Fresh Apple, Almond & Currant Bread

When I read this recipe, it intrigued me because it used fresh apples. Although it called for walnuts, I replaced them with almonds and enjoyed the play of flavors. If I made this again, I might try adding some almond extract to increase the almond flavor.

Source: The Bread Bible: 300 Favorite Recipes by Beth Hensperger

Ingredients:
1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 cup warm water (105-115 F)
1 cup warm milk (105-115 F)
6-6&1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 medium-large cooking apples, tart
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cups sliced almonds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground mace or nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp salt

Instructions:
1. Combine the yeast, brown sugar, warm water, warm milk and 2 cups of the flour in a large bowl (or mixer bowl, using the paddle attachment). Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes, and cover. Let stand until foamy, about 1 hour.

2. Add the apples, currants, almonds, oil, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg/mace, allspice, salt, and 1 cup more flour. Beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms which just pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

3. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding flour as needed in tablespoon increments. The dough should be smooth, firm and springy. Push back in any nuts or fruit that fall out while kneading. (If using a mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy, and springs back when poked.)

4. Place the dough in a greased, deep container and turn once to coat the top of the dough with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 1&1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

5. Gently deflate the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans and set aside. Divide the dough into six equal portions. Roll each portion into a strip and lay three strips side-by-side on the counter. Pinch one end of the three strands together, then braid the strands together, pinching the other end together when you reach it. Tuck the braided ends under the loaf and place the loaf into the pan. Repeat with the other three strands and loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until 1 inch above the rim of the pan, about 45 minutes.

6. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350F, adjusting a rack so that it sits in the middle. Place the pans in the center of the oven and bake 40-50 minutes, or until browned and the loaves sound hollow when tapped with your fingers. Transfer the loaves immediately to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

The Process:

Place in a warm spot for this dough to rise.
I warm my oven, turn it off, and put the dough inside with
the door closed for the duration of rising time.

After first rise. Nicely doubled in size.

Pinch the ends of the three strands together before braiding.

Braiding.

Loaf shaped.

Ready for second rise.

My loaves rose far more than they should have before I caught them and baked them.
Don't leave your loaves unattended!

Results:

This was a great breakfast bread. The dried currants complement the fresh apples, as well as the nuts (you can use walnuts or some other nut as well) to give it a hearty, yet refreshing taste. It toasts extremely well, and tastes good with a light layer of butter.

Fresh Cranberry-Orange Scones

Orange and cranberry complement each other in many recipes. This one is no different. The crispness of the orange goes well with the tartness of fresh cranberries, creating a wholly refreshing scone. 

Source: Simply Scones by Leslie Weiner and Barbara Albright

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chopped
2 large eggs
2-4 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp grated orange peel

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

2. Stir together 2 tbsp of sugar and cranberries and sit for 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl stir the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. 

4. With a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mix until it resembles coarse sand. Some pebbles of butter are okay.

5. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, 2 tbsp orange juice and orange peel.

6. Add the egg mixture to the dry mix and stir to mix. The dough should be sticky. If it is not, add more orange juice in small increments.

7. Lightly flour your hands and gently knead the cranberries into the dough.

8. With lightly floured hands, flatten the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and cut into eighths with a serrated knife.

9. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden on top. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool, recutting the scones if necessary.

10. cool for 5 minutes, then serve either warm or cool.

Serves: 8

The Process:

I used dried orange peel in this recipe because I didn't have a fresh orange to zest, but it turned out well.

This recipe calls for the cranberries to be soaked in 2 tbsp of sugar for 5 minutes.

Only add the cranberries after you've already mixed the dough.
Make sure that your dough is sticky and wet.

Don't squish the cranberries in too hard, or they will bleed into the dough.

Cut the scones, but don't separate them. If you need to recut them when they're cooked, do so then.

Results:

The cranberry and orange flavor is refreshing and light. These are great morning scones to serve as breakfast.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns!

The first time I made hot cross buns was last year, when I coincidentally made them for Easter dinner. I didn't know then that these were a traditional Easter feast, but I wanted to make them again this year. So I did. Only I tried a second recipe, having learned a few things from the first. This one turned out much better than my first attempt.

Source: The Bread Bible: 300 Favorite Recipes by Beth Hensperger

Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water (105-115 F)
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup warm milk (105-115 F)
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
4&1/2 to 6 cups all purpose flour
1 cup dried currants
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sugar Glaze:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Lemon Icing:
1&1/2 to 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1&1/2 tbsp milk

Instructions:
1. Pour the warm water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar over the top. Stir and set aside for 10-20 minutes, until foamy.

2. Whisk the milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of the flour together. (You can also use a mixer with the paddle attachment.) Beat hard for 1 minute. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms, which just clears the sides of the bowl. If mixing by hand, switch to a wooden spoon when necessary.

3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until the surface is smooth, soft and springy (about 3 minutes). If using a mixer, knead about 2-3 minutes, or until the dough is soft, smooth and springs back when pressed with a knuckle.

4. Place the dough in a deep, greased container and turn once to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours until doubled in size.

5. Prepare the lemon icing. Sift 1 cup of the powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl and add the lemon zest. In a small measuring container, combine the milk and lemon juice and add immediately add to the sugar and zest. Whisk until smooth. If the icing is too runny, add more powdered sugar. The icing should be thick enough to be piped through a pastry bag. Set aside until needed.

6. When the dough has doubled in bulk, gently deflate the dough. Turn out onto a floured countertop. Grease two baking trays (or line with parchment paper). Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion into a log about 10 to 12 inches long (exact length and width is not important). With a serrated knife,  divide each log into 9 equal portions. Form each portion into a round and place about 1&1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Allow to rise, at room temperature, until doubled in bulk, 30-45 minutes.

7. 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375 F. When the buns have doubled in size, use a sharp knife to cut a cross in the top of each bun, no more than 1/2-inch in depth. Place the baking sheet(s) on a rack in the center of the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until browned and sound hollow when tapped with a finger.

8. While the buns are cooking: prepare the sugar glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes. 

9. Remove the buns when browned and transfer to a cooling rack immediately. Brush with the sugar glaze and allow to cool completely.

10. When the buns have cooled, pipe the lemon icing over the cross that you cut into each bun. (If you don't have a pastry bag for piping, you can use a Ziploc bag. Press all the icing into the corner of the plastic bag and tie off the top with a rubber band. Snip a small piece of plastic off the tip of the corner and press the icing through the hole.) Allow the icing to set on the buns before serving.

Serves: 18

The Process:

Yeast, sugar and water time 0.

Yeast, sugar and water time 10 mins.

Not a difficult recipe, despite the many ingredients.

This dough turned out a touch firm. I could have gone with a touch less flour.
Regardless, this dough was easy to work with and held its shape well.

Dough ready to rise.

Allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in size.

Deflate dough and turn out onto a lightly floured countertop.

Divide dough into two, roll into a log, then slice each log into 9 pieces.
Roll each piece into ball.

Ready for first rise.

Risen and scored.

Before baking, slice a cross in the top of the buns, no deeper than 1/4-inch deep.

Bake until golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped with a finger. 

The sugar-water glaze adds a sheen to the rolls and just a touch of sweetness.

The icing should be thick. Once you make it, let it sit for a few minutes and it will thicken a little.

Drizzle with icing and allow to set before indulging.

Results:

I think I've found my new Easter tradition. Had I had my act together, I would have made these on Good Friday and enjoyed all weekend long. They are excellent the morning after, heated in the microwave for a brief 30 seconds. Yummy. In fact, they are so excellent, that having just one is difficult

The dried fruits used in this recipe are basic, but you could get creative. Candied fruits are often called for in Hot Cross Buns, but really any type of dried fruit should do it.

Gingerbread Scones

Lovers of gingerbread would gravitate towards this recipe. However, a touch of advice, double the spice if you like your gingerbread flavor strong.

Source: Scones by Genevieve Knights

Ingredients:
200 g all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
50 g butter (about 4 tbsp), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
50 g caster sugar (about 1/2 cup)
50 g treacle syrup or golden syrup
100-150 mls buttermilk

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450F. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and spices into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the butter and use a fork or your fingertips or a pastry cutter to mix the ingredients until they resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together the buttermilk and treacle. Then add the liquids to the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork to combine.

3. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice to bring the dough together. Roll into a rectangle about 1/2 high and slice into 20 small triangles. Transfer to a parchment-covered baking tray and bake 5-7 minutes until the edges brown.

Results:

I was a touch disappointed with this recipe. Part of the reason was because I believe I added too much buttermilk, so my scones turned out thin and watery. However, if I made them again, I would also increase the amount of spices added. As given, the recipe did not taste enough like gingerbread to me, so it warranted a bit more flavor.