Strawberry-Pistachio Rolls

I'll start by saying sorry for the pictures as they were taken with my iPhone. But, the exciting part of that is that I FINALLY HAVE AN iPHONE! Yayyy! I made these rolls in Florida where I didn't have my amazing photographer there to help me out.

I love experimenting with different sweet rolls (like these Meyer Lemon Sweet Rolls), so when I saw these on Kaitlin's blog, Whisk Kid, I knew I had to give them a try. If you're wondering, they are just as good as they look. The sweet strawberry and pistachio fillings play off each other, creating an amazing harmony of salty/sweet-fresh/rich flavors that make it quite easy to down an entire roll (which are about the size of your entire hand) all by yourself (not to mention the fact that the red and green look beautiful together).

While these are still amazing cooled, I find them to be at their peak enjoyment state when they are nice and warm out of the oven. I mean a) who doesn't love warm bread in any situation? and b) the fillings are all gooey and oozing about in the most delicious way.

I think it would be a wonderful idea to add a whole vanilla bean in there somewhere, perhaps in the strawberry filling, just to really put these babies over the top. Someone try it and report back?

pre-bake obviously:

Strawberry-Pistachio Rolls

recipe slightly adapted from here

Dough:

ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 66g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 1/2 milk, warmed
• 78g (1/3 cup) butter, unsalted, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• more or less 500g (4 cups) flour
• extra sugar for sprinkling

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast, water, and sugar. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast is activated (the top should be foamy).
2. Add in the milk, butter, egg, and salt, and mix to combine. Add in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Switch to the bread hook attachment and mix, on high, for 15 minutes.
3. Dump the dough into a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm area for about an hour, until doubled in size.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10 x 24 inch rectangle. Spread with the two fillings (recipes below), leaving a 1 inch border on each side. Tightly roll the rectangle up, and slice into 10+ rolls.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a pie dish (or individual ramekins, etc.) and place the rolls in, leaving a bit of space between each (DO NOT stuff your pan as the rolls will rise again and overflow the pan.... I'm speaking from experience here people).
6. Allow to rise again for about an hour. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden-brown and baked through. (You can drizzle the tops with a simple glaze made from confectioners' sugar and milk if you desire, which you should, because it looks nice :).)

Strawberry Filling:

ingredients:

• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the berries have slightly broken down and the mixture is thickened.
2. Cool and set aside.

Pistachio Filling:

ingredients:

• 128g (1 cup) pistachios, roasted and salted
• 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1/2-1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 28g (2 tbsp) butter, unsalted, at room temperature
• 1 large egg, at room temperature

1. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is a thick paste.
2. Set aside.

Dark Chocolate Granola

If it isn't obvious yet (see these posts: 1 2 3), let me just tell you that I am a complete and utter granola fiend. At any and all times I have about 4 boxes of store-bought, and two types of homemade granola on hand. A little excessive, no? I can't help it. Any time I spot a new flavor, I simple *have* to try it!

This particular granola is positively scrumptious and comes from La Tartine Gourmande (so you know it's good!). Not only is it healthy, but it makes it completely acceptable for you to eat chocolate for breakfast, and really, how can there be anything wrong with that?

I love the contrasting textures at play here. You get the nutty almonds and pumpkin seeds, the light puffed rice and millet, and the ultra crunchy oats. While this granola is wonderful served in some cold milk or on top of yogurt, my favorite way to enjoy it is by the handful :).

Dark Chocolate Granola

recipe from here

ingredients:

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup millet puffs
• 1/2 cup rice puffs
• 1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (80g) dark chocolate chunks

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a small pot, combine the water, honey, sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate. Stir the warm liquid into the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Cool completely.
5. Stir in the chocolate and store in an airtight container.

Meyer Lemon Sweet Rolls

I'll start off by stating the obvious- these are NOT low-calorie rolls. However, they ARE the kind of treat to make on a lazy weekend morning with a couple of friends or, perhaps your kids. Additionally, they are so amazingly scrumptious that you will take one bite and no longer trouble yourself with trifling matters such as: Will I need to spend an extra hour working out? Do I care if I gain weight just looking at these? No, none of this matters anymore when the warm, gooey, tart, and sweet morsel hits your mouth- everything is now right in the world.

These rolls, while time-intensive, are quite simple to make. Whenever I'm baking with yeast, I always am afraid that I am going to do something wrong and the bread won't rise or something of the sort, but I have yet to fail with yeast and am rapidly coming to the realization that maybe my stigma surrounding it is completely unfounded. Now that I know how easy these rolls are to make, and more importantly, how hard they are to get wrong, I can't wait to experiment with various different filling combos as well as the traditional cinnamon roll!

If you have the time, I highly suggest that you try out these rolls. You will not be disappointed by the crisp exterior, the ooey-gooey center, or the creamy, tart glaze. In fact, these rolls are well worth waking up early to make :)!

Meyer Lemon Sweet Rolls

recipe from slightly adapted from here

makes about 2 dozen rolls (depending on how you roll/cut them)

ingredients:

rolls:

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp dry yeast
• 2/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• about 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

filling:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• zest of 6 Meyer lemons

glaze:

• 8 oz. block cream cheese
• juice of 6 Meyer lemons
• pinch of kosher salt
• 6 cups powdered sugar

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the warm water and yeast and allow to proof for around 10 minutes. It will get kind of foamy on top when it's done.
2. To the yeast/water mixture, add in the milk powder, sugar, and salt. With the paddle attachment, stir together on low speed. Add in the softened butter and egg and combine.
3. Slowly add in the flour, 1 cup at a time until the dough is soft but not sticky (you may need a little more or less flour that I used). Increase the mixer speed to high and mix the dough for about 5 minutes until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and begins to climb the paddle.
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead a few times on a floured work surface. Set the dough into a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise for an hour.
5. Cut the risen dough into thirds. Using a rolling pin, roll 1/3 of the dough into a rectangle 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Spread the dough with 1/3 cup of the butter, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, and the zest of 2 lemons. Carefully roll the dough up tightly and cut into 1 1/2 inch rolls. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
6. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the rolls on a large baking sheet or individual baking cups. Set on top of the preheating oven to rise for about half an hour. Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown.
7. While rolls are baking combine glaze ingredients in a large bowl and beat until combined. Pour or drizzle over warm rolls.

These sweet rolls are featured in a linky party at Sweet Rolls that Rock! Click the button below to check out some more tasty and unique sweet rolls!
   

Hazelnut-Lavender-Coconut Granola

(I'm not sure why the font is so small all of a sudden... it is not a different size than any of my other posts :/. Blogger just likes to give me trouble, I suppose.)


Okay guys, this will be the last lavender recipe for a while, promise (though, if you love lavender as much as me that may not be such a good thing?)!

Let me just start off by stating the facts: this is the one of the best tasting and smelling granolas (with a serious emphasis on "smelling"- man my house smelled GREAT) in the whole wide world and if you think otherwise I'd have to say that you are positively crazy. With that said, you certainly have to like lavender and coconut to like this granola :).

Honestly though, it even beats my old favorite, Pine Nut and Black Pepper Granola, by a landslide. I suppose I could be extremely biased considering two of my very favorite flavors are lavender and coconut, but even Mikey-- who is not a granola-person mind you-- found it to be addictively scrumptious (side note: Firefox tells me "addictively" is not a word, but I could have sworn it was and will continue to go on pretending that it is).

Coconut and lavender seem like a less than desirable match, but they work unexpectedly well together! (I imagine that a lavender-coconut quick bread would be quite amazing.) The Meyer lemon's flavor is extremely subtle in this granola, but noticeable enough to freshen things up a bit. I love the delicious nuttiness the hazelnuts add, and the crunchy buckwheat kernels bring in lots of texture. Basically, I adore every component of this granola.

If you don't try either of the other two lavender recipes I've posted recently, I implore you to try this one! Because as a granola-lover, this one is just perfect for me, and I hope that you will find it to be more than acceptable for you as well!

By the way: Recently I posted an "About Me" page (which can be found at the very top of each page) and I was curious to know if there were any other questions you would like answered on the page. Please post any suggestions in the comments, thanks!

Hazelnut-Lavender-Coconut Granola

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup buckwheat
• 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
• Zest of 2 Meyer lemons
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut butter (you could use coconut oil instead, it just won't be as coconut-y)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp culinary lavender

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, buckwheat, coconut, hazelnuts, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small sauce pan, melt together the honey, coconut butter, and lavender over low heat for about 4-5 minutes.
4. Pour the hot mixture over the oats, etc. and stir to fully coat. Pour the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out into an even, thin layer.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the granola has reached your desired level of golden-brown (I like mine a little more on the extra-toasty side), stirring every 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before storing.

Cornmeal Waffles with Fresh Currant Syrup Topped with Honeyed Mascarpone and Pistachios

A few days ago I entered an Iron Chef-style contest on an internet forum. The theme was "breakfast," and considering that is incredibly broad, I initially had absolutely no idea what I would choose to make. I thought about roasted asparagus with a poached egg and truffled breadcrumbs; I considered bacon pancakes or a breakfast pizza, but then I recalled the gorgeous fresh red and white currants that were sitting on my fridge and I knew exactly what I would make.


The cornmeal in these waffles gives them a really nice bite, and the fresh currant syrup is both refreshingly tart and sweet. The creamy honeyed mascarpone is a delicious alternative to whipped cream, and the pistachios add a satisfying crunch and saltiness that pairs with the currants remarkably well.


I have no idea if I placed (I think I'll know in a few days), but I'm proud of my entry, and I think it was pretty creative!


This post definitely has more pictures that my others simply because for the contest I had to take pictures of the process.

Cornmeal Waffles with Fresh Currant Syrup Topped with Honeyed Mascarpone and Pistachios

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup coarse-grind cornmeal
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Fresh Currant Syrup (recipe below)
• mascarpone
• honey
• pistachios, toasted and chopped

1. Preheat your waffle iron, and also preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs. Add in the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine.
4. Spray your waffle iron with nonstick spray and ladle the batter in. Cook according to your manufacturer's instructions. 
5. Remove the cooked waffles and place on a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm until you're ready to serve.
6. In a small bowl, combine a dollop of mascarpone with some honey and whip together with a spoon.
7. Serve your waffles drizzled in the currant syrup with a dollop of the honeyed mascarpone and a sprinkled of pistachios.

Fresh Currant Syrup

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh currants (I used a mixture of red and white)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp red wine (I used a Merlot)
• 1 whole star anise

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring fairly regularly, until the mixture has reduced by about half.
2. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve, being sure to press all of the liquid out of the solids. Serve with Cornmeal Waffles!

P.s.- This is the new GORGEOUS Shun knife that my wonderful boyfriend surprised me with for no reason at all that I use at any moment I possibly can because I still can't believe how awesome it is:

Pine Nut and Black Pepper Granola with Figs and Goat's Milk Yogurt

I am an absolute granola nut. I freakin' love the stuff, and I am all about a complex, jam-packed mix. I like it loaded with all sorts of goodies: nuts, seeds, fruit, grains, etc., but this incredibly simple and uncomplicated granola blew me away. I have zero idea how a granola with only 6 ingredients (that includes salt and pepper!) can taste so unbelievably complex and wonderful and yet, this slightly spicy and sweet mix swept me off my feet and left me swooning. The small amount of butter and sugar form a wonderful caramel coating over the individual oats and nuts which is absolutely addictive!


Everyone knows that goat cheese and figs are a match made in heaven, but have you ever tried figs and goat's milk yogurt? Oh my.... it is purely sublime. Add in the spicy pine nut granola and you are left with the most amazing way to start off your day (though I must admit I've also had it for lunch, snacks, and dessert). This dish is basically texture heaven. You get the cool, creamy yogurt against the warm, soft figs, and finally the crunchy granola.


All I can say is, you simply must try this dish. It couldn't be easier and yet the flavors are incredible. I'll stop tying to convince you now and just let the photos speak for themselves :).

Pine Nut and Black Pepper Granola with Figs and Goat's Milk Yogurt

This is more of an outline than a recipe. This is just what I use for myself.

ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Pine Nut and Black Pepper Granola (recipe below)
• 1/4 cup goat's milk yogurt (I used a variety with added honey but you could use plain and drizzle actual honey on top, or just skip it altogether)
• 2 fresh figs, quartered (I used Black Mission)
• 1 tsp olive oil

1. Heat the oil in a small pan over high heat. Add the figs and saute for about 4-5 minutes or until they begin to caramelize.
2. Add the yogurt and granola to a bowl and top with the figs. Eat up!

Pine Nut and Black Pepper Granola

recipe from August 2010 issue of Cooking Light

ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the sugar and cook for about 2 minutes until the sugar lightly browns. Add in the nuts, oats, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Spread the mixture in a thin layer onto the lined baking sheet. Bake for 16 minutes, stirring after 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Cinnamon-Sugar Popovers (in a muffin tin!)

Popovers have always intrigued me; alas, a popover tin is one of the many awesome kitchen gadgets still on my wish-list. Thus, I figured without that integral piece of equipment, I wouldn't be able to successfully bake any- that is until I found this recipe on David Lebovitz's site!
These cinnamon-sugary treats are reminiscent of those massive fried "elephant ears" that you can buy at the fair. They are sooo good- super crispy, buttery, and all-around glorious. The best way (read: only way) to eat them is nice and warm out of the oven, freshly dredged- talk about a decadent breakfast! But, they will still be yummy the next day if kept in a air-tight container ;).
I presume they would be just as good rolled in powdered sugar as opposed to a cinnamon/granulated sugar mixture.

Cinnamon-Sugar Popovers

recipe from here

makes 10

ingredients:

for batter:

• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

for cinnamon-sugar coating:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a standard-sized muffin tin and set aside.
2. In a blender, combine the butter, eggs, milk, salt, and sugar. Whiz for a few seconds until combined. Add in the flour and whiz for about 10 seconds until fully combined.
3. Pour into the greased muffins cups, filling each 1/2-2/3 of the way full.
4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until deep brown in color. Let cool for a couple of minutes until they can safely be handled.
5. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a medium-sized bowl.
6. Brush each popover with the melted butter, and then dredge each in the cinnamon-sugar. Gobble up!

Poached Eggs Over Sauteed Garlic Spinach

On Thursdays I don't have class until 1:30 so I get to sleep in and have brunch :)! Today, though, I didn't do much sleeping in as I got up at 8am. I laid around on the couch for a few hours and studied for my English exam this afternoon (which I totally aced if you were wondering) and by 11 I was in the mood for eggs! I haven't had eggs in quite a while and the last eggs I did have were scrambled. I knew I wanted some delicious, runny, yolk-y goodness to satiate my craving.
Poaching eggs is one of my very favorite ways to enjoy them and these turned out spectacular. Seriously, this simple dish is one of the best breakfasts/brunches I have had in quite a while. I enjoyed my eggs with some juicy white and pink grapefruit.
Oh, and don't judge my use of sandwich thins! They're only 100 calories!

It's a happy face! Hah.

Poached Eggs Over Sauteed Garlic Spinach

serves 1

ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 tbsp butter, divided in half
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 slices of toast, and english muffin, or *ahem* a whole wheat sandwich thin

1. Bring a pot of water to a low boil.
2. While you wait for the water to boil, heat half of the butter in a skillet. Add in the garlic and saute for a minute or so until really fragrant. Add in the spinach and some salt and pepper and saute for a few minutes until wilted.
3. Crack the eggs into little bowls or ramekins and slowly slide them, one at a time, into the water. You can use a spoon to try and push the egg whites around the yolks. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and let the eggs cook in the water for about 4 minutes.
4. Grab your toast/sandwich thin/whatever and butter it with the remaining butter. Top with the sauteed spinach. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and gently place on top of the spinach. Add more salt and pepper to your heart's content... I like a lot as you can see. Enjoy!

1 serving @ 352 calories