Brioche

This is the recipe for brioche loaves that we use to make yummy Chocolate Star Bread. We modified the original brioche recipe, which appeared on the Martha Stewart website, as it was unnecessarily complicated, in our opinion. Here is what we do, which works just great:

1 scant Tbsp. yeast
1/3 C. warm milk
4 C. all-purpose flour
1 T. salt
1/4 C. confectionery sugar
6 eggs (reserve 1 yolk for brioche loaves, or 1 egg white for Chocolate Star Bread)
3 sticks butter, softened (I used 2 sticks and added some extra milk to make the dough smooth.)

1) Proof yeast in warm milk in bowl of KitchenAid mixer. (Dissolve yeast and add a pinch of sugar, making sure yeast is activated by looking for the tell-tale foamy bubbles. These will be slight.)

2) With the dough hook fitted on the KitchenAid and the speed set on low, alternately add some of the combined dry ingredients and some of the softened butter to the yeast/milk liquid mixture, blending well with each addition.

3) Once all ingredients have been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low and continue mixing until it is smooth, shiny, and elastic, and it comes away from the sides of the bowl clean. This will take a few minutes. (Fluctuations in the atmosphere of your room and in your measuring methods can make a difference in how wet or dry your dough turns out on a given day. Watch carefully to see if you need to add either a little extra flour or a little extra liquid to make the dough smooth—you don't want it too sticky and wet, but you don't want it too dry and stiff, either.)

4) Butter a large metal bowl and transfer your dough into it. Cover dough lightly with buttered plastic wrap and wait until dough is doubled in size (about two hours).

5) If you have the time, repeat this process one or two more times by lifting the dough and dropping it back into the bowl to deflate it, then letting it rise again. (We did not do this.)

6) Cover the dough one last time and put it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

7) The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and return it to room temperature. It will be stiff and cold, and this will take a while. Leave it covered with the buttered plastic wrap for this step.

8) Divide the dough into two equal parts and proceed with your recipe, either turning it into two brioche loaves, or turning it into two Chocolate Star Breads. Instructions for the latter can be found here. For brioche loaves, proceed as indicated below.

9) For the first loaf, divide the first lump of dough into 8 equal parts, rolling each into a ball and placing it into a buttered loaf pan, side by side. Repeat for the second loaf.

10) Brush each loaf lightly with a mixture of one egg yolk mixed with a teeny splash of milk. Reserve this mixture. Cover loaves again with buttered plastic wrap, letting them rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about two hours.

11) Brush lightly again with egg yolk mixture, then place in oven preheated to 425 degrees. Bake until loaves just begin to turn golden (about 15 minutes), then reduce heat to 375 degrees and  continue baking until loaves are a deep golden brown, around 20-25 more minutes.

12) Remove from oven and let brioche loaves cool in the loaf pans for five minutes. After five minutes, remove from loaf pans and cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Star Bread

Their dad is working from home today, so the girls decided to make this special treat for our breakfast this morning. It is beautiful and absolutely delicious! They took pictures of each stage so you could make it without having to watch the video over and over. (We will say that it is worth one watch, however, even if just to hear to speaker's cool accent and to cement in your head how you must forevermore pronounce "Chocolate Star Bread.")

Elanore started with a pretty involved brioche recipe. It was a bit of a pain, but very worth it. Click the link to make that recipe, which will take a while. (She started it one day ahead of the planned "CHOC oh lut STAH bread" baking day.)

Here are the steps, illustrated for you in order:

1) Divide the brioche recipe into two even lumps. (This will make two CHOC oh lut STAH breads.)

2) Divide one of the lumps into four even sections.

3) Roll out the first quarter of the dough into a round a bit larger than the size of a large dinner plate. Cut around the edge of your dinner plate with a knife to create a perfect circle.

4) Cover the first round with a thin layer of Nutella.

5) Repeat with the next three quarters of dough, so that you have four rounds and three layers of Nutella by the end.

NOTE: At this point, you are supposed to move the entire thing to the parchment paper on the cookie sheet before cutting. The girls forgot to move it at this point, and didn't move it until the very end, which worked fine, too.

6) Place a small juice glass in the center of your stack of rounds, and cut the outer portion into sixteen even, pie-shaped wedges.

(Cut into fourths, then cut those in half again, then repeat, to make it easier.)

7) Take two of the wedges that are next to one another and twist them over twice to reveal the lovely inside pattern. At this point, just lay them down once they're twisted.

8) Repeat for all of the sections.

9) Pinch each of the two "star points" together.

10) Transfer the whole thing to parchment paper using a large spatula.

11) Brush with egg white.

12) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.










Once the star bread is baked, each pinched point of the star will just pull out and be its own individual piece. It makes eight identical pieces, plus the small, gooey center piece left at the end. You can see it in all its video glory here.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

My friend Janet posted this on Facebook. I haven't tried it yet, but she's a great cook, so I assume it's yummy. We may try this for St. Patrick's Day this year, so I'll let you know...

2 C. water
2.5-3.5 lb. corned beef brisket
1/4 C. honey
2 T. Dijon mustard, divided
1 med. head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
3 T. butter
1.5 tsp. chopped fresh dill, or 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
spice packet--throw this away!

Place brisket in water in a Dutch oven, cover tightly, and cook 1 hour at 350 degrees. It is very important to cook the meat slowly because boiling it will cause the meat to become tough.

Turn brisket over and continue cooking 1.5-2 hours more or until meat is tender.

Remove brisket from cooking liquid and place, flat side up, on rack in broiler pan so that the surface of the meat is 3-4 inches from the heat.

Combine honey with 1 T. mustard and brush half of mixture over top of brisket and broil 3 minutes. Brush with remaining mixture and continue broiling 2 minutes or until brisket is glazed.

Meanwhile, steam cabbage 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Combine remaining 1 T. mustard with butter and dill, spread over hot cabbage wedges.

Carve brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices and serve with cabbage.

Oven-Puffed German Pancake ("Dutch Baby")

3 Tbsp unsalted butter (salted was fine)
3/4 C. all-purpose flour (freshly ground whole wheat was fine)
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 C. milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 C. fruit (see note below)
powdered sugar, for sprinkling

NOTE: Olivia made this delicious treat for us this morning. She used apple, unpeeled and chopped into small chunks, because that's what we had on hand and because our friend Susan, who had posted the recipe on Facebook, had done so successfully.  It was delicious, and not at all dry. The original recipe calls for any combination of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, fresh or frozen.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the butter in a cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven.

2. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add this to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined and smooth.

3. Wearing an oven mitt, remove the hot skillet from the oven (the butter should be bubbling) and pour in the batter all at once. Sprinkle the fruit evenly over the top and return the skillet to the oven. Bake until the pancake is nicely browned and puffed around the edges, usually 12-15 minutes.

4. Remove the pancake from the oven--don't forget that oven mitt!--and carefully transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

This recipe originally appeared in Hay Day Country Market Cookbook, and we found it on the yummy food blog two tarts, via a Facebook post from our friend Susan D., to whom belongs the photo credit. (That's hers, not ours, pictured above!)

  
The one on the left was made by Aunt Kaarin, and the one on the right was made by Olivia. 

It really is quick, easy, and yummy... low sugar and high protein... perfect for breakfast today!

Cheri's Turkey-and-Spinach Wraps

(Original: Turkey-and-Spinach Wraps with Cranberry-Walnut-Cream Cheese Spread)

These were served at Evie's wedding on the table with the tea sandwiches and the hot hors d'oeuvres. They were cut into rounds after having been rolled up. Yum!

Ingredients

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened 

2 (4-oz.) packages goat cheese, softened 

3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

2 teaspoons honey 

1 garlic clove, minced 

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

Salt to taste

8 (10-inch) flour tortillas 

1 pound thinly sliced turkey 

4 cups fresh baby spinach 

Preparation

Stir together cream cheese, goat cheese, cranberries, walnuts, honey, minced garlic, rosemary, and pepper. Season with salt. Cover and chill up to 3 days. Spread 2 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture onto each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Divide turkey and spinach among tortillas. Roll up, tightly, and cut in half or into slices.

Evie's Yummy Kale Chips

1 bag washed/prepared kale (Trader Joe's bag makes one batch; huge Costco bag makes four)
olive oil
sea salt
grated parmesan cheese (opt.)

1) Separate the kale leaves from the kale stalks. (Save the stalks for smoothies, or for dog treats.)
2) In a large bowl, drizzle kale generously with olive oil and massage the oil into the kale until it's well-coated.
3) Spread kale evenly over large cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
4) Bake at 325 degrees until dry and crisp (20-30 minutes).
5) Sprinkle immediately with parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve.

Chef's notes:
* These will go through a stage during cooking when you smell them strongly and therefore think they're done. Check them, but usually they're not. They usually move through this "smell them" stage and into another stage where you don't smell them anymore, before they're done.
* These will be light and crispy and airy when they're done.
* These take a long time (low and slow) to cook, but be careful not to overcook (burn) them. They're not good that way.
* One batch is not usually enough for any significant quantity of people.

Nanny's Lazy Peach Cobbler

1 C. flour
1 C. sugar (I use 1/2 C.)
1 C. milk
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 stick butter (I use 1/2 stick)
1 large can sliced peaches (in heavy syrup)

1. Melt butter in the 8x10 pan you plan to cook the cobbler in, by placing it in the oven as it preheats to 400 degrees.

2. Make a batter of the first four ingredients.

3. Drizzle batter into melted butter. Do not stir!

4. Slowly and evenly add undrained peaches and syrup. Do not stir!

5. Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Elanore's Meyer Lemon Bars (Including Gluten- and Dairy-Free Options)

1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 C. butter (2 sticks), softened (or 12 Tbsp. vegetable shortening, for dairy-free)
2 C. + 1/2 C. flour
4 eggs
2 C. sugar
1/3 C. Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 heaping Tbsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9x13 pan by lining it with criss-crossed pieces of aluminum foil that have an overhang of an inch or two. Spray with cooking spray unless using non-stick aluminum foil.

2. Cream powdered sugar and butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Add 2 C. of the flour and beat on medium until well-blended. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. (Gluten-free will not turn golden! See NOTE, below.)

4. Beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl.

5. Sift the reserved 1/2 C. flour and the baking powder into the liquid mixture. Blend well.

6. Pour over the hot crust and return to oven to bake for another 20-25 minutes.

7. Check for doneness at 15 minutes and add on time as needed until filling is set. (A toothpick should come out mostly clean when stuck in the middle of the custard filling.)

8. Cool completely before cutting. (Truly! They're demanding that way.) Then dust with powdered sugar and serve.

NOTE: You can make these gluten-free by substituting a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend for the flour. They can be made dairy-free, as well, but using vegetable shortening instead of butter. The crust will appear to not be crisping up, and you will be tempted to overcook it at the first stage, but just remember that it will cook for an additional 20 minutes. Don't cook longer than about 30 minutes in the first, crust-alone baking.

The original recipe appeared on FoodieCrush.com as Meyer Lemon Bars, by Heidi.

Her recipe notes:

* These lemon bars are a little more crackly on the top than some recipes I've seen. After doing some research, I think it is due to the amount of sugar used in a recipe. Personally, I like this hint of crispness on top and bottom to balance out the sweet yellow custard in the middle, so I'm keeping it.

* While some recipes call for the shortbread crust to go up the side of the pan (1/2 inch seems pretty standard), I prefer less crust, so I just press it into the bottom of the pan, but you can certainly do either to your liking.

* If you can't find Meyer lemons, sub half of the lemon juice with fresh orange juice, or go ahead and use regular lemons for extra tartness.

Olivia's Baked Sweet Potato Fries

1) Peel and chop sweet potatoes, either into rounded slices like chips or rectangular chunks like fries.

2) Drizzle and toss with olive oil.

3) For savory fries, sprinkle with cajun seasoning. (Chili powder and SPG will do in a pinch.) For sweet, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

4) Spread into a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400-450 degrees to desired crispness, turning occasionally. (This will take 15-30 minutes.)

White Bean and Kale Soup (Vegan)

1 pound dried Great Northern or other white bean (or 3 cans)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 leeks, cut in half moons (white parts only)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. curry
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp. fresh marjoram, chopped
6 C. vegetable broth
3 C. water
1 pound kale, stems discarded and leaves chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large bowl, cover beans with cold water and soak overnight.

2. Drain and rinse well.

3. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and leeks, and sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Add garlic, bay leaf, garlic salt, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cumin, and cook for one more minute.

5. Add cooked beans, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, vegetable broth, and water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Stir in kale and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve hot.

This was first served to me by my friend Katie, but I think she gives credit to my other friend Leigh Ellen, who credits her mom. Whosoever it is, it’s yummy!