Flower Bread

This was a fun new shape to experiment with. However it results in a GIANT bread - which due to a pandemic lockdown, I had no one outside our household to share it with. I would not recommend making it for a single family. I also wanted to make a plain or savory bread, having baked many sweets the previous days. However, I had a small amount of cinnamon-sugar mixture leftover from the swirl cookies, so sprinkled this on the very outer edge. This ended up being my favorite part - which maybe speaks more to my sweet tooth than actually being a better option.

• the recipe is from: https://www.talesfromthekitchenshed.com/2015/08/flower-bread/
• but I used olive oil instead of rapeseed oil, and butter instead of spray. I also topped with black pepper, coarse salt, and thyme instead of sunflower seeds (but still had sesame seeds in the middle), as well as a cinnamon-sugar mixture on the very outer edge.
• Shaping was challenging - perhaps due to the wetness of my dough or the butter instead of spray, the dough layers tended to stick to each other when I flipped them over. Some of them I was able to separate, and some I left as a clump. I think if you can separate them, you can make a nicer layout. 
• I baked it on a 13" round pizza stone (covered in foil) - which was JUST big enough to fit this bread, considering that it gets bigger after rising. A larger pan would have been ok too.

This was fun to make once but I would probably not make again. Cinnamon Star Bread is still a favorite, and there are some other fun shapes I'd like to try first.

Roasted Turkey Drumsticks

I scored a good price post-thanksgiving on turkey drumsticks, so bought a few to make this lunch. Delicious and easy with a meat thermometer.
11/27/25 Found frozen drumsticks at Hanos. 9 in one box! Baked 5 for Thanksgiving. 1 drumstick could have cooked longer than the rest. The other 4 MM made a few days later by braising and that was super tender.

• 4-8 turkey drumsticks (about 10 oz each)
  
• high heat oil (avocado oil, but otherwise canola in a pinch)
• 1/4 c butter
• 1 t thyme
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 t paprika
• vegetables: carrots (3-5), mushrooms

1. Line a roasting pan with foil (to make cleanup easier). Use the high heat oil to coat the roasting rack, allowing it to drip in the roasting pan.
2. Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towels.
3. In a bowl, mix the spices.
4. Melt the butter. Spread it on the drumsticks.
5. Dip in the spice bowl. Press remaining over meat.
6. Place on roasting rack. Drizzle any remaining butter over the meat.
7. Set meat thermometer in thickest part of meat, not touching the bone.
8. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.
9. Add the chopped carrots and sliced mushrooms in the bottom of the pan.
10. Cover loosely with foil to prevent burning and bake an additional 10-30 minutes until thermometer reads 165.
11. Let rest for 10 minutes, still covered in foil.
12. Serve meat over rice with vegetables.
    
    
    

Cornbread

 I made a big tray for a bbq at the park. It disappeared quickly.

• 1 c cornmeal
• 3 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 2 T baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 2/3 c canola oil
• 1/3 c butter, melted
• 2 T honey
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2.5 c lactose-free milk

1. Butter a 9x13 baking dish/tray.
2. In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients.
3. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until moistened.
4. Pour into baking dish and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, or until cracks appear and golden in color.
5. Let cool. Serve warm, cooled, with butter, or as a side.

Fruit Salad

Nothing better to eat on a hot day than a chilled, colorful fruit salad. Use a variety of fruits - in both colors and textures. Do not use watermelon (too watery). I would also avoid cantaloupe and honeydew, just because they're not as exciting.

• 
  strawberries, raspberries
  
• oranges
• peaches, nectarines
• mango
• banana - ripe but still firm
• pineapple
• kiwi, green grapes
• blueberries
• passion fruit
• red grapes
• cherries
• blackberries
• dragonfruit
• apples, pears

1. Wash, peel, pit fruit as necessary. 
2. Cut each into bite size pieces.
3. Place in large bowl. Mix with juice from orange and/or lemon/lime juice (to prevent browning).
4. Optional: Include orange zest OR mint.
5. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Chilled Braised Bamboo

I love the texture of bamboo. I enjoy them chilled as a side dish or in a thai curry. I feel like I could eat 2 cups of it one sitting. I've avoided cooking it for a long time because the canned stuff has such a weird taste that even boiling doesn't get rid of it. But I recently found a source shrink wrapped instead of canned and it doesn't suffer from the weird taste problem. But now I need to find the perfect marinade/braising technique for making it Chinese style. This was my first attempt and good enough to enjoy, but I think it could still use improving. I can't find dark soy sauce anywhere so perhaps this was the missing ingredient.

• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• bamboo, sliced thin and cut into rectangles
• 2 T soy sauce
• [didn't use: 1 t dark soy sauce]
• 1 t sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 200 ml water
• 1 t sesame oil

1. Heat oil in pan and add garlic. Stir and saute for 2-3 min until lightly browned.
2. Add the bamboo and stir.
3. Add the soy sauces, sugar and salt. Cook for another 3 min.
4. Add the water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 20 min.
5. Stir in the sesame oil for 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl to cool. Refrigerate and serve chilled. In a rush, eat warm instead.

Recipe #2

• 2 c water
• 1/2 c teriyaki marinade
• 1/4 c sake
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 T dry sherry
• 1 dry shitaake mushroom

Cinnamon Knots

I wanted a yeast bread recipe that doesn't take too long to bake in the oven. Many of my go to ones take an hour which is just too long to have the heat on for in the summer. I found this one which only takes 10 min to bake. They turned out dangerously delicious.
Jan '23 Have made this many times over the years.

• 1/4 c butter
• 1 c milk
• 2 T yeast
• 2 T maple syrup (if you don't have any, can substitute sugar/honey)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 egg
• ~3 c flour
• dip: 1/4 c butter, 1/2 c sugar, 3 t cinnamon

1. Heat the butter in a small pan. When almost melted, add milk. Stir until it reaches 100-110 F. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine yeast and syrup. Pour in butter mixture.
3. Add salt and egg.
4. Add 2.5 c flour. Add flour until dough doesn't stick to sides of bowl. Knead for 5 minutes.
5. Divide into 12 pieces.
6. Melt butter in shallow bowl. Combine sugar and cinnamon in separate bowl (I used a pie plate).
7. Roll each piece into 8" long rope. Dip in butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Tie into a knot. Finish by joining two ends and flip over. Place all 12 knots onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Let rest for 10 min.
9. Bake at 400F for 9-12 min.
10. Let cool and enjoy warm!

Vanilla Cake

A simple layer cake with whipped cream and fruit. This cake was too sweet for my taste - would reduce sugar by another 1/4 cup from what I tried (which was already reduced 1/4 c from the original). Otherwise easy to put together with basic ingredients.
6/12/23 Made this using the reduced sugar (1 c) and the sweetness was just right. 2 c of whipping cream is too much, but that's the size of a standard container. Jumbo does sell a smaller container that I should try next time. Used lactojoy pill to enjoy the whipped cream symptom free. Used patent tarwebloem.

• 1 c butter, softened
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 c milk, room temperature
• 2 t vanilla
• 1.75 c flour
• 1/4 c cornstarch
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 c sugar (tried 1.25...too much)
• 3/4 t salt
• Cream Topping: 2 c whipping cream, 2 T sugar, 1 t vanilla
• fruit (strawberries, peaches, cherries, etc)

1. Line bottom of 2 cake pans (8" or 9") with parchment paper and butter sides. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
3. Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
4. Add the butter 1/3 at a time to the dry ingredients, beating after each addition until incorporated and at high speed for 10 seconds. It should look like wet sand.
5. Add half the wet mixture, beating until incorporated. Add the remaining half and beat on medium speed until almost smooth.
6. Divide between 2 cake pans, and smooth the surface. 
7. Bake at 350 for 25-35 min until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Cool on rack for 15 minutes before flipping.
9. Cream Topping: Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until firm peaks form. Do not overbeat.
10. Decorate: Place one cake layer on plate. Spread with thin layer of cream. Top with sliced fruit. Spread 1/3 of the cream on top. Layer second cake on top. Spread with remaining cream and top with more fruit.