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year end finds

12/28/2023

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Christmas cookie baking is over and what I did make has mostly been given away. I have a few biscotti left as I made several varieties such as anise seed, Biscotti di Prato, Cappuccino Biscotti, and Biscotti Napoletani. I was intrigued by a recipe in The New York Times for Peanut Butter-Miso Cookies by Krysten Chambrot. It just so happened that the white miso I had left, was just the amount needed for these cookies. For the recipe you’ll also need all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, chunky peanut butter, an egg, vanilla extract and Demerara sugar.
 
After reading the comments of other cooks where some reduced the amount of sugar, I decided for the first go round to follow the recipe accordingly. I heeded the advice of the recipe’s creator to chill the dough before rolling. Also, I used creamy peanut butter as that’s what I had. ​
The dry ingredients are added to a bowl and whisked together. If using a stand mixer, attach the paddle and blend the butter, and both sugars until light and fluffy. Next, the miso and peanut butter are added and mixed until incorporated followed by the egg and vanilla; mix to combine. The flour is added one third at a time until all is incorporated.
 
While the recipe calls for 2 heaping tablespoons for each cookie, I opted for smaller cookies. Once the dough balls are formed, they’re rolled in Demerara sugar and placed on a pan. For this step I used raw sugar. I baked them at 350° for approximately 15 minutes or until the edges looked crisp, removed from oven, then banged the cookie sheet on the counter to release the air bubbles and returned to complete baking for another 3 to 4 minutes.
 
Initially, my husband wasn’t impressed with this cookie. I’m not a peanut butter cookie fan, but somehow the miso tampered the flavor of the peanut butter and I enjoyed it. However, after sitting in a cookie tin in my cold attic for several days, the flavor changed and mellowed to the point where the peanut butter flavor developed and was more prominent than before. In any event, it used up the miso that was in my refrigerator and wasn’t wasted.
 
For our Christmas dinner celebration at our daughter’s house, our son made Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart bread. For the recipe he created he used a wide loaf of Italian bread, an 8-ounce package of Kerrygold butter melted, fresh parsley, minced garlic and shredded mozzarella.
 
He sliced the bread horizontally in thirds then made one-inch crosswise cuts, making sure not to cut through the crust. He used metal skewers to hold the bread together. The butter was melted and minced garlic and chopped parsley were added.  He stuffed shredded cheese between the cuts and poured the garlic and parsley butter over the bread. It was baked in a 350° oven until heated through. Wow, what a great appetizer! Warm garlic bread, what’s not to like? The next time, he wants to toast it under the broiler a bit. I think you could also add a side of marinara sauce for dipping.  Instead of the garlic butter, drizzle pesto over the bread with the cheese.
 
Since my English muffins turned out so well, I decided to try Elizabeth Allston’s variation of Whole Wheat Bran with Cinnamon and Raisin English Muffins. For the recipe you’ll need honey, warm water, a package of active dried yeast, buttermilk, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, unprocessed wheat bran, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and raisins.
 
The yeast is proofed in honey, instead of sugar, and warm water. Next in are the flours, followed by salt then buttermilk. I strongly suggest using a stand mixer as the dough is sticky and becomes quite elastic after mixing. Once the batter is made it rises for one hour. To finish, baking soda is dissolved in the remaining warm water and added to the dough. An additional one minute of mixing is needed followed by an additional 30 minutes to rise.
 
For this batch of muffins, I made sure to generously spray my rings with cookie spray along with the griddle. They puffed up beautifully and browned nicely. After opening the muffin with a fork, I noticed that the whole wheat muffins did not have the “nooks and crannies” like their counterpoint. The muffins were delicious. The crumb was tender, the aroma of the cinnamon was heavenly. This is something to make and keep on hand to make mornings special.
 
The last item I made was a recipe by Lidey Heuck of The New York Times/Cooking for Moroccan-spiced Chicken Meatballs. The recipe sounded wonderful with the addition of aromatic spices such as sweet paprika, cumin, ginger, and cinnamon. For the recipe you’ll also need plain whole milk yogurt, panko bread crumbs, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground chicken, an egg, fresh parsley, olive oil, light brown or granulated sugar and toasted pine nuts (optional).
 
The recipe starts by preparing the yogurt sauce. It’s made by mixing the yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper together. The sauce is served as an accompaniment to the meatballs.
 
The meatballs are made with yogurt, minced garlic, ground chicken, panko, egg, parsley, olive oil, sugar, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, salt and black pepper. The mixture is then formed into meatballs approximately 1-1/2-inches in diameter. Using a large skillet and olive oil, the meatballs are pan fried until browned on all sides. To serve, spread the yogurt sauce in an even layer on the flat platter and place meatballs on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and pine nuts (optional). Serve at once.
 
For side dishes, I roasted Brussels sprouts in the oven dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Just before finishing, I drizzled pomegranate molasses on top and mixed. For a starch, I made basmati rice, trying to keep all the flavors of the middle eastern region.
 
What a delightful meal! The meatballs were tender and moist. They had a wonderful depth of flavor and complexity from the spice combination, but it wasn’t overbearing. The Brussels sprouts were perfectly roasted and the pomegranate added tartness to the meal. A terrific meal done in 30 minutes.

​Peanut Butter-Miso Cookies
By Krysten Chambrot
The New York Times/Cooking
 
Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling and cooling
Yield: 18 Cookies
 
“These cookies were the result of a happy accident. (The best things always are, aren’t they?) When the peanut butter ran out, similarly creamy white miso stepped in. The other ingredients were tweaked to offset the miso’s savory character, and what came out of the oven was salty and sweet, crunchy and chewy. A brief stint in the fridge helps mellow the miso’s bracing brackishness, and a roll in Demerara sugar adds a subtle crunch that pairs well with the tender cookie.”
 
 
Ingredients
 
1¾ cups/225 grams all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 cup/220 grams light brown sugar
½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar
⅓ cup/80 milliliters white miso paste
¼ cup/60 milliliters chunky peanut butter
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup/105 grams Demerara sugar, plus more as needed
 
DIRECTIONS
  1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder, and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add miso and peanut butter to the mixing bowl, and continue to mix at medium speed, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated, and mix a bit more if needed. Add egg and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined.
  4. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, and mix on low speed until flour mixture is incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour mixture in two batches until all of it is incorporated.
  5. Place ½ cup Demerara sugar into a small bowl. Working with one piece at a time, scoop out about 2 heaping tablespoons of dough (about 50 grams per cookie), and roll each portion between your hands until it is nice and round. (If the dough is too soft to roll, you can pop the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to firm the dough up slightly.) Drop the piece of dough into the bowl of Demerara sugar and turn to coat. Transfer each ball to a parchment-lined baking sheet, arranging them about 3 inches apart. Repeat with all of the dough.
  6. Refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight. (Even 15 minutes of refrigerator time will help the dough firm up, and the flavors meld. The longer the dough is refrigerated, the more mellow the flavors will be.)
  7. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes, until crisp at the edges and slightly puffed in the middle. They should still be a bit underdone in the center. Pull out the baking sheet and hit it against a counter. Place back into the oven to finish for about 3 to 4 minutes. When cookies are firm at the edges and slightly puffed in the center, pull them out and again hit the baking sheet against the counter. The cookies should appear flat and crinkly at the center.
  8. Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container; they should retain their chewy texture for a few days.
peanut_butter_miso_cookies.pdf
File Size: 75 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Whole-Wheat Bran English Muffins
Cinnamon Raisin Variation
“Muffins,” by Elizabeth Alston
Clarkson N. Potter, Inc./Publishers ©1985
 
Ingredients
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup warm water (105° to 115°F), divided ¼ cup and ¾ cup
1 envelope (1 tablespoon) active dry yeast
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour
½ cup unprocessed wheat bran (miller’s band)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark raisins
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
Vegetable oil, for griddle
Melted unsalted butter, for muffin rings
 
Preparation
Fit electric mixer with dough hook or paddle. Put honey and ¼ cup of the water in mixer bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Mix for a few seconds. Let stand a few minutes until yeast is foamy.
 
Heat buttermilk until it is barely warm to the touch; it will probably curdle, but do not worry. When warm, remove from heat.
 
Measure flours; sprinkle over yeast along with wheat bran. Add salt and cinnamon. Pour buttermilk over flour. Mix on low speed just to combine. Add raisins; then beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be sticky and elastic.
 
Remove bowl from machine; cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour in a warm place (70° to 80° F), until bubbly and doubled in volume.
 
Dissolve baking soda in remaining ¾ cup warm water. Add to batter.  Mix, then beat 1 minute. Cover bowl and let rise 30 minutes longer.
 
Heat electric skillet (for best results) to about 260°F; or heat one or more iron skillets or griddles over moderately low heat. Brush heated skillet or griddle lightly with oil and place buttered 3-inch muffin rings (or clean tuna cans, open at both ends) on it. Using a buttered ¼ cup measure, scoop ¼ cup of the batter into each muffin ring, spreading with fingers until it touches sides of rings.
 
Cook muffins 7 to 10 minutes-they will rise to about ¾ inch, and bubbles will appear on the surface and break; raise or lower heat as necessary so muffins cook slowly and evenly and do not get too dark on the bottom. When muffins are golden brown on the bottom and almost dry on the top, remove the rings with tongs and turn the muffins over. Cook 7 to 10 minutes longer until the second side is browned.
 
Cool muffins at least 15 minutes on a wire rack. Split open with fork and toast cut sides under a broiler.
 
Note: if you do not have a mixer with a paddle or dough hook, after stirring in the flour, beat mixture with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. After dough has risen, beat about 1 minute more.
whole-wheat_bran_english_muffins_cinnamon_raisin_variation.pdf
File Size: 48 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread
Recipe by Peter J. Walsifer
 
Ingredients
1 loaf Italian bread approximately 4-inches wide x 12-inches long
1–8-ounce package of salted butter
½ cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
4-6 cloves of minced garlic (more or less to your taste)
1-16 package of whole milk mozzarella, shredded
 
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Place butter in saucepan and melt over low heat. As butter begins to melt, add garlic to infuse butter. When all the butter has melted, remove from heat; add chopped parsley.
  3. Slice the bread horizontally in thirds then make one-inch crosswise cuts, making sure not to cut through bottom crust. Place on rimmed sheet pan lined with foil.
  4. Using metal skewers, slide through bread to hold together.
  5. Carefully fill spaces between cuts with shredded cheese.
  6.  Pour the garlic butter over the bread. Bake until cheese melts.
  7. Turn oven off, raise oven rack higher, but not too close to broiler, and turn broiler on to light brown the bread. Watch carefully so bread doesn’t burn.
cheesy_garlic_pull_apart_bread.pdf
File Size: 57 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Meatballs
By Lidey Heuck
The New York Times/NYT Cooking
 
Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings
 
Ingredients
1⅓ cups plain whole-milk yogurt
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon minced or grated garlic (about 4 cloves)
2 teaspoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound ground chicken (not 100 percent breast meat)
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying
1 teaspoon light brown or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)
 
Preparation
  1. First, make the yogurt sauce: Combine 1 cup of the yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste in a small bowl. Mix well, and chill until ready to use.
  2. Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the remaining ⅓ cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, chicken, panko, egg, parsley, olive oil, sugar, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, 1½ teaspoons salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, until incorporated. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, form meatballs about 1½-inches in diameter, then place them on a plate or sheet pan until ready to use.
  3. In a large skillet, heat ⅛-inch olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches, flipping occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (If the meatballs begin browning too quickly or the oil begins smoking, lower the heat.) Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.
  4. To serve, spread the yogurt sauce in an even layer on a flat platter. Arrange the meatballs on top, and top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and the pine nuts, if using. Serve hot.
moroccan_spiced_chicken_meatballs.pdf
File Size: 80 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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    A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners.

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