Gourmet Cooking For Two

The press release for my book finally came out! Thanks for your support! Gourmet Cooking for Two A romantic gourmet adventure that will satisfy your appetite and spice up your love life. SPRINGVILLE, Utah - August 19, 2014 - Author Chrisiti Silbaugh and Cedar Fort Publishing and Media announce the release of "Gourmet Cooking for Two," acookbook that gives credence to the statement: "The way to man's heart is through his stomach," and then some. Loaded with delectable delicacies and tantalizing treats, every soul-satisfying recipe has been created with love in mind.     Not only do the beautiful photographs of each dish seduce you to want to partake, but every recipe is accompanied by a romantic tip that is sure to fan the flame of your love or reignite the embers of a waning romance.      Whether its an appetizer, salad, soup, main dish, side dish, or dessert, Christi Silbaugh infuses romantic fun and wisdom into over 120 recipes. With unique romantic tips to accompany recipes such as Refreshing Shrimp Bites, Hot and Sour Soup, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Orange Dreamsicle, "Gourmet Cooking for Two" will satiate your appetite while spicing up your love life. Maybe the way to your lover's heart really is through the stomach! Get your copy HERE About the Author: CHRISTI SILBAUGH is the self-educated chef and author of three cooking blogsincluding: Mom, What's For Dinner, Gourmet Cooking For Two andZero Calorie Life. She writes for foodie media giants Glam Media and Federated Media and works for Fast Forward Events, covering food and wine events in San Diego. Since 2009, she has created and posted over 1,000 gluten-free recipes. She lives with her family in California.

Cedar Fort Inc. 2014

Salted Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

Each year for Christmas I let everyone pick one treat they would like me to make for them as a Christmas present. This year my daughter told me she wanted me to make salted caramel cinnamon rolls. She never ever picks an easy thing. Not having a single recipe to refer to, I got busy creating one. 

Salted caramel is easily my daughter's favorite treat. Any time I make anything she says: "oh, imagine this with salted caramel on it!". It is an epidemic. My husband hopped on her bandwagon and next week I will be sharing with you his request which happens to be salted caramel chocolate cups. 

My recipe was a huge success. It is something to dream about. This recipe is perfect for holidays, birthdays, brunch, or any special occasion that you want to splurge. I would say that you will have some left to share with others, but I had trouble prying the pan out of my families hand. If you love salted caramel, get ready for your taste buds to take a trip to mecca. 

Salted Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe by Christi Silbaugh

makes 12

for the dough-

3/8 cup warm water

1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast 

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 egg

1/8 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

for the filling-

1/4 cup softened butter

1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Salted Caramel:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sea salt flakes

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, pour in water, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Once mixture looks bubbly and frothy, pour in remaining sugar and salt.

In a small bowl, measure buttermilk, oil and egg. Whisk ingredients together until egg is incorporated to other two ingredients. Pour contents into the water and yeast mixture. Stir 20 seconds in the mixer.

Pour 2 cups of flour into mixer and stir on low until incorporated. Sprinkle flour in by 1/4 cup increments until dough cleans the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Once it has reached this stage, turn mixer on and knead for 5 minutes. Remove dough from bowl, grease and replace back into same mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Place in a warm place. Rise 1-2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.

In a medium size bowl, stir brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch together until combined. Set aside. Punch down dough. Flour a large clean table liberally with flour.

Roll dough out to be a 20x30 rectangle, while moving dough around to ensure it's not sticking to your work surface. Spread softened butter over dough, being sure to go right to the edges leaving a 1-inch strip untouched on one of the longer sides of dough.

Dump brown sugar mixture onto the middle of the dough and spread with your hands, creating an even layer over top of the butter, still leaving that 1-inch strip of dough untouched. Roll the dough up into a tight log, finishing with the plain dough on the bottom to seal the entire thing together.

Cut off the uneven ends to even out the log. Score log every 2 inches and then slice your rolls using those marks. Place into parchment paper lined, butter greased pan. 

Cover pans with plastic wrap and dish towels. Let rolls rise another 1-2 hours or until they are touching and have risen almost double.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree for 17 minutes, or until tops start to brown.

Make the salted caramel. Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and stir for about 5-10 minutes until caramel reaches the “soft ball stage” at around 230 degrees.

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla.

Once rolls have been removed from the oven, Pour the caramel over the rolls. It will take a minute for the caramel to sink into the rolls so they will look like drowned rolls.

 Don't worry, the caramel settles and you end up with this: 

Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve warm.

If you like my work, please support it by getting my cookbook

Gourmet Cooking for Two

Bruschetta

 

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy that I absolutely love. I could eat it every day. I keep a big fresh plant of basil in my window planter year round specifically for this dish. Give me a glass of wine, a little cheese and this dish and I am one happy lady. Thankfully my husband shares my love for Bruschetta too. 

It is really simple to make! Give it a try!

Bruschetta for two
by Christi Silbaugh

3 tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 loaf sourdough baguette
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Core your tomatoes and then dice them into tiny pieces. Add to a bowl. Add your chopped basil and minced garlic. Add 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. Stir and salt and pepper to taste. 

Slice a piece of the baguette up into four slices.

Add Olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. 

Add your baguette slices.

Toast over the olive oil until golden brown and crispy.

Top your toast with the tomato basil mixture and serve.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

My husband LOVES caramel. I know that any time I make anything with caramel, he will pleased. So when I was surfing pinterest the other day and saw Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls, I knew they had to happen. I haven't done much baking lately, and it was time. 

When I go through the trouble to make cinnamon rolls from scratch, I always make a full batch. No reason to make just 2 rolls for us. This recipe makes 12 rolls, I was in a sharing mood with my neighbors, and Randy's co-workers. 

These are divine. Proceed with caution, because your waistline will be affected. If you are ready to indulge... these bad boys are for you.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from gimme some oven

Dough Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)

1/8 cup butter

2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

1 envelope instant or ‘rapid rise’ yeast (approx. 2 1/4 tsp)

1 egg

Caramel-Apple-Cinnamon-Sugar Filing Ingredients:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

6 Tbsp. butter, (completely) softened

1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and finely chopped

1/2 cup caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought (recipe for caramel sauce below.)

Topping:

1/2 cup caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought (recipe for caramel sauce below.)

To Make The Dough & Filling:

Melt the butter and add it to your milk. Heat until a little warmer than room temperature. You can do this on the stove top or in the microwave.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add half the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Stir by hand to combine. Add the egg and milk mixture, and turn the kitchenaid on medium-low speed until combined. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. When the dough begins to form a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, you have added enough flour. Continue beating for 5 minutes on medium-low speed to knead the dough. 

Remove the dough hook and cover the dough with a damp towel and let rise for at least 30 minutes or until almost double in size.

Meanwhile, begin making your filling by whisking together sugars and cinnamon in a bowl until combined.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Then use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 14 x 9 inches in size. 

 Use a knife or pastry spatula to spread the softened butter out evenly over the entire surface of the dough. 

Then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Then sprinkle on the finely chopped apples, and drizzle with 1/2 cup caramel sauce.

Beginning at the 14-inch edge, tightly roll up the dough. 

And then give the final seam a little pinch so that it seals. 

I cut off the ends and just cut it up to make a tiny dish of pull apart bread.

Cut into 12 rolls. Place each of the cut cinnamon rolls into a greased pie plate or 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Then cover again with a damp towel, and leave the dish in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. If you have a sunny windowsill this works great. 

If not, I find a heating pad on low setting works wonderful. 

When the rolls have risen, uncover the dish. Then place on the center rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and cooked through. Remove and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle with remaining caramel sauce and serve.

Homemade caramel sauce 

1 packed cup brown sugar

1/2 cup half-and-half

4 tablespoons butter

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. 

Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, cool slightly and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold.

Tomato Basil-Tarts

I have been having a lot of fun working with the Lazy Baker's Puff Pastry  I made. I have put this pastry through the ringer with freezing, thawing, rolling, and it stands up to the best! 

So I wanted to make a cute little side dish/appetizer to go along with our soup I made for dinner. So I went back to the book that gave me the wonderful puff pastry Baking by Hand. 

Tomato Basil-Tarts

adapted from Baking by Hand

Makes 4 appetizer tarts

1/8th of the Lazy Baker's Puff Pastry recipe

1 Organic Tomato

Extra-virgin olive oil

fine sea salt

18 fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into circles. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Slice the tomato 1/4 inch thick. 

Take out your pastry circles. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with olive oil, and place the tomato slices evenly spaced around the circle of dough. Sprinkle with sea salt. 

Bake on a baking stone for 15 minutes, or until the tarts are golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and garnish with basil leaves and serve warm. 

Scones

 

I have been in search of the perfect scone recipe. I just wanted a plain scone that I could dress with some lovely strawberry lavender preserves that I got from Terra Verde Farms booth at the local Farmer's Market. 

Terra Verde Farms' specialty foods are hand made by them in small batches from recipes that have been in their family for generations. They want you to remember what a ripe peach, blackberry, or tomato tastes like. Their artisan foods enable you to close your eyes and remember Aunt Annie's Wild Plum Preserves, Grandma's Peach Cobblers, or that juicy, plump, fresh picked blackberry you snuck into your mouth instead of putting in your pail. Check them out! 

These scones go beautifully with the preserves. With the bright flavors of strawberries and the subtle hint of lavendar, the preserves are off the chart!

These are now my favorite scone. Light and fluffy but with a crunchy outside layer. I challenge you to come up with a better recipe! 

Basic Scones

adapted from Alton Brown

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup cream

1 egg

Sugar for sprinkling on top.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter and shortening. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. If you have a cast iron skillet, I recommend using it. I was fortunate enough to have a cast iron scone pan. 

If you don't, you can roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds. 

Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I absolutely love Fall. Even though where I live we don't get much of a weather change, the scenery changes and it gives me that warm cozy feeling. For one, they put in an ice rink every year outside the mall that is two blocks from my house. For two, all the bakeries have pumpkin everything! I love cooking with Pumpkin! This recipe isn't coming with any romantic tips. Just some festive flair to share!

Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake

adapted from http://www.barbarabakes.com

Streusel filling:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 can pure pumpkin puree

1 cup greek yogurt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon drizzle:

2/3 cup chips

1 1/2 teaspoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)

Sprinkle 1/4 cup powdered sugar on top.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan, Or you can use 4 individual bundt pans. I used paper ones from World Market. They made it very easy to hand out. 

Combine streusel ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat sugar and butter in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla, and mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Spoon half of batter into pan. 

Sprinkle streusel over batter, keeping it in the middle of the pan (don't allow it to touch sides). Top with remaining batter. Make sure batter layer touches edges of pan (batter will be thick!).

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out of middle of cake clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Invert onto rack to cool completely.

Melt cinnamon chips and shortening in microwave on high for 1 minute; stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Mix together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake, Then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Lazy Bakers Puff Pastry

My husband and I have been eating 100% organic in all things. From grass fed beef, cage free eggs to heirloom tomatoes. It is pretty easy for the most part because we have a Jimbo's two blocks from our house. They are part of the non-gmo project and all ingredients are clearly marked on all of their products. So when my husband wanted Beef Wellington. I thought, no biggie, I will get some grass fed filet mignon and I am sure Jimbo's has some puff pastry. Wrong. No puff pastry. So I went and got some organic unbleached flour that Bob's red mill makes, and set out to be courageous and make my own. 

Thankfully I had just been sent a book called "Baking by hand". 

What if you could create those beautiful artisan loaves in the most traditional way possible: with just your own two hands?

Baking by Hand shows you how to do just that. Keep your mixer in the closet as Andy and Jackie King teach you long-forgotten methods that are the hallmarks of their exceptional bakery. They’ll take you through all of the steps of making amazing bread, from developing your own sourdough culture, to mixing by hand, traditional shaping techniques and straight on to the final bake. Most importantly, you’ll learn the Four-Fold technique—the key to making the kind of bread at home that will simply be top tier in any setting.

I was so pleased they had a quick way to make puff pastry. It turned out perfectly. I will be sharing with you the beef wellington recipe. For now, here is the recipe for the Lazy Bakers Puff Pastry. It really is almost effortless. No mixer required. 

Don't forget to check out the book Baking By Hand.

Lazy Bakers Puff Pastry

from Baking By Hand.

11 oz all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp fine sea salt

13 oz cold unsalted butter

6.5 oz cold sour cream

Let me start by saying measurements are very important when dealing with pastry. So get out that kitchen scale! 

Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a container that will easily fit in your freezer. Chill the mixture for 30 minutes or overnight. You can't chill it for too long, the colder the better.

Once flour mixture is chilled, cube your cold butter and place in a large bowl with the flour mixture. With your hands, rub the butter through the flour, until the butter is broken down but has the consistency of large peas. 

Add the sour cream and mix by hand until dough forms. Don't overwork the dough, you still want butter pieces in it, this is what makes the dough flaky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and form into a rough rectangle. Roll the dough out until it becomes a larger rectangle. Sprinkle the rectangle with flour and fold over the ends, overlapping them to make a small rectangle again, and fold over the ends again. Roll out again, sprinkle again, and repeat 2 times. This is the four fold technique.

Roll out to a very large rectangle, Cover with saran wrap and keep in the fridge. You can freeze the dough and save for a later use. Keeping this in your freezer makes for easy meals at a later time.