Monthly Archives: February 2015

Bakery Miscellaneous

Brown Sugar Cookies with Buttermilk Glaze

First up, on Tuesday, nibbles of dark brown sugar cookies with plenty of chewy texture glazed with buttermilk and powdered sugar. The dough is a basic sugar cookie recipe made with dark sugar.  With the buttermilk in the glaze, this is a cookie of contrasts. Their soft centers balance with the crisp edges, their chewy texture pairs opposite the smoothness of the glaze, and brown sugar answers the  tang of  the buttermilk .  Contrast and complements all in one cookie.

Soften your butter early on then cream it with the sugar and an egg. Add in dry ingredients gradually, then bake and you’re all pau except for the glaze. Flavored with cinnamon and allspice, rich with butter, they bake quickly; just eight minutes was fine.  Let them cool completely before drizzling on the glaze

I found these tasted even better on Wednesday after sitting, airtight, overnight. Their mellowing set the most magnificent aroma wafting  when I opened the container, so be ready for that! The recipe made 3 dozen.  When you next have time, why not declare a cookie day and bake these, make a pot of fresh coffee, and sit down with your book?  Sweet nibbling!

Brown Sugar Cookies w/Buttermilk Glaze

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
12 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and spices. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Add flour mixture and beat until well incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as you go.

Drop by large tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until edges are browned. Cool on the sheet for a nice crisp outside and a soft inside. Cool completely before glazing. Yields 3 dozen cookies.

Buttermilk Glaze

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Use a whisk to blend all ingredients until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled cookies with a fork.

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Food for Thought

Cookies & Books & Buttermilk

Holy Moley!  So, what began as a desire to use the last of the buttermilk chilling in the fridge  evolved into a very fruitful three days of cookie baking at my house.  And okay, well, yes, a second motivation, admittedly, is being engrossed in an interesting new book and knowing that using that buttermilk is going to net me a stash of cookies (and plenty to share also, added bonus!) for enjoying with late-night page turning of that very book. It all sounded good to me, and before I knew it, I was on a mission!

I ended with three very different batches of cookies whose common ingredient is buttermilk.  The Dark Brown Sugar Cookies and the Lemon Bursts both use buttermilk in their glazes and Betty’s Molasses Cookies use 1/2 cup in the dough.

Because we’re all about added bonuses around here, the kitchen, the entire house, is fragrant  with strains of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves with a fresh zesty lemon scent layered on top.  It’s enough to make me believe my next retirement venture just might be transferring this heavenly aroma into perfume: “Spiced Essence of Winter Kitchen Days”.  I’d buy a decanter for sure.

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Recipes - Breads & Biscuits

Skillet Cornbread

Whether an accompaniment to a hearty bowl of homemade soup or stew, a big pot of ham-n-beans, or perhaps just because you are craving a  good slice of cornbread and a glass of buttermilk (and lots of people do!), there is nothing as satisfying as a skillet full of this delicious Southern staple. I have nothing against using Jiffy Mix to make cornbread if you want something quick, and that product does work great especially for corn muffins, but if you want a real treat, there is nothing as good as ‘from-scratch’ cornbread with a crispy crust and a moist center.

Definitely use your cast iron skillet and do put it in the oven with a little bacon drippings so the grease is already hot before pouring your batter in; doing so will make for a browned and crunchy crust on your cornbread; remember to also sprinkle some of your dry cornmeal in the skillet before adding your batter to help develop that crispy crust.  I use Martha White self-rising corn meal, stone ground, for a robust grainy texture and then slather the top with real butter when it comes from the oven. Nothing else will do. This recipe also calls for self-rising flour, not all-purpose.  Bake it up just before the rest of your meal finishes cooking and serve hot.

At my house, cornbread is good any time but it is especially desirable with a pot of beef stew! Enjoy both mightily!

Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients

1 T. bacon drippings
3/4 cup Martha White self-rising enriched white corn meal mix
1/4 cup Martha White self-rising flour
1 T. sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3 T. Crisco vegetable oil
1 large egg, beaten
Extra corn meal mix for preparing pan

Directions Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease an 8-inch cast iron skillet with bacon drippings; place in oven to heat. Combine corn meal mix, flour and sugar in large bowl; mix well. Add buttermilk, oil and egg; blend well. Sprinkle small amount of extra corn meal mix into hot skillet and pour batter over corn meal in hot skillet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into wedges for serving.

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Recipes - Soups, Stews, & Chowders

Beef Stew

It took all of ten seconds to decide on today’s post. With weather forecast for temperatures to “climb” barely above freezing, beef stew was the only option. Double checking with mama on what she might enjoy for her “after supper snack” tonight, her eyes lit up when I mentioned beef stew and cornbread, so I knew I was on the right track. There isn’t a dish more warming than flavorful stew with a slice of crusty cornbread even if you are planning to wash it down with a big glass of cold milk! Winter wonderland indeed!

The secret to a good beef stew is in the long slow cooking. You want your stew meat tender enough to cut with a fork and your vegetables just tender. Today I did dust my meat with a little seasoned flour, shaking it up in a paper sack with salt and pepper before browning it; this enhances the flavor of the beef and provides extra richness to your broth. Some cooks add stewed tomatoes, some add peas or substitute turnips for the potatoes, some enhance the broth with cooking wine and all of those options are fine; the dish is versatile enough to make the stew your own by adding vegetables and flavorings of your choice. My beef stew is a basic “Missouri-winter-stick-to-our-ribs” dish that is simple and full-bodied, with broth just made for sopping with your cornbread. Don’t over cook your vegetables or allow them to become mushy; 25-30 minutes is fine, over low heat, to soften them. You will need to add more water or beef stock once you add your vegetables; use only enough to create the amount of broth you want.  You can also adjust the amount of the flour-water mixture you add at the end and thicken the broth to your own liking.

If you’re as country as we are, you’ll want to save a slice of that cornbread for crumbling into a cold glass of your left over buttermilk for ‘smooshing up’ and eating with a spoon long about midnight; always one of my mom and daddy’s favorite snacks! As with most soups and stews, this one tastes even better the next day if you have any left.  You will have to give a few hours to tending it, but you can then enjoy it for several meals.

Beef Stew

Ingredients

1 T. cooking oil
1 lb. boneless beef chuck, tip or round roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1” pieces
1 large potato, peeled, cut into 1 1/2’ pieces
1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1” pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 cup cold water
2 T. flour
1-2 tsp. fresh parsley, snipped

Directions In 12-inch skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes. Add beef; cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown on all sides. Add the water, 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until beef is almost tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except cold water and flour. Add more water or beef broth until you reach the amount of gravy you want. Cover; cook another 30 minutes or so until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf. In tightly covered jar, combine cold water and flour and shake well to blend thoroughly; gradually stir mixture into the stew. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and stir 1 minute more until thickened. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  Serve piping hot.

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Recipes - Side Dishes

Squash Fritters

It’s outrageous how intense food whispering is at times! Last night mama and I were looking in my cookbook and talking about recipes and again today at church my mind kept returning to Squash Fritters with syrup. For lunch. Nothing to do then but beat it to the market after church and cross my fingers that they still had yellow squash in the produce section. My efforts were rewarded as the squash was all I needed for stirring up a batch of these tasty treats; everything else is found readily on hand. If you are out of Bisquick baking mix, use all-purpose flour instead.  Some cooks also add grated onion to the mix but I prefer just the flavor of the raw crook neck squash.

The grated squash goes right into the batter with the eggs and the dry ingredients; do allow the batter to  breathe for 10 minutes so it thickens before you begin frying the fritters. Heat your oil briefly then fry in the hot oil for a few minutes per side, drain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and do not forget to give them a good splash of maple syrup before serving. I am certainly satisfied now, until the next whisper that is.

Squash Fritters

1/2 to 2/3 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups raw yellow squash, grated
Cooking oil for frying
Powdered sugar and  maple syrup, optional

Directions  In large shallow bowl, combine all ingredients except the oil, stir well to blend. Allow the batter to rest for ten minutes then drop the mixture by tablespoons into preheated oil over medium heat.  Cook fritters 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Dust with powdered sugar;  serve warm with maple syrup if desired.

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