bakekrazy

This is a Spanish treat thats fast and easy to make.

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 quart Vegetable oil (oil thermometer)

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dip
3 1/2 ounces chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Place the 3/4 cup water and butter into a pan and bring to a boil, remove from the heat and set aside allowing the butter to melt. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a shifter and sift into a medium bowl. Making a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients pour in the water/butter and mix together making a dough paste. (allow to cool 5 minutes)
Pour the oil into a large pot, enough to make 4″ of liquid and bring the oil to 350 degrees. Place the churro dough into a thick pastry bag with a large star tip. Pipe the dough to 3″ lengths using a pair of scissors and drop into the hot oil. Cook on each side for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a piece of paper towel. Mix the topping of sugar and cinnamon into a medium bowl. While the churros are still hot roll them into the sugar mixture.

To make the chocolate dipping sauce heat the heavy dipping cream in a small pot almost to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit 4 minutes before mixing, (this will allow the chocolate to melt). then mix well. This mixture will become somewhat solid as it cools so it is best used while it is warm.

enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

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Here is a easy pumpkin roll recipe with cream cheese filling, Great for Thanksgiving

3/4 cup of all purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs (beaten)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup can pumpkin

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 8oz package cream cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted soften butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, grease a half sheet pan, line with parchment paper and grease and flour the paper. Sift the cinnamon, baking powder, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, salt and flour together in a medium bowl. Beat  the eggs and sugar until fluffy in a standing mixer. Beat in the pumpkin, then mix in the dry ingredients by hand until well incorporated . Spread the batter into the half sheet pan. and bake for 15 minutes (check for doneness by pressing in the center to ensure it bounces back) Remove from the oven, Run a knife around the edges to loosen then invert the cake onto a damp towel which has been dusted with powered sugar. Remove the parchment paper and roll the cake into the towel. Allow to cool on a cooling rack. While the cake is cooling prepare the filling. Beat together the powered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a standing mixer until light and fluffy.
When the cake has cooled completely, carefully unroll the cake and spread with the filling then re-roll. Refrigerate at lease one hour before serving.

enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

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I love making banana bread but I thought I would change it up a bit and make banana bread cookies.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie pan with parchment paper or lightly spray with vegetable spray

3 ripe bananas (Mashed)
2   cups flour
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips

In a standing mixer beat together the sugars and butter until fluffy, add the eggs, vanilla extract and bananas. Mix well. Then on low speed mix in the flour, salt and baking powder until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Drop Tablespoon size dough onto the parchment paper keeping the it 1 1/2″ apart and bake for 12 minutes or until the edges turn slightly brown. Cool 10 minutes then move the cookies onto a wire cooling rack.

Brown Sugar Icing – 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1/4 cup milk, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup confectioners sugar. Combine the butter, milk and brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat and allow to boil for 2 -3 minutes. Remove from the stove and whisk in the sugar. Allow to cool slightly for 5 minutes then drizzle onto cookies.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

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I thought I would change it up a little and make a cracker. I looked around and found a great recipe you can use with that left over baked potato. I made them this morning while I was enjoying my morning coffee and they might just go on my menu at the bakery.

2 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup of mashed potatoes
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons of dill weed
4 tablespoons of soft butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of table salt
1/4 cup of water

In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients (Flour, baking powder, salt and dill)
Add the butter and blend with a pastry blender until crumbly. Add the mashed potatoes, vegetable oil and onion. With a hand mixer blend in the water at a slow speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the bowl ( you may need a little more flour or water to achieve). The dough should be just slightly sticky. On a floured surface roll the dough out to a very thin level  (1/8 thick) Dock the dough with a dough docker or fork then cut into desired shapes. Place the shapes onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The crackers should have slightly brown edges. Remove from the oven onto a cooling rack. They will appear somewhat soft but will become crisp upon cooling. Great for your favorite dip!

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

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Each morning at the bakery we make bread, white, wheat and rye for our customers. We start with demi doughs but from time to time we make it from scratch. There is nothing like the aroma of fresh baked breads. Here is a great fast recipe for white bread.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan with vegetable spray

1 cup lukewarm water
1/3 cup lukewarm milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 3/4 cups of unbleached bread flour (I like to use King Arthur brand)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Egg wash – (1/4 cup water mixed with one egg)

Add the yeast to the lukewarm water (105 degrees) and mix well (allow 10 minutes, it should foam or bubble)

Mix all ingredients into a stand mixer and mix on low for 2 minutes to incorporated all the ingredients then turn to high for ten minutes. You are looking for the window pane test (this is taking the finished dough and pulling it apart to ensure that the dough is elastic and can pull to a thin window like consistency. You can also knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until you achieve the correct level.

Once the dough is the way you like it spray the inside of a medium bowl and drop the dough in. Spray the top and move the dough to a warm location covering the bowl with a damp cloth. Allow the dough to rise approximately one hour and it should double in size.
Now punch the dough down and slightly roll it and place it into your prepared loaf pan and allow the dough to rise again in a warm area. Wen the dough crowns the pan, egg wash the top and place it into the oven. Bake for approximately 40 – 50 minutes, if the top appears to be browning to fast you can slow it down by covering it with aluminum foil. (It should look golden brown). Remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack. At the bakery we allow the bread to set for at least a few hours before slicing or the bread with have no sturdiness to support the cut.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

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Apples inside a pastry with some sugar and cinnamon, what more can you ask

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray or line a 1/2 sheet tray with parchment paper
4 Granny Smith apples ( both peeled and cored, but coarsely chop one and slice the other three)
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnimon
1 sheet of puff pastry

Coating (egg wash) Whisk together the egg and milk is a small bowl
1 egg
1/4 cup milk

sugar or coarse sugar

Place the apples in a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins then set aside. Spray a 1/2 sheet pan with vegetable spray and lay out the puff pastry sheet. Place the apple filling down the center of the pastry lengthwise. Fold the pastry over and seal the edges on all open ends by brushing with a little water and pinching the edges together. Using a sharp knife make slices every 1″ into the top of the pastry then egg wash the top surface of the pastry and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake for approximately 35 – 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the sheet pan and cool onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

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At the bakery we have a mixture formulated by pillsbury that we use to make our fluffy brownies. I however use the following recipe from time to time.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper

1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted but not hot)
1 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

In a standing mixer add the butter, sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder mix well. Then add in the salt and baking powder and flour and mix until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared 8″ x 8″ pan and bake for 30 – 35 minutes (do not over bake) Allow to cool 10 minuted the remove and place onto a cooling rack. Cut into 2″ x 2″ squares. In this example I poured some Sanders Carmel topping over the brownies after I placed pecans on each piece.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

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