Honey Yeast Rolls

Delicious!

Sweet Naomi approves!

Let me preface this recipe with a few thoughts.
1) Baking perfect yeast breads isn't rocket science.  It feels more like art to me.  Pardon me for not being super exact with every measurement, but I promise, this is a pretty hard recipe to mess up.  Treat it like art, something you do for your soul, and the results will most likely be tasty.  And the more you do it, the better you'll become at it.
2) Some hard rules (just a few!):  make sure your yeast is in date.  This one can ruin any good recipe.  I've learned this the hard way so many times and it is no fun.

Yeast and water- see the bubbles?
If it isn't bubbly, the yeast is no good

Also, while most of the measurements can be eyeballed, actually measure the salt.  Too much will prevent a good rise.  Thirdly, don't be afraid of a wet(ish) dough.  Stiff dough makes tough bread (great for croutons though, haha).
3) If you don't own a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can still make great bread.  It just takes more work.  If you can afford one, it makes every kitcheny thing easier.  I love mine.  Rabbit and I joke that mine was the costliest gift I've ever received- there's a story there, I'll tell it one day.

Best part of this recipe- it can be made into amazing cinnamon rolls in a jiff, and all the ingredients are easy to keep on hand.

Place 5t active dry yeast (or 2 packets if that's what you have on hand) in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Add 1/2c warm water (about 100 degrees F) and let sit for 5 minutes to dissolve yeast.
In a microwaveable bowl, combine 4T unsalted butter (half stick) and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of honey.  Microwave 30 seconds, or until butter is melted.  Add 1T salt and 1-1/2c very warm water.  Stir until everything is well combined.  Pour this into the mixer bowl with the yeast.  Stir to combine.
At this point, begin adding flour and mixing to incorporate.  If you want to use whole wheat flour for a portion of the total flour, add this first.  Whole wheat flour is drier than all-purpose flour, so you will use less. (I recommend not using whole wheat for the total flour content.  Some people love the denser texture and nutty taste- we do- but I find that the rolls don't store as well and are very tough if not consumed right away.)

Time to change to the dough hook

Adding a cup of flour at a time, mix using the regular paddle until the dough starts to get stringy and is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.  Switch to the dough hook, and continue adding flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing each addition until well incorporated.  You will know you've added enough when the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl.  (It usually works out to be around 6 cups of flour.)  It may still seem quite tacky, but THAT'S OKAY.  If it is too sticky to touch without making a huge mess, add a little more flour.  Otherwise, you're done.

Still just a bit too sticky 

Looks good- tacky, but not sticky

Grease a large plastic bowl (I use shortening), toss your dough in and flip to cover all sides with whatever you used to grease it, cover with a clean towel, and set it in a warm place to rise.  Easy peasy.  I generally let it rise about an hour before shaping it.

Before first rise

After first rise

Punch the dough down once it has at least doubled in volume.  This recipe usually triples in volume on the first rise, but don't be discouraged if yours didn't.  Shape it into rolls about the size of golf-balls and place these close together (maybe 1/2 inch apart?) on a large baking sheet.  I put parchment paper on mine first for easiest cleanup.  Cover the rolls with the towel again and allow to rise once more, around 30 minutes.

Before second rise

When it's time to bake, don't worry about preheating oven- just pop the rolls in and turn it on to 375 degrees F.  Depending on how big you made them, they'll take between 20-30 minutes.  Pull them out when they are golden brown on top.  To make them extra fancy, I brush the tops with a beaten egg at the end of baking and return them to the oven for about a minute to make the tops glossy.  This extra step makes a big difference in presentation!

Sans eggwash

The egg makes a bug difference!

Makes about 2 dozen large dinner rolls (I saved half the dough to make cinnamon rolls this time).

Look for my cinnamon roll recipe using this dough in tomorrow's post.  And don't forget to pin/share!

Sweet Cinnamon-Pecan Brie en Croute

Tastes: Sweet and warm and rich
Serve it up:  This grown-up hors d'oeuvre is wonderful paired with a tray of grapes and sliced pears.  Add some water crackers, and life is good!

To market, to market:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 T butter
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/4 t cinnamon
8-oz wheel of brie
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Thaw puff pastry according to package directions, then unfold.  While pastry is thawing and oven is heating, combine cinnamon, butter, and pecans in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir constantly, until pecans are dark and fragrant (takes just a minute, so be careful not to burn them!).  Lay the puff pastry out flat, center the wheel of brie on it, and top with pecans.  Sprinkle the brown sugar all over the top then gather the corners of the pastry up around the brie.  Tie with baker's twine to secure (it'll look like a pastry "purse").  Brush the whole thing with the egg, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden and puffed.  Serve on a platter, as it'll start to run just a bit when you cut into it.

A note about brie:  some people have asked what to do with the rind on the brie.  I say, eat it!  You can cut it off prior to cooking it in the recipe, but it has a very complex flavor that adds a lot to the recipe.  Traditionally, you leave it on for a brie en croute.

Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

If you come to visit my house, you may get turned into a burger model!  Thanks Ali Darger!

We eat primarily meatless here in the nest, mostly to save money.  But it isn't saving a dime to buy faux-meat flavored to taste like meat, and it sure isn't good for our health (most of those products are loaded with sodium)!  Although we do still buy Gardein and Morningstar Farms products occasionally, my husband is pushing hard for us to make more of our meatless entrees from scratch, and not trying to make them taste like meat.  (Don't worry, he's a meat man, too- he's just big on real food.  If it's made from a bean, it ought to taste like a bean!)  So here is our first burger attempt.  It was great!

To market, to market:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (I used the tricolor variety)

water

1 cup dried black beans

1 cube Knorr vegetable bouillon

1/3 cup diced onion

1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (I used orange)

1/2 of a small jalapeno pepper, chopped

3 T olive oil

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

After cooking 

Cook your black beans per directions on the package.  This involves soaking them overnight or doing a "quick soak", then cooking them.  To save time, you can use one can of black beans, but be sure to drain them well.  Cool the beans while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Cooked quinoa

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine quinoa with 1 cup of water and the vegetable bouillon cube.  Cover and microwave 5 minutes, then stir and microwave another 3 minutes.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let cool to room temp.

Saute the onion and peppers in the olive oil until fragrant and soft, then transfer to a food processor.  Pulse until smooth, then add black beans and bread crumbs.  Pulse until combined.  Scrape mixture into the bowl with the quinoa and stir to incorporate.  Taste this mixture and salt/pepper as necessary.  Stir in the egg.

Shape the mixture into 6-7 burger patties and place each on wax paper and into the fridge to "firm up".  I placed mine in the fridge for one hour prior to cooking.

I'm all for mess-free oven cooking, so I lined a baking sheet with foil, sprayed lightly with cooking spray, and placed the patties on it.  These went into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  About 20 minutes into cooking, I flipped them over so both sides got nice and crispy, but the inside was moist and chewy.  I also saved a few to cook the next day, and they turned out very well also.

Quick Fruit Sorbet

So I made these for my sweetheart last night, and he thought they were tasty and cute...  I think you'll agree!
Great for:  Hot summer afternoons, especially when fresh fruits are in season

To market, to market:
1 large banana, broken into chunks
2 cups other fresh fruit (I used strawberries and blueberries)
2 T lemon juice
1 T sugar or honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour into a freezer bag, and freeze for 2-3 hours, until very thick.  Break the sorbet into chunks (you can do this in the bag just by bending it some), and return to blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour the icy mixture into ice cube trays or silicon muffin pans and return to freezer for another hour or so.  Serve!

Didn't I tell you it was tasty and cute?

Fruit and Nut Granola

This is a deliciously nutty topping for yogurt, but you can use it as a cereal too!  Feel free to experiment with different nuts or dried fruits.  Note, this is not a chunky/clumpy granola, but you can achieve that by using honey instead of maple syrup (honey just has an overwhelming taste, in my opinion, and maple syrup is THE BOMB in this granola) and add a tablespoon or two of melted butter.

Combine in a large bowl:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup dried fruit

1 T cinnamon

1/2 cup maple syrup

dash of salt

3-4 cups oats

Stir till everything is combined and let rest 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray, spread the granola evenly over it, and pop in oven for 30-40 minutes.  You'll want to check up on it, and stir it every 10 minutes until it is nice and fragrant, and golden brown.  Remove from oven, cool completely, and store in an airtight container.  Stores well in fridge for several weeks.

40-Minute Yeast Rolls

I told you we make them huge!

This is my no-frills, very basic yeast roll recipe, and it is fabulous.  I use white whole-wheat flour in my house for just about everything, but have used enriched all-purpose flour too.  These rolls, when made small, are great for family dinners and potlucks (recipe yields 20-24 small pull-apart rolls), but we make 6-9 huge rolls with each batch of dough for burgers, sandwiches, etc.
Another note.... they rise for 40 minutes.  Total time, start to finish, is less than an hour, but a bit more than 40 minutes.  Sorry for any confusion.

To market, to market:
7 tsp active-dry yeast (if you're using the packets, just use 3 of them)
1 cup plus 1 T very warm water (not hot, or you'll kill the yeast- think baby's bathwater temp)
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar (depends on how sweet you want them, I go with 1/3 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 cups white whole wheat flour (if you use AP flour, that is FINE- just realize it may take another half cup of flour to get the right consistency, as white/processed flour is "wetter" than whole wheat)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast and warm water.  Let sit for 5 minutes, until yeast dissolves and is quite frothy.  Add oil, sugar and salt, and stir to combine.  Add 2 cups of the flour, and mix on low speed until smooth.  Change to a dough hook, and set the mixer to low, adding flour a tablespoon at a time, until a smooth, elastic dough is achieved (the dough will still be tacky/slightly sticky).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (the ultimate in quick-cleanup baking! love!) or spray baking sheet with a bit of canola oil spray.  Roll dough into balls (about the size of golf balls for small dinner rolls, or about the size of baseballs for sandwich buns) and place on baking sheet spaced 1/2 to 1 inch apart.  As the dough rises, the rolls will start to touch.  This is fine! It yields a higher rise.  Lay a clean tea towel (dish towel?) over the rolls, and let rise in a warm spot for 40 minutes.  Remove towel and bake at 425 degrees for 7-9 minutes.  Done!

Dough prior to rising

Dough after rising

More notes:  Letting the dough rise for longer is fine, but don't exceed 70 minutes.  It tends to go downhill from there, in taste and appearance, rather quickly.
I coat my hands in cooking spray to roll out the dough.  Less sticky that way.
If you don't have a warm place to let your dough rise, try this:  When you start making the dough, turn your oven on to 350, for just one minute.  Then turn off the oven, and open the door a bit.  When you're ready to let the rolls rise, feel one of the racks in the oven to make sure it is not hot, just warm, and place your rolls on the rack to rise, shutting the oven door.  Using this method, you don't have to cover them with a towel, and I don't even preheat the oven when it's time to bake.  I just make sure they've risen enough, turn the oven on, and pull them out 9 minutes later.  How easy is that?!?!

Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls

Alright, ladies and gentlemen- this is epic, so bookmark this page.  Here, I give you my best yeast roll recipe, perfect for wowwing basically everyone.
Tastes: Sweet and yeasty (in a good way), with a hint of squash flavor
Reminds me of: Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners- decadent!
Make it a meal:  These are great for sandwiches or burgers, or as a side to accompany soup and salad

A NOTE BEFOREHAND:
This recipe makes 40-50 bun-sized rolls.  It halves or quarters very well, and if you are using a stand mixer to make your dough, I suggest at least halving the recipe.  Otherwise, proceed with caution, because it will take your Kitchenaid to its limits.  It sure does for mine!
ALSO
You can use pureed (cooked) sweet potatoes or pumpkin in place of the butternut squash.  All are wonderful, but we tend to always have at least one butternut squash on hand at all times (such a long shelf life) so that is how I make them.  To make the puree, I roast a squash on foil in the oven for 1-2 hours at 350 degrees.  Let it cool completely, then halve, scoop out the pulp, and mash by hand, puree in a blender, or use an immersion blender.  Freeze what you don't use now, and thaw it later to make more tasty treats.  The same works for sweet potatoes or pumpkin.

You'll need:
2 cups pureed butternut squash
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups warm milk (I use skim- it's just fine either way)
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2.5 Tbsp yeast (yes, it is a lot, I know)
2 cups whole wheat
9-10 cups all purpose flour

Combine first 6 ingredients in the bowl of your blender and mix well.  Add yeast, whole wheat flour, and 6 cups of the all purpose flour.  Mix, then switch to a dough hook, or turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface and incorporate the remaining AP flour, until the dough is elastic and slightly tacky, but not sticky.  Transfer the dough to a very large oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, then cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot  for 90 minutes.  Punch the dough down, divide in quarters, then divide each quarter into 12 balls and place balls on a greased baking sheet about an in apart.  Spray tops lightly with cooking spray, then cover each tray with a clean towel and let rise for another 45 minutes.  Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven, brush tops with orange juice glaze (instructions below) if desired,  and return to oven for another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rolls cool, then remove from baking sheets.  Delicious on their own, or for a dessert-like treat, serve with orange butter (instructions below).

Orange Juice Glaze and Orange Butter:
The glaze seals moisture into the rolls, and makes them better for slicing or reheating. Combine 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and brush over the tops of the rolls, reserving the rest of the glaze to make orange butter.  For this, combine the remaining glaze with 6 tablespoons butter, and stir until butter has melted.  Refrigerate until solid (or mostly solid) then beat with an electric mixer until whipped and smooth.  Serve on rolls.