Delicious Solution

Point, proof, comment? Point, proof, comment? Remain objective. Relate to thesis? Conclusion?

Welcome to exams.

Exams are a toss up. We only have the students for half days which is really nice. But, essay after essay cause my eyes to cross.

You can tell by our couch if it is a heavy marking week for me; there is an indented cushion surrounded by tea cups and drained red pens.

You know how some weeks go by and you haven’t turned on the oven? Exam week is one of those weeks. We’ve been living on cheese and crackers, pitas and egg salad sandwiches; really anything I can whip together quickly, take back to the couch and continue to mark. There is not a lot of balanced eating in exam week.

When Saturday finally came and I felt I had made some progress with the mountain of exams, we were craving something good.

Ben’s French Onion Soup was the perfect fix.

Ben wrote out this recipe on the back of our sushi menu Friday at lunch. He doesn’t really do recipes but more grocery lists. So, this is me adding a little structure.

Ben’s French Onion Soup

unsalted butter
lots of onions (a mixture of sweet, red and shallots), sliced in thin half-moons
sea salt
cracked black pepper
1 cup red wine
1 quart beef stock
1/2 cup water
1 loaf of french crusty bread – sliced diagonally
strong cheddar (i used a 5 year), grated
good mozzarella, grated

Heat the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onions, salt; stir, ensuring that the onions are coated in the melted butter. Cook the onions over medium heat, until the onions become translucent.
Once the onions have become translucent, slowly add the red wine. Then, add the beef stock and water. Let the soup boil for 15 minutes.

Turn soup down to low and let simmer. Turn on the broiler. Place the bread slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet; toast under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. While the slices toast, ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls or crocks. Once the tops of the bread slices have toasted, remove them from the oven. Float slices, toasted side down, on the tops of each bowl. Top each bowl with an equal amount of the shredded cheddar and mozzarella. Slide the pan under the broiler for a final 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Crack fresh black pepper and salt to taste.

Snowy Saturdays

We really had a beautiful fall this year. The leaves stayed crisp, the cooler evenings were filled with sun soaked skies and best of all; it lasted well into November. I think this is why I am having a much easier time dealing with winter. I can even go as far as to say when we woke up to a winter wonderland I was excited.

Originally we had planned to go out for breakfast but decided to stay in. This left me looking into the cupboards. Cereal and toast just wouldn’t cut it. I needed something that suited a January morning of woolen sweaters, pajama bottoms and chapped lips. I needed something comforting. I fingered through cookbooks and then curled up on the couch to check some of my favourite food blogs.

That’s when I found this recipe. I set to work and just as the recipe promised quickly whipped up super fast cinnamon buns. They are okay. They aren’t great. The dough is firmer and doesn’t have the soft, sweet chewy consistency I was hoping for. I decided, before the weekend was through, I had to have a great cinnamon bun recipe.

My taste tester was very excited about this and happily went out to get some more eggs and puff pastry. Here we are Sunday night and I think I can say I was mildly successful. I found a delicious sticky bun recipe.

I’m still a little confused as to what the difference is between sticky buns and cinnamon buns but it really doesn’t matter to me. All I know is the recipe that follows is deliciously comforting.

Easy Sticky Buns
adapted slightly from Ina Garten

ingredients
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted

for the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In a bowl with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 2 sheets of puff pastry. Brush both sheets with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with the 1/2 the brown sugar, and 1/2 the cinnamon. Roll the pastry up snuggly, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 12 of the muffin cups.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.