a little of each

A family's cookbook

Warren’s Banana Bread February 25, 2015

Filed under: Breads,Breakfast — alittlemoreofeach @ 12:27 pm
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photo (2)

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 Tbl baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, optional*

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs (one at a time) until batter is smooth.  Blend in mashed bananas. Combine flour, baking soda and powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture until just moistened (do not over mix).  Fold in nuts, or sprinkle on the top before baking. Pour batter into well-greased loaf pan.  (Warren lines his with parchment paper, too.) Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.  Place bread on a cooling rack.  Serve warm with butter and a mug of hot tea.  (Or in George’s case, cold milk.)

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Sweet and Rich Banana Muffins April 25, 2014

Filed under: Breads,Breakfast — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:57 pm
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Sweet and rich banana muffins. A Little of Each.com

A little like cake, a little like a muffin, a lot of yum.

Adapted from Mark Bittman’s Muffins, Infinite Ways recipe.

If only all produce, upon ripening too fast and becoming mushy, spotty, and gross, could be turned into deliciousness like bananas.  It goes a long way in making up for their Hobbit hole-sized window of perfect ripeness (Eddie Izzard, anyone?).  There are an infinite number of fabulous banana bread recipes (a few here even), and they can range from healthy and hearty to decadent and chocolate-filled.  This recipe, which can be made as muffins or a bread, is a wonderful middle ground, pairing not-too-sweet with a  moist yet light cake texture.  Of course, either form is best warmish with a smidge of butter and strawberry jam.

 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour or substitute up to 1 cup with white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

6 Tbl butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 bananas worth

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/3 brown sugar

1-2 tsp Penzeys Cake Spice

 

Directions

Heat the oven to 375. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or loaf pan.

Mix together the first three dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) in a bowl. In a second bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  In another bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and mashed banana. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, then moisten with a little of the milk. Repeat until all of the ingredients are used up, taking care not to overmix.  The batter should be lumpy, not smooth, and thick but quite moist; add a little more milk if necessary.

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Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling them about 2/3 full, or into a loaf pan. My small assistant and I used silicone molds with nice results.

 

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Spoon a generous bit of brown sugar mixed with Penzeys Cake Spice over the top.

 

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Bake for 20 minutes for muffins or 40-50 minutes for the bread.  The results are light in color, fluffy, and the brown sugar on top adds a hint of crunch.  Now to figure out if these are breakfast or dessert…

 

The Best Scones May 20, 2013

Filed under: Breads,Breakfast — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:44 pm
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From Smitten Kitchen and America’s Test Kitchen.

Scone

I am not a baker, but if there is one thing I feel like I should inherently be able to bake, it is a good scone.  I am partly Scottish – from my freckled, white skin to my love of its terriers, ponies, and cats, not to mention those kilts.  Yes, those kilts….  Anyway, I’ve made tough scones, chewy scones, crumbly and dry scones.  My MacBeth ancestors (no joke) were crying, “Ach!”  And then came the Smitten Kitchen, a Brooklyn Jew who loves to cook and does it so darn well, and she inspired me to try scones one more time.   And would you, and my MacBeth clansmen and -women, believe that I can now confidently make a light, fluffy, not-too-sweet scone that is worthy of clotted cream and lemon curd?  These quickly became a Sunday evening tradition during the airing of Downton Abbey on PBS.

Downton Abbey

Tell me there’s not a better way to enjoy period dramas than with a delicious scone and a great big cuppa.

 

Ingredients

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup currants (I used dried cranberries, and chopped them into smaller bits)
1 cup heavy cream (I have used whole milk with wonderful results.)
juice and zest from one lemon
a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper.

6. Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Combine lemon juice, zest, and enough confectioners sugar to form a drizzle-able liquid.  Drizzle over the warmish scones.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Blueberry Scones

Filed under: Breads,Breakfast — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:13 am
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blueberry scone.2

 
Ingredients
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2-3 Tbl raw sugar for sprinkling on scones

 

 

blueberry scone

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425.  Freeze, then grate one stick of butter.  Put blueberries into the freezer until needed.  Whisk the milk and sour cream together and refrigerate until needed.
  2. Blend flour, sugar, lemon rind, baking powder, salt and baking soda together.  Add frozen grated butter and gently toss with your hands until thoroughly coated.  Fold in the chilled milk with a spatula until just combined.
  3. Turn the dough mixture onto a well-floured surface.  Flour your hands and the dough, knead gently until six to eight times until it barely holds together.  Add flour as needed to prevent sticking.
  4. Roll dough out to approximately a 12″ square.
  5. Sprinkle the cold blueberries evenly over the dough, pressing lightly into the dough.  Roll the dough into a log shape, then press with a roller until about 4″ wide by 12″ long.
  6. Cut into four equal rectangles, and then each rectangle into triangles.
  7. Place scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Melt the remaining 1/4 stick butter, and brush each scone with butter and sprinkle with raw sugar.
  8. Bake until lightly golden brown, 18 to 24 minutes.
  9. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Serve warm or room temperature. Makes 8 scones.
 

Welsh Rarebit March 29, 2013

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:39 pm
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Ingredients

½ cup beer

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

½ tsp paprika

dash of cayenne pepper

1 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 egg, slightly beaten

toast or English crackers

 

Directions

Combine the first five ingredients in a double boiler. Heat over simmering water until warm. Add cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Add small amount of the hot cheese mixture to the beaten egg, then stir into the mixture in the double broiler; stir until smooth and hot. Serve on toast or English crackers.

 

English Fondue

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:36 pm
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Adam, Jenn, Ken, and I broke in our fondue pot, a wedding gift, with this fondue and a chocolate one for dessert.

 

Ingredients

½ pint beer

½ pound grated cheddar cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbl butter

½ tsp dry mustard

2 Tbl cornstarch

a little extra beer

 

Directions

Put beer, cheese, and garlic into fondue pot. Stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in butter. In a separate bowl, mix dry mustard and cornstarch with a little extra beer until smooth. Stir into fondue. Stir until the mixture is thick and creamy. Serve with French bread chunks and crisp-tender vegetables.

 

Traditional Swiss Fondue

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:58 am
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Adam and Jenn rang in 2005 with the English Cheddar Fondue, a chocolate fondue, and this yummy and stringy one.

 

Ingredients

8 oz Gruyere, finely shredded

8 oz Emmentaler, finely shredded

1 cup dry white wine

1 Tbl fresh lemon juice

½ – 1 clove garlic, to taste

1 Tbl cornstarch

1 Tbl Kirsch or vodka

salt and pepper to taste

good fresh bread, cubed

assorted fresh vegetables

 

Directions

In a fondue pot, heat white wine over medium heat (do not allow to boil). Then add cheeses. Stir until melted. Add lemon juice and garlic. Stir until completely blended. In a separate bowl, blend Kirsch or vodka and cornstarch together until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to pot. Increase heat until mixture comes to a slow bubble. Allow to heat and bubble for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Lower heat and serve with fresh breads and vegetables.

 

Fresh Blueberry Banana Bread

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:51 am
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Ingredients

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 ¾ cups sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup bananas, mashed

 

Directions

Wash and drain berries, then toss with a little flour. Sift the rest of the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cream butter, beat in sugar then add eggs, one at a time. Add flour and then bananas, alternating between the two. Fold in berries and pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.

 

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 11:47 am
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I altered a lemon-blueberry muffin recipe from Cooking Light magazine to this autumny pumpkin one. Makes one dozen.

 

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 small can of pumpkin

2 large eggs

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

¾ cup dried cranberries

 

Directions

Combine flour, sugar baking powder and salt in a large bowl and make a well in center of mixture. Stir together pumpkin, eggs and spice. Then add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Toss cranberries in a little extra flour until lightly coated; fold into batter. Spoon into lightly greased muffin pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes or until dark gold. Remove muffins from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

 

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:59 am
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Jenn made this for Adam, and he said, “Make that again!”  He was kind enough to make it for us while he was home for Christmas 2004. The top should form a sweet crust, and the frozen berries help make it deliciously moist. Dried cranberries can be substituted if frozen cranberries are too elusive.

 

Ingredients

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbl pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1¾ cups pumpkin puree (Libby’s)

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup fresh frozen cranberries

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 x 5 loaf pans. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin and vegetable oil in small mixing bowl and beat just until blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack. Note: It usually takes us 70 minutes to bake.