Peanut Butter and Julie

Cranberry-Walnut Buttermilk Biscuits

One of the nice perks of publishing a blog is having the chance to "meet" all of the people who stop by to read my posts.  Sometimes one of my little rambling stories (you know, the ones that seem to have absolutely nothing in common with that day's recipe) strikes a chord with a reader, inspiring them to leave a nice comment.  Other times, I'll receive questions about the recipe itself, or I'll even get an occasional, and hopefully positive, report from someone who has just served it to their family.   

Although I know very little about many of these people, other than their name, email, or occasional blog link, it's amazing how a few kind words from them can really make my day.  When I started this blog, I figured that my dad, my mom, and possibly her bridge group would read it, so it's encouraging to know that my scope has expanded.  Just the other day, I received a nice long email from a guy who had somehow stumbled upon my recipe for Creamed Onions au Gratin, which was posted way back in November.  I had assumed that this recipe was lost somewhere in the blogosphere, never to be heard from again, so his comments about planning to use my recipe for his Thanksgiving dinner were a welcome surprise.....

.....but they were also a little bit stressful.  I immediately thought: "Thanksgiving?  People are already planning their Thanksgiving menus?  I haven't even received all of my November magazine issues with glistening juicy turkeys on the covers yet!  I had better get a move on, pronto."  I checked my calendar and, sure enough, Thanksgiving is a mere 50 days away.  Since I am making the whole shebang from scratch this year, I figured that it is time to start planning.  These biscuits were an easy recipe for kicking off the kitchen marathon (my appliances get quite a workout over the next few months.)  I usually like to have a few bread options for Thanksgiving--rolls, cornbread, or biscuits.  These biscuits are both sweet and savory, they can be prepared well in advance, and they are also useful for making mini-turkey sandwiches with leftovers.  With all of these benefits, they may just make the cut!  Here are my extra tips for these festive, flaky buttermilk biscuits:

• The unbaked, pre-stamped biscuits can be frozen for up to one month.  Space them apart on a baking sheet and freeze, then transfer the frozen biscuits to zip-top bags.  Bake the biscuits straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the cooking time. 
• If you would like to add an extra layer of flavor to the biscuits, then sprinkle some flake salt on top, after brushing with the melted butter, before baking.
• As opposed to using a pastry blender or two knives, the butter can be cut into the flour mixture by pulsing a food processor.  Be certain to not over-mix, or the biscuits will not be as flaky.  Small pieces of butter that are left in the biscuit dough create "pockets" when they are baked, which accounts for the flaky layers.
• If you do not have buttermilk, then mix 1 teaspoon vinegar with 1 scant cup milk and let rest at room temperature for a few minutes.  This will have the same effect as buttermilk.

Cranberry-Walnut Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 15 biscuits

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chilled buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees and position a rack in the lower third of the oven.  In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Cut 10 tablespoons of the chilled butter into 1/2-inch cubes.  Add the cubes to the flour mixture and use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until it is the size of peas.

Stir in the shallot, cranberries, walnuts, and pepper.  Add the buttermilk and mix just until the dough is moistened.  Lightly dust a work surface with flour.  Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together.  Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thick disk.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using a round 2 1/4-inch cutter, stamp out biscuit rounds as closely together as possible.  Gather the scraps and knead 2 or 3 times, flatten the dough, and stamp out more biscuit rounds.

Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter.  Bake the biscuits for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let the biscuits cool slightly before serving.

Butternut Squash Pull-Apart Rolls

Now that autumn is officially here, some people are looking forward to wearing their cool-weather clothes, which have been stashed away in the back of the closet for nine months.  Other people anticipate the new fall T.V. season:  Will Jim and Pam finally get engaged?  Is Edie gone from Wisteria Lane for good?  Can they drag out the Dancing with the Stars results show even longer?  (Oh yes they can, and they will.)

For me, when a different season begins, it means that I can turn to a new stack of recipes for inspiration, recipes that have been patiently waiting in a file cabinet for their time of year to arrive.  Throughout the year, whenever I find a great recipe in a magazine, on-line, or in a cookbook, I tear it out, print it, or copy it, and then I insert the recipe in one of several already massive files.  The files are separated into seasons and then broken down further into categories.  Yes, it's a bit obsessive-compulsive, but if you saw the size of my recipe collection, you'd understand the need for organization.  Fall and winter recipes are filed away during the warmer weather, unless I get a massive gingerbread craving in the middle of July, which had been know to happen. 

I went through my fall recipe folder the other day and, as one would suspect, ingredients like apples, brussels sprouts, and pumpkin played starring roles.  Butternut squash, which happens to be my favorite vegetable, was pretty common too.  These lightly spiced pull-apart dinner rolls are a variation on a potato roll recipe, made with butternut squash puree instead of mashed potatoes.  The squash gives the rolls a nice fall-like orange hue and it also adds a bit of sweetness.  If you don't plan to make these now, promise me that you'll keep them in mind for Thanksgiving (which is only a few short months away, by the way.)  They would make great after-Thanksgiving mini turkey sandwiches.  Here are some extra tips for making this cheerfully orange-tinted rolls:

• To make butternut squash puree from scratch, divide a butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Roast face-down on a lined baking sheet at 400F degrees until the squash is tender.  Cool the squash and scoop out the filling.  Mash with a potato masher or puree in a food processor.
• If you don't want to take the time to roast the squash, then you use thawed frozen butternut squash cubes (found in some grocery stores), or you can substitute canned pumpkin for the butternut squash. 
• Instead of using one large baking sheet for baking the rolls, you can use two round cake pans.  Place 12 rolls in each: 8 or 9 around the outside and 3 or 4 in the center.
• The baked rolls can be stored at room temperature, sealed in a zip-top bag, for 2 days.  The rolls can be sealed in a bag a frozen for up to 2 weeks.  Defrost at room temperature and reheat in the oven. 

Butternut Squash Pull-Apart Rolls

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm milk (100-105 degrees)

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup pureed butternut squash

7 tablespoons butter, divided

4-5 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 teaspoons poppy or sesame seeds

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, yeast, sugar, and salt.  Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, until foamy, and then add the egg;  beat well to combine.

Add the squash to the mixture and beat to combine.  Cut 5 tablespoons of the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl; mix until the butter is in very small pieces.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour and the cinnamon and mix to combine. 

Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook.  Gradually mix in more flour by the cupful on medium speed until the dough collects around the hook and pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may no need all the flour.)

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.  Place the dough in a greased bowl; cover with a towel.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees and butter a large baking sheet.  Punch the dough down, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead until the dough is smooth and supple, about 4 minutes.  Cut the dough into 4 equal portions; cut each portion into 6 equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball and arrange the balls on the baking sheet so that they barely touch.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; brush the tops of the balls with the melted butter.  Sprinkle the tops with the poppy or sesame seeds, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake the rolls until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.  Let cool slightly, and then pull apart to serve.   

Healthy Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins

I tend to go through these phases where I will eat the same thing for breakfast (or lunch) every day for 2 or 3 weeks at a time.  For example, if I make a big batch of my butternut squash soup, which is probably one of the five things that I would take with me if stranded on an island, I'll slurp a cup of it every day until it is gone.  I don't like to waste food due to spoilage, and if I really like something, I have absolutely no problem eating it day-in and day-out anyhow.

So lately, I've been on this breakfast smoothie kick.  In a blender, I'll combine a banana, some frozen strawberries, Spirutein protein shake mix (love it!), soy milk, lots of ice, and my secret ingredient: a little bit of instant sugar-free vanilla pudding.  The pudding helps to make the smoothie, well, smooth, and it also thickens it nicely.  All of this makes a huge amount, so much that I can only finish half.  I'm still working on figuring out those ingredient ratios.

As much as I love my smoothies because they are really filling and ultra-nutritious, they are pretty darn labor-intensive and a pain in the you-know-what to clean up.  I also need to wait at least an hour after downing one before I can do my morning workout.  Sometimes, my morning schedule is too busy, and it just doesn't allow room for me to spend quality time with my Vitamix blender.  I need something that I can grab and go; something that is satisfying without being overly filling, like perhaps a really delicious muffin.

I absolutely adore sweet potatoes.  I'll eat them baked and topped with a little maple syrup and cinnamon, pureed in a hearty soup, or chopped and roasted until they caramelize.  I had never made a sweet potato muffin before, so I decided to give it a shot.  These turned out to be really moist, with a flavor that incorporates the spices of a sweet potato pie.  The dried fruit and nuts add nice texture.  Best of all, these healthy muffins are much lower maintenance than a smoothie, but just as yummy! Here are a few extra tips for making marvelous muffins:

• As an alternative to mashing the baked sweet potatoes with a fork or with a potato masher, I like to puree them in a food processor.  This guarantees that they will be smooth and evenly distributed throughout the muffin batter.
• If you can find the red garnet yams in your grocery store (they are usually not available year-round), use these for the recipe.  These tend to taste a bit sweeter, and they lend a deeper color to the muffins.
• Instead of using dates, feel free to mix golden raisins, dried cranberries, diced dried figs, or diced dried apricots into the batter.  Walnuts or chopped hazelnuts would be good substitutions for the pecans.

Healthy Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 pound red-skinned sweet potatoes

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans (optional)

3/4 cup chopped pitted dates

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.  Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast for 1 hour or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Peel the sweet potatoes and then lightly mash with a fork or potato masher; set aside.

Lower the oven temperature to 350F degrees.  Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners and lightly spritz them with nonstick spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.

Add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating one and then the other, to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.  Mix in the sweet potatoes and then fold in the pecans and dates.

Divide the batter among the muffin tins.  Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 30-35 minutes.   

Mom's Banana-Nut Bread

Every cook or baker, no matter how successful or respected in the culinary world, has experienced his or her share of kitchen disasters.  I'm sure that at one time even Julia had a gateau that fell, Emeril put too much BAM! in his etoufee, and Bobby underestimated the heat of a habanero.  I am most certainly no exception.  Seeing as I am a bit of a perfectionist, I used to beat myself up over these not so appetizing outcomes, but now I tend to laugh at my mishaps and chalk them off as a learning experience. 

There were those lemon bars that I made for my friend Erik's party in grad school.  Thank goodness I questioned the texture of the custard on the finished product prior to serving, a custard that I had apparently forgotten to add sugar to. One sour and bitter taste test later, the contents of the 9X13-inch pan came face to face with the garbage can, and I was on my way to the bakery to (gasp!) buy something to bring to the party.  Lesson learned here: Don't bake when you are doing 10 other things at the same time, and set all of your ingredients out so that you don't omit anything.

Then there was the matter of my famous apple strudel, the one that I make every holiday season, so often that I don't need the recipe to refer to.  Or so I thought.  I had volunteered to make my masterpiece when we were spending Thanksgiving with friends in Florida.  Somewhere along the line I messed up the ratio of flour to water and ended up with cement-like dough, impossible to form into my fabulous flaky crust.  Gosh, that apple crisp for dessert was delicious.  Lesson learned: Have the recipe handy to refer to, no matter how many times you've prepared it.

My very first kitchen disaster, that I can recall, occured when my friend Melissa and I decided to bake banana bread from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.  We were about 8-years-old, and most of my baking had been limited to Tollhouse Cookies or acting as my mom's sous-chef.  I don't know whether we forgot an ingredient, baked at the wrong temperature, or simply peeked in the oven too often, but the loaves sunk in the middle, with an end result resembling a skateboarding half-pipe.  We each took a small slice off the ends, but the rest was inedible.  Lesson here: Hey, I was just starting to learn.  Practice, practice, practice!

That banana bread incident always stayed with me, so it was wonderful to discover a banana bread recipe that never fails me and that everyone seems to love.  Despite the name, this is not my mom's recipe (I wouldn't post that without her permission, and she is somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean right now.)  This just seems like the kind of recipe that your mom would make: comforting, simple, and delicious.  With 4 whole bananas in each loaf, the texture is extremely moist, and with the added spices, the aroma that emanates from the oven will have everyone clamoring for that first slice.  Here are a few extra tips for this deliciously moist bread a la mom:

• Ripe bananas can be mashed by placing them in a plastic bag and squeezing or by mashing with a potato masher in a bowl.  I have found that the best method for thoroughly mashing bananas is to use a food processor.  Place the banana in the bowl of the processor and process until smooth.  The resulting smooth texture helps to maximize the banana flavor throughout the batter and keep the loaves moist.
• These loaves can be stored at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for 3-4 days.  The loaves freeze well, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil, for up to one month.
• Instead of making large loaves, this recipe will yield 6-7 smaller loaves.  These make wonderful gifts.  Who doesn't love banana bread?
• Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or even macadamia nuts may be substituted for the pecans.  For a variation on this recipe, try adding dried cranberries or dates, shredded coconut, granola, or peanut butter to the batter.

Mom's Banana-Nut Bread

Makes 2 large loaves

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 pound butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

8 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups lightly toasted chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Spray two 9X5 loaf pans with nonstick baking spray.  In a large bowl, whics together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add the bananas and the vanilla and mix well.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until all of the dry ingredients are moist and well blended.  Mix in the nuts.

Divide the batter between the two loaf pans and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the bread is browned, cracked on the top, and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.  Let the loaves rest for 10-15 minutes and then remove from the pans.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Yeasty Texas-Sized Dinner Rolls

When I was in seventh grade, my family moved from New Jersey to Texas.  I had obviously spent too many Friday nights curled up in my parents' bed watching Dallas, because I expected everyone to look like Sue Ellen and J.R., decked out in ten-gallon hats, boots, and diamonds, with big ranches and even bigger hair.  Well, some people wore boots, there was the occasional hat, and yes, the hair was big (you should see my prom pictures), but I was relieved to find out that, for the most part, the girls in Houston and Jersey girls looked pretty much the same.

Despite the fact that I didn't need to do a sudden fashion overhaul, there was a bit of culture shock, which needed some getting used to.  First of all, everyone was so darn friendly.  I mean, people in New Jersey are nice enough, but if you've ever been to Texas, then you understand my point.  These people are really friendly.  I had to come to terms with the fact that someone might greet me on the street, even if they didn't know me.  What??  It really is, as Martha would say, a good thing, and I wish that people would do this everywhere.  Second, there was the issue of the accent.  Some people didn't have one, but others would say something and I had to suppress the urge to ask for a translator.  Terms like "fixin' to", "y'all", and "movie thee-AY-ter" were new to me, but I adopted them pretty quickly (except the thee-AY-ter one.)

Lone Star cuisine also had its differences from a slice of pizza and salt water taffy at the Jersey shore.  Some of these items were great culinary discoveries, and others, not so much.  Frito Pie falls into the latter of the two categories.  Yes, you read correctly, Frito Pie.  This was a hit in the school cafeteria, but as popular as this concoction of cheese, meat, beans, and Fritos seemed to be, I could never wrap my brain around it.  Chicken fried steak was everywhere, as was barbecue, some of the finest that I'd ever tasted. 

The little out of the way places, the sort mom and pop establishments that Jane and Micheal Stern write about in their Road Food column, are the best places to go for authentic barbecue.  Drinks are served in mason jars, and all of the items are set out family-style on the table, including those fresh-from-the-oven hot yeast rolls.  I love to pull one apart and watch the steam rise up, bringing that yeasty aroma along for the ride.  A dab of salty butter, and you've got perfection.  These heavenly rolls are hard to find if you're not in the South, but now you, yes you, can make them at home, with the assistance of this easy recipe.  Baked in a muffin tin, these rolls rise tall, their tops billowing over the edges.  One bite and you might blurt out that you're "fixin' to" go in for seconds! Here are some extra tips for these fragrant and fluffy rolls:

• Low-fat milk may be substituted for the whole milk, but the rolls will be more moist if prepared as directed.
• Depending on the humidity and heat in your area, you may need to add extra flour to the mixing bowl while kneading the dough.  The dough is ready to rise when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and can be formed into a smooth ball.
• Rising times may vary depending on heat and humidity conditions in your kitchen.  When putting dough aside to rise, I like to turn my oven on preheat for about 1 1/2 minutes, shut it off, and then place the covered bowl in the oven.  This creates an environment just warm enough for the dough to rise well.
• Instead of using muffin tins, the rolls may also be free-formed into round balls and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced 2 1/2 inches apart.
• Roll are best eaten the day that they are prepared, but they can be wrapped, frozen, and reheated.

Yeasty Texas-Sized Dinner Rolls

Makes 12

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

5 tablespoons butter, in pieces

4 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a standing electric mixer and whisk to blend.  In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to 180F degrees.  Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter.  Let the milk mixture cool to 115F degrees.  Stir in the yeat and let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.  Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and stir to dissolve.  Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine.  Add the eggs and knead the mixture, using the dough hook, on medium speed until a dough forms into a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 6 minutes.  While kneading, add up to 1/4 cup extra flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary for allowing the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Grease a large bowl with olive oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn to coat with the oil.  Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Grease a nonstick muffin pan with the remaining tablespoon of butter.  Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.  On a smooth, flat surface, cup your hand over 1 dough piece and gently roll it against the surface to form a smooth ball.  Repeat with the remaining pieces.  Divide the dough balls between the muffin cups.  Cover with a towel; let rise in a warm pace for 30 minutes.  Uncover; let rise until the dough rises 2 inches above the pan, about 1 1/2 hours more.

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.  Bake the rolls until they are puffed and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Let cool slightly in the muffin pan before serving. 

Sweet Focaccia with Grapes and Walnuts

Like the way that the Barefoot Contessa simply steps into her backyard anytime that she needs fresh herbs, flowers, or vegetables, I would feel oh-so-chic if I could say that my recipes are inspired by the seasonal vegetation that surrounds me.  The fact of the matter is that if this was a true statement, then I would be delivering daily delicacies like Rosemary-Cactus Cake and Meyer Lemon Sagebrush Scones (I've mentioned before that Meyer lemons and rosemary are about all I've had luck with here in the desert.)  As tempting and appealing as these concoctions might sound, I think I'll put them on the back-burner as last resorts.

If not from a lush and bountiful garden, you may be wondering where my culinary inspiration comes from, or you might not care and just want me to get on with the recipe.  Point taken.  I'll be brief.  Sometimes I get ideas from roaming the various departments of the grocery store, looking for what's fresh, new, or unique.  Yes, I actually do this.  Other times, I'll hear an ingredient repeated over and over again on the Food Network while simultaneously seeing it pop up in multiple food publications.  Chipotle comes to mind here.  Back when Food Network was fairly young, and Hot Off the Grill With Bobby Flay! was one of my favorite shows, chipotles were a recurring character.  Now, they're ubiquitous. 

This particular recipe was inspired by our recent trip to Napa and Sonoma, an area known for its fertile landscape and abundant vegetation.  For two days, we were lucky enough to stay at the Markham Vineyards guest house, which was smack dab in the middle of many acres of grape vines.  In the mornings, we would cut through the vineyards and walk about a mile to Bouchon bakery in Yountville, surrounded by clusters of grapes.  This is a sweet focaccia recipe, as opposed to the more common savory versions.  The topping is a combination of grapes, walnuts, sweet Marsala, and brown sugar, which caramelizes nicely on top of the lightly spiced bread.  Serve it for breakfast, as a side dish, or even as dessert, topped with a little goat cheese.  Here are my extra tips for this great grape-topped treat:

• If you don't have any Marsala on hand, or if you don't want to use liquor in the recipe, then  use orange juice or apple juice in its place.  You can also substitute port.
• Although the cardamom adds a unique subtle spice, you can omit it if you don't have any in your spice drawer.  Cardamom can be expensive, so substitute ginger or allspice instead.
• This focaccia leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation.  Instead of topping it with grapes and walnuts, try fresh or dried figs, dried cranberries or cherries, fresh peaches or other stone fruits, pecans, or hazelnuts.  If you are using dried fruits, then rehydrate them in some warm water or orange juice for 10 minutes prior to adding to the bowl.
• The rate at which your dough will rise will depend on a number of factors (kitchen temperature, humidity, yeast), so don't be alarmed if it takes longer than 1 1/2 hours to rise.
• If you want to start this recipe one day in advance, mix all of the ingredients together, as directed, let it rise for the 1 1/2 hours, punch it down, and then cover and chill overnight.  Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding.

Sweet Focaccia with Grapes and Walnuts

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (One 1/4-ounce package)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 cup warm water (100-110F degrees)

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup packed brown sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon orange zest

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes

3 cups seedless grapes, halved lengthwise

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons sweet Marsala

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the yeast with the sugar and warm water.  Let rest for 5 minutes until the mixture is foamy.  Add the flour, salt, 1/3 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, orange zest, and butter, and combine the dough well on medium speed.  Once the dough has come together, continue to knead with the dough hook for 2 minutes longer, until it is soft and slightly sticky.  Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, and turn the ball to coat with the oil.  Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk. 

Press the dough evenly into an oiled jelly roll pan (15 by 10 by 1 inches), and let it rise, covered loosely with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has almost doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees and place a rack in the bottom third of the oven.  In a medium bowl, stir together the grapes, walnuts, and the Marsala.  Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/3-cup brown sugar evenly over the grapes and walnuts.  Bake the focaccia in the bottom third of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until it is cooked through and the topping is caramelized.  Let the focaccia cool in the pan on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.   

Lemon-Thyme Popovers

As a food blogger, I take it upon myself to observe food trends and the eating habits of the general public whenever I am out and about.  Some might think that I am just being rude and was never taught not to stare, but I am willing to live with that misconception if it means that I can bring accurate observations to you, my loyal readers.  That is how committed I am.  You're welcome.

One eating habit that I've noticed has more to do with how people eat than with what they eat.  There are generally two types of eaters at full-service restaurants.  Type 1 eats in an even, circular fashion, taking a bite of protein followed by a bite of vegetables then a bite of the starch and repeat.  These folks work the plate evenly, ensuring their taste buds a good sampling of each component, should their stomachs fill up prior to cleaning their plate.  Type 2 attacks their plate in sections, starting with one item, say the potatoes, and sticking with it until it is gone.  I fall into the extreme end of Type 2, where even a sandwich is fare game for eating in sections (the top piece of bread, followed by the cheese, followed by the turkey.)  Don't worry mom, I don't dissect my sandwiches in public, only at home.  I know, it's an odd habit, but I'm sure it stems from my interest in ingredients and what recipes are comprised of.  That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

If you are a "Type 2" diner, you run the risk of filling up before you've had a chance to get a good taste of everything on your plate.  Delicious side dishes often become the stars of the show, and the main entree ends up wrapped in foil for tomorrow's lunch.  Such was the case with the delectable savory herbed popovers that I had a chance encounter with the other evening.  Served alongside a steak as a variation on Yorkshire Pudding, these billowing and buttery hollow pastry poufs had me at hello (I might have even asked the server for another.)  These egg-based popovers, named for the way that they "pop" out of the pan that they bake in, stole the spotlight with their crisp outside and custardy interior, so I only had room for a few bites of everything else.  I was O.K. with that.   

Here is my attempt at recreating those popovers.  I've given them a lemon-thyme flavoring with a little cracked black pepper thrown in for a kick.  These come together in mere minutes and are best eaten hot out of the oven.  Serve them for breakfast with butter or jam, or serve them as part of a meal.  Be sure to make extra for those "Type 2s."  Here are my tips for these sure to impress light and lemony rolls:

• If you do not have a popover pan, never fear!  Popovers can be made in 9 buttered muffin  cups.  Bake the popovers for about 25-30 minutes, then cut the slits, and then bake for 5 minutes longer.
• Eggs at room temperature tend to aerate better when they are whisked, which is important when preparing popovers.  In order to bring eggs to room temperature quickly, simply submerge them in warm (not hot--you don't want to cook them!) water for a few minutes prior to adding to the batter.
• It is best to use whole milk for this recipe, as the fat content helps to keep the popovers nice and moist, but you can use 2% if you are trying to cut fat and calories from your diet.
• For zesting lemons and other citrus, or for grating cheese, ginger, or chocolate, there is simply no substitute for a Microplane grater in the kitchen.  I highly recommend investing in one--they have made my life much easier!

Lemon-Thyme Popovers

Makes 6

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup water

2 large eggs, room temperature

Zest of one lemon

1 tablespoon butter, melted

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Special equipment: popover pan

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Place an oven rack in the lower third position.  Generously butter the popover cups and place them in the oven as it preheats.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, water, eggs, and zest until well combined, and then whisk in the butter.  Add the flour, thyme, salt, and pepper and whisk until the batter is combined, but slightly lumpy.

Divide the batter among the hot popover cups and sprinkle the tops with additional thyme and/or pepper as garnish.  Bake until the popovers are puffed and golden, about 35 minutes.  Cut a small 1/2-inch slit in the top of each popover using a sharp knife, then bake for 5 minutes more.  Serve immediately. 

Chocolate Swirled Brioche Loaves

For someone who really enjoys the finer ingredients in life, I am quite the frugal shopper when it comes to buying groceries.  There used to be this really cheesy game show called Supermarket Sweep (I believe that I am the only person who watched this show, which was on right before the equally popular Shop 'til You Drop.) The show required teams of contestants to showcase their grocery product acumen.  At the end of the show, the contestants raced through the mock supermarket, trying to fill their grocery carts with the priciest items before time ran out.  Today, I would have a really good shot at winning this show, because I can tell you the going price of just about anything in aisles 1-12 and the surrounding perimeter. 

Each shopping trip is viewed almost as a challenge to get the lowest total price while still buying the items that I need.  If I need good cheeses and inexpensive dairy, I go to Trader Joe's.  For basics, the local Smith's will suffice.  Whole Foods?  Well......let's just say that I found a half-pint of blueberries there for $8.00 the other day.  No, that was not a misprint--half-pint for $8.00.  I'm still reeling from that, so it might be a while before I head back to Whole Paycheck Foods.

These days, as we all are painfully aware of, it has become increasingly hard to finish a trip to the grocery store with a smile.  It is common to she shoppers scrutinizing their receipts, trying to figure out how on earth a gallon of milk, a box of Wheaties, chicken breasts, and some veggies came to $43.22.  And bread!  As I've mentioned before, good bread is one of my indulgences, and I cannot seem to find a decent loaf for under $4.50-----so, I've decided to make my own.  Yes, it's a bit more time consuming, but there something largely satisfying about baking your own bread, and it tastes soooo much better. Some of my go-to recipes, I have previously posted on this site, such as  Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Whole Wheat Maple Oatmeal Bread, and  Lemon-Rosemary Bread. 

Yesterday, I decided to make brioche, a rich and buttery French bread, which can really act as a dessert.  A few weeks back, I had found a great deal on eggs at Trader Joes, but I over-ambitiously bought too many, so brioche was a great way to use them up.  Despite the fact that this recipe calls for 1/2-pound of butter and 9 eggs, it makes 2 very large loaves, and even a small slice is very satisfying.  Brioche can be eaten toasted (no butter required,) as a base for bread pudding, topped with berries, or used for making French toast.  Here are some extra tips for this sweet swirled French bread:

• The baked loaves can be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to two weeks.
• I like to use a mixture of whole wheat and regular flours for this recipe, but if you prefer, you can use all white flour.
• Don't be alarmed if the dough hasn't risen to the indicated level in the estimated time frame.  Heat, humidity, and various other factors all come into play here, so the actual amount of time that your dough requires to rise may vary.  If your kitchen tends to be cool, turn the oven on for 1 minute and then turn it off.  Place the covered bowl in the oven to rise in a warmer environment.
• For variations on the filling, use semisweet or even milk chocolate, if that is what you prefer.  I have also done this recipe with a cinnamon sugar filling.  I mix sugar (or brown sugar) with a little bit of cinnamon, spread a thin layer of softened butter on the surface of the brioche, and then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over the butter.
• If the loaves start to brown too quickly during the baking process, then cover them with foil for the remainder of the time. 

Chocolate Swirled Brioche Loaves

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened, plus more for bowl and pans

2 tablespoons warm (110 degree) water

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 cups flour

1 - 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

9 large eggs

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

Coarse sanding sugar (optional)

Butter a large bowl and set it aside.  Stir together the warm water,  1 teaspoon sugar, and the yeast in a small bowl.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Put the 3 cups of flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the yeast mixture and mix on medium speed until well combined.  A 8 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix until well combined, about 2 minutes.  Replace the paddle with a dough hook and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.  Mix until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 8 minutes.  If the dough is very sticky and wet, add up to 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and mix to combine.  Transfer the dough to the buttered bowl.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2-2 hours.  Punch the dough down; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Butter two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 loaf pans; set aside.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half.  Roll out each half into a 7 by 15-inch rectangle.  Sprinkle the chocolate over the rectangles.  Starting from a short side, tightly roll each into a log and pinch the seams to seal.  Place each log, seam side down, in a buttered pan.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel; let rise at room temperature until the dough reaches the rim of the pans, about 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Lightly beat the remaining egg and brush the tops of the loaves with the egg.  Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired, and bake until the tops are deep golden brown, about 35 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges to loosen, and turn out onto a wire rack; let cool completely.

Healthy Pumpkin Harvest Muffins

Starting around the end of September through the holidays, my kitchen has a constant pumpkin-spice aroma to it.  This is not because I've blown my savings on one of those large Yankee Candles (you have to admit, they are overpriced,) but because I absolutely adore pumpkin flavored foods.  From ravioli and risotto to pancakes and pies, I'll attempt almost any recipe with a pumpkin twist.  At then end of December, however, the pumpkin parade tends to come to an end, simply because the season is considered to be over, and I guess I feel like I'm supposed to move on to other ingredients.

Today's recipe I dedicate to Boston based blogger (and July 12 bride!) Tina of Carrots and Cake.   As a food blogger, it is inevitable that you become familiar with the content of your fellow foodies in the blogosphere (that sentence sounds a bit nerdy, doesn't it?).  Through food-themed message boards and photo sharing sites, you can easily see what other chefs around the world are creating on a daily basis.  Yesterday, I found Tina's delectable looking post for (lowfat) Pumpkin Coconut Date Bars--originally posted in MAY!  I had been resisting my craving for healthy pumpkin muffins, simply because they weren't "in season," but Tina snapped me out of that silliness via her mouthwatering photos.  So, thanks, Tina.  I wish that I could send you one of the muffins, but Boston is a bit far.  I'll just eat one while watching the Red Sox game, in your honor.

With the addition of the tart cranberries, spices, and toasted nuts, these muffins do indeed taste like Fall.  The dates add some natural sweetness, which allows for the sugar to be cut, compared to the ample amount present in most muffin recipes.  With a light, moist texture, these muffins have no need for butter or jam, and they come together in minutes.  Here are a few extra tips for these figure-friendly muffins:

• Feel free to improvise in terms of the nuts and fruits that you add to the muffin batter.  Golden raisins, chopped dried cherries, chopped figs or apricots, hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts would all be nice additions.
• After the muffins have baked and cooled, freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to one month.  Let muffins thaw at room temperature and then warm in the oven or microwave just before serving.
• Be sure to use canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-sweetened and contains spices.
• If you don't happen to have buttermilk, you can always make your own version.  Mix 1/2  cup of milk with 1/2  teaspoon of vinegar and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before adding to the batter.

Healthy Pumpkin Harvest Muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons canola or safflower oil

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup lightly toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the flours, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cloves; whisk to blend.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, buttermilk, brown sugar, oil, and egg; whisk until very well blended.  Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix until just combined.  Fold in the cranberries, dates, and pecans.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and coat the liners with cooking spray.  Spoon the batter evenly into the cups.  Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin emerges clean.  Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and cool completely.

Spiced Applesauce Bran Muffins

Although I occasionally torture myself in a Bikram yoga class (that's 90 minutes of yoga done in a 96 degree room--voluntarily), the treadmill has always been, and always will be, my workout of choice.  A little over ten years ago, I bought a treadmill, and it ended up being one of the best investments that I have ever made.  I belonged to a great fitness club at the time, but it presented certain frustrations, which led me to my decision to make this purchase. 

The problem lied in the fact that I like to stay on the treadmill for a little over an hour, which is tough to do when fellow club members are giving you the hard stare, willing you to either stop or to trip and fall.  I also enjoy catching up on my favorite TV shows during my workout, as it helps to pass the time, unless of course Bobby or Giada are whipping up some mouth-watering dish that you can practically smell through the television.  At the gym, with its limited number of TV sets in the Cardio Theatre (yes, it was really called that), I was often forced to watch something like Maury Povich, or Deadliest Catch, which made each minute seem ten times as long.

Having my own treadmill, I can stay on for as long as I please, watching whatever I desire.  It is also much easier to make the "commute" in the morning, thus requiring significantly less motivation.  At and average of 5 miles per day, 350 days per year (I do take the occasional day off), for 10 years, I've traveled cross-country a few times on my trusty machine, which has never needed repairing.  Now that's a good investment.

Eric and I both like to work out in the morning.  He hops on the stairmaster and flips to CNBC immediately after rolling out of bed.  Although I can do this, if absolutely necessary, I like to take a more leisurely approach to my morning, primarily because I find it hard to work out on a completely empty stomach (and before my morning jolt of joe!)  Because I can't be too full when I start my workout, I've found that the perfect thing to eat is a healthy homemade muffin, which provides me with some extra energy to get me through that hour. 

These are a new muffin that I tried, and I don't know if they could get much healthier.  Chock-full of figure friendly ingredients, such as flaxseed, wheat bran, cranberries, and unsweetened applesauce, these muffins are very low in fat, rich in fiber, and surprisingly hearty.  Sweetened by dates, applesauce, and a bit of maple syrup, no sugar is needed, which keeps the calories down too.  I just pop them in the freezer and defrost one each morning.  Here are my extra tips for these healthy and delicious muffins:

• After baking, these muffins can be sealed in a zip-top bag and frozen for up to two weeks.  Sit one out on the counter to defrost.  The muffins will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature, tightly covered.
• Muffin liners may be used for this recipe, but I strongly recommend misting them with nonstick spray prior to filling them.  This recipe is void of oil or butter, so the muffins will tend to stick to the liners otherwise.
• The maple syrup in this recipe can be replaced with honey, if desired.
• Lightly toasted nuts, unsweetened coconut, or other dried fruits can be added to the batter as well.
• Wheat bran (sometimes referred to as oat bran on packaging) and ground flaxseed can be found in the health foods/natural foods sections of your grocery store.  Two brands that are commonly found are Arrowhead Mills and Hodgson Mill.  Both ingredients should be stored in either the refrigerator or freezer after opening, as they have a tendency to become rancid if store for long periods of time at room temperature. 

Spiced Applesauce Bran Muffins

Makes about 12

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates

1 cup wheat bran

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oats plus 2 tablespoons

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with nonstick baking spray. 

In a medium saucepan, combine the applesauce and dates.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened and reduced slightly, 5-7 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.

When the mixture has cooled, stir in the buttermilk, bran, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, flaxseed, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt, and 1/3 cup of the oats.  Stir the dry ingredients into the bran mixture until just combined.  Stir in the dried cranberries.

Divide the batter among the prepared tins.   Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oats over the muffins.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 18-20 minutes.  Let cool completely on wire racks.