National Cherry Pie Day

 Happy National Cherry Pie Day.

I also made ricotta cookies ad peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Pazcki Day

 

These were more like a roll than doughnut but tasted good.

Pazcki

Ingredients

• 1 ½ c warm milk (100F)
• 1 ½ Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1/3 c unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp brandy
• 1 tsp salt
• 5-6 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 c smooth jam, pastry cream, or lemon curd (to fill)
• 1 c powdered sugar or granulated sugar (to coat fi)

Instructions

Making the Dough

• Place the warm milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the milk and set it aside for 5 minutes, for the yeast to soften and become foamy.
• In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar, until pale and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, yolks, brandy and salt. Beat until combined and fluffy.
• With the mixer on a low speed, add the milk mixture in three additions, alternating with flour until you reach 5 cups. (Switch from the paddle attachment to dough hooks as the dough starts to come together.) Mix on medium low speed until the dough comes together, adding more flour as needed. (Dough should be soft and sticky, but not runny.)
• Increase the mixer’s speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes, until it is smooth and glossy.
• Remove the dough hooks and cover the dough in the bowl with a damp tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 -1 ½ hours.

Cutting the Paczki

• When dough has risen, turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead it a few times.
• Roll the dough out to ½ inch thick.
• Using a 3” circular cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough. Re-roll and cut as necessary, until all the dough has been cut.
• Transfer rounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly cover the rounds with your damp tea towel and let them rise until puffy and nearly doubled, 30-45 minutes.
  
  
  Baking the Paczki

• Near the end of the rising time, heat your oven to 375F.
• Uncover the risen rounds and bake them in the preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the donuts in the middle of the baking sheet comes out clean.

Filling the Paczki

• Let the donuts cool for 2-3 min on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack.
• If you are filling your paczki, you will want to do so as soon as they are cool enough to handle, after about 5 minutes.
• Fit a pastry bag with a Bismarck tip, and fill it with your desired jam or custard filling.
• Insert the tip as far as it will go into the center of the paczki.
• Squeeze the pastry bag gently as you slowly withdraw the tip from the donut. (You will feel the paczki get heavier as you fill each with approximately 1-2 Tbsp of filling.)

Sugaring the Paczki

• If you are using granulated sugar to sugar your donuts, you will want to roll them in the sugar while they are still warm, so that the sugar sticks.
• If you are using powdered sugar to sugar your donuts, you want to wait until they are completely cool before rolling them in powdered sugar. (If you roll them in powdered sugar while they are still warm, the sugar will dissolve into a glaze.) If you plan to store your paczki, wait and powdered sugar them just before serving.
  
  
  Serving and Storing Paczki

• Paczki are best if eaten within 48 hours of baking. Store them in a paper bag on the counter or loosely cover them.
• They can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. (If stored in an airtight container, the powdered sugar will dissolve and need to be reapplied before serving.)
  
  
  https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/paczki/

Hasselback Bread

 

Hasselback Bread

This came out well.  Definitely best the day it’s made.  I didn’t take a picture.

• In a large bowl, stir water, honey and yeast together. Let yeast proof 5 minutes. Once you know yeast is active, stir in salt and the flour in 1/4 cup increments. If you are using a stand mixer, be sure to not increase your speed higher than a 2 or ‘stir’. Once dough starts pulling away from the sides and the bowl seems to be pretty clean, set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away. Let the machine knead the dough. After 5 minutes, dough should be smooth and tacky but when touched shouldn’t leave any dough on your fingers.
• Grease the bowl and the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Punch down dough and cut into two equal portions. Form into two long baguettes the length of the cookie sheet. I like to twist mine because it looks cool, but it also keeps its length and doesn’t shrink. Cover with plastic wrap and rise 30 minutes. Start to preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place dough close to the oven where it’s nice and warm. Once oven is preheated, remove plastic wrap, from the dough reduce oven to 350F, put the bread into the oven and bake 20 minutes.
  
  

• In the meantime, slice the cheese into thin slices and melt the butter.
• Pull loaves of bread out of the oven after 20 minutes and brush with the melted garlic butter. Bake another 5-7 minutes or until bread begins to turn a golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes.
• Cut 1-inch slices 3/4′s of the the way through the loaves. Brush garlic butter in between each slice and fill with a slice of cheese. Bake another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
• Serve immediately.
  
  
  From Laurenslatest.com 

Valentines Day Breakfast

 Everything came out well.  Jeff said the cream cheese was too much.  

• 1 (8.6 oz) sheet puff pastry
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 Tbsp strawberry jam
• 1 drop red food coloring (or use beet powder) optional
• 2/3 cup very small diced strawberries
• 1 large egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

• Thaw puff pastry according to directions on package and halfway through thawing preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• While puff pastry is thawing, in a small bowl and using a rubber spatula, mix together cream cheese, jam and food coloring while pressing mixture along bottom and sides of bowl to smooth large lumps. 
• Transfer to refrigerator until ready to use (so it's not runny, you can flash chill in freezer if you prepared this near the end of the pastry thawing).
• Cut pastry into heart shapes using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter (space them as close together as possible so you can get as many as you can out of the sheet). 
• Transfer hearts to a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper, spacing 1 1/2-inches apart. 
• Using a sharp pairing knife, lightly score a heart inside of each cut-out heart coming about 1/3-inch from the edge, without cutting entirely through bottom of the dough. 
• Add 1 tsp of the cream cheese mixture to center of each heart then spread outward without covering the 1/3-inch edge. 
• Add strawberries over cream cheese layer, again without covering the edge. Using your fingertip brush the 1/3-inch edge with egg/water mixture. 
• Bake in preheated oven 14 - 15 minutes until edges are golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack then dust with powdered sugar. Serve the day they are prepared.
  
  
  From: https://www.cookingclassy.com/heart-shaped-strawberry-cream-cheese-breakfast-pastries/
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • 2 cups flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 6-8 drops pink food coloring
  • chocolate syrup, fresh berries, and whipped cream (for topping)

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and food coloring.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined (small lumps are okay). Let sit 5-10 minutes.
• While the batter is resting, heat your waffle iron. Add the batter and cook according to the waffle maker's directions. (For my waffle iron, 1 cup of batter cooked for four minutes was perfect.) Serve hot, topped with chocolate syrup, fresh berries, and whipped cream.
  https://www.somewhatsimple.com/pink-velvet-waffles/

Cream Cheese Brownie Day

 We celebrated Cream Cheese Brownie Day and Peppermint Patty Day.

I used this recipe from dinnerthandessert.com and baked in a 9x9 pan for 50 minutes.

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Ingredients

Brownie Batter

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
• 2 cup  sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• US Customary - Metric
• 
  

Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 ounces  cream cheese , room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter and cocoa powder the bottom and sides of the baking pan.

3. In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter and sugar then add in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking until just combined, then add it to your baking pan, reserving just one cup of batter.

6. Whisk together cream cheese (make sure cream cheese is room temperature), sour cream, sugar, flour and vanilla until smooth.

7. Dot the cream cheese mixture with a spoon onto the brownie batter then dot the remaining brownie batter on top.

8. Swirl the batters together with a knife and bake for 25-30 minutes.

National Pizza Day

 Today for National Pizza Day.  Pizza rolls, Buffalo Chicken Sliders and Dessert Pizza were on the menu.

I made this recipe and it was delicious.

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp hot water
• 1/3 cup milk, warmed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/4– 1 1/2 cups flour

CINNAMON CRUMB TOPPING

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

ICING

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp milk (more or less)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For dough: Combine yeast, sugar, hot water, and warm milk in a mixing bowl. Stir till yeast dissolves. Add salt and oil. Stir in one cup of the flour and mix well. 
2. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead a few times on a floured counter. Return to the bowl, cover, and let rest 15 minutes. 
3. Roll or press out to a 12" circle on a lightly greased cookie sheet or pizza pan.
4. For crumb mixture: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix together till crumbly. I just use my hands. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over the crust.
5. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or till crust is light brown. 
6. Whisk together the icing ingredients and drizzle over the pizza. I like to put mine in a small ziplock bag and snip the corner to drizzle.
7. 
   
   https://www.creationsbykara.com/cinnamon-crumb-dessert-pizza/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-pug

Homemade Crossants

 

Hot Chocolate Cookies

 Hot Chocolate Cookies 

In honor of National Hot Chocolate Day, I made hot chocolate cookies.

• 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (32 grams) hot chocolate mix**
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170 grams) milk chocolate chips
• 8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet chocolate, cut into 20 equal pieces
• 10 large marshmallows, cut in half

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, hot chocolate mix, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well-combined and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until combined. Add the vanilla extract. On low speed gradually add the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Chill for about 1 hour, or until the dough is no longer sticky.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
4. Using a spoon or spring-loaded scoop, drop 1 1/2-tablespoon sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top each cookie with a piece of semisweet chocolate and 1 marshmallow half, cut side up. Return to oven and continue to bake for another 4 minutes, or until the marshmallow begins to melt slightly. Use a kitchen torch to toast the tops of the marshmallows. Alternatively, place the cookies under the broiler for about 30 seconds to toast the marshmallows. Be careful as the marshmallows can go from toasted to burnt very quickly!
6. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
7. Cookies are best served the day they are made due to the marshmallow but may be stored in an airtight container in one flat layer for up to 3 days
   1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, hot chocolate mix, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
   2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well-combined and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until combined. Add the vanilla extract. On low speed gradually add the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Chill for about 1 hour, or until the dough is no longer sticky.
   3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
   4. Using a spoon or spring-loaded scoop, drop 1 1/2-tablespoon sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
   5. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top each cookie with a piece of semisweet chocolate and 1 marshmallow half, cut side up. Return to oven and continue to bake for another 4 minutes, or until the marshmallow begins to melt slightly. Use a kitchen torch to toast the tops of the marshmallows. Alternatively, place the cookies under the broiler for about 30 seconds to toast the marshmallows. Be careful as the marshmallows can go from toasted to burnt very quickly!
   6. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
   7. Cookies are best served the day they are made due to the marshmallow but may be stored in an airtight container in one flat layer for up to 3 days