BIRTHDAY WISHES!
The small pleasures of life are found in the little things. In people who make us smile, in the people who understand us even without words.
The little pleasures in life lie in the things we almost always take for granted, just assuming they will always be there. As we grow older, it has become very clear to me there are so many ‘little’ things to appreciate and be grateful for daily and what a special privilege it is to simply have each other to share life with. The little everyday things seem to take on much greater importance. Maybe it’s the state of our world at this time that has made it very clear not to take anything for granted. Throughout our married life Brion has always gone above and beyond to look after us. I am grateful to have the privilege of such a loving and caring husband.
I find this quote from Steven Aitchison so fitting, ‘If I could give you one special ability in life it would be the gift of seeing yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you …. then you would realize just how amazing you truly are’.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRION, WITH LOVE!
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Raspberry Custard Cinnamon Rolls
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Cream Cheese Drizzle, optional
Raspberry Glaze, optional
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Drizzle, optional
Raspberry Glaze, optional
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
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Instructions
Dough
Whisk the warm milk, 2 Tbsp sugar & yeast together in a bowl. Allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy on top.
With a handheld mixer, beat in the remaining 3 Tbsp sugar & softened butter until it is slightly broken up. Add eggs, vanilla & salt. Beat at a medium speed until combined. The butter won’t really be mixing into the mixture, so don’t be concerned if it stays in pieces.
Using the mixer, add 1 cup of flour making sure it’s fully incorporated, then using a fork add the remaining 3 cups, mixing the dough by hand. It should only take about 3 minutes until the dough comes together & pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough will be soft.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise.
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or use nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap & a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm place for 2 hours or until double in size.
Butter the bottom & sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface & using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth & evenly thick.
Filling
In a medium bowl, toss the frozen raspberries with sugar & cornstarch. Spread the cold sugared raspberries evenly over the dough. Tightly roll up the dough to form an 18-inch long log. With an extra sharp knife or an unscented piece of floss, cut into 18 even rolls. Arrange in a buttered 9 x 13” glass baking pan.
Cover the rolls with a buttered piece of plastic wrap & a tea towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 20 minutes. The berries will release their juice at the bottom of the pan—this is OK.
Custard
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolks & whites are fully combined. Add the whole milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon & salt. Whisk until the brown sugar is dissolved & the mixture looks smooth & evenly speckled with cinnamon.
Slowly pour the custard over the rolls in the glass baking dish, making sure to cover all the pieces so they soak up the custard. Gently press down any pieces that sit too high, so everything is lightly moistened.
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Let the dish rest on the counter for 30 minutes to allow the rolls to start absorbing the sweet mixture. This short soak helps the casserole bake up custardy rather than dry.
Place the dish on the center rack of the preheated oven & bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the top is puffed & golden brown & the custard is set in the center. A knife inserted in the middle should come out mostly clean, with no liquid custard clinging to it.
Remove the casserole from the oven & let it cool for about 10 minutes. If using, top rolls with cream cheese drizzle followed by the raspberry glaze.
Cream Cheese Drizzle
In a small blender, place all ingredients & blend until smooth & of drizzle consistency.
Raspberry Glaze
Place all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook while stirring until mixture is clear & bubbling. Remove from heat
Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days & reheat gently in a low oven or microwave before serving.
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Recipe Notes
• If you prefer a custard with a slightly lighter texture, replace the heavy cream with additional whole milk & reduce the brown sugar to ¼ cup.
• Cream cheese drizzle & raspberry glaze are purely optional. Since none of the components of the rolls are not overly sweet, adding the extra toppings still works if you choose to use them.
If its possible, I’d like to sneak in another rhubarb recipe even if it is September. While we never grow tired of the classic pairing of strawberries and rhubarb, I love rhubarb too much to simply let it be a sidekick to those sweet berries. Rhubarb is capable of so much more, whether its used in sweet or savory applications (such as the rhubarb chutney I had featured in an earlier blog). This pretty, long, tart piece of produce is not a one-dimensional character …. it loves the spotlight!
Perhaps, not as famous as the combination above but every bit as delicious, are raspberries and rhubarb. While cinnamon may be a more common spice to pair with rhubarb, herbal cardamom lends a warm, citrusy note and is amazing in these twists.
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Raspberry Rhubarb Twists
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Filling
Place rhubarb, raspberries & sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a slow simmer over a low heat. Simmer until mixture begins to thicken. Turn off heat & set aside to cool.
Dough
In a small bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water or milk & 1 tsp sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes until frothy.
In a large bowl, slightly melt butter; cool a couple of minutes then whisk in egg. In another bowl, combine flour, salt & remaining sugar. Add yeast mixture to butter mixture, whisking together. Add flour mixture, combine then turn on a floured work surface & knead for about 5 minutes. Dough will be very soft but not sticky.
Lightly grease bowl, place dough ball in it & cover with a tea towel. Place in a draft-free place & allow to rise for about 20 minutes.
Lay a piece of parchment paper over the removable bottom of a 10-inch tart pan on your work surface. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface; divide into thirds.
Place one portion on parchment paper & roll or press out dough the size of the bottom of tart pan (10-inches). Carefully spread the circle with half of the filling mixture. Roll out the second portion to the same size & transfer with your rolling pin to top the first portion. Carefully spread it with remaining filling.
Roll out third portion of dough to the same size & place it on top of the other two layers. Pinch dough around outer edge to seal. Place a small glass in center. Cut from outside edge just to the glass, forming 12 wedges.
Remove the glass. Twist each wedge 3-4 times. Tuck edge under. Place bottom of tart pan (with parchment paper & pastry) inside tart pan ring. Cover & allow to rise for about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F. If you prefer, lightly brush twists with a bit of egg wash before baking. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.
Glaze
Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm twists.
As May eases into June and the outdoor work increases, it seems like one area you can simplify in your life is in the kitchen. Making good use of your barbecue, along with the fresh produce that is now available, will help do just that.
Pork tenderloin has always been one of my favorite cuts of meat. One of the easiest ways to transform everyday pork into a special occasion main dish. Its the best part of a pork chop without bone or fat and has that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
A winner when it comes to versatility in that you can cook it whole, slice it into medallions, butterfly and stuff it, grill, roast, stir fry…..
My recipe today is a roast pork tenderloin served with a nice fruity, raspberry-nectarine sauce. Great little Sunday meal!
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Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry-Nectarine Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
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In a blender or food processor, place raspberries, nectarine slices, brandy & honey. Cover & process about 1 minute, until smooth.
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In a large plastic bag, place flour, salt & pepper. Slice tenderloin into 1/4-1/2" medallions & place in bag. Shake to coat pieces evenly. In a large skillet, heat oil; saute pork medallions about 4 minutes or until no longer pink.
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Heat sauce & spoon some on a serving plate. Place pork medallions on sauce; drizzle with additional sauce. Garnish with additional fresh raspberries if desired.
I have always enjoyed incorporating different varieties of cheese into my cooking. Like the saying goes ‘cheese makes it better’. One of the few kinds both Brion and I are not fond of though, is Blue Cheese. Never being able to get past that real strong smell and flavor, it came as a surprise to me when I tasted Gorgonzola and loved it.
During some vacation time we spent on the Monterey Peninsula in California, I noticed in a brochure, an advertisement for a place called Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria. It was in a small beach town called Capitola, about 64 km (40 miles) north of the Monterey Peninsula. We thought we should check it out as it would give us a nice day trip up the coast. The trip turned out to be more than what we expected.
We arrived at Gayle’s right around noon. The place was bustling with business. It had a massive rotisserie and deli case packed with roasted chicken, slow barbecued ribs, hot entrees, salads and sandwiches. In the bakery cases were desserts that could give any French bakery some pretty stiff competition. I stood there trying to make a lunch choice and decided on a very ordinary looking spinach-Gorgonzola pasta. Wow! It was so good, I wouldn’t dream of ordering anything else in future visits. My love affair with Gorgonzola continues.
That afternoon we explored Capitola with its beautiful beaches and historic and colorful architecture, very reminiscent of a Mediterranean village.
I have seen numerous recipes using Figs & Gorgonzola so I thought I would try a little experimenting and see what I could come up with. Achieving just the right balance of sweet and savory can be tricky sometimes. Here is my adaption of Fig & Gorgonzola Chicken Breasts with Raspberry Glaze.
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Fig & Gorgonzola Chicken Breast with Raspberry Glaze
Chicken breasts go from ordinary to extraordinary!
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Raspberry Glaze
In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients & set aside.
Chicken
Flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness. In a large, resealable plastic bag, place Fig Balsamic dressing with flattened chicken breasts. Gently massage bag to distribute dressing on all of the breasts. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.
In a medium bowl, combine cheese, figs, walnuts, bread crumbs, & spices. Cover & set in fridge until ready to stuff chicken breasts.
At baking time, preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a sheet of foil large enough for chicken breasts. Lay breasts on a piece of plastic wrap; divide Gorgonzola filling mixture evenly between them. Gently press filling down slightly. Fold one half of each breast over forming a pocket; secure with a toothpick. With a spatula, place breasts on greased foil in baking pan tucking in any extra filling that might have fallen out. Use any leftover fig marinade to brush over breasts.
Bake, uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170 F. Place chicken breasts on serving platter. Discard toothpicks. Slightly warm Raspberry Glaze in microwave & drizzle over chicken.
