The Big Blonde Moment

I decided to try my hand at brioche. I searched the internet and found a very detailed and informative recipe that seemed ideal for a beginner. I had the recipe for a few days before actually trying it because the timing for brioche is complicated if you have, you know, a life. I made the batter yesterday and did the baking today. This will be explained later. The recipe comes from TheKitchn.com.

Ingredients

2 sticks of butter at room temperature
1 tbs active dry yeast
1/2 c warm milk
1/4 c sugar
6 large eggs
2 tsp salt
4 to 4 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 egg yolk
1 tbs water

Instructions

1. Combine the milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and let stand for a few minutes.

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Add sugar and eggs and stir until fully blended. Add the salt and 4 cups of flour until it forms a shaggy dough. I think this looks shaggy.



2. Using the dough hook, knead the dough for 2 minutes, until flour is fully absorbed and dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

3. Increase mixer speed and begin adding butter, I tablespoon at a time, making sure that each tablespoon is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides. Beat for five minutes. Dough should be glossy and jiggle like custard.

4. Loosely cover and move to a warm place. Allow 1 to 1 1/2 hours to rise.

5. When dough has doubled in size, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight. If it looks as though the dough will spill over the sides of the bowl, lift the wrap and degas but do not punch.

6. The next day, prepare two loaf pans. Remove dough from fridge and place on floured board. Divide the dough in half. I formed half into a standard loaf. The other half I rolled into 6 round balls and placed in the loaf pan to resemble a braid.

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7. Whisk together egg yolk and water and brush over top of loaves.

8. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

9. Remove from and oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pans. Gently remove from pans and allow to cool on a rack.



I should note, here, that I have never had brioche and it is not easily found living out in the sticks, so I really have nothing to compare it with.

For dinner tonight, I made a pot of creamy tomato soup (recipe found here and sliced the bread thin and made sandwiches with honey mustard, smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, bacon, slice apple, and butter then toasted it. There are no pictures because they were gobbled up quickly.

Now to the blonde moment. While reading the recipe, I looked at degas and for some reason saw Degas, the famous French impressionist. I was so confused and assumed it was a term known to advance bakers. I Googled it and was even more confused because they all talked about punching the dough. This morning, the light bulb went off over my head and realized it was de-gas, or remove the gas bubbles. I have laughed all day, thinking about it.

Magic in the Air

Two new recipes this week, and I did them both on the same day. First the entree.

I often make a dish called South of the Border Stuffed Shells that came from a former member of the Contessa's Kitchen discussion board in which jumbo shells are stuffed with seasoned meat, placed in a dish of salsa, covered with salsa, sprinkled with Monterey Jack cheese, and baked. It makes a lot and is great for potluck dinners. But I had always wanted to try a traditional, Italian stuffed shells. So, like any 21st century cook, I took to the internet and found this recipe.

Two things were different. I had made a very large pot of marinara a couple of months ago and had put several containers in the freezer. I pulled one out for this dish. And the recipe called for Italian seasoning, which I did not have, so I just winged it. So, this is my version.

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells.

24 jumbo shells
15 oz Ricotta cheese
1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach
1 large egg
1 c grated parmesan chees
2 c grated mozerella cheese
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of nutmeg
Marinara

Cook shells in salted, boiling water for 9 minutes, then drain. Mix together ricotta, spinach, parmesan, 1 cup mozerella, and herbs. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the egg and mix well.

Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray and spread with a thin layer of marinara. Put about 1 tbs of filling in each shell and place seam down in the sauce. Top with sauce and remaining mozerella cheese.

Cover with foil and place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 10 minutes. Allow a few minutes to cool before serving.

On to dessert, and the real magic. I made a magic cake! Have you seen this?





Three Layer Magic Cake

4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups luke-warm milk

Preheat the oven to 325. Prepare an 8" x 8" pan with butter or cooking spray. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and set asside.

Beat yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Add butter and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and beat until just combined.

Fold in egg whites. This is a very loose batter and there will be lumps of egg whites.

Pour into pan and bake until golden brown and the center of the pan does not jiggle when loosely shaken. The original recipe said 40 to 50 minutes, but it took mine about an hour. I started checking at about 30 minutes because the top was golden brown but it was very jiggly. I loosely covered it with foil and checked every 10 minutes or so until it was done. Let it cool for 0 minutes in the pan and turn out onto rack to cool. I placed the foil I had uses earlier on one rack, turned it onto the foil, than flipped it back onto a second rack. I then covered it with a chocolate ganache*.

Cut the cake and magically, there are three layers inside.

*Ganache made by heating 1/4 cup heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minutes and adding 3 oz of chopped semi-sweet chocolate, stirring until mixed.

If you love a custard, this is a wonderful dessert.

Summer Review and What's New

Helllooo! Is anyone still there?

I know that I've been missing a while, but I had a bit of a crazy summer.

My summer included some ribs using a recipe from a famous pitmaster. Here they are before going on the grill.

And here they are after 4 1/2 hours on the grill.

There was really nothing else of interest...except that I have become an official recipe tester for America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country.

So far, I've made a one pan breakfast with sausage, potatoes, and egg in the hole, pork stir fry, meatballs in marinara, and a ricotta chicken. Some were better than others, but all were good.




I went to the grocery store with a plan this week. I had my menu for the week all prepared, I had the weekly ad in hand. I had my list made out in the order of the store.

I came home with almost everything on my list (I forgot lemons and Kaopectate) and didn't stray far off the list. Except, they had puff pastry by one get one free.

And how could I sit here, knowing that in my freezer was a box of nearly endless possibilities. I opened the pantry, looking for inspiration and found some. The results were mini chocolate turnovers and cherry danish.


I thawed the pastry using the instructions on the box before rolling the first sheet out on a floured board to a 12" x 12" square and then cut 16 3" x 3" squares. I placed a square of semisweet chocolate on each before rubbing the two sides with an egg wash and folding it into a triangle. I pressed the edges together and brushed the top with egg washed. Placed them on a parchment lined baking sheet and baked them at 400 degrees until browned.

The other sheet was rolled out to 10" x 10" and cut into 9 squares. I put some cherry pie filling diagonally on each square and placed some egg wash on two corners before folding them to the middle. Brushed the pastry with egg wash and baked at 400 degrees until done.

I drizzled everything with a glaze made from heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla.

While they are warm, the gooey chocolate oozes from the center of the flaky pastry. If you grab one that is cold, pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds and you can once again dark chocolate heaven.

Puff pastry is an easy way to make a danish and I've used it before. I made Ina Garten's cream cheese danish years ago. But I had cherry pie filling in the pantry. Couldn't hurt, right?

On another note, I seem to have cured my brown thumb. I have managed to keep a houseplant alive for a year now. I have a tomato plant that is indeterminate. In case you are unfamiliar with the term, it has bloomed again and still has tomatoes at the end of September! And, having seen something on Facebook, I am growing romaine lettuce from the ends of heads I cut to make salad.

So, how you doin.?

Checking In

I've been rather busy this summer and haven't had much time to post. I have been cooking, but it has all been southern Summer cooking. You know, green beans, squash, okra, melon, tomatoes, etc. All good stuff, but nothing extravagant. Nothing adventurous. Nothing exotic. Plain Jane, home cookin'.

I have made some new and adventurous recipes, testing them for an upcoming cookbook, but I am not allowed to talk about those.

As the summer comes to an end and the neighbors' gardens are playing out, I should be back to my bucket list. Until then, thanks for checking in!

Cool, Easy, and Delicious

Things are still crazy here, but I hope to do some cooking over the long, holiday week-end.

Last week-end, I was invited to a barbecue at my sister's house to meet her daughter's fiance. I was asked to bring a dessert, and I had always wanted to make an icebox cake. I reviewed recipes. Like everyone else, I had had the traditional version made with chocolate wafer cookies and Cool Whip, but had been intrigued by versions I had seen by Ina Garten and Martha Stewart that used chocolate chip cookies.

This beauty graced the cover of Martha Stewart Living a few years ago.



And this is in one of Ina Garten's cookbooks.



I took a look at both recipes and came up with my own. And here it is:

3 cups of heavy cream
8 oz marscapone cheese
1/3 c superfine sugar plus 2 tbs.
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 dozen chocolate chip cookies

Whisk together 2 cups of cream with marscapone cheese until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 c sugar and extract and whisk until consistency of buttercream frosting. Line the bottom of a 9" springform cake pan with a layer of cookies. Cover with 1/3 of cream mixture. Repeat. Final layer should be of cookies.

Cover well with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Whip 1 cup of cream with 2 tbs sugar and spread on top of cake. Remove side from pan, place cake on cake plate and serve.

Just a couple of notes: my friend Karen had given me some Grand Marinier extract a while back and I used that in lieu of vanilla and I used cookies from the bakery at Publix. Martha Stewart, of course, makes her own.

I did not get a photo before the hungry hordes had decimated it, but here is a pic of the last slice.



I kept thinking how wonderful this would be using oatmeal raisin cookies and by adding cinnamon to the cream mixture.

There is little left to be said but yum! If you are looking for a cool dessert for your 4th of July celebration, give this one a try.

Tea, Anyone?

It's funny, isn't it, that life will roll, boringly, along when, BAM!suddenly you don't have a free minute. My life is normally filled with quiet nights at home, watching TV and playing on the internet. The past few weeks have been different. Very different. I have barely had time to sit down, much less do any cooking.

I was asked to help with a Ladies Tea at church, which happened last Saturday. It was a lovely event, if small, and very well received. We had various types of finger sandwiches, an assortment of teas, and an assortment of cookies.

I made Lemon Coolers. Much like the little cookies made by Sunshine in my youth.



Lemon Coolers
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening (I used butter)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon water (next time, I will use fresh lemon juice instead of water)
(I also added 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the dough)

Lemon Powdered Sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
rounded 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened Kool-Aid lemonade drink mix (next time, I will try 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together sugars, butter, egg, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Add the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Add 1 tablespoon of water (or lemon juice) and continue mixing until dough forms a ball.

Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls and flatten slightly onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (I used parchment-lined baking sheets). Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until cookies are light brown.

As cookies bake, combine 1 cup powdered sugar with the lemonade drink mix (or 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, or both) in a large plastic bag and shake thoroughly to mix. When the cookies are removed from the oven and while they are hot, add 4 or 5at a time to the bag and shake it until the cookies are well coated. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Makes 4 dozen.

I also made a Victoria Sponge Sandwich cake using Mary Berry's recipe, which you can find here


They were both perfect for tea.

Tears In My Muffins

I walked into the kitchen this morning and noticed that my bananas were as brown as they were yellow and decided that I needed to do something with them. I pulled out an old favorite recipe and began mixing, mashing, and stirring. I suddenly remembered the last time I used this recipe and was brought up short. It was a day as beautiful a today 3 1/2 years ago. October 10, 2012, the day my mother died. As we sat beside her, watching her fight to hold on to life, I grew restless and went into the kitchen in search of something to do. My cousin Beth joined me, sitting at the bar, drinking a Coke and talking to me while I worked. And as I remembered the day, waves of grief and sorrow washed over me, leaving me gasping for breath, holding onto the kitchen counter for dear life.

I managed to finish the batter and get the muffins in the oven between bouts of tears. I had not experienced this depth of emotion in a long time. I was once again serving banana muffins to the friends and family sitting there with us--Dad, my sister, her husband, their daughter, Mom's pastor, Beth, and the hospice nurse. I felt much like the Biblical Martha, doing the practical, playing the hostess. It was my comfort zone.



The smell from the oven, so marvelously warm and wonderful, made me sad. I remembered the fact that Beth is no longer with us and wept again. I remembered that Mom's dear sister, my Aunt Rachel, had come to visit Mom the week before and the joy on Mom's face was beatific. Now, Aunt Rachel is also gone and, once again, swells of melancholy rocked me.



I took the muffins from the oven; it took me a long time to try one, but when I did, it was delicious. Slowly, the pain inside me eased and I started to smile, remembered the happy times with Mom, including the first time that she made these muffins. Mom loved to cook, loved to try new recipes. She loved to laugh. And like me, she had a Martha mentality. She would never be your shoulder to cry on, but she would bake you a cake or clean your house in times of need. I loved that woman!

If it is true that the emotions of the cook are in the food, these muffins will taste of love and loss and grief and joy.



Banana Muffins

1/2 cup room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
3 bananas
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour and baking soda.
Cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well; stir in mashed bananas. Add flour mixture and stir until moist--do not over-mix.
Fill muffin pans 3/4 full. Bake approx 25 minutes.