Gingerbread House - Daring Bakers

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.
Thank you Anna & Y.



December challenge was an excitement and unique experience for me.
I never thought I would build something amazing and adventurous like the Gingerbread house.
It allowed me to express my creativity through a fun activity.
The family and I all gathered together and decided to house a once homeless Gingerbread man.

My husband helped assembled the pieces together
My little son jumped to color the Gingerbread man
and all the other family members helped decorate the cute house.



I choose Y recipes - Scandinavian Gingerbread (Pepparkakstuga)
(from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas)

1 cup butter, room temperature [226g]
1 cup brown sugar, well packed [220g]
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup boiling water
5 cups all-purpose flour [875g]

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the baking soda with the boiling water and add to the dough along with the flour. Mix to make a stiff dough. If necessary add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Chill 2 hours or overnight.

2. Cut patterns for the house out of cardboard.

3. Roll the dough out on a large, ungreased baking sheet and place the patterns on the dough. Mark off the various pieces with a knife, but leave the pieces in place.

4. [Y rolled out the dough on a floured bench, roughly 1/8 inch thick (which allows for fact that the dough puffs a little when baked), cut required shapes and transferred them to the baking sheet. Any scraps were saved and rerolled at the end.]

5. Preheat the oven to 375'F (190'C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookie dough feels firm. After baking, again place the pattern on top of the gingerbread and trim the shapes, cutting the edges with a straight-edged knife. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.

Royal Icing:

1 large egg white
3 cups (330g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon almond extract

Beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the powdered sugar gradually to get the desired consistency. Pipe on pieces and allow to dry before assembling. If you aren't using it all at once you can keep it in a small bowl, loosely covered with a damp towel for a few hours until ready to use. You may have to beat it slightly to get it an even consistency if the top sets up a bit. Piped on the house, this will set up hard over time.

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Christmas Fruit Bread

It's the most beautiful time of the year
The street are decorated with lights and snowy look.
The shops are full with last minute buyers
Everything is so special and magical.

This was the first time I made Christmas fruit bread, each year I see the recipets in the food magazines and this year I decided to bake one.

Filled with dried fruit and currants, delicious and festive.

Happy Holidays !




Christmas Fruit Bread - Adopted from my 2 pee'north

(for one loaf)

125 g butter
125 g sugar
4 medium sized eggs
peel of one lemon
250 g rye flour
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
300 g dried fruit of your choice
125 g raisins
125 g currants

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease loaf pan with butter. Then add all-purpose flour to it to cover the butter layer.
Remove any flour which don't stick to the butter.
Put loaf pan into freezer until use. Butter, flour and freezing will make it easier to remove bread after baking.

Cut the dried fruit into small cubes.
Use the fruit you like most.
Mix butter and sugar until creamy.
Add one egg and mix on medium speed for about one minute. Repeat step with the remaining three eggs.
Add the finely grated peel of one lemon.
Mix the flour with baking powder, sieve and add to the butter mixture.
Mix just until combined.
Fold in dried fruit, raisins and currants.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan form.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 F. After 30 minutes increase temperature to 375 F. and bake for another 30 minutes. Fruit bread is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the fruit bread cool in form for about 10 minutes.
Remove from pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and store for at least one day.

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Jelly Doughnuts

I love the holidays, festival of light, Hanukkah.
8 days of celebration and great food.
Every year I search for the best jelly doughnuts , the kind that reminds me the one's I used to eat back home, the perfect amount of sprinkled powder sugar -
and red strawberries jam inside.

This year a friend of mine who's learning in the culinary institute, sent me a brand new recipe. She warned me that I should forget everything I knew before about doughnuts, because these is the winning recipe.
I didn't think twice, checked that I have all the ingredients and ran into my kitchen to prepare them.



The best jelly doughnuts ever!

7 cups + 2 Tbsp. flour
3 envelope active dry yeast
3.5 oz. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 yolk
2 eggs
1 3/4 room temp. milk
2 1/2 ounces of butter room temp.

Strawberry jam for filling
Sugar powder for dusting
Canola oil for frying the doughnuts

Direction:
In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients for the dough except the butter and mix it for 7 min.
add the butter and mix for another 4 min.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean towel and let it rise for 50- 60 minutes, or until the dough double his size. (the best way is to keep refrigerated over night).

Divide the dough to equal 50 gram balls and and round them on a oily surface.
It is important to starch and band the dough downwards.
Keep the balls on oily surface and let them rise again for 40 minutes.

In a deep fryer or a wok, heat 4 inches of oil to 380 degrees F.
(Check the temperature with your cooking thermometer.)

add the doughnuts to the oil and fry for 3 minutes each side.
They will be golden brown on both sides when done.
Lift the doughnuts out with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain them well on paper towels.
Dust lightly with confectioners sugar.
Add to each doughnuts a good strawberry jelly
Enjoy!



Happy Holiday !

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Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving
Its the most delicious holiday in the year
There is nothing better thing then this time when all the family gather together and we all enjoy the great food..

Applebee's garlic mashed potato

Ingredients

32 ounces red potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup garlic cloves

Direction

Place a single layer of garlic cloves on a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap tightly.
Roast in 400 degrees F preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until soft.
Unwrap and let cool.
Peel cloves and set aside until the potatoes are ready.
Wash and rinse potatoes under cold water.
In large pot, bring red potatoes to a slow boil for about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and drain in colander.
In pan or bowl, combine potatoes, peeled and roasted garlic cloves,
and all other ingredients and mash with a potato masher.
Keep warm until you serve.

Turkey Gravy

Ingredients

5 cups turkey stock
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 celery stick

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the turkey stock to a boil. In a small bowl, dissolve flour in water. Gradually whisk into the turkey stock. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and celery salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

String Beans

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 or 3 small garlic cloves, peeled

1 1/2 pounds tender green beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Direction:

Melt butter and olive oil with the garlic
Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain and toss with garlic butter and seasonings.
Serve with sesame seeds.

Green salad with Pear vinaigrette
Ingredients

for the vinaigrette...
1 ripe pear
1/2 cup white wine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup unseasoned wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

for the salad...
a nice combination of lettuces, radicchio, spinach, or other wild greens
thin slices of pear
thin slices of sweet red onion
a handful of toasted hazelnuts

Kraft Stove stuffing mix

Ingredients

I box Kraft stove top stuffing mix
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, unsalted
2 1/2 cups (2 - 3 onions) yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups (2 – 3 stalks) celery, chopped
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 to 3 cups chicken or turkey stock

Direction

In a large heavy sauté pan,
melt butter and sauté onions and celery
on medium heat until vegetables are tender.
Add herbs and sauté for an additional minute.
Combine vegetable mixture with bread, seasonings and stock.
Transfer to a deep buttered baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes uncovered
until stuffing is hot and crusty on the top.

Dinner Rolls

3 1/2 Cups flour
1 tbsp. dry yeast
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water
1 egg
1/4 cup oil

Direction:

in the mixer bowel
mix the flour, yeast and sugar together
add the water, egg and oil
and mix for 5 minutes.
add the salt
and keep mixing for another 5 minutes.

grease large bowl and let the dough rise for one hour
divide the dough to 3 equal balls
and let rise for another one hour.
open each ball to a thin circle and with pizza knife
cute triangle
roll the dough from the base to the top
brush each rolls with beaten egg
and bake for 45 min. or until the rolls are golden brown

Individual Melon Fruit Bowl
1 Melon cut to 2 half's
1 large apple peeled and cut to slices
1 kiwi peel and cut to slices
Melon balls that we made with pearsiean cup from the other half
Raspberry
Strawberries
Mint leaves for decoration

Directions:
Cut off a thin piece of one end of the melon so that
it leaves a flat surface on the melon.
scoop out the contents of the melon with a large spoon.
Cut some of the melon into
ball shaped pieces using the melon ball spoon
Put the cut up fruits and the melon balls into the
melon bowl and add the blueberries.
Peel the kiwi and slice them into thin slices.
Then add them to the fruit bowl.
add as much fruit as you want and love
(strawberries, star fruit, pineapple etc.)
Decorate with mint leaves and serve.

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Mini Black Bottom Cheescakes

As a food blogger I am a constantly on a search for a new recipes
Next week in my homeland will be holiday Shavuot, "The cheese holiday"

Dairy foods such as cheesecake and blintzes with cheese and other fillings are traditionally served on Shavuot. all kind of pie and quiches.

In my endless search for some different cakes I found this amazing recipes in Food and Wine and immediately knew that this is the desert that I'll serve on the holiday table.

Last night I made the first one's and man it was a success - so easy and yammi - highly recommended.

Ingredients

1. Vegetable oil spray
2. 24 plain chocolate wafer cookies, preferably Nabisco
3. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4. 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
5. 1/4 cup sugar
6. 2/3 cup fromage blanc (6 ounces), at room temperature
7. 2 large eggs
8. 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
9. 1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the cups with vegetable oil spray. In a food processor, crush the chocolate wafer cookies. Add the butter and process until fine crumbs form. Spoon the chocolate cookie crumbs into the prepared baking cups and press with the bottom of a glass to compact. Bake for 5 minutes, or until almost set. Leave the oven on.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the fromage blanc, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
3. Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups, filling them three-quarters full.
4. Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the warmed raspberry preserves on top of each cheesecake. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill the cheesecakes until set, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove the cheesecakes from the pan and peel off the foil baking cups. Transfer the cheesecakes to a platter and serve.

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Dried Fruit Cake

This dry fruit and nuts cake is typical in my country for spring time, usually we welcome this season with cake to thanks the trees for their goods and to bless their fruits, "Tu-B-Svat" is the name of this Holiday, the tree's holiday and the first sign for the summer

Here is still winter and still snowing so I thought maybe if I'll bake this cake, the spring will came also :-)


Dry Fruit Nuts & Chocolate Cake

• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 1/4 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 stick soft butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup mix dried fruit
• 2 tbsp crushed nuts
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. rum

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder dry fruits, nuts and chocolate together.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed and add the flour with the fruits and nuts and the rum.
Pour into greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2- in. loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 min. or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Take a piece and leave me a comment :)))

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