Thursday, October 27, 2011

Daring Bakers' Challenge: Povitica

The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!



I had never heard of povitica until this challenge, but I was excited to try it!  I chose to make the traditional version, with a walnut filling, but other popular fillings include fruits and cream cheese.  The recipe was simple for the most part, but I did find it difficult to roll up the dough with the filling, as the dough was thin, and began to tear.  Povitica makes a delicious breakfast or dessert, and I definitely plan to make this again some day!

Mix the dough and allow to rise

Make the walnut filling

Spread filling over rolled out dough

Roll up both sides of the dough with filling, meeting at the center

Fold the top and bottom of the rolled up dough, forming a seam

Place dough in oiled pan and brush with brewed coffee

Yum!

Povitica
Makes one loaf

Dough
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp flour
2 tbsp warm water
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp melted butter
2 cups flour, sifted

Filling
1 3/4 cups walnuts
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Topping
2 tbsp strong brewed coffee
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Butter

1. Activate yeast by stirring 1/2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon flour and yeast into 2 tablespoons warm water.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

2. Heat 1/2 cup milk in saucepan, stirring constantly, until just below boiling.  Allow to cool slightly.

3. Mix the scalded milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until combined.  Add the beaten egg, yeast mixture and 1/2 cup flour.  Stir mixture, gradually adding the remaining flour, until dough is well combined.

4. Knead dough on floured counter top until smooth and not sticky.  Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow dough to rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half.  Dough should double in size.

5. Make filling by grinding the walnuts and sugar in a food processor, until nuts are finely ground.  Watch carefully, to prevent nuts from turning into a paste.  Mix the nut and sugar mixture with cinnamon and cocoa powder.  Heat the milk and butter to boiling, and pour over the nut mixture.  Add eggs and vanilla, and mix well.  Allow mixture to cool before spreading onto dough.

6. Place dough on well floured surface, and roll out to 10-12 inches in diameter.  Spoon melted butter on top, and carefully stretch dough with hands or rolling pin, until it is thin enough to see the surface underneath. 

7. Carefully spread filling over the dough.  Carefully roll both sides of the dough towards the center, like a scroll.  Fold the top and bottom of the scroll, so that they meet.  Place dough into greased loaf pan, seam side down.

8. Make topping by mixing 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar.  Brush topping over loaf.  Cover loaf with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes

9. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Remove plastic wrap from pan, and bake dough for about 15 minutes.  Turn down heat to 300 F and continue baking for another 45 minutes.  

10.  Allow dough to cool in pan, on a wire rack, for 30 minutes, before removing from pan.  This dough is heavy, and will collapse if removed from pan when too warm.  


-Posted by Jennifer  

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Andes Mint Cupcakes


I love mint almost as much as I love chocolate...so I knew these cupcakes would be delicious.  My brother is not a huge fan of chocolate, but he came home from work concerned that I had given all the cupcakes away - he had been thinking about them his entire shift! 


Prepare the cupcakes

Make the ganache and fill the cupcakes when they come out of the oven.

Ice with mint cream cheese frosting and top with leftover ganache and an Andes mint!



Recipe from Your Cup of Cake.

~Posted by Karen

Monday, October 10, 2011

Pumpkin Roll


It's finally my favorite time of year again!  I love everything about fall... the cooler weather, the changing leaves, and most of all, I love pumpkin flavored desserts!  This pumpkin roll is a simple but delicious way to celebrate the season.

Mixing the cake batter

Spreading cake batter into prepared jelly roll pan


Spreading cream cheese filling over cool cake

Pumpkin roll!


Pumpkin Roll

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
Powdered sugar

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Prepare a jelly roll pan by lining with greased and floured parchment paper. 
2. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Beat eggs and granulated sugar in a separate bowl, then beat in pumpkin.  Stir in the flour mixture until well combined.  Spread mixture into jelly roll pan.
3. Bake cake for 13-15 minutes.  Top of cake should bounce back if touched.  Turn cake out onto a kitchen towel, sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Peel off parchment paper and roll up cake with towel.  Allow the cake to cool while rolled up with towel.
4. Prepare filling by beating together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract.  Filling should be fluffy and easy to spread. 
5. Once cake has cooled, unroll, and spread cream cheese filling over cake.  Reroll the cake.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow filling to set.    Sprinkle finished cake with powdered sugar.



-Posted by Jennifer


Sunday, October 2, 2011

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes


When I saw this recipe on Bakerella I was excited to try it.  Then I remembered a cookies and cream cake I made several years ago that I didn't really care for, and had second thoughts about these cupcakes.  But in the end, I decided to give them a try - and I'm so glad I did!  They are super moist, and even though I'm not normally a fan of buttercream icing, the Oreo crumbs that are mixed in make all the difference.  I ended up with an extra package of Oreos and would have made a second batch if our brother hadn't found them in the pantry!

Recipe from Bakerella - get it here!

~Posted by Karen