Finally...some good ol' fashioned scones!

Ok, I'll admit it. Lately my blog has looked more like a love letter to Alton Brown than a baking blog. I'm sorry--I do miss my experimentation in the kitchen, but really, after 14 seasons on the air, Good Eats has produced some quality recipes.

Recently, my two main stress reducers have been baking and running (at least they balance each other out...right? right?). And I really got hooked on Good Eats for the first time in my life! Now I know this is old news to some--heck, he was the culinary Bill Nye to all kids growing up at the turn of the century.  So recently I've spent my evenings catching up on a lifetime's worth of quality programming. Then, of course, putting that knowledge to good use.

although sock puppets haven't reduced my fear of yeast...

I've been in a pickle for a long time. I love scones. When I was living in London, cream tea (that is, scone, clotted cream, jam, and tea) was a staple for me. In fact, many a lunch I ate at the V&A was just a cream tea.

Scones in America just don't cut it. They're overblown, sugary treats--especially those maple and pumpkin confections stocking your local Starbucks. Biscuits, though closer, don't have the same consistency or oomf factor. I've looked at many recipes online--butter v shortening, egg v no egg, and varying amounts of sugar. Nothing was ever right for me. Scones should be simple!

So when I was craving a cream tea the other day, I decided to turn to my new friend AB. As usual, he delivered. I substituted the shortening for all butter (I like it that way better), and the heavy cream for whole milk (because that's all I had in the house). It worked really well, but I think I will try it the Alton way next time, just to compare. Perhaps they will be a little less doughy and a little more crumbly.

I also picked up a few tips last year from Matt Poulin, and I will input his comments below. Without further ado, here is the recipe. With my substitutions, of course.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar (I may decrease this to 1/4 next time)
6 tablespoons cold butter (sub out 2 tbsp with shortening for AB)
3/4 cup whole milk (cream for AB)
1 egg

Optional Ingredients:
Handful dried currants or cranberries
1 tbsp cinnamon (this is what I used)
1 cup chocolate chips

Extra milk for a glaze
Extra sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place parchment on a baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar (for me, the cinnamon). Whisk to mix well. In a second bowl, combine the milk and egg and beat.

Cut the cold butter in to the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Matt's Note: don't cut into rice sized pieces. Leave the butter in larger, raisin sized clumps--they will melt this way during baking and produce that famous texture. 

Add the wet ingredients in to the dry, a little at a time. Mix until just combined. Note: like pastry dough, over handling will leave your scones tough and chewy. Stir in the fruit or chocolate chips at this time. 


Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface. Roll the dough out to approx 1/2 inch and either cut with a biscuit cutter, or use your dough scraper to create triangles pieces. 

Transfer to your parchment lined baking sheet.  Matt's Note: If your dough has become too warm, pop the tray in the freezer for a few minutes to harden before baking. This will keep the butter cold until the bake.

Before baking, brush on an egg and milk wash (careful not to drip on the pan) to enhance browning. If you like, sprinkle some granulated sugar on top. Bake 15 minutes or until brown around the edges.

While the scones are baking, prepare a pot of black tea--english breakfast or assam are my favs--and set the table with butter and jam (oh clotted cream--I miss you!). Once the scones are out, let sit for 5 minutes on a cooling rack before serving.

I love my scones hot out of the oven with melted butter and jam. Next day, I like to reheat for 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven before serving. Although these beauties also taste good cold on a picnic!


And in regards to Alton-based recipes, I hope you can get used to them! He's helped me create some awesome things you'll see in the next few days.

Happy Snacking!

Antonia

Pizza Pizza! and some Breadsticks!

Pizza is one of my biggest weaknesses. Thin crust, quattro formaggi, deep dish--basically, I would be happy eating pizza every night for dinner. So when my first attempt at making homemade pizza failed, I was heartbroken. Alton had let me down--his pizza recipe was no better than the store bought stuff. Of course, it could have been my old egg beater (the days before the KitchenAid), or my novice attempts at slow rise yeast doughs.

So I contacted my friend, Jen, who had told me about an awesome, never fail recipe she uses. She adapted it to be a cornmeal crust, and it sounded delicious. It's adapted from Mark Bittman's Pizza Dough recipe, which can be found here. Will and I loved our pizza--it was crisp and had this crumbly texture, which Will likened to cornbread. It's a different kind of pizza, but it's definitely worth the time to make.

mmmm!

The only changes I made to Jen's recipe were to do a slow rise in the fridge (though you can do a fast rise at room temp for 2 hours), and to knead my dough in a stand mixer. Personally, I don't think I kneaded the dough long enough to form an adequate amount of gluten. I have adjusted for this in the following directions.

Ingredients:
1 packet of yeast 
2 cups flour (I use bread flour)
1 cup polenta cornmeal
2 tsp salt
1 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil (can also use an infused oil--rosemary, garlic, etc.)

Directions:

Mix together the yeast, flour and salt. Using your paddle attachment, add the olive oil and water and mix until the dough forms a ball. Jen's note: the cornmeal dough tends to be stickier than flour to the touch. Another good reason to knead by machine instead of hand--no unnecessary amounts of flour added during the kneading process.   

Change to the dough hook attachment and knead the dough on low for 10 minutes. Transfer the ball of dough to a large, well oiled bowl and toss it lightly to coat the surface. 

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in the fridge for 6-8 hours. Note: a slow rise in the fridge produces better flavor--thanks Alton! The dough should double in size.

Once your dough has risen, flatten it into a disk with your knuckles to release the air bubbles. Cut in half (recipe creates 2 med size pizzas). If you just want one, refrigerate half the dough in a ziploc bag that has been well oiled. Dough will keep for a week. 

Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. This dough is far easier to roll out than traditional pizza dough. Let sit for 10 minutes or so.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F with your pizza stone inside (I bought one from Target that came with a pizza cutter as well). Pizza stones create that crisper crust I crave. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can prepare your pizza on a cookie sheet. 

Top your pizza with your preferred ingredients and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. My oven tends to be on the hot side, so I set it to 490 to cook for a bit longer. This way, the cheese on top doesn't burn before the crust is nice and crisp.

Let sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving. It's worth the wait!

But wait...there's more!

Just this week I decided to give Alton another chance. Will and I got back from Santa Barbara and were craving some pie. So I turned on Flat is Beautiful one more time (trust me, guys, watch the episode before you bake!), and we picked up some high quality mozzarella from Trader Joe's. 

Like I said, the recipe was time consuming, and required a slow rise of 18-24 hours. But the pizza was FANTASTIC this time around. The dough actually rose this time--big note: I'm not sure why Alton recommends covering the dough loosely. The first time mine dried out in the fridge and I think that contributed to the poor quality. For me, a tight seal worked just fine.

Quality ingredients matter, too. 

But wait...there's EVEN more!

I did say breadsticks, didn't I? Will took home the extra dough from Alton's recipe and decided to make breadsticks today. Here's what he did:

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let sit for 20 minutes. Roll out the dough and top with cheese and garlic infused olive oil. Cut in to strips with your pizza cutter.

Let sit for 15 minutes while your oven preheats to 500 degrees F. Bake on a pizza stone or cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes, or until the breadsticks are crisp and brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving with marinara or ranch dressing.

As Will says, "they're rustic!"

There are so many more pizzas to try and create. Being the pizza fiend I am, I'll be sure to try them all.

Happy Snacking!

Antonia

Very Healthy Banana Bread

Those of you who know me well know that I am always searching for the perfect healthy baked good. "Healthy" cookies have been my main quest, but I have been known to try "sugar free" or "fat free" banana breads from time to time.

And lets face it. Nothing really ever tastes that good. Cookies are meant to be sweet melt-in-your mouth morsels! Quick breads should be moist and crumbly and slathered in butter. The problem with that is, I want to eat it all the time!

So I continue my quest, usually in vain. I made some atrocious low fat banana oatmeal cookies earlier this week. Then, low and behold...I found a recipe!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free Oat Flour Banana Bread, courtesy of Plan To Eat. That's a mouthful. And sounds like it has to be gross, right? Where's the flavor? But I tried it and it was aaa-mazing. Seriously!

The recipe calls for oat flour (which can easily be made at home--thanks Alton!), bananas as the only sweetener, and coconut oil instead of butter. I used a little honey as an additional sweetener.

Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas (medium/large)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil (can find at trader joes)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oat flour (made from old fashioned oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Optional Additions:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almonds
2 tablespoons honey, splenda, stevia, or agave

Directions:
The first step is to create your oat flour. Preheat your oven to 350 degree F. Scoop 2 overflowing cups of old fashioned oats (not quick cook!) and place them on a large sheet pan. Bake for approx 20 minutes, till the oats begin to turn a bit golden brown.

Place the oats in your food processor (alas, mine is in storage--but a blender works just fine) and chop them until you get a fine flour. Pour in to a medium-size bowl and add the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Mash the bananas by hand and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until it becomes completely clear.

With a paddle attachment, add the coconut oil to the banana and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Finally, add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, 1/3 at a time until just incorporated. Add in any additional sweetener or nuts at this time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a loaf pan. 

Add the batter to the loaf pan and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan before turning out on to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before cutting.

The smell throughout the house was hypnotic. Between the banana and coconut, it had a distinctly tropical aroma. I patiently waited for it to fully cool before diving in, and it was so wonderful. Instead of trying to substitute ingredients for a traditional banana bread, this recipe creates new flavors from healthier ingredients.

I'll admit it was a little dry, but I think toasted with a little butter on top would still make it  a healthy breakfast choice. I am not sure I'll be making the heavier, pound cake-like banana bread any time soon.

Happy Snacking!

Antonia

Lana's Star Wars Birthday Cookies!

This week has been full of birthday baking fun! Yesterday was Lana Dow's big 25, and there really isn't any better way to celebrate a quarter century than by pretending we are all 5 again. Sooo I decided to make these awesome Star Wars Millenium Falcon and TIE Fighter sugar cookies with decorative royal icing. 

A few months ago, my friend Kim posted a great sugar cookie recipe on her blog. I was lucky enough to try the tasty treats, and they were fabulous! When making delicate shaped cookies, it's important to have a cookie that doesn't spread out and lose definition. And I've heard royal icing can be a pain, so I wanted a recipe that was easy for a beginner.

Since the recipes for the cookie base and royal icing were based off of Alton Brown recipes, which I knew would be perfect for me to try. This was also another great way to see my KitchenAid whisk, paddle attachment, and pour shield in action.

You can see my assistant, TK-421, in the corner there.

Now what to do for cookie cutters? Specialty stores like Wiliams-Sonoma sell intricate cutters, but it is not necessary to go out and purchase them. I actually used these awesome sandwich cutters that Will had (which also happen to be from WS).

However, you can also use regular cookie cutter shapes to make your own star wars characters! Here is an example, courtesy of The Sweet Adventures of SugarBelle.

Cookie Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar (for rolling out the dough)

Royal Icing Ingredients:
3 ounces pasteurized egg whites (can buy pasteurized eggs or premixed egg whites)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioner's sugar
food coloring
candy or sprinkles (if desired)

            left: cookie ingredients                                                       right: royal icing ingredients

Directions:
In a medium size bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside. Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until it is light in color.

Add milk, egg, and vanilla; beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. note: for the first time i tried using my pour shield--it's pretty cool!

Divide the dough in half, wrap each part in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

While the dough is chilling, start on the royal icing.

Use the whisk attachment of your stand mixer to combine the egg whites and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is frothy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioner's sugar until it is fully incorporated and the mixture is shiny. note: I had to stop the mixer often and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Turn the mixer speed to high and beat until the icing forms stiff and glossy peaks, approx 5-7 minutes.

Add this point you can add your food coloring. I divided mine up in to bowls to make 3 different colors. I kept some white to use in the pastry bag for details. Set aside in a cool place until it is time to decorate.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease your baking sheets or lay down parchment paper.

Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on the surface where you'll be rolling out the dough. In order to keep the dough cold for rolling, take out one pack out of the fridge at a time (and make sure to put back the scraps for later!)

Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Make sure the dough is not sticking, adding confectioner's sugar as needed. Use your cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Use a spatula to move the cookies on to the baking sheet while the cutter is still attached. note: this stops the dough from getting stretched out or too warm.

TK-421 was very helpful at this juncture.

Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes, or until they are beginning to brown around the edges. This batch made about 24 large Star Wars cookies.

 Let cookies cool completely before decorating with royal icing. I suggest watching this video.

Use your loaded pastry bag with a small nozzle to outline the cookies. This icing should be a thicker consistency than the colored icings you will be using later. Let it set for at least 10 minutes before moving on the next step. 

Next, take your solid color icing and add to the cookie (note: I just used a spoon and knife for these steps). Water down your icing a bit to give it a thinner consistency. This step is "flooding" the cookie. 

I was surprised at how easy this step was. The guidelines you piped on earlier make it really easy to flood the cookie and get a nice even layer of icing. Let set for another 10 minutes before moving on.

You can refill your pastry bag with whatever colors you want to decorate. I kept mine to a simple palette (also, lovely color theory practice!).

Voila! You can stage your own epic battle in a galaxy far far away. Or just enjoy them with some equally excited friends.

Happy Snacking!

Antonia

Baking Brioche! Part 2...Sticky Buns!

If delicious soft brioche isn't sweet enough for you, you can always use your brioche dough to make the most decadent sticky buns you've ever had. A few weeks ago I posted about the best sticky buns from Devil's Teeth Baking Company...well this Julia Child recipe rivals what they bake. And for a first time brioche maker, I'm pretty sure that with some practice these could be the best pastry ever.

This recipe also comes from Baking With Julia, but thanks to Gourmet or Gourmand?, the recipe is available online. I used half of my brioche dough, which makes one batch of 7 sticky buns. The recipe is tailored to using half of the dough--just make two batches if you want to use the whole thing. Also, the original recipe calls for pecans, but I have changed it up for those who don't like nuts, and have added more cinnamon.


Ingredients:
Half batch of brioche dough
3 ounces unsalted butter at room temp (3/4 stick)
flour (for surface)
1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1-2 tablespoons cinnamon (personal preference)

1 stick butter at room temp

1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Before starting, I would suggest watching this Julia Child/Nancy Silverton video (there are two parts) for technique advice.

 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough to a 11x14 inch rectangle. Try to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin or surface with flour. 

 

Dot the surface with the 3 ounces of butter, making sure to cover the entire surface. Fold the dough in to thirds, roll out slightly, then fold in to thirds again. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

Take the dough out of the fridge for the final roll. On a lightly floured surface, roll your dough out again to an 11x14 inch rectangle. Keep the dough from sticking, and cover any exposed butter with a dash of flour.

Brush the egg wash on the entire surface of the dough. Take your cinnamon and granulated sugar and sprinkle over the egg mixture, careful to leave an 11" strip of dough uncovered (to seal closed). 

 

 

Starting from the other end, roll the dough up (not too tight) so you have a roll that is 11" long. Cover in saran wrap and freeze for 45 minutes.

 

 

While this is chilling, prepare your 10 inch pie or cake pan. Spread one stick of butter on the bottom of the pan, covering evenly. Next add the brown sugar and do the same. I added an extra sprinkle of cinnamon at this point.

Once your roll has finished freezing, take it out and chop off the uneven edges. Divide the dough in to 7 pieces, approx 1.5" thick. Cut the roll and place in the prepared pan, making sure each piece does not touch. Set aside, uncovered, for a final rise of 2 hours. They should expand and just touch.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once your sticky buns have finished rising, put them in the oven and bake for 25 minutes (or until golden brown). Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Mine really puffed up, but it was easy to fix--after they had cooled a bit I took a serrated knife and cut off the uneven tops. 

 

Take a large serving plate and place over the baking pan. Make sure to use oven mitts for the next step: carefully flip over the dish so that the rolls are upside down--letting the buttery/sugary glaze melt down through the layers of pastry. Take off the baking pan and let sit for an additional 5 minutes. Careful--the glaze is extremely hot!

 

 

Serve these warm, straight away with a glass of cold milk or a cup of hot coffee! These are the perfect treat for a brunch. They still taste good cold, but I would suggest warming them up in the oven for 5-10 minutes before serving later. 

 

Happy Snacking!

Antonia

Baking Brioche! Part 1

delicious individual brioche!

So it's probably to any of my Facebook friends, but I finally got the KitchenAid of my dreams!! After years of dreaming and yearning, the KitchenAid Pro600 Lift Stand Mixer is finally mine! I was very fortunate to get the color I wanted (dark pewter) during the Macy's Memorial Day Sale. A pretty decent discount, plus a rebate for an awesome ice cream maker attachment!

I decided to hit the ground running. The reason I wanted the Pro 600 series was for the 575w motor. It can do heavy duty breads and doughs, and I have been wanting to try my hand at brioche for a looong time (homemade sticky buns, anyone?). I got this book, Baking With Julia, from Will's mother about two years ago and it had the best looking bread recipes. So two days ago I decided to make my first batch. 

 This is definitely a time consuming recipe, and one that you follow to the letter. I had to get over my aversion to active dry yeast (as opposed to my awesome rapid rise). I split my dough in half and used part for midnight snack bread on Sunday, and sticky buns on Monday afternoon, so I am splitting this blog post up in to two parts. The recipe is also available online here.

i'm studying really hard, can't you tell?

It's a great weekend recipe: start it on Saturday and finish on Sunday morning for delicious brunch with brioche! Or get up early Sat and have some great bread for dinner and use the leftovers for sticky buns on Sunday. However you slice it, this brioche is delicious.

The Sponge: 
1/3 cup warm whole milk (100- 110 degrees F) 
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg 
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

The Dough:
 1/3 cup sugar 
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
4 large eggs, lightly beaten, room temp 
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (approx) 
6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature


Directions:
Add the warmed milk, yeast, egg and 1 cup of the flour to the bowl of a heavy duty mixer. note: I'm pretty sure you could make a batch in a 375w mixer if you halve the recipe.

Mix the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, mixing just until everything is blended.

Use the remaining cup of flour to cover the sponge. Let rest uncovered for 30-40 minutes. The flour coating will start to crack, indicating the process is working properly. note: I think my flour mixture would crack more if I had used a thermometer to double check the heat of the milk. I tested it on the inside of my wrist to check them temp, making sure it isn't too hot (or the yeast will die)!

Add the sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of the flour to the sponge. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for two minutes, until the ingredients are just incorporated. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup more flour while still mixing. 


 Increase the speed of the mixer to medium, and beat for about 15 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. note: my mixer says do not use the dough hook above level 2, but I would do occasional bursts of speed at 4 to get the dough to pick up. The dough should come together, wrap around the hook, and slap the side of the bowl.

Before you add the butter, it must be the same consistency as the dough. In order to keep the butter cool but smooth and pliable, you can smack it with a rolling pin or use a dough scraper to smear it across a cold surface.

Add the butter to the dough a few tablespoons at a time with the mixer on medium-low (level 2). It will take a while for the butter to fully incorporate. note: the dough may look like it is falling apart at this stage--don't panic, that is normal.

When the butter has been added, raise the mixer speed to medium-high for 1 minute (level 4), then reduce the speed (level 2) and beat the dough for 5 minutes, or until the dough begins to slap the sides of the bowl again. Scrape down the bowl as you work, adding a tablespoon more flour if the dough does not come together.

The dough should feel cool to the touch. Transfer it to a large buttered bowl for the first rise. Cover tightly with saran wrap and let rise in a warm area for 2 - 2 1/2 hours (it should double in bulk.

Deflate the dough by lifting it up by the edges and letting it fall back. Rid of all major air bubbles before covering tightly again and letting chill in the refrigerator for 4-6 hour or overnight. note: At this point you can use the dough for whatever brioche recipe you like. I recommend watching a video of how to work with the dough--this series by Julia Child and Nancy Silverton (which is also hilarious). You can also freeze the dough and store for up to a month.

You can prepare regular brioche dough in a number of different ways. Loaves and individual buns are the most popular, so I tried one of each. This recipe can make 3 loaves of bread. However, I took half of my dough and left it in the fridge overnight to make a batch of sticky buns (see part 2).

So I used about a third of the dough to make a loaf, and the remaining dough to create individual buns. Create the loaves with 6 individual balls, rolling and shaping on a lightly floured surface. Each bun should be made with 3 individual balls. 

 

Place in greased loaf pans or muffin tins, spacing out evenly for a final rise (they will expand). Let rise for 2 hours at room temperature. 

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. note: my oven tends to run hot, so I would reduce the temp to at least 365 or 370.

Brush each loaf lightly with egg wash, careful to not let egg hit the bottom of the pan (it will impede the rise). Snip each ball of dough with a pair of small, sharp scissors, making a cross. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, letting cool at least 10 minutes on a rack before serving. 

this is definitely the hardest part.

We didn't wait long before eating that entire loaf warm. It was really amazing with butter and homemade strawberry preserves. Reward yourself for all the hard work and go to town!

And think about the delicious sticky buns you can make the next day. Stay tune for part 2!

Happy Snacking!

Antonia