Gingerbread Bundt Cake and the return of baking

It is Fall!  After a hot, long Summer, I can finally turn on my oven again.  To celebrate this occasion I decided to make a very autumn dessert for a luncheon my mom was throwing.  This gingerbread bundt is my new favorite recipe.  The cake tastes unique and flavorful without being too sweet.  The recipe is very easy and the best part is that gingerbread is best made the day ahead of time.  Therefore, this is the perfect thing to bring to a party. 

There are some interesting ingredients in this cake.  Most notable is the cup of molasses and cup of Guinness that makes the rich, dark syrup for the cake.  Lucky for me, I always keep both ingredients on hand.

I pulled the recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen.  If you are looking for a new blog to follow, I highly recommend it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout
•  1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• Confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.  HEAVILY grease and flour your bundt pan.  I had a lot of gooey goodness left in my pan after baking even after I thought I over-greased.  Really go for it with this one.

Pour guinness and molasses into a large (yes large) saucepan, bring to a boil and then remove from heat.  (You will have some Guinness leftover.  Do NOT let that go to waste!)

Whisk in baking soda.  There will be a fizzy, foamy reaction that occurs.  Don't panic, just keep stirring until it calms down and let it cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your stand mixer whisk together eggs, white sugar and brown sugar until well combined.  Then, add in the oil and molasses/guinness mixture. Stir until just combined.  Add in the flour, baking powder and spices and whisk again until just combined.

Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, check at about 46 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
Serve cake, dusted with confectioners sugar, with whipped cream.
 

Some Many Recipes, So Little Time

I may have a food blog addiction.  I am currently following over 20 different food bloggers on a daily basis.  Logging into my Google Reader and getting the daily rundown is now part of my routine.  I follow bloggers that write about everything from clean eating (Gracious Pantry) to baking (Brown Eyed Bakers) to vegan (Engine 2 Diet) to breads (Wild Yeast) and a little bit of everything in between.   When I see a recipe I want to try I will copy the URL into an email and then email it to myself.   Recently, I discovered that I had a large number of recipe emails.  So, here is a list of Summer recipes you should give a try:

Smitten Kitchen: Tzatziki Potato Salad: a new twist on a summer classic.

Mississippi Kitchen: Layers of Love Torte: a calorie BOMB but I sent this to my brother because it looked like something he would devour and still stay incredibly skinny (I hate him for this).

Annie's Eats: Mexican Lasagna: a little odd to mix mexican and italian but I sent this to my friend CT.  It totally looked like something she would enjoy.

Brown Eyed Baker: Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: I will make these.  Yum!

Let me know if you give any of these a try.  I'd love to hear how the recipe turns out for you.

Irish Soda Bread Muffins

This post could also be titled, "what to do with leftover buttermilk."  Buttermilk is such a rare ingredient that I was somewhat at a loss for how to use it up.  Then I recalled that when I was growing up the presence of buttermilk in the fridge usually meant my Mom was baking Irish Soda Bread.  I chose to give this recipe a try because it maintains the same great flavor without having to make an entire loaf of bread.  In fact, I baked this recipe, allowed it to cool and then put the most of the muffins in the freezer.  They will be a great treat to warm up one by one.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup salted butter
1 cup buttermilk (low fat is fine)
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup raisins (I used golden raisins because that's what my mom always uses)
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray small muffin tins or large muffin tins with nonstick spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With pastry cutter or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (You can also do this part in a food processor and let the blades mix the flour & butter together or just use your fingers). In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and egg until blended. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine but do not over stir. Stir in raisins.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.  Then, take a brush and lightly brush the top of each muffin with a little egg. Bake 20 to 25 minutes (longer for the larger muffins), or until cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.

4. Remove muffin tin or tins to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups; finish cooling on rack. Serve warm or cool completely and store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.

My Aunt's Artisan Bread

You know that really cliche question, "If you could bring only one thing with you on a deserted island what would it be?"  Well, I'd want to bring my Aunt who has some extreme outdoor survival skills.  For example, we went camping in the Boundary Waters for one week and every morning my Aunt made us homemade bread OVER a campfire!  Yea...So there.


A few Summers ago I had the pleasure of attending a BBQ at her house.  Served at this BBQ was an amazing artisan bread.  It is so hearty with a good crunchy crust and one of the simplest french bread recipes I have come across.


Here are the instructions straight from my Aunt: 


This makes two round loaves, but warm I think one loaf only serves about four people because it is pretty yummy!  

3 C  warm water
1 1/2 TBSP yeast
2 tsp coarse salt,  OR     1-  1/2 tsp  of reg salt
6 C flour to start.  white or whole wheat.   I use whole wheat pastry flour, and sometimes add an extra grain like a 7 or 10 grain hot cereal for 1 or 2 cups of the flour.

Stir all around, and leave on the counter 2 hours.  At this point you can refrigerate 1/2 and bake 1/2 or bake all of it. Add more flour by kneading on the counter till you can shape it into 2 separate loaves.  Note,  it should not spread all over a cookie sheet.  It should stay in a round shape.  If it doesn't you need to knead a little more.  Put corn meal on the sheet, and then the loaf. ( this is like the grease)  heavily flour the top with white flour and cut diagonally 3 times. Don't try to remove the flour till later.

Let rise till double maybe another hour. (I put mine in an UN-heated oven to keep it in a draft free place).  Once it has risen,  bake in a hot oven at 425 degrees, WITH a pan of HOT water in the oven. (I usually fill a brownie pan halfway with water) This will make a great crust.  about 20-23 min. (or until it sounds hollow when you knock on it)

You can totally make it white bread. Just do it to texture.... :) 

If you have refrigerated the dough, you will need more than an hour for it to rise. 


She then ended the note by providing two different phone numbers in case I had a baking emergency and needed a little advice. :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Here is my family recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Bread.  It is my older brother's absolute favorite. We make this about once a month and for every single holiday.  I'll make this recipe but usually freeze one of the loafs for later.  If, for some reason, you do not like chocolate chips (!) you can swap for some walnuts. (However, then my older brother whines and refuses to eat it.)

Same  recipe as below but I baked it in a bundt pan.
Results were not great but it tasted just as good!

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread




¼ pound (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar.


Mix together with mixer or beat well with wooden spoon.


Add and mix well:


3 bananas, crushed ( I used over ripened bananas)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla


Mix together, then add to the above:


2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt


Then add ½ cup milk.


Add 1-2 cups chocolate chips, sprinkled very lightly with flour (no more than 2
Tbsp.) Mix in by hand. Don’t mix any more than you have to.


Put in loaf pans. It makes 1 large or 2 small. Bake at 350 degrees. For small
pans, check after 35 minutes. Large pan will probably take an hour. Bread is
done when a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. The top of the loaf
will be cracked and the crack will look baked.

Pretzel Rolls

Pretzel Bread Rolls (makes 12)

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tablespoons warm milk
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 cups all-purpose flour
kosher salt or pretzel salt
2 quarts cold water
1/2 cup baking soda


Directions

In a small bowl if using a bread machine, or in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix a 1/3 cup of the warm water (105-115 degrees) with the yeast and let stand until foamy.



Add the remaining cup of warm water along with milk, sugar & melted butter and swirl to dissolve the sugar. (If using a bread machine add mixture to bread machine at this point and continue). Add flour and mix on dough cycle or med-low speed. Remove dough from bread machine once it forms a nice a firm, pliable dough ball. Add more flour if necessary.



Turn dough out onto a lightly floured table and knead for 2 minutes. Roll into a 2 foot long log and cut into 12 even pieces. Cover dough with plastic and a damp cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.

Pat dough into rolls or form knots and arrange on a lightly floured surface about an inch apart and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let the pretzels rest for an additional 30 minutes.



Preheat the oven to 425°. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets.



In a large stockpot, bring the cold water to a rolling boil and add baking soda.

Drop two rolls into the boiling water and boil for no more then 30 seconds, turning once. Carefully remove with tongs or slotted spoon and hold above pot and let drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining rolls.



Arrange rolls on the oiled baking sheets and bake on the upper and middle racks of the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until browned all over; shift pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through, for even baking.


Let rolls cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.  They taste great paired with hot queso dip or peanut butter or honey mustard. 


 I made these for my Omaha roommates and after consuming the entire batch in a day, they told me that these rolls made them love me even more.  

No Knead Bread

No-Knead Bread

Originally, found this recipe on NYTimes.com.  This recipe is simple but takes a lot of time to rise so plan accordingly.  It will make the most delicious and incredible crusty bread you’ve ever had.


Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising


Ingredients: 
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1¼ teaspoons salt

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed


1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Notes: I’ve also made a cranberry-walnut version of this recipe.  You do the same steps but just add a handful of cranberries and a handful of walnuts during the beginning of step #3.

Handmade Oatmeal Bread

Last Fall, I finally gave in an purchased a Kitchen Aid Mixer.  And since it came from Costco, it is no ordinary mixer it is the Professional series and let me tell ya it gets the job done!


On a chilly weekend this Winter, I decided to test out the bread baking ability with a homemade oatmeal bread recipe.  I found the recipe on Wild Yeast Blog which I follow on a regular basis. The official title is Mamie's Oat Meal Bread.


Here is the recipe:

Mamie’s Oat Meal Bread

2 pkg Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup water with 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon sugar

4 cups milk scalded and poured over

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons salt [Next time I would use a bit less.]

Let cool till luke warm.

Combine yeast with oatmeal mixture. Add flour to make stiff dough — about 7 cups. [My dough took almost 9 cups, but everyone measures cups differently.]

Turn onto a floured bread board. Knead 8 to 10 minutes. Turn into lightly greased bowl. Turn over to grease the top. Let rise till doubled in bulk — 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and let rise until nearly doubled — about 1/2 hour. Turn onto board. Let rest 10 minutes. Place in four 9 x 5 x 3 pans. Let rise until almost doubled. Bake 1 hr 15 minutes at 375°. [Mine was done in about 50 minutes.]

It is ready to bake when an indentation made with a finger does not rise. [This took my loaves about an hour and 45 minutes.]

If temperature is not 80° put a frying pan full of boiling water in the oven. Place the bread above it.

This made two very big, hearty loaves of bread.  I thought the texture was very nutty and good.  The molasses gave it a deep, brown color and a chewy crust.  I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great bread of toast or sandwiches.  Enjoy!