Croissants by Dr. Oetker

I found this very interesting of croissants.. it is quick and easy…and not too complicated by Dr. Oetker …I thought of sharing the video with you guys (it is in German) don’t mind the language for now…all what you can do is enjoy and watch the steps of preparing and folding the dough… you can refer to my Flickr account and check my version of Croissants and also some of my other creations.

stay tuned ..will make sure to post about a newer version of croissants ( in English) illustrated with pictures step-by-step

Cheers

How To Make Pita Bread

 

 

 

The first time I learnt to make pita bread was back in 89 in Germany due to the lack of middle eastern bread..although I really liked the local German bread found in the local bakeries ( will post about it some time soon). And now I thought of sharing the  steps of baking the bread since I stopped getting the regular “machine bread” from the super market, because it is tasteless, like a paper, hard and dry!!! This homemade pita bread is delicious, tender and very aromatic.

Ingredients:

1 kilo all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon sugar or honey

1 full table spoon yeast

1/2 cup of milk powder

3 to 3 1/2 cups water, at room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Mixer method:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients. With the hook attachment, mix on low speed for one 1 min just until all the flour is moistened, raise the speed to medium , and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should clean the bowl and be very soft and smooth and just a little sticky to the touch. Add a little flour or water if necessary.

Let the dough rise: Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a larger dough-rising container or bowl, lightly greased with cooking spray or oil. Press the dough down and lightly spray or oil the top of it. Cover the container with a plastic wrap. Place the dough container in a warm dark place until doubled for about two hours.

preheat the oven for 30 to 45 minutes in advance on high heat up and down. ( I used a non-electric oven)

Shape the dough ress the dough and cut it into 18 to 20 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered . On a lightly floured counter, with lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a ball and then let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Roll each ball into a circle . Allow them to rest cover them and let them rest for 15 to 20  minutes before baking.
Bake the pita: Quickly place 1 piece of dough directly on the baking tray ( place the tray in the lowest level), and bake for 3 minutes. The pita should be completely puffed and  beginning to brown and change to the other side.

Cheers

How To Make Apricot Jam

 

I love apricots. I like them fresh, dried and apricot jam is a real treat for me. Since it widely availabe in the market, yesterday while grocery-shopping I found some good-looking apricots with their sunny, blushy, peachy color..couldn’t resist them, so I decided to buy some to make some jam.

I like homemade jam because I manage to control the texture and I don’t tend to put any additives.. it is all about timing…plus mine is accented with saffron and it is free of  gelatin and free of pectin and I want to add that I’m a morning person and I love to start my day with my morning coffee and slice of crispy bread and homemade JAM .

one more note to consider : when making jam, choose fruit that is as fresh as possible and not ripe ones! you’ll end up with poor quality jam if you use over ripe fruit!

 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of sliced apricots, pits removed (reserve about 5 of the pits)
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice (about one lemon)
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron

Method:
Place the apricots, sugar, in a pot, and let this sit in the refrigerator overnight.Put the apricot mixture with the pits and saffron in a pot and let it cook until the mixture brings to boil. Skim off any foam .Cook the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching.

I use a potato masher to mash up the fruit. Then add the lemon juice to the jam until it becomes smooth and thick, with a few lumps here and there. When it coats at the back of a spoon, cook it for five more minutes and then test it again. But if becomes solid, then the jam is done. remove it from the heat. Pour hot jam into hot sterilized jar. leave a 1/4 inch head space. wipe the rims clean. place the lid on,and let the jar up-side-down until it cools down. After a few hours it will be more solid and ready for eating.

I love making jam …Cheers

 

 

How To Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

Oh yeah..it is not the usual vanilla thing you buy from the neighboring supermarket not even from The Sultan Center.. probably it would be the ones found in Dean & Deluca or gourmet-like vanilla … very aromatic ..thick and rich in  texture…

It started when I was visiting my daughter the US , I was online-shopping and I came across a website  that sells different kinds of vanilla.. the website describes each kind of vanilla and I placed an order for Madagascar vanilla beans and vanilla ground ( featured in the picture below aside with the vanilla bean)..it is moist and aromatic..unlike the ones you buy from Dean & Deluca or The Sultan Center are very dry and low in quality .

Ingredients :

• Sterilized Jar or Bottle with a tight, secure lid
• Vanilla Beans in your favorite variety – I used Madagascar vanilla bean
• Three vanilla beans per cup of corn syrup

Method:

• Use a knife to spilt the bean in half, leave about ½ inch at each end intact.
•  Put your vanilla beans in your glass bottle or jar and cover with corn syrup.
•  Close jar or bottle and store in a cool, dry place for at least 6-8 weeks. Give the bottle a shake every week or so.

The featured pictured above of my homemade vanilla is 10 months old

Cheers

Making Cottage Cheese

Few days ago I received fresh (cow) milk..The amount of the fresh was too much  for my family that I had to give some of it to my sister and son. It was really creamy in its texture..and my husband and I not very familiar with full-cream we tend to have skimmed milk. I thought of make use of it ..something new other than use it in baking !!! I,finally, made cottage cheese freshly home-made.. I so proud of my self with the results  I’ll leave you with some pictures (step-by-step) to make it easy

Ingredients

• 1 gallon (3 liters)  milk
• ¾ cup white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup heavy cream

Pour the milk into the saucepan

Slowly heat the milk to 120°F (48.89°C). You can use a thermometer to guide you. Do not boil.

Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the vinegar . Stir slowly for 2 minutes

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes

Line a colander with a tea towel. Pour the mixture into the towel-lined colander

Allow the mixture to sit in the lined colander and drain for 10 minutes.

Gather the corners of the tea towel together and rinse under cold water for at least 5 minutes. Knead gently, until the curd is fully cooled.

Squeeze the curd as dry as possible. Put it into a mixing bowl and mix with salt. Break up the curds into bite-size bits as you mix.

Stir in heavy cream. It is now ready to serve.

Bon appetite  

sending a post from my iphone

Hi. this is my very first post from my iphone.. looks fun to post from an iphone.. and super easy too

cheerz

The simple recipes

• I am a wife and mother who enjoys the many aspects of homemaking. My many interests and hobbies keep me active and reflect that I feel my family and home are my highest priorities.. As you read through any of my blogs you will discover things about me, so read on.