Amish Friendship Bread Basic Cookie Recipe

Several years back when I was in my creative phase of creating new Amish Friendship Bread variations, I wondered if cookies could be made with the Amish Friendship Bread Starter (if you don't have a starter click the link to get yours started! It is so easy!). Guess what? With a few kitchen experiments, cookies were created! I have several that I will share with you and I hope you give them a try. 

This is a soft and chewy cookie. It isn't as fluffy as the Brown Sugar Cookies that are so popular on my blog and Pinterest but they are soft! This is the perfect basic cookie recipe which has flexibility to allow you to add in your favorite ingredients. Go experiment and let me know what you created. 

Amish Friendship Bread Basic Cookie

Ingredients

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
5 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions 

1-Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C).
2-Cream butter, shortening, eggs and sugars.
3-Stir in rest of ingredients.
4-Drop tablespoon size dough onto ungreased baking sheet.
5-Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Kitchen Notes

Use this recipe to create any type of Amish Friendship Bread cookie. Add up to two cups of nuts, chips and/or fruit and 1/2-1 teaspoon of your favorite spices. Use a small cookie scoop for bite size cookies or two scoops for a larger cookie. Recipe will yield up to 100 small cookies. Amazing, right? This is the perfect cookie for bake sales! 

More Amish Friendship Bread Recipes

Mocha Chip Scones
Oreo and Cream Amish Friendship Bread/Muffins 
Peanut Butter Brownie Muffins
Pumpkin Spice Bread 
Zucchini Mini Chocolate Chip Bread
Raspberry Chocolate Macadamia Nut Amish Friendship Bread 

Kahula Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread Pancakes

Nutella Chocolate Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe

Amish Friendship Bread Pancakes

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Amish Friendship Bread Pancakes

Yes my family loves Amish Friendship Bread. I have a Friendship Bread Starter that is over 3 years old which I take from every time I bake or need to share with others. When my starter gets down to 1 cup or so, I feed it. This Amish Friendship Bread Pancake recipe can be found all over the internet. I tweaked it to fit our needs.

Amish Friendship Bread Pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups Amish Friendship Bread Starter
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-3 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup milk/half & half and up to 1/4 cup more if needed to thin out
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice or pumpkin spice.

Directions

1. Set an electric skillet or stove top to medium heat when batter is ready.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, mix.
3. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl, mix.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry until just combined. Do by hand or use a mixer. I use a mixer.
5. Spoon batter onto the greased skittle and cook until bubbles appear and then flip. These cook really quick!

Kitchen Notes

• The pancakes will look a little darker than regular pancakes. That is because of the sugar in the batter. Keep heat to medium and cook slowly to decrease the darkness. We've found that an electric skillet works best but we will cook on the stove top.
• We do add fresh or thawed blueberries, strawberries, or bananas once the batter is added to the skillet- add right before flipping pancakes over.
• Kids prefer mini chocolate chips instead of the fruit. Go figure!
• Recipe make 24 small sized pancakes.

More Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

Raspberry Chocolate Macadamia Nut Amish Friendship Bread

Mocha Chip Scones
Oreo and Cream Amish Friendship Bread/Muffins 
Peanut Butter Brownie Muffins
Pumpkin Spice Bread 

Kahula Amish Friendship Bread

Do you have any Amish Friendship Bread Recipes on your blog? If so share the link and I will come over and visit, Friend ;)

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{Amish Friendship Bread} Irish Soda Bread for Easter

Irish Soda Bread is so easy to make. This is one of my favorite savory Amish Friendship Bread recipes. Create this Easter recipe for your family and friends. Before you run away thinking you don't want to make an Amish Friendship Bread starter (recipe is below in the link) you can make this without the starter. I've tried it both ways and they both work. It is a tad sweeter with the starter which we love. It is a savory bread though, overall!

Ingredients

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter (click to get starter recipe)
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature

***IF you do not want to use the Starter, then increase the buttermilk to 1 1/2 cups. That easy ******

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Whisk together all dry ingredients.
3. Add in wet ingredients and mix quickly.
4. Turn out onto a floured surface, cover with 1/4 cup of flour and kneed for 30 seconds.
5. Shape into a round or oval loaf.
6. Flour a round or oval pan and add bread.
7. Use a sharp knife and score or carve a large X on top of the bread.
8. Bake 50-60 min until the top is dark golden brown.

Kitchen Notes
If you have any left the next day, it makes great toast. Most likely you won't have leftovers so just plan on making two loaves the first time. This dough resembles biscuit dough and I have used it to make drop biscuits. To make the biscuits, drop a heaping tablespoon onto a baking sheet. Bake at same temp until golden on top.

More Amish Friendship Bread Recipes

 Ice Cream Sandwiches

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

Bacon & Butterscotch Breakfast Muffins/Bread
Coconut Amish Friendship Bread
Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie Amish Friendship Bread
Oreo and Cream Amish Friendship Bread/Muffins 

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Zucchini Amish Friendship Bread

Do you have extra zucchini from the garden? Time to make bread! This is our favorite Zucchini Bread recipe that we found at the Friendship Bread Kitchen Website. Don't forget to check my Amish Friendship Bread Recipe Box for the Starter, 10 Day steps to creating the starter and other Amish Friendship Bread Variations. 

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Amish Friendship Bread

Ingredients

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1 cup grated zucchini, excess liquid removed
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1-2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding

Directions

1. Preheat over to 325° F (165° C).
2. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips. Mix well.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine all the wet ingredients. Mix well.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly fold in the wet ingredients, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. Add the chocolate chips.
6. Bake for one hour in a well greased pan or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
7. ENJOY!

The recipe belongs to the Friendship Bread Kitchen Recipe box and I have seen it on other websites. The photo is mine. 

We picked this variation of Amish Friendship Bread to bake because my 13 year old just finished reading the book, Friendship Bread by Darien Gee. It is a fiction book and includes recipes for the starter and bread. She picked this one to bake on her own. 

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Amish Friendship Bread Round up

This week I'm posting a few of my favorite Amish Friendship Bread Recipes (click to get more recipes) in honor of the 1 year Anniversary of the book release, Friendship Bread by Darien Gee. I loved the book and I personally know the author. She is a gem and her book is wonderful. She also writes under the pen name, Mia King.

What do you have to do? We want you to pin this party post and link up something from your blog or from Pinterest. We will pin back.That simple.

Here are my top favorite post. Remember if you pin we will pin back!

1-The novel, Friendship Bread by author Darien Gee.

2- Starter recipe for Amish Friendship Bread- Yes it is here! it isn't a secret. You can start your own.

3- Carrot Cake Amish Friendship Bread- Just in time for Easter and spring! It is so good! Yes, the bread can be made into a cake!

4-The author, Mia King (Darien Gee's pen name)

5- Amish Friendship Bread Snickerdoodle Cookies- Did you know that you can make cookies out of the starter! This is one popular cookie in the Recipe Box on the Friendship Bread Kitchen Website.

6- Oreo & Cream Amish Friendship Bread-My girls love this variation.

7- Recipe for Zucchini Amish Friendship Bread- One of our favorites!

8- Irish Creamy Cafe Amish Friendship Bread Cupcakes- Yes, you can make cupcakes, too!

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day Recipes

I scream You scream We all SCREAM for ICE CREAM! Who can resist ice cream? Not many people can resist it during these HOT SUMMER months. Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day and I thought that we should share it together, drooling over a few recipes.

I've made this tasty waffle recipe from Friendship Bread Kitchen many times. We all LOVE them. We used the leftover waffles to make waffle ice cream sandwiches. Doesn't it make you want to eat one? To make the recipe, just make these amish friendship bread waffles or use your own favorite waffle recipe and scoop on some ice cream. Add strawberry jam to our vanilla ice cream. These really are so good and a super easy treat. Make waffles for breakfast and then use the extra for an afternoon or after dinner treat. They are great to make up ahead of time and freeze for later, too.

How about you? What is your favorite ice cream sandwich?

Oreo & Cream Friendship Bread Recipe

Now this is momma's way of eating an oreo! Don't just give me a stack of cookies.  I want it in sweet bread form!  A few years back when I was on a Amish Friendship Bread kick I would make this loaf, over and over and over.

This was the only oreo bread that I would make because my kids loved it.  These days, I've been up to making many more varieties but the oreo one is the most requested.  These days the kids are requesting it in muffin form.  Either way, is is tasty!

Oreo & Cream Amish Friendship Bread 


Ingredients

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread starter
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1 box Oreo instant pudding
1 box Cream Cheese instant pudding
12 Oreos, whole and crushed

1/4 c. cocoa powder, optional 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, add ingredients as listed.
3. Mix in whole and crushed Oreos. Save 1/2 cup.
4. Grease two large loaf pans.
5. Dust the greased pans with 1/2 cup sugar.
6. Pour the batter evenly into loaf or cake pans and sprinkle the remaining crushed Oreos on the top.
7. Bake for one hour or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

Have you heard about the Friendship Bread Kitchen website?  My oreo bread recipe as well as 100 more are featured on the site in their Recipe Box.  You'll also find more information on Amish Friendship Bread and Friendship Bread: The Novel.

Check out some of my other Friendship Bread recipes

Butterscotch and Bacon Breakfast Muffins
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread
Rockin' Butterscotch Bread
Coconut Friendship Bread

Bacon Butterscotch Breakfast Muffins (Friendship Bread) Recipe

I do have to admit that I love Butterscotch which is how this recipe came about. I added butterscotch chips to the basic amish friendship bread and tossed in bacon! The bacon adds a crunchy, sweet & salty taste that really makes these little muffins perfect breakfast recipe.  From experience, that these Amish Friendship Bread muffins can be eaten at anytime of the day but I think that these would be fun to make for a breakfast meeting. 

A few people said "ewwww" when they heard that I was going to add bacon to my favorite FB recipe.  Little did that know, I wasn't just going to toss in raw bacon!  No way! I had to bake the bacon in brown sugar, first!  I made these in regular and mini size!  I also use a cute "Roundabout" cupcake sleeve to add some fun to these muffins.  Enjoy!

 Bacon Butterscotch Breakfast Muffins

1 c. Amish Friendship Bread Starter 
1/2 lb. bacon
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 c. oil
1/2 c. milk
1 c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 small boxes instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 c. butterscotch chips

Directions:

Bacon:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Put 1/2 lb bacon in strips on a foil lined baking sheet.  Use half of the brown sugar to sprinkle on top of the
bacon.
3. Bake until sugar is dissolved. This takes about 10 minutes.  Flip over and use rest of the brown sugar.
4.  Bake until dissolved, again.  Put bacon on a plate to get it out of the grease.  Don't put it on paper towel because it will stick to it. Yes I know this from experience.  Save the grease to make frosting, add to baked beans, etc.  Either way, save it and use it for something yummy!
5. When cool, crumble bacon. I made my bacon the day before so it would be ready for baking day.  I stored it in a zip lock baggie in the pantry.

Muffins:
1. Preheat your oven to 325°.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the starter, eggs, oil, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pudding mix. Add the starter mixture to the flour mixture and gently stir until the batter just barely comes together. Gently stir in the butterscotch chips and the crumpled, cooled bacon.  ( Save one piece of crumpled bacon to add to the top of  dough once in the muffin tins- this is optional. I usually do it on half of mine)
4. For the regular size muffins, grease the muffin tins and fill each one half way.  You can use muffin liners but I like the crust that you get from baking the muffins in the tin without a liner.  When they are cool, I then put them in muffin liners (optional). Bake them for 15-20 minutes. Check at 15 minutes. They are done when they are golden and toothpick will come out clean with some moisture.

For the mini muffins,  do the same as above. Only difference, these bake 10-12 minutes.

I really love making the muffins.  They cool quickly.  I let them sit in the tin for 3-5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

Ok here is the other fun thing I did today.  After baking my muffins, I used a  Roundabouts® Cupcake Sleeve to turn these muffins into super FUN Burger mode!  This is a great idea for any muffin/cupcake. They have over 80 other designs.

Do you want more recipes?  Click to find more tasty treats!

Even more Amish Friendship Bread recipes:

More Amish Friendship Bread Recipes

Mocha Chip Scones
Oreo and Cream Amish Friendship Bread/Muffins 
Peanut Butter Brownie Muffins
Pumpkin Spice Bread 
Zucchini Mini Chocolate Chip Bread
Raspberry Chocolate Macadamia Nut Amish Friendship Bread 

Kahula Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread Pancakes

Nutella Chocolate Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe

Amish Friendship Bread Pancakes

Amish Friendship Bread Basic Cookie

Amish Friendship Bread Chocolate Caramel Brownies

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Coconut Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

This is a super easy bread to make using the "Amish" Friendship bread starter recipe!  This is a very easy variation on the basic sweet bread recipe.  I love coconut milk and that is what is used in this recipe. I also used just 1/2 cup of coconut flour with 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour.  I couldn't tell much of a difference using just that small amount of coconut flour from previous coconut bread bakings.  Next time I make this batch I will move it up to 1 cup of coconut and 1 cup of all purpose.

 (Oh by the way, I think I love taking photos of what I cook about as much as I love cooking. My family is so patient with me needing to photograph the food before we eat it!)

Coconut Amish Friendship Bread (click for printable recipe)

1 c Amish friendship bread starter
3 eggs
3/4 c oil
3/4 c coconut milk
1 c sugar
2  tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c. coconut flour (you can skip this and just use a total of 2 c. all purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large box (5.1 oz) instant coconut pudding mix
1 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut (you can use sweetened)

1. Preheat your oven to 325°.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the starter, eggs, oil, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract until everything is well combined. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pudding mix.

4. Add the starter mixture to the flour mixture and gently stir until the batter just barely comes together. Gently stir in 1 cup of the shredded coconut.

5. Divide the batter evenly between two well greased loaf pans.  Sprinkle some coconut in the bottom of the pan and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of coconut evenly over the top of the two loaves.

6. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a bread comes out clean. Allow the breads to cool in their pans for 10 minutes before turning them out on a wire rack to cool.  After 10 minutes you can eat a piece.

*I did sprinkle some sugar on top of the coconut because I was using unsweetened coconut.

 

Tipping Point Tuesday featuring YEAST and blog link up

I am not a pro baker by any means but I've had several people ask me about baking and yeast lately.  Some say that they never have any luck with yeast so that is why they don't bake!  I say, don't be afraid, just do it! You only get better at something by trying and testing it over and over. 

Here are a few of my tips from my experience:
There are two types of yeast that you see at the store.  Regular Active Dry and Instant Yeast.  The Instant yeas will have names like; Fast-Rising, Rapid-Rise, Quick Rise and or Bread Machine Yeast.  Did you know that? Did you know that they are treated differently but you can use either one, for the most part.


Here are some pictures of the Regular Active Dry yeast that you might have seen at your store:




Have you seen them?  So what is up with the Regular Active Dry yeast?  This yeast has larger particles than the Instant and needs to "proof" before using with your recipe.  This is the yeast that you have to add warm water, usually around 100-115 F.  You can use an instant read thermometer for this.  If the water is too cold or too hot it isn't going to bubble and froth! When it bubbles and gets frothy, you know that your yeast is active and ready to use.  

Most of the time I add 1 tsp of sugar with the water and yeast to help "feed it" and get it going.  I'm sure it is because I'm impatient.  If you don't want the sugar in whatever you are baking then skip it.  I have heard that flour added will do the same thing but I have yet to try it.

Here are some pictures of the Instant Active Dry Yeast.  Have you seen them?  Be aware that they look similar to the Active dry and are sold together.  Make sure you know what your recipe is telling you to use.


Can you see the difference? Only if you read and pay attention!  Again, you can use either one but the Instant active dry yeast is a different strain of yeast and does not need to be proofed before adding to the dry ingredients.  If you have a bread machine then this is the one you use. This yeast can be used instead of the Active Dry but just make sure you know which one you are using.  If you yeast is  not reacting when you add in the water to "proof" it, chances are you might have picked up one of the Instant, rapid rise yeast.

Feel free to add any comments.  Again, I'm not a professional.  I'm a mom cook and this is my experience. I"m up to learn more so let me know if you have more to add!

If you are looking for bread recipes, check out my Amish Bread Starter, Focaccia, Cinnamon Rolls , Beignets, King Cake and Coffee Cake

Click the top button on this post and join in on Tipping Point Tuesday blog hop! Just blog a tip! That simple!

Win FRIENDSHIP BREAD by Darien Gee advanced copy and Recipes

 
(FROM THE PUBLISHER) For fans of Kristin Hannah and Kate Jacobs, Darien Gee’s deeply felt and utterly charming novel follows two estranged sisters, three newfound friends, and—ultimately—a whole town brought together by a simple loaf of Amish Friendship Bread.

In Avalon, Illinois, a woman and her young daughter return home to find a plate of Amish Friendship Bread along with a bag of starter on their doorstep. There’s no note, just a yellow sticky with the words, “I hope you enjoy it.” The instructions tell them to feed the starter over a ten-day period, then bake two loaves and share the remaining starter with three other people.

At the insistence of her five-year old daughter, Julia Evarts reluctantly follows the instructions. Soon, the bread and its starter are making their way through the town of Avalon, touching the lives of its residents in ways both comical and unexpected. Julia befriends Madeline Davis, 74, owner and proprietor of Madeline’s Tea Salon and Antiques who harbors a secret of her own, and Hannah de Brisay, 28, a concert cellist who relocates to Avalon after the premature end of her career and marriage.

Julia’s sister, Livvy, is struggling with her own loneliness as she and her husband, Tom, try for a child of their own. Julia’s husband, Mark, is tired of the sadness that seems to have taken over their lives for the past five years. As the town of Avalon becomes overrun with the Amish Friendship Bread starter, a kernel of a story presents itself and activist and reporter Edie is quick to jump on it, even if it means pointing a finger at Julia as the instigator and dividing the small community that they live in.

When a neighboring town is devastated by high floods, Julia and her friends supply loaves of the bread to the residents and volunteers. As word spreads, so does help. Soon the entire town of Avalon is doing their part to aid their neighbors in need as they put their differences aside. Friendship Bread is a captivating, engaging novel about life and loss, friendship and community, and what endures even when the unthinkable happens.

CLICK TO ENTER TO WIN AN ADVANCED copy from Ballantine Books!!! (OVER)

Do you like Friendship bread?? Search the recipe box for the Amish Friendship Starter and other recipes. 

Amish Friendship Bread Starter and Day 6 with Recipes

Today is happy day in Amish Friendship Bread Starter Land Day 6!!!  My Starter was so happy, very bubbly and active! It smelled really great, too! I gave it a feed on Day 5 so today it got really active. You can feed it on Day 5 or Day 6. It doesn't matter.

What is your starter doing today? Share with me! Bake day is coming soon!

Day 1 Receive Starter or click to get the recipe to make your own! 
Day 2 - stir
Day 3 - stir
Day 4 - stir
Day 5 - stir Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar and milk (or do it on Day 6 either is fine)
Day 6 -stir
Day 7 - stir
Day 8 - stir
Day 9 - stir
Day 10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and a recipe for baking the bread.

Click over to check out all the Amish Friendship Bread Recipe Variations in my Recipe Box. Happy Baking, friend!

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Amish Friendship Bread Starter and Day 2 with Recipes

If you are a fan of Amish Friendship Bread then you came to the right place for some tasty information! I've been a fan of this bread 20 + years and have made a lot of recipes over the years. 

This is the 2nd Day of the Amish Friendship Bread Starter. Click below to get the days before and after! 

Day 1 - receive the starter (the recipe for the starter is above)
Day 2 - stir
Day 3 - stir
Day 4 - stir
Day 5 - stir
Day 6 -Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar and milk
Day 7 - stir
Day 8 - stir
Day 9 - stir
Day 10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and a recipe for baking the bread.

Click over to check out all the Amish Friendship Bread Recipe Variations in my Recipe Box. Happy Baking, friend!

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