Category Archives: muffins, breads, biscuits, and sweet breads

Mar 24 9 comments
muffins, breads, biscuits, and sweet breads

Corn Bread

For the past few months, I’ve been participating in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge, an online challenge that has bloggers (and presumably other home cooks) baking their way through Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. This book, I have come to discover, is a bastion of bread baking tips, the ultimate home baker’s guide to bread.  It’s been slow going because I can do, at most, two loaves a week, but I’m really enjoying it.  I didn’t originally intend on sharing the recipes here because a lot of people are participating in this project and the last thing you need is my take on something that’s been said 1000 times.  Unless it’s me reiterating for the 1000th time that I love pie.

The reason I decided to post this particular cornbread recipe, however, is because it knocked my socks off.  It was out of this world good- brown sugar and honey in the bread itself topped with delicious bacon.  Thank you Mr. Reinhart, I will never make another cornbread.  Until the next amazing recipe I find.  God, I love cornbread.

Anyway, this week for the zillionth time this year I’m sick and since the weather had been rainy, I indulged in a favorite comfort meal- chili and cornbread.  I won’t lie and say it healed me (it’s not magic cornbread), but it did make me feel warm, happy, and totally loved.  Bacon has that effect.

A side note about bacon, this recipe calls for rendered bacon fat.  Which, is not a problem because I had to cook bacon for the recipe, but sometimes you want the essence of bacon without, you know, the bacon.  Which is why I like to keep a few tablespoons of bacon fat in the freezer.  I simply pour it, while it is still hot, into a glass measuring cup and then when it’s cooled a bit (but not solidified), I pour it into small glass jars and freeze.  Then, I have it ready whenever I need it.  Bacony advice from me, to you.

Corn Bread
Source: Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Bakers Apprentice

1 cup (6 oz) coarse cornmeal (or grits)

2 cups (16 oz) buttermilk

10 slices (8 oz) bacon

1 3/4 cups (8 oz) all purpose flour

1 1/2 tbsp (.75 oz) baking powder

1/4 tsp (.05 oz) baking soda

1 tsp (.25 oz) salt

1/4 cup (2 oz) sugar

1/4 cup (2 oz) brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 tbsp (1.5 oz) honey

2 tbsp (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 cups (16 oz) fresh or frozen kernels

2 tbsp (1 oz) bacon fat

I give the ounces here along with the normal measurements because that’s how Pete does it.  Is it too familiar to call him Pete?

The night before you want to make your cornbread, soak the cornmeal in the buttermilk, covered, and at room temperature.

When you’re ready to make the cornbread, start by making your bacon.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.  Drain the fat into a glass or metal container and let the bacon cool.  When it’s cool, crumble and set aside.  Lower the oven temp to 350.

Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Stir in sugar and brown sugar.  In another bowl, beat eggs, lightly.  In yet another bowl, melt your butter and dissolve the honey in it.  Stir the honey mixture into the eggs, and add that to the cornmeal mixture.  Add the cornmeal mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a large wooden spoon.  Mix in corn kernels (make sure to drain them if you buy them frozen).

Pour the bacon fat into a 10″ round cake pan (or a 9 x 12″ baking pan) and stick it in the oven.  Keep in the oven for 7-10 minutes or until it’s piping hot.  With an oven mitt on, swirl the fat around and make sure all the sides are greased.  Pour the batter into the hot pan.  Sprinkle the bacon over the top evenly.  Bake for 30-45 minutes until the center is solid and it’s golden brown.

Let cool 15 minutes and serve.  And enjoy!

Feb 24 2 comments
muffins, breads, biscuits, and sweet breads

Bobbie’s Rolls

This past weekend I took a trip to Durham that I’d been planning for months.  You see, Paula Deen was coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center.  I know that everyone has mixed feelings about Paula Deen but y’all, I find her completely entertaining.  And that’s what she is, an entertainer.  The show was pitched as her and her sons, Jamie and Bobby, telling stories and cooking food with too much butter.  So my mom, my dear friend Megan, and I got tickets and we were SO PUMPED.

You know where this is going.  If you follow me on twitter you’ll have seen the disappointed tweets I sent out into the universe after she up and cancelled her whole east coast tour.  Her excuse was something to do with a lousy production manager and not wanting to put on a sub-par show but frankly, after driving all the way to North Carolina to see her, I would have taken anything.  I was devastated and angry and might not even watch her show for a while.  I won’t go so far as to cut butter out of my diet, but I am definitely not pleased.

With or without Paula I had other things planned in Durham, so I made the trek down.  It was a great weekend full of lots and lots of margaritas, a few photoshoots, so much gossiping and catching up that I lost my voice, and time spent with some of my favorite people.  I got to partake in some of my favorite Durham activities, try some new restaurants, and take in the 70 degree weather (which, after all this damn snow, felt like heaven).

My mom convinced me to stay an extra day so I got back Monday night and much of yesterday was spent grocery shopping, editing photos from the aforementioned photoshoots, and recovering from the aforementioned margaritas.  Which means that last night we dined on leftover turkey soup and some of my grandmother’s rolls.  These are the perfect dinner rolls, fluffy and warm and ideal for paring with soups, stews, and butter.  Butter that I will not be dedicating to Paula Deen.

In other news, I’ve set up a formspring account, for the asking of questions.  This is in addition to our FAQ page and is really just a place for you to ask anything, anonymously (or not).  They don’t have to be food related, so ask away!

afternoon sun in my brother’s farm house

Bobbie’s Rolls

1 cup whole milk

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp vegetable shortening

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 egg, beaten

2 cups bread flour

1 tbsp butter, melted

Scald the milk.  Stir in sugar, salt, and shortening, remove from heat.  Allow to cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir into milk mixture.  Add in egg.  Stir in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.  Knead 10 minutes.  Form into a ball.  Grease a bowl and place the dough in, flipping once.  Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper.  Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces.  Form a ball by pinching the dough at the base of the ball so the top is tight.  Cluster dough balls together on the baking sheet.  Cover and let rise another hour.

Brush the tops with melted butter.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Jan 10 0 comments
muffins, breads, biscuits, and sweet breads

Basic White Bread

This weekend was Dan’s 25th birthday.  I know, a big deal right?  No, you don’t think it’s a big deal?  Whatever, we’re pet and childless, we just got married, and this is the biggest birthday we’ve had to celebrate since I turned 21.  Incidentally both weekends ended with bacon, egg, and cheese croissants from City Cafe in Baltimore.  Emphasis on the bacon.

For Dan’s triumphant 25th birthday we took advantage of a wedding present from my mom’s good friends Elaine and Brenda, a stay at Baltimore’s new Hotel Monaco.  As you may know, we lived in Baltimore for quite some time, attending the Maryland Institute College of Art.  We now live in D.C., but we miss Baltimore and every square inch of that city holds a special place in our hearts.  So we spent the weekend taking in some of our favorite aspects of the Charm City.

Saturday started with cinnamon rolls and quickly phased into Dan being blindfolded.  You see, I’d been keeping the destination of our big weekend away a secret (a difficult task) for months.  So I made him wear a blindfold for the drive and doubled back a few times to throw him off.  Unfortunately for me he’s been watching too many crime shows in HD because he figured my plan out months ago.  Surprise or not we ended up at Holy Frijoles, hands down the best chimichanga I’ve ever had.  The service leaves a lot to be desired but it’s always worth it for those chimichangas.

After lunch we went to The Wine Source in Baltimore, where Dan picked out some birthday scotch.  He picked out a sampler box and a holiday blend.  Then it was onto the hotel, where we were upgraded to a suite covered in rose petals.  After such an undertaking as the Holy Frijoles chimichanga (and margarita) a nap is in order.  So we rested, watched some travel channel, enjoyed some wine and scotch.  After the hotel’s complimentary cocktail hour we had dinner at their restaurant, the B&O American Brasserie whose Chef Reidt was named one of the “Top New Chefs” in 2001.  Dinner was amazing.  So amazing that I was motivated to try both duck and creme brulee for the first time.

This morning we awoke to, well, hangovers.  We stopped by City Cafe for brunch, indulging in the aforementioned bacon, egg, and cheese croissants.  And lots and lots of coffee.  When we got home to Takoma Park today we were tired, cold, and beat.  Which meant that a trip to the grocery store and the whole “preparing for the week” thing was absolutely the last on my list.  Part of my new culinary life list is a commitment to make all of our own bread.  For a few weeks I’ve been baking this delicious white bread from the recipe book that came with our Kitchen Aid Mixer.  It’s fluffy and just a little sweet with a perfectly crunch crust.   It’s just the first step in my commitment to learning bread baking techniques, my hope is to one day make our own hangover croissants.

Basic White Bread
Source: Kitchen Aid

5 to 6 cups flour

2 tbsp dry active yeast

1/2 cup skim milk

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups warm water

In a sauce pan melt butter in milk and sugar.  When sugar has dissolved remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixing bowl.  Add milk mixture and 4 1/2 cups flour.  Attach bowl to your stand mixer and begin to knead on speed 2 with dough hook.

Continue to knead, adding the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time.  Knead until the dough clings to the hook, and then an additional four minutes longer, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Grease a mixing bowl and place the dough inside, turning once.  Cover and let rise in a warm spot for an hour.  Punch down and divide in half.  Roll out on a nonstick surface.  Tuck ends in and roll into a loaf shape.  Place in a greased bread pan, cover, and let rise another hour.  Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.  Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool.

Dec 19 4 comments
muffins, breads, biscuits, and sweet breads

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

As I write this, D.C. and it’s surrounding areas are in the midst of a blizzard.  Yeah.  A blizzard.  My readers from all points north can stop reading here and commence eye-rolling because I am about to exclaim my wonder at the amount of snow that has accumulated in these parts.  As of now, it’s upwards of two feet, and going steadily.  I know, right!  It’s probably the most snow I’ve ever seen, and it’s definitely the most snow I’ve seen recently and in D.C.

When I was growing up there was a snowfall of two feet in North Carolina.  It probably hit most of the east coast, so a lot of you probably had the same experience.  It was incredible.  It started to snow as I went to bed and I remember yelling downstairs to my mom that she should wake me up if there was school.  The next morning I woke up (on my own) to two feet of snow, my own winter wonderland.  And because before college the only places I’d ever lived were southern Florida and central North Carolina, it was the most (naturally occurring- I’d been skiing) snow I’d ever seen.

Durham shut down, we were out of school for 10 days (two whole weeks).  It was incredible, I’d never experienced anything like it.  When I tell my friends from outside the south how incredibly that snowfall impacted North Carolina they can’t believe it, but it’s not like we had that many snow plows.  And while I’m sure today’s snow won’t hurt the District in quite the same ways, I can’t help drawing comparisons.

When I went to the grocery store last night to buy lots of wine (and bacon) they were out of everything, picked clean by the threat of a snowpacalypse.  I made a big pot of soup, thawed some lasagna, and thanked the stars that we always have quesadilla ingredients.  Because in a time like this, you’ll want to hunker down with a bowl of soup or stew and enjoy being inside.  And if you have the ingredients on hand or can find them at the market, these muffins are the perfect mate to a big bowl of warm goodness.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

1 jalapeño

1/4 cup white cheddar cheese, sharp

1/4 cup orange cheddar cheese, sharp

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

Chop jalapeño and shred cheese.

Mix dry ingredients.  Slowly mix in milk and oil.  Pour into muffin tin, filling halfway.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

 

Nov 16 0 comments
appetizers, holiday, muffins, breads, biscuits, and sweet breads

Melted Brie & Cranberry


brie2

You know that dish that everyone gobbles up around the holidays and ooohs and ahhhs over, relishing in consuming countless calories of delicious pre-New Years Resolution goodness?  This is so that dish in my family.  My Aunt Lori brings this to every family gathering and it is a hit, every time.

brie5

When I was trying to come up with a good appetizer to include in my Thanksgiving spread this year, this one immediately came to mind.  At first I pushed it out of my head because I thought it was too common, too traditional.  But then I thought- that’s what people want on Thanksgiving.  Sure, they’ll take a little twist here and a little spike of new flavor there, but for the most part, around the holidays, we want tradition. And for my family, this is tradition.

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You’ll be happy to know that, since this is a food blog and I was entering this recipe into a recipe contest (after all), that I did add a twist.  Usually when this dish is served in my house it’s strictly brie and puff pastry.  Which, by itself, is one of of the most delicious things ever.  I mean, soft cheese and puffy buttery dough?  Please. But, being a professional and all, I added a little of my  homemade cranberry sauce.  I know.  I’ll take that invitation to MENSA now for my groundbreaking ideas.

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Even if my twist isn’t revolutionary, I’m happy to report that it is delicious.  It adds a burst of flavor to the dish, not to mention a beautiful layer of color, which is important while you’re trying to show up the rest of your family during the holiday season.  Not that I try and show up my family.  Though my sister does make these oreo balls that I’m perpetually trying to one-up.  But that’s a story for another day.  What I’m saying is- delicious.  Perfect for the holidays.  Gobble gobble gobble.

brie1

Don’t forget, springing this recipe onto your springpad, either from b&s or my springpad page, will automatically enter you to win $100!  And if you’re feeling generous, spring all my thanksgiving 2009 recipes to help me win $500!

Melted Brie & Cranberry

1 sheet puff pastry

1 round of brie

1/4 cup fresh cranberry sauce (recipe here)

Spread the puff pastry out. Place brie on top. Spread cranberry sauce onto the brie. Fold up the edges of the pastry so that a circle is formed.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Allow to rest 5 before serving