Italian Rum Baba #TwelveLoaves May

Italian Rum Baba | Bakewell Junction

For this month’s #TwelveLoaves linky party, the theme is any bread we wish to share to celebrate the #TwelveLoaves anniversary.  A long time friend of mine loves Rum Baba and she asked me to find an authentic and classic Neapolitan recipe which I’d like to share for #TwelveLoaves May.  I can’t wait to make this recipe again for my friend – she’ll love them.

It was hard to figure out what the end result should be because I don’t like bakery made Rum Baba (it’s the picky thing again).  On the up side, my Mom and a co-worker do like Rum Baba and they were able to help me with deciding which of the recipes I tried worked better.  The first recipe was tasty but it wasn’t what I thought of as authentic Rum Baba.  This recipe turned out to be authentic and, surprise of all surprises, my husband loved them too.  I found the recipe I adapted on You Tube from the Giallo Zafferano kitchen.  There’s a video but you can get the details too.

This is a relatively easy recipe and I recommend you give it a try.  The syrup gives it a lovely sweetness.  If you have brioche pans, you can use them to make these or you can use a cupcake pan like I did.

Enjoy!

Italian Rum Baba

Yield:  12 rum baba                  Cook Time:  20 minutes

Dough:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/3 tablespoons instant yeast
• 9 tablespoons of room temperature butter
• 1/4 cup of milk

Syrup:

• 2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of rum

Directions:

Step 1:  For the dough:  Heat milk to 110 degrees in a microwave safe small bowl or a 1 cup measure.  I heated the milk in the microwave in small intervals until the thermometer read 110 degrees.  Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and the yeast and mix briefly to combine.  Set aside until the mixture begins to foam.

Step 2:  In the interim, set up your electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.  Add the flour to the mixer bowl.  In another bowl beat the eggs and then mix in the salt.  Turn on the mixer on low and add in the egg mixture.  Then add in the yeast mixture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the flour is incorporated.

Step 3:  While the flour is incorporating, in another small bowl mix the softened butter and remaining sugar together.  Turn the mixer to high and add the butter mixture to the dough and knead until the butter is completed incorporated.

Step 4:  Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl.  You can use butter or cooking spray to grease the bowl.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours (see tips).  The dough should double in size.

Step 5:  Flour and butter the baba moulds, brioche moulds or cupcake tins to prepare them.  Deflate the dough with a large spoon and fill the 12 moulds about halfway.  Place the moulds on a baking sheet and let them rest for about 20 minutes in a warm place.

Step 6:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake the batter at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 350 degrees.  Bake 10 minutes more.  Remove the baba from the oven and let cool about 10 minutes; then depan and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 7:  For the syrup:  While the baba bake.  Boil the water in a medium sauce pan.  Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.  Let the syrup continue cooking to thicken.  After about 5 minutes add the vanilla and rum and mix to combine.  Continue stirring and cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 8:  Place the rum baba in the plastic container upside down. Prick the bottoms with a toothpick.  Pour about 3/4 of the syrup over the Rum Babas and let them soak it in.  Reserve the remaining syrup and any that’s run out of the babas to pour over the babas when serving.

Tips:  To create a warm environment, you can boil a pot of water while preparing the dough and place the water and dough in a cold oven.  The boiling water will create a warm moist environment in the oven for the dough to rise well.  In addition, you can garnish with whipped cream but I usually see these plain.

Storing:  Store Rum Babas in a sealed plastic container for a few days.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from Sonia and Giallo Zafferano on You Tube.

What is baking this May in the TwelveLoaves kitchens?

#TwelveLoaves May:  Bake any bread, yeast or quick bread, loaf or individual.  This #TwelveLoaves May 2013 is all about May is all about celebrating bread and the one year anniversary of #TwelveLoaves.  Do you have a favorite bread?  We would love to see it.   Think luscious quick loaves, sinful scones, delightful Danishes.  Any bread recipe you’d like to bake, share it with us!  Let’s get baking!

Look at what our very talented #TwelveLoaves bakers have created this May!

• Apple Kuchen by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Basic Focaccia by Holly at A Baker’s House
• Buttermilk Sourdough Waffles by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Cinnamon Crescent Rolls by Krista at A Handful of Everything
• Cinnamon Rolls by Dionne at Try Anything Once Culinary
• Cinnamon Sugar Challah by Paula at Vintage Kitchen
• Olive Bread by Rossella at Ma che ti sei mangiato
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Bread by Lora at Cake Duchess
• San Francisco Sourdough Bread by Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Zucchini Pineapple Quick Bread by Lyn at The Lovely Pantry

We would love to have you join our #TwelveLoaves group; it’s easy!
1. When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone’s posts. Please make sure that your Bread is inspired by the theme!
2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme.
3. Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this May 2013 posted on your blog by May 31, 2013.

You are next… Click here to enter

Lora launched this Twelve Loaves this last May and there have been many wonderful recipes shared since then.  I haven’t participated from the beginning but it’s been fun the past few months that I have participated.
Check out what we have been busy baking!

May theme: Focaccia
June theme: Corn Rolls
July theme: Challah
August theme: Summer Fruit
September: Say CHEESE!
October: Seeds, nuts and grains
November: Autumn Fruits: Apples and Pears
December: Boozy Bread
January: Clean Slate
February: Open Challenge
March: Holiday Breads
April: Berries

Follow @TwelveLoaves on Twitter

See what’s freshly baked for #TwelveLoaves on the growing Pinterest board.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party.  Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

New York Cheesecake

NY Cheesecake | Bakewell Junction

Happy Mother’s Day!  My hubby and puppy haven’t been feeling well plus most evenings I’ve been waging the annual losing battle with the dandelions, so haven’t posted in a few weeks.  I’m glad be back and I baked a couple of yummy sweets for today.

My Sister-in-law has made a delicious cheesecake with a chocolate graham cracker crust on many occasions and she was kind enough to give me the recipe several years ago.  I’ve made this cheesecake many times with delicious results each time.  This is a creamy and delicious treat that I’m sharing with you today.  The crust reminds me of the Carvel crunchies in their cakes.

I also made Lizzy’s Moomie’s Cinnamon Buns.  Lizzy’s blog is That Skinny Chick Can Bake and she has so many lovely recipes that I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to make all those I’d like to make but be sure to take a look at this recipe, it’s a hit.  Here’s my first attempt with this recipe and both my Nieces loved them.

Moomies Cinnamon Rolls | Bakewell Junction

Enjoy!

New York Cheesecake

Yield:  12 servings                  Cook Time:  60 minutes

Crust:

• 16 to 18 chocolate graham cracker squares (about 1 1/2 cups finely ground)
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 3 8 ounce tubs of whipped cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 16 ounces sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature

Directions:

Step 1:  For the crust:  If your spring form pan leaks, line the outside with aluminum foil (it may be better to do this regardless).  Finely crush the graham crackers.  I generally do this by hand while the crackers are still in the plastic package but you can put them in a mini chopper or food processor.  Place the crackers and the 5 tablespoons of melted butter in a medium bowl.  Mix thoroughly.  Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray.  Transfer the mixture to a 10 inch spring form pan.  Distribute the mixture evenly across the pan.  Press the mixture onto the bottom of the pan and at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan.  Set the prepared pan aside.

Step 2:  For the filling:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the whipped cream cheese, butter, sour cream, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice and sugar until well blended.  Scrape down sides as needed.  Add eggs one at a time.  Mix each addition until completely combined before adding the next.  Scrape down sides as needed.

Step 3:  Transfer the filling into the pan and spread evenly across the pan.  Fill a roasting pan (that is larger than the spring form pan) 1/3 of the way with hot water.  Place the filled spring form pan in the center of the roasting pan.  Be sure that the water is about half way up the sides of the spring form pan.

Step 4:  Bake at 375 degrees for 60 hours.  After the cheesecake is finished baking, I usually let it cool completely with the oven door open.  I believe this helps resist cracking.

Storing:  Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.

Tips:  Drizzle with Hershey’s syrup after plating.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe from my Sister-in-law and I believe originally adapted from Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party. Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

Berry Bread with Spread #TwelveLoaves April

Berry Bread | Bakewell Junction

For this month’s #Twelve Loaves linky party, the theme is berries.  Now I don’t normally make bread with berries, so I needed to find a recipe that I would like – not an easy task since I’m kind of picky.  As it happens, I found this recipe on Taste of Home and both my husband and I liked it.  The bread is sweet and moist with a lovely flavor.  I’ll definitely make this again.

It was a little odd with the frozen strawberries was that there seemed to be more liquid than strawberries but it turned out well, so who am I to question?  Also, the spread can be used on regular toast or bagels.

Enjoy!

Berry Bread

Yield:  2 Loaves                  Cook Time:  50 minutes

• 2 10 ounce packages frozen and sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed (I couldn’t find this size, so I bought 16 ounce packages and saved the extra)
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil (I substituted olive oil)
• 3 ounces macadamia nuts, optional (I skipped the nuts)

Spread:

• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons strawberries

Directions:

Step 1:  For the bread:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 8 by 4 inch loaf pans with cooking spray.  Drain the strawberries.  Set 1/4 cup of the strawberry juice aside.  Set 3 tablespoons of the berries aside to be used for the spread.

Step 2:  Mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, 1/4 cup of juice and the remaining berries.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to create a stiff batter.  Do not over mix.  If using, fold in the nuts.

Step 3:  Divide the batter evenly and place in the loaf pans.  Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.  When done, a toothpick inserted in the bread will come out clean.

Step 4:  For the spread:  While the bread bakes.  Soften the cream cheese in the microwave in small increments. Beat the 3 tablespoons of strawberries set aside earlier into the cream cheese.  Keep the spread in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Storing:  Store loaves in a sealed plastic container or covered with plastic wrap.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe from Taste of Home by Pat Stewart, Lees Summit, Missouri.

What is baking this April in the TwelveLoaves kitchens?  Berry Breads!

#TwelveLoaves April:  Berries.  Bake a bread, yeast or quick bread, loaf or individual.  This #TwelveLoaves is all about breads featuring beautiful berries!  Think luscious quick loaves, sinful scones, delightful Danishes.  Any way you want to feature your berries, we want to see it.  Let’s get baking!

Look at what our very talented #TwelveLoaves bakers have created this April!

• Lemon Blueberry Bread by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
• Yoghurt Scones With Cranberries by Rossella at Ma che ti sei mangiato
• Raspberry Quick Bread by Holly at A Baker’s House
• Mixed Berry Bread by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Raspberry Danish by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Strawberry Cinnamon Swirl Bread by Paula at Vintage Kitchen
• Berry Oatmeal Muffins by Roxana at Roxana’s Home Baking
• Strawberry Monkey Bread by Lora at Cake Duchess
• Berry Breakfast Bread by Dionne at Try Anything Once
• Strawberry Scones by Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories

We would love to have you join our #TwelveLoaves group; it’s easy!
1. When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone’s posts. Please make sure that your Bread is inspired by the theme!
2. Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of my blog. It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme.
3. Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this April 2013 posted on your blog by April 30, 2013.

You are next… Click here to enter

Lora launched this Twelve Loaves this past May and there have been many wonderful recipes shared since then.  I haven’t participated from the beginning but it’s been fun the past few months that I have participated.
Check out what we have been busy baking!

May theme: Focaccia
June theme: Corn Rolls
July theme: Challah
August theme: Summer Fruit
September: Say CHEESE!
October: Seeds, nuts and grains
November: Autumn Fruits: Apples and Pears
December: Boozy Bread
January: Clean Slate
February: Open Challenge
March: Holiday Breads

Follow @TwelveLoaves on Twitter

See what’s freshly baked for #TwelveLoaves on the growing Pinterest board.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party. Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns #Chocolateparty

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns #chocolateparty by Bakewell Junction

Easter has come and gone but I think Hot Cross Buns are a great treat any time of year.  This is the second time I made this recipe and I made some changes this time because the first time they didn’t turn out so well (at least to my definition of well).  This doesn’t mean that no one liked the first batch – to the contrary, my husband’s co-workers couldn’t get enough of them.  They just weren’t like Hot Cross Buns, they were more like a thick, dense cookie bar.

On to the success story…  My second attempt worked out wonderfully.  The buns turned out fluffy, light and delicious.  How did this happen (you might ask)?  There are three reasons:

1. I’ve changed how I get my breads to rise.  I still put the dough in the oven but I don’t warm it by turning it on, I just add a pot of boiling water to warm the oven and turn the light on to ensure the temperature stays warm enough.
2. I changed the amount of the chocolate chips and the timing of when to add them to the dough.
3. Instead of using milk, I used buttermilk.

The chocolate party is a linky party hosted by Roxana’s Home Baking and has a different theme every month.  As it turns out, the #chocolateparty theme for April pairs buttermilk and chocolate which is great considering the modifications I made to this recipe.  The only thing I would change the next time I make this recipe is to use milk chocolate chips with a rough chop (just because they’re larger than the semi-sweet chips).  I like the flavor of milk chocolate better in some recipes.  Would you keep the semi-sweet chips or change to  milk chocolate?

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns

Yield:  15 or 16 Buns                  Cook Time:  20 minutes

Dough:

• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, warmed to 110 degrees
• 1 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 4 1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted melted butter plus additional for greasing the bowl and baking pan (or you can use cooking spray instead of additional butter)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or substitute milk chocolate chips chopped in half or quarters)

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons hot water

Crosses:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water

Directions:

Step 1:  Warm milk in the microwave to 110 degrees.  One minute and 25 seconds works in my glass 2 cup measure.  I used my candy thermometer to check the temperature.  If you are transferring to a small bowl, warm the bowl so the milk doesn’t cool.  Add the sugar and yeast to the milk and stir to combine.  Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes.  I used the boiling water in the oven method for this step too.  The mixture should grow and become foamy.

Step 2:  In a large mixing bowl of your electric mixer, stir together flour and salt.  In the center of the flour form a well.  Add the butter, egg and yeast into the well.  Mix the ingredients and slowly incorporate more and more flour until the flour is completely incorporated and a dough is formed.  Using a dough hook on your electric mixer, knead the dough for approximately five minutes.  The dough should now be smooth and elastic.  If necessary, you may add a little more flour.

Step 3:  Prepare a large bowl by greasing it with butter or cooking spray.  Transfer the dough into the bowl and turn it so the entire dough becomes greased.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for an hour (I used the boiling water in the oven method here too).   After an hour, the dough should have doubled in size.

Step 4:  On a clean work surface, lightly sprinkle some flour.  Place the dough on the floured surface.  Deflate the dough.  Add the chocolate chips.  Incorporate the chips by kneading the dough.  Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife cut the dough into 15 or 16 evenly sized dough balls.  If you’re using a 9 by 13 inch pan, you may want make 3 by 5 rows of buns or your pan may fit 4 by 4 rows of buns.  Let this determine whether you should make 15 or 16 buns, otherwise you could wind up with a few oddly shaped buns.  Place the buns in a greased or parchment lined baking pan.  The buns should be set closely together in the pan.  Cover the buns and let them rise for 20 minutes (since I have a double oven, I used the boiling water in the oven method here too).

Step 5:  In a 400 degree preheated oven, bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes.  The buns will be golden brown and smell delicious.

Step 6:  Glaze:  While the buns are baking, combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons of hot water in a small bowl.  Mix until the sugar dissolves.  If necessary, additional hot water in small increments but do not exceed a total of 3 tablespoons (i.e. the original 2 tablespoons plus up to an additional 1 tablespoon).

Step 7:  After the buns are finished baking, take them out of the oven.  Using a pastry brush, coat the buns with all the glaze immediately after removing them from the oven.  Move the buns to a wire rack and let them cool in the pan.

Step 8:  Crosses:  In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk (or water) to create the icing mixture.  You may add up to 1 additional tablespoon of milk to get to the a piping consistency.  Fill a piping bag with the icing and pipe crosses on the buns.  Alternatively you can fill the corner of a plastic ziploc bag, and snip 1/4 inch opening in end to pipe the crosses.  Many like these buns served warm but I thought they were delicious at room temperature.

Storing:  Store buns in a sealed plastic container or covered with plastic wrap for a few days.

Tips:  If your house is chilly like mine always is and your dough doesn’t rise, you can boil a pot of water while preparing the dough and place the water and dough in a cold oven.  The boiling water will create a warm moist environment in the oven for the dough to rise well.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe from Seeded At The Table, originally from Butter Baking.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party. Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

Creamy Tomato Sauce

Creamy Tomato Sauce by Bakewell Junction

Whew.  It’s been a busy few weeks.  We had a huge deadline at work and with the Easter holiday, it’s been a whirlwind.  I had family over for Palm Sunday and we had a few favorites.  One of them is this Creamy Tomato Sauce over ravioli.  Now, the ravioli I like to use is store bought and frozen (I know, don’t judge) but the highlight is this sauce.  It is delicious.  I bet you’ll have a difficult time trying to stop yourself from licking the plate after the ravioli are gone.  Just be sure to have a few loaves of crusty Italian bread to mop up any remaining sauce on the plate.

Enjoy.

Creamy Tomato Sauce

Yield:  4 – 6 servings                Cook Time:  45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 28 ounce can of your favorite crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream (I use heavy whipping cream)
• 2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram, optional (I omit this)
• Salt and black pepper to taste (I omit the pepper)

Directions:

Step 1:  Combine tomatoes, oregano, basil, garlic, salt and black pepper in a large sauce pan or a stock pot.  Cook on low and bring the tomato mixture to a simmer.  Simmer 30 minutes.

Step 2:  Add cream and stir until combined.  Meanwhile begin cooking a pound of your favorite pasta according to the package directions in a different pot. Back to the sauce – simmer until thickened while stirring occasionally.  You will see the mixture thickening after 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3:  Server immediately over your favorite pasta.

Tips:  This recipe is best the first day.  It’s good as leftovers too but it won’t be as creamy and will begin becoming more like a regular pasta sauce.

Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Babka #TwelveLoaves March

Chocolate Babka #TwelveLoaves March | Bakewell Junction

Mmmm….  Look at those chocolate swirls.

Chocolate Babka #TwelveLoaves March 2 | Bakewell Junction

Chocolate Babka is one of those things that I’ve wanted to try baking for several years.  I had printed a copy of the recipe I had seen on Smitten Kitchen and had it with all my other recipes (this was long before Pinterest became popular).  Thinking this would be a great recipe for #TwelveLoaves March which is featuring Holiday Breads, I decided to make it.

Babka in Polish means Grandmother and was traditionally made for Easter.  It was also a tradition in Lithuania, Slovakia, Belarus, Ukraine and Western Russia.  Another version of Babka (Chocolate Babka) is associated with Eastern European Jews.  The history behind Babka is a little confusing.  From what I’ve read on the internet, it’s debated as to who started the Babka tradition but it’s usually made around Easter.

This recipe contains a ton of butter and a ton of chocolate.  It is decadent, delicious and smells heavenly.  I would highly recommend breaking the Lenten fast with this sweet bread.  Although it takes a while to make this recipe, I had great results – my dough rose well and it was easy to roll out.  I did have one mishap because I don’t have three of the 9 by 5 loaf pans, so my attempt to put two of the loaves side by side in a half aluminum tray didn’t work out so well.  They were very dense and gooey in the middle but that didn’t alter the taste and they were devoured quickly anyway.  The only thing I would change for next time it to double the crumb topping recipe – you can never have too many crumbs.

Have you ever had Babka?  Which type do you prefer – chocolate filling, cinnamon filling, raisins, etc?

If you’re interested in additional Easter recipes that I make, try my Easter Bread or Prosciutto Bread (Lard Bread) recipes.  They’re delicious too.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Babka

Yield:  3 Loaves                  Cook Time:  70 minutes

Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups milk, warmed to 110 degrees
• 2 1/4 ounce packages active dry yeast or 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 3/4 cup sugar plus a another pinch
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
• 6 cups flour plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature plus additional for bowl and loaf pans (or you can use cooking spray instead of additional butter)

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Filling:

• 2 1/4 pounds very finely chopped semisweet chocolate (I substituted a combination of Hershey’s and Lindt’s milk chocolate candy)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

Streusel Topping:

• 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

Directions:

Step 1:  Warm milk in the microwave to 110 degrees.  One minute and 25 seconds works in my glass 2 cup measure.  I used my candy thermometer to check the temperature.  If you are transferring to a small bowl, warm the bowl so the milk doesn’t cool.  Add the pinch of sugar and yeast to the milk and give a quick stir.  Set aside for about 5 minutes.  The mixture should become foamy.

Step 2:  Stir together 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs and yolks in a medium bowl.  Combine yeast and egg mixtures and mix thoroughly.

Step 3:  Add the flour and salt to the bowl of an electric mixer and give a quick stir.  Add the wet mixture to the flour and beat on low with the paddle attachment for about 30 seconds to combine.  Swap out the paddle attachment for the dough hook.  Cut 2 sticks of butter into 1 inch pieces and add to the dough.  Beat with the dough hook until butter is combined.  This will take approximately 10 minutes.  The dough will be soft and barely sticky.

Step 4:  On a clean work surface, lightly sprinkle some flour.  Place the dough on the floured surface.  You may need to scrap the bowl and dough hook to get every last bit of the wonderful dough.  Knead a minute or two.  Prepare a large bowl by buttering it or spraying with cooking spray.  Transfer dough to prepared bowl and turn to coat butter/cooking spray.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Let dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour to double in size.  My house is always cool so, while I prepare the dough, I boil a pot of water and place it in my oven along with the dough.  This creates a great environment for the dough to rise.

Step 5:  Filling:  Mix the chocolate, 1 cup sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Cut in 1 1/2 sticks of butter using a pastry cutter until you have a homogeneous mixture.

Step 6:  Egg wash:  In a small bowl, beat egg and heavy cream together.

Step 7:  Butter the loaf pans or spray with cooking spray then line with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and wait for 5 minutes before cutting into thirds.  Cover resting dough while working with the first piece of dough.  Flour the work area.  Roll the first piece of dough until it’s about 1/8 inch thick.  It should be about 16 by 16 inch square.

Step 8:  Using the egg wash, moisten the edges of the rolled dough.  Evenly crumble 1/3 (about 2 1/2 cups) of the chocolate mixture minus 2 tablespoons on rolled dough up to about 1/4 from the edge of the dough.  Beginning at one side of the dough, roll the dough up until you reach the opposite side.  Pinch the dough together to seal the edges.  The dough needs to be twisted along it’s length 5 or 6 times.  Moisten the top of the rolled dough with the egg wash.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the chocolate mixture on half the roll and press into the dough.  Fold the side of the dough roll without the chocolate mixture onto the side with the chocolate mixture.  Seal edges by pinching.  Twist the roll twice and place in loaf pan.  Repeat  rolling dough through placing in loaf pan for each of the other doughs.

Step 9: Streusel Topping:  Add powdered sugar, flour and butter in a large bowl.  Mix to combine and create small to large crumbs.

Step 10:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let doughs rise for 20 to 30 minutes in a warm spot.  Moisten the tops of the loaves with the egg wash.  Sprinkle the top of each loaf with 1/3 of the streusel.

Step 11:  Place loaves in preheated oven and bake 55 minutes until golden, rotating loaves midway during baking.  Lower temperature to 325 degrees and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until loaves are darker golden.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Depan loaves and try not to eat an entire loaf.

Storing:  Store loaves in a sealed plastic container or covered with plastic wrap.

Tips:

• To finely chop the chocolate easily, break it up into inch size pieces initially.  In small batches, use a food processor or mini chopper to chop it finely.
• The dough can be frozen for 1 month after preparing up to the point where they are ready to be placed in the oven.  Remove the dough from the freezer and wait 5 hours before baking.
• If your house is chilly like mine always is and your dough doesn’t rise, you can boil a pot of water while preparing the dough and place the water and dough in a cold oven.  The boiling water will create a warm moist environment in the oven for the dough to rise well.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Martha Stewart.

What is baking this March in the TwelveLoaves kitchens? Holiday Breads!

#TwelveLoaves March:  Holiday Bread.  Bake a bread, yeast or quick bread, loaf or individual.  This #TwelveLoaves is all about the incredible holiday breads featured in March.  Do you have a favorite Easter or St. Patrick’s Day Bread?  We would love to see it.  Let’s get baking!

Look at what our very talented #TwelveLoaves bakers have created this March!

• Grammy’s Italian Easter Bread by Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
• Hot Cross Buns by Holly at A Baker’s House
• American Irish Soda Bread by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Hot Cross Buns by Lora at Cake Duchess
• Pinca: Croatian Easter Bread by Sherron at Simply Gourmet
• Jamaican Zucchini Spiced Bun by Lyn at The Lovely Pantry
• Plaited Easter Bread with Cream Cheese Filling by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Greek Easter Bread by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom

We would love to have you join our #TwelveLoaves group; it’s easy!
1.  When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone’s posts.  Please make sure that your Bread is inspired by the theme!
2.  Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of Lora’s blog (Cake Duchess) or the link below.  It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme.
3.  Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this March, 2013 posted on your blog by March 31, 2013.

You are next… Click here to enter

Follow @TwelveLoaves on Twitter

See what’s freshly baked for #TwelveLoaves on the growing Pinterest board.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party. Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread | Bakewell Junction

I have a delicious Banana Bread recipe to share today.  I was looking for a good recipe and a co-worker advised that his wife’s recipe was delicious.  The first time I made this bread I wasn’t happy with it but that was my fault because I mashed the bananas too much making them too watery and they fell to the bottom during baking.  This time it tasted just fabulous.  Do you have a favorite banana bread recipe?  If not (or even if you do), try this easy and tasty recipe.

Enjoy.

Banana Bread

Yield:  1 large loaf                Cook Time:  60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 to 5 very ripe medium-sized bananas or 3 large bananas

Directions:

Step 1:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Generously butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.  Alternatively you can use cooking spray or parchment paper.

Step 2.  Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.  Cream together butter, sugar and eggs.

Step 3:  Mash bananas with a fork.  Add mashed bananas to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until combined.  Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture.  Mix by hand until well blended.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan.

Step 4:  Bake for to 60 minutes in the preheated 350 degree oven or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 30 minutes.  Remove the bread from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!!!

Tips:  Only mash the bananas once along the length of the banana.  If you mash the bananas too much, they will become watery and will sink to the bottom of the bread.

Recipe adapted from Bill’s wife’s recipe.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party. Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

Venetians / Rainbow Cookies / Tri Color Cookies

Venetians / Rainbow Cookies / Tri Color Cookies by Bakewell Junction

I’m sharing a delicious recipe that I made a few weeks ago.  This Christmas my friend Chris sent over her cookies and they were unbelievably delicious.  She agreed to give me her recipe and they turned out wonderfully.

My prior attempt to make Venetians with a different recipe a few years ago didn’t turn out well at all so I hadn’t tried another recipe until now.  My husband and I won’t even eat these if they’ve been purchased because they just don’t taste good.  I can hardly believe how delicious these are.

Although there’s some extra steps in assembly, these cookies aren’t really too difficult to make.  I did learn some things while making this recipe.  My Apricot preserves had some apricot chunks in it and I should probably have removed the chunks (although there were no complaints, mind you).  My almond paste wasn’t broken up evenly and it didn’t incorporate evenly into the cake (again, no complaints).  I’ve added tips at the end of the recipe so you won’t run into the same things.

I hope you try this recipe because you will get what I call the “wow factor”.  When you serve these cookies, anyone that tries them will say wow.  So do you like these cookies from the Italian bakeries?  The cookies have so many names, what name do you use?

Enjoy!

Venetians / Rainbow Cookies / Tri Color Cookies

Yield:  48 or 64 cookies (depending on cut)                  Cook Time:  15 minutes

• 8 ounces Almond Paste (I used the Odense 7 ounce tube)
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 4 tablespoons almond extract
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 drops red food coloring
• 12 drops green food coloring

Icing and Filling

• 1 12 ounce jar apricot preserves
• 1 – 2 Special Dark Chocolate bars (I used a combination of Lindt and Ghirardelli)

Directions:

Step 1:  Spray 3 13 by 9 by 2 baking pans with cooking spray, line with wax paper and then spray the wax paper with cooking spray too.  I didn’t have three pans of this size, so I prepared my cakes one at a time.

Step 2:  Break apart almond paste until it looks like grains of sand and no lumps remain.  Step 3:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine almond paste, butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract.  Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add flour and salt. Mix until combined.  In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.  Carefully fold into the batter.

Step 4:  Take 1/3 of the batter (about 1 1/2 to 1 1/3 cup) and add 10 drops of green food coloring.  Using a folding motion mix the food coloring throughout the 1/3 portion of the batter.  Add additional drops as needed to reach the color you want.  Spread the green batter as evenly as possibly in the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes until the edges become light golden.

Step 5:  Take 1/3 of the batter (about 1 1/2 to 1 1/3 cup) and add 10 drops of red food coloring.  Using a folding motion mix the food coloring throughout the 1/3 portion of the batter.  Add additional drops as needed to reach the color you want.  Spread the red batter as evenly as possibly in the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes until the edges become light golden.

Step 6:  Take the remaining 1/3 of the batter (about 1 1/2 to 1 1/3 cup) and spread as evenly as possibly in the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes until the edges become light golden.  Cool all three cakes completely.

Step 7:  Warm the apricot preserves in a bowl in the microwave at 30 second intervals while stirring between intervals.  Heat for a maximum of 1 1/2 minutes.  Place wax paper on a cookie sheet and then the green layer.  Spread 1/2 the apricot preserves on the green layer.  Place the untinted layer on top of the green layer.  Spread the remaining apricot preserves on the untinted layer.  Place the red layer on top of the untinted layer and cover with wax paper.  Place another cookie sheet on top of the layers and place weight on top.  Chill everything overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 8:  Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and remove the weight.  Cut the edges of the layers so there are clean edges.  The cut pieces are great for snacking.  Carefully melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave.  Spread the chocolate on the top and sides of the cookies.  Let the chocolate dry.  Turn the cookies over and spread chocolate on the bottom also.  Let the chocolate dry.  Turn the cookies over and cut into 8 by 8 pieces or 6 by 8 pieces.

Storing:  Store cookies in a sealed plastic container.

Tips:

• Breaking up the almond paste can best be accomplished by breaking it into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes and using a food processor, mini chopper or blender to break it up completely.  If you don’t have access to any of these, you can use a grater to break it up.
• When the apricot preserves are heated, you can remove any large apricot chunks before spreading.  Heating the apricot preserves allows the preserves to soak into the layers and cling together better.
• To cut the layers into pieces, carefully use a sharp serrated knife.  Have the layers placed with the long edge closest to you.   Run the knife under hot water and dry it.  Cut the layers in eight slices (if you want larger cookies, make 6 slices) along the long edge of the layers.  To minimize cracking in the chocolate, start cutting in a sawing motion with the warm knife until you break through the chocolate; then press down until the knife cuts through to the bottom of the layers and chocolate.  You will likely need to repeat running the knife under hot water after four slices.  Turn the pieces that look like long narrow logs sideways.  Repeat running the knife under hot water.  Using the same sawing motion to get through the top layer of chocolate and then pressing down to cut through to the bottom of the layers and chocolate, cut each log into 8 pieces.  You will likely need to repeat running the knife under hot water for each log you cut.  Plus if some of the chocolate cracks, then you have a great snack.
• Making these a few days ahead of time allows the flavors to meld and they taste even better.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from my friend Chris.

This post may also be entered in the following linky party. Click the button below to see the other great posts in the blog hop.

Grow Your Blog Link Party

Good Thursday morning and welcome to the Grow Your Blog (or GYB) blog hop! Paula and I are so happy to have you link up with us this week. And we happily welcome any new bloggers to the party! How has your week been? Do you have any plans for the weekend?

What is the Grow Your Blog Hop all about? NETWORKING! Meeting new bloggers, finding new content to follow, building your readership. Why is blog networking great for you? Simply put, it increases readership and traffic to your blog. How do you network? Visit. Comment. Invite. Communicate. These are key to growing your blog.

THIS WEEK’S HOSTS & LOVELY CO-HOSTS!

Julie from This Gal Cooks (HOST)
Paula from Call Me PMc (HOST)
Martine from Way Beyond the Naked Truth (CO-HOST)
Annamaria from Bakewell Junction (CO-HOST)
Esther from Esther Norine Designs (CO-HOST)
Kait from High Heels and Hot Deals (CO-HOST)

WHEN YOU LINK UP TO THIS PARTY:

• Follow your hosts and co-hosts
• Link up the main page of your blog, not an individual post. You may link up your individual posts to Marvelous Mondays.
• Visit and follow other bloggers
• Comment to let them know that you stopped by and how you followed (Email, GFC, Facebook, Bloglovin, etc)
• Invite them to visit your blog (be sure to leave your blog web address – too many times have i seen bloggers comment and request a visit to their blog without leaving their blog web address)
• Communicate with them about what you like on their blog. Let them know you are interested in their blog. USE THEIR NAME! A simple “I’m so and so stopping by. I followed you please follow me.” just isn’t going to interest someone into visiting your blog. Sure, you can request a visit to your blog or a follow along but engage in some type of conversation first.
• Grab a button and promote the party (you can get the button on This Gal Cooks right here.)

Sausage and Peppers

Sausage and Peppers by Bakewell Junction

Last weekend we had a family get-together for my husband’s birthday and we had lots of food as usual with dishes like my Manicotti, this Sausage and Pepper recipe, Chicken Cutlet Parmigiana, homemade pizza and two Giant Fauxtess Cakes.  We weren’t sure who would be able to attend so we made sure we had plenty.

My mom used to cook sausage peppers on the stove which took a lot of time and attention.  What I’ve done is move the process into the oven to simplify it.  Now everything goes in the oven and no attention is really needed and it turns out so delicious that you would never know the difference.  You’ll notice that there’s no salt in the recipe and that’s because the sausages will provide plenty of salt to the peppers and onions.  How do you like to eat your sausage and peppers?

Enjoy.

Sausage and Peppers

Yield:  4 – 6 servings                Cook Time:  2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 package of your favorite sweet or hot Italian sausage (about 2 1/2 pounds), per your taste
• 3 large sliced onions
• 3 large red or green bell peppers cleaned and cubed (I use red peppers because they become so sweet)
• 1/4 cup water
• Fresh and crusty Italian bread

Directions:

Step 1:  Cut sausage links into thirds or quarters.  Place onions, peppers, sausage and water in a disposable aluminum half tray pan.  Cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Step 2:  After about 1 1/2 hours, uncover the sausage and peppers.  The onions and peppers should have reduced in volume quite a bit.  Return the tray to the oven for another 1/2 hour to brown a bit.

Step 3:  Slice a hunk of Italian bread and then slice in the middle and spread apart.  Place a good portion of the sausage and peppers in the center of the sandwich, squeeze the ends together and take a big bite.

This recipe stores well in the refrigerator and tastes just as good as left-overs.

Enjoy!!!