The Friday Poem: Clean, Hot, Cotton
January 15, 2021 at 6:00 am (Poetry)
The Sunday Recipe: Buchta Loaves (Polish Nut Roll)
January 3, 2021 at 6:00 am (Recipes)
Tags: bread, filled loaves, loaves, nut rolls, Polish, traditional
Buchta is a traditional Christmas breakfast in our house, along with oranges or apples and homemade eggnog. We usually make it in one large spiral, this recipe will make two, but I turned the batch of dough into four loaves this year — easier to share that way. Either one works, rising times and baking times are the same. It’s also very easy to halve the dough recipe, make one filling, and get two loaves. Each filling will fill one large round buchta or two loaves. I always make the fillings first.
Ingredients for dough
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 stick of unsalted butter.
- 2 cups of flour plus 4 cups of flour and some for kneading.
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 packages of active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
Directions
- Heat the milk for about a minute and 45 seconds in the microwave to scald. You can also do this on the stove top. You know it’s ready when steaming and a skin forms on the top.
- Cut the butter into chunks and melt in the hot milk. (Best if the butter is straight from the fridge. If it isn’t, you may want to let the milk set for five minutes after putting butter in before adding to yeast or it could kill the yeast.)
- In a large bowl, sift 2 cups of flour with 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Stir in the yeast.
- Add the brown sugar and stir in milk/butter mixture using a whisk.
- Set aside until bubbles form, about ten minutes.
- Beat in 2 eggs and 4 cups of flour.
- Mix well then knead for 10 minutes, or about 5 minutes using a dough hook in a stand mixer.
- Cover dough and let rise in a warm, draft free location for 1 1/2 hours.
- Prepare two cookie sheets or 4 loaf pans with grease/shortening or cooking spray and parchment paper.
- Divide into 2 or 4 and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
- Spread with filling and roll up, Try to pinch dough together at seams and end. (It can be hard to do and a little leakage during baking is not abnormal.)
- If making large round ones, wrap the roll around one end, like a snail shell.
- Rise another 1 1/2 hours.
- Bake at 325 for 60 minutes. Cool and enjoy!
Pecan Filling
- 1/2 pound pecans, picked over for shells and ground or processed
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: Just mix to combine and chill to stiffen before spreading on dough.
Cranberry Orange Filling
- 1/2 cup dried craisins (I used 50% reduced sugar ones.)
- Orange juice to cover, about 1/2 cup.
Directions: Combine and microwave for one minute. Stir and let sit for 2 hours. Process in blender or food processer until fairly smooth.
The Sunday Recipe: Eggnog Bread
December 27, 2020 at 6:00 am (Recipes)
Tags: bread, eggnog, gluten free, holiday recipes, loaf cake, quick bread
Eggnog Bread
If you’ve never made an eggnog bread, I highly recommend you give this a try before the eggnog is gone. It’s a great holiday treat. Don’t be intimidated by the 2 teaspoons of rum extract. You’ll miss it if it isn’t there. This is adapted from a recipe at The Recipe Critic – https://therecipecritic.com/eggnog-quickbread-eggnog-glaze/ If you want a recipe that uses regular flour and sugar, follow the link.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs plus 1 egg white
- ¾ cups maple syrup
- 1 stick of butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons rum extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups of Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking mix, or 2 cups white rice flour with 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Optional glaze: 1 cup sifted powdered sugar well mixed with 3 tablespoons eggnog
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a loaf pan, or spray with cooking spray and create a parchment sling.
- Cut the butter into tablespoons and melt in a microwave proof mug or bowl on 50% power, approximately 1 minute. (If there are chunks, stir so they dissolve instead of microwaving more to keep the butter at lower temp.)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Whisk in the maple syrup, eggnog, rum extract, and vanilla.
- Add the melted butter in a thin stream, whisking continuously.
- Stir in the baking mix, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon just until combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool ten minutes before removing from pan.
- Cool completely before glazing, if using glaze.
This bread is best served cut into thin slices to get the full effect of the flavors. I cut the slices in half so they can be easily picked up, particularly when serving with other Christmas cookies.
*This year I had made vanilla buttercream frosting for molasses cookies so I just heated a half cup in the microwave for 45 seconds and poured it over the top of the second half of the loaf on Christmas Day. It worked great.
May the notes of longing in your heart be sweet this season.
December 25, 2020 at 11:14 am (Poetry)
Tags: Christmas, longing, music, poetry
Holiday Traditions on the Long and Short Reviews Winter Blogfest
December 21, 2020 at 5:00 am (Marketing)
Tags: blogfest, Christmas tradtions, prizes
Hi Folks – Check out my post on the “Long and Short Reviews Winter Blogfest” about one of my favorite family holiday traditions and comment for a chance to win a prize! Winners will be notified by email after January 2nd. http://www.longandshortreviews.com/guest-blogs/winter-blogfest-melora-johnson/
The Friday Poem: All The Pain We Do Not Feel
December 18, 2020 at 6:00 am (Poetry)
Tags: chronic pain, pain