Yeast Breads: Butternhorn Crescents

Sometimes you want something that is sort of like a croissant but doesn't take all day to make. In that case, you might want to try your hand at making butternhorn crescents. They sort of look like croissants and they do taste like butter. But be warned, because they are not as flaky and tender as croissants. They do take a fraction of the time to make, however.


Ingredients


1 cup milk
1 egg
¼ cup butter or margarine
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
¼ cup butter or margarine


Preparation


Place all ingredients into a non-metal bowl except for the last ¼-cup of butter. Mix with your hands until a loose dough forms. Turn this dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until your dough becomes smooth and elastic. This will take 5-10 minutes.


Place the dough in a oiled bowl, one that isn't made of metal, and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside in a warm location until the dough has doubled in size. This will take about an hour. Uncover and punch the dough down to remove the air bubbles. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.


Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a large circle. A thinner circle will give you more croissants, but don't make your dough so thin that it tears. Take your time rolling out the dough, giving it a few minutes to relax if it is too stiff. I like to roll my circle out to about 15 inches across. When you've done that, smear the final ¼-cup of butter on your circle of dough, covering the entire surface.


Cut the dough into triangles. I usually make 16 smaller butterhorns, but you can cut them into fewer if you want larger crescents. Roll up the triangles to form little crescents. Curve them a little if you like. Place your crescents on a prepared baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm location until doubled in size. This time, it will take about 30 to 45 minutes.


Preheat oven to 375°F. Uncover crescents and bake for 20 minutes, until the crescents are lightly browned. Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.


These crescents can be stored for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Quick Breads: Nutty Banana Bread

Banana bread is a hit in my household. So much so that I have to buy at least 24 bananas a week just to make banana bread. Luckily, I can often get them as a discount because I can use bananas that are a little past their prime. In fact, older bananas are preferred. So if you can get discounted bananas, you should definitely make this classy recipe.


Ingredients


¾ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 medium bananas, ripe or overripe
⅓ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt


Preparation


Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a loaf pan liberally with cooking spray. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until just combined. Add all other ingredients and blend well, but do not overmix. Pour into prepared pan.


Bake for about an hour, until the top of the loaf is slightly cracked and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.


This loaf will keep for 5 days if kept in an airtight container.