Bacon, Cheese & Caramelized Onion Quick Bread

Good Morning friends! Surprise, I'm back! My life has been crazy and I have been going through some huge life changes during the last 6 months or so and my blogging and baking/ cooking has been put on the back burner. I don't know how regularly I will be back here, so I'm not making any promises, but I've been missing all of you and missing spending some QT in my kitchen. I will post some more about all of the life changes and craziness soon, but I want the focus of this post to be this spectacularly delicious quick bread. It is totally worthy of a post devoted to its awesomeness.

 



The quick bread name is a little deceiving for this bread if you decide to make it all at once. Caramelizing onions properly takes time (read minimum 30 minutes). But the good news is that you can caramelize the onions and cook the bacon ahead of time. My method has you making the bacon in the oven while you caramelize the onions on the stove top, which will be the most efficient and least messy way to do the prep work!

Bacon, Cheese & Caramelized Onion Quick Bread
Recipe minimally adapted from Oprah Magazine

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. butter, plus more for greasing
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 slices lazy maple bacon
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1/3 cup EVOO
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups muenster cheese (or any other sharp, white cheese), shredded

Method

1. First things first - cook your bacon and caramelize the onions. You can do this up to 2-3 days ahead of making the actual bread. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lay the bacon in one layer, making sure the edges of the bacon don't overlap. Cook the bacon for 15-17 minutes or until crisp. Remove from tray to a paper towel lined plate and let cool. While the bacon is cooking - melt 3 tbsp. butter in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onions. Cook, stirring every few minutes and making sure they don't brown, until onions are soft and caramelized. This should take approximately 30 minutes. If onions are browning, your heat is too high. Remove onions from heat and let cool.
2. When ready to prepare the bread, preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Don't skip this step or skimp on the grease!!! The cheese can stick to the pan as it cooks, so you need to grease well.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Make well in center of bowl.
4. In a medium bowl, combine milk, EVOO and egg. Mix until combined.
5. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Gently fold mixture together until flour is incorporated. Chop the bacon into small pieces. Add bacon, cheese and onions to batter and mix together gently. Don't over mix or you will have tough bread. Place mixture in prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool as long as you can bear it and then remove from loaf pan and slice. Delicious topped with butter or jam for that sweet-savory combo.

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite quick bread recipe thus far and I know its my hubby's favorite too. It doesn't last long in our house. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

The thing I love about this recipe is that you can mix it up - add some herbs and spices that you like, change up the type of cheese or change up the type of meat - you could do prosciutto (go easy on the salt if you decide to do that though), left over ham, etc. The possibilities are endless!

I'm so glad to be back! Hopefully you'll be hearing from me more often this summer as we get settled into our new life. :) Happy baking my friends!

Mini Slider Buns

You know how some things are just better and cuter in miniature form? Burgers are totally one of those things for me. I'm not one to love burgers, but give them to me in a tiny version and I'll eat a plateful! The only annoying thing about making sliders is that it can be hard to find the mini buns you need to make them. Well, look no further, just make your own - they're easy, super cute and way better than store bought. {Hang in there for later this week - I'll post my slider burger patty recipe and the toppings I used when I served these at my friend's cocktail party} Plus, your guests will go crazy for them - so be sure to make lots!!

I found this recipe via a random google search for mini slider buns on a blog called Lauren's Latest. What a great find! She has some awesome recipes on there, so be sure to pop over there and have a look. :)

Mini Slider Buns
Recipe minimally adapted from Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs, divided
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method:

1. Stir warm water with yeast and honey. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to proof (about 5-10 minutes or until mixture is foamy).
2. Place butter in microwave safe bowl and melt. Remove from microwave and stir in milk and 1 egg. Stir to incorporate. Pour into bowl of a stand mixer. Pour yeast mixture into bowl of stand mixer and sprinkle with salt and two cups of the flour. Knead with dough hook until all flour has been incorporated. With mixer on low, add remaining one cup of flour gradually (you may not need all of it). Knead on low until dough is smooth and slightly sticky. Place in well oiled bowl, turning dough to coat. Set aside to rise for one hour until doubled in bulk.
3. Punch down dough and form into small balls the size of golf balls. Place on parchment lined baking tray. Cover and let rise another 30-60 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg with two tablespoons of water. Brush tops of buns and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in 350F oven 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Happy Baking my Friends!

Bavarian Style Soft Pretzels!

 So the first thing you probably noticed is that my pretzels are ugly... like super ugly. But, what they lack in beauty, the made up for in taste! These guys were delicious. They're a little bit of work, but most of the work is down time waiting for them to rise, freeze, then rise again, then the worst part - waiting for them to bake - its so hard when they smell sooooo delicious!

If you have a rainy Saturday with not much planned, these are a perfect way to spend the day! You can make them at a leisurely pace and enjoy the process and the fruits of your labour!

 We'll get on to the recipe and th process ASAP since its a bit longer than most recipes I post on my blog. :)

Bavarian Style Soft Pretzels
Minimally adapted from Fine Cooking - Oct/Nov 2012 Issue

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 19 1/2 oz (4 1/2 cups) flour
• 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• vegetable oil or cooking spray
• 3 tbsp baking soda
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp pretzel or coarse salt

Method:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast and 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water and let stand until dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, sugar, oil and salt. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are hydrated and form a coarse ball of dough, 2-3 minutes. Add more water as needed, 1 tsp at a time, if all of the flour isn't incorporated into the dough.
2. Increase the speed to medium low and mix until the dough becomes smooth, supple and elastic, about 3 minutes. The dough should be soft but only slightly tacky; if it seems sticky or very tacky, sprinkle in more flour, as needed.
3. Form te doug into a ball, transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until it is about 1 1/2 times its original size, 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
4. Lightly mist a work surface with oil and transfer the dough to it. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (about 6 oz each). Form each piece into a smooth, round ball, lightly mist wit oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest on the work surface at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
5. Line a large baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment paper and set aside (I needed two of them). Lightly mist a work surface and using your palms and fingers, roll each piece ofdough on the work surface into a rope that is about 30 inches long and 1/3 - 1/2 inch thick (note, this is why mine are ugly - I didn't roll my ropes long or thin enough). If the doug resists or shrinks back, let it rest for a few minutes while you work on other pieces; short rests will let the gluten relax enough to allow for the full rollout.
6. Working with 1 dough rope at a time, shape it into a large U that is 5-7 inches across with the curved side closest to you. Take the two ends of the rope in your fingers and cross one over the other so ends overhang the cross by about 3 inches. Twist the ends of the rope, shortening the overhang to about 2 inches. Next, pull the twisted section toward you and fold it down over the bottom curve of the U so the ends are a couple inches apart and overhand the bottom by about 1/4 inch.
7. Carefully transfer the partzels to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly and reshaping as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze til hard, at least 2 hours and up to three weeks.
8. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda and stir til completely dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.
9. Using stainless steel tongs, dip one pretzel into the baking soda bath at a time and soak for five seconds. If the liquid doesn't completely cover the pretzel, turn it over and submerge the other side for five seconds. Remove pretzel from liquid and allow excess to drip off. Return to baking sheet.
10. Brush tops and sides of pretzels with some of the beaten egg. Let pretzels thaw and rise at room temperature until they are soft and puffy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
11. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400F. Brush pretzels once more with egg. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake until dark golden-brown, approximately 20-22 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

So, like I said, a little labour intensive, but well worth the effort. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Baking my Friends!

Bacon Rolls for 7th World Bread Day

Its the 7th Annual World Bread Day hosted by Zorra Kochtopf!! Food bloggers all over the world join in and bake bread and post about it on October 16. How fun right? I missed it last year, so there was no way I was going to miss it this year. :)

I decided to do a savory version of cinnamon rolls - Bacon Rolls! Easy and delicious! First, you're going to start off by making my herb bun recipe and letting it have its first rise. Here's the recipe.

Once your dough has completed its first rise, roll it out into a large rectangle - til its about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. You'll need the following ingredients to put on that rectangle of dough:

• Bacon (I used 1 lb, but that was overkill!!) - chopped and cooked til crisp
• Cheese (I used a 4 cheese italian blend) - enough to sprinkle over the dough and a bit more to sprinkle on top of the pan
• 2 heads roasted garlic

Spread the roasted garlic on the dough rectangle, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Then sprinkle liberally with bacon and cheese. Roll tightly, starting on the long side of the rectangle (like you're rolling cinnamon buns). Then pinch the seam tightly to make sure it stays put. Next, cut into approximately 12-15 buns. Place in a greased 9x13 inch pan with the cut side up. Once the pan is full, sprinkle with a bit more cheese, bacon salt and a bit of smoked bacon salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 45 minutes to one hour or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes or until they sound hollow when you tap on them. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

The picture above is the bacon salt I like to use, but you can use any brand you like. Most gourmet food stores will carry various types of salt and since bacon is so popular right now, they're likely to carry bacon salt.

Hope you enjoy my contribution to World Bread Day! I can't wait to see what everyone else contributes this year. :)

Happy Baking my Friends! And thanks Zorra for hosting this lovely gathering of food bloggers.

Asiago Garlic Knots

This week feels like it's taking forever! I'm not quite sure why time has so suddenly slowed down, but it is making me feel a little crazy. I woke up this morning thinking (or more like hoping) today was Friday. Hubby kindly reminded me, no it is only Wednesday. Two more long days to go til the weekend!! I'll hang in there if you will too!

Til then, there's these lovely little Asiago Garlic Knots. Grab a package of pre-made pilsbury biscuits and whip up this lovely flavored oil for brushing and you've got yourself a quick, easy and delightful snack to tide you over til Friday. I found the idea on Pinterest and changed it up slightly.

Asiago Garlic Knots
Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 tube pilsbury refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tbsp freshly grated asiago cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Roll each piece of biscuit dough into a 12 inch rope and tie in a knot. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes in preheated oven until golden brown. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. When biscuits come out of the oven, brush them with the mixture while still warm.

Easy right? Definitely do-able for a week night that's for sure! Do you have any quick and easy snack recipes you would like to share? Let me know and they may just make an appearance in my future blog posts.

Happy Baking my Friends!

Daring Bakers' Challenge March 2012 - Dutch Crunch Bread

Well, its time for this month's Daring Baker's Challenge again. This challenge wasn't all that daring, but it was delicious. Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses. Sara and Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch Bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to make a one of a kind sandwich with our bread.

The bread is quite interesting - it is a white sandwich bread topped with a thick layer of a mixture of rice flour, yeast and water. This mixture cracks and turns golden as the loaf bakes, giving the bread it's unique appearance. I'm going to send you over to the Daring Baker's website for the recipe since I didn't change a thing. I used the white sandwich bread recipe and topped it with the dutch crunch topping.

 I decided to make my bread into a Muffuletta sandwich. I adapted the recipe from Bobby Flay's Throwdown cookbook (which is a stellar cookbook, well worth the purchase!!).

 Muffuletta
Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay's Throwdown

Ingredients:

• 1 round loaf of dutch crunch bread
• 1/3 lb thinly sliced genoa salami
• 1/3 lb thinly sliced serrano ham
• 1/3 lb thinly sliced lean capicola
• 1/3 lb thinly sliced spanish salami
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced provolone cheese
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced swiss cheese
• 1 recipe special dressing

Special Dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp sherry cooking wine
• 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 cup pitted green olives
• 1 roasted red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 pepperocini peppers
• 1 tbsp capers
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. First, make the special dressing. Combine all ingredients except the capers in the bowl of a food processor. Whirl until mixture is almost smooth, but still a little chunky. Stir in the capers.
2. Slice the bread in half horizontally. Spread both halves of the bread generously with the dressing. Layer the meats and cheeses on the bottom half of the bread and cover with the top half.
3. Serve cold. Serves 8 - 10 people.

 Here are some pictures of this monster sandwich. Don't worry about the olives in that dressing... my hubby hates olives, but he was madly in love with this sandwich. It all goes together so perfectly with no flavour overwhelming the others.

 It was a little hard to cut due to all of the toppings, but it still tasted great.

This post has been yeast spotted!

This post has been linked up with Fusion Fridays over at Jennifer Cooks. Head over to check out other delicious goodies other bloggers have whipped up this week.

Thanks Sara and Erica for hosting an interesting challenge. I can't wait to go around and check out what kind of sandwiches everyone else made. Happy Baking my Friends!

Cranberry, Rosemary and Toasted Pecan Bread

Happy New Year!! I hope you all had a great evening ringing in the New Year last night. We had a fairly quiet night here - complete with a Harry Potter movie marathon and a family nacho making competition (post, complete with pictures and an announcement of the winner to follow soon!!). Despite being quiet, it was very enjoyable and gave us a great chance to reflect on the year just past and set some goals/ resolutions for the new year.

In some ways this has been a really challenging year and in other ways it has been a spectacular year. We've had a number of difficulties within our family including a number of health issues, but we're getting by. We've also been blessed with being able to take some beautiful vacations together and enjoyed success in our studies and careers. I hope you and your family have been blessed this year and haven't encountered too many challenges. Thanks for following along on my blogging journey and checking back regularly to see what I'm up to. You guys really keep me going some times. :)

With some of my time off over the holidays, I've had time to reflect, cook and bake! One of my baking escapades included this cranberry, rosemary and toasted pecan bread. It was absolutely spectacular!!! This is probably the best bread I've made all year (and if you look back, you'll notice I make quite a lot of bread). The bread is beautifully moist, light and flavourful and is delicious on its own, or toasted and spread with a little butter. It would also probably make great grilled cheese sandwiches with some proscuitto and gruyere cheese.



Cranberry, Rosemary and Toasted Pecan Bread

Recipe adapted from Amy's Kitchen Table

Ingredients:

• 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 1 pkg active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
• 2-3 cups bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp kosher salt (2 tsp would be enough if you aren't a big fan of salt - the bread is fairly salty)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 pkg of fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp water
• coarse salt for sprinkling

Method:

1. First, make the cranberry sauce you will use in the dough and when assembling the bread. Place cranberries, red wine and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until cranberries are popping and the sauce is very thick (about 15 minutes). Set aside to cool while you prepare the dough.
2. Stir together warm water and yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for five minutes or until frothy. Place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add 2 cups all purpose flour and the whole amount of whole wheat flour, salt, sugar and rosemary and mix until dough comes together. Knead with dough hook for 4-5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add 1/4 - 1/2 of the cranberry mixture and work into bread. You may need to add up to one cup of additional all purpose flour in order to make the dough the correct consistency (should be smooth and just slightly tacky). Mix in the pecans. Some pecans may stay in the bottom of the bowl, just turn the dough out onto the counter and knead in those pecans with your hands, using fingers to push them into the dough. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for one hour.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine egg and 1 tbsp water to make egg wash and set aside.
4. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and roll out until about 1/2 inch thick (roughly into a 12 x 12 inch square. Fold in 1" flaps on each side of the dough. Spread the dough with the remaining cranberry sauce. Then starting at the top, roll the dough tightly (as you would if making cinnamon buns). Pinch the seam so that the roll stays together.
5. Lay the roll seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and place back in warm place to rise for 45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of the rise time, preheat oven to 350F. Brush dough with egg wash. Then using a sharp knife, make slashes diagonally across the dough at two inch intervals all the way down the loaf. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when you perform the "knock test". Cool completely before slicing.  

Make this bread! You won't be disappointed and it will disappear very quickly in your house.

This post has been Yeast Spotted!

Happy Baking my Friends! All the best to you in 2012!



 

Eggnog French Toast

Got leftover eggnog from the holidays? Make eggnog French toast! It's easy, quick and delicious. Your family will love having a hot breaky and you can use it up if you're sick of drinking it!
My sister discovered Southern Comfort eggnog in the US last time she was across the border - it puts all the Canadian eggnog I've tasted to shame. It is soooo smooth, creamy and flavourful. So, if you live close enough to the border, buy this special treat for this recipe - it will make a big difference in taste.

Eggnog French Toast
Recipe by Erin Reimer & Leslie Froese

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup eggnog (Southern Comfort eggnog if available)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of 1% milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 12 slices white bread

Method:

1. Preheat griddle pan on the stove on medium-low heat (grease if using anything other than non-stick pan).
2. Mix eggs and eggnog. Add milk to thin mixture out to desired consistency, adding up to 1/2 cup. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Dip slices of bread into mixture quickly, coating both sides, but not soaking through with mixture. Fry coated slices on both sides until nicely browned. Top with butter, icing sugar and syrup. Serves 5 people.

My Mom and I came up with this recipe this morning for breakfast and it was a big hit with our family. If you try it out, let me know what you think. Hope you're having a fabulous holiday with friends and family. I don't have to go back to work until the new year, so I'm enjoying my time of immensely.

Merry Christmas friends & Happy Baking!

Jane's Yummy Bread for SRC!

 Secret Recipe Club... what a great thing! I look forward to it every month and agonize over what I'm going to make. This month I was assigned Jane - Adventures in Dinner. Jane is a teacher and a mother, so you know what that means! She is busy. I am always so amazed at women who have a family and a career and a blog... I mean, its enough work to have a family or a career, but do it all at once, then add a blog to that? Wow! I'm impressed!

And I was even more impressed as I started browsing through recipes on her blog. I settled on this amazing looking bread that Jane actually made because the rosemary potato loaf at the store cost almost $7 per loaf. I can't blame her for wanting to make her own - especially because this recipe was so delicious. Oh, and did I mention how easy it is? You can make this delicious bread in under two hours. Woot!

Rosemary Potato Bread
Recipe adapted from Jane - Adventures in Dinner

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp quick rise yeast
• 2 cups warm water, divided
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 small white potato, sliced paper thin
• coarse salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Method:

1. Combine the honey, yeast and one cup of the warm water in a bowl. Mix together gently and let stand 5 minutes until the mixture is frothy. Add the olive oil and the remaining cup of warm water. Add the flour and mix together until dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough together lightly until it comes together into a smooth ball. Cover with the mixing bowl and let rise for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Pat the dough out into a rectangle or whatever shape you like. Drizzle generously with additional olive oil and poke holes with your fingers at regular intervals in the dough - this will give the oil somewhere to settle while the dough proofs. Let the loaf proof for 15 minutes.
3. Arrange the potato slices and then sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper (use lots of pepper). Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!

 Thanks Jane for such a delicious and easy recipe. It looks really impressive and would be great to serve to friends and family when they come to visit. It is a light, chewy bread with nice crispy edges. :) Do head over to Jane's blog and check it out when you have a minute - you're sure to find lots of inspiration on what to make for dinner and lots of interesting posts to read.

 If you're interested in joining the Secret Recipe Club, or just want more information, head on over to the great new SRC website and check it out. SRC is a great group of people who are passionate about cooking and baking and connecting with other bloggers. Thanks to Angie - Group C's fearless leader and organizer - I know its lots of work to get everything together and remind all of us delinquents who like to prepare and schedule their posts the night before they're due... Thanks for putting up with people like me Angie!!

Happy Baking my Friends! Hope to see you back soon. :)