A West Virginia specialty

 

West Virginia Pepperoni Rolls – I guess it’s a “thing.”  Who knew?  The January Kitchen of the Month is Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms, and she challenged us to make this WV specialty.  They were originally created by Italian-American miners as a non-perishable lunch to take with them while working underground in the coal mines.  Many recipes include mozzarella cheese, which adds a nice, melty touch.

 

The dough was easy to make and delicious, but because it was an enriched dough, it took twice as long to rise. One thing I learned is that pepperoni slices come in a variety of sizes. Apparently, I chose the giant size, which were basically the size of the dough square, so I only put on two per square.  

 

The end result was a nice combination of salty and sweet.  I bet the addition of cheese would add to their deliciousness.

 

For more background and the recipe, head over to Elle’sblog.  If you want to be a Buddy, send your results to Elle by January 29^th.

 

Check out the other Bread Baking Babes:

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna 
• Bread Experience – Cathy                                           
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups – Tanna  
• Feeding My Enthusiasms – Elle (Kitchen of the Month)

 

Tuesdays with Dorie/Baking with Dorie: Steph's Bakewell Tart

 

For the first January recipe, I chose to make Steph's Bakewell Tart.  

 

For the jam layer, I used cherry preserves which I had left over from a previous bake, and which complemented the almond flavor of the cake. 

 

I loved the tart crust, and will definitely use it for future bakes.  The tart actually held up well for several days, but I was happy to share some with a friend.

 

Follow along at Tuesdays with Dorie to see what the other bakers chose to make.

Tuesdays with Dorie/Baking with Dorie: Cheese Puffers

 

For the second December recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie, I chose to bake the Cheese Puffers, which are sort of a cross between a popover and a muffin.  The baking technique is like the one for popovers, and the texture is also similar.  Cheddar cheese and scallions give them a lovely flavor, and I imagine playing around with different cheese combination would be fun and delicious.

 They are best eaten when warm from the oven, and they don’t last very long even then.  Gone in the blink of an eye!

Looking forward to January’s recipes!  Check on the TWD website to see what the other bakers made this time.