Very Easy Hamburger Buns

So when burgers come into our menus, so do homemade hamburger buns.
I just can't see myself buying store bought buns, full of preservatives and tons of sugar!
I use instant yeast when i need quick bread, 1 rise is plenty usually! These rolls take about 1 hour and 15 minutes total.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon honey

4 1/2 cups al purpose or bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, room temperature

In a small saucepan, heat milk, butter, water and honey, until butter is completely melted. Depending on temperature, let cool down to 115F. Mix in the beaten egg.

In a large bowl sift flour and salt. Add yeast and mix it well. Mix half the flour mixture to milk mixture. Stir in the rest slowly. With the hook attachment in your mixer, knead dough for about 8 minutes.

When dough turns into a soft ball, place onto a floured surface. Form a flat circle and with a large knife cut roll into 12 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls, flatten slightly and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Let rise for 1 hour. They should more than double in size by then.

Preheat oven to 400F. Brush the tops with egg wash and you can sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds on top.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let rolls rest 15 minutes before slicing.

The Best Burger

We try and make hamburgers once a month at The Riches. I feel like the way i like my burgers is the most complicated way. I like grinding my own beef, caramelizing onions and making my own hamburger buns. Truffle butter is added to the meat and then the burger is grilled to perfection. And as long as i have the time, it's definitely worth it.

Ingredients for 6-8 burgers

1 1/2 lb sirloin

1/2 to 1 lb boneless beef ribs

6-8 thin slices of black truffle butter or plain butter

salt and pepper

caramelized onion

arugula

tomato slices

slaw

provolone cheese

sautéed mushrooms

potato wedges

Using a meat grinder or a food processor, grind sirloin and ribs together.

Make round patties using your hands and stick a small piece of truffle butter inside of each burger, sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Let hamburgers rest for about 30 minutes outside of refrigerator before grilling. Preheat your grill to high.

Place burgers on grill and cook for 5 minutes before turning. Place slice of cheese on top, cook for another 3-4 minutes for medium.

Serve on homemade toasted buns with arugula, tomato, caramelized onion, mushroom, slaw and mustard. And potato wedges to go with it!

Chocolate Meringue Tart

Today is sunday, and usually the day we eat the most! I try and make a different dessert every sunday to bring to my Father-in-Law's for Sunday Dinner! There's always a lot of food and a few desserts for us to fill our bellies with!
This morning i woke up craving chocolate; had taken some butter out of the freezer last night with a pecan tart in mind, but it all changed this morning! I wanted a chocolate pie that would use only really good dark chocolate from a bar.  Searching thru cookbooks and internet searches, i decided to come up with my own; i thought a pudding made of milk, egg yolks, sugar and corn starch and then mix in shavings of chocolate, covered with a meringue and then baked in a graham crust... It came out amazingly good

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup of sugar

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Chocolate Pudding:

4 egg yolks

2 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups milk

3.5 ounces good quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Meringue:

4 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix graham crumbs and sugar, add the melted butter and mix it well. It will turn into crumbs. Using your hands, press the crumbs on the bottom of the tart pan. Place tart pan on top of a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Let it cool on a wire rack.

For the pudding:

Mix sugar and corn starch well. Add beaten egg yolks and whisk until combined. Add milk slowly while whisking and cook over moderate heat until thick. Add chopped chocolate and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and immediately add vanilla and whisk it in well. Pour chocolate pudding over graham crust.

For the meringue:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Make sure the mixing bowl is very clean and dry. Beat the egg whites at room temperature with a electric mixer until medium soft peaks form. Add sugar and cream of tartar and beat until glossy and holding firm peaks. Spread the meringue evenly over warm chocolate pudding and spread to the edges to seal. The hot feeling will ensure that the meringue cooks, preventing that water seeps between meringue and feeling. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the peaks change to a light brownish color.