French Bread - No Cheating, No Breadmakers!

What? What do you mean you don't have 12 hours to make a few loaves of bread? You don't need to sit and WATCH it rise, because much like the old water boiling trick, it wont if you watch it! 

This is a great thing to make with the kids on a weekend where you are around the house but doing other things because there is a lot of "rise time" with this recipe but takes no time to prepare.  They will love mixing it as it sticks to their fingers and if they are anything like me when I was a kid I LOVED the punching the dough part!!  Oh wait, I still do ;) so if you don't have kids....well, you get to have ALL the fun!
Best part of all of this....oh you guessed it, your house will smell fantabulous!  I remember walking in and out of bakeries in Montreal as a kid wishing I could smell that smell in my house forever - bottle that up and bring it home...hey Yankee Candle Company...you should make THAT as a new scent!
But honestly, who can resist a hot fresh loaf of bread dripping with butter??? Reeled you in on that one didn't I?  My mouth is watering too.

French Bread - makes 2 large loaves

2 packages dry yeast (or  5 teaspoons)
2-1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp. sugar
6 cups all purpose flour (approximately)
1-1/2 tsp. salt

Place warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle with yeast and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until yeast dissolves and starts to bubble. Stir in 2 cups flour and salt. Cover and let rise for 1/2 hour.
Slowly stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes. You may need to add a bit of flour as you go so that its not super sticky when you are kneading.
Clean the large mixing bowl, grease it with some olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl. Turn it in the bowl so the dough is greased (this prevents the top from cracking as it rises).

Cover the dough and let rise at room temperature for about 2-1/2 hours, until doubled in bulk. I usually put it in the oven especially if your air conditioning is on!

Now, the best part!!  With your fist, punch down the dough. (releases some aggression)

Divide in half and place one half on a lightly floured surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll dough to a 12x6" rectangle. Starting with the 12" side, roll up tightly. Seal seams and edges by pinching. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place on a grease cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and let rise until doubled in size - approximately 1 hour

After dough has risen for about an hour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle the loaves with a bit of water, then using a knife, make a few slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until loaves are golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. (only until you can touch it, slice it and slather it with butter!)

FINISHED PRODUCT!!!

 

Summery Watermelon Soup

Now, first I must tell you I despise soup.  I'm not 90 or have my jaw wired shut so I don't feel the need to drink my food.  SOOO many people tell me "you don't know what your missing" or "but you haven't tried...." really, I have tried it, MANY times as a kid.  I know "they" say your pallet changes, but its not the tastes I don't like, its the runny hot liquid that I have to slurp up that turns me off.  How do you people feel full after that??  Give me a hearty meat and potato stew and that might make me happy - because I have to CHEW.
That is why when I found a variation of the recipe I am going to post here I was elated!  The summer gazpacho style soups are "in" folks, all the cool people are eating them and hey...I'm cool, or at least I want to pretend I am!
It received mixed feelings when I unveiled it last night for dinner (as a first course - because you cant be full off soup!) Its sweet with a little kick from the garlic and jalapeno - I know, weird but it works.  But what really got the Ughs was the fact that it was cold - who eats cold soup?  See, I am not the only one that has strange thoughts about soup!
Surprisingly all bowls were emptied and I only had to say "you don't want me to cry do you" once!
So while I cant stand this expression I am compelled to use it here TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT!!!

Watermelon Soup - makes about 6-8 servings

1/2 watermelon cubed
1 cucumber peeled and cubed
1 tsp olive oil
1 large yellow pepper diced
1 jalapeno finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Now, you can add other colour peppers, onion, more or less jalapeno etc. but these are the ingredients I chose to use.
First puree watermelon and oil in batches in a blender or food processor.  Pour juice through a strainer to make a clear liquid.  Take a small handful of each of the other veggies and pulse.  Pour this into the watermelon juice to give it a little consistency.
Simply add the rest of the veggies to the bowl, salt and pepper if you wish and cover.  Refrigerate at least a few hours so the flavours merry together.
Easy, tasty, and slightly weird but worth trying.

Who Doesn't Love Cupcakes? CHOCOLATE CARAMEL ONES AT THAT!

This post really needs no explanation does it?  Your waistline will thank you for only making cupcakes.

Just don't get up in the middle of the night to devour one unless you promise to brush your teeth again before you sneak back into bed!

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

3½ oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped

4½ oz butter, coarsely chopped
2/3 c. brown sugar
¼ c. corn syrup
2/3 c. milk
1 1/3 c. all purpose flour 
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 and line your muffin tin with liners.
Combine the chocolate, butter, sugar, syrup and milk in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until melted and combined.  Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cocoa.  Mix into the caramel mixture and stir in the egg.
Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clear when inserted in the center.

Frosting

1/2 c. softened butter
1 1/3 c. icing sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 oz milk chocolate wafers - melted

Beat butter until smooth and add icing sugar and milk.  Once combined add the vanilla and slightly cooled melted chocolate and continue to beat until velvety.
Throw it into a Ziploc bag, cut off a corner and pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes.