Monthly Archives: March 2020

Easter Bread Baskets

Posted on by
2

I love this bread. It’s fast and easy, uses only a few ingredients, and tastes like heaven . . . soft and fluffy inside, crispy and crackly outside, though for this recipe I added a little olive oil and skipped the steam bath in the oven, because as much as I adore that crackly crust, it wasn’t the look I was after.

The recipe makes enough for a large basket, flower decorations, and lots of rolls to fill your basket with. If you just want to make the basket and skip the rolls, cut the recipe in half.

Making the basket really isn’t hard at all. If you’ve ever made a lattice pie crust, you’ve got this! You know, under and over. Under and over. If there are any unattractive spots, cover them with flowers! I made roses for one and daisies and wild flowers for the other, then painted them with colored cream.

This recipe looks intimidating, but that’s just because I had a really hard time explaining the details of weaving with dough, Just look at the pictures; you’ll figure it out!.

Easter Bread Baskets
Print
Author:
Makes a large basket, flower decorations, and enough rolls to fill it to overflowing. If you only want to make the basket, cut the recipe in half! YOU WILL NEED AN OVEN-SAFE BOWL
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups very warm water
  • 2 packages active-dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 cups bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • heavy cream and food coloring if desired for flower decorations
Instructions
  1. Cover the outside of an oven-safe mixing bowl with foil, pressing firmly to smooth out wrinkles. (I used an 8-inch bowl because that was all I had, but a larger one would be great.) For best results, spray foil lightly with a flour/oil baking spray.
  2. In a large bowl (a sturdy stand mixer is highly recommended) combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to soften yeast.
  3. With mixer running on low and using a dough hook, gradually add flour and salt. Once combined, add olive oil.
  4. Knead by machine for 5 minutes, or by hand on lightly floured surface for 7 minutes. Dough should be smooth and buttery, not sticky.
  5. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled - about 1 hour in a warm kitchen.
  6. Heat oven to 375 F.
  7. Punch down dough. Divide in half. Return one half to the bowl and cover to rise again. Place the other half on a lightly floured surface and roll out approximately 16 inches by 13 inches.
  8. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut 8 long strips, about ⅓-inch wide. Turn prepared bowl upside down on a baking sheet and place one strip across the bowl, letting it drape down both sides to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch extra at the bottom. Cut off any extra. (Keep scraps under plastic wrap to use later.) Repeat with the other 7 pieces, keeping them evenly spaced. I find it's easiest to start with one horizontal, then one vertical, and then fill in the gaps.
  9. Cut 7 more strips. (Hint: If the long strips are too awkward to work with, cut them in half. You can hide a jointed piece under any vertical strip.) Lifting every other piece, weave the dough strip under and over the vertical strips at the top of the bowl. (Which is actually the bottom of the bowl, right? So confusing.) Add another ring, then press them down firmly. Once baked, this will be where it sits, so it needs to be firm and flat.
  10. Continue down the side of the bowl. Try not to stretch the dough.
  11. When you get to the bottom, Fold the vertical strips over the bottom ring and pinch firmly. (Some will go up and over, some with go under. Use your thumb to press around the bottom, at each vertical strip and in the space between.
  12. To make roses, cut strips 4-5 inches long and roll up, pinching to thin dough as you go. Press firmly onto basket. Cut out and add other flowers and leaves using small cutters. (Remember to point the leaves down, because it will be flipped over when it's baked.) Paint with a little heavy cream colored with food coloring.
  13. Bake for approximately 15-17 minutes, until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to sit until almost cool. Gently pull pan and foil away from basket.
  14. HANDLE: Twist two ½-inch wide strips of dough together. Place over upside down bowl and trim at the bottom, tucking the ends under the bowl. Place on baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until it starts to turn golden. Remove and let cool.
  15. ROLLS: Increase temperature of oven to 400 F.
  16. Punch down remaining dough. Cut into equal-size pieces (about 2 ounces each) and shape into balls. Use the scraps to make more rolls. Place 1 inch apart on parchment covered baking sheets and let rise for 30 minutes. Cut an "X" into the top of each and bake until tops are golden - about 15-17 minutes.
  17. Handle can be attached with toothpicks, or simply set into the basket, supported by the rolls.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Place dough in greased bowl. Let it rise until doubled.

Fat and sassy! It took an hour to rise in my (very) warm kitchen. If your place is cooler, it could take longer.

I rolled mine long and skinny. Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s about 1/4-inch thick.

Lay 8 strips across bowl, evenly spaced. Leave at least 1 inch at the bottom. (Use more if you want a tighter weave.)

Weave the first strip, over and under. Pinch together where they meet.

2nd strip. Press down with hand before working your way down the bowl. The basket will sit on this, so make it nice and flat!

Fold extra dough (trimming if necessary) over bottom ring.

After folding ends over bottom ring, press around the bottom edge at junction of horizontal and vertical pieces and once in between each vertical piece. Just makes it purty.

Cut flowers and leaves using cookie or gum paste cutters, or press dough into fondant molds

Roll strips of dough to create roses.

Press decorations firmly onto basket. Paint with heavy cream and food coloring.

After basket is baked and removed from bowl, twist two pieces of dough together and lay across bowl, tucking ends under to hold in place. Bake. This is the handle. (Totally optional.)

I added some little dove rolls and decorated “egg” rolls to this basket. The egg rolls were uncooperative. Maybe a different bread dough would be better. The doves were fun and sweet. But that’s a blog for another day.

The world is going crazy right now, but I wish you a blessed Easter. For the record, baking is supposed to be very calming to the spirit. I recommend it highly!

Lorinda

Corned Beef Hash Pie with Painted Crust

Posted on by
Reply

Okay, it’s not one of the healthiest meals around, but boy, is it rib-sticking. We love this easy hash, and tucking it in a flaky pie is a perfect way to use leftover corned beef. I wanted to make the pie for St. Patrick’s Day, not after, so I cooked up a corned beef just for this purpose. For a standard pie you’ll need about 3 cups of chopped corned beef.

Heavy cream mixed with food coloring made a simple, thick paint that held its color nicely while baking. I used an ice cube tray for a palette. As it turned out, this was an excessive amount of “paint”; most of it went down the drain once the pie was made. You may want to be a little more prudent than I if you try this.

Whipping cream and food coloring make wonderful pastry paint!

Have you ever attended one of those “Corks & Canvas” events where you all attempt to paint the same picture? If so, you may have seen me. I was that nutcase who painted with her fingers. It’s just a lot more natural for me than using brushes. (And yeah, it might have had something to do with the wine we were served.) I have to tell you, except for the tiny details, finger painting worked really well on the pie crust, too.

And I have the green fingertips to prove it.

The recipe below is enough for one standard pie. If you have a larger pan, or if you plan to layer (the rainbow, sheep, and a few of the hills were separate layers) you may want to make a bigger batch of crust and bump the filling up to four cups of potatoes and 4 cups of meat.

Corned Beef Hash Pie with Painted Crust
Print
Author:
Amounts are for standard pie pan. If you are using a large, deep-dish pan, you may wish to make more filling and crust.
Ingredients
  • HASH FILLING:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 3 cups peeled, cubed (small cubes) potatoes
  • 3 cups chopped, cooked corned beef
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 2 cups broth (I used beef, but chicken works well, too)
  • ¼ cup flour
  • CRUST:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cold shortening
  • ¼ cup cold milk
  • 1 tablespoon vodka (or vinegar)
  • OPTIONAL: heavy cream and food coloring for painting designs on the crust
Instructions
  1. FILLING: In a large skillet on medium high heat, add butter and oil. When hot, add cubed potatoes. Stirring often, cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium low. Add corned beef and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together broth and flour. Add to potato and meat mixture. Stir until it thickens, then remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool.
  3. Heat oven to 350 F.
  4. CRUST: In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in the shortening, using a pastry cutter, until shortening is about the size of small peas.
  5. Combine milk and vodka. Drizzle into flour mixture, tossing mixture with a fork or rubber spatula, until it is blended and begins to hold together.
  6. On a generously floured surface, roll half of the dough out until you can cut a circle larger than the top width of your pie pan. (Aim for at least 1 inch larger, all the way around.) Cut out circle, gently roll up on your rolling pin, and ease into the pan. Trim edge, leaving a little hanging over the edge of the pan.
  7. Roll the other piece out to the same size. If you are planning to paint the top crust, make sure the rolled crust has plenty of flour under it. Slide it onto a thin flexible cutting board or a floured baking sheet for ease in handling.
  8. Mix your choice of food coloring into small amounts of heavy cream (an ice cube tray works well.)
  9. Paint onto the crust, using soft paintbrushes. Try not to overwork the "paint" or the crust will get mushy. I found that my fingers worked better than brushes in large areas. Leave a 1-inch unpainted area around the outside of the circle; this will be the fluted edge.
  10. This is a little tricky: carefully slide the crust off the floured base, positioning it evenly. Fold both crusts under together and flute.
  11. (If you aren't painting the crust, fill the bottom crust with cooled hash, place the top crust over it, and, pressing the two crusts together, fold under, all the way around the pan. Flute the edges, brush the top with a little cream or an egg wash on the top if desired, and place pie on a baking sheet.)
  12. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 F, until golden brown around the edges.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Cook the cubed potatoes, add meat and onions, then thicken with broth and flour.

Before it was baked.

H

So much flavor!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Lorinda