Gracious Hospitality: September 2014

Friday, September 26, 2014

SWEET TREATS and DESSERTS

Occasions are always made special by the desserts we bring to the table.

This weeks challenge was to create from scratch a pie, a cake roll, a free form tart and mini tarts. These ladies rose to the challenge and created some of the best tasting and beautifully presented desserts we have seen in our class time constraints. Well done ladies!

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Mini Pecan Tarts

Coconut Cream Pie

Rustic Pear Tart

Sharing our Sweet Desserts

One of the best parts of our class is being able to taste and share the dishes we have prepared.

Not for sure but I do believe this "dessert" making class even be out the bread tasting this year.

TABLESCAPES

One of the most favorite part of our classes together is when each student creates a tablescape. The First rule is your cannot buy anything. The search begins for a theme and items they already have or can borrow to decorate their table with that theme in mind. This can be a real challenge when many of our students come to school with only their clothes or their household items have not yet arrived.
But we always learn more about each other through the stories told and memories shared about the items chosen the tablescape.

Pam presents:

SCHOOL, SCHOOL, SCHOOL

Mariko presents:

Around the World

Berenice presents:

My Family

Kayla presents:

Fall Colors

Huguette presents:

Kenya Style

Nikki presents:

Coffee Shop

Kristine presents:

Vintage Charm

Bailey presents:

Christmas

Sara presents:

A Texas Life

Friday, September 19, 2014

THE AROMA OF FRESH BAKED BREAD FILLS THE AIR

Every country has at the heart of the meal their very own cultural bread. Different flours create different textures and flavors that we can use to create the wonderful breads.

'Seeduction' Bread with Basil Butter

Cowboy Bread

Margarita Focaccia Bread

Jalapeño Focaccia Bread and Chive Butter

New York Style Calzones

Buttery Crescent Rolls and Red Hot Apple Jam

Mixing, stirring, kneading, punching, rolling, shaping, rising, and baking together has a way of knitting us closer to each other and building forever relationships. The ladies are a great blessing!

Friday, September 12, 2014

MAKING JAM

One of our favorite Classes is learning how to make jam and jelly

and process them in a water bath canner.

Who does not love warm jam on freshly made bread?

Our ladies did a excellent job preparing the preserves in a kitchen that is not exactly

set up for canning.

AMARETTO PEACH JAM

RED HOT APPLE JAM

PEAR HONEY

Gracious Hospitality Overview

90 Minute Cinnamon Rolls

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 envelope yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup margarine
1 egg
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, softened

*Set aside 1 cup all purpose flour from total amount. Mix remaining flour, yeast ,sugar, and salt in large bowl.
**Heat milk, water, and 1/4 cup margarine until hot to the touch, about 115F. Stir hot liquid into dry ingredients. Mix in egg. Mix in enough reserved flour to make a soft dough, so that it does not stick to the bowl. Turn out onto floured board and knead 5 minutes. Cover dough and let rest 10 minutes.
***Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and margarine together. Roll dough into 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread with cinnamon mixture. Roll from long side, jelly-roll style; pinch to seal the seam.
****Cut into 12 equal slices with a sharp knife. Place cut side up into large greased muffin cups; place on baking sheet over a shallow pan half-filled with boiling water. Cover dough and let rise 20 mins. Bake at 375 F for 20 mins or until browned. Remove from muffin cups to cool.

Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl, beat frosting ingredients until well mixed. Frost warm rolls.

Perfect Pie Crust

2 Cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp vinegar
3 - 4 Tbsp cold water

*Combine flour, salt and sugar in a 2 qt. bowl. Evenly cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork. *Combine egg and vinegar in a small bowl and add to flour mixture.
*Add water a tablespoon at a time until dough is moist enough to form ball.
*Shape dough into 2 balls. Flatten one ball to 1/2 inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges.
*On lightly floured surface roll into 11 inch circle.
*Transfer dough to a 9" pie plate.
*Unfold gently and press in bottom and up sides of plate.
*Roll out remaining pastry; set aside. Continue as directed in pie recipe.

HOMEMADE WHITE BREAD

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. lukewarm water
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
or solid shortening
3/4 c. water
1 c. hot milk
5 to 6 c. flour

Proof yeast in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water for 5 minutes. Measure sugar, salt and butter into mixing bowl, pour hot milk over them and stir allowing the butter to melt. Add remaining water and cool to lukewarm. Stir in 1 cup flour. Add yeast mixture and 2 more cups flour and beat with a wooden spoon until batter is smooth and elastic. Stir in 1 1/2 to 2 cups more flour, then, with floured fingers, work in enough additional flour to make a soft dough that does not stick to your fingers.

Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead for 2-5 minutes, about 100 kneading strokes. Shape dough into a ball and put it in an oiled or buttered bowl. Roll the dough in the oil until coated on all sides, cover with a towel and let dough rise until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down and turn onto floured surface. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a smooth ball. Shape each ball into a loaf and put into a greased loaf pan. Cover pans with a towel and let bread rise until the sides of the raised bread reach the top of the pans and the center is nicely rounded above it, about 1 hour.

To bake: Bake loaves at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown and sound hollow when lightly tapped.

When baked: Turn loaves from pans immediately onto a cooling rack to keep crust crisp. For a soft, tender crust: Brush loaves with butter as soon as they come from oven.

Peel and remove pit, finely Chop
4 cups prepared peaches
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 package powdered pectin

*Measure sugar and keep ready.
*Mix pectin with fruit and using high heat to bring to a boil.
*At once add sugar.
*Bring to a full boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down).
*Boil hard for one minute.
*Remove from heat and skim foam for 5 minutes. This prevents floating fruit.
*Put quickly into jars leaving 1/4-inch head space.
*Clean rim and seal with rings.
*Water bath in boiling water for 10 minutes for pints and quarts.
*It should set in 24 hours.
*Makes about 4 pints jam