Cardamom Hot Cross Buns

Easter always reminds me of Hot Cross Buns because my Mom always made them at that time. We usually were required to give up sweets for lent, so we got to have hot, fresh Hot Cross Buns for Easter morning, followed by church, and then followed by an Imperial Banana Split at Friendly's Ice Cream (NE US) as rewards.

 I've tried some store-bought buns every once in a while since but they were horrible. I mean close to inedible in my opinion. So I was thinking about making some but I wanted to make sure they were close to what I enjoyed so much as a child. And all of a sudden, it hit me, the ones I had as a kid had Cardamom in them.

Cardamom is one of the world's most ancient spices and grows wild in India. It is expensive, second only to Saffron. Therefore when I went to look for Cardamom, I found a small bottle of it was $17.00!!! Nope, I'm not paying that much for a spice. (I read where Cardamom also helps cure flatulence, so if that's an issue for you, there ya go, lol)

So I went to another market that sells spices in bulk, and sure enough, they had ground Cardamom at bargain basement prices. It wasn't the elite black Cardamom, but neither was the bottle at the first store. Now having made and tasted it, it was excellent. So I suggest you go that route. (Cost me like $1.69 for about an ounce of spice, and you only use one teaspoon in this recipe, a little Cardamom goes a long way)

Now, you can make this recipe without Cardamom, just substitute cinnamon, but I think once you try Cardamom, you'll be hooked. It's a unique taste, smell, and is very pungent. And obviously, memorable, since I haven't had it in umm, ^* years and remember it still.

I went to my reliable standby for recipes, King Arthur Flour, and adapted one to yield the recipe below.

Also, if you don't have Lyle's syrup, either omit it, or use corn syrup.

Ingredients and Method:

1/4 cup water or apple juice
1 cup raisins or dried currants (I prefer currants)
1 1/4 cups milk, heated in microwave slightly
3 large eggs, 1 separated
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 packages quick rising yeast
1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups King Arthur Flour

Brush mixture prior to baking:

1 large egg white, reserved from above
1 tablespoon milk

1/3 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup (for brushing after baking)

Icing

1 cup or so confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4 teaspoons milk, or enough to make a thick icing (add a bit more sugar if it's not thick enough)

Mix the water or apple juice with the currants or raisins and microwave on high about 30 seconds. Let steep for 10 minutes.

Add eggs to mixing bowl, add sugar and mix well. Melt butter in milk by microwaving in 30 second intervals. Don't overheat. If milk is too hot to the touch, let it cool slightly before adding to bowl. Add yeast. (Excess heat will kill the yeast) Add milk butter mixture to eggs and sugar and mix.

Add spices and baking powder and mix well. Add fruit and water/juice.

Add 4 cups flour and salt and beat with dough hook until ball forms away from the sides of the pan. Add flour in additional 1/2 cup increments as necessary.

Scrape dough out onto floured board, sprinkle with flour and knead for 3 minutes.

Grease a bowl, add dough, turn dough over cover and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled.
Remove from bowl to floured board and punch down. Knead just once or twice and shape into circle or rectangle about 2 inches thick. Cut into squares about 2 x 2 inches (3 ounces) and with floured hands tuck corners under and shape into a ball.

Add rounded buns to 9 x 13 greased pan. Place close to each other but not touching. Cover and let rise in a warm place for another hour.
Beat water and egg white together and brush tops of buns. Bake at 350 for 20 -25 minutes until browned. Microwave golden syrup (20 seconds) and brush onto top of buns and let cool completely.

Make thick frosting and pipe onto buns marking a cross across the top of each one. (baggies make a great piping tool. Just snip off on bottom corner)

Enjoy!

Christmas Cream Cheese Bread

This is a Cream Cheese Homemade bread I make every year for Christmas which always disappears rapidly. This year I just sprinkled it with decorative sugar but you can glaze it or decorate it in any number of ways.


I find it almost impossible to keep the braid 100% intact during rising and baking so I use toothpicks to at least keep it as "together" as possible. I once made one where I painstakingly made the overlapping slices long enough that I could bind them with warm water and it held together. But I found to do that, you use much less filling and I like a lot of filling in my bread.

I say, "Let the filling be free!"


I recently moved and couldn't locate the recipe, and although I'm sure I could have made it from memory, I found a similar one at King Arthur flour, just to be certain of measurements. It worked like a charm.



Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla

Dough: Combine sugar, milk water and yeast and let rest until it becomes bubbly. (Proofed) add the balance of the ingredients and mix and knead them together until you've made a soft, smooth dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn over, and cover with a moist towel. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).

Filling: While the dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing all of the ingredients together until smooth. Chill untill ready to use.

Assembly: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board, punch down and let it rest for 5 minutes. Divide it in half. Roll each half into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Transfer rolled dough to baking pan spread with parchment paper. Spread half of the filling lengthwise down the center third of each rectangle. Cut 1-inch-wide strips from each side of the filling out to the edges of the dough. Fold about an inch of dough at each end over the filling to contain it, then fold the strips, at an angle, across the filling, alternating from side to side. Secure with toothpicks.

Baking: Allow the braids to rise, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till almost doubled in size. Brush with a glaze made from 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, and sprinkle with sparkling white sugar, if desired; then bake the braids in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 braids.

Enjoy!

Lime Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Summertime. Of my favorite summer desserts. One of the blogs I follow is Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. Her recipes are impressive, photography is great, and I enjoy her writing. She posted a recipe recently that from the photo alone, I just had to make. So, hats off to Peabody and thanks for sharing.

I love the taste of these bars, and there's nothing like fresh raspberries, is there?  Give them a try. They are so delicious.

Adapted from Culinary Concoctions.

Ingredients and Method:


Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon lime zest
4 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons butter, melted
pinch of salt

Batter
2 packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice or key lime juice
1 tablespoon lime zest

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, lime zest, and salt in a bowl. Pour the butter over the mixture and mix well. Scrape crumb mixture into greased 9 x 13 baking dish, press down evenly,  and bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and  set aside.

Combine cream cheese and sugar and combine with a mixer. Add egg yolks, and beat until well blended. Add lime juice and zest and mix thoroughly.

Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared graham cracker pan and spread evenly.

Raspberry Mixture
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice

Combine raspberries, sugar and lime juice  in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the berries juice and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally. Bring to a boil, stir, and turn off heat. Let cool until warm.

Prepare a square of cheesecloth, spoon raspberry mixture into center, (you may have to do twice, depending on the cheesecloth size) pull together four quarters, and begin turning cheesecloth to squeeze out the raspberry sauce into a bowl, leaving the seeds behind. Yeah, it's going to get all over your hands but it's worth it. I find this way to much easier than using a strainer.

Drop the raspberry mixture onto the top of the filling randomly. Using a knife or spatula, swirl the raspberry mixture into the cheesecake filling.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until it is set in the center and starting to brown around the edges. Let cool
completely, and cut into bars. Using a knife dipped in hot water, and dried, will aid the cutting of the bars.

Store in refrigerator.

I took these to work and they "vanished"

Two Layer Key Lime Pie

One of my favorite family recipes. I've been making this for years and my kids loved it as they were growing up. Whenever my youngest son visits from college, it's mandatory I make it and let him take it with him to school.

It's a basic key lime pie but with an extra layer. You can make your own crust or just buy it in the bakery section at the store. I can't tell the difference frankly.

Ingredients and Method:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or prepared shell)
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup key lime juice (Fresh if you can find them in season)
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup key lime juice
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar and press into pie pan. Place into 350 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Combine condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks. Pour into crust and bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

Remove and let cool completely.

Mix together room temperature cream cheese, vanilla, condensed milk, lime juice and sugar. Pour carefully onto key lime filling and refrigerate until set. Serve garnished with whipped cream.
Enjoy!

Baked Yeast Donuts

So I bought this doughnut baking pan as I previously posted. I made cake doughnuts and I thought they were surprisingly good. See here.

But, as we all know, yeast doughnuts are killer also. So I thought I'd use the pan with yeast dough.

I must give huge credit to 101 Recipes for this. This was the recipe I modified a bit, but for the most part
it was perfect.  

Wow, they were good.  Extremely good. I mean "melt in your mouth good"  Light and airy, and no grease.    And easy. And I must admit, it's nice not to mess with hot oil, and thermometers and all the mess cooking that way entails.

So give these a try. Actually I don't believe you need a donut pan to make them. Give it a shot, just use normal baking pans.

Ingredients and Method:

1 1/3 cups milk, warmed, not hot

2/3 cup sugar

1 packet dry yeast

2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

5 cups flour (more or less)

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg


In a mixer, combine the warmed milk, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 15 minutes to let it proof. It should
get foamy which means the yeast is good and ready to go. (I know, I know, yeasts today don't need to be proofed, but I'm old school, I like seeing that stuff get all bubbly)  Melt the butter, and when cool a bit,  two eggs and mix briskly. Add to milk and yeast mixture. Add salt and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.

Add four cups of flour and mix. Continue mixing and adding balance of flour in 1/4 cup increments until the dough adheres to the mixer in a ball and is not sticking to the bowl.

Drop dough onto a lightly floured board, knead just a few times, and shape into a ball. Place in oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and add to oven you heated briefly at 200 degrees (and then turned off, of course) and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Remove from oven and scrape dough out onto floured board. (Lightly floured)  Punch down and let rest
for 5 minutes.  Knead two or three times just to bring it together and roll out into a rectangle about 1 inch in thickness.

Use a doughnut cutter and cut them out. Arrange the doughnut shapes around a lightly greased doughnut pan. ( Or, just onto parchment covered baking sheet)

Continue cutting, save doughnut holes onto another baking sheet. Cover with towel (either method) and let
rise at room temperature for 45 minutes.

(When I cut mine out, I got lazy and cut out some squares of the dough and baked those too. And actually, they were delicious. I didn't coat them, just ate slightly heated with some jam, kind of like a jelly donut)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 8 - to minutes until golden brown. Watch them carefully, they can get overdone quickly. Golden Brown is perfect!

Remove, let cool slightly, and then shake in a plastic bag with sugar, or sugar and cinnamon. You can dip them in melted butter first, if you would like. (My preference)

And don't forget the donut "squares" I made. Those were delicious also, as well as the holes.


Enjoy!

Fage Honey Vanilla Panna Cotta

As I've posted before, I love Fage Greek Yogurt. So when Foodbuzz asked if I'd be interested in featuring it in some recipes, I didn't hesitate. (Here's another of my posts featuring Fage Yogurt.)

One of the things I eat at least twice a week is the Fage Yogurt and Honey. I love how the honey is in a separate compartment, so you can decide how much honey you want with each bite of delicious, thick and tangy yogurt.

So I used that combination to inspire a new recipe. Instead of buttermilk based Panna Cotta, I decided to substitute plain Fage yogurt for the buttermilk, and add honey to bottom of a glass with the panna cotta on top.

This dish was delicious. Just slightly sweet but with that delicious tang remaining. Give it a try, I bet you like it.


Ingredients and Method:

1 envelope gelatin
2 tablespoons warm water
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 small containers plain Fage Yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped of seeds
ground nutmeg for garnish

For the Panna Cotta, combine sugar, vanilla, yogurt and heavy cream in a saucepan over
medium heat and bring to a boil, immediately then turning off the heat.

Allow the gelatin to soften in 1/4 cup water and then add to the heavy cream mixture
and stir well.

I usually give a quick run through my handheld mixer to ensure everything is blended well.

Take 6 to 8 ramekins and pour one to two tablespoons of honey into the bottom of each.

Allow the panna cotta to cool for at least 45 minutes.

Slowly pour the panna cotta on top of the honey in each ramekin and sprinkle with nutmeg and allow to cool and set up in the refrigerator. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

“As a selected blogger, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway”

Fage Greek Yogurt Pound Cake

I'm affiliated with an organization called Food Buzz as you can tell from the left side of my blog. They occasionally have food related giveaways, product samplings, and contests. A week ago they asked if I would like to participate in an offer from Fage, the greek yogurt company.

I had NO hesitation is saying yes as I've already been eating and baking with this delicious yogurt for two years now.

Here's a couple links to recipes I've already posted regarding FAGE yogurt.

The Merlin Menu Tikka Masala

The Merlin Menu Chocolate Yogurt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Honey Buttermilk Panna Cotta

In fact, if you read the Honey Buttermilk post you will see that Fage's Honey Yogurt was the inspiration of my recipe. That being said, given that they are having a contest, in a few days I think I will make Panna Cotta again, but this time, instead of Buttermilk, I will use Fage Yogurt and combine it with a layer of honey. We'll see how it turns out.

A variation on pound cake recipe using Greek Yogurt. Rich, and dense, and moist and absolutely delicious. Can be served topped by fruit, caramel, dulce de leche, whipped cream or anything else you may think of. 

Here's a different serving idea for your dessert, especially if you're Barbequeing. Slice the pound cake and place slices directly onto the grill. Only a few minutes each side until they get grill marks. Remove, place on plates and cover with sugared raspberries or strawberries and some whipped cream. Delicious and different!

Ingredients and Method:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 7 oz. container Fage Greek Yogurt
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
6 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (Yes, in addition to the vanilla bean)

Preparation:In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar and split the vanilla bean and scrape seeds into mixture. With mixer on medium speed, gradually beat in the yogurt. Add flour, alternating with the eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or Bundt cake pan.

Bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

A note about the cooking time. This is a very thick batter so it will probably take ALL of the baking times listed if not a little bit longer. Do check the cake often with the wooden pick technique as you don't want it not quite baked in the very middle. By the same token, it can start to burn pretty quickly, so watch it carefully towards the end of the cycle. When you do check with the wooden pick push it in as deeply as you can as this batter can get done on top and still not be quite done in the middle.

I made this recipe for this post in a oblong baking dish, but I really would recommend a tube pan or a Bundt cake pan.

Enjoy!

As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway

Baked Donuts

Baked donuts. Who makes baked donuts. Aren't donuts always deep fried, greasy, and delicious?  Of course they are.

But for some reason, the other night, (I gotta stay off the net)  I came across and bought a donut pan for baking donuts. Why?  I have no clue.  But now I have another specialty use pan which I'll probably use twice in the next 2 years. But, that's the curse of a foodie I guess.

Now here's the surprise, the donuts were delicious and easy to make. I did notice that cinnamon sugar doesn't  adhere real well, probably because of the absence of OIL!  But that's ok. I think glazing might be a better way to go anyway.  Next up, I think I'm making some baked yeast donuts. We'll see how it goes. Keep in touch.

I did notice they only browned on top, so I'm thinking next time, I may oil the pan with butter instead of
spray and see if they brown more uniformly. That being said, they tasted perfect anyway.

Recipe came with the pan. I really did like the spices in the batter. Excellent.

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup buttermilk 
2 eggs 
1 tablespoon honey 
1/2 cup butter, melted 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lightly spray the donut pan with oil.

In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients including spices. Blend together the liquids in a bowl (buttermilk, eggs, honey, and melted butter) and add to the dry ingredients and mix well.

The dough will be a bit thick. Using two spoons, drop dough into the donut pan tin, filling each mold about 1/2 full with dough.

Bake in oven for 12 minutes, until nice and browned,  remove, cool on a rack, and coat however you would like.

All kidding aside, I bet I use this pan, ummm,   4 times a year!  ha ha

St. Patrick's Day Roundup

Now that my blog has been established for a couple of years, I find that I have enough recipes posted that
I can perhaps provide a quick reference to the Irish inspired things I like to make. So here it is:

Ha ha, admittedly only five recipes, but I do what I can.  If you try nothing else, do the cake or the soda bread. Both are wonderful. And enjoy a pint or two.

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake 

Guinness Beef Stew

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Brown Bread

Corned Beef and Cabbage        

The Merlin Menu Top 10 Recipes for Year 2010

I know, it's February, not January. This is the kind of post that, were I up on things, would have been posted right around the New Year. But, I've been a bit distracted trying to find a new position at my company. That's my excuse, anyway.

But here's the deal. As I looked through my newsreader in 2011, I noticed a number of blogs posted their top recipes from the previous year. And I found, that I liked being able to just click on whatever recipe I wanted to without having to scroll through page after page of blog. I figured therefore, that other people probably like this convenience also, so I decided to do one for my blog. And here it is. Hope you find at least one or two things you'd like to try, and maybe catch up on a recipe or two you might have missed over the last year.

Salted Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars Decadent and delicious.

Dutch Oven Bread A little baking magic from a Dutch Oven

Cinnamon Currant Bread Another Dutch Oven Bread

Eggs Benedict Who doesn't love Eggs Benedict. Make them at home for 1/10th the price.

Homemade Potato Chips Delicious and easy and fun to make.

Irish Brown Bread Authentic and delicious.

 Lime Cake with Strawberry Compote Light, refreshing, and a great flavor combination.

Salted Caramel Butter Bars Decadent and delicious.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies Just the title says it all.

Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce 3 Ingredients and knock your socks off good.

My personal Top Ten from my Blog for 2010.

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

Yes these are rich. Yes they are supremely buttery. Yes, they melt in your mouth. No, you cannot just eat one.

I had to bring something into work to share with co-workers and I wanted something different and I came across this recipe. (Original source here)  They are amazingly good. Give them a try.

Preparation and Method:

For the Crust:

1 lb. butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 cups flour


For the Filling:

1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped
⅓ cup milk or cream or half and half
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt 

To make the crust:

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour and mix until smooth.

Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust.

Place remaining crust mixture in the refrigerator

Preheat to 325F.

Bake crust  until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown approximately 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.

While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a saucepan, add the cream and vanilla and cook and stir over low to medium heat until completely melted. (You can also use the microwave in short bursts to melt the caramel mixture.)

Pour the caramel filling over the crust. Generously salt with sea salt.

Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel. You may find the chilled dough doesn't "crumble" that easily. If so, just place on a cutting board and chop into the

size pieces you want for the topping.

Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 - 30 minutes.

Let cool, and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Pudding

I know Chocolate Pudding. Who eats chocolate pudding anymore?  I do. Not often, but last week I just had the urge for some deep, thick, homemade, chocolate pudding with a touch of whipped cream. (The urge resulted in my making Chocolate Cream pie for Thanksgiving later, but that's another post)

This pudding is simply so delicious and easy to make. It is rich too, so I would not portion it into big bowls. A little of this pudding goes a long way. 

Ingredients and Method:

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups milk

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

Whipped cream

In a measuring cup add 1/2 cup of the cold milk to the cornstarch. Mix thoroughly and pour into medium saucepan. Turn to medium heat and immediately add cocoa powder, sugar, salt, balance of milk, and three beaten egg yolks. Mix well. Stir constantly until the mixture just begins to simmer. Add half and half and vanilla extract and continue to heat until the pudding thickens. Do not boil!  When it has thickened (approximately seven minutes) remove from heat and add chocolate. (The mixture may appear lumpy, that's ok, don't worry it will smooth out just fine)  Stir the chocolate until completely melted and incorporated into the pudding.

Pour into serving dishes, and refrigerate for 2 hours until completely cooled. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy, and don't say I didn't warn you. This is addictive pudding, I'm tellin' ya. I got a bet for ya. You got a chocolate craving?  You won't after you eat one of these.