Archive | Breads & Pizzas RSS feed for this section

Red Ale Bread with Ramps and 5-Year Aged White Cheddar

23 Apr

It’s a shame that this blog has gone so long without a beer bread recipe. Considering all the other beer-focused recipes I’ve featured on these pages (pancakes with stout, chili with lager, risotto with double IPA…you get the idea), it’s hard to believe I’ve bypassed such a simple beer recipe. Let’s change that, shall we?

Oddly enough, my inspiration for this recipe didn’t come from beer at all, but rather the bag of ramps that I had hanging out in my fridge. Yes, ramps! Yay! If you know anything about ramps, you know that they’re briefly available at the beginning of spring and are nearly impossible to find in the markets. So how’d I get them? From a generous friend who recently went to Michigan and brought home a huge stash that he foraged himself.

Score.

I sautéed the green tops with olive oil, salt and pepper, but thought the white parts would make a great addition to a beer bread. The final result?  A seriously hoppy and chewy loaf with a nice cheddary, oniony kick that’s absolutely worthy of being featured on this blog.

It’s about time, wouldn’t you say?

Red Ale Bread with Ramps and 5-Year Aged Cheddar (makes one loaf)

What you need:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced ramp bulbs (the white parts)*
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 12 ounces Red Ale (I used Half Acre Ginger Twin)
  • 1 cup shredded 5-year aged white cheddar
*If you can’t find ramps, you could use scallions or leeks.

How you do it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch loaf pan; set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sliced ramp bulbs and cook for a few minutes to take some of the edge off the powerful garlic flavor. Let cool slightly.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add the beer, cheddar and sautéed ramps and fold everything together with a spatula.
  4. Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool before slicing.

Balsamic-Glazed Butternut Squash Pizza

21 Oct

The blogosphere is a weird place. It can make you feel as though you know someone when in reality, you’ve never even met.

So today, myself and many other food bloggers are celebrating the wedding of one of our blogosphere friends — Steph from Steph’s Bite by Bite — with a virtual bridal shower. We’ve been following along with her on her wedding planning journey, and we’re excited to send her off into marriage (her wedding’s October 29th!) with a collection of date night-ready meals.

On the rare occasion that our busy schedules actually allow my husband and I to spend a night at home together, we like to keep it casual. I’m talkin’ wearing pajamas and eating at the coffee table casual. The type of casual that screams “pizza.” (And beer, of course.)

I love making pizza at home. Not only is it easy and fun to make, but it’s a great opportunity to get creative with flavor combinations. While the standard sausage, peppers and onions are always welcome, why not try something new? Like this baby, for example. Not only is it the perfect combo of sweet and savory, but it also showcases some of fall’s best flavors. A great meal to cuddle up with on a casual night at home.

Balsamic-Glazed Butternut Squash Pizza

Slightly adapted from Real Simple

What you need:

  • 1 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough
  • Cornmeal for the pizza stone/pizza pan
  • 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed and sliced into 1/4″ pieces
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar
  • 1 or 2 handfuls of arugula
  • 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds

How you do it:

1. If you have a pizza stone, preheat it for about 15 minutes at 500 degrees, then reduce temperature to 425. If not, preheat the oven to 425.
2. Meanwhile, roll the pizza dough into a large rectangle of desired thickness. Transfer dough to a cornmeal-dusted pizza pan. Brush dough’s entire surface with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, toss butternut squash, red onion, thyme, balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Layer butternut squash mixture over the pizza dough, then scatter the cheddar cheese on top. If you have a pizza stone, carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated stone. If not, leave the pizza on the pizza pan and put it in the oven as-is.
5. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes (times will vary slightly depending on the thickness of your crust) or until the edges of the pizza are crispy and brown.
6. Toss arugula with one tablespoon of olive oil. Top pizza with arugula and sunflower seeds before serving.

Congratulations to Steph on her wedding, and a big group high-five to all the bloggers who participated in the virtual bridal shower. You can check out all their recipes here.

Caramel Apple Bread

22 Aug

For most of my life, I had a serious dislike for fall. Not because of the season itself, but rather because it meant that winter was right around the corner. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to enjoy fall a bit more. It’s the season of my wedding anniversary and my husband’s birthday, plus there is something cozy and comforting about it.

While I know I’m jumping the seasonal gun a little bit (it is 80+ degrees in Chicago today), I feel as though this bread is another thing that could fall into the “things I like about fall” category. Taking a cue from the ever popular caramel apple, this bread is sweet and delicious. Add in some nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg (what says fall more than nutmeg?) and you’ve got a serious contender for fall favorite.

Caramel Apple Bread

Slightly adapted from Pass the Sushi

What you need:

For the bread:

  • 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

How you do it:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In large bowl, stir together apples, 1/2 cup brown sugar, buttermilk, oil and eggs. Add the remaining bread ingredients and stir until everything is moistened. Transfer batter to a prepared metal loaf pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  3. Let bread rest for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Once removed, let the bread cool on a cooling rack for at least an hour.
  4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar and heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, add milk, then slowly increase the heat until boiling again. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar. Let glaze cool slightly before liberally drizzling over cooled bread (use as much glaze as you’d like — I used about three-fourths of it).

Baking as Chemistry, Plus Link Love

16 Mar

Growing up with a PhD chemist as a father, I always tried to be a good scholar of the scientific arts. Throughout high school, I took “enriched” biology and chemistry classes in an attempt to impress him. However, as genuine as my attempts were, I ended up doing more harm than good — I was in way over my head. Asking him for help with my homework almost always ended in a shouting match.

“How do you not remember this stuff?” he’d ask. “We went over this last time.”

“Because I’m not a freakin’ science genius, that’s why!” I’d shout, slamming my book and running off in a tizzy.

And although we may not recognize it as such, baking is a form of chemistry. It relies on the interaction of various ingredients and the way they behave with each other. It’s also very sensitive — flub a measurement and your tasty experiment is screwed.

In the home kitchen, there are two kinds of people — cooks and bakers. For cooks, recipes are simply a guide to the final destination. For bakers on the other hand, recipes provide a precise roadmap. I consider myself to be pretty good at both.

And luckily, I’m a lot better at baking than I ever was at chemistry. Well, “real” chemistry, anyway. This almost makes me feel better about the shouting matches I had with my dad, the exams I nearly failed, and the Bunsen burner I couldn’t figure out how to light. So, I guess my dad’s attempts to whip me into chemistry shape didn’t completely fall by the wayside. I can certainly whip up a mean baked good.

And so can these folks, who I’d like to give a little link love to today. They’re seriously schooling me in the baking department and I’ve been inspired by their creations. I dare you not to have sugary daydreams about these desserts — they’re amazing!

Lemon Loaf from Pass the Sushi

Doused in lemon syrup and topped with lemon glaze, this beautiful loaf can pass as a dessert or breakfast. I like that.

6-Layer Rich Chocolate Malted & Toasted Marshmallow Cake from Sweetapolita

Look at this! It’s beyond amazing. I am — for once — at a loss for words.

Sweet and Salty Dark Fudge Brownies with Pretzel Bites and Peanut Butter Frosting from Okie Dokie Artichokie

Fudge? Yes. Pretzels. Yes. Peanut butter? Yes. Need I say more? The perfect flavors, plus the pretzel nugget on top is super cute.

Cookies ‘N Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies from Kevin & Amanda

Yep, they went there. There are Oreos baked into these brownies. Oreos! Brilliant!

So, which are you? A better cook or a better baker? What have you seen on the interwebs lately that inspired you? Please share!

Bagels and Lox with Avocado Spread

2 Mar

Smoked salmon is one of those things I grew to like over the years, and every now and then I get a craving for it. On a bagel is by far my favorite way to enjoy it, but I like mixing it up a bit by swapping out the traditional cream cheese for mashed avocado with lemon. Not only is it healthier, but I think it packs more flavor.

Everyone says you eat with your eyes first, and you’ll be hard pressed to find something more colorful than this!

Bagels and Lox with Avocado Spread

What you need:

  • Smoked salmon
  • Everything bagels
  • Avocado
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Red onion, thinly sliced
  • Capers, drained
  • Salt and freshly cracked pepper

How you do it:

  1. Halve and toast the bagels.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash avocado with the juice of half a lemon. Season to taste.
  3. Schmear each bagel half with avocado spread, then top with smoked salmon, red onion and capers. (I like eating mine open-faced.) Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a twist or two of freshly cracked black pepper.

The Ultimate Banana Bread

28 Feb

A few years ago, I had the world’s best boss. Not only was he a great mentor, but he was (and still is) a great friend. We have many things in common — a love of food being one of them. For Christmas one year, he gave me Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything — a definite must-have for anyone who spends any time in the kitchen. It’s the only cookbook I consistently use and — in my opinion — is the best one available.

Within its pages lies this banana bread recipe, which Bittman himself describes as “the ultimate.” And really, who’s gonna argue with that? Outrageously moist inside with a tender crust on the outside, this banana bread really is the bomb. And as if it weren’t good enough on its own, I like mine toasted and slathered with peanut butter. Don’t judge.

The Ultimate Banana Bread

From Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything

What you need:

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, plus some for greasing the pan
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork until smooth
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

How you do it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″x5″ loaf pan.
  2. Mix together the dry ingredients. With an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar, then slowly beat in the eggs, bananas and vanilla.
  3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined, being sure to scrape down the edges of the bowl a few times. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until nicely browned. A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread will come out fairly clean when it is done, but because of the bananas this bread will remain moister than most. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,373 other followers