October 8- No cooking class

We will not have class on Friday, October 8th. Sorry... we will be away on a teacher workshop.
Keep adding to the blog your comments and what you would like to make for future classes!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with foil muffin liners.
3. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
4. Mix mashed bananas, egg, melted butter and milk in medium bowl.
5. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not overmix).
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
8. Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out with some melted chocolate attached but no crumbs, about 32 minutes.
9. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

Why All Purpose Flour?

Flour is milled from different varieties of wheat containing different amounts of protein. And it’s the different levels of protein that give each type its own unique qualities.

In general, flour made from harder wheat (like bread flour) is higher in protein and gluten, making it ideal for crusty breads and yeast-risen products. Flour made from softer wheat (like cake flour) contains less protein and gluten, making it more appropriate for lighter, more tender goods like cakes and biscuits.

A combination of hard and soft wheat is milled to produce all-purpose flour. The resulting medium protein content offers just the right balance of strength and tenderness for the everyday baker to make chewy breads, delicate tarts and everything in between.

All-purpose flour is available bleached or unbleached. Bleached flour has been treated with bleaching chemicals after milling to make it whiter.

What do you really want to learn how to make?

We want to know what you are dying to make? What is your favorite dish? Make a comment and let us know!

Oven Baked Mac and Cheese

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz box of elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 2 Tsp. butter
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 c. shredded Gouda, Monterrey Jack, Swiss, Mozzarella, or other hard cheese
• 1/2 c. buttered breadcrumbs (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)
2. Grease a 2 qt. casserole dish.
3. Prepare macaroni by directions from the package, and drain well.
4. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
5. Add flour and stir until thickened (about 5-10 min).
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add cheese gradually and stir until melted.
8. Turn off burner.
9. Add macaroni and stir.
10. Pour mixture into 2 qt. greased casserole dish and bake 40-45 minutes.

**If using breadcrumbs, sprinkle them on before baking.

Empanandas

Empanadas with an apple filling
Ingredients:






Pastry:
1 cup butter,or 2 sticks
1 package of cream cheese
2-3 cups of flour
3 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
4-5 firm green apples (like Granny Smith)
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt (to taste)

For the top of the empanada:
1 egg yolk
Sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:
Make the pastry dough: Add the flour, salt and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and mix thoroughly

Add the butter and the cream cheese, just until mixture starts to come together. Add the vanilla and mix together.

Make the filling:
Peel and core the apples, then cut them into small cubes. Add apples to a saucepan with the butter, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Stir apples over medium heat, cooking them until they are just tender.

Remove apples from heat.

Chill apple mixture for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

(If you don't have time... just mix the cut apples with sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon)

Shape empanadas: Roll out dough (in 2 or 3 batches)on floured surface to about 1/4-1/8 inch thickness. Cut circles of dough about 5-6 inches in diameter.

Wet the edge of a dough circle slightly, all around the perimeter. Place 1 scant tablespoon of filling in the middle of the dough. Fold the circle in half, enclosing the filling, and pinch the edges together firmly to seal, flattening and extending them slightly as you pinch them. Fold and crimp the flattened edge over itself decoratively. (see how to fill and shape empanadas. Repeat with remaining empanadas.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix egg yolk with a little bit of water and brush over empanadas. Sprinkle empanadas with sugar.

Bake empanadas until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

These are best eaten warm, and can be reheated in a low oven.

Makes about 20-25 empanadas.

Cooking Terms

• bake: to cook in the oven (like a cake)
• batter: a mixture of flour, eggs, and sometimes fat (i.e. butter) used to prepare cakes, muffins, etc.
• beat: briskly whipping or stirring with a spoon, fork, wire whisk, etc.
• boil: to heat water or other liquids until bubbling (about 212 degrees F or 100 degrees C)
• chop: cut up into irregular pieces with nos set size as a result.
• cream: to stir a fat (usually butter) and sugar together until the mixture is creamy.
• colander: perforated bowl made of metal or plastic that is used to strain or drain foods (i.e. pasta)
• dice: to cut into cubes
• fry: to cook in hot fat.
• grate: to shred food (such as cheese) into fine pieces by rubbing it against a course surface.
• levener: ingredient such as yeast that produces air bubbles and causes a mixture to rise.
• mince: to chop or dice food into tiny, 1/8 inch or less irregular pieces.
• rest: to leave a yeast dough in a warm place and allow it to double in volume.
• melt: to liquefy a fat (such as butter) or gel by heating it.
• mix: to combine ingredients by hand or with a mixer to blend them together evenly.
• roux: a mixture of flour and butter used to thicken sauces, soups, and gravies.
• saute: to cook in a pen or skillet over high heat in a small amount of fat
• sift: removing lumps in dry ingredients such as flour by passing it through a strainer or sifter.
• simmer: to maintain the temperature of a liquid just below boiling.
• whip: to beat a preparation to introduce air into it (make it light and fluffy).
• whisk: to fluff by beating briskly. The utensil for this is also called a whisk.
• zest: the skin of citrus fruits (lemons, oranges). The oils make it ideal for use as a flavoring.