I think I've got a touch of the depression...it was a very sad weekend...Christmas went away...
This picture shows just the last remaining few boxes...oh so sad...this is the earliest I've ever taken down Christmas and I'm not sure why...it was only the 10th day of Christmas!!! Obviously I was not in my right mind and the mister, not believing what he was seeing AND being thrilled to the bone that Christmas was going much earlier than usual, had the good sense to get me out of the house for a bit of fun...he took me to one of my favorite places...the antique store!
Just look at this beautiful crocheted piece I found! Cream, red and green and not a mark on it! I also found a glass bear jar that I had been searching for...I'll tell you why in a later post...and an old nut grinder, spice jar, little red antique book and this wonderful 2,000 Useful Facts (about food book!) Here's one of them: Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries! Go suck on that!
After the antique store we stopped at a few other places, and then spied a new French Bakery...so we went to go in but the doors were locked...the owner saw us, took pity and let us in and then she let us sample everything we wanted! It was all great - greater than great - it was magnifique! Eclairs, palmiers, croissants, petit fours...this fabulous bakery is located in Kirkland and is called The French Bakery. If you're within driving distance - make the trip.
After our French feeding frenzy, I couldn't leave well enough alone...just had to make something French for myself...but what?!? I got out my French cookbooks...and found the perfect recipe...Cinnamon Buns using Puff Pastry...instead of making the pastry! Then I remembered Ina Garten's Easy Sticky Buns recipe in her Back to Basics book...and with a little adapting, I made the easiest French pastries ever...they are light, crispy, gooey and oh-so-good!
After tasting all of those "real" French pastries at the bakery, I asked the mister to taste these buns and to compare them...in his best Caveman-Speak and in between bites, he said, "Just as good." I'll bet you thought he was going to say something profound, didn't you?
Three important tips you need to know...one, make SURE you put a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper underneath the muffin tin...all that butter boils up, over and out! Second, only leave the buns in the pan, after baking, for 5 minutes, any longer and they won't pop out. Three...work quickly to scoop out any remaining caramel and nuts as they will harden fast!
French Cinnamon Buns - Adapted from Several Sources, Including Ina Garten's Back To Basics
12 tablespoons butter, salted, at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup almonds, chopped in very large pieces (you could use pecans or walnuts)
1 package (17.3 oz/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
Filling:
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the 12-tablespoons butter and the 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of this mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Disbribute the almonds evenly among hte 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
Lightly flour a working surface and unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Sprinkle each sheet with half of the brown sugar and half of the cinnamon and half of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 buns. Bake for 30 minutes, until the buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert 6 the buns onto the parchment paper and then remove any remaining filling quickly out onto the buns with a spoon. Cool completely.
|
