September 28, 2012 By headchef
We have made quite a few different French Bread recipes. They all take about 3 hours to make. It is hard to find 3 hours where we are not on the go. This recipe takes about 1.5 hours start to finish. I was skeptical it would taste great because the time was cut in half, but it had great reviews so we decided to go ahead and try it.
The yeast, water and honey were added together until foamy.
While we were waiting Little Chef D measured out the flour and salt.
After foaming the salt/flour mixture was added to the yeast mixture and kneaded. We knew it was ready when we pushed in the dough and it bounced back. The dough was set in a greased bowl, covered and put in a warm place. If you don’t have a warm place you can use Alton Brown’s technique of putting a shallow pan of boiling water underneath the dough in the oven.
After 30 minutes we punched it down, divided it in two and then formed the loaves as directed. Little Chef D was super excited to learn how to do this.
Place it in a warm area to rise for a second time.
Put it in the oven to bake. To make the crust extra crispy put the loaves directly on the oven rack for 3 minutes to get an even crust at the end of baking.
Doesn’t it look delicious! It was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. We only ate one loaf the first night. We stored the second loaf in a bread bag. The next day we ate it and loved it just as much. Little Chef A said it wasn’t quite like the stores the second day because it didn’t have a crunchy crust. I told her it was because we stored it in a plastic bag. We will definitely be making this recipe again! Little Chef D was SO proud SHE made this amazing bread! Hearing that always makes cooking with my kids worth it!
Homemade French Baguettes
Kelsey Nixon
Ingredients2 envelopes dry active yeast (1 1/2 Tablespoons)2 tablespoons honey3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting2 teaspoons saltCanola oil, for greasing bowlCornmeal, for dusting pan3 to 4 ice cubesServing suggestions: ricotta cheese and acacia honey
Directions
Combine the honey, yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Stir to combine and let the mixture stand until the yeast is activated and begins to foam, 5 minutes.
Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl with a dough hook and slowly add the yeast mixture. Gradually add 1 cup warm water and mix until the dough comes together into a ball that is not too wet (you may not need all the water ). If the dough is sticky, add a little bit more flour. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 2 to 6 minutes. You can do the thumbprint test: press in the dough with your thumb and it should bounce back when it’s ready.
Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a dishcloth, so it doesn’t dry out. Let rest in a warm environment until doubled in size, 25 to 30 minutes.
Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape into 2 baguettes by making a flat rectangle out of your dough, then folding the top and bottom towards the middle, like an envelope and seling the seam with your fingers. Keep repeating the folding and sealing, stretching the rectangle lengthwise as you go, until it’s about 12 to 14 inches long and 2 inches wide. Fold and seal either end to round. Flip seam-side down and place on a sheet pan or baguette pan that has been dusted with cornmeal. Score the tops of the loaves, making deep diagonal slits 1/2-inch deep, cover with a dishcloth and let rise in a warm environment until they have doubled in size, 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and position your oven racks with one on the bottom and the other in the middle. Place an oven-safe (non-glass) bowl or pan on the bottom rack.
When your bread has doubled for the second time, remove the towel and quickly and simultaneously, slide the sheet tray with the baguettes onto the middle rack while carefully throwing the ice cubes into the bowl on the bottom rack. The ice will create a burst of steam that will give you a nice crispy crust. Quickly shut the oven door so no steam escapes. Bake the baguettes until golden brown, 15 minutes.
Cooks Note: If you have a glass window on your oven, place a towel over it when throwing the ice in, hot glass can shatter if ice touches it.
September 27, 2012 By headchef
Welcome to Fantastic Thursday!
Thanks to all who linked up last week! Each of you help make this party successful!
Be sure to come back next week to see if you have been featured and to link up your latest creation!
I’d appreciate it if you would link up in some way; button or text link to this party to spread the word.
Our most viewed recipe from last week’s party is World’s Best Brownies
from akawest. I was just looking to try a few new brownie recipes. This one I must try!
Let’s get the party started! I’m excited to see what you have to share!
Recipes are wonderful, but crafts and other ideas are also welcome!
Thanks so much for choosing to link up at Five Little Chefs!
‘);
September 26, 2012 By headchef
Today we have an impressive meal to share. This was our very first time trying it. What I love about Sesame-Ginger Salmon en Papillote is the sauce and the convenience of all the vegetables and fish in a cute little packet. Pass one out per person and dinner is served! We didn’t change to much of this recipe. The marinade was made almost as directed. Little Chef A poured the sesame oil out too fast and some spilled over the teaspoon into the bowl. She wasn’t sure what to do. At the same time I was saying don’t pour it all in Little Chef Dad was saying it doesn’t matter pour it all in. Of course the louder voice wins out and more then enough is poured into the bowl. Does he even know what it tastes like?! It is strong and that is the very first thing I taste in a recipe like this. He colors in and out of the lines freely and I color in!
We had to watch the video to see how to cut the baby bok choy because we have never used this ingredient. We replaced the red bell pepper for matchstick carrots. Little Chef A mounded all the vegetables together and one Tablespoon of marinade on top to season. Notice how everything is to one side of the fold.
Little Chef A LOVED transferring the salmon to the top of the mound. She LOVED adding the marinade and the generous black pepper on top of each fillet.
We again had to watch the video to see how to fold the paper properly. After trying once with her method we decided to alter it a bit. Little Chef A was having a hard time folding the paper when there wasn’t much wiggle room. We transferred everything over to a new full piece of parchment paper and folded it very easily. I would recommend a full piece for the beginner!
After 10 minutes some were puffy, and some were not. I didn’t want to over cook the fish and I thought the others didn’t puff up because the folding was not up to par. We placed them on individual plates and opened them up. They smelled great! However the fish was not done. What to do now that the packets were opened?! We put them in the microwave for 1 minute each and then they were fully cooked.
EVERYONE loved this meal! This was a HUGE winner! The vegetables were seasoned well along with the salmon. We would love to make this again, however infrequently, ONLY because of the cost.
Sesame-Ginger Salmon en Papillote
Kelsey Nixon
Ingredients
- Zest of 1/2 an orange
- 1 teaspoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 heads baby bok choy, ends trimmed and cut into thirds through the stem
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup bean sprouts
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil, for brushing packets
- 1/3 cup diagonally thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
- Cook’s Note: Aluminum foil can be substituted for parchment paper.
- Unfold and arrange the pieces of parchment on 2 baking sheets.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the orange zest, ginger, soy sauce, orange juice, vinegar, sesame oil and honey together in a small bowl; set aside.
Fold 4 (16 by-12-inch) parchment paper squares in 1/2 lengthwise.
Evenly divide the bok choy, bell peppers, and bean sprouts among the 4 parchment packets. Season the vegetables with 1 tablespoon sesame-ginger marinade. Place a salmon fillet on top of the vegetables and season with the black pepper and an additional tablespoon of the marinade.
Fold the top half of the parchment over the fish, and overlap small folds along the open edge to seal. Brush each packet with olive oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the parchment paper puffs up.
Transfer the parchment packets to plates. Carefully cut the packets open, avoiding the hot steam, and serve.
September 24, 2012 By headchef
The Little Chefs are off track so we have been doing some traveling. We have had a rough few months and have needed to take a break and just have fun away from home! Denver was last week which was a work and play trip. We are on our way home from Southern California today which was a play trip. I’m hoping to stop by the M&M; store in Vegas today. I told the Little Chefs about it weeks ago when we were planning the details, but then plans were drastically changed. I’m still hoping we can take a break and have some fun at the store while we stretch our legs a bit. They will be very disappointed if we cannot fit it in. With all this fun we have been having I’m hoping when school starts again next week good things will happen.
September 21, 2012 By headchef
We saw some fresh blueberries and wanted to do something with them. We looked through one of our favorite recipes books and found To Die For Blueberry Muffins. Little Chef A and Little Chef D were working together this time on this recipe. Little Chef A measured out the flour, salt and baking powder. I helped her measure out 1/3 cup vegetable oil in a 1 cup measuring cup. She then cracked an egg to add to it and then filled the measuring cup the rest of the way with milk. It was an interesting way to measure out those ingredients, but we worked through it.
The blueberries were measured out 2 for the cup, 1 for me, 2 for the cup, 1 for me. They were then folded in very carefully.
The topping was mixed together and then Little Chef D sprinkled it on top of the muffins.
When we checked the muffins halfway through we realized we made a huge mistake! We did not add the butter to the topping. Oh well. We let it cook until done then shook off the topping and ate the muffin sans topping. The muffins were great. We would make them again and next time make sure to add the butter to the crumb topping!
To Die For Blueberry Muffins
allrecipes.com
Ingredients1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour3/4 cup white sugar1/2 teaspoon salt2 teaspoon baking powder1/3 cup vegetable oil1 egg, beaten1/3 cup milk1 cup fresh blueberries1/2 cup white sugar1/3 cup all-purpose flour1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, cubed
Directions1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a muffin pan or line with muffin papers.2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Add the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top and set aside.3. Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. S[rinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.
September 20, 2012 By headchef
Welcome to Fantastic Thursday!
Thanks to all who linked up last week! Each of you help make this party successful!
Be sure to come back next week to see if you have been featured and to link up your latest creation!
I’d appreciate it if you would link up in some way; button or text link to this party to spread the word.
Our most viewed recipe from last week’s party is Chicken Gyro
from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks.
Let’s get the party started! I’m excited to see what you have to share!
Recipes are wonderful, but crafts and other ideas are also welcome!
Thanks so much for choosing to link up at Five Little Chefs!
‘);
September 19, 2012 By headchef
This year for Little Chef Dad’s birthday Little Chef A HAD to make a cake. I convinced her to make her Dad’s favorite birthday dessert, Mississippi Mud. When he was growing up there was an older lady in the neighborhood with the exact same birthday. She would bake Mississippi Mud and bring some to Little Chef Dad wishing him a happy birthday. I remember being newly married and getting taking a message from this lady still wishing him a happy birthday. Somehow one of his siblings was able to obtain this recipe and now I am able to make it. This really is VERY good and rich. It SHOULD only be made once a year. Paula Deen would approve of the amount of butter in this recipe!
Little Chef A was the one who insisted on making a cake, but she was in school so Little Chef D volunteered to help. She cracked all 4 eggs into a bowl and checked for shells. Then she added the melted butter (as she spilled some down the side and onto the counter) and whisked. One of my repetitive statements is, “Over the bowl, hold it all the way over the bowl. If it spills it will spill into the bowl not on the counter.” Obviously that is not sinking in yet.
Next she measured the sugar, flour and cocoa. We didn’t want lumps she sifted everything though a mess strainer. It looks so pretty and fine when it comes out.
The coconut was added next. We didn’t have any nuts on hand so we omitted them this time. Actually I can’t remember ever adding them in. I guess I never have walnuts in my pantry.
The mixture was poured into the baking pan and baked for 35 minutes. After it is done let it cool for about 5 minutes. While it is baking let your Little Chefs lick the spoon and bowl…and get it all over their faces and arms!
After cooling spread one container of marshmallow cream all over the top. The heat will soften the marshmallow. If it isn’t spreading well give it another minute and it will.
Mix all the icing ingredients together until smooth. Spread all over the marshmallow to cover. Be careful when spreading as you do not want to disturb the marshmallow layer.
Sing Happy Birthday and you are ready to eat. Cut the pieces small. You can always go back for more, but you won’t realize how rich it is until you take your first bite! This is amazing! Make sure you have a lot of people to share it with. It would be a shame to let any of it go to waste.
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Mississippi Mud
Five Little Chefs
Ingredients
Cake:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa
4 eggs
2 sticks melted margarine
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 jar marshmallow creme
Icing:
1 box powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 stick melted margarine
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/3 cup evaporated milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 pan, set aside.
2. Mix the sugar, flour and cocoa. Add eggs and butter and mix thoroughly. Add nuts and coconut.
3. Pour into baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes.
4. Cool about 5 minutes.
5. Spread marshmallow creme on top of the cake.
6. Icing: Mix sugar and cocoa until well blended. Add margarine, vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth and creamy.
7. Spread icing over marshmallow creme.