Sunny Days in Florida

For the second year in a row, we made the trek--or should I say flight--down to Florida to visit our old neighbors/pals, Kevin & Deanna and their kids, and catch a couple of Cardinals spring training games. What a great time we had!

We rocked it out on the beach a couple of days, taking in the sun (or shade for Deanna and I), while the small (and big) kids played in the water and sand.









Deanna prepared an awesome picnic lunch and we grabbed ice cream one day too. A treat for a pregnant lady, indeed! The ice cream, however, did not cool off my feet, as they proceeded to swell to twice their normal size and I had my first "cankles" experience! But I'm blaming it on the Florida heat for now. They've been pretty much back to normal since I've returned.

We caught an evening Cardinals game where Kevin totally scored us AWESOME seats right behind home plate next to the Cardinals dugout. Kevin kept teasing Nate that he was watching the dugout more than the actual game! But with views like this, how could he stop himself?











We had to get a picture of ourselves to prove we were really that close.



However, that's only the beginning...

The Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina, had his eye on Roslyn and tossed her the game ball one inning. As if I didn't love Yadie enough...



And THEN, once they took out most of the starters toward the end of the game, the backup catcher tossed Roslyn a ball. And to top it off, as the players and coaches were leaving the dugout, Dave McKay tossed Nate a ball. THREE baseballs from one game! Completely unheard of!!



Note to Self: Always bring cute kids to baseball games.

Nate and I also ventured to Jupiter for a Saturday game. We got to catch the Cardinals practicing beforehand, which we missed out on last year.











Nate also was able to snag autographs from several of the starting pitchers, so he was loving it.





Our seats were not nearly as good for the Jupiter game, I mean, how can you beat first row!? But I still managed to get some good shots of the players.











I also got a comment on my shirt, which I bought especially for the occasion. I thought it was too cute. I have to live up my bump while I can!



Unfortunately, the Cardinals lost both games we saw, but we did get to see Pujols hit 2 home runs in the second game.

I don't know if we'll be making the trip back next year with a wee one in tow, but we definitely have made the most of our Florida time the last couple of years.

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Sunday Snapshots #3

A couple of weeks ago, Nate and I spent an entire Saturday trimming our willow trees. Here is the fruit of our labor....



Nate also pulled some mammoth weeds. I mean, are you kidding me?



Happy Sunday!

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Sunday Snapshots #2

All the pieces fell into place for me to capture a few shots of this gorgeous butterfly. I happened to be walking by the patio door on my way to the kitchen for some lunch when I noticed this large guy. And my camera happened to be right there on the kitchen counter from my scone baking adventure this morning....

I love butterflies.







Happy Sunday!

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Bake The Book: Maple-Pecan Sticky Buns

This recipe wins out as one of my favorites out of all the recipes I've made so far. I certainly have a sweet tooth and these sticky buns were the perfect combination of warm and sweet. In fact, these were very dangerous to keep on hand due to the fact I would have eaten them all, so my co-workers were loving me after I brought these in to share.

And best of all, this finishes off Chapter 3 (Chapters 1 & 2 were merely instructional, so Chapter 3 is the first chapter of real baking) of The Art and Soul of Baking. A milestone indeed! Don't ask me how many more the book contains. Let's just say it's 454 pages.

Anyway, back to the buns. The insides were filled with a creamed butter, brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Yum.



Here's the dough all ready to be rolled into a cylinder and cut.



Here are the rolls after they've been cut and flattened, sitting on top of the filling in the pan all ready for their rise.



And finally, the finished product. They are so pretty, aren't they?



Lovely for breakfast, the deep caramel flavor of the real maple syrup paired with pecans is to die for. You should make these now!

Recipe #12: Maple-Pecan Sticky Buns

Ingredients
1 recipe Rich Breakfast Dough (see below)

Topping
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans

Filling
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1. Make the topping: Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and blend on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and slightly lightened, 2 to 3 minutes. 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 a 10-inch round 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 surface with flour. Turn the risen dough out of the bowl 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 is 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 a 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 to spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the long side opposite you.

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. 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 up on 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 and set aside to rise until the rolls have almost doubled in size 45 to 60 minutes.

6. Bake the sticky buns: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position an oven rack in the center. Bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes, until the buns are deep golden brown and the centers register 185 degrees 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 thin 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 warm or room temperature.

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Rich Breakfast Dough

Ingredients
1/2 cup warm whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, very soft

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 salt with 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 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to blend in before adding the next. Once all the butter has been added, decrease the speed to medium-low and continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes longer, until the dough looks soft and silky.

2. Rise the dough (first rise): Lightly butter a bowl, scrape the dough into the bowl, and brush the surface of the dough with a little butter or oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. At this point, the dough is ready to be punched down and used in your recipe of choice.

Source: The Art and Soul of Baking

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Bake The Book: Cinnamon-Currant Bread

This bread has a very rustic look which I think is enticing. You basically roll the filled dough into a cylinder, cut it up into chunks and throw it in the pan. No neatness needed here!



I loved the way it turned out. The classic combination of the sweet currants with the warm cinnamon made this perfect for breakfast.



Recipe #11: Cinnamon-Currant Bread

Ingredients
1 recipe Rich Breakfast Dough (see below)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup currants

1. Roll the dough: Turn the dough onto a work surface dusted with flour. Press down firmly to expel some of the air bubbles, but don't knead the dough. Dust with flour and roll into a 12 by 15-inch rectangle. Position the dough so that one of the long sides is parallel to the edge of your work surface. Brush any flour from the surface and underside of the dough.

2. Fill the dough: Brush the dough evenly with a thin film of beaten egg, leaving a 1-inch border along the edge of the dough opposite you. In the small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the egg glaze, then spread it with your fingers into an even layer. Scatter the currants evenly over the top.

3. Shape the loaf: Beginning with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder, gently tucking an tightening as you roll. Wet your fingers a rub a thin flim 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. Use a chef's knife to slice the cylinder in half lengthwise, then crosswise into about 12 pieces. Generously butter a loaf pan and transfer the pieces to the pan. Try to arrange the bottom layer dough-side down to make it easier to remove the bread from the pan after baking and to prevent the sugar from burning on the bottom of the pan. Otherwise, just toss them in every which way. Level the top the best you can, but a rugged look is fine.

4. Proof the dough: Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until the dough reaches about 1/4 inch below the rim of the pan, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

5. Bake the bread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position an oven rack in the center. Bake the loaf for 35 to 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the bread registers 190 degrees. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan onto a piece of parchment paper to cool completely.

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Rich Breakfast Dough

Ingredients
1/2 cup warm whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, very soft

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 salt with 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 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to blend in before adding the next. Once all the butter has been added, decrease the speed to medium-low and continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes longer, until the dough looks soft and silky.

2. Rise the dough (first rise): Lightly butter a bowl, scrape the dough into the bowl, and brush the surface of the dough with a little butter or oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. At this point, the dough is ready to be punched down and used in your recipe of choice.

Source: The Art and Soul of Baking

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Bake The Book: Apricot, Almond, and Chocolate Spiraled Coffee Cake

Talk about a recipe with a lot of steps! This one is kind of time consuming, so make sure if you're going to make the commitment, you block out the time for it. You could always make the dough and refrigerate overnight and then make the coffee cake the next day.

Once you get past the dough making stage, the rest is fun. You get to play with fillings!



Aren't the fillings pretty and colorful? For those of you that aren't familiar with almond paste, it is so good. Think the smell of almond extract. Yum.



Here's the coffee cake as it's ready to go in the oven. Looking back, I think the sections were supposed to be laid almost flat per the directions, but this worked okay too.



And the finished product. It was very tasty. I was a little worried about the apricot and chocolate combination, but the two ingredients complimented each other nicely.



Recipe #10: Apricot, Almond, and Chocolate Spiraled Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1 recipe Rich Breakfast Dough (see below)

Filling
8 ounces dried California apricots
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons amaretto
7 ounces almond paste, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Apricot Glaze
3 tablespoons apricot jam
1 tablespoon water

Sugar Glaze
1/2 cup unsifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon warm water

1. Plump the apricots for the filling: Place the apricots in the bowl of a food processor and process until they are chopped into tiny pieces (or use an oiled chef's knife to chop them very finely). In a small saucepan, heat the water and amaretto over medium heat just until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chopped apricots. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, stirring several times with a spatula, until the liquid has been completely absorbed. Transfer to a medium bowl to cool while you prepare the rest of the filing.

2. Make the filling: Cut or break the almond paste into 12 to 15 pieces. Place the almond paste and granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process for 10 to 15 seconds, until the almond paste is cut into tiny pieces. Add the softened butter and process for 25 to 30 seconds, until the mixture is blended and smooth and forms a large ball. The filling will be very thick.

3. Shape the dough: Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a work surface dusted with flour. Press firmly to expel some of the air bubbles, but don't knead the dough again. Dust the dough with flour and roll into an 11 by 15-inch rectangle. Position the dough so that one of its long sides is parallel to the edge of your work surface. Brush any remaining flour from the surface and underside of the dough. Spread the almond filling in a thin layer over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the long side of the dough opposite you. Sprinkle the plumped apricot pieces over the filling as evenly as possible. Do the same with the mini chocolate chips.

4. Roll up the dough: Beginning with the long edge closest to you, roll the dough into a cylinder, gently tucking and tightening as you go. 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 to face awwy from you and, using the tip of a chef's knife, cut the dough into slices at 1 1/2-inch intervals, cutting only 3/4 of the way across the roll so the seam and is still intact--all the slices should be attached along a "spine." Gently lift the log of dough and center it on the prepared baking sheet, seam or "spine" down. Gently twist each slice away from the spine and lay it nearly flat on the sheet (the slices will overlap slightly and won't lie completely flat). Alternate the direction of the twists, one slice to the right, one slice to the left, until you reach the end. At first it will seem as though the roll is too long for the pan, but keep overlapping and you'll find you have room at the top and bottom of the coffee cake.

5. Proof the dough (second rise): Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in size and looks like it has taken a deep breath, 40 to 60 minutes.

6. Bake the coffee cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Bake the coffee cake for 20 to 25 minutes. until golden brown on the top and bottom (check the bottom by lifting the coffee cake slightly with a large metal spatula). Transfer to a cooling rack.

7. While the pasty is baking, make the apricot glaze: Heat the apricot jam and water a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring with a silicone or rubber spatula to blend, until hot and fluid. When the cake is out of the oven and on the rack, rewarm the glaze and brush it over the cake. Cool for 15 minutes, then apply another layer of the glaze. Allow the coffee cake to cool an additional 20 minutes before adding the sugar glaze.

8. Make the sugar glaze: In a medium bowl, stir the confectioners' sugar and warm water vigorously with a silicone or rubber spatula until there are no lumps remaining, adding a few more drops of water if needed. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the pastry, or transfer the glaze to a resealable plastic bag and squeeze it into one corner. Snip off the corner with a pair of scissors ans pipe lines decoratively across the coffee cake. Use two spatulas or a cake lifter to transfer the coffee cake to a serving platter. Serve warm or room temperature. Let guests tear off rolls, or slice with a serrated knife.

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Rich Breakfast Dough

Ingredients
1/2 cup warm whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, very soft

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 salt with 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 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to blend in before adding the next. Once all the butter has been added, decrease the speed to medium-low and continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes longer, until the dough looks soft and silky.

2. Rise the dough (first rise): Lightly butter a bowl, scrape the dough into the bowl, and brush the surface of the dough with a little butter or oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. At this point, the dough is ready to be punched down and used in your recipe of choice.

Source: The Art and Soul of Baking

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Bake The Book: Challah

Challah is a braided loaf traditionally enjoyed at Friday night dinner in Jewish households. Kosher law forbids the serving of dairy with meat, so the classic challah is made with water instead of milk, and the crumb is tenderized with oil instead of butter.

This was really a fun loaf to make and certainly the most beautiful so far. The crumb was slightly more dense with the oil instead of butter and the taste wasn't as rich. But it was still moist and tender.

I loved the looked of the braided loaf. Here it is before baking.





And here it is fresh out of the oven, golden brown from the egg wash I put on it before baking.





Recipe #9: Challah

Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
2 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more if needed
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons poppy seeds (optional)

1. Mix and knead the dough: Combine the warm water and honey in the bowl of a 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 eggs and oil and whisk by hand until well blended. Stir in the flour and salt. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until the dough begins to come together. Turn the speed to medium and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, silky, and elastic. You may need to add a little extra flour, a tablespoon at a time, toward the end. The dough should begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl but still be slightly tacky.

2. Rise the dough (first rise): Lightly oil a tub or bowl, scrape the dough into the tub, and lightly coat the surface of the dough with a little oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

3. Punch down and shape the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press down on the dough firmly to expel some of the air bubbles, but don't knead the dough again or it will be too springy and difficult to shape. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Work with one piece at a time and keep the others covered to prevent a skin from forming. Using flattened hands, roll each piece back and forth, forming a rope about 15 inches long with tapered ends. You may not be able to stretch each piece to the full length the first time; if that's the case, cover it and continue with another piece. Return to the first piece when you've finished the others and try stretching it a little more.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the 3 ropes on the sheet with the ends facing you. Pinch together the three ends furthest from you. Braid the dough, pinching the loose ends together at the bottom. Gently stretch the ends outward so the center is plump with the ends are tapered. Tuck the ends under just slightly.

5. Proof the dough (second rise): Cover the braid loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the braid to rise until almost doubled in size and looks like it has taken a deep breath, 40 to 50 minutes.

6. Glaze and bake the challah: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Gently brush the entire surface of the braid with a light wash of beaten egg. Take care that there are no pools or drips of glaze. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds, if you like. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top and bottom are golden brown and the internal temperature registers 190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. To serve, slice with a serrated knife.

Source: The Art and Soul of Baking

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