This post is a tag onto the previous post. On my quest to becoming more kitchen savvy, I guess I better work on my cooking skills. In addition to having some family members and friends that are excellent cooks, these pictures and recipes I found give me some motivation to find out if there is an "inner cook" in me that exists.
Next on my list is this delicious-looking pull-apart Cinnamon Sugar bread (recipe below). This would be dangerous and I would have to share this with several people, because I could probably eat several slices in one sitting. Just as the recipe says on Joythebaker.com...I'd be in trouble....
"It’s yeasty and soft. It’s filled with cinnamon and sugar. AND! You pull it apart in sheets. And you eat it… all. Eat it all. Make this. Make it and eat it all."
Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Makes: one 9×5x3-inch loaf
For the Dough:
2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned
In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together eggs and set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.
Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right.
Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.
While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.
Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it.
Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You’ll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea.
I think this bread is best served the day it’s made, but it can also we wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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With Summer quickly approaching, this Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Dill looks like a perfect cool, refreshing salad for hot weather.
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish (optional)
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 4 to 6 Kirby cucumbers (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
Directions
- In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, and dill. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk well to combine.
- Add cucumbers, and toss to coat. Garnish with more dill, if desired. Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to 4 hours.
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Honey, Feta and Figs....reminds me of something they would serve in Italy. I am a big fan of fresh figs...and honey.....and feta (...unless it's of the 'goat' origin..). This would be a refreshing Summer snack/meal..or as an appetizer for a get-together/party.
- 30g hazelnuts
- 80ml (1/3 cup) honey
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 figs, quartered
- 200g sheep's milk feta, thinly sliced lengthways
- Mint leaves, to serve
- Almond bread, to serve
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread the hazelnuts over a baking tray. Bake for 8 minutes or until toasted. Place the hazelnuts on a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins. Coarsely chop.
- Meanwhile, place the honey and cinnamon in a frying pan over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Add the fig and cook, turning, for 1 minute until well coated.
- Divide feta among serving plates and season with pepper. Add the fig mixture to the plates and top with hazelnut and mint. Serve with almond bread
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Oh, this brings back memories. Spumoni is one of my VERY favorite childhood desserts...wow, it has been a long time since I've had it...several years. In fact, I used to judge an Italian restaurant by the Spumoni...if they had it, I liked them. I would LOVE to learn how to make Spumoni. Wow, and to make each ice cream flavor from scratch...the recipe is below if you ever have an itch to make this (...and share it with me!)
Some facts about Spumoni: "Spumoni, known in Italy as Spumone, is a molded Italian ice cream made with layers of different colors and flavors, and containing a variety of fruits and nuts. The most traditional flavors are chocolate, pistachio and cherry with various nuts and fruit"
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Spumoni Ice Cream Terrine
3 cups Chocolate Ice Cream, recipe follows
3 cups Pistachio Ice Cream, recipe follows
3 cups Spumoni Cherry Ice Cream, recipe follows
Line a large loaf pan or piece of tupperware with overlapping pieces of plastic wrap, leaving overhang on all edges.
Spread 3 cups of softened chocolate ice cream into the bottom of the loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for about 30 minutes or until slightly hardened. Repeat with pistachio and cherry ice cream. Freeze entire loaf for at least 30 minutes.
To serve, run a sharp knife under hot water, then wipe dry. Cut into slices.
Chocolate Ice Cream
(Based on recipe previously posted here)
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.
2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
3. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.) Once churned, fold in the hazelnuts with a rubber spatula.
Pistachio Ice Cream
(Combination of methods/ingredients from Use Real Butter, The Perfect Scoop, and Joy of Cooking)
**You’ll notice this pistachio isn’t bright green like you find in stores. I didn’t use any food coloring, so this is all natural, but you can add a couple drops of green food coloring if you’re looking for a deeper green shade.
1 1/3 cups shelled pistachio nuts
¾ cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
1. Grind the 1 1/3 cups of pistachios in a food processor until finely ground, but not to a paste. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, 1 cup of the cream, and salt, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the ground nuts. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep for at least 30 minutes.
3. Strain the warm nut mixture, pressing on the nuts to extract as much liquid as possible, and discard the solids. Return the milk and cream mixture to the saucepan. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
4. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and stir until combined.
5. Refrigerate until cold. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Once finished churning, fold in the ¾ cup pistachios with a rubber spatula.
Spumoni Cherry Ice Cream
(Adapted from Simply Recipes)
1½ cups pitted ripe sweet cherries (from about 3/4 lb cherries)
¾ cup whole milk
1¾ cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Amaretto, cherry liqueur, or rum (optional)
¼ cup chopped maraschino cherries, patted completely dry
¼ cup pineapple chunks, coarsely chopped and patted completely dry
¼ cup coarsely chopped almonds
1. Put cherries, milk, one cup of the cream, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat until the mixture is steamy, then lower the heat to warm and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom of the pan. Cover and let steep for at least 30 minutes. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and carefully purée. (Careful because you are dealing with a hot liquid. Make sure you hold the cap down on the top of the blender while puréeing.)
2. Strain mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Chill for several hours in the refrigerator until completely cold. Place the chopped maraschino cherries and pineapple chunks on a plate on a single layer and put in the freezer until ice cream is done churning.
3. Before putting the mixture into your ice cream maker, stir in the lemon juice and the Amaretto or other liqueur if you are using. Note that you can skip the alcohol if you want, but the addition of it will help the ice cream from getting too icy, and the amaretto can add a nice flavor boost to the ice cream. Churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once finished churning, stir in the cherries, pineapple and almonds with a rubber spatula.
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Who doesn't like a grilled cheese? .....well, how much better can you get than a Beer Bread Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich?....
Beer Bread Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich
(makes 1 sandwich)
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion (thinly sliced)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
1 handful cheddar cheese (grated)
2 slices
beer bread
1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat.
2. Add the onions and saute until the onions are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the water and cook until the onions caramelize and turn golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Make sure to stir continuously to ensure that the onions do not burn.
4. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
5. Assemble sandwich and grill over medium-low heat until the cheese has melted and the sandwich turns golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side
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Ever since my parents showed me a picture of them eating Churros and Chocolate in Barcelona, Spain I have wanted to try it....I may have to wait a while before I actually GO to Spain to try it, so I figure, why don't I learn to make it?
Churros Con Chocolate
"The chocolate sauce is somewhere between hot chocolate and chocolate pudding, with a consistency that is jsut the right thickness to drip the churros into, but still liquidy enough that you can drink the leftovers when you’re done" .......yum!
Churros1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs
vegetable oil, for frying
confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk (any kind)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips)
1/4 cup sugar
In a medium saucepan, combine butter and water and bring to a boil. When mixture is boiling, add in flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Continue to stir and cook the dough for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl or to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Turn the mixer on medium-high. Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been well incorporated before adding the next. Batter may look wet before it comes together, but keep mixing and a smooth dough will form.
Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a medium or large star tip.
Pour about 2-inches of oil into a deep saucepan. Bring the oil to about 365F.
Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce.
Whisk together the cornstarch and milk. Add mixture, along with chocolate and sugar, to a small saucepan. Bring just to boil, whisking occasionally, and cook until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
Pipe 5 to 6-inch pieces of churro dough into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, then flip and cook until golden on the second side (about 5-6 minutes total). Remove from oil and set on some paper towels to drain, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Serve churros with small cups of chocolate sauce
