Saffron Culinary Creations

“Focaccia Art With Vegetables And Herbs” This is such a fun activity for any age! Had a great time doing this with a group of talented young women. 🧅🫑🌶🥦🍅

I get asked quite frequently, what’s the significance of saffron in your name? This comes from my Swedish heritage going back hundreds of years and the making of Lussekatter(Swedish Saffron Buns) for St. Lucia on December 13.

Sweet yeast rolls are often seen in Sweden, but at Christmastime they take on a new shape and meaning. Saffron gives these rolls a beautiful golden color that is accented by dark raisins. The rolls are lightly sweet, and just rich enough with eggs and butter.

The name, Lussekatter, means “Lucia cats” and comes from the way the scrolled buns looks like a cat’s tail and the fact that they are common to serve on Saint Lucia’s Feast Day in December.

Who Was Saint Lucia?
Lucia was a Christian girl who was born to rich and noble parents. She was killed for her faith in 304AD. She was known for secretly bringing food to persecuted Christians hiding in the catacombs in Rome. When traveling through the dark tunnels, she would wear a wreath lit with candles on her head, so that she had both hands free to carry food. Fittingly, her name, “Lucy” means “light”.

In Scandinavian countries, St. Lucia’s Feast Day became a festival of light, pointing to the arrival of the Light of Christ on Christmas Day.

Her feast day is celebrated on December 13th. Traditionally, the oldest daughter of the house dresses up in long white dress with a red sash and wears a crown or wreath with candles on her head. She carries a tray of a warm drinks, cookies, and saffron buns to her family and friends who are celebrating in the house.

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*Ingredients*

Prep Ahead
* ½ tsp saffron threads
* 2 Tbsp milk
* ½ c raisins

For the Dough
* 1 ½ c milk, warmed to 80F
* 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
* ¾ c sugar
* 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* ½ tsp salt
* 6 -6 ½ c unbleached all purpose flour

For the Egg Wash
* 1 egg
* 2 Tbsp water

Instructions

To Prepare
* Place the saffron threads in a small bowl and carefully grind them into a fine powder using the back of a spoon (or use a mortar and pestle). Add 2 Tbsp of milk and set the mixture aside for an hour or two, stirring occasionally, to let the saffron dye the milk.

* Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Set them aside to plump.

For the Dough
* Place the warmed milk in a large mixing bowl. Mix in a few Tbsp of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the milk and let it stand until the yeast has softened and begins to foam, 5-10 min.

* Mix in the remaining sugar, melted and cooled butter, beaten egg, and prepared saffron milk.

* Add the salt and flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add just enough flour so that the dough comes together to a knead-able consistency.

* Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for 5-6 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Once the dough is smooth and soft, shape it into a ball and place it into a clean, greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft free place for 60-90 min, until doubled.

* Once risen, turn the dough out on the counter and knead it a few times. Divide the dough into 24, roughly even, pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Then, roll each ball into a 6 inch snake. Finally, roll each snake longer, to about 13-14 inches. (This dough has a tendency to spring back on you, which is why we roll it out in stages. Giving it time to relax will make it easier to get your long snake.)

* For each snake, spiral the ends in opposite directions to form a scrolled “S”. Place the scrolled “S” onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

* Drain your raisins and place them on a paper towel to dry. (Pat them dry if necessary.) Put one raisin in the middle of each spiral.

* Continue with the remaining dough.

* Beat together the egg and water for your egg wash. Brush the mixture on the buns.

* Let the buns rise in a warm, draft free place for 20-30 minutes, or until the buns are puffy and have nearly doubled in size.

* Near the end of this last rising time, preheat your oven to 425F.

* Bake the buns for 8-10 min minutes, until golden.

* Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before enjoying the warm rolls!

* (These rolls are best if eaten within 2-3 days.)

Rolling Lussekatter…The dough for our Lussekatter recipe should be soft and supple. But, when you go to roll out the buns, the dough does have a tendency to spring back on itself. To combat this, you roll the pieces a little at a time.

Start by trying to coax them to 4-6 inches. Then, after all the pieces have had a chance to relax into that shape, it will be much easier to roll them all the way to 13-14 inches long.

Once the dough is rolled into a long snake, simply twist the two ends in opposite directions, creating a loose “S” with two spirals. Then, you can place a raisin at the center of each spiral and let the buns rise before they are baked to a beautiful golden brown! For best results, make your saffron milk and start soaking your raisins 1 hour before you would like to start your bread.

Yield: 24 (4 inch long) buns

I love fall. The vibrant colors, cooler weather, flannel and bonfires, the sound of wrestling leaves on those long fall walks and of course you can’t forget pumpkins.

I have a quite a love for everything pumpkin. Pumpkins are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and is incredibly healthy. What's more, its low calorie content makes it a weight-loss-friendly food. Its nutrients and antioxidants may boost your immune system, protect your eyesight, lower your risk of certain cancers and promote heart and skin health.

This delicious baked treat you'll never forget! It's perfectly spiced, full of pumpkin flavor, and the hazelnut brown butter cream cheese frosting is just beyond delicious!

This recipe is unique for you brown the butter which provides a nutty and bold flavor brought on by gently cooking it. Once paired with delicious cream cheese, vanilla, hazelnut syrup and powdered sugar…you’ll be fighting over who gets to lick the spatula! 🍁🍂🎃🍞

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

Pumpkin Bread with Hazelnut Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
* 4 egg yolks
* 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 1.5 cups sugar
* ¾ cup vegetable oil
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tsp baking powder
* ½ tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp kosher salt
* 1 tbsp cinnamon
* ¼ tsp cardamom
* ½ tsp ground ginger
* ¼ tsp ground cloves
* ½ tsp allspice
* ½ tsp ground nutmeg

Hazelnut Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

* 8 oz cream cheese
* 1 stick butter
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 2 tbsp hazelnut syrup
* 1.5 cups powdered sugar
* pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
* In a stand mixer, combine egg yolks, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and vegetable oil. Mix together.
* In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk ingredients together. Add to wet ingredients and fold together with a spatula, mixing ingredients together.
* Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with oil and add batter. Bake for 1 hour.
* To make the frosting, begin by browning butter in a pan over medium heat. In a large bowl, add cream cheese, vanilla extract, hazelnut syrup, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt. Pour in brown butter and whisk until icing is smooth and fluffy. Add to refrigerator until ready to use.
* Allow pumpkin loaf to cool completely prior to adding the frosting.
* Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts

*Summer Recipe Series* 👩‍🍳

Walked through the garden this afternoon, I finally saw beautiful red tomatoes ripe for the picking.

With it being 102°, I was contemplating what I could make without turning the oven on that would be easy, refreshing and delicious. 

I remembered I had just gotten fresh mozzarella from the market, so I walked over to my herb garden and picked some fresh basil for Caprese Salad and Caprese Panini.

Recipes below! 🍅🌿

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🍅 Caprese Salad 🍅

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 lbs Ripe tomatoes, (3-4 medium) sliced 1/4” thick
* 12-16 oz Fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4” thick
* 1 bunch Fresh basil, (1/3 cup basil leaves)
* 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil, for drizzling
* 1/2 tsp Sea salt, or to taste
* 1/4 tsp Black pepper, or to taste
* 2 Tbsp *Balsamic glaze*

*Balsamic Glaze*

Ingredients
* 1 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 Tbsp honey

1. Pour 1 cup balsamic vinegar into a saucepan and add 1/2 Tbsp honey.

2. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to keep at a simmer for 12-15 minutes.* Stir occasionally until reduced by half and lightly coats the back of a spoon. It will thicken more as it cools.

Caprese Salad Instructions

1. Start by layering slices of tomatoes on a serving platter. Tuck slices of cheese between each tomato so both are visible then tuck whole basil leaves between the cheese and tomatoes. Arrange the slices so you can see every layer.

2. Season generously with salt and pepper, drizzle all over with extra virgin olive oil and drizzle with 2 Tbsp balsamic glaze or add it to taste.

Enjoy! 👩‍🍳

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🍅 Caprese Panini 🍅

Ingredients
* 6 slices sourdough bread
* 4 roma tomatoes sliced
* 2 to 3 tbsp balsamic glaze
* olive oil
* 8 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
* 2 handfuls fresh basil about 1 oz
* salt and pepper to taste
* Basil pesto
* Butter

*Homemade Basil Pesto*

Ingredients
* ½ cup pine nuts
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
* 1 small garlic clove
* ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* ⅓ cup fresh Parmesan cheese
* 2 cups fresh basil leaves
* 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil more for a smoother pesto

Instructions
* Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Toast them over medium-low heat, tossing frequently, just until the nuts begin to toast and you smell them. This will only take 3-5 minutes. Remove the nuts from the heat and let cool slightly.

* Place the cooled nuts into a food processor, fitted with an s-blade. Add in the garlic, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and pulse until everything is chopped well.

* Add the parmesan and basil and pulse until combined.

* With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.

* Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve as desired.

* To store pesto, transfer the pesto to a small glass jar and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil to cover the top of the pesto (this will keep the pesto a vibrant green), cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Caprese Panini Instructions

1)Prepare the Balsamic glaze

2)Prepare the pesto

3)Spread pesto on both pieces of bread. Place arugula, basil, tomatoes, mozzarella and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Drizzle a little balsamic glaze and top with the other piece of bread.

4)Heat a panini grill or grill pan and butter the outside of the sandwich. Grill until golden and serve.

Enjoy! 👩‍🍳