Month: January 2016
Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients
Dough
3/4 cup whole milk (warmed 110 degrees)
2 1/4 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast
3 large eggs, room temperature
4 1/4-4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp butter (softened, cut into 12 pieces)
Filling
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, softened
Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 oz cream cheese, softened,
1 tbsp whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
1) Dough: Whisk 3/4 cup whole milk (warmed 110 degrees) and 2 1/4 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast together until yeast dissolves. Whisk in 3 large eggs.
2) In stand mixer fitted with dough hook, 4 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp salt on low speed. Add warm milk mixture in steady stream and mix for 1 min. Mix in 1 piece of 12 tbsp butter at a time. Continue until dough comes from sides of the bowl (about 10 min). If dough is wet and sticky, add 1 tbsp flour to mixture at a time until drier.
3) Transfer dough to floured counter and knead into smooth ball, then transfer to a medium, greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
4) Pour 3 cups of boiling water into bread loaf pan an place in bottom rack of oven. Place bowl with dough on middle rack and let dough rise in oven until doubled in size (approx 2 hours).
5) Filling: Remove dough from oven and transfer to lightly floured counter. Combined 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt in small bowl.
6) Roll dough out into 18-inch square and, leaving 1/2 border around the edged, spread with 4 tbsp butter, then sprinkle evenly with sugar mixture—lightly pressing sugar into the dough. Roll dough into firm cylinder, pinch seams, and cut into 8 pieces (For smaller rolls, roll the dough into wider rectangle and cut the dough into 12 pieces). Transfer rolls, cut side up, to to greased cake pan. Cover pan lightly with plastic wrap and let dough rise in oven until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
To Make Ahead: At the end of step 6, don’t let the dough pieces rise. Place pan in fridge overnight or up to 24 hours. To bake, let sit at room temp for 1 hour, then bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min—rotating pan halfway through.
7) Remove dough and pan with water from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees, then bake for 35-40 min—rotating pan halfway through.
8) Glaze: In small bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 4 oz cream cheese, softened, 1 tbsp whole milk, and 1 tsp vanilla. Brush buns with glaze and let cool for 30 min.
Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
12 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp molasses
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup + 1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2) Melt 4 tbsp butter and place medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 2 tbsp molasses and whisk until combined.
3) In separate medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.
4) In stand mixer, cream remaining 8 tbsp butter and 1 cup white sugar until fluffy (3-6 min).
5) Add cocoa/molasses and mix until combined. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla.
6) Add flour mixture, 1/3rd at a time until just combined.
7) Spread remaining 3/4 cup sugar in shallow dish. Roll 1 tbsp of dough into a ball and roll in sugar.
8) Bake 1 sheet at at time at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes (when cookies have cracked and middle is just set.
Coconut Cake Frosting
Ingredients
1/4 cup white shortening
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp coconut flavoring
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
1) In stand mixer, combine 1/4 cup white shortening, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 tsp coconut flavoring
2) Add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar slowly and 1 tbsp whole milk. Beat until fluffy.
(Zach and Steph’s Wedding Cake—Coconut Frosting on White Cake).
Red Wine Sauce for Steak
Ingredients:
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp minced shallots
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup full red wine
1/2 cup unsalted beef stock
1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions:
1. Mince shallots and sauté in olive oil with 2 tsp fresh thyme for 1 min over medium-high heat.
2) Add 1/2 cup red wine; cook 2 1/2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. 3) Add 1/2 cup beef stock; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half and mixture is slightly thickened.
4) Remove pan from heat. Whisk in remaining 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tbsp butter, and 1/2 tbsp mustard.
Beet, Avocado & Fried Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients:
8-10 beets (red, yellow, purple)
1/3 shallot, peeled and sliced thin
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
6 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
1 egg
½ cup flour
½ cup bread crumbs (panko)
1 avocado
1/4 cup pistachios
Microgreens for garnish
Chives for garnish
Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2) Wash and trim the beets and pat dry. Place the beets in foil, making packets of 3-4 beets per packet. Drizzle with some olive oil and kosher salt. Wrap the beets tightly and place on a baking sheet then bake for 40 minute to 1 hour or until tender. Remove beets from the oven, unwrap and set aside to cool.
3) Once cool, rub the skin of the beets off the cooked beet. (Using a paper towel sometimes makes this easier). Cut the beets into quarters or chunks and place in a bowl. Set aside.
4) Place the sliced shallot in a small food processor and chop finely. Add 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp sugar and dice to combine until thickened and the shallots are minced fine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour ⅔ of the dressing over the beets to marinate until plating.
5) Chop avocado into chunks similar to beets.
6) Roll 6oz goat cheese into 1-inch balls. Gather three shallow bowls and place 1/2 cup flour in one bowl, whisk 1 egg in another bowl and place 1/2 cup bread crumbs in the remaining bowl. Dredge a goat cheese ball first in flour, then egg and then in the bread crumbs. Repeat flour, egg and bread crumb steps one more times. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the cheese balls.
7) Cook cheese balls in 1 tbsp olive oil in sauté pan (or deep fry in 2-3 cups canola oil) in batches of three or four at a time until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
8) Plate the marinated beets with the avocado chunks and the fried cheese balls that have been sliced in half or kept whole. Drizzle with the remaining shallot dressing and a sprinkling of microgreens, 1/4 chopped pistachios and snipped chives. Season with additional salt and pepper.
Buttermilk Honey Bread
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water, (warmed, 110f)
1 packet active dry yeast (rapid rise is fine, too)
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp salt
4 cups + 1/2 cup flour
1 egg yolk
kosher salt
Instructions:
1) Place 1/4 up warm water in medium glass measuring cup (to get 110°f water, think bathwater, not tea water.)
2) Mix 1 packet active dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar in the warm water. Let it proof for about 10-15 minutes, until very foamy.
3) Meanwhile, in large bowl whisk together 4 cups flour and 1 tsp salt.
4) In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter over low heat. Add 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and warm gently, stirring. (Don’t let it get too hot or it will separate it just need to be warm). Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup honey and yeast mixture.
5) Add the buttermilk/yeast mixture into the flour, and stir into a shaggy dough.
6) Dust remaining 1/2 cup flour onto work surface and knead 10-12 times until it forms a smooth, elastic dough.(Until you stick your finger in the dough and it bounces back).
7) Form dough into ball and place in a clean, lightly oiled bowl (i just use olive oil). Sprinkle the top with flour and cover with a damp (not wet) towel. Let the bread rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about two hours.
8) Punch the dough down, form in a loaf, and place in an oiled loaf pan.
9) Cover with the towel again and allow to rise another hour.
10) Preheat oven to 375°f.
11) When the second rise is complete, brush the top of your loaf with the egg yolk, and then sprinkle it with a bit of kosher or other flaky salt.
12) Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden. (A thermometer should read about 190°f). If the top seems to be getting too brown after 20 min, cover with foil for the rest of the bake time.
13) Brush tops with butter and allow to cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes to an hour before slicing or it will fall apart.
Banoffee Pie
Prep Time: 6.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
3 tbsp cold water
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dulce de leche
4 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 large bananas, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
1) In a large bowl, whisk 1 1/4 cups flour with 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 tsp fine sea salt.
2) Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons of the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
3) Stir in 3 tbsp cold water
and 1 egg yolk until the dough just comes together. 4) Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and pat into a disk. Wrap
the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5) Preheat the oven to 350°.
6) On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round, approx 1/4 inch thick. Ease the dough into
a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the overhang to 1 inch and fold it under itself. Crimp the edge and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
7) Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 20 minutes, until
the crust is barely set. Remove the parchment and pie weights and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the crust is lightly browned; prick the bottom of the crust lightly to deflate it if it puffs up. Let cool.
8) In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1 stick of butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar and cook over moderate heat until the sugar is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the dulce de leche until smooth. Let the filling cool.
9) Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe medium bowl, microwave 4oz chopped chocolate on high power in 10-second intervals until melted. Spread the chocolate over the cooled crust and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
10) Spread 1 cup dulce de leche filling in the crust and top with 3 sliced bananas.
11) In a large bowl, using a hand mixer,
beat the cream until firm. Pile the whipped cream on the pie and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until the filling is set.
Chocolate Soufflé
Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
⅓ cup sugar, plus some for dish
3 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
2 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted
Pinch salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Melt chocolate.
3) Butter two 2-cup or one 4-cup soufflé or other deep baking dish(es). Sprinkle each with sugar, invert it and tap to remove excess sugar.
4) In stand mixer, beat 3 egg yolks with all but 1 tablespoon sugar until very light and very thick; mixture will fall in a ribbon from beaters when it is ready.
5) Add in the melted chocolate, set aside.
6) Wash beaters well, then beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until whites hold soft peaks; continue to beat, adding remaining tablespoon sugar, until they are very stiff and glossy.
7) Stir a good spoonful of whites thoroughly into egg yolk mixture to lighten it; then fold in remaining whites, using a rubber spatula.
8) Transfer to prepared soufflé dishes (or cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake).
9) Bake until center is nearly set, 20 minutes for individual soufflés and 25 to 35 minutes for a single large soufflé. Serve immediately.
Clayton Recipes 