September 21, 2008
Buttermilk Scones
Ingredients:
3 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 c cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 c buttermilk
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it lightly and set aside.
2. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then lightly whisk. Use a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers to cut or work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and add the buttermilk all at once. Stir the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Using lightly floured hands, gather the dough into a soft ball and turn it out onto a lighltly floured work surface. Divide into 4 parts and pat each one into a 3/4 inch thick circle. Cut each circle into four wedges.
4. Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the center of the oven until the scones rise and are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack. Serve warm, split and spread with jam. The scones are best eaten within several hours of baking.
Notes: Sometimes I chop up dried currants or raisins and mix in the batter after the buttermilk. Sometimes I also sprinkle raw sugar on the top of the scones right before placing in the over.
Yield: 16 scones.
Source: Holiday Baking by Sara Perry
Posted by dahl at 4:11 PM
Quick Banana Bread
Ingredients:
1 3/4 c sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp double-acting baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c shortening
2/3 c sugar
3/4 tsp grated lemon rind
1-2 beaten eggs
1-1 1/4 c ripe banana pulp
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Directions:
1. All ingredients should be at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Blend the shortening, sugar and lemon rind until creamy. Beat in the eggs and banana. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, beating after each addition. Fold in the nuts.
4. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake bread about 1 hr or until done. Cool before slicing.
Yield: 1 loaf
Source: The Joy of Cooking
Posted by dahl at 4:04 PM
December 16, 2007
Granola
Ingredients:
5 c old fashioned rolled oats
2 c wheat bran cereal
1 c blanched whole or slivered almonds
1 c pecans (pieces)
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 c sunflower or canola oil
1 c dark seedless raisins
Directions:
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line large roasting pan (or broiling pan would work too) with aluminum foil.
In large bowl, combine oats, bran, nuts and cinnamon. In a quart saucepan, heat syrup and oil until bubbles appear around the side of the pan. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and toss to mix well. Spread over foil lined pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until crisp and golden. Don't let it get too dark.
Stir in raisins after cooled and store in an air-tight container.
From Marcia Naveh.
Yield: 2-3 quarts.
Posted by dahl at 12:48 PM
September 17, 2006
Popovers
Practice this recipe once, and without thinking twice, you'll master it. These golden, crispy, lighter-than-air popovers make an elegant dinner even grander, turn leftover meals into special occasions, and make any breakfast a holiday when they're smeared with butter and homemade-jam.
It's crucial to follow the recipe, making sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature. The first time you make the popovers, watch the time and discover the nuances of your own oven's temperature. My oven stays at a constant 400°F, while my neighbor's doesn't, so he preheats his to 425°F and then lowers it to 400°F after 5 minutes, giving the popovers the necessary initial blast of heat.
While a popover pan may seem like an extravagant purchase, I highly recommend it. The shape and depth of the cups creates a dramatic pour on top that makes a spectacular presentation.
Ingredients:
6 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F for 20 minutes. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of six popover-tin cups (or six 1oz-cup custard cups) with 1 teaspoon butter each. Place the popover pan on a baking sheet.
2. In a small bow lightly whisk the eggs until they change color. Whisk in the milk.
3. In a medium bowl. Whisk together the flour and salt until well blended. Gently whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until only small lumps are left, and set aside.
4. Place the prepared popover tin and baking sheet in the oven for 4 minutes. At 3 minutes, pour the batter into a lipped pitcher or bowl and lightly whisk. Using an oven mitt, remove the hot popover tin from the oven and immediately divide the batter among the prepared cups. Bake for 23 minutes without opening the oven door. The popovers will be puffy, with crisp brown crusts and hollow, moist interiors. Serve immediately. (for next time, be sure to note the oven time that works for you.)
Variations:
Children will love Hot Chocolate Popovers for breakfast with fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup. or you could serve them as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream and some rich fudge sauce. Follow the main recipe, decreasing the flour to 3/4 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons and adding 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder to the dry ingredients. Proceed as directed.
For a snappy accompaniment to a Christmas Eve prime rib roast, try Gruyere Horseradish Popovers. Follow the main recipe. Before whisking the flour mixture into the egg mixture. stir in 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish. When the batter is smooth, stir in 1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese, and proceed as directed.
Yield: 6 popovers (serves 2-3). From Holidy Baking by Sara Perry (highly recommended book!).
Posted by dahl at 10:27 AM
July 5, 2005
Double Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups fresh blueberries (two 1/2-pint containers), rinsed and dried
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (~1 tbsp)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. With an electric mixer (or food processor), cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; beat until combined.
2. In a shallow bowl, mash 1/2 cup blueberries with a fork until liquified. Add to butter mixture along with lemon zest; beat to incorporate (mixture will appear separated).
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture in alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Gently fold in remaining 1 1/2 cups blueberries.
4. Line a standard (12-cup) muffin tin (or two 6-cup tins) with paper cups. Spoon or scoop batter into cups, and sprinkle tops with remaining tablespoon sugar.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out muffins onto a wire rack to cool 10 minutes more before serving.
Notes: The texture of these muffins is really good, due to the combination of the cornmeal and flour. Its kind of like a fruit corn muffin. And these came out so well we decided to try it out with other fruits. Strawberries and nectarines worked well, though they can't be mashed by hand so blend them in the food processor with the butter mixture, then transfer into a large bowl to work in the flour and milk. Also, I tried to do this recipe off the top of my head and got it right except for only one egg instead of two and I added a tsp of vanilla, and it worked great.
Yield: 12 regular muffins (or 6 large ones)
Source: Everyday Food, July/August 2005
Posted by dahl at 9:26 AM
December 22, 2004
Fluffy Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/8 cup cottage cheese
1/8 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese, flour and sugar together with a fork. Heat a nonstick pan over moderate heat, and add the butter. When the butter is hot and begins to sizzle, drop the batter in by tablespoonfuls into the buttered pan. You don't want the butter to turn brown, as it will burn before the pancakes are cooked. Cook for 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Flip the pancakes, and brown the other side.
Yield: The cookbook says 4, but it was in the children's food section, so they must mean kid size portions, because it really only serves 1.
Notes: Unbelievably addictive.
From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.
Posted by dahl at 4:23 PM
January 5, 2004
Oeuf Cocotte
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tablespoon of crème fraîche (alternatively sour cream, Boursin or any other fresh soft cheese)
salt, pepper, paprika
Optionally :
a small slice of ham, cut into strips (alternatively cooked bacon, tuna, tofu...)
a handful of diced vegetables (could be tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, onions...)
a handful of grated cheese
a sprinkle of fresh or dried herbs (parsley, chives, cilantro...)
Directions:
If you've chosen to include diced vegetables that need to be cooked (this is unnecessary for tomatoes for example), heat up a little oil in a small skillet, and sautee the vegetables until tender.
Preheat the oven to 430°F. Grease a small ramequin, lay the ham, vegetables and crème fraîche at the bottom, and break the egg on top. Sprinkle salt and pepper. If you're using dried herbs, sprinkle them on now. Top with cheese if you wish.
Put the ramequin in a gratin dish, and pour water in the dish to about half the height of the ramequin. Put in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs.
Once the eggs are done, sprinkle paprika and fresh herbs (if you're using them). Serve with warm crusty bread or toasts.
As you can see, this is a pretty versatile recipe. The only things that need to be there are the egg and the crème fraîche or some sort of fresh creamy ingredient. The rest can be added or omitted depending on what you have on hand. And if you have large ramequins and a large appetite, two eggs can be nice too.
Yield: This serves one, multiply by the number of eaters.
Courtesy of Chocolate & Zucchini
Posted by dahl at 3:37 PM
August 6, 2003
Whole Wheat Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 eggs - separated
2 cups milk
1/3 cups oil
Directions:
Combine dry ingredients. Beat egg whites with sugar until stiff. Combine wet ingredients (except whites) and add to dry ingredients. Fold in whites. Cook on griddle, adding nuts or blueberries as desired.
Courtesy of the Tassajara Bread Book
Posted by dahl at 4:26 PM | TrackBack
Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp butter
+/- blueberries
+/- walnuts
Directions:
Combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a large bowl, beat eggs well; add
buttermilk and combine. Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating
until just smooth. Stir in oil and combine. Melt butter on a non-stick griddle
and cook pancakes. Add blueberries while cooking if desired.
Serves 4
Posted by dahl at 3:05 PM | TrackBack
Cheddar-Chive Scones
Ingredients:
3 cups Flour
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Chives, finely chopped
5 oz Cheddar, grated
2 cups Heavy Cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400o
Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt. Add chives and cheese, toss to combine.
Stir in cream with fork until sticky dough forms.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and kneed 8 times with floured hands.
Halve dough, form each into 7" round. Brush tops of rounds with cream.
Cut into 8 wedges. Arrange wedges 1/2" apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake, middle of oven, for ~20 min, until golden brown. Cool on rack.
Courtesy of Gourmet, 7/00