Red Onion & Gorgonzola Flatbread

My good friend Patty has had this recipe hanging on her fridge forever, so I decided to go ahead and make it. We both almost fell over because it tasted so amazing! We had such a fun time together in the kitchen rolling out the dough, caramelizing the onions and sipping on champagne! We made this as an appetizer, but could have easily eaten it for dinner. I changed the recipe a bit from the original, by adding more rosemary, caramelizing the onions first, and also making one large sheet pan of flat bread versus the individual rounds the original recipe called for. I might even be really bad and add some crumbled bacon to this dish next time I make it!
Original recipe from "Sunset Magazine, 2007"

Red Onion and Gorgonzola Flatbread

1 Package Active Dry Yeast
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Semolina Flour
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Large Red Onion
2 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves, minced
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
6 Ounces Gorgonzola Cheese, crumbled

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water (about 100 degrees). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flours 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1 teaspoons salt. (Dough will be stiff.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place to rise until 1 1/2 times its original volume, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cut the onion in half and thinly slice. In a medium sized frying pan add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onion, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt, saute on very low heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with olive oil. Turn risen dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough just until it feels smooth, about 10 times. Roll out and place into baking sheet. Stretch dough to cover entire sheet, should be about 1/4 inch thick. Cover dough with gorgonzola, caramelized onions and rosemary. Bake until browned and sizzling, about 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve immediately, or at room temperature.

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

I can't imagine anything better than these biscuits, wow they were amazing!!! I saw this recipe in my Bon Appetite magazine and almost ate the page with the picture of these on them. I had a few friends over for dinner and made these at the request of one of my guests, such a great choice. They are the perfect texture; crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and full of flavor. I had one for breakfast and lunch the next day...hello treadmill, here I come!

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

3 3/4 Cups Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 1/4 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 Pound Thick Cut Bacon, cooked until crisp, drained and broken into small pieces
12 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
1/2 Cup Fresh Chives, chopped
1 3/4-2 Cups Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and position rack just above center of oven.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, add butter and cut in until texture of course meal. Add bacon, cheese, and chives, mix to incorporate into flour mixture. Add buttermilk to moisten, toss with a fork, add more buttermilk if needed (up to 2 cups total) to just bring dough together. Place a generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto baking sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

I found this amazing recipe on Recipe from OurBestBites.com and had to immediately go to the kitchen and whip it up. I’m not much of a bread maker, but I thought this recipe was so easy and delicious I had to give it a try. I was completely shocked at how amazing the bread turned out, it had the perfect texture, flavor, and my friend Patti and I gobbled it up. I served it on a plate with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You must try this one out, it’s so good…I’ve been craving it ever since.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

1 Cup Warm Water (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit)

1 Tablespoon Yeast

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt, plus more for sprinkling

2 Tablespoons Butter, divided

2 Tablespoons Crushed Dry Rosemary

2 1/4-2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly. While the yeast is getting bubbly, combine 2 C of the flour, salt, 1 Tbsp. rosemary.

Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Mix well. (I put it in my stand mixer with the dough hook on). Slowly add remaining flour to make a very soft dough--try and resist the urge to add too much flour. You probably won't use the entire extra 1/2 c. of flour. I usually only use about 1/4 cup. You want a soft, wet dough.

Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.

Lightly flour work surface and transfer dough onto this surface. Divide in half. Shape each half into a round loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Cover and allow to rise another 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and mix with remaining tablespoon of rosemary. Brush on loaves and sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly golden-brown. Serve immediately (if you can) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (if you want) and feel your butt get bigger (you will. It just happens. And it's worth it.)

Sinful French Toast

I had something similar to this when I went to San Francisco earlier this year and have been thinking about it since. The other morning I decided to get into the kitchen and see if I could re-make this recipe. What I was shooting for is a bread pudding-like interior with a slightly crispy exterior and then a cinnamon and sugar crust. I know it sounds completely indulgent, ok, it is! I won’t make this often, but what a treat it was.

Sinful French Toast

3 Egg Yolks & 1 Whole Egg
1 Cup Whole Milk
4 Slices Bread, use a dense bread such as French or brioche
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
Vegetable Oil

In a deep dish mix together the eggs and milk, soak the bread in this mixture until completely saturated. In a large frying pan, heat ¼ inch of oil to 325 degrees. While oil is heating combine the cinnamon and sugar on a plate and set aside. To cook the French toast, fry in the oil for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove toast from the oil and drain, then dredge in the cinnamon sugar until completely coated, remove to a plate and continue cooking the rest of the toast. Serve immediately.

Croissant Bread Pudding

The Caramel Sauce...this is how dark it needs to be
Enjoy!

This recipe was inspired from Nigella, I saw her make this on tv a while back and thought it was such a great recipe. I love the caramel sauce that you make first, it really adds a depth of flavor to the dish my regular bread pudding recipe doesn’t offer. She didn’t serve her pudding with a sauce, but I couldn’t resist adding this for the perfect touch. I think I’m going to go heat a little bit of this up right now, it will be the perfect ending to my day!

Croissant Bread Pudding

1 ½ Cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Water
3 Cups Half & Half
4 Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ Cup Brandy
6 Croissants, ripped into pieces

Place the croissants in a large baking dish and pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, add the sugar and water and place over medium high heat. Cook, without stirring until the sugar turns a deep golden color, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to low, add the Half & Half, and stir vigorously with a whisk, and watch out, it will sputter quite a bit! Continue stirring until well combined, some of the caramelized sugar will form a ball, but keep whisking, it will become melted again. Now add the eggs, cinnamon, and brandy, stir to combine. Continue to cook over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Pour the sauce over the croissants and let sit for at least 10 minutes, or until the croissants have absorbed the sauce. Place into oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown, and set.
Serve warm with brandy cream sauce.

Brandy Cream Sauce

1 Cup Cream

1 Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Teaspoon Cornstarch

1/4 Cup Brandy

Heat the cream, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in medium saucepan until almost boiling. Mix the brandy and cornstarch together and stir into the cream mixture. Bring to a light boil, and cook until thickened.

Banana Bread

I had a couple of bananas hanging out in the kitchen this last week and decided to whip up some banana bread. I only had 2 bananas so I was off on the internet on a wild search for a recipe that only used 2 bananas, and came across this recipe from the food network by Emeril. I changed the directions dramatically, as he was using a food processor and an electric mixer, I thought that was completely un-necessary, as I don’t have a crew to clean up my mess after I cook! My bread pan is also an inch smaller in width, so the bread took a little bit longer to cook than this recipe calls for and the crust was a little too dark for my liking. I also added a teaspoon of cinnamon, who makes banana bread without cinnamon? Overall I was happy with the bread, not impressed by any means, but it was good and fairly banana-y considering the use of only 2 bananas. I think next time I will opt to throw a couple more in for good measure! Oh, the bread turned out very moist too, which I loved…must have been the yogurt!

Banana Bread

10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used ½ cup of nonfat yogurt to reduce the fat)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour (or 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour combined with 1/4 cup corn starch)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts (optional)

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.
Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the bananas, sour cream eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Next sift together all the dry ingredients and add in 3 batches to the butter mixture, beating lightly in between each addition. Fold in the nuts if using.
Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Irish Soda Bread

My roommate Wendy made Corned Beef and Cabbage for St Patrick’s day and I contributed to the meal with this really yummy Irish Soda Bread. It was so easy to make and had a great texture, was very moist and only took a few minutes to throw together. I served this with honey, which was really good, as the bread is a bit tangy. It would also be good with a marmalade or even just with butter. I will be posting the recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage soon.

Irish Soda Bread

2 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

Preheat an oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, bran, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the yogurt and stir to blend, forming a rough ball. The dough will start rising as soon as the baking soda comes in contact with the yogurt, so work quickly to form the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently for about 30 seconds. The dough should feel soft to the touch. Dust a clean work surface with flour and set the ball of dough on it. Flatten slightly into a 7-inch dome and sprinkle with flour, spreading the flour lightly over the surface. Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow X in the loaf from one side to the other. Transfer the loaf to the preheated baking sheet. Bake until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. Any leftover bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Recipe from williamssonoma.com

Biscuits

I was watching the Food Network last night and Bobby Flay was doing a “biscuit throw-down” and I work up this morning with the biggest craving for biscuits ever. I have made biscuits a ton in the past and so I didn’t feel the need to look up his recipe, as mine seemed very similar. He did put black pepper on the top of his, which sounds pretty yummy, but I left that out because a black pepper biscuit with honey just didn’t sound that great this morning.

Biscuits

2 Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar
½ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes
¾ Cup Milk

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Sift together all dry ingredients. Add butter and work into flour with your hands until incorporated and dough has pea sized chunks of butter throughout. Add milk all at once and quickly knead dough until it just comes together, do not over work or it will make the biscuits tough. On lightly floured surface flatten dough out with your hands or a rolling pin until dough is ¾ inch thick. Cut with 2 inch or larger floured biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees until golden brown. Serve hot with honey or jam.

Makes 8-10 2 inch biscuits

Strata

Anything that resembles bread pudding has to be delicious, right? This recipe does just that, but more on the savory side with the addition of cheese and sausage. I also love this recipe because it can be made the night before. It’s perfect for brunch or even for a yummy savory dinner treat. This recipe can be cut in half, or even doubled if you are having a large amount of people over for brunch. Thanks Wendy for this delicious recipe!

Strata

1 Loaf French Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
8 Eggs
½ Cup Milk
1 Large Sweet Onion, diced
1 Pound Spicy Sausage
8 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, cut into cubes

In large bowl add eggs and milk and mix together, add bread and mix until combined. Sauté onion until over medium high heat with oil until translucent, about 5 minutes, add to bread mixture. Next, brown sausage in sauté pan, drain grease and add to bread mixture. Mix well and let sit for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight to ensure bread absorbs all liquid. Place mixture into 9x13-inch baking pan and dot with cheddar and cream cheese to evenly distribute throughout strata.
Place into pre-heated 350 degree oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until center of strata is set and top is golden brown.

Almost No-Knead Bread

I love getting my Cooks Illustrated magazine because it always has such good recipes. In my January edition they had an almost no-knead bread recipe, I was inspired and it turned out beautiful. I am not very experienced in bread-making so it was nice to have a recipe that produced a professional quality loaf of bread. It has a nice thick crispy crust and a very dense flavorful inside. I took this to my friend Jen’s house for a dinner party to go with her Lamb Stew, which I will share the recipe when I get it from her. I didn’t start my bread early enough to give it a full 8 hour rise, so I placed it in a very warm spot in the house and let it rise for 6 hours, and it was fine. It was really strange cooking bread in my dutch oven, but it did the trick, I am going to try it with some rosemary, parmesan, and olives thrown in next time. Enjoy!

Almost No-Knead Bread

3 Cups Flour
¼ Teaspoon Instant Yeast
1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
¾ Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Water (7 ounces), at room temperature
¼ Cup plus 2 Tablespoons mild-flavored Beer (They recommend Budweiser, or Coors)
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

Whisk flour, yeast and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using runner spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit a room temperature for 8-18 hours.
Lay 12x18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough seam side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in siz and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6-quart heavy bottomed dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and using razor blade, make one 6-inch long, 1/2 –inch deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pat (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20-30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Blueberry Scones

My friend Doug and I made these for breakfast when I was back east, and they were delicious! These are a little fluffier than a traditional scone, but have a nice texture and flavor.

Blueberry Scones

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar, plus additional for sprinkling

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup cold heavy cream

3/4 cup blueberries

1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, add them to the dough, and mix quickly. The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.

Recipe by Ina Garten, Food Network

Bread Pudding with Brandy Sauce

This is one of my new favorite desserts and it is so easy to make! I think it is also a wonderful breakfast food, as I have been eating the left-over’s the last couple mornings for breakfast.

Bread Pudding

Pudding

3 Large Eggs
3 Egg Yolks

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1 Loaf French Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

Whisk eggs until blended, add the sugar vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cream. Place bread in medium casserole dish (about 8x8 inch) and pour custard mixture over the bread. Let rest in fridge for 2 hours, or up to overnight. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sauce

1 Cup Cream

1 Cup Sugar 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Teaspoon Cornstarch

1/4 Cup Brandy

To make the sauce, heat the cream, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in medium saucepan until almost boiling. Mix the brandy and cornstarch together and stir into the cream mixture. Bring to a light boil, and cook until thickened.

Tandoori Naan

Tandoori Naan*

½ Cups Warm Water
½ Teaspoon Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Yeast
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Egg
¼ Cup Skim Milk
1 Teaspoon Melted Butter
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Optional)

Put the water in a small bowl. Add the sugar, salt, and yeast. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside for a few minutes until the yeast begins to foam.
In a mixing bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Gradually kneed the liquid into the four. Begin adding the yeast mixture while kneading. Knead until the dough is smooth and does not stick to the bowl (about 5 minutes). Brush the dough with the melted butter. Cover with a moist cloth and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled (about 2-3 hours).
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, and place large cookie sheet in oven to heat up. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Flatten dough by hand on lightly floured board until ¼ inch thick. Quickly grease pre-heated cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and add dough to sheet. Bake for 3-4 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Brush with additional butter and sprinkle with cumin seeds, if desired.
Traditional tandoori naan is formed into the shape of a tear. This naturally happens as the bread is cooked in an open clay oven called a tandoor, and the dough droops during cooking to form the tear shape.
*Recipe from “The Spice is Right” by Monica Bhide

German Pancakes

I am not a big breakfast fan, but this is one of the things I do love to eat in the morning. It’s quick, easy to make, and always turns out perfectly. This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13 inch pan as well if you are serving a few people.

German Pancakes

2 Eggs
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
½ Cup Flour
1 Cup Milk

Mix all ingredients using only half the milk with whisk until well combined. Whisk in remaining milk.
Pour into well greased glass pie plate, or 9x9 in baking pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until bottom and edges are golden brown.
Serve with butter and powdered sugar. Also, this is good served with lime juice and powdered sugar if you want to cut out the butter.

Pecan Sticky Buns

This is the best recipe ever! It comes out of my mom's church recipe book....it was a huge hit at Brunch!!!

Pecan Sticky Buns

1-3 ¾ oz. package butterscotch pudding mix (not the instant kind)

½ cup butter

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cups brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans, or walnuts

1 bag frozen Rhodes white bread rolls

Combine pudding mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Place 20 frozen rolls into well buttered bundt pan. Melt butter and pour over frozen roll dough. Sprinkle with dry pudding mixture, cover lightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight. The dough will rise beautifully by morning.

Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Invert pan on platter and serve warm.