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02-15-10

Creme Caramel Bread Pudding

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
4 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes crustless egg bread (such as challah or brioche)
7 large eggs
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 pinches of salt

Directions:
Spread brown sugar evenly in bottom of 8×8x2-inch glass baking dish (or other 9- to 10-cup dish). Sprinkle bread cubes evenly over. Combine eggs, cream, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl; whisk to blend well. Pour custard through sieve over bread in dish. Let pudding stand 30 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Place baking dish in roasting pan. Pour enough lukewarm water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake pudding until set, brown on top, and small knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in water 20 minutes.
Spoon bread pudding into dessert bowls and serve warm.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 496 calories; 29 g fat; 0.5 g fiber; 50 g carbohydrates

02-15-10

Butter Buttermilk Biscuits (Regular, Lemon-Poppy, Herb-Gruyere, Cranberry-Walnut)

Makes ~15 biscuits

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter—10 tablespoons cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled, 2 tablespoons melted
1 cup buttermilk, chilled
Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 425° and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. In a large shallow bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and fine salt. Add the chilled butter and use a pastry blender or 2 knives to cut the butter into the flour until it is the size of peas. Stir in the buttermilk just until the dough is moistened. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick disk.
Using a floured 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out biscuit rounds as closely together as possible. Gather the scraps and knead them together 2 or 3 times, then flatten the dough and stamp out more biscuit rounds. Pat the remaining scraps together and gently press them into a biscuit.
Transfer the biscuits to a large baking sheet and brush the tops with the melted butter. Lightly sprinkle the biscuits with a few grains of flaky salt and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
Bake the biscuits for 20 minutes, or until golden. Let the biscuits cool slightly on the baking sheet before serving.

Make Ahead:
The unbaked biscuits can be frozen: Freeze biscuits in a single layer and transfer to a resealable plastic bag for up to one month. Bake straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the cooking time.

Biscuit Variations:
Sweet Lemon-Poppy
These lightly sweet biscuits are delicious served warm for breakfast, with a slathering of strawberry or raspberry jam.

Whisk 1/4 cup sugar with the dry ingredients. Stir in the grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds just before adding the buttermilk. Sprinkle with sugar.

Herb-Gruyère (Pictured Above)
The herb-and-cheese combination is infinitely variable: Try cheddar and minced chives or chopped rosemary and Parmesan.

Stir in 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves, 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage leaves and 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese just before adding the cold buttermilk.

Savory Cranberry-Walnut
With crunchy nuts, sweet- tart cranberries and sautéed shallots, these make fantastic bread for turkey sandwiches.

Stir in 1 minced, sautéed shallot along with 1/2 cup each chopped dried cranberries and chopped toasted walnuts and a pinch of pepper just before adding the buttermilk.

02-15-10

Cinnamon Bread I

As seen on the following website: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Bread-I/Detail.aspx

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons margarine

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Measure flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla into large mixing bowl. Beat 3 minutes. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top.
Combine 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and butter, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over smoothed batter. Using knife, cut in a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect.
Bake for about 50 minutes. Test with toothpick. When inserted it should come out clean. Remove bread from pan to rack to cool.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 218 calories; 6 g fat; 1 g fiber; 36 g carbohydrates

01-26-10

Apple Dumplings

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

01-21-10

Vanilla Crepes

As seen on the following website: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vanilla-Crepes/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=30204894&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2010-01-16&prop28=DailyRecipe&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1

Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and melted butter until well blended.
Heat a crepe pan over medium heat until hot. Coat with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and tip to spread the batter to the edges. When bubbles form on the top and the edges are dry, flip over and cook until lightly browned on the other side and edges are golden. Repeat with remaining batter.
Fill crepes with your favorite fruit, cream, caramel or even ice cream or cheese to serve.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 142 calories; 6.7 g fat; 0.4 g fiber; 6.3 g carbohydrates

01-18-10

Rosemary Parmesan Shortbread

Makes 2 1/2 dozen shortbread rounds

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon water, if needed

Directions:
Put the flour, sugar, rosemary, salt, and Parmesan into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse just until a soft dough forms; the dough should hold together when squeezed with your hands. If not, add the water and pulse until combined.

Spread a large sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface and transfer the dough onto it. Using the plastic wrap as a guide, form the dough into a loose log along 1 edge of the long side of the sheet. Roll the dough log, twisting the plastic gathered at the ends in opposite directions until the log is tight and compact, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Slice the dough log into 1/3-inch thick slices and arrange on the lined sheets, about 1-inch apart. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 14 minutes.

Cool the shortbread on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store the shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.

01-10-10

Pecan-Vanilla Tea Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
2 cups self–rising flour
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups pecan pieces, lightly toasted
1/3 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 9– to 10–cup nonstick Bundt pan. Whisk flour, pudding mix, and nutmeg in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl 5 minutes. Blend in dry ingredients, then butter (batter will be thick). Fold in buttermilk, then nuts and raisins. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake bread until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack; cool.

01-10-10

Sage-and-Onion Braided Biscuit

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
Salt
One 16.3-ounce package buttermilk biscuit dough
1 large egg

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the sage and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
2. On a floured surface, divide the biscuit dough into three balls. Roll each ball into a 20-inch-long strip. Transfer the strips to a baking sheet; braid, tucking the ends under.
3. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush the braided dough with the egg wash and sprinkle half of the onion mixture on top. Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining onion mixture. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

10-30-09

Giant Bavarian Pretzels

Makes 6 Pretzels

Ingredients:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Using a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, brown sugar and table salt. Mix in the egg yolk, butter and yeast mixture on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
3. In a large, shallow baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2 cups warm water. On a work surface, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll out each piece into a rope about 42 inches long; dip in the baking soda mixture for 30 seconds. Using the prepared pans as a work surface, shape each rope into a pretzel.
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the pretzels with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and bake until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

10-29-09

Open-Faced Ricotta-and-Hazelnut Butter Sandwiches

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, cook the olive oil and garlic cloves over low heat until tender, about 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the garlic oil.
2. Using a blender, puree the garlic cloves; reserve 1/2 tablespoon. With the machine on, add the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons reserved garlic oil until combined; season with salt.
3. Using a food processor, pulse the whole hazelnuts until coarsely ground. With the machine on, pulse in 2 tablespoons reserved garlic oil, the orange peel and orange juice, the reserved 1/2 tablespoon garlic puree, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon lemon peel and the sugar; add more garlic oil to thin the mixture to a spreadable consistency as necessary.
4. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with garlic oil; toast until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a work surface. Spread each toast with one-quarter of the hazelnut mixture and 1/4 cup ricotta. Sprinkle the remaining lemon peel and the garlic-lemon vinaigrette on the ricotta and top with the chopped hazelnuts and parsley.