The test of anything good is how it’s received. For instance, if you give a speech but all anyone remembers is the guy who asked all the questions, then you probably didn’t do your job. The same holds true in cooking. If you make something and it gets pushed to the side or not mentioned … then it probably wasn’t worth whatever you put into it.

I worried that making hamburger buns at home might end up being a worthless cause. Frankly, I am perfectly content with buying them at the store … except this week I have vowed not to spend a dime. Thus, no buying any rolls. There are myriad reasons for that … but for now, suffice it to say that I wasn’t about to break my self-imposed rules for some rolls that I could make myself.

This afternoon while Paige napped, Will and I hit the kitchen to whip up hamburger buns using a foccacia recipe that I have been making since his only words were Agooo! and Nah! This was Will’s first time working with a dough of any kind and he loved it. He used the kneading technique that he recently learned to help me massage this dough into a pretty, dimpled ball.

Then, we let it rise. The dough doubles in size during the first rise. See how the picture on the right shows a much, much later ball of dough? These before and after shots were taken from roughly the same distance. Pretty cool stuff

Did I lose you yet? I hope not. Stick with me here.

Will didn’t see the results of the rise since he was playing, so he missed the part where I punched down the ball of dough. He also missed the part where I divided it into six pieces and formed rough balls with them. Then, of course, he missed where I stuck my fingers into each one to dimple it. He’d love that step. Maybe next time. After that came the drizzling with olive oil and the sprinkling of cheese and salt (more for appearance than anything else).

After that comes the second rise. Yes, this is a bread that must rise twice.

That second rise produces the airy crumb. You’ll see (first picture, above) that my rolls had many small holes. If I wanted an even airier bun, I would have let it rise longer or perhaps at a slightly warmer temperature (I did the rise at room temperature today). But this texture was perfect for these burgers today. By the way – I love how the dimples all but disappear on second rise. It’s like you never assaulted it with your fingers at all. Seriously.

When Will finally saw the dough again, the rolls were baked and cooling. His reaction? “Hey, Mommy! The dough made bread!” Priceless.

But the best part was when we sat down to eat. Will has never been a hamburger-with-bun fan. Typically he (and Paige too) eat their burgers cut up without it. But tonight, Will ate his burger with the bun, commenting on how much he liked the rolls that we made together. And Paige? She didn’t even want the burger for once — she was content to just eat the roll.

So the verdict? Totally worth all the effort. We’ll be making our own rolls again.

Foccacia Hamburger Buns
yields 6 rolls

1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
Parmesan cheese
salt

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside. Sift together the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a floured cutting board and knead for 5-7 minutes, until it forms a cohesive ball. Place the ball (it’ll be about the size of a softball) into a greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for one hour in a warm place. It will double in size.

Once it’s rise, punch down the dough several times. Then, divide it into six even-sized balls.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the six balls of dough on it, using your fingers to push down four times on each one (you are basically giving it dimples). Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with Parmesan and salt.

Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rise for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove towel and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Slice the rolls open and top with burgers and the fixings.

One hundred years ago, making biscuits didn’t need the qualifier of “from scratch.” It’s just what people did. People cooked. They sifted and baked, rolled and cut. It wasn’t a big deal because it was just a part of daily eating life. But, as with everything, things eventually began to change when premade, ready-to-bake biscuits hit shelves in the 1930s. Although biscuit making is easy, the premades were even easier.

I would love to travel back in time and be a fly on the wall — or a distant cousin — to my family and see first hand how they lived, cooked, ate. It fascinates me. I leaf through pictures and journal entries and am awed by the intertwining lives of my cousins of the 20th Century. They shared wonderful experiences, like heading off for a picnic dinner on a whim.

Nostalgia is a funny thing. I read through our family’s cookbook, soaking in the words and emotions, and I feel like I am there at the homestead, though I never was. (Actually, truth be told, I was in our family’s home just once when I was in elementary school — but it was about 10 years after the home had been sold. Today, I live in the same town as that home, but I haven’t been there.) And I wonder, what is the homestead of my generation? What will my kids look back and remember of the family?

Each generation creates their own space, dynamic, memories … my generation surely has ours. There are so many things to look back on and smile. Maybe someday I will share them, but for now they belong to us: my family.

In the introduction to that family cookbook, my cousin Barb wrote, “During dinner you are apt to hear the loud laughter echoing from the pantry when a frozen sherbert (sic) dessert gets away and skitters across the painted floor. Failures are followed by giggles after the initial cursing of whipped cream turning to butter.”

Oh, to be a fly. My generation is a giggly bunch too. Accidents and mishaps are almost certain to dissolve the room to laughter … like when my mousse exploded all over the kitchen cabinets on Christmas Day last year. There is always a good reason to laugh.

What about your family? Do you have that strong family bond, binding generations and cousins? Do you look back and wonder what it was like to be part of past generations? I would love to hear …

Now, onto the biscuits. I really love biscuits, but finding a recipe that I loved proved to be challenging. I wanted an easy recipe made with pantry items that produced a fluffy inside and a crisp outside. I ended up experimenting a bit to get the right mix (more whole wheat, less ap flour; more fluffy, less chewy). These biscuits are the result.

Have you made biscuits from scratch before? If you haven’t, you should. I swear, they aren’t difficult to make. Served hot from the oven, these only take about 20 minutes total. Maybe 30 minutes, if you are a first timer. They’re wonderful and go so well with so many meals.

The trick is to roll out the dough and fold it in a few times (see photo below) before you cut the biscuits. It gives them that lovely layered texture that is just so awesome.

Whole Wheat Biscuits
yields 8-10 biscuits

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1 cup low-fat milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sift together the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using two knives, cut in the butter until it’s finely chopped and the mixture resembles crumbles. Add the milk and stir until just combined. The dough should be moist, but not in one cohesive ball yet.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Knead the dough 10-15 times (it’s going to be sticky). Then lift it, reflour the board and set it back down. (This is a good time to wash your hands). Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a thin sheet and fold in two ends. Roll out again and repeat the process 2-3 times. Then, roll it to a 3/4-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter (2 1/2-3 inches) to cut biscuits. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake the biscuits for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Do you ever start cooking something and then think, gee I wish I had ___? That’s what happened the other night as I stirred our beef stew on the stove. I really wanted something bready to go with it. I happened to have some fresh pizza dough languishing in the fridge, so I was totally in luck.

Pizza dough is good for so much more than just pizza. It can be used to make calzones and delicious chicken parm rolls. It can also be transformed into fun creations like these breadsticks.

In short order, the dough is rolled out, flavored and cut into stick shapes for baking. This recipe is pretty flexible, so you can change up the flavors pretty easily. A mix of feta, rosemary and lemon zest could be fabulous with a Greek salad. Or perhaps some asiago, minced sundried tomatoes and minced garlic would be great with a salad.

But this parmesan creation? It worked perfectly with the beef stew I made. Crispy on the outside with a doughy interior, hints of spiciness mingled nicely with the cheese and garlic. They were perfect for dipping … or just eating in quick succession.

After all this talk of other combinations, I might have to pick up some dough at the store later and make the Greek version I mentioned. It’s sounding rather delicious right now.

Easy Parmesan Breadsticks
serves 4-6

1 batch pizza dough (I used store bought from the bakery)
flour
1-2 tbsp olive oil
freshly grated Parmesan
oregano
garlic salt
crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for ease of cleanup and to prevent sticking).

Dust a wooden cutting board with flour and drop the pizza dough on it. Liberally sprinkle with more flour. Roll out the dough until its about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan, oregano, garlic salt and crushed red pepper (to taste — if you want spicier, use more red pepper, want more savory, up the parm and oregano).

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1 inch strips. Transfer to the baking sheet and slide into the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

It’s not unusual for breakfast in my house to be buttered cinnamon raisin toast and a banana or yogurt. Most days during the week, I like to keep things really, really simple. The kids have school, I have work … we just don’t have time to fuss with complicated breakfasts.

But sometimes I like to surprise the kids with something a little different … a little special. Pancakes make too frequent an appearance on our table on weekends and when my husband is home from work, but muffins are a rarity … and one that the kids love hot from the oven.

With whole wheat pastry flour glaring at me from the cupboard, I decided to adapt a recipe from Tablespoon to make these muffins with an extra punch of whole grain goodness. Add some streusel and you’ve got a great morning surprise.

The result was a moist muffin with hints of apple and graham and cinnamon. It’s homey and comforting, soft and sweet. Does it get any better?

What do you make for a special breakfast?

Whole Wheat Applesauce Graham Muffins
yields 12 muffins

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping (see below)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the applesauce, brown sugar and butter. Add the egg and oil and beat well. With a spatula, stir in the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Top each with the streusel topping, dividing it evenly between the cups. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Streusel Topping
enough for 12 muffins

2 tbsp firm unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles big crumbs.

When I was planning Thanksgiving this year, a lot of it was pretty simple. After five years of preparing Thanksgiving dinner, I have a pretty good idea of timing, what works and where is best to go simple. So, when I was planning the menu I kept to several favorite dishes. That made the veggies and most of the sides easy.

I say most because stuffing plagues me. Every year, I try a new recipe. Every year, I hear that it’s good. But no one recipe seems perfect for our Thanksgiving.

Truth? I am not a big fan of stuffing (or dressing, if you prefer, since I don’t actually stuff anything). In fact, I dislike it so much that I nearly just made Stove Top. Yes, I am serious. Normally, I am not one to buy prepared mixes like that. But when it comes to stuffing, I nearly just gave in, since I know we all sort of like it.

Then I saw the recipe for Giada De Laurentiis’s Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta. It really got me thinking about giving homemade stuffing just one more shot. It looked and sounded so, so good.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t make her recipe per se. See, I’ve recently discovered that when I brown pancetta, it gives me a horrid asthma attack. I have no idea why, but after cooking it three or four times with the same results, I realized that it’s something I need to stay away from for now. I know, it’s a bizarre thing to have a reaction to.

Once I figured out my ingredients list (which is actually pretty different than hers), I whipped this up on Thanksgiving. I figured at worst, it would look pretty on the table … fortunately, it turned out much better than that. Though the ingredient list is decidedly long, and the prep includes about a half hour of hands-on time, it’s worth every second. The salty, smokey bacon is a great contrast to the slightly sweet chestnuts, mixed with the crusty and perfect ciabatta bread.

I don’t need to search for a stuffing recipe anymore. This is the one.

Chestnut and Bacon Ciabatta Stuffing
serves 8

3 tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz bacon, chopped
1 Vidalia onion
2 carrots, peeled
3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1 cup roasted and peeled whole chestnuts, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 pound (one loaf) day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
2/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 cup chicken broth
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your baking dish (glass – 15×10x2 inches) by rubbing the bottom and sides with butter. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the bacon until crisp, then remove to a large mixing bowl with a slotted spoon. Add butter to the pan with the bacon drippings and set back over medium heat.

Use a food processor to shred the onion and carrots (alternatively, you can chop finely or grate by hand. If you choose to do it either of those ways, prepare the veggies before starting to cook the bacon). Add the vegetable mixture, along with the garlic and herbs. Saute until the vegetables are soft and the onions are translucent — about 10-15 minutes.

Pour the vegetable mixture into the bowl with the bacon. Add the ciabatta bread and Romano cheese, and toss together. Add the chicken broth and stir until moistened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then mix in the eggs.

Pour the stuffing into the prepared dish and spread out into one even layer. Cover with a large sheet of buttered aluminum foil, with the buttered side facing down (this prevents the stuffing from sticking to the foil). Bake for 30 minutes, until heated. Then, uncover the stuffing and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until the top is crispy and golden brown.

Devour.

One of the great joys of summer is salad made with local greens. It’s vibrant, green and refreshing. It tastes of cool breezes on hot days and warm paperback pages read on a sunny porch. It’s something that you really start to appreciate the older you get …

Today, the kids and I scored a few heads of Boston Bibb lettuce at the farmers market. I like romaine and iceberg and other lettuces just fine. But I relish in a salad made with either fresh spinach or Boston Bibb … I love the firm, smooth leaves – not firm as in hard, but firm as in solid and having some mass.

Top it with some fresh strawberries sliced up while they are in season, or some juicy, just off the vine, tomatoes later in the season. Even blueberries or sliced apples (at the end of summer) can make a nice salad topper.

And then comes the crunch. For me, a salad just has to have that crunch. And what better crunch than homemade croutons? Just slice up whatever left over bread you have (sometimes, for me, it’s my fav semolina bread ends. Other times, it’s leftover hamburger buns or even just slightly stale sandwich bread — in a pinch, of course), season and go.

Looking for inspiration? Check out these delightful ideas:

Recipes for Homemade Croutons

• Extra Easy Cheese Croutons at Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Homemade Garlic Croutons at Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Amy’s Homemade Croutons (herbed croutons) at The Mother Load
• Buttery Homemade Croutons at The Food Channel
• Sourdough Garlic Herb Croutons at Our Best Bites
• Sourdough Garlic Croutons at Pinch My Salt

Today started out as one of those ethereal days where the sky is impossibly blue and the clouds are a fluffy jungle kingdom. You just want to be outside on a day like today, and we made sure to spend a lot of time outdoors.

The kids and I rose later than usual, which is a treat for any mom, but particularly one who rises at the crack of dawn most days … and then we made our way through baths and bananas (they each have one almost every morning). Then we were off with a purpose: to find out if one of the local farmers markets would be opening today … the answer was no. But we are now just a few weeks away from the opening of another local farmers market, so I guess we will just hang tight for a little longer. But, I must admit, I was really hoping to score some garlic scapes, which have an impossibly short season.

After that, we headed off for an on-the-go breakfast and then settled in at a local recreation area for a long walk and rolling picnic, which is becoming a very fun habit for us. The kids and I pack up food in small portions and head to this park. They settle into the double stroller and eat — sometimes it’s lunch, sometimes a snack and today it was breakfast. While they eat, I walk, pushing them over hills and through meadows and across this fantastic area. It’s a lot of fun.

This afternoon, I harvested some of our spinach for a salad and some rosemary too. To go with the salad (spinach, strawberries and blue cheese), I made (in five minutes — seriously — including prep) some quick, tasty croutons using a leftover hard roll. Not only does it use up a roll that might otherwise have been left to rot, but these little delicately crunchy bread bits are OMG good.

How was your Sunday?

Extra Easy Cheese Croutons

These are exceptionally easy to make. My oven has a toast setting that I make them with, however if you don’t have that, you could make them using the broiler setting but you must watch them very closely to prevent them from burning — it will only take a few minutes. Whatever you do, do not preheat the oven.

1 hard roll
olive oil
salt and pepper
hard cheese for grating (such as Romano or Parmesan; Asiago works great too)

Cut the hard roll into large chunks (about 1″ x1″ x 1/2″). Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and grate cheese onto the bread.

Place in the oven and set to toast (alternatively you can use the broiler setting — but you MUST watch them for the entire 2-5 minutes). Toast until golden — 2-5 minutes.

As I type this, thunder is roaring outside my office window and ominous clouds are dumping rain everywhere. It sounds vicious outside, the kind of rolling booms that make you want to curl up under a favorite quilt and huddle until it passes. Meanwhile, less than 20 minutes ago, I was outside planting and watching these clouds roll in. Welcome to a true New England day … don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes.

But I am not complaining, it has been a good Sunday here. Sunny and productive, with lots of errands and yard work accomplished.

Today was a rare morning where everyone slept a little later than normal. For the first time in literally years, I got to sleep past 8 a.m. — and well past 8 a.m., at that. It was a rare treat.

When we all finally did rise, I whipped up a delicious batch of Banana-Stuffed French Toast. This is a recipe that I actually first posted back on June 22, 2006. I made it for Father’s Day that year, and it was a huge hit. So when Shawn came home last night with a big, soft, beautiful loaf of challah bread, I immediately thought of this recipe. The ingredients are primarily pantry items, which means that you can make it almost anytime. And it comes together – start to finish – in 45 minutes max (and that’s if you do several batches in the frying pan like I did … if you use a bigger pan, it will take less time).

In any case, this is great for a laid-back Sunday morning.

Banana-Stuffed French Toast
serves 4
Adapted from Weekend Magazine, July/August 2006

Although this recipe calls for just four large (the loaf I used this time was about six inches wide) slices of challah, this can work with up to six slices. Be sure to give yourself about 45 minutes total for prep and cooking.

Syrup
1 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick

French Toast
4 slices large (cut 1 inch deep) challah bread (or 8 smaller pieces, also 1 inch deep)
1 medium banana, sliced thin
4 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for five minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice a pocket in the challah bread and slide 4-6 banana slices in each piece.

Using a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sugar, salt, nutmeg and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined.

Place each slice of banana-stuffed challah in the batter, turning over to fully coat.

In a preheated and greased large skillet (I used butter), cook each slice of bread until golden on both sides (about 2 minutes per side).

Place browned slices on a baking sheet that’s been lined with nonstick foil and cook in the oven for about 8 minutes, until cooked throughout.

Drizzle with syrup and serve …

Christmas is two days away. My presents aren’t wrapped, my house isn’t clean enough yet. I have scores of baking left to do too. It’s going to be a frantic Wednesday, I will tell you that much.

Are you making any cranberry sauce or conserve this week? If so, keep this in mind when you do …

Sweet and tart is a combination that I really love — particularly when it’s combined with a cake-y base. So, when I was faced with leftover cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving, I knew what I wanted to look for: A coffeecake recipe. I found several recipes to draw from and created this — which was absolutely perfect and satisfied my sweet/sour craving.

If you have leftover cranberries after the holidays this week, try this. You won’t be disappointed.

Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole berry cranberry sauce (fresh or canned)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar over medium speed with a mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and continue mixing on medium.

In a small bowl, sift together baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, flour and salt. Turn mixer to stir (or low). Add one third of the mixture to the wet ingredients and then one third of sour cream, until all the all of the ingredients have been added. Stir in vanilla.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Add 1/2 of the cranberry sauce and spread evenly. Pour 1/3 of batter over the sauce. Add the remaining cranberry sauce. Then top with remaining batter.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Easy Glaze II

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp orange juice
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Stir ingredients together well.

1. 1 cup all-purpose flour
2. 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3. 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4. 1 teaspoon baking powder
5. Pinch of salt
6. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Drizzle on cake while still warm.

The longer I cook, the more I find that I have certain go-to recipes that are as ingrained in my repertoire as number 2 pencils in a school child’s pencil bag. They are my tried and trues, my favorites, my without-thinking creations. My tried and trues can be made without fuss or muss, because they’ve become my happy cooking habits.

Among those tried and trues is my recipe for raspberry white chocolate muffins. I first had this combination in delicious, but short-lived, raspberry white chocolate scones from Dunkin Donuts about four years ago. I loved the combination and shortly after found the muffin form at Big Y. A few years back, unable to find either the scone or the muffin, I set out to develop my own version . . . this is the result of that.

These are best eaten warm, just out of the oven — but if you have leftovers, simply pop them in the toaster oven or oven for a few minutes to make them as hot and tasty as when you first made them.

When I whipped up a batch of these last Sunday, Will ate two . . . something that rarely happens — he’s not big on seconds. The next day? Shawn ate two . . . something that also rarely happens because he’s not big on muffins. These muffins provided a bonding experience for my husband and his boss a few years ago as well . . . they are that kind of good.

This time, I used used granular sugar on top, but these are fantastic with white decorative sugar too.

A note on raspberries:

Like raspberries? Good. They are excellent for you. Red raspberries are antioxidant powerhouses. They have significantly more antioxidants than strawberries, tomatoes or kiwi. They are also a good source of vitamin C. Coincidentally, they are coming into season shortly.

To see the recipe, click here.

This post is for Sweetnicks’ ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays . . . Check out the Sweetnicks site later tonight for more antioxidant rich ideas.