Day Recipe Food Community

May 18, 2009

Honey Glazed ‘Tear & Share’ Vanilla Brioche

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , — @ 5:17 pm

Brioche is a deliciously rich French bread which I make often. I have several versions & this is my latest one.

Makes 24 buns

honey-brioche-full-1

honey-brioche-2

 

INGREDIENTS:

Part 1:

  • 14g dried fast action yeast
  • 200 ml warm semi skimmed milk

Part 2:

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 2 ounces strong white bread flour

Part 3:

  • 14 ounces strong white bread flour, PLUS about 1 cup extra
  • 1  teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces margarine
  • 5-6 teaspoons vanilla flavouring

Part 4:

  • 4 large eggs, beaten

Part 5:

  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 tablespoons semi skimmed milk

 

DECORATION:

  • 1/4 cup semi skimmed milk
  • 1/4 -1/2 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons vanilla sugar

 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Mix the warm milk & yeast in a bowl. Leave to stand for a few minutes.
  2. Sift the 2oz of flour into the milk & yeast mix, add the 2 tsp of sugar & mix well. Leave to stand in a warm place for 10 mins or until frothy (will look a little like mousse!).
  3. While the starter is standing, sift the flour & salt into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar then rub in the butter. ( rub in method – rub the butter into the flour to create ‘bread crumbs’ – like you do with short crust pastry).
  4. When the starter is frothy, whisk in the 4 eggs & the vanilla. When the eggs are fully incorporated, pour the mixture into mixing bowl & stir the ingredients until they come together to form a ball. You will need to add extra flour to this mix to achieve a soft, pliable dough – add a tablespoon at a time until you have a soft ball of dough to work with.
  5. Remove the ball of dough & knead on a lightly floured surface for a minute or until no longer sticky.
  6. Place the dough on a lightly floured dish or tray, cover & let rest in a warm place for around 90 minutes or until roughly doubled in size.
  7. When doubled in size, knead the dough again for another minute – just to knock the air out a bit.
  8. Dust a work surface with flour then divide the dough into 12 equal pieces ( cut dough into quarters then cut each quarter into thirds). Then cut each of those in half so you end up with 24 balls.
  9. Lightly grease a large, round baking tin then place the balls inside - make sure there are small spaces in between the balls.
  10. Brush the balls with the egg wash (pt 5) & place  in a preheated oven at 230 c for around 18 minutes. Start checking the brioche at 15 minutes, remove from oven when pale gold all over.
  11. Brush the brioche with milk as soon as they come out of the oven. Once the milk has been absorbed, brush again – do this 3 times.
  12. Finally give the brioche 2 coats of hot honey. Then sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
  13. Store in an airtight container.

 

TIPS:

  1. Try maple syrup instead of honey.
  2. To eat the next day, warm the brioche over the toaster or in the microwave on high for 20 seconds,  for a soft fluffy bun.
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Chinese Broccoli with Sausage and Polenta Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , — Anna @ 3:23 pm

Chinese broccoli (gai lan) is always sold flowering, though its buds are usually still closed.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2lb chinese broccoli, thick ends trimmedfor polenta
  • 6cups water
  • 1 1/2teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2cups polenta (not instant) or yellow cornmeal
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2cup heavy cream
  • 2tablespoons finely grated parmesanfor sausage and garlic
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 3/4lb hot italian sausage, casings removed
  • 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 1/2teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS Cook broccoli:
Cut broccoli stems diagonally into 1-inch pieces and coarsely chop leaves. Cook stems in a large pot of boiling salted wateruntil just tender, about4 minutes. Stir in leaves and cook 1 minute. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Do not squeeze out excess water.

Cook polenta:
Bring water with salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then add polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Cook over moderate heat, whisking, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer polenta, covered, stirring for 1 minute after every 10 minutes of cooking, 45 minutes total. Stir in butter, cream, and cheese and remove from heat.

Sauté sausage and garlic while polenta cooks:
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sausage, stirring and breaking up meat into large pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Reduce heat to moderate, then cook garlic in skillet, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes.

Add broccoli and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet, 2 minutes. Return sausage to skillet and toss with greens, salt, and pepper. Serve over polenta.

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Chilled Avocado Soup with Shrimp and Chives Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , — Anna @ 2:17 pm

Makes 6 (first-course) servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 1small white onion, minced
  • 1jalapeño chili, seeded, minced
  • 3garlic cloves, minced4ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, chopped
  • 2cups canned low-salt chicken broth
  • 5tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2cups (or more) water
  • 1teaspoon grated lemon peel8ounces cooked bay shrimp
  • 1cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
  • 3tablespoons chopped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté until tender, about 15 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from heat; cool.

Place avocados in blender. Add chicken broth, 4 tablespoons lemon juice and onion mixture. Puree until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in 2 cups water and lemon peel. Thin soup with more water, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, mix shrimp, cucumber, chives, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with shrimp.

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Mango Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , — Anna @ 2:05 pm

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • for topping
  • 2(1-lb) firm-ripe mangoes, peeled
  • 1/2stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2cup packed light brown sugarfor cake batter
  • 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
  • 1teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4teaspoon salt
  • 1stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1cup granulated sugar
  • 3large eggs, 2 of them separated
  • 1teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2cup mango nectar

DIRECTIONS Make topping:
Standing each mango upright, remove flesh from pit by cutting a thick lengthwise slice from each broad side. (Be careful: Peeled mango is slippery.) Put slices on a work surface and cut lengthwise into 3/8-inch-thick slices.

Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then stir in brown sugar. Simmer, stirring, until butter is incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread mixture in bottom of a buttered 9- by 2-inch round baking pan and arrange mango on top, overlapping slices.

Make batter:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Add whole egg and yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add half of flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined. Mix in mango nectar, then add remaining flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Beat egg whites in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold into batter gently but thoroughly.

Gently spoon batter over mango topping and spread evenly. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside edge of pan, then invert a plate over pan and invert cake onto plate. Cool completely on plate on rack.

Serve cake at room temperature.

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Mini Diabetic Carrot Cakes

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , — @ 2:05 pm

mini-carrot-cake

mini-carrot-cake2

Not your average carrot cake! This is a recipe that I devised when I acquired a lot fresh garden carrots. It’s much lighter in fat than any carrot cake I know of and as well as using Splenda I skipped the pineapple to reduce the sugar content as much as possible. The walnut amount in minimal and nuts have heart healthy fat. Using fizzy soda not only adds some flavor but also helps to leaven the cakes.

MAKES: 6

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 cup Splenda sugar substitute (can use up to a cup if you like it sweeter)
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 cups grated carrot
  • 1/4 cup walnut oil
  • 1/2 cup egg whites (or 2 lg eggs)
  • 3/4 cup Sprite Zero (or Diet 7-UP)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F
  2. In a small bowl mix baking soda and applesauce into a fluffy mixture, set aside.
  3. In large bowl mix flour, Splenda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt, mix well with a spoon.
  4. Stir into the dry mix the walnuts and carrots
  5. Mix the eggs and oil together, blending very well with a fork.
  6. Add to the bowl with the dry ingredients along with the applesauce mixture.
  7. Stir well and add in the Sprite Zero.
  8. Mix until evenly moistened.
  9. Spoon mixture into mini angel food pans that have been sprayed with a non stick vegetable spray.
  10. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  11. Cool in pans for 5 mins then carefully twist the cakes without lifting at all to loosen them. When they are all turning well carefully remove them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
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Cream Cheese Turtle Cake Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , — Anna @ 10:32 am

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • cake
  • 1cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
  • 1cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
  • 118.25-ounce box german chocolate cake mix
  • 1 1/4cups water
  • 1/3cup vegetable oil
  • 3large eggs1/2cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 1/2cups powdered sugar
  • 18-ounce package cream cheese, cut into pieces, room temperatureicing
  • 1 3/4cups powdered sugar
  • 2tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 5tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/4cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 3/4cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract1/2cup purchased caramel-flavored topping or dulce de leche topping

DIRECTIONS For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal cake pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup pecans over bottom of pan. Combine cake mix, 1 1/4 cups water, oil, and eggs in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat at low speed until mixture is moistened, about 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into pan.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Gradually stir in powdered sugar (mixture will form clumps); stir in cream cheese. Whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour cream cheese mixture in large ribbons atop cake batter in pan. Using knife, swirl mixture into batter (do not overmix).

Bake cake until tester inserted into center (in cake part only) comes out clean, about 50 minutes (bottom of cake will be very moist). Cool cake in pan on rack. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup pecans over cake.

For icing:
Mix sugar and cocoa in medium bowl. Bring milk and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low; add powdered sugar mixture and whisk until melted. Add chocolate chips and whisk until smooth. Mix in vanilla.

Drizzle warm icing over cake. Let stand until set, about 2 hours. Drizzle caramel topping over. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)

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Creamy Coleslaw Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , — Anna @ 7:30 am

A delicious side dish from Clyde Cooper’s Barbecue in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2cup sweet pickle relish
  • 2tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1head of green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
  • 2large carrots, peeled, grated

DIRECTIONS Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add cabbage and carrots; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

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Fried Plum Ravioli with Mint Cream Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , , — Anna @ 6:37 am

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr

Makes 4 dessert servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2/3cup quick plum preservesat room temperature
  • 1/3cup finely chopped firm-ripe red or black plums
  • 12wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen
  • all-purpose flour for dusting
  • about 6 cups vegetable oil
  • 10fresh mint leaves (preferably spearmint)
  • 2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2cup chilled heavy cream
  • 1 1/2tablespoons confectioners sugar plus additional for dustingspecial equipment:a deep-fat thermometer; a mortar and pestle

DIRECTIONS Make ravioli:
Drain preserves in a coarse sieve set over a bowl, pressing lightly on solids, and reserve syrup. Transfer drained preserves to a bowl and stir in chopped plums.

Put 1 wonton wrapper on a lightly floured surface, keeping remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap, and put a rounded teaspoon of plum mixture in center. Lightly dampen edges of wrapper with a fingertip dipped in water and fold wrapper in half to form a triangle, pressing down around filling to force out air and pressing edges together firmly to seal. Transfer to a dry kitchen towel and make 11 more ravioli in same manner.

Fry ravioli:
Heat 2 inches oil in a 4-quart heavy pot until it registers 375°F on deep-fat thermometer. Fry ravioli in 4 batches, turning them, until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer as fried with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Crush mint leaves in lemon juice using mortar and pestle, then transfer to a bowl. Whisk in cream and confectioners sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

Dust ravioli with confectioners sugar, drizzle plum syrup around them, and dollop mint cream on the side.

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Nicoise Tuna Sandwich (pan Bagnat) Recipe

Filed under: Recipes — Tags: , , , , , — Anna @ 3:56 am

This tuna sandwich is all about olive oil. Use the French stuff if possible; otherwise, any mild olive oil will do—save that fancy super-Tuscan for something else. The tuna and the bread are crucial, too. Forget about tuna packed in water. It’s flavorless. You want the kind packed in olive (not vegetable) oil. We thought ortiz’s Bonito del Norte, newly exported from Spain, was the closest thing to Ni‧oise tuna, but it can be tough to find. (We ordered ours from Citarella; 212-874-0384.) Of the brands commonly available in the United States, we preferred Progresso light tuna. Other brands of canned light tuna that we are fond of are Genova and La Giara. This last is very expensive—about $10—and is available at many specialty foods shops and by mail order from Citarella.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 of white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/8 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar, plus additional to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 6-ounce can tuna packed in olive oil(see above) including olive oil
  • lemon juice to taste
    2 kaiser rolls, plain
  • lettuce leaves, combination of boston, green-leaf, or other green leafy lettuce
  • 8 tomato slices
  • 6-8 hard-boiled eggs slices
  • 4 anchovy fillets, drained
  • niçoise olives
  • scallions, chopped
  • radishes, sliced

DIRECTIONS Combine the red and white onion with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper in a bowl.


Using your hands, mix and squeeze everything together for 5 minutes. (Don’t rush through this part; the onions need time to release their juices and mellow.)

Work in can of tuna in olive oil, including the oil. Season with fresh lemon juice, red-wine vinegar, and salt, then add pepper to taste.

Cut kaiser rolls in half crosswise and spread each bottom half with lettuce leaves. Use a couple of varieties—whatever looks good—for the difference in texture.

On top of each lettuce layer, arrange 4 tomato slices (skip this step if you don’t have good—really good—tomatoes on hand). Then add about half the tuna mixture and 3 to 4 slices of hard-boiled egg.


Crisscross each sandwich with 2 drained anchovy fillets and strew with Niçoise olives (pit them if desired), chopped scallion greens, and sliced radishes. Then drizzle generously with more olive oil and top with the remaining kaiser halves, pressing gently but firmly.

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