Memories of Mom and Honey Bread Careen

Honey Bread Careen Cinnamon Loaf

This time of year evokes so many memories around food and all of us have them no matter how simple or elegant our celebrations were and are today.  This year I decided it was about time to pass along one of these traditional foods I love to my son and granddaughters, Honey Bread Careen.

During the holidays my mom would bake up a huge batch Honey Bread Careen dinner rolls and at least one pan full of sticky buns.  They were so delicious we all had at least two dinner rolls if not more for dinner.   They were soft and little sweet, made even more irresistible with a pat of butter that would melt into the warm bread and honey drizzled on top.

Cinnamon bread toast and eggs for busy mornings

When I mixed up the batch for today's Thanksgiving dinner it made such a huge amount it gave me opportunity to make the rolls and two large loaves of cinnamon bread, one for us and one to gift my son and his family with.  The cinnamon loaf makes the most wonderful toast in the world, perfect for the busy holiday season.  And now that I have you all drooling I suppose I better get busy and share the recipe.

HONEY BREAD CAREEN
Bake at 400F ten minutes, then 350F for twenty minutes
5 cups water (divided)
3 cakes yeast
1 tsp sugar
1.25 cups powdered milk
1.25 cups peanut oil
1.25 cups raw honey
2 Tbsp kosher salt
15 cups all purpose flour
Additional flour for dusting work surface and to add to dough as needed

Heat 3/4 cup water to between 100 and 110 degrees F, add yeast and sugar and stir to dissolve.  Let rest for about 5 minutes until yeast mixture nears double in size. 
NOTE:If the water is over 110F it will kill the yeast and if under 100F the yeast will not activate properly so temperature is key.

In a very large bowl dump the remaining 4.25 cups water (I used 90F water to speed things up a bit), powdered milk, honey, peanut oil (also warmed a bit) and salt, stirring well to blend.  Next stir in the yeast mixture and then add the flour.  I added the flour 5 cups at a time, mixing as I went which seems to work best.  Once the last 5 cups are in you'll need to get both hands in there and start working the dough to incorporate it well.  This is a lot of dough and will take some strength.


Once everything is incorporated sprinkle your work surface with some flour, place the dough on it, sprinkle a bit more flour on top of the dough and begin kneading it.  The added flour keeps the dough from sticking to things too much.  Reapply flour as needed during the kneading process.  I think I used between 1/2 and 1 full cup extra flour for dusting.  The kneading takes some muscle due to the weight and volume of the dough so be prepared. 

As you begin to knead the dough it will stick to your hands some until enough flour has been worked into the dough.   Keep kneading it for 10 to 15 minutes.  You will feel the dough will become less lumpy feeling and more silky when the kneading is near done.

Grandma, what a big bowl you have!

Place the kneaded dough in a very large clean bowl that has been oiled so the dough won't stick to the side.  (I just washed and used the bowl I mixed everything up in.)  Lightly oil some plastic wrap and place it over top and drape with a towel.  Place the bowl in a warm spot (not hot) or over a large container of very warm water.  I used my Dutch oven with very warm tap water.  Let the dough raise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.  Punch it down and repeat.  Now you can shape into rolls of loaves, let raise to double in size and bake.  I also should note here that you can keep this dough refrigerated for a week.  It takes longer to rise that final time before baking but all good things are worth the waiting for.

The dough, doubled and silky to the touch

A note here...I find preheating the oven for 30 minutes really does help breads to bake best.  The rolls took the recommended amount of time the recipe above states.  I did have to cover them with foil for the last 10 minutes to avoid the tops getting too brown.

Eighteen large dinner rolls

I made the rolls in disposable aluminum casserole pans which work really great for heating them up in the oven the next day like we are having to do.  Make the dough balls about the size of a small apple and leave space between each row.  A 9x13 baking pan would work well for the rolls.

Cinnamon bread loaves are rolled with ends folded under

CINNAMON BREAD
The remainder of the dough I worked into a flat, semi regular rectangle shape about 1/2" thick.  Sprinkled a healthy amount of cinnamon and about 1/2 cup of sugar and melted 1/2 cup of butter which I drizzled over top and spread around with my hands like a 5 year old...FUN!   Next I carefully rolled it up, cut the roll in half and transferred the loaves onto a sprayed backing sheet, folded the ends under and left them to rise beneath the oiled plastic wrap I had used previously on the dough bowl.  They were ready to go in the oven by the time the rolls were finished baking.

Bake the bread at 400 for 10 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 350F to finish baking.  You will need to cover the top of the loaves with foil about 20 minutes into the baking time to keep them from getting too dark so have some ready.  This bread took about 20 minutes longer at 350F to finish baking.

So there you have it.  A family tradition that I hope will bless your family too. 
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone.  And may God bless you as you gather, be it with family, friends or with strangers.

Final note...I am sharing this recipe in remembrance of my mother, Betty Fitch, who died suddenly at the age of 58, thirty one years ago.  She was the kindest, most patient woman I know and a beautiful Christian woman who taught me by how she lived, how to hold fast to God in life, no matter what the circumstances.

Rosemary Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

The first time I heard the words rosemary and cookies together I couldn't quite wrap my brain around why anyone would take a savory herb like rosemary and toss it into cookies.  It only took one bite of the samples a friend brought to an herb society meeting to convince me that this combination is genius, especially when paired with hazelnuts in a shortbread cookie. 

The original recipe was need of a little refining...too many nuts and too much rosemary  made the cookies too course and crumbly for my taste but the flavor was great and I was inspired.  So with a little reworking here is what I came up with.

ROSEMARY HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD
Preheat oven to 275 F

1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter
1 cup baker's sugar
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup raw hazelnuts, ground
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Bittersweet chocolate, grated (optional...but who wouldn't want chocolate on their cookies, seriously!)
1 cup candied orange peel, diced (optional)

The herb of friendship in a cookie...genius!

Chop the nuts and rosemary first.  I used my food processor to chop the hazelnuts, pulsing it until they were quite fine but still had some texture.  (You do not want nut flour)  Remove the rosemary leaves from the woody stems.  This is accomplished easily by holding the tip of the stem and pulling downward; the leaves come right off.  The tender tips can just be plucked off and chopped with the leaves.  I usually gather about 1/2 cup of leaves and then chop them so I'm sure to have enough.
NOTE: I have tried numerous methods of chopping rosemary and let me say this right now...those herb choppers are no match for this herb's leaves and the food processor doesn't work on them either.  I found that a sharp chef's knife was the best tool in the drawer for this job.  One of the things I love about chopping them this way is the fragrance that I get to drink in while working with them.  Its so wonderful!

In a medium bowl mix together the nuts, rosemary and flour.  (I use a metal whisk for this.) Stir them together so they are evenly incorporated with each other.  Set this bowl aside.

Next cream the butter and sugar together.  Cut the butter into cubes and place it in the mixer.  Start out on a medium speed and after the butter is creamed a bit turn up the speed, stopping every so often to clear the beater so all the butter gets worked.   Once the butter is creamy add the sugar to the bowl and continue creaming it into the butter. 
NOTE:  You want the butter to stay cold so don't over do the beating...you just want it softened and creamy.

Once the butter and sugar are creamed add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until just blended.  Over mixing the dough will make the cookies tough.  Also don't be tempted to add more flour..that will make them like hockey pucks...I learned this lesson the hard way and those cookies are now a thing of family legend.

Place the dough on an ungreased jellyroll pan or cookie sheet and press it out to spread it evenly across the pan.  I use a 15"x20" jellyroll pan (Wearever 4549 professional baking sheet).  To get the dough even, flatten it out to about 1" thick using your hands.  Then place plastic wrap over the dough and use a rolling pin to even out further.  I use a French rolling pin which works really well for this.   Rolling it helps as since you don't warm the dough up too much from the heat of your hands.  Before placing the sheet in the oven, take a fork and prick the dough all over which will keep air pockets from forming in the dough as it bakes and keep your cookies solid.

Place the sheet in the oven and bake 1 HOUR or until the cookies are just starting to brown.

Slices spread apart more than I anticipated

Remove from oven and cut immediately!  If you try to cut them after they cool the cookies will shatter.  I use my large chef's knife for this job and when I don't do what I did above I also use a straight edge (ruler) to get the lines straight.  Many recipes say to score the dough where you want to cut it before baking...with this recipe you don't have to.

Bittersweet chocolate and rosemary

Now for the yummy part...top the cookies with shaved chocolate...I grate mine using a box grater that is older than I am and still works like a dream for such things.  You want to add the chocolate while the cookies are still hot and in the pan so it melts nicely and it stays on the cookies.  I use a teaspoon and just sprinkle it over the top of each cookie carefully so it looks nice.  Next I add the candied orange peel.  Allow the cookies to cool completely before serving.

NOTE: This dough can also be rolled into logs for cutting into cookie discs.  Roll up in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes and then slice it and place one inch apart on the baking sheet. 

These cookies make beautiful gifts and are a great winter time treat.  So invite a friend over for a lovely cup of black tea of good coffee and fresh baked cookies. 

Enjoy!

Copyright © 2011 by Patty Hicks
All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.

Apple Breakfast Bake

Apple Breakfast Break hot out of the oven.  Delish!

Sunday mornings are a traditional time for yummy family breakfasts.   Apple Breakfast Bake, a recipe I found in a church cookbook years ago is a wonderful recipe for such a time.  Its simple and lovely enough for serving to guests.

Made from things most of us have on hand

APPLE BREAKFAST BAKE

Preheat oven to 400 F

Ingredients:

4 tbs unsalted butter

Everything is better with butter!

1 large apple sweet-tart, diced or sliced.

1 1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cup unbleached flour

5 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more)

Healthy pinch of salt

Cinnamon sugar or maple syrup for topping

My 3 finger pinch of salt is just the right amount

Grease or spray a tall 8x8" or 9"x13"

Add butter and put in heated oven until sizzling but not browned

Add apples and return to oven.

I prefer to use Braeburn or Jonagold apples

In a medium sized bowl mix the remaining ingredients and pour into the pan of cooked apples.

DO NO STIR!

Return to the pan to the oven.

Poured but not stirred and back in the oven.

Bake 30 minutes or until center raises and edges are browned.

Sugar topping to sprinkle on before or after it bakes

We top ours with a cinnamon sugar mixture of 1 part white sugar to 2 parts brown sugar and cinnamon to taste.  This topping can be sprinkled on prior to baking or afterward.  We tend to like to use the topping sparingly and put it on after it comes out of the oven.  Real maple syrup would be wonderful on it too.

Here's a little secret too...the batter is basically the same as for Dutch Babies or German Pancakes; one egg to 1/4 cup milk to 1/4 cup flour making it an easy recipe to reduce or increase per mouths to feed.  Enjoy!

Copyright © 2011 by Patty Hicks
All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.

Apple Cranberry Pie, Oh my!

It is always wonderful when I find a new recipe and better still when after it is made I discover it is a "keeper".

This pie definitely fits that category and is not only tasty but a new twist on an old favorite and a really pretty pie too.

2 cups of fresh cranberries

 This time of year I am crazy for cranberries and I want to put them in everything.  They are one of those fleeting fresh fruits that are here one day and gone tomorrow, save the odd frozen package one may find after Thanksgiving.  So these berries were the hook that caught my attention in this recipe.   What pushed me over the edge into foodie nervana was that it did not use any cinnamon and  instead used fresh ginger and grated nutmeg. (swoon)  Of course as luck would have it, I didn't have all the ingredients needed to make the original recipe.  As is my habit in such circumstances and in this case was my necessity, I had to let my pantry be my inspiration.

Fresh orange zest is best

Chop fine

 The original recipe called for lemon juice...an ingredient I did not have but what I did have were oranges and in a moment of foodie inspired madness thought about one of my other favorite holiday foods that has....apples, cranberries and orange zest...yep, fresh cranberry relish.  I love when one dish inspires a new dish. I cut away about 3/4 of the orange's zest with a zesting tool (the zest is the orange part of the skin) and chopped it to fine bits with a sharp knife.

Nutmeg grater and nut with candied ginger which cuts easily with a chef's knife

Dice very fine

The other ingredient I did not have was fresh ginger...but I had candied ginger which is much easier to dice which is what the original recipe called for so I was happy.  Thankfully I had the other ingredients so jumped right in with childlike abandon once I knew I had reasonable substitutes that would work.

I used a refrigerated crust from my local grocer which I baked at home but it was no substitute for my mother's recipe is much better.  One does what she must when time and energy are running thin and there is no sin in using a good store bought crust in a pinch.

Piled high is a must

Pinch sides and cut slits in the top

Bake on a rake and baking sheet that have been preheated

Beautiful final product

A cheery slice with ice cream

I used Braeburns...note to self...next time use drier apples or more flour

OH-MY PIE  (aka Apple Cranberry Pie)

Oven temp 425 degrees/reduce to 350 (see recipe below for more details)

Baking time 60 minutes

6 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

2 tablespoons fresh orange zest

1 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg (this is worth it folks believe me...it is awesome stuff)

2 tablespoons finely diced candied ginger

*Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl until fruit is well coated

1 tablespoon butter cut up into little chunks

Unbaked dough, enough for a double crust, halved and rolled out and kept cool

1 egg, beat with 1 tablespoon water

Coarse sugar (turbinado or Crystal sugars work best and are prettiest)

*Place bottom crust into pie pan and press into sides
*Fill pie pan with the fruit mixture...be sure to use it all as it will shrink down during baking
*Dot top of fruit with the butter.  (you may double the butter if you want to)
*Take the dough for the top of the pie and place it on top of the pie without stretching it. (this is sort of tricky as the pie pan is really piled high with fruit.)  It may help to fold the dough in half or even quarters so you can get it centered more easily
*Next fold the top crust over the edge of the bottom crust and pinching it a bit to seal.
* To flute the edges just use your thumb and forefinger of one hand to press the dough inward as you push toward them outward with the forefinger on your other hand.
*The pie will need to breath so cut some slits in the top (an A for apple is always fun) and then brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Bake pie for 15 minutes at this temperature then REDUCE the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 to 50 minutes.

Copyright © 2010 by Patty Hicks

All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.