Food for My Family » Bakery http://foodformyfamily.com ...one plate at a time. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:55:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Cream Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Breakfast http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cream-biscuits-and-sausage-gravy-breakfast http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cream-biscuits-and-sausage-gravy-breakfast#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:25:47 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=10981 A recipe on how to make easy creamy-style biscuits and sausage gravy for a quick and easy breakfast or breakfast for dinner.
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Let me begin by telling you that there is nothing remotely light about this recipe. This is stick-to-your-ribs food. It’s the type of meal you eat when the last possible day in February starts with an ice and snow storm. It is destined for lazy Saturdays when you actually feel like cooking just a bit or evening meals when you’re short on time but ravenous at the thought of food. A meal that you eat after a cold, brisk walk around the lake.

I’ve started enjoying the lake more. It’s just down the road, with a walking path that is frequented by other walkers, runners, and the occasional miscreant. Surrounded by park land, a community golf course, and the neighborhood zoo, it’s a tiny slice of heaven right in my backyard.

I find the cold wind rather freeing, and it’s been great for clearing my head and getting away when the walls seem to be pushing in on me inside the house. I’ll mourn the loss of the cold just a bit as spring comes and then summer sets in, bringing extra people to navigate around, and making it feel a bit less secluded. Exercise I suppose is a bonus, but then, I’m apt to undo any sort of benefit by serving biscuits and sausage gravy up for dinner.

The beauty of cream biscuits is their short prep and cooking time. Start to finish, biscuits can be on the table in less than 20 minutes. While they bake, you can whip up whatever else you’re going to eat with them. In this case, sausage gravy and a side of eggs rounded out the meal, accompanied by a sad-looking pomegranate that had made itself quite comfortable at the bottom of the produce drawer. Inside, however, the arils were bursting with bright red juice, and their tart-sweet bits were just what was needed to cut the richness of the gravy.

Love or hate the winter wonderland outside my door, I’m glad to be huddled inside with the oven on, waiting for soft, fluffy biscuits to put on the plates of my family.

Notes:
*You can substitute butter for bacon grease if you don’t have any available, I suppose.
*Cream biscuits (barely) adapted from Smitten Kitchen via James Beard’s American Cookery

For the cream biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder (preferably aluminum-free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons melted butter

For the gravy:
1 pound raw breakfast sausage
2 tablespoons bacon grease
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Make the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 425º F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the heavy cream until incorporated. Slowly stir in the remaining cream until the dough reaches a soft and easily handled consistency.

Turn the dough out onto a flat, lightly floured surface. Knead lightly into a ball, and then press the dough into a circle just about 1″ thick. Using a round biscuit cutter, cut into circles. Press remaining scraps into a flat circle again and repeat until all the dough is used.

Dip the dough rounds into the melted butter, and then place them on the prepared baking sheet, butter side up, 2″ apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until tops are golden brown. While the biscuits are baking, prepare the gravy.

Make the gravy: Brown the sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat. Set aside. In the same pan over medium heat, melt the butter and bacon grease. Slowly whisk in the flour until is incorporated into a smooth paste. Add the cream while constantly whisking to thoroughly mix. Stir in the milk and pepper.

Continue to heat and stir until gravy thickens and reaches desired consistency. Add the sausage back into the gravy. Salt if needed, but many sausage varieties will be salty enough. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in additional milk. If a spicier gravy is preferred add cayenne pepper.

Remove the biscuits from the oven. Serve gravy over warm biscuits.


Makes 10 biscuits with gravy.
Copyright © Food for My Family.
]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cream-biscuits-and-sausage-gravy-breakfast/feed 34 How-To: Basic Cinnamon Rolls http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/how-to-basic-cinnamon-rolls http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/how-to-basic-cinnamon-rolls#comments Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:23:30 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=8421 The essential cinnamon roll recipe that everyone needs to have tucked away in their bag of tricks. This one is Swedish in origin, a kanelbulle or “cinnamon bun,” and rest assured there is plenty of cardamom in the dough for a spicy kick.

I’m the oldest of five in my family. My siblings can attest to the fact that I display many of the typical Type-A qualities people expect from a firstborn child, not the least of those being perfectionism. I am a perfectionist to a fault. The kind of debilitating disease that has me alphabetize my spice cabinet and be constantly annoyed at the state of a house with four young children. (Some things you just have to learn to let go of. An always organized and picked-up house is one of them at this stage in the parenting game.)

It’s that same trait that led to the production of 80 cinnamon rolls last week as I tried recipes and tweaked and twisted and finally landed on the cinnamon buns I was looking for, the ones that need no glaze, but instead, sing on their own. I found them in a cardamom-spiced dough traditional to their origin. They are a bit lighter than their American counterparts, and they puff up easily, showing off the swirl of cinnamon tucked within.

The first order of business is scalding the milk. Simply heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan and the temperature reaches 180° F. Turn the burner off and add in butter, sugar, cardamom and salt. I like to toss in unmelted butter here as it melts and cools the milk simultaneously, meaning I don’t need to wait for the milk to cool for as long.

When the milk mixture is down to between 110° and 120° F, sprinkle the yeast over the top and wait 10 minutes for the yeast to froth.

Dump the milk mixture into your stand mixer or a large bowl and slowly add in four cups of flour. Change to the dough hook Allow the mixer to run on high for 30 seconds or so after you add the last cup so that it pulls the dough together and away from the sides of the bowl. If you’re hand mixing, you can just knead the dough lightly in the bowl. Cover it up and let it rise in a warm place for an hour.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently into a ball.

Roll the dough into a rectangle. I like to go with the larger the rectangle, the more cinnamon swirl, and I’m all for several rolls of cinnamon in my cinnamon buns.

Brush melted butter onto the dough.

Then sprinkle sugar and cinnamon all over the top. Again, there is some leniency here as far as amounts are concerned. You could go heavier on both the cinnamon and the sugar, the cinnamon only, whatever suits your taste preferences.
Roll up your rectangle starting at one end and moving down towards the other and then reversing and coming back until you have a long cylinder of dough. It’s a pretty forgiving dough, so don’t be afraid to stretch and pull on it.

Cut rolls off the tube. I aim for about an 1-1/2″-2″ thick. Much thicker and cooking time and temperature will need to be adjusted.

Place the rolls in the vessel you intend to bake them in or on. These can be set on baking sheets, placed in baking dishes or however you prefer. Be sure to leave room because after the next 45-minute rest, the cinnamon rolls will puff up quite nicely. Before baking, brush them with a bit of egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar. You can skip the sugar sprinkle if you plan on glazing them at the end.

A short bake time in the oven, and piping hot cinnamon buns will be on your table. These are perfect for a brunch, an Easter breakfast, a lazy Saturday morning or any other day of the week.

Do-Ahead Tips:

  • Make the cinnamon rolls the night before and once they are on their baking sheet or in a baking dish, cover and store them in the refrigerator.
  • Wake up the next morning and turn the oven on. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the fridge and place on top of the stove above the oven or in another warm place. Keep covered and place a warm towel on top of the rolls. (You can warm a towel by spritzing with water and placing in the microwave for 20 seconds.)
  • Shower. Dress. Start your coffee. Then come back to your proofing rolls. Toss them in the oven and bake as directed.
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks or 12 tablespoons)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
For the filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons cinnamon
On top:
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons pearl sugar

In a medium saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges and the milk reaches 180° F. Turn the burner off and add in the 1-1/2 sticks of butter, half cup of sugar, cardamom and salt. Stir to combine and continue stirring until the butter is completely melted. The mixture should be between 110° F and 120° F at this point. If the temperature is higher, wait for it to drop slightly before proceeding.

Sprinkle yeast over the milk mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes. When the yeast is frothy, mix it in and move to a stand mixer or large bowl. Using a spoon or paddle attachment at first and then a dough hook, slowly mix in the flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to completely incorporate after each addition until all four cups of flour are mixed in and the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for one full hour.

When the dough has risen, punch it down and knead lightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle. Spread half the melted butter for the filling on the dough using a pastry brush to brush to the edges. Sprinkle the top with remaining sugar and then cinnamon (you can use extra cinnamon if you desire). Roll the dough lengthwise into a long tube and then cut off 1-1/2″ sections/rolls.

Place each roll in a greased baking pan or on a lined baking sheet at least 3 inches apart. **If you desire, you can refrigerate the rolls at this point and take them out for their second rise 1-2 hours before baking.** Cover rolls and allow them to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour until they are puffed up. They will continue to rise in the oven, so be sure to allow room for that..

When the rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 425° F. Beat together the egg and water and brush over the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake for 8-12 minutes until the tops start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and glaze, if desired, and then allow to cool slightly. Serve warm.


Makes 20 cinnamon rolls.
Copyright © Food for My Family.


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]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/how-to-basic-cinnamon-rolls/feed 32 How to Make Naan in the Oven http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/how-to-make-naan-in-the-oven http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/how-to-make-naan-in-the-oven#comments Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:26:01 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=7961 I used to have to head to my favorite Indian restaurant for naan. Then it came to the supermarket. Now it’s in my very own home. Naan is a leavened flatbread that is baked in a clay tandoor oven. No tandoor here, so we’ll be baking this naan recipe in my conventional oven instead.

The first time I decided to make naan I was a bit intimidated. Perhaps is was that the naan I’d been eating had always been served next to a bowl of my favorite masala at Chapati in Northfield. Alas, I no longer have friends going to Carleton or St. Olaf, and driving down there for a bowl of masala with four kids just doesn’t seem practical. Yes, I could probably find a favorite place closer to home, but why mess with that when I can just recreate it in my own kitchen?

And so the naan journey began. I tried a few recipes and watched a few more videos to see the technique and the process. I eventually decided on a recipe I liked more than others. I changed up a few things and off I went down the naan path, which was surprisingly easy and a lot like making pizza dough.

Here are a few tips for a successful naan experience:

  • Don’t flip the dough when you’re rolling it out. One dip in flour and then roll. Too much flour does not equal success.
  • Preheat the oven 30 minutes before rolling out the dough so the stone is nice and hot.
  • In between baking naan, allow the oven to reheat for 3-4 minutes so that the stone is again nice and hot.


Start by sprinkling yeast over warm water and letting it sit.

While the yeast is hanging out, whisk together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. I used an unbleached all-purpose wheat blend here.

Add in the oil and the yogurt.

Using your hand (I suppose a food processor would also work well for this), mix until crumbly. Stir the yeast and water and then pour into the flour. Mix until a dough forms.

Knead the ball of dough until it is smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect, though. Place in the bowl, cover and let it rise for 3-4 hours.

Once the dough has risen, it’s time to bake. Knead it slightly to form a ball again. At this point you can wrap the dough and store in the fridge for a day until you’re ready to bake, or you could wrap half if you wanted to bake it two days in a row.

To bake, you want to preheat the oven with a baking stone. I just used my round pizza stone, but you can also use a large rectangle, making sure you have an inch clearance around all sides of the stone to the oven wall. The preheated stone mimics the traditional cylindrical tandoor oven. It’s not perfect, but it works well, and the naan bakes fast once it is nice and hot.

Separate your dough ball into 4-5 dough balls. Dip these into flour.

Roll the flour-dipped balls out into ovals. Dip your hands in water and then pick each circle up with wet hands, lightly wetting each side of the dough before laying it on the preheated stone. Bake for 4 minutes or until dough is turning golden brown on top.

After baking, naan can be brushed with clarified butter. I tend to only brush the naan that I’m serving and eating immediately, as leftover naan saves better without the butter.

Naan is great for dipping into Indian curries and sopping up puddles of spicy sauces, but it’s also ideal for making pizzas with the leftovers or using for panini-style sandwiches, so bake a few batches at once and store in an airtight container after they’ve completely cooled.

3/4 cup warm water (110° F)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch baking powder
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons plain Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup extra flour for rolling
2 tablespoons clarified butter

In a small bowl, add water and sprinkle yeast over the top. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until frothy. While the yeast is sitting, mix together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add in oil and yogurt and mix until crumbly. Stir the water and yeast and then add to the flour mixture, mixing until a ball of dough forms. Knead with floured hands until the dough is smooth. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours.

Once the dough has risen, preheat oven to 500° F with a baking stone in the oven. Flip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until easy to handle. Break into 4-5 equal-sized balls. Dip each ball into a small amount of flour. Roll into an oval shape approximately 1/4″ thick. Once the oven and stone are preheated, dip hands in water and wet each piece of dough slightly before placing it on the stone. Bake at 500° F for 4-5 minutes until top is golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the stone and brush with clarified butter. Serve.


Makes 4-5 pieces.
Copyright © Food for My Family.

adapted from Manjula’s Kitchen

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]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/how-to-make-naan-in-the-oven/feed 51 Pumpkin Bread and Cinnamon Cheesecake Spread http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/pumpkin-bread-and-cinnamon-cheesecake-spread http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/pumpkin-bread-and-cinnamon-cheesecake-spread#comments Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:30:54 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=6843 I’ve been enjoying having two of my children sent out the door every morning, waiting to catch a big yellow school bus at the end of the driveway with backpacks and school lunches packed neatly in bento boxes and thermal containers. The day begins for the younger two then, as they run and play together, and I watch my youngest girl turn into a dotting big sister, showing her brother exactly how to play with Littlest Pet Shops and build princess-style forts from blankets in her bedroom.

As my little Magnus heads to bed for his afternoon nap, I am afforded the luxury of one-on-one time with the said little princess, who is the queen of her castle. She eagerly dons the only-child crown, asking questions and running from me to her dolls and then back again.

With our pumpkin purée ready to go, turning it into one of our favorite breads was the perfect activity on a blustery day. I’ve shared this before, but the recipe wasn’t on my own site, and considering it is, in fact, a favorite around these parts, I really needed to take the time to add it.

Start by creaming your butter with your sugars: both brown and white here.


Then we’re going to get out that pumpkin purée we made earlier. It’s coming to the party. Mix that in along with the eggs and the vanilla.

My helper today has on an apron. She requested I wear one too, so I did, but I did not take a photo. You’re welcome. Lene was kind enough to give all the dry ingredients a good whisk to remove any lumps. We are going to mix half of it in now.

Then add in your buttermilk and give the mix a good stir. Then you can add the rest of the flour in and mix until smooth.

The batter gets poured into two 8″ loaf pans. I lined mine with parchment because it makes for easy removal of the bread, and easy removal means less time sticking a knife down the side of the pan, and we’re ready to bake.

And because we’re fancy, we probably need some cheesecake spread to go with it. Just soften some cream cheese, and then mix together with a bit of sour cream and powdered sugar and cinnamon, and then stick it in the fridge until it’s time to eat.

By far, my oldest is the lover of spice breads. She was drooling the minute she walked in the door from school and the cinnamon was present in the air.

And the younger ones quickly followed, eager to gobble up “pumpkin cake” for an after school snack on a cold fall day. Of course, I currently am dreaming of said pumpkin bread and wishing I’d remembered to pack it in my luggage. Perhaps my wonderful husband will save a piece or two for me?

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3/4 cup butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups organic pumpkin purée
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare two 8″ loaf pans either by greasing the bottom or lining with parchment.

Cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add in vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. Stir in the pumpkin purée. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom with a whisk. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to incorporate. Pour in buttermilk and mix, and then add in the remaining half of the dry ingredients, blending until smooth.

Pour batter into two 8″ loaf pans and bake at 350° F for 70-75 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.

These loaves can be kept in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap and then in an airtight container for up to three months.


Makes 2 loaves
Copyright © Food for My Family.

4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.


Makes 8-10 servings.
Copyright © Food for My Family.
]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/pumpkin-bread-and-cinnamon-cheesecake-spread/feed 15 Starting a Sourdough Starter: The Basics http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/starting-a-sourdough-starter-the-basics http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/starting-a-sourdough-starter-the-basics#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 19:10:39 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=6493 I’ve wanted to start making more bread for some time now. I dream of large, luxurious loaves baking on a daily basis, making the house smell like a bakery. But I don’t. I even have Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, but my fridge, you see, is teeny tiny when you’re trying to feed six people. Most days we have to play a few games of Tetris to fit the leftovers in and get the door to close and a bucket o’ dough just doesn’t fit. But oh, how I wish it would. Focaccia be mine!

This week was different. This week I took the plunge. I’ve started a sourdough starter. It’s the first step towards making my very own bread. I’m pretty excited about it, and Ole is too. I could tell when he came home and spied the mug of goo on the counter and, knowing nothing of my plan at all, he asked, “Sourdough starter?” And all the nerdy foodie stars aligned. There was a reason I married this man. That is it.


To help me in the sourdough starter process is my dear Lene, who appears to have aged four full years rather than just turning four last month. And this is the story of how I spent all of 3 minutes in the kitchen with my four-year-old making a sourdough starter earlier this week. Three minutes? Yes. Science experiment with the preschooler and the toddler? Goodness, yes.

Step 1: Water. A quarter cup of it. I used tap water and let it sit to remove the chlorine. You could also use mineral water, and aim for the water to be at room temperature. Add it to a glass container that’s about pint-sized. I am out of canning jars because they’re all full of food, so I used this lovely mug instead.

Step 2: Whole wheat flour. Three-eighths of a cup here. I buy Bob’s Red Mill most often because the lovely Rainbow down the street carries it making it easily accessible. King Arthur is also good for snobbery in the flour aisle. Be a snob. It’s worth it.

Step 3: Mix it up and scrape down the sides. I used a regular old spoon, and as long as you don’t have reactive spoons, this should also work for you. Reactive metals would include copper, cast iron or aluminum. You could also use wood or silicone or whatever, I suppose.

Step 4: Cover loosely. We don’t want those pesky moths that seem to sneak in the door every time it opens in the evening landing in there. A cloth would also work here, but don’t seal it because we want the air to be able to get in and out.

And wait. For 12 hours we wait. Then we repeat the process: 1/4 cup water mixed in. Then add 3/8 cup of flour. Wait for 12 hours. Throw out half of the mixture. (Compost.) Add in 1/4 cup of water and stir. Add in 3/8 cup of flour and stir. Scrape the sides, cover and wait. Hopefully you will see some of these: BUBBLES!

I thought I had killed my starter. I had seen the bubbles, but then after my second feeding there were very few. It looked lifeless and sad. So, I gave it a stir at 12 hours to see what it would do. It *had* been cold in my house, and I’d learned through the sourdough ecourse (information below) I’m taking that it could slow down the process. So, I gave it a stir instead of feeding it and waited. And it paid off. Just four hours later I have an inch more starter growing, and I have quite a few more bubbles! And when that starter looks nice and bubbly and starts filling up my cracked-handle mug, well, then I’m ready to bake. Soon there will be bread.

If your starter doesn’t take off, try, try again. Don’t get discouraged. Be sure you’re not using distilled water; mineral water and tap water (because it has minerals in it) is best. Try a different spoon. Is your flour fresh? Check out the ecourse below for more information on maintaining your starter and the hows and whys of growing it.

1/4 cup water at room temperature (x4)
3/8 cup whole wheat flour (x4)

In a pint-sized glass jar or mug mix the water and flour. Note: 3/8 cup flour is a 1/4 cup plus half a 1/4 cup, and you can eyeball it. Scrape down the sides of the jar, cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and allow to sit for 12 hours. After 12 hours add another 1/4 cup water and mix thoroughly until combined. Stir in another 3/8 cup flour. Scrape down the sides, cover loosely and allow to sit for 12 hours.

After the second 12-hour period, remove half of the starter and compost it. Add in another 1/4 cup water and mix. Then stir in the flour, scrape down the sides and cover loosely. Allow to sit for 12 hours. Hopefully you will now see many tiny bubbles and your starter will be increasing in size.

Your starter should start to get more and more bubbles and fill the jar after the 12-hour period after about the fourth feeding. If you don’t see bubbles and your starter isn’t growing, start over. If you see bubbles but your starter seems to be going really slow, try not feeding it, but instead give it a stir to get some air in there, and then wait and see what happens. It may just surprise you.

Use this as a starter in your favorite sourdough recipes.

Food for My Family

This post on the beauties of creating your very own sourdough starter is sponsored by GNOWFGLINS eCourse, where you can learn the art of mastering traditional cooking methods and sourdough! Check out the Sourdough eCourse and join me because, um, I may have registered for it and gotten sucked in. It is quite probable. (There is a crepe and crepe cake topic. I mean, come on. Of course I got sucked in.)

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]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/starting-a-sourdough-starter-the-basics/feed 13 Peaches and Coconut Cream Muffins to Warm the Soul http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/peaches-and-coconut-cream-muffins-to-warm-the-soul http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/peaches-and-coconut-cream-muffins-to-warm-the-soul#comments Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:39:21 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=6415
Back-to-school is over. My kids are officially back, and that means summer is coming to a close. The sun isn’t as warm these days, and my garden is prolific for the lack of heat, not because of it. The farmers market will start changing over their produce as the season changes, and already the winter squash is showing up more and more, and the summer squash is becoming fewer and farther between. For all these reasons, I’m making peach muffins.

All summer I wait for the peaches to come, and when they are here it seems all too fleeting. But it’s perfect timing, if you think about it. Peaches are great to bake with, and here they are just as the weather starts to cool and the thought of firing up the oven doesn’t have you imagining melting into a hot puddle on the kitchen floor. (At least your floors would be clean, right?)

Taking my cue from Brooke and using her recipe to build on, I opted for a healthier muffin that screamed of the beauty that fall brings as I try to embrace the autumnal beauty and not cry at the thought of below-zero temps to come.

Coconut oil. We’re using it in place of butter or vegetable oil here, and it’s fantastic.

For the sugar we’re looking at raw honey. After growing up on raw honey from my uncle’s bees, there is something comforting about the thick and cloudy raw honey.
raw honey
Both the coconut oil and the honey are going to meet an egg in my mixer.

For the flours I went with a spelt and whole wheat mix in this recipe, but you could use all spelt if you prefer.

Pour in the coconut milk and mix.

Now we have a canvas to add flavor to. It’s the end of summer and there are peaches. I suggest you buy them. Eat them. Bake with them. Freeze them. Savor them. These happen to be Faye Alberta peaches that my neighbor so graciously gifted to me. They are smooth and tart, and I’m addicted. These have that fill-your-nose peach smell. My neighbors are the best. Seriously.

And mix them in.

And mix them in. A crumb topping always makes muffins better, doesn’t it? Something about it makes an ordinary, everyday muffin look like a piece of cake. And yes, the crumb topping is also sweetened with honey.

Oats, honey, coconut oil, spelt flour:
oats-coconut-oil-honey
Crumb topping.

And they’re ready to bake. You’re almost there.

Oh, yeah. I made some icing for them too. I mean, this is an obvious choice, right? It’s Brooke’s fault. Blame her and her gorgeous muffins that called to me.

Have you been enjoying the shifting season yet? We have been hanging on to every moment, going on family bike rides after dinner, spending our evenings outdoors and trying to avoid the mosquitoes. And with overnight lows dipping into the 40s, I’ve been baking again, which makes everyone happy. There’s something about fresh-from the oven muffins on a brisk morning that just make you stop and smile and appreciate all that you have.

adapted from and inspired by Cheeky Kitchen

1 egg
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2/3 cup spelt flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups fresh peaches

For topping:
1/4 cup spelt flour
2 tablespoons oats
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Beat together egg, coconut oil and honey. In a separate bowl mix together flours, salt and baking powder. Stir in coconut milk, followed by the peaches. Scoop into the muffin tin.

In a small bowl mix together all the topping ingredients until crumbly. Top the filled muffin cups with the topping and bake at 350° F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Top with Coconut Cream Icing (below), if desired.


Makes 12 muffins.

Coconut Cream Icing adapted from Elana’s Pantry

¼ cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
½ teaspoon water
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil


Heat coconut milk and honey in a small saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Mix together arrowroot powder and water to form a paste. Whisk into saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. Whip again and add to piping bag. Pipe onto muffins.

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]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/peaches-and-coconut-cream-muffins-to-warm-the-soul/feed 12 Gingered Banana Bread http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/gingered-banana-bread http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/gingered-banana-bread#comments Fri, 14 May 2010 13:07:10 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=5469

The Saturday before Mother’s Day I made banana bread out of necessity. I had, yet again, ignored the bananas. It’s something I’ve done frequently in the past month. I can never figure out quite what it is. For months we eat bananas, running out long before our next planned shopping trip and then, we simply don’t. They sit there, first with just a few brown sugar spots, and then the number increases until the yellow is all but gone. Then there is banana bread.

Like many things in life, we go through seasons with eating. I happen to be in a ginger season, and with the excess of bananas at my disposal, it was only a matter of time before the two met and married. The ginger’s brightness compliments the banana bread’s dense and moist texture, giving you something unexpected but not overpowering, perfect for this season of spring that we’re in: cold and rainy, yet with hints of sunshine and warmth.

Ginger root. Peel and mince a good 4″ section of it.

In a mixer, add the minced ginger to sugar and some softened butter. Cream. Kind of. Really, there’s not a ton of butter in this to cream. Don’t worry, though. The egg will help us along.

Add one egg. Cream again.

A baking (or cooking) session wouldn’t be complete unless one of the kids heard me and appeared, eager to measure, mix and mess.

I’m kind of a freak when it comes to baking. Everything gets loaded and washed as I use it. Ingredients are put away immediately, whenever possible. I hate clutter in the kitchen. I think it comes from working in restaurants and as a baker when I was younger. Or maybe it’s because my grandma functioned in a similar way.

Whatever it is, I have to stifle “it” when the kids are in there with me, which is nearly every time I look in the direction of the kitchen. I take a deep breath and accept that the flour will spill over the top of the bowl, there will be egg shells to pick out of the batter before turning it on and sometimes, when I have my back turned, a sweet 3-year-old will eagerly turn the mixer on full speed while the bowl is still in the lower position and the blade is covered in egg slime. And it will all be okay.

In fact, it will be better. So my baby girl? She mixed all the dry ingredients and spooned them in the bowl for me.

And well, kind of down the side of the bowl and on the counter too. We just swept it up and dumped it right back in.


I considered leaving the nut option out of this particular banana bread, but I decided that I like pecans enough to leave them in. I’m glad I did. You? That is up to you and your nut preferences.

Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan (bottom only).

So, I read once that running a knife through your quick bread will help it to get just one even crack. It appears to work. I’ve run several tests. I’m satisfied.

And this is what you get after about an hour in the oven.

I decided I’d take a picture of this on Mother’s Day. I cut off a few slices, snapped my shots and went about the business of gardening and baking. My sisters and mom stopped by, started hacking slices off it and handing them out like candy, and it was all but gone within minutes. I had to steal half a piece out of my baby sister’s hands. Not to worry, though. I have 3 bananas that are ready to meet the same fate.

Note: The best things come from family. This recipe is one I adapted from my sister-in-law’s banana bread recipe, one that I’ve made several times and have to ask her for each and every time I make it.

4 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 generous tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 egg
3 large bananas
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Heat oven to 350° F. Cream together butter, sugar and minced ginger. Beat in the egg. Add bananas and mix well. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients. Stir in the pecans. Pour batter into a greased 8″ loaf pan. Bake at 350° F for 60 to 65 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.


Makes 1 loaf.
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