Cinnamon Extract – By Accident

Tags

bread, cakes, cinnamon, cookies, extract, food, recipe

The blogosphere has been plastered with DIYers making their own infused vodkas and homemade extract. I too have enjoyed making different variations of infused vodka. A few weeks ago I had planned to make cinnamon infused vodka using the same process. In a toddler-esque state I enjoyed dropping the cinnamon sticks into the container and accidentally lost count. Now, if I would’ve let it seep just a day or two and had cinnamon infused vodka. I love cinnamon, I really really love cinnamon. Red hots? Atomic Fire Balls? Bring it on… I wanted to continue my little experiment and make my infused vodka, a fiery cinnamon vodka.

After about a week I realized I just passed the phase of infused vodka and headed down the extract lane. I inadvertently crossed off something on my culinary to do list. I love using almond extract when I bake and I love using cinnamon. I’m not sure why I’ve  never thought of making cinnamon extract before. Cookies, cakes and bread… oh the possibilities to which I’ve unlocked the door.

Cinnamon Extract

Ingredients:
1.74mL vodka, 20 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Add cinnamon sticks to vodka. Let soak for two weeks, stirring or shaking once a day. Remove sticks and strain before bottling.

The would make great gifts for any baker. I had fun using paper and my craft punches to make some cute labels.

What unusual item do you like to incorporate into your baking?

 

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Holla for Challah

Tags

bread, Challah, dough, food, foodie, recipe

Challah is one of my favorite breads. A few weeks ago I was reading a story with my students and it had a Challah recipe in it. It had been years since I made this beautiful braided bread, and my old recipe was nowhere to be found. So of course I used the one from the story and modified as I went.

Holla for Challah

Ingredients:
6 1/2 tsp. dry yeast, 2 teaspoons fresh ground sea salt, 4 eggs, 6 Tbsp. butter, hot water, 7 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 egg yolks. poppy seeds, sesame seeds

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together 1 c. flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Place butter in a large measuring cup and add hot water until contents reach 2 cup mark. Pour water, butter and eggs into bowl. Slowly stir in remaining flour. Knead dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a moist towel. Place bowl somewhere warm (I give mine a hot water bath). Let rise for an hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down and briefly knead. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Cut each part into 6 pieces. Roll 6 pieces into long ropes. Pinch together strands at top and weave the stands together. Starting with the strand on the right, cross over two, under one, over two. Repeat with the new strand on the right. Place on pan and repeat with remaining loaves. Beat egg yolks and 2 tsp. cold water and brush on tops of loaves. Sprinkle loaves with poppy seeds and sesame seeds (I make two without, 1 with poppy and 1 with sesame). Let loaves rise in warm area for 45 minutes. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Enjoy your delicious warm Challah!

Four yeasty loaves of bread later, I’m in heaven!

What is your favorite type of bread?

Link Love

Tags

bread, crackers, crafting, Creating, plant markers, postaday2011, scallops, softie, stepping stones, throw pillows

Painting apparently is so much more time-consuming than I remember. Of course maybe that’s because we have few additional rooms we didn’t have before (hopefully, I’ll have lot’s of pics to post soon). Our garage is home to boxes and furniture, someday my car will have his own bedroom. Until then, here are some projects I would like to create once we’re moved in enough. A few of these have been on my to-do list for quite some time…

In My Oven:
Homemade Goldfish Crackers look so delicious and a fun project for Pumpkin and me. I already have a cookie cutter shaped like a fish, so I don’t need to make her homemade cut soda can version (yikes!)

Copycat Outback bread recipe, with homemade butter of course.

And these Scallops in Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce.

Under My Needle
These cute throw pillows have been on my to-do list since they were posted! They add some great texture, although I’d want them to be a bit more washable and would use fleece instead of felt.

I’ve also had a soft spot for this hedgehog softie, I may have already linked to him.

In My Garden:
Super cute antique spoon plant markers with flare!

Landscaping is a far way off, but I can’t wait to make these classic stepping stones.

 

Irish Soda Bread with Fresh Whipped Butter

Tags

Baking, bread, butter, buttermilk., dough, food, foodie, postaday2011, recipe, soda bread, St. Patrick's Day. St. Patty's Day, tradition

With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, it’s time to make some Irish soda bread. Perfect to serve with a hot bowl of  ham & three bean soup. This recipe is a variation of one from my friend’s (Irish) grandmother. I whipped up some fresh butter serve with along with it.

Irish Soda Bread with Fresh Whipped Butter

 

Ingredients:
4 cups of Irish flour or cake flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. fresh ground sea salt, 1 3/4 c. buttermilk or stout

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Grease and flour two round cake pans and set aside. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Stir in buttermilk to form dough. Place on floured surface and lightly knead dough. Shape into a flattened ball and place in round cake pan. Using a knife, cut across the top. Cover the pan with the remaining pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Keep bread wrapped in a towel and lightly mist towel with water to keep moist.

What’s on your table tonight?

Garlic Knots

Tags

bread, dinner, dinner rolls, entree, food, foodie, garlic, garlic knots, Italian, postaday2011, recipe, side dishes, vegan, vegetarian

For dinner I made a spinach & cheese lasagna for myself and a traditional one for Hubster. I thought about making garlic bread, but thought garlic knots would be more fun. I couldn’t find the recipe I had book marked to try, so I used my focaccia bread recipe as the base of my garlic knots and improvised from there.

Garlic Knots

 

Ingredients:
4 tsp. yeast, 4 c. flour, 4 Tbs. olive oil, 1 3/4 c. warm water, fresh ground sea salt, garlic powder, minced garlic, oregano

Directions:
Mix together yeast, 1/2 c. flour and 1/2 c. water. Cover with a warm moist towel and store in a warm area for 1/2 hour. Mix in remaining, flour, water, and some salt. Knead dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes. Oil dough and place in a metal bowl, cover with warm moist towel and store in a warm area for about an hour. Preheat oven 400°F. Grease baking tray. Using floured hands roll out dough. Rub top with EVOO and sprinkle on the garlic powder, fresh ground sea salt, and oregano. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 2″ thick strips. Knot and tuck each piece of dough and place on baking tray. Press minced garlic on tops. Bake for about 15 minutes and serve warm.

 

 

 

Wheat Beer Bread

Tags

appetizer, beer, beer bread, bread, breakfast, brunch, dinner, food, foodie, lunch, postaday2011, recipe, side dishes, wheat bread

I almost didn’t get my post in today, but here it finally is! Tonight we had leftovers, yes it does happen once in a while… Hubster ate the left over chicken & biscuits I made last night, and I heated up left over tarragon champagne sauce with chicken and served it over pasta. Of course, I had to bake some yeasty beer bread!

Wheat Beer Bread

Ingredients 2 c. all-purpose flour, 1 c. whole-wheat flour, 4 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. fresh ground sea salt, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 1bottle of beer, 3 Tbsp. melted butter
Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, sugar, salt & baking powder together. Add the beer and stir everything together until well moistened and pour into a greased loaf pan. Gently run knife down center of dough to make a crease. Pour melted butter over batter. Bake for 50-60minutes. Cool and slice.

*I prefer using lager when making this recipe. Serve with butter at dinner, slice for a sandwich at lunch, spread with jam for breakfast, spread with Nutella at brunch, serve it with a white bean hummus as an appetizer.

What is your favorite meal to serve bread?

Rosemary Bread

Tags

bread, bread recipe, food, foodie, gourmet, postaday2011, recipe, rosemary

Best smell in the world? Fresh baked bread… it even beats out clean laundry and hot from the oven cookie. I’ve been craving rosemary bread for sometime. My recipe is modified from this one.

Fresh Baked Rosemary Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, 1 c. whole-wheat flour, 1 c. warm water, 1 Tbsp. yeast, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. rosemary, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper, 1 tsp. fresh ground sea salt, 3 Tbsp. butter, extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water, stir and set aside until yeast is activated. Mix in 2 Tbsp. butter, salt, pepper, rosemary, Italian seasoning and flour. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Oil a metal bowl, place dough in it, cover with a damp towel and set in a warm place. Allow dough to rise for an hour, dough should double in size. Punch dough down and divide into two loaves. Oil baking pan, shape the dough into 2 oval loaves. Return to warm place and allow to rise for another hour. Preheat oven 375ºF. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Melt remaining butter and brush over loaves (sprinkle with additional salt and rosemary if desired). Serve hot.

Sprinkle olive oil with salt, pepper and any herbs you want, and dip in bread.

What’s your favorite smell?