Cinnamon Rolls

homemade cinnamon rolls recipeWhen I was leading spring break camps at Franklin Park Conservatory last week, both groups of children opted to make cinnamon rolls on grains day. While not a great example of healthy grains, cinnamon rolls involve many useful cooking processes and are very doable for children with adult assistance. This recipe is one I have honed over the years, including some whole wheat flour and lower sugar for a healthier morning treat. I include no frosting suggestions because I find these delectable without a high-calorie topping.

Cinnamon rolls take approximately four hours from start to finish but the second rise can be completed in the fridge overnight. If risen overnight, the dough needs to come to room temperature before baking. I usually accomplish this by pulling them out of the icebox as soon as I wake up and putting them near the oven. In about an hour, during which I make coffee and preheat the stove, they are ready to put in the oven and bake.cinnamon roll recipe at home

When I'm feeling particularly industrious, I will make a double batch of dough and filling. I will complete the first rise and roll and cut all the dough. Then, I will divide into groups of six rolls (two each for the three members of my family) and wrap them tightly in plastic. Whatever we don't cook for that day goes into the freezer for future use. When I want to use them, I pull out the frozen dough to thaw and rise, a process that takes six-eight hours. Then I bake as directed. They aren't quite as light and fluffy after freezing as when baked from fresh, but are still satisfying.

[print_this] Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 large or 24 two bite size rolls

3 1/2 cups bread flour 1-1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast 1 cup milk 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup light raisins, optional 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour and yeast.

2. In a small pot, cook milk over low heat until warm, 120-130 deg F. Turn off heat. Add in butter, sugar, and salt and stir until butter is melted.

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and add eggs. Beat until combined.

4. Continue stirring, adding flour in half cup increments, until no more flour will be mixed in.

5. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, about five minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to cover, and allow to rise until double, 1-2 hours.

6. Meanwhile, mix filling of 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon. Cut 1/2 cup butter into this mixture. Stir in optional raisins and nuts.

7. Punch dough down and let rest for 10 minutes. Then shape into 12 inch square. Sprinkle filling over top and roll from one end to another.

8. Slice into 1 inch pieces. Arrange cut side up in a greased large skillet. Cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour.

9. Bake at 375 deg F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and frost as desired. [/print_this]

Added to Hearth and Soul Volume 42.

Cabbage (or Any Vegetable) Gratin Ratio Recipe

cabbage gratinVegetables covered in creamy cheesy sauce with a crispy crust? Yes please! A gratin is a surefire way to please your family with vegetables. When you make the dish yourself, you can adjust the recipe to your family's taste and health preferences. And though a gratin recipe seems complicated at first, after making one a few times you'll find the process simple.

Potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli all cook down nicely in a gratin. Start the recipe by chopping these to size - slice potatoes and cabbage or chunk cauliflower and broccoli into bite sized pieces. Arrange them in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Stir in some shredded cheddar, swiss, or roquefort for a cheesy version.

Make a roux by melting butter or oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add an amount of flour equal to 1/3 more than the fat and cook until the flour is slightly browned and smells cooked. Slowly pour in warm milk (to make a bechamel sauce) or stock (for a veloute sauce) and heat just below simmer until thickened.

Season with salt, pepper, and spices as you desire. A hint of nutmeg pairs nicely with a milk based sauce. Herbs or spicy peppers are delightful in a stock based sauce.

Pour the sauce over the vegetables, stirring gently to cover.

Top with shredded cheese, bread crumbs, panko, or crushed potato chips. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-60 minutes (depending on depth of the gratin) until bubbling in the center and brown on top.

Pictured is a shallow cabbage gratin I made recently to pair with homemade sausages. Try it as a twist on traditional cabbage preparations for St. Patrick's day dinner or as a way to dress up a vegetable side dish with any meal.

Vegetable Gratin in Ratio Form

roux and sauce ratio from the book Ratio by Michael Ruhlman

A gratin can take on many forms based on the ingredients you have on hand and the outcome you desire. The ratios below are approximate. Adjust according to how thick you want the sauce and how saucy you want the finished gratin.

For the roux: 3 parts flour to 2 parts fat (butter or oil)

For the thickened sauce: 1 part roux to 10 parts liquid (stock or milk)

For the gratin: 6 parts chopped vegetables to 3 parts thickened sauce (milk-based bechamel or stock-based veloute) to 1 part cheese

 

[amd-recipeseo-recipe:1] Talk to me about the recipes on this blog - do you like the ratio recipe, the first listed? For the second recipe, I skipped the printable version in favor of a Google Recipe View friendly version. Do you miss the print function?

 

Pi Day 2011

It's Pi Day 2011! Get it? 3.14 aka 3/14 aka March 14? Celebrate the transcendental constant π with Hounds in the Kitchen by including your favorite post about pi or pie in the Linky below. Feel free to link to a recipe, homeschool lesson on circles, or geometry related story. It's fine if the post is an older one - we want to read what you think about 3.14159265359...

heart decorated sour cherry pie

I want to share how I decorated a very special pie exactly one month ago, on Valentine's Day.

This sour cherry pie was already going to be memorable because Lil, Alex, and I picked the cherries in July from a friend's neighbor's tree. Alex and I hand-pitted the cherries, froze them on sheet trays, sealed with the vacuum sealer and tucked them away in the deep freeze.

Fruits of such provenance, those we had patiently avoided until February 14, demanded an extraordinary preparation.

raw sour cherry pie baked sour cherry pie

The cherries were mixed with sugar, flour and nutmeg and a bottom crust rolled out. Then, Lil and I cut dozens of hearts out of the top crust, reserving the cutouts. This process tested every bit of Lil's patience and mine, as she wanted to eat the raw dough and I wanted to crust to be beautiful. There's no re-rolling a crust in this house so we had but a single chance.

The Valentine's day treat was assembled including placing the heart cutouts around the outer edge. Our heart pie cooked, bubbling sweetened juices all over the oven.

Fully baked, it was a lovely centerpiece for our family afternoon tea. It tasted tangy and sweet, with the refreshing flavor of summer in the midst of winter.

What's your Pi Day story?

PS. Pi Day is an annual tradition on our homestead. Read about Pi Day 2010.

Beets & Sweet Potatoes a Picky Kid Might Eat!

roasted beets and sweet potato recipeDuring last week's Friday Five, I revealed my delight that I found a way Lil would eat sweet potatoes and beets. My daughter is not the most adventurous eater and I was floored that she not only tried but ate almost a whole serving of root vegetables prepared in the recipe below. There are four reasons this preparation works so well:

1. cubed vegetables give textural interest 2. the small size allows vegetables cook quickly 3. fresh beets lend an intriguing deep red color to the dish 4. a familiar flavored dressing entices selective palates

    roasted beets and sweet potatoes

    [print_this]

    Cubed Roots serves 6 as a side dish preparation time: 15 minutes, cook time: 30 minutes

    4 medium sized beets 1 large sweet potato 1/2 cup italian style salad dressing or 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup cider or white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons dry italian herbs, 2 tablespoon shredded Parmesean cheese, 1/2 teaspoon pepper

    1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Peel beets and potato. 3. Cut vegetables into 1/2 inch cubes. Do this by slicing from top to bottom into 1/2 inch segments. Holding these together, turn the vegetable on its side. Slice from top to bottom again in 1/2 inch segments. You now have 1/2 inch sticks. Cut from the end in 1/2 inch lengths. 4. Place cubes into a glass roasting pan. 5. Add dressing and stir to coat. 6. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through.

    NB: This roasting recipe would work well with any other root vegetables including carrots, white potatoes, parsnips, etc.

    [/print_this]

    If you missed it the first go-round, watch the goofy video I made for Newman's Own about making Cubed Roots.

    Added to Hearth and Soul 38.

    Friday Five: Inspirations and a Video

    Here are five cooking thoughts trolling through my taste buds: 1) Lil ate root vegetables! - I agreed to make a video featuring Newman's Own ingredients in exchange for a video camera and some of their products. I do honestly purchase Newman's Own products and genuinely like the brand, so this was an easy video to kick out. What surprised me was that my co-star, picky daughter Lil, actually ate the sweet potatoes and beets in the recipe I prepared! She hasn't willingly eaten either ingredient in years! Watch our goofy video if you want and I'll share the recipe Tuesday for what I made.

    2) Brined green peppercorns - This ingredient was used by Del Sroufe at his recent Hills Market cooking class. I was fascinated as I've never heard of or tasted Brined Green Peppercorns. They packed a big flavor punch into the pasta dish he made. I want to make them myself (of course) and figure it can't be that hard with only four ingredients listed on the bottle: vinegar, water, salt and peppercorns.

    3) Smoked fried chicken - I am reading Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work, a cook book for true food nerds. It details the scientific reasons behind the way food behaves. I have been obsessed with the idea of their cold-smoked then fried chicken even though I don't have a cold-smoker.

    4) Alpaca - I was browsing Dine Originals Restaurant Week menus online. There are so many great ones but I was truly surprised by the Ohio alpaca terrine offered by The Refectory Restaurant and Bistro. What I know of the alpaca industry is that the animals are most often raised for fiber. I'm curious where the chef is finding meat alpacas and what in the world they taste like.

    5) Cooking to make an emotional experience - Yesterday, I listened to Fresh Air featuring Alinea chef Grant Achatz. He described that in designing his highly creative meals, he aims to affect a person emotionally. I've never deliberately tried to affect others' feelings with my cooking, but I certainly do address my own emotions in what I cook.

    Beer Cheese Fondue Dip

    beer cheese fondue dip recipeI mentioned making beer cheese dip for a Superbowl party a few weeks ago and Kellie asked for the recipe. Ask and ye shall receive, readers! albeit on a delayed schedule... Alex made this dip from scratch. It follows the typical fondue method: dust grated cheese with flour and mustard, warm a liquid with spices, and gently stir the cheese into the liquid. Pour into a fondue pot or very warm dish.

    We served the dip for the Superbowl in a warm dish with homemade soft pretzels and vegetable crudités. The leftovers rewarmed easily a few days later for a snack with pumpernickel toast sticks.

    beer cheese fondue dip recipe

    [print_this]

    Alex's Beer Cheese Fondue Dip

    15 minutes preparation time, 8-12 servings

    1/2 pound grated sharp or medium cheddar 1/4 pound cubed velveeta or grated mild cheddar 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoon flour 1 teaspoon mustard powder or 2 tsp wet mustard 1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce 1 bottle beer - a few chugs (10 ounces), make it a beer you like as the flavor will be reflected in the final product salt to taste (don't overdo as cheese is salted)

    1. Toss grated cheddar(s) with flour, pepper and mustard if dry. 2. Heat beer in a heavy bottomed pot on stove to a simmer. Turn heat to low. 3. Mix handfuls of cheddar into beer while continuously gently stirring with a spoon. 4. When cheddar has incorporated, add Worcestershire sauce and mustard (if wet). 5. Add velveeta chunks a few at a time and stir to incorporate, if using. 6. Add salt to taste but be careful not to over season.

    Notes - Cheese amounts can be adjusted to make the sauce thicker or thinner as desired.  Pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire can be adjusted or omitted to taste. Be sure to stir continuously but gently on low heat or the sauce may break. [/print_this] Added to Hearth and Soul Volume 36

    Holla Challah!

    challah braided loaf recipeChallah is said with a 'holla!' attitude in this house. I apologize to Jewish families who eat challah as a sabbath bread, but I really can't even think of this bread without the tune of Hollaback Girl rising in my mind. It doesn't matter how you say it or whether you think of the song: challah is a rich beautiful bread worthy of baking and eating regularly.

    If I am working alone, I form the dough into a double braid as is traditional.

    If Lil is hosting a play date, I often make a batch of challah dough, let it rise and then divide into four or six pieces. I help the children shape braids, spirals, letters, or 'rocks'. They rise a second time while the kids play. We bake their creations and watch the shapes change. Finally, we eat the delicately crumbed breads together, sharing for some kids their first yeast bread baking experience.

    [print_this]

    Holla Challah makes one large loaf or four-six smaller loaves

    adapted from the The Book of Bread

    1 1/4 tablespoons active dry yeast 3/4 cup warm water 1 tablespoon sugar or honey 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour 1 1/2 - 2 cups bread flour

    optional glazes: 1 egg yolk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon water, poppy seeds

    1. Stir yeast and sugar into warm water in a mixing bowl. Allow to proof for five minutes.

    2. Add eggs, salt, vegetable oil, and white whole wheat flour. Begin stirring, or start KitchenAid /stand mixer with dough hook if you have one.

    3. Add bread flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.

    4. Turn onto a floured board and knead at least ten minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. (Alternately, use dough hook of stand mixer to knead for 5 minutes.)

    5. Put in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, approximately 1 hour.

    6. Punch down dough and allow to rest for a few minutes.

    7. Divide dough into portions for kids to shape. Help them make shapes and place on a Silpat lined cookie sheet with plenty of space between creations.

    8. For a double braid, divide into two portions, one approximately a third of the dough and the other two thirds. Further subdivide each part into three equal parts. Roll each into a rope. Braid the larger three ropes, tucking ends under the braid, and place on a Silpat lined cookie sheet. Braid the smaller ropes, tuck in ends, and settle on top of the bigger braid.

    9. Cover and allow to rise again until double in bulk, approximately forty five minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

    10. Brush risen dough with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.

    11. Bake ten minutes at 400 degrees F. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35-40 minutes longer. Cool on a rack.

    [/print_this]

    Get ready for some meat curing posts - I'm participating in Charcutepalooza. Read my article about the year of meat project on Technorati.

    Challah recipe added to Hearth and Soul blog hop.