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.

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.

For the seasoned sugar:

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. fine grained sea salt

soft butter to grease the muffin tin

2 sticks (½ lb.) ice-cold unsalted butter, divided

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.