King Arthur Flour's Thanksgiving Buns

The recipes on King Arthur Flour's website are amazing. Normally I would never try to recreate them on my little blog because the KAF bakers do an amazing job of step-by-step instruction. This particular recipe is one that one of the bakers, PJ Hamel, writes is a must for Thanksgiving. I was intrigued! I love to make bread and rolls and, although I have my favorites, I am always looking for new recipes. This one is a WINNER. Not only are these the best rolls that I have ever made, but they are the best I have ever had. Seriously. Better than those awesome rolls you get at a steakhouse, better than anything that has ever come out of a package, and better than any rolls I have had at a bakery. I can't say enough about how amazing they are!! I did have to change a few things, though, so I thought I would post my version. I changed things out of necessity, not because I thought of a better way, but the next time I make them (Thursday for Thanksgiving) I think I'll make them exactly as I'm about to show.

You will need:

3 1/2 cups KAF bread flour (I was out of all-purpose)
1 envelope yeast
1/4 cup potato flakes
2T sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
4T softened butter
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm buttermilk
2 8-inch round baking pans
*********
2T melted butter

This recipe makes 16 dinner rolls. I thought about halving the recipe, but didn't. So glad I made all 16. They went quickly!



Here's why I changed what I changed: I went to the store to pick up potato flakes and dried milk. I don't use instant potatoes, but they sell them in single packs for 40 cents. A bargain and I didn't feel wasteful because I used most of the package, but the dry milk was another story. The cheapest I could find was more than $8 and that was for 10 single-serving packs. The original recipe only calls for 3T, so I didn't buy it. If you have it, use it! I ended up omitting it altogether, but figured I would use buttermilk instead of regular milk in an attempt to make up the difference. The result was AMAZING, so I think it worked.

Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixer bowl and combine lightly.



Then add the wet to the dry. (I poured my buttermilk into the water in a measuring cup and zapped both for 30 secs in the microwave to warm them. Worked great!)



Mix with a dough hook until you get a soft, smooth ball--around 5 minutes.



Lightly grease a bowl and place your dough in it. I dampened a towel with hot water and then squeezed out the excess water and placed it over my dough. Store in a warm location until it doubles in size. It will take about an hour.



Turn out the dough onto a greased surface. I sprayed my ugly (but squeaky clean) counter tops with cooking spray.



To get 16 (relatively) even pieces, cut the dough in half, then half again and so on.








Make the pieces into round balls and place 8 in each lightly greased round baking pan.



Allow to rise in a warm place. I did the warm towel thing again. It should take about an hour.



Bake in a 350 degree oven for 22-24 minutes. When they are done, brush them with the melted butter.



I didn't even give them a second to cool. You can flip them out onto a dish and then pull them apart. I just stuck a knife down in the pan and wedged one out. I couldn't wait. Your mouth will water just smelling them!



I asked the Goose if I should make them for Thanksgiving and she said, "you should make them every day." Tink even loved them and she is not a bread fan. This recipe will be our family's "must bake" for the holidays. Thank you King Arthur Flour!!



Enjoy!

Blueberry Cinnamon Bread

Sometimes I like to torture myself. I sit here at the computer and...window shop at williams-sonoma.com. And when I am feeling really naughty I put stuff in the cart! I know, terrible. But a girl can dream. :) Today, while daydreaming about the colorful mixing bowls and eating my pathetic lunch of turkey wrapped in a lettuce leaf, I stumbled on a Williams Sonoma recipe. I thought, I can't spend over $150 on mixing bowls (when I already own so many even though these are so dang pretty) but I can race into the kitchen and whip up some Sour Cream Blueberry Bread. I made couple of changes, starting with the name. I like Blueberry Cinnamon Bread better. Like the mixing bowls, this bread is amazing!! The smell while it is baking...pure heaven. So here it is:

You will need:

2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick Smart Balance (softened)
2 cups flour (I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (++++)
1 heaping cup fresh or frozen blueberries



Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a loaf pan.

Mash the bananas...



then add the softened butter.



Combine and add eggs one a time, mixing after each addition. Then add the vanilla and...



sour cream. I used Reduced Fat.



In a separate bowl, add your dry ingredients. Flour, sugar (I used brown instead of white), baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (I added more than a tsp).



Mix it all together.



Add half of your dry to the wet and combine.



Then add the second half and stir just until combined.



Scrape your paddle attachment and switch to a spatula at this point. Fold in your blueberries.





This batter is thick, but not at all dry. Pour batter into greased pan.



Bake for 50-60 minutes. My bread took the full 60 minutes. It comes out looking like this...



and this.



You should make this bread just for the smell of it. Out of this world! It is so moist with the perfect quick bread density (not too heavy, but not at all fluffy).



It doesn't need butter at all...but butter is soooo good on this bread.



Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookies

Does anything smell better than oatmeal cookies baking in the oven? I made oatmeal cookies for the girls over the weekend. I wrapped them up and stuck them in the freezer so that they can come home to cookies and milk all week. I just take out a couple an hour or so before they get home and they are as fresh as the day I baked them. I did put a healthy spin on the cookies, though. Can't help myself!

You will need:

1 cup Smart Balance, melted
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick cooking)
1 small box raisins (optional)



Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a few cookie sheets with parchment.

Soften your butter for cakes, melt it for cookies. So, add your melted butter and both sugars to a mixing bowl.



Mix until the batter starts to lighten in color.



Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Then mix in the vanilla.



Next add your flours, baking soda, and cinnamon.



Mix together and then add the oats. Mix again. The dough will be a bit stiff, but not dry. If you find it is very dry add a tablespoon of milk.



Now is the time to add your raisins. Or, if you have one kid who likes them and one who does not, now is the time to split your dough into halves and add the raisins to just one half. You can omit this step altogether if you aren't a raisin fan. Me, I don't care one way or the other. I'm an equal opportunity cookie eater. :)



I use a heaping soup spoon to measure out the cookies and get 9 per sheet.



Bake for 12-14 minutes and then allow them to set on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes before removing.






Warm oatmeal cookies. Mmmmmmmm. Perfect on a cold day or a warm day or even a hot day! If you haven't tried baking cookies at 325 yet, please try it with this recipe. I never, never bake cookies at any higher temp. It makes a world of difference!!




Most oatmeal cookie recipes call for a full cup of white sugar in addition to the full cup of brown. I found these cookies to be perfectly sweet (with or without raisins) without all that extra white sugar. In fact, I think you could leave out the white sugar altogether as long as you use a full cup of brown sugar. (You could also substitute a cup of white sugar mixed with a tablespoon of molasses if you don't have any brown sugar.) I think the whole wheat flour gives the cookies just a hint of a nutty flavor.

Enjoy!

Healthier "Fried" Chicken Fingers

If you have kids you know they all adore chicken tenders/fingers/nuggets, but it's hard to let them indulge when you know how bad the fried part of the dish is for them. I have a solution! It's simple, cheap, and incredibly tasty. In fact, my whole family thinks this recipe is tastier than fried chicken fingers because it is not at all greasy or heavy tasting from the oil. These chicken fingers are also great for parties and picnics. And they are absolutely fabulous the next day, cold from the fridge.

You will need:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into thirds or fourths)
1 cup whole wheat flour (King Arthur!)
1 egg
1 T water
4T Smart Balance
seasoning salt
garlic powder/salt
************
1 cookie sheet with sides (jelly roll pan)
2 bowls or dishes (one for the egg, one for the flour)



Line your cookie sheet with foil and drop 2 T of the Smart Balance (or butter) on top. Place in your oven while it preheats to 400 degrees. The butter will be melted and ready to come out of the oven before it is completely preheated.



In one bowl, mix the egg, water, and seasonings. I like to add the seasoning to the egg mixture because it adheres to the chicken better. The flavor can get lost when you add it to the flour. Add seasoning salt and garlic salt to taste. I just shook them a couple of times each.



Mix together.



Add your flour to the second bowl. Pie plates work great for the egg and flour mixes, too.



Brush the Smart Balance all over the cookie sheet.



Set up a little station-- chicken, then egg, then flour, then cookie sheet. Dip each chicken tender into the egg mixture and make sure it is coated completely.



After the chicken is coated with egg, dredge it in the flour and coat evenly.



Then place it onto your buttered cookie sheet. Repeat until all chicken is coated and on the cookie sheet.



Don't be alarmed if your fingers look like this when you are finished:



Don't worry, it washed right off! :)

Melt the remaining Smart Balance (2T) and drizzle it over the chicken. Then put the sheet in the oven and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.



The chicken comes out crispy and tender.





The tenders don't stick to the foil at all. Comes off clean, coasting intact.



So yummy!! Kids will lap them up and parents can feel good about these tenders having no oil, no skin, and no white flour. The whole wheat adds a subtle, nutty flavor, but otherwise I promise you and your kids will not notice a difference.



I served them to the monkeys with green beans and half a baked potato topped with just a touch of shredded cheddar and low fat sour cream. They cleaned their plates!



Enjoy!!