Pumpkin Scones

While she was home over Christmas break, Lauren discovered a recipe for pumpkin scones with cinnamon sugar glaze.  She made them several times to rave reviews.  "The best scones I've ever had!" was a typical reaction.

The basic formula is quite similar to my standard scone; I like to prepare bags of mix (using the food processor) to keep on hand in the fridge.  Today I made a pumpkin variation using my mix rather than starting from scratch.  Every minute saved is a help in the morning!

Here's what I did:
1. To one bag of scone mix, add 1 1/2 tsp cake spice (or combine cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger).
2. Combine

• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup (scant) 1/2 &1/2 or milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

3. Stir wet into dry, knead (it may take a while to come together), roll, cut, and bake scones.  (See my standard recipe for the full notes.)
4. When cool, ice with

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• cream or milk as needed to make a properly thick glaze (depending on how warm the scone is)

Rather than measure, I usually just pour powdered sugar into a large (10 oz) pyrex custard cup.  This is what one exact cup looks like:



If you already know how to make scones, and just want the amounts for my mix, here goes:  2 cups flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 6 Tbsp (regular salted) butter.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Muffins

These muffins are moist and tender, and are actually better the second day. Since some of my children don't care for dried fruit, I'll sometimes scoop a few plain muffins before adding the bits. The mixer is required, vs. my usual dump-and-stir muffins, so they're a less frequent treat. The recipe is (lightly) adapted from Jane Brody's Good Food Book.

1 cup buttermilk (maybe a little more)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour (I use King Arthur's white whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt, optional
3 Tbsp wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 egg

• Combine buttermilk and oatmeal and let stand until liquid is absorbed, at least half an hour. I usually keep it in the fridge overnight or microwave it for a minute or two to get a head start.
• Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Add dried fruit, making sure it's not stuck together.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light. Beat in the honey and the egg.
• In alternating batches, add the flour mixture and the oat mixture to the butter mixture, stirring to moisten the dry ingredients after each addition. (I use the mixer on low.)
• Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups (#16 scoop). Bake at 400* for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Notes:

• The recipe calls for raisins, which are my last choice. I prefer dried apricots, dates, peaches, cherries, craisins, etc. Mix and match to your taste. I prefer pieces that are smaller than raisins.

• Don't be surprised--the batter is quite stiff. Sometimes I add more buttermilk, especially if I microwaved the oatmeal too long. It works best to add extra buttermilk to the oat mixture, but you won't know what it should look like until you've made your first batch. Don't worry--they're yummy!

Banana Muffins

At our house these are actually called banana-chocolate chip muffins, because the "optional" chocolate is omitted only during Lent. ;-)

This recipe is adapted from one in Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I like it because it uses up a lot of banana and because it calls for a measured amount of mashed fruit rather than the less precise number of whole bananas.

-

Dry Ingredients

2 cups flour (I use white whole wheat)

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

-

Wet Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 4 each)

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

• Whisk together most of the dry ingredients, then stir in the chocolate chips.
• Whisk together the wet ingredients.
• Pour wet into the dry and stir gently to combine.
• Scoop into 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
• Bake at 375 degrees until toothpick comes out dry, 20-22 minutes.
• Enjoy!

Notes:

• If you don't have enough banana, you may substitute some applesauce. I keep some single serving applesauce on hand to top off banana or pumpkin for muffins. (Once in a while I even let the children eat some...)
• Make ahead tip: Prep the wet and dry ingredients (separately!) the night before. Instead of mixing everything together, layer the wet ingredients, covering the banana with the eggs and oil. They'll seal out the air, keeping the banana pretty. (This picture shows enough for a double batch.)

• For longer storage, keep the dry ingredients in a bag in the fridge or pantry. Stir the wet ingredients together and freeze in a bag or container. The banana mixture will turn brown, but that won't affect the final muffins. I haven't tried my layering trick in the freezer. The eggs need to be mixed in before freezing, but mixing just egg and banana and then covering with oil might keep everything more attractive, not that it's really a big deal.
• These are big muffins. You could easily get 15-16 smaller muffins, but since I like to bake just one pan at a time, a batch of 12 is most efficient for me.

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe makes two 9" x 13" pans of soft, sweet, buttery, cinnamony rolls. They are irresistible! I've slightly adapted it from a recipe from my mom's friend's mother-in-law, Adelaide.

Rolls:
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cold butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 pkg yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
6 cups (+) flour

Filling:
1 cup softened butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
cream or milk
splash of vanilla, optional

Heat the 2 cups milk (but don't boil). Pour into mixing bowl and add butter, cut in chunks. Let butter melt (which will cool the milk, too). When the milk is lukewarm (105-115 degrees F), add sugar, egg, and yeast. Let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to foam. Add salt and 3 cups flour, mixing well. Add remaining flour and knead into a soft dough. You may need more flour. (In a Kitchen Aid mixer, mix on speed 2 until the dough clears the sides of the bowl--sprinkling more flour if necessary--then mix for 2 more minutes.) Cover and let rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients.

Punch down the risen dough. Roll 1/2 the dough into a rectangle, about 12" x 18". I like to work on freezer paper taped to the counter. I made a few marks on it to guide the size of my rectangle. Spread with the filling, leaving about 1/2" strip of dough plain. Roll up the dough along the long side and pinch the edges to seal.

[I misread the recipe this time--that picture shows only HALF the recommended filling...]
Cut into 20 pieces. I cut the long roll in half, then each of those in half, leaving four smaller logs. Cut each of these into 5 pieces. Try to make the thicknesses similar. Some rolls will be wider than others, because the center of your original roll is bigger than the ends. Just put the smaller ones in the middle of the pan. Lay these 20 rolls in a greased 9" x 13" pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
I make the first cut with a knife, but use unwaxed dental floss (or at least unflavored, if that's all I can find) for all the rest. Ease it under the dough and wrap it around the top. Pull the two ends in opposite directions, and you'll make a beautiful, clean cut that doesn't smush the roll out of shape.

Cover and let rise again until almost double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. I bake only one pan at a time.

Glaze while hot or warm or cool. Mix the powdered sugar with cream or milk (and optional vanilla) to achieve the proper consistency. If you are glazing hot rolls, make the icing very thick; it will melt all over. The cooler the rolls, the thinner your icing can start out. You may want to spread icing on one roll and watch it for a few minutes to decide whether or not to add more milk.

These are, of course, best eaten warm. Microwaving a cool roll for just a few seconds works wonders.

Make-ahead tips:
The rolls pictured here were mixed, risen, spread, and cut one night then put in the fridge. In the morning I warmed the oven SLIGHTLY, put a Pyrex of boiling water on the floor, and let the rolls rise in there. Then I baked one pan at a time.

My mom and I have had success baking the rolls ahead and then freezing them (uniced and out of the pan) wrapped in plastic and foil. When ready to serve, just put in pans, thaw (overnight at room temperature), warm in the oven (covered with foil), and glaze.

I think they are best freshly baked, so for Christmas 2008 I am going to try freezing the raw sliced rolls, thawing them in the fridge, and baking in the morning. I'll update the recipe with my success or failure.

UPDATE: I made the Christmas rolls just a day ahead, but my sister froze some shaped rolls. She said they thawed and baked up beautifully. Now we know!

Note: I've copied all this text below without pictures for anyone who wants to print just the recipe. Bon Appetit!

Bonus picture: Here's the island late at night after roll making and birthday decorating. Yes, I went to bed with it looking like that! I did get up early enough to raise and bake the rolls and get everything clean again. I must clear and wash that thing at least three times a day...

Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe makes two 9" x 13" pans of soft, sweet, buttery, cinnamony rolls. They are irresistible! I've slightly adapted it from a recipe from my mom's friend's mother-in-law, Adelaide.

Rolls:
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cold butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 pkg yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
6 cups (+) flour

Filling:
1 cup softened butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
cream or milk
splash of vanilla, optional

Heat the 2 cups milk (but don't boil). Pour into mixing bowl and add butter, cut in chunks. Let butter melt (which will cool the milk, too). When the milk is lukewarm (105-115 degrees F), add sugar, egg, and yeast. Let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to foam. Add salt and 3 cups flour, mixing well. Add remaining flour and knead into a soft dough. You may need more flour. (In a Kitchen Aid mixer, mix on speed 2 until the dough clears the sides of the bowl--sprinkling more flour if necessary--then mix for 2 more minutes.) Cover and let rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients.

Punch down the risen dough. Roll 1/2 the dough into a rectangle, about 12" x 18". I like to work on freezer paper taped to the counter. I made a few marks on it to guide the size of my rectangle. Spread with the filling, leaving about 1/2" strip of dough plain. Roll up the dough along the long side and pinch the edges to seal.

Cut into 20 pieces. I cut the long roll in half, then each of those in half, leaving four smaller logs. Cut each of these into 5 pieces. Try to make the thicknesses similar. Some rolls will be wider than others, because the center of your original roll is bigger than the ends. Just put the smaller ones in the middle of the pan. Lay these 20 rolls in a greased 9" x 13" pan. Repeat with remaining dough.

I make the first cut with a knife, but use UN-waxed dental floss for all the rest. Ease it under the dough and wrap it around the top. Pull the two ends in opposite directions, and you'll make a beautiful, clean cut that doesn't smush the roll out of shape.

Cover and let rise again until almost double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. I bake only one pan at a time.

Glaze while hot or warm or cool. Mix the powdered sugar with cream or milk (and optional vanilla) to achieve the proper consistency. If you are glazing hot rolls, make the icing very thick; it will melt all over. The cooler the rolls, the thinner your icing can start out. You may want to spread icing on one roll and watch it for a few minutes to decide whether or not to add more milk.

These are, of course, best eaten warm. Microwaving a cool roll for just a few seconds works wonders.

Make-ahead tips:
The rolls pictured here were mixed, risen, spread, and cut one night then put in the fridge. In the morning I warmed the oven SLIGHTLY, put a Pyrex of boiling water on the floor, and let the rolls rise in there. Then I baked one pan at a time.

My mom and I have had success baking the rolls ahead and then freezing them (uniced and out of the pan) wrapped in plastic and foil. When ready to serve, just put in pans, thaw (overnight at room temperature), warm in the oven (covered with foil), and glaze.

I think they are best freshly baked, so for Christmas2008 I am going to try freezing the raw sliced rolls, thawing them in the fridge, and baking in the morning. I'll update the recipe with my success or failure.

Bon Appetit!

Oma's Plum Kuchen

When those Italian plums (prune plums) show up in the grocery store in late summer, I always think of Oma. She had a dough recipe that she used for making sticky buns, pineapple rolls, and most importantly, plum kuchen (koo-ken). She was a loving grandmother and a great cook, and was so generous with her time and talent. (Among other things, she made me some special birthday cakes and gave me the cake decorating bug.)

I hardly ever buy the plums or try to bake with them myself, but this year I went crazy and bought a five pound box at Costco! Let me tell you, that is A LOT of little plums! I came home and almost desperately prepared a batch of kuchen. Yum! I finished the box a few days later with another 1/2 batch, which is documented below. I've adapted it a bit, as is my usual practice (can't leave well enough alone...). Enjoy.

By the way, there are many kinds of kuchen. This one is essentially bread and fruit, and is only lightly sweetened. I think some are much sweeter and cakier in texture, but this is the kuchen I've always known and loved.

Kuchen
2 cups milk
2 pkgs yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
2 Tbsp instant potato
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
6-7 cups flour
1 egg
Italian plums (40-50)
cinnamon sugar

• Heat milk to 105-115* and pour some into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add instant potato and yeast and stir to dissolve.
• Add butter to the remaining milk and heat just enough to melt the butter. Add sugar and salt, stir, and set aside to cool slightly.
• Add some flour to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed. Add egg and some more flour and continue mixing. Gradually add the warm milk/butter mixture and continue mixing. Continue adding flour in small amounts (speed 2 on Kitchen Aid) until the dough is smooth and leaves the sides of the bowl. Let it continue mixing for 2 more minutes.
• Turn dough out and lightly oil the mixing bowl. Form the dough into a ball and put it back into the bowl, turning it over so all surfaces are greased. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size (40-80 minutes). Punch down dough and let it rise 2 more times.
• Punch down the dough a final time, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Let it rest while you grease your pans. Roll out the dough (it will be thin) and place in pans.
• Sprinkle dough with cinnamon sugar, cover with plum halves (skin side down), and sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar. Let rise again, then bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Best eaten warm!
• Yield: 7 round cake pans or 2 (~11 x 17") jelly roll pans/baking sheets with sides

Notes:

• Most of the dough ingredients can be added in any order. Just don't add the salt to the initial yeast mixture, and don't add the hot milk/butter until there are enough other ingredients to stop that heat from overwhelming and killing the yeast.
• Quicker rising: Boil water in the microwave (in a Pyrex measuring cup). Leave the cup of water in there and put in the mixing bowl of dough. It's now in a very warm, humid environment.
• The second and third rises are much quicker than the first. Be ready.
• The dough may have to rest now and then during rolling out. You'll know because it will keep pulling back and resisting your stretching. Leave it for a few minutes until it is cooperative again.
• The first time, I misread the recipe and baked the kuchen at 375* for 20 minutes. It was just as good.
• Oma's recipe said the dough would be less than 1/2", but I was nervous because it was MUCH thinner. This picture doesn't do it justice--I'll bet it was below 1/4".

Here's a picture of a panful of dough and fruit. The fruit looks HUGE on the thin layer of dough--don't worry! All will be well. (The white stuff in the lower left corner is sparkle sugar I added. Don't bother--most of it melted, and what remained wasn't worth the effort.)

Below is the unrisen dough with raw plums on it. Notice how much of the pan sides you can see.

See the puffiness now just before going into the oven.

And the extra rise from baking. Don't the plums look luscious now?

Kuchen is best eaten warm from the oven. It is also excellent the next day for breakfast (wrap tightly), IF you microwave it for a few seconds to freshen it up.

Thanks, Oma, for all the love.

Chapatis

This recipe is adapted from Bread: 150 Traditional Recipes from Around the World, page 169.

2 cups chapati flour (We use King Arthur's white whole wheat, which I can find at some grocery stores.)
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water

Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and gradually mix in the water. Check the consistency when you have added about 1/2 cup and add the remainder, as needed, by the Tbsp. The flour shold absorb all the water and it should be possible to knead it to a smooth and elastic dough without the addition of any further flour. Knead the dough on a floured work surface for 5-10 minutes (or use stand mixer). Cover with wet cloth or plastic wrap and let stand at least 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 small balls. Dust each one with flour and roll them out very thinly into rounds about 10 inches in diameter.
Cook on ungreased griddle or frying pan. Optional: brush with a little oil.

Scones

I make really good scones. At least they're popular here at our house! I know two people who make them better than I do (my sister K and her mother-in-law), but they live far enough away to not be any real competition. ;-)

Anyway, scones are a lot like biscuits, but richer with butter (vs. shortening), egg, and milk or cream (instead of leaner buttermilk). Mix and roll gently, bake in a hot oven, and enjoy! They are traditionally served (with or without currants inside) with cream and jam, but we like them here sprinkled with sugar before baking or spread with a glaze when cool (and then served plain).
Here's the basic form of the recipe, adapted from Bride's Lifetime Guide to Good Food & Entertaining. There are plenty of notes and variations following.

Scones
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup milk or cream
1 egg

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Combine milk and egg; add to dry mixture. Stir together gently then turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead gently 8-10 times. Transfer to lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet (without sides) and roll out to a circle about 1/2" thick. Cut with a floured knife (straight down!) into 8 wedges. Bake at 450* for 12-15 minutes, until deep golden brown. Slide off baking sheet and cool on rack.

Notes:

• I use a food processor for part of the mixing. I blend the dry ingredients, then add the butter in chunks. Pulse, being careful not to make the butter pieces too fine. Turn out into a bowl and proceed with the recipe.
• It may seem like a waste to dirty the food processor for just those two steps, BUT I make many batches at once. If I need scones, I'll mix 3-6 batches of dry plus butter. I'll bake one or two batches and put the rest in pint-sized freezer bags that I store in the fridge. That saves a lot of measuring and mess the next several times.
• The dough can be sticky. I find myself sprinkling on plenty of flour as I knead. It's good to add a little less than the 2/3 cup milk.
• Knead GENTLY! Just fold the dough in half and pat out until it's big enough to fold again. I sprinkle on more flour as needed, and sometimes flip it over on the re-floured surface.
• You can knead on a board or counter, but my favorite surface is freezer paper taped to the counter. It is sturdy, has a slippery coating, and makes clean up easier.
• I rarely make one circle of dough cut into eight. We prefer medium sized scones, so I cut the dough in half before transferring to the baking sheet. The resulting smaller circles are cut into 6 pieces each (see above picture).
• Cut straight up and down with the knife rather than pulling it through the dough. This keeps the seams from being pulled and lets the dough rise higher in the oven.
• Another make ahead tip: I have mixed, kneaded, rolled, and cut the dough before freezing it on the parchment lined baking sheets (covered with plastic wrap). Thaw (I think I did it in the fridge.) and bake--as fresh as fresh!
• Before baking, the scones can be brushed with cream or milk and sprinkled with sugar. I like to use big, sparkling sugar (see bottom photo).
• Our favorite variations: add 1/2 cup currants or chopped tart, dried cherries. Or add zest of one lemon and a few Tbsp of poppy seeds.
• When the scones are cool, un-sugared ones can be spread with a thick glaze made with powdered sugar and cream. The lemon scones are iced with powdered sugar and lemon juice.
• Scones also make a good base for shortcake. Make the big circle of eight. Split each scone and top with fruit and whipped cream. Below are photos of our patriotic Independence Day dessert: red, white, and blue shortcake.

Tools of the Trade: Dutch oven

This Christmas I asked for and received a 6 1/2 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I had a smaller one (without enamel) that I didn't use, but this one would be a different story. And it is!

I wanted this pot so I could bake easy, crusty bread. There's been a lot of hoopla about this kind of bread, first in the NY Times, and more recently in Cook's Illustrated. I had to tweak the recipe (the bottom kept burning), but it is now turning out reliably well. The pot and lid are important because they are preheated. The risen dough is added and covered, then baked for 30 minutes. The heat and steam inside create the thick, chewy crust. The bread is then uncovered and baked for another 20 + minutes.

This is one big, heavy bread pan though, so I'm multi-tasking with it now. The wide base, tall sides, and heat retention make it great for browning meat. Below are some chunks of pork shoulder that I browned before simmering in the crock pot. I'll post the procedure later; the shredded meat is good for BBQ, burrito filling, or even fried rice.

This winter I've been tweaking a beef stew recipe, and my new pot has improved the outcome. The same issue of Cook's Illustrated (Jan/Feb 2008) that had the bread recipe and Dutch oven recommendation also had a feature called "Mastering the Art of Stew". The biggest revelation for me was the idea of simmering in the oven. At 300-325 degrees, the food cooks gently without scorching on the bottom. I can brown the onions and meat on top of the stove, add liquid, simmer in the oven until the meat is tender, add other veggies, and continue in the oven until they are tender as well. I've heated chili in the oven, too.

I am thrilled with my heavy green pot, which, by the way, also looks beautiful on the table. Yes, I know I am easily amused. ;-)