Making English Muffins at Home

I honestly can not believe how easy it is to make your own English Muffins. I'd love to show you how. I got this recipe from Damaris Phillips host of Southern at Heart.

Here is what you'll need.

4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
3 TBSP sugar
1 1/4 ounce packed instant yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 1/2 TBSP coconut oil plus more for the bowl and dough
Coarse cornmeal for sprinkling
Cooking spray
Butter and jam for serving

Photo Credit: CK Worley

First whisk the flour, sugar, yeast and salt
in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the egg
but don't stir it in yet.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Heat the milk and coconut oil in a saucepan until a thermometer reads 110 degrees. If the milk is too
hot when you add it to the flour mixture it will kill the yeast.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Avoid pouring it directly on the egg. You don't want the hot milk to cook it!
Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 3 to 4 minutes.  Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, if needed.  The dough will look a little irregular in texture.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, soft and elastic, 3 to 4 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a large bowl lightly oiled with coconut oil, rub the top of the dough with a little more coconut oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Sprinkle 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and set aside. After the dough rises, punch it down and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten into a 3 inch disk. Place the disks on the baking sheets. (The baking sheets are just a staging area for the disks. You won't be using them to cook on.)




Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Coast the skillet with cooking spray and liberally sprinkle with cornmeal. Working in batches, cook the muffins until they are deep golden brown, 5-9 minutes per side. If they start to rise in a domed fashion, flatten them with a spatula. Let the English muffins cool completely then split open with a fork, toast and serve with butter and jam.

Photo Credit: Food Network Magazine

The song "Oh do you know the muffin man" came from an era where a man would walk the streets during tea time to sell muffins from a wooden tray. I used to sing that song all the time when I was a kid. Never realizing he sold English Muffins. 

Ladies who Lunch

What a wonderful luncheon with some great friends today.  It started out with smoked salmon from Patak:

http://growitfirst.blogspot.com/search/label/Patak

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Followed by a chopped Kale, Cabbage, Brussels Sprout, Dried Cranberry, Pumpkin Seed in a Poppy Seed Dressing Salad.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

The main event:
Chicken Rollatini followed by Dulce De Leche Cookie Bars- YUM!

Chicken Rollatini:

Here is what you’ll need:

1 slice country white bread
5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage (right from my kitchen garden)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 oz. provolone cheese, cut into 8 sticks (1/2 inch by 1 inch)
8 chicken  cutlets
8 slices of pancetta (we used Prosciutto)
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 15 oz. can cannelloni beans
1 head escarole or chicory, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 TBSP unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread in half then cut each half crosswise into 4 strips, toss with 1 TSBP olive oil and the sage and season with salt and pepper.  Put 1 strip of bread and 1 provolone stick across the center of each chicken cutlet. Tightly roll up the chicken around the bread and cheese, then wrap each roll with a piece of pancetta or prosciutto and secure with a tooth pick.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Heat a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 TBSP olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning until browned.  (4 Minutes) Add 1/4 cup broth. Transfer the skillet to the oven; cook until the chicken is golden and cooked through 7-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook until slightly golden, about 30 seconds.  Add the beans and cook, stirring, until warmed through. about 2 minutes.  Add the escarole, the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the escarole is tender. (7 minutes)

Remove the chicken from the skillet using a slotted spoon,.  Cook the pan juices in the skillet over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter.  Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and escarole mixture.

Photo Credit: Food Network Magazine

Dulce De Leche Cookie Bars:

Here is what you’ll need:

First make the Duce De Leche by:

Pouring two 14 - ounce cans sweetened condensed milk into a 9-13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil and set in a roasting pan, add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake a 425 degrees until thick and dark amber, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until thickened, 1 hour. Makes 2 cups but you’ll only need one for this recipe.

Photo Credit: CK Worley

Now for the cookie bars: Here is what you’ll need-

Cooking Spray
2 cups plus 1 TBSP all purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter diced
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup Dulce de leche
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees. Line a 9 inch square baking dish with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on two sides. Coat the foil with cooking spray.

Pulse 2 cups flour, the butter, confectioners sugar,1 tsp vanilla and the salt in a food processor until the mixture starts clumping together, about 1 minutes. Press firmly and evenly in the bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until
firm and lightly browned. 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 5 minutes.

Photo Credit: Food Network Magazine

Meanwhile, combine the Dulce de leche, heavy cream, egg yolks and the remaining 1 TSBP flour and 2 tsp vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture over the crust and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and pecans.  Return to the oven and bake until set around the edge but slightly jiggly in the center 20- 25 minutes.

3. Transfer to the rack and let cool completely. Lift out of the pan using the overhanging foil  Remove the foil and cut into pieces.

Photo Credit: R. S. Worley

It was a glorious day and we had such fun together. This is something we have to do more often. Love my friends.