chocolate, hazelnut, oatmeal cookies

Small Mister has become my cooking helper.  He is tall enough to stand on a chair and stir now.  I worked a thirteen hour day today and needed tea and cookies.  So I put some together for us.  Gluten free.  Chocolate.  Not too sweet.  Perfect after a very long day.

chocolate hazelnut pecan cookies

Note:  adapted from Small Treats, Small Plates and treehugger.com.  I made enough just for us after a long day.

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoon sorghum flour

1 tablespoon quinoa flour

1 tablespoon cocoa

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon hazelnut flour

2 tablespoons quick oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream butter, sugars, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.  Drop teaspoons of dough on the baking sheet.  Bake for ten minutes.

Eat warm!  After a very long day.

kouign amann (old fashioned breton cake)

I will not say it has gotten any easier.  I just do the things I need to do to keep me sane.  I put my hands in dough.  But because I have so much bread already I decided to make cake.  This is my type of cake.  It is kind of a sweet bread cake.  But then we had sweet rolls for our wedding dessert since I really do not like most cake.  This should tell you something.  

I have actually made this cake twice.  The first time, I flubbed it a bit and then we lost the hard drive.  This time, the process was easier.  It tasted the same both times.  The bit of sanity helped.  Next time, I will put Small Mister on a chair so he can help knead.  He and I are learning that we work well with him on a chair next to me in the kitchen.  This is a new development.  He is also my garden sprite/helper.  Between dough and dirt, my head is a little straighter.

Do not expect American cake here.  Just be warned.  I like ti though.  

kouign amann (old fashioned breton cake)

Note:  Modified from Manger.  I figured out how to use sourdough.  I also think this would be quite good (but probably very non-traditional) with cinnamon or orange added

sourdough starter

1 cup flour

3/4 water

1 1/2 cup flour

pinch of salt

3/4 cup butter, room temperature but not runny

about 1 cup sugar

The night before, mix the sourdough, 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup water together in a bowl.  Cover and let get bubbly, about 8 hours.  Take a bit out for next time right before you wish to start mixing.

Add 1 cup flour and the pinch of salt.  Mix well.  It should come together into a soft dough.  Knead until smooth.  Use the extra flour to keep it from sticking to the counter.  Better to err on the soft side.

Cover and let rise for three hours or nicely double.

Butter a cake pan, about 8 inches in diameter.  NOT a  spring form pan.

Roll the dough out to about 1 cm (about a quarter inch thick).  Spread  a scant 1/4 cup of butter over it. Sprinkle with about rounded 1/4 cup sugar.  Fold into thirds toward the center.  Then into thirds again from the ends so you have a square.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll out the same twice more.  You may wish to refrigerate the dough between the second and third roll to let the butter set up again.

Press into the cake pan.  You should have a bit of sugar and butter left over.  Spread the butter on top.  Sprinkle the sugar it.  Bake for 22 -25 minutes or until golden.  Start checking at 17 minutes.  If it is golden, it is time to take out.

Wait to cut into this for 15 minutes.  It is really easier to cut.

Cinnamon next time....

pocketbook rolls

The day we started traveling for our land we did a mad thing.  We had a cookie decorating party.  It had actually been planned before we found out our trailer was ready and needed to be picked up and that my Mother's retirement party was happening.  We chose not to cancel and still had friends over.

I made a large pot of bean soup and tried a new bread recipe.  Lucullian Delights had done a Baking Babes challenge awhile back for pocketbook rolls and I thought they looked interesting.  Then I totally screwed up the recipe.  I was told they were the best rolls that my Beloved had ever had and I needed to make them again.  Others agreed.  It is a good thing I remembered how I screwed up!

pocketbook rolls

sourdough starter

3/4 cup water 

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1egg

6 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

8 tablespoons melted butter

The night before, mix the sourdough starter, 3/4 cup water, and 1 cup flour together.  Cover and let become bubbly overnight.  Remove a couple tablespoons of starter for next time.

To the starter add 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and 4 tablespoons olive oil.  Mix well.  Add 2 cups flour and mix.  Cover and let sit for a couple hours covered until bubbly and like pancake batter.

Mix in 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water.  Add sugar, butter, egg, and salt.  Mix in the rest of the flour a cup at a time until you have a soft dough.  Turn out and knead until smooth.  Let rise until double.

Cover baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.  Roll the dough out to 1/2 inch.  Cut 2 1/2 inch rounds.  Dip in the melted butter.  Put on the baking sheet and fold in half.  You may need to mash it a bit.  Cover and let rise until double and puffy, about 45 minutes to a hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake the rolls for about 10 minutes.  They need to be golden.

Like I said, I royally screwed up the recipe but they were well liked.  Maybe sometime I should try the actual recipe!

But like always.

There was much fun had and many cookies eaten!

ginger margarita

Ever since I hurt my foot, my hips and knees have hurt more.  Especially on the left side.  I know it is because I am not walking correctly.  My figure skating coach (who is much more than that) says drink more, especially when I am trouble with something like a sit camel.  It is an old time move that nobody does anymore that has high levels of difficulty.

He knows I like margaritas and came across this recipe.  It combines the my like of margaritas and ginger.  It also helps that "drink more" statement.  I made my life a bit easier then the original recipe in the Houston Chronicle.  I went with what was in the house.

Which is a good thing.  Especially with a complete fail making a dress (I think the fabric is really wrong) and my foot swollen and hips hurting during my lesson.

ginger margarita

1 1/2 ounces tequila

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce Cointreau

1/4 ounce to 1 ounce (or taste) ginger simple syrup

ice

Sparkling wine, I used Cinzano moscato asti (it was what was in house)

Mix everything together but the wine. Put ice in a ten ounce cup.  Pour the margarita mixture over it.  Top with sparkling wine.  Stir.  Taste if there is enough ginger for you and adjust.

Very yummy.

We are off for the next week and half doing business and having family celebrations.  I probably will not be able to blog until we get back.  It is that bit of having no internet or cell phone access.  Hopefully, I will come back with much inspiration!

The Paloma

I came home to five pounds of grapefruit yesterday.  Before yesterday, I would have said that I really do not care for grapefruit.  Now, that I have been taught how to eat them and if they are Texas grapefruit, I can say I like them.  My Beloved had a customer teach him and give him the grapefruit.  The funny thing was that I had come across a recipe for an adult beverage using grapefruit early in the day that I wanted to try.  Life is interesting.

I find I actually like grapefruit better then orange.  Who knew?  

To make the grapefruit syrup that this recipe calls for, I used a cup of grapefruit pulp and juice in my normal syrup recipe (1 cup water and 1 cup sugar).  

the paloma

2 ounces tequila

1/2 ounce lime juice

2 ounces grapefruit syrup

ice

soda water

Mix the tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit syrup together.  In a glass (about 12 ounces), put ice.  Pour the mixture over.  Fill the rest of the way to the top with soda water.

The recipe I say called for salt and grapefruit soda.  I do not care for salt with my tequila.  I made my own soda, really.

I started another quilt while I have been working on Baby Nacho's.  This is actually for an adult friend.  I am very excited about it.  I wanted to send her a hug but Connecticut is a little far for my arms.  A quilt will just have to do.