Ingredient: active dry yeast

Aged Cheddar & Apple Focaccia

Focaccia is a wonderful and aromatic bread with a rich history that transcends cultural boundaries. Focaccia seems to have medieval origins and gained popularity in the 16th century. It was a common breakfast choice for port workers who had little time to eat. Paired with a glass of white wine, it provided energy for their morning tasks. 

Over time, focaccia has evolved into an expression of culinary craftsmanship, with bakers creating intricate designs and flavor combinations.

Apple and cheddar focaccia is a unique pairing that can definitely elevate your holiday entertaining. This focaccia combines the sweetness of apples with the savory richness of aged cheddar bringing out the best in both. It’s easy to make and pairs beautifully with wine, making it perfect for gatherings.

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 Aged Cheddar & Apple Focaccia
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword aged cheddar & apple focaccia
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Topping
Finishing
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword aged cheddar & apple focaccia
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Topping
Finishing
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. In a large bowl or the bowl, combine the warm water & honey & stir well. Sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
  2. Add 2 cups of the flour, the salt & thyme leaves & knead in. Continue adding the remaining flour in small increments, as needed, until well incorporated. Dough will be moist & may look a bit sticky still.
  3. Generously flour a work surface. Remove dough to work surface & lightly flour the top of the dough, then form into a ball. Cover with a tea towel let stand 10 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with a large sheet of parchment paper.
  5. Gently press dough in to prepared baking pan, using your fingertips to stretch & push it so it fills the entire pan. Work as gently as possible so you don’t remove all the air from the dough. Cover dough with a tea towel & let stand 15-20 minutes.
Toppings
  1. Meanwhile, prepare the apple slices. Using a very sharp knife or a mandolin, slice the apples super thin. I wanted to have round slices so I sliced the apples thinly then cut out the centers with a miniature star cookie cutter. Grate cheese. Set toppings aside.
Assembly
  1. Use your fingertips to make some indentations in the dough. Scatter dough with 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Top with sliced apples. Place 3 thyme sprigs randomly on top of apples. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
  2. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven & scatter remaining cheese on top. Return to oven for a further 3-5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. If desired, pop under the oven broiler for a short time to brown cheese a bit. Remove from oven. Allow to stand a couple of minutes, then loosen from pan and slice focaccia on to a cooling rack. While warm, top with a sprinkling of flaky salt & a scattering of a few fresh thyme leaves.
  3. To serve, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut in to serving pieces. Drizzle with a bit of honey to serve, if you wish.

Chai Liqueur Cinnamon Rolls

The air is chilly, the leaves are turning, the sun is shining, and the skies are blue. Frost has visited and that ‘end of summer’ feel is in the air.

But there’s more to fall flavors than just pumpkin spice. Before there was pumpkin spice, there was chai to keep you warm and cozy all autumn long. You might even recognize some of the flavors in chai as they are similar to pumpkin spice with clove, cinnamon, and cardamom. The classic way to enjoy chai is in tea, but it seems Craft Chai Liqueur is becoming a timeless staple.

I had never really heard about chai liqueur until Brion brought some home one evening to try. In the winter of 2011, Brion and I traveled Turkey for a month. We were meeting our Trafalgar tour group in Istanbul. Arriving a day early gave us time to ‘snoop’ around a bit. Next to our hotel was a ‘Starbucks’, so we went in. When Brion ordered my coffee, they gave me a ‘Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte’ by mistake. That pumpkin chai flavor was just incredible. I have been addicted to it ever since.

We both thought this chai liqueur tasted nice so naturally I was inspired to do some recipe development to see if I could use it in baked goods. There are many recipes using the chai spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and anise. I wanted to incorporate the actual liqueur as well as pop up the flavor a bit more.

But first, just a bit about the JAYA CHAI LIQUEUR itself … Created by Faaiza Ramji, a native of Edmonton, Canada, (our home city) JAYA is more than a spirit—it’s a tribute to the cultural icon of chai. With a deep respect for her South Asian heritage, Faaiza was inspired by the way chai has brought people together, whether at bustling street corners or in the quiet warmth of family homes. Every bottle of JAYA is rooted in tradition and history, a modern celebration of the centuries-old ritual of chai.

Alberta-based distillery ‘Field Notes’ is the brainchild of Faaiza Ramji. During a directorial tenure in economic development, she learned the immense value of agriculture in Alberta. Although Canada produces many of the basic ingredients the world relies upon, very few of those ingredients end up as finished products on local shelves, sacrificing GDP, jobs and additional downstream benefits to foreign countries. Greatly influenced by her South Asian heritage—where her grandmother, aunts and mother embraced natural remedies using herbs and spices to aid digestion, boost immunity, and even nourish skin—Faaiza formed a partnership in 2021 with Lindsey Good, a dedicated grower and owner of a 100-year-old farm in southern Alberta. Together, driven to build a complete food ecosystem within the Canadian Prairies by turning more local crops into more finished products the world can enjoy, Ramji and Good planted the seeds for a new kind of Alberta distillery and called it Field Notes. Chai liqueurs are rare in the Canadian market and Jaya Chai Liqueur uses distilled Canadian oats, filtered water, assam tea, Alberta beet sugar and a blend of spices like cardamom and clove for an invigorating, authentic chai flavor.

Edmonton’s distillery scene just got a recent boost, as Field Notes’ Jaya Chai Liqueur won a double gold, given because of its cumulative high score — a 98 out of 100 — from the judges at the 2024 San Francisco International Spirits Competition.

This brings me back to my recipe development which I focused on some chai liqueur cinnamon rolls. They ‘re a little more involved than the classic cinnamon rolls but I think you will find their well worth it.

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 Chai Liqueur Cinnamon Rolls
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Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword chai liqueur cinnamon rolls
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Chai Cream Cheese Glaze
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword chai liqueur cinnamon rolls
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Chai Cream Cheese Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Dough
  1. Marinate raisins in Chai liqueur overnight, Stir occasionally.
  2. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water with 1 tsp sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, sift 1 cup of the flour. Stir in yeast mixture & lukewarm milk. Cover with plastic & let stand in a draft free place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  4. While the dough rises, make the filling. Combine the sugar & spices together in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
  5. Punch down firmly & work in beaten egg, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla & pieces of softened butter. Sift the remaining 2 cups of flour with salt & work in 1 ½ cups to form a soft dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead in the remaining ½ cup of flour & raisin/liqueur mixture. This becomes a very soft & buttery dough but is not sticky.
  6. Roll dough out into a long rectangle about 16 x 12- inches on a well-floured surface. Spread the 2 Tbsp butter for the filling all the way to the edge of the dough. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the butter, pressing it down to stick to the butter.
  7. From the long end, roll the dough away from you into a tight roll, sealing the bottom edge down by pinching the dough together.
  8. Use floss or a very sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 even rolls. Place the rolls in an 8-inch spring form pan. Brush rolls with egg wash. Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap & allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until about 1 1/2 times the size. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 F. & set an oven rack in the middle position.
  9. Bake the cinnamon rolls for about 55 minutes or until they are golden brown and no longer doughy. Remove from oven & allow to cool.
Glaze
  1. Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, chai liqueur & milk. Beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high until light and fluffy. Brush glaze evenly over the rolls.

Focaccia w/ Pork, Apple & Apricot Filling

CELEBRATING LABOR DAY!

Once again, the last long weekend of summer has arrived. Here in Canada, families with school age children, take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. Others enjoy the company of family and friends at barbecues, picnics, fairs, festivals and fireworks displays. Canadian football fans may spend a large portion of their weekend watching the Labor Day Classic matches live on television. Whatever your choice of relaxation is, you know good food will be a part of the holiday.

This stuffed focaccia came into my thoughts for a tasty choice. If you’re barbecuing, it can be wrapped in foil and heated on the grill. If a picnic is your preference, add a nice potato salad (or salad of choice) and of course, a beer. Perfect, easy and delicious!

I can’t quite remember when my love for ‘sandwiches’ began. I have memories of my brother and I having cold, leftover mashed potato sandwiches with my mother’s homemade bread after school. To me, anything is fair game for making a sandwich with.

The sweet potato focaccia I’m using in this recipe is adapted from the Focaccia Pugliese idea using the regional tradition of adding mashed potatoes to the yeasted dough for focaccia. The result is worth the extra effort — yeasty and spongy with a delicious tenderness and crusty edge.

Regional cuisine in Italy is a big deal. Focaccia recipes differ in many regions: Liguria, Puglia, Sicily, each region has its own version. Every tiny little village in Italy has its own recipes and everyone has their own ideas on how you should cook this or that.

Puglia’s cuisine is a mirror to its soul, simple yet flavorful, and deeply rooted in local produce. Its unique location ensures an abundance of seafood, and its fertile land blesses it with high-quality vegetables, grains, and olive oil.

The bread dough is not difficult to work with, it stretches easily to make focaccia pockets. This recipe is another idea that I developed into handheld stuffed focaccia pockets for picnics or lunch on the go. It consists of sweet potato focaccia filled with pork, apple & apricot filling. What’s not to love!

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 Focaccia w/ Pork, Apple & Apricot Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword stuffed focaccia w/ pork & apples
Servings
POCKETS
Ingredients
Filling
Sweet Potato Focaccia
Topping
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword stuffed focaccia w/ pork & apples
Servings
POCKETS
Ingredients
Filling
Sweet Potato Focaccia
Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Filling
  1. To a skillet add butter & melt. Add onion, apples, celery & spices as well as salt & pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add garlic & cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Remove from pan.
  2. Place ground pork in skillet & cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until no longer pink. Drain on paper towel. Return to skillet & add veg combo along with apricots & grated cheese. Set aside until ready to use.
Focaccia
  1. In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1/2 cup flour & 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes until frothy.
  2. Cook & mash sweet potato; add it along with the remaining 3/4 cup lukewarm water, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt & 4 cups flour. When dough forms, knead for about 7-8 minutes until the dough is soft & satiny. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise in a draft fee place until doubled in size, about an hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  4. Spread work surface with olive oil. Place risen dough on it & roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. Divide filling between 6 of the circles leaving a border on each one. Top each one with remaining circles of dough. Pinch edges to seal in filling.
  5. On 2 parchment lined baking sheets, place filled focaccia. Sprinkle with dried rosemary & coarse sea salt if using.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven & cool on wire racks.

Turkey w/ Bacon & Stuffing Focaccia Pockets

It always amazes me how some simple foods can taste so incredible. Focaccia is one of those foods, it has few ingredients, yet it’s almost magical how great it tastes! Focaccia is not pizza and is about 2000 years older, a sort of missing link between traditional flat bread and pizza. Above all it is distinctly Italian. Focaccia has undergone many upgrades and evolutions; however, the basic recipe has remained unchanged.

Today, focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread similar in style and texture to pizza. The interesting part, however, is that Focaccia started out as a side dish but over time it became part of the main dish as sandwich bread. If we go further back in time, focaccia was the only star of the show and was originally the prototype of early pizza.

A few years ago, Brion & I got ‘hooked’ on focaccia bread. I experimented with various recipes until I landed on the sweet potato focaccia. Experiment no more! For our liking this was the ultimate focaccia. Of course, I couldn’t just leave it at bread. My next thought was to make it into handheld stuffed focaccia pockets for picnics or lunch on the go.

Today, I’d like to share my newly ‘developed’ focaccia pocket. It consists of sweet potato focaccia filled with roast turkey, bacon & stuffing served with cranberry sauce on the side. We just loved this ‘next level’ of focaccia bread.

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 Turkey w/ Bacon & Stuffing Focaccia Pockets
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch
Cuisine Italian
Keyword bacon & chicken w/ Boursin focaccia pockets
Servings
POCKETS
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Focaccia
Topping
Filling
Boursin Sauce
Stuffing
Course Lunch
Cuisine Italian
Keyword bacon & chicken w/ Boursin focaccia pockets
Servings
POCKETS
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Focaccia
Topping
Filling
Boursin Sauce
Stuffing
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Filling
  1. In a skillet, cook bacon until just crisp, then remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain; chop when cooled. Remove all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon drippings from skillet.
  2. Add butter to the skillet, sauté onions, garlic & mushrooms with herbs & spices, scraping up any brown bits, until the onions have softened & mushrooms have lost most of their size & moisture. Stir in the bacon & shredded cooked turkey, taste for seasoning. Cook for another minute or two, then remove from heat & set aside.
Dough
  1. In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1/2 cup flour & 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes until frothy.
  2. Cook & mash sweet potato; add it along with the remaining 3/4 cup lukewarm water, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt & 4 cups flour. When dough forms, knead for about 7-8 minutes until the dough is soft & satiny. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise in a draft fee place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Boursin Sauce
  1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the spices. Add the milk and adjust heat to steaming -- do not simmer or boil. Add Boursin to the milk mixture, break it up into pieces with the side of a large spoon and stir until Boursin has melted into the mixture. Remove from heat. Add to turkey/veg mixture.
Assembly/Baking
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Spread work surface with olive oil. Place risen dough on it & cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Roll out each ball into a 6-inch circle. Divide the filling between the 12 circles of dough. Top each one with about a 1/4 cup stuffing. Fold to form a turnover & pinch edges to seal in filling.
  3. On 2 parchment lined baking sheets, place filled focaccia. Sprinkle with dried rosemary & coarse sea salt if using.
  4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven & cool on wire racks. Serve with cranberry sauce on the side if desired.

Chicken ‘Parm’ Stuffed Garlic Bread

Chicken parmesan stuffed garlic bread, a perfect fusion of cheesy goodness and garlicky delight. It’s a scrumptious twist on the classic Italian favorite.

Chicken parmesan, also known as ‘chicken parm’, is a dish that originated in the United States from Italian immigrants. The most widely accepted theory is that chicken parm was created in the 1950s, when Italian immigrants began to adapt their traditional dishes to American ingredients and cooking methods. The dish became a popular staple in restaurants serving Italian American cuisine by the 1950s. The first recorded instance of the dish is in a 1953 recipe book called ‘The Italian Cook Book’ by Ada Boni. 

Chicken parmigiana as we know it always contains the same basic ingredients: chicken breast, often butterflied, breadcrumbs, Italian seasonings, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. But it wasn’t always that way.  In the Old World, that’s Italy prior to the Italian diaspora, the large-scale emigration of Italians from Italy to America, proteins like chicken were not widely available. As such, the original chicken parmigiana was actually made with breaded, fried slices of eggplant in place of chicken for a dish called melanzane alla Parmigiana. This form of the dish originated in Southern Italy, where the poor soil made it difficult to raise animals for food but where enterprising — and thrifty — peasants could scratch out a living growing hardier crops like eggplant. It also thrived in the hot climate of the South.

In North America, most of the time eggplant parmesan is thought of as just the vegetarian version of an Italian American classic. However, it is actually the other way around — eggplant is the original version of this dish.

You would expect a recipe for something with the word ‘parmesan’ in its name to contain just that, but you would be wrong. The cheese most associated with this dish is mozzarella.

This recipe certainly takes chicken parm & garlic bread up a notch. Yum!

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 Chicken 'Parm' Stuffed Garlic Bread
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch
Keyword chicken parm stuffed garlic bread
Servings
Ingredients
Roasted Chicken
Other
Garlic Bread
Course Lunch
Keyword chicken parm stuffed garlic bread
Servings
Ingredients
Roasted Chicken
Other
Garlic Bread
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Chicken
  1. Slice chicken lengthwise. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine salt, spices & oil; add chicken breast slices. Seal bag & turn to coat.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking tray with foil paper.
  3. Spread chicken out evenly & bake about 45 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Don't overcook. Remove from oven, cool & chop. Set aside.
Other
  1. Cook bacon & process in food processor for a few seconds, just until a LARGE crumbly texture is reached.
  2. Grate the two different cheeses & combine. Set aside.
Garlic Bread
  1. Cook potato, mash & cool. In a small bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy. Add butter, minced garlic, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well.
  2. 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 plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  3. Remove risen dough from bowl, turn onto lightly floured surface; roll dough to about a 9" x 20" rectangle. Place a large piece of parchment on a sheet pan. Roll dough onto your rolling pin then unroll onto parchment paper. Place 1/2 of the cheese down the center of dough, top it with crumbled bacon, chicken & remaining cheese.
  4. Starting from the long side , bring the two sides up to meet in the center & pick dough together firmly. Fold the short ends in about 1-inch & pinch together. Using the parchment paper, roll 'baguette' over so the pinched seam side is on the bottom.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap; allow to rise for 15 minutes while preheating oven to 375 F. Brush with egg wash if preferred. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Serving
  1. Remove from oven & serve hot with 'pizza sauce' for dipping.

Black Forest Streuseltaler

The name of today’s pastry 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/cake or fruit.

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!

While the origins of the black forest cake aren’t all that clear, some historians believe that its origins can be traced back to the Black Forest Region of Germany. This part of Germany is well known for its sour cherries and ‘Kirschwasser‘ … a clear cherry brandy.

This iconic creation is a layered confection of a liqueur ‘soaked’ chocolate cake with rich whipped cream and sour cherries between its layers. The liqueur and cherries give the cake an intense and unique fruity flavor. It’s these sour cherries which gave it its German name: Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen or Black Forest Cherry Cake.

There are many origin stories about the cake. Some sources claim that the name of the cake is inspired by the traditional custom of the women of the Black Forest region, with a characteristic hat with big red pom-poms on top called a ‘Bollenhut’. The earliest published written record of black forest cake was in 1934, by a German confectioner. Today, the cake is well known worldwide and probably one of the most popular cakes in Germany.

This black forest streuseltaler is a fusion recipe I developed combining a chocolate yeast bun with some sour cherries and streusel topping. Since we just happen to have a nice little sour cherry tree growing in our garden, why not put some of them to good use in a German dessert?!

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 Black Forest Streuseltaler
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword black forest streuseltaler
Servings
Ingredients
Sour Cherry Filling
Streusel Topping
Dough
Glaze
Course dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword black forest streuseltaler
Servings
Ingredients
Sour Cherry Filling
Streusel Topping
Dough
Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Sour Cherry Filling
  1. In a saucepan, place & stir together sugar, cornstarch & salt. Add the water mixture & stir to thoroughly combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, Stirring frequently, & simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually fold in cherries. Set aside to cool.
Streusel
  1. In a bowl, place COLD butter. Add flour, sugar & Kirsch if using. With your finger tips work streusel until crumbles form. Spread out on a large tray & set aside in freezer until ready to use.
Dough
  1. In a small dish, combine yeast with lukewarm water & 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes until frothy.
  2. In a large bowl, slightly melt butter; cool a couple of minutes then whisk in egg. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, 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 soft but not sticky.
  3. Lightly grease bowl, place dough ball in it & cover with a towel. Place in a draft-free place & allow to rise for about 20 minutes.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. Place dough on a work surface, & divide into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a ball & allow to rest for about 5 minutes.
  6. Space out the balls on parchment lined baking sheet. With fingertips, press out each ball to about 3-4-inch diameter. Add about 1 Tbsp of cherry filling to the center of each dough piece, leaving a border around the outside.
  7. Divide streusel topping evenly between the pastries & allow to rise for about 15-20 minutes.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  9. Bake for about 10-15 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 & Kirsch into a thick glaze. When streuseltaler are cooled, drizzle with glaze.
Recipe Notes
  • Kirschwasser is German for 'Cherry Water', and while it may be as clear as water, it packs quite a punch.  This double distilled brandy made from the sour Morello cherries is, more often than not, simply referred to as Kirsch. This 'not too sweet with a subtle cherry/almond flavored' liqueur is a vitally necessary ingredient to make a traditional Black Forest Cake; for that is where both the cake and Kirschwasser hail from...  The Black Forest, or Schwarzwald, in southwestern Germany. 
  • Pomegranate juice: A rich and slightly tangy juice can act as a kirsch substitute, particularly in recipes requiring a deep red color. It offers a unique flavor that can add complexity to your dish.

 

Burgers in Loaded Potato/Bacon Buns

CELEBRATING THE LONG WEEK-END!

For many Canadians, Victoria Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer. It is Canada’s oldest non-religious holiday and although we still hang on to the British Queen’s name (for old times’ sake), this truly Canadian holiday has everything to do with the end of the cold weather and short days and a lot to do with some great food.

Canadians jokingly refer to this holiday as May ‘two-four’ day. This is an inside joke which refers to a case of beer, containing 24 cans. For many, this is the first (warm-ish) long weekend since Easter, so they head to campsites armed with a 24 (can) case of beer to celebrate the beginning of Summer.

Wherever you live across Canada, this May long weekend – typically marks the start of grilling season. It’s time to get outside in the sunshine, fire up the BBQ, and enjoy savory grilled food with family and friends.

Brion & I are enjoying some interesting burgers which are served on ‘swirly burger buns’.

Print Recipe
 Burgers in Loaded Potato/Bacon Buns
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch
Keyword burgers in loaded potato/bacon buns
Servings
Ingredients
Buns
Burgers
Burger Toppings
Course Lunch
Keyword burgers in loaded potato/bacon buns
Servings
Ingredients
Buns
Burgers
Burger Toppings
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Buns
  1. In a large bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand for about 3 minutes until foamy.
  2. Add butter, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well. Add bacon, chives & sun-dried tomatoes; mix until just combined. Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured work surface.
  3. Knead dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Assembly/Bake
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. Remove risen dough from bowl, turn onto lightly floured surface; roll dough to about a 12 x 15-inch rectangle. From the long side, roll the dough like you would for a cinnamon roll & seal the edges. Using a piece of floss, cut roll into 10 pieces.
  3. Place buns on lined baking sheet & lightly brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. Allow to rise while oven is heating.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until light golden brown.
Burgers
  1. In a large bowl, place all burger ingredients. Mix ONLY until combined. Divide mixture into 10 equal portions & form into patties.
  2. Prepare all burger toppings. When buns are baked, grill burger patties, adding cheese slices toward the end so they can melt. Slice buns (grill for a few minutes if you wish) then 'load' burgers & serve.

Orange Rolls w/ Sour Cream Butter Glaze

Oranges, whether you use the whole orange or just the juice and zest, are so refreshing and flavorful in baking. I remember my mother making an orange bread loaf. I thought it was so unique because it used the fresh orange zest. The flavor was so distinct along with the bread being wonderfully moist. This recipe was one that has remained with me over the years. When I came across this recipe for orange rolls it naturally  caught my attention. After I read through numerous reviews, I realized there was some history behind them as well. It seems that the original recipe was called ‘Orange Butter Coffee Cake’ and was the $5000. prize winner in Pillsbury’s 16th Grand National Bake Off by Mrs. Lawrence Hoerig of Mequon, Wisconsin. Originally it had toasted coconut in the sugar/orange zest filling and more sprinkled over the top after it was baked.

Before there was The British Baking Show, Cupcake Wars etc. etc., there was the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. The legendary baking competition was introduced in 1949 in honor of Pillsbury’s 80th birthday and as an effort to promote Pillsbury™ Best® flour. At the heart of the Bake-Off was the desire to create an opportunity for American homemakers to not only share their beloved recipes, but to also share the stories that go along with them.

Originally called the Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest, 1949’s inaugural Bake-Off received thousands of entries from across the country. Pillsbury Best flour was a required ingredient in all recipe submissions and there were six categories that participants could enter: breads, cakes, pies, cookies, entrees and desserts. If participants submitted a seal from the Pillsbury Best flour they used in the recipe, their prize money could be doubled.

A panel of Pillsbury home economists eventually narrowed the entries down to 100 finalists. Each finalist was invited to the live competition at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City to make their recipe in hopes of winning the $25,000 grand prize. Before contestants could prepare their recipes, electricians installed 100 oven stations in a Waldorf-Astoria ballroom. In order to power all those ovens, the hotel actually had to tap into the electrical supply for the New York City subway system! Interesting!

Since its inception in 1949, the Bake-Off has inspired thousands of people to submit their original recipes and Pillsbury has awarded millions of dollars in prizes. Over time, the contest’s rules and regulations adapted to reflect evolving food trends and American culture.

I included the original recipe & a picture from the 1949 Bake-Off at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City at the bottom of the blog/recipe.

Print Recipe
 Orange Rolls w/ Sour Cream Butter Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword orange rolls w/ sour cream butter glaze
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Glaze
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword orange rolls w/ sour cream butter glaze
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
Glaze
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dough
  1. In a small dish, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate.
  2. In a large bowl, combine yeast mixture, 1/4 cup sugar, 6 Tbsp melted butter, eggs, sour cream & salt until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, & combine until mixture is smooth. Gradually add remaining 1 (1/4) cups flour until it creates a soft dough (you may NOT need all of the flour).
  3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface & knead until smooth & elastic (about 5 minutes). Place in a lightly buttered bowl, turning to butter the top. Cover & let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until almost doubled in bulk.
  4. Combine the orange zest & 3/4 cup dark brown sugar in a bowl & stir until well combined. Set aside. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  5. When dough has risen, turn it onto a lightly floured surface & cut it evenly into 3 pieces. Roll each one into a rectangle with a thickness of 1/4-inch. Divide orange-zest/sugar mixture between the 3 pieces & lightly spread evenly.
  6. Starting from the longest side, roll each piece jelly-roll style. Slice a 1 1/2-inch long piece off each ends of the rolls. Cut the middle part of each roll into 4 triangles.
  7. In the middle of the springform pan, arrange cut ends of the rolls around each other to form a circle, placing the cut sides down. Arrange the cut triangles to completely surround the middle circle. Cover the pan with plastic wrap & a tea towel & allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the rolls are almost doubled in size.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  9. Bake rolls about 30-40 minutes or until baked & golden in color. Remove the rolls from the oven & start the glaze.
Glaze
  1. Stir sugar, sour cream, butter orange juice & a pinch of salt together in a medium pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil & stir constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. Pour the glaze evenly over warm rolls.
Recipe Notes
  • Orange Butter Coffee Cake

    $5000 prize winner in Pillsbury’s 16th Grand National Bake Off

    Makes one large coffee cake.

    Soften in a mixing bowl 1 pkg. dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.

    Stir in

    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 tsp. salt
    • 6 Tbsp. melted butter
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup dairy sour cream

    Gradually add 2 3/4 to 3 all purpose flour, beating well after each addition.

    Cover and let rise in a warm place, 85 to 90 degrees, until doubled; about 2 hours.

    Combine:

    • 3/4 cup sugar,
    • 3/4 cup coconut and
    • 2 Tbsp. grated orange rind.

    Knead dough on a well-floured board about 15 times. Roll out half of the dough in 12″ circle. Brush with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Sprinkle with half of the coconut mixture. Cut into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Roll up, starting with the wide end and rolling to a point. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough. Place rolls point side down in a well greased 13×9″ pan. Cover and let rise until light and doubled; about one hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Pour glaze over hot coffee cake and sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut. Cool in pan.

     

    Orange Glaze.

    Combine in a saucepan 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup dairy sour cream, 2 Tbsp. orange juice and 1/4 cup butter. Boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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!

Print Recipe
 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.

Print Recipe
 Wool Roll Bread w/ Apricot Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
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
You:
Rate this recipe!
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.