Parmesan French Toast with Garlic Balsamic Mushrooms

I decided to make a special brunch for my fiancé this weekend. Yes, the bf is now a fiancé as he popped the question last week 😲. Well... it was a long time coming since we've been together for 8 years now. But the proposal and effort was cute, even if he fuddled so much that I essentially knew what was going on and what he was trying to do! :) Anyway, he's more of a savory dish person but also loves french toast. I made this french toast that has a delicious parmesan crispiness on the outside with sautéed mushrooms. And then it's even more elevated after I added a poached egg for richness! SO GOOD. It will definitely be part of the weekly rotation!

Parmesan French Toast with Garlic Balsamic Mushrooms

Serves 4

Parmesan French Toast
2 eggs
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (Original Balsamic Vinegar of Modena)
1/4 cup half & half
4 slices challah or aloha bread (I bought from Trader Joe's)
pinch of salt and pepper

1. Whisk egg, parmesan, balsamic vinegar, half & half and pepper in a shallow dish. Soak both sides of your bread well 
2. Heat up frying pan at low-medium heat with 1/2 tbsp of butter and fry french toast until golden brown on both sides

Garlic Balsamic mushrooms
10oz mushrooms (I used a mix of oyster and white mushrooms)

1/4 diced onion

1/2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp soy sauce

salt & pepper 

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a frying pan on medium fire. Sweat onions, garlic and then add in mushrooms. Sauté until softened (about 2 mins)
2. Stir in balsamic vinegar, soysauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper
3. Garnish mushrooms over french toast with chopped spring onion and a drizzle of balsamic!

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Hot Cross Bun Spiced Pretzels

It's almost Easter and I've been admiring all the pretty egg, coconut and bunny pictures on Instagram! I don't really do too much during Easter other than follow my mum to church, but what I can't miss is eating hot cross buns! I was given this Silpat pretzel mat and since I was going to make bread anyway, I thought why not put the same stuff in pretzels?! So I've added all the nice things, like sugar, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and cranberries into these pretzels.

Also how awesome is this mat? It totally helps a pretzel shape challenged person like me to roll out pretty pretzels!

I love the spicy and fruity flavor of the dough, and it's all shiny and sticky with melted butter and honey. You can eat these plain or they actually go pretty well with this Maille Acacia honey and Orange blossom mustard. The taste is pretty floral and fruity with a very good amount of sharpness and tang. It pairs quite well and is a nice play of sweet and salty.

I'm currently on a one-week bootcamp at med school (last week ever!), which is pretty much learning how to adult. Like buying a house, paying off loans etc... I just can't adult yet! Ah! 

Hot Cross Bun Spiced Pretzels

makes 14-16 pretzels

4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp white sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup dried cranberries or currants

1/4 cup baking soda
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp butter, melted
1.5 tbsp honey

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp of white sugar in the warm water until bubbly, about 10 minutes
2. In a stand mixer with the dough attachment, mix flour, brown sugar, salt and spices. Add oil, yeast and vanilla extract and mix to form a dough. Adjust flour and water if mixture is too sticky or dry. Add orange zest and currants and knead until smooth. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in it and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours.
3. Punch dough down, cover bowl with plastic wrap and another damp cloth and let rise overnight in the fridge. This makes the dough more elastic!
4. Allow the chilled dough to come to room temperature, about an hour in a warm place. Prepare baking sheets with silpat mat or wax paper
5. In a medium bowl, dissolve baking soda in 2 cups of hot water and set aside
6. Divide dough into 15 equal pieces. Dip your fingers in the baking soda solution and rub in your hands. Roll each piece between your hands into a rope. Start in the middle and roll using medium pressure with both hands as you work out to the ends. You're done when the dough thickness is about the size of your finger (it will puff!). Grab each end and slap on your surface like a jump rope a few times. Be careful not to use too much force or the dough will tear. Twist into a pretzel shape and place on prepared sheets. Cover with plastic wrap while working on the rest of the dough
7. Once all shaped, brush baking soda water solution over the pretzels. Let rest for another 10-15 mins. You can sprinkle with raw sugar (optional). Preheat oven to 425 F, place rack above middle 
8. Bake in preheated oven in top rack until browned, about 10-12 mins
9. Brush mix of melted butter and honey together and brush over pretzel when they come out of the oven

This post was sponsored by Silpat and Maille. I'm teaming up with them via CoactionPR to create awesome recipes. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed. Thank you for supporting products that keep this blog running!

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Curry Masala Fondue and Garlic Naan

I'm about to start my last rotation next week! Woop di dooh! I just finished my family rotation out in the boonies of Virginia. I'll say that was interesting... There were patients that came in and was like "I fell on an electric fence, woke up and came here - No Big Deal". Another person came in with a leg half open and was like "I filled it with sawdust when I cut it with my chainsaw to stop the bleeding". Like what?!

Since I'm leaning towards the surgery side, I didn't think I was going to enjoy the rotation that much, but I really did in the end. There's something about the long-term patient care aspect, where you could potentially care for your patient from cradle to the grave, that appealed to me. But, I dunnooo.... I still really enjoy cutting and sewing stuff :P

Anyway, I had an Indian friend who left me with all her spices when she moved. SCORE! Seriously, every time I open my pantry door, it smells like India. And then I receive this fondue pot from Swissmar, and I was like yeaaaa Curry fondue! I usually find cheese fondues really heavy with one flavor profile, but adding all the spices really made in multi-dimensional in flavvahhh! It kind of resembled a cheesy chicken tikka masala (but without the chicken). And with some homemade fluffy garlic naan and roasted vegetables, it'll be a party!

Apparently, fondues are making a come back... so it's time to dust up your old pot and put it to use. Or get this heavy duty cast iron one! I love that it's cast iron because it heats the cheese sauce more evenly and not just under the flame. I was able to cook the sauce directly in the pot and then transfer it onto the set. No pouring cheese over myself by accident! The inside is also enamel coated, so you don't have to worry about seasoning it or avoiding acidic foods and it's very easy to clean. It's a classy no fuss multi-purpose pot!

Hope you guys enjoy the recipe! AAaaand, have an awesome weekend full of fun and of course...lots of cheese :)

Curry Masala Fondue

serves 4-6

2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk + 1 cup
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
3 dried red chilies
1 tsp black peppercorn (or 2 tsp black pepper)
1 bay leaf
2 cups cheese (cheddar, parmesan)

Roasted cauliflower and red potatoes

1. In the fondue pot, melt butter and add garlic and stir until fragrant. Whisk in flour and milk until it becomes a paste. Dilute tomato paste in water and whisk that in too
2. Add in spices (turmeric, paprika, cumin, chilies, pepper and bay leaf). Whisk occasionally until it becomes somewhat thickened. You could honestly mix in any kind of curry spices together and it will taste good! Thin with the extra cup of milk 
3. Add in a mix of cheese. I liked cheddar to give it some sharpness. I think adding mozzarella could work just to get the stringiness. I used a mix of cheddar and parmesan (mostly because I can't afford expensive cheese :P)
4. Now fondue is ready for dipping! I roasted some cauliflower and diced red potatoes drizzled in olive oil and seasoned with simply salt and pepper!

Garlic Naan   makes 9

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp greek yogurt
1 egg
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3.5 cups flour
4 tsp garlic, minced
ghee for frying

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water for 10 mins until frothy and bubbly
2. In your mixer bowl, stir sugar, yogurt, egg, salt, baking soda and flour together. Add yeast mister and knead 10-15 mins until smooth
3. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for an 1 hour in a warm place until about double it's size
4. Punch down the dough to release gas (my fave part hehe). Knead in garlic evenly, but don't over knead! Pinch into 9 pieces and roll into balls, cover with wrap or a towel and rest 30 mins
5. Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat. Roll out with a roller and kind of spread it pretty thin with your hands (like shaping pizza). Brush ghee on one side and place that side onto hot cast iron pan. Cover with lid and fry for 1-2 mins. Spreading it real thin allows you to get all those awesome bubbles in your naan!

I developed this recipe for Swissmar; all opinions expressed are my own. They also have a wide range of fondue pots (think meat!) and other cool kitchen stuff :) Thank you for the support!

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Buns in the Oven: Nutella and Coconut Custard Babka (and my experience on OBGYN)

Disclaimer: I DO NOT have a bun in the oven. I'm just writing about my experience throughout my Obstetrics and gynecology clerkship in caring for ladies in ante-, post-partum, labor and delivery (L&D) and fertility clinics! Read on for strange baking/pregnancy metaphors and terrible writing... or just skip to the recipe at the end! :P

There's nothing quite like baking bread.... until you see what pregnancy and birthing babies entails. Seriously... hear me out! Let's start with the ingredients. When you're making a buttery bread like babka, you gather the freshest just-churned-out-of-the-cow butter, the roundest eggs and you best hope your flour is unbleached and milled by Bob Moore (of Bob's Red Mill) himself. Like good parents, you're driven to creating a perfect carbon copy of the both of you. You do what's right and get yourselves tested, pricked and prodded... You don't want to have any regrets, so you do all the necessary preparations.

However, nothing ever runs smoothly in life (how many times have you heard that?). Your oven is fickle, it heats up far too quickly and too much. Does it even run on gas or electric? You go and have it checked out. Some money spent on genetic testing, some on fertility pills, and you empty your pockets on finally getting IVF. You know that having a child will be like winning the lottery, or being friends with the president (hey, I don't know :P).

And before you know it...Jackpot! You're pregnant.

Every dough is different, according to where it is made, the time of inception and the ingredients used to create it. Your dough is soft, warm and lumpy in your hands. You lovingly knead and palm the dough and it squeezes and transforms into a shape you see fit. You scatter flour over the dough if it sticks and you tenderly knead it into a perfectly smooth round dome. You allow it to rise in the very place you know will be warm and secure.

Now, it's in the oven. You're anxious. Will it rise? Will bake evenly? You're prepare for things you might never expect. But, who would have thought about eclampsia, gestational diabetes or preterm labor? More like being gassy, constipated and swollen like a beluga whale. You feel your first contractions and panic mode goes into high gear. HOLY  @)*&@$*&!!

Get me to L&D now!, you're screaming. You do your breathing exercises, but you have no idea if they are doing anything for you. The doctor says you need to be dilated to 10cm before you can start pushing. You think, "What? That's the size of a mini watermelon!". You're half dressed, half awake, half praying for the baby to come out. You've immediately asked for the epidural even if it wasn't in your original plan (I found this hilarious. Literally, ladies who are purists and say no to drugs will succumb to it). And then you're ready to push. Your husband, the doctors, the medical students, the nurse, and even the cleaning staff are cheering you on. PUSH, they say. Your face is scrunched up like you've eaten half a lemon and you push as hard as you can.

It's crowning...and the head is out! You're relieved that the hardest part is over and you take a deep breath and push. Suddenly, your little joy comes right out of the oven and you hold her to your bosom. You're so so exhausted, but you find wonder in the tiny little hands and a sense of accomplishment. You're surrounded by the soothing warmth and new smells. The baby's bottom is as soft as a freshly baked bun. All round, warm and still pinkish from her difficult journey.

Baking, birthing... all so unpredictable and imprecise. All so scary and wonderful at the same time. But, you look at your little bundle and you think… hell yeah...I did it.

Sorry, for the lame ending! I tried to make it all flowery and beautiful, but sometimes I just need to tell it like it is. At the end of labor, the student (that's me!) takes another 10 minutes to pull out the placenta. You're actually shivering cold (possibly from blood loss) and the doc is giving you a "fundal massage", which is like mashing up your uterus so it can stop bleeding. Labor is definitely not the most glamorous part of having a child and what little ounce of shame you had has flown out the window. You know that thing where you care who sees your hoo ha's? Yeah, well that's gone. But, it must definitely be all worth it, because the human race is still not extinct. I won't understand it now...but maybe in the next 10 years ha.

Thanks for reading! I really went on a bend at the end... but trying to be honest! ;)

Babka 2 ways: Nutella and Coconut Custard 

adapted from thesmittenkitchen

makes two loaves or 12 muffins

Dough

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

1/2 cup warm water, plus more if needed

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

Fillings:

Dark Nutella with Cinnamon

1/2 cup nutella

1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped or semisweet chips

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Coconut Custard

2 egg yolks

3 tbsp butter, softened

3 tbsp sugar

3/4-1 cup shredded coconut

Syrup

a little less than 1/3 cup water

5 tbsp sugar

1. Dough: In a mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast, eggs and water. With a dough hook, put mixer in low speed until it starts coming together. Pick up a little more speed and add a little water if necessary (2-3tbsps). It will look a little dry, but that's okay. Add butter 1 tbsp at a time on low, waiting for it to be incorporated into the dough before adding the next. Mix on low-medium for at least 5 minutes before you see the dough pulling from the side and becoming smooth. Mix and scrape down the bowl for another 5 minutes. Place rounded dough in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge to rise overnight.
2. Filling: mix each filling separately, set aside
3. Grease 2 loaf pans or muffin pans and line with parchment paper. Work with half of the dough from the fridge. Roll out onto a floured counter to 10x7"
4. Spread Nutella mixture all over leaving a 1/2 inch border at the ends. Roll lengthwise away from you so you get a long rolled up tube in the end. Just like if you were to make cinnamon buns.
5. Cut 1.5 inch rounds from it and transfer onto greased muffin pan. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for 1.5 hrs
6. Repeat for coconut custard filling. Although, I made a loaf out of it, so it could look like this loaf.
7. Heat oven to 375F and place loaf/buns on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 20-25mins. The loaf will need another 10-15minutes more. You can check for doneness but sticking a chewer in it and if it pulls with more resistance than it should, then it should go back into the oven. Cover the top with foil if it browns too quickly.
8. Once it is almost done baking, make the syrup topping by microwaving water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool a little and then brush it all over the buns/loaf as soon as they come out of the oven. Let buns rest for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack (or gobble straight out of the pan!)

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Red Bean Flower Bread - 팥빵

I have an appetite like an old Korean lady. Not quantity wise... that would mean I equal 10 old ladies. But in the stuff that old ahjummas "old Korean ladies with a perm ;)" love to eat. Like red bean, boiled barley, pumpkin porridge, Korean rice cakes, cardboard tasting crackers...food that I can probably eat until I'm 90, because they can so easily be smushed between my toothless gums. Especially red bean. That's my one true love <3

Red bean between soft buttery bread. It's like a sandwich made for the gods. A lot of people seem to dislike it and I don't understand why! It is a little weird that beans can be considered dessert, but for christ-sake, IT IS NOT KIDNEY BEANS. I had to explain that at least a gazillion times. I never grew up with dessert after dinner concept (typical Asian), so red bean to me was the ultimate dessert.

The bread is super soft like brioche and SUPER stuffed with red bean paste. If you're too lazy to make the paste, you can buy it at any Asian supermarket. Don't hate on the beans before you've tried it!

Red Bean Flower Bread - 팥빵

makes 10-12 large buns

Red bean paste
2 cups dried adzuki beans
1.5-2 cups sugar (depending on taste)
pinch of salt

Dough
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1 packet of active dry yeast
1/3 cup water
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs
5 tbsp butter, room temperature

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water)

Red bean paste

1. Rinse and soak beans overnight in a large bowl with at least 2 inches of water covering the top layer
2. Drain beans and put in a medium-large pot. Cover with water until about 5 inches above the top. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer for about 1-2 hours with the lid on. Check the water level every now and then and add about an inch above the top when you see the beans exposed
3. Check for done-ness by squishing the beans with your fingers. They should give in easily. If they are at that stage, don't add anymore water! 
4. Dump in the sugar and salt. Start with a lower amount of sugar, because you can always adjust by adding more later. Stir with a wooden spoon, while mashing it a little too. 
5. The consistency should get quite think and the water should keep evaporating. I used a stick blender here to blend it until it was smooth. If you don't own one, you can use a potato masher or pour it into your blender.
6. Keep stirring on medium heat to evaporate the water and don't let it burn on the bottom. You should expect your arms to tire out so call in a friend ;) (this can take up to 1 hour, depending on how much water is left in your pot)
7. It will be done when you scrape the bottom of the pot and there is a divide between the paste (aka not a liquid mess). Leave to cool outside with the lid off and it should become even more thick.

Dough

1. In a kitchen aid mixing bowl, whisk together bread flour, AP flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add water, milk and 2 eggs
2. Using the dough hook, mix at low speed (2-3). You may need to add about 2-5 tbsp of water if the dough is dry. Let it mix for about 5 mins until it looks pretty well pounded together
3. Add in the butter 1 tbsp at a time and mix low-medium speed for another 10-15 minutes. Check for elasticity by stretching the dough quite thinly between your fingers and it shouldn't snap too easily
4. Put in a greased bowl and cover with greased saran wrap or a damp cloth. Let it rise for 45mins
5. In the meantime, roll your red bean paste into golf sized balls (12) and set aside.
6. Punch down the dough and split it evenly into 12 balls on a floured surface. Roll a ball it into a thin circle, place red bean paste in the middle and pinch to close. You can use a little water to help it stick
7. Pat or roll gently the stuffed dough into a wide cylinder (like a tuna can) with seam side down. You don't need to apply much pressure! Don't squish it and let all the red bean squeeze out. Keep the height to about 3/4-1" 
8. Refer to the picture above! Using kitchen scissors, snip 6 times at the edges and lay on a baking tray with parchment paper on top. Cover the compete buns with saran wrap and let it rise for about 15 minutes (they should look slightly puffy)
9. Preheat oven to 375F. Brush eggwash over the buns and pop it into the oven for 13-18 minutes or until golden brown on top. This timing depends on how large you want to bake the bread. You can easily make more than what I did. I just like more red bean than bread.

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Healthier Chocolate Chip & Pecan Pumpkin Bread

I'm really getting ready for sweater weather. My body knows it. My hunger knows it. I just feel like eating and snacking all day long, wrapped up in a oversized sweater that hangs down to my knees. It doesn't help when I love (and I MEAN LOVE) pumpkin baked goods: pumpkin lattes, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bagels, cupcakes, ice cream!!! You get the idea. My pinterest is going crazy with pumpkin pins.

So I gave in. You know? To those pumpkin callings and sweater body. Luckily, I own 10 pairs of sweatpants. Haha. I did make this pumpkin bread a little healthier though. Makes me feel a tad bit better about myself :P

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

makes 1 loaf

1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 vegetable oil
1/4 cup yogurt
2 eggs
1 heaping cup of pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mix of pecan and bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line loaf tin with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients: flour, sugars, salt, baking soda and spice. In a medium size bowl, beat eggs slightly, add yogurt, oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla.
3. Gently mix together the wet and dry mix until just incorporated. It's okay if there are small streaks of flour. You don't want to over-mix or you will end up with a brick!
4. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts
5. Bake for 50-60mins or until a toothpick poked in the middle comes out dry

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Basic Gougères

My friends and I are starting a new thing where we have potlucks based on a specific country. So a few weeks ago, we had a Brazilian potluck and I had full intention of making Pão de Queijo. Watch me go to a Brazilian churrascaria and chow down a basket full of cheesy chewy puffs of dough. They are soo delicious, so fluffy and even better hot out of the oven.

But... Why does my post say gougères then?! Because, I didn't have the right flour!! I was so devastated, but I thought screw it, I need to make something in 2 hours or I will show up empty handed. And my friends will beat me (haha kidding). I started making the dough with olive oil (typically for pão de queijo) and normal flour, which reminded me of making cream puffs. And I thought, GOUGÈRES! They are like the French version of pão. Don't ask me who came up with cheesy breads first... I just like to eat them :P.

Anyway, instead of using butter, I used mostly olive oil and they turned out wonderfully. And I saved the day (sort of :\). These are like crack on a plate, covered in cheese. Do make them!!

Parmesan Gougères

adapted from foodandwine.com
makes 35-40
1 cup whole milk
a little less than 1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1-1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/2 tbsp pepper

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Matcha Brioche Braided Loaf

Hello to the weekend from my lovely bed with another cardio exam under my belt! I didn't quite mind learning about the heart. Although, I don't know if I can finely distinguish between normal heart sounds or the sound of a hole in your heart :P I am in awe of some of these cardiologists. I keep listening to different heart sounds and they all sound the same to me. Maybe I need to clean out my ears haha.

After doing some serious sleeping and resting this weekend, I hope I won't be feeling so burned out for my next exam. Spending some quality time with my buds and bf, eating good food and being active certainly helps.

Matcha Brioche Braided Loaf

makes 2 loaves

1 batch of brioche dough (or half to make 1 loaf)

Matcha filling
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup raw cane sugar (coarse demerara sugar)
1 tbsp matcha powder

1 large egg beaten + 1 tbsp milk for egg wash

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Nutella Twisted Brioche Buns

You can tell that I love Nutella in my bread. Heck, I eat that stuff straight out of the jar. My roommate is also one Nutella aficionado. She always has her Costco-sized Nutella jar on the kitchen counter for direct access and another jar for emergencies! I don't think I've ever met a Nutella-hater. That creamy luscious stuff thoughh...hmmmm. And it's made with nuts so that's got to be healthy right?

Ever since I got my Kitchen aid mixer, I've been able to make so much bread. Good for my soul but not so much my fat paunch ah ha :\ Here, I've made brioche, which I looovee because it's so eggy and buttery. I did cut down on the butter and sugar but, it still came out very puffy and soft. These Nutella stuffed brioche buns make a lovely breakfast and people will fawn over you when you bring them to school or work :D or you can choose to hoard... yea, it was a hard choice ;)

Nutella Twisted Brioche Buns

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Nutella Twist Braided Bread

I just came back from Charleston, NC and decided that I should finally finish this blog post at 1am. I'm dead tired, but I was really going to post this when school was over but but but... (insert more lame excuses). The road trip with my buds was exactly what I needed to end the academic year. I think we were all pretty burned out from all the studying and the trip was a perfect weekend to relax and to eat extremely good food. The city was so quaint and cute, filled with horse drawn carriages and beautiful mansions. We stuffed our bellies with Southern food and barbecue, brunched with bottomless mimosas and slept on the beach. I'm feeling super content :)  and extremely tired!!!

I made a bunch of these Nutella Twist bread and seriously you can make them into any shape because they are still going to be delicious. My friends gobbled these up quickly!

Ah, I'm falling asleep on my keyboard... G'night!

Nutella Twist Bread

makes 6-7 braids

Dough

2 cups bread flour

1.5 tbsp buttermilk powder (or dry whole milk powder)

pinch of salt

1/4 cup white sugar

1.5 tsp active dry yeast

1 egg

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp butter, very softened

about 1/2 cup Nutella
handful of sliced almonds

Dough making details on Hong Kong Style Hotdog Buns

1. In your kitchen aid mixer bowl with paddle attachment mix bread flour, buttermilk powder, salt, sugar, yeast. Add eggs and mix a little, while slowing adding the water in. Mix until it forms a shaggy dough
2. Switch to the dough hook, add the butter and knead for at least 15 minutes on middle speed. I think I ran it for 20-25 mins. You can check on the elasticity by stretch the dough into a thin membrane and if it doesn't tear that easily it should be ready to go
3. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and put greased saran wrap over the dough. Let it proof/rest in a warm place (I put mine next to the windowsill) until double size ~1 hr
4. Punch the dough down a few times and divide the dough in half and then each half to 6 portions
5. Roll out 1 portion of the dough into a long rectangle about 10x5" and a little less than 1/4" thick. Spread a thin layer of Nutella and then roll it like a cinnamon roll. Placing the seam side down, use a sharp knife and cut the dough in half but leave 1" uncut at the top to keep the 2 halves joined. Criss cross the halves over each other like a braid, pinch the bottom to seal and tuck under.
6. Repeat for each portion and place it on a greased or lined baking tray. Let it rise in a warm place for 45 mins-1 hour
7. Preheat oven to 350F, brush eggwash over the tops and sprinkle almonds over them
8. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden. Let it cool for 5-10mins and then transfer to a rack to fully cool

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Hong Kong Style Hot Dog Buns

I just came out of my anatomy exam identifying all kinds of genitalia (pardon my language). I think I did okay... as long as I know the difference between a bladder and a pee-hole! Some tricky blood supply and nerves but I'm more worried about my patient skills exam on Thursday. We're being tested on our ability to speak to patients, diagnose and be able to do the musculoskeletal, abdomen and breast exam. Luckily, no eye exam, unless it's tested in the skills station, otherwise I'll be looking at the patient's eye with an otoscope again (a tool to examine ears) :X. Woot, that was seriously an embarrassing ordeal. Clearly not enough sleep and caffeine. I mean ear... eye... close enough haha...

I've been craving some Asian bakery goods and the super soft, slightly sweet buns that they sell in Hong Kong. Here's a recipe I will definitely be using again and again to make all kinds of buns. I just made a Nutella braided one out of the same dough and it was fantastic (will post that recipe soon!). Wish me luck on my next 3 exams before summer yay!!

Recipe can be halved if you're going to do it by hand, otherwise you'll be kneading forever. Kitchen Aid love <3

Hong Kong Style Hotdog Buns

makes 24 mini buns

4 cups bread flour

3 tbsp buttermilk powder (or dry whole milk powder)

scant 1 tsp salt

scant 1/2 cup white sugar

3 tsp active dry yeast

2 eggs

1 cup water

5 tbsp butter, very softened

12 hotdogs, cut in half and patted dry

eggwash (1 egg mixed with 1 tsp water)

sesame seeds (optional)

1. In your kitchen aid mixer bowl with paddle attachment mix bread flour, buttermilk powder, salt, sugar, yeast. Add eggs and mix a little, while slowing adding the water in. Mix until it forms a shaggy dough
2. Switch to the dough hook, add the butter and knead for at least 15 minutes on middle speed. I think I ran it for 20-25 mins. You can check on the elasticity by stretch the dough into a thin membrane and if it doesn't tear that easily it should be ready to go. Another test is to stretch it thin, poke a hole in the middle and it should be a perfect circle (no shaggy circle). But mine was still a little shaggy and it turned supremely fluffy :P
3. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and put greased saran wrap over the dough. Let it proof/rest in a warm place (I put mine next to the windowsill) until double size ~1 hr
4. Punch the dough down a few times and divide the dough in half and then each half to 12 portions. I kind of pulled at the dough as I went along because I don't have counter space for that! 
5. Roll dough between your hands until you get a 5 inch strip and wrap the cut hotdogs tucking the loose ends under and place it on a greased or lined tray with the ends facing down. Repeat until no more dough. Cover all with saran wrap and let it rest for 50 mins (it should puff up a little)
6. Preheat oven to 350F, brush eggwash over the tops and sprinkle sesame seeds if desired
7. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden. Let it cool for 5-10mins and then transfer to a rack to fully cool

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Banana Bread Muffins with Chocolate Chips & Walnuts

Taking a break from studying. Procrasti-baking! I made these last week and was supposed to post this recipe. What better time to blog if not 2 days before a heme-onc exam that has me reduced to a nail biting chipmunk?

Banana Bread Muffins with Chocolate Chips & Walnuts

makes 14 muffins

1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon

5 tbsps butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3-4 bananas, ripe and mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup walnut, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a muffin pan or line with paper
• In large bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugars, bananas, egg,  and vanilla
• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking soda and powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to wet mix and stir until moistened (don't overmix!). Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips
• Spoon batter almost fully into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15-20 mins, until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean
• Let cool for at least 5 mins

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Pumpkin Cranberry Braided Loaf

Long weekend = bread baking. Finally made bread with my kitchenaid! Last time I made this, I used my bare hands to make half of this recipe and may have dislocated my shoulder. Ha... that was 3 years ago. I'd like to say I'm back to bread making (inspired by a lovely classmate who makes delicious bread), but I just can't find the time between all my tv watching, eating and maybe some studying (?) ;P

This bread is super fluffy, soft and moist. I wish I had some left over to make some bomb french toast or bread pudding, but I distributed it to most of my friends. Wouldn't you like to be my neighbor? :D

Pumpkin Cranberry Braided Loaf

makes 2 loaves
adapted from King Arthur Flour

15 oz can pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp instant yeast (I used 1 packet of Red Star Platinum Instant Yeast)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
4 3/4 cups flour (separated)
2/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1. In stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment, combine pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, melted butter and mix on low until blended
2. Add spices, yeast, salt and 2 3/4 cups of flour. Mix on low speed until combined
3. Add remaining 2 cups of flour and mix on low until a shaggy dough forms
4. Switch to dough hook and knead on medium speed for 5-8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Add 1 tbsp of flour at a time if it is still wet. But this is a really sticky dough and will stick to the bottom of your mixer bowl. Add dried cranberries and mix for 1 min until evenly dispersed
5. Transfer dough to lightly oiled bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 1-1.5 hrs. It should expand a little bit
6. Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and flour over it if it is too sticky to handle. Divide in half and then divide the half into 3 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into a log about 1.5" diameter. Make a tight braid on a lightly greased baking tray with 3 logs and pinch and tuck ends under bread. Repeat with the other 3 logs
7. Cover braided loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap and rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hrs. (I only waited about 1 hr and it had expanded a quite a bit but not doubled)
8. Bake bread at preheated oven 350F for 25-30mins, until lightly brown. The loaf is quite light in color so don't overbake. You can tap on the outside and it should make a hollow sound. Cool on wire rack.
9. Serve with jams, butters or whatever you like!

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