Holiday Pumpkin Bread – You Want It, But You Don’t Knead It

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Nov 142011
 

I may never knead bread again, ever. I’d heard about this mythical no-knead bread method for years, but never got around to trying it. Like many cooks, I just assumed that how in the world could any decent bread be made without kneading. It just didn’t make sense. Then, a few weeks ago, a commenter sent me a link for a no-knead video done by Mark Bittman. As the sender promised, it blew my mind.

The only thing I didn’t like about the technique was the way it was finished by baking in a red-hot Dutch oven. I figured there had to be a way to make this work by just baking on a pan as per usual. As I say in the video recipe, there is no trick photography, or editing to make this look easier than it is. It’s the kind of recipe someone who has never baked before could master the first time.

Since the holiday season is almost upon us, I decided to replace a bit of the water with pumpkin puree. The results were quite stunning. The flavor is very subtle, just a slight earthy undertone, and the tiny dash of spice is perceivable only to the nose. For plain bread, just use all water, and follow the steps the same way. Make this bread. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2229940&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain pumpkin puree (use water for plain bread)
1 cup water plus 1 tablespoon
1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 cups flour
cornmeal as needed

Zucchini Cupcakes

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Nov 052011
 

Nutrition Facts
One serving: 1 each Sodium: 236 mg
Calories: 244 Carbohydrate: 39 g
Fat: 9 g Fiber: 1g
Saturated Fat: 3 g Protein: 2 g
Cholesterol: 37 mg TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min + cooling time

Measuring Ingredients:

Correctly measuring both dry and liquid ingredients is important for a successful recipe experience.

Zucchini Cupcakes
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1-1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini

CARAMEL FROSTING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingredients; add to the egg mixture and mix well. Add zucchini and mix well. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
For frosting, combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.
Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 1-1/2 to 2 dozen.

Salmon Baked on (inspired by one baked in) Aromatic Salt

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Oct 262011
 

If you read my Vegas Uncork’d recap, you heard me raving about the fish baked in an aromatic salt crust as demonstrated by Chef Paul Bartolotta at the All-Star Interactive Luncheon, held at the Wynn/Encore.

It was truly amazing, and I will be showing that ancient seafood technique sometime in the future on Food Wishes. While I didn’t go for the full fish-baked-in-salt thing here, Chef Bartolotta’s recipe reminded me of a salmon dish Michele used to make for me years ago.

Thick center-cut salmon filets, skin-on, are simply placed over coarse salt, which has been liberally studded with aromatic spices, such as cinnamon, clove and star anise. As the salmon bakes on the heat absorbing and distributing salt, the aromas from the spices subtly permeate the fish.

As you’ll see in the video, this is so easy and makes for a pretty impressive presentation for a dinner party. You can bring the salmon, still sitting on the aromatic salt, out to the table to serve. You can even dress up the salt more creatively than I’ve done here, as almost any dried herb or spice is a candidate.

This is a fun technique to play around with and see if you can come up with your own signature blend. I really hope you give it a try. Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTAqjSbMkXU]

Ingredients: (makes enough salt mix for 4 pieces)
7-8 oz center-cut salmon filets, skin-on
2 cups coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoon whole cloves
8 whole star anise
4 cinnamon sticks, broken up

Peanut Butter Fudge

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Oct 262011
 

1-1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup margarine
Pinch of baking soda
3 cups granulated Sugar
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts, if desired

Set aside a 9”x13” ungreased baking pan. Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine milk, corn syrup, margarine, baking soda and sugars. Place over medium-high heat and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. If sugar crystals are present, wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush.
Clip on candy thermometer. Stirring constantly, cook to 234 F (110C) or soft-ball stage. Pour without scraping into baking pan. Cool until bottom of pan feels warm but not hot. Using a wooden spoon, stir in peanut butter, vanilla and nuts. Continue stirring until mixture becomes creamy and begins to lose its gloss. Scrape fudge onto the sheet of waxed paper and spread 1 inch thick. When firm, cut into 1-inch squares. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 75 pieces

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins – What a Delicious Way to Fail a Drug Test

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Oct 122011
 

Yes, it’s true! A couple poppy seed muffins can cause a positive drug test for opiates. So if you’re being tested tomorrow, never mind, but the rest of you are encouraged to try this poppy seed muffin I’m testing for the cookbook, and let me know what you think. I think I have the formula down, and I really love the taste and texture of this easy recipe. Enjoy!


Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Makes 12

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (1/2-cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white granulated sugar
finely grated zest from 2 lemons
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
For the glaze:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl, and reserve until needed.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest, until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding the next. Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the lemon juice, and 1/2 of the sour cream until combined.

Add half of the remaining flour mixture, and stir until combined. Stir in the remaining sour cream. Stir in the rest of the flour mixture, and then the poppy seeds.

Line a 12-muffin tin with paper baking cups. Fill each to the top with batter. Bake about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the muffins are baking, mix the lemon juice and powdered sugar together for form a thin glaze.

Remove the muffins from the oven when ready, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Brush the lemon glaze evenly over the top of each muffin. This is not intended to be a frosting, but just a very light glaze to give the tops a little shine and extra kiss of lemon flavor.

When cool enough to handle, remove muffins from the tins and cool completely on a rack before serving.

Texas Cowboy Cookies

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Oct 072011
 


Texas Cowboy Cookies are one of my favorite cookies from
The Gourmet Cupboard.Made with chocolate chips, oatmeal
walnuts and brown sugar. You can make these cookies
Texas size which I like to do. Great for holiday
gift giving.

Texas Cowboy Cookies
1 Gourmet Cupboard Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1/2 cup melted margarine
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together cookie mix, margarine, egg and vanilla. Shape
into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart on greased
cookie sheet.Bake at 350 for 11 to 13 minutes.

Mounds Bar Brownies

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Oct 042011
 

I got this recipe from Courtney’s Mother also. With this recipe, I ALWAYS have to make plenty because my dear hubby ALWAYS wants a pan to himself. LOL

1 stick of butter
2 cups brown sugar
(mix)
Add:
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
(cream)
Add:
2 cups self rising flour (gradually)
2 cups coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
(mix)
Put in 7 1/2 X 11 inch pan and bake at 325* for 45 min. give or take a few. Let cool completely. Do not grease glass pan.

The Gourmet Cupboard Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Sep 252011
 


As a distributor for The Gourmet Cupboard, I have tried many of there handmade gourmet mixes. Most contain no msg, perservatives or chemicals. Much care is taken in the preparation of these delicious mixes. This is a recipe using there chocolate chip cookie mix which is a favorite of many of my customers. I have to say it is delicious and hard to resist.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 gourmet cupboard chocolate chip cookie mix

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup shortening

Beat eggs and vanilla until eggs are foamy. Add cookie mix and shortening. Mix with electric mixer until blended. Fold in chocolate chips and stir well. Drop by tsp onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8 to 14 minutes until brown. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Traditional Sugar Cookies

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Sep 192011
 

OK, I got this recipe from Sis Rachel, Courtney’s Mother. In my cookbook that I have written it in, I wrote at the top….Rachel says, “Be sure to use regular white Crisco…NOT the butter flavored!!” So, I thought I would add that in.

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup crisco
2 eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 TBS vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together first five ingredients. Mix dry ingredients together in separate bowl and gradually add to first mixture. Divide dough into four balls. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Take out balls, one at a time, roll in 1/4 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutter. Bake at 375* until bottom or deges are golden brown. The top wll look doughy until they cool.

Follow the Sourdough – Day 2: Feeding the Starter

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Sep 122011
 

Today’s installment is very simple. We are going to “feed” the starter. This involves removing, and discarding, half the mixture; then adding 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. This step is going to be done every 24 hours, until the started is ready.

I will show you my starter when it’s ready, but since this can happen anytime between 2 and 7 days, you need to know what to look for. Sometime between now and never, your mixture will start developing lots of little bubbles, and start giving off a somewhat pleasant sour or beer-ish smell. The starter may also develop a thin bubbly froth on the surface that will return even after you stir it in. The photo here is my starter on day 3. It’s getting close, but I’m going to feed it again, and decide tomorrow if it is ready.

The timing of this whole process depends on the batch of flour you’re using, the temperature (75 degrees is ideal, but most of us are cooler than that), and the amount of wild yeast present (they really mean it here in San Francisco, when they say, “there must be something in the air.”). So, keep repeating the steps you see in today’s video until you think your starter is ready. I will post updates on my starter as things develop. Stay tuned!

Note: if your starter gets a strong, spoiled odor, toss it out and start over. You may have something else growing besides wild yeast. If nothing happens after a week, then you should also start over with another type of flour. Many people add some wheat or rye to the first starter since it has more yeast in it. But, I just didn’t want you to buy a whole bag of flour for nothing, and we are going to use the unbleached bread flour to make the final loaves.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l9Nj-sWLD0]

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