Recipe Testing: English Muffins

    Today Heather and I decided to test a couple of English Muffin recipes that I have been developing.  We have picked are favorite one and we are thrilled to be able to bring this with us to the cafes in Central Asia.  It is such a versatile item that we will be able to use on the menu in a variety of ways including the ever popular breakfast sandwich.  Below I have shared my recipe with you so that you can try it at home. It is very easy to prepare at home and the quality is far superior to the English Muffins you find sold by your average grocer.  Please share with us in the comment section below, what is your favorite way to eat an English Muffin?

Ingredients:
2 cups Whole Milk (divided into two parts one part measuring 1.5 cups the other measuring 0.5 cups)
1 TB Sugar
1.5 tsp Salt
3 TB Melted Butter
2.5 tsp Instant Dry Yeast
1 Egg* (see note below)
2 cups AP Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cornmeal for dusting the English Muffins

*The egg in this recipe is optional.  When we tried the recipe with the egg the English Muffins had more structure and a slightly denser more spongy texture which we preferred.

Procedure:
1.  Take the part of milk measuring 0.5 cup and warm it slightly in the microwave for about 10 seconds.  Be careful not to make it too hot as it will kill the power of the yeast.  (it should be just warm) Whisk the warm milk into the yeast in a small bowl and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile Stir together the egg, sugar, salt, melted butter, and the rest of the milk.

3.  Once the milk and yeast finish blooming, add them to the other milk mixture.

4.  Stir in the flour and and baking soda and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 5-10 minutes to develop the gluten.  If you have a kitchen aide or hand mixer you can mix the batter on medium high speed for about 3-5 minutes to develop the gluten.  At this point it will look very much like the consistency of a batter.

5.  Allow the batter to rest and rise for about 45 minutes.  During this time preheat a griddle on the stove or an electric griddle to 300 degrees F.  If you are doing it on the stove, medium low heat works pretty well.

6.  Spray the griddle and your english muffin rings with vegetable spray. (for english muffin rings you can also you pastry ring cutter or even small tuna cans with the top and bottom lids removed. Spread a small amount of your cornmeal on the bottom of the griddle.  Place your rings on the griddle and ladle the batter into them so they are filled about 2/3 of the way to the top. Sprinkle some additional cornmeal on the tops of the muffins.  Cook on each side for 5-6 minutes, flipping them once with a spatula, to achieve a golden brown top and bottom and cooked interior.
* If your muffins start to get golden brown on the exterior and you think they are not yet fully cooked on the inside you can pop them into the oven for a few minutes to finish them off.

10-Grain Cranberry Roll

     Recently when joining a good friend for coffee at Starbucks, Heather fell in love with the 8-grain roll that she sampled.  Upon arriving at home she was inspired to create her own version of the roll that was not only delectable, but also a healthy alternative to most coffee shop food.  She has been working on developing a recipe that we can sell in the cafes in Central Asia.  Her first attempt was a 10-Grain Cranberry Roll.  She was very pleased with the outcome but she plans on continuing to tweak it to perfection.  She found that Bob's Red Mill brand offers products such as 8-grain or 10-grain mixes that provide a wonderful base to create the recipe. These products can generally be found at almost any major grocery store.

If you are interested in receiving her final perfected recipe when she completes it, please comment in the comment box below and she will send it your way!

10-Grain Cranberry Roll

Soft fluffy interior

Bob's Red Mill 10-Grain hot cereal mix

Recipe Testing: Roasted Apple Financier

Today we tested a new idea, Roasted Apple Financier.  This is a brown butter and almond cake layered with slices of roasted apple and topped with almond brittle and brunoised fresh apple.  We know for sure next time we will serve it with some whipped creme fraiche or something similar to a more acidic whipped cream.

Here is the recipe for the Financier (almond brown butter cake)  It is a very versatile cake that can be served with many different things.

Ingredients:

250 grams (8.8 ounces) Brown Butter
100 grams (3.5 ounces) Almond Flour, sifted
100 grams (3.5 ounces) AP Flour, sifted
200 grams (7 ounces) granulated sugar
250 grams (8.8 ounces) egg whites

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine the egg whites and sugar and whip until the egg whites are just slightly frothy.
3.  Whisk in the brown butter, followed by the almond flour and AP flour.  Stir just until the mixture is combined taking care not to over mix.
4.  Prepare a half sized sheet tray (or a normal cookie sheet) by lining the bottom with a silpat or with parchment paper.  If using parchment paper make sure to spray the pan liberally with Pam or a similar spray.
5.  Pour the financier batter out into the pan and spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown and cooked through.

Caramelized Banana Tartlet

Recently we tested out these caramelized banana tartlets for an event we were doing.  They were gone in the blink of an eye and received great reviews!  It is made of phyllo dough, caramel sauce, and caramelized bananas.  Here is our recipe:

Phyllo dough tartlet shells (24 mini tartlets) :

8 oz. (1 roll) frozen phyllo dough

8 oz. unsalted butter, melted

Granulated sugar

1. Thaw out the phyllo dough overnight in the fridge.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Brush 2 mini muffin tins with melted butter.

3. Keep phyllo dough covered as you work with it or it will dry out quickly.

4. Brush butter on one piece of dough. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the butter. Place another sheet over.

5. Repeat this process until you have used 6 sheets. 

6. Use a sharp biscuit cutter to cut circles. Your cutter should be a few inches wider than than the diameter of your muffin cup.

7. Place cut dough circles (6 layers of dough in each circle) in the muffin cups. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

8. Proceed with the caramel sauce recipe.

Caramel Sauce (taken from CIA baking and pastry book)

12 fl oz heavy cream

7 oz sugar

5 oz corn syrup-light

1 oz butter, soft and cubed

1. Place the cream in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Leave over very low heat to keep warm. 

2. Combine sugar and corn syrup in saucepan and slowly cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Brush sides of pan with water to eliminate granules on the sides.

3. Continue to cook the until the sugar is golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in butter. 

4. Stir in hot cream gradually until fully blended. Cool.

Tart assembly

Phyllo tartlet shells

Caramel sauce, cool

2 bananas, sliced 1/2 inche thick

Granulated sugar

1. Toss banana slices in sugar.

2. Place on sheet pan and caramelize. You can use a torch or a broiler, but be careful to avoid burning.

3. Fill tartlet shells up about halfway with caramel sauce. Place one banana slice on the top of each tartlet.