i think we should go trick or treating on tumblr on halloween. going to send asks saying ‘trick or treat’
Traditionally prepared with sharp “ved” cheese and presented with onion butter, these crusty buns are best served warm, [...] this particular recipe comes from Lorren’s Bakery in Faerûn’s Village of Red Larch, and features mushrooms and cheese from local, outlying farms. - Heroes’ Feast, p. 27
Ever since I first started looking through Heroes’ Feast, Vedbread has been one of the recipes I’ve been most interested in trying. Although they may appear a little strange at first glance, the best way to describe them would be a ‘savory cinnamon rolls’. The mushroom filling mixed with the cheesy dough gives the buns an awesome flavour combo!
Delicious and filling, these buns are sure to make an interesting alternative to a typical lunch or midday snack. Not only that, but they’re great for a fall aesthetic as the perfect match for a steaming cup of broth!
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 60 mins Overall: 1h 15 mins
For the filling ingredients:
12 ounces (345 g) cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped*
2 tbsp. (28 g) unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1 tsp. (1 g) finely chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup (23 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
For the dough ingredients:
2¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 tbsp. (14 g) baking powder
1 tsp. (4 g) sugar
½ tsp. (3 g) kosher salt
6 ounces (170 g) Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated
¾ cup (177 ml) buttermilk, cold
6 tbsp. (85 g) unsalted and butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
Truffle oil for brushing (optional)
* Heroes’ Feast mentions you can substitute the cremini mushrooms with the same amount of shiitake.
For the filling:
First, I pulsed the mushrooms in the food processor until they were very finely chopped (about 8-10 pulses).
Next, I cooked the mushrooms:
I melted the butter over medium heat and cooked the shallots until they began to soften - about 2 minutes;
I adjusted the heat to medium high and added the processed mushroom and ¼ tsp. salt. While stirring I cooked them until all of the liquid from the mushrooms had evaporated - about 9 to 12 minutes (keep an eye on it);
I added the thyme and cooked, stirring, until fragrant - about 1 minute;
I removed the skillet from the heat and stirred in the Parmesan.
After cooking, taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. I found there was enough salt but needed a couple shakes of pepper.
After seasoning, I spread the mixture on a plate to cool for assembly.
Then, I preheated the oven to 425℉ (218℃) and lined a large rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment (you could also use a reusable silicone liner).
For the dough:
To prepare the dough, I started by whisking the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Then, I stirred in the grated Gryère cheese.
Next, in a small bowl, I whisked together the buttermilk and cooled melted butter. The butter will clump, this is normal.
I added the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and used a wooden spoon to form a chunky dough.
Heroes’ Feast notes that the dough should be sticky at this stage. However, I found it to be rather dry - with bits and pieces of cheese and flour not being incorporated. Don’t worry if your dough turns out similarly. Mine incorporated into a stickier dough while kneading.
After creating a chunky dough, I turned it out onto my breadboard and kneaded until it held together and was mostly smooth - about 4-5 minutes. Take care not to overknead.
After creating the dough ball, I floured the board and under the ball to keep it from sticking to the surface while rolling out.
TIP: The techniques I use for kneading (and a helpful video) can be found on my post about Dwarven Flatbread.
Assembly:
To start the assembly, I rolled out my dough ball into a roughly 12 by 18-inch rectangle. Dust off any excess flour from the surface.
Next, I spread the mushroom mixture over the entire surface. Expect the layer to be thin and patchy.
To roll the vedbread, I started by working with the widest side (18-inch) furthest from me. I then rolled the dough into a very tight, even, compact cylinder towards me.
When I finished rolling, I pinched the seam along the entire length of the cylinder to close it.
Next, using a serrated knife in a sawing motion, I trimmed off the ends of the cylinder to discard and cut the remaining cylinder into 1 ¼-inch pieces.
NOTE: When you make these, you will find it makes about 14. I only have 11 because I misread the dimensions for rolling out the dough.
I arranged the buns cut-sides up on the baking sheet and brushed the top and sides with eggwash - an egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water (above-left).
I cooked them for 18 minutes on the middle rack of the oven until they were golden brown, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. I let the buns cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
I let the buns cool on the wire rack for a little while before storing them. They are best eaten warm or at room temperature (would not recommend cold).
If using, brush the buns with some before serving.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 4.5/5. If it’s not already obvious from the ingredients list, these buns are very mushroomy.
I would suggest trying these buns both at room temperature and warm out of the oven to see how you best enjoy them. Personally, I found the taste of the mushrooms mellowed when left at room temperature and made them much more enjoyable. On the other hand, my dad, who doesn’t particularly enjoy mushrooms, found them tastier warm. So make sure to try them both ways and see how you feel.
There’s a general tip that it’s best to store baked goods in a paper bag at room temperature to keep the crust harder on the outside and softer on the inside. However, I would advise against this for these buns. The dough is too thin to benefit from this and will just go stale-ish - like they’d been left uncovered on the counter. Keeping them in an airtight container is the best way to preserve that softness that you get right out of the oven.
Want to enjoy them again later? No trouble! Reheat them at 300℉ (149℃ ) for about 8 minutes to snack on them warm.
My unsuspecting followers:
Me, about to go on a serious reblogging spree:
[Feywild Eggs are] a delightful presentation of creamed, herbed, and fluffed eggs, completed over even heat for a golden crisp finish. Some have even claimed this simple recipe descended from the leShay, an immortal breed of fey “elves” with incredible, godlike powers. - Heroes’ Feast, p. 58
Eggs are one of the most versatile foods around. Scrambled with cheese, added to rice, mixed with greens - there’s nearly no limit to the variations. Easy to pick up the basics, they make a great introduction food for anyone looking to start their cooking journey. The only trick to these eggs is to make sure you have the proper pan for the job!
The Feywild Eggs frittata in Heroes’ Feast makes a great base for any number of combinations you can think of, anytime of the day. Due to all of the possibilities, I couldn’t possibly cover all options in this post. So, I’ll be covering the base recipe through the post and will discuss my favourite add-ins and how I cooked them in the results section!
For a complete feast, eat them with the Yawning Portal Buttermilk Biscuits (p. 31) and Otik’s Skillet-Fried Spiced Potatoes! (p. 20)
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Overall: 45 mins*
* Will take longer if you are preparing and cooking add-ins.
For the ingredients:
9 eggs
¼ cup (23 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup (20 g) finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (ex. parsley, basil, dill, mint, tarragon, lovage, or celery leaves
½ tsp. (3 g) kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
5 oz., about ½ cup, (140 g) Fontina, Colby, Monterey Jack, Havarti, or Gouda cheese, finely diced*
* If looking to reduce the fat content, feel free to use half the suggested amount of Parmesan cheese and cubed cheese.
Warning: Make sure the skillet you use is oven-safe to 400℉
NOTE: The cook’s note in Heroes’ Feast gives suggestions for veggies and meats to use with the frittata (asparagus, sautéd bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, etc. and cooked crumbled bacon or sausage). The only point of concern is to make sure they have all been seasoned and cooked through in the pan before adding the egg mixture.
First, I preheated the oven to 400℉ (204℃).
Next, I beat together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, herbs, salt, and some pepper until the mixture was uniformly blended.
After combining the egg mixture, I heated my 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and warmed the olive oil until shimmering. Then, I added the onion and let it cook, stirring frequently, until it softened - about 3 minutes.
REMINDER to cook all of your add-in veggies and meats in the skillet before adding the eggs! See the results section for my favourite add-ins and how I cooked them up.
Once the onion softened, I added the egg mixture to the skillet and let it cook, undisturbed, until the edges began to set and bubbles appeared in the center - about 1 minute (upper-left).
Then, I sprinkled the diced cheese evenly over the eggs (upper-right).
After assembling, I transferred the skillet to the middle oven rack and baked the frittata until the center had set and it puffed up - about 14 minutes.
NOTE: The frittata will puff a lot in the oven, so make sure your oven rack is in the middle!
After taking the skillet out of the oven, I ran a flexible nonstick spatula around the edges of the frittata to loosen it for transfer onto a serving plate.
I let it cool for about 15 minutes then cut it into wedges. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
NOTE: Don’t panic when it deflates as you loosen it from the skillet and transfer - it’s meant to do that!
Overall, I would give this recipe a 3.5/5 on its own and a 4.5/5 when you include add-ins. As stated in the introduction, the base Feywild Eggs recipe is a great starting point to build on but really needs the extras to not taste bland.
For my personal favourites, I used Italian parsley, 1 cup (130 g) chopped asparagus, and 1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms. Like the original recipe, I mixed in the finely chopped Italian parsley with the eggs. To cook veggies, I heated 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium heat until shimmering and then added the onion, asparagus, and mushrooms at the same time. I seasoned them with salt and pepper in the pan then cooked, stirring frequently, until the asparagus softened and the onions were a translucent golden brown - about 5 minutes.
“The most common variety of elven rations, this vegetarian trail food is made up primarily of dried fruits, but regional variations can include seeds, nuts, legumes, and beyond.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 57
The best way to describe Quith-Pa from Heroes’ Feast is as a fruit truffle instead of a chocolate one. Packed with refreshing, fruity sweetness, toasty flavours, and no added sugar, it’s a great snack or dessert for those looking to try something new!
Additionally, they're small enough that you can easily pack them into a mini tupperware container and bring them with you for easy snacking on the go!
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 10 mins Cook: 1h Total: 1h 10 mins
Ingredients (makes 12 ish):
1 orange
6 ounces (1 cup) (170 g) dried apricots, coarsely chopped
¾ cup (70 g) unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted*
¾ tsp. (4 ml) pure vanilla extract
Kosher salt
* To toast the coconut: spread out the coconut in an even layer in a large, flat-bottom pan on medium-low heat. Stir frequently until almost all of the coconut has reached a toasty golden brown colour, about 8-10 mins.
Using a microplane, grate the orange peel to yield 1 ½ tsp. (8 g, about half the rind of a large navel orange) of finely grated zest. Squeeze the orange to yield 1 ½ tbsp. (15 ml) of juice.
In a full-size or mini food processor, combine the apricots, ½ cup (25 g) of the toasted coconut, the orange zest and juice, vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt.
Process until the mixture is very finely chopped, uniform, and cohesive, pulsing and stopping to scrape down the sides of the work as necessary.
Put the remaining ½ cup coconut in a wide, shallow bowl.
Roll scant 1-tablespoon (~18 g) portions of the apricot mixture into 1-inch balls, gently pressing as you roll to help them cohere (you should have 15 or 16 balls).
Working with three or four balls at a time, roll them in the remaining coconut, pressing them gently to help the coconut adhere.
Place the balls on a plate and rest them (to firm up and dry out slightly) for 45 minutes.
The balls will keep, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, for about 3 days.
TIP: They will be incredibly sticky while forming them. I recommend pressing the mixture together with your fingers to create the shape of a ball and then gently rolling them between your fingers (not your palms!) to finish shaping them.
You may need to brush off any mixture clinging to your hands a couple times while rolling it into a ball because the remaining stickiness from your hands will cause formed balls to break.
NOTE: If rolling them in a deeper, smaller bowl like I was, you may only be able to work with one or two at a time.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 4/5. Although the taste is great and they make a fantastic sweet snack for anyone trying to avoid added sugar, I feel like the effort/dishes to yield is a little low. Definitely at least double the recipe if you plan on making these yourself.
BONUS picture that didn’t make the cover photo:
This was commented and hearted on a SMP earth awhile ago, it’s a quote about Alexander the Great I believe. Before anyone knew Alexander was his real name. It seems strangely poetic and sweet now. I hope he got a good laugh out of this
Canadian Cooking Gremlin™ | Cooking through Heroes' Feast and other stuff | Sideblog of @Letuce369
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