How To Cook Perfect Eggs Every Time

How To Cook Perfect Eggs Every Time.

We all know eggs are the perfect food.
They start our mornings, save our dinners, provide the perfect late night snack, and have the power to get us through the worst hangovers of our lives.

So here's a guide to cooking every kind. Bookmark it. Print it. Remember it. Who knows, one day it might save your life.*

*Maybe not, but it might save you from sad desk lunch, which is basically just as important.

The sunny-side-up egg is the King Of Instagram Foods, and can take many forms.
This one is a FRIED egg, and if it doesn't have golden-brown edges, well, it's not fried.
A hard-boiled egg is basically the easiest thing you can make in a kitchen; all you need is a stove, a pot of water and a timer.
Still, there are some things you need to know. That green ring around the yolk? Yeah, that's an overcooked egg. Hard to peel? There's a trick for that.

Halve peeled hard-boiled eggs lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl (save the whites). Using a fork, smash the yolks into a paste and add some mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Maybe you like chopped up scallions or pickles in there, too. Who knows? Go crazy. Just make sure it tastes amazing.

Fill a ziplock bag with this ~amazing mixture~ and snip a little hole in the corner. Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture, then sprinkle some paprika and chives over the top.

Halve peeled hard-boiled eggs lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl (save the whites). Using a fork, smash the yolks into a paste and add some mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Maybe you like chopped up scallions or pickles in there, too. Who knows? Go crazy. Just make sure it tastes amazing.

Fill a ziplock bag with this ~amazing mixture~ and snip a little hole in the corner. Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture, then sprinkle some paprika and chives over the top.

Pile your scrambled eggs high and proud on a toasted kaiser roll or English muffin, top the eggs with a slice of *American Cheese*, some crispy bacon and too much hot sauce.

There are lots of tricks, tools and gadgets that claim to make PERFECT poached eggs, but the reality is that you only need a pot, some vinegar and an egg.

The perfect soft boiled egg has a just-set yolk, with the center still slightly runny, almost jammy.
To me, it's kind of like if a fried egg and a hard boiled egg had a baby. So, yeah, it's the perfect food.

Cook store bought noodles as per usual. For the broth, use as much of the seasoning packet as you like (I use about half), then go ahead and add some soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and a splash of rice wine vinegar. Top with crushed chile flakes and add bamboo shoots, a handful of herbs or chopped scallions, a few sheets of seaweed snacks (!!) and half of a perfectly soft boiled egg.


MAKE PERFECT HARD BOILED EGGS.

Make perfect hard boiled eggs with a creamy yolk, and beautiful egg white by using these Tips for making hard boil eggs. Only 6-7 minutes to boil eggs.

A bad hard-boiled egg can ruin your breakfast. Have you had a complimentary hotel breakfast where you grab a hard boil egg from the breakfast buffet only to find out later that it’s overcooked – gray-green ring around the yolk. Yuck. Here I am sharing with you my tips for making perfect hard boiled eggs.

How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

The perfect hard-boiled egg has no green ring around the yolk; the yolk is creamy and mellow; and if you want, you can stop short of the hard-boil and make a gooey soft-boiled egg instead.


Do you know how to make perfect boiled eggs every single time? For only 6-7 minutes? I will share with you my simple tips on how to get perfect hard boiled eggs every single time.

Many people recommend different ways of cooking the perfect hard boil egg. Some suggest removing the saucepan with the eggs from the heat once the water starts boiling and to let them sit for about 15 minutes. I even found one recipe where the author recommended to bake the eggs in the oven for 30 minutes. That’s a lot of time for me. You can cook a whole meal for that amount of time.

You can also cook eggs in the Instant Pot and cook them for only 5 minutes.

Check my video where I show you how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs for only 7 minutes.

HOW TO BOIL EGGS.
I believe hard-boiled eggs should be quick & easy to cook. You can cook a beautiful creamy hard-boiled egg for only 6-7 minutes. Why spend half an hour when you can have perfect eggs within minutes? Especially when I cook eggs in the morning for breakfast, the last thing I want to do is wait so long for the eggs to cook.

Get a perfect hard-boiled egg every time with these simple tips on how to hard-boil an egg. It’s so easy and quick. It’s foolproof. You’ll never have a rubbery white or a gray-green ring around the yolk again.

Boiled eggs are a convenient and affordable source of protein. With hard-boiled eggs on hand, you have the components of a satisfying breakfast, lunch, snack, appetizer, or dinner. So get cracking! 🙂


Ingredients : 6 large eggs, cold from the fridge, Cold water, Ice.
Equipment : Saucepan, Timer, Slotted spoon, Bowl.

INSTRUCTIONS.
Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Cover the pan with a lid and bring water to a rolling boil over high heat; when the water has reached a boil, set the timer for the desired time. Boil for 6 – 7 minutes over medium-high heat for perfect hard boiled eggs.

HOW LONG TO BOIL EGGS.
For soft-boiled eggs: 4 minutes.
For slightly soft-boiled eggs: 5 minutes.
For custardy yet firm soft-boiled eggs: 6 minutes.
For creamy hard-boiled eggs: 7 minutes.
For firm yet still creamy hard-boiled eggs: 8 minutes.
For very firm hard boiled eggs: 9 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl with ice cold water and let them cool for a couple of minutes. Or you can place them under cool running water to stop the cooking. This will also help the eggs peel easily.
Peel and serve the eggs immediately. You can sprinkle some paprika or chives on top. You can also make some delicious deviled eggs.

HOW LONG DO BOILED EGGS LAST.
Storage: Refrigerate any unused hard boiled eggs, still in their shells. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

NOTES : EASY TO PEEL HARD BOILED EGGS.
Use older eggs (~ 1 week old). A few days older eggs are easier to peel.
Add 1/2 tsp salt to the water. Adding salt to the water may help make the eggs easier to peel.
Add 1/2 tsp of baking soda. Some people suggest to add baking soda to the water which increases the alkalinity of the water and makes the eggs easy to peel.
Add vinegar (if you are using farm fresh eggs). You can easily peel hard boiled eggs by adding a little bit of vinegar to the water which makes the shell softer.
Roll them on the counter. After you boil the eggs and you cool them in an ice cold water, roll them on the counter to remove the shell. It will fall off easily.

If you notice that some eggs are hard to peel, crack them all around without peeling them and place them under a little bit of running water or soak them in a bowl with water for a while. The water penetrates under the shell and makes them easier to peel.
HOW TO PREVENT YOUR EGGS FROM CRACKING.
Don’t place the cold eggs from the fridge in the hot water on the stove.
Place the eggs in cold water and then turn on the cooktop.
If an egg has a crack, you can add a little bit of vinegar to the pot. It will help to congeal the egg white if it starts to leak out from the shell.

NUTRITION.
Calories: 62kcal | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 60mg | Vitamin A: 240IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Juli 13, 2020

How to Use Ibarra Chocolate

How to Use Ibarra Chocolate.

Ibarra chocolate, also known as Mexican chocolate, comes in a round disk and is flavored with cinnamon. You can find Ibarra chocolate at your local Mexican grocery store or online. Ibarra chocolate has a rich, slightly spicy flavor that can be used in baking and cooking. You can make a drink like Mexican hot chocolate, or bake brownies with Ibarra chocolate. You can also prepare Mexican chocolate cookies.

Ingredients Mexican Hot Chocolate Makes 1 serving.
1 cup (236 ml) milk (regular or almond), 4 blocks or triangles from one Ibarra disk, ⅛ teaspoon (0.625 grams) ground chile, Dash of salt, Dash of cinnamon, Whipped cream (optional).

Ingredients Mexican Chocolate Brownies Makes 9 large slices or 16 small slices.
½ cup (118 grams) all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) salt, 1 ½ disks Ibarra chocolate, 1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened baking chocolate.
6 tablespoons (90 grams) butter, cut into chunks, ½ cup (118 ml) packed brown sugar, 2 large eggs, beaten, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla, 1 chipotle chile in adobo, finely chopped, Dulce de leche ice cream (optional).


Ingredients Mexican Chocolate Cookies Makes about 30 cookies.
2 cups (473 grams) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) salt, 1 ½ teaspoon (7.5 grams) cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) cayenne pepper.
1 cup (236 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature, 1 cup (236 grams) light brown sugar, packed, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract, 12 ounces (340 grams) Ibarra chocolate, chopped.


Method 1 Making Mexican Hot Chocolate.
1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Use a sharp knife to chop up four blocks of the Ibarra chocolate on a cutting board. Cut them into small pieces so they melt easily in the milk.
You can add more than four blocks to the hot chocolate, but adding more may make it a bit too thick to drink. Use your discretion.
2. Warm the chocolate, milk, salt and chile in a small saucepan. Pour 1 cup (236 ml) of the milk in a saucepan over the stove on medium heat. You can substitute with almond milk or water for a dairy free option. Add the chocolate, a dash of salt, and ⅛ teaspoon (0.625 grams) ground chile to the milk.
Heat the mixture until the chocolate is melting and it is very hot, but not boiling.
You may need to stir the mixture a few times to help the chocolate melt.
3. Use a whisk or hand blender to froth the mixture. Whisk or froth the mixture until the chocolate is completely dissolved and the top becomes foamy. You can use a hand whisk or a hand blender to do this.
4. Pour the hot chocolate in a mug. Once the hot chocolate is frothy, pour it into a mug. Finish the Mexican hot chocolate off by adding a dab of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon to the top. Drink it while it is still hot.

Method 2 Baking Mexican Chocolate Brownies.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius). Take a 9 x 9 metal or glass pan. Grease it with butter or cooking spray.
2. Combine the flour, cinnamon, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, stir together ½ cup (118 grams) flour, ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix all the dry ingredients together.
Set the bowl aside once you have combined the ingredients together.
3. Melt the chocolate. Use a double boiler over medium heat to melt 1 ½ disks of Ibarra chocolate and 1 ounce (28 grams) baking chocolate. Stir the chocolate in the boiler so it melts evenly.
You can make a double boiler in a pinch by placing two inches (2.54 cm) of water in a small saucepan and boiling the water. Then, place a heat resistant bowl over the saucepan and pour the chocolate in the bowl.
4. Add the butter and brown sugar to the chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted, add in the 6 tablespoons (90 grams) butter and ½ cup (118 ml) brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the butter and sugar. It’s okay if the mixture is a bit grainy as long as everything is melted in the bowl.
5. Put in the beaten eggs, vanilla, and chipotle chile. Remove the bowl from heat. Then, drizzle in the two beaten eggs, using a whisk to combine. Add 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla and 1 finely chopped chipotle chile.
6. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Use a whisk to add the flour, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl with the chocolate mixture. Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.
You can then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Use a toothpick to check that the brownies are cooked. Insert it into the middle of the brownie and check that just a few crumbs appear on the toothpick. This means the brownies are ready.
If the toothpick comes out of the brownie very wet or covered in globs of batter, the brownies need more time to bake.
8. Serve warm. Take the brownies out of the oven to cool. Serve the Mexican chocolate brownies warm with a pinch of cinnamon.
You can also add a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream to the brownie for extra sweetness.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Method 3 Preparing Mexican Chocolate Cookies.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups (473 grams) flour, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) salt, 1 ½ teaspoon (7.5 grams) cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) cayenne pepper. Use a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients together.
Set the bowl aside once they have been combined.
3. Beat together butter and sugar. Use a stand mixer or a hand mixer to beat together 1 cup butter (236 grams) and 1 cup (236 grams) brown sugar. Beat together until the mixture is fluffy.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat the two eggs into the mixture one at a time. Then, beat in 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract.
5. Pour in the flour mixture. Add the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture. Do this one cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
6. Stir in the Ibarra chocolate chunks. Pour in the 12 ounces (340 grams) of Ibarra chocolate chunks and mix them into the batter until just combined.
7. Refrigerate the dough. Do this for at least one hour and up to one day. Making the dough cold will make it easier to place on the baking sheets. It will also ensure the cookies will turn out round and evenly shaped.
8. Place the dough on the baking sheets. Use a tablespoon to drop the dough on the baking sheets. You want the dough to be spaced 1 ½ inches (3.81 cm) apart and have a rounded shape.
9. Bake for 10 minutes. Place them in the oven and bake them until they appear golden brown but soft to the touch.
If you prefer crisper cookies, bake them for 12 minutes.
10. Cool and serve. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them sit on the baking sheets for three minutes. Then, transfer them to cooking racks.
Let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, serve them.
Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Things You'll Need 

Mixer, Mixing bowls, Double boiler, Wooden mixing spoon, Two baking sheets.

Mei 30, 2020

how to cook with sorrel

How to Cook with Sorrel.

Sorrel is a green herb that has a tart flavor and can be used to add more complex tastes to various dishes. Because sorrel has such a unique taste, it's important that you pair it with complimentary flavors. Sorrel can be used as a garnish or replacement for other herbs and is a good ingredient in sauces and soups. If you use sorrel in the right dishes and combine it with the right ingredients, it can help elevate your cooking and add a robust and unique flavor to your foods.







Cleaning and Preparing the Sorrel.



Immerse the sorrel in warm water. Wash the sediment and dirt from your sorrel by immersing it in a tub of water. Run your fingers across the leaves to wash them before removing them from the water.



Pat the sorrel dry with paper towels. Press down on the sorrel with paper towels and try to absorb as much moisture as you can.



Fold the sorrel in half. Folding the sorrel in half makes it easier for you to cut both sides of the stem.



Cut the stem out of the bottom of each leaf. With the sorrel leaf folded, make an angled cut to take off the hard stem of the sorrel. The cut should run about two-thirds up the stem of each leaf.



Store sorrel in the refrigerator. If you plan on preserving your sorrel for later use, wrap them in a damp paper towel and place them in your refrigerator. Sorrel will become soggy very quickly and will wilt in a day or two. Wrapping them with a damp paper towel will slow the speed at which the leaves turn brown and wilt.







Making a Sorrel Sauce.



Ingredients Sorrel Sauce.

3 tablespoons (44.36 ml) of butter.

2 cups (50 g) of fresh sorrel leaves, chopped.

1/4 cup (5 g) of chervil.

1/2 cup (15 g) of chives.

1/2 cup (118.29 ml) of heavy cream.

Salt and pepper.



Melt the butter in a saucepan. Place the pan on the stovetop and turn it on to medium-high. Take 3 tablespoons (44.36 ml) of butter and place it in the hot pan. Mix the melting butter with a fork or spoon until it liquefies. Turn the heat down to medium once it's melted.

If the butter starts turning a dark brown, you are burning it.



Add sorrel, chervil, and chives to the melted butter. Add 2 cups (50 g) of fresh sorrel leaves, 1/4 cup (5 g) of chervil, and 1/2 cup (15 g) of chives to the melted butter and allow the sorrel to wilt. This should take approximately two minutes.

You can replace chervil with fresh parsley.



Mix in heavy cream. Pour 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) of heavy cream over the wilted sorrel leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce it to a simmer for about five minutes.



Season with salt and pepper and serve with fish. Remove the pan from the heat and taste it with a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. This sorrel sauce tastes best over fish like salmon, halibut, cod, and sole.







Making Sorrel Soup.



Ingredients Sorrel Soup.

4 tablespoons (59.14) of unsalted butter, melted.

1/2 cup (75 g) of chopped green onions.

4-6 cups (532 g - 798 g) of sorrel, chopped.

3 tablespoons of flour.

1 quart (946.35 ml) of vegetable stock.

1/2 (118.29 ml) cup cream.

2 egg yolks.

Olive oil.

Salt.



Bring vegetable stock to a boil. Pour your vegetable stock into a deep pot and turn the stovetop to high. Once your stock starts boiling, reduce the temperature to medium to bring your stock to a simmer.

You can also use chicken stock.



Brown the onions with olive oil in another pan. Pour a teaspoon of oil in another pan and turn your stovetop to high until it starts to smoke slightly. Reduce the heat to medium and start cooking your chopped onions. Stir the pan until the onions become translucent.



Add the sorrel and onions to the stock. Add your chopped sorrel to the stock along with your cooked onions. Mix the sorrel and the onions into the stock for five minutes, uncovered.

You can add more sorrel to your stock if you want your soup to taste stronger.



Whisk the egg yolks and cream in a separate bowl. Combine the 1/2 (118.29 ml) cup cream with the two egg yolks and mix them together until everything is well incorporated. You must do this separately before you add it to your broth.



Pour the egg and cream mixture into your stock. Use a ladle to trickle the cream and egg mixture into your broth. Continue to ladle the mixture into your soup until you've transferred it all.



Reduce the temperature to low and cook the soup for five minutes. Do not cook the broth on high heat while you add your eggs or they will become scrambled. Stir the soup as it heats up. Allow the soup to continue cooking for five more minutes before serving it.

This sorrel soup can also be enjoyed with a dollop of sour cream.







Putting Sorrel in Other Dishes.



Replace spinach, chard, or arugula with sorrel. If you are cooking a recipe that calls for spinach or chard, you can use sorrel as a replacement. Consider the bitterness of sorrel and decide how it will alter the dish you are planning on making.



Accent dishes with a sprig of sorrel. The bitter and unique taste of sorrel can be appreciated as a garnish for many different dishes like mashed potatoes, rice, lentils, eggs, and cheese. Try replacing a garnish like parsley with sorrel and see if you enjoy the taste.



Add sorrel to your salad. The bitter taste of sorrel tastes great in different kinds of salads. Be careful not to add too many leaves, or it could overpower the taste of your salad and make it too bitter. Use traditional greens like iceberg lettuce, spinach, and romaine lettuce to build the base of your salad and then add some sorrel leaves to it to enhance the flavor.

November 16, 2019

how to make kolaches

How to Make Kolaches.

Kolaches are sweet, traditional Czech pastries. An authentic kolache consists of a round roll of dough, topped with a dollop of fruit or a fruit mixture. They’re typically enjoyed as a breakfast food or as a sweet treat for special occasions. Once you make the standard kolache dough, you can get creative topping them with different variations of the sweet topping.

Ingredients.

Crust.

2¼ teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast OR 1¾ teaspoons (5.5 grams) instant yeast.

1 cup (8 oz) warm milk, ½ cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened, 2 large eggs, 6 tablespoons (80 grams) granulated sugar.

1 teaspoon (5.69 grams) salt, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or ½ teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg (optional), 4 cups (17 oz) all-purpose flour.

Egg Wash : 1 large egg, beaten. 1 teaspoon (4.93 mL) cream, milk, or water

Cherry Topping : ½ cup (3.5 oz) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (1.25 oz) cornstarch, 1¼ cups (300 mL) reserved cherry juice, 4 cups (28 oz) pitted sour cherries.

Blueberry Topping : 1/3 cup (80 mL) granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons (45 mL) cornstarch, Salt, 2 cups (10 oz) blueberries, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) lemon juice.

Apricot Topping : 2 cups (12 oz) dried apricots, 1 cup (8.5 oz) orange juice, ½ cup (3.5 oz) granulated sugar or brown sugar, 1 or 2 tablespoons (15 or 30 mL) lemon juice.

Part 1 Making the Dough.

1. Dissolve the yeast in a quarter cup (2 ounces) of warm milk. This is the first step if you are working with active dry yeast. It’s easiest to do this in a measuring cup, because you will be pouring this mixture later. Make sure the yeast is completely dissolved.

If you are using instant yeast, you can skip this step and add the instant yeast later.

2. Mix the yeast with the milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and flour in a large bowl. The butter should be softened to room temperature to make this easiest. Pour in the remaining milk, the softened butter, the eggs, the sugar, and salt, as well as the yeast mixture that you created. Then, pour in 1.5 cups of flour and mix everything together thoroughly. If you are choosing to add lemon zest, ground mace, or nutmeg, add that now as well.

If you are using instant yeast, you will add that now.

After everything is blended, slowly add the remaining flour. You may use exactly four cups, or you may use a little bit more or less. Just make sure that the dough isn’t too sticky or too dry.

3. Knead the dough on a floured surface. Lightly coat some space on your countertop or table with flour so that the dough doesn’t stick to it. Work the dough with your fingertips so that it becomes smooth and easy to form. After you’ve done this for about five minutes, roll it into one large ball.

4. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let rise. Spray a bowl with cooking oil, or pour about a tablespoon of oil into the bottom. Place the large ball of dough into the bowl, and roll it in place so that it’s coated with the oil. Then, it’s time to let the dough rise.

Cover your bowl, either with a kitchen towel or with cling wrap. Let it rise in your kitchen (or any warm place) for about two to three hours. You can also let it rise overnight in your refrigerator, if that is easier.

5. Knead dough and allow to rise again. After the dough has almost doubled in volume, you want to push it down into the bowl and gently knead again. Then put the cover back on, set it aside once again, and let it double in size over about an hour and fifteen minutes. When the time has passed and the dough has risen again, knead it, split it into two halves, and let it rise a final time for about ten minutes. Finally, your dough is ready.

Making kolache dough takes patience, but it’s key that it has time to rise fully and bulk up. This creates the chewy, dense dough that kolaches are known for.

Part 2 Forming the Kolaches.

1. Roll out your dough on a floured surface. Once again, sprinkle some flour on a flat surface to prevent your dough from sticking to it. Using a rolling pin, flatten out your dough so that it is about 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) thick.

2. Cut your dough into rounds. Each round should be about 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) across. The easiest way to create these rounds is to use a cookie cutter, but you can also use the rim of a proper-sized glass. Press the cookie cutter or the rim of the glass firmly into the dough, and then peel up the dough around the circle.

Roll your excess dough into a ball, and then use your rolling pin to flatten it out onto the floured surface again. Cut out the rounds, and then roll the excess dough up again. Continue doing this until you’ve used all your dough.

3. Place your dough rounds on a baking sheet. You can line your baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it to make sure the dough doesn’t stick to it. Once again, cover the dough with a kitchen towel or cling wrap. Set the baking sheet aside and let the dough rise again for about an hour.

4. Make the indentations in the dough. Once the dough has risen and each round has doubled in size, it is time to make the indentations in the middle. This step basically makes dough round into a little bowl that will hold the topping as they bake.

Use your thumb or a small spoon to press down gently into the center of each round. Make sure that you don’t make the indentations too large – each round should still have about a 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) rim around the perimeter.

Part 3 Preparing the Toppings.

1. Make a cherry topping for your kolaches. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and cherry juice in a saucepan. Use a wooden spoon to stir until everything is thoroughly mixed. Put the saucepan on the stove and set it to medium heat. Once the mixture starts boiling and thickening up, turn off the heat and add the pitted cherries.

2. Prepare a blueberry topping. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, blueberries and lemon juice together in a saucepan. Turn the stovetop to medium heat to warm the mixture while continuously stirring. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat on your stovetop down and let the mixture simmer for about ten minutes. The final product should be fairly thick.

3. Create a sweet apricot topping. This one will take a bit longer than the cherry and blueberry toppings. You’ll need to simmer the dried apricots and the orange juice in a saucepan for about half an hour, or until soft. Then, drain the orange juice and put the tender apricots into a food processor to puree with sugar and lemon juice. Once the mixture is nice and smooth, it’s all set.

4. Explore the dozens of other topping options. While a fruit topping is the traditional topping, it is certainly not the only one you can make. Other common variations are poppyseed and cream cheese kolaches. You can even make savory kolaches with different types of breakfast meats. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Part 4 Adding the Toppings & Baking.

1. Preheat your oven. Set it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or 190 degrees Celsius. It’s good to do this before you start adding your toppings to the dough, so that it will be ready to go once you are finished. Depending on your oven, it will take about ten to twenty minutes to preheat.

2. Brush each kolache with egg wash. To prepare the egg wash, simply beat one large egg and add a teaspoon (4.93 mL) of milk, cream, or water. Using a pastry brush, brush it generously onto each of the dough rounds.

3. Spoon the toppings into the center indentations. You only need to put about a spoonful onto each of the rounds. The indentation should be completely filled with topping.

If you don’t use all of the topping you created, it can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen to use again next time you prepare kolaches.

4. Bake your kolaches and serve. Put your kolaches in the oven and set the timer for 12 minutes. Keep an eye on the kolaches, though, and take them out when the dough has turned golden brown. Use a spatula to remove your kolaches from the hot baking pan and let them cool on a wire rack or another surface. Serve immediately and enjoy!

You can store uneaten kolaches at room temperature for about two days after making them. If you won’t eat them for awhile, you can pop them in the freezer and save them for up to three months.

5. Finished.

Desember 23, 2019