Canneles de Polly? Canneles Adventure

Canneles de Bordeaux  --- I have never gotten so interested in baking pastry until my friend showed me the Canneles copper mold she acquired.    It was at one of her end of summer BBQ dinner she invited me to.    As she is an experienced French Pastry Chef, I listened attentively to what she was telling me about this tiny crunchy chewy caramelized cake as I ate her wonderful tasting flat plum pie she made from scratch.    As I listened to her, my interest got heightened by each bite of delicious plum pie.    Canneles (CAN-A-LAYS)?    How in the world I missed it during  my trip to France?     Hmmm… I went right to work as I returned home that night. I did a web search on all the information there is about Canneles. That was the start of my adventures of Canneles baking.     Thus far, I have baked 26 batches of Canneles.       Twenty Success, Two Flops, and Four Questionables.

I hope my Canneles journal will give you encouragement and start your adventure in Canneles baking.      If you have any question that I can answer, please e-mail me.

The Canneles images on this blog are from my batch 7 and 8. Copper/Tin molds were special purchase from France, and they are circa 1950, and they still work.

Lemon Pepper Flavored Bread with Garlic

Make One 4 Lb Loaf Bread, using Home Baking Machine - WelBilt or any other brand.

Ingredients -- Pour the ingredients into Bread Machine Baking Basket in the Order Listed:
**Make sure the Bread Machine is located in a room above 69 degrees.
**Preheat 1 & 1/4 Cup MILK Plus 1/4 Cup UNFILTERED Tap Water to 120 degrees in Microwave. Let it Sit and ADD it as Ingredient Item 5.

1. 2 Teaspoon of Rapid Rise Dry YEAST
2. 2 Tablespoon Granulated SUGAR
3. 3&3/4 to 4 Cups of Angor Flour for Baking (COSTCO's 25lb bag)
4. 2 Teaspoon SALT
5. ADD 1& 1/2 Cup of Preheated MILK and Water.
6. 2 Tablespoon of Canola Cooking Oil
(6a. DO NOT PUT in YET: 2 Tablespoon of Lemon Pepper w/Garlic flavor Spice.)

Start Bread Machine:
7. Insert the Bread Baking Basket securely.
8. Start the setting - 4 Lb loaf, Light Color, Run now.

9. At the sound of "ADD" ingredients BEEP timer, ADD 2 Tablespoon of Lemon Pepper w/Garlic spice.

Approximate Time of Prep & Bread Completion: 3 hrs 30 min.

The bread tastes with a hint of tanginess from lemon and flavorful pepper and garlic. Great for anytime with butter... butter tastes better, but use it moderately.
Eat Well, Be Well.

MODIFIED Flavor:
Add a 1/2 Cup of Raisins during the "ADD" CYCLE.
Add some Cinnamon spice to the dry ingredients after adding Flour.

Check the height of the dough about 20 to 30 minutes after the "ADD CYCLE". If the dough has not doubled, your room temperature could be the culprit.

Rum Fruits Preserves

The dehydrated fruits and canned pineapple soaked in spirit of Barcardi Rum, Brandy, and Grand Manier provides interesting taste to your regular sponge cake, holiday fruits cake, or just to sample some after dinner.
*This is very sugary and highly spirited. Recipe calls for real liquor.

PREPARE Rum Pot Starter:
1 clean 1/2 gallon or 4lb 6oz glass jar with lid
(use Maraschino Cherry jar)
2 Cups Maraschino Cherry juice
1/4 Cup Grand Manier
1/2 Cup Barcardi Rum
1/8 Cup Brandy
1 Cup granulated sugar
WOODEN SPOON

Total of 3 Cups of various dried fruits cut into 1/2-inch size:
Dried Cherries
Dried Apricot - cut into 1/2 inch
Dried Mango - cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Raisins
Maraschino Cherry

1 Can -- 20 oz Pineapple Chunks drained well
Discard juice or use it for other recipe (for sweet and sour pork sauce for your dinner.)

You can buy large jar of marching cherry at your local COSTCO.
With1/4 jar of maraschino cherry left over, drop prepared 3 Cups of dried fruits and well drained pineapple into the glass jar. Cover the fruits with all liquid ingredients - Rum, Brandy, and Grand Manier. Top it off with 1 Cup of sugar. Place the lid on the jar, but not closed or tightened.

Place the jar in somewhat warm spot in the kitchen, and away from direct light. Sugar will slowly dissolve into the liquid in a week. If you see any sugar left on top on the 7th day, stir it once with the Wooden Spoon.

WEEKLY ADD ONS:
Prepare - 1 Cup of dried fruits or 1-20 oz drained pineapple on Alternate Week
1 Cup of Sugar
Add 1 Cup of dried fruits or drained pineapple.
Add 1 Cup of sugar on top.
Place the lid back (loose)

After two weeks, you can start enjoying the Rum Pot fruits with your favorite desserts or as is (in a small portion).
Always use Wooden Spoon to stir or scoop out.
Add Rum or Brandy when you feel it needs some kick or it started to taste sugary.

e.g.
Prepare your cake mix. Add 1 Cup of Rum Pot fruits. Bake it in non-stick Bundt cake pan.
My favorite fruitcake recipe is from the foodnetwork, but modified in my own way to add my Rum pot fruits in place, etc. and Spray the cake with juice in the rum jar using the sprayer everyday for a week+ before presentation. Serve it warm.

POLLY'S CHILI RECIPE

POLLY’S CHILI

About 4 hours to soak. 4 hours to cook. 

Serves 4 for two suppers
INGREDIENTS:
1 small bag of Pinto Beans              2 Cans of 1 lb Cut Tomatoes or Crushed Tomatoes
2 bags of McCormick Chili Powder Mix or McCormick's "Tex Mex Chili" Powder Mix
1/3 C Chili Powder               1 C chopped onions
1 tsp Black Pepper               1 tsp Paprika                         1 Tbsp Salt
1 Large Pot about 8 Quarts size pot.
METHODS:
1.  1 small bag of Pinto beans.
2.  Wash beans and soak in water for 4 hours.
3.  Change water often.  Soak beans until doubled in size--rehydrated.
4.  Fill a 10 Quart size pot with water 3/4 of the way.  Bring to boil.
5. STRAIN BEANS 2 TIMES:  Add beans into boiling water.   Let the water come to boil    Strain the beans and add fresh water and bring to boil.   Strain again and add fresh water and bring to boil.  Turn the heat to simmer.
6. Boil the bean until soft and water level is at the same level as the bean + 1 inch above it. About 2+ hours.    If you use pressure cooker - it is faster.  Follow the pressure cooking guide on how to cook beans.
If the bean is still hard to the touch, put more water and boil long - 1 more hour or until soft.

WATCH out for the boil over. It will make a mess on your stove. If you have a gas stove, this is very important that you do not let it boil over. As soon as it boils/steam, keep the lid propped open (use a long cooking chop stick, if you have one, across the pot and prop one side of the lid on it.)
7. Open two cans of 1 lb size CRUSHED/Cut Tomatoes.
8. Add tomatoes into the pot.
9. Add Salt to taste -- 1 Tablespoon.
10. Turn heat to Med-low. As the chili mixture is very thick at this point -- to avoid splatter -- keep the pot covered with lid -- propped open.
11. Get two packages of McCormick "Tex Mex" Chili powder mix or the regular McCormick's Chili Powder Mix. Add only 1 package of Tex Mex Chili powder if the preference is low heat chili.
12. Put 1/3 cups of chili powder into the pot with beans and tomatoes.
13. Stir well to get rid of the Chili powder clump, but without mashing the beans. -- Chop stick is the best to stir with.
14. Mix in Black Pepper, Paprika 1 teaspoon at a time.
15. Use a clean spoon and Taste.
16. Mix Tex Mex Chili Mix and stir well to get rid of the clump.
17. Taste. Add more salt, if needed.
18. Heat it up thoroughly -- low heat and stir occasionally.

SERVE:
** Serve with Honey and homemade Non-Yeast Sopapilla

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