Sweet Pink Bagels

I used to love the Pink Ribbon Bagels® from Panera. The first few years Panera offered them, they were the typical bagel shape. The past few years, they changed the bagels to a ribbon shape, and something happened to them. Their texture became hard instead of spongy. I wanted to like them, really I did. I wanted to support the cause they raised money for. But they were just too tough and chewy, and not in a good way.

Bagels are a two day process. The dough shapes need to rest for at least 8 hours, preferably longer. The boiling and baking goes pretty quickly. They would make a perfect breakfast treat, provided that you start the night before.

I tried making a similar version to the PRB. As described on the Panera site, they have cherry chips, dried cherries, dried cranberries, vanilla, brown sugar, and honey. I included as many of those ingredients as I could (cherry chips - what are those?). I am submitting this post to Beantown Baker's Power of Pink Challenge. I have friends and colleagues who are survivors of breast cancer, and I encourage all women to keep up with their monthly self-examinations.

Sweet Pink Bagels
Adapted from "Cinnamon Raisin Bagels"
As seen on Smitten Kitchen
Originally by Peter Reinhart

Sponge:
1 tsp instant yeast (I used the rapid rise)
4 c bread flour
2 ½ c warm water (about 95°F)

Dough:
1 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs honey
3 ¾ c bread flour
3 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs packed light brown sugar

2 ¾ tsp salt
2 c loosely packed, roughly chopped mixture of dried cranberries and dried cherries

To Finish:
1 Tbs baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting


Day One: For the sponge – stir the yeast into the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if mixing by hand). Add water and stir until just combined – mixture should form a sticky batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours. Mixture should swell to nearly double in size, and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.

For the dough – Add the additional 1 tsp yeast, vanilla, and honey to the sponge and stir. In a separate bowl, stir together 3 c of flour, sugar, light brown sugar, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sponge and mix on low with the dough hook attachment. Mix until the dough forms a ball, then slowly add in the remaining ¾ c of flour. In the last 2 minutes of mixing, add the dried cranberries and dried cherries.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for at least 10 minutes, adding a teeny bit of flour if the dough is still sticky. The kneaded dough should be firm, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour – all ingredients should be hydrated. The dough should read 71-77°F, and feel satiny and pliable but not tacky.

Immediately divide the dough into into equal-sized portions (3.75 oz for regular size bagel, 2 oz for mini bagels.) Form into rolls. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for about 20 minutes.

Line 2 sheet pans (or more) with parchment paper and mist lightly with non-stick spray. Poke a hole into each ball of dough and gently widen it to form an even ring. Place each shaped piece 2-inches apart on the baking sheets. Mist lightly with the non-stick spray and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator. To do this, fill a small bowl with cool or room temperature water. If the bagels float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water then they are ready. Test with one bagel. If it floats, immediately pat it dry and return it to the pan. Cover the pat, and place in the refrigerator overnight. Bagels can stay chilled for up to 2 days. If the test bagel does not float, pat it dry, return it to the pan, cover, and continue proofing the dough. Check every 10-20 minutes to see if the bagel passes the float test.

Day 2: Preheat oven to 500°F with two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or skimmer ready.

Remove bagels from refrigerator and gently drop them into the water. Only add as many bagels as can comfortably fit. They should float within 10 seconds. Cook for 1minute, flip, and cook for 1 minute more. While bagels are boiling, sprinkle some cornmeal or semolina flour onto the same parchment-lined baking sheets. If you replace the parchment paper, spray lightly with nonstick-spray before sprinkling the dry ingredients.

Remove bagels from water to prepared pans. Place in oven, and bake for about 5 minutes. Rotate pans from top to bottom, and from front to back (180 degree turn). If you are only baking 1 pan, still rotate the 180 degrees. Lower oven to 450 and continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Yeast Doughnuts - October Daring Bakers

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

Mmmmm....doughnuts. I automatically think of Homer Simpson. I used to call homemade marshmallows "pillows of heaven," but after making doughnuts, I may have to reattribute the title. These doughnuts were so soft, they practically melt in your mouth. Not in the sugary Krispy Kreme way. In a much better way.

I went with the Alton Brown recipe for yeast doughnuts. I've seen this episode on t.v., and it has rave reviews on the website. After conquering my fear of yeast, I set aside a Saturday morning for doughnut-making. Some impish spirit hid my round cutters, so I opted for square ones. The dough rose beautifully, and frying them was a breeze. They only took about 30 seconds on each side to cook. Totally naked, the doughnuts tasted a little bland. I guess that's why they are the perfect blank canvas for fillings and toppings. I coated them with sugar, and they tasted fabulous. Like I said, "pillows of heaven." Hubs and I ate an entire half batch by ourselves.


I branched out a bit for the second batch. I made the chocolate glaze from the same "Good Eats" episode, reducing it by 1/4th. I also got some blackberry jam and filled some them with it. Deciding which flavor I liked more was the hardest. I'm just glad I got to eat both.


Yeast Doughnuts
Adapted by Alton Brown
As seen on the Food Network site (link above)

1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 c butter
2 packages instant yeast
1/3 cup warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp nutmeg
23 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

Heat the milk just enough to melt the butter. Set butter in a heat-proof bowl. Pour milk over the butter and let the butter melt. Set aside and cool to lukewarm.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and butter mixture. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Allow each doughnut to cook for a few seconds before adding another to the oil. Cook for 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

Chocolate Glaze
Recipe by Alton Brown

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 c powdered sugar, sifted


Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Turn off heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Place the mixture over a bowl of warm water and dip the doughnuts immediately. Allow glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.

White Bean Soup with Andouille and Kale

This recipe was part of our continuing pledge to make more soup. Hubs loves beans, so he was drawn to this particular one. I had not eaten much kale in my life. I knew that this particular leafy green is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables, and was eager to try it. Because of all the pork, I made sure to skim the fat off the top once the leftovers had cooled in the fridge. There was a considerable amount. This made the soup a little more healthy.

One batch makes a ton, so we froze half for later. If you decide to do this, then cool and freeze the soup without the kale. It can be added once the soup is reheated. This is also a soup that takes a while to cook, so plan ahead. It would come together quicker if you wanted to use canned beans. Just drain and rinse two 15-oz cans of beans, skip the soaking, and the first 1 hour simmer. Throw the beans, bacon, sausage, thyme, red pepper flakes, and stock into the pot with the vegetables, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, and continue following the recipe.

White Bean Soup with Andouille and Kale
Adapted from Sunday Soups
By Betty Rosbottom

1 lb dried great Northern beans
3 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
5 large cloves garlic, minced
4 slices bacon
1 Tbs dried thyme
Dash of red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and pepper
10 c chicken stock
8 oz Andouille sausage, chopped
2 large handfuls fresh kale, stems removed
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese


Rinse and sort through the beans to remove any pebbles. Put beans in a large pot. Cover with 8 c of boiling water. Soak beans for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic Cook until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

Transfer rinsed beans to the pot with the vegetables and add bacon. Add thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and chicken stock. Bring soup to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 hour. Add the sausage and cook another 30 minutes. Remove bacon from the soup and discard.

Adjust seasoning of the soup with salt and pepper if needed. Add the kale and let cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. If soup is too thick, thin with a little water or extra stock. Serve soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Garlic Herb Focaccia

Bread recipes that require yeast have always been a bane of mine. It was hit or miss - sometimes the dough rose, but more often it didn't. Nothing is more disheartening than toiling over a recipe, patiently waiting and waiting....only to end up with a dud.


I think I figured out the secret to successfully risen dough - the temperature of the water. Yeast gets dissolved in "luke warm" water. My husband made the suggestion that I take the temperature of the water, using our nifty instant-read thermometer. The water should be between 95-105 degrees Farenheit. Ever since doing this, my dough has risen. Keep your fingers crossed that my success rate continues.


Garlic Herb Focaccia
Adapted from “Garlic Rosemary Focaccia”
Gourmet, February 2000

5 large garlic cloves, peeled and split
2/3 c olive oil
3 (¼ oz) packages dry yeast
2 ¼ c warm water (95-105 degrees F)
7 c all purpose flour
1 Tbs table salt
2 Tbs coarsely chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, or a combination)
Coarse salt for sprinkling
Fresh ground black pepper for sprinkling

Combine garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until garlic begins to brown. Do not let garlic burn. Remove from heat, discard garlic cloves, and let the oil cool.

Whisk together yeast and warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour and 1 Tbs table salt. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add 1/3 c of the garlic oil. Stir half the flour mixture into the bowl with the yeast. Add the remaining flour, and mix on low with the dough hook attachment. Once flour is incorporated, turn mixer to medium. Knead until the dough becomes soft and sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a large, well-oiled bowl. Turn the dough over so that both sides are coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise. Dough should double in bulk in about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with some of the remaining garlic oil. Gently press the dough into the pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for another 30 minutes. Make indentations at intervals in the surface of the dough. Drizzle the remaining garlic oil over the top of the dough. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the fresh herbs. Bake in the lower third of the oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer bread to a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Minestrone

Tis the season for soup! We are experiencing an early fall. Normally we it doesn't arrive until November, so we are loving the cooler weather and lower humidity. In an effort to incorporate more vegetables into my diet, I made a pledge to make more soups. Unbeknownst to me, Hubs made the same pledge. It's nice to know we are on the same page about our diets.

This is one of my favorite soups. It's from Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals." It is a classic "chop and drop" recipe, so you can prepare the ingredients as the soup cooks. I've used all kinds of cured meat in this soup - smoked sausage, andouille sausage, pancetta, proscuitto...they all work. I have found that the pasta soaks up a lot of the soup broth overnight, so I keep some extra stock to add to the soup when I reheat it.


Green Minestrone
adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe
as seen on foodnetwork.com

3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, diced
1 whole bay leaf
1 can white beans (I like Great Northern)
8 c chicken stock
1 c dried ditalini pasta
6 oz frozen cut green beans
2 large handfuls of broccoli rabe, chopped
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ c fresh basil, chopped

Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Add onions, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook until onions start to soften, about 4 minutes. Add zucchini, and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, white beans, and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Add pasta and green beans and lower heat to medium. Cook until pasta is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in broccoli rabe. Let it wilt, about 2 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with cheese and basil.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2010

It is that time of year again! The Food and Wine Festival is our favorite event at Disney. It is celebrating its 15th year. We have already gone twice this month to sample all the tasty food. We are going again next weekend to "The Party of The Senses," a private event held every Saturday night during the run of the festival.

The kiosks seem more organized this year than in the past. Lines can get long, but they move at a brisk pace. We didn't wait for more than 5-10 minutes in any line. For Disney, this is quite an achievement. Each year, we seem to initiate some newbies to the festival. After many years of experience, I have a few tips for successfully making it around the World Showcase.

-Go with a group, and share food. We usually have between 2-4 other people. Sharing means that you get to sample more (more economical as well), and you don't get full as quickly.

-Take your time. Our one-year old squirt came with us, which forced us to take lots of breaks so he could crawl and stretch his legs. It took us 6 hours to make our way around the World Showcase. Our glacial pace meant that we didn't eat too much too quickly. This was also the first year that I didn't feel totally stuffed. There's lots of good shopping in each of the countries. For example, the fellows from this group spent some time purchasing hats.

-Most plates have a recommended drink pairing (wine, beer, non-alcoholic specialty.) We have found that the wine pairings match very well with the food.

There are two countries debuting this year: Belgium and South Korea. We tried the food at both - barbecued beef short rib and a pork lettuce wrap at South Korea, and mussels and a Belgian waffle at Belgium. The Korean food was tasty. I wasn't expecting too much from the waffle, but it blew me away! It is easily the best-selling item of all, and one of the tastiest. There were three waffle irons going to keep up with the demand.

We tried lots of new dishes, and for the most part, were not disappointed. Some, like the coconut beef rendang, looked the most unappetizing but tasted the best. The dessert trio was the opposite. They looked fantastic, but each one of them was bland and surprisingly tasteless. That was probably our biggest disappointment.

Here is a sampling of stuff we tried.

Row 1: braised short rib, coconut beef rendang, Korean barbecued shortrib with pickled cucumber.

Row 2: chocolate lava cake with Bailey's ganache, spanokopita, black pepper shrimp with Sichuan noodles.

Row 3: asopao de pollo, "Parisien" Cosmo slush, escargots in brioche.

Row 4: corn and cheese empanada, beef tenderloin with mango barbecue sauce and sweet potato mash, mussels in a garlic-cream sauce.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

Normally, pasta is one of my go-to choices for dinner. But, Hubs had been having digestive issues (a byproduct of his past with Crohn's Disease), and decided to go easy on the carbs. So I took a break from pasta for a few months. I'm happy to announce, Pasta is back!

I hesitated to post this, because I hate when the picture is not up to my expectations. Pasta is one of the hardest foods for me to photograph. This dish, though, was too good not to share. The squash cooks down and becomes part of the sauce. The bacon adds a smoky flavor as well as an element of salt. The sage and green onion gives the pasta a fresh element. Everything combines to make this a comforting, satisfying dish.


Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
January 2009

3 slices of bacon, sliced thinly crosswise
3 Tbs fresh sage, minced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 Tbs butter
1 c thinly sliced scallions, light green and green part only (about 6-7)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 c low sodium chicken broth
1 lb shaped pasta (I like orechiette)
2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
4 tsp lemon juice

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add 2 Tbs of the sage, and cook for another minute. Remove bacon and sage to a plate, keeping as much of the bacon drippings in the pan as possible. Set aside bacon-sage mixture.

Turn heat to high. Add the squash in an even layer and cook until the squash begins to brown. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the squash is spotty brown on all sides. This should take from 10-15 minutes total. Add butter and let it melt. Add ¾ of the scallions, nutmeg, and rest of the sage. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until scallions are softened, another minute or two. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Turn down heat to medium and cook until the squash is tender, another 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ c of pasta water. Return pasta to pot used to cook it. Add the squash mixture, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and bacon-sage mixture. Use pasta water to help the sauce adhere to the noodles (if necessary). Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Marshmallow Ghosts

I've been wanting to make shaped marshmallow treats for the longest time. I thought about chicks for Easter, hearts for Valentine's Day, and pumpkins for Halloween. I figured something white was the easiest to start with - no fussing with food coloring or colored sugar. What better subject than ghosts? I used the recipe I tried previously, but substituted the Irish cream for a combination of almond and vanilla extract. This produced pure white marshmallows, and their taste most closely resembled commercial marshmallows.

I used a 13x9 inch baking pan for the marshmallows, instead of the 8x8 inch pan. The thinner marshmallows made cutting easier. When cutting the marshmallow block into shapes, I recommend dipping the cutter in powdered sugar frequently to reduce stickiness. I used gel food coloring to paint the faces, but it too for.ev.er to dry. Next time I'll probably use royal icing.

Recipe and tips can be found here.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

For me, M&M's come in 5 colors - orange, yellow, green, tan, and brown. None of this red and blue stuff. These are the M&M colors of my childhood. Yes, I know red used to be an original color. Call me a fuddy-duddy, but I miss the tan ones.


I thought I'd be able to find them at the M&M World at a nearby mall. They have a wall of candies in virtually every color. Except for tan, as I found out. The purpose of using tan ones was to fit into the fall color scheme I was going for. I had to settle for gold, which was a poor substitute. (picture from gosightsee.com)


Onto the popcorn...OMG, this is so easy to make, and so easy to eat! Hubs and I downed half a batch while watching the "Clash of the Titans" remake. If you're a fairly regular reader, you'll know I have a thing for peanut butter. This a must for any fan of the stuff.


Peanut Butter Popcorn
Adapted from Hot off the Garlic Press

½ c popcorn kernels
½ c creamy peanut butter
½ Tbs butter
Couple handfuls of chocolate candies (like M&M’s®)

Pop the popcorn using your desired method (I do mine in a pot on the stove.) Pour popped corn into a large bowl.

Place peanut butter and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat until melted, about 30-45 seconds. Stir to combine. Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over the popcorn and toss well. Spread popcorn onto a sheet of wax paper and let set. Toss popcorn with chocolate candy and enjoy.

Lemon Curd

My friend Jessica is getting married in December, and her bridal shower was last weekend. It was sandwiched between the morning rehearsal and evening performance of the Mahler, and luckily I was able to attend. I even managed to make some lemon curd to accompany the scones and Devonshire cream.


The theme of the shower was an English Tea. Jennifer, the hostess, went all out. She polished her good silver, and made beautiful arrangements. We chose our own teacup, which also was one of our favors. This was the first time I played "toilet paper bride" at a shower. I think I would've liked it more if I was a designer instead of a model. We also answered a "How Well Do You Know The Bride?" questionnaire. Based on my answers, I don't know Jessica as well as I thought.



Lemon Curd
adapted from Gourmet, April 2001
as seen on epicurious.com

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
6 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into bits

Whisk together juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.

Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming. Chill at least 1 hour until set.