Whole Wheat Jam Sweet Rolls

      Sometimes, all you need in life is a warm piece of bread, some butter spread generously on top, and a good slathering of jam. I mean, who argues with the smell of coffee and toast in the morning? If you start your day off with these in your kitchen, I positive it is going to be better.

          And sometimes, you want freshly baked bread to start your day. I for one, am never going to fault you for that. I have a particular weakness in my heart for brioche, which is a French style bread, that is lightly sweetened, heavily enriched with butter, and absolutely heavenly. If pastries were to meet bread, start dating, get married, and birth a brilliant baby, I am pretty sure it would be brioche. 

        This dough is very similar to a traditional brioche that is made in into a braid around Easter. It requires minimal kneading, are is pretty much just thrown in the bowl, stirred, rested, and given a little love; before long you will have a much more decadent tasting toast, butter and jam on your table. Because sometimes, that is the only type of bread that will suffice in the morning. Unlike normal toast, each individual roll has a gooey, soft center; and there is a center roll to the roll pan, and the center of the center roll, is pretty much the most coveted thing in the world. (At least in my world, and if that is the same in your world, there is a good chance we could be friends.)  

        Finally, the thing that makes this so wonderfully easy, is that all that you have to do is brush them with melted butter and dollops of your favorite jam or fruit butter-mine was a delectable apple butter from a local creole restaurant I adore. This simple mixture is not only fuss-free, but also not overly sweet. I love, I mean, love pecan sticky buns and cinnamon rolls, but sometime they are too much in the morning. These gentle treats are simple, soft bread with the your favorite pantry staples, pulled warm out of the oven-perfectly simple.

Lightly inspired by "Briochettes au ducle de leche" in The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo

Make 6-7 medium sized rolls
Ingredients:
5 TBSP unsalted butter
3 1/2 TBSP water
1 TSP dry active yeast
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
1 heaping TBSP sour cream
1 TSP vanilla extract

3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1/2 C apple butter (or sub whatever jam or preserve you prefer on your toast!)

Instructions:
1. Melt 5 TBSP butter, add it to lukewarm water, and stir in the yeast until it dissolves. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Push the dry ingredients to the sides to create a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, the egg, vanilla, and sour cream, and combine until you have a soft, sticky dough with no flour streak remaining.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 2 hours in a warm place or overnight in your fridge until it has doubled in size.
4. When ready, preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line a 8 or 9" cake round pan with parchment paper. 
5.Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead the dough for 4 minutes. Next, roll it into a large rectangle and brush 3 TBSP melted butter over the entire surface. Dollop the apple butter around the surface of the dough and brush it around to cover the entire surface.
6. With the long side facing you, roll the dough up into a log. Slice the rolls into even rounds (about 6 or 7). Place the rolls in the prepared pan with space in between them. Gently cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until they have doubled in size (about 45 minutes sitting on the preheating oven).
7.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops have become golden. Remove from the oven and allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving! Happy Breakfast.

Love,

 Boulder Butter

Gingerbread and Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches

         There have been some articles circulating recently about a restaurant in New York that focuses on mindful eating by having patrons arrive by a scheduled time and eat the their entire meal in silence (A Silent Dinner Experience). Instead of focusing on the other distractions we so often put around us during our meals, the mind has the opportunity to think about what it is actually eating. 

       I think we all get a little distracted nowadays. I understand and am in the same boat. I have a phone, a computer, and books I want to read. With how busy we all get it is easy to want to use food time to coincide with "catch-up on the latest time." However, the article I read brought up a very awesome point of today. A meal like this make you focus on your food and puts you in a state of communion between your body and what is nourishing it. Instead of focusing on restricting things, it brings light to what taste good, when it feels good to eat, and how the food is for you as an expierience. 

      I think a practice of mindful eating is great to develop. Rather than having your email open during breakfast, just sit there and let your mind focus on the flavors you are enjoying. Perhaps while you eat dinner with your friends or family, make a point to discuss what you taste and the preparation of dish itself. I definitely do not think we have to eat each meal in silence, but community can be formed not only eating the food together, but also talking about the food together.

        When you eat these cookie sandwiches, try focusing on the pleasure it brings you. For instance, you can focus on the sensations of the different coldness levels between the ice cream and the cookies. Or perhaps ponder the way the texture of the cookie changes while frozen, and how the bite feels against your teeth. Flavors are enhanced with temperature changes, so when foods are hot or cold, they seem more flavorful to us. These cookies have a lot of spice in them, so maybe try focusing on if you can pick out the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and black pepper individually. Also, how do the spices contrast between the cookies and ice cream? Or do you not find they do much at all? Can you find the tang from the sour cream in the ice cream? Think about the elements individually and the experience as a whole. I would be curious when you finished, how you felt it differed from any normal time you eat dessert.  

         I find focusing on the food can bring us a greater level of pleasure. Figuring out why we like something, why it tastes or feels good to us is one way to find a more complete enjoyment of our food in general. Additionally I find it a more holistic way of connecting our bodies with our food. I really believe some things we eat are good for us just because they make us happy. Its one of the reasons I love food and dedicate so much time to it. I love bringing not only myself, but also others happiness through a bite. So maybe just giving that food the attention to allow it to bring us the happiness is the key.

*A note on the recipes: I was asked by a few readers to do a more health conscious post. So for a change of pace, these are non-fat and partially whole-wheat gingerbread cookies. They are out of this world good, and I will make them again as a go to. I trust David Lebovitz's recipes and as always, after using one I remembered why. They were perfectly chewy, flavorfully spiced, and pleasantly thick. In my opinion, they are by far the wow-factor of this dessert. The ice cream is yummy, but the because it is lower fat (made with 1% milk) it is not as smooth and creamy as normal ice cream. For a more health conscious option, I think it is good; otherwise I would not have posted it. However, if I made these again, I would personally just prefer the full-fat deliciousness of ice cream. If you would like to do the same, here is a traditional custard based pumpkin ice cream recipe I would recommend instead.  David Lebovitz's Pumpkin Ice Cream. 

Pumpkin Spice Cream:

Adapted from Cooking Light's Pumpkin Spice Cream, September 2002

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C low-fat (1%), divided
2 TBSP dark brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 (14 oz.) can full fat sweetened condensed milk
1 TSP vanilla extract
1/4 TSP ground nutmeg
1/4 TSP ground ginger
1/4 TSP ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree, divided
8 oz. full fat sour cream

1. In a medium sauce pot, combine 1 cup of the milk and the brown sugar, until the sugar is dissolved and bubbles are just beginning to form around the sides of the pot (do not let the milk boil). Remove from heat.

2. Whisk the yolks together, and then slowly add the milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, make sure not to cook the eggs in the process. You can use a hand mixer on the lowest speed for this.

3. Pour the mixture back into the pot, place it over medium heat, and whisking constantly, let the mixture thicken until it coats the back of a metal spoon (about 4 minutes). Strain the custard through a sieve and discard any solids that may have formed.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, spices, and salt. Then stir in 1 cup of the pumpkin puree.

5. Slowly add in the custard, whisking constantly during the process.

6. Pour into a container and chill the ice cream base for at least 8 hours.

7. After the chill period, mix together the sour cream and remaining pumpkin puree, until thoroughly combined.

8. Add the sour cream mixture to the ice cream base, mixing the two together and then freeze the mixture according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Whole Wheat, Nonfat Gingersnap Cookies:
Barely adapted from David Lebovitz's Nonfat Gingersnaps

Oven Temp: 350 F
Ingredients:
1 C packed dark brown sugar
1/4 C applesauce
1/3 C molasses
1 C all-purpose flour
1 1/4 C whole-wheat flour
3/4 TSP baking soda (at sea level, use 1 TSP)
2 1/2 TSP ground cinnamon
1 1/2 TSP ground dried ginger
1/4 TSP nutmeg
1/2 TSP ground black pepper
1/4 TSP salt
2 large egg whites, at room temp.

1. In stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar, applesauce, and molasses for 5 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides once in the middle, and once at the end.

2. Meanwhile, sift together the flours, baking soda, spices, and salt.
3. Add in the egg whites to the brown sugar mixture and beat for one minute.

4. Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed and slowly add in the flour until it is fully incorporated, then continue to mix for one more minute.
5. Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
6. After the chill time, remove the dough and preheat the oven.

7. Scoop and roll the dough into 1 inch rounds. Then roll the dough balls around in sugar. Place them evenly apart with room to spread on a cookie sheet and gently press each ball down with your fingers.

8. Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes until the centers are just beginning to set. You want to watch these carefully and pull them on time so they stay soft and chewy.

9. Let the cookies cool completely on a metal rack, then transfer them into a zip lock bag into the freezer to prepare them for ice cream sandwich assembly.

Final Steps:
When the cookies have frozen and the ice cream is set, take two cookies and scoop a small round of ice cream into the middle of one. Place the second cookie on top and gently press down.
Quickly wrap the cookie sandwich in plastic wrap and place it back in the freezer until you are ready to eat it.
Proceed again until all the cookies sandwiches are made and safely in your freezer. Enjoy! 

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

          Oh Summer and Fall, how you fill me with produce abundance happiness. I love this time of year. It is warm, the days are long, walks are frequent and one of the best parts of all, the farmer's markets are full of wondrous delights. There are exciting cheeses, breads, pickles, eggs-all great things. However, nothing tickles me more than the sight of the local and fresh produce that comes about. I sigh with happiness when I think about this time of year. I am particularly lucky at this moment because my good friends, the Bedard family, have an almost mini farm going in their backyard. It is a spectacular sight and filled with goodies!

          The other day I went over to their house to do some canning. We made cherry plum and peach-plum ginger jams. The smells that were wafting were incredible. I have two jars tucked away in my cabinet, and I am eagerly anticipating the moment I break into their sweet, fruity, gooey mess. I have been dreaming about spreading it thick on my toast with brie...yum. But, that is for another day, back to the Bedard's produce for now. I got to tour their gardens, and was given some of the fresh crop to take home. Like a giggly child, I smiled wide with arms full of chard, Hungarian peppers, snap peas, fava beans and one massive zucchini. I mean this bad boy of a zucch only took HALF to make the entire two cups of shredded zucchini needed for the bread, and that was de-seeded!

Seriously. 

         Coming home with such a great handful of veggies, I obviously had to bake with some of them. So I turned to the age-old classic of zucchini bread. Really, what better way to celebrate this time of year than putting produce in your baked goods? For such a classic baked good, I turned to my American classic baking expert, Fannie Farmer, once again. The recipe is heavily spiced, so even mixing together the dry ingredients will start wafting smells to the baker's nostril. Then, when it starts baking and the scents really develop, you will probably notice your stomach start to grumble just as mine did.

Breakfast of Happiness: Sweet Zucchini Bread, Plain Yogurt, and Black Coffee.  Yum. 

        I did not add nuts because I did not have any on hand, but feel free to add up to two cups. I figured as long as I was "being healthy" by adding zucchini to my daily sugar and butter intake, I might as well make it half whole wheat too. I found the bread a perfect consistency of texture, and not to at all unpleasantly dense. Rather, it was an extremely moist and filling slice, with the still desired lightness of a teacake. I also added an orange glaze, because I mean really, who does not want some kind of drizzle atop all of their cake-like products. DO NOT SKIP THIS! The brightness of the orange was unbelievable with the spice of the cake. It provided the perfect compliment of flavors and the cake just would not have been as spectacular without it. I encourage you to enjoy with your tea at night sitting out on the porch, or nibble on for breakfast. It is a wonderful time of year when the Earth gives us so much we get to incorporate veggies in every meal-even breakfast and dessert! How fun! How exciting! How absolutely late summer, happiness!

The have some truly beautiful corn coming in! 

Oven Temp: 375 F (350 F at sea level)
Materials: I used a 10" Bundt Pan. You can also use a 9x13 for a thinner sheet cake or 2, 8x5 loaf pans for the most traditional shape. You can always tightly wrap a loaf in saran wrap and save it for later!
Cake Ingredients:

DRY
1 1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour
1 TBSP Baking Powder (scant at altitude, level at sea level) 
1/2 TSP Baking Soda (scant at altitude, level at sea level)
1 1/2 TSP Salt
2 TSP Cinnamon
1 TSP Nutmeg
1/2 TSP Cloves

WET
2 C gently packed, grated raw zucchini*
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 C Sugar
1/2 C Milk (Soy, 2% or Whole are fine)

*If you have a large zucchini, make sure to de-seed it. Just cut it in half and scoop out the middle watery, seeded section. 

Syrup:
3/4 C Powdered Sugar
1 Freshly Squeezed Orange
A small splash of vanilla extract

Instructions: 

1. Preheat your oven. Grease and lightly flour your pan(s).

2. Thoroughly mix together all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (flours, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves).   

3. In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients (zucchini, eggs, butter, milk and sugar).

4. In two to three batches, add your dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring together between each addition until the batter is well blended.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for about 45-55 minutes until an inserted tooth pick comes out clean. 

6. Let it cool for 5 minutes and then turn the cake out of the pan.

7. Meanwhile, mix together the orange juice, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Heat in microwave for about 20 seconds, and then finish stirring the ingredients together. It will be liquidy, but that is good because this is more of a soaking syrup. Once the cake has been turned out, pour the mixture over top of the cake and allow it to absorb.

Wrapped tightly, this could last 5-7 days on your kitchen counter...Good luck with that. 

          I have had my fair share of zucchini bread-plain, nutted, chocolate studded, chocolate on chocolate, you name it- but let me tell you, this is a zucchini bread to be reckoned with. I will return to this recipe again and again because it was about as darned well balanced and moist as it could get. Don't let your zucchini go to waste, or even just sauté it up, make this easy-peasy, delicious bread. 

Just look at those freshly-squeezed pieces of orange pulp resting in the cracks!

Happy late summer time folks!