Cinnamon Bread

A few weeks ago Donal Skehan posted a picture of some scrummy looking baked eggs on twitter.  I'm not a big egg fan and only eat them scrambled but knew my husband would like them.  I resolved to make him a special breakfast of them the following Sunday.  It didn't happen that weekend, or the one after that or the one after that.  I finally got round to making them for him this weekend.  We've had a pretty hectic few weeks so I decided on a lazy weekend with lots of time to bake and cook and eat. 

On Saturday I came over all domestic goddess and after scrubbing the house donned my apron.  I started the process for a sourdough bread starter (more to follow on this).  I then toddled off with my pretty floral shopping bag and filled it with all manner of yumminess so that I could cook a special dinner followed by a delicious breakfast the next morning.  Another recipe I had been meaning to make for Mr. Boo is The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bread.  He is a fan of all things cinnamon and he enjoyed a similar bread in Ruby's Diner in Huntington Beach, L.A., so much that he hasn't stopped talking about it since.  He had that bread six years ago!

The following morning my sister text to say she had some cakes from Roly's Bistro for me so I told her to join us for our late breakfast.  Donal's eggs went down very well with all at the table and his Spanish potato and chorizo hash (without the fried eggs) that I made to accompany them was positively hoovered up by my sister and the recipe requested.  After breakfast we managed to squeeze in some cinnamon bread and even a little cake or two.  A perfect Sunday morning.

These are the Roly's cakes that we didn't quite manage to finish off

for breakfast so Mr. Boo & I had a nice dessert.

While the end result for this bread was totally scrummy toasted and smothered in butter I did find it required a bit of effort to make.  The dough requires mixing with a dough hook for 10-15 minutes, not an issue if you have a freestanding electric mixer, but I was using a hand held so it took a little arm power.  I also felt that the dough was very moist and sticky, so much so that it was impossible to handle without it sticking to hands and generally making life very messy.  There is a note on the original recipe to add 30g of extra flour if this is the case.  I had to do that 3 times to get it to a manageable consistency.  It was most definitely worth it though and I think next time I make it I will have a better understanding so can add extra flour as I am kneading with the dough hooks to avoid extra kneading time afterwards.   Don't be put off by this though, it is a delicious bread, almost cake like, so definitely worth it for a weekend breakfast treat.  I found it similar to a brioche with a delicious swirl of moist, sweet cinnamon running through it.  Enjoy!

I have linked to the original recipe above but have converted it to g/oz measurements below. 

The Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Bread
(makes 1 x 1lb loaf)

240ml Milk
90g/3oz Unsalted Butter, plus extra for greasing
7g Sachet Yeast
2 Large Eggs
75g/2.65oz Caster Sugar
420g/14.82oz Plain Flour
1tsp Salt
1 Egg and some milk to glaze

For the filling
2tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
75g/2.65oz Sugar
2tbsp Cinnamon

1.  Melt the butter and milk until very warm but do not allow them to boil.  Allow them to cool until still warm to the touch, but not too hot.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2.  Mix the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a free standing electric mixer until combined.  Add the milk mixture and mix until combined.  Sieve in half of the flour and salt and mix until combined, repeat with the remaining flour.  Alternatively you can do this in a large bowl using a hand held electric mixer.

3.  Switch to dough hook attachments and knead on a medium speed for 10 minutes.  If the dough is overly sticky at the end of this time add an additional 30g(a little over an oz) of flour and knead for a further 5 minutes.  Repeat this if necessary until you have a consistency that you can work with (I had to add 90g of additional flour in 3 stages as I found the dough very wet).
4.  Spray a bowl with a little oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl and toss in the oil.  Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in a warm, draught free place( I use my hot press) for 2 hours.

5.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Melt 2tbsp of butter.  Grease a 1lb loaf tin.
6.  Generously flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it.  Flour your hands generously, then flatten with your hands and shape into a rectangle.  Measure the width against your loaf tin to ensure it will fit in.  When you are happy with the shape smear with the melted butter and sprinkle the sugar on top in an even layer.

7.  Roll from one end of the dough to the other keeping it as tight as possible.,, pinch the seam to seal.  Place into the prepared loaf tin, seam side down,  and flatten slightly to fill any gaps.  Cover with clingfilm and return to a warm, draught free place to rise again.

8.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.  Mix 1 egg with a little milk in a small bowl.  Glaze the top of the loaf with the egg/milk mix and place into the preheated oven, below the centre, for 40 minutes.  Remove for the oven and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mini Banana Loaves

The other day I noticed that a bunch of bananas in the kitchen had taken on a dubious speckled appearance.  "They're for the bin", I thought.  You see I don't eat a huge amount of bananas as they are just a little to heavy for my delicate tummy.  I can eat my own body weight in chocolate without a problem but not a banana, go figure.  Mr. Boo reverts back to his 3 year old self at the sight of a blackening banana and refuses to eat them so they are generally consinged to the compost bin at the 1st signs of a freckle.  This time I resolved to save them and turn them into something yummy for the one I love.  That's you babes!

Right here's the recipe, enjoy!

Mini Banana Loaves
(makes 8 mini loaves or 1 x 1lb loaf)

1kg/just over 2lb's Plain Flour
approx. 6 Bananas
3 x 7g/0.25oz sachets of Dried Yeast
2tbsp Sugar
2 level tbsp Sea Salt
3tbsp of Honey, and 3tbsp for glazing
Flour for dusting

1.  Place the flour into a large bowl.  Make a well in the centre.
2.  In a food processor, blitz the bananas until smooth and liquid.  Transfer to a measuring jug and if necessary top up with water to 625ml.

3.  Add half of the banana liquid to the well in the centre of the flour.  Add the yeast, sugar, salt and honey and stir to incorporate.  Gradually start to bring some of the flour into the mix, you will get a porridge type consistency.
4.  Add the remaining liquid and continue to mix incorporating all of the flour until the dough has formed.
5.  Flour your hands and knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is nice and elastic.  You can knead in the bowl if it is big enough, if not flour a work surface and transfer to that.  I do it in the bowl to save me cleaning up something extra.
6.  Shape the dough into a ball, flour the top (place it back in the bowl if you kneaded on a work surface) and cover the bowl with clingfilm.  Place in a warm, draught free area(I always use my airing cupboard/hot press) and leave to prove for 30 minutes.

7.  While the dough is proving prepare the baking tin.  I have a tin with 8 compartments for mini loaves(individual mini loave tins can also be bought in packs of 2 or 4 etc.) which I oiled lightly and lined with greaseproof paper.  It is sufficient to just oil the tin but I wanted the paper for presentation purposes so did both.  If you don't have mini loaf tins a regular 1lb loaf tin will do fine or you could simply flour a baking sheet and shape the dough into a round and bake it on that.  The possibilities are endless.

8.  When the dough has doubled in size knock it back(bash it about with your hands to knock the air out). 

9.  Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and place them into the loaf tins or shape according to your baking tin.
10.Place the dough back into a warm draught free place and leave to prove for a further 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.
11.When the dough has proved brush the top with the remaining honey and place into the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

12.Serve while still warm with some butter, peanut butter or even some scrummy vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of toffee sauce.  Nom nom nom!

Irish Foodies October Cookalong: Autumn Fruit - Blackberry Jam & Apple & Blackberry Tart

The latest Irish Foodies cookalong theme was Autumn fruit.  It didn't take me long to decide that I wanted to use blackberries as my main ingredient, so all that I needed to do was to find some nice juicy specimens ripe for the picking.  I was on blackberry watch every day as I power walked around the village but they refused to turn form red to black.  I think they knew I was waching.  If I'm not mistaken I saw them painting eachother up with a scarlet lipstick one morning in an effort to dupe me. 

Fear not, last Sunday my hushand and I drove to Newbridge House & Demesne and went in search of some viable candidates.  We were a little disappointed to find the same story here.  Lots of red berries and only a handful of ripe beauties.  The hubs got stuck in and was determined to harvest enough for the pot of blackberry jam I had promised him.  He fearlessly climbed in among the brambles and other than the odd swear word when the thorny branches got the better of him he plucked away until he had filled his little bag.

The next day I sailed into unchartered waters and set about making my very 1st jam.  I was under the impression it was a long and complicated process.  I was very, very wrong.  It took just a few minutes and the help of my trusty sugar thermometer, and then Bob's your uncle I had a lovely jar of jam.  Simlpes!  Having researched some recipes online I decided to live life on the wild side and just chuck a few things into the pot and hope for the best.  The result was a really delicious jam.  I will definitely be making my own in future and snubbing supermarket offerings.

Here is my recipe, I hope you enjoy it.

Blackberry Jam

2 cups (measuring cup size) of Blackberries, washed
2 cups (measuring cup size) of Sugar
2tbsp Lemon Juice
2 small Apples, washed, peeled and diced.

1.  Place the blackberries in a large bowl and crush roughly or blitz in a food processor.

2.  Transfer the blackberries to a saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. 
3.  Set over a medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. 

4.  Allow to simmer until the temperature on the sugar thermometer reaches 'jam'.
5.  While still hot pour into the hot sterilised jar, place a wax circle on top and seal the jar. 
6.  Store in a cool, dark place and refrigerate once opened.

The apples in the recipe provide natural pectin to help set the jam.

I had a few blackberrys left over so thought the hubs would appreciate a nice apple and blackberry tart.  I decided to try out a new recipe and had a Catherine Leyden one to hand so gave that a bash.  I was very glad I did.  It was such a simple recipe and I had the pastry whipped up in minutes.  It uses a technique I have seen before but had quite forgotten but makes such complete sense.  Grate the cold butter!  I can't believe I banished this from my memory.  This is genius.  Grating the butter leaves long strands of cold 'fat' that can be easily distributed throughout the flour, and because they butter is so fine there is no need to over work the mixture to incorporate it.  I will most definitely be doing this again to take the stress out of pastry making.  The tart was a huge success, and the pastry just perfect, exactly the texture my mams used to be.  Enjoy!

Apple & Blackberry Tart

225g/8oz Plain Flour
125g/4oz Butter, make sure it is cold and not room temperature
150ml/ 0.25 Pint Cold Water (approximately)
4 Large Cooking Apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
100g/3.5oz Blackberries
Sugar to sweeten apples

1.   Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
2.   Sieve the flour into a bowl.
3.   Grate the cold butter into the flour. (You may need a little flour on your fingers to do this)

4.   Using a knife, mix the grated butter into the flour.
5.   Slowly add the water and mix to a soft dough with the knife.

6.   Turn onto a floured board and knead lightly.  (If you feel your pastry has become warm from kneading place it into the freezer, wrapped in cling film, for 10 minutes)

7.   Roll out half of the pastry to the size of an oven proof plate.

9.   Arrange the apples on the pastry, leaving a 1cm edge.  Sprinkle each layer with sugar.

10. Scatter the blackberries on top of the apple.

11. Roll the remaining pastry out to a size sufficient to cover the apples. 
12. Dampen the edge of teh base pastry with cold water to seal.
13. Press the top pastry over the apples to make the tart.  Seal the edges by using the back of a knife to form a crust.  Press around the edge with the tines of a fork.

14. Pierce the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

Roma Pizza & Pasta Flour (Farina Tipo "00")

The other day whilst I was very busy beavering away at some important task or other I decided to allow myself 30 seconds to check Twitter for updates.  A little tweet from Damien Mulley informed any Irish Foodies who might be interested in receiving some Pizza & Pasta Flour from Roma that they need only send an email for their wish to be granted.  Being a lover of all things pizza and pasta related I thought to myself sure why not, and hit send.

A couple of days later the lovely Adam from Roma sent a little parcel my way.  When I openend the door to the postman it was like Christmas, there he was brandishing 2 lovely parcels for me, 1 from Roma and the other, my Amazon order.  When I opened the parcel it contained the flour as promised and also some Roma pasta, a lovely little storage tin and a recipe card containing recipes for calzone and ravioli.  I had great intentions to make the calzones last Friday but then 'stuff' cropped up and there was no time for that, a very busy bank holiday followed chock full of eating out and entertaining at home so that was the weekend gone. 

When I woke on Tuesday I was more than a little tired and possibly a little grumpy, but with only myself and my shadow in the house I can neither confirm or deny that.  Things started to look a little brighter when I opened the fridge, there staring back at me was a pack of parma ham.  We had a little chat and the general consensus was that the ham was prepared to sacrifice itself for the good of mankind and the love of pizza.  Now, I know what yiz are all thinking.  Pizza. For dinner. Of a Tuesday.  I know, I know but I was tired, I'm weak and I love pizza so I gave in to temptation.

As I hadn't planned on having pizza I hadn't removed my sourdough starter from the freezer and so needed a quick fix recipe for a thin and crispy base.  A little googling yielded the recipe I used.  It is quite similar to the original pizza recipe I posted a few weeks back, in it's texture.  The main difference between the 2 is obviously the inclusion of yeast in this one.  It did however have the advantage of a thin crispy outer crust.  Mr Boo ate the lot, my ahem little tummy could only manage 3/4's of mine, but it was yum and great if you need a quick fix recipe that doesn't require forward planning as is the case with the sourdough recipe. 

Roma's Pizza and Pasta flour feels slightly different to regulair plain or cream flour.  When I looked at it in the bowl it looked a little 'fluffier' (sorry, that's the only word I can think of to describe it) to me so naturally I wanted to stick my hands in to investigate further.  As I lifted the flour in each hand and allowed it to fall back into the bowl it felt much softer than regular flour.  The flour mixed to form a nice elastic dough and the base when cooked was crisp around the edges and light and airy under the toppings.  I will definitely use this flour again when making pizza and will see how it compares when used to make my favourite sourdough base.  I am also looking forward to making some ravioli with it.

*Roma Pasta & Pizza Flour (Farina Tipo "00") is available from Dunnes Stores and Superquinn.

Thin and Crispy Pizza Base
(yields 3 x 11" bases)

•500g Roma Pizza & Pasta Flour (Farina Tipo "00")
•4 tbsp Olive Oil
•1 tsp Salt
•300 ml lukewarm Water
•2 tsp (1 x 7g sachet) Dried Yeast
•1/2 tsp Sugar 

 
1.  Place the flour in a large bowl.
2.  Mix the yeast with the sugar and 50ml of the lukewarm water and stir, allow to sit for 10 minutes until it develops a nice foam on top.

3.  Add the olive oil and salt to the flour.

4.  Now add the yeast mix to the flour, oil and salt and add the rest of the lukewarm water (250 ml). Mix with your hands and knead until you have a smooth dough.

5.  Cover the dough with a clean, dry tea towel and let it sit for an hour.

6.  Once the dough has risen preheat your oven to 250C/481F/Gas Mark 9.
7.  Break off 1/3 of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin until you are happy with the depth of the dough (mine was approximately 5mm).

8.  Place onto a floured baking sheet and dress with sauce and toppings of your choice.

9.  Place into the preheated oven and bake for between 10 and 20 minutes (depending on how thick you roll your base you will need to adjust cooking times, my 5mm base was ready after 10 minutes so check at regular intervals after 10 minutes).
10. Enjoy!

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

Finally, the last #twookieparty recipe.  These are worth waiting for, trust me.  They were deiliciously dense and chocolatey, almost like little cakes, with a little surprise waiting under the dollop of chocolate hazelnut spread, nom!

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

Yields approx 24
(I divided the dough in 2, baked 12 cookies and froze 1 roll of dough to enjoy at a later date)


210g/7.5oz Plain Flour
90g/3oz Cocoa Powder
1/2tsp Baking Soda
1/2tsp Salt
110g/4oz Unsalted Butter, softened
200g/oz Sugar
1 large Egg
120ml/4floz Milk
1tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (I use Nutella)

1.  Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/ Gas Mark 5.

2.  Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper. (Line one if only baking half of the dough.)

3.  In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

4.  In a seperate bowl use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined.

5.  Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.

6.  Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon or a regular tablespoon drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.

7.  Remove the baking sheets from the oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the centre of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to the oven, and continue baking until the marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2.5 minutes.

8.  Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 mins before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

9.  Spread about 1 tablespoon of chocolate hazelnut spread over each marshmallow, starting in the centre and continuing outward until the marshmallow is covered.

10. These cookies will keep for 3 days in an airtight contianer.  Place a sheet of greaseproof paper between them if stacking to avoid them sticking together with the chocolate hazelnut spread.