Bread Breakthrough: A "Kneadlessly Simple" Technique

(NAPSI)-Savoring a warm loaf of fragrant, just-from-the-oven bread can be one of life's great pleasures. Now you can experience the joys of home-baked bread using a breakthrough technique.

Taking bread making to a whole new level, award-winning cookbook author Nancy Baggett has developed a "Kneadlessly Simple" method that helps even complete novices bake bread easily in their own kitchens, with no kneading and no mess.

The secret is to allow the yeast to grow slowly and develop the same full, satisfying flavor of traditional bread. The technique can be used to produce a wide variety of breads, from Pull-Apart Butter-Top Rolls to Easy Oat Bread and Rosemary Focaccia.

Here's an amazingly easy example to try. Don't let the length of this recipe alarm you as Baggett offers detailed instructions for best results and various rising options to fit your schedule.

"Kneadlessly Simple" Very Cherry-Streusel Coffeecake

Dough:

2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Fleischmann's® RapidRise or Bread Machine Yeast

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons ice- cold water, plus more ice water if needed

Streusel and Filling:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter (not margarine), melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup slivered almonds, optional

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

First Rise: In large bowl, thoroughly mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In large measuring cup, whisk oil into water. Thoroughly stir liquid into flour, scraping down sides until thoroughly blended. If mixture is too dry to mix in all the flour, stir in just enough water to blend ingredients; don't overmoisten as dough should be almost stiff. If necessary, firm it by adding more flour. Brush or spray top with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. For convenience or fullest flavor, hold dough in the refrigerator 3-10 hours if desired. Then let rise at cool room temperature (about 70° F) 8-16 hours.

For Streusel: In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon, finely crushing any sugar lumps. Stir in butter and vanilla until evenly incorporated and mixture forms small clumps. Refrigerate, covered, until firmed up and cooled, at least 30 minutes and up to a week. If cold, let warm up slightly before using. Before using, break up any large clumps.

Second Rise: Set aside 1½ cups streusel for topping. Vigorously stir remaining streusel into dough, leaving little patches of streusel throughout. Turn out dough into well-oiled 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Spread or press until evenly thick using an oiled spatula or fingertips. Spread cherry filling evenly over top. Sprinkle nuts and reserved streusel evenly over dough top. Cover baking dish with nonstick spray-coated plastic wrap. Let rise using any of these methods: For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in turned-off microwave along with 1 cup boiling-hot water; for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, 4-24 hours, then set out at room temperature. When dough nears plastic, remove it and continue rising until dough is ½ inch below pan rim.

Baking: 15 minutes before baking time, place rack just below center of oven and preheat to 350° F. Set coffeecake on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until top is nicely browned and a paring knife inserted in center of the dough comes out with just a few crumbs on tip (or until center registers 205-207° F on instant-read thermometer). Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Then cut into rectangles and serve warm. Yield: 1 large coffeecake, about 12 portions.

Storing: Cool completely before storing airtight in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

Fleischmann's Yeast is offering a book with some of Baggett's many recipes. To order a copy of the book for $1 to offset shipping and handling, visit www.breadbreakthrough.com.

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Cherries: 'America's Super Fruit' Offers Homegrown Health Benefits

/PRNewswire/ -- Cherries are not only good for you, but they're also on trend as a homegrown "Super Fruit." According to recent data, more than 9 out of 10 Americans want to know where their food comes from, nearly 80 percent say they're purchasing "locally produced" products, and the majority are defining "local" as made in America.(1,2) And cherries deliver.

About ninety-five percent of cherries consumed in the U.S. are grown here, with most coming from Michigan, Wisconsin, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania and New York.

Food and nutrition experts, including registered dietitian and host of the Food Network's "Healthy Appetite" Ellie Krieger, say the homegrown advantage, coupled with powerful health benefits, make cherries "America's Super Fruit."

"Cherries offer some of the most important attributes people are seeking in their foods today," said Krieger. "While exotic berries may be 'trendy,' as a chef and dietitian I choose cherries, an all-American favorite, because they deliver a powerful combination of good nutrition, local sourcing and environmental sustainability."

"America's Super Fruit" also delivers on safety. As stewards of the environment, the cherry industry has been at the forefront of sustainable growing practices and responsible pesticide research for many years.

Homegrown Heart Health Benefits

As February is American Heart Month, it's no wonder it's also National Cherry Month. The antioxidant compounds -- called anthocyanins -- that give cherries their RED color continue to demonstrate heart-health benefits. Recent studies from the University of Michigan revealed that cherry-enriched diets in animals lowered multiple risk factors for heart disease. In 2007, researchers found that cherry-enriched diets in animals lowered total blood cholesterol levels and reduced triglycerides (fatty acids).(3) And, in 2008, the University of Michigan researchers found animals fed a cherry-enriched diet saw reduced total body weight and fat by 14 percent, in particular the "belly fat" that is most often associated with heart disease risk.(4)

"As we increasingly look for ways to improve health and fight disease with foods, it's exciting to see more and more studies suggest that simple dietary changes, such as including tart cherries, could help decrease the risk for heart disease," said Dr. Steven Bolling, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center who also heads the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory. "The fact they come from Michigan and around the United States is an added bonus."

It's Easy to Enjoy "America's Super Fruit"

In addition to being grown in the U.S., tart cherries come in dried, frozen and juice forms so they're readily available to enjoy all year long.

Krieger says being able to make foods a habit is an important factor in sustaining a healthful diet. "Creating a routine with foods you like is one of the most successful strategies for a long-term, healthful diet plan," said Krieger. "And, with heart disease continuing to be the number one killer in America, being able to incorporate heart-healthy foods like cherries in almost any meal or snacktime makes it easy and enjoyable to protect your heart."

To learn more about the health benefits of cherries and to find recipes and tips, visit http://www.choosecherries.com/. There you can also download a copy of the Cherry Nutrition Report, a compendium of the more than 65 published studies on the potential health benefits of cherries.

The Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) is an organization funded by North American tart cherry growers and processors. CMI's mission is to increase the demand for tart cherries through promotion, market expansion, product development and research. For more information on the science supporting the unique health benefits of cherries and for cherry recipes and menu ideas, visit http://www.choosecherries.com/.

1: Survey conducted by IRI Data, 2008
2: Survey conducted by The Hartman Group, 2008

3: Seymour EM, Singer AAM, Bennink MR, Bolling SF. Cherry-enriched diets reduce metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress in lean Dahl-SS rats. Experimental Biology 2007 225.8, Presented in minisymposium 225, Dietary Bioactive Compounds: Chronic Disease Risk Reduction.

4: Seymour EM, Lewis A, Kirakosyan A, Bolling S. The Effect of Tart Cherry-Enriched Diets on Abdominal Fat Gene Expression in Rats. American Dietetic Association FNCE 2008.

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Sweet Cherry Sorbet Is A Seasonal Star

(NAPSI)-For a festive finish to a holiday menu, consider a lightly sweetened and deliciously tangy cherry sorbet.

As brilliantly colored as a poinsettia or a winter berry, this dish is scrumptious served with assorted chocolates and cookies. Or, you can garnish each serving with slivered almonds and chocolate chips.

When entertaining visitors or holiday guests, it's a good idea to keep a bag or two of frozen cherries on hand. It's a quick way to add the fresh taste of summer to smoothies, quick breads or simple desserts such as cherry crisp or pie. Or, just serve thawed cherries topped with ice cream or whipped topping.

Sweet Cherry Sorbet

Serves 6

½ cup hot water

½ cup sugar

½ cup pineapple or cherry juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon rum extract, optional

1 16-oz. bag frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed, juices reserved

Stir first 5 ingredients in medium bowl until sugar dissolves; set aside.

Coarsely chop cherries and reserved cherry juices in food processor. Add sugar mixture; blend until smooth.

Pour cherry mixture into ice cream maker and follow manufacturers instructions. When done, transfer sorbet to tightly covered container; freeze until solid, at least 3 hours. Recipe can be doubled and made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.

NOTE: If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour mixture into 9-inch square pan; freeze 1½ hours or until edges are solid but center is slushy. Spoon frozen mixture into processor; process to a course texture. Pour back into pan; freeze an additional 1½ hours. Process again. Transfer to a covered container and freeze 3 hours or longer.

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