Coffee and Do(ugh)nuts Session?

Today when we were making hot cross buns, we thought about what we should make next baking session.

We had the idea to have a coffee + donuts session! We could make a variety of donuts with different coatings/fillings.

I thought we could make a Bosnian 'donut' called Lokumi. It is very versatile; it can be eaten plain or with a sweet glaze (honey, jam, nutella...) or with a savory topping. Conveniently, lokumi do not need a deep fat fryer; they can be fried in a pan containing 2 cm of oil.

Here is a recipe:

Lokoom balls

2-3 eggs
about 100 ml sunflower oil
200 ml milk or yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
about 450g all purpose flour


In large bowl, beat eggs, add oil, yogurt or milk, salt, sugar untill well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder and gradually stir in wet ingredients to form a soft dough.



Turn onto a floured surface. Roll into 1/2cm thickness. Cut with glass or cutter into circles or cut to 5x5 cm squares. Put oil into the pot (about 2 cm from the bottom) and heat. Drop the Locooms in hot oil, upon one side become golden brown, turn to the other side and then bring to bowl.
Serve with cheese or jam or nutela or whatever you like. Leftovers are tasty even the day after.

(from http://kuhinjazaposlenezene.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/lokumi.html)


An alternative recipe, using yeast:

Ingredients:

250 g of sour milk or yogurt

150 ml milk

20 g fresh yeast

5 grams of baking soda

3 eggs

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt to taste

800 grams pastry flour

half a black coffee cup of oil

Oil for frying

Method

1. Combine the yeast, the lukewarm milk, the sugar, a spoon of flour and a pinch of salt. Mix and leave to swell.

2. When the mixture has foamed, add with other ingredients except for the flour. Gradually add the flour with constant stirring. Mix dough to be as softness as pie dough. Allow to warm, stirring occasionally to create air bubbles.

3. Place dough on a surface smeared with oil. Rub the upper side of the dough with oil, and use a rolling pin to reduce the thickness to 1 cm. When greased this way the dough will absorb less oil during frying.

4. Cut the dough into desired shape and fry in hot oil

Can also bake rather than fry: Put in oven preheated to 180 degrees. After 10 minutes reduce to 140 and bake another 15 minutes.

(from http://www.coolinarika.com/recept/709776/#content_info)

Jen

Hot Cross Buns!!

We had a fun time making hot cross buns this morning :)

We made two varieties: one with raisins and cranberries inside, the other with raisins and chocolate chips inside(andcolored with cocoa).

Very delicious with hot with butter!

Here they are right before baking:

some photos from last time :)

great success,well done everyone~

February session Idea: Turkish feast.

So I was thinking of Pide (photo by someone who made two fillings below)

Also Borek

You can read more about Turkish Cuisine here

yum yum

Please do vote if you would like to do this, or make some suggestions! More than happy to hear some. 

Photos from January Session: Crack Pie

recipe for this Wednesday

Swiss Walnut and Toffee Pie (Engadiner Nusstorte) (taken from the book Warm Bread and Honey Cake p. 170-171)


The Engadin valley in the southeastern Swiss district of Graubunden is justly famed for this pie, which is also known as Bundner Nusstorte. It requires a little more patience than most of the other recipes but is well worth the effort. It goes without saying that the walnuts should be of the best quality you can find; even a slight rancid taste will spoil the effect. Traditionalists use nothing but honey in the filling, and frown on substitutes. However, I find that light corn syrup or liquid glucose makes it easier to get a smooth filling, as either retards re-crystallization.

The pie is very rich, so serve it in small wedges. It will keep for at least 1 week in a cool place, well wrapped.

PASTRY
300g/10 1/2 oz/2 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
150g/5 1/2 oz/generous 1 1/4 sticks butter, chilled and cubed.
100g/3 1/2 oz/ 1 cup icing sugar
1 egg, beaten

FILLING
250g/9 oz/1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp honey, light corn syrup or liquid glucose
150ml/5 fl oz/ 2/3 cup double cream, warmed
250g/9 oz/ 2 1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

EQUIPMENT
9 in springform tin

Make the pastry first. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar and rub in until well incorporated. Or simply put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then transferring to a bowl.
Reserve 2 tsp egg, add the rest to the bowl and use your fingertips to bring it together. Add a few drops of water if necessary. Cover with clingfilm and chill while you make the filling.

Have a pair of oven mitts standing by. Put the sugar, water and honey in a large heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and let it continue to boil until it becomes a dark golden colour. Stir from time to time.
Put on the oven mitts and pour the warm cream in the saucepan in a steady stream stirring continuously. It will hiss and bubble ferociously, but the mitts should protect your hands and arms. Keep on stirring the mixture on medium heat until it is creamy and slightly thickened. TO test, pour 1 tsp onto a cold saucer and tilt after a few seconds. The mixture should spread slowly and not disintegrate into rivulets. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the walnuts, coating them well. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 250F/ Gas mark 4. Grease the tin.

To assemble the pie, the pastry should be chilled but still malleable when you roll it. Divide the pastry into two portions, one slightly bigger than the other. Roll out the large porton between to sheets of clingfilm to a 30 cm/ 12 in circle and use it to line the tin. (Use the bottom sheet of cling film to help move it, removing the sheet once the pastry is in place.) Press the edges of the pastry against the side of the tin. Scrape the filling onto the pastry. Level the top as well as you can, but don't apply too much pressure, or you may tear the pastry and the filling will leak out. Fold the excess pastry inwards over the filling.

Roll the second piece of pastry to a neat 22 cm/8 1/2 inch circle. Trim if nexessary. Moisten the edges of the pastry base in the tin with a little water and position the second pastry circle on top of this. Use a forc to crimp and seal the edges. Brush the reserved egg and prick with a fork in several places. If you like you can score a plaid pattern onto the surface with a fork.
Bake for 35-40 mins, or until golden brown. Leave to cool until lukewarm in the tin, then loosen the sides, release the clip and carefully transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely.

Crack Pie!

As I mentioned at our meeting, here is the infamous crack pie:

http://momofukufor2.com/2010/02/momofuku-milk-bar-crack-pie-recipe/

What does everyone think?