The Cheese Board (31 page)
Authors: Cheese Board Collective Staff
CHAPTER FIVE
HOLIDAYS
MARKING THE HOLIDAYS
with special foods is a tradition that evolved at the Cheese Board as one member or another introduced baked goods that appealed to them. With so many different breads baked over a given week, the Cheese Board bread schedule is confusing at any time of year, but during holidays we add more breads to our already-packed list. Some of these baked goods are seasonal variations on standard breads, while those featured in this chapter are unique to a specific holiday.
For Valentine’s Day, we make
Deep Dark Chocolate Loaves
and our usual shortbread cut into heart shapes and drizzled with chocolate—that’s easy. Then comes St. Patrick’s Day, which we honor with our
Irish soda scones
. Hot cross buns are a great Easter tradition, and in summertime we put out garlic baguettes for
Bastille Day
. Starting in the late fall, our baking schedule becomes increasingly hectic.
Holiday challah
is made for Rosh Hashanah. Fruitcakes need to be baked and aged in rum and brandy starting in October in order to be ready in December. Instead of making sweets for Halloween, we bake
Halloween pizza
, and the next day we make
Day of the Dead Bread
. Thanksgiving brings
Stuffing Bread
, as well as the tart surprise of cranberries in the brioche.
As the close of the year approaches, there is a palpable feeling of excitement and building momentum in the bustling store as the collective swings into high gear. We whip up cheese balls, put out the aged fruitcake for sale, and load the shelves with Florentine cookies, saffron bread, stollen, and various little sweet quick breads. Our usual days off are taken up with producing holiday goods. It is an exciting and exhausting time of year, so much so that we need to close the store for a full week after New Year’s Eve in order to recuperate.
HOLIDAYS
Deep Dark Chocolate Loaves
These sinful little loaves should really be called cakes. We make them for Valentine’s Day, since they are perfect for a decadent dessert after a romantic dinner. The cake is so rich that frosting is superfluous—though there always is Chantilly cream.
MAKES 6 SMALL LOAVES OR 2 CAKES
Preparation time including baking: 1¼ hours
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1⅓ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1½ cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter or spray 6 small (5 by 3-inch) aluminum loaf pans. If making this recipe into 2 cake rounds, generously butter or spray two 9-inch cake pans.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, coffee, heavy cream, and vanilla. Whisk until blended.
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
If using a stand mixer,
add the salt and sugar to the dry ingredients and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together.
add the salt and sugar to the dry ingredients and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together.
If making by hand,
add the salt and sugar to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together.
add the salt and sugar to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together.
Fill each loaf pan three-fourths full with batter. If baking cakes, fill each pan equally with the batter. Place the pans on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pans front to back and trade their positions. Bake 10 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 35 minutes, or until the loaves or cakes are firm and springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely.
Hot Cross Buns
Some baker years ago (who knows who) thought that including these traditional buns would be a good way to celebrate the vernal equinox. We make them the day before Easter. They are small, sweet, and spicy buns decorated with confectioners’ sugar icing.
MAKES 12 BUNS
Preparation time including rising and baking: 2¾ hours; active time: 45 minutes
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
4 cups bread flour
½ cup granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup lukewarm water
½ cup Ricotta cheese
4 eggs
½ cup dried currants
Glaze
1¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup warm milk
In a small bowl, whisk the yeast into the warm water until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In the bowl of the stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
If using a stand mixer,
add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with the paddle attachment on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Add the yeast mixture, lukewarm water, Ricotta, and 3 of the eggs, and mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined, about 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook, increase the mixer speed to medium, and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough loses its rough texture and begins to acquire a satiny sheen. Add the currants and knead until the fruit is incorporated, about 1 minute. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with the paddle attachment on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Add the yeast mixture, lukewarm water, Ricotta, and 3 of the eggs, and mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined, about 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook, increase the mixer speed to medium, and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough loses its rough texture and begins to acquire a satiny sheen. Add the currants and knead until the fruit is incorporated, about 1 minute. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
If making by hand,
add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Add the yeast mixture, lukewarm water, Ricotta, and 3 of the eggs, and mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 12 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Flatten the dough and sprinkle with the currants. Knead until the fruit is incorporated.
add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Add the yeast mixture, lukewarm water, Ricotta, and 3 of the eggs, and mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 12 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Flatten the dough and sprinkle with the currants. Knead until the fruit is incorporated.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 pieces. Shape the pieces into
small rounds
and place them at least 3 inches apart on the prepared pans. Cover with a floured kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until the buns are rounded and puffy, and a finger pressed into the dough leaves an impression.
small rounds
and place them at least 3 inches apart on the prepared pans. Cover with a floured kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until the buns are rounded and puffy, and a finger pressed into the dough leaves an impression.
Fifteen minutes before the buns have finished rising, arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg. Using a pastry brush, brush the top and sides of each bun with the beaten egg.
Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets front to back and trade their rack positions. Bake 15 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden on the top and bottom. Line a work surface with newspaper and place a wire rack on top. Transfer the buns to the rack to cool for 20 minutes.
While the buns are cooling make the glaze: Warm the milk in a small saucepan. Add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk until blended to a smooth glaze. Using a teaspoon or pastry bag, drizzle the icing onto each bun in the form of a cross.
Irish Soda Scones
For years the Cheese Board made Irish soda bread on St. Patrick’s Day. Two years ago, one of our members developed an Irish soda scone recipe, taking our tradition in a new direction. These scones are triangular in shape and flakier than our regular scones. Sweetened only with golden raisins, they are perfect to split open and spread with butter and jam.
MAKES 12 SCONES
Preparation time including baking: 45 minutes
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1¼ cups (2½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup golden raisins
1½ cups buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
If using a stand mixer,
add the salt, oats, and caraway seeds, and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the raisins. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together; add a bit more buttermilk if the dough seems too dry. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the oats to absorb the liquid.
add the salt, oats, and caraway seeds, and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the raisins. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together; add a bit more buttermilk if the dough seems too dry. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the oats to absorb the liquid.
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