Kolaches

This is a scaled down version of my great-grandmother's kolache recipe! To make about 15 kolaches you will need:

Dough:

• 2/3 cup MILK, warm
• 3 Tbs SUGAR
• 3/4 tsp SALT
• 1 tsp LEMON JUICE
• 2 tsp ACTIVE DRY YEAST (if it is easier you could use a packet of yeast which is 2 & 1/4 tsp)
• 1 EGGS
• 2 Tbs VEGETABLE SHORTENING
• 4 Tbs BUTTER
• 2 & 1/3 cup FLOUR, sifted

Fillings: (You only need one of the following, but feel free to mix and match!)

• 1 can CHERRY PIE FILLING (or other pie filling that you find delicious)
• 1 (8 oz.) block CREAM CHEESE + 1/2 cup POWDERED SUGAR
• 1 cup PRUNES heated & mashed in a bit of water + SUGAR & LEMON JUICE to taste
• 1 cup APRICOTS heated & mashed in a bit of water + SUGAR & LEMON JUICE to taste
• 1/2 cup POPPY SEED FILLING + 1/2 cup APPLE SAUCE

Crumble

• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 3 Tbs FLOUR
• 3 Tbs SUGAR

Soak the dry yeast in the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer with the lukewarm milk for 5 minutes.  

After the 5 minutes, use the paddle attachment to mix in the sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Then mix in the egg, softened shortening, and 1 tablespoon of butter.

Add half of the sifted flour to the bowl and mix it into the dough. Then mix in the rest of the flour. Scrape the dough off of the sides of the bowl and form it into a sort of ball in the bottom of the bowl.  

Use the dough hook attachment to kneed the dough until it forms into a smooth ball and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl (it will still be slightly sticky to the touch though). This should only take a few minutes. 

Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. 

Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and then let it rise until it has doubled again.

While the dough is rising, grease a 9 x13 inch pan with some of the remaining butter. 

Shape the dough into golf ball sized balls and then roll each of them in melted butter that was left over from greasing the pan. You should get around 15 balls. I lay them into the pan 3 along the shorter side and 5 along the longer side. (I forgot to take a picture, so this is extra from a larger batch I made awhile ago.) 

Let the balls rise for 30 to 40 minutes or until they have doubled in size. Don't get impatient now! Let the ball rise enough that they are touching and look like they are starting to merge together.

Using your thumb, make depressions in the center of the balls and add a few teaspoons of filling.  Let the balls rise for at least another hour. This is one of the more important rises. You want the dough to get nice and puffy again where the edges of the dough are starting to rise up above the level of the filling. If you don't let them rise enough the dough will taste dense and biscuit-like instead of light and fluffy!

See how much they rose!

 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then top with the crumble mixture. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and cooked through. If they start getting too dark on top, cover the pan with some aluminum foil. 

Look at all those delicious kolaches!

So fluffy!

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Kolaches

Ingredients:

To make about 15 kolaches you will need:

Dough:

• 2/3 cup MILK, warm
• 3 Tbs SUGAR
• 3/4 tsp SALT
• 1 tsp LEMON JUICE
• 2 tsp ACTIVE DRY YEAST (if it is easier you could use a packet of yeast which is 2 & 1/4 tsp)
• 1 EGGS
• 2 Tbs VEGETABLE SHORTENING
• 4 Tbs BUTTER
• 2 & 1/3 cup FLOUR, sifted

Fillings (You only need one of the following, but feel free to mix and match!):

• 1 can CHERRY PIE FILLING (or other pie filling that you find delicious)
• 1 (8 oz.) block CREAM CHEESE + 1/2 cup POWDERED SUGAR
• 1 cup PRUNES heated & mashed in a bit of water + SUGAR & LEMON JUICE to taste
• 1 cup APRICOTS heated & mashed in a bit of water + SUGAR & LEMON JUICE to taste
• 1/2 cup POPPY SEED FILLING + 1/2 cup APPLE SAUCE

Crumble

• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 3 Tbs FLOUR
• 3 Tbs SUGAR

Directions:

1. Soak the dry yeast in the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer with the lukewarm milk for 5 minutes.  
2. After the 5 minutes, use the paddle attachment to mix in the sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Then mix in the egg, softened shortening, and 1 tablespoon of butter. 
   Add half of the sifted flour to the bowl and mix it into the dough. Then mix in the rest of the flour. Scrape the dough off of the sides of the bowl and form it into a sort of ball in the bottom of the bowl.  
3. Use the dough hook attachment to kneed the dough until it forms into a smooth ball and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl (it will still be slightly sticky to the touch though). This should only take a few minutes. 
4. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and then let it rise until it has doubled again.
5. While the dough is rising, grease a 9 x13 inch pan with some of the remaining butter. 
6. Shape the dough into golf ball sized balls and then roll each of them in melted butter that was left over from greasing the pan. (You should get around 15 balls. I lay them into the pan 3 along the shorter side and 5 along the longer side.) 
7. Let the balls rise for 30 to 40 minutes or until they have doubled in size. Don't get impatient now! Let the ball rise enough that they are touching and look like they are starting to merge together.
8. Using your thumb, make depressions in the center of the balls and add a few teaspoons of filling.  Let the balls rise for at least another hour. This is one of the more important rises. You want the dough to get nice and puffy again where the edges of the dough are starting to rise up above the level of the filling. If you don't let them rise enough the dough will taste dense and biscuit-like instead of light and fluffy!
9. While the dough is rising mix together the ingredients for crumble and then set aside.
10. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then top with the crumble mixture. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and cooked through. 

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

This has been a busy week of baking! I was asked to make a cake and cupcakes for a big meeting we had at work and this is what resulted! I think I am starting to get the hang of this whole cake decorating thing! These red velvet cupcakes were a hit!

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Red Velvet Cupcakes 

(1 dozen cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 2 Tbs COCOA POWDER
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs CANOLA OIL
• 1 cup SUGAR
• 1 EGG, large
• 1/2 cup BUTTERMILK, room temperature
• 1 tsp VANILLA
• 2/3 tsp RED FOOD COLORING PASTE or 1 oz. RED FOOD COLORING
• 1 tsp WHITE VINEGAR
• 1/4 cup BREWED HOT COFFEE

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix the oil, sugar, and egg using an electric mixer. 
3. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring. Mix until everything is well combined.
4. Mix in the vinegar and coffee. 
5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
6. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the bowl of the electric mixer. 
7. Once all of the ingredients are well combined, divide the batter equally into greased and floured cake pans. 
8. Bake the cakes for 7 minutes at 400 degrees F. Then lower the oven temperature to 320 degrees F and bake for another 13 minutes. 

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Spatchcocked Turkey

To make this spatchcocked turkey you will need:

• 11 lb. TURKEY, thawed and cleaned
• 3 Tbs KOSHER SALT
• 1/2 tsp GRANULATED GARLIC
• 1/2 tsp BLACK PEPPER
• 6 fresh BAY LEAVES
• 2 sprigs fresh THYME, leaves removed
• zest from an ORANGE
• 1 sprig fresh ROSEMARY, leaves removed
• 1 ONION, chopped
• 2 CARROTS, chopped
• 3 stalks CELERY, chopped
• 4 Tbs BUTTER, melted (OIL may be better for such high temperatures)

Three days before cooking use a food processor to pulse the salt, garlic, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, orange zest, and rosemary until all ingredients are the same size. Rub this mixture all over the bird, under the skin, and inside the bird. 

Wrap the bird in cling wrap and put it in the fridge for three days. The night before cooking, take the turkey out of the cling wrap and place it back in the fridge for at least 8 hours to dry out.

Take the turkey out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking to come to room temperature. Chop up the onion, carrots, and celery. Toss the vegetable in a little bit of oil and lay them out on a baking sheet that has been covered in foil. Then place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet with vegetables. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. 

Cut the spine out of the bird and then lay the bird out onto the cooling wrack. Use this video for directions. 

Brush the melted butter (or oil) onto the bird and when ready stick it in the oven!

Bake for about 70-90 minutes, until the thighs are 165 degrees F and the breasts are 150 degrees F.

Dry Rub: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/crispy-skinned-herb-roasted-turkey.html
Video: http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/video-how-to-spatchcock-turkey-thanksgiving.html

Dressing

To make this dressing you will need:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) BUTTER
• 2 cups CELERY, chopped
• 1 & 1/2 cup ONION, chopped
• 1/4 cup PARSLEY, chopped
• 2 & 1/4 tsp SALT
• 2 tsp POULTRY SEASONING
• 1/2 tsp PEPPER
• 9 cups BREADCRUMBS (1 CORNBREAD + WHITE BREAD to reach 9 cups)
• 1 lb CHICKEN
• 3 EGGS
• CHICKEN BROTH

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Saute celery and onion in melted butter for 10 minutes. 

Mix butter mixture and eggs into the breadcrumbs. Ladle in chicken broth until moist. Bake in a 9x13 inch pan or 2 8x8 inch pans until brown on top. (About 20-30 minutes?)

Sweet Potato Pie

To make this pie you will need:

• 2 large SWEET POTATOES (boiled until fork tender & mashed up)
• 1 stick BUTTER
• 1 & 1/2 cups SUGAR
• 2 Tbs FLOUR
• 2 EGGS
• 1 (5 oz.) can EVAPORATED MILK
• 1/2 tsp CINNAMON
• 1/2 tsp NUTMEG
• 1 & 1/2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mash the butter into the warm mashed sweet potatoes with a pastry cutter. Next, mix in all other ingredients.

Pour filling into a 9 inch unbaked pie crust and bake until done. (Took about 1 hour & 15 minutes.) Once a toothpick comes out clean the pie is done.

Red Velvet Birthday Cake

I made this red velvet birthday present cake for a friend's birthday, but also as a test run for a wedding cake that I will be making later this year. I made one batch of the batter for each layer of the cake (essentially tripling the recipe) and it worked out beautifully! 

This cake turned out delicious! The crumb was perfect and it had a wonderful, rich, moist flavor! The cream cheese icing didn't hurt either. It was so good!

Since it was a birthday cake, I decided to decorate it with some fondant to make it look like present!

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Red Velvet Cake 

Note: To make a 3 layer 10 inch square cake I tripled this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 2 Tbs COCOA POWDER
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs CANOLA OIL
• 1 cup SUGAR
• 1 EGG, large
• 1/2 cup BUTTERMILK, room temperature
• 1 tsp VANILLA
• 2/3 tsp RED FOOD COLORING PASTE or 1 oz. RED FOOD COLORING
• 1 tsp WHITE VINEGAR
• 1/4 cup BREWED HOT COFFEE

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 320 degrees F.
2. Mix the oil, sugar, and egg using an electric mixer. 
3. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring. Mix until everything is well combined.
4. Mix in the vinegar and coffee. 
5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
6. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the bowl of the electric mixer. 
7. Once all of the ingredients are well combined, divide the batter equally into greased and floured cake pans. 
8. Bake the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes.

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Cream Cheese Icing

NOTE: You will need to double this recipe if you make the full sized cake!

Ingredients:

• 1 sticks BUTTER, softened
• 3 & 3/4 cups POWDERED SUGAR, sifted
• 1 (8 oz.) package of CREAM CHEESE, sifted
• 2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer cream the butter and cream cheese together using the paddle attachment. 
2. Once the mixture is smooth, turn the mixer down to a low speed and start adding the powdered sugar. 
3. After all of the powdered sugar has been mixed in, add the vanilla. 
4. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and continue mixing for about 3 minutes to make sure everything if fully incorporated. 

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I found this red velvet cake on this website: http://vintagetrinkets.blogspot.sg/2013/08/red-velvet-cake-with-vanilla-cream.html

Fluffy Yellow Cake

This vanilla cake is fluffy and moist and delicious! I'm not sure if it's dense enough to support a wedding cake, but it is perfect on it's own!

To make a 2 layer 9 inch cake you will need: 

• 2 cups SUGAR
• 2 sticks BUTTER, room temperature
• 2 LARGE EGGS, separated, room temperature
• 1 Tbs VANILLA EXTRACT
• 2 cup CAKE FLOUR
• 1 Tbs BAKING POWDER
• 1 tsp SALT
• 1 cup BUTTERMILK, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (330 degrees F Accokeek). Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to cream together the sugar and butter for 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

Measure out the milk and the vanilla in a measuring cup. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients at a medium speed starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

Beat the egg whites until they are thick and foamy.

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between two 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

This batter measures about 6 cups in volume.

Cupcakes didn't work out too well...

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Fluffy Yellow Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups SUGAR
• 2 sticks BUTTER, room temperature
• 2 LARGE EGGS, separated, room temperature
• 1 Tbs VANILLA EXTRACT
• 2 cup CAKE FLOUR
• 1 Tbs BAKING POWDER
• 1 tsp SALT
• 1 cup BUTTERMILK, room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. (330 degrees F Accokeek)
2. Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to cream together the sugar and butter for 2 minutes.
3. Add the egg yolks one at a time. 
4. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Measure out the milk and the vanilla in a measuring cup.
6. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients at a medium speed starting and ending with the dry ingredients. 
7. Beat the egg whites until they are thick and foamy.
8. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter with a spatula.
9. Divide the batter evenly between two 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

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I found this recipe on the following website: http://divascancook.com/moist-yellow-cake-recipe-old-fashioned/

Nancy's Vanilla Cake

I have been searching for a good vanilla cake recipe for about a year now and I have finally found one that I like! This cake has good flavor and has a fairly dense crumb.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Then use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to cream together the sugar and butter for 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time.

Whisk together the cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Measure out the milk and the vanilla in a measuring cup.

Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients at a medium speed starting and ending with the dry ingredients. 

This batter measured to be about 6 - 6 & 1/2 cups of batter. 

Divide the batter evenly between two 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

Here is a 6 inch cake...

Look at that crumb!

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Nancy's Vanilla Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups SUGAR
• 2 sticks BUTTER, room temperature
• 4 LARGE EGGS, room temperature
• 1 & 1/2 cup CAKE FLOUR
• 1 & 1/4 cup ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
• 2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 3/4 tsp SALT
• 1 cup WHOLE MILK, room temperature
• 1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to cream together the sugar and butter for 2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time. 
4. Whisk together the cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Measure out the milk and the vanilla in a measuring cup.
6. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients at a medium speed starting and ending with the dry ingredients. 
7. Divide the batter evenly between two 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

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I found this recipe on the following website: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nancy-fuller/vanilla-birthday-cake-with-chocolate-frosting.html