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Homemade Cheez-its

12/30/2014

A few weeks ago, I came across a homemade cheez-its recipe on Yahoo! and could not resist. I immediately emailed my co-chef (ahem...my sister) and we began plotting our approach.

It took three separate trips to the grocery store to make these. [Nice to know that some stores observe the holidays. And, who knew baking powder was so in demand?!] While our crackers do not look as brilliant as those in the Yahoo! article, they were perfectly crunchy, cheesy, salty and tasty.

Here is the recipe from Yahoo!

Home-made Cheez-its!

Makes about 5 cups of crackers

2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
7 1/2 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) finely grated sharp cheddar
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and cheese and pulse until very well combined. Add 2 tablespoons water and pulse until the dough is just wet enough to hold together when squeezed. Add up to 2 tablespoons more water if necessary.
Divide the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. Press each half of dough into a flat square, wrap well, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Working with one square at a time, roll the dough out to a scant 1/8-inch thick. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut the dough into 3/4 inch-wide strips. Then cut the dough in the other direction to make 3/4-inch squares. Use the flat end of a wooden skewer to poke a hole in the center of each square. Freeze the dough until firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Brush half a sheet with the egg white and sprinkle with salt. Use an offset spatula to gently break the egg washed dough apart and place the squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until puffed and set and browned on the bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes. (Make sure to cook them well so that the finished crackers are crisp. Completely frozen dough may take a few extra minutes to bake.) Transfer the parchment with the baked crackers onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining frozen crackers. Store the cooled crackers in an airtight container.

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Kringle in July

12/29/2014

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Wanting to try something exotic (yes, Eastern European treats are exotic to Africans), my sister and I decided to try and make kringle. This was back in the summer of 2014. Kringle is essentially like a braided cinnamon roll but less sweet. Ignoring the fact that neither my dad, sister or myself are bread-makers, my sister and I felt that _braided_ bread would not be a problem. How wrong we were! I should have recognized the warning when my sister and I googled what to do when dough doesn't rise despite adding yeast.

The dough was a bit too wet. Braiding the dough ended up being a comical feat. My sister was essentially rolling on the floor laughing at my attempts to braid and maintain the circular shape of the kringle loaf. Being an octopus at that time would have been super convenient. The extra arms would have come in handy.

Despite the challenges, the loaves we baked did taste good!

If any of you do attempt to make kringle, aim for your dough to be more dry and consider halving the recipe!

Our Kringle didn't turn out very well...so, no pictures.

Here is the recipe, courtesy of Food52
[A nifty converter]

Makes 1 loaf

For the dough:

250milliliters whole milk
75grams unsalted butter
450grams white bread flour
70grams sugar
1/2teaspoon fine sea salt
10green cardamon pods
7grams instant yeast (1 packet)
1large egg

For the filling:

60grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
40grams brown sugar
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4teaspoon fine sea salt

Put the milk and butter for the dough into a small pan and heat over medium until the butter has melted, then turn up and bring to the boil and scald. Pour into a bowl and pop into the fridge to cool, which may take some time.
Crush the cardamon pods with the side of a knife and remove the seeds, then finely grind the seeds.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cardamon in a mixer bowl and stir. Add the yeast and stir to combine. Beat the egg lightly in a bowl. Then, once the milk in the refrigerator has cooled to body temperature, add it to the bowl along with the egg. Stir until you have a shaggy dough.
Put the bowl on a stand mixer and knead with the dough hook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the dough comes away from the sides and passes the windowpane test. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise for roughly 45 to 75 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size. (You can also leave it in the fridge overnight.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 16 x 12-inch (30 x 40-centimeter) rectangle. Beat the soft butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt together with a spoon. Spread the mixture all over the dough.
Roll the dough up from the long side, then use a serrated knife to split it in half lengthways. Transfer to a sheet of baking parchment.
Weave the two strands together with the cut side up. Bring the ends together, then weave together to make a ring and press the two loose ends together.
Cover with cling film and leave to rise for about 30 minutes until puffy -- if you press it with a finger, it should make a dent. (You can also place into the fridge overnight to rise slowly -- take out to warm up ten minutes before baking.)
While it rises, preheat the oven to 350° F (180 °C). Use the parchment to shift the ring onto a tray.
Put into the oven and bake for ten minutes, then reduce the temperature to 320° F (160° C). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes more until the ring has risen, turned a deep brown, and sounds hollow when knocked.
Remove to a wire rack to cool. The kringle is best eaten the day it is baked, but it toasts and freezes well if you happen to resist consuming the whole thing in one sitting.

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Homemade Cheez-its

Kringle in July

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