Bread Birds Recipes

WHOLESOME BIRDIE BREAD FOR PARROTS

Steps:

• Pre-Heat oven to 400.
• Place muffin mix, oatmeal, and baking powder in large bowl and set aside.
• Wash whole eggs thoroughly and place in blender (shells and all.) Add baby food, applesauce, and wheat germ, and puree.
• Pour blended puree into your bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a large spoon. Stir in Tahini, cheese, grated carrots, and broccoli (if you have a fussy bird, you can puree these items in the blender in step 3.).
• Spread mixture in a lightly greased 9 x 13" pan and sprinkle the seed (or pellets) over the top.
• Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. (Time may vary.) Let cool and cut into squares that are the size of a daily portion for your bird and freeze accordingly.
• Defrost daily portions in the microwave before feeding. Depending on your bird, either crumble the birdie bread into their bowl (especially smaller birds) or give them talon size chunks (bigger birds).
• Don't be afraid to experiment with the ingredients. The recipe is very forgiving. Instead of baby food, I sometimes substitute frozen mixed vegetables, a can of pumpkin, mashed bananas, or mashed sweet potatoes.
• Instead of oatmeal, I often use cooked brown rice, baby rice cereal, or wholegrain Cheerios. Other things I've experimented with include chopped nuts, raisins, cooked lentils, chopped kale, pureed chickpeas, or pasta.
• Tahini (sesame seed paste) is preferable to peanut butter, if you can find it. It's very high in protein and calcium.

BIRDS' NESTS IV

Steps:

• Separate the eggs. Chop the nuts fine.
• Cream together 1 cup softened butter and sugar. Add the yolks, and beat well. Add the flour, and mix well.
• Make small balls out of dough. Roll balls in egg white, and then in the nuts. Place balls on greased cookie sheets, and press center of cookie with thumb. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes. Press center of cookie again, bake until lightly browned 4 to 6 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.
• To make frosting, begin by blending the water, shortening, vanilla, and 1/4 cup softened butter or margarine together thoroughly. Slowly add confectioners' sugar, and mix until smooth and creamy. More water may be needed to make desired consistency.

BIRD BREAD (BIRD FOOD)

Steps:

• Slowly melt peanut butter, grease or fat over low heat.
• Add cornmeal or stale cereal crumbs.
• Slowly add enough warm water to make a stiff dough.
• Add birdseed and raisins, nut meats or chopped peanuts.
• Pack mixture into small foil pans or a large flat pan.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Cut into pieces for tying onto tree branches.

BREAD BIRDS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add milk and water; heat to 120°-125°. Add to flour mixture and mix well. Stir in extract and egg; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch the dough down; divide into 16 pieces. To shape birds, roll each piece into a 10-in. rope; tie into a knot. Cut one end a few times with a scissors to form tail feathers. Tuck in the other end of the nose to form beak. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 350° for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Combine honey butter ingredients; brush over the hot rolls. Return to the oven for 3 minutes. With a toothpick, make small holes for the beak and eyes. Insert a slivered almond for the beak and currants for eyes. Serve with remaining honey butter if desired.

EASTER BIRD'S NEST BREAD

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast onto warm water in a mixing bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 cups flour until smooth, then cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Cream together the shortening, 1 cup of sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the 2 eggs and egg white, one at a time, mixing until smooth between each addition. Stir in the yeast mixture along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 3 1/4 cups flour until a smooth dough is formed. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into four equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 2 minutes. Roll each round into a long rope about 18 inches long.
• Grease two large baking sheets. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring on one of the baking sheets, leaving spaces for three colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough. Repeat to form second loaf. Cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk , or until your finger leaves a dent when the bread is gently pressed, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Beat egg yolk together with 1 tablespoon heavy cream; set aside.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then brush on egg yolk mixture and decorate with candy sprinkles. Continue to bake until the loaves are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, 30 to 40 minutes.

BIRD ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the butter, brown sugar, 2 eggs, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 16 pieces. Roll each into a 12-in. rope; tie each into a knot. , To form birds' head, tuck one end back into knots. With a sharp knife or scissors, cut two slits on opposite end to form tail feathers. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Beat egg with water; brush over dough. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Insert an almond into each for beak. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

BREAD BIRDS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add milk and water heat to 120°-125°. Add to flour mixture and mix well. Stir in extract and egg beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down divide into 16 pieces. To shape birds, roll each piece into a 10-in. rope tie into a knot. Cut one end a few times with a scissors to form tail feathers. Tuck in the other end of the knot to form head. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350° for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Combine honey butter ingredients brush over the hot rolls. Return to the oven for 3 minutes. With a toothpick, make small holes for the beak and eyes. Insert a slivered almond for the beak and currants for eyes. Serve with remaining honey butter if desired.© Copyright Reiman Publications, 1993-1997