Monthly Archives: January 2011

Easy Valentine Brownies with a surprise inside

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I’ve pulled out my heart-shaped muffin tins, cake tins, springform pan, ramekins, cookie cutters, lollipop molds, waffle irons and pancake forms. I’ve stocked up on chocolate. I’ve begun my February baking.

These easy-to-make brownies are made with a recipe I’ve used ever since my two sons were in grade school. A woman who had children going to the same school shared her recipe. It’s the kind of brownie that delivers a slight crunch as you bite through to the moist, chewy inside. It’s my kind of brownie.

The filling, though, is a new twist. When I was doing my Christmas baking last December, I made some chocolate thumbprint cookies with a dab of coconut-pecan filling in the middle of each. I had some filling still remaining after making the cookies, so I put it in a small, tightly sealed container and stored it in the freezer for another time. I thought it would be a nice filling for these brownies.

The layer of coconut-pecan filling gives the brownies a touch of elegance. The filling can be made a day or two before making the brownies. Store it in the refrigerator.

I spooned the same chocolate mixture over these brownies that I used as one of the layers in Chocolate and Raspberry Cream Tarts.

I baked the batter in 1/3-cup capacity heart-shaped muffin tins. And, I used some of the batter to bake a Valentine to share in a heart-shaped ramekin, as you see in the photo at the top of this post. My husband and I shared it the other night. We added a big puff of whipped cream to the plate and dipped every forkful of coconut-pecan brownie before it went into our mouths. Decadent!

The brownies can be frosted with your favorite frosting or just dusted with powdered sugar. Make them now and eat them, or freeze them until you’re ready to start sharing with everyone you love.

Valentine Brownies with Coconut-Pecan Filling

  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Coconut-Pecan Filling

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • 3/4 cup coconut
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Make coconut-pecan filling by combining sugar, evaporated milk, 1/4 cup butter, vanilla and egg yolk in saucepan. Blend well. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease heart-shaped muffin tins.

Sift cocoa, flour and salt into a bowl. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend well. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix just until they disappear into the batter. Spoon brownie batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling 1/3 of the way to top. Flatten a heaping tablespoon of cooled coconut-pecan filling and layer over brownie batter. Cover completely with more brownie batter, filling just about to the top of each cup. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until done. Allow to cool slightly in pan. Remove brownies and cool completely on wire rack.

Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting or make a rich chocolate topping by melting 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels with 3 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until chocolate is melted. Allow to cool slightly. Spoon over brownies. It will get firm at room temperature.

If you’d rather not frost the brownies, just dust with powdered sugar and nestle a scoop of premium ice cream over the top at serving time.

Makes 9 brownies when using 1/3-cup capacity cupcake tins.

Deconstructed Fried Rice seasoned with homemade Ponzu

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Who would think that a beaten egg could be cooked in a metal ladle? Not me.

I picked up Issue 53 of Donna Hay magazine the other day. There, on page 161 was a stack of small shallow egg nests looking as light and thin as French crepes. A mixture of sauteed mushrooms, bean sprouts and green onions were nestled beautifully in a shallow bowl of cooked egg the shape of the scoop of a ladle.

I had to try it. With some cooked brown rice in the refrigerator, I decided to make a deconstructed version of fried rice. Rather than whipping some eggs, frying them and slicing them up to stir into the rice as normal, the rice would rest inside of egg nests.

I may have had Asian food on my mind, as I had just listened to Linda Carucci via teleforum talk about what’s new in the culinary field. Carucci  is Chef Director at The Art Institute of California-San Francisco, a cookbook author, and International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Cooking Teacher of the Year in 2002.

One of the food items she mentioned is Ponzu, a Japanese seasoning, which is now available in bottles on grocery store shelves. Ponzu is basically soy sauce with citrus added to give bright flavor. I found Kikkoman brand ponzu in a local grocery store. A few years ago I taught a fondue cooking class. We made our own Ponzu sauce to use for dipping chicken and shrimp.

I made a small amount of ponzu to season the fried rice. Toasted sesame oil gets whisked into my ponzu along with some fresh ginger and garlic.

I just can’t tell you how delicious this deconstructed fried rice is. It’s deconstructed in the sense that rather than mixing all the ingredients together, some are held out of the rice and layered. I can only guarantee the rich, satisfying flavor when it is seasoned with the made-with-my-recipe ponzu sauce.

First, an egg nest rests on the plate. One egg will yield three or four shallow cooked egg nests. Fill with frozen organic peas and sauteed celery slices that have been stirred into cooked brown rice seasoned with ponzu. Sprinkle with bits of crispy bacon and slices of green onion. Deconstructed fried rice. Quick, easy, healthful.

I ate this for supper, but I would easily serve it for breakfast or lunch or brunch. A sweet, juicy clementine is just the right dessert for this meal.

I have a gas range, so it was easy to hold the  oiled ladle over the flame to heat it up before adding a tablespoon of beaten egg. I gave the cooked egg a little nudge around the edge with a table knife and it slid right out of the ladle. If you don’t have an open flame, you can cook the egg in a lightly greased, small, non-stick frying pan over low heat. The result will be flat, rather than bowl-shaped.

Such a fun way to serve fried rice or sauteed mushrooms. What would you serve in these egg nests?

Ponzu Sauce

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced gingerroot
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Combine all ingredients..  Whisk together.  Store in sealed jar in refrigerator.

Deconstructed Fried Rice with Ponzu

  • 1 egg
  • sea salt flakes
  • cooked brown rice, about 2 cups
  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 rib of celery, sliced thin
  • 1 cup organic frozen peas
  • 1 or 2 teaspoons Ponzu sauce (see recipe above)
  • 4 green onions, sliced

Slice bacon into thin pieces. Cook over medium heat in saute pan until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon to plate. Set aside. Pour all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the pan. Add celery and saute until crisp tender. Stir in peas and continue to saute until peas are heated through. Season with ponzu.

Beat egg in a small bowl. Add sea salt. Brush inside of metal ladle with canola oil. Hold over open flame on gas range until bowl of ladle is hot. Add 1 tablespoon of beaten egg and swirl to coat the bowl of the ladle. Once the egg is cooked (it won’t take long), slide a table knife around the edge of the cooked egg and slide out onto a plate.

Spoon rice mixture into each egg nest. Sprinkle with bacon bits and green onion slices. Makes 4 egg nests filled with fried rice.

Key West Caterer’s Sesame Almond Chicken with Mango Banana Chutney

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Attending a conference or seminar that includes food in the registration fee can be a bit risky when it comes to the food part. I’ve learned through past experiences to go into it with low expectations. After all, eating at catered events puts you at the whim of a caterer who is working with the budget of the event planners. Results could be good or bad.

The Key West Literary Seminar I attended a couple of weeks ago included catered breakfasts, receptions and a lunch. I knew I was in for a few days of wonderful food when I attended the opening night outdoor reception and met the caterer, Chef Jennifer Cornell, owner of Small Chef at Large Catering in Key West.

Cornell’s philosophy of offering her clients food that is light, lively and exciting was unmistakably evident at the reception that first night. Strategically placed tables along the brick pathway in the Tropical Garden at the Audubon House were swelling with an abundance of fresh and carefully prepared foods.

Several days later, I had an opportunity to visit with Cornell at her office. She’s organized, she cares about her clients and she loves what she does. And, she’s had years of experience cooking for the enjoyment of others. Cornell moved to Key West from Costa Rica 10 years ago. She did an internship in St. Croix and has traveled the Caribbean, cooking from island to island.

Her jobs include many outdoor weddings in Key West. One of her specialties is a romantic dinner for two on the beach. Can you just imagine?

Jennifer Cornell shared two of her recipes with me. I used her recipe for Wasabi Cheese spread in my column this week. It was one of my favorites at the champagne reception the first night of the seminar.

She says the Sesame Almond Chicken is always a favorite at parties. It’s an example of the exciting island-inspired foods she offers.

The recipe calls for 8-ounce chicken breasts. The ones I used were each 6 ounces, more than enough per each serving. Just a little bit of the almond and sesame seed coating were left in the pie plate after I covered each breast with the mixture. My large cast iron pan was perfect for sauteing and baking the chicken.

I got the chutney mixture on the stove, first. I must say the mango I picked up at the grocery store left a lot to be desired. It was a little on the hard side, not quite ripe. None of those at the store I was shopping in were ripe and in this frigid weather, I wasn’t in the mood for running around to other stores in search of the perfect mango. I knew the fruit would soften up and take on the flavors of the other ingredients it was cooking with.

I also put a pot of brown rice on to cook while the chutney was simmering. The brown rice takes about the same amount of time to cook as the chutney. While the two pots were on the flames, I prepared the chicken breasts.

The moist chicken breasts had a wonderful mouth feel with the crunchy texture of the sesame seeds and almonds. The chutney reminded me of a good sweet and sour sauce, with more sweet than sour. The banana flavor came through without overpowering the other flavors. Next time I might add more jalapeno. My batch of chutney had no heat at all. I chopped the banana rather than slicing it into rounds as directed in the recipe.

If you bought sweet chili sauce and toasted sesame oil to make Jennifer Cornell’s recipe for Wasabi Cheese in my column this week, stir some of it into cooked brown rice and serve it with the chicken and chutney. I cooked 1 cup of brown rice and added about 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of sweet chili sauce and about 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to the cooked rice. Just add amounts of each ingredient to satisfy your own taste preference.

Sesame Almond Chicken with Mango Banana Chutney, brown rice, a salad of greens, toasted slivered almonds and fruit with mango vinaigrette, and for dessert, a large scoop of Chocolate Cuslato. Can’t get much better than that on a cold winter weekend in Minnesota.

Sesame Almond Chicken with Mango and Banana Chutney

(Recipe courtesy of Chef Jennifer Cornell, Small Chef at Large Catering, Key West Florida)

  • 4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
  • 1/2 cup crushed almonds (crush slivered almonds in food processor)
  • 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

Rinse the chicken. Combine the bread crumbs, almonds and sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Place one chicken breast in the bowl and press the bread crumb mixture hard into the breast on both sides so it is well coated. Repeat with the other three breasts. Refrigerate while making the chutney.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until nicely browned on both sides, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and place on 4 plates. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons chutney on top. Serves 4.

Mango Banana Chutney

  • 1/2 small red bell pepper, small dice
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, small dice
  • 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed
  • 1 large mango, small dice
  • 1 ripe banana, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
  • 1/2 cup mango or orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until thick, 30 to 45 minutes.

Gelato or custard. Frozen and fabulous.

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Outside, frigid temperatures send mercury on outdoor thermometers way below the zero mark. In northern Minnesota, only the bravest humans venture out. The rest stay cozy indoors with goose down comforters and wool socks, comforted by the heat of flames rising in the fireplace and a cup of hot cocoa or a hot toddy in hand.

Not me. In my house last night, the electric ice cream maker was churning up a batch of rich, dark, creamy chocolate custard. Yes, the fireplace was ablaze. I did have my wool socks on. But hot cocoa? No, no. I prefer my dark chocolate and whipping cream frozen, thank you.

You see, I am an ice cream maniac. I love it anytime. And, although I haven’t had much of the decadent, creamy stuff (my palate prefers only premium ice cream) since last March when I started working on lowering my cholesterol, my trip to Key West put a little snag in my coat of willpower.

One night, as friends and I were strolling down Duval Street, I spied an ice cream shop with the word homemade on the sign. I made mental note of the location.

Days went by, and finally, with just two days left in Key West, I got back to Flamingo Crossing at the corner of Duval and Virginia Streets.

The guy working behind the counter told me he had come to Key West 12 years ago for Fantasy Fest and never went back to the Quad Cities area where he had come from.  It was similar to the story I heard from many people I visited with in Key West. They felt that Key West magic and just couldn’t leave.

As I perused the many flavors of frozen, creamy custards, the friendly ice cream man continued to hand over tiny spoons with large tastes of  wonderful tropical flavors. He went on to tell me a couple from the Chicago area opened Flamingo Crossing in 1987. They apparently felt that Key West magic, too.

I finally decided on a scoop of coconut ice cream and a scoop of one of the tropical fruit flavors, Mamey.

Mamey is a tropical fruit that grows on tall, open trees with thick trunks in Florida, Mexico, Central America and the West Indies. I found the taste to be a combination of almond and apricot, absolutely wonderful with coconut. Don’t tell anyone, but I did make it back to Flamingo Crossing one more time, just a few hours before my plane departed. After all, how can one leave Key West without having some Key Lime ice cream?

My ice cream story does not end in Key West, though. When I got home, my son with a brand new Cuisinart ice cream maker told me he’d been making ice cream with soy milk replacing whole milk. Didn’t sound great to me. But, I did have almond milk in the refrigerator. And, a jar of organic cocoa powder given to me by a friend. When she came for dinner one evening, she brought a container of her homemade chocolate gelato, a jar of of the cocoa powder she had used in the gelato and a copy of the recipe.

You know where this is going. Last night, the coldest night of the year, I dug out my friend’s recipe and made chocolate gelato. I used almond milk rather than whole milk, and plenty of whipping cream. The recipe requires some planning ahead, since the liquid mixture that includes eggs, is cooked before going into the ice cream maker. That means the custard needs time to chill in the refrigerator before freezing.

I made the custard in the afternoon, allowed it to cool at room temperature, then put it into the refrigerator. Last night, my husband and I sat in front of the fire with our wool socks on (no mittens) and moaned with each creamy, dreamy, smooth and silky bite of the frozen custard/gelato made with almond milk.

Since gelato purists would sneer and snicker at the idea of using almond milk in the frozen Italian treat, I won’t call it gelato. But, it’s a little bit gelato. And, it is frozen custard. I’m calling this recipe Chocolate Cuslato. I think that sounds so sexy. Cuslato.

When you get to Key West, you must go to Flamingo Crossing for ice cream, gelato or frozen custard. You’ll find it at 1107 Duval Street.

When you are at home, you must make Chocolate Cuslato. Even if it is the coldest day of the year.

P.S. I just read over at Heavy Table that a great Twin Cities frozen treat shop is closing. Liberty Frozen Custard is calling it quits at the end of this month. I just discovered their creamy frozen custard last summer on a trip to Minneapolis. This makes me so sad. Another reason to make my own Chocolate Cuslato.

Chocolate Cuslato

  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 cup original almond milk
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

In a saucepan, use a whisk to combine cocoa powder and sugar. Gradually add almond milk, whisking after each addition to blend well. Whisk in eggs. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 170 to 175 degrees on an instant-read digital food thermometer. Remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream. Allow to cool at room temperature. Cover and chill thoroughly. Freeze according to instructions for ice cream maker. Makes about 1 quart.

Help Yourself to Ancient Secret Quinoa Salad

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I’ve returned home from my trip to Key West and finally, back to my blog. I told a friend yesterday that bundling up in a jacket, hat, boots, scarf and mittens on my return to Minnesota has made me a bit crabby. I miss the ease of walking out the door of my guesthouse in Key West into warm sunshine.

I miss a lot of things about Key West. The food, especially. I was in Key West for 8 days attending the Key West Literary Seminar and a writing workshop. Restaurants, receptions and catered luncheons is where my meals came from during my stay. I enjoyed delicious food at every meal.

One bright, sunny day I walked with a few new writer friends to an organic cafe for lunch. We walked several blocks from the seminar hub at the San Carlos Institute on Duval Street to Help Yourself, an old gas station turned restaurant tucked into a residential area of Key West.

Inside, health-conscious diners make their choices from large menus posted on the wall and order at the counter. I had a hard time deciding what my lunch would be as I perused the list of salads made with ingredients like quinoa, goji berries, tempeh, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts and chickpeas. The list of wraps, all made with whole wheat tortillas, tempted my taste buds. How often have you seen a wild salmon wrap on a cafe menu? And then, there were all the listings under “hot stuff.” Coconut curry and Korean BBQ sounded wonderful, but a little much for my lunchtime appetite.

I finally ordered the Ancient Secret Salad made of quinoa, gogi berries, apple, almonds, chickpeas, mixed greens and orange-cumin vinaigrette. And a hummus wrap with chickpea hummus, quinoa tabouli, cucumber, red onion, sprouts and mixed greens. And a smoothie made of 100% organic frozen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and banana. I downed every bit of my lunch as I sat at an outdoor picnic table visiting with my friends. It was all fantastic.

The friendly people working at Help Yourself were very happy to share their recipe for “Ancient Secret” quinoa salad.

Touted as a nutritional wonder, quinoa (KEEN-wah) is a complete protein, offering an almost perfect balance of essential amino acids needed for tissue growth and repair in humans. It’s also high in calcium and iron, and a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. Quinoa’s unusually large, nutrient-rich germ is visible as the white circles that cling to each tiny grain and fall off when it is cooked. Quinoa is available in natural food stores and well-stocked supermarkets.

Busy, health-minded people appreciate grainlike quinoa because it cooks quickly. Before cooking, though, always rinse quinoa. It has a natural protective resin-like coating of saponin which is very bitter tasting. Quinoa is rinsed before it is packaged and sold, but it is best to rinse it again at home before use to remove any of the powdery residue that may remain on the seeds.

When cooked, quinoa has a fluffy yet slightly crunchy texture and a nutty flavor.

Goji berries are relatively new to the health food arena, at least for me. Sometime in the last 5 or 6 years, I heard all the stars were snacking on goji berries for anti-aging purposes. I immediately went to my local food co-op where I found a small bag of these red, raisin look-alikes. They taste a bit spicy, something like a combination of paprika and cumin. The small chewy bits are definitely not sweet. Goji berries are touted as a “super food” due to their high nutritional value. They have more beta-carotene than carrots, more iron than spinach and 21 trace minerals. They contain extremely high levels of antioxidants. Maybe nature’s equivalent to the multivitmin? These days Goji berries can be found in health food stores and well-stocked supermarkets. But, be prepared to spend much more on goji berries than on raisins!

I know this Help Yourself salad will taste just as wonderful eaten at my kitchen table as I gaze out at the winter wonderland that surrounds my house. But, somehow it just won’t be the same as sitting under the Key West afternoon sun.

If you get to Key West, you’ll find Help Yourself at 829 Fleming Street. The cafe is open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Check out their website at: http://helpyourselfcafe.com/.

When you get to Help Yourself, be sure to have a smoothie!

Help Yourself “Ancient Secret” Quinoa Salad

(Recipe courtesy of Help Yourself Cafe, Key West, Florida)

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas or canned organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup dried goji berries
  • 1 apple, cored and diced
  • 1/2 cup whole almonds, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Orange segments or sliced apples, for garnish

Place the quinoa in a saucepan and add the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. The liquid should be absorbed and the quinoa fluffy.

In a large bowl, whisk together ground cumin, orange juice, salt and olive oil. Add the cooked quinoa and stir to coat. Add the chickpeas, goji berries, apple and almonds, tossing gently to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Chill before serving. Garnish with orange segments or apple slices. Serves 4.

Guest House Cinnamon Rolls

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Outside, the roosters crow. I look at the time display on my cell phone within reach. 4:30. A.M.

As hard as I try, I cannot fall back to sleep. The continuous crying sounds of the roosters are foreign to me and grate on my nerves.

Finally, I pull myself out of bed, throw on some workout clothes and softly pad down the stairs outside my room.

I sit in the dark, the only light coming from the screen of my laptop computer. As my fingers move quickly across the keys, the light of day appears, surprising me with its sudden takeover of the night.

The sound of cars in the street join the constant noise of roosters calling to one another.

My nose picks up the familiar aroma of yeast dough wafting from the kitchen.

Early each morning, an employee of the Angelina Guesthouse, where I’m staying in Key West, Florida, opens the kitchen in the early morning hours of darkness, while most of the guests are still deep in their slumber. On this morning, Nodira, a beautiful woman originally from Uzbekictan, pulls two batches of plump unbaked cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator and slides them into the oven.

While the comforting fragrance of baking bread begins to surround us, Nodira and I visit beside the pool outside in the new light of day. A teacher in her home country, the young woman with black hair and brown eyes the size of whole walnuts, explains that she has been in America for six years. Her first stop was Ohio. With a huge appetite for learning and an urgent desire to master the English language, she attended class after class.

For the past three years she has lived in Key West. Two years ago, she began working at the Angelina Guesthouse and is most often the keeper of the famous cinnamon rolls served hot and fresh to guests each morning.

For Angelina Guesthouse owner, Kevin, cinnamon rolls were a weekend breakfast tradition when he was growing up. His mother was a home economics teacher and taught Kevin to make cinnamon rolls when he was 10 years old. He’s been making them ever since.

When Kevin and his wife moved to Key West from Kentucky and opened the Angelina Guesthouse, Kevin continued the weekend cinnamon roll tradition. Guests, with an insatiable appetite for the homemade sweet breakfast treat, asked for more. Just on weekends wasn’t enough. Kevin relented, and now the voluptuous spirals of cinnamon and sweet yeast dough, still prepared following his mother’s recipe, are served each morning, often by Nodira.

As I visited with Nodira, the piercing crow of free-roaming street roosters vanished. The graceful sway of palm trees fanned our conversation, turning small glowing embers of casual words into a burst of warm conversation.

Soon the cinnamon rolls were ready to come from the oven and guests began to gather, following their nose to the famous breakfast treat.

Nodira went back to work. As my teeth sunk into a soft and very plump, warm cinnamon and sugar-spiked roll, I wondered what tomorrow’s dawn would bring.

Angelina Guesthouse Cinnamon Rolls

Prepare in bread machine.

Stir together in bottom of bread machine:

  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons yeast

Let rest for 15 minutes, then add:

  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs

Roll out dough into a rectangle approximately 18 inches x 12 inches.

Cover with:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • Cinnamon and sugar mixture made of 2 cups sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. You won’t need the full amount of this mixture.

Roll up dough and cut into 15 slices.

Place in greased 9×13-inch cake pan. Allow to rise or refrigerate and allow to rise in morning. Bake in preheated 425-degree oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown and baked through.

Remove from oven and ice with glaze made of:

  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix ingredients and add milk to thin. Makes 15 cinnamon rolls.

The dough can be mixed the traditional way without the use of a bread machine.


Shape and Bake Soft Pretzels

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Soft and chewy on the inside, an outside crust with some crunch and a top speckled with bits of salt — now that’s a pretzel — and it’s homemade.

During the cold, snowy months of winter, I enjoy warming up the kitchen with homemade bread baking in the oven.  The familiar fragrance of yeast bubbling and the aroma of soft dough rising in a bowl on the counter (or on the top of the clothes dryer when it’s tumbling a load of clothes) brings me comfort. And, there is nothing like kneading dough to relieve stress.

I’m hoping to get my grandchildren just as hooked on making bread as I am. When a few of my grandchildren were visiting recently I suggested we make some soft pretzels, a food they love.

They all thought a snack of soft pretzels sounded great, but it was ten-year-old Emily who took action.

She whisked the yeast with a bit of sugar into water and watched as the mixture bubbled, foamed and grew. She stirred in some flour. She kneaded the dough.

She shaped pretzels.

And, into the oven they went. These pretzels, unlike most soft pretzels, skip the step that involves being dropped into a pot of boiling water before baking in the oven.

While we waited for the dough to double in size, Emily made some hot cocoa.

Tanner moved flour around with a bulldozer fork.

Madison was reading books and playing school.

And, before we knew it, the pretzels were ready to eat. Created by Emily and enjoyed by all, the pretzels received a thumbs-up.

This dough is the one I normally use for making a pan of focaccia. It’s a nice recipe for those who have felt intimidated by yeast dough. This is a good one to use for a first yeast experience. Hopefully, it will get you hooked on baking with yeast.

Shape and Bake Soft Pretzels

  • 1¼ cups warm water (105 degrees F. to 115 degrees F.)
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon coarse salt

Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle sugar and yeast over the water. Gently whisk to mix. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes. If the yeast is alive, the mixture will bubble and swell and foam. If this doesn’t happen, you’ll need to start over with fresh yeast.

Measure flour into another bowl. Stir some of the flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt into the yeast mixture. Gradually add more flour until dough forms. You may not need to use all of the flour you’ve measured out. When the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and follows your spoon, place the dough onto a lightly floured (using premeasured flour from bowl) work surface. Turn the mixing bowl upside down over the dough and let it rest.

Use shortening on your clean fingers, grease a large cookie sheet and the inside of another large glass bowl. Set aside. Rub the shortening remaining on your fingers onto the inside of your hands. This will help prevent the dough from sticking to your hands when you begin kneading.

Knead dough 10 to 12 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl. Turn the ball of dough over so that greased side is facing up. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a towel. Let dough rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, place oven rack in lowest rack position. Heave oven to 450 degrees.

Gently punch dough to deflate. Place dough work surface. Cut dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a rope about 18 inches long. Make a U shape with the rope of dough. Bring the ends of the U down toward you, give the ends a twist and tuck them under the bottom of the U. Place on cookie sheet. Let the pretzels rise about 20 minutes or until risen by half. Brush pretzels with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake in preheated 450-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack. Cut and serve warm. Makes 8 pretzels.

French Bread Times Two

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Snow days keeping me tucked inside my warm, cozy house with my favorite guy, a sweet puppy, a fire in the fireplace, hot soup, homemade bread and a bottle of red wine — winter life in northern Minnesota really doesn’t get much better than that.

Making your own bread does not have to be difficult. French Bread Times Two proves it.

I learned of this recipe that makes two loaves of French bread from an energetic friend of my mom’s years ago. This friend loved to cook and bake and entertain. She excitedly shared the recipe with my mom, explaining how she loved being able to conveniently pull the chilled loaves from her refrigerator and bake them just before her dinner guests arrived, bringing her all kinds of raving compliments and incredulous ooohs and aaaahs.

Well, my mom was duly impressed. Unfortunately, she was never very interested in making bread from scratch. After all, those frozen loaves of dough from the freezer case at the grocery store were awfully good and demanded no effort at all.

My mom passed the recipe over to me.

French Bread Times Two does not take long to mix up, knead and shape into two long, slender loaves. I often bake one loaf soon after shaping, allowing it to chill for just a few hours first. The second loaf gets pulled from its rest in the refrigerator and baked the next day.

These loaves allow me the satisfaction of kneading the smooth, soft dough. It’s my favorite part of making homemade bread. And then, the eating of the warm slices. If ever there happens to be some bread leftover, I turn it into French toast the next day.

Mix once, knead once, shape two loaves and refrigerate. Heat oven. Bake. Eat.

If you’re willing to share the bread, you can sit back and enjoy all the compliments.

By the way, this French bread is just what you need with a bowl of steaming Bean Soup. My Bean Soup recipe is in my column this week.

French Bread

  • 2 1/4 cups warm water (105 degrees F. to 115 degrees F.)
  • 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar and mix with a whisk. Let sit for a few minutes until mixture bubbles, foams and grows. Stir down with a wooden spoon. Add salt and olive oil. Gradually add flour, beating mixture with a wooden spoon after each addition. When dough begins to leave sides of bowl and follow the spoon, transfer to work surface sprinkled with flour. Turn mixing bowl upside down over dough and allow to relax for a few minutes. While dough is relaxing, grease a large glass bowl and set aside. Grease a large baking sheet and set aside.

Remove bowl covering dough. Knead dough for 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour to work surface as needed to prevent sticking. You may not need the total amount of flour called for in the recipe. Form dough into a round. Place in reserved greased bowl. Turn dough over so greased side is facing up. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and allow dough to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each half of dough to a rectangle approximately 11 inches x 17 inches. Roll up, beginning at a long side, fold ends under and place on greased baking sheet. Both loaves of dough should fit on one baking sheet. Brush each loaf with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap to seal and then a large towel. Refrigerate up to 24 hours.

To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. While oven is heating, remove loaves of dough from refrigerator. Brush each loaf with cold water and slash the tops with a sharp knife. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped with finger on the bottom. Immediately transfer to cooling racks. Makes 2 loaves.

Wicked Chili

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There must be as many ways to make chili as there are shades of Sherwin-Williams paints. There’s no right or wrong way to make chili. It’s all about what pleases your taste buds. And, I’m always willing to give a new twist to a pot of chili.

Dennis Weimann, News Director/Anchor of Lakeland News at Lakeland Public Television sent me an email the other day and shared a chili recipe he had developed. He was planning to make a pot that day. Maybe he’s getting ready for the next United Way Chili Cook-off in Bemidji.

I examined the list of ingredients. First, I noticed it had beans and meat. That’s important to me. I can eat a chili with beans and meat or with beans only. I don’t mean to make any of my Texas friends shudder, but I just can’t call it chili if there is only meat with no beans in the pot.

As my eyes moved further down the list of ingredients, I began to see a side of Dennis Weimann that amazed me. I had no idea he was a spice guy. A chili head. A lover of heat. His chili was loaded with all things hot and spicy — three kinds of hot peppers, astounding amounts of chili powder and ground cumin, 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon of hot pepper sauce and 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper. I was just beginning to think Weimann was playing a joke on me when another message from him popped into my email box. He was thinking about cutting back on the tomato sauce in the recipe.

It was the 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning that really hooked me, though. Well, the 2 tablespoons of paprika didn’t hurt, either. My Hungarian genes make me toss paprika into just about everything. I had just used Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning in Chex Mix Cha Cha (in my previous post you’ll discover where the Cha Cha comes from). I had a container of Cajun seasoning sitting on the shelf right next to the Creole seasoning. I would make this wicked Weimann chili with a few heat adjustments.

The original recipe calls for 2 pounds of spicy pork sausage, but with meat from a quarter of an organic grass-fed cow in my freezer, I opted to use 2 pounds of ground beef.

I followed the news anchor’s recipe pretty closely. But, I had to draw the line at 2 tablespoons of ground cayenne and 2 tablespoons of hot pepper sauce. It turned out the chili didn’t need that extra heat at all.

Wicked Chili is not for the faint of heart. It is not for anyone who can’t take some heat. This chili is right at the brink of being too hot for me. With shredded Cheddar and sour cream, this chili’s sweat-power gets turned down a notch.

Wicked Chili will get us through the blizzard (as my Dad would say, “Chili today, hot tamale!”) and all the football games this New Year’s weekend. It might become the meal served during all the television football games in January.

It’s wicked good.

Happy New Year, dear readers. Make each new day wicked good.

Wicked Chili

(adapted from Dennis Weimann’s original recipe)
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Serrano peppers, minced
  • 2 Jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, minced
  • 1 Anaheim pepper, seeds removed, minced
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning (this gives the chili the Cha Cha)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can hot chili beans
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans of diced tomatoes with juice

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onion and green pepper. Saute until almost tender. Add garlic, serrano peppers, jalapeno peppers and Anaheim peppers and saute for 2 minutes. Add ground beef. Cook and stir mixture until meat is cooked through. Drain any fat from the pot.

Add brown sugar, chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, paprika, Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Mix well. Add beans and tomatoes with juice. Stir and heat through. Serve piping hot with shredded cheese, sour cream and corn tortilla chips. Makes 8 servings.

Tips from the cook

  • I didn’t feel the need to add any tomato sauce, but Weimann’s recipe uses at least 1 (28-ounce) can of sauce.
  • I left the seeds in one of the Serrano peppers, but removed them from all the other peppers. The seeds add a lot of heat.