Cinnamon Star Bread (1 large loaf)

Dough:

3/4 cups plus 2 to 4 tablespoons lukewarm water (adjust to make a soft, smooth dough)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup dry milk powder

1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes (or 1/4 cup potato flour)

2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling:

1 large egg, beaten

5 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough.  Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 60 minutes, until it's nearly doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball, cover the balls, and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.

On a lightly greased work surface, roll one piece of dough into a 10-inch circle. Place the circle on a piece of parchment, brush a thin coat of beaten egg on the surface, then evenly sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon-sugar, leaving 1/4" of bare dough around the perimeter. 

Roll out a second circle the same size as the first, and place it on top of the filling-covered circle. Repeat the layering process — egg, cinnamon sugar, dough circle — and press the edges gently together.  Repeat once more, then add the top circle of dough, leaving it bare.  Continue pressing edges gently together each time a layer is added.

Place a 3-inch round cutter or glass in the center of the dough circle as a guide – do not press it down into the dough. With a bench knife or sharp knife, cut the circle into 16 equal strips, from the cutter to the edge, through all the layers.

Using two hands, pick up two adjacent strips and twist them away from each other twice so that the top side is facing up again. Pinch the pair of strips together at the end into a point.  Repeat with the remaining strips of dough so that you end up with eight pairs of strips, in a star-like shape with eight points. Remove the center cutter.

Transfer the star on the parchment to baking sheet. Cover the star and let the rise until noticeably puffy, about 45 minutes.

While the star is rising, heat the oven to 400°F.

Brush the star with a thin coat of the beaten egg. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until nicely golden with dark brown cinnamon streaks; the center should register 200°F on a digital thermometer.

Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 1 large loaf.

From King Arthur Flour website

Cinnamon Star Bread (2 medium loaves)

Dough:

1 1/4 cups plus 1 to 4 tablespoons lukewarm water (adjust to make a soft, smooth dough)

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry milk powder

3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes (or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons potato flour)

1 tablespoon instant yeast

Filling:

1 large egg, beaten

7 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided evenly in two bowls

To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough.  Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 60 minutes, until it's nearly doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into eight equal pieces (they should be about 105 grams each). Shape each piece into a ball, cover the balls, and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.

On a lightly greased work surface, roll one piece of dough into a 7- or 8-inch circle. Place the circle on a piece of parchment, brush a thin coat of beaten egg on the surface, then evenly sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon-sugar from one bowl, leaving 1/4" of bare dough around the perimeter. 

Roll out a second circle the same size as the first, and place it on top of the filling-covered circle. Repeat the layering process — egg, cinnamon sugar, dough circle — and press the edges gently together.  Repeat once more, then add the top circle of dough, leaving it bare.  Continue pressing edges gently together each time a layer is added.

Place a 2-inch round cutter or glass in the center of the dough circle as a guide – do not press it down into the dough. With a bench knife or sharp knife, cut the circle into 16 equal strips, from the cutter to the edge, through all the layers.

Using two hands, pick up two adjacent strips and twist them away from each other twice so that the top side is facing up again. Pinch the pair of strips together at the end into a point.  Repeat with the remaining strips of dough so that you end up with eight pairs of strips, in a star-like shape with eight points. Remove the center cutter.

Repeat the process with the remaining 4 balls of dough and remaining bowl of cinnamon sugar.

Transfer the stars on the parchment to baking sheet(s). Cover the stars and let the rise until noticeably puffy, about 45 minutes.

While the stars are rising, heat the oven to 400°F.

Brush the stars with a thin coat of the beaten egg. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until nicely golden with dark brown cinnamon streaks; the centers should register 200°F on a digital thermometer.

Remove the loaves from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 medium-sized loaves.

From King Arthur Flour website

Spicy Chicken and Rice Flu Chaser Soup

12 to 20 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
8 cups chicken stock
4 skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup uncooked basmati, jasmine, or white rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt to taste

Heat the oven to 375 F.  Place the garlic cloves in a small, ovenproof casserole.  Pour the olive oil over the garlic to cover.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the garlic is soft, brown, and caramelized. Strain the oil and set aside for use in other recipes, reserving 2 tablespoons for this recipe.  Mash the garlic cloves and set aside.

In a soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons reserved garlic oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and saute gently over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent and slightly golden brown. Add the chicken stock, then the chicken thighs.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the mashed, roasted garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, mint, cinnamon, cayenne, and bay leaves.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.  

Remove chicken carefully from the pot.  Set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, add rice to soup and continue cooking for 20 minutes.  

When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred or dice it.  Return the meat to the soup and cook for 5 more minutes.  Taste the soup, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed.  Remove the bay leaves.  Add the chopped basil and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

From New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Marjorie Druker and Clara Silverstein, with a few changes

Gingery Ginger Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg (or substitute half a banana, mashed)
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, optional
1/2 cup turbinado or other coarse sugar, for coating

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add the egg and mix until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add the molasses, and orange zest if using, and mix until blended.  At low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just until blended.

Place the turbinado sugar in a shallow dish or pie plate.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll each ball in the sugar, coating it completely.  Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.  Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are cracked but the centers are still soft.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.  

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Makes about 50 cookies.

From The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle, with minor changes

Acorn Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream

1 acorn squash
1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
A dash of cinnamon
4 cups vegetable stock
Salt
1/2 teaspoon lime zest

Chipotle cream:
1/3 cup cream
2 teaspoons pureed minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
Salt

Heat oven to 350° F.

Cut the acorn squash in half along its equator.  Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and fiber.  Brush 1 teaspoon oil over the cut sides and inside of the squash.  Sprinkle with salt.  Place the squash in a baking pan and bake until it is browned and very soft, about 1 hour.  When squash is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool a little.  When it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the squash and discard.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet.  Add the onion and saute on medium heat until onions are soft.  Add the peeled squash, cinnamon, vegetable stock, and salt.  Boil for about 5 minutes or until the squash is soft.  Then, puree the soup in a blender or using a hand blender.  

Place chipotle cream ingredients in blender or food processor.  Blend until the cream thickens a little, about 4 minutes.  Make sure you don't over-blend the cream; otherwise, it will separate.  Taste, and adjust the salt if needed.  

Pour the hot soup into 2 or 3 bowls.  Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon chipotle cream and sprinkle lime zest.

Serves 2 or 3.

From VeggieBelly.com, with some changes

Variation:  Dice sausage, and saute until browned with diced onion and roasted red bell peppers.  Add to soup after soup has been pureed.

Lemon, Rosemary, and Almond Cake

3/4 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Leaves stripped from 1-2 sprigs rosemary
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

For the syrup:
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup water
1 ounce sugar
1 sprig rosemary

Heat oven to 325° F.

Line 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with a strip on nonstick parchment paper to cover the base and narrow sides.

Place sugar, lemon zest, and rosemary leaves in a food processor and whizz until finely ground.

Beat together the flavored sugar and butter until creamy.  Beat in eggs and sour cream until mixture is well-combined.  Stir in flour, ground almonds, and baking powder.

Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared loaf pan and gently level the top.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, until risen and firm to a light tough and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Five minutes before the cake is done, make the sugar syrup by gently heating all the ingredients together.  Stir a little until the sugar has dissolved, then turn the heat up and boil for 5 minutes.  Leave the rosemary in the syrup to infuse.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick the top all over.  Remove the rosemary sprig from the syrup and pour the syrup over the cake.  Set aside to cool, then remove the cake from the pan and strip off the paper.

Serves 4.

Adapted from recipes in Veggie Chic by Rose Elliot and Crazy Water Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry

Aloo Tamatar Sabji

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, no more than 2 inches in diameter
3-4 whole cloves
6-8 whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 hot green chilies
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons ghee (or vegetable oil and unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
6-8 fresh curry leaves
1 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Boil the potatoes in their skins until just fork-tender.  Cool and peel if desired and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Place the cloves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds in a mortar or spice grinder, and grind to a powder.  Transfer to a blender, add the green chilies, 1 tablespoon of the fresh coriander leaves, and the water; blend until smooth.

Heat the ghee or oil and butter in a heavy pan over moderately-high heat.  When it is hot but not smoking, add the black mustard seeds and fry them until they turn gray and pop.  Drop in the curry leaves and, in seconds, follow with the tomatoes, turmeric, and pureed spice and chili mixture.  Reduce the heat and cook, stirring now and then, until the juices cook off and the ghee separates from the tomatoes.  Add the potatoes, garam masala, chaat masala, and salt.  Gently stir and cook, covered, until the potatoes are hot.  Add water as needed to prevent sticking.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Serves 4.

From Lord Krishna's Cuisine by Yamuna Devi