Tag Archives: Orange Zest

Recipes - Desserts

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

First Scoop!

The best thing about a Rhubarb Crisp is adding fresh strawberries to the mix and today’s crisp proved no exception to this rule of thumb. You’re getting the sweet and the sour in each bite, guaranteeing satisfaction for all.  Tart and sweet, creamy and crumbly, this dish has it all.  I used my sister, Mamie’s, recipe, listed in her cookbook, “County Seat Deli & Delights” and altered it only by omitting the lemon juice in favor of orange zest and 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice as Ina Garten’s online recipe calls for. I also used my favorite Amish fruit thickener, Clear-jel by name, but you can certainly use cornstarch easily to thicken the filling also and I listed the cornstarch here. This is an awesome recipe, Mamie, and many thanks to you and Rosie!

The crisp topping I made exactly as listed as I never seem to have any luck using rolled oats in toppings. The butter, melted, is drizzled over the topping and not chunked up in the dough as most cobbler recipes instruct. This topping so deliciously delivers a great texture contrast to the soft fruit and it bakes up beautifully golden brown, rich with butter. The only difference in my book between cobblers, crisps, and crumbles is in the use of butter and whether you want a chewy topping or a biscuity one. The main thing you do with all of them is to sweeten, sometimes tarten, your fruit and make the topping that offers the best contrast and texture, and, geeze, what a great way to enjoy an abundance of summer fruit.

Of course you serve this dish with vanilla ice cream, preferably while the crisp is still warm. I guarantee you won’t find a more satisfying way to brighten any still hot September day. Enjoy!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients

Combination of 6-7 cups rhubarb, cut 1″ pieces, and strawberries, stemmed and quartered

FILLING INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar
3 T. cornstarch
4 T. water
2 t. orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice

TOPPING ingredients

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 sticks butter, melted

Directions Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13″ glass baking dish. Zest orange. Squeeze oranges to equal 1/s cup  juice.  I needed 2 oranges for this. Combine the rhubarb and the strawberries and orange zest in large bowl then place inside prepared baking dish. Set inside oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Prepare the filling ingredients by combining the sugar, cornstarch, water and orange juice in a medium saucepan, bringing just to boiling. Remove from heat and pour this mixture over the hot fruit. Return dish to oven.

Make the topping by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Stir to blend. Add the eggs and stir until clumps begin to form and mixture pulls away from the bowl; use a fork to further cut the eggs into the dough until you have clumps. Drop this mixture by spoonfuls over the fruit; I usually squeeze 2 tablespoons in my hands and add these heavier pieces first then scatter any smaller crumbs evenly over the top. Slowly drizzle the melted butter over all and bake for 45-50 minutes. DO serve this warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Bakery Miscellaneous

Ono Cinnamon Rolls

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In Hawai’i, the word “ono” is the same as saying “DELICIOUS” for mainland folks, and that is just what these cinnamon rolls will have you saying when you taste them! I woke up wanting to bake bread of some kind today to bring warmth to an otherwise frozen day here in the Heartland and these ‘from-scratch’ rolls, adapted from a Paula Deen recipe,  are exactly what I was thinking of!

You do have to start early in the day as your dough is going to need to rise twice but as long as you are in for the day, there’s no better way to spend your time. These rolls are destined for mama and friends at the nursing home this evening though I did have to eat one of them right out of the oven! Today I needed just 3 cups of flour for the dough and I added chopped pecans, raisins, and orange zest to my filling. I love the zip that orange or lemon zest adds to any bread recipe and the orange zest I used today was a perfect pairing with the cinnamon flavoring. The nuts add crunch and texture to the soft rolls.  I think I got a little carried away on the raisins actually and so recommend using a little less, maybe 1/2 cup only.

Use as little flour as possible and give the dough plenty of time to rise. Today I left it alone for 2 hours and then again for 45 minutes before baking the rolls. Cut your rolled dough into at least 1/2″ thick slices for a filling and satisfying treat and brew up some fresh coffee, too, if you have time. You will love these rolls and the warming sweet aroma they spread throughout the house as they bake.  Oh, yes!  Yet another happy snow day!

Ono Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

DOUGH

1/4 -ounce package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3-1/2 to 4 cups flour

FILLING

1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pans
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
2 T ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins and chopped pecans, optional
1 T. orange zest, optional

GLAZE

4 T butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3-5 T. milk

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour, blend well until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, 2 hours usually.

Heat oven to 350. When dough has doubled in size, punch down and roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with pecans and raisins if desired. Beginning at the 15-inch side, roll up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices. Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes then bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Prepare glaze while rolls are baking then spread over the rolls while they are still slightly warm.

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Recipes - Breads & Biscuits

Sour Cream Cranberry Biscuits

These biscuits have been food whispering to me since I saw the post on my sister’s Facebook page months ago, and this afternoon, waiting on the snow fall, seemed a perfect day for biscuit baking. Nothing seems as comforting as mixing up a batch of biscuits and inhaling that warming aroma when it’s freezing outside; to me that spells winter baking at its best.

With crunchy tops and edges and a soft inside these are great “as is” or they would make fine appetizers using a smaller biscuit cutter.  I used my 2-1/2″ cutter today as I plan to slice them for supper for stuffing with pieces of fried country ham.  Sour cream and honey give them their softness and orange zest and cranberries a fruity tang.  Fresh cranberries weren’t an option today so I used dried and found they added just enough chewiness to balance the otherwise soft texture.  Do brush their tops with melted butter when they are still warm from the oven.

The dough is soft and sticky so flour your counter, your hands, and your rolling pin.  I cut the butter in with my fingers until it was well incorporated with the dry ingredients.  The dough doesn’t require much kneading before rolling out but you will have to dust it with flour several times until it becomes smooth and elastic.  18 minutes at 425 was just right for browned tops and bottoms. Still no snow fall but we DO have biscuits!

Sour Cream & Cranberry Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries

Directions Preheat oven to 425. In medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add orange zest, buttermilk, honey and sour cream. Sir well with wooden spoon to blend. Fold in the cranberries. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and add enough flour to enable kneading the dough then roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2” biscuit cutter and place on sprayed baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes until nicely browned. Brush biscuit tops with melted butter. Yield: 14 biscuits.

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Recipes - Side Dishes

Blistered Green Beans

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Following this week’s cookie marathon it was definitely time for this girl and her mama to get some fresh vegetable action!  I first tried this recipe last summer, looking for different ways to use fresh green beans, and it was good then, but even more delightful in February after spotting fresh beans in our market.

Not a long prep, but do save 30 minutes for it.  Only trim the beans, spread in your pan coated with olive oil and seasonings then while they roast prepare the orange peel, use your nut chopper to chop the pistachios evenly, mince garlic and parsley you’re all set. The pistachios are a great addition, but they are hard so chop them small for ease in eating; they are a great contrast in texture to the soft beans.  The beans roasted 20 minutes, not the 15 called for in the recipe; don’t worry about the wrinkles, they will be there by the time the beans are tender and it’s just the result of their cooking up hot in the olive oil.  The roasting provides  the base of the dish’s flavor.

My flat-leaf parsley wasn’t looking too spry today so I used a bottled Herbes de Provence spice blend I have and that was just right though the fresh parsley would be good too.  Do let them settle a few minutes before adding the pistachios and orange peel garnish. The dish is savory with the olive oil and fresh garlic providing what is really a dressing so serve them warm for the best flavor.  They were a great lunch with yesterday’s leftover garlic-parmesan chicken wings from Logan’s and i’m sure that we will be saying hello later tonight for supper.

Blistered Green Beans

1 lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
2 T. orange peel, cut in thin shreds

Directions Preheat oven to 450. Place beans in a 15x10x1” jelly roll pan and drizzle with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Spread beans in a single layer. Roast 15-20 minutes or until blistered and tender. Sprinkle hot beans with fresh parsley and garlic. Garnish with pistachios and orange peel. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir gently and serve warm or at room temperature.

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