Inspiration for this delicious bread came from the one and only Elaine Boddy, through her book called EVERYDAY SOURDOUGH which you can find here. I made just a few modifications in the formula (she used walnuts, I wanted to incorporate pistachios), and the method, because I always leave the dough in the fridge overnight and bake first thing in the morning. Her book is absolutely full of great ideas, and I have reviewed it right after publication (check it out in this post).
YOGURT AND PISTACHIO SOURDOUGH (slightly modified from Everyday Sourdough)
75 g sourdough starter at 100% hydration 240g water 125 g low-fat yogurt 500 g white bread flour 50 g pistachios, coarsely chopped 10 g salt
Mix all ingredients in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead on low speed for about 4 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let proof at room temperature for 4 and a half hours, with folds every 45 minute or so, no need to be precise.
After the last fold, keep it at room temperature for a full hour, shape as a round boule or batard, and place in a banetton. Leave for another hour at room temperature, then retard it in the fridge.
Next morning, bake at 450F straight from the fridge, slashing right before baking. Bake covered for 30 minutes, remove lid and bake for 15 minutes more. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Comments: This is one tasty bread! The yogurt makes the crumb softer, with a nice taste that goes well with the pistachios. Husband adored it, and so did I… Huge thank you, Elaine, for allowing me to publish this little variation of your recipe!
Several components needed for this bake, but isn’t it all worth it? I cannot take credit for the idea, I saw it by total accident in this Instagram page and fell in love with it. I adapted to use my own cupcake recipe and Tanya – tent-baker-extraordinaire and amazing friend – helped me with a frosting that holds well at room-temperature.
FROSTED COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH SNOWMAN COOKIE DECORATION (adapted from several sources, inspired by Constellation Inspiration)
For the cupcakes (makes 12): 170g cake flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 113g butter at room temperature 200g sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste 80g egg whites 90g sour cream 85g coconut milk
Heat oven to 350F. Make sure that the butter, egg whites, coconut milk and sour cream are at room temperature. Fill a cupcake pan with paper liners. Reserve.
Sift the cake flour baking powder, baking soda and salt. Reserve. Cream butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of a KitchenAid type mixer for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla to the egg whites and slowly pour into the creamed butter/sugar, continuing to mix and medium-low speed. Mix the coconut milk with the sour cream, then add to the mixer 1/3 of the reserved dry ingredients, 1/2 of the milk/sourcream, followed by 1/3 of the dry, 1/2 liquids, and finally the remaining amount of dry ingredients.
Place in the lined cupcake pan. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
COCONUT BUTTERCREAM (from Tanya Ott)
1 cup butter, softened 3 cups powdered sugar 1/4 cup coconut milk
Whisk the butter with a Kitchen Aid type mixer and the paddle attachment for about 4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar in three batches, continue beating in medium-speed. Add the coconut milk, beat at medium-high for 2 minutes or so. Adjust consistency with powdered sugar if needed. Frost the cupcakes once they are at room temperature and immediately stick a snowman cookie on top.
SNOWMAN DECORATION
Bake rings of chocolate cookie dough small enough to fit over the cupcake. They will be fragile. Try to make them smaller than the ones I made, so they will have an easier time standing up on the frosted cake.
Once the rings are baked, use this recipe (minus the food gel color) to make the stained glass component. Pour inside the rings, let them set. Use Royal icing to create a snowy scene with a snowman.
Comments: I absolutely loved making the stained-glass component with the snowman. You can do that a couple of days in advance, store at room temperature. They hold well. I made mine slightly too big, and at first I thought they would never stand up, but with “a little bit extra frosting” they did stay happily up. Consider decreasing the size a bit. Or, if you don’t mind the extra frosting, just go big!
The decorations matched very well our current situation in Manhattan, Kansas, aka The Little Apple.
We expect that by this weekend the snow will finally melt in our surroundings. It’s been a tough month of January. For too many reasons. Baking is keeping me reasonably sane. Or so everyone arounds me hopes.
Here I am to share a recipe that will definitely suffer severe beating in a Beauty Pageant Culinary Contest. But trust me, it tastes great and might even convert a few Brussels Sprouts haters out there. Maybe not all of them, but the more open-minded. It starts by slicing the sprouts very thinly, you can use a food processor with the slicing attachment, or a knife, a process that will be a bit slow but if you have the inclination, it will be worth it. I was in a bit of a hurry to make dinner and opted for the faster route.
….
SAUTEED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PISTACHIOS AND DATES (from The Bewitching Kitchen)
1 to 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 4 cups Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced 8 Medjool dates, pitted salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup shelled pistachios
for drizzling: ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard salt to taste zest of 1 lemon
In a small measuring cup, combine the oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt. Whisk vigorously to combine. Reserve.
Heat the oil on a large sautee pan, when hot, add the sliced Brussels sprouts and cook in very high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once it starts getting brown at the edges, add the dates and cook stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the pistachios, transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle the sauce all over. Serve, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
Comments: I used to shave Brussels sprouts and enjoy it as a light sautee dish very often many many years ago, in fact it was during my first marriage. Considering I’ve been married to Phil for ALMOST 25 years, you realize it’s been a while. If you can slice them by hand, the pieces will be very similar in size and texture. The food processor butchers them a bit, but it is so fast, so keep that in mind. Leftovers turn out a bit too soft but I still enjoy them two days later. You do need to be a lover of BS to enjoy it. See what I did here? I will see myself out.
Inspiration from this cake came from a book I’ve had for many years: Cake Decorating for Beginners, by Rose Atwater. It is a wonderful book, full of cute ideas, some pretty simple, some a bit more involved. I love ombré style cakes, having done some in the past.
NIGHT SKY VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING (inspired by Rose Atwater)
for the cake: 1 +1/2 cups whole milk 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 + 1/2 cups sugar ½ teaspoons salt 2 tsp buttery vanilla emulsion (from Lorann) 3 large eggs
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8 x 2 inch round cake pans, line bottom with parchment paper. Reserve.
In a small bowl, mix together the milk and heavy cream. In a medium bowl, sift together the two types of flour and baking powder. Set aside. Cream the butter using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s soft and light, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and mix until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, and mix until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds after each egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Turn the mixer speed to low, then add one-third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add half of the milk mixture and mix until just combined, then add another third of the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour mixtures. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
for the ganache filling: 230g dark chocolate, cut in pieces 240g heavy cream
Heat cream until simmering, pour over chocolate in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes than whisk gently until smooth. Let it cool for 15 minutes then place in the fridge for 90 minutes. Use a hand held mixer to whip the ganache until lighter and fluffier. Use to fill the two layers of the cake.
for the frosting: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup vegetable shortening 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 3 to 4 tablespoons milk ¼ teaspoon salt 2 pounds (approximately 8 cups) powdered sugar food gel dye, Americolor Royal Blue and Diamond Black
In a large bowl, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and beat together the butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, the salt, and half the powdered sugar and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add in the remaining sugar. Add more milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
Divide the frosting in three bowls, and one drop of blue to the first bowl, two drops to the second, and 2 drops blue + 1 drop black in the last.
Assemble the cake: Place the first cake on a board, add ganache as a smooth layer on top. Place second cake over ganache, repeat the process. Add last round of cake and press gently. Frost with a thin layer of frosting in the lightest color (or do it before adding any dye to the buttercream). Let the cake cool in the fridge for an hour or more. Frost with the dyed buttercream: cover the top and 1/3 of the height from top to bottom with the darkest color of blue. Add the medium tone to the second third of the cake, and the lightest color to the bottom. Use a scraper to smooth the layers. Add texture with a little spatula as you turn the cake. Add star sprinkles.
Comments: I wish I could report on taste and looks as it was sliced, but I donated the cake whole, so my fingers are crossed that the recipients liked it… At any rate, it is hard to go wrong with vanilla and chocolate ganache, right? The buttercream is simple to prepare and crusts nicely in case it needs to sit for hours at room temperature. I love the effect of the different colors. Of course, I had to add some gold dust because I cannot help it… I bet you are not surprised!
In case this interests anyone, it is a Whole-30 recipe, meaning that all the items forbidden from that diet are absent. No gluten, no legumes, no soy, no cornstarch. But it was super tasty and felt light and satisfying at the same time. I don’t follow any particular nutritional system but tend to explore alternatives especially if they reduce carbs and saturated fat. This recipe will definitely go in our rotation, don’t let the Whole30 label scare you away.
CHICKEN STIR-FRY WITH CASHEWS AND BROCCOLI (from The Bewitching Kitchen)
Whole 30 Friendly
1.25 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut in bite size pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided salt and pepper to taste 1 shallot, minced 1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained 1 cup cashews (I used raw, slightly roasted in a 350F oven) red pepper flakes to taste
For the sauce 1/4 cup coconut aminos 1/4 cup chicken broth or water 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled finely minced 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder Squeeze of lemon juice to finish
Add 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and just cooked through. Remove to a plate. To the same pan add the additional tablespoon of oil and then the broccoli, water chestnuts and shallot. Season very lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the veggies have softened a bit.
Make the sauce by whisingk all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
When the veggies are almost ready, add the chicken back to the pan and then add the sauce. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add the cashews, and squeeze some lemon juice right before serving.
Comments: Coconut aminos is the traditional ingredient used in place of soy sauce in Whole 30. It has a milder flavor and I believe it is less salty also. This recipe was a breeze to put together, and went quite well with our favorite rice (definitely NOT Whole 30 friendly), my quick and easy tahdig (recipe here).
Bewitching Kitchen 