scone -da- scones

We have a very early morning (8am) meeting on Monday morning, I know i'm horrible right?  It's the only time the committee could reconvene.  So I told them I would bake, sort of to soften them up and also to share my appreciation of the work the committee is doing.  I knew i didn't want to just make the same old muffins.  I thought about biscotti but we won't really have many options for dipping them and they can be kind of hard.  Then I thought of it, scones - of course and I have never made them before so it was perfect!  I set out to find the base recipe i would use and I found it! :)

I made chocolate chunk & cranberry scones and orange & cranberry scones with an orange glaze drizzle.  They turned out so good, I was ecstatic! So there we have it scones for monday morning.  Below is the recipe for the the chocolate/cranberry scones!  it's a pretty easy recipe... enjoy!

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1/2 cup milk or semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup buttermilk

Egg mixture for brushing tops of scones:

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon milk

Cinnamon Sugar:

2 tablespoons granulated white sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.  Stir in the chocolate chunks (or chips) and dried cherries. In a small measuring cup whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla extract and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together (add more buttermilk if necessary). Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and  knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches  thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture. To make the Cinnamon Sugar, mix together the sugar and ground cinnamon Sprinkle the tops of the scones with a little of the cinnamon sugar.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and then turn your broiler on high. Sift the confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar heavily over the tops of the scones and place them under the broiler. Broil for just a few seconds, turning the pan as necessary, until the sugar has melted and turns golden brown. Make sure to watch the scones carefully as the sugar will burn very quickly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 8 scones.

mmmm pizza

So pizza is one of my favorite things, love it...so with all the other things i have been attempting to make why not pizza!  So tonight I was able to come home and mix some up.  It was actually quite wonderful to need the dough and was a lot easier to work with than i thought would be. I had a frustrating afternoon with a number of people so this was a good stress reliever for me.

I took part of the dough and made breadsticks - they turned out pretty well, a little crunchy but delicious! So the pizza dough was transferred to the pizza stone which was heated and topped with sauce, pepperoni, black olives and lots of cheese.  Much to my delight it turned out really yummy!

I am really enjoying all this full out cooking, baking, etc I feel i have a better idea of what is in my food.  I hope to also play with and learn how to substitute those things which are not good for you for healthier alternatives.

Delightfully full!

rosemary peasant bread & seven layer

I hope my bread turns out that beautifully!  Its a three day weekend and I'm taking advantage of every moment of it.  Yesterday, I was able to take the pup for a nice walk, it was gorgeous outside and then to the Brandi Carlile concert - she is truly amazing and even more so live!  It was worth not getting home until after midnight, which was way past my bed time.  Earlier that day I went to breakfast with Paul Rifkin who I use to work with at UW-L; we would call him Uncle Paul.  It's always fun to go to breakfast with Paul and here about the news from there.


I didn't make a list this weekend, but I did a quick pick up Saturday morning before the rest got started and I have a bit more to do yet.  This week was incredibly busy with training and helping host Maura Cullen, she was here to do some diversity training with our staff (it was fantastic)! So I am just hoping to get things done but not stress about what I didn't get done. (trying, mind you)


I woke up this morning thinking it would be a good day to do a little new recipe exploration... so I found a recipe for rosemary peasant bread - which first started as a search for the macaroni grill bread recipe.  I wanted something that would be light, airy and could be used with oil and balsamic vinegar or other oil combination.  I found it!  It's rising for the 2nd time and will be popping it in the oven soon, i can't wait!
Every time I try something new, it's less scary especially with bread, maybe one day I'll get to sourdough.


Here's the recipe below:
Rosemary Peasant Bread

• 1 packet dry yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp)
  
• 2 c. warm water
• 1 T. sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 c. flour
• 1-2 tsp. fresh Rosemary plus more for topping
• Olive Oil, Corn meal, Melted butter and salt

Dissolve yeast in the warm water and sugar. (I like to buy yeast in a large package and then store it in a plastic container and keep in the freezer. It lasts forever. OR if you don’t make bread that often, just buy the yeast packets.) Add flour, salt, and 1-2 tsp Rosemary and stir until blended, do not Knead!! Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until double in size. If you have a Bosch Mixer, I keep the dough right in there with the top lid on, it’s nice and moist in there. Or simply keep it in the mixer bowl and cover with a moist cloth to raise.

Remove dough. It will be sticky. I like to put shortening or oil on my hands for taking out the dough and shaping it. I think it works better than flour hands. Place it in 2 rounds on a cookie sheet lightly coated in oil and sprinkled with corn meal. OR you can place it on your silicone baking mat with no oil. Cover with a towel or greased plastic wrap. Then let it rise another hour.

Brush each round with melted butter and lightly sprinkle with more Rosemary and sea salt. Bake @ 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce temp to 375 for 15 minutes more.

Cool slightly, then cut into nice size bits or rip it apart! Enjoy!

And I love sweets baking... bars, brownies, cakes, cookies - you name i love to bake it.  I think what I love about baking (and cooking) or even working on home projects is that you have a product, something at the end of the project that is tangible.  This isn't always the case with my job and I would imagine why I find it so relaxing and a great stress relief!

For the Seven Layer Bar Recipe: (this is a super easy recipe)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 - 6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1 - 6 oz. pkg. butterscotch chips
1 1/3 cups coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
15 oz. Eagle brand milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a 13x9-inch pan, then add graham cracker crumbs in pan; mix until butter is absorbed. Press crumb mixture into bottom of pan. Layer chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut and nuts. Pour Eagle brand milk evenly over the top and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely and cut into 1 inch squares.

Enjoy!!

time for something new

Over the holidays I came across a new recipe for Hot Chocolate Cake with Homemade Marshmallows and thought wow, really?  This thing is decadenantly insane and I must make it.  My only thing even remotely pausing me for a moment is making the marshmallows, I made peppermint marshmallows a month ago and it was incredibly messy.  Maybe enough time has passed that I'm ready to try that again, one try under the belt so I may be ready to give it another shot :)

It's a new year and I really haven't done much baking since 2010 has joined us, I lost a little of my motivation with baking but I am ready to get it rolling again.  Most of training is ready to go, just have to purchase about 1000 drinks this weekend.  But all in all, I am feeling pretty good about where things are for Monday.  Oh that reminds me I need to send a quick email to our opening speaker *brb*.  Okay, check that off the list - yay!

It is a bit of a complicated recipe and I think that is a bit how I currently view 2010... a little bit complicated, lots of layers, needing patience and hopefully the outcomes will be amazing and worth it!

I'll be sure to post pictures once I have the "masterpiece" done! :)

Here's the recipe for the cake: (I found it in Fine Living Magazine, yum!)

For the cake:


6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans
13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
3/4 cup canola oil
4-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 cups granulated sugar
2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt


For the frosting
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
6 oz. (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder; more for decorating
1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

For the marshmallows
Three 1/4-oz. envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar; more as needed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Making the cake

Position racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9x2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round. Butter the parchment, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the butter, oil, chopped chocolate, and 1 cup water. Heat over medium heat until melted.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

Set two pans on the top rack and the third on the lower rack. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no pan is directly over another. Bake, swapping and rotating the pans’ positions after 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on racks for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.


Making the frosting

In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted. Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth—be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan and freeze until firm, about 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight.

Making the marshmallows

Pour 3/4 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit it with the whisk attachment.

Clip a candy thermometer to a 3-quart saucepan; don’t let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan. In the saucepan, boil the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water over medium heat without stirring until it reaches 234°F to 235°F, about 10 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin in a slow, thin stream.

Add the vanilla, carefully increase the speed to high, and beat until the mixture has thickened and cooled, about 5 minutes (the bottom of the bowl should be just warm to the touch). Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Sift 1 Tbs. of the confectioners’ sugar into the bottom of the pan, then pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and sift another 1 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar on top. Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours.

Assembling the cake
Remove the frosting from the freezer or refrigerator. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to soften. Change to a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Put a cake layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while icing. Top the layer with 1-1/2 cups of the frosting, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula to the cake’s edge. Repeat with another cake layer and 1-1/2 cups frosting. Top with the last cake layer.

Put 1-1/2 cups of the frosting in a small bowl. With an offset spatula, spread this frosting in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until the frosting firms enough to seal in the crumbs, 20 to 30 minutes.

Spread the remaining frosting in a smooth layer over the top and sides of the cake. If necessary, you can rewhip the remaining frosting to loosen and lighten it. Remove the waxed paper strips.

Use the foil overhang to lift the marshmallow from the pan. Using a knife that has been dipped in cold water, cut along the edge of the marshmallow to release it from the foil. Transfer to a cutting board and remove the foil. Put the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Cut the marshmallow into cubes of different sizes, from 1/4 to 3/4 inch (you will need to continue to dip the knife in cold water as you cut the marshmallows). The marshmallows will be very sticky—dip the cut edges in the confectioners’ sugar to make them easier to handle. As you work, toss a few cubes at a time in the sugar to coat, then shake in a strainer to remove the excess. Mound the marshmallows on top of the cake (you’ll need only a third to half of them). Sift some cocoa powder over the marshmallows.


Make Ahead Tips
You can bake, cool, wrap, and store the cake layers at room temperature for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 1 month. You can refrigerate the frosting for up to 3 days. The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours (return to room temperature before serving). Wrapped well, leftover marshmallows keep at room temperature for up to 1 month.