English Muffins

I had fun making English Muffins, but I never knew that you have to cook them in a skillet! The things you learn as you try out new recipes. :)

English Muffins

Recipe from budgetbytes.blogspot.com 

Ingredients:

1 tsp active dry yeast

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp butter

3 cups flour, divided

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup cornmeal

non-stick spray (I used oil)

STEP 1: In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and yeast. Let sit about 5 minutes or until foamy on top.


STEP 2: While the yeast/sugar mixture is resting, combine 1.5 cups of the flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir well to evenly distribute the salt. In a second small bowl, combine the milk and butter. Microwave the milk/butter for 30 seconds, stir and microwave again for 30 seconds. Stir the butter until it melts into the warm milk.


STEP 3: Pour the yeast mixture and the milk mixture into the flour. Stir until it has combined into a pasty mix. Adding 1/4 cup at a time, stir in more flour until the dough forms a soft, slightly sticky ball that pulls away from the bowl. I added about 3/4 cup to get it to this point.


STEP 4: Sprinkle a little bit of flour onto a clean countertop and coat your hands in flour. Dump the soft ball of dough out of the bowl and knead it for about 5 minutes. Add as little flour as possible to the countertop while kneading. Adding too much flour will yield tough muffins. I found that a very slight sprinkle was all that was needed to keep it from sticking (see photos below for an example).


STEP 5: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl that has been coated in non-stick spray. Lightly spray the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size (about 45 min - 1 hr).


STEP 6: Punch the dough down, shape it into another ball, cover the bowl/dough and let rise a second time (45 min - 1 hr or until double).


STEP 7: Punch down the dough again and turn it out onto a well floured countertop. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it is about 3/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, opened (and cleaned) can, or a large round glass, cut the dough into circles. When you can't cut out any more circles, gently ball the remaining dough, roll again and cut more. It gets more difficult to ball and roll out each time so fit as many circles in the dough as possible before balling it up again.


STEP 8: Place the cut dough circles onto a sheet pan that has been liberally covered in cornmeal. Sprinkle more cornmeal on top of the muffins. Cover loosely with a damp towel and let rise, once more, until double in size (another 45 minutes).


STEP 9: Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray the pan with non-stick spray. Carefully transfer the fluffy, risen muffins to the hot skillet with a spatula. Cook the muffins, in batches, in the skillet until they are golden brown and crispy on each side. Make sure to keep the heat low so that the outside browns slowly, allowing time for the inside to "bake." I cooked mine for about 7 minutes on each side but this will vary from stove top to stove top.


STEP 10: Let the muffins cool on a wire rack before attempting to slice open. Toast the split muffins in a toaster, slather with butter and jam then ooze with happiness!

I was really happy with how the English muffins turned out! They did take a long time (rising) so I probably won't end up making them very often, but they were a success to be sure. :) Next time I will be wise and have two pans of them going at once so I don't have to stand in front of the stove top for so long.

Love,
Jessica

52 New Recipes in 2012

   At the beginning of this year, I decided I would try to make 52 new recipes in 2012. The plan is one recipe a week, although it hasn't worked out exactly like that. Some weeks have zero new recipes, some weeks 2 new ones. The point is basically to try to make new things. Also we are rating the new recipes. So far there have been no failures. :)

   So far this year the very best new recipes that we have tried are bread sticks and pizza calzone. I will attempt to post those recipes at some point in the future when I make them again which I'm sure I will. The bread sticks have been made multiple times and also were taken to a Super Bowl party. The pizza calzone  has already been devoured twice. :) You will also notice that a majority of the new recipes have been desserts of some kind. What can I say? Sweet food is pretty much amazing to make and eat!

   Do you like to try out new recipes? What is a good one you have made recently?

Love, jessica

Strawberry Glazed Doughnuts

   So, I tried this baked strawberry doughnut recipe I found online, and used my new doughnut pan! They turned out pretty good! The only thing I changed about this recipe was the glaze. I only used 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 tsp of salt and vanilla. Also I used some of the strawberry mixture in the glaze instead of milk, which made it taste super strawberryish!  We decided that they tasted like strawberry short cake. We just needed some whipped cream to add to the top. :)

Recipe found at Mary Quite Contrary. When I looked at her pictures, I noticed that my doughnuts turned out not as fluffy as hers, and also they were not so pink on the inside. I'm not sure why. Oh well, they were tasty so I'm satisfied. :)

Strawberry Glazed Doughnuts

Servings: 10 doughnuts

Ingredients:

Doughnuts:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 tbsp melted butter

10 strawberries, pureed with 2 tsp seedless strawberry jam

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cups cold milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a 6-doughnut pan with baking spray.  To make doughnuts combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.  Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in milk, egg, butter, and maple syrup.  Stir until well combined.  Stir in strawberry mixture, starting with 1/2 of it and adding more only if needed.  Batter should be wet, but not runny.  Put dough into a pastry bag or plastic bag and snip approx 1-inch off end.  Pipe batter into each well, reserving extra batter.  Bake for 7-9 minutes until doughnuts spring back when touched.  Let cool five minutes and turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.  Spray pan again and continue with the rest of batter until all doughnuts have been made.  While doughnuts are cooling make glaze.  To make glaze, stir all ingredients together until smooth.  When doughnuts are cooled dip each into glaze and place back on cooling rack to let glaze set.  When glaze has set enjoy!

d,

Jessica

Granola

   Our main breakfast food here is: Granola! We call this our manna because we eat it pretty much everyday for breakfast. We do switch it up sometimes with a box of amazing cereal (costs $7-10 US dollars here) that we brought from the States or that we got as a Christmas gift or special splurge. (We sometimes give cereal as a gift here in Asia...kinda funny I know.)

   Large ovens are not available, so I bake my granola in a large toaster oven (you can see it in the lower right picture), which I am sooo thankful for because without it I could not bake and I love to bake.

   Here is the recipe if any of you want to try it. I got this recipe from a friend who also lives here in Asia.

 By the way 180 Celsius equals 355 Fahrenheit.

Love,

Jessica