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Big Black Dog: February 2008

February 28, 2008

Oh MY! Dorie's Lemon Sables!!

I made Dorie Greenspan's Lemon Sables today. And they are scrumpiously delicious!!

They were so good that I made an Iced Latte so I could sit and totally enjoy the goodness!





Lemon Sables
Recipe adapted from "Baking: From My Home to Yours"

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
zest of one or two lemons
1/4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp salt, preferably fine sea salt
2 large egg yolks at room temp
2 cups all-purpose flour
Decorating (coarse) sugar

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and very creamy. Add the sugars and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and velvety, not fluffy and airy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the egg yolks and zest, again beating until the mixture is homogeneous.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour and pulse the mixer on low a few times, finally mixing on low just until the flour disappears. Be careful not to overmix the dough, working it as little as possible. The dough will not come together to form a ball, and you don't want it to. Pinch it and it should feel like Play-Doh.

Scrape the dough out onto a smooth work surface, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each piece into a smooth log about 9 inches long; it's easiest to work on a piece of plastic wrap and use the plastic to help form the log. Wrap the logs well and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours, preferably longer. (The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)

To Bake: Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Remove a log of dough from the fridge, unwrap it and place it on a piece of parchment or wax paper. Whisk an egg yolk until it is smooth and brush some of the yolk over the the sides of the dough -- this is the glue -- then sprinkle the entire surface of the log with decorating sugar.

Trim the ends of the roll if they're ragged, and slice the log into 1/3-inch thick cookies (you can make them as thick as 1/2-inch thick, or as then, but no thinner than -- 1/4 inch.) Place the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving an inch of space between them.

Bake one sheet at time for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet at the midway point. When properly baked, the cookies will be light brown on the bottom, lightly golden brown around the edges and pale on top; they may feel tender when you touch the top gently, and that's fine. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest a minute or two before gently lifting them onto a rack with a wide metal spatula to cool to room temp.






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Lemon Chicken....so YUMMY!!

I have an abundance of lemons in my refrigerator. I know I stocked up on lemons before my surgery just because Joe always forgets to buy them even if I make a shopping list. And I can not bake nor cook without my lemons!

But as I made my way through the refrigerator I found 14 whole lemons!!! So prepare for many lemon dishes in the next few days...LOL!!!

For dinner last night we had Mr. Casella's Lemon Chicken. I'm not sure where this recipe originated and I don't know a Mr. Casella, but I would like to meet him as his recipe is one of our favorites. It was posted on Garden Web's Cooking Forum which is where I copied it.







Mr. Casella's Lemon Chicken

2 lbs. chicken breasts -- skinless, boneless***
3/4 cup Flour
4 T. Butter
1/4 cup Canola oil (I use EVOO)
1 C. Dry white wine
Juice of ½ lemon
1 C. Chicken broth (canned or home made)
8 lemon slices for garnish
Fresh parsley for garnish


Pound chicken cutlets to ¼ or 1/3 inch thick. Cut into 2x2" pieces. Lightly coat with flour.

Heat butter in large skillet. When bubbly, add oil.

When oil is hot, add chicken pieces in batches so only one layer of chicken is in pan at a time - brown lightly on both sides.

Remove chicken and reserve in a baking dish.

When all pieces are browned and removed from pan, add wine and lemon juice to pan. Scrape up bits on bottom of pan (deglaze). Bring to a boil, and reduce liquid over high heat, for 3 minutes.

Add chicken broth and reduce for another 3 minutes.

Return chicken to pan and simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Remove chicken and place on serving platter. Top with sauce, lemon slices and parsley

***I use skinless boneless whole chicken breasts and just coat the entire breasts in flour.

NOTES : If making ahead, store in a baking dish and reheat covered, in oven for 30 minutes at 300° or in a chafing dish.





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February 27, 2008

Poof'd a Soup

I needed to use up some celery and carrots in the vegetable bins of my refrigerator and decided to make some Vegetable Beef Soup.

Any kind of soup with mixed vegetables is not a favorite of mine but my husband, Joe, loves them. So I went about collecting vegetables and slicing and dicing. I also threw in some left over pot roast from Saturday's dinner. I used both homemade beef broth that I made about a month ago and some chicken stock, again homemade, both were frozen.

And much to my surprise, it was pretty good!






Vegetable Beef Soup

4 c. Beef Stock
2 c. Chicken Stock
4 Green Onions, chunky diced
1 c. carrots, chunky dice
1 c. celery, chunky dice
About 1 c. shredded, cooked pot roast
2 c. spinach, roughly chopped
1 c. shaped pasta, I used small shells
1 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp dried basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a soup pot thaw frozen stocks or you can use canned stocks. Heat. Roughly dice carrots, celery, green onions and add to hot stock. Add cooked shredded pot roast. Add 2 c. of shaped pasta. Simmer until pasta is just tender but not mushy. Add spinach, marjoram, basil and salt and pepper.

Serve steaming hot with homemade bread.


Update!

Our recent blizzard ended around 9:30 am yesterday morning. But even though our property is beautiful, I wish I could see some green grass and buds on our oaks!





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February 25, 2008

One of my favorites....English Muffin Bread!

We are in the midst of a blizzard and it is gorgeous outside!

This is about our 20th blizzard this season. I do, I really do, love winter but enough is enough with the snow, ice, freezing rain, sub-zero temps and howling wind. Winter has been horrendous this year!! And it started in early November and it appears as if winter is hanging on forever. We are not even going to have our usual February Thaw! And we always have a huge thaw in February...but not this year!

So to keep my home as comfy as possible I am making bread. What's better then the smell of fresh baked bread?

One of my favorite breads is English Muffin Bread and I received the recipe from my dear friend Linda! I steal so many recipes from her but they are so good, I can't resist! You can find the English Muffin Bread Recipe here.

And while you're on Linda's Blog please take note of her other bread recipes, especially the Sour Cream Bread! I served it for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit!

Oh lord it's breathtaking outside right now and the snow flakes are huge!





Back to my bread!


English Muffin Bread
Recipe adapted from my friend Linda

1 package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
7/8 cup warm milk
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. warm water

Combine yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water, let proof. Combine flour and salt. Add to yeast mixture alternating with warm milk. Beat dough till elastic and leaves side of bowl. The dough will be loose and sticky. Cover and let rise in warm place till double in bulk.

Stir down with wooden spoon, add 1/4 tsp soda dissolved in 1 Tbsp. warm water and beat for one minute.

Butter a loaf pan, fill with the dough. Cover and let rise again for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until golden brown on top and shrinks away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Cool in pan 5 minutes, turn out on wire rack to cool.



Look at this gorgeous rise and the big bubbles on top!! I love the crumb of English Muffin Bread! The more bubbles, the more places for butter to snuggle! :))






I had no dinner planned for tonight but now we're have Eggs, Twice Baked Potatoes and English Muffin Bread! YUM!!!




For the twice-baked potatoes I used left over mashed potatoes baked in a buttered Madeleine Pan.


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February 24, 2008

I got a wonderful Surcie today!

My husband just came home from a Puppy Training Class and brought up a box for me!!!

It's a surcie, a surprise gift, from my good friend Lucy!!

Oh....I am so excited!!! I just love getting presents from my friends. It's just so much fun opening up the box. In fact just getting the box is great because I then know they were thinking of me!!!

Here are all the goodies in the box! OH MY...I am so excited!!





I needed the plastic knife and thanks so much for thinking of it. I've wanted one for some time now. And I'm hoping it does as well on shortbread as it does for brownies.

The mini pizza pans could not be more perfect as Joe and I make our own individual pizzas. So these will come in so handy and they're so cute!!! I have no pizza pan, no matter what size, so I can't wait to try them out!

AND...OH MY!!! Lucy included some of her homemade Cranberry Almond Biscotti!! We love Biscotti, although I rarely ever bake it. Thank you so much for this and Joe says it's delicious...yep he already snagged a piece even before I could take the picture!

Love the Doggie Cookie Cutter and I don't have 1 of these either. I know, my poor deprived dogs, will appreciate it!!

And lastly is the cutest, little Pizza Peel!!! And it's so perfect for me! I've wanted a Peel for some time now and just could not find one at a good price or the right size. And this is SSOoooo perfect. I am very excited to try it out.

Lucy, you could not have sent anything more perfect for me. Thank you ever so much. I love each and every item. But that Peel is...well, too wonderful!!! I am for sure making pizza next week!

Michelle

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February 23, 2008

My first loaf of Artisan Bread


Recently I became aware of a new book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

My friend Linda sent me the Basic Dough recipe and my friend Lucy sent me the Basic Challah Dough recipe, but finally I had to buy the book. Amazon.com is so easy and it's dangerous at times!

I received my book a week or so ago and have been reading it ever since. It's a fabulous book and so full of ideas and inspiration! I can't seem to put it down!

I made my first batch of The Master Dough or Boule a week or so ago. I am still recovering from surgery and unfortunately I tripped and fell and ended up with a hand full of stitches so my dough sat in the refrigerator for a bit. The dough is fine refrigerated for up to 2 weeks so I was well within the time limit by the time my hand healed enough for me to bake bread again.

It was fun to make the bread dough and it was such a relief to just cut off a chunk of dough and make my bread. There's no last minute measuring and mixing or waiting for the bread to rise.

The Artisan Dough is different then the No-knead Bread Dough that I love so much. But both recipes are useful in their own way. And both will be used over and over, again and again to create delicious and interesting breads.






Master Bread Recipe
Recipe adapted from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day"

3 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 T. yeast (1 1/2 packet)
1 1/2 T. kosher salt
6 1/2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
Cornmeal for pizza peel (I use semolina flour)

1. Warm water slightly to a little warmer then body temp.

2. Add yeast and salt to water in a 5 qt bowl or plastic tub with a resealable, not air tight, lid.

3. Mix in flour. Add all the flour at once, measuring by dipping the 1 c. measure into your flour and just leveling it off with a knife. Mix with a wooden spoon or stand alone mixer fitted with a dough hook. I just mixed it by hand with my trusty wooden spoon! If the dough becomes to stiff to work with the spoon, just mix with your hands but don't knead the dough.

The dough should be very wet and sticky.

4. Cover your bowl or tub, not air tight. I just placed the lid on the top and did not seal it. The book warns against screw top containers or glass as the gases released during the fermenting process can cause enough pressure to fracture your container or pop the lid, so be careful!!!

Let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 to 5 hours. You may use the dough at any time after the first room temperature rise. Now, place tub-o-dough in the refrigerator.

***Fully refrigerated dough is less sticky and easier to work with. And the flavor is better the longer the dough is allowed to ferment.

5. Prepare a cookie sheet, pizza pan, or any flat rimless baking pan by sprinkling it with cornmeal. I generally use Semolina Flour and find that it works just as well. The cornmeal/semolina act like little ball bearings and allow you to easily slide your bread onto the hot baking stone.

The refrigerated dough is great to work with and I only need to flour my hands to prevent the dough from sticking. I just grabbed a chunk of dough and formed my loaf. No kneading is necessary. The top of the bread should be smooth.

6. Allow the dough to rest on the prepared pan for about 40 minutes. Don't worry if the bread rises or not as it will rise during the baking process.

I baked mine in my raw clay chicken baker lined with parchment paper. However I did not use the lid as I do for the No-knead bread.



The Artisan Bread does not rise very much, but it still makes a wonderful bread and is very versatile.

7. Twenty minutes before bake time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. I have a convection oven and always decrease the recommended temperature by 25 degrees.

Place your baking stone on the middle shelf of your oven. And place a rimmed baking pan, I used my 9 by 11 cake pan, on the bottom oven shelf. The pan will hold water during the baking process and keep the crust soft.

8. You can slash the top if you want too or you can let the bread decide how it's want to pop!

I know it is recommended to take a knife at an angle to slash bread dough, but I just use my kitchen shears and open the scissors to their full extent and then just cut the dough by closing the shears. The kitchen shears work great and you have more control and I've done it this way for years.

9. If you oven is pre-heated or even if it's close to the recommended baking temp, now it's time to bake your bread! If your using a baking stone, pull out the oven shelf with the stone and gently slide the bread onto the stone. If the bread sticks a bit just give it a gentle poke and it should slide off. If your baking in a clay pot like I did, just place the pot into the oven.

Also pour 1 c. of warm tap water into the steaming pan on the lower oven shelf. It will hiss and steam so be careful your hand is not too close. I use my a long spouted tea kettle to pour the water into the steaming pan.

10. Store the rest of the dough in the refrigerator for use later on. It will be fine up to 2 weeks (14 days). But I doubt you will have any problems using up the dough.



Update!

I used the remainder of my dough to make Stromboli for dinner last night. It worked out perfectly.






My Notes


My Artisan Bread turned out very nice. And Artisan Dough is great for other things, like the Stromboli I made, and I will use it often and can't wait to try Bagels and Bialys.



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Fresh Strawberry Scone Danish Pastries

I had some fresh strawberries in my frig that needed to be used soon! So I decided to make some strawberry shortcakes. But then remembered reading about using a scone recipe and incorporating fresh berries instead of making shortcake. Since I've never made Scones before I decided to give it a go.

I found a recipe at JoyofBaking.com that I thought would work well and went about making my Strawberry Scone Danish Pastries. The dough was extremely easy to work with and the Strawberry Scone Danish are delicious!!






Fresh Strawberry Scone Danish Pastries
Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 TBL cold unsalted butter
Fresh Strawberries, thinly sliced (I used close to a qt of fresh berries)
2/3 - 3/4 cup milk, (I used heavy cream)
Extra Cream for brushing

Confectioner's Sugar Glaze
Recipe Adapted from my Mom

2 cups confectioner's sugar
3-4 TBL heavy cream

Danish Scones:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (375 convection oven) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.

Add the milk or cream until just combined. DO NOT over mix! Dough should not be sticky at all and should form a very smooth dough.

Gently knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. On the same floured surface, roll out about a 9-10" rectangle between 1/8-1/4" thick.



Place the sliced fresh strawberries evenly on the rectangle and gently roll up the dough catching the sliced berries as you roll.

With a sharp knife cut the danish swirls about 1" thick.


Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and then brush the scone with milk/cream making sure to brush all exposed areas.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.



Icing:

Mix confectioner's sugar and cream. Add more sugar or cream until you reach a nice piping consistency. Place icing in a plastic baggie and clip the corner of the baggie. After danish have completely cooled swirl icing over each danish. Allow icing to set up for about 30 minutes.






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February 22, 2008

I love Sour Cream! I love Chocolate!

My favorite thing to bake is cookies. I love them made with chocolate, cream cheese or brown sugar. Highly decorated with edible glitters and piped frostings, stuffed with candied dates or flavored with lemon juice and topped with grated zest, they're all wonderful!

I've served them for dessert at dinner parties and had them on my buffet at Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can have one with your morning coffee or pack them in your lunch. You can stash them in your pocket to nibble on while driving to work or eat a few as a mid-day snack.

And the best thing about cookies is that it's not long before they're all gone and it's time to bake more!

I've been meaning to try the Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Drops for some time now. It is a very old recipe and one that you will find at many sites on the internet with few variations in the basic recipe. The original recipe called for 1/2 c. crisco and I never bake my cookies with anything but butter, real butter, and it makes such a difference in the taste and consistency.


Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Drops (aka Zebra Cookies)
Recipe adapted from Cooks.com

1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt


Mix together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and sour cream. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add dry mixture to sour cream mixture. Chill for at least 3-4 hours.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2" apart on parchment paper. Bake until delicately browned about 8-10 minutes.

Notes: This dough is very sticky and after baking the cookies did stick to my parchment paper. When I took the cookies from the oven I lifted the parchment paper off the cookie sheet and carefully peeled it back to remove the warm cookies. If the cookie cool on the parchment paper, it is more difficult to remove them.

The cookies are a nice cookie but too plain for my taste. And they needed something else to perk up the appearance and taste and compliment the sour cream. So I drizzled ganache over the cookies and it was a perfect! OH MY.....Yummy!!!





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February 20, 2008

Satisfying a Taste

I have been just dying for some fried food the past week or so. I could not stand it any more and I knew that today was the day I had to sink my teeth into something deep fried.

So for tonight's dinner I decided to make Baked Chicken Wings and Fresh-cut Potato Chips. It was delicious! And my urge was satified for at least another month or two.


Fresh-Cut Potato Chips

4-5 Medium Sized Potatoes
Salt


Heat your deep fryer.

Peel and place potatoes in a bowl of cool water. Slice potatoes as thinly as possible. I use a Kuhn Rikon Quick Slicer that I bought for $12 and I love it!

Place sliced potatoes in a bowl of cool water to keep them fresh.

Take out a handful of sliced potatoes and place them in a drainer for a few minutes. Then pat the potatoes dry with paper toweling.

Drop slices, one at a time, into the deep fryer. When the chips reach the desired color take them out and place them in a bowl lined with paper toweling.






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February 19, 2008

Donuts or Doughnuts?





We are still in construction/remodeling mode and have many boxes stored in our barn that need to be unpacked. Lord, I am already squeeshed for space in my new kitchen and I'm not sure where I'm going to put it all!! Sunday Joe had brought in some boxes and I was putting things away when I ran into a forgotten Mini Donut Pan that I had acquired a month or so ago!

I found a wonderful donut recipe that had rave reviews at Vegan Yum Yum and I decided to give it a try. And OH MY are they good!!! The baked donuts are very light with a nice crispy crust. Honestly, I don't think you need any topping as it would disguise the delicate flavor of the donut.

Sorry we ate most of the mini donuts before I could take a plated picture...LOL!! Yep...they were that good!



Mini Baked Donuts
Recipe adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Donuts:

Dry Ingredients:
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
4 Tbs butter

Glaze with Sprinkles

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tbs milk
Bowl full of confections

Preheat oven to 350º (325 for convection)

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk to mix thoroughly. Melt butter in microwave and combine with other wet ingredients.

Add wet to dry and mix until just combined. It should form a runny batter.

Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out batter into your ungreased nonstick mini-donut pan.

As you can see, the batter sits just below the rim. If you over fill, your donuts will come out looking like it has a little muffin top.

Bake for 12 minutes. They should not be browned on top, but a tester will come out clean. Invert hot pan over a cutting board or cooling rack to release donuts. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Make about 15 Mini Donuts


Glaze

Whisk milk and powdered sugar together. Dip the “bottom” half of the donut into the glaze. I use tongs and gently grip the sides of the donut and then dip. Then dip glaze-side down into sprinkles. Transfer to a wire rack that has been set on top of some parchment paper. The excess glaze will drip through the rack onto the paper for easy cleaning later.

Ganache
Recipe Adapted from My Mom

8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream

Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate and shake the bowl gently so cream settles around the chocolate. Set mixture aside until the chocolate is soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too many air bubbles.

Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the ganache. Set them upright and let stand 1 or 2 minutes, until frosting is slightly set, then decorate with candies, or chopped nuts or confections, if desired. Let cakes stand on rack until ganache is completely set.





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February 18, 2008

Canning with the Snow Drifts



I am a canner, wholeheartedly and with every breath I take and jar I have!!

But in the winter there are no home grown tomatoes or peaches or apples. So I am not above mail ordering citrus and I found a wonderful Kumquat Grower in Florida that has absolutely gorgeous fruit.

Kumquats have a very thin skin and do not travel well so the Kumquats we have in our stores here in IL are ridiculously expensive and half are rotten or moldy...yuck!! The Kumquat season is December through March so when we're neck deep in snow and sub zero temps, sunshine can be had in a box of Kumquats. Oh how I love Kumquats and eat them whole, seeds and all....pure heaven and I don't even have to bake!

Last year I ordered 10 lbs of Kumquats and when they arrived, it was so fun opening the box of Orange Goodness! We were in construction at the time and we were living in the basement and I had a temporary kitchen with a hot plate, microwave and no oven!! It was desperate times but I managed. And the tangy sweet goodness of the Kumquats was just the pick-me-up I needed!

So about a month ago I ordered another 10 lbs of Kumquats. But this time I was ready for canning, more specifically Kumquat Marmalade. Now, we're not fans of jelly, jam or marmalade but since I'm a canner I still make it in small batches. And jellies and marmalades make wonderful gifts too and there is nothing more beautiful then a full pantry!!!





Kumquat Marmalade

3 qt Kumquats (about 5 1/2 pounds)
2 c Water
3 1/4 c Sugar
3 oz Liquid pectin

Wash Kumquats and crosscut in half. The pits should be on the wider half and just pick them out and discard. Place kumquats in a FP and pulse until chopped and you can still recognize pieces of rind.

Combine kumquats, peeled lemons, and 2 cups water in a heavy pot; bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered, 45 minutes.

Add sugar and bring to a rolling boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add pectin.

Pour marmalade into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace; wipe jar rims. Cover with metal lids; screw on bands. Process marmalade in boiling-water bath 10 minutes.

Yield: 12 half pints.




I had to put another picture of my pantry. I never tire of opening the door and looking at all the goodness!








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I love you enough to bake Cupcakes!

Oh dear......Valentine's Day was fast approaching.

Hmmmmm...what to bake..what to bake!

I've got to do something! I can't miss an opportunity to bake even though I just had surgery and can not be on feet more then 30 minutes at a time.

Cupcakes.....PERFECT!!!

I can bake in batches and pop them in my freezer until I'm ready to frost and decorate. Plus I can just defrost a few at a time....excellent portion control! And cupcakes are so cute!!!

I had wanted to order a Norpro Mini Cheesecake Pan and the Chicago Metallic Mini Heart Cupcake Pan for a few months. And now that I could justify the expense I went ahead and ordered both of them. I love Amazon.com!!!

I started scanning the blogs and found some wonderful cupcake experts. I am now copying and pasting like crazy and have more ideas then time which is how I work best. Just need to sort through my huge list of recipes and narrow down my options. Of course I want to make them all but again I can't bake 24/7 although I would like too.

I knew I was going to make my husband, Joe, Brownie Cupcakes with Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting. And I knew I was going to make Vanilla Cupcakes. I also was very intrigued with the Matcha Green Tea Cakes. Since we're in the middle of a horrible midwest winter I thought a Lavender/Lemon cupcake would add a bit of sunshine and summer to my menu.

So I narrowed my list to 4 cupcake recipes and 7 frostings. I knew this list was very doable but I also knew I probably would not make everything on my list. But I like to keep my options open for last minute creative splurges or unforeseen accidents and, dare I say it...failures! Plus my friend Lucy and I were in deep discussion mode on Cupcakes and the creative ideas were flying!!!



Feb 13th, 2008

I made Joe his Brownie Cupcakes with Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting. I'm not much of a brownie lover but Joe was very happy.




Brownie Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from The Joy of Baking

4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cup (250 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (105 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 12 muffin tins with paper or foil baking cups.

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Then stir (can also use a hand mixer) in the sugar. Add the vanilla and then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the flour and salt until well blended.

Evenly divide the batter between the muffin cups. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake has moist crumbs. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Note: I baked the Brownie Cupcakes in my Mini Cheesecake Pan in a convection oven. I baked them at 300 degrees for 17 minutes.


Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
Adapted from Southern Food

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Melt chocolate with butter in top of double boiler over hot water. Remove from hot water; stir in sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar until desired spreading consistency is reached. Makes enough chocolate sour cream frosting for a tube or bundt cake, 2-layer cake or about 30 cupcakes.


They do look pretty good! Although Joe did not care for the edible gold glitter nor the bejeweled serving plate!







Feb 13, 2008


Today I made Little Chocolate Devil's Food Cupcakes dipped in Ganache. Oh boy were they good! But I'm literally addicted to ganache and keep a container in my frig at all times. I love to dip pretzels in ganache and potato chips are not bad either. Everyone should have a container of ganache in their refrigerator, it would be a much happier world.




Little Chocolate Devil's Food Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from The Foodnetwork Kitchens

1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
2 large whole eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup water

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the sugar. Beat until light and smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the whole eggs and yolk 1 at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Bring water just to a boil in a small saucepan and remove from the heat. With the mixer at low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 4 additions. Drizzle in the hot water, about 2 tablespoons at a time, and mix briefly to make a smooth batter. Divide the batter among the muffin cups filling them 2/3 full. Bake until the centers of the cupcakes spring back when pressed gently, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely before frosting.


Ganache
Recipe Adapted from My Mom

8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream

Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate and shake the bowl gently so cream settles around the chocolate. Set mixture aside until the chocolate is soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk gently until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too many air bubbles.

Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the frosting. (Frosting can also be chilled and whipped, then piped or spread onto the cupcakes.) Set them upright and let stand 1 or 2 minutes, until frosting is slightly set, then decorate with fresh berries, candies, or chopped pistachios, if desired. Let cakes stand on rack until frosting is completely set.

Note: To dip the Mini Cupcakes I use tongs.



Feb 14, 2008


Well....the big day has arrived!! So far I've made 2 varieties of cupcakes and both have been delicious. So I decided to make 2 varieties today after all it's Valentine's Day!

First I made Matcha Green Tea Cakes with Pomengranate Cream Cheese Frosting. Oh my...they were so good and so far the best I've made.



Matcha Green Tea Cakes
Recipe adapted from Raspberry Eggplant

¾ stick unsalted butter (at room temperature)
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg (at room temperature)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1¼ cups flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon matcha powder

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. (convection oven 325)
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Beat in egg, vanilla, salt, and baking powder
4. Add half the flour and mix to just combine with the wet ingredients.
5. Add half the milk and mix to combine.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5, adding the matcha powder with the last addition of milk.
7. Beat at low speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds.
8. Divide batter among mini muffin pans lined with foils or papers. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean.
9. Cool on a wire rack until the cupcakes come to room temperature.


Pomegranate Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces cold cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)
1 ¾ – 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses*

1. Using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until it is just soft.
2. Add the butter and pomegranate molasses and mix to fully incorporate.
3. Gradually add 1 ¾ cups sugar and mix well.
4. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar, if necessary, and beat well to incorporate (I found 1 ¾ cups to be enough, but some people like their frosting sweeter).

Frost the mini cupcakes using a large star tip. Top each cupcake with a sprinkling of edible gold glitter or cinnamon and top with a cinnamon heart.

Note: To make the Pomegranate Molasses I just reduced 100% Pomegranate Juice by about half. I added no sugar due to it being added to frosting which already contains sugar.



And for dessert for tonight's dinner I made Vanilla Cupcakes stuffed with a Whole Fresh Strawberry and Cream Cheese Frosting and topped with a sprig of Fresh Mint. They were heaven in a baking cup!!! I only made 3 of these and I wished I'd made a dozen. They would be perfect for a summer BBQ!





Strawberry Stuffed Vanilla Cupcakes
Recipe Adapted from The Food Network Kitchens

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees or for convection ovens 325 degrees. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.

While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients, then add all the milk, and follow with the rest of the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared tin.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove. Cool on the rack completely.


Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe Adapted from My Mom

1/2 c softened cream cheese
1/2 c softened butter
1 t vanilla
4 c powdered sugar
1-2 T milk

Cream butter and cream cheese. Beat in powdered sugar. Add vanilla and milk. Beat until desired consistancy.

To assemble: Cut and remove a strawberry (coned) shaped portion of cupcake from the top of each cupcake, leaving about 1/2 to 1-inch of cake in the bottom. Stuff each cake with a strawberry. Spoon and spread icing over the top of the cupcakes. Top with small mint leaves or candied leaves.


All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

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February 17, 2008

My Valentine's Day Candies

This Valentine's Day was special to me being it's the first Valentine's Day I've been able to bake in my new kitchen! So I went a little overboard.

A few days before the big day I decided to make some Valentine's Day Candy for my 3 nieces in Ohio. Of course that means sending by mail so I had one day to complete, pack and mail on Monday or else the goodies would be late. And Aunt Michelle is never late!

Candy is so easy, just sugar, water, flavoring and food coloring. I love making it but my husband and I rarely ever eat candy. So I am thankful I have 3 gorgeous nieces to spoil.

I decided to make lollipops and drove to Michael's to buy a lollipop mold. Luckily Michael's is only about 5 minutes from my house. So I bought the mold, lollipop sticks and some cinnamon flavoring.

But this was too easy and I knew I could finish these without even thinking about it. I had to do something unique, something that had my signature on it. Hmmm...maybe a horizontal lollipop?

I started opening and closing all my kitchen cabinets and drawers trying to find something that could work as a mold. I was getting nervous as I only had a few more cabinets to open when I came upon my stack of mini tart molds.....perfect!!! My dear friend sent me the tart molds. Thank you Maryanne!!!


Candy Making Essentials:

Heavy pot
Wooden Spoon
Candy Thermometer
Mold


Considerations:

You will need a candy thermometer as you must bring the syrup up to a temperature of 300 degrees or hard crack stage. If you do not reach the hard crack point your candy will not set and if the temperature rises above hard crack the syrup will burn.

Bringing the syrup to the Hard Crack Point is the most difficult thing about making candy. DO NOT leave your kitchen when the candy is on the burner. DO NOT answer the phone. DO NOT clean out your kitchen junk drawer. You must keep your eye on the hot syrup and the thermometer and occasionally stir the syrup.

I found a wonderful web site On the Fast Track to Hard Candy which is a treasure trove of information on hard candy making.


HARD CANDY RECIPE

2 cups sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
3/4 cups water
1 tsp flavoring
Food coloring

Options: Chocolate and Confections for decorating

Lightly spray the mold(s) with Pam and wipe out any extra oil with a paper towel.

Mix the sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to just a hard simmer. Watch the thermometer carefully and stir regularly. When the thermometer reaches 300 degrees/hard crack, remove the pan from the heat and add the coloring and flavoring.

You must work quickly now as the syrup will start setting up as soon as you remove it from the heat. I used a small ladle to transport the syrup and fill the molds and it worked out very well.

As soon as the candy starts setting up place the lollipop stick. The stick may move a bit, but just hold it in place for a minute or so. When the stick holds in place, move the candy to the refrigerator for a final cooling. The candy will be totally cooled in about 10-15 minutes. Remove the candy from the refrigerator and gently pop the candy from the mold. VIOLA...you've made a Lollipop.




My cast iron pot of hot boiling candy syrup!



Here's my work area for the Big Heart Lollipops.



The finished Heart Lollipops.


My work area for the Parasol Lollipops.



The Parasol Lollipops all finished!!! Aren't they cute!!!




Here are all the Lollipops wrapped with ribbons and ready to go!!


The Lollipops were so easy and fun to make. They arrived the day before Valentine's Day and my nieces loved them! They were a huge success...not bad for a last minute idea!!

All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

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February 15, 2008

Jeff and Zoe in Action!


















Test Mr. Linky for HBinFive

Below is a Mr. Linky Gadget that will look exactly like the one we will use for our bi-monthly Bread Braid. For November and December 2009 we will be having an unofficial Bread Braid on November 15th and December 15th.


How to Use a Mr. Linky Gadget

The first thing you need to do is take pictures of your bread(s). Then post your photos to either your Blog, Facebook, Facebook Fan Page or a Photo Album at any of the photo archives sites like flickr.com or photobucket.com.

As soon as you have your photos posted somewhere on the internet. You then need to copy the permalink of the blog post, FB photo album page, FB Fan photo album page or Photo Archive album page. Then you are ready to link to our HBinFive Bread Braid Gadget.

Below the Bread Braid Mr. Linky Gadget are detailed instructions for how to find a perma link.


To link up in Mr. Linky:

1. In the first field type your name or your brand ie Michelle@BigBlackDog. Please no more then 20 characters.

2. In the second field copy and paste a permalink.

3. Click ENTER

NOTE: If you link to the Bread Braid Gadget and want to practice again you have to use a different permalink.








PermaLink for a blog or website:

Permalink: A link to a specific post in the archives of a blog, which will remain valid after the post is no longer listed on the blog's front page.

Go to your blog just click on the title of a post and the URL in the Address Bar at the top of screen is the permalink for that specific post. A blog permalink generally ends in .html. If the URL in your Address Bar ends in .com, .net, .org, .ca or .au IT IS NOT a permalink. Again click on the title of the specific post you want to enter into Mr. Linky, copy the permalink and paste into the URL field.

For example:

Blog URL: http://www.bigblackdogs.net
Permalink to a specific post: http://www.bigblackdogs.net/2009/07/bba-cinnamon-cranberry-mini-challah.html


How to find a PermaLink for Facebook:

Permalink: A link to a specific folder in the archives of your Facebook Page. NOTE: It's best if you're using Facebook to create a separate folder per variety of bread and label the folder appropriately.

Go to your Facebook Page. Click on the Photo Tab. Then click on the specific folder holding your current bread pictures. At the top of your screen in the Address Field is the Permalink to the specific folder with your photos. Copy the URL and paste into the Mr. Linky URL field.

For example:

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/BigBlackDogs
Facebook Photo Page: http://www.facebook.com/BigBlackDogs#/BigBlackDogs?v=photos
Permalink to a specific photo folder: http://www.facebook.com/BigBlackDogs#/album.php?aid=14756&id=1420817462


How to find a PermaLink for Facebook Fan Page:

Permalink: A link to a specific folder in the archives. NOTE: It's best if you're using a Facebook Fan Page to create a separate folder per variety of bread.

Go to your Facebook Fan Page. Click on the Photo Tab. Then click on the specific folder holding your current bread pictures. At the top of your screen in the Address Field is the Permalink to the specific folder with your photos. Copy the URL and paste into the Mr. Linky URL field.

For example:

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=116382146034#/pages/Big-Black-Dog/116382146034
Facebook Fan Photo Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Black-Dog/116382146034?v=photos
Permalink to a specific photo folder: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Black-Dog/116382146034?v=photos#/album.php?aid=-3&id=116382146034


How to find a PermaLink for a Photo Archive such as flickr.com or photobucket.com:

Permalink: A link to a specific folder in the archives. NOTE: It's best if you're using a photo archive to create a separate folder per variety of bread.

Go to your Photo Archive page. Then click on the specific folder holding your current bread pictures. At the top of your screen in the Address Field is the Permalink to the specific folder with your photos. Copy the URL and paste into the Mr. Linky URL field.

For example:

Photo Archive Page: http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o108/MichelleSafirstein/
Permalink to a specific photo folder: http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o108/MichelleSafirstein/Soapstone%20Install



NOTE: If you link to the Bread Braid Gadget and want to practice again you have to use a different permalink.




My ToDo List


Cookies:

Chocolate and Vanilla Shortbread Swirl Cookies DONE!
Chocolate and Vanilla Shortbread Checkerboard Cookie DONE!
Rosemary Bluecheese Ice Box Cookies
Parmesan, Italian Herbs & Sesame Seed Shortbread Cookies DONE!
Hamentaschen (Jewish Cookie)
Melt Away Butter Cookies
Chocolate Chip with Coconut DONE!
Cream Cheese Cookies DONE!


Canning:

Lavender Blueberry Jam DONE!
Cherry Whiz Salsa DONE!
Carrot Apple Butter with Cardamom
Apple Pie Jam
Decadent Banana Split Conserve
Carrot Cake Jam DONE!
Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam
Basil Banana Pepper Jelly DONE!
Chocolate Raspberry Jam
Black Forest Preserves


Appetizer:

Garden Puree Bruschetta DONE!
Liver Pate
Garlic Roasted Hummus


Pastry:

5-minute Homemade Puff Pastry DONE!
French Cruller Donuts
Sourdough Ableskivers
Apple Cider Donuts
Vegetable Torte DONE!


Bread:

Fennel Bread Sticks DONE!
Graham Crackers DONE!
Pita Bread DONE!
Bamboo Charcoal Bread


Cupcakes:

Black Bottom Cupcakes DONE!
Rainbow Cupcakes
Beach Party Cupcake Bites
Pomegranate Cupcakes DONE!
Ginger Spice Cake
Caramel Cupcakes with Butterscotch Frosting
Rosewater Cupcakes


Frosting:

Cream Corn Frosting
7-Minute Frosting
Flour Frosting
Salty Peanut Frosting DONE!
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting


Side Dishes:

Couscous with Apricots DONE!
Quinoa Pilaf
Scalloped Potato Gratin
Crisp and Chewy New Potato Pie
Savory Mashed Root Vegetables
Butter Dumplings
Potato Torta


Desserts:

Caramel Apple Turnovers
Raspberry Jelly Roll DONE!
Chocolate Buttermilk Poundcake
Abby's Infamous Cheesecake
Brownie Pudding
Chocolate Guiness Cake
Kentucky Butter Cake
Bavarian Cream DONE!
Raspberry Almond Tart
Clafoutis (Donna Hay recipe)
Cherry Pudding Cake DONE!
Blackberry Crumble DONE!
Chocolate Soda DONE!
Apple Tarte Tatin with Red Wine Caramel and Fresh Thyme
Poached Pears in Wine Sauce DONE!
Blueberry Dumplings
Buttermilk Pudding


Main Course:

Summer Rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce
Parker's Fish and Chips
Chicken Breasts with Orange, Olive and New Potatoes
Chinois Pancakes
Char-Grilled Octopus DONE!
Pork Saute with Blackberries
Mussels in Basil Cream DONE!
Raspberry Chicken DONE!
Leek and Cheddar Cheese Tort
Grilled Cuttlefish DONE!
Lacquered Salmon DONE!
Beef Wellington DONE!
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Parmesan Chicken DONE!


Salad:

California Cobb with Poached Shrimp and Green Goddess Dressing


Sandwich:

Pumpkernickel Pastrami Panini with Rosemary-Ale Jus
Meatloaf Sandwiches
Croque Madame
The Californian


Beverage:

Majito Slushy


Sauce:

Garlic Bluecheese Sauce


Pasta:

Giada De Laurentis Pasta Recipe DONE!
Drunken Pasta DONE!


Miscellaneous:

Water-cured Green Olives DONE!


Contact Me!


Your Name :
Your Email :
Subject :
Message :
Image (case-sensitive):

License and Copyright


All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

No part of this Web site may be reproduced in any form, including any electronic image, text, photocopying or translation to another language without permission.

If you wish to publish any of my recipes or photos, please ask first.

Thank you.

About Me!

I’m Michelle and you’re reading Big Black Dog, which you already know is a cooking and baking blog.

You’re probably thinking that Big Black Dog is a rather strange title for a food blog. Actually when I started blogging Big Black Dog was supposed to be about my Rottweilers. I have owned Rottweilers since the late '70s when Rottweilers were a rather rare breed in the US and everyone thought they were really fat Dobermans. My dogs have and always will play a heavy roll in my life, so they inspired the title and like I said this blog was supposed to be about them. But I started posting recipes and got a wee bit carried away and I can’t change it now!

I live in Northern Illinois about 45 miles NW of Chicago in a semi-rural area. We have almost six acres of land with two large horse farms on either side and about two hundred acres of county forest preserve on the other. We have two big barns, a red horse barn with full mow and a smaller but taller green barn for storage and office space. I know you are wondering if we have horses and the answer is no. It’s a shame that we have this gorgeous horse barn with no horses but there’s just no time for another life adventure.

In November, 2008 we finished a complete renovation and remodel on our entire home. And when I say entire, I mean every room was gutted. It was a l-o-n-g process and as soon as I was able to settle into my new kitchen in February, 2008, I started my blog. Oh, I remember that day so well and I was so excited. I had no idea my blog would ever last this long nor that so many wonderful people would visit.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Please stay awhile, relax and have fun!





PS: Please feel free to view my Blogger Profile.





HBinFive Badge


In case you missed it in the HBinFive Introduction, Holly of Phe.MOM.enon designed our HB5 badge and isn't it just perfect. It was the very first design she did and I loved it! I can not tell you how grateful we are for the talent and generosity Holly so freely shared!

Holly not only has a gorgeous blog, Phe.MOM.enon, she also owns The Hive, a place for Utah Food Bloggers to meet and mingle. And to top it off, Holly has her own blogging event, Art You Can Eat.

Is it no wonder when faced with a creative dilemma, I turned to Holly?



Feel free to copy the badge and paste it into your HB5 Bread Braid post.






HBin5.med size




HBin5.Large




HBin5.Largest