Tuesday, December 31, 2019

New Year’s Good Luck “Pasta Fazool” – Think Lucky, Be Lucky

Scientists will tell you that there’s no way eating pork, beans, and/or greens at the beginning of a new year can bring you good luck and great fortune; but our lab-coated, left-brained friends are missing one very important fact: People who think they’re lucky, are lucky.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about how to make New Year’s Good Luck “Pasta Fazool”, please follow this link to become a member.

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe for New Year’s Good Luck “Pasta Fazool” recipe

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here

Friday, December 13, 2019

How to Make Chocolate Truffles

We’ve posted chocolate truffle-like confections before, but I’ve always taken the coward’s way out, and just finished them by dusting in cocoa, which, while technically acceptable, isn’t even close textually to what we’ve finally done here. A proper truffle needs to feature that irresistible contrast between the soft ganache center, and a crispy, pure chocolate shell. Don’t worry – it’s easier than it sounds.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about how to make chocolate truffles, please follow this link to become a member.

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe for this chocolate truffle recipe

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Moroccan-Spiced Pork Roast – Previously “On the Lamb”

This amazing Moroccan-spiced pork recipe is actually adapted from a classic North African technique for roasting leg of lamb. And while the spice-rub is incredible with either meat, by using this approach, we’re not only saving a few dollars, but also, your average American holiday dinner guest is probably more likely to prefer roasted pork to the slightly more exotic lamb. And yes, in case someone asks, that’s our official reason, verses the saving money part.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about this Moroccan-spiced pork loin recipe, please follow this link to become a member.

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe for this Moroccan-spiced pork loin recipe

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here

Friday, December 6, 2019

Lion’s Head Meatballs – They Look Good Enough to Eat You

I’m a big fan of meatballs, and a really big fan of really big meatballs, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard about something called Lion’s Head Meatballs, which were described as not only extra large in size, but also supposedly looked like the head of a lion. As it turned out, only half those claims were true, but they were so tender, and so tasty I quickly forgave any visual exaggerations.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about this Italian Party Bread recipe, please follow this link to become a member.

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe for Lion's Head Meatballs

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Italian Party Bread

This crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, Italian meat and cheese stuffed loaf is a party waiting to happen. "Festive" doesn’t even begin to describe this visually stunning loaf. Use the easy technique as shown, or switch up the ingredients to create your own personalized party bread.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about this Italian Party Bread recipe, please follow this link to become a member.

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Turkey Rice – Thankful for Leftovers

There are so many creative, and delicious ways to use up the last of that holiday bird, but this super simple turkey rice recipe might be my favorite. This is easy, comforting, and won’t remind you that you’re eating leftovers. That’s what turkey sandwiches are for.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about this delicious turkey rice recipe, please follow this link to become a member. 

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here

Friday, November 22, 2019

Fast Upside-Down Turkey – Looks Great?

I didn’t invent cooking turkeys quickly, using high heat; and I didn’t invent cooking turkeys upside-down; but I might have inventing doing both at the same time. Regardless, if you want a moist, and juicy turkey in half the time, that will also confuse your guests, then this is the video for you.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about this amazing Russian Honey Cake recipe, please follow this link to become a member. 

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here



Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Roasted Smashed Potatoes – Not Those Smashed Potatoes

To many people, “smashed potatoes” are just another more violent name for mashed potatoes, especially when the skins are left in, but those aren’t real smashed potatoes. These are real smashed potatoes, and they’re spectacular.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about this amazing Russian Honey Cake recipe, please follow this link to become a member. 

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here

Friday, November 15, 2019

Russian Honey Cake

Let me state for the record that this Russian Honey Cake was probably the best cake I’ve ever eaten, and certainly the best cake I’ve ever made. It’s not an especially fast, or easy bake, but believe me, as you’re enjoying this, there will be no regrets. Not about the effort it takes, at least. The calories might be another story. 

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about this amazing Russian Honey Cake recipe, please follow this link to become a member. 

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe

And, as always, enjoy! 

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Turkish Eggs (Cilbir) – You’re Never Too Old


When you get to a certain age, you think you’ve seen and done it all. Whether we’re talking professionally, romantically, or culinarily, by your mid-fifties, any real surprises are few, and far between, and this is particularly true when it comes to egg recipes. What can you possibly do with eggs that you haven’t already done many times over? Well, these Turkish eggs, that’s what.

To read the rest of Chef John's in-depth article about this recipe, please follow this link to become a member.

Follow this link to get the complete, printable written recipe!

And, as always, enjoy!

If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here. 


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Monday, November 4, 2019

The Story of Kismet and Other Major Breaking News

If you’re not familiar with the word kismet, it means fate, or destiny. It’s one of those old, beautiful words that you never hear, until you do, and then you hear it all the time. It also happens to be the name of a property in the wine country where Michele and I will soon be moving the show, and eventually our lives. 

That’s right, after filming more than 1,800 recipes in San Francisco, over the past 12 years, we’re heading to a little slice of heaven just outside Sebastopol. To hear the story of how this all came to be, is to understand the true meaning of kismet.

The seasonal pond at "Kismet," as it looked
several decades ago.
While we both adore San Francisco, for the past few years we’d talked about finding a nice, quiet place “in the country,” where we could work, relax, and enjoy fruit and vegetables grown on our very own tiny farm. It was a wonderful dream, but with northern California real estate prices such as they are, we feared that’s all it would ever be. Yet, we persisted in our search, driving out of town almost every weekend to attend open houses for any and all of the fixer-uppers in our budget.

These homes always looked great in the photos, but deep down we knew as we drove through the picturesque valleys of vineyards and fruit trees, that it probably was too good to be true. And, it always was. There are great houses in the wine country, and there are affordable houses in the wine country, but there are no great, affordable houses in the wine country. It was during one of these particularly disappointing trips that fate and destiny smiled upon us, and we learned about a local property, which would eventually, somehow, against all odds, become ours.

There are grapes.
After driving up from the City, on a beautiful autumn day, we arrived to a locked, open house. I don’t know much about real estate, but I do know the house is supposed to be unlocked, with someone in it to show you around. Anyway, while waiting outside for the realtor, we started chatting with a lovely woman who mentioned she might be putting her mom’s home up for sale in the spring. In case you’re wondering, the realtor finally showed up, and the house was predictably terrible. Anyway, she said that since we were already in town, we were welcome to swing by and take a peak. She gave us the address, and told us to look for a large wooden sign over the drive that said, “Kismet.”

These are called Naked Ladies, and they are flaunting
themselves in front of our persimmon tree.
Yes, believe it or not, the way we’d heard about “Kismet,” was literally the definition of kismet, and as we pulled into the drive, and looked up at the sign, we both knew instantly that this was the spot. Our euphoria was short-lived however; as we realized that even the most dilapidated fixer-upper in this area, on two-acres this gorgeous, was probably beyond our means. Actually, not probably – it was beyond our means, which will help explain the rest of the breaking news in this post.

For the first time in Food Wish history, I’m going to try to generate some extra revenue from the channel. And no, that sponsored instant mashed potato video doesn’t really count. I could have, and maybe should have, done this a long time ago, but I honestly never felt like it was something I had to do. Now, I do. You may have already noticed we’ve just started hawking t-shirts and other swag underneath the videos, and that’s part of this effort, but the much bigger, and way more important part is that we’re going to start offering a premium Food Wish membership for viewers who want to enjoy some additional content, and other fabulous perks.

This is the pear tree under which
I saw a tarantula hawk wasp.
I’ve never really done this kind of thing before, but I’m told by people who have that a certain part of the audience might get upset. No one can explain why. If you’re one of these people, don’t be. Not only will all the free content you’ve come to know and love still be free, you’ll also be getting something viewers have be clamoring for since the channel started… a link to a fully formatted written recipe, with ingredients AND detailed instructions! This link will be included in the description box under every recipe upload going forward, whether you’ve joined as a member or not.

I’d like to think that after sharing free videos for a decade plus, a certain number of people would join no matter what these extra offerings might be, but that little bit of passive-aggressiveness aside, I really do want those of you who are able to support this effort, to get your money’s worth. So, besides the obvious karmic benefits, here's what the membership gets you. 

All About the Recipe with Chef John: While everyone will have access to the written recipes, the blog posts that accompany the recipe videos will be moving to the membership platform. I realize that only a small percentage of people who watch the videos actually follow the link back to the blog post, and most of them are just there to get the ingredient amounts, but still, I really do enjoy writing these posts. I love being able to provide some additional, and hopefully entertaining background info about the recipes, along with assorted tips and tricks, and so having access to this content will represent the most significant perk of joining as a member.

Live Chat Q&A’s: Twice a month, I'll do a live chat with members, where you’ll get to ask me anything. Literally anything. Of course we’ll talk about food, music, and sports, but I’ll also answer your questions about life and love. What could go wrong?

Embarrassing Outtakes and Bloopers: Who doesn’t enjoy listening to, and/or watching other people’s disastrous failures? Whenever things go terribly wrong, I’ll post the raw footage for all to see.

Keeping Up on Kismet: Come along with us, as we embark on this great adventure! We’ll share videos and photos of the new kitchen studio progress, as well as our attempts to landscape, garden, and possibly farm things. Not only will you be able to see what we’re doing, and criticize it, you’ll also be able to offer us much needed advice, and guidance, since there’s a good chance you know more about this stuff than we do. For example, how do I keep wasps out of my carpenter bee traps? 

Let me finish by saying I hope you find these perks compelling enough to join, but even if you don’t, I hope you join anyway. Whether it’s long term, or just for a month or two, your support will make a big difference. By the way, I’m going to need this week to set up the membership platform, as well as the new system for providing written recipes, so we won’t be able to upload any new videos until next week, when all this goes live. Thank you for your consideration, and, as always, enjoy!

Click here for the direct link to join!

 

Friday, November 1, 2019

Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar) – Start'em Young

They say that these Swedish chocolate balls, known as chokladbollar, are the first thing a Swedish child learns to make, which makes a lot of sense. They’re easy to do, there’s no baking required, and mixing the “dough” together is just as fun as making mud-pies. What doesn’t make sense is that these aren’t the first thing an American child learns to make. Maybe this video will help change that.

It’s not like these are pure health food, but they sure are a lot better than eating a candy bar when those hangry feelings flood over you in the middle of the afternoon. The fat and whole grain in these keep you satisfied much longer than you’d think, and the little pick-me-up from the coffee, sugar, and cocoa doesn't hurt either.

I used quick-cooking oats in these, but I’ve also made them with regular rolled oats, and they seemed to come out just fine. Of course, some folks might have trouble eating raw oats, but that can be solved if you do the optional pan-toasting step. Above and beyond making these easier to digest, I like the very subtle toasty notes it provides. Either way, I really do hope you teach your kids how to make these chokladbollars very soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 14-16 small Swedish Chocolate Balls:
1 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats, very lightly toasted
1/2 cup white sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup soft unsalted butter
1/4 cup room temp coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons brewed coffee or espresso
finely shredded unsweetened coconut for rolling balls
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Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Popeye’s Meets Chick-fil-A’s Fried Chicken Sandwich – Available Any Day, and All the Time

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve never had a Popeye’s fried chicken sandwich, but since I’m so familiar with their work, I thought I could figured out a decent copycat version of their very hard to get sandwich anyway. Which I sort of did, as far as the taste of the chicken goes, but texturally, I ended up with something much closer to Chick-fil-A, which by the way, I’ve been to exactly once.

So, if you’re one of these people that enjoy Popeye’s and Chick-fil-A, this is going to be like eating at both places at the same time. The secret here, and there, is working in a little MSG into the marinade and breading. And by little, I mean a lot. Monosodium Glutamate is famous for its ability to make food taste better, which is certainly does, but it’s also what makes fast food so highly addictive.

Personally, I’ve very sensitive to this aspect of MSG consumption, and as soon as I finish eating fast food that’s laced with it, I’m already intensely craving more, which is why I don’t eat too much of it any more. It’s also why I don’t stock any MSG in my pantry. I don’t trust myself with it, which is why the occasional packet of salad dressing mix works so well for something like this.

As I mentioned in the video, you really want to do this with a smaller, flatter breast than the one I used. The meat to crunchy coating ratio should be more like 2 to 1, and not the 4 to 1 that I featured here. Which reminds me, even though I only did two, the amounts below should be enough for four fast-food-sized portions. Anyway, no matter how large your breasts, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


For 4 Fried Chicken Sandwiches:

For the chicken and marinade:
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
hot sauce to taste
1 tablespoon ranch dressing powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 5-6 ounces each

For the breading:
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon ranch dressing powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, for a spicy version
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the dip:
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk

For the rest:
canola oil for frying
4 soft hamburger buns, toasted with butter
dill pickle slices
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
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Friday, October 25, 2019

Dirty, Dirty Rice – Filthy Delicious

Believe it or not, the first place I ever had dirty rice was Popeye’s fried chicken. They were out of the red beans and rice. I’ve never been a huge fan of liver, especially in my younger days, but I figured, what the heck, let’s give this stuff a try. Much to my surprise I really enjoyed it, and I’ve been a fan ever since.

In fact, not only did I come to love dirty rice, but I started to crave it with even more “dirt,” by which I mean more liver, pork, and aromatic vegetables; and so that’s how this redundantly named dish came to be. Beyond using more of everything, except rice, I also changed the traditional method, which calls for the rice to be cooked first, and then “soiled.” Here, we’re adding all the “filth” at the beginning, and cooking it into the rice.

This method did produce a more flavorful product, but also a slightly stickier one. When you cook rice in a thick sludge like this, verses just water or broth, it will always come out a bit starchier, which may bother certain dirty rice aficionados, but I like this texture even better. So to recap, this is dirtier, stickier, and tastier, which is why I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 6 portions:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces pork shoulder, diced or roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green peppers, or jalapeno
6 ounces cubed spicy smoked pork sausage, like andouille
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or some fresh)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
8 ounces finely minced raw chicken livers
2 cups long grain rice
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
4 cups broth
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 chopped Italian parsley
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Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Miso Braised Beef with King Trumpet Mushrooms – Comforting and Exciting?

When people think comfort food, they generally think of classic, iconic recipes that are made the exact same way every time. No one likes change, and it’s this timeless consistency that in large part makes these dishes so comforting. However, as much as I love a traditional beef stew, or braised beef short ribs, once in a while, I enjoy using these same techniques with a few non-traditional ingredients, just to shake things up.

Speaking of which, if you’re not familiar with miso, it's a fermented soybean and rice paste, and it just makes everything taste better. It’s relatively easy to find in your larger grocery stores, and a few spoonfuls will add an extra element of savoriness to these already savory dishes. To balance that, among other things, we’re also adding a touch of maple syrup, which helps give this even more of an autumnal feel.

I kept things pretty simple with the vegetable additions, going with just mushrooms and onions, but the classic beef stew array of carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes would also work as well. And I wasn’t kidding about the King Trumpet mushrooms being as good as the beef. They really were amazing, and this would make for a fantastic meatless meal using those alone. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 4 portions Miso Braised Beef:
2 tablespoons peanut, or vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, or boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2-inch thick strips or chunks, seasoned with salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne
1 tablespoon butter
3 or 4 King Trumpet mushrooms, halved, or any mushrooms
1 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup sake, or white wine
3 tablespoons yellow miso
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or any vinegar
1/4 cup sliced red chilies
1/4 cups sliced green onions
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Friday, October 18, 2019

Grandma’s Peanut Butter Fudge – Which Grandma? We’re Not Exactly Sure

There is nothing quite like a batch of old-fashioned peanut butter fudge, especially when it’s freshly made by your Grandma. Which is why I really wish my Grandma would have made peanut butter fudge. Oh well, she gets a pass because of the other delicious things she fed me.

This old-fashioned style of peanut butter fudge is not that easy to find. Admittedly, I’ve not looked that hard, but the times I have run across some, it always seems to be the soft, creamy version, which is not the kind I’m into. If it’s going to feel like peanut butter in my mouth, then what’s the point? No, I want something that feels dense, and firm in my fingers, but will almost instantly liquefy in when it hits my tongue.

As I mentioned, you’ll want to cut this when it’s just cool enough to get a clean slice. If you leave it in the fridge, and then cut it ice-cold, it will tend to fragment. The good news is that peanut butter fudge shards are delicious, so it’s not really that tragic of a problem. And yes, this technique will work with other nut butters, like almond, or cashew, just in case someone around you is allergic, but regardless of what you use, I really do hope you give this peanut butter fudge a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 64 small cubes of Peanut Butter Fudge:
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted (about 3 1/2 to 4 cups unsifted)
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Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Bacon-Wrapped Cranberry Walnut Pork – Fancy, Not Fancy

It’s getting close to that time of the year when we spoil our guests by making them extra-fancy, labor-intensive, time-consuming meals. Or, we can make them something like this bacon-wrapped cranberry walnut pork tenderloin instead, which just seems like it would be all those things. Yes, the hardest thing about this gorgeous recipe is not spilling the beans about just how simple it was to do.

This is really more of a technique video, than a specific recipe, since you can fill it with whatever strikes your fancy, but as far as seasonally appropriate ingredients go, I loved how this came out. Beyond being able to adapt this to your tastes, another advantage is that we can prep it ahead of time, and just pop it into the oven when we’re ready to rock, and by “rock,” I mean impress our guests.  

One thing to be aware of is that pork tenderloins do vary a bit in size. The one shown here was on the smaller side, and weighed in at just about one pound. They’re generally closer to 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds, and if that’s the case for yours, be sure to add a little more roasting time, and double check things with a thermometer.

Also, if you’re going to be doing more than one, make sure you’re buying tenderloins that are all about the same weight. The butcher will be more than happy to weigh a few, and get you what you need. Other than that, not much can go wrong, except of course, after a few glasses of wine you admit how simple and easy this really was. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 2 large or 4 smaller portions:
1 trimmed pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 or 2 teaspoons freshly minced rosemary
 1 or 2 teaspoons finely sliced fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon bread crumbs, or enough to lightly coat surface
1/4 cup chopped, lightly toasted walnuts, or as much as you like
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries, or as much as you like
4 strips thinly sliced bacon, or enough to wrap the pork
- Roast at 450 F. for 25-30 minutes or until the bacon is browned, and you’ve reached an internal temp of at least 145 F.

For the pan sauce:
2/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cold butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Friday, October 11, 2019

Potatoes Romanoff - This Didn't Stay in Vegas

They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but that’s mostly because people just don’t remember exactly what happened. Happily, that’s not the case with this incredible Potatoes Romanoff recipe. About 10 years ago, I took a trip to Las Vegas with a group of food writers, and while I don’t recall much, I do remember learning how to make this ingenious potato gratin from Chef John Schenk, at his restaurant, Strip House.

He credits his Mom for the recipe, but the shallots and white pepper scream, “This was adapted by a restaurant chef!” Which reminds me, if you do use shallots for this, be careful. Since they go in raw, a little will go a long way. To play it safe, you can always sauté them in a little butter to take off the sharp, raw edge. Besides shallots, some thinly sliced green onions would be great, as would sautéed leeks, or even just finely minced yellow onions.

This would be a great side dish for those large holiday gatherings, since it can be made the day before, and then baked when needed. And as I said in the video, you can embellish this with all sorts of stuff, including such obvious choices as bacon, or fresh herbs, but no matter how you personalize it, I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 8 portions:
3 very large russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), scrubbed clean
1/4 to 1/3 cup minced shallots, raw, or sautéed for a milder flavor
3 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fine salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne
2 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 3/4 cups sour cream

- Bake at 425 F. for 30-35 minutes, or until browned and piping hot.
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Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Pumpkin-Shaped Dinner Rolls – Your Guests Will Blow Their Gourds

The holidays are almost here, which means “show-off” baking season is almost here, and these pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls are just the thing to impress your guests, and more importantly, drive your culinary rivals mad with envy. Sure these take about 20 minutes longer to make than your already perfectly fine dinner rolls, but that’s nothing when you consider all the compliments that will be coming your way.

This very Instagram-friendly roll is the perfect thing to bring to that holiday gathering, and can be made using your favorite dinner roll recipe. The key here is well-oiled string, and being careful not to tie it too tightly. If the string gets embedded too deeply into the dough, it will tear the roll when you try to remove it, and there’s nothing that stops something from being cute, quite like a jagged tear.

By the way, if you don’t feel like tying all those knots, you can try and do this with one long piece of string, winding it around the dough ball, as you turn it, but I find that method harder, and less successful. Faster yes, but not as visually appealing once baked.

If you do a video search for this type of roll, you’ll also see people simply cutting slashes around the outside, which sort of works, but it just doesn’t come out as adorable. But, regardless of which roll recipe, or shaping method you use, I really do hope you give these pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 12 “Pumpkin” Dinner Rolls:
(be sure to save a few tablespoons of dough for the stems)
1 cup warm milk
1 package dry active yeast
1 or 2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons melted butter
3 cups flour, plus more for kneading
1 teaspoon fine salt
kitchen string
vegetable oil for strings
- Bake at 375 F. for 20-25 minutes
- Feel free to give these an egg wash before baking if you want a shinier look.
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