Maple-Pecan Sticky Buns

I got The Art & Soul of Baking a few weeks ago and I've been dying to try it out. I even picked out a recipe to try before I even left the book store. So today I finally got to try it out. I tried out the Maple-Pecan Sticky Buns and boy are they yummy. Better than any sticky bun I ever got in a store. And this book is very informative. I learned a very specific way to make bread in class and after that I've graded every recipe book according to that method. And this book gets an A++.

This recipe is a two step recipe. Actually, kinda three step. But, it requires a recipe for Rich Breakfast Dough (recipe to follow) which they say can be used not only for these sticky buns but also coffee cake (which I can't wait to try). And this book has so many side notes and tips it's crazy. But good crazy.

Maple - Pecan Sticky Buns

The Art & Soul of Baking

by Sur la Table & Cindy Mushet

Ingredients:

1 recipe Rich Breakfast Dough

topping:

3/4 (3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened (65* - 68*F)

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup ( 3 3/4 ounces) maple syrup (preferably Grade B) book offers explanation on another page

1 cup (4 ounces) chopped pecans

filling:

1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Rich Breakfast Dough

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm whole milk (110* - 115*F)

1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or 1 1/8 teaspoons instant yeast

1 large egg plus egg yolk, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft (not melted)

1 MIX AND KNEAD THE DOUGH: Combine the warm milk and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Whisk by hand to blend well. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast is activated and foamy or bubbling.

Add the egg and yolk and whisk by hand until well blended. Stir in the flour and saltwith a silicone or rubber spatula. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough may look ragged at this point, but don't worry - the addition of butter will smooth it out. Increase the speed to medium and knead for 1 minute. With the mixer running, add the soft butter, 1 tablesppon at a time, allowing each addition to blend in before adding the next. Once all the butter has been added, decrease the speedto medium-low and continue to knead for 5 to 6 minuteslonger, until the dough looks soft and silky.

2 RISE THE DOUGH (FIRST RISE): Lightly butter or oil the tub or bowl, scrape the dough into the tub, and brush the surface of the dough with a little butter or oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp lint-free cotton towel and let the doughrise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you are using a tub, be sure to mark the starting level of the dough with a pencil or piece of tape so it's easy to tell when the dough has doubled. at this point, the dough is ready to be punched down and used in your recipe of choice (in this case Maple-Pecan Sticky Buns).

1 MAKING THE TOPPING: Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and blend on medium speed until the mixture is smoothand slightly lightened, 2 to 3 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl, though you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer running on medium, pour the maple syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl and blend until smooth and homogenous. Scrape the topping into the cake pan (10" cake pan) and spread evenly. Scatter the chopped pecans over the top. Set aside while you make the buns.

2 ROLL THE DOUGH: Dust your work surfacewith flour. Turn the risen dough out of the tub and onto the flour. Press down firmly with your hands to expel as much of the gas as possible, but don't knead the dough or the gluten will be too developed for the dough to roll easily. Dust the top of the dough with flour. Roll the dough into a 10- by 16-inch rectangle. Position the dough so that one of the long sides in parallel to the edge of your work surface. Brush any remaining flour from the surface and underside of the dough.

3 MAKE THE FILLING: Place the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl of the stand mixer and blend on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and slightly lightened, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Use a silicone or rubber spatula (I used my hands) to spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the long side opposite you (I did it the opposite way because I work the opposite way)

4 SHAPE THE BUNS: Beginning with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a cylinder, gently tucking and tightening as you roll (this is how I worked opposite, I started with the side opposite me and rolled toward me. It feels easier to me). Wet your fingers and rub a thin film of water along the empty border. Finish rolling the dough onto the border. Roll the dough backwards so that the seam is facing upward and pinch all along it to seal the dough. Turn the seam side down and use a chef's knife to cut the roll into 10 equal pieces. Set each bun with a cut side upon your work surface and gently flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. Place the buns into the prepared cake pan, spacing them evenly.

5 PROOF THE DOUGH (SECOND RISE): Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a damp lint-free cotton towel and set asideto rise until the rolls have almost doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes (longer if the room is cold).

6 BAKE THE STICKY BUNS: Preheat the oven to 350*F and position an oven rack in te center. Bake the buns for 30 - 35 minutes (took me 45 minutes), until the buns are deep golden brown and the centers register 185*F on an instant read thermometer.

Transfer to a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then turn the buns out of the pan. To do this, run a knife or small spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the buns. Place a large plate or rimmed baking sheet upside down on top of the cake pan. Wearing oven mitts, hold the cake pan against the plate and invert it. The sticky buns will fall out of the pan onto the plate, along with their syrup and nuts. Serve the sticky buns warn or at room temperature.

P.S. Thank you for all the kind words about my wedding cake. The bride and groom loved it.

Wedding Cake

This whole week I've been working on a wedding cake. My first wedding cake that I did all on my own. It was the most nerve wracking thing I've ever done and quite a learning experience. So far I've gotten good reviews but I haven't heard anything from the bride or her family yet and they are who matter most. I am dropping off their anniversary cake later today so I'm crossing my fingers that they liked it as much as everyone else has.

The groom's cake was fun to do and came out cute. I was originally going to put this little novelty fisherman on the cake but it didn't fit in with everything else so I left it off. But there are some cute personal touches on the cake: the lake is in the actual shape of the lake that the groom grew up on, there's little wooden sign saying "Swan Lake" and there's a tree on the cake with the bride and groom's initials.

Some personal touches

Fondant Forest

White chocolate starfish for the cake topper.

P.S. I dropped the anniversary cake off with the bride and groom and they loved it. And the consultation that I had about a week ago? The parents were at this wedding and they were impressed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Update

So, since last we met I have been a little busy but productive. Last week I made some yummy Irish Stew with a slight twist. Normally it's lamb made with a mirepoix of carrots, onions and green peppers. But I found an orange bell pepper and had to use that as my orange in the Irish flag. So my green was celery and white was the onion as usual.

Then, I had a cake consultation that I was too busy to capture on camera and the mini cupcake leftover from it were too good that they were gone before I knew it. But I made lemon cake, strawberry cake, carrot cake and my very own cream cheese cake. All were made from scratch and no artificial flavors were used. I took my basic yellow cake recipe that I use all the time and for the strawberry cake I pureed some frozen and thawed strawberries and added it til it tasted strawberry-y. And for the lemon cake I took the same yellow cake recipe and added lemon curd til it tasted lemon-y. They were both soooooo yummy and moist but not overly powerful in flavor like some lemon cakes can be but flavorful enough to notice unlike some strawberry cakes.

Today, I found an Irish Soda Bread recipe I want to try. I just need to figure out when I can fit it in. And I have a wedding cake to do this upcoming week so maybe while I'm at that I'll frost my strawberry banana cake. (I know it's been awhile since I baked it but I wrapped it up good and froze it, it's not a terrible sin) The hot cross buns are gonna happen Sunday so I can do it with my daughter.

I think that's it for now. I'll try to capture the moment as I'm working on all this.

What to do? What to do?

So, I've baked a banana cake with strawberry swirl. It tastes great but now I'm wondering what to frost it with. I'm thinking strawberry italian butter cream. Mainly cause the strawberry in the cake isn't terribly strong and I would like to bring it out more. Hmmmm.... What to do? What to do?

Floating Islands

Not much to say today except that I got a major bug and got busy in the kitchen. I saw this on a whisk and a spoon awhile back and have been meaning to try it out. And I was working with egg white anyways the other day and decided to use the yolks to make the creme anglaise. Today I made the poached meringues that you see below. I didn't make the caramel that went on it but only cause I didn't feel like dirtying another pot. Like I said, I was busy in the kitchen today and that means dirty dishes too.

It was very yummy and my mom enjoyed two bowls of it. But then again, caramel was involved.

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent.
--John Donne

Irish Soda Bread

A couple of weeks ago my mom handed me a sheet of paper with a recipe for Irish Soda Bread and in response I asked "Is this a hint?" and all she had to say was "Yes". I had all intentions to make it for St. Patrick's Day since every year we go all out and have corn beef and cabbage and drink Guiness (even if some of us don't like it). But we didn't have flour (HOW DOES A BAKER NOT HAVE FLOUR?!?!?!). And I was too tired to run out and get some flour so I put it off until today.

I asked my mom if the recipe sounded like what she remembered, with the raisins and caraway seeds. She said that's how she rememebered it and so I stuck with the recipe, word for word.

My daughter helped me out again this time. I'm training her for when I open my own bakery. There's not too much to this recipe. It's a two step recipe. Pour all the dry ingredients into a bowl then pour all the wet ingredients into the dry mix and stir until just combined. I've made Irish Soda Bread only once before and it wasn't as sticky and wet as this mix was but this recipe came out very soft and moist. And even though this wasn't a flavor I like, my mom loved it and that's all that counted. I'm just not a big fan of caraway. I'd try it without caraway next time but then it would just be raisin bread. So, I'm on the hunt for a recipe I like.

If you want to give this recipe a try, and I recommend it if you like caraway, you can find here at allrecipes.com.The English are not happy unless they are miserable, the Irish are not at peace unless they are at war, and the Scots are not at home unless they are abroad.
--George Orwell

Garde Manger Project

I've been keeping pretty busy lately. New job, school, kid, and trying to fit in a personal life. But this mock cake that we had to do for a class project was one of the things that took up my time lately and something that I can sit back and look at and see a finished product that I take pride in. A fellow classmate / friend and I went in on the project together making tons of salt dough roses and fighting with the red salt dough to make it go on and stay on. And now it's done and it will be going on display at our school because we're just that kick ass. The following picture is the final cake with the salt dough roses, and fresh bouquet that was shown at our Grand Banquet at CIV. I will hopefully get better pictures of it soon and add them in at that time.