HELEN FLETCHER’S PINEAPPLE KOLACHE

Posted in Breads, Breakfast & Brunch by sallybr

I am going to say something quite daring, so here it goes: this might very well be the best thing I’ve baked in a whole year! If you follow my blog, you probably know I am quite fond of Helen’s recipes, because not only they always work, but her explanations are crystal clear, and make you comfortable to try something even if it seems complex or out of your skill level. I had never made kolache, but following the method described in this post, I had no issues. They turned out fantastic! Check her post for all sorts of variations for the filling, or go with the one I chose: pineapple. Tart, bright, fresh, perfect contrast with the slightly sweet bread dough. A winner. I promise you.

PINEAPPLE KOLACHE
(from Helen Fletcher’s Pastries Like a Pro)

for the pineapple filling:
1 cup well drained crushed pineapple
⅓ cup sugar
1 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon melted butter

Whisk together the sugar and potato starch or cornstarch. Combine all ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Cool completely. Refrigerate until needed.

for the dough:
½ cup butter (1 stick, 114 grams)
½ cup sugar (100 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (225 grams)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
½ cup lukewarm water
2 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour (560 grams)

Cut the butter into pieces and place in a small saucepan along with the sugar and salt. Heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and let it sit until it is lukewarm. Add the sour cream. Whisk it into the butter mixture. Add eggs and yeast, whisk them in. Lastly, add the water. Transfer to the bowl of a mixer. Add the flour and, beat until it comes together. Knead in the machine for 3 minutes, turning after about 1 ½ minutes as the dough will adhere to the top of the dough hook and not get beaten. The dough will be very soft and more of a batter.

Place it in a greased bowl or container, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise until doubled, about 2 ½ hours. After it has risen, punch it down, re-cover it and refrigerate overnight so the butter can firm up.

for shaping and baking:
Refrigerated dough
1 egg, well beaten
pineapple filling

Line three baking sheets with parchment. Set aside. Punch the dough down if risen and divide the dough in half (585 grams each). Shape each piece into a rectangle. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out so it is ½ inch thick. The dough will be very firm. With a 3″ cookie cutter (or whatever size you want) cut out rounds and place them on the parchment about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Reroll and cut additional rounds. Cover them with tea towels and allow to rise until almost doubled.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. With your fingers, make a deep well in the rounds about ½ inches in from the edge of the dough but do not go through the dough. Start by making a hole in the center. Expand the well by pressing the dough down. Brush the top edges of the Kolache with the beaten egg. Fill the wells with 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of filling. Bake on a double pan for about 20 minutes for the 3″ size until the top of the dough is well browned. Reduce the time for smaller pastries.

Makes about 20 – 3″ rolls with re-rolling the dough.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I highly recommend you visit Helen’s site to get her step-by-step photos and instructions, especially if you’ve never made enriched bread dough. The dough is very nice to work with, a bit sticky, but I urged the temptation to add more flour and all ended well in the end. I was intrigued by the pineapple filling because I rarely use pineapple in baking, but it was much better than I expected. I made the filling the day before, right after mixing the dough and placing it in the fridge for overnight proofing. Next day the whole thing was a breeze, just rolled the dough, cut circles, filled and baked. I donated them all, but sampled one for “quality control”. It was hard to stop, but I exercised herculean self-control.

Helen, cannot thank you enough for so many great recipes I’ve made from your site!

ONE YEAR AGO: Blood Orange and Cranberry Mini-Cakes

TWO YEARS AGO: Simnel Cupcakes

THREE YEARS AGO: Oat and Sesame Seed Sourdough

FOUR YEARS AGO: Moroccan Turkey Pie with Olive Oil Crust

FIVE YEARS AGO: Another Twisted Sister of the Shepherd’s Pie

SIX YEARS AGO: Cashew Chicken, My Way

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Two Deliciously Simple Salads

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2016

NINE YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung with Suzanne Goin

TEN YEARS AGO: Chai Brownies

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Spring Rolls on a Spring Day

25Mar2024

BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Someone is having a Birthday today!

DOG FRIENDLY BIRTHDAY CAKE
(adapted from this blog post)

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (Do NOT use a peanut butter with Xylitol, as it is very toxic for dogs)
3/4 cup applesauce go with plain, unsweetened
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
FROSTING
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup peanut butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda.
In a separate bowl mix together vegetable oil, peanut butter, applesauce and pumpkin puree. Once combined, mix in egg and mix well. Mix wet and dry ingredients and stir until no dried bits of flour are visible.

Pour mixture into an 7 inch square pan that has been greased with oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
Allow to cool on a wire rack prior to removing from pan. After cooling, add frosting if desired.

For the frosting: Mix Greek yogurt and peanut butter until well combined. Spread over cake. If not serving immediately, store in refrigerator.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a super easy treat to bake, and we actually tried the cake (without the frosting) and it is not bad at all! We cut three circles to offer the pups, and the leftover was cut in cubes and saved for later. Tiny Milk Bones to decorate are optional, but dog-appreciated… Our Birthday girl gave it two paws high up!

Here’s to MANY more years together!

A little video of our party…

ONE YEAR AGO: Almond Flour Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Tahini Dressing and Chickpeas

THREE YEARS AGO: Asparagus and Snow Peas with Walnut Crumbs

FOUR YEARS AGO: Yin and Yang Viennoise Bread

FIVE YEARS AGO: Extreme Chocolate Cupcakes

SIX YEARS AGO: Sunflower Seed Kamut Sourdough

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NINE YEARS AGO:Gluten-free and Vegan Raspberry Bars
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TEN YEARS AGO:Lasserre, a French Classic
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ELEVEN YEARS AGO:Sourdough Bread with Walnuts and Dates
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TWELVE YEARS AGO:Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Apricot Glaze
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THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce
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FOURTEEN YEARS AGO:Pork Tenderloin and Blue Cheese

10Feb2024

BAKING WITH THE HEART

Posted in Breads, Cake, Chocolate Bonbons, Cookies by sallybr

WELCOME TO MY 1700th POST!

Valentine’s Day is almost here! Some don’t care for it, some enjoy each minute. Whatever team you are on, here are some bakes that you can try this week, or anytime love is on your horizon… Without further ado, one recipe and eight ideas for you. Read on…

.
BLUEBERRY CURD SWISS ROLL CAKE
(filling adapted from Caroline’s blog)

for the decoration:
50g butter, softened
50g powdered sugar
50g egg whites
50g all-purpose flour
black and red gel colors

for the cake:
130g cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs, at room temperature
200 g granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

for the filling:
https://www.easyonlinebakinglessons.com/blueberry-orange-curd/
I did not use plums, and used a little gelatin to thicken it further (see comments).

Make the piping decoration by beating the butter with powdered sugar in a small bowl until fully combined. I used a hand-held electric mixer. Add the egg whites and beat for a couple of minutes. Add the flour and mix by hand with a spoon, divide in one small portion to dye black, one larger portion to dye red.

Make a diamond pattern with a Sharpie pen on parchment paper, and add heart shapes. Flip the paper so that the writing is at the bottom, and pipe the outline black. Freeze for 10 minutes. Quickly fill the hearts with red paste. Freeze again while you make the cake.

Heat oven to 350°F. Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl. Reserve. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until the mixture form ribbons, about 12 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla. Beat until combined. Sift the flour mixture over the beaten eggs, fold gently. When the flour is mostly incorporated, add a little bit of the mixture to the melted butter, whisk well. Pour that into the cake batter, whisk gently to disperse. Pour over the frozen parchment paper placed in a half baking sheet, and smooth the surface.

Bake the cake until it begins to pull away from the sides, 12 to 17 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack, cover the cake with a towel and let it cool for 10 minutes. Remove the towel, sift a little powdered sugar over the surface and flip it over parchment paper. Gently peel off the paper with the design, flip the cake again over a clean towel. Starting with a short side of the cake, roll the cake gently, using the towel to support the cake as you go. Let the cake cool all rolled up in the towel, seam side down.

Carefully unroll the completely cool cake, spread the blueberry curd filling, then roll it again. Wrap the cake in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight is best. When ready to serve, slice a small piece of each of the ends, so that it looks more polished.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I haven’t made a patterned roll cake in a while, so I really enjoyed this little adventure. I messed up while making the curd (sorry, Caro!), did not cook it enough, so after 10 hours in the fridge it was still too loose. Lesson learned. I made a gelatin mass with 1 tsp gelatin + 5 tsp water, warmed it to dissolve in the microwave. I heated up the curd to about 60 C and added the melted gelatin. Mixed well and allowed it to cool slowly, then placed in the fridge overnight. It was perfect to use next morning. Huge thank you to my friend Gary for the advice to deal with the curd. I added a very small amount of pink gel dye to the cake batter, but that is optional. I did not include in the recipe, as the cake will look perfectly ok without it.

The cake was moist and tender, the blueberry curd absolutely delicious!
The combination of orange and blueberry is a real winner, thank you Caro!

And now, time to share a few ideas, you can use any recipe you like, or some that are already in my blog

CHOCOLATE-COVERED OREOS

I used white Wilton candy melts to cover Lemon-flavored golden Oreos, and once that was set I made the heart decoration with Royal icing. First piped the black outline, let that set a bit and flooded the center with pink.

COMIC-STYLE HEART COOKIES

Comic-style, so popular these days! I followed a recent tutorial from Amber (join her club here) to make these babies. Some steps shown below.

POLKA-DOT HEART COOKIES

Super simple design, just flood, air-brush with a stencil and add some Royal icing transfers. A little bead border is of course more than welcome…

ZENTANGLE HEARTS, TWO WAYS

For a modern look, just flood with any color of your choice, and then use a food safe pen to draw the design…

For a modern but romantic look, just play with flowers…

BICOLOR HEART COOKIES

For those who do not care for icing, these will be a huge hit. Just mix two recipes, chocolate and plain, cut shapes and mix-and-match the centers. Bake and you are done!

MINI-BONBONS WITH MARSHMALLOW FILLING

I used candy melts to coat tiny silicone molds with heart shapes (available here). Placed a mini-marshmallow in the center and covered the molds with melted chocolate. Once that set, I un-molded the bonbons and drizzled white chocolate for the decoration, adding a little sprinkle heart on some of them.

POLKA-DOT HEART SOURDOUGH

For the recipe, check my blog post with a click here.

I hope you’ve found some inspiration in this post for your future bakes, and please enjoy the weekend ahead, particularly if you are a football fan!

ONE YEAR AGO: Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Quinoa

TWO YEARS AGO: A Savory Phyllo Pie

THREE YEARS AGO: Nut-Free Lady Grey Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Mini-Heart Cakes for your Valentine

FIVE YEARS AGO: Blue Moon Milk

SIX YEARS AGO: Slow-Cooked Chicken Meatballs

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Zesty Flourless Chocolate Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Maple Pumpkin Pecan Snacking Cake

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ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Sesame and Flaxseed Sourdough

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Green Beans with Miso and Almonds

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Saturday Morning Scones

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: White Bread

5Jan2024

LA BUCHE DE NOEL

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Not my first time making it, but in the past I was not fully happy with the results. I show you two ways to decorate it, but will share only the most recent recipe, cake portion courtesy of Helen Fletcher, my beloved virtual mentor!

BUCHE DE NOEL
(adapted from Helen Fletcher’s Pastrieslikeapro)

for the chocolate spongecake:
¾ cup sifted cake flour (75 grams)
¼ cup sifted cocoa (25 grams)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
6 eggs separated
⅔ cup sugar, divided (140 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla

for the filling:
1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
3 cups confectioners’ sugar (380g) or more if needed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup 60-80ml heavy cream (60mL) or more if needed
1/3 cup black cherry jam or other jam of your choice

for the ganache coating:
170g semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream

Heat the oven to 350. Spray the bottom of ½ sheet pan (11×17 inches) with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray the paper. Do not spray sides of pan. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa and baking powder, mixing well. Set aside. Combine the egg yolks, ⅓ cup sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until very thick and very pale yellow.

In a clean mixing bowl with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining ⅓ cup sugar and beat until fairly stiff. Place the egg yolks over the egg whites and sift half the flour/cocoa mixture over the beaten eggs. Fold together. Fold in the remaining flour/cocoa. Gently pour into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. The top will spring back when lightly touched. Immediately cover directly with foil and place on a rack to cool completely. When ready to assemble, it will roll out easily.

Make the filling: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes.
Add vanilla extract and beat again for another minute. Add heavy cream 2 tablespoons at a time while mixing on high until the mixture is light and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag.

Make the ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Refrigerate, uncovered, for about 1 hour to thicken.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Lay a large piece of aluminum foil and dust it with powdered sugar. Remove the foil on top of the cake and go around the edges of the pan with a spatula. Pick the spongecake up by the parchment and turn it out onto the powdered sugar lined foil. Remove the parchment paper. Spread the jam over the surface of the cake, then the buttercream, starting by piping large stripes of the cream over the surface (see my composite photo after the recipe). Using the foil as an assist, roll up the spongecake jelly roll style. The last roll should put the spongecake on the board. Cut the ends of the cake at a diagonal and use one or both cut pieces to make branches sitting next to the main log.

Cover the log with ganache, making a design on top with the tines of fork. Decorate with fondant pieces or meringue mushrooms, sugared cranberries, chocolate leaves, whatever you desire. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving, and allow to come to room temperature before cutting your first slice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I advise you to go to Helen’s site to get all the details of making her cake. She uses a different method to deal with the sponge cake, and it does work like a dream. The cake is covered with aluminum foil as soon as it gets baked, and is allowed to cool like that. As a result, it steams during cooling and becomes very flexible. No harm to the texture of the cake in the finished product.

I have made a Buche de Noel in the past using a different recipe for the cake, but I am much happier with Helen’s version, that calls for a classic sponge cake. You can also find in her blog post a detailed recipe for the meringue mushrooms, which I did not use this time. They are fun to make, for sure.

I love making fondant pieces, so that is what I went with… I cannot show you a picture of the cut cake because I donated it whole, but I got very nice feedback about it, and that of course made me super happy!

I wish you a wonderful 2024!

ONE YEAR AGO: Incredibly Simple Apple Carpaccio

TWO YEARS AGO: Chocolate-Cherry Miroir Cake, A Vegan Showstopper

THREE YEARS AGO: Bee Happy Honey Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Episode 7 of Great American Baking Show, Canapes, Opera Cake and Running out of Gas

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EIGHT YEARS AGO: Kadoo Boranee: Butternut Squash Perfection

NINE YEARS AGO: Creamy Broccoli Soup with Toasted Almonds

TEN YEARS AGO: Fennel and Cheddar Cheese Crackers

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: A Festive Pomegranate Dessert

TWELVE YEARS AGO: My First Award!

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: A Message from WordPress

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Turkish Chicken Kebabs

13Dec2023

TWO FESTIVE CAKES, PART TWO

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Another great option for the holidays, this time the most intense chocolate hit in cake form for those chocaholics out there…

CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
(from Two Peas and Their Pod)

for the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter (226g)
1/3 cup cocoa powder (35g)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
1 + 3/4 cups granulated sugar (350g)
1 + 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the chocolate glaze:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 + 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
sprinkles to decorate

Heat oven to 350F. Prepare your Bundt pan by spraying it with cooking spray or coating with butter and flour.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add half of the melted butter mixture and whisk until completely blended. Add the remaining butter mixture and whisk until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely blended. Whisk in the sour cream and the vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before glazing.

While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate glaze. Place the chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Stir until the cream is hot and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Generously drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Decorate with sprinkles while still soft.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This classic Nordicware pan will always have a warm spot in my heart, as that was the very first pan I used in the tent in the Great American Baking adventure of years back. I remember the thrill when the cake un-molded beautifully in front of the cameras, and I always have the same smile when it un-molds at home (the thrill is not as intense, but still there!).

Once again it was a cake I did not get to taste, as it was donated whole. But I got real nice feedback about it, it cut very nicely in thin slices so that lots of people could get to taste it. Everybody loved it, the flavor of chocolate is intense and the ganache coating a perfect complement for it. I hope you give it a try!

ONE YEAR AGO: Peppermint Wreath Macarons

TWO YEARSAGO: Cornish Hens with Yogurt-Mace Marinade

THREE YEARS AGO: Cookies for the Holidays – Gingerbread

FOUR YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Times Four

FIVE YEARS AGO: White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake

SIX YEAR AGO: Panettone Time!

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pistachio Creme Brulee

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