Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

There is nothing quite like walking into a house with the smell of freshly baking bread to greet you.  It envelopes you with this warm, safe, delicious smell that brings to mind images of your mom's flour covered hands and beautifully risen loaves sitting on the counter.  Well, it does for me at least.  When I was a little girl, the waiting was the hardest part.  I would wiggle impatiently.  I would often poke at the dough, willing it to rise faster.  (What can I say?  Baking bread is perhaps one of the more difficult kitchen activities for kids.)  It all seemed like waaaaayyyy too much work for that one loaf to come out, and then it would disappear so quickly.

In more recent years, I have come to love the process as much as the outcome.  I love watching such simple ingredients turn into such a beautiful, rustic product.  There is something cathartic about working the dough, watching it transition from a rough, irregular mass to a smooth, supple ball, and later into a beautifully browned loaf.

Sometime last year, I received the book Good to the Grain, and I am ashamed to say that, while I was excited about it, I didn't really look through it.  I absolutely love using whole grains, I just didn't have time.  After all, there are only so many recipes you can make in a year, and I had already gotten two five other recipe books.  Oops.

Just recently, I picked it up, and was delighted by the variety of grains used and the variety of recipes.  And while I already have a fabulous go-to whole wheat sandwich bread recipe, I am always compelled to at least try a new one.  And I was not disappointed.  This bread has both a wonderful crust and crumb, slices well, and has a wonderful flavor.  It is also incredibly easy, which makes it a great bread for a novice bread baker.  If you are nervous about making bread, this could be a wonderful place to start.

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread
Adapted from Good to the Grain

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses (or eliminate molasses and add one additional tablespoon honey)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 cup rolled oats, plus more for sprinkling
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon sea salt

Add 2 cups of warm water, honey, molasses, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir, allowing yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes, until it begins to bubble.  To autolyse, measure the flour, oats, and butter into the bowl with the yeast mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon.  Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Attach the bowl and the bread hook to the mixer, add the salt, and mix on medium speed for 6 minutes (alternately, knead by hand until the dough is soft, tacky, and supple, about fifteen minutes).  The dough should slap around the sides without sticking to them.  If the dough is sticking at any time during the mixing, add a teaspoon or two of bread flour until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

For the first rise, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead it a few times.  Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

To shape the dough, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Press down on the dough to work out any bubbles, and press the dough onto itself until it begins to spring back.  Pinch the seams together tightly, and place dough into a lightly oiled loaf pan (9x5x3 inches), pressing the dough down so as to fill the pan evenly.  For the second rise, cover the dough in a towel and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until the dough rises half again and puffs up barely or just over the edge of the pan.  While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

When the dough has completed its second rise, brush with water, and sprinkle with oats, if desired.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top crust is hard and sounds hollow when tapped.  Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a baking rack, preferably for a few hours.

Mint, Zucchini, and Rice Frittata with Feta

Most everyone I know has a go-to frittata or quiche recipe.  They use this recipe whenever they need a quick dinner or a nice, easy brunch with friends.  Frittatas manage to be incredibly simple while tasting delicious and looking classy.  They can be dressed up or dressed down, and they are the perfect platform for whatever leftovers you might have and need to use up.

Because of this, I rarely consult a recipe for a frittata, let alone buy specific ingredients to go in one.  But I saw this recipe and it really intrigued me.   I had never seen mint used so abundantly in a savory dish, and I was curious how the flavors would go together.  It turns out that they work incredibly well.

I was also intrigued by the unique textural qualities of this dish, and of course had lots of fun making zucchini ribbons with my vegetable slicer.  Let's face it - most of us are still kids at heart, and any opportunity to "play" in the kitchen is worth it.  Ok, well maybe that's just me, but nevertheless, I love using regular, somewhat boring vegetables and turning them into fun, wonky shapes.

I know, I know you don't want to go to the store to buy specific ingredients to go in a frittata, either.  But frankly, you should.  Just this once.  Every other time, I promise it can be an eclectic mix of unidentifiable leftovers, but this time, just try it.  I promise you'll be delightfully surprised.

After all, this particular frittata is light and delicate, yet satisfying in that "wow, I actually ate something that is good for me and tastes good, too" kind of way.  And it's a great go to item for that brunch you forgot about, or even a light dinner when you need something fast.  Oh, and did I mention that you get to show off your awesome vegetable peeling skills?

Mint, Zucchini, and Rice Frittata with Feta

Adapted from Sunday Suppers

1 cup cooked brown basmati rice

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3-4 small zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise (I use a vegetable peeler to create zucchini ribbons)

1 medium leek, sliced into thin medallions

1/2 bunch chopped mint

6 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon sea salt*

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup feta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a cast iron skillet saute zucchini and leeks in butter and oil until soft. Mix in the rice and mint.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper.  Pour over rice mixture. Cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Add crumbled feta on top.

Transfer into oven, bake 12-15 minutes, until firm to the touch and lightly browned on top.

*Reduce amount of sea salt if you are using a particularly salty Feta.

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

 I love olive oil.  And while I know it rules in savory cooking, olive oil is often overlooked when the topic of sweet things arises.  But frankly, its fruity, deep flavor lends itself well to desserts, adding a complexity and sincerity to them that is lacking in other fat sources.  In fact, I often make an effort to seek out particularly strong olive oil with the goal of showcasing the flavor.

Delightfully, olive oil pairs beautifully with the bright acid of citrus fruits.  It seems to pair well with all of them.  So, if you were to search for an olive oil cake, you would find that most of them include some citrus, whether lemon, orange, or grapefruit.

Now, if you haven't ever tried an olive oil cake, I certainly hope you try this one.  They are unique and delicious, and go wonderfully with a nice cup of tea on a February afternoon.  This particular cake highlights Cara Cara oranges and Meyer lemons, both of which are overflowing at the Farmer's Markets right now.  

Unfortunately, I have to admit that not all olive oil cakes are made equal.  I have seen several recipes that call for an extremely large volume of olive oil and a huge amount of sugar.  I really enjoy this recipe because the cake is moist without being oily and sweet without cloying.

In fact, this cake stays delightfully moist for days, although I doubt that it will last that long.  You will make it Thursday, and you will be looking for another excuse to make it on Sunday.  It slices beautifully, and would make a great dessert after a luncheon or at a meeting.  It's also just a nice item to sit on your counter for every passerby who wants to grab a snack.  Whatever you make it for, you will enjoy it immensely.  I definitely see this recipe slipping into your regular rotation as if it has always been there, like an old friend.

Citrus Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

The original recipe was for a blood orange olive oil cake.  While delicious, olive oil pairs well with any kind of citrus, so feel free to use an equivalent amount of tangerines, navel oranges, or lemons.

2 cara-cara or navel oranges
1/4 cup juice from 2 Meyer lemons
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.  Grate zest from both oranges and place in bowl with sugar.  Using your fingers, rub sugar and zest together until evenly distributed.

Supreme both oranges: cut off top and bottom of the fruit, and cut pith off fruit by following the curve of the fruit.  Cut orange segments out of the connective membrane and break up segments into 1/4 inch pieces.  Set aside.

Halve Meyer lemons and juice them, until you get a 1/4 cup of juice.  Mix with 1/2 cup plain yogurt.  Add yogurt mixture to sugar mixture and whist until smooth.  Whisk in eggs and olive oil.

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Gently whisk flour mixture into liquid mixture.  Fold in orange segments.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake 50-55 minutes, until golden brown and an inserted knife comes out clean.  Let cook 5 minutes, invert cake, and let cool completely before serving.

English Muffins

I know it seems like I have fallen off the planet, but I'm here.  I promise.  It's just been an exceptionally busy couple of weeks.  I had the best intentions.  After all, English Muffins and Marmalade go together perfectly.  And then, one day turned into two twelve, and well, here we are.  But we don't have to worry too much.  After all, if you preserved your marmalade, then it is still perfectly good and you can enjoy it on a freshly toasted muffin.

Now I'm sure you're an English Muffin eater.  Of course you are.  After all, who could possible resist all of those delightful nooks and crannies?  But i'm guessing it has probably never occurred to you to make them.  If it has, well then you should probably stop reading this and go finish making your homemade cheeses or olive oil or whatever.  Otherwise, please follow me.  We have some English Muffins to make.

For me, this all started quite innocently.  In fact, I was simply checking out at the local Whole Foods and just happened to stumble across the Holiday Edition of Cook's Illustrated.  I have to admit: I have a very soft spot for these magazines.  I love the recipes, and I love the discussions about why they made changes.  On flipping through, I found it.  A recipe for English Muffins.  And I was thrilled.  And, oops, that magazine just wanted to come home with me so badly.  How can I possibly blame it for jumping into my basket?

As most of you know, I enjoy have an obsessive need to tweak recipes.  One idea tends to trigger another, and it becomes one big jumbled mess of flavors in my head.  In this recipe, though, I really didn't feel the need to tweak much of anything.  It is wonderful as is, and results in delightfully nooks-and-cranny filled muffins.

The only truly weird part about this recipe will be the fact that you cook the raw dough before baking it. Did any of you ever wonder how they get those muffins to be flat and perfectly browned on the outside?  Well, you are about to find out.  I do apologize though.  Because if you decide to try these, I would bet that you will have been ruined for store-bought English Muffins forever.

English Muffins
Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking 2011

Makes 12 muffins

1 cup milk (while they call for whole milk, 2%/low-fat milk works just fine), room temperature
1/3 cup water, room temperature
3 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 Tablespoons honey
3 1/2 cups (19 1/4 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
cornmeal
vegetable oil or spray

If using a stand mixer:
Whisk milk, water, butter, and honey together in a large liquid measuring cup.  Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  With mixer on low speed, add liquid mixture and mix for 2 minutes.  Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add flour one teaspoon at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to the bottom.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand to form a smooth ball.  Transfer dough to a well oiled bowl and cover, allowing to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

If mixing by hand:
Whisk liquid ingredients together in a bowl.  In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.  Stir liquid mixture into dry mixture with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until dough comes together in a shaggy ball.  Turn dough out onto a counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, 15-25 minutes, adding more flour as needed to develop a smooth, supple dough.  Transfer to a well oiled bowl and cover, allowing to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

To make muffins:
Sprinkle cornmeal over a large baking sheet.  Turn dough onto a clean counter, and, using hands, stretch into an even 12-inch log.  Divide into 12 even pieces and cover.  Shape each piece into a smooth, taught roll and place onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Mist rolls with spray oil and cover loosely, allowing to rise until nearly doubled in size, 45 to 75 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Gently press rolls flat, 3/4 inch thick with a metal spatula.  Dust muffin tops with cornmeal and cover.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat for two minutes.  Carefully lay four muffins in pan and cook until bottoms are darkly browned, 3-5 minutes, occasionally pressing gently on muffins to prevent doming.  Flip muffins, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook 2-4 minutes, until both sides are browned.  Transfer muffins immediately to a baking sheet in the oven and bake 10 minutes.  Repeat with remaining muffins.  Let cool on wire rack.  Split muffins with a fork and toast before serving.

Four Fruit Marmalade

So today, I'm here to talk to you about canning.  If you ask most anyone the one thing they are scared to make, the answer is often something like "pie crust" or "pizza dough" or perhaps even "a souffle".  If someone were to ask me that question, my answer would have emphatically been "canning".  It's not that I don't like the idea of canning.  In fact, the thought of canning is right up there with making wild-yeasted breads and handmade soap.  It's something I have always wanted to do.  It's one of those awesome home projects that's just shy of setting up bee hives and producing your own honey.  In a word?  Wonderful.

But with canning, I have always been afraid of, well, killing people.  You know, all that improper preserving and bacteria stuff.  I always felt like the kid staring in the window of the secret club I wasn't a part of.  And then, my Mom bought a home canning kit and it was all over for me.  I had to at least try...didn't I?  Living in California where citrus trees abound, and never knowing what to do with all of that fruit, this seemed like the perfect excuse to open the kit.

So, several days and many of hours of research later, it seemed like canning wasn't that difficult.  And that marmalade, with its high acid content, was actually a pretty food to begin with.  This was the moment -- the one where the little kid faces the monsters in the closet, ladle in hand.    

I have never been very good at staying afraid when it comes to food.  If I get an idea to make something, it's very likely that I will do so within a few days or risk thinking about making it until I do.  So there I was with jars, canning pot, rack, and fruit.  All that was left was to begin.  

So two days and one too many British women canning marmalade on YouTube later, I was done.  And I must say, even though there were a few moments of doubt (mostly surrounding when I had reached the gelling point), it was a lot of fun.  I had officially been let into the secret club.  

There is something very freeing about being on the other side of that window.  I know I still have a lot to learn about preserving, especially when Summer comes around, but it's nice to know that I now have the tools to do it.  So...beekeeping anyone?

Four Fruit Marmalade
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Makes 6 half-pint jars (Note: the original recipe claims to make 8 half-pint jars, however, I got only 6)

1 1/2 pounds grapefruit
1 pound sweet oranges
8 ounces limes
8 ounces Meyer lemons
5 1/2 cups of sugar
6 cups of water

Day 1:

Remove peel with 1/8 inch of pith and thinly slice.  If you are handy with a knife, you can slice the peel off the fruit, however, a vegetable peeler works very well.  Combine the sliced peel with two cups of water and simmer for 10 minutes until the peel is softened.

In the meantime, juice half of the fruit and add it to a large pot.  Set aside any seeds.  With the remaining fruit, cut off the pith, cut fruit in half, and remove the center and seeds.  Chop pulp into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the pot with juice.  Place seeds and pith on cheesecloth and tie together to form a bag.  Put the cheesecloth back, peels and water mixture, and four additional cups of in pot.  Cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Day 2:

Add sugar to fruit mixture and boil rapidly, stirring often, until it reaches the gelling point, about one hour (around 220 degrees F).  At the same time, Heat water in a 21-quart canning pot (or other large stock pot) and sterilize jars, screw bands, and lids.

When the marmalade is ready skim off any foam and remove the cheesecloth bag containing the seeds and the pith.  Fill sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  For more detailed canning directions, click here.

Christmas Wreaths

I think most people would agree with me when I say there are "grown-up" desserts and their are "kid" desserts.  If you don't spend very much time with children, then it may surprise you to know that they are rarely thrilled by a Mint Chocolate Truffle Tart, or by a Meyer lemon souffle.  In fact, they will choose white confetti cupcakes from a box every time.



With Christmas fast approaching, many of you will be attending (or hosting) parties, and if children are attending then you will surely want these on your menu.  You may even want them for those of us who never really grew up.

Now, I can enjoy a Meyer lemon souffle with the best of them, but every once in a while, I get a real kick out of a sticky, gooey kid dessert.  Something made of strange colors or shapes.  Something that rarely appears to be real food.  With a dash of vanilla and salt, this particular recipe tries to be a little adult friendly.  Although it is green and red.  

Christmas Wreaths

Adapted from my Mother's recipe and from Smitten Kitchen 

1 10-ounce bag of marshmallows 

4 ounces (1 stick) butter

6 cups cornflakes

1/4 teaspoon flaky salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

7-10 drops green food coloring

Cinnamon red hots (found at most grocery stores in the cake decorating isle)

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Heat butter in a large pot, over medium-low heat.  Continue cooking melted butter, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown and smell nutty (about 3-5 minutes).  Be careful when browning butter, as it can easily transition from browned to burned in very little time.

When butter is browned, turn heat off and immediately add marshmallows and vanilla extract.  Stir the marshmallow mixture until fully melted (this may take a few minutes).  When the marshmallows are melted, add green food coloring until the desired shade of green is acquired.  Add cornflakes and salt, stirring until fully coated.  Let mixture cool briefly, until warm to the touch (so as not to burn your hands).

With oiled hands, shape cornflake mixture into wreath shapes (use about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the cornflake mixture for each wreath).  Work quickly as the mixture is very sticky and will set as soon as it cools.  When cookies are shaped, press the red hots on top.  Let cool completely before serving. 

Nutmeg Maple (Sandwich) Cookies

I have a confession to make.  While normally I am the first kid at the front of the Christmas-Is-Coming line, this year, I have been taken by surprise.  It's not like I didn't see the month change to December, it's just that where "Christmas" normally lights up in my brain, I seem to have burned out a bulb or two.

In an attempt to ease myself into what is normally a holiday baking marathon, I went searching for a simple sugar cookie.  You know the kind.  The ones where you make large cookies and decorate them with sparkly sugar and icing.  They tend to be fairly basic and predictable, but in such a way that lends itself to many a family's holiday tradition.  Since this seems to be my moment for confessions, though, I must admit that I tend to find basic sugar cookies...well, a little basic boring.

In my quest for sugar cookies, I stumbled across Maple Butter Cookies from Gourmet.   Well, ever since I was a little girl and was introduced to the maple syrup snow cone (you know you want one), I have always loved maple syrup.  Coincidentally, I stumbled across a very similar recipe on Smitten Kitchen this week.  Only this time, the word "nutmeg" was added.  Now, I love nutmeg, and I find it to be a fascinating and vastly under appreciated spice.  It seems like nutmeg is always paired with cinnamon (and don't get me wrong, I love cinnamon), however, it's nice to see nutmeg stand in the spotlight every once in a while.

So of course these cookies entered the have to make it now category and I quickly forgot about the cookies I had planned to make.  And I have to say these didn't disappoint.  In fact, they are absolutely delicious, with a prominently showcased maple flavor.  They also taste fabulous days after they were baked, which I can't say about many cookies.  I was a little disappointed with the nutmeg - it wasn't quite as pronounced as I would have liked.  I think next time I would add a bit more.

To remedy the nutmeg problem in this batch, I came up with a nutmeg buttercream frosting to sandwich in between the cookies.  Yup, you heard right.  Nutmeg buttercream frosting.  I know your ears just perked up.  If you weren't convinced before, you are now reaching for a piece of paper on which to write your grocery list.

Now don't get me wrong - these cookies are lovely when left alone, but they reach a whole different level of wonderful when you turn them into sandwich cookies, with a sweet maple beginning and a spicy nutmeg finish.  And they keep very well.  So you can whip up a batch on Thursday afternoon and bring them to your Saturday evening Christmas party.  I hope you tuck these lovely little cookies into your holiday rotation.  I know they look plain, but I promise they pack a lot of flavor.  Consider them your "holiday surprise" cookie.  I don't think anyone will suspect.

Nutmeg Maple (Sandwich) Cookies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Gourmet

You will probably ask me how many cookies this recipe makes.  And I will have to sheepishly tell you that I don't know.  I have a recent fascination with petite foods, and these cookies were no different.  So I ended up using very small cookie cutters (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches), and of course was able to make dozens of cookies.  I can, however, vouch for the fact that this dough holds up very well in the refrigerator as I made my cookies over the course of several days.

Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup, Grade B (it has way more flavor than Grade A)
1 large egg yolk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
1 1/4 teaspoons flaky salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  With mixer running, add egg yolk and slowly drizzle maple syrup in.  In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and nutmeg together.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.  Gather dough together (it will be in loose clumps) and tightly wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to four days.

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.  This dough softens quickly so work on a well-floured surface and roll out a quarter of the dough at a time, leaving the rest in the refrigerator.  Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick and cut into desired shapes.  Arrange cookies on baking sheets and bake for 8-11 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.  If you wish to make sandwich cookies, please proceed...

Nutmeg Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 tablespoon cream
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Using an electric mixer (with whisk attachment if applicable), beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add vanilla and nutmeg and continue to whisk until fully incorporated.  Add cream, 1 teaspoonful at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

To assemble cookies, frost the back side of one cookie (cooled completely) using either an knife or small offset spatula.  Gently press a second cookie on to the frosting so that the cookies are now back-to-back.  Let frosting set before serving.  Store in an airtight container.