Cardamom Buns

 

A platter full of these fragrant and delicious buns has become the accompaniment to gift opening on Christmas morning. They come together quickly - I start them in the morning around 7:30 and they are ready by 10 or 10:30 when the children and grandchildren arrive. Forming the buns is an art form which I don't quite have. For instructions on how to twist and shape the dough, look at this video. There are a number of ways to shape the buns, and mine are a rough approximation of Cecilia's. This recipe is also based on hers. 

Dough: 

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 envelope active dry yeast (7 grams)

1/3 cup (67 grams) brown sugar

3 1/4 cups (400 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) butter at room temperature, cubed

Stir together milk and white sugar. Sprinkle yeast over and let activate for 10 minutes.

Mix the brown sugar, flour, cardamom, and salt. Add the milk and the yeast. Mix until the dough comes together. Then add the butter, mixing well with a stand mixer, or by hand, until fully incorporated. Knead for 5 minutes or so. I knead the mixture in my Kitchen Aid, as the dough is quite loose. You don't want to add too much flour. 

Place in greased bowl and let rise for 40 minutes in a warm spot. 

Filling:

4 1/2 Tablespoons (63 grams) butter, softened

1/3 cup (67 grams) brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Mix the filling ingredients together. Set aside.

Roll dough to 13 x 21 inches. Spread the filling over. Fold in half, making a 13 x 10 1/2 inch piece of dough. Flatten slightly with rolling pin. Cut 3/4 inch (2 cm) strips and wrap as desired. 

Let rise 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 7-10 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn. 

Brush buns with the following mixture immediately after removing them from the oven.

Topping:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat just to dissolve sugar. 

After brushing the buns with the sugar/water mixture, sprinkle them with a bit of granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom.

Note: You can grind your own cardamom for the freshest taste, but I find the seeds quite hard to crush in a mortar and pestle and usually use about half pre-ground cardamom from the store and half coarsely ground cardamom that I've prepared in my mortar and pestle. 

Dinner Rolls

 

I made these for Thanksgiving this year, and when I posted a photo on FB, someone asked me for the recipe. So here it is. One roll is missing because of course someone needed to taste test and make sure that they were acceptable. 

Dinner Rolls

1/2 cup water

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

Combine above and heat to lukewarm. The butter doesn't need to melt, but it should be soft. 

Add

1 Tablespoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon honey (or sugar)

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 egg

1 1/2 cups (roughly) spelt flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Stir well to combine. Add all-purpose flour to make a soft dough and knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary.

Form dough into a ball and let rise in a greased bowl until doubled. 

Form into individual rolls. I used three pie plates and made the buns fairly small, but they could be any size preferred.

Cover and let rise again. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Before baking, brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter, then sprinkle with coarse salt, sesame seed, or poppy seed. 

Bake for 20 minutes. 

Note: Any combination of whole wheat, all-purpose, or spelt flour could be used, I think. I just added what I did without measuring. 

Date Loaf

 

"Company's Coming" is the title for 200 cookbooks published in Canada beginning in the 1980s by Jean Paré, a caterer. The series included Appetizers, Salads, Light Recipes, Pies, etc. I pared down my own collection of them several years ago, but hung on to a number of them. In "Muffins and More" there are a host of delicious recipes, this date loaf among them. It's a family favourite. I like to double the recipe and make one for immediate eating and another for the freezer. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. 

Date Loaf (makes one 9 x 5 x 3 loaf)

• 1 1/4 cups chopped dates 
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

   Combine the above ingredients. Stir and cool.

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

In large bowl, beat egg lightly. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat to mix. Stir in cooled date mixture.

In separate bowl mix:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Add to date mixture. Stir to mix. Stir in:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pour into greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Let stand for 20 minutes, then bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. 

 

 

Grape Focaccia Bread

The idea of making a grape focaccia bread seemed a bit strange to me at first. A bumper crop of Concord grapes propelled me into trying this. I'm so glad I did. Salty and crunchy and sweet harmonize well. I added blue cheese to half of the bread as not everyone likes its pungency. I think it added a lot of tastiness. 

Grape Focaccia Bread

2 cups flour (plus additional for kneading)
1 Tablespoon rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for sprinkling)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
1 Tablespoon olive oil (plus more for the pan)
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups ripe Concord grapes 
1/4 cup (or more) Blue Cheese crumbles
1 Tablespoon honey

1. Place flour in a medium mixing bowl and add the yeast, salt, sugar, and rosemary. Stir to combine.
2. Add the water and olive oil. Stir well, then turn onto floured counter top and knead until smooth. Place in a greased bowl to rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. While the dough is rising, halve the grapes and flick out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Set aside.
4. Line a baking sheet (11 x 15) with parchment paper. Drizzle 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil over the paper.
5. Place the dough onto the oiled parchment paper and spread with fingertips to roughly fill the pan. You may need to let the dough rest for a few moments, then gently stretch it with your fingertips again.
6. Arrange the grape halves on the dough and gently press in. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste.
7. Let rise for about 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 450 degrees.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle blue cheese over (if desired) and return to the oven for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese melts. 
9. Drizzle with honey, cut into strips and serve. 

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Raspberries are best eaten fresh, don't you agree? But sometimes there are more than enough fresh ones and I want to do something else with them. These muffins are filled with berry goodness combined with a bit of cheesecake flavour. I adapted these from a recipe found in an old Cooking Light magazine. 

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

2/3 cup (5 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk plus 1 Tablespoon vinegar)
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat until creamy and smooth. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well.
Add the flour mixture along with the buttermilk to the cream cheese mixture, stir to combine. 
Add the raspberries and gently fold in.

Spoon into 20-24 muffin tins (lined with paper liners). Bake for 25 minutes or until tops spring back when touched with your finger. 

Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce is great on its own or with some yogurt, perhaps on pancakes. I was looking for a way to use up some of my home-canned applesauce and found this recipe on Epicurious. I adapted it and was very pleased with the result. Tender, buttery, a hint of cinnamon warmth, and a bit of sweetness on top. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, with tea or coffee.

Applesauce Muffins (makes 12 medium muffins)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup melted butter
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts, or 1/2 cup plumped raisins

Cinnamon sugar for topping (2 Tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

Grease a muffin tin, or line with paper liners. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir well, breaking up any lumps in the sugar. 

In medium bowl, lightly beat eggs until whites and yolks are combined. Add applesauce and melted butter. Stir well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add optional ingredients, if desired. Stir until just combined. Do not over-mix. Spoon into the muffin tins. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until set and browned on top, 18 - 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. But do eat them warm - delicious!

Brown Rice and Onion Bread

Making bread is a very satisfying endeavour. It lasts, properly wrapped, for a long time in the freezer and then taken out and reheated. Of course, nothing beats slicing the crust off a barely touchable loaf right out of the oven. And the fragrance - nothing can beat it.

This bread is adaptable in so many ways - instead of brown rice, use wild rice, bulgur, millet or quinoa. Don't use ordinary white rice, though, its flavour tends to overwhelm the bread. 

Brown Rice and Onion Bread (adapted from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day)

2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups unbleached white flour
2 1/4 teaspoons salt (or 3 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt)
2 Tablespoons instant yeast
1 cup cooked brown rice (wild rice or another cooked grain may be substituted)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
2 cups diced fresh onion (about 1 large onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage (other herbs may be used - rosemary, thyme, parsley)

1 egg white, for egg wash (optional)
1 Tablespoon water, for egg wash (optional)

Combine all of the ingredients except the egg wash in a mixing bowl. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer and start with the paddle attachment, mixing for 1 minute on low. The dough will be sticky, coarse and shaggy. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for 4 minutes, adding a small amount of flour or water as needed to keep the dough together. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 - 3 minutes by hand, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. It should still be very soft and slightly sticky. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days.

When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge 2 hours before you plan to bake it. Shape the dough into loaves, either free-form balls on a baking sheet, or in loaf pans. It can also be shaped into rolls. Use a minimum of flour when shaping, just to keep dough from sticking.

Cover the shaped dough with a towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until increased about 1 1/2 times its size. If you want a shiny top, whisk the egg white and water together, then brush over the tops just before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake loaves 45-55 minutes, rotating pans once. For rolls, bake 20-25 minutes, rotating once. Cool on a wire rack. I dare you to resist eating one warm from the oven.

Blueberry Scones

Oooh, these were GOOD! Tender scones with hits of sweet blueberries and a hint of lemon in the glaze. A perfect Saturday morning breakfast with 3-minute eggs alongside.

The recipe is courtesy of Tyler Florence, found via Food Network. My only adaptation was to use about half of the glaze and exchange 1 cup of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. My nod to making these a wee bit healthier. Also, I rarely use unsalted butter. It's just too pricey.

Blueberry Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup whole wheat flour plus 1 cup all-purpose flour)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup heavy cream, plus a bit more for brushing the scones
1 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the butter and cut in with two knives or a pastry blender. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Add the blueberries. Fold everything together just to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Be gentle so as not to crush the blueberries or you will have very BLUE scones.

Pat the dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 1 1/4 inch thick. Cut into squares, about 3 inches, then halve the squares to make triangles. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little cream. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool a bit before applying the glaze.

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Combine the lemon juice and icing sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Stir until smooth. Add the lemon zest and butter. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth, then drizzle over the scones. Let set a minute before serving. (if you can wait)

Gourmet Crackers

I don't know how far across the continent Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps are available, but I do know that they are absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, the price keeps me from buying them. I found a couple of recipes on the internet that claimed to be knock-offs. I tweaked, altered, and experimented and this is the result. Faintly sweet, full of seeds and whole grain goodness and easy to make. They just take a little time. They are the perfect accompaniment to melting Brie cheese, a slice of cucumber, a bit of hot artichoke dip, or whatever suits your fancy. Here they are shown with cream cheese and balsamic pepper jelly - a lovely melange of creamy, crunchy, sweet and peppery.
The crackers keep well in the freezer, if you can stop from eating them all. The recipe makes about 100 crackers. The recipe is very forgiving - you can substitute, add or subtract. I've used leftover white wine as part of the liquid with great results.

Gourmet Crackers

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds (unsalted or salted)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (unsalted or salted)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups milk with 2 Tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice added to make it sour
1/4 cup baking molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure all ingredients into a medium large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.

Grease 4 small loaf pans, or two regular-sized pans. Bake loaves for 45 to 60 minutes, checking periodically with a toothpick for doneness. They should be firm to the touch and a toothpick should come out clean. Cool in pans for about 20 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack. Wrap cooled loaves in foil or place them in a sealed container overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Slice each loaf as thin as possible with the slices still holding together. I'd guess 1/8th to 1/4" thick. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and lay the slices on the paper in a single layer. This will take several baking sheets. Bake until crackers are crisp, about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the thickness. Check periodically because they can burn quickly towards the end of the baking time.

Cool and store in an airtight container.

Dutch Crust Oatmeal Muffins

I found this recipe somewhere a looong time ago. I know I made it when our kids were little so it's at least 25 years old. But it's a keeper. I'm posting it today because my niece, Nicole, freezing out in Ottawa with her husband, asked for it. I had to make some to take the photo so my husband is very glad she asked. Thanks, Nicole!


Yields 12 regular sized muffins

3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup fresh or part thawed frozen cranberries, blueberries, or chopped apple

2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (I use 1/2 cup milk plus 2 teaspoons vinegar)
1/2 cup melted butter

Combine the dry ingredients, stir in the fruit. Combine the wet ingredients and add to the dry mixture, stirring just enough to combine the two. Spoon into 12 regular sized muffin cups. Top with Dutchy Crust (recipe follows) and baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together with your fingers and sprinkle on muffins before baking.

Apple Streusel Muffins

Why is it that tiny things taste so much better than big things? The cuteness factor of mini muffins makes them more fun to eat than regular sized ones, in my opinion. Big or small, these muffins are perfect for breakfast, coffee, or as a snack.

Apple Streusel Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable cooking oil
3/4 cup grated apple, peeled or not (I didn't peel mine)

In mixing bowl stir together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl beat egg, milk and cooking oil to blend. Stir in apple. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Fill muffin cups (I made 3 dozen mini ones - or 12 regular sized) Sprinkle with streusel topping (below) and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. (15 minutes for the minis)

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Rub all ingredients together until crumbly.

ENJOY!