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chocolate brioches with spiced vanilla nutmeg sauce

mysimplegoodlife — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 19:00:29 +0000

chocolate brioches with spiced vanilla nutmeg sauce

If you want warm brioches on the table for breakfast, you can make and shape the dough the night before; ready for baking in the morning.

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

4 cups flour
¼ oz active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ stick unsalted butter, diced
¼ cup sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
⅔ cup milk, luke warm
3 ½ oz bittersweet chocolate. Coarsely shopped
beaten egg, to glaze
a 12-cup muffin pan, silicone or well-greased nonstick

Instructions

Put the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of a large electric mixer and mix by hand. Add the butter and rub into flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Mix in the sugar. Beat the eggs with the milk until thoroughly combined, and then add to the flour mixture. Using the dough hook attachment of the mixer, mix the ingredients on low speed until you get a heavy, sticky dough. Scrape down the sides, and then knead the dough in the machine on low speed for 5 minutes until glossy, very smooth and soft. If you don’t have a food mixer, mix the ingredients as above, and then knead the dough by hand. Cover and let rise at normal room temperature (not too warm) until doubled in size (about 1 ½-2 hours).
Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Punch down, and then work the chopped chocolate, kneading gently for about 1 minute. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Pinch off a marble-sized ball from each portion and roll into a smooth, neat ball. Shape the rest of the portion into a neat ball and drop into the muffin pan. Flour your index finger and push into the center of the dough in the pan, then place the smaller ball over this hole. Repeat with the remaining portions of the dough. Slip the pan into a large plastic bag, slightly inflated, then let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour in a warm kitchen or overnight in the fridge.
When ready to continue, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Uncover the brioches and lightly brush with beaten egg to glaze. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until firm and a good golden color. Let cool for a minute for the crust to firm up, and then carefully turn out onto a wire rack. Eat warm or let cool completely, then store in an airtight container and eat within 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month.

Notes

To make the Spiced Vanilla Nutmeg Sauce:

Spiced Vanilla Nutmeg Sauce
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 cup cold water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In saucepan, mix together the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and allspice; blend in cold water. Bring to a simmer and simmer until clear and thickened. Blend in butter and vanilla. Serve over hot fritters or serve with bread pudding or other dessert.

melt in your mouth cinnamon rolls

mysimplegoodlife — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 04:43:27 +0000

melt in your mouth cinnamon rolls

Pleasantly surprise your host/hostess on Easter Brunch with these cinnamon rolls that melt in your mouth. Either present them as regular rolls, or dress them up a bit by placing them in cute large cupcake holders. I promise they’ll be sweet, delicious, and perfect for Easter Brunch. Enjoy!

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

4 to 4⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup butter or margarine
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
powered sugar icing
1 cup powered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3 tablespoon milk

Instructions

In a large bowl combine 2 cups of flour and yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, ⅓ cups sugar, ⅓ cups butter, and salt just till it’s warm (120-130 degrees) and until the butter is just melted. Add milk mixture to the dry mixture along with the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl. Then beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much as the remaining flour as you can.
Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (about 3-5 minutes). Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl; turning over once to grease each side of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place till the dough doubles in size (about 1 hour). Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half, cover and again let rest for about 10 minutes. Lightly grease a large glass-baking dish.
Roll each portion of the dough into a 12×8-inch rectangle (or as close to this shape as possible. As you’ll see, mine isn’t the best.) Brush the melted 3 tablespoons of butter over dough. Combine the ½ cup sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the dough evenly. Roll-up, starting from a long side and pinch together the last edge with the dough on the roll to somewhat seal it. Next, slice the roll into 12 equal pieces and either place on the prepared pan or into large paper muffin holders within a muffin pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough nearly doubles in size (about 30-35 minutes).
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly; remove from pans and drizzle with powered sugar icing. If desired, serve warm. Makes 24 rolls.
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until it reaches drizzling consistency (You may need to add more milk if necessary).

Notes

***If you would like to use baking cups, I got mine at Target but here is a link to a place that has lots of cute ones for every occasion, Country Kitchen Sweetart).

chocolate thumbprint cookies

mysimplegoodlife — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 04:40:18 +0000

chocolate thumbprint cookies

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

1 stick softened butter
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
chocolate icing
3 oz baking chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
2 ¾ powered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons half & half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside. Next, in a mixing bowl, beat together 1 stick of the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium-high. Using a small spoon, scoop out about 1 tablespoon, then roll the dough into balls, and place 1-inch apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and make an indentation into the middle of each cookie (If the cookies are too hot, I used the back of my spoon since it have a large diameter to make the indentations. If you don’t want to scorch your hands, then find something in the kitchen that will work). After indentations are complete, return to oven, and bake until light brown on the edges (7 to 9 minutes more). Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Simply combine and melt all ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring constantly over medium-low heat. Once the icing is completely melted and has a nice smooth finish, turn temperature to low. Next, spoon the melted icing into the middle of the cookies, filling the indentation completely. Now let the cookies cool until the icing hardens.
If you’re making these cookies for someone special, instead of just wrapping them in foil or placing them in a plastic bag, why not dress them up a bit?

Notes

wrapping supplies

gift bags (You can get at most craft stores or online here)

ribbon (You can get a all craft stores)

flowers (I used dried lavender. Work with what you have to make it beautiful and most of all your own.)

Simply place the cookies into the bag. Tie the ribbon, and place your flower in the middle under the ribbon. Now you have a beautiful and delicious batch of cookies!

pesto and alfredo eggplant parmesan

mysimplegoodlife — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 04:37:06 +0000

pesto and alfredo eggplant parmesan

The perfect meal when you don’t have a lot of supplies. It’s delicious, very quick, and best of all easy! Bon appetit, enjoy, and cheers!

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

1 eggplant
1 beaten egg
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil (I used a garlic olive oil)
¾ cup fresh alfredo sauce
¼ fresh pesto sauce
⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Wash and peel eggplant; cut crosswise into ½-inch thick slices. Dip eggplant into egg, then into flour, turning to coat both sides. In a large skillet cook eggplant, half at a time, in hot olive for 5-6 minutes or until golden, turning once. (If necessary add additional olive oil.) Drain on paper towels.
Place eggplant slices in a single layer in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. (If necessary, cut slices to wedge into place.) Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Mix the alfredo and pesto sauce, drizzle over the dish, then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Top everything off with a light amount of the saved parmesan. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then place on your desired serving dish, and garnish with fresh basil, a pinch of kosher salt, and shaved parmesan cheese. Serve with a nice warm baguette and your favorite glass of wine. I recommend Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc. There you have a quick, easy, and delicious meal.

the easy egg sandwich

mysimplegoodlife — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 04:25:17 +0000

the easy egg sandwich

Perfect for a picnic or a warm evening when you’d rather be outside then in the kitchen!

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

4 eggs
cold water
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dill
I teaspoon minced garlic
fresh baguette or rye bread
fresh organic greens or spinach
season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

hard-cooked eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to come 1 inch above the eggs. Bring to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat so water is just below simmering. Cover and cook for 15 minutes; drain. Run cold water over the eggs or place them in ice water till cool enough to handle; drain. To peel eggs, gently tap each egg on the counter-top. Roll the egg between the palms of your hands. Peel off eggshell, starting at the large end. Makes 4 hard-cooked eggs.
egg sandwich: simply slice the eggs into small slices horizontally for easier handling, then cut into smaller pieces either with your knife or smash with your fork. Add all ingredients and mix together. Season with kosher and black pepper, then place on top of your layer of fresh organic greens and bread. Serve at room temperature or cold (whichever you prefer). Now, time to dive into your delicious sandwich! Enjoy!

raviolis with browned butter sauce, basil, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese

mysimplegoodlife — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 04:16:54 +0000

raviolis with browned butter sauce, basil, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Here’s a different rendition of the brown butter sauce recipe I previously posted. Both are delicious; this one just adds a little freshness. Enjoy!

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

1 pack spinach raviolis
6 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice (1-2 large lemons)
1 cup fresh basil
½ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Instructions

Cook raviolis for the specified amount of time. Chop the basil and parmigiano-reggiano in a food processor for 30 seconds (I recommend the Magic Bullet for your mini processor). Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling, until lightly golden (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Layer raviolis onto a platter, drizzle butter sauce over the top and then generously sprinkle the chopped basil/cheese mixture throughout. Simple as can be and quite tasty!

spanish olive oil and orange biscotti

mysimplegoodlife — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 04:06:56 +0000

spanish olive oil and orange biscotti

A crunchy biscotti that is perfect with an afternoon espresso.

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

3 ¾ flour
2 tablespoons sesame seed
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons flax seed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
½ cup olive oil
1 ½ cup blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet or half-sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sesame seeds, baking powder, flax seeds, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs, sugar, honey and orange zest, on medium speed, until thick and pale in color, about 4 minutes. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil in a steady stream; combine whisking until smooth. Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment. Add flour mixture and almonds; mix, on low speed, just until dough comes together, about 20 seconds.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Using wet hands, form dough into two logs about 15 inches long by 3 inches wide. Place the logs onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure that they do not touch. Bake until golden brown and firm to touch, about 30 minutes.
Remove the logs from the oven; cool 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees.
Using a long spatula, transfer each log to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut into ½-inch thick slices. Return the biscotti to the baking sheet, standing upright but spaced apart. Bake until they are lightly tinged with color – pale golden and dry – about 35 minutes. Transfer biscotti to a wire rack; allow to cool. Store, in an airtight container, for up to 1 month. There you have your tasty little afternoon treat. Enjoy!

seeded rosemary crackers

mysimplegoodlife — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 04:03:00 +0000

seeded rosemary crackers

Simple yet gourmet. Whip-up some of these crackers for your next picnic and enjoy with your decadent cheese display. They’re full of fiber, protein and healthy fats. Bon appetit and cheers!

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flaxseeds
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1¼ cups barley flour
2½ tablespoons olive oil
½ cup low-fat milk, more for brushing crackers
½ tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place half of the sunflower and flax seeds in a food processor and process just until they are the consistency of coarsely ground coffee beans. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in baking powder, salt, pepper and flour. Stir in olive oil, milk, garlic and rosemary. Finally, stir in remaining seeds.
Roll teaspoons of dough into balls. Place on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet and flatten to a thickness of ¼ inch. Brush tops of crackers with milk and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool before serving.

the mason jar chocolate cake

mysimplegoodlife — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 20:32:43 +0000

the mason jar chocolate cake

Recently Mason jars have become popular to use for just about anything! But did you ever think to use them to bake a cake? Here is a great idea to impress your guests at your next dinner party or better yet, surprise someone special with a little treat on date night! You can make ahead of time, then just pop them in the oven while you’re enjoying your dinner and wine. The chocolate aroma will fill your house, the taste will satisfy everyone’s taste buds, and the presentation will showoff your creativity! Have fun; cheers, and as always, enjoy…

Author: the simple good life

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
¼ cup hot-chocolate mix
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
2 cups whipped cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, hot-chocolate mix, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, olive oil and coffee. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, one-third at a time, whisking to incorporate between each addition. Arrange eight 8-ounce Mason jars on a baking sheet and carefully pour ½ cup batter into each jar. Place the tray in the oven and bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top each cake with some whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder. Serve warm and enjoy.