#need to try overnight with brown sugar but heated up in the microwave. Did a minute and a half turned out nicely warm but a bit drier
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Overnight oats for the first time…we shall see. Accidentally did it as a double batch though. Equal parts oats and water.
#personal#so far I’ve tried#overnight with brown sugar in the morning. Was fine#overnight with brown sugar mixed in the previous night. The same taste#need to try overnight with brown sugar but heated up in the microwave. Did a minute and a half turned out nicely warm but a bit drier#also need to try with plain and vanilla yogurt#ok tried with peanut butter from trader joes. Absolutely disgusting idk why. Terrible taste but the same texture. So gross made me gag
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Chocolate Cake, Caramel Icing, Butternut Squash Flowers
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
1 ¾ cup flour
1 ¾ granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk/scant 1 cup whole milk & lemon juice
½ cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
½ hot water
1 tsp espresso powder
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Grease three 6″ round pans.
In a medium bowl, make the buttermilk by adding scant 1 cup of milk with 1 tbs of lemon juice. Stir and let sit for about 5 mins until it gets thick.
In a mug, combine water, espresso power and semi sweet chocolate. Microwave until steaming. Stir to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine well.
Add eggs, oil and vanilla to the buttermilk and beat by hand.
With the stand mixer setting on low, add the wet mix to the dry ingredients and then add the coffee mix. Mix just until combined. Over mixing will create tunnels and a peaked centre while under mixing will result to an uneven mixture and a flat cake.
Divide the batter into 3 pans and bake right away. Place them in the middle rack of the oven.
Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out almost clean.
Let cool in pans for 5 mins and then remove from pans on cooling rack to cool completely. Can ice or wrap and freeze at this point.
Camarel Icing
Ingredients
2 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
1 cup Butter, cubed
1/2 cup Milk
5 cups Powdered Sugar (more if needed)
Directions
The base of this Caramel Frosting is a homemade caramel sauce. In a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, and milk.
Cook and stir over low heat. This is an important part of the process. If you rush through this step, the caramel sauce might turn out grainy, which means your frosting will be grainy. You don't need to stir constantly, but you do need to stir often. Once all the butter is completely melted, set a timer and stir continuously for at least 1 minute.
Increase the heat to medium. Do not stir.
Cook for 3-6 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, cook the sauce until it reaches 230 degrees. If not, cook until bubbles form across the entire surface of the sauce and the mixture turns the color of amber. For us, that is usually around 3 minutes. The length of cooking time depends on how big or small your pan is. If you are using a small pan, the mixture might take up to 6 minutes to reach this state. In a bigger pan, it might only be around 3 - 3 1/2 minutes.
Remove the caramel mixture from the heat and transfer it to a bowl or a glass measuring cup. It will be very hot so you want to make sure the container is heat-resistant. Cool to sauce room temperature. The Caramel Sauce will thicken as it cools and it might be a little grainy. This is fine.
Once the caramel mixture has cooled completely, add it to a mixing bowl with the powdered sugar.
Gradually mix the caramel sauce with the powdered sugar until the frosting is combined and is the desired consistency. If the icing is too thin, it is likely that the caramel was too hot. Put in fridge to cool a bit more then try to beat again.
Add milk, a teaspoon at a time, if the frosting is too thick. Add more icing sugar if too thin.
original recipe source: https://www.twosisterscrafting.com/best-caramel-buttercream-frosting/
Butternut Squash Flowers
Ingredients
butternut squash
Directions
Using a mandolin, slice the squash as thinly as possible into different rectangular and rounded pieces.
Place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
Cook at 220C for 45 mins. Then flip and cook for another 45 mins. Watch it closer, you don't them to get too dark. You do want them to be crispy. Remove any that are done and keep cooking the rest.
If you put it on the cake right away, it will be crisp, if you make these ahead, prepare for them to be less crisp. I did it the day before and then put them in a container overnight. They did get a bit more soggy, sort of like petals, so that works too. Just doesn't taste as good to eat.
Original source: https://www.twiggstudios.com/2019/10/butternut-squash-pear-and-hazelnut-cake/
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Happy Birthday to Me Part Two
The following is a documentation of all the other meals I made on my birthday weekend:
Unagi Gyoza with an Italian Twist
I found unagi gyoza on sale in a Japanese supermarket and was really excited, I’ve never seen gyoza with such a filling before and the ingredient list looked really good too - these included broiled eel, leek, cabbage, bonito stock, and sake. They were a tad expensive, but for the novelty value and the fact that I’d probably have to pay 3 times more for the same quantity in a restaurant I thought “Ah fuck it why not, it’s my birthday lol”.
I initially didn’t think of doing too much with it, just the most basic steaming. But then I realised I didnt have any of the usual dipping vinegar to go with it, which was then I thought - why not try an alternative? Crema di Balsamico with its tangy-sweetness immediately came to my mind. And then I went one step further by pan frying just the one side in butter, to get it crispy just like it’s sometimes sold outside. And to balance all this heartiness I had my very own homemade cucumber salad on the side, german-style(or at least, my interpretation of it). I really don’t think there is a need to go into lengthy detail on the how-to here.
It turned out well, although I probably could have steamed the gyoza a tad longer. Moral of the story, look for alternatives when you don’t have something, the end result can be pleasantly surprising, as was the case here. The tangy-sweetness of the balsamico balanced the richness of the unagi nicely.
Summer “Grilled” Prawn salad
This, ladies and gentlemen and children (as Turkish airlines has the habit of announcing, which I find very cute lol) - is by far my pièce de résistance, at least for this Birthday Weekend Menu thingy. I’d two jumbo prawns leftover (of course this was planned), and I wanted to do something different from what I’d made with them the last meal (rich tomato-based pasta). I tried to think up antonyms to the adjectives I would use to describe that previous dish, and I came up with the words fruity and light and summerish. Not that tomatoes(as per the last dish) aren’t summerish, but in this one they’re left uncooked and refreshing. I’m rather proud to say that I came up with this one almost entirely by myself.
Ingredients
-Jumbo Prawns; 2
-Quinoa; 1 portion
-Cherry tomatoes; a handful
-Mint; a few leaves
-Butter
-Orange-Pepper spice mix; 1-2 pinches
-Pomegranate vinegar; a splash
-Mango vodka; 2-3 splashes
-Pepper-garlic spice mix
-Crema di Balsamico
-Salt
-Truffle olive oil / Any salad oil (e.g. pumpkin seed, walnut, olive)
Special Equipment
-Blowtorch
-Container for shaping quinoa bed, shouldn’t measure more than a palm's width across.
Instructions
1) Toast quinoa in pan with some butter till nearly golden brown, put in rice cooker with ratio 1:1.5 water to cook. Add 1-2 pinches of salt to water.
2) Halve cherry tomatoes. Set aside.
3) Chop mint. Set aside.
4) Clean and devein prawns. Remove sharp parts. Slice down middle. Season with pepper-garlic seasoning or any seasoning of choice. Rub with butter.
5) Put prawns in small, shallow dish with butter. Steam. WATCH CLOSELY. The moment the prawns turn pink, count to maybe 5 seconds and switch off the flame. They will still continue cooking a little.
6) Pour a couple of splashes of mango vodka into the shallow dish, making sure it also touches the prawns. Use the blowtorch to blast the dish. The vodka should light up, as it did for me, and the bluish-orange flames will lick the prawns, charring them while infusing them with a smoky mango taste. The flames lasted nearly a minute in my case. When cooled, remove head.
6) Quinoa should be done by this time. Put into shaping container. Add chopped mint, orange-pepper seasoning, truffle olive oil, pinch of salt, toss thoroughly. Use serving plate to cover container, and flip. The tossed quinoa should form a loosely-packed but relatively neat circle in the centre. Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes around it, and drizzle balsamico.
7) Rest prawns atop quinoa bed. Try to arrange artistically.
8) Drizzle pomegranate vinegar atop prawns and quinoa bed. Serve.
Verdict: It was beyond amazing and honestly turned out way better than I had expected.I was worried it would somehow be too greasy/salty, but no! Everything blended exceedingly well together, complementing each other. The frutiness from the mango vodka, the orange-pepper seasoning and the pomegranate vinegar kept the salad light, and the shreds of mint leaves added a nice herbal edge to every bite. And the prawns. God the prawns. They were even more tender than the ones I’d made yesterday (probably because stricter time control, I literally turned off the flame the moment they fully turned pink). Crunchy yet tender. And the intermingling of the different flavours, oh so delightful. The balsamico on the side also added a nice dipping option for the already naturally very sweet prawns.
This was easily one of my top ten best dishes I’ve ever made. And relatively easy even! Excluding cooking time for quinoa, it all took a maximum of 45 minutes.
I had this with a pleasantly sweet bubbly Moscato d’Asti on the side. Perfection.
Paneer Kebabs
So, I was at the Indian superstore recently, and I finally managed to get what I’ve been meaning to for some time - paneer. I love palak paneer, I almost always get it when I go to an Indian restaurant. But I wanted to try cooking something different with it. Greek-turkish-italian influences came to my mind. Paneer reminds me somehow of feta and mozzarella, and I was initially going to do some version of a caprese salad, but instead of balsamico I use a honey-based dressing. But then I wanted to push things a bit further. So, here’s what I did:
Ingredients
-Goat butter; 2 dabs
-Cherry tomatoes; a handful
-Onion; quarter of a medium sized one
-Paneer cubes; a handful
-Pepper-garlic seasoning
-Mini paprika; 1-2
Special Equipment
-Skewers (the ones I found are actually meant for rouladen but hey, whatever works, right?)
Instructions
1) Halve cherry tomatoes. Slice mini paprika. Slice onions. Set aside.
2) Heat up goat butter in pan till nearly sizzling. Put in paneer cubes.Let them fry, till they have a crispy exterior. Don’t forget to flip them. Add in onion slices halfway, if you’re a wuss like me who doesn’t eat raw onions. But they will probably be done before the paneer, so remove first, so that they don’t become too soft.
2) When all paneer cubes are fried, remove from pan. Quickly throw in sliced paprika and tomatoes and toss them around in the browned goat butter to heat them up quickly.
3) Skewer them in any order which you’d prefer. Drizzle balsamico over them for flavour balance to the greasiness.
4) Serve with a refreshing salad on the side, in my case my homemade cucumber salad.
Fun note: Goat butter loses its slightly off-putting goaty smell when it’s browned. Delectable.
I was initially tempted to just toss it all together as a kind of salad, but extravagant birthday me ruled against it, with the excuse that “when else are you gonna have the damn time/energy/will to do this fancy shit”. Skewering the different ingredients took longer than I expected, but the presentation was fun, added to the special factor. It was fun trying paneer like that, not drowned in curry but rather as a standalone thing almost. Had a rather nutty flavour, and went well with the juiciness of the tomatoes, sauteed onions and paprika. I still want to try the honey drizzle thing though. I think it’d be a bomb brunch thing. With sparkling wine on the side. Mmm.
German Cucumber Salad
Since it features so often as a side dish I might as well make a quick documentation of it. I always liked Gurkensalat when I was living in Germany, both the yoghurt as well as the clear version. I was sad for a while that my current living places didn’t have this. But then I realised, wait a minute, this is actually really easy to make, lol. So, here goes:
Ingredients
-”Natural” yoghurt i.e. sour yoghurt, not any of that smooth sweet shit lol; 2 cups
-Japanese cucumber; 2 medium
-Sugar; 2 tablespoons (I used brown, but white is probably preferable because colour)
-Onion; quarter of a medium-sized one
-Dill; 1.5 heaped tablespoons if dried
-Salt; a pinch
Serves: 4-5 portions
Instructions
1) Thinly slice cucumbers and onions. I like mine really thin, like thinner than paper thin. I personally prefer the texture more when it’s like that.
2) Mix yoghurt with dill, sugar, salt.
3) Throw in cucumbers and onions. Mix. Hey presto it’s done.
Note: I don’t add any other liquid, because the cucumbers release quite some water overnight, so that the next day the liquid component of the salad reaches a consistency that I find just right - thinner than yoghurt, but not watery. The spiciness of the raw onion is usually mellowed out a lot by the yoghurt.
Usually stores for about a week I’d say. Perfect complement to any kind of greasy food, or even just as a refreshing snack really.
So, that marks the end of this round’s Birthday Weekend Menu! I had so much fun thinking up recipe ideas based on whatever ingredients I had (yes, cherry tomatoes and balsamico feature a hell lot lol), guided by the principles of extravagance and flavourfulness. I did feel extra special eating them. Plating/Presentation really adds a lot to the dining experience.
Next series of posts coming up will probably have to do with office lunches that can be served cool/room-temperature, because I have developed an aversion to the taste of microwave-heated food. Already drawn up a whole list of recipe ideas, can’t wait to try them!
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This Madeleine recipe is the reason I made some pistachio paste the other month. The thought of making and eating these small french pistachio cakes was just heavenly, as I love pistachios, maybe just nuts in general but this is one of my favourites.
I have baked Madeleine’s before, I tried the Hairy Bikers Madeleine recipe and also Mary Berry’s French Madeleine’s . I still find that with Madeleine’s there is always room to improve as I have not yet got that perfect bump on my Madeleine’s.
I will be experimenting again some time in the future and hopefully I will get the distinctive hump that you get a proper French Madeleine.
Important things to know before baking:
You need to refrigerate this madeleine batter overnight, so plan ahead!
Make sure you have 1/8 teaspoon, as the recipe has some very exact measurements.
69g of Eggs!! 1 large is too little and 2 is too much… so whisk 2 eggs and then measure out 69g.
You need Pistachio Paste, this can be quite expensive to by so I would suggest about having a go at making it yourself. Here is my recipe for Homemade Pistachio Paste.
Pistachio Madeleines
Adapted from Bouchon Bakery
Makes 12 Pistachio Madeleines
57g Plain Flour 3/8 tsp (1.9g) Baking Powder 69g Eggs, whisk 2 eggs together then measure out 46g Granulated Sugar 55g Butter 8g Dark Brown Sugar 8g Maple Syrup 46g (3 tbsp) Pistachio Paste
The Day Before – Making Your Madeleine Batter
In a medium bowl sift the flour and baking powder and whisk together.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, put the 69g of eggs and granulated sugar and whisk for 1 minute on medium to high speed. Increase the speed to high and carry on whisking for round 4 minutes until the mixture is pale and has doubled in size.
In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter, dark brown sugar and maple syrup over a medium to high heat, stirring constantly to make sure all the brown sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved remove from the heat.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in half the flour mixture, then fold in the remaining half, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl and everything is combined.
Pour the slightly warm butter mixture into the bowl and fold into the batter until everything is incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Put your pistachio paste in a medium bowl – if your paste is stiff warm it up in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften it.
Using a spatula stir a quarter of your batter into the pistachio paste to thin it slightly, then fold in the remaining batter.
Cover your bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
The Next Day – Baking Your Madeleines
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 and prepare your Madeleine tin by brushing it with melted butter. Place your tin in the fridge or freezer for the butter to harden.
Fill each cavity with 20g (1tbsp) of batter either using a piping bag or spoon. Tap the bottom of the tin against the work surface to smooth the top of the batter.
Bake in the oven for 8 – 9 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. The bottoms of the Madeleine’s will brown faster than the tops, so keep the tops more to the lighter side.
Once out of the oven, remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
Madeleine’s are best on the day you bake them, but they can be stored in an airtight container for a day.
Notes I thought that these small dainty cakes were lovely, I loved the pistachio flavour that came through, but the only thing I found is that they were quite sticky when picking up. I also did get the characteristic of a traditional Madeleine, I’m thinking next time to higher the oven temperature so that I can try and get that hump.
Pistachio Madeleines This Madeleine recipe is the reason I made some pistachio paste the other month. The thought of making and eating these small french pistachio cakes was just heavenly, as I love pistachios, maybe just nuts in general but this is one of my favourites.
#Bouchon Bakery#Madeleine Tins#Madeleines#Maple Syrup#Nuts#Patisserie#Petit Four#Pistachio Madeleines#Pistachio Nuts#Pistachio Paste#Pistachios#Small Cakes#Thomas Keller
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egg tarts, 04/06
I think if I can master puff pastry, I can probably be content with not baking anything else, but puff pastry-related goods for the rest of my life.
THE VERDICT
Hahahaha okay, this was a fucking adventure. Making the puff pastry was a lot of fun. I only rolled it out and folded three times, but I think because the puff pastry ends up being rolled into a log, it doesn’t need as many layers when flat. Seeing the layers in the log was so satisfying though. Upon reading more about dealing with puff pastry, I feel like I need to be more diligent about the temperature of the butter when I’m rolling it out. I might’ve also worked the dough a little too much when I was rolling it out.
I guess the main problem with the custard was that it wasn’t really a custard. I don’t think I tempered the milk/flour mixture carefully enough, so the milk began to curdle a little. I also think I added the lemon syrup mixture too soon and the milk curdled a little more. I also think the saucepan was too hot and he milk curdled more and then I panicked and added in the egg yolks and the pan was too hot and the eggs cooked weird. Everything was weird and wrong and milk was too damn curdled. Also, I don’t think I cooked the syrup for long enough.
I worked the puff pastry for too long when I put it in the tin and they softened up really quickly and the butter wept quite a bit. The dough ended up getting too soft and was getting pressed too thin. Also I know it’s not about the tools, but how you use them, but custard cups (rather than a muffin tin) are infinitely easier to work with.
Also, I read that puff pastry needs to bake a really high temperatures for the steam to kinda activate its puffiness. I baked at 450 F, but a lot of other recipes called for 500 F.
FOR NEXT TIME
Wow are you even ready for this. Where do I begin?
When making the lean dough, add water gradually. Soften the butter less aggressively. Try manually beating small slices of it into submission (aka until pliable, not spreadable.) Roll better squares. When rolling and folding the puff pastry, let the dough set between each repetition in the fridge. If you start noticing the butter bubbling through the dough, sprinkle a little flour over it. If this happens consistently, the butter is too soft.
Fill the tin with the pastry before you make the custard. Maybe after you zest that lemon or something. Keep slices of the puff pastry log in the fridge and only take out 1-2 slices at a time as you work it in the tin. Roll out with a rolling pin, rather than pressing them flat with your hands so the dough doesn’t get too warm. When everything’s in the tin, set them in the fridge until needed.
For the lemon syrup, make it a syrup lol. Cook it for longer until it’s actually a syrup. Let boil for a few minutes.
For the custard, try experimenting with saving about 1 tbsp of the flour for a roux, since your custard was having trouble thickening. Combine it with about half tbsp of butter. (Use the microwave if you’re feeling lazy and just need a really quick roux.) Temper the flour mixture with both the roux and warm milk, slowly. Add the lemon syrup at the very end, or even ditch the lemon if you’re not feeling it.
Try baking at around 475 or 500 F, even though it sounds wildly high.
This is a shit ton to change, but I feel pretty good about it.
WHAT I DID
(adapted from here and here. this is custard recipe i used to follow in school. heavy cream doesn’t curdle as easily as milk does and it always worked fine.)
THE GOODS
puff pastry 1/2 cup water 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt 6 tbsp butter
custard 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1 plus 1/2 cup (almond) milk, divided 1/4 cup flour 4 large egg yolks
optional 1 lemon cinnamon stick
THE WAY
dough - mix flour, salt, and water to form a lean dough - knead until elastic, but still very stick - cover in plastic and rest for 30 min.
puff pastry - soften butter until spreadable - flour surface, dough, pin - roll dough into 12″ square - spread butter on left 2/3 of square, leave 1/2″ margin - fold in thirds (right over left) - rotate counter-clockwise (open seam side up) - repeat roll, spread, fold, rotate however many times - roll one last time into 12″ square
tart crust (log) - spread remaining butter onto 12″ square, leave 1/2″ margins - roll into 12″ log - trim ends, halve roll, plastic wrap halves - set in fridge at least 3 hours, preferably overnight
custard - heat sugar and water, let boil for a minute - (optional) stir in lemon zest and add cinnamon stick - let rest 30 minutes
(now’s a good time to preheat the oven to 450 F with baking tray inside)
- combine 1/2 cup milk, flour, salt - heat 1 cup milk until just before simmer - temper flour mixture with warm milk, return everything to saucepan - heat on low, stir until thickened - add syrup, keep stirring - add yolks, until just combined
fill tin - cut puff pastry log into 1/2″ thick cross sections - press pieces into muffin tin until 1/16″ thick - fill with warm custard, about halfway up
bake 20 minutes, until crust is golden brown
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Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Every time I make a layer cake, my hyper-planner nature takes over and I am paralyzed between wanting to have enough frosting between the layers to complement the cake, and not wanting to use so much early that I don’t have enough to cover the outside. I usually end up saving more than I need to and having a disproportionately thick outer coating of frosting. Which isn’t, like, a tragedy or anything, but I’ve long believed that there has to be a better way.
The obvious solution was to make such a comically large amount of frosting that it would be inconceivable to run out. So for my birthday gift to myself this year, in which I Frankensteined together my favorite parts of three of my favorite recipes, I decided to do just that. The result was basically my platonic ideal of a cake.
Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen (the cake), Handle the Heat (the buttercream frosting and the inspiration for the general concept), and Baker By Nature (the salted caramel sauce).
Cake: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend 1 cup sour cream 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs
Caramel: 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter 2 cups light brown sugar, packed 1 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Buttercream: 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 4 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) heavy cream or milk
Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 9-inch round cakepans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
Note from the original recipe, which I wholeheartedly endorse: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer. My move with this cake is usually to leave it in the freezer overnight and do the frosting the next day. You can even make the layers several days in advance if that suits your schedule. They’ll keep fine in the freezer for at least a week.
Caramel:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt.
Bring to a boil (should take about 1 minute), then reduce heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, whisking frequently.
Whisk in vanilla, stir, then remove from heat. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. The sauce will eventually thicken the longer it sits. If for whatever reason you want to return it to liquid form, you can do so on the stovetop at low heat or (carefully) in the microwave.
Buttercream:
Mix together the sugar and butter until well blended, then continue to beat for another 3-5 minutes. Add the salt, vanilla, and cream and beat for 1 minute.
Add several heaping spoonfuls of caramel sauce to the frosting and mix in. Continue adding to taste.
Add more cream or milk if needed, but it probably won’t be, as the caramel makes the frosting more spreadable.
The next part is all about personal preference. When I did this, for the first layer I just used the salted caramel buttercream frosting. For the second layer, I used some plain buttercream frosting I had set aside and spread a layer of that on the cake, and then a layer of caramel on top of the buttercream. For the outside, I used the salted caramel buttercream frosting and then the next morning, once the buttercream had firmed up and the caramel had thickened, I added one more layer of straight caramel to the top. You can do any combination of these things - or just use the salted caramel buttercream all the way through - and I’m confident you can’t go wrong. Ultimately, it was tough to tell the difference between the two interior layers of frosting, so I’d recommend going the easier route and skipping the step of setting aside the plain buttercream, at least for the inside layers. It may be worth trying that approach for the outer coat, since that’s more distinct and doesn’t blend in with the cake as much. Maybe next time.
You may have some leftover caramel, depending on how you portion it out. If you have made it this far into this recipe, I assume this will not present a problem for you. (My personal plan is to combine it with some leftover whipped cream and leftover brownies to make brownie sundaes, but far be it from me to dictate anyone else’s life choices.)
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Mango, Creme Fraiche and Sumac tart
The other day, while walking past the fruit stall near my street, I noticed these beautiful orange mangos. At first, I thought there were Alphonso mangos from India, but I was later told that they were Thai. Regardless of the variety, I couldn't wait to make something with them.
It took me some time to decide on what to make. I normally sketch out some of my ideas before deciding on a final concept. My main focus was the idea of pairing mango with the Middle Eastern spice, sumac, as I felt the two would compliment each other really well. I then decided that it needed something creamy to compliment the aromatics of the sumac, and something acidic to cut through the sweetness of the mango. Once I had decided on these flavour profiles, I then tried to decide on what form to put them in. I was initially drawn towards a frozen plated dessert, with mango sorbet and yogurt parfait, but this changed when I was lining tart shells at work, and I came up with the idea of this tart.
Once deciding on a tart, the rest came very quickly, I decided to use lime for the acidity, in the form of both a jelly insert, and some sugar cured lime segments. The creaminess comes from a creme fraiche and vanilla mousse, and then the mango comes in two forms, a slightly acidic jam, and some fresh mango cubes, a mix of both the Thai mango, as well as a normal mango purchased from the supermarket. Finished off with a sprinkling of sumac, bringing out the colour of the mango and adding a layer of depth to the tart.
Recipe:
Sweet Pastry
50g icing sugar 50g butter 125g flour 1 egg yolk 15g water
Rub the butter into the icing sugar and flour, until you get a texture that resembles sand, with no large pieces of butter left. Mix in the egg yolk, and if needed, add in the water. You want the pastry to be soft, and able to easily form into one mass, with no crumbly bits, but not so wet that its sticking to the bowl or bench. Wrap the pastry into a flat disc and chill for at least an hour in the fridge. Cut the round in half and line two ten cm diameter straight edged tart rings. You can use fluted tart rings, or a bigger size, but I think this is a very nice sized portion, and looks much more modern with the straight edge. The rings must be greased with a small amount of soft (not melted butter) to help the pastry stick while baking, then release once cooled. Chill the lined rings in the fridge for at least two hours. The amazing thing about this pastry is that when it is blind baked, you do not need to fill the tarts with rice or beans or any of that, just put them straight in a 180 degree celsius oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Once the tart shells are cool, remove them from the rings, and using a fine sieve or a microplane, gently grate the top edges of the tart to remove the rough finish, and leave the edges looking clean and smooth.
If you are going to be serving the tart a long time after assembling it, I would recommend brushing it lightly with either melted cocoa butter, or white chocolate, to stop the pastry going soggy as quickly.
Mango Jam
2 Thai or Indian mangos 1 normal mango sugar lime juice
Take the Thai mangoes and peel them, using a small knife, remove as much flesh as possible from one, and cut into large cubes. With the other Thai mango and the normal mango, skin them and cut them into small 1x1cm cubes. Reserve for later. Taste the first mango you cut into large cubes, and depending on the flavour, add a bit of sugar and lime juice. Cook over a low heat until it completely breaks down and you are left with a reasonably thick jam. Taste it once again and adjust the lime or sugar to suit. You will notice, if you have used orange mangos similar to the one I did, that there is a lot of fibres in your jam. To combat this, I pushed it through a sieve and threw away the fibres that remained in the sieve. Take equal quantities of your diced mango, and mix them through the jam-the amount of each will depend on how much jam you got from your first mango. You want it to be mostly jam, with a few pieces of the mango, rather than having more mango cubes than jam.
Creme Fraiche Mousse
175g whipped cream seeds of 1 vanilla bean 125g creme fraiche 20g sugar 1 1/2 gelatine leaves
Bloom the gelatine leaves in cold water. Once bloomed, melt 50g of the creme fraiche with the gelatine in a small pot over a low heat. Whisk in the sugar and the remaining creme fraiche, and then fold in the whipped cream and vanilla seeds. Put mix into. a piping bag and pipe into either half or full sphere moulds. I only had full sphere moulds, which seemed to have a diameter of about 5cm, so I only piped half way up. If you don't have either of these moulds, simply choose a sizeable ring mould, or even a cookie cutter, that fits in your tart, and set it in that. Once poured into the mould, freeze at least overnight
For the mousse glaze
200g water 75g sugar 3 gelatine leaves
Bloom the gelatine leaves. Boil the water and sugar and add the gelatine leaves. Set in the fridge until solid, and then warm very gently in the microwave, until liquid, but no higher than 32 degrees celsius. I find this much easier to achieve by setting and remelting, rather than trying to cool it down and catch the glaze at the right time, but it will work if you do it that way. Once melted, take a mousse semi-sphere, and stick your knife, or a skewer into the flat/bottom side of it. Dip the mousse very quickly into the glaze, then remove from the skewer/knife, and place on a plate in the freezer.
You may notice the glaze goes from shiny to matte as soon as it freezes on the cold mousse, but don't worry, once it defrosts it will create a very light shine to the dome.
Lime Jelly
90g lime juice 110g water 60g sugar 2 leaves gelatine
Boil the water, lime juice and sugar, and add the bloomed gelatine. Pour into 5cm diameter ring moulds lined with cling film, and freeze. You want the jelly to be no higher than 1cm tall.
Sugar Cured Lime Segments
1 lime sugar
Segment the lime, making sure to remove all pith and seeds. Cut each segment into three, and put into a bowl. Coat with a large amount of sugar, at least 2 tablespoons, and leave to sit for at least half an hour. This technique draws out the acidic juice from the limes, and replace it with sugar, leaving you with a slightly sweet lime segment. Don't leave it for too long, as the segment will eventually break down completely, and you still want to retain some acidity.
To Finish
Fresh lime 1 Indian or Thai mango 1 normal mango Fresh flower petals Sumac
Place about two tablespoons worth of mango jam in the bottom of the tart shell. Take the lime jelly insert (still frozen) and push it into the jam, so that the jam comes up the sides a bit. Top the jelly with the mousse sphere, which should be centred in the middle of the tart. Peel both mangos and cut into 1cm cubes. This is especially important for the orange mango, as they tend to be more fibrous than normal mangos, and any bigger pieces will make this very obvious when eating. Mix the two together, about 75% of orange mango cubes to 25% normal. The main reason for including the yellow mango is textural, and appearance, as they bring a clean break to the bright orange, and a smooth mouth feel, but the flavour is never as strong or as fragrant as the orange mangos. If you only have access to normal mangos then the recipes will still work, but you will need to use less lime in all the recipes, and possibly a thinner layer of jelly. Carefully spoon the mango mix around the tart edge, and place about 7 pieces of the cured lime around the tart. Finely zest the lime on top, and decorate with the fresh flowers. Finally, sprinkle with a generous amount of sumac-you need a fair bit for it to be tasted with the mango.
Enjoy!
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Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
This EASY 15 minute Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry is the perfect weeknight meal that is healthy, flavorful and easily made all in one pan!
Oh how I love cooking with shrimp. Not only does it taste delicious practically any way you serve it, but it’s super healthy and you can easily cook it in just minutes! Having an almost toddler really makes me want to simplify my cooking so this dish was perfect for us. Shrimp is really versatile too so I love pairing it with different veggies, sauces and seasonings, and let me tell you, this honey garlic shrimp stir fry is seriously one of my new favorites and only 5 ingredients for the sauce!
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
Shrimp – You can use fresh or frozen shrimp (thawed first) and I always like to remove the tails first because it’s just easier to serve, but tails on is typically more photogenic!
Asparagus – We love adding asparagus to stir fries in our house, but feel free to use any veggies you’d like! Broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, you really can’t go wrong!
Soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey – Combination of ingredients for the best sauce ever!
Garlic – I LOVE using fresh garlic in my recipes, but you can use jarred minced garlic if that’s what you have on hand
Ginger – I use fresh ginger as well to really get that amazing flavor!
Don’t those ingredients just make your mouth water?? I like to serve this stir fry over brown rice (or if you’re watching your carbs serve over cauliflower rice!), quinoa, noodles or I’ll simply add more veggies for a complete meal. My hubby even likes to make these into skewers and throw them on the grill. You really can’t go wrong as long as you have this delicious marinade and it tastes great tossed with chicken and salmon as well!
And yes, as I said above, this sauce is only 5 simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry or fridge which makes this such a quick and easy recipe to throw together on a night when you don’t have a ton of time on your hands (or just feel lazy and that’s okay too!)
I always like to keep a bag of raw frozen shrimp in my freezer for recipes like this and just thaw the bag in the fridge overnight, but you can also use fresh shrimp as well. This shrimp stir fry will last up t0 3 or 4 days in the fridge (use your best judgment of course!) or you can freeze this meal for up to 2 months. I suggest thawing the frozen shrimp first and re-heating everything in a skillet rather than a microwave for best results!
MORE STIR FRY RECIPES TO TRY
One Skillet Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (one of the top recipes on my blog!)
One Pan Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
Skillet Chili Garlic & Lime Shrimp
Spicy Sausage and Veggie Stir Fry
Hope you all enjoy this Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry as much as we did and if you do decide to make this or any other Eat Yourself Skinny recipe, please make sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see all the yummy things you’re eating!
Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
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Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1½ lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the sauce:
¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
Instructions
To make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic and ginger. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, drizzle olive oil and cook shrimp until it just starts to turn pink, about 3 minutes. Add asparagus and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 2 to 3 more minutes.
Toss in your sauce and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and shrimp and asparagus is coated, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds and black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutritional Information
Serving Size: ¼th of recipe • Calories: 274 • Fat: 5.4 g • Saturated Fat: 0.8 g • Carbs: 16.7 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Protein: 38.3 g • Sugars: 12.2 g
3.5.3218
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Raspberry Danish Twist Bread
Some mornings are for granola bars and some mornings are for THIS.
Welcome to the billionth way to twist up dough and call it breakfast. But unlike all the others, this melt-in-your-mouth raspberry danish twist bread combines flaky and crispy, fluffy and soft, buttery and fruity. A generous drizzle of creamy vanilla icing seeps into every delicious pocket. Sliced warm and served cake-style, this twist will impress everyone who’s lucky enough to steal a taste.
If we’re not eating healthy breakfasts with the intention of indulging every now and then, what are we really doing?
This raspberry danish twist bread is texture paradise channeling the flakiness of breakfast danishes but with half the work. How’s it possible? The secret’s in the way we twist the dough. And even though that hypnotizing twist looks complicated to replicate, I swear it COULD NOT BE EASIER. And today I’m showing you how!
The dough is a scaled down version of my favorite cinnamon rolls and my Nutella babka. You’ll use the same 7 ingredients that most rich dough requires. Let’s talk about that for a second because when I learned the difference between “rich dough” and “lean dough,” I had a better understanding of bread baking in general.
Rich dough includes fat like eggs, milk, and butter. This guarantees a soft and supple dough, one that promises indulgent cinnamon rolls and breakfast pastries. Lean dough is low in fat and sugar and produces crusty breads and pizza dough. There’s hardly any fat, so it’s not as soft. Does that make sense?
Regardless if it’s rich or lean, behind every great dough is a great yeast– the workhorse behind this whole recipe. You were all so excited about the everything bagel pull apart bread I posted last week that I couldn’t wait to share another recipe made with Red Star Yeast. (We’re actually using the same exact dough ingredients… just in different amounts!)
Like usual, I use Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast. Platinum is an instant yeast that builds a stronger, taller, more voluminous dough. If you don’t have Platinum, Red Star Active Dry or Quick Rise Yeast works too! If using active-dry, your dough may take a little longer to rise.
Our danish twist bread requires 2 rises:
1st rise after the dough is made – 90 minutes
2nd rise after the dough is shaped/twisted – 45 minutes
After the 1st rise, punch the dough down to release the air. At this point you can freeze the dough and save for a raspberry danish twist bread sort of morning. Or you can shape into a rectangle, spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on top, roll it up cinnamon roll-style, then slice in half, twist, and coil into a circle. Remember babka? Similar to that.
It seems a lot more complicated than it actually is, so watch me do it:
The trick is to use a thin layer of jam. The more jam, the bigger mess you’ll need to clean up. I forgot to do it in the video, but for added raspberry goodness– dot a few fresh raspberries on top of the jam.
After the 2nd rise, it’ll be big, beautiful, and ready to bake. Sneak more raspberries in there if you can! (Oh my gosh you know what would be so good? And I’m sort of kicking myself for not doing it yet? PEACH DANISH TWIST BREAD! Picture this: peach jam, some juicy sliced peaches, topped with brown butter icing… please someone make it and report back.)
We’re baking the raspberry danish twist bread in a springform pan; its high sides confine the twist so it rises straight up instead of straight out. A cast iron skillet with tall sides could work too. We want to make sure the twist maintains its coiled shape!
I live for those pockets of raspberry between the flakes of buttery dough. Raspberry danish twist bread: beating every other breakfast by a landslide. Granola bars who??
PS: you should try my raspberry danish braid next!!
Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 teaspoons Red Star® Platinum yeast* (1 standard packet)
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup (180g) whole milk
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons; 60g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs
3 and 1/2 cups (430g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (240g) raspberry preserves/jam
optional: 1/2 cup (80g) fresh or frozen raspberries
Vanilla Icing
1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar
3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Make the dough: Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Or, if you do not own a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until warm to touch, about 110°F (43°C). Pour warm milk on top of yeast/sugar. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy after 5-10 minutes.
If you do not have a mixer, you can mix by hand in this step. Add the butter, egg, flour, and salt. Beat on low speed for 4 minutes. Dough will be soft. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead it for 1 minute. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-3 more Tablespoons of flour, but you want a very soft dough. Shape into a ball.
Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use nonstick spray to grease) and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place in a slightly warm environment to rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. For this warm spot, I suggest using the oven. Preheat to 200°F (93°C), then turn the oven off after preheating. Place the covered bowl inside and shut the oven door. This is your warm environment.
Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down to release the air.
Shape the twist: Watch the video above before continuing with this step. The visual guide will help! Using a rolling pin, roll into a 12x16 inch rectangle. Spread jam evenly on top. If desired, dot randomly with raspberries. Tightly roll up the dough to form a 16-inch long log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. I find a serrated knife works best. Criss-cross one half on top of the other half-- forming an X. Twist the two together then coil into a circle. Carefully transfer to prepared springform pan. (I carefully pick it up using two flat spatulas!) Cover the twist with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then allow to rise once again in a slightly warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes.
Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position then preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Bake until golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. If you find the top is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make the vanilla icing by whisking the icing ingredients together until smooth.
Carefully remove the rim of the springform pan. Drizzle with vanilla icing. Slice and serve. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Make ahead tip: You can freeze the baked and cooled twist bread for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven to your liking, then top with icing. The dough can be prepared through step 3, then after it has risen, punch it down to release the air, cover tightly, then place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Continue with step 5. To freeze the dough, prepare it through step 3. After it has risen, punch it down to release the air. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before continuing with step 5. (You may need to punch it down again if it has some air bubbles.)
Recipe Notes:
I always use Red Star Platinum yeast, an instant yeast. If you don’t have Platinum, Red Star Active Dry or Quick Rise Yeast works too! If using active-dry, your dough may take a little longer to rise.
Did you make a recipe?
Tag @sallysbakeblog on Instagram and hashtag it #sallysbakingaddiction.
© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
SHOP THE RECIPE
Here are some items I used to make today’s recipe.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer | 5-qt. Tilt-Head Glass Measuring Bowl | Glass Measuring Cup | 9-inch Springform Pan | Marble Cake Stand | Custom Fork
In partnership with Red Star Yeast. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Source: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2018/08/23/raspberry-danish-twist-bread/
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Raspberry Danish Twist Bread
Some mornings are for granola bars and some mornings are for THIS.
Welcome to the billionth way to twist up dough and call it breakfast. But unlike all the others, this melt-in-your-mouth raspberry danish twist bread combines flaky and crispy, fluffy and soft, buttery and fruity. A generous drizzle of creamy vanilla icing seeps into every delicious pocket. Sliced warm and served cake-style, this twist will impress everyone who’s lucky enough to steal a taste.
If we’re not eating healthy breakfasts with the intention of indulging every now and then, what are we really doing?
This raspberry danish twist bread is texture paradise channeling the flakiness of breakfast danishes but with half the work. How’s it possible? The secret’s in the way we twist the dough. And even though that hypnotizing twist looks complicated to replicate, I swear it COULD NOT BE EASIER. And today I’m showing you how!
The dough is a scaled down version of my favorite cinnamon rolls and my Nutella babka. You’ll use the same 7 ingredients that most rich dough requires. Let’s talk about that for a second because when I learned the difference between “rich dough” and “lean dough,” I had a better understanding of bread baking in general.
Rich dough includes fat like eggs, milk, and butter. This guarantees a soft and supple dough, one that promises indulgent cinnamon rolls and breakfast pastries. Lean dough is low in fat and sugar and produces crusty breads and pizza dough. There’s hardly any fat, so it’s not as soft. Does that make sense?
Regardless if it’s rich or lean, behind every great dough is a great yeast– the workhorse behind this whole recipe. You were all so excited about the everything bagel pull apart bread I posted last week that I couldn’t wait to share another recipe made with Red Star Yeast. (We’re actually using the same exact dough ingredients… just in different amounts!)
Like usual, I use Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast. Platinum is an instant yeast that builds a stronger, taller, more voluminous dough. If you don’t have Platinum, Red Star Active Dry or Quick Rise Yeast works too! If using active-dry, your dough may take a little longer to rise.
Our danish twist bread requires 2 rises:
1st rise after the dough is made – 90 minutes
2nd rise after the dough is shaped/twisted – 45 minutes
After the 1st rise, punch the dough down to release the air. At this point you can freeze the dough and save for a raspberry danish twist bread sort of morning. Or you can shape into a rectangle, spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on top, roll it up cinnamon roll-style, then slice in half, twist, and coil into a circle. Remember babka? Similar to that.
It seems a lot more complicated than it actually is, so watch me do it:
The trick is to use a thin layer of jam. The more jam, the bigger mess you’ll need to clean up. I forgot to do it in the video, but for added raspberry goodness– dot a few fresh raspberries on top of the jam.
After the 2nd rise, it’ll be big, beautiful, and ready to bake. Sneak more raspberries in there if you can! (Oh my gosh you know what would be so good? And I’m sort of kicking myself for not doing it yet? PEACH DANISH TWIST BREAD! Picture this: peach jam, some juicy sliced peaches, topped with brown butter icing… please someone make it and report back.)
We’re baking the raspberry danish twist bread in a springform pan; its high sides confine the twist so it rises straight up instead of straight out. A cast iron skillet with tall sides could work too. We want to make sure the twist maintains its coiled shape!
I live for those pockets of raspberry between the flakes of buttery dough. Raspberry danish twist bread: beating every other breakfast by a landslide. Granola bars who??
PS: you should try my raspberry danish braid next!!
Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 teaspoons Red Star® Platinum yeast* (1 standard packet)
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup (180g) whole milk
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons; 60g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs
3 and 1/2 cups (430g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (240g) raspberry preserves/jam
optional: 1/2 cup (80g) fresh or frozen raspberries
Vanilla Icing
1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar
3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Make the dough: Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Or, if you do not own a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. Heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave until warm to touch, about 110°F (43°C). Pour warm milk on top of yeast/sugar. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will be frothy after 5-10 minutes.
If you do not have a mixer, you can mix by hand in this step. Add the butter, egg, flour, and salt. Beat on low speed for 4 minutes. Dough will be soft. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Using lightly floured hands, knead it for 1 minute. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-3 more Tablespoons of flour, but you want a very soft dough. Shape into a ball.
Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use nonstick spray to grease) and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place in a slightly warm environment to rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. For this warm spot, I suggest using the oven. Preheat to 200°F (93°C), then turn the oven off after preheating. Place the covered bowl inside and shut the oven door. This is your warm environment.
Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down to release the air.
Shape the twist: Watch the video above before continuing with this step. The visual guide will help! Using a rolling pin, roll into a 12x16 inch rectangle. Spread jam evenly on top. If desired, dot randomly with raspberries. Tightly roll up the dough to form a 16-inch long log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. I find a serrated knife works best. Criss-cross one half on top of the other half-- forming an X. Twist the two together then coil into a circle. Carefully transfer to prepared springform pan. (I carefully pick it up using two flat spatulas!) Cover the twist with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then allow to rise once again in a slightly warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes.
Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position then preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Bake until golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. If you find the top is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make the vanilla icing by whisking the icing ingredients together until smooth.
Carefully remove the rim of the springform pan. Drizzle with vanilla icing. Slice and serve. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Make ahead tip: You can freeze the baked and cooled twist bread for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven to your liking, then top with icing. The dough can be prepared through step 3, then after it has risen, punch it down to release the air, cover tightly, then place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Continue with step 5. To freeze the dough, prepare it through step 3. After it has risen, punch it down to release the air. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before continuing with step 5. (You may need to punch it down again if it has some air bubbles.)
Recipe Notes:
I always use Red Star Platinum yeast, an instant yeast. If you don’t have Platinum, Red Star Active Dry or Quick Rise Yeast works too! If using active-dry, your dough may take a little longer to rise.
Did you make a recipe?
Tag @sallysbakeblog on Instagram and hashtag it #sallysbakingaddiction.
© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
SHOP THE RECIPE
Here are some items I used to make today’s recipe.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer | 5-qt. Tilt-Head Glass Measuring Bowl | Glass Measuring Cup | 9-inch Springform Pan | Marble Cake Stand | Custom Fork
In partnership with Red Star Yeast. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Source: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2018/08/23/raspberry-danish-twist-bread/
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The Food Lab Cookbook's World's Most Awesome Sticky Buns-Famous Fridays
Woo-hoo! We made it to the end of the week! And there are sticky buns!! Just in time for lazy weekend breakfasts! And these are not just any sticky buns but baked straight from the pages of the awesome, almost encyclopedic, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt, also the author of the hit food blog, Serious Eats. If understanding more about the "why" in the kitchen matters to you, you are going to love this edition of Famous Fridays...you're also going to love these sticky buns--just look at all that luscious gooeyness!!
Not really being much of a science person (I took astronomy in college to learn cool stuff about planets and stars never dreaming it would mostly be physics and math-yikes!) I didn't really expect to like this cookbook, with its focus on the science behind the cooking, as much as I did, but I have to admit that working my way through it I have learned an awful lot, between all the great recipes, scientific explanations and color photos. I've also laughed a lot which I didn't expect to do considering it's (gulp) "science". The recipes, and there are tons of them in this almost-1,000 page tome are mainly forAmerican classics like the best penne vodka, pancakes, roast chicken, steak fajitas, banana bread...it goes on and on. In fact, my only real criticism of the book is that it's a bit overwhelming. I struggled a lot with what I want to share with you, but in the end how could I not take up the gauntlet and see if these were indeed the world's most awesticky buns? It was just too tempting!
Now, maybe you're thinking, "when will I have the time for these?" or "they look too intimidating" or maybe you've had a less than happy history with the buns. I get it, really. But what I want to tell you about these is that if you're looking for something special for a breakfast or brunch (maybe for the holidays) and you have a bunch of hours to be home to allow the dough to rise and to then put them together, you can get them to the point of right before baking and then chill them overnight. Which means that in the morning, you can just toss them in the oven and an agonizing 30 minutes later, because your house will smell so good that you won't know what to do with yourself and everyone will be pestering you as to how much longer it will take...well you know what will eventually happen...
Tada!! You, the master baker, will be the proud bearer of tender, golden, sweet with a nutty, caramel-y topping individual spirals that just can't be beat!! Not low-cal but totally worth the extra time in the gym!! Here's how you achieve these awesome creations--
First off, you make an easy buttermilk, yeast dough. And while it's rising, you make the sinfully addictive pecan-caramel sauce.
Once it's risen, you roll it out into a long rectangle.
Then you brush the whole thing with melted butter (I did warn you about the not low-cal part) and sprinkle with a cinnamon/brown sugar mixture.
Next, you roll it up jelly-roll-style and cut into spiral slices--
Which you then place on top of the sauce in the baking dish and stick in the fridge to finish rising overnight.
Now, you get some shut-eye, dream happy, sweet dreams (sticky bun sweet, if you know what I mean) and in the morning, take the rolls out of the oven and bake. They will bow down to you, I swear!!
Now, not having tasted all the sticky buns in the world (yet) I can't speak with 100% accuracy but in my world to date these are the most awesome sticky buns I've ever had and I hope you will think so too!! Try them and let me know. And pick up a copy of The Food Lab (careful, it weighs almost 7 pounds!!) and start having more success making your favorite foods (hint, hint--this book would make a great holiday gift for that cook in your life, especially one who's just starting out!). Meanwhile, have a great and as always, delicious weekend and I'll be back next week as we impossibly head into the end of October?!! Be safe!
The Food Lab Cookbook's World's Most Awesome Sticky Buns-Famous Fridays
Makes 1 dozen
Prep Time for Dough: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours rising time; Prep Time for Pecan-Caramel Sauce: 10 minutes; Assembly Time: 20 minutes, plus at least 2 hours rising time or better yet a stay in the fridge overnight; Bake Time: About 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the Dough
3 large eggs
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 cups (20 ounces) unbleached, all-purpose flour
For the Pecan-Caramel Sauce
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons buttermilk, well-shaken
4 ounces (1 cup) toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Pinch of kosher salt
For the Filling
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
The Recipe
1. To make the dough: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl well. Add the sugar, buttermilk, salt, yeast and melted butter and whisk until well mixed--it may be clumpy but this is OK. Now use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour until there is a well-formed ball of dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board or countertop and knead for about 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth and silky. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for about 2 hours, until roughly doubled in volume.
2. Meanwhile make the pecan-caramel sauce: Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring every now and then, until sugar is totally dissolved and the mixture is bubbling. This should take about 2 minutes. Add in the buttermilk, pecans and salt and mix well and pour into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.
3. To make the filling: Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Once the dough has risen, turn out onto a floured surface and lightly sprinkle flour on top of it as well. Push the dough into a rough rectangle with your hands and then use a rolling pin to roll it into a 16 x12-inch rectangle with the short end facing you. Use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter all over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the dough and use your hands to push it into the butter a bit and make sure it's spread evenly. Roll the dough up jelly-roll-style into a tight cylinder, using a bench scraper to help release the dough from the surface and allow you to make the roll tight. Pinch the seam shut and turn the dough so that it's seam side down. If you need to even out the shape a bit.
5. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 even slices. The easiest way to do this is to cut the log in half and then cut each half in half, and then cut those into thirds. Place each roll on top of the sauce in the dish with the swirl side facing up, nestling the rolls together. Make sure the end slices go cut side down. Cover with plastic wrap and either leave at room temperature for about 2 hours until doubled in volume, the rolls should be well puffed and pressed tightly against each other or place in the fridge overnight to proof for up to 12 hours.
5. In either case, before baking, preheat oven to 350ºF. If rolls have chilled overnight, take them out of the fridge when you start the oven so that they can warm up a bit. Bake for about 30 minutes until buns are golden brown and well puffed, turning the dish halfway through the baking process so that they cook evenly. Let the buns rest for about 5 minutes, then invert the buns onto plates and scrape out excess sauce and nuts and spoon over the buns. Serve immediately.
6. Leftovers can be refrigerated and popped into the microwave for a quick reheat.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from The Food Lab Cookbook by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. There is an Orange-Cream Cheese glaze that is optional in the book and these definitely don't need anymore. But if you really want to mix 4 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest, 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and a pinch of kosher salt in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture is simmering and homogeneous. Spoon over the cooked buns and serve.
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Today is Mother’s birthday. As I reflect on the wonderful presence she is in my life, I find myself reminiscing. 30 years of memories with her make me so grateful to have her as my mother, my best friend, my confidant and sounding board. She is the sound of reason, the voice in my head, the one I turn to for advice and comfort, my number one fan, and the absolute best example of unconditional love. I know there will always be nothing but love from her. She is quick to respond with positivity and support, ideas and creativity, and her own personal brand of vivacity. In 60 years, when she’s 112 and I’m 90, I’ll probably have to say goodbye to her, but even then it won’t have been enough time with her. She’s incredible and amazing, and I can’t imagine my life without her. She’s the woman who came to organize my apartment because I didn’t have a chance to do it before the baby was born. She the woman who, when I asked to borrow her giant pot to make some dishes for my family, responded with, “Absolutely!” I see so much of her in me. And I’m sure as my own daughter grows I’ll hear her words coming from my mouth more and more. After all, my whole life has been filled with her.
There’s something about cooking that takes me back to the past. Back to days in the kitchen with Mother. With Granny. Back to my childhood. Chicken and dumplins–the rolled out kind, not the dropped ones, pinto beans, rice, corn bread, banana bread, chicken breast… I made those a few days ago. All of it. All at once. Cooking isn’t a challenge if you only have one pot on the stove and nothing in the oven. Heaven knows I like a challenge. My bonus daughter asked me how I learned to cook. The thing is, I don’t really know. I just watched. Cast iron skillets, Magnalite pots, corningware dishes, pie plates, and cookie sheets. There was magic in the kitchen when I was little. I watched Granny cook endlessly for the first 11 years of my life. I remember sitting on the yellow formica countertops stirring the roux so it would get nice and brown without burning. I remember finding recipes and measuring ingredients to make pies and cookies to feed the people who seemed to always be at Granny’s house. I remember the dumplin pot full of goodness and watching the women of my family make the recipe that was never written. Casseroles and soups and things we made up as we went, those were the magic of that kitchen. I learned to love to cook there, though the practical application and technical skill came later. Training to be a restaurant manager will teach you things about being in the kitchen that you never thought you’d need to know. I know how to do things that no single person ever needs to tackle in their own home, but learning it was useful. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is just as powerful, after all.
My husband is working overnights right now, but he has weekends off, so I’m thankful for the consistent schedule. I’ve been able to prepare meals in advance for him because of his steady hours, so cooking a week’s worth of meat and putting it in separated Tupperware means one less obstacle for his day. This is the easiest part of my time in the kitchen. I’m so thankful for the genius who came up with those pre-cut foil sheets. One per chicken breast, seasoned individually so he’s not eating the same flavors every day, then into our awesome mini-oven below the microwave (originally intended mostly for pizza, I think, but we use it CONSTANTLY). 425 degrees for 45 minutes for thawed and 90 minutes for frozen, then out comes an easy entrée for my hard-working honey to eat on the job.
We have my bonus daughter here for the month. Well, she got here on June 23rd and she goes back to her biological mother on July 23rd, but this is her “month” with us. This is the first time she’s been able to spend the full four weeks with her father and me. There were always scheduling conflicts in the past. It’s been wonderful and interesting having her here. I’m able to see the young woman she’s becoming, and I’m able to influence her in those aspects I find important to being a mature, well-behaved lady that she may not be exposed to elsewhere. Things like not eating in bed, picking up trash, cleaning up after yourself, brushing your hair more than once a day, brushing your teeth and showering regularly, making smart food choices, not needing a dessert after every meal, being responsible for cleaning up your living space, and being observant and considerate are all lessons of the summer in a roundabout way. She loves her baby sister, though she gets bored with her lack of mobility, I think, but she is always willing to help. At 11, she’s showing those signs of teenage “attitude” that I see at school, and her fashion choices are very much on the dress-down side, and so I see a lot of myself in her, despite the lack of biological connection. I actually feel the need to apologize to my mother on a regular basis for my own fashion choices and hormonal attitude at that point in my life. It’s completely different and I understand her so much better looking at it from this side.
She’s the reason I’ve been pre-packaging fruits and veggies, making more chicken and dumplins than I’ve ever made before, and cooking big meals with leftovers. She hasn’t quite learned the kitchen and can’t really cook more than Ramen, and even that’s with supervision, so she makes sandwiches and heats things in the microwave. With the new baby demanding time and energy, I welcome her autonomy when possible. She genuinely seems to like what I cook, especially dumplins. Except for the beans. She said, “I’m not really a fan of beans in general, but if I were, I would like these.” That’s the most back-handed compliment she’s ever given, I think. And I’m pretty sure she was just being nice. You can’t please everyone, I suppose. This is the same child who likes Brussels sprouts and claims to not like cheese.
I find my role as both mother and bonus mom significantly colored by the experiences I had with my own mother. I see what she went through in my own life, and I thank the Lord above I have her to observe, that I grew up watching her deal with life and all of its challenges, especially the ones that come from having children that you’re trying to shape into the best adults possible.
Dumplin’ Pot
Cast Iron
Chicken and dumplins
Cornbread in cast iron
Pinto beans with rice and cornbread
Banana bread
Seasoned Chicken
Chicken in Foil for Baking
I like to cook. I make things up as I go along even more now than I did before. Mother does that. I learned how to make dumplins and pinto beans from her. A little of this, a little of that, season it until it tastes right, though my palm is my measuring cup. Mother learned it from her mother, who learned it from her mother, as far as I know. Those are Mother’s recipes. Nothing is written down with any sense of certainty. Just approximations and estimations, eyeballing amounts in your hand before dusting them into the pot and knowing it just fits, smelling things and picking out the flavors you want, mixing and matching tastes and ideas and feeling that certain something in your gut that makes you add an unorthodox ingredient that makes a dish perfect. Like sugar with sour cream, or peanut butter with honey or bananas, or tomato and mayo on a sandwich. All of those are things my husband just doesn’t get. I follow recipes, too, but I’m not afraid to add a little something here and there to make it my own. I run into the problem all of the cooks in my family deal with, though. Once it’s made, we have NO idea what went in it! I got my own set of wonderful Magnalite pots and pans for Christmas last year, and I’ve had cast iron for ages now. I love them. Magnalite pots and cast iron skillets are the cornerstones of my kitchen. If the kitchen is magic, I come from a long line of witches. The foundations of my happiness in the kitchen are firmly ensconced in Magnalite, magic, and Mother’s recipes.
Magnalite, Magic, and Mother’s Recipes Today is Mother's birthday. As I reflect on the wonderful presence she is in my life, I find myself reminiscing.
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A Full Day of Healthy Eating (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
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A Full Day of Healthy Eating (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
A few of you have asked me to shoot a ‘what I eat in a day’ style video and I really liked that idea. So I decided to film a full day of healthy recipes – breakfast, lunch and dinner and finish it off with some snack/dessert suggestions.
I really enjoy watching these kind of videos as they give me new ideas and inspire me to try something different. I wanted to share recipes that are quick and easy to make and are also healthy and delicious. This way you can enjoy nourishing food without feeling like you’re missing out or feeling like you’re on a ‘diet’. As soon as you think you’re on a diet you instantly and subconsciously feel deprived and that you’re missing out. This is the reason why dieting doesn’t work and is not sustainable long-term.
When I first moved to the UK I put on a lot of weight and very quickly because of the way I was eating. I wasn’t used to having an abundance of junk food and treats around me and I just wanted to try everything! A few months later I noticed I was pilling on the weight and all of a sudden I was obsessed with the idea of losing weight, dieting and low fat, low calories foods. Since then, I always seemed to be on some sort of diet. I didn’t necessarily follow any particular type of diet most of the time, although I did try an Atkins style diet (high protein and fat and very low carbs) once and absolutely hated it! My whole day was then consumed by thinking of what I can and can’t eat coupled with feeling lethargic and tired. I couldn’t keep that up for longer than a week.
Most of my diets however focused on eating low calories, low fat kind of diet. I used to avoid bananas because I had read that it had too much sugar and too many carbs and would rather eat a low-calorie, low-fat breakfast bar because that way I could keep track of exactly how many calories I ate. I never used to make homemade meals because they were too difficult to calculate and I wanted to know exactly how many calories I was consuming. Plus, cooking took longer than the 2 minutes it took to cook a microwavable meal. And I always used to pick the ones that had the word ‘healthy’ or ‘low fat’ on the packaging so of course I believed them to be healthy.
I was so naive for so many years and had such a negative relationship with food. I actually didn’t realise until a year or so ago that I no longer have a problem with food anymore. Only when I started looking into nutrition and truly understood the benefits of cooking from scratch and eating as natural as possible that I started to enjoy food and not worry about my weight. I no longer count calories or restrict how much I eat and I’ve been able to maintain my weight for the last 5 years or so now. I’m not a size zero and I don’t have a perfectly toned stomach or legs, but I’m content with where I am right now. I exercise regularly – 4 to 6 times a week depending on how I’m feeling and I’m really enjoying it because I don’t do it to lose weight or to get the perfect body. I’m doing it because it makes me feel happy and helps with my chronic fatigue.
So here’s my first full day of healthy recipes. I’m hoping to make one of these videos once a week, depending on how well it’s received. If you do find the video helpful leave a comment below or on the YouTube video above letting me know what you thought of it and if you would like to see videos like this on a regular basis.
BREAKFAST
Chia Pudding with Chocolate Banana NiceCream
2 tbsp chia seeds 1/2 cup (120ml) milk of choice 1 ripe frozen banana 1 tbsp cocoa/cacao powder 1 scoop rice vanilla protein powder
Method: In a small bowl, mix together the chia seeds and milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight In the morning, blend the banana, cocoa and protein powder with a splash of milk layer the chia pudding and nicecream in a jar and top with berries.
LUNCH
Speedy Mexican Bean Pizza
3 tbsp tomato puree 1 tsp oregano Pinch of salt A splash of water 1/2 can mixed beans 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2-1 tsp paprika 1 small garlic clove Salt & pepper to taste 1 gluten-free wrap Vegan cheese, shredded
Method:
Mix the tomato puree in a small bowl with the oregano, salt and a splash of water In another bowl mix together the beans, lemon, chilli, cumin, paprika, garlic and season with salt & pepper to taste. Spread the tomato sauce on the warp and top with the beans. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and grill for 5-8 minutes until the cheese melts.
DINNER
Lentil Coconut Curry
1 tbsp coconut oil 1/2 onion, chopped 1/2 tsp coriander 1-2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp garam masala 2-3 garlic cloves 1 cup red lentils 1 can light coconut milk Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
Heat the coconut oil on a medium head then add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spices with a splash of water to create a paste. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the lentils and season with salt & pepper. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil, cover then lower the heat and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add water if needed while cooking. Serve with brown rice and salad.
A Full Day of Healthy Eating (Vegan & Gluten-Free) was originally published on UK Health Blog - Nadia's Healthy Kitchen
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FEATURE: Cooking With Anime - Roulette Cream Puffs from "Gabriel DropOut"
You know, for me, it's been a rough week. I was in the hospital with my friend last Tuesday, then I had a crisis at work, and then I had to reconcile my very existance as a functioning human adult, which is never a pleasant task. So, this week I wanted to make something simple and fun.
What did I choose? Cream puffs. Again. I hate cream puffs. Have I said that before? I'm not a huge fan of their eggy flavor, I don't really like the cream in the middle, and, though the recipe is simple, it requires filling a piping bag which is always messy, even when it should be simple. I chose them because I thought the recipe would be a fun challenge to do with my friends, but then that fell through when it became clear my steadfast roommate was now unable to sample my delicious food creations until the doctors had diagnosed her health problem. Making a dish that didn't excite me now lacked even the fun of sharing it with my best friend. Truly, this week was not going well for me (or her, to be honest).
And yet, when I made the puffs this time, a miracle happened and I seem to have achieved cream puff perfecion. The puffs were crispy on the outside but soft and custardy within. The strawberry and vanilla creams were both delicious. And while, yes, it did take a long time to whip everything up, each recipe in itself is pretty simple. I'm convinced the puffs have been a turning point for me. I remembered that my favorite author's third book is coming out in a little more than a week. I realized Valentine's day was coming up, the one day of the year I find it appropriate to make raspberry and white chocolate mousse and eat it all by myself (my SO doesn't like it). And I got some awesome K-Pop swag in the mail. My life has been more care-free since these puffs, so no longer will i spurn them. But, what brought on the idea of cream puffs??
Satania is invited to try some humungous cream puffs. However, Satania from the show Gabriel DropOut seems to have no tastebuds to speak of (Which makes me think that she actually wouldn't appriciate my award-winning cream puffs, but she might at least appreciate the bubbly inner structure of the puff).
There are 3 puffs. One strawberry filled, one vanilla custard filled, and one.... one filled with a super spicy sauce!!!
Do I even need to say which puff Satania gets? She is remarkably un-swayed by the puff she is handed, which is frankly amazing. I've heard of this kind of game before; rice balls that are regular, and balls that are filled with wasabi. The game is played with friends- everyone chooses a rice ball and eats it together. The person who gets the wasabi ball is the loser and, at the end, the person who ate the most wasabi has to complete a challenge, or something similar. In this case, the girl who got the super-spicy cream puff was supposed to pay the bill.
Since I've heard of this challenge done before with wasabi, I decided to make the third puff filled with straight wasabi. Nothing fancy to it, really, but it's super effective. I invited many of my friends to try it, but strangely, no one was willing to take a bite. This recipe is long- it takes a bit of time to make the different fillings. If I had to choose one, I would go with the traditional vanilla cream filling. I decided to add more vanilla than normal, which really improved the flavor, in my opinion. The strawberry one is good too, but I found it a little stiff for my tastes. In hindsight, I would only add half the gelatin packet for a looser cream filling. IF you plan to serve these to friends, though, the strawberry cream with the full packet of gelatin will hold up really well for travel purposes, better than the vanilla cream. With puffs, it's best to fill them right before you eat them but, of course, sometimes it can't be helped.
A note about the video- I'm not sure what happened, probably my bad week coming back to haunt me, but I lost some of the footage. There are three parts specifically you should be aware of that aren't in the video. I mention them, and they are in the instructions below, but I apologize for the missing footage. Please read below for a clarificiation of this lost footage.
Check out the video below for a visual on instructions. Ingredients and picture instructions are listed just below.
youtube
Ingredients:
*Recipes taken/adapted from here and here.*
Strawberry Filling:
8 oz Strawberries, chopped roughly
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 packet gelatin
2 tbs water
1 cup heavy cream
Vanilla Pastry Cream:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Choux Pastry:
8 tbsp butter
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature
**You may also need Wasabi, if you want to make it a true cream puff roulette.**
To Make:
1. Let's start with the vanilla pastry cream. Begin by steaming the milk on the stove. Do not let it boil. While it's heating up, combine sugar, flour, and salt with the eggs. Whisk until everything is saturated- it's ok if it's crumbly.
2. When the milk is steaming gently- not boiling- remove from stove and mix into the egg mixture a little at a time. After each addition stir quickly and vigorously to incorporate it all together. You must whisk in quickly, or the hot milk will cook the eggs. The act of stirring quickly both cools the milk down, and brings the eggs up in temperature to the right amount so they don't make scrambled eggs when you return everything to the stove.
3. When the milk and egg mixture are completely mixed together, return the liquid to the stove over medium-high heat. Stir constantly, about 4-5 minutes, until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency. This will happen all at once after several minutes of stirring- don't leave the mixture along.
4. Remove from heat and stir the vanilla through the mixture. Then, strain immediately to remove any lumps of accidental cooked egg.
5. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming, and refridgerate at least 2 hours, overnight is best.
6. Then, let's work on the strawberry filling. Pour the gelatin into the water, mix together, and set aside.
7. Then, put the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar into a pot and heat over high heat. While on the stove, mash/ liquify with some kind of mashing implement (potato masher) or a stick blender to bring out the juices. You want a relatively lump-free concoction. Let the whole mixture come to a boil, and then let simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. (THIS DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE VIDEO- DON'T FORGET IT!!)
8. Then, remove from heat. Strain to remove any seeds/lumps.
9. Stir the gelatin mixture into the hot liquid. The heat from the strawberries will melt the gelatin. Continue stirring until completely melted, and then set aside to come to room temperature. If at any point it begins to harden up, simply put in the microwave to gently melt in on 10 second intervals, or until mixture is liquid, but not hot.
10. Beat the cream to medium peaks and fold into the cooled strawberry mixture. Once folded in, prepare the piping bags and place the strawberry and vanilla creams into them. Filling the piping bags- turn the top over to create a lip and fill the bags that way. Then, just fold the top back up to leave any mess inside the piping bag. You will need a circle or star tip of moderate size- not too big, as it will leave a hole in the side of the puff. (THIS DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE VIDEO- DON'T FORGET IT!!)
11. And now for the cream puffs! Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit. Place water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt into a pan and heat over high heat. When it's boiling, and butter is melted, turn the heat to medium and dump in the flour all at once.
12. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes over medium heat, until a ball forms nicely (for me, this happens pretty quickly. Nonetheless, keep stirring for the 5 minutes) and liquid has had a chance to steam off. There should be some dough residue on the pan- this will indicate it's ready. When in doubt, keep it moving over the heat, at least 5 minutes. The goal is to cook some of the liquid out, which will produce and airy puff later.
13. Take dough off the heat, and put into bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow to cool about ten minutes, and then start beating in the eggs, one at a time. Wait until each egg is fully incorporated before mixing the next one in, ~4-5 minutes overall. (THIS DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE VIDEO- DON'T FORGET IT!!)
14. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper. Prepare a plastic bag or a piping bag for the choux pastry.
15. Pastry is done when it is glossy, slightly sticky, and holds its shape well. It should not be runny. Put the pastry into a piping bag/ ziploc bag, and snip off about 3/4 inch of a tip.
16. Pipe puffs by starting in a big circle that draws up into a point. The bigger you pipe, the bigger the final puff. These will rise upwards, not outwards.
17. Tap down the tips- if it's sticking, dip your finger in a bit of water to tap down the points, so they don't burn in the oven.
18. Reduce heat of oven to 375 Fahrenheit and then place in the middle of the oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven. Do not open until at least 30 minutes have passed. If your oven burns hot (mine does- it's a gas stove), err on the side of caution and check at 30 minutes. If your oven isn't as hot, check after 40 minutes. Puffs should be golden brown and nice and tall.
19. While puffs are cooking, prepare fillings. Place into piping bags or plastic bags fitted with piping tips. I'd recommend a round or star tip, but whatever you have will work. You could even try it without a tip, if you're accustomed to living on the wild side.
20. When puffs are done, allow to cool completely before filling. Use a knife to create a hole in the bottom of a puff. Then, fill with the filling of your choice.
21. To make a wasabi puff, put some wasabi in a plastic bag, snip the tip, and pipe it in like the others.
22. And now it's done!
I hope you enjoyed this post! Check in next week for another recipe. To check out more anime food recipes, visit my blog for more anime and manga themed food. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! I recently got a twitter, so you can follow me at @yumpenguinsnack if you would like, and DEFINITELY feel free to send me food requests! My tumblr is yumpenguinsnacks.tumblr.com. Find me on Youtube for more video tutorials! Enjoy the food, and if you decide to recreate this dish, show me pics! :D
In case you missed it, check out our last dish: Easy Valentine's Chocolate from "Gintama". What other famous anime dishes would you like to see Emily make on COOKING WITH ANIME?
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