Sometimes a pastry crust feels like a lot of work EVEN when you own a food processor.  Mostly because you don't feel like dirtying a bunch of attachments but also maybe because you live in a country where you have to measure out or weigh your butter every time since it doesn't come in a nice wrapper with tablespoons measured out.

But for these (really minor) inconveniences I happen to be surrounded by all sorts of delicious, fresh bread that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  In which case, making your quiche in a bread bowl is a fantastically easy idea and a fun presentation.  We tried it for Easter and you should try it ... tomorrow.  Because you can!

Quiche or Omelet in a Bread Boule

Idea taken from Pink Parsley

I am not going to post the recipe because basically I liked the bread bowl idea and adapted it.  I can't speak to the flavors of the omelet used by Pink Parsley because I realized I was missing some  of the ingredients (ricotta mainly) so I came up with my own.  But the thought is that you could take any omelet or quiche recipe and bake it in a bread boule instead of a classic crust.

What do you do when you take out a mini-loaf of snickerdoodle bread to serve for game night and discover it still on your counter, uncovered the next morning?  Woops.  Guess I forgot to serve that one.  

Well, what you do with dried out bread that was formerly good is turn it into french toast I think.  Let it soak up some new moisture through an egg and milk custard.  And why not snickerdoodle bread french toast?  After all, this delightful little breakfast joint in Wheaton serves pumpkin bread french toast and cinnamon roll french toast.  Surely if they'd thought about it, snickerdoodle french toast would be on the menu too.  

For those of us with a wicked sweet tooth.

And if not, well, you could always just make this snickerdoodle bread because it's simple and moist and perfect for all those tea parties that you have, right?!  Or you could just eat it standing at your kitchen counter with your toddler signing "More" over and over again like I do.

Snickerdoodle Bread

Taken from Lilluna

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4 mini loafs

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. sour cream

1 pkg. Hershey’s cinnamon chips (I omitted since they don’t exist here)

TOPPING:

3 T. sugar

3 t. cinnamon

Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well.

Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined.

Add cinnamon chips and stir into batter. Set aside.

Spoon batter into 4 mini loaf pans until about 2/3 full.

Mix 3 T. sugar and 3 t. cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over the batter in each loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 35-38 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.

I kept seeing photos all over the internet for this Cinnamon Pull-Apart.  Essentially you make the same dough used for cinnamon rolls.  The only difference is the methodology in which the rolls go in the pan.  It looked cute and I kept hemming and hawing over making it, but decided that cinnamon rolls themselves just couldn't be beat because there is more center and less edge.

But then someone posted a spin-off of this new recipe which involved pumpkin and I knew I was a goner.

When you live in a country that celebrates different holidays and doesn't have four seasons, sometimes you just have to do things like this to make it seem like home.  And so I broke out one of my two precious cans of pumpkin filling my mom had sent me from the US and got to work forming and shaping this dough into a thing of love.

And love it I did.  The notes of pumpkin were subtle amidst the gooey, cinnamon-spice center and just right for my tastes.  I succeeded in baking it perfectly, which is to say totally underbaked because that's the way my dad, my sister, and I love things.  And I definitely succeeded in eating it quickly!

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread

Taken from Sunny Side Up in San Diego

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour


1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through.  Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.  Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20x12 inch rectangle.  Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan bake for 30-40 minutes (mine took 37 exactly) or until top is a very deep golden brown.

You can skip making your guests coffee if you serve them this for breakfast.

Well, really you probably can't because people are SERIOUS about their coffee and adding a couple tablespoons of coffee to breakfast probably isn't going to make a dent into their caffeine-hangover.  So maybe serve them coffee and this french toast and then they'll feel really, really nice to you for doubling them up.

One of my greatest achievements in life is the fact that I am not a caffeine addict.  I know, I like to achieve big!

I like the taste of coffee but I just don't drink it on principle.  Which makes something like coffee-spiked french toast just fun for me.  It's like having your cake and eating it too.  Or something. 

Tiramisu French Toast

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

1 loaf challah or brioche bread

4 whole eggs

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup mascarpone cheese

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoons butter

maple syrup for serving

Sliced one loaf of challah bread into 1-inch thick slices. In a large baking dish, combine eggs, cream, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon and 1/2 tablespoon instant coffee powder and whisk together. Lay bread in dish and let soak in the egg mixture for about 30 seconds each side.

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Add french toast and fry until golden brown. Flip (adding more butter if needed, use your judgement) and fry on other side. Repeat with remaining slices of bread and tablespoons of butter.

Mix mascarpone cheese with honey and remaining coffee powder and spread on french toast slices while warm. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and serve with syrup.

I haven't had an english muffin since we landed in Ecuador!  I've heard that you can buy them here but I dunno.  I guess I've just gotten used to making some of our favorites from scratch.  So when Brown Eyed Baker listed her english muffin recipe in her "Top 10 Best Breads" list I thought I'd love to give it a whirl.  

My only complaint?  Not doubling the batch.  What was I thinking?  We plowed through these in a meager two days.  Slathered with a dollop of butter and a dab of jelly they are just too fresh, too soft and pillowy to pass up.  Or use a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar along with your butter and you'll be taken straight back to MY childhood!

English Muffins

Taken from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Peter Reinhart

Makes 8 muffins

2¼ cups (10 ounces) unbleached bread flour
½ tablespoon (.25 ounce) granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon (.19 ounce) salt
1¼ teaspoons (.14 ounce) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ to 1 cup (6 to 8 ounces) milk or buttermilk, at room temperature
Cornmeal for dusting

1. Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Stir in (or mix in on low speed with the paddle attachment) the shortening and ¾ cup milk until the ingredients form a ball. If there is still loose flour in the bowl, dribble in some of the remaining ¼ cup milk. The dough should be soft and pliable, not stiff.

These crackers came when I was about to pull my hair out.  When my child who formerly ate asparagus, peas, beets, eggs and so much more started refusing anything.  Especially anything with any grain in it.  Which is stressful for a mom who read in her Super Baby Food book that "whole grains should be the primary part of your child's diet as milk intake decreases."  Or something like that.  I didn't pick up the book to requote it.

Since these crackers are packed full of whole wheat and cheese I hoped they might be my solution.  And well, I would have shown you how great of solution that they were except that when I handed Canaan the first cracker to try and snap a shot of him eating it, his mouth came down with crocodile-quickness.  And he swiftly turned the cracker to ground up baby mulch, happily smacking his lips.

I still can't give this baby a meal full of crackers but at least in between frustrating attempts (which have since improved as he discovered his new love of steel cut oats and thin apple slices) I have something healthy to offer as a snack.

They are purported to taste just like goldfish crackers, but that's a bit of a stretch.  Luckily Canaan hasn't had the opportunity yet to try out how delicious those bright-orange guppies are so he's happily snacking on these instead.

Whole Wheat Crackers

Originally from Smitten Kitchen's Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers

Yield depends on the size of crackers you make.

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups coarsely grated) sharp cheddar, orange if you can find one you like
4 tablespoons (2 ounces or 57 grams) butter
3/4 cup (2 1/2 ounces or 93 grams) whole wheat flour
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon table salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, running the machine until the dough forms a ball, about two minutes.

If the dough feels warm or worrisome-ly soft, wrap it in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes. This also makes it easier to transfer shapes once they are rolled out.

On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick. Form shapes with a cookie cutter, dipping it in flour from time to time to ensure a clean cut. Gently transfer crackers to an ungreased (though mine were parchment-lined, because they are in despicable shape) cookie sheet with a 1/2 inch between them. Bake the crackers on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are barely browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool.

It's absolutely disgusting that I haven't shared these rolls with you til now.  Just disgusting.  Because they are utterly and totally my kind of delicious.

Here's the background.  Last November, as in over three months ago, Canaan and I took a somewhat impromptu trip out to Idaho to visit my parents, sister and her son, JoJo.  As I always do at my parents', after unpacking my bags and settling Canaan in for a nap I pulled out all of the cooking magazines my mom has received since my last trip out.  I nestled into the red chair and put the whole stack on my stomach to peruse while keeping one eye on Food Network channel.  And lo and behold I almost immediately saw these rolls.  A two page spread detailing for me how to accomplish this light, buttery, yeasty goodness.  I knew I wanted them immediately and viciously.

Good thing my mom was busy with school and said offhandedly, "If you wanted you could make some kind of bread for dinner."  Knowing full well that in my mom's mind she was suggesting a whole wheat, oat bran, fiber-rich variety, I took advantage anyway and immediately set to work on my very own Parker House Rolls.  This wasn't difficult to do as my sister said, "Bread?  You're making bread for tonight?  I just saw this recipe in my newest Food Network magazine that I really want to try ..."  Say no more sistah, we are of the same blood.  So we set out in our new kitchen rhythmn which includes a tag-team approach depending on whose baby is awake, asleep, hungry, needy or playing nicely.

Using a precious day's worth of nap time to accomplish these rolls was not in vain.  Though my mom wrinkled her nose in caloric protest, my dad, sister and I were not above calling dibs (and then splitting evenly) my mom's apportioned leftovers.  Because they are good.  Really, really good.  Silken dough between my fingers as I worked.  Airy and delicate, slightly sweetened, and lathered with sweet, sweet butter at the end, their texture is reminiscent of cotton candy as it lands on your tongue and melts.

Parker House Rolls

Taken from Food Network, provided courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli for Food Network Magazine

Yield: 24 rolls

1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
7 1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for brushing
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Bloom the yeast.

Measure out 1/2 cup warm water and check the temperature: It should be between 110 degrees F and 120 degrees F (comfortable bathwater temperature). Sprinkle the yeast into a large bowl, add the warm water and whisk in the sugar. Let sit 1 minute (it should bubble and froth slightly), then gently stir in 1 cup flour. Set aside near the stove while you prepare the dough.

Make the dough.

Mix the melted butter and milk in a mixer with the hook attachment on low speed. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Scrape in the yeast mixture and mix until incorporated. Add 6 1/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon salt; mix until the dough forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.

Let it rise.

Brush a large bowl with softened butter. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place, 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes. The dough should double in volume.

Shape the dough.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a clean flat surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands; gently press the dough into a 16-by-8-inch rectangle, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (don't use a rolling pin).

Cut the dough.

With the short side in front of you, cut the dough in half lengthwise with a floured knife. Then slice crosswise into 12 strips.

Shape the dough.

One at a time, fold each strip of dough unevenly in half so the top part slightly overlaps the bottom half, then tuck the overhang underneath. Place the rolls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet in 3 tightly packed rows. (If making in advance, wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 weeks.)

Bake the rolls.

Bake until the rolls are bursting at the seams and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (If frozen, bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees F, then 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.) Remove from the oven and brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Amidst all the cookies and candies and chocolate related to Christmas I needed something a little different.  Our friends were hosting a goodbye party for us and I wanted each person to walk away with a tangible thank you.  Something seasonal but maybe a touch less sweet.  Knowing the dinner party would end late followed by an early morning for those with kids and church, I landed on the idea of muffins.

Eggnog muffins were a given for the seasonal criteria but what to pair with it?  Gingerbread would have been another obvious choice but it is one of those tastes that some don't care for.  But you can't go wrong with chocolate and with the addition of cranberries they could be pronounced perfectly seasonal.

The end result was a softer, only delicately chocolate muffin that won points for moistness filled with notes of rich chocolate bits and tart tastes of cranberry.  Packaged in some cupcake boxes they were just the type of thank you I was trying to create.

Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Muffins

¾ stick (6 tbsp.) unsalted butter

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup milk

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup of cranberries, quartered

powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)

8 cranberries, cut in half

Glaze

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3 T. heavy cream

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°. Line two muffin pans with 15 paper liners. Set aside.

Melt the butter and 2 oz. of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; or do this in a microwave. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, , milk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Do not overmix or your muffins will be rubbery.  Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate and cranberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Fine Cooking is a helpful fantastic magazine for technique education.  They don't just spotlight a recipe for a perfect pie crust.  They include step by step photos and instructions and explain why the methods and ingredients were chosen.  I've made croissants once before (and ate them all up rather quickly), but when I saw Fine Cooking had featured them in an instructional piece I knew it was time to try again.  Oh and my baby was finally sleep trained so yes, it was time to try again.

Fantastico were the results!  Perfectly crunch outside, perfectly flaky inside.  Gobs and gobs of buttery goodness.  They gave measurements and guide to make 15 large croissants and this was the only part I ignored because I wanted croissants of all varieties.

Classic croissants

Vanilla sugar croissant clusters

And never to be left out, pain au chocolat Instead of including the recipe, I'm sending you straight to Fine Cooking where you, too, can benefit from the purty pictures and long, long, long instructions:  Classic Croissants at Fine Cooking

If only every bread could have the perfect bread-making day like this one did.  The temperature in my kitchen was perfectly set to help this beauty rise quickly, but not too quickly.  Successful bread-making always leaves me feeling content.  The fact that there are two more not-yet-risen loaves (one with fresh rosemary added) in my freezer makes me pretty content too.

This bread was not what I expected when I bookmarked the recipe from my friend Shawna's site.  I expected crunchy texture, similar to a crust on a cornmeal pie.  But there is just the slightest hint of cornmeal to this dough.  Just enough to give it some corn flavor without adding much heft.  The crust is soft enough to be equated more with a basic white bread than a french bread.  And due to the 1/2 cup of sugar, more than most bread recipes would call for, it is delicately sweet without being overly sweet.  It's a delicate balance that would work perfectly with honey-butter, but can also carry-off the addition of a savory herb like rosemary.

Polenta Bread

Taken from Shawna's Kitchen, who took it from Taste and Tell

Combine polenta, salt and bread flour in mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook. Add olive oil and yeast mixture and mix well. Knead dough with dough hook for 8 to 12 minutes (the temperature of your kitchen will make the difference in the timing.) You know that the dough has been mixed enough when it clears the sides of the bowl and all ingredients are incorporated. Turn off mixer and let dough rest for 1 minute in bowl. 

 Divide dough into thirds and shape into loaves. Place on greased cookie sheets. Cover dough and allow it to rise until the loaves have doubled in size. This took 45 minutes for me. You know that your dough has doubled when you lightly press it with your finger and the dough springs back, but not all of the way-a slight indent will remain. 

Bake for about 30 minutes at 300F.