STAR-SHAPED SUNDRIED TOMATO BREAD

Posted in Breads by sallybr

This is a type of bread we see often this time of the year, because it looks so festive, but it is actually quite simple to make. The filling can be sweet (think Nutella, caramel, raspberry jam) or savory. My version used sundried-tomato and cheese. You can take it in different directions, and it will always turned out great, with that visual impact we love so much, particularly during the holiday season.

STAR-SHAPED SUNDRIED TOMATO BREAD
(adapted from King Arthur Flour)

for the dough:
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
360g all-purpose flour, divided
1 large egg
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

for the filling:
¾ cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp herbes de Provence
½ teaspoon salt

1 egg for egg wash

To make the dough, place the milk, yeast, and 120g all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Add the egg, olive oil, salt, and the rest of the all-purpose flour. Mix to make a soft dough, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and supple. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled.

Mix together minced sun-dried tomatoes, salt and herbes de Provence. Reserve.

Divide the dough into four pieces and shape into balls. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Place one piece of dough on a piece of parchment. Roll it into a 10″ circle. Spread ⅓ of the sun-dried tomato mixture on the first layer of dough in an even layer. Sprinkle ⅓ of the cheese, leaving ½” around the outside edge uncovered. Roll out the second ball of dough to the same size as the first. Place it on top of the first circle and repeat the three layers of filling. Again, repeat with the third ball of dough and the last ⅓ of filling. Roll out the last ball of dough and place it on top.

Place a 2″ round biscuit cutter or drinking glass in the center of the dough to serve as a guide. Using a sharp knife, cut the larger circle into 16 equal strips, from the outside edge to the cutter/glass in the center, through all the layers. Using two hands, pick up two adjacent strips of dough and twist them away from each other twice, so the top side is facing up again. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough all the way around the circle. Remove the cutter/glass.

Pinch the ends of adjacent strips together all the way around the bread to create eight star-like points. Transfer the star on the parchment to a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes. Dough should look expanded and airy.

Heat the oven to 400F. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the star with a thin coat of the egg wash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until nicely golden. Remove the bread from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a very rich dough, and a pleasure to work with. Even if you are a beginner at bread baking, the whole process is pretty forgiving. The circles of dough do not have to match precisely, it is all going to get twisted and any little gaps won’t affect the final product.

There are many videos available on youtube to show you how to shape the bread, like this one.

If you are still searching for a nice bread as a centerpiece for your holiday festivities, this is truly a great option…

ONE YEAR AGO: Cranberry White Chocolate Tart

TWO YEARS AGO: I dream of Madeleines and a Tower of Cheesecakes

THREE YEARS AGO: Dominique Ansel’s Chocolate Mousse Cake

FOUR YEARS AGO: Slow-Roasted Eye of the Round Beef

FIVE YEARS AGO: Steam-Roasted Indian-Spiced Cauliflower

SIX YEARS AGO: Creamy Zucchini-Mushroom Soup

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Ken Forkish’s Pain au Bacon

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Carrot and Cumin Hamburger Buns

NINE YEARS AGO: Potato Galettes a l’Alsacienne & Book Review

TEN YEARS AGO: Caramelized Carrot Soup

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Miso-Grilled Shrimp

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Pain Poilane

18Dec2021

ASIAN-STYLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

I’ve been a user of “Copy-Me-That” for a very long time. It is a breeze to save recipes from any site in the internet. Much to my own amazement, I noticed that over the years I’ve saved 1,700 recipes! They can be retrieved with a search for main ingredients, cuisine, whatever you feel like. Sometimes I log into the site and have fun browsing through, re-visiting favorites from years past. This delicious meatballs were patiently waiting for me and I finally made them, with a few changes to accommodate our taste buds… These will go into regular rotation in our kitchen, the sauce is a dream!

ASIAN-STYLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS
(adapted from Confessions of a Fit Foodie)

Cooking oil spray
1lb ground chicken
1 T soy sauce
1 egg
1 T minced ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)
½ cup of carrots, finely minced in food processor
¼ cup almond flour
½ tsp salt

for the sauce:
1/4 cup of honey
1/3 cup of soy sayce
1 T tomato paste
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 T finely chopped ginger
1 t Gochujang sauce

In a large bowl, gently mix ingredients for meatballs. Begin forming the meatballs and place on a plate or tray. I made 14 meatballs. Mix the ingredients for sauce and set aside.

Place meatballs on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil lightly coated with oil spray. Bake meatballs at 350 for 30 minutes or until cooked through. While meatballs are cooking, combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on the stove until sauce begins to thicken.

Mix meatballs with sauce and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Carrots have a lot of water, so expect the meatballs to ooze some liquid as they bake. In her site, she gives options for air-fryer and Instant-Pot, but I made too many to fit in our small air-fryer, so I went with regular baking. Don’t worry about the liquid, just flip them over mid-way through roasting and lift them gently to add to the sauce later. I actually allowed them to simmer for a minute with the sauce.

A little white rice, some green beans with almonds, and we ate as Royals of The Bewitching Kitchen!

I love adding veggies to meatballs, meatloaf, and even burgers. They contribute moisture and a more complex flavor. Carrots were perfect with the ground chicken, and don’t skimp on the ginger!

ONE YEAR AGO: Cookies for the Holidays, SPRINGERLE

TWO YEARS AGO: Bread – Episode 2 of Great American Baking Show

THREE YEARS AGO: Apple and Sobacha Caramel Dome Cake

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NINE YEARS AGO: Homemade Calziones

TEN YEARS AGO: Plum-Glazed Duck Breasts

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Holiday Double-Decker

TWELVE YEARS AGO: New York Deli Rye

14Dec2021

PECAN-CRANBERRY BREAD

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Absolutely perfect for this time of the year, this is a bread that does not require a sourdough starter, but uses a sponge instead, so you will need two days to make it happen in your kitchen. The recipe comes from a cookbook I am quite fond of, Pastry Love, by Joanne Chang. It is available online, so I will share that link and give you just a brief overview of the recipe.

CRANBERRY-PECAN BREAD
(from Joanne Chang’s Pastry Love, published in The Modern Farme r)

For the sponge, you will need to mix 140g flour with 1 cup water + 1/8 tsp yeast, leave 2 hours at room temperature then refrigerate overnight. Use that to make the dough as described in the site (it is the third recipe shared, scroll down to find it).

I made only half of the recipe, but the bread turned out so delicious, I regretted not going for the two loaves that it makes. It freezes super well also, so I strongly advise you to go for the full amount as published in the site I shared.

I don’t think the bread is particularly beautiful to look at, because all the goodies make for a rough, rustic look, but it compensates by far in the taste department. Absolutely wonderful with a little blue cheese.

I intend to make a sourdough version with the same flavors very soon, but for those who don’t keep a starter around, this bread has a very similar complexity of flavor, thanks to the sponge made the day before. Give it a try before the holiday season is over…

ONE YEAR AGO: Cookies for the Holidays: Macarons

TWO YEARS AGO: The Great American Baking Show

THREE YEARS AGO: Broccoli Souffle

FOUR YEARS AGO: Panettone Time!

FIVE YEARS AGO: How the Mighty Have Fallen

SIX YEARS AGO: Festive Night at Central

SEVEN YEAR AGO: The Perfect Boiled Egg

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Light Rye Sourdough with Cumin and Orange

NINE YEARS AGO: Homemade Calzones

TEN YEARS AGO: Plum-Glazed Duck Breasts

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Holiday Double-Decker

TWELVE YEARS AGO: New York Deli Rye

10Dec2021

CORNISH HENS WITH YOGURT-MACE MARINADE

Posted in clay pot cooking, Poultry by sallybr

Best if made in a clay pot, but will work if you adapt the temperature and cooking times for regular roasting. I was intrigued by the use of mace, that ingredient that sits in the pantry feeling neglected until a rare recipe calls for it. It works wonders in this preparation, so consider bringing that little bottle to shine in your kitchen.

CORNISH HENS WITH SPICED YOGURT MARINADE
(inspired by 660 Curries)

2 Cornish game hens, cut in half lengthwise
¾ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup slivered blanched almond
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground mace
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional, I omitted this time)
a few small potatoes

To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, almonds, salt, turmeric, nutmeg, and mace in a blender or food processor. Puree, transfer to a bowl and fold the cilantro leaves. Pour the marinade over the hens, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Soak your clay pot. Add potatoes to the clay pot then place the hens with a bit of the marinade still clinging to them over the potatoes. Place the covered pot in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 450F.

Roast covered for 1 hour, remove the lid and roast further until the skin is nicely browned. If your oven heats too slowly, roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes covered then remove the lid.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve made this recipe three times in the past couple of months. Tying the legs together makes for a nicer presentation, but it is optional. The marinade is perfect, and will also work on chicken, either whole or cut in pieces. I’ve been using ground almonds in marinades often, and it does add a nice substance to it. The book 660 Curries is one of my favorites. It is rare that I love a cookbook with no photos, but the narrative and variety of recipes makes up for it. Plus, everything I cooked from it has been fantastic. A great recommendation from my future daughter-in-law, Courtnie.

Full disclosure: I wrote this post and set to publish. Tweaked it 5 or 6 times after that. Before going to bed I decided to take one final look, and there it was, in the very last paragraph:

It is rare that I love a cookbook with no recipes…..

Glad I caught it… but could not resist sharing the boo-boo.

ONE YEAR AGO: Cookies for the Holidays – Gingerbread

TWO YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Times Four

THREE YEARS AGO: White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake

FOUR YEAR AGO: Panettone Time!

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pistachio Creme Brulee

SIX YEARS AGO: Fast and Furious Bison Chili

SEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, December 2014

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Braised Fennel with Saffron and Tomato

NINE YEARS AGO: Revenge of the Two Derelicts

TEN YEARS AGO: Grilling Ribbons

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

6Dec2021

VEGAN BLUEBERRY-LEMON CHEESECAKE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

This post makes me thrilled and sad at the same time. Thrilled because I cannot believe that a vegan dessert could taste so good… and sad because I won’t be able to share the full recipe. I did my best to try and get permission from the author, but no luck. If you are truly interested in making this cute dessert your best option is buying her book: Incredible Plant Desserts, by Anthea Cheng. I modified the whipped topping, and will share that component of my version with you.

VEGAN WHIPPED CREAM
(from Berrybaker.com)

375g unsweetened soy milk
50g granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract or paste
110g cacao butter, finely chopped
76g coconut oil
1/8 tsp xanthan gum, optional but recommended

Simmer 250g (or 1 cup) of soy milk, and sugar until almost boiling. Place the coconut oil and cocoa butter in a Vitamix type blender, add the vanilla, and the hot soy milk over it. Let it all sit together for a minute, then run the blender at high speed for 2 minutes.

Add the rest of the soy milk and blend until incorporated. Refrigerate for 6 hours to be firm enough to whip. When ready to use, sprinkle the xanthan gum on the surface, and then whip with a handheld mixer. It will be ready to pipe or spoon on any dessert you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

In the recipe devised by Anthea, the topping is the exact same component as the top layer, but whipped into piping consistency. I decided to change it by using a vegan whipped “cream” alternative, and the recipe I found with a quick internet search was a complete winner. Excellent texture, and a taste that mimics real whipped cream surprisingly well. I highly recommend you give it a try. I like the way the topping has a contrasting color with the layer of blueberry mousse below. Everything worked very well together.

This cheesecake is not baked, the bottom layer is made of almonds and dates. Both the lemon and the blueberry mousse are based on cashew cream, coconut oil and cocoa butter. With a bit of maple syrup to sweeten it all up. Truly delicious! Anthea has a very enticing Instagram page, which you can follow with a click here.