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Jan 10, 2012

Grissini







Definition: pencil-sized breadsticks. (I have very large pencils).

More munchy things.

When I'm happy, I munch.
When I'm depressed, I munch.
When I'm bored, I munch.
When I watch tv, I munch.
When I read, I munch.

And I don't think I can stand too many carrot and celery sticks.

I salute those of you who started off this year with all your healthy resolutions. (Notice I said "started"). I won't even bother to make such a resolution since I know I'm going to break it anyway.
Fortunately, I do love my salads and have been having avocado/walnuts/apples salads for quite a number of meals in the last week, mainly inspired by Sissi's post and helped by the fact that the nearby fruit shop was selling avocados cheap.
I shall eat in moderation whatever I feel like eating. If and when I do a diet, I always start craving for something after a while and then go on a binge … that's not good, nope, not at all. The idea is not to start a crave. But if it does happen, I'll just have a bite and stop at that … enough to satisfy the cravebuds. I'm trying.

I'd made these to dip into the Ajvar for the Christmas Eve buffet as an appetizer. And as usual, I tend to make more than needed. I've always made sure to have more food than not enough especially when I'm entertaining. Turned out good for me and mum. I get to have this with just about every dippable (dip-able?) thing in the house … leftover ajvar, peanut butter, spiced chocolate banana jam, soups …. and mum's happy dipping them into her coffee every morning. Munch, munch …

And these were fun to make as well.

Just a basic pizza dough and shape it to however and whatever you like.
I've kept this grissini plain but you can always add chopped olives, grated cheese, sea salt, etc.

As always, I've enlisted the capable blades of my bread machine to do the kneading.

INGREDIENTS

250 ml water
40 ml oil (I used grapeseed)
500 g plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast

METHOD

Put all ingredients into bread machine bin in the order they're listed or according to your bread machine instructions.
Use 'dough' setting. (If you're adding chopped olives, add it in during the final few minutes of mixing.)
When cycle is complete (this should also include the first rising), preheat your oven to 180˚C.
Remove dough from bin and knock it around a bit to get the air out.
Roll out to a thinnish rectangle and cut into strips or pinch a dollop of dough and roll it into a long sausage or stretch it out and twist and turn it into whatever shape you like.
(If you're sprinkling salt, brush grissini or spray with a little oil and sprinkle before baking. I've left mine plain to dip into a variety of stuff. Can't imagine mum dipping olive grissinis into coffee. Eck).
Bake for about 25 - 30 mins or until golden brown.
Cool and store in an airtight container.
Munch away!



Christmas Eve Buffet 2011







39 comments:

  1. Hey Lucy, Lucy here shared so many similar attirbutes with you but not this one. She is not a muncher but then she will be, if she is offered these delicious looking grissini. Does that make u a twin sister then?? hehehe

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  2. I was wondering what these things were in your buffet photo. There are few other unfamiliar items but I am sure you will post them in the near future.
    I agree with your approach to dieting, better not make those crave buds unhappy.
    Turducchi, grissini - it seems the food theme for 2012 is Italian

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  3. hmm, eating in moderation when seeing these grissini sounds a little bit difficult :)
    Have a great 2012!

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  4. Cheers to a great munching 2012! Love that your grissini are home-made and you can add different variations to them, too. I 'knead' to try them someday!

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  5. Munching in moderation is a great slogan. I would join that movement!! The grissini sound like good dippers, too!

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  6. Beautiful grissini! perfect for munching.. ever tried them with nutella or wrapped in prosciutto?

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  7. Oh wow, these are gorgeous, and I love how few ingredients are required. My munchy wife would adore these.

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  8. QPC: A twin? To you? Gosh, that would make me the evil twin then. Muahahahahaha!!!! Munch, munch.

    3Cookies: Haha! I believe this is the last of the Christmas Eve buffet post. The others are too insignificant ... or stuff that I've already made and posted before.... trifle, ajvar, cookies. The rest are just side dishes ... potato salad, balsamic mushrooms, salad, glazed carrots. Oh, the rack of lamb wasn't homemade so I don't have a recipe for that. Maybe I'll do one myself one day. Didn't trust my wonky oven to such an occasion.

    something_good: Happy New Year to you!

    Jill: Hello Jill. Haha! Good one! Happy 2012 to you too!

    Kristen: LOL!! Perhaps I should start a movement!

    PolaM: Hey! Great idea, wrapping it in prosciutto. Must try that.

    Kiri W: Thank you! Dangerously easy, yes! Hope you both enjoy making and munching them :D

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  9. LOL "I have very large pencils" :D ... and delish looking grissini!

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  10. My dear friend, Ping! I would love to see a little step-by-step direction in something difficult (or is it?) yeast dough such as your grissini! Your photo is gorgeous, as always, and
    the recipe is divine! You could always get a job in my daughter's in-law's Grissini factory, in Italy...lol you are truly qualified:DDD

    BTW-I clicked on to Sissi's blog, and from hers to a nice Hungarian lady's Zsuzsa's blog. You should check out her home made Hungarian biscuits...oh, my! another dreamy, and good snack, just like your Grissini!

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  11. I just didn't make resolutions this year - that way I would feel absolutely no guilt when I didn't keep them! This looks like the perfect thing to munch.

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  12. Ping, I am impressed by your grissini. I have never thought anyone could make them at home! Congratulations! I see that laziness is definitely not on you New Year's resolutions list ;-)
    I am still thinking what I should put on mine... I want actually feasible things and everything I can think of is just dreams...
    I'm so happy my salad inspired you! (Thank you for the link).
    "I will stop munching" could be one of the resolutions, but just like you, I love doing it. (To certain points you mention I would also add a glass of wine...). I think I will empty the package of grissini now! (I happen to have them, not even half as good as yours, but it's the only thing I can munch on.) Of course with a glass of wine in hand ;-)

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  13. I hear you--I love crispy foods! Your grissini look awesome.

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  14. There is no good to starve yourself for a diet, salad is a happy and healthy diet! I'm now go for lowGI consuming more grain than plain carbo. Grisini is a nicest thing to go with the dips!

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  15. Tiffany: Hehe ... yeah, large pencils coz I'd made some so long they actually hang out over the cookie sheet. And I couldn't shape them fast enough and some had already started to rise again and I had chubby pencils! :D

    Aarthi: Thank you and you're very welcome.

    Elisabeth: :D Thank you. That would be an honor indeed working at your daughter-inlaw's factory. But I doubt they'd hire me. I'd be having too much fun to take my job seriously and besides, I'd be munching them out of house and home ... in this case, factory and warehouse?
    Making step-by-step photos are still beyond me at the moment. I can't get coordinated enough to make, wash hands, shoot, knead, wash hands, shoot, and not mess up. Anyway, these are easy. Just do whatever you want with the shapes. Actually, the crooked ones look pretty rustic and nicer than perfectly cut ones. It's got character! :D
    I will definitely make a visit to Zsuzsa soon.
    Btw, congrats on your weight loss. You're one of those I was talking about at the beginning of this post :D Keep it up! (Shake my pom-poms) HUG.

    Jen: Haha! Yes, that's the idea. Guilt makes one depressed and depression makes one eat! Not good. :D Happy New Year!

    Sissi: Thanks so much, Sissi. Um, actually, being lazy IS on my lifelong list :D Hey, great idea, adding a glass of wine to the munches ... now why didn't I think of that?

    Cucina49: Thank you very much :)

    Veronica's Kitchen: Definitely not starving with all my munching going on ;P
    I guess making these out of whole wheat flour would be a better option then.

    Shutterbug: Go ahead, make my day! .... and yours :D

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  16. oh lala! this actually reminds me of another version of breadsticks i've seen in some cookbook that was made out of puff pastry and there were these absolutely adorable sliced, round olives, in it. Of course, yours is much easier. I will try this recipe out... one day... *sigh. no time these days.

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  17. I love breadsticks... so much. I buy them from time to time with the intention of using them to eat with a dip and then usually end up eating them all before I get home... oops :D

    Never occurred to me to make my own. I don't have a bread machine so I'll be kneading it all out by hand, but this will be something I'll be trying next time! Thanks for the idea Ping :)

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  18. Amanda: Hello, busy girl. It's ok, you have your priorities right. But then you have to relax sometime and I find baking very therapeutic, no? The puff pastry ones are much lighter but if you like a good crunch, these would be it.

    Sonia: Thanks!

    Charles: You're very welcome, Charles. It's not a big deal to knead this by hand ... quite a small recipe. I just have this tennis elbow that refuses to go away so I didn't want to aggravate it. But, having a bread machine really makes things a whole lot easier. You might want to think of getting one. Your life wouldn't be the same again! :D

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  19. LOL! I can relate to your munching habits.

    This is great. I shall make some Grissini for a coming munching party :D

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    1. A munching party? What a great idea! Better than stuff your face parties ... munch, chat ... what could be better! Happy munching then :D

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  20. Dear Ping,

    This grissini can be a very addictive and dangerous snack especially when I have a scotch on the rocks in my hand. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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    1. Haha! You're very welcome. I'd think it'll be just as 'dangerous' with whatever drink in hand:D

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  21. Just beautiful, Ping!!! I love the way your photograph your goodies...so artistically! The grissini look perfectly crunchy....mmmmmmm.

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    1. Thanks, Lizzy! They really were crunchy! I should put a warning label there ... "crunch at your own risk" ... just in case someone breaks a tooth or two :D

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  22. They are such addictive little things...I can never eat just one.

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    1. Yes, they are, aren't they? Makes it so dangerous to be near them. :D

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  23. Beautiful! They sound so delicious and easy to make. Can't wait to try them.
    There is an award waiting to be collected by you at my blog.
    http://easyfoodsmith.blogspot.com/

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    1. Hello. Thanks very much. They are really easy and good. Do try them out and let me know if you enjoyed them as much as I did :D
      Thanks so much for the award. Happy day!

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  24. Hi Ping-I'm back again, to let you know, I have an award waiting for you to claim! It's been a long time that I've seen any awards going around, and for you my friend, I always have you in mind, because I do feel that you truly deserve it!
    Congratulations, well deserved!
    Hugs,

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    1. Thank you soooo much, Elisabeth. You spoil me ... not that I'm complaining :D
      I will pass this on real soon. Huge hugs back! and a special one to Prince.

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  25. Hi Ping! You are so good at making bread, and this time grissini. I know you mentioned that it's pretty simple, but knowing me, I could actually screw up a simple recipe. LOL... Gong Hei Fatt Choy!!! Yes yes.. I must collect as much ang pows as possible, while I still can. Kekekekek... will be dropping you an e-mail real soon. Have a good CNY and chat soon. Huggssss..

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    1. Thanks, Jo. Nah, I don't believe you can screw anything up. Look at those intricate layers of cakes that you make. I could never do those ... mine will turn out all lopsided.

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  26. Hahaha, I know of a friend who told me that her new year resolution is to stop making resolutions, LOL, because she's never going to achieve any:p
    I love your pencil-sized breadsticks; or grissini as they are called? They look amazing, and I'm sure these are great for you to munch on now, yeah?;)

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    1. Hi Christy. Yeah, I used to say that each year too! Now, I just stuff myself with munchies and not make promises I can't keep :D

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  27. Those pencil breadsticks definitely look good to munch on, Ping! I used to make new year's resolutions but gone are those days. I didn't enjoy the feeling of getting frustrated because of my failure to accomplish them, that's why!

    Btw, I have some awards waiting for you... http://bit.ly/yjpNgG

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    1. Ooooo, awards! Thank you so much, Tina!
      Haha! Yes, that's exactly why I've stopped making them as well. Usually I don't get too frustrated coz I'll have forgotten what they are after a couple of months :D

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  28. This really caught my eye. Munching is my fave thing to do. And doing it on soemthing this delicious is worth it every time.

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