Thursday, April 28, 2016

Lemon Rhubarb Cake with Honey-Lemon Glaze
















Cake Ingredients
1 stick of butter
1¾ cups sugar
zest of one lemon + 1 teaspoon juice (I had tiny lemons so I used two)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups flour (+2 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup buttermilk (or 3/4 c milk w 1 1/2 T lemon juice - mix and let set 5 min before using)
2 cups rhubarb, chopped small (a bit more is better)

Glaze Ingredients
3/4 c honey
3/4 c brown sugar
zest & juice of two lemons


Cake Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour bundt pan, making sure to get in every little space.
  2. (If you are making your own buttermilk, get that going now.)
  3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 2½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Set Aside.
  4. Dust rhubarb with 2 Tablespoons flour in a small bowl. Set aside.
  5. In your mixer, cream together butter, sugar lemon zest and juice for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  6. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl and incorporating thoroughly after each. Fold in vanilla.
  7. Slowly add flour mixture, rotating with buttermilk to batter, and mix to combine.
  8. Fold in rhubarb.
  9. Pour into prepared bundt pan.
  10. Bake for approximately 1 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan, for 30 minutes.
Glaze Ingredients
  1. Heat all glaze ingredients over medium low heat.
  2. Blend well then spoon over cake to coat.

Gla

Quiche for a Crowd
















Crust Ingredients
2 c whole wheat flour
2 1/2 c unbleached white flour
1 1/3 c unsalted butter (cold) cut into pieces
1 t sea salt
Ice water (optional mix 2-1 with ice cold Vodka)

Crust instructions
In a large bowl add flours and butter. Cut well with a pastry blender until large crumbs of butter remain.
Add a few table spoons of ice water and blend with a fork to forma small ball of dough. Remove to a floured surface and repeat. Gently knead together individual pieces to form a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
When ready to use, roll out on a floured surface.

Quiche Ingredients
7 extra large or eight large eggs
1 c heavy cream
1 c milk
3/4 lb washed and snapped Asparagus
1 lg onion finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves
2 c shredded Swiss cheese
Sea salt
Ground black pepper

Quiche instructions
Butter or oil a 9x13 pan and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375° F.
Roll out crust and place in pan allowing 1 to 1 1/2" high rim.
Whisk together eggs, cream and milk. Pour I to crust.
Sprinkle in about 1/3 of the onions and garlic. Place in an alternating layer of about 1/2 of the Asparagus. Then more onion and garlic, then another layer of Asparagus.
Finish with the remaining onion and garlic.
Top with shredded cheese, a sprinkle of sea salt and ground pepper.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Sunflower-Pumpkin Seed Wheat Bread


















Ingredients
2 1/2 c milk (I used skim)
2 T instant yeast
1/2 c honey
6 T melted butter (unsalted)
5 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c mixed raw sunflower & pumpkin seeds
1 t cinnamon
1 t sea salt
1 egg
3 T heavy cream

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or oil two 3x9 loaf pans.

1. Warm milk in a microwave. (It should be warm to the touch but not scalding.) Stir in yeast and honey and let sit for a few minutes until it starts to get foamy. Add slightly cooled but still liquid melted butter.
2. Heat a skillet on high and add the sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Stir and toast seeds unitl they just begin to brown slightly. Remove from heat and move seeds to a separate container.
3. In a mixer with the dough hook attached, add whole wheat flour, salt and cinnamon and mix well.
4. Add the milk & yeast mixture and mix until combined.
5. Add the toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds to the dough and knead with the dough hook until dough forms a ball around the hook.
6. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead a few strokes. Put some oil in the mixing bowl (the dough should have come out cleanly). Roll the dough into a ball, pulling the top surface smooth and tucking the dough underneath. Place in the bowl with the smooth side down to coat then flip over. Cover the bowl with plastic film and a towel and place in a warm place to rise.
7. When dough has doubled, roll out onto the floured surface again and cut into two equal parts. Set aside one and knead one half a few strokes, then form into a rectangle with its width about the length of one of your loaf pans. Roll the rectangle tightly and place seam side down into the loaf pan. Repeat with the second have of the dough into the second load pan.
8. Cover each  pan with plastic wrap and a towel and allow to rise just above the top of the pans.
9. Uncover the pans. With a sharp knife score each loaf either lengthwise or in 2" diagonal cuts about 1/4 - 3/8" deep.
10. Whisk the egg and heavy cream in a mug and paint the top surface of each loaf. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds (and optionally poppy seeds).
11. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. The loave should sound hollow when thumped.
12. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for 1-2 hours.