Bread base for Cinnamon Raisin Bread and Monkey Bread

This raisin bread is so easy to make and comes out beautiful!  You do need to plan ahead because of the third rise, but I think it is well worth it.  The bread is buttery and rich.  Perfect for toast in the morning or with afternoon tea.  It’s a hit with the kids!  If there are any leftovers, this brioche-like bread is great for French toast or bread pudding.

Recipe-adapated by Martha Stewart and Cook’s Country

Basic Dough for Raisin Bread (one loaf) and Monkey Bread (standard Bundt pan, make half recipe for small Bundt)

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
• 1 1/2 TBSP sugar
• 3 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 beaten egg
• 4 TBSP softened butter
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional for Monkey Bread)

Half Recipe for Small Monkey Bread

• 2 TBSP warm water
• 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 3/4 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups + 2 TBSP bread or AP flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c warm milk
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 TBSP soft butter

Raisin Bread Filing:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Combine yeast, warm water and a bit of sugar.  Let stand until foamy.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add flour, remaining sugar, salt, milk and egg.  Add the yeast mixture.
3. Knead until well incorporated and the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
4. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time and let incorporate into the dough.  Knead for 5-8 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.  Add 1/2 cup raisins toward the end of the kneading.
5. Shape into a ball, and place back into the mixer bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour
6. Take the dough out and gently deflate.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise a second time, about 45 minutes.
7. Roll the dough into a 14X8 inch rectangle.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle onto the entire surface of the dough.  Evenly sprinkle the raisins.
8. Carefully roll the dough into a tight cylinder, starting from the long end.  Pinch the seam closed.
9. Cut the dough in half longways.  With the cut side up, twist the two together, then tuck the ends under to fit into the buttered loaf pan.
10. Cover the dough and let the dough rise a third time, about 45 minutes
11. Place in 425 degree oven X 10 minutes
12. Lower the heat to 350, and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until the bread is dark golden brown, registering  an internal temperature of 190.  You may need to tent with foil if the top browns too quickly during baking.
13. Remove from the pan and let cool

For MONKEY BREAD:

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture (prepare half portion if making small monkey bread)

• 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1 TBSP cinnamon + pinch salt all combined in a bowl (I use the same amount for a small batch)
• 8 TBSP (1 stick) melted butter in a separate bowl

To make the dough, combine warm water and yeast in the mixing bowl.  Let foam.

Add bread flour, brown sugar, egg, milk, salt.  Mix with the dough hook attachment until a smooth ball forms (about 8- 10 minutes)

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.  May use an oven that has been heated to 200 degrees, with the oven off.  If time permits, do a second rise.

Once proofed, turn dough out on to work surface. DO NOT flour the surface.  Pat dough into a square and cut into fourths.  Then cut each fourth into sixteen pieces.

Roll each dough piece into a ball, dip into melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place into a very well oiled Bundt pan.  Spoon the left over butter and cinnamon mixture over the top of the dough. Let rise for another hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until the top is deep brown.

Pumpkin Pie v 2.0

Modifications from the original recipe  published by Cook’s Illustrated include a reduction in sugar and dairy.  The original was a bit too sweet for me and I was consistently unsuccessful at getting the pie to set.  This past Thanksgiving, I cut the milk to only 2/3 cup, and although it tasted fine, it lost that custardy texture that I loved.  The proportions listed below are hopefully a good compromise between soft, light texture and structure.  My pie often cracked as well, so I will try the oven cooling trick next time.

Combine:

• 3/4 c slightly warmed heavy cream
• 3/4 c slightly warmed milk
• 3 eggs + 2 yolks (careful not to add to too warm milk!)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Whisk these ingredients together in a large measuring cup and set aside

In a large saucepan, add:

• 15 oz canned pumpkin (small can)
• 15 oz candied yams, drained
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1/4 c maple syrup
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• Heat all ingredients on medium to a sputtering simmer (7 minutes).  Continue to cook till thick and shiny (another 10-15 minutes).

Place the pumpkin mixture into a food processor along with enough milk mixture to ensure that the pumpkin is thoroughly blended. Pulse till smooth.

Whisk remaining milk mixture into the pumpkin mixture (temper first!) while still warm, but not super hot.  Then press mixture though a sieve back into the measuring cup.  Pour into blind-baked shells and bake at 400 degrees X 10 minutes, then 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes till center 2 inches is still jiggly.  Thermometer should read 175 in the center of the pie.

Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar with a wooden spoon for an hour or so until the pie is only warm to the touch.  This supposedly prevents cracking.

Total amount of filling and bake time is highly dependent on how fine the sieve is!  If crust is browning too quickly, cover with foil.

This recipe can make 1 small shallow pies and one large pie.

Blind baking the pie crust.

1. Roll out the crust so there is a half in overhang.  Tuck the over hang under and crimp.  Crimping prevents the crust from sliding down the pan.
2. Dock the sides and bottom of the pan
3. Place in the freezer for about 2 hours
4. Set oven at 350 degrees
5. Cover crust with crumpled parchment paper, and fill with rice until almost the top of the crust
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove parchment and rice and continue to bake another 5 minutes.  Crust should be crisp but not too browned

White Bread Rolls

• scant 3 1/2 cups bread flour (King Arthur)
• 2 1/2 tsp rapid rise yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/3 c warm water
• 2 TBSP butter

Heat oven to 200 degrees, once it reaches 200 degrees, turn off the oven.  This is will be used to store the dough for rising.

Combine warm milk, warm water and butter in a measuring cup, allowing the butter to melt.

Combine the dry ingredients in the stand mixer bowl.

With the dough hook attachment going on medium, slowly add the milk mixture and let mix for about 10 minutes until smooth, shiny and soft.

Quickly knead the dough into a ball and oil the surface.  Return to the mixer bowl, cover and place in the oven (turned off).  Let rise about 50 minutes.

Portion into 16 rolls and place in a greased 9X13 glass baking dish.  Cover, return to the oven and let rise another 30-45 minutes till the dough slightly indents when pressed.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

Monkey iBread

I’m trying my hand at breads that contain milk to introduce little E to baked products containing milk.  He failed his oral milk challenge, so now the task is to provide him with baked milk proteins to develop tolerance.  Thought that monkey bread would be popular and fun to make with little S.

Makes one small Bundt pan

Dough

• 1 TBSP warm water
• 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup room temperature milk
• 2 TBSP brown sugar
• 2 TBSP softened butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups bread flour

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

• 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1/2 TBSP cinnamon + pinch salt all combined in a bowl
• 4 TBSP melted butter in a separate bowl

To make the dough, combine warm water and yeast in the mixing bowl.  Let foam.

Add bread flour, brown sugar, egg, milk, salt.  Mix with the dough hook attachment until a smooth ball forms, adding butter a little at a time (about 8- 10 minutes)

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.  May use an oven that has been heated to 200 degrees, with the oven off.  If time permits, do a second rise.

Once proofed, turn dough out on to work surface. DO NOT flour the surface.  Pat dough into a square and cut into fourths.  Then cut each fourth into eight pieces.

Roll each dough piece into a ball, dip into melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place into a very well oiled Bundt pan.  Let rise for another hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until the top is deep brown.

Let cool 5 minutes, then tun monkey bread out.  Best served freshly made.

Chinese Steamed Egg with Garlic Oil

Silken egg

• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 100 mL water
• 200 mL chicken broth
• pinch of salt

Topping

• Garlic oil
• Soy sauce
• Sugar
• Green onion chopped

In a deep sauce pan, large enough to fit the dish (used rectangle 6 cup glass dish), boil about 2 inches of water.  Place the serving dish in the water to warm.

Combine the egg, water, chicken broth and salt in a measuring cup.  Carefully pour the egg mixture into the serving dish.

Cover with the lid.  Steam for about 6 minutes until set.  Make sure the water doesn’t splash into the eggs!

Combine a big scoop of garlic oil, about 2 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp sugar.  Pour all over the top of the egg.  Sprinkle green onions over the top.  Serve immediately.

 

Crunchy Green Onion Pancakes

I have memories of my mom making these on Saturday afternoons (she always slept in till about 11) after watching morning cartoons.  I loved the crispy tortilla, the salt and the fluffy egg.  They were my mom’s shortcut Chinese green onion pancakes using flour tortillas as a base and using only two other ingredients, egg and green onions.  Simple but so comforting.  I haven’t eaten these for years, but went back home to pick up little S from my parents’ house, where my mom made her delicious pancakes!

• 4 flour tortillas
• 4 eggs
• 2 green onions, sliced

In an 8 inch pan, heat a good amount of oil on medium.  Fry the first side of the tortilla till slightly browned.  Flip over and crack on egg over the top.  Break up the yolk with chopsticks and spread the egg over the top.  Sprinkle green onions  Once the egg has set a bit, flip the tortilla over and continue to cook until the egg is done.  Sprinkle with salt.  Cut into wedges, like my mom used to.

Coconut Cake with Mango Filling

This cake was made to celebrate mom’s 70th birthday.  Although, the cake came about 3 weeks late.  There were so many celebrations going on that I decided to wait a bit and make the cake during her next visit after our trip to Mammoth.

Adapted from http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/six-layer-coconut-cake-passion-fruit-filling.  I cut down the sugar a bit.

Ingredients-Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 TBSP water
• 8 TBSP butter, softened to room temperature
• 10 TBSP coconut milk (unsweetened)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp coconut extract
• 3 egg whites
• 1 fresh mango, for garnish
• Coconut chips for garnish

With a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until soft peaks (about 2 minutes).  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Change to a paddle and combine butter, water, coconut milk, vanilla, coconut extract until well combine.

Whisk dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a bowl, then add to the butter mixture.  Mix on high for about 2 minutes until the batter is smooth.

Fold in egg whites until not white streaks remain.

Pour evenly into 2 heavily buttered 6-inch cake pans (2 inches high).

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.  *NOTE: I tried spreading this batter over two 8-inch pans with then intention of making a 4 layer cake, but they turned out flat, thin and too crisp.  They also didn’t spread well.  I don’t recall this the first time I made this cake.  I noticed that the batter was pretty dry before adding the egg white.  Perhaps needed more coconut milk or there just wasn’t enough batter.

Let cool on rack for about 10-15 minutes, then invert cake and allow to cool completely.

Split the cakes in half (we will only use 3 layers for the cake)

Add about 1/4 cup filling (recipe below) between each layer.  Pipe a ring of whipped cream around the perimeter of the top layer about 1 inch wide.

Frost remainder of the cake with whipped cream (recipe below).  Decorate the top with fresh mango.  Cover sides with coconut.

Ingredients-Mango Filling

• 3 TBSP sugar
• 3/4 cup mango nectar (I used Naked Juice’s Mango Madness)
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2q TBSP butter
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice

In a small saucepan, add about 1/2c mango nectar and sugar.  Heat over medium heat till warmed.

In a bowl, add cornstarch and egg yolks.  Add heated mango puree to the eggs to temper, then add eggs to the saucepan and cook until bubbling.  Mango should be thickened and cornstarch cooked through.

Stir in vanilla and butter.  Stir in lemon juice to taste. Chill.

When ready to use, stir in remaining mango puree for desired consistency and fresh fruit taste.

Ingredients-Whipped Cream (enough to frost one cake)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 TBSP sugar
• few drops of coconut extract

Beat till soft peaks

NOTE: I tried using a coconut cream filling (like what I use for coconut cream pie, with just a tad less cornstarch).  I found that it was too rich, and prefer the contrast of the tangy and bright mango instead.

Grilled Veggie Salad with Vinaigrette

Made this to bring to the Summer on the Bay performance of the Symphony.  It was S’s first experience seeing the local symphony.  It was such a gorgeous night on the bay.  A wonderful event.

For 4 small meal servings

• Eggplant, cut crosswise in 1/2 inch thick slices (only need about half)
• 2 zucchini, cut crosswise diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 2 portabello mushroom caps
• 2 red bell pepper left whole
• 1 cup cherry tomato
• salad greens
• basil leaves
• Cilantro
• 3 ounces goat cheese

Dressing

• Balsamic vinegar
• Splash red wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• Salt, pepper
• Thyme

Grill eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini (oiled and seasoned) until they develop nice grill marks, but still firm and can hold their shape

For the bell pepper, roast whole on the grill until charred and soft

For the tomatoes, oil and season and place on parchment lined quarter sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees until they start letting out their juices and shrivel

Let the veggies cool to room temperature and cut into 3/4 inch chunks. Leave tomatoes whole

Assemble dressing in a Mason jar.  Shake to emulsify.

Assembly:  Add a few tablespoons of dressing to grilled veggies. Toss to coat.

Add remaining dressing to a bowl containing salad greens, goat cheese, cilantro and basil (lots of basil!).  Toss well.

Plate the greens, then the grilled veggies on top

 

Soba Noodle Salad

Cold, light and refreshing.  A great mayo-free alternative to pasta salad.  The noodles drink up a lot of dressing and needs lots of seasoning.

• 12 ounces soba noodles, cooked and rinsed thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• honey
• rice wine vinegar
• grated ginger
• grated garlic
• chili sauce, optional
• chopped green onion
• salt, pepper
• red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• carrot, julienned
• sugar snaps thinly sliced
• sesame seeds

Make dressing (oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, chili sauce, salt, pepper) and make overly salty to ensure adequate seasoning of the noodles

Pour over the noodles and mix to ensure that the noodles are well-coated

Add veggies and mix

Top with more green onions and sprinkle sesame seeds

 

Coconut Chip Cookies

Crispy chewy and sweet all at the same time.  I’ve been saving this recipe for almost 2 years!  Lots of toasted coconut flavor makes this recipe a winner.  I made them smaller and added chocolate to Martha Stewart’s recipe from her show, ‘Martha Bakes’.  I think an ‘Almond Joy’ variation, topping the cookies with chocolate and chopped almonds would be wonderful, or adding finely chopped macadamias into the batter and drizzling white chocolate and regular chocolate would be divine.

Makes 18 cookies

• 4 TBSP butter, room temperature
• 5 TBSP white sugar
• 6 TBSP light brown sugar
• 1/2 egg (2 TBSP beaten egg)
• 3/4 cups minus 1 TBSP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• good pinch of salt
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut chips
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)

Cream butter and sugars, then add eggs

Stir in flour, baking soda and salt till well incorporated

Add 1/2 of the coconut and stir to distribute evenly, then stir in the remaining coconut, chocolate and almonds

Spoon 1 TBSP full onto parchment-lined cookie sheet (about 8 per sheet) and chill for 30 minutes

Remove from fridge and flatten each cookie to about 1/4 inch thick with the bottom of a glass

Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes of golden brown

Let cool on wire rack

Melt white chocolate and chocolate chips separately. Drizzle over cookies

Top with almonds, if using