Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

BASIC WHITE BREAD LOAVES RECIPE: TWD Baking with Julia — Julia Child That is!

This easy WHITE BREAD RECIPE comes from the cookbook "Baking with Julia" (Child) by Dorie Greenspan, and is the very first Tuesday's with Dorie recipe... the second edition!

Some of you may remember me baking along with this group a few years ago way back in March 2008. WOW! Has it really been that long? I had to take some time out to write a cookbook for Penguin Publishing—an Idiot's Guide at that! (Yes, I know. It was a shamelss plug!)

I figured I was ready to get back to baking with the Tuesday's with Dorie group again, until I found out they were done with the book "Baking: From My Home to Yours." They spent the last 4 years baking through that cookbook!

That's OK though. They were starting up a brand new group baking out of the new cookbook, "Baking with Julia." If you don't already have the cookbook, I strongly urge you to buy one for yourself. It's a huge, heavy, and pricey hardcover cookbook, but totally worth it! See all the TWD recipes I made in the past here.

White Rolls and Nutella Buns

Since I didn't need two large loaves of bread right now, I decided to make nice soft white rolls out of the dough instead of big loaves this time around. This worked out perfectly as I made them on Super Bowl Sunday and we used them for little sandwiches. Check out the Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Sticky Buns we made with the other half of the dough!

OK, I should confess here. John helped me make the dough. We have a shiny new KitchenAid mixer, and he wanted to be the first one to try it out by making bread dough. Besides our son John, BIG John has always been the best bread maker in the family, so I let him have his fun! I should also tell you something else while I'm at it. I'm using my cell phone camera for these shots. I apologize for the way they came out. Although I've had the phone since August, I'm still getting used to the camera. I should go back to taking photos with my good camera! Anyhoo...

The dough came together nicely, rose nicely, and baked nicely. John was totally impressed with his buns! The finished rolls were soft and tasted good, and although I'd rather have a little more taste, I think it's a good choice for an everyday bread. (I might add a pinch more salt the next time.)

Thanks to Laurie and Jules for hosting the first TWD: Baking with Julia recipe! Because Dorie would never sell any cookbooks if we ALL posted the recipe each time, the honor of posting that week's recipe will fall to the host. You can find the recipe on Jules' blog, Someone's in the Kitchen.

WORLD NUTELLA DAY 2012: Chocolate Hazelnut Sticky Buns Recipe

Celebrate World Nutella Day with Nutella Chocolate Fudge Brownies, Nutella S'mores, Nutella Hot Fudge Pudding Cake, and Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Sticky Buns—my latest concoction!

World Nutella Day 2012 fell on Super Bowl Sunday, February 5th. Since I wasn't able to participate last year, I decided to try and whip something up this time. The timing couldn't have been better as it also fell on the day I was baking the first recipe with  Tuesday's with Dorie, so I was in the baking mode! The cookbook the group is using for the first recipe is "Baking with Julia" by Dorie Greenspan, but that's another story coming tomorrow!

 What is World Nutella Day?

World Nutella Day is a day set aside every year to celebrate and enjoy eating Nutella. You know the stuff! The silky smooth and sinfully sweet chocolate hazelnut spread that's a narcotic to some people—something that can't be stopped!

According to NutellaDay.com, "World Nutella Day was created in 2007 when Sara Rosso, an American blogger living in Italy, thought that there were many days in the year but no day set aside to appreciate Nutella." Sara then recruited a few friends to join in the fun, and Nutella Day was born.

This is from their site, "Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso solemnly declare Sunday, February 5th “World Nutella Day 2012? – a day to celebrate, to get creative with, and most importantly, to EAT Nutella."

Follow along with the World Nutella Day Community

• Check out the action at the World Nutella Day Fan Page on Facebook!
• Follow their Twitter stream @nutelladay for updates and follow & use the Twitter hashtag #nutelladay to participate!
  
• Get creative with more than 700 Nutella recipes
• Drool at Nutella food p*rn in the World Nutella Day Flickr Pool
• New to Nutella? Learn what the fuss is about

 

Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Sticky Buns Recipe

I used the remaining dough for White Loaves (page 81-82) in the Tuesday's with Dorie recipe yesterday. They came out very good for an everyday sweet treat. I would definitely use the dough again for these Nutella Sticky Buns, although I would rather use my own sweet dough for these delicious gems.

Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Sticky Buns Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup pure Vermont syrup
• 1 Tablespoon liquid or granular soy lecithin, optional
• 1 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Nutella
  

Directions:

Using the ingredients listed above, continue to follow the directions for my Maple Cinnamon Rolls: Soft Homemade Sticky Buns with Icing on Suite101. Unfortunately, Suite's one year copyright prevents me from including the entire recipe right now.

Leave out the cinnamon in the Suite101 recipe and also in the Sticky Goo ingredients... unless of course you love cinnamon, in which case you should definitely try it! Follow the rest of the directions and you'll have about 10-12 of the best and sweetest Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Sticky Buns ever!

 

Easter Ham Leftovers Recipes: Easter Sunday Ham Left Over Ideas

 

EASTER SUNDAY DINNER RECIPES: You made a huge Easter ham and now you have a bunch of left over ham. Make Ham Salad, Ham & Cheese Quiche, Split Pea Soup or Macaroni and Cheese with all those leftovers! 

Here are some recipes and ideas for getting rid of your Easter ham.

Ham Sandwich - The simplest of sandwiches - 2 slices of whole grain bread, mayo, as many pieces of thin-sliced ham as desired, lettuce, tomato and mustard. What a lunch!

Ham & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - Grilled cheese can be made so much tastier with a slice of ham and tomato before finishing it on the grill!

Adult Mac & Cheese with Ham - Use this recipe and substitute ham instead of bacon. Very tasty and an excellent way to use up leftover ham!

Ham Salad Sandwich - Process 3-4 slices leftover ham in a food processor until coarsly ground. Remove to a small bowl. Add chopped onions if desired, mayo, sweet green relish and salt & pepper to taste. Spread over your choice of bread and add some lettuce.

Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Quiche - The perfect solution for what to do with left over ham! Make quiche!

Ham & Cheese Omelettes - When making your favorite omelette, add 1/4 cup diced ham on top of the cheese before folding over the egg omelette.

Split Pea Soup with Ham - My Vegetarian Pea Soup Recipe will please even the meatiest meat lovers, if you add the ham bone before simmering. Add an additional cup or two of dice ham and you'll have a very hearty, satisfying one-pot dinner!

Originally posted on Examiner.com

Easter Recipes: Hot Cross Buns for Good Friday and Easter Sunday

HOT CROSS BUNS for Good Friday: Soft, homemade hot cross buns with butter, vanilla, golden raisins, candied fruit and a touch of cardomon. The cross made of lemon scented icing makes them even more delicious!
 
History of Hot Cross Buns: What Does it Mean?

Hot Cross Buns do have Christian roots. "In many historically Christian countries, the buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. They are believed by some to pre-date Christianity, although the first recorded use of the term "hot cross bun" is not until 1733," according to Wikipedia.

Hot Cross Buns Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 ounces butter (1 stick), melted
• 1/4 cup vanilla
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
• 8-9 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup golden raisins or currants
• 1/2 cup candied fruit, optional

Glaze

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water
• Mix and heat in small saucepan until hot. Remove and set aside.

Hot Cross Bun Icing

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1-2 Tablespoons milk
• Mix in a small bowl until smooth and free of any lumps.

How To Make Hot Cross Buns

1. Heat milk in a small pan until it reaches 105 degrees F, or it feels lukewarm to warm. Remove from heat. Sprinkle yeast over the milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix milk, yeast and sugar on low speed for about a minute.
3. Add the butter, vanilla, water, eggs, salt, nutmeg and cardomon and mix again.
4. With mixer on low speed, add 4 cups of flour and mix. Add raisins, currants and/or candied fruit. Mix again. Add remaining flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated.
5. Turn mixer to medium and continue mixing until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. The dough is done when it starts to ride the dough hook to the top. The dough will be sticky st this point.If you feel it is too sticky, add a bit more flour.
6. Turn dough out into a greased or oiled bowl. Flip it over and cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm location until the dough doubles its size.
7. Punch the dough down and turn out onto a floured counter.
8. Divide the dough, and form it into approximately 30 - 36 balls, depending on the size. Place them in an oiled baking pan, and cover loosely with a towel. Set aside in a warm draft-free spot until hot cross buns double in size. This will take between 45 - 90 minutes depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
9. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
10. When dough is doubled in size, put them on a middle rack in the oven and bake for  between 52-35 minutes, depending on size. The hot cross buns will be done when the tops are golden brown.
11. Remove the buns from the oven and brush them with the glaze. Let cool before decorating the hot cross buns with icing.
12. To decorate hot cross buns, put icing in a pastry bag with a large round or flat tip, and make the sign of the cross.
13. Let icing firm up before wrapping loosely with plastic.
14. Makes 30-36 hot cross buns. Hot cross buns can be frozen.

Check Out These Recipe Collections for Easter!

• 6 Best Lemon Dessert Recipes
• 9 Fresh Fruit Pie Recipes
• Leftover Ham Recipes
• Top 5 Quiche Recipes
• 10 Extra Creamy Cheesecakes
• 10 Strawberry Dessert Recipes
• 12 Sensational Salad Recipes
  
• Easter Brunch Recipes & Ideas - Over 20 recipes for brunch!
• 15 Red Desserts - Not just for Valentine's Day!
• 20 Awesome Holiday Desserts
• 30 Most Popular Cookie Recipes
• 30 Sinfully Rich Chocolate Desserts
• The Best Key Lime Pie Evah!
• Tons of Cute Easter Cupcakes & Recipes - including the "Master-Peeps Theater"

Originally Posted on Examiner.com

IRISH SODA BREAD RECIPE: St. Patrick's Day Recipes for Irish Leprechauns

Looking for Irish recipes for Saint Patrick's Day 2011? You're in luck! While many people are looking for corned beef and cabbage recipes, St Patty's Day is also known for its Irish Soda Bread and Bailey's Irish Cream.

The "green" holiday falls on Thursday, March 17 this year, which means you can wear green to work or school, or when looking for your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Because the Irish holiday falls on a weekday, you may not even want to cook or bake. That's when you get in the car and head to your local Irish pub for  some yummy corned beef and cabbage and a pint of Guinness. And while you're out, stop by the bakery and pick up a loaf of Irish Soda Bread!

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

• 7 to 7 1/2 cups Unbleached white flour, sifted
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 3 Tbsp Caraway seeds, optional
• 6 Tbsp Cold Butter (3/4 stick)
• 2 1/2 cups Raisins, Currants and/or Golden Raisins
• 1 3/4 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 2 large Eggs   
• 2 tsp Baking Soda 
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 Tbsp milk or cream

How To Make Irish Soda Bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with vegetable spray.
3. Sift flour into a large bowl and add sugar, salt, baking powder and caraway seeds.
4. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until it looks like peas. You can also rub the butter into the flour with the palms of your hands. Keep your hands full of flour and with the butter in the middle, work it into what looks like small peas. Mix in raisins and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream and eggs. Add baking soda and mix.
6. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together. Working with your hands, pull up all the dry ingredients from the bottom of the bowl and mix just enough to make sure all the dry ingredients are blended with the wet.
7. Work the dough as little as possible. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from being sticky. The dough is ready when it holds together and and can be shaped.
8. Divide into 3 or 4 round loaves and place on baking sheet. Do not flatten loaves. Brush with the yolk and cream mixture.
9. Using a sharp knife, cut an X into the top of each loaf.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until loaf is golden brown and knife comes out clean.
11. Makes 3-4 loaves!

This recipe can also be made with a KitchenAid mixer, but you have to be real careful that you don't overwork the dough.

Lot's of Irish Recipes!

• Last Minute St. Patrick's Day Recipes
  
• Healthy Irish Soda Bread Recipe
  
• Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe 
  
• Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake Recipe
  
• Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur Recipe
  
• White Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Mousse Pie Recipe

Recipe originally posted on Examiner.com

National Pancake Day 2011: IHOP Free Pancake Day on March 1, 2011

Celebrate National Pancake Day with free pancakes at IHOP, or make your own German Pancake Recipe. Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras aren't until Tuesday, March 8th even though you might think they're all on this year's National Pancake Day.

"Join IHOP on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 7:00 am - 10:00 pm, for National Pancake Day and receive one complimentary short stack! In return for the free flapjacks, we ask you to consider leaving a little something behind for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities. Thanks to our guests' generosity, IHOP raised more than $2.1 million last year. IHOP began its National Pancake Day in 2006, and since then, has raised $5.35 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities and given away more than 10.1 million buttermilk pancakes."

Anyway... drive to your local IHOP Restaurant and get a free one-stack plate of buttermilk pancakes today. If you can't make it in for breakfast or lunch, there's always pancakes for supper at IHOP! Looking for the IHOP restaurant closest to you? Click here for a list of local IHOP locations.

 

Awesome Pancake and Breakfast Recipes

• Oma's German Pancake Recipe
• Overnight Baked French Toast Recipe
  
• Overnight Strata Breakfast Casserole Recipe
• Amish Baked Oatmeal Recipe
• Bacon & Cheese Strata Recipe

 

National Pancake Day 2010: FREE PANCAKES at IHOP

Today is National Pancake Day. Make your own with this German Pancakes Recipe, or go to IHOP for FREE PANCAKES! International House of Pancakes is giving away a free short stack of their buttermilk pancakes today only. So, what are you waiting for? There's got to be an IHOP right around the corner from wherever you live!

 

German Pancakes Recipe
If you can't get out today for the IHOP Free Pancake Deal, why not make some German Pancakes? This recipe came handed down from Oma, also known as my MIL, or John's mother. We loved it when she got out the skillets and made her famous German Pancakes. The kids could eat a huge stack of them. Heck, I could eat a stack of them! They were nice and thin, almost like crepes. They're easy to make, and use just a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. If you have flour, eggs, milk, salt and oil, you have everything you need to make this German Pancake recipe. I still make them today on the boat for John and I. All my kids know how to make them too, so they can't get away with the old line, "I don't know how. Can you make them for me?" You know what? We're having German Pancakes for supper tonight. There, dinner plans have been made!

Go to my German Pancake Recipe over at Examiner. All the directions are there. Happy National Pancake Day! While you're at it, check out my Baked French Toast Recipe.

 

 

Flip for Free Pancakes on February 23, 2010
IHOP says, "Join IHOP to celebrate National Pancake Day on Tuesday, February 23, 2010. From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., we'll give you one free short stack (three) of our famous buttermilk pancakes. All we ask is that you consider making a donation to support local children's hospitals through Children's Miracle Network, or other local charities. There is a limit of one free short stack per guest. The offer is valid at participating restaurants for dine-in only while supplies last and is not valid with any other offer, special coupon or discount.

To Find an IHOP Near You...

About National Pancake Day, February 23, 2010
Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP has raised more than $3.25 million to support charities in the communities in which it operates. While IHOP's National Pancake Day typically takes place on Shrove Tuesday, this year the company will host its free pancake event on Tuesday, February 23, extending the fundraising window by one week to maximize donations for Children's Miracle Network. With your help, we hope to raise $5 million in five years for Children's Miracle Network and other local charities through your donations in 2010!"

BACON BROWNIES & RECIPE ROUND-UP!

 

Grillin' & Chillin' Time!
I can't believe Memorial Day is next weekend! Time really does fly when you're having fun!
I'll be gearing up for the holiday during the week, so be sure to check out my pages on Examiner.com and here too, for more recipes & holiday ideas! I'm craving lots of salads, grilled burgers or seafood and strawberry desserts. What are you craving?

• Bacon Brownies Recipe - Come on, you just gotta try them out of sheer curiosity!
• Bacon & Cheese Strata Recipe - See, I can use bacon in "real" food! Make-ahead Overnight Breakfast Casserole. Refrigerate it overnight, bake it the next morning!
• Grilled Marinated Salmon - Great for the up-coming holiday weekend - Super easy foil packets!
• Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Recipe - Quick & Easy slap-it-on-the-grill meal.
• Cucumber Dill Sauce for Seafood - Perfect cool accompaniment for seafood of any kind.
• Grilled Sweet Potatoes - Throw these on the grill along with whatever else you're grilling!
• Homemade Butterscotch Pudding - Just like Grandma's. Skin or no skin?
• Mocha Cake with Chocolate Frosting - Delicious moist cake with a dairy and egg-free bonus.
• Carrot Cake Recipe & Cream Cheese Frosting - My famous Carrot Cake...or cupcakes!
• Grape-nut Pudding Recipe - Family favorite pudding recipe!
• Sourdough Starter Recipe - Well, because I could, that's all!

And finally, I just received the go-ahead on my 2nd Examiner topic - National Food Blog Examiner. So, if any of you have an active food blog with dripping good photos, I'd love an exclusive interview. Lots of press and exposure! Shoot me an email and I'll send you my questionnaire.

BAKED OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST

 

                                          

Baked French Toast Casserole
I've been asked by a number of people to write down this Overnight French Toast recipe and post it. I had to make something for a ladies breakfast one day, and I had already made my Bacon & Cheese Strata the month before. I wanted to WOW them with something totally different, but I still wanted it to be easy to put together. That's when I came up with this Overnight French Toast! It became an instant hit and all the ladies wanted the recipe. So, I finally got around to doing it! It's a favorite in this boat now, and I expect it to be one of my kid's favorite recipes too!

CONTINUE HERE FOR THE RECIPE........

                                                         

BAKED AMISH OATMEAL

                                      

Don't Feel Guilty!
Now here's a couple of recipes that won't make you feel guilty about gawking at my blog, and drooling over all that frosting I put on my Red Velvet Cupcakes! And let's not forget the Nutella Chocolate Fudge Brownies!

Amish Baked Oatmeal
Amish Baked Oatmeal is a heart-healthy recipe, conjured up during our vegan years! Oh, the horrors! Can you imagine us being vegans? And yet, I can't deny that we felt the best during those 3 1/2 years. Then we got into catering, and life as we knew it suddenly changed. Although we eat our share of meat, dairy and junk food now, it doesn't hurt once in a while to eat something you can feel good about. As it is, we probably go meatless 2-3 days a week anyway. Not just for health reasons, but because of sheer laziness!

                                                    

Apple Strawberry Baked Oatmeal
When Erika from Stampin Mama (AKA one of my very talented daughters) was asked to share her Apple Strawberry Baked Oatmeal Recipe for Homespun Oasis - a new blog about Bringing you the BEST in Handmade - she asked me to dig out my own recipe for the family's favorite Baked Oatmeal. She wanted to cross link my recipe - in my long, out-of-print cookbook - with hers in Homespun Oasis. Warm fuzzy memories came flooding back. OK, so some memories weren't that great, but hey, I was talking about Baked Oatmeal!  At the time, we were living in Lancaster County, home of the Amish! For whatever reason, the recipes for Baked Oatmeal became Amish Baked Oatmeal. Who knows why? Maybe they invented the stuff. After all, it is a quick & easy, no-fuss, economical and time-saving recipe, and the Amish are known for their simplicity and frugality. Sounds good to me, I'll go with that one.

All the recipes were loaded with drippy, syrupy, fat-laden butter (not that I have a problem with that mind you), dairy and refined sugars. I had to find a way to make it healthier and still be absolutely delicious so the kids would still eat it! That's how this recipe for Amish Baked Oatmeal came to be. You don't have to make it with all the crunchy-granola alternatives. You can make it any way you like. I added optional ideas just in case.

                                                                       

Quaker Oats Says....
Improvise, play around with the recipe, make it your own! And you know what? Quaker Oats says, "More than 40 scientific studies confirm that eating oatmeal daily can help lower blood cholesterol, and can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Experts believe it is the soluble fiber (beta glucan) in oatmeal that helps reduce blood cholesterol levels. Oatmeal is more than a cholesterol-freefood." WOW!

Two Baked Oatmeal Recipes
There are two recipe links here. One is for Erika's Apple Strawberry Baked Oatmeal, and the other for my Overnight Amish Baked Oatmeal. Go take a look, they're both different enough to give you plenty of breakfast variety. Oh, and all the photos in this post were taken by Erika too. Let's give her a big round of applause!