The BIG Cheese

One of my first food blog loves is giving away free cheese.... I cannot think of one bad thing to say about FREE cheese, can you? Go comment at Half-assed Kitchen to enter to win !


Bonne Chance

It's Wednesday! I'll drink to THAT! {Blackberry Smash Recipe}

I'm a firm believer that a day like Wednesday deserves a drink..... and the Blackberry Smash is an awesome Sangria for such an auspicious occasion.  


HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:

• Simple Syrup
• Cane Syrup {or honey}
• Lime juice
• OJ
• Cabernet
• Shiraz
• Blackberries

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO to make 4 "servings" :

• Stop at Publix on your way home.
• gather requirements and hurry home {going the speed limit of course}
• Muddle 4 oz Simple Syrup and 2 oz cane syrup with 12 blackberries; then add 4 oz lime juice, 8 oz OJ, 8 oz Cabernet, 8 oz Shiraz. 

Ideally allow to chill in fridge for an hour to allow flavors to meld while you help the kids with the homework, fold a load of laundry, wash the dishes....or not.  It's Wednesday after all, can't be up all night so you may want a glass WHILE you help the kids with the homework, fold a load of laundry, wash the dishes.

Whenever you're ready, strain into a large wine glass over ice & garnish with a couple black berries, lime & orange wedges.  Ahhhhhhh, half way to the weekend!

p.s. It keeps well if you want leftovers for Thirsty Thursday.... Just sayin'

Red or Green? {Green Chili Stew Recipe}

One thing that I think most people would agree that is truly special about New Mexican cuisine is the Hatch Green Chili.  In the late summer/early fall the trucks are on the side of the road with roasters set up roasting the fragrant chili... and any time of year you can get it everywhere you can order food, and I do mean everywhere.... McDonalds even offers it on their cheeseburgers.  I've never understood why it hasn't spread across the borders and I do miss the days of being asked "Red or Green?"  Red chili being to me a "spicier" flavor and the green more like a pepper with zing.... and if you say "Christmas" means you want both.


We were definately a green family and I still slip it in my frittatas or caseroles but my favorite recipe is a Green Chili Stew recipe I adapted from Bill Phillip's Eating for Life, I make this all the time to have in the fridge for a healthy lunch choice and I almost always make a vat for David & the kids to throw in a crock-pot for dinner while I'm out of town {in NM eating green chili}.


HERE's WHAT YOU NEED:

• 8 Cups chicken broth
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 3-3 & 1/2 lbs. bone in chicken breast 
• 2 Packages Turkey Gravy Mix {the original recipe called for Knorr's Chicken gravy but I can never find}
• 4 Cans (7 oz) mild diced green chilies or 1 cup frozen green chili, diced
• 6 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 Cans (28 ounces) white hominy, drained

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO:

• 
  
  In a large pot, combine chicken broth and stock {I use a combo because I think it's more flavorful}, onion and chicken breasts. Heat to boiling over high heat. Then reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from the broth and set aside to cool.

  NOTE:  sometimes I substitute the chicken breast by using one of those grocery store roasted chickens with a Mojo or other fun flavor and just pick the meat where indicated below :)

• Back to cooking:  Use whisk to blend the gravy mix into the broth. Then add chilies, garlic, cilantro, cumin and hominy. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then reduce heat to low. De-skin and de-bone the chicken and shred the meat, and add it back into the broth. 

  
  

  Now you have options:  

  Are you eating tonight? Cover and simmer for 40 minutes & enjoy....

  
  

  Is this a make ahead? put in your crockpot cover tightly with Saran wrap and then put it on low for the day in the next day or two for a wonderful smelling kitchen after work and a great meal.

  

  p.s. I serve it as is but you can add a dollop of sour cream & diced tomatoes/avocado & some warm tortillas if you're feeling ambitious.... 
  
  
  
  

Who says Diet is a 4 letter word? {Panko Chicken with Roasted Romaine Recipe}

o.k. maybe diet is too strong of a word..... but we are taking baby steps and trying to clean it up around here.  I found this awesome recipe on Bon Appetit and it was a real crowd pleaser at Chez Webb and to David's joy its a one dish/one pan meal..... freed up time for him to work out instead of being stuck in the kitchen cleaning!  Darn, I think I forgot to tell him that part..... NEXT time :)

Parmesan Panko Chicken with Roasted Romaine

Here's what you need to serve 4:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Romano blend
• 1/2 cup Panko 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley [1 TBSP dried]
• 1 garlic clove, diced, divided
• 2 large hearts of romaine, halved lengthwise
• Olive oil & garlic salt to sprinkle, spritz and/or drizzle on your romaine {or garlic infused olive oil if you have}

Preheat oven to 450°. 

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place on prepared sheet. Combine cheese, Panko, 2 Tbsp. oil, parsley, and 1 garlic clove in a medium bowl. Pat Panko mixture onto breasts. Roast chicken until crumbs begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes.

Drizzle romaine with 1 Tbsp. oil {I used my Misto} and sprinkle with garlic salt. Season with salt and pepper. Remove sheet from oven; place romaine around chicken. Roast until chicken is cooked through and lettuce is browned at edges, about 5-7 minutes more. 

ENJOY :)

Sh$t MY Dad Says {Fried Chicken Recipe}

David thinks it would be therapeutic for me to add a Sh$t My Dad Says element to the blog.... and I don't mean to infringe on the original Shit My Dad Says but quite frankly my Dad says plenty of sh$t too.  And often it's  his commentary on my menu.... because apparently my Dad "had enough rice to last him a lifetime in Saipan...." and according to Mel "all I EVER cook is chicken."  Now, some of this he doesn't actually say to me but rather to anyone else who will listen.  I hear him answer the phone with his buddy and he'll say, "nope, we had PIZZA tonight instead of chicken" implying he talks about it enough that it's what they say to each other instead of "Hello." I've had reports from guests at parties that the old ba$tard {I use this as a pet name --it's not as harsh as it may seem at first blush} thought it was ok to complain that I cook too much chicken, I mean I'm thinking I'd be happy to cook steak and lobster all the time if he was buyin'.  Yeah, my Dad says some sh$t alright and believe it or not it's relevant to this post and I'll get there eventually.  


So, regardless of the second-hand heckling from the old guy, I still cook chicken.  Possibly even more *grin* and no one will dispute that I make some pretty awesome Fried Chicken.... it's my adaptation of Paula Deen's recipe. It's really cheap, easy and yummy.  I don't make it too often because it's really not so healthy and it's oh so messy & quite time consuming but when Kyra stalks me for approximately 5 weeks I break down.

Here's what you need:Fried Chicken
1 family size package drumsticks {usually has about 12-13}
kosher salt
granulated garlic
pepper
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 gallon peanut oil


Pour the peanut oil into a large stock pot, should be 4 inches deep or so and turn to high.

Prepare your chicken.  I open it and leave on the Styrofoam tray for first part.... generously salt, garlic & pepper the chicken, then flip on the tray and do the other side.  Whisk the two eggs in a bowl and put the flour in a large Ziploc.  Then, one at a time, roll the chicken legs in the egg and then gently shake in the flour.  Laying them on a clean tray as you complete them.  After you've done about 4 check the oil temperature with a kitchen thermometer without touching the tip to the bottom of the pot, if you were moving steadily along it should be at or around 350F.  I use an instant read digital thermometer, they aren't very expensive but very handy.  Anyhow, if it's to temperature then add one at a time the 4 legs you completed, reduce the burner to medium high and set your timer for 14 minutes.


While that's cooking, complete the rest of the "flouring".  I don't cook more than 4 or 5 at a time to avoid overcrowding the pot.  If you decide to do white meat it only needs 8-9 minutes, dark meat takes longer.  I remove with tongs, hold to drain over the pot for a moment and put on a paper towel lined plate.


I almost never serve hot but rather room temperature.  It's equally good if cooked the day before and kept sealed over night, but bring it to room temperature before serving.

 So, what did my Dad say?  He said, "that chicken was really tasty last night, a nice change from all that dry white meat you usually serve."  Keep all sharp objects away from me please.

Last Sunday of National Pancake Month {Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes}

Ah, I'll miss you National Pancake Month.....  In acknowledgement of the end of this special month and the impending doom of our March diet I wanted to do something special.

So, my family loves cinnamon rolls and they love pancakes, so I thought I'd combine the two..... and even if you don't like the cinnamon roll idea this is an awesome pancake recipe.... I use it as the base for all my pancakes, it makes about a dozen or so good sized fluffy pancakes.

for the pancakes:

1 & 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 & 1/4 c buttermilk
3 TBS butter, melted,
2 eggs
2 TBS honey

Combine EVERYTHING ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix well with a mixer preferably for a few minutes.  Batter should be not too thin. Set aside.

Now, turn your griddle on medium high [or your pan on stove].  My griddle doesn't require nonstick spray but if yours does spray now]. 

for the swirl:

3 TBSP melted butter
2/3 c brown sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 & 1/2 TBSP flour

Combine the ingredients mixing well and then put in a Ziploc and snip a tiny triangle off the end of the bag for piping. Set aside.

You are ready!  I use a soup ladle to "measure" and put your batter down then immediately pipe on the cinnamon swirl.  Cook facing up for 3-4 minutes before flipping and finishing for 30-45 seconds.

VOILA!  The kids they come a runnin'

Who says all chips in cookies need to be chocolate? {Potato Chip Cookie Recipe}

A few weeks back one of my favorite food bloggers posted a recipe for Potato Chip Cookies and it drew me right in..... I'm really not much of a potato chip eater but when I read the recipe I knew I had to save it to try.  I was totally that kid they talked about in the blog that put chips on their sandwiches.... for me it was bologna or "chicken roll" on white with chips.  L-O-V-E.

Not to digress too much but if you remember "chicken roll" I'd love you to comment.... I loved that "crap" {and I think that's a literal use} but I think it was banned by the FDA in the 80s sometime but it was my absolute favorite and somehow NO ONE remembers it.  BOO :(

Anyhow, back to cookies.  I had to try and they were so perfect, I HAD to share.

Thank you Smitten Kitchen for being the Rock Star Blogger you are! 

{I've only made a few tweaks }

Cookie
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
            {I had SALTED butter for some strange reason so I skipped the salt below}
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
            {I used Madagascar of course}
1/4 teaspoon table salt 
            {I skipped, see above}
1/2 cup Candied Almonds WHICH ARE REALLY PERFECT IN THESE COOKIES
            {original recipe called for roasted pecan but this is what I had on hand}
1/2 cup finely crushed potato chips 
            {I used good old Clancy's and let them crush in the mixer}
2 cups all-purpose flour

Potato chip salt finish {I did this only on first half... it's a bit much UNLESS you dip}
1 tablespoon crushed potato chips {these I crushed}
1 1/2 teaspoons flaked sea salt

Chocolate dip finish {I did this to half, really yummy in combo w/ the seasalt finish}
4 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
             {I used Milk Chocolate chip cause that's what I had on hand}
1 teaspoon butter, canola oil or vegetable shortening

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper {I had waxed and used it with good results} and set aside. I used my Kitchen Aid with regular beater and creamed together the butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar until lightly and fluffy, then mixed in the vanilla until smooth. Add the pecans, 1/2 cup potato chips and flour together and mixed until a huge bowl of crumbly looking dough; it was moist though.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Scoop a tablespoon-sized mound of dough and form it into a small ball with the palms of your hands. Roll the ball in the remaining sugar until coated. Place on prepared baking sheet and using the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to slightly flatten the cookies. Cookies only need to be an inch apart; they only spread a little. Sprinkle with a few flakes of the potato chip salt. 

Ready to go!

Bake cookies until lightly golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer to cool on a wire rack.

If dipping in chocolate, melt chocolate with butter, oil or shortening in a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave {I do it this way-- 30 seconds, stir, repeat}. Stir until smooth. Dip half of each fully cooled cookie in the chocolate, and let dry and harden on a wire rack. 

Because people WANT to know.... {Tenant's Harbor Punch Recipe}

David:  Why are you blogging a drink at 8:30 a.m.
Me:  Because people want to know what I'm drinking tonight & if they want to JOIN me from afar they will need to stop by the store on the way home & grab some Aquavit {which I found at my local ABC liquor Store}. 

You see it's all about YOU.  I care deeply.  I'm a deeply caring person.  What show is that from?  I forget but it was funny.

Anyhow, I made this drink once as a test run before a party and decided my overall "audience" that night wouldn't have "gotten it" but if you're reading this I know YOU would.... It's an awesome, funky cocktail.

Original credits go to St. John Frizzell at Fine Cooking but I'm down scaling it from a vat to a small pitcher... a couple drinks, because I drink alone sometimes *gasp.  I will admit, this is no Jack & Coke, it is a small process, and you can't be DYING for a drink it takes about 90 minutes with proper chilling time but I thought it was worth it.

Tenant's Harbor Punch
1 lemon
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/2 of a 750-ml bottle off-dry white wine ---I used a Reisling, chilled
1/4 cups aquavit, preferably Norwegian, such as Linie, chilled
6-8 fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1/4 cucumber, preferably seedless variety] sliced about 1/8 inch thick
2/3 cup sparkling water, chilled

---

quite "snow" like

Zest the lemon. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon zest and the sugar, "stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar is fragrant and has the texture of soft, fresh snow, about 10 minutes." I quoted old St. John here because you gotta LOVE that instruction! Add 1/8 cup boiling water to the bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. Strain the syrup and let cool.

Chill, would u?

Now, Juice the lemon and strain the juice.
Combine the syrup, lemon juice, wine, aquavit, strawberries, and cucumbers in pitcher. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour. 

I promise.... so worth it.

When ready, put a few ice cubes in a pretty clear glass fill 2/3 with "punch" and top with sparkling water or club soda..... enjoy. 







p.s.  FOR A VAT that serves 10-12, served in a punch bowl follow same instructions with these measurements and just add the Sparkling Water when putting in punchbowl.
4-5 medium lemons
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 750-ml bottles off-dry white wine, such as Riesling, chilled
1-1/2 cups aquavit, preferably Norwegian, such as Linie, chilled
2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cucumber, sliced about 1/8 inch thick
4 cups sparkling water, chilled

Don't tell anyone but this MIGHT be healthy.... {Chicken Meatball Yakitori Recipe}

I LOVED this recipe but my husband would disagree.... I would be correct though so ignore him.  It came from my most recent Food & Wine, although I modified it based on what I had {I had never even heard of some of the ingredients WTH is a YUZU?}, as well as "fixed" what I perceived as a flaw, they would not form into cohesive "balls".... Panko did the trick! I'm thinkin' pretty healthy and trust me, a lot of YUM!

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mirin {available at Publix}
6 boneless chicken breasts coarsely diced 
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 medium onion, minced
1/4 cup Panko Bread crumbs
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
NOTE:  If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.

In a saucepan, combine the wine, soy sauce, sugar and 1/4 cup of the mirin; boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, 3 minutes. Let cool.

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, combine the chicken [really dice the heck out of it], salt, onion, zest, Panko and the remaining 2 tablespoons of mirin. Spray your rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray. Form the chicken mixture into 24 meatballs. Brush the meatballs with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and arrange them on the baking sheet. Bake for about 6 minutes, until the meatballs are barely cooked through.

Heat your grill on high. Thread the meatballs onto 8 bamboo skewers and grill over moderately high heat, turning, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and brush the meatballs with the sauce. Grill, turning and brushing, until glazed, 30 seconds longer. 

Serve with the remaining sauce and some sauteed veggies or a light salad.

Ay Caramba! Almost Missed NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY! {Rustyrita Recipe}

Well, cannot miss this..... Please enjoy this recipe for the Ghettorita.... 

respectfully called the Rustyrita around these parts...

• ALL you need  is equal parts..... 
• Tequila 
• Limeaid [frozen] 
• Sprite and 
• beer.... 

[to make it extra easy.... use the large limeade as your measuring cup and then one can sprite and 1 bottle beer per limeade container]
Stir up a pitcher and serve in a Wine Glass, Mason Jar or old Campbell's Soup Can..... it's all good

Join me in a nod to the Rustica

Back to basics {Brown Sugar Meatloaf Recipe}

Have I mentioned I make the best meatloaf ever?  Well, I do.  Just sayin'
Now, I'm a little embarrassed to admit it turns on a bottle of ketchup. But it is what it is.... we have no secrets here.


What you'll need:
1 & 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (or a combo of ground beef and pork)
1 medium onion chopped finely
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs (I use wheat but not sure it matters)
1/2 cup Milk
2 eggs
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
@1/3 cup brown sugar & @1/3 cup ketchup [I don't measure these]


Preheat oven to 350F
Throw all your ingredients except the sugar and ketchup in a big bowl and mix it up like you mean it. Shape it into a nice tight loaf and set aside.


Wait for it.....


Here's the family secret... Shhhhhh


Put a 1/3-1/2 cup of brown sugar in the bottom of your loaf pan (I like my glass one for this recipe) and pat it down evenly. Then get out your family size Heinz ketchup and cover the sugar.... Should take about a third to a half cup.


Set your loaf on top of the ketchup and gently Pat down. You're done.... Cook for 1 hour in preheated oven.

OMG it's embarrassingly good.

p.s. I served it with a saute of carrot "chips" [1 over-flowing handful], fresh green beans [trimmed and cut in 3 pieces ---approximately 1 1/2 cups trimmed] and fresh corn which I cut off the cob [2 ears].  Sauteed in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter on low low low heat for 30 minutes while the meatloaf finished up.  Seasoned with sea salt as plated.

A little Big Easy on Fat Tuesday {Jambalaya & King's Bread Recipes}

We are celebrating a quiet version of Mardi Gras here in the Webb house.... no parade, no flashing, no beads but we will enjoy some good old fashioned NOLA cuisine.... Jambalaya with Kings Bread for dessert..... from what I've read, traditionally, people ate king "cakes" between Epiphany and Mardi Gras [= Fat Tuesday... TODAY!], but the custom later became the Friday after Mardi Gras [this Friday coming up]. So, I thought I'd make mine early in case you want to try it later on this week.


But dinner before dessert.... starting with what I've made into "my" Jambalaya.... was originally inspired by our favorite Cajun, Emirel... I make it all the time, it's really an awesome rendition, if I do say so myself.  
HERE'S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• 4 boneless chicken breasts cubed
• 8 links Aidell's Andouille Sausage sliced and then quartered
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion chopped
• 1 medium sized red bell pepper chopped
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 48 oz. Pomi chopped tomatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 6 cups chicken stock
• • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
• Start rice cooking in rice steamer, I use Jasmine for this, but whatever you like works.
• 
  
• In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken, sausage and ALL the spices and work in seasoning well. Set aside.  In a large saucepan heat oil over medium high heat with chopped onion, pepper and celery, saute until soft, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, and Worcestershire. Stir in  broth. Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 15 minutes. Add shrimp, chicken and sausage mixture. Cook until meat is done, about 20 minutes more. 



Serve over rice.... FABULOUS!

A couple notes:  To include rice IN the Jambalaya, add your rice when you add the broth [use 1 & 3/4 c. for this recipe as is] and cook for 25 minutes instead of 15.  I've done it both ways but I like it over because the rice absorbs ALL the juice and I like it more like sauce.  If you are wanting leftovers do the rice separate, it'll freeze better.  My recipe serves 8-10 but we like leftovers and it freezes well if you don't add the rice... but feel free to cut in half.  Finally, if you don't like spice leave out the cayenne, if you do.... double it!

On to my Kings Cake :)  I found a zillion recipes with a billion different approaches and decided to work from one I found on the Food Network and tweaked it in what I think ended up to be all the right ways :)

HERE'S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
For the Cake:

• 1/3 C. milk
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 large egg yolks, plus 2 eggs
• 3 TBS granulated sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled 
• For the Filling:
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 & 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 & 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 teaspoon MADAGASCAR Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 dry bean or plastic King Cake baby [I found a plastic baby in the Baby Shower section of my party store]
• For the Glaze:
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• Purple, green and gold sanding sugar, for decorating

NOTE:  The original recipe called to use your food processor; I don't have a big one so I used my kitchen aid.  My results were good as described below but you could substitute word "pulse in processor" instead of using a mixer if you prefer.

So, heat the milk in a saucepan until scalding.... steam, no bubbles; transfer to your mixing bowl, add the yeast and mix on medium to combine [I used the regular "beater" attachment at this time]. Add 1/2 cup flour and the 2 egg yolks; mix. Lift the blender out, remove beater and knock off excess. Then pour the remaining 2 cups flour evenly over the yeast mixture; DO NOT MIX. Cover bowl with a towel and set aside for 90 minutes.

Now, using your dough hook attachment.  Add the 2 whole eggs, granulated sugar, orange zest, salt and nutmeg to the bowl; process to make a slightly textured dough, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly add the butter to make a smooth, sticky dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface IT WILL BE STICKY & GREASY and knead briefly; form into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate  overnight [or 8 hours].

Make the filling:

heat the bourbon in a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer to cook off alcohol for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar, pecans, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, salt and the bean or plastic baby; mix until combined and set aside.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 20-by-7-inch rectangle, with the long edge facing you. Spoon the filling in an even layer over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the top and bottom... make sure you add the baby or you'll be tucking him in after the fact like me! Fold the bottom and then the top edge over the filling to make a tight roll; pinch to seal. Transfer the roll seam-side down to a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet; tuck one end into the other to form a ring. Cover loosely with a towel and set aside in a warm place about 2 hours, it should grown a size and a half.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread until firm and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Make the glaze:

Mix 3 tablespoons water with the confectioners' sugar; brush  glaze over the cake. Sprinkle with bands of colored sugar.


ENJOY!