Easter Dinner

415.  Sharing a few photos from our Easter Dinner Celebration.  Enjoy!

Roasted top pork loin roll with herbs and mustard marinade.

Handmade Pierogi filled with potato, cheese and onion.  Homemade Dinner Rolls.

Appetizer of Crudités

Desserts included Plum Pie, Chocolate Cream Pie, Peanut Butter Cream Pie,

and Apricot Coconut Squares.

We sat and enjoyed each other's company and ate till we were bursting. 

"The dinner hour is a sacred, happy time when everyone should be together and relaxed.

~ Julia Child

Perfect Dinner Rolls

334.  Warning!  You are about to enter into the territory of fresh, home baked, soft and fluffy, delicious dinner rolls.  My favorite recipe that always turns out perfect.

Perfect Dinner Rolls

1 cup warm water 

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

4-5 cups all-purpose flour

butter

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl.  Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, approximately 4 minutes.  Stir in the melted butter, sugar, eggs and salt.  Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time until dough is too stiff to mix.  Dough will be sticky with no kneading necessary.  Cover the bowl loosely and place in a warm draft-free place to rise.  

Grease a 13 x 9" baking dish.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Gently divide dough into 24 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a smooth round ball and place in even rows into the baking dish.  Cover and let rise until doubled in volume.  Approximately 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375∘  Bake until rolls are golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  Brush top of rolls with butter.  Break apart to serve.

"The sky is the daily bread of the eyes." 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hot Cross Buns

 271.  Warm, soft, sweet, freshly made rolls just bring a smile to my face.  Each year for Easter, I like to bake fresh bread in some shape or form.  This year, it was Hot Cross Buns.  I am amazed, when you begin to search, how many recipes there are available for bread.  But, how do you know if the recipe you select is the one that will taste the best.  What I usually look for first is the ingredients.  If they are fresh and not prepackaged ingredients, you can be sure the recipe will have great flavor.

Hot Cross Buns

Bread Machine Method
In a glass measuring cup place:
1/2 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter
Microwave on high or heat in a small saucepan till butter has melted.

Pour into bread machine bowl/basket.  Add in the following order:
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast

Set the bread machine to the "dough" setting and "start".

After an hour, add to the dough:
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins

When dough is finished, remove from machine and place on lightly floured surface.
Cut dough in half and cut each half into 6 pieces yielding 12 rolls.  Shape into round rolls and
place on parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise at room temperature until they have doubled 45 minutes to an hour. Brush before baking with an egg wash:
1 egg
1 teaspoon warm water
 Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack.

Prepare icing in a small bowl:
1/2 cup confectioner sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Mix and place in a small piping bag or zip lock bag with edge trimmed.  Pipe a cross symbol across the top of each roll.

.

"Hot cross buns! 
Hot cross buns! 
One a penny, two a penny, 
Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns! 
Hot cross buns!
 If you haven’t any daughters, 
Give them to your sons!
 One a penny, two a penny, 
Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns!
 Hot cross buns!
 If you haven’t got a penny
 A ha’penny will do.
 If you haven’t got a ha’penny,
 Well God bless you"

~Nursery Rhyme