Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites

OH my!  These are so yummy.

This year for Christmas day we did something a little different.  We had an appetizer party, meaning everyone brought appetizers and then we just ate all afternoon.  My kind of party!

In the past I have made pretzel rolls, which are amazing as well, because Alex loves soft baked pretzels.  In fact, our freezer is rarely without Soft Pretzels…the ones in the freezer section of the grocery, Superpretzel brand.  So this year I decided to try these, not only because we had everything to make them but also because I was sure they would be a hit.  In the end I filled about 2/3 with ham and cheese and then left the other 1/3 filling free.

Again they were delicious and what’s even better it was probably one of the easiest bread dough’s to work with.  And the biggest bonus, all 3 kids gobbled them up!


Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites                          
(yields at least 48)
 
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1½ tsp. instant yeast
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
¼ cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
2½-3 cups all-purpose flour
For the filling:
½ cup small diced ham
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

To finish:
6 cups water
4 tsp. baking soda
Kosher salt (or pretzel salt), for topping

Directions:
To make the dough, combine the yeast, brown sugar, water, milk, and 2½ cups of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix until a dough has formed.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until a soft, elastic dough forms.  Add the remaining flour a 1-2 tablespoons at a time until the dough is tacky but not sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, until the dough has doubled in size and bubbles on the surface, about 1½ to 2 hours.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Divide into 4 equal pieces.  Stretch or roll one piece of the dough into a 12 x 4-inch rectangle.  Sprinkle some of the diced ham and the shredded cheese over one third of the dough closest to an edge, lengthwise.  Roll up tightly, filling edge first, so that the filling is tightly sealed inside.  Slice the log into 12 pieces and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Repeat with the remaining 3 portions of dough, and the remaining filling.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.  Add the baking soda and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.  Boil the pretzels in batches, cooking for about 20 seconds and turning once. They should be slightly puffed.  Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to transfer them back to the baking sheet.  Sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Source: adapted from Annies Eats, originally from Gourmet, October 2009

Homemade Bagels

Sometimes we run out of things to eat. 

That’s what happened over the past week.  With the cereal gone and oatmeal growing all the more mundane, it was time for something new.

And I really didn’t want to go grocery shopping.  Sometimes I look in our pantry and I’m overwhelmed with all the food that is in there.  But there is a problem.  Alex would say all the food is not really food, but ingredients that must be made into some sort of edible goodness.

So I made bagels.  I’ve never made them before and yes, they can be a little time consuming.  But I had the time.  As well as loads of flour and dried cranberries, thanks to Costco.  So bagels became reality.

I know  many won’t want to take on this endeavor.  But if you do, I can tell you it is so worth it.  These are so delicious and made for a very yummy New Year’s eve breakfast.

Homemade Bagels
Yield: 14

Ingredients:
For the sponge:
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
4 cups (18 ounces) bread flour
2 ½ cups (20 ounces) water, at room temperature

For the dough:
½ teaspoon (.055 ounces) instant yeast
3 ¾ cups (17 ounces)bread flour
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
5 tbsp. sugar
2 ¾ teaspoons (.7 ounce) salt
1 tablespoon honey                                                                     
2 cups loosely packed dried cranberries

To finish:
1 tablespoon baking soda
cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting

Directions:
1. To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4-quart mixing bowl.  Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like pancake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly.  It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.

2. To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add 3 cups of the flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt and malt. Stir (or mix on low speed with the dough hook) until the ingredients form a ball, slowly working in the remaining ¾ cup flour to stiffen the dough.  In the last couple minutes of mixing, add the raisins.  You may need to add a bit more flour at this point, due to any extra moisture that was added with the raisins.

3. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine).  The dough should be firm, stiffer than French bread dough, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour – all the ingredients should be hydrated.  The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77 to 81 degrees F.  If the dough seems dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading.  If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achiever the stiffness required.  The kneaded dough should feels satiny and pliable but not be tacky.

4. Immediately divide the dough into equal sized, 4 ½-ounce pieces for standard bagels, or smaller if desired. Form the pieces into rolls.

5. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.

6. Line two sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil.  Proceed with shaping the bagels by pushing a hole through the center and stretching out the hole to 2 ½ inches in diameter.

7. Place each of the shaped pieces 2 inches apart on the pan. Mist the bagels very lightly with the spray oil and slip each pan into a food-grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

8. Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator by using the “float test”. Fill a small bowl with cool or room-temperature water.  The bagels are ready to be retarded when they float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water. Take one bagel and test it.  If it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days).  If the bagel does not float, return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats. The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the stiffness of the dough.

9. The following day (or when you are ready to bake the bagels), preheat the oven to 500° F with the two racks set in the middle of the oven.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the pot the better), and add the baking soda.  Have a slotted spoon or skimmer nearby.

10. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds).  After 1 minute flip them over and boil another minute. If you like very chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side. While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment-line sheet pans with cornmeal or semolina flour.  (If you decided to replace the paper, be sure to spray the new paper lightly with spray oil to prevent the bagels from sticking to the surface.)

11. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on the 2 middle shelves in the oven.  Bake for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180-degree rotation. (If you are baking only 1 pan, keep it on the center shelf but still rotate 180 degrees.)  After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450° F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown.  You may bake them darker if you prefer.

12. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving.

Source: The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart, 10 Speed Press, 2001, as seen on Annie’s Eats

The Best Beef Stew

Seriously.  It’s the best.  I would know.
I’ve been waiting for this accolade for over 4 years.  This phrase, “honey, this can be our forever, family recipe, beef stew.”  And because of that, this recipe deserves a spot on the blog.
Last night’s menu:  Parker’s Beef Stew, Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits, and a small Arugula Orange Salad with Cranberries.
That, my friends, is something we don’t hear a lot around this house.  I mean, the food is good, even better than good, more often than not.  But never a, “this could be our forever.”  Thank you Ina.
Last night I ventured to a place where I have been shot down plenty of times in the past.  I have made many beef stew recipes and they have never turned out like this nor have they been as easy.  Seriously.  But I did tweak it a bit.  I’ll note my changes below.  But if you even kind of like beef stew or would like to like it, make this.  Thick but not too thick.  Tender, yummy beef with a delicious sauce.  Oh, I want more!
But you have to use the best ingredients you can afford here, it really makes it worth the effort.  What you will have in front of you if you do is company worthy Beef Stew, like you could serve it to your boss or someone really important:)
I’ve been trying to get at least 3 recipes a week off my BC Recipe List and last night we accomplished 2, both really good.  So I will be posting them all, if I remember, because it’s fun.  And I want too!
But back to the stew, like I said I did change some things, actually made it a little easier than it was, which was easy but a little labor intensive.  Plus I cut it in half, I’ll post the original recipe with my changes and the 1/2 portions included.  But don’t let the work dissuade you, it’s perfect for a day at home, and it’s worth every minute you invest..  And with Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits, it’s even better.
Parker’s Beef Stew (adapted Ina Garten Back to Basics)  Serves 6 (or 3 if you halve it, measurements noted below)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (I went to Whole Foods for this and it was only 4.99/lb. and for half a recipe use 1 pound, you could use less meat for the original recipe too if you would like and use more)
• 1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine (I used 1/3 of a bottle of Trader Joes Cabernet; we drank the rest!)
• 3 whole garlic cloves, smashed (1 1/2)
• 3 bay leaves (I didn’t have so I omitted)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (1 C for the halved recipe)
• 6 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (use good bacon, we used Nueske’s, and 3 slices)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Good olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes (1 onion for halved, I used half red and half yellow…it’s what we had)
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered (I bought red potatoes and measured them in the store, 2 medium red potatoes equal 1/2 pound)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves) (1T)
• 2 cups or 1 (14 1/2-ounce can) beef broth (I buy it in the box so I can use it a little at a time, just measured out 7 ounces)
• 1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary (I used dried, a little over a teaspoon)
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I omitted, we don’t care for them)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (1 T)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (I also omitted)

Directions

Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight. (Unfortunately I read this part right before I wanted to start this, so I let it marinate for about 30 minutes, minus the bay leaves)
The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Brown the bacon in a large saute pan for 5-7 minutes, over medium-low heat.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a Dutch oven. Do not get rid of the bacon grease!
Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess.
In the same saute pan, brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in the Dutch oven with the bacon and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you'll need more oil.) Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.
Lower the heat to the saute pan to medium-low and add the onions, cook for 5 minutes adding olive oil if necessary.  Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over the beef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the saute pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. (I did this, but I added the above ingredients stock-pepper to the dutch oven and just poured in the wine marinade later…it’s easier) Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275 degrees F.
Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.  Also remove the Rosemary branch if you use fresh.