Many in God’s Church, when preparing for the Days of Unleavened Bread, rely on store-bought matzos or other unleavened crackers to serve as the unleavened bread they will eat on each day of the seven-day festival.
Especially in our modern age, when so many grow up without learning basic cooking skills, the prospect of making unleavened bread from scratch may be intimidating to some. Others may think of unleavened bread as simply something unpalatable that must be endured for the duration of the festival.
In fact, however, it is probably easier than you think to make your own unleavened bread, and even to follow simple recipes for other unleavened treats that can be enjoyed during the Days of Unleavened Bread. What follows are a number of recipes that some ladies at Headquarters have enjoyed over the years.
UNLEAVENED BREAD
2½ cups unbleached flour
2½ cups whole wheat flour (or 5 cups whole wheat flour)
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
5 tablespoons butter
½ cup oil
1 cup water
1 cup milk
Mix flours, cornmeal and salt. Cut in butter. Add egg yolks and remaining ingredients. Mix well. Roll out and cut in squares and bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees, for approximately 15 minutes. The length of time to bake depends on how thick you prefer to roll out the dough.
FLATBREAD
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup warm water
Sift flour, measure, then sift again with cornmeal and salt. Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly.
Stir in the warm water. Roll dough into balls the size of marbles. (If difficult to work with, chill first.) Roll out into paper-thin rounds about 4 inches in diameter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 5 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool and store in tightly covered can. Best when eaten hot!
ALMOND BREAD
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
¾ cup butter or oil
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 small bag of slivered almonds
Mix sugar, eggs and 1 cup of flour. Mix well and add oil or butter. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into 2 greased bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pans to cool. Apples, cinnamon and walnuts may be substituted for the almonds and almond extract.
CHEESE NAPOLEONS
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup of oil
4 tablespoons milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Mix flour and salt. Slowly add oil, tossing mixture with a fork. Add milk and cheese. Stir until dough clings together. If too dry, add a little more milk. With hands, press into a large cookie sheet with edges. Using a pizza cutter, cut into squares. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees or until lightly browned.
CHOCOLATE GRANOLA
15 cups oats
2 cups wheat germ
scant 1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped walnuts
¾ cup cocoa
½ cup ground flax seeds
2 cups honey
2/3 cup oil
⅓ cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla
Chocolate chips (as many as you want!) added later when cooled.
Mix dry ingredients. Mix liquid ingredients in a saucepan and heat until warm. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Spread on a cookie sheet about ¾ inch deep. Bake at 250 degrees for about 2 hours, or until it is the desired dryness. Check during baking time and with a spatula lightly stir once or twice so it bakes more evenly. When totally cooled keep sealed in a glass gallon jar in a dry place. Serve to all children and adults who like chocolate!
NUT PIE CRUST
1 stick melted butter
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
½ cup chopped nuts
Mix well and press in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes—if recipe does not call for baking the pie. If recipe calls for baking the pie, pour the pie ingredients into the unbaked nut crust and bake the recommended time for the pie.
CINNAMON HONEY GRANOLA
14 cups oats
3 cups any variety chopped nuts
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sunflower seeds
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
½ cup oil
1½ to 2 cups honey
1 cup water
4 teaspoons vanilla
Optional: Add dried fruit when done.
Combine dry ingredients. Mix liquid ingredients in a saucepan and heat until warm. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Spread on a cookie sheet about ¾ inch deep. Bake at 250 degrees for about 2 hours, or until it is the desired dryness. Check during baking time and with a spatula lightly stir once or twice so it bakes more evenly. When totally cooled keep sealed in a glass gallon jar in a dry place.
TOFFEE SQUARES
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of pecans or walnuts
Giant size (9¾ ounce) Hershey milk chocolate barMix butter, sugar, flour and vanilla well, and press (may use your fingers!) into a 9” x 13” baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Melt chocolate bar and spread on dough while it is still warm. Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top.
NO BAKE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
1 stick butter
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa
½ cup peanut butter
2½ to 3 cups oatmeal (uncooked)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup coconut
Boil sugar, milk, butter and cocoa for 1 to 1½ minutes (time after it starts to boil.) Remove from heat and quickly add other ingredients. Beat until blended, and immediately drop by teaspoonful on wax paper. Allow to set and cool.
PECAN PIE SQUARES
Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
⅔ cup brown sugar
Filling:
1½ cups corn syrup (light or dark)
⅔ cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
Blend crust ingredients and put in 9” x 13” pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Blend filling ingredients together and put on top of baked crust. Then cover top with chopped pecans (the more the better). Bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until done.
FAVORITE CHEESE CAKE
Crust: Follow directions for the Nut Pie Crust.
Filling:
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla together until mixed well. Pour into 10” pie pan lined with Nut Crust. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Take out of oven and cool about 10 minutes. Then top with the following mixture and bake in 350 degree oven for an additional 10 minutes.
Topping:
1 pint of sour cream
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla