This past weekend Holly and I made homemade sausages.  We made a mild Italian sausage with sundried tomato.  They turned out really tasty.  I went down to a local butcher in Bellevue and got some casing (artificial) and back fat.  It’s amazing what fresh herbs, spices, and garlic do to sausage.  The taste is awesome.  

 

Here is my recipe:

• Pork back fat
• Pork spare ribs
• Kosher salt
• black pepper
• crushed red pepper
• red wine
• minced garlic
• fresh italian flat parsley
• sun dried tomatoes
• sugar
• anise seeds
• carraway seeds
• cumin seeds (just a pinch)

I ground all of the seeds, pepper, and salt in my mortor and pestel and then added it to the meat along with everything else (the meat and fat was diced into 1" cubes).  I then let it chill in the freezer until it was almost frozen before I ground it up.  After sitting in the casings for a day it tasted much better than the first night…the seasonings had time to marinate.

Next I want to make a chicken pork pear sage sausage.  I’ll update on how it turns out.

We made this yummy dessert this past weekend.  I just kind of made up the recipe (it’s similar to one I tried at Claim Jumper’s, kicked up a bit). 

Dough

• 1 cup warm (107 degree) water
• 1/2 Tbsp instant yeast
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp gluten
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup melted shortening
• 3-5 cups bread flour

In your mixer bowl, proof the yeast, honey, salt, and gluten in the warm water for at least 5 minutes.  Add first 2 cups of bread flour, vanilla, molasses, cinnamon, and pie spice.  Mix until well incorporated using the paddle attachment in mixer.  Rest at least 2 minutes.  Add melted shortening.  Begin to add the rest of the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, while mixing.  Allow each 1/2 cup to mix in before adding the next, until the dough forms a ball on the paddle and pulls mostly away from the edges of the bowl.  Once the bowl as balled onto the paddle, change to the dough hook and knead for 5-10 minutes on medium speed, until the dough forms a baker’s window.  Knead the dough into a smooth ball.  Place in clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a wet cloth and place in refrigerator over night.

Filling

• 1 Pkg Semi-sweet chocolate chips (alternatively you could mix a half a pkg white and a half a pkg semi-sweet chips)
• 1 Pkg cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• pinch of kosher salt

Presentation

• melted butter
• chocolate syrup
• cream cheese frosting
• powdered sugar
• vanilla ice cream

Beat softened cream cheese, vanilla, and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy.  Add chocolate chips and mix well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place pizza stone, large cast iron pan, or pizza sheet in oven during preheating process.  Remove refrigerated dough from bowl and let rest on the counter for 20-30 minutes.  Cut dough into 4-8 equal sized pieces.   With each piece, stretch the dough by hand like you would a mini pizza.  Rolling the dough with a rolling pin will crush the consistency of the dough!    Place a portion of the filling in the center of each crust, fold and pinch the edges of the dough.  Brush each calzone with melted butter and slide onto hot cooking surface in oven (pizza stone, sheet, etc).  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Drizzle syrup, frosting over top, dust with powdered sugar.  Serve hot with ice cream.  Serves 4-8 people.

Enjoy!