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lets bake & Farm!
posted every Wednesday

Eggnog Cookies

8/26/2022

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Hey everyone!
This might be an early blog post since its only September, but I am so ready for the holiday season. I can only bake this a certain time of the year and it is almost here! I just love eggnog - especially Starbucks eggnog latte- and this just compliments it so well. Here is the recipe!

Also shout out to Cooking Classy; this recipe is influenced by her recipe. I use to do it by her website, but being my own baker, I tweaked it for my taste preference. Here is her recipe.
 
RECIPE: Eggnog Cookies

Method: Creaming Method
Serving: 20 to 25 cookies
 
Ingredients

Cookies

3/4 cup of unsalted butter (if you have salted, omit the salt in this recipe)
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of light brown sugar, can use dark if you want
2 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp of rum extract
1/2 cup of eggnog

Frosting 

1/2 cup of unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup of eggnog
1 tsp of rum extract
3 cups of powdered sugar
 
Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

If using your kitchen aid, add the butter, which should be at room temp, to your mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment, cream your butter until smooth. Add the white sugar and packed brown sugar to the butter. Cream for 6 to 10 minutes on moderate speed until the mixtures becomes pale in color and creamy.While the butter mixture is going, in a regular mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Whisk until its combined.After the butter mixture is complete, add one egg yolk at a time. After the second egg yolk, beat for another 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth. In another separate mixing bowl or even a cup, combine your liquid ingredients-the vanilla, rum and eggnog. In the butter mixture, alternatively add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients. It should start and end with the dry ingredient (1/4 dry, 1/3 wet, 1/4 dry, etc.)

After the last dry ingredient, mix until everything is combined. Scrape the sides and make sure everything is mixed. On a baking sheet with parchment paper, scoop out your cookie dough into any shape you want. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

While baking make the frosting. Add the butter to your mixing bowl. Cream the butter until its smooth; add the salt, eggnog, rum and the powder sugar to the butter. Mix until its smooth. Side note: add the powder sugar one cup at a time. If you add it all at once, the powder sugar will go everywhere. Any baker will tell you that it has happen to them several times. Take out the cookies and cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Top the cookies with frosting and sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon on top. Enjoy!

XLisa
 
 

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The Best Fresh Cherry Pie with Almond Crust

8/23/2022

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One of my favorite fruits to pick off on my farm is our fresh cherries. They are just sooo tasty and freshly sour that they wake up your taste buds. So I recently made my fresh cherry pie recipe that I learned in one of my cookbooks- Lomelino Pies. I used many of the basic tenets of the recipe, but I change a little bit to suite my taste. 


​Cherry Pie With Almond Crust

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup almond flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp sea salt
14 tbsp cold butter (6 ounce)
3-5 tbsp ice-cold water 


Cherry Filling Ingredients

1 ½ pound pitted cherries
6 tbsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp lemon juice 

Glaze

1 egg
1 tbsp milk
Pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp turbinado 
 
Piecrust
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  1. Mix the AP flour, almond flour, granulated sugar and salt in a bowl. Dice the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Use your fingers to pinch in the butter until dough is crumbly.
  2. Add the cold water (begin with the smaller amount and gradually add more if the dough feels too dry) and mix it in with a fork. When you pick up a bit of the dough and it coheres when pressed together, it has enough water.
  3. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the dough, flatten the dough somewhat, and then cover the dough completely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
 
Cherry Filling

  1. Mix the cherries, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract and kirsch in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer it over low heat for three to four minutes or until the cherries begin to soften.
  2. Small cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the lemon juice and pour it into the saucepan, stirring as you add it in. let the mixture simmer for another minute, or until thickened. Let it cool completely.
 
Rolling crust and baking the pie

Preheat to 435F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll a little more than half the dough into a large circle, 1/8 inch thick. Lay this bottom crust in the pan and refrigerate the pie shell.

Roll the rest of the dough in a circle. Using a round piping tip, cut out small holes in the dough. Take pie shell out, add the filling, and brush the egg with water. Lay the top crust over the pie and press it down around the edge. Cut away any excess dough or make a decorative edge. Put the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.

To make the glaze, whisk the egg, milk and salt in a small bowl. Brush the crust with the egg mixture and sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top.

​Bake the pie on the lower rack of the oven for fifteen minutes. Reduce the temp to 350F and bake for another 45 minutes until the piecrust is golden brown and the filling bubbly. If the crust darkens too much toward the end of the baking time, cover it with aluminum foil. Remove the pie and let it cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Xo Regards, 

Lisa

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Why is American Pasta So Bloating?

8/8/2022

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​Disclaimer: This post is linked with Amazon Services, and as a Amazon Associate I will earn from qualifying purchases. But don't worry, this does not affect you at all.
Hello there! For this post, I am responding to a Tiktok I watched the other day, and it was about a European woman talking about 5 things to not to do while in America. The 5th tip in this video was enlightening because she recommended for Europeans to never try American pasta because it caused bloating. That made me wonder- what did Europeans do so differently than Americans for pasta. So I looked a little further to answer my own curiosity and the answer is not surprising. 
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what is in our Pasta?

The answer for this is a bit complicated. For American pastas, breads and many grains, we use primarily hard red wheat in our ingredients. This specific wheat has a higher gluten content than the other common grains such as soft wheat. Although hard red wheat does give a better texture and rise to many yeast breads such as buns, in many European countries and cities they usually opt out of hard red wheat and they stick with soft wheat or specialty grains. It makes you question, why aren't we making the same transition? I am someone who loves pasta, but it would be easier to eat pasta and other dishes if you didn't feel so bloated after a meal. So I'm going to dig deep into these questions: what is the difference between hard red wheat and soft wheat and what flours do Europeans use in their baking?
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What is the difference between soft and red hard wheat? 

​The main difference between soft and red hard wheat is the gluten content. You might see this stark difference in using a soft wheat flour such as pastry flour and a high gluten flour such as whole wheat flour. Here is a great example when you look at an American flour brand Bob Red Mill and there several different products with gluten content. 
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As this flour charts shows, we offer several types and brands of flour in America, but I will say, the European flour system makes more sense. In many European countries, they number their flours so there's a better cohesiveness of using and finding the correct flour. I found this great blog post that explains all European flours pretty well: https://breadbakes.com/european-flour/. The flour goes as followed:

480 All purpose white flour                                        9% to 10%
550 Stronger All purpose flour                                   10% to 11%
630 spelt flour                                  Depending on brand- very low gluten content
720 rye flour                                                              Depending on brand- 6.5%
750 white bread flour                                                  12% to 14% 
1600Ancient Grain Flour                                             Naturally low content


I think what I find the most interesting when you compare the bread system in Europe and the breads we offer here, in Europe they stick to more of a 480 instead of the 550 for making pastries and cakes. As Americans, we usually stick to All-purpose flours for most of our pastries (11 to 12% gluten) and then bread flour for even sandwich bread (which Europeans might still more to a 1600 or even a specialty such as 720 Rye). In addition, the bread flour we offer is usually 13% gluten, while the breads they someone's make uses 1600 Ancient Grains, which offers a low gluten content. We usually stick to bread flour since many of these specialty breads such as the ancient grains and rye are grown in Europe and not in America. Lastly, I think in many parts of Europe, Europeans take pride in their baking. Here, if I need to find pastry flour, they might not even offer it. There has been instances where I went to the store to get cake flour or pastry flour and the store (like Target) DOESNT EVEN OFFER IT OR THEY ARE OUT OF STOCK. It's very frustrating.

What is the main difference between American and European Products?

If you are like me and you have a gluten intolerance, it might of not been your system, but just the glutenous products we eat in America. As a recap, the United States uses primarily red wheat (harsher weather, longer shelf line) while European uses soft wheat. In addition, in our foods, we do not ban Genetically Modified Organisms and we also include refined grain products in our breads and pastas. While in Europe, many countries have banned GMOS and even have banned refined grained products in their food.

​Here is a great example of our ingredient differences when you look at Barilla USA vs. Barilla Italy Spaghetti product. In the United States, the ingredients are: Semolina, Durum Wheat flour, Vitamin B3, Iron, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2 and Folic Acid. While in Italy, the only ingredients are: Semolina and Water.
Here is a great link for further information regarding the issues with American grain versus European grain. ​
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What to eat Instead?

There are some great alternatives to switch to if you looking for a low gluten wheat without fortified grains. My first suggestion would be to make your own pasta. All you would need is: seminola flour, eggs, water and a pasta machine. The second suggestion would be to locate brands that stick to the bare minimum ingredients such as RAOS Homemade Spaghetti and Rustichell D'abruzzo Spaghetti. Here is the link to the Raos Spaghetti and the Rustichella D'Abruzzo Spaghetti. 
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​I hope this read was information and if you have further questions or comments, please link below!


Thank you for Reading!
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Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

8/5/2022

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​Disclaimer: This post is linked with Amazon Services, and as a Amazon Associate I will earn from qualifying purchases. But don't worry, this does not affect you at all.
Hello there! I am sharing my favorite recipe of all times- basic and simple pizza dough. You can make this recipe with three basic ingredients: bread flour, active yeast and water. Please note though, if you do not have bread flour, you can substitute this with all-purpose flour. The pizza dough still turns out tasty, but with bread flour, you have a better thick crust. 

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups of bread flour 
  • 1.5 Cups Water 110 to 120 F Temperature
  • 2 1/4 TSP. or packet of Active Yeast 
    • 2 TBSP + 2 tsp Water 110F
  • Optional: 2 tsp Sugar
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Directions


For this pizza dough recipe, I use a KitchenAid mixer because I am a mother and I do not have the time to hand knead anymore. If you do not have a KitchenAid, just substitute the time you would use with the mixer with doing it by hand. 
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  1. Using any glass, porcelain or Styrofoam cup, use your packet or 2 1/4 tsp of yeast and add 2 TBSP of 110 to 120F Hot Water and mix it together. Add 2 tsp of sugar and mix. This will take 10 minutes to proof.
  2. While your waiting for the yeast, measure the flour and add your salt in your mixer. Make sure you mix the flour and salt to encompass the salt in the whole mixture.
  3. Next, you will take a cup measurer and measure out 1.5 cups of water that is between 110 or 120 F. 
  4. Once the yeast has bubbled up and proofed, you can make a hole in your flour and add the yeast and water to the flour. Suggestion: To get all the yeast, pour your yeast first and then with your water, pour in yeast cup and then pour back in mixture.
  5. Mix the flour and liquid together until its combined. At this point, use your Kitchenaid mixer with the kneading attachment and start kneading your dough. We recommend going on level 4.
  6. After 4 minutes, stop your KitchenAid, grab your dough and see if more flour or water is needed. Added a little if too dry or wet. Put back into your mixer and go on level four and mix for another five minutes. 
  7. Once the kneading is done, knead by hand for 20 seconds and make a cohesive ball. In another bowl, lather a little olive oil in the entire bowl and on the saran wrap you will use. Put the dough in the bowl and cover completely with saran wrap. Wait 2.5 hours.
  8. Once the 2.5 hours is over and the dough has completely proofed, take the seran wrap off (preserve it), punch the dough down and wrap the dough in a ball again. Cover and wait 10 minutes. 
  9. After proofing, weigh the dough with a food weight scale and split the dough into two. Make two pizza dough balls and cover with seran wrap for ten minutes. After the proof, cover your rolling pin with flour and roll the dough into the thickness of the pizza crust you prefer.
  10. When you finish rolling the dough, roll the ends and make a crust. With a fork, poke the whole pizza and then with a brush, brush the curst with light water. 
  11. For your pizza, add your tomato sauce, herbs, cheese and toppings. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
If you have any other questions about the pizza making, please post below.
Thank you for reading!
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The Best Four Netflix Baking Shows

7/22/2022

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Hey everyone! I just recently finished Chef's Table: France and I thought why not share the baking shows I love to watch on Netflix. Further ado, here are my current list for baking shows that I recommend to watch:

1. chef's Table : France

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This was my absolutely favorite cooking/baking show to watch because it follows several French cooks and the background on how they started their restaurant and why their restaurant stands out against the rest. My favorite chef that was on this special was Alain Passard. Passard is a farm to table cook and his passion for fresh ingredients was invigorating to watch.  

For me personally, Passard inspired me so much as a homemade baker because I love using foods from my garden and creating a masterpiece with what is in season. I love how he describes food and his absolute love of cooking is affectionate- especially his old-school bread making. Alain Passard currently has a three Michelin Star restaurant, L'Arpege in Paris, France. I wouldn't mind going there next time I am in Paris.


​2. The great british baking show
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​If you love anything British, humorous and amateur baking, this show is for you. This show is a competition between 12 amateur British bakers to see who comes out on top. It is composed of 10 episodes and the competition comes to close once there are only 3 bakers left for the finals. The finals consist of three rounds and the best baker of these rounds win the covenant Star Baker. Although amateur, these bakers create some magnificent sweets and treats. 

The judges to the candidates are all lovable and you learn many British and French recipes from this show. They even have spin-offs where the judges show the viewers how to do the correct methods and procedures for the dessert. Then your able to kind of watch and do it yourself.

The best part, in my opinion though, is to see how the top bakers emerge and grow from this experience. Many of them write cookbooks, host podcasts and go into baking professionally. It's pretty cool and inspiring.  
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3. sugar rush

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​If you're into professional baking, this show might be for you. Sugar Rush is another competition show judged by Chef Adriano Zumbo. There are four teams and the show consist of three rounds and in each round someone gets eliminated. The last round determines the winner. For this show, there are no steps given for the treats the bakers make and there are no recipes. Therefore, for this show, I think it teaches great taste profiles for the treats the bakers make, so I recommend trying some of the different taste profiles that are used . For example, one of the bakers sprinkled citric acid on their cupcake and it was used as a taste factor.

4. nailed it

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​If you haven't heard of this show, I'm already disappointed. Nailed IT is literally one of the funniest shows on Netflix. The show is a baking competition consisted of terrible bakers that are trying to win ten thousand dollars. I don't think I've seen so many raw cakes in my life. Not only are the bakers terrible, the host, Nicole Byer, brings great comedic relief to the tense show. She is always encouraging, but just kind of laughs at everyone attempt. The chef host, Jacques Torres, brings the baking experience to the show and helps the bakers if they have any questions. Watch it! Laugh! 
I hope you enjoy these shows and comment below your thoughts or if there are any shows you want me to add. 

Thank you for reading!

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    Author

    Hi! Lisa is my name & my passion for baking and family has brought me to start blogging. I hope you can leave with something new- a new skill, technique or recipe. Hope you enjoy!

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