Category Archives: Desserts

Bread, Breakfast, Desserts, Dough, Recipe

Sweet Dough

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I’ve been using this recipe for about 6 months now and it hasn’t failed me yet.  I got it from my mom’s friend Bernice (who got it from a neighbor when her kids were little … and they are about my age).  I love it!  One note I would like to make:  I have tried substituting Splenda for all (and then part) of the sugar.  They just weren’t the same.  Splenda doesn’t have the same “bite” as sugar.  So, if you can’t have any sugar, just don’t make these.  I haven’t used whole grains yet.  Now that I’m more comfortable with the recipe, I’ll start branching out and maybe substitute some for the all-purpose flour but today I’m making these for other people (a memorial for my dear friend’s mother).

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Sweet Dough

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses: ,
Difficulty: Intermediate

Description

For pastries, cinnamon rolls, anything sweet.

Ingredients

Instructions

Basic Dough Instructions

  1. Basic Dough Instructions

     

    In a small bowl, mix yeast and water.  Let sit while preparing the milk mixture.

    In a medium saucepan, mix sugar, butter, salt and milk.  Heat just until the butter and sugar melt (stirring continually to prevent scorching).  Pour into a large bowl.  Once lukewarm, beat in the egg and the yeast mixture.  Now, mix in the flour, a cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.  Pour out onto a floured surface and knead until it’s fairly smooth (I don’t knead this as much as bread dough).

    Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and set in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).  Now, form into whatever you decide to make, let rise another hour, then bake at 350 degrees F until slightly brown (about 15 to 20 minutes).

    A friend of mine just suggested this dough could be used to make kolaches.

For Cinnamon Rolls:

  1. For Cinnamon Rolls:

    You need

    • room temperature butter
    • brown sugar
    • cinnamon

    Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick (the thinner it is, the more sugary-cinnamony goodness your rolls will have).  Spread with butter (I use a rubber spatula so I don’t stick the dough).  Do not spread the butter all the way to the edge (leave about 1/4 inch gap).  Now, sprinkle with brown sugar.  I think the first time I did this I used about 1/2 cup packed brown sugar.  Now, I just go by look (I want it everywhere).  Then, sprinkle with cinnamon.  I use a lot.  I make sure all the sugar/butter has a dusting of cinnamon.

    Starting at a long side, slowly start rolling the dough tightly (I can’t emphasize this more … the first time I made these I didn’t roll tight enough and they unrolled while baking … tasted great, looked awful).  Once you get the the end, pinch the ends of the dough together (or, they will unroll).  Slice across the dough, making your rolls about and inch or more thick.  Place in a well greased 13X9 pan, cover, and let stand u

For Fruit Danishes:

  1. For Fruit Danishes:

    You need

    • room temperature butter
    • sugar
    • jam (I’ve used blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, grape, apricot-pineapple)

    Now, this one’s trickier.  Roll out the dough just like you are making the cinnamon rolls above.  I got the technique from Joe Pastry (http://www.joepastry.com/category/pastry/danish-pastry/).  He describes it much better than I do (and he has great pictures) so go there and read how he does it.  He also has other pastry ideas that this dough would be perfect for.  I originally made it like he does, with pastry cream.  Well, I don’t have any today so I’m just going to spread the dough with butter and sprinkle sugar on it (I’m wondering if brown sugar would be

For Icing:

  1. For Icing:

    • Powdered Sugar
    • Milk

    For a double recipe of sweet goodness, I use about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, then slowly add the milk until it’s the consistency I like.  If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar.  See in the picture on Joe Pastry’s web page of the icing?  That’s how it should look after you mix it.  Still white (can’t see through it) but liquid enough so it will stream a bit off a fork (I tried using a spoon and a tiny whisk but ended up with giant blobs of icing).

Keywords: pastry, dough, sweet, danish, cinnamon, roll,
Canning, Desserts, Lemon, Pie, Preserving, Recipe, Wine

Lemons, Lemons, Everywhere!

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I was gifted with a lot of lemons from my neighbor’s tree last week. I didn’t realize just how many I had until I washed them all! What the heck was I going to do with all those lemons?

So far, I have started Lemon Wine. I used this recipe:

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Lemon Wine

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Estimated Cost: $ 1

Description

http://www.abc.net.au/wa/stories/s394386.htm

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Grate all lemons and put them aside. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice into one gallon of boiling water.

  2. When the water boils again, cut off the heat at once. Pour the hot liquid over the sugar and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

  3. Cut up the raisins and add these to the liquid. Then add the lemon rind and allow the brew to cool. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir in. Cover and ferment for 14 days after which you strain and bottle. Leave it for one to three months and enjoy (in moderation… this has quite a kick).

Note

I gave some to my sisters and they said it tastes like limoncello.

Keywords: lemon, wine, ferment, alcohol


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The second thing I did was make Canned Lemon Curd.

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Lemon Curd

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated Cost: $ 1

Description

I used the canning instructions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (.pdf link below) but this recipe.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. If you are using fresh squeezed lemon juice, taste it. If it is sweeter than store bought lemon juice, then add a little citric acid. Stir until the citric acid is dissolved, then taste again. If it is still too sweet, continue doing this step until you are satisfied.

  2. Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl, stir to mix, and set aside about 30 minutes.

  3. Heat water in the bottom pan of the double boiler until it boils gently. The water should not boil vigorously or touch the bottom of the top double boiler pan or bowl.

  4. In the top of the double boiler, on the counter top or table, whisk the eggs. Slowly whisk in the sugar and zest, blending until well mixed and smooth. Blend in the lemon juice and then add the butter pieces to the mixture.

  5. Place the top of the double boiler over boiling water in the bottom pan. Stir gently but continuously with a silicone spatula or spoon, to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the mixture reaches a temperature of 170 degrees F.

  6. Remove the double boiler pan from the stove and place on a protected surface, such as a dish towel on the counter top. Continue to stir gently until the curd thickens (about 5 minutes). Strain curd through a mesh strainer into a glass or stainless steel bowl; discard collected zest.

Note

Here is the .pdf with the detailed instructions to water bath can this recipe. To download it, right-click, then choose “Save As.”  Lemon_Curd .pdf

Keywords: lemon, dessert, curd, cookie, pie, cake

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Right now, I have some Bitter Orange Marmalade (Orange-Lemon Marmalade) going in my crock pot (because my stock pot has the wine in it). Not sure if it will get hot enough to thicken, so I may have to separate and cook in batches. This recipe I got out of Stocking Up III by Carol Hupping and the staff of the Rodale Food Center. I used Mandarin Oranges, since I had a lot of those that needed to be used.

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Bitter Orange Marmalade

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Estimated Cost: $ 1

Description

An aromatic and delicious variation of the classic.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place oranges, lemons, and water in an 8-quart stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 2 hours.

  2. Remove fruit; seed and quarter. Chop fruit in food processor or by hand. Return to water.

  3. Bring fruit mixture to a boil. Stir in honey and sugar. Return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, until mixture resembles a thick syrup, 15 to 30 minutes. (Keep at a full rolling boil or it will take longer to reach the gel stage.)

  4. Pour into hot, scalded half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace, and seal. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

  5. Allow the marmalade to "age" for 2 weeks before tasting or it may be too bitter.

Note

Based on the recipe from Stocking Up III by Carol Hupping and the staff of the Rodale Food Center

Keywords: dessert, orange, marmalade, jam, bitter,

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The next (and I hopeful final) recipe I will be making is a Lemon Meringue Pie. I’ll be making this one tonight, using a recipe out of The Joy of Cooking (which is basically this recipe by Alton Brown):

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Lemon Meringue Pie

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated Cost: $ 1

Ingredients

Lemon Filling

Meringue Topping

Instructions

Lemon Filling

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  2. Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.

  3. In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Turn heat on medium and, stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.

  4. Return egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while filling is still hot.

Meringue Topping

  1. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.

  2. Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.

Keywords: lemon, dessert, pie, merengue

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I was wrong! One more recipe, since there were just a few lemons left over. I made Lemon Extract! I remembered a wonderful Lemon Poppy-seed Bread recipe an online friend of mine gave me (I don’t have permission to post it here) and my lack of the necessary ingredient Lemon Extract. So, I made some!

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Lemon Extract

Author: brendanolen Cuisine: Courses:
Difficulty: Beginner
Estimated Cost: $ 1

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Use a vegetable peeler, sharp knife, or cheese grater to remove the zest off the lemons (ensure there is no pith, or it will make this bitter).

  2. Place in a sterilized pint mason jar, and pour vodka into jar.

  3. Place the cap and ring on the jar and leave for two weeks (shaking occasionally).

  4. Strain into a dark colored bottle.

Note

This should keep for about a year or more if you store in a cool, dark place.

Keywords: lemon, extract, baking, dessert, preserve