The winter of our Thursday's #466

[RICHARD]

No, no discontent here in the bar........



Buttered Rum #2 recipe...

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb butter
1 pint vanilla ice cream


Blend all ingredients in a food processer or mixer and store in the fridge or freezer. To make a drink add a shot of good dark rum along with 1 or 2 tbl spoons of batter to a mug of very hot water. Serve in irish coffee cup.


DONE?

[Lady's Human]

Low calories to boot!

How about some Christmas Stollen to go with it to completely clog up the arteries?

[Karen]

Sounds deadly - and yummy in weensy small doses! I'll take some stollen, please!

[RICHARD]

Low calories to boot!

How about some Christmas Stollen to go with it to completely clog up the arteries?

Paula Deen is stuck in the L&F.......I'll get her...

[RICHARD]

Stollen recipe....

Ingredients
For the Fruit:
1 cup mixed candied fruit
1 cup raisins
3 tablespoons dark rum or orange juice

For the Sponge:
1 scant tablespoon or 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

For the Dough:
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
3 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Oil, for coating bowl

For the Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Topping:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions
Prepare Fruit: Combine the mixed fruit, raisins, and rum. Cover and set aside. Shake or stir the mixture every so often to coat the fruit with the rum.


Prepare Sponge: In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast in the water to soften. Heat the milk to 110 degrees F and add it to the yeast along with the honey and 1 cup flour. Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and let rise until light and full of bubbles, about 30 minutes.


By Hand: Add the fruit mixture, honey, egg, butter, zest, salt, mace, almonds, and 2 cups of the flour to the sponge. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic.


By Mixer: In the mixer bowl, add the fruit mixture, honey, egg, butter, zest, salt, mace, almonds, and 2 cups of the flour to the sponge. Using the paddle, beat the mixture on medium low speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Change to the dough hook. Continue to add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to clean the bowl. Knead 4 to 5 minutes on medium-low.


First rise: Put the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.


Shape and Fill: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. For 1 large loaf, roll the dough into a 9 by 13-inch oval. For 2 loaves, divided the dough in half and roll each half into a 7 by 9-inch oval. Brush the melted butter over the top of the oval(s). Combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar and sprinkle over one lengthwise half of the oval(s). Fold the dough in half lengthwise and carefully lift the bread(s) onto a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet. Press lightly on the folded side to help the loaf keep its shape during rising and baking.


Second rise: Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise for 45 minutes.


Preheat oven: About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.


Bake and cool: Bake for 25 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 degrees F. Immediately remove from the baking sheet and place on a rack to cool.


To serve: Sprinkle heavily with confectioners' sugar just before serving.


Variation: Between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, roll 3 ounces almond paste or marzipan into the lengthwise shape of half the oval. Omit the butter and cinnamon-sugar filling. Place the marzipan on half of the oval and fold the dough in half. Let rise and bake as directed.


Notes: One cup coarsely chopped mixed dried fruits may be substituted for the candied fruit. Cover the dried fruit with boiling water and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and use as you would candied fruit. You can also make your own candied fruit and peel. This bread freezes nicely for up to 6 months. If freezing it, do not sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. To serve, first thaw the bread, then bake on a baking sheet in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar

[Karen]

In our family, the almonds were toasted slivered almonds - toast lightly and set aside. Mix together a cup or so of confectioner's sugar and a little vanilla and water enough to make a slightly runny paste. When you take the breads out of the oven, spread that over the top of the stollen, and sprinkle on the toasted almonds immediately.

Makes it prettier, and the glaze hardens to a shiny surface studded with the almond slivers.

[slick]

Well, I'm not much for Stolen or Stollen...but hey I'll take a DOTD.
The Buttered Rum sounds fantastic. I think I might whip up a batch. After all, everything better with butta'. Paula Deen, come out of the closet. I hear you have diabetes....no wonder.

3 days left of work and I'm a free woman. Just think...I'll be at this bar all day long.

[Catty1]

3 days, Slick - wow!

Is the BFH behaving any differently? Or you are so happy you just don't notice her?

I like the hot buttered stuff - but I will add some artificial rum extract, if such a thing exists. Apparently the real extract has alcohol in it? That includes vanilla extract.

Stollen....will try a tiny piece...dried fruit and raisins are not my favourite part. Maybe a slice off the top with the almonds and frosting?

THANKS!

[cassiesmom]

Could I just have ginger ale, please. I've had a headache since early this morning.

[Queen of Poop]

Could I get a cranberry juice and soda please?

Diego's out of surgery and fine and now my IBS is kicking it up a notch. Stress is bad, bad, bad for my insides!!

[Karen]

Ginger ale and cranberry and soda - for you both.

I'll put out some rice cakes too, if that might eb okay on your tummy.

[Pinot's Mom]

Stollen & buttered rum for me, please! Slick, you give me hope there is a life after an awful work environment. Congrats!

[slick]

Oh my doG - someone please give me some aspirin and let me go back to bed. Didn't get to bed until 1:30am from my retirement party at a local sports bar. Drink, eat, drink some more, eat some more.....I just can't partee like I used to. And the thing is that my BFH partied along with us right to the end. It felt kind of weird.

Happy weekend everyone. Zzzzzzz

[Karen]

Sounds like a good day for you to grab a furry friend and crawl back into bed. You'll have to have another party without BFH after it is truly over!

[pomtzu]

Stollen & buttered rum for me, please! Slick, you give me hope there is a life after an awful work environment. Congrats!

Yes Maggie, there really is, and I can attest to that. It will be 6 years next month since I last worked, and officially retired in October of the same year. After 22 years with the same company and the same b.s. day after day, I can truly say I loved the song title Take This Job and Shove It.

Hope you're enjoying your peaceful and private Saturday.