Fresh Bread

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Fresh bread baked to perfection with whole grain goodness and no preservatives.

In efforts to provide my family with healthier options, I opted to try and make bread.  I also LOVE the smell of the dough when it is rising. It can be cut into pieces and served with hummus or a delicious roasted vegetable spread.  Pita bread can be used to make sandwiches with yesterday's leftover meat. You can also cut it into triangles toss it with your favorite seasoning and olive oil and toast it high at 450F for crunchy pita chips.  Yum.

White n Fluffy

Homemade Kosher Marshmallows with Toasted Coconut

Fresh, preservative free, fluffy white marshmallows with a hint of vanilla and a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

Adapted from Ina Garten's Toasted Coconut Marshmallows Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 3 ounces sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
• 1 recipe Homemade Marshmallow batter, recipe follows
• Confectioners' sugar

 

Directions

Sprinkle half the toasted coconut in an 8 by 12-inch nonmetal pan. Pour in the marshmallow batter and smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands. Sprinkle on the remaining toasted coconut. Allow to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight.

Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares. Roll the sides of each piece carefully in confectioners' sugar. Store uncovered at room temperature.

 

Homemade Marshmallows:

• 1 package unflavored Kosher gelatin (Kolatin Brand)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Combine the gelatin and 1/8 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/8 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Tarty Souffle

Lemon and Raspberry Souffle

Light, fluffy, tart and sweet.  Simply delicious.

 

Lemon and Raspberry Souffle Recipe

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand

Ingredients

Souffle Base:

• 1 egg
• 4 large yolks
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut up

Lemon Souffle:

• Butter and sugar, for preparing the ramekins, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup souffle base
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 4 egg whites
• 2 pinches cream of tartar
• Heaping 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons raspberry or blackberry coulis or jam
• 12 fresh raspberries

Directions

Whisk together the eggs and yolks. Boil milk and sugar. In a small bowl stir together flour and cornstarch. Add 2/3 of the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Temper the eggs with 1/4 of the hot milk then return the milk to the heat. Add the rest of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk well. Add another 1/4 of the hot milk and whisk well. Reboil the remaining milk and whisk into the egg/flour mixture to thicken and self-cook. It will thicken on its own. Whisk in the butter chunks until melted. Press plastic wrap against the surface and refrigerate. The base will keep for 3 days. 

Heavily butter 6 individual 4-ounce ramekins or 1 large souffle dish and coat with sugar all around the inside. Whisk together the base with the lemon juice and rind. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue whisking until stiff and glossy, about 30 seconds. Whisk a small amount of the whites into the base to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites. Spoon the mixture into ramekins, filling half way. Put 1/2 teaspoon of berry coulis and 2 raspberries onto the surface of the mixture, and then top with more souffle mix. Tap the ramekins down on the counter, level the tops with a spatula, and ring the rim with your thumb to create a moat. Chill, if necessary, up to 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated 425 degree F oven, in a water bath, until firm to the touch and risen, about 11 minutes for individual souffles. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes if making a large souffle.

Ramadan cupcakes

This is a repost from the blog Cupcakes Take The Cake.  I thought this was so inspiring and I absolutely love the flavors and descriptions of each cupcake!  Here is what I made after being inspired by these flavors: my Ramadan Cupcake: California meets Middle East.


Meredith Clifford, Sous Pastry Chef for Sugar Daddy's Bakery, which bills itself as "Dubai's hippest cupcake shop" on their Facebook page, wrote to let us know about their Ramadan cupcakes, which I think is a first on this blog. Here's what she wrote:

Ramadan is now in full swing, and we created three special flavors for the holiday. Our menu generally has very American flavors like peanut putter, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet (naturally), but we thought that this special month deserved tastes that are traditional to our Dubai location. Let us introduce our Ramadan flavors:

Qamar a Dream: based on a traditional Iftar beverage made from apricot leather, we have taken our signature vanilla sponge and topped it with apricot icing. We added finely chopped dried apricots to enhance the tartness in the frosting.

Arabian Delight: We created a pistachio sponge accompanied by a smooth buttercream that has a hint of orange blossom. The two flavors complement each other perfectly.

Blind Date: Tradition states that the Prophet Mohammad ate dates at the end of his fast, and the fruit is ever-present during the holiday. We have come up with a spice-filled date sponge that we frost with a swirl of cinnamon-flavored icing that has just a touch of coffee.


Ramadan cupcakes by Sugar Daddy's Bakery

You can also follow them on Twitter (@sugardaddysdxb).

Sugar Daddy's Bakery
The Village Mall, Jumeirah
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
+971 4 344 8204

Cherry season

Cherry Chocolate Sorbet

Tart and sweet cherries frozen to a creamy sensation with a crunch of chocolate.

Cherry Chocolate Sorbet Recipe

Yield: one quart

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pitted ripe sweet cherries or one 12 oz bag of frozen cherries

3/4 cup milk

1 3/4 cups of half and half

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tbsp almond extract

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine, kept in refrigerator 

Directions:

Put cherries, milk, one cup of the half and half, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble on the edges, then lower the heat to warm and just let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into a blender, or use an immersion blender, and puree.  Leave small chunks by pulsing the mixture. 

Put mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of cream. Chill for 4-5 hours in the refrigerator until completely cold. (To expedite this process, place in the freezer for 1-2 hours).  Cover with a plastic wrap and lightly press down onto the mixture to avoid forming a skin.

Stir in the lemon juice and the extracts, then pour into your ice cream maker. Churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Once the ice cream has completed churning, the sorbet will be soft. Pour in the chopped chocolate and blend for one more minute. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer for at least an hour, preferably several hours.

*Want a lighter version? Substitute the half and half for yogurt. After the cherry mixture cools, add 1 3/4 cup of full-fat yogurt and puree. 

Winter in May

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Crispy light cookie with a touch of peppermint.