I am all for ease and simplicity, especially these days, and that includes how I spend my time in the kitchen. In addition to regular meal prep, I want my baking time to be drama- and stress-free. After a decade of making, baking, mistaking, and helping others on their Amish Friendship Bread journey, here are 7 essential habits I keep coming back to. Keep an active starter on the counter or in the freezer. The key to easy Amish Friendship Bread baking is making sure that you have an … [Read more...]
FAQ – Why do I need to use instant pudding in my Amish Friendship Bread?
Why do I need to use instant pudding in my Amish Friendship Bread? One thing that throws people off when it comes to Amish Friendship Bread is the inclusion of instant pudding as one of the ingredients. Here are questions I get about using instant pudding in Amish Friendship Bread recipes: "I received my Amish Friendship Bread recipe years ago and it didn't have instant pudding listed in the ingredients. Do I really need it?""Instant pudding doesn't seem very Amish?""I don't use … [Read more...]
FAQ – I forgot to feed my starter, should I throw it away?
I forgot to feed my starter, should I throw it away? If you're new to Amish Friendship Bread, figuring out what to do when you miss a day of feeding can be nerve-wracking. Following are questions I often get about missing a feeding: "I forgot to feed my starter two days ago. Is it ruined?""I fed my starter a day late. Does that mean I have to bake a day late, too?""I got the dates mixed up and I forgot to feed my starter. What should I do?""I received my starter from a friend and forgot to … [Read more...]
Tutorial – How to Get a Bubbly, Active Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Starter
Whenever I post a picture of my Amish Friendship Bread starter on Facebook, you can be sure a flurry of comments will follow. "My starter has never been that bubbly before.""Your starter photos always show a large foam on top. Mine never gets that way.""My starter doesn't have the yeast life yours has.""I've had my starter for years and it's never looked like that.""I know my starter isn't spoiled but it never has that many bubbles. Ever!""What do I have to do to get my starter to look … [Read more...]
Day 12 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway
Day 12: December 19, 2019 Tuesday Welcome to Day 12 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway! This is it ... the last and final day. It's been fun, but whew! You'll have until tomorrow, December 19, 2019, at 9:00 pm PST to get all your entries in for all 12 Days of Kitchen. Go to the kick-off post to find the links for each day, plus the giveaway items. The Recipe Today's featured recipe is a great way to wrap up your holiday baking. Warning: this one's for the big kids! Get … [Read more...]
Day 11 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway
Day 11: December 18, 2019 Tuesday Welcome to Day 11 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway! It's the second to last day, can you believe it? Today is a special day for me, because December 18 is my mother-in-law's birthday. Betty passed away almost five years ago, but she is still one of the most cheerful, optimistic people I know. I miss her! I still have her wooden spoon. I use it almost exclusively for stirring my Amish Friendship Bread starter, because it reminds me of food and … [Read more...]
Day 10 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway
Day 10: December 17, 2019 Tuesday Welcome to Day 10 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway! There are only a couple days left, so I hope you've gotten your entries in for Days 1 through 9! Have you started your holiday baking? Looking for something quick, easy and delicious? The Recipe Today's featured recipe is the latest recipe on the blog: Amish Friendship Bread Eggnog Cookies. It's a great way to use up that leftover starter and eggnog, and they freezer wonderfully, too. … [Read more...]
Day 9 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway
Day 9: December 16, 2019 Monday Welcome to Day 9 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway! I love fun and unique Amish Friendship Bread recipes. This next one is no exception. When I wrote my novel, Friendship Bread (Ballantine Books), I went on a book tour (total bucket list moment right there!). I visited bookstores and libraries and headlined at a few literary festivals. One was in Waupaca, Wisconsin, which has a wonderful library run by head librarian, Peg Burington. She hosted an … [Read more...]
Day 8 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway
Day 8: December 15, 2019 Sunday Welcome to Day 8 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway! Today you get to roam, which means YOU choose the recipe. That's right ... I'm sending you on a hunt in the Recipe Box. I can't wait to see which recipes catch your eye! This post contains affiliate links, so if you click and/or make a purchase, the Friendship Bread Kitchen may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Today's Challenge To enter this giveaway, (1) head … [Read more...]
Amish Friendship Bread Eggnog Cookies
These bite-sized Amish Friendship Bread Eggnog Cookies deliver a festive, holiday punch anytime of the year. They're easy to whip up, and yield 40 small cookies. This is a great way to use up excess Amish Friendship Bread starter and leftover eggnog. They make the perfect snack following a hectic holiday week, and our neighbors loved them, too! I used a cookie scoop to handle the dough, and then flattened them with the back of a spoon, but you can also drop the dough in heaping … [Read more...]
Eggnog Frosting
This Eggnog Frosting is the perfect topping for our Amish Friendship Bread Eggnog Cookies, or take our Amish Friendship Bread Eggnog cake and turn them into cupcakes (check out our conversion chart if you need to figure out how to do that). This makes a smooth, creamy frosting and is much thicker than our Eggnog Rum Glaze. … [Read more...]
Day 7 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway
Day 7: December 14, 2019 Saturday Welcome to Day 7 of the 12 Days of Kitchen Holiday Giveaway! Most of the recipes on this site are for sweet or savory breads, but did you know you can make traditional sourdough breads and rolls with your Amish Friendship Bread starter? Here are two categories for you to browse: Sourdough loaves and breadsSourdough biscuits, buns, and rolls Some of these recipes use commercial yeast to help with the rise, and others rely solely on the strength of … [Read more...]