Bread, Cakes, and Pie

Bread, Cakes, and Pie

Lembas Bread 

Elvish Waybread Ingredients:

• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten-free baking mix (or flour)

• 1 ripe banana, mashed

• ¼ cup organic coconut oil

• ½ cup maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons white chia seeds plus 6 tablespoons water

• pinch of sea salt

Optional Ingredients:

• non-poisonous leaves (Hawaiian Ti leaves, collard greens or banana leaves)

• hemp twine

Directions:

1. Mix chia and water, set aside for 5 minutes until it forms a gel.

2. Add mashed banana, coconut oil, maple syrup, the chia gel and a pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl.

3. Gently mix in flour. Do not over mix or your Lembas will be tough.

4. Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for one hour before rolling out.

5. Flour your rolling pin and work surface.

6. Roll dough ¼ thick and cut into squares with a cookie cutter.

7. Use the blunt edge of a knife or spatula to mark an “X” on the top of each square.

8. Do not cut all the way through. This “X’ will prevent the dough from rising and becoming misshapen.

9. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

Optional:

1. Wrap in leaves and secure with twine.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days

Sweet Lembas

Elvish Waybread Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup butter

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon honey

• ⅔ cup of heavy whipping cream

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Optional Ingredients:

• non-poisonous leaves (Hawaiian Ti leaves, collard greens or banana leaves)

• hemp twine

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. 

3. Add butter and mix well till fine granules. Then add sugar and cinnamon, and mix thoroughly.

4. Add cream, honey, and vanilla and stir them in with a fork until a nice, thick dough forms.

5. Roll dough out about ½ inch thickness.

6. Cut out 3 inch squares and transfer the dough to a cookie sheet. Criss-cross each square from corner-to-corner with a knife, lightly. 

7. Bake for about 12 minutes or more (depending on thickness of bread) until it is set and lightly golden. 

Optional:

1. Wrap in leaves and secure with twine.

2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days

Recipe Tip:

1. Let cool completely before eating, bread tastes better at room temperature and dry.

2. For more flavor you can add more cinnamon or other spices.

Dwarf Mince Pies

Mincemeat Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced granny smith apples (peeled and cored)

• 2/3 cup dried currants

• 1 ⅓  cup raisin medley

• ⅔  cup dried cranberries

• ⅔  cup dried cherries

• ½  cup brown sugar

• ½  cup walnuts (chopped)

• 3 dates (pitted and chopped)

• 1 orange (juice and zest)

• 1 lemon (juice and zest)

• large pinch of salt

• ½  tablespoon cinnamon

• ¼  tablespoon ground ginger

• ¼  tablespoon ground cloves

• ½  cup brandy

Pastry Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• ¼  cup vegetable shortening

• ¼  cup unsalted butter (cold, sliced thin)

• juice of 2 clementine's

• large pinch of salt

• mincemeat

• powdered sugar to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all the mincemeat ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes or until the ingredients have softened considerably. Cool the mixture until it reaches room temperature and mix in the 1/2 cup of brandy. Keep the mincemeat in a sanitized container and it will keep for about two weeks.

2. Combine the flour, salt, shortening, and cold butter in a bowl. Work the butter and shortening in the flour with your finger tips or with a pastry cutter until the pieces of butter get to the size of hazelnuts. Refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes. Juice the two clementines and add it to the flour mixture. Mix together until it forms a smooth ball of dough. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Lightly grease a muffin tin and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425F. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8" thickness. Punch out circles with a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter. Gently press the dough into the prepared muffin tin and fill each one with the prepared mincemeat.

4. Combine and roll out the rest of the dough to 1/8" thickness. Cut out any shape of your choice but I decided to create oak leaves because of the oak tree in Bag End.

5. Bake the mince pies at 425F for 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy.

Ten Cup Ranger Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter

• 1 cup peanut butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup oatmeal

• 1 cup coconut

• 1 cup chocolate chips

• 1 cup raisins or carissin

• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

• 1 cup flour (self-rising)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cream together butter and sugars, add peanut butter and eggs, beat until well combined. Add oatmeal, coconut, chocolate chips, raisins, and nuts, stirring after each. Stir in flour.

Drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets and bake for 13 minutes.

Arnor Spice Cake 

Spice Cake Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¾  teaspoon baking soda

• ¾  teaspoon ground cloves

• ¾  teaspoon cinnamon

• ⅔  cup oil or butter

• ¾  cup brown sugar

• 1 cup sour milk (1 teaspoon lemon juice in a cup of milk)

• 3 eggs

Optional Ingredients:

1. ½  cup finely chopped walnuts 

2. 1 teaspoon vanilla 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Sift together first 7 ingredients.

3. Add oil or butter, brown sugar, and sour milk. Mix till all flour is moistened.

4. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with electric mixer. Add eggs; beat 2 more minutes. Stir in nuts and vanilla (if adding).

5. Bake in 2 greased and lightly floured 9 x 1 1/2 inch round pans 30-35 minutes, or until done.

6. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before serving.

Twice Baked Honey Cakes

Honey Cake Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup flour

• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder 

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp (plus around 3 tablespoons for greasing muffin pans)

• 1 zested lemon

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

• ¾ cup milk

• 2 eggs

• ¾ cup high quality honey + ¼ cup honey for drizzling on top

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Using a pastry brush and really, really soft butter, "paint" the inside of the muffin wells to grease them. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest.

4. Using a fork, or very clean fingers, mix in the room temperature butter to the flour mixture until it looks like a sandy/gravelly mixture. Set aside.

5. In a small bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, honey, and vanilla.

6. Pour the liquids over the dry mixture and combine until just combined - do not over-mix.

7. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin wells - it will be between 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup of batter each.

8. Bake for 16 minutes, or until mostly done but not quite golden enough.

9. Remove from the muffin pan (Be super careful, it's hot! This is why you want to grease the pan really well!) and place the muffins on a silpat lined rimmed baking sheet.

10. Warm the remaining 1/4 cup honey in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

11. Using a pastry brush, coat the tops of the cakes with the honey (it's ok for it to drip down the sides). Allow to sit for about 5 minutes to let the honey soak into the cakes.

12. Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown.

Lake-town Cram

Cram Ingredients:

• 5 ½ ounces butter (softened) 

• 3 ½ ounces brown sugar (packed)

• ¼ cup honey

• 2 eggs (large)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup flour

• ⅓ cup whole wheat flour

• 5 ½ ounces mixed nuts chopped

• 1 ½ ounces cranberries

• ⅓ cup rolled oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. In a mixer, paddle your softened butter until smooth.

3. Add your brown sugar and honey. Paddle until combined.

4. Add one egg at a time, make sure to scrape the bowl. Add your vanilla extract.

5. Add your flour in three additions. Make sure to scrape the bowl in between.

6. Add your nuts, cranberries, and oats.

7. Scoop into cookies. I used a 1/4 cup to scale out each cookie.

8. Place the cookie onto a baking sheet with parchment and shape into biscuit shape.

9. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

10. Bake the cookies for approximately 15 minutes and let cool on rack.

Shire Seed Cakes

Seed Cake Ingredients:

• 6 ½ ounces butter (room temp)

• 6 ½ ounces granulated sugar

• 3 eggs (large)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 large lemon zest

• 1 ⅔ cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 ½ ounces almond meal

• 1 ½ tablespoons caraway seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Mix butter and sugar until pale.

3. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract. Mix and scrape.

4. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and slowly stream the eggs into the mix on medium speed. Mix until well combined.

5. Add the almond meal in two additions.

6. Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt in three additions. Make sure to scrape the bottom and side of the bowl in between each addition.

7. Add your caraway seeds and mix until combined.

8. Scoop the batter into lightly greased mini loaf pans, or small cake rounds, until it/s 3/4 of the way full.

9. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

10. Cool on cooling rack and serve with some fresh cream and jam.

Prancing Pony Tarts

Blackberry Tart Crust Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1 stick + 1 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter

• ½ ounces vegetable shortening

• 4 ounces ice cold water (or as needed)

Blackberry Tart Cream Ingredients:

• 1 ⅓ cups milk

• 2 large yolks

• 1 ½ granulated sugar

• ⅛ cups flour

• ½ ounces corn starch 

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 pint fresh blackberries 

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine your four, salt, sugar, and shortening.  With your fingers, or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, work the shortening into the flour.  You’ll want the shortening to create a clumpy sand texture with the flour. Next, add your cold butter.  Slicing the butter will help incorporate into the flour easier but cubes of butter will work as well.  Work the butter into the flour until it creates hazelnut size pieces.  Add the ice cold water and mix just until the flour is hydrated.  Wrap with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare your pastry cream by heating the milk on medium heat until it comes to a simmer.  In mixing bowl, combine your egg yolks, vanilla extract, sugar, salt, flour, and cornstarch.  Mix until combined.  Once the milk comes to a simmer, pour a quarter of it into the yolk mixture.  Immediately stir to combine. Continue to temper the yolks with the hot milk.  Once that is done, pour the mixture back into the pot over medium heat.  Continue to whisk the mixture as it thickens.  Let it come to a boil for a minute or two to ensure that the flour has been cooked through.  Strain and cover directly with plastic wrap.  Place it into an ice bath and let it cool down.

3. While the pastry cream is cooling, preheat your oven to 350F and place your dough on a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough into five equal pieces.  Take one piece and roll it out.  Try to keep it as rectangular as possible or with whatever shape you are deciding to use.  Transfer the dough into the tart pan and gently press in the edges and corners.  Dock with a fork and continue the same process with the rest of the tarts.  Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Let the tart shells cool after baking.

4. Once the pastry cream is cool, loosen it with a spatula or in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment.  If you find the cream is too thick, you can loosen it with heavy cream.  Fill the tart shells with the cream and garnish with sliced blackberries.

Recipe Tip:

1. Make sure to bake your tarts until it is golden brown because that will help ensure the crust will hold up to the pastry cream over time.  Some use an apricot glaze to layer the bottom to help with that issue.

Garden Herb Flatbread

Flatbread Ingredients:

• 7 grams active dry yeast

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 ½ cups flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup water (110F)

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)

• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)

Directions:

1. Combine yeast and warm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.  Add flour, olive oil, salt, thyme, and rosemary.  Mix until combined.

2. Knead for 3 minutes until smooth. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover.  Let it proof for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

3. Pace the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut it into 6 equal size pieces.  Roll each piece out with a rolling pin.

4. At this point, you can grill or cook the dough on a skillet with a bit of oil until golden on both sides.

Farmer Maggot’s Mushroom Pot Pie

Mushroom Pot Pie Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 2 shallots (minced)

• 1 medium carrot (sliced into ¼ inch rounds)

• ⅓ cup green peas

• 1 medium russet potatoes (cooked and 1 inch cubed)

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 2 large portobello mushrooms (gills removed 1 inch diced)

• ¾ pound white button mushrooms (cleaned and quartered)

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 1 cup vegetable broth

• ½ cup milk

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1 sheet puff pastry

• 1 egg + 1 yolk (for egg wash)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.  Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the butter, garlic, and shallots.  Cook for 3 minutes until shallots are soft.  Add the sliced carrots and peas and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Turn the heat to high and add all the mushrooms and thyme.  Cook for about 5 minutes until mushrooms are golden and soft.  Turn the heat down to medium and sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir to coat.  Cook for two minutes.

3. Gently stream the broth and milk into the pan while stirring to prevent lumps.  Bring to a simmer until it thickens in about 5-8 minutes.  Add the cooked potatoes and chopped parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove the thyme sprigs and pour the mixture into ramekins.  Cut rounds from the puff pastry to fit the tops of your ramekins.  Brush with egg wash and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Elven Angel Food Cake

Angel Food Cake Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites

• 6 ounces granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup cake flour (sifted)

• Tropical fruit (as needed)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.  In a very clean mixing bowl, add the egg whites and whisk the whites on medium speed.  Once you see foam forming on the top of the whites, add the salt and cream of tartar.  Whisk for another 3 minutes and then slowly start to add the granulated sugar.  Let it whisk until it forms soft peaks.

2. Sift in half of the half and fold in by hand with a spatula.  Careful not to break the bubbles that have formed.  Fold in the rest of the flour.

3. Line your muffin tin with liners and fill it with the batter.  Bake for 15 minutes or when a skewer comes out clean when tested.

4. Once it's done, let the cakes cool in the tin.  It will be too soft to transfer them at this point.  You'll find that the cakes will start to shrink, creating a more cylindrical shape.

5. Carefully peel off the liner and garnish with edible flowers or tropical fruit such as pineapple and papaya.

Gondor Great Apple Strudel

Apple Strudel Ingredients:

• 5 sheets phyllo dough

• ½  cup clarified margarine

• 1 cup fine bread crumbs

• 4 ounces golden raisins

• 1 ounce sugar

• ½  ounce ground cinnamon

• 4 ounces sliced almonds

• 6 ounces Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)

• 1 small can apple pie filling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place 1 layer of phyllo dough on a flat surface. 

3. Brush with the clarified margarine and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs.

4.  Top with another sheet of phyllo dough and repeat the process with the remaining sheets of phyllo dough.

5. In a mixing bowl combine the raisins, sugar, cinnamon, almonds, apples, and apple pie filling. 

6. Place the mixture in a log at 1 edge of the phyllo dough layers. 

7. Roll the phyllo dough around the mixture tightly and place on baking tray. 

8. Bake the strudel in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown in color. 

9. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Then slice and serve.

Stewards Banana Bread

Banana Bread Ingredients:

• 2 ⅔  cups flour

• 3 tablespoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼  teaspoon baking soda

• ½  cup (1 stick) butter or oil

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 eggs

• 2 mashed bananas

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• ¼  cup whey

Optional Ingredients:

• raisins

• nuts 

Directions:

1. Mix the first 4 ingredients together in separate bowl. 

2. Mix the oil or butter, with the sugar, then add eggs in separate bowl. 

3. Add the two mixtures together and mix well. 

4. Pour into lightly greased and floured pan. 

5. Bake at 325F for about 1hr and 20 mins or until done. Cool and enjoy!

Halfling Mushroom Toast

Mushroom Toast Ingredients:

• 2 thick slices of crusty bread

• 2 clove garlic (crushed)

• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

• 3 tbsp. olive oil

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 6 oz. lion's mane mushrooms (sliced)

• 6 oz. king trumpets (sliced)

• ¼  cup white wine

• ½  cup chicken stock

• 3 tbsp. crème fraiche

• chives (finely chopped for garnish)

• truffle oil

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Brush both sides of the bread with oil and toast or grill on both sides until golden and crispy.  Set aside.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the rest of the oil and 2 tbsp. of butter.  Once hot, add the garlic and thyme.  Cook for 1 minute while making sure the garlic does not get too brown.

3. Turn the heat to high and add the sliced mushrooms. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan.  Cook until the mushrooms are golden brown and deglaze the pan with the white wine.

4. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 1-2 minutes until the most of the wine has evaporated.  Add the stock and cook until the liquids have reduced to half.  Add the crème fraiche and 1 tbsp. of butter.

5. Mix until incorporated and season with salt and pepper.

6. Take out the stems from the thyme and top each toast with the mushrooms and finally drizzle with truffle oil and garnish with chives.