Jumbo Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Bridgett

When I have a hankerin’ for something chocolate, these always do it for me. I usually make these as the recipe calls for-12 regular sized muffins. And it makes 12 good sized muffins, mind you.

But my daughter has been requesting muffins that are as large as “Otis Spunkmeyer” muffins – you know, the kind you buy in packs of three at the grocery and sometimes in single packages at a cafeteria? I was appalled and slightly mifffed that she was actually BUYING pre-packaged, full of all kinds of bad stuff, Otis S. muffins in the morning before school.

Not to be outdone by Otis, I decided to try making her favorite muffins in my colossal muffin tin. If you don’t have one of these yet, do yourself a favor and get one. This one in particular is a Wilton jumbo muffin pan and I must say it is very nice. It’s heavy and cleans up very well – I highly recommend…

lg-muffin-pan

Like I said before, this recipe is for 12 decent sized regular muffins. I was a bit worried about having too much batter for the 6 muffin pan but it went pretty well. The cups ended up being about 3/4 full.

dough-in-pan

I turned the temperature down a bit, figuring that the larger muffins would burn on the outside before the inside got done at 400degrees. I was right. I baked them for 20 minutes at 375 and the insides were still a bit runny but the outsides were done. I turned the oven down to 350degrees and baked them for about 3-4 more minutes and they turned out great. Next time I will bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes and I think that will be perfect.

muffins-cooling

I took them out of the cups after just a few minutes. They were sticking just a tad so I stuck a spoon in on each side and then popped them out. All came out fine and were placed on a rack to cool.

Much better than anything that comes in plastic!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

makes 12 muffins in regular pan (or 6 in a jumbo muffin pan)

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup margarine, melted

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided

1 cup pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees for 12 muffins or 350 degrees for jumbo muffins. Spray muffin pan with Pam. Put first 5 ingredients into mixing bowl and use wisk to break up brown sugar and stir (can sift if desired but if this is good enough for Martha…). Stir in egg, melted margarine, milk and sour cream until blended. Fold in one cup of chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Fill muffin tins. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top of muffins. Bake for 20 minutes if you’re making 12 regular sized and for 20-25 if you’re making the big boys.

Herb Biscuits and Experimenting with Potatoes

Posted on January 13, 2009 by Bridgett

I received a subscription to Bon Appetit from my lovely daughter. She truly knows me .

This month’s issue has a great recipe for Herbed Biscuits(page 20). I made them last night to go along with our “Depression Era Meal” inspired by Clara (see previous post).

done-on-pan

Coming from almost entirely Irish ancestry, you would think that I would have made fried potatoes before. I think I have made every other variety – from mashed to au gratin. I had never attempted to make them cubed and fried though. And I do love fried hashbrowns at diners. So, after watching Clara, I decided to whip some up.

I cubed up a number of potatoes and tossed them into my iron skillet with some oil. I then sliced up two small onions and put those in too. I continued to fry the potatoes and onion until everything was soft and nicely browned. It took a lot longer than I thought it would. And I cut up too many potatoes to allow the Polish Sausage I used (instead of Clara’s hot dogs) to fit into the same skillet so I had to cook that up separately. In the end I heavily seasoned the potatoes with pepper and some salt and plated it all, along with these yummy biscuits.

It was like diner heaven here in my little kitchen!

dough

These biscuits make me wish I had fresh herbs leftover from my garden to use. The dried herbs were fantastic though. I am out of parsley and tarragon and substituted rosemary instead. Very tasty, quick and easy. And the scent coming from the oven was just to die for!

cut-dough

Paremesan Herb Biscuits

adapted from Bon Appetit, Feb. 2009

2 cups all purpose flour

6 Tbsp. instant dry milk powder

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated (all I had was the canned kind – gasp! – and they turned out great)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried tarragon (or rosemary)

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3/4 cup (or more) ice water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Add butter and cut in with fingertips until course meal forms (well incorporated). Gradually add ice water and toss until moist clumps form. Add 1-2 Tbsp. more water if needed to make slightly sticky dough.

Gather dough into a ball and knead a few times on a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands (dough will be sticky), press dough into a 6X6 inch square. Cut dough into nine 2″ biscuits. Place biscuits with sides touching on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut…

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Bridgett

I recently found this recipe online and decided I would have to give it a try. The real reason I wanted to make it is because I have seen the Almond Filling in the supermarket so many times but had no idea who used it and what he/she would use it for. Kind of like Nutella…

The almond filling is found in the baking aisle with the canned pie filliings (at least that’s where it is in here in Ohio). It’s a smaller can as far as size goes. And it was towards the top of the shelf – giving me another reason to wonder who uses this stuff.

When I opened the can I was surprised. I had envisioned this stuff as being a pale tan paste. It is much different. It is more of a pecan pie filling kinda thing – except with ground almonds. And it REALLY smells like almonds… and playdough. Yes, playdough. It smelled so much like playdough that I had a hard time taking a swipe of the batter to see what it tasted like. I did finally taste it (who can go without tasting the batter?) and it was really nice – great flavor. And the finished product is missing that smell so no fears.

I am a sucker for recipes that come off the label – and this one is inside the label on the can. How do they actually expect someone to make something off the in side of the label when you have no idea what other ingredients you will need to buy… that’s something a market specialist should really analyze.

I was lucky enough to know what was in the recipe before going into the store so I was able to make this today. The recipe was easy to follow. Nothing was complicated at all.

The cake pops right out of the pan and did not crumble.

The glaze (I made chocolate) was a nice consistency and it held onto the cake before pooling on the plate.

And, best of all, this cake is soooo good! It is moist and heavy, almost like a pound cake. It holds together really well and looks pretty on the plate. You can really taste the almond. Note to future makers of this cake: it really tastes like almond extract. If you are not an almond fan, you will not like this cake. The flavor is a bit strong but it’s a great flavor. It’s a keeper in our house.

It’s been two days since I made this and it is even better today than it was when I baked it. The flavors seem to have melded a bit more and the almond is not as pronounced but still quite tasty – and still moist as can be.

Solo Almond Bundt Cake

10 to 12 servings

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can Solo or 1 jar Baker Almond filling
1/4 cup milk

Chocolate Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons buttermilk or low-fat milk

Almond Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons light cream

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.

Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in almond filling until blended. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt until mixed. Add to almond mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

To make glaze, combine ingredients in small bowl, and stir until blended and smooth. Spoon or drizzle over top of cake. Let stand until glaze is set.

Or top with fresh fruit and whipped cream!

Depression Era Cooking

Posted on January 10, 2009 by Bridgett

I recently found this video and thought it was just too good not to share. 91 year old Clara lived through the Great Depression and has quite a memory! She details how the bootleggers rented garages to make whiskey, how she had to quit high school due to lack of proper clothing, and she does it all while being videotaped as she cooks!

I have some polish sausage in the fridge that just might get substituted in for the hot dogs this week… while I say a prayer of thanksgiving that times are not so bad afterall.

Pumpkin Love

Posted on January 10, 2009 by Bridgett

While my house smells of warm cinnamon and pumpkin, I thought I would put this recipe out for you all. I do love a good loaf of pumpkin bread. And pumpkin cookies are just amazing! Someday I want to try using the real stuff- from a pumpkin I buy in produce… or better yet, one that we grow. But for today, the canned variety works just fine.

This recipe is a favorite around the house. It is moist and tender and full of pumpkiny goodness. It freezes well and is good for breakfast or dessert (yummy broken up and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon!). It just doesn’t get much more versatile than that!

Pumpkin Bread

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

adapted from Bon Appetit 1995

(makes two loaves)

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 16 ounce can solid pack pumpkin

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into a second bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut between pan and bread to loosen and then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Reuben Sandwiches (aka Reuben Loaf)

Posted on January 5, 2009 by Bridgett

I hate that we call this sandwich “Reuben Loaf”. The Loaf part makes me think of the oh so tasty processed turkey loaf they used to serve in the school cafeterias at Thanksgiving. This is so much better than that! We really do have to get it a new name.

This is an old recipe I have been making for years. I made it last night along with Ina Garten’s baked sweet potato fries. The father-in-law was coming for our weekly dinner and a movie so it was perfect for a casual supper. This is also great for parties – St. Patty’s Day in particular.

Don’t let the bread making part keep you from making this recipe. It really is very easy.

dough-ball The dough comes together quite easily and is incredibly easy to work with. You knead it a bit and then go directly into rolling it out.

dough-rolled After you roll it out, transfer it to your baking sheet and proceed to fill it with the typical Reuben fillings and then cut the side pieces as you see below.

sand-filled The side strips just get cut with a knife. I think I did ten total cuts on each side. Starting on one end, bring the end piece up and over the top of the filling. Wrap each strip over the top, alternating sides as you go. Don’t worry about covering the filling completely – it’s actually a prettier finished product if a bit peeks through.

Let it rise just a little and then look at this pretty little sandwich (that should never be mentioned alongside processed turkey roll) -

sand-baked

You might notice that the recipe below contains caraway seeds. The sandwich above does not have caraway seeds on it as that is one of the only things the hubby won’t eat. Enjoy!

Reuben Loaf

3 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 pkg Rapid Rise yeast

1 cup hot water

1 Tbsp margarine

1/4 cup of Thousand Island Dressing

6 ounces of corned beef, sliced thin

1/4 pound of Swiss cheese

1 8ounce can sauerkraut, drained very well

1 egg white

caraway seeds (optional)

Set aside 1 cup flour. In large bowl, mix remaining flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Stir in hot water and margarine. Mix in only enough flour to make soft dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead for 4 minutes.

Roll dough into a 14X10 rectangle. Transfet to greased baking sheet. Spread dressing down center third of bread dough. Top with well drained sauerkraut, sliced corned beef and then the cheese. Cut side pieces of dough at 1″ intervals. Alternating sides, fold strips up and over the top of the loaf.

Cover and place in warm place for 15 minutes.

Brush dough with egg white. Sprinkle with caraway seeds if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until done. Cool slightly.

For an even heartier loaf, increase corned beef to up to 1 pound. Increase baking time 10 minutes.

We have made this using ham and cheese too, although the reuben is still our favorite.

Baked Sweet Potato “Fries”

Posted on January 5, 2009 by Bridgett

Ina Garten. Need I say more? I just love everything about her. From her gorgeous (yet rustic) home right down to that cute little hubby of hers. The food she creates appeals to the masses but still holds a bit of sophistication. And talk about yummy!

I was hoping to get her new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, for Christmas. I didn’t. So I went out to the bookstore today and picked it up as a belated present to moi. It was almost dinner time when we got home and the father-in-law was on his way over for what has become our weekly dinner and a movie (“Tropic Thunder” this week – not sure I’d recommend by the way). I quickly flipped through the book and decided to add Ina’s Sweet Potato Fries to tonight’s dinner. And we were not disappointed.

Sweet Potato Fries

I peeled up two rather hefty sweet potatoes, thinking we would have a lot of leftovers. It turns out that was not a problem. Two people ate the entire batch.

Baked Sweet Potato “Fries”

(adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled

2 Tablespoons good olive oil

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus some extra for sprinkling on cooked fries

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve the sweet potatoes and then slice each half into large fries (Ina says 3 long spears). Place them on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat. Spread them all out in one layer. Combine brown sugar, salt and pepper and sprinkle mixture over potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

I would recommend eating these as soon as they come out of the oven. My potatoes got done before our Reuben Loaf (recipe coming tomorrow) so I put the fries in a bowl and covered them to seal the heat in. That was a mistake as it steamed them and the crunch was gone. But the flavor remained and these babies were gooood.

Give Me a Pat – of butter that is!

Posted on January 2, 2009 by Bridgett

Oh, the joy of a great grocery store! We have the pleasure of being close to a wonderful cook’s oasis – Jungle Jim’s. Jungle Jim’s is a mega-sized grocery store having over six acres (not a typo) of floor space. If you can’t find it at Jungle Jim’s, you might as well give it up.

Jungle Jim’s has everything. There are aisles upon aisles of international food – Indian, English, Thai, Irish. You name it, they’ve got it. Their aisle of hot sauce would make you cry. The produce section contains everything you can think of and has all kinds of international delights. They have fresh fish flown in and make homemade Polish sausages in the butcher section.

On a recent visit I found one refrigerated section that I had never noticed before – butter from all over the world. I am still ashamed of never noticing their butter section.

the World of Butter

I have never baked with any kind of butter besides our traditional American butter – although I have used both unsalted and salted butters. So, after making my butter discovery I began to wonder how I might be able to use these new found oddities.

In my online quest to learn more about baking with different butters, I came across a very informative article from the New York Times

“Overall, the European-style butters have more of a golden, warm, toasty flavor. (This is from a compound called diacetyl that develops during fermentation.) Standard American butter has a fresher flavor of milk and cream.

But quality was unpredictable. The butter with the best credentials (high in fat, from the cows used to make Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese), and the one with the most alluring packaging, were the most flavorless.

Our favorite butters were salted Kerrygold from Ireland, unsalted Kate’s Homemade Butter from Old Orchard Beach, Me., and a “limited edition” cultured butter from Organic Valley, made from May to September, when cows are outside at least part of the time, eating grass rather than feed. Butter from grass-fed cows, rich in beta carotene, is more yellow (not higher in butterfat, as many believe).

In baking, the flavor differences mostly disappear. High-fat butters can be used in traditional recipes. “You shouldn’t see much difference,” said Kim Anderson, director of the Pillsbury test kitchen, “maybe a slightly richer flavor and more tender crumb.” “

New York Times Article

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on January 2, 2009 by Bridgett

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

I know that the New Year Resolutions almost always include a desire to lose weight. And, believe me, that is on my list this year too. But the trainer at the gym says to eat protein after a workout. And peanut butter does have protein, right?

I love to buy the fundraising kind of cookbooks – you know, the ones that are made up from people who submit their favorite recipes to combine into a cookbook to be sold to raise funds. These cookbooks are my most used cookbooks hands down. Need to find my favorites – just flip through and look for the many pages that are stained and spotted well loved. Here is one that I originally tried only because it did not use butter, which I was out of at the time. My previous peanut butter cookie favorite WAS from the Joy of Cooking but was quickly replaced once these made it into my mouth!

These are rich and fudgy, full of a great peanut butter flavor.

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

adapted from “Classy Cooking, a cookbook by the classy cooks of St. James Parish”

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 to 1 1/2 cups flour (I hardly ever need the full amt. so start with 1 cup at first)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit. Beat shortening until fluffy. Gradually add sugars and beat until creamy. Beat in everything else with the exception of the flour. Starting with just one cup, stir in the flour. You want a consistency that will allow you to roll them into balls (somewhere between being too sticky to handle and too dry). Roll the dough into balls. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Press criss-cross patterns into the tops with a fork, being careful to not flatten to cookie too much. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Spectacular Eats

where the ingredients are always changing

Jumbo Chocolate Chip Muffins

Herb Biscuits and Experimenting with Potatoes

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut…

Depression Era Cooking

Pumpkin Love

Reuben Sandwiches (aka Reuben Loaf)

Baked Sweet Potato “Fries”

Give Me a Pat – of butter that is!

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies