Peasant Bread

Also stemming from my bread-crazy day, I made peasant bread (interpreted from the Food Network, changed slightly).  This was done the bootleg-way...I need to bring baking supplies to the bachelor pad in order to make this go smoother!  This bread is easy and delicious (toasted with jelly in the morning or to compliment a hearty dinner, really versatile).

The Bread

 2 1/2 cups bread flour (I used King Arthur)
1/2 cup King Arthur whole-wheat flour
1 packet active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt (next time I'm thinking doing a flavored salt...a little hint of ANYTHING would be yummy)

In a large bowl, mix flours, yeast, and salt.  Add 1 1/2 cups of luke-warm water and mix thoroughly (this will give you a VERY sticky dough).  Cover with plastic wrap, let rise for 1-2 hours until the dough is about double, still sticky and bubbly on top.

After dough rises, turn out onto a WELL floured surface.  You don't have to knead this.  Sprinkle more flour on top.  Fold edges under to make the dough into a (somewhat) square, then turn it over AGAIN onto a piece of well-floured parchment and tuck in the corners to form a ball, sprinkle with flour.  Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 more hours.

Preheat over to 450 F.  Place a dutch oven pot in the hot oven, allowing it to get hot before putting dough into it.   Quickly invert the risen dough into the pot (this backfired on us...plastic wrap was all that was available, no parchment and it got STUCK!  wound up with a lumply loaf, but still delicious). Cover with lid, and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 15-30 minutes until brown and crusty.  Cool on rack completely, then enjoy!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

I had a major craving to use yeast the other day, so I went on a little bread-craze.  I tried to be somewhat healthy with the consideration that I was bound to eat a disgusting amount of carbs over the next few days.  I'm pretty sure that Heath and I both turned INTO bread after all the trials and taste testing we did all day. 

This bread didn't rise as much as I had hoped...I need to work on my yeast-baking skills (it would probably help to get a thermometer!).  Oh well....still tastes good and now I can try it again.

Dough:
1 cup raisins
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup  milk
1/4 cup melted butter
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour or bread flour
3 cups whole wheat flour

Filling:
1/3 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 egg beaten with 2 tsp warm water

Directions:
       Pour hot water over the raisins in a small bowl.  This will help the raisins plump up.  Let them "soak" for at least 10 minutes, then drain and save for later.

       Pour a cup of luke-warm water into a large mixing bowl, add yeast.  Let sit for a few minutes until yeast starts to bud (YEAH saccharomyces!)....While you're waiting for your yeast, melt 1/4 cup of butter.  Add the melted butter, 1 cup of room temperature milk, and pinch of salt to the yeast. 

       Add the flours to your mixture.  I like to use my hands when making bread, so get in there and make your dough!  Hand knead your bread for 8-10 minutes until you have a smooth dough (not too dry or sticky, somewhere in between).  Add raisins, continue to knead until they are evenly incorporated throughout the dough.  **raisins should not be watery from the plumping process, make sure all the water has been drained**

       Break dough into two even spheres.  Put into large bowls and cover with a clean dish towel.  Let dough rise in a warm space for 1-2 hours.  After dough has risen, roll each sphere out (individually, you'll get two loaves out of this) with a rolling pin.  Your rolled dough should be the width of your bread pan, and as long as you can make it (more length = more cinnamoney swirls!)

       In a small bowl, mix white sugar and cinnamon, set aside momentarily.  In ANOTHER bowl, beat egg and 2 tsp water.  Lightly brush the surface of your dough with egg wash, then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top (use more or less depending on how sweet you want your bread.  Next time I make this I'm going to use more than what is pictured!).  Roll up your loaf into a log and place in bread pan.  Cover and let rise again in a warm place for about an hour, or until dough is doubled in size and pillows over the top of your pan. 

      The other half of your dough can be used to make a second loaf...OR you can do as I did...cinnamon-raisin rose rolls! (I think they look like roses :)  ).  So, follow the same steps as above to make a loaf, but rather than putting it into a bread pan to rise, slice the loaf into 2-inch rolls, place sideways about 1-2 inches apart in a pan, then cover and let rise.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. . Halfway through rising, preheat the oven to 375 F.  Brush the top of your loaf and rolls with some of the remaining egg wash.  Bake the loaf for 40-45 minutes, rolls for about 25-30 or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.   Brush the top with some of the remaining egg wash. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.


This bread makes DELICIOUS cinnamon-sugar toast (courtesy of Heath...we toasted it with a little butter and cinnamon sugar yummmmm)!

Cinnamon Sugar Easter Cupcakes

Another good excuse to bake...Easter with the family! My aunt Katherine already had the braided bread covered, so I opted for the more sugary route of cupcakes.  I put peeps on top to make it look like a birds nest (idea for next year: malted eggs under the peep like little eggs!).  Also, my extreme dislike of peeps might deter me from eating these....good idea in theory but I just took the peeps off.

       I'm glad I took these pictures BEFORE bringing them for dinner. My poor little cousin Daniel wanted to hold the pan on the way over. There was a slight casualty of cupcakes in a combination of hitting the brakes and not having a good grip, and most of the tops got smooshed, but they were still delicious!

Cinnamon Sugar Cupcakes...(courtesy of Martha Stewart)

THIS MAKES TWO PANS

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 ¾ cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ¼ cups milk

Buttercream Frosting for top. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tin with selected liners.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.   Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Scrape sides of bowl as needed.  Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Frost with buttercream (vanilla or TRY chocolate…would probably be yummy!)  Sprinkle top of frosting with cinnamon sugar (1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 TB sugar) OR a peep if you’re making it for easter!

 

Triple Berry Pie with Ivy Top

We are having dinner at Heath's parents house tonight - a little belated Easter meal.  As always, I used this as an excuse to bake something! I figure that if I have somewhere to bring it, then I won't eat it all by myself...a.k.a. less miles to run tomorrow!

       Bringing pie to a bunch of pie-freaks (including myself) is never a bad idea...I've been on a triple berry kick lately so it sounded good.  I wish I could take credit for the decorating idea of this pie, but I actually found it online when trying to decide what kind of pie to make.  Heath and I cut out all of the leaves and ivy and carved the details on ourselves!  I cannot vouch for the taste yet, ask me again tomorrow...but I can say that the creation of this pie was FUN, artistic, and a great way to spend some q.t. together.

The Crust 

For this particular pie, I cheated and used Wegmans pre-rolled pie crust.  I was lazy. BUT I will put in the yummy pie-crust recipe I  normally use when making it from scratch. 

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 Tb sugar

½ tsp salt

6 Tb unsalted butter, chilled, cubed

3 Tb solid vegetable shortening, chilled,cubed

4 Tb (or more) ice water

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional, depending on pie filling...GREAT for triple berry)

 

Blend the flour, sugar, and salt.  Add the butter and shortening; pulse in food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Drizzle 4 tablespoons of ice water over mixture. Mix just until moist clumps form, add more water if necessary.  Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into disk.  Wrap in plastic, chill 1 hour.  

Roll out dough onto flat surface (the thinner you roll it, the flakier and yummier the crust!) and press into pie pan of your choice.

Triple Berry Filling

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups blackberries
1 1/2 cups raspberries
1 Tb lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 Tb quick-cooking tapioca

In a large bowl, drizzle berries with lemon juice. Combine sugar and tapioca. Add to berries; toss gently to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon into pie crust. Top with either crumb-top (see below) or crust-top.  Bake at 400 F for 45 minutes or until bubbly and done.

*I've done this pie with a crumb top before - 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup butter...literally get in there with your clean hands, cut all ingredients together until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the top.

Irish Carbomb Cupcakes

 

There's something to be said about the delicious-ness of booze-cakes.  I think my love of incorporating alcohol into cooking stems from Jello Shots.  I hate Jello, and am not a big person for shots, but somehow the two combined work just fine for me.  Anyways, I figured that for St. Patrick's Day I should make something with Irish flavors AND booze, inspired from one bad-news beverage I can usually only stomach AFTER a heavy night of drinking....Irish Carbomb Cupcakes....

      I tried, and failed, with several different recipes from various websites.  Some turned out really dense, not-so-good cupcakes.  Others gave me really runny frosting, and one had REALLY alcoholic, lumpy frosting (I'm sure if I consumed that frosting I wouldn't care how lumpy or unappealing they were due to the sheer amount of Jameson :))  So, I wound up combining attributes from different cupcake recipes, then incorporating booze into my own buttercream recipe to make for one boozey cupcake.  yummm. 

For The Cupcakes

1 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened.

1 cup strong coffee

1 ½ cup Guinness Extra Stout

2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed

2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 ¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

       Combine coffee, Guiness, butter, and cocoa powder in a saucepan; heat over medium, whisking continually until butter is dissolved.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

       Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  Whisk together eggs and vanilla; add to chocolate mixture, whisking until combined well.  Add flour mixture slowly, whisk until just combined (batter will be thin and bubbly).  Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 325.  Cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting

2 sticks of butter, softened and cubed

3 cups powdered sugar

1 pinch of salt

1 Tb Jamison Irish Whiskey

4 Tb Bailey’s Irish Cream

      In a medium bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy.  Slowly add powdered sugar and salt, mixing on low until combined.  Add Jamison’s and mix slightly, then 3-4 Tb of Baileys depending on consistency desired.  Frost and enjoy!