Hot Cross Buns

These buns taste more like cinnamon roll than plain old bread. 

A Ingredients

Bread flour           450 g

Water                      80 g

Buttermilk              80 g

Eggs                         2 pieces

Salt                           1 teaspoon

Sugar                      70 g

Dry yeast                  2 teaspoon

B Ingredients

Butter                        20 g

Cream cheese            20 g

Raisins                     100 g

C Ingredients

Brown Sugar            ¼ cup

Ground cinnamon      2 teaspoon

Butter                         1 tablespoon

D Ingredients

Butter                      2 tablespoon

Powder sugar         ¾ cup

Cream cheese          1 tablespoon

Vanilla extract      1/8 teaspoon

Salt                          1 pinch

Direction:

1. Soak raisins in water for 5 minutes, drain.

2. Put all A ingredients, wet ones first, then dry ones, yeast on top into a mixing bowl of a mixer, with a dough blade, slowly incorporate all the ingredients together, then turn up the speed.  When the blade is able to pick up the whole dough, rub the B butter and cream cheese with the back of a spoon onto the dough.  Beat slowly until incorporated, then turn the speed up.  When the dough looks shiny, pick out a small piece and try to extend it in your hand, see if it can be stretched without breaking to cover your palm.  If not, beat more.  If it stretches without breaking and was able to cover your palm, then add the raisins in, beat very slowly just until incorporated into the dough.  Put the dough into a bowl and raise for an hour, or until doubled in size. 

3. Punch down the dough and roll into a ball, covered and let rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix the C brown sugar and cinnamon powder together in a bowl. 

4. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, roll into balls, cover and let rise for 20 minutes.  With a rolling pin, roll each ball out and spread with C butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon brown sugar.  Roll up the dough, and pinch down to close the opening.  Roll each into balls again.  Place in a 13x9 baking pan, let rise for an additional 40 minutes, depends on the room temperature. 

5. Preheat oven to 350°F, brush with egg wash, bake for about 14-16 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, beat all D ingredients with a electric mixer until fluffy, put into a piping bag, set aside. 

7. When the bread is done, let cool 10 minutes, then remove the whole bread onto a wired rack, pipe the D ingredients onto the breads as crosses. 

Serving: 12

Devonshire Cream

Difficult to come by? No problem, just try this recipe and you will never go buy a jar of expensive clotted cream again!!!

Ingredients

Mascarpone                        ½ cup

Heavy whipping cream        1 cup

Sour cream                           1 tablespoon

Vanilla extract                    ½ teaspoon

Sugar                                   1 tablespoon

Directions:

1. Beat all ingredients together in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer.  Store in air-tight container for up to a week. 

Serving: 1.5 cups

Rouille

Rouille is a French style mayonnaise.  It’s a sort of herbed-spiced up version of our good old fashion mayonnaise.  Taste really good with seafood, or eat it by itself on a slice of French baguette.  I first noticed this spread on a slice of French baguette accompanying Bouillabaisse at Blue Bayou from Disneyland.  Fancy name for a seafood soup!  It was a chef’s special that night.  As many of you know, Blue Bayou is the restaurant adjacent to the ride, Pirates of the Caribbean.  I asked our waitress what it was, and she went in and got the chef out to answer me.  It was an honor.  Great restaurant! My bouillabaisse would’ve been better with a glass of dry white wine.  Too bad no alcoholic beverage in Disneyland!!!

A Ingredients

Garlic                   4 cloves

Fresh oregano       1 teaspoon

Kosher salt       1 ½ teaspoon

B Ingredients

Egg yolk, room temp          1 piece

Fresh lemon juice           1 ½ tablespoon

Saffron powder                  ¼ teaspoon

Crushed red chili pepper    ½ teaspoon

C Ingredients

EV Olive oil                      1 cup

Directions:

1. On a chopping board, mince A ingredients together to make garlic salt, then place in a food processor. 

2. Add B ingredients into the food processor as well, pulse until smooth.

3. Slowly beat in the extra virgin olive oil while the processor is on to create an emulsion.  The final product will have the texture of mayonnaise. 

Serving: 1 cup

Flaxseed Multi-Grain Bread

Whenever multi-grain bread is mentioned, a loaf of hard, heavy, solid bread jumps into mind.  This is a bread I’ve created to change that stereo type of image of multi-grain bread.  The inside texture is so soft and smooth, that it will keep people coming back for more. 
A Ingredients

Bread flour                               200 g

Flaxseed multi-grain mix*         50 g (recipe follows)

Water                                         80 g

Egg                                              1 piece

Salt                                              ½ teaspoon

Sugar                                          30 g

Dry yeast                                      1 teaspoon

B Ingredients

Butter, softened   10 g

Cream cheese       10 g

Pepitas                  10 g

C Ingredients

Egg white             1 piece

Water                    2 teaspoon

1. Put A Ingredients in a bread machine, wet first, then dry ingredients, yeast goes on top, press the dough cycle. When the dough is formed, add the butter and cream cheese, using a butter knife, gently rub the butter and cream cheese onto the dough.  Add the pepitas at the last 5 minutes of mixing, and when the bread dough cycle is completed, take out the dough and form a ball.  Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. 

2. Weight and roll and dough up and place in appropriate bread molds, let rise again for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, beat C ingredients in a small bowl. 

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, brush the C Ingredients onto the top of the dough, then bake for 14-16 minutes.  Cool before slicing.  

*Flaxseed Multi-Grain Mix

A Ingredients

White sesame       10 g

Flaxseed               10 g

Oats                        5 g

B ingredients

Flaxseed                 1 teaspoon

Sliced almonds       2 teaspoon

Oats                        2 teaspoon

Wheat bran             3 teaspoon

Cashew pieces        3 teaspoon

Direction:

1. Grind A ingredients in a mortar and pestle, then add to B ingredients.

2. Toast the grain mixtures in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes to release the fragrance of the grains and nuts.

Serving: about 50g