Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts

Saturday, September 23, 2017

FOOD!

Who doesn't love FOOD!  I am often asked how do you get food living 400 air miles from any major stores.  We do buy food before we come out to the village and ship it out to ourselves.  This food tends to be the staples.  We also order food on Amazon often throughout the year.  We stopped eating wheat 3 years ago. We do need to order items that will never ever be stocked in our two small stores here in the village.  

We just switched to a new produce vendor.  I am very happy with their produce, shipping rates and packaging.  Alaska Food NetWork is proving to be a great new company here in Alaska.

Last weekends Maple Walnut Scones made with almond flour.

Bee's Wrap is another great new discovery!  So far everything I have used Bee's Wrap on has stored great!

The heat from your hands helps to seal the wrap. 

Scones were fine for the few days they lasted!

The wraps come in a variety of sizes.  Under this wrap is a nice organic apple crisp.

Melon stored well in the frig with Bee's Wrap and no discoloring.


I am always after the perfect crisp cookie!  These came out pretty good but I think I could work with the recipe a bit more.  Almond flour, crystallized ginger, ginger snap.  I scooped out the dough and then flattened them with parchment paper.  I did this to have a flat, crisper cookie.





Our first box from Alaska Food NetWork and it was a treat!  Everything we ordered was int he box, items were packed well, and nothing was damaged.

Look at this fresh produce yummy!

This was a medium size organic box.  I did add a few more items to our box.  You can pick Alaska Grown produce, organic, or regular grocery store items.


Meat!  It is moose season and there were 34 moose up for the hunt this year.  The moose population here was hunted to very low numbers 12 years ago and there was no moose hunting.  They let the numbers return and slowly have been increasing the amount each year.  Our neighbour across from us is one of the hardest working people I know.  He is in constant motion whether he is fishing, hunting, getting his family out into the country he just goes from sun up to sun down.

Moose meat hanging.

Here is a nice piece we were given which is the village thing to do is to share your kills.  This will become a moose stew today.


I just love this note!  In my class, I always tell parents:  "Please don't let school get in the way of your child's education!" If something has come up just write a note and it is fine to miss out on homework.  One of the families who ski with us wrote this note for their son who is in my class this year.  The dad skis and his two kids.
The kids brought this by our house the other night.  Fresh veggies from their garden and a beautiful piece of moose meat.  All of this will be heading into the moose stew I will be making today! 

Never worry we are not starving out here on the tundra living 400 air miles from a wide variety of shopping options.  I have become interested in better quality food, and where my food comes from.  I look forward to the time in the kitchen creating healthier meals and treats for us here on the tundra.


Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Cinnamon Rolls

I can not think of anything bad, or wrong about  cinnamon rolls !  I mean what is there not to love!  They smell wonderful, they taste great and the variety of cinnamon rolls out there in the world is endless. Sweden has a National Cinnamon Roll Day!

How can anyone not love a country that has a National Cinnamon Roll/Bun Day-----another reason to love Sweden in my books.  We even spent a whole summer bike touring around Sweden and Norway.  We were lucky to go back to Norway and ski one winter.  The Scandinavian part of the world is one of my favorite in the world.  No only is the land stunning, the people pleasant, but lets face it this culture can BAKE and let me add KNIT!  Back on topic . . .

Christian is our in house cinnamon roll baker and he makes my favorite rolls.  I am not a frosting fan but rather love the chewy brown sugar and nut topping, raisins, and abundance of cinnamon these rolls have----YUMMY! Below you will find Christian's Cinnamon Roll recipe that many people have asked for----pull out the floor, rollup your sleeves and bake away!







Brazil Nut/Walnut/Pecan Cinnamon Rolls clp2013
Enough for 12+ or so medium sized rolls on single med-large baking sheet. 
tsp = teaspoon; T = Tablespoon
MAKING DOUGH

2 pkg. (1⁄4 oz.) rapid rise yeast (~ 1 rounded T of yeast)
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1T honey
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1 T Brown or White Sugarpage1image33200page1image33704 page1image34024
2 tsp. salt
page1image35136 page1image35296 page1image35616page1image360962 cups lukewarm water
(warm to inside of wrist)
(Use extra 
1⁄4 cup if high elevation, 4000+m)
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Mix yeast/honey/salt/sugar/water stock
& let all stand for 5-10 min. until foamy in a large bowl/pot. Stir a bit to break/mix yeast clumps.
(Important to read ahead)
Add 5+
cups of sifted flour in portions.
Mix flour by wooden spoon, then by hand till not sticky, scrape bowl sides. Knead in same bowl or surface till firm & elastic with a bit sticky & satiny texture &bit of a moisture feeling on surface. (~5 min)

Transfer to new bowl, sprinkle 1 T of olive oil over the dough and spin/flip/roll in bowl to coat evenly. Let rest/rise till ~ double in size in warm place with damp cloth covering for 20+ min, then punch down, then let re-rise 10+ min or longer & use.
You can use the dough immediately if you can’t wait, for it will rise ok as you prep & bake.
MAKING TWO TOPPINGS
1) Cinnamon/Sugar Mix to sprinkle on rolled dough
Mix in small bowl, 1⁄2 cup white sugar + 1-2 T Cinnamon as you like. Set aside.
2) Cinnamon/Brown Sugar/Nut Topping to place beneath each roll (prepare as rising)
In med. pan, heat 1⁄2 cup butter, 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, 1⁄2 cup white sugar, 1-2 T cinnamon to taste, handful of Brasil nuts, walnuts, or pecans chopped. Stir until well mixed. DO NOT caramelize! Use low heat.
ROLL THE DOUGH
Roll out until 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch thick rectangle (~2–3x as long as wide) on a clean surface.
Coat rolled dough lightly with olive oil.
Sprinkle
Cinnamon/Sugar Mix evenly over rolled surface. Spread by hand & leave far edge clear. Drop bits of 4–6 T of Cinnamon/Brown Sugar/Nut Topping about the surface (keep rest for topping). ALTERNATIVE Additions: Add sprinkle of raisins, craisins, or etc. if desired.
Now roll up on long side and seal when done on far edge with light pressure & “patch” if needed. Cut roll in half, then half again, & finally each into 3rds. Place 2-3 inch thick slices on oiled cookie sheet to give 12 rolls equally spaced.
BAKING
Coat baking sheet with generous layer of olive oil. Lay 1/12th of cinnamon/brown sugar/nut topping under equally spaced location of each roll (3x4 spacing). Place rolls on topping & lightly pat.
Dribble olive oil on top & lightly pat oil even.
Bake @
375o F (~190oC) for 20-25 minutes (depends upon stove! Watch! Check @20 min.)
Swap ends at midpoint in time for equalized baking if needed.
Remove, cool for a minute, flip sheet onto another larger baking sheet to invert rolls before sticking. Scrape residual topping with wooden spoon and quickly place evenly on needy rolls
Share the cinnamon wealth, & Enjoy a few!

You can freeze cooked rolls paired, wrapped in foil & saran wrap in zip-lock bags. Just thaw in fridge and reheat 15 min. @350oF for “fresh” cinnamon effused morning.
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