Whole Wheat Bread Experiments

Experimenting with recipes is something I love do to, but it often stems from the fact I don't have all the right ingredients on hand. I'm impulsive and don't always want to go out to the store so I just go for it. I just got this awesome recipe for whole wheat bread. And true to form I tweaked it.

Super easy cinnamon buns. Like, for beginners.

This Brioche dough takes 5 minutes to make. I mix it up in a tupperware container (and don't seal the lid, just set it on top). I do this after dinner then just before bed throw it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, it takes a few minutes to roll out the dough, sprinkle it with sugar, and pop it in the oven.

Maple bacon chocolate toffee

Yup, you read that right. I made this after the hubby came home with the recipe from a coworker. It was adapted from this recipe.

I made 1/2 a batch and stirred in a scant 1/4 cup chocolate chips at the very end after it was spread out onto the silpat. Mine looks much butterier than the one on Foodie with Family, I'm not sure why. I can tell you it doesn't affect the taste! Man this is RICH stuff...very very addicting. Probably excellent on ice cream. I'll have to check that out since the summer weather seems to be happening now that it's the END of SePTEmBer. Sheesh.

Lamb Barley Stew (Slow Cooker style)

I've been looking forward to doing some fall-style meals and this one really hit the spot.

Southern Biscuits for Breakfast

Yogurt Pumpernickel Bread

This bread came out quite nicely; I was really worried about it when I didn't see it rise much during the first rise. Also the instructions say to add the flour last which is not the way I've learned to make bread.  I cut the recipe in half and just made one loaf and we have been enjoying it with breakfast and as an afternoon snack. Its not too dense, has a nice tang and tons of flavor.

Superbowl Sugar cookies

Had fun making these Saturday for the Superbowl. I baked the sugar cookies in the afternoon and then let them cool completely (about 3 hours) and decorated them into the night. This is the first time I really attempted to decorate pro-style using all my tips, tricks, tools, sprinkles, and color. It was fun! I found the football themed cookie cutter shapes at Gloria's in Culver City and used the recipe on the back. Instead of making the royal icing with egg whites, I picked up meringue powder which made the whole process super quick and easy!

Cranberry (or Blueberry!) Banana Bread

This is a dense, rich, sweet quick bread. I have made it with superfine white sugar and All Purpose flour which also comes out nicely.

Heart Healthy - a change

I make a lot of bread around here...pizza, naan, no knead, and regular sandwich bread. But I need to start eating more whole grains and fish to keep an eye on my health as father time ticks away. I've joined the JanuaryRules challenge because this fit with my goals. I am looking forward to reading the posts from the community of cooks and learn about new foods and recipes!

Meanwhile, today I made a simple salad of roasted sweet potato (I cheated and zapped it in the microwave), quinoa, and dried blueberries. The dressing was EVOO, balsamic, honey, curry powder, and sunflower seeds. Yum!

Happy New Year!

For New Year's eve dinner we made pizzas. I made the 8-hour pizza dough from Cook's Illustrated and then topped with various yummy cheese, veggies, and other fun stuff.

Pumpkin Chip Cookies - Take 2

Okay after fussing around a bit with the original recipe, as well as making several mistakes, I have decided this is the way to go. Enjoy!

Parchment Fish Dinner

Made this tonight because I was short on time. 10 minutes prep time, 20 minutes cook time. Good for weeknight meals and super healthy. Make one fish pack per person.

An Excuse to Bake

Not like I ever really need a reason to bake, but I love taking requests for events! I made two of my favorites for a friend's baby shower this weekend; "Overnight" Pecan Sticky buns and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars.

Coddled Egg

I love coddled, baked, or poached eggs; they are my most favorite way to eat them. In this case I mixed prosciutto, brie, bell pepper, tomato, salt and pepper into a ramekin. Drop it into a roasting pan filled with water and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

A little dinner for Bastille Day

Just baked some no-knead bread. I had gone to the farmer's market yesterday for tomato and basil. So combine that with some nice spicy red wine and fresh mozzarella and that's a nice light summer dinner.

It was just an apple

I was craving an apple this afternoon but then it got out of control.

I chopped up a Gala apple. Then added dried cranberries, dried cherries, some candied ginger and corn starch. I tossed that in a bowl and set it aside. I greased a small baking dish and spooned the fruit in.

In my mini-prep I put 1/4 cup of oats, 1/8 cup of wheat flour, 1 tbsp of muscovado sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. I added 1 tbsp of chopped up butter and pulsed until it looked like cornmeal. Over the fruit and into the oven.

Now I just have to wait 30 minutes more for that apple.

Strawberry Banana Cream Pie(s)

Made these for hubby's birthday yesterday. Got the recipe from here. Instead of making one big pie, I got mini Dufour shells (chocolate) from Surfas. I made the custard, sliced up bananas and strawberries, and assembled it with my frosting kit (piping the custard and cream rather than spooning). They were super yummy and people liked being able to eat more than one...

Lunch(?) at Eclipse Chocolat

I had to drive to San Diego on an errand and it just so happens that my current favorite chocolate place is there: Eclipse Chocolat. This is the s'mores platter. Chili chocolate brownie, espresso brownie. Both topped with a housemade marshmallow on top. Served with lavendar sea salt and blood orange olive oil fondue (in the cup). My brain totally exploded. I took most of it to go along with a couple orders of "dry soda", truffles, and an aztec cinnamon roll. If you ever have a chance to be in SD, I recommend you make a stop. If you live in LA I know you can get their amazing sea salt caramel collection at Curious Palate (that is if I haven't already been there and wiped them out).

Brunch with Friends

Had some friends and their mom here for brunch and this is what we made:

Pecan Sticky Buns (Overnight Sticky Buns from Cook's Illustrated)
Veggie Frittata (also from Cook's)
Potatoes (you guessed it, Cook's)
Fruit Salad

We were in a food coma but man it was good!

Pretzels

Can't believe I waited this long to try these. So easy, so fun, SO DELICIOUS. They are my finest bread yet. Got the recipe from the Food Network.

From start to finish they take about 1.5 hours and only about 10 minutes of hands-on time. Making the dough takes 5 minutes, then it rises for an hour or so. Shaping is quick, boil for 30 seconds, then bake for 14 minutes. Make sure you stick the ends down well when you shape them or you'll end up with a snake instead of a pretzel in your boiling water (you can stick it back together before you bake). The first time around I didn't have Kosher salt so I just used sea salt which turned out fine. If you don't have a stand mixer with dough hook just mix it with a metal spoon. The dough is buttery and much easier to work with than traditional bread dough which is sticky. Rather than oiling the surface to roll out the dough, I spray Vegalene (Pam imparts an undesirable flavor).