I'm a delinquent...

...but, I have excuses..... oh, yeh...I remember now...nobody wants to hear them.

Well, in honour of me finding half an hour while my slave driver is having a bath....I'm doing a post about something beginning with a big D.... maybe he won't notice that I'm not painting doorframes......

Dark and delicious.... chocolate!!














here's the picture...and mine.....

They are from the Company's Coming Chocolate Everything book by Jean Pare. Somebody named them white chip cookies...huh? ...terrible...I call them Double Chocolate Chunk cookies. .. cuz I used chunks of white chocolate instead of chips.

Here they are. You'll notice I always throw in my own twobits as I tell you the recipe... sometimes I think they put in too much of this or that ... suit yourself....but, here it is straight from the book.......

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sifted cocoa
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips (I only used about 3/4 cup semi sweet dark and white chocolate chopped into chunks..it was plenty...)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (1/2 cup was enough... I toasted them beforehand... better flavour)...

Cream butter, brown sugar and cocoa in large bowl or mixer bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla ..mix til fluffy.
Add remaining 5 ingredients. Mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. (I have enamel sheets and they didn't need greasing..test bake one to check on your sheets.... but, they probably won't need much at any rate...)
Leave as drops or flatten slightly with glass or fingers.... Bake at 350F or 170C for 10 to 12 minutes. Remember...it's chocolate... keep an eye on it! Mine barely needed 10 minutes.

Says it makes 3 dozen.... only made 23 of my tablespoon size...... hmmmmm.... my tablespoons must be bigger... *grin*** .......

Ohhhhh.....are they delish!! I just made them last night and already only 5 left... but, I did take a few for the old guys at the golf course today...and gave a few to my neighbour..... .........

Strawberry Scones

Strawberries were on special... and they were so sweet and juicy...

One day it was strawberry shortcake and a day later, not wanting to waste a single berry..I made some scones.

Here is the basic sweet tea biscuit recipe I use. Instead of rolling or cutting ..I just drop it in huge dollops onto a baking sheet. It makes lovely rustic looking scones.

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 tsps. baking powder (I usually reduce this amount)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup firm shortening (I always use butter)
1 egg
milk

Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Cut in fat with pastry blender 'til mixture has the appearance of fine crumbs.

Beat the egg with a fork in measuring cup and add milk to make one cup. Add milk and mix gently. If it seems a bit dry I add a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt. Perhaps if you prefer to roll it or make cut outs.. you won't need the extra moisture..., but I like mine nice and moist.

Drop large rounds onto a baking sheet..leaving a bit of room to spread.

Bake at 400 F for 10 - 20 minutes. depending upon the size.

It says it makes 12-18 biscuits 3/4 inch thick. I usually make 9 large mounded scones....or 6 giant ones.

For a creamy lemony/strawberry scone... substitute buttermilk or sour cream for the milk, add juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lemon and some lemon zest; reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and a handful of cut up strawberries. I usually make some smaller chunks and some a bit larger .... Sprinkle sugar on the top if you like.

These are lovely ... with a great crumb.... and even two days later (if any survive that long ) .. are not dry or tasteless. If you want to reheat ...place in a paper towel...and heat for a few minutes in the microwave. Just like fresh out of the oven. Quick and easy... give them a try..you'll be glad you did!

the "slipper" tastes pretty good...

Ciabatta ... apparently the name means "carpet slipper"... is a no-knead bread anyway, so I'm not sure what the big deal is in the video ...but, it seemed so simple compared to other recipes in my bread books... (which call for a few more steps and a few more ingredients) ... so, I gave it a try. It was simple...pretty tasty and I'll definitely make it again. I was surprised that the crust did not get as dark as the Tuscan Peasant Bread... but, perhaps the oil and cornmeal on the baking sheet is the way to go versus the parchment .... ?? or, perhaps the water in the oven for extra moisture is the answer.. or, perhaps the honey in the mix ... ?? who knows, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the bottom more golden than dark brown. Not that I mind a well cooked crust. I also love a chewy crust...which this has. Yum... I only had one small piece today...but, can't wait for toast in the morning.... I love artisan type breads toasted!











The crumb of mine is not as airy as the master's... but, it still has a few good sized holes. My bread book says to handle it very gently to preserve the air bubbles for those lovely large voids. .. not that extra large holes would enhance the flavour. Perhaps I'll wear kid gloves next time.... just so I can have a holey loaf for my photo shoot.

Oh, yes....the guy doesn't mention it in his video..but..on his blog...he says he always bakes bread with a pan of water on the bottom of his oven. It would probably be a good idea to revise your video mister...

No knead ciabatta

No-Knead Ciabatta Bread from Foodwishes on Vimeo.

Had to post this one.... Susan sent me a no knead video... the one that calls for heating your lovely Le Creuset dutch oven in blistering heat before you toss in the dough... and I just couldn't get my head around doing that. Not that I own one but, you know..say if I did....some day.....

Plus..it sounds a bit dangerous...so hot and all...

So...I while I was checking out the video..I saw this one. Ahhh...much better idea. Hey Susan...it is the Tuscan all over again... your recipe is still the best. Although, with this one ... they just mix and leave it for 18 hours..then bake it. I'm definitely giving this one a go... I'll let you know what happens.

UPDATE:: I knew it!! found this post on a foodie site talking about no-knead breads.....

Don't use your enamel Le Creuset for this procedure! Massive, permanent, discoloration and funky spots and stripes to your pot. Did this about a year ago and my beautiful pot, although functional, is now ugly.

French Dimpled Rolls

In my search for Kaiser buns, I thought this might fill the bill...but, still not a Kaiser. However, they ARE very tasty buns...or rolls as they are called in my Bread book. The description says:
"A French and Belgian specialty, these attractive rolls are distinguished by the split down the center. They have a crusty finish while remaining soft and light inside -- they taste great, too."
If you know Kaiser buns you can see why I thought this might be the same type of crust and flavour.

3 1/2 cups white bread flour (I used all purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 ounce fresh yeast (I used 1 and 1 1/2 tsp. Traditional Active yeast granules )
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
3/4 cup lukewarm water

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Sift flour and salt into large bowl. Stir in sugar and make a well in center.

Mix yeast with the milk until dissolved, then pour into the center of the flour mixture. Sprinkle on a little of the flour from around the edge. Let sit at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes or til the mixture starts to bubble.

Add the water and gradually mix in the flour to form a fairly moist, soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 - 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with tea towel and let rise at room temperature, for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and punch down. re-cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 10 pieces. Shape into balls by rolling the dough under a cupped hand, then roll until oval. Lightly flour the tops. Space apart on baking sheets, cover with tea towel and let rise, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes or til almost doubled in size.

Lightly oil the side of your hand and press the center of each roll to make a deep split. Re-cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place a baking pan in bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 450 F. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the pan and bake the rolls for 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool.











What are they talking about? I slathered on some butter and had mine steaming hot!! Ohhhhhhh.... YUM !!



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WARNING! If you have not poured hot water into a very hot baking or roasting pan before...please be careful ! It still sizzles and splashes a lot. Make sure you hold it at a distance and wear a glove.... it still is pretty wild. The second batch I made..I poured some in before it got up to temperature...and added some more as I put the buns into the oven. This particular book doesn't even say use boiling water... and it definitely should. For safety.

I found my hand didn't make any type of split at all in the dough..., so, ... I used my bread scraper to make a deep groove and could have gone deeper or sharper to make them look more like the picture in the book.

I also mixed mine in my mixer and used the regular way of mixing things. Began with yeast sprinkled on water, etc... then add flour later...after the poolish bubbled.......

These are yummy buns indeed...just not quite what I wanted ... I was still on the hunt for the elusive Kaiser buns...or as I found out later.... Kaiser rolls. I found some!! ... they will be next..











Who cares if they are not quite the picture in the Bread book. They sure did taste wonderful.....