95 Days to chez Julia--Welcome Home Cinnamon Rolls

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James A. Michener

Anticipation. This waiting for a traveler to return. Sara wrapped up college in what seemed like a blink, and before the ink was dry on her diploma, she jetted off to Russia, then Israel with college pals. She is almost home. The proper welcome is the family favorite Cinnamon Rolls, warm from the oven. The dough is rising as I write, the airplane will arrive in the morning. There will be a never let go hug, then we will race home to savor our treats. We may never leave the kitchen, sharing untold stories from our time apart.

Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:

• 4 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons ‘instant’ yeast (Rapid Rise)
• 3/4 cup butter at cool room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk at room temperature

Whisk together the flour and yeast in a medium bowl. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl, preferably using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the eggs and milk, then add the flour/yeast mixture. Mix together on low speed until well blended. (Draping a kitchen towel over the whole mixer will help prevent the flour from flying out).

Scrape the bowl down to the bottom to ensure everything is well incorporated. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and allow it to rise until doubled, about one and a half hours. Fold the risen dough with a large spoon or scraper. Transfer to a one gallon size zip-top bag and chill at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup ground pecans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs

Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Remove from heat. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, pecans and breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Set aside and let cool while you roll the dough.

Roll the dough out on a large well-floured cloth into a 9” x 20” rectangle (about 1/4-inch thick). Spread filling out evenly over dough, leaving a half-inch border on the far long side. Wet your fingertips with a little water and lightly dab a bit of water along the half-inch border.

Starting with the long edge next to you, roll up the dough into a long log shape, gently pressing the wet edge to the log to seal. Slice the log into 1-inch pinwheels. Place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each roll.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about one and a half hours. OR refrigerate overnight: Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and chill overnight. Then let rise at room temperature and bake as directed

Preheat the oven to 350. Uncover the rolls and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown (edges may brown more quickly than center--be sure rolls in center of the pan are at least golden). Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes before glazing. Serve warm.

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add additional milk if a thinner glaze is desired. Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls.

makes 20

96 days until chez Julia -- Ratatouille

“Humans don’t just survive; they discover; they create...I mean, just look at what they do with food!”--Remy (the adorable rat from Ratatouille)

Just as the strawberry moon peeked up from the horizon, I was leaving the gym, pleasantly surprised to find a pop up market in the parking lot. Baskets of early season tomatoes and squash, tiny eggplant and peppers, and beautiful heads of leaf lettuces covered three tables beneath a canopy. My eureka sense took over. Ratatouille! Growing up in the kitchen, I watched my mom and sister labor over this classic French vegetable stew and I would have no part of it. I deprived myself of the delicacy until my second baby was born twenty years ago. My sweet neighbor Claudia delivered dinner for our family -- I can still hear her saying, “It’s nothing fancy, just a roast chicken and potatoes, and some ratatouille.” My grown up palate devoured the silky vegetables and I was forever converted. 

Flash ahead to 2007 and this dish stole the hearts of all with the animated film Ratatouille. starring an adorable rat residing in a famous restaurant in Paris. The plot is much thicker than even a pot of succulent vegetable stew and has a fitting denoument. Children across America fell in love with the darling rat, Remy and this ornate collection of summer vegetables. Julia’s version is a pot brimming with fall-apart tender vegetables. The animated dish deconstructs it into art. I created my own version with my haul from the pop up market. Happy Cooking!

Ratatouille 

classically made on the stove top, here I arrange the sliced vegetables in a ceramic pie pan and roast it in the oven. Simple and delicious!

• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, divided
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 slender zucchini, ends trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 slender yellow squash, ends trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 slender eggplant, ends trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 375. Toss the tomato and garlic together in a glass or ceramic pie pan and add 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread across the bottom of the pan. Combine the sliced zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant in a medium bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the remaining 2 teaspoons fresh thyme. Toss to lightly coat the vegetables, then sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Arrange the vegetable circles on top of the tomatoes in the dish, alternating to make a pretty pattern, if desired. Sprinkle with the sliced bell pepper and drizzle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a final sprinkle of salt. Roast in the oven until vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown on the edges, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 6 servings

97 Days to chez Julia -- Summer is here!

"If my cuisine were to be defined by just one taste, it would be that of subtle, aromatic, extra-virgin olive oil.” -- Alain Ducasse

Kicking off the first day of summer with a fat basil harvest and a batch of pistou, the French sauce made with pounded herbs, garlic, and olive oil. Think ‘pesto’ without the pine nuts. I guess I could be French -- I skip the luxury of pine nuts when I make the summer staple, and add a little tomato. For full French immersion, I made David Lebovitz’s pistou recipe to commemorate the upcoming chez Julia festivities. While the herbs are abundant in my corner of the world, the olive trees in France are beginning to bloom. With a little help from Mother Nature, olive harvest will be dawning in October. I won’t wish precious summer away, but it’s a joy to imagine what is coming next.

Pistou

adaped from davidlebovitz.com

• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• pinch of coarse salt
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Blend the garlic with a large pinch of salt in the container of a food processor. Add the basil leaves and process until finely chopped. Drizzle the olive oil through the top tube of the processor, then add the tomato and cheese. Pulse the machine until the tomato is incorporated. Serve with vegetable soup or over freshly cooked pasta.

makes about 1 cup

98 Days to chez Julia: Pralines and Brass Bands

“If music be the food of love, play on.”-- William Shakespeare

The MOST exciting thing happened while I was cooking outdoors at Capitol Market, Charleston, West Virginia’s year-round farm market (think San Francisco’s Ferry Building scaled down in a small town train depot). I got to practice my French, saying "Laissez les bon temps rouler," as the sugar, butter, and pecans bubbling on my cooktop perfumed the air. In the distance, a brass band was trumpeting a medley of classic horn tunes, concluding with what felt like a serenade of When the Saints Go Marching In. Was I dreaming? A full house for the cooking demo on this bluebird day, perfected by a subtle breeze and the festive parade passing through. Let the good times roll!

Pralines 

A classic French sweet with an American twist. Recipe adapted from The New Orleans School of Cooking

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk (whole or 2%)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and pecans in a 4-quart saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, stir constantly and cook until syrup registers 240- on a candy thermometer* about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and add the salt. Continue stirring until the mixture turns from dark caramel to creamy to cloudy (use a wooden spoon as metal will get untouchably hot)

Drop spoonfuls of the praline syrup onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, working quickly before the mixture sets up in the saucepan. Let the pralines cool and harden for 10 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container layered between sheets of wax paper.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen, depending on the size

Countdown to chez Julia: 99 Days to Go--let them eat cake!

“The way to entice people into cooking is to cook delicious things.”--Yotam Ottolenghi

Here is a condensed version of an actual conversation between a couple of savvy preschoolers, as told to me by a friend:  One child announces “My family is counting calories and carbs,” and her pint-sized playmate answers, “my family doesn’t count calories OR carbs.  We count chemicals.”

I gasped when I heard this.  It’s so exciting to know that kids are talking about what’s in their food.  The lightbulb is on and these dialogs are happening in preschool circles and hopefully around the kitchen table. Mindfulness of caloric intake is a necessity of life, but the quality and source of those calories is what really matters.  In this age of speed eating and ‘get thin quick’ shakes and such, we have lost sight of cooking real food with fresh ingredients.

Everywhere we turn, packaged food is available touting claims of ‘light’ or ‘low carb’ yet their labels reveal tons of unpronounceable ingredients, or in other words, chemicals. You can grab something off the grocery shelf or spend some quality time in the kitchen baking something really satisfying. If you don’t fancy yourself a baker, or absolutely run in fear of cooking from scratch, you MUST make this fabulous cake.

I discovered this recipe a few years back while thumbing through a Bon Appetit magazine.  In the description it is reported to be ‘the first dessert French children learn to make.”  I suggested that my daughter make it and she whipped it together effortlessly.  It has been a staple ever since.

You start with basic baking pantry ingredients and add yogurt which gives the cake a delicate richness.  Lemon zest makes it tangy, and the technique of first blending granulated sugar with the lemon zest helps extract the flavorful oils, giving a pronounced lemon note.  The mixing is totally uncomplicated--all you need is a whisk.

Let them eat cake! Have a baking party -- the kids can take their creations home in a festive paper 

Before you know it, the silky batter is ready for the oven and suddenly the whole house is filled with the delicious aroma of homemade cake.  No unpronounceable ingredients, just enticing goodness. Invite the neighborhood kids over for a little baking session, they will be hooked.

FRENCH YOGURT CAKE

It has been reported that this is the first recipe that children in France learn to make.  It’s that easy and equally delicious! Cardboard loaf pans from the cake decorating section work well and make this a perfect cooking party activity.

• butter for the pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a standard (8 1/2x4 1/4") loaf pan with with a smear of soft butter. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Using your fingers, rub the sugar with the lemon zest in a large bowl to release the flavorful lemon oil. Add the Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Stir in the flour mixture just to blend. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature

Double the recipe to make a bundt cake for a crowd!  I like to use half butter in the double recipe--barely melt the butter and add with the oil

Countdown to chez Julia: 100 Days of Kitchen Fun

“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” -- Julia Child

My first cooking teacher was Julia, the original one name goddess of the kitchen. Eyes wide, I watched her in black and white, on our small screen in the family room, consumed with her every move, her voice, the food she magically created. Then I’d toddle off to the kitchen and try my hand at some of her wizardry. My mother, smart woman, encouraged it and kept the staples on hand for daily fare and cooking projects. At my mother’s knee with Julia’s voice coaching me along, I learned to separate eggs, make hollandaise (might be why I was a pint-sized consumer of all vegetables. Anything cloaked in hollandaise is a delight!). I learned to fold, to knead, sift and saute. All those cooking verbs kept me busy. Most of all, Julia taught me to have fun in the kitchen.

If I have a regret, it’s that I never got to meet her. When the invitation for a Cook N Scribble writing retreat at Julia’s home in the south of France arrived in February, I signed up. Eight months until the trip seemed like an eternity, but worth every second of anticipation.

WRITING IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE! 

When I opened my email today to this headline “HELLO! 100 days until we meet at Julia’s in the south of France” the little girl in me danced straight to the kitchen to prepare. I’ll cook, scribble, and shoot my way through these 100 days, channeling my inner Julia in today’s very different world. 21st Century French, approachable-everyday cooking sessions that welcome families to play along.  Join me in the kitchen and bring your kids. I’m turning cartwheels, this is going to be fun!

Hollandaise Sauce

kitchen transformation 101 -- a couple of everyday staple ingredients are woven (whisked, actually) into liquid gold

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces each
• salt to taste
• Whisk the yolks in a medium metal bowl until the yolks become thick and light yellow, then add the water and lemon juice. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (makeshift double boiler -- be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Whisk constantly until the yolks are thickened and warm to the touch.
• Add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking to melt each piece before adding the next. Season with salt and serve immediately with steamed or roasted asparagus or your favorite vegetable of the season.

Wedding Shortbread

The butter’s perfume still envelopes me even though my bake-a-thon was months ago. Seven pounds of butter, proportionally blended with flour, rice flour, superfine sugar and a hefty pinch of coarse salt, transformed into 400 shortbread cookies. 

Looking at the photos transports me back to the kitchen and the aroma from the dough clinging to my hands, then wafting its sweet scent from the oven. I can hear the laughter and chatter and the playlist provided by my baking partner.

My niece Lauren was getting married and I hesitantly offered to make the cake. Thank goodness she already had that covered! Smart girl knew to leave the cake decorating to the experts. Instead, we decided on cookies. Two per person, wrapped and ribboned, as party favors. 

I commandeered my sister’s Florida kitchen and convinced my daughter Sara to skip the beach and join me in the baking fun. Six hours later, every surface of the kitchen was decorated with delicate cookies.

It took us a while to hit our stride, but before long, we developed a method to our madness. I made the dough, slicing four sticks of cool butter, tossing it with the dry ingredients, then mixing in the KitchenAid mixer on low. It turned from butter and flour into an elegant dough in minutes.

I scraped the dough onto a big sheet of parchment, passed it to Sara, then mixed another batch. Then another, and so on. Sara rolled the dough into balls and dipped them in sugar, then pressed with a custom stamp with a three-letter monogram that the bride had ordered. Then into the oven, set the timer and press ahead. Periodically, Sara would stretch her arms to relieve her burning deltoids. 

We managed numerous math problems, hoping that we had the right equation to get our cookie count finished so we could clock out of the kitchen in time for an airport run. “Don’t forget to account for a burned pan,” Sara taunted. It’s inevitable, the pan of burnt cookies. Miraculously, not a single cookie burned. Our choreography finally measured up.

While we focused on our baking project, we wove in stories and wondered who would be the next to get married. Sara helped with some out-loud editing of my book (so nice having an editor in the family!), and we raised our lemonade glasses to my sister Lisa who is the Shortbread Queen.

Love and laughter in the kitchen, plus a little slapstick comedy made for the perfect way to start the celebration of the big family wedding. Every little flashback to this bake-a-thon puts a smile on my face and I’m surrounded with the sweet fragrance of butter.

Scotch Shortbread

My sister Lisa started the tradition of making shortbread for weddings and she reluctantly shared her secret recipe with me. It originated from Lisa’s friend’s Scottish aunt. This is my interpretation of Aunt Agnes’s classic recipe. This recipe can easily be halved for a quick baking project when the shortbread craving strikes.

Makes about 5 dozen

• 4 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup superfine sugar*
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (I love JQ Dickinson Salt)
• 1 pound cold unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
• Additional sugar for baking the cookies

Combine the flour, rice flour, superfine sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl (preferably for an electric stand mixer) and toss in the butter slices. Mix on low speed until a dough forms, scraping bowl as needed.

Heat oven to 325. Shape the dough into balls the size of walnuts and dip in sugar. Place the balls about one inch apart on parchment lined baking sheets (do not use dark sheets which will cause the cookies to burn). Press each sugared dough ball with a cookie stamp.

Bake each sheet until cookies are light golden, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the sheets after 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool the cookies on a rack before packaging.

*if superfine sugar is not available, you can make your own. Blend 3/4cup granulated sugar in a blender on high speed for a minute or so, until the sugar is very fine. This will make 1 cup of superfine sugar.

Custom cookie stamps can be ordered from cookiestamp.com

Sweet Potato Sunset and Handmade Pita

Cooking is contagious. The joy spreads with each swipe of the rolling pin, the aromatherapy of a burst of lemon, the chime of the oven timer. Imagine the joy spreading to children, the sum of their ages equaling less than half of mine. I’m in heaven.

“Keep the menu simple with plenty of hands-on to keep the energetic group focused,” I reminded myself as I planned the class. Pita bread and some colorful roasted vegetables seemed like the right fit. During the growing season, these petite chefs are gardeners with the SCRATCH project, an after school “grow to eat, eat to live” program in Huntington. Their sweet potato harvest sold out at The Wild Ramp and they would be planting summer squash next. 

The dough doubled on the drive from Charleston to Huntington, a quick hour west on the interstate. Veronica unlocked the door. “Welcome to Huntington’s Kitchen!” This teaching kitchen, originally installed by Jamie Oliver in 2009 is a cooking instructor's fantasy: A full wall of ovens plus four prep areas and one for the instructor, each equipped with a cooktop and kitchen tools. I am in my element and I'm committed to the commute. I had a half hour to unpack and preheat the ovens before the tempo increased. The pizza stone and cast iron griddle needed to be blazing hot for the pita, and the second oven was readied for roasting the vegetables.

Huntington's Kitchen is now a collaborative teaching kitchen which partners Cabell-Huntington Hospital and Marshall University Department of Dietetics to enhance, promote, and improve healthy eating.

Suddenly it’s showtime and when you are surrounded by hungry kids in the kitchen, you can’t miss a beat. I show them why you have to poke holes in the whole vegetables before roasting them, then slide the sheetpan loaded with sweet potatoes and zucchini into the oven, out of sight.

Now for the dough. They saw a puffy globe flop onto the prep table. We got to discuss what it looked like before the drive. It was a softball, way down inside the bowl, now its crown reached the plastic wrap. We use a butter knife to cut it in half, then each half into two again. And again. It’s math without a worksheet. 

Each of our eight bits of dough land in a set of tiny hands and are shaped into large golfballs, pressed flat in a sprinkle of flour, and rolled out into a thin pancake. Then you take away one, more math, and you have seven -- the five second rule does not apply, but laughter prevails. In a perfect world, there would be a set of identical rolling pins, but we make do, sharing our mis-matched collection. 

Two at a time and for just three long minutes our flatbreads bake on our hot stone and griddle, puffing into a mylar balloon or blistering like a tortilla, depending. Then we wait. With wide eyes, the pint-sized bakers can witness the steam escaping from their rounds of handmade bread and it’s time to make something delicious for dipping.

We smash, then peel, whole cloves of garlic, and pass around lemon wedges for squeezing. We have to fish out the seeds, enough for the SCRATCH kids to plant an entire citrus grove. Next time we will use a strainer.

The roasted vegetables are now just cool enough to handle and we pass around the knives, butter knives, with a quick tutorial. Like a color by number, we toss them into the food processors, first green with its lemon and garlic notes, then the sweet potato with a hot pepper accent.

We spoon our concoctions into ramekins and break our bread. I watch in awe as they tear their pita and rake it through their palettes of vegetable dips. “I can’t believe we made bread and got to use a knife!” Junior, the lone 5-year old announced at the table. 

I think he caught the bug.

Pita Bread

Adapted from David Tanis First Time's the Charm with Fresh Pita

Makes 8

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for rolling
• 2 teaspoons 'instant' yeast
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the bowl

Combine the whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Add the water and olive oil through the feed tube and blend until a smooth ball of dough forms.

Let the dough rest in the work bowl for 10 minutes and check the consistency. Dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is sticky, add a bit of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse to blend. If the dough is too firm, add a bit of water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Blend the dough for 30 seconds and turn out into a large-ish bowl that has been lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm-ish place until doubled in size, about one hour.

Place a baking stone or large cast iron griddle into the oven and heat the oven to 475.

Lightly flour a work surface and turn the pillow of dough out onto the flour. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces, roll them into rough golfball shapes, then press each into a disk (all this handling is the kid-equivalent of kneading). Roll each disk into a 6-inch circle and feel free to discuss the merits of geometry.

Carefully place one dough circle at a time onto the heated stone (or griddle) and bake for two minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake for one minute on the second side. Remove each pita to a basket or plate while you continue baking the whole batch.

Sweet Potato Sunset Dip

a blend of roasted sweet potato and a little spice

Makes about 3 cups

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked with a fork
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespooons tahini
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup water as needed to 'thin' the dip

Heat the oven to 400. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about one hour, until soft (gently squeeze with a pot holder to check). Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Peel the sweet potatoes and roughly chop them, then place into the work bowl of a food processor. Add the olive oil, tahini, garlic, jalapeno, and salt. Blend until smooth, adding water as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Transfer to a bowl and serve with pita for dipping.

Zucchini-Greeny Dip

adapted from LifeLab 'Garden Sprouts Camp Recipes'

Makes about 3 cups

• 5 medium zucchini, scrubbed and pricked with a fork
•  3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Heat the oven to 400. Place the zucchini on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until soft (gently squeeze with tongs to check). Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Trim off the stem end and roughly chop them (use a large cutting board to contain all the juice). Scoop the zucchini into the work bowl of a food processor. Add the olive oil, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until smooth with a few bits of the green skin freckling the dip.

Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil for garnish. Serve with pita for dipping.

Tremendous thanks to

• West Virginia State University Extension and SCRATCH Project Production Coordinator Valerie Bandell
•  Huntington's Kitchen  
• Tori Lavender, for quietly capturing the scene with her photos
• Elizabeth Wirts, my assistant for this class and a volunteer with George Washington High School Healthy Living Club

Croissants from Scratch, Sunshine on a Snowy Day

We interrupt the regularly scheduled simple recipes for everyday blog posts to bring you this. Anything but simple, a muscle-building, thought-provoking multi-day baking event. Croissants, from scratch. 

Looking out the window, the air is vibrating with fresh snow, falling an inch an hour into a beautiful landscape that locks everyone indoors and hopefully safe inside their well-stocked kitchens. When the Governor’s mandate comes to ‘stay home!’ I celebrate, break out the recipes from the ‘baking events’ file, and pick one. 

Croissants have been on my list since the moment my sister gave me the TARTINE cookbook ten years ago. I told her we should make them. She only laughed at me and boasted she could drive her car from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, search for a parking spot, wait with the dozens of bakery-goers, at the famed Tartine, and drive back to Santa Cruz in the time it would take to make them.

Now that I have made the leap into quasi-croissant master, I can declare her wrong. She could do this two days in a row, possibly three, and still have me ‘beat.’ I’m claiming victory, though. I conquered something outside my comfort zone without having to play in the snow, decoding a task that’s been on my list for an entire decade.

Before diving in to the croissant project, I studied the recipe, all eight pages, and pondered. I had enough butter, 5 1/2 sticks. My courage wavered. I consulted my friend Libby, our local bakery rockstar, and she answered in three words.

“Go for it!” I broke a sweat just thinking about the endeavor. I hoped that Libby would steer me away, but no such luck.

My adventure-seeking husband escaped ahead of the storm, racing to the mountains for a weekend of fresh powder. I opted to stay behind and flex my muscles in the kitchen.

Saturday afternoon, I brewed a pot of espresso and mixed the preferment, a combination of flour, yeast, and not-cold milk. It was a grapefruit sized jagged ball of dough. The book referred to it as a batter which made me question if mine was right. I stashed it in the fridge downstairs for an overnight rest and proceeded with my day, periodically inspecting my little ball of dough. I thought it might flow out of the bowl considering the amount of yeast, but it just stared back at me, unchanged.

Sunday morning brought sunshine! and with it, the temptation to head outdoors. The snow shovel outside my kitchen door caught my eye with a wink, reminding me to keep cozy inside. My mind returned to the preferment. Surely it had ballooned into an unruly mass. It was time to face my fears. Descending one step at a time to the basement, thinking about my husband winding his way down the powder-packed slopes, I reached the fridge to peek at my dough. This was the moment of truth, I might be off the hook if I discovered a disaster instead of a puffy pillow of starter.  I lifted the cover from the bowl, relieved. Just as the recipe promised, I had a soft dough that had doubled in volume. Confidence restored, I forged ahead. 

‘Mix the preferment with yeast, add half the milk...’ the instructions continue for three paragraphs which I followed to the letter, until I had a satiny ball of stretchy dough. After the yeast works its magic, the dough gets pressed out into a rectangular shape and chills again for a 4 to 6 hour rest. I had to do some math here. The steps that follow would require more hours of hands-on and off and I had somewhere to be at 6:00 and 20 inches of snow obscuring the truck and driveway (Tickets to Mountain Stage, the phenomenal radio show that is performed and recorded just minutes from my home. This one featuring The Westies, Robert Earl Keen, Rhett Miller, and Guster. Nothing was going to keep me from my coveted seat at this sold out show). I cued up The Old 97’s and kept focus on my croissants.

The French are fascinating kitchen wizards, discovering hundreds of years ago that if you wrap cold butter inside a yeast dough and fold and roll and layer and turn and roll some more, the two become one with impossibly flaky layers of crisp, buttery pastry. There is little margin of error in this process which fueled my apprehension. As instructed, I whipped my cold butter in the KitchenAid and then smeared it into a sheet on plastic wrap, covered the sheet of butter with more wrap, and into the fridge.

It was 3:00 and I was racing to get the dough and butter properly united before the show. Rolling pin engaged to the tune of the music, I did the rolling, the folding, the turning, all the while questioning if I was doing it right. My creation looked like a neat book, waiting for a title to be inscribed on the front. Just like a fairy tale, my husband appeared from his powder weekend and kept beat with the snow shovel, digging out the driveway and his truck, our way out. 

Monday morning, another snow day for my high school student and more rolling pin sessions for this intrepid baker. I messaged my friend Allison from our bakery for a last shot of courage and a few hours later, 16 croissants were born. The dough performed as promised and the kitchen boasted the perfume of browning butter. I watched them cool just long enough, selected one from the pan and uncoiled the layers, savoring my first bite. Eyes closed, the days of work validated, I recognized the danger of being snowed in with homemade croissants. I spread the cheer, inviting friends to stop by if they were un-stuck, then delivered two for Libby and Allison who responded, “Love the layers! And flavor -- the preferment adds some oomph. Good bold bake adds structure and flavor also. Big thumbs up!” 

Let it snow! When the next blizzard threatens, I’ll be ready with my butter and flour, with rolling pin and courage intact. I hope you’ll join me.

Croissants

adapted from TARTINE by Elizabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson

Preferment

• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 1/3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast

Dough

• 4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk (plus extra if needed)
• 6 cups unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
•  

Roll-in Butter

• 2 3/4 cups unsalted butter, cool but pliable (5 1/2 sticks)

Egg Wash

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• pinch of salt

Make the preferment:

Warm the 3/4 cup skim milk in a small saucepan over low heat just to take the chill off. The milk should not feel warm or cold to the touch, 80-90 degrees.

Combine the 1 1/3 cups flour with the 1 tablespoon yeast in a mixing bowl and add the milk, stirring to create a soft dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Make the dough:

Measure all the ingredients for the dough (like the French do -- mise en place!). Transfer the preferment and the 4 teaspoons of yeast to the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the yeast is incorporated, stopping the mixer to scrape the bowl as needed. When the mixture is well combined, increase the speed to medium and mix for a couple of minutes, then slowly add half of the whole milk and mix well.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the flour (to prevent the ‘whiteout’ flour explosion), sugar, salt, melted butter, and the remaining milk. Scrape the dough from the paddle and switch to the dough hook. Mix until well combined, about 3 minutes.  Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Turn the mixer on to low and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional milk one tablespoon at a time as needed. Take care not to overmix, about 4 minutes is all it takes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a cool place until volume increases by half, about 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and press into a 2-inch thick rectangle. Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 4 to 6 hours.

About 1 hour before you are ready to start laminating the dough, put the rolling-in butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until creamy, but not soft, about 3 minutes. Spread the creamy cold butter out onto a sheet of plastic wrap into a rectangle about 12 by 18-inches. Lay another sheet of wrap over the butter and place in the refrigerator to chill but not resolidify.

To laminate the dough, lightly dust a large work surface with flour. Remove the chilled dough and butter from the refrigerator. Unwrap the dough and roll it into a rectangle 28 inches long and 12 inches wide. Unwrap the sheet of butter and lay it over the dough, covering two thirds of the dough from the left side. Fold the uncovered third over the butter and then fold the left-hand third over the center, as if folding a tri-fold brochure. You now have a plaque. With your fingers, push down along the seams on the top and the bottom to seal the butter in the plaque.

Give the plaque a quarter turn so that the top and bottom seams are now to your right and left. Again, roll the dough into a rectangle 28 inches long and 12 inches wide and fold again in the same manner. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 hours to relax the gluten in the dough before you make the third fold, or ‘turn.’

Clean the work surface, dust again with flour, and remove the dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap, place the dough on the floured surface, and again roll out into a rectangle 28 by 12 inches. Fold into thirds in the same manner. You should have a plaque of dough about 9 by 12 inches, and about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. Wrap in plastic wrap, place on a sheet pan, and place in the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour. If you plan to make the croissants the next morning, leave the dough in the freezer until the evening and transfer to the refrigerator. In the morning, the dough will be ready to roll out and form into croissants, proof, and bake. Or you can leave the dough in the freezer for up to 1 week, just remember to transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before using.

When you are ready to roll out the dough, dust the work surface again. Roll out the dough into a 32 by 12 inch rectangle, about 3/8- inch thick. Using a pizza wheel or chef’s knife, cut the dough into long triangles that measure 10 to 12 inches on each side and about 4 inches along the base. Using the pizza wheel or chef’s knife, make a 3/4-inch split in the center of each base.

Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper. You are now ready to shape your croissants. Starting at the split base, gently pull the base apart at the split, then roll the base toward the point. Grab the point with one hand and stretch it slightly and continue to roll, tucking the point underneath the rolled dough. Place it point-down on the prepared pan and continue rolling and shaping the remaining dough. Space the croissants evenly on the 2 prepared pans, leaving a few inches between to allow room for rising. Lightly drape a sheet of plastic wrap over each pan and set the pans in a draft-free area to let the pastries rise until they are puffy and doubled in size, about 2 to 3 hours.

Heat the oven to 425 for 20 to 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before baking, prepare the egg wash. Whisk the egg yolks with the cream and salt until you have a pale yellow mixture. Gently brush the egg mixture onto the pastries, being careful not to allow the egg mixture to drip onto the pan. Let the wash dry for about 10 minutes before baking.

Place one pan of croissants in the oven and reduce the temperature to 400. Rotate the pan, front to back, after 10 minutes to ensure even baking. Continue baking for 6 to 10 minutes longer, until the pastries are deep golden brown on the top and bottom, crisp on the outside, and feel light when they are picked up, indicating that the interior is baked through.

Remove the croissants from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Increase oven temperature to 425 and repeat baking instructions for the second pan.

Enjoy the croissants warm from the oven or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days. Recrisp them in a 375 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes.

Makes 16 to 18 golden croissants

Sweet Potato Chili

What do you get when you combine one ton of sweet potatoes and an elementary school? You get an all-hands-on-deck chili fest! When KEYS for Healthy Kids, a Charleston, WV based non-profit that focuses on children's health, received a pallet of West Virginia grown sweet potatoes from the state Department of Agriculture, they made sure the crop made it into good hands.

Principal Henry Nearman at Ruffner Elementary hosted "Sweet Potato Day," inviting children into the cafeteria to jump in for some sweet potato read aloud and a bunch of cooking fun, followed by a tasting for all. We made a 20-times batch in the cafeteria's soup kettle to rave reviews. Get your hands on some sweet potatoes and try this at home!

Sweet Potato Chili for 3 (or 300)

for our tasting, a 20-times batch made 300 sample servings. At home, a single batch will feed 3 or 4. Add a green salad accented with orange segments and avocado and it's dinner!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chili powder (I prefer pure Ancho Chili Powder) 
• 1 cup water
• 1 10-ounce red-skinned sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 (14 ½ -ounce) can diced tomatoes (I prefer Fire Roasted)
• 1 (15- to 16-ounce) can black or pinto beans, drained
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ½  teaspoons grated orange peel 

Heat olive oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder and stir 1 minute. Add water and sweet potato cubes. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium and simmer until potato is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and beans. Simmer uncovered until chili thickens and potato is very tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in cilantro and orange peel. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. 

Serves 3 or 4, and easily doubles