Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bagels!

Ahh, the ongoing saga of my kitchen remodeling project..... I am in NO way complaining- I am sooooo excited about the whole thing! It's looking beautiful and....the space! Oh, the new amount of space there is! It's hard to believe it's even the same house! (Our youngest daughter was in for Easter after not being home since Christmas ....She had a hard time orienting herself-she was stunned!) However, we're by no means done.  Right now my kitchen is spanning every room as we wait for paint to dry, hinges to be attached and for doors to be hung. Floors aren't finished and the lighting has to be put in.  I keep reminding myself , "Patience is a virtue", "Good things come to those who wait", "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE......" . So I take a deep breath and tell myself that soon I'll see the end result of all this waiting....I'll know, in the famous words of Paul Harvey, "the rest of the story!" 

Perhaps you're waiting for something too....Take a breath and remind yourself of the rewards of patience. And in the meantime, make up some of these super-tasty bagels and share them with your friends! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bagels

1 Cup water water

1 Tbsp/Pkg. Red Star Platinum Yeast

1/3 Cup peanut butter

2 ½ Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

¼ Cup mini chocolate chips

3 Cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 

For egg wash: 1 egg, beaten lightly with 1 Tbsp. water

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Remove dough from bucket and divide into 8-12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a smooth ball then using a floured finger, press a hole in the center of each piece of dough. Stretch the hole a bit to form the bagel shape. (This hole will get smaller when you water bathe it). Place the formed bagels on a greased baking sheet and let rise briefly, 15-30 minutes.  While bagels are rising, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place 2-4 bagels in the water at a time, depending on the size of your pot, allowing 1 minute per side. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and briefly drain on a paper towel. Replace bagels on baking sheet. Brush each bagel with egg wash. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Enjoy!

Adapted from a recipe on Food.com
Visit http://www.wildyeastblog.com/yeastspotting/ for more delicious breads

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bagels!

Chocolatey Babka!

There are several Easter bread recipes on my blog from past years,  but I wanted to have something new for you to try for your Easter table this weekend. I'm excited about this recipe, as it makes enough to share.....and I love to share! This tasty bread is labeled a "babka", as it contains egg, milk & sugar, not to mention chocolate....ie: it's rich! Babka, meaning "Grandmother", originated in Poland, and is traditionally baked in a high, round pan which produces a bread which is shaped like a woman's skirt. The recipe I'm sending your way is baked in two medium-sized loaf pans, though you could adapt it for baking in a bundt pan by rolling all the dough out, joining the ends and placing in the pan - you'd have your "Grandmother's skirt" that way! Any way you bake it, it is TOTALLY delicious! 

Speaking of sharing.......I'm hoping that you will take time to remember the greatest gift that was ever shared.....God's great gift of redemption by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. I wish you the joy, hope and victory of the Easter season! 

Chocolatey Babka!

Dough:

1 Cup warm water

¼ Cup milk, warmed

1 Tbsp/pkg. Red Star Platinum yeast

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 egg yolk (reserve white for basting top)

1 tsp. salt

3 ½ Cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Filling:

2/3 Cup sugar

2 ½ Tbsp. cocoa

¼ Cup finely chopped pecans

1 Tbsp. instant clear jel (optional, but sets filling nicely)

Topping:

2 Tbsp. softened butter

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

While dough is rising, combine filling ingredients and set aside.

Divide dough in two equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 8x10” rectangle. Spread approximately a tablespoon of softened butter on each rectangle. Sprinkle ½ of filling mixture on each rectangle and roll up, jelly-roll fashion, starting at the 8” side. Pinch seams closed. Tuck in the ends. Place each loaf in a greased 4x8” pan. (You could also divide the dough/filling/topping into 3 portions and place in smaller pans to make 3 loaves.)   Cover lightly and let rise until almost doubled. Brush the top of each loaf with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle ½ of the topping mixture on each loaf. Bake at 365 (I wanted a temp between 350-375 J )  for 30-45 minutes, until golden on top and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool briefly in pan, then remove and cool completely  on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy! 

This recipe is adapted from a recipe at King Arthur Flour

Chocolatey Babka!

Irish Blaas and Celtic Stars!

A belated "Happy St. Pat's Day" to my readers! I really should have posted this recipe last week so you could enjoy it on the 17th, but perhaps you'll be celebrating the holiday over the weekend. If so, you can add these tasty treats to your menu. If you divide the dough up and do both styles of rolls, you'll certainly have a lovely bread basket to offer your guests! My daughter hosted a "Young Marrieds" St. Patrick's dinner at her home last week and I made these goodies to accompany her meal. I received a happy report following the event: the rolls were a big hit! I think you'll find them to be a big hit at your event too, whether it be a St. Patrick's dinner or just a weekday meal. Enjoy!! 

PS: If you don't know the story/legend of St. Patrick, be sure to check it out! It's pretty amazing! 

Irish Blaas  / Celtic Stars *

1 package/Tbsp. Red Star Platinum Yeast

1 ½ Cups warm water

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

½ Cup butter, softened

4 Cups unbleached, all-purpose  flour

 For Blaas: Additional flour for dusting

For Celtic Stars: Coarse salt; 1 beaten egg + 1 Tbsp. water for egg wash

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

For Irish Blaas: Roll the dough into a log and slice into 12-15 pieces. Form each piece into a round and roll in the additional flour. After all the rolls are finished, gently toss each piece one additional time in the flour. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover lightly with a clean dishtowel and let rise until double. Bake at 400 for approximately 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned. They will sound hollow when tapped. 

For Celtic Stars:  Divide the dough into 12-15 pieces. Gently roll each piece into a 20” rope (the dough is very rich so it may tear – be gentle J ) Form into a celtic star shape (see pic on blog). Place knots on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover lightly with a clean dishtowel and let rise until almost doubled. Lightly pinch the points of each star to define them. Brush each star with egg wash then sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

*When I make this recipe, I will often make half and half- 10 stars and 10 blaas – I make them in a slightly smaller size so I can get 16-20 rolls from the recipe.

Blaas recipe adapted from recipesfoodandcooking.com 
Visit http://www.wildyeastblog.com/yeastspotting/ for more delicious breads

Irish Blaas and Celtic Stars!

Not-So-Flat Flatbread!

I'm feeling spoiled this week......we're rounding the bend on a kitchen remodel and things are starting to look pretty amazing. I really can hardly imagine it's the same skinny little galley kitchen that I've been baking in for over 30 years. Last year, my hubby and I went round and round as we discussed preparing for the next phase of our life.  Our choices:  move to a smaller home,  build a smaller home or remodel our present home so we could live on one floor (prepping now for the "golden years", you know!) We decided to throw ourselves into the remodel, as there is so much we love about our present neighborhood. Now we're nearing the end of the process. There's still PLENTY to be done, but "the vision" is coming together. We're working on opening things up and also on simplifying things. I particularly love the "simplifying" part......To this point, so much of our change has been in the hands of the contractors but soon, things will be in my hands as I reconstruct our living space. Our plan is to keep it simple. And I'm thinking simple sounds VERY good! 

This bread is a very simple one, but it, too, is VERY good! You'll love the tender, melt-in-your mouth texture of this deliciously simple bread! 

Not-So-Flat, But Oh-So-Good Flatbread

1 pkg/Tbsp. Red Star Platinum Yeast

1 Cup warm water

2 ½ Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ tsp. salt

¼ Cup light rye flour

Approx. 2 ¾ Cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Flavored olive oil/ Italian herbs/sea salt for basting

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients  EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated (Add the ¾ cup of flour gradually, till the dough is smooth but not sticky). Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Prepare a 9” cake pan by spraying lightly with cooking spray. Punch dough down and roll out into a 9” circle. Place the dough in the prepared cake pan and let rise until doubled. Lightly pierce the dough several times with a fork. Brush lightly with olive oil (flavored or regular); Sprinkle with herbs of choice and/or sea salt. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, until golden. Enjoy! 

Not-So-Flat Flatbread!

Greek Bubble Bread!

One of our favorite restaurants in this small town is a little place called "Paul's Italian Cafe". It's not fancy, but the food is unfailingly delicious. Amazing spaghetti sauce.....wedding soup to die for......a terrific simple salad.....warm bread served with olive oil.....yum...yum.....yum!! What's sort-of funny is that the owner of the restaurant, "Paul", is not Italian.....He's Greek! Even though Paul has been a part of the community for quite a few years, he still has a pretty serious Greek accent and a conversation with him can be challenging. Though we rarely get in a deep discussion with Paul, we know he's a "good guy".......There's always a friendly smile, a nod and a wave for the customers....Annually, Paul loans out the restaurant to the local fire department for their annual July 4th Pancake Breakfast fundraiser......There are coloring pages from his younger patrons pinned proudly to the wall . It goes to show that sometimes you don't always need words to express who you are..... 

With Paul in mind, I'm sending this Greek Bubble Bread recipe off to you. It's wonderful with a big salad and perhaps something from the grill. Who needs words? This delicious bread will tell someone that you think they're special!! 

Greek Bubble Bread

1 Cup milk, warmed

2 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp/packet Red Star Platinum Yeast

½ Cup Crumbled feta cheese

1/3 Cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives

2 tsp. shortening

3 Cups unbleached all-purpose bread flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

½ tsp. salt

Place warm milk, water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Punch dough down and divide into 12+ equal-sized balls. Smooth the balls by placing the dough ball on the counter, cupping your hand over it and moving your hand in a circular motion. The dough should form neatly into a smooth ball. Repeat with additional dough. Grease a loaf pan and place balls in the pan, layering them over one another. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, until bread sounds hollow when tapped and is nicely browned. Brush lightly with butter. 

Greek Bubble Bread!