Sarasotas Candy Cane Bread Recipes

PARMESAN BREADSTICK "CANDY CANES"

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate breadsticks; cut each crosswise in half. Dip in butter, then in cheese, turning to evenly coat all sides.
• Twist breadsticks; shape into candy-cane shapes on ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake 14 to 18 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.

CANDY CANE CHOCOLATE LOAVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Coat three 8x4-in. loaf pans with cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add egg whites, eggs, coffee, yogurt, oil and extracts until blended., In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to brown sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Drizzle melted white baking chocolate over loaves. Sprinkle with crushed candies.

CANDY CANE BREAD

Steps:

• Stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Cut in the butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add nuts.
• Mix egg and milk. Stir into dry mixture just till moistened.
• On a lightly floured surface, pat dough to a 10 x 7-inch rectangle, 1/2 inch thick. Cut crosswise into 1-inch strips. Twist each strip by holding both ends. Bend 1 end to form a candy cane.
• Place several inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or till light brown.
• Carefully transfer to rack. Cool. Coat each cane with powdered Sugar Icing. Decorate, using decorator icing, cinnamon candies, or peppermint candies as desired. Makes 10.
• Powdered Sugar Icing: In bowl combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and enough milk to make of drizzling consistency.

CANDY CANE HOLIDAY BREAD

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, maraschino cherries, and raisins in a food processor, meat grinder, or baby food mill fitted with the blade. Process until finely chopped.
• Transfer the fruit mixture to a saucepan; add sugar and honey. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until quite thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool, about 15 minutes. Refrigerate filling; it should thicken to the consistency of thick jam.
• Combine water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, microwave 1 cup butter in a 4-cup glass measuring cup until melted, about 1 minute on high. Add milk and microwave on medium until steaming, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Stir proofed yeast and eggs into the milk mixture. Mix flour and 3 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the well. Stir until well combined. Cover bowl with greased plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate, 3 hours to overnight.
• Line 2 baking sheet with foil and grease lightly with 1 teaspoon butter.
• Divide dough into 2 pieces. Roll a piece out into 18x14-inch rectangle on the foil. Cut eighteen 1-inch flaps down each long side like the legs of a centipede. Spread 1/2 of the filling down the center strip. Overlap the flaps of dough alternately over the filling, tucking the ends under. Repeat with the second piece of dough and remaining filling.
• Gently curve the tops of the loaves to form a candy cane shape. Leave at least a couple inches all around for dough to expand. Cover with dry towels and let rise until puffed and doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Uncover loaves and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Mix icing sugar, melted butter, and milk in a small bowl or glass measuring cup to make icing. Spoon into a resealable plastic bag and snip off a bottom corner. Drizzle icing over candy cane loaves while still warm.

SARASOTA'S CANDY CANE BREAD

Steps:

• Bread -- Now, this is my method to make 2 candy canes.
• Method -- I like to cut the loaf in half - then I cut each half piece in half again but lengthwise.
• Now take 1 of the loaf halves you just cut in two lengthwise. This will make one of your candy canes.
• Fruit -- Lay them out flat and pull them to stretch them out a bit. I press them down a little, but not too much. Press the nuts and dried fruits on each of the pieces and make sure you press the fruit and nuts in good.
• Twist -- Put the two pieces together. Lay the second piece right on top of the first piece fruit side up. Pinch the ends together Then just twist the two together 4-5 twists.
• Bake -- Form the twisted bread like a candy cane and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Heat up the oven according to the package directions to 350 degrees.
• Glaze -- Melt the butter and honey in the microwave for just a few seconds 5-10 second, just so the butter melts a bit and then brush on the bread and sprinkle with the very fine chopped nuts. Baking time I really find varies on the oven and pan used. I check mine after 15 minutes. It can take anywhere from 20-25 minutes on average. Just check to see when golden brown. Remove and let cool.
• Icing -- Mix powdered sugar and add a little milk at a time until you get a nice icing consistency. Your bread should be cooled by now, just do this on warm bread. Drizzle the icing on with a spoon at an angle. The twists in the bread will give you an idea where the icing should go. I just do thin drizzles. It should resemble a candy cane.
• Wrap up in a cellophane bag and tie with a red and green ribbon and a small candy cane. What a nice simple gift which costs maybe 2 dollars. One year I made 40 of them to give to friends at work. I could make 10 at a time in the oven so, in just a couple of hours, I had made 40 gifts. Just a nice thought for the holiday season.

SARASOTA'S FAVORITE STUFFED BREAD

Steps:

• Prepare the bread -- I like to take a nice baguette and cut in half lengthwise. Then hollow out a bit by removing some of the inside breading. Not all just to make room for the stuffing or filling.
• Don't throw away the filling -- put in a baggie and freeze. Pull out any time and use for a stuffing. Makes perfect additions to meatloaf, meatballs, soup, pastas or salads.
• Brush the inside of the bread with olive oil and bake cut side down or you can grill just for 5-7 minutes to lightly brown. Just so the filling doesn't get the bread soggy. Not long.
• Filling -- Now this is my Greek one. But use your favorite. I like to add just a little of the oil that comes with the sundried tomatoes in the pan to start the dish, but olive oil or any oil work just fine. Diced tomatoes and cook just a minute. Now add the spinach, onion, and olives and cook until well combined. DONE!
• Stuff -- Just take your filling and stuff the bread.
• MY SECRET! -- always layer a small amount of whatever cheese you are using on the bottom and then top with your filling. Then top with cheese. This keeps the top and bottom of the bread from getting soggy. Once wrapped in foil and cooked you will have toasty tops and bottoms, NOT soggy ones. Works wonderful. I break up the feta and put on the bottom, add the filling. I do try to not add any of the liquid, top with cheese and then the top bread.
• Wrap the bread in foil and cook either on the grill 15-20 minutes -- or cook in the oven on 425 for 15-20 minutes as well. Make sure you turn it over 1 time during cooking to melt the cheese on the other side.
• NOTE: If it is a hot grill try to cook on a cooler portion of the grill.
• Just enjoy it. This goes with anything. Steak, pork, chicken or seafood. Besides -- your friends will never want garlic bread again!

CANDY CANE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Add buttermilk, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. (Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.)
• Grease 3 cookie sheets. Turn dough onto well-floured surface; gently knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll one part into rectangle, 15x9 inches. Place rectangle on cookie sheet.
• Mix apricots and chopped cherries. Spread one-third of the apricot mixture in a strip about 2 1/2 inches wide lengthwise down center of rectangle. Make cuts in dough at 1/2-inch intervals on both 15-inch sides almost to filling. Fold strips over filling, overlapping and crossing in center. Carefully stretch dough until 22 inches long; curve one end to form top of cane. Repeat with remaining 2 parts of dough. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
• Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle Glaze over warm coffee cakes. Decorate with cinnamon candies.