When my children were young, one of the treats I made for them was a chocolate no-bake cookie similar to this one. However, it included nuts and coconut, and was made with the only cocoa I knew to buy. Or more likely, the only cocoa my supermarket carried. Yep, good old Hershey’s cocoa powder. And as much as they enjoyed the cookies, I thought the consistency resembled that of chocolate flavored chalk. Kind of gritty, and way too sweet.
But yesterday, for some unknown reason, I remembered those cookies and decided to build some. (I think I was just too lazy to make a cookie that would take more time and energy to prepare.) But I decided to change up a few things to better suit our mature palates.
I used a better grade of cocoa powder to begin with. Then I added more vanilla. (Never can go wrong with extra vanilla.) And some espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor. (Neat trick I learned years ago.) And eliminated the coconut and chopped nuts. (Simply not needed.)
Well, the result was a whole lot different than what I fixed for my kids all those years ago. Here was a cookie (really more like candy) that was not at all grainy. Very chocolaty without being overbearing. And the chocolate in perfect balance with the peanut butter.
Now the one drawback to these cookies is that they are kind of messy to eat. You will probably end up with a bit of chocolate sticking to your fingers. Like I said, kind of like candy in that regard. But who cares! Just gives us one more opportunity to wash our hands. And isn’t that our main occupation during this coronavirus pandemic anyway? Like ALL THE BLOODY TIME its wash, wash, wash! Well now at least you have a really tasty reason to stay vigilant. You’re welcome.
As always, stay healthy, stay focused, and fix yourself and your fellow inmates this treat in the near future. After all, chocolate is like happiness that you can eat. And we could all use a bit more happiness during this very stressful time. Enjoy!
2 T. (¼ stick) unsalted butter
¾ c. granulated sugar
¼ c. whole milk (or whatever you have on hand)
2 T. really good cocoa powder (I prefer Valrhona cocoa powder)
1/8 tsp. espresso powder
pinch fine sea salt
1/3 c. chunky peanut butter (not the “natural” style)
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1½ c. old-fashioned whole rolled oats
Combine the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt together in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the butter melts, then bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 1 minute without whisking. Remove from heat, then immediately stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until completely combined. Stir in the oats.
Allow mixture to sit for 7-8 minutes. This allows the mixture to start to set. Using a very small ice cream scoop, drop balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers.
To set the cookies before eating or storing, refrigerate for 2 hours. Then if the bottom is still kind of sticky, turn them over and let them sit for a couple more hours, or until the whole cookie is well set. Transfer to a covered container with wax paper between the layers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Can be frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
And yes this recipe can be doubled, and probably should be!
And yes, I forgot to garnish the meat with sliced green onions before I took this picture. But I was hungry, and in a hurry to get dinner on the table. But the green onions were great in our scramble this morning. Sometimes the old lemons/lemonade thing is just what is needed.
I love teriyaki. I love chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki, shrimp teriyaki, halibut teriyaki, the list goes on and on. But, and this is a big but, to make a great teriyaki dish, you have to start with a really, really good teriyaki sauce. And this my friends, is the best teriyaki sauce I have ever made. Or eaten for that matter!
I found this teriyaki sauce recipe (actually classified as a glaze) by Emeril Lagasse when I was looking for a new recipe for halibut. After making and posting Emeril’s fabulous halibut recipe (Baked Teriyaki Halibut), I thought at the time that the sauce would also work beautifully for other meat or seafood dishes. I hate to brag, but I was spot on in my thinking.
So yesterday I got a hankering for a teriyaki dish. I decided to use the lone pork tenderloin I had been eying every time I opened my freezer door. We love pork tenderloin BTW. So it sounded really yummy to combine the same teriyaki sauce recipe I prepared for the halibut dish, with this lean, mouth-watering hunk of succulent pork.
So that’s just what I did. And I am so glad I prepared this last evening. It was an easy dish to throw together. And the flavor was beyond excellent. The pork was tender because I only baked it to 145 degrees. (Any longer in the oven and it would have tasted like teriyaki jerky. Which in and of itself is lovely, but not what I was going for last evening.) So be careful not to ever overbake a pork tenderloin.
Anyway, the flavor of the marinated pork was marvelous, the texture perfect, and the sauce lightly dolloped on plain steamed rice was like a gift from the teriyaki Gods. Served with Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad), our evening meal was a pleasure. (See recipe below.)
So to all of you cooks out there who are valiantly trying to keep your family well fed through this most difficult time, I salute you. This coronavirus pandemic is crazy difficult. But don’t hesitate to prepare this recipe, although it’s crazy too. But in the case of this pork tenderloin dish, it’s crazy good!
As always – peace and love to all.
1/3 c. mirin or rice wine
½ c. low sodium Tamari or soy sauce
1 T. sugar
2 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, finely minced
pinch cayenne
1 pork tenderloin, silver skin* and extra fat removed, then cut in half lengthwise
sliced green onions, garnish
Combine the mirin, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and cayenne in a small saucepan. Pour about a third of the mixture into the bottom of a baking pan. (I use a 9×9-inch Pyrex dish.) Place the tenderloin halves on the sauce and turn to coat. (If need be, cut the tenderloin halves to fit into the pan in a single layer.) Marinate for 1 hour on the first side. Flip the meat and marinate for another hour or 2, or until you are ready to place in the oven.
Meanwhile, bring the rest of the teriyaki sauce to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until reduced a bit. Remove from heat and set aside.
Bake the tenderloin in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 9-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven and loosely tent with foil for about 5 minutes before slicing on the diagonal. Serve garnished with green onions. Pass the remaining teriyaki sauce. Great served with Sunomono. (See recipe below)
* The silverskin is sinew on one side of the pork tenderloin and looks like thin, silvery fat. You need to remove it because it will become tough and chewy when cooked. To remove the silver skin, slip a very thin, sharp knife in between the silver skin and the meat, then cut it all away. Take care to just remove the silver skin and not a lot of the beautiful meat itself!
SUNOMONO (JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD)
2 T. white distilled vinegar (that’s right, the old fashioned kind)
2 T. sugar
pinch kosher salt
1 English cucumber, partially peeled and very thinly sliced
Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, pour the cooled dressing over the cucumber making sure each slice is coated with the sauce. Serve immediately.
OK, this is the easiest bread I have ever made. Four main ingredients and just 1 long rising. None of this let the yeast proof, mix the dough, let the dough rise till doubled, shape the dough, rise again, then bake. Just mix the dough, shape it, let it rise, and bake it off.
The first time I made this bread, the crust, internal texture, and taste was outstanding. But the top crust didn’t brown. So I baked another batch, raised the temperature from 425 to 450 degrees, and turned on the convection option on my oven for the last half of the baking time. This time the baguettes came out a light golden brown. In other words – fabuleux!
Now I must say, I am truly excited about sharing this French bread recipe with you. First of all, like I said, it’s super easy to build. But the most wonderful part is how perfect this bread is for bruschetta and crostini. (And yes I know bruschetta and crostini are Italian dishes, and I’m advising you to bake a French bread.) The fact is – the texture is perfect anytime you want to use bread, either toasted or untoasted, as a base for other ingredients. But I have to tell you, the texture is not that super soft, fine grained quality that you find in some French breads. Which is fine with me. I prefer a more rustic, chewy mouth feel anyway. And I don’t for one moment miss the big holes that are often found in Italian baguettes. (Don’t get me wrong. I love crusty Italian baguettes. Just not for bruschetta or crostini.)
Italian baguettes often have holes as part of the texture we all know and love. But big holes allow bits and pieces of tomatoes, for example, to fall through and land on your lap. This bread is simply the perfect combination of slightly chewy, but with a crumb that happily supports ingredients either being dolloped, spread, or layered on top of the slices. In other words – perfect for bruschetta and crostini.
I really can’t wait to serve this bread to guests. Toasted and topped with tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Or pâté. OMG – this bread will be fantastic spread with pâté. Or soft cheeses. The list goes on and on.
Now we can get really adequate baguettes at our local grocery store sometimes. If we are lucky enough to hit the grocery store at just the right time. But they are expensive, and like I said, not always available. But because these homemade baguettes are so darn easy to make, I don’t have to worry about obtaining fresh baguettes ever again. Not when I can spend 15-20 minutes building a product that is perfect and always available.
And of course, you don’t have to use these baguettes just for bruschetta. I toasted some slices this morning for breakfast, and they were perfect with our easy-over eggs. And the other evening I served a few slices with an Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper infused extra virgin olive oil. Delicious.
And last night I made bruschetta with slices of this amazing bread. Toasted the slices, scraped the toasted bread with a garlic clove, drizzled on some extra virgin olive oil, and topped them with diced tomato, chopped fresh basil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Felt like we were back in Italy. (Close as we’re going to get this year. Boo coronavirus!)
And I can’t wait to use one of these baguettes as a roll for a subway style sandwich. And homemade croutons. This bread, cut into ¾-inch squares, sautéed in a bit of olive oil and butter, and finished with a light dusting of granulated garlic is going to produce perfectly delicious croutons. Caesar salad, here we come!
So if you too are a bread person, but don’t want to spend a lot of time or money in the preparation, this is the bread for you. Happy bread baking to all.
And yes, I love my new 15 x 13-inch 4 gutter baguette loaf pan. Worth the money just for the convenience. And yes this recipe can easily be doubled. (See picture below.)
½ c. sourdough starter
½ c. slightly warm water
½ tsp. fine sea salt
2 c. fluffed* bread flour, or a tiny bit more if needed
Combine the sourdough starter, warm water, salt, and most of the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using your dough hook, mix and knead until the dough is still a little sticky, but the bottom of the bowl is clean. (You will probably need all of the 2 cups of flour.) Form the dough into a ball and cut in half.
Place a small amount of flour on a clean surface and flour your hands. Shape each piece into a long baguette shape. I finish forming the baguette by rolling it in the flour until it is about 10-inches long. (Don’t use too much flour. Just enough to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the shaping surface.)
Place the formed baguettes onto a parchment paper lined baguette pan (only if your baguette pan has holes in it) or a greased baking sheet. If your baguette pan does not have holes, give it a light coating of cooking spray, but no parchment paper required.
Cover lightly with plastic wrap that has been lightly greased with cooking spray and let rise until double in size in a warm place, 3-4 hours. Don’t over rise the baguettes. Mine took a little over 3 hours to rise on my kitchen counter. (The counter I use to rise bread is lighted. Don’t know if the light helps, but I feel like it contributes to making my bread rise really nicely.)
Bake baguettes in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a very light golden-brown. Turn your oven to convection half way through the baking process. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. If you don’t have a convection oven, not to worry. However, it might not get as golden brown. Who cares! It will still taste delicious.
*How to fluff flour: As you’re spooning out the flour, lightly stir up the flour in the container, and gently shake the flour as you fill the measuring cup. Then level off the measuring cup with a table knife or other straight edged implement.
You know the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, well that doesn’t necessarily apply to “older” cooks like myself. Because I learned a terrific new trick when I found the foundation for this recipe on the inspiredtaste.net website.
Ever heard of dried mushroom powder? Well, if you have congratulations. But why in the heck didn’t you let me in on the secret? Of course if you’ve never heard of it either, you’re off the hook. But boy oh boy, regardless, you are going to be very glad you are reading this post today.
Dried mushroom powder is the real deal. And to think I’ve been using dried mushrooms for years, but never thought to grind them up. Bogles my mind to realize the number of things I do know about cooking, compared to the extraordinary amount of ingredients, techniques, cooking secrets, etc. I have yet to learn. It’s so exciting! I absolutely love to learn. And if it’s about food, well then, all the better! But before I learn and share any more culinary secrets with which to thrill and amaze you, let’s talk more about dried mushroom powder. And yes, it’s just like it sounds. Dried mushrooms finely ground in a blender or spice grinder.
But why bother to make dried mushroom powder you might ask. Why not just use re-hydrated pieces of dried mushrooms in this or any other recipe? Well there are two very good reasons. 1) Dried mushroom powder adds an extra depth of flavor to dishes without adding bulk or texture. Great in soups, stews, pasta sauces, or any dish that might benefit from a bit of umami* (savory or “meaty”) flavor. 2) Not everyone likes mushrooms. And finding a piece of dried mushroom in a dish might be enough to make them unwilling to even give the dish a try. But when added as an ingredient that they can’t see, well, all’s fair in love and fine dining as far as I’m concerned.
And speaking of fine dining – this pasta dish is so good as to be outrageous. Easy to prepare, takes little time to cook, and looks like a million dollars.
So please give it a try. And as far as dried mushroom powder goes, I really couldn’t taste any fungi in the sauce. But there was just this “something” that added richness without smacking you in the face with its inclusion. Some might use the word “subtle” even. But that may even be too strong a word. Oh heck, just make this dish and see for yourself. And yes, I will be adding mushroom powder to many of the dishes I serve from now on. Both new and old favorites.
So as always – peace, love, and great pasta to all.
4 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 c. chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. fennel seed
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can whole or diced tomatoes (Italian if possible)
1 c. drained and roughly chopped roasted red peppers
1 T. mushroom powder, opt. – see note below (I used ground porcini mushrooms)
1 c. small chunks of zucchini or yellow squash
8 oz. spaghetti, cooked al dente (save some of the water)
4 loosely packed cups of cut spinach leaves
1/3 c. fresh basil chiffonade
grated Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, or Asiago cheese for serving
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up as it browns. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a container. Set aside.
Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the oregano, fennel seed, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, roasted red peppers, mushroom powder, and zucchini chunks. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 5-10 minutes. As the sauce cooks, use a spoon to break up the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces for a chunky sauce. Stir in the cooked sausage. Let burble for a couple minutes.
Take the sauce off the heat. Stir in the spinach and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss in the al dente spaghetti, and leave alone for a minute or so to allow the pasta time to absorb some of the sauce and to let the spinach wilt. (If the pasta seems dry, add about a quarter cup of the pasta cooking water. Still dry, a bit more water.) Toss again, serve, and pass the grated cheese.
Dried Mushroom Powder: Can be purchased online or you can make mushroom powder at home. Start with any type of dried mushrooms. Place in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)
Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms.
*Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, bitter, salty, and sour. It was classified as such over a century ago and is best described as a savory or “meaty” flavor. The word “umami” in Japanese means “a pleasant savory taste.”
Apparently the Rob Roy cocktail was invented in 1894 by a bartender who worked at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The hotel was near a theater where a new romantic-comic opera was performing its New York debut. The 3 act opera was based on the real life Scottish folk hero, Robert Roy MacGregor. The bartender created the drink for opening night as a way to publicize the play.
Now I don’t know how successful the operetta was, or even if it’s still being performed, but it appears that the drink is still very popular. Well, at least with Scotch lovers like Mr. C. that is!
Mr. C. thinks it’s heavenly. (My word. He would actually roll his eyes if I used the word “heavenly” to describe such a strong drink in such a feminine manner.) But hey, he’s not writing this post – I am. And since I don’t even like Scotch or drinks of this ilk, I’m going to stick with my word for this libation that makes him break out in a big old grin. Plus “heavenly” is a whole lot better than the word I would prefer to use to describe any drink that is built around stinky alcohol that tastes like peat bogs and smells like iodine! And yes I know, many women enjoy Scotch. Not my problem.
Anyway, if you are a Scotch aficionado, and haven’t tried this drink, you might want to build one just for grins. After all, it has a heck of a lot fewer components than most of Mr. Cs concoctions. And these drinks contain fairly standard drink ingredients to boot, which is not always the case with many of the potions prepared by the resident mixologist.
So have fun. Try something different. Just don’t blame me if your drink tastes “medicinal”. That’s how it’s supposed to taste! Happy adult beverages to all.
2 oz. blended Scotch whiskey
1 oz. sweet (rosso) vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
ice cubes
lemon twist, opt.
maraschino cherry, opt.
In a cocktail shaker, combine the blended Scotch, sweet vermouth, and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with lemon twist and/or a cherry.
Please note: The only difference between a Rob Roy and a Manhattan, is that blended Scotch is used in a Rob Roy. Whereas, bourbon is used in a Manhattan. The Rob Roy can be made “sweet”, which is the standard and as described above. Or it can be made “dry”. In that case dry vermouth (think martinis) replaces sweet vermouth. And made “perfect” as in a “perfect” Manhattan which is concocted using equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.
As a variation, substitute Peychaud bitters for Angostura.
I’ve often wondered why our cats sometimes look at us like they are prisoners and we are the wardens. Benevolent wardens, but never-the-less. They look outside, then back at us, with a look that says “if you loved me you’d let me go outside”! They don’t understand that we are only trying to keep them safe and free from danger. Even if we explained it to them, using really simple terms, they still wouldn’t get it. They are just cats after all! They simply are not equipped to understand our rationale for their confinement.
Poor Miles. Can’t even find a place to sleep that’s large enough or soft enough for his big old fuzzy body. Just an example of how bad his life is in his prison of our choosing.
And I guess that’s how I feel about the people who refuse to comprehend why staying at home right now is in their own best interest. And not coincidentally everyone around them also. They can’t seem to grasp the logic behind the decisions made by others that cause them inconvenience. They just plain resent being told what to do. And they are tired of being at home, and maybe not able to work, and undoubtedly miss and need the society of their friends and family.
And I get it, because I’m starting to feel rather confined myself. But unlike my kitties I can still go outside. But I miss wandering through the aisles of our grocery store without fear, while I choose a yummy this or that to add to my cart. Just like I’m sure our kitties would like to wander through our neighborhood picking out tasty morsels as they go along too. And whereas our kitties would be in danger from large birds like eagles, hawks, etc., Mr. C. and I would be in danger of drawing itsy bitsy teeny weenie virus into our lungs if we leisurely perused the store with shear abandon. So we wear a mask and gloves. And absolutely do not tarry. As much for our own protection as for everyone around us.
While I was thinking about the people who are feeling and acting put upon by some of the restraints being enacted by local governing agencies and even local businesses, it dawned on me that at least some of these folks take wearing masks and being advised to stay home as if it is directed at them personally. As a personal infringement of their rights and privileges as an American citizen. What they simply fail to understand is that these precautions are not directed at them individually. They are directed at everyone for the betterment of all.
And like others who are frustrated with our current condition, I miss being with friends and seeing my family and all the other aspects of normal life. I miss live music, going to plays and concerts, and traveling. But I am more concerned about peoples’ lives than how this whole pandemic is inconveniencing me. I can see the whole picture. And when I read about countries where violence and poverty is the everyday existence, I am immediately reminded of how lucky we are to live in a democracy (at least for now it’s still a democracy). But with democracy comes responsibility. And it takes every one of us to step up to the plate and act responsibly for the benefit of our friends, family, and every other living being on this planet. We all need to adopt the village philosophy. From the little village.com site. “The village is our communal place of belonging. It is the essence of what keeps us together. It keeps us stronger, happier and healthier because we have something to fall back on. Looking to the village, it has the potential to hold us up and to keep us going in our daily life. The village gives us more than this emotional sustenance, it has the capacity to feed us; to nurture and gives us the means in which to become ourselves.”
And I know, for most of you I’m just verbalizing what you already know to be true. But if I can reach even one person, and help them feel less angry with what they perceive as a personal attack on their individual freedom, I will have felt like I deserved the vast amount of money I receive for voicing my opinions on this site. And what all the above prose has to do with this recipe is anyone’s guess. So on to the real topic of today’s post. (I just feel better for having said what I had to say!)
Kouign-amann is a Breton cake, described in the New York Times as “the fattiest pastry in all of Europe.” The name comes from the Breton language words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann) and has a Celtic heritage.
Now Kouign-amann is not a recipe for someone with a full schedule. But it is the perfect pastry to prepare for someone who needs a distraction from everyday cooking. This pastry recipe, from one of my favorite chefs, Chef John Armand Mitzewich, is probably one of the most delicious morsels you will ever put in your mouth. It’s sweet and savory, tender and chewy, and if you are fan of salted caramel – well – you are going to be in heaven. Now of course you can buy these at specialized bakeries. But they are bloody expensive. $4-5 each. Each! When for the same amount of money, you can make a dozen at home.
And I kid you not, they are not difficult to make. But before you start, I would suggest you watch Chef John’s video. He makes it look so easy. And bottom line – it is easy! Just time consuming. So with all the time you currently have on your hands, why wait? Just do it. You will forever thank me.
So as always, peace and love to all. And please forgive me if I have offended you in any way by expressing my feelings. That never was my intent.
(And if you believe I make any money from posting my recipes and opinions on this site, I’ve got a banana plantation here on Camano Island I’d like to sell you at a much reduced price.)
For the dough:
1 c. lukewarm water
1 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. active dry yeast
2½ c. bread flour
1 T. melted unsalted butter
1 tsp. kosher salt
Combine water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let rest until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the melted butter, 2 cups of the flour, and salt to the yeast mixture. Using your dough hook, mix until you have a very sticky dough. Add the remaining half cup flour and knead for a few minutes. You should end up with a soft, fairly sticky, elastic dough. Place in a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes.
Please note: for this recipe I “fluffed” the bread flour and measured carefully. Usually I just go by feel, but this recipe is quite rigid.
Combine sugar and most of the sea salt together in a bowl. Mix, taste, and add up to the full 2 teaspoons of salt as needed. (I used the full 2 teaspoons and it was perfect.)
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with soft butter. Spoon some of the seasoned sugar into the cups and shake to coat. Turn tin over and return excess sugar to the bowl.
Transfer dough onto a floured surface and press into a rough rectangle. Roll dough into a rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Grate 1 stick of the frozen butter onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Flatten butter into the dough using lightly floured hands. Fold rectangle lengthwise into thirds. Press gently to square out the edges. Place dough onto a silicone or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Please note: I found it very difficult to grate the butter over the rolled out dough. So I simply grated the butter into a pile on my counter. Then lifted it onto the dough. Worked just fine.)
After the dough comes out from the cold, roll it again into a large rectangle, pulling and stretching the corners as needed. Grate the second stick of butter over the surface. (Or into a pile.) Pat down with floured fingers and fold into thirds. Roll back out into a rectangle and fold into thirds. Sprinkle with a bit of flour each time. Repeat rolling and folding one more time. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Sprinkle a generous amount of the seasoned sugar onto your work surface. Place dough onto the sugar and sprinkle more sugar on top. Roll into a large rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, turning and topping with sugar between rolls.
Use a pizza cutter to trim away uneven edges if necessary. Cut dough into 12 even pieces. Sprinkle more sugar on top. Lightly pinch each pastry into a crown shape by bringing all four corners to the center; place into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle more sugar on top. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until browned and puffed, 25 to 35 minutes. (FYI – since this was my first time baking these little darlings, I didn’t leave them in the oven quite long enough. They should have been darker, which would have allowed for more caramel to form on the bottom. They were still absolutely wonderful. Just means I have to bake them again very soon.)
Remove from oven and immediately remove each pastry from the pan onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 15 minutes.
OK, I surrender. I thought I had prepared green beans every which way there was. But I was wrong. Daughter Paula gave me this recipe and said I just had to try them. She said the green beans were amazing. And she was right!
Now the great thing about these beans, aside from the fact that they are absolutely delicious, is that you can season them any old way you wish. I just used the combination listed below. But you could substitute any number of different ingredients to suite your taste. Paprika, for example would be a great addition to the breading concoction. Don’t like Sriracha, leave it out. Soy sauce might be interesting in its place.
This is a recipe that’s practically begs for culinary creativity. And I plan to give this recipe exactly what it deserves. Next time, I’m going to use Moon Cheese* in place of Parmesan. (I know. I had never heard of Moon Cheese either until Paula told me about it. So of course I had to order some. Now I’m hooked! Well of course I am! These little crispy bits of cheese are delicious.)
Anyway, I can’t wait to fix these crispy, tasty beans again. And they aren’t even deep fried! I especially like that. They are simply finger food at its finest! So yes, of course they would make a fabulous appetizer at your next dinner party. (When we can once again safely invite people into our homes, that is.)
In the meantime, we here at Chez Carr plan to enjoy these vegetable treats all by ourselves. But you can bet your last bottle of hand sanitizer, that we will be serving these beans to our guests once it is safe to do so.
As always, virtual hugs from me to you. And Paula, thanks again for the recipe. It’s almost as amazing as you are. And that says a lot!
40 fresh green beans, washed, ends trimmed, and dried with paper towels
2 T. mayonnaise or your favorite creamy salad dressing
1 egg
squirt Sriracha
2 T. flour (regular or gluten free)
¾ c. panko bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs or ¼ cup almond flour (Keto)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. granulated garlic
¼ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese or ground Moon Cheese* (Keto)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, and Sriracha together in a shallow container. (I use an 8-inch cake pan.)
Toss the green beans in the flour to lightly coat them.
Mix the panko crumbs with the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and Parmesan.
Dip the flour coated green beans in the egg mixture, then coat with the panko bread crumb mixture.
Place the green beans in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the coating begins to brown. Serve immediately!
*Moon Cheese is made with 100% cheese that they crunchify to make the tastiest, crunchiest snack ever. Moon Cheese comes in three delicious flavors – Gouda, Cheddar, and Pepper Jack. Moon Cheese is the perfect keto snack because it is high in protein, low-carb, all natural, gluten free and a source of calcium.
My beautiful new Dutch oven and a peek at the inside of the boule. Mighty fine bread I tell you. Mighty fine!
When it comes to kalamata olives, fresh rosemary, and garlic – well – how can you really go wrong? And when they are baked into a beautiful sourdough boule (round loaf), there is just no finer way to display this incredible threesome. They are simply simpatico ingredients.
The first time I paired kalamata olives and rosemary together in a bread recipe was about 6 years ago. This bread is very similar with one important exception. Rosemary Olive Bread is leavened with a package of active dry yeast. This recipe calls for a cup of sourdough starter. And therefore has a lovely “tang” to it.
This recipe also includes a bit of garlic and some black pepper. (Got to change things up a bit to keep Mr. C. riveted!) Well anyway, to make a short story long, I wanted to use some of my CSS (Coronavirus Sourdough Starter) (or Renee as “she’s” affectionately referred to here at Chez Carr) in the production of yet another bread that most of you will never build. (Why some of you even bother to read my posts is beyond my understanding. But I am mighty glad you come along for the ride.) Anyway……..
If you have nothing better to do with your time, have all the ingredients, and love bread, give this delicious combination of ingredients a try. For lunch yesterday I toasted a piece of this bread and placed a thin slice of Black Forrest ham on top. What an amazing and simple open faced sandwich that made! I’m still reeling from the fabulous flavor combination.
So to all of you who like myself, believe that the act of baking bread is almost sacrosanct, I implore you to give this recipe a try. Of course, if you are not an olive lover, or abhor rosemary, or God forbid, can’t abide garlic – well – you may be excused! The rest of you – get busy. This bread is worth the effort.
And just because I usually bake this type of bread in a clay baker when others use an old fashioned cast iron Dutch oven, I decided to buy a 5 quart cast iron Dutch oven to see how well it actually worked. The result was just the same as when I use my clay baker. Beautiful crust, lovely crumb, and fabulous curb appeal.
So if you have been storing a “heritage” Dutch oven out in your garage or even out in your tool shed, now’s the time to dig it out. (You might want to clean it up a bit before you use it again.) But if it’s at least a 5 quart, it would be perfect for this recipe. Or most other bread recipes that call for a clay baker or Dutch oven. And isn’t it fun to “re-purpose” something that might even have sentimental value. Could have been given to you by your grandmother, or even passed down to her from her grandmother. I know the Dutch oven I have downstairs in my storage room that was handed down to me by my parents, is as old as the hills. Not large enough for the purpose of baking bread, but I wouldn’t part with it for any amount of money.
So to all, have fun in the kitchen. If you have never baked bread, now is the time to give it a try. If prehistoric humans could “bake” a gruel made from grain and water on a hot rock 30,000 years ago, you should be able to mix some flour, water, yeast, and salt together in your KitchenAid mixer and throw it in your perfectly heat controlled oven with fairly predictable results. Just sayin’!
As always, peace and love to all. And keep your sense of humor. Laughter is strong medicine. It helps protect all of us from the damaging effects of undue stress. And stress is the number one feeling of emotion most of us are experiencing right now. So fight back. If nothing else, go make a face at yourself in your bathroom mirror. A funny face, along with how your normally perfectly quaffed hair looks right now should do the trick. No wait! That could lead to tears. Never mind. Bad idea.
1 c. sourdough starter
3 c. bread flour, plus more as needed
1 c. lukewarm water
1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary
¾ c. roughly chopped Kalamata olives
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the sourdough starter, 2 cups of the flour, water, and olive oil together. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 4 hours.
Add the remaining cup of flour to the mixer bowl along with the salt, pepper, rosemary, chopped olives, and garlic.
Knead till the dough comes together. If your dough looks wet, add more bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Your dough should be slightly sticky but not wet. Continue to knead on medium speed for five minutes.
Pour a bit of olive oil over the dough, and using your hands roll it into a ball evenly covered with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot for two hours. The dough will rise a little, but it may not double. Punch down the dough and shape into a boule (round).
Cover a cookie sheet with a rectangle of parchment paper, and place the loaf on the parchment. Dust with a bit of flour and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm spot for an hour.
In the last half hour of rising, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you have a baking stone, pizza stone, clay baker, or Dutch oven, place it in the middle rack of the oven. You want it to heat right along with the oven.
Five minutes before you place your loaf in the oven, pour a cup of hot water into an oven-safe pan and place it on the lowest rack of the oven. Please note: If you are using a clay baker (bread cloche) or Dutch oven, no need to place container with water in your oven.
Take a very sharp or serrated knife and score the loaf carefully, making a large X. Don’t use too much force or you will deflate the bread. Just let the weight of the knife do the work.
Carefully pick up the parchment sheet and place the loaf directly on the baking stone or pizza stone. If you don’t have a baking stone or pizza stone, simply place the cookie sheet with the loaf into the middle rack of the oven.
If you are using a clay baker or Dutch oven, remove from the oven. Carefully take off the lid. Set the loaf complete with parchment paper onto or into the bottom and cover with the lid. (A trick I use to make lifting my clay baker in and out of the oven, is to place it on a low sided baking sheet before it ever goes into the oven. It’s much easier to lift a baking sheet than a clay baker. Much less likely to burn yourself.)
If using a baking stone, pizza stone, or a plain baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 and continue baking for another 45 minutes or so. The internal temperature should be about 204 degrees. Remove from oven and let the bread cool on a rack before slicing.
If using a clay baker or Dutch oven, bake covered in the 450 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove the lid (very carefully) and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches about 204 degrees. Remove from oven and let the bread cool on a rack before slicing.
Ok, disclaimer. I made these yesterday and they were fine. However, Mr. C. and I both agreed that (pardon me while I use a common vernacular) the muffins were just a touch too “Euell Gibbons” for us. (For more on Mr. Gibbons, see the short biography below.)
The original recipe, the one I made yesterday and you see in the picture, called for all whole wheat pastry flour. This sounded perfect at the time, but we have since decided that all that whole wheat is just too “healthy tasting” for our palates. We like whole wheat English muffins, but apparently the kind we have purchased in the past, had a whole bunch of white flour in the mix. (And yes I know, we are wusses. But we both grew up on white bread. In my case it was homemade bread, but it was still exclusively made with good old white flour.)
But I must say, we did enjoy the all whole wheat muffins toasted this morning and slathered with butter and local honey. But I am looking forward to building a batch replacing some of the whole wheat flour as listed below. Now, have I made these English muffins per the recipe below? Nope! Would I stake my reputation on this recipe? Yep. In fact that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Now, the one thing I can’t stress enough, is how bloody easy these English muffins were to prepare. Absolutely nothing to it. And I must admit, before building these yesterday I was a bit wary. But isn’t that always the case when you haven’t performed almost any task. Must be part of the human condition. You know, the part where you don’t want to fail, regardless of how easy or difficult the task. But then when you do “win”, you look back on whatever the endeavor was and completely forget about any trepidations you had in the first place. Sound familiar? Bottom line: I would count yesterdays’ English muffins as a win-win-loss-win.
I won by not giving in to my fear of failure. I won because they baked up beautifully. I lost because the muffins were a bit too “whole wheaty” for our taste. But I won again be changing the recipe enough to better fit our tastes. Basically a 3-1 win. And I’d say that’s an acceptable score!
So if you too want to score well with your family, cook up a batch of these English muffins. They are absolutely divine right off the griddle. But toasted for breakfast, there is just not a better vehicle for enjoying peanut butter, honey, or your favorite jam, jelly, or spread.
As always, peace, love, and happy cooking to all. Stay safe!
Day 1: (sponge)
½ c. sourdough starter
1 T. honey
1 c. whole milk (can use 1% or skim, but whole milk makes them more tender)
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour (can use white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour)
1 c. bread flour
Mix the starter, honey, milk, whole wheat pastry flour, and the bread flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. (I use a simple table knife to mix the ingredients.) Cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature overnight.
Day 2:
1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ c. bread flour, plus more as needed (could be quite a bit more)
cornmeal
Add the soda, salt, and ¼ cup of the flour to the sponge. Mix together with your dough hook and knead for 3-4 minutes, adding remaining flour, and even more as needed. (The dough is perfect when it is tacky to the touch. But if too much dough sticks to your finger when pressed, add another tablespoon or so of the flour.)
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times into a round shape. Pat the dough to about ½-inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Re-flatten the scraps to make additional muffins.
Place the muffin rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkled with a dusting of cornmeal. Leave a good 2-inches between each muffin. Dust the tops with a bit more cornmeal. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. (They will not puff a lot.)
Very lightly grease a griddle, or leave it dry if you have a non-stick griddle, and heat to medium-low (about 275 degrees). If the griddle is too hot, the inside of the muffin will not cook properly and the outside will burn.
Place the muffins on the heated griddle and cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side until that side is hard to the touch and nicely browned. Flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the other side, or again, until nicely browned. They are usually done when the sides are firm. If the muffins are browned enough, but still don’t seem cooked through, place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.
Place cooked muffins on a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container or freeze for longer storage. Best if split apart with the tines of a table fork, toasted, buttered, and spread with honey, jam, or jelly. Peanut butter is also delightful on these muffins.
Euell Gibbons was a man ahead of his time or perhaps way behind (centuries) his time. He had a lifelong interest in food foraged from plants that were very nutritious but often neglected. In 1964 he wrote a whole-food cookbook entitled “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” and in 1967 “A Wild Way to Eat”. But his real claim to fame came in the 1970s when he starred in a television commercial where he asked, “Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible.” The statement was so bizarre, that it immediately caught everyone’s attention. And the commercial created a whole new set of customers for Grape-Nuts cereal.
In his later years, he and his wife joined a community of Quakers in Philadelphia where very morning he cooked the shared breakfast. It is said that he became a Quaker because “it was the only group I could join without pretending to have beliefs that I didn’t have or concealing beliefs that I did have.”
Just before leaving on our last trailer trip, I decided to bake this bread mainly for our dear friend Margo who dearly loves tart cherries. Since we would be spending several days trailering with them, it seemed like a good way to spoil her a bit. And it worked. Both she and her husband Jim loved the bread. We of course enjoyed it too. It was simple to make, and stayed fresh for several days. And with our coffee in the morning, it was just that perfect way to greet the day. And speaking of greeting the day, this is how I awakened this morning.
Bread, bread, glorious bread
Nothing quite like it for fending off dread
Bake some today
Put your worries away
Just so much better than staying in bed
Sorry – I just couldn’t help myself. And abject apologies to Flanders and Swann* for taking the words to their endearing Hippopotamus Song* and making them my own. But for some reason, I woke up this morning with the words to this song buzzing around in my head. Can’t complain – it could have been the words to The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round. Now there’s an ear worm that could drive a sane person crazy. As if there isn’t enough craziness all around us already. Enough so, that I’m strongly considering giving up my decades old habit of reading the newspaper as I drink my morning coffee. I can no longer stand to read about what masquerades as “leadership” in our nation’s capital. The values (or lack thereof) demonstrated by some of the high ranking officials are so foreign to me as to be incomprehensible. And in many cases – unforgivable. (And you wonder why I bake so much bread. For me it’s either stay busy, or go crazy!)
So with that uplifting comment in mind, I think I’ll go start a batch of sourdough English muffins. If they work, you will be hearing from me. If not, another recipe will take its place.
As always, peace, love, and a healthy dose of “I need to take care of myself” to all.
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sour cream
2 c. tart cherries, halved and patted dry with paper towels (I use frozen pie cherries)
Cream the butter and sugar together until well blended (about 5 minutes). Scrape down bowl periodically. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until well blended.
In a separate bowl whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir in sour cream until completely incorporated. Fold in cherries. Pour batter into 1 9×5-inch bread pan or 2 – 7½ x 3½- inch bread pans greased with non-stick spray.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes (about 45 minutes for smaller pans) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean. Remove to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before cutting or storing.
Please note: If you have old aluminum pans that are rusting, maybe you should consider getting some new loaf pans. Mr. C. finally asked me to replace my old pans because he didn’t want to consume any more rust. OK, I get that. I don’t think I even noticed anymore because I had been using those same pans for 50 odd years.
So I went on line and purchased a two pack of Stellar James Martin 1 lb. non-stick Loaf Tin Pans.
Now you know this is a non-advertising site. But these are the best loaf pans I have ever used. They are the perfect size for us, because recipes that make enough batter for 1 9×15-inch loaf pan is just the perfect amount for 2 of these little darlings. They measure 7½ x 3½ x 2¾ inches. And I have always enjoyed using the smaller pans for everything from meat loaf to quick bread. For us, 1 loaf can be consumed while the other loaf can be tucked away in our freezer for some later date when it’s obvious to both of us that we deserve a treat.
*Flanders and Swann were a British comedy duo. Lyricist, actor and singer Michael Flanders (1922–1975) and composer and pianist Donald Swann (1923–1994) collaborated in writing and performing comic songs. The Hippopotamus Song is one of my favorites. If you get a chance, look them up. They are incredibly entertaining. Makes me laugh just to think about them.
The Hippopotamus Song
[1st Verse]
A bold hippopotamus was standing one day On the banks of the cool Shalimar He gazed at the bottom, as it peacefully lay By the light of the evening star Away on a hilltop sat combing her hair His fair hippopotami maid The hippopotamus was no ignoramus And sang her this sweet serenade
[Chorus] Mud, mud, glorious mud Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood So follow me, follow Down to the hollow And there let us wallow in glorious mud
[2nd Verse] The fair hippopotama he aimed to entice From her seat on that hilltop above As she hadn’t got a ma to give her advice Came tip-toeing down to her love Like thunder the forest re-echoed the sound Of the song that they sang as they met His inamorata adjusted her garter And lifted her voice in duet
[Chorus]
Mud, mud, glorious mud Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood So follow me, follow Down to the hollow And there let us wallow in glorious mud
