Recipe, interrupted

Recipe: Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Crumb Cake

All I seem to be posting about these days is sweet baked goods. Some winters, it was hearty stews that got me through the cold weather. This year, I’m turning to baking to warm up my kitchen. But I promise, next time, I’ll write about something savory. That may not be for a while, however. Project: Kitchen Face-Lift is kicking into high gear. I suppose I could write about toaster-oven cooking or the cheapest take-outs in Park Slope. Stay tuned…

Today I’m compelled to write about this blueberry coffee cake. It’s homey, lightly spiced with cinnamon, and just enough of a treat on a crisp morning when you’d rather linger inside. It shares some similarities with my blueberry yogurt muffin recipe. In both, I use frozen blueberries (for the ease of it and because they’re off season) and some cultured dairy (for moisture and lift). But this coffee cake is a little denser and richer and the crumb topping definitely makes it more of an indulgence.

What really excites me about making this coffee cake is its practicality. All of the ingredients in this recipe keep for a long time. They’re pretty versatile ingredients too, so it makes sense to keep them in stock for other purposes. That way, you don’t have to tromp out into the cold to make this cake. Take the powdered buttermilk, for example, which I’ve been experimenting with a lot lately. No more buying a quart of fresh buttermilk for a single batch of biscuits or waffles or cake and then scrambling for ways to use the leftover milk before it goes bad.

Of course, if you have fresh buttermilk, you can absolutely use that. In place of the powdered buttermilk and water, add in ¾ cup fresh buttermilk as you would the water.

 

Makes one 9 x 13-inch cake

Preparation time: About 1 hour

 

For the crumb topping:

 ¾ cup chopped walnuts

¾ cup old-fashioned oats

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

 

For the cake:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for buttering pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons buttermilk powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup water

2 cups frozen blueberries (if it’s blueberry season, use fresh and reduce baking time slightly)

 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch pan.
    
2. Prepare crumb topping: In a mixing bowl incorporate all ingredients together until mixture forms large, clumpy crumbs. It’s easiest if you use your hands. Set aside.
    
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk powder, and cinnamon.
    
4. In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until lightened, about 3-5 minutes with a stand mixer, longer with a hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla.
    
5. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the water in two additions. With each addition mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
    
6. Gently fold in blueberries. Spread cake batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly on top.
   
    
   
7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
    
8. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack or cutting into slices directly in the pan.
   

Recipe: Honey and Rosemary Toasted Almonds

Honey, rosemary, almonds, along with a chunk of Stilton. A little snack of harmony. These flavors go together so well and come together so easily you can make this treat just for yourself at the end of a long day. Or you can share it as an elegant lightly sweet, lightly salty, aromatic accompaniment to the holiday cocktails that are just around the corner. If you are serving it to more than four people, you'll probably want to double the recipe.

 

Makes 1 cup

Preparation time: 30 minutes

 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup whole blanched almonds

1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk together oil and honey. Toss together with almonds and rosemary.
   
   
   
   
2. Spread mixture on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, rotating pan halfway through, for a total cooking time of about 20 minutes.
    
3. Allow the almonds to cool long enough in the pan for them to lose their fresh-out-of-the-oven softness and take on a nice crisp crunch.

Recipe: Chickpea and Sunflower Seed Hummus

A neighborhood mom and fellow Park Slope Food Co-op member has for months been raving to me about sunflower seed butter. It took me a while to make room for yet another nut butter in the fridge (next to the peanut and almond butters) but when I finally got around to trying sunflower seed butter, I could definitely see its appeal. Slightly sweet, very creamy and very rich, but it has the delicate flavor of sunflowers. It was almost too rich for me to spread on a slice of bread. Doing that kind of felt like eating sesame tahini straight up. And that’s when I tried making hummus with this instead of tahini. With sunflower seed butter, the hummus is mellow and very smooth and buttery. So buttery, that I didn’t even need to drizzle in any olive oil. I added some scallions for a spike of sharp, green flavor and my new favorite hummus was born.

This hummus tastes just right to me when it’s had a chance to sit for about an hour or so. The garlic and scallion become more pronounced as time goes on. After a day or two, my kids deem it "too spicy" (but I still like it).

 

Makes about 2 cups

Preparation time: 5 minutes, plus resting time, if desired

 

2 cups cooked chick peas, with some of the cooking liquid reserved

3 tablespoons sunflower seed butter

3 scallions, white and light green parts roughly chopped

1-2 cloves garlic

Kosher salt to taste (start with about 1/2 teaspoon and add more as necessary)

Fresh lemon juice to taste (start with about a teaspoon, going up to about 3 teaspoons)

 

1. In a food processor or with an immersion blender, process all ingredients together until very smooth. Moisten with cooking liquid and process again until you get a thick, dip-like consistency that will hold on to pretzels, crackers, and veggie sticks.
    
2. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice as desired.

 

Recipe: Pimento Cheese Spread, Zesty Happy Hour Version

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I’ve got a spicier, more grown-up version of pimento cheese spread. To add a little kick that goes well with beer and crackers, I first made a few substitutions. Hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese took the place of plain Monterey Jack and hot mustard replaced yellow mustard. On top of that, I added scallions and horseradish. It’s not crazy hot, but it does have a pleasant heat that is definitely not for kids.

 Here are the ingredients that make this grown-up pimento cheese spread different
from the lunchbox version.

 

Preparation time 5 minutes

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

 

4 ounces sharp orange cheddar, cubed

4 ounces hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese

¼ cup sliced, drained pimentos (such as Cento pimientos)

¼ cup cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons crème fraiche

White and light green portions of two scallions, roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

2-3 teaspoons grated horseradish (the fresher it is, the hotter)

1 teaspoon hot mustard (I used Colman’s mustard)

1 clove garlic, finely minced or passed through a garlic press

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Pinch Kosher salt (to taste)

Optional (for heat lovers): hot sauce (such as Tabasco), to taste

 

1. Place all ingredients except salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-blended and more or less the consistency of a small curd cottage cheese. Salt to taste. Add hot sauce if desired.
   
2. In order for the garlic, horseradish, and scallion flavors to develop, make the spread a couple hours ahead of serving and refrigerate until shortly before serving. Allow the spread to come to room temperature, or at least lose its chill, before serving.

 

 

 

Recipe: Lunchbox Pimento Cheese Spread

The first time, and, up until very recently, the last time I had pimento cheese spread was in Louisville, Kentucky, where I spent the summer after graduating college. I taught at a summer enrichment program for at-risk children. Whenever we had a break to run out and get food, the teachers would go to a nearby supermarket and pick up provisions. As soon as I tasted the odd, lumpy orange spread that someone had brought back, I was hooked. Every few days I stopped by the prepared food/deli section and pick up a container of it. I really had no idea what was in it but I loved the stuff. I’d roll it up with lettuce and avocado in flatbread or sometimes just scoop it up with Triscuits. Yet when the summer was over, my love affair with pimento cheese seemed to end as quickly as it began.

Until the heat of this summer hit New York. Somewhere in the dusty recesses of my brain I must associate pimento cheese with stiflingly hot weather and kids. Out of nowhere I started to crave pimento cheese sandwiches and wanted to put them in my kids’ lunchboxes for summer camp.

Fortunately, I was able to consult with my hair stylist buddy, born and raised in the South, while getting my hair cut the other day. Cheddar, pimentos, garlic (usually in powder or salt form, she told me), and mayonnaise are the main characters in most versions of pimento cheese. Variations include cameos by cream cheese, hot pepper, and pickles. She always ate it between two slices of Sunbeam white bread.

I weighed my options and considered a few additions. I didn’t want to stray too far from the classic version. The mayonnaise, though, had to go. I love homemade mayonnaise, but in this heat, I really didn’t want to make up a batch. Of course, I could’ve used mayonnaise from a jar, but I felt there had to be another, less oily option. Crème fraiche has a very similar consistency that would help make the cheese mixture more spreadable, plus it adds a nice mild tang.

If my pimento cheese spread was going to stand a chance of making it into my kids’ lunchbox rotation, it couldn’t be too spicy. So I stuck with mild and lightly tangy flavors. It turned out to be perfect comfort food, delicious in a sandwich spread with a light layer or sweet relish. And instead of Sunbeam, I used an all-natural honey oatmeal bread that is just as soft. My younger daughter loved helping me make it. She’s good at dumping things into the food processor and pressing the button (supervised, of course!). My older daughter loved eating it. And so did I.

P.S. A happy hour pimento cheese spread to enjoy with beer is next on my list. Stay tuned for jalapeno- and horseradish-spiked version.

 

Preparation time 5 minutes

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

 

4 ounces sharp orange cheddar, cubed

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese

¼ cup sliced pimentos (such as Cento pimientos) 

¼ cup cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons crème fraiche

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 clove garlic, finely minced or passed through a garlic press

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

pinch Kosher salt (to taste)

 

1. Place all ingredients except salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-blended and more or less the consistency of a small curd cottage cheese. Salt to taste.
   
   
2. In order for the garlic flavor to develop, make the spread a couple hours ahead of serving and refrigerate until shortly before serving. Allow the spread to come to room temperature, or at least lose its chill, before serving. Delicious with crackers or in a sandwich with soft sliced bread and relish.
   

 

 

Recipe: Fresh and Bright Guacamole

This has been a guacamole summer for me so far. I never really made the stuff much before, but since May, I’ve been whipping up a batch about once a week. I’ve found that salty corn tortilla chips, a beer, and a generous bowl of guacamole is a very pleasant way to wind down a day. Especially when the creamy guacamole is loaded with a spectrum of fresh flavors and just enough heat.

Though red onion is more common in guacamole than shallots, I like the mild sweetness that shallots contribute to the mix of flavors. But, of course, feel free to use a tablespoon of minced red onion if you like prefer.

If I don’t have fresh jalapenos on-hand or if I just want a deeper, slightly smoky guacamole, I use a dab of chipotle in adobo sauce. You can buy a small can of it and, after opening it, store it in a jar in the fridge until you need it again.

 

Makes about 2 cups

Preparation time: 10 minutes

 

2 medium ripe and tender hass avocados

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, pith removed, and minced

1 small tomatillo, minced

1 small shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, passed through garlic press, or mashed well with the salt

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

Juice of up to 1 lime

¾ to 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, to taste

 

1. Scoop the avocado flesh into a mixing bowl along with the pepper, tomatillo, shallot, garlic, and cilantro. Add the juice from about half the lemon and ½ teaspoon or so of the salt.
   
2. Using an electric hand mixer, working up to high speed, blend the ingredients together until creamy. If you like a chunky guacamole, use a potato masher instead, or use the electric hand mixer just until you reach the consistency you like. If you want a very silky guacamole, use an immersion blender.
   
3. Taste and season with additional lime juice and salt as desired.

Recipe: Miniature Spinach Tarts

My sister called me the other day on her way to the grocery store. Her in-laws were arriving in town in about an hour. She wanted to welcome them with a little something to eat and thought of these spinach tarts I had made a while back. I wished I had posted this recipe online already but it was easy enough to talk her through over the phone.

If you keep a box of frozen spinach and a sheet of frozen puff pastry in the freezer you can make this hors d’oeuvres on very little notice.  There are a few other ingredients as well, but in a pinch you can substitute the feta cheese with any cheese you have in the fridge and use sour cream, crème fraiche, or even cream cheese in place of the cream.

 

Makes 24 mini spinach tarts

Preparation time: 25 minutes

 

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (I usually use Pepperidge Farm, but there are excellent all-butter ones out there), roughly 9 ½ by 10 ½ inches and a little more than 1/8 inch thick

1 well-packed cup cooked spinach, with all excess water squeezed out (this equals one package of frozen spinach, defrosted and drained of all excess water)

¼ cup crumbled feta or ricotta salata

2 tablespoons cream

1 egg

Freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt, to taste (keeping in mind the saltiness of feta if you are using it)

Zest of half lemon

A few gratings of nutmeg

 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Allow to defrost slightly at room temperature while you prepare spinach filling.
   
2. In a food processor, pulse together spinach, cheese, cream, egg, salt, lemon zest, and nutmeg until well combined and lightly pureed.
   
3. When the puff pastry has softened slightly but is still quite cold, unfold it and roll it out slightly ib a non-stick or lightly floured surface just to thin it out a bit, until it is roughly 10 x 13 to 14 inches. Cut the puff pastry into 24 squares. If some of them are a little narrow, don’t worry about it; they are easy enough to stretch out by hand as you fill the muffin pan.
   
   
   
4. Press a cut square/rectangle gently into each of the cups of a miniature muffin pan. Make sure the pastry dough is pressed against the inner surfaces of the muffin cup but without pressing overly hard into the dough. (If you press too hard and start to warm up the dough a lot, the tarts will be more difficult to remove when they are cooked. They don't have to look perfect, though. If the corners stick out at odd angles or the dough doesn't come right up to the top edge, that's fine. Once they puff up, they'll look great.)
    
    
5. With two small spoons, place a teaspoon or so of the filling into each of the puff pastry cups.
   
   
6. Bake until puff pastry is golden brown, about 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and let tarts cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing them. They should come out very easily, but you can use a small offset spatula to help loosen any stubborn tarts. 
   
   

 

Recipe: Devilled Eggs with Smoked Paprika and Tarragon

Here’s an idea for those leftover Easter eggs. After all the fuss in the kitchen this weekend, these came together quickly and disappeared even more quickly. I’m a big fan of smoked paprika, which goes really nicely here with the egg yolks, shallots, low-fat mayonnaise (a small repentance for the Easter brunch gluttony), mustard, and a little sprinkle of fresh tarragon. If you want to fancy the eggs up a bit, use a pastry tube to fill the eggs. I just spooned the filling right into the yolks.

 

Makes 6 devilled eggs

Preparation time: 10 minutes

 

3 hard-boiled eggs, cooled

1 teaspoon minced shallots

4 teaspoons mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon mustard (I used Colman’s which is hot and just a tad sweet; Dijon mustard would also be good)

Minced fresh tarragon, as garnish

Pinch Kosher salt, to taste

 

1. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop or pop out the yolks into a small mixing bowl.
   
   
2. Add shallots, mayonnaise, paprika, mustard and salt to yolks. With an electric hand mixer, blend the ingredients on medium speed until smooth and slightly lightened, about 3 minutes.
   
   
3. Lay the egg whites face up and spoon the filling into the egg white hollows.
    
4. Sprinkle with a few bits of minced tarragon.
   
   
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Recipe: Chocolate Swirl Bread

Warm and chocolatey – what a way to start the weekend. I had some left-over pizza dough (Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything recipe) from the night before and rolled it up with chocolate ganache. It came out of the oven so beautiful and disappeared so quickly, I made two more loaves the next day, tweaking the ingredients just a bit.

Yeasted doughs can be intimidating, but this one is really easy, especially if you have a food processor. If you prefer, you can get the dough started the night before and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. 

 

Preparation time: 3 hours 20 minutes (includes 2 hours for rising and 50 minutes for baking)

Makes one loaf

 

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more for kneading and rolling

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for greasing bowl and bread loaf pan

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or ½ cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

one large egg, separated

 

1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.
    
2. With the processor running continuously, drizzle in the melted butter and 1 cup of warm water through the feed tube. The ingredients should begin to form a ball shortly after these ingredients are incorporated. If not, drizzle in a couple additional tablespoons of water.
    
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. If the dough is too loose and wet, work in a little more flour.
    
4. Place the dough into a buttered mixing bowl, rolling the dough around in it briefly to coat the dough lightly with butter. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and allow dough to rise for 2 hours in a warm spot, until about doubled in size.
   
    
5. While the dough is rising, prepare chocolate ganache spread: place chocolate in a small mixing bowl. Heat cream just to boiling and then pour over chocolate. Leave undisturbed for about 5 minutes, until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk chocolate and cream together until smooth. Whisk in egg yolk. Allow ganache to set slightly in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before using.
   
   
6. Preheat oven 350°F. Butter an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan.
    
7. Roll the dough out to roughly 13” x 18” on a lightly floured surface. (I use my silicone liner as both the rolling surface and a size guide.) Spread ganache on surface of dough, leaving about ½-inch border. Roll dough into a log, beginning with a long edge.
   
   
8. Cut dough in the middle. Stretch out dough slightly and twist the two lengths of dough together. Place the twisted dough into the loaf pan, tucking the end down towards the bottom of the pan.
   
   
   
9. Brush the exposed surface of the dough with egg white. Bake for 50 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
   
   

 

Recipes: Garlic & Herb Popcorn, All-Natural Cracker Jacks

The Oscars have me thinking about popcorn.

The garlic and herb popcorn is a favorite with my kids and rivals Veggie Booty as an anytime snack. It’s made with an unusual combination of dried herbs. Most herbs have very little taste in their dry form, but these three tend to hold on to their flavor pretty well.

My all-natural version of Cracker Jacks is a hit with my husband who likes sweets that tend more towards the subtle and bittersweet. They’re made with barley malt and coconut butter instead of the genetically modified corn syrup and soy lecithin that is often found in the packaged variety. And it is much, much simpler to make that traditional caramel corn.

I find both varieties somewhat addictive.

 

Garlic and Herb Popcorn

Makes 10 cups

Preparation time: About 10 minutes

1 tablespoon dried dill

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon powdered garlic (not garlic salt)

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

½ cup popcorn kernels 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. In a spice grinder, pulse herbs, salt and garlic together into a fine powder. 
    
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add grapeseed oil. When oil is hot, add popcorn kernels. Cover saucepan and shake to distribute oil evenly among kernels. When you hear the first few pops, turn the heat to medium-low and open the lid just a crack to allow the steam to escape. Replace lid to shake saucepan occasionally.
   
3. When popping has slowed down, transfer popped corn into a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over popcorn while stirring to coat evenly. Toss in garlic and herb topping.

All-Natural Cracker Jacks

Makes about 11 cups

Preparation time: About 40 minutes

 

½ cup coconut butter

1 cup barley malt syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

½ cup popcorn kernels

1 cup roasted peanuts (I prefer Spanish peanuts)

 

1. Preheat oven to 225°F.
    
2. Over a medium-low flame, heat coconut butter, barley malt, vanilla, and salt until melted and hot, but not bubbling.Set aside.
    
3. Prepare popcorn: Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add grapeseed oil. When oil is hot, add popcorn kernels. Cover saucepan and shake to distribute oil evenly among kernels. When you hear the first few pops, turn the heat to medium-low and open the lid just a crack to allow the steam to escape. Replace lid to shake saucepan occasionally.
    
4. When popping has slowed down, transfer popped corn into a large bowl along with the peanuts. Drizzle the syrup over the popcorn and nuts, stirring gently to coat evenly.
    
5. Spread dressed popcorn on a baking sheet. Bake until coating has hardened, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer to a cool baking sheet to cool completely.