Dinner Rolls/ Buns

I just made these for the first time and they smell wonderful and turned out perfectly. This is a "no fail" recipe for some of the best tasting rolls I've ever baked. I intended to make a couple of batches, with egg wash and butter, but I forgot to do the egg wash, still, it came out perfect. In baking, I believe that practice makes it more perfect. Next time, I promise to show you better picture. Meanwhile, why not try this recipe for yourself and let me know, or better yet show me how it turned out for you.  

Dinner Rolls/ Buns Recipe

Courtesy of: Foodnetwork

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup warm homogenized milk (250 ml)
1/4 cup sugar (60 ml)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (60 ml)
1/2 tablespoon salt (7 ml)
3 cups all-purpose flour (750 ml)
1 egg
1 envelope (1/4-ounces) active dry yeast
flour, for bench flour

Assembly
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk (15 )
( I made 1 batch with egg wash and the other with butter)

Directions

Dough

In a small bowl, combine sugar with ½ cup warm milk and mix well. Add the yeast and stir. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, until it foams.

In another bowl, combine the egg and remaining ½ cup warm milk and melted butter

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt by hand. Add the yeast mixture and the egg mixture. With the stand mixer, start mixing the dough on low speed. Increase speed as flour is incorporated. Continue to mix until dough comes together. Increase machine speed, knead dough until it comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Put the dough into a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave overnight in the fridge or alternatively let proof until doubled in a warm spot for 45 minutes.

Assembly

Punch down dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Tear off pieces of the dough and form sixteen 1 ½-inch balls. Roll them onto a surface to make smooth. Place in a buttered 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. Let rest, covered, in a warm spot, until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the top of the buns with the egg wash. Bake the dinner buns for about 13 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Serve warm and pull apart at the table.

Yield: 16 servings
 

   

Continue Reading...

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies ( The Best )

These are the best Oatmeal Cookies I have ever tried so far. I have baked them several times and they are always a hit. I brought these goodies on one of our weekend getaway to the Caribbean and OMG! my friends and family keep on asking for more cookies. They said they are absolutely delicious. This is really my go-to cookie recipe because it is super easy to make and it always comes out Oatmeal-a-licious! Ok, here's the deal, I honestly do not know who to credit for this recipe because it is one of those things where I wrote it in an Index Card and no reference where I copied it. But who ever is the original owner of this recipe... I thank you for sharing.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter ( at room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 egg ( room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

pinch of nutmeg

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup raisins

Cooking Directions:

• Creme butter and sugar with electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine  flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
•  Start mixing with big spoon by hand the dry and wet ingredients.
• Add rolled oats 1 cup at a time. Add the raisins.
• Press balls about half inch on a prepared baking pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool on a wire rack.
• Share and Enjoy!

            

Note: You should have a very thick and sticky mixture. If it is too sticky or wet, add little more flour. Make a small balls and place on a baking sheet. After cookie balls are on the baking sheet, with your wet hand, press the ball upto half and inch.

Continue Reading...

Chicken Thigh Glazed with Chimichurri Sauce

Chicken Thigh Glazed with Chimichurri Sauce is a quick and easy chicken dish that is perfect for weeknight meal. You can serve this with some Spanish rice or Fried Plantains and you are good to go! A Chimichurri is a popular sauce used in many Latin American cuisine. It is used for marinating or seasoning steak, chicken and chorizo sausages. Chimichurri Sauce/ Marinade is a mixture of chopped parsley and other seasonings, including shallots, garlic, herbs, oil and vinegar.

Chicken Thigh Glazed with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

5 whole Skinless, Bone-in, Chicken Thighs
1 Tablespoon Goya Adobo
4 Tablespoons Chimichuri Sauce (see Note Below)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Chicken Stock (Beer or White Wine)

Cooking Directions:

• Preheat oven at 350°F.
• Clean and wash the chicken thighs thoroughly. Dry with paper towels.
• Season the chicken with the Goya Adobo seasoning.
• Heat a skillet with olive oil at medium-high heat, lightly brush chicken with chimichurri sauce and brown chicken in the skillet in batches, about 5 minutes. Transfer browned chicken to a glass baking dish.
• When done browning the chicken, de-glazed the skillet with your choice of broth, beer or white wine. Be sure to scrape up all the yummy brown bits.
• Pour broth with yummy browned bits over the chicken.
• Generously brush the chicken with the remaining chimichurri mixture.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until juices run clean, basting periodically.
• Serve with steams rice or rice and beans. Some fried plantains will complete your dish.
• Enjoy and share!

Chimichurri Marinade/ Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup parsley, 1 cup cilantro – finely chopped 
• 2 shallots, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon of oregano
• ¾ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup olive oil

Directions:

• Place chopped parsley and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add all seasonings to taste. Add vinegar, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the marinade emulsifies.
• Use the sauce to marinate meat before grilling. (Marinate at least one hour; can marinate up to 8 hours or overnight.)
• Remove meat from the marinade and grill.
• If you like, reserve some marinade and puree it for use as a sauce.

Continue Reading...

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

Everybody has their own favorite version of Banana Bread Recipe. That includes me. But I always love to try new recipes. I made this Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread for the first time and oh boy, it is heaven. This recipe is seriously scrumptious with the cream cheese in it. Besides, everybody knows that anything with cream cheese has to be good. I honestly do not know who to credit with this recipe, because it was a  print out filed in my wish list file, and didn't have any credits attached.

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter or margarine softened
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 3 ripe mashed bananas
• 1¼ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cupall purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
•  cup chopped pecans or walnuts 

Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter/margarine and the cream cheese together. Gradually add the white sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one egg at a time, beating well after each egg. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla. Slowly add the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until the batter is just moist. (careful not to mix too long after you've added the flour.) Fold in your choice of chopped nuts.
• Pour the batter into two greased/floured 8x4" loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes on middle rack, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
•  Once baked, let loafs rest in pans for 5 minutes, then carefully turn out of pan onto a cooling rack.

Continue Reading...

Lemon-Coconut Bars

These Lemon-Coconut Bars are a perfect treat during Summertime. The marriage of the two main ingredients, coconut and lemon are a match made in heaven. As my husband claims, these Lemon- Coconut Bars are the best dessert bars he ever had! He is my No.1 food critique. He said that in this recipe, the coconut is the key, it provides an out of this world flavor and a bit of chewiness to the butter cookie crust. The filling is as beautifully bright as a Spring day and it is a perfect blend of sweet and tart. A recipe like this is worth sharing, so go ahead and share this to your friends and network.

Lemon-Coconut Bars Recipe
Source: Bon Appétit

Ingredients:

 Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, cooled
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  Filling
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar ( I substitute with flaked coconut )

Cooking Directions:

 

For crust

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving overhang. Butter foil. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add coconut and butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal and begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball. Press dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until golden at edges, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare filling:

• Combine 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon peel, flour, baking powder, and salt in processor. Blend filling until smooth.
• Remove crust from oven. Pour filling evenly over hot crust. Return to oven and bake until filling begins to brown at edges and is just set and springy to touch in center, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool lemon bars completely.
• Using foil as aid, transfer lemon bars to work surface. Flatten foil edges. Cut into 16 bars. Sift powdered sugar over. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight in single layer in refrigerator.)

 

Continue Reading...

Chicken Marinated in Wine

This Roast Chicken Recipe with red wine marinade  is good on anything from chicken or turkey breast to chicken thighs. I got this recipe from a Spanish Recipe magazine. It was a challenge for me because I had to find English translations for the ingredients and cooking directions. Well, I made that easy for you now because I am posting the English version. This recipe came out so good, it was super moist and flavorful and very easy to prepare. I will be posting the roasted potato side dish soon. Give this recipe a try and let me know how it turned out.

Chicken Marinated in Wine Recipe

Ingredients:

1  (3-4 lbs) whole chicken
1-½ cup of red wine
1 cup of thinly sliced red onion
1 teaspoon of thyme
2 tablespoon of olive oil
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoon of unsalted butter


Cooking Directions:

• Combine first 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or up to 24 hours; turning occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place the chicken on a buttered baking dish. Reserve marinade. 
• Bake chicken for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the juices runs clear.
• Bring the reserve marinade sauce to boil. Let it simmer under low fire  for 10 minutes or until reduced to half.
• Strain reduced sauce and return to pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
• Add remaining butter to the reduced sauce and stir continuously until butter is melted. Reserve.
• Once chicken is cooked ( should registed 160°F). Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
• Serve with the reserved marinade sauce and roasted potato on the side.
• Enjoy and share!

.

Continue Reading...

Basic Crepes Batter Recipe

These sublime crepes are guaranteed to please everyone! From this basic Crepe Recipe, you can create variations depending on what filling you would like that day. There is a lot to choose from, Chocolate or fruit jam , strawberry or banana or simply just ice-cream. The possibilities are limitless. You can stuff anything you want, depending how you want it , savory or sweet. Today, we focus on the Crepes Batter. The Crepes Batter Recipe is super easy--just a couple of seconds on the blender then few minutes of cook time! My husband and I love to have them during breakfast. It is fast and easy and it is the best Crepes we have ever had!

Crepes Batter Recipe

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1¼ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoon of melted butter
butter, for coating pan

Cooking Directions:

• In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking.
• Heat 2 teaspoon of butter in a small non-stick pan. Pour batter and swirl around to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove when cooked. Cover with paper towel.
• To serve, sprinkle each crepe with sugar or spread jelly or any filling of your choice, fold or roll up.
• Enjoy and Share!

Note:

For Savory Variation : Add ¼ chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatotes to the batter mixture.
For Sweet Variation  : Add 2-½ tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon of liqueur of your choice to the batter mixture.

Continue Reading...

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies is the easiest cookie recipe I have ever made. You have the luxury of having variations in fillings.  From Peanut Butter to Jam to Chocolate. This recipe can be adapted to suit any theme, flavor preference, season or occasion. These Jam Thumbprint Cookies I made are soft and buttery, flecked with ground pecans, and filled with strawberry preserves. It is very delicious, easy to bake and can be festive. I strongly recommend this for easy "go to" cookie recipe.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
(Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 14-1/4 oz. (3 cups plus 2 Tbs.) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 3/4 lb. (1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 6 oz. (1-1/2 cups) pecans, toasted and finely ground in a food processor
• 3 oz. (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup red raspberry preserves with seeds ( I used strawberry preserves)

 Cooking Directions:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt to blend.
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and pecans on medium speed until very soft and light, about 3 min.
• Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until thoroughly combined, about 1 min. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly blend in the flour until totally incorporated, about 30 seconds.
• Using your hands, roll the dough into 1- to 1-1/4-inch balls and set them about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press your thumb into the middle of each dough ball to create a well for the preserves.
• Stir the preserves to loosen and then spoon about 1/2 tsp. into the middle of each dough ball.
• Bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 20 min.
• Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 1 min. before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Note: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for three to four days.

Continue Reading...

Ensaymada ( Ensaïmada)

Ensaymada is a Filipino sweet bread derived from Spanish origins. The Spanish version of this is called Ensaïmades. In the Philippines, this pastry bread is made with butter and shaped into like a pinwheel or snail-like coil ,topped with butter cream, sugar and grated cheese. The procedure sounds intimidating but it is very easy. Nowadays, it is not even necessary to make the unique shape anymore.  It has been re-invented for easy cooking. But, since it was my first time to make this, I tried my best to replicate the original  look of this soft and buttery bread. If you have already tried making pandesal.This recipe should not be hard because the process is quite similar. Give it a try and see for yourself. Please check video below for step by step instructions.

Ensaymada Recipe
Adapted from Panlasang Pinoy (Just did some tweaking)

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup butter, melted
¾ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
3 pieces raw eggs
1 envelope (¼ oz ) active dry yeast
1 cup warm homogenized milk

Cooking Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoon of sugar  with 1 cup warm milk (110°F-115°F) and mix well. Add the yeast and stir. Let mixture stand for about 10 minutes or until it foams.
• In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients starting from the flour, ½ cup of sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly.
• Add the eggs and ½ cup melted butter to the yeast mixture and pour to the dry ingredients. Using your hand, mix the dry and wet mixture together. Make sure that it is well incorporated. Continue mixing until dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes., adding more flour if necessary,until the dough is smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it proof in a warm spot for 45 minutes.
• Punch down dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Divide dough into four pieces. Roll each piece into a log or cylindrical form. Cut individual serving pieces ( about 80 grams each). Flatten each piece using a rolling pin.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the ¼ cup melted butter with the remaining sugar. Paint the sugar and butter mixture onto the center area of  flattened dough. Sprinkle some cheese over the painted area and seal. This is done by folding opposite directions and rolling it until a long cylindrical shape is formed ( about 14 inches long) .
• Form the spiral Ensaymada shape by crossing the two opposite ends of the dough. It is like making pretzel.
• Place in a baking tray with wax paper  and cover with cheese cloth. Let rest for 45 minutes. This is the 2nd proofing.
• Pre-heat oven at 350°F.
• In a small bowl, prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg and a little amount of water or milk. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the top of the ensaymada with the egg wash. Bake the ensaymada for about 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove baked Ensaymada from oven. Brush the top with the remaining butter and sugar mixture and sprinkle with cheese on top.
• Serve hot. Enjoy and do not forget to Share!

Related Video

Continue Reading...