Beetroot Amaretto Rolls - NFOB

                      

     Here's another top recipe from the National Festival of Breads. The finalists recipes are all show-stoppers and winners to make it to the contest held in Manhattan by the Kansas Wheat Commission. This recipe, by Shauna Havey of Utah won the People's Choice Award. Those votes were by Facebook shares and likes during the week before the contest. 
     The sponsor for the People's Choice Award was John Deere. Other major sponsors, besides the Kansas Wheat Commission, were Red Star Yeast and King Arthur Flour. 

     The contestants create original recipes that not only taste good, they are beautiful and unique. One of the fun parts is seeing how they use different ingredients. But that's also one of the hard parts as some of these things are not sold in my local grocery store. So I shopped in a bigger store in a bigger town for fresh beets and almond paste. Luckily there is enough of each of those now stored in my freezer for 2 more preparations of this recipe. And I'll admit, I did a couple of substitutions - I used whole milk instead of almond milk (yea, dairy producers) and bread flour for the almond flour in the filling. I didn't have turbinado sugar, so I used the Swedish pearl sugar left from a previous NFOB recipe I tried. Turbinado sugar is defined as a lighter, less refined brown sugar so my product didn't have the molasses hint that would come from Turbinado sugar. 
    I was surprised at how easy these rolls were to shape. Putting the filled and rolled dough in the freezer for 10 minutes seemed to make them easier to work with when twisting into the wreath form. I did weigh the dough when dividing it so the rolls were a uniform size. Each roll was 2.3 oz and somehow I got 13 instead of 12! 

BEETROOT AMARETTO ROLLS  

photo from National Festival
of Breads June 2019

Filling

• 2 medium fresh beets
• 1/3 cup (3.5 ounces) almond paste
• 2 tablespoons KING ARTHUR® Almond Flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg white
• ¼ cup finely chopped sliced almonds, divided

Dough

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (110°F – 115°F)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (¼ ounce) package RED STAR® Platinum Superior Baking Yeast®
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons instant nonfat dry milk
• 3 ½ – 3 ¾ cups KING ARTHUR® Unbleached Bread Flour

Egg wash & Topping

• 1 large egg white, plus 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Directions

1. To roast beets: Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse beets well; trim stems leaving 2 inches. Wrap in foil and place on rimmed baking sheet, roast 1 hour or until fork tender. Cool slightly, remove skin, and mash.
2. For filling: In bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, crumble almond paste. Pulse 4 ½ ounces (2/3 cup) beets, almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and egg white until a thick puree. Cover and refrigerate.
3. For dough: Combine warm almond milk, sugar and yeast; let proof 5 minutes.
4. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix butter, egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt, dry milk and yeast mixture. 
5. Exchange paddle for dough hook; gradually stir in enough flour until soft dough is formed. Knead on low speed 7 minutes. Transfer dough to greased bowl. Cover; let rise 1 hour.
6. Deflate dough; scale into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into 12” x 3” rectangle. Spread 1 rounded tablespoon filling on dough almost to edges, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon almonds.
7. Starting from long end, roll each into a log. Place logs on cookie sheet; cover and place in freezer 10 minutes. With seam-side down, cut log in half lengthwise. With cut-sides up, starting in center, twist together. Shape into a wreath; pinch ends together and seal.
8. Place rolls on two 12” x 18” parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2” between each roll. Cover; let rise until almost doubled. Near the end of the rise, preheat oven to 350°F.
9. Whisk egg white with water and brush on rolls. Sprinkle on almonds and turbinado sugar. Bake 18 – 20 minutes, until lightly golden and internal temperature is 190°F – 195°F. Remove rolls to rack and cool.

Yield 12

This shows the steps in shaping:
1 (top) - dough weighed
2 - rolled to about 3" x 12"
3 - spread with filling
4 - rolled into a long log shape

After shaping and rising, these rolls are
ready to bake. 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Rolls from NFOB

Photo by National Festival of Breads

National Festival of Breads contest always brings forth new and interesting recipes to try. While I'm still collecting ingredients for some of them, today I baked the Peanut Butter Pretzel Rolls presented by Suzy Neal of Georgia. Suzy says these are a good treat with jelly, like a PB&J. This was my first time to use powdered peanut butter but I have several ideas for other uses now. Since I was making these to take to a covered dish (lots of foods to taste), I sized the rolls down to a 1.5 ounce dough ball instead of the 3 ounce size of the recipe. This still made a nice size roll, be sure to reduce the baking time to about 17 minutes.

Here is Suzy preparing her recipe with completed rolls.

PEANUT BUTTER PRETZEL ROLLS

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 cups warm water (110°F – 115°F)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 (¼ ounce) package RED STAR® Platinum Superior Baking Yeast®
• ½ cup powdered peanut butter*
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 2 teaspoons
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 5 – 5 ¼ cups KING ARTHUR® Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Boiling Solution

• 10 cups water
• ½ cup baking soda

Topping

• 1 large egg yolk plus 2 teaspoons water
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped roasted salted peanuts
• 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons KING ARTHUR® Pretzel Salt

Directions

1. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine water, honey and yeast; let proof 5 minutes.
2. Mix in powdered peanut butter, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, butter and salt. Gradually add enough flour to form a soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl. 
3. Knead dough with hook 3 – 4 minutes to form a smooth dough. Grease large bowl with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Place dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled. 
4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Deflate dough and turn out on floured work surface. Scale 3-ounce pieces of dough; shape into smooth rolls. Place rolls on a greased 12” x 18” pan or lined with nonstick baking mat. 
5. In 4-quart or larger Dutch oven, combine water and baking soda, bring to a boil. Boil 3 rolls at a time for 40 – 45 seconds, turning occasionally. Use slotted spoon to remove rolls to pan. 
6. Using a sharp knife, cut ¼” deep “X” in the top of rolls. Beat together egg yolk and water; brush on rolls. Sprinkle on peanuts and salt. 
7. Bake on middle rack of oven 20 – 25 minutes until dark golden brown and internal temperature is 205°F – 210°F. Remove rolls to a rack and cool. Serve with butter and jam.

I weighed (scaled) the dough balls to make the rolls
a uniform size.

¼ inch slash across the top with a lame blade.

sprinkled with chopped peanuts and Kosher salt

Ready to go.

Blackberry Ginger Speculaas Danish Wreath - NFOB

Merry baked the wining entry in the
Food Blogger division! 

If you love the smell of break baking, like getting new recipes, looking at kitchen gadgets, visiting with friends, and watching presentations about all sorts of baking, then the National Festival of Breads was the place to be last week. And I was lucky enough to be there assisting a finalist in her temporary kitchen in the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. 

It really is a fun and inspiring event. Eight finalists chosen from hundreds of submitted orginal recipes across the U.S. came to Kansas to learn more about wheat farming and milling and bake their entry for judges. Sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission with support from King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast along with several other donors, this bi-annual event brings hundreds of viewers to enjoy the day. 

This is the consistency of the 'slurry' of cooked liquid
and flour to go into the other ingredients. 

I always enjoy helping a contestant because I learn so much from their techniques. This year I saw the Tangzhong method of mixing dough. This is an Asian yeast bread technique we're hearing more about in American kitchens now. This method brings a new level of softness and tenderness to baked breads. With this technique a small percentage of the flour and liquid (water or milk) is cooked very briefly before combining the resulting thick slurry with the remaining ingredients. This re-gelatinizes the starches in the flour, meaning they can absorb more water. Heating the starch with water also creates structure, so it is able to hold onto that extra liquid throughout the kneading, baking, and cooling processes. This makes the dough less sticky and easier to knead, the bread may rise higher, and it stays soft and fresh longer. See the King Arthur website for more information about this method and some other recipes. 

Another thing I learned was about Specvulaas Spice, a new popular flavor that has Dutch origins. You can make your own (ingredients are listed at the end of this bread recipe) or buy it from King Arthur. 
If you aren't familiar with King Arthur Flour company, check out their website. There is lots of information as well as great recipes there. Their products are also superior quality. 

This entry is ready to go to the judges! 

BLACKBERRY GINGER SPECULAAS DANISH WREATH

Ingredients:

Spiced Dough:

3 ½ - 3 ¾ cups King Arthur unbleached Bread Flour, divided

½ cup water

1  (¼ oz) package Red Star Platinum Superior Baking Yeast

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup whole milk (115-120 degrees F.)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon King Arthur Speculaas Spice

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Blackberry Speculaas Filling:

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup dark brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons King Arthur Speculaas Spice

2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ cup blackberry seedless jam or preserves

2 tablespoons finely chopped crystalized ginger

¾ cup halved fresh blackberries

Lemon Glaze: 

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1-2 tablespoons whole milk

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of fine sea salt

Garnish:

Fresh blackberries

Fresh thyme sprigs

Grated zest of ½ lemon

Directions:

1.   In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk 3 tablespoons flour and water until thick. Transfer to bowl of stand mixer. Let cool to 120 degrees F. 

2.   Using paddle attachment, stir in 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, butter, milk, egg, cornstarch, lemon zest, vanilla, Speculaas, salt and ginger; mix on low speed 2 minutes. Scrape bowl. 

3.   Switch to dough hook; add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead 5-6 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover, let rise until doubled.

4.   Line an extra-large baking sheet with parchment, and place it on top of another extra-large baking sheet, to prevent over-browning of bottom crust. Grease the outside of a 3” oven-safe ramekin and invert into center. 

5.   For filling: in small bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, Speculaas, flour and zest until smooth. 

6.   On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 20” x 12” rectangle. Spread filling over dough, then jam, leaving ½” border. Sprinkle on ginger and halved blackberries. Starting at the 20” side, roll dough into tight log; pinch edges to seal. 

7.   Wrap log, seam-side down, around ramekin. Pinch ends together. Cut 12, 1 ½ “ slices, ¾ of the way to center leaving center circle attached. To form heart-shape rolls, twist first roll to the left, and place spiral facing up. Twist roll on the right of spiral to the right, and place spiral facing up. Repeat until 6 large hearts are formed. Cover; let rise until almost doubled. 

8.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 30 – 35 minutes until golden, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before sliding to rack. After 15 minutes, remove ramekin and parchment; let cool. 

9.   For lemon glaze: In small bowl, whisk together ingredients and drizzle over wreath. Decorate with blackberries and thyme. Before serving, finely grate lemon over wreath. Store in refrigerator. 

Yield: 1 wreath, 12 servings. 

·     To make your own Speculaas: Whisk together 2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper (optional), ¼ teaspoon ground anise, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom. Store in sealable container. 

Storage Tip:  Wrap individual rolls in parchment paper and place in sealed container; refrigerate up to 7 days. To reheat: Leave individual roll on paper, and heat in microwave, on HIGH, 10 seconds. Serve immediately. 

Rising Tip: Place kneaded dough in lightly oiled 8-cup container and cover. When the dough has risen to the 8-cup mark, it is ready to form! 

Merry rolling the dough with filling.

Shaping the spiral hearts of dough. 

Chocolate + Strawberries = Summer Dessert Tart

This dessert features fresh strawberries, chocolate, cream cheese, and drizzles of fudge. How can it not be good??! It is the perfect summer dessert - it looks patriotic, it tastes yummy, and it is cool and refreshing. It also is pretty!

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE TART     

CRUST:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup finely chopped almonds toasted

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

½ cup baking cocoa

¼ cup packed brown sugar

FILLING:

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups halved fresh strawberries

3 Tbsp. hot fudge ice cream topping

1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients; press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is set. Cool on a wire rack.

2.    In another small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over bottom of the prepared crust. Arrange strawberry halves, cut side down, over filling. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. 

3.    Just before serving, drizzle fudge topping over tart. Refrigerate leftovers. 

Yield: 12 servings

Mother's Day - Mom's recipe

Happy Mother's Day to all! A day to recognize and honor mothers of the past, present, and future. We had a wonderful lunch with my daughter and my two granddaughters (and my husband and son-in-law). Steaks, grilled veggies, fresh rolls, corn-on-the-cob, Jello salad, ice cream and brownies. What?? Jello salad? Wasn't that a thing in the 1960's? Jello is so 'old school' that my spell check doesn't even recognize it! But, Yes, in my recipe notebook there are 3 cards for jello salads in my mom's handwriting. So this Mother's Day I prepared one of them in her honor. Good memories. The next generation (who swear they don't like jello) even thought it was good, "almost like dessert". 

WHIPPED CREAM CARROT SALAD           

Mom's salad in one of her bowls. 

1 package (3oz) orange Jello (prepare as usual)

While warm add: 

3 oz cream cheese

1 cup mini marshmallows

Stir until dissolved.

Cool. When Jello starts to set add:

1 cup crushed pineapple

1 cup grated carrots

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup whipped topping (original recipe says whipped cream or Dream Whip, I updated it for Cool Whip)

½ cup mayonnaise

Stir to blend and cool to completely set. 

Ice cream is always the best end of a good meal. Especially
when it is Call Hall ice cream! 

Carnitas for Cinco de Mayo

 Tomorrow is May! Yea! Time to think about Mexican themed food for Cinco de Mayo. The May 5 holiday is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, but in the U.S. it is a good time for celebrating with Mexican flavors whether you have Mexican heritage or not. 
This recipe for Beef Carnitas is now a favorite of ours. Carnita means 'little meats' and is traditionally done with pork. But we love our beef and this recipe from Chef Alli is easy to get to the table or will wait until all the cattle workers get in. Since I started using my Electric Pressure Cooker, I won't cook a beef roast any other way! Cutting it into chunks and browning it not only makes it cook quicker, it improves the flavor ('brown' is a flavor as well as a color). And I've just discovered a quick thaw trick - put frozen roast in the refrigerator overnight (it starts thawing, but will still be frozen in the morning), then a quick microwave 'defrost' for ½ pound, followed by a short time sitting in a heavy cooking pan (still wrapped) with another pan sitting on it. There is some trick about the metal drawing the cold out! The roast will soon be thawed enough to cut into smaller chunks. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Big Bold Beef Carnitas

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks, trimmed if needed

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. oregano flakes

1 tsp. chipotle sauce or minced chipotles in adobo

1 yellow onion

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 cinnamon stick

Zest of 1 orange

½ cup orange juice

½ cup lime juice (can use lime zest too, if you want)

Directions:

1.    Set electric pressure cooker (EPC) to sauté setting; add oil, salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, and chipotle sauce; when mixture is nicely hot, add cubed beef. Brown beef in batches, removing to a plate as you work. 

2.    Return all beef to EPC pot; add onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and juices; cover pressure cooker, lock EPC lid into place. Choose High Pressure setting for 45-50 minutes. When times sounds, use a full natural release to allow protein fibers to fully relax. 

3.    Remove EPC lid and transfer beef to a large cutting board; shred beef apart. Add shredded beef to a preheated, oiled cast iron skill set over high heat. 

4.    Sear beef over high heat just until it gets a good ‘crisp’ on the outside, watching carefully so beef doesn’t bur, adding cooking liquid from pressure cooker, a little at a time, as needed. 

5.    Serve beef with warm corn or flour tortillas, salsa fresca, sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheese, as desired.