Two-Bite Chocolate Croissants

So cute and so tasty

I told a friend that I would make some Three-Bite Dutch Letters for her daughter's graduation party. I just gave the frozen pre-baked little letters to her this morning, but since I made a double batch, I somehow ended up with one fourth of a recipe of dough on my hands. So, what does any normal person do with a slab of extra puff pastry dough? She breaks up some Dove Dark Chocolate bars into little squares and wraps the chocolate with little rectangles of the dough. 
These are awesome, and I was even able to save some in the freezer to bake up fresh at a later date. I tell you, this Dutch letter dough is easy and amazing. It's not quick to make, but it's easy. And it's versatile and delicious. I'm pretty well convinced that I've eaten way too much of it over the last week.
I've had so much fun with this dough, that I want to make some more just to experiment. That will have to wait, though, as I still have about a week and half left of teaching before summer break. Then I leave for Washington DC with my 13-year-old and a group from his middle school. 
I digress. Try this out. I think you'll like it.

Two-Bite Chocolate Croissants
    --adapted from Midwest Living Magazine

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cold butter (1 pound)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup ice cold water
• 9 Dove Dark Chocolate Bars (1.44 oz. size), broken into squares
• 1/4 cup heavy cream mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions:

For dough, in a large mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut cold butter into 1/2-inch-thick slices (not cubes). Add butter slices to flour mixture; toss until slices are coated and separated.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together egg and ice water. Add all at once to flour mixture. Using a spoon, quickly mix (butter will remain in large pieces and flour will not be completely moistened).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured pastry cloth or wax paper. Knead the dough 10 times by pressing and pushing dough together to form a rough-looking ball, lifting pastry cloth (or wax paper) if necessary to press the dough together. Shape the dough into a rectangle (dough still will have some dry-looking areas). Make corners as square as possible. Slightly flatten dough. Working on a well-floured pastry cloth, roll dough into a 15x10-inch rectangle. Fold 2 short sides to meet in center; bring top edge down to meet bottom edge to form 4 layers each measuring (rectangle will now measure 7-1/2x5 inches).

Repeat the rolling and folding process once more. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Repeat rolling and folding process 2 more times. Chill dough for 20 minutes before using.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a sharp knife, cut dough crosswise into 4 equal portions. Wrap 3 portions in plastic wrap and chill. On a well-floured surface, roll 1 portion into a 12-1/2x10-inch rectangle. Trim the uneaven edges from the rectangle. Cut lengthwise into three equal strips and then cut the other way eight times to create 27 relatively equal small rectangles.

Working with one dough rectangle at a time, gently stretch the rectangle to make it a little longer, so that it will wrap around the chocolate and back under the croissant. Place a square of the Dove Dark Chocolate at one of the ends, moisten the other end with a little water, and then roll the chocolate in the dough, placing the seam on the bottom. Repeat with remaining dough. 

Place wrapped chocolate on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1.5 inches in between. Brush each croissant with cream and sugar mixture before placing in oven.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheet. Cool on wire racks.

Makes about 108 little chocolate croissants

Breakfast Pizza II (with Sausage, Spinach, & Pepper Jack Cheese)

Hearty Breakfast Pizza

With three frozen pizza crusts in my freezer and a hunger that wouldn't be satisfied with any type of sweet breakfast last Saturday morning, I decided to try another breakfast pizza. Honestly, I don't have anything super special to say about it except these two things: 1. It's tasty and filling and 2. It actually tasted better reheated the next day. I know. Surprising. 
I think you can do just about any sort of breakfast pizza. I like this crust better than the thin crust because it's a little softer with more chew than my last one. The combo of ingredients on this was much more satisfying, I think, so I'll probably be making it again.
So. Breakfast pizza. Here's a recipe. Try it.

Breakfast Pizza II

Ingredients:

• 1 11-12 inch pizza crust (recipe below)
• 4 breakfast sausages
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup medium cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 1 green onion, sliced

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread one tablespoon butter evenly over the top of the pizza crust, place pizza crust on a sheet of parchment and set aside.
In a small sautee pan, cook the sausage until browned all over. Remove sausages from pan, drain off most of the oil. Stir spinach into the remaining oil in the bottom of the hot pan and allow to sit while you grate cheese, cut onions, and whisk eggs in a bowl with the milk. Also cut sausages into small, bite-size pieces. 
Then place spinach leaves evenly over the buttered pizza crust. Heat pan again over medium heat, add one tablespoon butter. When pan is hot, pour in the egg/milk mixture. Stir and cook eggs until cooked, but still relatively wet (but not raw). Break egg up into smaller pieces and spread over the crust on top of the spinach. Sprinkle both kinds of shredded cheese over the top. Top the cheese with the sausage pieces and sprinkle with sliced green onion.
If you have a pizza stone, slide the pizza on the parchment onto the stone. Otherwise, place the pizza on a baking sheet and bake. Either way, bake for about 4-6 minutes at 450 degrees F, or until cheese is completely melted and starting to bubble.
Remove pizza from oven, move to a cutting board, and cut with a pizza cutter. 
Serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers once cool.
Makes about 4 servings

To reheat, preheat oven to 450 degrees F and heat directly on pizza stone, or on a baking sheet lined with parchment, for about 5-7 minutes, or until bottom is crisp and cheese is again melty. 

Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour*
• *You can just use 3 cups of the all purpose flour if you want

Instructions:
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, place the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit about 5 to 10 minutes, until yeast is soft and perhaps starting to bubble. Add olive oil, salt, and flour(s). Mix on low until ingredients are incorporated. Switch to medium-high setting and allow mixer to knead dough for about 5 minutes. Scrape dough from hook and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise for 1 to 1.5 hours at room temperature until dough is doubled.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once dough has doubled, turn out onto a floured surface and cut into three equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball, cover with plastic wrap on the rolling surface, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. 
Roll dough out one ball at a time until each reaches a 11-12 inch diameter. Place dough circle onto a piece of parchment and dock with a knife or clean fingernails. Bake at 500 degrees on a pizza stone (preferred) or a baking sheet for about 4 minutes, or just until crust is done and not browned yet. Remove from oven and place on a cookie sheet to cool. Unused crusts should be sealed in an extra-large zip top bag and frozen until ready to use.

This piece was reheated and I think tasted better the second day.

Grape Juicy Smoothie

Grape Juicy Smoothie

I'm still having a smoothie and popcorn for breakfast most mornings, and I've also been buying Welch's Grape Juice lately too. When I ran out of orange juice concentrate the other day for my normal smoothie, I subbed some grape juice. It made the whole thing taste like grape juice to me--which is a GREAT thing. 
Ever since I was a small kid, I've adored grape juice, but it was a rare treat for us. I usually only got it on field trip days. It came in these tiny cans with a foil tab top, and I think I remember that juice more than I remember the actual field trips. More evidence of me being a foodie from the beginning. Then there was the occasional communion grape juice. That's it. Grape juice was a magical (and apparently expensive) treat. Lately I've been enjoying it in my smoothie every morning, and it still tastes special.
If you're a grape juice fan, try this out. I think you'll love it as much as I do.

Grape Juicy Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 5-6 large whole frozen strawberries
• 1/3 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1/2 cup Concord grape juice
• 1 tablespoon whole chia seeds
• 1/2 medium size ripe banana, sliced
• 2 oz. Greek yogurt (I used AE raspberry flavor)
• 2 oz. vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup water

Instructions:
In a tall plastic cup, place all of the ingredients in the order listed.  Fill with enough water to just cover the top of the fruit.  You can always add more water to thin it out later.  With your immersion blender in hand (I use my Braun Hand Blender), push down into the cup as far as you can and then start the blender.  Blend gently with up and down motions, pushing down on the frozen fruit to break it up.  After you've gotten the blender to the bottom, keep blending for another 30 seconds or so, moving the blender up and down until you have a smoothie texture. Add more water & blend if the smoothie seems to thick.  Pour into a glass with a straw and enjoy!

Makes one large or two small servings

Three-Bite Dutch Letters

Three-Bite Dutch Letters: when a whole S is just too much.

Ah, Dutch letters. If you've never had them, just imagine buttery, flaky puff pastry wrapped around a soft, sweet filling. It’s hard to identify the filling because it mostly tastes sugary, but it’s actually sugar and almond paste. And there’s just enough of it in the middle to make this a sweet treat. Tonight I made these because I didn’t feel like going to the trouble of making cookies for a church event I was asked to make cookies for. Yeah. I don’t know what I was thinking. These are not, in fact, easier or faster than cookies, but they are so much more impressive. If I’d started making the pastry the night before and had the dough ready to go the next day, it probably would have taken half the time, and the “cookies” would not have arrived late to their destination, but I just wasn’t rolling like that this week. Good for me that I go to a church that lives out the tenet of Grace in every aspect of its function.

At any rate, although I already have two Dutch letters posts here on Food Pusher, I thought these were so cute on their own that I took too many pictures and am posting instructions on how to make them this size. Enjoy.


Three-Bite Dutch Letters

--from Midwest Living magazine (and Jaarsma’s Bakery) 

Ingredients:
· 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 2 cups cold butter (1 pound)
· 1 beaten egg
· 1 cup ice water
· 1 egg white
· 1 8 - ounce can almond paste
· 1/2 cup granulated sugar
· 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
· Granulated sugar

Instructions:

For dough, in a large mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut cold butter into 1/2-inch-thick slices (not cubes). Add butter slices to flour mixture; toss until slices are coated and separated.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together egg and ice water. Add all at once to flour mixture. Using a spoon, quickly mix (butter will remain in large pieces and flour will not be completely moistened).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured pastry cloth or wax paper. Knead the dough 10 times by pressing and pushing dough together to form a rough-looking ball, lifting pastry cloth (or wax paper) if necessary to press the dough together. Shape the dough into a rectangle (dough still will have some dry-looking areas). Make corners as square as possible. Slightly flatten dough. Working on a well-floured pastry cloth, roll dough into a 15x10-inch rectangle. Fold 2 short sides to meet in center; bring top edge down to meet bottom edge to form 4 layers each measuring (rectangle will now measure 7-1/2x5 inches).

Repeat the rolling and folding process once more. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Repeat rolling and folding process 2 more times. Chill dough for 20 minutes before using.

For filling, in a small bowl, stir together egg white, almond paste, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar. Set aside or, while the dough chills, form the filling into ropes. To shape filling, take a tablespoon size portion of filling and gently roll it into a rope of about 5/8-inch thickness. Set aside on a wax paper lined tray until ready to use. (Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the filling ropes.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a sharp knife, cut dough crosswise into 4 equal portions. Wrap 3 portions in plastic wrap and chill. On a well-floured surface, roll 1 portion into a 12-1/2x10-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle crosswise into five 10x2-1/2-inch strips.

Place a rope of filling down the center of one strip. (If the fililng rope is too long or too short, break off pieces or add them as needed.) Brush one long edge with water, roll from un-moistened side to the moistened side. Position rolled dough so that the seam is on the bottom, and gently press down on top to seal and slightly flatten the bottom. Set aside and repeat with remaining strips of dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut each stuffed dough log into fourths.* Place pieces on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between pieces. Brush letters lightly with water and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 18-21 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet. Cool on wire racks.

Makes about 80 three-bite Dutch letters

*At the point of cutting the logs into fourths, you can place them on a wax paper lined sheet pan and freeze. Once they are completely frozen (about 2 hours), place them all in a gallon size zip-top bag. When you're ready to bake them, place them on the parchment lined baking sheet as stated in the directions, preheat your oven, and bake. They may take a little longer after having been frozen, but not much. They're good for about 6-8 weeks in the freezer, I'd say. Before you bake them, make sure your oven is very hot. I actually preheat my oven for nearly an hour. This ensures optimal rise.

The little dough logs freeze well and can be baked
later--I'd say up to two months later. See note above.

Carol Rhodes' Crescent "Goodie" Rolls

Carol Rhodes' Crescent "Goodie" Rolls
So decadent and so fabulous.

These little "rolls" have to be one of my very favorite things to eat on this earth.  I'm not even exaggerating.  When you look at the ingredients, though, you'll see why I try to only make them once every year or two.  Fortunately (or not, depending on how you look at it) I have two little guys who will be my eating buddies for these.

Carol Rhodes happens to be one of my mother's very best friends, and a woman who was like an aunt to me as I grew up.  She always had a smile for me, and her laugh is still awesomely contagious.  I'm thankful for her, and for her recipe.

Carol's Crescent "Goodie" Rolls are buttery, flaky and slightly crisp on the outside and tender chewy and cheesy on the inside.  They're best eaten just after the point when they will burn the flesh in your mouth.  Don't get me wrong, I will eat them at room temperature as well.  I have NO problems with that.

Carol Rhodes’ Crescent “Goodie” Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cup cottage cheese
• 2 cups KAF Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp salt
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°

In a medium bowl with a wooden spoon, mix butter and cottage cheese. 

Add flour and salt and mix until combined.  Divide into 6 balls. 

Dust ball with flour and place between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Roll into about a ¼ inch thick circle.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Cut circle into 8 wedges. 

Roll each wedge from the base to the tip and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.*

Bake at 425° for about 15 minutes.

*Unbaked rolls can be placed on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and frozen, placed in a zip-top freezer bag, and baked later.  They taste just as delicious as when they're made fresh.

Caramel Pecan Focaccia

Caramel Pecan Focaccia So good.

I think this is a little unattractive, but it tastes heavenly.

I've been on a bit of a focaccia kick lately. Yesterday I think I literally ate like 3/4 of a pan of focaccia all on my own. Yeah, don't tell my husband. Good thing he doesn't really read this blog.
At any rate, I did make the focaccia for breakfast for myself and my eating buddy son Ezra. I could tell my husband was hoping I'd made something he would enjoy for breakfast (he prefers sweets in the morning), but I was also in the midst of finishing up Nanaimo Bars and Mixed Berry Mini Kuchen for a church event last night. 
So, I started thinking about how I could make focaccia sweet. Cinnamon and sugar seemed a natural, and when I googled it, I saw lots of recipes and lots of pictures of cinnamon and cinnamon raisin focaccia. They looked delicious. But then I felt a twinge of guilt because one of my sons would LOVE cinnamon sugar focaccia, but he's gluten-limited. I did not want to torture him, so I decided not to do it. Then it hit me: caramel pecan focaccia, using the caramel pecan goo from the Pillsbury recipe for Crescent Caramel Sticky Rolls that I love. Yes! That was it.
This is what I came up with, and although I have not eaten 3/4 of the pan, I have eaten much more than my share. It's buttery and just sweet enough. The bread holds the sticky caramel perfectly into the nooks and crannies created by the shaping and then final poking of the dough. Super satisfying and super easy. Way easier than sticky buns--and no cinnamon to distract from the pure beauty that is the flavor of buttery caramel pecan goo. Now I just need to figure out how to store/freeze the leftovers.
If you're looking for an easy but delicious and decadent breakfast/brunch item, this it it. Do it.

Caramel Pecan Focaccia
    --adapted from KingArthurFlour.com

Ingredients:

Caramel

• 1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
• 1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water

Dough

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. 
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When butter is melted, drizzle 2 tablespoons of it into the bottom of the pan. To the remaining butter in the saucepan, add nuts, brown sugar, and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and pour evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool while you prepare the dough.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, put in the water, oil, salt, flour, yeast, and 1/4 cup sugar. Mix on low until dry ingredients are moistened and then mix on high for about 1 minute.  
Scrape dough into the pan, and with greased fingers pull and push dough around to evenly spread it into the pan as close to the edges as you can. Set dough to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
When dough has risen, melt two tablespoons of butter--make sure it's not super hot. Dip one finger into the butter and then poke holes throughout the dough. (I tried to poke all the way through so the caramel would have holes to pool in.) Drizzle top of dough with remaining melted butter.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a nice golden brown color on top.
Serve hot or warm.
Makes about 12 servings

Fabulous goo

I didn't get the dough quite to the edge, but it still worked out.

Ready to go into the oven

After devouring the piece for the photo, I just took a fork
to the other pieces I'd already cut. 

I'm usually critical of food bloggers who include
too many pics, like the food is a kid, but I think
I'm in love with this focaccia. I took even more
pictures than this.