Kitty's Kozy Kitchen

Monday, September 23, 2013

Apple Turnovers

Kathleen's party challenge at Let's Dish! is an apple theme for the month of September. Stop by to visit Cuisine Kathleen to check out the party. My sweet sister gave me four of these beautiful clear glass plates when my dear hubby and I visited last May. She found these at a thrift store and they are just perfect for Fall. I made the gingham napkin and just fringed the edges. What's better than a real apple in a cloche for a pretty centerpiece?

I found this beautiful apple mug, from Tag, at Tuesday Morning, earlier in the summer. I just loved the colors. Sweetheart Cinnamon tea is my flavor to go with the turnovers.

I put a paper leaf that is used on cheese trays, under the plate. My polka dot placemat goes great with the theme. It just so happens that I have two turnovers and I'd be happy to share with you. Come on over!

This recipe comes courtesy of the Mimi's Café website, but adapted by Kitty's Kozy Kitchen. These little pastries would be wonderful to serve after a dinner party or for a tea party. The filling made too much for the pastries, but you can use the leftover for some chunky applesauce, or use the other sheet of puff pastry and make 18 turnovers.

Filling:

3/4 pound Granny Smith apples
3/4 pound Golden Delicious apples
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
a little freshly grated nutmeg

Pastry:
1 sheet of 14- ounce package all-butter frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
Sparkling Sugar

Instructions

For filling:

Peel, core, and cut apples into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups). Place apples in medium saucepan; add ¼ cup water, 3 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until apples are very tender, stirring frequently, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently mash apples with fork or potato masher until mixture is very soft but still chunky. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate.

For pastry:

Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to 15-inch square. Cut pastry into nine 5-inch squares. Place 1 generous tablespoon filling in center of each of 9 squares . Lightly brush edges of 1 pastry with beaten egg. Fold half of pastry square over filling, forming triangle. Press and pinch pastry edges with fingertips to seal tightly. Lightly brush pastry with beaten egg. Sprinkle lightly with sparkling sugar. Repeat with remaining squares. Using thin, sharp knife, make 3 small slits on top of each triangle to allow steam to escape. Place triangles on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Bake turnovers until beginning to color, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; continue baking until turnovers are firm and golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I am sharing with:

Make It Pretty Monday

Tea Time Tuesday

Inspire Me Tuesday
Friends Sharing Tea
Let's Dish!
Tips, Tutorials and Tidbits
Share Your Cup

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday
Weekend Potluck

Seasonal Sundays

Thank you for your visit! xo

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Chesapeake Crab Quiche

I'm transitioning into Fall by using my sunflower plates that I bought on clearance from Pier 1, over a year ago. My Mom always thought sunflowers reminded her of Fall, and I'm listening to her. I love these clear handled flatware from Ross. Drinking glasses just have to be canning jars for this homespun table setting.

I made these napkins with the extra fabric from my table runner, and they're tied with burlap ribbon with some sunflowers tucked in.

My faux sunflowers make up the centerpiece topiary, tied with more burlap ribbon.

Back in the summer, I won this fabulous giveaway from Mary at Home is Where the Boat is!! Mary has the most inspirational blog and is such a generous person. I was going to coordinate with Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul for a party, but caring for my sweetheart took precedence. Thank you Mary, for the beautiful gift!! Mary also sent along some culinary lavender, which you can see tucked into the back right hand corner. Taking a whiff of the lavender is so calming...Ahhh! You can read about Sarah's giveaway win from Mary here.

The detail on the Blue Crab Stoneware is just amazing! I'll be using this beautiful dish for many recipes.

The delicious quiche recipe was included in the recipe book. It is sooo tasty!

1 can Bay Beyond Crabmeat

Quiche and spinach salad...YUM!

1 nine-inch pie shell
2 T. onion, chopped
2 T. butter
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté onion in butter. Whisk eggs, cream and sautéed onion. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper (if desired). Spread drained crabmeat and cheese in bottom of pie shell. Pour egg mixture over top of crab and cheese. Bake 30-40 minutes or until golden,
Optional: garnish the top with Chesapeake Bay Seasoning.

Serves 4

I am sharing this with:

Make It Pretty Monday

HOME

Inspire Me Tuesday
Let's Dish!
Tips, Tutorials and Tidbits
Share Your Cup

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday
Weekend Potluck

Seasonal Sundays

Thank you for your visit! xo

Monday, September 16, 2013

Rainbow Bread (Italian Feather Bread)

Tea today is with this pretty bread and tea in my gifted cup from my sweet sister.

This bread almost looks tie-dyed, doesn't it? What fun to make with kids and it only requires ONE RISING!

My dear friend, Mary, who was visiting her son and daughter-in-love, from Chicago, told me about this bread. Mary used to be a pre-school teacher and she would have her class make this bread. Even though she is retired, she is still requested to come back to the school and make this with the children. I made this with my youngest granddaughter and it came out so pretty. Here's the recipe, from Beard on Bread, as explained by Mary.

Italian Feather Bread (Rainbow Style), adapted by Kitty's Kozy Kitchen

2 packages active dry yeast

After the rising time

1 T granulated sugar

1 c warm water [100° to 115° F, approximately]

1/3 c olive oil (or vegetable oil)

3/4 c hot water

2 t salt

5 1/2 to 6 c AP flour (start with 5 cups)

cornmeal or semolina flour

Stir the yeast, sugar and warm water together in the bowl of a stand mixer; let sit until yeast dissolves and starts to proof.

In the meantime, add the olive oil to the hot water and let cool to lukewarm. Add the salt, and combine with the yeast mixture. Stirring vigorously with the dough hook attachment, add the flour 1 c at a time, until the dough almost comes away from the sides of the bowl. [The dough will seem rather soft and sticky at this point.] Continue kneading the dough with the dough hook, adding a couple tablespoons of flour as you go along. Alternatively, you could turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead with your hands. Continue kneading until the dough has absorbed enough flour that it is easy to handle, about 2 to 4 minutes.

When the dough is soft and smooth, let rest for 5 or 6 minutes and then divide into two. (At this point, you add your food coloring to dough that has been separated into as many colors as you would like. You can have the child then put them together and stack and twist them). Without food coloring, you roll each half into a rectangle about 12″ x 8″. Starting from the wide end, roll the rectangle up quite tightly, pinching the seams as you roll. Let the rolled loaves rise on a piece of parchment paper, that has been sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina flour, in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 50 to 60 minutes. Place a baking stone* on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 425° F while the bread proofs. (At this point, I slashed the of the loaves).

After the dough has doubled in bulk, place the loaves on top of the hot stone, parchment and all (I use a rimless cookie sheet to transfer the loaves). Bake 30- 40 minutes (directions said 40, but this was too long for my oven!), or until the loaves are a rich, golden color and make a hollow sound when you tap the crust with your knuckles, top and bottom. Cool on a rack and slice when fresh.

*If you have no baking stone, butter one or two baking sheets well and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the just-rolled loaves on the sheets, and then let them rise until doubled in bulk. Bake the loaves on the sheet[s] on the middle rack, the same as you would with the stone.

Here's my adorable helper! She's ready to knead in the colors.

Here's another adorable helper and we made another batch. This time we stacked each color and then rolled them to form a loaf. I loved this method the best.