Cherry Vanilla Friendship Bread Recipes

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD CHERRY VARIATIONS

Steps:

• 1. Chocolate Covered Cherries Variation I like making "Chocolate Covered Cherries" version of the Amish Friendship Cake (Bread - AW). It's great for people who always wanted to make the candy version, but couldn't pull it off. You use Cherry Jello instead of Pudding Mix. You use Marichino Cherry Juice instead of Vanilla Extract. You add 1/2 cup Marichino Cherries and 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips. I don't use nuts for this one. I like to make this as a Bundt Cake topped with chocolate glaze and garnished with marichino cherries on the top. For Glaze (I never measure when I make glaze, I'm estimating here): about 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 or 2 cup confectioners sugar, 1-2 tbs marichino cherry juice and milk (as needed for consistency).
• 2. Cherry Cheese Cake Variation This is wonderful. I used the basic mix, omitted the cinnamon and used two small boxes of cheese cake pudding instead of the vanilla and I added a small pack of cream cheese and 1/4 cup more milk. You also need a can of Cherry pie filling , 1/2 can per loaf. After putting the batter into the pans dab teaspoons of cherries on top of them and swirl around with spoon to mix in the cherries. Cook at 325 until dark golden brown. This is my brother-in-law's favorite and is very moist. I also found out that if you put the bread in a ziplock bag before it is totally cooled, the bread will be more moist. I love the many ways you can make this bread.
• 3. Cherry-Pistachio Variation Instead of large vanilla pudding use 2 small boxes of pistachio pudding. Omit cinnamon and add cup maraschino cherries, chopped with 2 tablespoonfuls of syrup from cherries. Reduce milk by 2 tablespoonfuls. Sprinkle baking pans with plain sugar. Note: This makes great finger tea sandwiches when spread with softened cream cheese!

CHERRY AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the Amish friendship bread starter, eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2 cup milk, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Mix in the flour and cherry gelatin powder. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.
• In a large bowl, beat the vegetable shortening with butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, and add the vanilla extract. Beat in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, stopping often to scrape down the sides of the bowl; mix in the milk, and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Spread on cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle each cupcake with a few white chocolate chips, if desired.

EASY FRIENDSHIP BREAD (AMISH BREAD) STARTER

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in small amount of warm water.
• Mix all ingredients together in a gallon-size ziploc bag. This is day one.
• Day 1 - Do nothing (This is the day you receive your starter, see date on your bag.).
• Day 2 - Mush the bag.
• Day 3 - Mush the bag.
• Day 4 - Mush the bag.
• Day 5 - Mush the bag.
• Day 6 - Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk - Mush the bag.
• Day 7 - Mush the bag.
• Day 8 - Mush the bag.
• Day 9 - Mush the bag.
• Day 10 - Follow the instructions below:.
• Pour entire contents of the bag into a large non-metal bowl.
• For 4 starters: Add 1-1/2 cups flour, 1-1/2 cups sugar, 1-1/2 cups milk.
• For 1 starter: Add ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ milk (Tip: Starter will form lumps - add flour and sugar only and stir until smooth then add milk gradually (it will take a lot of stirring.).
• Label four (or one), one-gallon Ziploc bags with "Day 1" and the date. Fill each of these bags with one cup of the mixture. These are starters for you to pass onto your friends and/or co-workers. If you'd like, you may keep one for yourself. Note: If you keep a starter bag for yourself, you will be baking bread every 10th day. If you don't keep one for yourself, you will have to wait until you receive another starter bag from a friend, as the Amish are the only ones who know how to create a starter. After filling the bags, there will be 1-1/2 cups of batter remaining.
• Preheat the oven to 325'.
• To the remaining batter add 3 eggs, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 cup oil (or ½ oil & ½ applesauce), ½ tsp baking soda, ½ cup milk, ½ tsp vanilla, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 large box vanilla instant pudding, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup raisins (optional), 1 cup chopped nuts (optional).
• Note: It is easier to mix if you combine the dry ingredients (except for sugar and pudding) in another bowl then add it slowly to the batter.
• Grease bottom and sides of 2 large loaf pans or spray with Pam. Mix ½ cup sugar and 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Dust the insides of each of the pans with half of the mixture, making sure to cover the bottom and sides well.
• Pour batter evenly into the 2 pans and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture over top of the batter.
• Bake for approximately 1 hour (until toothpick comes out clean.) Cool until the bread loosens from the pan easily. Turn onto serving dish. May be served warm or cold. Enjoy.