Nutella Challah

I came across this recipe for No-Knead Nutella and Roasted Hazelnut Challah quite some time ago and bookmarked it baking, then promptly forgot about it. Months pass, then my friend said I should bake her some bread. Further along into the conversation, we discuss our love of Nutella.. wheels start to turn... I get home .. and BAM amazing recipe. AMAZING. i love it. she loves it. anyone who has tasted it loves it!

Nutella Challah
Master Challah Recipe:
1 3/4 cup luke warm water
1 1/2 tbsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
7 cups all-purpose flour

Mix together eggs, water, honey, melted butter, yeast, and salt. Stir well. Add in flour. Stir until there are no more bits of flour. Cover and refrigerate (at least overnight and up to 4 days.)
***This will yield 3 loaves of the challah. The loaves are smaller than the first challah I made. And they will go fast. Just, be advised this makes a good amount of dough.

Filling:
4-6 Tbsp Nutella
1 egg and 1 tbsp water, combined to make wash

So when you're ready to make your amazing bread, remove a grapefruit sized ball from the dough in the fridge. Generally flour hands and dough; shape dough into a ball. Cover and let it warm for a bit. (The original recipe said to let it sit while you roast the hazelnuts; I did not use the hazelnuts at all, so I just let it sit for a few minutes.) Preheat the oven to 350F.

Roll the dough into a thick log; this makes it easier to divide into three equal pieces. Divide into 3 equal pieces (dur!) Roll each piece until about 1 1/2 inch thick ropes. This might be tricky; it was difficult for me because the dough wanted to flatten, not roll. Running down the length of each piece, create an indentation with your fingers/hand/whatever. Spread Nutella in the groove. I never measured how much Nutella I used; I just filled the indentation with gooey goodness.


Now, slightly pull the sides of the dough and pinch them together, enclosing the Nutella completely. Bring the three strands close together and start braiding from the middle. When you get to the end, pinch the ends together and fold them under. Start braiding from the other side, but going underneath so the braid is uniform.


My seams started to come apart a bit. I just pinched them back together. In some places, the dough was thin over the Nutella; it's okay. I promise. Place the loaves on a baking sheet and let it sit for an hour to an hour and a half.

Now, brush the eggwash over the entire loaf. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. The crust should be a nice golden color.

This recipe is delicious! I plan to make more really soon. I definitely enjoy having dough ready in the fridge for whatever delicious treat I desire.

If you even like Nutella the tiniest bit, MAKE THIS.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

So, as usual, TasteSpotting brought me to yet another recipe; this time, it was Kid Diva's "Lemon Vanilla Yoghurt Cake." Now, for all but the last year of my life, I never really liked anything lemon-flavored. Slowly, I started to move into the lemon zone... And then, this past weekend, I discovered lemon poppy seed muffins. OH GOD why was I not given these before?! Anyhoo, since then I've been craving lemony goodness. And thus enters the lemon cake.

So, if you clicked on the link to the original recipe, you'd notice it was written for someone in Europe (i.e. more sensical modes of measurement). And some ingredients have slightly different names or forms.. so I americanized it a bit. I had to, as I can't hop in my jet and zip on over to a grocery in London. .. So here goes..

Lemon Yogurt Cake:

• 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 medium eggs
• the zest of 1 lemon (make sure it isn't waxy or chemical-y)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp half & half
• Icing:
• a few tsps half & half
• 1/2 cup (more or less) powdered sugar
• 1-2 tsp vanilla

- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Whisk together the yogurt, sugar, butter, eggs, and zest. Beat in flour. Add cream.
- Grease loaf tin and fill with batter. Cook 55 minutes to 1 hour.
- Once the cake has cooled, slowly add the half & half to the powdered sugar. Stir briskly, slowly working in the powdered sugar. Be careful or lumps might form. Drizzle over cake.

The cake has this almost creamy texture that it is amazing. The lemon is just the right amount.

Okay. Confession. I screwed up majorly the first time I made the cake. I am ubersensitive to my oven's bake time, so I obsessively checked the cake. Once it was a light golden and a toothpick came out clean, I removed it from the oven. A few hours later when I went to slice it, it was gooey. And gross. And heartbreaking. BUT I did learn that the original lemon juice/powdered sugar icing was WAAAY too much lemon. Yes, that much too much. WAAAY. Instead, I opted for the vanilla, which works well I think.

Alright. I am finished posting for the day. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Manicotti

Mama Sarah's Kitchen has made its first delivery!! Granted, it was to Amanda at work, but good time..... anyway...

Back in the day, my mom's friend made us this tasty manicotti. Now, I'm never going to claim I'm making authentic Italian food, but I've at least decided to alter the recipe (that I've followed faithfully for many years) to make it a bit more ... real. Any suggestions would be appreciated (this is always true).


A short explanation: this dish is not quite manicotti but not really lasagna. It's meant to be manicotti, but once upon a time, hubby and I were making this for my family when we decided stuffing the mixture into hot noodles was too hot and time consuming. Instead, we split the noodles in half, laid the mixture down, then folded the noodles back over. Now, I've just gotten rid of the manicotti noodles period. Instead, I use lasagna noodles. It's a short cut that saves a good deal of time and doesn't burn my hands. Do as you will.

"Manicotti"
1 lb ground beef
12 oz cottage cheese
1 cup ricotta
1 1/2 cup mozzarella
1 package noodles (manicotti, lasagna, your choice)
15 oz blue label ragu (one day I'll make my own, but not today)
Dash of salt

- Prepare noodles.
- Brown the ground beef. Add cottage cheese, ricotta, and mozzarella. Mix well.

Lasagna Style: - In a casserole dish (13x9 will make thin layers, 8x8 will make nice thick layers), spoon in just enough ragu to cover the bottom. Place a layer of noodles, slightly overlapping, then spoon about half of the mixture over the noodles. Place another layer of noodles, then the rest of the mixture. Cover with a final layer of noodles, then spread the ragu over the top. Make sure the noodles are completely covered by sauce (especially if you're using those no-boil lasagna noodles.. I did.)
Sprinkle with parmesan.
Manicotti Style:
- Fill noodles with stuffing. You can start out trying to spoon it in, but don't be surprised if you end up using your hands. It'll be messy.
- Line the stuffed noodles in a casserole dish. Pour ragu over noodles; sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake (either style) at 350F for 30 minutes.

See the pretty layers?

I definitely liked the ricotta substitution.. Taasssttyy... I served this with the delicious brussels sprouts that I make so often..

Cake coming up soon!

Apple Ladder Loaf

So.. I made this awhile ago.. Remember, I mentioned it? It went over amazingly well. Hubby said it reminded him of king cake, which I think is flattering knowing his love for it. I'm a big fan of apples in bread, so I'll definitely make this again, tweaking the recipe.. as usual.. So here goes.. This is from The Taste of Home Cookbook, recipe by Norma Foster.

Apple Ladder Loaf

Bread:
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110-115F)
1/2 cup warm milk (110-115F)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
4-1/2 to 4-3/4 cups flour

Filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice
4 cups thinly sliced and peeled tart apples (I used granny smiths and had hubby slice them super thin using our mandolin slicer.. oh mandolin slicer, how I love thee!)

Icing:
1 cup powdered (confectioners') sugar
1-2 tsp orange juice or milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extra

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. (My mom always taught me to do so in a smaller container, like a measuring cup, but do as you will. I followed Mom's advice, then just transferred to a bowl.) Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat on low for 3 minutes. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. (I didn't have a sturdy enough spoon, so I used my hands and basically kneaded in the rest of the flour.)
Next, turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic - about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours; punch the dough down. (I love this step.) Cover and refrigerate over night. (I didn't cover it overnight. I'm impatient and didn't feel the step was necessary. Maybe doing so would have made it extra-super-duper amazing, but it's fine without the overnight step.)
If you did the overnight thing, punch the dough down again. Turn onto a floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into a 12x9 inch rectangle. Place each on a greased baking sheet. (I went a slightly different route; I placed the rectangles on parchment paper. This made working the dough easier AND kept my baking sheets clean. I just placed the parchment paper on top of the baking sheet when it was time for the bread to rise and when it was time to bake.) Spread each with 1/8 cup butter - make sure it is very soft.
For filling, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl; add apples and toss to coat. Spread filling down the center third of each rectangle.
On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 3 inches into the center (a ruler is very helpful at this point). Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling, seal ends. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
Bake at 350F for 3-40 minutes or until golden brown. (Mine took ALOT less time to bake, perhaps 20 minutes. I ended up slicing into mine to see if the bread was fully cooked - it was.) Combine icing ingredients until smooth; drizzle over warm loaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.


So I'm not as good at ... laddering bread as I was at braiding it. Hubby says it's just a matter of practice, which is sweet of him. Now, to changes... One person recommended using different apples; she's not a fan of the granny smith. I personally love baking with the granny smith; I find their tart and crisp nature hold up well after baking and also complement the sweetness of the sugar mixture and icing. Regarding the spice mixture, I felt it was a bit too heavy on the nutmeg, but then again many other people thought it was great. My mom never baked with nutmeg, so I'm pretty sensitive to it.

I'll definitely make this again. It'd be great for a brunch. Watch out though; it makes 2 full loaves. I ended up bringing one to school and leaving it in the writing center.

The semester is ending, and my summer plans are to read and bake so expect a foodsplosion again.

I just took a lemon cake out of the oven, and I'm making manicotti tonight. I'm excited, and you should be too.

Adult Grilled Cheese

Apologies again for my extended absence. Chemical imbalances are no fun at all. Plus, I'm at the end of the semester and I just spent some time in New Orleans (yum!) This summer should be filled with fun cooking times.

Anyhoo, Amanda was flipping through a magazine that had a feature on grilled cheese varieties. Tonight, after realizing I didn't want to cook the pork loin I bought, I decided to play around a bit. First, I sliced an onion into thin strips and sauteed them in a bit of butter. While that was going, I thinly sliced a portobello mushroom (I ended up having the break the long slices in half to fit the bread). I prepped my bread like I would for grilled cheese, and placed on slice on the skillet. I then placed a layer of mushrooms, topped that with onions, and then added shredded cheese. Then I topped it with the other slice of bread. It was tall and somewhat unwieldly..but I made due. It was very simple, but tasty as I love mushrooms, onions, and cheese. I wish I had had mozzarella , but oh well. It was good all the same. Hubby would eat it again.

Foodsplosion

For various reasons, I did not cook at all this past week.. business, illness... but I always feel guilty if I go too long without cooking. It's just silly not to. Also, I'm doing a behavior modification project which just happens to focus on my dishwashing habits..and if I don't cook, I can't really modify behavior that I'm not doing, can I? Anyhoo....

My friend Leigh mentioned Wednesday that she was craving chocolate chip cookies. Thursday night, I was watching Ultimate Recipe Showdown cookie challenge. Though I had missed the actual chocolate chip cookie portion, I got online and decided to check out the winning recipe. Friday, Leigh still hadn't had cookies, so I decided to make her some. Woo crazy me.


So.. Radical Rob's Chocolate Chip Cookies. Not so radical... not in taste. The cookies are super-thin though.. And sugar-crispy. I prefer my cookies fluffy, so I probably wouldn't make these again. They weren't anything special. Not bad. Not special. Average cookie. I don't really see why it won the challenge. I guess it's texture.. Oh well.. Perhaps you'll like it.


Much earlier this week, I decided I was going to make this pork and fennel dish from my Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook. I've made it before; so far, it's the only way we've liked fennel. I also really enjoy the pork being so thin; plus pounding it is fun.


Pork with Fennel:
12 oz pork tenderloin (I usually use pork chops)
1/4 cup flour
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 oz pancetta (or bacon) finely chopped
2 fennel bulbs, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small onion. thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream (I was out and used whole milk tonight)

Trim fat from meat, then cut into 1 inch squares. Place each slice between two sheets of plastic wrap, then pound with a meat mallet into 1/4 inch thickness.
In a bowl or plate, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Coat meat with mixture. Heat olive oil in a skillet, cook pork until meat is slightly pink in the center (2-3 minutes).
In the same skillet, cook pancetta (or bacon, like me) until crisp. Add fennel, onion, and garlic. Cook until crisp-tender (about 3-5 minutes). Add lemon juice. Stir in whipping cream. Bring to a boil, return meat to pan. Cook until meat is heated through and sauce is slightly thickened.
Best served with rice.

I'm in the process of baking the apple bread. I'll post it soon. I am just too tired right now.

Cinnamon Swirls

Wednesday afternoon, I really wanted to bake something bready. I'm still thinking about the hot cross buns from Panera, but I decided not to attempt those in case they didn't live up to my craving. I started flipping through The Taste of Home Cookbook and came across a few recipes I really, really wanted to try. My first choice required overnight refrigeration, so I decided to wait until the weekend to make it. So here's my second choice: Sarah Bueckert's Cinnamon Crisps (I've renamed them as they are not, nor should they be, crisp). They were fun to make, though a challenge because I lack counter space.. at one point, the cookie sheets had to rest (for the rising process) on the floor in the corner because I had no where else safe to put them..



Cinnamon Swirls:
Dough :
4 cups flour
1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm (120-130F) milk (1 1/4, not 1/4 as I first used.. and then had to start all over)
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Filling :
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping :
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I omitted them because hubby doesn't like nuts)
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour and the yeast. In a separate bowl, combine warm milk, shortening, sugar, and salt. Add to the flour and beat for 1 minute.
Add the egg, then beat on low speed for 1 minute. Continue beating for 3 minutes on medium speed. Stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients and set aside. For the topping, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and, if you're using them, pecans. Set this aside as well. Punch down the dough, then divide it in half.
Roll each half into a 12 inch square. Divide the filling in two and spread on each half. Roll up tightly, jelly roll style, and pinch the ends and sides to seal.
Cut into 1 inch slices and place on a greased baking sheet (I used parchment paper instead of greasing the sheets). Put four to six on each sheet. Flatten slices into 3 inch circles. (You can use the palm of your hand, placing wax paper between.) Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Then flatten each roll to 5 inch diameter.
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the topping. Cover with waxed paper and flatten again (you can use a rolling pin and wax paper).
Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until LIGHTLY browned. My first batch of 4 were overcooked slightly. For the next ones, I watched them carefully; they really shouldn't color that much.

One of the tastiest parts about this is that the butter and sugar melt together, and where it runs off the swirl, it bakes into a little sugary goodness pool. Also, the bottoms will be sticky, but in the best possible way. These are definitely best when eaten warm, but they are still a good treat the next day.

Also, I'm a bit torn if there was enough filling.. If anything, I might just make what's listed, then half more. Maybe... I don't know. They were pretty damn good as they were..

Pasta Casserole (needs a better name)

I came across this recipe for a baked pasta casserole a few days ago and decided it would be a nice, quick dinner. The prep time wasn't bad, I was just a little unprepaid. It also didn't help that I decided to add some things while in the middle of cooking....

Baked Pasta Casserole (it needs a better name.. got any ideas?) :
olive oil
salt
3/4 lb pasta (I used shells)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
5 strips bacon, crumbled
8 oz mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350F.
Boil pasta in salted water. Drain and toss with olive oil. Make sure it's tossed well.
Saute onion in olive oil, either for a few minutes or until caramelized. Mine were well cooked - pretty translucent - but not caramelized. Add garlic and cook for a moment or two. Next, add spinach and mushrooms and cook until the spinach just starts to lose volume (up to a minute, that's all). Salt mixture, then add to the pasta. Add bacon. Mix WELL. It needs to be very well combined, otherwise the flavor will end up being uneven throughout the dish.
Pour half of the pasta into a buttered/oiled casserole pan (13x9). Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Add the rest of the pasta, then cover with the remainder of the cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and delicious.

Hubby wanted it to have more meat - I thought adding the bacon would be enough, but I was wrong. I thought it was pretty tasty, though I'll probably use a different type of pasta and I'd perhaps add some herbs - maybe basil. Also, I'm on this kick where onions are the most delicious things ever, so I'd add more onion too.


Last night, I made some cinnamon buns I need to post. They were warm, cinnamony-sugar goodness. Not quite as overwhelming as a cinnamon roll. No icing. I think they are a great breakfast treat... or dessert, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.. Anyhoo, look for that within the next day or so. I also plan to make an apple bread this weekend, so there's that to look forward to as well.

St Patty's Day Irish Soda Bread

Since my college roommate was an exchange student from Ireland, I now feel the need to observe St Patty's in some small way. As I'm not one to go out and get drunk, I decided to cook something (shocking, I know). I thought of making an Irish stew, as she did for us one day, but came across many recipes for Irish Soda Bread over at TasteSpotting and that seemed like more fun and less work.

I agree with all the comments I read: this bread would make a tasty breakfast bread. It is super tasty warm with butter. It's also easy to make. It's a winner.

The recipe came from Yumsugar. I did use both caraway seeds and raisins. I've never used caraway seeds, and I've discovered I find them to be tasty.



yumsugar's grandmother's irish soda bread:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan. Combine dry ingredients. Add caraway seeds and raisins. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and milk. Slowly add to the dry ingredients. Stir until you've got a sticky dough. It won't take long. Place in the prepared pan and lightly sprinkle flour on top. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. Mine went for 45. Let cool for a moment, then remove from the pan. Serve warm. With butter. Enjoy.

Failure, Meatloaf, and Perfect Chocolate Cake

I'm feeling lazy; it's been a long day with lots of cooking. Two thirds of my attempts were scrumptious.. the third, not so much. BUT I did buy my first vanilla bean today; I shall hopefully use it tomorrow. I've decided not to retype any of the recipes as I followed them exactly.

So I was super excited to make these garlic rolls; I love garlic and I love bread so HELLO awesome recipe to try right? Well, mine DID not look like the photo. I knew something was up when my dough did not rise at all during the set rising time. But, I soldiered on and continued.. They didn't rise at all during the baking. I talked to my mom, and she said she's never seen a recipe that didn't call for dissolving the yeast in liquid before adding it to everything else (disregarding bread machines). Also, there could have been a slight issue with the conversions.. but oh well. Perhaps I'll tweak the recipe and try again. However, mine were edible (though hard) and really didn't taste phenomenally garlicky. I'll tweak that as well. Good idea though. These are my sad results; most of the rolls fell apart, having never joined spheres... Sadness..


Okay. So, I was raised with the whole "meatloaf is disgusting and a horrible idea" mantra. My mom NEVER made meatloaf that I can remember. I avoided it at school... I just never ate it until about a year ago. I was curious and hubby likes it. It really wasn't that bad, though nothing I think I would ever write home about. There are much more fun things to make than a loaf of meat. BUT then I came across this meatloaf recipe. It's turkey (I've discovered I really enjoy cooking with turkey!) I might not have double-glazed it, but that's just me being picky about sauces. Pretty tasty; like it says with the original recipe, this can turn a lover to a hater. (Of course, I served it with mashed potatoes and peas...which should be mixed together!)


Now the fun part of the evening came when my friend let me know she was craving warm, chocolate cake. Me, being the crazy that I am, immediately offered to make her one. And who in their right mind would turn away fresh, warm, homemade chocolate cake, especially when craving it? It took awhile to narrow down the recipe choices. I had two that I flitted between for awhile, but one mandated being served warm. Since she didn't get off work til 1 am, I figured I should go with the second cake. It's someone's grandma's Hershey Chocolate Cake. It's a lighter, cakier cake than some chocolate cakes can be, but the icing on top makes it super-sweet and chocolatey. The recipe calls for pouring the hot icing over the hot cake, which resulted in sizzling bubbles around the edges. See?


Anyway. This cake is like crack. I'm going to have to bring it to work tomorrow so I don't eat it all myself and gain 500 pounds in a night. So simple and so good.


Also, I had the tastiest hot cross bun today from Panera. I always imagined hot cross buns had raisins in them.. These did not; instead they had candied oranges and strawberries. AMAZING. I have never had strawberries baked into anything. The bun itself was sweet and slightly cinnamony. I actually pulled off the little cross of icing; it really didn't need it. So good though. I'll have to somehow make these myself. People will think I am a goddess.