Sandwich Bread

TANGZHONG (STARTER):
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk until no lumps remain.

Place the saucepan over low heat, and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick and the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the tangzhong to a small mixing bowl or measuring cup and let it cool to room temperature.


DOUGH:
3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon instant yeast

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. Be sure to stir the liquid well before measuring its temperature; you want an accurate reading. If you don't have a thermometer, the liquid will feel quite hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would be uncomfortable as bath water.

With the mixer on low (to avoid flour from poofing everywhere), pour in the hot liquid.  Add the tangzhong. With the mixer on high, beat for 1 minute until the dough is smooth and has started to become elastic. 

Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.

Pour the soft dough into the pan, leveling it as much as possible with floured hands. (Optional: brush the top of the dough with olive oil.)

Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan.  When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim.  This will take about 45-minutes to 1 hour, depending upon the temperature of your kitchen.  While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove the cover and bake the bread for 22-27 minutes, till it's golden brown.

Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes, turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. (You can lightly butter the sides at this time if you like).

Quick Teriyaki Bowls

Saute:

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

In a small bowl, combine the following ingredients thoroughly (no lumps):

1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons rice or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Add sauce to chicken, stirring constantly.  Cook until it thickens into a shiny glaze.

Serve with rice and steamed broccoli.

Pastry Cream

½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
hefty pinch of salt
2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the salt and whisk again.  To the milk, add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth (no need to temper the eggs). While whisking, pour the milk-egg mixture into the pan. Add the butter.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly.  The butter will melt and the mixture will begin to thicken.  Make sure it comes to a boil to activate the cornstarch. Boil for 1 minute.  Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla. Optional: Strain through a fine mesh sieve.  Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap, making sure to touch the entire surface of the cream to avoid developing a skin.  You can make pastry cream 2 days ahead.

For a video demonstration, go here.

Cream Puffs

For the pâte à choux pastry:
1 cup water
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 eggs

To make the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.

Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining egg and mix until incorporated.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds or balls. Dip your finger in water and smooth out the peaks. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up, and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Do not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.

For the filling:
2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

To fill* the cream puffs, place a pastry tip on your finger and poke a whole in the bottom of each puff. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Pipe whipped cream into each cream puff and chill until ready to serve, no more than 4 hours.

*You can fill them with anything, sweet or savory.

Slight variation of this recipe by Gale Gand.

Sausage Cassoulet

This Sausage Cassoulet is a variation of the one found in Mary Berry's Classic Home Cooking.

1 lb pork sausage
8 oz bacon, chopped
1 large onion
2 cans northern beans, rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes, blended
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cup chicken bone broth
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon  thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh white bread crumbs or grated cheddar cheese to top

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a dutch oven, over medium heat, brown the sausage and bacon.  Remove meat, turn to medium low and cook the onions until soft but not colored.  Return the meat and add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook in oven for 1 hour.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs or grated cheddar and continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

White Chicken Chili

Trisha Price
Foothills Ward Chili Cook-off 1st Place Winner

4 cans white beans (no need to drain)
2 cans chicken broth
1/4 Cup onion, chopped
3-4 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/4 Cup diced chillies (one small can)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 Cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

Mix beans and chicken broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Then add onions, chicken, chillies, garlic, oregano, and cayenne pepper and simmer for another 30 minutes. Then add sour cream and cheese, stir until blended and melted.

Great-Grandma Ruth's Lemon Meringue Pie

1 1/2 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
4 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons corn starch
4 egg YOLKS (reserve whites for meringue)
2 grated lemon rind
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons butter

Mix cornstarch, flour, sugar.
Add boiling water gradually, stirring constantly.
Cook 10 minutes over low heat.
Add butter, egg yolks, rind, juice of lemon and cook 2-3 minutes.
When filling is cool pour into baked pie shell.

Meringue:
Beat egg whites stiff and dry.
Add 3-4 Tablespoons of sugar to whites gradually.
Spread on pie.
Place in oven and bake meringue.