All Saints Day, November 1, All Souls Day, November 2, Baking with the Brown Sisters

Bread Dough All Saint Dolls, Mint Oreo Truffles, Pumpkin All Souls Cakes

One of my favorite activities is to bake. Yesterday I had the opportunity to bake with these three young ladies, the daughters of Cal and Luis Brown. We mixed, prepared, and baked All Saint Bread Dough Dolls, a traditional European bread that is made not only on All Saints Day but on the feast day of any of your favorite saints, left item. Center is Mint Oreo Truffles which is a contemporary celebratory treat, and to the left is Pumpkin Soul Cakes. Below are more pictures and brief write-ups and/or links.

It is this book, Cooking with the Saints that we found the Saints Bread Dough Doll recipe. The upper righthand corner of the book shows the finished product. Here is the Recipe from page 167.

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp. dry yeast

1/2 cup of milk - I used 2%

4 tbsp. sugar

3 cups All-purpose flour

4 tbsp. cold butter

pinch of salt

1 lemon

2 eggs separated

DIRECTIONS: Oven 400 Fahrenheit

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk, 98 - 110 degrees F

Add 1 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp, flour. Stir and let stand for 15 minutes

In a bowl, add flour, sugar and salt. 

Grate the lemon rind. I used a zester. This gives the bread a wonderful flavor. Add to flour mixture.

Cut cold butter into small cubes. Add to flour mixture and knead with your hands or a pastry cutter until the flour mixture is crumbly. 

Add yeast mixture, then 

Add egg whites to flour mixture and knead thoroughly until dough is smooth.

Roll dough out on lightly dusted pastry mat to 1/2 inch thickness. Cover and rest dough for 15 - 20 minutes.

Using cookies cutters, such as ginger bread men and women, cut out shapes for saint dolls. You can add trim with left over dough for hair, boots, symbols of your favorite saint. The recipe says to cut out with a sharp knife. I did that the first time I made the bread dough dolls, but I knew it wouldn't work for children. I will always use cookie cutters in the future. It is much easier.

Mix the egg yolks with a tbsp. of water or a little more for the egg wash. Brush the egg wash on your saint dolls and any leftover dough you are baking. I fashioned my leftover dough in snail like shapes!

Bake dolls at 400 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes. 

Makes 4 large dolls and many small left over buns.

Kneading the Bread Dough

                                                                                  

Arranging the Cookie Cutter Figures

Mint Oreo Truffles being dipped in chocolate

Here is the link for the Mint Oreo Truffles. They are yummy. Be sure you have plenty of friends to share them with you because they are addictive!

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/mint-oreo-truffles/

Soul Cakes for All Souls Day

There are many customs both secular and religious associated with the Eve of All Saints Day, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day. One charming religious custom found in the Old North Country of England is the offering of a plump, fruity bun to children as they go from house to house begging for a treat. According to the custom, children beg for Soul Cakes either from their neighbors or at a party. They say,

 "A soul cake, a soul cake,

 I pray thee good mistress, a soul cake. 

An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry, 

Any good thing to make us all merry.

 A soul cake, a soul cake,

 Please good missus a soul cake! 

One for Peter and two for Paul

And three for Him who make us all."

A Soul Cake is then given to the child in return for prayers promised for the loved ones that have departed. 

Adapting the practice to contemporary life seems to be a delightful way for parents or teachers to encourage children to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. All children can be given a Soul Cake, say a Hail Mary for the souls in purgatory and a fun and devotional custom has begun.

We adapted the traditional fruity bun to a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin. Below is a photo and the recipe.

Adding the pumpkin batter to the muffin tin

Pumpkin Muffins or One Loaf of Pumpkin Bread

This recipe made 12 muffins and two mini loaf pans 

Ingredients

1 cup of canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1/3 cup of water

Sift together:

1 2/3 cup of All-Purpose Flour

1 ½ cups of sugar

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. of salt

¼ tsp. cloves

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. cinnamon

Directions: Heat oven to 350 Fahrenheit

Stir wet mixture into flour mixture incorporating well. Add ½ cup chocolate chips or raisins if desired.  For muffins bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Check after 18 minutes by poking a toothpick in the center of one. For a loaf pan, bake for 50 – 60 minutes. Test with a knife for doneness. Enjoy

Happy Feast of All Saints!

 Together let us pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory on the Feast of All Souls

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and bless is the fruit of your womb. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.