Picture Preview: Fresh Baked Country Bread

I'll need to do another post with the recipe for this bread later, because I don't have the original version, found in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living, in front of me to reference, but I couldn't resist sharing this photo now (we got the camera back and I think JiT and I were both a little overzealous to put it to work!).

While I've made french-style loaves before this was my first attempt at a country-style sandwich bread that baked in a loaf pan. It turned out wonderful! Dense and chewing inside with a crunchy crust.

The bread was delicious straight from the oven, smeared with butter and jam, it made great toast for me yesterday morning, and JiT used some to make an open-faced sandwich last night that got a rave revew. That makes me especially happy. Since I have class on Monday and Tuesday nights, I've been trying to make things over the weekend that he can use for easy suppers while I'm out. I've figured out that homemade bread and roast chicken are great on Sunday...and also great for him to recycle into sandwiches and salads on Monday & Tuesday. While my night school situation is probably uncommon, I'm sure the same idea can be applied for anyone else who is too busy to cook much on weeknights. Even quickie leftovers feel more gourmet when made from gourmet dinner remnants!

I'll be sure to share the recipe as soon as I can. Meanwhile...if you have any quickie meal tips, I'd be happy to hear them. Please share!

Hope everyone is enjoying the week so far (despite the snow for you in the Midwest).

Chocolate-dipped Rice Krispies Treats Lollipops

I realize that I've been sharing an onslaught of sweets posts in the last couple of months....the reason is actually going to sound strange: The Nikon has been broken sine before Christmas and, without it, I can't seem to get a decent picture of any of the savory dishes I've been making. Believe me, a poorly-lit, fuzzy looking snapshot of stew or chili or sandwiches or steaks looks incredibly unappetizing. So I've been self-censoring.

Luckily....the Nikon just came back from the hospital today. So, hopefully she'll be up and ready to snap some sexy dinner pics ASAP.

Meanwhile though, you get one last happy, sort-of-not-terrible-looking, sweet treat photo: Chocolate-Dipped Rice Krispies Treats Lollipops!

This is an idea I've been toying with for awhile and finally go around to trying them out. We took them to a Superbowl party a few weeks ago (yeah, I'm behind) and I brought a few to co-workers. Judging by the reactions these recieved, I think they were a hit.

When I started out, I'd had a grand vision of using homemade marshmallow cream instead of store-bought mallows for this recipe. I actually made them that way too but, frankly, I wouldn't bother doing it again. There wasn't any noticeable added flavor to the end treats and the homemade marshmallow recipe I used made the cereal just the tiniest bit soggy. So, if you do these at home, I suggest sticking to the recipe on the side of the box. From there, follow these instructions to create your lollipops:

Then, instead of dumping the mixture into a pan, I used a trigger ice-cream scoop, which in culinary school we call a parisienne (ooh, la la!), sprayed with cooking spray to form the pops. Just get a heaping scoop of the cereal/marshmallow mixture and use your hand to smash it tightly into the scooper. Use the trigger to plop the treat out onto a sheet of waxed paper. Then insert your lollipop stick. You'll want to pinch the marshmallow mixture to form/adhere to the stick to keep the lollipop secure. Repeat with the rest of your rice krispies mixture. Note: I kept a small bowl of lukewarm water and a clean paper towel nearby to occassionally clean the marshmallow goop off of the scooper. Then just spritz a bit more cooking spray into it and continue.

Once all of your lollipops are formed, leave them to set for about 30 minutes. When the pops are firm, melt your white chocolate (or regular if you prefer) in the microwave following the instructions on the bag. Gently dip the top half of each pop in chocolate, hold it there for about 5 seconds to let the extra chocolate drip off, then return to the wax paper. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Wait for the chocolate to set completely...then enjoy.

P.S. Random side note and shameless self-promotion. JiT and I have put our condo up for sale. If you or anyone you know is looking for a great loft-style 1 br, 1.5 ba with lots of light and convenient access to Wicker Park and Downtown, check it out here. (Commercial over).

Sweet Rolls for Your Sweetheart

I have a soft (sweet, sticky?) spot for homemade cinnamon rolls and over the years I've shared a couple of recipes, but I've always wanted to find one specifically designed to sit in the fridge overnight. I've tried this with other versions with limited success but knew I had to find a good one...because really, what's better than doing all the hard work on a lazy afternoon, then waking up to fresh baked cinnamon rolls in the morning?

Folks...I think we've found our recipe. Since Valentine's Day falls on Sunday this year, what better time for a gooey, cozy breakfast treat. Wake your sweetie with the smell of warm, cinnamony goodnes and you're sure to have a special day. To make mine even more "heartwarming," I shaped the rolls into hearts and baked them in roll-sized heart shaped ramekins. Aren't they cute? (Okay, I was also trying to justify the purchase of said heart shaped ramekins with JiT, who is not amused that our cabinets are already overflowing with kitchen pariphenalia; but thats another matter altogether).

Like all yeast breads, this recipe does take some time to assemble, but its well worth the effort. The rolls bake up tender and pleasantly sweet, with a sticky-gooey cinnamon center. And the cream cheese icing is insanely decadent. What a perfect way to kick off a day of chocolate eating and wine drinking, no?

Happy Valentines Day to you and yours!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 1 dozen large rolls

1 cup milk

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

4 Tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

Heat the milk to scalding in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the 1/3 cup butter. Set aside until melted and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and milk mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt and eggs and stir well using the mixer's paddle attachment. Gradually add the remaining flour in 1/2 cup batches unti all additions are incorporated. Once the mixture seems to be pulling together, switch to the dough hook attachment and knead for about 8 minutes (or dump dough onto the counter to knead by hand). Dough will be a smooth supple ball when it is ready.

Remove the dough from the bowl and spray the insides of the mixing bowl lightly with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it over to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and set the bowl in a warm, dry place to rise for one hour. Meanwhile combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

After an hour's rise time dough will be about double in size. Punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle. Spread softened 4 Tbs. of butter evenly over the surface of the dough, then spread on an even layer of the cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving about 1/2 inch of untouched dough around all the edges. Roll the dough into a log with the cinnamon mixture on the inside and pinch the seam to seal. Slice the dough into 12 equal-sized rolls. If desired, fold each roll in half again, forming each into a heart shape.

Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan (or individual heart-shaped ramekins). Place the rolls in the pan or ramekins and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the refridgerator overnight to rise.

When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the refriderator, remove the plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and puffed.

Meanwhile, make the cream cheese icing. Click here for the recipe.

When baked, remove from the oven and spread icing evenly over the hot rolls. Serve immediately. Leftovers should be refridgerated.

Friday Pizza Night (better than delivery)

Between culinary school, travelling, and other obligations, TGIF is quickly becoming my favorite mantra. When those Friday nights finally arrive, lately I've noticed we've fallen into an irregular routine, one that's probably repeated in households across the country in some form or another: Friday Pizza Night.

While we have some excellent take-out and delivery places in our neighborhood, JiT and I have come to love making homemade pizzas. With a little advance planning, its amazing how delicious, easy and fun making your own can be...even when you're dog-tired. The secret, I've discovered, is in the dough. We like a fairly crisp crust, with just a slight chewiness near the center but a delicious snap on the outer crust. It needs to be flavorful, but not so much that it overpowers your ingredients. And it needs to be easy to put together.

For me, the real secret is taking 10 minutes on Thursday night to toss the ingredients into a bowl, turn on the dough hook and let it do its thing. When the dough is ready, cover it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge overnight to rise.

When I arrive home on Friday night (hopefully still slightly damp from a quick trip to the pool for some laps), I just need to roll out the dough, sprinkle on some toppings and shove it in a blistering hot oven. Meanwhile I throw together a salad, JiT pops open a bottle of wine and picks out a movie on Netflix. Everyone exhale the week and inhale some pizza. All is right with the world.

This dough recipe is based on one from Smitten Kitchen....who I consider the virtual blog authority on pizza. If this is your first foray, I suggest reading her easy pizza making tutorial for lots of great tips. I've doubled the recipe, so you'll end up with 2 sizable, thin-crust pizzas (enough for 4, or 2 with leftovers for Saturday lunch). Also, while the recipe calls for all-purpose flour, I've been using Eagle Mills new "double fiber" flour, which has 2 grams of fiber per serving. Still tastes the same as regular, but you can feel a tiny bit better about it. So there. Is it Friday yet?

Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
Dough for 2 medium-sized thin-crust pizzas

3 cups all-purpose (or "Double Fiber") flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 packet active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm (110 degree F) tap water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn mixer on low speed and add water and olive oil. Stir together with the dough hook for about 2-3 minutes, until the dough begins to come together into a ball.

Dump dough ball onto a lightly floured surface knead with hands for just a minute or two more, until dough ball is smooth. Spray the inside of your bowl with an olive oil mister or cooking spray. Dump dough ball back into the bowl, spray the top and cover the dough with plastic wrap, so that the plastic is touching the top of the dough. Place in the refridgerator overnight.

When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 500 degrees F. If you're using a pizza stone, place it in the center of your oven. Pull the dough from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and punch it down. Divide dough into two equal-sized balls and let them rest and come up to room temperature for about 15 - 20 minutes.

For each pizza, lay out a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll one ball of dough to desired thickness (ours is about a 1/4 inch). Add your toppings as desired (keep in mind that the thinner you've rolled your dough the less toppings it can support so don't overload a super-thin crust).

To more your pizza to the oven, slide a pizza peel or a cookie sheet with out any sides under the parchment paper, then slide the parchment paper onto your pizza stone or directly onto your oven rack. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Enjoy.