Honey Oat Quick Bread - a moist and delicious quick bread that's actually good for you!
June 11th, 2010
Honey Oat Quick Bread
Honey Oat Quick Bread - a moist and delicious quick bread that's actually good for you!
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June 10th, 2010
Spelt Bread with Rye Sourdough
Spelt Bread with Rye Sourdough (in Bulgarian with translator)
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June 23rd, 2009
Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Zucchini and blueberries go together well for this summertime bread recipe. You can also use this recipe to create 4 mini-loaves.
PREP TIME 15 Min COOK TIME 50 Min READY IN 1 Hr 45 Min
Servings 12
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups white sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans.
Bake 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
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June 21st, 2009
Cinnamon Rolls and Chocolate Rolls
Rolls
Note: One thing I want to point out is that I have only made this with flax seed as a binder and I have not used Ener-G egg replacer. I have no idea if this recipe turns out exactly the same or comparably if Ener-G were to be used instead. Because the flax has worked so well for me and because I have not been able to taste it (I hate the taste of flax) I just haven’t allowed myself to try the alternate method. If you do try it with Ener-G please report back to let us know how the rolls turned out for you.
- 2½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup unbleached sugar
- 1 cup vegan milk, warmed
- 2 eggs worth of egg replacer OR 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds whisked together with 6 tablespoons hot water
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, melted
- 4½ cups unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, softened
- Optional: chocolate chips, raisins, nuts
Frosting
Note: If, like me, you don’t care that much for icing or prefer to let your cinnamon or chocolate rolls shine on their own, then these are perfectly fine without. I will say, however, that this is a good icing recipe and I sometimes will have some. The reason why I probably like it is because it isn’t just about the sugar. The Tofutti cream cheese and the vegan butter give it a smooth and creamy flavor that you wouldn’t get if it were just a plain sugar icing.
- About 3/8 (3 ounces) of a container of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
- ¼ cup vegan butter, softened
- 1½ cup vegan powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Mix yeast, sugar, and heated vegan milk in a large mixing bowl and let stand until foamy. Add egg replacer, melted vegan butter, flour, and salt.
Letting the yeast activate, then adding the other dry ingredients
Mix well and knead for 5-10 minutes. The dough should be firm and smooth, not sticky.
Mixing the dough in the Kitchenaid Mixer
Set the dough aside in a covered bowl and let double in size.
I allowed my dough to sit for about an hour to an hour and a half
After the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured work surface, cover, and let rest for 10 more minutes.
Letting the dough rest
Meanwhile, divide your brown sugar into two small bowls.
Getting ready to mix my cinnamon/chocolate roll fillings
Mix the cinnamon into one bowl of brown sugar, and mix the cocoa powder and vanilla into the other bowl of brown sugar.
Fillings are now ready!
Note: If you just want to do cinnamon rolls, increase your cinnamon to 2 tablespoons and mix it into the full amount of brown sugar, omitting the cocoa powder and vanilla extract. If you just want to do chocolate rolls, increase the cocoa to 2 tablespoons, the vanilla to 2 teaspoons, then mix it into the full amount of brown sugar, and omit the cinnamon.
After the dough has rested, get it into a shape that you can easily divide into two equal halves with a knife or by pulling it apart with your hands.
Dividing the dough in half
Note: If you are doing only one type of roll (i.e. cinnamon rolls) you will notneed to divide your dough in half.
Take one half of the dough and roll it out into a rectangle. Here I am using the Vic Firth French Rolling Pin which I am totally and completely in love with.
Rolling out my cinnamon and chocolate roll dough
Spread dough with vegan butter, then sprinkle each dough evenly with one of the sugar mixtures.
Adding the filling to the cinnamon and chocolate rolls
You can add other items to your filling, like chocolate chips or raisins. I didn’t have any chocolate chips on hand, but I did have Trader Joe’s dark chocolate, which I just chopped up into chip-sized chunks.
I’ve added raisins to the cinnamon roll filling, and chocolate pieces to the chocolate roll filling
Roll the dough on the longer side.
Rolling the cinnamon and chocolate rolls
Cut the rolls so that you have even slices. I like to cut straight down the middle first (1), then cut straight down the middle of the two sections (2), and finally cut down the middle of the four sections (3). In the end you should have eight evenly sized rolls (or thereabouts) if you follow this method.
Cutting the rolls
Place rolls in a lightly greased baking pan (or two). (A cookie sheet also works fine.) Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tip: Use a pie pan or a larger pan where your rolls are allowed to expand. I found that the chocolate rolls made in the pie pan were fatter than the cinnamon rolls made in the straight-sided glass dish.
Allowing the cinnamon and chocolate rolls to rise
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Cinnamon (bottom) and chocolate (top) rolls straight out of the oven
While rolls are baking, beat together Tofutti, vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.
Making the vegan cream cheese frosting
Unless I’m told a better recipe exists or I somehow lose this recipe, I will never try another. The rolls are amazingly fluffy and gooey and are just perfect straight out of the oven. If you were to take these to your non-vegan friends no one would be the wiser. These taste and have the consistency of what you or they would expect in a cinnamon roll, and there’s no reason for them to suspect that they are vegan. They are seriously that good and perfect.
This is a great foundational recipe, too, because once you have dough that works this well, you can get very creative. I recently saw on The Pioneer Woman Cooks a marmalade/butter filling and an orange flavored icing. I think you could do other jams (strawberry jam sounds great!) or you could try fresh fruit. You could probably do vegan caramel or toffee. If you like coffee, you could probably even go there, too. But for me, my absolute favorite is just the basic, gooey cinnamon roll. Perfection.
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May 22nd, 2009
Multi-Seed Crackerbread
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water – may not use all of it
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons very coarse salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 450
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cornmeal and salt. Drizzle in olive oil and mix to combine – it will be pretty lumpy looking. Add about 3/4 cup of the water and mix together until the dough comes together. You want it to be stiff, but not crumbly – if it is too dry, add a bit more water. Scoop out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough becomes smooth and supple. Don’t knead for 10 minutes like you would bread – you just want the dough to hold together well and be smooth. Divide into 8 equal portions and cover with saran wrap.
In a small bowl, mix together sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, caraway seeds, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper.
Scatter about 1 tablespoon of the seed mixture onto your work surface – press one piece of dough into the seed mixture and begin to roll it with a rolling pin. Keep turning the dough as you roll it into the seed mixture – flip it over and add a bit more of the seed mixture if it begins to be too sticky. Roll the dough into whatever shape you can – you want to get the dough as thin as you can and have the seeds dispersed throughout the dough. Repeat with the remaining seed mixture and dough.
Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until the top is golden brown – about 7 to 10 minutes. Start watching very close at the 7 minute mark as it can go from golden to too dark in a snap. Remove and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
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May 14th, 2009
Spring Into Health
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May 14th, 2009
twibs – chefdbpeters on Twitter – Culinary Food Service and Recipes,
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May 11th, 2009
Blueberry Corn Muffins
Yields 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 cup frozen wild blueberries (keep frozen until just before adding to batter)
1 teaspoon demerara sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and generously coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. (Coat the cups and the spaces between them.)
Combine the first 6 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together for about 30 seconds until very well combined. Whisk in the brown sugar, then slowly stream in the melted butter down the side of the bowl, whisking all the while. (You may want to don an apron.)
Combine the sour cream and milk in a 2-cup glass measure and whisk to combine. Whisk this into the egg mixture, then dump the wet ingredients over the dry and fold to combine. Just as the last bit of flour is moistened (use a rubber spatula to turn the batter over from the bottom so you’re sure everything is incorporated), fold in the blueberries and give a final stir or two.
Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter among the muffin cups. They will be filled to the very top. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar (just a wee bit on each muffin).
Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through baking and removing only when the muffins are nicely brown. Cool for a minute or two, then remove with a spoon and allow to finish cooling on a wire rack. (N.B. These muffins are best when they’re completely cool and you can split and toast them. I wrap each one individually in plastic and store them in the freezer in a bag. They defrost in minutes on the counter. They also defrost beautifully in lunchboxes, according to the corn muffin maniacs who live in my home.)
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May 6th, 2009
Maple Buttercream Frosting
Yield: about 1 2/3 cups, enough for 6 large or 12 regular cupcakes
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons heavy cream, at room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon maple extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.) In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)
2.) Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the heavy cream and maple extract.. Raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Crisp Bacon
Bacon works well for me baked in an oven at 425 degrees on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 12-15 minutes, drain grease, and bake another 5-7 minutes or until crisp. You can do it in a pan as well.
Finally - Frost the cooled French Toast Cupcakes with the Maple Buttercream Frosting and top with a Crisp piece of Bacon!
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May 6th, 2009
French Toast Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
- Maple Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows
- Crisp Bacon
- Equipment: A six cup jumbo muffin pan or 12 cup regular muffin pan
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.) Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line the muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
2.) In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.)
3.) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla, and also set aside.
4.) Add the egg yolks to the creamed butter one at time, waiting for each one to be fully incorporated before adding the next.
5.) Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Alternately, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next (scrape the bowl down occasionally). Raise the speed to medium and mix briefly until a smooth batter is formed. Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
6.) Thoroughly clean the bowl of the mixer and put the egg whites inside. Whip the egg whites on high speed, using the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks are formed.
7.) Working in 3 batches, using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter, until just incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the cups in the muffin pan. Bake, rotating the pan once, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
8.) Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool completely.
April 29th, 2009
Blueberry-Coconut Pound Cake Muffins
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated Orange, lemon or lime zest
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter and flour 7 (1/2-cup) muffin cups (just butter if nonstick).
Beat together butter, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in cream, then flour and salt, on low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and gently stir in blueberries.
Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3 tablespoons of coconut.
Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean and edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool.
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April 29th, 2009
French Baguette
INGREDIENTS:
1 package dry active yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour (bread flour) (NOTE: I use 4 cups)
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups cold water plus 1/3 or so additional water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of the food process. Pulse to mix. Add 1 1/3 cups of water and process until the dough comes together. If the dough doesn’t form a ball, add a little of the extra water. Process for about 60 seconds, turn off machine and let dough rest for 5 minutes.
Turn on the machine again and rotate the dough about 30 times under the cover, and then remove it to a lightly floured work surface. it should be fairly smooth and quite firm.
Let the dough rest for 2 minutes and then knead roughly and vigorously. The final dough should not stick to your hands as you knead (although it will stick if you pinch and hold a piece); it should be smooth and elastic and, when you hold it up between your hands and stretch it down, it should hold together smoothly.
Preliminary rise – 40 to 60 minutes at around 75°F. Place the dough into a clean dry bowl, (do not grease the bowl), cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place free from drafts. (note the French do not grease the bowl because they believe the dough needs a seat to push up from). This first rise is sufficient when the dough has definitely started to rise and is about 1 1/2 times its original volume.
Deflating:
Turn the dough onto your lightly floured work surface roughly and firmly pat and push it out into a 14 inch rectangle. Fold one of the long sides over toward the middle, and the other long side over to cover it, making a 3 layer cushion. Repeat the operation. This important step redistributes the yeast throughout the dough, for a strong second rise. Return the dough smooth side up the bowl; cover with plastic wrap and again set to rise.
Final rise in the bowl – about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer. The bread should be 2 1/2 to 3 times its original bulk. It is the amount of rise that is important here, not the timing.
To Shape,
Cut the dough in half. Set one piece aside and cover with a towel.
On a lightly floured work surface pat the dough into a 14 inch rectangle, squaring it up as evenly as you can.
Fold the rectangle of dough in half lengthwise and using the heel of your hand, firmly press the edges together whether they meet. Seat well. Pound the dough flat. Now repeat – patting the dough out again and folding it over and sealing the edges. Pinch the edges well and Rotate the dough so that the sealed edge in on the bottom.
Repeat with second piece of dough.
Cover with plastic wrap or loosely with a towel and let rise to more than double again at about 75°f.
Place stone in oven and Preheat oven to 450°F. Slash three long cuts into the loaves and place on the hot stone. Immediately toss a number of ice cubes on to the bottom on the oven to create steam. Bake until bread is golden and has an interior temp of 200°F. Takes about 30 minutes.
Making Dough in a Mixer or by Hand
When you are making dough in an electric mixer with a dough hook, proceed in the same general way with the rests indicated, and finish by hand. or mix the dough by hand in a bowl, turn out on a work surface, and start the kneading by lifting it up with a scraper and slapping it down roughly for several minutes until it has body. Let it rest several minutes and then proceed to knead.
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