Pain Complet (Whole Wheat French Bread)

Since we switched to a mostly vegetable and whole grain diet, I've been making whole wheat pita bread instead of my favorite, Pain Complet. But then I realized yesterday that the two breads contain exactly the same ingredients. Duh!

The French bread recipe I use simply calls for a sustained rising period, as with most yeast breads.

In contrast, pitas are ready to bake after only 30 minutes of rising time (don't forget to flip 'em).

And of course pitas bake more quickly because they're thin and small! Plus the oven temperature is 500°F. HOT!

So, here is a photo of my Pain Complet; the dough has been kneaded and is resting in a lightly oiled glass bowl, covered with plastic wrap (a damp towel will work as well).

PAIN COMPLET (WHOLE WHEAT FRENCH BREAD)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

3 cups All Purpose White Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tbsp. Dry Active Yeast

2 cups Water, approximately 110°F

1 tsp. Sugar

Olive Oil

Additional Flour as needed

METHOD:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Move the ingredients to the sides of the bowl, creating a large well in the middle.

Pour yeast and sugar into the well. Pour 2 cups of warm water over the yeast. Sprinkle a bit of flour over top. Wait for bubbles to appear in the yeast, approximately 10 minutes.

With a wooden spoon or your hands, gradually incorporate the flour into liquid. This pre-kneading should result in a relatively firm ball of dough. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour.

Remove dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead it by pushing your palms into and then turning it one quarter. Continue kneading for 7-10 minutes, or until the bread is supple and tacky but not sticking to the surface.

Place the bread in a lightly floured bowl and cover with a damp dishcloth. Let it rise for about 2 hours (depends on the room temperature, you want it to be fairly warm). It should double in size.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle a counter top or other surface with flour.

Prepare a baking pan by lightly oiling and flouring it, or bake on top of oiled parchment paper. I like to use a cookie sheet, brushed with olive oil and dusted with corn meal.

Remove dough and place on floured surface. Press it down once with your palms.

Reshape dough into a ball or braid, whatever shape suits your mood. Place dough on baking pan. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal lines across the top of the bread.

Brush top of dough with olive oil. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes (more or less, depending on how much you like it browned).

This one is perfectly toasty!

Voilà!

(It's a half recipe, by the way, and I shaped it into an artisan style loaf).

Yes, I still love my pita bread. But nothing -- NOTHING -- compares to the scent of a loaf of bread baking for half an hour, filling the whole house with homemade whole wheat bliss. I can still smell it today!

This recipe is based on my experimentation with ingredients and methods as outlined on the tres fantastique site, FamousFrenchDesserts.com.

Chocolate Treats!

I love the combination of Chocolate and Coffee and I found it in a new cookie recipe from RecipeZaar. I'm not usually excited about making cookies because they take more time than baking brownies or other bars (and my time is precious, people!), but these little gems gave me a new-found love for baking cookies!

CAFE NOIR CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Ingredients:

3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped

2 cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips, divided

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces

3 large Eggs

1 cup Sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons finely ground Dark Roast Coffee Beans

3/4 cup Flour

1/3 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp. Salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.

In a double boiler or heat-proof bowl set in a sauce pan of simmering water, melt Unsweetened Chocolate, 1 cup of Chocolate Chips and Butter; stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, beat Eggs, Sugar and Coffee on high speed until thick and pale and ribbons form when beaters are lifted, about 3 minutes.

Beat in Chocolate mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk together Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. Blend in halves into batter, then stir in remaining Chocolate Chips.

Drop batter onto baking sheet by heaping teaspoonfuls, placing them about one and a half inches apart. Bake 8-9 minutes or until puffed and cracked on top.

Cool cookies on baking sheet for 1 minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Beautiful!

Next time, I'm going to leave out the extra cup of chocolate chips added into the batter.

Also, I will add another teaspoon of ground coffee for a richer java flava!

The cookies received rave reviews from Ron and our friends Bob and Justin, who all had difficulty saying "no" to another cookie, and another, and.... 

True, these precious treats are addictive!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

We had a birthday party for Tara that got planned the night before. Fortunately, I had already made a Chocolate Zucchini Cake! The cake was big, and I wasn't sure how Ron and I were going to consume it unless we shared it with several friends, so the last-minute birthday dinner was a perfect reason to slice up half of it and make a special dessert to share with Tara and Kahle:

Grand Petit Fours!

I made a Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for a filling, and drizzled each big little cake with a Chocolate Glaze.

Yum!

Oh, and I can't forget the Mocha Whipped Cream to top it all off!

A triple-chocolatey delight!

Here's the cake recipe:

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

7 tablespoons Dutch Process Cocoa

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Canola Oil

1/2 cup melted Butter, cooled

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 3/4 cups White Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla

2 cups finely grated Zucchini

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt and Cocoa.

In a large bowl, mix together Eggs, Canola Oil, melted cooled Butter, Sour Cream, White Sugar, and Vanilla. Fold in Zucchini.

Slowly fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Cool completely before doing anything crazy like making Grand Petit Fours!

Pompagne (Sparkling Pomegranate Martinis)

The "surprise" party for Kahle backfired when her flight to California was cancelled! The airlines inflicted a cruel twist of fate on those of us planning the Saturday Soiree.

But, sad that our Guestess of Honor would not attend her own party, we raged on! (Don't worry, Kahle, another party shall ensue).

Here's a photo of the guests who stayed until we shut down the kitchen and the bar!

The event started slowly, but that gave me plenty of time to keep working and shouting out orders to Tara, my temporary aide-de-cuisine.

Okay, I didn't yell at her!

She and Ron and I completed all of our main tasks just as the first guests were arriving.

First order up: POMPAGNE!

What is Pompagne, you ask? I found this recipe in my Cooking Pleasures magazine. It's like a sparkling Pomegranate Martini! Here's how to make one:

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Add 2 oz. Pomegranate Juice, 3/4 oz. Vodka (we used Stoli), and 1/2 oz. Orange-flavored liqueur (we used Cointreau).
3. Shake for ten seconds. Strain into a Martini glass.
4. Top with 1 oz. Champagne or Sparkling Wine.
5. Drink responsibly, 'cause these babies go down eeeeeeasy!

Chocolate-Mint Cheesecake!

Last weekend was all about celebrating: friends, food, and CHOCOLATE MINT CHEESECAKE! We shot our latest episode of "Gourmet Again!" with our first studio guests, Kahle and Gavin. 

(I adapted this recipe from my Cooking Club of America magazine, Cooking Pleasures).

CHOCOLATE-MINT CHEESECAKE  

INGREDIENTS 

Crust: 

1 (9 oz.) box - 2 cups - Chocolate Cookie Crumbs 

6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted 

Filling: 

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped 

3 (8 oz.) packages Cream Cheese, softened 

1 cup Sugar 

4 Eggs, room temperature 

1 cup Sour Cream 

2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract 

1 Tsp. Peppermint Extract   

Glaze: 

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate, finely chopped 

1/3 cup Whipping Cream 

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, cut up 

1 Tbsp. Light Corn Syrup

1/2 Tsp. Peppermint Extract 

DIRECTIONS 

Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press evenly into bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until set; cool on wire rack. 

Place 6 oz. chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl; transfer bowl to a saucepan of simmering water (about 1 inch). Stir frequently until chocolate is smooth and melted; remove bowl from saucepan and set aside. 

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer at low speed until smooth. Mix in 2 of the eggs just until combined; repeat with remaining 2 eggs. Scrape down sides of bowl. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. 

Reserve 2 cups of batter in another medium bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and set aside. 

Stir melted chocolate into batter in large bowl until completely blended; pour into crust. Bake 35 minutes. 

Carefully pour reserved peppermint batter evenly over baked layer. Bake 25 minutes or until edges are puffed and top is dry to the touch. 

Center should move slightly when pan is jiggled, but should not ripple as if liquid. Remove and place on wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of water in medium saucepan. Place 6 oz. finely chopped chocolate in another large heat-proof bowl with cream, 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon corn syrup. Place bowl in saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and glossy. Remove bowl from saucepan. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract. Cool to room

temperature, about 1 hour. 

Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake in pan, spreading evenly over top. 

Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. Cheesecake can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store in refrigerator. 

Chef’s Notes: Use organic, non-GMO ingredients whenever possible! Try using chocolate graham crackers or Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies for the crust. I use organic “Bunny Grahams.”

The Chocolate-Mint Cheesecake received RAVE reviews from "Gourmet Again!" studio guests Gavin and Kahle (pictured here about to take another "mint-tacular" bite). 

See Kahle and Gavin in the two-part episode on the BlipsWerx Channel!

Also weighing in with dessert kudos: our neighbors Bob and sons Justin and Josh, plus several of Ron's co-workers!

; ) We even saved a 3-inch square for ourselves!

Foccacia Mania!

Another weekend of wild weather and I'm back in the kitchen, cleaning and cooking. Ron and I went to Los Angeles the previous weekend, followed by a crazy week of not much cooking and absolutely no cleaning! So I'm making up for lost time.

And what better way than to make homemade bread. Foccacia, actually! I ran out of bread flour, so it turned into a part-whole wheat Foccacia. Here's to health, and practicality. No way I was going to buzz to the market in the middle of bread-making, not to mention the horizontal rain!

Like a good girl, I pre-heated the oven and

baking stone well in advance. I was ready to place my beautiful Foccacia dough into that pre-heated oven. See it there? All glistening with olive oil in its little dimples!

So, other than the substituted 1 cup of whole wheat flour and an accidental extra 2 teaspoons of sugar, I followed the recipe from Food & Wine EXACTLY.

You KNOW this is a rarity for me.

But THIS is how the trouble began....

The directions said to put the pan into the oven on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Which I did. THEN, the directions said to THROW 1/4 CUP OF ICE WATER ONTO THE OVEN FLOOR, and close the door. Which I did.

Then, like a busy girl, I set the timer for the recommended 30 minutes and went to do some graphics work on my computer. After about 10 minutes, Ron came in and said, "Wow! I can smell that Foccacia bread. Smells fabulous!" Indeed.

So, like a frantic girl, I ran to the kitchen, turned the lights on high, and threw open the oven. My heart sank as I looked at the already-golden brown crust. I peered down at the oven thermometer: it was spiking over 550 degrees! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I turned the oven down to 350, closed the door, and shakily reset the timer.

I took the Foccacia out a full 8 minutes before the minimum time for fear it would burn all around, and placed it on two wire racks. SAVED! 

The crust is a bit thick due to the HEAT SPIKE (thanks a lot for the ice water tip, Food & Wine "professional gourmet baking lady") but the inside is sweet and hearty with garlic, herbs and onions!

For real, thanks, Honey, for smelling that bread and saving our Foccacia!

We've already eaten 1/3 and shared some with fave eaters, Bob and the boys!

Coming in March.....CheeseCake Extravaganza!

We're filming an extra special "Gourmet Again!" cooking show episode in early March. I'll be making a cheesecake. But I don't know yet which cheesecake, because I gave the choice to our first Guest on the show!

She's been craving cheesecake, and she specifically requested that Ron and I make one for her before she has to leave town. Of course we couldn't turn down a CRAVING like that!

Her deadline is Monday, February 25th to provide her cheesecake choice. Suffice it to say that both cheesecakes involve CHOCOLATE!

Stay tuned for the recipe and other rantings, right here. Meanwhile, have I mentioned yet that I have a bunch of my recipe faves on my web site? Check 'em out.....delicious! Look in the Fun Facts & Funky Faves section for the link!

Sunday in the Kitchen

Spent the weekend in the kitchen. It's been raining and blustery for several days, so what better activities than cooking and baking some special comfort foods?!

Yesterday, I stuffed pasta shells with a ricotta and spinach filling and smothered them in a homemade marinara sauce. Tangy and delicious! Later in the evening, I baked a super-moist chocolate cake and mini-muffins.

Today, I frosted the cake and muffins just as the morning was beginning to bluster like crazy. Then, I made pizza dough. In between the assembly and baking of two pies, I started the dessert we will take to our friends' home later tonight: a pear-apple-cranberry tarte tatin. I pre-heated the oven to 450 degrees F to accommodate the snacking pizza.

First, I rolled the pizza dough very thin, placed it on a square of parchment paper which was on top of a large wood bread board. Then I brushed the dough with olive oil, topped with 1/2 cup of leftover marinara, 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella, super-thin slices of tomato and garlic, basil, salt and pepper, then threw on some more olive oil. I slid the parchment paper onto my pre-heated baking stone in the oven for exactly 15 minutes. I let the pie rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes, and ate half while making my dessert!

The pear-apple-cranberry tarte tatin is baked to perfection and the second pie just came out of the oven, so when I publish this post, it will be snackie time!