Auntie May’s Banana Bread December 3, 2009

I’ve made tons of different banana bread recipes over the years.  But none can compare to the one my Mom always makes….Auntie May’s.  And I finally remembered to get a copy of it from her this past week.  It’s always moist, and just the right amount of banana taste.  The only problem is, it makes a small loaf.  So make a few at a time, or even just double the batch to make a large one.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 3 Mashed Bananas (Note: Use 4 if they’re small)
• 1-1/2 Cups Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 Cup chopped Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt butter.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
4. Pour into baking dish(es) and bake for 55-60 minutes.

If you make extras and you can’t eat them all quickly enough, pop some in the freezer for later.

Raisin Bran Muffins November 10, 2009

Years ago, when I was working in Boston, MA I always got my morning, breakfast muffins at Souper Salad.  They had the most unbelievable zucchini/carrot muffins, and bran muffins.  And believe me when I say, I’m NOT a veggie girl.  By any stretch of the imagination.  So for me to like these you know they must be good.  Since I’ve moved away from MA I’ve tried to find a recipe that comes close to those muffins and as far as the zucchini carrot muffins go, I’ll have to go on trying.  But I’ve finally come across the bran muffin recipe that most closely resembles it.  And now you too can have these yummy (and maybe a little bit good for you?) muffins!

INGREDIENTS

1	cup raisins
1	teaspoon water
2 1/4	cups All-Bran Original cereal (5 ounces)
1 1/4	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
1/2	cup whole wheat flour (2 1/2 ounces),
2	teaspoons baking soda
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	large egg
1	large egg yolk
2/3	cup packed light brown sugar (4 2/3 ounces)
3	tablespoons mild molasses (or light) (NOTE: I used the molasses in my cabinet with no regard to whether it was mild or not)
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
6	tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), melted and cooled
1 3/4	cups plain whole-milk yogurt (NOTE: I used Stoneyfield whole milk, french vanilla, with cream top, yogurt)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray standard-sized muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine raisins and water in small microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand, covered, until raisins are softened and plump, about 5 minutes. Transfer raisins to paper towel-lined plate to cool
3. Process half of bran cereal in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute.
4. Whisk flours, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to combine; set aside.
5. Whisk egg and yolk together in medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar, molasses, and vanilla; whisk until mixture is thick, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter and whisk to combine; add yogurt and whisk to combine. Stir in processed cereal and unprocessed cereal; let mixture sit until cereal is evenly moistened (there will still be some small lumps), about 5 minutes.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with rubber spatula until batter is combined and evenly moistened. Do not overmix.
7. Gently fold raisins into batter.
8. Using 1/3-cup measure or ice cream scoop, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, dropping batter to form mounds. Do not level or flatten surfaces of mounds.
9. Bake until muffins are dark golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs attached, 16 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

If anyone has a really great recipe for zucchini/carrot muffins – nice, dark, rich ones, please send it to me!!!

Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake October 30, 2009

This coffee cake was great, and easy to make too, which is a bonus in my book.
But next time I make it, the things that I would change, from the original recipe below are:

• I’d add more blueberries to the cake (maybe another 1/3 Cup)
• I’d add at least one more Tbsp. of butter to the streusel topping
• More lemon zest (probably the entire lemon) because it was very difficult to detect

**To make the coffeecake even faster to prepare in the morning, prepare the streusel and measure out the dry ingredients for the cake the night before.

INGREDIENTS

Topping
1/3	cup packed light brown sugar
1/3	cup granulated sugar
1	tablespoon ground cinnamon
1	tablespoon unsalted butter , melted and cooled
1	cup pecans , almonds, or walnuts, chopped coarse
Cake
3	cups all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon baking powder
1	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4	teaspoon table salt
1 3/4	cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
1	cup packed light brown sugar
1	cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
3	large eggs
7	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled
1	cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), rinsed and dried
1	teaspoon grated lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the topping: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together in a medium bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand.
2. Stir in the nuts.
3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Generously coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
5. For the cake: Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl.
6. Whisk the buttermilk (Note: I used vanilla yogurt), brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and melted butter together in a separate bowl until smooth.
7. Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula and stir until the batter looks smooth and well combined.
8. Stir in blueberries and lemon zest.
9. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
10. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.
11. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes.
12. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Bops March 22, 2009

Bops w/maple syrup

Ok, what can I say about Bops? The cookbook described them as a cross between crepes and pancakes, and it turned out to be very accurate. And they almost had the chewy consistency of popovers too, believe it or not.  Absolutely delicious.  My little guy (who’s VERY picky these days) flipped over these!  Maybe it was all the drippy butter, or the maple syrup…but I like to think that it’s just my amazing cooking.  Either way, they were great.  They were a little too decadent for every week, but they’d be perfect for a special treat every once in a while.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
1 Cup all-purpose flour
2 Cups milk
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened (Note: I found this to be too much.  I used 2 Tbsp and it still seemed like a lot)

1. Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375.
2. Grease 3, 9″ pie plates.
3. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the eggs in a large bowl until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. (Note: I hauled out my stand mixer for this but afterwards wish I’d stuck with my little hand mixer….the batter didn’t seem big enough to warrant the large aparatus)
4. Add the flour and mix on the lowest speed until just combined.
5. Add the milk, oil and salt and mix until incorporated (the batter will be thin).
6. Add 1 Cup of batter to each of the prepared pie plates and bake, switching the plate positions halfway through the baking time, until puffed and browned, about 25 minutes. (Note: Mine were closer to 30 minutes)
7. Cool the pancakes until just warm (they will collapse when cool).  Place one pancake on a serving plate and spread with softened butter.  Stack the 2nd pancake on top of the 1st, add the butter, and repeat with the 3rd pancake.
8. Cut into wedges.  Serve with maple syrup or honey.

Bops

Buttery bops

Bops w/maple syrup

Blueberry Boy Bait March 7, 2009

Blueberry Boy Bait

This recipe came from “America’s Best Lost Recipes, 121 Kitchen Tested Heirloom Recipes Too Good to Forget,” from the Editors of Cook’s Country Magazine.  I’ve loved so many of the recipes from their recent magazine, so I checked this cookbook out of the library to see if I could find any more yummy recipes to make.

I came across this one in bed last night and when I read it out loud to my husband he said “you HAVE to make that for breakfast.”  So here I am, making it for breakfast!  By the way, the editors said “it is possibly the best coffee cake we’ve ever eaten.”

Serves 12

Cake Ingredients:
2 Cups plus 1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 Cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 Cup milk
1/2 Cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (See end note.)

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 Cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (See end note.)
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinammon

For the Cake –

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 13×9″ baking pan.
2. Whisk 2 Cups of flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated.
5. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the flour mixture and the milk alternately in 2 separate batches until incorporated.
6. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tsp of flour in a small bowl.  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the blueberries.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

For the Topping –

1. Scatter the blueberries over the top of the batter.
2. Stir the sugar and cinammon together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the batter.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45-50 minutes.
4. Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out (topping side up) on a serving platter.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes from the Test Kitchen:
If using frozen blueberries, do not let them thaw, as they will turn the batter a blue-green color.

Verdict:
The blueberries sunk to the bottom of my cake, for some unknown reason….but it was still absolutely delicioius.  All I can say is “Mmmmm..mmmm…mmmmm.  Mmmm…mmmm…mmmm!”

Hot out of the oven

Not pretty, but oh so good

Blueberry Boy Bait

Blueberry Scones February 15, 2009

Bluuuuueberry Scones!

Yet another winner from “The Best of America’s Test Kitchen – Best Recipes and Reviews 2009.”

I’m not a huge fan of scones…they’re a little too dry and crumbly for me, but these blueberry scones were sensational.  I ate them right out of the oven, with butter on top (not that they really needed anymore butter!), and they were truly the best scones I’ve ever eaten.

Makes 8

Ingredients:

16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen whole
1-1/2 C (7.5 oz) fresh blueberries
1/2 C whole milk (I had 2% at home and it worked fine)
1/2 C sour cream
2 C (10 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus xtra for work surface
1/2 C (3.5 oz) granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated lemon zest (these scones wouldn’t have tasted nearly as good without the zest)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Score and remove half of the wrapper from each stick of butter.  Grate the unwrapped ends on the large holes of a box grater.  You’ll be grating a total of 8 Tbsp.  Place the grated butter in the freezer until needed.  Melt 2 Tbsp of the remaining butter and set aside.  Save the remaining 6 Tbsp for another recipe!
3. Place the berries in the freezer until needed.  Whisk the milk and sour cream together in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.
4. Whisk the flour, 1/2 C sugar, baking powder, zest, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl.  Add the frozen, grated butter and toss with your fingers until thoroughly coated.  Fold in the chilled milk miture with a spatula until just combined (do not overmix).
5. Turn the dough and any floury bits out onto a well-floured work surface.  Lightly flour your hands and the dough and knead the dough gently 6-8 times until it just holds together in a ragged ball, adding additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.  (Note: Mine was VERY sticky…I added a lot of extra flour)
6. Roll the dough out into a 12″ square.  Fold the top down 2/3’rds, fold the bottom up to cover the part you just folded.  Then fold the sides the same way.  You’ll end up with a roughly 6″ square.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured plate and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.  Do Not Overchill.
7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll again into a 12″ square.  Sprinkle the berries evenly over the dough, and press them lightly into the dough.  Loosen the dough from the surface with a scraper (or knife), and roll dough into a tight log.  Pinch the seams closed.  Lay the dough seam side down and press into a 12″ x 4″ rectangle. (Note: I kept adding flour during this process because it was so sticky).  Using a floured chef’s knife, slice the dough into 4 squares and then divide each square into 2 triangles.
8. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet.  Leave enough space between each to allow for them to expand.  Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar. 
9. Bake until the scone tops are lightly golden brown, 18-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time.  (Note: Mine took a total of 21 minutes to become golden brown).
10. Serve warm with melted butter on top!

Roll out & press in berries

Ready to roll into a log

Ready to cut

Cut into 8ths

In the oven

Bluuuuueberry Scones!

Warm, w/melted butter!

Gingerbread Pancakes!!!!! February 9, 2009

Gingerbread Pancakes

Okay…I started eating gingerbread pancakes at a local restaurant this fall and absolutely loved them!!!  My husband is the weekend pancake chef and he started fooling around with ingredients and after some trial and error (well mainly just needed to add more molasses and ginger etc) he came up with a scrumptious gingerbread pancake that we all gobble up. 

Ingredients:
Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mix (we cheat and start with this)
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 Cup molasses
1 TBSP vegetable oil
2 eggs (mix before adding)
Milk – add enough to make it a smooth consistency

Directions:
Cook as you would any pancake.  When the bubbles are consistently popping up you’ll want to turn and cook on the other side (approx 45 seconds or so on either side…depending on the temperature of your griddle).

These must be served with REAL MAPLE SYRUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cinnamon Sensation Coffee Cake January 31, 2009

I first tried this coffee cake at a playgroup and it was so yummy that I emailed my friend to get the recipe from her. 
She had found it online, at a Bed & Breakfast website, where it was a featured recipe from The Castle in the Country Bed & Breakfast.

 

¼ cup margarine ¾ cup sugar 1 egg, slightly beaten 1½ cup flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 Cup milk 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping: 1 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon 4 tablespoons margarine ½ cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray a 9″ x 9″ pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bown, cream margarine and sugar; beat in egg.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
Stir in vanilla.
Pour blended mixture into prepared pan.

To make topping: In a small bowl, mix together sugar, flour and cinnamon.
Cut in margarine with pastry blender or fork. Spoon half over batter and swirl.
Spoon remaining topping over batter and sprinkle with nuts.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.