Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Valentine sweetheart cake.

by Filed Under: Desserts, Holiday, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian 7 Comments

This cake is so much fun & quite the surprise for your Valentine!  My daughter helped me make this one and it turned out great.  I’m not a baking connoisseur but I think this is quite fitting for tomorrow’s big day ♥.

I admit *gasp* that I used a boxed cake mix but I did make my own icing.  I was more concerned with form than taste (function).  🙂  I normally never cut corners when cooking but I was more stressed with getting this right.

I did take a photo tour of the how-to.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

First you need two boxes of white cake mix.  I made one box to start according to directions.  From there I removed about 60% of the batter from my mixing bowl and reserved it for later.  The 40% I dyed with crushed strawberries (3) but you can use food coloring (pink or red).  Mix it well until fully colored.  I then poured this into a 9×9 square pan lined with parchment paper (or you can spray it with non stick spray).  It won’t be a lot of batter in the pan but you don’t need it super thick.  Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let this fully cool.  Once cooled, insert your heart cookie cutter into the cake.  Cut as many hearts out as you can.

Now set all of those hearts aside and take a loaf pan and spray it with nonstick spray.  Pour the 60% of the white cake batter into the bottom of the pan.  Then line the hearts up down the middle butting up against one another.

Then make the second box of cake mix.  Pour that on top of the hearts and the other batter anchoring them down.  Try not to overfill or you will have spillage when baking.

Bake according to the package.  I did notice that I had to add about 12-15 extra minutes to the baking time. Just keep a watchful eye on it.  Once a toothpick inserted comes out clean, it’s done.  Remove it and let it fully cool.

I trimmed any irregularities off the cake and then prepared the icing.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons warm water
16 oz confectioners’ sugar

Add to your mixing bowl and beat until fluffy.  I added additional strawberries for color but you can use food coloring.

Ice the cake and decorate.  Slice and enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Cranberry Orange Chobani bread.

by Filed Under: Breads, Holiday 2 Comments

 

This bread is so yummy!  Perfect during the holiday and it makes a delicious treat for friends and family!

Ingredients:

2 c all purpose, unbleached flour
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c of Chobani 2% vanilla yogurt (or use the non fat)
1 egg
1/2 c freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest from one orange
1 tsp orange extract
2 tbl melted butter
2 tbl hot water
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl combine all of your dry ingredients. In your mixer bowl beat the egg, orange juice, zest, orange extract, butter and hot water together. Add the flour mixture to the wet batter and beat only until incorporated. Add the Chobani yogurt. Mix until blended. Add by hand the cranberries and walnuts. Spoon mixture into mini loaf pans or muffin tins that have been sprayed and floured. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I also dusted a few loaves with turbinado sugar from a crunchy top. Cool in the loaf pan for about 10 minutes then remove. Cool the remaining time on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

— Knead to Cook

Challah bread.

by Filed Under: Breads, Holiday, Vegetarian 13 Comments

 

Challah is a loaf of yeast-risen egg bread that is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath and at other holidays.  Today, this sweeter bread is enjoyed by the masses and is especially good to use for French toast creating.  The recipe yields two loaves.  They can be topped with sesame or poppy seeds.  I do a double egg wash for a super shiny finished product.  This recipe can also be made a day ahead of time.

Ingredients:

2.5 cups warm water

1 tbl active dry yeast

1/4 cup of honey (I use raw organic)

1/4 cup of agave syrup

4 tbl vegetable oil

3 eggs (I use organic)  

1 tbl kosher salt 

8.5 cup of unbleached, all purpose flour (I use King Arthur’s brand)

1 tbl poppy seeds (optional)  

Directions:

In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Beat in honey, agave, oil, 2 eggs, and the kosher salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after adding each cup of flour. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky – I used my dough hook with my mixer for 4 minutes. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1.5 hours.
Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured surface. Divide in half. Working with one half at a time – then divide the dough into 3 equal amounts. Roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Pinch the ends together and tuck under the loaf. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375. Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid two times. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Bread should sound hollow when thumped on. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

 

 

— Knead to Cook