Pain Au Chocolat - a delight!

I work with a French woman. Sadly, she is moving back to France in a week or two. I asked her "What would you like me to make for you before you leave?" She replied "Pain Au Chocolat!" I had never heard of such a thing. She described it as puff pastry wrapped around chocolate. YUM! I researched it and found great pictures to match but...could I make it taste fresh and delicious like it just came from a French Bakery?!

Here we begin. I found a great recipe from Dinner With Julie, another blog. I do feel bad about going off of someone else's recipe, but I had no idea how to make this otherwise. The directions and ingredients are exceedingly simple. I hope you'll give this delicious, but time consuming, recipe a try!

Pain Au Chocolat

Dough:

3/4 cup warm milk
1 pkt yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt

Butter:

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, room temp
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Chocolate:

1/2 cup or more chocolate (I chopped mine into slivers. I used Ghiradelli 60%Cacao, Intense Dark Evening Dream Chocolate Bar. Found it in the candy section of Wal-Mart. I'm sure you could use a semisweet bar as well.

Mix all of the dough ingredients and knead until smooth and no longer sticky (a few minutes). Don't add more flour to reduce stickiness. Adding flour will make the end result tough.

Whip/mix the butter ingredients until very fluffy and pale. I mixed it in the stand mixer the whole time I was working on the dough ingredients and kneading it. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Butter doesn't need to be refrigerated.

Take the dough out of the fridge. Roll it on a lightly floured countertop into a rectangle about 13" by 18" and 1/4inch thick. Stand facing it so that the 18" is horizontal and the 13" is vertical.

Spread the butter onto the right 2/3rds of the dough.

You will be folding the dough into thirds. At this point, take the 1/3rd of the dough that isn't covered in butter on the left and fold it over halfway to the other side of the dough, so that it covers only 1/3rd of the butter.

Then, fold the right side over the part you just folded so that it's a tri-fold.

Wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take it out of the fridge, place the open ends to your left and right and roll out into another 13X18 rectangle 1/4 inch thick.

Then, do the tri-fold routine again. Don't be afraid if the butter looks odd or if the dough cracks. It will all work out.

Place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. You will do this an additional 2 times to make the total 4 times that you roll out and fold.

At this point, place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5 hrs or overnight (I didn't have plastic wrap, so I used wax paper)

At this point, it shouldn't take too long to get these guys in the oven. I know it's a lot of prep time, but it's worth it when you see the flaky buttery layers in croissants!

Take the chocolate and shave/chop it into little bits. I used a baking bar, so I just shaved bits off the edge.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so that it is 1/4 inch thick. I used a pizza cutter to cut long strips and then cross cut to make pieces the size of a business card.

If the pieces are too thick for you, roll them a bit thinner. Place a small strip of chocolate down the middle.

Chocolate!!!

Roll them up tightly and place seam side down on the ungreased baking sheet.

Lots! If you have the time, let rise for an hour. I did not, so I just baked them. 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Finished! I made a mistake and only baked mine at 350 for 15 minutes and they don't seem as flaky as I thought they'd be. Be sure you bake them at the right temperature!

Pain Au Chocolat!

I taste tested a couple out of the oven and...although they tasted good, I look forward to trying them when they have cooled down. I think the flavor will come out more at that point.

Enjoy!

Great Homemade Cinnamon Rolls in 45 minutes

You'll need:

2 boxes of hot roll mix

1 1/2 C ( 3 sticks ) salted butter, room temp

Cinnamon

Vanilla

Brown Sugar

White Sugar

optional: chocolate chips, nuts

Prepare hot roll mix as directed for cinnamon rolls on the side of the box.

Note: DO NOT add more flour. Yes, the dough will be sticky. Deal with it! Keep on kneading it. I promise--if you add more flour to the mix to try to make it less sticky, you'll end up with tough hard cinnamon rolls. When you need a bit of flour to coat your table, sprinkle gently and not a whole lot.

Let rest for 5 minutes

Dough resting.

Dough should be soft, springy to the touch,and lightly floured, not coated in flour or sticky.

Whip butter.

Add cinnamon and vanilla

Whip whip!

See how soft the dough looks?!

Roll out dough. I like a thicker dough.

lightly flour as needed

Spread the whipped butter onto the dough.

Sprinkle white and brown sugar. It's really up to you. I don't like an overly sweet cinnamon roll, so I go heavy on the cinnamon instead.

Start rolling it up! I roll it towards myself. I lift up the edge just a tad, push it away from me to stretch it just a tad, and then I roll it tight. I do this the whole way down.

At this point, find a string or unflavored dental floss. Cut yourself a piece and slide it under the cinnamon roll log. Bring both edges up and criss cross the string and pull down. It will cut the cinnamon roll log into pieces. I like big cinnamon rolls so I make my pieces rather large.

I greased a pan with pam and floured it.

At this point, you can add almonds, walnuts, pecans, butterscotch or chocolate morsels!

If you prefer, you can add those things after you add the sugars. that way, they're rolled up into the cinnamon roll.

My three types of rolls- chocolate chip, almond slivered, and plain ol' cinnamon.

I sprinkled them with a bit more cinnamon. YUM!

This was an edge that I baked separate to test the baking temp and time.

Bake them at 350 for about 12-15 minutes (depending on how big the rolls are. bigger ones last about 15)

It was perfect. Soft center and a gentle crisp on the outside.

Yum!

Disenchanted?

Good morning, dear friends.

I have a small confession. I think I am getting disenchanted with baking. You may GASP in horror! I know...I did too. Baking isn't an adventure for me anymore. Did I spread myself too thin and try too hard? Maybe. Don't get me wrong-- I still enjoy to bake and cook but do I think about it day in and day out? Not anymore.

For instance-- My husband's birthday was a week ago. I originally wanted to make an epic Little Big Planet cake with little characters and lots of colors. I procrastinated on it. Instead of being filled with inspiration and passion to create it, I instead put it off and never did it. I instead made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and almonds around the edge.

I was a bit disappointed in myself. In fact, I have been for quite some time. It just seems like I'm not putting my heart into anything I bake anymore. I made a cheesecake a few days ago and it cracked. I've lost my touch!

What have I been doing lately? Been busy with college homework. I've also been craving photography. THAT is what I think about. THAT is what I want to come home and do for an hour every night. It's an every day want --and I think that says something.

For now, I'm gonna play it cool when it comes to baking. I'll take it easy and work my way back into baking. Perhaps I need a new muse. Maybe candy or fudge? I want to make a fudge that isn't grainy or overpowering. I have yet to taste the perfect fudge.

Sam and I are headed home for the weekend. Im very excited to see family and to hang out. My mom and I will be matting some of my photography. I hope to sell a few shots. It would really boost my confidence in my art. Perhaps it would be the push I need to get out there and show my stuff in stores and galleries.

I hope you are doing well!

Until next time,

me.

Quick Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Sometimes, a woman just gets tired of making dinner. Last night was one of those nights. I looked over at Sam and said "You're in charge of making dinner tonight, dear." That is how it all began.

He started searching "Quick and easy" recipes online until he found a Rachel Ray thai chicken lettuce wrap recipe. We didn't have 3/4 of the ingredients, but Sam wanted to make them, so we ran into town to get the rest.

I modified this recipe from the original only because Wal-mart didn't carry fish sauce or plum sauce, which were the 2 other main ingredients.

Here you are! ENJOY! This makes enough for a large 2 person meal.

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Chicken Lettuce Wraps

adapted from the Rachel Ray recipe

6 chicken tenderloins (2 breasts) cut into small bite size chunks

2 tbsp montreal seasoning

1 bell pepper cut up into small chunks

1 pkg cabbage and carrots (coleslaw mix)

3 small scallions

2 tbsp grated ginger (I used powdered ginger)

2 tbsp garlic (fresh or powdered)

a few dashes of onion powder

( I also added 2 tbsp chili garlic paste and red pepper flakes for spice)

1 jar of Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce (Substitute 1/2c plum sauce and a few dashes of fish sauce if you have them on hand)

Add 2 tbsp oil to a skillet and heat 'til very hot.

Add chicken and montreal seasonings. Cook until done (shouldn't take long.)

Add in the bell pepper, cabbage, scallions, and all other spices. Heat again for a minute or two.

Finally, add the jar of kikkoman stir fry sauce. Heat until hot all the way through. Turn off heat.

Rinse 1 head of lettuce clean.

Peel off leaves of lettuce (as big as you can get them to come off)

Scoop a little bit of hot chicken mix into the lettuce piece. Wrap up and enjoy! Don't over fill it or you'll have a chicken mess everywhere!

Chocolate Mousse Cake

I've been busy making mousse cakes! It's my newest 'thing.' I was commissioned to make one for a friend from work. Who knows the business you can get if you just put yourself out there and believe in yourself?

Yummy!

The chocolate cake layer wasn't even--shame on me! It still was AMAZING.

I have also decided that making my own Whipped Cream might have to be my favorite task. I enjoy shunning Cool Whip and making my own rich, smooth and fluffy cream. This vanilla cream is between layers of chocolate devils food cake and light chocolate mousse. What a combination!

The weather in Colorado makes me want to bake all day with the windows open, nice breeze rolling in through the sheer curtains. A while back I received a free bread machine from the Base's Airman Attic (a free stuff store). I would like to make some more bread for sandwiches but it's the oddest thing---when I make homemade bread it seems to disappear within one day. Hrm. How does THAT work?!

It's been a while since I've done a fondant cake. Maybe it's about time! I've also become a fan of making jumbo muffins/mini cakes. My jumbo muffin pan has been so useful in providing single serving desserts and sampler cakes! I'm eying mini muffin pans now!

Happy Baking! Have a wonderful day!

Art

Good Morning!

I have been busy working on lots of creative projects! I have been stringing beads for a chandelier, paper mache-ing for some lamps, and painting with acrylics!

I've found that creating things has really been a stress reliever for me. I am able to do what I like without fear of it being done "wrong." I can relax and just make something from my imagination. It's a beautiful thing.

If you haven't had a chance to check out my artwork, go to www.laece.daportfolio.com or add me as a friend on facebook (Jenna M. Weaver).

Who knows! This whole 'art' thing could become a career for me. I have even been thinking about entering my photography into the River Festival in Salina. The price is not too high and I think it would attract attention to my work that I need to become successful.

When at work I find myself wishing I were building something, painting something, or glueing something. I have a skip in my step and I am very happy to have found some hobbies (relatively inexpensive ones at that!) that I can stick with.

On a dessert note, I took my key lime pops to some friends. They enjoyed them very much! In fact, ate all of them within minutes! The only problem was they kept falling off the stick just a few bites into them. The key lime cream STILL is too soft! By george, I'll get the recipe right one of these days!

Key Lime Pie

I adore key lime pie. Something about the creamy tartness gets me every time.

I have made cheesecake pops in the past-- cut up pieces of my cheesecake, inserted a lollipop, and dipped each bit into chocolate. I didn't see a reason I couldn't do it to key lime pie!

In the past, I tried and I failed. I make my key lime pie in a rectangular pan without a crust and then I scoop out rounds onto parchment paper. The problem with key lime pops comes in when you try to keep the lollipop stick in the key lime pie. It tends to come right out--the key lime cream is too soft, even after freezing.

This time, I rolled the key lime scoops in crushed up graham crackers and put them back in the freezer to see if they'd harden up. Didn't seem to help. For this recipe, I added a bit of gelatin hoping it would help sturdy up the key lime cream, but it didn't help. I'd like to be able to figure out how to sturdy up key lime cream so I can make some yummy chocolate dipped pops! Perhaps I should mix key lime pie with a bit of cake crumbles so it sticks together?

Either way---enjoy a delicious piece of key lime pie!

Key Lime Pie

2 egg yolks

2 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup key lime juice

1/2 cup cream

a graham cracker crust or your own homemade crust (precooked)

beat yolks.

add cond. milk

add key lime juice.

add cream.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. cool completely and refrigerate.

It's so simple!

I shall continue my trial and error key lime pops.