baked piroshki

When I have been traveling lately, I have been eating my own food.  It means I can travel more.  It is actually what I would like to be doing right now but autumn is going to be busy.  Cooler too.  I do not particularly like to camp when it feels to hot to breathe.  It feels that way around here lately.

I did send the boyos off to Tennessee.  A different set of boyos then normal but boyos still.  I was asked to make some type of hand pie that was filled with a savoury filling.  The adults loved these.  The picky boyos, and I am not exaggerating, did not think they were food.  I was not surprised.  I have tried to feed them before.  

This is a keeper recipe.  Especially traveling or a surf day or in the refrigerator when I am not home so the boyos will have quick food.  I did tweak it a bit to make it easier for my life.  Part of that, of course, was using sourdough.  They are the only yeastie beasties that I have and I do not go to the store for yeastie beasties.  I also like that they are baked but I did not precook the cabbages.  It was not needed.

This recipe does take time but it is well worth it.

baked piroshki

Note:  I found this on pinterest.  I modified this recipe.

sourdough starter

100 grams flour

100 grams water

1 1/2 cups milk

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled until warm

3 to 4 cups flour plus flour for kneading

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground meat

4 small potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

A few hours or the night before, mix the sourdough with 100 grams flour and 100 grams water in a large bowl.  Cover and let sit in a warm place until bubbly.

In a pot of water, put the peeled and quartered potatoes.  Bring the water to a boil and turn down to a simmer.  Cook the potatoes until soft.

In a skillet over medium heat, put the olive oil and onion.  Cook the onion until some brown is showing.  Add the garlic.  After about five minutes, add the ground meat.  As it is browning, add the potato, cabbage, salt, and pepper.  Once the meat is browned, taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.  Set aside in a bowl to cool  It is easier to make the piroshki when the filling is not hot to handle.

 

Reserve a bit of the sourdough for next time.

Mix in the milk, sugar, and warm water.  Mix in 3 cups of flour.  Turn out onto the counter and knead until smooth and silky.  Cover and let rise until double in a warm place.

Portion out the dough into 2 inch balls.  I got about 24.  Flatten out the ball of dough and place a tablespoon of the meat of filling in it.

Bring the sides up and twist to close.  Place on a baking sheet with the twist down.  

Fill all the buns.  I had extra meat filling which is waiting for next time or for a pie.  Allow to rest covered for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  When the oven is preheated, bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden.

So good!  So handy.  Good traveling food but good lunch food too.

Yes, Chef!

Koda Bear and I were mixing up bread dough this afternoon.  He was talking to me about how wet it was and then I added the flour.  He asked me what it should be like and I said it should be pancake batter.

Koda Bear, who only wishes to eat fish and chips (halibut is preferred), wanted pancakes for dinner.  The planned loaf of bread became the pancakes.  Pancakes even fed company!

I was making oatmeal bread so I was not sure how these pancakes were going to turn out.  I was pleasantly surprised  I  served them with sugared berries instead of syrup.  Everyone seemed very pleased and no one went away hungry.  I would say that was successful.  And Koda Bear did not eat his weight in fish!

Now, particulars.  These are yeasted pancakes.  There is no other leavening.  I have mentioned it before but I do not really like the taste of baking powder.  I would have used baking soda here because of the sourdough but I still do not like the flavour.  I also do not like cakey pancakes.  These are much less cakey.  With the leftover batter, I added some more makings and have dough rising for bread.  Two for one is about my speed right now.  

oatmeal pancakes

Note:  if you want a cakey pancake, add 1 teaspoon baking soda to the batter.  I was working with Koda Bear on this.  He really likes the scale but we were more in a dump mode which is why the volumes.  I also do a lot of bread by feel and eye anymore. 

sourdough starter

3/4 cup water

1 cup flour

1 cup flour

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour 

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted butter

butter for frying.

In a large bowl hours before needed, mix the sourdough, 1 cup flour, and 3/4 cup water together.  Let sit covered until bubbly.  Reserve a couple tablespoons and store in the refrigerator for next time.

To the starter, mix in the rest of the water, the oats, and the brown sugar.  Give it a good stir.  Mix in the eggs.  Mix in the flour.  It should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter.  Cover, and let sit at least one hour.  

After the hour, the batter should be bubbly and you should be able to see the gluten stretching.  Heat a frying pan or griddle of medium low heat.  When hot, melt butter on it.

Mix in the salt.  Mix in the butter.

I used a third cup measure to pour the batter on the pan.  Wait until bubbles have formed and popped, and the top is dry looking before flipping.  There should be some golden brown.  Flip and cook the other side for a minute or two or until there is some brown.  I fry these on cast iron which continues to heat.  I have to slowly turn the heat down as I fry pancakes.  I get three in my pan at a time.

Fry pancakes until the batter is gone or bellies are full.  Extra pancake batter can be stored in the refrigerator or made into bread.

I served these with sugared berries.  You could use maple syrup but Koda Bear did not need that.  I was thinking that I would have also liked roasted apples with cinnamon and ginger.  But the heat index was 109 degrees Fahrenheit today so roasting apples was not high on the list.  Maybe when it cools off.  

The title of the post is due to Koda Bear starting to say "Yes, Chef!" everytime I asked for his help.  It made me laugh.  

mille crepe cake

I have gotten asked for lots of cake recently.  Even a red cake with red jam with red frosting.  That one went with the boyos to Tennessee.  MUCH sugar in that vehicle!

I actually got away with making two cakes that did not have sponge.  I win!  I made a kugelhof because I was having a horrible terrible week and I thought it sounded wonderful.  But, on the same weekend, I made a vanilla cake because it was requested.  Cake and vanilla requested.  Form was not specified.  Sponge was not a requirement.

I made a mille crepe cake.

Tasty!  Fairly simple if you make crepes or swedish pancakes at all.  That and a bit of vanilla whipped cream made this cake.  Now I will say that it is currently residing in the freezer because it has the tendency to melt.  Ten minutes of defrosting sure do help the cutting.

Vanilla cake.  Just a different form.

mille crepe cake

2 batches of swedish pancake batter or enough to make 20 six inch pancakes

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup white sugar

Make 20 swedish pancakes or your favourite crepe recipe.  Make sure that they have a bit of golden on them. It makes the cake prettier.   Let them cool completely.

Put the heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.  Whip until it forms soft peaks but not until it has turned to butter.

Place a pancake on a plate.  But a large dollop, a couple of tablespoons, of whipping cream on it.  Spread the cream to the edges.  Repeat until all the cream and pancakes are gone, ending with a pancake.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve!

When it is warm, it is not the easiest cutting cake.  This is a little more then ten minutes out of the freezer.  But it is good.

I have some ideas on other flavours I may just have to try.  It is also easily gluten free.  Wahoo!  

morning bake

I have been doing a lot of baking before work or in the morning.  It has to do with the heat of the day, how long I like to let flavours develop, and just timing.  My morning bake today was requested to be made again immediately.  The bread is over half gone.  That is what I get for having boyos around.  Especially ones named Koda Bear.

Yesterday, there was milk for tea or milk for bread without going to the store.  Since I did not wish to leave the house, it was milk for tea.  Hot black tea with milk and sugar as Koda Bear says.  The sugar is only a sometimes.  Usually sugar in tea takes the place of eating something sweet for me.  But that meant, no milk for bread.  And I am finding that there are too many people!  Going to the store is people!

I took my everyday bread and added oatmeal, brown sugar, and an egg since Koda Bear likes double jam sandwiches.  If he is going to try to survive on double jam sandwiches, I am going to try to sneak protein in him.  The funny thing is that he likes double jam sandwiches but the peanut butter on a spoon.  Not on the jam sandwich!  This bread was light and moist and requested again before it had a chance to cool.  

Yeasty Beasties have been fed so they can start making bread again tonight.  No wonder I go through flour like I do!

oatmeal bread

sourdough starter

100 grams flour (or about 1/2 cup)

100 grams water (or about 1/3 cup)

1 cup or 240 grams water

1 cup or 100 grams old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 - 1/2 cup (55 to 110 grams) packed brown sugar  (I think I used the larger measurement, but to your taste)

1 egg

1 teaspoon or 10 grams salt

2 to 4 cups or 500 grams flour (500 grams and 4 cups measure are too much flour, but I have a bear helper.  Flour goes everywhere!)

In a large bowl eight hours before, mix the sourdough starter, 100 grams flour, and 100 grams water.  Cover with cling wrap.  I have gone to cling wrap because it has been so hot here that the starter has been forming a skin on top.  This keeps the skin off.  Parchment paper or waxed paper would work as well.

When the starter is nice and bubbly, and you can see gluten strands, remove a couple tablespoons for next time.  Mix in the 240 grams water, oats, brown sugar, and egg if you are using it.  Mix in 2 cups or 250 grams flour.  This should be a thick dough.  Cover and let rise for a couple of hours.

Mix in the salt and enough of the rest of the flour to make a slightly stiff dough.  Knead the dough until smooth.  I found the best description of  my kneading as a rolling and tucking motion unless I have help.  Kneading for me until it is smooth takes about five minutes or less.  

Cover and let rise for about an hour.  After the hour, take the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.  Flatten the dough.  Fold into thirds.  Fold the long ends towards the center.  I form it a bit more into a ball and put back in the bowl.  Cover.

Repeat the above step three more times.

Butter a loaf pan.  Line with parchment paper.  Uncover the dough and shape into a loaf.  Put in the pan.  Cover with cling wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, turn the oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Remove the cling wrap.  Put is in the oven for one hour.  It is done when the loaf is golden and hollow sounding when thunked on the bottom.

Koda Bear did not even ask for jam.  Butter please!

baklava cookies

When I get bored, and there is no concentration left, I will head over to pinterest.  It is a good place to get ideas and inspiration.  It never helps my concentration though!  

I have been finding less recipes that I wish to make posted though.  Unless I am doing searches.  But I came across this one, baklava cookies.  Baklava is a favourite thing.  But I have never made it and I do not have the urge.  Miss Amy makes really good baklava and she usually brings some over at Christmas so that feeds a lot of cravings.  Outside of the holiday season, the are good middle eastern restaurants and delis in the area that have good baklava.  I just do not want to deal with phyillo dough.  But cookies?  I can do cookies.

The flavour of these are spot on.  The recipe called for store bought cookie dough but I used the snickerdoodle cookie recipe from Flour by Joanne Chang.  If I were making the snickerdoodles, I would tweak the cinnamon sugar mixture but the dough is a perfect carrier for the flavours of cinnamon, honey, and walnut.  I actually got asked to make these again this weekend.  The boyos want to take some on their travels.

I am getting quiet! Okay, so I still have to go to work but quiet otherwise!  I am excited.

baklava cookies

Note:  I took the ideas from pinterest and the snickerdoodle recipe from Flour.  I also cut the recipe in half.  

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) finely chopped walnuts

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream the 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter together.  Mix in the egg.  Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.  Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or overnight if you can.  I am the first to admit that I usually do not refrigerate.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon together.  When it is melted, mix in the walnuts.  Let cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.  Take the dough from the refrigerator.  Roll a teaspoon of dough into about an one inch ball.  Place on the baking sheet, about two inches from the next ball.  I was able to fit twelve on my baking sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Take the partially baked cookies from the oven.  Drop about a half teaspoon of the walnut mixture on top of the partially baked cookie.  Depending on the size of the cookie you made, it may be closer to 1/4 teaspoon.  Though I am told that the candied edges of the walnut mixture running down the cookie are a large draw.

Return to the oven and bake for three more minutes.

Remove and let sit at least five minutes or more before trying to remove from the baking sheet.

So good!  I can only eat two at a sitting.  My Beloved and Miss Amy both agree they could eat the whole batch at a sitting.

Just be aware that control may be an issue.