Apple-Honey Challah Bread

I've been going through my Martha Stewart magazines (not to get rid of them, for that would be blasphemy, just to move them to a different place) and I found this recipe. I knew that I was going to be home all day doing housework, and I had all of the ingredients, so it seemed a good day to try it.
I do find some of Martha's recipes to be arranged strangely, and a bit hard to follow, as well as overly complicated at times. I didn't butter my plastic wrap, and I was too lazy to go downstairs to get a cake pan, so I just baked it on a pizza stone. Worked fine.
A more appropriate name might be "House Arrest Bread", because it is very time consuming due to all of the risings. IIt was a big hit with the family, something I will definitely make again. On another gloomy day where I don't plan to leave the house.

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch round loaf

* 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter or nondairy margarine, plus more for bowl, pan, and plastic
* 3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for surface
* 3/4 cup warm water (100 degrees)
* 2/3 cup honey
* 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
* 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
* 2 teaspoons coarse salt
* 1 1/2 tart green apples, preferably Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 3/4 cups)

Directions

1. Butter a large bowl, and melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; let cool. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, water, 1/3 cup honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer dough to buttered bowl, and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into an 8 1/2-by-14-inch rectangle. Top with apples; knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Brush with remaining tablespoon melted butter; cover. Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle, and transfer to pan. Butter plastic wrap, and cover dough. Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more.
5. Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Brush dough with half the honey-butter. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.
6. Brush challah with the remaining honey-butter. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn out loaf from pan, and let cool.

From Martha Stewart Living, September 2009

Blueberry Chai Quick Bread

2 green tea bags
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg (lightly beaten)
2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350, Spray a 5”x9” loaf pan with baking spray. Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for at least 10 minutes, until the tea is very strong. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. In a small bowl. combine the sugar, applesauce, sour cream, and egg. Add brewed tea.
Gradually add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just enough to combine. Fold in the berries with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake approx 30 minutes of until pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Blueberry Lemonade Glazed Cupcakes

Blueberry season is here. I used fresh blueberries for these cupcakes, but frozen work just as well.

Blueberry Lemonade Glazed Cupcakes

1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
4 tbsp frozen lemonade concentrate
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Lemonade Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 cups confectioners sugar
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp frozen lemonade concentrate


Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper liners.
In bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, beat. Add vanilla, sour cream, milk and lemonade concentrate. Beat to combine.
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture a little at a time. Beat just until combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into cupcake liners. Bake approx 25 minutes, or until pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Frosting - In bowl of electric mixer, combine all ingredients (sugar can be added gradually). Beat at medium speed until thoroughly combined and creamy.
Glaze cupcakes when cool.. Garnish each cupcake with a fresh blueberries if desired

The Garden is blooming

Almost summer, our flower beds are starting to bloom. Rhododendrons are at their peak. The peonies are almost ready, looks like they are going to be really nice this year.


We replanted some new roses after losing 4 last winter, due to my negligence. The vegetable garden is in, now if we can just keep up on the weeds! We don't use any weed killers, so that makes it a lot harder. Some of those weeds seem to able to grow 2 feet in a day.

Akron Zoo

First trip of the year to the Akron Zoo. This is a small zoo, not a lot of large foreign species like elephants or giraffes, but it's a nice afternoon outing. They just opened a new jellyfish exhibit, which is amazingly beautiful and interesting. I can appreciate the beauty of jellyfish a lot more if they aren't brushing up against my leg in the ocean!

Waldorf Turkey Burger Sliders

Waldorf Turkey Burger Sliders

Patties:
2 lb ground turkey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely chopped granny smith apples
2 tbsp dijon mustard

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped apples
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp salt

Garnish- 2 cups Romaine lettuce
12 small Italian buns

Combine all patty ingredients in a large bowl. Mix just until combined. Form into 12 patties. Grill to desired doneness, approx 5-6 minutes for medium.

In medium bowl, combine topping ingredients.Stir until combined.
Place finished burgers on buns. Top with apple topping and garnish with romaine lettuce.

Hartville Flea Market

If anyone ever ends up in Northeast Ohio on a nice day, the flea market in Hartville is a fun place to visit. The biggest days are Monday and Thursday, but it's also open on Friday and Saturday. They have an indoor building, but I usually don't even go into the building because it's mostly new junk. I like vintage junk! You never know what the vendors outside might have on any given day, so it's a treasure hunt. They also have great prices on produce.
Today I bought vintage cookbooks, cherries, melons, and some new baking sheets. We'll probably head back on Memorial Day if it's nice. Holidays bring out acres and acres of vendors.