Yorkshire Puddings

Yorkshire puddings originated in Yorkshire, England -- just 100 miles away from the town my maiden name originates from -- so I have a minor personal attachment. It doesn't hurt that I grew up with these for those good ol' meat and potatoes dinners on Sunday nights.


These were the perfect tool to slop up the shallot gravy I served on roast beef. In fact, these were so good, T and I couldn't stop eating them, so if you're serving more than two, you might want to make a double batch!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil    
• 1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 F. Into each cup of the  muffin pan pour enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom, and heat pan in oven. It is critical that the oil be really hot (it will take 2 to 3 minutes and will be on the border of smoking), otherwise the Yorkshire puddings will not rise: you will have Yorkshire Pucks.
• Sift flour and salt into a bowl.
• Beat eggs well; then stir in milk and vegetable oil.
• Make well in flour, pour in egg mixture and beat until smooth.
• Pour batter into hot pan, filling the cups 1/2 full; the oil should be sizzling at the edges of the batter.
• Bake at 450 for 20 minutes until Yorkshire puddings rise and are golden brown.

Makes 6 - 8.

Big, Soft Pretzels

I made pretzels. Those big, soft ones you get in the mall that are slathered in butter and sea salt. And? They. Were. Delicious. 


This recipe does make a lot -- 12 full size pretzels -- which are really best once you first make them, so unless you're making them for a crowd, you might want to halve the recipe. But this is really a keeper and a nice treat for at-home enjoyment.




Ingredients

• 4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt for topping
• 1/4 cup melted butter for brushing

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy -- about 10 minutes
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. Knead the dough until smooth -- about 7 - 8 minutes. 
3. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl and coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
4. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. 
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large pot, dissolve baking soda in hot water and dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution for about 45 seconds and place onto greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until browned.
7. Brush melted butter on top and enjoy!

Recipe originally from www.allrecipes.com

Download the printable recipe for Big, Soft Pretzels

Streusel Rhubarb Loaf

After making strawberry-rhubarb pie, my husband has discovered that he loves cooked rhubarb. Always looking for new ingredients, I was happy to oblige and find something new to make. I found this recipe for rhubarb loaf and on www.allrecipes.com, it was getting rave reviews. 

I already had the buttermilk on hand for my recent buttermilk pancakes, so I gave this a whirl and it was worth it! It made two loaves, and I had every intention of giving one full loaf to my mom, but it didn't last long in our house and she only got a couple of slices. Sorry Mom, but hope you loved it as much as we did!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh or sliced frozen rhubarb
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp cold butter

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and oil. 

Add egg, mix well. 

Beat in buttermilk and vanilla. 

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into brown sugar mixture just until combined. Fold in the rhubarb and nuts. 

Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans.

For topping, in a bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and butter until crumbly; sprinkle over batter. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Cut with a serrated knife.

Print recipe for Streusel Rhubarb Loaf

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Double Tomato Bruschetta

Bruschetta are often a bad idea at parties. They can be messy and difficult to eat with in front of people, but I made these for my family for Mother's Day and they were devoured so I think they might be worth it. 

For me, the trick to a good bruschetta is the bread. When the bread is too toasted, that's when it gets difficult to eat. So these ones I worked to not over toast and I think I found the perfect balance to toasty by still soft to easily bite into without it crumbling apart. 

I also used only fresh ingredients for the topping and I think it made all the difference. Our local fruit market sells these huge bags of fresh basil for $1.99 and it really was much better than using dried. This is certainly a keeper!

Ingredients

• 6 tomatoes (most recipes recommend Roma tomatoes because they are less juicy inside, but I used regular tomatoes because they were redder and I simply scooped out the seeds and juices)
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, diced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• french baguette
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions 

Prep all the ingredients -- dice fresh and sundried tomatoes, garlic and basil.

(I scooped out all the middle of the tomato because you don't want all that extra liquid)

Mix tomatoes, garlic, oil, vinegar, oil, basil and salt and pepper together. Let rest for 15 minutes while flavours blend together.

(this smells amazing!)

Set your oven to broil.

Slice the french stick into 1/4 inch slices. The bigger the angle you cut them on, the bigger the piece will be. (I used one and a half french sticks to get 20 slices, which was the perfect amount for the topping).

Paint each piece of bread with oil on one side and lay flat, oil side up, on a baking sheet and broil for two minutes until getting very lightly toasted.

Remove from oven and top each piece with the tomato mixture and then some mozzarella cheese and put back in oven (still on broil) for five minutes until cheese is melted and bread is toasted but still soft.

Remove from oven and place on platter and serve to a hungry crowd (who are already armed with side plates and napkins!)

Download a printable version of Double Tomato Bruschetta

Brunch Strata

Brunch is a really challenging meal to host because so many things you serve have to be done at the very last minute -- eggs, pancakes, french toast.

I was hosting a small brunch party today and went in search of something I could prepare in advance and leave to bake while I was entertaining. Enter the brunch strata.

Strata is like a breakfast casserole. It's wholesome and hearty, healthy and delicious. And you can prepare it in advance and watch it bake while you're enjoying a mimosa. What could be better?

Here's the recipe I used this morning and it was a hit!

Ingredients

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup chopped red pepper
• 1 cup bacon/ham/sausage -- whatever you have on hand
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 pkg cream cheese (softened)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cream
• 2 cups day-old cubed bread
• 6 eggs

Directions

• Cube bread about the size of large croutons and leave out overnight
• Prepare veggies

• Cook the meat, drain and set aside

• Sautee veggies in oil and garlic, drain and set aside

• In a mixer, combine cream cheese with cream until smooth
• Add eggs and mix
• Add bread crumbs, veggies, meat and cheddar cheese and mix
• Pour into greased 11 x 7 pan

• Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about an hour
• Let cool for about 10 minutes
• Serve!

(this is it baked, but I couldn't take a picture before the vultures got at it!)

No Knead Multigrain Bread

ACE Bakery has not called me yet. It's getting closer, but my bread still isn't bakery-quality yet. I got frustrated with the whole wheat bread I've been making, so I tried out a new recipe -- No Knead Multigrain Bread, from a book called Kneadlessly Simple.

The premise is that this bread has a really long, cold rise time, so it's not as time sensitive as regular bread and less finicky. Plus you don't need any equipment except for a bowl and a spoon.  While mine was not perfect, I am pretty sure I know where I went wrong, so I'm making progress!! I am going to try this one again and hope to perfect it.

Ingredients

• 3 cups white bread flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour (I found this at Bulk Barn, but you can also get this at health food stores)
• 2 T of quick rolled oats (not instant)
• 2 1/2 T sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 T EACH of sesame seeds, flax seeds and poppy seeds 
• 2 T cornmeal
• 1 tsp Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast

Directions

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients EXCEPT the corn meal

2. Stir some ice cubes into 2 cups of water and leave for at least 30 seconds before measuring

3. Add the water a little bit at a time stirring vigorously. (I found this very difficult to do and either don't have enough muscle in my arms, or vigorously was a little too enthusiastic)

5. First rise: Once combined and mixed, rub some oil into the top of the bread and cover with plastic wrap. You can refrigerate for three to 10 hours. Then, let rise in a cool place for 12 to 18 hours (at about 70 degrees)

6. Next, brush a 9 x 5 pan with oil and then put in 1 tsp of cornmeal on bottom and shake around to cover sides, too. Scrape down the sides of the bread into the centre of the boal with an oiled spatula and then roll it into the loaf pan. Pour some oil on top and gently press bread down into sides of loaf pan. Generously brush with water and sprinkle the remaining cornmeal on top. Finally, with a serrated, oiled knife, cut a 1/2 inch deep slit down the centre lengthwise. Cover with plastic wrap.

7. Second rise: For a 2-4 hour regular rise, let stand at warm (74-75 degree) room temp.

For a 45 min- 2 hour accelerated rise (I used this one, and but left it for two hours until it rose almost fully) let stand in a turned off microwave along with 1 C of boiling water. When the dough nears the plastic, remove it and continue the rise until the dough extends 1/2 inch above the rim of the pan.

8. 15 minutes before baking time, put a rack on the very lowest rack of your oven and place a broiler pan (or other shallow baking pan) on it. Place your other rack one notch above that and preheat to 450 degrees.

To bake, reduce heat to 425. Add one cup of water to the pan on the bottom rack; don't refill if it boils dry. Bake bread on the other rack for 35-45 minutes or until the loaf is nicely browned. Cover the top with foil and continue baking for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just slightly moist particles clinging to the bottom portion (or the internal temp registers 204-207 degrees). Remove the loaf to to a cooling rack. When it's cool enough to handle, you can take it out of the pan.

The inside of the bread was absolutely delicious. Like bakery bread. It "tore" and had delicious air pockets and was overall wonderful. Where I went wrong though, is that when I had the oven at 450 degrees, I turned it down to 425 right when I put the bread in the oven, so it burned and the crust was a little too crusty.

I'll definitely make this one again, though. I think it has great possibilities and what's also amazing is that you can mix the dry ingredients in advance and then all you need to do when you're ready, is add water.

Best Banana Bread Ever

My freezer is full of bananas. Dozens of black, overripe, frozen bananas. I needed to make some room so I brought out seven small-medium bananas and made the best ever banana bread.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups mashed bananas
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I didn't have them on hand this time, but they are delicious)

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy

2. Add eggs and beat

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt

4. Mix into butter, sugar and egg mixture

(the pouring shield really makes this easy)

5. In another separate bowl, mash bananas and mix with sour cream and vanilla

6. Add to other mixture and mix together

7. Pour into two loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

Bread -- Take Two

I made bread once before. It came out like a football and was heavy and dense. Eating it as toast was palpable, but I don't think ACE bakery will be looking for my recipes any time soon.

I bought a new book called the Mixer Bible. It specifically tells you how to use your mixer for recipes, which is great because I'm not knowledgeable enough to know how to adapt a recipe, quite yet.

Last night, at about 8 p.m., I decided to make bread. First rule of thumb: always read the WHOLE recipe before you start. Had I done that, I wouldn't have been up until midnight waiting for my bread to rise.

Overall, it came out pretty well. It was way better than my first attempt, but I wish someone could taste it and tell me how to make it better. It still feels heavy and I don't know if that's from too much flour?

This is how it turned out:

Lessons learned:

• I can't say this enough: read the whole recipe before starting
• The pouring shield for the mixer is my new best friend. This allowed me to put flour into the mixer without stopping it
• I let the yeast foam for 10 minutes, even though it said it would take only five
• The oven with the oven light on is a good spot to let the dough rise (note: the oven is off)
• I enjoyed making it but I have a lot to learn!