Homemade Bagel Dogs

For the bagel dough

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons white sugar

3 cups bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

For the water bath

4 quarts boiling water

2 tablespoons  baking soda

For the eggwash

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon kosher salt for sprinkling

1.  Follow your breadmaker's instructions for making bread dough or pour the water into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and sprinkle with the yeast.  Let the mixture stand about five minutes or until foamy, then stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and the salt. Using the paddle attachment and with the mixer on medium speed, gradually add flour, beating until well-blended and smooth, until you have a stiff dough. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and knead thoroughly until smooth and elastic in texture. Form the dough into a lump and place it into a lightly greased bowl. Turn the dough over to grease the top. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.

1. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead briefly to eliminate any air bubbles and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12×9 inch rectangle or until it’s about a 1/4-inch thick, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin or the board. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 12 1-inch pieces of dough.
2. Dry the hot dogs thoroughly. Starting at one end of a hot dog, wrap the dough around overlapping slightly as you make your way to the other end. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining hot dogs and strips of dough. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place for about 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Preheat the over to 400°. Fill a deep, heavy pot with water and add the baking soda. Bring to a gentle boil. Working 2 to 3 bagels at a time, carefully drop the bagel dogs into the boiling water, turning frequently with a slotted spoon or spatula, for about a minute. Lift out of the water and gently dry each bagel well on a kitchen towel and arrange about 2-inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with remaining bagel dogs.
4. Brush the bagels with the egg glaze and sprinkle on your garnish of choice. Bake for about 35 minutes or until nicely browned and crusty, turning the pan about halfway through. Serve warm or let cool on a wire rack.

Makes one dozen bagel dogs

Asiago & White Truffle Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
1 stick (8oz.) unsalted butter
 2 medium cloves garlic
1 cup half & half
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 cup grated Asiago Cheese
Sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Optional:  Finely minced, fresh chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

Dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan add the salt, and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes are tender throughout when poked with a fork.  Heat the half-and-half, butter and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream-butter mixture, grated Asiago and truffle oil.  Stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.

Cranberry-Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

Cranberry-Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbs.fresh squeezed blood or navel orange juice (about 4-5 large oranges)
• 1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup + 1 Tbs. Blood Orange Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup confectioners sugar

Preparation

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, remove any racks above, and crank up the heat to 350°F (175°C). Coat a 12-cup bundt or tube pan with 1 tbs. blood orange extra virgin olive oil and set aside.
2. Finely grate the zest of 2 oranges, then squeeze 4 of them. You should have 1 1/2 cups and 1 reserved tablespoon of orange juice of juice; if not, squeeze the 5th orange. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand held mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs on medium-high speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the granulated sugar and continue beating until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and blood orange extra virgin olive oil, starting and ending with the flour, and beat until just a few wisps of flour remain. Pour in the orange juice, zest and dried cranberries and whirl for a few seconds to bring the batter together.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 1 1/4 hours. If the top is browning too much as the cake bakes, cover lightly with foil. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes and then turn the cake out on to a rack over a sheet pan.  Mix together 1 tablespoon reserved orange juice with confectioners sugar to form a glaze.  Pour slowly and evenly over the warm cake.  Serve at room temperature.

Caramel Sauce Recipe For Shona

Simple Caramel Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of sugar
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.  Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably.  Use caution with this step. Allow the mixture to cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.

Makes approximately one cup of sauce.

Decadent Chocolate & Aged Espresso Balsamic Fudge

12 oz. Heavy Cream
4 oz. Delizia Aged Espresso Balsamic
1/2 pound (about 1 cup) 60%+ dark chocolate
1/2 pound (about 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract1/4 tsp. fleur de sel or sea salt

Butter a 9x13" baking pan and line with parchment that overhangs the sides.  In a metal bowl or double boiler, add all of the ingredients except the salt.  Set over a pot of gently simmering water, stirring constantly until the chocolate has completely melted.  The mixture will be very thick.  Pour in to the prepared pan.  Allow to cool to room temperature and cut in to squares.  Sprinkle a few grains of sea salt on each square.

Makes about 2 pounds of fudge.

Homemade Chinese Char Siu Bao (Baked Pork Buns)

For the Chinese BBQ Pork

1 pound boneless pork ribs
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. dark toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs. oyster sauce
2 Tbs. catchup
2 Tbs. dark brown sugar

Mix all the ingredient together well in a plastic zip-lock bag and marinate the pork for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.  Preheat the oven to 375 and roast the pork on a baking rack for 2 hours, basting twice with the reserved marinade in the bag.  Proceed to making the dough once the pork is in the oven.  After two hours, remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Cut in to small 1/4 inch pieces and set aside.  

For The Dough

1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup warm water
2 large eggs, (one reserved for egg-washing the dough)
3 tbs. safflower, peanut or sunflower oil
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. dry instant yeast

If using a bread machine to make the dough, follow the manufacturers directions.  If making the dough in a mixer or by hand, mix all the wet ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the sugar and salt and whisk to combine.  Combine the flour and yeast and mix in to the wet ingredients.  Knead for up to three minutes and then allow to double in volume for up to two hours, covered in a warm place.  After making the filling below, preheat the oven to 350 and divide the dough in two equal pieces and roll in in to 10 inch long ropes.  Cut each rope in to 8 pieces.  Shape the pieces in to balls and then roll out in to round pancake shapes.  Place two tablespoons of the filling in to the center of each dough circle.  shape the dough around the filling pinching the edges to seal.  Place seal side down on to a parchment lined baking sheet.  Brush with a beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes.       

For The Filling
1 Tbs. safflower, sunflower, peanut or grape seed oil 
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger

1 Tbs. crushed garlic
1/2 medium onion diced fine 
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs. oyster sauce
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. plum sauce
1 tbs. catchup
2 tsp. corn starch

Mix together all the sauces, water and cornstarch together in a small bowl.  In a wok or saute pan over medium flame, heat the vegetable oil.  Add the diced onions and saute until tender and translucent but not browned.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.  Add the diced pork and the sauce mixture.  Cook until thickened and heated through.

Makes 16 pork buns

Fresh Ground Peanut Butter Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Peanut butter is a pantry staple for most folks.  If you have kids, chances are you have a few jars stashed in the cupboard.  What many people don't know is that the average jar of name brand peanut butter contains loads of dangerous hydrogenated fats, sodium and sugar.

The following recipe is developed using fresh, high-oleic extra virgin olive.  When the right olive oil is used for this recipe, its' flavor takes a back seat to the rich flavor of roasted peanuts.  You will be hard pressed to detect it and your heart will thank you for the addition.



Natural High-Oleic EVOO Peanut Butter

2 Cups fresh roasted, organic, unsalted peanuts
1/2 tsp. sea salt (optional)
1 Tbs. granulated sugar (optional)
1/4 cup High Oleic, High Polyphenol Olive Oil, such as Amphora's Organic Leccino, Frantoio or Picual

Place the peanuts in the jar of your blender.  Add the salt and sugar if using.  Pour the olive oil over the peanuts and wait 30 seconds until the oil flows to the bottom of the jar.  Turn the blender on high.  Process until the desired level of creaminess or up to two minutes for super creamy peanut butter.  It may be necessary to turn of the blender a few times and scrape down the sides of the blender jar.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.

Makes 1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter

Butternut (AKA) Pumpkin Pie

For The Crust
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. granulated sugar
8 T. unsalted butter, chilled and cut in 1/2" pieces
Ice cold water*


For The Filling
4 Cups roasted pureed Butternut Squash (about 3 pounds)
12 oz. evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 Cup granulated sugar
1/3 Cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 425.  Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise.  Place the halves cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment or foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Roast the butter nut squash for 55-60 minutes or until a knife point easily pierces the thickest portion and remove to cool.  

While the squash is roasting prepare the pie dough. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.  Pulse a few times.  Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse 5-6 times until the butter is the size of small gravel.  Quickly add enough ice water, pulsing continuously until the mass is slightly moistened and cohesive.  Gather the dough, press in to a flat round disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for 30 minutes and then roll in to a 9" pie shell.  Blind bake the pie shell for 15 minutes at 350.

When cool enough to handle, scoop out enough flesh of the roasted butternut squash to make four cups of puree.  Place in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  Combine the puree with all the other filling ingredients and whisk until completely blended.

Fill the pre-baked pie shell and continue baking in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the edges of the pie shell are nicely browned, the perimeter of the custard is set and the middle jiggles like jello.  Allow to cool to room temp. and serve or chill.  Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.