Cardamon Coffee Cake

A Moo family Christmas tradition. But good for brunch any time of the year!

Ingredients
2 pkgs dry yeast (4 1/2 tsps)
8 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. cardamon
3 eggs (1 for egg wash)
1 1/2 scalded milk
1 cup melted butter

For filling:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

4 Tbsp. butter (melted)
nuts (optional)

Directions:
Melt together scalded milk and butter.

Sprinkle yeast into 1/2 c. lukewarm water. Stir until dissolved.

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and cardamon. Stir in 2 beaten eggs, yeast and milk and butter mixture. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise 1 hour in warm place until dough doubles in size.

Knead dough for 5 minutes on floured surface. Divide in half. Roll out one at at at time to form ovals 18–20 inches long. Brush with melted butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly.

Roll up (like a cinnamon roll). Place crescent-shaped on a greased baking sheet. Brush with remaining egg. Allow to rise another 30 min.

Bake at 350º for at least 20 min or until firm and golden brown.

Black Bean Soup

I love Panera's black bean soup, and this recipe came out tasting pretty close to it. Great served in a bread bowl!

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs cumin
• 2 cans of black beans, added separately
• 2 cups of chicken stock / bouillon cubes
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• dash of red pepper flakes
• Sprig of fresh cilantro (garnish)

Saute onion in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cumin. 

Add the first can of black beans (save the other one for later). Add 2 cups chicken broth (I use bouillon cubes, and since I like my soup a lot thicker, I prefer to use about 1 1/2 cups of water or even a little less).

Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, pour into a blender, and blend until smooth.

Pour blended ingredients back into pot. Add the remaining can of black beans and bring to simmer. If necessary, thicken with roux. Add red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper.

Serve in bread bowls, garnished with cilantro and shredded cheese or sour cream.

Bread Bowl

Easy bread bowl recipe made with artisan bread dough. 

Take a lump of dough for each bread bowl, slightly smaller than grapefruit-sized. Knead in flour for one minute (I'd like experiment with kneading longer, but usually I'm making these in a hurry!)

Form a ball using similar technique as with the artisan bread recipe, stretching the outside of the ball with the heel of your hand. Pinch the bottom of the dough together, forming a tight ball. Twist the pinched corners gently to keep them together.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Score the top with a serrated knife. Sprinkle top with sea salt. Using a spray bottle or your fingertips, sprinkle with water. Set to rise for 15 minutes. (If I'm using fresh dough, I skip this step.)

Preheat oven to 500º. Place in oven. The key to getting the bread bowl to rise straight up, apparently, is the water. In addition to the water sprinkled on the dough, I pour a cup of water on an old tray on the bottom rack of the oven to create a steam oven.

After 2 minutes, set oven temperature to 425º. Sprinkle bread bowls with water a second time, and allow to bake for about 18 more minutes.

Once they are golden brown, remove from oven. Using a serrated knife, cut down into the top, making a circle (this will create a cone-shaped "lid"). Remove lid and, if necessary, scoop out some of the bread to form a wide enough bowl.

Fill with black bean soup and enjoy!

Great Chocolate Chip Cookies

I prefer thick, substantial chocolate chip cookies. I'm finding this has a lot to do with whether or not the butter is melted before mixing. This recipe is the best I've found so far, and the key seems to be to mix the butter with the sugar while it's still relatively hard. That means using a fork first, and then a hand mixer. I've also found I can cut back on butter and white sugar and still make a great cookie. Another thing to experiment with is using a bit of honey to add flavor.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt
Chop butter and combine with brown sugar and white sugar. You may need to use a fork first, then a hand mixer. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth.
Slowly mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes

A healthy, hearty pancake that's quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups oatmeal (ground in food processor)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or white)
3 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (I use skim milk with a little lemon juice)
2 eggs
1 Tbs melted butter (or vegetable oil)

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in wet ingredients. Cook on skillet until golden brown.
Garnish with fresh berries. Serve with syrup.

Lemon Bisque

1 package lemon jello (3oz)

1 1/4 cups hot water
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 large can Pet milk
2 1/2 cups Vanilla wafer, crushed 
salt
whipping cream, whipped

Mix Jello, water, sugar and lemon juice. Put in refrigerator to set.Take out and beat for a few minutes. Put back in fridge.

Whip 1 large can pet milk until firm (can should be in fridge at least a day so it is very cold). Fold Jello mix into Pet milk.

Mix 2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs and a pinch of salt. Spread half of mixture on bottom of 9x13 pan. Carefully spread Jello mixture on top. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Chill. Serve with shipped cream and cherry. 

Artisan Bread Dough

Thanks to Jamie for this recipe, which she got from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I adapted it slightly and have loved the results. It's a versatile recipe, and can be used for pizza crust, calzones, pasties, or pot pies. The dough keeps for at least 2 weeks in the fridge, and it's great to pull out a little whenever you need it.

Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (975 grams)
1 1/2 Tbsp dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
3 cups warm (100˚F, or just warm to the touch)\
3–4 Tbsp olive oil (makes the bread nice and fluffy!)

Mixing:
Mix flour, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. I like to weigh out the flour for speed and accuracy. If using a KitchenAid, use the dough hook and set these dry ingredients mixing on low while measuring out the water (this can take the place of sifting).

While mixing, add olive oil and then add water slowly. The trick is to get all of the flour wet while avoiding mixing the dough too much. The KitchenAid and a spatula are good for this. As soon as dough is mixed thoroughly, cover lightly and set aside to rise at least 2 hours. If you're not baking right away, you can cover it more carefully (with plastic wrap on the surface of the dough to keep the air out) and store it in the fridge (you can also skip the 2-hour rising and let it rise overnight, but I never do).

Baking:
Preheat oven to 450˚F.

Take a grapefruit-sized lump of dough (1lb) in well-floured hands. Form it into a ball and gently pull the heel of your hand against the surface of the lump as you turn it in your hands. The goal is to stretch the surface slightly, making a "gluten cloak" that will trap the heat inside. Do this for about 30 seconds.

Allow the loaf to rise 30–40 minutes (if the dough is cold, it may need a little longer). Dust the top of the loaf and slash a 1/4 inch deep pattern (cross or tic-tac-toe). This allows steam to escape and gives your bread that professional "artisan" look.

Optional: for a harder crust, you can create a steam oven, which will toughen the surface of the bread. Place on old pan or basting tray on the bottom shelf of the oven while preheating. Just before you put the loaf in the oven, pour 1 cup of warm water on the pan. Place bread on upper shelf and quickly close oven door to trap the steam. I like my bread softer, so I usually skip this step.

Sprinkle cookie sheet or pizza stone with corn meal and bake for about 20–30 minutes. Remove when crust is golden brown. Allow to cool. Slice and enjoy!

Store remaining dough, tightly covered, for up to two weeks.