Cinnamon Walnut Banana Bread

I know June isn't synonymous with banana bread but, as I reached to grab some sherbet from the freezer last night, several bananas-on-ice stared back at me, asking, "When are you going to use us up?"

Well, fine: ask and ye shall receive.

I've baked this recipe before, with fantastic results, but I wanted to play around a tiny bit. Cinnamon and walnuts (toasted to enhance the flavor) are a lovely addition, but there's no reason you couldn't play more. If I'd had pecans on hand, I would have used them. What about swapping the cinnamon and walnuts out for cardamom and pistachios? Mmmm, that would be tasty.

As it is, though, I'm very happy with my Cinnamon Walnut Banana loaf. I can hear the bananas calling again: "Don't you think it's time for another slice?"

Why, yes. Yes, I do.

Cinnamon Walnut Banana Bread
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup smashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1/3 cup fat free milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Lightly grease 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch pan and dust with flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until thick and light, about 5 minutes. Mix in smashed bananas, milk, oil and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon over mixture and mix until just blended. Stir in nuts.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Turn bread out onto rack and cool.

Honey Mound Cookies

Another recipe from blog favorite, Mark Pescatore:

This is an OLD recipe, one my family has been since before I was born, a gem from a cookbook from yesteryear. Understand that this is a cookie that tastes better a day after you make it. When you pop one in your mouth fresh out of the oven, you'll probably think it's not without its charm, but nothing particularly special. The next day you'll try one and curse yourself for not making a double batch. For best results, use an AirBake cookie sheet (it does make a difference).

Honey Mounds

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
red and green colored sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, egg, and honey. Add vanilla and mix. Add sifted flour, soda and salt; mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill at least an hour (or the dough will be sticky and difficult to work with). Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in colored sugar. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Yield: approx. 3 dozen

Wookie's Snickerdoodles

When I asked the kids last week what kind of cookie they'd want for Christmas if they could have only one kind, Sadie said, "Lace cookies." Kian said, "Snickerdoodles."

My goal was to find out what cookies they really, really loved, so that we could all make, and enjoy, those cookies together. Lace cookies are wonderful, but they're labor intensive (thus making the recipe less than kid-friendly) and feature chocolate (which Kian doesn't like). Fortunately, Sadie was more than happy to work on snickerdoodles -- especially after I told her that there would be lace cookies in the house for Christmas.

The snickerdoodle recipe I used came from Serious Eats, where commenter Donnie was looking to replace the recipe he'd lost. "It was special," Donnie writes, "because there is NO shortening, and not an over abundance of flour."

Commenter Wookie came to the rescue and her recipe, with a few changes, appears below. (I might add a little bit of nutmeg to the dough next time, just to play.)

It's a very nice cookie: buttery, not too sweet, with a lovely cinnamon flavor. We made them Friday night -- three dozen -- and by Sunday morning, they were all gone: the hallmark of a good cookie recipe.

I think we're going to make some more right now...




Wookie's Snickerdoodles (Source)

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 Tbsp, separated
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat until well mixed.

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients and add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix on a low setting, just until the dough comes together.

In small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and the 3 Tablespoons of sugar.

Using a small cookie scoop, roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball, and then roll in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated. Place on an ungreased sheet pan, about an inch apart, and flatten gently with the back of a spoon. Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool on a cookie rack.

Yields approximately 3 dozen.

Chocolate Bread

Almost a year ago, I came upon this recipe for Chocolate Bread. Why did it take me so long to bake it? God only knows. But I finally did, and it was worth the wait.

While the final product is supposed to be have a "feathery yet rich texture," mine was denser, with a tighter crumb and a chewy crust. My guess is that, given the distinct chill in my house, I didn't allow enough time for the dough to rise before punching it down.

The flavor, however, is wonderful. The bread has a rich cocoa flavor accentuated by its chunks of dark chocolate. It tastes delicious alone but imagine spreading it with mascarpone cheese and topping it all off with a dollop of raspberry preserves? Mmm, divine.

Chocolate Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water, divided (or, if not using espresso powder, 1/2 cup warm water and 1 cup warm coffee)
2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons dry yeast
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional (see above)
2 teaspoons salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

Egg Glaze

1 large egg
1 teaspoon water

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and set the mixture aside for 10 minutes, until foamy. If the mixture doesn't foam, the yeast might be inactive and you should try again with fresh yeast.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, place the flour, the remaining 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, the light brown sugar, the cocoa, the espresso powder (if using) and the salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix at low speed for 1 minute, until combined. If mixing by hand, use a whisk and combine thoroughly.

Add the remaining 1 cup warm water (or warm coffee, if not using the espresso powder) and the egg to the yeast mixture. Add this to the flour mixture while continuing to mix at low speed. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat the mixture for 2 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. At low speed, beat in the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is incorporated into the dough. Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with the dough hook. (Alternatively, you can knead by hand. Just make sure the butter is well softened.) Knead the dough at low speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 2 minutes longer.

Add the chocolate chunks and knead just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl (the dough will be quite moist). Cover the dough closely with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours (or until almost doubled in bulk).

After the chocolate dough has risen, punch the dough down and cover again with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

Butter two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the chocolate dough in half. Divide each dough half into 6 equal pieces so that you have 12 equal pieces in all. With lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a smooth, round ball. Place 6 dough balls — two by two, at a diagonal (see photo above) — in each prepared pan, pressing them lightly together if necessary. Cover the pans with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until blended. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg glaze over the tops of the loaves.

Bake the loaves for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake the bread for an additional 30 minutes. Cool the bread in the pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold the bread and cool the loaves on the rack completely.

The Daring Bakers Take on Pizza

Our host for this month's challenge is Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums. In honor of Sher, who was to be her co-host for this month, Rosa went with Sher's challenge idea: Peter Reinhart's basic pizza dough.

I had a lot of fun with this challenge. Shane, my friend Nancy and I gathered in the kitchen and threw the dough around, spread sauces, sprinkled cheese, scattered locally-made sausage and drizzled olive oil. (And drank wine. Lots of wine. And then watched Tina Fey. And celebrated my 31st.)

The pizza was FANTASTIC. I mean, really absolutely wonderful. The dough way a breeze to work with -- tossing it in the air, a DB challenge requirement, less so -- and baked up fabulously crisp yet chewy, just like NY-style pizza should be.

We made four types of pizza: one pesto, one pesto with spicy Italian sausage, one "regular", and one regular with sausage. All delicious, but by far the best was the regular with sausage. We ate (Sadie included) until we were stuffed.

And then we ate birthday cake.

Thank you Rosa, and thank you Sher, for sharing this wonderful recipe with the DBers. It was a wonderfully fun challenge!






Basic Pizza Dough
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast -
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C). NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.

During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping.
In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Amy Sedaris' Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball

I'm a leeeetle behind on posting this recipe.

You see, Chris and Shelly, our next-door neighbors, invited Shane and I for a backyard celebration. Excellent cooks in their own right, they had a full menu planned for their event, so I needed to find something I could bring that wouldn't interfere with thier impressive spread.

After thumbing through many, many pages of many, many cookbooks, I found the Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball in Amy Sedaris' I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. Not only did it work with Chris and Shelly's menu (Appetizer! And, après-dinner snacking!) but it appealed to my love of kitsch.

And my tastebuds, and everyone's tastebuds. The creamy, rich mouthfeel, the smoky taste, the nutty crunch. It's a winner, and perfect to pair with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine.

This recipe makes a GIANT cheeseball, so I separated it into two, smaller cheeseballs, both of which disappeared by the end of the evening.

Oh, and the event I made this for? Chris and Shelly's Fourth of July barbecue.



Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball (adapted from I Like You)

2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese, room temperature
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons steak sauce
1 cup toasted chopped almonds
Crackers, for serving

Place Gouda, cream cheese, butter, milk and steak sauce in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until well combined. Transfer mixture to refrigerator. Let chill overnight. Roll cheese mixture into two balls. Place nuts in a shallow dish. Roll cheese in nuts to fully coat. Serve with crackers.

(Low-Fat) Banana Bread

I can't believe that the tastiest banana bread I've had in a long, long time -- possibly ever -- is low in fat.

But it is. It's moist, it's sweet, it's packed with banana flavor. It's wonderful!

Low-Fat Banana Bread (adapted)

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup smashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1/3 cup fat free milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Lightly grease 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2-inch pan and dust with flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until thick and light, about 5 minutes. Mix in smashed bananas, milk, oil and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt over mixture and mix until just blended.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Turn bread out onto rack and cool.

Baked Blue Potato Chips

You can make baked chips with lots of kinds of potatoes, but aren't Adirondack blue potato chips fun?

The chips taste best, whether blue or of a"regular" hue, when hot from the oven. But you'll still want to chow down on them when they cool down -- if they last that long.


Baked Potato Chips

Potatoes (one makes a lot of chips, so choose accordingly)
Spray oil
Salt


Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F; spray two baking sheets lightly with some oil.

Slice the potatoes thinly, about 1/8-inch thick, using a mandoline and arrange them in one layer on the baking sheets. Spray slices lightly with the oil and bake 20-30 minutes or until they are golden throughout.

Transfer baked chips to a serving bowl, sprinkle with salt and enjoy.

Daring Bakers -- Lavash Crackers & Baba Ghanoush

Our DB hosts this month, Shel of Musings from the Fishbowl and Natalie of Gluten A Go Go, challenged us to make lavash, a type of flatbread, and a vegan dip of our choosing.

Although we were given the option of baking the lavash without gluten, I went for gluten. The recipe came together fairly easily, although I did have difficulty rolling the dough evenly, which resulted in the crackers browning unevenly. (Que sera, sera.) Still, the lavash was snappy (as it should be) and tasty with sprinklings of cumin and sesame seeds plus a bit of salt.

As for the dip, I've had a yen to make baba ghanoush all summer and it was great to finally have an opportunity to make it! It's an adaptation of the "Best Baba Ghanoush in the World" and the result really is fantastic.

Thank you to Shel and Natalie for a fun challenge!

Please visit Shel's blog for the lavash recipe, available both in gluten and gluten free versions!

Baba Ghanoush

1 large eggplant
2 to 4 Tbsp. tahini, plus more as needed
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of one or two lemons, plus more as needed
1 pinch ground cumin
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp.extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Place eggplant on baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Roast eggplant for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.

Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl. Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste. (If you prefer a smoother dip, puree in a food processor.) Add 2 tbsp. tahini, garlic, juice of one lemon, and the cumin and mix well. Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve at room temperature.

Daring Bakers & The Danish Braid

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: what I love most about the Daring Bakers is that each month's challenge pushes me beyond my comfort zone and forces me to question my notions of baking and what I can do.

Preconceived notions about this challenge?
1) Making a laminated dough is difficult.
2) I don't like danish.

Realities realized after completing the challenge?

1) Making a laminated dough -- at least from this recipe -- is well within my ability! Sure, the instructions are lengthy, but the steps are fairly easy. The most important skill is patience: waiting for the dough to come together, waiting for the dough to rest or rise, waiting to roll and re-roll between turns and -- the most difficult to wait for -- waiting for the danish to cool so it can be eaten without burning my mouth!

2) I hadn't eaten real danish before. I love to eat real danish! The baked dough has the perfect chew, run through with flavor -- butter, vanilla, cardamom, orange -- so scrumptious! And the apple filling is to die for. Make sure you use Fuji apples; their taste and texture hold up well through the sauteeing and baking for a final result that is amazing.

So thank you Kelly and Ben for hosting this month's Daring Bakers challenge and, once again, pushing me to learn more about baking (and a little more about myself, too).

Check out the loooooooong list of Daring Bakers at the Daring Bakers Blog Roll!

Note: watching the danish braid video on this page (featuring Julia Child and Beatrice Ojakangas) really helped me visualize how to construct the braid. I highly recommend taking a look!

Danish Braid

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough, enough for two braids

For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.


2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.


4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.



2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.


3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.


2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.


3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Real Honest Jewish Purist's bagels

A caraway and sea salt bagel with a wild garlic cream cheese schmear.

There are three types of food I'm very particular (if not snobby) about:
1) Pizza (NY style Neapolitan)
2) Lasagna (mine)
3) Bagels

I'm not sure many people have had genuine bagels. (Mmm... genuine bagels.) They're not perfectly round, their consistency is not like other breads, and you don't just pop them in the oven.

Real bagels have a slightly exterior, with a good chewy --not gummy-- interior. They're hand formed and so are not perfect circles. Nor are they smooth. They're boiled, then baked. They're served with a schmear. They are fantastic. But outside of the NY metro area, they are hard to come by.

As you might know, the June 2007 Daring Baker challenge was to make bagels. Though I wasn't a member at that time, I knew I had to use their recipe for Real Honest Jewish Purist's bagels (the link to the original recipe does not seem to be working).

The recipe yield is for 15 but those would be huge, so using a bit less dough, I got approximately 22 satisfyingly sized bagels.

The recipe says that, ideally, when you boil the bagels, they'll sink to the bottom and then begin to rise to the top. Not ONE bagel sunk to the bottom (which seems pretty consistent with other DBers' experiences) so I held them under water for a few seconds with a slotted spoon.

Upon baking, the first batch of bagels -- poofy from their stint in the water -- flattened out while baking. In subsequent batches, I used the convection feature on my oven and received better results.

But the taste? Outstanding; just like those in a good NY bagel shop. I ate at three the day I made them -- bagels sprinkled with caraway seeds and sea salt and filled with a homemade wild garlic cream cheese -- and have eaten one everyday since.

Sadly, my supply is running low. I guess I'll just have to make some more ...

Real Honest Jewish Purist's Bagels

6-8 cups bread (high-gluten) flour
4 tablespoons dry baking yeast
6 tablespoons granulated white sugar or light honey (clover honey is good)
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups hot water
a bit of vegetable oil
1 gallon water
3-5 tablespoons malt syrup or sugar
a few handfuls of cornmeal

Equipment:
large mixing bowl
wire whisk
measuring cups and spoons
wooden mixing spoon
butter knife or baker's dough blade
clean, dry surface for kneading
3 clean, dry kitchen towels
warm, but not hot, place to set dough to rise
large stockpot
slotted spoon
2 baking sheets

How You Do It:
Step 1- Proof Yeast: Pour three cups of hot water into the mixing bowl. The water should be hot, but not so hot that you can't bear to put your fingers in it for several seconds at a time. Add the sugar or honey and stir it with your fingers (a good way to make sure the water is not too hot) or with a wire whisk to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water, and stir to dissolve.

Wait about ten minutes for the yeast to begin to revive and grow. Skipping this step could result in your trying to make bagels with dead yeast, which results in bagels so hard and potentially dangerous that they are banned under the terms of the Geneva Convention. You will know that the yeast is okay if it begins to foam and exude a sweetish, slightly beery smell.

Step 2- Make Dough: At this point, add about three cups of flour as well as the 2 tsp of salt to the water and yeast and begin mixing it in. Some people subscribe to the theory that it is easier to tell what's going on with the dough if you use your hands rather than a spoon to mix things into the dough, but others prefer the less physically direct spoon. As an advocate of the bare-knuckles school of baking, I proffer the following advice: clip your fingernails, take off your rings and wristwatch, and wash your hands thoroughly to the elbows, like a surgeon. Then you may dive into the dough with impunity. I generally use my right hand to mix, so that my left is free to add flour and other ingredients and to hold the bowl steady. Left-handed people might find that the reverse works better for them. Having one hand clean and free to perform various tasks works best.

When you have incorporated the first three cups of lour, the dough should begin to become thick-ish. Add more flour, a half-cup or so at a time, and mix each addition thoroughly before adding more flour. As the dough gets thicker, add less and less flour at a time.

Step 3- Knead Dough: Soon you will begin to knead it by hand (if you're using your hands to mix the dough in the first place, this segue is hardly noticeable). If you have a big enough and shallow enough bowl, use it as the kneading bowl, otherwise use that clean, dry, flat counter top or tabletop mentioned in the "Equipment" list above. Sprinkle your work surface or bowl with a handful of flour, put your dough on top, and start kneading. Add bits of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking (to your hands, to the bowl or counter top, etc....). Soon you should have a nice stiff dough. It will be quite elastic, but heavy and stiffer than a normal bread dough. Do not make it too dry, however... it should still give easily and stretch easily without tearing.

Step 4- Let Dough Rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with one of your clean kitchen towels, dampened somewhat by getting it wet and then wringing it out thoroughly. If you swish the dough around in the bowl, you can get the whole ball of dough covered with a very thin film of oil, which will keep it from drying out.

Place the bowl with the dough in it in a dry, warm (but not hot) place, free from drafts. Allow it to rise until doubled in volume. Some people try to accelerate rising by putting the dough in the oven, where the pilot lights keep the temperature slightly elevated. If it's cold in your kitchen, you can try this, but remember to leave the oven door open or it may become too hot and begin to kill the yeast and cook the dough. An ambient temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Centigrade) is ideal for rising dough.

Step 5- Prepare Water for Bagels: While the dough is rising, fill your stockpot with about a gallon of water and set it on the fire to boil. When it reaches a boil, add the malt syrup or sugar and reduce the heat so that the water just barely simmers; the surface of the water should hardly move.

Step 6- Form Bagels: Once the dough has risen, turn it onto your work surface, punch it down, and divide immediately into as many hunks as you want to make bagels. For this recipe, you will probably end up with about 15 bagels, so you will divide the dough into 15 roughly even-sized hunks.
Begin forming the bagels. There are two schools of thought on this. One method of bagel formation involves shaping the dough into a rough sphere, then poking a hole through the middle with a finger and then pulling at the dough around the hole to make the bagel. This is the hole-centric method. The dough-centric method involves making a long cylindrical "snake" of dough and wrapping it around your hand into a loop and mashing the ends together. Whatever you like to do is fine. DO NOT, however, give in to the temptation of using a doughnut or cookie cutter to shape your bagels. This will push them out of the realm of Jewish Bagel Authenticity and give them a distinctly Protestant air. The bagels will not be perfectly shaped. They will not be symmetrical. This is normal. This is okay. Enjoy the diversity. Just like snowflakes, no two genuine bagels are exactly alike.

Step 7- Pre-heat Oven: Begin to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 8- Half Proof and Boil Bagels: Once the bagels are formed, let them sit for about 10 minutes. They will begin to rise slightly. Ideally, they will rise by about one-fourth volume... a technique called "half-proofing" the dough. At the end of the half-proofing, drop the bagels into the simmering water one by one. You don't want to crowd them, and so there should only be two or three bagels simmering at any given time. The bagels should sink first, then gracefully float to the top of the simmering water. If they float, it's not a big deal, but it does mean that you'll have a somewhat more bready (and less bagely) texture. Let the bagel simmer for about three minutes, then turn them over with a skimmer or a slotted spoon. Simmer another three minutes, and then lift the bagels out of the water and set them on a clean kitchen towel that has been spread on the counter top for this purpose. The bagels should be pretty and shiny, thanks to the malt syrup or sugar in the boiling water.

Step 9- Bake Bagels: Once all the bagels have been boiled, prepare your baking sheets by sprinkling them with cornmeal. Then arrange the bagels on the prepared baking sheets and put them in the oven. Let them bake for about 25 minutes, then remove from the oven, turn them over and put them back in the oven to finish baking for about ten minutes more. This will help to prevent flat-bottomed bagels.

Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks, or on a dry clean towels if you have no racks. Do not attempt to cut them until they are cool... hot bagels slice abominably and you'll end up with a wadded mass of bagel pulp. Don't do it.

How To Customize Outside of Bagels: After boiling but before baking, brush the bagels with a wash made of 1 egg white and 3 tablespoons ice water beaten together. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice: poppy, sesame, or caraway seeds, toasted onion or raw garlic bits, salt or whatever you like. Just remember that bagels are essentially a savory baked good, not a sweet one, and so things like fruit and sweet spices are really rather out of place.

Orange Scones with Rhubarb and Cherries

Last week's CSA share contained four large stalks of rhubarb. I wanted to use them, but not in a pie, crumble or bar. So I adapted a recipe for moist scone, mixing the rhubarb with orange and cherries.

The main flavor in the resulting scone is orange, but the rhubarb gives each bite a little tang and the cherries add a touch of sweetness.

They were delicious -- Shane ate six of them in one day.


Orange Scones with Rhubarb and Cherries

2/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsps. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. fresh orange zest
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups finely chopped rhubarb (about two large stalks)
1/3 cup dried cherries
Cooking spray


Combine milk, vanilla and egg; place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 425-degrees F.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk mixture, and pulse until just until moist. Add rhubarb and cherries and mix by hand thoroughly.

Turn the dough out onto parchment lined baking sheet and, with floured hands, pat dough into an 8-inch circle (dough will be very sticky). Cut dough into 8 wedges but do not separate. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Serve warm.

Serves 8.

Cheesy Bread Bakers & the Gruyere-Stuffed Crusty Bread

You know what's irresistible?

Homemade bread fresh from the oven, and stuffed with ooey-gooey melted cheese.

How do I know this? Because the Cheesy Bread Bakers -- Helen, Ivonne, Kelly, Lisa, Mary, Sara, Stephanie and me -- gave the French Pastry School’s Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves recipe (found by Mary on the King Arthur Flour blog) a go last weekend. (Go look and see how beautifully their loaves turned out!)

We were not disappointed. This is a bread you have to tear into as soon as it comes out of the oven because it looks and smells so wondrous. First-degree cheese burns are but a small obstacle to overcome in the pursuit of deliciousness. Shane, Jenny and I ate our way through two "mini" loves (which were, by no means, actually mini) in under 10 minutes. I sent one loaf home with Jen and the final loaf will be devoured tonight at dinner.

I am so glad I got to bake in tandem (via skype) with these talented bakers; not only did I get to bake a fantastic bread and pick up some baking tips, I got to know these lovely, caring, kind and talented women a bit better. Yay food bloggers and yay cheesy bread!

Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves (click here for step-by-step photos)

Starter
1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cool water

Dough
all of the starter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) to 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) lukewarm water*
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

*Use the greater amount of water in winter, when conditions are dry; and the lesser amount in summer, when the weather is humid.

Filling
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese, or the grated/shredded cheese of your choice


To make the starter: Mix the 1 1/4 cups flour, salt, yeast, and 1/2 cup water in a medium-sized bowl. Mix till well combined. (Note: it may look a rather dry. -- LR) Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature.

To make the dough: Combine the risen starter with the water, salt, flour, and yeast. Knead—by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a smooth dough. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, till it’s nearly doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a ¾"-thick rectangle, about 9" x 12". Spritz with water, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Starting with a long side, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log, seam-side down, on a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface. Cover it and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it’s puffy though not doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Gently cut the log into four crosswise slices, for mini-breads; or simply cut the dough in half, for two normal-sized loaves. Place them on one (for two loaves) or two (for four mini-loaves) lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, cut side up. Spread them open a bit, if necessary, to more fully expose the cheese. Spritz with warm water, and immediately place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes (for the mini-loaves), or 35 minutes (for the full-sized loaves), or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Yield: four mini-loaves or two standard-size loaves.

Coffee-Nut Scones

These are I-can't-believe-how-moist-these-scones-are scones. They've got a good coffee flavor, but as someone who likes sweets, I'd probably add an additional 1/3 cup of sugar. Three tablespoons of nuts doesn't do too much either.

Still, this would be an easy recipe to adapt: take out the coffee granules, cinnamon and nuts, and toss in orange extract and/or zest along with a some dried cranberries -- yum.

Coffee-Nut Scones (slightly adapted from Cooking Light)

2/3 c. skim or 1-percent milk
2 1/2 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsps. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Cooking spray
2 Tbsp. skim or 1-percent milk
2 Tbsp. sugar

Combine 2/3 cup milk and the coffee granules in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high 1 minute; stir until coffee dissolves. Cover and chill completely. Stir in vanilla and egg.

Preheat oven to 425-degrees F.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in walnuts. Add milk mixture, and pulse until just until moist.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (dough will be sticky); knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 8 wedges; do not separate. Brush the dough with remaining milk and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Serve warm.

Serves 8.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

First Jennifer made them. Then Doodles. Now me. All of us loved them and, if you bake up a batch, you'll see why.

Chewy little bites of pecan pie goodness -- with nutty, buttery, and caramelized sugar notes -- delivered to your mouth in a tiny cake. Light yet satisfying, they're a perfect way to end a big meal when you want something small, simple and sweet.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes (adapted from Recipezaar.com)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Liberally grease a miniature muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine all ingredients and mix well; fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy!

Yields 24 mini cupcakes.

PB Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Several months ago, I fell in love with Peanut Butter & Co.'s Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. I can't fully explain it, but the combination of warm cinnamon, sweet raisins and savory peanut butter drove my taste buds delirious with happiness. For many a breakfast, I'd spread some on a slice of toasted wheat bread, drizzle it with a bit of local honey, and munch away.

When I came back from London, I brought back a few tins of Harrods biscuits, among them the Honey & Oat variety. One afternoon around 3pm (my daily sugar craving time) I went into the kitchen, opened the cupboard and saw the Harrods biscuits sitting next to the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB.

A match made in kitchen heaven. The peanut butter paired with the sweet oat biscuit beautifully. So beautifully that I knew I had to create a cookie that had it all.

I finally did. And they're delicious, either with a glass of cold milk or a cup of hot tea.

PB Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

8 Tbsp. (one stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon salt

Set oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add dry ingredients EXCEPT raisins; blend. Fold in raisins by hand. Using a cookie dough scoop, form dough into tablespoon sized balls. Flatten dough balls to 1/4-inch thickness using the bottom of a drinking glass.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies on a cooling rack; store in an airtight container for up to one week.

New York Style Crumb Cake

When I was very little, I would ride with my parents from Long Island to NYC; my parents would go to work, and I would stay at my grandma's house until they returned. We'd usually stop at a coffee truck pulled over on the side of the road and grab breakfast: for me, a carton of chocolate milk and a slab of crumb cake. I would ignore the cake's base (more of a sweet bread than a cake anyway) in favor of the sugary crumbs.

It's something I hadn't thought about in years until watching Cooks Illustrated's podcast on New York Style crumb cake -- and then I had to make it.

The result is a moist, dense (but not heavy) cake base topped by heaps -- and I mean heaps -- of brown sugar crumbs. This recipe does not skimp on the crumb topping; even after you slice the cake into pieces and chunks of topping fall onto the platter, your piece of cake still has a generous crumb cover.

The one thing I would change is the amount of cinnamon used in the crumb. Although the cinnamon flavor intensified the next day (and the day after that) I still would have liked a greater cinnamon punch. Next time, I'd probably add three tablespoons to the crumbs, taste them, and adjust accordingly.

Overall, however, a nice tribute to the NY Style Crumb Cake.




New York-Style Crumb Cake (adapted)

Crumb Topping
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or way more -- 3 Tbsp. -- to taste)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted and still warm
3 1/2 cups cake flour

Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk
Confectioners' sugar for dusting


For the crumb topping, mix together sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

For the cake, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat to 325-degrees F. Line a 13x9 pan with a parchment paper sling (spray the pan with cooking spray, lay in a sheet of parchment, pushing it into corners and up sides, allowing excess to overhang edges of dish.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.

Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Form crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with outer edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Tate's Bake Shop Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies with their friend, Carmelized Pineapple Upside-down Cake.

I'm posting this before heading off to the gym, the first day of a renewed effort to lose the last 15 -- scratch that, 13.4 pounds -- to reach my goal weight. I'm kicking up my exercise regimen in the hopes that it speeds up the process so I'll be there before summer (though I'm conflicted about this & here's why) while maintaining my need to eat sweets.


Yes, it's a need, not a desire. I crave sweets everyday, usually multiple times, and it's a pull I can't ignore. Sometimes a stick of gum or a cup of tea will sate things, but often I need something more substantial.


Like a chocolate chip cookie. Studded with giant bits of dark chocolate, this crunchy little cookie is buttery with a salty hit; my favorite kind of chocolate chip cookie. Add a glass of milk, and I'm in heaven.



Tate's Bake Shop Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies (source)


2 cups all-purpose pour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the water and vanilla. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Add the eggs and mix them lightly. Stir in the flour mixture until just blended. Fold in the chocolate chips.


Drop the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets using two tablespoons . Bake for 12 to 17 minutes or until the edges and centers are golden brown. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.


Yield: 4 1/2 dozen three-inch cookies.

Donuts! I got donuts!

I’ve thinking a lot about donuts lately. My beloved Krispy Kreme – just a stone’s throw from work – closed down, leaving me bereft of my favorite flavor: glazed kreme filled. Now, my only local options are Dunkin’ Donuts (serviceable), the bakery department at Wegmans (pretty good) or Timmy Ho’s (where I seem to get stale donuts 50% of the time). I don’t think we have any “artisanal” donut places in the area (If I’m wrong, PLEASE correct me) so I’m filled with envy any time I see anything about Voodoo Donut or the Doughnut Plant.

So Peabody and Tartlette’s challenge – Time to Make the Donuts – seemed like the perfect idea. I could satisfy the donut craving right at home! But since I didn’t have any experience deep frying, I thought I’d make things a bit easier on myself by finding a recipe using pre-made dough.

Slightly adapting Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe for Italian donuts, I cut pizza dough into donut and donut hole shapes, then fried and decorated them.

Things were nearly flawless, with the exception of my deep fat thermometer cracking while in the oil. (Thankfully, it was only an inconvenience and not the disaster it could have been.) The dough puffed up beautifully, turned a nice golden brown, and was tasty both warm and cool. I made two types: donut holes rolled in cinnamon-sugar, and donuts dipped in a butter vanilla icing. I thought the cinnamon guys were delicious, until I tasted the iced donuts – heaven on earth.

It's amazing how simple ingredients -- flour, oil, sugar, and butter -- can create an extraordinary treat. But I guess that's the beauty of donuts.


Italian donuts

Pizza dough (this worked surprisingly well)
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
(See icing recipe, below)

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness.

For donuts:
Using a floured 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out donut rounds. Using a floured 1-inch cookie cutter, punch out a hole in the center of each donut. (I used a wide-mouth wine glass for the donut rounds, and a small circular cookie cutter for the hole.) Gather the dough scraps and reroll. Cut out more donuts.



For donut holes:
Use a small, round cookie cutter to punch out bits of dough. Gather the dough scraps, reroll, and cut out more donut holes.



Whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl to blend. Place cinnamon-sugar inside a medium-sized paper bag and set aside.

Pour vegetable oil into a large frying pan to a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the donuts or donut holes until they puff but are still pale, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly. While the donuts are still warm, generously coat each 2 times with the cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Alternately, cool the fried donuts to room temperature. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter and add enough powdered sugar to form an icing. (If needed, add more powdered sugar to thicken; thin the icing with small amounts of water.) Add a bit of vanilla extract, perhaps 1/4 tsp. to start. If desired, add food coloring and blend well. Dip 1 side of each donut into the mixture, dust the donut with sprinkles and set aside until the icing is set.

Untitled Pretzel, Marshmallow, M&M Project

These are the easiest, and one of the tastiest, little treats you can make. You can whip up a huge batch in under 10 minutes, and if you bring them to a party, people will love you. There's something about the combination of salty, crunchy pretzels, paired with chewy marshmallows and the sweetness of chocolate that makes taste buds swoon.

The only thing is that I don't have an all-purpose name for them. Sadie came up with Shrunken Monkey Heads for the Halloween Party, but that wouldn't really fly at a Christmas bash, would it?

Got name suggestions? Post 'em in the comments!

Untitled Pretzel, Marshmallow, M&M Project

mini marshmallows

mini pretzels

M&Ms

Place pretzels on a large, flat plate lined with parchment. Place marshmallows in each of the pretzels' holes. Microwave the marshmallow-filled pretzels until the 'mallows swell in size, approximately 15 to 20 seconds.

Pull the pretzels from the microwave and, working quickly, press an M&M into the center of each marshmallow. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.