Monkey Bread

This was seriously tasty. Buttery balls, covered in cinnamon, fused together by caramel. Seriously good. I also added some pecan caramel to the top (I messed up with my caramel which was meant to be a firm caramel candy rather than a goopy mess). This was totally amazing warm. Seriously.

Egg Whites: Pecan Meringues or Resurrection Cookies

I have to admit I'm a sucker for a name and Resurrection Cookies totally appeals to me. It conjours up images of zombies for me - and while these meringues aren't anything like zombies they are pretty amazing. The term resurrection refers to the fact that once you make the meringue you leave them in the oven overnight to dry out and presto! Out come magnificent sweet pillows of meringue.

Ingredients
1 cup roasted pecans cut finely with a knife.
3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar



Method
1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Put egg whites into a stand up mixer bowl. Add salt. Start the mixer speed on low, gradually increasing the speed until soft peaks start to become visible and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Increase the speed to medium-high, and slowly add the sugar to the egg whites. Continue to whip the eggs and sugar for a few minutes. Then add the vinegar to the bowl. Increase speed to high and whip the egg whites until they fluff up and become glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4-5 minutes.

4. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the pecan pieces. Drop by teaspoons onto a cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or Silpat.

5. Put the cookies sheet in the 300°F oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Leave them in the oven overnight. In the morning they should be ready - crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside. If they are a little marshmallowy or chewy on the inside in the morning, just let them dry out for a few more hours.

Taken directly from the great blog "Simply Recipes" http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/004371pecan_meringue_cookies.php

Chocolate-Caramel Pecan Brownies

These were a little tricky to make, and admittedly, although I did use caramel in the recipe, it was quite hard to detect it in the finished product. Still, these were moist, rich brownies.


Ingredients
1.5 cups pecans
2 sticks unsalted butter
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1.5 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1.25 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup of caramel (see caramel post)
1 cup semisweet chocolate


Method
1. Preheat oven to 350F and roast the pecans for around 8min. Coarsely chop them.

2. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, making sure that where the handles are for the pan that you go several inches beyond that length. Grease the foil.

3. In a saucepan over medium low heat combine the butter and chocolate, stirring until both are melted the it is of a smooth consistency. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. To the chocolate mixture add the sugar and vanilla mixture and with a whisk, mix until the sugar has been coated by the chocolate.

5. Add the eggs, and whisk for 1-2 min. until thick and glossy.

6. whisk in the flour and salt.

7. Transfer 1/2 the mixture to you pan lined with foil, bake for 20 min.

8. Let cool for 20 min.

9. Stir 1/2 the pecans into the caramel (if the caramel is cold, microwave it in 15 second increments until it is pliable) and spread over the cooled brownie bottom.

10. Pour the remaining brownie batter over the top (once again, if it has become hard, microwave in 15 second increments until it returns to its former consistency).

11. Sprinkle the remaining pecans bits, and the semi-sweet chocolate chips.

12. Bake at 350F for 20 or so min (mine required around 35 min - although I would check at 20min).

13. Cool the brownies completely in the pan, and remove from the pan by grabbing the excess foil from the handle edges.

14. These will keep for around 1 week at room temp.

Taken from :The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes From the Texas Hill Country's Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe" by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman pp. 134-6.

Potato-Cinnamon Rolls

These are pretty laborious, but they are good. This recipe makes a heap of rolls (huge ones), but as it is a yeast recipe I don't recommend reducing it (eg. halving it). However, after the second rising you can freeze the rolls for three weeks.

Ingredients: Rolls
2 medium russet potatoes

4 packets dried yeast

3/4 cup plus 1 tsp. sugar

2 sticks of butter, melted

3 large eggs

2 tsp. salt

9 cups unbleached flour

Ingredients: Pecan/Cinnamon filling

4 cups pecans

4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 Tbs. cinnamon

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients: Icing

2.5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method: Rolls

1. Peel and quarter the potatoes and cook for 15-25 min until soft.

2. Setting 3 cups of the potato water aside until it registers 110-115F

3. Mash the potatoes well (either by hand or with a mixer)

4. In a medium bowl combine the cooled potato water, 1 tsp. sugar and the yeast. Whisk together and leave alone for around 5 min.

5. In a large bowl whisk together the potatoes, remaining sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt, and the yeast-potato water.

6. Add the flour, 3 cups at a time and combine with a wooden spoon until all the flour has been mixed in.

7. Place the dough in a large bowl that has had oil rubbed into it.

8. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm place until it doubles in size (1-1.5 hours).

9. Punch down the dough in the bowl.

Method: Filling

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Roast the pecans for 7-9 min, and then roughly chop them up into manageable pieces.

3. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Method: Assembly

1. Remove half the dough and on a clean floured surface roll the half into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle.

2. Spread with half the melted butter.

3. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture and then with half the pecans.

4. Grease two large baking sheets.

5. Starting on the long side of the dough furthest away from you, tightly roll up the dough towards you.

6. With a sharp knife, cut the roll at 2 inch intervals, place each slice (cut side facing down) on the prepared baking trays.

7. At this point you can freeze the dough for 3 weeks making sure that you have covered them tightly with plastic wrap. Simply defrost them overnight in the fridge and then follow with steps 8 and onwards.

8. Set the rolls in a warm place and have them rise again (45 min).

9. Preheat the oven to 375F and bake the rolls for 20-25 min.

Method: Icing

1. Combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl (making sure there are no lumps left in the mixture).

2. Spread onto the rolls while they are still a little warm.

Taken from "The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes from the Texas Hill Country's Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe" by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman pp.8-10.

Cinnamon Rolls

These taste and smell amazing. As long as they aren't over baked, they are soft, and pliable. Really nice.

Ingredients: Dough
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup whole milk (I used buttermilk), heated to 105-115F.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
5.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground mace
2 tsp. salt
Grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

Ingredients: Filling
6 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. freshly grated cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients: Pecan stickiness
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1.5 cups chopped pecans

Method: Dough
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let stand until foamy (around 5 min.).
2. Add the granulated sugar, eggs, 5 cups of flour, mace, orange zest, and butter.
3. Stir by hand or with a wooden spoon until a rough mass forms.
4. Using a plastic scraper, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
5. Knead the dough, working in the remaining flour, until it is smooth and elastic. (around 6 min). The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
6. Form the dough into a ball, and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for around 2 hours, until it has doubled in bulk.
7. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
8. Divide the dough in two.
9. Roll out half the dough into a 10 x 16 inch rectangle.

Method: Part Assembly & Filling
1. Butter the sides of two 9-inch cake pans.
2. In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon.
3. Spread half the melted butter oven the rolled out dough, and then sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
4. Starting from the short side away from you, tightly roll the dough towards yourself.
5. Cut the dough into 2 inch rounds.
6. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Method: Pecan Stickiness & Assembly
1. Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon, and mix thoroughly.
2. Place this concoction on the bottom of the cake pans.
3. Sprinkle the pecans over the top.
4. Place the 2 inch round on top of the pecans.
5. Cover with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise at room temp. for another 30-40 min.
6. Preheat the oven to 400F.
7. Bake until a toothpick placed in the center of a bun comes out clean - around 25-30 min.
8. Let the buns cool for 5 min.
9. Carefully place a serving tray/plate over the top of the cake pan. Invert the pan (careful as the butter-sugar mixture will be very hot), and remove the cake pan.
10. Serve when the buns are cool enough to touch.

These can also be warmed up in the microwave for 15seconds the day after, and they still taste amazing.

Taken from Williams -Sonoma Essentials of Baking by Cathy Burgett, Elinor Klivans and Lou Seibert Pappas, pp.68-9.

Mexican Chocolate Cakes

OK, they are ugly, but they are amazing - trust me. They are rich (so rich I was unable to finish one), dense and sweet. The consistency is somewhat like a brownie, but the added cinnamon adds a touch of differentiation. Really tasty.

Ingredients: Cake
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1.5 tsp. freshly ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Ingredients: Chocolate-Pecan Glaze
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup high quality dark cocoa powder (I simply used the Dutch-process cocoa powder I used for the cake)
2 cups sifted powdered sugar (sifted then measured)
1 Tbs. rum or vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Method: Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease a 9 inch tube pan, or a 10-12 cup bundt pan, or 6 mini bundt pans. This will also make nice cupcakes (depending on size between 12-18).
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat.
4. Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth.
5. Add the water and whisk until smooth - do not bring to a boil.
6. Remove from the heat. Add the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract all at once to the mixture. Whisk until smooth.
7. Add the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon all at once; whisk until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated. Don't fret over the small lumps.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
9. If using one large pan bake for 40-45 min. I used mini bundts and I baked for 30min. Cupcakes require around 20min. The cake(s) should feel firm to the touch, and should pull away slightly from the pan.
10. Let the cake cool in pan for around 20 min, cupcakes for 10 min.

Method: Glaze
1. Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet and toast them for 7-9 min, at 350F.
2. Chop the pecans.
3. Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan.
4. Add the milk, cocoa, and powdered sugar and whisk until glossy.
5. Remove from heat and add the pecans, salt and rum.

Method: Assembly
1. Remove the Cake from the pan(s).
2. Spoon glaze over the cake(s).

This cake can be kept covered at room temp for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for 3 weeks without the glaze.

Taken from The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes from the Texan Hill Country's Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe. By Rebecca Rather, and Alison Oresman pp. 67-9.