MMM Monday, English Muffins …

I love Sunday morning breakfast, it is the one day a week I don’t have to make breakfast and Michael usually makes something delicious. Yesterday he made English muffins from scratch. They were so light and airy. After he made the muffins he threw together Eggs Benedict. It was a heavenly breakfast.

Here is the yummy English muffins recipe.

Ingredients

· 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
· 4 cups bread flour
· 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
· 2 small egg whites
· fine cornmeal

Baking Instructions

In a large bowl pour in lukewarm water about, (110F), add instant yeast, baking soda and 2 cups of bread flour. Mix till smooth. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes uncovered.

In the meantime, add egg whites into a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer. You want them to become stiff and moist. Once the egg whites have formed stiff peaks; add to dough batter. Using a rubber spatula fold in egg whites until incorporated into the batter. Start to add in the rest of the flour, a 1/4 cup at a time. After the first 1/4 cup of flower mix in the salt. When the mixture becomes too hard to mix in the bowl, pour it out onto a flat surface. Knead for about 5 to 6 minutes until it becomes smooth and silky. Add a little oil to a clean bowl and place the dough into the bowl. Turn dough over till all sides are very lightly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Afterwards, pour the dough out onto a flat surface. Press to release some of the air from the mixture. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough until it is a 1/2 inch thick. Allow it to rest for 3 minutes. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out the circles. Place the cut out pieces onto some cornmeal. Take the left over dough and repeat the process. Sprinkle the tops with more cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 45 minutes. About 5 minutes before you are ready to cook the English muffins turn on your griddle or sauté pan to 350F or medium heat. Spray with a little oil spray and once the griddle is hot, place the muffins on and fry. If you are using a sauté pan you may only be able to fry 3-4 at a time. Fry on one side for about 4 minutes. Then turn over and fry for another 4 minutes. You may need to brown each side for an additional 2 minutes.

Happy Baking!

Our Little Garden …

This is our little garden. Creating it was a fun family project. Michael made a cute little picket fence out of scrap wood, old spindle legs and left over paint, while I dug out the garden. I love when we do projects together. We planted peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins, a cucumber plant, lettuce, and some of our favorite herbs. I planted quite a few sunflowers but the bunnies in our yard found them quite tasty. I love watching the garden grow, it changes everyday.

The Strasburg Railroad …

Today I was lucky enough to be one of the chaperones on Noah’s class’s field trip to the Strasburg railroad.

The children went on a tour of the train museum. They learned about the different jobs that were on the railroad and how the steam engines worked.

They stamped tickets, shoveled coal, and built a little train track.

After the museum we went on a train ride. The passenger cars are beautiful inside and the Lancaster countryside is so pretty.

We ate picnic lunches at one of the train stops.

After we got back to the station the kids were able to see train set ups made from Legos. The Lego train was Noah’s favorite part of the trip.

It was a fun day.

MMM Monday, Colonial Style Blueberry Crumb Pie…

I hope everyone had a beautiful Memorial Day weekend. We picked strawberries, the kids played on the slip and slide, and we had a little cookout. Michael made an amazing blueberry crumb pie for our holiday dessert.

Here is the delicious recipe …

Pastry Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup toasted slivered or sliced almonds
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Filling:

4 cups fresh blueberries
Zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 - 1 cup granulated white sugar
Crumb Topping:
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup toasted slivered or sliced almonds
¼ cup granulated white sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Pastry Crust: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, almonds, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/4 cup water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. Add remaining water, if necessary. Do not process more than 30 seconds.




Turn the dough out onto your work surface and gather it into a ball. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, flatten each portion into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour before using. This will chill the butter and allow the gluten in the flour to relax.




While the pastry is chilling, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Once the pastry has chilled sufficiently, remove the two disks of pastry from the refrigerator and divide each disk into four equal portions (you will have eight portions altogether). On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of pastry into a 7 inch circle. Place the eight pastry circles (four on each sheet) onto the prepared baking sheets and cover with plastic wrap. Place the covered baking sheets in the refrigerator to firm the pastry while you prepare the filling.




Filling: In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, lemon zest, flour, and sugar.
Crumb Topping: Place the flour, sugar, and almonds in a food processor and pulse until fine. Slowly add the butter until the mixture looks like tiny peas.




Remove pastry from refrigerator. Place approximately 1/2 - 3/4 cup of filling in the center of each pastry circle, spreading the filling out to about 1 inch from the edge of pastry. Gently fold the edges of the pastry circle up and over the filling, leaving the center of the tart open. Press the edges gently so the pastry sticks together. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of crumb topping on top of each pie. Once all the tarts are assembled, cover and return to the refrigerator for about 15 - 30 minutes to chill.




Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Bake the tarts for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbly and starting to run out from the center of each tart. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool before serving. Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
Makes 8 individual tarts

Happy baking!

A Little Early …

Daylilies are one of my favorite flowers, they smell sweet, their colors are bright and vibrant, and they are full of character.

My daylilies usually do not bloom until the end of June beginning of July. This plant however seems to have a mind of its own.

The first flower that bloomed was a little tattered but, the one blooming today is as perfect as the flowers I will see in a month.

Two Ladies, Herbs, and Flowers …

A Painted Lady …

A Ladybug …

Chives …

Sage ...

Red Yarrow ...

White Beardtongue ...

Daisies …





Have a beautiful weekend !

MMM … Monday, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I cannot cook very well and baking is definitely something I can’t do. The only thing I can cook is breakfast; I make a mean French toast. Luckily for me I am married to an amazing chef. My husband went to culinary school and the dishes he creates are heavenly. He enjoys cooking the way I enjoy creating art or working in my gardens. He no longer makes mouth watering creations for the public, so we get incredible meals when the mood strikes him.

This Monday I am sharing with you a wonderful strawberry rhubarb pie recipe. This is the perfect time to make this sweet and sour dessert. Both rhubarb and strawberries are in season. Michael made this yummy dessert with fresh produce found at our local farmers market.

Here is the delicious recipe …

Filling

2 cups of 1-inch thick rhubarb slices
2 cups strawberries, halved if needed
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, set aside until needed.

Pie Shell

· 2 cups sifted flour
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 3/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces and frozen for at least 3 hours
· 5 tablespoons cold water
Place the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Add the water one tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Once the dough is form it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.

Pie Assembly

Roll half of the dough into a large circle, 4 inches larger than the pie pan you will be using. Fold the dough in half and then half again. Place the folded dough into the pie pan with the point resting in the center. Unfold the dough and gently smooth out within the pan. Allow the excess dough to drape over the side; this will be used to make a decorative crimp later. Pour the pie filling into the pie shell and spread evenly. Set the pie aside and begin rolling out the top crust. Roll the remaining dough into a large circle that is approximately 2 inches larger than the top of the pie pan you are using. Cut the dough into 1 inch strips. Weave the dough into a lattice pattern on top of the filling. As this point you can add any decorative edge you would like. Brush the pie crust with the egg wash and place in a preheated 425 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown.




If you love to cook or are in the mood for more delicious recipes stop over and visit The Potato Stories. Happy baking!