Quite a while back I made a breakfast roll with just a few ingredients. I wanted to post it again since it is such an easy sweet addition to breakfast or brunch, especially for a small group. The first time I made it, the recipe originated from a great food blog ~ My Kitchen Snippets ~ a blog worthy of bookmarking… check it out.

I prepared the roll with apples and cream cheese. I suppose any fruit that goes with cream cheese would be a great substitute. For the original recipe and great illustrations, click here.

Fruit & Cream Cheese Loaf

Ingredients :

• 6 oz cream cheese
• 1 egg, separated
• 3 tbsp of powder sugar
• 1/2 cup apple pie filling with cinnamon
• 1 (11 oz) tube of bread stick dough

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup of powder sugar
• 2 – 3 tbsp milk

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combined soft cream cheese, powder sugar and egg yolk. Mix until well combined.

Unroll and separate the dough into two rectangles. On a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, place the rectangles horizontally and press the steam together. Spread cream cheese mixture onto the center of the dough then dollop the fruit filling evenly over the cream cheese. Separate the dough perforations up to the cheese mixture (You might need a scissors for this) Slightly pull and stretch the dough strips. Start from one end of the loaf and alternate pulling the dough strips over the filling to form a “braid”. Make sure to tuck and seal both ends of the loaf.

Beat the egg white and brush it all over the loaf, sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, remove and allow to cool.

For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk, adding more for desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle all over the cool loaf before serving.

(Original recipe was posted on January 25, 2009)

Sweet Friends!

 First off, let me say that many people snub their nose to participating in this “chain recipe”. After making it tonight, I am thinking it is the way to go! Unless you are originating the chain with the starter yourself, it is practically painless to pull of this sweet bread. AND, there are tons of variations to use with this sourdough starter. I am hooked now… bring on the friends!

Well, I have only eaten Amish Friendship Bread once a long time ago. All I remember was that it was really good. That same day I went home with my own starter bag, only to completely forget to do anything else with it. Hence, this is my first time ever actually “following through” with the recipe. To be completely honest, I almost didn’t make this one either. I was already about 36 hours after the 10 day mark; however, some internet research re-assured me that it would be ok to use.

Amish Friendship Bread

The bread was fabulous, not to mention very easy to combine and bake. It baked perfectly in exactly one hour (as the directions stated).  Now I have 4 more starters, and 10 days to make tonights two loaves last. I do plan to use one of the starters in the morning to make some Amish cookies. I will certainly post those results tomorrow.

Amish Friendship Bread (a.k.a. Sourdough Starter)

(You either need a friend with a starter, or to make your own. I found several decent looking recipes in my searches)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 – (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 cup Amish starter
• 3 eggs
• 1/2  cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9 x 5″ loaf pans and dust bottom and sides of pan with cinnamon sugar mixture.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients, make a well in the center of the mix and set aside. Combine the wet ingredients and mix well, pour into well of the flour mixture and stir until batter is well combined, but don’t over-mix. Pour batter evenly into pans and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake for one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove and serve, or cool completely and store in a airtight container.

*I always store my sweet/quick breads in the refrigerator. I think they taste better that way.

**I read numerous reviews stating you can freeze the starter, defrosting it in the fridge for 3 hours, then continuing with the proper daily sequence.

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