SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD WITH JALAPENO JELLY

     SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD WITH JALAPENO JELLY

                                 

Few breads have stayed with me over these many , foody years as my Shredded Wheat Bread. What a discovery that was !! In the early years of my catering, although I was making all kinds of breads , all the time, this one I knew was a winner as soon as I found it ! It was soft and spongy and sweet with an oh, so familiar flavor ! The funny thing is, I remember this bread being so much darker in color when I used to make it. Maybe molasses, a key ingredient, has changed in some way. This time I used Fancy Molasses but next time I will try Black Strap Molasses. Of course, Old Fashioned Shredded Wheat Biscuits are the main ingredients. Boiling water is poured over the biscuits to soften them. When you add the yeast, always be sure this mixture has cooled to room temperature. Extreme, sudden heat kills active yeast. As well as butter and fine cheeses, especially Brie, my Jalapeno Jelly is a wonderful accompaniment ! I always used a pectin such as Certo to make it but one day I discovered you don’t need it if you like a soft, runny jelly instead of a firm one. And it uses much less sugar !

Many catering buffets and restaurant menus of mine, featured this lovely, comforting bread and I can’t begin to tell you how it showcases a Turkey Sandwich with fresh cranberry sauce !

I recall featuring this bread at a small catering function and decided to take the dough with me and bake it there so the beautiful aroma would be all through the house. I took my young helper with me and I remember it was quite a long drive. She was sitting in the back of the car and happened to notice my dough was not rising. I kept asking her every five minutes if it was now . Nope. Just a lump of dough. And this is why I do not miss being a caterer ! When something goes wrong at the last moment, you can’t always fix it ! It hit me like a ton of bricks ! I forgot the  yeast ! By the time we got there I was a hot mess ! But here is what I did. I rolled the dough into a long tube and smothered it with melted butter and baked it . I presented it as my shredded Wheat Quick Bread. No, it did not rise one little bit but I sliced in in thin rounds and topped each one with cream cheese and jalapeno Jelly and served it as an appie ! And everyone loved it  and yes, the house did smell amazing ! So hope you try it and please remember the yeast !

                                                     

                                           SHREDDED WHEAT BREAD

3 Shredded Wheat Biscuits, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup Black Strap Molasses, 2tsp  salt, 3 Tbsp butter

2 cups boiling water

Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl . Add boiling water. Sir well and let cool to look warm.

Meanwhile, dissolve 2 Tbsp dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar in ½ cup warm water. When first mixture is cooled, stir in yeast. Now mix in enough flour (4-6 cups) to make a soft dough. (optional: at this point you can add 1 ½ cups fresh chopped cranberries or Craisins). Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes. Rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours. Take dough amd form into 2 loaves. It should not be sticky. Place in greased loaf pan or form into French style loaf and place on greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise again until doubled..Brush with melted butter mixed with a bit of molasses.

Bake in oven preheated t0 375 degrees 25-30 minutes. Brush again with butter mixture. Cool before slicing.

                                               JALAPENO JELLY

3 large Bell Peppers, any color, 1 small hot pepper, 1 cup sugar, 1 ½ cups vinegar (white or apple cider

Mince or process peppers. Place in sauce pan with sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil  and turn heat down. Simmer until reduced and thickened, about 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.