Traditional Romanian sweet bread ("cozonac" - from Bucovina region)

As Easter is just around the corner, I figured you'd appreciate a recipe for "cozonac", the traditional Romanian sweet bread, which we typically bake for all holidays. This is my favorite recipe, as it is specific for Bucovina region, and the outcome is a fluffy, tasty and- of course - baby friendly sweet bread.  😄 
The original recipe is a classic and it belongs to Silvia Jurcovan. I found it  here and I adapted it to be baby friendly, basically by using dates instead of sugar. The result was not as sweet as the original, but tasty and ideal for kids (especially together with a cup of warm milk or yogurt). 

*Tips and tricks:
- when you start preparing the sweet bread, all ingredients have to be on room temperature (except for the butter, which has to be melted). So, it's good to leave all ingredients on the table overnight.

Ingredients - for two loaves:
- 1100 g white wheat flour;
- 8 egg yolks;
- 600 ml milk;
- 50 ml oil;
- 60 g fresh yeast;
- 200 g butter;
- 8 dates, hydrated and blended into a paste (the original recipe has 250g of sugar: the 8 dates give just a little sweetness);
- zest of a lemon and zest of an orange;
- seeds of a vanilla bean;
- 1 leveled tsp of salt (you can omit that if you have any restrictions).

Ingredients - for the walnut filling (1 loaf with A LOT of filling):

- 250g ground walnuts;

- 2 Tbsp carob powder (cocoa, in the original recipe);

- 6 egg whites, whisked until fluffy; 

- 3 dates, hydrated and blended into a paste (in the original recipe - 5 Tbsp of sugar) 

Ingredients - for the poppy seeds filling (1 loaf with A LOT of filling):

- 250g ground poppy seeds;

- 200 ml milk;

- 3 dates, hydrated and blended into a paste (in the original recipe - 5 Tbsp of sugar) 

Method:

In a bowl, place 100g of flour. Boil 200ml of milk and pour them over the 100g of flour, mixing vigurously until you break all lumps. Set aside and let cool.

In another bowl, solve the yeast in a little milk (in the original recipe, the yeast is mixed with 1 Tbsp of sugar and mixed until it becomes liquid - I tried both with and without sugar and the result is OK either way). 

Once the parboiled dough is cooled, add the yeast, mix well, cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place, for about 20 minutes. It should double its volume.
While the dough is rising, blend the egg yolks, salt (if using), date paste, vanilla, lemon and orange zest, oil, remaining milk and 100g melted butter.

Sift the flour into a big bowl. Add the risen dough and the egg yolk mix and start kneading. I used the kneading tool of my kitchen machine and I let it knead for about 20 minutes. If you knead by hand, you will need about 30 minutes.

After kneading, the dough has to be soft and a little sticky. Add the remaining 100g of butter, melted and from this moment don't knead anymore, just pack the dough from the margins to the interior  and tap it with the back of you hand, to incorporate all butter.
Cover the bowl with the clean cloth and let rise for about an hour - it should double its volume.

***

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
For the walnut filling, whisk the egg whites until fluffy, add the date paste, the sifted carob powder and mix carefully, with a spatula, to keep its fluffiness.
For the poppy seeds filling, boil in milk the ground seeds mixed with date paste, until it thickens. Let cool.

***

When the dough is risen, split it into 4 equal pieces (each of them is half of a loaf).
Flatten each piece of dough, using your hands (not the rolling pin!), in a rectangular shape. Place the filling (about 1/2 of the quantity needed for a loaf) on top, distribute evenly (leave a clean strip at the margins), then roll up the dough into a log.

Repeat with another piece of dough.
Braid the 2 logs together and place them into a bread pan lined with baking paper).
Repeat everything with the remaining dough. If you have smaller pans, you can make more loaves.
Turn on the oven, at 180 degrees Celsius.

Let the sweet bread rise some more, in the pan, for about 30 more minutes. Coat them with egg yolk (lightly beaten) and place them in the oven until they turn golden brown (at least 45 minutes).
To check if the sweet bread is baked, test it with a very thin knife or with a skewer- introduce it in the middle and if it comes out clean, it's baked.

Enjoy!

Sweet potato walnut bread

The sweet potato bread is an excellent base for breakfast, as it is full of nutrients and goes perfectly in a variety of combinations: butter/cream cheese/peanut butter + banana slices / strawberries / raw jam of chia and berries.


Store it in a plastic bag to keep it fresh and fluffy for about a week.

Ingredients:
- 300g sweet potato puree (1 medium sweet potato, boiled with the skin on, peeled and pureed);
- 600g white wheat flour + 100g extra, if needed;
- 1/2 package dry yeast (about 1tsp);
- 1 tsp cinammon;
- 50g chopped or ground walnuts;
- 100 ml milk (you can use vegetal milk if you want to go vegan);
- 100 ml oil or melted butter;
- a pinch of salt (if there are no restrictions) and a pinch of pepper.

Method:
In a bowl, mix the sifted flour, dry yeast and cinnamon. Add the nuts, salt and pepper and the sweet potato puree. Pour in the milk and mix well, until you get a sticky dough. Knead by hand for a few minutes (add a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky but don't exaggerate). Add gradually the oil /melted butter and continue to knead until completely mixed in. At this time the dough should be non-sticky and elastic. Î
Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1h (it should double its volume). Remove from the bowl, place it on the table (sprinkled with flour) and knead some more for 2-3 minutes.
Place the dough in a rectangular bread tin, lined with baking paper and let it rise again in a warm place for one more hour.
Bake in the preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius, for about 35-45 minutes, until it gets a golden crust. To check if the bread is completely baked, stick a wooden skewer in the middle, then remove. It should come out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!

Best banana bread recipe (sugar free)

From all the banana bread recipes I've tried so far, this one was definitely the best (and the most appreciated). It needs just 5-10 minutes to prepare and about 1h to bake. 

Ingredients:
- 3 medium bananas, very ripe, mashed;
- 2 eggs;
- 1/2 cup milk;
- 7 Tbsp oil;
- 1 tsp baking soda;
- seeds of a vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp vanilla powder;
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon;
- 1 3/4 cups white flour;
- a handful of walnuts, ground, or chopped (minimum 50g).
* this recipe does not contain sugar, the bananas are usually tasty enough. If you like concentrated sweets and you have no restrictions, you can add 2-3 Tbsp of honey or another sweetener of your choice.

Method:
In a bowl (or in the blender), mix the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and (if using) sweetener. Separately, mix the flour, baking soda and ground walnuts. Add the dry ingredients over the liquid mix and stir until smooth. Pour in a loaf pan lined with baking paper and bake in the preheated oven (180 degrees Celsius), for about 50 minutes - one hour, until it passes the toothpic test. Let it cool in the tray for at least 15 minutes and cut only when completely cooled.
Enjoy!

Beef burger

This 100% home made beef burger (inspired by Jamie Oliver's Insanity Burger) is a healthy alternative to a fast food meal or it could impress the kids at a cool birthday party. 

The burger can be adapted to match any tastes and preferences. I made the buns myself, but your local bakery might provide nice alternatives. The baby potatoes on the side can be replaced with oven baked "French fries" or with some vegetables. The layers of the burger can vary, according to your taste, as virtually any combination of fresh veggies and salad would go perfectly.

So, for the buns I used:
- 600 g mix of white, integral and rye flour (app. equal amounts);
- 40 g fresh yeast;
- 350 ml warm milk;
- salt by taste (I didn't use any, because of the kids);
- one egg, lightly beaten (to brush them at the end).

Dissolve the yeast in milk, then pour the mix on top of the flour. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes and let it rise in a warm place for about one and a half hours. Form the buns, place them on a tray lined with baking paper and let them rise for another 20-30 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven at 180 C for about 20 minutes. Take the buns out, brush them with egg and place them back in the oven until the crust becomes golden brown (about 10 more minutes, depending on the oven).

For the burgers:
- 600 g lean beef, minced;
- a drizzle of olive oil;
- 1 tsp mustard;
- 4 slices of yellow cheese of your choice;
- one red onion;
- a drizzle of balsamic vinegar;
- a few pickled cucumbers (if they are salty, keep them for the adults' portion);
- one handful rucola:
- one handful baby spinach;
- 2  Tbsp sour cream or full fat yogurt (or any combination of the two)
- 1 Tbsp tomato puree;
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Divide the minced beef in 4 pieces and form them into flat patties. Place them on a plate slightly greased with olive oil  and let them rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the other "layers" of the burger:
     -- slice the onion and dress with balsamic vinegar;
     -- slice the pickled cucumbers;
     -- "salad": mix the rucola and baby spinach with the sour cream, yogurt, tomato puree and Worchestershire sauce.

Place the burgers in a non sticking pan, without oil, over medium to high heat. After a few minutes, flip them and brush the cooked sides with mustard. After a few more minutes, flip them again and brush the other side with mustard as well. Add a splash of water to the pan (about 50 ml), cover with a lid and let the burgers fry over medium heat. After 5 minutes flip them over and let them cook some more under the lid. The cooking time depends on the heat and on the thickness of the burger, but it's important to make sure the meat is properly cooked (especially for the kids). You can add a little bit more water if necessary.
When the patties are completely cooked, remove from the fire and place a slice of yellow cheese on top of each burger, Put the lid back and let them covered for 30 seconds, until the cheese slightly melts.

In the end, build the burgers: 1/2 bun + "salad" + burger + pickled cucumbers + onion + 1/2 bun.

As a side dish, I made some baby potatoes boiled in water with a bit of duck fat (but you can use a drizzle of olive oil instead). I added some garlic and dill, for some extra tastiness and some chives as a salad.

Enjoy!

"Brioche" (French) bread

When she tasted the "brioche" this morning, my 2 yo said "wow, mom, cookie bread!". Indeed, this bread has a crispy-crumbly top, similar to cookies, while inside it's soft and fluffy. It makes the best bun for a home-made burger or the perfect snack for a trip. (I think it would go perfectly with some home-made jam as well.)

For this recipe you will need:
500g flour (I used 250g white and 250g integral)
4 eggs
100 ml milk
25g fresh yeast
300g butter
the original recipe has sugar and salt, but I skipped them as I wanted the bread to be "baby-friendly". I added instead 80g extra grams of oat flour, to keep the texture.

Mix the flour, eggs, milk and yeast in the mixer's bowl, for a couple of minutes, using the first(lowest) speed. Add the cold butter, cut into pieces, and mix at a medium speed for 5 minutes, to incorporate all ingredients. Turn the speed higher and, using the special device, knead for 15 minutes.
Leave the dough in the fridge for 12 hours. Form small buns and bake them in the preheated oven, at 200 degrees C, for 30 minutes.
Let the buns cool and then store in a plastic or in a fabric bag.

Enjoy!