Daring Bakers’ Challenge September 2012 – Dessert Empanadas

Patri of the blog, Asi Son Los Cosas, was our September 2012 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she decided to tempt us with one of her family’s favorite recipes for empanadas! We were given two dough recipes to choose from and encouraged to fill our empanadas as creatively as we wished!

 

Can you believe we’ve come to the end of September already?  I could swear it was June just last week. 

At the beginning of the month I was excited to see the upcoming challenge was an empanada.  I enjoy playing with yeast.  You take this small envelope of teeny, tiny pellets, add some flour and warm liquid, and before you know it, that wonderful smell fills your kitchen. 

My first attempt wasn’t all I hoped it would be.  The dough was perfect, but the filling didn’t quite work.  Also, the beautiful dough leaves I painted with tinted egg wash looked great before I put them in the oven.  When they came out, however. . .well, I’ll show you in another post.  I have bread pudding plans in the works.

Determined not to be defeated by a dessert, I got back into the kitchen the next day with a tweaked filling recipe and – voila!  You can’t go wrong with cinnamon and pecans.

Dessert Empanadas (dough adapted from Daring Bakers’ Challenge)

Filling

8 oz cream cheese, 

    room temperature

1/3 c sugar

2 t cinnamon

2 egg yolks

1 t vanilla

½ c chopped pecans

Cream together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in cinnamon, egg yolks, and vanilla and combine thoroughly.  Stir in pecans and chill mixture until ready to use.

Dough

5 1/3 c bread flour

1 T cinnamon

2 T sugar
1 packet (1 T) dry yeast
2 c lukewarm water (about 85°F)
2 t salt

approx.  4 T oil
1 egg, for egg wash

cinnamon sugar, if desired for decoration

In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, sugar, and yeast.  Dissolve salt in water and slowly add to flour mixture as you stir together the dough.  I prefer to mix the dough with my hands.  It’s easy to “feel” when the dough is ready, plus it’s fun to play with your food.  Add enough water to incorporate all the flour into the dough.

Knead the dough for 10 minutes (this is great for stress release) or use dough hooks in your stand mixer and knead on low for 6 minutes.  Oil a large bowl and place the dough in it.  Cover with a towel and place in a warm, draft-free spot.  Let rise for 40 to 50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Roll out half the dough on a well-floured surface. I found it helps to stretch out the dough by hand first and then use a rolling pin.  Transfer the dough to a floured or parchment paper-lined baking pan or sheet.

Spread filling on the dough, leaving a ½-inch margin from the edges.  Roll out the other half of the dough and place on top of the filling.  Use your fingers to pinch together the top and bottom halves of the dough. 

Cut a hole in the top layer of the empanada to allow hot air to escape while baking.  Use any leftover dough to decorate the empanada and prick the top layer with a fork.

In a small bowl, beat together the egg and 1 T water.  Brush egg wash on the empanada and if desired, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.  If you are making one large empanada, bake for about 45 minutes.  I baked the small empanadas for about 15 minutes.  Make sure the top and bottom layers of bread are done. 

Enjoy.

Daring Bakers’ Challenge July 2012 – Going Crackers

Our July 2012 Daring Bakers’ Host was Dana McFarland and she challenged us to make homemade crackers! Dana showed us some techniques for making crackers and encouraged to use our creativity to make each cracker our own by using ingredients we love.

You’ll definitely want to check out the great cracker recipes from this month’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge. I put my own twist on the Cheddar, Rosemary, and Walnut Icebox Crackers and Pepper Jack and Oregano Crackers recipes (see below) Dana provided.

Unfortunately, I think my days of store-bought crackers are now over.  I’ve had a taste of the good stuff and don’t see myself going back. On the bright side, the recipes I tried are quick and easy.  And playing around with different combinations of cheeses, nuts, and seasoning is going to be lots of fun.

Cheddar, Mustard, and Walnut Icebox Crackers

½ c butter, well softened

2 ¼ c grated cheddar

1 T dried mustard

2 t black pepper

1 c & 3 T flour

1 t salt

½ c finely chopped walnuts

Combine butter, cheddar, mustard, and pepper in a stand mixer. Stir in flour, salt, and nuts until combined.

Form the dough into two logs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Chill at least an hour, or up to several days. (Can also be frozen for several months.)

Heat oven to 325° F.

Slice logs into 1/5-inch disks and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Store in an airtight container for up to three days.  Makes approximately 4 dozen crackers.

Feta, Dill, and Lemon Crackers

2 ¼ c feta

2 t dried dill weed

Zest of 1 lemon

½ t salt

½ t black pepper

1 2/3 c flour

½ c vegetable oil

½ c water

Spice topping

1 t kosher salt

1 t black pepper

1 t sugar

Combine spice topping and set aside.

Combine feta, dill, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add oil and combine until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand.  Add enough water for the dough to come together.

Shape the dough into two disks and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 325° F.

Flour a flat surface well and roll out dough (half a disk at a time) to 1/8 of an inch thick.  Cut dough into squares (or any shape you choose). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the spice mixture.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown.

Store in an airtight container for up to three days.  Makes approximately 80 crackers.

The Daring Bakers’ Challenge, 2012 January: Scones

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

As suggested, I tried a few variations of the basic scone recipe provided here. I used frozen, grated butter in one batch.  I triple sifted flour.  I added chocolate chips, just for fun.

My favorite batch, however, came from the Irish currant scones recipe on the website Little Shamrocks. I used whole wheat flour (called wholemeal flour in Ireland) and exchanged dried cranberries for currants.  With one taste I was transported back to Ireland and breakfasts with a basket of warm scones (or sconces, as my aunt called them) and my very own little silver pot of tea. I could almost smell the peat fire and feel the comfort of lounging in a pub on a chilly, drizzly (or soft as the Irish say) day.  

Ahhh.

Irish Cranberry Scones (adapted from Little Shamrocks)

1 ½ c whole wheat flour

½ c white flour

½ t salt

1 T sugar

3 ½ t baking soda

¼ c dried cranberries

1 egg

4 T melted butter

2/3 c cold milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together all dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat together egg, melted butter, and milk.  Add to dry ingredients and stir just until combined. 

On a floured surface, knead the dough about 10 times until smooth.

Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle and cut circles with a 2-inch round cutter.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with a little milk and then sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Makes 12 scones.

The Daring Bakers’ Challenge, 2011 November: Filipino Desserts

Catherine of Munchie Musings was our November Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make a traditional Filipino dessert –the delicious Sans Rival cake! And for those of us who wanted to try an additional Filipino dessert, Catherine also gave us a bonus recipe for Bibingka, which comes from her friend Jun of Jun-blog.

 

Not to be too cocky, but I am now three for three in boiling sugar without injury.  Yeah me!  I’m very excited to share with you my first Daring Bakers’ Challenge. (Check out the Daring Kitchen to learn more about this great project.) 

When my friend from the Philippines told me she comes from the cashew capital of the world, I decided to make the Sans Rival cake using the traditional cashews.  I did, however, break with tradition by adding chocolate.  Rich, French buttercream and crunchy layers of dacquoise (meringue with nuts) sounded fabulous; adding chocolate to the mix sounded even better.

Sans Rival

10 large egg whites, room temperature

1 c sugar

1 t cream of tartar

¼ c cocoa

2 cups chopped, toasted cashews

Reserve enough chopped cashews for decorating the side of the cake and grind the remainder of the nuts to a grainy texture.

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Line four 8-inch cake pan bottoms with parchment paper and brush with oil. Butter and flour the sides well. (If you only have two 8-inch cake pans, be sure to let the pans cool between batches.)

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium until foamy, about 2 minutes.  Sprinkle with cream of tartar.

Gradually add sugar and cocoa, a couple of tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed until stiff shiny peaks form, about 7-10 minutes.

Fold in ground nuts.

Divide meringue into four equal parts and spread evenly in pans.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the meringue from the baking pans while still hot. Allow it to cool slightly, then peel off the parchment paper while the meringue is still warm. 

 

French Buttercream

Afraid I didn’t get any pictures of this process.  Sigh.  I was too busy focusing on not burning myself with the hot sugar.  

5 egg yolks, room temperature

1 c sugar

¼  c water

1¼ c butter, room temperature

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks at high speed until they have doubled in volume and are lemon yellow.

Put the sugar and water in a heavy pan and cook over medium heat, stirring the sides down only until all the sugar is dissolved and the syrup reaches 235°F.

With the mixer on high, very slowly pour the syrup down the sides of the bowl (be careful not to splash and burn yourself), until all has been added.

Continue beating on high until the mixture is room temperature, about 15 minutes. Still on high, beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time then add chocolate.

Refrigerate for at least an hour, and whip it smooth just before you use it.

I sprinkled cashews between layers.

To assemble the Sans Rival, set a meringue on a cake board with a dab of butter cream to hold it in place. Spread a thin layer of buttercream and continue stacking meringue and buttercream. Decorate with reserved nuts.

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Babinka is a dessert traditionally served at Christmas. The trickiest part of this recipe for me was peeling the salted duck eggs.  I just couldn’t get a pretty slice of egg, so I only added it to two of the cakes. 

Next time I’ll know better.  The subtle sweetness of the cakes and the saltiness of the eggs blended beautifully.  I followed the recipe from Jun-blog.

mixing the batter

salted duck eggs

headed in the oven

broiling the toppings