Saturday, August 21, 2010

Carb Delights

This week in class we were able to make all sorts of amazing carb filled delights. My personal favorite thing to make and eat were the doughnuts. Doughnuts can be either yeast risen or cake like, through the use of baking powder. In class we prepared raised doughnuts, sour cream doughnuts, and filled doughnuts.












Doughnuts:
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil for frying

Chocolate Orange Glaze:
3 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Make the doughnuts:
  1. Whisk together eggs and sugar in mixing bowl. Add sour cream and vanilla.
  2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in another bowl until thoroughly blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold flour mixture into sour cream mixture and blend until soft, moist dough forms, adding additional flour if needed. Place dough onto lightly floured surface and lightly sprinkle top of dough with flour. Gather dough into ball and knead gently 5 or 6 times or until smooth. (Do not over-handle dough.)
  3. Divide dough in half and pat each with floured hands into circle about 1/2-inch-thick. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in freezer for about 20 minutes or until firm.
  4. Using floured 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut rounds from each dough circle. With floured 1 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut hole from center of each doughnut. Using floured pancake spatula, transfer doughnuts and holes to parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  5. Gather scraps of dough together, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Pat to 1/2-inch-thick and cut more doughnuts as above. Cover doughnuts and refrigerate for up to 6 hours until ready to fry them. Allow chilled doughnuts to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before frying.
  6. Add oil to saucepan or deep-fat fryer filling 1/3 full. Heat over medium heat to 375°F. Fry doughnuts, 3 at a time, for about 1 minute on each side or until browned. Using slotted spoon, remove doughnuts and place on paper towels to drain. Set doughnuts on wire rack to cool. Fry doughnut holes, 6 at a time, in same manner.
Make the glaze:
  1. Place chocolate in mixing bowl. Heat cream in small saucepan over medium heat to a gentle boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let mixture stand for 30 seconds. Gently whisk until smooth.
  2. Stir in butter and grated orange peel. Cool glaze until it starts to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally but gently so that it cools evenly without creating too many air bubbles.
  3. Set wire rack with doughnuts on baking sheet. Drizzle spoonful of glaze over each doughnut, covering top. Place baking sheet with doughnuts in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes or until glaze is firm. Sprinkle with orange zest if desired. Store doughnuts in airtight container at room temperature. Doughnuts should be served same day they are prepared.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

My Little Sunshine

This past weekend my husband and I headed down to Washington, DC to help plan my niece Ella's first birthday party! When I walked into my sisters house it was a tornado of craftyness. My sister Mandi was sewing, my sister Lindi of Love The Day was designing, and I was ready to bake. It turned out to be the perfect day for my little sunshine Ellason.

Menu: panna cotta, banana pudding, mini cheesecakes, and chocolate truffles








Monday, August 9, 2010

Bring on the Bread

In my first week of Module II I learned how to make semolina bread, olive bread, American black bread, baguettes, fougasse, and decorative breads. It is amazing that I have learned how to make so many different types of bread in the first week of Module II. I can't wait to see what else this Module has to bring.




Baguettes/Fougasse Provencase

French-Style Baguettes

Bread Design


Olive Bread Recipe

By: MARBALET

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped black olives
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 1 tablespoon cornmeal


Direction
  1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, yeast, sugar, salt, black olives, olive oil, and water.
  2. Turn out dough onto a floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside, and let rise about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size. Punch down. Knead well again, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Let rise for about 30 minutes, until it doubles in size.
  3. Round the dough on kneading board. Place upside down in a bowl lined with a lint-free, well floured towel. Let rise until double in size.
  4. While the bread is rising for the third time, put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
  5. Gently turn loaf out onto a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled and dusted with cornmeal.
  6. Bake loaf at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 30 more minutes, or until done.