Category: BREADS, BISCUITS & MUFFINS

Bittman Batter is Better – Corn Fritters

Sorry Tami and Martha.  I tried to schedule this but it kept showing up here.
Stop by and taste my newest gluten free creation at Comfy Cook.
Join me at My Sweet and Savory where all the baked goods are.
I love corn fritters even though they are fried or maybe because they are fried. Mark Bittman has a recipe for what is now my favorite corn fritter recipe. To continue, in this month’s theme, of pancakes, I am going to share his recipe with you.
Every corn fritter, I have made has had sugar in it and even when it is not called for, I add a little but not with this recipe. If I am going to follow a Bittman recipe, I will try to stay as true, as I can. (It did not need the sugar)
I think, what made this so good, is that the eggs are separated and it has some heat to it.
I guess, every recipe has a story, and this is no different. I had cooked two batches of the pancakes and was happy with that extra height, coming from the beaten egg whites. It is important to be gentle with this batter so as not to lose this. My hubby, who is one of those men, who always helps, when necessary. He will throw a wash in the washing machine, do dishes, vacuum. He is great. Sometimes, he helps when I don’t want him to and that is what happened.
I had a cake in the oven, at the same time, I was making the pancakes and I muttered something like, “I have to take the cake out.” Harmless, one would think. He asked if he could get the cake for me and I said, no because I wanted to check it for doneness. Then, he offered to make some more pancakes and I said that he did not know how to do it and went to get the cake. When I stood up, there he was, beating the mixture in the bowl with a joy, you would not believe – you know that batter that should be gently handled.
Bottom line – Maybe it does not have to be handled so gently or maybe, I screeched early enough to save it but the pancakes turned out fine.
Thai Style Corn Pancakes (ever so slightly adapted)

Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 chopped scallion
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
2 cups frozen corn
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used gluten free rice flour mix)
3 to 4 tablespoons canola oil, as needed

Method:

Combine the egg yolks, scallions, hot paprika, corn, soy sauce, and flour in a large bowl.

Mix everything together and season well with salt and pepper.
Beat the egg whites in a different bowl until they are stiff and form peaks.
Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the corn mixture. You want the whites to be loosely folded in with the rest of the ingredients so they do not lose any of their airiness.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter or oil is hot, spoon in pancake-sized dollops into the pan, around 4 to 6 at a time. (I got six in my electric fry pan, each time and made one jumbo one, for the fun of it. These would make great crepes. I will have to try making them.)
Cook each pancake until they are nicely browned on one side, around 3 to 5 minutes, and then turn and brown on the other side. Add additional oil as needed in between each batch until you have cooked all of your corn mixture.
Drain on paper towels.
I would serve these plain although Bittman gives choices of sauces or just a squirt of lime. I would also add some more heat, whether it be additional hot paprika or chili powder of cayenne.

Mexican French Bread Pizza: Lovin’ From the Oven

Thank goodness for good online recipe sites. My favorite two are Taste of Home and All Recipes. If I am in a cooking rut, I am almost 100% guaranteed to find something delicious there. Here is an easy meal that all the family is sure to love. Add or subtract ingredients according to your tastes.

Mexican French Bread Pizza:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 can (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced French bread
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby Jack cheese
In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Add salsa, olives, salt, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin. Slice the loaf of French bread in half lengthwise. Spread equal amounts of the ground beef mixture on each half. Sprinkle one cup of cheese on each half. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

What makes biscuits rise?
Baking Powder and Baking Soda are both leaveners and when activated create carbon dioxide which produces the rise. Baking Soda aka sodium bicarbonate has been commonly used for 200 years and works by simple chemistry. It’s reaction is immediate, but does not continue once the biscuits are in the oven. Ironically Baking Powder is the main ingredient in Baking Soda, but baking powder also includes an acid or two. Double acting baking powder is the perfect one for biscuits because it has the immediate acting acid as well as the heat activated acid. In order to use baking powder alone you have to use way too much and it dries out the dough. So finding the perfect combination of baking powder and baking soda is the key to tall and fluffy biscuits.

PERFECT TALL & FLUFFY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS  
2 cups flour + 1 cup flour  
1 tablespoon double acting baking powder  
1 tablespoon sugar  
1 teaspoon salt  
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons butter, diced  
2 tablespoons butter, melted  
1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  • Spray a 9 inch cake pan with PURE.
  • In a food processor pulse dry ingredients several times to combine.
  • Add butter pieces scattered over dry ingredients and pulse until crumbly.
  • Transfer to a medium bowl.
  • Stir in buttermilk. (Dough will be wet and lumpy).
  • Spray a 1/4 cup measure with PURE.
  • In a mixing bowl add the remaining 1 cup flour.
  • Drop the dough 1/4 cup at a time into the flour.
  • Shape into 12 balls. Shaking off excess flour.
  • Arrange balls (9 around the perimeter and 3 in the center) in the pan.
  • Brush tops of dough with melted butter.
  • Bake 5 minutes.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees.
  • Bake another 15 minutes.
  • Cool 2 minutes.
  • Invert biscuits into a clean towel, turn right side up breakaing them apart and cool another 5 minutes.

final blog signature. ♥

BLUEBERRY CORN MUFFINS with a HINT OF CHOCOALTE



1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Bacardi rum
1/3 cup dried wild blueberries
1/4 cup chocolate pieces

  • Pour rum over the blueberries and let sit an hour or so at room temperature.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners or use a new toy like mine!
  • In a large bowl, sift together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt.
  • Add eggs, oil and milk; whisking gently to combine.
  • Drain blueberries.
  • Fold in blueberries and chocolate pieces.
  • Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups or pans.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

aprons 3

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA RUM RAISIN BREAD

It’s National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a new recipe. The only thing that would make this better was to add some milk chocolate chips – always next time.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA RUM RAISIN BREAD
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 jumbo eggs
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup Parrot Bay coconut rum
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
2 large, RIPE bananas, pureed
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 hour to 1 day before pour rum over raisins and let sit at room temperature.
  • In a medium saucepan melt butter.
  • Add brown sugar and bananas in a sauce pan.
  • Cook until smooth and then add nuts and raisins.
  • Stir until well coated & set aside to cool.
  • Cream peanut butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
  • Add this to the creamed mixture gradually until well blended.
  • Add cooled banana mixture.
  • Pour into greased and floured pan(s)*
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45+ minutes.

*This recipe will make 2 large loaves or 1 cake.

FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
  • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

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Babka: Lovin’ From the Oven

Have you ever picked up an old cookbook off of your shelf, you know, one that you have used for decades and turned it to a recipe you haven’t seen for ages and suddenly been transported to the last time you tasted that dish? That happened to me recently with this recipe. It is excellent. It’s not quite a bread and it’s not quite a cake. It can be served for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Babka:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water
2 pkg yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raisins
topping:
1 egg white
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter
In a small sauce pan, heat milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast, stirring until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, stick of butter, eggs, egg yolk and 3 cups flour. With electric mixer, beat until smooth and blended. Stir in remaining flour, stirring until dough leaved side of bowl. Mix in raisins. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Turn dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until dough is 1/2 inch from the top of the pan. Meanwhile, make the topping by mixing flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl with a pastry blender. Brush the egg white on top of the babka and then sprinkle on the topping. Bake 350 degrees 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack 15 minutes. To serve, remove from the pan and cut in wedges.

This is SO good!!!!

APRICOT RUM RAISINS

APRICOT RUM RAISINS

1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons yeast
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
  • In a saucepan melt butter.
  • Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
  • Cool 5-10 minutes so you don’t kill the yeast.
  • Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
  • Add the eggs until uniform consisitency.
  • In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
  • Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
  • Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
  • Let rise an hour in a warm place.
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. If you prefer a drizzle thin out this frosting with a couple extra tablespoons of milk until desired consistency.
Cream cheese apricot raisin filling
1 bag large dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped

1/4 cup golden rum

  • Soak apricots and raisins in rum for an hour or overnight.
  • Drain off rum.
  • Set aside.
8oz pkg cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoons grated orange peel
  • Blend cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar and orange peel together until smooth.
  • Fold in apricots and raisins into the cream cheese mixture. Or my favorite is to fill them as 2 separate fillings with the cream cheese first and the apricot in the center of that.

BANANA PINEAPPLE RAISIN NUT BREAD OR CAKE & PINEAPPLE MOJITOS

BANANA RAISIN NUT BREAD OR CAKE
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, 1/2 soft & 1/2 melted
2 jumbo eggs
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins, currants or craisins
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
2 large, RIPE bananas
1 small can pineapple, well drained BUT RESERVED
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and bananas in a sauce pan.
  • Cook until smooth and then add pineapple, nuts and raisins.
  • Stir until well coated & set aside to cool.
  • Cream softened butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
  • Add this to the creamed mixture gradually until well blended.
  • Add cooled banana mixture.
  • Pour into greased and floured pan(s)*
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45+ minutes.

*This recipe will make 2 large loaves or 1 cake. If making bread, skip the frosting.









FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
  • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

PINEAPPLE MOJITOS
reserved pineapple juice
jigger rum
jigger mojito mix

  • Mix and enjoy!

ORANGE BANANA NUT BREAD or LEMON BANANA NUT BREAD


ORANGE BANANA NUT BREAD or LEMON BANANA NUT BREAD
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/3 cup shredded coconut
2 medium or 3 small RIPE bananas
2 eggs
6 oz. can unsweetened orange juice concentrate*
1 tablespoon butter, melted

  • Sift together the dry ingredients.
  • In a large mixing bowl blend together the orange juice concentrate, bananas and eggs.
  • Blend in nuts, coconut and raisins.
  • Add flour mixture until well mixed.
  • Pour into greased loaf pan.
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Immediately top with melted butter.

*I use a large can as the small cans are getting hard to find, but using a large serrated knife, cut it in half and then make juice out of the other half. This recipe is also good if you substitute lemonade for the orange juice.

BANANA NUT MUFFINS or BANANA BLUEBERRY NUT MUFFINS


BANANA NUT MUFFINS or BANANA BLUEBERRY NUT MUFFINS
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 sticks of butter, softened
2 jumbo eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 VERY ripe bananas*
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup crushed walnuts

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a medium saucepan melt one stick of butter.
  • Puree bananas.
  • Add brown sugar, raisins and pureed banana. Stir until well blended and remove from heat.
  • In a large mixing bowl cream together 1 stick of butter, eggs and sugar.
  • Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.
  • Gradually add flour mixture into creamed mixture until well blended.
  • Add in the brown sugar mixture until smooth and consistent.
  • If making the Banana Blueberry version, fold in the blueberries last.
  • Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes.

*to make Banana Blueberry Nut use one less banana and add 1+ cup blueberries.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI POTATO CHEESE SOUP & SOUR CREAM BISCUITS





CREAM OF BROCCOLI POTATO CHEESE SOUP
2 cups frozen hash browns
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, minced
1 Vidalia Onion, chopped
1 large crown broccoli, chopped
3-4 cups boiling water (depending on desired consistency)
2 tablespoons Better Bouillon
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
salt & pepper to taste
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
dash of white pepper
3/4 cup grated aged cheddar cheese

  • Whisk together the 1/2 cup salted butter, minced garlic and white pepper.
  • Fold in grated cheese
  • In a large skillet cook over low heat until it all melts together.
  • Add frozen hash browns and saute’ until golden brown.
  • Add onions and celery. Cook until translucent.
  • In a large saucepan whisk the bouillon into the hot water.
  • Add the carrots, potatoes, celery, broccoli pieces and onions.
  • Simmer on low 1 hour until all vegetables are soft and tender.
  • Mash vegetables.
  • Add cheese and blend well.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

SOUR CREAM BISCUITS
2 3/4 cups self rising flour
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sour cream

  • Preheat oven 450 degrees
  • Mix all ingredients together.
  • Drop evenly into muffin tins.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Makes 12 biscuits.

CHOCOLATE BLACKBERRY MUFFINS



CHOCOLATE BLACKBERRY MUFFINS
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup safflower oil
1 cup blackberry jam (seedless)
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, chopped or chipped smaller
PURE or muffin liners

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Line muffin tin with paper liners or spray with PURE.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
  • Whisk together the milk, egg and oil.
  • Pour into the well.
  • Mix together quickly with a wooden spoon. Do not beat! (The mixture will be slightly lumpy.
  • Fold in the jam and chocolate pieces.
  • Pour into muffin tins.
  • Bake 25 minutes.
  • Cool on wire rack.

Makes 18 muffins*
*Sometimes I will make Texas muffins instead and a couple of muffin tops only!