TWD: Chocolate Babka

Okay.... So it’s time for our holiday baking with the “Tuesday’s With Dorie” group that I bake with and several years ago I tried my hand at the “Chocolate Babka” that everyone was raving about. Traditionally it is filled, rolled into a loaf and covered with a very yummy streusel topping, but here at the pantry, my little helping hands mistakenly added the streusel in the middle before we rolled it and they wanted to make it star shaped like another recipe the girls were looking at, so we drizzled vanilla glaze over the top of ours. Another side note: our loaf is filled with homemade chocolate cream cheese filling made with fresh ground cacao nibs that my friend gave us, instead of the unsweetened cocoa powder that the recipe calls for. Loved how easy and pretty my loaves turned out. 

The recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty and Simple”. On page 35. 

Also… there is an awesome group of photo instructions explaining how to make the Star Shape can be found at the following link: Star Shaped Brioche

"Tuesday's with Dorie" - Buttermilk Scones

Today, I got a chance to spend some extra time in the kitchen, so I decided to make up the "Tuesday's with Dori" recipe that I missed at the first of the month. The Buttermilk Scones were really good and I would highly recommend them. The recipe is actually an old Julia Child's recipe... And all you have to do is google it.

"TBHD" - Plum Upside Down Cake

Today for our "Tuesday’s With Dorie” challenge we are making "Crumb-Topped Ricotta Coffee Cake” found on page 79 in Dorie Greenspan’s new cookbook entitled Baking With Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple. 

The fruit I chose to use in this recipe was plums. They were very tasty and reminded me a lot of the "Rhubarb Upside Down Cake that we made for "Tuesday's With Dorie" back in May of 2015. My cake baked up a little dark on the bottom, I think because I used a clear glass baking dish. I think next time I am going to try baking it in a dutch oven or cast iron skillet like for a BBQ.

if you would like to check out any of my other recipes, visit my pantry blog at www.thepantrylife.blogspot.com

Amish Style Sticky Buns

 This is what happens when at 8:00 pm you are still craving the Amish Sticky buns that you have been craving for three days…. 🥰

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1/2 cup butter, melted

4 - 41/2cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons dry active yeast

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup of pecan halves, broken or rough chopped (optional, if you like lots of pecans)

Gooey Caramel Sauce for bottom of pan:

2/3 cups brown sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup pecan halves, rough chopped

Directions:

Thick coat a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter or shorting.

Place warm milk and yeast into your mixing bowl and let it sit until the mixture becomes bubbly and active. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Add melted butter, salt, and white sugar into your mixer or bowl. Mix together until smooth and silky looking about 2 mins. Add half the flour and mix with a large spoon. If you are using a kitchenaid mixer, you can knead the dough on the dough hook for 5 minutes.  Now add 2 more cups of flour, stir until blended, If you are using a regular bowl, remove the dough from the bowl and knead it on a floured surface for 5 minutes, if using mixer, knead dough another 5 minutes. Add the other 1/2 cup Flour only if dough is still really sticky. Place dough under a large bread towel and let it rise for about 20 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.  

 While dough is rising, make the filling by combining brown sugar and cinnamon, melt or soften butter and set aside. 

To Make your gooey caramel sauce for the bottom.  Place the brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and butter into a saucepan over low heat.  Mix until the sugar has melted and you have a smooth sauce, about 5-6 minutes.  Spread over the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan and sprinkle with the pecan halves, roughly chopped.

On a floured surface, roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. The key to these buns is to leave your dough thick. About 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in thickness. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. (Sprinkle with crushed pecans, optional if you love pecans, we don’t add peacans here) Roll up dough, jelly roll style, pinch seam and ends to seal and cut into 8-12 rolls. Place each roll in the prepared pan on top of the gooey caramel sauce and pecans.

Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30-40 minutes. preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown and not doughy in the center… about 30 minutes.  Invert pan onto a tray and serve warm. Enjoy!

Let’s Talk Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin 
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed 
• 1 quart bottle whole peeled tomatoes in their juice 
• 2 large fresh whole tomatoes (diced)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more if you like your food spicier) 
• 1/4 teaspoon dried celery top
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper  

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, melt one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon of olive oil
2. Add the sliced onion and smashed garlic to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes until softened and semi-translucent. Stir occasionally, it’s okay if the edges on the onion start to brown.
3. Add crushed red pepper, dried celery tops, dried parsley and oregano to a blender or food processor and pulse for 5 times, I like to use my mortar & pestal, I blend my spices while my onions are sautéing. 
4. Next blend jar of tomatoes and fresh diced tomatoes together in blender until smooth, strain out the seeds. Pour Tomato mixture back into blender, add onion mixture and spices, blend again until well mixed. Pour mixture back into the large sauce pan that you used to cook the onion mixture.
5. Bring the soup mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Next add chicken stock and heavy cream, pouring and stirring slowly as to not curdle the cream.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with buttery croutons or serve with your favorite grilled cheese sandwich.