Birthday Brioche for Jodie

Jodie is our neighbor and mother of Tobe's great friend.  I was a day late, but I wanted to get this plate of freshly made brioche to Jodie -- she loves these rolls and I knew it would be far more appreciated then a cake.

I know a few of you want the recipe, so I thought I'd take a minute to write it down for you.  I just use a bread maker to make the dough:

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup margine or butter, softened
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated orange or lemon peel
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

Directions:

1.  Place all Dough ingredients in bread pan in order listed.  Press 'Dough Cycle' and then press start.
2.  While dough is being mixed, grease 2 8-9in cake pans and line with parchment or wax paper (grease parchment as well.
3.  When dough cycle is finished, remove dough from bread maker onto a floured board and divide in two.
4.  Divide each section into 6 equal circles (making 12 in all) and place in pans (6 in each pan).
5.  Cover and let rise in warm place for 1 hours.
6.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

7.  (optional) Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and baste over rolls.  Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
8.  Bake 15-18 minutes.  Don't let them get too brown.  Let them sit in pan for 10 - 15 minutes before removing.

P.S.:  The dough can be sticky -- so I use a very floured surface.

Home Made Cinnamon Rolls

With no milk, no cereal, and only 2 eggs left, what else was I to feed this lot for breakfast...?

The smell is lovely going through the house.  I think it woke the kids up a bit earlier then usual...that would be around noon instead of 2pm....

By Special Request I am adding the cinnamon roll recipe:

Dough (made in bread maker):

1 cup water
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
3-1/3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons active dry yeast

Filling:

1/3 cup sugar (I add slightly more)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons margarine or butter , softened (I use slightly more)
Glaze (below)

Directions:

1.  Place all Dough ingredients in bread pan in the order listed.  Set your bread machine for the dough cycle and press start.
2.  While dough is mixing, grease two 8 or 9 inch round pans.  Line with parchment and grease parchment as well. 
3.  Mix 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
4.  When dough has completed cycle, remove onto floured surface.  Flatten the dough at first in your hands and then lay it on the floured surface and roll (with floured rolling pin*) into a rectangle, around 18 x 9 -inches.
5.  Spread the softened butter onto the rectangle and then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly onto the butter.
6.  Roll the rectangle up tightly.  Slice in half down the middle -- then slice each section into 6 pieces (12 nice sized slices in all.  Lay 6 slices flatly in each pan (1 in center with 5 others around it).  Cover and let rise for at least 1 hour.
7.  Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake 20-25 minutes or  until lightly golden.  Let sit in pan 5-8 minutes before removing.  Drizzle glaze over warm rolls.

Glaze:

Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.  Stir until smooth.

The BEST Deviled Eggs

 

"If we get married, will you still make your deviled eggs?"  When my husband and I reached a serious point in our relationship he asked me this question.  I just smiled and laughed, but a few days later he opened the fridge to find 2-dozen deviled eggs, all placed neatly, forming the shape of a heart.  If there's one compliment I can count on, it's my eggs. The funny thing is, I'm not a big egg fan.  I've just made them so often for friends and family that it's reached a point where I really need to share this concoction...as well as many others.  With Easter around the corner, it's a perfect time to give it a try.  It's a beautiful addition to your table.  So here it is, in the only form I know how to give it: 

You will need:

as many hard-boiled eggs as you'd like

good, quality mayonnaise (Hellman's or Best Foods is fine)

prepared mustard 

worcestershire sauce

dry dill weed

ground mustard seed

ground turmeric

salt (any fine salt will do, I use  red Hawaiian alaea)

pepper (preferably a 5-spice blend of pepper)

fresh chopped chives or spring onions or Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish 

paprika or red pepper powder for garnish

1)  Slice eggs lengthwise placing yolks in a bowl.  Lay your whites on a presentable platter. 2) Mash yolks with large fork until light and powdery. 3)  Mix in a heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise.  Continue adding in more mayo until you have a nice, smooth, consistent paste -- a little at a time though, or your paste will be too thin.

4)  Add a 'dallop' of mustard.  The idea is to give your eggs a bit of color with only a slight tang in flavor. 5)  Add a few dashes of  worcestershire sauce.  6)  The dill weed is a key ingredient.  I use a full heaping teaspoon to about a dozen eggs and sometimes more.  Mix it in gently.  7)  Sprinkle in a small amount of dry mustard, a touch of turmeric, small pinch of salt and pepper.  The turmeric will enhance color slightly -- it doesn't take much and too much will give a bitter taste to your eggs.  The same goes for the dry mustard.  This is where you get to start tasting your mixture to your approval.  A few more grains of salt?  Another drop of worcestershire?  Maybe slightly more dill weed?  It's all up to you.  8)  Once your egg paste is up to your standards, begin filling your whites using two kitchen teaspoons; one to scoop up some mixture, the other to scoop it off with.  9) To garnish your eggs start by giving them a light sprinkle of more dill weed.  Top them off with chives or spring onion greens, and some *red pepper powder or paprika.

*  I discovered red pepper powder at the Asian grocer.  Don't let the name fool you, as I find it extremely mild in flavor, yet bursting with color.  I use it mainly for garnish in our meals -- our preschooler never complains.  (If you'd like to be daring, sprinkle red pepper flakes instead).  I buy Hawaiian Red Alaea salt from Atlantic Spice

See:  How to Hard Boil Eggs Perfectly

Note:  I use these same ingredients when making potato salad.