Sunday, July 31, 2011

Chewy Frosted Sugar Cookies

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I have never had a Lofthouse cookie before, so I don't claim these are anything like them, but every time I see them in the grocery store I am so tempted.  The Supper Club that we're part of was getting together this weekend and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make my own frosted sugar cookies.  I was making a tiramisu cake for the adults and what kid would turn down a giant frosted, sprinkled, cookie?

These are pretty sweet so I think next time I might cut the sugar, but the lemon extract added a nice subtle flavor.  The frosting is my go-to sugary sweet American buttercream, which whips up nice and fluffy thanks to some added whipping cream.  I think Lofthouse cookies are a bit more cakier, but the kids loved these and I didn't mind sneaking a couple as well!



Golden Sugar Cookies
from Recipe Hall of Fame Dessert Cookbook

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon flavoring
2 cups sugar
3 egg yolks

Sift first four ingredients together and set aside.  Cream butter and extracts; gradually add sugar, creaming until fluffy after each addition.  Add egg yolks, one at a time.  Add dry ingredients in fourths to creamed mixture; beat just until blended after each addition.  Form dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.  If you want extra large cookies stack two dough balls together and place about 3 inches apart on cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.



For the Frosting:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
a few drops gel food coloring (optional)


Combine butter and confectioner’s sugar in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on low speed for about 1 minute, or until the butter and sugar come together (it will start off quite crumbly).  Add the whipping cream and beat on high speed until the frosting becomes light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.

Linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday 
These Chicks Cooked Link Party 
Sweet Treats Thursday 
Sweet Tooth Friday 
Sweets for a Saturday

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Daring Bakers: Peach Blueberry Bavarian

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

Sometimes I feel like an idiot when it comes to these Daring Bakers challenges.  I'm still learning what a lot of these fancy desserts are, and I had definitely not heard of a Frasier.  "That's strawberry, right?" I though struggling to recall any of the highschool French I had taken.  It took me a while to figure out this was a Bavarian, which I was super excited to make since I had been eying it in my Tartine book for a while but didn't have the guts to make it.

So I didn't change too much from the recipe, just the fruits used.  Not sure what happened with my chiffon, but it was HUGE.  The cake was delightful, totally reminded me of something my Mom would make, not too sweet but totally satisfying.  The pastry cream is glorious, and my favorite recipe for it that I've tried so far.  I'm a little dissapointed with how the design turned out, I didn't take enough care to make sure the fruits were securely on the sides, but you live you learn right?  Loved this and I'll make it again in the winter with tropical fruits.





Summer Fruits Bavarian
from Tartine

10-inch chiffon cake (recipe below)
Fresh fruit (one type or a mixture): berries or cherries, 2 pints; stone fruit such as peaches, about 1 1/2 pounds

Fruit puree:
Very full 1/2 pint berries
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin (1/2 envelope)
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups pastry cream (1 batch; recipe below), cold
2 cups heavy cream, very cold

Topping:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, very cold
4 teaspoons sugar

Pasty Cream:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs (or 4 yolks, for a richer cream)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

Chiffon Cake:
315 g (2 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
300g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
 3/4 teaspoon salt
125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  175 ml (3/4 cup) water
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  10 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions for Pasty Cream:
 Heat the milk, vanilla seeds and salt in a pan and put over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg and whisk constantly to temper them. Add the remaining milk and return the whole thing to the saucepan.
Cook until you get a thick consistency, whisking non-stop.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth .
Cover the surface with plastic wrap, directly touching the cream, let cool completely in the refrigerator.
 
Directions for Chiffon Cake:

Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan (at least 3 inches high) with parchment paper cut to fit exactly; don't grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Sift flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.  Add 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the salt and whisk to combine.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, lemon zest, until combined. Make a well in the flour, add the yolk mixture,  whisking until very smooth.

In another large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, then add the lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly while beating on medium-high speed until the whites hold firm, shiny peaks. Add a third of the egg whites and fold into the yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the rest of the whites until just combined.

Pour the batter into the pan smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 55  minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once completely cool, run a thin knife around the sides and release and lift off the pan sides.  Invert the cake, peel off the parchment.  Cut the cake in half to use as the two cake layers.




Directions for Fruit Puree:
Combine the berries, sugar and salt in a blander and process on high speed until smooth. Set aside until needed for assembly.

Directions for Filling:
In a small dish add the water and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes to soften. In a medium saucepan add enough water so the depth is about 2 inches. Put the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Put 1/2 cup of the pastry cream in a stainless-steel bowl that will rest securely on the rim of the saucepan, not touching the water. Heat the pastry cream, whisking constantly, until it is hot to the touch, about 5 minutes. Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk half of the remaining cold pastry cream into the hot mixture, then whisk in the remaining cream.

In a mixing bowl, using the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately and gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula. Set aside until needed for assembly.

Directions for Topping:
Using a mixer or a whisk, whip the heavy cream in a bowl until thickened. Add the sugar and whip until the cream holds soft peaks.

Only make topping when ready to frost the complete cake.

To assemble:
Line the sides of a springform pan with plastic wrap, allowing enough overhang to cover the top of cake completely when it is assembled. Leave the bottom of the pan unlined.

Fit 1 cake layer into the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a brush moisten the layer evenly with half of the fruit puree. Next spoon enough filling onto the cake to create a 1/4-inch thick layer. Stand the strawberries upright, pointed end up, pushing them into the cream. Add in the remaining filling over the fruit, lightly pressing down with the back of a large spoon to fill in any air pockets.

Put the second cake layer on top and moisten it with the rest of the fruit puree. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the top of the cake and then gently press down on the plastic to distribute the cream evenly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

When you are ready to finish the cake, release and lift off the pan sides and peel away the plastic wrap. Using a spatula frost the top of the cake with the topping. The cake can be served immediately or kept cold in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cake will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Sauce and Pecans

I think my ice cream maker is my second favorite kitchen appliance, after my KA stand mixer of course.  We bought it last summer and used it once before it got shoved to the back of the appliance cupboard.  What was I thinking?!  I pulled it out last month to make this glorious vanilla custard based ice cream and I haven't hit the ice cream aisle since.

Homemade ice cream is so freaking good I can barely wait to make another batch.  I can't believe I haven't been making my own ice cream for years, it's so easy.  As long as you have heavy cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in your kitchen you can have fresh ice cream any time you want.  Sold yet? ;)

On to the recipe.  This is from David Lebovitz, and mmmm boy is it decadent.  I usually make simple ice creams since I seem to make them spur of the moment and there is usually one if not two kids hanging off of me all day.  Custard based ice creams take a little more time, but you can really taste the difference.  So rich and flavorful.  This recipe is chock full of vanilla bean seeds and extract, perfect for any vanilla lover.  It would also make a great base for other add-ins.  I had some of Lebovitz's salted caramel sauce in the fridge and made a toasted pecan sundae.   Enjoy!





Vanilla Ice Cream
from David Lebovitz


About 1 quart (1l)

For a richer custard, you can add up to 3 more egg yolks. For a less-rich custard, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream, realizing that the final texture won’t be as rich or as smooth as if using cream.
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour.
2. To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
5. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.
6. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Note: Used vanilla beans can be rinsed and dried, then stored in a bin of sugar. That sugar can be used for baking and, of course, for future ice cream making.

Rich Caramel Sauce
slightly adapted from David Lebovitz 


1/2 cup unsalted or salted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel

In a large saucepan or a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to caramelize, then turns dark amber in colour and begins to foam a bit (it should smell and look like it's just on the verge of burning).  Remove from heat and slowly and carefully add in the cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously), whisking constantly until all of the cream is added.
Return the pan to med-low heat and stir until the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.(this took about 5 minutes for me).  Then stir in vanilla and salt. 
Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then taste, and add more salt, if desired.

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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Pecan Sticky Buns

I was recently asked if I post everything that I bake.  I totally don't.   I don't if it didn't turn out well, and I don't if I didn't like it.  I'm pretty hard on new recipes and myself, so if something didn't turn out the way I had expected I usually declare "this is absolute crap!". To which my husband usually rolls his eyes and tells me it's fine.  But I don't want to pass a recipe on to you if I don't think it's awesome.  I want you to think it's awesome too.  This post is one exception.

I had high hopes for these sticky buns, but I guess I'm pretty particular when it comes to breakfast pastries and I don't think everyone shares my peculiarities.  This is Joanne Chang's recipe from Flour, and while tasty it isn't my cup of tea.  The dough is glorious.  It's her brioche dough which I made into plain old brioche and Nutella buns, both of which were spectacular.  The problem, in my humble opinion, lies in the goo.  This is the syrup that is the sticky part of the recipe.  I found it soupy, over-poweringly sweet, and made the buns quite soggy, thus hiding the gorgeous dough they're made of.

So there you have it.  These sticky buns are famous, so obviously it's a matter of taste and my issue.





Pecan Sticky Buns
from Joanne Chang via Food Network

Goo:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 170 grams, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (345 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (110 grams) honey
1/3 cup (80 grams) heavy cream
1/3 cup (80 grams) water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Basic Brioche Dough, recipe follows
1/4 cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (100 grams) pecan halves, toasted and chopped


First, make the goo. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, to combine (it may look separated, that's ok). Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt. Strain to remove any undissolved lumps of brown sugar. Let cool for about 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature. You should have about 3 cups. (The mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

Divide the dough in half. Use half for this recipe and reserve the other half for another use.

On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche into rectangle about 12 by 16 inches and 1/4-inch thick. It will have the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh and should be fairly easy to roll. Position the rectangle so a short side is facing you.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and half of the pecans. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Starting from the short side farthest from you and working your way down, roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. Try to roll tightly, so you have a nice round spiral. Trim off about 1/4- inch from each end of the roll to make them even.

Use a bench scraper or a chef's knife to cut the roll into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2-inches wide. (At this point, the unbaked buns can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. When ready to bake, thaw them, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then proceed as directed.)

Pour the goo into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the surface. Arrange the buns, evenly spaced, in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm spot to proof until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching-almost tripled in size, about 2 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees F.

Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the dish on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. One at a time, invert the buns onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the bottom of the dish over the top.

The buns are best served warm or within 4 hours of baking. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, and then warmed in a 325 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes before serving.

Brioche Dough:

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
2 1/4 cups (340 grams) bread flour
1 1/2 packages (3 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast or 1-ounce (28 grams) fresh cake yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (82 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold water
6 eggs


1 3/8 cups (2 3/4 sticks; 310 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces

Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer, as needed, to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.

With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all the butter to be thoroughly mixed into the dough. If necessary, stop the mixer occasionally and break up the dough with your hands to help mix in the butter.

Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, another 15 minutes. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. Turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in 1 piece.

Put the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof (that is, grow and develop flavor) in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight At this point you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Yeasty Waffles

I love my waffle and pancake recipe so I usually don't get all excited about recipes that I come across, but this one for yeasted waffles from Food and Wine's June edition was one I had to try.  There isn't a lot of sugar in it which is nice for a change, it gets it's mild sweetness from the yeast.

What I really loved about this recipe though is that you prepare it the night before and it's all ready to go the next morning.  Brilliant!  I adore waffles on the weekend but sometimes I just want to sit with my coffee and relax rather than make a big breakfast.  It was so nice to plug in the waffle iron and have a steamy hot fluffy waffle on my plate a few minutes later.  Love this and will definitely make again!




Yeasty Waffles
from Jeff Potter via Food and Wine


1 3/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more melted butter for the waffle iron
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (from 2 envelopes)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon salt

Syrup, fresh fruit and softened butter, for serving 
In a large bowl, combine the milk, 1/2 cup melted butter, flour, yeast, eggs, agave and salt and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until the batter is very puffy, about 2 hours at room temperature (or refrigerate overnight).

Preheat the oven to 250°. Preheat a waffle iron and brush it with melted butter. Gently stir the batter to deflate it. For each batch, fill the waffle iron about two-thirds full (the batter will spread and rise); brush the waffle iron with melted butter as needed.
Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Transfer the waffles immediately from the iron to plates, or keep them warm in the oven. Serve the waffles with syrup, fresh fruit and softened butter.

Linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
These Chicks Cooked
Sweet Tooth Friday

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Texas Sheet Cake

While chocolate is one of my favorite things in the world, for some reason I'm not much of a chocolate cake and frosting fan.  That was until I made this glorious Texas sheet cake.  The cake is super moist and light, and the frosting is fudgy and decadent.  The kind of frosting that crystallizes and gets all crunchy on top.   Oh.  So.  Good.

I made this cake for my supper club and it was a hit.  The best thing is this cake is super easy and quick to make.  I actually did it in a 9X13" pan since I didn't have a jelly roll pan (is it still a sheet cake then?  I guess not), if you decide to do this you just need to add about 10 to 15  minutes onto the baking time, but keep a close eye on it.  No need to wait for the cake is cool to frost, the frosting is runny and you just pour it on.   I left out the walnuts but I'm sure they would add a delicious crunch.




Texas Sheet Cake 
from allrecipes.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15 inch pan.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, mixing until blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then fold in the nuts, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake.

Linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday 

Sweet Treats Thursday 

Sweet Indulgences Sunday 

Melt in Your Mouth Monday

These Chicks Cooked 


Monday, July 11, 2011

Ultra Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why do I keep trying chocolate chip cookie recipes.  This one from America's Test Kitchen is by far my favorite though.  It's made with brown butter which give it a deep rich flavor, and they're super chewy.  Mmmm, I want to make more just thinking about them.

I've made these a couple of times now, once I added raisins and toasted pecans along with the chocoalte chips which were and amazing combination.  I think next time I might also throw in some toffee pieces as well.  The recipe is very specific, it calls for whisking part of the batter several times for 30 seconds with a three minute rest period in between whiskings.  I don't know what the reasoning behind it is, but when cookies turn out this delicious why mess with the technique?




Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie
adapted slightly from America's Test Kitchen


1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or substitute 1/2 cup raisins for chocolate chips)
3/4 cup chopped pecans


Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12- inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

 Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

Using a small ice cream scoop, place cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking seet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Linked to:
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
These Chicks Cooked Link Party  
Sweet Treats Thursday 
Sweets for a Saturday 
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Brioche

Mmmm, I love me some brioche.  It might just be my favorite breakfast pastry, fresh out of the oven, still a little warm.  No need for butter or preserves, although those go nicely as well.  A few weeks ago I tried the recipe for brioche dough from Baking with Julia and it was delightful.  I have mentioned this before, but I love that book, the instructions are so thorough, I had never made brioche before and the step by step instructions were brilliant.

I wanted to try Flour's sticky bun recipe which uses Joanne Chang's brioche recipe.  The sticky buns (more on those later) only use a 1/2 recipe so I used the rest to make some basic brioche.  They were super tasty, all buttery and rich.  I also made Nutella buns which were pure heaven.  Don't let the lengthy instrucitosn intimidate you, the stand mixer is doing all the work.  You just need to listen for that "slap slap" sound and follow the recipe. 

As for getting the the brioche dough into the tins with the little ball on top, I used the technique from Sarabeth Levine's book.  She does a great job of explaining how to get the brioche to bake up just right and even provides pictures. 





Brioche Dough 
from Flour

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
2 1/4 cups (340 grams) bread flour
1 1/2 packages (3 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast or 1-ounce (28 grams) fresh cake yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (82 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold water
6 eggs
1 3/8 cups (2 3/4 sticks; 310 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces 



Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer, as needed, to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.


With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all the butter to be thoroughly mixed into the dough. If necessary, stop the mixer occasionally and break up the dough with your hands to help mix in the butter.


Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, another 15 minutes. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. Turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in 1 piece.

Put the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof (that is, grow and develop flavor) in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

At this point you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week or use it!

Butter twelve 3 1/2-inch-wide brioche tins. Carefully turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, but do not punch it down—its texture should remind you of a feather-filled pillow. 

Cut the dough into 12 equal portions. (If you have a kitchen scale, each portion will weigh 2 ounces.)

One at a time, shape each portion into a ball on the work surface, taking care not to break the exterior of the dough. To do this, cup both hands around the dough. Carefully turn the dough in your cupped hands to gently shape it into a ball—overhandling will soften the butter too much. Place the dough on its side, with the rough underside facing one side. Lightly dust the side of your hand with flour. Place the side of your hand about 1 inch from the smooth end of the dough. Using the upper part of your hand, including the last finger, move your hand back and forth to cut into the dough, forming a small ball that is attached to the larger portion by a thin strand.

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