of wheats, whole grain and other wise. It slices like a dream and has a beautiful texture, equal to or better than any store bought loaf out there. In fact I would say that is is far better than a store bought loaf!
Instant Potato Bread
Yield: 1 (1 1/2 pound) loaf
This bread machine bread has a crisp crust, beautiful crumb and is fluffy and dense with a lovely moist interior. Add the dry potato flakes before the flour when you add your ingredients to the pan. This is a delicious loaf of bread!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 2/3 cup (160ml) buttermilk
- 1 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1 1/2 TBS dark honey
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) bread flour
- 1/3 cup (20g) instant potato flakes
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into your bread machine according to the manufacturer's instructions for your particular machine. Make sure that the salt does not touch the yeast and that the mashed potato flakes are not in contact with the liquid ingredients, otherwise the potatoes will start to absorb the liquid and create a drier loaf.
- Set crust on medium and program for a basic loaf. Press start.
- Once the baking cycle has finished, remove the loaf immediately from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack at room temperature prior to slicing.
Notes
You can also make a 2-pound loaf. Contact me for measurements of ingredients.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Blueberry Lemon Puffs. Two airy, buttery, bites of heavenly blueberry and lemon bliss! Its blueberry season here in Canada and I am making the most of it!
This is a recipe I adapted from one I found in the book entitled Scrumptious by Christy Denney! Its a lovely book, filled with lots of tasty looking recipes.
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Don't you just love those painted flowers? My friend Monique painted them, and they went perfect with this. She is such a talented artist! Thank you Monique!
Christy's recipe in the book was made with raspberries, but then she talked about strawberries in the recipe intro. I wasn't sure what she meant. The photo showed raspberries.
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I didn't have any raspberries and I didn't have any strawberries for that matter, but I did have a nice big punnet of blueberries!! I rattled around in my brain for a bit and came up with these.
Little puff pastry bites of heaven with a sweet, creamy, lemony cream cheese filling, a swirl of blueberry jam and a fresh blueberry popped on top prior to baking! Once baked they are glazed with a sweet lemon glaze. What's not to love!
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If I had really had my thinking cap on I would have swirled the cream with some lemon curd, but alas I went with the blueberry jam, which tasted fabulous, but did make the cream a bit more on the purple side.
But you don't care. I know you love me anyways, and I know you will believe me when I tell you these are gorgeous!
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BLUEBERRY LEMON PUFFS
Very simple store-cupboard and refrigerated ingredients. Generally speaking I usually have all of these things on hand.
- 1 sheet of all butter frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 4 ounces (115g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 TBS milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- about 2 TBS wild blueberry jam
- 16 whole blueberries
- 1 small free range egg, beaten
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To finish:
- 1/2 cup (65g) icing sugar
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- icing sugar to dust
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I always have a few packages of all butter puff pastry in my freezer. It comes in packages which contain two sheets of puff pastry, and it is made with nothing but butter as the fat.
I am not fond of non-butter puff pastry, but if you can't get the all butter one, I guess it will do. To me it has a funny artificial after-taste. If you can get the all butter one, do get it. There is a difference.
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I also usually have a block of cream cheese in the refrigerator. I love it on bagels, and in sandwiches. It also comes in handy for things like this!
You won't need to use the whole package, or you can just buy a smaller package.
I also always have large free range eggs, and lemons. They are such a must have ingredient in my kitchen. In the UK I always kept a bowl of lemons on the counter. With it just being me now, I only keep one or two around, and I keep them in the fridge.
I also almost always have blueberries. They are so good for you! They are what's known as a super food and are filled with lovely anti-oxidents!
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HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY LEMON PUFFS
These only look complicated. I can promise you that they are not! Here is a photo of them ready to go into the oven.
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Its not the best photograph. I don't have a window in my kitchen and need to make do with artificial light, but I thought you would at least be able to get some idea of what they look like before they go into the oven. I hope it helps!
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Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.
Beat the cream cheese, vanilla, milk, sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl until well blended.
Unroll your pastry and cut it into 16 squares, placing them on the baking sheet and leaving plenty of space between each.
Place 1 tsp of the cheese filling in the center of each. Top the cheese with 1/4 tsp of blueberry jam and swirl it through with a toothpick. Top each with one blueberry.
Fold the corners of the squares up, pressing them lightly into the cheese. (They won't really stay up, but they stay up long enough to keep the filling from spread out over the baking sheet.)
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Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle over the warm puffs. Dust with icing sugar and serve. These are best served warm.
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I have never frozen them, but it has been my experience that anything with a cream cheese filling doesn't freeze very well. Plus the blueberries will really go to mush.
These would make a great addition to a Sunday morning brunch with the family. I guarantee there would be none left! I inhaled two of them before I could even get my camera out!
That pastry is so flakey and the lemon cheese filling is rich. The blueberry jam gives just the right touch and that blueberry on top provides a bit of tartness to cut back on the sweetness of the jam.
That lemon glaze is just the perfect finishing touch!
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If you enjoy blueberries as much as I do, you may be interested in the following recipes. Each one is delicious in their own right.
LEMON BLUEBERRY TURNOVERS - Is there any more delicious flavour combination on the earth than the combination of lemon and blueberry?? I think not! Combine that with flaky buttery puff pastry and you have a marriage made in heaven! This is the perfect time of year to be enjoying blueberry treats! What is a turnover but a little pie, and these ones are so easy to make!
LITTLE BLUEBERRY PUDDINGS - These are very simple to make, using simple ingredients that you probably already have in your home, with perhaps the exception of some Wild Blueberry Conserve. But take heart, if you don't have any of that, you can also use lemon curd, or even orange marmalade! Beautiful served warm with pouring cream.
BLUEBERRY MUFFIN CAKE - This small batch recipe is built for the smaller family and bakes in a 9 by 4 inch loaf tin. With its streusel topping and sweet glaze, it always goes down a real treat!
Blueberry Lemon Puffs
Yield: 16 puffs
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Flaky, buttery, sweet little puffs of blueberry and creamy lemon deliciousness. Very easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of all butter frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 4 ounces (115g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 TBS milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- about 2 TBS wild blueberry jam
- 16 whole blueberries
- 1 small free range egg, beaten
To finish:
- 1/2 cup (65g) icing sugar
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- icing sugar to dust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese, vanilla, milk, sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl until well blended.
- Unroll your pastry and cut it into 16 squares, placing them on the baking sheet and leaving plenty of space between each.
- Place 1 tsp of the cheese filling in the center of each. Top the cheese with 1/4 tsp of blueberry jam and swirl it through with a toothpick. Top each with one blueberry.
- Fold the corners of the squares up, pressing them lightly into the cheese. (They won't really stay up, but they stay up long enough to keep the filling from spread out over the baking sheet.)
- Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle over the warm puffs. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
One of the secrets of a happy life is
continuous small treats!
~Iris Murdoch
Today is my Birthday! I am turning 67 today and am grateful for every moment that got me here. I think every birthday deserves a treat, a cake, a pie, something to celebrate it with!
With that in mind I have had my heart set on baking a Scandinavian Almond Cake ever since I saw my friend Noelle post a photo of one on her Facebook page the other day. It looked so delicious!
Traditionally a Scandinavian Almond Cake, or Norwegian Almond Cake as it is also known, would be baked around the holidays when people are celebrating. If a Birthday isn't cause for celebration I don't know what is and so I decided that I would bake it for mine!
One of the things on my bucket list was always to visit the Scandinavian countries while I was in the UK. I never did get there, but I think one of the best ways to visit a country is through its food. I love Swedish Meatballs and Swedish Butter Cookies that you buy in the tins at Christmas.
So today I am going to pop on a travel show, and sit down with a hot drink and a piece of this cake and go arm chair travelling. (I think I'll watch Somebody Feed Phil, the Copenhagen episode.)
Traditionally this cake would be baked in a special pan such as the one you see above. It is called a Scandinavian Almond Cake Pan. I bought mine on Amazon. I know it will come in handy for all sorts of bakes.
I love the half moon shape. I can see it done in chocolate with a chocolate glaze and slivered almonds sticking out all over like a hedgehog. Fun fun!
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I have a special weakness for foreign dessert, especially cakes, and I have to say that this is one of the most delicious almond cakes I have ever baked and eaten.
It boasts a beautiful almond flavor throughout, from that beautifully textured cake to the sweet almond glaze which gets drizzled on top. There is even more almond flavor if you choose to scatter it with toasted flaked almonds.
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Its not hard to toast almonds. A few minutes on a baking sheet in a moderate (350*F/180*C) oven does the trick perfectly. I would say five to six minutes. You don't want to burn them.
(Although I have to say there used to be a burnt almond chocolate bar that I really loved to eat. I have not seen it in years.)
This is a light and springy cake which is quite unlike most European cakes which are, generally speaking, quite a bit more dense.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND CAKE
Other than a special pan, you only need every day ordinary ingredients. I am also quite sure you could bake this cake in a loaf tin or a deep 9 inch round tin. Not sure on the timings however.
For the cake:
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, melted
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For the icing:
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) icing sugar, sifted
- 2 to 3 TBS heavy cream
- few drops of almond extract
- flaked almonds to decorate, toasted or not
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I used Watkins pure Almond extract for my cake and large free range organic eggs. I buy my eggs at a place just around the corner from where I live. You can see the chickens running around in the yard.
They have a refrigerator on the porch of the shed with the eggs in it and an honesty tin. $5 a dozen for the most beautiful eggs with the brightest golden yellow yolks!
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I use whole full fat milk and plain all purpose flour. Robin Hood is what I always buy. I like it. My sugar is organic unbleached sugar, so it is a bit brown in color, but as you can see that doesn't show in this cake.
I use salted butter because I cannot afford to keep both salted and unsalted butter in my house. There is no salt in this recipe, but generally speaking I will cut back on the salt in a recipe a bit anyways. You do need a little bit most of the time, but not a lot.
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HOW TO MAKE SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND CAKE
This really is one of the easiest cakes to make. You can have it mixed and in the oven in about 10 minutes or so. I melt the butter in the microwave while I am mixing together everything else.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Spray the cake tin really well with baking/cooking/canola oil spray. Dust lightly with flour, shaking out any excess. Place onto a baking sheet.
Beat the sugar, egg, almond extract and milk together with an electric hand whisk until smooth.
Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Beat this into the liquid mixture.
Continue to beat with the electric mixer whilst drizzling in the melted butter until thoroughly incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for five minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, whisk the icing sugar, almond extract and cream together until smooth. You should have a mixture that makes for a drizzle. If it is too thick, add a few drops of milk.
Drizzle this over top of the cake and scatter with flaked almonds if desired. I added a few cake sprinkles because, its my birthday and sprinkles on a birthday cake are a must!!!
Cut into slices along the ring lines. Will that be one ring or two?
Note - this cake was adapted from a recipe I found here.
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I usually try to bake a delicious cake on most family birthdays. Some of my favorites are:
BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE CAKE - My brother in law loves this delicious moist chocolate cake. Adapted from a recipe I found in a cookbook by Trish Magwood called Dish Entertains.
RASPBERRY CELEBRATION CAKE - This was a cake developed for the Queen's 60th Jubilee. It is moist and delicious and the cake I chose to bake for my birthday for many years. It is studded and filled with fresh raspberries.
VICTORIA SANDWICH CAKE - This is my all time favorite cake. Plain in looks, but fabulous flavors. Two moist layers of cake filled with sweet red jam and dusted with sugar. It is a real favorite cake for the tea table as well!
Scandinavian Almond Cake
Yield: 18 small or 9 regular
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min
This is one of the BEST almond cakes you could ever want to bake or eat. Its also one of the easiest! You do need a special pan, although I am quite sure you could also bake it in a deep 9 inch round cake tin
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, melted
For the icing:
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) icing sugar, sifted
- 2 to 3 TBS heavy cream
- few drops of almond extract
- flaked almonds to decorate, toasted or not
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Spray the cake tin really well with baking/cooking/canola oil spray. Dust lightly with flour, shaking out any excess. Place onto a baking sheet.
- Beat the sugar, egg, almond extract and milk together with an electric hand whisk until smooth.
- Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Beat this into the liquid mixture.
- Continue to beat with the electric mixer whilst drizzling in the melted butter until thoroughly incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for five minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk the icing sugar, almond extract and cream together until smooth. You should have a mixture that makes for a drizzle. If it is too thick, add a few drops of milk.
- Drizzle this over top of the cake and scatter with flaked almonds if desired. Cut into slices along the ring lines. Will that be one ring or two?
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
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