Plum Poppy Seed Muffins

September 17, 2013

IMG_0511.55
My mom and sister stopped for a short visit on their cross-country road trip at the beginning of the month. (They were actually on their way from Virginia- my home- to Canada, via Chicago and Utah and Idaho. Quite the expedition. I wasn’t a bit jealous of the drive but somewhat of the destination. My mom grew up in Alberta and it’s been forever since I’ve been to visit. Her small hometown of High River- what a fitting name- was recently devastated by floods and my parents were heading to lend a hand to my family there.)

During her stay my mom generously stocked us up on groceries from Costco, to include an enormous (as is everything from said store) amount of plums. Italian prune plums exactly. They are marvelous for snacking, but we three can only eat so many so fast. Threatened by their impending expiration, I was searching for another way to use them. And then I remembered this muffin recipe from my Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. (Which I adore and cook from obsessively lately.)

These muffins are plump with plums and speckled with poppy seeds. They’re rich and moist and healthy too! I replaced the butter (browned butter would have been divine but I knew Clara and I would be eating way too many for the next few days and wanted to feel good about it) with unsweetened applesauce and cut the sugar in half. 1/4 cup brown sugar was enough (the applesauce and a dusting of turbinado on top contributed as well) for a lightly sweet muffin. And I used all whole wheat flour with no problem. Even lightened up they turned out absolutely delicious! If plums are scarce I bet you could use any available stone fruit with similar results- pears, apricots, pluots. Oh, and they freeze great. So if you have some self control and don’t devour them all immediately, you can pop them in the microwave for a warm homemade muffin anytime!

Plum Poppy Seed Muffins

INGREDIENTS

6 Tbsp. melted butter, browned and cooled (I replaced the butter with 6 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar (or honey or pure maple syrup)
up to 1/4 cup white sugar (I omitted)
3/4 cup sour cream or plain whole-milk yogurt (or even buttermilk- you want something tangy)
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or a mixture of whole wheat and all-purpose flours)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. fine grain (table) salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 cups pitted and diced plums (from about 3/4 lb. Italian prune plums, though any variety would do)
turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan or coat with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the egg and sugars. Stir in the butter (or applesauce) and sour cream (or yogurt). In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and poppy seeds. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined and still a bit lumpy. Fold in the plums.

3. Divide batter among the prepared muffins cups. Sprinkle with a small amount of turbinado sugar (optional). Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins.

(Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

Print

Buttermilk French Toast

September 10, 2013

buttermilk french toast

I have something bold to say: when a recipe calls for buttermilk, use it. All the substitutions in the world (and I’ve tried quite a few of them) don’t do it justice. Yes, you can get by without it. Your waffles, cake, muffins, whatever will still be edible. But they won’t be near as wonderful.

I get that buttermilk isn’t something you always have on hand. So on the occasion that you encounter it on a list of ingredients it seems excessive, expensive. You’ll use some and the rest will go to waste. I promise the resulting moisture and texture and flavor of whatever you’re making will be worth the cost and inconvenience. And here’s your solution for the rest: french toast.

Buttermilk french toast batter never crossed my mind. Until I came across this recipe and I had to try it right away. And I was hooked. I’ve made it three or four times over the last few months (which is unheard of for me who is always concocting something new) and still not grown sick of it! The buttermilk (and vanilla and cinnamon) gives it an extra boost of deliciousness.

p.s. A few other uses for your buttermilk: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Flaky Whole Wheat Biscuits, BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad with Cream Avocado Dressing, Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins, and Autumn Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler

Buttermilk French Toast

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
dash cinnamon

6-8 thick slices challah or french bread (preferably whole grain)
butter or coconut oil, for cooking

butter, warm maple syrup, powdered sugar, and fresh berries, etc. for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a pie dish or square pan, whisk to combine the buttermilk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.

2. Preheat griddle or skillet to medium heat. Brush with butter or coconut oil.

3. Dip both sides of the bread in the egg mixture until coated thoroughly. (Alternately, the bread can be soaked in the egg mixture for up to 20 min, turning occasionally.) Drain off the excess liquid and place the slices on the preheated griddle. Cook for several minutes on the first side, until golden. Flip and cook another few minutes on the other side until puffed and golden. Serve warm with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and fresh berries. (NOTE: If you are working in batches, cooked french toast can be kept warm on a sheet tray in a 250 F oven.)

Serves 2-3.

(Adapted from Gourmet and The Sprouted Kitchen)

Print

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

September 3, 2013

blueberry buckwheat pancakes

I’ve eaten and shared a lot of pancakes with you lately. I’m realizing that much like tacos or pizza there are infinite ways to make them. Some better than others. But many delicious. So it’s OK to have a stack of pancake recipes. Especially if they’re are irresistible, each in their unique way.

Buckwheat has been on my to-cook-with list lately. (I don’t actually have a list. I’m not that organized. I just keep thinking about something and soon enough get around to making it.) Perhaps I’ve been inspired by my brother’s (who is no health food fanatic, trust me) recent obsession with this healthy grain. He spent 2 years on a mission in Ukraine and came back with a love of buckwheat and beets. One time when we were all home he cooked us up a pot of gritty unsweetened buckwheat for breakfast. He was shoveling it down but no one else would touch it. (Except Clara who at that age ate anything.) His buckwheat porridge wasn’t completely horrible- just missing something. Butter? Perhaps sugar?

Which brings us to buckwheat pancakes. With blueberries- because it is still summer and blueberries make life in general better. This recipe uses a combination of buckwheat and whole wheat. You could use all buckwheat I suppose but they would be very strong- definitely not suited for beginners. The sugar (or honey) is optional- I tried them with and without and liked them better a bit sweeter. (Especially if you’re not planning to douse them in syrup.) I always recommend actually using buttermilk. All the substitutions I’ve tried never yield as good a result. And then you can choose between coconut oil and butter. I went with the coconut oil and didn’t regret it. Blueberries in the batter. More blueberries on top. You can’t go wrong.

p.s. Borscht is delicious. He was also right about the beets.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (I added a few extra Tbsp. because my batter was very thin)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey (optional but recommended)
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp. coconut oil or butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extra
1-2 cups fresh blueberries

extra butter, for greasing the pan and serving
maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar (if using).

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coconut oil or butter, vanilla, and honey (if using). Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined (lumps are OK).

3. Preheat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. Grease with cooking spray or rub with butter.

4. Pour batter by 1/4-cup-full onto preheated pan (making sure to leave space between the pancakes as they will spread) and sprinkle blueberries on top. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and bubbles are forming on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for several minutes on the other side until golden and cooked through. (Cooked pancakes can be kept warm in a 250 F oven while you are cooking the rest.)

5. Serve warm with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh blueberries, etc.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Williams-Sonoma via The Curvy Carrot)

Print

Grilled Summer Vegetable Pizza

August 30, 2013

summer vegetable pizza

Just because September is upon us doesn’t mean summer is over. We have a few official weeks left. And the peaches and tomatoes and berries aren’t going to disappear overnight. Thank goodness. I’m not ready to say goodbye yet. I picked up some end-of-summer veggies at the farmers market this week and decided they were destined for a pizza.

I didn’t actually grill the pizza (although you could- I did so here) but I grilled the zucchini and peppers and onion before I put them on the pizza. (Just with a little olive oil and s&p.) Those grilled veggies combined with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and Parm, bits of shaved garlic, and chopped fresh basil made for one stunning pizza. (Oh, and I threw on some chicken sausage which is good, but not necessary.)

You really don’t need a recipe (other than a good pizza dough). Gather the most beautiful vegetables you can find (or fruit- fruit is awesome on pizza) and grill them. Add your favorite cheese(s) and fresh herbs. Bake it ’till it’s golden and crisp and the cheese oozes. And you’re there. Summer on a crust.

Grilled Summer Vegetable Pizza

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pizza dough
extra virgin olive oil, for grilling vegetables and brushing crust 1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced as possible
summer vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, etc.),
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
chicken sausage (optional)
fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
fresh basil, julienned

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.

2. While the crust is rising, grill the vegetables. (I grilled everything except the tomatoes.) Preheat indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Prepare vegetables (wash and stem, pit and slice, etc.), brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (NOTE: You don’t want to chop your veggies up too small before grilling. Leave them in large pieces to go on the grill and then afterwards cut them up for topping the pizza.) Grill until tender and slightly charred. Set aside to cool before chopping into the size you want for topping the pizza.

3. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

4. Brush prepared crust with a thin layer of olive oil. Sprinkle with the sliced garlic and roasted vegetables and chicken sausage (if using). Top with slices of mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

5. Bake in preheated oven on pizza stone for about 10 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil. Slice and serve.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(an A Hint of Honey original)

Print

Peaches and Cream Pound Cake

August 27, 2013

peach pound cake

Oh, this cake. I waited a whole year to make it. My friend Jenna shared the recipe last fall, just after peaches disappeared, and I sat around all winter and spring dreaming of summer and juicy fresh peaches and putting them in pound cake. Yes, that is the type of thing I think about. (When I’m not defining my strategy for getting a baby toddler to sleep past 5 am. If you have solved this one- please enlighten me.) And as anticipated, summer finally arrived and with it just what I needed to bake this perfect summer treat.

I melded two recipes- or actually, three- into my ideal version and call it “peaches and cream pound cake”. The cream portion comes from sour cream in the batter and sweetened whipped cream that you should definitely serve on top. There’s a bit of cinnamon and vanilla and almond in there as well. Everything wonderful. While it was worth the wait, I recommend you make this now. Before summer eludes you too.

Peaches and Cream Pound Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup flour for dusting peaches
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups fresh peaches, pitted and diced (with or without skins- I left them on)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter a 10-inch bundt pan and coat with white sugar.

2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition. Stir in the sour cream, and vanilla and almond extracts. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour (reserving 1/4 cup for the peaches), baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually stir into the creamed mixture (I added it slowly with the mixer on low). Toss the diced peaches in the reserved flour to coat, then fold into the batter. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, before removing the cake from the pan to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh sliced peaches and sweetened whipped cream.

(Adapted from A Spicy Perspective and All Recipes via Lahatchita Eats)

Print