cinnamon rolls

I HAVE CONQUERED CINNABON, EVERYBODY. these cinnamon rolls are deeeeeeelicious. i took a few photos of them as they were doing their final rise (to be posted soon, of course)... unfortunately we started eating them before i could get a good picture of the final product.

adapted from dorie greenspan

dough:
2 1/4 t yeast (1 packet)
1/3 c warm milk
2 scant cups of flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 eggs
1/8 c sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature, but still firm, cut into 2 T chunks

filling:
1 stick butter, melted
1 c dark brown sugar
2 T cinnamon

put yeast and milk in stand mixer. stir until yeast is dissolved.

add flour and salt. cover with towel, so you don't get flour all over, and pulse a few times to dampen the flour. increase the speed to medium, and mix a minute or two until a dry shaggy mass forms. you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl in the process.

on low, add eggs, then sugar. increase speed to medium, beat until a ball forms.

reduce speed to low, and add butter in chunks, waiting until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next. the dough will be very soft and a little sticky, but not unmanageable.

cover and let rise 40-60 minutes. punch down, cover, and put in fridge. slap down every 30 minutes for about 2 hours, then leave in fridge overnight.

roll out into a rectangle, a generous 1/4" thick. spread melted butter over dough-- leaving about one inch "clean" at the bottom edge. sprinkle with 1 cup of dark brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. roll, starting at the edge furthest from you, rolling toward your body.

cut into 1 inch slices, and put into two greased pie dishes, leaving one inch of space between each roll. let rise 90 minutes until rolls are puffy and touching.
bake at 350 for 40 minutes, until rolls are golden brown.

well then:

i just joined the daring bakers!

restaurants

spacca napoli last night
mercat a la planxa tonight

ending passover in style.

braised brisket

this. was. so. good. i cooked it until it was practically falling apart... leftovers will be delicious as pulled brisket sandwiches. on matzah. until thursday, when they will be put on bread.

1 4 lb brisket
2 large onions
1 bay leaf
1 T tomato paste
1 T paprika
2 T ketchup
1 c diced tomatoes
beef stock

heat heavy pot (cast iron is best) over medium heat. season beef with salt and pepper and sear on all sides. reduce heat and add oil if pan looks a little dry. add onions, with salt and pepper to taste, and caramelize 10-15 minutes. add bay leaf, tomato paste, paprika, ketchup, and saute 2-3 minutes until aromatic. add beef back to pot, along with diced tomatoes and enough beef stock to cover. simmer over low heat, or in a 350 degree oven, 3-4 hours, or until brisket is very tender.

dinner club #3

braised brisket with caramelized onions
sauteed zucchini
roasted pearl onions and grapes
mushroom tart
roasted fingerling potatoes with leeks

homemade marshmallow peeps
chocolate macarons
matzah "toffee"

definitely the best dinner club to date, if i do say so myself.

macarons, continued.

well, that was not an entirely satisfying endeavor. while some of my macarons came out perfect, some of them came out larger, craggy, and lopsided. i know that this batter needs to be mixed lightly and carefully, but maybe i underdid it? or, despite my efforts, maybe i overdid it... i also skipped the step of outlining identical and consistent 1" circles for piping the batter. next time, i'll do it. the sadness of some macarons turning out larger than others is too much to bear!

macarons

tonight i shall make macarons-- these lovely ones from david lebovitz. and i will take pictures too!!

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/10/french_chocolat.html

salmon en papillote

yum, yum, yum. i've never done fish in parchment at home before, but i think it's going to become a staple. the fish was so moist and tender it was almost creamy... and so, so flavorful!

salmon, cut into portions
dijon mustard
brown sugar
salt, olive oil

cut out circles of parchment paper, one per each portion of fish. place one fish filet in the center of each parchment circle. drizzle each piece with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and rub with about 1 teaspoon each of dijon mustard and brown sugar. fold the parchement circles so that the edges meet, and crimp/fold the edges so that the package is neatly sealed bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the salmon feels firm.

**you can also use foil in place of parchment.

i made this with a parsley, celery root, and fennel salad with a mustardy vinaigrette. mmmm! celery root makes me so happy.