Month: August 2026

Vanilla Wafers

Posted on by David Knight

Homemade vanilla wafers with crisp golden edges and rich vanilla flavor from both vanilla extract and vanilla powder.

Vanilla Wafers

Homemade vanilla wafers with crisp golden edges and rich vanilla flavor from both vanilla extract and vanilla powder.
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Status To Try

Ingredients
  

Vanilla Wafers

  • 2 sticks butter 8 oz / 1 cup, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla powder
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

Instructions
 

Vanilla Wafers

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and creamy.
  • Add the eggs and mix until incorporated.
  • Add the vanilla extract and vanilla powder. Mix until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Sift the dry ingredients together.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft, uniform cookie dough forms.
  • Portion the dough with a small cookie scoop and roll each portion between your palms into a smooth ball.
  • If desired, freeze the portioned dough balls for later baking.
  • Arrange the dough balls well apart on the prepared baking sheet to allow for spreading.
  • Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 15 minutes, until golden with deeper browning around the edges.
  • Allow the wafers to cool on the baking sheet until set, then transfer to a rack or container for storage.

Notes

Recipe parsed from a cooking video supplied by the user. Ingredient quantities were shown in the video. The user supplied the final confirmed baking instruction: 325°F for 15 minutes.
Keyword cookies, sweetnesses-candies-cookies-brittles, vanilla, vanilla wafers, wafers
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Source: User-supplied cooking video

Jewish Rye Bread

Posted on by David Knight

Traditional Jewish rye bread with a rye sour and old bread soaker, producing tangy rye flavor and a moist, chewy crumb.

Jewish Rye Bread

Traditional Jewish rye bread with a rye sour and old bread soaker, producing tangy rye flavor and a moist, chewy crumb.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine Jewish
Status To Try
Servings 18 slices

Ingredients
  

Rye sour

  • 14 g ripe sourdough starter 1 rounded tablespoon
  • 237 g whole rye flour King Arthur Pumpernickel Flour; 2 1/4 cups
  • 198 g water room temperature, about 70°F; 7/8 cup

Old bread soaker

  • 74 g bread 1 heaping cup
  • 74 g water cool; 1/3 cup

Dough

  • 420 g unbleached all-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups
  • rye sour all from above except 1 rounded tablespoon reserved
  • 241 g water about 80°F; 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon
  • 85 g old bread soaker from above, at room temperature; 1/3 cup
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds optional
  • 1/2 tsp ground caraway seeds optional
  • 12 g table salt 2 teaspoons
  • 1 tsp instant yeast

Instructions
 

Prepare the rye sour and soaker

  • Mix the rye sour ingredients until fully hydrated; the mixture will be very stiff. Cover and leave at about 70°F for 13 to 16 hours.
  • Cut the bread for the soaker into roughly 1-inch cubes, moisten with the cool water, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, squeeze out excess water and break the bread down to a stiff-oatmeal consistency. Measure 85 g and bring it to room temperature.

Mix and rise

  • Combine the dough ingredients in a mixer. With a dough hook, mix on the lowest speed for 3 minutes, then on speed 2 for 3 minutes. Aim for a finished dough temperature near 78°F.
  • Transfer to an oiled, covered bowl and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
  • Deflate the dough and let it rest, covered, on a floured surface for 10 minutes.

Shape and bake

  • Preheat the oven and a baking stone, if using, at 460°F for 1 hour. For steam, preheat a cast-iron pan on a lower rack.
  • Shape into a bâtard/football-shaped loaf without tearing the surface. Place on lightly greased parchment dusted with coarse cornmeal, cover, and proof 40 to 45 minutes in a warm place.
  • Moisten the loaf surface, add caraway seeds if desired, and score five crosswise cuts, slightly shorter toward the ends.
  • Transfer the loaf to the hot stone or a baking sheet. Partially cover with a large metal bowl to retain steam. Add 1/2 cup boiling water to the preheated pan and bake 10 minutes, then remove the bowl.
  • Reduce the oven to 430°F and bake another 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden brown and at least 205°F internally.
  • Moisten the crust again after baking and cool completely on a rack overnight before slicing.

Notes

Recipe by Barb Alpern for King Arthur Baking. The reserved tablespoon of rye sour may be discarded or used to maintain a rye starter. This dough remains sticky; wet hands are preferable to adding excess flour. Save a large slice of the baked loaf for a future old-bread soaker.
Keyword caraway, Jewish rye, rye bread, sourdough
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Source: King Arthur Baking

Caraway Rye Bread

Posted on by David Knight

A soft, slightly tangy rye loaf with caraway, using rye and all-purpose flour for pronounced rye flavor with a tender, well-risen crumb.

Caraway Rye Bread

A soft, slightly tangy rye loaf with caraway, using rye and all-purpose flour for pronounced rye flavor with a tender, well-risen crumb.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Course Bread
Status Tested
Servings 1 large loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 227 g dill or sour-pickle juice use in place of water
  • 106 g medium rye flour or whole rye/pumpernickel flour
  • 14 g granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 113 g sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 10–12 g caraway seeds
  • 9 g table salt
  • 280 g all-purpose flour
  • 25 g vital wheat gluten optional

Instructions
 

Make the rye sponge

  • Mix the dill or sour-pickle juice, sugar, rye flour, and instant yeast into a soft, thick batter. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes to hydrate the rye.

Make the dough

  • Add the sour cream or Greek yogurt, caraway seeds, salt, all-purpose flour, and vital wheat gluten if using. Knead until fairly smooth. The dough will naturally be sticky; avoid adding excess flour just to make it behave like white bread dough.

First rise

  • Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until noticeably puffy.

Shape and second rise

  • Gently deflate the dough, knead very briefly, and shape into one long oval loaf. Place on parchment, cover, and proof for about 1 1/2 hours, until noticeably puffy. Near the end of the proof, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Score and bake

  • Lightly mist or brush the top with water. With a very sharp knife or razor held fairly upright, make one confident lengthwise slash about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) deep.
  • Bake on the center rack. Check the loaf after 35 minutes for color and internal temperature, then continue baking as needed, about 45 to 50 minutes total for one large loaf. Aim for an internal temperature of 205–210°F (96–99°C). If the loaf is getting too dark, loosely tent it with foil after about 25 minutes.
  • Transfer to a rack and let cool before slicing. For a softer crust, optionally brush the hot loaf with melted butter.

Notes

Current version uses dill or sour-pickle juice in place of the dough water for extra rye-bread character.
Keyword Bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Source: King Arthur Baking — Caraway Rye Bread (adapted working version from conversation)

Aunt Vera’s Rhubarb Jelly

Posted on by David Knight

A handwritten family recipe from Aunt Vera made with rhubarb, crushed pineapple, and strawberry gelatin.

Aunt Vera’s Rhubarb Jelly

A handwritten family recipe from Aunt Vera made with rhubarb, crushed pineapple, and strawberry gelatin.
Print Recipe
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Preserves
Cuisine American
Status Tried & True

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • 6 cups rhubarb cut up
  • 5 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 can crushed pineapple can size not specified on the original recipe
  • 1 large box strawberry Jell-O or 2 small boxes

Instructions
 

Instructions

  • Combine the cut rhubarb, sugar, and crushed pineapple.
  • Let the mixture sit overnight.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 20 minutes.
  • Add the strawberry Jell-O and stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Cook for a few more minutes, until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
  • Put into jars.

Notes

The original handwritten recipe says only to put the finished jelly into jars. It does not provide a tested boiling-water canning process or storage instructions. For safety, treat this as a refrigerator or freezer recipe unless a tested shelf-stable canning method is used. The size of the crushed pineapple can was not specified.
Keyword canning-jams-jellies, crushed pineapple, family recipe, rhubarb jelly, strawberry Jell-O
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Source: Aunt Vera