Homemade Bread--Perfection, even at High Altitude!

My mom made bread at home for years. I used to beg for store-bought bread, I just didn't appreciate the goodness of homemade bread. I think Mom did start buying bread when she started working. Then she discovered sourdough bread starter and started the whole bread-making process over again. I loved it then! Especially hot from the oven. She used to make it in the evenings and would call me and my best friend and roommate, Kim, and we would race across town to devour a loaf of freshly baked bread. Yes, I'm embarrassed to say a loaf. That "Freshman 15" was very apropos in my case.

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe for bread. It doesn't require a starter, can be thrown all together in a bread machine, made into a loaf in the machine, or taken out and put in a different pan. It took me a few tries here at this altitude to get it right again, but I think I have it now! The amounts given below make one loaf, but I usually double it (and the pictures will show it doubled). High altitude changes can be seen in orange, the varying amounts are because it needs to be increased as you rise in altitude. I live at 8,000+, just to give you an idea of how much I need to increase.

What you need
2 cups flour (I use 1 1/2 cup white + 1/2 cup wheat) add about 2-3 Tbs flour
1 egg + enough water to equal 3/4 cup add about 1-2 Tbs. extra water
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. butter (doesn't need to be softened)
1 tsp. yeast.

Throw all the ingredients in your bread machine (or you could probably use a heavy duty stand mixer, I just never have, and you would need to let it rise and stuff. I'm really not sure.) and turn on the dough cycle. At the end of the cycle (mine takes 1 1/2 hours), it will look like this:
Flour a board and start kneading out the dough. Flatten with the palm of your hand till bubbles are gone and it looks roughly rectangle/square.
Like this.
Start by folding one side in, then the other.
Start at the small end and roll tightly, squeezing out bubbles as you go along.
Fold in the ends and plop in a greased pan.
Cover with towel and gently put in a warm place. The only warm place I have in my house is my oven, and that's if I preheat it to warm and then turn it off. Don't let your kids do the dinosaur dance in your kitchen. It will cause your dough to fall flat, and that's just sad. Let it rise till doubled, roughly. This usually takes about an hour to 1 1/2 hours at my house. In a really warm environment, though, it doesn't take as long, just watch it.
Here are my risen loaves. I brushed these with an egg yolk wash then sprinkled with poppy seeds.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (400 degrees). Bake for 15-20 minutes (30-40 minutes). The bottom of your bread will sound like a drum if you tap it. That's very unscientific, I know, but that's how I test mine. You can pop them out immediately after you taken them out of the oven and test them. If they're not quite done, just put them back in the oven for a few more minutes.
For these loaves, I brushed melted butter on top and sprinkled with kosher salt before I put them in the oven.

Slice and enjoy! It's especially yummy with honey butter. The bread freezes well, also.

Chocolate Cake

This is a take off Portillo's chocolate cake recipe. If you are ever in the Chicago area you must go to Portillo's. They're famous for Chicago style hotdogs, but their chocolate cake is absolutely divine. Yes, divine. This recipe, while not quite an exact replica, it comes darn close. And the only difference is maybe that I had to do the dishes myself. I swear that changes flavors for me.

This being a baking recipe, if you're in a high altitude area, you'll want to take note of the ingredients and directions in orange. If you're at sea level, skip those parts.

What you need
1 chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker, it's the only brand I can use at this high altitude)
1/4 cup flour
3 lg eggs
1 cup water (+2 Tbs. water)
1 cup Hellman's Mayo (This is a weird one, I am completely aware of that. Please just think of this substituting for the oil in other cakes. Don't get weirded out, ok? I also usually use generic brands for almost everything, but I stuck with Hellman's here. The website specifically called for it. I didn't want to take the chance of messing up my cake. )

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 degrees). Grease 2 round cake pans. Beat all the ingredients together for 4 minutes. Pour into pans. Bake for 30 minutes (40 minutes) until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then pop out of pan. Cool completely. Frost with your choice of either canned frosting, or use a chocolate butter cream frosting. (I found mine in my Betty Crocker cookbook. It's the best.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Yum, yum, yum. Have this with a mug of tea or hot coffee to dip in. Wow. I found a couple of pumpkin biscotti recipes, changed a few things and made it up for high altitude. I'm writing it out for regular altitude, but, as always, high-altitude changes are in orange.

What you need
5 cups flour + 1/3-1/2 cup flour
1 Tbs. baking powder a bit less than 1 Tbs. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
dash of cloves
1 1/4 sugar, plus 2 Tbs. sugar
1 cup butter, softened
15 oz. can pumpkin
2 Tbs. water + 2 Tbs. water
1 cup chocolate chips (any kind, I used the 60% cocoa)
1/2 cup nuts (I used pecans)
1/2 cup cream cheese frosting, or vanilla glaze (follows biscotti recipe)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (400 degrees). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (I just sprayed mine with cooking spray and they came out fine with no sticking).

Combine flour, powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in medium bowl. Mix well.

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl at medium speed till fluffy. Add the pumpkin and water; beat till blended. Add in the flour mixture a bit at a time. If you have a regular stand mixer, your mixture is going to reach the top. Stay right with your mixer and just keep scraping it down. Stir in chocolate chip and nuts. This is such stiff, stiff stuff! I actually broke my favorite mixing spoon (sniff, sniff) while stirring this up. So, be warned!

Shape dough into 2 logs, each about 14 inches long and 4-5 inches wide. Bake 40 minutes (it will be more like 1 hour, but check on them periodically after the 40 minute mark) or until firm to touch. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Cut into 1 inch slices, and place back on baking sheet cut side up. Bake 10-20 minutes. (Again, this will take longer, just keep checking till they are at the stage of toastiness that you like. Did I just say toastiness?) Cool on wire racks.

If you use frosting from a can, microwave it for a bit to make it drizzalbe. I'm just full of made up words today! If you want to make your own, or don't have frosting in a can, the following recipe is great. It's from the Better Crocker cook book.

Vanilla Glaze
What you need
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-4 Tbs. hot water

Melt butter in a sauce pan.

Stir in sugar and vanilla. It will be clumpy, just stir it in. Now, stir in hot water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until smooth and and consistency of thick syrup. Use a spoon and drizzle over the biscotti after they are cool.

This is how I like to enjoy my biscotti!

Mom's Nut Rocca (a.k.a. Toffee)

If you live at sea level, or just not clear up on a mountain, this stuff is great. And relatively easy. If you do live up on a mountain, can you tell me how to get it to the right temperature?! I made it, it tastes good, but it has a different color and it's much chewier than my mom's. So I'm blaming it on the altitude. I pretty much blame everything on the altitude. My dry skin, my flat hair, headaches...but I digress!

Ok. You need a candy thermometer, but those are inexpensive at any market. However, my mom says that the metal ones are the best because they don't break. I couldn't find one at our store, but maybe if check a kitchen store, you might have some luck. Everything else, I'll bet you have in your pantry, so try it! It's fun to make candy and it's impressive. Have fun!

Here's the recipe, in my mom's own words (parenthetical commentary provided by yours truly).

What you need
2 cups butter (real butter)
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1 cup finely chopped, toasted nuts (any kind will do, I'm partial to pecans. Must be my Southern heritage.)

1. Line a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan with heavy duty foil, extending over edges.

2. In a 4-5 quart sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in sugar, syrup and water. Cook over medium-high heat to boiling, stirring till sugar is dissolved. Avoid splashing up on the sides of your pan.

3. Clip you candy thermometer to the pan. Be sure bulb or bottom of thermometer is well covered and not touching bottom of pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently till thermometer registers 290 degrees, soft crack stage. This should take about 15 minutes. (Now, if you use a 4 qt. pan, like I did, your mixture is going to reach the tip top of the pan, and your heart is going to be in your throat imagining all that sticky corn syrup spilling out onto your stove. So just stir like crazy, gently though, and it will all be good. If you have a gas range, you may want to start out slower than med. heat.) The mixture will turn golden brown right at the last. (That's one way to know it's done. If it's still butter yellow, it's not done and will turn out the color of wax if taken off at this point. Trust me, I know.)

4. Remove thermometer. Pour into prepared pan; spread evenly. Cool 5 minutes, or until top is just set. Sprinkle on your chocolate chips and let set 2 minutes. Spread with a spatula till all toffee is coated with chololate. Top with nuts, press into chocolate. Cool several hours or till set. If necessary, place in fridge. (Mom sets it outside, covered and safe from the squirrels. My parents live in the woods. I don't know if a towel would keep it safe from a bear....hmmm.)

5. Holding foil, lift candy out of the pan. Break into pieces. To store, layer candy between sheets of waxed paper.

Makes about 2 1/2 pounds.

Doesn't that sound wonderful? Here's the way it came out for me. Remember, though, I'm at 8,000+ ft. in altitude and that just does funny things to baked goods.

Mom's Coffee Cake

This is a moist streusel coffee cake, but with a twist. The sreusel is baked inbetween two layers of cake, then a simple, thin icing is poured over top. You can do this in a bundt pan or a 9X13 (I don't have a bundt pan). I made this with just a couple of changes for the altitude and it turned out great. As usually, the high-altitude adjustments are in orange. (A personal note on cakes and high altitude, I have only had success with Betty Crocker cake mixes.) Oh, and thanks to my mom for this recipe.

What you need
Streusel filling:
2 Tbs golden butter cake mix
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Cake:
the rest of the cake mix + 1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water + 1-2 Tbs water
1/4 cup sugar

Mix the streusel ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside. Mix the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Grease and flour you pan (if you're going to keep it in the 9X13 pan, only grease). Pour 2/3 batter into the pan (if you're using 9X13 pan, pour 1/2 batter into pan), spread it out, it will be thick. Sprinkle streusel filling ontop, leave about 1/2 inch around the edge to prevent it sticking to the sides. Spoon the remaining batter into the pan and spread it around gently.



Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes for a 9X13 pan (if you're using the bundt, consult the back of the cake mix box for times and temps.) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely in pan before removing it.



Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbs milk

After cake is completely cooled and removed from pan (if that's what you're doing), stir sugar and milk together with a whisk, getting all lumps out. Pour over cake. (I, unfortunately, do not have a picture with the glaze. I completely forgot, like usual, the final shot!)

Serve with coffee, tea or a big glass of cold milk!

Thank you, Mom!

Apple-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

People, get out and make these guys! I made them for Adam's teachers today and they were fighting over who could lick the pan. Ok, that's an exaggeration. A gross exaggeration. Ha ha ha. But seriously? Get out and make these guys. I'm not sure what you're supposed to "get out" of, but it sounded right when I wrote it.

Ok.

So, thank you Rachel Ray. You are my hero. That said......

High altitude adjustments are in orange.

What you need

2 tart apples, Granny Smith are good, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups flour /plus 1-2 Tbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder /just a bit less than 1 Tbs
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream /plus 1-2 Tbs
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs honey

Preheat oven to 400/450 degrees. Place apples, 1 Tbs brown sugar and 1 Tbs butter on baking sheet (you can put foil or parchment paper down so it doesn't stick, but I don't think this made much difference), mix it around, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes /may take 20-25 minutes, just watch them, or until apples are tender. Remove from oven, and lower oven temp to 350/375 degrees.

In your mixer, blend flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt at low speed. Add 5 Tbs. butter and mix until crumbly. In small bowl, whisk eggs with 1/2 cup cream, then mix into dry ingredients. (May need a bit more flour so it's not too sticky in your hands.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll or pat out your dough to form a 9 x 13 inch rectangle (this is very approximate). In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Smear onto your dough about 2 Tbs butter, just sort of dotted all over. Sprinkle the pecan mixture on top and cover evenly with the roasted apples. Roll up dough, jelly roll-style, and cut crosswise into 9 slices. Place slices cut side down into 9 x 9 inch pan that's been well greased. Bake till golden, about 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the remaining 4 Tbs butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 tsp salt and honey to boil, stirring. Whisk until reduced, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly then poor it on the rolls.

So good. So, so good. Get out there and make these guys!.

Oh, and I'm embarrassed to say I don't even have a final shot of them, they got eaten so fast! You'll have to go make your own to see it to believe it.


These are super easy to double. Also, make everything the day or night before (except for that last sauce that you pour over the cooked buns), then bake it in the morning. Perfect, and easy.

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

My friend Colleen used to make this last year in NYC. It will always remind me of our little NYC apartments, days at Dolphin park and Mary. It's just autumn in loaf-form for me. Owen and I made a batch yesterday, and then today I made another batch. It's just that good. If you live above 6,500 ft. you'll want to make the changes that are in orange. Being in high altitude does something funny to baking things.

What you need:

1 can pumpkin (not pie filling, actual pumpkin), 15 oz.
1/2 cup water / 1/2 cup water + 1-2 Tbs. (depending on your altitude. I used 2 Tbs and I'm at 8,000)
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cup flour / 2 1/2 cup flour + 1 Tbs.
2 1/4 cup sugar (don't gasp)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda / just a smidge less than 1 1/2 tsp baking soda. I just let the clumps be scraped off when I measured it out of my cardboard container.
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp each: cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
about a 1/2 -3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. / Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

First, mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then, beat the pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in your mixer till combined (medium speed for about 2 minutes).
Gradually work in the dry ingredients, mixing just enough so you won't have a huge flour pouf all over you when you add more. Stir in your chocolate chips.

Grease and flour your bread pans. I used 3 smaller pans yesterday and 2 larger pans today. If you use 3 smaller pans, bake for around 50 minutes (1 hour) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (it will have chocolate chips on it). If you choose to do 2 larger pans, bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (same or about 5- 10 minutes more). Let them sit in the pans for 10 minutes before trying to take them out (trust me on this one, I learned the hard way).

I actually forgot to stir in the chocolate chips today when I made my 2 larger loafs, so I had to sprinkle them on top. Then I got a little crazy and just slathered the whole top of one with chocolate. I don't know how this will taste yet, but I'm hoping for the best.


This is what it should look like. Mmmm-mm. Yummy goodness.
I'm so proud of myself for remembering to take pictures! What do you think?