Sunday, August 10, 2014

Whole-Wheat Burger Buns (Vegan)

I made these with burgers made from my meatballs recipe, and I think my family enjoyed the buns even more than they enjoyed the burgers, which if you haven't tried that recipe, is really saying something.

 Adding the sesame and poppy seeds add a little more pizazz to these easy home-made buns.
I adapted the recipe from Holy Cow Vegan's Whole Wheat Burger Buns.

Brett Dennen- "Ain't No Reason"

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups whole-wheat flour
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp vital wheat gluten flour (optional)
  • 1½ tsp active dry yeast
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1½ cups warm water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions


Mix the sugar, ½ cup warm water and the yeast in a mixing bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture starts to froth, indicating the yeast is alive and well.

Sift all the flours, salt, and baking soda into the bowl. Knead on low speed in a stand mixer or by hand for about 3 minutes, trickling in 1 cup of water until you have a dough that's smooth but slightly sticky. If you are leaving out the gluten, knead at least 2 more minutes.

Add the oil and continue to knead until the oil has been absorbed by the dough, about 1 more minute.
Now place in an oiled bowl, turning over once to coat all over with oil, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside for 2 hours until the dough has risen.

Punch down the dough and divide into 6 ball. Shape them into smooth balls.

Place the buns on a lightly greased and floured baking sheet, at least a couple of inches apart. Flatten the tops slightly with your fingers, and let the buns rise for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 370 degrees. Place the buns in the oven and bake 25 minutes.
Brush the tops with a little oil for a pretty, glossy look. Sprinkle some sesame seeds or poppy seeds on the top, if desired.
Remove to a rack and allow the buns to cool before breaking them off.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Black Bottom Bites

 I chose to make these delicious bites from I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas
for this month's Leftover's Club exchange (check it out!).
(Yes, I am aware that it is August and Christmas is as far away as it could possibly be)
But these tiny bites looked to good to resist!
And in my chocolate-swayed opinion, they are perfect for all occasions.
The Script - "Man Who Can't Be Moved"
 (A few of my friends went to the Script/One Republic concert near Cincinnati, so I've been listening to their songs all week!)

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 up plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tbsp salt
  • 3/4 cup warm water (100 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp dark rum
  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate mini morsels 
Filling:
  •  One 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 large egg yolk 

 Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat 24 nonstick mini muffin cups with the melted butter.

In a sifter combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Sift into  a large bowl. Add the water, oil, and rum and stir with a whisk until thoroughly combined (the batter will be slightly lumpy). Add the chocolate morsels, and use a rubber spatula to fold them into the batter.

Filling:
Place the cream cheese, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low for 1 minute, then beat on medium-high for 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and beat on medium for 30 seconds, until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the filling until thoroughly combined.

Portion slightly less than 1 level tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Now spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese filling on top of the batter, and finally top off with slightly less than 1 level tbsp of batter. Place the muffin tins on the center rack of the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 12 minutes (rotate the tins 180 degrees halfway through the baking time). Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature in the cups for 10 minutes. Invert the cups to release the bites   onto cooling rack, and allow to cool for another 15 minutes. They can be stores in a sealed container for up to 1 week.