tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88252905571856986762024-03-15T21:10:06.625-04:00Jane's Sweets & Baking JournalOne woman's journey into the greater world of baking and pastry arts . . .Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.comBlogger239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-39240300298217787752013-07-26T11:49:00.001-04:002013-07-26T16:28:35.243-04:00Honey Whole-Wheat Challah Bread . . . with Dried Cherries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whoa . . . can't quite believe it's been so long since I last posted. I think I've set a Jane's Sweets non-attendance record. Where have I been? Well, I can tell you I wasn't circumnavigating the globe in a sailboat. And I haven't been languishing in suspended animation in a hospital bed. Nor have I been hard at work on a cookbook destined to take the pastry world by storm, and I most certainly have <i>not</i> just had a baby. Nothing as remarkable as all that.<br />
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To be perfectly honest with you, I needed a little break. One that did not involve a laser focus on baking fantastic treats. I've been working, you see, on shrinking off a few pounds and it seemed expedient to lay off the homemade delicacies in order to help facilitate that thorny effort. You might say I temporarily pulled my own baking plug. And joined Weight Watchers in the process.<br />
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I mean, let's face it . . . I'm essentially a junkie when confronted with high-quality confections, especially those of my own creation. (Yeah, yeah, I know. A stunning revelation. You never could have guessed that, right?) I realized it was truly necessary for me, literally and figuratively, to back away from the dessert cart for a while in order to regroup. At least I can report that, in this semi-unplugged interim, I've made some meaningful shrinkage progress. Nothing dramatic or jarringly obvious, mind you, but all such progress is relative if you inherited chubby genes like mine.<br />
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So, anyway, a couple pounds off here, a couple pounds off there, and it all adds up. More exercise, less sugar and butter, way more veggies. It's a happy development. Progress, at this point, is admittedly slower than molasses, but that's okay. I can live with that. Slow and steady wins the race . . . right? </div>
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What does this mean for me and my beloved blog? It just means I'm baking more selectively, for now at least. And if I do bake something luscious, I need to be darn sure that leftovers won't stick around here to tempt me. Earlier this week, for example, I <i>had</i> to make <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2010/07/chocolate-mousse-dream-cake-and-one.html">this big birthday cake</a> for my younger son, who just turned 17. It's a chocolate extravaganza of a cake, and he's requested it every year for his birthday since 2010. Naturally, I was concerned at the idea of it lingering around here; lock me and a chocolate cake in a house together for a few days and the cake doesn't stand a chance. So, after his small celebration here at home on Tuesday night, about three-quarters of the cake remained. I put it in a cake-keeper, relegated it to the basement fridge, and repeatedly encouraged him to take the whole kit 'n' kaboodle away to share with his pals. Wednesday night, thank heaven, that's what he did. Problem solved.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b><br />
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All that said, I just wanted to share this bread with you while it's still fresh, both in my mind and on my kitchen counter. Adapted from a formula in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Great-Breads-Yeasted-Americas/dp/1600852971/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374797082&sr=1-1&keywords=simply+great+breads">Simply Great Breads</a>, by bread master <a href="http://www.cookstr.com/users/daniel-leader/profile">Daniel Leader</a> (I love this little book), this is a great variation on traditional challah, with a lovely crust and appealing crumb. Wonderful flavor, too. And it's not something that will completely destroy one's diet, if partaken of judiciously.<br />
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What did I change? Well, the original recipe included olive oil and, while I do periodically use olive oil in bread, I didn't want it to compete with the other flavors in this loaf so I substituted the more neutral-tasting canola oil. Also, I fiddled with the flours a bit (Leader uses whole wheat flour and all-purpose; I used mostly whole wheat, then a combo of bread flour and all-purpose). I reduced the amount of honey slightly, and I used chopped dried cherries instead of dried apricots, though I think either one would be tasty. And, of course, I reworded the recipe to reflect exactly what I did. This is a very simple loaf to put together, with a pleasingly soft and pliant dough that's not too sticky to work with easily.<br />
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The bread is yummy, even unbuttered. I haven't tried it toasted yet but I'm sure it's divine. Maybe a nice, thin, toasted slice tomorrow morning will be called for.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Honey Whole-Wheat Challah Bread with Dried Cherries</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PdIePbcn9yfk8RqFk_SUJ6jw5aIXbM72O7ojpskQf4w/pub">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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<b>Yield:</b> One large braided loaf, or two smaller standard size loaves baked in 9"x5" pans<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
2 cups whole wheat flour (about 8.5 oz)<br />
1 cup bread flour<br />
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast<br />
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt or kosher salt<br />
3/4 cup luke warm water<br />
2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten<br />
1/2 cup canola oil<br />
3 tablespoons of honey<br />
1/4 cup of well-chopped dried cherries<br />
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For egg wash: 1 large egg, lightly beaten with two teaspoons water (to brush on the unbaked loaf before putting it in the oven)<br />
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In the large bowl from your mixer, lightly whisk together the three flours, the yeast, and the salt. Into that, pour the water, eggs, oil, and honey. Using a spatula, stir this up by hand for a few seconds. Now put the bowl back on the mixer and, using the dough hook, mix the dough for about five minutes on the lowest speed, sprinkling in the chopped cherries after about two minutes of mixing. Take the bowl off the mixer and dump the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Flour your hands and finish the kneading by hand, for a couple more minutes, until the dough feels soft, smooth, and spongy. It should be tacky but not wet/sticky.<br />
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Put the dough into a large, clean bowl that's been oiled/sprayed. Cover it with plastic wrap that's also been oiled/sprayed, and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 90 minutes or up to 2 hours, until it's obviously doubled in size.<br />
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On a very lightly floured work surface, dump out the risen dough and deflate it by pressing on it with your palms. Divide the dough into three equal parts (I suggest weighing the dough first; my ball of dough weighed about 35 oz. total, so each of the three dough chunks for the braids weighed a little over 11 oz.). Roll each piece into a rope that's 15 inches long; be assertive and don't worry if the dough tries to shrink back a little as you're doing this.<br />
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On a large baking sheet, spread a sheet of parchment paper. Place the three ropes of dough in the middle of the parchment, right next to each other, and pinch the ends together tightly at the top. Proceed to braid the dough snugly (starting from the top with the right braid over the middle braid, then the left one over the center, etc.) until you reach the bottom end; tightly pinch the bottom ends together and tuck the pinched part underneath.<br />
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Dust the top of the braided dough with a pinch of flour (the bread flour or all-purpose flour) and cover it with a clean piece of plastic wrap. Let it proof for up to 2 hours, until it looks <i>almost</i> doubled in size. While its proofing, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Just before the bread is ready to bake, whisk together the egg and water to make a wash; brush some of the egg wash generously onto the top of the loaf and lightly down the sides.<br />
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Bake the bread for up to about 40 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees (use an instant-read thermometer to check if you're not sure), and the color is deeply golden all over. Let the baked bread cool on a rack for a while before slicing.<br />
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*If you're baking your bread as two unbraided loaves in standard size (greased) loaf pans, I'd suggest checking them after about 20 minutes in the oven.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS </i>below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-71140730661710982442013-05-01T10:36:00.001-04:002013-05-01T16:09:39.576-04:00Out with the Old Mixer and In with the New . . . (Yukon Gold Potato Bread)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Boy, talk about a close call. Remember how, a couple of posts ago, I mentioned <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2013/03/good-things-come-to-those-who-bake-what.html">finishing culinary school</a>? My last required course was on wedding cakes, and my mixer at home really got a workout while that class was going on. Picture multiple cake layers of all sizes, and back-breaking batches of buttercream. I was baking like a demon well into March. As usual, I counted on my trusty KitchenAid 6-quart to help me get the job done. Gosh, I loved that mixer. I was always waxing rhapsodic about it. I bought it around the time I started this blog, so it's appeared here in countless photos over the years. I remember when I took it out of the box and beheld it for the first time, I felt like the proud owner of a Formula 1 race car. Couldn't wait to drive it. I knew it was the start of something big.</div>
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That industrious mixer worked like a champ, right up until a few weeks ago. The day I used it to make bowl after bowl of cake batter for my final project it chugged and coughed like a washed-up prize fighter who refused to hit the mat. It finished the job but, clearly, something was wrong. The next time I turned it on, a couple days after my class had officially ended, the mixer emitted a low growl--the unmistakable grinding of metal on metal--and followed that up with a ghoulish shriek, as if wailing at the injustice of life.<br />
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Then it seized up. The timing alone was a little eerie, I have to say.<br />
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Not believing that it could actually be dead, I tenderly tucked it into my minivan and chauffeured it miles across town to a special repair shop to get it checked out. I wasn't overly worried. My perception had always been that KitchenAid mixers simply didn't die young. They just <i>didn't do that.</i> They were too <i>good</i> for that . . . <i>weren't they?</i> I accepted that it might be pricey to fix, but the expense would be worth it. After all, this mixer and I had had countless good times together. We were BFFs. Like Lucy and Ethel. Like Thelma and Louise. Heck, we were a baking marriage made in heaven.<br />
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So when I got The Call a couple of days later informing me that it "wasn't worth fixing" I was stunned. Choking back a tiny sob, I listened as the repairman rattled off a list of my mixer's troubles. He postulated that a freak internal break of some kind had occurred weeks or even months before, causing ball bearings and whatnot to fall into the gearbox, where they'd been tossing about like jumping beans ever since, stripping the gears to kingdom come.<br />
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He marveled at the mechanical carnage. It was a situation entirely without hope. He paused for a moment and then added, not unkindly, "I don't charge for what I can't fix, so there's <i>no</i> charge for <i>this</i>."<br />
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I recovered from the grief in, oh, about an hour (I'm resilient that way), determined there was nothing to do but get on with life, and promptly began shopping for a replacement. I still had faith in KitchenAid despite the catastrophe, and decided the mixer's failure after only four years must have been a rare fluke. I'd give them the benefit of the doubt, just this once, and take the opportunity to upgrade. Because, as we all know, having a legitimate reason to upgrade is the unspoken silver lining when any kitchen gadget bites the dust, without a doubt. Within minutes online I spotted a deal on KitchenAid's <a href="http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/product/KSM7586PCA/">new 7-quart mixer</a>--bigger, better, stronger--and placed my order.<br />
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The fresh model (pictured in the background above) arrived in less than a week and I'm happy to report that we're getting along like a house on fire. Gloriously shiny, in candy-apple red, it's remarkably quiet compared to even a properly functioning KitchenAid 6-quart. Its larger bowl makes it easier to deal with hefty quantities of dough and, best of all, it has a more powerful motor. I am optimistic it will live far longer than its unlucky dead-at-four-years-old predecessor. It had better live longer, in any case, or I'll have to rethink my long-time love affair with KitchenAid, and <i>that</i>, my friends, is a scenario I shudder to contemplate.<br />
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And so, in celebration of my old mixer's life and the new mixer's entrance into my kitchen, I present to you a very fine bread, enhanced by the inclusion of unpeeled, tender-skinned, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon_Gold_potato">Yukon Gold</a> baby potatoes.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b><br />
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This formula produces two large and impressive loaves. It's adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Bread-Book-Bakers-Almanac/dp/0882667017">The Bread Book: A Baker's Almanac</a>, by Ellen Foscue Johnson. I significantly reduced the amount of fat and sugar in her formula (halving both), and the bread still turned out richer than I expected. What else did I change? Well, the original recipe did not specify Yukon Golds, but I love them. Also, I used instant yeast instead of active dry, used bread flour instead of all-purpose, I halved the amount of eggs (used only one), and I used a little whole wheat flour and a dab of wheat germ. And, as usual, I rewrote the instructions to reflect exactly what I did. This soft bread has nice flavor and a beautiful texture. It doesn't dry out quickly at all, but when it starts to do so I encourage you to use it for toast--it's fantastic toasted.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Yukon Gold Potato Bread</span></b><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C3BPSn3Yyvbn0ZRIt45gVYWYzKsabz7mXNBFhdlqarI/pub">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: 2 large loaves<br />
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1 cup milk (I used 2%)<br />
1 cup warm well-mashed Yukon Gold baby-size potatoes, unpeeled<br />
1 scant cup warm water<br />
1/4 cup honey<br />
1/4 cup unsalted butter<br />
1 large egg, lightly beaten<br />
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6 to 7 cups unbleached bread flour (about 2 lbs.)<br />
1 and 1/4 tablespoon instant yeast (or use 1 and 1/2 tablespoon active dry, but proof it first)<br />
2 teaspoons salt (I used coarse kosher)<br />
1 and 1/2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ<br />
1/3 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 pinch ground ginger<br />
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About 2 teaspoons softened butter to brush on baked loaves<br />
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In a large saucepan heat the milk, mashed potatoes, warm water, and honey, stirring with a whisk. Add in the butter, and cook until the butter is melted. Take the pan off the stove and let it cool to just lukewarm, then whisk in the beaten egg.<br />
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Place 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, salt, wheat germ, wheat flour, and ginger in the large bowl of your mixer. Using the paddle attachment on lowest speed, mix together to combine. Pour all of the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl. Mix on low speed for two minutes, gradually adding in more flour until you've used 6 of the 7 total cups. If the dough is extremely soft and wet, add in most of the remaining cup of flour.<br />
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Switch to the dough-hook attachment and mix on the lowest speed for about 4 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. <b>Or,</b> dump the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured work surface, flour your hands, and do all of the kneading by hand. <i>(I did the first minute or two in my mixer, then dumped it out and finished kneading by hand. I almost always do some variation of this because I just get a better feel for what's going on with the dough by touching it, and I'm less likely to over-knead a dough this way.)</i><br />
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Put the dough into a large bowl that's been oiled or sprayed with vegetable spray. Cover the top of the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap that's also been oiled/sprayed, and cover that with a lightweight dish towel.<br />
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Let the dough rise at room temperature for about an hour, or until doubled in bulk. (Mine rose very high. Check out that photo below!)<br />
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Dump the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and deflate it by pressing on it. Divide the dough evenly into two pieces. Round each piece, using both hands, by gently tugging downward in a circle; you want to create surface tension. Put the rounded pieces back on your work surface, cover them with the greased plastic wrap, and let them rest for about 12 minutes.<br />
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Grease two standard size loaf pans.<br />
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Shape each piece of dough into a loaf, being careful to tuck in the ends and tightly pinch closed all seams. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you need help shaping your dough, check out <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2011/01/how-to-shape-bread-dough-into-sandwich.html">this helpful post at Farmgirl Fare</a>, it's a good reference if you're fairly new to the bread process.)</span></i> Place the dough into the greased pans, cover them loosely with the greased plastic wrap and a lightweight dish towel.<br />
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Let the loaves proof (have their final rise) in a spot that's at least room temperature until the middle of the dough has risen at least 1-inch above the edge of the pan (probably half an hour to an hour). Gently remove the plastic wrap. Spritz the tops of the loaves thoroughly with water <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I use a plant mister to do this, but if you don't have one you can always wet your hands and pat the water right onto the loaves if you do it gently)</span></i> right before you're ready to place them in the hot oven. Quickly spritz a few squirts of water directly into the oven (but away from the lightbulb). The use of water will help keep the loaves from "bursting" when they start their dramatic rise.<br />
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Bake on the middle rack for around 35 minutes total, but check the loaves at about 20-25 minutes to see if they're browning too quickly; if they are, cover them lightly with a sheet of foil. The loaves are done when their outsides are deeply golden all over, and their insides have reached 200 degrees (stick an instant-read thermometer in their bottoms to check if you're not sure; I almost always do this with larger loaves). Remove the fully baked loaves from their pans immediately, brush the top of each loaf with a teaspoon of the softened butter, and let them cool on a rack before slicing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple </span><i style="font-size: small;">COMMENTS</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-9944396676507068272013-04-05T17:12:00.001-04:002013-04-05T21:42:10.613-04:00Chai & Rum Banana Bread . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been quite a while since I've whipped up a batch of banana bread and shared it here, so today's treat is long overdue. This quick-bread has just a little bit of bite, thanks to a few of the typical chai tea spices--cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice (no pepper or cloves here, but feel free to add in a pinch or two if that's your thing)--along with a modest splash of dark rum. Why the rum? Well . . . let's just say that bananas and rum are <i>really</i> good pals and leave it at that. </div>
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Simple to throw together, this bakes up in about an hour, and smells fantastic doing so. Makes a velvety-textured breakfast bread or snack. In fact, Nathan, my sixteen-year old, informed me a few minutes ago that this stuff's great slathered with peanut butter (<i>who </i>knew?). So, save those brown bananas! Yes, they <i>are</i> good for something after all. </div>
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b></div>
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Adapted from a recipe in the May 2012 issue of <a href="http://www.cookinglight.com/">Cooking Light</a> magazine, you can certainly glaze this bread if that's the way you're leaning. Picture a thin rum-spiked icing, drizzling down the sides of this golden loaf. <i>Yum</i>, right? Of course. But, honestly, the brown sugar in the batter, not to mention the over-ripe bananas themselves, make this just sweet enough without pushing it into dessert territory. Sometimes, that's all the sweetness a girl craves, and such was the occasion. </div>
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I made a few minor alterations to the original formula, including reducing the amount of sugar by about 25 percent, and using all brown sugar versus a combo of white and brown. I also added in a tablespoon of dark rum, just to jazz things up, fiddled with the spice amounts a bit, increased the salt by a mere smidgen, and used vanilla-bean paste instead of vanilla extract. And, as always, I reworded the recipe to reflect exactly what I did.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Chai & Rum Banana Bread</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17gYU_d_H1-7TW2FTPFA8kmcted6EF6cgEaHdp5nMdkk/pub">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a></div>
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a standard size (9" x 5") loaf pan. </div>
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1 and 1/2 cups soft, very ripe banana (about 3 medium-sized bananas), mashed</div>
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1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt (I used Greek style, Chobani brand.)</div>
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5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled</div>
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2 large eggs, at room temperature</div>
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3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed (I used light brown sugar.)</div>
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2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I use unbleached.)</div>
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3/4 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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3/4 teaspoon salt (I used coarse kosher salt.)</div>
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div>
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1/2 teaspoon ground ginger</div>
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1/4 teaspoon ground allspice</div>
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1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom</div>
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla-bean paste (I used paste.)</div>
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1 tablespoon good-quality dark rum</div>
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In a medium mixing bowl, lightly whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.</div>
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In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium-low speed (or you can easily do this recipe all by hand, if you prefer), mix the banana, yogurt, melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and rum until very well combined, for a minute or two. </div>
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Add the dry ingredients all at once to those in the mixer bowl and mix on the lowest speed <i>just </i>until combined, definitely less than one minute (over-mixing will make the bread tough). The batter will look a little lumpy. </div>
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Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top if needed, and bake for 50 minutes; check the loaf by inserting a toothpick into the center. It should come out mostly clean. If it doesn't, bake for another five to ten minutes and check again. The top should be dark golden brown when it's ready. If it looks like its browning too fast, lightly cover the top with a sheet of foil.</div>
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Let the finished loaf cool in its pan, on a rack, for about five minutes before removing it from the pan. Let it finish cooling on a rack. Store well covered. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS </i>below.)</span></div>
Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-85952508494115074002013-03-28T12:22:00.000-04:002013-03-31T13:32:30.706-04:00Good Things Come to Those Who Bake: What Culinary School was Like, and Why I'm Glad I Did It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What began for me in May of 2009 as an exciting and downright scary culinary adventure is drawing to a close. This week, I completed my sojourn as a baking & pastry-arts student in a well-regarded culinary school, here in suburban Detroit. I never expected it would take me quite this long to complete the program but life happened, as they say, and priorities now and then had to shift. It's been a long and occasionally wild ride, and I don't regret one minute of it.<br />
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(This fondant-covered wedding cake was my last project, in my last class. I completed it, and brought it home, on Monday night. Biggest cake I've ever made! It weighed a ton.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(This blown-sugar swan was a project in Pastry II. I wrote about it <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2011/05/sharing-sugar-swan.html">here</a>.) </i></span></div>
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What drove me to plunge into such a program in the first place? After all, I was 48 years old when I started. What in the world provokes a busy middle-aged woman, with plenty of regular responsibilities, to take up something like this? Why put oneself through the stress of such rigorous cooking and baking classes? Really, at the root of it all, I just wanted to learn new things about baking and pastry that I felt couldn't be learned well on my own. I wanted to be able to crack the code of the classic techniques and most mysterious methods. I wanted to get the kind of careful and ordered instruction from experts that, I felt, could not be gained outside of a formal and structured setting. A couple of basic community-education classes in cake decorating, that I took for fun in 2007, just whet my appetite for more. The next logical step was staring me in the face.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This box, made entirely of chocolate, was filled with artisan chocolate candies. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">From Pastry II class, this was one of my favorite projects. I wrote about it <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2011/06/hey-theres-reason-they-cost-that-much.html">here</a>.)</span></i></div>
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And, naturally, the support and encouragement of my husband and kids was a critical factor all along. If they hadn't been okay with me taking lots of time for the classes and homework, I wouldn't have been comfortable doing it (thanks so much, guys!). They are truly the greatest.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Sam-the-Snowman cake was my final project in Theme Cakes class, in 2010. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I wrote about him <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2010/12/sam-snowman-cake-from-rudolph.html">here</a>.)</span></i></div>
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So, was it all fun and games? Not on your life. Were there teachers there, a la Gordon Ramsay, who seemed to get their kicks by publicly berating people? Oh yeah, I can think of one or two in particular. Was I the oldest student there? Not by a long shot. In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of the program was the extreme diversity of the student population. Kids right out of high school, men in their twenties right out of the service, women in their fifties who'd left long and/or lucrative careers to follow their dream.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Three fresh loaves from my Artisan Breads class. I wrote about that class <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2010/05/about-artisan-breads-can-we-talk.html">here</a>.)</i></span></div>
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The year I started, a cluster of middle-aged folks who'd been laid off in the economic collapse also entered the culinary school. Training for new careers, most of them were hopeful, resolute, and took the endeavor seriously. One man I met had been a pipe-fitter at Ford for over thirty years. His new dream was to open a bagel shop. He looked tough, but was actually a softie, and he loved to chat about his life. I once saw him riding his Harley home from school, cloaked in black-leather from top to bottom, with a brown grocery bag of what I knew to be freshly baked bread strapped securely to the back of his bike. Our artisan-breads class had just ended for the day. When I saw him I thought, "Can't judge <i>that</i> book by its cover. A biker might really be a baker."<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I made this sacher torte for my Cookery class in fall of '09; part of my </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">assignment </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">was to write an essay on its historical origins. I blogged about the cake <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2009/10/torte-report-sacher-torte-that-is.html">here</a>.)</span></i></div>
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And in a similar vein, last fall, I was dumbfounded when my baking partner in Plated Desserts II confessed to me that she'd abandoned a decades-long career as an ob/gyn in large part to attend culinary school. She quietly shared this information with me, one night after class, as if she were admitting to a crime. She told me that being a pastry chef had been her one big dream since high school, but her parents hadn't allowed her to even consider it; they'd insisted she go to medical school. I was astounded by her story and even wondered if she might be making it up. Curiosity got the better of me. I Googled her name and, sure enough, that woman is an accomplished doctor. That one really took the cake, no pun intended.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This Elmo cake was one of our first projects in </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Theme Cakes class, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">in 2010. </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I wrote about this cake, <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2010/10/elmo-cake-fat-furry-and-skewered.html">here</a>.)</span></i></div>
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Being a student in this program exposed me to so many fresh experiences, and to new people. Case in point: I'd never in my life pried open a live oyster before I had to do this in Cookery class. I remember how my teacher, who happened to closely resemble the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Chef">Swedish chef character from the Muppets</a>, demonstrated our task, then chose me to try it first. He handed me the oyster knife and a special armor-like glove to wear on the hand that would hold the oyster. I took them from him, put on the glove, and then realized I needed to stop for a moment to take off my glasses in order to really see what I was doing. An outgoing student who'd just gotten out of the Navy--a tall, wiry guy who looked rougher and older than his years--commented loudly, "She's keepin' it real!" His name was Nick, and he was a character. Once he asked me if I had any kids and I told him I had two teenage sons, who were at the time 13 and 16. He looked at me in complete surprise, and said to me quietly, "No kidding? Well, bless your heart." I guess he expected anyone with two teenage sons would have to behave like a drill sergeant at all times, a description that rarely fits me. We never had another class together but the one time we ran into each other the next semester, I was in Retail Baking class at the time, stirring something on a stove, and he bellowed out to me from a distance, "Hey <i>Jane</i>! Still <i>kickin' ass</i>?!" Of course I responded, "Always!"<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I thought this alligator bread was about the cutest thing I'd ever seen when we made it, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">along with turtle bread, in Retail Baking, winter of '10.)</span></i></div>
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I could go on and on with little tales like that from school, and I'm sure in future posts I will. But enough for now. I really just wanted to share the news with you that I am truly and finally done! Joy! And as a result, I hope to be more present, here in this blog, which is like an old friend to me, in the weeks ahead. Thanks to you readers for once more stopping by, and for sharing this journey with me.<br />
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Warmly,<br />
Jane<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="goog_659534641"></span><span id="goog_659534642"></span>(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-38535238955954283412013-02-09T14:11:00.000-05:002013-02-09T14:19:53.674-05:00Three-Seed Sourdough Sandwich Bread . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, I have this sourdough starter that began its productive life almost three years ago, when I took what turned out to be, for me, an incredibly valuable artisan breads class. The starter lives, most of the time, in our basement fridge and occasionally emerges to get a little air and enjoy a snack, as all starters like do to from time to time. It's really pungent whenever I open up its container, really sour and sharp. I've made some of the best bread of my life with that stuff, and I hope it never gives up the ghost. Why I've never done a blog post highlighting the loaves of bread I've produced with it, I can't adequately explain. I'm talking about the kind of sourdough bread that has to proof for a long, long, long time, and which is then baked on a stone in a very hot oven enhanced with steam. This sort of bread has the most glorious, indescribable crust. I guess I just don't know how to explain how to reliably reproduce that kind of bread, probably because I'm not sure I even know myself. It's a bit unpredictable, temperamental. It has a mind of its own.<br />
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Anyway, suffice it to say that some sourdough starters can help you produce bread that is excruciatingly good. They assert themselves in finished loaves in a provocative way. They love attention. They positively bask in the glow.<br />
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But, then again, there are also some perfectly respectable sourdough starters out there that are kind of shy. In a finished loaf, their flavor tends to hang back. They're mild-mannered wallflowers, yet they're reliable and tasty, and--really--what would the world of bread be without them? That's the kind of starter that appears in today's recipe. It won't knock you off your feet with it's sourness. It'll just nudge you gently. I bought the beginnings of this shy starter just before Christmas from <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/">King Arthur Flour (KAF)</a>, and have used it three or four times thus far. Its pedigree is distinguished, to say the least. According to KAF, the ancestor of <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/classic-fresh-sourdough-starter-1-oz">the starter I purchased</a> came into existence well over two hundred years ago. <i>Amazing,</i> isn't it? I couldn't resist ordering it when I read that.<br />
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History has shown that a well-cared-for starter can thrive for <i>ages.</i> Literally. And, much as I will always love that very-sour starter in my basement fridge (whose ancestors hailed from a bona fide San Francisco sourdough), I really wanted to try one that was old as Methuselah, just to see what it was like. So when this shy guy arrived several weeks ago, I was excited. I brought it in the house the moment the package hit my porch. It was practically weightless, packed into a small plastic jar. I opened it, sniffed it, and quickly fed it according to the accompanying directions. (KAF actually urges you to <i>name</i> your sourdough, as if it's a baby they've given up for adoption.) I peered at it anxiously over the next couple of days, reassured by increasingly obvious signs of life. It woke up beautifully, bubbling right on cue. Now, it's pretty much a member of the family.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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Gently adapted from <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/clays-multi-grain-sourdough-sandwich-bread-recipe">this very easy formula</a> on the KAF website, I altered the recipe by doubling it; using a simple mixture of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, and flax meal in place of their "Harvest Grains Blend" (something I have never tried, but that <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/harvest-grains-blend-2-lb#3602#">can be found here);</a> and by rewording the formula to reflect exactly how I assembled it. (You can use fed or unfed starter; I used fed.) I did most of the kneading by hand, and didn't have a dough that was nearly as sticky as the original recipe warns. This is a well-textured loaf that will stay fresh and soft longer than many leaner breads. I used olive oil in it, and that flavor clearly comes through; if you aren't crazy about olive oil, be sure and use a vegetable oil instead. The sourness from the KAF starter was indeed very mild. I think maybe as my new starter matures, it'll take on more character, especially when used in long-proofing bread. It should be interesting to see how it evolves over the next few years/decades/centuries. Stay tuned!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Full Disclosure:</i> Hey, in case you're wondering, I'm just naturally a big fan of King Arthur Flour products and recipes. I was <i>not </i>compensated in any way to wax rhapsodic about their stuff, nor have I ever gotten anything free from them (like, <i>ever</i>). I confess that I just love KAF. Heck, I wish the company was headquartered in Michigan so I could camp on their doorstep, dough-whisk in hand, an unrepentant and flour-dusted bread-groupie. </span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Three-Seed Sourdough Sandwich Bread</b><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/170e2YiCvdf7k0k13cJ8Z6eAE5_R8bOyYUEtDtRbSVf0/pub">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Makes two standard-size loaves.<br />
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1 and 1/2 cup liquid sourdough starter, fed or unfed <i>(I used fed; this recipe uses the starter more as a flavoring than as a leavener [it also includes commercial yeast for leavening], so it's okay if you use unfed. This type of liquid starter is the consistency of thick, stretchy, sticky pancake batter; it is not a solid starter. <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/04/05/creating-your-own-sourdough-starter-the-path-to-great-bread/">Here's a link from King Arthur Flour </a>that will show you how to make a starter from scratch, in case you have never tried it; note that making one from scratch takes at least several days. It's worth the trouble. Once you've got your own starter up and running, the sky's the limit!)</i><br />
1 and 1/3 (up to 1 and 1/2 cups) lukewarm water<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil<i> (I used olive oil, which definitely adds a distinct flavor.)</i><br />
2 tablespoons granulated sugar<br />
2 and 1/2 teaspoons salt<i> (I used coarse kosher salt.)</i><br />
3 cups (or slightly less) unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1 cup plain potato flakes or 1/2 cup potato flour<i> (I used unflavored potato flakes, the dehydrated stuff you can buy to make mashed potatoes.)</i><br />
1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour<i> (I used white whole wheat.)</i><br />
2/3 cup (total) combined mixture of sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and flax meal<br />
4 teaspoons of instant yeast<br />
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In the large bowl of your mixer (or, if you prefer, do this by hand), combine all of the dry ingredients and gently mix them together using the paddle attachment on the lowest speed. Add in the sourdough starter, water, and oil. Mix for a couple of minutes until a nice sticky dough has started to form. At this point, if you want to stick with the mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on low speed for about four more minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic; if you want to knead the dough by hand, dust a clean work surface with a small handful of all-purpose flour, and knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic (this took me about seven minutes by hand). <br />
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Put the dough into a bowl that's been greased, oiled, or sprayed with vegetable spray (I did the latter). Cover the bowl with a piece of greased, oiled, etc. plastic wrap, and then cover that with a lightweight dish towel. Let the dough rise in a draft-free spot for up to about two hours, until it's doubled or almost doubled (mine was doubled at 90 minutes; that's it below, looking nice and puffy).<br />
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Lightly grease two standard-size loaf pans (I always use a pastry brush to coat bread pans with vegetable shortening). When the dough has risen sufficiently, dump it out onto a barely flour-dusted work surface (the less flour added at this point the better) and gently deflate the dough. With a bench knife or sharp chef's knife cut it into two equal pieces. Round each piece with your hands, pulling slightly downward on the tops to create surface tension. Let them rest, covered with the greased plastic wrap, for about 12 minutes.<br />
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Uncover the pieces and form them into loaves, being careful to<i> tightly pinch closed</i> all seams; place the pieces, seam-side down, into their pans.<br />
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Lightly cover the pans with the greased plastic wrap, and cover that with the dishtowel. Place the pans in a draft-free spot that is a little warmer than room temperature.<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Let the loaves proof (have their final rise) until the dough rises at<i> least</i> 1" over the top of the pan. Carefully uncover the risen loaves. Mist them with water (use a squirt bottle; if you don't have one, wet your hands and very gently pat the tops of the loaves) right before you put them in the oven. Place them in the preheated oven on the middle rack, and quickly squirt your mister into the oven to create a quick burst of steam (be careful not to aim for the lightbulb).<br />
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Bake for about 20 minutes and then check to see if the bread is browning too quickly; if so, lightly tent the loaves with foil. They should be done in about 30-35 minutes (total time), when the crust is dark golden, and the internal temperature is at least 190 degrees inside. You can check by poking an instant-read thermometer into the bottom of each loaf. (I very often do this, just to be on the safe side. You'll know it's under-baked bread if the inside is kind of gummy/heavy even after it's cooled.) Take the finished loaves out of their pans and set them on a rack. Melt one or two tablespoons of unsalted butter and use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops of the loaves while they're still warm. Let them cool almost completely before you slice them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-69239103178435675172013-01-28T11:11:00.001-05:002013-01-28T13:16:09.125-05:00Honey Oat Granola Bars with Dried Blueberries . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This may well be the first time I've <i>ever</i> used dried blueberries in a recipe. In fact, I almost forgot altogether that I had these <a href="http://blueberries.msu.edu/">Michigan blueberries</a> on hand. I got them last summer from a spice-scented little shop up north. It's crammed with cooking gadgets, household antiques (<i>not</i> for sale), and interesting ingredients. Surrounded by tall trees, the shop's leafy exterior is whimsically cluttered with garden kitsch, and they sometimes have a sign out front that blatantly prods passersby to visit, reading, "If you have a kitchen, get in here!" Tourists oblige. It's just that kind of place. </div>
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Each time I'm in the vicinity, which is typically two or three times a summer, I can't resist wandering in. I've acquired all sorts of culinary doodads there over the years, most of them distinctly non-essential but fun to have. Items like oddly-shaped muffin pans, a cupcake corer, a couple of scissor-like cherry pitters, tiny tart pans, two or more pastry cloths, a rolling-pin stockinette (just the word "stockinette" reminds me of my childhood), spice mixtures, and uncommon jams. It's just not the kind of place you can dash in and out of. You need lots of time to browse. It's a summertime kind of place.</div>
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And on this ice-coated day, granola bars, for whatever reason, kind of remind me of summer. <i>Oh luscious, lovely summer . . . warm, sunny summer.</i> Less than five months to go. We can wait . . . I suppose.</div>
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b></div>
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Adapted from Kim Boyce's beautiful book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Grain-Baking-Whole-Grain-Flours/dp/1584798300">Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours</a>, these granola bars are hard, crunchy, and slightly chewy. I made a few minor adjustments to the formula but nothing radical: I used dried blueberries instead of raisins, substituted toasted wheat germ for a portion of the flaxseed meal, and threw in a modicum of sunflower seeds along with a pinch of ground nutmeg. I'd definitely make these again.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h_4ZfZ56_zQ/UQW4X5bI6eI/AAAAAAABuZs/TOOR8Dv0hnI/s1600/IMG_5644_jmk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h_4ZfZ56_zQ/UQW4X5bI6eI/AAAAAAABuZs/TOOR8Dv0hnI/s400/IMG_5644_jmk.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Honey Oat Granola Bars with Dried Blueberries</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vTLHPCMR6yguPXvYnY5x_VFv8zmCRmwxDEBS3UQeFmo/pub">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a></div>
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Yield: 16 squares (made in a 9" x 9" pan)</div>
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1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted</div>
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2 cups rolled oats <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I used a mixture of both old fashioned- and quick oats; just what I had on hand.)</span></i></div>
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2 tablespoons wheat germ, toasted <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(To toast, spread on a small cookie sheet; bake in 325 oven for 10 minutes, just until slightly darker in color and nutty smelling.)</i></span></div>
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1 quarter cup, plus 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal</div>
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3 tablespoons sunflower seeds <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I used roasted and salted sunflower seeds.)</span></i></div>
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1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</div>
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1 pinch ground nutmeg</div>
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1/2 cup dried blueberries <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you don't have dried blueberries, try raisins or dried cherries/cranberries instead.)</span></i></div>
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1/2 cup honey</div>
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1/4 dark brown sugar</div>
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1 tablespoon molasses, unsulphured</div>
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1 teaspoon salt <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I used coarse sea salt.)</span></i></div>
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Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9" x 9" square pan with vegetable spray, or butter it liberally <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I used a metal pan, but a glass baking dish is fine too, and I </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">used the spray instead of butter)</span></i>. </div>
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Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot <span style="font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">(I used a dutch oven). </span>Add in the oats, and stir to combine with the butter. Cook over a medium flame for about six minutes, stirring frequently. You want the oats to turn a little darker.</div>
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Dump the oats into a large heat-proof bowl. Wipe out the pot and put it aside/back on the stove; you'll use it later to make the syrup. </div>
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Add the toasted wheat germ, the flaxseed meal, the sunflower seeds, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg into the bowl with the oats. Stir well to combine, then stir in the dried blueberries. </div>
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For the syrup, heat the honey, brown sugar, molasses, and salt in the pot over a medium flame. Stir to combine and then let the mixture simmer at a low boil for approximately 6 minutes. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(It needs to boil that long, according to author Kim Boyce, in order to give the granola bars their chewiness.)</span></i> </div>
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Pour all of the syrup over the dry ingredients, scraping as much as possible out of the pan. Working quickly, use a flexible rubber spatula to mix in the syrup <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(you can butter/spray your spatula if you like; helps facilitate the stirring)</span></i>. Keep mixing until everything in the bowl looks like it's well coated with the syrup. </div>
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Scrape the granola into your pan and, with buttered hands, evenly and firmly press it down <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(it will still be kind of hot, so be prepared)</span></i>. </div>
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (rotating the pan once, after about 13 minutes), until the granola looks nicely shiny and darker than when you put it in the oven. Let the bars cool in the pan, on a rack, for 10 minutes, then cut them into 16 squares while they're still in the pan. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you wait too long to cut them, you won't be able to neatly do so since they'll become too hard.)</span></i> Use a rigid metal spatula to remove them from the pan, piece by piece, to finish cooling on the cooling rack.</div>
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Store in an airtight container, at room temperature.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <b>COMMENTS</b> below.)</span></i></div>
Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-78855392716752637382013-01-10T21:29:00.002-05:002013-01-10T21:29:44.848-05:00New Years, Old Places, and Poppy-Seed Kaiser Rolls . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We spent New Year's eve in what was for us a most unconventional way. A relaxing and uncrowded way. That afternoon, the four of us took an unhurried drive to the tip of the thumb--Michigan's thumb, that is--to pay a short visit to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Austin,_Michigan">Port Austin</a>, a tiny village (the population hovers around 700) right on Lake Huron that has sentimental significance for my family. None of us had ever been there in the dead of winter and we were curious to see how it might look. On top of that, we had cabin fever after several days of post-Christmas lounging.<br />
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Port Austin is nestled right next to a federal Harbor of Refuge, which means it has a huge breakwater that makes it a haven for boating and fishing. During the warmer months it assumes the identity of a perky little tourist destination. But the rest of the time it's rather sleepy, and that's also part of its appeal. In the almost 45 years that I've been familiar with it, it has never become too big for its britches. It's not as if time there has stood still, but the best aspects of the place have been remarkably well preserved despite the passage of decades.</div>
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When I was a child, you could walk through the entire downtown in about five minutes if you didn't stop and linger, and it's still exactly like that. Each time we go there I'm relieved to see that pretentious boutiques and absurdly expensive restaurants haven't managed to swoop in and take over. It's a welcome-respite kind of a place. It may be humble, but it's certainly well loved. Port Austin is still an authentic place.</div>
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Upon arriving, we went first to the harbor and said hello to the lake. The wind there was fierce. We saw only one fellow, geared up for ice-fishing and heading out to a shanty not far from shore. My husband and oldest son strolled out onto the breakwater. Brave souls, those two. Back in the village, we were the only late-afternoon lunch customers in a cozy mom-and-pop place called The Stock Pot. After having a bite, we drove along the edge of the lake to a beautiful beach in a state park outside of town. We passed a man slowly walking his dog on the long road leading in but then we saw no one else, and we were truly alone.<br />
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We parked our car and hiked a short trail over the dunes before the water came into view. It was about half an hour before dusk. The clouds looked like thickly piled quilts. They were a hundred shades of wintery blue, as if they'd spent all of 2012 soaking up the colors of the lake.<br />
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The dune grasses were weighted here and there with snow, and the most exposed clumps of grass blew back and forth like smoothly brushed hair. On the shore, the sand felt stiff and almost frozen underfoot. Except for the constant wind, all was quiet.</div>
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It was the best New Year's eve. Somehow, for me, that simple experience emphasized the freshness of the approaching year. Our four-person celebration wasn't champagne drenched, action packed, or confetti strewn, but it was great. It was more than enough. </div>
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b></div>
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What does all of the above have to do with today's kaiser rolls? Almost nothing, except that after we returned home that night I started jotting a list of items to bake in 2013. Kaiser rolls were first in line. I scanned my bookshelves for recipes before settling on this one. It's not overly involved and not too time consuming. It results in a slightly sweet, just-dense-enough sandwich roll. And, it doesn't require a pre-ferment/starter or any odd ingredients (unless you consider poppy seeds odd). The formula is adapted from <i>Breads</i>--one thin volume from a series of paperback cookbooks that was produced in 1985 by the <a href="http://www.chefs.edu/San-Francisco">California Culinary Academy</a>.<br />
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<b>And about that swirly thing . . . </b><br />
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The most interesting aspect of making kaiser rolls, if you ask me, is the business of creating the spiral design. There are a few differing schools of thought when it comes to achieving that distinctive kaiser swirl, and they're not all created equal.<br />
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There is the traditional and frustrating thumb-fold technique, which doesn't seem to have a big fan-club. This method involves keeping one's left thumb stuck inside a curled fold on the left side of a little circle of dough while the rest of the fancy folding is done with your right hand, until that left thumb is eventually allowed to leave its spot and that final fold is tucked "into the bottom dough under the first fold" (got that?). That old-school approach isn't too popular now, even among modern master-bakers like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinhart/e/B001H6W6I0">Peter Reinhart.</a> He more or less tells readers of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Bakers-Apprentice-Mastering-Extraordinary/dp/1580082688">The Bread Baker's Apprentice</a> not to bother with it (he actually compares it to "making a paper flower") and suggests the simpler alternatives of shaping the dough into knot rolls or using a special kaiser-roll stamp/cutter (see that blue thing below? . . . that's a kaiser roll stamp) to achieve the iconic shape.<br />
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Meanwhile, authors Stanley Ginsberg and Norman Berg of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Jewish-Bakery-Recipes-Memories/dp/1933822236">Inside the Jewish Bakery: Recipes and Memories from the Golden Age of Jewish Baking</a>, agree that "kaisers are far and away the most difficult rolls to fold correctly . . ." but they go on to provide a murky black and white photo-tutorial for those folks who still want to try it. I found the tutorial only minimally helpful in attempting the tricky fold (thanks anyway, Stan and Norm).<br />
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The last option offered by the experts is to manually cut five curved slashes in each roll with a razor blade or a <a href="http://www.breadtopia.com/store/bread-lame.html">baker's lame</a> (see that green thing above with a blade at the end? . . that's called a lame, pronounced like the name Tom). Hmm. So what's a home-baker to do? Well, I took a swing at all four shaping methods--folding, knotting, stamping, and slashing--with any number of variations thrown in before settling on the last option as the best. Yes, I had the most success with the slashing method. (Should I admit that I did the slashing with that scalpel-like tool while holding each dough ball in the palm of my hand? Probably not. I should just keep that to myself, lest I be considered suicidal.)<br />
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In any case, whatever shaping technique you decide to use, expect a yummy roll. That's what really matters.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Poppy-Seed Kaiser Rolls</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PjAu4Oy0wgo-PLelJ2jYL_g76wJiEMUANsiwxc_L8GA/pub">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: 12 sandwich size rolls<br />
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1 and 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast<br />
2 cups warm water<br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 teaspoons fine sea salt<br />
1/3 cup canola oil<br />
6 to 6-and-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
Egg white from one large egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon of water<br />
Poppy seeds <i>(I'd have more than necessary on hand if I were you; you might actually use half a cup or less, but don't skimp. If you can't find, or you don't like, poppy seeds, try sesame seeds.)</i><br />
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In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the water, sugar, salt, and oil on low speed just until combined.<br />
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In a separate mixing bowl, combine four cups of the flour with the instant yeast; stir or gently whisk in the yeast. Add into the liquid ingredients.<br />
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Still using the paddle, mix on medium speed for five minutes.<br />
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Now on the lowest speed, add in 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour. The dough will be quite soft.<br />
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Dump all of the dough out onto a well-floured board (use some of the remaining flour that you first measured out, starting with about 1/2 a cup and adding more as needed).<br />
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Flour your hands and knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic. By the time you're done it should feel tacky but not sticky. This will take about ten minutes if you knead energetically and maybe up to 15 if you knead more gently. Add just enough of the remaining flour to keep the dough from sticking to your board and to your hands.<br />
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Put the dough into a large, clean mixing bowl that's been sprayed with vegetable spray, oiled, or greased with shortening. Turn the dough over so it's lightly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap that's also been greased, and cover the whole thing with a dish towel. Put the bowl in a warmer-than-room-temperature spot. Let the dough rise for about an hour, until it's doubled in size.<br />
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On a very lightly floured surface, dump out the dough and push on it with your palms/knuckles to deflate it. Invert your bowl and use it to cover the dough; let the dough rest like that for 10 minutes. Using a bench knife, or a sharp chef's knife, divide it into twelve equal pieces (they will probably weigh around 4 oz. each, more or less). Shape each piece into a ball, being sure to pinch tightly closed any seams on the bottoms. Cover one large or two regular size baking sheets with parchment paper and place the balls on them, about two inches apart. Cover the balls with sprayed/greased plastic wrap. Lightly cover them with a dish towel and put them in a warm spot to rise. <br />
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spread a layer of poppy seeds on a tray. Whisk the egg white and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Have a pastry brush standing by.<br />
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Once the dough balls have risen for about 30 minutes, until almost doubled, brush the tops of all of them with the egg wash. Then, one by one, gently pick them up and dip them in the poppy seeds. Set them back on the parchment. Using a baker's lame or a razor blade, carefully cut five small slashes on each dough ball, starting from the center and moving outward, creating a spiral design on the top of each one. Don't cut too deeply, but don't be too timid either; try to cut about half an inch deep. <br />
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Bake in the middle of the oven. As soon as you put the dough in, quickly mist some water into the oven as well (be careful not to aim water at the lightbulb!). Bread dough likes a steamy atmosphere.<br />
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Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. The rolls should be golden brown, with slightly darker bottoms, and their internal temperature should be at least 190 degrees (up to maybe 210). Let the finished rolls cool on a rack.<br />
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These freeze well, and also make great hamburger buns.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple </span><i style="font-size: small;">COMMENTS</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> below.)</span></div>
Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-20402121509064450712012-12-19T21:10:00.002-05:002012-12-19T21:21:07.268-05:00Festive Cookie-Bar/Brownie/Blondie Round-Up . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In keeping with the season's seemingly endless baking fest, I thought I'd gather up a nice sampling of bar-cookie/brownie/blondie recipes from past posts to share with you. I'm going to launch into an all-day baking marathon tomorrow and I need to get my ducks in a row. Thought reviewing these recipes might help get me in the mood. It's always wise to have the option of pan-baked items on the agenda along with the inevitable drop cookies, roll-out cookies, refrigerator cookies, and every other kind of cookie bound to make an appearance on the holiday platter. So, without further ado, let's plunge right in with ten favorites from days of yore . . .<br />
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2010/11/cranberry-snowdrift-bars.html">Cranberry Snowdrift Bars</a><br />
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2010/01/daring-bakers-challenge-homemade-graham.html">Nanaimo Bars</a><br />
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2012/06/layered-apricot-bars-with-candied.html">Layered (Hungarian) Apricot Bars</a><br />
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2009/12/one-thing-leads-to-another-peanut.html">Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake-Swirl Brownies</a><br />
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2009/10/peanut-butter-jelly-bars-and-uninvited.html">Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars</a><br />
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2009/12/merry-mocha-streusel-bars.html">Merry Mocha Streusel Bars</a><br />
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2012/09/apple-cinnamon-blondies.html">Apple Cinnamon Blondies</a></div>
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2012/05/chocolate-interview-ill-never-forget-or.html">Perfectly Velvety Dark Chocolate Brownies</a></div>
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2011/06/strawberry-mascarpone-bars-and-treasure.html">Strawberry Mascarpone Bars</a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VV5eR7mZ5Lg/TgO2oGm0xsI/AAAAAAABcp4/Fx-mOkkqv5s/s1600/IMG_5528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VV5eR7mZ5Lg/TgO2oGm0xsI/AAAAAAABcp4/Fx-mOkkqv5s/s320/IMG_5528.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2009/08/cream-cheese-blondies-with-milk-and.html">Cream Cheese Blondies with Milk and Dark Chocolate Chips and Honey-roasted Almonds</a><br />
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Okay, I think that ought to keep the baking marathon on track, for a while at least. See you when we both come up for air!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-10851972357607918492012-12-17T19:39:00.000-05:002012-12-17T19:39:34.864-05:00Cactus-Pear & Cherry Sorbet . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just last week, I made the personal acquaintance of a cactus pear. Actually, several of them. They were purplish, slightly soft, and a wee bit spiky. I had no choice but to get to know these cactus pears, because they were one component (out of seven different components) that I was forced to confront as part of the "practical final" in my most recently concluded pastry arts class, Plated Desserts II. This final, which I'd been dreading for weeks if not years (undoubtedly since I first heard about it shortly after starting culinary school, ages ago, and witnessed the terror it invariably invoked in the advanced pastry students), required me and my classmates to create a visually striking and tasty dessert within just a couple of hours from start to finish. <i>Not</i> so difficult, you say? Well, consider the fact that a bona fide plated dessert--composed of various textures, temperatures, colors, and flavor types--typically consists of several individual recipes, and the need to combine all the mysterious ingredients into one coherent and comely dessert in that period of time is actually a rather tall order.<br />
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The other six ingredients we had to make use of besides cactus pears were unblanched brazil nuts, unpopped popcorn, quinces, cardamom pods, brick dough (also known as <i>feuilles de brick</i>, this is kind of like a tougher and more transparent version of phyllo dough), and coconut sugar.<br />
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The fact that I completely forgot to photograph my dessert, once finished, helps illustrate how frazzled I must have been by the time I presented my finished plate to my teacher, a fellow we'll simply refer to here as Chef R. It was not what my husband would describe as "a triumph"--a phrase he often likes to use in reference to especially well-prepared and delicious food. No, it was a partial success and that's all it was. The part of it that <i>was</i> a complete success, was the sorbet portion. That sorbet, which was somewhat similar to today's recipe, was brilliantly pink and made a dramatic impression on the plate. It was zesty, sweet, and tart. It was positively psychedelic.<br />
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There was also a cactus pear sauce, equally vivid, neatly dabbed onto the plate like a tiny path, that served as a dividing line between the dessert's two main components. To the left was a perfectly egg-shaped scoop of sorbet (also known as a <i>quenelle</i>), with a delicate golden tuile balanced on top. The sorbet sat on a circle of crumbly streusel that I'd made from a ground combo of toasted brazil-nut brittle and popped, salted popcorn. That sorbet and tuile construction was parked near my attempt at a warm, spicy, stewed quince concoction enclosed within a crisp, baked, brick-dough basket. A cute basket, no doubt, but with sticky, sugary contents that were barely edible. Really. I joke you not. Something went terribly wrong with my stewed quince. The whole thing became gritty and grainy and wasn't at all becoming. And the cardamom in there seemed overwhelming . . . too much cardamom. As I brought my plated creation up to Chef R. at the appointed hour so he could render judgement, I knew I was a girl with a problem.<br />
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Chef R. was not impressed with the right side of the plate. Alas.<br />
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But, he did say he really liked the sorbet and thought the whole concept, at least in terms of looks, was attractive and appealing. Overall, it could have been worse. I suppose I was just glad all those weeks/months/years of anxious anticipation were over. I'd completed Plated Desserts II and, really, that was reward enough.<br />
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It was a tiny consolation, to be honest, that the other members of the class seemed to have a less than complete triumph as well. We all felt, though, that we tried the best we could given the limitations we were forced to work with. And Chef R. was only encouraging in his closing comments to us, as we gathered up our belongings and prepared to offer our fatigued goodbyes. Before we left the room he urged us to keep taking baking/pastry classes even after we complete the formal requirements of the program (I have one more class to go). Because, after all, there is <i>always</i> more to learn. Indeed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cactus-Pear and Cherry Sorbet</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1MPpPhEXZPqzYA42WQo_CaET6RfmETJ6X_XUSeEdFeXQ">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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4 very ripe cactus pears<br />
1 pound sweet cherries<br />
12 ounces simple syrup, cooled<br />
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice<br />
2 teaspoons cherry (or other fruit-flavored) liqueur <i>(I used Heering cherry liqueur; you could use Kirschwasser, or Chambord, or even Limoncello would probably be good.)</i><br />
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Cut the cactus pears in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp with a large spoon. <i>(Be careful; the outside of a cactus pear may have tiny spines left on it that you can't really see.) </i><br />
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Pit the cherries and cut them in half.<br />
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Put the pulp and the cherry pieces into a deep straight-sided container and blend them with an immersion blender until no large chunks remain. Strain the mixture into a medium size bowl. Rinse out the deep straight-sided container. Pour the mixture back into it, along with all of the simple syrup.<br />
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Blend the mixture again until all lumps are gone and it looks smooth. Strain the mixture again into a bowl, this time with a fine mesh strainer. You're trying to catch any seeds from the cactus pears; they are very hard and black.<br />
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Stir the smaller amount of lime juice, along with the liqueur, into the strained sorbet mix. Taste the mix, and add more lime juice if you prefer. Don't add more liqueur; too much alcohol will make it difficult for the sorbet to firm up in the freezer.<br />
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Chill the sorbet mix until extremely cold and churn it in your ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions.<br />
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Put the churned sorbet into a chilled container that can be tightly covered and freeze it for at least several hours. I froze mine for over a day before serving it; it needs time to get really firm, and for the flavors to ripen. <br />
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Serve in small portions. Nice as a very light dessert, or as a palate cleanser between courses.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-36217777346131341822012-12-13T10:48:00.000-05:002012-12-13T10:48:23.931-05:00Triple Citrus Panettone . . . Fragrant Bread with a Tender Crumb <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few short weeks ago, I was sitting in a dim and cozy restaurant gabbing with my pastry-school pal, Michelle. She'd just handed me about six luscious pounds of thin couverture-chocolate disks that she'd acquired wholesale through one of her mysterious culinary connections. Two big bags of the disks were parked on the table when the waitress came over to greet us. She glanced curiously at the bulging sacks and said, "What's<i> this</i>?"<br />
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I think she may have feared we brought our own bag-lunch because, for an instant, she got that wary-waitress gleam in her eye. You know the gleam I mean? Anyway, Michelle, who is smart as a whip and takes no guff from <i>any</i>one, quipped, "I'm a drug dealer." Then after a pregnant pause she added, "It's <i>chocolate</i>."<br />
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The waitress immediately chuckled, smiling in understanding. Chocolate. Of course. We were speaking the universal language.<br />
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One of the nicest benefits of attending culinary school has been the opportunity to meet kindred spirits, Michelle being one of them. It was from her that I got the notion to make panettone this Christmas season.<i> (Michelle, you constantly generate good ideas for baking and pastry shenanigans. I love that about you!) </i><br />
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And, I had another incentive to make panettone this holiday season as well. I received a complementary case of chopped candied fruit a couple of weeks ago from the <a href="http://www.paradisefruitco.com/?gclid=COTm7KDUlbQCFYd9Ogod1AcADA">Paradise Fruit Company</a> of Plant City, Florida. I'm pretty sure I yelped in surprise when I unsealed that cardboard carton only to find all those containers of candied orange peel, lemon peel, citron, and crystallized ginger. I don't know what I thought might be in there, but it wasn't candied fruit.</div>
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I opened one of each. They all looked and smelled <i>so</i> fresh. I tried citron first. I'd never tasted citron before, candied or otherwise, and the first thing I noticed is that it's beautifully translucent. Light shines right through.<br />
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As I nibbled each variety of fruit, my preconceived candied-fruit notions were blown out of the water. All of the lovely, sticky, little cubes were so bright. The orange- and lemon-peels were so chewy, and the candied ginger was <i>just</i> right--not too peppery, and not at all bitter.<br />
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I'm now officially a candied fruit believer, and panettone is the perfect vehicle for quality candied citrus. Many, many thanks to <a href="http://www.paradisefruitco.com/paradise-candied-fruit">Paradise Fruit</a> for offering me this wonderful sampling. I love it!<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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The recipe I chose is pretty elementary compared to the more <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/12/07/panettone/">elaborate, old-school panettone versions</a> out there. This is an I-don't-have-all-the-time-in-the-world-but-I-really-want-to-make-panettone formula. Adapted from a recipe in the latest issue of the <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/">King Arthur Flour</a> catalog, this citrus panettone begins with a starter that you toss together the night before.<br />
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What did I change? Well, the main recipe calls for 1/4 cup of potato flour, but I didn't have that so I substituted 1/2 instant potato flakes; this is a common substitution used in bread recipes, and not to be feared. I didn't have the special flavoring called for (Fiori di Sicilia), so I made my own tiny mixture of vanilla, lemon, orange, and almond extracts. I didn't have one of those <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/panettone-papers-set-of-12?utm_source=frooglecom&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=shopping&gclid=CNnjt_volbQCFUWo4Aoda20A0w">traditional paper panettone pans</a> in the correct size (though I drove around metro Detroit looking for them, to no avail!), so I used two high-sided metal cake pans (6" x 3") and they worked out just fine. And, of course, I rewrote the instructions to reflect exactly what I did.<br />
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This panettone is slightly sweet with a gloriously tender crumb of the palest yellow. <i>Yum.</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Triple Citrus Panettone</span></b><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1pS_Uh5qRfnfEVmsiv89uwlWzD-m1ESj8Vwk_-f2Ba9Y">(For a printable version of this recipe click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: Two smaller loaves (mine were 4" tall and 6" wide); or one larger loaf<br />
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<b>Ingredients for the starter:</b><br />
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1/16 teaspoon instant yeast<br />
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) cool water<br />
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<b>Ingredients for the dough:</b><br />
2 cups (8.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup instant mashed-potato flakes <i>(I used Hungry Jack brand, natural flavor; alternately, you can use 1/4 of potato flour.)</i><br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
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1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt <i>(I used fine sea salt.)</i><br />
2 teaspoons instant yeast<br />
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1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) lukewarm water<br />
2 large eggs, room temperature<br />
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
A couple drops each of orange extract, lemon extract, and almond extract (enough to equal 1/4 teaspoon total)<br />
1 cup mixture of candied orange peel, lemon peel, and citron, all chopped into very small cubes <i>(I used Paradise Fruit brand; it's already cut to the perfect size.)</i><br />
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<b>Make the starter the night before you make the bread dough:</b><br />
In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature, undisturbed, until the next morning. The starter will get slightly bubbly.<br />
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<b>Make the bread dough:</b><br />
Measure all of the dry ingredients for the dough into a large bowl; whisk them together lightly.<br />
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Add in the wet ingredients (except for the candied fruit; that goes in last) and stir until well combined combine.<br />
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Mix in the candied fruit until well distributed.<br />
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Mix by hand for a couple of minutes (I easily did this by hand with a dough-whisk; you can use a mixer with the paddle attachment, on low speed, if you prefer) then dump the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead it for another minute or two. It should be soft and sticky.<br />
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Put the dough into a large bowl that's been sprayed with vegetable spray or lightly oiled with vegetable oil.<br />
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Cover the bowl with a sprayed/oiled piece of plastic wrap, and top that with a lightweight dish towel. Let the dough rise in a warmer-than-room-temperature spot for up to 90 minutes, until it's almost doubled (don't expect to see dramatic rise).<br />
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Turn the risen dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface. Gently deflate it. If you're making two smaller loaves, divide the dough now with a bench knife or sharp chef's knife. Shape the dough pieces into smooth balls and pinch closed any bottom seams.<br />
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Place the dough balls into pans that have been well greased with shortening (I used two 3"x 6" metal cake pans), or into paper panettone pans. Cover the pans with sprayed/oiled plastic wrap and top that with the lightweight dish towel.<br />
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Put them in a warm spot and let them rise for up to 2 hours, until almost doubled.<br />
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Preheat the oven to <b>375</b> degrees.<br />
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Remove the plastic wrap carefully so as not to deflate the dough and place the pans in the middle of the hot oven (I placed my pans atop a baking sheet to help ensure the bottom of the loaves wouldn't burn).<br />
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Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to <b>350</b> degrees. Continue baking for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until the loaves are deep golden all over. If you're baking one large loaf, you may need to bake for 35 minutes longer.<br />
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Remove the finished loaves from their pans immediately and cool them completely on a rack before slicing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-87151554786034993062012-11-28T17:31:00.000-05:002012-12-08T18:47:34.126-05:00Dark Chocolate Cherry Biscotti . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After the spicy, nutty, creamy, buttery, pumpkin-laden extravaganza that comprises the universe of Thanksgiving Day desserts I now find that I'm in the mood for something distinctly crunchy, slightly bittersweet, entirely absent of butter, and <i>far</i> from gooey.<br />
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These dark-chocolate cherry biscotti evoke all the best attributes of chocolate-covered cherries, absent the rich fat and cloying sweetness of that iconic candy. They're supremely dunkable if you're a coffee drinker, and they don't mind taking a dip in a glass of milk if you're not.<br />
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Surely I don't have to tell you that I briefly considered drizzling the biscotti with melted chocolate, (you know <i>me</i>) but the sense of restraint that invades a baker's psyche the week following Thanksgiving held sway. And it's a good thing it did. I figure, when you take the plunge and coat your biscotti with chocolate, you're committing to the creation of an altogether more indulgent cookie.</div>
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Today's treat provides a nice contrast to the extreme richness of last week's feast. Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and we all love it, but once is enough. Thank heaven for <i>that.</i><br />
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b></div>
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Adapted from pastry chef <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/">David Lebovitz</a>'s beautiful book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Dessert-My-Best-Recipes/dp/158008138X/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1354121300&sr=1-3">Ready for Dessert</a>, I made a few minor adjustments to his biscotti formula.<br />
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I omitted the black pepper (yes, pepper), reduced the amount of solid chocolate by about half, omitted almond extract in favor of vanilla, and soaked my dried cherries in the lusciousness of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambord_(liqueur)">Chambord</a>, a yummy berry liqueur, versus his suggestion of kirsch/grappa/rum.<br />
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Really good biscotti, fellow bakers. I baked the pieces long enough so they'd be very hard and crunchy. Expect lots and lots of lovely little crumbs. And don't forget to dunk.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Dark Chocolate Cherry Biscotti</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1Ga38eDA9-0tinQuDJpCGz-DRWlsuLLqC2P65kp_Z4tE">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: Two loaves of biscotti, each loaf sliced into about 14 half-inch thick pieces<br />
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Spread parchment over two regular size baking sheets, or over one large sheet.<br />
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.<br />
(No electric mixer needed for this recipe.)<br />
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<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder <i>(You don't have to use Dutch, but I think it's the best for something like this; I used Penzeys brand.)</i><br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon <i>(I used fine sea salt.)</i><br />
3 large eggs, at room temperature<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/3 cup dark chocolate, chopped small <i>(I used <a href="http://www.guittard.com/">Guittard</a> disks, 60+ percent cacao.) </i><br />
3/4 cup dried cherries, cut in half if they're large<br />
2 tablespoons Chambord <i>(or any similar fruity liqueur that you really like)</i><br />
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<b>To brush/sprinkle on the dough before baking:</b><br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
2 tablespoons sanding/coarse white sugar, or turbinado or Demarara sugar<br />
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In a small bowl, drizzle the Chambord over the cherries and let them sit for at least 30 minutes or so at room temperature.<br />
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In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.<br />
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In a large bowl, completely whisk together the three large eggs, the granulated sugar, and the vanilla extract.<br />
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Into that, gradually add the sifted ingredients. The dough will be very dry and thick. Dump the dried cherries, with all of their liquid, into the bowl. Stir that in. Add in the chocolate pieces and stir to combine as best you can. The dough will be extremely thick and pretty sticky.<br />
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Plop all of the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Lightly flour your hands.<br />
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Roll each dough-half into a long log, a few inches shorter than the length of your baking sheet(s); the dough spreads out quite a bit in all directions when baking. Place each log onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Dampen your palms with cold water and pat the top of the loaves, gently pressing down so each log is slightly flattened.<br />
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Using a pastry brush, liberally coat each loaf with beaten egg; do this twice to each log. Sprinkle sanding/coarse sugar (or whatever kind you've chosen to use) atop the length of each loaf.<br />
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Bake the loaves for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven, reversing the pan(s) in the oven halfway through the baking time. Remove them from the oven; lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Leaving the loaves on the baking sheets, let them cool for up to 15 minutes.<br />
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Move the loaves, still on their parchment, to a cutting surface. Using a serrated knife (ideally, a very sharp bread knife), cut each loaf on the diagonal into slices that are about 1/2" thick <i>(I think mine were actually a little thicker than that)</i>.<br />
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Lay all of the biscotti pieces, cut sides down, back onto parchment-covered baking sheets.<br />
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Continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway through, and reversing the direction of the baking sheet(s) in the oven. If you want the cookies to be really hard and crunchy, bake them for the maximum amount of time, and check to see that they're pretty firm before you take them out of the oven.<br />
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When they're done, let them cool completely on the baking sheets. Store them well covered. They'll be good for about a week. <i>(And, of course, if you're dying to dip them in melted chocolate, well, follow your dream!)</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS </i>below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-65348713683877181932012-11-09T17:11:00.001-05:002012-11-09T17:11:30.849-05:00Parmesan-Cheddar Crackers with Poppy Seeds . . . You Can't Eat Just One!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are two very big silver-maple trees in our backyard, one of which always holds onto its leaves for dear life, as if to let them go might be painful.<br />
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But the wind that swooshed in last week, compliments of Sandy, stripped most of them off within a day or two. The yard is now cushioned like a feather bed with its leaves. You can hardly spot a patch of grass anywhere.<br />
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I know winter is on its way when that stubborn tree is almost bare. The leaves on the ground are so dried out, and so thickly layered, they positively <i>crunch</i> underfoot. It's like walking on a field of saltines, or maybe thousands of Wheat Thins.<br />
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Hey . . . did someone just mention crackers?<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/10/poppy-cheddar-moon-crackers">Gourmet</a>, these babies are addictive. Once your cracker-loving friends and family get samples, they'll keep coming back for more, so anticipate the demand. Make a lot.<br />
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What aspects of the recipe did I change? The original formula called for 3 parts white flour and 1 part cornmeal, but I decided to use a combo of mostly white flour, a little rye flour for added flavor, and just a wee smidgen of cornmeal so that mealy aspect would be limited. I also used Parmigiano Reggiano cheese along with some sharp cheddar, instead of using all cheddar, and I added in a couple pinches of dried thyme, well crushed, as well as a dab of garlic powder. And, I upped the baking powder slightly because, gosh, the spirit moved me.<br />
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I decided, just for the heck of it, to cut mine out with a scalloped-edge cookie cutter, but feel free to simply cut your rolled-out dough with a pastry wheel if you like, leaving far fewer dough scraps. That would also allow you to avoid transferring your unbaked crackers to another surface, one by one, as I had to do. Bake them long enough, and they'll be quite crispy and dark golden brown around the edges, which is what you want if you're going for maximum <i>crunch</i>.<br />
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These crackers smell ferociously good when they're baking, just so you know. (Forewarned is forearmed, theoretically at least.)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Parmesan-Cheddar Crackers with Poppy Seeds</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1GUbJpjvtk7IavxMtp2FOMvXWJ642fgvUqIaP5ommYfI">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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<b>Yield:</b> Makes approximately 6 dozen crackers<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
2 tablespoons rye flour<br />
1 tablespoon well-ground yellow cornmeal<br />
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (I used Holland Blue poppy seeds from <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html?id=YqdRXESB">Penzey's</a>.)<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/4 cup (half of one stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into very small chunks<br />
1/2 cup well grated parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.)<br />
1/2 cup well grated sharp or extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese<br />
4 to 5 tablespoons very cold water<br />
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1 egg, large<br />
1 tablespoon water<br />
fine sea salt<br />
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In a big bowl, whisk together the white flour, rye flour, cornmeal, poppy seeds, and baking powder. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or use your fingertips, until the mixture has lots of small coarse lumps. Add in all of the grated cheese, and mix with a fork. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the cold water evenly over the dry ingredients, and stir with the fork until well distributed. Add in the final tablespoon of water if it still seems really dry.<br />
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Dump your dough out onto a clean work surface, and smear the dough away from you a few times to distribute the fat. Now, use a scraper to gather all the dough together again and shape it into a ball. Cut the ball in half. Press each half into a disk about 1" thick, and wrap the halves in plastic wrap. Let them rest in the fridge for an hour or so.<br />
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.<br />
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Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Or roll your dough directly onto the paper or onto mats, if you're not using a cookie cutter. See "<i>Or, alternately,</i>" in the instructions below).<br />
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On a floured piece of parchment or a rolling mat or a pastry cloth, roll out one of your dough disks using a floured rolling pin (leaving the other disk refrigerated while you work with the first disk). Try to roll the dough evenly, so it's no more than 1/8th of an inch thick all over. Cut the dough with small, simply-shaped, cookie cutters of your choice and place the pieces on your prepared baking surface, lifting them with a thin offset spatula. (<b><i>Or, alternately,</i></b> roll your dough disk out directly onto the parchment sheet or silicone sheet upon which it will bake, and use a pastry wheel or sharp knife to slice the crackers into rows in both directions.)<br />
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Pierce each unbaked cracker with the tines of a fork; this will help the crackers lay flat and keep their shape as they bake.<br />
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In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the 1 tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush, or even your index finger, to lightly coat each cracker. This egg wash will make the cracker tops nicely shiny and help them to brown. </div>
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Take a pinch of fine sea salt and sprinkle a tiny bit on each cracker (remember, the cheese in the crackers is pretty salty too, so you don't need much added salt). </div>
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Bake the crackers until they're deeply golden on the bottom and on the edges. This might take 12 to 15 minutes or more. If you want to help ensure crispness, turn the oven off when they're done and let the crackers sit in there for another minute or two. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheets, or if the crackers are on parchment, slide that off onto a cooling rack. Keep the cooled crackers in an airtight container.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, just click on the purple </span><i style="font-size: small;">COMMENTS</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-26129180064622921272012-10-31T14:01:00.003-04:002012-10-31T17:35:04.395-04:00Of Muffins and Hurricanes . . . Morning-Glory Muffins (with Carrots, Raisins, & Sunflower Seeds)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made these muffins yesterday morning while listening to <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/news/">NPR</a>'s coverage of Hurricane Sandy's damage. Every time I hear about that kind of storm, or of an earthquake or a massive flood, I thank my lucky stars that we live in Michigan. Here, natural disasters of that magnitude are virtually unheard of. We have the odd tornado now and then, and occasionally a big wild fire in the woodsy Upper Peninsula makes the news. Somehow, though, the Great Lakes have a way of shielding us, and that's comforting to know.<br />
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But, that reality doesn't stop us from worrying about family or friends who live elsewhere when these catastrophes occur. My only sister, for example, lives just a couple of miles from Long Island Sound in southern Connecticut. Despite her calm reassurance when we spoke by phone on Monday morning, as she was preparing to shelter-in-place, I was feeling pretty fretful. She's a tough cookie, and has always been the brave one. I don't think I could have been as calm in her shoes.<br />
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When I talked to her after the storm had passed and heard that she's just fine, I was relieved and grateful. Most of her small town, except for some houses on the beach, escaped the worst effects of the storm. She said everything there is eerily quiet now, and that people are still being asked to just stay inside. And, amazingly, the power is not out in the part of town where she lives.<br />
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Yes, I eventually ceased fretting. But as we know, when the going gets fretful the fretful get baking and it was my fretfulness that prompted the impromptu creation of these satisfying and tasty muffins. Maybe, now, I should call them Grateful Muffins.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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This is one heck of a muffin. Featuring dark-brown sugar and sour cream, it also contains a modest portion of shredded carrots, raisins, and roasted sunflower seeds, along with a little vanilla and cinnamon. It's sort of a morning-glory muffin, but without the entire kitchen-sink profusion of ingredients. Hearty without being hefty. This is an original Jane's Sweets recipe, unadapted from any other source.<br />
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Oh, before I forget . . . what do you think of those white "tulip" muffin papers? I used them for the first time and I really like them. Made of a relatively heavy grease-proof paper, they form a perfect square when unfolded. I like the way the tulip-shaped cup <i>contains</i> the muffin, as if it's in it's own little bag. These muffins all browned remarkably evenly, even on their bottoms--<i>no</i> burning. I've heard that you can bake in these papers without using a muffin pan, that they are that sturdy. I was hesitant to try that, but maybe next time I'll give it a whirl. I ordered some in brown and red as well, all from a company called <a href="http://www.bakersstock.com/">Bakers Stock</a>. Decent prices via this source, and the shipped items were securely packaged. I'd order from them again. (I keep wondering, though, if I could make wrappers like these myself at home, but I really think the paper they're made out of is not typical. It doesn't exactly feel to me like plain parchment or even silicone-coated parchment. I will have to do more investigating on that front.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Brown Sugar & Sour Cream Morning-Glory Muffins, Simplified</b></span><br />
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Yield: About 16 standard size muffins, or about 10-12 larger muffins<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1Q6rHjguBzIYKCU32CfOZMSmZ9t1uQem99tXQMqtDLlU">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour <i>(I whisked the flour a bit in its container before measuring.)</i><br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon salt <i>(I used fine sea salt.)</i><br />
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed <i>(I think dark brown makes a noticeable flavor difference, but use light brown if that's all you have around.)</i><br />
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons canola oil<br />
3/4 cup sour cream<br />
2 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste <i>(I used paste.)</i><br />
1/2 cup well-shredded carrots (lightly packed into the measuring cup)<br />
1/3 cup dark raisins<br />
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds (salted or unsalted, as you prefer)<br />
2 tablespoons of coarse sugar (turbinado or sanding) to sprinkle atop unbaked muffins<br />
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line your muffin pan(s) with paper liners or spray liberally with baking spray.<br />
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In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.<br />
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In another large mixing bowl, stir together the dark brown sugar, canola oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until very well combined. Stir in the carrots, raisins, and sunflower seeds.<br />
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Make a well in the bowl of dry ingredients. Pour all of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until no large streaks of flour remain; a few small streaks are okay. (Avoid over-mixing in order to avoid producing tough muffins.) Portion the batter evenly into the muffin papers/cups. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse sugar atop each unbaked muffin to add sparkle and crunch. (I used turbinado sugar--coarse, natural brown sugar--but you could use white sanding sugar or regular granulated sugar if you like.)<br />
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If you're making larger muffins, bake them for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 and keep baking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, perhaps 10 minutes longer. If you're baking smaller muffins, turn the oven temperature down after no more than ten minutes. If your muffins appear to be browning too quickly on top, lightly cover them with a sheet of foil. Let the baked muffins cool for just a minute in their pan on a rack, then remove them from the pan to cool longer on the rack. (Or eat them warm, with butter!)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple </span><i style="font-size: small;">COMMENTS </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-596120274380083292012-10-26T08:59:00.000-04:002012-10-26T08:59:07.631-04:00Announcing the Winner of the Shabby Apple $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway! (Not too Shabby!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As promised, this morning we are revealing the winner of the Shabby Apple $50 gift certificate. I selected the winner <i>very</i> scientifically. I wrote every name on it's own little piece of paper, stirred them around in a big glass mixing bowl with an old wooden spoon, then I used a pair of tongs to randomly select one name. Seriously, I really did this. Had to make it authentic, right?<br />
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<b>Drum roll please . . . . . and the winner is . . . . TJ-and-Amy! </b>Warmest congratulations to you, TJ-and-Amy! I will email you today at the address included in your comment and provide the details so you can retrieve your prize. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(And, hey, don't forget to check out <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/c-58-boysenberry-pie.aspx">those cute aprons</a>, when you're trying to decide what to get. I just think they're so retro-adorable.)</span><br />
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And thanks so much to all who entered this giveaway. Thank you also to <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/">Shabby Apple</a> for suggesting it in the first place! Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-75297033546707521612012-10-18T13:03:00.001-04:002012-10-26T12:16:11.442-04:00The Marriage of Spicy and Tart: Chewy Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream-Cheese Filling (Plus a Giveaway: Shabby Apple $50 Gift Certicate!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think it's appropriate that these cookies are an enticing blend of tart and spice. Why? Because they seem to fit so well with this giveaway. I'm going to tell you all about the Shabby Apple giveaway first, and after that we'll get into the details of this delectable cookie recipe.<br />
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So, are you familiar at all with <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/">Shabby Apple</a>? It's a retail clothing company, owned and operated by women, that produces clothing--primarily dresses--for women and girls (even extremely little girls). And the clothes are not just pretty, they're also unique. In fact, spicy and tart are perfect words to describe them. Everything from adorable dresses that are <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/c-49-1943.aspx">reminiscent of the 1940s</a>, to <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/c-218-stardust-inn.aspx">retro swimwear</a>, to really cute <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/c-58-boysenberry-pie.aspx">aprons (the apron line is aptly called Boysenberry Pie</a>). Their stuff is blatantly feminine without going overboard. And, speaking of the "F" word<i>, </i>here's an excerpt from the "About us" section of their site:<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"At Shabby Apple, we believe in both femininity and feminism. As feminine women, we create clothing that is artful in design and crafted with a vintage-style flare. Each piece is carefully constructed to both flatter a woman's figure and maintain her mystery. As feminists, we created a company that is women-owned and operated and that donates to help other women start their own businesses. With our old-fashioned style and modern ideals, we believe the best is yet to come!"</span><br />
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I find that business philosophy extremely appealing. You too?<br />
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<i><b>How to enter this giveaway? Here's what you need to do:</b></i><br />
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<b>1)</b> Leave a non-anonymous comment on this post telling me which Shabby Apple item you like best (this will first necessitate a quick visit to <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/?gclid=CNupgozuirMCFcqY4Aod3VIAvw">their site</a>, which I promise you will enjoy), and . . .<br />
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<b>2)</b> Entrants also are asked to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shabby-Apple/56291792791">"like" the Shabby Apple site on Facebook via this link</a><span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">.</span><br />
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Yes, I know, a couple of hoops to jump through, but <i>so</i> worth it for the lucky winner. <i>Check back on the morning of Friday, October 26th. </i>That's when I will announce the winner. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Please note that the winner has to have a delivery address in the U.S.A., per Shabby Apple.) </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Oh, and in the interest of complete disclosure, the answer is </span><i style="font-size: small;">no</i><span style="font-size: x-small;">, I'm not getting anything from this giveaway other than the pleasure of doing it. And, believe me, I don't agree to do giveaways unless I think the company's products offer quality and value, and that they're somehow germane to my blog's readership. We home-bakers all need a new dress or a new apron now and then, don't we? Rhetorical question! </span><br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cookies-Home-Culinary-Institute-America/dp/0470412275">At Home With the Culinary Institute of America: Cookies</a> by Todd Knaster, these cookies are called gingersnaps in the book, but they're soft and chewy--not typical gingersnap traits--because they include more molasses than one would expect. I altered the formula a bit by substituting whole wheat flour for 25 percent of the white flour, and by adding in some chopped crystallized ginger along with the ground ginger. Also, and most importantly, I decided to sandwich them with an ethereal mixture comprised of cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Oh, man.<br />
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Who would ever have thought that ginger and lemon could be so happy together? It's a cookie marriage made in heaven.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chewy Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream-Cheese Filling</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1Krtgu8_I_YpHgQnvwP-dtrQkJLgYIGE_Qe10YJ8786o">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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1 cup (2 sticks or 1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 teaspoon salt (I used fine sea salt)<br />
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 tablespoon baking soda<br />
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger<br />
1 tablespoon crystallized (aka candied) ginger, very well chopped<br />
1 cup molasses (not "robust" molasses)<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
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Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 325 degrees.<br />
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In the large bowl of your mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until it's fluffy and light in color (about 4 minutes).<br />
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In another bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and crystallized ginger.<br />
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In a small saucepan on very low heat and stirring periodically, warm the molasses and water just until the mixture thins out a bit (only up to about 75 degrees; this is just slightly warm).<br />
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On your mixer's lowest speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and the molasses into the creamed mixture, alternating between the two (dry/wet/dry/wet/dry). Stop and scrape every now and then.<br />
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Portion the dough onto your prepared baking sheets <i>(I used a scoop that holds about a tablespoon of dough)</i>, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Wet the palm of your hand with cold water and flatten each cookie slightly. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of white sanding sugar or coarse turbinado sugar <i>(I tried both; the white sugar shows up more after the cookies are baked, but they taste good with either sugar)</i>.<br />
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Bake them for about 12 minutes. Let them cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheets before moving them to a cooling rack. <i>(If you'd like your cookies to be more crisp around the edges, do the following: Preheat your oven to 350; when you put the cookies in the oven, immediately turn the temperature down to 325. Turn off the oven after 12 minutes, but leave the cookies in the oven for 5 more minutes. Then let them cool as usual.)</i><br />
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<b>Ingredients for the filling:</b><br />
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One 8 ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened (1/4 cup or 4 ounces)<br />
1 and 1/4 cups up to 2 cups of confectioners' sugar (whisked or sifted after measuring to break up lumps)<br />
1 teaspoon lemon extract<br />
1 teaspoon lemon zest<br />
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Beat all ingredients, starting with the smaller portion of confectioners' sugar, in a medium size bowl until soft and fluffy. If you'd like your filling thicker and sweeter, add in more sugar. Sandwich about 2 teaspoons of filling between the bottoms of two cooled cookies. Store the cookies covered. Refrigerate any remaining filling.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS </i>just below.)</span><br />
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Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-35363257800088624562012-10-12T16:23:00.000-04:002012-10-12T17:19:50.396-04:00Sweet Potato Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls . . . Let's Hear it for the Surprise Factor!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is a small organic-farm stand in the equally small city where I live. It sits on a wide grassy lot between an old-fashioned ice cream shop and an antique store, on what serves as our town's main street. It's only been here for a few months but I really, really hope it's going to become a permanent seasonal fixture. The beautiful produce it sells comes entirely from Michigan farms, most of it not terribly far from the Detroit area, and everything is <i>so</i> exquisitely fresh. They strive to ensure that the produce they sell has been picked within 24 hours of reaching their stand. The items available on any given day are an eclectic mix, so the selection is kind of unpredictable, and that's one of the things I like most about the place--its surprise factor. You never know exactly what's going to be there or, more importantly, what's not.<br />
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One day this week, I thought I'd check there for basil and, hopefully, sweet potatoes. I'd seen some remarkable purple-and-reddish sweet potatoes there a couple of weeks before, and they were like no potato I had ever laid eyes on in the past. But they didn't have any at all the day I was planning to make these dinner rolls, so I just ended up buying some fragrant Jonagold apples and ripe tomatoes as my consolation prize.<br />
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It's an unequivocal treat to visit this stand, in part because the fruits and vegetables are so artfully arranged without their placement seeming contrived; all emphasis is on the incredibly vivid colors. From dusty crimson beets, to glossy eggplants, to slender carrots with long bushy greens, Peter Rabbit would risk life and limb for this stuff, drop off his loot, and then head back for more. Every time I stop here I wish I had my camera with me. I wonder what they'd do if I just showed up one day and started clicking away like a madwoman.<br />
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After purchasing the apples and tomatoes, I spent a few minutes marveling over the remarkable variety of heirloom pumpkins for sale. I had an intense impulse to take home one of everything. Knowing that it's all so fresh and, even more so, knowing that it's all from Michigan, makes this kind of produce irresistible to me. I think I could give Peter Rabbit a run for his money. We would be partners in crime.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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I ended up using two standard sweet-potatoes from the grocery store. And, as for the surprise factor, I suggest you serve these and see if people can guess their secret ingredient. My hubby, Andy, only needed to give them a few discerning sniffs before coming up with sweet potatoes as the right answer (he's good that way). He <i>loves</i> these rolls.<br />
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I adapted this recipe from <a href="http://www.redstaryeast.com/our-best-recipes/breads-rolls-and-more/pumpkin-pull-apart-pan-rolls">one at the Red Star yeast site ("Pumpkin Pull-Apart Pan Rolls")</a> that called for canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice (I omitted both). I figured a recipe from Red Star <i>had</i> to be good and I was about to give it a whirl, unaltered, when inspiration grabbed me. I thought sweet potatoes would likely make the rolls even better, in part because the addition of potatoes in certain bread-dough recipes seems to reliably have that effect. The rolls I ended up with were extremely good, and they seem to have an impressively long shelf life, staying soft and moist for at least two days. The potato flavor is pretty subtle, giving the rolls just a slight sweetness. This would be an excellent bread item to serve on Thanksgiving. The recipe makes 15 rolls in one 9"x13" pan. I froze about two thirds of the baked rolls after they'd cooled, and I defrosted and warmed a few of those last night in the oven on 250 degrees, wrapped loosely in foil. Served them alongside steaming bowls of white-chicken chili. They felt and tasted like they'd just been baked. This one's a definite keeper.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sweet Potato Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1_vozVFUege5L6K3MvpB6JT33N4k155nZe1qfHn_EmKA">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: 15 rolls (One 9"x13" pan)<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1/2 cup lukewarm water, or more<br />
2 tablespoons milk, no colder than room temperature<br />
1/4 canola oil<br />
1 cup of baked sweet potato (no skin), mashed, and cooled to room temperature<br />
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten<br />
unbleached bread flour, approximately four cups (have more on hand, just in case)<br />
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt (I used coarse kosher salt.)<br />
1/3 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed<br />
2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (or use 1 tablespoon active dry yeast)<br />
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melted butter, 1/4 cup<br />
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In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on the lowest speed, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the salt, brown sugar, and yeast.<br />
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In another bowl, stir together the water, milk, oil, and sweet potato. Pour all of it into the dry ingredients. Beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, and continue beating for about 3 minutes. On lowest speed, slowly add in 1 and 1/2 cups more of the flour. If the dough seems too dry, sprinkle drops of water in a few at a time.<br />
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Use part of the remainder of your measured flour to liberally flour your work surface. Flour your hands. Dump the soft dough out onto the floury surface and knead it for at least 5 minutes; you want it to feel smooth, spongy, and elastic (it should feel tacky but not sticky). Add in additional pinches of flour as needed.<br />
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Grease, or spray with vegetable spray, a large bowl. Place the dough into the bowl, turning it over once to coat it. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap that's also been greased/sprayed; cover that with a thin dish towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for up to two hours, or until almost doubled (whichever comes first). One way of telling when the dough is ready is to gently press a finger into it; if your finger leaves an obvious indentation that does <i>not</i> seem to spring back, the dough is ready to move to the next step. <br />
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Liberally grease a 9" by 13" pan with vegetable shortening.<br />
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Turn the risen dough out onto a very lightly floured surface (it's not a good idea to add much flour into the dough at this point). Have your melted butter close at hand (warm, but not hot). Very lightly flour your hands. Deflate the dough gently but firmly by pressing it with your palms.<br />
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Use a bench knife, or very sharp chef's knife, to divide the dough into three equal parts. Then divide each third into five even pieces (15 pieces total). Cover the pieces with the greased plastic wrap and let them rest, not touching each other, for about 12 minutes.<br />
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Remove the plastic wrap and shape each piece of dough into a ball, being careful to seal any seams on the bottom (if you're not quite sure of the best way to do this, here's a <a href="http://allrecipes.com/howto/forming-dough-rounds/">helpful tutorial that explains how to successfully shape dough into rounds</a>). Dip the top of each dough ball into the butter. Place each buttered ball into the greased pan, in 3 long rows with 5 dough balls in each short row. Space them evenly, but don't worry if a few of them are almost touching. They will bake together in the oven in any case.<br />
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Cover the pan of dough with a piece of sprayed plastic wrap. Lightly cover that with the dish towel and let the dough proof (ie., let it have its final rise) for up to about 90 minutes, or until the dough leaves an impression when pressed with a finger; it won't necessarily looked doubled and that's okay.<br />
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.<br />
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When the dough has risen, bake it on the middle rack of the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Check the rolls after about 18 minutes; if it appears to be browning too quickly, cover the pan loosely with foil. (The inside of the rolls should be about 190 to 200 degrees when they're all done; if you're not sure, poke an instant-read thermometer into one of the biggest rolls in the pan. I routinely do this when I'm not sure if bread is done baking.) They will be quite golden, and dark golden on the bottom.<br />
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Remove them from the pan and let them cool on a rack. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS </i>below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-45396097596971837432012-10-06T19:03:00.000-04:002012-10-06T19:08:04.270-04:00Apple-Cinnamon Sweet Bread with Dried Cherries . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The inclination to make some sort of baked good that's braided, twisted, or otherwise twirled this way and that, hits me at least once a year and it struck again this week.<br />
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Isn't it funny how the shape of a food can influence one's perception of how good it might taste, how exotic its origin, or how challenging it might be to prepare? There's something special about curvy food. We become literally entangled in its aura.<br />
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The way it meanders hither and yon, curling and whirling wherever the recipe takes it. The presence of figure-8 curves lends a certain spontaneity, a sense of adventure, a bit of mystery that normal food doesn't possess.<br />
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Heck, what say we just go completely off the rails here and declare it's all a metaphor for life?<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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Adapted from a <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/cinnamon-apple-twist-bread-recipe">King Arthur Flour formula </a>(I seem to be in a King Arthur phase lately, don't I?), this apple-cinnamon bread likes to masquerade as something complicated. But don't be fooled, because this dough is much less labor intensive and far less rich than a <a href="http://www.joepastry.com/2008/how-to-laminate-dough/">laminated dough</a>, the kind that has tons of butter rolled into it--think Danish-pastry or puff-pastry.<br />
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I decided to add some chopped dried cherries (yes, from Michigan, in case you were wondering) to the apple filling. I think the cherries were a nice addition in terms of flavor and color; I also increased the cinnamon, and used a little fresh-ground nutmeg. You might consider using dried cranberries or raisins if you don't have cherries. I used about four small Gala apples that happened to be very sweet and crispy, but use whatever apple variety you prefer. <br />
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This bread isn't scary to make (I did it by hand; no mixer needed unless you want to use one), though it does take some time from start to finish, what with about four hours of rising time in total (I started it at about 9 a.m. yesterday morning, proceeded in a halfway-leisurely fashion, and took it out of the oven around 2:15 p.m.). Once baked, it is best when very fresh. Since it makes two large loaves, I immediately froze the second one shortly after it was cooled and the drizzled glaze had had a chance to dry. Sliced up, you'll get many servings out of this recipe.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Apple-Cinnamon Sweet Bread with Dried Cherries</span><br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1W3iByG33M2kL4dhmoV1MRLkXsU0gXK_W8m1gInK6aUM">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: Two large loaves (approximately 16 slices per loaf)<br />
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<b>Ingredients for the dough:</b><br />
3 and 1/4 cups pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour <i>(I used pastry flour.) </i><br />
1/4 cup dried potato flakes (mashed-potato flakes) or potato flour <i>(I used Hungry Jack brand dehydrated potato flakes.)</i><br />
3 tablespoons granulated sugar<br />
1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast<br />
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt <i>(I used coarse kosher salt.)</i><br />
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 large egg, lightly beaten<br />
1 cup milk <i>(I used 2 percent, and warmed it to room temperature.)</i><br />
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<b>Ingredients for the filling:</b><br />
1/2 granulated sugar<br />
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour <i>(Or, KAF suggests you use Instant ClearJel; I used flour.)</i><br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1 cup apple that's been peeled and grated <i>(I needed four small Gala apples.)</i><br />
3 tablespoons dried cherries, chopped small<br />
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice<br />
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<b>Ingredients for the glaze:</b><br />
2 cups confectioners' sugar<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
3 to 4 tablespoons cream, half and half, or milk <i>(I used half and half.)</i><br />
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<b>To make the dough:</b><br />
In a large bowl, whisk together thoroughly all of the dry ingredients, making sure there are no clumps.<br />
Add in the butter, vanilla, lightly beaten egg, and milk. Stir with a spoon or fork until the dough looks quite shaggy. Let the dough sit in the bowl, uncovered, for half an hour (per <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/cinnamon-apple-twist-bread-recipe">KAF</a>, this will give the flour time to absorb liquid, thus making the dough easier to knead).<br />
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Onto a well-floured surface, dump out your dough. Flour your hands liberally, and knead the dough for about ten minutes. If your dough feels too dry, sprinkle it with drops of water; too wet, use more flour on your kneading surface.<br />
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The dough, once ready, should be springy, smooth, and elastic. Place it into a large, clean bowl, that's been oiled or sprayed with vegetable spray (I used the latter). Cover the top of the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap that's also been sprayed, and then cover that lightly with a thin dish towel.<br />
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Let the dough rise in a draft-free spot until just about doubled; this may take 90 minutes to 2 hours. (The longer the rise, the better the final flavor of the baked bread, so longer is often better.)<br />
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While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.<br />
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<b>To make the filling:</b><br />
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Put the grated apple and chopped dried cherries into a medium bowl and toss them with the lemon juice; sprinkle the dry ingredients over the fruit and stir thoroughly. Set aside.<br />
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<b>To roll out, fill, and shape the dough:</b><br />
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Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Deflate the dough gently by folding it over a couple of times. Cut it in half. Dust your surface again, lightly, with flour. Working on one piece at a time, roll the first half of dough into a rectangle that's 10" by 12".<br />
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Spoon half of the filling onto the rectangle and spread it all around, leaving an uncovered border of about 1/2" around the edge.<br />
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Beginning with the longest side of the dough, roll the dough up into a log.<br />
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Seal the long seam tightly by pinching it closed with your fingertips, and seal the ends as well. Now do the exact same thing with the second piece of dough.<br />
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Use a sharp pastry wheel (aka pizza cutter/wheel) or chef's knife to slit each log from top to bottom, length-wise.<br />
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Now, do this for each split log (so you end up with two loaves): Place two lengths of dough filled-side up, side by side on a piece of parchment set over a baking sheet <i>(I forgot to put my first log, the guy on the left, onto parchment and had to transfer it after it was twisted--yikes!)</i>. Keeping the filling-side up, twist the two lengths together, working from the center out to each end. Pinch the dough at the ends together so they won't come apart while baking.<br />
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Cover the two loaves loosely with sprayed plastic wrap, and cover that lightly with a dish towel.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let the loaves rise again until almost doubled, up to 2 hours.<br />
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Bake the loaves in the middle of your oven for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. They should be lightly golden on top and darker golden on the bottom. Peek at them after about 20 minutes, and cover the loaves lightly with foil if they appear to be browning too fast.<br />
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Let the baked loaves cool on a rack and glaze them when they're no longer warm.<br />
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<b>To make the glaze:</b><br />
In a medium bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and milk/cream until the glaze is the consistency you prefer. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaves. (If you like, sprinkle a few pinches of sanding sugar over that to add a little sparkle, while the glaze is still kind of wet.) Once the glaze has dried, you may wrap the loaves now if you are going to freeze them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-62252975277110399762012-09-30T16:00:00.001-04:002012-09-30T16:00:59.507-04:00Pumpkin Scones with Do-it-Yourself Cinnamon Chips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ahh, yes, cinnamon chips. They were one of those newish ingredients I was loathe to try when they first appeared in the grocery store a couple of years ago, because they just sounded too fake to me. I envisioned little waxy textured, synthetically-flavored dots of hardened goo. It wasn't hard to tamp down what was a very moderate curiosity to begin with. I passed them by in the market week after week. No backward glance. Something--I knew not what--would have to legitimize cinnamon chips before I would trade cold hard cash to procure them.<br />
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And then, about a year and a half ago, I discovered King Arthur Flour's <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/cinnamon-mini-baking-chips-16-oz">mini-cinnamon chips</a>--better in quality than what I'd seen at the grocery store, no doubt. I bought a small bag, tested them out in a recipe, and found they were actually pretty darn good. So good, in fact, that I was miffed to realize I was completely out of them when I began assembling my ingredients to make these pumpkin scones the other day. Not a single King Arthur cinnamon chip to be found on the premises. My choices? Use something besides cinnamon chips in the scones (mini chocolate chips? chopped candied ginger? chopped pecans or walnuts? raisins?); leave them plain (still good, but boring); or take a stab at making my own quick-and-easy chips at home. I picked the Do-It-Yourself option.<br />
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I had a sizable chunk of Callebaut white chocolate on hand, so I cut off a modest wedge, melted it slowly and carefully in the microwave, mixed in a scant teaspoon of ground cinnamon, spread the mixture thinly onto a piece of plastic wrap, sprinkled more cinnamon over that, laid another piece of plastic wrap over that, and slid it into the freezer for less than five minutes. Once rigid as a board, I broke the cinnamon-chips-to-be into a zillion tiny pieces, added them into my scone batter, and <i>voila!</i> Homemade cinnamon chips in homemade pumpkin scones. Sensational.<br />
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What, I ask you,<i></i> is autumn without a nice warm batch of pumpkin scones cooling on the kitchen table? I dare not think.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b><br />
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Adapted from a King Arthur recipe aptly titled <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/harvest-pumpkin-scones-recipe">Harvest Pumpkin Scones</a>, I made only a couple of small changes to the formula. I used a little more pumpkin than called for, along with a smidgen of 1/2 and 1/2; my dough, otherwise, would have been extremely dry. I also reduced the amount of allspice by half. I used homemade cinnamon chips, and I reworded the recipe to reflect my actual steps. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pumpkin Scones with Do-it-Yourself Cinnamon Chips</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1ijpENsbfy9Wz5LAceLYoVxfOTQMZovnZhMccEBKJ6fg">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: 8 large scones.<br />
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No mixer needed for this recipe (yay!). <br />
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<b>Ingredients for the homemade cinnamon chips: </b><br />
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3 oz. of good quality white chocolate, or white chocolate chips<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
and <br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon <br />
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<b>Ingredients for the scone dough:</b><br />
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2 and 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt<br />
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon <br />
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I use fresh grated, and buy the whole nutmeg at a Penzey's spice store.) <br />
1/8 teaspoon allspice<br />
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks<br />
3/4 cup canned pumpkin<br />
1 tablespoon 1/2 &1/2 (or use milk) <br />
2 eggs, large<br />
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A few tablespoons coarse white sugar (aka sanding sugar) to sprinkle on the scones before baking<br />
2 tablespoons of 1/2 &1/2 or milk<br />
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<b>To make the cinnamon chips:</b><br />
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Melt the white chocolate slowly and carefully in your microwave, or melt it in a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water on the stove. If you do it on the stove, be sure no water at all gets into the bowl with the white chocolate.<b> </b>Stir the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon into the melted white chocolate thoroughly.<b> </b>Spread out a small sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface. While the chocolate is still very warm, spread it out thinly on the plastic wrap using a spatula or bowl scraper. Sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon over that. Cover it with another sheet of plastic wrap. Put it in the freezer for five minutes. Take it out when it's stiff as a board. Break it up into mini-chip-size pieces.<br />
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<b>To make the scone dough: </b><br />
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Whisk together, in a large mixing bowl, the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.<br />
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Using a pastry blender, a fork, or even your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. It's fine if some small lumps remain. Toss all of the homemade cinnamon chips in and stir to combine.<br />
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In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and canned pumpkin. Pour all of this into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until it comes together into a solid dough.<br />
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and pat it into a ball. <br />
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Press the dough with your hands into a large circle, at least 10 inches in diameter and 3/4" thick. Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel, cut the circle, pie-style, into 8 even triangles. Lay the triangles on a parchment covered baking sheet. <i>I bake my scones so they're not sitting right next to each other, and they have a chance get golden brown all over; you may also choose to bake them about 1/2" apart from each other so they'll end up slightly attached and less crispy on the sides.</i> Brush the tops of each one with half and half, and sprinkle generously with coarse/sanding sugar or regular granulated sugar (coarse sugar will be more sparkly, once baked).<br />
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Now put the scones, still on the baking sheet, into the freezer for about 20 minutes. <i>(This step is a recommendation from KAF, and I think it really does seem to add to the scones' oven spring. They puff up nicely.)</i><br />
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Bake the scones for at least 20 minutes. They are done when they're golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out completely clean. Serve them warm or cold. Best the first day, but still pretty good the second!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click the purple </span><i style="font-size: small;">COMMENTS</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-77350280588727728482012-09-17T10:04:00.000-04:002012-09-17T15:18:08.317-04:00Apple Cinnamon Blondies . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past weekend, my husband and I went out for dinner with two close friends we've known for years and with whom we always have a predictably great time. We enjoyed a fun and <i>very</i> noisy evening at an old <a href="http://www.jacobysdetroit.com/">German biergarten</a> in downtown Detroit, the kind of place with a menu featuring wienerschnitzel, sauerkraut, and spatzle. It was louder than heck in there and, like every other customer present, we had to shout at the top of our lungs to be heard. We laughed a lot, and stayed just until the din became slightly too outrageous to tolerate.<br />
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But the night was still young so we journeyed back to the northern suburbs, to a <a href="http://www.sweetlorraines.com/home.html">nice little place</a> near my house that always has reliably interesting desserts, good coffee, and better than average service. It's one of those restaurants where the waiter brings a display of desserts to your table on a big tray and describes each one for you in detail. The offering of sweets varies, as you would expect, from season to season and from week to week. Several of the selections presented to us were perfectly expressive of autumn.<br />
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There was a dressed-up variation on the traditional apple brown betty, involving a slice of warm spicy cake topped with apples, walnuts, and cinnamon ice cream; a "Scotch" cake of some sort that was served in a big square hunk, very warm, placed over a glossy golden sauce; and a cheesecake drizzled simply with caramel. My hubby ordered the Scotch cake. I opted for the apple brown betty, and about one bite into it I began to feel that familiar urge to rake leaves, carve a pumpkin, and get busy baking with tangy red apples in my own kitchen. Of course, it's still too early to engage in the first two activities but, luckily, <i>not</i> too early to bake with Michigan apples--those wonderful, crunchy, beautifully sun-dappled apples. Never get tired of 'em. Can't help loving 'em.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
<br />
Quick and simple, these apple cinnamon blondies are a nice alternative to regular blondies or brownies. They're not too heavy, not too gooey, and not overly sweet. They'll satisfy your craving for an apple lover's treat without going overboard. These blondies got a big thumbs-up from my youngest son.<br />
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I adapted this recipe from another original blondie recipe of mine (Cream Cheese Blondies with Milk and Dark Chocolate Chips and Honey Roasted Almonds) that I posted in 2009, and which can be found <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2009/08/cream-cheese-blondies-with-milk-and.html">here.</a><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Apple Cinnamon Blondies</b><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=104cVFoYpMApqj6x7XAOnM9t430cDN6cgjRO6WycXkvo">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: One 9" by 13" pan; about 24 servings<br />
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Line a 9"x13" pan with parchment paper; let the paper overhang the sides by a couple of inches so you can use it to lift the cooled blondies from the pan. (If you then spray the parchment with vegetable spray you'll have no trouble whatsoever getting them out of the pan intact.)<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
3 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
2 cups of dark brown sugar, firmly packed<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1 and 1/4 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or 1 and 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract)<br />
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon salt (I used coarse kosher salt.)<br />
1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
1 tart, firm medium-sized apple; peeled and chopped into very small pieces ( about 1/4" square)<br />
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice<br />
1 tablespoon granulated sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
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In a medium size bowl, lightly whisk together the flour, salt, and cinnamon.<br />
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In a small bowl, toss the apple bits with the lemon juice.<br />
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In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium-low speed, cream the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar until very well blended and smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla bean paste, beating on medium speed until well combined and smooth.<br />
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Gradually add in the flour mixture on the lowest speed, beating just until blended. Add in the apple pieces, beating just until evenly combined.<br />
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Use a small offset metal-spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Mix together the 1 tablespoon granulated sugar with the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle it all over the batter.<br />
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Bake the blondies for about 25 minutes, until they start to look lightly golden brown and a finger pressed lightly on the top of the blondies doesn't leave an impression. Let them cool in their pan, placed on a cooling rack, for at least twenty minutes before trying to lift them out by the parchment handles. Cut them with a really sharp knife. Store them well covered and they'll be good for a couple of days.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple </span><i style="font-size: small;">COMMENTS</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-62533427867291911692012-09-07T20:52:00.002-04:002012-09-07T21:30:23.403-04:00Pumpkin Yeast Bread . . . with Autumn Spices & Raisins <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7fGzI3ehJ0U/UEn6zpzRibI/AAAAAAABqP8/V24fOXdOma0/s1600/IMG_0382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7fGzI3ehJ0U/UEn6zpzRibI/AAAAAAABqP8/V24fOXdOma0/s400/IMG_0382.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
You bake all the time, right? So maybe you've experienced this phenomenon and, if so, I'll bet it's absolutely warmed your apron strings as much as it has mine. You're wandering the aisles of a grocery store or bakery, sitting in a restaurant, or maybe even scanning the treats at a bake sale, and someone in your family--a kid, a spouse, a sibling--looks at you and pointedly remarks, "I realize I've become a real snob about cookies/cakes/bread/pastries because the stuff you make at home is so much better than anything I can buy."<br />
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In response, you just smile and murmur humbly, "Oh thanks, that's really nice of you to say." In your head, though, you're raising your fists in triumph and shouting, "<i>Yes!</i> Now <i>that's</i> what I want to hear!"<br />
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It's just the best kind of compliment for a home-baker to receive, don't you think? I never get tired of hearing that.<br />
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</i> <i>Let's make snobs of 'em all. </i>Surreptitiously, of course.<i> </i>Are you with me?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>About this recipe . . . </b><br />
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Adapted from a <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pumpkin-yeast-bread-recipe">King Arthur Flour recipe</a>, I didn't veer far from the original formula but did make a few minor adjustments. Instead of using ground ginger and cardamom, I omitted the cardamom altogether and used finely diced candied ginger. I added in a freshly grated nutmeg, a pinch of ground cloves, and I increased the amount of cinnamon. Also, I decided to toss in dark raisins near the end of the main mixing cycle and, once baked, I drizzled a thin white icing atop one of my loaves while it was still slightly warm, leaving the other one plain.<br />
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This recipe makes a very sticky dough that cries out for more flour than King Arthur indicates, an all too common scenario that will test any baker's powers of restraint. The more flour you add in, the less soft and tender the loaf will probably turn out to be, but the less flour you use the messier and less cooperative the process promises to be from start to finish. Without going overboard, I added in just enough extra flour to make the dough workable once it reached the stage where I wanted to knead it by hand, out of the mixer bowl. So just use your own judgment and, in this case, remember that softer dough equals softer bread.<br />
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This fragrant yeast bread is slightly sweet. Great eaten plain when extremely fresh, or toasted and buttered in the days following. While it's baking, your house will smell like a cozy autumn afternoon, lightly spiced. I wouldn't hesitate to make this again.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pumpkin Yeast Bread . . . with Autumn Spices &Raisins</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1AY0cjPR7erBMiqyx0d9TIWUsyZfFyXd_cEf-2aBr4zw">(For a printable copy of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: Two generous standard size loaves<br />
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<b>Ingredients for the bread:</b><br />
1/2 cup warm water<br />
1 and 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (I used instant, but if you want to use active dry instead, use two standard size packages and proof it in the warm water.)<br />
2/3 cup warm milk (I used 2 percent, and warmed it slightly in the microwave.)<br />
2 large eggs, well beaten with a fork<br />
1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin (I used canned pumpkin.)<br />
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola oil.)<br />
6 and 1/2 to 7 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I gently whisked it before measuring.)<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar.)<br />
1 cup dark raisins<br />
2 teaspoon salt (I used sea salt.)<br />
1 tablespoon finely chopped candied ginger<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used freshly grated.)<br />
1 pinch ground cloves<br />
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter (to melt and brush onto the top of the just-baked loaves)<br />
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<b>For the glaze:</b><br />
About 2 cups confectioner's sugar<br />
About 2 to 4 tablespoons water or milk<br />
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<b>To make the bread:</b><br />
Generously grease two standard size loaf pans and set them aside.<br />
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In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on lowest speed, mix together 4 and 1/2 cups of the flour, along with the yeast, brown sugar, salt, and spices. Add in the water, milk, eggs, pumpkin, and oil. On medium speed, mix for two minutes. Scrape the bowl and beaters and sprinkle in all of the raisins; mix them in on low speed.<br />
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Add in the rest of the flour gradually, still on low speed. Switch to the dough hook and knead on lowest speed for about three minutes, or dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for several minutes by hand, until the dough is smooth and elastic.<br />
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Put the dough into a greased (or oiled/sprayed) bowl and turn it so it's coated all over. Cover the bowl tightly with a greased piece of plastic wrap, and cover that with a dish towel. Place the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise until it's doubled, about one hour.<br />
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Dump the risen dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface. Deflate the dough gently by pressing on it, then cut it into two equal portions with a bench knife or a sharp chef's knife. Round each portion, then cover them both with greased plastic wrap; let the dough rest like this for about 10-15 minutes.<br />
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Uncover the pieces of rested dough, and form each one into a loaf shape, being careful to tightly pinch closed all seams. Place the dough into the pans, cover them with greased plastic wrap and place them in a warm spot.<br />
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Let them rise until <i>almost</i> doubled, about half an hour or so (the dough should rise just above the top of the pan). Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.<br />
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Before putting the risen loaves into the hot oven, mist the tops well with water (or, dampen your hands with water and gently pat the water onto the loaves). Open the oven door and squirt your mister into it a few times quickly (aim away from the oven light). Put the pans in the oven on the middle shelf. Bake for at least fifteen or twenty minutes before you open the oven again to peek at the loaves. At that point, if they appear to be browning too quickly, lay a piece of foil over them lightly. Bake for about 30 minutes total, or until a stem thermometer poked deeply into the bottom of the loaves reads at least 190 degrees. They should be deeply golden brown.<br />
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Remove them from the pans immediately and put them on a cooling rack. Melt about three tablespoons of unsalted butter, and brush it generously over the warm loaves; it will quickly soak in.<br />
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<b>To make the glaze:</b><br />
In a medium bowl, stir together the confectioner's sugar and water/milk until it's completely smooth; add in more liquid or sugar, a little at a time, until it's the consistency you prefer. Drizzle the glaze over the baked loaves, waiting until they're no longer hot or the glaze will melt right off. (If you prefer, you could add a few drops of vanilla extract or almond extract in for added flavor, or even a pinch of ground cinnamon.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-90805892633599108242012-08-22T13:01:00.000-04:002012-08-22T13:01:24.327-04:00Coconut Layer Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling . . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Is it really almost September? <i>Really? </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I guess it must be true. My kids are behaving as if they're straddling the border between two very different countries--one's called Summer, the other's called School. Nathan, my just-turned-sixteen-year old, has been getting up early to attend marching band practice this week. It's an all-day affair, and despite the need to haul himself out of bed at the crack of dawn, he still has that unquenchable teenage urge to stay up late <i>every</i> night<i>. What's a mom to do? </i>Remember when your kids were about three and a half and they finally gave up taking regular naps? In your chagrin you realized how helpless you were to change that. The nice quiet break, that reliable daily respite, was a thing of the past. I was reminded of this while pondering the staying-up-super-late issue. <i>Sigh. </i>You can lead a teenager to a comfy bed (well, you can try, anyway), but you cannot make him sleep.<br />
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Meanwhile, Charlie, my 19-year-old, is psyching up for his sophomore year in college. He's looking forward to being back in Michigan this time around. Last year, as you may recall, he ventured south to Columbus to experience life as an Ohio State buckeye. (Remember those <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2011/09/buckeye-chocolate-chip-cookie-cups-and.html">buckeye cookie cups</a> I made in honor of the event? Those babies were so good.) He had a busy year, without a doubt. Joined the OSU men's crew team, made lots of new friends, and generally loved the place, but ultimately decided that it wasn't the best fit for someone whose heart belongs to the mitten-shaped state, so over the summer he transferred to a university in Kalamazoo (yes, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFv_PoZ2iP0"><i>that</i> Kalamazoo</a>). It's pretty nice to know he's back in mitten land.<br />
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In any event, I think this Summer vs. School nether world has me feeling a little edgy and when I get edgy, I tend to bake. Yes. Bake. What a surprise.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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This sort-of-white cake recipe was adapted from <a href="http://www.whisk-kid.com/2009/08/say-it-with-cake.html">this post at Whisk Kid</a>; that's the adorable blog that started the rainbow-cake craze. I reduced, and slightly modified, the rainbow cake's base recipe (and obviously left out all food coloring!) to make just two 9" layers, adding in a little coconut milk in exchange for some of the regular milk. It's a very easy cake to put together, and this was a good opportunity--between the cake and the buttercream--to use up most of the egg whites I had in my freezer. I freeze whites in Ziploc sandwich bags, and I use black permanent marker to mark on the bags how many whites each one contains, along with the date I froze them. Fresh-frozen egg whites are still completely usable in baking even months after their freeze date. I love that!<br />
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The Swiss meringue buttercream frosting recipe that I used is from <a href="http://sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/">Sweetapolita</a>, baking blog extraordinaire of the endlessly talented <a href="http://sweetapolita.com/about/">Rosie Alyea</a>. I changed nothing in her recipe, except to add in a few drops of <a href="https://www.lorannoils.com/p-8325-coconut-flavor.aspx">Lorann coconut oil for flavoring</a> towards the end of the mixing process to about six cups of the total batch. Because the credit for this frosting is definitely Rosie's, I have just included a link directly to the post where that recipe appears within her blog; it's accompanied by many helpful photos and her invaluable advice (I highly recommend you check it out, especially if you are new to making meringue buttercream). Be aware that her recipe makes about 15 cups of frosting, enough for a couple of tall layer cakes, at least. I made the whole huge batch and, in one big bowl, it was a fluffy sight to see. I froze the extra frosting for future use.<br />
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The chocolate ganache is <i>so</i> simple it almost doesn't require a formal recipe--two delectable ingredients are all you'll need.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Coconut Layer Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache Filling</span></b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1PYiZ_sC97fUv98BiuYL4E9GU6QGT3w691CamwXUJBhE">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a></span></i><br />
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<b>Yield: One two-layer 9" round cake</b><br />
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<b>Ingredients for the cake layers:</b><br />
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1 stick and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar<br />
4 large egg whites<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 scant teaspoon salt <i>(I used fine sea salt.)</i><br />
2/3 cup milk, at room temperature <i>(I used 2 percent.)</i><br />
1/3 cup coconut milk, at room temperature <i>(I used Thai Kitchen brand.)</i><br />
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<b>To make the cake layers:</b><br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease, or use baking spray on, two 9" round cake pans (I used the latter, generously). Line the bottom of the pans with rounds of parchment. Grease the parchment and flour the bottom and sides of the pan, or spray the parchment with baking spray. <br />
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In a medium size bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.<br />
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Stir together the milk and coconut milk in a small bowl. Set aside.<br />
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In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until very light in color and fluffy. Pour in the egg whites gradually, mixing until they're completely combined, and stop to scrape as needed. Mix in the vanilla.<br />
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On the lowest speed, add in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and coconut milk, starting and ending with the dry (three portions of dry, and two portions of liquid). Beat only until the batter looks completely mixed.<br />
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Divide the batter equally into the two prepared pans, and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top of the cakes no longer look wet and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans on cooling racks for about five minutes then run a thin knife or metal spatula around the edges of the cakes, and invert the cakes out of their pans and onto racks to finish cooling. Peel off the parchment, slowly and carefully, while the cakes are still warm.<br />
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<b>To make the chocolate ganache: </b><br />
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6 ounces good quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces<br />
6 ounces heavy cream<br />
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Put the chopped chocolate into a bowl. In a small saucepan, gently heat the cream until it's hot but not boiling. Pour the cream into the bowl, over the chocolate. Let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes, then gently stir the cream completely into the chocolate. The ganache should look smooth and silky. Let it cool to room temperature, when it will be ready to use as a filling between the cooled cake layers. Don't cover it until it's at room temperature or cooler.<br />
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<b>To make the Swiss meringue buttercream:</b><br />
For the <a href="http://sweetapolita.com/2011/04/swiss-meringue-buttercream-demystified/">Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe that I used, please visit this link at Sweetapolita</a> for detailed step-by-step instructions in her excellent post, <i>Swiss Meringue Buttercream Demystified. Please note that I added in several drops--to taste--of Lorann coconut oil flavoring. You could also use coconut extract/flavoring if you like, or omit the flavoring/oil altogether and just go with vanilla. Her recipe as written makes a very big batch; you will need perhaps one third of the batch to frost a standard size two-layer cake.</i><br />
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<b>To assemble and frost the cake, you'll need:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
2 cake layers<br />
At least one cup of the ganache<br />
At least five cups of the buttercream<br />
1 and 1/2 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut<br />
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Place one cake layer upside down onto a cardboard/cake-board or onto the plate it will be served from. Spread a generous layer of room-temperature ganache on top. Add the second cake layer, placing its flattest surface facing up. Spread about a cup or so of buttercream on the top, and frost a generous layer on the sides. Because the cake will be covered with sweetened coconut, it's not really necessary to try and make the surface or sides of the cake completely smooth. To add the coconut, hold your cake, on its board/plate over a baking sheet. Gently press handfuls of coconut into the sides as you turn the cake until it's completely covered, and then sprinkle more on the top. Scoop up any coconut that falls onto the baking sheet and scatter it on as well.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-17779948062007136412012-08-12T16:10:00.000-04:002012-08-12T21:18:20.767-04:00Choffee Chip Chunk Ice Cream . . . (Coffee Ice Cream with Chunks of Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let's have a show of hands. Of all you folks out there, who among you likes ice cream, likes coffee, and<i> </i>also likes<i> </i>chocolate chip cookies? Please keep 'em up while I count . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . um . . . . . . . . . . okay . . . still counting . . . . . . still counting . . . whew . . . lots of hands . . .<br />
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Just as I thought. You can put your hands down. I'm gonna go ahead and round the total up to about a zillion people or we'll be here all day. Clearly, the vast majority of us are of the same mind on this issue. After all, what's not to like?<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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If you are a fan of that flavor trio, you'll <i>love</i> this. Adapted from the formula for Black Coffee Ice Cream in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jenis-Splendid-Ice-Creams-Home/dp/157965436">Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home</a>, a compact book by Jeni Britton Bauer (that I first mentioned to you in <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2012/06/vanilla-mascarpone-ice-cream-with-sweet.html">this post,</a> on vanilla mascarpone ice cream with roasted cherries, several weeks ago), this is another recipe that's too good to ignore. Expect an absolute premium result, and prepare to experience superb creaminess.<br />
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As for the cookie chunks, I recommend using <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2009/05/fail-safe-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">this fail-safe chocolate chip cookie recipe</a>, using all milk chocolate chips/chunks instead of an assortment of chocolate. I suggest baking the cookies slightly longer than normal, so they'll be crispier and will easily break into small pieces. You'll need about eight, thin 3" cookies to add into the ice cream. This is an excellent chocolate chip cookie recipe for any purpose, and one that I've made dozens of times over the years. (My kids are crazy-cuckoo-nuts for these cookies.)<br />
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So, love coffee? Love ice cream? Love chocolate chip cookies? <i>Yes?</i> Then it's settled. You've got to try this. That's all there is to it.<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Choffee Chip Chunk Ice Cream (Coffee Ice Cream </b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>with Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie Chunks)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=10UpqOBqZ5dbaNnYopaXU2RLQ4WM7FQWVYtz6uhK4gNs">(For a printable copy of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: Slightly less than one quart<br />
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2 and 1/2 cups whole milk <i>(I didn't have whole milk, so I used 2 cups 2 percent milk, and 1/2 cup half & half instead.)</i><br />
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons cornstarch<br />
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) cream cheese, softened <i>(I used Philadelphia brand.)</i><br />
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt<br />
1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream<br />
3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
3 tablespoons light corn syrup<br />
1/4 cup of coffee beans, ground coarsely <i>(I used French roast beans.)</i><br />
About 8 thin and crispy milk-chocolate chip cookies, approximately 3" in diameter,<br />
broken into small pieces and frozen<br />
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In a very small bowl, stir together two tablespoons of milk with all of the cornstarch until smooth (this is the "slurry").<br />
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In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and the salt. Set aside.<br />
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Fit a piece of cheesecloth into a strainer and place that atop a medium size bowl (this will be used to strain the coffee-bean particles out of the still-in-process hot liquid). Set aside.<br />
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Fill a large bowl about halfway with ice cubes and cold water. Set aside. Place a large, clean Ziploc bag, opened and ready, near the bowl (you'll pour the finished hot liquid into it, then place the closed bag into the ice water to cool).<br />
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In a large saucepan, combine the rest of the milk, the heavy cream, sugar, and corn syrup. Over medium high heat bring the mixture to a steady low boil. Boil for four minutes. Take the pan off the burner and pour in the ground coffee beans. Let it steep for five minutes. Pour the liquid through the cheesecloth-lined strainer into the medium bowl. Squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the beans, wrapped in the cheesecloth, then discard the beans and cloth.<br />
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Pour the liquid back into the saucepan and whisk the cornstarch in slowly. Return the liquid to a boil over medium high heat and cook just until it's slightly thickened, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and sides with a heat-proof spatula. Take the pan off the heat.<br />
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Slowly pour the hot liquid into the bowl with the cream cheese and salt, whisking as you do so until it looks quite smooth.<br />
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Pour all of this into the Ziploc bag, zip it closed tightly, and place that into the bowl of ice water for about half an hour or until decidedly cold, adding more ice to the bowl as needed.<br />
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Remove your frozen cookie pieces from the freezer. Have the container into which you will put your churned ice cream close at hand. Following the manufacturer's directions for your own ice cream freezer, churn the ice cream until it thickens. (I use the ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid mixer and usually need to churn ice cream for about 20 minutes or longer.)<br />
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Quickly layer the churned ice cream into its container along with the broken cookie pieces; don't stir the cookies in, just sprinkle them over the ice cream more or less evenly, remembering to sprinkle some atop the last layer. <br />
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Seal your container well, and freeze your ice cream until very firm (I let it freeze for about 16 hours before trying it, but you don't have to wait that long!). Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple <i>COMMENTS</i> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-1367906635734265092012-08-05T20:24:00.000-04:002012-08-07T20:45:23.285-04:00Big-Top Nectarine Muffins . . . with Salted Marcona Almonds and Turbinado Sugar: Get Under the Big Top!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over 25 years ago I landed my first real job at a publishing company in downtown Detroit. It was an interesting place, filled with smart, witty, and sometimes eccentric people, most of whom were recently graduated English majors like me. As entry-level research/editorial workers we had much in common--an insatiable love for reading, a constant yen to discuss books and authors, and the fact that we were all pathetically underpaid.<br />
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Despite our paltry wages, we did have unique company benefits. For example, employees could get free copies of any book they worked on and, typically, each person had a hand in several books each year, so that was potentially a lot of books. Since our names appeared on the credits page of each such book, that was a nice perk. In those early days, it was a thrill to open up a spanking new volume and show parents or friends your name in print. Another benefit was a policy requiring us to take rigidly scheduled breaks twice a day. <i>Mandatory</i> breaks. Just like recess in elementary school, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. A cute idea, at least in theory. You weren't supposed to work through a break, even if you were smack in the middle of a meeting or an involved task. That was the rule.<br />
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The break allowed enough time for a cup of coffee and chit-chat, but not much else. That, however, rarely deterred the famished among us from trekking out of our <a href="http://www.penobscotbuilding.com/history.html">historic high-rise</a> and heading down West Fort Street in search of nourishment. We'd dash half a block and duck into Britt's Cafe, a cafeteria/bakery that was bizarrely sequestered in the back of a high-end office supply store. (I know I reminisced here about <a href="http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2010/01/honey-lemon-oat-scones.html">Britt's once before,</a> but please indulge me as I simply must do it again.) A best-kept-secret kind of place, Britt's produced fabulous baked goods, along with fantastic sandwiches, soups, and salads. Their roughly-constructed scones were to die for, and their fresh muffins sported the most colossal tops I'd <i>ever</i> seen. Once pulled from the oven, the muffins were cut apart and hoisted out of the pans. They were hearty, deeply golden, and packed with chunks of ripe fruit, toasted nuts, tangy dried berries. Sprinkled with coarse sugar, each was a glittering spectacle, a muffin-meal in and of itself. Well worth the risk of making it back to work a few minutes late.<br />
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I was reminded of Britt's muffins as I made these yesterday morning. My batter was really thick, there was a lot of it, and I wondered for a moment if I'd need two 12-cup pans versus just one. As I greased the cups with a pastry brush, I decided it would be fun to engineer a similar top-heavy result. I loaded the cups with batter, rounding them above capacity with my ice cream scoop, dusted the tops with nuts and sugar, then slid them into the oven.<br />
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These big-tops are in honor of Britt's, a great Detroit food spot that no longer exists but, happily, still persists in memory.<br />
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b><br />
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This is an original, unadapted recipe. It contains a small amount of whole wheat pastry flour, which you can leave out if you wish (use white or regular whole wheat instead), along with small pieces of sliced, peeled nectarines (feel free to use peaches, or apples, instead). Coarsely chopped, salted, unblanched, Marcona almonds (oh, they're so, so good--I buy them from Trader Joe's) and turbinado sugar crystals are sprinkled on top. This recipe produces a hearty muffin that's not what I'd call cakey, nor too sweet.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hearty Big-Top Nectarine Muffins with Marcona Almonds</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1474pHNIIL7fAmdIPIXcFJsbANevH1wk6H3QgII_6BYQ">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: 12 very generous standard size muffins<br />
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1 and 1/3 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed<br />
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt (stir in a tablespoon or so of milk if it's thick yogurt)<br />
1 teaspoon lemon juice<br />
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons canola oil<br />
4 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />
1 XL (or 2 medium size) ripe nectarine, peeled, and cut into very small chunks (you'll need about one generous cup of chunks)
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3 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (if you omit this, add in the same amount of another flour)<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon of sea salt or coarse kosher salt<br />
2 pinches of ground cinnamon<br />
A few scrapings of fresh nutmeg, or about 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg<br />
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<b>For the top of the muffins:</b><br />
1/2 cup salted, unblanched, Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped<br />
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (if you don't have this, you can instead use Demerara sugar, sanding/coarse sugar, or regular granulated sugar)<br />
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Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Liberally grease a 12-cup standard size non-stick muffin pan, and also grease the top of the pan (I even use baking spray on top of all this, whenever I'm not using paper liners); or use paper liners and grease just the top of the pan.<br />
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices.<br />
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In another large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, yogurt, lemon juice, oil, and eggs. Stir until well combined, then add in the nectarine chunks.<br />
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Make a well in the center of the bowl of dry ingredients, pour in all of the wet ingredients, and stir just until combined. It's okay if a few small streaks of flour are visible. Using a portion scoop, distribute the batter equally into the muffin cups, heaping them high. Sprinkle the tops first with chopped almonds, and then with turbinado sugar.<br />
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Bake for about 20 minutes or more, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, the muffins are golden brown, and a finger pressed gently on the top of a muffin springs back. Check the muffins after about 15 minutes and if they're browning too quickly, lightly cover them with a sheet of foil. Let the muffins cool for about five minutes in the pan on a rack, then cut them apart to remove them from the pan and let them cool further on the rack.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple </span><i style="font-size: small;">COMMENTS</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> below!)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-13377450649931024212012-07-27T17:41:00.000-04:002012-07-27T17:41:42.230-04:00Rustic Country Bread . . . Humble Loaves from Your Two Hands . . . Quietly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">Do you ever have days when you want to bake, but you don't feel like making a big racket in the kitchen? You just want to do it quietly, unaccompanied by the clatter of metal pans and the growl of your mixer? Maybe the kids are still asleep and you're relishing the momentary solitude, the morning's so calm and peaceful you can't stand to break the spell. Well, I know just how you feel.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Days like that call for recipes exactly like this one. It's guaranteed not to wake the neighborhood. All you really need for it, once you've measured the ingredients, is two big bowls, a spoon and spatula, a bench scraper or sharp knife, and a good work surface for kneading. That's basically it. Oh, and you'll definitely need your own capable hands because <i>they</i>, my baking friends, are the most critical component. And, thankfully, they're quiet.</span><br />
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Now let's talk about the word "rustic" for a minute. The dictionary defines it in a variety of ways. "Characteristic of, or resembling, country people," "made of rough limbs or trees," and my own personal favorite, "lacking in social graces or polish." I think that last one applies pretty safely here without causing offense. After all, this bread <i>is</i> mixed by hand, shaped by hand, and it'll accept a few customizing tweaks without having a high falutin' hissy fit. It knows it's naturally good, and doesn't have to try too hard.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">You can easily whip up a couple of these loaves without feeling afterward like you've just run a race or been on a bad job interview. You know how some recipes kind of make you feel like that? Where you can just tell, about halfway in, that things are </span><i style="background-color: white;">not</i><span style="background-color: white;"> gonna turn out well? With this bread, you don't have to worry.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> It won't let you down. </span><span style="background-color: white;">So slide your dough into the oven and prepare for happiness. Maybe even full-blown joy! At the very least, expect to experience a sense of peaceful contentment in your bread baking powers. And don't forget to enjoy the quiet while it lasts.</span><br />
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<b>About this recipe . . .</b><br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.thefarmwife.com/page10.php">The Farm Wife blog</a>'s formula for "Country White Bread," these loaves can be made panned or unpanned, and will accept modest alterations pretty well. I added in, with the bread flour, a little bit of flax meal, along with a smidgen of wheat bran and wheat germ, to give it a little more character and substance. But I've also made it entirely with white flour, too, and that's a great loaf also. <br />
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I love bread that doesn't need to bake in a pan, don't you? I baked these on a stone, but you can certainly bake them atop parchment on a baking sheet.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">Rustic Country Bread</b><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1BzpWbNlKA4A0ITnXrPs0D9GiRtxHBzvpTDRoX5NRW1A">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: Two standard size round loaves<br />
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1 and 1/2 cups very warm water (about 120 degrees or so)<br />
1/2 cup milk (I used 2 percent.)<br />
2 tablespoons granulated sugar<br />
2 teaspoons salt (I used coarse kosher salt.)<br />
3 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (I almost always use this kind of <a href="http://www.lsaf.com/products/bakers-yeast-products/dry-yeast/saf-instant-red">instant</a> yeast, which requires no proofing; if you want to use active dry yeast instead you'll need two standard size packets, and you'll want to proof them first in a bit of the warm water before adding that into the bowl.)<br />
6 cups bread flour, and possibly a little more for flouring your work surface<br />
1 and 1/2 tablespoons flax meal<br />
1 tablespoon wheat bran<br />
1 and 1/2 teaspoons wheat germ<br />
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature<br />
2 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />
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In a large bowl, lightly whisk together the sugar, salt, instant yeast, three cups of the bread flour (only three), the flax meal, wheat bran, and wheat germ. Add the water and milk into this, stirring until very well blended.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Add in the butter and eggs, and stir until fully combined. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Now, gradually add in about two and one half cups more flour, stirring until the dough looks like a rough shaggy mass that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Scrape the bowl and dump the dough out onto a well floured work surface. (Also flour your hands well, and keep a handful of extra flour nearby for this purpose.) </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Knead the dough until it feels smooth and elastic, working in the final 1/2 cup of flour as you do so; this may take at least five minutes of steady kneading, more or less. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Use oil, vegetable spray, or shortening to completely coat the inside of another large bowl. Put your dough into it, turning it over once so it's coated all over. Grease/spray etc. one side of a sheet of plastic wrap and use it to cover the bowl, greased side down. Place the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise until it has doubled; that should happen within an hour (mine took barely 40 minutes on a hot day). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Press your fist into the risen dough, here and there, a couple of times to deflate it. Turn the deflated dough over in the bowl and cover it again with the greased plastic wrap. </span><br />
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Again, let it rise until doubled. And, again, this may take up to an hour depending on how warm your house is. When the dough has doubled, dump it out onto your work surface (only very lightly floured this time) and cut it into two equal parts using your bench scraper or a sharp chef's knife.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Shape each of the two halves into a shallow round, making sure to tightly pinch closed any seams. Sprinkle a very thin layer of cornmeal (or you can use a little flour) onto a couple of parchment sheets. Set the dough rounds on the cornmeal. Cover the dough with greased plastic wrap and let them proof (aka have their final rise) until about doubled. This might take half an hour. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">If you're going to bake the bread on metal baking sheets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees for at least 20 minutes. </span><br />
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If you're using a ceramic baking stone, preheat the oven to 475 for at least half an hour so the stone can get really hot, then turn the oven down to 400 immediately upon placing the dough into the oven.<br />
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If you are using metal sheets, you can just slide the dough, still on its paper, right onto them when you're ready to bake. If you're going to bake on a preheated baking stone, you can still give the dough its final proof on cornmeal over parchment, but then gently move the proofed loaves onto a cornmeal-dusted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peel_(tool)">baker's peel</a> to transfer them to the hot stone (that's what I did).<br />
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Before putting the dough into the oven, use a little misting bottle of water (or, if no misting bottle, you can do this by wetting your hands and then gently patting the loaves) to moisten the top of the loaves. This will help prevent the loaves from bursting open as they bake. Also, it's a very good idea to squirt misty water quickly into the oven upon placing the dough in there, creating a nice steamy atmosphere (just don't aim right for the oven light).<br />
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Bake the loaves for about 20 to 25 minutes or so, until they're quite golden brown on the top and bottom. (The internal temperature of the loaves should be at least 190 when they're done; if you want to, you can stick a stem thermometer in the bottom of each loaf if you like. Under-baked bread will be noticeably dense/gummy inside, and just feel heavier when you handle it right out of the oven.)<br />
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Let the loaves cool on a rack for at least half an hour before slicing. Great for sandwiches, toast, french toast, you name it. Freezes well.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small;">(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple </span><i style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">COMMENTS</i><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small;"> below.)</span>Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825290557185698676.post-61022361937474532512012-07-21T16:20:00.000-04:002012-07-22T14:26:36.898-04:00A Midsummer Day's Dream . . . Cream Cheese Nectarine Cake with Crumbly Streusel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">Nectarines . . . really fine, really sweet nectarines. Not something one can necessarily count on finding here in Michigan. Usually, though, that doesn't matter. Why? Because typically, in mid-July, we're wallowing in a surplus of glorious local cherries, baking them into this and stirring them into that, not giving those pretty nectarines from out of state a second thought. But late winter weather played holy havoc with Michigan's cherry orchards this year, leaving us with the most pathetic harvest in decades. Trees that would normally be bending under the weight of crimson fruit look instead as if they've been ever so lightly dotted with red. Just a cherry here, a cherry there. Sorry, folks--forget about "pickin' your own" and keep your fingers crossed for next year.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i>No home-grown cherries?</i> For born and bred Michiganders that scenario is virtually unheard of. So, nothing left to do but</span><span style="background-color: white;"> rev up the contingency plans. Time to </span><span style="background-color: white;">focus on nectarines instead, nectarines that hail inevitably from <i>elsewhere</i>. A sobering thought, no doubt. Miraculously, though, they're incredibly sweet and more than up to snuff. I've been shocked by their quality, thus I've been munching them the last few days with an unbridled sense of righteous privilege, like a koala in a eucalyptus tree. Don't try to stop me.</span><br />
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<b>About this recipe . . . </b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I adapted this from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Grand-Central-Baking-Book/dp/1580089534">The Grand Central Baking Book</a><span style="background-color: white;">, by Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson </span><span style="background-color: white;">(I <i>love</i> this book, by the way, and recommend it). I started with their recipe for a cream cheese apple cake, but made some significant tweaks.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">First, I reduced the overall size of the recipe by about one third, from one that would produce a large 12" bundt cake down to a reasonably sized 9" round cake made in springform pan. I used a relatively small amount of chopped ripe nectarines, unpeeled, in the batter versus a sizable portion of peeled apples. I added in a modest amount of almond flour/meal (if you can't find it in your usual grocery store, check at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or health food stores), which lends a subtle richness to the texture without adding any overt almond flavor. I upped the amount of vanilla, in fact using vanilla bean paste instead of extract, and I also fiddled with the proportion of cinnamon. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The addition of a streusel topping worked out well, too; I just threw together flour, sugar, almond flour/meal, cold butter, and a pinch of fine sea salt and went at it with a pastry blender. </span><span style="background-color: white;">You can count on a cake that happily straddles the fence between a coffee cake and a not-too-dense pound cake. A great cake overall, even without our beloved Michigan cherries.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cream Cheese Nectarine Cake with Crumbly Streusel</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1vayqZFs2dvbP6s5fpjybgM8hAzbLBOwwnyAan1IQ5KI">(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)</a><br />
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Yield: About 16 slices<br />
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<b>For the cake:</b><br />
2 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup almond flour/meal<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
2/3 teaspoon coarse kosher salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened (that's one stick and about 2.5 tablespoons)<br />
8 oz. cream cheese<br />
2 cups granulated sugar<br />
3 large eggs, room temperature<br />
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)<br />
1 extra-large ripe nectarine, unpeeled, pitted, and chopped into very small pieces<br />
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<b>For the streusel:</b><br />
1/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup almond meal/flour<br />
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
5 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks<br />
1 pinch fine-grain sea salt<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9" springform pan.<br />
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<b>Make the streusel first:</b><br />
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, almond meal/flour, and all purpose flour. Toss in the butter chunks and combine with a pastry blender or a fork until most of the mixture is in pieces approximately the size of a large pea. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge.<br />
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<b>To make the cake batter:</b><br />
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In a medium bowl, lightly whisk together the flour, almond flour/meal, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.<br />
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In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light in color (beat for at least five minutes and as long as eight). On low speed, add in all of the vanilla, and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Stop and scrape the bowl and paddle periodically.<br />
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Still on low speed, add in all of the nectarine pieces, beating just for a few seconds to combine, then add in all of the dry ingredients. Mix only until the flour looks completely incorporated. Scrape all the batter into your greased and floured cake pan. Sprinkle all of the streusel evenly over the top.<br />
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Bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven for about 55-65 minutes. You'll know it's done when the top is lightly golden, the sides are just beginning to pull away from the pan, the top of the cake doesn't jiggle at all when you move it, and a toothpick inserted in the center come out mostly dry. Check your cake after about 40 minutes and if it appears to be browning too fast, lay a piece of foil loosely over the top. Let the finished cake cool in its pan on a rack for at least 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides, remove the springform carefully, and let the cake finish cooling on the rack.<br />
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<br />Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09530631702237541328noreply@blogger.com10