Pecan Honey Sticky Buns : TWD

This week I was relieved to see the return of the Brioche dough to the Tuesdays with Dorie rotation. As recommended in the raisin snails, I sealed up the 2nd half of the brioche recipe, and stashed it into the freezer, figuring it was only a matter of time before we got to it again.

After a 24 hour stint in the fridge to thaw down, the dough was as soft and pliable as when it was fresh. I was pretty excited, since I really liked this brioche recipe, and am always doubtful when freezing things like dough. It rolled out easily, and thankfully this week's recipe had far fewer steps than the custard filling. It took no time to sprinkle out the sugar, roll it up, and slice it. I always fear I'll end up with very uneven pieces, so after trimming the edges, I cut it in 1/2, then each piece in 1/2, so on until I had 16 rolls.

I wanted to take the finished rolls to a get together the same evening, so when the rolls hadn't risen to the 'touching' stage, I was a little disappointed. But put them in the oven regardless. Next time I use frozen dough, I'll have to remember to give it more rise-time.

They came out of the oven all bubbly and smelling divine. Then came the task of turning them out. Because I wanted them to be in a portable container, I chose to invert them into a pan with taller sides, fearing hot syrup spilling in the car. I probably should have given it more thought. Because instead of hot sugar all over the car, I ended up with hot sugar all over the counter. The inversion didn't go quite as planned, and I ended up making a bit of a mess.

I scooped as much syrup and pecans back into the pan with the buns, neatening them a little, and did a quick scrub down before having to run out the door without them. I was just too disappointed in my faux pas to bring the misshaped mess I ended up with.

Giving them a glance this morning, I decided they were at least worth a taste since they SMELLED divine, and the only problem was in the actual visual presentation. They were indeed quite tasty, and well worth the time investment of the brioche recipe. Next time, I'll just have to remember to turn them out into a nice shallow pan.


Pecan Honey Sticky Buns
Makes 15 buns
For the Glaze:
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces1/4 cup honey1-1/2 cups pecans (whole or pieces)
For the Filling:
1/4 cup sugar3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar1 tablespoon ground cinnamon3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the Buns:
1/2 recipe dough for Golden Brioche loaves (see below), chilled and ready to shape (make the full recipe and cut the dough in half after refrigerating it overnight)

Generously butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan (a Pyrex pan is perfect for this).
To make the glaze: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, and honey to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissovle the sugar. Pour the glaze into the buttered pan, evening it out asbest you can by tilting the pan or spreading the glaze with a heatproof spatula. Sprinle over the pecans.

To make the filling: Mix the sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl. If necessary, in another bowl, work the butter with a spatula until it is soft, smooth and spreadable.
To shape the buns: On a flour-dusted work surface, roll the chilled dough into a 16-inch square. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Starting with the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. (At this point, you can wrap the dough airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months . . . . Or, if you want to make just part of the recipe now, you can use as much of the dough as you'd like and freeze the remainder. Reduce the glae recipe accordingly).
With a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends of the roll if they're very ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into 1-inch thick buns. (Because you trim the ragged ends of the dough, and you may have lost a little length in the rolling, you will get 15 buns, not 16.) Fit the buns into the pan cut side down, leaving some space between them.
Lightly cover the pan with a piece of wax paper and set the pan in a warm place until the buns ahve doubled in volume, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The buns are properly risen when they are puffy, soft, doubled and, in all likelihood, touching one another.
Getting ready to bake: When the buns have almost fully risen , center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the sheet of wax paper and put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Bake the sticky buns for about 30 minutes, or until they are puffed and gorgeously golden; the glaze will be bubbling away merrily. Pull the pan from the oven.
The sticky buns must be unmolded minutes after they come out of the oven. If you do not have a rimmed platter large enough to hold them, use a baking sheet lined with a silicone mate or buttered foil. Be careful - the glaze is super-hot and super-sticky.
Click here for the Golden Brioche Dough recipe.

Madeleine's punk sister Madelime : TWD

“Have it jest as you've a mind to, but I've proved it time on time, If you want to change her nature you have got to give her lime.”

Rudyard Kipling

In a fit of culinary searching this week, I tried 5 different stores, including a Michael's and a Linens and Things looking for a Madeleine pan, to no avail. Apparently People around here aren't big on shell shaped french cookies. Amusing considering its a beach resort area.

While I'd never owned a Madeleine pan, I knew them to be fairly shallow, with a tapering edge to the shell. Michael's had every shape imaginable (Dora the Explorer Madeleine anyone?), so I finally settled on a 12 cavity shallow heart shaped pan.

In past weeks, I've been sticking to the recipes for the most part, trying to get a feel for Dorie's style before experimenting. This week, I threw caution to the wind with my hopes of finding a Madeleine pan.

Not only were these NOT going to be shell shaped, I wanted them to be GREEN! I'd recently purchased a tin of Matcha (Green tea powder) and was interested to give it a try. I figured a lime-green-tea combo would be tasty.

I set about mixing up the bright green dough and letting it chill, then buttered the heck out of the little non-nonstick pan, and crossed my fingers. Putting a little dollop of dough in each well, I learned after the first batch that 'less is more' in having them retain their little heart shapes and not overflow the lip of the pan.

In the end, they worked out pretty well. The green color is a little masked by the gently browned edges, but it still gives a nice punch of color and a subtle flavor to the buttery morsels.

I would definitely make these again, though I'd want to find a genuine pan first. While the hearts worked out, I had to quickly pry the cooked hearts out, lest they stick to the pan. The husband gave them two thumbs up as well.

Non-Traditional Madelimes

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

½ cup sugar

Grated zest of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon Matcha (Green Tea Powder)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, matcha and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lime zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE:Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners' sugar.
makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies

serving: Serve the cookies when they are only slightly warm or when they reach room temperature, with tea or espresso.

storing: Although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, the madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. You can keep them overnight in a sealed container, but they really are better on day 1. If you must store them, wrap them airtight and freeze them; they'll keep for up to 2 months.

Craisin Brioche Snails

I'd love to say something witty about these.... but with a friend's birthday, and then visiting the in-laws, I didn't get the chance to start on them until Sunday afternoon, with instructions that dictate we refrigerate the dough overnight. So of course I was up till 11 last night with these in the oven, and now am typing a hasty review of them the day its due...

But it was oh-so-worth it when they were right there for breakfast today. And dessert after lunch. And dessert after dinner tonight. Maybe its a good thing Dorie doesn't include a calorie listing for her recipes, since I don't see these lasting too long in our house.

The actual prep and assembly wasn't too bad. There was a lot of apprehension going around about lighting the raisins on fire... I ended up using craisins since I'm not a huge raisin fan, and we just had them in the apple pie cake. The craisins taste just as good, though they didn't really 'plump' at all when soaked.

After the soak and heating, I poured in the rum and stood as far away as possible while trying to lite them. This is what probably saved my eyebrows as apparently the alcohol was quickly evaporating into the air and I had quite a "poof!" of flame as it ignited before it settled down to a flickering burn. I had just enough time to stir a bit and snap a picture before they went out. Not too exciting, and the drapes survived.

I'm always a little weary of making custards, especially since it is time consuming to meticulously separate all those eggs, etc, I always fear I'll curdle it and end up with scrambled eggs rather than custard. So with that in mind, I slowly drizzled and whisked like there was no tomorrow as I incorporated the milk. Then, I don't think it ever came to a boil before it started thickening, at first I thought I was curdling it as it was getting lumpy. So I quickly removed it from heat and whisked it to an inch of it's life, and it evened out into a nice thick custard.

Assembling/rolling was uneventful, though I wish I'd had some non-mint floss to saw it into pieces, my butcher knife worked well enough as long as I wiped it between each cut. After the rise, the pans went into the oven and browned up quite nicely. Though at after 11pm at night, I opted to skip the glaze.

Anyhow, Success! A bit more work than I usually do for baked goods, but worth it in the end.

Brioche Raisin Snails

1 cup moist, plump raisins
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 recipe for Golden Brioche Loaves(page 48), chilled and ready to shape (make the full recipe and cut the dough in half after refrigerating overnight)
1/2 recipe Pastry Cream (page 448)

For The Optional Glaze
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
About 1 teaspoon water
Drop of pure vanilla extract

Getting Ready: Line one large or two smaller baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Put the raisins in a small saucepan, cover them with hot water and let them steep for about 4 minutes, until they are plumped. Drain the raisins, return them to the saucepan and, stirring constantly, warm them over low heat. When the raisins are very hot, pull the pan from the heat and pour over the rum. Standing back, ignite the rum. Stair until the flames go out, then cover and set aside. (The raisins and rum an be kept in a covered jar for up to 1 day.)
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches wide and 16 inches long, with a short end toward you. Spread the pastry cream across the dough, leaving 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Scatter the raisins over the pastry cream and sprinkle the raisins and cream with the cinnamon sugar. Starting wit the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. (At this point, you can wrap the dough airtight and freeze it up to 2 months; see Storing for further instructions. Or, if you do not want to make the full recipe, use as much of the dough as you'd like and freeze the remainder.)
With a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends if they're ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into rounds a scant 1 inch thick. Put the snails on the lined baking sheet(s), leaving some puff space between them.
Lightly cover the snails with wax paper and set the baking sheet(s) in a warm place until the snails have doubles in volume--they'll be puffy and soft--about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Getting Ready To Bake: When the snails have almost fully risen, preheat the oven: depending on the number of baking sheets you have, either center a rack in the oven or position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the wax paper, and bake the snails for about 25 minutes (rotate the sheets if you're using two, from top to bottom and front to back after 15 minutes), or until they are puffed and richly browned. Using a metal spatula, transfer the snails onto a cooling rack.

If You Want To Glaze The Snails: Put a piece of wax paper under the rack of warm rolls to act as a drip catcher. Put the confectioners' sugar into a small bowl, and stir in a teaspoon of water. Keep adding water drop by drop until you have an icing that falls from the tip of a spoon. Add the vanilla extract, then drizzle the icing over the hot snails.

Golden Brioche Loaves

2 packets active dry yeast
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch water
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk
3 3/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature but still slightly firm

For The Glaze
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water

To Make The Brioche: Put the yeast, water and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt, and fit into the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Toss a kitchen towel over the mixer, covering the bowl as completely as you can-- this will help keep you, the counter and your kitchen floor from being showered in flour. Turn the mixer on and off a few short pulses, just to dampen the flour (yes, you can peek to see how you're doing), then remove the towel, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and mix for a minute or two, just until the flour is moistened. At this point, you'll have a fairly dry, shaggy mess.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, set the mixer to low and add the eggs, followed by the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter in 2-tablespoon-size chunks, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next. You'll have a dough that is very soft, almost like batter. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl (or wash out the mixer bowl and use it), cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes, depending upon the warmth of your room.
Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap to the bowl. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours, then leave the uncovered dough in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
The next day, butter and flour two 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch pans.
Pull the dough from the fridge and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cut each piece of the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a log about 3 1/2 inches long. Arrange 4 logs crosswise in the bottom of each pan. Put the pans on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat, cover the pans lightly with wax paper and leave the loaves at room temperature until the dough almost fills the pans, 1 to 2 hours. (Again, rising time with depend on how warm the room is.)

Getting Ready To Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To Make the Glaze: Beat the egg with the water. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the loaves with the glaze.
Bake the loaves until they are well risen and deeply golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pans and turn the loaves out onto the racks. Invert again and cool for at least 1 hour.


Pastry Cream

2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits at room temperature

Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan.
Meanwhile, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch until thick and well blended. Still whisking, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk-- this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the milk. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (making sure to get the edges of the pot), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the bits of butter, stirring until they are full incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape the cream into a bowl. You can press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the pastry cream until cold or, if you want to cool it quickly--as I always do--put the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water, and stir the pastry cream occasionally until it is thoroughly chilled, about 20 minutes.