Brunch

fresh cranberry cornmeal pancakes

January 2, 2012

Happy new year! Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and a smashing new year’s celebration. Did you get anything special for Christmas? I’m so excited for two new cookbooks – Tender by Nigel Slater and The Homesick Texan by Lisa Fain – can’t wait to start cooking from them.

On Christmas Eve morning, Dan and I had our own little mini Christmas – just the two of us. We opened presents, popped on a couple of our new LPs, drank coffee and Buck’s Fizz, and then I set about making these pancakes and I have to tell you about them because they’re absolutely cracking.

Dan was extremely skeptical at first. He thought the cranberries would be too bitter, sharp, and crunchy. Not so! And he raved about them. Raved. In fact he was the one who said I had to tell you about them.

The cranberries are tossed in some sugar first but even without that, sweetness is not an issue. The pancake batter is sweet – sweeter still from the addition of corn – and the cranberries just cook enough in a few minutes to soften and start expelling juices.

Sure they’re tart but it’s a gorgeous popping contrast to the crunch and crisp sweetness of the cornmeal cake.

Fresh Cranberry Cornmeal Pancakes
adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

  •     1 cup all-purpose flour
  •     1/2 cup cornmeal
  •     1/4 cup sugar
  •     1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  •     1 teaspoon coarse salt
  •     1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  •     1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
  •     1/4 cup milk
  •     1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for griddle
  •     1 large egg, lightly beaten
  •     2 cups fresh cranberries
  •     Pure maple syrup, for serving

Directions

  1. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, milk, butter, and egg. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).
  2. Preheat oven to 200F. Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toss cranberries with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Brush griddle with melted butter. Spoon batter onto griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Sprinkle with sugared cranberries, about 2 tablespoons per pancake. Cook until edges are set, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and cranberries, adding more butter to griddle and keeping prepared pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Serve with maple syrup.

Note: This batter is going to be thicker than normal, thanks to the addition of cornmeal. The bubbles that usually indicate when to flip a pancake might not form, so flip when the edges start to set.

chocolate-chunk banana bread

November 14, 2011

This here is a great banana bread. It’s jazzed up with chunks of bittersweet chocolate which I just love. The chocolate is coarsely chopped for the most part but I advocate leaving some bigger chunks in there so that you encounter a super satisfying melted chocolate explosion every now and then. If you cut big enough chunks they won’t melt entirely and you’ll get a nice added chocolate crunch.

The flour combination here is half all purpose (UK: plain) and half wholewheat which gives it a slightly grainier flavour and ever so slightly mellows the sweetness factor.

It’s a real treat, especially enjoyed warm out of the oven.

Chocolate-Chunk Banana Bread
adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

  • 1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125g all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup / 5 oz / 140g whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g muscovado or dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 cup / 4 oz / 115 g bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar), some coarsely chopped and some chunkier pieces
  • 1/3 cup / 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups / 12 oz / 340 g very ripe bananas, mashed (2-3 bananas)
  • 1/4 cup / 60 ml plain, whole milk, or Greek yoghurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and place a rack in the centre. Grease a 9- by 5- inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan, or equivalent.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate pieces and combine well.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, eggs, mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined.
  4. Scrape the batter into the greased pan and bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Test the bread’s doneness by inserting a skewer or toothpick into the centre – it should come out clean, but you don’t want it to dry out so err on the side of less done versus over baked.
  5. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan to cool completely.

new york style bagels

October 24, 2011

Ladies and gentleman, I have your ticket to delicious breakfasts forever more. This is going to be a happy day.

I love me a bagel. I eat one several mornings a week for breakfast but local friends, let’s be honest, Minnesota is not the bagel mecca we might wish it to be. Sure there are a couple of places where you can get an alright bagel but you taste one from New York in comparison, and it’s a sad realization…no competition.

So, what makes a good bagel? I asked my friends (none of whom are experts, all of whom love bagels) when we got together and here’s what we collectively came up with: a good bagel has a light crunch as you bite in that needs to combine with a soft, chewy interior.

That softness shouldn’t be too soft though, nor bread-like which seems to often happen. Rather the bagel should be chewy in an easy soft way; texture was easily the most important aspect to us and there’s a fine line between too chewy and too soft. In terms of flavour, salt is important and a subtle malt flavour is essential.

Guess what? These bagels you see in front of you? Spot on. We loved them, raved about them, and devoured the whole batch in minutes.

I’m not sure what I’ve been doing all these years waiting for our store bought bagels to be excellent. I want – and really hope (someone hold me to it) – to make bagels from scratch every weekend and have them fresh for the week.

These have a light crispy crunch as you bite in (from their dip in the simmering malt water), a soft but chewy dough, and amazing flavour – and that’s before our toppings. We made poppy seed, black sesame seed, and everything bagels (my all-time fave: garlic, dried onion flakes, poppy seeds, sea salt). Bam! Who wants to come over for brunch?

New York Style Bagels
adapted from CD Kitchen, makes 8 bagels

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 1 1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
  • 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons malt syrup
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (more if needed)

For the Kettle Water

  • 6 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons malt syrup or powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Toppings (optional)

  • sesame seeds
  • poppy seeds
  • minced fresh garlic
  • minced fresh onion/dried onion flakes
  • caraway seeds
  • coarse salt
  • corn meal for sprinkling baking sheets

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  2. With a wooden spoon, stir in the oil, malt and one cup of the flour. Add salt, then enough of remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 10 to 12 minutes. <Enter excellent arm workout!> Cover with a floured dish towel and allow dough to rest on a board for about 15 minutes.
  4. Divide the dough into 8 sections and form each section into 10-inch long strips with your hands. Roll the ends together to seal and make a ring. Place on a lightly floured surface, cover, and let bagels rest 15 to 20 minutes. They should rise about halfway and becoming slightly puffy.
  5. Meanwhile, fill a large cooking pot or Dutch oven three quarters full with water. Add the malt syrup and salt.
  6. Bring water to a boil. Preheat oven to 450F. Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment and sprinkle generously with corn meal. Set aside.
  7. Line two other baking sheets/other surface with a kitchen towel, set near your stove. Reduce boiling water to a simmer and cook 2 bagels at a time (don’t crowd the pot). Simmer bagels for about 45 seconds on one side, then turn and cook other side for another 45 seconds. Remove and drain the bagels on the towel-lined baking sheet.
  8. Carefully place bagels on the parchment-lined, cornmeal-dusted baking sheets. Bake bagels plain or sprinkle with a topping of your choice. Place in the hot oven, immediately reduce heat to 425F, and bake about 17 to 25 minutes. When almost baked, turn bagels over (a pair of tongs will do the job easily). Transfer bagels to wire rack to cool.

Note:

These freeze well, which helps to retain a just-baked taste, if they aren’t all eaten on the first day. To freeze, slice cooled bagels first, place a small strip of plastic between the bagel halves and place in a plastic self-sealing freezer bag. When you’re ready for a bagel, they’ll come apart easily, ready to pop into the toaster and enjoy.

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