Puff Pastry

Ahh puff pastry, another one of those kitchen staples that everyone is just content to buy from the supermarket. It's very easy to make, can be made in a few hours with minimal effort, and tastes so much better fresh.......and it's puffier too!!!!

Yield: Roughly 1lb 6oz (640g)

Ingredients:

• 300g Flour (Roughly 2 1/2 Cups)
• 1 Cup Salted Butter (2 sticks or 16 tablespoons)
• 2/3 Cup Water

Recipe:

First, soften 14tbsp of butter. Add 31g flour (roughly 1/4 cup).

Next, mix well until a paste is formed. Place in the refrigerator for 30min. Once cooled, form paste into a square shape.

In a bowl combine the remaining 2tbsp butter (softened), flour, and water.

Mix until a nice dough ball is formed. Add more flour if necessary to produce a workable dough ball. Place in the refrigerator for 30min.

Working quickly, roll out the dough to roughly 9'' square. Place the butter square in the middle.

Fold one half of the dough over.

Then fold the other half.

Roll out the dough until the butter square is roughly rolled out evenly (dust with flour if necessary, you don't want the layers to rip open).

Turn the dough 90 degrees, roll out to roughly 9'' square again, fold in thirds again (keep the folding opposite of the first time you did it).



Pat yourself on the back you have now completed 1/3 of the process. Now quick throw this in the freezer for 15-20min (if you plan on working on this still, or the refrigerator if you want to come back to it later). Repeat the rolling and folding procedure outlined above, put back in the freezer, then repeat one final time for a total of 6 rolling and folding repetitions.

OK, now you got yourself some wonderful puff pastry with so much potential. Pot pie crusts, pastries.....ooh the possibilities.

Moist'n Corny Cornbread

I love cornbread....mmm...... Only problem is many I've had aren't well very corny. All I taste is honey or butter which are good and all but isn't this corn's moment to shine? Well look no further, the time is now.

Yield: (1) 9''x13'' pan

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup Cornmeal
• 2/3 Cup Granulated White Sugar
• (1) 14oz Can of Creamed Corn 
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/3 Cup Oil
• 3 tbsp Melted Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/4 Cup Milk

Recipe:

Mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a seperate bowl using a hand mixer, mix together the melted butter, eggs, milk, oil, and creamed corn.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Transfer batter to a 9''x13'' pan greased with butter.

Bake at 350F for 35min (achieves a slightly underdone cornbread, add an additional 5-10min for a more browned cornbread.)

Serve up with some honey and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!