2009 December

day 9: banana tarte tatin

December 21, 2009 by rainyd01 1 Comment

My husband and I have issues. We’re trying to work through them, but sometimes it just seems like there’s no hope.

Here’s the glitch: we both like green bananas. Yellow? No thanks. The tiniest fleck of brown? Compost. God forbid–brown? Get it our of our kitchen. Stat.

So when the days go by and we’ve forgotten to eat the bananas in the two day window that we will actually consume them, what in the heck are we going to do with them?

I have a solution. This may save our marriage. And our over-ripe bananas.

I know you have some in your kitchen too. So c’mon. Let’s roll.

Grab those ripe little buggers. Three or four of ‘em. Throw an orange in there while you’re at it (for zesting only).

These guys would have been thrown out two days ago in our household. Waaaay too much brown goin’ on there. But for this recipe, the riper the better. They taste more banana-ey that way.

Also grab some frozen, ready-to-bake puff pastry. Keep in mind that one sheet takes about 40 minutes to defrost, so plan accordingly.

What did people do before frozen, ready-to-bake puff pastry? Make their own or something? Twas a hard-knock life.

Finally, you’ll need a half stick of butter, one cup of sugar (baker’s sugar, if you have it–granulated if you don’t), and some tasty cinnamon. Non-tasty cinnamon need not apply.

First, cube up the butter. Place it in a pan that is stovetop and oven safe*. This guy is enameled cast-iron, but you could also use a dutch oven. Put the butter over low to medium-low heat to get it melting.

*If you don’t have a pan that would work, don’t fret. You’ll just have to be extra careful transferring the hot caramel into a baking dish.

Meanwhile, halve the ‘nanners…

…and zest half of the orange.

Once the butter is melted, add the sugar.

Stir until combined…

…and continue cooking until the sugar is dissolved and you’ve got yummy, golden caramel. This should take 5-10 minutes over medium-low heat, or maybe a bit longer if you’re using regular old granulated sugar. Be SUPER CAREFUL: this stuff BURNS. Wear oven mitts and an apron to protect yo-self.

Very carefully lay the bananas down in the caramel mixture and sprinkle with the orange zest and a few dashes of cinnamon.

Lay out one sheet of defrosted puff pastry on a floured surface. Roll it out into whatever shape your pan is–we’re going to lay it on top of the bananas. My pan was round, so it wasn’t so much rolling as it was tucking.

Very, very carefully lay the shaped puff pastry on top of the bananas. It should come up to the edge of the pan and cover the banana mixture fully. Prick it a few times with a knife or fork. Toss it in a 350° oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.

I have a good feeling about this one.

Now, CAREFULLY (and I do mean CAREFULLY–I channeled my over-cautious mother for this part) place a plate over the pan. We need to flip this sucker out face-up while it’s hot or else the caramel will meld to the pan and life as we know it will be over. Oven mitts, aprons, a welding mask–suit up, people. Flip it over quickly and cautiously.

Are we all okay? No burns, scalds or scratches?

Good.

Oh. My. Goodness. (Over) ripe bananas have never looked so good.

Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

Right about now is when you’ll have your family hovering in your kitchen. The aroma will be completely irresistible.

I decided to carve it up like a pizza pie for ease of serving.

A dollop of whipped cream, a dash of cinnamon, and…

…heaven. Pure, unadulterated heaven.

Let’s just say heaven didn’t last long.

The bananas became infused with the warm caramel, the crust was flaky, and the whole time eating it I couldn’t help but think, “this is comfort food.”

Good think we always have bananas turning brown around our house. We’ll be making this a lot.

Happy 9th Day of Bakemas!

-RDG

You can find the recipe for Jamie Oliver’s Banana Tart Tatin right here.

Filed Under: food Tagged With: 12 days of bakemas, banana tarte tatin, jamie oliver, recipe

day 8: blue cheese and irish cheddar gougères

December 20, 2009 by rainyd01 2 Comments

After all this sweet baking, I’m ready for some savory junk.

You know. Cheese, butter, wine. That sorta thing.

These ought to do the trick.

Have you ever had gougeres? They’re tiny little French cheese puffs seasoned with white wine, pepper, butter, and lots o cheese. And considering how simple they are to make, you could easily whip up a batch to serve with dinner. Or you could eat the entire batch with your husband immediately after they come out of the oven.

But I didn’t do that. *Whistles*

Ready? Let’s make some savory little cheesey puffs.

Grab some flour, salt and pepper. This flour is Perfect! For all my baking needs.

Mix 1/4 cup of water with 1/4 cup of dry white wine…

…cube up 4 tablespoons of butter, and grate up 1/3 of a cup blue cheese and 1/3 of a cup of Irish (or any sharp) cheddar.

Dump the butter, water and wine in a saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Your dining room table, where the natural light is, is not a stove top. It does not have burners. It is made of wood.

Just sayin.

Meanwhile, crack three eggs and give ‘em a good whisking.

Add 2/3 cups of flour to the butter mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Continue stirring for 1 minute, then remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Next, add the eggs a spoonful at a time, stirring after each addition to make sure they’re completely incorporated.

Add the bleu cheese, give it a stir, and get ready for some serious savory goodness.

Now: grease your palm. No, seriously. Rub a little oil on it, or give it a quick spray with a can-o-Pam. It’ll make your life much easier. I promise.

Put a fat teaspoon of the dough in your hand, ball up a dime-size amount of the Irish cheddar, and place the cheese in the middle of the dough. Then wrap the edges of the dough around the cheese to form a tiny irish cheddar cocoon. Hee hee.

The dough is super sticky and it’s not exactly a piece of cake to work with. Just persevere. It’ll be soooooo worth it!

Place the little globbies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I think I made about 24 with the amount of dough that I had.

Stick ‘em in a 375° oven for about 25-30 minutes.

Oh sheesh. Don’t they look beautiful and crusty and cheesy?

There are no words to describe how tasty these are. They’re light and crusty on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside with a little bit of melted cheddar. The dough is the tiniest bit sharp and tangy because of the wine and blue cheese.

You know how earlier I hinted that husband and I ate all of these fresh out of the oven?

Not entirely true.

I had to snap a few quick photos. That delayed us about 5 minutes.

And then we ate all 24 of them, one after the other. They were that good.

Make these today. You know you want to.

Happy 7th Day of Bakemas!

-RDG

Bleu Cheese and Irish Cheddar Gougeres, adapted from this recipe at Epicurious

1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup finely crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup grated Irish cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted. Stir in flour; reduce heat to medium-low. Stir vigorously until mixture forms large dough clumps, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in medium bowl. Add beaten eggs a few tablespoons at a time, stirring until eggs are completely absorbed after each addition (dough will be sticky). Mix in blue cheese. Using a heaping teaspoon of dough at a time, pinch a dime-sized amount of Irish cheddar into a ball. Wrap the dough around the cheese. Drop each gougere onto prepared baking sheet at least 1″ apart.

Bake gougères until puffed, golden brown, and dry, about 30 minutes. Do AHEAD: Can be made up to 1 week ahead. Cool completely. Place in airtight containers and store in freezer. Rewarm on baking sheet in 350°F oven until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Filed Under: food Tagged With: 12 days of bakemas, appetizer, bleu cheese gougeres, irish cheddar, recipe

day 7: paula deen’s pumpkin gooey butter cakes

December 19, 2009 by rainyd01 Leave a Comment

I mess with a lot of recipes. My husband likes to call it tweaking.

Sometimes I improve them. Sometimes I obliterate them. Sometimes I just make them more…interesting.

But there’s one gal’s recipes that I don’t dare touch.

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That woman is Ms. Paula Deen, everyone. And I don’t care who knows it.

She cooks down-home, southern fare–fried chicken, brisket, beef stroganoff. She’s got a Mississippi drawl that makes me smile, always has rockin fingernails (red, acrylic), and a wears a diamond the size of my butt.

She puts butter and mayonnaise in everything, and yet she does not weigh 400 pounds. Any gal who can accomplish that feat is a goddess in my book.

I don’t mess with her recipes because she’s pretty much awesome. And she makes these kick-booty “gooey butter cakes.” Around this time-o-year, I must make them. I need to make them.

And I’m going to do it right now.

Here’s whatcha need:

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One box of yellow cake mix (“Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Golden” could not have a longer name, but I swear it’s the holy grail of yellow cake mixes), one 16 oz box of powdered sugar, and some ground nutmeg and cinnamon.

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Next, grab one package of cream cheese (let it sit out and get to room temp), and two sticks of butter. Or, as my idol would say, “budder.” These are budder cakes, after all.

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And finally, some vanilla extract, one can of pumpkin, and four eggies.

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First off, dump that yellah cake mix into a big ol’ bowl.

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Crack one eggie…

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…and melt one stick of budder and pour it on in.

Now, I must warn you: I’m about to do something that I never do. It may be a bit shocking.

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I’m using a handheld electric mixer. I know, I know.

Some of you might think that this is the “easy” way to mix stuff up. For me, it’s a lot of dang work. Normally I’d just dump the whole mess into the Kitchen Aid and flip a switch. With this thing, I have to attach the blades, plug it in, turn it on, swirl it around, scrape the bowl, and swirl it around some more.

My laziness boggles my mind sometimes.

Mix it on up (with whatever method you choose) until a dough forms.

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Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased rectangular baking dish.

Now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 350°.

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Now then. Cream together the pumpkin and the cream cheese…

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…add the rest of the eggs and the vanilla…

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…and the second stick of butter (melted), and mix it all together.

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Finally, add the box of powdered sugar (yep, the whole box–Paula Deen doesn’t mess around), a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a teaspoon of nutmeg.

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Mix the whole mess up until it’s smoove and creamy.

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Pour the filling on top of the cake “crust” and bake for 40-50 minutes…

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…or until it looks like this. Bee-youtiful.

A word to the baking wise: these are supposed to be gooey, so they’ll never quite “set” in the middle. A little jiggle is quite alright. Don’t over-bake, my friends. Trust the gooey butter process.

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See that gooey-ness? Oh, it’s so right.

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I need these in my life around the holidays.

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Imagine pumpkin pie, but buttery and creamy.

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Imagine that the crust is not thin and flaky, but thick, dense, sweet, and buttery.

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Oh, Paula. You make my life wonderful. And I promise, I didn’t mess with a thing.

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Dear readers, let these be a part of your life this weekend.

And an FYI: if you don’t like pumpkin, try making bananna, pineapple, or peanut butter gooey cakes. The link below will take ya to Paula’s recipe where she explains how to make those deeelicious varieties.

Happy 7th Day of Bakemas!

-RDG

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes, Paula Deen

Cake:

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Filed Under: food Tagged With: 12 days of bakemas, gooey pumpkin butter cakes, paula deen, pumpkin bars, recipe

bacon cinnamon rolls

December 18, 2009 by rainyd01 38 Comments

On a lazy saturday morning when you have nothing in particular to do, when you have a fresh pot of coffee, the newspaper and the living room all to yourself, you need to treat yourself to these. Yes, they’re slightly evil. Yes, they will go straight to your hips. But on that rare morning when the house is quiet and there’s not a thing to do, there is nothing better.

To make this ultimate sweet/savory combo you need only two ingredients: one can of cinnamon rolls and bacon. Of course make the cinnamon rolls from scratch if you’re feeling ambitious. But if not, a tube of store-bought “Grands” work just fine (beware the smaller sized versions, which often don’t “roll” at all—they’re just little discs of dough).

Fry the bacon until it just begins to crisp but is still flexible. Drain on paper towels.

Unroll the dough, place two strips of bacon into each, and roll back up.

Place in a greased pan. Doesn’t the bacon look like it just belongs there? It does. Believe me, it does.

Bake according to package directions…

…frost…

…and enjoy. And if you go back for seconds, I won’t tell. The combination of the salty bacon and the sticky-sweet cinnamon roll is just too hard to resist.

-RDG

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 5 rolls

1 package “Grands” cinnamon rolls
10 strips bacon

Fry bacon for a few minutes on each side, until slightly crisp but still flexible. Drain on paper towels.

Unroll cinnamon rolls, place two strips of bacon into each, and roll back up. Place in a greased pan and bake according to package directions.

Filed Under: food Tagged With: 12 days of bakemas, bacon, bacon cinnamon rolls, breakfast, cinnamon rolls, desserts, easy breakfast, easy recipes, recipes, treats

day 5: baked apples with cinnamon whipped cream

December 17, 2009 by rainyd01 2 Comments

I’m done with breads.
I’m done with kneading, punching, rising and waiting.
I need simplicity in my life today.
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You too?

Good. Let’s make this super easy, uncomplicated, completely simple (and yet totally delicious and pretty) dessert.

Ready?

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Grab 4 apples. Or however many you want to make. Wash ‘em off.

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I used Fujis because it’s what I had. You could use pretty much any kind of apple (or pear, for that matter). But if you’re worried about what type to get, reference this handy little guide right here.

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Core from the top, leaving the bottom of the apple intact. Place in a baking dish.

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Now, put 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a bowl…

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…and add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg…

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…and about 1/3 cup chopped walnuts. Pecans would work nicely, too. Mix it on up.

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Stuff the apples to the brim with the sugar/nut mixture.

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Grab 1 tablespoon of butter…

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…cut it into 4 pieces and place one piece on top of each apple.

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Finally, pour in about 3/4-1 cup of hot water into the bottom of the pan. It’ll keep those apples nice and moist and deeelicious.

Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes, or until the apples are tender but not soft. They should keep their shape.

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While those little buggers are in the oven, let’s whip up some cream people. Pour one cup heavy whipping cream in the bowl of a standing mixer…

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…and whip until soft peaks begin to form.

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Once the cream is close to ready, add one teaspoon of vanilla extract, sugar to taste (I use about 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of whipping cream, but I like mine on the less-sweet side), and a few dashes of cinnamon.

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Give it a taste just to make sure it’s not poisonous.

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Once the apples are ready, pull ‘em out of the oven and let them sit for a few minutes.

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Oh boy.

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When you’re ready to serve, top with a dollop of that gorgeous whipped cream. I like to slice the apples in half to showcase the purdy nuttiness going on in the core. But you do whatever makes you feel good.

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The best part about this dessert? It’s super impressive for guests. They each get their own personal apple.

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Plus, your house will smell divine. And if you’re busy cooking dinner, you could totally make these ahead of time and pop ‘em in the oven while you’re eating.

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Oh they taste soooo durn good. The apple remains crunchy but soft enough to cut with a fork. The nuts get all nice and caramelized, the butter makes it rich, and the cinnamon whipped cream lends it a little bit of heaven. Delish.

Happy 5th Day of Bakemas!

-RDG

Baked Apples with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Serves 4

For the Apples:

4 apples, washed and dried
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter, quartered
3/4-1 cup hot water

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 dashes cinnamon
sugar to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375. Core the apples from the top, leaving the bottom intact. Place in a baking dish.

2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into the cored apples. Top each apple with a piece of butter. Pour the hot water into the bottom of the baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes.

3. Whip cream until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly add sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Spoon over baked apples.

Filed Under: food Tagged With: 12 days of bakemas, baked apples, cinnamon whipped cream, recipe

day 4: chocolate babka

December 15, 2009 by rainyd01 5 Comments

Bab-what? Bab-who?

The word is Babka, my friends, and you should really get to know eachother.

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Babka, readers. Readers, meet my good friend babka.

What is babka, you ask? It’s an eastern European bread twisted and rolled up with chocolate and cinnamony goodness, topped off with a sprinkling of streusel.

Why is it called babka? Because it’s darn fun to say. Or, as my other good friend Wikipedia informed me, it stems from the Polish noun “baba,” meaning grandmother–so-named because of its resemblance to a grandmother.

Huh. I don’t know about your grandmother, but mine is definitely twisted, stuffed with chocolate and perpetually covered in streusel. Quite a fitting name, I’d say.

Before we get going, I must say: of what I have made so far in this 12 days of Bakemas adventure, chocolate babka has been by far my favorite. And here are the reasons why:

1) The dough is soft and chewy like the inside of a cinnamon roll.

2) Said dough is covered in melted chocolate.

3) The streusel on top gives it a buttery, sugary crunch.

4) It’s pretty and swirly and twisty.

5) It’s fun to say. Babka. Baaaabka. You try.

Alright. Enough talkie talkie. Ready to do this thing?

Let’s go.

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You need flour. Bread flour and all-purpose, please.

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Also snag some cocoa powder, salt, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon from your pantry.

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You’ll also need vanilla extract, 1 packet of dry active yeast, cooking spray, butter, one egg (yolk only), and 3/4 cup of 1% milk.

And finally, the star of the show:

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Chocolate. Semi-sweet, and 4 ounces of it.

Now, put on that apron (or as I like to call it, an “old college sweatshirt”) and let’s begin.

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Warm up the milk and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer.

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Add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (make sure your camera is not in focus during this step: very important)…

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…and that packet-o-yeast. Turn on the mixer and blend until the yeast has dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes.

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Meanwhile, measure out 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Turns out it’s about 1/3 cup. Throw in 1/4 teaspoon salt while you’re at it.

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Add the sugar/salt mixture…

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…1 teaspoon vanilla extract…

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…and egg yolk. Give it a stir.

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Measure out 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and add 1 1/4 cups bread flour.

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Switch attachments to your dough hook, but not before pretending to be Captain Hook for 4 minutes.

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Slowly add the flours while the mixer is running. Mix until a purdy dough begins to form.

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Now, soften 5 tablespoons of butter…

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…and add it to the dough. Mix until all of the buttah is incorporated.

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Turn the whole mess out onto a floured surface. Warning: it’s a gonna be sticky. And greasy.

Keep 1/3 cup all-purpose flour right next to ya…

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…and knead for about 10 minutes, adding the flour a tablespoon at a time until it no longer sticks to your hands. The dough should be smooove and elastic.

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Spray a bowl (non-metal, please) with cooking spray, plop in that mound-o-dough, give it a flip to coat the whole durn thing with cooking spray, cover, and let rest in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours (or until it’s doubled in size).

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Meanwhile, grab that bee-youtiful chocolate.

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Give it a good chop…

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…and throw it in a bowl.

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Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.

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Give it a good stir.

Alrighty. We’ve done the dough and the filling. Now let’s prep the streusel.

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In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon butter, one tablespoon flour, and one tablespoon powdered sugar.

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Mash it all up with a fork, and then stick it in the fridge until we’re ready to use it.

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Finally, let’s get our bread pan ready. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and then spray the whole dang thing with cooking spray.

Now would also be a good time to preheat your oven to 350°.

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Is your dough ready? If you’re not sure, press two fingers into it. If the indentations stay put, it’s good to go. If not, let it rise longer.

If it’s ready, punch it down, re-cover, and let rest five minutes.

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Now then. Flip it out onto a floured surface and roll into a 15″x15″ square.

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Spread out the filling on top of the dough, leaving a little room at the edges.

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Roll it up nice and tight, pinching the edges closed….

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…and give it a few good twists. That is what’s going to make it all swirly and purdy.

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Squeeze it into your bread pan. If it looks like a snake, that’s cool. It won’t taste like one. I promise.

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Crumble the streusel on top, and stick this bad boy in the oven for 40 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap the top.

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Or until it looks like this.

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Oh my.

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This is going to be gooood.

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Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack to let cool completely. And by “completely,” I mean as long as you can prevent yourself from ripping that sucker in half and inhaling the whole dang thing.

I think I lasted all of 7.5 minutes. I then cut out the middle piece (above) and scarfed it.

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Then I let the rest of the loaf cool like a good little gal.

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I must say, this stuff was delicious warm and cold. When it was warm, the chocolate was melty and gooey. But when it was cold, the chocolate had hardened and gave it delicious little rungs of texture.

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I’d love this bread warm on Christmas morning. Coffee, a warm, gooey slice of this chocolatey delight, and hanging out with my favorite peeps.

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Heavenly.

Happy 4th Day of Bakemas!

-RDG

Chocolate Babka Recipe, from Cooking Light

DOUGH:
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3/4 cup warm 1% low-fat milk (105° to 110°)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
7.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 2/3 cups), divided
5.85 ounces bread flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and softened
Cooking spray
FILLING:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
STREUSEL:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Preparation

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and yeast in warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and egg yolk. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 6 ounces (about 1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour and bread flour to milk mixture; beat with dough hook attachment at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add 5 tablespoons butter, beating until well blended. Scrape dough out onto a floured surface (dough will be very sticky). Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add 1.5 ounces (about 1/3 cup) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will be very soft).

2. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let dough rest 5 minutes.

3. Line the bottom of a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan with parchment paper; coat sides of pan with cooking spray.

4. To prepare filling, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside.

5. Place dough on a generously floured surface; roll dough out into a 16-inch square. Sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Roll up dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam and ends to seal. Holding dough by ends, twist dough 4 times as if wringing out a towel. Fit dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

6. Preheat oven to 350°.

7. To prepare streusel, combine powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, and 1 tablespoon softened butter, stirring with a fork until mixture is crumbly; sprinkle streusel evenly over dough. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until loaf is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool bread completely on wire rack before slicing.

Filed Under: food Tagged With: 12 days of bakemas, bread, cakespy, chocolate babka, recipe

day 3: sweet challah

December 15, 2009 by rainyd01 2 Comments

If I ever had to choose between bread or meat, bread would win hands down.

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I mean hands waaaay down. Like bottom of Crater Lake down.

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And my favorite bread of all time (other than Hawaiian sweet rolls) is challah.

First, a caveat: I’ve never made challah before. If I offend anyone by butchering this recipe, I apologize in advance. Or blame Cooking Light.

If you’ve never made it before, follow along with me. We’ll learn together.

Ready?

Grab your dry ingredients:

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Salt, 1 packet active dry yeast, corn meal, and bread flour.

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You’ll also need 3 tablespoons butter and two eggies.

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And finally, honey and cooking spray.

Cooking Light also asks for poppy seeds (for sprinkling on top) and saffron (which I didn’t have). If you’ve got those things, add ‘em to the list.

Oh, and also, fair warning: this is a yeast bread. It needs time to rise (at several different points in the recipe). I would do it on a day when you’ll be at home most of the time, preferably watching a Jersey Shore marathon.

Just sayin.

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First, pour a cup of warm water into a big ol’ bowl. Pour in the packet of yeast and stir it up until the yeast dissolves.

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Add 3 tablespoons of honey and stir. Wait 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter and let it cool.

Mental note: don’t use this dang red bowl again. It photographs horribly.

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Next, add the butter…

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…one of the eggs…

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…and 1 teaspoon salt.

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Whisk it on up.

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Now add 2 3/4 cups of flour (lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife)…

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…and stir until a dough begins to form.

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Gorgeous, dahling. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, you can prepare a floured surface and spray another bowl (non-metal, please, for the bread’s sake) with cooking spray.

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Oh, doughy goodness. Turn it out onto your floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, or until it’s smooth and elastic. Add flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough no longer sticks to your hands (add no more than 1/4 cup total).

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Set that lump-o-dough into your sprayed bowl and give it a turn so the cooking spray coats the whole durn thing.

Cover and let sit in a warm place (I set it on top of a radiator, but on top of a running dryer or oven would work well too) for about 40 minutes or until it’s doubled in size. From my limited bread-making experience, may I just say that a warm place is very flippin important.

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Like so.

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If you’re not sure whether it’s risen enough, poke two fingers into the dough. If the indentations remain, it’s all good. If not, let it rise more.

Once your dough has doubled in size, punch it down, reshape into a ball, set it back in the bowl, cover, and let rise another 40 minutes (or until it’s doubled. Again.).

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Whew. Almost there. Notice how it’s getting yellower? That’s the yeast, baby.

Once it’s doubled for the second time, punch it down, re-cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.

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Turn it out onto your floured surface again.

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Divide into 3 (roughly) equal portions…

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…and roll each portion into a 25 inch rope.

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Sprinkle a little cornmeal onto a baking sheet and throw those ropes onto it. Pinch the ends together on one side.

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Braid, mush the ends together, and hurry up and wait. Again.

Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Now would be a good time to preheat your oven. 375°, please.

See? A TV marathon (or a laundry marathon, if you’re ambitious) is the key to making good challah.

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Remember that other egg I asked you to have? Way back when it was still 2009?

Yeah, that one. Separate the yolk, beat it up and mix in 1 teaspoon water.

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Gently brush it on top of that gorgeous loaf. If you had poppy seeds, now is the time you’d want to sprinkle them on.

Now we’re finally ready to bake, my friends. Stick it in the oven for 30 minutes or until it sounds hollow when you tap it. Let cool for a bit on a wire rack.

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