Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Homemade Pita Bread


Have you ever bought pita bread at the store and thought, "ugg this stuff is gross!" Well I have, and I was thrilled when I saw this post on melskitchencafe.com (one of my fave food blogs). I made this recipe just as directed. I used potato flakes in mine not potato flour. It was a little messy, and definately took longer than buying them at the store, but I was rewarded by their soft, warm, deliciousness. These really are good, so if you like to make breads try it for sure!

Soft Wrap Bread
from King Arthur Flour

*Makes about 8-9 breads

3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) boiling water
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR 1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato buds or flakes (I used potato flakes)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast*

Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough.

Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it's not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky (the dough is fairly stiff, so don't be worried - just be careful not to overflour the dough). Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour (I let mine rise up to 2 hours).

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute per side (I cooked mine about 2-3 minutes per side and they didn't dry out), until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

*This recipe works best with instant yeast because it dissolves during the kneading process, so you don't have to knead liquid into the dough. If you really prefer to use active dry yeast, use only 1 cup boiling water for the initial dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and add this mixture to the dough along with the potato flour mixture. It'll be somewhat "slippery" at first, but will knead in and eventually become smooth.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Channel 2 Down Home Cooking Contest


Hi guys! I entered a recipe contest recently and this is the link to the recipe I submitted. The recipe is called Utah Peach Cobbler Waffles with Creamy Honey Syrup. The recipe had to be original and also feature 3 locally made products. This was the idea I came up with and it's really good so hopefully you'll give it a try!
Tip: I have tried these in both a conventional and a Belgium waffle maker and it's works best in just a plain old regular waffle iron. Let me know what you think!
Oh! and one more thing...I forgot to add the 1/4 t nutmeg to the waffle recipe, so you can add that in yourself if you like. Thanks!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Candy Bar Bars




Did you know that pouring a can of sweetened condensed milk over any dessert can make it taste better? Don't believe me? Try these candy bar bars, they are devilishly delicious!

3/4 c butter softened
1/4 c peanut butter
1 c brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 c flour
2 c quick oats
1 egg
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 c favorite candy bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First cream the butter with the peanut butter. Then add brown sugar and baking soda. Then mix in flour and oats until well combined.

At this point you need to remove 1 3/4 c of this "crumb" mixture and set aside. With remaining crumb mixture, beat in one egg.

Press down into greased 9X13 pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and spread 1 can sweetened condensed milk over all.

Mix together chopped candy bars with remaining crumb mixture and sprinkle over all. Return to oven for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Now this is the hard part.....Let cool completely before cutting.

I have used Butterfinger, Reeses, 100 grand, Reeses crunch bars or any combo of these favorites. Be creative and try your favorite blend!
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