Cream Biscuits

Somewhat shamefully, this was my first time making biscuits. While I was making them, I was thinking of the recently departed Carol Fay Ellison aka the Loveless Cafe biscuit lady. Some of you might recognize her name from Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Even though Bobby Flay won that episode, we all know that Ellison made the best biscuits.

I was really pleased with how easy these biscuits were to make. This recipe calls for a grand total of 6 ingredients. I decided to cut them small as a kind of homage to sliders, and they went perfectly with a dab of preserves alongside our quiche, country ham, fruit salad, and hash brown casserole for Mother's Day brunch.

Cream Biscuits

source: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

3 tbsp melted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar (optional)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter in a small pot or microwave dish, and set aside. Sift two cups flour, the baking powder, salt and (if using) sugar into a large bowl. Fold in 1 1/4 cups cream. If the dough is not soft or easily handled, fold in the remaining 1/4 cup cream, little by little.

Turn dough onto a floured surface, mound it into a ball and, using your hands, press it to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. Cut into rounds, 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Gather dough scraps and continue to make rounds. Dip the top of each round in melted butter and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or flash freeze for future use. [Biscuits can be baked straight from the freezer, and additional few minutes baking time will be needed, usually around 3 to 5.]

Cocoa-Nana Bread

Joe has been asking me to make me something with chocolate in it for his breakfasts, and until now, I've managed to avoid that. When I saw this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, it looked like a great way of appeasing Joe while using up some of the bananas in my freezer. Some people balked at the chocolate-banana combination, but I thought of bananas dipped in chocolate...yum! This is a definitely doable fairly dense, quick bread recipe, and the chocolate flavor is the predominant flavor for the banana-averse.

Cocoa-Nana Bread
source: Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours via Obsessed with Baking

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1/2 cup store-bought chocolate chips

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked on top of the other. (This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking.)

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened. Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. At this point, the batter may look a little curdled -- it's okay. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40 to 45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 to 75 minutes) or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding. Invert and cool to room temp right side up.

Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread

I've finally figured out the best way to make bread without a) destroying the kitchen and leaving my husband to clean up piles of flour or b) ending up with a funny bread machine pan-shaped loaf. Let the bread machine do the kneading work on the dough cycle, and then bake it in a normal loaf pan. This bread recipe comes from the venerated King Arthur Flour company, and I originally saw it on the back of a flour bag. Knowing that others loved King Arthur Flour for their recipes and the quality of their flour, I wanted to give it a try. This whole wheat loaf is dense but moist and perfect for coating a slice with some butter, fresh and warm right out of the oven. I will be making this recipe again.

Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread
source: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 1/3 cups (10 1/2 ounces) water
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) vegetable oil
1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey, molasses, or maple syrup
3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Preparation

Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour, or until it's crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices.

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Last year I made this pumpkin chocolate chip bread over and over again because I loved it so much. So this year I wanted to try some other recipes before I reverted to the old one. I trusted Elise at Simply Recipes to guide me, and I was not disappointed. Allspice is quickly becoming a favorite spice of mine, and this bread has a healthy dose of it. I asked Joe which bread he liked better, and he said that he would have to do a side-by-side comparison. I love the walnuts in this as well, though it probably isn't as healthy as the pumpkin chocolate chip bread with it's 1/2 cup of oil.

Pumpkin Bread
source: Simply Recipes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (1/4 L) pumpkin purée*
1/2 cup (1 dL) olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup (1 dL) chopped walnuts

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.

3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Makes one loaf. Can easily double the recipe.

Maple and Walnut Quick Bread

My Cooking Light magazines have a terrible habit of arriving in the mail right during my most hectic times at school when I should be studying instead of perusing magazines. This month was no exception, though it was an exceptional issue. I found myself flagging tons of recipes. All the food looked so seasonal and fresh and light. Plus a lot of it used ingredients I have on hand or know where to get.

I was up early Sunday morning before church with little to no appetite for anything in the house when I remembered this quick bread recipe in the Cooking Light issue so I whipped it up for later. I'm a sucker for quick breads but they often have quite a bit of oil and sugar in them. Without any walnut oil, I substituted applesauce, though I would definitely recommend the walnut oil.

The flavor in this loaf is very subtle, and I would say that the maple flavor develops better the next day. The crunchiness of the walnuts on top add a great textural balance to the chewy loaf. This was featured in a spread about healthy fats and noted that walnuts are a great source of poly-unsaturated fats. Plus they taste delicious!

Maple and Walnut Quick Bread
source: May 2009 issue

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat buttermik
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup walnut oil
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees and grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
2. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Combine buttermilk, syrup, oil, and egg in a separate bowl.
4. Making a well in the center of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the center of the dry mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in vanilla.
5. Spoon batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle with walnuts.
6. Bake at 350-degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf, serving size: 1 slice
Calories 178; Fat 6.5 g (sat 0.8g, mono 1.4g, poly 3.9g); Protein 3.6 g; Carb 27.5 g; Fiber 1.3 g; Chol 16 mg; Iron 1.1 mg; Sodium 224 mg; Calc 73 mg

Hot Cross Buns

I didn't get around to making hot cross buns for Western Easter but since one of my fellow classmates is Orthodox, I figured they were appropriate for the day after Orthodox Easter as a treat for my Greek class.

My first memory of hot cross buns is having them after the Easter Vigil service at the large Episcopal Church I grew up in. Episcopalians really know how to eat (and drink!), and the reception after Easter Vigil always had the best food: lots of Brie and other cheeses and crackers, etc. And, of course, hot cross buns.

I had a little bit of trouble with the recipe. The dough ended up really sticky, and I had to keep kneading flour into it, though I don't think I kneaded in enough. I also seem to have problems making food look pretty. My hot cross buns are terribly misshapen. Next time I make them, I will add vanilla extract or orange zest to the dough. The dough is sweet but not too sweet. In fact, it reminds me of things I've had from Asian bakeries with a very subtle hint of sweetness. I used raisins but you can use currants or candied fruit.

Hot Cross Buns
source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tablespoon instant powdered milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup raisins
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons milk

Preparation:

1. Put warm water, butter, skim milk powder, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, egg, egg white, flour, and yeast in bread maker and start on dough program.
2. When 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants and cinnamon. Leave in machine till double.
3. Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
4. Shape into 12 balls and place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes.
5. Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on balls.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.
7. To make crosses: mix together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk. Brush an X on each cooled bun.

Whole-Wheat Pita Bread

When I was planning my meal for this week, I decided a nice accompaniment to one of the meals would be pita bread and hummus, and I had seen some recipes for pita bread floating around the blogosphere (okay, I admittedly have an unexplained hatred for that word and yet am using it anyway). Until now, I have left all of the kneading of my dough products up to my beloved bread machine, but I decided to brave this one by hand. The last time I tried to knead something, it ended up all over the kitchen and myself. I may have even found some sticky dough on the cat.

My new secret to making dough is patience. If I go into it with a very peaceful attitude, willing to forgive myself for any errors, the dough knows and behaves well. If I'm tense and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the dough will sense this and revolt in my very own hands. Hence, why I am only allowed to work with dough on the weekend.

This may not be the most amazing pita bread recipe ever, but it's easy, quick, and good. Oh yeah, and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying pita bread at the store.

Whole-Wheat Pita Bread
source: Apple A Day

Ingredients
2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 1/4 tsp. (1 envelope) quick-rising yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4- 1 1/2 c. hot--not boiling--water
1-1 1/2 c. flour

Directions
1. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Beat well about 1 minute.

2. Mix in the remaining flour, using just enough to make a soft, sticky dough.

3. Turn out on floured board and continue to knead for 5 minutes.

4. Divide into eight balls.

5. Roll out each one to about 1/4 inch thick and 6 inches in diameter. Place on very lightly greased cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise in warm place for 25-35 minutes .

6. Bake at 450 degrees for 4-5 min. per side, or until lightly browned.

7. Wrap immediately in a dishtowel for 3 or 4 minutes.

Flax and Sunflower Seed Bread

I've been on a hunt for a good whole-grain bread ever since the recipe that came with my bread machine proved to be disappointing. One of my favorite sayings is that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, which was exactly what I had been doing with the whole wheat bread recipe that came with my bread machine. Then, someone on my cooking board pointed me in this direction. I overcame my fear of flax, bought some sunflower seeds in bulk at the grocery store, and made some bread.

This is exactly the recipe I've been looking for because it reminds me of the kind of bread I used to buy at the grocery store, with a lot of texture. I had to add a little more flour during the second kneading cycle, but it turned out perfectly. I plan on using it for sandwiches later this week, but our first taste of it was as toast with a breakfast of cheesy eggs and turkey bacon on Sunday morning. This will definitely be my go-to bread recipe from now on.

Flax and Sunflower Seed Bread
source: AllRecipes
Yields 1 1.5 lb loaf

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Directions

Put everything except the sunflower seeds in the bread machine in the order specified by the manufacturer. Select basic white cycle, and press start. When the alert sounds for the second kneading cycle, add the sunflower seeds. When finished, let cool 5 minutes in pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

English Muffin Bread

Anyone who has looked in my parents' pantry knows that my dad is a collector of jams, jellies, and preserves. I don't think we've ever had to actively think about buying jams or preserves because there are always so many in the house. Growing up, my favorite way to enjoy the latest acquisition of apricot preserves or orange marmalade was on an English muffin.

When I saw this bread on Amber's Delectable Delights, I knew it would be a hit, especially for this past week when both Joe and I were off and slept in and made big breakfasts. I halved the recipe to only make one loaf, but I wish I had made both loaves, as I easily could've given the other loaf to my dad if we didn't eat it first.

Joe and I enjoyed slices of this bread equally as a base for a breakfast sandwich of ham, cheese, and egg and for spreading it with delicious apricot jam.



English Muffin Bread
source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

Cornmeal
6 cups all purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Grease two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Lightly sprinkle pans with enough cornmeal to coat bottom and sides; set pans aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar and, salt just until warm (120 to 130 degrees F). Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in remaining flour.
3. Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove bread from pans. Cool on wire racks.

No-Knead Dinner Rolls

This was my first successful yeast recipe without using the bread machine to mix the dough. I had told my dad that I was going to try and make the rolls this year, but if I was unsuccessful, he might have to buy some. Lo and behold, I managed to do it. I've realized that if I am patient and don't get myself worked up into a frenzy, dealing with the consistency of the dough is not that difficult. However, I'm more apt to get myself worked up into a frenzy, so we'll see how long this streak of dough success will last.

These rolls were good, though a little on the dense side for my taste. They were delicious just out of the oven with some butter. I took mine out a little early than the cooking time recommended because they were already golden brown. I halved this recipe as well and ended up with 12 rolls plus a little extra dough.

Pioneer Woman's Dinner Rolls
source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

9 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 cups milk
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 scant tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp salt
2 packages (4 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast

Preparation

Pour 4 cups of milk into a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup vegetable oil. Stir to combine. Now, turn the burner on medium to medium-low and "scald" the mixture. Before the mixture boils, turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool to warm/lukewarm (90-110 degrees).

When the mixture is the right temperature, add 4 cups flour and 2 packages yeast. Stir together until incorporated. Add another 4 cups of flour. Stir together and allow to sit, covered with a tea towel or lid, for an hour. After about an hour, it should've almost doubled in size. When it has risen sufficiently, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir (or knead) to combine.

Butter 1 or 2 muffin pans. Form the rolls by pinching off a walnut-sized piece of dough and rolling it into a little ball. Repeat and tuck 3 balls into each muffin cup. Continue until the pan is full. Cover and allow to rise for 1 or 2 hours.

Bake in a 400-degree oven until golden brown, about 17-20 minutes.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

I bought some fresh cranberries on sale the week of Thanksgiving and have been keeping them in my freezer until I figured out what to do with them. I have slowly been collecting recipes that call for fresh cranberries instead of dried and decided to make this one last Friday during my mid-exam baking frenzy. The tartness of the cranberries and orange flavor make this bread a great contrast in flavor to other heavier baked goods that might be around this time of year. It's a great morning pick-me-up or good for a snack on a gloomy day.

I liked that it's not as sweet or greasy as other quick breads and doesn't contain a lot of fat. Joe really liked this bread a lot, and I'm sure you will too!

Cranberry Walnut Bread

source: Good Things Catered

Ingredients

2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp grated orange zest

2/3 c. juice from an orange

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c. shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 c. fresh cranberries

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a standard loaf pan.

-In a small mixing bowl, combine orange juice, eggs, butter, and stir to combine thoroughly; set aside.

-In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

-Add orange zest and stir to combine.

-Add wet ingredients to well in dry ingredients and mix until just combined (don't over mix).

-Fold in walnuts and cranberries and transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan.

-Place into oven and bake until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes.

-Remove bread from oven and cool in pan for 15 minutes.

-Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

-Wrap and put away for 1 to 2 days before serving.

He Thinks My Cornbread's Sexy

When I asked Joe yesterday if he wanted rice or cornbread with dinner, he immediately sprung for the cornbread. As I was preparing the cornbread and my cast iron frying pan, Joe was on the phone on the other side of the house. Somehow I got the Kenny Chesney song "She thinks my tractor's sexy" stuck in my head, but I changed the words to be "He thinks my cast iron frying pan's sexy" which doesn't scan correctly at all. Sure enough, when I took this gorgeous cornbread out of the oven, Joe walked in the room and said, "Now that is some sexy cornbread."

This cornbread was perfectly moist with that brown crust on the bottom and sides from the frying pan and not too sweet. It was absolutely delicious, so much so that Joe and I ate half the pan between us. I couldn't stop going back for more! I may see if I can reduce the butter a bit next time, as the idea of eating that much of a stick of butter makes me a little nervous. There's also always the option of throwing some cheese, green chiles, or chopped up jalapenos in.

All-Purpose Cornbread
source: Cooks Illustrated via Reading, 'Riting, and Recipes

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal (this dish was tested using Quaker yellow cornmeal)

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Note: To make this in a cast iron skillet, place approx 1 Tbs of butter in the skillet and place it in the oven while preheating. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined; set aside.

2. In food processor or blender, process sugar, thawed corn kernels, and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined (corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.

3. Using rubber spatula, make well in center of dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to barely combine; add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened.

4. Pour batter into prepared baking dish; smooth surface with rubber spatula. Note: If using cast iron skillet, remove from oven and turn pan to coat all surfaces with the melted butter. Pour the batter into the hot pan. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. (I just kept an eye on it until it looked done.) Cool on wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool.

No-Fuss Focaccia

When I found this recipe, it looked just like the kind of bread recipe I can get behind: absolutely no kneading required. Since we were going to have pasta for dinner, I decided a nice focaccia bread would be nice. Usually, if we want focaccia, we stop buy the Italian cheese store in our neighborhood and pick up some day-old focaccia for cheap, but I decided to try my hand at this since I was home all day. It didn't rise as much as I would've hoped, so next time I might try letting it rise in a warmer location. It's been chilly here, and our old house is kind of drafty. Joe was so impressed that I made this myself, and he couldn't stop munching on it while we were preparing dinner. Of all the optional ingredients, I mixed about 2 tsp of pizza seasoning into the dough and sprinkled it with another 2 tsp or so before baking. Dried rosemary would be a nice touch as well. We ate it with dinner, dipping it in some olive oil with fresh ground pepper.

No-Fuss Focaccia
source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) warm water
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor, optional
1/4 cup (1 ounce) Vermont cheese powder, optional
Pizza Seasoning, optional

Directions

1) Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom.
2) Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.
3) Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it's become puffy.
4) While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
5) Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger.
6) Drizzle it lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with pizza seasoning, and/or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired.
7) Bake the bread till it's golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
8) Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ale-Braised Sausage & Peppers and Easy Cheesy Beer Bread

I had originally planned to make this dinner last Friday, but Joe and I ended up crashing the Rice Alumni party at the musicology/music theory conference downtown and then going to a terrible Thai place in East Nashville (which is another story for another time). So I postponed this until Monday, when I had the afternoon off, and Joe had the whole day off. We prefaced this delicious fall meal with a walk around Radnor Lake to get a glimpse of the leaves before they fell off the trees. We saw multiple deer, two bucks, and one that came within about 10 feet of me!

Joe loved the bread. It was all he could talk about. I played with the ratios of the sausage and peppers and ended up with a little bit too much sauce, probably because I only used half the sausage in the recipe. It still made for a delicious dinner and great leftovers as well.

Both recipes come from Katie over at Good Things Catered who is a domestic goddess if I've ever seen one.

Ale-Braised Sausage and Peppers
(source: Good Things Catered)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lb. cooked sausages, such as kielbasa, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 c. ale
1 1/2 c. low sodium chicken stock
3 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Mashed potatoes for serving

Directions:

-In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil.
-Add the sausages and cook, stirring and turning often, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
-Transfer to a plate.
-Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes.
-Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
-Whisk in the ale until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.
-Add the thyme and broth, whisking to blend, and bring to a simmer.
-Return the sausages to the pot.
-Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the flavors are blended, about 15 minutes.
-Uncover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
-Season with salt and pepper.
-Remove the sausage, peppers, and onions and place on a serving platter.
-With the Dutch oven over medium high heat, whisk in 1 heaping Tbsp of flour, whisking constantly until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
-Pour thickened sauce over sausages and serve immediately with mashed potatoes.
-Serves 4 to 6.

Easy Cheesy Beer Bread
(source: Good Things Catered)

Ingredients:

2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar
12 oz. bottle of lager or stout (I used a Michelob Porter, and the bread had a VERY strong beer taste, which we loved.)
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare loaf pan for baking.
-In large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.
-Whisk to combine well.
-Add cheese and whisk to combine.
-Slowly add beer to dry ingredients and stir lightly until combined.
-Knead dough lightly until it just comes together.
-Place into prepared loaf pan and pour melted butter over top.
-Place in oven to bake for 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Sheesh, what's with all this chocolate pumpkin nonsense? Don't you make real food anymore? Actually, I swear I had a good reason to make this bread. The music director at the church Joe and I have been going to was leaving, and Sunday was his last day. Since I sing in the choir, the choir was responsible for the food for the reception after the service.

This recipe makes two loaves, so if I hadn't been taking it to church, I probably would have halved the recipe. Fortunately, I made both loaves because the bread went quickly, and Joe was disappointed at how little there was left. Maybe this is sad, but it was definitely a boost to my self-esteem to see people keep reaching for my bread.

(Oh, and I so want to make a "loaves and fishes" joke, but I'll spare you.)

You seriously want to make this bread. Words cannot describe how moist and flavorful it is, the way the chocolate melds with the pumpkin spice. Did I mention it's a Cooking Light recipe?


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

source: Cooking Light via Brooke

Ingredients
2 cups sugar

2 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding (I used fat-free plain yogurt + 1 tsp of vanilla extract)

4 large egg whites (I used 2 eggs)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 32 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 152(30% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 1.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 2g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 10mg; SODIUM 137mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.5

Tomato Basil Bread

Friday afternoons tend to be a good time for baking and cooking for me. Ever since I bought the bread machine for $15 off of Craigslist, we haven't bought bread at the grocery store, so when the bread runs out, it's time to make some more. I came across this recipe, and it sounded like a nice change from French bread, wheat bread, and jalapeno cheese bread. Besides, I could see it going so well with the dishes on this week's menu: chili, black bean soup, penne with shrimp and tomato cream sauce.

I was unprepared for how incredibly delicious this would smell when it started baking. Oh my goodness. It's a smaller loaf than what I normally make, but it's perfect for toasting a few slices and then melting some mozzarella cheese over for a little snack. It tastes like pizza but without the massive disaster (see previous entry).

Tomato Basil Bread
(Source: Brooke at ...And A Cookie For Dessert)

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram (I omitted)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in the order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

Barefoot Contessa's Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

I have been wanting to make this recipe since August and just now got around to it, but it was worth waiting for. Every time I saw it on another food blog, I was reminded that I should make it, but I just didn't know how to fit it in. So I didn't. I made it just because.

I love cornbread but am often disappointed by dry, gritty, crumbly squares that need to be slathered in butter and honey to be edible. This is entirely different. This cornbread is more like cake (hmm, is that what all that butter is in there for?). The perfect addition to a potluck or just a simple home-cooked meal, I plan on nibbling on this morning, noon, and night.




Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (source)

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (I use Martha White because the Grand Ole Opry told me to)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions (I omitted.)
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Instructions

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I'm also submitting this to Joelen's Chef Spotlight: Food Network Celebs Event!

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted a bread maker but that I didn't want to pay a lot of money for it in case I, like many others before me, ended up using it once and then never again. In a rare stroke of genius, I decided to check Craigslist, and lo and behold, there was a bread maker for the low, low price of $15. A few days later, I successfully made wheat bread. I have since made several loafs of French bread as well and actually haven't bought bread from the grocery store since. When I got home from my trip to Indiana, we had no bread left, so I asked Joe if he had a preference, and he requested jalapeno cheese bread.

The three words: jalapeno, cheese, and bread are some of the three most delicious words in the English language. For me, they immediately conjure up nights at Goode Company BBQ in Houston using the slice of jalapeno cheese bread to soak up barbecue sauce. I also recall the car trip in between Dallas and Houston when my mom and I split a loaf of jalapeno cheese bread at 10 am from Woody's Smokehouse in Centerville. I used to get full-blown cravings for jalapeno cheese bread, so I jumped at the chance to make this.

I think it turned out pretty well. I threw a few more jalapenos in than the recipe called for, but if you've been reading for any length of time at all, you know that we like things spicy. This was the first recipe I made that was not from the user manual of my bread maker, so I was a little wary of how it would turn out. Besides for the weird thing with the crust, it looks great. If it lasts long enough, I'm thinking of serving these catfish po-boys on it next week. It's not quite Goode Company, but it'll tide me over. (Oh! And I just found the Goode Company recipe on Homesick Texan!)

Jalapeno Cheese Bread (source)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 3 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, in small pieces
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned jalapeno peppers
  
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese or finely shredded Mexican blend of cheeses

Preparation:

Add the ingredients to the bread machine pan according to your bread machine manufacturer's suggested order. Select white or basic with a light or medium crust.
Use fewer jalapenos or mild chile peppers for a milder bread (like you would want that). Makes a 2-pound loaf.