We all deal with stress differently. Some work out, some go to a gun range, some have a cocktail. Me? I bake.

When I lived in Boulder one of my usual habits was coming home, throwing aside my bag, turning on the oven, and grabbing things from my pantry. I’d throw myself into a recipe with abandon, forget everything else about my day, and just bake. Last Thursday was one of those days. Not enough hours in the day, everyone was tense and overworked, surprise reshoots sprung on us, etc. I came home totally stressed, turned my brain off, and made cinnaswirl bread.

There’s nothing quite like the smell of cinnamon sugar caramelizing on fresh toast, so you can only imagine the awesome smell that permeates every inch of your apartment (or kitchen or house or what have you) when you bake this bread. I will warn you, it is an extremely drawn-out process (almost 4 hours of proofing total, plus 40 minutes of baking, plus 30 minutes of kneading/general prep), so don’t just start this bread without time to finish it. But please finish it. Trust me. Whether it’s for stress relief or just stuffing your face (or both) – it’s well worth the wait.

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Cinnaswirl Bread

Based on the recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

Makes 1 hearty loaf.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 10 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 2½ tsp. active dry yeast
• 2 whole large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 egg and 3 Tbsp. milk beaten together
• 4 Tbsp. softened butter, for brushing and greasing the pan

Directions

1.) In a small saucepan, heat 6 Tbsp. butter with milk over medium-low heat until melted. Let cool to about 110° F. Sprinkle yeast into milk, stir gently, and let sit 10 minutes.

2.) Combine flour and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat eggs and 1/3 cup sugar until combined. Pour in milk-butter-yeast mixture and mix. Add half of the flour mixture and beat to combine. Add remaining flour and mix. Remove the paddle attachment and attach the dough hook.

3.) Knead the dough 8-10 minutes until the gluten develops. The dough will be pretty sticky, but if too sticky to handle, add another few Tbsp. flour and knead a few more minutes.

4.) Take a large glass bowl and fill it with hot running water. Let the bowl warm up, rinse it out, and dry well. Add a little vegetable oil to the bowl. Dump the dough into the oiled bowl and turn over a few times to coat. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set somewhere warm and draft-free to rise for 2 hours. (My trick: wet a washcloth and heat it up in the microwave for 2 minutes, creating a little sauna in your microwave. Quickly switch out the cloth for the bowl and shut the door.)

5.) After 2 hours, flour a large working surface. Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. cinnamon in a small bowl. Dump the dough onto the floured surface and punch the air out, then roll into a rectangle no wider than the loaf pan, but 18-24 inches long. Spread 2 Tbsp. softened butter over rectangle, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar evenly.

6.) Starting at nearest end, roll dough away from you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seams on end and along the length of the loaf to seal.

7.) Grease loaf pan with remaining 2 Tbsp. softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 90 minutes.

8.) Preheat oven to 350° F. Brush loaf with some (but not all) egg-milk mixture and bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven. Once done, remove from the pan and allow bread to cool completely on wire rack. Slice and serve with plenty of butter!

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: baking, bread, breakfast, sweet

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I know I posted some healthy, conscientious, figure-friendly banana chocolate chip muffins awhile ago. They’re great. Delicious. Healthy.

These are greater. More delicious. Not healthy. Many more chocolate chips. A lot more butter. A lot.

I made these as a thank-you gift to Rach’s sister who graciously let us stay at her house this past weekend during my visit to Minnesota. I had the most awesome time in Minnesota seeing Rach and my other girlfriend Steph for the first time since graduation. We laughed, we cooked, we watched Jon Woo movies. It was just like old times. And these muffins was our glorious breakfast for the weekend. The espresso powder doesn’t do much but make the chocolate really sing, and these are so moist they keep for days with no loss in texture or taste.

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Not-Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Based on the recipe from Baked.

Makes 15 muffins.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray 2 large muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, loosely whisk together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

2.) Pour the mixture into the prepared muffin tins and bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Let cool completely on a cooling rack (in the pan) and then remove. The flavor actually gets better the next day, so keep in a airtight storage container and store up to 4 days.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: baking, banana, breakfast, sweet

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Hey! I’m alive.. just crazy busy with my relocation and whatnot. I’m staying here in Kansas City with my folks for a bit while I transition and of course, that means plenty of gentle nudgings and offhand mentions of how such-and-such dish sounds so good and oh wouldn’t it be nice to have this for dinner. In other words, being home is being my mom’s personal chef, and tonight she suggested quiche so I just happened to make it.

I know this is extremely similar to the goat cheese tart, but I’ve said before how I a) love breakfast for dinner and b) love the ease of dishes like this, especially when you use a prepared pie crust. And, well, I was going nuts not posting anything! So enjoy!

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Caramelized Onion & Sun Dried Tomato Quiche

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 prepared or store bought pie crust, at room temperature
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup half-and-half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 medium yellow onion (not sweet)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 450° F with rack set in lower third. Roll out the pie crust to fit a 10” tart pan, fit into shell, and prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake until golden but not too done, about 7-8 minutes.

2.) Lower the oven to 375° F and let the crust cool while you prepare the filling. Slice the ends off the onion and slice thin. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat and add the oil.

3.) Once it’s warm, add the onions, brown sugar, and a good pinch of salt. Give everything a good stir to coat the onions in the oil and sugar, and then cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Don’t stir too often otherwise you won’t get good color.

4.) Remove the onions from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Once they’re cooled, chop the onions up a bit and sprinkle over the bottom of the prepared pie shell. Add the sun dried tomatoes, and the parmesan cheese.

5.) Beat the eggs in a large bowl, seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half and milk, and beat everything together. Pour into the prepared shell and give it a little jiggle to settle everything. Sprinkle a bit more cheese over the top and pop in the oven.

6.) Bake until cooked through and set, about 30-35 minutes. If the edges start to get too brown, crimp some aluminum foil around them until the filling is baked. Enjoy with a nice salad or fresh fruit.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: breakfast, dough, eggs, savory, tomato

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Oh, Easter. In a way you’re my favorite holiday in the culinary world more than any other because your day is devoted to breakfast and brunch, in which all my favorite foods reside. I was going nuts trying to choose what exactly to make for my Easter entry since there is no breakfast/brunch food I don’t love (no – really), and in the end, I had to go with one sweet and one savory dish (to be posted later).

Although we did a lot of the traditional Polish/Catholic customs for Easter growing up (dyeing eggs, strict lent, attending all Easter masses), our usual Easter fare wasn’t Polish at all. We’d have a big breakfast of sweet and savory things like scrambled eggs, potatoes o’brian, and Pillsbury cinnamon rolls before heading to church where I would secretly eat the Eggums I had snuck in my pockets and get disapproving looks from my mother. Then for dinner it would be bone-in ham, au gratin potatoes, and cornbread. There just wasn’t much Polish influence in our meals, so as much as I love my heritage and the food it offers, I decided to go with something we always enjoyed at our modern American Easter brunches.

The Doughboy certainly produces a delicious and fast cinnamon roll, but these just put him to shame. Although mine don’t make that glorious thoomp! sound when you make them, they are still ooey-gooey and rich cinnamon rolls with that cream cheese icing I could just eat by the bowlful. They require very little work (just time to rise) and once you’ve tried a homemade cinnamon roll, you’ll never touched the canned ones again.

Eggs, butter, buttermilk.

Dough + melted butter.

Eat your heart out, Cinnabon.

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Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 rolls.

Adjusted for altitude, but based on the recipe from Serious Eats.

Ingredients

For the rolls:

• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk, warm
• 1 stick unsalted butter, separated into 6 and 2 tablespoons, melted
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4¼ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• scant ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1¾ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• Scant ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

For the frosting:

• 4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions

1. Whisk the ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons warm buttermilk, 6 tablespoons of the melted butter, and eggs together.

2. In a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

3. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 1 minute. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn over a few times until evenly coated, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, checking after an hour.

4. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and a dash of salt together in a small bowl. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press it into a 12 by 16 inch rectangle. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over, leaving a ¾-inch border along the top edge. Press on the filling to make it adhere to the dough as best you can.

5. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seams on the end and the length of the roll closed. Gently roll the cylinder until it is 18 inches long and has an even diameter. Slice into 12 evenly sized rolls using a serrated knife or bench scraper. Arrange the rolls cut-side down in a 9×13 inch glass baking dish that has been greased with the remaining tablespoon of melted butter. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, checking after about an hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Bake until the rolls are golden and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip the rolls out onto a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

7. Whisk the cream cheese and 3 tablespoons buttermilk together until thick and smooth. Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the mixture and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. Flip the rolls upright and drizzle the glaze over them.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: breakfast, holiday, indulge, spring, sweet

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This all started innocently enough. I had just seen “Crazy Heart” and after watching Jeff Bridges make “Bad Blake’s Legendary Biscuits,” I had a hankering I couldn’t ignore. So I turned to my usual goddess of southern cooking, Edna Lewis, and followed her recipe. Unfortunately… this happened:

Wah wah wahhhhhh. They don’t look too good do they? They tasted alright, but obviously they’re small, flat, and well, not very biscuit-y. Every recipe can’t be a winner, even from a trusted cook or source, but you can’t let it get you down. So, like with any challenge, I began to research and play with recipes. Butter vs. shortening, salt amounts, homemade baking powder vs. store-bought. And as always, altitude challenges. Finally, four rounds later, I made these gorgeous things today:

Victory! They taste even better than they look, too. I ended up using salted butter (just gave better flavor), homemade baking powder (from Edna), and just the right ratios to make sure they rose nice and proper here in the mountains. Nice crisp top and bottom, airy and moist on the inside, just begging to be slathered in more butter and strawberry jam.

Nice shaggy dough mess.

Ignore my chicken scratch.

Ready to bake!

White on white on white.

Golden brown.

I recently acquired this huge box of plates from an elderly couple who passed away. They traveled for 40+ years and got a plate from every place they went including Egypt, Monaco, Australia, Jerusalem… they were a cool pair. This one is from Denmark and I now have a huge boxful with others like it, plus so many other neat styles/shapes.

Half buttered, half jam, please!

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Buttermilk Biscuits

Big ol’ note – I made this for high altitude and have no version for sea level. My suggestion is to play with it yourself, first by reducing the liquid and increasing the baking powder. Then just have fun!

Makes about 7-8 biscuits.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 tablespoon homemade baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, plus extra for brushing

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F with the rack set in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the dry ingredients with the butter a few times until the butter is pea-sized. Pour everything into a mixing bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir until just combined.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Roll out or pat the dough ½” thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter or anything else that’s 2 inches and round, stamp out biscuits as close together as possible. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet. Pat the dough scraps together and cut more biscuits until everything is used. Pierce the top of each biscuit 3 times with a fork.
4. When ready to bake, brush with extra buttermilk. Bake until golden brown, about 15-17 minutes. Serve immediately with jam and more butter, because it’s right.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bread, breakfast, dough, savory, sidedish

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