Baking « (y)our food choices™

Of all the things in my baking repertoire, I have never attempted to make English muffins. Why? They don’t seem too complicated. A little yeasted dough cooked on a griddle pan for a few minutes on each side. Pancakes, right? I mean, how hard can it be?

I stumbled across Emma Christensen’s recipe from thekitchn.com and immediately wanted to try it, but this recipe was going to take way too much time. Even though I knew the muffins spend most of the time unattended, it was still going to take at least two days. I wanted English muffins today.

When I was ready to jump into a recipe, most of the day had already passed. With another quick google search I found Melissa Clark’s whole wheat English muffin recipe. They seemed to be more like a crumpet and less like an English muffin, but who am I to complain when these would take maybe two hours. And since this was my first attempt at homemade English muffins, why not go for instant-ish gratification? Plus, there was just enough sunlight for some good photos.

The muffins weren’t perfectly round, but the taste was amazing considering how simple this recipe is. We made them for Sunday dinner which turned out to be a great substitute for the typical roll. The leftovers were a great treat for breakfast Monday. We decide to use them as a shortcake-type platform for a faux strawberry shortcake. We used whole milk Greek yogurt in place of whipped cream. The strawberries macerated overnight in a little balsamic vinegar, sugar, and salt. The next morning, the strawberries were strained and the sauce reduced over medium heat with a touch of honey, and a few grinds of black pepper. We split the muffins and toasted them with a small pat of butter. Perfect for breakfast or a healthy dessert.

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English Muffins
yield 8

2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
½ cup warm whole milk
½ tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cup whole-wheat white flour (we like Josey Baker Bread’s flour)
½ teaspoon baking soda
Masa Harina (cornmeal), as needed

In a small bowl combine yeast and 1/3 cup warm water and let rest until yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Melt butter and put 2 tablespoons in a large mixing bowl, put the other 2 tablespoons in a small bowl and set aside. In the large bowl, whisk in yogurt, milk, honey, salt and the yeast mixture.

Add flour and baking soda to bowl and beat thoroughly with a spoon or rubber spatula until well combined. Cover bowl and let rest in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough has doubled.

Lightly dust a small baking sheet with Masa Harina (or cornmeal).

Place a large griddle pan over medium heat. Once pan is hot, brush some of the reserved melted butter onto the griddle. Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/2 cup measuring cup, drop batter onto the griddle to form round muffins about 4 inches in diameter, mounding the batter in the center. (You may need to coax the dough a little with your fingers, so be careful of the hot pan, and don’t worry if they’re not perfectly circular.) Cover griddle with a baking sheet and cook 4 to 6 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. (Be careful not to let them burn.) If you don’t have a griddle pan you can use a large skillet and make the muffins in batches.

Uncover griddle and flip muffins using a spatula. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a little Masa Harina. Cover again and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until the other sides are golden brown. Flip again and brush with butter. Cook for another minute or two, covered. Remove from the griddle and cool a few minutes.

Split the muffins with a fork and toast before eating with your favorite topping.

Whiskies of the World 2016 in San Francisco is upon us. It is a great gathering of some of the world’s most iconic spirits. Jason has been feeling anxious about baking 500 mini nut pies for the event. In honor of the occasion, and to highlight the delicious, complex flavors of Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye, he has created these tasty mini pies with a focus on the ingredients that make American whiskey the national treasure that it is.

Jason has loads of experience baking in both professional kitchens and at home. That experience served him well as he prepared a rather large batch of tiny pecan-bourbon and walnut-rye “pie bites.” Of course, it helps to use great ingredients and Bulleit’s delicious bourbon and rye played their roles brilliantly in the preparation and final taste of these delicious little morsels.

Coming up with these recipes took a lot of experimentation, tweaking, and tasting (lucky us). The challenge here was in bringing the bourbon and rye flavors to the fore, preserving their complexity in the face of punishing heat and the resultant evaporation of the alcohol. Baking with alcohol is a futile effort if you’re truling to retain the rich, spicy character of the spirit. Alcohol plays a critical role in the flavor of the whisky. The result of all that experimentation payed off in a big way!

So, how do you create a sweet dessert that retains the character of the whisky? Very carefully. It starts with the pie dough. Take the Pecan Bourbon bites, for example. The dough consists of a mix of grain flours in proportions that mirror the grains used in the creation of Bulleit Bourbon in exactly the same ratios: 68% corn flour, 28% rye flour, 4% barley flour. He did the same with the Walnut Rye bites: 95% rye flour and 5% barley flour. Add and little butter and you have some tasty doughs.

The mix of flours works to produce a tasty pastry, but that didn’t get the bites across the finish line. The bourbon and rye are used to create the caramel. While other bourbon pecan pie recipes call for extremely modest additions of the whisky (a tablespoon for a standard sized pie), these little bites get a much more generous helping. The caramel is composed of equal parts bourbon or rye and brown sugar. The nuts are dressed with a small amount of their respective caramel companions before being used to fill the pie shells. When added to the pie shells, the nuts act as a sort of pie weight, preventing them from puffing up out of the muffin tins. Then, while the pies bake, more caramel is drizzled into the center at intervals. Adding that last bit of caramel before baking is complete ensures the flavors aren’t lost in the final product. The tasty, but still subtle whisky, comes through in the gooey, nutty pies. Extra effort? You bet. But the results speak for themself!

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Bulliet Bourbon & Pecan Bites
Makes 24

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup corn flour
1 tablespoon rye flour
1 tablespoon barley
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoon bourbon whiskey
2-3 tablespoons ice water

Mix flours, salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add grated frozen butter to the bowl along and sprinkle the bourbon whiskey. Using one hand, mix flour, butter, and water until the dough comes together when making a fist.

Place the dough on a sheet of plastic and roll into a 1″ x 4″ log. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before continuing.
Filling
1 cup finely chopped raw pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Bulleit Bourbon
3 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
pinch of kosher salt

1 strip crisp bacon chopped finely (optional) or
2 tablespoons chopped dark chocolate (optional) or
2 tablespoon blue cheese (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, except bacon, chocolate, or blue cheese, if you’re using. Set aside in fridge.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with non stick spray. Slice each log into twelve discs. Using your fingers, gently press each disc until it fits up the sides of the muffin tin. Continue with all twelve. Refrigerate if the dough becomes too soft.

Once all the shells are in the tins, (add a few pieces of bacon, chocolate, or blue cheese to each shell if using) spoon 1 teaspoon of nuts into each shell. Do not add any of the caramel at this time. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Try not to get any caramel on the top of the muffin tin.

After 10 minutes remove from the oven and add 1 teaspoon of caramel to each tart shells. Place back in the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove again and add another teaspoon of caramel. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, add caramel and back for another 5 minutes or so. For a total of 30 minutes of baking and 3 additions of caramel.

After final baking remove from the oven and cool for 5-7 minute before removing from the pan. Once cool gently remove each she’ll, if necessary use a butter knife.

Bulleit Rye & Walnut Bites
Makes 24

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, frozen grated butter
1 1/2 teaspoon Bulleit Rye whiskey
2-3 tablespoons ice water

Grate the frozen butter on a box grater. Place back in the fridge until ready to use.

Mix flours, salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add grated frozen butter to the bowl along and sprinkle the rye whiskey. Using one hand, mix flour, butter, and water until the dough comes together when making a fist.

Place the dough on a sheet of plastic and roll into a 1″ x 4″ log. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Filling
1 cup finely chopped raw walnuts
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Bulleit Rye
3 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
pinch of kosher salt

1 strip crisp bacon chopped finely (optional) or
2 tablespoons chopped dark chocolate (optional)or
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (optional)

[See baking instructions above.]