Category Archives: Baking

Whipped Cream is something which kids definetly love. As a kid,I used to love the cream biscuits actually used to just eat up the cream filling and throw away the biscuits. My little one is no different. She does the same with Oreo cookies. The reason I chose to use a whipped cream fillng for these puffs is because of my kid. As expected she loved it, fortunately not just the cream even the puffs:-)

A cream puff is hollow choux pastry ball filled with either whipped cream, pastry cream or ice cream. When they are filled and glazed with caramel and assembled like a Piece Montee they are called Croquembouches. I remember making Piece Montee for one of the Daring Baker’s challenge. We loved it and from then on Cream Puffs has been on my to do list. Finally I get to strike this off!

CREAM PUFFS WITH WHIPPED CREAM FILLING

Ingredients:

1 cup water
a teaspoon sugar
a pinch salt
1/2 cup( 1 stick) butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 egg white(optional)

Filling:

3/4 cup whipped cream
3 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar + 2 teaspoons for decoration

Cut the butter into very small pieces. In a pan mix water,salt and sugar, bring it to a boil. Add in the butter, reduce the heat and allow the butter to melt. Add the flour all at once and keep mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a stand mixer and beat for about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs one by one. You will end up with a yellow color dough. Once the eggs are well incorporated add the egg white and beat for about 2 – 3 minutes. (Add the egg white only if the dough doesn’t droop when dropped from a spoon, this is something I read in some book I dont remember the name).

Preheat oven at 400F. Using a spoon drop tablespoonful of dough on a greased baking sheet, use another spoon to scrape. You may also use an ice cream scoop or a pastry bag with a plain tip( which is what I did). Form mounds. Dont make it too flat. Bake the cream puffs for about 20 minutes until golden brown and then reduce the temperature to 300F and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

For the filling, beat the whipped cream,sugar and vanilla extract in a stand mixer until stiff peaks form.

Cut the puffs horizontally and pipe in a spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom, cover it with the top half (just like a burger). Sprinkle confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately.

The dough can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. However, its best when baked the same day. When you make the mounds ensure you have atleast an inch height in the centre.(I ended up with a few flat ones).

Sending this to Meeta’s Monthly Mingle hosted by Jamie’s Lifes a Feast. Jamie choose Paris as her theme, so here is a french pastry for the mingle:)

Pita is a kind of a bread which is very popular in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. It is a round pocket bread which when baked puffs up and flattens as it cools. A very popular greek food is Falafel Sandwich were the falafels are stuffed inside the pita bread.This is one of my fav food at Gyros a greek restaurant in MN. The sandwich is served with cucumber,tomatoes,onions and tzatziki sauce.It tastes YUM!.

Hummus is like a dip made with garbanzo beans and Baba Ganoush is made using eggplant(aubergine).The first time I ate them was probably four years back at a Lebanese restaurant. They were served with warm Pita bread and Tabouli salad.The salad was something I just couldn’t eat,I think one has to have an acquired taste for “cous cous”.Anyways it was just not the delicious fare that we enjoyed, the traditional belly dancing accompanied with the foot tapping music made the recipe for a perfect evening. I was amazed with the finesse with which the dancers performed….it was sheer elegance coupled with superior dexterity.

The addition of Tahini is what makes these dips taste great. I believe you can make them without it as well, I sure haven’t tried it yet.I usually dont buy the paste, have always made it from scratch.

PITA BREAD WITH ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS & BABA GANOUSH

Pita Bread
( makes about 8 pita breads)

1.5 cups flour
5 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon yeast proofed in a tablespoon of warm water with 1/2 tablespoon of flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon olive oil

Mix the flour,water and the yeast in a bowl. Add salt,mix and then add the olive oil. I used my stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to knead.Turn to high speed if needed to get the dough to slap against the sides of the bowl. Brush a glass bowl with oil and place the dough in it. Cover with a plastic wrap and let rise for about 3 hours in room temperature or until tripled in volume. Press down the dough,cut into equal pieces and shape them into small balls. Roll out the balls into 4 or 6 inch disks,flouring as needed to prevent sticking.Because the dough is elastic you may have to let the disks rest once or twice while you are rolling them out to get them to hold their shapes. Place a pizza stone on the floor of the oven and preheat the oven to 500F. You may also use a baking sheet. Arrange the discs on the sheet pans and slide it into the oven, bake for about 7 minutes until they are lightly browned. Turn them over and bake for another minute or two.

Tahini

¼ cup sesame seeds(white)
2 tablespoon sesame oil

Dry roast the sesame seeds until golden brown.(be careful as they turn dark very soon).Cool and grind it along with sesame oil. Store it in an air tight container.

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven at 400F. Take a garlic bulb and cut the top of the clove.Place it on a small silver foil and drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap it with the foil and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove the skin.You will end up with a very soft golden colored garlic not to forget the amazing aroma too:).

Hummus

1 cup Garbanzo beans ( you may use the canned ones too,reserve the liquid)
Roasted garlic ( as needed)
4 tablespoon olive oil + ½ teaspoon for garnishing
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon tahini paste
salt as needed
¼ teaspoon chili flakes and parsley ( optional)

Soak the Garbanzo beans overnight and cook it the next day until soft. (If you are using a canned ones this step is not required.). Reserve the liquid in which it is cooked. Allow it to cool. Grind it along with the rest of the ingredients except the last one. (If it is too thick use the reserved liquid, just a little which is purely optional). Garnish with olive oil,chili flakes and finely chopped parsley.

{If you like your Hummus to be super garlicky, use all of the roasted garlic else use about 3-4 pods}

Baba Ganoush

1 eggplant ( I used a baby eggplant)
2 tablespoon Olive oil + little extra for brushing
1 garlic pod ( you may use roasted garlic too)
1 teaspoon tahini paste
salt as needed
¼ teaspoon chili flakes

Preheat the oven at 400F. Brush little oil ( probably need about ¼ teaspoon)all over the eggplant and using a knife make small slits on all sides.You may even use a fork and prick. Bake for 40 minutes until they are completely soft. Peel the skin and scrape out the pulp. Grind it along with rest of the ingredients except the last one. Garnish with chili flakes and little olive oil.

If you prefer a smoky flavor, use the broil option in the oven to char the skin of the eggplant, then peel and use. I chose not to as I dont like it. Since I used a baby eggplant, I ended up with less than ½ cup of Baba Ganoush. You will have to adjust the quantity of ingredients as per your taste if you are using a large eggplant.

Serve the Hummus and Baba Ganoush with Pita bread.
Enjoy!
Note : The recipe for Pita Bread was adapted from the book Baking by James Peterson. I made some changes to suit my requirement.

Stir Crazy – Fresh Asian Grill is an all new restaurant opened in MN,USA recently. This place is located inside Mall of America in Bloomington. They focuses on Pan Asian Cuisine and have a varied menu.  Even though I havent tasted meat, I do have a sense of what kind of food would appeal to my meat loving friends:)

The ambiance was great,the service was also good. You can actually see the chef in action as you see the flames coming right out of the wok stations. This is something that I havent come across most restaurants here.

Price wise it is very affordable….an appetizer, entrée and a dessert along with a kids menu cost us little over $20. Their portion size is big, so two of us shared the entrée.I had their Coconut Curry Vegetables served with Shangai noodles. It was one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. The vegetables blended with the perfect amount of red curry sauce, was truly delicious. We had Tempura Green Beans which was just ok,but the sauce a Japanese Soy Dipping sauce to go with it was too good.They also had individual bite size desserts.I ordered a Mango Crème Brulee and trust me it was sinful. So if you are looking for some Teriyaki ,Pad Thai or Potstickers in MN….Stir Crazy is the place to be!.

Coming to todays post – Strawberries has always been my favorite fruit. Nothing like having the freshest strawberry either by growing it or by atleast picking it up yourself. Am so looking forward to this year’s Summer where I plan to go Strawberry Picking. Every year I end up with a basket full of them and then panic having so many at home. I do bake with some and the rest often results in making jam.

Recently I read an article about Strawberries. I believe on an average, studies show two days as the maximum time for storage without loss of antioxidants and Vitamin C. More storage time means more nutrients loss. I used to always have a box full of them in the refrigerator but after reading that article, I try my best to finish them as quickly as possible.

To make the recipe first we have to make the dough for the base which is called Pâte Brisée  which is a very rich flavored dough with a very delicate texture  used for both Pies and Tarts. The name Pâte Brisée means “broken pastry” which refers to cutting the butter into the flour.

STRAWBERRY GALETTE

Pâte Brisée (Makes enough for one 9″ double crust Pie or two 9″ single crust pies)

Ingredients :

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup cold butter,cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Filling:

1 lb Strawberries (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
a tablespoon butter( cut into small pieces)
1 large egg yolk + 1 tablespoon water – for egg wash

Pulse flour,salt and sugar in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.Drizzle water little by little and pulse( or mix with a fork) until the mixture holds together.You may not require all of the water. Make a ball and then flatten it to a disc, wrap loosely in a plastic. Refrigerate until firm, well wrapped in plastic for about an hour( or for a day,can be frozen for up to three months).

On a lightly floured surface,roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut out a 10″ inch round and transfer to a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate or freeze until form,about 30 minutes. In the meanwhile make the filling.

Cut strawberries lengthwise into thin slices.Gently toss them with sugar and cornstarch. Immediately arrange them in to concentric circles on the dough. Start from one edge,overlapping slices slightly. Fold edge of the dough over the berries.Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Dot berries with butter. Whisk together egg yolk and the water.Brush dough edge with egg wash and sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar.Bake until the crust is golden brown,40 minutes.Transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve Galette warm or at room temperature.

Note : They taste best the day its baked.
I added little more sugar to the base the second time I baked this, and it tasted much better.
This recipe was minimally adapted from Martha Stewart’s Pies and Tarts.

This is off to Meeta’s Monthly Mingle hosted by Melecotte. I was super excited when I read the theme ” Berries” for this months Monthly Mingle and ended up baking the above. I am participating in this event for the first time and am very happy about it!

Dutch Crunch doesn’t refer to the type of bread, but rather the topping that is spread over the bread before baking. In Dutch it’s called Tijgerbrood or “tiger bread” after the tiger-like shell on the bread when it comes out of the oven. The final product has a delightful sweet crunch to it that makes it perfect for a sandwich roll. It’s a common option at sandwich shops all over the Bay Area and is often one of the first breads to run out.

Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!

The recipe for the Dutch Crunch topping came from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible. The recipes for the breads we’ve suggested came from The Bread Bible and an adaptation of a recipe found on bakingbites.com (http://bakingbites.com/2006/09/cooking-school-dutch-crunch-bread/).

For the challenge we were asked to make the Dutch Crunch topping and use it on our choice of bread or roll and use the finished bread to construct a sandwich of our choice. We were allowed to use any bread or roll recipe. So I decided to make “Savory Rolls with Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes”. If you like anything garlicky like me, you would love this one.

SAVORY ROLLS WITH GARLIC AND SUNDRIED TOMATOES – DUTCH CRUNCH TOPPING

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour
a teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon chopped garlic( you may reduce this to half if you do not like the flavor)
a tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes chopped
3/4 cup of water
2 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter

In a Food processor, pulse together flour,salt and yeast. Add the chopped garlic,sundried tomatoes,olive oil and butter. Pulse again till you see the flour crumbled. Add warm water and beat until all come together. Knead and shape it into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until double in size, which will take about two hours.

Punch the dough and shape into balls/bun shape. You will end up with six of them. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment,allow it proof for about 20 minutes. In the meanwhile make the topping.

Dutch Crunch Topping

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115º F) (41-46°C)
1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon rice flour

Directions:

1.Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a whisk; beat hard to combine. The consistency should be like stiff royal icing – spreadable, but not too runny. If you pull some up with your whisk, as shown below, it should drip off slowly. Add more water or rice flour as necessary. Let stand 15 minutes.
2.Coat the top of each roll with a thick layer of topping.You should err on the side of applying too much topping – a thin layer will not crack properly.
3.Let stand, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
4.When baking, place pans on a rack in the center of the oven and bake.The Dutch Cruch topping should crack and turn a nice golden-brown color.

I was thrilled with the result. Though my rolls weren’t that dark in color,the crunchiness is all that mattered. I read in the DB forum that adding a lil more sugar would result in a darker texture. Since I was making a savory roll, I decided not to do so. I loved the crunchiness of the roll.The bread was tender and had an amazing garlic flavor to it. Actually while baking there was a nice aroma of garlic in the entire house…aah that was lovely!

I came up with a very simple sandwich with whatever available at home. I used some cream cheese spread and mayo on the roll. Also added roasted potatoes(cooked ,sliced and roasted with some olive oil,paprika and salt), onions,tomato and very little grated carrots. This was my dinner last night and I just loved it. I plan to make some Soft rolls with this kind of topping again.

Thanks so much Sara and Erica for the lovely challenge.