Baking for the holidays
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A more common treat were dough boys - fried bread sometimes sprinkled with sugar-made from the remains of our twice-weekly bread-baking sessions.
It was from all of this that I learned how to mix, knead and roll dough for homemade pasta and pies. There were no cookbooks, no recipes, no measuring cups or spoons. From my mother I learned the basics of baking and cooking, minus the modern conveniences. Later, as I got older, my mother teamed from me about recipes and measuring cups and spoons and different ingredients and all of the modern cookbook how-to's. She adapted to this new way quickly and did well, though she could not read.
We spent many a day, first in her kitchen and later in mine, trying new recipes or perfecting old ones. Among our favorites were those for traditional Italian biscuits - egg, pepper and wine.
5cups flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup red table wine (I use burgundy)
1cup corn oil
2 beaten eggs
Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and form a well at the center. In another bowl, mix wine, oil and eggs and pour into dry-ingredients well. Mix and knead, adding more flour if necessary for handling. Shape into braided sticks, about 4" long. (To make braided sticks, roll a piece of dough out to about 8" in length and a 1/4" around. Fold dough length in half, pinch the ends together and twist for braided effect.)
Place biscuits on greased cookie sheets, brush tops with a beaten egg and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes about six dozen.
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seed (optional)
Mix above ingredients and form a well.
In another bowl, mix:
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup corn oil
1/2 cup milk Pour into dry-ingredients well. Add 1/2 cup of hot water, mix and knead thorough ly. Roll clumps of dough into 8" lengths, twist and form into round biscuits (like wreaths). Place on greased cookie sheets, brush with beaten egg and bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes three dozen.
