DRIVE BY RECIPE; make your own sweetened condensed milk... it's a quickie, don't blink

   

I try to remember to have Sweetened Condensed Milk on hand because I cook with it fairly regularly.  Sometimes I fail miserably at 'keeping things in the pantry that I need".  I like to think I'm not the only one.

I have an EASY fix is to make your own; truly it's dead easy.  You're going to love this.

This stuff works just like the stuff in the can and it's a fraction of the cost and really, it's delicious.

DRIVE BY RECIPE:

TRACY'S HOMEMADE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

INGREDIENTS;

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 T butter, (I use salted, if you use unsalted, then add a pinch of salt)

splash of vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS;

Combine the milk and sugar in a heavy pan, set on a medium flame and cook (simmer and stir often) it till it's pale yellow, super thick and and bubbling like lava.

Take off head, add the butter and vanilla.  Transfer it into a container with a lid, leave to chill on counter then pop it in the fridge till you want to use it.  It technically lasts weeks but in practice, a couple of days before it's used up :)  

THAT'S IT!  go on, take it off your 'to buy' list and put it on your 'to make' list!

I'll get more play by play pics up later today but I wanted to get this driveby up for you. 

/enjoy

Watch this space for some impending massive Nesco appliance testing

I wasn't going to mention it here but I can't even wait so I'm telling you all now!

So, I had a LONG conversation with a representative from Nesco about me using and testing and reviewing and (I will here) develop some recipes for whatever pieces they send me.

I had an hours long chat with the rep then sent a long, detailed follow up listing all the fabulous new products I was prepared to use and talk about and now... now we wait...

I sent a follow up email last week, it can't be long now.  So, until I tell you differently, don't buy any small appliances, I may have new recommendations in the not too distant future!

I will update as the details flow...

((excited))  because I love their products and can't wait to use some of the items I haven't used before.

ok... now we wait...........  it can't be THAT long I'm sure.....

/tracy

Hot Cross Buns, you don't need to wait till Easter or Christmas, no, you need to make them NOW and I have developed the perfect recipe. You're welcome, go make them now, go

I love hot cross buns.  I always have.  It sort of bugs me that I only seem to eat them at Easter.  I think I need to start a revolution and say it's OK to eat them anytime.  They are sweet and savory and spicy and not and soft and tender and absolutely delicious.

OK, I combined some old and some new recipes and this is what I came up with.  I've made it a couple of times and it keeps working and they are so wonderful. I think you need to make them now.  You don't need a kitchen aid to make it but it makes it easier.  If you don't have one, put it all in a bowl, mix till it's tiring then take the dough out and knead.  I've made them by machine knead and I've done them by hand.  They work either way.  I am doing this as a drive by because it's a dump and run, truly, only one rise, how easy is THAT?

I will devour this batch and make another with better play by play pics but for now, this is the drive by recipe, you can do it!

DRIVE BY RECIPE:  TRACY'S HOT CROSS BUNS

INGREDIENTS

Dry:  dump in the bowl of a Kitchen aid mixer

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
(you'll need extra for adding if needed and for the bench when you form the balls
1 Tb yeast (you can also skimp and use a packet which is 2 1/4 tsp which is close enough)
2 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon sugar (or plain cinnamon if that's all you have)
2 tsp mixed spice (recipe below)
1/4 cup currants (these are small raisins, I don't like bit raisins but if you do, have at it :) add more or less depending on how much you love/hate dried fruit

Wet:  No need to mix these separately,

1 cup very warm tap water
1 TB butter
1 egg
splash vanilla (if you feel the need)

METHOD

Dump all the dry ingredients into the bowl of your Kitchen aid mixer or a large bowl.  Mix to combine, add the wet ingredients, no need to premix...

Use dough hook and let it mix on medium until it's a smooth lovely dough.  Add little bits of flour at a time, after 5 minutes if the dough needs it to clear the sides and become a smooth tender ball

Remove hook from dough in bowl, leave it there and cover with a plastic bag.  Let it rest about 10 minutes.

Divide the dough in 12 equal balls and place on a parchment lined sheet pan.  Spray the tops of the rolls, cover the whole thing with a gigantic plastic bag and leave to double.  It should be about 1-2 hours.

Spray with milk or brush with milk.  Add a cross if you want, I make a thin paste of water and flour and draw on with the side of a spoon.

Bake in a PREHEATED 375 oven for 20-30 minutes, spin half way through.

Remove to a rack immediately and leave to cool for as long as you can stand it.

ENJOY!

here's a few beauty shots.  These are before they went into the oven

 LOOK! at these beauties.  The crumb is amazing, tender and flavorful, yeah, I delight myself sometimes

   

So I broke in to one, butter and golden syrup.  Usually I toast them but that'll be later, I had to show you the crumb after a bite, it doesn't collapse into a goo, no, look at it! WOW!  so tasty, fabulous crumb, are you running to make them yet?

 

MY MIXED SPICE RECIPE

1 TB of each of the following: 

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Allspice

1 tsp of each of the following: 

Cloves

Coriander

Ginger

2 tsp of 

Mace

Combine all the spices in  jar and mix, it lasts a really long time because you only need a little bit.  Be sure to go to the bulk area to get the spices, you'll save a FORTUNE doing it that way. 

Make these rolls, I'm dying to know what you think

/enjoy

tracy

•  

Egg Tarts, the perfect end to DimSum, any meal, any time, any day, you're going to need to make these

When I lived in Canada, I went to DimSum regularly with friends.  Mississauga, Ontario, has some of the best DimSum I've ever had, Toronto China Town included.  There's NO decent DimSum in Austin so I have to make up the individual pieces as the mood strikes.  

I came up with a morf of many recipes to end up with this version of the most delicious Chinese Egg Tart.  These are tender, crunchy, smooth, soft, solid and absolutely delicious. 

I cheat with store bought puff pastry, it's delicious and easy and really, if I want egg tarts, I'm not going to start the day before to get homemade puff going...  so, go get some puff and keep it in the freezer for exactly this reason.  IF you love an egg tart, THIS is the recipe you've been looking for.

TRACY'S EGG TARTS IN PUFF

INGREDIENTS

1 cup hottest tap water
1/2 (scant) cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp vinegar
pinch salt


INSTRUCTIONS

Mix hot water and sugar, to dissolve sugar, leave to cool to room temperature
                  (alternatively, you can combine water and sugar in 2 cup glass measuring cup, nuke till boiling and leave to cool)

Mix egg, vanilla, vinegar and salt with a fork, in another bowl, GENTLY, no air bubbles.  
Add the eggs to the sugar syrup and stir with a metal spoon to combine well 

STRAIN twice (once from the measuring cup into the bowl and then once back from the bowl to the measuring cup) and leave to sit while you deal with pastry

I used 1 sheet of puff pastry, roll out and cut into 12 squares. 

Line 12 muffin pans or individual tart pans with the pastry
Fill with the egg mixture, yep, all the way to the top  

Bake 350 for about 30 minutes on the lower middle rack 
Bake till they're beautiful 

Cool pan on a rack about 10 minutes then remove tarts and leave as long as you can before you devour them 

Here's some progress shots... make these, let me know what you think

   

  

There you go Dave, I'm thinking of you and wishing you were here to help me devour these little beauties

/enjoy

Trace

Lavash Herbed Flatbread. This is my version, such as it is, oh and that would be absolutely delicious

My Nana used to bring Lavash flatbread with her when she visited us from Chicago, Winnetka actually.  She and my mom would doctor it up with butter and herbs.  It was delicious.  They'd keep it in cookie tins in the kitchen and I would sneak a hunk every.single.time I'd walk by.

I need to get hold of my sister and see if she has such delicious memories of it.

I have used Lavash as a wrap, it's super thin flatbread, similar to a gigantic tortilla but without the fat so based on that alone, I call it diet food.  I try not to pay attention to the aioli that I usually slather it in.  All natural equals healthy enough for me and since *I* make the aioli and the bread, my committee has no problems whatsoever eating it regularly.

I had a hankering the other day for the crispy, doctored up version my mom and Nana used to make.  I got hold of mum and she shared the secret herb blend, ahhhhhhh the memories of my youth. 

This is the easiest bread on earth to make, truly.  It's soft if you under cook it, crisp if you cook it longer, and crazy, shatteringly crisp and buttery and herby if you slather it and cover it liberally after you've cooked it, a quick 2 minutes back in a screaming hot oven will result in the most delicious, crispy, crunchy flavorful pile of shrapnel that goes with any gathering. 

Try this, trust me on this one: 

TRACY'S HERBED LAVASH FLATBREAD RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

This makes 8 GIGANTIC breads to cook and break up.  The pictures below are a half recipe in case you'd thought you'd lost your minds.  So, if you just want a small batch, you can easily half this recipe. 

For 8 flatbreads

3 cups a/p flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup hottest tap water
splash of olive oil (optional)

Topping:

Melted butter OR olive oil

Herbs:

Any combination of herbs that you like.  I don't share MY herb blend because I sell the bread and I sell the herbs separately too.

You can combine any herbs that you love, some suggestions are maybe:

parsley
sage
rosemary
thyme

herbs de provence

I know my mom has snuck garlic powder in on her blend but I prefer it without because of my need for flavors of my childhood. 

INSTRUCTIONS 

and play by play pictures.  (*these pictures are of a half recipe)

Combine in a kitchenaid with a hook and mix/knead until smooth.  About 3 minutes.  

OR

Combine in a bowl, mix and knead by hand till smooth.  About 5 minutes.  For these pics, I did a half recipe and refuse to haul out 'big red' for a cup and a half of flour

   

    

   

See?  No kitchenaid is no reason not to make this.  (how many negatives can I get into one sentence?)

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roll into balls.  Place on in a heavily floured plate, flour the balls and place into a plastic bag.   Leave to rest 40 minutes. 

Mix herbs/spices

Melt 6+ TB butter

Preheat oven, with pizza stone OR inverted cookie sheet to 500 degrees.  This cooks hot and it cooks fast.  Life's too short to wait for culinary delight. 

I roll one piece of the dough on a floured piece of parchment paper.  You can reuse it for the whole recipe to cook all 8.  You want to roll it paper thin, thinner than that, you want to about see through it, it should roll out to a 12 or 13 inch circle.  Seriously.  Use flour as needed and brush it off before it goes into the oven.

    

    

  

Slide the parchment onto a peel and put it on the screaming hot stone or sheet pan.  Bake 3 minutes.  Spin if your oven is a little uneven.  Mine is so I spin and remove the parchment at 2 minutes done, which is easy to remove from under the flatbread, for the last minute.. 

Remove from oven with tongs and put it between kitchen towels.  I spray water on the top towel.  It keeps the bread supple if you want.

    

When they're all cooked, spread each with melted butter (OR you can use olive oil!) and sprinkle your herb mix on liberally.  Slip back into the oven, straight on the stone or pan, for 2 minutes.  Remove to a rack to cool and become shatteringly crisp.

    

    

    

Break into shards and keep in a tin.  Mine doesn't really last long enough to require a tin but I'm forever hopeful I'll eventually be able to fill a tin and not eat it all...

Here's just some random beauty shots

   

You'll love this and it'll be your new goto party piece to take along. 

Trust me, you'l love it. 

/enjoy

Tracy