How Stale are your Carbs?

Ever have a loaf of bread go bad on you or stale before its time? Well I have, on way too many occasions. As a virgin bread maker and shopper/taster of great artisan breads and a single gal, I can’t eat all the bread I make or even buy.

So what do I do with my left over bread aside from giving it away? Well, I hate to admit, the day after Earth Day, I don’t always recycle what I should when it comes to food. My current circumstances definitely do not call for personal compost, as my food waste is very minimal and I have no room to benefit from it, being in a small apt and very little sun to grow any plants. I am trying very hard to change that, but need to figure out in what places in my local area will accept my food waste for recyclable reasons.

However, I am finding alternatives to not waste my food as I used to do, since I am still unemployed and need to maximize everything I buy and cook/bake. Being in the situation that I am in has opened my eyes on many issues; I had been throwing away literally, so much more than just food.

Although, I‘ve had a love of cooking for years, I forgot what it truly meant to cook and save at the same time. Even though I knew the foods I cooked, I could transform those meals into another amazing meal, I would just throw it all away without thinking. Now that I am in a situation, where I cannot afford to throw anything away unless it is rancid, I have learned that I should have been following the no waste theory all along.

I am angry with myself on how much food I have wasted over past years and I am making the oath to never do it again, even when I get a job that takes me away from home. My problem currently, is that I am cooking for a single person and not a family that I am used to providing for. When I cook, I do think about what I can store in the freezer for myself in the long term, but cooking on a singular level is a bit hard, especially when going to the grocery store.

One of the major foods I have been horrible about is throwing away bread. I throw more bread away, even though I make it homemade now, than I should. I’m not in a situation where I should feed the birds with my bread extras; otherwise I will help explode the pigeon population in NYC. So, what should I do with all my extra bread? Well, as in my other bread posts, I have mentioned that you should and “I” should make bread crumbs and/or Croutons.

So, I concocted some amazing croutons from the bread I made a few weeks back: Sour Dough Trip (Up?)...

For seasoned cooks/chefs, you know the drill but for those who may seem to be a bit intimidated by making homemade croutons; you can set your fears behind you! Homemade croutons are nothing but left over 2-3 or maybe even more day old bread. Yes, even the balloon brand or other brands will work.

Just take your stale or close to moldy bread and cut it cubes, the cube size will depend on the type of bread you are using. Honestly, buying grocery pre-made bread should be used more for bread crumbs, but croutons will be just as tasty. If you only have a few slices initially, cut into cubes and immediately freeze and continue to save and cut the bread until you have enough for a full salad meal.

So, the “Crouton” recipe…This can be whatever you want, but here’s a good starter recipe (Be aware the measurements are to my taste and approximate):

Crouton Ingredients:

• Leftover Bread-Cubed
• 2 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil-per 2 Cups of Bread Cubes
• 1-2 Tbls Italian Dried Herbs or other Dried Herb Spice Mix - per 2 Cups of Bread Cubes
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves Minced Finely- per 2 Cups of Bread Cubes
• 3-5 Tbls Grated Parmesan or Grana Padano Cheese-per 2 Cups of Bread Cubes 

Preheat Oven to about 350 Degrees:

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients above and mix well.
2. Take your cubes of bread (thaw fully if previously frozen) and add to Bowl of Ingredients above.
3. Mix Gently, hands are best and make sure all the bread cubes are fully coated.
4. Take a Cookie Sheet pan and line with parchment paper or tin foil (for easier clean up, but not required)
5. Place all bread cubes on cookie sheet pan, be sure to spread evenly.
6. Place in oven for about 20-30 minutes. You want to make sure all moisture from the bread has evaporated.
7. Let cool and serve or place in a freezer bag and store for about 3-5 months

A Sour Dough Trip (up?)

My adventures of bread making are getting a bit better, but I think after this last loaf, I’ve come to a bit of a bread making impasse. One of my main goals of bread making is to bake good ole rustic crusty bread, whether that is sour dough or of Italian/French style.

This most recent recipe I used did come closer to my goal, but I think I may have tripped up a bit on the kneading process. This leads me to believe I really need to find out if I can take a Bread Baking 102 class or something of the like. For the fancier rustic breads, I’m starting to doubt myself on the look and feel of the dough and that's a bit frustrating to me right now. But I won’t give up as I am determined to get to my end goal.

Don’t get me wrong, this recent trial came out very good and delicious, but the internals of the bread did not come out as airy as I expected and was not really all that sour. I love crusty bread with lots of holes in it. This first try, the internal came out a bit denser, which is what ultimately led me to believe I over worked the dough. But the Crust!!!-OMG, this came out extremely well and I am very, very happy with that result, so I must be getting closer. 

One other nice thing about this recipe is that the overall time to make is pretty good.  If I don't include the Sponge Ferment time, this takes about 3-4 hours from the initial knead to taking it out of the oven.  About 1 1/2-2 hours is Resting and Proofing and then total baking time is 50 minutes.

This loaf will supply my toast ration this week (maybe I will make a bruschetta to eat the bread with) and I will eventually cube it up for croutons. As per another recipe that I tried out a few weeks back, I will attempt to make this again, making the necessary adjustments to which I have learned from. For those who are a bit more trained in bread making, this is a good recipe and has great tips for those who are still learning like I am. One of the best tips I have seen is about storing rustic bread after it is cut…As the recipe/notes state, it really does work! So next time you make or even buy a rustic Boule or other crusty loaf, try it out. It will last longer!

KAF Quote:

“Just a Hint...

Store crusty hearth loaves uncovered, but with their cut side down on the counter. This is one of the best tips we've come across in some time. Though this doesn't work on baguettes, rolls, or other small loaves, it works beautifully on big boules or freeform loaves. The moisture in the bread's interior gradually migrates to the surface, but since the cut side is covered, it can't escape there; instead, it must navigate its way through the thick crust, a much slower process. This keeps the bread's interior soft, and the crust hard and crunchy.”

KAF Recipe Link for: In Search Of The Perfect Rustic Loaf

 

 

It’s a Whole Wheat Mess!

While I await next weekend’s cooking extravaganza, I’ve been busy baking bread for the siblings/family. Since I am poor, severely poor these days, I’m baking more bread than ever. I have enough ingredients to bake me so many great bread options for the next 6 months to a year. But this time it’s time to cook for my Sis and her Bo, so they have something to eat also (I have a tendency to be a giving person way too much at times).

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t eat bread every day, but if you are a starving jobless person these days like I am, bread is a necessity of life and hunger and carbs are not a dietary “no no”. Bread may be full of carbs, but if it’s homemade, it at least has less crappy ingredients in it than the store bought brands. Now, if you buy bread from a reputable bread bakery, you are guaranteed a more healthy option, but keep in mind they do put in additives to allow the bread to stay fresher for longer. But know that those additives are slightly more pronounceable, vs. the big brand bread makers. Know that if you make your own bread, there are no additives and no need to even pronounce anything!

As far as price options, the big brand names may charge less overall commercially and the personal bakery does charge a big premium for something you can all make at home for even less, like a good ole crusty bread, baguette or even sandwich bread. Most of that premium cost on bakery bread is really about labor and not so much the ingredients, because, time is the biggest obstacle in bread making, in my opinion. There is a labor of love with bread making as I am still learning.

As I have stated before, I have a bread machine, which I love dearly. But even if you don’t have a bread machine, everyone should learn how to made bread from scratch. Bread making does not necessarily need any special equipment except for a some Bowls, Bread Pan or Sheet Pan, Oven, your muscle and time. The rewards are so much more in your favor than if you bought bread from a store or bakery; One great starter bread is from a previous post: I Could Live on Bread and Water.

Yes, there are breads that don’t last that long after making it homemade, but I do guarantee, if making your own bread, you needn’t worry about it perishing, as it will be eaten up before you even think about throwing it away. Any homemade bread with “fats” (any dairy, oil and eggs) included will last from 1 to even two weeks as I have experienced, as long as the bread is stored properly.

If your bread is not eaten in the allotted time, there are other ways to prolong your bread life, like taking your 2-3 day old bread and making homemade croutons or breadcrumbs. These can be stored in the freezer for months! Pre Slice your bread and freeze and take slices out as you need them…The Toaster will defrost each slice with ease or defrost each slice in the Microwave for 10 secs.

Today, I have made 2 batches of Whole Wheat bread from my bread maker recipe booklet. The smell of freshly baked bread is so heavenly to me and just makes my mouth water and head spin and eyes roll in ecstasy. Tomorrow, I am making a Sour Dough Boule recipe from KAF, which I am truly excited about. My starter (sponge) is ready and I cannot wait to see how this other recipe turns out.

For this post, I’m not going to include the Whole Wheat Bread Recipe in this blog, as it is for the Bread Machine and I know that anyone who has a bread machine, this recipe and/or something like it is included in that recipe booklet. But it is worth showing you pictures. As far as the Sour Dough Boule, I will post the link to the recipe I used if it’s worth it.

Garlic Focaccia-Better not have a Date Tonight!

I believe that in any kitchen, there must be some standard food staples you must have and never be without. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Parmesan Cheese (not from a jar or can), Onions, Potatoes, Lemons, Tomatoes, eggs, flour and most of all lots and lots of Garlic!

When I started cooking, I made it a point to always have garlic in my kitchen. Not only does it go in almost every dish I cook (except sweets of course), but garlic is super healthy for you. Now most believe it’s not a good idea that if you eat lots of garlic, it’s not a good idea to go on a date with someone, but if that someone loves garlic too, then I think 2 garlics make a right.

So, I’ve been playing with my bread machine again, and the focaccia recipe from the booklet is pretty good, but I’ve taken it a few steps further and mix in some fresh garlic to make the bread even tastier. If you don’t have a bread machine, using frozen pizza dough will work or even if you have your own focaccia recipe just knead in fresh chopped garlic into the dough before your final rise.

Ingredients for Bread
Makes 1 1⁄2 pounds

• 1 1/8 cups Water, 80°–90°F
• 2 Tbsp + 1 Tsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1⁄4 Tsps Italian herb blend
• 1 1⁄2 Tsps Salt
• 3 cups + 3 Tbsp Bread flour
• 1 1⁄2 Tsps Yeast, active dry, instant or bread machine
• ¼ cup Garlic-Freshly Chopped **Mix In**

Place all ingredients, in the order listed or per your machine’s instructions, in the bread pan fitted with the kneading paddle.

Select Dough/Pizza Dough. Select dough size. Press Start to mix, knead and rise. If you have a “mix in” option, make sure this is turned on. When “mix in” option beeps, add Garlic. If you do not have a “mix in” option, about 10-15 minutes into the first cycle, add the garlic. When full dough cycle is completed remove dough from pan, punch to deflate and let rest 10 minutes before continuing.

Ingredients for topping
Makes a 12x8 or 13x9-inch focaccia

• 3 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 3⁄4 Tsp Coarse kosher or sea salt
• 1⁄3 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1⁄4 cup Chopped fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)

Brush a jelly-roll pan with olive oil (Optional-sprinkle with cornmeal). After dough has rested, roll out on a lightly floured surface to the appropriate size and place in prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until about doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450°F. With oiled fingertips, press indentations into the dough about 1 inch apart and 1⁄2-inch deep. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with salt, cheese and herbs. Place in preheated oven and bake until deep golden and puffed with a crispy crust, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Allow to cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Carefully remove from pan to cooling rack and cool for another 10-15 minutes.

Chocolat Bouchee-It’s Not Your Grandmother’s Brownie

Ok, I realize I might get some flak for doing another brownie recipe, but this recipe is what I originally wanted to make, but thought I had lost it forever. Lucky for me, when I was searching for chocolate pudding recipes in my cookbook library, the recipe fell out of my Joy of Cooking book. I couldn’t believe that I actually saved it and found it several years later.  So of course, I needed to make this!

This is definitely not your Grandmother’s recipe or even your Mother’s for that matter. It’s so rich and decadent, that just one bite is enough to give you that orgasmic feeling, like when you eat a really good dark chocolate bar. I guarantee you will have to give a sex ed class before serving this to your adult friends.

This recipe is originally from B&B Cognac Liqueur.  It originally was part of an ad campaign in most magazines and was posted on Epicurious back in the day, but the recipe is not to be found on either sites as of this post. Today I have used Grand Marnier, but I also think that Crème de Menthe, Chambord and any coffee liqueur would also be fantastic as well as the original B&B Cognac Liqueur. I encourage all of you to use other liqueurs or flavorings, like almond extract or even creating an extract like saffron or curry could work (for those who cannot use liquor).

And YES...I ate one and couldn't finish it, but I did give the rest away to my neighbors and bodega folks. :)  It's all about proper moderation!

Chocolat Bouchee

• 3 ½ Tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 ¼ C AP Flour
• ¼ Tsp Salt
• ¼ Tsp Cinnamon
• 10 Tbsp Butter (room temp)
• 3 Tbsp (1 ½ oz) Corn Oil (I substituted Canola Oil)
• 5 oz Unsweetened Chocolate-Chopped or in Chip form
• 2 C + 2 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar (Packed) or you can use “Brownulated ®” LB Sugar
• 3 Eggs + 1 Egg Yolk (room temp)
• 6 Tbsp (3 oz) Grand Marnier or other Liqueur of your choice 

Butter and flour a 9”or 10” square pan. Sift together cocoa, flour, salt and cinnamon. Melt butter, Corn Oil (Canola Oil) and unsweetened chocolate over a double boiler. Place melted chocolate mixture in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and beat well. Add eggs slowly. Add Liqueur. Slowly add dry ingredients, mixing until incorporated. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 Degrees for 20-30 minutes.

**Note: I don’t have a 9” or 10” square pan, so I use a 7”x11” pyrex. If this is all you have as well, the total cooking time is 27-30 minutes depending on your oven.

Take out of oven and cool for at least 30 minutes. Carefully run a knife on the sides of the pan and remove the whole cake onto a cooling rack to cool for another 30 minutes and cut to desired sizes.

For a 7”x11”, I was able to cut 12 approx 2.5”x2.5” decent size pieces, but because this treat is so rich, I would recommend cutting them even smaller.

Chocolate Glaze

• 9 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate-Chopped or in Chip Form
• 6 oz (approx ¾ cup) Corn Oil (I substituted Canola Oil)
• ½ oz (1 Tbsp) Grand Marnier or other Liqueur of your choice 

Melt chocolate, corn oil and liqueur over a double boiler.

Take cut pieces of brownies and place over a cake rack with a pan or parchment paper underneath to catch drippings.

Pour warm glaze to coat each brownie piece.

Chill until glaze sets and serve or you can choose to serve right away, just be aware that chocolate will be dripping down your arm and on the floor!

The wait is over!

For those who have been anticipating and waiting a long, long time for me to make my cheesecake again, the wait is over!  My run for Olympic Gold will never happen, but my run to make the best cheesecake ever has been completed.

I spent most of the week, mentally preparing for this long awaited treat, because honestly, it has been more than several years since I baked my last cake. Why so long? Well, I had put my career first and gave up cooking and baking for at least 7 years or more. There was just no time for me to spend in the kitchen and I subjected myself to microwave meals, take out and dining out.

So when my friend Sweetpeasurry (K) blogged about my new blog site and mentioned my cheesecake a few weeks back, the door had been opened for the challenge and I happily accepted.

I must say, it was like riding a bicycle, you never forget. I pulled out my dusty spring form pan from the back of the cupboard and I was good to go.

So, here is my recipe-Modified-as I will not divulge my secret ingredient, but this one is just as tasty as mine. One secret I will give away is that my recipe uses less sugar than other classic recipes. I do make other flavorful cheesecakes, which eventually down the road I will make the more complicated ones for all to see and try out.

Classic Cheesecake

By Have a Seat

Special Equipment: 8" Round Spring Form Pan; Electric Beaters or a Stand Mixer; Parchment Paper; Heavy Duty Tin Foil; Rubber Spatula; Roasting Pan*Roasting pan must be large enough to hold the Spring form pan and must be 2 1/2" deep.

 
Ingredients:

• 24 oz. Cream Cheese 
• 3/4 c Sugar + 2 Tbls* (2 Tbls is for Crust) 
• 1 Teaspoon Real Vanilla Extract 
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice 
• 1 c Sour Cream 
• 4 Tbls Butter* (1 Tbls if no Crust )
• 1 ¾ - 2 c of Shortbread Cookies-Crust 
• Fruit Topping (any kind you like) 
• 6 small amaretto cookies 

Equipment Preparation:

Prepare the 8" Spring form pan by taking a sheet of Parchment paper and placing it on top of the Spring form plate (disc.) Take the "form" and fit it around the "plate" and tighten. There will be some overlapping parchment paper if done correctly. Turn the pan upside down and cut the paper so that there is about an inch of paper fanning out of the bottom of the spring form pan. Carefully, butter the paper and the inside rim making sure the butter covers every inch of the pan. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Take the roasting pan and fill with warm water to 1". Place tin foil over water. Do not secure tin foil around edges. This is what is called the "water bath." Since water can only reach 220 Degrees, it creates even cooking temperature for the inside of the cake, while the oven temperature cooks the outside of the cake. The "water bath" technique, also works well with other recipes, such as; soufflés, custards and even regular cake mix.

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.

Cake Preparation:

For bottom Crust (Optional):

Take shortbread cookies and crush into a sandy texture. A food processor will help with this. If you do not have a food processor, place cooking in a plastic Ziploc bag and crush cookies with your hands or use a rolling pin. Again, the crumbs should have a consistency of sand. Place crumbs in small to medium bowl, add 2Tbls of sugar and the 3 Tbls of melted Butter, then mix. Get your Spring form pan from the fridge and add shortbread mixture and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Take the back of a measuring cup and pack the mixture in the pan so that surface is smooth. Place pan back in the refrigerator for about an hour.

For Cake:

In a large bowl place cream cheese and beat until soft. Once the cheese has softened, add sugar and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Continue to mix and add one egg at a time. Do not add all 3 eggs at once. Again, continue to mix while adding the sour cream and lemon juice (I also like to add Lemon zest). Scrape the bowl with the rubber spatula and continue to mix until all ingredients are well incorporated or until the batter is smooth and looks like it’s almost doubled in volume. I fiddle with the speed settings during the initial mixing process and after my last spatula check let it mix untouched on med high for about 5 minutes. This allows for an airy consistency vs. a dense one.

Remove the spring form pan from the refrigerator and pour the cheesecake batter in the pan. Carefully, place the pan on top of the tin foil in the roasting pan. Lightly secure the tin foil around the roasting pan, leaving a small gap open, allowing the steam to escape.

Carefully, transfer cake to oven. Let cook about 1 hour or until middle of cake jiggles firmly. Allow cake to cool in oven, with the door slightly open to allow the heat to escape (about an hour or 2). Take cake & roasting pan out of oven and let cool for another 2 hours (Do not disassemble cake and roasting pan). Once cake has cooled, remove from roasting pan and refrigerate cake overnight, still in the spring form pan.

Remove cake from the fridge, and then remove the spring form carefully. Add your favorite fruit topping…Crush Amaretto cookies sprinkle on top and enjoy heaven!

I could live on Bread and Water

I mentioned in a previous post that about a year ago that I obtained a bread maker. Since then, I have been making many types of bread from the product maker’s recipe booklet, after I got more comfortable with the machine, I have been branching out a bit more into more Artisan style breads.

The great thing about a bread maker is it does most of and sometimes all of the work for you. What I like most about it, is that it contains a proper environment for the dough to rise. The weather in my apartment isn’t all that consistent except in the summer time and trying to make bread rise on my countertop during wintertime doesn’t always work out the way I would like.

The other nice feature of a bread maker is that most all bread recipes can start out in the maker and then you can take out the dough and bake in your oven if you don’t want to use the machine from start to finish. I have a nice plus on my machine, as it has an Artisan setting, which allows for long cooler rises, instead of warmer rises.

My first venture baking outside the maker was French baguettes. I had a specific purpose to making theses as every wintery holiday (T-Day/X-Mas) my sister’s fiancé makes his specialty fondue(which is the best fondue I’ve ever had) and when I first got my bread maker, I offered to make the French bread for the cheesy feast. I think it’s now a family tradition since this past X-Mas, I supplied the bread again…This time with a better recipe and I learned a bit more on how to roll the dough properly.

So it’s been a bit more than a year using my bread maker and it is time for me to attempt the European style breads that stand on their own with or without those lovely additions such as butter, olive oil and garlic to eat with. This adventure, I have attempted to make a Country Loaf, which is really just a plain old Boule that should have lovely airy holes when cut.

This first go around, was a bit of a trial, as per the recipe I followed, the crust of the bread did not become as crusty as I had anticipated, but I will say that the bread itself, after tasting was most incredible. Incredible enough for me to take the next steps in baking my ultimate bread conquest.

The recipe I have posted is from KAF and I will attempt it again under different weather circumstances to get the results I expect, but no matter the results of my initial attempt, the final result was incredible! For such a simple recipe with no starter/poolish/levain, the recipe is a great starter rustic bread for those who are learning the “dough” life, with or without a bread machine, I urge all to try this recipe out, even without the “Seeds”.  Please note...The flavor comes from the other flours, like Pumpernickel...You can use Rye or other flours to bring out the taste.

You all get a treat this time with 2 Pictures from me!

KAF RECIPE
Country Loaf

This loaf, like many European loaves, includes a bit of whole grain flour for texture and flavor. For a lighter-colored loaf, cut the pumpernickel or white whole wheat down to just a couple of tablespoons, while increasing the all-purpose flour so that the total amount of flour used remains 3 cups.(Notice this is a non-fat loaf: eat it quickly, or it'll stale. To keep it fresh longer, substitute 2 tablespoons of oil for an equal amount of the water.)

Ingredients View by: Volume Weight

• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/2 cup pumpernickel flour OR King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• seeds (sesame, flax, caraway or poppy) OR oat or rye flakes, for sprinkling

"10 ounces lukewarm water1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast2 ounces pumpernickel flour OR King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour10 5/8 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour1 1/2 teaspoon saltseeds (sesame, flax, caraway or poppy) OR oat or rye flakes, for sprinkling"

Directions:

Bread Machine Directions: Place all of the ingredients in the order listed above into the pan of your bread machine, select Manual or Dough, and press Start. Proceed from*.

By-Hand Directions: Pour the water into a mixing bowl. Add the yeast and pumpernickel or white whole wheat flour, and let sit for several minutes until the mixture begins to bubble. Stir in the salt and 1 cup of all-purpose flour and mix well. Gradually add the second cup of all-purpose flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4 to 5 minutes. Let the dough rest while you clean out and grease your bowl; then knead the dough a few more minutes. The dough should be on the slack side and a little tacky, but should not be sticky. When the dough is well-kneaded, place it into the prepared bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed from*.

*When your dough has risen once, flour your dough-rising basket heavily and sprinkle some seeds (sesame, flax, caraway, poppy...) or some oat flakes or rye flakes in the bottom. Pick up your dough and work it around in your hands a bit, expelling the air. Make the dough into a ball and place it, "nice" side down, into the basket. Drape the dough with lightly greased plastic wrap, and set it aside to rise for 45 minutes, or until it's crowned nicely over the rim of the basket.

Have a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet ready. Very gently, roll the dough from the basket onto the baking sheet. It should slip out gracefully, without deflating. if it deflates totally—a small settling is OK—simply form it into a smooth ball, put it back in the basket, and let it rise again (only this time not quite as high).

Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes. For a crunchy, crisp loaf, spray water into the oven with a spray bottle three times during the first 10 minutes of baking. When the bread is done, remove it from the baking sheet, set it on the rack of the oven, turn the oven off, and crack the door open a couple of inches; let the bread cool completely in the oven. If you want a soft loaf, remove the bread from the oven, and from the pan, and let it cool completely, at room temperature, on a wire rack.

Sweet Comforts and the Smells of Winter

It’s Snowy, cold and windy in NYC and what a great day to stay in and bake for comfort and some sweetness. There is nothing like homemade hot cocoa and the aroma of cinnamon permeating throughout the house.

I do love when I stink up the entire apt building with wonder aromas of fresh baked bread, sweet & savory spices, and cakes and of course when I cook with garlic! Ahhh, the smell of something cooking that hits all senses in an eye rolling; mouthwatering temptation is just delicious heaven. No fishy smell here!

I’m sure the neighbors in my building are wondering what I am baking today and if any of them are home, I will knock on their door, show some neighborly love and offer them my sweet of the week.

About a year ago, when I was laid off from a company I gave over 9 years of my life to, I decided, since I had to cut back on costs to use some of my Credit Card points and get me a bread maker. It was one of the best decisions I made! Not only do I not buy bread from the store anymore, I am also making healthier breads with no crazy chemicals in them. I do save a lot of money believe it or not. It also got me cooking again and wanting to branch out a bit more in my cooking capabilities.

But today is not about bread, it’s about Cinnamon Rolls/Buns using my bread machine! You never forget the smell and taste of a Cinnamon Roll/Bun even if the years have passed since the last gooey bite. I’ll be honest, I don’t usually eat these that often, actually I think the last time I had one was about 8 or more years ago. I have heard that there is a chain out there, in which these lovely breakfast/brunch treats are the main attraction and people go crazy for them (I personally have never had one from this chain and never will).

So, since I am using my bread machine and the recipe that came with it, all instructions are machine only (I don’t feel like translating out of machine today). But if you are a savvy baker, then you know how to make the dough outside of the machine (It’s really not that hard). I’ve made some personal adjustments to this recipe, specifically to the filling and topping. This will yield approx 24 rolls/buns depending on how thick you cut them.

Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients: Makes2 1⁄2 pounds dough = 24 cinnamon swirl rolls

• 2⁄3 cup Lowfat milk, warmed to 80°–90°F
• 3 Eggs, large, at room temperature
• 6 tbls Unsalted butter, cut in 1⁄2-inch pieces, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup Granulated sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 4 cups Bread or AP flour
• 2⁄3 cup Cornstarch
• 2 1⁄4 teaspoons Yeast, active dry, instant or bread machine

-Place the milk, eggs, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, flour, cornstarch, and yeast in the bread pan fitted with the kneading paddle in the order listed. Place the bread pan in the Bread Maker. Select

Dough option. Select dough size. Press Start to mix, knead and rise. When cycle is completed remove dough and punch to deflate. For large and medium recipes, divide into 2 equal portions. Let rest 10 minutes.

-Roll the dough out into rectangles 12 inches wide and 1⁄2-inch thick. Brush each rectangle with melted butter to within one inch of one long side and to the ends of the other 3 sides, and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll as for a jelly roll, ending with the unbuttered side. Pinch along long side to seal.

-Cut with a serrated knife into 12 equal portions. Arrange in prepared pans, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 35 to 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.

-Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed with golden tops, and hollow-sounding when tapped.

-Let cool 20 to 25 minutes before frosting. Spread or drizzle cream cheese frosting to taste.

Filling

• 1⁄2 cup Brown sugar, packed
• 1⁄4 cup Granulated sugar
• 2 1⁄2 tbls Cinnamon
• 1 tbls Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 6 tbls Butter, unsalted, melted –Reserve 2 Tbls for brushing Dough.

-Place the filling ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a whisk until well blended; reserve.

-Lightly coat 2 ten-inch round/2 nine-inch round/1 ten-inch round cake pan(s) with cooking spray and reserve.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz Cream cheese
• 1⁄4 cup Unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 cups Powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon Milk

-Combine frosting ingredients and stir with a whisk until smooth (this may also be done in a food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade, or with a hand mixer).

Green Brownies-Was Money Involved?

Well, it looks like, at least at my local bodega, my brownies won't make any money. According to the son of the owner, no one wants to pay $2 for a 2.5x2.5 brownie. Most of the customers would rather pay $1.50 for a mass made and unknown ingredient filled piece of crap. And this bodega doesn't even sell brownies from the vendor they purchase from!

I kind of knew in the back of my mind folks in my neighborhood would have no sense of what really good food is. But it is disappointing that folks have no concept of wanting and expecting healthier and good food. I'm not so sad about not making money as I am more sad about the unhealthy customer decisions.  I do however, in these times understand that every penny not spent is a penny saved.

My Brownies may be a sugary treat, but they are much better than a brand that uses crazy chemicals, artificial flavors, and ingredients you can't even pronounce and have to look up in the dictionary or Wikipedia to find out what it is. 

Pounding the Pavement and Getting Lemons

My job search goes on, still with no real success. I seem to attract lots of recruiters, but the jobs I'm either not qualified for or nothing seems to pan out. It's all been lemons!

Don't get me wrong though, I love lemons. So I thought in honor of me still "pounding the pavement", I thought why not take all the lemons from my job hunt and make Lemon Pound Cake (It's too cold for Lemonade)!

I am a "pound cake" newbie, so there are no alterations to the recipe I chose. I picked this one from a Bon Appétit Mag-July 1993 by Darren DiPietro: State College, Pennsylvania. The instructions are very well done, but I do have a bit more advice.

Now, I have a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer (These last forever!) and I would not recommend using a general electric mixer, but if that's all you have then make sure you use a very large bowl. Also, make sure your Mise en place is within your reach, it will make your life so much easier. Plan this recipe to ensure your eggs and butter are at room temperature.

So all went well, but I would have liked a heavier lemon flavor and I think the pan that I had was a tad too small or I just needed to add a bit less batter than what was yielded. I also think for my oven, I will need to drop the temp to 300 degrees vs. 325 degrees as recommended. The end result was that the cake baked with a slight overflow on the edges of the pan and got a little darker than I would have liked. But that can all be fixed anyway. Note that this recipe makes 12 Servings, I do know that Pound Cake does freeze well. So if you can’t use all of it, freeze the rest-Just cut in slices beforehand.

 

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake

Bon Appétit: July 1993; by Darren DiPietro: State College, Pennsylvania. Yield: Serves 12

• 3 cups cake flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3 cups sugar

• 6 eggs, room temperature

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

• 1 cup sour cream

Cooking Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube pan. Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.
• Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel. -Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients slowly. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.
• Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature).

Green Brownies

Nooooo...These are not brownies baked with illegal substances.  However, they can be considered somewhat "green"-the ingredients are mostly organic and no delivery services required.  Though the green I am really hoping for is monetary.

About a year ago, I had made a batch of Brownies with Peanut butter swirls and brought them to my local bodega owner and his kids.  His kids loved them so much, they've been begging me to make them again and they offered to sell them in their store.  So, I finally broke down and made a batch this past weekend.

I didn't want to go with my traditional recipe, so I scoured the web looking for just the right recipe.  Nothing seemed to be going well, so I took bits and pieces from a bunch of recipes and this is what I came up with...

Decadent Dark Chocolate Browings with a Peanut Butter frosting.  So wish me luck on selling these...I hope I can atleast make my money back!

Dark Chocolate Brownies With Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup butter = 1 Stick + 2 Tbls + 2 Tsp.
• 1 c Organic Cane sugar
• 3/4 c brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs - Free Range/pastured
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Approx 2 tsp Real Vanilla Extract (Please don't use imitation)

Prep:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter with chocolate in a large saucepan, Over a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in both sugars, add eggs when inital mix is cooled, flour, salt and vanilla. Spread batter into a greased 9x9x2 or 7x11x2 baking pan. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes depending on your oven, or until they start to pull away from the edges of the pan. Cool for at least half an hour before slicing. Makes approx 16 brownies.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 1/2 cup smooth organic unsweet peanut butter
• 5 Tbls Butter,softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-3 Tbls milk (if needed)

Beat peanut butter and margarine with an electric mixer until smooth.Add sugar.Beat until incorporated. If the frosting is too thick,add milk,a tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.