Orange Cranberry Sticky Breakfast Rolls

This recipe came about when I found a can of whole berry cranberry sauce that needed to be used. I must have bought it before I learned to make my own.

If you like marmalade you will like these. The orange juice, rind and sugar carmellize into a sticky topping. The cranberries are plump AND moist.

Orange Cranberry Sticky Breakfast Rolls
Makes 2 dozen

3 tablespoons active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 cup butter, diced
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups scalded milk
2 egg, lightly beaten
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons orange zest

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp orange zest

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Combine the diced butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the hot milk, and mix to dissolve the butter. Let stand until lukewarm.
2. Mix the yeast, eggs, 2 tbsp zest and flour into the milk mixture to form a sticky dough. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Remove dough from the refrigerator 2 to 2 1/2 hours before baking. Divide the dough into halves. Roll each half out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick rectangle.
4. Make filling while dough is rising: Mix the cranberry sauce, sugar and 1 tbsp zest in a sauce pan. Simmer to combine flavors and dissolve sugar and thicken slightly. Spread cooled filling over the dough. Roll up the dough along the long edge. Cut the rolls into one inch slices and place in a greased pan. Let rise until doubled in bulk.
5.Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Milk Chocolate Brownies with Milk Chocolate Ganache

These were surprisingly delicious! We've become so trained to think dark chocolate is the ultimate decadence. The higher the cocoa % the better. Valhrona, Ghirardhelli, Lindt... yes they are amazing, but this recipe is proof that milk chocolate definitly still has a place in my heart and on my palate. One bite of these and POOF, all that dark chocolate snobbery went out the window!

They were great brownies, period. Even without any nuts as you would normally expect in brownies. They had a shiny top, fudgy texture and tons of flavor. There's milk chocolate melted right into the batter as well as chunks of it stirred in just before baking. Because of the milk chocolate they were sweeter and lighter in color than "regular" brownies. I made them even more indulgent by topping them with milk chocolate ganache.

I would definitly make these again and again. They are also a hit with kids and presentation is easy as the frosting cuts cleanly after it is fully set, if you can wait that long. If you can't, that's OK too as these are just as delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (and extra ganache drizzled on top).

Gourmet, I miss you. This recipe is another reminder of how sad I am that it's gone. I guess my Bon Appétit subscription will have to suffice :)



Milk Chocolate Brownies
1 - 9" pan | adapted from Gourmet, Feb 2007

1/2 cup butter
8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1. With oven rack in middle position, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9" square baking pan.

2. Melt butter and half of chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Stir in brown sugar, instant coffee powder and vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is glossy and smooth.

3. Whisk together remaining ingredients, then stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate. Spread batter in pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs adhering, 25 to 30 minutes.

Milk Chocolate Ganache
1 cup | adapted from Rose Levy Berenbaum

6 oz. (1 cup) milk chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate almost fully, stirring often. Add the heavy cream and stir to incorporate into the chocolate until smooth. It might look too thin but it will thicken up to a fudge-like consistency when cooled.

2. Spread warm ganache over fully cooled - chilled is better if you have time - brownies and refrigerate to set. Serve either straight from the fridge or at room temperature.

TWD: Lemon-Vanilla Swedish Visiting Mini-Cakes

Having no oven proof skillet, I baked the recipe in 12 very well greased 3-inch mini tart tins. There's something so charming about their understated elegance accented by a smattering of slivered almonds on top. I kept saying over and over, "they are so cute!" and was totally impressed that they came out looking just like the book photo.

Just as Dorie promises, this recipe couldn't be quicker: 1-bowl and no electric mixer required! I had these sitting on the counter ready to be baked before the oven had even finished preheating. I swapped lemon extract for the almond extract to enhance the lemon zest already in the recipe. They had a pleasant, light flavor to them making them a great accompaniment to a hot cup of tea.



This recipe was chosen by Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs from p. 197 of Baking: From My Home to Yours

Nutty Chocolate Crunch Candy Bars

These are salty, sweet, chocolaty and crunchy all at once. They remind me of a cross between a nut brittle and a fudge, even if that sounds kinda difficult to picture. Cut them in small pieces - they're rich!!!

Nutty Chocolate Crunch Candy Bars
9 x 13" pan | Adapted from Bars and Squares

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped salted mixed nuts

1/4 cup slivered almonds, for sprinkling

1. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with greased foil or a silicone baking mat. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the prepared pan.

2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan melt the butter, sugar and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn up heat a little bit, watching carefully and stirring occasionally. When mixture begins to brown add in the chopped nuts. Continue heating until mixture turns a deep golden brown color - don't burn it!

3. Immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips in pan. With a rubber spatula smooth out to desired thickness (I did mine 1/3"). Sprinkle immediately with slivered almonds, pressing into candy so they stick. Cool fully before scoring and cutting bars. You can cheat here and put them in the fridge to speed up the process if you like.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Butter-Tarts

I've been doing some Easter-Egg hunting of my own the past few days. Grocery stores are selling Easter candy at discounts of 50% off or more so I've been scooping up pastel M&M's, foil-wrapped lilliput eggs and Reese's PB bunnies. I'll admit, a few of the PB bunnies were sacrificed in the making of these tarts but it's all for a good cause: dessert!

This recipe was heavily adapted from the recipe for Chocolate Mixed-Nut Pie by Better Homes and Gardens. I have so many 'all-purpose' cookbooks - JOY, Betty Crocker, Gourmet Today, America's Test Kitchen - that I have developed a blind spot for this 3-ring-bound kitchen stand-by. I had forgotten what a wealth of recipes it contained.

Flaky pastry encases a sensory delight of flavors and textures. Melty chunks of Reese's pb cups (in my case, PB bunnies) are suspended in a buttery creamy filling. Salted peanuts provide a nice crunch and add depth to these rich little treats.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Butter-Tarts
Makes 24 | adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

1 batch - Double Crust Pie Dough
3 eggs
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cups chopped salted peanuts
1 cup coarsely chopped peanut butter cups

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled pastry dough to 1/4" thick. Lightly grease 24 standard sized muffin tins or tart tins. Cut pastry into circles and place into prepared tins, pressing the pastry up the sides slightly.

2. For filling: In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the nuts and the peanut butter cup pieces. Spoon Pour filling into pastry-lined tart tins, filling right to the top. I pur 2 tbsp filling in each tart tin and ended up with 23 tartlets.

3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until center seems set when gently shaken. Cool on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator and drizzle with melted chocolate and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream to serve, if desired.

Quick Raspberry Cream Cheese Brioche Ring

This recipe (from Cook's Illustrated) looks long and time consuming but it's really simple and would make a great Sunday morning breakfast treat. Cream cheese is one of my favorite ingredients. This brioche ring reminds me a bit of a sweet cheese danish. Both the dough and the filling are made in the food processor. A push of a button and you get rewarded with pillowy soft brioche with minimal effort.

Quick Brioche Dough
Makes 1 ring | Cooks Illustrated Sept/Oct 1995

1 envelope (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

1. In small bowl, whisk yeast into milk, then stir in 1 cup of flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

2. Put butter, sugar, and salt in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse at 1-second intervals, scraping sides of bowl several times, until mixture is soft and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and process after each addition until fully incorporated (even though mixture may look curdled). Add remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and yeast mixture from step 1, scraping sides of workbowl with rubber spatula. Pulse at 1-second intervals to form soft, smooth dough. Then process continu-ously for 15 seconds.

3. Turn dough (sticky at this point) out onto generously floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make filling (below).

4. Shaping: Roll the chilled dough into an 8-by-18-inch rectangle. Spread the dough evenly with raspberry jam and cream cheese filling, leaving a 1 1/2" border on the long side farthest from you. Beginning at the long side nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Transfer the cylinder, seam side down and coiling it to fit, onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or silicone liner. Cover with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Mark the cylinder top at 1 1/2" intervals, then use scissors to cut almost, but not quite all the way through the cylinder. Turn each piece of dough, cut side up. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour.

5. While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the ring until it is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Drizzle with a simple icing sugar and milk icing if desired.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling
Makes enough for 1 ring

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons flour

1 cup raspberry jam

1. Process cream cheese with sugar in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; pulse until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until ready for use.

Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls

I have been wanting to make my own spring rolls for a while now and I finally tackled this project over the long weekend. When I was looking for recipes I ran into the issue of egg rolls versus spring rolls. Are they the same thing?

From what I've read, the difference basically comes down to the wrappers. Egg rolls use a slightly thicker wrapper made with egg versus the paper-thin rice paper wrappers of spring rolls. They are also more substantial, often containing meat (ground pork) whereas spring rolls traditionally are packed solely with vegetables. The last twist is that spring rolls and egg rolls are fried but their cousin, the summer roll, is not. I felt adventurous so I also made some Summer Rolls for a nice, light lunch. Check out this post coming soon.

I adapted this recipe from Rasa Malaysia and Recipezaar. I was happy with the results but the key recommendation I would make is to TASTE IT as you go so the filling is perfectly seasoned the way you like it before you roll and fry.



Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls
Makes 24 - 5" rolls

Filling:
4 cups (approx 1/3) green cabbage, chopped into thin pieces
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 cup (approx 4) fresh shiitake mushrooms, julienned (or rehydrated dried shiitakes)
1 cup (approx 4) button mushrooms, julienned or 1 cup extra firm tofu cubed
1 cup (approx 5) green onions, chopped
1 cup (approx 1) carrot, grated

Sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chinese rice wine
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp white pepper
2 tsp cornstarch

spring roll wrappers
water
oil for deep frying

1. Combine all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Heat some vegetable oil, about 2 tbsp, in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté your vegetables in the hot oil until quite soft. Push the veggies to the side of the pan and add your sauce. Toss to coat and continue cooking until veggies are fully cooked and sauce is well distributed throughout. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like.

3. Lay the spring roll wrapper with one of the corners facing you and spoon in 1/4 cup filling. Lightly moisten all 4 corners of the wrapper with a dab of water. Fold the bottom point over the filling, fold in the two sides and roll up (like a burrito). Set aside until all of them are rolled and you're ready to fry. (I lay them on a silicone mat covered loosely with a towel so they don't dry out).

4. In a deep fryer or in a heavy pot, heat 2" of canola oil to 375 degrees F. Deep fry spring rolls in small batches for 3-4 minutes. You don't need very long because all you are doing is crisping the wrappers since the filling is fully cooked. Drain on paper towels or paper bags. Serve with plum sauce or soy sauce.

**These refrigerate/freeze well. Just zap for a few seconds in the microwave to heat then re-crisp in the oven.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Refreshing, light and fast to assemble (once you've got the ingredients all prepped). Plus, any excuse to eat this sweet-salty-spicy peanut sauce by the spoonful gets 2 thumbs up from me! These may not be 100% authentic but they're yummy!

For a shortcut this recipe uses a ready-to-eat shrimp cocktail ring but feel free to cook your own shrimp instead. Have all your ingredients ready and easily accessible when you start to roll. Store the rolls without them touching as they will stick together. Place a damp paper towel in the bottom of the container to keep the rolls moist. Cover with moistened paper towel and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.

Little tidbit of info: Summer rolls are the lighter, healthier cousin of spring rolls except they are not deep-fried and they are served cold. They are also known as Salad rolls. Also check out my blog post following this one for the deep-fried spring roll type.





Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Makes 16

1/2 shrimp cocktail ring
1 cup chopped imitation crab
2 ounces dried rice sticks or rice vermicelli
16 (8-1/4") round rice paper wrappers
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts, rinsed
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup julienned seeded cucumber, peeled
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup (2 large) scallions, sliced
4 lettuce leaves, cut in thin strips
Peanut Sauce, for dipping

1. Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Clear a work surface such as a large wooden cutting board for rolling the summer rolls, and prepare a pan that is roomy enough to hold the finished rolls in a single layer. Place all filling ingredients in separate containers and arrange them in the following order around the work surface: rice paper wrappers, shrimp, rice noodles, bean sprouts, cilantro, cucumber, scallions, and lettuce.
3. Fill a wide, shallow dish large enough to hold the rice paper wrappers with hot water. Evenly submerge one wrapper for about 30 seconds, or until it is soft and pliable. Remove from the water and place on the work surface.
4. Working quickly, lay 3 shrimp in a row just above the center of the wrapper. Layer all the remaining ingredients (except peanut sauce) on top, careful not to over-fill. Just a little of each ingredient in each roll.
5. Fold the bottom half of the rice paper wrapper over the filling. Holding it firmly in place, fold the sides of the wrapper in. Then, pressing firmly down to hold the folds in place, roll the entire pile up to close the top.
6. Turn each roll so that the seam faces downward and the row of shrimp faces up. Serve with Peanut Sauce (below).

Peanut Sauce
Makes 3/4 cup

1/2 cup peanut butter – either smooth or crunchy
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (or extra 2 tsp brown sugar)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove, mashed
1 tsp chilli sauce (sri racha)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to combine, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. This can be prepared in advance and tastes even better a day later. Bring to room temperature before serving.

TWD: Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake

It feels like Monday today rather than Tuesday. Long weekends have a way of messing with my internal clock and it always takes me a little while to slide back into routine. No complaints though - it was an awesome weekend. Beautiful sun for most of the weekend meant we got to go bike/tricycle riding in the park. However, it did snow unexpectedly for a few hours on Saturday night but didn't stick.

This is honestly one of the most delicious bundt cakes I have had in a while. It was so moist and it sliced beautifully. It reminded me of a pound cake. Instead of walnuts I used almonds and was very pleased with the almond-roca flavor I got. The only change I would recommend is to omit the 2 tbsp butter used when melting the chocolate. It's not needed and I even found some of the chocolate swirl parts a little oily because of it.

This week's fun-to-bake (and even more fun-to eat) pick was by Erin of When in doubt... Leave it at 350, found on p.180-181 of Dorie Greenspan's book - Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Cafe Style Best Ever Banana Bread -

At age 15, I landed my first job working in a café. It was the perfect place for me. I have always loved baking and this couldn't have been a better fit. I miss those days. My co-workers were an amazing group of people and we often hung out outside of work. There were just a handful of us working there and it was extremely busy but very rewarding.

I have gotten some great recipes for café food - wraps, sandwiches, pastas, baked goodies. One of the best sellers was this banana bread. We used to mix 6-loaf batches of it by hand. I must have built some serious arm muscles doing that, let me tell you! I'm glad I have Kitchen Aid mixer now to help me out.

Even if you already have your favorite "go-to" banana bread recipe, I still urge you to try this one out. It's extremely moist, full of banana flavor with a beautiful deep brown color and slightly crisp top crust. I like to slice it, wrap each slice in saran wrap and freeze it to be thrown into lunchbags later in the week.

One bite of this brings back fond memories and a whole lot of nostalgia for me. My only regret is that I am not in touch with these girls. I often wonder where their lives have taken them and if they too think back on those days with a smile on their faces. I wonder if they still make this banana bread!



Best Ever Banana Bread
1 loaf

2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2.Blend together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.
3.Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir in nuts/chocolate. Mix well.
4.Pour into prepared pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.