Ingredient: lukewarm water

Dried Blueberry Lemon Hot Cross Buns

I find the aroma of the hot cross buns baking so intoxicating. Brion & I have always loved these soft, spicy little buns. Each year, at Easter time, I really enjoy making some version of Easter bread or buns (of course, trying to make it just a bit better than the year past). While I was giving this some thought, I read a comment where someone was complaining that they had too many hot cross buns leftover from Easter. Is there really such a thing as having too many hot cross buns … seriously!

While hot cross buns are now sold and enjoyed throughout the year, they were once reserved for Good Friday alone. There is no one clear explanation … some theories rest in Christian symbolism while there are also more than a few stories that indicate hot cross buns were baked on Good Friday for superstitious reasons.

Every year I like to try and make a different version of these traditional, seasonal treats. This year I’m going with some dried blueberry lemon hot cross buns. Should be good!

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 Dried Blueberry Lemon Hot Cross Buns
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword dried blueberry lemon hot cross buns
Servings
Ingredients
Buns
Egg Wash
Glaze
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword dried blueberry lemon hot cross buns
Servings
Ingredients
Buns
Egg Wash
Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Buns
  1. In a small dish, dissolve 1 Tbsp sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast over the surface. Do not stir. Let stand for 15 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar & lemon zest with fingers. Add flour, salt & cinnamon & mix well. Add prepared yeast along with melted butter, egg & egg white. Combine with a fork then add blueberries & citron.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 10 minutes. If dough is quite sticky add a LITTLE more flour.
  4. Cover & allow to sit in a draft-free, warm place for 30-40 minutes.
  5. Line pan with parchment paper or butter a 7x11-inch baking dish. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts & form into balls. Place them in the prepared pan & let rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
  6. Whisk together egg wash & lightly brush over buns before baking.
  7. Before buns are finished rising, preheat oven to 350 F. Bake buns for about 30-35 minutes.
  8. Remove from pan & let rest on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes before piping on the glaze crosses.
Glaze
  1. Mix together powdered sugar, milk & vanilla (if using) until smooth. You will want this to be quite a stiff glaze so only add enough milk to bring it to a thick consistency. Pipe crosses onto the tops of the slightly warm buns. A Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off works well for this small job.

Wool Roll Bread w/ Apricot Filling

Today, March 28th, is my mother’s birth date. As we honor her beautiful memory, I’m sure each of my siblings will reflect on special times we shared with her. Forty-seven years after her passing, I find myself still doing many things in her likeness. Baking was a shared passion for my mother and I. We liked nothing better than to bake something together. After I moved from ‘home’ and would return for a visit, instead of having a coffee and visit we would get busy and bake something while we talked. Such great memories!

When I was thinking about what I wanted to post today, my mind drifted to the recipe archive that lives in my head, eventually making its way to the yeast breads. This is an area my mother had mastered down to a science.

Bread is so simple but a staple in almost every culture. Just flour, water and yeast, yet despite those few ingredients, there are hundreds of different types of bread across the world. And every culture has some sort of bread product.

It seems that the Wool Roll Bread become trendy in 2021 because of a Malaysian YouTuber. It also resembles some Middle Eastern breads such as shoreek and other European creations, such as Polish babka and Slovenian Belokranjska povitica. The pillowy yeast dough can be stuffed (or not) with a sweet or savory filling, then sliced, rolled and stacked in a round pan, so as the dough rises and bakes, the final result resembles rolls of wool or thick yarn.

The most popular fillings for wool roll bread are dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, custard, hazelnut, chocolate, and cheese as well as some Asian favorites such as red mung bean paste, ube or purple yam, coconut or coconut jam, and meat. Sometimes the dough is made in different flavors and colors like chocolate, strawberry, and pandan.

There is some kind of magic in seeing the result of these baked bread rolls that come together to form a Bundt-like cake shape, puffed up in a ring of pull-apart bread.

I’ve chosen to fill our wool roll bread with an apricot cream cheese filling which should be a nice compliment to the soft dough.

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 Wool Roll Bread w/ Apricot Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword wool roll bread w/ custard filling
Servings
Ingredients
Apricot Filling
Cream Cheese Filling
Bread Dough
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword wool roll bread w/ custard filling
Servings
Ingredients
Apricot Filling
Cream Cheese Filling
Bread Dough
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Apricot Filling
  1. In a small saucepan, combine dried apricots, orange juice, lemon juice & sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apricots soften & the liquid is reduced by half. Once cool, transfer the mixture to a food processor & process until a puree forms. Set aside until room temperature.
Cream Cheese Filling
  1. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese & sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk & vanilla, beat to combine. Set aside in refrigerator until ready to use.
Bread
  1. In a small bowl, combine warm milk, sugar & yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, Combine flour & salt. Cut in the soft butter. Combine lukewarm water with the beaten egg & add to flour/butter mixture. Add the yeast mixture & mix until a dough forms.
  3. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it becomes smooth & elastic. Once the dough is kneaded, place it in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth & allow to rise in a draft-free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  4. Lightly oil a work surface with olive oil. Gently deflate the dough, divide it into four equal pieces & shape each piece into a ball. Cover the dough & let rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Line a 9" springform pan (at least 2" deep) with parchment paper.
  6. Roll out each piece of dough (on the lightly oil surface) into a 6" x 12" rectangle. On the top HALF of each rectangle, spread the cream cheese filling across the entire width of the rectangle (leaving about 1/4" bare on each side) & down about 6" leaving the bottom 6" bare. Next, spread a good sized dollop of apricot filling over the cream cheese filling. Use a fork so you can do this gently.
  7. Using a sharp knife, cut the uncovered dough at the bottom into very thin strips about 1/8" wide. Starting from the filling covered top & rolling toward the uncovered strips, roll the dough into a log about 6" long.
  8. Place each log, seam-side down, into the bottom of the pan so they are snuggled up against the pans outside edge to form a complete circle.
  9. Preheat to the to 350 F.
  10. Brush the rolls lightly with milk, being careful not to deflate the delicate dough. Cover the 'wool rolls' & let them rise for about 60-75 minutes, until puffy.
  11. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove the roll from the oven & cool it in the pan until you can transfer it safely to a rack to cool completely. Slice & serve.

Hearst Beef Burger & Pretzel

There’s something about the sea – the waves, the salt air, the broad expanse of blue, the ambiance of coastal living that forever calls us back.

Over the years, Brion and I have vacationed many times in the Carmel / Monterey area on the Central Coast of California. For the many times we have gone there, it seems like you can never quite absorb enough of the images of the Monterey peninsula.  As a rule, we make Pacific Grove ‘home base’ and from there do numerous day trips. On this occasion we decided to take the Pacific Coast highway down to see the famous ‘Hearst Castle’.

The amazing thing about the Pacific Coast is that it is still mostly wild, open, and astoundingly beautiful country, where you can drive for miles and miles and have the scenery all to yourself. This famous stretch of rugged and mountainous coastline is known as ‘Big Sur’ and is one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere in the world.

At the south end of Big Sur, the mountains flatten out and turn inland, and the coastline becomes rolling open-range ranch land. High on a hill above Hwy-1 stands the amazing sight known as Hearst Castle. It’s the sort of place that you have to see to believe and even if Hearst’s taste in interior design doesn’t appeal to you, it’s well worth the trip to see it.

The story of Hearst Castle is a long and colorful one. For the turrets, towers and temples that today crown this California hilltop did not spring into being overnight. The beginnings of today’s ‘Enchanted Hill’ started in 1865. In that year 43-year-old George Hearst bought a 48,000-acre ranch for seventy cents an acre that lay adjacent to San Simeon Bay in northern San Luis Obispo Country. This was the first unit of what eventually became the huge San Simeon property … a 240,000-acre area of mountains, foothills and valleys with an ocean front of more than fifty miles. After his death and that of his wife, Phoebe, ownership of the property went to their son, William Randolph Hearst.

Originally called ‘Camp Hill’, it’s wilderness offered a place for family members and friends to ‘rough it’ on camping trips. Despite elaborate arrangements, Hearst envisioned more comfortable accommodation. In 1919, he told San Francisco architect Julia Morgan, ‘I would like to build a little something up on the hill at San Simeon. I get tired of going up there and camping in tents. I’m getting a little old for that. I’d like to build something that would be more comfortable’.  That ‘little something’ quickly became the vast mansion that towers over the property today.

Julia Morgan was the first woman to graduate with a degree in engineering from California State University, and she had studied architecture at the renowned Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

The main residence is much larger than the others (60,645 square feet). Known as ‘La Casa Grande’ (the Big House), it stands four stories high and is fronted by two towers with carillon bells inspired by the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor in Ronda, Spain. The three guesthouses are mansions in themselves, each containing between 10 and 18 rooms: ‘Casa del Mar’ (5,875 square feet) faces the Pacific Ocean; Case del Monte (2,291 square feet) faces the Santa Lucia hills; and ‘Casa del Sol’ (2,604 square feet) looks west towards the setting sun. Each of them too, is filled with treasures from Hearst’s inexhaustible and diverse collection of art and antiques.

The numerous galleries are crammed with European art and statues while the 90-foot-long library with its Spanish-Moorish ceiling and ascending shelves is filled with rare edition books. The visitor is treated to sights such as 400-year-old Spanish and Italian ceilings, 500-year-old mantel pieces, 16th century Florentine bedsteads, Renaissance paintings, Flemish tapestries, a dining table that seats one hundred guests, and much more. 

It is impossible to summarize the many magnificent rooms, but on the whole, they feature art deco, baroque and gothic architecture; with an array of arches, verandas and balconies that give way to sweeping views over the surrounding countryside. For one room, an entire Spanish monastery was bought, dissembled and shipped to California stone by stone before being reconstructed within the Casa Grande. In contrast to all the antiquity, the movie theater within the main house ran two screenings a night – once for the guests and once for the staff, always showing the latest releases from Hollywood.

There are two pools: The Romanesque indoor pool is laid out in a ‘T’ plan with mosaic and 22 gold carat gold tiles surrounded by Greek statues and globe lamps that create the impression of moonlight. The outdoor Greco-Roman pool is known as the ‘Neptune Pool’ and features an ancient Roman temple transported from Italy. The pool is surrounded by marble colonnades that manage to frame the main house, the mountains and the distant sea. It was rebuilt three times before it met Hearst’s exacting standards. The 127-acres of grounds also included tennis courts and a garage for 25 cars.

When most people think of Hearst Castle, they think of its lavish style and architecture. But what many don’t know is that Hearst Castle was once home to the world’s largest private zoo.

In the early days of the castle animals, including peacocks, ostriches, giraffes, Fahr goats, Berbery sheep, monkeys, cheetahs, lions, panthers and even polar bears were kept there providing a bit of exotic flair. The Hearst Castle zebras are one of the last remaining species after the dismantling of the zoo. If you’re lucky you can still see them from the Pacific Coast Highway as you pass the castle grounds.

Hearst Castle took approximately 28 years to build, with construction spanning from 1919 until 1947, and while the original cost was around $10 million, when adjusted for inflation, it would equate to roughly $700 million in today’s money. 

Hearst Castle is in pristine condition today, even surviving a 6.5 earthquake with no structural damage thanks to the incredible design by Julia Morgan. The estate still has its original floors, upholstery, stairs, ceilings, everything.

To take a tour, you first take a short 10–15-minute bus ride up the hillside to Hearst Castle. If you came by car, you park at the visitor’s center and get whisked up the mountain as a group. Your tour ticket includes the bus ride.

There are various guided tours to choose from. Over the years Brion & I have taken several tours and always enjoy them all. The kitchen was, of course, a very interesting part of the tour for me being a ‘food person’. It was full of practical devices, including stock pots, rotisseries, industrial-sized mixers, and early refrigerators—which stand today just as they did decades ago with the countertops being made of metal alloy. This would have been where all meals were prepared for the Hearst’s and vacationing guests. There is so much to see, it’s hard to take it all in without missing something.

After we had purchased our tickets, we had a bit of time before our tour, so we decided to have something to eat. The visitor center is the only location at Hearst Castle where food and drinks can be purchased serving casual international fare and boasting ‘grass fed’ locally raised Hearst Beef. Brion was interested in trying the Hearst beef burger and I settled on a ‘huge’ pretzel. Brion found the beef burger (which consisted of half-pound patty, artisan bun, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomato, onion, garlic aioli, with a pile of perfect french fries or apple-olallieberry slaw), to be absolutely amazing and my pretzel was equally as good but more than I could eat at one sitting. I tucked it away for a snack later on after the tour.

I have added a small collection of pictures which are posted through the recipe section of the blog. There is so much to see it would be impossible to show it all so I have tried to summarize it in this blog and photos.

  • The main picture is an aerial view of Hearst Castle as well as the road from the Visitors Center by the ocean going up the hill to the castle
  • La Casa Grande showcasing its grand entrance
  • A Sitting Room
  • The Main library
  • Billard room
  • Assembly room and the Grand Dining Room
  • An Egyptian Statue and a Morning Room
  • Balcony view overlooking the vast property
  • Neptune Pool
  • Roman Pool
  • 3 views of the Hearst Castle Kitchen
  • Old photo of Zebras & Bison
  • Zebras can still be seen grazing with the Hearst beef cattle today

Needless to say, another great trip with some more precious memories made!

Print Recipe
 Soft Pretzels
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword Hearst beef burger & pretzels
Servings
Ingredients
Pretzel Dough
Soda Bath
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword Hearst beef burger & pretzels
Servings
Ingredients
Pretzel Dough
Soda Bath
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Pretzels
  1. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water, yeast & a pinch of salt; allow to sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt & sugar. Add the frothy yeast mixture along with the melted butter; stir to combine. On a lightly floured work surface, knead dough for about 5 minutes & shape into a ball. Lightly butter the bowl, place the dough in it, cover with a tea towel & allow to rise for 45 minutes in a draft-free place.
Assembly
  1. After the dough has risen, cut into 12 equal pieces & form each one into a 14-inch strand. Roll each strand back & forth to create a ‘rope’.
  2. Shape into a pretzel by twisting the two ends around each other then bring it back down over the body of the pretzel.
Boiling/Baking
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Bring 3 cups of water & 1/3 cup baking soda to a low boil.
  3. Dip each pretzel in soda water for 20 seconds, remove, using a slotted spoon to drain excess water. Lay pretzels on parchment lined baking sheet & brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
  4. Bake until the tops turn golden brown, 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven & cool on wire rack.
Recipe Notes

In this recipe I divided the dough into 12 pretzels. Cut your dough into fewer pieces if you wish to make the giant version.

Cheesy Onion & Chicken Turnovers

Turnovers are a tasty handheld pastry stuffed with a variety of sweet or savory fillings. Depending on where you are in the world, you might know turnovers by another name. It’s a calzone in Italy, an empanada in Latin America, a pasty in England, a patty in Jamaica and a hand pie in North America.

Whether they’re made with pastry or yeast dough, these tasty morsels get their name from the folding technique used to enclose the fillings. They can be fried or baked, and the result is a convenient self-contained meal or snack.

While store-bought turnovers are readily available, there’s something uniquely special about crafting your own savory ‘pies’ at home. The aroma that fills the kitchen as the turnovers bake in the oven, the satisfaction of creating a perfectly flaky crust, and the freedom to customize the fillings to suit your taste – these are the joys that make them truly special.

During the summer months I like to have a big variety of savory turnovers in the freezer (already baked). There are so many times when you are too busy to make lunch and there they are — ready to heat and eat!

These cheesy onion and chicken turnovers were inspired by some Boursin cheese with cranberries & pepper I had waiting to be used. The total result has made them keepers!

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 Cheesy Onion & Chicken Turnovers
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch
Keyword cheesy onion & chicken turnovers
Servings
TURNOVERS
Ingredients
Dough
Chicken
Other Filling Ingredients
Course Lunch
Keyword cheesy onion & chicken turnovers
Servings
TURNOVERS
Ingredients
Dough
Chicken
Other Filling Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. Cook potato, peel & mash. In a bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water. Allow to stand for about 3 minutes until foamy; add butter, salt, Italian seasoning, sour cream & potato & mix well.
  2. Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic.
  3. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise in a draft free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Topping & Fillings
  1. In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Sauté onion until caramelized & tender. In a bowl, combine shredded chicken with 1/2 of the Boursin cheese. Grate cheddar cheese.
Assembly
  1. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces & shape each piece into a round ball. On a lightly oiled surface, flatten each ball with a rolling pin to a 6-inch diameter. Spread each piece of dough with some of the remaining Boursin cheese.
  2. Divide chicken/Boursin mixture between the 6 turnovers, laying it to one side leaving a half inch border. Fold each one in half to form turnovers.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place turnovers on baking sheet giving them space to rise a bit. Top each one with some caramelized onions & cheese. Cover turnovers with a tea towel & place in a draft free place to rise for about 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  5. Bake turnovers until a nice golden brown color. Remove from oven & allow to cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Streuseltaler

Nothing tastes more like fall than fresh baked pumpkin goods. I love just about anything with pumpkin in it. It definitely wasn’t always that way but it’s amazing how your taste buds change as time passes.

My original thoughts were to make some German pumpkin plachinda. It was one of those wonderful things my mother used to make that got pushed into the back of my memory.

It seems most recipes you find on the internet make plachinda as individual pastry turnovers with a pumpkin filling. I think I recall my mother making it in a rectangle casserole dish with the pastry on the bottom and up the sides and the filling showing.

I decided to do some ‘recipe development’ and try making some German streuseltaler and top it with a sweet pumpkin (plachinda) filling.

Streuseltaler was inspired by the round shape of the taler, a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in the currency called dollar.

Taler is a German word for coin, so the name of the dessert literally translates to streusel coin. Basically, a free form tart made with a yeast dough topped with a huge amount of streusel, sometimes filled with custard and often with a sugar glaze.

A traditional German streusel (streusel meaning something ‘strewn or scattered’ in German) bakes up into shortbread balls. It makes a crunchy, cookie-like top but is soft on the bottom where it meets the bread or fruit compote.

Streusel was first popularized in Germany. In its simplest form, it consists of flour, sugar and butter but gets even better with the addition of oatmeal, cinnamon and nuts …. just my opinion of course!

In the history of cooking, one could find recipes that have constantly changed and could be seen as a connecting link between modern times and our past. I guess this is my contribution to the evolution of plachinda.

For all of you who love pumpkin, here’s a treat you don’t want to miss!

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 Pumpkin Streuseltaler
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword pumpkin streuseltaler
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Pumpkin Dough
Pumpkin Filling
Streusel Topping
Glaze
Course dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword pumpkin streuseltaler
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Pumpkin Dough
Pumpkin Filling
Streusel Topping
Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. In a small bowl, add yeast, lukewarm water & 1 tsp sugar. Allow to sit about 10 minutes until frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, combine yeast mixture, butter, salt, cinnamon, eggs & pumpkin puree. Mix well. Add flour, one cup at a time, until well combined. Knead dough for about 8-10 minutes or until smooth & soft. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel & allow to rise for about 1 hour or until double in size.
Filling
  1. In a small dish, combine the filling ingredients, set aside.
Streusel Topping
  1. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon & salt. With a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
Assembly & Baking
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface & divide into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a ball & allow it to rest for about 5 minutes.
  2. Space out the balls on parchment lined baking sheet. With fingertips or the back of a Tbsp., press out center of each ball to about 4-inch diameter. Add about a Tbsp of pumpkin filling to each dough piece & spread leaving a border around the outside.
  3. Divide streusel topping evenly between the pastries. Allow to rise for about 15-20 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  5. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. In the meantime, you can prepare the glaze.
Glaze
  1. In a small dish, whisk powdered sugar & lemon juice to a thick glaze. When streuseltaler are cooled, drizzle with glaze.
Recipe Notes
  • The picture at the bottom of the recipe is MY version of my mother's plachinda. I had posted it on a blog in October 2016. She used to serve this wonderful pastry when she made a white bean soup. At the time I thought it was an odd combination but it works! Another one of those 'taste of a memory' kind of comfort foods.

Copycat Chachi’s Cran & Brie Sandwich

Several years ago, Brion and I came across a deli we had never noticed before. It was called Chachi’s which proved to be a great find. After checking out the menu we decided on what they called a Cran & Brie Sandwich. OMG .. it was so good! Since then, we have had them numerous times so of course I had to see if I could come up with a copycat version.

Chachi’s Deli is a popular chain started in Calgary, Alberta and now has over 20 locations across BC, Alberta & Manitoba. The concept serves sandwiches with local ingredients, in a contemporary style butcher shop environment. They also serve mac ‘n’ cheese as well as other comfort food offerings. Known for sourcing high-quality ingredients from local partners, Chachi’s has built a reputation for delicious fast food and is raising the bar for ‘mall food’ although some find it a bit pricey.

In December 2006, the first Chachi’s opened in TD Square in downtown Calgary. Derek Brock and Jason Cunningham started the company because they felt there was a need in the marketplace for a premium sandwich offering, above what was being offered by the sub giants. The question that they were asking themselves was … what would happen if you made a sandwich with the best local ingredients possible? That’s how the first Chachi’s sandwich was made and that’s how the company started.

Derek Brock and Jason Cunningham first met over 20 years ago while working as managers at Starbucks Coffee. After forming a strong friendship, they partnered to open the first ever Jugo Juice in 1998. The Jugo Juice brand was a pioneer in the smoothie and juice industry and has since grown to a national chain with stores across the country.

Chachi’s Cran & Brie sandwich consists of roast turkey breast, brie, cranberry chutney, mayo, arugula, granny smith apple & rosemary. Here is my copycat version which I’m sure will never quite match the original but …..

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 Copycat Chachi's Cran & Brie Sandwich
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Cuisine American
Keyword copycat Chachi's cran & brie sandwich
Servings
Ingredients
Rosemary Ciabatta Rolls
Cranberry Chutney
Other Ingredients Needed
Cuisine American
Keyword copycat Chachi's cran & brie sandwich
Servings
Ingredients
Rosemary Ciabatta Rolls
Cranberry Chutney
Other Ingredients Needed
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Ciabatta Rolls
  1. In a small bowl, combine yeast & 1/4 tsp sugar. Add lukewarm water set aside until frothy.
  2. In the bowl of your food processor or mixer (with dough hook), add flour, salt, remaining tablespoon of sugar and rosemary. Pulse once or twice to mix.
  3. When yeast is foamy, with mixer running, pour the liquid into dry ingredients. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, continuing to mix until dough comes together in a ball. Add a little more flour if necessary, but your dough should by very sticky.
  4. Turn dough out onto floured surface & knead until smooth & elastic, about 20 times. Shape into ball & place into oiled bowl. Cover loosely & place in a draft-free, warm area.
  5. When dough has doubled in size, turn onto lightly floured surface & knead just a few times to deflate. Do not over knead. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces & shape into 6-inch long rolls. Place rolls on parchment paper. Press down & outward to flatten them to about 1-inch thickness. Cover loosely with plastic wrap which has been sprayed with cooking oil spray & set in a warm place until doubled in size.
  6. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  7. When rolls have risen & oven is hot, Remove plastic wrap, poke top of rolls with fingers to create slight indentations. Drizzle olive oil lightly & evenly over rolls. Sprinkle with coarse salt & dried rosemary if you wish.
  8. Slide parchment onto baking sheet bake for 20-25 minutes, until light golden brown.
Cranberry Chutney
  1. Place all chutney ingredients into a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer & cook on low heat until cranberries pop & fruit is soft, about 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasonings or sweetness to your taste. Remove from heat & cool slightly.
  2. Place chutney in a food processor & pulse a few times to puree ever so slightly. I like it to still have a nice texture but your not seeing specific chunks of apple.
Assembly
  1. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half lengthwise. On the bottom half of each, spread cranberry chutney & top with deli roast turkey slices. Layer brie cheese over the turkey. Next lay slices of Granny Smith apple. On the top halves of the ciabatta rolls squeeze some mayo.
  2. Place all prepared bottom & top halves of the rolls in a toaster oven to toast slightly & melt the brie cheese. When slightly toasted & brie is nice & melted, remove from toaster oven & top with arugula & bits of fresh rosemary (if you wish).
Recipe Notes
  • Brion & I used a 'smoky bacon mayo' on our sandwiches & it was real good!

Garlic Bread Meatball Bombs

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

Although, we have not officially reached the first day of fall (Sept. 23), this part of the year often begins with a tinge of melancholy. Even so, there are many ways to appreciate Canada’s most sentimental season.

Part of our country’s appeal is its four season’s: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall. We are entering the season of the fall harvest and the leaves on the trees begin their transformation to stunning shades of orange, red and yellow.

Labor day week-end gives us an opportunity to enjoy family and friends before summer is officially over. I remember as a kid, once we arrived at the Labor Day week-end all those ‘lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer were gone’. Back to school for another year. So, whatever your choice of relaxation is, you know good food will play a big part in the week-end gatherings.

Meatball bombs are a round homemade ‘hot pocket’. They have everything in them you need to make a great tasting meal. Serve two bombs per person. That means each person gets two meatballs, two dinner rolls, lots of sauce, and some gooey, cheesy goodness. Serve these with a simple side salad to round out the entire meal.

Speaking of Hot Pockets, I’m sure most everyone has tried them at some time since they have been around for over 40 years.

Probably the one lasting memory if you have,  is you know that the first bite of the microwavable, molten-in-the-middle meal will burn at least three layers clean off the roof of your mouth.

The frozen creations known as Hot Pockets were created by two Jewish Iranian brothers Paul and David Merage, who immigrated to the United States from Tehran. In 1977, the Merage brothers founded Chef America Inc. and set out to create a portable sandwich whose dough would actually retain its crispness after a few minutes in the microwave. Their creation, which debuted in 1980, was called the Tastywich, but it didn’t last long with its original name. By 1983, after some recipe tweaking, the Tastywich had a new name and Hot Pockets officially hit the market.

History aside, if you’re looking for some flavorful garlic bread meatball bombs, this is just the dish for you! And, you have the choice to use a lot of prepared ingredients from your grocery store, or you can make them all from scratch. There are options for both types in this recipe.

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 Garlic Bread Meatball Bombs
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword garlic bread meatball bombs
Servings
Ingredients
Dinner Rolls
Meatballs
Garlic Butter
White Sauce
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword garlic bread meatball bombs
Servings
Ingredients
Dinner Rolls
Meatballs
Garlic Butter
White Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dinner Rolls
  1. Dissolve yeast & sugar in lukewarm water & allow to sit a few minutes until frothy. Add oil, salt, & 2 1/2 cups flour, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining 1/2 cup flour to form a stiff dough..
  2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover: let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
  3. Punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 18 pieces. Pinch the ends of each dough piece together in the center. Place seam side down. Use the palm of your hand to gently roll each dough ball until smooth and round.
  4. Place the dough balls in a parchment lined baking dish. Cover & allow rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  6. Lightly brush with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove rolls to a wire rack.
Meatballs
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the meatballs & mix well. Divide mixture into 18 meatballs & place on a foil lined baking tray. Bake 35 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Remove from oven & set aside.
White Sauce
  1. In a saucepan, cook butter & flour until bubbly. Slowly add broth & cream; boil for a FEW minutes, add soy, salt & pepper. Set aside.
Assemble & Bake
  1. Hollow out the top of each roll with a sharp knife. The hole will need to be slightly bigger than the meatballs, but not so deep that you puncture the bottom.
  2. Set the rolls into a 9×13" baking pan which has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  3. Whisk together garlic butter ingredients. Using the back of a teaspoon, liberally smear the holes of the dinner rolls with the garlic butter. Use all of the butter evenly into each dinner roll.
  4. Spoon about a tablespoon of the prepared sauce into each of the hollowed out dinner rolls. Place a cooked meatball into each hole. Top each meatball with the remaining sauce mixture. Evenly distribute the cheese over each of the dinner rolls. Sprinkle on the Italian seasoning.
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven.
  6. Using a sharp knife, slice between each dinner roll. Garnish with parsley if you wish.
Recipe Notes
  • For a QUICK & EASY meal use:
  • 12 (store bought) dinner rolls
  • 12 frozen meatballs, cooked
  • FOR SAUCE: 
  • 1/2 cup dried tomato paste
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • NOTE: I found for the original recipe it was easier to make the meatballs & sauce first, then the rolls. Just a suggestion!

Ube Pull-Apart Bread

There are a many different names for pull-apart bread such as monkey bread, Hungarian coffee cake, golden dumpling coffee cake, tear & share bread, bubble loaf just to mention a few. Pull-apart bread has both popular and deep cultural roots having originated in Hungary. Starting in 1950 and making its way across the Atlantic to Hungarian Jewish bakeries in the United States. Pull-apart bread was eventually featured in a Betty Crocker cookbook in 1972 and even became a staple in the Regan White House of the 1980s.

Imagine a bread so soft and buttery that it pulls apart into tender pieces at the slightest touch. Pull-apart bread’s first North American incarnation was as a mass of buttery dinner rolls, baked together so they could be pulled apart at the table.

Home bakers have remained captivated by pull-apart bread, having come up with numerous versions such as maple bacon brie, garlic & herb, pepperoni, spinach artichoke. Of course, the classic with the sandy-sweet filling of a cinnamon roll, crunchy pecans topped with a rich caramel glaze will never go out of voque.

Pull-apart bread makes the ultimate baked good, perfect for a family or holiday brunch. Delicious cut into slices or simply torn into chunks, this Ube Pull-Apart Bread makes the perfect dessert for barbecues and picnics or just any time.

Ube (pronounced OO-bay), is a purple yam native to the Philippines and other areas of Southeast Asia. Ube is a very versatile ingredient. It is not a purple sweet potato or taro, it is a purple yam. Its special taste reminds one of vanilla, pistachios or chestnuts. The vibrant purple color inside and out is uniquely photogenic.

Ube has been used for decades in Filipino cuisine and has now caught on in North America, especially in the form of desserts. I fell in love with the flavor of ube jam many years ago so I’m always looking for another way to use it.

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 Ube Pull-Apart Bread
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American, Filipino
Keyword Ube pull-apart bread
Servings
THICK SLICES
Ingredients
Ube Halaya (Jam)
Bread Dough
Cheese
Course dessert
Cuisine American, Filipino
Keyword Ube pull-apart bread
Servings
THICK SLICES
Ingredients
Ube Halaya (Jam)
Bread Dough
Cheese
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Ube Halaya (Jam) Best to make a DAY AHEAD of using
  1. In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add coconut & condensed milks; stir until heated. Add thawed, grated ube & combine well. Cook over a low heat. It is important to stir the mixture often during cooking to prevent it from forming a ‘crust’. This process takes about 40-50 minutes until the ube is cooked. The mixture should be thick & sticky. Transfer the ube jam to a container & set aside.
Dough
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together lukewarm water, sugar & yeast & allow to sit until frothy.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the butter with milk & vanilla. Cool slightly.
  3. Pour the butter mixture into the yeast mixture and whisk together until just combined. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Slowly add the flour & salt, reserving 2 tablespoons for adjusting later.
  4. Knead the dough until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Add some or all of the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour if necessary. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough to oil the top. Cover and let rise until doubled in size about an hour.
  5. Line an 8 1/2 inch by 4 1/2-inch bread pan with parchment paper.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press or roll into a 16 x 11-inch rectangle. Spread about 1 1/4 cups (about 300 gm) ube jam filling mixture evenly across the top of dough going right to the edges. On the longest side, cut the dough vertically into six strips. Stack 3 of the strips on top of one another, making 2 layers of 3 strips each. Then, using a sharp knife, carefully cut the stacks into 4 squares.
  7. Layer the 8 'piles' of squares into the loaf pan vertically. Sometimes it helps to hold the pan vertically as you are stacking. Cover pan with greased plastic wrap & a tea towel. Allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  9. Brush bread with egg wash & sprinkle with Edam cheese. Bake for 15 minutes and then tent with foil in the oven. Bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes.
  10. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan & sprinkle with more cheese if you wish. Serve with extra ube jam if desired.
Recipe Notes
  • I find making the Ube Halaya a day ahead is a good idea!
  • You will only need part of the amount of ube jam this recipe makes. I never have a hard time putting it to good use in other recipes or just using it as a 'jam'.
  • On my blog site there are numerous recipes such as ube cheesecakes, buns, cruffins, cake roll w/ cheese streusel, etc.

Cinnamon Beet Rolls

I always think of beets as a love-them-or-hate-them food.  You’re either all in or all out! People have been using vegetables in baking for quite some time. Think about some of the classics: carrot cake, pumpkin pie, banana bread, and zucchini loaf. Beets add moisture to baked goods along with a natural sweetness. 

In yeast breads, roasted beet puree makes for an incredibly tender crumb and moist interior thanks to the added hydration of the purée (similar to potato bread!) and a delicate crust, since the natural sugar in the beets creates more caramelization. Ultimately, the beets add a pleasantly earthy, subtly sweet flavor that enhances the rolls without overpowering them. 

The best-known baked treat made with beets is probably the Red Velvet Cake, but beets can add their deliciousness to cookies, muffins, pies and other baked goods like cinnamon rolls.

The idea of using beets to bulk up bread dough is said to have originated in Paris or Vienna or Germany.

Today the nutrition-packed beet is considered a ‘super food’, credited with everything from lowering blood pressure and increasing energy to fighting inflammation and detoxifying the body.

With that in mind, it seems like a good reason to make some cinnamon beet rolls.

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 Cinnamon Beet Rolls
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cinnamon beet rolls
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cinnamon beet rolls
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. In a small bowl, add yeast, lukewarm water & 1 tsp sugar. Allow to sit about 10 minutes until frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, combine yeast mixture, 1/3 cup sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon, eggs & beet puree. Mix well. Add flour, one cup at a time, until well combined. Knead dough for about 8-10 minutes or until smooth & soft. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel & allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Filling
  1. In a small dish, combine filling ingredients, set aside.
Assembly/Baking
  1. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle about 13” x 20”. Spread softened butter on rectangle & sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2 -inch border around the edges.
  2. Roll up dough lengthwise into a tight roll, pinch seams shut & place roll seam side down. Cut into 12 pieces, rotating cuts on the diagonal. Press the handle of a wooden spoon firmly on the top & center of each roll to shape.
  3. Place rolls at least 2-inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Lightly cover the rolls with buttered plastic wrap & a tea towel. Set aside in a warm place for 20 minutes to rise.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  5. Brush with egg wash & sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
  • To Roast Beets: wrap individually in foil & place directly on the rack of a preheated 400 F. oven. Bake until they're fork tender but not mushy; the total time will vary depending on the size of the beets. Allow beets to cool in foil, then rub off all the skin & any rough exterior pieces. Puree beets in a food processor or with an immersion blender.
  • Alternately, you can just boil, peel & puree if you are short on time.

Flammekueche – Alsatian Pizza w/ Onions & Bacon

Nestled on the border of France and Germany is a little area known as the Alsatian (All-Say-Shun) region. There, cultures have collided, blended, and meshed to create some of the most unique culinary experiences. One such specialty is the Flammekueche, also known as the Alsatian Pizza, or Tarte Flambée. A combination of baked flat dough topped with fresh cheese known as fromage blanc, bacon, and onions. All of this is baked to a crisp perfection.

The most underrated and underused topping in every pizzeria is the onion. The flavor potential of this glorious root can be either bold or a sublime succulent whisper, but it is usually taken for granted.

Known as flammekueche in Alsatian and flammkuchen in German, tarte flambée is pure and uncomplicated. Typically made on a piece of thin, rolled-out bread dough, it has only three or four other main ingredients: the sour cream, cheese, onion and the bacon.

But don’t let the few ingredients fool you because they’re wonderfully paired. The creamy, slightly sharp sour cream is tamed by the sweet onions and salty bacon.

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 Flammekueche - Alsatian Pizza w/ Onions & Bacon
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword Alsatian pizza w/ bacon & onions
Servings
Ingredients
Potato Pizza Crust
Caramelized Onions
Bacon & Sauce
Course Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword Alsatian pizza w/ bacon & onions
Servings
Ingredients
Potato Pizza Crust
Caramelized Onions
Bacon & Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Pizza Crust
  1. Cook potato, peel & mash. Combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy. Add butter, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well. Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a tea towel & allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Caramelized Onions
  1. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion & sprinkle with salt. Cook & stir about 15 minutes or until moisture is evaporated & onion is soft. Reduce heat, sprinkle with vinegar. Cook & stir until golden. Stir in brown sugar; cook & stir until caramel brown in color. Remove from skillet & set aside.
Bacon / Cheese
  1. In skillet, sauté bacon until it is halfway to crisp, 2-4 minutes. Remove bacon to drain on paper towel. Break or cut bacon into small pieces. Grate cheese.
Assembly
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll or press dough into 4 ovals. Transfer with paper to a baking sheet.
  3. Add minced garlic to sour cream & spread over crust, leaving a small border. Distribute onions & bacon evenly over sour cream. Top all with grated cheese & a sprinkling of black pepper.
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven & slice.