Back with Pumpkin Scones!

Hello again, blog! Sorry for leaving you for so long. This has been a busy (ish) year for me. I've just been doing so many things, like watching way too many superhero movies, going to the beach, reading lots of books, and helping out in the garden. Not to mention playing with the newest member of our family, this little rascal here:

OK, so I don't really have any good excuses. I just kind of forgot about this blog for a while, but I'm back now and planning on posting more regularly.

As I mentioned earlier, I've been helping my mom in the garden. This year, we decided to try growing pumpkins and boy am I glad we did. 

I used this wonderful pumpkin puree recipe from The Pioneer Woman and cooked up some of these babies yesterday. It's  actually a lot easier to make pumpkin puree than you would think.

This morning I made a recipe from the Alice's Tea Cup cookbook that I've been dying to try for ages: Pumpkin Scones.

I'm a big scone lover, and I'm always on the lookout for new recipes to try. And let me tell you, this one is a hit. My mom got upset with me for letting her eat too many, and that's always a good sign.

These are pretty straight-forward: mix dry ingredients, cut in butter, add wet ingredients, and cut into scones. The original recipe calls for a caramel glaze but I skipped it.  I also added some chocolate chips, and cut the vanilla down to 2 teaspoons.

Pumpkin Scones

Adapted from Alice's Tea Cup, by Haley and Lauren Fox

makes approximately 18 scones

Ingredients:

Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Three-quarters teaspoon salt (the "four" key on my keyboard isn't working)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch peices

1 and a quarter cups buttermilk

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (or fresh! make sure not to use pumpkin pie filling, as this has spices added in)

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips, if using

Caramel Glaze

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Quarter teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1.  Preheat oven to four hundred twenty-five degrees F. (Darn four key)

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon.

3. With clean hands, work the butter into the dry mix until thoroughly incorporated and the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

Four. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract into the well. Combine using you hands until all the dry mix is wet, but do not knead! At this point I folded in the chocolate chips.

5. Turn the mix onto a well floured surface (dough is very sticky) and gather the dough together. Gently pat to make a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a 3 or 3 1/2 inch biscuit cutter (I just used a drinking glass), cut out as many scones as you can and lay them on a nonstick baking sheet. Gather the remaining dough to cut out more scones. Don't knead the dough too much. I brushed the tops of the scones with milk and sugar, but you can skip this step if you're going to make the caramel glaze.

Six. (six key isn't working either) Bake the scones for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the scones cool slightly on the baking sheet before glazing.

7.  To make caramel glaze: Place the butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk gently until the mixture is smooth. Just as the mix comes to a light boil, add heavy cream and reduce heat to low. Whisk well for 2 minutes, or until glaze is thickened and smooth; then remove pan from heat.

8. To glaze: Dip the top of the scone in the warm caramel glaze, then return to baking sheet.

Lime Cornmeal Cookies

Hello again! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season. Mine was quite enjoyable: my parents gave me this wonderful cookbook for Christmas.  Thanks, Mom and Dad! It's definitely one of my favorite presents.  Unfortunately, I've been limited to making one baked good per week (my parents claim that if I make more than that, we'll all gain a million pounds and have to go through doors sideways. I can see their point.) However, all the recipes I've tried so far have been fantastic.  I'll probably post some more in the next couple of weeks.
This recipe especially caught my eye.  I'd never heard of anyone putting cornmeal in cookies before, and the idea interested me.  I made them for the first time today, and boy, am I glad I did.  These cookies are amazing!  They're like bite-sized pieces of spring.  The lime zest nicely balances out the buttery sweetness, and the crunchy edges contrast agreeably with the soft, chewy center.  I will definitely make these again.

Lime Cornmeal Cookies
Adapted from Flour, by Joanne Chang with Christie Matheson
Makes 40-42 cookies

Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temerature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lime zest (about 2 large limes)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lime Glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1-1 1/2 limes)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest (about 1 lime)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or mixing by hand), cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (it will take about 10 minutes mixing by hand.) Stop the mixer a few times and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.  Add the lime zest and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated with the dough.  Scrape down the bowl once more to make sure the eggs are all mixed in.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed. Stir until the flour is completely mixed in.

3. Drop the dough in 1 tablespoon balls onto a baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.  Flatten each ball gently with the palm of your hand.

4. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are just pale brown around the edges and the center is firm to the touch. Do not let them brown on top.  Let cool on the baking sheet for 5-7 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.  Let cool until at room temperature or just a little warmer before glazing.

5. To make the glaze:  In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, water, lime juice, and lime zest until smooth.

6. Brush the cookies with a thin layer of glaze and let set for about 10 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  Unbaked dough can be stored for up to a week in the fridge, and the glaze can also be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

Apple Pie

Hello again, blog! Sorry I forgot about you for a month. I've been too busy lazy to spend any time here, but now I've got Mumford and Sons playing and I'm ready to write.
It's that time of year again: fall. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and we are encouraging children to dress up and accept candy from strangers. Everyone is in the mood for some hearty meals. (I'm in that mood all the time, but hey.) 
A couple of weeks ago, I had a sudden urge to bake an apple pie. (I have to bake something at least twice a month or I get cranky.) It turned out surprisingly well, considering that my other attempts at making pie crust have left a bit to be desired.
This recipe is from Joy of Cooking.

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:
(makes one 9 or 10 inch double crust)
 2 1/2 cups  flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup chilled lard or vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon to1 tablespoon ice water

To make crust:
Sift together flour and salt. Add shortening and butter. Work half of the shortening into the flour mixture lightly with the tips of your fingers until it has the consistency of cornmeal. Work the remaining half into the dough until it is pea-sized.
Sprinkle the dough with 6 tablespoons of ice water. Blend the water gently into the dough until it just holds together; you may want to use a fork to allow the moisture to spread. If neccessary to hold the ingredients together, add the additional water.
Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until needed.

Filling: 
 (makes on 9-inch double-crust pie)
2 1/2 pounds apples (5-6 large)
3/4 cup sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons flour 
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Cinnamon & sugar

To make the filling:
Peel core, and slice the apples 1/4 inch thick. Combine in a bowl with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring several times.

To assemble the pie:
Roll out pie crusts. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the crusts. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Pour the filling into the bottom crust and gently level with the back of a spoon. Dot the top with pieces of butter. Cover the pie with the upper crust. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Bake for 30 minutes. Slip a baking sheet under the pie, reduce the oven temperature to 350, and bake until the fruit feels just tender when a knife is poked through a steam vent and juices have begun to bubble through the vents, 30-45 minutes more. Cool completely on a rack, 3-4 hours.

Crab Cakes!

A few months ago, someone at our church gave us some fresh crab. Like, a lot of fresh crab. About four pounds. (His brother is a fisherman.) We were, of course, very grateful for the gift and made a batch of crab cakes within the next few days. Then the rest of the crab was packed away in our freezer and has been sitting there ever since.
So a couple of days ago, I decided to defrost the rest of it and make a double batch of crab cakes. It's my favorite way to eat crab. Okay, it's the only way I've ever eaten crab. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? This is the recipe from Joy of Cooking.


Important note: make sure you leave time to refrigerate the cakes for 1-2 hours, otherwise they'll fall apart.

Crab Cakes
8 small or 4 large crab cakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced scallions (I used onion)
Optional: 1 tablespoon minced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning
1/4 cup minced parsley, cilantro, and dill (I used a teaspoon of dried parsley)
2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
1-2 cups fresh bread crumbs, toasted

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter foam has subsided or the oil is hot, add the scallions, red bell pepper if using, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the scallions are tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Gently mix the crabmeat, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper, crab boil seasoning, parsley, and 2 Tbsp. bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add the sauteed vegetables and mix well.
3. Place 1-2 cups bread crumbs on a plate. Shape the crab mixture into large or small cakes. One at a time, coat each cake in the bread crumbs, pressing lightly to make sure the crumbs adhere. Place the cakes on a rack or on a plate lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
4. Heat 1/4 cup butter or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the fat is hot, add the cakes without crowding - cook them in 2 batches if necessary. Adjust the heat so that the fat is sizzling but not burning the bread crumbs, and cook, turning the cakes until both sides are nicely browned. Smaller cakes need a total of 8-10 minutes, larger ones 12-15 minutes. If cooking in batches, keep the finished cakes warm in a 300 Fahrenheit oven while you complete the cooking. Serve immediately.

Banana Streusel Muffins

So, tonight my mom walked up to me and said, "Emily, I'm craving something sweet. Would you bake something? I'll buy you a Mini Cooper and a Steinway piano and quadruple your allowance." Okay, so it didn't go exactly like that, but you get the general idea.
My usual go to time-for-something-sweet recipe is oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but unfortunately we were out of chocolate chips. Luckily, I'd just checked The Sono Baking Company Cookbook out of the library and was able to find a recipe: Banana Streusel Muffins. We had all the ingredients so I set off on my mission to Fulfill Mom's Sweet Tooth.
The muffins were really good! They had a nice texture and the streusel topping added just the right amount of sweetness. So, without further ado, here's the recipe:

Banana Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter*, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk, sour cream, or whole-milk-yogurt **
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)


To make the streusel topping:
1. In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add the cubes of butter, and using your fingertips, work it into the dry ingredients until pea-size crumbs form; set aside in the refrigerator.

2. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray two standard 6-cup muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray, or generously butter with softened butter; set aside.

To make the muffins:
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

4. In the bowl of a standard mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer and large bowl), beat the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Then add in and beat the vanilla and the bananas.

5. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, beating until the flour is absorbed. Beat in the buttermilk. Fold in the walnuts, if using.

6. Use a 2-inch (1/4 cup) ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. (I just used a wooden spoon.) Sprinkle the streusel topping over the muffins, pressing some of the mixture into pea-size clumps with your fingertips, for added texture. (Quick note: Do not use too much topping. I made this mistake on a couple of the muffins and it fell out of the pan and burned. The fire alarm sent our dog spiraling into panicked circles.)

7. Bake until the tops of the muffins spring back when touched and a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.

8. Run a butter knife carefully along the outside of the muffin cups and tip muffins out onto wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.


* I just use salted butter because that's what we have in the house.
** An easy substitute for buttermilk: Put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in the bottom of a liquid measuring cup and add enough milk to make 1 cup. Tada, buttermilk!