family favorite

My Aunt Carolyn is a fabulous cook. Fabulous. And she is famous for her incredible dinner rolls. They are tender and yeasty and sweet and buttery and fluffy and everything you want in an old fashioned American-style dinner roll. But better.

 We have spent Thanksgiving with our dear friends in Elkhart for the last 4 years, and every year now it's been my job to make these rolls. I like being a huge contribution to the feast, but I think it says more about the rolls than me;)

I've made them probably a hundred times now, and even if I can't seem to get them quite as good as when she makes them, I'm proud of the result. And with her permission, I'm sharing them with you today. And you might not ever make another dinner roll recipe ever again.

Carolyn's Dinner Rolls

makes 24 rolls

2-1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups powdered milk
1/3 cups butter, plus more for brushing on the pan and the rolls
3 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
7~7-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add powdered milk, sugar, and yeast. Mix with whisk attachment until combined. Let the yeast proof.
2. Add egg and cooled melted butter. Mix.
3. Switch to the dough hook attachment and add 5 C flour and mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides, and add salt. Beat for another 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and very elastic. Add 1 more C of flour. As you beat the dough, continue adding flour a little at a time until the dough is still slightly sticky.
4. Cover and let stand until double it's size.
5. Punch down and divide into 2 equal parts.
6. Roll each part into a circle 18 inches in diameter. Brush with a thin layer of melted butter. Cut into 12 wedges. Place the wide part of the wedge closest to you, tuck in the sides, and roll. Place on a buttered baking sheet with the point of the rolled wedge down. Let rise in a warm place until double it's size. Place in a preheated 350°F oven and bake 10~12 minutes until golden brown. Brush with butter when done.

Sometimes I like to make these smaller, so on step 5 I'll cut it into 4 equal parts and follow the rest of the instructions the same. Baking time changes to about 8~10 minutes, but they are still a decent size. Enjoy!

creamy goodness

Recently for a lunch group I'm a part of, our theme was appetizers. On the morning of, I couldn't think of what to bring, but I had lots of bread dough, whole milk, and heavy cream in the fridge. So I made baguettes into crostini and home made ricotta cheese. It was really good, but definitely an indulgence. I sure felt it on my hips the next day.

 Remember when curdling the cheese to use an acid with light color and one that you like the flavor of. Your cheese will take on the flavor of the acid a little bit. I used a combination of white balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

 True ricotta cheese is traditionally made from the leftover whey of other cheeses, in an effort to not waste it. Unfortunatley, though, this whey has to be used within an hour or so of making the other cheese, so unless you often make your own parmesan, you're probably not going to have any fresh whey on hand. Making it with milk and cream is a wonderful alternative, and results in a very creamy ricotta.

Homemade ricotta cheese
makes about 2 cups

5 cups whole milk
1 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup lemon juice, white wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or other light colored acid that you like

1. Set a large sieve or colander over a large bowl or clean food grade bucket. Dampen a large sheet of cheesecloth or butter muslin and lay it evenly in the colander.
2. In a large stainless steel or enameled cast iron pot, combine the milk, cream, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and take off of the heat. Immediately add the acid and gently give it a stir. Allow the mixture to sit for about 1 minute to curdle.
3. Carefully pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Let it drain for about 30 minutes. The longer you let it drain, the thicker the ricotta will be. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

*if you want to make a lower fat version, I don't recommend using less than 2% milk. Even the 2% milk ricotta won't make a creamy, smooth cheese. It will be much more rubbery, and you won't want to strain it as long because the curds and whey will separate immediately. So, the first time you try it, stick with this recipe and alter as you get used to it.

crostini
makes about 24 crostini

1 baguette
1~2 cloves garlic
extra virgin olive oil
salt *optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the baguettes 1/2 inch thick at a diagonal. Lay them in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil. Bake in the oven until crisp, about 8~10 minutes, flipping them over once during baking.
2. Rub each slice with the garlic clove and sprinkle lightly with salt, if using. Serve with bruschetta, cheese, tapenade, or any other savory spread or topping. These can be served warm or at room temperature. If not using immediately, let cool completely and put them in an airtight bag. Use withing 2 days.

pizza

On my old blog, I often talked about my favorite bread book.And unfortunately, since it's not my recipe, I can't share the recipe with you. (But like I've suggested over and over, go out and buy the book! It'll change your life, seriously) I love it. I don't buy bread anymore. And the amazing part is that this recipe is so versatile and stays in your fridge for up to 2 weeks, so I can make a fresh loaf of bread pretty much whenever I want.

Which is why pizza is a last minute, quick dinner at our house. And it's completely from scratch. If you don't have this book, (go out and buy it, or) you can use store bought pizza dough or any other pizza dough recipe, of course. But it won't be as convenient as what I do several times a month.

This week, I was feeling a bit splurgy and bought a bunch of fresh mozzarella (which someday soon I hope to make myself), so there was no question in my mind that I needed to make a Margherita pizza. It's the best way to use fresh mozzarella. It's the most beautiful, simple way to enjoy the creamy flavor. Pizza dough, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, olive oil. A teeny bit of salt to taste. I went one step further and infused my olive oil with garlic, just for more good flavor.

It might seem too simple, but sometimes simple is the best way to go. Just make sure you have the best quality ingredients available to you (& your budget), and you'll love the results. That's my whole theory about cooking from scratch anyway.

Margherita Pizza
makes an 8~10 inch pizza

1/4 lb (ish) pizza dough

a mixture of tomatoes, as much or as little as you want on your pizza (I used "campari" and "golden sweet cherries"), sliced

basil

fresh mozzarella slices

garlic infused olive oil*

kosher salt to taste

cornmeal

1. Preheat your baking stone in the oven to 500°F (or higher, if your oven gets hotter). Using a paper towel, blot and press the tomato and mozzarella slices to remove excess moisture.
2. Roll the dough out as thin as you can without tearing, about 8~10 inches in diameter. Place on a (generously) cornmeal coated pizza peel, and work quickly.
3. Evenly place slices of mozzarella cheese, avoiding the outer inch of the dough to prevent the cheese from melting and sliding off of the dough. Place slices of tomato on top, then drizzle with garlic infused olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then quickly slide the pizza onto the stone with a quick, thrusting motion. Bake in the oven for 10~12 minutes, until the cheese and tomatoes are browned and the crust is crisp. Let cool slightly before serving.

Garlic Infused Olive Oil

 1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
3~6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1. In a medium saucepan, pour the olive oil and add the crushed garlic cloves. Heat over medium-low heat. If the garlic begins to brown, turn the heat down. Let the flavors steep for at least 10 minutes, but the longer you go, the more flavor you get. But make sure the garlic doesn't brown or you'll get a bitter oil and lose the olive flavor.