So we’ve touched on my coconuts (wow, that was bad) but lets move on to my best assets (yes, again, bad)… my buns. I can’t help it. I love getting new readers, so I need to keep F interested.

But in all seriousness (if I can even do that), I was in the mood to bake some bread. And I wanted a recipe that didn’t use the mixer. See apparently, it has been pointed out to me, that I have weak wrist. And I need strong ones for a better shot.
Not really my fault. I’m a girl. And well, we just don’t have strong forearms/wrists like guys. I mean, men get to ummm, *build* up their wrist strength on a more consistent basis (depending on their social life, or lack there of). So they have a slight advantage. Or disadvantage depending on your outlook.

Anyway, back to the bread. I figured it was best if I, you know, built up my wrist strength in a more appropriate manner. So why not knead bread?
Except, hardly anyone does that anymore. While Googling for brioche buns (I was making pulled pork sandwiches), Deb came up. Pretty much everyone knows Smitten Kitchen, if you don’t, you should. And since Smitten Kitchen is a reliable recipe site (as in, stuff I make from there turns out), I decided to give her buns a try….especially since you don’t use a mixer.

As far as bread making goes, these here buns were pretty easy to make (though I realize that some fear yeast). Other than having to knead them by hand for about 8 minutes, there is very little effort to put into these. Well that and just sitting around watching the dough rise. The key is to remember that this dough is a little on the sticky side. If you add too much flour and you will get tough buns (so use flour sparingly when kneading). Firm buns are good for the gym, but bad for a pulled pork sandwich.

All in all, two good things came out of this. The buns. The other is of course, my well developed wrists that will no doubt help improve the rocket that is my shot (any and all people who play hockey with me are now rolling on the ground laughing).

Light Brioche Burger Buns

Makes 8 4 to 5-inch burger buns

3 TBSP warm milk
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 ½ TBSP sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp salt
2 ½ TBSP unsalted butter, softened
Sesame seeds (optional)

In a glass measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, beat one egg.

In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Using a dough scraper, stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg until a dough forms. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter and knead, scooping dough up, slapping it on counter and turning it, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be on the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get. Try to leave them tackier than you would a round loaf.

Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, one to two hours. (In my freaky, warm apartment this only took an hour.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper, divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for one to two hours. (Again, this only took one hour in my apartment and I suspect, you’ll also only need an hour for a second rise.)

Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

From Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Comme Ça restaurant in Los Angeles, via the New York Times

It’s been several years now, I’m not even sure how many to be exact (gee I’m getting old) that Tanna (My Kitchen in Half Cups) came to visit the Seattle area and we decided to meet up for lunch. She said, “can I bring Cookie Baker Lynn?” “The more the merrier,” was my reply.  And so we lunched.  Who knew from that I would end up with such a delightful friend and baking buddy.

We were out for coffee (though we both had tea…so very not Seattle of us) and the idea of us baking in each others home came up. And I am so glad it did. The baking days we have had have been two of my favorite days in the 09 year.
The first time around Lynn came up my way back in September. We were suppose to meet at her house in October, but my husband was switching jobs at the time and needed the car. Which worked out anyway because Lynn thought she would be trendy and get the flu and would have been out that week anyway. So we finally got to do it in November.

I think this picture pretty much says it all.

Her house definitely has more bustle than mine, though she does not have a crazy cocker spaniel trying to kill her at all times by hiding down by her feet. What she does have is an amazing family that you can tell love each other very much. And I must admit that I had a moment of really wanting to go back to teaching junior high after spending the day with her youngest daughter. But then I had to remind myself that her daughter was the exception and not the rule to the children we had when I taught junior high. One can dream.

In case you are wondering, we ended up making a Fall Brioche Coffee Cake (get recipe here). Using the pumpkin brioche recipe from Sherry Yard ( it’s such a great recipe). Well, Lynn ended up making. I mostly watched and talked. I know it’s hard to believe I am a talker.

The cake is very moist and the struesel was a little confusing when we made it(wet and sticky) but it made for a yummy topping so we must have done it right! The key though is to have the right size pan with this baby as we found that out the hard way. You can go read over at Lynn’s what the hard way was. You can also get the recipe there.

Thanks for the fun day Lynn. I look forward to many more!

Busy, busy, busy.

The In Laws are here in town and we have been a busy bunch. I read Taste of the South magazine and a while back they had recipes using a product called Cheerwine. It’s a cherry soda with a flavor that you can’t really describe. It’s like cherry cola, but then they took come of the cola out…it’s unique. So I made a cake using that for my In Laws since they were nice enough to bring out a 12 pack from Alabama (since you can only get it in the South to my knowledge).

That got my Mother-In Law and me talking about baking. She was in awe that I made my own bread often. She asked me what I baked the most and I told her, and I followed up with “but brioche is my favorite.”

“What’s that?” was what came out of her mouth. Right away, I knew that she was not going to be leaving my house this time around without getting to try some brioche.

They have been staying at a Holiday Inn Express, which every morning has cinnamon rolls, which they love. I figured I would give them a little twist on the morning treat that they have been eating all week.

There are two versions here. First just a plain old cinnamon sugar filled ones. The second uses Maple Butter (which is basically thickened up maple syrup), Dried Cranberries, and Pecans. Both are good. You don’t taste the pumpkin in the actual brioche, it just makes it a nice orange color and moist. So in order to taste a little of the pumpkin, I added it to the cream cheese frosting. Mmm, good.

The good news is that my Mother-In Law is now a fan of brioche. But then again, how can you not be.

Fall is Coming Pumpkin Brioche Snails with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

½ recipe Pumpkin Brioche (see below)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries
3 TBSP Maple Butter (if you can not find this use 2 TBSP maple syrup)
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 recipe Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Or just Cinnamon Filled

½ recipe Pumpkin Brioche
½ cup cinnamon sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches wide and 16 inches long, with a short end toward you.

In a small bowl, mash together the maple butter (or maple syrup) and butter together. Stir until combined. If you are making just the plain cinnamon sugar kind, skip this step.

Spread the maple/butter across the dough, leaving 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Scatter the  nuts, cranberries over the maple butter. If you are making the cinnamon sugar kind, spread the butter across the dough, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the butter.

Starting wit the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. Place on a baking sheet and put into the freezer for about 10 minutes, this will make it easier for you to cut.

With a chef¢â¬â„¢s knife(I use a bread knife), using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends if they¢â¬â„¢re ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into rounds a scant 1 inch thick. Put the snails inside the individual muffin holes. You may also use a round 8-inch cake pan (this recipe will use two). If using rounds, leave enough space for them to puff.

Lightly cover the snails with wax paper and set the baking sheet(s) in a warm place until the snails have doubles in volume, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F. Bake for 10 minutes at 400F. Turn oven down to 350F. Rotate the pans 180 degrees, and bake another 10-12 minutes.

Remove from oven. Let cool for 15 minutes and frost with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting.

Pumpkin Brioche

For the Sponge:
¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup bread flour

Combine the milk and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment ans whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the pumpkin puree, sugar, and flour, forming a thick batter. Cover with plastic film and let rest in a warm environment until bubbles form, 30-40 minutes.

For the Dough:
5 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ lb(2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1.Add the flour ans salt to the sponge, then add the eggs. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes, or until the eggs are absorbed. Increase speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will begin to slap around. Hold on to the mixer when necessary.
2.2. On medium-low speed, add the butter, 2 TBSP at a time. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.(Recipe did not say to, but I switched to the dough hook at this point). Knead until the dough is shiny ans smooth, about 5 minutes. Scrape out the dough, wash and dry the bowl, and coat it lightly with oil.
3.Place dough in the oiled bowl and turn it so that the top is coated with oil. Cover with plastic film and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
4.After the dough has doubled in volume, press down to deflate, folding one half into the other. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This is the second rise.

Pumpkin Brioche from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
4-5 cups powdered sugar
milk to thin

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and butter for 3 minutes.

Add pumpkin puree and spices. Beat until fully incorporated.

One cup at a time, on low speed, add powdered sugar. Increase speed to medium after powdered sugar starts to incorporate and wont fly all over you.
Add powdered sugar until you reach desired consistancy.

Thin with milk if frosting is too thick.

Poor nerd boy with little friends, except for tomboy best friend, is in love with hot popular girl. Popular girl dates jerk. Jerk is cheating on popular girl. Popular girl also poor but because she is hot, she is popular (ah the power of lip gloss and a nice rack, eh ). Girl finds out jerk is cheating. Goes out on date with Poor nerd boy to get back at jerk. Meanwhile best friend tomboy is jealous as she is in love with poor nerd boy. They practice kissing to make sure he can give a good kiss to popular girl. Poor nerd boy feels something (no doubt in his teenage hormonal pants). Still goes on date with girl. In the end girl learns to stand up on her own, nerd boy learns he is in love with tomboy best friend. Got all that…Some Kind of Wonderful.

Now, this is actually not one my all time favorites. I like it. I watch it when it is on TV, but I have issues with it. Like him buying diamond earrings for the popular girl. I get it. She shouldn’t have to borrow her friends. But what I didn’t get was his dad freaking out for spending the money. Now let us keep in mind that his family is poor. And I mean poor. So clearly, if he is applying for college he is going to be able to qualify for financial aide and grants. The first time I saw it, I was mapping out his future for him and wanting to scream to the dad it would be okay. But I am a nerd that way.

The one thing I did love about the movie was the soundtrack. Pretty and Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful are pretty much my two favorite movie soundtracks of all time.

Today’s food tribute to the movie comes from the scene where they are at the fine dining restaurant. Poor nerd boy had ordered ahead and the first course was snails. Since this is a baking blog, I wasn’t about to bust out real snails….so we did one better, Brioche Snails. Back when I participated in Tuesdays with Dorie, my selection was Brioche Snails. These are a take on those. Brioche dough filled with Key Lime Pastry Cream and Gingersnap Cookie Crumbs. Then topped with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting. Um, yeah. Better than the movie.

Key Lime-Gingersnap Brioche Snails

2 giant Ginger cookies (or 10 small gingersnaps), grated (they are easier to grate when frozen)
½  recipe for Golden Brioche (recipe follows), chilled and ready to shape (make the full recipe and cut the dough in half after refrigerating overnight)
Key Lime Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches wide and 16 inches long, with a short end toward you. Spread the pastry cream across the dough, leaving 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you.

Scatter the gingersnap cookies crumbs over the pastry cream.

Starting wit the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. (At this point, you can wrap the dough airtight and freeze it up to 2 months; see Storing for further instructions. Or, if you do not want to make the full recipe, use as much of the dough as you¢â¬â„¢d like and freeze the remainder.)
With a chef¢â¬â„¢s knife(I use a bread knife), using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends if they¢â¬â„¢re ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into rounds a scant 1 inch thick. Put the snails inside the individual muffin holes. You can also make them in one large round cake pan.

Lightly cover the snails with wax paper and set the baking sheet(s) in a warm place until the snails have doubles in volume¢â¬â€œthey¢â¬â„¢ll be puffy and soft¢â¬â€œabout 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Getting Ready To Bake: When the snails have almost fully risen, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the wax paper, and bake the snails for about 25 minutes, or until they are puffed and richly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes then remove from muffin pan.
Golden Brioche

2 packets active dry yeast
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch water
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature but still slightly firm

To Make The Brioche: Put the yeast, water and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt, and fit into the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Toss a kitchen towel over the mixer, covering the bowl as completely as you can¢â¬â€œ this will help keep you, the counter and your kitchen floor from being showered in flour. Turn the mixer on and off a few short pulses, just to dampen the flour (yes, you can peek to see how you¢â¬â„¢re doing), then remove the towel, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and mix for a minute or two, just until the flour is moistened. At this point, you¢â¬â„¢ll have a fairly dry, shaggy mess.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, set the mixer to low and add the eggs, followed by the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter in 2-tablespoon-size chunks, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next. You¢â¬â„¢ll have a dough that is very soft, almost like batter. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl (or wash out the mixer bowl and use it), cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes, depending upon the warmth of your room.
Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap to the bowl. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours, then leave the uncovered dough in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

Brioche recipe from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Key Lime Pastry Cream

1 cup whole milk
¼  cup granulated sugar, divided in two
2 TBSP key lime juice
2 large eggs
1 ½ TBSP flour
pinch of salt

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, 1/8 cup sugar, flour, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan whisk together milk, 1/8 cup sugar, and key lime juice. Don’t panic, it will curdle. Heat over medium and heat until hot, but not boiling.

Take a ladle full of hot milk mixture and add to the egg mixture in a steady stream, whisking the INTIRE time! Add another ladle full and do the same thing. Pour tempered egg mixture (what you just made) back into the saucepan.

Cook on medium heat, whisking constantly. In about a minute the cream will start to thicken up. Go about 3 minutes, until the pastry cream has about the consistency of pudding.
 
Scrape the cream into a bowl. You can press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the pastry cream until cold.

Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup key lime juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 cups powdered sugar (depending on the consistency you are going for)

Beat together the cream cheese and butter, about 2 minutes. Add key lime juice and vanilla while mixer is on low until fully incorporated.
Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you reach desired consistency.