Soft Pretzel Bites - Perfect for Back to School!

Snacks.... I never thought about snacks as much as I have since becoming a Mom. I keep snacks on hand, I don't dare leave the house without something handy and my kids are constantly asking for them.

"Mom, I'm hungry... can I have a snack?"

School is starting back up here next week which brings a whole new angle to snack time - class snacks. Families are assigned one day a month to provide a snack for the entire class. Of course, once on a time snack schedule, my kids are "starving" at that time on weekends, holidays and when out for summer.

So, yes... my life revolves around having snacks handy or a few bars or pouches of something buried deep in my purse. Despite my initial resistance to snacking between meals, I have resigned myself to knowing as my boys get older this need to constantly graze will only get worse.

Lucky for you, my September Secret Recipe Club assignment brought with it a great recipe and snack idea that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy - Soft Pretzel Bites. Now, that is a snack even I was excited to make!

This month I was assigned to Making Memories with your Kids and Erin had tons of great ideas to make meal times fun both for eating and for getting into the kitchen with the whole family. I chose the Soft Prezel Bites recipe for my youngest son, Elliott, who just adores pretzels! He also lives for snacks. While looking through Erin's site though I found many other fun recipes I want to try like her Homemade Pop Tarts or her recipe for Twix Cheesecake Brownie Torte - Yes, please!  Erin really has a passion for getting her kids involved in baking and cooking, so if you are looking to be inspired, be sure to check out her blog.

This recipe is pretty simple. Pretzels and bagels are created like any other bread dough, then boiled briefly and finished off with a topping and some time in the oven to bake and crisp up. The extra step though is totally worth the time! These little pretzel bites are crunchy on the outside while still being warm and chewy in the middle. I dipped mine in some coarse grained mustard, but my toddler gobbled them up plain and warm from the oven.

It all starts with a little yeast...

Proofing is like a morning call to the yeast colony. "Hey guys! Time for work..."

All the ingredients go in and the dough should come out supple, but not too sticky either. It had just enough flour in order to clean the sides of the stand mixer, but it was not dry.

After a good rise, about an hour to double in size, I created my "snake" of dough and used my bench scraper to cut small peices off. I rolled each into a tighter ball and pinched the seam on the bottom.

Then I boiled my pretzel bites in water with non-diastic malt powder for about a minutes. The non-diastic malt powder helps to produce a shiny crust on bagels and pretzels. I use a ratio of 2 Tablespoons to 2 quarts of water. You can order it from amazon or King Arthur Flour. You can substitue baking soda, if you prefer, as in Erin's original recipe.

Then I brushed each bite with egg wash and sprinkled it with a little pretzel salt. The pretzel salt really holds up well to baking and doesn't disappear as Kosher salt can.

After baking, the soft pretzel bites were golden brown and ready to be devoured! Don't these look yummy?

Don't worry if the recipe seems to make an endless supply of these little soft pretzel bites. Believe me, they go quickly! Once you start snacking on them, you will be hooked. Let me know in the comments below what you would dip your pretzel bites into? Cheese sauce? Mustard, like me? Or do you have an alternate favorite? I would love to hear about it!

Soft Pretzel Bites
adapted from Making Memories with Your Kids

You Will Need:

• 1 1/2 c.  water at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 1/2 tsp. bread salt
• 4 1/2 c. flour
• vegetable oil - for oiling the bowl during proofing
• 2 quarts water
• 2 Tbsp. non-diastic malt powder
• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
• pretzel salt

Proof the yeast by combining the water, yeast, brown sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until the mixture foams and becomes bubbly. If there is no activity, or your yeast is sluggish, replace the yeast and start again.

Add the salt and flour to the bowl and with the dough hook, mix on medium for about 5 minutes. The dough should become smooth and the bowl should be clean. Remove from the mixer and put into an oiled bowl, turn the dough over, cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Once the dough is almost ready, bring a pot of water up to boil with 2 quarts water and the non-diastic malt powder. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Once the dough is ready, divide into 8 balls. Roll the dough out into long snakes and cut or divide into smaller portions. They will still puff up a little while cooking. I cut mine into thumb sized peices. 

Working in batches, drop the pretzel peices into the boiling water for about 30 seconds, then with a slotted spoon, remove them and place them on a non-stick baking mat. I used silpat for this this. Brush the boiled dough with egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the peices are a golden brown.

Remove from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Galaktoboureko - Greek Custard Pie #‎thebookclubcookbookCC

For July we dove right into Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres for The Book Club Cook Book Cooking Challenge. Sadly, this is our final post for the group as we posted a year's worth of great reads and great food finds. This month was once again hosted by Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

Looking back, it has been an impressive list of book and some great recipes. Many of the things I read and created for this group, I might not have tried otherwise. For that I am grateful!

I was excited this month because the book was, again, one I hadn't read. I actually haven't seen the movie either... But, it also was set in the Greek island of Cephallonia. I love Greek cuisine and knew I wanted to try something I hadn't made or tried previously.

The book itself took me a while to warm up to. It is interesting, yes, surprising as well as humorous at times. The tale of the doctor removing a green petrified pea from a patient's ear was memorable. But what I loved the most was the writing and the setting.

From all that, I was excited to make something I hadn't tried before. I have made Spanakopita before, and it is a dish a love, but I wanted to try something to uniquely tie to the story. A dish and flavors that I didn't have previous memories attached to. I ended up Googling Cephallonia and Greek cuisine and found myself with Galaktoboureko. Someone on vacation mentioned having it one night for dessert.

And if you know me. you know I am always looking to use up some eggs. A custard sounded perfect!

This is actually the first custard I have ever attempted that was thickened with fine semolina flour. I plan to use the rest of this bag to create some amazing pasta.

The only other ingredient I don't work with often is phyllo dough. Nothing mysterious about it. I purchased mine frozen. You will want to thaw it in the refrigerator the day before assembling your dessert.

Other than these ingredients, it was a pretty simple dessert. I was able to make and bake it during nap time and surprise my family with something new.

So for our final month of books and recipes, I suggest you sit down with a copy of Corelli's Mandolin and savor a slice of this creamy Galaktoboureko.

Ready for the recipe?

Galaktoboureko - Greek Custard Pie
recipe adapted from It's All Greek To Me by Debbie Matenopoulos

You will need:

• 6 cups whole milk
• 3/4 c. fine semolina flour
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 - 1lb. package of phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1 large slice of lemon peel
• 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• lemon zest for garnish

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" baking dish.

In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a slow simmer. Once starting to bubble, stir in the semolina. Once it begins to thicken, take off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar. Slowly start to temper the eggs by pouring in a little of the hot semolina mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly. Add in 2 cups slowly, then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Keep whisking to prevent the egg from scrambling. Whisk in the butter till the mixture is smooth. Pour the whole mixture through a strainer to remove any lumps of semolina or egg.

Unroll the phyllo dough on a counter and cover with a kitchen towl to prevent it from drying out  while you work. Work quickly. Place a single sheet in the baking dish, brush with butter and continue stacking and brushing till you have 9 sheets in the dish. 

Then spread the custard evenly over the phyllo dough, then continue layering the phyllo dough and brushing with butter until all the sheets are used. Trim overhanging edges and brush the top with extra butter.

Before baking, score the top few layers into 16 or more equal pieces. Bake uncovered for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and flaky.

While baking, create the lemon syrup. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the 2 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Add in the lemon peel and bring it up to boil. After it has boiled for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Once the squares are removed from the oven, immediately begin spooning the simple syrup over the phyllo dough. Cool for 45 minutes before slicing. Top with lemon zest for decoration.

Enjoy!

___________________________

Here we are at the final #thebookclubcookbookCC event. Final. Can you believe it??

It's hard to fathom that our year-long journey to explore - and cook from - The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp* is drawing to a close. Judy, Vicki, and their publisher, Tarcher-Penguin, provided the hosting bloggers with copies of the book plus copies to giveaway each month of the project. We are so grateful for their generosity over the past year.

Giveaway

This month Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla, this month's host, is giving away two copies of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook!

TWO of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from July 1st till July 31st at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclosure: Camilla received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp as an opportunity to give two copies away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil

This Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil was a weekend hit and the perfect loaf to pair with a fresh dinner of sauteed farm veggies and baked chicken.

After a bit of traveling last week, I was really itching to get into the kitchen to bake. This bread recipe definitely didn't disappoint.

I am also having a hard time coming to terms with the fact it is already July. How did July get here so quickly? In preparation for Fourth of July backyard grilling, I wanted to go low-key over the weekend. Instead of our usual big family dinner, I opted for a simpler weekend treat, saving my time and kitchen for the upcoming holiday.

I have a fun grilled dinner planned for Monday, so this weekend I wanted some simple baked chicken, sauteed veggies and a hearty bread. I always know if nothing else suits him, my toddler will always be happy with freshly baked bread.

 The start of July also brings me to this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal. This month it was my honor to be assigned Karen's Kitchen Stories. Karen is a self-proclaimed bread geek, so I knew I had to try one of her breads.. Believe me, there is a long list of amazing looking breads in her recipe index. Bread isn't the only thing Karen is talented at making, I also  found some other amazing looking recipes for General Tso's Chicken  and Baby Yukon Gold Hasselback Potatoes. If you end up making one of Karen's recipes, be sure to let me know in the comments below which one caught your eye!

I always enjoy any excuse to bust out my sourdough starter (originally from King Arthur Flour) and loved that this one also used rosemary. My darling "little" plant has completely taken over one corner of my garden and I currently have more rosemary than I could ever use.

But that is a problem that I rather enjoy having. I do try to use rosemary whenever possible without going completely overboard. This bread is amazing - but not overboard on rosemary flavor. Yum!

The recipe is actually quite simple, but it does take some forethought as there is a lot of inactive time required while the loaves rise. The longest rise takes place overnight in the refrigerator. I just barely escaped a rising disaster due to my bowl size. Luckily, it had just enough room to expand overnight before being shaped and baked.

This recipe is enough for making 2 boules, and they are best baked in cast iron dutch ovens for the best crust and crumb. I only have one Le Creuset dutch oven, so baked the other loaf on black Silpat. It was also good, but do try to use a dutch oven if you have one.

Also, Karen's recipe calls for letting the dough rise in a banneton or brotform. My loaves didn't achieve the same height because I let them rise free-form. Don't worry, I actually have a round banneton ordered and hope to share my experience with it soon. If you don't have these types of forms, don't worry. Do expect your loaf to spread outward more than up.

Ready to sink your teeth into a slice of Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil?

Okay. Let's get baking!

Sourdough Rosemary Bread with Olive Oil
from Karen's Kitchen Stories adapted from Amy's Bread, Revised and Updated: Artisan-style breads, sandwiches, pizzas, and more from New York City's favorite bakery

You will need:

• 2 oz. warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
• 1 tsp. active dry yeast
• 14 oz. sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 8 oz. water, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. rosemary, chopped
• 15.3 oz. all-purpose flour
• 2.8 oz. whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. bread salt (try King Arthur Flour's blend) 

In a stand mixer, combine the warm water and yeast. Allow to proof for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy.

To the mixer bowl, add in the starter, 8 ounces water, olive oil, and rosemary. Mix with the paddle attachment.

Switch to the dough hook and add in the remaining ingredients. Knead on medium-low (Kitchen-aid setting 4) for a couple of minutes. The dough should be tacky and soft.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl or rising bucket. After an hour, fold the dough over from all 4 sides and place it back into the oiled bowl, seam side down. Refrigerate for 8 - 16 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for about 2 hours.

Split the dough in half. Form two boules and place the dough seam side down on pieces of parchment. Cover and allow to rise for 75 minutes to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you are going to cook one or more loaves in dutch ovens, place the dutch ovens in the oven to preheat as well.

Spray the lid lightly with water and place the dough into a preheated dutch oven. Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and dutch oven. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

*If you don't have a dutch oven, you can bake this loaf on a tray. I used black Silpat and sprayed the inside of the oven with water before closing the door. Follow the same temperature and time guidelines as the covered loaf. The loaf will taste the same, but will have a different crust. Both methods are delicious, though.

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Pots de Creme - #‎thebookclubcookbookCC

These glorious little Pots de Creme are a simple nod to why I love chocolate...

...and they are also a great nod to the book, Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

For June, as part of The Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew, Sarah invited us to read and cook from Chocolat with her. I was thrilled. I was a huge fan of the movie from 2000 starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp - *swoon*. I remember watching it almost nightly when I worked in a little campus video store (remember those?). It was one of my favorite movies to pop in as I waited for closing. Cute music, witty banter and ... lots of chocolate!

Be sure to keep reading, there is a giveaway for a copy of The Book Club Cookbook at the end of the post. I have had so much fun reading a selection and cooking as inspired by the book. Our year is coming to a close soon, but I still have more books to read and food to enjoy. I hope you will keep going with me.

I was excited to finally read Chocolat. Sadly, as a college student my time was usually spent in textbooks, and I rarely had the time to read "good" books.

I have to tell you, the book is far better than even the magic of film! Vianne's internal dialogue is much funnier than even what Juliette Binoche could portray on screen. Even as she helped those around her with the magic of her chocolate and understanding, the complexity of her character was wonderful. She came in as an outcast and ended up bringing the community so much more than they could have imagined.

I ended up going for a classic treat, Pots de Creme (pronounced "Po de Krehm"). Lusciously smooth and chocolatey, I am sure it is exactly what Vianne would have selected for me. I just love how in the book she claims to know everyone's favorite! This dessert really makes my heart sing.

Besides tasting divine, this is also an easy treat to make.

Of course, it begins with chopped semi-sweet chocolate.

I have seen a few different ways to make this simple dessert, but decided to cook my custard over the stove and then add to the blender to melt and whip up the chocolate.

The eggs, milk, cream and sugar are ready when they coat the back of a spoon easily.

Then pour into ramekins or small dishes and chill for 2-4 hours before serving.

Serve with whipped cream, and garnish with fresh mint and fruit. My daughter insisted we go with the chocolate mint here. I think it worked nicely.

Pots de Creme

You will need:

• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate chopped
• 1 tsp. espresso powder
• 1 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the chopped chocolate and espresso powder in a blender and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla and pour the hot mixture into the blender. 

Take care to cover the blender and lid with a heavy towel. I like to vent my top slightly, but cover with the towel to prevent messes. Blend until smooth.

Pour into ramekins or glasses and chill for 2-4 hours. Serve with whipped cream and garnish with mint and fresh fruit, if desired.

Enjoy! 

Giveaway

This month Sarah at Thing I Make (for Dinner), this month's host, is giving away two copies of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook so you can join us in future months, if you wish!

TWO of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from June 1st till June 30th at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure: Sarah received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp as an opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

I used to love baking cookies...

I actually think it was the only thing I baked regularly before leaving for college. There was even a little kitchen-ette in our dorm, hidden away but dorm residents could request the key, I didn't know about that little perk until I was a resident assistant... the secret was closely guarded so it didn't become a mess... or worse, cause the whole complex to burn to the ground...

But I hadn't baked cookies because my oldest children couldn't eat most cookies. Don't worry, we have alternative treats to make them. But with an almost 3-year-old, cookies are back on my radar big time!

With my little-est cookie monster on my mind, I was thrilled to find June's Secret Recipe Club recipe at Emily's Life on Food with these delicious Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies.

Emily is another fabulous food blogger I know through The Secret Recipe Club, as well as The Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew and other fun foodie events.

Emily shares all her favorite recipes and juggles her food with a young child. Yeah, I get that. Toddlers rarely wait while a sauce is thickening on the stove or keep tantrums in check while tempering eggs...

sigh...

But I love that Emily is still adventurous in the kitchen, even when her hands are a little full. I need to try her Steak with Chimichurri Sauce - it looks so fresh and vibrant. I also need to try her recipe for Coconut Rice Pudding - because, well... I NEVER turn down a good rice pudding but coconut would definitely take it up a notch!

So, back to those delicious blondies!

I know the browned butter kick has faded it a bit, but this was a fun and tasty kick on a classic bar cookie. Browned butter is a little magical, don't you think? I highly recommend doing this in a cast iron skillet, if you got it. Otherwise, be sure it isn't non-stick...

Once melted, whisk to prevent the butter from burning. Brown flecks are good - blackened, burned bits are bad.

The rest is pretty much, straight up, the classic blondie recipe. So, let's get started, shall we?

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
adapted from Life on Food

You will need:

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/4 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare an 8"x8" baking dish with greased foil, or I like to use disposable with a lid.

Start by making the browned butter. In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir constantly. The butter will foam then begin to develop brown flecks and smell nutter. When the flecks begin to form, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Continue stirring for an additional minute, so the butter doesn't burn. Set aside for an additional 10 minutes to cool.

To the cooled butter, whisk in the egg and vanilla extract till smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gently fold into the butter mixture. Take care to moisten all the dry ingredients but do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Smooth out the top. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is set. Do not overbake. The blondies will firm up as they cool. 

Wait at least an hour before slicing into bars. Enjoy! 

Ready to check out all the great June Secret Recipe Club recipe posts?

An InLinkz Link-up

Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet Focaccia

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Hopefully you have great weather and plans to spend time with family. I am nursing a bit of a cold, but hope to get outside for some fun for the holiday. If you are still looking for any last minute picnic/BBQ food ideas, I would like to introduce you to this easy and crazy delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet Focaccia.

Focaccia is an Italian flatbread, but the addition of seasonal strawberries and rhubarb really  is a fun twist and great for packing along to the park or for a picnic. Pair this with some fresh squeezed lemonade and caprese salad... and you are good to go!

This marks a special holiday post. Not only is it Memorial Day, but a special Themed edition recipe for The Secret Recipe Club. Yes, that is two SRC posts this month. Be sure to also check out my Lemon Boysenberry Danish post from earlier this month.

For this post I was matched up with Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla. I was really excited about this assignment since I know her from The Book Club Cookbook group, as well as a few others. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you are going to want to give it a look.

I am not even sure where to start.

Camilla posts her fearless culinary adventures and I think she has tried just about everything. From the local, to the rare, or just using what she has on hand, she is cooking/baking up a storm and sometimes even her boys get in on the fun!

I started looking through past recipes an even by narrowing my search to something picnic ready, my recipe wish-list was long. I still want to make this Rhubarb Salad with Beets, Feta and Spring Greens or even this Cuttle fish ink pasta. I imagine it is similar to the squid ink pasta I enjoyed in Japan, but it looked like a lot of fun to make at home!

Ultimately her passion for rhubarb won me over. Seriously. Check out how many amazing recipes she has posted with this ingredient. She is now my hero.

Even then it was hard to narrow down to just one recipe... but the Rhubarb Focaccia eventually won out.

I have a long history with rhubarb. From what I can remember growing up, it was always a staple in my Mom's garden. When we moved, a new rhubarb plant was established. Some original root stock was sent over from my Grandfather's garden. So, once I was firmly planted in a house with a yard, I planted 3 rhubarb plants.

Sadly, the past few year's drought has taken a toll and my plants are not as robust as they used to be. So, I decided to take a page from Camilla's book... I used what I had on hand... namely a whole field of ripe strawberries, and decided to add some to the sweet flat bread.

One thing I love about Camilla's recipes is she isn't afraid to modify or substitute items. That is a skill every cook she have. She is often incorporating items from a CSA box, or using local seasonal items she finds to create her dishes.

This combination of strawberries and rhubarb reminds me of the sauce my Mom would make to pour over our French Vanilla Ice Cream. Yum!

It all starts with a sweet focaccia dough.

If you have never made a focaccia dough, it is super easy! Much less problematic than a risen loaf. It is really okay with being abused and dimpling the dough can be a great stress reliever!

I chose smaller, firmer strawberries since the juicier ones could add too much moisture, then topped my dough with the sliced berries, sliced rhubarb and



llll

Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet Focaccia
adapted from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

You Will Need:

• 2 c. warm water
• 1 Tbsp. active, dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 5 c. flour + additional for kneading, as necessary
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. coconut oil
• 2 c. (combined) thinly sliced rhubarb and strawberries
• pearl sugar
• simple sugar *optional - 1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. water + any additional rhubarb

Let the yeast bloom in a cup with the water, yeast and honey. The mixture should become nice and frothy after about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, or stand mixer, whisk together the flour, salt and oil. Knead until a soft dough forms. Only use flour if necessary. The dough should still be soft.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Allow the dough to double in size. This will take about an hour, depending on the temperature of your room... and eagerness of your yeast! 

Spray or grease a jelly roll pan. Once the dough has risen, stretch it to fit the pan. Top the dough with rhubarb and strawberries, sprinkle liberally with pearl sugar. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel. If desired, brush the top of the dough with a little simple sugar. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

After the dough rises a second time, bake it for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the top is golden. Brush the top with additional syrup if desired.

Cool, cut and enjoy!

Now check out the other Secret Recipe Club fun going on this Memorial Day!

An InLinkz Link-up

Lemon Boysenberry Danishes

I do love a good danish!

Truly, there is nothing I have enjoyed that I have not wanted to try and make for myself - make from scratch. The flaky and yet yeasty dough surrounding a lemon danish has intimidated me. I know that flaky layers are not easy to achieve. It takes time and effort to get them right.

So what prompted me to dive head first into danish pastries this weekend? Well, I have to thank Sid from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking for giving me the recipe and nudge to make these beauties!

Yes, that would be my lead into this month's Secret Recipe Club selection. Each month I am assigned a food blog and I have the pleasure of choosing the recipe that speaks to me. Then I get to come back here and tell you all about it. This really has been a pleasure the past few years. I have tried so many new and delicious recipes. I have tried things I never heard of before, and I have tried new ways of tackling the 'same old' flavors. Be sure to check out all the recipes from my group at the bottom of this post.

Getting assigned to Sid's blog was a real treat. Of course, that also made it really hard for me to choose just one recipe.

I would really like to try her Huevos Rancheros - there just isn't a good local fix for me right now and that Chile Verde recipe is calling for me to try!  She also has a great selection of Danish recipes. I haven't tried many of those, but the Brunede Kartofler looks yummy!  I just might always be on the lookout for new potato dishes...

And if I have to be honest, I didn't actually make the final selection. I listed off some possible dishes to my husband. As I went through my list I got the usual, "Uh-huh" or "Hmm". Food just doesn't excite him like it does me. But I did get his attention when I mentioned danishes. He immediately suggested I try that recipe from her blog and he brought me a jar of seedless Boysenberry jam to use.

I will chalk that up to excitement.

So, about those pastries...

This recipe is easy to follow. I have never made this pastry dough before, but I have worked with similar styles of recipes that fold the dough to create layers. It is very important to keep the butter chunks intact and the dough cold. That being said, I have a lot of room for improvement. While my dough wasn't buttery/flaky, it also didn't resemble a hockey puck. I consider that a win.

It all starts with a simple dough...

I made my dough in the food processor a couple days ahead of time. Then it went to chill in the fridge till I was ready.

The day before baking I pulled out my bowl of sticky dough and rolled it out on a lightly floured surface. I even chilled my rolling pin before rolling. Then I rolled out a big square and folded it in thirds, like a letter.

Then I rolled it out again into a rectangle about 10" by 24". Then again, folded it in thirds, turned the whole dough sheet and repeated the process. My kitchen was pretty warm, so I chilled the dough again before each roll out. This made it easy to fit around other household chores.

The folding may seem like a silly step, but it is very important for creating layers in the dough.

The morning I planned to bake these bad boys, I got up an hour earlier to soften the cream cheese and start shaping my pastries.

I rolled out the dough again and cut it into roughly 4" by 4" squares.Then I put on a little lemon cream cheese and a dollop of boysenberry jam. It was seedless and probably more than an actual dollop.

The I gave the tops a little egg wash and voila!

One tip, for the second batch I put in the fridge after shaping. The first batch was already baking. Chilling the dough before baking helped them keep their shape. The first batch came out as squares... the pinched edges were lost when the butter melted.

Ready to get baking?

Lemon Boysenberry Danishes (Spandauer)
recipe from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

For the dough you will need:

• 1/4 c. luke-warm water
• 2 1/2 tsp. yeast
• 1/2 c. milk  at room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 sticks (8 oz) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Proof the yeast by sprinkling it over the water. It should become foamy in a few minutes if still active. If not, get new yeast and start over.

Whisk in the milk, egg, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

In a food processor add the flour and cubed butter and pulse until you have 1/2 inch bits. Don't over process. Fold into the wet ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight. Or a day or two.

To doll out: On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the dough into a roughly 16" x 16" square. It doesn't have to be exact. Work quickly so you don't heat the dough. I suggest chilling your rolling pin, if possible. Then fold the dough in thirds like a letter. Return to chill for another hour or longer (overnight is fine).

On baking day, roll out again to a 10" x 24" rectangle. Again, it doesn't have to be exact. Fold in thirds and turn the dough. Repeat this folding. Then roll it out into a 20" square. Cut into 4" squares to be filled.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

For the filling you will need:

• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 1 egg yolk

Blend ingredients together till smooth. Set aside

Also you will need:

• also 1 egg yolk + tsp. water whisked for an egg wash
• Boysenberry seedless jam.

For the icing you will need:

• 1 c. confectioners sugar
• 4-5 tsp. milk, or just enough to create a thick, but pourable drizzle
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together till smooth. Set aside while the pastries bake.

With your pastry squares, roll in the edges a little to form a cup for the filling. Put a little cream cheese in the middle and a teaspoon or so of jam.

Brush with egg wash and bake for 21 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

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