Butter, Pancake syrup and Pancakes all made freash...

Here you are down to the last of the pancake syrup and no more in sight for a few thousand miles. Also, being that most are made from brown sugar which has not been seen here in Belarus for a few hundred years or so gives us the opertunity to make the whole meal from scratch. I love when it’s down to the point that if I want it I’ve got to make it or give up. Being that I’m not one to give up "lets make it"

We’ll start with brown sugar-
You will need 1 ½ cup of white sugar
2 or 3 Tablespoons of Molasses
Add all of the sugar to a large bowl and start with 2 Tablespoons of Molasses. With a wire whisk mix until well combined. If you want dark brown sugar add the extra Tablespoon of Molasses and mix again. Congrats you have made brown sugar.

　
Moving on to the Syrup-
Add 1 ½ cup of the above just made brown sugar
Add 3/4 cup of water
Add 1 Tablespoon of butter
Pinch of salt
1/4 Teaspoon of Vanilla
Optional 1 Tablespoon of Maple extract or 1 Tablespoon of the last of your pancake syrup
Add brown sugar, water, butter, salt and vanilla into a heavy bottom sauce pot, bring to a low to medium simmer for 10 minutes. (Watch carefully this will boil over as it reduces) (also Content will burn like napalm) After you remove from the heat add the optional maple extract or last of your pancake syrup and stir in. Congrats a second time you’ve made pancake syrup....

On to the butter-
1 cup of heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon of salt or less
If you have a mason jar with a lid add cream and close tightly- Shake until butter seperates from the cream. Anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes. Remove butter but hold onto the the liquid that remains for your pancakes. Some like to rinse the butter under cold water to remove extra liquid from the butter but it’s not required. Add salt a little at a time until you have the desired flavor that you require. Wow-Congrats a third time- You’ve made butter and butter milk

Onto the Pancakes-
1-Cup of A/P flour
1-Egg
1-Tablespoon of oil or melted butter
Reserve liquid from making butter or 3/4 cup of milk1/4 Teaspoon of salt or more if you require
1 Tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon of vanilla
2 Tablespoons of Sugar

In a medium bowl add 1 Egg, Vanilla, Sugar and Salt, Mix well. Add flour, baking powder, oil and reserve liquid or milk and mix until well combined. You are looking for the thickness of or a little less than cake batter. Heat the pan can cook your breakfast.

I was asked "what is needed to be a good chef?"

Normally, I tell people that becoming a chef is easy.  To understand what being a chef, takes years.  Understanding the process of cooking, matching styles or blending different cultures into a dish to accent the flavor and texture while pleasing the eyes, nose and palett of your customer take a lifetime.  Understand how to inspire each and every person to give their best while working under extream heat and preasure each and every day is a challange.  Keeping labor cost down, food cost in line, watching invoices for that little incress that your sells person hopes your won't notice is a part of your daily treck and loving every waking minute of this insaine profession is being a Chef.

Crumpets / Thomas English Muffins

Egg Crumpet's

This has the same flavor and texture of the famous Thomas English Muffins.  I must pre-warn you, this will test you in ways that you've never been tested before.  You are required to have a Masters Degree in Aero Space Science along with the patients of a saint.  But, since I can't get English Muffins in Belarus I've got to make it.

• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of milk
• 1 Tablespoon of sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of yeast
• 1 Tablespoon of melted butter
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 Tablespoon of fine ground cornmeal

In a small pot add 1/4 cup of water, 1/3 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar. When the milk, sugar and water reach 110 degrees transfer to a medium bowl and add 1 tablespoon of yeast. Allow the yeast to bloom, about 5 minutes then add 1 table spoon of melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg and wisk.  Add 1 cup of A/P flour and wisk until well combined with no lumps.  Move the bowl to a warm place and allow the batter to double in size.

Batter will be a little thicker than cake batter

Allow the batter to double in size.  Depending on how warm your kitchen is it may take between 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Okay, the easy part is over and now on to the hard part...  You will require some highly expensive Crumpet making equipment from this point on.

This is my highly expensive Crumpet making equipment.  Two 90 gram coffee cans with the bottoms removed and a cast iron frying pan.  If you have non-stick egg rings I envy you and request that you send them to me. Also a non-stick griddle works the best but I don't have that in Belarus.

The first step is to heat your pan or griddle to 250 degrees, butter the inside of your highly expensive Crumpet making rings and place into the pan.  Sprinkle a pinch of corn meal in each ring then spoon 2 heaping tablespoon of batter into each.

Now this is the part that will make you question why you decided to undertake such a task without first talking with your doctor.  If the pan is at the right temperature this will take about 1 minute.  You are looking for bubbles to rise to the top and a slightly dry texture to appear on the edge.  Sprinkle a pinch of corn meal on the top of the Crumpet and slide a knife around the inside edge of the ring to release the crumpet.  If all is good you should be able to left the ring and see that the Crumpet is 95% cooked with a slight batter remaining on the top.

Notice the bubbles on the top which is the indication that it's time to flip.  Pay attention to the color when you flip the Crumpet and ajust the heat of the pan as needed. Cook for an additional 30 sec. or until golden brown. 

If you have made it to this point you can now split and toast your Crumpet.  Good luck, Since I've started making Crumpet's I have managed to destroy the first two of every batch that I've made.  My biggest mistake is heat.  A little to hot and your crumpets burn, a little to cold and they will run like pancakes.  It will take some time to understand the timing, but if I can do it so can you.





Better than store bought, white sandwich bread.

  I've tried so many different recipes for homemade, better than store bought, quility white sandwich bread.  Some have been okay while others will forever be a brick in the wall.  At one time I was the proud owner of a bread machine which did a good job but lacked the soft texture that I longed for.  In addition this recipe has been abused to the extream by me and still produces a good loaf. 

• 1 Cup of water at 110*
• 2 Tablespoons of sugar
• 3/4 Teaspoons of salt
• 2 Tablespoons of oil
• 1 Tablespoons of yeast
• 3 Cups of A/P flour or bread flour

In a large bowl add 1 Tablespoon of yeast, 2 Tablespoons of sugar and one cup of water at 110 deg. Allow yeast to bloom.

Bloomed yeast will appear as foam

Add 3/4 Teaspoon of salt, 2 Teaspoons of oil and three cups of flour.  Mix well.  If you've made bread before this recipe will appear to be dry but if you have added every thing correctly it will come togather into a smooth elastic ball.  

Having a dry apparence is okay



Need for 5 minutes then allow it to rest for 10 minutes then kneed for 5 minutes again.

Gather the dough togather into a smooth ball and place into your bread pan.  If your using a non-stick pan just go with it, if not, be sure to butter and flour the pan before placing the dough in it.

 Yes, I'm using a non-stick pan and still butter and flour it.

Allow the bread to rise which will depend on how warm your kitchen is.  Normal time is between 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.  If your kitchen is cold like mine, you may need to warm your oven a few minutes and allow your bread to rise there.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place your bread carefully into the center of the oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes.  Keep a check on the color and if it appears to be browning faster than you want place foil on the top.  At the end of 20 minutes pull the bread form the oven and thump the top, if it sounds hollow to the core your bread is finished if not return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Doughnuts / Quick Breads / Fried Yeast Breads

Doughnut's

Makes between 10 to 12 Doughnut's

What do you do when your favorite Doughnut place is 7,000 miles away and would require a Visa to get there. You make it yourself.  Unless your Bill Gates and have the ability to hop a plane and fly there.  This is as close as I've gotten to Krispy Kream Doughnuts, with the soft texture and buttery bite that I have missed so much since leaving America.

• 2 Tablespoons of Yeast
• 1/4 Cup of Sugar
• 3/4 Cup of Milk @ 110*
• 2 Tablespoons of Water
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 Cup of Butter
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Oil
• 2 1/2 Cups of A/P Flour Plus extra

In a small pot with a heavy bottom add 3/4 cup of Milk, 2 Tablespoons of water, 1/4 Cup of Sugar and heat to 110*

In a medium bowl add 2 Tablespoons of Yeast.  When the Milk is at 110* add it to the bowl with yeast and wait 5 minutes for the yeast to start foaming. 

Add 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt, 1/4 Cup of Melted butter, 1/2 Teaspoon of oil and 1 Egg to the bowl with the Milk and Yeast and beat 1 minute with a wire wisk.

Add 2 1/2 cups of Flour and mix until combined then additional flour as needed until a soft elastic ball forms and it pulls away from the side of the bowl.  This batch took almost 3 cups with the high moisture from the weather but other batches have taken less.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work area and kneed for 2 minutes by hand then roll out till it's 1/2" thick.  Use different size cookie cutters or like me two different size cans with the bottoms cut out to make the shape of the Doughnut.  Then move them to a floured tray to hold till they rise.  Rise time will depend on how warm your kitchen but normal time is around 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.  If your kitchen is cold like mine, turn on your oven for 2 minutes then cut it off and place the Doughnuts in the oven to rise.

Cooking:

Heat enough oil in a heavy bottom frying pan or Cast Iron Skillet.  I used enough oil to equal half the height of the Doughnut.  If you look at the photo at the start you will see a line that seperates the top from the bottom which is the level of cooking oil that I've used.  I heat the oil to 300* then carefully lift the Doughnuts off the proofing tray with a wide spatchula and slide them into the oil one or two at a time.  Cook time is quick, about 40sec to 1 minute for the first side then 30 sec. to 45 sec. for the next side.  I judge the process by the color.

Glaze:

• 1/4 Cup of Butter melted
• 1 Cup of Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla
• 2 or 3 Tablespoons of Hot Water

Mix all togather then dredge your Doughnuts until covered and move to a drying rack or plate.