INA GARTEN’S BANANA BRAN MUFFINS

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

I don’t cook Ina Garten‘s recipes that often because they tend to be way too rich (says she who recently baked a cake with a few hundred calories per bite.. ;-)). But these muffins have just the right amount of indulgence, well balanced by all their healthy components: unprocessed bran, fruits, and nuts. I am always happy when I find a good recipe for bran muffins, Phil’s favorite ways to start the day: one of these babies, warmed up slightly in the oven, next to a steaming cup of cappuccino.

CHUNKY BANANA BRAN MUFFINS
(adapted from Ina Garten, FoodTV Network)

1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk (shaken)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 + 1/2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup mixed dried raisins, blueberries, cranberries
1 cup large-diced bananas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners into a muffin tin.

Combine the bran and buttermilk and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bowl and then add the molasses, agave nectar, orange zest, and vanilla. (The mixture will look curdled.) Add the bran/buttermilk mixture and combine.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the batter just until combined. Fold in the dried fruits, bananas and walnuts with a rubber spatula.

Fill the muffin cups to the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Most recipes of this type call for over-ripe bananas, all brown and mushy. In this recipe, Ina used bananas that were good enough to eat as a fruit, ripe, but not falling apart at all. I was a bit intrigued, but followed her lead. Verdict: not only it works, but it’s probably what makes these muffins quite special, the little morsels of concentrated banana flavor.

Phil gave his seal of approval to the recipe, so all you bran muffin lovers can go ahead and give it a shot. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Beer Bread with Roasted Barley

TWO YEARS AGO: Tomato Confit with Arugula and Zucchini

18Mar2011

ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

My dear friend and baker extraordinaire Heather wrote me an email a couple of weeks ago saying that she baked a delicious cake and thought I should give it a try because it was simple (in other words: Sally-proof) but quite flavorful. What is simple for Heather, is not necessarily simple for me, but when I read the recipe, I noticed that it did not have that scary “cream sugar with butter” step. Cautiously optimistic, I gave it a try. Indeed, this was one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever made, and each bite seemed to taste better than the previous one. Heather adapted the recipe from the winning entry in a C&H Sugar Baking Contest years ago.

ALMOND BUTTER CAKE
(from Heather’s kitchen)

½ C butter, melted
1 + ½ C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1 + ½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 + ½ C flour
¼ C sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9” round pan.

Beat sugar and melted butter together, add eggs and flavorings and beat well. Add salt and flour and mix just until blended. Spread in pan, sprinkle with sugar and almond slices.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes – it is better not to over-bake, so use a toothpick to test it, and as soon as it comes out almost clean, the cake will be ready. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before unmolding it.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I served this cake next to strawberries and blueberries macerated with a small amount of sugar, and a dusting of powdered sugar on top, as suggested by Phil. Perfect indeed, the fruit went very well with the almond flavor and the tenderness of the cake. Sorry, no pictures of the sliced cake, often when we have guests I don’t feel like grabbing a camera and taking photos. Even served plain, this cake would shine next to a cup of tea on a sunny afternoon.

ONE YEAR AGO: Taillevent (a meal that shall never be forgotten…)

9Feb2011

SATURDAY MORNING SCONES

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Scones and bran muffins have something in common: they often make a bad first impression. Indeed, my first scone experience was over 10 years ago, and I’ve avoided them ever since. I had no intention of ever baking a batch, but a series of events made me reconsider. First, I saw this post at Lisa’s blog, which peaked my interest. Then, a few days later some friends raved about banana scones from the latest Fine Cooking. Any hope of removing scones from my mind were shattered when I asked Phil what I should make for our Saturday post-run breakfast? “How about some blueberry scones?” …was his response. The path of least resistance was beckoning, and I veered that way.

LEMON-GLAZED BANANA-BERRY SCONES
(adapted from Fine Cooking)

9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2-1/4 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
3/8 tsp. table salt
5-1/2 Tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 small ripe banana, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)
1/2 to 3/4 cup dried blueberries and cranberries
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. heavy cream; more for brushing
For the glaze
3 oz. (3/4 cup) confectioners’ sugar
1-1/2 Tbs. fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Rub the pieces of butter into the flour mixture using your fingers until a few pea-size lumps remain. Stir in the banana and the dried fruits. Add the cream and stir the mixture with a fork until it comes together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat gently into a 7-inch circle about 1 inch high. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer to a baking sheet lines with parchment paper, allowing 1 inch of space between the scones. Brush the tops with heavy cream and bake until the tops are golden and they feel firm to the touch – 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack before glazing.

To make the glaze, mix the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, butter, and salt, stirring until completely smooth. Drizzle the warm scones and serve them warm or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The original recipe called for bananas and crystallized ginger. I’m insecure about changing baking recipes, especially the first time making them. However, being married to an incorrigible optimist helps a lot. ” Just skip the ginger and add the blueberries, it will be fine.” As I was preparing the ingredients he dug out a bag of dried cranberries and handed it to me: “…here, add these babies too, they’ll be some awesome scones”!

Well, he was right. The scones were delicious! Moist, flavorful, with a delicate banana flavor that although not pronounced, was definitely noticeable. The lemon glaze pumped them up another notch, so don’t skip it [yet another delicious use for those Meyer lemons. ;-)]

ONE YEAR AGO: Pain de mie au levain

28Jan2011

BRAN MUFFINS: NOT JUST FOR HIPPIES

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Ever since I started dating Phil he spoke fondly about a bran muffin that he enjoyed on a regular basis at Hans’ Danish Bakery in Berkeley (it closed years ago), during his grad student, “hippie days.” At that time (while living in Brazil and not quite a teenager) I watched the hippie movement from afar, too young to embrace or fully understand it. Never in a gazzilion years could I imagine that one of those long-haired, tie-dyed, war-protesting, head-banded hippies would become my husband. We didn’t meet until decades later, but the passion for peace and love, tie-dyes, and hippie ideals are still in-force around our home, and that includes a fondness for bran muffins! No sense quitting what makes us happy. 😉

Nevertheless, my attempts to recreate the famous bran muffin from Berkeley were stuck on a road paved with failure and frustration, until this past weekend my luck began to change. I went to Dan Lepard’s collection of recipes at The Guardian in search of his take on the elusive bran muffin, and adapted his recipe to suit my favorite hippie’s finicky taste.

BLUEBERRY-WALNUT BRAN MUFFINS
(adapted from Dan Lepard’s original recipe)

75g wheat bran
100g dark brown sugar
200ml milk (3/4 cup)
1 Tbs molasses
zest of 1 orange
150ml vegetable oil (1/2 + 1/8 cup)
2 large eggs
200g all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
75g sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup dried raisins and dried blueberries
1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

Heat the oven to 400F (200C) and line the cups of 6 large muffin tins with paper.

Place the wheat bran and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Bring the milk almost to a boiling point, and pour it over the bran. Mix to incorporate, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Beat in the molasses, orange zest, oil and eggs until very smooth.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt, then gently mix this through the bran mixture trying not to over-mix. Fold in the blueberries, raisins, dried blueberries, and walnuts. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, and bake for about half an hour, until they get a dark brown color on top and feel firm to the touch. Tip the muffins slightly off the pan to cool them without steaming the bottom.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Because some people find them too dense or dry, almost austere, bran muffins are not everyone’s favorite. But, these muffins are different, starting with their nice texture, and finishing with a great balance of whole grain flavor and sweetness. I dare saying that they will please even a hard core anti-bran person. They received a nod of approval from the resident muffin-connoisseur, who said the main difference between these and those in his memory was the orange flavor, which is pronounced in Dan’s recipe. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… 😉 But my next batch will omit the orange zest.

I already smell the fireworks…

ONE YEAR AGO: Flourless Chocolate Cake (a chocolate lover’s dream come true)

19Jan2011

NO-FUSS COFFEE CAKE

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

King Arthur promised and delivered again: a coffeecake so easy to make that even a cake-challenged as myself can do it without problems. One of the things I loved about this recipe was the fact that I could prepare the cake the day before, stick it in the fridge, and bake next morning. By the time our lab meeting started, the cake was at its peak, barely warm, very moist and tender.

NO-FUSS COFFEECAKE
(adapted from King Arthur Flour’s blog)

12 tablespoons (1 + 1/2 sticks) butter (plus a little more for greasing the pan)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup low-fat yogurt

For the topping:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Prepare a baking pan (9 x 13 inch) by lightly greasing it with butter. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. If you are starting from very cold butter, place it in the microwave for 20 seconds, and proceed with the recipe, it will be perfect to mix with the dry ingredients.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and the yogurt (one third at a time, alternating flour and yogurt), stirring to combine after each addition. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Make the topping by combining the brown sugar, nuts, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl, stirring to combine. Sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning, take the cake out of the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and bake it in a 350 F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool it briefly before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The original recipe called for a bit more brown sugar in the topping (3/4 instead of 1/2 cup), and also the optional addition of 1 full cup of chips (chocolate, butterscotch, or cinnamon). I am glad I reduced the amount of brown sugar (and omitted the chips) because the cake was at the limit of my tolerance for sweetness. If you have a real sweet tooth, go for the kill and follow the recipe as published.

The King Arthur’s blog is an amazing source of information for all things baking: cakes, breads, muffins, pies, cookies… If you don’t know that site yet, I highly recommend a visit. Followed by a bookmark, and many return visits! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Swedish Limpa