Creme Fraiche Scones

I've been looking for a good scone recipe for years, and I think this is the one! These are slightly sweet and they would be great for shortcake too. I served them with clotted cream, homemade lemon curd, and cherry-lime-ginger jam that I made from the cherries I harvested this summer.

Black Bean Chili with Skillet Cornbread

I made a big pot of chili for a dinner party the other night, using Anaheim and Pasilla peppers, chipotle in adobo, and a healthy dose of Ancho chile powder for an extra kick. I served it with a dollop of sour cream, some crumbled cotijo cheese, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, and am enjoying the leftovers as I write this post. I also made sweet potatoes baked in foil (with maple butter), and skillet cornbread from this recipe, which is now officially my go-to cornbread recipe.

Millet Cake

Erik made this one- I take no credit- but it was really tasty so I thought I'd share. I think this would be amazing with the addition of some parmesan cheese, or as Erik likes to serve it in the summer, with pesto. Recipe here.

Pizza!

This is Barbara Kingsolver's family pizza dough recipe, and it's very easy to make. It makes two pizzas about 12" in diameter, but you could also use it to make one giant pizza, or a few small ones. Of course there are infinite topping possibilities, but here are three of my seasonal favorites.


For the dough:

3 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 C warm water
3 Tbs olive oil
4 1/2 C flour (BK recommends 2 C whole wheat and 2 1/2 C white)

Dissolve the yeast in the water. After it is thoroughly dissolved, add the salt and oil, and then add the flour, kneading well for about 8 minutes. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for approximately 30-40 minutes in a warm place. When the dough has risen, divide it into two balls and roll each out on a well floured board. Transfer to a floured stone or pan and top with the toppings of your choice. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.


Classic Potato Pizza:

3-4 medium yukon gold potatoes
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Grated mozzarella cheese, to taste

Steam the potatoes until they are just tender. Let cool and then slice into thin slices. Drizzle the pizza dough with olive oil and then arrange the potatoes on top, allowing a little overlap. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary, and drizzle with more oil. Top with the cheese.


Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza:

4 oz soft goat cheese
1 C sun-dried or roasted tomatoes, packed in oil
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Grated mozzarella cheese, to taste

Drizzle the pizza dough with a little olive oil and top with the tomatoes, goat cheese (crumbled or sliced), and herbs. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little more oil, and top with the cheese.


Sweet Potato and Proscuitto Pizza:

1/2 onion, sliced thin
2 Tbs butter
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
1/8 lb proscuitto di parma
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
Grated mozzarella cheese, to taste
Olive oil
Ground pepper

In a small pan, cook the onions in the butter over a low flame, stirring constantly, until caramelized. Meanwhile, steam the sweet potatoes until tender. When the onions are finished, spread them over the pizza dough, and add a little bit of olive oil. Layer the potato chunks, the proscuitto, and the thyme, and season with ground pepper. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Add the mozzarella and sprinkle the parmesan on top.

French Toast Bread Pudding

This is a recipe my mother came up with after we fell in love with something similar at a restaurant when I was a child. It's always a big hit at brunch, and is really good leftover. I recommend soaking it overnight, as it gives the pudding a little extra moisture.


1 C heavy cream
1 C whole milk
4 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
10-12 oz cinnamon challah, cut into slices

Beat together all ingredients except the bread. Break the bread into large chunks and piece it into a greased 8" square baking pan. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover and let soak in the refrigerator at least one and a half hours, or overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Cake Donuts

Cake donuts are my favorite kind, especially Old-Fashioneds. These ones come from the Food Network and are very tasty. I cut mine into star shapes, because I didn't have a round cutter, and then dusted them in cinnamon sugar.

1 gallon vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup canned evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon fine salt
For coating the doughnuts (optional): 1 cup granulated sugar, or 1 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, or 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Melt the shortening in a small saucepan over medium heat. Set aside to cool slightly but still liquid.
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and shortening together on medium speed, until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla, and continue beating until the mixture is light, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, mace, and salt into a medium bowl.

Reduce the mixer's speed to low, add the flour mixture until just combined. (The texture of the dough will be soft and loose.) Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it well. (Make sure you scrap off all the dough clinging to the paddle.) Refrigerate the dough for 4 hours or overnight.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the chilled dough out into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Dip the edges of a 2 1/2-inch-round doughnut cutter in flour and cut the dough into doughnuts. Place the doughnuts and holes on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Put enough vegetable shortening into a tall, heavy-bottomed pot to fill it about a third of the way up. Heat the shortening over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Working in batches, fry the doughnuts and holes, turning once, until they are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to the paper towels to drain and cool. Repeat until all the doughnuts and holes are fried. (Make sure the shortening returns to 375 degrees F. between batches.)

For sugared doughnuts, roll the doughnuts in sugar or cinnamon sugar while they are still warm. To cover the doughnuts with confectioners' sugar, allow them to cool completely before rolling in the sugar.

Yeast Donuts

This recipe is for the fluffier type of donut. They require a little more work, but I think it is worth it! The recipe is from Alton Brown. My only criticism is that the glaze never really set up, so the donuts were a bit sticky. Perhaps more sugar to milk next time? Also, be warned: the dough will seem way too wet, but don't be afraid to really flour it when you are rolling it out, and it will come out fine.


1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 ounces vegetable shortening, approximately 1/3 cup
2 packages instant yeast
1/3 cup warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
About 2 C all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying (1 to 1/2 gallons, depending on fryer)
For the glaze: 1/4 cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter or pastry ring and using a 7/8-inch ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

Once the donuts have cooled, make the glaze. Combine milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until warm. Sift confectioners' sugar into milk mixture. Whisk slowly, until well combined. Remove the glaze from the heat and set over a bowl of warm water.

Dip doughnuts into the glaze, 1 at a time, and set on a draining rack placed in a half sheet pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Cornbread Stuffing

You can make this stuffing with dried cornbread stuffing mixture, but I prefer to make my own cornbread the day before, and let it get a bit stale before I crumble it up.


For the cornbread (follow package instructions):
Cornbread mix
Eggs
Buttermilk
Melted butter

For the stuffing:
1 C diced carrots
1 C diced celery
1 C diced onions
1 large apple, diced
8 chopped garlic cloves
Fresh thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Sage
1/2 C dried cranberries
1 C sliced almonds
1/2 C butter
4 C chicken stock (or vegetable)

Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients except the butter. Stir to combine, and transfer to a large baking dish. Dot with the butter, and bake at 350 for at least one hour, or until the stuffing is as dry or wet as you prefer. If you want the stuffing to be more moist, add more broth or water.

Cornbread

This is a really delicious cornbread recipe that is also healthy. You can add whole eggs and butter instead of oil if you want to fatten it up a bit. Serve with hearty chili or at breakfast, or bake it a little longer, and crumble it up to make a fantastic Thanksgiving stuffing!


1 C yellow cornmeal
1 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
14 oz creamed corn (canned)
1/2 C buttermilk
2 large egg whites
2 tsp corn oil

Mix all ingredients and pour into a square baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.

Zucchini Bread Two Ways

Eric came home from visiting family in Redding this weekend with some wonderful garden-fresh produce, including one enormous zucchini that, when grated, yielded 4 cups. Naturally, I decided to make zucchini bread, and with so much zucchini, I thought I'd try two different recipes. The first comes from Martha Stewart, and the second is from Sheila Lukin's "USA Cookbook." As you can see from the photo, the first one came out much more dense (due to the brown sugar, I think), but they are both very moist. I think I prefer the fluffier lemon version, but both would be a great addition to any breakfast table.

Zucchini Spice Bread

1 3/4 C grated zucchini
1 C light brown sugar
2 Tbs granulated sugar
2/3 C vegetable oil (I used butter because I was out of oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the insides of a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Grate the zucchini and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, oil, vanilla and eggs.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Add to the egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Fold in the zucchini and pour into the prepared pan. Bake about 45-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

Zucchini Lemon Loaf

1 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil (again, I used butter)
1 C granulated sugar
1/4 C sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
1 C grated zucchini
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices, and set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and add the oil and sugar. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the zucchini and nuts. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

Easiest Scones Ever

I used to make these in my dorm kitchen in college, and they were always a big hit. They are easy and fast enough to throw together for a quick breakfast, and they also freeze very well. The scones are like a sweet biscuit, and they are great if you want to add berries or currants to them. They also make the perfect shortcake!

2 C flour
1/3 C sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4- 1 1/2 C heavy cream*
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 1/4 C cream. Fold in with a fork, stirring as little as possible until a shaggy, soft dough forms. Add more cream if necessary.

Drop batter onto an ungreased baking sheet about 2" apart. Brush tops with a little cream and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

*I have made them with milk as well, and it works just fine!