Thursday, March 28

Brioche Bread

 Brioche - makes three large loafs



Ingredients
1 kg bread flour 2.2 pounds or 7 1/2 Cups
400 grams sugar (2 cups)
5 eggs
250 ml Warm Whole Milk (1 cup)
3 packages of yeast (7 grams each)
pinch of salt
80 ml sunflower oil (1/3 Cup)
80-100 grams butter (1/2 Cup) - unsalted - Pulgra or President
(Available at Tropicana)
Raisins if desired (rinsed)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 TBS lemon zest
For the greatest success make the dough in a warm room - 82 degrees plus. Have all the ingredients at room temperature and be careful of drafts. Sift the flour twice. Place flour into a large bowl and make a well in it. Reserve 1-2 Cups of the flour for incorporating during the mixing. In a separate bowl begin to proof the yeast by placing yeast in the milk that has been warmed to around 95 degrees. Add 1 TBS of the flour and ½ tsp of sugar to the milk mixture to feed the yeast. Add the remaining sugar and the pinch of salt into the bowl with the flour. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Crack the 5 eggs into the well of the dry ingredients and slowly begin to incorporate the eggs and flour. Work the dough slowly with a wooden spoon in one direction. Add the yeast mixture. Add the vanilla and the lemon zest. Melt the butter and combine with the oil. Add this butter mixture several tablespoons at a time. Knead until small bubbles appear. You will not use all the butter mixture or all the flour but keep for additional steps. The dough is a
soft dough but shouldn’t be too sticky because of the butter. Place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and then a towel. To hasten the proofing process you can heat the oven to 100 degrees, turn off the oven and place your bowl in the oven. Let double in size, about 1 ½ hours. Butter your loaf pans with the remaining butter and dust with flour. Punch down dough and incorporate more butter. Divide dough into three equal balls. Separate each of those balls into three even
balls by greasing your hands with the butter and continue to work it into the dough. Roll each ball to a 16" x 6" rectangle. Roll the rectangle up longwise. Do this with all three pieces of the dough. Bread in a Dutch braid pattern. Place dough, being careful to tuck under the ends into
the loaf pan. Repeat with other loaves. Drizzle with butter. Let the dough raise (in the oven if preferred) until double in size (takes about 30-40 minutes). Make an egg wash with 2 eggs and a tablespoon of milk. Brush on the raised loaves. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 325 on lower rack for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Warm Cider


8 cups fresh apple cider or apple juice
2 teaspoons or 2 cinnamon sticks
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
4 whole cloves
1 orange, cut into slices

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

    * 3/4 - 1 LB. Italian sausage (hot or mild)



    * 1 can (14 1/2 oz) Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
    * 1 pkg (9 oz.) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
    * 1 can (14 oz) beef broth
    * 1 c. water
    * 1 tsp. oregano
    * 1 tsp. basil
    * 1/4 tsp. hot pepper
    * 1 Tbsp. garlic
    * 1 small onion chopped
    * 1can black beans
    * fresh grated Parmesan cheese


    Brown sausage & drain. Add remaining ingredients, except beans, tortellini & cheese. Bring to a boil. Add tortellini, cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is nearly done. Add beans and simmer until heated through. Sprinkle with finely grated fresh parmesan cheese and serve.

    For the crockpot version: Brown & drain sausage. Put rem. ingred., expect beans, tortellini & cheese in crockpot. Cook on low 4 - 5 hours. Turn crockpot to high. Add tortellini and beans. Continue cooking until tortellini is tender. Serve with a sprinkling of cheese.
    Makes 4 generous servings.
    Good hot, warm or surprise, cold! Enjoy.

Orange Rolls

2 pkgs dry yeast (about 2 TBS)

1/4 Cup warm water
3 eggs, well beaten
4 ½ Cups flour
1 Cup warm water
½ Cup shortening
½ Cup sugar
2 tsp salt
Butter

Soften yeast in 1/4 Cup warm water.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Combine dissolved yeast, eggs, 2 ½ Cups flour, 1 Cup warm water, shortening, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Cover.  Let rise until double in bulk.  Punch down and refrigerate overnight. (You can skip this step if you need to.) Three hours before baking, roll out as desired.  Divide dough in half.  Roll each half into a ½” thick rectangle.  Spread with a mixture of 1/3 cups butter, at room temperature, ½ cup sugar and the rind of orange grated.  Roll up jelly-roll style.  Cut in 1" slices.  Place in greased muffin tins, cut side down.  Cover.  Let rise 3 hours.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.  Yield 2 ½ dozen rolls.  Frost with powdered sugar icing while hot.

6 Threes Ice Cream

3 cups sugar

3 cups milk
3 cups cream
juice of 3 lemons
juice of 3 oranges
3 mashed bananas

Mix in ice cream freezer and churn until completed

Homemade Peach Ice Cream - Wendy Hodgkinson

4 Cups Sugar

1 Quart Milk
1 Pint Cream
1 Can Evaporated Milk
Juice of 3 lemons and 3 oranges
½ tsp salt
6 fresh peaches

Puree peaches, add sugar and juices, whip cream and add the rest of the ingredients.  Put in Ice Cream freezer and churn until completed.

Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream - Shirl and Lenore Cornwall

 Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream

Ingredients                            4 Quarts        6 Quarts



Eggs                                            4            6
Sugar                                    2 2/3 Cups        4 Cups
Semi Sweet Chocolate Squares    2            3 ½
Salt                                                1/3 tsp            ½ tsp
Vanilla                                        2 tsp            1 TBS
Whipping Cream                        1 1/3 Cup        2 Cups
Canned Milk                                2 2/3 cans        4 cans
Regular milk                            4 Cups        6 Cups
*Chopped Almonds                    5-6 ounces        9 ounces

Beat eggs in mixer with ½ of the sugar.  Melt chocolate and add salt and vanilla.  Cool chocolate.  Add to egg mixture.  Beat well.  Add remaining sugar and canned milk.  Pour into freezer can and add cream and milk last to about 4 ½ inches from the top of can.  Freeze, and when starting to stiffen add nuts.

*Toasted salted chopped almonds - spread whole almonds on cookie sheet and sprinkle with vegetable oil and stir.  Bake 5 minutes at 400 stirring and watching until pale tan.  Watch carefully so they don’t brown too much or they become bitter.  Remove to a bread board and chop some (or you can use slivered almonds).  Sprinkle with a little salt, let cool.

Bev's Strawberry Dessert

1  Cup flour

1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup chopped pecans
1/2 Cup melted butter

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 TBS lemon juice
 Cup heavy cream, whipped

Combine flour, brown sugar, pecans and butter.  Spread out on a large cookie sheet 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Bake in preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes until just brown.  Cool, then crush with a rolling pin to make crust.

Place egg whites, sugar, strawberries and lemon juice in large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until thick and creamy - about 10 minutes.  Fold in whipped cream.  Sprinkle approximately 2/3 of crumbs on bottom of 9 x 13 pan.  Spread strawberry mixture over crust and top with remaining crumbs.  Cover and freeze at least 6 hours.   I have used frozen strawberries - that works fine.  I usually top with a dollop of whipped cream and then a sliced and swirled strawberry garnish like the picture that is attached.  

Wednesday, March 6

Lion House Lemon Bars

1/2 cup butter  softened
1/4 cup  powdered sugar
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar; add 1 cup flour. Spread in an 8x8-inch pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare filling.

Filling:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
grated rind of 1/2 lemon

In a medium bowl, beat eggs slightly and add sugar, 2 Tbsp. flour, lemon juice and lemon rind. Mix well and pour over hot crust immediately after removing it from the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Cool slightly before cutting into 2-inch squares. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Makes 16.