Cookie Exchange!

I've read a few FB updates from friends who are frantically baking for an upcoming Exchange. It's pretty exciting to read about as I rewrite my Torts Outline in the Library as opposed to getting flour all over the kitchen and making a triple batch of Butter Cookies...

Bring Back the Cheese! And other fun Appetizers.

It's almost PARTY SEASON!

Here are some fun and easy ideas that let you get to the party on-time.
Nuts - The Cheese Ball - and a Relish Tray

Let's Get Punchy!

punch [puhnch] –noun

1. a beverage consisting of wine or spirits mixed with fruit juice, soda, water, milk, or the like, and flavored with sugar, spices, etc.
2. a beverage of two or more fruit juices, sugar, and water, sometimes carbonated.

Make your holiday hosting a BREEZE by preparing a punch or other big batch beverage for your next gathering. Read More and Click on the beverage for the link to the recipe.



Mulled Red Wine (adapted from Barefoot Contessa and Gourmet)
- Main Tastes: Red Wine, Citrus, Kirsch,
- Serve Warm - will make your house smell delicious!

Admiral Russell's Christmas Punch (Bon Appetit)
- Main Tastes: Lemon, Cognac and Sherry

Sherry Eggnog (Esquire)

Homemade Hot Chocolate
- great to have on hand for the kids
- keep a bottle of peppermint schnapps handy for the adults

Dutch Apple Pie for a fall BBQ

Apple pie just seems like the right thing to do in the fall. Looking for some way to add something new - I decided to try out the Dutch Apple Pie recipe with some modifications from Cook's Illustrated Fall Entertaining (2009 cover recipe - still on the shelf). Check out the magazine for the full recipe. It's worth the $8.

This recipe breaks the process down into three parts: the bottom crust, the apples, and the streussel topping. This proved to be helpful on a busy day that made me leave the kitchen several times between steps.

Crust: baked blind, and using cold vodka for part of the water. Very smart. You can get vodka much colder than water! If you don't keep it cold, measure it into a small ziplock and throw it into your freezer while you get everything else together.
Scate's Tip: I used pear vodka.

Apples: The apples are cooked down in a big dutch oven before assembling the pie. This is a great way to manage the amount of liquid that goes into the finished product.

Scate's Tip: you need liquid! After cooking down the apples, if you don't have much liquid left over, add about 1/4 cup of apple cider to the cream. This will really help your pie meld together. Also, I don't like raisins with apples - so I used finely chopped dried apricot. It added a nice color and was really perfect for this pie.

Scate's Tip: Check out your farmer's market for apples! I was able to chat with a woman from the farm - she knew everything there was to know about apples and apple pie. It was really helpful. I got some harrelson and something else that was soft... I can't remember! Look for a mix of crisp and soft, and sweet and tart.

Streussel: mixed with a little bit of white cornmeal! This made it retain the crunch even after sitting on the counter for a bit.

Scate's Tip: Avoid over mixing - you want the lumbs to create a great topping.

Festival de Corn Dog

The 7th Annual Sutton Corndog Festival

Below is the email information from the event that took place last weekend. It was a small affair - we all tried to convince Mr. Sutton of getting into the Great Minnesota State Fair with these babies... Maybe next year! There is no way to accurately represent the information in a better way - so here it is in the original form (The Cheesy Obamba was the winner by far!)

It’s 2009, a year of discovery and “change”. The country has a new President, the Viking’s have a new quarterback, and the Corndog Festival has a cause. So listen up!

This year we turn our eye to our attention to a worthy, and local, cause. We are proud to donate proceeds to the Miracles of Mitch Foundation http://www.miraclesofmitch.org/. A Minnesota based 501c3 organization, whose sole purpose is to improve the quality of life for children, and their families, who struggle daily with cancer.

Obviously the economy has scared the bejesus out of most of us. If you are like me, you flinch before reaching for your wallet. I know you are excited to and look forward to debauchery that takes place every year at the Corndog Festival. If you are a cheapskate, you can still look forward to the free ride by my blood, sweat, and tears. However, if you have even smallest of hearts, we ask that you donate what you feel comfortable with knowing that your money will go to a good cause, the foundation and corndogs.
Your heart will cry for mercy, and your soul will cry for joy.

Notable Menu items this year:
The Corndog: Really, this is why we are here folks. Need I say more? If you need an explanation please do not come.
The Cheesy Wonder: Believe it or not, it is making a comeback. A deep fried hotdog cloaked in american cheese, battered with my famous corn dog mix, and lovingly served on a stick.

The Obamba: The jury is still out… I think we really pushed the envelope on this one last year. Wrapping a hotdog in pastrami not only challenges culinary wisdom, but also defies the laws of physics. We are asking a lot out of that stick.
The Cheesy Obamba: Now we’ve gone too far by promising too much too fast…
The Red Dog: Let’s just say this one might burn a little. It is a delicately deep fried hot link that is sure to spice up your night, and likely the following day.
The Whitey: A unique experience indeed. Taking New York’s famous white hotdog and embracing it in a warm hug of fat, flour, and other secret herbs and spices
Tots and Fries: Served with genuine ketchup. "Is that real tomato ketchup Eddie?"
Pam's Queso: Velveeta makes everything taste better. Just don't ask what's in it
Beer: And lot's of it
Soda: Because not everyone drinks beer
Water: Because it’s free from the hose

Dog wrapped in bacon and american cheese, breaded, and fried. This is called the Obamba because it has "too much going on." It was my favorite.

Amish Friendship Chain Bread and Knitting Party: fun times!

Remember chain letters? You got it from one person - but suddenly had to pass it along to 5 of your friends to avoid imminent danger and gloom.

Well - this bread was made from a sort of chain dough. I've heard of bread starters as it relates to sourdough bread - but have never had this cinnamon coffee cake until someone at work brought it in about 12 days ago. Along with the finished product, he brought in a few gallon ziplock bags with about 1/2 cup of milk/flour mixture. this was the start of a BREAD CHAIN.

Amish Friendship Bread - it's moist with more than a hint of cinnamon. Topped with a sugar cinnamon crunch and very moist. Overall, tasty and welcome for a morning treat at work. I brought home a bag of starter and the instructions - and watched it grow on my counter.

It took 10 days to fully proof. About 7 days in - I had to add milk, flour, and sugar. Then - just let it grow and develop for a few more days. On the 10th day, I was able to mix up the final dough - and portion off a few new ziplock bags to hand on to someone new. I made a bundt cake and a batch in my ridged long pan (no idea what it's call - something Scandinavian).

The bundt pan is heavier and darker - and put out a better looking product. This was pretty - and perfect for the knitting party that I hosted 2 days later. The recipe included a box of vanilla pudding - which seemed odd to me. Why wait so long for a starter to develop flavor to just overwhelm it with a box of instant pudding? For that - and the fact that you need a starter to make this exact recipe - I'm not including the recipe. I would suggest finding a different coffee cake to make if you are looking for something similar.

As far as my luck is concerned - I should be worried. I threw away the starters that I set aside. No one at my knitting party wanted to take one home. Not wanting to impose - I thought it was best to just throw it away. I'm sure bad luck will befall me in someway after angering the Amish Friendship Bread gods - it's a risk that I took willingly.

Happy 84th Birthday Grandpa! (Lemon Curd Cake)

Oh, how I love Rose. Author of the great Cake Bible and sharing a name with my grandmother. These two women have had more influence on me through their baking passion and expertise than either will ever know.

I was given the opportunity to bake a cake for my husband's grandfather whom we call "Captain" (retired Navy Captain.) This cake had to be special - and a lemon cake was requested.

So - I dug into the Cake Bible for inspiration. From the index - I found reference to lemon curd. There was a note to mix it into a certain buttercream for added flavor. I settled on the Golden Luxury cake (made with white chocolate for extra melt-in-your-mouth taste), lemon curd (double batch made with Meyer Lemons), and the Mousseline Buttercream.

For the buttercream - I stirred in the recommended lemon curd and had about half of the double-batch left over. I really wanted a 4 layer cake - and true "lemon" filling somewhere without being too tart. I split the 2 8" cake layers in half and filled with the lemon curd. I then used the lemon buttercream to frost the outside and middle of the cake. This was a great way to keep the overall taste balanced between rich butter and tart lemon. Very tasty!

The Captain enjoyed the cake. We sent leftovers home with him - and the report came back that it was better the next day.
Thoughts for next time: I think the Golden Luxury Cake would have been more impressive if I had remained "whole" - meaning not cutting the layers in half. It was delicate - but absolutely melting and tasty. Next time - I would let everyone enjoy a real bite of cake before hitting a filling like the lemon curd to overwhelm the taste. Maybe a layer of lemon curd directly underneath the buttercream would do the trick...

Orange Spice Biscotti: it's Teatime!

This is the BEST BISCOTTI for tea I have ever tasted. There is no butter - so it's a true 'hard' biscotti that needs to be dunked. However - when it hits the tea - it soaks up enough liquid to turn it into a wonderfully soft and now tea-soaked treat.

I followed a recipe and played with all of the additions - my usual when making biscotti. I have some friends coming over on Saturday morning for a knitting session - and these could be baked up a few days early (I love early prep stuff!)

My recipe is based on the Spiced Biscotti found in the New Best Recipe.

Scate's Orange Spiced Biscotti with chocolate
preheat oven to 350
11 1/4 oz (2 1/4 cups)unbleached all purp flour
1 tsp bkg pwd
1/2 tsp bkg soda
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
*** whisk above dry ingredients together in bowl
7 oz (1 cup) sugar
2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
*** whisk sugar and eggs until it lightens in color to pale yellow (2 minutes by hand)
1/2 tsp vanilla to egg mixture
** add vanilla to egg mixture
** gently stir dry into wet mixture
** Add 1 cup of extra bittersweet chocolate pieces

Form into logs (13"x 2") on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and just starting to crack. Rotate pan halfway through baking.

Pull from oven and remove logs from baking sheet to cool for 10 minutes. Cool oven to 325. Cut logs into biscotti pieces. Place upright on cookie sheet with some space between each cookie. Return to oven for 15 minutes.

Cool cookies completely. Can store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Breakfast Reigns

Breakfast for a crowd takes planning, proper timing and a flexible sleep schedule.  Wednesday morning was a large group monthly meeting hosted by my 7 person team. Having the baking bug, I volunteered to bake everything needed for this breakfast and everyone else could just pitch in for the ingredients. I get to bake and everyone else just has to show up - it's a win-win!

The Plan: make everything "mini"

This will encourage people to actually eat MORE than they would if everything was normal size. I don't want to bring food home or 

have leftovers to throw away. Make things mini - and people will eat 2 or 3 or 5 instead of just 1. 

Menu: Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Muffins, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Biscotti (see last post), and fruit salad (made by another 'doer' 

co-worker.) Click on the links above for the recipe.

The Timing:

Weekend: read recipes, write shopping list and go shopping

Monday evening: bake biscotti

Tuesday: run after work, shower, start baking.

7pm: make double batch cinnamon roll dough (recipe posted is a 

double), let raise for 1.5 hours

7:45: make blueberry muffins (makes alot - 

3 pans!)

9:00: make banana chocolate chip muffins 

(2 batches)

9:30: punch down roll dough, cut into 1/4 portions, make filling, roll - cut - 

space out 

in jelly roll pan

10:30: finish filling, rolling, and cutting buns - put filled pans into fridge

10:45: make cream cheese 

filling - put into fridge, 

pack up plates 

- silverware - oohh, placecards - I can use those for labeling the goods!

11:00: go to bed - try to sleep. I hope I don't miss my early alarm.

3:30am: pull buns out of fridge onto the counter to come up to room temp. Go back to sleep. I love baking. 

6:30am: put still-cool buns into cold oven, turn on to 350. Buns RISE during the prehe

ating - it worked! I LOVE BAKING.

7:10: Condo smells GREAT. Timer has not gone off, but it smells too good... SH**

7:11: pull out rolls, throw away the edges that got burned on the bottom. Quick - remove from

 pans to help stop the cooking. Smear with frosting to help keep buns soft. Place in gift boxes lined with parchment (easier to throw away at work than a rubbermaid).

7:35: throw hair up, make-up on - late for work!

8:35: People are eating. Did you actually make this? This is the best breakfast we have ever had. THANK YOU.

College Night!

Another fun Friday night party - this time the theme was college night. Everyone wore garb from the alma mater, favorite college 'games' were played, and the menu - well see below. It was so much fun to see the elder crowd learning how to play flippy cup - i mean, when you learned how to play drinking games could you play with people in their 50's or 60's? 

Menu: 

Papa John's pizza

bologna sandwiches

Cosmo Jello Bites/Jello Shots

Sugar cereal "snack mix"

Cosmo Jello Bites

4 packages raspberry jello

1 1/2 cups boiling cranberry juice

1/2 cup pom (or more cranberry)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup vodka

Adjust liquid proportions to taste (if you want them stronger - decrease the juice)

Cut into triangles and stick in a popsicle stick for the 'martini' look. 

These were really tasty! I didn't have enough room on the plate to make them all into martini glasses, so i just stacked the extras in the middle. These are just like jigglers - and easier to eat than a jello shot.

Recipe for Glazed Cinnamon Rolls

Please see the main posting:

Glazed Cinnamon Rolls 

adapted from American Classics of Cooks Illustrated.

makes 2 large jelly rolls of mini rolls

Dough

1 cup milk

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 stick softened butter for greasing baking dish

2 packages (4.5 tsp) rapid-rise or instant yeast

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs plus 2 yolks

1 TBSP salt

8-8.5 (40-42.5 0z) all purp flour

Icing

16 oz cream cheese

4 TBSP corn syrup

4 TBSP heavy cream

2 cups pwd sugar

2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

Filling

1.5 cups light brown sugar

4 TBSP Cinnamon

1 TBSP Cardamon

1/4 tsp salt