Bookmarked reicpe for the week- Strawberry Lemonade Bars

This week I made Strawberry Lemonade Bars, these are from Baking Bites. This was a very easy fast recipe. I love my food processor. It look longer to cook than anything else. I did make one change. I used earth balance instead of butter. I was taking it to knitting and there are some people there who can not have milk products.

Daring Bakers June - Danish Pastery

This month Kelly of Sass and Veracity and Ben of What’s Cooking’ chose this Danish Braid. I really like the recipe and look forward to making it again. For more versions of this recipe visit the Daring Baker’s blog roll, here.

This is a recipe that needs rest time so that needs to be planed for. I forgot the 5 hour rest time so this was a little late. I used a peach rhubarb mix for the filling. It came out great. I forgot how nice an egg wash looks. Doing the bit with the butter makes me want to try making croissants. It is close to the same process. I might make this dough every once in a while and keep in the freezer.

DANISH DOUGH


Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough





Ingredients


For the dough (Detrempe)


1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast


1/2 cup whole milk


1/3 cup sugar


Zest of 1 orange, finely grated


3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom


1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped


2 large eggs, chilled


1/4 cup fresh orange juice


3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour


1 teaspoon salt





For the butter block (Beurrage)


1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter


1/4 cup all-purpose flour





DOUGH


Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.





BUTTER BLOCK


1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.


2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.





APPLE FILLING


Makes enough for two braids





Ingredients


4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces


1/2 cup sugar


1 tsp. ground cinnamon


1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped


1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


4 tablespoons unsalted butter


Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.





DANISH BRAID


Makes enough for 2 large braids


Ingredients


1 recipe Danish Dough (see above)


2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (I used Peach with a little rhubarb)


(optional)Cream Cheese on the bottom (From another Danish recipe in the same book)- combine ¾ lb. cream cheese, ¾ cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla and beat together until creamy and smooth.


For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk1.





Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.


2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.


3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.





Egg Wash


Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.





Proofing and Baking


1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.


2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.


3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Tuesday with Dorie - Mixed Berry Cobbler

Beth of Our Sweet Life picked Mixed Berry Cobbler for the recipe this week. This was the first cobbler that I have ever made, for this kind of desert I normally make crisps. They go together faster. I made this is some small pot pie tins, this way I can freeze a few to eat later. They make a good size single serving.

Changes: I used 1/4 cup sugar instead of the 3 tablespoons and added in some powered vanilla in the topping. The fruit was some frozen blueberries, a few fresh strawberries and some rhubarb. The fruit layer was only fruit, I forgot to add anything else to it. I was so worried at getting the top right that I forgot until I took it out of the oven. The fruit was sweet enough that it did not need anything.

It was good with some ice cream. The topping absorbed the juice from the fruit fairly well. I am not sure if I will make this again, the crisp is much faster and I like the way the oatmeal is absorbed.

For more versions of this visit Tuesdays with Dorie.

First CSA Box for the year

I got my First CSA Box for the year yesterday. I went with Grant Family Farms, they are all organic and I was able to get an egg share. I have a small share but there was a lot of stuff in it.

4 heads of lettuce, all different kinds
a large bunch of spinach
some garlic scapes, I love garlic scapes, they have a short season here so I was glad to see them
4 radishes, they were not the spicy kind which I liked
celery
onion
3 rhubarb stocks
1 large bunch of Cilantro, I am thinking of making some Cilantro pesto
and a dozen eggs

Bookedmarked recipe - Strawberry Pie

This weeks Bookmarked recipe was an easy choice.

I had some extra strawberries and heavy cream so I made A Year From Oak Cottage's Triple Strawberry Cream Pie. Oh my gosh this was so good and took very little time to make. Instead of cooking the strawberries and then waiting I used some strawberry jam I had on hand. It took only 15 minutes to make. It was gone in just about the same time.

This week on Tuesday with Dorie it is the Peppermint Cream Puff Ring

Caroline of A Consuming Passion has chosen…Peppermint Cream Puff Ring. This is a pâte à choux type of pastry. Because of a Good Eats show that I saw a few years ago I had no trouble making the cream puffs. I put some cocoa powder into the dough trying for a chocolate base. It did not really have a chocolate taste. I made smaller puffs instead of the large ring because I took it to NICU and it is just easier for people to take one small puff than cut a piece.

I used Apple mint that I had growing in my front yard as the mint. It gave the cream a slight green tint. Apple mint is just one of the many kinds of mint out there. It grows better than some of the others here. The candy and chocolate mint did not come back this year.
I forgot to put in the cream fraiche. I looked every where for it and finally found some and then I forget to put it in, oh well. I finally located some cultured sour cream at the King Soopers, a big box grocery. The smaller fancy groceries did not have it. I found that funny. At least it did not cost much. I wonder how it would taste on tacos.

I kept every thing separate until the next day. I took them to work and then put them together. The chocolate did not quite come out the way I wanted it to but it tasted good. I melted semi-dark chocolate, some sugar and just a little water in the microwave. It just was not quite as shinny and smooth as I would have liked.

Tuesday with Dorie : La Palette’s Strawberry Tart

This weeks recipe was chosen by Marie of A Year in Oak Cottage. She went seasonal with La Palette’s Strawberry Tart. This was a very easy recipe. I took some the extra dough that I had in the freezer to make 2 small tartlets. I used some of the jam I made last night for the base and just some strawberries. No sugar needed.

For more Tarty fun check out other Tuesday with Dorie members, some even used other kinds of fruit and tart shells.

Meme

I do not do these often so do not expect much.

What was I doing ten years ago?

I was in Community Collage in Spokane WA. I was in the Respiratory Therapist program, this was right before I figured out that I like working with the equipment more than the patients. The equipment does not tend to spit at you are need to be aspirated. Sometimes but not often. i worked at Boston Market at night and weekends.

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:

Get allergy shot, I misted last weeks do to the wisdom teeth removal
go to the gym
fix up crock pot for tomorrow
make dinner list for the next week
make grocery list, today is food add day

5 Snacks I enjoy:
Any fresh fruit
pop corn
cucumbers
tomatoes
chocolate

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Travel first class
visit family more often
not worry about bills as much
buy more books

Places I have lived:
San Deigo, CA
Seattle, WA
Bothell, WA
Atsugi Base Japan
Spokane, WA
Colorado Springs, CO

Jobs I have had:

Mini Mart Cashier/Stocker on base
Concession stand worker at an Arena, it was fun the hear the concerts for free and know how the hockey team was doing. Calling home for a ride and waiting smelling the Hostess factory, it was really good if they had just made Ding Dongs, is one of the memories that I have.
Food Service worker at Crater Lake OR.
Preschool Teacher
Biomedical Equipment Tech



And I just do not feel like taging anyone, it has been a long day. I am on call this week.

Tuesdays with Dorie : French Chocolate Brownies

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is French Chocolate Brownies chosen by Di at Di's Kitchen Notebook.

These at first taste were not something that I would make again but after a while the taste grows on you. I do not think that this will be my brownie recipe of choice. Even though I used a scant 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon you can taste it. Instead of rum raisins I put in some blueberries. I am not a fan of raisins and do not have any rum in the house although at the rate things are going I might need to get some. I did like how the blueberries tasted in the brownies. The brownies where quick to go together but they took over a hour to cook.

French Chocolate Brownies
- makes 16 brownies -Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1/3 cup raisins, dark or golden

1 1/2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 12 pieces

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil, place the pan on a baking sheet, and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon, if you're using it.

Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum, let it warm for about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, stand back and ignite the rum. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside until needed.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring so that it melts. It's important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you've got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them—it's better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. Set the chocolate aside for the moment.

Working with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter, mixing only until it is incorporated—you'll have a thick, creamy batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds—the dry ingredients won't be completely incorporated and that's fine. Finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula, then fold in the raisins along with any liquid remaining in the pan.

Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the brownies to cool to warm or room temperature.

Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. With a long-bladed knife, cut the brownies into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.

Serving: The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they're even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside—good go-alongs are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or even all three!

Storing: Wrapped well, these can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Plums

I have plums growing!! Yaa!!! My mother got me a 2 year old plum tree last year. It bloomed last month and now I have some teeny tiny plums growing. I am quite excited. I love that if I can keep the birds away I will be able to pick some plums right in my front yard in a few months.

Monday's Bookmarked Recipe: Chocolate Agave Layer Cake

This Bookmarked Recipe is from Baking Bites. I alternated the chocolate agave cake with a yellow cake recipe I had. The chocolate cake was very good, moist with a nice chocolate flavor. It was better than the yellow cake. I used a buttercream frosting instead of the cream cheese. It was still very good a few days later. I had needed a cake for a class and did not get to eat any of it until 3 days had passed.

quick and easy pumpken bread

This is a quick and easy pumpkin bread recipe. Well not really a recipe but a way of making pumpkin bread. Basically you take one can of pumpkin and one box of spice cake mix and use the instructions on the spice mix except replacing the oil and most of the water for pumpkin, add enough water to make up the difference.

The pumpkin bread comes out very soft and light. I also spray Pam instead of greasing the pan and sprinkle a cinnamon and sugar mixture instead of flour. It gives the bread an extra touch. Right before putting them into the oven I added a strudel topping to it.