Holiday Cranberry Brie Wreath

Back in November I was lucky enough to be selected as one of six Canadian food bloggers to be featured in Eat in Eat Out's premiere issue. My gingerbread crepes with eggnog whipped cream appeared on pages 48-9 of the digital magazine (and if you haven't made them yet, I don't know what you're waiting for!), but we each actually created two original recipes for Eat In Eat Out. My second recipe, which will be featured on their homepage next week, was this amazing holiday cranberry brie wreath.

When I first tried thinking of holiday flavours to incorporate into my two recipes, my thoughts went to gingerbread, eggnog, and cranberry. Since the first two were already covered in the crepe recipe, I decided to make something a little more on the savoury side using the cranberries. Cranberries pair so well with brie cheese, and I don't know anyone who can resist melted brie, so I decided to wrap them together with some crunchy pecans in a sweet dough formed into a festive wreath shape.

I was a little worried that the whole thing would somehow explode in the oven and turn into a giant mess, but while it may not have been a perfect wreath shape after baking, it actually did hold together quite well. The real test came when I sliced into the wreath to try a piece, but as soon as I saw the layers of sweet cranberry sauce, soft dough, and oozing brie, I knew it would be good. One bite in, and I was in heaven!

I knew I would devour the whole thing myself if I stayed in the house with it, and since I wanted to share it with others while it was still warm, I cut a bunch of slices and rushed it over to my Grandma's where some of my family members were already gathered. They all finished their plates pretty quickly and agreed I had a winning recipe.

The only problem was trying to figure out how to classify this recipe. I originally intended it to be an appetizer, which would work well because it feeds a big crowd if you cut really thin slices, and you only need thin slices as it's pretty filling. However, because it's a little sweeter than most appetizers, I think it would also work as a brunch offering, or even a dessert. I guess my problem with figuring out how to categorize it isn't really a bad thing, since it gives you a lot more options for serving it! However you think it should be classified, I hope you give this a try, just make sure you have lots of people to share it with!

Holiday Cranberry Brie Wreath

Serves about 20

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

200g double-cream brie cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Optional egg wash: 1 egg + 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Dissolve the package of yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, with 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir and let sit 5-10 minutes, until yeast starts to foam. If it doesn’t, the yeast may no longer be active, and try again with a fresher pack.

Add 1/2 cup sugar, the warm milk, butter, salt, and 2 cups flour to the bowl. Beat until smooth (either with an electric mixer or a whisk). Add in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes, adding more flour as necessary if the dough is too sticky, until you have a smooth and elastic dough. Place in a large greased bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare cranberry sauce by bringing 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add bag of fresh cranberries and reduce heat. Let simmer about 10 minutes, until cranberries break down and sauce is thickened. Let cool.

Punch down dough and roll on a floured surface into a 16 inch by 12 inch rectangle. Spread cooled cranberry sauce over the surface of the dough. Make sure the sauce spreads all the way to the shorter edges of the dough, but leave a 1-inch border on the long edge of the dough furthest away from you (the edge you will be rolling the dough toward). Cover with slices of brie, as evenly as possible. Sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans. Beginning with the long edge of the dough closest to you, roll the dough towards the opposite end, jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal.

Spray a round baking pan with cooking spray. Transfer the rolled dough to the pan and form into a wreath, pinching the two ends of the log together as best as you can. Use scissors to cut into the wreath so that the filling is slightly exposed - cut about 1/2 to 1 inch into the dough, at about 2 inch intervals (you don't want the filling to fall out, just to show). Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.

If desired, prepare an egg wash for the dough by whisking together one egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Before baking the dough, brush the surface evenly with the egg wash (make sure you cover every part of the dough evenly so there are no differences in colour).

Bake the wreath for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool slightly, then slice and serve warm.

Pumpkin Chili in Pumpkin Bread Bowls

While everyone else started posting pumpkin recipes as soon as September rolled around, I waited until October because I was trying to stretch out the summer recipes as long as I could. Now I can't believe that a new season is already beginning, as stores have put up their Christmas displays, holiday ads are playing on tv, and recipes with candy cane and gingerbread are starting to pop up all over the blogosphere. And yet here I am, still posting pumpkin recipes! I do want to switch over to holiday recipes soon, but not before I share a few more delicious pumpkin recipes with you guys!

Fortunately, this recipe is something that can be enjoyed all winter long. Chili is one of my favourite things to make in the winter because it's easy, it's healthy and filling, it makes a ton, and it packs well for lunches. Ever since I saw a recipe for a pumpkin bread bowl on Breadworld I'd been dreaming about how good a pumpkin chili would taste inside a pumpkin bread bowl. The answer? Amazing!

The bread bowl has a subtle pumpkin flavour and is soft but sturdy enough to hold up to the chili. The dough was easy to make and form into buns, which you then tear out the center of to fill with the chili. You could probably save the inside of the buns for breadcrumbs or another purpose, but I couldn't stop myself from eating all the dough as I tore it out because I have no self control when it comes to fresh bread. I think if you have kids they would have a lot of fun preparing their chili bowls themselves, and getting to eat them after they finish their chili. Of course, there's nothing wrong with adults enjoying this just as much!

The chili I made had a very subtle pumpkin flavour, and not a lot of add-ins because I went grocery shopping for it very early in the morning when my brain wasn't fully turned on yet, so all I could think to buy was kidney beans. But feel free to add in whatever you like (as I've suggested in the recipe below), the recipe is really a base that you can customize to your own liking.

While the meal is a bit time consuming to make overall, there isn't a lot of hands on cooking time involved. Make it on a Sunday and have the leftovers for lunch the rest of the week - a bowl of this chili fills me up for the rest of the afternoon.

What about you guys, are you ready for the holiday recipes already or still hanging on to Fall a little while longer?

Pumpkin Bread Bowls

Adapted from Breadworld

Makes 6 bread bowls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 envelope active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°F)

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2-1/2 cups bread flour

2 to 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

Heat milk, 1/2 cup water, butter, sugar and salt in a small saucepan just until butter is melted. Cool to between 100° to 110°F.

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the milk mixture, pumpkin and 1 cup of each flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining bread flour and enough whole wheat flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. If using an electric mixer, just leave the dough in the bowl and use the dough hook to knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl. Cover with heavy tea towels and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1-1/2 hours.

Punch down dough. Divide into six portions and form each into a flattened ball. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.

To serve: Cut off the top of each bowl and hollow out the center. Fill with your favourite soup or chili recipe, such as the pumpkin chili recipe below.

Pumpkin Chili

Serves 6 with bread bowls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14-oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14-oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 (24-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups canned pure pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Optional: add in black beans, extra kidney beans, or ground turkey/beef for more protein; corn or red peppers for extra vegetables; chicken, veggie, or beef broth for more liquid; or any other desired add-ins.

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and pumpkin puree and stir. Add all spices and stir to mix. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 1 hour. Serve warm, spooned into pumpkin bread bowls. Top with shredded cheese if desired.

Thanksgiving Week Day 3 - Hearty Sweet Potato Braids

For Day 3 of Thanksgiving Week, I decided to share this recipe for hearty sweet potato braids. Bread is an essential part of any meal, but especially the Thanksgiving meal. I think there are two types of bread people – the first likes to eat their bread on the side of their meal, and the other uses it to construct a sandwich out of everything else on their plate. I used to be in the former category, until I discovered how amazing all the components of Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, stuffing) taste when mixed together on top of a slice of thick bread. But either way you like to eat it, this sweet potato bread is delicious!

This is not a light and fluffy bread – it’s dense and moist, hence the word ‘hearty’ in the title. It’s also not a sweet bread as you might expect from having the sweet potato in there – the addition of the thyme makes it a savory bread, but you could always adjust any of the spices to your own taste! I really enjoyed this bread as is, and I think it would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal on its own. But it would also work really well as a base for the spicy pumpkin hummus appetizer I shared yesterday (I tried this and they paired really well together)!

The recipe makes two loaves, and while one would be enough to feed a crowd, you might as well make two loaves because it would be tricky to divide a package of yeast in half. This also means you get to keep a whole extra loaf all to yourself – just slice it, wrap it up well and pop it in the freezer after you bake it, then you can pull out a slice or two to thaw anytime you want! One of my favourite dinners last week consisted of a few slices of this bread topped with a ton of roasted garlic with salt and pepper – amazing!

As with any yeast bread, this does take a while to make, but most of it is “hands off” time, freeing you up to work on your other Thanksgiving dishes! This was my first time making a braided bread, and it was actually much easier than I thought! If you’ve ever braided hair, then it’s just like that (although a little heavier and doughier!) After dividing your dough into six equal portions, you roll each one into a 20” rope – if you have a pastry mat with measurements on it, then this part is really easy! Ryan’s mom gave me one and it makes rolling out pie dough and other dough so much easier than my old method of trying to line up a bunch of rulers on the counter. It also makes clean up much simpler too!

I tried two methods for braiding the dough. First I tried braiding from the centre of the ropes:

For my second loaf, I tried braiding from the end of the ropes:

Both worked, but as you can see from the pictures, the first method resulted in a slightly more even braid, so I think I’d recommend you try the braiding from the middle method.

If you don’t have time to make a yeasted bread on Thanksgiving, then check out the Thanksgiving Week recipe for rosemary sweet potato cornbread over at Vanilla & Spice!

Hearty Sweet Potato Braids

Adapted from Taste of Home

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

~1.5 lbs sweet potato, peeled and cubed (from about 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes)

1 cup warm skim milk (110° to 115°)

1/4 cup canola oil

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2-3/4 to 3-1/4 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potato cubes and simmer about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water, then transfer to a bowl and mash the sweet potatoes with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast into the warm water. Add the sugar, stir, and leave for 10 minutes. Mixture should foam and double in size – if it doesn’t, the yeast is no longer active, and you’ll have to start again with a new pack.

Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer, or a large bowl. Add the mashed sweet potatoes, milk, oil, honey, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, thyme, nutmeg, and 2 cups of the whole-wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining whole wheat flour to form a firm dough.

Attach the dough hook to the mixer and knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. If you don’t have a dough hook, knead the dough by hand on a floured surface. Add more flour as you’re kneading if the dough is too sticky.

Transfer the ball of dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and divide into six equal portions (a scale is helpful here). Shape each portion into a 20-inch rope. Place three ropes side by side on a baking sheet that has been lightly greased or lined with parchment paper. Braid the three ropes and pinch each end to seal, tucking under the braid. Repeat with the remaining ropes to form two braids. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake loaves together at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Slice diagonally.

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For other Thanksgiving bread ideas, check out these links:

Perfect dinner rolls from Mel’s Kitchen Café

Buttermilk cluster from The Fresh Loaf

Soft garlic knots from Annie’s Eats

Parmesan pull-apart rolls from Picky Cook

Cranberry walnut bread rolls from La Tartine Gourmande

Pumpkin garlic knots from Handle the Heat

Rosemary pumpkin crescent rolls from Heat Oven to 350

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