Rustic Pecan and Cranberry Country Bread

I found it interesting (or sometime frustrating) when I repeat a recipe that was successfully before, and I try it for the second or third time, then the result is not quite the same. I had the experience with this bread, I made this rustic pecan bread based on a recipe (pain au levain) that I made a while ago, the only different was that I added pecan and cranberry to this recipe because Zorra, the founder of Bread Baking Day, chose a theme "Bread with Nut" to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of BBD # 31. I was hoping that I could achieve a beautiful open crumbs like you'll see on my Pain Au Levain. Somehow it didn't really turn out that way, thank goodness it tasted really good, I like the combination of pecan and cranberry together. So, I shouldn't be shy to share this bread with all of the talented people over at Susan's "yeast spotting" event. Rustic Pecan and Cranberry Country Bread ~elra~ yield 2 small or 1 large Liquid Levain: 3 tbs mature starter. For those of you who want to make your own starter or wild yeast, check out the recipe here. ¾ cups filtered water (not a tap water) 1 cup bread flour Mix the mature culture and water until well mix, add flour and mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic, let rest undisturbed at room temperature for 12 hours. Final Dough: 3 cups bread flour all the liquid levain, above 1¼ to 1½ cup filtered water ¾ pecans ½ cup dried cranberry 2 tsp salt In a mixer bowl with a dough hook, add all ingredients, then mix on a first speed for three minutes. Adjust hydration (the amount of water) if needed, and if you think the dough is too dry, which sometime can happen depending of the type of flour you are using, add more water, a little at a time. Increase the speed to the second speed, mix for 3 - 5 minutes until the dough is elastic. Turn out the dough onto floured counter top, flatten it a little then add pecans and dried cranberries, knead with your hand just enough to incorporate them. Shape into a ball, and place it to a lightly oiled plastic container with lid. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 50 minutes. Take out the dough and place it on a floured counter top. Fold the dough onto itself, and place it back in the bowl with seam side down. Cover, let rest another 40 minutes. repeat the process once more. Place it back to Cover with plastic, let rest for 50 minutes to an hour. Take a clean kitchen towel, sprinkle with lots of flour, place the towel on a cookie sheet, set aside close by to you (within your reach). If you own a banneton, floured generously. Take out the dough and place it on a lightly floured counter top, shape into a ball, battard or torpedo, or any shape. Then carefully transfer it on top of the prepared kitchen towel (with the seam side up), or banneton. Cover the dough with lightly oiled plastic. Refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours. Preheat oven including pizza stone to 460 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully transfer the dough by flipping it over onto baker's peel (if you own one), or use a cookie sheet that has been sprinkle with cornmeal. Cut a few slashes with a very sharp serrated knife if desired. Just before you ready to load the bread into the hot oven, spray the oven wall with water (about 8 sprays will do) then slide your bread directly on to baking stone. Spray the wall oven once again. Shut the door. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. But, make sure to take a look through the window oven from time to time, so it won't be too burn. Cool completely before serving.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake With Amaranth And Brown Rice Flour

I have been busy experimenting many different type of flour. One of them is amaranth. This flour becoming one of my favorite flour after teff flour, there is something sweet and delicate about this amaranth flour. When I tried to put this into my chocolate cake batter, the result was pretty delicious and give the cake a bit of malty flavor. This cake however, is not a healthy cake, you see the amount of butter I used for this recipe? That's right, so if you want the cake to be lighter maybe you can use less butter, but I am not sure how the result will be since I never really tried it myself. This cake is delicious and moist to serve plain, but you can also serve this with summer berries that are in season at the moment. Note: If you don't have buttermilk in hand, mix ¼ cup milk + 1 teaspoon white vinegar, let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Gluten Free Chocolate Cake With Amaranth and Brown Rice Make 6 mini bunt cakes or one 9 inch by 1¼ inch high round cake ~elra~ ⅓ cup amaranth flour ⅓ cup brown rice flour 3 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 4 oz bittersweet (60%) chocolate, melted-cool slightly ¼ cup buttermilk 1 stick of butter, softened at room temperature ½ cup sugar 3 eggs Preheat oven to 350F. Butter generously a mini bunt pan, or a 9-inch round cake pan. Set aside. Sift together amaranth flour, brown rice flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together melted chocolate and buttermilk. set a side. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer set on medium high speed until light and fluffy, add egg one at a time, make sure to beat well in each addition and scrape the bowl from time to time. Turn the speed to low, add melted chocolate-buttermilk mixture, mix just until the incorporated. With the machine still on low speed, add the flour mixture all at once, mix on low for about a minute, increase the speed to medium, mix for about 30 seconds. Transfer the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes . Cool completely before serving.

Devil's Food Cake, American Classic Cake

I can not believe, I never made this American classic cake. In April, for the first time I made this cake for a friend who had a birthday party at their house. That, of course after searching for so many perfect birthday cake on books and online, I finally settled with a recipe from William-Sonoma "Cake" book. I thought it might be the right recipe to try, since the book actually uses the photo of this cake for its main cover (with chocolate buttercream). I figured, it must be that good, right? The cake was so delicious that I made it again last weekend when my father in law was visiting us from LA. He really liked it, everyone like it, surprisingly enough, I ate everything including buttercream that I would normally skip. I will definitely making it again in the future. Devil's Food Cake Recipe adapted from William Sonoma, "Cake" Written by: Fran Gage 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder ½ cup hot water ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature 2 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar 3 large eggs, at room temperature 4 cups vanilla buttercream, recipe follows Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Butter two 9 by 2-inch round cake pan, line the bottom pans with parchment paper, and butter the papers as well. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt, into a sheet of wax paper, set aside. Mix the Dutch process cocoa powder with hot water, when cool enough, mix in the buttermilk and the vanilla. Set aside. In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until soft and creamy, gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beat until thick and creamy. Add one egg a time, beating well after each addition. Don't forget that you might need to scrape the bowl from time to time. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients in three addition, alternating with buttermilk mixture in two addition. Beginning and end with flour. Mix just until combine. Divide the batter between two prepared cake pans, and smooth the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Invert the cakes onto wire rack. Cool completely before frosting. Vanilla Buttercream 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature ½ cup whole milk ¾ cup sugar 5 large egg yolks 2 teaspoon vanilla extract Beat butter using electric mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until it reaches the consistency of mayonnaise. Transfer to another bowl, wash and dry the mixer bowl. In a sauce pan set over medium heat, add the milk and ¼ cup of the sugar, stir occasionally until bubbles star appear at the edge of the pan. Meanwhile, add the yolks and the remaining sugar into the cleaned mixer bowl, beat on medium high speed until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, slowly pour in the hot milk. Return this mixture to sauce pan. Was and dry the mixer bowl. Cook the egg mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until it register 170⁰F on instant thermometer, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the mixture back into the mixer bowl. Using wire whisk, beat on medium speed until cool to the touch, about 5 to 10 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, add the butter in four addition, incorporating well after each addition. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 3 days. To use the buttercream that has been refrigerated, whisk with hand over barely simmering water until it reaches spreading consistency.

Gulab Jamun (Rose Syrup Milk Balls)

Ok, I must admit that I am not that fond of this Indian dessert. It's way too sweet to my taste and way too milky. Then why did I make it? Well, I made it because my family seem can not get over how sweet, delicious and fragrant this little balls are. I am sure some of you also have the same experience where you cook or bake something because your family really like it, right? Today, is that day where I actually make something that I am not keen of eating it. Maybe just a little taste to make sure it is eatable.

So, for those of you who really like sweet (literally really really sweet) dessert, this might just be the right dessert for you.

Recipe adapted from: The Spice Box, Vegetarian Indian Cookbook

by: Manju Shivraj Singh

make about 20 - 24 balls

Dough:

2 cups instant dried milk powder

1 cup self-raising flour

1 tbs baking powder

1 tbs ghee or oil (I used melted butter)

1 cup milk

2 cups oil for frying (I used canola oil)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the oil for frying. Take a small piece of the dough about the size of a walnut and form into a ball, continue with the rest of the dough. Fry in hot oil until deep brown. Drop the balls into the rose syrup, and let them cool completely while absorbing the syrup. Serve 2 or 3 gulab jamuns per person, with a few tablespoons of rose syrup.

Rose Syrup:

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2 whole cardamoms

pinch of saffron, dissolve with 1 tbs hot water

1 tsp rose water (I used 2 tsp, just because ... )

Boil the sugar, water, whole cardamom and saffron water until reach the consistency of a thin syrup, cool slightly before adding rose water.