Tag Archives: breads

Lemony Poppy Seed Muffins

Posted by Sherry in Bread and Pastries and tagged with , ,

lemonI do love my sweet things in the morning.

These muffins are delightful, good for breakfast or with tea in the mid-afternoon.

They are wonderfully lemony, and the poppy seeds add a delightful little crunch.

They are quick to whip up, and they freeze perfectly so you can always have some on hand when the lemon demon hits and you just have to have something sweet and tart.

Recipe borrowed from Rumbly in My Tumbly.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2/3 c sugar
  • Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • juice of 2 lemons (around a 1/3 of a cup)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 c sour cream
  • 2 lg eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 c butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Melt the butter in the microwave
  3. Add the sugar to a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir.
  4. Add the eggs, and stir until well incorporated.
  5. Add the lemon juice, sour cream, vanilla and zest. Mix well.
  6. Put the dry ingredients into a second bowl, and whisk to blend.
  7. Add the dry to the wet, and mix only as needed to mix. Overmixing will make the muffins tough.
  8. Scoop with a ice cream scoop into muffin papers inserted in a muffin tin. Fill around 3/4 full.
  9. Bake for 12-18 minutes or until lightly done.

Serves: 12

NOTES: you can make a glaze for these using a cup of powdered sugar and about 2 tbsp of lemon juice. You can also substitute the poppy seeds for just about any seed such as sunflower or roasted pumpkin seeds. Of course you could also use nuts. If you choose to use the glaze, let the muffins cool before applying.

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CopyCat Cheddar Biscuits

Posted by Sherry in Bread and Pastries and tagged with ,

redlobsterI’m not a huge fan of Red Lobster, but they do make some very good cheddar biscuits. The recipe seems everywhere these days, so I’m just making a note of it when I want to make a batch. So with little further ado, just copy it out and you too can make these lovely tender morsels that so delight restaurant patrons.

The only place I change anything is the parsley. I don’t use dried parsley frankly, so I substituted fresh in mine. I don’t think it made any difference.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 c flour
  • 1/4 c shortening
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 4 tbsp butter  (keep it cold)
  • 3/4 c milk
  • 1/4 tsp garlic (granulated)
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley ( about 1/2 tsp dried)
  • 1 c cheddar cheese ( I use extra sharp, but sharp will do)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. 
  2. Cut the butter into tiny pieces and then using a pastry blender, cut until it resembles small peas.
  3. Add the milk, and just barely mix with a spoon or spatula.
  4. Add the cheese and parsley and fold in gently. The harder you mix, the tougher the biscuit will be.
  5. Turn out on a floured surface and pat the mass into a round or oblong shape about 1/3 inch or so high.
  6. Using a disk cutter, cut out about 7 pieces, push the dough together again get about 2 more.
  7. Place on a greased cookie sheet, touching each other (the touching gives them something to climb and makes them puff up higher.)
  8. Bake at 400° for about 15-20 minutes (until golden).
  9. You can if you wish brush the tops with some melted butter and sprinkle with some additional parsley.

Serves: 9 biscuits

 

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Killer Deep Dish Pizza Dough

Posted by Sherry in Bread and Pastries and tagged with ,

Chicago-Deep-Dish-Thin-Crust-Deep-Sausage-Whole-ccWell, you know I make a great pizza, and my pizza dough is something that I have learned over many a trial and error and help from Cook’s Illustrated.

I did you expect to ever find another than I thought was as good.

I have.

It’s quite different, and depending on your schedule and tastes, might be the one for you sometimes.

Generally speaking I’m not a big fan of deep dish pizza, because it’s just too bready. There was a place in Hamtramck, Michigan, outside of Detroit that made a pizza crust to die for. It was thick, but full of air and crunchy. Never found one better.

This is like that. But it’s a two-day affair, so you must plan ahead. Sometimes that works best because it takes very little time on the day of eating! Best of all you use those big old cast iron skillets. I used two for this recipe. And they were so good. We loved it.

I got this recipe (for the dough only) from Griffin’s Grub, and he got it from somebody else. I’ve adapted it in minor ways.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 c warm water
  • 1 tsp yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 c bread flour + 1 c bread flour more or less

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Place the warm water and yeast into a heavy-duty mixer bowl and stir until mixed.
  2. Add the three cups of flour.
  3. With the dough hook attachment, mix until just together. It will be very soupy which is what you want.
  4. Turn off and cover the bowl and let stand for 30 minutes.
  5. Add the salt and start adding more flour until it pulls away from the bowl, but still tends to pool when you shut off the motor. It will be very sticky.
  6. Oil up your hands and a spatula and get the dough out of the bowl. Place it all in a big oiled bowl, and then take a knife and divide in half and place the second half into another big oiled bowl. Turn the dough so it’s coated with the oil. (this will give you 2   10 1/2″ skillet pizzas.
  7. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 4 days.
  8. Remove about 2 hours before baking.
  9. Oil your skillets and then pull, push, pour out the dough into each. Leave for an hour.
  10. Gently with oiled fingertips push it out to the edges of the pan until you have it spread about. Leave it for another hour.
  11. It should now be ready, puffy and warm.
  12. Use your favorite pizza sauce  homemade or bottled, spreading carefully not to disturb too many of the bubbles.
  13. Use your favorite toppings.
  14. Place in a preheated oven to 500° (usually takes a good half hour)
  15. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown.
  16. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so before cutting.

Serves: 6 easily

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Eggnog Monkey Bread

Posted by Sherry in Bread and Pastries and tagged with , ,

eggnogmonkeyEver since I discovered monkey bread, I just can’t get enough of it. If you stay away from the “biscuit dough” in the tubes and make it from scratch, which takes no time at all, and doesn’t have unhealthy additives, you will do just fine.

If you are not living in a wonderful place like Las Cruces, then perhaps you can’t get egg nog year round. But I do believe there are eggnog recipes around which will allow you to whip some up!

I love this stuff. It makes a great breakfast item as far as I am concerned, but of course, it can be a dessert as well.

I have revised the recipe a bit, so it is adapted from Recipe Girl .

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • FOR THE DOUGH
  1. 1 c eggnog
  2. 4 tbsp butter
  3. about 2 1/4 tsp fast rising yeast (1 pkt)
  4. 1 lg egg at room temp.
  5. 1/2 tsp salt
  6. 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  7. 3 – 3 1/2 c bread flour (higher gluten than regular, but I think you can use regular)
  • DOUGH COATING
  1. 1 – 1/4 c brown sugar, packed
  2. 1 tsp cinnamon
  3. 3/4 tsp nutmeg
  4. 1 c butter, melted and cooled
  • DRIZZLE GLAZE
  1. 1 c powdered sugar
  2. 2 tbsp eggnog
  3. dash of nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Melt the butter, and let cool down to below 110°. (tepid) Warm the eggnog in the microwave.
  2. Add the yeast to the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, adding the eggnog, and mix, and add the butter.
  3. Add the egg, two cups of the flour, and nutmeg. Run mixer slow, just combining.
  4. Cover the bowl and let sit for 20 minutes to let the gluten start working.
  5. Add the salt, and begin adding the rest of the flour until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl. Once there, turn the mixer up and let it knead for five minutes (using a dough hook).
  6. Turn into a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double. ( a great way to do this in the winter is to turn on your oven light and place the bowl right in front of it)
  7. Prepare the coating mix by mixing it all together, except for the butter.
  8. When the dough is risen, turn out onto a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle of about 8 x 8 inches. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide and then into squares.
  9. Dip a few pieces into the butter and coat. Place them in a bundt pan or an angel food pan that has been greased.
  10. When you have a layer, sprinkle some of the brown sugar mixture over the pieces. (You can roll each piece in the sugar if you wish, but it’s way too tedious for me!)
  11. Do another layer, and if you have enough pieces, another. By the first layer you should have an estimate of whether you are getting two or three layers. Use the brown sugar mixture accordingly. There is no precision needed, just gently stack ‘em and sprinkle. Drizzle any leftover butter and sugar mixture over the final layer.
  12. Preheat the oven to 375°
  13. Bake for around 30 minutes or until the top is hardened and you see some bubbling of the buttery caramel around the edges. The top will sound hollow when tapped.
  14. Cool on a rack for a few minutes (15 or so) and then turn out on a plate. Cool until fairly to room temp.
  15. Make the glaze (put everything together) and drizzle on with a spoon.

Serves: 10-12 servings

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South of Southern Cornbread

Posted by Sherry in Bread and Pastries and tagged with , ,

I’m a Northern gal and I do like my northern cornbread. It’s sweeter and I enjoy eating it for breakfast.

But I do like a southern cornbread and it works best I think for my Italian cornbread regular bread combo dressing, which is my favorite holiday dressing.

So I find a good reason (chili is a great excuse) to make me up a pan and then I freeze about half to use at the holidays. Smart huh?

Anyway, this is the kind you bake in a cast iron skillet. And you MUST have a cast iron skillet because they are SO useful. I love cast iron, and have a huge old pot I make my chile in too, and my arroz com pollo.

This recipe is from Simply Recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 c cornmeal or 1 1/2 c cornmeal and 1/2 c flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar (optional)
  • 1 1/4 c buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 6 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp bacon drippings

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Place the bacon fat in a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°, with the skillet inside.
  2. Whisk together all the dry ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl beat the egg and buttermilk together until blended, then add to the dry ingredients.
  4. Add the melted butter.
  5. Take the skillet out with mitts and pour the batter into the pan.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are browning and the center is toothpick clean.
  7. Let sit for a few minutes before cutting into wedges.

Serves: 8

NOTES: as usual, add jalapeños or fresh or frozen/canned corn to the batter to liven things up. Crispy  bacon crumbled up would also be a fun addition to the batter. I’d say about 4 slices would be grand. Corn? about a cup. Jalapeños? Oh as much as you can handle! Cheddar cheese? Please, now you want it don’t you?

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Applesauce Oatmeal Sweet Cake

Posted by Sherry in Bread and Pastries, Cakes, Desserts and tagged with , , , ,

Another of my luscious morning breads and cakes. ‘

This one marries two great tastes, apples and oatmeal into a spicy delight.

The author of this recipe is Jean Wilkinson from JustaPinch.

I cut the spices some to allow the apple to be more prominent and added some fresh apple to give it more crunch and taste as well.

This can be served as is for breakfast or add a broiled coconut topping for a simple dinner dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 c applesauce, unsweetened
  • 1 c dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1/3 c butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 2 c flour
  • 1 1/3 c quick cooking oatmeal
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
  • 2/3 c walnut pieces

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a large square pan at least 2 inches deep. (I use shortening-butter has water in it and causes sticking)
  2. Place butter, sugars, egg, applesauce, vanilla and spices in a bowl and beat until creamy. This will be quite loose.
  3. Mix the oats, flour and baking soda in a bowl and whisk to distribute the baking soda.
  4. Add to the wet and mix on low until mixed well. Remove the bowl from your mixer.
  5. By hand, add the nuts and apple, and just stir until nicely mixed. Mixture is very thick.
  6. Scoop into the pan, and bake for about 30-35 minutes until a pick comes out clean.
  7. Either eat as is or frost with the Broiled Coconut Topping.

Serves: 8

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Casual Cornbread

Posted by Sherry in Bread and Pastries and tagged with , , ,

There are two types of cornbread as you probably know, Southern and Northern.

While I like Southern and do make it occasionally, I tend to favor Northern. Northern is, more cake-like, lighter in texture, and a bit sweet. I find it more versatile, and I love, as you know, versatile recipes.

This is my standard go-to recipe from Joy of Cooking.

By the way, it freezes beautifully, so do make a full recipe. I use it for my regular dressing every holiday time, and find it really nice that I don’t have to bake up a new batch.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/4 c stone-ground (if you can) cornmeal
  • 3/4 c AP flour
  • 1-4 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 salt
  • 2 lg eggs
  • 2/3 c milk
  • 2/3 c buttermilk
  • 2-3 tbsp melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Whisk together all the dry ingredients
  2. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milks.
  3. Add the wet to the dry.
  4. Add the melted butter and just stir in.
  5. Pour into a greased 9 x 9 pan or in a muffin pan (12)
  6. Place in a 425° pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes in the square pan or 10-12 minutes in the muffin tin.

Serves: at least 9 large pieces

Notes: There are lots of additions you can make. Add a cup of corn, or a chopped up jalapeño. Or add a few fried and crumbled bacon slices. Or add a cup of cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack. Add sweet roasted red peppers chopped. Actually, you can add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg coupled with raisins and chopped nuts, and make a desert cake out of it. Substitute the sugar for syrup or honey, or add other herbs for a savory bent, such as sage or thyme.

Goes really well with chili and other tomato based soups, and is a component of some dressings.  

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