Bread Machine Baguettes

This recipe makes 2 flavorful baguettes. They are not the same as what the bread lady from Pezenas delivered to our villa in the South of France, but they'll do . . .

Do not be put off by the number of steps to this recipe -- using the bread machine simplifies this immensely and it really doesn't take much effort on your part!

Ingredients

for the Poolish (starter):

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Combine the above in the bread machine and set on the Dough cycle. Let sit in the bread machine 6 - 15 hours (the longer the tastier.) Then add the ingredients below to this Poolish mixture:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons sea salt (I use Baleine's from France because it seems authentic)

1 beaten egg (to brush on before baking)

Set the bread machine to Dough again. I like to set the timer so that the dough is ready by the time I wake up.

Remove the dough from the bread machine. Cut dough in half and knead each piece into a 12 - 18" log. Now, I have a strange little contraption in which to bake the baguettes (see photo), but you can just gently lay them on a cookie sheet. Once you're finished here, you can prepare your oven while the dough rises.

Now, a note on the oven: I hear that one of the things that give baguettes their wonderful texture is that the French use special ovens that steam the bread as well as bake it. My attempt at this is to put a large baking pan full of boiling water in the cold oven. Then, I preheat it to 500* F., reducing the temperature to 475* when I put the loves in. Beware upon opening the oven, you will get a faceful of steam if you're not careful!

Once the dough has risen for about 30 minutes, brush on egg mixture, slash the dough several times on a diagonal for extra Frenchiness (see photo) and place in oven for about 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove, allow to cool for at least 5 minutes and then serve with jam, honey, butter and peanut butter. My kids love this for breakfast!

Zucchini cupcakes revisited -- now with chocolate chip streusel!

• Ingredients:
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup safflower oil

2 tbsp. ground flax meal

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Chocolate Chip Streusel:

1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 TBSP melted butter
3 TBSP flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix first three ingredients together, then add chocolate chips. Top each cupcake with around 1 TBSP of streusel mix before putting in oven.


Method:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• 
  
• 1. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.
• 2. Stir in the flour, flax meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Mix until just moist.
• 3. Pour batter into lightly greased loaf pans, Bundt pan or muffin tins (filling these last 2/3 of the way full.) Bake at 350* for 20 to 25 minutes. Check doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle.
• 4. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

I like to drizzle a glaze on the Bundt cake or even spread store-bought icing on the cupcakes. My kids love this and I figure it's a good way to use up the zucchini bounty of summer!

NOTE: This makes 2 loaves and about 30 cupcakes. One Bundt cake, of course.

ANOTHER NOTE: Sometimes I even make this in my breadmaker and it couldn't be simpler -- just throw all the ingredients in the pan at once. I think this might be the preferred method because it breaks the grated zucchini up so much that it's not noticeable at all! Plus, it is super easy.

LAST NOTE, I PROMISE: This freezes VERY well, no matter which form you choose to bake.

Blood Orange Cake

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

by Melissa Clark
Published in the NY Times, March 13, 2009

A cake with the words "blood" and "oil" in the title wouldn't usually attract my attention.  But there's something about a blood orange that always intrigues me.  And olive oil cakes tend to have an interesting texture and flavor, so . . .  It's another Wednesday for my sons of hot dogs for dinner and an elaborate dessert that they probably won't like.   But I will!

Time 1 hour 20 minutes plus cooling

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing pan
3 blood oranges
1 cup sugar
Buttermilk or plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Honey-blood orange compote, for serving, optional (see note)
Whipped cream, for serving, optional.

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.

2. Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces.

3. Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup. You will have about 1/4 cup or so. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs.

4. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk dry ingredients into wet ones. Switch to a spatula and fold in oil a little at a time. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Scrape batter into pan and smooth top.

5. Bake cake for about 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with whipped cream and honey-blood orange compote, if desired.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Note: To make a honey-blood orange compote, supreme 3 more blood oranges according to directions in Step 2. Drizzle in 1 to 2 teaspoons honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir gently.

Sugared Puffs

This was from The NYT Sunday Magazine, 3/15/2009

Awesome!!!!!

By David Lebovitz, the author of “Room for Dessert” and “The Great Book of Chocolate.” His latest book, “The Sweet Life in Paris,” will be published in May. His blog is davidlebovitz.com.

For the puffs:
Softened unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup flour
For the sugar coating:
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, melted.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Liberally grease a nonstick popover pan, or a muffin pan with 1/2-cup indentations, with softened butter.
2. For the puffs, put the 2 tablespoons melted butter, eggs, milk, salt and sugar in a blender and whiz for a few seconds.
3. Add the flour and whiz for 5 to 8 seconds, just until smooth.
4. Divide the batter among 9 greased molds, filling each 1/2 to 2/3 full.
5. Bake for 35 minutes, until the puffs are deep brown.
6. Remove from the oven, wait a few minutes until cool enough to handle, then remove the puffs from the pans. You may need a small knife to help pry them out.
7. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Thoroughly brush each puff all over with melted butter, then dredge in sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat completely. Let cool on a baking rack. Makes 9 puffs.

Hamentaschen

It's Lent and I've given up sweets. Well, at least chocolate. But I'll celebrate any holiday that involves baking and Purim usually falls sometime in March. I still can't quite understand the whole history of the holiday, but know that Haman was bad, he wanted to kill the Jews and he died on the scaffolding he built to kill them with. So, the holiday is a celebration that Haman died and the taschen are the cute sweets.

You don't have to be Jewish to love Purim!



Dough:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 orange, zest grated

Filling:

Buy it from the store. Prune, poppy and apricot are traditional.

Method:

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in food processor. Process until crumbly.
2. Mix remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl.
3. Pour liquid into food processor, mix until dough holds together.
4. Pat dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, chill for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350*. Roll dough onto floured board, no thinner than 1/4". Using a 3" circular cutter, cut dough circles. You can re-roll the scraps several times.
6. Place one teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle. Pinch three corners of dough circle to make a triangular pastry. Make sure you pinch the corners well, otherwise the shape won't hold!
7. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Wait until cool to eat -- the fruit filling gets tongue-burningly hot!

Samurai soup

From "Every Day with Rachael Ray"
March 2009


Oh my God! We had an absolutely magazine family-worthy moment tonight! Sean and I made these dumplings TOGETHER, they didn't fall apart, they tasted amazing and he ended up eating TWO green vegetables with dinner. With no bargaining! Herewith, then, is a recipe lifted in its entirety from Rachael Ray's magazine:

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. baby bok choi, halved lengthwise and crosswise, white and green portions separated.
(or, you can just use the same amount of baby spinach and chop it after you blanch it.)
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 TBSP oyster or fish sauce
1 TBSP grated ginger
2 tsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
40 wonton wrappers
32oz chicken soup
1/4 lb snow pease, cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces
Scallions, for garnish

Method:

1. In a pot with boiling water, cook bok choi (or spinach, if using that instead) for 1 minute until wilted. Drain, rinse with cold water and squeeze dry. Finely chop and put in medium-sized bowl.
2. Stir in pork, 1 TBSP soy sauce, all the oyster/fish sauce, ginger, honey & 1 tsp sesame oil.
3. Arrange 10 wonton wrappers on work surface, moisten the edges, mound 1 tsp pork mixture in the middle. Fold in half, pressing edges to seal. Then bring two points together to make a fortune cookie shaped dumpling.
4. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth, 1 cup water and remaining soy sauce to a boil. Add snow peas.
5. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the dumplings until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowls. Ladle broth over the dumplings, top with scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil.

The dumplings freeze very well, too!

Slow Cooker Chili

Slow-Cooker Chili

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (10.75 ounce) cans tomato puree
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini or black beans with liquid
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Place the beef in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown.

Place the beef in a slow cooker, and mix in onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, tomato puree, kidney beans, and cannellini beans. Season with chili powder, parsley, salt, basil, oregano, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

Cover and cook 8 hours on low.

Cherry Green Tea Muffins

Full disclosure -- I lifted this recipe in its entirety from the September 2008 issue of MORE Magazine. The best part about it is that Sean actually likes them as an after school snack.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose white flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Green tea leaves from 1 tea bag

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/8 cup canola oil

6 tablespoons ground flax meal

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 1/2 cups dried cherries

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400*. Put muffin cups in a 12-cup tin

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Combine all wet ingredients plus cherries in a small bowl.

4. Pour wet ingredients into dry; mix just until combined. (Overmixing will make the muffins tough.)

5. Spoon batter into muffin cups, bake for approximately 17 - 20 minutes.

NOTE: I used a combination of dried cherries and raisins because I didn't have a cup and a half of cherries laying around. Also, I used orange juice and orange zest because I didn't have any lemons. Both substitutions worked out just fine!

Cranberry Nut Bread

I just adore cranberry bread and this recipe is my particular favorite. I've discovered that it can be made in a bread maker with no discernible loss of flavor or texture, so it couldn't be simpler. Just throw everything in the breadmaker, set it to "Cake" or "Loaf" and away you go. (Note: I've found it works best if you pour in the liquids first and throw the dry ingredients on top.)


CLASSIC CRANBERRY NUT BREAD
(possibly lifted from the Ocean Spray website, but I'm no longer sure.)

3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg, well beaten
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon grated orange peel (please, use organic oranges! You can't imagine the wax and pesticides you'll be ingesting otherwise.)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons ground flax meal (optional)
1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS (for the breadmaker):

1. Pour orange juice and beaten egg into breadmaker

2. Add the rest of the ingredients. I like to chop my cranberries so coarsely that there are still whole cranberries amongst the choppy bits. (I use a manual food chopper for this.)

3. Start the breadmaker.

4. Sit back and make a whiskey sour using the de-zested organic orange. Give half of the slices to your child to assuage any guilt you might have.

PER SERVING (1 slice): Cal. 211, Fat Cal. 54, Protein 3grams, Carb. 37grams, Fat 6grams, Chol. 18mg., Sodium 313mg


NOTE: If you don't use a breadmaker, this will make one 9 x 5 inch loaf. Bake it for approximately 55 minutes at 350*.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Fudge Crunch

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

2 sticks unsalted butter

16 oz (1 jar) creamy peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1. Line an 8" square baking pan with wax paper.  Melt half of the chocolate chips and 1 TBSP of butter over medium heat.  Remove from heat, stir in 1 cup peanut butter, then 2 cups Rice Krispies.  Spread mixture evenly in pan and let cool for 15 minutes.

2. Melt the rest of the butter and salt.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining peanut butter and confectioner's sugar.  Spread half over cereal layer in pan.  Top with remaining 1 cup Rice Krispies.

3. Microwave remaining chocolate chips until almost melted.  Stir melted chocolate into peanut butter mixture.  Spread over last Rice Krispy layer, chill about an hour until set.

4. Cut into 16 pieces