Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread & Crockpot Dinner Rolls

Much to my surprise, old dogs CAN learn new tricks since I found a cool article on things you never knew you could make in a crock-pot! Surprise - dinner rolls are one of these things. I seem to be on a roll (no pun intended) on using recipes to make more than one item. Pies and crumbles, etc and now bread and rolls. There is nothing wrong with this! First note is I used a traditional crock pot and NOT a slow-cooker for this recipe. I love my slow-cooker and use it at least weekly, but it's not appropriate for recipes that call for a crock-pot, something I discovered years ago. I also used a bit of this and a bit of that, since that was what I had in the house, so when I say "approximately," please forgive me! There are times that I am a 'pinch of this and a  dash of that' kind of gal. Here we go. Get ready to say"yum!" Armed with active rising yeast, whole wheat flour (and a bit of left-over white flour), traditional oatmeal and other ingredients, I set upon a voyage of discovery...

Whole Wheat & Oatmeal Bread (plus Crock Pot Dinner Rolls)

Ingredients

• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 2 cups of warm (not hot) water - divide into 2 portions of 1c each
• 1 - 2 tsp white sugar
• 3 tbsp margarine or butter, softened but not melted
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 c golden brown sugar (yep, that's right) or 1/2 c  honey or molasses
• 1 c rolled oats
• 1 c white flour
• 3-4 c whole wheat flour (more for kneading)

Preparation

1. Prepare warm water. Place 1 cup warm water mixed with white sugar in a small bowl or 2c measuring cup. Sprinkle package of yeast over the water and place in a warm spot to rise (10 to 15 min.)
2. While yeast rises, place brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. 
3. Soften margarine or butter in microwave until soft, not melted (30 seconds or less)
4. Stir yeast/water  and stir into brown sugar, adding additional cup of warm water and stirring well. Make sure you get all the yeast out of the mixing cup.
5. Add one cup of white flour and 1 c rolled oats and stir.
6. Stir in approximate 2 to 3 c of whole wheat flour. 
7. Once you can't stir in more flour, remove mixture to a floured surface to knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth and not sticky. Add additional flour as needed to make a MEDIUM stiff dough. The secret is to keep kneading until all the flour is mixed in and the dough is smooth. Kneading adds air to the dough, producing a delicious, lighter bread.
8. Butter the bowl you used for the dough, place the dough in the bowl, cover with a towel and rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours - until the dough has doubled in size. You may want to put a bit of butter or margarine on top of the dough as it rises. It makes a tastier finished product.
9. Once dough  has risen, punch down and dump onto a floured surface. Cover and rest for about 10 minutes.
10. Take about 1/3 of the dough (or a bit more) and divide into 8 pieces (about the size of an egg) for rolls. Roll each bit  between your hands (rest the piece of dough on the palm of one hand and cup and roll your upper hand to form a smooth roll - I learned this when I was a baker's assistant :)
11. Place in an unheated buttered crock pot and let rise for an hour or so).
12. Take the remainder of the dough, shape into a smooth oblong roll and place in buttered loaf pan. This should also rise for about an hour until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
13. Turn the crock pot to high and bake the dinner rolls for approximately 60 minutes or so. Check to make sure they are soft and no longer sticky. They should have some 'give' but not be too soft. Mine were done in about 55 minutes, but my crock pot is fast. The original recipe said 60-90 minutes.
14. While the rolls are baking place the bread in the preheated oven. Bake for about an hour or so, until the bread is a deep golden brown and the top can be tapped (not a hard bread, but solid).

Let the scent of all this deliciousness permeate throughout your home as the dough rises and then bakes. You will have the butter (and/or homemade jam) ready by the time you take the bread and buns out of their respective pan (and crock pot), but let them cool slightly so you don't burn your mouth! Let the bread sit in the loaf pan and run a knife carefully around the edges to loosen. This is why we butter the pan well. The dinner rolls should simply lift out from the crock pot with no issues - I used a fork and it worked well. Nice and golden, soft and almost steamed perfection. I will make this recipe again! Please note: Whole wheat bread is not as fine in texture as white bread, but boy does that flavor ever make up for it!                                                                    

Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling

Canned Apple Pie Filling

Canned Apple Pie Filling and Extra Syrup

I never really understood the mystique behind canning and why folks thought it so difficult! In our family, canning was a natural process of fall and the harvest, and I have been doing this for the past 30 years or more with various levels of success. My latest foray into canning included making apple pie filling for the first time. Any time I make something for the very first time is a joyous mix of experimenting and trepidation as I love to 'tweak' recipes. Fortunately, judging by the quality of the apple pie we made using the canned filling, the operation was a success :) Just sweet enough, thick with apples and full of taste. 

PREPARATION

When you can, a lot of success comes with preparation. I tend to reuse throughly washed and sterilized jars, which, since I keep my canning in the fridge, is fine and dandy. They still seal solidly and provide a cost-effective means of canning. First thing is to sterlize the jars and lids/rings. You can do this in the dishwasher, if your heated dry setting is working (ours wasn't) or you can use the boil 'boil the jars and lids' method, which I was forced to do. Make sure they are submerged and boil for at least a minute, to make sure they are clean. When done, use a lifter or tongs to pick them out of the water and set them, upside down, on a clean towel on a counter. I usually heat them again by pouring in boiling water just before filling, to ensure the filling doesn't crack the jar.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 lbs apples (I used the equivalent of 18 apples since they were fresh picked)
• 1 c brown sugar and 3 c white sugar (I prefer a mix)
• 1 c cornstarch (call me a traditionalist and yes, jars are refrigerated, so...)
• 2 tsp to 1 tbsp cinnamon (we like cinnamon)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves (it adds that certain 'something')
• approx. 9 1/2 c cold water (some like a mixture of apple juice and water)
• 3 tbsp plus 3 tbsp Realemon (for 2 different steps)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel, core and slice apples. Yes this can be tedious if you are old-fashioned like me and don't have a corer or apple peeler, but it's worth it, just wait and see. Drop apples as cut into a big bowl filled with cold water and 3 tbsp lemon juice.
2. In a large non-aluminium pot, mix sugars, cinnamon, cloves and cornstarch. Add salt and water and mix well. Bring to boil until thick and bubbly (be patient and keep stirring. Like I said, it's worth it). Remove from heat and add 3 tbsp lemon juice. This makes the "syrup."
3. Get ready to start packing the jars: Making sure they are hot, stuff with some drained apples (just gently squeeze them over the sink) and pack down. Add some syrup, and repeat until jars are filled to within 1 inch of top. Run a knife around the edges and gently tap jars on countertops to remove air bubbles that would cause the apples to rise. Wipe off jars and put on the lids. Continue til all jars are full and ready to process. 
4. Can the left-over syrup for addings when making pies, to use with pancakes or waffles or to make apple crisp/brown betty, if desired.
5. Place jars in a bath of boiling water, letting them boil for about 20 minutes. I like to start the water and put in the jars to make sure the water doesn't spill over. They can sit in there while the water comes to a boil. 
6. Voila, beautiful canned apples!

The boiling water bath filled with jars of pie filliing and syrup

TRUE CONFESSIONS: I added the lemon juice before boiling the apple pie syrup and it didn't hurt anything! I also didn't blanch the apples like some recipes suggest and they tasted just fine-- a bit crispy like we prefer them. When packing the jars, I got excited and firmly packed them all, then had to run a fork and knife around and stab middle of the apples to add the syrup. The good thing was that the apples didn't rise and the jars weren't filled with just syrup and no apples! That meant I will add some additional syrup on top of the pies before putting on the top crusts, like I did when I made the one the other evening. The recipe made 4 LARGE jars of apple pie filling, enough for 6 pies. *Sigh* I never said I was perfect and let that be a lesson to all of you who think things have to be "perfect" in the kitchen!