Soft Garlic Knots – KA Recipe

Dough
3 1/4 cups (14 3/4 ounces) Mellow Pastry Blend or 3 cups (14 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) Baker’s Special Dry Milk
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) potato flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons King Arthur Easy-Roll Dough Improver (optional)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) olive oil
1 cup (8 ounces) lukewarm water*

*Add an additional 2 tablespoons water in the winter, or if you live in a very dry climate.

Glaze
2 to 6 cloves peeled, crushed garlic
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or Italian seasoning, optional

Dough: Whisk the dry ingredients together to prevent the potato flour from clumping when liquid is added. Stir in the olive oil and water, then mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to form a smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk.

Shaping: Divide the dough into 16 pieces, and roll each into a rope about 11 inches long; tie each rope into a knot, tucking the loose ends into the center. Place the knots on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to about an hour, until very puffy looking.

Glaze: Whisk together the melted butter and garlic. Set it aside.

Baking: Bake the knots in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be set, but only very lightly browned. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush or drizzle them with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning, if desired. Eat the knots warm. Yield: 16 garlic knots.

Butterhorn Garlic Knots Makes 36

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces

1/2 cup warm water (105 degrees)

1 tsp plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 envelope plus 1/2 tsp dry yeast (use instant Lisa!)

3 large eggs, room temp

5 1/4 cups, AP flour

2 1/2 tsp salt (recipe calls for 1 Tbsp but I thought this made the rolls too salty!)

1 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

3 cloves garlic, minced finely

In heavy medium sized sauce pan over low heat, heat milk and 3/4 cup of butter until butter melts. Stir occasionally to prevent milk from burning on bottom of pan. Let cool to 120 degress.

Combine warm water, 1 tsp sugar, and yeast in small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes (this is for flavor not to proof yeast, unless you are using active yeast in which case you are proofing and getting flavor)

In large bowl of stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat eggs and remaining sugar at low speed until blended. Beat in milk mixture.

Gradually add 2 1/2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until blended smooth. Replace the whisk with dough hook. Add yeast mixture, salt, and 2 cups of flour (1/2 cup at a time), beat at medium low speed (2 on the KA mixture). You will have a very wet and loose dough that climbs

the dough hook but falls back down the bowl by this time. One TBSP at

a time, add enough flour to form a firm but sticky dough ball. The

dough balls will pull away from the sides of the bowl and not flop back

to the sides. It will feel like “fly paper” when you tough it.

Pour 1 Tbsp melted butter in large bowl (4Qt or Larger) that can be fitted with a lid or that plastic wrap clings to well. On very lightly flour covered counter and with lightly floured hands, give dough 3 – 5 quick hand kneads to form good dough ball and then put in buttered bowl, turning dough over to coat with butter. Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down dough, fold dough over in half and then half again, and brush

with melted butter. Cover bowl again and let rise again in same warm

draft free place until double (about 1 hour) FYI: This is called turning the dough too, just like with puff pastry and will result in a flaky rolls)

Follow the directions for making the knots as shown on the KA website

CHICKEN PICCATTA

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup milk
3/4 cup very dry white wine
1-2 fresh lemons
2-3 tsp capers

In large saute or fry pan, melt butter. While butter is melting, combine flour, salt and pepper in small bowl. Dip each piece of chicken in milk; shake off excess. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and add to fry pan.
Saute chicken in butter over medium to medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, turning often. Add more butter as needed.

Remove chicken from pan and place on platter. Keep chicken warm while making the sauce.

Turn heat to medium high and deglaze with the wine, stirring to get all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to medium low and continue to cook sauce, stirring frequently. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon into sauce, add capers and continue to stir until sauce has thickened slightly.

Basic Pasta Dough

3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

4 extra-large eggs

1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Mound 3 1/2 cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and olive oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape.

The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated. At this point, start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands.

Once there is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly re-flour the board and continue kneading for 6 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky.

Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Roll or shape as desired.

Silky Chocolate Buttercream

10 ounces (283 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup water, divided

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 large egg yolks

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

Melt the chocolate and 1/3 of a cup of water in a double boiler. Stir frequently until the chocolate is completely melted. It should cool to about tepid for using in the buttercream.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the remaining 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, stop stirring and turn the heat to high.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks at medium speed.

Place a candy thermometre in the boiling water/sugar mixture and when it reaches 225 degrees F., increase the speed of the mixer to high.

As soon as the thermometre reaches 238 degrees F., remove from heat.

Turn the mixer off. Carefully pour about ¼ cup of the syrup into the egg mixture avoiding the whisk beaters. Turn the mixer on to high and beat for 10 seconds. Turn off and add another ¼ cup of syrup. Again turn the mixer to high and beat for 10 seconds. Turn it off and add another ¼ cup and repeat the 10-second beating on high. Continue doing this until the syrup is used up.

Once all the syrup is in, scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat the mixture at medium-high for 5 minutes or until it has cooled completely. (5 to 7 minutes)

Reduce the mixer to medium speed and begin adding the butter 1 tbsp. at a time. Once it’s all in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes utnil your buttercream is smooth and shiny.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the chocolate mixing until just blended. Remove from the mixer and stir it by hand a few times to ensure it’s well blended.

Use it right away. You can refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week but I recommend using it immediately!

CASSATA ALIA SICILIA

FOR THE SPONGE CAKES
2 cups bleached cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
8 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
FOR THE RUM SYRUP
2 cups granulated sugary
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup rum
FOR THE FILLIMG
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup shelled whole unsalted pistachios
3 cups fresh, whole-milk ricotta
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Freshly grated zest of 2 medium oranges
FOR THE ICING
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted and
cooled, for garnish
Maraschino or amarena cherries, for garnish(optional)
Candied orange zest, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center. Lightly grease two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans with butter or nonstick cooking spray, line them with parchment paper, then grease the parchment.

To make the sponge cakes: Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat the egg yolks with the sugar on medium speed until very light and pale yellow in color and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract, followed by the melted burte: Transfer the egg mixture to a large, clean mixing bowl. Fold in the dry ingredient-quickly and lightly, using a rubber spatula, stopping just before they are fully incorporated. Clean the whisk attachment and mixing bowl.
Place the egg whites and the pinch of salt in the cleaned bowl of the electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until the-form firm peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter quickly and lightly; this will also incorporate any streaks of dry ingredients that remain.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. Bake the cakes for 35 to 40 minutes, or until they are golden brown, a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cakes have begun to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then carefully rum them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are cooling, prepare the rum syrup: In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, water, and rum. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the contents to a boil, then lower the heat slightly and allow the syrup to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

Next, prepare the filling: Using a microplane or box grater, grate the chocolate into fine, feathery shreds. Using a sharp knife, finely chop the pistachios. Place the ricotta, confectioners’ sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl of an electric mixer and, using the paddle attachment, beat until the ricotta is creamy and soft. Add the grated chocolate, chopped pistachios, and orange zest and beat just until combined.

To assemble the cassata: Have ready a 9-inch springform pan. Using a serrated knife, carefully split each cake layer in half horizontally to make four layers. Place one of the layers in the bottom of the pan and, using a pastry brush, moisten it generously and evenly with some of the rum syrup. Spread the cake layer evenly with one third of the ricotta mixture. Repeat twice with another cake layer, more of the rum syrup, and another third of the ricotta mixture. Place the final cake layer on top and generously brush with the rum syrup. Wrap the springform pan tightly in plastic wrap; this helps the layers fit snugly on top of each other. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To prepare the icing: Place the sifted confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the egg white and water and beat the ingredients together with the paddle attachment on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the almond extract.

To finish the cassata: Remove the cassata from the refrigerator and carefully remove the sides of the pan. You may need to run a hot knife around the sides first. You may leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan, or carefully transfer it to a cardboard cake circle with an offset spatula. Place the cake on a wire rack to ice it; you can place some parchment or wax paper underneath to catch any drips.

Spread the icing over the top and sides of the cake, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Scatter the toasted almonds over the top and let the cake sit until the icing sets. Return the cake to the refrigerator to chill until you are ready to serve it, at least 3 hours.

Before serving, carefully transfer the cake to a platter or cake stand, and, if desired, decorate the cassata with maraschino or amarena cherries and some strips of candied orange zest.

Leftovers should be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 additional day.