AwesomeBites

Category: My Bakery

  • Cannoli

    Six friends went to Italy and we came back excited to eat and drink the happiness we felt there. We had a reunion 1 year later at my house and we made Cannoli, Linquini, and Oso Bucco.
    Wonderful friends. This was our first time making Cannoli and we will definitely do it again.

    This recipe is from Alex Guarnaschelli and makes approximately 24 cannoli.

    Shells
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 Tbsp granulated sugar
    1/4 tsp kosher salt
    1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces
    1 egg yolk
    1/2 cup of dry white wine

    Filling
    2 cups of ricotta cheese, preferable whole milk. (Buy the creamiest you can. Look at Italian Deli’s)
    3/4 cup powdered sugar
    1 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/4 tsp allspice
    1/4 cup heavy cream
    1/4 cup small semisweet chocolate chips
    1 lemon
    1 quart of canola oil, for frying shells
    Flour for rolling shells
    1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
    Powdered sugar for dusting
    Cannoli Baking forms

    For the shell dough, in a medium bowl, sift together flour sugar and salt. Work the butter pieces into the flour with your fingers until the mixture becomes a smooth dough. If it is too dry, add more wine. If you wonder where to find good wine, check the link for this wine box nz club to get some info.
    Wrap in plastic wrap and press the dough down to be 3/4 of a inch thick. It will be easier to roll later. Let is rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

    For the filling, in a medium bowl, whisk ricotta, powdered sugar, cinnamon and allspice.
    In a separate electric mixer bowl, whip the heavy cream until fairly stiff. Using a rubber spatula gently fold the cream into the ricotta mixture. Still in the chocolate chips. Lightly zest the exterior of the lemon and stir into the ricorra. Refrigerate for a half hour to an hour.

    To roll and fry the shells, heat the canola oil to 360-365 degrees F. Using your Kitchenaid pasta roller, roll out the dough starting at 0 and working your way step by step to a 6.
    Place the thin dough on your work surface and cut with a pasty cutter 4 to 5 inch rounds. Use flour to keep from sticking on your work surface.

    Oil the cannoli mold, and wrap each round usig the egg wash on the edge of each to seal it shut so it doesn’t slide off the mold.

    Fry the shell for 2-3 minutes each. I found I could fry 2 at a time in my small fryer.
    Set aside and allow to cool, and then reoil mold, wrap another two and fry them off.

    Just before serving, fill a pastry bag or ziplock plastic bag with pastry cream. Cut off the corner, or you can use a tip holder. (Choose a large tip so the chocolate chips don’t get stuck in it.)
    Do not fill the shells until you are ready to eat as they will become soggy. Store the extra shells in a ziplock bag and seal. They will stay crispy for several days.
    Everyone love these Italian delights!

  • Puff Pastry filled with Sweet Potato

    puffpastrysweetpotato

    Simple, but great tasting recipes.

    Puff Pastry – thaw for an hour before using
    1 baked sweet potato
    1 cup Crushed Ameretti Cookies

    While the sweet potato is still warm mix in the crushed cookies.
    That is the filling.
    Cut the puff pastry into 3 inch squares
    Using your finger, put a little water along all the edges.
    Add a tsp of filling to center of pastry, close it so it looks like a triangle.
    With a fork, seal the edges.
    Place on a sheet of parchment paper on your baking sheet.
    Make as many as you need for you dinner, I suggest 2 per person.
    Brush the pastries with egg wash and
    Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown.

  • Pumpkin Pie

    Pumpkin Pie

    Pumpkin Pie.  All my childhood memories of Pumpkin Pie are from Thanksgiving. My Mom loved to bake.  Today, that is easy to say, I mean I have the help of my Kitchenaid mixer, my Breadmaker which I use mostly to mix the doughs.  Back to my Mom, she made bread and baked and it was an all day affair.  First off, she only had one oven.  It was a big oven and two pies would fit on one rack.  Our table consisted of a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood.  For you non-construction types, that would be 4 feet by 8 feet.  All eleven of us would sit down daily to dinner.  One that same table, a few days before a holiday my Mom would start baking bread and pies and such.     I remember my eyes were just above table height and looking over all the goodies.  It felt like they would go out past my horizon!   Mom made things by two’s; she must have liked the story of the ark.  We had two apple, two cherry, two lemon meringue.  And yes, back to Pumpkin.  That is what you want to know about.  Mom was a better than average baker, and she could  combine the right amount of flavors to make the tastes pop.  I always hoped I would inherit her taste buds.

    But, if you know me, I like to adjust things to my liking and keep them easy as well.

    While you can look at the back of a can of pumpkin and make the pie, I do believe you can do better.  Within the last couple of years I have been playing with Indian spices and one of my favorite spices is Garam Masala.  Many pies are over loaded with cloves and nutmeg – stop already.  Pumpkin pie has to have balance.  This pie has a perfect blend of spice, just right!

    1 1/2 c white sugar

    1 tsp salt

    2 tsp ground cinnamon

    1 tsp ground ginger

    1 tsp garam masala

    4 large eggs

    1 can (29 oz) Libby’s Pure Pumpkin

    2 cans (12 oz) Carnation Evaporated Milk

    2 unbaked 9 inch pie shells.  I used two tart dishes and filled them to their rims with pumpkin. But you can also use deep dish pie pans.  I also took the left over pie crust and made leaves to decorate the top -this is my Mother in me.  Make it taste good, and make it pretty.  Use egg wash and brush the leaves before baking in the oven for about 15 minutes.  You can also sprinkle with white sugar to make them sparkle. Like adding a diamond to a ring!

    Mix all together and pour into the unbaked pie shells.

    Preheat oven at 425, then reduce heat to 350 , bake for 40-50 minutes until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

    Cool on rack and serve. 

  • Scones – Best Ever!

    Scones – Best Ever!


    I am a about to take a professional cooking class and so you probably are going to not like what I am going to say, but I have to say it.
    The best scones in the whole wide world are made with two pre-made mixes.
    Don’t get all uppity, I love baking from scratch. Just try these and you’ll know I am right!

    Krusteaz Sugar Cookie Mix
    Bisquick Biscuits
    2 tsp of vanilla extract or black walnut extract
    1 cup diced black walnuts
    1/2 cup rolled oats
    Optional – Choose one: Raisins, Dried Cranberries or nothing at all!
    1 cup confectioners sugar
    1 T water or milk

    Prepare as you would according to the directions, although in this case mix the dry ingredients together of both mixes and then the wet ingredients include the extracts and then combine. Then add chopped black walnuts and optional raisins or cranberries.
    Divide into two parts and then with your hands pat into rounds on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with Pam.
    While patting down pour 1/4 cup of rolled oats on top of each round.

    With a long knife, cut into 8 pieces as you would a pizza.
    Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown at 375 degrees.

    After you take the scones out of the oven, combine the confectioners sugar and 1 T water or milk and combine until the mixture resembles heavy cream.
    Drizzle the topping over the golden scone. Hurry and eat before they are gone!

    Awesome Scones!

  • Lemon Filling, Lemon Poppyseed Lace Cake

    Mmmm tasty. Daughter Denny and I made this for Mother’s Day brunch this year.
    2 boxes Lemon Cake Mix
    1 Can Poppy Seeds
    4- 8 Tablespoons of Lemoncello Liqueur
    3 jars lemon curd (or you can make your own)
    1 can Cream Cheese Frosting
    3 cans Pink Lemonade Frosting

    Prepare Cake Mix according to package directions and bake.
    Using a toothpick, poke holes in each cake layer and sprinkle Lemoncello and allow to absorb into cake. About 1-2 Tablespoons per layer.
    Once the cake is cool, fill between layers with lemon curd, 1 jar per layer.
    Frost the entire cake with Pink Lemonade frosting and put in refrigerator for 30 minutes so it can firm up. Using the white cream cheese frosting and a piping attachment with frosting bag, pipe a curvy line all over the cake.
    Easy, but looks wonderful and taste awesome!

    Lemon Lace Cake

    Yummy Lemon Filling!
  • Brown Sugar, Cinnamon Pull Aparts or Monkey Bread

    Brown Sugar, Cinnamon Pull Aparts or Monkey Bread

    Cinnamon, Brown Sugar Pullaparts! Sweet.

    Ingredients

    3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough (Like Grands) or make your own biscuits (see below)
    1 cup white sugar
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    1/2 cup margarine and/or walnut oil
    1 cup packed brown sugar
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
    1/2 cup raisins (optional)

    Directions
    1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt® pan.
    2.Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
    3.In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
    4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

    Homemade Biscuits
    Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

    1 1/4 C. cake flour
    3/4 C. all-purpose flour
    1 1/2 t. baking powder
    1/2 t. baking soda
    1/2 t. salt
    1/4 C. butter, cut into small chunks
    3/4 C. buttermilk (or 3/4 cup milk and 1 tsp vinegar)

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

    2. Prepare ingredients: Cut butter into small chunks, place in a bowl and return to fridge. Measure out buttermilk and set aside. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and have extra flour nearby for your hands and biscuit cutter. Have biscuit cutter and an ungreased baking sheet handy

    3. Mix dough: In a medium-large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt until very well blended. Add butter and cut into flour using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in buttermilk and stir lightly until dough comes together in a ball.

    4. Knead dough and cut biscuits: Dump dough mixture out onto floured work surface. With floured hands, lightly knead dough a few times until it is fairly well blended. Pat out into a circle, 3/4 – 1 inch thick. Dip cutter into flour and cut biscuits without twisting the cutter. Form the dough scraps into an extra biscuit-like shape instead of re-rolling the dough. Place cut biscuits together on the baking sheet so that the sides are touching. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.

    5. Bake biscuits: place baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove biscuits to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes.

    Awesome Breakfast!
  • Beef Pot Pie

    Beef Pot Pie

    Beef Stew Filling
    Chop Beef into bite size pieces
    1 diced onion
    6 celery stocks diced
    6 carrots sliced into coins
    1 cup diced potatoes (optional)
    Saute onion, celery and carrots
    48 ounces beef stock
    1/2 cup brewed coffee
    1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
    1 can green peas
    1 tsp Thyme
    Salt & Pepper to taste
    Let ingredients simmer until vegetables are fork tender, add peas after other vegetables are done. Remove from heat.

    Crust
    3 Cups Flour
    1 Cup Crisco
    1 T Baking Powder
    1 tsp Salt
    6-8 T Cold Water as needed

    Blend together, roll out, top on individual pot pies or one large pie over beef stew filling.

    Bake 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Yummy good.

  • Artesian Cinnamon Biscuits

    Artesian Cinnamon Biscuits

    Make your favorite biscuits
    Cut into biscuits

    Coat with melted butter and dip into cinnamon sugar (1 cup sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon)
    Place in a buttered baking dish
    1 cup brown sugar
    1/2 cup butter
    bring to a boil for 1 minute and then pour over the biscuits in the baking dish.
    Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

  • Brioche Buns – Perfect for sliders!

    Brioche Buns – Perfect for sliders!

    I am starting a batch right now. Pictures to follow… Yes, most people do not make their own hamburger buns, but when you want a smaller, slider size, you may not have a choice. Give this recipe a shot! Excellent with special hamburgers or pulled pork sandwiches! Awesome bites!

    1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
    3 eggs
    2 egg yolks
    3/4 cup butter, softened
    3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup white sugar
    1 teaspoon active dry yeast

    1 egg white
    black and white sesame seeds or coarse sea salt or onion seeds or sesame seeds
    2 tablespoons water

    Directions
    1.Place the first seven ingredients in bread machine in order suggested by your manufacturer. Select dough cycle.
    2.Turn finished dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead 5 to 10 times. Let rise in greased bowl until doubled. Punch down and separate into 15-24 balls/buns. Place onto a buttered parchment lined baking sheet. Set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
    3.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together 1 egg white and the water. Brush onto the top of the loaf. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds.
    4.Bake in the preheated oven until deep golden brown, about 20-35 minutes.

    Cut into 16 pieces for perfect slider size rolls, or 24 for small dinner rolls.

  • Peanut Butter Cookies with Macadamian Nuts

    Peanut Butter Cookies with Macadamian Nuts

    1 cup butter
    1 cup creamy peanut butter
    1 cup brown sugar
    1 cup white sugar
    2 eggs
    1 tsp baking soda
    2 cups flour
    1/4 cup chopped macadamian nuts

    Scoop onto parchment paper sprayed with Pam. Using a fork, press down in crisscross pattern.

    Bake at 350 degrees for 16 minutes until golden brown. Let cool before removing from parchment. Store in air tight container, if there are any left!