Bread Machine Pizza Dough

Pizza night! We love the pizza dough from Trader Joes but this week they were out of it when I went to pick some up. So off to AllRecipes I went, where I found this recipe for pizza dough. I love the addition of beer into this recipe. It gives the dough a nice bite. We topped our pizza with store-bought sauce, sliced onions and roasted garlic. Delicious! The dough makes enough for 1 large pizza. I don't have a stone, or a pizza pan, so I don't have exact measurements, but it was plenty for the 2 of us.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flat beer
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Directions

1. Put beer, butter, sugar, salt, flour, and yeast in a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting, and press Start.
2. Remove dough from bread machine when cycle is complete. Roll or press dough to cover a prepared pizza pan. Brush lightly with olive oil. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Spread sauce and toppings on top of dough. Bake until crust is lightly brown and crispy on the outside, about 24 minutes.

Pizza - before going into the oven

After!

Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

I was asked to make some sugar cookies for a baby shower, and wanted to try a different recipe than the last time. Why, you ask? Because I like trying new recipes. Simple as that! This recipe is awesome, and works perfectly for sugar cookie cutouts. I used a round cutter, and they did flatten a bit, but they definitely kept their shape, which can be a real challenge with sugar cookies. The original recipe was a tad bland, so I added an additional cup of sugar and I think they're perfect.

I also used a new frosting from AllRecipes, again, because I like trying new recipes! It's very thick. I was expecting a thinner icing that I could dip the cookies into, but this definitely needed to be applied with a pastry brush. Not sure how I feel about that. I love the way it dries -- a glossy smooth finish with a nice shine, but the application process could be a bit frustrating for the average at-home baker.

Cookies
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar (I used 3)
  
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick (instead of flour, I use confectioners sugar to keep the surface from sticking while I roll it out). Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Frosting
Ingredients

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• assorted food coloring

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Baked cookies - I rolled dough to 1/2 inch thick and they definitely flattened a bit. Still chewy and soft on the inside though.

Frosted cookies - I used a pastry brush to paint the frosting on. These will be clocks when they're finished, but I'm waiting for the base to dry before using tempered chocolate to pipe on the numbers and clock hands. Updates to follow...

Finished clock cookies

Best Bread Machine Challah

The price of bread at the grocery store is absurd! $3.99 for a loaf of bread? I think not. Maybe it's the fact that we spent 6 years living basically in poverty, but I just can't comfortably spend that kind of money on something I know I can bake myself, for much less money.

This recipe for challah is SO delicious. Better than the last recipe I made, and up until now, I thought that one was the best! This makes a 1.5 pound loaf that's eggy, slightly sweet, and just a great sandwich bread. It's so simple to make in the bread machine...as Ron Popiel would say, "Set it and forget it!" But make sure to set your machine on "light" so it doesn't get too crusty. I also used the "sweet" bread setting on my machine.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Add ingredients to the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
2. Select Sweet (or Basic, if you don't have a sweet option) Bread and Light Crust settings. Start.

I forgot to take a picture of our loaf, which has since been devoured, so I stole this picture from the original recipe that's posted on Allrecipes.com.

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli

Round 3 of fresh pasta making.

Tonight we made Emeril's Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli, with sage brown butter sauce. And they were delicious! Though not easy. It's definitely a lot of work to get these together, but the end result is worth it. The filling is creamy and velvety, and pairs really well with the nuttiness of the sage brown butter sauce. I added just a dash of cinnamon to the filling, which isn't in the original recipe, but I'd highly recommend doing so. The nutmeg is a nice touch, but the cinnamon just makes it superb.

Ingredients

• 9 tablespoons butter (I made the sauce with 4 T butter, and that was plenty)
  
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots (I used onion instead)
  
• 1 cup roasted butternut squash puree (cut squash in half, scoop out inside, and place cut face down in pyrex baking dish, filled with 1/4 inch of water. Bake at 375 for 45min until tender)
  
• Salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream (I used Ricotta instead, as I didn't have cream on hand)
  
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus 2 ounces
• Pinch nutmeg and cinnamon
  
• 1 recipe pasta dough, rolled out into wide ribbons
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add the squash puree and cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons cheese and nutmeg, to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely.
2. Cut the pasta ribbons into 3-inch squares. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each pasta square. Bring 1 corner of the square to the other, forming a triangle and seal the pasta completely. Add the pasta to pot of boiling salted water. Cook until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes or until the pasta floats and is pale in color.
3. Remove the pasta from the water and drain well. Season the pasta with salt and pepper.
4. In a large saute pan, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter. Add the sage to the butter and continue to cook until the butter starts to brown. Remove from the heat.
5. Place some of the pasta in the center of each serving plate. Spoon the butter sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle the 2 ounces of cheese over each plate and garnish with parsley.

Herbed Ricotta Ravioli

Homemade pasta is still new to me, so I'm trying to experiment with a variety of things. A few weeks ago we made linguine and spaghetti, and tonight we made ravioli with an herbed ricotta filling. They were time consuming, but easy, and so so so delicious! The original recipe is from Cooking Light's March 2009 issue. I made a few changes that are noted below. I love that you can make a big batch of these and freeze them. Next time, I'll definitely double the recipe so I can put some away for another day!

The recipe looks a bit daunting because it's long and involved, but take your time, and follow the steps. It's pretty simple to make, and very straightforward.

Ingredients
Dough

• 5.6 ounces soft wheat flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 large egg

Directions

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and eggs in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until mixture is crumbly (dough will not form a ball). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 4 minutes). Shape dough into a disc; wrap with plastic wrap. Let dough stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Unwrap dough. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (keep remaining dough covered to prevent drying), pass dough through pasta rollers of a pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold dough in half crosswise; fold in half again. Pass dough through rollers again. Move width gauge to next setting; pass pasta through rollers. Continue moving width gauge to narrower settings; pass dough through rollers once at each setting to form 8 (15 x 3–inch) pasta strips. (I rolled some of my pasta to #2 on my pasta machine and some to #3. I'd definitely recommend stopping at #3, as the #2 ones were a bit too thin.) Lay strips flat on a lightly floured surface; cover. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions.

Ravioli Filling
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind (I omitted this)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 5 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry (this was not part of the original recipe)

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. To prepare ravioli, place ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined colander; drain 30 minutes. Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and next 4 ingredients (through egg), stirring until well combined.
2. Place 1 (15 x 3–inch) Classic Pasta Dough sheet on a lightly floured surface. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons filling mixture 1 1/2 inches from left edge in the center of sheet. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons filling mixture at 3-inch intervals along the length of sheet. Moisten edges and in between each filling portion with water; place 1 (15 x 3–inch) pasta sheet on top, pressing to seal. Cut pasta sheet crosswise into 5 (3 x 3–inch) ravioli, trimming edges with a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Place ravioli on a lightly floured baking sheet (cover with a damp towel to prevent drying). Repeat procedure with remaining pasta sheets and filling mixture to form 20 ravioli.
3. 
4. 

5. Bring 6 quarts water and salt to a boil in an 8-quart pot. Add half of ravioli to pot; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until no longer translucent. Remove ravioli from water with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.

6. To prepare sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 6 minutes or until garlic is tender. Remove from heat. Place 5 ravioli in each of 4 shallow bowls; drizzle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic oil. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon basil and 1 tablespoon shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.

Poppyseed Challah

It's been a while since I've made any bread, but I definitely miss it. This Challah recipe isn't quite as tender as a traditional loaf (it's slightly on the dense side), but it's sweet, and eggy, and very good for sandwiches, french toast, or just snacking! You can top it with just about anything. I made 2 loaves -- one topped with poppyseeds, and one topped with Kosher salt. You can also add golden raisins for added sweetness.

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups warm water (110 degrees - be careful it's not too hot, or it will kill the yeast)
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 2 whole eggs, plus 4 yolks
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 8 cups all purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tablespoon water for eggwash
  
• 1 Tablespoon poppyseeds or sesame seeds for topping

Directions

1. Pour water in mixing bowl, and sprinkle yeast on top. Mix in honey, oil, eggs and yolks until well combined.
2. Add 2 cups flour, and salt, and mix with dough hook until combined. Continue adding flour, 1 or 2 cups at a time, until dough comes together and forms a tight ball. Knead with hook about 7 minutes on speed 2 or 3, until smooth and shiny.
3. Remove hook from bowl, shape dough into a neat round ball and place back in bowl, covered with a damp cloth, for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Cut dough into 2 equal pieces (recipe yields 2 loaves). For a 6 stranded braid, cut each equal piece into 6 pieces. I found this video on YouTube that describes how to do a 6-strand braid very clearly. If you don't feel comfortable, just do a 3 strand braid.
5. Spray parchment with non-stick spray, and place braided loaf on greased parchment. Allow to rise an additional 20 minutes. Brush with eggwash and sprinkle poppyseeds, sesame seeds, or the topping of your choice on the bread. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Yogurt Marinated Pork Chops

For some reason, Justin had been CRAVING yogurt marinated pork chops. Not sure where it came from, but he wanted them. So I found a quick recipe online and off I went to defrost some pork and start the marinating process. These really couldn't be easier. Marinate for 4 hours, stick in the oven. Done. We broiled some Brussels sprouts too, so the whole dinner took about 10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook. Fantastic, if you ask me!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
  

Directions:

1. Rinse and clean the pork chops. Trim any attached fat.
   
2. In a large bowl mix together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt and chili powder. Add the chops to the marinade and mix gently till all sides are evenly coated. Refrigerate the marinated chops for 2-4 hours, turning the pieces once in between.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 350.
   
4. Lift the chops from the marinade and place on the baking tray coated with tin foil. Bake 40 minutes or until done.