Daring Bakers! Pão de Queijo

I am a college graduate now. I can no longer call this a blog about messing around in a dorm kitchen, because in a few days I'll be moving into an apartment with my own kitchen. College was wonderful, and helped me to discover what kind of person I am, and who I want to be. That process doesn't ever stop, but these four years have been some of the most formative of my life. 

That would be me.

I don't really do goodbyes, and I'm trying not to be sad. The people that matter most in my life will stay in my life. Yes, I'll miss not being able to walk next door or down the street just to stop by and say hello to my friends. That will be hard. And no matter how many times I return to campus, nothing will ever be the same as when I was a student. But that can't be a cause for sorrow. It's time to keep moving forward. And I'll be able to have experiences I never did in school. Dinner parties and movie nights in my apartment, concerts and farmer's markets...

I promise I will keep you updated on my life. The blog is not going to stop. Now on to business...Pão de Queijo. I love saying this. It basically means cheese bread in Portuguese, and is enjoyed in Brazil. I've actually had something like it before, from a mix my sister bought. These are gluten free, crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. The secret is tapioca flour, which is actually pretty cheap. Check out the Asian food aisles of your grocery store for a bag that looks like this. Try them out if you please.

This month's Daring Bakers' Challenge took us on a trip to beautiful Brazil! Renata of "Testado, Provado & Aprovado!" taught us how to make Pao De Queijo, tasty cheese buns that make the perfect snack or treat, and that will make your taste buds samba!

Pão de Queijo

250 gm (2 cups) tapioca starch (If you have access to sour tapioca, you can use 250gm (2 cups) of each)
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole milk
1.5 tablespoons (20 gm) butter
1/2 teaspoon  salt (or to taste depending on how salty your cheese is)
1 1/2 cups (125gm) Monterey Jack Cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella and parmesan), coarsely grated
2 large eggs


Heat milk, butter, and salt in a small sauce pan until it comes to a boil. Watch closely as it may boil over. Remove from heat and set aside.
Sift tapioca starch into a large bowl.
Pour the boiled (hot) mixture over the tapioca and start stirring with a fork. The milk mixture will not be enough to form a dough yet. You will have a lumpy mixture, that's what it is supposed to be.
Keep stirring with the fork, breaking down the lumps as much as you can, until the mixture cools down to warm.
At this point, preheat your oven to moderately hot 400° F/200° C/gs mark 6
Add the grated cheese to the tapioca mixture and mix well, now using your hands.
Add one egg at a time, mix with your hands until dough comes together. I suggest you lightly beat the egg with a fork and add little bits until the dough comes together into a soft but pliable dough. You only have to knead it a bit, not as much as you knead a yeasted bread. It's OK if it is slightly sticky.
Form balls with the dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon mat or lightly greased with vegetable oil. If necessary, you can oil your hands to make shaping easier. The size of the balls may vary from small bite-sized balls to the size of ping pong balls. They will puff up quite a bit after baking.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until they just start to brown on the bottom. You may have golden spots of cheese on the crust. Don't over-bake as they will get hard and bitter.
 Serve hot or warm. If you don't want to eat them all immediately, form the rest of the dough into balls and freeze it. 

Cheese Danish

I've been under a bit of a food curse lately...I haven't made anything I'm really that proud of over this break. I've also made a few things that were downright inedible. My first batch of whoopie pies were both burnt and flavorless, my challah got charred, my macarons were undercooked...frustration. Making something fantastic has become kind of a necessity, even if only to boost my ego.

Not sure what spurred it, but my mom suggested I make danishes last night. Seemed like the perfect opportunity to break my curse. I'm getting less afraid of making laminated dough like this, ever since making croissants in the summer. The first time I tried to make puff pastry was kind of a mess, but that's another story. 

Oh my goodness they are so delicious. I think something may have gone slightly wrong in the process, since they were oozing butter in the oven, but they still turned out with tons of flaky, beautiful layers. My brother said they tasted like toaster strudels, which I think is a good thing, coming from him. I'll try and give directions the best I can here, but it is a long, multistep process. I'm going to heavily rely on Joe Pastry's tutorials for guidance. Let me know if I can clear anything up for you guys. 

Cheese Danish
from Joe Pastry

Dough (feel free to double, triple, whatever the recipe, cause this is a lot of work and you might want some in the freezer for another time)

For the dough:
5.5 ounces (2/3 cup) milk
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) sugar
1 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) instant yeast
10 ounces (2 cups) all-purpose (AP) flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg

For the butter slab:
8 ounces butter
2 tablespoons flour

Combine all the dough ingredients (not the butter slab!) in a mixer and, using the dough hook, mix about five minutes until the dough is smooth and uniform (it will be somewhat sticky…this is what you want). Turn it out into a dough rising container and let it ferment for half an hour at room temperature, then put it in the fridge for a minimum of two hours, or overnight. 

While that is hanging out, you can make your butter block. Put your butter on a double layered piece of plastic wrap, and sprinkle the flour on top of the butter. Cover with another double layer of plastic. Now, with a BIG rolling pin, beat the crap out of it. Seriously. Here is what Joe Pastry has to say:

"What you’re shooting for here is a butter consistency rather like play dough. Not too firm, since you want it to spread as you roll the dough out. But then not too soft either, since if the butter actually melts it’ll soak into the dough and ruin the layering effect. What you’re after is a plastic texture that isn’t at all greasy looking or feeling. If the butter starts to shine, it’s too warm. Put it back in the fridge for half an hour and start over with the tension release"
  
When it has reached the proper consistency, shape it into a square and set aside. 

Roll out your dough into a square slightly larger than your butter block. Position your butter block on top of the square at a 45 degree angle, so it looks like a diamond on the square. Like this  Bring the corners of the dough into the center as tight as possible, so the butter is covered. Close all the openings, using a little water if necessary. You should now have a square filled with butter! 

Time for more beating. Whack the dough across, making an X, then vertically across, turning it until the butter is evenly distributed inside. You want butter within a half inch of every edge. Now, roll out the dough until it is about 1/3 longer than it is wide. Now fold it like you fold a letter to fit into an envelope. Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times, letting the dough rest 20 minutes between each one. I might stick it in the fridge during this resting period. 

Okay! Finally ready to rock & roll. If you're not into cheese danishes (you monster! Just kidding. Sort of.) there are tons of other variations to try. And prettier shapes. But I'm gonna go with this one. 

Cheese Filling

8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients a bowl and beat until fluffy and uniform. 

As for the pastry portion, begin by rolling about three quarters of a pound of pastry dough into a rectangle about a quarter inch thick (exact dimensions are not important). Then simply cut it into squares with pizza cutter. I made 12. They were sort of big. Spoon about tablespoon of filling into the middle of the square, then fold in the the first two corners. Bring in the third corner and using your finger, dab a little bit of the cheese filling on it as a sealing compound. Fold in the last corner and you’re done! Brush with an egg wash.  Preheat the oven to 375 and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on how big they are.  Cook until golden brown. You're done!! 

Giveaway! Focaccia with Tomato, Garlic, and Caramelized Onions

Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to post this, I've been kind of swamped with work lately. But I will never abandon you. So....I was sent a free cooking tool by a company. Does that make me a sellout? I hope not. 

It's one of these guys. A Handheld Mandoline Slicer from OXO! I wouldn't have agreed to review it if I didn't already like OXO's stuff. We've had a potato peeler and tea kettle from them forever, and they're really nice and durable. And I recently acquired a bench scraper, which is also wonderful for chopping. Chopchop. You have to be careful not to cut off your hands. They're all very sharp tools. Except for the tea kettle of course.

This is my lil' buddy who lives on my desk. 

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to use my new, sharp toy for. Caramelized onions sounded like a good idea. But what to do with them? French onion soup was too labor intensive (at least for the time being). So I had a good ol' fashioned facebook poll and had people decide for me! Focaccia it is, then. The mandoline helped sooo much, cutting the onion really thin. It would have taken so much longer for them to caramelize if I had to cut them by hand. Unfortunately, I learned you can't cut a tomato with a mandoline. Too squishy. The focaccia ended up being amazing and flavorful, and I have my nifty little slicer to thank! 

So I would like to share an OXO Mandoline Slicer with you! It's small, slices in three different thicknesses, and can be placed over a pot so the pieces of whatever you're slicing fall right in. Enter my giveaway, please? It's for freee. Just leave a comment on this post and some way for me to contact you. Also, if you like me on facebook, leave a separate comment and I'll give you another entry. Contest closes May 5th. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Tomato, Garlic and Caramelized Onion Focaccia

1 package dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp  oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 crushed garlic
1/3 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp butter

In a medium bowl, stir together yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let rest until yeast blooms and bubbles form on top, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, 1/4 cup oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove dough from bowl and press it into a lightly oiled 9- by 13-inch baking sheet until it touches the edges. Using your finger, poke holes all over the dough. Drizzle the dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let rest until the dough becomes puffy, about 20 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion slices, cover and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Top the dough with tomato slices, caramelized onions, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.

Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack. Cut into pieces and serve.

Parmesan and Cheddar Mini Scones

I'm having a hot flash and my allergies are killing me. I had to run across campus to change into close toed shoes and pants for my chemistry lab. I've spent two class periods puzzling over Nietzsche. But none of that matters because...I got an internship!

 

I'll be working at a local magazine as an editorial intern. Besides assisting the editor, I'll get to work on some of my own small projects. I did such a happy dance when I got the e-mail. Hey, I just did another one right now, haha. It's such a relief to have plans set in stone, since I'm the kind of person to likes to know lots of details in advance. 

A friend gave me like, 1/3 pound container of parmesan cheese she had no use for. I'd heard of cheesy biscuits and things, but I'm really enjoying the scone making process as of late. These can be whipped up in an instant (I made them on the floor of my room!), and they're super flaky and tender. Yay. Just did another happy dance. 

Look at those layers <3

Cheddar and Parmesan Mini Scones 

1 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

a pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (one stick or 1/4 pound) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (keep butter in refrigerator until ready to use)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Rub butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips (or use a pastry blender or two knives) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the the shredded cheddar and most of the parmesan (reserve about 2 tablespoons to sprinkle over the tops of the scones).

3. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk and egg.  Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until a ball of dough comes together.  Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surfaced and knead a couple of times (using a bit of flour if the dough is too sticky) just to bring the dough together.

4. Cut the dough into two equal pieces and flatten each piece into a circle, about 1″ thick.  Cut each circle into 8 triangles and move them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Melt butter and lightly brush  over the tops of the scones using a pastry brush.  Sprinkle the scones with the remaining parmesan cheese.

5.  Bake scones in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown along the edges.  Let cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before eating.  Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Shhhhhh....(Butternut Squash + Bacon Pasta)

I've been feeling kind of quiet lately. I dunno how many of you blog, but do you ever feel blogged out? Like, I've definitely been making food, no doubt, like The Pastry Affair's Chocolate Banana Cake, tomato basil bisque, and monster zucchini bread. I mean, look at this sucker! 

Also look at my fancy nails. 

But sometimes I don't have a story to go along with my food. Or, I could create one, but it would feel forced and distract me from simply enjoying the process. I'm not the kind of person who talks because they like to hear their own voice (I'm not sure anyone would willingly admit to being that person, but you can ask my close friends and family, it's definitely not true for me). I'm okay with long silences. I frequently revel in them. 

Hi! I'm a cute and annoying butternut squash who is far too difficult to cut!

So here's a many stepped but uncomplicated recipe, perfect for getting lost in the quiet of your thoughts. I made it for my family while they were out of the house, and it was a lovely treat to get to cook with the only sounds being a knife hitting a cutting board and the sizzle of oil in a pan. 

Butternut Squash + Bacon Pasta

adapted from Cooking Light magazine 

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• 6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices (raw)
• 1 cup thinly sliced onions
• 8 ounces uncooked penne
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray (don't forget the cooking spray like me, haha); sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
• Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onions to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and onions; set aside.
• Cook pasta according to the package directions, drain well.
• Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add mozzarella, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

The Most Hideous Gifts in the World

Ah, sorry it's been a bit. It's almost Christmas. But more on my mind right now is the fact that it's almost finals. Oh joy. To diffuse some of that stress and just cause I'm a little out there, I decided to have a white elephant party! 

Those biscuit tube things will never stop frightening me. They're so unpredictable. 

If you're unfamiliar with White Elephant (also known as Yankee Swap and Dirty Santa...) I will acquaint you. Pretty much everyone brings a horrible gift, throws it in a pile, and then picks a number to determine who chooses a gift first. The first person picks something out of the pile, and the second person can either steal their gift or pick a new one. And so on and so forth. Vicious rivalries can result. We experienced this. I won't go into details. 

Soooooo ugly! 

For this incredibly tacky tradition, I decided to make some all classy and refined - a baked brie! My mom always makes these for my dad's office Christmas party, so I guess I have this Christmas/brie association. Also, I was kind of afraid of them until recently. Brie, that is, not parties. Well, parties a little. Anyway. There's a lot of flexibility in baked brie, so you can play around with what you put inside. My mom does almonds and apricot preserves. I used walnuts and apple butter. 

Oh, and as for what I received in the exchange? Well...you'll have to wait and see. 

Eat it with crackers! 

Baked Brie

1 uh, Brie. Like President brand or something similar. 

1 tube of crescent roll dough (or just the sheet of dough in a tube if you can find that) 

2 Tbsp (approx.) apple butter

2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350. Not 500 like I did. That'll mess up the cooking time. Roll out the dough, and put the brie on top of it. Don't try and pick the white stuff off, it's fine. spread the apple butter on top of the brie, and sprinkle the nuts over that. Fold the dough over the whole thing so it's all covered evenly. If you want to try and make it pretty, you can attempt that. Bake for 25-30 minutes (or, y'know, 10, if your oven is on 500. No. Don't do that.) until golden. Eat right away while it's all melty and delicious!