Italian Herb Knots

A favorite bakery of mine from back home used to make an Italian bread with lots of seasonings and herbs mixed throughout. I was trying to duplicate that bread with these rolls by putting Italian seasons right in the dough in addition to what is on top. It's not exactly like the bread from back home, but it comes just close enough to make me miss that place a bunch! And their chocolate eclairs... and their lattes... and their cinnamon rolls... Mmm.

These rolls are the perfect substitute to regular old garlic bread, whether they are served alongside your favorite pasta dish or a bowl of rich, hearty soup. I have been making them a lot this summer, and they also work great as sandwich buns. I have even used this dough recipe to make runzas. I am sure as the weather gets colder, they will show up around our place even more.

Italian Herb Knots
Makes 10

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup milk
1 cup warm water (about 105°)

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 to 1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs


1. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and stir well with a wooden spoon. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the warm water, the milk, and the olive oil. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the flour mixture and stir with the wooden spoon until a ball of dough is formed and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

2. Turn the ball of dough onto a well floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should still be a little sticky, but not so much that it stick to your hands and the counter. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn the dough so it is oiled on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

3. Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 10 pieces on a lightly floured surface. To shape the rolls, work with one piece at a time and roll the dough into a rope about 10 inches long. Tie the dough rope in a knot, then tuck the two end pieces into the middle, one on the top and one underneath. Place the roll on a baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough.

4. Cover the rolls with oiled plastic wrap and allow them to rise for a second time, about 45 minutes. While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350°.

5. Just before the rolls are ready to bake, combine the butter, garlic, and the dried herbs and heat in the microwave until the butter is melted. Brush the melted butter on each of the rolls. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown. Enjoy!

My bread making tips:

*To help cut down on the dirty dishes, let the dough rise in the same bowl that you used to mix the dough in. When I finish kneading the dough, I usually let it rest on the counter for a few minutes while I wash the bowl. Since the bowl is warm from the washing, it gives the dough a nice start.

*Recently I have started using my camera to take pictures of the dough before and after the rising process. This makes it really easy to see if the dough has in fact doubled in size. Totally not necessary, but why not? Here are my before and after pictures. 

*I use the same piece of plastic wrap from the first rise to cover the rolls during the second rise. Just rub it around the oiled bowl before placing it on the rolls to make sure it doesn't stick.




Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Amber's Delectable Delights.

Cinnamon Roll Popovers

"Let the 4th annual Birthday Week celebration begin!"

I have been announcing this to myself all morning in a voice as much like Effie Trinket's from The Hunger Games as I can muster. Silently, of course, since I promised my husband that he could sleep in this morning. I have a bad history of accidentally and loudly waking him up on his one day a week to sleep in.

But back to Birthday Week, it is finally here! And what is it, you may ask? Well, my friend Frances that I talk about all the time, like here, has a birthday today, and since mine is next week, we always do a full week of celebration! And then our other good friend Hanna came along and we discovered that her birthday is just  the week after mine. Therefore, Birthday Week is actually a long celebration between August 25 and September 5. It happens every year. I am beginning to think that it is my favorite week of the year, and yes, my own birthday in between definitely helps. When I woke up this morning, it almost felt as good as Christmas morning!

To celebrate the start this year, we decided to have a pie party- as in pizza pie for supper, and all the pies you could eat for dessert! Since we each made one- a peach pie, a French silk pie, and a sour cream raisin pie-and there were only 5 of us for most of the evening, I figured that out to be about 4 to 5 pieces per person if you cut it into 8. Don't worry, we all didn't eat THAT much, although the average was probably close to 3.5 by the time 2 a.m. rolled around and everyone headed home. The slices did get smaller as the evening wore on, I believe.

I know at some point last night my husband announced that he was going to eat pie for breakfast this morning too, but even though that is his plan, I don't think he knows what I've been planning. Hanna gave me a popover pan last night! A real popover pan! Complete with 6 tall, deep wells perfect for making the perfect popovers! I can barely contain my excitement. It was such a perfect birthday gift. So naturally, I had to try out my new pan with an extravagant popover recipe this morning. I guess he can eat pie if he wants, but I am having a cinnamon roll popover.

Note: If you do not have a popover pan, then you can use a muffin tin instead. This recipe will probalby make 9 to 12 popovers in a muffin tin.

Cinnamon Roll Popovers
Makes 6

For the popover batter:
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
dash salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
pinch nutmeg

For the cinnamon filling:
4 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Glaze (optional):
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400° for at least 20 minutes. Divide the butter between the 6 wells and set the pan on a large rimmed cookie sheet. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl with a pour spout, combine the flour and the salt. Briefly whisk together to combine. In another bowl, whisk the eggs until they are completely mixed and light in color. Add the milk, vanilla, brown sugar, and the spices. Whisk to combine. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture all at once and whisk lightly.

3. In a small bowl, make the cinnamon filling by combining all the ingredients and stirring until smooth. Place the mixture in a small plastic bag, snip off one corner, and set aside.

4. Place the popover pan in the over for 4 minutes to preheat. When there is one minute left, gently stir the batter to get it ready. Pull the hot pan from the oven, and working quickly, divide the batter between the 6 cups, then squeeze a little cinnamon filling on the top of each until it is gone. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven. Allow to cool slightly and serve immediately with the cream cheese glaze. Enjoy!

*To make the cream cheese glaze, combine the butter, cream cheese, cream, and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, mix on low speed for one minute, then beat on high for another minute until creamy and light.

Source: Recipe adapted from Doughmesstic.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

One time at a little ice cream shop somewhere in Massachusetts, I ate the most wonderful Cookies and Cream ice cream. One scoop high in a sugar cone. I purchased it on a whim, and the ice cream was so perfect that I went back the next morning before we left the quaint little town and ordered another one. Four years later, here I am still thinking about it. If you know me at all, then you will realize how truly weird this occurrence was, since I don't really like ice cream that much, and anything too sweet in the morning is just not a good thing for me. Oh, what I would do to have one of those ice cream cones again!

I also like to make ice cream on a whim, which is why this has become my go-to recipe. This ice cream is really easy to make, requires little forethought and tastes great. Pretty typically, if we happen to have Oreos around and I'm making ice cream, then the cookies end up mixed in, which is why I included them in this recipe. Feel free to leave the cookies out if you want to have just vanilla ice cream. Or get creative and add some of your favorite things! All you have to do is make the ice cream, and add in whatever you want during the last minute or two of churning.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cups sugar
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean (optional)
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
about 8 to 10 Oreo cookies

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the cream with the sugar and the salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean then add them and the whole bean to the saucepan.  Heat the mixture just until the sugar has dissolved.  While it is heating, stir it occasionally, but be careful not to over-stir the mixture.

2. Remove from heat, and transfer the cream mixer to a bowl and add the rest of the cream, the milk, and the vanilla extract. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge for several hours, or you can speed the process up by putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Make sure it does not begin to freeze though!

3. When you are ready to make the ice cream, remove the vanilla bean and proceed as you normally do with your ice cream maker.

4. While the ice cream is churning, coarsely chop the Oreo cookies into pieces. Add the cookie pieces to the ice cream during the last couple minutes of churning. Eat the ice cream right away or allow it to firm up in the freezer before serving. Enjoy!

Source: Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Popovers

The first time I ever heard of a popover was way back when we lived at old 628 in the university dorms, probably 4 or 5 years ago (I know, I know- not really that long ago, but it seems like ages have passed since then!). My roommate told me about them and said we should make them sometime. I think she described it as some sort of breakfast thing that grew and needed a special pan and were like pancakes made in the oven or something. I was interested, but even though they were mentioned several more times in the following years, nothing ever came of it. Fast forward to a couple of Mondays ago. This same friend and old roommate invited me over for breakfast, and I decided that it was the day to make a popover. How, oh how, could I have waited this long to make something so wonderful?!

I was surprised at how easy the popovers were to make with everything we already had in the kitchen (I love it when I don't have to make extra trips to the store to buy an ingredient), and they were so much more than I even expected. So good, in fact, that I hung around for lunch and made them again, then I made several different kinds the next day at home, and the past two weekends I made them on Saturday and Sunday for breakfast! They are light and crispy, kind of like a pastry, and even though we keep eating them for breakfast, I'm sure they would be wonderful with something like soup. Even though I do not have a popover pan, a muffin pan has worked great as a substitute, and is what I use in the recipe below. Hmm, I have made a lot of popovers recently. I think I might have to invest in a popover pan...

Popovers

Makes 9

1-2 tablespoon butter, cut into 9 pieces

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk, at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400° for at least 15 minutes before you make the popovers. Using a muffin tin, put one little piece of butter into 9 slots, and set the pan aside. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until the yolks and whites are fully incorporated and the mixture is light in color. Mix in the milk and set aside. 

3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and the salt. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Transfer the batter to a liquid measuring cup so that you can pour it easily. 

4. Place the muffin pan in the hot oven for 4 minutes to preheat. When there is one minute left, give the batter a quick stir. Remove the pan from the oven, and working quickly, fill the 9 muffin slots 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full with the batter. Immediately put the pan back in the oven. 

5. Bake the popovers for 30 minutes, and DO NOT open the oven while they are baking. If you do, they will fall instead of "popping." Serve the popovers immediately with butter, honey, jelly, or whatever you like. Enjoy! 

Source: Found on Epicurious from The Tea Deck: 50 ways to prepare, serve, and enjoy by Sara Perry

Peach Sorbet

You know a recipe is good when you have to make it three times just to take a picture of it! I decided back in May when I made blackberry sorbet that at some point this summer I had to try peach sorbet. And I am so incredibly glad I did! It is the best sorbet yet. It tastes completely like fresh peaches and is refreshing and doesn't last more than a couple days around our house.

Since I now have an ice cream maker, I made the sorbet this time around with it. However, the other times I made the peach sorbet I simply used my freezer and a food processor. This freezer method requires a little more work, but the outcome was practically the same. So either way, you should be able to try this recipe! If you like peaches at all, then I know you will absolutely love it.

Peach Sorbet

4 or 5 medium to large peaches
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 light corn syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Peel and dice the peaches. You will need about 4 cups of peaches. Combine the peaches with the remaining ingredients together in a food processor or a blender and blend until completely smooth.

2. At this point, you have two options. You can freeze the sorbet in an ice cream maker, but if you don't have one, you can do it by just using your freezer. If using an ice cream maker, chill the mixture thoroughly, for about 2 hours, then proceed as you normally would with the ice cream maker.

If you are using your freezer, then put the peach mixture in a stainless steel bowl or pan. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to freeze for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the mixture is firm around the edges and still slushy in the middle. Transfer the sorbet to a food processor and process until the mixture is a uniform slush. Put the mixture back into the stainless steel bowl and into the freezer for another 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Repeat the process a least two more times at the same time interval.

3. Freeze the sorbet for at least an hour before serving so that it has the chance to firm up. Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Dinner and Dessert

Non-alcoholic Mint Mojitos

Last week I got a text from a friend asking if I wanted some fresh basil and mint. I said of course, and was shocked when she brought over two huge bags of each! I have had no problem using the basil in a million different things, but I was a little stumped with what I should do with so much mint. I spent quite a bit of time looking up recipes, and since my husband does not like lamb in any form and that's the pairing I mostly found for the mint, I decided to stick to the beverage world. If anyone has other suggestions for great things to do with fresh mint I would love to hear them!

Limes were on sale when I went to the store and thanks to a friend's suggestion, I decided on Mint Mojitos, the non-alcoholic kind, of course. An afternoon with a great friend making homemade marshmallows and graham crackers was the perfect time to try them out, and they really were spectacular. I also made them for the whole family this weekend, which ended my large mint supply. I am actually now wishing I had more mint so that I could make them again!

Mint Mojito
Makes 1

Crushed ice
8 mint leaves
3 oz. lime juice, about 1 lime
1 1/2 oz. simple syrup*, or more
2-4 oz. club soda, or more
More mint or lime slices, for garnish

1. Fill a glass 1/3 of the way with ice, then add the mint leaves on top.

2. Add the lime juice and the simple syrup. Using a wooden spoon, lightly crush the mint leaves, being careful not to tear them.

3. Fill the glass with more ice, then add the club soda to the top. Depending on the limes and your personal preference, you may want to add a little more simple syrup or club soda.

4. Garnish with a few more mint leaves or lime slices and enjoy!

*To make a simple syrup, heat equal parts sugar and water in a sauce pan just until the sugar has dissolved. You can store any leftover syrup in the fridge. I usually use at least 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water.

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