Marionberry Muffins - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Each summer I freeze at least one flat of Marionberries to use during the winter months. Marionberries are a blackberry cultivar with a sweetness and complexity that has led the folks who grow and market them to dub them the "Cabernet of Blackberries." That may be an overreach, but I must tell you they do make delicious cobblers, scones and muffins and they are a wonderful addition to sauces for beef and lamb. Those of you who garden might want to know more about how the berry was developed and additional information can be found here. Marionberry muffins have become a part of our holiday celebrations and I made them for our breakfast yesterday morning. The muffins are delicious, easy to make and, while the recipe calls for Marionberries, any type of caneberry can be used to prepare them. There are no hints needed to make these successfully and the recipe is straightforward. Here's how the muffins are made.

Marionberry Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
2 cups sour cream
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups Marionberries (blackberries, raspberries or blueberries may be substituted)
Melted butter and sugar for topping

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour muffin cups or line with paper liners. Set aside.
2) In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat until incorporated. Blend in sour cream and set aside.
3) In a separate mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; fold into creamed mixture gently (DO NOT OVER MIX).
4) Fold in Marionberries and spoon batter into muffin pans, filling them 3/4 full.
5) Bake muffins 24 to 26 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Muffins are done when toothpick comes out clean.
6) Transfer to cooling racks and while still warm, dip muffin tops in melted butter and then into granulated sugar. Yield: 16 to 20 muffins.

You might also Enjoy these recipes:
Banana Crunch Muffins - What's Cookin Chicago?
Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting - Plain Chicken
Perfect Blueberry Muffins - The Sophisticated Gourmet
Cranberry Upside Down Muffins - Back to the Cutting Board
Lemon Cranberry Muffins - The Food Republik
Oatmeal Muffins with Raisins, Dates and Walnuts - Simply Recipes
Whole Orange Muffins - Food and Whine

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Autumn Date and Hazelnut Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The hazelnut harvest is underway here in Oregon. Every fall, stores and farm stands greet us with bins that are brimming with this meaty treasure. They are an important part of the local economy and I use them whenever I can. A local grower actually sells his hazelnuts chopped, roasted and ready for the freezer. It gets even better. If you have the foresight to ask, he also mill the nuts to a fine powder that's perfect for flourless baking. The downside to all this is there is no excuse for not baking cakes and breads that require hazelnuts. I love this particular quick bread. The recipe was developed by Susan Loomis for the French Farmhouse Cookbook and it is the only version of date nut bread that I still make today. It's wonderful for church gatherings or coffees where you have to provide something a little sweet. The bread is extremely easy to make , but if you want the best of flavors let it age for at least a day before slicing. I actually wait 2 days before cutting mine. The crust is what keeps me coming back to this recipe. It is soft and buttery and the loaf has a remarkable aroma that I find irresistable. If you haven't made this bread I hope you'll give it a try. There will be no regrets. Here's the recipe.

Autumn Date and Hazelnut Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Susan Loomis

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
11-1/2 (eleven and one-half) tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla or hazelnut extract
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
1 cup dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) Sift flour, baking powder and salt together on a piece of waxed paper.
3) In bowl of an electric mixer, blend butter and sugar until mixture is light and pale yellow. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla or hazelnut extract. Turn mixer to low speed and add the flour, mixing just until combined. Add hazelnuts and dates and mix to distribute through batter.
4) Scrape batter into prepared pan, rapping it sharply on a hard surface to release any air bubbles in batter. Bake in center of oven until the loaf has puffed and a knife inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
5) Remove pan from oven and immediately remove it from pan. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf - 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Mango Nut Bread - Chef in You
Fruit and Nut Loaf - Anja's Food 4 Thought
Chocolate and Hazelnut Bread - Chef in You
Cherry and Almond Scones - The English Kitchen
Medjool Date and Walnut Bread - Closet Cooking
Date Nut Spice Bread - Brown Eyed Baker
Three Savory Quick Breads - One Perfect Bite

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

When things are quiet here, I browse through food blogs the way others do magazines. I admire some and learn from others, always gleaning tips and tidbits that have the potential to make our next meal something really special. As a result, my bookmark folder is an embarrassment of riches that I'd be ashamed to let others see. While not talking numbers, I can happily report that I'm now current through the summer of 2009. While it took a while, I was finally able to make this wonderful Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, originally featured at Baking Bites that summer. If you're not familiar with the site, stop by and see what's happening. You'll be happy that you did. This lovely cake-like bread was worth waiting for. It is moist. It is flavorful. It is chocolate. I know you'll love it, so rather than gab I'll get right to it. Here's the recipe for one of the best zucchini breads I've ever had. I did say chocolate, didn't I?


Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Baking Bites

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium zucchini, shredded to equal 1-1/4 cups
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
3) Whisk eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
4) Add wet to dry ingredients and stir until almost fully combined. Add zucchini and chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed in batter (batter should be fairly thick).
5) Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or with only moist crumbs attached. Turn loaf out of pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chocolate Zucchini Cake - One Perfect Bite
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Low Card Gluten Free) - All Day I Dream About Food
Chocolate Zucchini and Sweet Potato Bread - Anna's Table
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins - Cookie Madness
Vegan Chocolate Banana and Zucchini Bread - Anja's Food 4 Thought
Chocolate Zucchini Bread - Closet Cooking
Chocolate Zucchini Spelt Cake - Anja's Food 4 Thought

Pumpkin Pecan Bread with Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While spring is my favorite season, I love the aromas that drift from the fall kitchen. This bread is wonderfully fragrant and it's as tasty as its aroma promises. While it is delicious, I must warn you the bread is very sweet and that may be off-putting to some. The recipe was develop by Rebecca Rather, of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe, and it can be found in her The Pastry Queen cookbook. The recipe makes two loaves of bread or enough muffins to feed the third world. Properly rapped the breads stays fresh for days and it freezes beautifully. I have several loaves in the freezer waiting for meetings and coming holiday parties. It is very easy to prepare and can be made without special equipment. The bread was new to me this season and I consider it to be a wonderful addition to my fall kitchen. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread with Streusel Topping ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Rebecca Rather

Ingredients:
Bread
1-1/2 cups pecan pieces, divided use
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 cup water
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces (above)

Directions:
1) To make bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Reserve 1/2 cup of toasted pecans for topping.
Grease two 9 by 5-inch pans or 36 standard-size muffin cups with butter or cooking spray.
Whisk oil and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, pumpkin, and water and whisk until combined. Stir in flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Gently stir in 1 cup of the pecan pieces. Divide batter evenly between two pans or fill muffin pans almost to top with batter.
2) To make the topping: Stir sugar, butter, cinnamon, and the reserved 1/2 cup of pecan pieces in a medium bowl. Sprinkle topping liberally over the loaves or the muffins before baking.
3) To bake: Bake the loaves for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Bake muffins for 30 to 35 minutes.

You might also enjoys these recipes:
Raw Apple Bread - Living the Gourmet
Apple Caraway Bread - Eclectic Recipes
Okanagan Apple Bread - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Apple Bread - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread - Two Peas and Their Pod
Pumpkin Molasses Bread - Tasty Eats at Home
Walnut Topped Pumpkin Bread - LA Easy Meals
Pumpkin Bread with Raisins and Pecans - That's Not What the Recipe Says
Pumpkin Bread with Dried Cranberries - No Fear of Entertaining

Apple Oatmeal Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know he means well, but sometimes the Silver Fox is not helpful. He has a tendency to comment on works in progress and I really didn't need to hear his, "...that'll grow hair on your chest," as I added oatmeal to my bread mix. As a child I was very literal minded. If someone were to say I'm beside myself, you can bet I checked the room. Old habits die hard. Without thinking, I glanced down and managed to give him his laugh of the day. What can I say? While it's more nutritious than many, the bread is not a cure for male pattern baldness. It is very easy to prepare and it can be quickly made with no special equipment. Needless to say, it perfumes the kitchen as it bakes and the lingering aroma of cinnamon and apples will drive the unsuspecting to distraction. It's a really nice bread that can be made with a wooden spoon. While it is heavier than many quick breads, it's a perfect fall treat. The bread stays fresh for days and it makes wonderful toast. I hope you will try it. Here's the recipe.

Apple Oatmeal Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1-1/2 cups grated apple
1/4 cup raisins
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and oats in a large bowl. Add apple, raisins, eggs, milk, and oil. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Mixture will be stiff.
3) Put mixture into prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until done. Let sit for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and continue cooling on a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (about 12 slices).

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread - You Made That?
Glazed Apple, Carrot and Walnut Loaf - The English Kitchen
Banana Nut Bread - Brown-Eyed Baker
Cherry Pecan Bread - Amanda's Cookin'
Coconut Bread - Bored Cook in the Kitchen
Cinnamon Quick Bread - Sugar Plum
Raspberry Almond Swirl Bread - Baking Bites

Zucchini Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are into muffins, I have a treat for you. These muffins come from The Shipyard Galley, a restaurant, on Buzzard's Bay in Massachusetts. I have no adventure or quaint characters to share with you today. As a matter of fact, I've never set foot on Buzzard's Bay, much less eaten at The Shipyard Galley, but thanks to the folks at King Arthur Flour I do have the recipe for their wonderful zucchini muffins. This was a case of love at first bite and I must tell you I'm hooked. Whenever I make these, I have to fight the urge to use large muffin pans and only the calorie count prevents me from doing so. A standard muffin checks in at 335 calories, doubling that means more time on a treadmill than I'm willing to spend. More's the pity! If you try these, I suspect you'll share my addiction. Here's the recipe.

Zucchini Muffins...from the kitchen of One perfect Bite, inspired by The Shipyard Galley an King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup raisins or currants

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line one 12-cup muffin tin with papers, or grease each cup.
2) Beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla till smooth and somewhat lightened in color, about 1 minute at high speed.
3) Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, beating to combine.
4) Add flour, beating just till smooth.
5) Add the zucchini, nuts, and raisins or currants.
6) Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
7) Bake muffins for 25 to 27 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven, and after a minute or so gently tilt them in pans, so their bottoms don't become soggy. As soon as muffins can be handled, transfer them to a rack to cool. Yield: 12 muffins.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Zucchini Blueberry Bread - Mrs. Regueiro's Kitchen
Zucchini Carrot Muffins - Real Mom Kitchen
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread - All Day I Dream About Food
Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins with Greek Yogurt - Andrea Meyers
Zucchini and Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies - Sweet and Savory Tooth
Lemon Zucchini Cookies - Mindika Moments

Sweet Pickles - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've done a lot of experimenting with pickles this summer and was really happy with the outcome. I did, however, have one last recipe to try before the season ended, so I was delighted delighted to find that Kirby cucumbers were still available at my favorite farm stand. The refrigerator dill pickles I made earlier in the season were terrific. I had a recipe for sweet pickles, developed by Tyler Florence, that I also wanted to try before moving on to pumpkins and squash. Today was the day and I'm really happy to report that his recipe is also a keeper. His pickles are very easy to make , but you should plan on a wait time of 5 hours before they are ready to eat. While you can use garden variety cucumbers to make this pickle, their seeds and a slightly bitter skin that makes them less than ideal for pickling. I prefer to use Kirby or English (hot house) cucumbers whenever possible. Refrigerator pickles have a color and crispness that I find irresistible. I hope you will too. Here's the recipe.

Sweet Pickles...from the kitchen of one Perfect Bite, courtesy of Tyler Florence

Ingredients:
6 Kirby cucumbers or 2 regular cucumbers
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1) Wash and dry cucumbers. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice cucumbers thinly and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Place colander over a bowl and allow it to sit, covered, for about 1 hour. Rinse off salt and dry cucumber slices well. Place them into a sterilized quart jar.
2) Place water, vinegar, sugar, coriander seed, mustard seed, allspice berries, cinnamon stick, whole cloves and bay leaf in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour brine over cucumbers in jar. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep, refrigerated, for about 2 weeks. Yield: 1 quart sweet pickles.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Canned Dill Pickles - Pantry Eats
Smokin' Hot Pickled Okra - Coconut and Lime
Pickled Okra - Never Enough Thyme
Zucchini Pickles - Andrea Meyers
Refrigerator Dill Pickles - One Perfect Bite
Dill and Garlic Freezer Pickles - The Other Side of Fifty
Jalapeno Bread and Butter Pickles - Simply Recipes

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Pumpkin Apple Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the problems with large cans of pumpkin is that most recipes don't need the quantity they contain and you are left with puree that must be used in other recipes or trashed. Buying smaller cans was not an option for many of us last year. I live in an area where there was a problem obtaining pumpkin and we bought what we could get. Only the large cans were available. I had pumpkin left after making the yeast rolls we featured yesterday and this wonderful recipe from a 1993 issue of Gourmet Magazine was an ideal place in which to use it. The recipe comes from Rebecca's Gourmet Bakery in Cary, North Carolina, and it makes two lovely spice scented loaves of harvest bread. Since fall is rapidly approaching, I thought I'd push the season a bit and share it with you now, rather than wait for the season to officially begin. There are no tricks to making these delicious loaves as long as you don't cut the apples in too large a dice. The cake-like bread keeps extraordinarily well and is perfect for toting to meetings or other functions when you are responsible for providing cake or cookies. I know you'll like this simple spicy bread. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Apple Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
For topping
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
For bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 (15-oz) can solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 Granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (2 cups)

Directions:
1) To make the topping: Blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
2) To make the bread: Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans. Set aside. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl. Whisk together pumpkin oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Fold in apples. Divide batter between buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle half of topping evenly over each loaf. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of bread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool loaves in pans on a rack for 45 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Yield: two loaves.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread - Mom's Cooking Club
Pumpkin Bread - My Kitchen Snippets
Pumpkin Bread with Dried Cranberries - No Fear Entertaining
Pumpkin Bread with Crumb Topping - The Hungry Housewife
Toasted Pumpkin Bread Pudding - Culinary Cory
Toasted Hazelnut Streusel Pumpkin Bread - Sugar Plum

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... We had breakfast for dinner tonight. Chalk it up to a great day trip that probably should have been an overnighter. We had promised the boys a trip to Cape Foulweather, so named for its high winds and the ferocity of its storms, and the cape did not disappoint. We stayed longer than we should and a late and heavy lunch left no one with any real appetite for dinner. Once home, I pulled this cinnamon swirl from the freezer and Bob made pancakes and bacon for those not wanting eggs. I suspect all of you have had this loaf in one form or another. I guarantee your grandmother made it and your mother probably used Bisquick to make a coffee cake that was similar to it. It fell into disfavor for years, but reappeared in a 2002 Cooking Light forum and hit the other food boards shortly thereafter. I have not been able to find the original source of the recipe. This is a delightful cake that is quick to assemble and is wonderful for morning meetings or a family brunch. The recipe, as it appeared on the food boards, would cause most folks to combine ingredients at the wrong time, so I've rearranged the ingredient list to prevent that from happening. Mine is a simple fix. Here's how it's made.

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf...as made in the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Cinnamon Swirl
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Batter
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
Assembly
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) To make cinnamon swirl: Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
3) To make batter: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a small bowl. Set aside. Cream butter until light in bowl of an electric mixer on high speed. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until mixture is very light and fluffy. With mixer set to medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, alternately beat in dry ingredients and sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat only until combined.
4) To assemble: Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon sugar. Drizzle butter over top. To form swirl, cut through batter with a knife several times.
5) To bake: Bake until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen sides from pan and carefully invert onto a rack and gently flip to turn right-side up again. Cool completely before serving. Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pom Koec: Belgian Coffee Cake - One Perfect Bite
Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake - One Perfect Bite
Budapest Coffee Cake - One Perfect Bite
Apple Nut Coffee Cake - Sweet Kat's Kitchen
Blueberry Cheese Danish Cake - The Sweets Life
Sour Cream Cinnamon Nut Coffee Cake - Buttercream Barbie
Plum Kuchen - Smitten Kitchen
le Weekend Coffee Cake Muffins - She's In the Kitchen
Allspice Muffins - What's Cooking Chicago

Blueberry-Corn Muffins - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...They're back. My Texas grandsons have grown like weeds and in six short months have crossed that invisible line that separates little boys from more serious works in progress. I'm a bit sad, but also thrilled and proud. Their years become them. On a more practical note, I have to feed these gangly guys and my dainty breakfast muffins will no longer suit this crew. So, I surrendered and bought a pair of jumbo muffin pans, and began a search for a batter with which to fill them. Martha Stewart had just what I was looking for. She developed a muffin that contains corn meal and blueberries. The proportion of corn meal to flour in her recipe is slight, so the end product tastes like a muffin with a really interesting texture rather than cornbread. I didn't make the paper molds she suggested and while my muffins lacked her striking presentation, the jumbo muffin pans worked well. I do have one suggestion to make to you. Use frozen blueberries. This recipe makes a really stiff batter and fresh berries will be mangled when you fold them into the dough. This is a really nice recipe that's a bit unique. You'll also love the aroma of the muffins as they bake. The only downside to this recipe is that the muffins don't keep well. They are, of course, best eaten warm. I hope you'll try these. They really are good. Here's the recipe.

Blueberry-Corn Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
3 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray one jumbo muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2) Place softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and honey in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs; beat 1 minute more.
3) Whisk flour, cornmeal, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; add to butter mixture in mixer bowl. Beat until combined. Slowly pour in milk, beating on low, until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Divide dough among muffin cups. Brush tops with cold water; sprinkle 1 teaspoon of reserved sugar over each.
4) Bake until tops are browned, centers are set, and a cake tester inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Serve at once. Yield: 6 jumbo muffins.

You might also like the recipes:
Raspberry Streusel Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Morning Glory Muffins - One Perfect Bite
French Breakfast Puffs - One Perfect Bite
Chocolate Chip Muffins - The Purple Foodie
Blueberry Lime Muffins with Ricotta - Savour Fare
Pumpkin Muffins - Whisk: A food Blog
Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Muffins - Food Gal
Very Berry Muffins - Kristen's Kitchen
Orange Marmalade Muffins - The Food Addicts

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Blueberry Buckle - Cowboy Camp Meeting for Blue Monday

Blueberry Buckle



Cowboy Church Camp Meeting



Pastor Tom's Right-Hand Man

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Bob and I happened on the camp meeting while looking for decent blueberries. The blue striped tent, positioned along the river and abutting the bridge couldn't be missed. I'll admit to being cat curious and instigating a trip down the embankment to the the camp grounds. We took a few pictures before being joined by Jeb, who handles security and parking for the event. He was as curious about our presence as we were about the revival meeting. Jeb kindly led us through the intricacies of the event and how it came to be. More information about events such as these can be found here. While a man of few words, when asked about attendance he ventured, "Some nights it's a healthy handful, some nights we're packed." Ever the good disciple, he clearly hoped we'd be back and spoke of that a bit, but then shared with us locations of berry fields and farms we would have otherwise missed. I had promised Bob I'd make a blueberry buckle if we could find fruit that had any flavor. Thanks to Jeb, I was able to keep that promise and we had a lovely dessert. Bob loves it because of its thick sugar topping. The topping cracks as the dish cooks and the craters in it surface are how this buckle got its name. The recipe I use was originally developed by Martha Stewart and the topping is based on one made by her mother. Both recipes are delicious and I think best of kind. I really think you love this buckle. Here are the recipes.

Blueberry Buckle...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Streusel Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
5 cups wild or cultivated blueberries
Streusel Topping

Directions
1) To make streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until fine crumbs form. Using hands, squeeze together most of mixture to form large clumps. Topping be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
2) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a springform baking pan, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside.
3) In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, and add egg and vanilla, beating until fully combined.
5) Add reserved flour mixture, alternating with the milk, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Remove from mixer. Gently fold in blueberries.
6) Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle streusel topping over cake. Bake until cake tester comes out batter-free, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool for 15 minutes before serving. Yield 8 to 10 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Blueberry Glace Pie - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry Flognarde - One Perfect Bite
Old-Fashioned Blueberry Crumb Bars - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry Ebelskiver - Baking Bites
Blueberry Zucchini Bread - Closet Cooking
Red Rice Salad - Lisa Is Cooking

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Sweet Potato Biscuits

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is not the food of my people. I was raised on sour dough, seeded rye and grain so whole it could crack your teeth. Biscuits, save for shortbread, were not in my purview and I was well into my thirties before I figuratively crossed the Mason-Dixon line and had a true cream biscuit. I loved it, vowed to master its making, but, instead, went home and again made cinnamon buns and kaiser rolls. The foods of a lifetime are the ones learned in the kitchen's of our childhood. Biscuit had no place in my early memories, so they slid from my culinary radar. Then fate intervened and sent a Southern son-in-law my way. Biscuits and their mastery became important as we tried to weave the traditions of his childhood into those of our table. While striving for mastery, I came across a feature that caught my eye and changed the direction in which I was heading. Adam Ried, in an article written for The Boston Globe, claimed, "The wedding of biscuit to sweet potato is an occasion of culinary bliss." Pushing hyperbole aside, I was intrigued by his claim and decided to try his recipe. It makes moist and tender biscuits with a riveting color that comes from roasted and caramelized sweet potatoes. I really like these, but they are not a mix and bake affair. Their execution requires planning and they are a poor choice for a busy kitchen with limited hands to help. If you make these at a time you are not under stress, I think you'll be delighted with the results. Here's the recipe.

Sweet Potato Biscuits...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Adam Ried

Ingredients:
1 medium-large sweet potato, about 14 ounces
1/4 cup cold buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for patting out dough and cutting biscuits
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Pinch cayenne
Salt and black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into roughly 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:
1) Set oven rack in middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet (roughly 18 by 13 inches) with parchment paper or a silicone liner, and set aside.
2) Prick sweet potato in several spots with a fork. Place it on a small baking sheet, and bake until tender, about 1-1/4 hours. Cut potato open, peel back skin (to release steam), cool it to room temperature, about 40 minutes. Peel off skin, and roughly mash flesh (you should have about 1-1/2 cups). Add buttermilk, mix very well, and set aside. Again preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3) In a food processor, process 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until well blended. Scatter butter pieces evenly over flour mixture in food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 6 2-second pulses. Add sweet potato mixture in dollops in several spots over flour and butter mixture, and pulse until flour and sweet potato mixtures combine and just begin to come together into a light-orange dough mass, 10 to 15 2-second pulses.
4) Generously flour a clean work surface, turn out dough, and sprinkle top with flour. Knead dough gently, folding it in half and rotating it 3 or 4 times, just until it is uniform and cohesive (try to keep the kneading to a minimum). Sprinkle a little bit more flour on the work surface and dough to prevent sticking, if necessary, and gently pat the dough into a circle that is roughly 8 inches in diameter and 1 inch high (the height is more important than the shape or diameter, which may vary). Dip a sharp 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter into flour and using brisk, decisive, straight-down punches (avoid rotating or twisting cutter in dough), cut out rounds of dough as close to one another as possible (to maximize the number of rounds), dipping cutter into flour before each new cut. Transfer dough rounds to prepared baking sheet, positioning them about 1 inch apart. Push dough scraps together and knead them gently once or twice until cohesive. Again pat out the dough until it is 1 inch high, dip cutter into flour, and in same manner as before, cut out as many dough rounds as possible, and transfer them to the baking sheet with first batch.
5) Bake until biscuits are puffed, light golden on top, and deep brown on bottom, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking time for even cooking. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack, cool for about 15 minutes, and serve warm. Yield: 10 to 12 biscuits.

Cook's note: Variations of sweet potato biscuits can be found here.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Drop Biscuits with Cheddar Cheese and Garlic - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry Biscuits - The Runaway Spoon
Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits - Salad in a Jar
Berry Biscuit Cups - Cooking Stuff
Biscuits in Sausage Gravy - Chaos in the Kitchen
Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits - Foodie Memoirs
Southern Buttermilk Biscuits - Katy's Kitchen

Hawaiian Banana Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My homey's call this lovely banana loaf King Kamehameha bread. We first had it in Hawaii several years ago. It is a lovely loaf whose taste has been enhanced by some very pleasant memories. When we returned from the islands, I began to search for a banana bread recipe that had the same plantation flavors as the bread we so enjoyed. Some find it strange that my quest for new foods begins with a search rather than an experiment. The work I did before retirement taught me not to reinvent the wheel, and, for better or worse, I've carried that belief into my kitchen. I don't create or develop recipes unless I absolutely have to, or I have a truly original idea. That I ever began to enter cooking contests is a mystery to those who know me, and that I actually began to win some is a miracle to me. So, it should come as no surprise, that rather than parse taste memories, I began a search for a recipe I suspected already existed. The search brought me to this lovely bread from Gourmet Magazine. It is very close to the one we sampled on the islands. There are some tricks to making a great banana bread and if you want full banana flavor you have to start with really nasty bananas. The best bananas, from a cook's perspective, are the ones that have huge leopard spots on their exteriors. Beautiful bananas look lovely in a fruit bowl but they make anemic breads, cakes or puddings. I also find it important to toast nuts and other dry additions that are folded into quick breads. Toasting will enhance their flavors as well. This bread is very moist and, if well-wrapped, will stay fresh for several days. It is easy to make and, in the great scheme of things, fairly inexpensive to make. If you can't find macadamia nuts in your area, almonds or pine nuts can be substituted. This is a wonderful bread and I think you'll enjoy it. The aroma as it bakes has been known to make grown men weep. Here's the recipe.

Hawaiian Banana Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1-1/3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
3 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts, lightly toasted and cooled
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted and cooled

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pans.
Dust with flour. Set aside.
2) Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another large bowl, cream butter with sugars with an electric mixer. When mixture is light and fluffy beat in vanilla, eggs, one at a time, zest, banana, and sour cream. Add flour mixture, beating batter until it is just combined. Stir in macadamia nuts and coconut.
3) Divide the batter between loaf pans and smooth tops. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Remove bread from pans. Complete cooling on racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon Poppyseed Bread - One Perfect Bite
Sugar Crusted Viennese Nut Bread - One Perfect Bite
Three Savory Quick Breads - One Perfect Bite

Strawberry Tea Bread - Sweet Cheeks Winery

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We have in our community a winery with a most unusual name. Before that can be shared, I must describe, as best I can, the property on which the winery sits. The acreage is bisected by a service road that cuts through the two rounded hillsides on which the grapes are grown. A contingent of locals insisted the property resembled a well-rounded derriere and conspired to have the winery named Sweet Cheeks. It worked. Now this kind of nonsense can't be plucked from the ether. Every word of this is true. I swear. I'm going to resist jokes about "bottom lands" and instead send those of you who would like to know more about the winery or my veracity here. Now, it is perfectly logical to ask why I bothered to tell you about the winery at all. It's also reasonable to ask what it has to do with a strawberry tea bread. So, here's how we got from there to here. I had promised to bring four loaves of this bread to a meeting this morning. I was in such a rush to finish the breads that I misjudged the distance between oven racks and, as a result, the bottom loaves baked into the racks above them. Bob thought the crease that developed in the two bottom loaves was a lot funnier than was actually the case and dubbed my loaves Sweet Cheeks Strawberry Bread. Those who are fond of European tea breads that are less sweet than their American counterparts will love this bread. If you are accustomed to a really sweet strawberry bread, you might want to take a pass on this. I'll let you judge for yourselves. Here's the recipe.

Strawberry Tea Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted, divided use

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well.
3) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Batter will be thick. Fold in strawberries and 1/2 cup nuts.
4) Scrape into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with reserved 1/4 cup walnuts. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lemon Poppyseed Bread - One Perfect Bite
Irish Soda Bread - One Perfect Bite
Sugar Crusted Viennese Nut Bread - One Perfect Bite

Chocolate-Hazelnut Track Bread - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This easy to make quick bread is a perfect accompaniment to coffee and it makes a lovely addition to a breakfast or brunch table. It's a perfect example of what James Beard called a "track" bread. In his parlance, any bread that had a traceable filling was called a track bread. While his cookbooks have numerous example of them, all delicious I might add, today's recipe comes from Taste of Home magazine. This bread is filled with hazelnuts and chocolate and it really is quite lovely. I chose it because of its hazelnut track. Hazelnuts are also called filberts but the extension services here in the Willamette Valley prefer to call them hazelnuts. While Oregon produces 98 percent of the hazelnuts grown in the United States, that amounts to only 3 percent of the world's supply. That means that Turkey, Spain and Italy are actually the world's major suppliers. Hazelnuts are not widely popular in the United State. They are more expensive then other nuts and they have a reputation for being difficult to skin. Actually, it's not all that difficult to rid them of their pesky covering. The traditional method involves roasting the hazelnuts for about 10 minutes in a moderately hot oven. The nuts are then wrapped in a clean towel and rubbed until most of the skin comes off. A newer, easier method suggests boiling the nuts for 4 minutes in a quart of water to which 1/4 cup baking soda has been added. The nuts are them rinsed in cold water which will cause the skins to pop off. Once the skins are removed, the hazelnuts are roasted until they are lightly brown. Then there is my way. I pay a premium and buy my hazelnuts already skinned. Truth be told, I've been known to buy them already chopped as well. I really like this bread and I think you will too. Here's the recipe.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Track Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
Topping:
1/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Batter will be thick.
3) Spoon half of batter into prepared loaf pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle two-thirds of topping over batter. Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining topping; press down lightly.
4) Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chocolate and Hazelnut Pie with Vanilla Cream - One Perfect Bite
Bavarian Hazelnut Cake - One Perfect Bite
Chocolate Babka - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Fry Bread - School Project

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's not much of a recipe, but it comes with a fascinating history that curious minds and my older grandsons might find interesting. Fry bread is the politically correct name that has been given to what was once called squaw bread. For my friends in Asia, Africa and Europe, and others not schooled in American history, the word squaw was once used to describe native American women in an insulting and derogatory way. Native tribes across the United States have been working for decades to remove this, and other demeaning words used to describe their people, from the English lexicon. They are slowly making progress. The bread that carried that offending name was not part of their diet until the tribes were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands and placed on reservations. The Navajo call this period of their history the "Long Walk", while the Cherokee, also subject to the forced march, referred to it as the "Trail of Tears". To supplement meager food stores and prevent starvation, they were given allotments of white flour, baking powder, salt and lard by the army. They used it to fashion a simple skillet bread that became a staple of their diets while they were kept on the reservations. While no longer commonplace, it is still served at tribal feasts and gatherings and some believe that eating the bread is a sacred tradition that must be continued until the earth is again purified. Bob and I first had fry bread at a ceremony called a Tsalila that is held on the Oregon coast. The bread is traditionally made with lard and its texture depends on how it is fried. When deep fried it is fluffy and has a texture similar to Yorkshire pudding or popovers. When shallow fried, it is crisp and has a decided cracker-like crunch when bitten. This bread, like all fried doughs, is best eaten straight from the fryer. The dough can, however, be made ahead of time and be stored in the refrigerator for a day or so before cooking. The finished bread can be split and filled with meat or other fillings, but most prefer it spread with jam or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. It is very easy to make and would be wonderful for a school project. Here's the recipe.

Fry Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons lard, melted (butter may be substituted)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup room temperature milk
4 cups oil for deep frying

Directions:
1) Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2) Combine water, milk and lard or butter in a large measuring cup.
3) Slowly add liquids to flour and mix just until dough forms a ball. Knead in the bowl, about 10 times, to form a smooth ball that is not sticky. A small amount of flour may be added if needed. Cover dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
4) Heat oil in a deep fryer or a high-sided pan. If using an electric pan set thermostat to 350 degrees F.
5) Divided dough into 8 approximately equal pieces. Pat on a floured board or with floured hands to form circles about 5 to 6-inches in diameter. Place dough, a piece at a time, into hot oil and cook for 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all dough is used. Yield: 8 pieces.

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Indian Pudding - Simply Recipes
Navajo Fry Bread and Navajo Tacos - Commonplace Kitchen
Cherokee Fry Bread - Bake Space

Four Farls - A Curiosity from Northern Ireland

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was born to the green, but it's been years since my family celebrated St. Patrick's Day in an overt way. Those celebrations ended when my paternal grandmother, Maude, passed away. Maude was the grandchild of Irish immigrants, and was born here thirty years after the Great Hunger had ended. She was, however, raised in a community so insular that she spoke with a soft lilting brogue and retained that curious fusion of religion and superstition that some immigrants never put behind them. She attended Mass every day of her adult life and thought that the "Lives of the Saints", with it's graphic depictions of martyrdom, was the perfect picture book for children. She spoke of banshees, told of sin eaters and warned of the Dark Man's terrible wrath, but she wove these fiercesome creatures into lyrical tales of such beauty and redemption they'd make even the Irish poets weep. We learned about the "Hunger," the "Troubles," the "Drink" and the coffin ships that carried famine Irish to their deaths in the depths of an ocean they probably could not name. Only Christmas and Easter were more important than St. Patrick's Day to her. If she was staying with us for the holiday, we were expected to attend Mass before traveling downtown to see the parade and watch the Chicago river run green. There would, of course, be soda bread and colcannon and a bread pudding so soaked in Jamesons, that sobriety tests would probably be failed. Once she was gone, we put aside the trappings of St. Patrick's Day, and made a conscious decision to, instead, celebrate the Irish, and by extension, all immigrants, who braved the coffin ships to make new homes across the sea. Seven million people were driven from that island in the Irish Sea. Another million died of starvation in a passive genocide of which no one speaks. They spread across the continents and wrested something from nothing. It took some time, but they were successful where ever they chose to settle. They survived, "Irish need not apply." They endured, "Irish keep the pigs in the parlor." They triumphed and did indeed hang "lace curtains" at their windows. They even managed to put "a fine Irish lad" in the White House. In our house, St. Patrick's Day serves as a reminder of cruelty in the extreme and the capability of the human spirit to overcome, endure and triumph. Over the course of the year, I've shared many Irish recipes with you. It's fitting that the last comes on St. Patrick's Day. Four Farls is the simplest of all the Irish breads to make. I recommend it to you as an oddity that serves as a reminder of how far immigrant communities have come. I hope a few of you will try it. The Irish peasant kitchen would have used whole meal to make the bread. I recommend using cake flour should you decide to make farls. For the record, they taste a great deal like a biscuit made without shortening. They really are not bad. Here's the recipe.

Four Farls Soda Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups buttermilk

Directions:
1) Preheat a heavy based flat griddle, skillet or frying pan over medium to low heat.
2) Whisk flour,salt and baking soda together in a medium pan. Make a well shape in center of flour mixture and pour in buttermilk.
3) Quickly mix ingredients to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead to form a ball. Pat into an 8-inch circle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 4 pieces with a floured knife.
4) Sprinkle some flour over base of a hot pan and cook farls for 10 to 15 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Be careful not to overcook. Serve warm. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

(Almost) Irish Soda Bread - One Perfect Bite
Barmbrack - One Perfect Bite
Irish Caraway Crisps - One Perfect Bite

Oatmeal Scones with Dates

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When I was a little girl we had a neighbor who made oat farls on St. Patrick's Day. If you're not to the shamrock born, it helps to know that a farl is a scone that's made from the same dough as plain Irish soda bread - the naked variety that's made with whole wheat flour and not much else. Oatmeal is usually added to the dough which is then cooked on a griddle until it's done. The griddle is a holdover from the days when there were no ovens in Irish kitchens and all cooking was done on the hearth. I have a morning meeting on Wednesday and I'm responsible for providing Irish treats to go with our coffee and tea. Because it's a large gathering, I want to make something that honors the spirit of the day, but, more importantly, is fast, easy and inexpensive to assemble and reheat. I've seen this recipe floating through the ether for several years now. I can't date the first occurrence of the recipe, so I 'm going to consider it one that is in the public domain. If I'm wrong, let me know and you'll be credited for the recipe. I tested the recipe last week and I'm happy to report that it makes lovely, soft scones that are dropped rather than shaped or cut. The sweetness of the scones comes from a very small amount of sugar and dates. These scones are more tender than most because cake flour is used to assemble them. They take 15 minutes to prepare and about 20 minutes to cook. It doesn't get any easier than this. Here's the recipe.

Oatmeal Scones with Dates...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter-cut into bits
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1) Move a rack to middle third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Whisk milk, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until mixture is well combined.
3) In another bowl stir together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4) Stir in dates and milk mixture until a sticky dough forms.
5) Drop dough by 1/3-cup measures onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake scones for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden. (Alternatively scones may be dropped onto a hot greased griddle and cooked over moderate heat, turning them, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden on both sides and cooked through.) Serve hot with butter and jam. Yield: 8 servings.

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Australian Busters - One Perfect Bite
Drop Biscuits with Cheddar Cheese and Garlic Butter - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry and Lemon Tea Biscuits - One Perfect Bite

(Almost) Irish Soda Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Ina Garten has develop a recipe for the best soda bread I've ever eaten. Unfortunately, it's inaptly named and bares only the slightest resemblance to a true Irish soda bread. The Irish began to use baking soda in the mid 1800's. Bread was made mostly in the summer months when potato stores had been exhausted and grains were needed to carry the poor through to the next harvest. They called the summer months "meal months" . Irish peasants lived, for the most part, on a diet of potatoes, grains and milk. Eggs, butter, zests, currants and nuts appeared only in the breads of English landholders or successful Irish emigres. True soda bread was a mix of flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. It was cooked in a bastible, a lidded cast-iron pot that was put right into the coals or on a turf fire. In the Southern part of the country, the bread was shaped into a round loaf that was scored with a cross that was made to "let the devil out" as the bread cooked. In Northern Ireland, the bread was baked in a flat circle called a farl. What is, today, called Irish Soda bread should really be called "Spotted Dog". Now, please understand, I don't fault Ina for not calling her bread that. It lacks panache and would be hard to sell even the most devoted of her followers. I just wanted to set the record straight before giving you the recipe for the best soda bread you'll ever have.

(Almost) Irish Soda Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1-3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter and mix on low speed until butter is mixed into the flour.
3) Lightly beat buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. Set mixer to low speed and slowly add buttermilk mixture to flour. Toss currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into dough.
4) Dump wet dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into top of bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and loaf has a hollow sound when tapped. Serve warm or at room temperature.Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also like these recipes:
Barmbrack - One Perfect Bite
Boxty and Latkes - One Perfect Bite
Colcannon - One Perfect Bite

French Breakfast Puffs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We have a code known only to the folks who call this house home. When Bob comes into the kitchen for his first cup of coffee and the kitchen is in glorious disarray, he knows exactly what's going on. "You gotta a thing this morning?" I nod affirmatively. "Whatcha making?" I smile broadly and parry, "Stuff." I had a lot of "stuff" to make for my "thing" this morning and, with a still limited range of motion, it also had to be easy to do. I remembered these delightful muffins and decided to resurrect the recipe which is almost as old as I am. French Breakfast Puffs were developed in the test kitchens of Betty Crocker many, many years ago.They are still popular today. They lack the cache of croissants or the wide appeal of bagels, but they have withstood the test of time. These morsels taste a bit like cake donuts, though they are less dense. I can't say they are lighter because each muffin is dunked in melted butter before it's coated with cinnamon sugar. While the muffins are quite pleasant on their own, the bath in butter and sugar is what made their reputation. Think snickerdoodles and you'll understand why folks love them. Years ago, all surfaces of the muffins were coated. I no longer do that, but it is important to let the muffin tops sit in butter for a minute or two before they are rolled in sugar. These do not keep well and they are best served warm. Here's the recipe for a very easy old-fashioned treat that just won't go away.

French Breakfast Puffs ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
1/3 cup shortening or butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 medium muffin cups.
2) Mix shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and the egg thoroughly in medium bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg alternately with milk. Divide batter evenly among 9 muffin cups.
3) Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Immediately roll hot muffins in melted butter, then in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve hot. Yield: 9 muffins.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Raspberry Streusel Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry and Lemon Cake-Style Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Blue Corn Muffins - One Perfect Bite

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday