A Joy of Baking

Author Archives: A Joy

• 

  Bread Pudding Bliss

  Posted at 12:28 am by A Joy

  Jan 13th

  

  I’ve seen dozens of bread pudding recipes and when I look at the recipes, I am so underwhelmed by them. I think to myself, how could that possibly have any flavor?! Or doesn’t it turn into a big mush?? But something happened over the weekend that changed my mind.

  We were out at dinner and could not decide on a dessert- a nightmare, right 😉 Whenever I  and am torn between choices, I always ask the server. Their enthusiasm makes me think most people don’t, and they usually are pretty helpful guiding me in the right direction. So, the waitress said I would be missing out if I didn’t get the bread pudding and for some reason, I trusted her. You know- that 2 glasses of wine, girl-talk confession-mode type of trust. And the rest is history. I never thought I liked bread pudding, and you might be thinking the same thing. But I am convinced I can change your mind.

  The bread pudding came out piled high on a warm plate, with a buttery bourbon aroma coming off of it. Each bite was a perfect texture/flavor balance. The soaked bread was soft, and not mushy. The flavor was  creamy, and not eggy. And to compliment the sugar and spice, there was that buttery bourbon sauce smothering the whole thing. So, I left the restaurant with a full belly and a mission. I had to make my own bread pudding! So here it is..

  It is so simple, and pretty impossible to mess up so it’s a great staple recipe to have. It also is a pretty hefty portion so it is a great dessert to make when you’re entertaining a large group. The ingredients you will need are below.

  

  Bread Pudding

  • 1 loaf challah bread, cut 1-inch cubes (about 6-7 cups)
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 2 tbs vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Topping: 3 tbs melted butter, 1/4 brown sugar

  Preheat oven to 350 F. Chop up bread and place in a greased 9X13 baking dish. In a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and beat until fully incorporated. Pour custard over chopped bread and let rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, brush the 3tbs of melted butter over the top and sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the liquid has set and the edges are just starting to brown. Let cool for 30 minutes.

  Bourbon Sauce

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup bourbon

  In a small saucepan, melt butter, then add sugar and egg. Stir constantly while cooking, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Whisk in bourbon to taste. If you’re storing this, you will need to heat and stir before using because it tends to separate when cooled.  Pour on top of a slice of warm bread pudding and enjoy!!

   

  Tagged baking, bourban sauce, bread pudding, dessert
• 

  New Year, New Apple Pie

  Posted at 4:25 pm by A Joy

  Jan 3rd

  

  Time certainly flies when you’re having fun. I had great intentions of posting about my my Thanksgiving and Christmas dessert recipes and then- I got engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Instead of looking up new recipes to try, I have been completely absorbed in researching venues, photographers, and dresses. Not to worry- there has still been plenty of baking going on! So, after lots of research and a heart on our new 2016 calendars for September 17th, I return to blogging!!

  This recipe takes a classic apple pie and adds a fun and delicious crumble top. I make this all year, but truth-be-told, this time of the year is the best for baking. New Years resolutions aside, visiting friends and families always enjoy a bite of something freshly baked. And sometimes, on these cold days, I have a hard time leaving the kitchen because  it ends up being the warmest place in the house 🙂

  What I love about this recipe is that it is so versatile.  In the Summer, you can add blueberries or strawberries for a fresh taste of Summer. In the Fall and Winter, some homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream make a great side. You can also opt to swap the crumble top for a double crusted pie, or even one with a lattice design.  Whatever you do, I promise it will be a hit!  This apple pie recipe is the pie I started bringing to my financé’s house for the holidays when we first started dating and just minutes after the first slice is cut, the pie is always gone!

  The biggest/best secret to this recipe is that the pie crust contains vodka. I have tried so many different pie crusts and they all tend to fall apart and become a mess on me as I roll them out. I almost gave up making pies all together because of how frustrating the process could be. Then I found this one and it comes out perfect -every single time! The recipe is from the Americas’s Test Kitchen Cooking School cookbook, which has become my baking bible. It is a great reference for basic technique and education on the hows, whys and what-ifs.

  Now, for this recipe you will need a large food processor. If you don’t have one then stop reading this right now and go find your nearest Bed Bath & Beyond. It is truly a lifesaver in this, and so many other recipes!

  Single Crust Pie Dough: 

  • 6 tbs unsalted butter
  • 4 tbs shortening
  • 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs ice water
  • 2 tbs vodka (A small disclaimer -my vodka is always in the freezer 😛 but if yours is not, you must chill your vodka before using!)

  Add 3/4 c flour, 1 tbs sugar and 1/2 tsp salt to a large food processor and pulse until combined, about 5 seconds. Cut up butter and shortening into 1/4-1/2 inch chunks and add to food processor. Pulse until mo flour remains and clumps form, about 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining 1/2 c flour. Pulse 4 or 5 times.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add the liquid. Stir together with a wooden spoon. Once dough sticks together, use your hands to flatten into a 4 inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. You can also freeze this dough for up to a month!! Before use, let dough soften slightly.

  Ok, so once you have your crust, roll out to fit into a 9 inch pie dish. Set aside.

  

   

  Preheat your oven to 375 and place a rack in the lower third of the oven. This will help prevent the crust from burning. It is now time for the filling and the crumble top! For the apples, you will need 10-12 apples of mixed variety. I like to do a mix of Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Honey Crisp.  Wash and peel your apples. Once done with that, the hard part is over! Core the apples and cut them in halves to prep them for the food processor. Then fit your food processor with the slicer and use to slice your apples. I like mine on the thicker side, but that’s definitely a personal preference. If you don’t feel like taking out the food processor, you can always slice the apples by hand!

  

  Apple filling:

  Place all of your sliced apples into a large bowl and mix with the following:

  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 c sugar
  • 1/2 c  melted butter
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

  Transfer apple mixture to the crust. Now all you have left to do is to add the crumble on top!

  Crumble Top:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tbs cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, cut into tbs

  I was not kidding when I said a food processor would be your new best friend. For the crumble, add the first 5 ingredients to the processor and blend. Then add the butter and pulse 5 or 6 times until butter is incorporated.  Sprinkle crumble on top of the pie.

  

  Last, but not least- once assembled, brush the edges of the pie crust with an egg white wash. Place in the oven, preheated to 375 F, and bake for 50 minutes. I like to check in on the pie 30 minutes through to see if I need to add foil pie crust guards. Depending on how thick the crust is, you might. I love this crust so I am usually a little heavy handed on the pie crust edge. Once the crust and crumble have a nice golden brown, remove from oven and let cool. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy!!! 🙂

   

   

   

  Tagged apple, apple pie, baking, crust, dessert, pie, pie crust
• 

  Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Posted at 9:03 pm by A Joy

  Nov 18th

  

  Have you ever had one of those weeks when it feels like it should be 5 o’clock on Friday but it’s only Tuesday?? Oh right, of course not 😉 Just humor me on this one then. I was running short on time last night and needed something to calm my mind and satisfy my sweet tooth. My go-to in times like this is to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies (and pour myself a glass of wine). Baking is such a release for me. I love taking the simple disorder of all the separate ingredients and turning them into something yummy. Especially with chocolate chip cookies because who can resist that fresh-out-of-the-oven, burn-a-few-taste-buds experience.

  For years, I would make the same cookie recipe with varied results and it was driving me crazy. Along the way, I have worked out a few tricks to help with consistency.  The best (and probably most annoying one) is that the batter is really best if you refrigerate overnight before baking. Don’t get me wrong, there have been plenty of occasions where I don’t have the patience, but it really does makes a difference. Chilling the dough solidifies the fat, which causes the cookie to spread less when baked. When a cookie doesn’t spread thin in the oven, you are left with a more substantial, chewy, cookie rather than a flat, hard cookie. If you don’t have the time for a full overnight chill, than just through the dough in the refrigerator for as long as you can wait 😉 Any bit of time to get the dough colder than room temperature will certainly help.

  Now, the other trick is to line the cookie sheets with parchment paper. What you may have experienced before (because I know I have) is when you follow the recipe with timing but then you pull the cookies out and the edges and bottoms look burnt. Turns out that the baking time can greatly vary based on color and type of metal of your cookie tray. To avoid that burnt cookie bottom, you can choose to alter baking time based on your cookie sheets OR you can simply follow the recipe timing and line the tray with parchment paper. One certainly sounds easier….. And don’t forget- using parchment paper also makes clean up a cinch!

  Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® recipe)

  •  2 sticks of softened unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • A dash of sea salt to sprinkle on top

  Preheat oven to 375 F. Cream butter and sugars together until

  completely incorporated. About 30-40 seconds. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating after each egg. Gradually add the remaining dry ingredients until flour disappears. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake in preheated oven for 9 minutes, rotating trays halfway through. Remove from oven when the cookies are starting to brown. The cookies will continue to brown after being removed from the oven! Sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy 🙂
  Tagged baking, chocolate chip, cookies, dessert
• 

  Pumpkin Muffins

  Posted at 7:03 pm by A Joy

  Nov 2nd

  

  I all too happily kiss bathing suit season goodbye and embrace these colder, darker days because for me, it means more time in the kitchen!! I have been making these pumpkin muffins for (believe it or not) 20 years. My mom got the recipe for the muffins when I was in pre-school and came home from a play date with a full belly and an orange tint to my skin. My friend’s mom shared her recipe and we’ve been friends ever since.  Around the same time, we discovered the pumpkin cookie recipe. It’s a Libby’s recipe and was found in the newspaper, diligently cut out, and glued into our cookbook of family favorites. It is ALWAYS a challenge to decide whether to make the pumpkin muffins or the pumpkin cookies because they are both so amazingly good. The cookies are soft and chewy and have a generous helping of chocolate chips, which can almost sway my decision because who can say no to chocolate, but then I remember the light and fluffy muffin texture that comes with the perfect cinnamon-clove-nutmeg flavor.

  I finally figured it out this year. Why not make BOTH recipes, at the same time. The recipes call for almost all of the same ingredients, so I set up two different bowls (and tried not to forget which one was which) and mixed away!  Now you may be thinking, what am I going to do with 3 dozen cookies AND 3 dozen muffins, but have no fear, somehow five people can devour these in (I’m embarrassed to tell you) ….a week.  I wasn’t lying when I said we were excited to kiss bathing suit season goodbye.

  Pumpkin Muffins (or Bread)

  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup water

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift first 8 ingredients, then add eggs, oil, pumpkin and water. Mix with beater. Bake for 15-20 minutes for muffins or 1 ½ hours for 9 x 5 loaf. Makes approx. 3 dozen muffins.

  Fun tip: If you have different muffin pan shapes, these are VERY versatile. I have used both a muffin top pan and a mini muffin pan and they both turn out great. Just make sure to spray the pan if you aren’t using a liner!

  Libby’s Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp salt

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside.
  2. In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla, beat until light and creamy.
  3. Gradually add dry ingredients until well blended.
  4. Drop rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

  Helpful Tip: If you are wary of overloading your kitchen with pumpkin,  you can refrigerate  dough up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 weeks.

  Tagged baking, chocolate chip, cookies, fall, muffins, pumpkin, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins

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