Sourdough English Muffins

Sourdough English Muffins

These airy sourdough English muffins are absolutely delicious, made with active sourdough starter. 

Prep Time :15minutes minutes   Cook Time :30minutes minutes

Additional Time :14hours hours

Ingredients

• 75 grams active sourdough starter
• 15 grams cane sugar
• 220 grams whole milk
• 135 grams water
• 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter
• 9 grams fine sea salt
• 500 grams organic all-purpose flour
• cornmeal for dusting

Instructions 

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add starter and sugar.
2. Add milk, water, and butter to a bowl. Microwave 40ish seconds, until butter is just melted. Let cool for 5 minutes, you don't want it to be too hot.
3. Add liquid mixture to bowl, and whisk with a fork to combine and disperse the starter.
4. Add flour and salt. Put dough hook on mixer, and start on low, speed 2 on kitchenaid mixer to incorporate flour, about one minute. Then turn to medium, speed 4 on a Kitchenaid, for 8 minutes. When finished, the dough will very wet. This is normal. Take a spatula and scrape the edges of the dough up onto itself, to round it out.
5. Let dough bulk ferment. This will take about 8-10 hours if your house is at 70 degrees. (So you could do this overnight while you sleep). Bulk ferment is complete when the dough has at least doubled, and is puffy and domed on the top. It should look pillowy and domed.
6. Dust your work surface with flour, and grab underneath the dough to take it out of the bowl and onto the surface. Let rest for 15 minutes. Pat into a 3/4 inch inch high circle or rectangle. Dust the top of muffins with flour, and a vase or glass mouth that is about 4 inches wide. Cut out circles, and move them onto a parchment lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. They will stick if you do not do this.
7. Cover pan with a very light towel, and let rise again for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until your English muffins are puffy. They will not rise a ton. It's the puffiness you're going for.
8. Heat griddle or cast iron skillet to about 350 degrees F. Add a knob of butter, and place the English muffins on the surface, with room between each other to allow for their growth. They'll now puff when they cook! Leave undisturbed, cooking English muffins for about 7 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 200 degrees F.

CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL TART
INGREDIENTS:
[Almond Chocolate Sweet Pastry]
1 1/4 cups flour...
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (110 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small (1/2-inch) cubes
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1-2 tbsp ice water

[Caramel]
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter
1 tsp salt


[Chocolate Ganache]
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz (120g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Garnish
sea salt crystals


DIRECTIONS:
Prepare the sweet pastry. In a large bowl mix flour with ground almonds, cocoa powder, sugar and salt.
Incorporate butter to the flour mixture, using a pastry blender, a fork or a pastry processor, until crumbs are formed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix them in. Add water and incorporate into the dough. Wrap it with plastic, knead slowly to form a disc and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
On o floured surface or over the plastic wrap roll the dough to a circle with about 1 1/2 inches larger than your tart pan. Lift up the rolled dough and place it on a greased 9 inch tart pan. Remove the edges and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.
Prick the dough with a fork, line a parchment paper over the dough. Fill with dry beans, rice or pie weights.
Bake for 15 minutes in preheated 350 F (180C) oven. Remove the weights and the parchment paper. Return to oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from the tart pan.
Prepare the caramel. Place the sugar and water in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook without stirring until sugar dissolves and gets a caramel color.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream. It will bubble a little bit.
Cook for about 1 or 2 minutes stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth. Remove from heat and add butter and salt. Stir well until smooth.
Let the caramel cool slightly and pour over the chocolate crust. Refrigerate for about 4-5 hours.
Prepare the chocolate ganache. Heat the cream in a small saucepan. When the cream just begins to boil at the edges, remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth.
Pour the chocolate ganache over the caramel. Spread it evenly and refrigerate for another 2-3 hours before serving. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve!

Cranberry Bliss Bars

 Yield: 2 1/2 dozen bars

Prep Time: 35 min

Cook Time: 20 min + cooling time

 

 

A white- chocolate cranberry blondies recipe that is very reminiscent of Starbuck's Cranberry Bliss Bars.

 

 Ingredients:

 

 BLONDIE LAYER:

 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cubed

 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

 2 large eggs

 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1/2 cup dried cranberries

 6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

 

FROSTING:

 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

 6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted

 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

 

 

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Prepare the blondie layer: In a medium bowl, melt butter for one minute in the microwave; stir in brown sugar. Scrape the butter & sugar into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the cranberries and chopped chocolate (the batter will be thick).

3. Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until well-blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Cut into bars- square or triangle-shaped. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Caramel Apple Crisp Bites

Caramel Apple Crisp Bites

• 2 cup graham cracker crumbs (I also mixed a few vanilla wafers in on batch because I ran out graham crakcers)
• 12 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples (I used Granny Smith apples)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Caramel topping
  Here is what you do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease pan with non-stick butter spray
• Melt butter
• In a medium size bowl mix graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and butter with a spoon
• Evenly distribute mixture to the 24 mini muffin cups. Press along the bottom and sides to make a “cup”
• Bake for 5 minutes and let cool completely
• Chop the apples into little pieces – I used a mini food processor.  Don’t puree, just finely chop
• Mix apples, sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl
• Bake in a baking dish for 15 minutes on 375 degrees, until apples are slightly softened
• Scoop a teaspoon or so of the apple mix and place on top of the graham cracker crust cups (while still in the muffin pan)
• Sprinkle any extra graham cracker on top of the apples (I had some left over!)
• Bake for 5 minutes on 350
• Let cool completely
• Use a knife to loosen from pan and they should pop right out
• Drizzle with caramel topping
• Enjoy