Category Archives: BREAD, ROLL, AND MUFFIN RECIPES

OVERNIGHT ITALIAN BREAD

OK all you bread bakers, have I got a quick and easy bread recipe for you where the dough positively MUST SPEND THE NIGHT IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR! I know, gasp! Must be refrigerated? Well, OK, I confess I haven’t tried to let it rise the usual way – 60 to 90-minutes on the counter. But to develop the lovely flavor I obtained by refrigerating the dough, you just need to trust me and put the darn dough in your refrigerator and walk away until the next day. Which for many of us who entertain over 4 people on a regular basis, is a God send.

Because all that needs to be done on the day of the event is to take the formed dough out of the refrigerator. Then allow it sit for a while on your counter and contemplate its very existence. Then heat your oven, make a few slits on top of each loaf, and pop the loaves in the oven.

While the oven is doing the hard work of turning raw dough into a work of art, you can be preparing every other dish you plan to serve while totally stressed to the max. (No wait, that might not be your situation. You might be the kind of person who has everything under control.) (I hate you BTW if that’s the case. Just kidding!) (Well, kind of kidding!)

But for me, one less menu item to worry about (on the day guests will be in my home at any minute) is ONE LESS MENU ITEM TO WORRY ABOUT! (And yes, I am a charter member of the Department of Redundancy Department. And proud as punch to be one too!)

Anyway, I came up with this recipe the other day when in late afternoon I invited our dear friends Jim and Margo over for dinner the next evening. Without any kind of idea what I was going to serve these fine people, I figured a nice bread would surely come in handy at some point. So, to the kitchen I proceeded with nary a recipe in hand. I just kind of winged it as I proceeded, writing down the recipe as I went along. Which BTW, brings me to a very good point.

Always, always, always WRITE DOWN YOUR LIST OF INGREDIENTS AND HOW MUCH OF SAID INGREDIENT YOU USED AS YOU INVENT A NEW DISH. Because, if the dish turns out to be the best stew, soup, casserole, bread etc. etc. you ever made, you are going to hate yourself if you didn’t write down how you created this masterpiece. Believe me, when you go to replicate the dish 6 months later because your family has been begging you for months to make it again, and you don’t remember what you did, YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL QUITE THE FOOL FOR NOT LISTENING TO MY WARNING/ADVICE.

Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time today. And I have been rather snarky, which really is unusual for me. (Right, Patti!) Anyway, you know that I love you all and only want the best for each and every one of you. And sometimes tough love is what’s required. My job therefore is done for the day.

Peace and love to all.  

1¾ c. warm water

1 T. granulated sugar

2½ tsp. instant yeast  

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the dough

1 T. unsalted butter, room temp.

5 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 T. cornmeal

Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast foams. Add salt, olive oil, butter, and 4 cups of flour. Knead in your stand mixer using the dough hook, adding more flour as necessary to make a smooth, silky dough.

Form into 2 rectangles and roll into long loaves. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with corn meal. Oil the tops and place plastic wrap on top. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and allow to rise on your counter for 1½ to 2 hours.

Pre-heat your oven to 425-degrees with a pan of hot water on the bottom rack. Just before placing the loaves in your oven, make 4-5 slits on the top of each loaf.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 210-degrees.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing. Serve as is or dipped in OLIVE OIL AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR BREAD DIPPING SAUCE or sliced and toasted for CROSTINI. (See how to make both below.)

OLIVE OIL AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR BREAD DIPPING SAUCE

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil  

1 sm. garlic clove (finely minced)

¼ tsp. dried basil  

¼ tsp. dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferably)  

2-3 crushed red pepper flakes – more if you are so inclined

pinch of kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tsp. balsamic glaze or good balsamic vinegar

Whisk the olive oil, garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper together in a small serving bowl. Let the mixture sit for a bit.

When ready to serve with Italian bread, drizzle 2 -3 teaspoons of balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar over the olive oil mixture.

CROSTINI

Italian Bread

extra-virgin olive oil

flaky or fine sea salt, to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 450-degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. 

Slice the bread on the diagonal into pieces no wider than ½-inch. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with olive oil.

Place the slices in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet and bake them on the middle rack for about 9 minutes, or until they are crisp and nicely golden on top. Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve immediately.

BRIOCHE DINNER ROLLS

In my opinion, there is just nothing better than homemade bread. And I don’t care whether the bread comes in the form of loaves or rolls. I’m easy in that regard. So, when I was planning the menu for our last JazzVox home concert meal, I decided to make 2 kinds of bread. Why? Because bread is easy and inexpensive to make, and people love it. So, in combination with Light Rye Bread (recipe on site already), our guests gobbled up all but 1 of these rolls and a few slices of rye bread. Thank goodness there was at least a bit of bread left for us. Because dang, there is no such thing as left over bread at this household.

What wasn’t left was any of the double batch of Kräuterbutter (German Herb Butter) I had made to slather on the rye bread. Well, that didn’t go as planned. People frosted both kinds of bread with this amazing, flavored butter. (Find the recipe for Kräuterbutter below.) And frankly, given the opportunity I would have done the same thing.

Anyway, the main thing you should know about these rolls is that they are really quick and easy to build, and absolutely delicious. And you don’t even need bread flour for this recipe. Just plain old all-purpose flour. And as you can see from the picture, they are beautiful to boot.

And remember, Thanksgiving will be fast upon us. And these rolls would be perfect on your table. And because I am the kind of person I am, I’ve included directions so that you can make the dough and form the rolls one day and bake them off the next day. So, no excuses about dinner rolls being too hard to make, too time-consuming, or being too last minute. Nonsense! There is nothing easier than this recipe to build delicious dinner rolls to serve your family and friends. And boy will you be the hero of the day!

Well, it’s sunny outside. A bit of scattered cloud cover here and there. But although the sun is shining, it’s cold. So, I’ve built some soup that is happily burbling away on the stove. Along with a couple slices of leftover rye bread, we will be dining in style at the dinner table tonight.

May you too find happiness at your dinner table sharing the wonderful world of fine cuisine with your family and friends. For me, there just isn’t anything more rewarding than seeing someone smile when they bite into something I have served them. As you may gather from this comment, I live for those smiles.

As always, peace and love to all.

¾ c. whole milk, slightly warm   

2 tsp. instant dry yeast

¼ c. granulated sugar    

1 tsp. kosher salt

4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

4 lg eggs, divided

½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into chunks

veggie oil

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the warm milk, yeast, and sugar together. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until it becomes frothy. Add salt, flour, and 3 eggs to the bowl. Using your dough hook, mix the dough until all the flour is absorbed. Then add the butter cubes. Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and only a smidge sticks to the bottom of the bowl. If needed, add a bit more flour.  

Pour a small amount of oil into the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff spatula, shape the dough into a round, lightly greased ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 75-90 minutes or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, make an egg wash by whisking the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water.

Shape the dough into 15 rolls and place in a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan. Let rise again for about an hour, then brush with egg wash. (For building the rolls on day 1 and baking them off on day 2, see directions below.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 23-25 minutes. The internal temperature should reach at least 190-degrees.

Remove from oven and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

For making the dough ahead and baking it the next day, once the rolls are formed, cover and refrigerate them overnight. They will rise while in the fridge and be ready to bake in the morning. Make sure to let them sit out for about 20 minutes to come to room temperature before brushing with the egg wash and baking them in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 23-25 minutes. The internal temperature should reach at least 190-degrees when they are done.

Remove from oven and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

KRÄUTERBUTTER (GERMAN HERB BUTTER)

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 T. finely chopped fresh chives

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil

¼ tsp. dried dill weed

¼ tsp. dried marjoram

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. finely chopped fresh or scant 1/8 tsp. dried rosemary

freshly ground black pepper

Mush all the ingredients together with a table fork and refrigerate covered until ready to serve at room temperature. (Best made the day ahead so the flavors have time to get to know each other.) This butter is a great spread for rye bread. (Or any other kind of bread for that matter!)

     

PRETZEL DINNER ROLLS      

Well, here it is again – Autumn and with it – Octoberfest. Now, I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love this time of year. I love the food associated with Fall and Octoberfest. I love the leaves turning brilliant colors on deciduous trees. (Not the leaves when they hit the ground, but that’s another story.) I also love the slight chill in the air in the evening and first thing in the morning. And I especially love that it is once again open season on soup. And comfort food like casseroles and homemade bread. And I absolutely adore the coziness our fake fireplace brings to our living room while we sit happily in front of it while reading in the evening. (Our cat Miles loves the extra bit of warmth also. So much so, that his kitty bed is now permanently ensconced on the floor between our chairs.)   

So, in considering the menu for this Sunday’s JazzVox pre-concert meal, I decided Central European food would be perfect.

I have used Octoberfest as the theme for other concert meals over the years and remembered that people absolutely love my Light Rye Bread (recipe on blog). So, not wanting to mess with a good thing, I decided to stick with what I know people will like. So, Light Rye Bread it is!

But for dinner the other evening, I decided to make pretzel rolls to go along with our soup. I thought the rolls might be a nice addition to the Octoberfest meal. And yes, they would be great. But this old gal can only spend so much time on her feet anymore. So, the pretzel rolls will just have to wait for another time. Even though they were quick and easy to build, they were still one dish too many for me to prepare and still remain sane! Sigh……

But I don’t have to wait to share this recipe with you! And if you are anything like me when it comes to soft pretzels and think that soft pretzels prove the existence of a higher being, then you are going to love this recipe. Easy to make, takes less time than making most other yeast breads, and tastes as good as Auntie Anne’s. Of course, they are not in the traditional pretzel shape that we all love and cherish. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s not the shape that counts. It’s how they taste. And they taste incredible!

So, I recommend you make these rolls at your earliest convenience. Or even if it’s not convenient, do it anyway. They are just that good.

But don’t forget the mustard to serve with these pretzel rolls. My favorite – plain old yellow mustard.

So, happy Octoberfest and Autumn to all. And as always – peace and love to each and everyone.  

1½ c. warm water + 6 c. water, divided

1 pkg. or a scant T. instant or active dry yeast  

unsalted butter, room temp.  

1 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 – 4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

veggie oil, for greasing the bowl

2 T. baking soda

coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

Mix the yeast, 1½ cups slightly warm water, 1 tablespoon butter, and brown sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear.

Add salt and 3 cups of flour. Mix with the dough hook and knead for at least 3 minutes until the dough is smooth, silky, and no longer tacky. Add additional flour as necessary. (The dough should be slightly sticky, but not tacky.)

Pour a small amount of oil in the bowl. Using your hands and a sturdy spatula, form the dough into a greased ball. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or until nearly doubled in size.

Meanwhile lightly butter two 8×8-inch baking pans. (Or use whatever pan or pans you have that are roughly 8×16-inches.)

Once risen, punch the dough to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 18 balls, approximately the same size, and place on a piece of parchment paper. (I just pinch off 18 pieces of dough. Then I take bits and pieces off larger chunks and add to smaller pieces until I have roughly even size pieces. To form the balls, I just keep tucking under each piece until I have a nicely shaped ball.)  

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Bring the baking soda and the remaining 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.

Drop 3-4 pretzel balls at a time into the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spatula or flat spider strainer (see picture below), lift the pretzel rolls out of the water and place back on the parchment paper. (Placing the rolls back on the parchment paper allows some of the water to drain off.) When all have had their bath, place the pretzel rolls close together in the prepared baking pans. (9 in each pan.) Using a pair of scissors, cut an “X” about ½-inch deep on each roll.   

 Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter and lightly brush each roll with the melted butter, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a light golden brown and the internal temperature of the rolls reaches at least 190-degrees.

Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature. With lots of mustard to dip in with each tender bite.   

 

CRUMBLE TOPPED ORANGE RAISIN NUT MUFFINS 

OK, once again I must eat a large helping of humble pie! Because I stated many years ago that I didn’t particularly like muffins. At least most store-bought or bakery made muffins, and even some homemade muffins just didn’t rock my socks. But over the years, things have changed regarding muffins. There are some homemade muffins now that I really like. These for example. And maybe I even like them a bit too much.

But for many years, I only truly liked my recipe for homemade bran muffins. And in writing up this preface I came to the realization that I had never posted that recipe.  What? How could that be? I’ve been making bran muffins since my beloved sister-in-law Evelyn gave me the recipe in about 1973!

Her recipe is in my first self-published cookbook (1998), but I hadn’t written it up for my blog? Shame on me! Because the bran muffins I’ve been making now since God was a child are the tastiest and easiest bran muffins to ever come out of an oven.

The recipe used to be found under the catchy title of Six-Week Bran Muffins. Because apparently, the refrigerated batter would still be fine even if it was allowed to happily reside in your refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Never happened in my household, so I’m not going to make that statement. But I will state unequivocally that the recipe you find below makes for absolutely wonderful bran muffins. So, if you too love bran muffins, please find the recipe below. But back to orange raisin nut muffins. (That’s really why you’re here right? I do get so carried away!)

So, in getting ready for an upcoming trailer trip, I decided muffins for breakfast would be lovely. But for years now, I have been trying to duplicate my grandmother’s orange raisin cake. With poor results I must confess. So, why not an orange raisin muffin? So based on a recipe by Wescott Sharples on the relish.com site, I came up with this version.

And boy oh boy are these muffins tasty. Not too sweet, and semi moist and chewy from the oats, chopped golden raisins, and walnuts. And the simple crumble topping gives these muffins just the boost of flavor and crunch that I feel is needed. All in all, a truly great muffin. And just a super breakfast treat.

Since I am getting ready for a trip with buddies, I am going to keep this preface short. Lucky you! And of course, lucky me too. (For the trip of course.)

We are so blessed to live in this beautiful part of the world. And to have a trailer and wonderful friends with whom we can share amazing adventures. As I said, we are well and truly blessed. So, here’s to Craig and Marsha – old friends, great friends, musical friends, intelligent friends, and every possible type of friend in between. Let the fun continue.

And as always, dear readers and friends, peace and love and lovely muffins to all.  

Crumble Topping:

½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

¼ c. old-fashioned oats

1/8 tsp. salt

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, at firm room temperature

Whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, and salt. Work in the butter, mixing until coarse crumbs form. Refrigerate until needed.

Orange Raisin Walnut Muffins:

¾ c. whole wheat flour, fluffed

¾ c. whole wheat pastry flour, fluffed (or unbleached all-purpose flour if you must)

1 c. uncooked old-fashioned oats  

2½ tsp. baking powder

¼ c. granulated sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

½ tsp. fine sea salt

1 T. orange zest  

1 lg. egg

1 c. (8-oz.) sour cream

2 T. vegetable oil

¾ c. orange juice (does not have to be fresh squeezed orange juice)

¾ c. chopped golden raisins (I almost always use golden raisins because I like them best)

½ c. chopped walnuts (but pecans would also work)

Line 18 muffin cups with paper baking liners. Set aside.

Whisk the whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, oats, baking powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and orange zest together in a large bowl.

Whisk the egg, sour cream, vegetable oil, and orange juice together in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture mixing only until blended. Gently stir in the chopped raisins and nuts.

Using a #16 ice cream scoop (scant ¼ cup – 2-oz.) plop batter into prepared muffin cups filling until almost full.

Sprinkle the crumble topping over the muffins, dividing evenly, and patting gently.

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Best warmed a bit before serving.  

BRAN MUFFINS (½ recipe from the original) (the best bran muffins imaginable)

3 c. bran cereal (I use Kellogg’s All-Bran cereal)

1 c. boiling water

½ c. veggie or canola oil

1½ c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 c. buttermilk

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

2 T. wheat germ

2½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. fine sea salt

Line 24 (or more as needed) muffin cups with paper baking liners. Set aside.

Combine the cereal and boiling water in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes or more. Combine the remaining ingredients with the softened bran.

Using a #30 ice cream scoop (scant ¼ cup – 2-oz.) plop batter into prepared muffin cups filling until almost full.

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Best warmed a bit before serving.  

SOFT AND TENDER HOT DOG (ETC.) BUNS (OVERNIGHT RISE OR SAME DAY)  

For our 4th of July dinner, I served hot dogs and a Caesar salad. I know, not a traditional combination, but hey, this is what sounded good to me and because I was doing the cooking….. Well, I’m sure you can see how this works!

Anyway, with Hebrew National all-beef hot dogs happily residing in our refrigerator, I decided that because these were especially good wieners, they deserved special treatment. And to me that meant that they should be served in a really great bun. (And coincidentally, we deserved good buns too.) And since I happen to know how to bake bread, I decided to play around and see what I could come up with. So, this recipe is kind of a mishmash of several recipes I reviewed. And as luck would have it, the buns were amazingly tasty. But a bit more about hot dog buns before I go any further.

I recently read an article about New England style buns. This unique bun predates, by several years, other hot dog buns found almost everywhere else in the United States.

Before the “invention” of the New England bun, commercial bakers would simply slice rolls all the way through. But New England style buns are different. Not only do they have a very tender crumb, but because they are baked close together, they have very soft sides. Then they are cut on top about halfway down through the bun allowing frankfurters, chicken salad, lobster filling, etc. to fit easily in the slit without the filling oozing out the sides. (Which of course makes consuming one of these babies a lot less messy!)

But to make “proper” New Englund style buns, they must be baked in a special pan. Which BTW, I do not ever plan to purchase. (I already have too many baking pans that have only been used once. And I feel guilty enough without adding possibly 1 more pan to the list!)

Anyway, I tried to duplicate the official New Englund style pan by using a 6×6-inch square pan and an 11×6-inch rectangular pan. And it worked, but I will not go to the trouble next time. Because, to my thinking, what makes these buns special is the flavor and texture, not the shape or the requirement to use a special pan. (If you are interested, you can see what the pan looks like for yourself by searching for one on Amazon. Only $31.95 each!)   

Regardless of special pan or not, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be making these buns again. Because they are delicious, tender, easy to make, and a lot smaller than the kind of hot dog buns you can buy in a grocery store.

Like the Mikado sings in Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous operetta The Mikado – “let the punishment fit the crime”. To my thinking, it’s of equal importance to “let the bun fit the hot dog”! So, I hope you will give this recipe a try when next you choose to serve gourmet hot dogs.

Now I know there are some who would argue that a gourmet hotdog qualifies as an oxymoron. All I can say is – poor deluded person. Because done right, hot dogs are magnificent! And I’d argue with anyone that a really great frankfurter, in an outstanding bun, decorated with fabulous condiments, deserves nothing less than 5 stars!    

Even if you disagree, I still wish you all the peace and love you can handle. 

½ c. warm whole milk

½ c. warm water

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 T. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. kosher salt

1 egg

¼ c. powdered milk

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temp., plus more to grease the baking pans

extra virgin olive oil, to grease the mixing bowl

whole milk

In the bowl of your stand mixer, using your dough hook, combine the warm milk, warm water, instant yeast, and granulated sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Then add the salt and egg. Mix until combined.

Add the powdered milk and the flour. Knead the dough for several minutes. Add more flour if the dough is too wet. The dough should come away from the sides of the mixing bowl but stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl.

Add the butter, a little at a time, and knead for a further 4-5 minutes until the dough is shiny and smooth.

Pour a little olive oil in the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a nicely greased ball.

Overnight method:

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

On the day you bake the buns, turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly dust the surface of the dough with flour as well.  

Same day:

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place, or until the dough has doubled in size. Then gently punch the dough down to remove some of the air bubbles. Turn onto a floured surface and add a bit of flour to the dough ball as well.     

To shape and bake the buns:

Butter a large baking sheet and set aside.

Cut the dough into 10 equal sized pieces. (Or as close as you can get!)

Roll each portion into a flattened piece of dough about 5 inches long. Then roll up the long side up tightly to form a tube shape. Place the formed buns ¾-inch apart, sealed side down, on the prepared pan.

Cover the buns with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes in a warm place.

Just before baking, gently brush the buns with milk before placing them in a pre-heated 350-degree oven.   

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a light golden brown on top and the internal temperature reaches at least 190-degrees.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Best eaten the same day.  

Just before serving, slit along the top and add lots of yummy condiments and a great frankfurter or any other filling that rocks your socks.

And yes, of course you can cut the bun in half lengthwise for a traditional, non-New Englund presentation. But why?

QUICK AND EAST FLATBREAD

Your inspiration for today:

“Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread. Without it, it’s flat.” Carmen McRae the jazz singer

“A loaf of bread, the Walrus said, is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides are very good indeed.” Author Lewis Carroll

Having pretty much stated the obvious, there should be no doubt in your mind that I am, always have been, and will continue to be an ardent bread lover. And when the bread is as easy to make as this one, well all I can say is BRING IT ON!

So, the other afternoon I decided to try, for the umpteenth time, making baba ganoush that was not only palatable but downright delicious. And I succeeded. (See my recipe under Oven Baked Baba Ganoush.) And just because there are certain foods that are perfect together, I made some hummus too. (Also, several recipes on site for hummus.)

But then, what to serve these two amazing dip/spreads with besides crudité? (Raw veggies are always great, but perfect flatbread or naan is not only a compliment but a foundation.) (Hard to keep baba ganoush on a carrot stick!)

So, with these three middle eastern dishes in front of us, we feasted in style.

And the flatbread had been so very easy to make. In fact, the preparation really could not have been more effortless. No mixer involved, and simple straightforward ingredients. And the result – perfect base for hummus and baba ganoush. And this flatbread will be perfect next time I serve Ground Lamb Patties w/Rosemary and Thyme, Ćevapčići (Serbian Grilled Sausages), or Grilled Lamb Patties w/Tzatziki. (All 3 recipes on site.)

So, I am absolutely thrilled to be able to share this recipe with you. And I hope you like this flatbread as much as I do.

Well, it’s sunny and warm here today. While I am inside writing this post, Mr. C. is power washing our driveway. Which is both steep and long. So, while I am doing what I love, he is doing what needs to be done. Therefore, the only fair thing to happen in a situation like this is to 1) thank him for all his effort and 2) build him something he loves. And I’m thinking some kind of bar cookie would do the trick. So, on that happy note, I will bid you farewell for today, and get off my duff and into the kitchen!

Peace and love to all.

½ c. warm water

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. instant yeast

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

3 T. milk

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing on flatbread

In a small mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine salt, flour, milk, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Stir to combine until dough comes together. (I use a regular table knife to stir the dough.)

Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece in a ball with your hands. Arrange the balls on a small parchment paper lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat.

Roll the dough balls out on a floured surface to a ¼-inch thickness and place 1 at a time on your ungreased heated skillet. Cook the flatbread until it starts to bubble. (And no, the bubbles won’t pop.) Flip the bread and brush the cooked side with olive oil. Cook the second side for another minute or two or until the bubbles are nicely browned.

Remove to a baking sheet or plate. Serve warm. (I love to serve this simple flatbread with hummus and baba ganoush.)

Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature. Heat flatbread a bit before serving if not enjoying it immediately.  

OVEN BAKED BABA GANOUSH   

Baba ganoush with flatbread and hummus

So, if you are like me, then you know how hard it is to make a really good baba ganoush. At least, after many tries, I had never made one that I wanted to make again, much less share with all of you. Until the day before yesterday, that is.

I think one of the mistakes I kept making was grilling the eggplant to get that lovely smokey flavor that is so important to a great baba ganoush. Which invariably resulted in the flesh semi-burning at the surface before the rest of the eggplant tenderized.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I am much better at using an oven than I am at grilling. So, based on several recipes I perused, I decided to take the advice of cooks much better and wiser than myself, and put my oven to work rather than my grill. And then cheat a little by adding a couple of smokey ingredients to offset the lack of the smokiness that comes with grilling.

In truth, I started by leaving the baba ganoush chunky. It tasted OK, but I kept chewing on small pieces of roasted garlic that I found less than appealing. (Hard to smash up roasted garlic using a potato masher.) The rest of the mix was delicious, so I decided, what the heck, and got out my small food processor. This resulted in a lovely, smooth dip which made all the difference. The garlic was still evident, but only in a good way. And with just a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkling of smoked paprika on top, the baba ganoush was a winner.

I served the baba ganoush with hummus (several recipes on site under Hummus a Tune Mr. C. and my new favorite Quick and Easy Flatbread. (Find recipe below.)

So, if you too are an ardent fan of baba ganoush, I hope you give this recipe a try. It is simple to prepare, but it does take a bit of taste testing along the way to reach perfection. So, try very hard not to eat the whole batch before it is made available for others to also enjoy.

And as always, dear friends, peace and love to all.  

2 med. eggplants

extra-virgin olive oil

4-5 lg. cloves of garlic

2 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

3 T. tahini, or more to taste

pinch ground cumin, or to taste

¼ tsp. baking soda (if baba ganoush is bitter)

smoked paprika, for garnish

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Halve the eggplants lengthwise. Brush the cut side very lightly with olive oil. Place the eggplant halves on the prepared pan, cut side down. 

Cut off the top of the garlic cloves. Place garlic onto a square of aluminum foil. Pour a little olive oil over the exposed tops of the cloves and wrap tightly in the foil. Place the garlic packet on the baking sheet with the eggplant.  

Roast the eggplant and garlic in a preheated 425-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the eggplant is tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

You will find that the baked eggplant has a darkened skin on the cut side from baking flesh side down on the baking sheet. I advise you to carefully cut around the edge of each eggplant half with a paring knife. Then carefully lift the burned skin off the eggplant and scrape off as much of the unburned flesh as possible into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. (And no, the burned part will probably not come off in one nice piece. No one is that lucky! So be patient. This step takes a bit of time. But it’s important.) Discard the burned parts. Then scoop out the remaining flesh into the strainer. Discard the skins.  

Let the eggplant sit in the strainer for a few minutes to release some of the unwanted liquid. Remove any blackened parts that might remain. Then stir the eggplant a bit. This will help get rid of any residual liquid. Transfer the flesh to the bowl of your food processor and discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.

Gently squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their peels and into the food processor.

Add the lemon juice, tahini, cumin, and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Process until smooth. Taste and add additional salt, lemon juice, tahini, or olive oil. (You will probably need more salt Or even some of each ingredient.) If your baba ganoush is a bit bitter, try adding just a smidge of baking soda and give the whole thing another whirl. Taste again and make further adjustments as required.

Scoop into a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Just before serving, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkle of smoked paprika.  

Great served with my Quick and Easy Flatbread, pita chips, and/or crudité.

QUICK AND EAST FLATBREAD

½ c. warm water

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. instant yeast

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

3 T. milk

½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing on flatbread

In a small mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine salt, flour, milk, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Stir to combine until dough comes together. (I use a regular table knife to stir the dough.)

Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece in a ball with your hands. Arrange the balls on a small parchment paper lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat.

Roll the dough balls out on a floured surface to a ¼-inch thickness and place 1 at a time on your ungreased heated skillet. Cook the flatbread until it starts to bubble. (And no, the bubbles won’t pop.) Flip the bread and brush the cooked side with olive oil. Cook the second side for another minute or two or until the bubbles are nicely browned.

Remove to a baking sheet or plate. Serve warm. (I love to serve this simple flatbread with hummus and baba ganoush.

Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature. Heat leftover bread a bit before serving.  

BAKED NEW ORLEANS STYLE BEIGNETS (AND BEYOND)  

Top picture, beignets just out of the oven. Second picture, after sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Just so you know, New Orleans style beignets are different from classic French beignets in that the dough for New Orleans beignets includes yeast to help the dough rise. True French beignets are a choux pastry (no yeast) that relies on moisture content instead of yeast to facilitate rising. (And yes, Café du Monde uses yeast in their beignet dough. And of course, they deep fat fry their beignets, and serve them hot out of their oil bath liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar. But we aren’t going in that direction today. Except for the powdered sugar sprinkling. We are all in on that part!)  

Now, if you are not familiar with beignets, allow me to elucidate. Beignets are a type of donut, but with a bit more of a yeast risen texture. And the flavor on the inside is not as sweet as a traditional donut. Which I especially appreciate. But for some, beignets are not as sweet and therefore not as well-known or well-loved as glazed or frosted donuts.

So, in order to make everyone happy, I have given you the recipe for baked beignets topped with powdered sugar. But for those of you who prefer a sweeter overall flavor, I have provided 3 topping recipes to sweeten these basic donuts up a bit. So, below you will find my recipes for Vanilla Glaze, Spiced Rum Glaze, and my crazy good Maple Frosting. If choosing one of these options or your own favorite topping, no need to brush with melted butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Just let the baked squares (or your choice of shape) cool completely before adding the glaze or frosting.  

The difference with this recipe from other recipes for beignets is not the ingredients in the dough, but the method of turning them from dough into an edible product. In this happy journey to beignet/donut paradise, there is no hot oil used in the making of these tasty morsels. Your oven fulfills that responsibility. Plus, you can choose to make the dough the day before or the same day. Whichever method works best for you. And wait until you read how easy the dough is to prepare. You are going to be blown away. (Hopefully towards your kitchen.) Because this simple recipe makes for some extremely delicious treats that everyone you serve them to is going to love.

One thing I should mention however, which is true for either baked or fried beignets or donuts; they are at their best the day they are made. So, plan to serve them the same day or if that isn’t possible, gently warm them the next day. But be prepared to re-sprinkle them with more powdered sugar. (Like that’s a bad thing. Not!)

So, without further ado (drum roll please), welcome to the world of baked beignets. Or baked glazed or frosted donuts. Regardless of which way you go, you are in for a new and (slightly) healthier way to enjoy a donut.     

As always, peace and love to all.

¾ c. lukewarm water

¼ c. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. active dry or instant yeast

1 lg. egg

½ c. buttermilk

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided   

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

3½ to 3¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed, or a tiny bit more as needed

veggie oil (for greasing the mixing bowl)

1 T. milk

powdered sugar (for dusting)

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, and yeast with your dough hook and stir until well combined. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until the yeast starts to get foamy on the surface. 

Add the egg, buttermilk, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, salt, and vanilla; mix to combine. Add 3½ cups of fluffed flour and stir on medium-low speed until the dough comes together. The dough should be slightly sticky to touch, but a bit of the dough should still be sticking to the bottom of the bowl. (Resist the urge to add too much flour.) Then turn on medium speed and knead for about 5 minutes.

Pour a small amount of oil into the mixing bowl, and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a ball lightly coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap.

To bake beignets the same day:

Let the dough rise until doubled in size. (About 2 hours.)

Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut into 1½-2-inch squares. (This is easy to do with a pizza cutter.)

Place the squares on baking sheets lined with parchment paper 1-inch apart. Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes or until the dough is puffy and about doubled in size.

Brush each square lightly with milk and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Don’t overbake.

Remove from oven and while the beignets are still warm (after about 5 minutes), brush them with remaining melted butter and generously dust* with powdered sugar. If possible, eat while still warm.

To bake beignets the next day: Place the covered mixing bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The dough will double or triple in size while it’s in the fridge. Remove from the fridge at least 45 minutes before you plan to roll out and cut the dough.  

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut into 1½-2-inch squares. (This is easy to do with a pizza cutter.)

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets at least 1-inch apart. Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes or until the dough is puffy and about doubled in size.

Brush each square lightly with milk and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until slightly browned. Don’t overbake.

Remove from oven and while the beignets are still warm (after about 5 minutes), brush them with remaining melted butter and generously dust* with powdered sugar. Eat while still warm.  

Please note: If you don’t plan to eat all the beignets in one sitting, warm them in your microwave for about 10 seconds just before serving. Then sprinkle with more powdered sugar if necessary.

*An easy way to sprinkle/dust powdered sugar is to place a small amount in a fine mesh strainer and then shake the strainer over whatever you wish to decorate. This same technique works well with cocoa for chocolate dusting. 

VANILLA GLAZE

2 c. powdered sugar 

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

5-6 T. whole milk or cream

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth.

Place the beignets on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Coat the beignets with the glaze by dunking each one into the glaze. Place back on the wire, glazed side up, to set completely before storing in an airtight container.

SPICED RUM GLAZE

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. rum

tiny pinch cinnamon

tiny pinch nutmeg  

2–3 T. whole milk

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons milk together. If needed, add more milk to achieve desired consistency.  

Place completely cooled beignet pieces on a large baking sheet. Drizzle on the glaze. Allow glaze to harden before storing in an airtight container.

MAPLE FROSTING

2 T. unsalted butter

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

2 T. whole milk

1½ tsp. corn syrup

1 tsp. good maple extract

1 c.  powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the brown sugar. When the brown sugar starts to dissolve whisk in the milk and simmer for about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and whisk in the corn syrup and maple extract. Then whisk in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and free of powdered sugar lumps.

Using a large spoon, ladle frosting onto each cooled beignet piece.

Warning: Work quickly or the frosting will start to set up before you get to the last piece. (Take my word for this!)

QUICK AND EASY BAKED MAPLE BARS

I’m sure I’ve mentioned my addiction to maple bars somewhere along the line in one of my stream-of-consciousness introductions to a recipe. But if not, let me state unequivocally – I LOVE MAPLE BARS. And have since 4th grade when right across the street from our hilltop grade school in Bothell, Washington (can’t remember the real name of the school) was a small convenience store that sold among other things, maple bars. (I actually have no idea what other items were sold in the store because I was mainly interested in the maple bars. I do have a vague recollection that there were candy bars and ice cream bars available too. But if there was anything else that didn’t resemble something sweet that a kid could put in their mouth, I’m not at all sure what that would be!) And if I recall correctly, the maple bars were a great whacking 5 cents. So, as often as I could, I availed myself of those scrumptious treats. And I have adored them ever since.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have literally gone years without a maple bar coming anywhere near my mouth. But as I’ve gotten to the stage of life when my remaining years are far less than the exceedingly large number of years I’ve already experienced, I’ve come to the conclusion that denying myself the pleasure of a maple bar now and then is ridiculous. Thus, my decision to learn to build my own maple bars in the privacy of my own kitchen!

The first thing I wanted to perfect was the dough for a fabulous donut like base for the frosting. And then of course, figure out how to make the maple frosting just like it’s made in bakeries. And believe me, I’ve tried making maple frosting several times throughout the years. And although the previous tries were OK, they were not what my 9-year-old mouth remembered. Until today, that is!  

And truly I don’t remember where I originally found the bones for the frosting recipe. But I messed with the original recipe a bit, and by golly, the kid buried deep within me, was doing cartwheels right in our living room after the first bite. OK, mental cartwheels, but if I were still 9 years old, it would be the real thing!

So, if you too or someone you love has a maple bar addiction, let me introduce you to this quick and easy recipe. The dough is baked not deep fried, so there is a bit of redemption in that regard. However, the frosting is sinfully sweet and has absolutely no healthy redeeming qualities. It is just pure heaven. And definitely should be classified as a guilty pleasure.

Well, that’s it for today. It’s still off and on drizzling outside so I can’t work off any of the calories I took in while savoring today’s maple bar. But hopefully tomorrow I will be able to do more hacking and slashing of shrubs that have become an impediment to anyone wanting to get to our front door or onto our deck. Mainly because my plan is to have another maple bar tomorrow morning along with my over easy egg.

And as always, peace and love to all.  

¾ c. whole milk

3 T. unsalted butter

2 T. granulated sugar  

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 T. warm water  

1 pkg. or 1 scant T. instant dry yeast  

1 lg. egg

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as required

Scald the milk in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Stir together and cool to just slightly warm.

In the bowl of your stand mixer add the yeast to the warm water. Add the cooled milk mixture and the egg. Stir together using the dough hook.

Add the flour and knead until the dough is soft and elastic. (You will probably need a good bit more flour. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl, but still leave a bit stuck to the very bottom of the mixing bowl. The dough will be soft to the touch but not at all tacky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down and pat out into a 1″ thick square on a floured surface.

Cut into 8-10 rectangles and let rise again covered for about 30 minutes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 7-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before spreading with the Maple Frosting. Then cool the frosted bars completely before eating or storing in your fridge or freezer.

Please note: I start making the frosting as soon as the bars are out of the oven. If you prepare the frosting too far ahead of time, it will be too hard to spread nicely and evenly on the cooling bars.

MAPLE FROSTING

¼ c. unsalted butter

½ c. brown sugar, packed

3 T. whole milk

1 T. corn syrup

2 tsp. good maple extract

2 c.  powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the brown sugar. When the brown sugar starts to dissolve whisk in the milk and simmer for about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and whisk in the corn syrup and maple extract. Then whisk in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and free of powdered sugar lumps.

Using a large spoon, ladle frosting onto each warm bar.

Warning: Work quickly or the frosting will start to set up before you get to the last bar. (Take my word for this!)

Please note: This makes a lot of frosting. You may not need all of it. If so, refrigerate the remaining frosting and see what kind of inventive use you can come up with for the rest.  

    

GF BANANA NUT QUICK BREAD  

You need really ripe bananas. Black spots and streaks are our friend!

OK, the first thing you should know is that I have a strong aversion to bananas. You couldn’t get me to eat a plain banana even for the cost of a round trip ticket to Witchita. (Like I would want to go there anyway!) (But, that’s not the point.) But, for some unknown reason, I love banana bread. (I know. It makes no sense at all.)

So, when I decided that what I needed was a recipe for a banana bread that was a bit healthier than my other two delightful recipes already on this site, I went on line for inspiration. And I found this great recipe on one of my favorite sites – cookieandkate.com. Of course I messed with a couple of the ingredient amounts and added chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of coarse sugar on top to add a little bit of crunch to the bread. Because, who doesn’t like crunch? But the bones of this recipe are all on Kate.

And by golly, this recipe makes for one darn good banana bread. And it’s healthier for us than my other two recipes, so I feel less guilty eating it. And serving it to Mr. C.

And this super moist bread is very easy to make. Doesn’t even require a mixer. Just the use of a whisk and a tiny bit of elbow grease.

So, if you too would appreciate experiencing a little less guilt when biting into a tender and delicious quick bread, then this is the recipe for you.

Well there’s a cloud covering over our part of western Washington today, but it’s not raining. We did have a bit of rain the last couple of days, but not enough to dampen our spirts. Just enough to give the plants and trees in our yard a nice soft watering. Of course with the clouds we can’t see the mountains. But they’ll come back and bless us with their beauty when the clouds decide to visit another part of the world.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that there are things that we can count on to make our lives more pleasant. Like mountain sightings, and noisy creeks, and sandy beaches. And tree blossoms in the spring, and fresh veggies and fruits available to us year-round in our local grocery stores.

Because of all the treasures that are a part of my daily life, I try very hard not to take anything for granted. Instead I endeavor to remain thankful for all the wonderful blessings I receive on a daily basis. I am so very, very lucky. As I hope you are too.

Peace and love to all.  

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil  

⅓ c. maple syrup

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

4 lg. eggs

slightly rounded cup of mashed ripe bananas (2 lg. bananas)  

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. fine sea salt

2½ c. almond flour

¾ c. chopped walnuts

2 tsp. coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top

Lightly spray 1 (9×5-inch) non-stick loaf pan or 2 (7½ x 3½-inch) non-stick loaf pans with cooking spray. Then cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of pan or pans. Lightly coat the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set pan or pans aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, and vanilla together until well blended. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Add the mashed bananas, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add the almond flour and stir just until the batter is well blended. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan or pans. Evenly sprinkle the coarse sugar over the top of the dough.

Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 55 to 65 minutes (single loaf) or 45-50 minutes for 2 pans. Or until the center of the loaf springs back when touched with your fingers and the internal temperature reads between 200 to 205-degrees.   

Remove from oven and place the pan or pans on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. (This bread is delicate while still warm.)

Use a butter knife or offset spatula if necessary to loosen the edges of the bread from the pan, then carefully turn out onto your wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Warm slightly before serving.