Meini, Italian Semolina Honey Buns

I eat a lot of inspiring things...especially lately.  I'm deep in the process of assisting my dear friend Ashley write her first cookbook (of what I am SURE will be many) .  I help her in a number of ways, but the best one is cooking her food.  Every Tuesday or so, we spend the day working on the cookbook.  I cook from her recipes and she styles and photographs the food.  This food is inspiring.  It is delicious.  I LOVE THIS JOB.  But as you might imagine, I can't share these recipes with you.  You're going to have to buy the book.  You are really really going to want to buy the book.

So what I'm telling you is, I haven't been cooking many recipes that aren't for the cookbook, you know, recipes I can actually share.  But, on Sunday night, I wanted to bake something.  I get that itch a lot.  I got out a cookbook my Aunt had given me a while ago (thank you Aunt Ruth - its a gem!).  It's a book on Italian baking by the original head baker at Il Fornaio.  Zack and I started looking through it and it was so inspiring.  I was excited to try the breads and intrigued by a few strange cookies.  This thing called a Meini really jumped out.  It's called a bun in the recipe, but is really more of a cookie in its method, though its less sweet.  The ingredients are most likely in your pantry, with the exception of semolina, but you could use regular corn meal no problem.  Just whirl it around in your food processor for a couple minutes to grind it more finely.

The process was a little odd, so I've modified it slightly for you.  I baked these buns and took a warm bite, not expecting too much.  WHAM.  A wonderful cake like texture, a rich buttery, cornbread flavor licked with lots of floral honey.  It really surprised and delighted.  I couldn't wait for Zack to try it.  "wow" he says.  Then I needed Zack to bring some over to Ashley (who lives blocks away) so she could try it.  A text comes 10 minutes later.  "What?!!  These are magic." it says.  "Wouldn't they be an amazing base for a raspberry shortcake?" says the next.  "Genius!" I say!  Anyway, you get the point.  This is a very tasty and versatile bun.  It is sweet enough to be a part of a dessert;  not sweet enough to truly be a cookie (IMHO), so enjoy it with your morning coffee and call it breakfast, and savory enough to enjoy with a soup or salad.  Overall a special find.  And, as with any baked good, best about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven.

MEINI, ITALIAN SEMOLINA HONEY BUNS
adapted from The Il Fornaio Baking Book
Makes 12 2.5" round buns

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup semolina flour
1 1/2 sticks of butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons honey - your best one
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons whole milk (or 4 of you don't use the amaretto)
1 tablespoon amaretto (optional but gooooood)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the tops
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar, in a sieve

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, semolina and salt into a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of your Kitchenaid or a large bowl and electric beaters, cream together the butter, sugar and honey on medium speed until fluffy, light and pale in color, scraping down sides a couple of times.  This takes 5 minutes.  Continue to beat and add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Reduce speed to low, add half of the flour mixture and beat until the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.  Beat in the cream, milk, amaretto and vanilla.  Continue to mix on low speed, add the remaining flour mixture and beat until a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  The dough will be sticky but try not to incorporate too muck flour as you shape the buns.  Form the dough into a circle and then cut it into 12 equal wedges.  Dust your hands lightly with flour and roll each wedge between your palms into a round golfball-sized sphere.  Place this on the baking sheet and flatten slightly into a disk about 3/4 inch thick.

Lightly brush the top of each disk lightly with water and then sprinkle with sugar.  Once all the disks are brushed and sugared, sieve the powdered sugar over the tops.

Bake the buns in the preheated oven until the tops begin to crack and the rim of each bun is light golden brown, 14-16 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely on baking sheet.  Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes

This past week was pretty priceless.  I got to fly to Hawaii to meet my new nephew.  His name is Liam, and he is so beautiful and whole and precious, what a blessing!  Every baby is.  He was born to my youngest brother Andrew and his wife Melissa.  He is a Navy coreman stationed with the Marines on an enormous base near Kailua, Oahu.  He married such a freaking spectacular woman in Melissa, adding another amazing sister-in-law to our family.  For three days, my Mom and I cooked for them.  We did a few other things, but didn't even go to the beach!  It was cuddle time and cooking time and it was everything I could have hoped.  For the last night of the short trip, I wanted to cook a special celebration dinner and I went all out.  I asked Melissa to choose the dessert - she has a sweet tooth that rivals even mine.  She requested something I made around this time last year, for a classic St. Patricks Day feast Zack and I threw - sticky toffee pudding.  Near as I can tell, a pudding is a catch all term people in the United Kingdom use for a dessert. This is a cake made with dates, and a wonderful deep dark toffee sauce.  It absolutely must be served with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whip cream.  It is stupid good.  and just in time for St. Paddy's day!  Make it friends!

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CAKE
adapted from David Liebovitz
4-8 individual or 1 large pudding cake

For the toffee sauce
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup dark brown sugar or muscavado if you can find it
1/4 cup molasses (use only 2.5 tablespoons if you use muscavado sugar)
5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon whisky or bourbon
generous pinch of salt (and more to taste)

For the date cake
6 ounces pitted dates,  chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups (175g) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F and butter an 8 1/2-inch (24cm) porcelain soufflé dish (or similar-sized baking dish.).  You can also make these individual as I prefer to do.  4 8oz ramekins (as I did), 6 6oz ramekins or 8 4oz ramekins. 

To make the toffee sauce:  Make the toffee sauce by bringing the cream, dark brown sugar,  molasses and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring often to melt the sugar.  Lower heat and simmer, stirring constantly for about 5-7 minutes, until the mixture is thick and well coats the spoon. Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and bourbon.   NOTE:  If the sauce separates, you can fix it by whisking in another couple tablespoons of cream.  Pour half the sauce into the prepared soufflé dish or divide between ramekins and place in the freezer, and reserve the other half of the toffee for serving.

To make the cake:  In a medium saucepan, heat the dates and water.  Once the water begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in the baking soda.  Set aside for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, at least 4 minutes.  Gradually beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. (Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks a bit curdled.)

Stir in half of the flour mixture, then the date mixture, then add the remaining flour mixture until just mixed. Don’t overbeat the batter.

Remove your chosen baking dish/s from the freezer and divide the batter in between.
Baking times:  You are baking until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
ONE  8 1/2 inch dish: 45-50 minutes
FOUR 8oz ramekins: 35-40 minutes
SIX 6oz ramekins: 30-35 minutes
EIGHT 4oz ramekin: 25-30 minutes

Remove the cakes from the oven, and let cool slightly before serving but they are best served warm!

ENTERTAINING NOTE:  I prepped all the components of this cake before dinner and actually made it after.  I love doing this.  It gives time for guests to relax and digest before dessert and builds anticipation.  Draws that whole wonderful experience out!  To make the pudding in advance, bake the cake without the toffee in the bottom. Let cool, then cover until close to serving time. Poke the cake about fifteen times with a chopstick. Distribute half of the sauce over the top, as shown in the photo, cover with foil, then re-warm in a 300F  oven, for 30 minutes.

Serving: Top with ice cream, lightly sweetened whip cream and additional warm toffee sauce.

Chocolate Bourbon Toffee Cookies

One of the most universal pleasures of life is savoring food.  It is never most fully appreciated alone, but within relationship it is a powerful force.  In the past couple weeks, I've had many menu decisions to make, but one that is very dear to me involves Zack.  I don't take these choices lightly, because I believe they really matter.  Every six weeks he leaves his home office in Ballard to spend the week working with his company of coworkers near Carlsbad, California.  These are great people and this is a blessed job.  It matters a lot to me to send him with treats that are special.  Treats that show these people he rarely sees how much we appreciate them.  Baking and cooking is not an routine endeavor.  It is my love language,  and as a result, one of OUR love languages as a couple.  For Zack's one year anniversary with the company they sent us treats.  One of the items was chocolate covered, almond crusted toffee squares (Zack loves toffee).  I decided to re-commission them into cookie stuffings and this is the recipe I came up with.  It's a Zulie original.  The response from his coworkers this week has been strong, so I knew I needed to write up a recipe to share.

CHOCOLATE BOURBON TOFFEE COOKIES
Makes 16-24 cookies, depending on size

Note:  I used milk chocolate and almond covered toffee from Shari's Berries, but I realize I wont often have that lying around.  Skor bars would be the most readily available substitution, though many companies make a chocolate covered toffee, so just use what you like and/or the best you can find.  Almond Roca would work awesome too!

For the Cookie dough
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
about 5 oz chocolate covered toffee candy (such as Skor bars or almond roca), chopped
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or almonds (or not, if your toffee candy already has a nutty crust)
Maldon Smoked Salt flakes or other smoked salt

For the ganache swirl
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 oz good semi-sweet or dark chocolate
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the ganache swirl:  In a pourable glass measuring cup, heat the cream for 20 seconds in the microwave till very hot, and add the chocolate.  Let it sit on the counter for a minute allowing the chocolate to melt.  Now whisk it together and add the espresso powder and salt.  Let stand at room temperature.

Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 5 minutes at least.  It should be light and fluffy.   Add egg and mix thoroughly, then add vanilla and bourbon and mix another 15 seconds or so.   Slowly add the flour mixture till just mixed in.  Now, turn off the mixer and dump in your toffee and nuts.  Pick up your ganache cup and get ready to pour.  Turn the mixer on its lowest setting and stream in the chocolate ganache.  This toffee mixin/ganache step should only be about a 5-10 second process.  You want the ganache to ribbon through the dough, but not mix fully in and turn the cookie entirely chocolate.  

At this point, you have two options, you can scoop the dough now and bake, just like you would a chocolate chip cookie, OR allow the dough to cure in the fridge for 24-48 hours, which will make it even more delicious and I strongly recommend it.  Should you choose the latter, dump the dough out onto a large piece of parchment paper and form it into a log, rolling it into the paper and twisting the ends to secure.  You could use wax paper or foil here too.

Whenever you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Scoop your cookies, or slice from your log, sprinkle with a few flakes of smoked salt and bake for 9-12 minutes in the center of the oven.  Check them at 9 minutes.  When they are fully set and just barely coloring they are done, but you can also go a few more minutes, if you like a more golden cookie or more crisp edges.

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Gramercy Tavern is an iconic New York City restaurant.  I know quite a few people who have eaten there, and everyone puts it well up there in their ranks of best restaurant meals ever.  The desserts alone are worth a visit.  Zack and I ate an caramel apple crisp ala mode there that has never been rivaled by any other.  The caramelized crumble was exactly what we wanted it to be and more.

Last fall I was looking for a recipe for brownie cookies.  I had in my minds eye exactly what you see above.  In my research I came across many recipes, but when I found one from Gramercy Tavern, I knew it was going to be good.  I think its perfect and my brownie cookie cravings have been fully satisfied ever since.

These cookies are kind of like biting into a chocolate bar macaron (the French kind).  Immense chocolate flavor, but a wonderful light crust and slightly chewy interior.  My only significant adaptations to the recipe involve salt.  This much chocolate desperately needs it.  For the past four months, I've been baking these at least every couple weeks.  People just love them.  It recently dawned on me that they are the perfect cookie for sandwiching.  In fact, I'm making them next weekend and sandwiching them with Nutella, for a dear friends birthday.  These cookies definitely have the best texture the day you make them and the batter doesn't keep well.  You'll want to mix them up and bake immediately.  Then, get munching within 2-4 hours for optimum textural enjoyment.  I mean, they still taste amazing days later, but they will be gone by then.  I promise.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE COOKIES
Adapted The Last Course, The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (4 times the original amount in the recipe, but definitely important!)

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

7 ounces 60-70% dark chocolate, chopped or use Ghiradelli's 60% chocolate chips

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (or combination of chips and similarly sized pieces of nut of your choice)

Maldon sea salt (optional, but I always do this)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, briefly whip the eggs to break them up. Add the sugar, espresso, and vanilla and beat on high speed for 15 full minutes.

While the eggs are whipping, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave.  Start with the chocolate ONLY and heat for 1 minute.  Stir with a metal spoon or whisk.  Add the butter and heat for another 45 seconds.  Stir/whisk again.  If not quite melted, give it another 20 seconds or so.  

Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until partially combined (there should still be some streaks). Add the flour mixture to the batter and carefully fold it in. Fold in the chocolate chips. If the batter is very runny, let it rest until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Using a small or medium (depending on the size you want) levered ice cream scoop, drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets.  Sprinkle with a little Maldon salt (if you choose) and bake until puffed and cracked, 6-8 minutes (again, depending on size). Cool on a wire rack before removing from the baking sheets.

Cinnamon Rolls...the quest continues

Long, long ago I spoke to you about cinnamon rolls.  They are one of Zack's favorite things to eat and mine too when I think about it.   I have to admit I've fallen down on the job when it comes to earnestly pursuing the perfect specimen.  This weekend though, I had a breakthrough.

On Thursday, Ashley and I taught a cooking class on Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday - as I've often shared here.  After the class, there were a number of leftover items.  Everyone knows that leftovers are one of the best things about Thanksgiving.  I had a batch of Moravian Lovefeast Bun dough that I'd demonstrated in class.  This is the best dinner roll you will ever eat.  I will not be challenged on this topic.  It is perfection.  Tender, slightly sweet, deep flavor, golden brown.  I also had quite a bit of Gingered Cranberry Sauce.  Fast forward to Saturday and I'm preparing for a party.  On a whim, I decided to make cranberry cinnamon rolls, using the leftover dough and sauce.  The resulting confection was something truly special and I couldn't wait to share it with you.

This dough recipe makes the best cinnamon rolls I've ever made and the second best I've tasted.  (The very best can be had at Skillet Diner, but only on Saturday or Sunday.  I warn you, one of theirs is the size of your head.)  You can use this dough to make classic cinnamon rolls, or doll the whole thing up with cranberry sauce or raspberry jam or carmelized apples, etc etc.  Really whatever you can imagine!  The basis for every good cinnamon roll is the dough, and as I've now said in triplicate, this dough is amazing.  Here is the recipe for my cranberry cinnamon rolls, but just leave out the cranberry for a very classic variation.   I also like to make my glaze with maple flavor (syrup), something I learned from Zack's Mom Suzi.  Maple and cinnamon are perfect companions. 

GINGER CRANBERRY CINNAMON ROLLS WITH MAPLE CINNAMON ICING

For the dough:
1 recipe Moravian Lovefeast bun dough (made the day before use)

For the sauce:
8 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup dried sweet tart cherries (such as Montmorcey)
2/3 cup sugar
zest and juice of one small orange
⅓ cup minced crystallized ginger
1 cups water

In a large saucepan, combine cranberries (no need to thaw if frozen), cherries, zest, juice, sugar, and water.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add ginger, continue 5-10 minutes more until most berries have burst and liquid is syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

For the glaze:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup grade B pure maple syrup (substitute milk here if you want a classic white glaze)
2 cups confectioners sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (to taste) (or none for classic white glaze)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Whisk together until well incorporated and to desired consistancy.  Add a bit of milk for thinner glaze.

For the Assembly
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Mix sugars and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

Butter 9 x 13" glass baking dish.  Remove roll dough from refridgerator and roll out immediately on a well floured board/counter to 1/4 inch thick and a rectangle about 10" tall by 18" long.  Spread entire surface with softened 1/2 cup of butter.  Now spread with cooled cranberry sauce (or not, for a classic cinnamon roll).  Sprinkle with the sugar cinnamon mixture.  Now, roll into a log, from the long side.  Slice in half, then slice each half into half again, and then into thirds, making twelve total rolls.  Place in buttered dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm area until double in size, about 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake in the bottom third of the oven, for 22-25 minutes, until deep golden brown.  Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes, then generously drizzle with the maple cinnamon glaze.

Morning Glory Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries

This very well could be the recipe I make most in my kitchen.  I will admit that it feels extra personal and I even feel a little shy about sharing it.  Almost like lending out your favorite pair of boots.  You love them because they fit you just right.  You've worn them in over time.  These pancakes are a part of regular life in the Burke home.  I mean, the kids eat them about every other day and have for the entirety of their lives.  The recipe has evolved with my continuing education about how nutrition effects us (we need protein in the morning), what we like (we like maple syrup and things off the skillet) and what we will actually eat.  You may need to break this recipe in a little, like I have.  But, I promise you it is very forgiving, flexible, incredibly healthy and delicious!  These are not the kind of pancakes that you tire of after a few bites and are then hungry for a more substantial meal 30 minutes later.

Do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients.    If you are just trying out the recipe, go to the bulk section of the grocery store and only get what you need to save money.  When you decide you do want to add this recipe to your routine, that is when you stock up.  I find everything I need at Central Market in Shoreline (including Skagit Valley blueberries) and Trader Joes.

One more thing, it's blueberry season!  This is my favorite time of year and my favorite seasonal crop of the year that I just wait and wait for.  I grew up literally surrounded by blueberry bushes on a berry farm.  Blueberries take me back to the days when my wardrobe consisted of a rarely dry swimsuit and my mind was mostly concerned with finding the biggest blueberry and eating it still warm from the sun while running through irrigation sprinklers with my sisters.  I still prefer to eat dirty blueberries by the handful but tossing a few into these pancakes is good too.

Morning Glory Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries

3/4 cups cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup milk of your choice. I use coconut milk.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons roasted whole flax seeds
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup flour of your choice. I use whole wheat spelt.
2 tablespoons almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

butter
pure maple syrup
fresh blueberries (optional) or jam in the off season)

Mix together the first 12 ingredients listed.  Preheat your skillet on medium high heat.  I prefer to use cast iron.  In a separate bowl mix together the next five ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix only until combined.  Butter your skillet and with your 1/4 cup measuring scoop measure out your pancakes.  Once on the skillet you can place the blueberries in the pancake.  Wait for bubbles to appear and then flip and wait about 2 more minutes but depending on how hot your skillet is you may need to wait longer.  Generously butter the pancakes and serve with maple syrup and more fresh blueberries on top.

This recipe makes about 12 pancakes using the 1/4 cup scoop.

Note: When I write out my recipes I'm not going to say "all organic non-GMO" before each ingredient but that is what I think should be used when possible. In this recipe I changed the vegetable oil to melted butter because I keep learning. My naturopath says this: vegetable oil (aka soybean oil) is about as bad as it gets. Use grapeseed oil, coconut oil, butter, safflower or sunflower oil (all organic non-GMO). Canola is a no go...olive oil goes rancid too easily when cooked. Olive oil is great for making salad dressings!

Lisa's Molasses Ginger "Crack" Cookies and a Giveaway!

For three very influential years of my life, I worked for Lisa Dupar Catering.  That time laid the foundation on which all my subsequent work in event planning has benefitted from. It was there that it went from something I loved to do, to something I truly excelled at.  I really found my niche there and am so thankful.   I also got an incredible culinary education and learned about how deep and complex flavors could be.  To this day, the food Lisa and her team produce is some of the best food I've ever eaten.

Those kitchens were absolutely full of amazing baked goods.  The baker was a wunderkind and his breads especially were the best I'd had up to that point.  Working there was a tough struggle between wanting to fit into my pants and resisting the constant assault of deliciousness.  One of the hardest things to resist have since become known as "crack" cookies at Lisa's restaurant Pomegranate, where she sells a large version of them.  The ones I enjoyed regularly were quite small, and I could tell myself it was just a little bit.  But a lot of a little bit...well, its a lot!  Anyway, this cookie just hits on all cylinders.  First of all, it's a sandwich cookie, so its already poised for greatness.  Then, it is wonderfully spicy and complex from the ginger and molasses.  The texture is perfectly soft and chewy and oozing with tangy cream cheese filling.

When Lisa's book came out two years ago, it was the very first recipe I tried and its been in regular rotation ever since.  I made them for my brother's wedding last year and I've even stacked them into a cake, for a special friends birthday.  You want to make these cookies.  I promise.  The entire book is filled with recipes that you will love.

For the giveaway, we want to know what cookies YOU can't resist (a recipe or link is an even better!).  Just make a note in the comments section to enter.  A commenter will be chosen at random and will receive a brand new copy of Lisa's awesome book, Fried Chicken & Champagne  I'll pick a commenter at random on Friday the 4th!

Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies (aka Crack Cookies)
adapted from Fried Chicken & Champagne

I make a few small modifications to the printed recipe, because I can't fathom a cookie without salt.  Especially a heavily spiced one.  I also add crystallized ginger for texture. I've added a number of details to the method section, because there are some ques to look for and some things I've learned to do to make sure I get a great result every time.

For the cookies:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
1 tablespoon honey

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup hot water

1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
3 cups flour
, maybe a little more if it seems extremely soft.
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

For the filling:

1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
zest of 1/2 - 1 orange (depending on your taste)

To make the cookies: In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter, brown sugar, and sugar at medium speed until creamy, light and smooth, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides 2-3 times. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the molasses, honey and vanilla, and continue to mix until smooth. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and add to bowl along with the freshly grated ginger root. It will look very curdled at this point.  Don't worry.  Scrape down the bowl and beat for 1 minute at medium speed.  Watch the time and really do a minute. In a separate bowl, sift together the pastry flour, cinnamon, powdered ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-molasses mixture and mix just till incorporated, scraping down the bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Now, chill the dough for 30 - 60 minutes.  This will make it possible to scoop them, as the dough is very soft.  If it is too soft to scoop and roll at this point, fold in another 1/4 - 1/3 cup of flour.  Scoop the cookies into 1-inch balls with a small ice cream scoop, and chill until ready to bake. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.  In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar until well mixed. Remove cookie dough from refrigerator and roll the balls in cinnamon sugar and into balls between your palms, place onto parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake until just barely done, about 7 to 8 minutes. They will be slightly cracked on top.

To make the filling: In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the whip attachment, whip cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

When the cookies are cool, turn half of the cookies upside down. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling, or put filling into a piping bag and pipe it, in a large dot, at the center of each cookie. Place the other half of the cookies on top, creating little sandwiches.

Makes 25 to 30 small sandwich cookies

Cherry Compote and Almond Focaccia

 

Last week was a very busy week of baking and this week promises the same!  Easter is just a week away and there are many preparations for all aspects of this wonderful day of celebration. At this point I am stockpiling items to share with you, but I couldn't wait another day for this one.  

I am inspired by every single issue of Bon Appetit.  If I could subscribe to only one magazine, it would be the obvious choice.  Thank heaven no such limitations befall me, but I'm just saying, Bon Appetit is key.  This months issue had a wonderful article on six amazing looking baked goods from one master sweet dough recipe.  I was immediately drawn to this cherry almond focaccia above all.  I had recently made a red wine and tart cherry compote that was truly something special, and I decided to use a batch of that instead of the cherries suggested in the printed recipe.  The resulting sweet bread will be a perfect addition to your Easter brunch menu.   It is absolutely delicious.

 

CHERRY COMPOTE AND ALMOND FOCACCIA

To simplify this recipe, you can use store-bought or home-made pizza dough.  I've made it with pizza dough and the sweet dough recipe and both are wonderful.  I used an 11" tart pan for my focaccia and 1/2 a batch of sweet dough, or 1 round of pizza dough (12-16 ounces).

Cherry Compote

3/4 cup red wine

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup dried tart cherries (such as Montmorcey from TJ's)

1 stick cinnamon

1 whole star anise (optional but adds so much!)

pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes or until cherries are plumbed.  Remove from heat and cool.  The sauce will thicken as it cools.  Can be made a day ahead or more.  Keeps 1 week in the fridge.  This sauce is great on ice cream, chocolate desserts, scones and so much more.

Assembly

1/2 batch Master Sweet Dough (click for recipe) or a round of pizza dough

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 cup chopped almonds (with or without skins)

1/3 cup raw sugar, such as Turbinado

Make your cherry compote and set aside to cool.

Coat a 11" round tart pan (or other similarly sized baking dish) with 1 Tbsp. oil. Press dough evenly into pan.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm, draft-free area until puffed but not doubled in size, 45–50 minutes.

Arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 400°. Using your fingertips, press dimples all over dough surface. Drizzle dough with remaining 1-2 Tbsp. oil. Scatter cherries over, pressing them gently into dough. Drizzle syrup over, allowing it to pool into nooks and crannies. Sprinkle almonds over, then raw sugar. Let rise until dough is doubled in size, 15–20 minutes.

Bake until focaccia is golden brown, 20–23 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Individual Butterfinger Ice Cream Pies

When I was making this dessert, I kept thinking of the phrase "necessity is the mother of invention".  After awhile though, it occurred to me how ridiculous it was to think that those words truly applied.  One does not NEED ice cream pies.   I mean really, REALLY?  Anywhoooo...

Since moving into our new home where I can actually cook again, I have been doing so constantly.  Cooking, baking, scouring cookbooks and in all ways scheming how to create from and enjoy my kitchen in the company of others.  We have a dinner or party on the books every weekend now until Easter.  I love it, and so does Zack in case you're wondering.  Last weekend, he was hosting a guys night.  I wanted to make sure there was delicious food, without him having to do much (because he is a brilliant computer programmer, but somewhat developmentally delayed in the kitchen).  We talked for awhile and looked through my notebook of absolute winners and he chose Beef Bourguignon.  I can make it ahead, it will taste even better that way.  He can put it in the oven to warm 30 minutes before dinner, warm up smashed potatoes, toss a salad and dinner is done!

The next essential question, what about dessert?  In the "keeper" desserts section of the note book is this caramel peanut crunch ice cream pie that would bring tears to your eyes, and he promptly chose that.  Cut to time for party prep.  I was home, day 2 of being sick and really much better, but still didn't feel like getting out of my pajamas to head to the store for the ingredients that I was missing.  Here is where the turn of phrase comes in.  I thought to myself, what DO I have that would make a great ice cream pie and why in the world shouldn't I just make it from whatever I have?  I mean, you can't go wrong, can you?  Well, I don't think you can.  This recipe is for Butterfinger ice cream pies, my necessity "invention" of the day, but you could modify this in so many different ways.  No vanilla wafers?  Use graham crackers or biscotti or shortbread.  No vanilla ice cream? Well, do you have any other kind in the house?  Raid that stash of Halloween candy you are giving your kids only 1 a day of and see what you find.  Rachel has kit-kats in hers (though I deplete them slowly every time I'm there - I wonder if she'll notice?).  I happened to have crushed Butterfingers in my freezer from an ice cream sundae bar I did for a party months ago.  Or you can make your own, as Ashley does!  I also had cream and many things in which to flavor it.  You can do that too.  This peanut butter cream is particularly scrumptious.  Anyway, the point is, this is a fun method and idea for a make-ahead dessert that I think will wow.  Individual desserts are always fun, and chances are you have the stuff in your pantry and fridge to make a version right now! 

Individual Butterfinger Ice Cream Pies
An invention of Julie Hubert

Make 4 individual pies, using 4" ramekins.


for the crust:
2 oz vanilla wafers
2 oz cold butter, cut in small cubes
1 Tbl sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  If you have convection, use it here but decrease cooking time by 2 minutes.

Pulse together these ingredients in the bowl of your food processor until the wafers are uniformly crushed and mixture is uniform.  Very lightly press 1/4-1/3 cup into the bottom of each of your 4" ramekins.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  Allow to cool fully on a rack.

for the ganache:
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 oz chopped chocolate
1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional)
pinch of sea salt

Place cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds in the microwave.  Add chopped chocolate and let sit for 1 minute to melt.  Stir to combine and add espresso powder if using.  (Espresso powder doesn't make it taste like coffee, just makes it taste better somehow)

for the topping:
2 oz cream cheese, softened (optional)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt

Whisk all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

the rest:
1 pint premium vanilla bean ice cream, softened and stirred till its more like soft serve, for spreading into ramekins.
2 crushed/chopped Butterfinger candy bars, or snickers, or chocolate covered peanuts, or whatever!


assembly:
Spread 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream over the cookie crust and top with 2 Tbl of the butterfinger crumbles and a good drizzle of ganache, as much as you'd like.   Freeze for 30 minutes.  Top with 1/4 - 1/3 cup of the peanut butter topping, smooth the top and garnish with additional cookies. Serve with warm ganache if you'd like - you should have extra. :)

Four Happy Guys!

Cinnamon Streusel Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Anyone who occasionally reads this blog knows that I make treats every week for the staff of The City, the company where my husband is the software architect. This week, my treat was a shame. I think I'll blame convection. My oven has that option and sometimes I flip the little switch to speed up a baking process. This is rarely a good idea. The cake ended up crusty hard and brown on top and dry throughout. The recipe itself wasn't my favorite anyway. Chocolate and cinnamon are wonderful together, but the method just wasn't quite to my liking. The chocolate chips were layered in the middle of the batter and not incorporated throughout and the topping was a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and a cup of chocolate chips, but no struesel. I sent the cake anyway, my frugal roots not wanting it to be wasted, but the rating was a paltry 3.5 stars and Zack confirmed a disappointing result. I just couldn't leave things like that! So, tonight, I did a do-over, making some changes and adding a thick struesel topping. The resulting cake was inspiring enough to deserve an entry here. It was moist, chocolaty, cinnamony, struesely perfection.



Cinnamon Struesel Chocolate Chip Coffeecake
loosely adapted from two Smitten Kitchen recipes

For the crumbs:
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt (This is a lot, but I think the salt really balanced it out)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups flour

For the cake:
2/3 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tbl vanilla extract
2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces.
1 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (miniature really is key here)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 9 x 13" baking pan or 12 6oz ramekins (for individual cakes)

2. To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.

3. To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Scrape batter into prepared pan or fill ramekins each half way full.

5. Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. You can put a few chocolate chips on top so its clear that its chocolaty. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter, 25-28 minutes for individual cakes or 35-40 minutes for a 9 x 13 pan. Serve warm or room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar. This is a great breakfast treat, but if it happens to come out warm at 9pm, serve it with some ice cream. :)

Yield: 12 individual servings or 16-20 squares.

Cinnamon Sugar Dipped Apple Muffins

Growing up, Zack had a few favorite foods, but I would say none has a more lore-like nostalgia in his mind than these apple muffins. Well, maybe Norwegian potato balls, but that's another post, and likely never will be. Anyway, back to apple muffins. I've heard of them many times in our five years of marriage, but until about a week ago I had never eaten one and didn't know what all the fuss was about.

Apple muffins? Doesn't really sound like anything special! But the thing is, these muffins bake up with the texture of cake donuts and once baked are rolled in melted butter followed by cinnamon sugar. Now I get it. Last week, Zack's brother gave me a photocopy of a very old and sacred recipe card. Armed with it, I baked these muffins for the first time on Tuesday morning. I sent them with him to work for the weekly treat, still warm from the oven. He emailed me with this report - "they are dead on - totally delicious". That made my day, really totally made it. The recipe card didn't talk much about the method and (GASP!) called for shortening, but I used butter, and regular muffin techniques apply. Here is my adapted version and method, just in time for you to make them for breakfast tomorrow morning.


Cinnamon Sugar Dipped Apple Muffins
adapted from Suzi Hubert's kitchen
makes 10 small muffins, you may want to make a double batch...

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup peeled, grated Granny Smith apple

1/4 cup melted butter
Cinnamon sugar

Cream together butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add egg and mix till incorporated. In a seperate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Starting and ending with the flour, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk (will be 3 additions of flour and 2 of milk), mixing till just incorporated between each addition and occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. After final flour is just mixed in, add grated apple and any juice and fold in until just combined.

Coat a muffin tin well with non-stick spray. Then use a regular ice cream scoop to distribute batter evenly to 10 spaces.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the middle of your oven. Check after 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick. When it comes out clean, the muffin is done.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small bowl. Dip warm muffins, top and bottom and roll them liberally in cinnamon sugar. You can make the cinnamon sugar to your liking. I like lots of cinnamon so used about 2 tsp for 1/3 cup sugar.

Serve warm!

New York, New York!

January held a lot of culinary high points. When I wrote my last post, I was on my way to NYC to sit in the audience at the Martha Stewart "Blogging" themed show with my friend Ashley. The 48 hours we enjoyed in that taste-bud playground were unforgettable. The words aren't flowing today so let me just hit the highlights.


Frankie's Spuntino in Brooklyn - candlelit, red-brick, pressed tin, modern Italian-American comfort food. The best dessert of the trip were their prunes cooked in spiced red wine, served with marscapone. The deep, syrupy sweetness of the prunes was amazing against the tartness cream of the marscapone. One of those desserts where you take a bite and you can't believe that what you are looking at tastes even half as amazing as what your taste-buds are telling you.

Eleven Madison Park for an early Ashley birthday lunch - 50 foot ceilings, the ultimate in elegance and service, beautiful plating and food. A really special experience.

Peasant - a restaurant that made me gasp with delight. The ambiance is like none other. Utterly lit by candles and open hearths along the whole back wall of the restaurant - it feels like a renaissance castle kitchen.

Buttermilk Channel - the best meat loaf of my life, made of duck and topped with an onion ring dipped in thick cornbread batter and fried.

A long stroll from Brooklyn, across the epic Brooklyn Bridge, up through lower Manhattan to meet Ashley for grilled corn at Cafe Habana, followed by frites and pavlova at the most Parisian bistro that's not in Paris - Balthazar. Oh yes, and a lovely time at Martha. We appear for .3 seconds at the 51 second mark of the show. In my split-second of screen time, I am pretending to blog while smiling widely at the camera. A now infamous pose that has been the source of much good-natured mockery.

On January 30th, I hosted my first Not Without Salt cooking class, taught by my friend and NYC travel buddy, Ashley Rodriguez. I felt perfectly happy in those three hours, chatting with friends old and new, enjoying delicious treats, making people feel welcome and truly learning! I mean, I learned how to make puff pastry! Something I never would have thought to make for myself, but now I really feel I can. I'll be hosting 1-2 classes a month as long as Ashley wants to teach them. She is a natural born baker and has so much to share, so I think there will be many, many more. If you'd like to join one, email classes@notwithoutsalt.com to get on the list. We're also cooking up some special events and dinners!

I've done a lot of bread baking this month, but last night, Zack and I whipped up a wonderful cake, for The City weekly treats tradition. I had Granny Smith apples leftover from the cooking class, so I made this apple cake from the blog Smitten Kitchen. The critique from the offices today was good - a smashing success, Zack said, definitely worthy of including here. It's an incredibly moist, lush cake. Great for breakfast OR dessert. I followed the recipe almost exactly, with the exception of the type of apple used and a drizzle of maple cream cheese icing to top it off. Gratuitous I'm sure, but I didn't hear any complaints.


February is a special month in my family - lots of celebrations. Three birthdays on my side and four on Zack's, as well as Zack and I's anniversary. This year, we celebrate FIVE big ones. I was poking around to find a good place to go that would allow us to use miles to purchase the tickets and Montreal leapt to the front of the line. The Paris of North America they say, and only about five hours away. Should be a wonderful adventure and I'm counting down the days. Literally - I have a large white dry erase board and each day I cross out one big box. There are fifteen more boxes. I'm so excited for four days of total, undisturbed time with Zack - there is nothing better (except more than four days). Got any Montreal tips? I'd love to hear them!

Bread you won't believe you made

First of all, WHEW! It has been forever since I posted. The past six weeks have included a more concentrated period of baking and cooking than any other in my life and I'm sure that has contributed to my absence. But...inspiration has been growing. Every day for a week my desire to actually sit down and write this post has grown and today finally, it is so strong that I am absolutely compelled to do so. I cannot resist the urge, and if I miss the chance to exercise, or dust the banister, so be it. I can be silent NO LONGER! And this post in sheer length, will make up for lost time!

No-knead bread. Have you heard of it? I'm told that a few years ago, this phenomenon, developed by Jim Lahey of New York's City's Sullivan Street Bakery was spread far and wide across the internet by a video post on Mark Bittman's blog. Mark Bittman is a famous chef and foodie, who's credits include the masterful tome, How to Cook Everything. Well, I don't know where I was during that blogosphere wild-fire, because I didn't know anything about it. That is, until about a year ago when a fellow foodie brought a loaf of this bread to one of our supper clubs. It boggled my mind that he had made, in his very own kitchen, such a bread. A bread which rivaled most and easily surpassed many of the $5 loaves in the Artisan section of my local grocery store. The crust was crisp and dappled with flour, the crumb chewy but airy at the same time, the flavor tangy and complex. I was sold. Since then, I have been baking this bread often, but something happened over Christmas that took my bread-baking to a whole new level. I have been feverishly baking a loaf almost every day since. That something was the gift of Jim Lahey's very own cookbook, My Bread, which came out this fall. In his book, he goes into the detail of the method and then inspires with ideas for tweaking the ingredients and adding different flours, liquids and "mix-ins" to make dozens of different varieties. Not only that, but his ideas have inspired me to try my own and my creative juices have been flowing!

Let me answer a couple questions you may have, such as; "what is the method?" or "what is the big deal?" Well, I figured the best way was to show you step by step so you can easily follow along and recreate. I will tell you that active time with this bread, is about 8 minutes, but the total time, which includes time to let it rise and bake is about 15-21 hours. But you must understand, that's 8 minutes of your actual life doing actual work and the rest of the time the bread is sitting happily on its own, becoming beautiful for you and yours.

A word about flour: Another of my Christmas gifts was a kitchen scale. I have never baked with one before but I enjoy it. I feel like a little scientist and my baking is better for it, but its not essential. If you don't have a scale, just make SURE that when you measure the flour that you FLUFF IT FIRST! I have found that if you scoop and fluff up the flour before going in for the measuring cup full and then leveling it off with a knife, that it is almost exactly accurate to the weight Jim suggests. However, if you just go into flour that's rested and start scooping without the fluffing step, you will end up with about 1/4 cup too much flour in the dough and that really does make a difference in the final product. So, fluff people, FLUFF!

1. Mix the dough: The base recipe is:

3 fluffed, scooped and leveled cups of all-purpose or bread flour.
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1.25 teaspoons table salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/3 cup cool tap water.

I like to mix this in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment but you can also use a bowl and wooden spoon (as Jim recommends). I put in all the dry ingredients, blend them for 10 seconds, then add the water and blend for another 30-60 seconds until well incorporated.


2. The first rise: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and leave the dough in the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the warmest spot in your house, although not above 72 degrees. Let it sit undisturbed for 12-18 hours. I always try to leave it for 18, but I've done it after as short as 8 (gasp!) and its been delicious. The longer it sits the more the flavor develops as the yeast works with the flour. The top two pictures show the dough in the beginning, the bottom two are after 16 hours.


3. The 2nd rise: Flour a board or your countertop generously and turn out the sticky, stringy dough onto it. By folding the dough over itself, form a small round. Generously flour one half of a kitchen towel (not terrycloth which the dough won't release well from) and set the dough on it. Dust the top of the round generously with flour and cover the bread with the other half. Let rest in a warm place for 2 hours. Most homes are 67 degrees plus and will work. I put mine about 10 feet from my gas fireplace, so its rises really nicely in the ambient heat.


4. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees: Do this 90 minutes into the 2nd rise. It needs to preheat for 30 minutes WITH your baking vessel inside. That way the oven and the vessel are fully preheated when you start to bake the bread. So, what kind of vessel do you need. Jim calls for a dutch oven of some sort. Le Crueset makes expensive ones, Martha Stewart makes ones half that price, you can get cast iron ones at some hardware stores, etc. I have used a Le Crueset, but I have to say, this sad little Ikea cheapy works great and I like to use it because it makes a nice small round loaf that is deeper, which makes for nicer size slices. So what I'm saying is, as long as you have a round 4-5 quart pot with a lid, you can follow this method. The covered pot is absolutely essential because it traps the water as it evaporates from the dough during the baking process, mimicking the steam in bakery ovens and creating the crisp outer crust.

5. Bake your bread: So, once your oven is fully preheated and your bread has risen for 2 hours, remove the pot from the oven and dump your bread unceremoniously from the towel upside down into the pot. Shake the pot a bit to let the bread settle in the bottom. Now, put on the lid and put your bread in the oven covered for 30 minutes.

6. The final browning: Now, remove the lid from your pot of bread and leave it in the oven for another 15 minutes. Total baking time is 45 minutes.

7. Cooling: Remove your bread and lift it from the pot and onto a cooling rack. Let it cool AT LEAST 30 minutes but preferably an hour. The bread is still completing its baking process during the cooling, so don't disturb it too soon.

The bread is best eaten in the first 24 hours and should be stored in a paper bag or wrapped in parchment paper. Never put it in a plastic bag, as the crust will lose its crunch and the bread will turn chewy in a way you don't want.

A word about timing: I often want the bread to be ready at a particular time for a meal or a gift. This is how I figure out the timing. First, decide when you want it to be ready to eat, warm and fresh. Subtract 3.5 hours from that time and you have the time to begin the 2nd raise. Then, subtract at least 15 hours from that time and you have the time you need to make the dough. I figure this out well in advance and put it on my calendar (I put everything on my google calendar, it makes me feel safe).

When doing bread variations, you should add any mix-ins after the flour/water/yeast mixture is well mixed. Just toss in what you wish and mix again for 20-30 seconds to incorporate. If you are doing a liquid mix-in, such as truffle oil, put that in with the water and then pour it in. Definitely put all your components in the dough initially, prior to the 12-18 hour rise. The dough will grow flavorful during that time with whatever components you've added. I give suggested amounts, but you can play with it! Some bread variations, including my hands-down favorite:

Walnut Truffle (my hands down favorite): Add 1 teaspoon white truffle oil to the water and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts at the end. The resulting bread is lightly purply and so full of flavor you may just think its the best bread you've ever tasted.

Caramelized onion and Rosemary: Caramelize a medium onion by slicing thinly and cooking over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Add to the dough at the end including 1 tablespoon roughly chopped rosemary.

Hazelnut and Thyme: Add 3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves to the dough.

White Chocolate chip and Dried cherry: Add 3/4 cup white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries to the dough. It is amazing what adding sweet flavors to a bread dough can do.

Kalamata olive: Decrease salt in dough to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, add 3/4 cup roughly chopped kalamata olives.

Buttermilk Stout: Replace water with 2/3 cup stout and 2/3 cup buttermilk. Substitute 1/4 cup of the white flour with whole wheat flour.

I really implore you to try the no-knead method and make a loaf. There is a great sense of satisfaction that comes with creating something so spectacular with little effort. Comment here if you try it and if you have other ideas for unique mix-ins and flavor combination's.

Lastly, I must tell you that I am so excited to be leaving tomorrow for New York City. While I'm there, I'll be in the audience on Martha Stewart's annual blogging show, with my inspirational friend and baker, Ashley of the blog Not Without Salt. We'll be dining at some amazing places and of course I'll be visiting Sullivan Street Bakery. You can bet I'll have Jim's book in hand, hoping against hope for an autograph.

Moravian Lovefeast Buns

Quite an impressive name for a dinner roll. Well, this absolutely amazing roll has its origins in a very unique religious gathering that I only know anything about because they make dang good buns. Where my darling Mother first got this recipe I do not know, but they have become an absolutely essential part of our holiday meals. In fact, despite all the wonderful things we make and bake for the holidays, these rolls are the one thing that I can't serve Thanksgiving OR Christmas dinner without and the thing that often receives the most sighs of delight. I'm sure we are not alone in finding a little piece of heaven in a truly perfect dinner roll. These buns are made with a fortified dough which includes potato, butter, eggs and a good bit of sugar. The resulting bun is slightly sweet, buttery and the texture, oh my goodness the texture! Fluffy and light but with a tight enough crumb to be just a little bit chewy. I need to tell you that these ARE your holiday dinner rolls. Please trust me. They are. Look no further.

MORAVIAN LOVEFEAST BUNS
adapted from the kitchen of my mother, Mrs. Mary Brown
Makes 12-15 rolls

4 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 pkg. active dry yeast or 4.5 teaspoons
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup water
2 eggs
3/4 cup boiled, riced or mashed potatoes, cooled

Maldon sea salt
Melted butter, to brush tops

NOTE:  Start this dough the day before you plan to use it.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix together flour, sugar, salt and yeast.

Belt the butter and add water to it.  Add riced/mashed potatoes and cool to lukewarm, when whisk in eggs.  With the mixer on low, gradually mix wet ingredients into dry.  Mix on medium low for 3-4 minutes. Dough should be quite sticky and will stick to sides but should also stay mostly on paddle.  Remove dough to a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until double, about 1.5 hours and then punch down. Refrigerate overnight, tightly covered with plastic wrap or in a large airtight container.

Remove roll dough from fridge just before you are going to form the rolls to rise, or at least 3 hours before you want to serve them.  Butter a 9 x 13 casserole. Form rolls slightly bigger than golf balls and place in pan, giving space for them to rise. 3 across and 5 down for a total of 15.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until more than double in size in a warm place for 2 hours.  They can also be made individually in muffin tins, be sure to spray thoroughly with non-stick spray.

Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with Maldon salt.  Bake in the lower half of preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Remove when deep golden brown.

Pantry Weeks and Pizza Patate

This coming weekend is my husband's 35th birthday. Birthdays are a huge deal for him and I always try to plan something really special. A birthday that ends in a 5 or a 0 is particularly important and must be celebrated with extreme gusto. As I've mentioned before on this blog, he works incredibly hard and I'm taking him away in hopes he can really rest and relax. To make it more fun, I've kept our destination a surprise. I'm quite proud of myself, 8 weeks of surprise self control. :)

So, you might ask, how does this all relate to pantry and pizza? Well, knowing I'd be taking him out of town I decided I needed to be very budget conscious in the weeks leading up to the occasion. I'd heard of pantry weeks from many sources and after trying it, I highly recommend it. Basically, I cooked almost entirely from my pantry, fridge and freezer for two weeks, from stockpiles of frozen chicken, veggies, beans, stocks, canned tomatoes, hard cheeses and baking products. Of course you'll need some fresh items like milk and some veggies, but for the most part it worked out really well and I spent less than a quarter of what I normally do at the grocery store. I actually got a big kick out of this. It requires some recipe searching, modification and substitution, but it was a fun challenge. I also found that by making fresh breads I could elevate some pretty simple things to a nice meal.

Some of the items we had were vegetable risotto, Sourdough BLT's and beet salad, butternut squash curry, potato, bacon and corn chowder with buttermilk biscuits, tomato soup with chickpeas & Irish soda bread, and sausage & pepper calzones. Nothing fancy, but Zack and I were happy as clams and everything was yummy, though I certainly didn't feel inspired to blog. Pizza Patate changed that. What a case of something being more than the sum of its parts! It is creamy, crispy, savory delight. You must make it. I bet you have all the ingredients in your house RIGHT now. In your pantry.

Pizza Patate
Adapted from My Bread by Jim Lahey, reprinted in November 2009 Gourmet magazine.


Makes 1 large pizza, 8 slices. Serves 2-3 for entree OR cut in small squares for a great appetizer!

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH (you could use store-bought dough, but this is cheap and easy.

Start this 3 hours before you want to eat.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup room-temperature water
extra virgin olive oil for the pan

1. In a medium bowl (I used my kitchenaid with paddle attachment), stir together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water and mix until well blended. The dough is quite stiff, not wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Then, start the potatoes for the topping.

TOPPING

1 quart lukewarm water
4 tsp table salt
2 lbs russet potato (or any kind of potato you have)
1 cup diced red onion (or any onion you have)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (I have this in my yard, if you don't, take a walk, you'll find some to "borrow")
Optional, but really adds a lot: 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese (or whatever you may have in your fridge going unused - feta, goat cheese would be great here)

1. In a medium bowl, combine water and salt, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Use a mandoline or knife to slice the potatoes very thin (1/16 inch thick) and put the slices directly into the salted water so they don't oxidize and turn brown. Let soak in the brine for 1.5 hours at least, until the slices are wilted and no longer crisp.

2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and use your hands to press out as much water as possible, then pat dry with a clean dish towel. Now, toss together the potatoes slices, onion, pepper and olive oil.

ASSEMBLY

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and position a rack in the center.

1. Oil a 13 x 18" rimmed baking sheet. Scrape the dough across the surface of the pan, use you hands to press it evenly out to the edges. If the dough sticks to your fingers, lightly dust it with flour or coat hands with oil. Pinch any holes together.

2. Spread the potato mixture evenly over the dough, going all the way to the edges of the pan; put a bit more of the topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook more quikcly. Sprinkle evenly with rosemary & a little kosher salt (not much, the potatoes are already salty.)

3. Bake for 18 minutes, remove and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake another 8 minutes until topping is golden brown and the crust is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Serve hot or at room temperature.