Chocolate Cream Pie v2.0

"Cassie, you wanna make the dessert?" Of course I do! What would you like? "Oh, just make whatever you feel like making." They say that to me thinking they're doing me a favor. No, no, no... I love it when you tell me exactly what you want! I wish people would do it more often! So last week when my dad asked me for a chocolate cream pie, not too dark, kind milk chocolate-y, I jumped at the opportunity! Plus, it was an excuse for me to finally use the Dove solid milk chocolate bunny I've had since Easter.

The last time my dad requested a chocolate cream pie, I used a recipe from AllRecipes.com. It was alright, but you know me and my inability to settle on a recipe. This time I went for a surefire, failproof recipe from the ONLY source for perfect pie recipes, The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. The recipe was unbelievably easy and quick. I made my favorite pie crust recipe to accompany the creamy chocolate filling and the cool whipped cream. (I know it's my dad's favorite pie crust too because his initial request wasn't for chocolate cream pie. It was for just plain pie crust that he could break into shards and dip into his Kozy Shack chocolate pudding!)

Rose didn't let me down. The pie was a hit, and my dad was completely satisfied. He's so funny! Everytime I make something we could potentially sell at our future bakery, he always calls out a prospective price. This one will be $34.95! ;DSome advice: When you cook the filling, make sure you let it thicken until it's almost as thick as you want it to be in your finished pie. It thickens as it cools, but it's not like Jell-O! It needs all the help it can get on the stove. And let it chill overnight. We cut into hours when it had been in the fridge for about 3 hours, and the filling was still a bit too soft. :)

PS: I didn't even notice until I started typing out the recipe, but there's a variation in the book for a milk chocolate version!! Lol! I included it here.

Chocolate Cream Pie (from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum)

1 9-inch pie crust, prebaked (half the recipe after the link)

Filling
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (24 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
3 tablespoons (28 g) cornstarch
3 cups milk, divided
2/3 cup (132 g) sugar
Pinch of salt
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet chocolate, grated or finely chopped (I used milk chocolate)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping (I made a double recipe of this)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoo n confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate curls or shavings for garnish, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, cocoa, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth.
In a medium nonreactive saucepan, stir together the remaining 2 3/4 cups of milk, the sugar, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a full boil. Whisk 1/4 cup of this hot mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture. Cook, continuing to whisk rapidly, being sure to go into the edges of the pan, until the mixture thickens and pools a little when dropped on the surface. (It thickens quickly, but let it cook until it's almost as thick as you want it to be in your finished pie.)
Remove it from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter. Continue whisking until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, immediately press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Pour the chocolate filling into the baked pie shell. It will fill the shell up to the top. Place a piece of greased plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours.
In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. (Do not over beat; it will turn to butter!) Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and mound the topping over the chocolate filling.

VARIATION: For a less bittersweet, more milk chocolate filling, replace the milk with half-and-half, decrease the sugar to 1/2 cup (100 g), omit the cocoa, and increase the chocolate to 10 ounces (284 g).

Favorite Deep-Dish Apple Pie

I've done it! I've finally mastered the apple pie! You may remember my apple pie post from two months ago. I loved that pie, but I overcooked the filling on the stove, so the apples were a little mushy. I wanted to try making apple pie again, but for some reason I moved on to a totally different recipe. My second try was with a Martha Stewart recipe. It's from her Baking Handbook, but I can't remember the exact name of the recipe. Anyway, it turned out horrible! I used my own crust recipe, but the problem was in the filling. It wasn't sweet at all, and the apples turned into complete mush! You would've thought I had made the pie with unsweetened applesauce! It was just horrible! So two days later I went back to the recipe I liked from "The All-American Dessert Book" by Nancy Baggett. This time I used the easy no-refrigeration oil-based crust from the grape pie because I just wasn't in the mood to wait around for my go-to crust to chill and rest in the fridge (FYI, my go-to crust recipe is here in my first apple pie post, as well as a link to the printable recipe). The oil-based crust is seriously a life-saver because you can use it as soon as you make it! It's a dream to roll out, but the only drawback is the lack of flavor. I guess you could add butter flavoring if you wanted to, but I'd rather just taste the slightly sweetened pastry. In my first apple pie I used 6 apples. In this pie I used a total of 9 apples: a combination of Braeburns, Granny Smiths, Honeycrisps, and Fujis. I spiced it up with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. And this time I didn't overcook the filling on the stove! It baked up perfectly in the oven, and the apples still had a nice bite to them.

If you use the oil-based crust, it gets pretty soggy after a day or two, so make this pie when you plan on eating the whole thing quickly! Otherwise, go with the butter/shortening crust in the following recipe.

Favorite Deep-Dish Apple Pie (from "The All-American Dessert Book" by Nancy Baggett)

Double crust All-Purpose Pie Pastry Dough (recipe follows)
All-purpose flour for dusting dough

FILLING
10 1/2 cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples (8-11 medium baking apples; choose at least three kinds, such as Stayman, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Smokehouse, Sunrise, Granny Smith, Grimes Golden, York, and Gala) (I used 3 Braeburn, 3 Fuji, 2 Honeycrisp, and 1 Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
Scant 2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 1/2-4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (use larger amount if apples are very juicy)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I increased to 1 teaspoon and added 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg)
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 tablespoon milk for brushing on dough top (mix with 1 egg yolk if using the oil-based crust as it does not brown well in the oven)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling on dough top (I used turbinado sugar)

Lightly grease a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate or coat with nonstick spray (I do not spray my pie plate). If the dough is cold and stiff, let it warm up until slightly pliable but still cool to the touch. Generously dust it on both sides with flour. Roll out one dough portion between large sheets of baking parchment into a 13 1/2-inch round. Occasionally check the underside of the dough during rolling and smooth out any wrinkles. (If the dough seems sticky or limp, place in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.) Gently peel off the top sheet of paper, then pat back into place. Flip the dough; peel off the bottom sheet. Center the round, dough side down, in the pie plate. Gently peel off the remaining paper. Smooth the dough into the plate and patch any tears, if necessary. Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, trim the overhang to 1/4 inch. Prick the pastry all over with a fork (I don't prick it at all). Loosely cover the pastry and place in the freezer while you roll out the top pastry and prepare the filling.

Roll out the second portion of dough into a 13 1/2-inch round as described above. Transfer the round (paper still attached) to a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F (I preheat a pizza stone as well). In a very large, heavy non-reactive saucepan, toss the apples with the lemon juice. In a medium bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt until well blended. Add the sugar mixture and butter to the apples, tossing until well blended. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-­high heat. Simmer, stirring and scraping the pan bottom, for about 3 minutes, or until the apples cook down slightly; be careful not to burn (I cook them until the juice begins to thicken, about 5 minutes). Remove from the burner. Taste and add more lemon juice, if desired.

Turn out the apple mixture into the bot­tom crust, mounding it in the center. Gently peel off the top sheet of paper from the second pastry round. Center the round, dough side down, over the filling. Peel off and discard the remaining paper. Trim the over­hang to 3/4 inch. Fold the overhang under the bottom pastry to form an edge that rests on the lip of the plate. Press the layers together firmly, then flute with your fingers or press the tines of a fork all the way around. Brush the dough top (not the edges) with the milk, then sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Cut generous slashes in the top for steam vents, using a sharp, lightly greased paring knife.

Set the pie on a rimmed baking sheet (or directly on the hot pizza stone in the oven). Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned. Spray the under­side of an extra-wide sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray (or use nonstick foil). Make a foil tent over the pie top so the entire crust is cov­ered. Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the filling is bubbly. Transfer the pie to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours and preferably 4 hours or longer (for neater slices) before serving.

The pie will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days or re­frigerated for up to 2 days longer. Let come to room temperature before serving.

All-Purpose Pie Pastry Dough (Double Crust)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
7 tablespoons solid white shortening, cut or spooned into 14 pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (I increased to 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6-9 tablespoons ice water

Freeze the butter cubes and shortening pieces for 20 minutes. (I used refrigerated shortening and butter, not frozen.)

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the all-­purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Sprinkle the chilled butter and shortening over the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, forks, or your fingertips, cut in the fat until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few bits the size of small peas remaining. Be sure to scrape up the flour mixture on the bottom of the bowl.

Combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in the processor. Pulse for 10 seconds to mix. (I re-wrote the next part of the recipe to show how I made it.) Sprinkle half the chilled butter over the flour mixture. Process with about five 1-second pulses. Stir, lift­ing up the contents on the bottom. Add the remaining butter, and pulse about 5 more times. Add shortening, and pulse 10 more times, just until the bits of fat are cut in and the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few bits the size of small peas remaining; stop halfway through and stir to redistribute the contents on the bottom. Turn out the mixture into a large bowl.

In a small bowl, measure out 6 tablespoons ice water. Using a fork, lightly combine the water mixture with the flour mixture, tossing until the water is evenly incorporated and the mixture just be­gins to form clumps, 15 to 20 strokes. Be sure to reach down to the bot­tom to be sure the flour underneath is dampened. Check the consistency by pinching a small amount of dough between your fingertips; it should hold together smoothly and be moist but not soggy. If it is crumbly or dry, sprinkle over more ice water, 2 teaspoons at a time, tossing briefly with a fork. When the water is evenly incorporated and the dough is suf­ficiently moistened to hold together when pinched, gather it up and firmly press it together with your fingertips into a smooth, dense mass. Divide the dough in half, and flatten the portions into 6-inch disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes and preferably 1 hour. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to a month; thaw in the refrigerator before using. Roll and bake as directed in the individual recipes.

Spicy Cinnamon Apple Pie

So apparently I'm the only person in the world who likes a REALLY spicy apple pie on the first day of Fall (I made it Wednesday). And I might be the only person in the world who likes a really spicy apple pie at all. I googled, I searched AllRecipes.com, I checked Flickr, I checked the food blog search engine. All of the recipes turned up with a modest amount of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg here or there. I was looking for something that resembled a spicy baked apple, but in pie form. Or better yet, you know those spicy red apple rings they sell in the grocery store? THAT'S WHAT I WANTED IN MY PIE!! I found nothing of the sort! I did see some yummy looking recipes for mincemeat pie, but no spicy apple pies! So... I made my own. I used the apple pie recipe in The All- American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett. I spiced it up by increasing the cinnamon from 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon and adding 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon oil. Of course I used my brand new REAL cinnamon you saw me bragging about in my last entry. And because I like some things to be supermarket-cheesy, I added some red food coloring to look more like the red apple rings. The filling smelled so cook on the stove, and it tasted exactly like I wanted it to. I accidentally overcooked the filling so the apples were slightly mushy, but not too bad.Before you start judging me and thinking I only like apple pie as a vehicle for cinnamon, you're half wrong! During the summer I use a squirt of lemon juice, a pinch of cinnamon, and I'm good to go. But during the Fall and Winter months, I prefer my pies on the spicy side. However, I do think nutmeg in apple pie is a sin! Save it for the nog, people!!Now, let's talk about crust. I started making my own pie crusts last year, and I've tried a few recipes since the very first time. With every new recipe I say "I've found my go-to pie crust recipe!" Well, that was before I really knew what I was looking for. I don't like my pie crusts to be so flaky that they shatter when you touch them with your fork. I also prefer my crust a little on the sweet side, and I like to taste a tiny bit of salt here and there. Most importantly, I don't like a greasy crust. I've seen pie crust recipes that use double the amount of fat to flour. This crust recipe is perfect!! Part of it is in the technique. I pulse half of the butter in the dry ingredients a few times before I add the rest of the butter. Then, I pulse that a few times until there are some big chunks left. Then, I add the shortening and pulse until only small pieces remain (The size of tiny peas). This produces tiny, flaky layers and a very tender crust because the first addition of butter coats the flour and prevents gluten from forming. (Thanks, America's Test Kitchen, for your episode on pie crust!) I increased the sugar from 1 1/2 tablespoons to 3 tablespoons, and it's the exact amount of sweetness I was looking for. This is definitely my go-to pie crust recipe! ;DBtw, this IS an apple pie, not a peach pie... I guess the tiny bit of red food coloring I added only turned it pinkish orange! And those shapes on top were supposed to be apples... Oops.
Favorite Deep-Dish Apple Pie (from The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett)

Double crust All-Purpose Pie Pastry Dough (recipe follows)
All-purpose flour for dusting dough

Filling
10 1/2 cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples (8-11 medium baking apples; choose at least three kinds, such as Stayman, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Smokehouse, Sunrise, Granny Smith, Grimes Golden, York, and Gala) (I used 2 Pink Lady, 2 Braeburn, 1 large Granny Smith, and 1 large Fuji)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
Scant 2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 1/2-4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (use larger amount if apples are very juicy)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I increased to 1 teaspoon and added 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon oil)
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

1 tablespoon milk for brushing on dough top
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling on dough top (I used turbinado sugar)

Lightly grease a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate or coat with nonstick spray. If the dough is cold and stiff, let it warm up until slightly pliable but still cool to the touch. Generously dust it on both sides with flour. Roll out one dough portion between large sheets of baking parchment into a 13 1/2-inch round. Occasionally check the underside of the dough during rolling and smooth out any wrinkles. (If the dough seems sticky or limp, place in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.) Gently peel off the top sheet of paper, then pat back into place. Flip the dough; peel off the bottom sheet. Center the round, dough side down, in the pie plate. Gently peel off the remaining paper. Smooth the dough into the plate and patch any tears, if necessary. Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, trim the overhang to 1/4 inch. Prick the pastry all over with a fork. Loosely cover the pastry and place in the freezer while you roll out the top pastry and prepare the filling.

Roll out the second portion of dough into a 13 1/2-inch round as described above. Transfer the round (paper still attached) to a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. In a very large, heavy non-reactive saucepan, toss the apples with the lemon juice. In a medium bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt until well blended. Add the sugar mixture and butter to the apples, tossing until well blended. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer, stirring and scraping the pan bottom, for about 3 minutes, or until the apples cook down slightly; be careful not to burn. Remove from the burner. Taste and add more lemon juice, if desired.

Turn out the apple mixture into the bot­tom crust, mounding it in the center. Gently peel off the top sheet of paper from the second pastry round. Center the round, dough side down, over the filling. Peel off and discard the remaining paper. Trim the overhang to 3/4 inch. Fold the overhang under the bottom pastry to form an edge that rests on the lip of the plate. Press the layers together firmly, then flute with your fingers or press the tines of a fork all the way around. Brush the dough top (not the edges) with the milk, then sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Cut generous slashes in the top for steam vents, using a sharp, lightly greased paring knife.

Set the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned. Spray the under­side of an extra-wide sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray (or use nonstick foil). Make a foil tent over the pie top so the entire crust is covered. Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the filling is bubbly. Transfer the pie to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours and preferably 4 hours or longer (for neater slices) before serving.

The pie will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days or re­frigerated for up to 2 days longer. Let come to room temperature before serving.

All-Purpose Pie Pastry Dough (Double Crust)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
7 tablespoons solid white shortening, cut or spooned into 14 pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (I increased to 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6-9 tablespoons ice water

Freeze the butter cubes and shortening pieces for 20 minutes. (I used refrigerated shortening and butter, not frozen.)

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the all-­purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Sprinkle the chilled butter and shortening over the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, forks, or your fingertips, cut in the fat until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few bits the size of small peas remaining. Be sure to scrape up the flour mixture on the bottom of the bowl.

Combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in the processor. Pulse for 10 seconds to mix. (I re-wrote the next part of the recipe to show how I made it.) Sprinkle half the chilled butter over the flour mixture. Process with about five 1-second pulses. Stir, lift­ing up the contents on the bottom. Add the remaining butter, and pulse about 5 more times. Add shortening, and pulse 10 more times, just until the bits of fat are cut in and the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few bits the size of small peas remaining; stop halfway through and stir to redistribute the contents on the bottom. Turn out the mixture into a large bowl.

In a small bowl, measure out 6 tablespoons ice water. Using a fork, lightly combine the water mixture with the flour mixture, tossing until the water is evenly incorporated and the mixture just begins to form clumps, 15 to 20 strokes. Be sure to reach down to the bottom to be sure the flour underneath is dampened. Check the consistency by pinching a small amount of dough between your fingertips; it should hold together smoothly and be moist but not soggy. If it is crumbly or dry, sprinkle over more ice water, 2 teaspoons at a time, tossing briefly with a fork. When the water is evenly incorporated and the dough is sufficiently moistened to hold together when pinched, gather it up and firmly press it together with your fingertips into a smooth, dense mass. Divide the dough in half, and flatten the portions into 6-inch disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes and preferably 1 hour. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to a month; thaw in the refrigerator before using. Roll and bake as directed in the individual recipes.

No-Knead: Everyday Oatmeal Honey-Raisin Bread

Usually, I don't ever have any tasty drama to go along with the tasty recipes I post. This post will change that! I made this bread last week, and if any of you follow me on Twitter you might've seen my constant tweets about my oven being a brat! It all started when I tried to make soft pretzels. One minute the oven is working fine, proofing dough on the "warm" setting, and just being awesome. Then an hour later when I go to preheat it... NOTHING! No beautiful orange glow in the bottom, no silent roar of gas pumping up the heat... NOTHING! So I call my dad, I'm almost in tears. I have these perfect balls of dough all portioned out and ready to be turned into pretzels, but no oven to bake them in. He says he'll have to order a part to fix it, so I put all my dough back into a bowl and stick it in the fridge (praying that pretzel dough will survive the chill). About an hour later, I'm just curious and I flip the oven on. What do you know! The freakin thing comes on as if nothing was ever wrong. HELLO!?!?! WHY!?!? Thank you, oven, for being a jerk! I baked the pretzels, and they came out fine. That post is coming later, much later.

So the next day... or was it a few days later? I can't even remember now. Anyway, some time later I made the dough for this no-knead bread, not even thinking about my oven being a little on the psychotic side. I made the dough a day ahead. The next morning I got up at 9am to add the raisins and put the dough in the pan for the final proofing. When I'm ready to preheat my oven... of course you've probably figured out where this is going... I turn the knob and wait... and wait... and wait. I turn around and look at this perfectly risen bread in the pan on the table. I almost cry! All this work, and it's going to be ruined! Then a lightbulb comes on in my head. NEIGHBORS! They have ovens! Surely, their ovens must work! So my mom gets on the phone with our closest neighbor, and he's siked to help. Josh had spent the night at my house, so he's there and walks with me to the neighbor's house. He's holding the umbrella, I've got the almost over-proofed pan of dough. Did I mention it's pouring down rain? It's practically a monsoon. In the time it takes us to walk about 50 feet, we are both soaked. It seems like umbrellas are about as reliable as ovens, but I digress.

It's time to make a long story short. I baked the bread in his oven. It turned out delicious, and I owe my fabulous neighbor, Doug, and HUGE thanks! You're a life bread-saver! ;D

EDIT: It seems I left out an important bit of information! My dad fixed my oven! My oven and I are starting to work on our trust issues. Give us time, and I'm sure we'll be back to our old selves*! (*=not a word)

The dough looks much like a batter at first.Sorry I didn't get many picures of the bread-making process. As you can imagine, I was under a lot of stress, thanks to my oven! Here's the end result... Mmmm!

I know this recipe seems like a lot of work, but it's actually not. It's very simple, and you can adjust the times to suit your schedule. The end result is fabulous, and you'll be so proud of yourself! :D

Everyday Oatmeal Honey-Raisin Bread (from Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads by Nancy Baggett)
Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 15 slices
“Because this dough includes cinnamon, which contains a yeast inhibiting chemical, the recipe calls for slightly more yeast than normal.”

2 3/4 cups (13.75 ounces) unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking (not instant) oats
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/4 teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
1/2 cup clover honey or other mild honey
2 tablespoons corn oil or canola oil, plus extra for coating dough top and baking pan
1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon ice water, plus more if needed
1 cup dark raisins, rinsed under warm water, then drained well and patted dry
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for garnish

FIRST RISE: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey and oil into the water. Thoroughly stir the mixture into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides and mixing to blend well. If the dough is stiff, stir in enough more ice water to soften it slightly; the dough should not be dry or overly stiff, as the oats draw up moisture. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. (For convenience, I refrigerated mine for 8 hours.) Let rise at cool room temperature (about 70°F) for 12 to 18 hours. (I sat mine out overnight for 12 hours.)

SECOND RISE: Stir the dough vigorously, adding in the raisins until evenly incorporated. Stir in enough more flour to yield a hard-to-stir consistency. (I think I added about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups of flour. It was still sticky, but very hard to stir.) Using an oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center all the way around. (I didn’t do this. Instead, I floured my hands and shaped the dough into a tight ball.) This organizes the gluten for shaping the dough into a loaf. Invert the dough into a generously greased 9 X 5-inch loaf pan.
Brush or spray the top with oil, then using an oiled rubber spatula or fingertips, smooth out the surface and press the dough evenly into the pan. Using a well-oiled serrated knife or kitchen shears, make a 1/2-inch deep slash lengthwise down the loaf. Cover the pan with nonstick spray-coated plastic wrap.

LET RISE USING ANY OF THESE METHODS: For a 1 1/2- to 3-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2- hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water (I used this method, and it took about 50 minutes for me); or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. When the dough nears the plastic, remove it and continue the rise until the dough extends 1/4-inch above the pan rim. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar garnish over the top.

BAKING PRELIMINARIES: 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.

BAKING: (At this point, I gave my neighbor instructions to bake it for 35 minutes, then cover with foil and let it go for only 20 more minutes. When I got to his house, the bread was already cooling, so I didn’t get a chance to check the internal temp. But the bread was VERY brown so I knew it was done, maybe slightly overdone.) Bake on the lower rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the loaf is well browned. Cover with foil, and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes more. Begin testing occasionally with a skewer inserted in the thickest part, until it comes out with slightly moist particles clinging to the end (or until the center registers 208° to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer). Bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a rack; cool thoroughly.

SERVING AND STORING: Serve cool, or toasted; the bread doesn't slice well until completely cooled. Cool thoroughly before storing in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for 3 days. May be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

VARIATION: OAT-WHOLE WHEAT HONEY-RAISIN BREAD—Instead of 2 3/4 cups white bread flour, use 1 3/4 cups white bread flour (plus more if needed) and 1 cup whole wheat flour.

Homemade Honey Marshmallows w/ Toasted Coconut

There are no words to describe the satisfaction of sinking your teeth into a soft, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth, homemade marshmallow! Literally, I don't even know what to write about them other than they are SO good! My brain is flustered just thinking about them! Okay, let me try to get my thoughts together and attempt to write a coherent post.

One of my grandma's favorite sweets are those toasted coconut marshmallows. I've always wanted to make my own marshmallows, so I decided to make some for her and all of my aunts for Mothers' Day. I checked around the blog circuit to find a recipe, but instead I found which recipe NOT to use. The TWD ladies made Dorie's marshmallows, and a lot of people said that the egg whites made them disintegrate and become goopy after a while. Thanks to their advice, I chose a recipe from Nancy Baggett's "The All-American Dessert Book." Her recipe doesn't use egg whites. And it uses honey, so they have a nice flavor. The recipe is perfect! The marshmallows were SO easy to make. I rolled most of them in toasted coconut, and I tossed the rest in confectioners' sugar so they wouldn't be sticky. I packaged them in pretty little jars with the recipe attached. When I gave them to my aunts and grandma, everyone went crazy over them! They loved them so much, they made me make another batch while I was there! If you've never made homemade marshmallows, I definitely suggest you add this recipe to your "recipes-to-try" list! You will not be sorry. :D

Homemade Honey Marshmallows (from The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett)
Makes 96 1-inch marshmallows

2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (3-4 packets)
Generous 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons water (divided)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup honey (or 1/4 cup more light corn syrup)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting marshmallows

Line a 9x13 baking dish with wax paper, allowing the paper to overhand the ends by about 1 inch. Evenly coat the paper with nonstick spray.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the ½ cup cold water. Let stand, stirring once or twice, until the gelatin softens, about 6 minutes.

In a heavy 3 to 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together sugar, corn syrup, honey, 3 tablespoons warm water, and salt until well blended. When the sugar dissolves, raise the heat and bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring. Boil for 20 seconds. Stir in the gelatin mixture and vanilla and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds longer. Remove from heat and continue stirring until the gelatin completely dissolves.

Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, gradually raise the mixer speed from low to high; beat until the mixture is stiffened, lightened, and very fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula coated with nonstick spray, scrape out the marshmallow mixture into the baking dish. Tap the pan on the table to spread the mixture and eliminate air bubbles. Coat another sheet of wax paper with nonstick spray, then pat it down on the marshmallow surface. Let the mixture cool and firm up, at least 6 hours and preferably 24 hours. (The mixture will become firmer and easier to handle if left for the full 24 hours.) (The second time I made these I only let them set up for 4 hours and they were already easy to cut. I used scissors, and I didn’t need any powdered sugar while cutting them.)

Sift about one third of the powdered sugar on a cutting surface. Lift the marshmallow slab out of the pan. Peel off the top sheet of paper. Invert the slab on the sugar and peel off the other sheet. Sift about one third of the remaining sugar over the top. Using lightly greased kitchen shears or a lightly greased, large sharp knife, cut the slab crosswise into twelfths and lengthwise unto eighths to form generous 1-inch marshmallows. As necessary, clean off and regrease the knife. Generally dust all the cut sides with powdered sugar to reduce their stickiness. (Optionally, toss the marshmallows in toasted coconut or other desired toppings.)