Michael's passover charoset

Soak a cup of raisins in grape juice and stick in the fridge like 2-3 hours 
Don’t grate the apples till like an hour before 
2 red apples 🍎 
2 green apples 🍏 
1 / 1.5 cups nuts I used cashews last night 
Crush them 
1 lemon 🍋 
Teaspoon to tablespoon cinnamon 
Add the raisins and the juice or to your liking 
Stick in the fridge for an hour

Lemon Orzo

Lemon Orzo


Boil orzo rice/pasta

Add lemon zest (peel) - about 1 lemon

Olive oil

Basil - small bunch, sliced up very small

(Toasted!) Pine nuts - you can toast them yourself in a pan with a little olive oil

Scones 2 Ways

https://sugarspunrun.com/the-best-scone-recipe/

CLASSIC

2 cups flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) very cold unsalted butter I like to place my butter in the freezer 15 minutes before beginning to ensure it is cold
½ cup heavy cream (+ extra for brushing on top)
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup your favorite add-ins optional: frozen berries, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor, pulse to combine

Cut butter into small cubes and scatter over flour mixture, pulse until cut up and butter no longer visible

Combine heavy cream + vanilla then pour, pulse until dough clumps

Transfer dough to floured surface (handle lightly to avoid overworking)

(Optional: add in any currants, etc. at this point)

Fold dough in half and use hand to flatten, rotate and turn to fold again, repeat 5 times

Form dough into smooth disk 1" thick

Cut into wedges (press down in one slice) or shape with cookie cutter (don't twist)

On parchment-lined sheet place 2" apart and brush with heavy cream

Bake at 375 for 14-16 min until edges are golden

LEMON POPPYSEED

https://sugarspunrun.com/lemon-poppy-seed-scones/

Ingredients
2 cups flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) very cold unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lemon zest
½ cup heavy cream 
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Glaze

1 ¼ cups powdered sugar 
1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons water
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F 
In the basin of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse to combine.
Scatter butter pieces, lemon zest, and poppy seeds over flour mixture and pulse until the butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles sandy crumbs.
Combine cream + vanilla then drizzle over the mixture in the food processor. Pulse until dough is beginning to clump together.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and fold the dough in half and use your hands to gently flatten layers together. 

Rotate the dough 90 degrees and fold in half again, repeating this step several times while being careful to not overwork the dough.
Gently form dough into a 6” disc and cut into 8 even wedges (press straight down with the knife, don’t saw into the dough).
Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet 

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until edges are beginning to turn golden. 

Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before covering with glaze.

Glaze

Prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, lemon juice, water, and vanilla extract. 

Glaze is the right consistency when you raise your whisk out of the bowl and it forms a ribbon that holds its shape for several seconds before dissolving back into the bowl. If glaze is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar, if it is too thick, add a splash more water.
Drizzle glaze over scones or dip the tops of cooled scones into the glaze. 

Allow glaze to harden (about 15 minutes) before enjoying.

sour cream and chive fantails

 

from smitten kitchen

DOUGH
6 tablespoons (90 grams) warm water (about 115°F)
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast (from a 1/4-ounce or 7-gram packet)
1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream or plain yogurt
1 large egg
4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
ASSEMBLY
4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Two pinches fine sea salt
Flour for dusting
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish


1. In stand mixer bowl: whisk water, sugar, yeast and let stand for 5 minutes

2. Whisk in sour cream, egg, butter until smooth

3. Add flour and salt

4. Switch to dough hook for 1-2 minutes until it comes together (add 1 more tbsp water only if needed)

5. Reduce speed to low, let dough hook mix for 5 minutes

6. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer dough to it, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 90-120 minutes until doubled

7. Brush muffin tin with melted butter

8. Combine onion powder, garlic powder, and a few pinches of salt in a small dish

9. Turn dough out onto floured counter, divide in half, sprinkle with flour and roll first half to 12" square

10. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with half of onion/garlic mixture, and half of chives

11. Cut square into 6 equal strips, then stack them butter sides up and then cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces

12. Turn each stack on its side and put into muffin cup

13. Repeat with remaining half of dough

14. Separate outer layers to sort of fan outward

15. Let rise again for one hour

16. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until center of each is at 200 degrees

17. As soon as removed from oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with chives and flaky salt

18. Transfer rolls to rack and cool for 10 minutes

Do ahead: You can pause this recipe for an overnight chill in the fridge either after you mix the dough and before it doubles or after you put the squares into your tins. Remove from the fridge and let them come back to room temperature (and finish rising, if necessary) before continuing. If rolls are already baked, rewarm for 5 to 10 minutes in the oven (any temperature from 300°F to 400°F will be fine.)

buttermilk biscuits

From Smitten Kitchen 

2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons to 1 1/2 tablespoons (10 to 20 grams) sugar (to taste)
1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
3/4 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons (125 grams) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk

Heat oven to 400 °F and cover baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large, wide bowl. 

Using fingertips or a pastry blender, work butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal

Add buttermilk and stir until large, craggy clumps form. 

Reach hands into bowl and knead mixture briefly until it just holds together.

To form biscuit rounds: Transfer dough to floured counter and pat out until 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (err on the thin side if uncertain, as the tall ones will literally rise and then tip over)

Using a round cutter (2 inches for regular sized biscuits, 3 inches for super-size), press straight down — twisting produces less layered sides — and transfer rounds to prepared sheet, spacing two inches apart.

Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 12 to 15 minutes.

 
Do ahead: Biscuits are best freshly baked. To plan ahead, make the biscuit dough and form the individual biscuits, then freeze them until needed. They can be baked directly from the freezer, will just need a couple more minutes baking time.

LARGER SERVING SIZE:

Makes 12 servings

3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons sugar 
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup buttermilk

Gabi's Pizza Dough

http://brokeassgourmet.com/articles/the-wonders-of-pizza-dough

INGREDIENTS

2.5 cups flour 

1 cup warm water 
1 packet dry active yeast 
2 tbsp sugar 
2 tbsp olive oil plus more for the bowl 
1 tsp salt 

DIRECTIONS

Combine water, yeast and sugar and set aside in a warm place until it begins to foam (4-5 minutes).
Meanwhile in a bowl, mixer w/paddle or a food processor, combine salt and flour. 

Slowly stream in the yeast mixture and add the olive oil. 

If using a mixer or food processor, turn on and allow ingredients to combine until they form a ball of dough. 

If you're using a mixer, now is the time to switch to the dough hook. 

Knead (either by turning on your machine or by hand) for 2-3 minutes. 

Set aside in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp dish towel in a warm place (like an oven that has been turned on and then turned off and allowed to cool a bit but is still warm) for 30 minutes.
After dough has doubled in size, punch down and allow to rise for another 30 minutes (20 if you're impatient) then you can do almost ANYTHING! 

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

· 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 tsp. baking soda

· 1/2 tsp. baking powder

· 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

· 1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

· 1/2 tsp. salt

· 3/4 cup pumpkin puree

· 1 egg

· 2 tsp. vanilla extract

· 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

· 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

· 3/4 cup granulated sugar



Directions:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the cookies, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium-low speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the brown and granulated sugars, increase the speed to medium and beat until slightly fluffy, about 1 minute, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture in two additions, beating well after each addition and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pan, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.


For Glaze: Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.