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)

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

Blueberry Muffins V

 My obsession with the perfect blueberry muffin continues.  This is the fifth installment (hence the "V").  That said, this effort was a FAIL, by my fault alone.  I don't know how many times I have to tell myself NOT to try baking first thing in the morning, but I did it again.  And I made mistakes.  Mistakes that dramatically affected the outcome.  So I can't give a fair assessment of this recipe at this point.  (Some day I'll remake it, properly, and update this page.)

I was really excited about this recipe, not only because I know the author really does her research, but because also it uses only a small amount of milk (which meant they wouldn't be too soft and delicate) and because the batter was very thick and you're encourage to pile it high (which meant the muffins would have a nice, high dome.)  Those were two very promising characteristics.

The problems arose from making only half the recipe.  Couple that with the measurements being given in multiple formats (volume and weight) and it was all too much for this bleary-eyed night owl who'd just rolled out of bed.  I mismeasured the flour, the sugar, and the milk.  The milk!  That's critical to the texture!!  I soldiered on.

For 6 high-domed muffins (using her whole wheat option), here's what I was supposed to use:

3¼ oz (3/4 cup) white whole wheat flour
2¾ oz (5/8 cup) all-purpose flour
2⅝ oz (3/8 cup) sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
2⅝ oz (3/8 cup) virgin or refined coconut oil, soft but cool (or 3 oz unsalted butter)
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg, cold
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
5 oz (scant 1 cup) fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 350F.  Grease 6 muffin tins.  Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.  Add the coconut oil or butter and mix on low speed until it becomes a mealy powder, about 2 minutes.  (If using coconut oil, the mix can be made up to this point and stored long-term.)

Add the milk, egg, and vanilla to the dry mix and stir to create a thick, dough-like batter, then gently fold in the blueberries.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, piling the batter high.  (Top each with a sprinkling of sparkling sugar, if desired.)  Bake until domed and firm but still pale, about 22 minutes.  Serve warm.

The first mistake I made was dumping in an equal amount of AP flour before realizing it was supposed to be slightly less than the amount of whole wheat flour, so I scooped some out.  I think I did okay there.  The next mistake was dumping in the full amount of sugar (for 12 muffins); I scooped out what I could, but there was probably some extra in there.  The worst mistake was dumping in the amount of milk for 12 muffins-- that couldn't just be scooped out.  It rapidly soaked into the flour and sugar.  I sucked out as much as I could with a turkey baster (which also resulted in sucking out some of the extra sugar, since it dissolved in the milk), but by weight it wasn't nearly enough.  I probably ended up with about 3/4 the full recipe amount, rather than half.  This made the batter softer than it should have been (bearing in mind that whole wheat flour is "thirstier" than AP, which helped some), so the muffin tops spread more than expected.  The extra milk also might have been the reason why I had to bake them a few extra minutes, about 25 minutes.

Conclusion:  For all the failings, these turned out alright.  They weren't too sweet, there was a good amount of berries... even the texture wasn't bad.  I didn't use the nutmeg, but I think I'll try it next time.  I definitely need to try the recipe again, properly.

Recipe:  Blueberry Muffins via Bravetart by Stella Parks

Onion and sage rolls

I happened upon an episode of Hairy Bikers, and two of the recipes they made that day appealed to me:  parsnip and apple soup, and these savory rolls.  It's been rainy for days, and one of my new year's resolutions is to cook more.  At the time I was cooking, I did not know there were written recipes available, so I was going off the video of the episode.  They weren't entirely clear in the video of everything they were doing, but nothing left unclear was terribly critical.  Maybe.  (See asterisk.)

The rolls they made had seemed rather small (and didn't use a full loaf's worth of flour), so I made the full recipe, which actually resulted in 8 fairly good-sized, though quite fluffy rolls.  My only known deviations from their recipe was the flour and adding cheese.  Here's what I used:

150ml (0.6 cup) milk
150ml (0.6 cup) water
1½ teaspoon rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
400g (2½ cups) bread flour
200g high-protein white whole wheat flour
200g high-protein AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter*
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, grated or crushed
approximately 12 large sage leaves, finely chopped*
large pinch of black pepper
approximately 1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

Heat the milk and water until quite warm; use about 1/4 cup to proof the yeast and sugar.  Once proved, add the remainder of  the liquid, along with the yeast mixture, to the flour and salt.  Knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.  Form into a ball; place in a greased bowl and allow to rise, covered, until doubled-- about 1 - 1½ hours.  Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a medium frying pan; add the onion and garlic and sweat over low heat for 10 minutes until soft and transparent, but not browned.  Add the sage and pepper and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Punch down the dough; remove from the bowl and flatten out on work surface.  Spread the onion mixture (and cheese, if using) over the dough, then roll up so all the filling is contained.  Knead the filling into the dough until it is evenly distributed, sprinkling with flour where it becomes too wet.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces; roll each into a ball.  Arrange the dough balls in a greased baking sheet in a circle with one in the middle and edges touching.  Cover lightly with oiled plastic film and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F (to 400F).  Before baking, brush each roll lightly with milk, then top with a single, small sage leaf.  Bake for about 20 minutes.  Move to a rack to cool.

*Their written recipe calls for "1/2 ounce" of butter (1 tablespoon - I'm sure they used more on the show) and "15 - 20 sage leaves" (probably what I should have used, given the size of my leaves.)

They mixed their dry yeast, salt, sugar, and flour all together, then added the warm liquid.  I decided to proof my yeast first, since I was using less.  The butter and oil measurements weren't given; their pan of onion was liberally oily, but I didn't know the ratio of butter and oil, so I estimated.  (I assume just a small amount of oil is present to prevent the butter from browning.)  The yeast was given as "1 sachet", which is presumably 2¼ teaspoons, though I chose to use a little less.  Their sage leaves were quite large and I suspect I didn't use nearly as much.  They probably had at least 1/3 cup of chopped sage, if not 1/2 cup.  (It was certainly a manly handful.)  I noticed their rolls had probably twice as much green speckled throughout as mine did.  Their oven instructions were for "190C to 200C" (375F - 400F).  I've never seen a recipe with a range for the oven temperature, and both of these are higher than I normally see in a bread recipe.  I don't know why they didn't provide a single temperature.  (He probably couldn't remember the correct temperature at the moment of filming.  The written recipe indicates 200C, which I think would have been better than 190C.)  My oven does not maintain a stable temperature; it was 400F when I was ready to bake, but I tried to cool it down a bit after putting the rolls in and then worked to keep it at 375F.  They looked done at 20 minutes, so I took them out.

I had concerns about the baps being too salty with added cheese, (I used salted butter with the onions, and the dough already tasted a bit salty), but in the end they were okay.  Salty, yes, but not too bad for a savory roll.  (If I used more cheese, I would cut down on the salt elsewhere.)

Conclusion:  Easy enough to make, but I wasn't thrilled with the result.  Surprisingly, they were a bit bland and tasted a little floury.  Something gave them a slightly bitter taste, perhaps the whole wheat flour or the cheese.  They also could have used just another minute or two in the oven-- baking at 400F likely would have been perfect.

Recipe:  Sage and onion tear and share bread via Hairy Bikers (season 1, episode 2 of Best of British)

Blueberry Muffins IV

Still on the quest for the perfect blueberry muffin, this is attempt number IV....  It is very promising!  (Here are attempts I, II, and III.)  This recipe is very similar to the Maine Blueberry Muffins recipe in II.  That recipe was published in Redbook in 1988, one year after this one.

Compared to the Maine Blueberry Muffins, this recipe uses more blueberries, a little more sugar (which I wanted in the other), buttermilk instead of plain milk (with corresponding baking soda), the addition of vanilla, and slightly more butter.  Curiously, though baked at the same temperature, these are in the oven considerably longer, which did not produce a desirable result.

As with the Maine Blueberry Muffins, I made half the recipe.  For 6 muffins, here's what I used:

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh blueberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk (or plain yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 400F.  Grease 6 muffin tins.  Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl.  In a small dish, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and melted butter.  Pour this mixture all at once into the dry ingredients.  Quickly stir just to partially blend; add the blueberries.  Carefully fold together just to moisten; the batter will be stiff and lumpy.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins; the cups will be full.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a rack.  Or, if not using paper liners, tilt each muffin in its tin.  Serve warm.

 

The batter was very thick and rose nicely.  I did watch my oven temperature, but I think it was hotter than it was registering because they still seemed overbaked.  I took the muffins out of the oven a little shy of 25 minutes, but they were quite brown and a little tough on the exterior.  Otherwise, the texture was nice.  Since there's no benefit to a browned crust on these muffins, I'll use the silicone liners next time and/or reduce the oven temperature.  Then again, based on the other recipe, perhaps they just needed less time in the oven.

I made these with salted butter, then threw in another pinch, but they could have used a little more.  (Looking at the Maine recipe, I should just use salted butter and the full salt amount.)

Conclusion:  This might be... the one!  I always liked the Maine Blueberry Muffin recipe, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for.  This one comes much closer, although I might try adding a little oil to make them a little more moist.  Also, if possible, I think I could squeeze a little more batter into the tins to produce 5 larger muffins!  I'd like that, as long as they rose up and not out.

Recipe:  Blueberry Muffins via Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book: Recipes from an American Childhood

No-Knead Fruit and Walnut Bread

I've been wanting to remake this No-Knead Chocolate-Cherry Pecan Bread with a few changes, and I'm finally getting to it.  Mostly it is a matter of the mix-ins--- I didn't care for the chocolate at all, and wanted to try some different fruit instead. 

Then there's the question of how much yeast to use--- I went for more than before (because I did have some issue with the rise) but not as much as they recommend.  (See asterisk.)  King Arthur reduced the water content--- wise move, as the dough was extremely wet previously.  I accidentally reduced the amount of salt because I wasn't paying attention.  I changed up the directions a little and am using a Romertopf clay baker rather than a pie pan.  The changes shown now are deviations from the original King Arthur recipe, but some are also deviations from my previous attempt.  Here's what I used:

 3 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 1¹/₂ cups whole wheat flour
2¹/₂ 1¹/₂ teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast*
1¹/₂ cups cool water
3/4 cup chopped dried tart cherries
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons finely diced, candied lemon peel
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1¹/₂ cups chopped pecans walnuts, toasted

Sometime the day before (and before it gets too late), mix together the flours, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Around 7:00 or 8:00 pm, add the water and stir well to make a very soft dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature overnight, or for at least 12 hours.  In the morning, the dough should be bubbly and puffy.

Before and after its overnight rise

If possible, simply add the fruit and nuts to the bowl and mix to combine.  (A heavy-duty electric mixer with the kneading arm might be useful here.)  Otherwise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.   Roll out slightly and sprinkle on the fruit and nuts.  Roll up tightly, then knead gently a few times to disperse evenly.  Let it rest 15 minutes, then form it into a ball. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, smooth side down.** Cover and let rise at room temperature about 2 hours, until a slight indentation remains when poked with a finger.

During the last 30 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 450°F and place a bread crock (or a heavy, 4- to 4¹/₂-quart oven-safe pot) in the oven while it heats. When the dough has risen, remove the crock from the oven and turn the dough out of the bowl and into the crock; the smooth side will be facing up**. Shake the crock gently to settle the dough, then cover with the lid and return to the oven. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to bake another 30 to 40 minutes, until the bread is deep brown in color and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers about 205°F. Remove the crock from the oven, turn the bread onto a rack, and cool before slicing.

*There was some confusion about the yeast quantity in the original recipe.  It called for only 1/4 teaspoon (and that's all I originally used, total), but the King Arthur blog post made reference to an additional 1/2 teaspoon to be added to the main dough mixture before the second rise.  They now mention that the yeast quantity has been increased from the original, and it's now all added to the soaker.

**Alternatively, you can line the bowl with parchment, and then transfer the dough, parchment and all, into the crock.  Leaving the smooth side down will produce some interesting crenelations on top that become nicely crusty.

 

When I mixed the soaker together, it was the consistency of a normal dough.  (Not surprising, since whole wheat flour is more absorbent than AP.)  I should really stop referring to this as a "soaker", as there's no additional flour added later.  (The idea that it should be a shaggy mixture is what messed me up.)  Thinking it was too dry, I added more water until I got something more porridge-like.  Mistake.  It was impossible to handle.  I added more flour as I tried to knead it, but mostly I ended up handling it as little as possible, and then only with silicone mat and spatula.

There was no way I was going to be able to handle the "loaf" after it had risen, which was necessary, since I was using a Romertopf clay baker that had to be pre-heated.  I greased a piece of parchment paper and fitted it into a 10 x 7 x 2.5" casserole, then sprinkled the bottom with corn meal.  I scraped and rolled the dough off the silicone sheet where I'd mixed in the add-ins, plopped it onto the parchment (it filled the casserole completely after rising), covered it loosely, and let it rise for about 2.5 hours.  (I don't know what I was looking for other than a slight indent when poked.)  

I let the clay baker soak for about 15 minutes, then placed it in the cold oven, lid on, to heat along with the oven for about 30 minutes.  I bought the Romertopf used and it probably could have done with a deep cleansing--- it smoked terribly when I removed it from the hot oven and the bottom was black.  (I suppose at some point they become too saturated with grease?) Here's a video of someone showing how he uses a Romertopf baker for a no-knead recipe, just dumping the soft batter in straight from the bowl.

I remember an issue with fruit on the dough surface getting burned, and recommendations to try to cover it.  Last time I tried poking them deeper, but it didn't work very well.  This time I pulled bits of dough over top of the fruit as best I could before transferring the dough to the clay baker.  (Since the dough was so wet, I didn't have a skin on the surface.)

On its way into the oven

I baked the bread as directed.  It didn't get too dark on top, which is fine with me.  Surprisingly, the bottom was very light.  It burned black for some people, and since I have a bottom burner I usually end up with baked goods darker on the bottom.

Conclusion:  It all worked as well as before.  Nice crunchy crust and chewy interior. I think I like it better without the citrus to maintain a sort of "dark" flavor.  The lack of salt was noticeable -- too bad about that error.  Next time, I think I would be able to fit the dough into my smaller clay roaster, which would give the loaf a better shape, not so flat.

Recipe:  No-Knead Chocolate-Cherry Pecan Bread via King Arthur Baking

Streusal Coffee Cake I

 

I'm looking for my mom's recipe for coffee cake that I grew up with.  This was the first attempt.

1¼ cup flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening salted butter
1/4 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine flower, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly; set aside 1/4 cup crumb mixture. To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, soda, and spices; Mixed well. Add buttermilk or sour milk and egg; Mix well. Pour into a greased, 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Combine reserved crumbs with nuts; Sprinkle atop cake. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

I reduced the salt because I used salted butter.  I also threw additional nuts on top, probably at least another 2 tablespoons.  I didn't even notice that the recipe called for a round pan; I used a square one.

This was so close, but not quite.  The cake was brown from the sugar, but my mom's cake was light.  Did she use white sugar instead?  I doubt it -- she rarely deviated from recipes.  It seemed like hers was thicker, and I think there was more topping.

Conclusion:  Pretty basic.  A little sweet -- I'd like the topping to be sweeter than the cake; these were about equal.  I would cut the cake sugar by half and increase the amount of topping.  It could probably withstand some whole wheat flour, too.

Recipe:  Spicy Buttermilk Coffee Cake via Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, ninth edition (1985)

May ABC challenge: Blueberry Muffins III

The challenge this month is… well, personal challenge.  My biggest personal baking challenge is simply my kitchen.  It’s small, with limited storage and nearly no counter space, which prohibits attempting certain things that require a lot of space, like croissants or strudel.  So while I’d like to attempt those challenges, they’re just not practical.

Outside of recipes that require a better kitchen, I can’t think of any technical challenge I’d like to attempt at the moment.  I do, however, still have quests towards finding the recipe for certain basic items.  One of those is the perfect blueberry muffin.  It’s a bit like chasing the end of the rainbow:   it’s a moving target.  On one recipe I’ll make a note that there are too many blueberries, while another recipe with exactly the same quantity will seem just right.  Perceived sweetness levels vary from bake to bake of the same recipe, textures of the same recipe change from day to day…  It’s a unicorn.

Previous attempts at muffin perfection can be found here and here.  Today’s recipe is from a cookbook I’ve had for a while but never used, although the recipes it contains are the down-home types I prefer.  True confessions, I didn’t follow the recipe exactly because I was in a hurry and didn’t want to be bothered measuring carefully and getting every ingredient exactly right.  Also, I wanted at least a small health benefit, so I was hoping to substitute some of the white flour for oat flour or bran.  (Not whole wheat flour because it adds its own flavor.) But digging through my dry goods, nothing oaty was making itself immediately apparent.  I did find an unlabeled jar of some pale grain with a coarse grind that tasted mild.  I hoped it was oat something and forged ahead.

I cut the original recipe in half to make 6 muffins and made a few alterations.  Here’s what I used:

8 6½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of a coarse dry good of choice (rolled oats, corn meal, bran, etc.)
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
One large egg
3/8 cup whole milk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease 6 muffin cups. Whisk together the flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom; set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, butter, vanilla, egg, and milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until nearly combined, then allow to sit for a few moments to allow the liquid to be absorbed. Once thickened, fold a few more times to combine. Gently fold in the blueberries, being careful not to overmix. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown. The tops should be firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Well, these didn’t turn out anything like the photo in the book.  When I initially mixed the dry and wet ingredients together, the batter seemed WAY too wet, but it quickly started to thicken; I realized the grain was absorbing the liquid.  But fearful of ruining the muffin texture, I didn’t stir the thickened batter together as well as I should have.  Once in the pan, there was separated liquid floating on top that hadn’t been blended in.  The muffins didn’t rise much, and this liquid flowed over the edges.  It’s not a totally abnormal result, but it wasn’t what I was going for. (Pro tip:  break off all these edges while they’re still crisp and eat them immediately. By the next day, though still tasty, the high sugar content will make them sticky and chewy—almost candy-like.)

These did not come out of the pan nicely. I had to cut through the overflow and release that carefully from the pan, but even the greased cups didn’t release the muffins—they were too soft. I had to scoop them out with a spoon. Fortunately, they came out in one piece, although there was a fair amount of crumb left in the tin.

Despite everything, these had a nice texture, and I especially liked the nubbliness from the added grain. I was curious about the slight corny flavor when the obvious struck me—the mystery grain! It was a nice flavor (in fact I have a recipe for blueberry corn muffins), but did distract somewhat from the blueberry focus. They were sweeter than I would like, not as noticeable while warm, but far more so the next day. (Funny how that works. It’s the unicorn effect.) I would cut back by 2 tablespoons (for 6 muffins) to start. It was just the right amount of vanilla; I didn’t notice the cardamom at all, although it might have added something to the overall back flavor. I think the combination of using oil and butter is probably smart:  butter gives flavor while oil gives a moist crumb.

One bit of confusion was the intended pan size. I’m aware of only 3 sizes of muffin tins:  mini, regular, and jumbo, each twice the size of the last. This recipe called for “large muffin cups”, which to me would have indicated the jumbo size, but the recipe obviously didn’t make that much. The directions were to fill the tins only 2/3 full; mine were filled to the brim. I really dislike small, short muffins, which is how home recipes pretty much always turn out. So perhaps there is another, intermediate (i.e. “large”) muffin pan for professional use, something between the regular dozen and the 6-pack jumbo. If so, I’d like to get hold of one. Two-bite muffins are so anti-climactic.

Conclusion:  I really need to make these again, properly, following the recipe* (aside from reducing the sugar) to evaluate them adequately. They seem like a good contender, although more on the soft side than I would like. I think I’d prefer using salted butter, as I think it would bump up the flavor a bit and enhance the sweetness of a reduced-sugar recipe.

Recipe:  Blueberry Muffins via The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day

*I think I messed up.  If I recorded my measurements correctly, the recipe I made would have used only 1 cup of flour for 12 muffins, but the original calls for 2 cups.  That would explain why my muffins were so flat and the batter so thin, and why they were so sweet.  That's what I get for trying to bake first thing in the morning.