Cherry-Almond Danish Braid - June’s DB Challenge June 29, 2008

When I found out June’s Daring Baker’s challenge was a Danish Braid, I was pretty excited.  One, because I’ve never attempted anything like it and two, I’ve always wants to try and recreate a cherry almond coffee cake my mom used to buy from a local bakery when I was young. 

The family loved it and the leftovers were brought to the co-workers who wow’d it.  My filling consisted of almond paste and dried cherries.  The almond paste made the filling pretty rich, which is probably why everyone liked it, especially in between layers of the danish dough. 

I made funny looking Cinnamon rolls with the remainder of the dough, which also disappeared quickly.  (the funny looking ones aren’t pictures:)

The danish dough that was made was similar to a puff pastry.  There were a number of flaky layers.  I’m looking forward to making this dough again.  It’s a little time consuming, but so simple if you follow the directions carefully.

Thanks to Kelly of Sass & Veracity and Ben of What’s Cookin’? for hosting this month’s challenge.  It has probably been my favorite since I became a Daring Baker in February.  

DANISH DOUGHMakes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe) 
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed.  Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice.  Mix well.  Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated.  Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth.  You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer:  Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk.  Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well.  Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain.  Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even.  Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain.  With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges.  When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes.  You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1.    Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free.  Set aside at room temperature.
2.    After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick.  The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour.  Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough.  Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter.  Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third.  The first turn has now been completed.  Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally.  Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3.    Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface.  The open ends should be to your right and left.  Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle.  Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third.  No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed.  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4.    Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns.  Make sure you are keeping track of your turns.  Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight.  The Danish dough is now ready to be used.  If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it.  To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze.  Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling.  Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients 
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash:  1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1.    Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  On a lightly floured  surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick.  If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again.  Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2.    Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart.  Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3.    Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle.  Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover.  Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling.  This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished.  Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1.    Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid.  Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2.    Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3.    Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown.  Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature.  The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Cherry Almond Filling

(Recipe from:  unknown)

8 oz almond paste

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 Tbsp flour

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped nuts

2/3 cup chopped fruits, raisins or dates

Mix the almond paste, sugar and butter well.  Add the flour and egg.  Blend in the nuts and fruits.  This will make 3 generous cups of filling and will fill two 12″ coffee cakes. 

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert June 23, 2008

I made this dessert about 4 years ago (before I started my blog) and I made it again for a cookout we had this past week.  It came from the Kraft Foods website.  I like a lot of their recipes when I’m looking for something to make with few ingredients and that doesn’t take a lot of time.  Obviously this is a good dessert, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it a second time.  Heads up though!  It is a bit rich so all you need is a small piece to satisfy.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert

(Recipe from:  www.Kraftfoods.com)

12 Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, divided

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 12 oz tub whipped topping, thawed, divided

2 squares (2 oz) semi-sweet chocolate, melted

CRUSH 8 of the cookies in resealable plastic bag with rolling pin.  (I used blender)  Mix cookie crumbs and butter.  Press onto bottom of foil-lined 9×5 loaf pan. 

MIX cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture into small bowl. Stir in melted chocolate until well blended; set aside. Spoon half of the remaining cream cheese mixture over crust. Top evenly with chocolate mixture; cover with remaining cream cheese mixture.

FREEZE 4 hours or overnight until firm. Invert onto plate. Remove foil, then re-invert onto serving platter so that crumb layer is on bottom. Coarsely break the remaining 4 cookies. Top dessert with remaining whipping topping and cookies.

Pizza on the Grill June 19, 2008

If you have never tried pizza on the grill, I suggest you do sometime this Summer.  Yum!  I want to try chicken pesto next time. 

    

Crust

I have to be honest, I used a store bought pizza dough for this one, it made my life a bit easier.  I think I bought the Meijers brand, it was actually pretty good, it had more of a buttery taste compared to homemade dough, nice for a change.

Sauce

I used the same sauce recipe I have been making for all my other homemade pizzas. 

Toppings

We went with half Pepperoni and Sausage and half mushroom and green pepper and of course cheese over the top of the whole thing!

Outcome

Awesome!!  I think this one takes practice to get it exactly right.  My husband and I talked about what we’d do different next time we make this but I think for everyone it will be different depending on your grill and how YOU like your pizza. 

This recipe didn’t come from any of my cookbooks, although I think I’m about 3 books into my goal of making one recipe I’ve never made out of each of my cookbooks for the next year.  I’ve seen a lot of blog posts on pizza on the grill and found this one from Al Dente to be the easiest to follow.  Give it a try, it’s fun and really good!

Fiesta Corn Salad June 16, 2008

This recipe came from Prized Recipes to Cook and Savor by Protestant Reformed Christian School.  This salad is definitely a keeper.  It was really good just eating the salad with a fork, but it also tasted good scooped up with chips or crackers.  It was very easy to make, the time consuming part was chopping the veggies, which really wasn’t all that bad.  If I had to decide between the Fiesta Corn Salad or the Fresh Summer Salad that I made back in May, I would definitly make the Fiesta Corn salad first.

Fiesta Corn Salad

1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn (drained)

1 cup fresh tomato (chopped)

1 cup chopped, peeled cucumber

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup diced green/red sweet pepper

2 green onions (sliced)

1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing

Combine all ingredients.  Chill several hours before serving.  Yield:  4-6 servings.

English Muffin Loaf June 11, 2008

This recipe comes from Faith Church’s cookbook, A Little Bite of Faith.  Surprise, surprise, I made a few changes to this recipe, I used 3/4 cups whole wheat flour instead of all white.  I also added 1 tsp Cinnamon and 3/4 cup raisins. 

I’m not really sure what I expected when I took a bite out of this thing, but I liked it!  It didn’t have as many ‘nooks and crannies’ as an actual english muffin, but it had a nice texture.  I threw my piece in the toaster oven for a few minutes and spread on some butter.  This would be really good with some jelly if made without the Cinnamon and raisins.  Next time, I would add more Cinnamon and raisins if I decided to go in that direction, or just make it whole wheat and eat with jelly.

English Muffin Loaf

(Recipe from:  A Little Bite of Faith, Faith Church)

5 1/2 -6 cups flour

2 Tbsp yeast

1 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup powdered milk

2 1/2 cups hot water

cornmeal (optional)

Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, baking soda, powdered milk.  Add 2 1/2 cups hot water (not boiling) and beat well.  Stir in 2 1/2 -3 cups additional flour to make a stiff batter.  Pour into 2 greased loaf pans which have been sprinkled with cornmeal (or flour).  Sprinkle tops with cornmeal.  Cover and let rise 45 minutes.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Tiarmisu goes healthy June 5, 2008

It’s too bad New Year’s is already far behind us, because I just thought of a good New Year’s Resolution for myself.  I could wait till next year…but that wouldn’t be any fun for me now, so instead I’ll make it my goal for June 2009.  I’m giving myself a year but I hope it won’t take that long.  My goal is to make one recipe out of each cookbook I own that I have not made before.  (I find myself making recipes I find on other blogs instead of using my own cookbooks!)  I really couldn’t tell you how many cookbooks I have, maybe 12-15-20ish (I’ll have to count them sometime), so I doubt it will take all year, but you never know! 

Don’t forget, I love to get your comments, questions, suggestions!  If you ever try a recipe on my blog, let me know how it turned out and what you thought!

So here goes, my first recipe to reaching my goal.  I went with one out of The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook by Arthur Agatston.  First of all, I want to make it clear that I do not follow this diet.  The only reason I have this book is because I won it through our local Christian radio station Shine 89.7 probably about a year ago and have not made a thing out of it, until now! 

I decided on the Tiarmisu recipe since I had all the ingredients in the house.  I’m sure any normal recipe for Tiarmisu has a ton of calories and fat, this one, 130 calories and 2.5 g fat (1.5 sat) for 1/4 of the recipe.  Not bad!  The taste…I’ll admit, it is not close to being as good as the real thing, but I thought it was really good considering how many cals/fat it doesn’t have in it.  (Although instead of using sugar substitute, I used the real stuff, so it probably tasted better than it was supposed to…)  Anyway, I would definitely make this again, especially if I need to make a dessert for someone on some kind of diet, I think this would be a hit.

South Beach Diet Tiarmisu

(Recipe from:  The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook by Arthur Agatston)

Prep Time:  20 minutes   |   Cook Time:  20 minutes   |   Cool Time:  30 minutes

A favorite Italian dessert, tiramisu (meaning “pick-me-up,” in reference to the espresso and cocoa it includes) makes a light yet rich finish for summer supper.

6 large egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp granular sugar sub

6 Tbsp whole-grain pastry flour

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup fat-free or light whipped topping

1/4 cup strongly brewed decaffeinated espresso

1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly coat an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 tsp of the vanilla and beat to combine.  Add 1/3 cup of the sugar substitute and beat until stiff peaks form.  Sift 2 Tbsp of the flour over beaten egg whites and gently fold to incorporate.  Repeat twice with remaining flour until all of the flour is incorporated.

Pour batter into the pan and gently smooth the top.  Bake, turning once halfway through, until cake is golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, whipped topping, remaining 2 tsp sugar substitute, and remaining 1/4 tsp vanilla.  Cut cake in half vertically down the middle to make two 4 by 8 inch pieces.  Place the halves on a flat work surface.  Drizzle 2 Tbsp of espresso onto each half.  Spread half of the ricotta mixture onto one of the halves and dust with half of the cocoa powder.  Top with remaining cake half; spread the top with remaining ricotta mixture and dust with remaining cocoa powder.  Using a serrated knife, gently cut cake crosswise into 4 slices and serve with mint leaves for garnish, if using.

Makes 4 servings.