Homemade Pretzel Buns

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Homemade Pretzel Buns

Pretzel buns are all the rage right now. Folks just love to make their burgers “twisted” but using a pretzel bun instead of a traditional sesame seed bun. I had yet to experience one, so a few weeks ago I set to making my own at home.

I’ve never made pretzels at home either, and I must admit I was worried about the whole boiling the dough in water process. But, it was actually really easy and my concerns were totally unfounded. After the initial quick-cook in the water bath, the buns are then finished off and baked in the oven to achieve a deep golden-brown color.

They have great pretzel flavor – chewy on on the outside, yet tender on the inside. We used half of them for our burgers that night, then I tucked the other half in the freezer to have on hand the next time we are throwing some burgers on the grill. It’s comforting to have something like this on hand in the freezer to make a quick-dinner extra special!

Homemade Pretzel Buns

1 3/4 cups warm water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
2 tsp instant yeast
1 egg, beaten (for brushing)
coarse sea salt, for topping

For the water bath:
2 quarts water
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 cup baking soda

Combine all ingredients for the dough (aside from the egg) in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using the paddle attachment, turn on the mixer and combine to form a shaggy dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until a smooth, cohesive dough is formed.

Allow the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for about 1 hour, until doubled. Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Prepare the water bath: Bring the water, salt, and baking soda to a boil in a large pot.

Drop 5 dough balls at a time into the water bath. Cook for 30 seconds, flip over, and cook for 30 seconds longer. Using a slotted spoon, return the buns to the baking sheet. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut 1/2″-deep crosses into the center of each bun. Brush the top of the buns with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake the buns for 20 to 24 minutes, or until they’re a deep-dark brown. Remove them from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.

Yield: 8 buns

Source: adapted from King Arthur Flour

Derby Pie

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Derby Pie

Tomorrow is Derby Day! Being a Maryland girl, I’ve always been a fan of the series of horse races known as the Triple Crown. Starting with the Kentucky Derby, continuing with The Preakness here in Maryland, and finishing up with The Belmont Stakes in upstate New York – it’s always something that I look forward to in the spring!

While Mint Julips are a great way to celebrate “the run for the roses”, I’ve always preferred this delicious chocolate-nut pie known simply as “Derby Pie”. Although, you didn’t hear me call it that! The family restaurant that invented this pie has that title trademarked, and it’s not been afraid to sue the pants off of folks in the past. So, you’ll see it referred to as other names – “Kentucky Pie” or “Thoroughbred Pie” to name a few. Some folks use pecans in their pies for some reason, but after poking around a bit it seems to me that the original uses walnuts. So, I went with that!

It’s a decadent and rich pie studded with plenty of chocolate, walnuts, bourbon, and brown sugar. When baked, a sugary natural crust forms on it’s own that’s slightly crunchy. I like to let it cool to room temperature before slicing, then warming in the microwave for about 15 seconds, and serving alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

It’s nothing short of incredible. And, unlike other pies – it stays good for three or four days. And, a small slice is more than enough since it’s so rich and decadent, so it does have the potential to last that long too…provided you’re not grotesquely pregnant and eat the entire pie in two!

Derby Pie

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter
2 Tbsp bourbon (I like Jim Beam)
1 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 ready-made piecrust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and sugars in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and butter, mix to combine. Stir in the bourbon, toasted walnuts, chocolate chips, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture into the unbaked piecrust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Source: adapted from about.com

Perfect Pie Crust

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Perfect Pie Crust

Before I found this recipe, pie crust – and really pies in general, had been my nemesis. Jon prefers pie over cake. So I tried, God I tried. But I always had issues with the dough splitting and cracking, or not rolling out evenly. Not to mention my rolling skills weren’t the best to begin with. But I knew that pie crust was something that I had to get the hang of, so I soldiered on and finally came across this recipe from Annie.

Couldn’t be simpler! There’s no funny techniques or weird ingredients (I’m looking at you, vodka) to worry about. It’s made in the stand mixer, which is always a plus – the paddle attachment breaks up the butter pieces as a pastry cutter would do. A little chilling period in the refrigerator to firm it up before rolling out, and then voila – a pie crust that rolls out beautifully, and it still sturdy enough to work with to get in the pan and get your crimping done. Not to mention it’s always perfectly tender and flaky as well…everything that a pie crust should be!

I’ve used this recipe for pies that require a blind bake (for something like this Cherry Cheese Pie, where you need a baked pie shell, but the pie-filling doesn’t need to be cooked) or for something like Ricotta-Pineapple Pie, where the whole pie needs to go in the oven to bake. In either even, it always turns out beautifully. If you too have struggled with pie crusts in the past, give this recipe a try. It really was a lifesaver for me, and now I’m so proud of my many pie accomplishments in the kitchen!

Perfect Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into cubes
3 Tbsp. ice water

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix briefly to blend. Add in the butter pieces and mix on medium-low speed to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand and the largest butter pieces are not much bigger than peas. Mix in the cold water on low speed just until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit for 10 minutes . Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Use as directed in your desired pie recipe.

Source: adapted from William’s Sonoma via Annie’s Eats

Cheese Manicotti

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Cheese Manicotti

I’ve been making this version of cheese manicotti for so many years, it’s hard to believe I haven’t gotten around to sharing it with you guys! While many baked pasta dishes can take all day long to prepare – between making the sauce, cooking the pasta, and layering the pasta before baking – this one only takes a few minutes. And the flavor is unparalleled.

The key is using no-bake lasagna noodles to make the manicotti. No stuffing tubes required! The cheese mixture is simply spread on some lasagna noodles that have been softened using a bit of boiling water, rolled up and placed in the baking dish, then topped with a simple tomato sauce that takes just a few moments to bring together. With the addition of fresh basil, the sauce is really delicious too – light and bright in flavor.

This was the first time I’d made it using homemade ricotta, and it really took it to the next level. So, if you have an extra few minutes – I’d highly recommend taking the time to make your own, but it’s certainly not required. I like to serve with a nice green salad and some crunchy garlic bread for a traditional Italian meal that the whole family loves. It’s a favorite in our home, and I know it will be in yours as well!

Cheese Manicotti

For the sauce:
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes (in juice)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

For the manicotti:
3 cups ricotta cheese
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
10 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp kosher table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves (or 2½ teaspoons dried parsley)
2 tsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (I like Barilla)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Add tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 5 times, until tomatoes are broken down but still slightly chunky.

Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using a spoon or small rubber spatula, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, January 2007