For this American Girl Party we made bread & jam in miniature “doll” sizes, plus some butter & whipped cream. We worked on all of the recipes simultaneously, shaking butter in a jar while mixing dough up in a bag; stirring jam in a bowl while watching loaves raise in their tins.
Mini Bread Loaves
Supplies:
1. one cup white flour; 2. half cup white flour; 3. two cups whole wheat flour; 4. two tablespoons of sugar, divided in half; 5. one tablespoon vegetable oil; 6. two teaspoons salt; 7. one package active dry yeast or equivalent; 8. one gallon freezer bag; 9. three or four disposable mini loaf pans
Directions:
1. In the one gallon freezer bag, add 1/2 cup white flour, the package of active dry yeast, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 cup warm water. Zip up the bag, releasing any air, and mix up the ingredients from the outside of the bag until completely combined. Let the starter rest for 15 minutes.
2. Open the bag and add the other 1 Tablespoon of sugar, 2 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 cup white flour, and 3/4 cups warm water. Mix the dough from the outside of the bag for a few minutes until all of the ingredients are incorporated and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bag.
3. Remove the dough thoroughly from the bag onto your lightly floured counter top. Knead for 5 or 6 minutes, being careful not to add too much extra flour to the dough. Divide the dough into 3 or 4 equal pieces and cover with the plastic bag. Let the dough rise for 10 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough into a roughly 4 inch x 6 inch rectangle. Starting with the short end, roll the rectangle up tightly. Pinch the long edge to rest of the dough making a seam then fold over the ends and pinch. Put dough in mini pans, seam side down.
5. Cover the the loaves with the plastic bag and let rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
6. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Enjoy!
Sure-Jell Strawberry Freezer Jam
Supplies:
1. two pints of strawberries; 2. four cups of sugar (I use evaporated cane juice and it works just fine); 3. one package Sure-Jell fruit pectin; 4. a pan; 5. a measuring cup to scoop out the jam; 6. 8-10 mini 4-oz jam jars and lids (plus a large bowl and something to mash up your strawberries)
Directions:
Remove the stems from the strawberries and crush the strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 minute. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.) Fill clean 4-oz glass jars to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using. (I would say this made 8-10 mini 4-oz jars of jam.)
Old Fashioned Homemade Butter
Supplies:
1. one pint heavy whipping cream; 2. a two-quart jar with a tight lid; 3. a marble; 4. a strainer; 5. a medium bowl; 6. a spoon; 7. a pinch of salt
Directions:
Chill the cream, jar and marble before hand. When you’re ready to start, pour the cream into the jar with the marble, fasten the lid really tightly and start shaking. It will take a long time. We shook this jar nearly the whole time that we were making the bread and jam. When it’s done you will be able tell by the mass of butter in the middle and the buttermilk that is around it. Place a strainer over a bowl if you want to keep the buttermilk or just over the sink if you don’t. Pour the contents of the jar into the strainer. If you want to keep the buttermilk then put it in a separate container now. Rinse the rest of the buttermilk out of the butter with water. Press the butter against the sides of the strainer with a spoon to get all of the liquid out. Keep rinsing and pressing until you think all of the liquid is gone. Put the butter into a serving bowl and add the salt. You can serve it now like we did, all soft and smooth, or refrigerate it until you need it.
Hand Shaken Whipping Cream
Supplies:
1. one pint cold whipping cream; 8. a two-quart jar with a tight lid; 9. two tablespoons powdered sugar. You don’t need to shake the jar as long for whipping cream. Just shake until the cream starts to hold together and eat it soon.
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