My First Attempt ever at making Bagels!!

So I woke up at 9:30 today (Christmas break....finally I get to sleep in!)
and the first one of the first thoughts that came into my head, was: I should try to make bagels!!!
First thing I did was google recipes & came across one from Allrecipes
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/boiled-bagels/detail.aspx
I altered the recipe a little, & changed a couple things.
I work at Tim Hortons, and they sell many bagels, so I thought that they can't be too hard to make. Right??
Wrong! They are very time consuming!!

I know how to make bread so this should be similar-except for the boiling, broiling, etc.

Anyways, enough talk, lets get to what I did to make these oh so DELICIOUS bagels (yes they taste

very good, especially for a plain bagel, and for me who always thought bagels were dry!)

 Let's get started!

I put yeast, sugar, & salt into bowl and then added hot water & mixed it then waited until it got foamy

I measured the beginning amount of flour & sifted the flour into a large mixing bowl

Then I poured the yeast mixture into the flour

Mix with an electric mixer for 30 seconds on low speed then 3 minutes on high

Add the remaining flour BIT BY BIT until it forms a ball, I use a fork to mix in the flour

 Knead dough until it is smooth & elastic, about 8 minutes Let rest for 15 minutes (somewhere warmish)

Cut dough in 1/2, then again etc until you have around 8-12 pieces (you decide what size you want for the bagels)

 

 

 

 

Once they are shaped, let them rise in a warm place for 30 minutes

Bring to a boil a large pot with approx 4 liters of water with a good squirt of honey. Drop the dough in about 4 at a time and flip after 2 minutes then remove after 2 minutes with a slotted spoon & put onto a baking sheet.

Now on to baking!!

Place in oven & broil for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned on top then bake at 350F for another 5-10 minutes

Mmmm!

Recipe

• Approximately 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour (preferably use a higher protein flour, but this is what I used)
• 1 tbsp instant yeast (again I don't recommend using instant yeast but this is what I had)
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup liquid honey
• I gallon or about 4 liters of boiling water in a large pot

Instructions (read blog  post :)

*Make sure you add the remaining flour bit by bit so the dough can absorb the flour as needed (I rushed & added almost too much at a time and took me extra time trying to get it elasticy)

*Honey is optional, you can also use a couple tbsp sugar or salt etc

*Add cinnamon, raisins, etc to dough or top with cheese or sesame seeds!

Enoy!! These are perfect warm with butter or just by themselves!

A Dutch treat! Taai Taai

 

Yummy! 

Taai Taai is Dutch for "tough tough" but don't get the wrong idea! Do not mistake hard, or stale with tough.

Below is a picture of what traditional Taai Taai looks like. It is shaped as a figurine. 

Traditional Taai Taai

 This cookie is kind of a  cross between cake/bread/cookie. But they are yummy & have been around for a long time. It has a gingerbread similar taste, but it is different.

Traditionally they are eaten around December 5th when Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) comes with his zwarte pieten and gives toys to all the kids.

It is a difficult thing to make at home. My mom has made them before & I have too without much success. They came out rock solid!!

Being determined, I wanted needed to find a way to make the perfect Taai Taai I have been longing to make!

I used a liquid honey instead of melting the honey that came in a container. Also, I took  it out of the oven-way before I thought I should. I also added a good spoon of baking powder-something the recipe didn't call for, but I was desperate! The recipe called for 1/2 egg but I used 1 full egg.

The result??? Yummy taai taai that was almost perfect!! Following is the recipe I came up with :)

Recipe

• 330 gram liquid honey
• 1 egg
• 300 gram all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp "speculaas kruiden" *
• 2 tbsp crushed anise seeds (will not be Taai Taai unless you add anise!)

In a small bowl mi together the honey & egg and combine

Mix the flour, baking powder, kruiden & anise seeds

Add honey mixture into the flour mixture

Using an electric mixer, mix until combined

Roll out & cut into shapes

To get the traditional look, you can use an egg wash

Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes

DO NOT OVER-BAKE, it will turn into rock!

**Speculaas Kruiden
6 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom

(these are approximate, I make the mix using smell, yes I can tell if it's the right amount by smell!)

BTW-This is one of my most "secret" recipe, this spice mix is not just any mix!

 

My first post

Yay!!
Today I start my new recipe blog!!!
I used to have an old one but I just didn't keep it up so I started a new one.
One that looks a lot better!!
I will be posting reipes whenever I can.
I wont be one of those bloggers who posts a post everyday at a certain time.
I have a busy life, after all I still go to highschool.
Unfortunately I have the crappiest camera alive but I will try to use my dad's "ok" camera.
Here is to the new year!

A recipe from my old blog peanuty-chickpeas & rice