Irish Pretzel Knots

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Lorinda

A little chewier than a soft pretzel, but not quite as crunchy as a hard pretzel, these beauties go perfectly with an ice cold beer. (Preferably green beer if you’re making them for St. Patrick’s Day.)

I know, I know…pretzels are German, not Irish. But “Irish Knot Pretzels” just didn’t sound as good. Pffft.

If you look at images of Irish Knots on your search engine, there are some great designs you can use. I made simple Trinity Knots and a slightly more complicated Celtic Cross. And by “slightly more complicated” I mean that if you have reasonably good spatial abilities, these will be easy. For you. I struggle with spatial concepts, so my learning curve was really, really big. Looking at a picture and deciding which part of the dough rope went over and which went under…well…let’s just say I should have made a video – just for laughs.

It took me a while, but I finally nailed it. The rest were much easier!

But YOU can do it! Of course, if you don’t want to, you can always just make pretzel bites or sticks. You could also dye the dough green, but the brown outside might have a funky hue to it.

I experimented this time with a lye bath and loved the results. Since I’ve been warned about liability issues, I can’t give you directions or advice about this. However, I will say that the pretzels were delicious. If you’re interested in using lye instead of baking soda, please spend some time searching for safety information and instructions.

Attempting to create a crunchy, hard pretzel was more challenging than I expected. I made a few small changes to my Pretzel Bomb recipe, and was pleased with the results. The pretzels pictured are slightly crunchy with a nice, chewy texture. But being stubborn, I was determined to get more crunch, and learned that putting them back in the oven for an hour at very low heat dried them out satisfactorily. For the record, The Man preferred the chewy version, liking them even more than soft pretzels.

Irish Pretzel Knots

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Ingredients

1 can (12 ounces) beer(or 1½ cups water)
4 teaspoons brown sugar, divided
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon softened butter
2 teaspoons salt
3½ cups bread flour
9 cups water
½ cup baking soda
1 egg whisked well with 1 teaspoon water (egg wash)
Coarse salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Heat beer until very warm - about 110 degrees.
In a large bowl (preferably using a stand mixer), combine warm beer, 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 6-8 minutes, or until bubbly.
Add remaining sugar, butter, salt, and 3 cups of the bread flour. Mix well.
Slowly add remaining flour. Dough should come cleanly away from the side of the bowl, and will feel slightly tacky. If it's STICKY, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead well - at least 5 minutes if you're using a mixer with a dough hook, or 8 minutes by hand. This will make the dough elastic.
Work with small amounts of the dough at a time, using your hands to roll out thin ropes - about 18 inches long, if possible. Avoid rolling on a floured surface; you need friction! Try slightly spritzing your work surface with water or lightly buttering your hands before rolling.
Create shapes with the ropes of dough. Use the blog photos to form Irish knots, or make your own creations. Set shapes aside until you have enough for one baking sheet.
Bring water and soda to a boil in a large pot. Drop pretzels into water, a few at a time, for 30-40 seconds. Lift with a slotted spoon or spider, and set on prepared pan. Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 minutes, or until very dark brown. Repeat with remaining pretzels.
To achieve crunchier pretzels, return to oven set at 250 F for up to 1 hour. Test after ½ hour. If the pretzels are close to being dry, turn off oven and let them sit until cooled.

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The first half of the knot.

Another view…about 4 inches long.

Add second half.

An easier option – the Trinity Knot

What else can I tell you? I don’t let the dough rise first for these pretzels, because I’m looking for more crunch and less puffiness. If you’re after a soft pretzel, let the dough rise once for about an hour, punch down, and form your pretzels. Let them rest for 30 minutes before dipping or boiling them.
Keep your extra dough covered while you’re working. A damp cloth is good – even over the pretzels you’ve laboriously shaped while you’re working on enough for a full baking sheet. If the dough in the bowl rises, just punch it down and use it. Or you can let it sit, covered, in the fridge. Work as quickly as you can, but if you’re falling behind, the refrigerator is your friend.

I hope you’ll have fun with these. They’re good any time, of course, not just for St. Patrick’s Day.

Lorinda

Acorn Dinner Rolls

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Lorinda

Every Thanksgiving I have the same problem: there’s just never enough room for all of the platters and bowls on the dining room table. Usually, the centerpiece has to be removed to make way for a bowl of mashed potatoes. Instead of removing it, here’s a way to have your centerpiece and eat it too!

This post is actually about the acorn rolls, but I’ll also give you instructions below for the cornucopia, which can be made up to a week ahead of time and frozen.

The acorn rolls are decorative and delicious! The crushed graham crackers in the dough give them just a hint of sweetness and add a delicate flavor.

Acorn Dinner Rolls

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes approximately 2 dozen acorn rolls, depending on the size you choose. If you are hoping to use the leftovers for sandwiches, skip the fancy-shmancy acorns and just roll the dough into small balls and bake them close together in a large, greased baking pan!

Ingredients

2¼ cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 package graham crackers, (9 full cracker sheets) coarsely crushed
⅓ cup butter, softened
¼ cup powdered nondairy creamer (This is optional, but makes a super fluffy roll.)
1 teaspoons salt
5-6 cups bread flour
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water and 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa (egg wash)
Small stick pretzels or raw almonds cut into slivers

Instructions

Place warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Add the crushed graham crackers, butter, creamer, salt, and 3 cups bread flour. Mix well.
Stir in 2 additional cups of flour. If you are using a stand mixer, switch to your dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. If the dough is not coming cleanly away from the bowl, add additional flour a little at a time. Dough should be soft but not sticky. If you are kneading by hand, drop the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 6-7 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary to achieve a soft, elastic dough.
Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning it several times to coat the dough.
Cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled in a warm location - about 1 hour.
Lightly grease (or spray with an oil/flour baking spray) 2 12-cavity cupcake pans.
Remove ⅔ of the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Punch down the remaining dough, cover, and set aside.
Divide the dough on the floured surface into 24 equal pieces. Shape into balls. Set in prepared cupcake pans and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 F.
After the 45 minutes is up, roll out the dough in the bowl, keeping it very thin - ¼-inch or less. Using a small biscuit cutter or wine glass, cut out 24 circles. They should be a little wider than the balls of dough in the cupcake pan.
Brush the top of each ball with a small amount of egg wash.
Place one circle at a time into the palm of your hand and, using the flat side of a knife or an onion holder, press lines in 2 or 3 directions, similar to a peanut butter cookie.
Brush with egg wash and set it on one of the balls of dough in the pan. Poke a small piece of slivered almond into the top for a stem. (If you are using pretzels, poke them into the top of each acorn after they are baked.) Repeat.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the acorn tops are a rich brown.
Cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes, then carefully lift each acorn out to cool.
If you want to re-warm the rolls, place them in a large cake pan, cover them loosely with foil, and heat at 300 for 5-10 minutes.

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Hints:

There’s no need to make a mess crushing the crackers. Just smash the package against the counter a few times. The chunks will dissolve in the yeast mixture.
Make sure the acorn tops are a little bigger across than the width of the balls in the pan. If they’re too small they’ll look like a hat perched on a head – not what you want.
If you want darker tops, instead of adding the cocoa to the egg wash, knead it into the smaller piece of dough before covering it and setting it aside. Don’t worry if the cocoa isn’t completely worked in – just do your best. Add a little extra cocoa if you’d like. Then just use the egg and water as an egg wash.
I had fairly good luck pressing the acorn top design into the rolled dough with a potato masher before cutting out the circles. This might be easier for you. But in the the end, I preferred the way they looked when I used an onion holder to press the design on each piece.

Add coarsely crushed graham crackers.

Separate into 24 pieces and roll into balls.

Place balls of dough into prepared cupcake pans.

Add texture by using an onion holder. The flat side of a knife would work too.

Acorn, ready to bake.

Cutting acorn caps. (Cocoa was added to dough here. See Hints.)

The finished acorns would look beautiful on a platter with little sprigs of rosemary, but if you have the time and inclination, here are instructions for the cornucopia. It’s actually fairly easy to make! You will need foil and parchment paper to create a sculpture for the bread to wrap around.

BREAD CORNUCOPIA

2½ cups warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 packages active dry yeast
2 tablespoons softened butter
6 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water, whisked together to make an egg wash.

In a large mixing bowl, stir sugar into warm water and then stir in the yeast. Let sit until bubbly (about 5 minutes).
Add butter, 3 cups flour and the salt and beat for 1 minute.
Add 2 cups flour and mix together well. Slowly add as much of the remaining flour as necessary until the dough comes cleanly away from the side of the bowl. If you are using a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, drop the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 7 minutes.
Place the dough into a large greased bowl. Turn to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
While dough is rising, form a cornucopia shape out of foil, crumpling the foil together to make a solid mass. The one pictured in this blog was about 15 inches from end to end. It doesn’t have to be too dense – it just can’t be hollow because it has to hold up to the weight of the dough. When you have the correct shape, wrap it with a piece of parchment, securing it with a staple or piece of masking tape.
Heat oven to 375 F.
Punch down dough and roll out into a rectangle approximately 12 inches by 18 inches. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 3/4-inch strips lengthwise.
Very lightly grease the center of a baking sheet.
Working over the baking sheet, start at the bottom of the cornucopia, near the large end, and begin wrapping strips of dough around and around the cornucopia. The dough will be very soft, and will stretch when you pick it up, which is okay. Keep an even pressure; don’t pull the dough, but don’t wrap so loosely that it sags. When you add a piece of dough, pinch it together with the end of the previous piece to keep a continuous coil. You will have to hold the cornucopia up with one hand while you wind the dough with the other. Small spaces between strips is fine; the bread will rise while cooking and fill them in. Place cornucopia on baking sheet.
Twist two strips together and place the “braid” around the large opening. This will reinforce the cornucopia and add a decorative touch.
Cut small leaves, stems, vines, and even small acorns and place them artistically on the cornucopia, using a little egg wash to make them stick.
Brush the entire cornucopia (except the bottom) with egg wash.
Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until rich golden brown.
Allow the cornucopia to cool completely on a rack. When completely cool, gently pull the foil and parchment out. You might be able to pull it out in one piece, or you might have to start with the foil, pulling it out in pieces, and then pull the parchment out last. Be patient and take your time.
It will be sturdier if you let it dry on the counter for a day or two before using, but it may be used right away if you prefer. You can also wrap and freeze it until needed.

Dough coming cleanly away from sides of bowl.

The dough is doubled (at least!)

Go ahead – sculpt a cornucopia out of foil!

Cover the foil with parchment.

Cut rolled dough into strips.

Wrap strips around cone.

Twist two strips together and wrap around opening.

Add pretty details and brush with egg wash.

This recipe was created for a series called “From Our Thanksgiving Table to Yours” – a collection of Thanksgiving recipes by a wild and crazy group of bloggers who live to eat. My post was the last of the group, so I’ll leave you with links to their recipes in case you’ve missed any of them. We’d like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
Lorinda

From Tampa Cake Girl: Sweet Potato Soufflé.

From Hun, What’s For Dinner?: Orange Scented Double Layer Pecan Pie.

From Crumbs in My Mustachio: Bacon Cheese and Green Onion Cornbread.

From Cooking From a SAHM: Knock Your Socks Off Mashed Potatoes.

From Moore or Less Cooking Blog: Cheddar Pecan Dip.

Pumpkin Cronuts

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Lorinda

With cold weather comes comfort foods, and doughnuts are right at the top of my list…as are croissants. Since I’m also in the middle of my annual pumpkin frenzy, it only made sense to combine the three items to create a batch of Pumpkin Cronuts.

I don’t want to scare you away, but I have to admit that these are a lot of work. The good news is, it can all be spread out over a couple of days, so there won’t be any last-minute panic at all. The goal is to fry the cronuts on the same day you plan to serve them, and a little careful planning will make this a slam dunk.

On the day before you plan to serve them, begin making the dough. Don’t start this late in the evening – give yourself at least 4 hours. The dough is rolled and folded, then chilled. Rolled, folded, chilled. Repeat. It isn’t hard, honest. Every forty-five minutes you roll and fold…takes less than 5 minutes.

Croissants require dedication and patience, but there is truly nothing difficult about them.

I was worried about adding pumpkin to my dough, afraid it would ruin the flaky layers, but it worked very well. I made a few croissants out of the dough just out of curiosity, and though they weren’t quite as crispy as usual, there were no complaints from the menfolk, so I call that a win.

If you do nothing but make the cronuts and roll them in cinnamon sugar, you’ll probably still be thrilled with them. As far as I’m concerned, the filling and icing are optional. Personally, I prefer them without filling, but I get outvoted.

Don’t be afraid to customize these goodies. If you don’t like pastry cream, fill the cronuts with pudding – or even whipped cream, if they will be served promptly. For a lighter icing (my recipe is rich and buttery) try dipping the tops in melted white chocolate, or use a simple milk/powdered sugar glaze. Or…leave them plain!

Pumpkin Cronuts without filling or icing…just cinnamon sugar.

The important part of this post is the cronut recipe itself, and since I can only create one printable recipe per post, I’ll add the filling and icing recipes below.

Pumpkin Cronuts

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes 12-15 pastries, depending on the size of your cutter. And lots of yummy "cronut holes".

Ingredients

1 cup very warm milk
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup solid-pack pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
Peanut oil for frying (at least ½ gallon)
½ cup cinnamon sugar, placed in shallow bowl

Instructions

In a large bowl (a stand mixer works best), combine the warm milk and yeast. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
Mix in the pumpkin, 1 tablespoon butter, vanilla, sugar, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat well.
Add 2 additional cups of flour and allow the machine to knead the dough for 4-5 minutes. The dough should be soft, but it should come cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. If it is sticking, add as much of the remaining ½ cup flour as necessary. (If kneading by hand, after stirring in the 2 cups of flour, drop the dough onto a well-floured surface. Knead for 6 minutes.)
Cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until double - about 1 hour.
Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few times, pat it into a rectangular shape, and place the dough in a heavy plastic zipper bag (or wrap in plastic) and place in the refrigerator.
Remove the 2 sticks of butter from the refrigerator. Working with one stick at a time, place it between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to 6½ inches by 4 inches. To get straight edges you will need to trim the sides with a spatula or knife, spreading the excess back over the butter as you go. Don't worry - just trim it and smoosh it where it needs to go! Wrap each piece in parchment and put them back in the refrigerator to chill for ½ hour.
When the butter has chilled, remove the dough (hang on to that bag...you'll need it again) and roll the dough out to 12 inches by 8 inches, with the long side facing you.
Place one piece of chilled butter directly in the center, with the short side facing you.Fold the right side of the dough over the butter and press the dough around it gently.
Place the other piece of chilled butter on the dough directly above the other piece of butter. Fold the left side of the dough over the top of the butter and press and pinch the dough all the way around to seal it.
Gently roll the dough out to measure 12 inches by 8 inches with the long side facing you. Fold the right side over one third, and the left side over the right side. The open edge should be on the right, like a book. Put the dough back in the bag and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove the dough. Roll dough out to measure 12 inches by 8 inches, with the long side facing you. Fold the right side over one third, and the left side over the right side. Return to the bag and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
Repeat one more time. Refrigerate until ready to use. (You may use right away, but the dough will have better flavor if you let it rest overnight.)
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll dough to measure 12 inches by 8 inches, with the long side facing you. Fold the right side over one third, and the left side over the right side. Roll dough out to measure about ½-inch thick. (3/4-inch if you want very tall cronuts.) Cut with a round biscuit cutter, being careful not to twist the cutter. Cut straight down and lift straight up. If you have a doughnut cutter, use that! Otherwise, cut the center out with a the cap from a soda bottle or a cannoli form. (The centers make delicious "cronut holes".) Keep the shapes as close together as possible, because any cronuts made with re-rolled dough will be a little lopsided and won't rise as well.
Cover the cronuts with a light towel and allow them to rise for at least an hour. They won't double, but you should see a difference.
In a large, tall saucepan, heat approximately 3 inches of oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 370 F. Drop a few cronuts in at a time, giving them plenty of room to move around. Cook for about 1 minute on each side, until a rich golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain.
While the next batch is cooking, roll the warm cronuts in cinnamon sugar.
Watch the temperature of your oil closely, as it can change quickly. You may have to adjust the heat or remove the pan from the burner briefly if it gets too hot. If your oil is too cool the cronuts will soak up the oil and be greasy. If it is too hot, the outside will cook and the inside will be doughy. 160-170 F works perfectly.
Once all of the cronuts are cooled, poke two holes with a wooden skewer or chopstick on opposite sides of the pastry, half way up the side. Guide the skewer to the left and the right without poking through, and then pipe pastry cream into each hole with a pastry bag and bismark tip or medium round tube tip, pointing it left and then right and repeating on the opposite side.
Once filled, dip the top in icing, glaze or melted white chocolate if desired.

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See this dough? Too sticky! Add a little more flour.

Trim the butter to size.

Spread the trimmings evenly over the top.

Roll and measure the dough.

Place one piece of butter in center of dough.

Fold right side over and cover with 2nd piece of butter. Then fold left over butter and seal.

Roll and cut.

Cutting the center holes.

Fry them for 1 minute on each side

Poking a channel for the filling to follow.

Add filling.

PASTRY CREAM:
1/8 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup half & half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, water, and egg yolks. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the half & half to a simmer. It should be hot and bubbly, but not boiling.
Pour half of the hot half & half into the bowl with the cornstarch mixture, whisking well. Pour the mixture in the bowl back into the pan, whisking.
Whisking continuously, continue to cook the pastry cream until it thickens – approximately 2 minutes. Whisk briskly to remove any lumps, and remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Cover and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. If you are making the cream ahead, keep refrigerated until ready to use.
If the cream is too thick to pipe into the cronuts, try whisking it briefly. If necessary, add a small amount of milk.
Whisk half & half into cornstarch mixture

…then return it to the pan and whisk away!

ICING:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the brown sugar, white sugar, milk, and butter to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook at a low boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and add vanilla, powdered sugar, and chocolate chips. Whisk vigorously until smooth.
Adjust to dipping consistency by adding additional milk or powdered sugar, if necessary. May be reheated slowly.

So…have I scared you off? I know it may look overwhelming, but if you just take the directions one step at a time you can DO this! I have the shortest attention span in the whole world and I can do it…and so can you. Don’t be shy! Please leave me a photo of your masterpieces; I’d love to see them!

Lorinda

Orange Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Lorinda

Zucchini season is in full swing, and I’m almost afraid to step into my garden. I’ve learned to only plant a few hills of the green stuff, but man, those plants pump out the zucchini! I grate and freeze bags of it, stir fry it, make fritters, and bake with it. And yet, there was a basket full of zucchini on my counter today…just sitting there guilting me.

When life hands you zucchini, make zucchini bread!

I’m really excited about the flavor combination in this bread. Chocolate and orange makes me dream of Christmas, but I’m happy to scarf it down any time of year. Like right NOW.

I was throwing ingredients together really fast because we were having a wild storm here and I was afraid we’d lose power before the bread had time to bake, so I totally forgot to add nuts to the batter. The bread had been in the oven for five minutes when I remembered, so I tossed some chopped pecans on the top. This was not one of my better ideas, since the weight of the nuts made the top of the bread sink a bit. It isn’t picture-perfect, but I can attest to the fact that the texture and taste is amazing.

I know this because I tested it several times. For the blog.

One nice thing about this recipe is that you just use one bowl and don’t even have to mess with a mixer. A wooden spoon is all you’ll need to mix up this batter. It’s a slam-dunk recipe, which is kind of nice once in a while. You’ll want to print this one out; it’s a keeper!

Orange Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest and juice from one large orange
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup grated zucchini
¼ cup cocoa
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Generously grease and flour a standard loaf pan
Beat together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
Mix in the orange zest and juice, buttermilk, and zucchini.
Stir in the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nuts just until combined. Don't over stir.
Evenly spoon the batter into prepared pan.
Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bread.
Move pan to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Release bread from pan and cool completely before slicing. (Ha ha ha...that's what everyone says. I've never managed to actually do this.)
Enjoy!

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Grating orange zest

Add the zucchini

Stir just until mixed. Don’t over stir!

Spread evenly in the prepared pan

Cooling on the rack. Wait for it…..

Orange Chocolate Zucchini Bread – The Rowdy Baker

So you know the drill. You can plant zucchini if you wish, but it’s easier to just leave your car door unlocked during zucchini season. Or put a sign on the bulletin board at work. Or come visit me!

Lorinda

Huckleberry Bagels

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Lorinda

Chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, studded with little wild mountain huckleberries – these bagels will not be found in the bakery section of your local grocery store! Nope…you’ll have to work for these babies.

If you live near mountains where huckleberries can be found, put on your hiking boots and grab your bear spray, because trust me…they are worth every back breaking, ankle twisting, bear encountering, mosquito biting moment. They truly are!

If you don’t have access to them, frozen huckleberries can be purchased on the Internet. They aren’t cheap, but they’re so flavorful that just a few berries can really make a flavor statement in a recipe. Of course you can substitute blueberries instead, and still have a wonderfully delicious batch of bagels.

Bagel dough is very VERY easy to make, and the rest of the procedure is a lot of fun. This is a bit of a shortcut version, since I’m always too eager to get warm bagels to opt for the “rise overnight” method. I also was a little reluctant to go with the lye bath; nor did I think my readers would want to try that. But either I’m not much of a connoisseur or I’ve never tasted an authentic New York bagel, because these tasted plenty good to me!

To make bagels you take a simple yeast dough, let it rise, divide it into 8 pieces, (or 12 if you like sissy bagels) boil them, and bake them. Of course I had to complicate things a bit by adding huckleberries, especially since I didn’t have dried huckleberries which would have been a slam-dunk. I used frozen huckleberries and had to do some fancy footwork to keep them from turning the bagels purple. Here’s what I did:

Heat berries and strain them. Don’t mash!! Be gentle.

I put a cup of frozen huckleberries in a bowl and microwaved them for 1 minute. After stirring, I microwaved them for 1 more minute. This softened them so they would release some of their juices. The berries went into a strainer over a small bowl until they were cool. The juice was set aside for making huckleberry butter to top the bagels, and the berries (strainer and all) were set in the freezer while the bagels were being made. When I was ready to use them, I took them from the freezer, broke them apart, and dredged them in a tablespoon of flour. They weren’t mixed into the dough, they were added at the very last, right when the bagels were being formed. Worked like a charm!

Not that I wouldn’t have wolfed down purple bagels, of course.

Cream cheese is lovely to top bagels with. Butter is tasty too. But best of all is huckleberry butter. I made my own butter for this, but you are welcome to use regular butter. To make it, add enough water to the reserved berry juice to make 1/4 cup of liquid. Put it in a small pan with 3 tablespoons sugar and bring it to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium and continue to cook and stir for 1 minute. Chill. Beat 1/4 cup room temperature butter with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Add as much of the chilled berry syrup as you’d like. The color will get pretty vibrant if you add it all, but OH, the flavor! If it isn’t thick enough, add a little more powdered sugar. That’s it!

Cream separating. It’s okay – this is what you want! BUTTER!

Now…just for fun, you could do it my way. I admit, this was less because I’m a purist and more because I was out of butter, but I think I’d do it this way again; the butter is so sweet and good. To make homemade butter, simply put 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a small bowl and beat it on high with an electric mixer until it looks like it’s curdled and liquid appears in the bottom of the bowl. (I used a wimpy mixer and it still only took about 5 minutes.) Strain out the liquid (that’s buttermilk, folks!) and stir with a spoon, pressing and mashing gently. Again, pour out liquid. Cover the butter with cold water, mash a few more times with a spoon, strain out the water, and *voila!* you have butter. Add a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of powdered sugar, and berry syrup and mix until combined.

Oh, beautiful huckleberry butter…where have you been all my life?!

You’re WELCOME!

Before I give you the bagel recipe, I need to make a disclaimer. If you noticed that my finished bagels were a little dimpled, I have to admit I did something kind of brainless. I knew better, but it’s been a while since I’ve made bagels, and hey – it happens. I put the egg wash on the bagels before they rose, instead of after they came out of their bath. It probably kept the crust from forming, which made them look a little different, but they tasted great and were nice and chewy. Just not as crusty on the outside as usual. So if you like soft bagels, you might want to try my new “method”.

Huckleberry Bagels

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes 8 large or 12 small bagels

Ingredients

1 cup frozen huckleberries
1¼ cup warm water
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3½ cups bread flour
1 tablespoon flour to dredge berries in
1 tablespoon baking soda
finely ground cornmeal
1 egg, and 2 teaspoons water for egg wash

Instructions

In a small bowl, heat berries in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Place in a strainer over a small bowl to drain. Don't mash them. When all of the juice has drained into bowl, place the berries in the freezer (it's easiest just to leave them in the strainer) and set the juice aside if you plan to make huckleberry butter. (See below)
In a large bowl (a stand mixer is best) combine the water, white sugar, and yeast. Let it sit until foamy, about 5-10 minutes.
Using your dough hook, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and 2 cups of the bread flour. Mix well.
Add the remaining flour and knead by mixer for 7-8 minutes, or by hand for 8-10 minutes. Bagel dough should be very elastic and shouldn't break apart easily when you stretch it.
Form dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow dough to rise until doubled, about an hour.
Punch down dough and on a lightly floured surface, separate into 8 (or 12 for smaller bagels) equal pieces.
Remove berries from the freezer and dredge them in 1 tablespoon flour, breaking them up as you work. Shake out the extra flour.
Flatten one piece of dough at a time and sprinkle with berries. Bring the edges up toward the center and pinch to close.
Turn the dough over so the pinched side is on the flat surface, and pull the ball of dough towards you, tucking sides under a little as you pull. This will create a very round, uniform ball of dough. Push your finger through the middle to create a hole, and then with both thumbs in the hole, twiddle your thumbs until a large hole is created. Try to keep the bagel as uniform as possible, but don't worry if a berry or two peek out of the middle. Bagels are rustic, not perfect.. Repeat until all bagels are formed, Leave them on the floured surface, covered with a towel, for 30 minutes.
While the bagels are sitting, Preheat oven to 450 F. and lightly grease a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal.
When the 30 minutes is almost up, fill a very large pot half full of water. Add 1 tablespoon baking soda and bring to a boil.
Drop bagels into boiling water in batches, a few at a time, giving them enough room to move around without touching the other bagels. Let them boil for 90 seconds on each side, then gently remove one at a time with a slotted spatula, let it drip over the pan, and set it on the prepared baking sheet. They can go fairly close together since they won't rise while baking.
Whisk the egg and water together and brush the top of each bagel.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a rich golden brown.
Move to racks to cool.
***
To make huckleberry butter, boil ¼ cup of huckleberry juice (add water if necessary) with 3 tablespoons of sugar, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Chill mixture. Beat ¼ cup soft butter with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and add as much huckleberry syrup as desired. Beat until combined.

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Dough is ready to rise

Dough, risen and ready to shape

Pull edges of dough up over the berries

Give it a pinch or two and flip it over.

Scoot the dough, creating a round ball.

Poke a hole in the middle.

Use both thumbs and twiddle!

A steamy hot bath…

A little egg wash

…and bake them to a glorious, shiny brown.

Huckleberry Bagels

I love these toasted, with a thin scraping of butter. Oh, who am I kidding? I love these slathered in cream cheese, huckleberry butter, regular butter, or even plain. I’ll eat them stale!

I hope you’ll give them a try. Maybe I’ll see you in the woods!
Lorinda

Chocolaty Croissant Puffs

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Lorinda

Each month a fun group of bloggers shares recipes that represent a theme that one of us picks. This month that theme is “Celebrating Chocolate” and I have the ~~pressure~~ honor of being first up to bat.

I’m sure the other gals will take it much easier on you, but I brought a recipe that is a wee bit challenging and (oh, please don’t run away) time-consuming. It is also worth every minute spent in the kitchen!

When the Cronut excitement hit last year, my daughter immediately challenged me to create my own recipe for these flaky little fried pastries. She loves my croissants and assumed Cronuts would be a simple transition. Do you know what? She was right! They came out just as I had envisioned them – a rarity, for sure.

This slightly sweetened croissant dough takes time to do properly, but it’s one of those processes that is spread out over two days. The dough can be started in the afternoon, turned and rolled several times over the course of the evening, and then put in the refrigerator until the next day (or even the day after!) when the shapes are then cut out, allowed to rise, and then fried, rolled in sugar, filled, and frosted.

I know, I know. It sounds complicated, but if you follow the instructions one simple step at a time, you will be rewarded with this:

So…here is my recipe for Chocolaty Croissant Puffs. Don’t let the length of it intimidate you; I get a little wordy when I’m trying to explain how to do something. Just be glad I’m not standing behind you in the kitchen, micromanaging you! Not that I ever do that, of course. Ahem.

Also, for some helpful hints you might want to check out my CROISSANT blog

Chocolaty Croissant Puffs

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Flaky layered doughnuts filled with chocolate pastry cream and iced with a ganache glaze. Makes12-14

Ingredients

1 package active-dry yeast
1⅓ cups warm milk
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter
A shallow bowl of sugar for rolling pastry in
oil for frying, enough to fill pot 3" (I prefer peanut oil)
......
Pastry Cream:
¼ cup cornstarch
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup water
3 egg yolks
1 cup half & half
¼-1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
..........
Chocolate Glaze
6 ounces dark chocolate (or 1 cup chocolate chips)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup half & half
1 teaspoon powdered egg whites or meringue powder (optional)

Instructions

In a large bowl (a stand mixer is best) combine the yeast and warm milk. Let it sit until dissolved - about 10 minutes.
Add the butter, vanilla, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of the flour and stir until combined.
Switch to a dough hook and slowly add 2 cups of the remaining flour. Knead with the dough hook for 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour if needed to make the dough come away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Cover with a towel and let the dough rise until doubled - about 1 hour.
Drop the dough on a lightly floured surface. Turn it over to coat, and knead a few times. Place the dough in a large plastic zipper bag, or wrap loosely in plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator.
Working with one stick of butter, pound and roll the butter between two pieces of waxed paper or parchment, making a 6½-inch by 4-inch rectangle. If necessary, trim the butter to get reasonably straight edges and use a knife or spatula to spread the trimmed butter back onto the rectangle. Place in the refrigerator. Repeat with the other stick of butter.
Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
Place chilled dough on floured surface and roll it out to approximately 12x8 inches, with the long side towards you.
Put one piece of chilled butter in the middle of the dough, with the butter's short edge towards you. Fold the dough from the right, over the butter, pressing down gently. Place the other piece of butter on the dough that is covering the first piece of butter and fold the left side over, pressing the seam to close. (It is like a book, with the "open" edge on the right and the short edge facing you.
Roll out gently to measure 12x8 inches. Fold into thirds again, press the edges to seal, and put the dough back into the plastic bag. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
With the long sealed edge on the right, roll out again to 12x8 inches. Fold into thirds and place back in the bag in the refrigerator for 45 minutes
Repeat one more time and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, roll the dough out to measure 12x8 inches. Fold into thirds. Roll it out again, to approximately ½-inch thick. Cut shapes out with a flower-shaped cookie cutter or a round biscuit cutter. Lift the cutter straight up - don't twist it. Use a small round cutter (a bottle cap works in a pinch) to cut a circle out of the center of each pastry. These doughnut holes are wonderful when fried! Cover with a towel and let rise until almost double, about 1 hour.
Heat oil to 370 degrees in a deep pot, with the oil about 3 inches deep. Keep a close watch on the temperature, as it will change quickly as dough is added and removed. It is important to keep the temperature near 370 degrees to keep the pastry from absorbing oil.
Slide a few pieces of dough into the pan, leaving enough room for them to move around. Cook for approximately 1 minute on each side, or until a light golden brown. Remove with a "spider" or slotted spoon. Place on paper towels to drain, with more paper towels over the top. When cool enough to handle, roll the bottom and sides in sugar. Repeat until all of the doughnuts and the holes have been fried and sugared.
MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM:
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sugar, water, and egg yolks. Beat or whisk well.
In a medium saucepan on medium heat, heat the half & half until it's hot and bubbly. Pour half of it over the egg mixture, whisking briskly. Pour the egg mixture back into the hot half & half. Whisk continuously on medium heat until thick, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until incorporated. Cover and let it cool, stirring occasionally. When completely cool, put the pastry cream into a pastry bag with a bismark tip or a medium round tube tip.
With a skewer, poke a hole in one side of a pastry. Insert the skewer to the left as far as you can without poking it through the side of the pastry, then to the right. Put the tube into the hole you just created and squeeze filling in each direction. Repeat on the other side of the pastry. Each doughnut should have two holes. NOTE: If you prefer, you can cut each pastry across the equator, add filling and replace top. OR you can "plug" the bottom with a small piece of one of the doughnut holes and fill the core from the top.
MAKE THE GLAZE:
Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over the lowest heat setting. Add the butter, corn syrup, and vanilla. Stir. Add the powdered sugar alternately with the half and half until the mixture is fairly thin. Adjust the amount of liquid as necessary. If you want a firm glaze, add the powdered egg whites or meringue powder and stir well.
Dip the top of each pastry and decorate with candy flowers or sprinkles if desired.

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Cut out the shapes (save the “holes”…they’re the best part!)

Risen – look at those layers!

Ready to fry.

Fry for 1 minute, flip, and fry for another minute.

roll in sugar

Options, left to right: plug bottom and fill the core, slice horizontally and fill, or fill using pastry tip.

Insert skewer to the left, then the right on both sides.

Pipe in the pastry cream.

Like croissants, these are best eaten the same day they are made. With a little planning, there would be plenty of time to fry them in the morning for a brunch, because the pastry cream and glaze can be made the day before, just like the dough. (They are both fine in the refrigerator for several days…just let the cream soften at room temperature and re-heat the glaze gently.) You could also save time by using instant pudding for the filling.

A little chewy, a little flaky, and sinfully rich, these sweet puffs taste as beautiful as they look.

Be sure to come back to see what the other bloggers bring. I can assure you there will be some absolute recipe gems! Links to their posts will be added each day. Enjoy!

April 7th. Chocolaty Croissant Puffs from The Rowdy Baker
April 8th. Double Chocolate Cheesecake Pie from Baking in a Tornado
April 10th Iced Mocha Latte Chocolate Cake from Tampa Cake Girl
April 11th Raspberry Candied Bacon Dark Chocolate Brownies from Cooking from a Stay at Home Mom
April 12th Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ladybugs from Hun…What’s for Dinner?
April 13th Chocolate Champagne Raspberry Truffle from Crumbs in my Mustachio

That’s it for this month. Thank you for coming by and indulging!
Lorinda

Chocolate Mint Swirl Zucchini Bread

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Lorinda

By now you may have realized that my cohorts (my mental health support group…my partners in crime) and I are on a roll! We had so much fun with our December group post featuring cakes that we decided to create a new series of recipes each month. We brought you dips in January. February was “Love and Food”. Now we are “Celebrating Green and Welcoming Spring” with recipes that include a naturally green ingredient. This was a little challenging for me since I love to make EVERYTHING green on St. Patrick’s Day, using copious quantities of green food coloring…which was not an option.

Zucchini was my “green” of choice, and I added a little spirulina (you can buy a small amount of it in bulk at most natural food stores) to deepen the color of a chocolate swirl zucchini bread. I originally used Irish Cream in the recipe, but even with the spirulina it just wasn’t green enough, and though it was tasty, I really wanted a little more flavor. Chocolate mint is a combination I love, so I swapped out Creme de Menthe for the Irish Cream and was very, very satisfied. Not a natural green source, of course, but I figure the zucchini and spirulina bought me a little leeway.

Either way is good, so I’m leaving the choice up to you. Or, if you really don’t want to use booze, you can always substitute milk and add teaspoon of peppermint extract for flavor.

Chocolate Mint Zucchini Swirl Bread

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

3½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups grated zucchini
4 eggs
1 cup oil
½ cup buttermilk (or regular milk and a teaspoon of lemon juice)
¼ cup strong coffee, cooled
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
⅓ cup creme de menthe
¼ teaspoon spirulina (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Prepare two loaf pans by greasing and flouring, or using an oil/flour spray (like Baker's Joy)
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and walnuts. Add the grated zucchini and toss to coat.
In medium bowl, whisk the eggs well. Add the oil and buttermilk and whisk until combined.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients (don't put the medium bowl in the sink - you'll use it in a minute) and stir just until most of the flour is incorporated. Put half of the mixture back in the medium bowl.
To one bowl add the coffee and melted chocolate, and stir until it is combined. Don't overstir!
To the other bowl add the creme de menthe and spirulina. Stir until just combined.
Divide the chocolate mixture evenly between the two loaf pans. Pour the green mixture over the chocolate mixture and swirl a little with a rubber spatula or table knife.
Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Cooking time will depend on the size of your loaf pans. When I used slightly smaller pans the bread took a few more minutes to bake.
Remove pans to a rack and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before turning the bread out. Allow bread to cool completely before cutting.

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Dry ingredients in one, liquids in the other.

Add liquids to dry ingredients.

Adding chocolate and coffee to half the batter

Pour the green layer over the chocolate layer

Give it a swirl!

Cooling before they’re sliced

Mmm, mmm good.

Here are links to the other recipes this month. Please visit the ones that have already been posted – there are some impressive ideas from some very talented gals – and then check back because I’ll add the new recipe links as they’re presented.

3/4/14 Pistachio Blueberry Cupcakes, from Baking In a Tornado
3/5/14 Key Lime Chiffon Cake, from Crumbs in My Mustachio
3/6/14 Colcannon Cheesy Potatoes with Kale, from Lemony Thyme
3/7/14 Asian Salad with Chicken, from Tampa Cake Girl
3/10/14 My Chocolate Mint Swirl Zucchini Bread
3/11/14 Roasted Tomato Spinach focaccia with Parm from Cooking from a SAHM
3/12/14 Lox Me Up and Throw Away the Key from Moore or Less Cooking Blog
3/13/14 Maple Poached Pear Salad with Walnut Crusted Goat Cheese from Hun…What’s for Dinner?

and still to come:

3/14/14 Manila Spoon

Football Dip Bowl

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Lorinda

Here is the perfect bowl for serving dip at the Superbowl. Why? Because it’s festive, delicious, and you don’t have to wash it after the crowd leaves.

French bread is the easiest bread there is to make. It takes a little more time because it requires two risings before it’s shaped, but it is the closest thing to a “no-fail” bread I’ve ever tried. I usually put a pan of hot water in the oven to get it all steamy, which makes the crust more crispy, but this time I left that step out so it would be easier to slice the top off to make the bowl. It still came out crackly and crisp, but cut easily.

This recipe will make two large loaves. Even if you only need one dip bowl, go ahead and make them both footballs. That way you can pick the prettiest one for display, and a football is a pretty traditional French bread shape anyhow.

Once the bread has cooled, slice off the top and scoop out the insides. You may be able to turn the excess bread into croutons or bread crumbs, or just nibble as you work! Fill the bowl with your favorite dip and put the top back on until it’s time to serve. Then break up the top and use it for dipping.

Football Dip Bowl

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes 2 large dip bowls.

Ingredients

2½ cups very warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
6 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
1 tablespoon Kosher salt

Instructions

In a large bowl (a stand mixer is best) combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Allow it to it until bubbly - about 5 minutes.
Add 3 cups of flour and the salt and beat well.
Remove ¼ cup of dough and put it in a plastic zipper bag. Don't zip the top, just set it in the refrigerator for now.
Switch to a dough hook and add the remaining flour. Knead with the machine for 5 minutes, or if you're kneading by hand, put dough on a floured surface and knead for 7-8 minutes. Dough should be slightly sticky and very elastic.
Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning the dough to coat evenly. Cover and allow it to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough, cover, and allow it to rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and divide it into 2 pieces. Shape one piece into a slightly skinny football. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Put both loaves on an ungreased baking sheet (you may sprinkle with cornmeal first if you wish) then cover and let rise until almost doubled.
When the dough is partly risen, heat the oven to 450 F. Give it plenty of time to get hot.
When the loaves have risen, remove the bag of soft dough from the refrigerator. Snip one of the corners off and squeeze side stripes, a center seam, and lacing on each loaf.
Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the loaves are a rich brown.
Cool thoroughly on a rack.

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Yeast is bubbly…Add the flour!

The dough – smooth and elastic!

First rise

Shaping the dough

Shape like a skinny football. It will puff out!

Squeeze on the designs and it’s ready for the oven!

Resolution Rye Bread

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Lorinda

If your New Year’s resolution was to eat healthier, I’m probably not going to be your go-to blogger or your best friend. But just this once I’m offering a recipe that is actually pretty good for you! It’s a loose adaption of my Anadama Bread (which is an absolutely delicious bread) because I wanted to keep the corn and molasses base, while aiming for a darker bread using rye flour.

When I drive to town and back this time of year, I have to travel over an icy pass that is teeming with deer, moose, and lots and lots of wild turkeys. I have to take it slow, which gives me about an hour and a half of driving time – perfect for dreaming up recipes. (It beats listening to my own singing!) This is what I was dreaming about on yesterday’s drive:

Resolution Rye Bread

Author: The Rowdy Baker

A dark bread made with rye, wheat, and white flours. Cocoa and molasses give it a beautiful deep color and slightly sweet flavor.

Ingredients

¼ cup coconut oil (or butter if you wish)
½ cup molasses
1 cup cornmeal
1½ cups boiling water
2 packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup very warm water
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 cups rye flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon salt
2½ cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose white flour

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the coconut oil, molasses, cornmeal, and boiling water. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
Put yeast and sugar in a small bowl and pour 1 cup warm water over it. Let it sit until bubbly (about 5 minutes.)
Stir the yeast mixture, buttermilk, egg, rye flour, cocoa powder, and caraway seeds into the cornmeal mixture in the large bowl until well combined. If using a stand mixer, switch to a dough hook at this point.
Add salt and wheat flour. Mix well.
Add the white flour and mix well. If using a stand mixer, allow the mixer to knead the dough for 5 minutes. If your dough isn't coming cleanly away from the side of the bowl, add a little more all-purpose flour. If you will be kneading by hand, drop dough onto well floured board and knead for 7-8 minutes. The dough will look a little crumbly when you begin kneading, but will become soft and elastic.
Grease a large bowl AND your hands (the dough will be slightly sticky) and place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down.
Shape dough into loaves. For round loaves, sprinkle a little cornmeal on baking sheet and set the rounds on the cornmeal. For regular loaves, form into two loaf shapes and place in two large greased bread pans.
Let the loaves rise until double, about an hour. For round loaves, slice a cross in the top of the loaf to allow it to expand.
Heat oven to 375 F. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Coat warm loaves with butter or coconut oil if desired.
Makes two small rounds and a loaf, or two regular loaves or rounds.

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Ingredients.

Such pretty dough. Love the color and elasticity.

Punch it down

Form the dough (I made 1 loaf and 2 small rounds)

Risen and ready to bake!

Brushing the hot (FRAGRANT) loaves with butter for a little shine

I’ve been trying to stay away from bread lately, but threw all my good intentions out the window after making this. But…it really is a healthy option, as long as I don’t get carried away with the butter. Toasted with a little peanut butter? Oh, YEAH!

Maple Bacon Pockets

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Lorinda

Okay, I’m kind of cheating here, since I already posted a Maple Bar Recipe a while back, but this is a little different.

Maple Bacon Pockets are mini maple bars with a chewy piece of bacon in the center. For anyone who has ever dipped a piece of bacon in maple syrup, this is a flavor combination that is irresistible.

They are delicious when fresh, but also freeze well. They disappear quickly, so you might want to consider making a double batch!

Maple Bacon Pockets

Author: The Rowdy Baker

Makes about 30 pockets, depending on the thickness of your dough and size of the bacon!

Ingredients

6-7 slices of bacon
3 tablespoons butter or shortening
¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 egg
2½ cups all-purpose flour
Peanut oil for frying
......
Icing:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Slice bacon into 1" pieces and fry until cooked but not crispy. Drain well between paper towels and set aside.
In a small saucepan on low heat, melt the butter (or shortening.) Add the milk, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and stir until the mixture is lukewarm. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl (a stand mixer is best) combine the warm water, yeast, and ¼ teaspoon sugar. Let sit until bubbly - about 5 minutes.
Add the warm milk mixture, egg, and 1 cup of flour. Mix until well combined.
Add the remaining flour. If using a stand mixer, switch to a dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. Dough will be very soft, but should come cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. If dough is sticky, add additional flour a little at a time until it can be easily handled. If kneading by hand, drop dough on a floured surface and knead for 7-8 minutes. Dough should be very soft and elastic.
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and allow it to rise until double, approximately 1 hour.
Punch down dough and roll it out to a thickness between ⅛" and ¼" on a floured surface. Cut into strips a little wider than the pieces of cooked bacon. Cut each strip into rectangles long enough to fold easily over each piece of bacon. Pinch the edges to seal. HINT: Once the bacon is folded up in the dough, neaten up the sides of each pocket with a pizza cutter; they will seal better and look nicer when cooked. As each pocket is formed, place it aside on a lightly floured surface.
When all of the pockets are made, cover with a kitchen towel and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.
Pour at least 1½ inches of oil in a large pot and heat to 350 F. Watch the heat carefully; it can spike quickly. Reduce heat if necessary to maintain a 350 F. temperature.
Beginning with the first pockets you formed, drop a few in the hot fat. They will puff up quickly, so don't put too may in at a time...they need room to move. When the bottom of the pastry is a rich golden brown (approximately 1 minute), flip each one over with a spoon. When both sides are brown, use a slotted spoon to move them to paper towels to drain.
Combine all of the ingredients for the maple icing, whipping until light and fluffy, and spread on slightly warm pockets. You can also add a little more liquid to the icing and dip the warm pockets.
Keep loosely covered.

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Prettiest dough ever!

Cut up the bacon

Cut strips a little wider than the bacon

Wrap that piece ‘o bacon up nice and snug!

Trim the edges neatly with knife or (my favorite) pizza cutter.

Frying in peanut oil.

Ice them while slightly warm and enjoy!

Is there anything that I haven’t already said about maple? If you’ve been reading my blogs, you’ve heard me wax eloquent on the subject over and over, and I think I’ve finally run out of new ways to praise it.

Did I mention I could just sit and eat the icing with a spoon, as long as I had a nice strong cup of coffee to go with it? True story.
Addictive little buggers. Betcha can’t eat just one!

The Rowdy Baker

Irreverent offerings from a compulsive baker.

Category Archives: Breads

Irish Pretzel Knots

Acorn Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Cronuts

Orange Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Huckleberry Bagels

Chocolaty Croissant Puffs

Chocolate Mint Swirl Zucchini Bread

Football Dip Bowl

Resolution Rye Bread

Maple Bacon Pockets