Brioche Doughnuts

Fry up Mindy Segal’s fluffy, sugar-coated doughnuts for breakfast or an after-dinner treat.
www.hotchocolatechicago.com

Makes about 35 doughnuts.

Starter
1/3 cup + 2½ tsp whole milk
1 tbsp yeast (dried)
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1¾ cup all-purpose flour

Dough
5 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1¼ lbs flour (about 4 cups) + extra flour for dusting
1 oz (about 1 tbsp) clover honey
1 tsp salt
½ lb butter (2 sticks), softened, divided into tablespoon-size chunks
Canola oil, for frying
1 cup granulated sugar


Ganache
10 oz 64% chocolate
1 cup heavy cream

1. Begin with the starter: Heat milk to about 90 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in yeast with a fork. Let the mixture sit until it gets creamy and foamy, about five minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.) Mix in egg and egg yolk with a fork. Add one cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Pour the rest of the flour over the top of the mixture (don’t mix it), cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until it has doubled in volume.
2. Make dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine starter, eggs, sugar, flour and honey. Fit the mixer with a dough-hook attachment; mix on low speed. Add salt. Mix until dough comes together, pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball, about three to four minutes. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting to add more until the last bit is incorporated. When all of the butter is added, you should have a soft, smooth, shiny dough. Place it in a greased bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, let the dough sit in a warm place for three hours—it should come to room temperature and have risen slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough approximately a half-inch thick. Cut doughnuts with a cookie cutter (HotChocolate’s are two-inch circles); cut hole in the middle of each doughnut using a smaller cookie cutter and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free space until they’ve risen and are slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.
4. While doughnuts are rising, make ganache. Roughly chop chocolate and place in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. In a small sauce pot, bring heavy cream to a boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate, coating entirely. Let sit one minute, then whisk cream and chocolate together to form a smooth, shiny ganache.
5. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to a heavy pot, and heat about three inches of canola frying oil to 350 degrees. Fry the doughnuts two or three at a time, about one minute per side, until golden brown. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels and toss in granulated sugar to coat while still warm. Serve warm with a small bowl of chocolate ganache for dipping.

TIPS
• A deep-fry thermometer ensures the proper temperature—find one for $12.95 at Sur La Table (755 W North Ave, 312-787-5111). If the oil isn’t hot enough, the doughnuts won’t crisp evenly and will become soggy. If it’s too hot, the doughnuts will cook on the outside but remain undercooked on the inside.
• Don’t have a cookie cutter? Cut out the doughnuts with an upside-down measuring cup, then unscrew the removable KitchenAid imprint from the front of the mixer and use it to cut out the middle.

Chilaquiles Rojas

from Chino Latino's executive chef, Noah Barton
www.chinolatino.com/

Serves: About 8

1/2 pound chicken breast
2 cups chicken stock
2 tomatoes, cored
2  Guajillo chiles
1 jalapeno chile pepper, stemmed, halved
1/4 yellow onion, peeled, halved
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. cilantro, chopped
1 T. epazote, chopped
pinch oregano
salt to taste
6 ounces tortilla chips
4 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 pound queso fresco
1 T. cilantro, chopped

1. In large stockpot, combine chicken and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until chicken is tender, remove chicken and cool. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken and hold in refrigerator for later use.

2. Add tomatoes, guajillos, jalapeno and halved onion to chicken stock. Cover and bring to a low boil for 30-45 minutes.

3. Saute onions and garlic in large saute pan until translucent and slightly browned. Set aside.

4. Remove simmering vegetables from heat, add oregano, epazote, and cilantro. Completely puree with mixer to make salsa.

To make chilaquiles:

1. Heat chicken, salsa and tortilla chips over medium heat in large saute pan, stirring frequently and tossing to mix well.

2. Heat non-stick saute pan and spray with Pam or add clarified butter. Add eggs and cook over easy.

3. When tortillas are beginning to soften (not soggy), remove from heat and place on large serving platter. Add over easy eggs and top with queso fresco, sour cream and chopped cilantro.

4. Kiss that hangover "adios."

One of the silliest exhibitions at the State Fair is the butter sculptures.  Take 500 pounds of solid-state dairy product and turn it into art! Yippee!
More at: www.citypages.com
http://mnstatefair.org/

Key's Cafe Famous Caramel Rolls

Source: Key's Cafe - Minneapolis, Minnesota
www.keyscafe.com

2 (1 pound) loaves frozen bread dough, thawed
3 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
10 ounces melted butter

Blend brown sugar and butter in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add cream. Spread over bottom of pan. Flatten bread dough, sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture on top and roll up and cut each loaf into 4 pieces. Place on top of caramel. Let rise in a warm place to double in size or overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until brown on top.

Ina's Gingerbread Pancakes

www.breakfastqueen.com

Ingredients:  

Yield: 20 (3 inch) pancakes
1 cup flour
1/2 cup each sugar, potato starch* see note at bottom
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. each baking soda, ground ginger, ground cloves, dry mustard
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. molasses

*You can find potato starch in a box in the Jewish Food Section of your supermarket. It might also be in the natural food area.

Directions:    

1. Sift all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir until well blended.
2. Combine all wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Stir into flour mixture and blend well without over mixing.
3. Heat oiled griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles appear on the tops - about 3 minutes.
5. Turn over and cook about 1 minute more.
6. Place pancakes, uncovered, on a oven-safe platter in the oven until all pancakes are made.

Brioche French Toast with Strawberry Cream Cheese and Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

Chef Kevin Hickey of Seasons at Four Seasons Hotel – Chicago, IL
www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs/
Adapted by StarChefs.com, May 2008

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
  
• 2 cups peeled and chopped rhubarb
  
• 1½ cups sugar
  
• 1 vanilla bean, split
  
  Brioche French Toast:
  
• 12 ounces softened cream cheese
  
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
  
• 8 slices brioche
  
• 12 eggs
  
• 1 cup whole milk
  
• 2 vanilla beans, split
  
  To Assemble and Serve:
  
• Halved strawberries, for garnish
  
• Mint sprigs and leaves, for garnish
  
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Method:

For the Strawberry Rhubarb Compote:
Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and place over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

For the Brioche French Toast:
Combine cream cheese and strawberries with a spoon until blended (you want some chunks of strawberry to remain in the mixture). Smear cream cheese mixture onto one side of four slices of brioche and top with the remaining slices. In a wide bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla seeds; set aside.

To Assemble and Serve:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Soak French toast in egg mixture for one minute, or until bread has soaked up egg mixture. Brown French toast on both sides in a buttered pan; then bake in oven for five minutes. Use a serrated knife to cut each French toast into four triangles. Arrange toast pieces on a plate, spoon compote into middle, garnish with strawberries and mint, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Lemon Ricotta Hotcakes

Chef Kevin Hickey of Seasons at Four Seasons Hotel – Chicago, IL
www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs/
Adapted by StarChefs.com, May 2008

Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients:

Sour Cherry Preserves:
• 4 cups frozen sour cherries
  
• 1 vanilla bean, spilt
  
• 4 cups sugar
  
• Zest of 1 orange
  
• Zest of 1 lemon
  
  Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes:
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 14 ounces sugar
  
• Pinch salt
  
• 6 ounces butter
  
• Zest and juice of 11 lemons
  
• 3 pounds ricotta cheese
  
• 6 eggs
  
  To Assemble and Serve:
  
• 4 ounces butter, or as needed
  
• Lemon curd
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Method:

For the Sour Cherry Preserves:
Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and place over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

For the Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes:
Combine dry ingredients and stir; mix in wet ingredients.

To Assemble and Serve:
Cook pancakes on a griddle with butter. Smear hotcakes with thin layer of lemon curd just before stacking on plate. Spoon sour cherries and sauce over top and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Sky Full of Bacon is a series of video podcasts from Michael Gebert, author and co-founder of Chicago's LTHForum.com. In these podcasts, he introduces viewers to interesting folks in the world of food.  His goal is "a format which allows for thoughtful conversation, but also offers the sensory satisfactions of great-looking food."  We like it!

http://skyfullofbacon.com/

Hi.  Welcome to the blog.  In the future, this will be the place to come to see reviews and photos after each months' brunch.  I will also post restaurant news and brunch-related topics as we go along.  Enjoy!