King Aurthur Classic Sourdough Bread

Laura requested this recipe. It is my variation on a sourdough recipe from my King Aurthur cookbook. If you've never made sourdough before, it's a good place to start. I've been experimenting with it for a few weeks and plan to experiment some more. The original recipe doesn't call for any whole wheat flour, but it is healthier, and I think it tastes better to use some in the sponge. The starter will rise the bread very slowly, so if you want to speed up the process, add the optional yeast. Also, I usually double the recipe, but still use 1/2 cup of starter. 

Have fun bread-making, and experiment with it yourself. Let me know what you try, and if it works.

-Tricia Ann

Yield: 2 small loaves or 1 big loaf

Prepare the following sponge 8-24 hours before you plan to bake.

Sponge:

• 1/2 cup sourdough starter
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 -2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour (or unbleached white flour)

Pour starter into a large bowl and add water. Stir to loosen. Add flour and mix well. Let this mixture sit in a warm place for 8-24 hours. The longer it has to work, the more sour the finished bread will be.

Bread:

• 3-4 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 TBS salt
• 1 TBS sugar
• 2 tsp. yeast (optional)

Mix the flour, salt, and sugar. Set aside. Add yeast to the sponge, if you are using it. Add the flour mixture to the sponge, stirring well. Add remaining flour, a half-cup at a time, until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead by machine or by hand for about 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours (1 if you used yeast, 2 if you did not). Shape into loaves or baguettes or whatever shape you like, and proof (rise) for 1-2 hours again, depending on whether or not you used yeast. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. It is delicious eaten straight out of the oven!

Southern Butternut Squash

I finally found a butternut squash casserole (and I bet you could substitute sweet potatoes for the squash with equally delicious results) recipe that uses sweetened condensed milk. I just KNEW there had to be some recipe with that in it! Anyway, this recipe is absolutely delicious! Daddy made a pie with some of the left overs after dinner the other night. Although, I thought (of course) it wasn't quite sweet enough for a pie. :)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups mashed, cooked butternut squash
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Blend together the butternut squash, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, butter, vanilla, cream and sugar.
3. Pour into prepared casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 45 minutes or until set and edges begin to bubble.
4. Prepare a topping if desired by combining 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Mix together and sprinkle over squash before baking.

I did the brown sugar, flour, and butter for the top, but we didn't have any nuts. The topping melted into the rest of the casserole, but that only made those spots that much more delicious!

LINK

Mocha Sauce

1. 4 ounces of chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
2. 2/3 cup of whipping cream
3. 1/4 cup of sugar
   
4. 1 teaspoon of instant espresso coffee powder or regular instant coffee crystals

In a small saucepan heat and stir chocolate over low heat until melted. Stir in cream, sugar, and instant coffee. Cook and stir over medium-low heat about 3 minutes. or until mixture just boils around edges. Remove from heat. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Almond Panna Cotta

This recipe is so good! It would be really quick too, if you bought almond butter instead of making your own.

• 1 cup of whole, blanched almonds, toasted
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups of whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1//8 teaspoon of salt

Place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground into a smooth butter. We got this to work a little better in the blender.

In a medium saucepan stir together sugar and gelatin. Add whipping cream Heat and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in the almond butter, the milk, and salt. Pour into six 6-ounce ramekins or custard dishes. Cover and chill for 6 to 24 hours, or until set.

Prepare Mocha Sauce (I'll post that recipe in a different post). To serve, loosen panna cotta from sides of dishes with a knife. Invert onto six dessert plates. Spoon or drizzle some Mocha Sauce around each panna cotta. Serve with additional Mocha Sauce and, if desired, garnish with sliced almonds.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Drops

Kaliste requested this recipe - Enjoy!!

Cookies:

• 4 squares BAKER's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick) butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour

Glaze:

• 1 tup (8 oz.) frozen cool whip
• 6 squares BAKER's Semi-sweet baking chocolate

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Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350. Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart, on greased baking sheets.
Bake 8 min. or just until set. (Do not overbake.) Let cool for 1 min.

Glaze:
Place frozen whipped topping and semi sweet chocolate in microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted ad mixture is shiny and smooth, stirring after 1 min, Let stand 15. min. to thicken. Spread over cookies. Let stand until glaze is set.
Makes 5 dozen.
I got this recipe on the back of BAKER's chocolate bars - very easy and delicious - it's our new favorite cookie & snack!



~Camille~