This recipe is wordy.  Don’t get nervous, it doesn’t take any special baking talents to finish with  beautiful little cheese bread muffins.  Be advised, you should begin this recipe a day ahead. 

UPDATE:  Note to all bread makers – The California Raisin Board is hosting it’s annual bread making contest.  Here is the link for entry.

Our recipe on page 60 of the book “A Taste of Utica”

was posted by Chris and begins by telling us the trick of the recipe:

“The trick with my recipe is you put grated and CUBED cheddar and Parmesan in the dough.  When baked you end up with these cheesy pockets in the brioches.”

Parmesan/Cheddar Brioches

• The Starter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup warm milk or water (105 deg)
• 1 (1/4 ox) pkg. active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
• 1/2 cup sifted flour (sift before measuring)
• The Dough
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 TBS sugar 1 TBS hot milk or water
• 3 large eggs 1 1/2 cups sifted flour (sift before measuring)
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices and well softened
• 1/2 lb Parmesan _ half of it grated, half in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 lb sharp cheddar – half grated and half in 1/2 inch cubes

Special equipment:  a standing mixer with whisk and dough-hook attachments.

Starter:  Stir together sugar and milk in a small bowl.  Sprinkle yeast over mix and let stand until foamy, 10 minutes.  Stir flour into yeast, forming a soft dough and cut a deep X across the top.  Let starter rise, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature, 1 hour.

Dough:  Combine salt, sugar, and hot milk in a small bowl and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.  Fit mixer with whisk attachment, and then beat 2 eggs at medium-low speed until fluffy.  Add sugar mixture and beat until combined well.  With motor running, add in order, beating after each addition: 

• 1/2 cup flour
• remaining egg,
• 1/2 cup flour,
• about one fourth of butter,
• and remaining 1/2 cup flour.
• Beat mixture 1 minute.

Remove bowl from mixer and fit mixer with dough hook attachment.  Spread starter onto dough with a rubber spatula and return bowl to mixer.  Beat dough at medium-high speed 6 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic.  Add remaining butter, cubed and grated cheeses and beat 1 minute, or until butter and cheeses are incorporated. 

Lightly butter a large bowl and scrape dough into that bowl with a rubber spatula.  Lightly dust dough with flour to prevent crust forming.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until more than doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.

Punch the dough down and lightly dust with flour.  Cover, again, with plastic wrap and CHILL dough, punching down after the first hour, at least 12 hours.

Place a pie pan on bottom shelf of oven.  Butter muffin tins generously.  Take a small lump of dough, dust wit ha little flour and roll in your hands into a ball.  Place in muffin tin, dough should come just above rim of muffin tin.  Repeat until tins are filled.  “Dock” each top with a sharp knife.  Cover pan with linen towel and let brioches rise at least 1/2 hour.  They will plump up nicely.

Preheat oven to 425 F for at least 15 minutes. *Remember, your pie pan is on the bottom shelf preheating with the oven. 

Place the muffin tins on middle shelf of oven and splash about 1/2 cup water into the pie pan on the bottom shelf.  This will create steam in the oven to help rise the brioches.  Bake at 425 F for 15 – 20 minutes or until brioches are golden brown.  Remove to wire racks, let cool completely. 

“Enjoy with eggs for breakfast or have a hearty red wine as a snack…These are quite good.”

The cheese offers a wonderful aftertaste to these moist little baked breads.  Another Taste Of Utica recipe that we will see time and time again on our table.

The following are memories of Utica by Michael Labombarda

“The Goodie Shop: Was an old time breakfast and lunch spot.  I loved their toast and can still hear it popping out of their industrial toaster (maybe an early Dualit?).  Plus the green multiple milk shake blenders.

They had great burgers, fries and chocolate shakes too. I loved the way they used to wrap their take out sandwiches in paper.

You could either sit at the counter or in a booth.

I can still see the guy with the glasses who owned the joint.  He always wore his infamous Goodie Shop overcoat.

My dad went there every day for years when his pharmacy was at 906 Bleecker and then right next door – both have been torn down now”.

GREAT NEWS!

You might notice that every Sunday a super delicious recipe is posted.  That recipe is taken from our local cookbook.  Well, this week, my good friend, Joe Mezz, sent me this:  FREE SHIPPING

FREE SHIPPING FOR THE SUMMER 
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/a-taste-of-utica/2854492

A Taste of Utica by Joe Mezzanini, Jeanann Murphy in Cooking

A Taste of Utica by Joe Mezzanini, Jeanann Murphy: A collection of recipes and memories from Utica NY. All proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Compassion Coalition – a community based organ…

In order to give you a better idea of the book, here is my review. 

Cookbook Review:  A Taste of Utica CNY Eats.com Recipes and Memories by Joe Mezzanini / Jeanann Murphy

This collection of recipes come right from Mom’s kitchen.  They are a conglomeration of the most familiar and popular dishes of Central New York. 

Each recipe is a contribution from Central New York forum members who wanted to share heart warming stories and favorite menus from home.  There are no claims of professional chef contributions, only ingredients and techniques from the old home kitchen. 

From “Hurricane’s”        to Mozzarella sticks,

the recipes are flavorful and wide open for customization.  If help is needed because it is too loosely written for the step-by-step cook, guidance is offered at Apple Crumbles.com where a recipe is cooked up each week and posted on Sunday.  Questions are welcomed by email.

Sample recipes include

• Italian Homemade Green Olives
• 
• Horned Dorset Dip
• 
• Here is a recipe you can make right now: Hot Sauce for Chicken Wings ( By Ray Montana)

• 1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 TBS brown sugar
  1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  12 easy shakes of “Kick Ass” sauce (they sell this)Directions:

  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

  The following is how to use the sauce with wings and bake up a deliciously different meal, offered by Joanne of Apple Crumbles.

  Oven Baked Wings with Taste of Utica Wing Sauce (Serves 4)

  • 1 batch of the above wing sauce all mixed up and set aside.
  • 3  lbs chicken wings (or use 2 to 3 packages of Meatless chicken tenders) *About 1 1/2 lb wings + 1 package of the meatless chicken flavored substitute.
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

  Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with non stick spray.

  Add the bread crumbs, sugar, garlic, pepper, and mustard to a large plastic bag and shake it up to mix.

  Add the chicken wings to the bag and shake around.

  Place the wings on the prepared baking sheet and coat with the hot sauce.  *Do the same with the meatless substitute if using.

  Place in the oven for 50 minutes – chicken wings, and 25 minutes meatless tenders.

  

  Craving the tastes of home?  A Taste of Utica will satisfy your longing.  Enjoy!

• Do you have a favorite cookbook that you always fall back on when stumped for a meal?

There is no yeast in this bread recipe.  There is no sugar in this bread recipe.  There IS a blend of interesting flavors and a sweetness that comes only from the raisins. 

This recipe is going on Apple Crumbles favorites list.

On page 55 of our book, A Taste of Utica,   Toni Leone Guzski has posted another good recipe.  It is easy and it is good and it’s NOT just for the Irish nor is it only for St. Patrick’s Day.  This bread recipe is recommended for baking at least once per month.  It’s THAT good. 

The bread ingredients went together in 10 minutes and was baked and ready to eat in 45 minutes.  Can’t beat that!

IRISH SODA BREAD

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 TBS Caraway Seeds
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and caraway seeds.  Add the raisins and buttermilk and knead on a floured board or countertop approximately 5 times. 

Spray a 9” to 10” round pan with non-stick spray.  Put the dough into the pan and bake for 35 – 40 minutes. 

Enjoy!

I am not a steak eater but let me tell you this recipe is excellent! Had it tonight and even decided to fry the steaks in it.  Cannot tell you how much we all loved it.  Thanks for sharing – Carol

This weeks recipe is posted by Chris and the above comment must have been by Carol to Chris as she tested the recipe which can be found on page 43 of our book A Taste of Utica

Apple Crumbles missed the boat, so to speak, on this recipe.  In the ingredient list is an item called “Maggi Liquid Seasoning”.   I wasn’t quite sure what it was or where to find it.  After a thorough scan through the aisles in the grocery store without much success, I searched on line for an appropriate substitution and came across this post all about Maggi Seasoning,  Eat Drink NB Merry.

It’s no wonder the Maggi seasoning makes the meat taste good, it contains MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate.  I’m not a fan of MSG and if I use an ingredient that contains it, which I try not to, I always add less than what is called for.  Some people have sensitivity to MSG such as severe headaches or digestive discomfort after consumption. 

This is the recipe for STEAK BUTTER with the Apple Crumbles substitutions indicated.

• 10 oz margarine, softened AC:  Promise Healthy Heart Substitute, I used 2 sticks.
• 5 oz butter, softened
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 TBS minced fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 TBS “Maggi Liquid Seasoning” AC: 1 tsp Liquid Smoke and 2 tsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp MSG (the MSG may be omitted; increase the “Maggi Liquid” to 2 TBS).  AC:  I didn’t use MSG.

Place the margarine and butter in a bowl and blend with a whisk.  Whisk in the green onions and parsley.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients.  Slowly whisk this into the butter mixture; cover and store refrigerated. 

For Ted, I used the Steak butter on 1/2 lb of Eye Round Sandwich Steaks.   The meat was topped with 1 TBS of Steak butter and left to rest for 20 minutes covered at room temperature.  The stove top grill was heated on high and 2 TBS of Steak butter was added to the grill pan.  The steaks were cooked 1 1/2 minutes per side.

Ted was thrilled with the flavor.

Kathy’s memories of her childhood in Utica… (a quote at the bottom of page 43)

When I was little, probably till I was 13, we lived on the 900 block of Bleecker.  First on 942 and later at 928.  My mother used to send me to Joe’s with a pot and cover to get her either tripe or mushroom stew.  I always thought it was disgusting, until I grew up.  Those were the days.

As for this vegetarian, I agree with the 13 year old Kathy (if you know what I mean)   Thank goodness Ted enjoys the occasional meat dish so we can continue to test the recipes from Taste of Utica.

This week, on page 42 in our book A Taste of Utica, Rainie Piccione posted the lightest of Alfredo sauce recipes.  It’s not heavy and doesn’t consume you in a plethora of flavors.  It is a perfect sauce and texture complement to a good starch and or a good protein. 

CREAMY ALFREDO SAUCE

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
• 2 TBS onion, minced
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• black pepper to taste (if you prefer to keep the sauce white, no black flecks, use white pepper)

Directions:  Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add onion, cook for 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in the cream and reduce heat to medium low.  Stir in Parmesan cheese and add the pepper to taste.  Serve over cooked pasta or broiled chicken breasts.

Easy to make and great over a variety of starch, protein, and vegetables.  Enjoy!