Beautiful Brioche

Brioche is one of the greatest bread based inventions ever! This beautiful, rich, eggy and slightly sweet treat is very traditional for Easter meals, especially brunch. Our mother has made it every year since we were children, and it just gets better and better. Brioche seems very complicated, because it has quite a few steps and needs to be started the day before you want to serve it, but in truth, most of the time spent is waiting for the dough to rise. It is actually a very easy dough to put together and it is worth every minute of effort. This recipe was created from the amalgamation of many different recipes to make it as easy as possible to follow.

Brioche is best served slightly warm with butter. It is also good toasted, and the leftovers make brilliant french toast!

Makes: 1 loaf.

Ingredients:
Bread:
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup milk, warmed
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
3 eggs (2 for the bread, 1 for the egg wash)
1/3 cup butter, softened
Zest of 1 lemon

Icing:
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup icing sugar

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, warm the milk in the microwave until it is just warmer than body temperature. (105°–115°F.) Stir in yeast and flour to make a smooth paste. Let sit for 10 minutes till foamy.
2. In a large bowl add, flour, icing sugar, salt, and lemon. Stir gently. 
3. Using fingers, or 2 knives, cut in butter till evenly distributed.
4. Add milk, eggs, and yeast mixture. Stir mixture until the dough just comes together.
5. Put the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, kneed 3-4 minutes till the dough fully incorporated and is smooth.
6. Lightly grease a large bowl and put the dough in to rest. Cover with Saran Wrap and a damp tea towel. Let rise for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. (This helps create the distinct flavour of brioche.)
7. Now it's time to form the loaf, we love the look of doing a braid. To do this, divide the dough into 3 equal portions, roll them into 24" logs. Lie the logs side by side and pinch one end together well. Braid the strands together loosely, (don't pull or twist, but "flop" each strand on top of the center strand without leaving gaps). At the finish, pinch the second end together tightly. (You may have to adjust to make sure the loaf is even.)
8. Put the loaf onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let proof covered with Saran Wrap and a damp tea towel. Let rise for 90 minutes.
9. Make an egg wash with the remaining egg and a tablespoon of water. Brush the wash onto the dough.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown. Let sit 5 minutes, then lift off the baking sheet and cool on a rack.
11. To make the glaze: mix lemon juice and icing sugar until smooth. Spoon onto the brioche and spread evenly when still slightly warm.

 

 

Romanoff Potato Popovers

Romanoff Potatoes are the perfect Easter side dish. Rich and cheezy, they are the perfect pair to both ham and roast beef for dinner on Easter Sunday. This traditional potato casserole uses sour cream, cheese, onions and scallions to dress up the basic boiled potato.  They can also be made a day ahead of time to make your dinner go more smoothly. The best part of this dish is the crust that forms as they bake in the oven. We wanted to get the most crispy crust possible while keeping the inside creamy. So we bake ours in greased muffin tins. They look beautiful and taste awesome.

Makes: 18 Popovers.

Ingredients:
6 large russet potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 medium white onion, finely diced
3 scallions or green onions, sliced finely
1 teaspoon cayenne powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Put into a large pot of salted water and boil until cooked, about 30 minutes.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, saute the onion in butter till translucent and golden brown.

3. When fully cooked, drain the potatoes well and return to the pot. Let the potatoes cool slightly and allow all moisture to evaporate.

4. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the potatoes roughly. (We refer them to still have small chunks remaining.

5. In a bowl, mix the sour cream, onions, cheese, scallions, and cayenne. Pour this mixture over the potatoes and mix to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. 

At this point, you can refrigerate the mixture overnight or until you are ready to bake.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins thoroughly with butter.

7. Spoon the potato mixture into the muffin tins. Do not pack the mixture.

8. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until golden brown and hot though.

9. Use a sharp knife to release the popovers from the pans.

Hot Cross Buns

Easter is a holiday full of symbolism and tradition. It is the most important of the Christian holidays, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It celebrates rebirth and renewal, and the beginning of a new growing season. Whether you are religious or not, it is a time of celebration, and family and in our house wonderful food. 

Hot cross buns are a staple treat around Easter time. These sweet buns filled with spices and fruits are fantastic served with butter or jam straight from the oven. Traditional hot cross buns are made with raisins or candied fruit, but we prefer to make them with dried fruits such as cranberries and mango to give them a fresher taste. I don't like using pie dough or flour water paste to make the cross, I just carve a cross in the top with a sharp knife before baking. The glaze will then settle in the hollows.  These are incredibly simple to make, but have quite a few steps, so make sure you have enough time before you need to serve them.

Makes 2 dozen buns.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons ginger

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold butter

3 large eggs

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup dried mango, diced to the same size as cranberries

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, warm milk in the microwave until just warmer than body temperature (105°–115°F.)

2. Stir in yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Let mixture stand 5 minutes, or until foamy.

3. In a small bowl put cranberries and mango. Pour enough hot water on fruit to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes to plump, then drain all water off and set aside.

4. Into a large bowl sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and remaining granulated sugar.

5. Add butter blend into flour mixture with pastry blender or fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. 

6. Lightly beat 2 eggs in a bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in yeast and egg mixture, and fruit. Stir mixture until a dough is formed. 

7. Transfer dough to a floured surface and with floured hands knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. 

8. Place dough to an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

9. Butter 2 large baking sheets.

10. Turn dough onto a floured surface,  knead dough briefly and then divide into 24 balls. ( I prefer to use a scale and weigh out the balls, but you can also form into two logs and cut each log crosswise into 12 equal pieces.)

13. Form each piece into a ball and arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Let buns rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

14. Preheat oven to 400°F.

15. At this point, if you like you can use pastry dough to add a cross to the top of the buns. But I prefer to just use a knife to carve a cross in each.

16. In a small bowl, whisk egg with a fork. Brush buns with egg glaze 

17. Bake buns in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 minutes. 

18. Transfer buns to a rack to cool slightly. Buns may be made 1 week ahead and frozen, wrapped well. 

Pumpkin Power Muffins

Muffins are a brilliant food. They are perfect for breakfast, a great addition to a brunch spread, and a natural afternoon snack. Easy, convienient and inexpensive. The problem with most muffin recipes is that they have little nutritional value, so in fact they aren't as much muffins as they are individual portions of cake. This recipe was inspired by the classic power muffins, lots of good ingredients but far less sweet, stodgy, or heavy. Pumpkin adds great flavour, keeps the muffins moist and replaces most of the fat.  Add your favorite nuts and fruit to change up the taste to fit your palette.

Makes 12 Muffins
Nutritional Value: 160 calories each

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup bran

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk  (you can also use 1/2 cup of regular milk mixed with 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice, or plain yogurt instead)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons, sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a standard muffin tin with muffin papers.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the following: flour, bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, both sugars.
4. In a second large bowl, wisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, oil, and egg.
5. Add the cranberries, almonds, and pumpkin seeds into the dry ingredients.
6. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix only till combined. You need to move quickly at this point for best results. The batter will be quite thick.
7. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, they should be about 3/4 full.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until the muffin bounces back when pressed or a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
10. Put immediately on a cooling rack.

Granola Bars for Grownups - Ginger, Almond and Cardamom

We have had several requests for healthy snack recipes. Well who doesn't love granola bars? Great for kids and adults who are on the go. The thing we find with them, is that the store bought varieties are always so sweet and there aren't any flavours that appeal to a more grown up palette. We have come up with several recipes and this was a huge hit amongst everyone we shared them with. These crunchy bars have the unique flavour combination of ginger, almond and cardamom. A little sweet and a little spice, makes everything nice.

Note: Want to try your own combinations? How about using dried cranberries, apricots, pecans, or peanuts. Cinnamon or allspice makes a great alternative to cardamom. Just use a total of 1 cup of your favorite dried fruits and nuts with the spice of your choice.
.
Makes 16 squares.
Calories per serving: 117 according to caloriecount.ca

Ingredients:
2 Cups rolled oats
1/4 Cup candied ginger, finely diced
3/4 Cup toasted almonds, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon ground cardamom
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Toast almonds by placing almonds on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes
3. Line a 9" square pan with parchment and grease lightly with butter.
4. In a bowl mix oats, almonds, ginger, and cardamom. Set aside.
5. In a small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar and honey until it starts to boil.
6. Toss the liquid into oat mixture and mix with a spatula until well coated. Put in lined pan and press the mixture down firmly.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
8. While the bars are still hot, press the mixture again firmly, this will make the bars easier to cut.
9. Remove bars from pan and slice. Store in an airtight container. 

Breakfast Strata with Sausage and Cheddar

We know that January is supposed to be a time of restraint, and the beginning of new diet resolutions, but sometimes its important to have something delicious too. Maybe this recipe will fulfill your resolution to try something new, or to be less stressed when company is coming over. This is a simple but awesome brunch dish that can be made the night before and kept in the fridge. It also makes a great dinner for those nights when you can't think of what to make. It also uses up all those odd leftover things in the fridge cause you can add whatever you like, from different meats or veggies.

Serves 6.

Ingredients.
1 pound of mild italian sausage (you can also use breakfast sausage if you want something milder)
8 slices of stale bread (I used 10 leftover mini-croissants for this one)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
12 mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons italian parsley
1 cup of cheddar cheese, grated
6 eggs
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Remove the sausage from the casings, and brown in a shallow frying pan until fully cooked.
2. Drain and reserve the fat, put sausage in a casserole dish.
3. In a tablespoon of reserved fat, saute onions then mushrooms. When done, add to sausage meat.
4. Roughly cube the bread, chop parsley and toss with cheese and ingredients in the casserole dish.
5. In a medium bowl whisk eggs, milk, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper together.
6. Pour egg mixture over the other ingredients, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to overnight.
7. Take strata out of fridge 30 minutes before baking.
8. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove cover and bake approximately 50 - 60 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean, top is golden brown and puffed.
9. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

On the GREEK Yogurt bandwagon!

Yup that’s right! We've wholeheartedly hopped on the GREEK yogurt bandwagon and we’re not afraid to admit it!!! And what’s a better way to utilize the creamy goodness of Greek yogurt than in a blueberry SMOOTHIE!! A perfect early morning treat!!

For the smoothie:


1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1 whole banana
1 cup greek yogurt (vanilla)
4-5 ice cubes
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Mint garnish (optional)

Add all the ingredients to a blender and BLEND to desired consistency!!

TIP- A bit of vanilla extract adds a great richness of flavour!

What bandwagon are you on these days?