Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloins {Copy Kat Recipe}

It 's been awhile since I posted a dinner recipe here at Mommy's Kitchen. Seems like lately it has been all about back to school ideas or scrumptious desserts. I can't help it! I'm a sucker when it comes to sweets.

Today I wanted to share a recipe from one of my favorite restaurants, Cracker Barrel. When I get a chance to eat at Cracker Barrel it's always such a treat for me. Their menu has so many of my favorite country dishes that it's really hard for me to decide on what to order.

One of my favorite dishes is their Grilled Chicken Tenderloins. Oh my these things are finger licking good. One thing I didn't know was just how easy they were to prepare at home. I found a Copy Kat recipe and I couldn't wait to try it. I was a bit skeptical when I stared the recipe.

I added the tenderloins to the pan and there was so much liquid. I really didn't think it would cook down. No worries though all of the liquid did cook down and it transformed into a ooey gooey glaze that was just to die for. The only thing I did differently from the original recipe was increase the amounts of the dressing, lime and honey.

The 1/2 cup of dressing stated just didn't seem like enough for the amount of chicken. And the honey, well I just love honey!!! This recipe was such a big hit that I am adding it to my menu again for next month. I served these yummy grilled tenders with mashed potatoes, but rice would be just as good. lets get started and I will show you how simple these are to make.

Cut each chicken breast into strips or just use tenderloins pieces. If using tenderloins cut and remove the white tendon off each end. {gross} In a bowl or large Ziploc bag add the dressing, lime juice and honey; mix to combine. Add the chicken and mix to coat all the pieces. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour

Remove chicken from bag. Braise the tenders in a non-stick pan until golden brown in color and the liquid has turned into a yummy sticky glaze. Start the stove temperature at medium high to get things going. After it comes to a boil reduce the heat to low-medium and continue cooking. You just want them to simmer.

At first it will look like there's a lot of liquid in the pan and there is, but don't worry because it will all cook down. Trust me on this one just be patient. You can see from the photos above how the liquid slowly starts to cook down and then poof it's gone. From start to finish it's about 40 - 45 minutes cooking time.

umm don't these look tasty? And all that liquid turned into a delicious, finger licking yummy glaze.



Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloins


4 - 5 chicken breasts, cut into pieces or 12 chicken tenderloins
1 - 8 0z bottle Italian Dressing (1 cup)
2 - teaspoons fresh lime juice (I used bottled)
4 - teaspoons honey

Cut each chicken breast into strips or use tenderloins pieces. If using tenderloins cut and remove the white tendon off each end. In a bowl that has a cover or large Ziploc bag add the dressing, lime juice and honey; mix to combine. Add the chicken and mix to coat all the pieces. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Braise the tenders in a non-stick pan until golden brown in color, but not dry. Start the stove temperature at medium high to get things going. After it comes to a boil reduce the heat to low-medium and continue cooking. You just want them to simmer until all the liquid has cooked down. You still want a bit of glaze left in the pan. When chicken is done remove and serve.

Cooking time: 40-45 min
adapted from: CopyKat Recipes








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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Gooseberry Patch 101 Hearty Recipes {Cookbook Review & Giveaway}

{This Giveaway is now Closed}

Today I am bringing y'all another tasty Early Bird Review from my friends over at Gooseberry Patch. The not yet released cookbook that I had the pleasure to review was Gooseberry Patch 101 Hearty Recipes. This beautiful cookbook will be released on September 1st, 2011. 101 which is not too far off. 101 Hearty Recipes is packed full of easy family meals, fresh-baked desserts and recipes for gift-giving.

This cookbook has it all! The best thing about this cookbook is that every single recipe has a mouthwatering photo to go along with it. Don't you just love that? Now you don't have to sit and image what each dish looks like.

Believe me when I tell you after seeing all the photos in this cookbook you will want to make each and every one of these recipes. This cookbook is spiral bound with a durable softcover and 112 yummy pages. This is my 4Th cookbook in the 101 cookbook series and I love each and every one of them.

As usual is was so hard to decide on what recipes to make. I got over that quickly when I came page 14 and saw the 4 Layer Cookie Bars. It was definitely an omygoodness moment for sure. My first thought was these look a bit similar to a Twix bar, but with peanut butter. The 4 Layer Cookie bars were the first recipe I tried and everyone loved them.

Just look at the photo above and you can see what each layer consists of. The hardest part of the whole recipe was waiting for the bars to set up in the fridge. But then patience has never been my thing. I did add some additional chocolate and peanut butter chips on top of the bars.

I thought the addition of the chips really took these bars over the top. Plus presentation is everything now isn't it? These cookie bars were so dangerously good that we could only eat a few. After that I sent the rest of the baking pan off to work with my husband.

Next I moved onto these yummy little Pecan Pie Muffins from page 92. I found myself wanting a quick little sweet treat after dinner and these yummy little gems were perfect. My husband described these mini muffins as a "little piece of heaven". Have you ever had a pecan pie in a muffin? They are so addicting and so good.

Believe me when I tell you that you can't eat just one. My whole family cleaned the plate on these guys and left nothing behind. I have made pecan pie muffins in the past, but for some reason this one tasted just a bit better. These yummy little bite size muffins will defiantly be making a presence on my holiday baking list.

I also made these wonderful Parmesan Roasted Potatoes from page 73. These potatoes are so easy to toss together and they pair nicely with just about any cut of meat. Just toss all the ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, shake and then add to your buttered baking pan. You can leave the skin on or off so it is really up to you. This dish definitely fits right in to the casual and comforting category.


101 Hearty Recipes has 4 delicious chapters.

Fun & Filling
Speedy & Satisfying
Casual & Comforting
Bakes & Buttery

Here are a few of the recipes from each chapter.
I have a few of the ones below on my own to try list.

  • Easy French Dip Sandwiches (cant wait to try)
  • Nacho Chicken Dip
  • Sandwich on a Stick
  • Sangria Punch
  • Roasted Chicken & Apples
  • Fancy Crescent Chicken
  • Open Faced Lone Star Burgers
  • Cajun Oven Fries
  • Meatloaf Mexican
  • Peachy Keen Sweet Potatoes (cant wait to try)
  • Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie (a must try)
  • Bread Bowl Beef Stew
  • Strawberry Bread
  • Frosted Cherry Drops (a must try)
  • Marble Cheesecake
  • Monster Bars
What I love most about this cookbook is all of the recipes are easy peasy to make. Plus most of the recipes require only 30 minutes or less to prepare. All of the recipes are hearty, simple and delicious. I couldn't help but to think back on my own childhood and remember all of those easy home cooked meals my mother used to make.

This cookbook is for perfect for everyone. Whether you are a pro at cooking or just starting out this is a must have cookbook. To be quite honest I think any and all of the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks are a must have to your cookbook collection. I own several of these cookbooks and proudly display all of them in my own kitchen. If you have never gotten your hands on a Gooseberry Patch cook than you truly are missing out on something special.

Thank you Gooseberry Patch for sharing yet another awesome cookbook from the 101 cookbook series.


I enjoyed all the recipes that I reviewed so much that I wanted to share them with all of you. To get a printable copy of all three of the review recipes just click on the link below.


Printer Friendly Copy of Review Recipes

I wanted to let everyone know that Gooseberry Patch has been kind enough to send me an additional copy to share with one of my readers. Thank you Gooseberry Patch! If you can't wait to get your hands on a copy of 101 Hearty Recipes you don't have to. Right now Amazon Books has it for $10.91. (awesome price) While you're there purchase an extra copy because this will make a great gift for anyone who loves to cook.

Would you like to get your hands on a copy of the fabulous cookbook? Well you can just follow the rules below to find out how you can win a Free copy of 101 Hearty Recipes.


How To Enter The Giveaway:
Just leave a comment on this post answering this question. When you think of Hearty Meals what dish comes to mind? (mandatory entry) For me it's my Chicken Spaghetti recipe. It's hearty, delicious and a stick to your ribs kind of meal.

Additional Entries:
You can do any or all of the following for extra entries. Please leave a separate comment for each one.

1. Become a Fan of Gooseberry Patch on Face book. When you have done that, return to this post and leave a separate comment letting me know that you are a fan.
2. Join Gooseberry Patch "Circle of Friends" so you can stay Gooseberry Patch updated.
3. Become a New Fan of Mommy's Kitchen on Face book.
4. Mention this giveaway on your face book page. Come back and leave a comment telling me so.
5. Become a New Google Follower to Mommy Kitchen (left side of my blog page)
6. Tweet the following for another entry: Win a copy of @gooseberrypatch 101 Hearty Recipes @mommyskitchen http://tinyurl.com/3q6jdgg #giveaway


Last day to enter this giveaway will be at Midnight on September 3, 2011 (CST). I will pick a random winner using random.org and announce the winner on this blog, face book and twitter. Good Luck everyone. Contest open to U.S & Canadian Residents only due to shipping charges.


If you leave an anonymous comment please include your email address in your comment. That way I can contact you in the event that you're the winner. Believe me when I tell you an anonymous reader almost always wins but never actually gets chosen for lack of leaving contact information. When this happens I just have to pick again.




Disclosure: Gooseberry Patch provided me with a copy of "101 Hearty Recipes" for the purpose of this review. They also provided me with an additional copy to use in a reader giveaway. With that being said the opinions & comments stated above are entirely my own. I would like to thank Gooseberry Patch for choosing Mommy's Kitchen as a "Early Bird Reviewer" and for sponsoring this giveaway.





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Monday, August 22, 2011

DIY Pizza Lunchables {Another Back to School Lunch Box Idea}

Hi everyone and happy Monday. Today was the first day of school for my kids. Oh what a bittersweet day for everyone. All the excitement for brand new school year. My kids are excited and scared all at the same time. I was so excited for the first day, but have to admit the silence in our home is no fun at all. I look so forward to it and then when it finally gets here it's a bit sad.

I can say today has flown by and I hope my kiddos are having awesome first day. I shared a photo on my face book fan page of the kids first day of school. Before bed last night we packed up all the lunch boxes and laid out all their school clothes. I'm so glad that we packed the lunches ahead of time because it was such a time saver this morning.

Last week while I was working on my Back to School Lunch Box Idea's post. I started thinking about all the fun items that I could place in the kids sandwich keepers. One idea that popped to mind was making my own Homemade Pizza Lunchables. The pizza ones are Carson's favorite of all the Lunchalbes. I prepared a batch of my no fail pizza crust and got started. I had everything on hand so that made it really easy.

My kids thought I was nuts attempting such a thing. My daughter said mom why are you making those when you can just buy them at the store? I told her because those can get expensive so I want to try and make them myself. The whole process from start to finish was really easy and not time consuming at all.

I got about 20 pizza rounds from one pizza dough recipe. Pretty good if you ask me. The best part is they tasted just like the real deal. Look how cute they look in the little sandwich containers. I have included some step by step photos below to show you how easy these homemade lunchables are to make. This might not be for everyone, but if it's for you then I think you will enjoy this post.

Prepare pizza dough according to recipe. Separate dough into 18-20 golf ball size pizza dough balls. Set aside and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface roll out each pizza dough ball into a 5 inch circle.

Place each pizza round on a pizza pan or baking stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are very lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from pizza pan.

When completely cool place in a gallon size freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.

To assemble Lunchables add two pizza crusts to a plastic container with a lid. Add about 2-3 tablespoons pizza sauce to a snack size zip lock bag and seal (I fold in half). Add mozzarella, cheddar cheese and pepperoni if using to a second bag and seal. I added about 1/2 cup cheese.

Place everything into a plastic container (I use the Great Value Sandwich Containers) and place a plastic spoon inside to spread the pizza sauce. Close or snap shut and add to your child's lunch box.

Let your child assemble their lunchable at school and enjoy!!!! My kids said they taste just like the real thing . Score for mom!!!!




Homemade Pizza Lunchables

1 - recipe no fail pizza crust or your own recipe
1 - 14 oz jar pizza sauce or homemade
mozzarella cheese
cheddar cheese
pepperonis
snack size sandwich bags
1 - plastic spoon
1 - snap shut sandwich container

Prepare pizza dough according to recipe. Separate dough into 18-20 golf ball size pizza balls. Set aside and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface roll out each pizza dough ball into a 5 inch circle.

Place place each pizza round on a pizza pan or baking stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are very lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from pizza pan. When completely cool place in a gallon size freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.


To assemble Lunchables:
Add two pizza crusts to a plastic container with a lid. Add about 2-3 tablespoons pizza sauce to a snack size zip lock bag and seal. Add mozzarella, cheddar cheese and pepperoni if using to a second bag and seal ( I used about 1/2 cup cheese). Add everything to the plastic sandwich container and place a plastic spoon inside to spread the pizza sauce. Close or snap shut and add to your child's lunch box.

Recipe yields : 18-20 snack size pizzas






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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Back To School Lunch Box Ideas

Are you ready for your kiddos to start back to school yet? I for one am ready and I really think secretly they are ready to get back to school themselves. Summer vacation is always fun, but when it gets towards the end they tend to get a bit bored. I have finally purchased all their school supplies, backpacks, lunch totes and my daughters uniforms. I'm still working on my little guys school clothes and new shoes, but for the most part we are done. Goodness so much to do in preparation for a new school year.

My kids start back on Monday and it will be here before I know it. My kids are not big on buying lunch at school. My daughter is better than my youngest son. Mackenzie usually buys at least three days a week. Carson well he is a whole different story. That boy is as picky as they come. In fact he only buys lunch on pizza day which is Friday, so he packs the remaining four days. One dilemma that I struggle with is what to pack in their lunches. I'm sure that's the case for most moms everywhere.

Walmart challenged me to come up with a few Back to School Lunch Box Ideas and share them with my readers. So today's post is all about what to pack in your kids lunch boxes. I will share with you what works for us in the hopes that it will give you a few new ideas for yourself. I for one can use a a little lunch box inspiration myself, so if you have any ideas please by all means leave them in the comments section below.

We got started by heading out to Walmart and getting a variety of items to make their lunches. If you already know what your kids like to eat then you can go from there. But if they are picky then sit down with your kids before you go to the store and make a list of things they will eat.

You can also suggest a few things yourself because you will be surprised at what they like from your suggestions. As you can see from above we chose a variety of different items. Lets move on to lunch storage containers and ice packs and then I will show you some of the things that I prepared for the kids to pack in their school lunches.

The first thing to start off with is storage options. What I do is purchase different storage container sets for my kids. The first one I chose was the 9 piece Great Value Sandwich Set with attached lids. These are very in expensive and re usable as well. On the smaller containers I splurged a bit more and got the Rubbermaid 1.2 oz Take Alongs.

My reasoning behind this was the smaller containers are going to be used for liquid storage, so I need them to be pretty sturdy. I chose the Take Alongs because the lids twist on instead of snapping closed. This is a must with lunch boxes and liquids. So when choosing storage containers get what works or you will just be disappointed in the end.

There is also a variety of ice packs to keep things cool. You can use the hard ice packs or the soft gel ones ($1 each). Both are great, but by far my favorite ice pack is just freezing the kids juice boxes and using those as ice packs instead. It works out perfectly because when lunch time rolls around the juice box will be thawed out so the kids can enjoy their drinks. Don't you just love things when they work out like that?

One thing I do instead of buying those expensive jello, pudding or yogurt cups is make them myself. I do this for two reasons, one because it's so much cheaper, and two because you get more for your money. You can purchase a large container of yogurt for about $1.97. The large 48 oz jar of applesauce is only $1.68. Both of these make a lot of little cups.

Boxed jell-O and pudding cost pennies per box plus you can pick your own flavors. Here is a list of some of the items that you can add to those cute little containers. Pudding, jell-o, applesauce, yogurt, fresh fruit (strawberries, watermelon, grapes. ect.) canned fruit in juice, dips, peanut butter or hummus for dipping veggies and fruits.

OK let's move onto the larger storage containers. I chose the sandwich size containers because they are perfect for not only sandwiches but also for making your own Lunchables. I purchase large packages of lunch meat (turkey, ham, bologna, or your own favorite), different cheeses and a large box of crackers. Just cut the meat and cheeses in smaller sizes and let the kids arrange everything into the storage containers to customize their very own Lunchable.

If I have learned one thing about making your own Lunchables its about cracker storage. Don't just toss the crackers in with everything because they will end up being soft by lunch time. This is from the moister of the meat and cheese. What I do to prevent this is store the crackers in a snack size zip lock bag and then add it to the container. You can also add a packaged cereal bar or a small sweet treat as well.

A favorite in our house is my Healthy Peanut Butter Balls. My kids can devour those things in an instant. The best thing about it is they don't even know they are healthy. They just know that they are good. These yummy little peanut butter balls fit perfectly in their Lunchable container. I usually add about three to a snack size baggie, but no more or that's all Carson will eat. I love the sandwich size containers because the lids are attached and they just snap in place.

We pack the usual sandwich favorites, but we also like to make our own Uncrustables as well. Making them yourself is so much cheaper. Have you seen the price of those things? They are outrageous and my kids go through them like lightening. For $1.97 I purchased a Sandwich Sealer N Decruster. I love this thing! It removes the crust and seals the edges around the whole sandwich. Carson loves these and says they are better than the store bought ones.

Plus you can use wheat bread instead of white which is what the Uncrustables are made with. You don't have to just make the usual peanut butter and jelly Uncrustables. Think outside the box and make a few other ones. Try peanut butter and sliced bananas, peanut butter and raisins, plain cheese, cream cheese and jelly or your favorite turkey or ham & cheese sandwich. Store them in sandwich bags and freeze or make them the night before like we do and store in the sandwich containers.

My daughters favorite sandwich is anything with ham, turkey and cheese. I have been purchasing the little King Hawaiian Honey Wheat Rolls and making her little turkey and ham sliders over the summer. These have become her new favorite way to eat a sandwiches. The bread is slightly sweet and really compliments the ham and turkey.

Plus they are perfect size for little hands. I usually pack her only two because with everything else she ends up with plenty in her lunch box. A few other sandwich options are instead of bread use mini bagels, pita pockets or tortillas to make sandwich wraps. My daughter loves these yummy Ham and Cheese Tortilla Pinwheels. They are so easy to make and pretty much please everyone.

Another favorite is Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls. I know it's really just a basic PB & J sandwich, but its all about presentation with the kiddos. You can also stack chunks of lunch meat, cheese, bread cubes, cherry tomatoes and pickles on a stick and make a sandwich on a stick. Pop it in a zip lock bag and toss in their lunch box.

Lets move onto snacks. Trying to find a few healthy alternatives is always hard. My kids love chips, but quite frankly they can eat their weight in them. Try buying a big bag of pretzels or goldfish instead of chips. Again package them up using the snack size baggies. This way you get the perfect serving size. I like to buy dried fruits and mix together little trail mix bags. Dried apples, cherries, banana chips, raisins, yogurt raisins, pretzels, cherrios and goldfish are a favorite in our house.

If they do want chips try and pick a healthier version. My kids have gotten hooked on the Multi grain Pringles over the summer. If they insist on chips than try and go with the baked version. A few other favorites snack items are animal crackers, granola, ants on log or cut veggies to dip in ranch dressing.

You can also add apples slices. Make sure to toss the apples in a mixture of lemon juice and water first and then drain. Store in the snack size zip lock bags and squeeze all the air out. This will prevent the apple slices from browning. I have also heard that you can dip them in lemon lime soda, gingerale or pineapple juice.

Seems like I am really stressing the uses of the snack size bags, but I just can't help it they are so darn handy. I like to bake up big batches of mini muffins and toss those into the snack size baggies as well. Three mini muffins fit perfectly in one bag. Just toss all of them in the freezer for storage and take them out as you need them. I pop the muffins into the kids lunch boxes frozen because they will be thawed out by lunch time. I do the same with batches of brownies and cookies.

Some kids like to have more than just sandwiches for lunch my kids included. There are no microwaves at school so, we have to rely on a thermos to keep their food warm. When buying a thermos make sure to get a good one. The plastic ones just don't hold the heat so they are really just a waste of money. I invested in a stainless steel thermos for each of my kiddos. They can be a bit pricey at $11.97, but so worth it in the long run. The stainless steel thermos will keep food hot for 5 hours.

A few food ideas for a thermos lunch is leftovers, soup, macaroni & cheese, spaghetti, mini corn dogs, beanie weenie or a hot dog. Store the ketchup, mustard & bun on the side. To prepare the thermos for food first fill the thermos with boiling water, close the lid and let sit for about 5 minutes. When your food is hot and ready to add to the thermos, pour out the water. Immediately fill with your food and replace the lid and store in your kids lunch box.

The kids and I prepared a few cups of yogurt, applesauce and fruit. Look how perfectly they store in the fridge. Now all they have to do is grab what they want and toss it in their lunch box.

The same with their DIY Lunchables and sandwiches. I hope you have found some of these lunch box ideas helpful. Some of them require a little prep work, but in the end it is so worth it. Not only will it save you time but money as well.



This is a sponsored post. I am participating in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with a GC and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own. Check out my fellow Walmart Moms for more Back to School Lunch and Meal Ideas.




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Thursday, August 11, 2011

White Chocolate Cherry Sweet Bread

Today's recipe is super simple and delicious all rolled into one. Simple because this recipe starts with a store bought frozen bread dough. You can use your favorite homemade bread recipe if you prefer, but frozen bread dough is a great time saver. The filling for this yummy bread consists of butter, dried cherries, white chocolate chips and splash of berry flavoring.

The white chocolate chips and the simple icing give this yeast bread the perfect balance of sweetness. If you can't find dried cherries you can substitute with cranberries. In my opinion the dried cherries are so much better. This bread is perfect served anytime, but especially special during the holiday season.

I would like to thank my beautiful friend Beth for this lovely White Chocolate Cherry Sweet Bread recipe. She passed it on to me a couple years ago and I have made it several times since then. It's so simple and yummy that I couldn't wait to share it with all of you. Lets get started and I will show you how easy peasy this braided bread is to make.

Start by using your favorite frozen bread dough {I prefer Rhodes} . You can also use your favorite homemade bread dough recipe as well.

Roll thawed bread dough into a rectangle approx. 10 x 18 inches. Spread with butter to about one - two inches from the ends. Layer on the dried cherries and the white chocolate chips down the middle. There is no rule here on how much cherries and chocolate chips. Just don't over stuff it. Add a touch of flavored liquor or flavoring down the middle.

Cut 1″ strips all the way down the two side columns of the bread dough. Make sure you have an equal number of strips on the right and left. Then, alternating between left and right, pull the strips diagonally down over the filling. You don’t want to stretch them too much, but make sure the filling is almost completely covered. The end pieces can be tucked under the loaf.

I cut my large loaf in half and made two. If not there would not be enough room on the baking pan to bake the bread after rising. Place loaf or loaves on a greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with baking spray. Place pan in a warm place until the loaf or loaves double in size. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool and drizzle with a simple powdered sugar icing.


Slice and enjoy! My favorite part is the creamy white chocolate filling.





White Chocolate Cherry Sweet Bread

1 - loaf frozen bread dough, thawed {Rhodes, Bertucci's, or any Brand}
1/2 - cup butter, softened
1 - cup dried cherries, more if you want
3/4 - cup white chocolate chips
touch of flavored liquor, cherry or strawberry syrup {I used Torani Brand Syrup}
1 - recipe simple icing {recipe below}

Roll thawed bread dough into a rectangle approx. 10 x 18 inches. Spread with butter to about one - two inches from the ends. Layer dried cherries, and white chocolate chips down the middle. Add a touch of flavored liquor or flavoring all down the middle.

Cut 1″ strips all the way down the two side columns of the bread dough. Make sure you have an equal number of strips on the right and left.Then, alternating between left and right, pull the strips diagonally down over the filling. You don’t want to stretch them too much, but make sure the filling is almost completely covered. The end pieces can be tucked under the loaf.

Place on a greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with baking spray. Place in a warm place until the loaf or loaves double in size. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool and drizzle with a simple powdered sugar icing.

*Note: I cut the dough in half after braiding and made two loaves. If not the bread will get quite large after rising and will not fit on the baking pan.


Simple Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 - teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 to 3 teaspoons milk

In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over bread.





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