Eggnog Snickerdoodles

It's snack day on the pickle ball courts!  To make these festive cookies, I needed egg yolks and rum extract.  As it so happened, I had egg yolks left over from the chocolate-almond spice cookies, and surprisingly half a bottle of rum extract in my cupboard.  (I wonder how old that is...  The only thing I can remember making that was rum-flavored were these cupcakes, but they used real rum.)  I halved the recipe to make 12 cookies and changed the butter and salt, as shown.  The original recipe calls for baking the cookies on parchment on a rimmed cookie sheet; I opted for greasing an unrimmed sheet, which worked fine.  This is the full recipe, which makes 24 approximately 3¼-inch cookies:


3½ cups (445 grams) all-purpose flour 
1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1¾ cup (350 grams) granulated sugar, plus ¼ cup for rolling
1 ⅛ teaspoon kosher fine sea salt
1 large egg plus 2 yolks, at room temperature
1 tablespoon rum extract
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, 1¾ cups sugar and the salt on medium-high until very smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the mixer to medium speed and add the egg and egg yolks, incorporating each before adding the next. Add the rum extract and continue to beat for another minute or two. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Set the dough aside to hydrate for about 10 minutes while you prepare to bake.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease two baking sheets. Make the nutmeg-sugar mixture by combining the remaining ¼ cup sugar with the nutmeg in a small bowl.

Roll the dough into balls slightly larger than a golf ball (about 44--47 grams), then roll each dough ball in the nutmeg-sugar. Transfer the balls to the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, and bake 10 to 13 minutes, rotating pans and switching racks halfway through, until slightly puffed and just set. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies are even better the day after they're made, and will keep for 4 days sealed in an airtight container.

 

A note about the salt...  The recipe simply calls for kosher salt, but not all kosher salts are created equal.  Diamond Crystal kosher salt is very popular amongst celebrity chefs for some reason, but you have to use a lot more of it than you do Morton kosher salt, and both are coarse, which also affects the volume measurements.  I further complicated it by using salted butter instead of unsalted.  Most cookie recipes call for a little extra salt even when using salted butter.  Seems to me snickerdoodles run on the slightly less salty spectrum of cookies, so I added only a small amount extra; it was adequate.

At a little over 10 minutes, the cookies still looked wet within the cracks and I didn't consider them "set"-- they felt very fragile and dented easily when touched.  At 12 minutes they were pretty much the same.  At just over 13 minutes, the edges felt quite firm-- perhaps too firm-- so I took them out.  Vaughn kept referring to them as custardy; mine most certainly are not -- they should have come out just a bit sooner.  They had a very firm "tooth" and were crunchy on the bottom, but softened over the next two days.

Conclusion:   They really do taste like eggnog!  The flavor is very subtle.  They were very buttery and smelled like shortbread.  I definitely could taste the artificial aftertaste of the imitation rum extract in the dough, and was still detectable in the final cookie, but not as much so.  They were overall quite good.  I initially thought they were too sweet -- I felt it overpowered the delicate eggnog flavor -- but seemed less sweet by the next day.  I would make these at least a day in advance of when I was planning on serving them.

 Recipe:  Eggnog Snickerdoodles via Vaughan Vreeland for New York Times Cooking

Chocolate-Almond Spice Cookies (gluten free)

 

I was headed to a holiday cookie party and needed something gluten free.  This recipe is a riff on the Swiss cookie Basler brunsli.  The recipe halved easily, which produced 12 fairly large cookie balls.  Aside from that, the only way I deviated from the recipe as written was nearly doubling the spices (because I could barely taste them in the dry mix even before adding chocolate), using a mix of unsweetened chocolate and semi-sweet (almost 50/50, because it's what I had), and baking them on a greased, rimmed baking sheet rather than parchment on a flat cookie sheet.  I'll also mention that everything was at room temperature.

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
54 grams (¼ cup) plus 285 grams (1⅓ cups) white sugar
250 grams (2½ cups) blanched almond flour
21 grams (¼ cup) cocoa powder
½ teaspoon table salt
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, combine the almond flour and remaining spice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up any lumps, until fragrant and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until barely warm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Heat the oven to 375°F with racks in the upper- and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets with kitchen parchment.

In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Measure ¼ teaspoon of the spice mixture into another small bowl, stir in the 54 grams (¼ cup) sugar and set aside.

Once the almond flour mixture is cool, whisk in the remaining 285 grams (1⅓ cups) sugar, the cocoa and salt. Use a spatula to stir in the egg whites and vanilla until evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate. The dough will be sticky.  Using two soup spoons, drop a few 2-tablespoon portions of dough into the spiced sugar, then gently roll to coat evenly. Arrange the sugar-coated balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining dough.  Bake until the cookies have cracks in their surfaces and a toothpick inserted into a cookies at the center of the baking sheets comes out with few crumbs attached, 12 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating the sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

I had some questionable moments making these.  The first was knowing when the almond flour was toasted sufficiently, but I think I got it right through several tastings, the aroma, and change in color.  Then when I was measuring the cocoa powder, I first filled the volume measuring cup, but added it to the bowl while checking the weight.  I barely added half the volume before I'd met the weight quantity!  I suppose it stands to reason that different cocoa powders might have different weights per gram.  I used the weight quantity (as well as the weight quantity for the almond flour.)  Then I made the mistake of leaving my bowl of chocolate sitting on top of the oven while it preheated; when I went to add it to the dough, I found it warm and the bottom had melted.  I went ahead and mixed it in anyway, thinking it was just a small quantity, but I think the chocolate was warm enough that it dissolved into the batter.  I don't detect very many pieces (although I did chop it pretty small.)  

When scooping the dough, I wasn't sure how big to make the cookies.  "Soup spoons" can vary greatly in size, and of course there's the heaping factor.  How much to heap?  Since I was making only 12, I could quickly see that I wasn't making them nearly large enough; they should be about 1 1/2" in diameter.  I ended up jamming more dough onto the bottoms of some of the balls to end up with an even 12 that were more or less the same size.  I also nudged them a bit after sugaring to make them a little less bumpy, but I wish I'd picked them up and rolled them (gently!) between my palms to fully round them.  They didn't really change shape at all as they baked, so they ended up looking more like lumps of coal.  (Were they supposed to flatten somewhat?  It looks like it in their photos, but mine didn't.  That affects the baking time.)  The fact that you're supposed to test them with a toothpick indicates these should have some depth to them.  When I tested mine, they came out still wet inside.  I ended up adding about 5 -- 6 more minutes to the baking time before I felt safe taking them out.  (You definitely don't want to over bake these or you won't get that chewy interior.)

Because these are coated in sugar, you want to let them cool on the pan long enough to firm up a bit, but not so long that the sugar starts to harden or you won't be able to get them up.  Five minutes was a bit too long in my case.  They came up okay, but just barely.  They probably could have done with a minute less in the oven, as the bottoms were quite brown and overly chewy.  I debated about using an air-bake pan, which I use with cookies I think might burn easily (because my oven heats from the bottom), but since there was no butter I thought it would be okay just using a heavy aluminum pan and placing them on the next rung above the middle.  (Things tend to bake more slowly on an air-bake, so I use those pans with caution.)

These were a little sweet for their uncomplicated flavor.  The spices were very subtle, and the sugar crust on the outside added to the sweet impression.  They could have used more salt-- I would double it even, or at least sprinkle it on top.  Otherwise, they tasted a lot like a brownie, with a similar texture on the interior.  A little orange, tahini, chili and/or coffee would pump up the flavor as well-- pretty much any flavor that goes with chocolate-- however these additions take them further away from their inspiration to the point of being almost an entirely different cookie.

Conclusion:  I wouldn't be inclined to make these again unless I used a different flavor.  (I'm really leaning towards the coffee.)  They're so similar to a brownie, but not as good, and more work.  With more spices and more salt (and more finesse), they would be a nice chocolate addition to a cookie plate (or if you need a gluten-free option), but they're nothing to get excited about on their own.  

Recipe:   Chocolate-Almond Spice Cookies via Milk Street

Chocolate Molasses Bat Cookies

 

I've been wanting to make these bat cookies for a while-- they're cute and sounded really tasty, although I had to make a few modifications to accommodate my ingredients.  I didn't want to buy the specialty dark cocoa, so I just used regular, forgetting that you have to watch your leavening agent if you switch around your cocoa powder.  (However, natural cocoa is more chocolaty, so that also affected the flavor a bit.)  I used salted butter and reduced the added salt.  Then I decorated the bats using sanding sugar because it's more sparkly than regular granulated.  I also modified the directions slightly (I didn't note my changes).  Using a 5-inch cutter, I baked the cookies 10 minutes, rotating halfway through, but my oven did not maintain a consistent temperature.  (With the first batch, it was 300 at the 5-minute mark and 350 when I removed them.  Presumably it averaged out.)  Baking 10 cookies at a time, I chilled the sheet outside in the cool night air between batches.  As my dough circles got smaller, I switched to a 4-inch cutter and baked those for 8 minutes.

For 22 large cookies and 9 medium cookies, here's what I used:

2½ cups flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate powder cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1½ sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
Silver edible sugar pearls
granulated sanding sugar

In a large bowl whisk together first 7 ingredients until well combined; set aside. Cream together sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add egg and beat until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add molasses, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined, about 1 minute. Divide dough in half. Place each between two pieces of parchment paper, and roll to a 3/8-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Dust countertop with cocoa powder. Transfer dough to countertop and cut cookies with a 6-inch bat-shaped cutter or desired size (adjust baking time accordingly). Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake about 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are firm around the edges. Using tweezers and working quickly, press 2 sugar pearls into each cookie for eyes. (As the cookies start to cool and dry, the surface will crack when you press the pearls in if you take too long.)  Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Use a new paintbrush to lightly coat the tops of the bat wings with water. Sprinkle with sugar and allow to set.

My dough was very soft, more like batter-- I had to let it chill for a bit outside before I could even divide it.  (It might have been because my butter got too soft and my kitchen was warm.)  Since I was making smaller cookies, I rolled the dough thinner as well.  Being a heavy butter cookie, I knew the dough would spread.  I question the use of baking soda-- it started to react before I'd even gotten the dough rolled out, creating little air holes and making the dough fluffy.  That might have been because I used natural cocoa powder instead of dark cocoa powder, which is less acidic and wouldn't have reacted as much.

It's not necessary to cover your surface with cocoa powder before laying your dough out-- you can use plain flour.  It will soak in during baking and disappear.  Dipping the cutter in flour might leave a small amount of residue around the edge of the cookie, but it's easily wiped away.

It's a little tricky getting the sugar pearls placed-- it's a little like that children's toy with the box you have to tilt from side to side to try to get the little balls into their holes.  I'd place them with the tweezers then try to press them in with my finger, but too often the pearl stuck to my finger just long enough to be pulled loose and then I was chasing it around the pan.  Pressing too hard with my finger would smoosh the cookie.  Once in place, you have to tap the pearl down so it's flush with the cookie surface, otherwise it just falls out.  In the last batch, I tried a few pearls in the raw cutouts to see if that would work, as they were much easier to place. It worked beautifully.  In fact, even better, because it pushed the pearls forward so they were slightly above the cookie surface but still secure.

You also have to think about the logistics of making these.  They're definitely not a cookie to be made on a hot day-- the dough was so soft, and remained firm only a few minutes outside of the refrigerator.  (Probably why we're directed to make them thick.)  To keep the dough firm and usable, you have to refrigerate it completely flat-- for me, that's a challenge.  I divided my dough into thirds and, using a narrow, 5-inch cutter, got 5 cookies initially from each portion.  In the time it took me to cut out those 5 cookies and press the remnants together, the dough around the edges had already softened back to a batter state.  (Another reason to divide it into smaller portions.)  Just some things to think about before getting started.

Conclusion:  I had assumed these would be rich and chocolaty.  It wasn't until I was actually making them that I realized how very much molasses they contained.  It's the dominant flavor; I'm definitely not picking up the spices.  (I didn't really expect to with those small amounts.)  The cocoa (especially if using dark) just adds a bit of roastiness to the flavor.  Even though there's no ginger in this recipe, the spices that are there and the molasses made my brain taste gingerbread.  I was expecting a chocolaty cookie and instead it registered more as gingerbread, which isn't a flavor associated with this time of year.  An excellent dunking cookie for coffee, these were surprisingly crisp even when soft baked; careful timing would allow you to adjust the crispness to your liking (although they'd never be a soft cookie.  It's all that butter!)  If you could manage to cut out the pieces quickly and keep it cold, this dough would be great for a haunted house, as it's very firm.  If I made these again, it would be in a different shape for a different occasion.

Recipe:  Spiced Chocolate Bat Cookies via Country Living

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pecan Bread

 

It was a cold, rainy morning-- a great baking day and pumpkin was on the menu.  There are so many pumpkin bread recipes out there.  I chose this one because of the addition of cream cheese.  I thought the result would be like a rich, decadent bread with a dense, moist crumb.  It wasn't to be.  Part of that might have been my fault with the addition of whole wheat flour, but really I think it was just a waste of cream cheese.  

In addition to the whole wheat flour, I reduced the sugar slightly and made an adjustment to the salt to account for salted butter.  I also added a touch of coffee, which gives a little more depth to the flavor.  Here's what I used:

1¼ 1 cup granulated sugar 

4 ounces cream cheese, softened 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 eggs

1/2 of a 15-oz. can pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1¾ 1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/16 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat sugar, cream cheese, and butter until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. On low speed, beat in pumpkin and instant coffee. Sift together 1/2 cup flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices; add to pumpkin mixture and beat until just combined. Beat in remaining flour in two additions, just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Spoon batter into the prepared pan and bake 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Using a narrow metal spatula, loosen sides of bread from pans; remove and cool completely on wire rack.

I was pretty disappointed in this when it first came out.  It was dry, not particularly flavorful, and extremely delicate.  Not the moist pumpkin richness I was hoping for.  It's a good thing I waited to write the post until I'd had it for several days, because it definitely improved.  While it never got any body to it, it did become a lot more moist.  Warmed and slathered with salted butter, it was okay.

Conclusion:  As I mentioned, there are a lot of pumpkin bread recipes out there.  No need to try this one again.

Recipe:  Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pecan Bread via America's Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I don't know why these little cakes are called whoopie pies.  Maybe for the same reason cow patt---   Never mind.  Anyway, whatever they're called, I love them.  Perfect little individual cakes for when you want a treat.

I made these for a Halloween party and they were a big hit.  The only real change I made was to substitute a little whole wheat flour in for the white and an adjustment for salted butter.  For 12 cakes, here's what I used:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 1/4 teaspoon salt

1⅔ 1⅓ cups flour

⅓ cup white whole wheat flour

 

Filling

4 ounces cream cheese, chilled

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 cup powdered sugar

A few pinches salt

Heat oven to 350.° Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a standing mixer with whisk attachment, mix together butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs, pumpkin puree, spices, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a spatula, fold in the flour. Using an ice cream-style batter scoop, drop batter by heaping tablespoons, 12 to a sheet and evenly spaced. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. 

 

For the filling, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add syrup, sugar, salt, and vanilla (see discussion below); mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

  

I was irritated to find there were some errors in the recipe.  For one, the ingredients called for maple syrup in the filling, but the directions mention vanilla.  So then you have to wonder whether they'd swapped maple syrup in place of vanilla in a standard recipe and forgot to remove it from the directions, or if they'd simply forgotten to include the vanilla in the ingredient list.  It's really up to you whether you want to include it or not; I did not.  

The bigger irritation was that the directions called for using an ice cream scoop with "generous" scoops-- that would give you about four giant cakes.  I initially followed their directions, but of course ran out of batter immediately and then had to start redistributing the batter to get the right number of cakes.  But because the batter contains baking soda, it had started to rise immediately and I deflated some of those air bubbles while I was redistributing the batter.  I don't know what they were thinking. I modified the directions to use the appropriate amount of batter per placement.

Conclusion:  These were delicious!  Very rich and perhaps a bit sweet.  I would be inclined to slightly reduce the sugar in the cake part.  They don't keep too well as the filling soaks into the cake, but that also made them easier to eat-- the cake doesn't squish the filling out with each bite.  And they probably freeze okay. 

Recipe:  Pumpkin Whoopie Pies via PBS Food

Cream cheese walnut scones

 Comfort food for a lazy morning.  But to keep things sensible, I halved the original recipe.

For four scones, here's what I used:

    1½ 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    3/4 cup (minus 1 heaping tablespoon) white whole wheat flour
    1 heaping tablespoon coffee flour
    3/4 teaspoon baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
    2½ ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into small pieces
    1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk, chilled
    1/2 large egg, cold
    1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting
    1½ ounces cream cheese, softened
    1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
    1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    1/2 to 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.  (Tip:  Chill the bowl and any utensils you will be using in the refrigerator before making the scones.)  In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and sugar; whisk together to mix.  With a pastry blender or two knives, cut chilled butter and chilled cream cheese into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  In a small bowl, stir the chilled buttermilk and cold egg together.  Add the liquid mixture and walnuts to the flour mixture; stir just until mixed.  The dough will be stiff and slightly sticky.  If necessary, turn the mixture onto a lightly floured board and knead gently until the flour is combined.  Do not over-knead as this will make a tougher scone.  On a lightly floured surface, shape and pat the dough into a circle or rectangle about 3/4 inch thick.  Cut into wedges, squares or circles with a floured knife and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.  (Tip:  dip the edges of the cutter in flour to prevent the dough from sticking.  Do not pat the edges of the scone down; instead leave the cuts as sharp as possible to allow the scones to rise in layers.)  Bake 12 to 20 minutes or until the scones are lightly browned (depending on the size of your scones).  A good check is to use an instant digital thermometer to test your scones.  The temperature of the scones should be at 200 degrees F. when done.  Remove scones from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

I used half whole wheat flour and some coffee flour, which should have sucked up more moisture, and yet the dough was pretty wet.  They weren’t going to be “flaky”.  Then I baked them 10 minutes too long, but surprisingly they were fine.  I guess because they were too wet.

I was undecided on the cinnamon, whether to add it or not.  There's something to be said for not flavoring everything and just letting the basic ingredients shine.  They were fine with it, and I'm sure they'd be fine without, perhaps with a more prominent walnut flavor.

Conclusion:  These were delicious, but they were more like muffins. They were almost like little iced cakes, but not that sweet.

Recipe:   Frosted Cream Cheese Walnut Scones via What's Cooking America

Buttermilk almond muffins

I disliked almond flavoring as a child, finding it bitter and odd tasting.  Somewhere down the road, though, I came to love it.  I think my detection for bitter has decreased with age, and now I associate almond flavoring with rich pastries, often filled with sweetened cream cheese.  Delicious!

Almond muffins used to be quite prevalent, usually paired with lemon, occasionally poppy seed (I prefer the latter), but they seem to have fallen out of fashion, as things go.  I came across this recipe in my collection while searching for a way to use up leftover buttermilk.  The original recipe included lemon zest and curd, but I left them out and instead increased the almond flavoring.  I meant to add poppy seeds, but forgot.  It was supposed to make a dozen muffins; I cut the recipe in half, but got only 5 muffins out of it.

Here's what I used:

1/2+1/6* cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/6* cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3/8 cup sliced, toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a muffin tin or line with cupcake liners.  Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs, buttermilk, butter, zest and almond extract; pour over the flour mixture and stir until just blended.  Divide the batter into the muffin pan cups. Top each cup with about 1 tablespoon each of the lemon curd and the almonds. Bake 15 – 20 minutes, or until tops are just turning golden and are firm to the touch.  Cool the muffins for 10 minutes before turning out and serving.

*1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons

I like a high, domed top on a muffin, preferably cracked.  When I was filling the muffin cups, I quickly realized that the batter was going to yield 6 small, short muffins, so I filled the cups all the way and made 5.  Despite that, and what I think was excess baking soda, I did not get the nice tall tops as shown on the recipe source.

I questioned the use of 2 whole eggs in a dozen muffins; I found these too eggy.  I felt they also suffered from too much liquid, at least I think that was the problem.  (And I even think I slightly shorted the buttermilk amount.)  They were light, but a bit spongy-- I didn't care for the texture, and it didn't improve over time.  They did, however, have a very nice crispy exterior, although it lasted only while they were fresh.  There was a tad too much salt-- try unsalted butter-- and I could taste the baking soda. 

Conclusion:  Not the worst muffin I've ever made, but I'm not a fan.  Did I make an error in measuring?  Everything about these seemed a bit off, but I was extra careful while making them (because MORNING), so I find it unlikely.  (Although looking back, I think I used only 1/2 cup buttermilk, without the extra 2 tablespoons.)  Maybe my baking powder too old.  Anyway, I didn't like the texture, and the taste wasn't well balanced.  I guess the recipe was dependent on a strong lemon appearance and when I removed that, I lost the star.  (I see the recipe has since been removed from their web site, so perhaps it wasn't very good to start with.)

Recipe:  "Buttermilk Almond Muffins" via Go Bold with Butter

Mixed pepper tart with gougère crust

I really didn't know what I was in for with this recipe.  A cheesy choux pastry turned into a tart crust and topped with vegetables?  It's a bit intimidating going into a recipe with no idea what the outcome should be, not even a photo.  On the other hand, it's liberating not having any expectations-- it eliminates disappointment.  So did I make the recipe correctly?  I have no idea.  But did I like the outcome?  You bet.

I made the recipe without any significant changes.  The only issue I had was with the pan-- I didn't have an 11" tart pan, so I used an 11" cake pan, which was considerably deeper than a tart pan and might have affected how it baked up.  Also, it was black.  Fearing it would over brown the tart, I covered it in aluminum foil.

Here's what I used:

3 medium red, yellow, and/or green sweet peppers, sliced

1/2 of a red onion, sliced 

1 clove garlic, minced 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 cup milk 

5 tablespoons butter, cut up (unsalted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour 

4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled 

4 eggs 

1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup) 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; set aside. In a large skillet cook peppers, onion, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in basil and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

In a small saucepan combine milk, butter, salt, and pepper.  Bring to boiling, then remove from heat and, using a wooden spoon, vigorously beat in flour.  Reduce heat and return saucepan to heat.  Stir for 2 minutes.  Transfer dough mixture to a large bowl and add the 4 ounces of blue cheese.  (The large bowl is necessary because bits of dough go flying, and also so the batter isn't too deep, otherwise it climbs up the beaters.)  Using a hand mixer, beat on high speed for 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition, until each egg is fully incorporated.

Spread dough evenly in the prepared pan.  Bake 10 minutes.  Spread vegetable mixture over dough.  Bake 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  Sprinkle remaining blue cheese over tart before serving.

I didn't have fresh rosemary, so I used dried (1 teaspoon), but that wasn't very nice.  I should have added it early into the peppers so it could absorb some moisture and soften, but I added it at the end, as directed.  It ended up as sharp little sticks and probably didn't add much flavor.  

With all the cheese, I was concerned about its being too salty, so I used unsalted butter, but then added 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  This was a little too salty for a sizable serving, but adequate for a side serving.  Ultimately, you can add salt as desired, or use salted butter.  Generally, I like something salty with something bland, so either a salty crust and bland topping, or salty topping and bland crust.

The dough didn't rise much, which actually didn't surprised me.  I'm not sure why it's baked first for 10 minutes, but I suspect it's to firm the surface a bit.  After 10 minutes, my batter was still wet in the middle.  (This might have been due to using a deeper pan.)  I contemplated leaving it in long enough to dry the surface, but plodded ahead as directed and dumped the peppers on the raw batter.  In the end, I baked it about 15 - 20 minutes longer than called for; it didn't even show the slightest hope of rising until after 45 minutes.  I don't know that the batter would have risen much anyway under the weight of the peppers.  The end result was a moist and soft but firm crust, sort of like cold polenta.  It cut easily with a fork and held up to a stab, but not a slice you could pick up with your hands.

Conclusion:  This was a happy surprise, much like a cheesy vegetable pizza with a soft, supple crust.  It wasn't too rich, which I'd been concerned about.  With a green salad, it would make a nice light lunch.  Other soft vegetables, such as mushrooms, would be a good addition.

Recipe:  "Mixed Peppers in a Gougère Crust" via Better Homes and Gardens magazine, September 2010
(Also see this recipe for a gougère tart.) 

Mieliepap (cornmeal) with eggs, turkey bacon, and cheese

Mieliepap is a South African breakfast dish of cooked cornmeal.  If I had a category for comfort food, this would definitely be in it.  It's warm and soft, a little sweet and a little savory.  And there's cheese and salty, smoked meat.  I served it drizzled with maple syrup.  Reading through the recipe, I thought it was going to be a rich, heavy, meal-in-a-bowl, and probably too greasy; it was nothing of the kind.  I hadn't anticipated the cornmeal would expand so much, turning the bacon and cheese into mild flavorings rather than substantial meal components.  In fact, I initially left the cheese out, but when I saw what a small proportion of cheese there was relative to cornmeal, I added it in.

The Joe Pastry web site has two entries for this recipe:  one with just the recipe (and some photos), and another that walks you through the steps, including photos along the way.  I followed just the recipe, since it seemed so simple, and was baffled why I didn't get the same results.  Then I found the step-by-step and could see the difference.  (I also think there might have been a little cheating with quantities to make the dish appear richer than it is-- more bacon, more cheese.)

I don't do pork, so I substituted smoked turkey leg.  I accidentally left out the baking soda.  I've modified the directions slightly to be more helpful and to simplify.  If you want this for breakfast, I recommend making the cornmeal mixture the night before, as it takes quite a while to cool if using a full cup.  Here's what I used:

1 cup cornmeal*
3/4 cup milk
2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 1 cup chopped slab bacon smoked turkey leg

2 eggs lightly beaten
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

maple syrup, for drizzling (optional) 

In a saucepan, combine the cornmeal, milk, buttermilk, butter, (sugar-- see below), honey, and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened (like hot cereal); allow to cool enough so it won't cook the eggs. Meanwhile, slice the turkey meat thinly, then fry in some oil until lightly crisp; reserve half and fry the remainder to your liking.

 

Using the measuring cup used for the dairy, lightly beat the eggs, then add them to the cornmeal mixture along with the soda, the fully-crisped turkey, and half the cheese; stir to combine. Lightly butter an 8" cast iron skillet or an 8″ x 8″ pan. Spoon in the batter and bake at 375 for 20 minutes; remove from the oven and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and reserved turkey bits. Bake another 10-15 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Scoop into bowls and drizzle with maple syrup.

Lots of issues with this recipe.  The first is that sugar is called for in the directions, but there is none listed in the ingredients.  It's probably 1-2 tablespoons, depending on your taste.  It's very mildly sweet with just the honey and no added sugar, and since I added syrup when serving, I was happy with the results.

*Pan size and baking times are cautionary: I feel confident there is an error in the amount of cornmeal-- it should probably be more like 1/2 cup. It's not fatal, but it has an impact. I thought I was making a meal, and what I got was really a tasty but very starchy, high glycemic, low nutrient side dish. Where to start? Well, the first clue was that he has you heat your oven at the start, but the cornmeal took at least 30 minutes to cool (maybe more like 45) and there's no need to be running an empty oven that long. Less cornmeal would have cooled faster. The next clue was that my cornmeal cooked up to be very thick, and continued to thicken into a solid mass as it cooled. His photos show a hot slurry and a cooled porridge. (He even states that this dish is like a cooked porridge or custard-- mine certainly was not.) My mixture was so thick, I don't think baking soda was going to add any lift to it, so it's just as well I left it out. His photos show a substantially higher percentage of mix-ins; mine were fairly sparse.  But the biggest affect was on baking time. Had I used an 8" skillet, it would have been filled to the very top, but his photos show the mixture coming up only about half way. I used an 8" x 3" casserole dish and filled it to about an inch from the top (whereas my skillet is only 1.75" deep.) This affected heating and evaporation and lengthened the cooking time. Even after an extra 30 minutes in the oven, I still wasn't getting a clean knife, but the cheese and crust had become very brown. I really only needed the egg to be cooked and it was certainly hot enough for that, so I took it out. The result was soft and scoopable while hot, but became very firm once cool. What I essentially ended up with was scrapple, which is fine, just not what I was expecting.

 

Because of how long it took for the pan of cornmeal to cool (yes, I could have spread it out on a sheet pan, but then that's more to wash, and there are already too many pans for this simple recipe) and then the extended baking time, this wasn't out of the oven until at least 2 hours after I'd started. That's too long to wait for breakfast! Especially when you're holding off drinking your coffee so you can have it with your meal. By the time I ate, I was so hungry I ate too much of it, and then felt guilty, and thus was forced to eat cabbage salad as the only other meal of the day, with a protein shake for dessert. "Yum", she says sarcastically.

If you want a warm dish of comfort, this is it. If you want a dish with more substance, reduce the cornmeal (or increase the mix-ins.) If you don't care what it looks like, you could probably cook the whole thing in one pan on the stove on low heat, stirring occasionally. Cooked grains are pretty forgiving-- you can mess with them to make them however you like. Use more liquid if you want it softer. Like scrapple, I've sliced my leftovers and am going to fry them up in a pan to heat and crisp.

Conclusion:  This had a surprising tartness, I guess from the buttermilk, that I didn't care for, although sourdough fans might love it.  (Perhaps the baking soda was included to temper that tartness.)  It was still good, but not something I'm likely to make again as is. I'm not diabetic, but I don't want to be either. Cornmeal has a very high glycemic index and it throws off my blood sugar, not really filling me up and leaving me hungry a short time later despite being high in calories. This would be great at brunch served on the side with a good protein and a salad.  Alternatively, if it truly were more like a baked cornmeal custard, that sounds delicious and a little more balanced.

Recipe:   Mieliepap (recipe) and Making Mieliepap (guidance) via Joe Pastry (MIA)

Spiced Rye Ginger Cookies

I'm not sure why I keep trying different ginger cookies-- it's not like I'm a huge fan of ginger, or even spice desserts for that matter.  I think I'm looking for a hearty breakfast cookie-- something not too sweet, that I can sink my teeth into, dip into my coffee, and not feel guilty about.  (This Breakfast Cookie didn't work out so well.)  To me, the basis for that is in whole grains for nutrition and character, and spices for flavor.  (My imaginary recipe would also keep well for days, long enough for me to work my way through them.)  So I was intrigued by the use of rye flour here.  I thought it would give the cookies some substance.  I'm sure it did, but I don't know if you'd be able to identify the rye without being told it was there, even though I used dark rye rather than medium.  The only other change I made was to roll them in Sucanat, which is unrefined, natural cane sugar.  It has a dry, dark brown grain with a soft crunch rather than hard crystals.  It's producing the grainy texture you see in the photo.

Here is the original recipe:

    2 cups (212g) medium rye flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon table salt
    2 teaspoons ginger
    3/4 teaspoon black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon cardamom
    3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
    1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil
    1 large egg
    1/4 cup (85g) molasses
    1/3 cup (76g) coarse sparkling sugar or 1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
    chopped crystalized ginger for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using either a hand whisk, an electric mixer, or a stand mixer, whisk the sugar and oil until combined. Add the egg and whisk until smooth. Stir in the molasses. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir until well combined. Use a spoon (or a tablespoon cookie scoop) to portion 1 1/4" balls of dough. Roll the dough balls in granulated or sparkling sugar to coat before placing onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave 2" between them on all sides; they'll spread as they bake. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until they're puffed and their edges are set. Remove the cookies from the oven, and cool completely right on the pan.

A keen eye will detect that I had a little trouble with these.  It looks like my oven might have been a bit too hot, causing them to rise and firm rather than melt into flat puddles like the King Arthur examples, with "bendy centers" as they called them.  The bigger issue was that I didn't know what they meant by the edges being "set".  When I first tested them, the edges were no longer shiny, but still quite soft.  By the time they were what I consider "set" (slightly resistant to a poke), they were overdone, and even slightly burnt on the bottom.  (I didn't bake them that much longer!)  I probably should have taken them out about 30 seconds after my first test.  Oh well.  That's how the cookie crumbles.

Conclusion:  These tasted a lot like ginger snaps, but with a mild burnt sugar flavor because of being over baked, which wasn't necessarily unpleasant. They were quite hard and crunchy, which is not how they were supposed to turn out. I enjoyed them well enough dipped in hot coffee, but they weren't anything special 

Recipe:  Spiced Rye Ginger Cookies via King Arthur Baking

Black Bread with Pecans, Raisins & Cranberries

I was looking for a decadent sweet dough to make when I came across this recipe in my files.  This didn't match what I was looking for at all, but I thought it might make a nice breakfast toast in the mean time.  I made it back in 2007 and didn't make note of any issues in the process; then again, I was more inclined to follow directions exactly as given back then.  (These days, I tend to go off script and then wonder why I have problems.)  In my notes, I recommended adding orange zest, which I've done here.  I also made mention of using half whole wheat flour in place of the bread flour; I made a similar substitution here.  However, I don't have bread flour, so I used Trader Joe's all-purpose flour, which has a higher protein content than standard AP.  I used up the last of some light rye flour, about 1/2 cup, and made up the rest with dark rye.  I also used about 1/2 cup of mild whey (left over from straining yogurt) in place of some of the water.

I'd consider this a sort of mock black bread in that it's not a sourdough.  I wondered why there is vinegar in the ingredients-- maybe to add sourness that would normally be provided by true sourdough?  Despite that, while the dough tasted a bit sour, the end result is not, which is okay by me.

Here's what I used:

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F)

1½ cups rye flour

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour 

1¾ cup bread flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries

zest of 1 orange, finely grated 

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon old-fashioned rolled oats 

Proof the yeast in the warm water.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the rye flour, white whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt.   In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, white vinegar, molasses, sugar, and coffee powder to dissolve the coffee powder.   Add the butter mixture and the yeast into the flour mixture and stir to combine.  Stir in pecans, raisins, cranberries, and orange zest until mixed, then stir in the remaining 1 cup bread flour to make a soft dough.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes*, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.  Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl; turn to evenly coat.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm place, away from drafts, about 1 hour or until doubled in volume.

Punch down dough and shape into a ball. Place on a greased baking sheet and cover with a towel.  Let rise in warm place, away from drafts, about 1 hour or until doubled in volume. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small cup, lightly beat the egg white with a fork. Brush top of dough with egg white, then sprinkle evenly with the rolled oats. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until browned and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer bread to wire rack; let cool. Serve warm or completely cooled.

 

*Times were all much longer than called out in this recipe.  I used my stand mixer to knead the dough and it took about 30 minutes to reach window pane status.  The first rise took about 2 hours, and the second about 90 minutes.  (The loaf did experience oven spring while baking, as well.)

 

I added only about an extra 2 tablespoons of flour to the dough at the beginning of kneading.  I don't know if it was the added heaviness of the whole wheat flour, or because I used AP flour instead of bread flour, but I had trouble getting it "smooth and elastic".  I'd use a bit of high gluten flour if available to give the heavy rye and wheat flours a little help and reduce kneading time.

During the final shaping, the dough tends to pull away from the fruit, especially the cranberries (because they're glazed), so it might be helpful to give them a light coating of flour before mixing in.  Otherwise, I pulled the dough over to cover any exposed fruit.

I used a small Romertopf clay baker (9.5" x 6.5"), so I let the dough do its second rise as a vague loaf shape on a piece of parchment in a separate pan.  I soaked the top and bottom of the clay baker in water for about 15 minutes, then placed both in the cold oven to preheat.

I was aware of a fair amount of added acid in this recipe, not only in the molasses, coffee, and vinegar called for, but also the whey that I used (in place of water-- a very mild whey, not sour.)  In researching what affect acid has on yeast dough, I found this on The Fresh Loaf:  "[I]n rye breads, acidity matters a lot. Rye bread structure doesn't depend on gluten but on a viscous gel made of water and complex carbs (polysaccharides). The amylases degrade the complex carbs, turning them into simple sugars and causing the rye breads to become dense and gummy."  So, two thoughts:  1) maybe I didn't have to knead the dough to the windowpane stage; and 2) what affect, if any, did the whey have on the bread?  I wouldn't have called the bread gummy, but I thought it could have used another 5 minutes or so in the oven.  I baked it at 425 for about 30 minutes.  I would have left it a bit longer except when I checked, the sides were turning black.  (Now I think that was something on the baker causing them to burn, because it was only in spots.)

Conclusion:  Very good.  The crumb (and crust) is dense but soft, and the flavor delicate.  No specific flavor comes through, but they all blend together with only the occasional sweet tang of a bit of fruit and a light floral note from the orange peel.  This is not a fruit-heavy bread so, if the yeast is strong enough, it could easily accept more fruit and nuts, up to a cup of each.

Recipe:  Black Bread with Pecans, Raisins & Cranberries via Family Circle magazine