Blueberry Muffins with Coarse Sugar Topping

Blueberry Muffins are one of my all time favorite breakfast/brunch treats. I made these muffins last week and loved them. They aren't low fat, but they are exceptionally delish. Love the slight crunch the caramelized sugar gives the top of the muffins. Make sure to let the muffins cool completely before eating to ensure the muffin ends up in your mouth, not stuck to the muffin liner! Perfect for the Easter Brunch you're planning.

Blueberry Muffins with Coarse Sugar Topping

adapted from Barefoot Contessa

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces ( 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems or two cups frozen berries

Turbinado Sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 18 paper liners in muffin pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans (using an ice cream or cookie scoop works well), filling each cup about 3/4 full, sprinkle with generous amount of raw sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

Tips:

Turbinado Sugar is raw sugar that is obtained or crystallized from the initial pressing of sugar cane. Found in most grocery stores near the granulated sugar.

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Buttermilk Cluster Rolls

Sunday= the perfect day to make home baked rolls for a family dinner. I made these absolutely delish buttermilk cluster rolls (twice) last week. I loved the way they look after being baked in a springform pan.

Homemade roll heaven.

Buttermilk Cluster Rolls

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, or 1/4 oz.

1⁄2 tsp. sugar
1 3⁄4 cups buttermilk, warmed or room temperature
1 tbsp. honey
5-6 cups flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg
1-2 tbsp. sesame seeds

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast, sugar, and 1⁄4 cup water heated to 115°; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in buttermilk,honey and salt. Add flour one cup at a time starting out with 5 cups, adding additional flour if needed to make soft but not sticky dough. Mix on medium-low speed until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 6–8 minutes. (Sprinkle in a little water if dough seems dry.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to let dough rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Heat oven to 400˚. Grease a 9" round springform pan. Uncover dough; divide into 12 portions. Roll each dough piece into a ball; transfer ball to pan; repeat with remaining dough. Cover pan with plastic wrap and set aside to let dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tsp. water. Uncover dough and brush egg mixture over the top; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dough registers 190°, about 35 minutes. Cover rolls with a sheet of foil if rolls begin to brown too much. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

adapted from Saveur magazine

and Thefreshloaf.com

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Sloppy Joes with Homemade Hamburger Buns

Sloppy Joes. So simple. I'm not talking about opening a can of Manwich, or using a package of Schilling. Making your own. Homemade! For years, I resorted to the can or package. Every time I made them, I thought, this is okay, but it would be so much better homemade. I mean, how difficult could it be to make a good Sloppy Joe concoction of my own? I pulled up a few recipes, messed a round a little, and came up with the attached. They were yummy, and served on a fresh bakery roll, even better. Then I came across this recipe for Homemade Hamburger Buns. It was meant to be.

Buns. Funny word. Favorite bun expressions from Grant: "Home of the big bun"  said whenever I say the word "bun" or whenever we buy a burger or sandwich with a big bun; "Nice buns" "Wonder buns" and "Get your buns over here". "Nice buns" referring jokingly to my buns, bc they are, FLAT. Is this too much information?

You'll love these buns. And the Sloppy Joes too.

Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

water 1/4 to 1/2 cup to thin sauce, if needed

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain off any grease. Add chopped onion, red pepper and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until onion is softened. Add tomato paste, sauce, Worcestershire and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat. If mixture is too thick, thin with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Serve with hamburger buns, top with cheese, if desired.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

1 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For glazing buns:

1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon cold water
sesame seeds (optional)

Using a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar into the water and leave for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix well, knead until smooth. If using food processor, use dough hook, mix until dough is soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add a little flour if dough is sticky. Let dough sit in bowl, covered until doubled in size, about 1- 1 1/2 hour. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 5 pieces and shape into a ball. Flatten each dough ball to about a 1 1/2 inch thickness. Place the buns on a greased baking sheet, let rise again for 30 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Glaze the buns with egg yolk and water mixture (if desired), then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns in lower half of oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. Slice buns when cooled, serve with hamburgers or sloppy joe mixture.

Tips:

-I wasn't crazy about the look of the glaze. I prefer a floured matte finish to the top of my buns. Uh, my hamburger buns.

-In the future,if I wanted a shiny bun, I would use a whole egg, or maybe just an egg white to glaze the top of the buns, and forget about the yolk/water mixture.

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Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

Eighteen days till Thanksgiving. Are you planning your menu? Polishing the silver, washing the crystal, pressing the linens, stenciling handmade place cards? Yes on the first question, no on all of the rest for me. Did you know there are really helpful planning time lines for these type of things? Real Simple (click here for the timeline) Magazine suggests:

3 Weeks Before (yikes, behind already!)

Decide which recipes you want to make, keeping in mind that there’s only so much one person―and one kitchen―can do. If you really do need 10 side dishes, look for recipes that use the same oven temperature, so they can cook at the same time.
After you narrow down your menu, reread the recipes that remain. Most can be broken into steps that you can do ahead of time. Then make a list of what you want to get done on each of the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

Notice the part about doing steps ahead of time.

What would Thanksgiving be without home made rolls? Saying the grocery store or Great Harvest rolls are just as good is a LIE. Seriously, you aren't fooling anyone when you say that (at least not anyone who has eaten a home baked roll).

Pay attention.

You have 18 days.

Get excited!!

Here's the plan:

Set aside an hour, yes one hour. Ok, maybe an hour and 15 minutes. Gather the ingredients to make Buttermilk Dinner Rolls, clear some space in your freezer and get busy. On Thanksgiving day, all you will have to do is take the rolls out of the freezer 3-4 hours before dinner time. Now you have that out of the way, start making the hand made place cards ;)

Buttermilk Dinner Rolls


2 packages active dry yeast
2 cups warmed buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ cup melted shortening (Butter Flavor Crisco)
2 eggs, beaten
4-5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm buttermilk, set aside. After a few minutes, the yeast should foam a bit.
In a large bowl, combine salt, sugar, soda, and baking powder . Mix in melted shortening, beaten eggs and 2 cups of the flour. Add the buttermilk mixture. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour to make soft dough, mixing until thoroughly combined. I added a total of about 5 1/2 cups. This will depend on your altitude, weather, etc.
Cover and allow to rise about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk in a warm, draft free place. Roll out and cut into desired shapes. Place roll in greased pan, let rise for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Brush with melted butter while hot if desired.
Makes about 3-4 dozen rolls, depending on shape/size of rolls.



Tips:
-If serving rolls later in the day , after shaping rolls and placing on baking sheet immediately cover with wax paper, then with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. If freezing, remove rolls from freezer about 3-4 hours before baking . Remove layers of plastic wrap and wax paper and cover loosely with a clean dish towel.

-If you have granite countertops, place the bowl on top of a cutting board or towel. The granite is often really cold.

-Double this recipe if you are having a big (20 or more) crowd. You will need 3 large jelly roll pans.

-Martha Stewart also has a great timeline for planning Thanksgiving dinner.

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Autumn Brie in Braided Bread Ring

I love this Brie appetizer. It is topped with all things fall. Apples, dried cranberries, golden raisins, candied spiced pecans. A beautiful item for a holiday dinner party. The bread ring is made out of frozen dough, so it's really simple. Note: The bread is suppose to be a garnish.

1gar·nish
Pronunciation: \ˈgär-nish\
1 a : decorate, embellish b : to add decorative or savory touches to (food or drink)
2 : to equip with accessories : furnish

Have you ever been to a party, where people are eating the garnish?? It's like that scene in "You've Got Mail" where Meg Ryan is annoyed with Tom Hanks for eating the garnish. In that case it was caviar, but it's basically the same. I don't get it. I'm usually a fairly practical person. But eating the decor on the table? Even if it is edible. It just doesn't seem right to me. I am probably the only person on the planet who cares or thinks this is weird (besides Meg). On cruises, it always AMAZES me that people will eat the fruit or vegetables used as a garnish, even though there are seriously enough prepared food items on the serving table to feed two small countries. Don't they know everyone touches the display, and they are used over and over again without being washed?? Anyway. Whether you eat the garnish or not, you will love this yummy dish. A great appetizer for the big holiday coming up in less than 3 weeks...

Autumn Brie with Braided Bread Ring

adapted from Maine Ingredients cookbook, Portland, ME

Printable Version

1 small apple, I prefer McIntosh
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 cup apple cider mixed with ¼ cup sugar
1 (4-6 inch) round of Brie
1/3 cup dried cherries or Craisins
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup sugar
dash cayenne
1 loaf frozen bread dough (Rhodes, or 1 round Dicks Market scone dough)

1 beaten egg
sliced baguette or Carr Water crackers


About 2 hours before baking, thaw dough on counter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Split the loaf into three equal pieces. Roll dough out into long rope so you end up with three long ropes of dough about 18-24 inches long. Starting at one end, place dough on counter and begin braiding. Press dough together and tuck ends under. Shape with hands so dough is even in width throughout braid. Unwrap the Brie from round paper carton, set aside. Cover the empty carton with foil and coat lightly with cooking spray around sides to prevent dough from sticking to carton. Form the braided dough around the foil covered carton on a foil or parchment covered cookie sheet or pizza pan without sides. Brush the dough lightly with a beaten egg. Let rise for about 20-30 minutes. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and remove Brie carton.

After the bread ring has cooled for about 10 minutes, unwrap the cheese, and place in center of the bread ring. Prepare the fruit and nut topping.
Core and chop the apple. Place in a saucepan with raisins, cider, and ¼ cup sugar. Boil gently until the apples are tender, but not mushy (approx 5 minutes). Strain the liquid from the apples, mix in dried cherries or Craisins, and place on top of Brie. In a separate pan (preferably Teflon) , cook the pecans with ¼ cup sugar and cayenne over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes. Remove from pan, break up the nuts when cooled a bit and sprinkle on top of fruit mixture. Bake the braided bread and Brie with topping for about 10 minutes or until Brie is softened. Take care not to over cook. The Brie melts quickly when overheated. Slide the bread ring filled with Brie onto a serving platter. Serve immediately with baguette slices or crackers.

Tips:

-I like to purchase the Brie at Costco. Usually found with the specialty cheeses.

-Carr brand crackers are my favorite (if I don't serve with a baguette) because they are big and substantial enough to hold the cheese and fruit mixture. "Water Table" crackers or sesame flavors are great because they are simple and won't compete with the flavors in the appetizer.

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Orange Rolls with Sour Cream Glaze

Orange rolls. Everyone loves 'em. I'm not sure where orange rolls originated, but I know they are popular in areas of the South. Growing up, I never noticed orange rolls at the grocery, or in our favorite neighborhood bakery. Which was btw, Metcalf's Bakery on Kitsap Way in Brememerton, WA. Stanley and Lois Metcalf owned the bakery for 30 years. I loved going there with my mom on Saturdays. She and my dad loved donuts, and sweet rolls. It was a little Mom and Pop operation (actually Grandma and Gramps). Lots of donuts, sweet rolls, cookies. Mom always let me pick out my own special treat, which was usually a gingerbread man. So, so yummy. The Metcalf's retired in 1974 and sold their business. Local bakeries are a dying breed. There are still wonderful upscale type bakeries- but that's a different type of sweet. Forget about getting a decent cinnamon roll at a grocery store bakery. They always have a little bit of a weird taste- I've decided it's all of the preservatives that go into the (usually) pre-made frozen dough they peddle. It's not their fault, I mean, they have to make a profit. It's too expensive in most markets to make baked goods from scratch. Wow. This is depressing.

Ok, here is the good news!

My testimony to home baking: If you want to know what goes into your baked goods, and you want them to taste as good as the treats you used to pick up at your local Metcalf's Bakery, or better yet, in your mother or grandmother's kitchen- fire up your oven and bake something other than freezer to table items. Yes, you know what I'm talking about. Rhodes Orange Rolls??Just say NO. Remember when we talked last year about making pie crust? You can do it. Yes, you can. I'm telling you, nothing can beat the taste of these home made Orange Rolls with Sour Cream Glaze. Perfect Sunday treat.

Orange Rolls with Sour Cream Glaze

adapted from Pinch of Salt Lake cookbook
print recipe

Dough:

1 package dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups flour

Orange Filling:

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange rind

Glaze:

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add all other ingredients except flour. Add 2 cups flour, mix, then add in the remaining cup and a half of flour. Let rise until double in bulk about 1 hour. Divide the dough into two portions. Roll out first ball of dough into a 10- 12 inch circle on a floured surface. Spread with half of orange filling. Cut into 8-12 pie shaped wedges (using a pizza cutter works well) and roll into crescent shapes. Begin with large end and end with point. Set onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of dough. Let all rolls rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Let rolls cool on pans for about 5 minutes before glazing. Mix glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan and let boil for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve immediately.

Tips:

-I often half the glaze ingredients.

-Best when served on day of baking.

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Southern Praline Apple Bread

EVERYONE is concerned about eating low fat. Or gaining weight, or losing it. I'm transfixed by "The Biggest Loser" it's the only TV show I watch. Ok, maybe transfixed isn't the right word, bc I can't watch the whole episode (all of that yelling and drama) but the weigh in at the end... amazing. I have people ask me all of the time- do you cook low fat? Can you come up with a low fat recipe for __(insert event)? The answer is always the same. NO. I have a little bit of an attitude about low fat, low sugar, low anything cooking. I don't like it. My rule is - take smaller portions and enjoy the food. I always (used to) think that low fat=low taste. But this recipe proved me wrong.

Weight gain has never been a huge prob for me- until big M started to crash my party. It's Peri-M, technically. I've been told this stage of life can go on for 10 years. Sooo I'm more than 1/2 way through the Peri stage, and then the fun continues. For another 1-10 years. Hot flashes, mood swings, memory loss, WEIGHT GAIN. Are you kidding me? We get stretch marks and this? The hot flash part is my fave. Love it when I start fanning myself and Jacob (13) yells out "HOT FLASH"!!! Due to issues caused by my uninvited guest - Big M. I have tried to make changes to my diet- more whole grain, more fruits and veggies, less carbs, less FAT.

I made this apple bread the way it is printed originally, and then modified it a bit, with low fat options. I liked both. For the extra fat and calories, I would choose to make this the low fat way in the future. Side by side, there was hardly a taste difference. So yes, I guess I can cook low fat. If I have to.

Southern Praline Apple Bread

modified with lower fat/sugar alternatives in ( )
adapted from Southern Living Magazine

1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 8-oz. container sour cream ( 1/2 cup low fat sour cream plus 1/2 cup applesauce)
1 cup granulated sugar (1 cup brown sugar)
2 large eggs (1 egg plus 1 egg white)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled apples, about 3/4 lb.
1/2 cup butter (2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (2 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.

Add to bowl with sour cream mixture- flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, chopped apples and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Mix all together at once, so apples are coated with flour mixture. This will keep the apples from sinking to bottom of pan. Mix just until blended. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

Bake at 350° for about 1 hour 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).

This is a very dense quick bread.

Tips:

-the real original recipe calls for a whopping 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar for the praline topping. Now, I love sugar and butter, but even I thought this was a little overkill.

-the real original also called for 1 1/2 cups of nuts. I slashed the nut total to 1 cup and added 1/4 cup of flour to the batter. It was just a little too nut filled for me.

-I also think substituting 1/2 cup of buttermilk for the sour cream would work. Another way to cut fat. Sheesh. This is exhausting.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Lemon Icing

October, month of pumpkin desserts. Blogs, websites and magazines are filled with cookies, pies, breads and cakes made with pumpkin. I like, but don't love pumpkin. And I have a hub who really doesn't care for pumpkin at all . When I made these and handed one to Grant, I asked - what do you think?? He took a huge Grant bite (this consists of eating a three bite cookie in one bite) looked up at me and said in a very matter-of-fact way "I don't like it." My boys burst out laughing. This prompted a discussion (led by ME) on gratitude and being too honest.

Anyway~ I printed out a recipe from joythebaker.com (nice blog, lots of great pics and recipes). Changed a few ingredients, and added a little lemon icing, which the kids weren't crazy about, but I liked a lot. The boys loved the cookies plain. Pumpkin cookies need a little icing. They are just so ...orange. The recipe suggests sprinkling with a little powdered sugar. The ingredients are almost identical to my favorite pumpkin bread recipe. I liked these little cookies and thought they were a great kid treat. Personally, I prefer Orange Pumpkin bread. So does Grant, not that I'm asking...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chips Cookies with Lemon Icing

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Positions rack in middle of oven. Preheat to 325 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together in bowl, set aside. In another large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until smooth about 1 minute. On low speed, mix in rest of wet ingredients. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips all at once. Mixing just until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. Don't over mix.

Spoon the batter out onto a parchment lined or lightly greased cookie sheet by tablespoons. About 12 cookies per sheet. Bake until the tops feel firm about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely. Frost if desired. Cookies are best when eaten within 2 days.

Lemon Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

dash salt

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 tablespoons cream or milk to thin

grated lemon zest

Mix all ingredients together in small mixing bowl, whisk or beat with blender until smooth. Frost or drizzle the cookies with icing.

Tips:

-I found a recipe for pumpkin cookies that suggested adding butterscotch chips. I love butterscotch, so I added a cup. The chocolate chips were soft and perfect in the cookies ( I added another cup to equal two cups total to the original recipe), but the butterscotch chips hardened up and didn't have that melt in your mouth quality, unless eaten while still warm. My rec - go with all dark (semi sweet) chocolate chips in this cookie.

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Spiced Pear Flatbreads with Goat Cheese and Mustard Cream

I was entering some recipes on the index last week, and noticed I was a little heavy on desserts, and sparse on appetizers. Wow! Surprising. Since I could practically live on desserts and appetizers. So, while sitting at a double header (I know it's FOOTBALL season, not thrilled about the fall baseball thing, but trying to be a supportive non-martyr-mother) I flipped through September Bon Appetit, and found several yummy looking recipes. This recipe caught my eye. It originates from the Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore. Flatbread. Love it. Pears and goat cheese - is there a more perfect combo? Add a little spinach, sauteed onion, grainy Dijon and cream. Can you say Chick food?

Spiced Pear Flatbreads with Goat Cheese and Mustard Cream

adapted from Bon Appetit September 2009

printable recipe

Oven Prep

30 minutes before cooking flatbreads, preheat oven with *pizza stone or baking sheet placed in oven upside down, to 500 degrees.

Mustard Cream

6 tablespoons whipping cream

3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon water

pinch of kosher salt

Whisk together in bowl. Set aside.

Flatbread

3 cups flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup plus 7 tablespoons warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon yeast

Topping

2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (I used red pears for color) halved lengthwise, cored

Olive oil

cayenne pepper

sea salt

5 cups arugula or spinach

8 oz crumbled goat cheese

1/2 chopped sauteed onion, (optional)

Pizza Stone

Flatbreads:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl of a heavy duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Beat at low speed until dough forms and comes away from side of bowl, about 2 minutes. Scrape dough off hook. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Clean hook and re attach to mixer. Mix dough at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic again and let rise until light and slightly puffed about 1 hour.

Using floured hands, turn dough out onto floured surface, turning and kneading a few times until dough is no longer sticky. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Cover and chill for 45 minutes. (I skipped this step)

Topping & Assembly

Cut pear halves vertically into 1/4 inch thick slices. Brush both sides with oil and place on foil lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little cayenne. Bake in oven at 350-400 for about 7-10 minutes or just until pears loose their shape. Or- just throw the pears into the oven that is preheating to bake the pizzas for about 5 minutes.

Stretch and roll each dough ball into a 9 inch round . Place on a floured rimless baking sheet or pizza peel. Brush dough with oil, sprinkle with sea salt. Scatter spinach over dough. Drizzle lightly with oil. Top with pear slices, sauteed onion and 1/4 of cheese. Slide flatbread onto hot pizza stone or baking sheet in oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and crisp and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining flatbreads.

Transfer flatbreads to plates. Drizzle with mustard cream, slice and serve.

Tips:

-*If you don't have a pizza stone, check out this article for an inexpensive way to create your own at home.

-I also added fresh mozzarella to one pizza. If you like nuts, pine nuts would be a perfect addition too.

-Don't overload the flatbread. If you want to try different toppings, stick to 3-4 per flatbread. In the world of flatbreads appetizers, in my opinion, less is more.

-We ate these hot out of the oven, but they were also good later in the evening at room temperature. Perfect party appetizer.

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Blackberry Peach Coffee Cake

Blackberry and Peach season. Yum. I bought a flat of blackberries from Emily and some fresh local peaches too. Emily's blackberries are off the charts sweet and delish. The peaches are at the beginning of their season here. I'm looking forward to peaches for the next several weeks! This recipe was in Southern Living in June. If you are fortunate enough to have fresh blackberries, this recipe is worthy of using a cup. If not, I'm sure blueberries would make a good substitute. This is best served warm with a little whipped cream or fresh berries to top off the cake.

Blackberry Peach Coffee Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups peeled and sliced fresh firm, ripe peaches (about 2 large peaches, 7 oz. each)
1 cup fresh blackberries
Powdered sugar, fresh fruit for garnish (optional)

For Streusel topping:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For Streusel:
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating well. Add flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; beat just until blended.

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare Streusel Topping.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan; top with sliced peaches and blackberries. Pinch off 1-inch pieces of Streusel Topping, and drop over fruit.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until center of cake is set. (A wooden pick inserted in center will not come out clean.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 1/2 hours). Dust with powdered sugar. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living Note: We found that using a shiny or light-colored pan gave us the best results. If you have a dark pan, wrap the outside of the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil to get a similar result.

Tips:
-Try to use berries and peaches that are firm. If you use overripe fruit, the cake will be too moist and will not cook completely.
-Use fresh, not frozen fruit.
-I mixed the fruit throughout the batter instead of just placing on top of batter.

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French Toast 101

If I have a choice, I usually choose a Belgian waffle or Buttermilk pancakes over French toast. But when I have leftover French bread sitting on the counter, I'm all over making French toast. You know how I love Cooks Illustrated. In the Jan/Feb 2009 issue, they thoroughly researched and conquered the art of making French Toast. btw- Here's my plug for Cooks. Whether you are a seasoned (no pun intended) cook, or a beginner, Cooks is a great resource. No ads, just pure recipes, and helpful cooking info. The recipes almost always include the chemistry behind why for example, it is better to dry bread in the oven vs. leaving it out on the counter when making French toast:

Normally exposing bread to air causes its starch molecules to bond and recrystallize, leading to a harder texture but most breads now include stabilizers in the form of mono- and diglycerides that slow down this process. In the test kitchen, we have determined that leaving bread out to stale isn't nearly effective as drying it in the oven, which hardens it by actually removing moisture. One test conducted: French Toast made with hearty white bread dried in a low oven side by side with the same bread left out overnight. Each type of bread was soaked for about 20 seconds per side in the egg mixture. The oven dried version won hands down, producing French toast that was browned and crisp on the outside and tender and velvety on the inside, with no trace of sogginess.

Are you thinking what I am thinking? Someone has a little too much free time on their hands. Or maybe I should have paid a little closer attention in Chemistry class. Oh, wait, I never took Chemistry. Anyway. The article also goes into depth to explain the process by which they chose to use all egg yolks instead of the whole egg, how to properly soak the bread, and what type of bread turns out the best product.

I was a little skeptical( I know, you're surprised). I mean, who needs a recipe for French Toast? It was absolutely delish. Really "crisp and tender". "Sweet and puffy." Just like they said it would be. Yum.

French Toast 101

8 large slices hearty white sandwich bread or good quality challah bread

1 1/2 cups whole milk (*warmed)

3 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons for cooking

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoons vanilla extract

Adjust the oven to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Place bread on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry throughout. Center should remain slightly moist, about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees.

Whisk milk, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Soak bread in milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart. About 20 seconds per side. Using a firm slotted spatula, pick up bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off, repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. When foaming subsides, use slotted spatula to transfer 2 soaked slices to skillet or griddle and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. If toast is cooking too quickly, reduce temperature slightly. Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Wipe off skillet with paper towel. Repeat until all bread slices are cooked. Serve immediately.

Tips:

-*Warming the milk helps the milk and melted butter to mix together without the melted butter solidifying in cold milk.

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Diane's No Fail French Bread

French bread. Light, airy stuff you buy in a paper bag or a plastic sack at the grocery. I used to buy it all of the time. Still do when I'm in a hurry. When we moved here 100 years ago, my friend Diane made a loaf of this for me. Wow, I thought. This is really good. Kind of almost chewy texture, without being too dense. Beautiful, golden. The loaf was huge. When I asked her for the recipe, she told me that it turned out perfect every time (this is the Pollyanna coming out in her, I thought). But she was right. In all of the years I have been making this- it, or I, have never failed. Great things about this bread: It really is so easy. It blows the socks off of that grocery store French Bread you have been buying. It makes the best french toast. I'll post that in a day or two. Just found a new and improved recipe for French Toast ( I know I was thinking the same thing, a recipe for French Toast??) you are going to love it. So make this tonight or tomorrow, and save a loaf.

Diane's No Fail French Bread

2 Tablespoons dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups hot water

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon (yes tablespoon) salt

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 cups flour, divided

1 egg, beaten- for glazing bread

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. In a separate large bowl combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour. Stir well. Add the yeast mixture to the hot water-flour mixture. Mix together with large wooden spoon or paddle attachment. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. After all of the flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes, Stir. Repeat 5 times.

Divide the dough in half. Roll in a 9x12 rectangle on a floured surface. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll (long way). Place the dough on a greased baking pan (jelly roll pan), with the seam side down. Both loaves fit on one pan. Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times, and brush with beaten egg. Let rise for 30 minutes in warm place. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes in lower half of oven, until golden brown.

Yield 2 large loaves french bread.

Tips:

-I make this all of the time in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Just use the paddle attachment until you have mixed in the first 3 cups of flour. Then switch to the dough hook to mix in the final 3 cups of flour.

-I often forget the mixing down step (5 times every 10 minutes) and have never had a problem with the bread turning out perfect. Just make sure the bread raises in the bowl until it has almost doubled in size, or for about 45 minutes. Then proceed to the rolling out step.

-Sometimes, I roll this into 3 equal potions, and like the size of the loaves for giving away with a jar of jam.

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Martha's Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

Only two weeks until school starts here. Summer is quickly slipping away. Sleeping in, swimming pools, bbq's, sprinklers-watering just mowed lawns. Fresh fruit. Definitely one of my favorite parts about summer. So many choices. I brought home a big container of blueberries last week. Found this recipe in Martha Stewart Living. I love scones, but often find they are SO HEAVY. Martha used buttermilk to lighten these up and make them really tender, and I added a little glaze for extra sweetness. Yummmmmmm. The smell of these scones wafting (we love that word) in the air on an August morning...this must be heaven.

Martha's Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

printable recipe

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cake flour (not self rising)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 oz. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup blueberries, fresh

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or rub with fingers until the mixture has the texture of coarse meal. Add blueberries. Set aside.

Whisk together buttermilk, egg and vanilla in small bowl. Drizzle over flour mixture

and stir lightly with a fork until dough comes together and all but a small amount of the flour mixture comes together in a bowl. Add about another tablespoon of buttermilk, and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Gently knead dough once or twice just to incorporate flour into dough. Pat dough into a 1 inch round. Cut into 12 wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 22 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Mix together glaze. Drizzle glaze onto scones. Serve immediately.

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoon cream

pinch salt

Whisk together, drizzle over scones.

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