Hamburger Buns for BBB and BBD42

These hamburger buns were the last things baked in my kitchen before taking off to parts easterly. Currently, I'm in northern New York, in the Niagara Falls area. Today was, finally, a relatively cool day, much to everyone's relief.

This month, the Bread Baking Babes made hamburger buns, thanks to Sara of i like to cook. You can find this delicious, easy recipe on Sara's website.


I kept the buns square

and sprinkled on both sesame seeds and nigella seeds.


Some were eaten right away, some were frozen, and a few were wrapped up and taken on our cross-country trip. They made delicious snacks along the way.


I also made these hamburger buns in honor of Bread Baking Day #42, Bread for a Picnic. It has to do double duty since I'm away from home. I guess you could say that we did 'picnic' with them on the road trip.


So, sometime in early August, be sure and stop by the Bread Baking Babes for a round-up and the recipe, and then check out Palmira's blog, Come conmigo, el blog de Palmira, for the BBD42 round-up.


I'll return to my much-missed kitchen on August 2.

On the Road Again; Kitchen Closed

We're off on our cross-country adventure, heading from California to New York via Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Daughter #2 is determined to finish college in New York state. Her car will be packed to the gills.

So, for the next 17 days, my kitchen will be closed. No baking, no food posting. Except for one bread-related post that is in the hopper. It will appear on schedule, somewhere on our route.



First destination is Youngstown, NY, which is near Niagara Falls, to visit Daughter #1; then I'll shuffle from Buffalo to Baltimore for a few days before flying home in early August. Hopefully, my pup will remember me!

Hasta la vista.

TWD: Cream Scones

Ah scones. Lovely, yummy fresh-from-the-oven, warm scones.

This week's TWD recipe is the Cream Scone. I do believe I've made these before, in error, since I think that week was supposed to be some kind of biscuit, but in my haste or stupor, I misread the selection.

This time around, there was no mistake.



Instead of currants, I added my favorite -- mini cinnamon chips. Then, before baking, I brushed the tops with milk and sprinkled on heavy-duty sugar crystals. Oh yeah.




While the recipe made twelve scones, I immediately took half the dough, already cut, and stuck it in the freezer. Come next Saturday morning, we will feast again on cinnamon chip cream scones.



This week's hostess was Lynne of Cafe LynnyLu. Do try this scone recipe, which you will find on Lynne's blog. Then, while you are munching away, perhaps with a cup of tea, read about the scones from the other TWD bakers.

TWD: Chocolate Chunk Muffins

These were a surprise hit in our household. Moist and cake-like, they were more like cupcakes than muffins, and happily, not cloyingly sweet.




I used Black Cocoa from King Arthur and dark bittersweet Valrhona chocolate for the chunks. At the end, I also threw in a handful of semisweet chocolate chips. My only disappointment was that the Valrhona chunks melted into the cupcake, ne'er to be seen again. Only the chips stayed solid.

My daughter gave them two thumbs up, so this is definitely a repeat recipe.


This week's hostess was Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles. You can find this yummy recipe on her blog.

And, don't forget to check out the other muffins/cupcakes on the Tuesdays with Dorie website.

BBD41: Fourth Anniversary Edition

Happy Anniversary to Bread Baking Day! This special edition was hosted by Connie of my discovery of Bread. Connie's theme was Bread with Herbs.

I actually made this bread early in June, shortly after the theme was announced.





I turned the dough into rolls instead of the usual loaf. The texture was spot on and the herbs added such a nice flavor.






I turned the rolls into sliders, perfect for a summer day.



As I've mentioned before, Bread Baking Day is one of my favorite events. I always look forward to each month's challenge. Many thanks to Zorra for creating this tasty event.

Entries should be posted on Connie's blog within the next week.




Herbed Green Onion Bread
(adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Best Bread Machine Recipes)

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried basil (or 1 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped basil)
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme (or 1 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme)
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary (or 3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary)
2 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces
1 cup milk
1 egg
3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast


In a small skillet cook the green onions and herbs in some butter until the onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Add the green onion mixture, along with the remaining ingredients to a bread machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Select the manual bread cycle.

When the dough is ready, form into the desired shape, brush the tops with melted butter, and bake at 375 degrees F. for about 25 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. The rolls will make a hollow sound when tapped.

FFwD: Mozarella, Tomato, and Strawberry Salad

Last week's recipe from French Fridays with Dorie was a Mozzarella, Tomato, and Strawberry Salad, sort of a riff on a caprese salad.

I made this earlier in June, when I had my eight pounds of strawberries. I used fresh burrata as well, which has a creamy interior that oozes over everything (in a nice way) when cut open.



We enjoyed this salad and thought the sweetness and fruitiness of the strawberries added a nice touch.



Be sure and stop by French Fridays with Dorie to see the list of July's recipes. (Hopefully, Blogger will be cooperative today.)

TWD: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies

Although the recipe says these cookies are thin and plain, mine turned out puffy and slightly spicy. I didn't add the raisins, but substituted cinnamon chips instead. Since we like softer cookies, these were a hit. I can see where they would be great vehicles for frosting, filling, or ice cream.


This week's hostess was Spike of Spike Bakes. Stop by her blog for the recipe, and then head over to the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see all the variations.