Bread Baking Babes Bake Holiday Perfect Pastry

It's always a bit of a challenge coming up with a recipe for December because there are the twin pulls of 'let's do something festive' and 'let's do something easy' given that the month is often crowded with events, parties, and family festivities. As Kitchen of the Month for the Bread Baking Babes this was actually something I had to figure out.

After considerable thought I decided to go with something that I hope covers both. Although the recipe looks complicated, it's really just a buttery base, some choux paste, some purchased marzipan, some purchased jam or caramel sauce (although you could make your own), and some purchased flaked almonds or pecan halves and an easy glaze. You can actually do the baking part in advance and then put on the toppings and glaze right before serving. You can also do the whole thing in one go if that works better for you. Since there is no rising time needed, you can get on with holiday decorating, wine drinking (or something stronger), and package wrapping and things like that.

This is an American Kringle. I made this for Christmas last year and although it would probably have been better if I chose something new to me for our challenge, this year has been and promises to be more stressful than usual for me, so I'm taking the easy way out. I can tell you that this makes a delicious pastry that looks impressive and it may become your new Christmas tradition. I realize that it is a departure from our yeasted breads, but we've done that before, and I hope this is fun for everyone!

According to Wikipedia, in the Netherlands the kringle is pretzel shaped but in the United States kringles are a Danish pastry using dough that has been rested overnight before shaping, filling, and baking. Many sheets of the flaky dough are layered, then shaped into an oval. After filling with fruit, nut, or other flavor combinations, the pastry is baked and iced.

Racine, Wisconsin has historically been a center of Danish-American culture and kringle making. A typical Racine–made kringle is a large flat oval measuring approximately 14 inches by 10 inches and weighing about 1.5 pounds. The kringle became the official state pastry of Wisconsin on June 30, 2013.

I discovered a wonderful kringle recipe on the King Arthur Flour site and adapted it, using raspberry jam and some marzipan instead pecans and caramel. 

King Arthur website says, "This layered pastry is a great favorite in the Midwest. Our version combines a buttery base with an easy, piped-on layer of pâte à choux, baked to perfection and finished with a lavish caramel pecan topping and a sweet glaze." The buttery base isn't layered so this isn't really a traditional Danish pastry, but it goes together fairly quickly and is quite delicious. I'm going to give you both the King Arthur caramel version and my raspberry version, but you are welcome to create your own version, with or without marzipan. If you make this to be a Buddy, I would ask that you use this type of buttery base and pate a choux, although you may choose to use other flours. Be as creative as you like with toppings. 

To be a Buddy, just bake the Kringle and post about it by Dec 29th and by that date send me an email about your baking experience. Include the post URL and a photo so I can include you in the roundup. My email is plachman *at* sonic *dot* net.

Be sure to visit the other Bread Baking Babes sites to see what they have done to make the Kringle their own. I'm sure you'll be inspired!

Here is a link to Kelly of A Messy Kitchen, the first post I've seen. HERE. She includes some notes on making choux paste that will be very helpful.

These links are from last month, but still get you to their blogs. Happy Baking!

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
• Judy’s Gross Eats – Judy
• My Diverse Kitchen - Aparna
• Bread Experience - Cathy
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna

King Arthur's Butter Pecan Kringle

Base

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 113g) unsalted butter, cut into pats

1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, preferable unbleached

1/2 teaspoon salt*

 1/4 cup (57g) cold water

*Reduce salt to 1/4 teaspoon if you use salted butter.

Pastry

1 cup (227g) water

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 113g) unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt*

1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, preferable unbleached

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon butter-rum, eggnog, or vanilla-butternut flavor, optional but delicious

*Reduce salt to 1/4 teaspoon if you use salted butter.

Topping

12 ounces caramel, cut from a block (about 1 cup, packed); or about 3 dozen individual caramel candies*, unwrapped

 2 cups (227g) toasted pecan halves

*Use fresh, soft caramels. If using harder, supermarket-type caramels, add a couple of tablespoons milk or cream when melting, to keep them soft on the kringle; or substitute caramel sauce.

Glaze

 1 cup (113g) confectioners' or glazing sugar

2 tablespoons (28g) heavy cream, half & half, or milk, enough to make a thick but pourable glaze

1/8 teaspoon butter-rum, eggnog, or vanilla-butternut flavor, optional but good

 pinch of salt

Instructions

1.   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a baking sheet that's at least 18" x 13"; or a 14" round pizza pan.

2.   For the base: Mix together the butter, flour, and salt in a medium bowl until crumbly. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing in between until you’ve made a soft, sticky dough. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each piece into a 9" rope. Connect the pieces into a 12" x 8" oval on the prepared baking sheet and, with wet fingers, flatten the dough to 1 1/2 ̋" wide, retaining an oval opening in the center.

3.   Wet your hands, pick up the dough, and shape it into a 12" x 8" oval ring on the sheet pan; or a 10" ring in the pizza pan. This will be messy going, but just keep wetting your fingers and pushing it into a ring. An easy way to approach this is to first divide the dough into four pieces; roll each piece into a 9" rope, then connect the ropes and shape them into a ring.

4.   For the pastry: Place the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture is cohesive and forms a ball. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is absorbed before adding the next. Add your choice of flavoring at the end.

5.   Spread or pipe the pastry over the ring, to make an oval of pastry that completely covers the oval of dough. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

6.   For the topping: Melt the caramel in a heatproof measuring cup at half power in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each round, until the caramel is smooth. Pour the caramel over the pastry and immediately top with the toasted pecans. Let cool.

7.   For the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, salt, flavoring, and enough cream (or milk) to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the kringle before serving.

8.   Store at room temperature, lightly tented with plastic wrap, for a day or so; freeze for longer storage. Kringle is best served the same day it's made. If you plan on serving it the next day, add the caramel, nuts, and glaze just before serving.

9.   Want to get a head start? Bake the base pastry up to two days ahead, then cool, wrap, and store at room temperature. Top with filling and icing just before serving.

Here is my version which is non-dairy:

Almond Raspberry Kringle
Based on a recipe from King Arthur Flour

BASE

• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) non-dairy margarine, cut into pats
• 1 cup  all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 4 oz. almond paste

PASTRY TOPPING

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) non-dairy margarine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

FILLING

• about 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 2-3 tablespoons sliced almonds

GLAZE

• 1 cup confectioners'  sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy milk, enough to make a thick but pourable glaze
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1.    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a baking sheet that's at least 18" x 13"; or a 14" round pizza pan.

2.    To make the base: Combine the margarine, flour, sugar and salt, mixing until crumbly. I used a pastry blender to cut the fat into the flour mixture. Add the water, and stir to make a soft, sticky dough. I used a fork and added the water slowly as I do for pie crust.

3.    Wet your hands, pick up the dough, and shape it into a 12" x 8" oval ring on the sheet pan; or a 10" ring in the pizza pan. This will be messy going, but just keep wetting your fingers and pushing it into a ring. An easy way to approach this is to first divide the dough into four pieces; roll each piece into a 9" rope, then connect the ropes and shape them into a ring.

4.    Once you've made the ring, flatten the dough so it's about 1 1/2" wide; basically, it'll look like a train or NASCAR track. Make a thin rope out of the almond paste and put it over the dough, connecting the ends so that the whole 'track' has a ring of almond paste in the middle of the track.

5.    To make the pastry topping: Place the water, margarine, and salt in a saucepan, and heat over medium heat until the margarine is melted and the mixture is boiling.

6.    Immediately add the flour, stirring with a spatula until the mixture is cohesive and starts to form a ball.

7.    Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the almond extract at the end.

8.    Spread the pastry along the ring, covering it and the almond paste completely; you'll now have a much wider ring, though it won't be completely closed in the center; it should still look like a ring.

9.    Bake the kringle for 50 to 60 minutes, until it's a deep golden brown. When the kringle is done, remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool completely on the pan.

10. To add the filling: First, have the sliced almonds all ready beside the pan of kringle; you'll be sprinkling them atop the jam as soon as you put it on.

11.    Stir the jam with a fork to break it up and then spread it over the kringle in a thin, even layer, mostly in the middle. Sprinkle sliced almonds atop the raspberry jam, pressing them in gently. Allow the kringle to cool completely.

12.    To make the glaze: Stir together the confectioners' sugar, salt, almond extract and enough soy milk to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle it over the kringle.

13.    To serve, cut the kringle in 2" slices.

If you prefer, you can bake the base, almond paste and cooked dough topping the day before serving, then wrap well and let sit on the counter overnight. In the morning add the jam, almonds and glaze. 

A Festive Chocolate Cake

At this time of year you are often asked to bring a potluck dish or a dessert to a gathering, especially if people know that you are a good baker. Here is a good choice. Almost everyone likes chocolate!

This cake is a single layer or can be a loaf cake. It's a pound cake with a fairly tight crumb. The intensity of the chocolate flavor depends on the cocoa you use. This time I used Trader Joe's cocoa and it was delicious but mild. For a deeper chocolate flavor I've used King Arthur Flour's XX cocoa. I also went off recipe as usual and added just a touch of espresso powder (1/4 teaspoon added to the dry ingredients) to deepen the flavor profile.

This cake goes together fairly quickly. If you bake it in a decorative, flatter pan as I did, it's also fairly quick. I think it took 35 minutes to bake. In a loaf pan it takes longer, just over an hour. That's the recipe I'm giving below.

If you bake it in a loaf pan, drizzle the mint icing over the top and sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies over it. For the snowflake pan I put the icing into a ziploc bag and cut off the tip and piped it over the snowflake pattern, then added the candies to just those areas.

Hope you find some time to make this delightful cake!

XO, Elle

Chocolate Cream Pound Cake
Makes one 9x5 inch loaf cake(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

Ingredients
6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

MethodHeat the oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour.

Sift the cocoa powder into a heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a microwavable bowl and heat for 30-60 seconds until just boiling. Pour the hot cream over the cocoa and stir and mash with a spoon to make a thick paste. Set aside to cool.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary. Beat in the cocoa powder paste until smooth.

With the mixer on medium-low speed add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Add the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on the rack to cool completely. Slice and serve, or decorate with icing and crushed peppermint candy canes:

Mint Icing
Heat 2 teaspoons milk in the microwave or over the stove for a few minutes until just hot. Add two drops mint extract.

In a small bowl sift 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Add the hot milk, a little at a time, mixing with a small whisk or a fork, until consistency desired. There may be milk that is not used; discard.

Drizzle icing over loaf cake with a fork or put into a sealable bag and cut tip and use to pipe a design. Immediately sprinkle with peppermint candy that you have crushed in a disposable bag using a rolling pin. 

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Missing Mom

Mom always said her career was being a mother of this large group. A success story!

She's been gone for years now (four I think but it could be five) but on this day I miss her more than usual. Mom was a very good mother and, in later years, a friend. I feel very blessed that she lived into her 90s, so we had time with her and I have many, many good memories. Love 'ya Mom.

A Great Brother

A few days ago my older brother, who has blogged here as a guest blogger called No Handle, lost his fight with cancer. He was a great brother and a good man. There really are no words that would do him justice, or perhaps the words are just not available to me right now. R.I.P. James Maxwell.

Enjoying a Tipsy Parson

Pumpkin pie is one of the traditional Thanksgiving desserts, but I made a pumpkin pie for Sweetie days before Thanksgiving, so I was open to another soft dessert. In one of the recipe collections that seem to land in my email box frequently, I found just the recipe - tipsy parson, a variation on the traditional Christmas trifle.


Although they said that you could use sponge cake ladyfingers, they also said that pound cake would work, so I made one from a mix, adding lemon zest because I like lemon. When the cake was cooled, I cut it into cubes, which went into the bottom of the serving dishes.

The last of the Gravenstein apples were peeled and cored and sliced, then cooked with a bit of apple juice and some cinnamon until soft...after all a soft dessert is what I'm looking for.

I made a half batch of the Pouring Custard HERE, then let it chill in the fridge.

I made a simple syrup by boiling water and brown sugar. When mostly cool, I added rum to make a syrup to lightly soak the bread cubes with. This is the tipsy part.

Now all of the parts of the dessert were ready! The syrup went over the cubed cake, the apples went over that, then the custard went over that. A sprinkle of cinnamon added to the looks and flavor. The tipsy parson was ready for tasting. Sweetie really liked the combination and I enjoyed the flavor and the soft texture. It made a great seasonal Thanksgiving treat thanks to the spiced apples. I made the desserts in individual dished, but you can also make it in one dish and serve it out into individual dessert dishes.

You can adapt this recipe quite a lot. The cake can be sponge, ladyfingers, unfrosted Bundt cake and pound cake. It's fine to use purchased cake. Angel food cake wouldn't work because it doesn't soak up the spirited syrup the same way. You can use any liquor or whiskey that has flavor compatible with what you are topping the dessert with. For instance, you could use kirsch, cherries, and a chocolate sponge with chocolate or vanilla pudding and some whipped cream on top for a Black Forest type dessert. In summer using Amaretto for the soak, stone fruit and vanilla custard would be delicious! How about rum in the brown sugar simple syrup, bananas cooked in brown sugar and vanilla pudding for a Bananas Foster flavored dessert? It's OK to use pre-made pudding like Kozy Shack instead of making your own, but the pouring custard is really delicious and not that hard to make...choices, choices.

Tipsy Parson
from My Recipes, Stacey Ballis
6 servings

Pouring Custard (follow link) or pre-made pudding
1 (3-oz.) package ladyfingers, split or cake cut into cubes
1/4 cup sherry (I used 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, boiled together for a minute, cooled and 1/4 cup rum added)
Strawberries(I had about two cups cooked, cinnamon spiced apples slices)

Sprinkle 12 ladyfinger halves with sherry. Let stand 5 minutes. Line sides of a 1-quart souffle' dish with soaked ladyfingers; pour in custard, then top with remaining ladyfingers. Chill completely. Garnish with strawberries. Spoon into individual serving bowls.

Butternut Tenderloin for Thanksgiving

It's something of a challenge to come up with a festive meal for Thanksgiving when you are limited to soft foods. My oral surgery of last week came with instructions to take in only liquids the first few days and then soft, mushy foods to finish out the week. A friend hoped that my mashed potato milkshake was delicious but I actually had a nice meal that included mashed potatoes and jellied cranberry sauce. The star of the plate was from a recipe that one of my sisters sent me...Butternut Squash Tenderloin. Now we all know that squash don't have loins, so why that moniker? It's because the neck of the squash, if cooked and peeled, has the shape of a tenderloin and if you season it, brown it and roast it so that the outside has a nice seasoned and browned crust, it can be sliced like a tenderloin of meat.

It was really delicious and filling, but there was no getting away from the fact that it was butternut squash. If you enjoy squash like I do, that's a good thing. It went well with the sides on the plate and was a lovely deep golden color. Sweetie had some too and liked it (although he had steak and salad with it). Tomorrow the rest of the squash will morph into butternut squash soup.

We also had a delightful dessert...tipsy parson...but I'll post about that later.

To make the 'tenderloin', choose a butternut squash with a long neck part. Mine was almost all neck, with very little in the small rounded bottom part but seeds. Since that neck part is dense, it took a little longer for the initial baking. I put the whole squash in the fridge overnight Wednesday night and finished the dish about forty-five minutes before dinner time on Thursday. The skin was easy to remove, the seasonings were easy, too, and it browned fairly quickly in my cast iron skillet. I roasted it for 30 minutes, which heated it through just right and allowed the crust/skin with the seasonings to brown a bit more.

Here is the neck peeled and ready to season, with the top inch and lower seedy part in the background.

The originator of the recipe served their squash with peas on the side and what looked like a mushroom gravy. I just dressed my slices with some plain yogurt and that worked well. Would have done the mushroom thing, but I made mushroom gravy last night for some pasts, so didn't want it again.

Do give this recipe a try if you enjoy butternut squash. You'll be glad you did.

Butternut Squash Tenderloin
by 100% Esselstyn Nutrition Forum

A whole butternut squash (preferably with a long neck), weights vary
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon ground sage
1 tablespoon onion powder (I omitted this as I had none)
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, ground (I used less)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (I used cayenne pepper for some pep)

Preheat over to 200 degrees c/180 degrees c fan (or 400 degrees F/350 degrees F convection)

Place the whole squash, skin and all, on a baking sheet. Roast until the squash is 95% cooked (approximately 45-60 minutes, depending on size). (I used foil under my squash on the baking sheet.)

Check the squash is cooked by inserting a skewer about three inches from the stem. When it can penetrate in and out through the width easily, it is done.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 30-45 minutes, to finish carry over cooking. (Doing this the day before saves time.)

With a sharp knife, cut off the top and tail of the squash, including the bottom section wher the seeds are. you want to leave the long neck (tenderloin) whole for roasting.

Stand the squash on one end and carefully peel/cut away the skin.

Place the peeled squash in a large bowl or baking sheet, then evenly apply the seasonings to the entire squash.

Heat a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add water carefully and add the squash and pan fry, turning to ensure that all sides are browned.

In the same pan (or transfer to a baking sheet) roast for an additional 20 minutes. Serve with green veggies for contrast.

Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes before planting, slicing and enjoying.

A Crown for the Babes

A little late, but still close to the middle of November, here is my version of the beautiful Danish Crown challenge for the month brought to us by the talented Kitchen of the Month Cathy of Bread Experience. Having recently spent far too much time with onions for my onion dip appetizer, I went with a holiday version that is sweeter, with a filling that has dried fruits and nuts and no dairy.

This is a lovely dough although a little soft for holding the fillings in. The results are dramatic but easier to accomplish than you might think, so consider being a Buddy this month. Bake the bread (I'm including both the original challenge recipe and my variation) and send an email to Cathy. She'll include you in the round-up and send you a Buddy badge for your blog. Be sure to include a photo, too. Deadline is usually the 29th of the month.

Not interested in being a Buddy, but still want to make the recipe? Go for it! This would make a delightful bread for Thanksgiving. The savory version would be amazing with full flavored cheeses and the sweet version with anything from eggnog to hot tea.

Be sure to check out the gorgeous breads made by the other Babes who baked this month.

November challenge: Sourdough Savory Danish Crown

Adapted from Bread - The breads of the world and how to bake them at home by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter

Makes: 1 Crown Loaf

Dough:

·        260 grams + 30 grams unbleached all-purpose flour + more for sprinkling

·        65 grams whole grain rye

·        1 tsp sea salt

·        3 Tbsp + 1 stick butter, softened

·        50 grams sourdough starter, recently fed, active (100% hydration)  or ¾-ounce fresh yeast *

·        ½ cup lukewarm water

·        ½ cup lukewarm milk (I used almond milk)

·        1 egg, lightly beaten or 2 ½ tsp / 8 grams ground flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp / 40 grams water (whisk; allow to gelatinize)

Filling:

·        2 Tbsp oil

·        2 medium onions, finely chopped

·        ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs or ½ cup dried

·        ¼ cup ground almonds or almond meal

·        ½ cup freshly grated or dried Parmesan cheese

·        1 egg, lightly beaten, divided or ½ Tbsp. chia seeds + 1 ½ - 2 Tbsp water (stir; allow to gelatinize)

·        Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Topping:

·        1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (I used sunflower seeds)

·        1 Tbsp. freshly ground Parmesan (I used dried)

·        ½ beaten egg from above or 1 tsp. corn starch + enough water to make thin glaze

Using yeast instead of sourdough:

If you choose to use yeast instead of sourdough, reduce the proofing time to about 1 hour for the bulk ferment in the bowl and 30 minutes for the final ferment. You may also need to reduce the milk/water mixture to a scant cup.

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt.  Rub in the 3 tablespoons of butter.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sourdough and milk/water mixture using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined.  Switch to a bowl scraper if necessary. 

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to autolyse (rest) for 20 – 30 minutes before adding additional flour. 

After the autolyse, add 30 grams of flour, if necessary.  The dough will be a little sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour until the stretch and fold stage.

Let the dough proof for about 4-6 hours at room temperature. Stretch and fold the dough every 45 minutes for the first 2.25 hours.  To perform the stretch and fold, remove the dough to a work surface sprinkled with flour, and stretch and fold the dough onto itself from all corners.  Do this 3 times.

The dough can probably be rolled and baked at this point, but I found it benefited from a cold ferment in the refrigerator.  I would let it cold ferment for a few hours at least.

After letting the dough proof at room temperature for about 4.25 hours, I covered the bowl tightly and placed it in the refrigerator.  About 44 hours later, I continued with the process (almost 2 days).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up slightly on a floured surface.

Roll out into an oblong about ½-inch thick.  Dot half (½ stick) of the remaining butter over the top two-thirds of the rolled dough.  Fold the bottom third up and the top third down, and then seal the edges. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the process with the remaining ½ stick of butter.  Fold and seal the dough as before.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap, bees wrap, or a kitchen towel; let it rest for 15 minutes.

Turn the dough another 90 degrees.  Then roll and fold it as before without adding any butter.  Repeat the turn/fold process once more.  Wrap the dough in lightly oiled plastic wrap or bees wrap sprinkled with flour. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the onions. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the onions for 10 minutes until soft and golden.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, almonds, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Add half the beaten egg, if using, or all of the gelatinized chia seeds to the onion/bread crumb mixture and bind together.

Roll the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle measuring 22x9 inches.  Spread the filling over the dough to within ¾ inch of the edges. Roll up like a Swiss roll from one of the long sides.  Cut the dough in half lengthwise using a sharp knife.  Braid the logs together with the cut sides up and shape into a ring. 

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or bees wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. 

It was a little tricky braiding the two dough pieces so it might be helpful to place the cut logs in the refrigerator a little while before braiding them and forming the ring.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Brush the remaining beaten egg or the cornstarch wash over the dough.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds (or the seeds of your choice) and Parmesan cheese. 

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden.  Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool.  Cut into slices.

Elle's version: Fruit and Nut Danish Crown

Adapted from Bread - The breads of the world and how to bake them at home by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter

Makes: 1 Crown Loaf

Dough:

·        260 grams + 30 grams unbleached all-purpose flour + more for sprinkling

·        65 grams whole grain wheat flour

·        1 tsp sea salt

·        3 Tbsp + 1 stick non-dairy margarine, softened

·     1/4 oz dry yeast 

·        ½ cup lukewarm water

·        ½ cup lukewarm milk (I used soy creamer)

·       

Filling:

½ Tbsp lemon zest
½ teaspoon cake spice or your favorite spice mixture

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup non-dairy margarine

·       ½ cup pecans, finely chopped

      ½ cup chopped dates & 2 tablespoons rum
      ½ cup mixed candied fruits (fruit cake mix)

Topping:

·        1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds

·        beaten egg 

Using yeast instead of sourdough:

 To use yeast instead of sourdough, reduce the proofing time to about 1 hour for the bulk ferment in the bowl and 30 minutes for the final ferment. You may also need to reduce the milk/water mixture to a scant cup.

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt.  Rub in the 3 tablespoons of non-dairy margarine.

In a separate bowl, mix together the dry yeast and milk/water mixture using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined.  Switch to a bowl scraper if necessary. 

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to autolyse (rest) for 20 – 30 minutes before adding additional flour. 

After the autolyse, add 30 grams of flour, if necessary.  The dough will be a little sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour until the stretch and fold stage.

Let the dough proof for about 1 hour at room temperature. Stretch and fold the dough every 15 minutes. To perform the stretch and fold, remove the dough to a work surface sprinkled with flour, and stretch and fold the dough onto itself from all corners.  Do this 3 times.

The dough can probably be rolled and baked at this point, but I found it benefited from a cold ferment in the refrigerator.  I would let it cold ferment for a few hours at least. I fermented mine overnight. That's when I also marinated the dates in the rum in a mug.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up slightly on a floured surface.

Roll out into an oblong about ½-inch thick.  Dot half (½ stick) of the remaining non-dairy margarine (in the dough section) over the top two-thirds of the rolled dough.  Fold the bottom third up and the top third down, and then seal the edges. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the process with the remaining ½ stick of butter.  Fold and seal the dough as before.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap, bees wrap, or a kitchen towel; let it rest for 15 minutes. (I chilled mine 30 minutes at this point because the day was very warm.)

Turn the dough another 90 degrees.  Then roll and fold it as before without adding any non-dairy margarine.  Repeat the turn/fold process once more.  Wrap the dough in lightly oiled plastic wrap or bees wrap sprinkled with flour. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the filling. Stir together in a small bowl combine the zest, cake spice and brown sugar. Drain the date/rum mixture, discarding the liquid.

Roll the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle measuring 22x9 inches.  Spread the butter mixture over the dough to within an inch of the edges. Sprinkle butter evenly with the brown sugar mixture, then scatter evenly the chopped pecans. Then scatter the candied fruit mixture over the dough to within ¾ inch of the edges. Roll up like a Swiss roll from one of the long sides.  Cut the dough in half lengthwise using a sharp knife.  Braid the logs together with the cut sides up and shape into a ring. 

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or bees wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. 

It was a little tricky braiding the two dough pieces so it might be helpful to place the cut logs in the refrigerator a little while before braiding them and forming the ring. This is a soft dough, so a fair amount of filling fell out, but I probably overfilled it anyway.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Brush the remaining beaten egg  over the dough.  Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.  

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden.  Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool.  Cut into slices.

Triple Onion Dip

Impossible that it is already Nov. 17th. Somehow I thought I had a few days left to make the Bread Baking Babes bread...will do it tomorrow if I can. This has been a crazy month with too much travel and doctor's appointments (routine) and dentist appointments (not routine) and there is a big event on Wednesday and yesterday was a retirement party...so I made a delicious dip but not the bread. Just glad that I don't have to host Thanksgiving this year! I will make the dip again for Sweetie though.

The holidays are upon us. Still seems too soon, but I guess if Christmas decorations are showing up in stores before Halloween these days, it's not too surprising that Thanksgiving will be gone in a flash. Still, we usually need things to serve our near and dear ones on turkey day, including old favorites.

Does someone in your family love the dip made with onion soup mix and sour cream? I've got a recipe for a dip that has a taste quite similar, but made from scratch...fresh onion, leek and shallot instead of that 'what ingredients are in this packet anyway?' dry soup mix. Instead of sour cream and mayo, we substitute slightly healthier Greek yogurt. This dip tastes very familiar with potato chips, but just as delicious with baby carrots, celery sticks, snow peas and red pepper strips. I won't lie and tell you that it is quick and easy, but I assure you that once you try this you'll never go back to the soup mix version. If you are bringing it to a party, remember to bring breath mints, too. This wonderful triple onion dip has a true onion flavor...big time! I saved about a tablespoon of the onion mixture to put in the center as garnish, but that's optional.

Today was really beautiful here with sunny skies and brilliant color on the trees because it has been getting cold enough at night for good fall color. I was able to find some time to start cleaning up my vegetable/flower garden of old squash plants and morning glories that had gone to seed. Grateful that I have the energy and strength to do gardening and pulling and pruning and lifting...just wish I had a little more. Soon (in a day or two) I should have a post for you of a delicious crown bread, then another post a few days later...or by the weekend... of a main dish salad perfect for friends and family who have or choose to eat gluten free, dairy free, egg free, low salt, vegan. I'm preparing ten of them for the event on Wednesday and I'll be prepping for them Tuesday. Hope our power company doesn't turn off our power. Tough to roast veggies in the quantities I need over the BBQ!

So here is the delicious, fairly healthy three onion dip from Feed Me Phoebe blog. Thanks Phoebe!

Healthy French Onion Dip with Leeks and Shallots
from #feedmephoebe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced
1 large leek, green and white parts only, halved and thinly sliced
2 large shallots, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably full fat
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Saute' the onion, leeks and shallots in the oil about 7 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and beginning to brown. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until dark and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the tamari or soy sauce and continue to cook for 2 minutes to evaporate the liquid.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the onion mixture, the Greek yogurt and the salt. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Use at once or chill. Return to room temperature to serve.

Serve with chips or crudites.

Return To Baking

When last we 'spoke', the power had been shut off and I was planning on camping at home. Wrong...before I knew it I was evacuating from my home at 4 in the morning with Sweetie and Pi dog and our dear friend from Healdsburg who had evacuated to us the previous night. Off we drove to San Francisco to stay with Sweetie's sister and brother-in-law. Power was still off, but a public safety neighbor who had to stay in the area kept the generator for the fridge going at intervals while we were gone, so no food lost, just sleep.

Waking up to smoke apparently sets me off. I wasn't a good camper and felt very stressed even though the likelihood of the fire making it to our home was slim. Our time in San Francisco was as lovely as possible with good food and company. Pi was a very good dog and even seemed to like the trip. We returned home as soon as the evacuation was lifted even though we were still without power except for what the generator provided. Back to camping.

Before the power was back on I took off to Portland for a planned vacation where I would meet up with three other women, including my daughter, and we would celebrate Halloween together, get dressed up, and hand out a ton of candy to little kids. It was just the kind of fun I needed to bring back my sense of humor. Fortunately the power had been restored before I returned home, so all I had to do once home was put away all the Kincade wildfire supplies and get on with life.

Of course that 'getting on with' included baking. Yesterday I made some chocolate chip pumpkin bread for a meeting that was scheduled for this morning (and had been canceled last week due to the fire) and then I made cookies. When in doubt, make cookies!

This recipe was given to me years ago by my friend Jeanne. She died last year and her birthday was during the evacuation, so it seems fitting to bake these in her memory. She was the best baker I ever met...anything she baked was always perfect and baking seemed to be almost effortless on her part. These cookies are pretty easy, full of spices and raisins and nuts, with the deep undertone of good coffee. The glaze on the top no only makes them pretty, but it adds to the coffee flavor.

These are fairly thin cookie bars, but moist. The batter is usually curdled once you add the coffee to the butter mixture, but it turns out just fine once the other ingredients are added. Once these are baked, cooled and glazed, I cut the bake into quarters and remove the quarters from the pan to cut the bars on a cutting board. You can also cut them in the pan and then use an offset spatula to remove them from the pan. Here they are baked but not yet glazed.

x

Leaving Saturday to fly to Portland again, this time to help a friend who has had eye surgery (different friend than Halloween). I feel lucky to have so many Portland and Oregon friends since it is a lovely city and state. Sweetie will again be home with our dog and keeping the household going. He has lots of projects to get things ship shape for the rain, which we hope will be coming soon.

Frosted Coffee Bars
From Jeanne Nahmens
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup strong coffee, cooled
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
2 tablespoons half and half
2 tablespoons brewed coffee, cooled
enough confectioners to make a glaze, about 1 cup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Blend together the butter, brown sugar and egg. Add the coffee and mix to incorporate.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to butter mixture and blend.

Add the raisins and nuts and stir to combine.

Turn batter into a greased and floured 9” x 13” pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until bars start pulling away from the side and are golden brown.

Let cool and then frost with a glaze made by combining the half and half, coffee, and powdered sugar.

Cut into bars to serve.

Makes 18 long bars or 36 smaller squares