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Friendship bread is anything but, friendly. It is the food lovers equivalent to a chain letter or chain email. The friendship bread is actually more like a pound cake/coffee cake. It looks much better than it tastes.
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The process begins when one "supposed" friend makes a “starter.” This starter is basically the start of cake batter. The friend will divide the batter into four parts - two for themselves and two for friends. Once the friend passes this “starter” bag of goo on to an unassuming sap, the real fun begins. For ten days, you have to baby sit this bag of goo, feed it, and add ingredients to it. The friend will also give you a recipe to follow. There are several variations out there. So, the amount of work involved will depend on the which recipe the friend uses. I have seen recipes that call for kneading and feeding this thing like a two hundred pound gorilla. Meanwhile, others just take a simple stir and a few basic ingredients. But, all take 10 days.
Either way, I am sure this is a far cry from the intent of Elizabeth Coblentz, writer of the "The Amish Cook." She originally designed this recipe so that churches and good Samaritans would have something to pass around to the needy and sick.
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I currently have three bags of this goo in my freezer. I am such a stickler about wasting, but just to lazy to take ten days to do anything. Especially, if it does not involve chocolate. So, unless you have a friend that loves to bake and embrace 10 day projects, I suggest you stick with fruitcake cookies this Thanksgiving. That way, at the very least their dog can get something out of the deal. I was going to list the actual recipe here, but then I thought about all you evil friends who would love nothing better.
