Serves 4

• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp oil

Mix until just barely combined—a few lumps should remain. Cook on hot, lightly greased griddle until bubbles form, flip once and cook until done. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 228 calories, 9g fat, 7g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 490 mg sodium.

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup eggnog
• 2 tsp rum extract
• 2 ¼ cup flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup margarine or butter, melted
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Dash of nutmeg

Grease and flour the bottom of a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, eggnog, margarine, rum extract, and vanilla together. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg and stir until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove.

Makes 2 loaves

• 4 cups unsifted regular all purpose flour (or use 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups regular flour)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp soda
• ¼ cup sugar (optional)
• 1/8 tsp cardamom or coriander (optional)
• ¼ cup (1/8 lb.) butter or margarine
• 2 cups currants or raisins (optional)
• 1 egg
• 1 ¾ cup buttermilk (or regular milk plus 5 tsp vinegar)

Combine in a large bowl the flour, salt, baking powder, soda, sugar, and spice, if used. Add butter or margarine, and cut in with a pastry blender or knives until crumbly. Mix in currants, if used. Beat eggs slightly and mix with buttermilk; add to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Divide dough in half, and shape each into a round loaf; place each loaf in an 8-inch cake or pie pan. Press down until dough fill the pans. With a sharp knife, cut crosses on the tops of the loaves, about ½ inch deep in the middle. Bake in a 375°F oven for 35–40 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Serves 12

• ¼ cup mashed potato flakes
• ⅔ cup boiling water
• ⅔ cup sugar
• ¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder
• ½ cup butter
• 2 envelopes dry yeast
• ⅓ cup warm water
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp lemon extract
• 1 large egg, beaten

In a small pan, beat instant potatoes into the boiling water. Stir in the sugar, dry milk and butter. Let cool to 110°F.

Meanwhile, in the large bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve yeast in the warm water (110°F). Blend in cooled potato mixture. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat to blend. Stir in the eggs, salt, vanilla, and lemon flavoring until smoothly blended. Then beat in another 1 ½ cups flour.

With a heavy mixer or by hand, mix in more flour to make a stiff dough, 1 to 1 ½ cups. Turn dough out onto a floured board, and knead 5 to 20 minutes until smooth and satiny, adding more flour as needed. Turn dough over in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and knead briefly on a lightly floured board to release air. Let rest 10 minutes. Shape in one of the following ways:

Coiled loaves: Divide dough in half. Roll each piece into a 30-inch-long rope. For each loaf, coil one rope into a greased 9- inch pie pan, starting at the outside of the edge of pan and ending in the center. Twist rope slightly as you lay it in the pan. Makes 2 loaves.

Coiled buns: Divide dough into 12 equal-size pieces. Roll each into a 12-inch-long rope. On greased baking sheets, coil and twist each rope as described for coiled loaves to make 2 ½ to 3-inch buns. Space buns at least 2 inches apart. Makes 1 dozen big rolls (can make 18 smaller rolls with less dough each).

Braided loaves. Divide dough into 6 equal portions and roll each into a 14-inch-long rope. For each loaf, arrange 3 ropes side by side on a greased baking sheet and loosely braid. Pinch both ends together and turn under loaf. Makes 2 loaves.

Cover loaves or buns lightly and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 35–45 minutes for loaves, 20–30 minutes for buns. Brush with beaten egg; sprinkle with granulated sugar if desired. Bake at 350°F until browned, 25–30 minutes for loaves, 20–25 minutes for buns. Cool on racks. Serve warm or cooled.

Per serving: 316 calories, 10g fat, 8g protein, 49g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 290mg sodium.