Pastry: Easy Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is actually very easy to make, if you have the time. While it doesn't take any particular skill, it does take all day. There's a lot of folding, a lot of rolling, and a lot of spreading butter on the dough, not to mention the time the dough will spend chilling in the refrigerator. It's worth the effort if you like to bake things from scratch.


The real secret to this dough is keeping it cold. Refrigerate it between steps and use ice cold water in the dough itself. You might even want to use a metal rolling pin that has been refrigerated overnight. The dough will turn out all the better for it. Just don't substitute anything for the butter. No margarine, no shortening, nothing. Just butter.


When you work with puff pastry, make sure to keep it cold. Refrigerate the portions you're not working with. Puff pastry should go from the fridge to the oven for best results. If you're going to reroll puff pastry that you've cut, don't roll it up into a ball first. Layer it instead, then roll, or your pastry will not puff properly.


Ingredients


3 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 cup ice water
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups butter, softened


Preparation


This dough is relatively simple, so throw everything except the butter into a large bowl and mix until you have a soft dough that you can manipulate. Add a little extra water if you have to, but not so much that you end up with a sticky mess. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into a 12x15-inch rectangle.


Spread with ¼ cup butter, but stay about an inch away from all edges. Fold into thirds so that you have a 12x5-inch rectangle, making sure to fold over the butter. Pinch edges sealed and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.


Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out again until it is a 12x15-inch rectangle once more. Spread with another ¼ cup of butter. Fold into thirds, pinch edges until they're sealed, cover, and refrigerate for another hour. Continue to repeat this process until you have no more butter. Make sure you have folded, sealed, and rolled out the dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle.


At this point, you can use the puff pastry immediately for freeze for future use. If you're freezing it, place the entire 12x15-inch rectangle between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll up the dough gently and freeze.


Before you use the frozen dough, let it thaw on the counter for at least 2 hours.


This puff pastry can be used in any recipe calling for puff pastry.

Twisted Rye Bread

This rye bread has two different flavors twisted together. One half is a more traditional rye bread, the other is flavored with cocoa powder. The trick here is to basically make two half-portions of dough. So there will be two separate ingredients for Twisted Rye Bread.


Ingredients


For the Rye Half
¾ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
½ rye flour
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup milk
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp butter or margarine




For the Cocoa Half
¾ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
½ rye flour
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup milk
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp anise seed


Preparation


You're basically going to make 2 smaller batches of dough. Their both made in much the same way. Combine the ingredients for the first batch in a medium bowl. Blend until a loose dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough is soft and elastic. Repeat with the other batch. You now have 2 portions of dough.


Place each dough in its own oiled bowl and cover. Let both rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down both portions. One at a time, roll them out with your hands until you have 2 14-inch ropes of dough. Lay these ropes side by side. Pinch them together at one end, then twist them together loosely. Pinch the ropes together at the unsealed end.


Place the twisted loaf on a prepared cookie sheet. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Bake loaf to 25 minutes, until it sounds hollow when tapped. Cool at least 2 minutes before cutting.

Drop Cookies: Raspberry Twinks

These cookies feature poppy seeds and raspberry jam. Twinks are adaptable, so you can leave out the poppy seeds and use a different type of fruit preserve. Try marmalade, cherry preserves, or strawberry jam instead of raspberry. You won't be disappointed.


Ingredients


½ cup powdered sugar
½ butter or margarine, softened
½ tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
¼ cup raspberry jam


Preparation


Heat oven to 300°F. Cream together the sugar, butter, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour, salt, and poppy seeds. Mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a prepared cookie sheet. Fashion each cookie into a ball shape. Press your thumb into the center of each cookie, making a small indentation.


Using a small spoon, place jam in the indentation of each cookie. Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove immediately from cookie sheet. Cool completely before eating.


This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Drop Cookies: Marshmallow Sandwiches

These cookies are decadent, so you probably won't make them every day. Or you might, if you have kids who love them as much as mine do. They look complicated, but they're not. Bake the cookies, cool, melt some marshmallows. Let set. Done.


For melting marshmallows, I definitely recommend using an electric chocolate melter or fondue pot. The marshmallows will melt well enough and you don't have to bother using the microwave. The fondue pot will keep the marshmallows warm and soft while you work as well, making spreading them over the cookies easier. While you can use the microwave or a pot on the stove, a fondue pot is definitely easier.


Ingredients


1 cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ salt
10 large marshmallows
1 tsp butter


Preparation


Heat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream together sugar, ½ cup butter, vanilla, and egg. Add milk and stir gently until you have a consistent liquid batter. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well until you have a cookie dough that is consistent but still very wet.


Using two teaspoons, drop balls of dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. Use about 2 tsp of dough for each cookie. You should get between 30 and 40 cookies, depending on how large you make them. Bake for 7 minutes, until the edges are set. Allow to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then cool completely on wire racks.


When cookies are completely cooled, melt marshmallow and 1 tsp of butter and blend well. While the marshmallows are still hot, pick up a cookie and turn it over. Spread some of the marshmallows on the bottom of the cookie. Top with another cookie, creating a puffy-looking sandwich. Allow to set before eating.


This recipe makes between 15 and 20 sandwiches.

Yeast Breads: Caraway Rye Bread

Caraway seeds are delicious, especially when paired with a mild onion flavor. That's what makes this bread tasty. You can use this bread for sandwiches, toast, or simply throw scrambled eggs on top of it and call it a day. It's versatile and it smells great as its baking.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rye flour
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp onion powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1⅛ cup water
1 egg, slightly beaten
Coarse salt


Preparation


There's no need to dissolve quick rise yeast, so throw everything except the egg and the coarse salt into a large bowl and mix until you have a consistent dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and slightly stretchy. Place in a slightly oiled bowl and cover loosely. Let rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 hour.


Punch down dough, removing all air bubbles. Shape dough into a loaf. You can use a greased bread pan if you like, though for this dough I don't. Cover the loaf once again and allow to rise, this time about 45 minutes. It should once again double in size.


Heat oven to 375°F. Use a bread lame or a sharp knife to create slightly gashes in the loaf. These gashes should run diagonally and be no deeper than ¼-inch deep. Brush the loaf with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 22 minutes, until loaf is browned and sounds hollow when tapped.


Allow loaf to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting.

Easy Side Dishes: Teriyaki Risotto

Rice is great. It's delicious and versatile, lending itself well toward a Teriyaki Risotto. I've used a teriyaki sauce that I'd previously made in this recipe. You can make your own sauce, or you can buy a small jar of teriyaki sauce. Either way works well enough.


Ingredients


2 tbsp olive oil
1 chicken breast, skinless and boneless
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 tbsp mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sesame seeds


Preparation


In a small saucepan, combine water and chicken stock. Heat over very low heat. You only need to keep the liquid at a bare simmer, just enough so it isn't cold.


Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast, cooking until cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes per side. Remove chicken and drain on paper towels. Add shallots and garlic cloves to the skillet. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add rice and toss to coat.


Using a large ladle, add some of the liquid from the saucepan one scoop at a time. Stir almost constantly, adding more liquid as the liquid is absorbed by the rice. Keep stirring as you add the salt, pepper, and teriyaki sauce. Chop the chicken breast during this time. When you add the very last of your liquid, stir in the frozen peas and the chopped chicken. Stir as the last of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.


Add the cheeses and the butter and stir until both are melted. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.


This recipe serves 4 if it's used as a side dish. 2 if it's used as a main dish.

Sandwiches & Burgers: Sizzling Fajitas

The best thing about Sizzling Fajitas is you can put anything you like in them. Don't like onion? Leave them out. Want more sour cream? No one's stopping you. They're the ultimate in customizable food. But having somewhere to start, especially when it comes to seasoning your chicken, is helpful.


Ingredients


¾ cup lime juice
½ cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cumin
1½ tsp hot pepper flakes
4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
l large tomato, chopped
¾ cup salsa
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Lettuce, shredded
8 flour tortillas, warmed


Preparation


In a large bowl, combine lime juice, oil, salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Whisk together until well combined. This is your marinade. Reserve half of it in a smaller bowl. Place the chicken in the larger bowl with the marinade. Turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. I like to leave it for an hour or two. This lets the chicken really absorb the flavor of the marinade.


Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Also add half of the reserve marinade from the smaller bowl. Only half. You'll need the other half of the reserve marinade later. Stir-fry the onion and bell pepper until they are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. You don't want them too soft. Just barely tender. Remove from heat.


Take the chicken out of its marinade and grill or broil it for 7 to 10 minutes per side, until cooked throughout. Discard the chicken's marinade (it's had raw chicken in it, after all). Use the other half of the reserve marinade (the one in the smaller bowl) to baste the chicken as it cooks. When chicken is cooked, remove from grill and slice into thin strips. Place the strips in the skillet with the onion and pepper. Toss to coat everything well.


Lay out the flour tortillas and fill with the chicken mixture. Add sour cream, salsa, tomato, lettuce, cheese, or any other toppings you like. Roll up to enclose the filling. Place seam-side down. Top with sour cream and more cheese, if desired. Sprinkle with chives or parsley.


Serve immediately.