Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver Recipes for July 24- July 31

Time once again for new recipes!  The deadline for getting your name in for this past week’s challenge is 8 am today. Next Friday will be pretty special.  Not only will you get another set of recipes but it will be the last day of the month, therefore, we will draw a name from the jar for the winner of July’s goodies!  Good luck to all of you!  And Happy Baking!!

Our first recipe this week is a family favorite.  My oldest daughter mastered this recipe when she was about 15 I believe.  Her first “real job” was baking these for a local cafe…yes, at such a tender age! Posting this recipe is a good excuse for Rachel and I  to make these – we have to have a picture you know!

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is for a crowd.  Maybe a holiday breakfast.  But, take heart, it is very easily halved. Though you could make the full recipe and surprise a friend with half.

• 8-8 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 TBSP yeast
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs

Filling:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 TBSP cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar

Glaze:

• 2 pound bag powdered sugar
• 1 TBSP vanilla
• 2 TBSP butter, softened
• Enough milk for desired consistancy

Combine 3 cups of flour and the yeast and set aside.  In a saucepan, heat and stir the milk, sugar, salt and butter just until warm (120-130°).  Add to flour mixture.  Add eggs.  Beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds.  Beat on high for 3 minutes.  Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.  On a floured surface, knead to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic.  This might also be accomplished in your mixer if you have a dough hook and it is capable of kneading dough – if so about 8-10 minutes. Shape into a ball.  Place in a greased bowl; turning once to coat the surface of the dough.  Cover and let rise until doubled – about 1 hour.  Punch down dough.  Turn out on a lightly floured surface.  Divide in half.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Roll each half into a rectangle about 18″ x 10″.  Spread 1/2 filling over first half of dough.  Starting at the 10″ side roll tightly.  Using heavy duty sewing thread, slice into 15-18 rolls.  Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Repeat with remaining dough in a second pan. Cover pans with waxed paper and then plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 2-24 hours.  Let stand 20-25 minutes before making in a preheated 375° for 20-25 minutes.  Cool slightly.  Glaze.

Recipe two is your savory challenge for this week.  And another family favorite.  Why not have a tribute to Jess’ Mad Baking Skills this week?

You may already have a favorite dinner roll recipe but give this one a try anyway.  These are very very much like School Rolls.  You know, the rolls you smelled when you stepped off the bus every morning at Elementary School?  Mmmmm.

Jess’s Good Potato Rolls

Again, this recipe is for a large family or gathering.  It is also easily halved.

• 10 cups all purpose flour
• 2 TBSP yeast
• 1 cup potato water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 TBSP salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 2/3 cup butter flavored Crisco, melted

Scald milk. To this add your potato water, Crisco, salt and 3/4 cup sugar.  Set aside to cool to lukewarm.  In a separate bowl, add 1 tsp sugar to warm water (110°) and stir in yeast.  Let stand until proofed.  Combine with other mixture in a large bowl.  Add eggs and 5 cups of flour.  Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time.  Knead to elastic and smooth with either your mixer with dough hook or by hand on a lightly floured surface.  Let rise in a greased bowl, covered until doubled.  Form rolls, desired size and place in a greased pan with 2″ sides, close together but not touching.  The shape of the pan isn’t important. This recipe if not halved makes several pans of rolls depending on the size of the pan.  But at least two 9 x 13s. We make ours about 3 inches around.  Cover rolls with a cloth and let rise until they touch and are to the top of the pan.  Bake at 375° until golden brown.  If you like, you can brush the tops with melted butter as they come out of the oven.

I am having a bit of a hen party tonight and serving Chicken and Dumplings – these rolls sure would go well!  Dessert: Buttermilk Pie! I can’t make Chicken and Dumplings without getting a little nostalgic.  My Ganky~my mom’s only sister and one of the biggest influences in my life, made THE BEST.  Pretty much the best everything. I don’t have her recipe, probably because she never had a cookbook that I am aware of.  I don’t remember ever seeing one in her house.  She cooked from scratch and memory.  The recipe I use though, came from Mrs. Pinkye.  Mrs. Pinkye and her husband Papaw Minkye (Ben’s names for them) built the house we live in.  They were friends, though much older, of my parents and sold my dad the land they built their house on.  When Papaw Minkye passed and Mrs. Pinkye went to live closer to her daughter, this place, right across the road from my parents, came up for sale and we bought it.  My mom got this Chicken and Dumpling recipe from Mrs. Pinkye probably 30 years ago and passed it on to me.  It’s a winner!  You can tell from the comments the original post got, that I am not the only one that thinks so!  And this is one of the greatest posts I was ever honored to be linked to. I still smile everytime I think of it. Thanks Sher.

Well, how’s all that for getting sidetracked!  Have a great weekend and bake something good!

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Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver Recipes for July 17- July 24

It’s that time again.  Sorry I am a bit late getting these posted today.  BUSY BUSY!!! But here are your new recipes! If you have questions and they aren’t answered on the Friday Baking page, please email me.  Happy Baking!

Your sweet recipe is our all time best cookies recipe from way WAY back.  It was the most requested when we catered years ago and now that Rachel is “back in business” they are still the most wanted.  They are just so good.  Any shape cookie is fine.

Cream Wafers

Below is a picture tutorial/recipe. As always gather all your ingredients before you start.

You will need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 sticks butter at room temp (do not substitute)
• sugar for coating cut outs
• cookie cutter of your choice (the fluted ones like shown work BEAUTIFULLY)
• flour for dusting your work area
• Set your oven to 375

For Filling:

• 1 stick softened butter
• 4-5 cups confectioners sugar
• flavoring of choice (I use 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a 1/2 tsp coconut & lemon)
• Coloring if you like

I use parchment lined cookie sheets.

Cut the butter into the 2 cups of flour with a pastry cutter or fork until it is mealy…like cornmeal. Add cream all at once and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Roll 1/3 the dough out adding just enough flour to keep it from sticking to the surface (I use a silicone mat). DO NOT over work your dough or your cookies will be tough. Cut what you can from this rolling and set the scraps to the side to use ONE more time. After the second rolling, discard the dough – too “used” to use, ya know?

Place your cut outs into a plate of sugar to coat.

Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and prick each one with a fork (3-4 times- no need to get “creative” like Husband!).

Bake about 10-11 minutes until set…not browned. Remove to a wire rack till cooled.

Mix your filling ingredients with a mixer until light. Spread one cookie and top with another. Makes a YUMMY sandwich cookie and delish with a great cup of Farmhouse Blend Coffee!

Here’s your savory recipe…

Peppery Cheese Crackers (Thanks! Martha Stewart)

Makes 60 crackers

* 1 cup bread flour
* 1 cup instant polenta
* 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup grated Mimolette cheese
* 2 1/2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* All-purpose flour, for work surface

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
2. Place bread flour, polenta, salt, baking soda, paprika, pepper, and cheese in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add buttermilk. Continue processing until dough just forms a ball. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few seconds. Wrap dough in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. Cut dough into quarters. Using 1 piece at a time, roll out dough 1/16 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour. Keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap.
4. Using a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cookie cutter or a small fluted pastry wheel, cut out crackers and place on prepared baking sheet at least 1/2 inch apart. Roll out a second piece of dough 1/16 inch thick and repeat cutting process; place on second prepared baking sheet. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until crackers are golden brown and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking. Transfer crackers immediately to a wire cooling rack; let cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough.

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Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver Recipes for July 10- July 17

Is it Friday already???  Apparently it is.  So TA-DA!!! New recipes!  If you have any questions that cannot be answered by reading the Friday Baking page, then please email me!

I know I probably do not have to say this but please always read through recipes before beginning.

As in weeks before, you will have a choice of sweet or savory (or both) recipes.  Your first is an AMAZING cheesecake recipe that Rachel made yesterday for the first time.  Yeah, we like to try out the recipes when we have time.  Don’t want anyone wasting ingredients and their time and hard earned money on a bummer of a recipe if we can help it!  But take a look at this!

Yeah it tastes as good as it looks.  But Rachel surely made it look beautiful as well.

Thanks Rach for the photo!

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Brownie Crust

Rachel topped this cheesecake with a simple ganache (see her recipe below) and fresh raspberries.

You will need three 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened so go ahead and sit it out while you prepare your crust. For your crust she used a brownie mix prepared by the directions on the package and cut the baking time by 10 minutes.  You want the brownie underdone. Or you can use your favorite from scratch brownie. While your brownies are baking, wrap the bottom of a 9-10 inch springform pan with 3-4 layers of heavy-duty foil. Spray the bottom very lightly with cooking spray.   When the brownie is baked and cooled enough to touch, press it into the bottom and partially up the sides of your springform pan.  Bake another 10 minutes.  Cool on a rack  and then place the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

• 3 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
  
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 450.  Beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in brown sugar until light and well blended.  Slowly beat in eggs then sour cream and vanilla.  Beat just until well blended.  Pour into prepared crust.  Place the foil wrapped pan in a large shallow roasting pan.  Place in the oven and add about 1/2 inch water to the roaster, careful not to get any on  your batter!

Reduce heat to 325 and bake for 45-55 minutes  or until the cheesecake is firm around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center.  Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes longer. Rachel propped the door slightly ajar with a wooden spoon. Remove cheesecake from the oven and cool on a rack until room temperature.  Remove the pan sides.

Chill at least 8 hours or overnight.  Drizzle with ganache or serve plain – either way is delicious!

Rachel’s Simple Ganache

8 ounces of any kind of chocolate and 1 cup heavy cream.  Chop the chocolate fine and put in a heat proof bowl.   Bring the heavy cream to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and pour slowly over chocolate while stirring.  Whisk together chocolate and cream until homogeneous.  Mixture will thicken as it stands.  Store in refrigerator and bring to room temp before using.

Now your savory recipe:

Beer Bread

Another simple recipe!  We had this bread last night – took no time at all to whip up and get in the oven.  And is smelled so good baking! I actually used self-rising flour and omitted the baking powder.

Preheat oven to 375.

• 3 cups flour (spoon into measuring cup…don’t dip and measure!)
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 3 TBSP sugar
• One 12 ounce bottle or can of beer ~ light or dark
  
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Mix dry ingredients and beer.  Pour into a 9″ loaf pan you sprayed with cooking spray.  Pour melted butter over the batter.  Bake 1 hour.  Cool slightly in the pan and remove loaf from pan and let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.  This is a fairly crumbly bread but it is so tasty!

Happy Baking Everyone!

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Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver Recipes for June 26- July 3

We are rocking right along now aren’t we?  Week four of the new (and hopefully improved) Friday Baking with  NotQuiteJuneCleaver.  Lots to talk about this morning, but first, “THANK YOU” to all who are participating in this little event.  As always comments for the “RedNeck Macaron/Challah” week ends this morning at 8 a.m. CST.  Your new challenge recipes are YUMMY so… HAPPY BAKING!

In honor of Independence Day our theme this week is Red, White and Blue.  One ingredient in each of the three recipes ~ one savory, one sweet and the Bonus Recipe will be either Red, White or Blue. And since July is National Blueberry Month your first recipe is for one amazing Fresh Blueberry Pie!

Recipe One: Fresh Blueberry Pie

If this recipe were any easier, it would have come in a box!  Simple ingredients, simple directions, AMAZING pie!  And before you ask…Rachel took these photos and I know I am biased but aren’t they beautiful? I am so excited that she and my older daughter are doing all the photos for our cookbook project…which by the way is going slower than I would like…but you expected that by now, right?  But it is coming together!  Without further delay here is your recipe for Fresh Blueberry Pie

• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• juice and grated zest from 1/2 medium lemon
• 5 cups fresh or frozen thawed blueberries, rinsed well
• pastry for 2-crust pie (my favorite recipe, you can cut it in half or freeze the extra for later)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces

Preparation:In a large bowl combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice and grated rind, and blueberries. Roll out half of the pastry; line an 9-inch pie pan and trim edges. Pour berry mixture into pie crust and dot with small pieces of butter. Roll out remaining pastry to about 1/8 inch thick. Cover pie; trim, turn edge under and crimp. Cut a few vents in top of crust to allow steam to escape (didn’t think about it in time or I would have used one of my pie birds). Bake at 425° for 40 minutes, or until crust is nicely browned. For best slicing results, let the pie cool before slicing.  We couldn’t wait!

Recipe Two: Stuffed Tomatoes

This is a recipe I have not made before this week.  I have tomatoes EVERYWHERE!  And this sounds so good! I love stuffed bell peppers so why not tomatoes?  I can tell you right now there are members of my family who will remain nameless :cough: Hannah and Husband :cough: who wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole and would likely get “the look” on their faces if I suggested it.  However, I think they sound YUMMY!  So I made them before Husband arrived home.  Plus, I wanted to be sure they were as good as they sounded.  I cut the recipe by 2/3s  since likely Rachel and I would be the only partakers. And we LOVED these.  They are definitely a “make again” recipe!  Just had no idea baked tomatoes would takes so good.

• 6 large tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped (I used about 1/2 a jalapeno and a few tsp diced chillies…much more mild)
  
• 3 cups cooked rice (great way to use leftover rice)
  
• 6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled
• salt and pepper, to taste
• soft buttered bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese ( I used Mozzarella and it was terrific)

Cut off top of tomatoes and scrape pulp out of inside, leaving a firm shell. Add pulp to skillet with the bell pepper, onion and jalapeno pepper. Cook covered over low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add rice and bacon and season to taste. Stuff this back into the tomatoes and sprinkle with bread crumbs and shredded cheese. Place tomatoes in a casserole or baking dish with about 1/4 cup of water to keep them from sticking. Cook in oven at 425° for 15 to 20 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
Serves 6.

Now for your Bonus Recipe!

This is absolutely the most simple bread recipe IN THE WORLD!  And represents the WHITE in this weeks theme.

My French Baguettes

* 2 cups very warm water
* 1 package dry yeast (Rapid Rise)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 cups flour

Run the water in your faucet until it gets very warm. Many people worry that water that is too warm will kill the yeast and keep it from rising, but in his book The Complete New Book of Breads, Bernard Clayton, Jr. said that with today’s fast-rising yeast, the water temperature can be between 120 and 130 degrees. The warmer the water is, the faster the dough will rise. Pour 1/4 cup of water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Mix and let the mixture set while you measure and mix the flour and salt into the bowl for your mixer if you have a mixer with a dough hook and a large bowl if you plan to hand knead.  Make a well in the flour and pour the water and yeast mixture in the hole. Slowly pour another 1 3/4 cup of warm water into the flour and mix well. With a dough hook, knead the dough for ten minutes, until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should feel damp and slightly firm, but not sticky. If it’s sticky, add a little more flour and continue kneading.  If hand kneading put a little flour on your counter or cutting board. Pick up one side of the dough and push it into the other side with the heels of your hand. Rotate the dough and repeat the action. Continue rotating and pushing the dough with your hands for ten minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until it doubles in size. Press the dough down and divide it into two pieces. With your hands, make two long, smooth loaves about two inches thick and about twelve inches long. Place the loaves on a greased pan and let them rise again for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450°. When the loaves have doubled in size, make three or four diagonal slashes with a sharp knife. About five minutes before the loaves are ready to cook, put about 1/2 cup of water in a pan on the lowest rack of your oven. Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 25 or 30 minutes.

If Husband is making this bread he uses an egg wash and spritzes the loaves with water every 10 minutes during baking and they ARE CRUSTY.  I usually just bake it.  I don’t mind the softer crust.

This is simple enough to do several times a week.  Which I don’t…but always plan to!

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Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver Week Recipes for June 19-26

Hello again! Just a couple of things before we get started this morning.  First, you still have until 8 a.m. CST to get your recipes posted for the Brioche, Cream Puffs or Focaccia.  Second, a big hug and thank you to everyone who left me a sweet, supportive comment yesterday.  I don’t want anyone to get the impression my feelings were hurt over anything that was said before.  I was mostly “laying my cards on the table” and coming to the defense of anyone who takes the time and effort to keep a blog and has met with the same or probably worse behavior.  Nonetheless, THANK YOU for being so kind and I do appreciate the time you spend here.

Now without further ado, here are your new recipes. Comments will be closed on the recipes posted on June 12th for the week of June 12-19 at 8 a.m. CST this morning (can you believe I am a little ahead!? Me either!). Thanks to those who participated! I hope you enjoy the next two recipes PLUS a Bonus Recipe! As last week, one is sweet, one is savory.  If you have any questions that cannot be answered by reading the Friday Baking page, email me or leave a note.  Happy Baking Everyone!

Recipe One:

Rachel’s Redneck Macarons

Cookies:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 3/4 cup corn starch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling:

• 1/4 cup unsalted  butter at room temp
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift both flours, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, at medium speed, beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and lightened slightly in color (about 1 minute).  Stope the mixer and scrape the sides.  Add the vanilla and mix until blended.  On low speed add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated and smooth.

For each cookie, roll a level teaspoon in to a smooth ball.  pLace the cookies on the parchment lined baking sheet spacing them two inches apart.  Use a fork and gently flatten the cookies into a 1 1/4″ disk.  Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and the cookie bottoms are slight browned – about 30 minutes.  The tops of the cookies should not color.  Repeat with the second pan.  Cool on the pan 10 minutes and them using a wide spatula, gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling: In a medium bowl use a wooden spoon to stir the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together until smooth.  Stir in chips.

Turn half of the cookies bottom side up and using a thin spreader, smooth a rounded teaspoon of filling gently and evenly over each one.  Place the remaining cookie halves right side up on the filling and press VERY gently.

What a sandwich cookie!! The name just popped out of Rachel’s mouth when we asked her what they were.  The do resemble the lovely and delectable French Macarons which is your Bonus Recipe for this week!

Recipe Two:

Challah

5 cups unbleached white bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 TBSP yeast
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream ( I almost always use homemade yogurt)
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup butter softened
1 egg beaten for glaze

Warm the milk/yogurt together to 90 degrees. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Put the yeast in the well and add the warm milk/yogurt mixture. Mix to disolve with your fingers. Add the beaten egg and butter. Mix to form a dough. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until soft and shiny. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl covered with oiled plastic wrap, in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface, punch down and form into a ball. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each piece into a rope about 10 ” x 1 “. You may have to work slowly with a little rest in between so as not to stretch the dough to quickly.

To make the dough into a braid, press the four ropes together on one end, giving them a little twist and tuck for neatness.

Counting from your left, fold strand 1 over strand 2, 3 over 1 and 4 under 1 and 4 over 3. Repeat until you reach the end. As you work the strands will probably lengthen. Nip and tuck the second end in the same way you did the first. Place finished loaf on a greased baking sheet, cover wtih oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the oven to 400.

Brush loaf with the second beaten egg and bake in the center of the oven for 35-45 minutes

Cool on wire rack.

This bread but lovely served with any meal. We spread with honey butter. Delicious! If there is left overs it makes great toast or sandwiches, or even French Toast!

Bonus Recipe: French Macarons

(this is a previous post from back in Jan ’08 – there is a short update at then end after we ate REAL Parisian Macarons)

Not the “pour one can of sweetened condensed milk over 5 cups of coconut, stir and drop by tsp onto cookie sheet” macaroons. The REAL macaroons. The macaroons like people stand in line for in Paris. Now I won’t lead you to believe that I would know if my macaroons were as good or even close to the same as THOSE macaroons. But I will say this…if THOSE macaroons are better than MY macaroons well, no wonder people stand in line for them. These were delectable! Hey! Ladurée has been making macaroons since 1862 and I have been making them since…Sunday morning so why not compare????

Now a small confession: I almost croaked from eating them. Yep, severely allergic to almonds – only the KEY ingredient in macaroons. I think if I had just eaten a baked and filled one, slowly savoring every bite, I might not have had to pop two Benadryl and take a sleep in the middle of having dinner guests. But nooooo, I had to lick the bowl after we had them in the oven. Look, they were amazing, okay? Truly the best cookie or cake as Ladurée calls them. This is from their website:

The story of the Macaroon

These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are the most famous creation of Ladurée.

The story of the Ladurée macaroon starts with Pierre Desfontaines, distant cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée, who at the beginning of the 20th century first thought of taking two macaroon shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling. The way of making them has never changed since that time.

These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are made every morning in Ladurée’s “laboratory”. The pastry chefs measure out very precisely the required amounts of almonds, eggs and sugar, before adding one final ingredient, a pinch of unique “know-how”, essential to the making of such a delicacy.

Once cooked and filled, the macaroons are put to one side for 2 days before going on sale, the time it takes to achieve a perfect balance between texture and flavour.

Macaroons come in two sizes: the mini-macaroon or “gerbet” and full-size macaroons.

With each new season, Ladurée pays tribute to this its most famous creation by creating a new flavour.
The existing range of macaroons is always the starting point when a new one is created, as the variety of colours is as important as the range of flavours and a vital part of their appeal.

I don’t really know how they wait two days to eat them but whatever.  There aren’t any more here!  Below is the recipe I used with a few pictures of the process.  A tutorial if you like.  In the next week or so I am going to make some using pecans instead of almonds and just see if it works and what the differences are.  I want so much to enjoy these cookies periodically but don’t want the whole allergic reaction, pop benadryl, become comatose for 2-5 hours, feel like I have been hit by a truck for 12-18 hours, all the while making 15-20 trips to “the little girls’ room” .  So I must improvise.  Then again maybe moderation would help.  So do you think a town of 2889 is ready for a Macaron Shoppe??? Me neither.   Until they are I will keep just making them for my friends and family.  Though at $2 each in the few US bakeries I could find that made them…it might be something to think about!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• 4 large egg whites
• 3 sticks (1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ( I used vanilla bean paste and it was yummy!)

Macaroons
• 1-3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or other flavoring or combination (again I used vanilla bean paste – I love the pretty brown flecks)
• 1-1/2 cups (4 ounces) sliced almonds, finely ground, or almond flour
• the whites of 3 large eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Sift confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Whisk in ground almonds; set aside. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy; add salt. Gradually add granulated sugar 1 teaspoon at a time, until the whites reach medium-soft peaks. Transfer to a large bowl.

Sprinkle half of the sugar-almond mixture over the egg-white mixture. Using a large rubber spatula fold until just incorporated. Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and remaining sugar-almond mixture, folding until just incorporated. Firmly tap the bottom of the bowl on a counter or work surface to eliminate any air pockets.

Transfer mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (I didnt have a tip this size so I just use the coupler without a tip…worked fine – or so Rachel said! ). Pipe mixture into 1 1/2  – 2 inch circles on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until macaroons feel slightly firm to the touch and can be gently lifted off the parchment (the bottoms will be dry), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer parchment and macaroons to a wire rack to cool completely.

Carefully remove macaroons from parchment. Spread Swiss Meringue buttercream on the flat sides of the half of macaroons; sandwich with the other halves, keeping flat sides down.

Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes, before serving. Filled cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (This is comical isn’t it? The recipe made about  48 halves or 24 filled cookies so, I have no idea how long they will last in the frig!)

Isn’t this a beautiful cookie????

And I was right…they weren’t nearly as hard to make as one would imagine.   Family consensus – they were lovely, delicious, oh so good but Cream Wafers are still the favorite.

When we were in Paris we did eat Macarons…and honestly…liked ours better.

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Friday Baking With NotQuiteJuneCleaver! Recipes for June 12-June 19

Yet another update: Monday 1:25pm  Our plans for today change til tomorrow so we are in the process of making the brioche.  Our ingredients are out and coming to room temp and I will keep you posted on how it’s going!

I am having issues with the dough too!  So I am taking the Brioche Recipe down…leaving you two others…the Cream Puffs and the Focaccia.  So good luck and I will keep you posted!

5:40 pm Yeah the dough is sticky…but supposed to be.  Kinda hard to handle…but won’t it be worth it!?  It is just out of the oven…let it cool and I will cut it and let you know ALL about it.  I used the original recipe and finally decided it WAS supposed to be JUST THAT STICKY.  So…update and pictures soon.

Please NOTE: The Brioche Recipe below has been called into question now twice.  It is a recipe I have had for a long time but had not made.  I have done some research via baking websites and I have found that brioche dough is indeed sticky dough.  It would almost have to be with the fat content.

You might wonder why I didn’t try the recipe before posting it. Well, basically, I wanted to “play along” with everyone else!  I wanted us all to have a challenge.  I didnt want to post recipes that I could make in my sleep!  The whole idea behind Friday Baking With NotQuiteJuneCleaver was to also challenge myself to try recipes I had never made.

If you would prefer NOT to risk the loss of ingredients for this recipe until I have tried it, I completely agree.  SO in light of the possibility that this recipe is inaccurate, I have added another “savory” bread recipe at the end of this post for you to try.  One I KNOW works because I have made it MANY times.  I will report back as soon as I have results.  Which likely will be tomorrow afternoon.  I had hoped to make it today (M0nday) but something has come up and I won’t be home all day.  I want to give myself plenty of time to work this out!  So please see the bottom of this post for my Focaccia.

Welcome Back! Below are your next two recipes. Comments are closed on the recipes posted on June 5th for the week of June 5-12. Thanks to those who participated! I hope you enjoy the next two recipes! As last week, one is savory, one sweet…but the beauty of them is they can go either way! Read the full recipes for alternative versions! Fun huh???? Happy Baking Everyone!!!

Simple Brioche (one loaf)

use a 9″ bread pan or bigger

• 8 3/4 ounces (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 3/4 oz butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 pkg yeast
• 2 Tbsp fine sugar
• 2/3 cup warm milk
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 egg yolk for glaze

In a bowl, mix the flour with the yeast, make a hole in the middle. Add the warm milk mixing with the tip of your fingers (if using a stand mixer, pour the milk slowly and steadily while mixing, with the hook attachment.) Add the sugar and a pinch of salt, then add the soft butter, piece after piece, waiting each time that each piece is absorbed.

Then one by one, add the eggs, mixing well between each. Work the dough until it is elastic and detaches from your fingers more easily (or from the bowl of the stand mixer). Cover and let rest in a warm place, away from drafts, for two hours, until it doubles in size.

Work the dough again for 10 min and divide it in four balls. Place them in a greased rectangular bread pan ( and cover. Let rise for an hour again.

Preheat the oven at 400 F.

Brush the brioche with the egg yolk mixed with a dash of sugar. With a pair of kitchen scissors, make small cuts at the top of each ball.

Place in the oven to bake for 10 min then reduce the heat to 350 F and bake for about 20 to 30 min.

Remove from oven and pan and let cool on a rack.

Obviously the above recipe is the “savory” version…now to make it sweet:

Brioche French Toast (using leftover broiche – assuming you will have leftovers!)

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

1 whole egg

1 pinch salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 loaf day old brioche

Warm the milk and sugar together, either in the microwave for about a minute or over the stove top, until just warm to touch. Stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar in the milk. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks, egg, salt and vanilla together in a medium-sized bowl. Then whisk the egg mixture  in the warmed milk. Slice the bread into ½-inch thick slices. Dip the slices into the warm custard until they are well-drenched.

Heat the griddle or a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. If the skillet is not non-stick, after it is preheated add a tablespoon of vegetable oil or clarified butter or spray with vegetable spray. Place the slices of bread on the griddle and cook for two to three minutes, or until they are nicely browned. Then flip them with a spatula and continue to cook on the other side for another couple minutes until both sides are nicely browned. Remove from heat and serve with warm maple syrup.

Recipe Two:

This recipe is always a winner!  People will be overly impressed – ’cause these are SO easy…but one of those things that everyone thing is anything BUT easy!

Cream Puffs

Preheat oven to 350. Just a few things up front.  You MUST use a wooden spoon and NOT your mixer. EVER.  This is a “by hand” recipe only.  And parchment is practically necessary.  Actually, I don’t know how anyone bakes without it!

Puffs

• 1 cup water
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp superfine or caster sugar
• 1 all-purpose flour
• 4  large eggs

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT the flour and eggs in a saucepan and heat to boiling over medium heat.  As soon as mixture boils remove from heat, stir in flour all at once with a wooden spoon.  As soon as mixture is smooth, return to medium heat and stir continuously for about a minute to dry out the mixture. Let cool about 3 minutes. Then place in a mixing bowl.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon.  Once the eggs are all incorporated, the mixture should be smooth and shiny, with a think constitency. Using a spoon or a small scoop, shape small balls about 1 inch in diameter. Drop these onto the lined baking sheets leaving an inch of space around each. You may also use a piping bag and large tip and pipe them onto your parchment lined sheets.  Do one pan a time, cover and refrigerating dough between batches. The mixture should hold its shape and should not spread. You should get about 40 using a teaspoon size bit of dough.

Bake 20 minutes until golden and puffed. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR during baking or these will fall! When they are done, turn the oven off and prop the door open just a crack and leave the gourgeres in for another 5 minutes. This is to prevent a sudden drop in temperature when might cause them to deflate.  After you remove them pierce the sides of each to further prevent deflation. Transfer to a  wire rack  to cool completely.  They may be frozen after this to use up to 2 months later.  Be sure and put them in a plastic container that will not squish them!

To use immediately:

They can be filled with your favorite custard filling, pudding or favorite ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce or other favorite sauce.  Simply cut the top 1/3 off with serrated knife, fill and replace the lid.  If you want my custard recipe I will be happy to post it later.

And now the savory version:

Substitute the dash of salt for 1 tsp, OMIT the sugar and add your favorite spice or herb or no herb is still delish. Ground cumin is excellent (you might remember my posting of a recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini for Gougères which also has cheese).  These savory puffs can be filled with your favorite salad…chicken, salmon, tuna…YUMMY!

Happy Baking!

Focaccia (added Monday June 15th as an alternative to the Brioche recipe)
There are so many variations…unlimited actually. Add herbs, or cheese to your taste.

• 3 pkg active dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp sugar
  
• 1 cup plus 3 TBSPS warm water (110-110 degrees)
• 1/4 cup white wine room temp
• 5 cups white bread flour
• 2 TBSP olive oil plus more for sprinkling and oiling pan
• 2 tsp salt (for dough)
  
• sea salt for sprinkling
• Fresh herbs to taste (optional)
  

In a large bowl, stir sugar into 1/2 cup of the water, and sprinkle in yeast. Stir well; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Add remaining water, wine and olive oil, and mix well. Add flour a cup at a time, mixing well. Add salt in with last cup of flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes in an electric mixer fitted with a dough-hook attachment, or 8 to 10 minutes by hand.

Form dough into a ball, and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Spread dough evenly onto an oiled baking sheet. (if the dough resists being pulled and stretched, let it rest 10 minutes). Not necessarily to the edge of the sheet.  Cover with a damp towel or oiled plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes. Dimple surface of dough with your fingertips, leaving deep indentations. Cover with towel again, and let rise at least an hour no more than 2.

Heat oven to 425°F. Drizzle oil on top of dough, allowing dimples to fill. Gently brush remaining oil over surface without deflating dough. Then sprinkle with salt and herbs, if desired. NOTE: I love the lemon infused olive oil on this bread.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and slide onto a wire rack. Serve as soon as possible, but really quite good completely cooled.

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Blue Plate Monday Recipe: Tilapia with Citrus Sauce

It’s Monday again and time for a Blue Plate Monday Recipe – visit Kelly for details and to play along! Her recipe is for fish…made me think of this!

zest of each ~ 1 grapefruit, 1 lemon, 1 lime and 1 tangerine (mixed together)
juice of each ~ 1 grapefruit, 1 lemon, 1 lime and 1 tangerine (mixed together)
4 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP olive oil
3 shallots diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp each of Thyme and Tarragon
1 pint heavy cream
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp corn starch

10 tilapia filets (fresh or thawed)
salt and pepper
flour
Oil and butter for frying fish (I just cover the bottom of the pan with oil and then add a few TBSP butter)

Angel Hair or Thin Spaghetti

1 dozen fresh Brussel sprouts, trimmed and shredded.
2 TBSP butter and 3 TBSP olive oil

Melt the butter with the olive oil over low/med heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute until tender. Gently add a cup or so of chicken broth and cook just a moment, add herbs and cook a minute or so more. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. Pour this mixture into a blender and pulse. Turn blender to low speed and slowly add heavy cream. Return to skillet and cook stirring constantly until mixture is well heated. Remove from heat. Set aside. Put your water on to boil for your pasta. Salt and pepper your fish and dredge in flour. Pan fry fish until golden brown,turning only once and placing just enough fillets in the pan as to not crowd them. Place fish to drain on a rack over a cookie sheet (the kind with sides so the oil doesnt run off into your oven. Set your oven to 425 while you are finishing frying the fish. When all the fish is done, place in the oven while you saute the spouts and cook the pasta. Listen for it to begin to sizzle – dont want to burn it! After 5-7 minutes or when you hear it sizzle turn the oven off. Leave it in the oven to stay warm while you finish.

Place the skillet of cream sauce on a low burner and warm it back to nearly boiling. Add the balance of the chicken broth mixed with 1 tsp corn starch and zest of your citrus fruits. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking or getting brown. It should thicken nicely. In the mean time, cook your pasta and saute shredded sprouts in a skillet with the butter and olive oil – browning very slightly. Salt and pepper to taste. Pasta – should take 4-5 mintues for the Angel Hair or 5-7 for the Thin Spaghetti. When pasta is done, drain and plate, adding warmed sauce and to taste, top with a spoonful of sauted sprouts and place fish on the side and drizzle reserved citrus juices. YUMMY.

This is a “Susan Recipe” so if you have any questions, ask…I wrote it down as I went, trying to make it as clear as possible. It is definitely going in the recipe binder. Best served this with a toasted bagguette.

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Blue Plate Monday ~ Pot Roast

You know my friend Kelly is doing a very cool thing on her blog – Blue Plate Mondays.  If you havent ventured over…do it!  You won’t be sorry.  She has a beautiful blog and wonderful recipes!

Here’s my contribution for today: Pot Roast

I used a eye of round roast. About 4 pounds for our family. It was a very lean cut of meat…not my favorite but I knew Husband likes this cut.  You will also need ground cayenne pepper, a large white onion, salt and black pepper to taste, plenty of fresh garlic, fresh carrots and potatoes…whatever is needed for your family – or whomever you are serving.

Here’s how I make a roast:

Preheat your oven to 325. Be sure your roast is completely thawed. You will need 8-10 gloves of garlic, one large white onion and ground cayenne pepper. Be sure and pour some pepper into a ramkin or small bowl, you dont want to contaminate your pepper shaker by dipping a meaty knife in it! Discard your left over pepper when finished. DUH!

Stick your very sharp paring knife into the roast and make Xs. Cut your garlic into strips that will fit in the Xs. Use all the garlic, which will make about 20 Xs

Then dip your knife in the cayenne pepper and stick the meat – say 20 or so times.

Put just enough oil in a skillet to coat the bottom and heat it for a few moments…of course not TOO hot…dont want a fire! Then place your roast in it, turning and browning it on all sides.

Remove it and place in in a roasting pan with a lid -spray both pieces with cooking spray. Slice your onion into fairly large pieces and saute in remaining oil in skillet just until becoming transparent. Add to the roasting pan.

Add 2 cups water to roaster. Cover and place in your preheated oven and cook for 2 hours. Check periodically to be sure it hasnt dried out. Scrub fresh carrots and new potatoes (these are from our garden…arent they beautiful!?) and set aside.

When your roast has been cooking 2 hours, add your carrots and potatoes. Salt and black pepper to taste. I just snip the ends of the carrots and put the potatoes in whole. If you have to use larger bought potatoes, cut them into 2-3 inch pieces…same for bought carrots. Cover again, return roaster to oven to cook an additional hour or until potatoes are done – not mushy…still firm but cooked through. There you have it! Easy as pie! Oh heck, you need a pie recipe too! Maybe later in the week!

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Can we talk about baking?

It’s funny,  I have received more input on Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver since I suspended the effort, than before when we were doing it!  But that is a good thing!  I think some were waiting around, a little timid about jumping in since the word “challenge” was used so often.  But I am really excited that 1)those who participated actually loved it and want to keep doing it 2)those who were hanging back, are ready to jump in!

As I told you in an earlier post, I will be changing up the rules a bit.  I think I confused everyone but myself – and the more I thought about it, the less I understood what I was saying!  So I will be posting a new set of rules and a new start up date.  I think I am going to take a page from my friend Kelly over at unDeniably Domestic and do weekly challenges (oops, there’s that word again!) and a giveaway once a month.  I think that was part of the confusion…when were the recipes due?  when would a new recipe post? when were the drawings?  Yeah, I can see how it would get muddled in translation!

It has been a very weird/tiring/busy month, this lovely month of May. But,  I will be happy to see June arrive.  I have had a lot going on  – good and bad and yet categorized.  It really began last month and has culminated into such a mixture of things that I can’t even begin to tell you what all is on my mind.  But I will tell you this:  having your little brother have open heart surgery causes a strange mixture of feelings.  I am not a Pollyanna by any means, as anyone who knows me in real life can tell you.  However, I do try to see some good in any turn of events and strive to learn something from the not quite so nice things that come along.

As this month ends I realize my husband has not been home enough over the past 4 weeks.  There is more work than he will ever finish before he leaves next Wednesday AND he planted the corn so that I will have to harvest it while he is gone!  Our little garden is looking so good.  Squash, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers…and now corn planted.  He made places for my pumpkins to be planted next month.  I have 30 or so varieties – some will go in the big garden, some in the raised beds, depending on their vining probabilities. I want to get them in the ground a couple of weeks earlier than usual so I can begin selling them earlier in September than I normally do.  One of these days I hope to expand my pumpkin patch.  I don’t usually plant your normal orange jack-o-lantern pumpkins.  I try to plant things you can’t get locally.  If they do well, I might even consider taking a truck load to the green market.  It’s a thought.

I wish you all a happy, safe holiday weekend.  We are headed out in a while to sit with my brother at the hospital while his wife goes to their daughter’s highschool graduation.  I hate he is missing it.  But happy he will be around for other important days in her life.

Stay tuned for more information, changes and start up date for re-introducing Friday Baking with NotQuiteJuneCleaver.

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The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I have been looking thru vintage publications today.  I will tell you why another time but for now I want to tell you what I have found.  Women have always been obsessed with their size.  And publications have always unrealistically (and rather cruelly) portrayed women by only showing that wasp-waisted mom icing a cake, that mom you know good and well will never take a bite of that lovely cake! Was it girdles?  Was it truly portion size?  Was it that there really wasnt fast food readily available?  Did they actually move more?  I don’t know, but I want that waist size.  Truly I do.  I want to wear a shirt waist dress and it be so incredibly fitted that if I eat a sandwich you will be able to tell! What I don’t want to do is starve or get a terminal illness to get it.  Yes, as a nation we have gotten fatter (there is no nice word for it) but also, no matter how small the average was…it was never small enough! So I think it is a losing battle! When I get through with this post I think I will have that last piece of cake I can see from where I am sitting.

Then some things are coming full circle.  Aprons for instance.  OH MY-I would say 8 out of 10 women in ads have on aprons.  The other two have on a bra.  Just a bra…lots of bra ads! But the aprons just jumped out at me. There are instructions and patterns to order. Ahhhh the good old days!  A 5 cent magazine with patterns for sale for the price of a stamp! This was a page from The American Family Magazine November 1952:

I also saved this scan as a pdf if anyone wants a copy leave me a note. And the ads for sewing projects and ads for sewing machines.  Am I not buying the right magazines or are these no longer ad-worthy?

Here are just a few lines I have run across that make me smile…and grimace…

Family Circle June 1959 ~ Page 69 ~ an ad for Libby’s Tomato Juice.  Shows a couple hugging and looking over in a bassinet at a newborn…awwwww…then you read on.  If you are staying slim for him, you’ll be happy to know Libby’s Tomato Juice can make it easier…blah, blah, blah…

Same issue Page 71 ~ an ad for Diet Delight Bartlett Pears...the pears that make it fun to watch your weight!

Then there’s always the ever present ad for Lysol…for ‘feminine’ cleansing…NOT kidding.  YIKES!

And the ad for Lucky Strike cigarettes that show a darling girl with her prom dance card and a lit UNFILTERED cigarette! That could also explain the weight loss!

I will be uploading more stuff to share soon.  I should be doing laundry and other things but I sure got caught up in these lovely old magazines!

Last but not least, a recipe:

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