How do you like dem Apple Muffins?
I’ve been a little lazy about updating. Here’s my excuse: the sun has been going down so early it’s been really hard to take good pictures of my delicious dinners. I’ll try harder, I promise.
This morning I ran a lot. Then I biked home and had a really delicious omelet with onions and spinach (I recommend it) and a lot of other food. Then I wanted to feel productive so I made a batch of granola bars (I’m trying to make them taste like honey roasted peanuts, which are my current snack food obsession) and some apple bran muffins with the apples I picked last weekend. I’ve made them before. The recipe is loosely based on the Joy of Cooking base recipe that I’ve been using for years, but honestly I kind of just did it by feel. I’m happy to share it. I like to make these muffins and let them cool completely, then freeze them. I put them in my lunch bag every morning, then microwave them for 20 seconds when it’s time for a mid morning snack. Voila – warm and fresh-tasting muffin.
Here are some tricks I used for this muffin. As always for muffins, I stirred the batter until just moistened. Despite the muffins you get in stores, they are not just bald cupcakes – the crumb is not as fine and the batter should not be smooth. Mix muffins by hand, not using a mixer. Also, as usual, I separated the egg whites from the yolks and beat the egg whites until soft peaks formed. This helps make the muffins moist and fluffy. I also used whole wheat pastry flour, instead of regular whole wheat flour so that they wouldn’t be too dense. Lastly, since the apples provide both sweetness and moisture, I only used 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of oil. Also, I used buttermilk instead of regular milk (again, for moistness).
By the way, apple pie was my inspiration for this muffin. Also, I LOVE apple season.
Apple Bran Muffins (Makes 12 muffins)
Preheat oven to 400. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease each cup.
In a small bowl, peel and grate 3 medium apples. Stir in 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 egg yolks (put the whites in a medium bowl), 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Set aside.
Roughly chop about 1 oz of dried fruit (I used apricots). Toast 1 oz nuts (I used walnuts).
In a large bowl, sift 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, 2 tablespoons wheat bran (optional), 2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional), 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Beat the reserved egg whites until soft peaks form.
Add the apple mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in the egg whites. Gently fold in the dried fruit and nuts. Spoon into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup all the way, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins start to brown.
Storage: if you wish to keep these muffins as snacks, let cool completely, then freeze in a ziplock bag. Defrost for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven or 20 seconds in the microwave, or let it defrost at room temperature for a couple hours.
This is my cat being cute:
A Little Something from my Heritage
So, you probably don’t know that I’m Latin. You really can’t tell from looking at me or talking to me and it’s not really something that’s PC to ask. “Hi, what are you?” is probably one of the most awkward questions ever. Anyway, my mother immigrated to the US from Guatemala in 1982. My father is American, but has traveled to Guatemala and has learned and adapted many Guatemalan dishes to his liking. As a result, growing up, I had a lot of typical or semi-typical Guatemalan or Latin-inspired food. When I go to Guatemala, which I haven’t done in a long time, I tend to go for the simpler dishes because I’m very picky. I think on my next visit I will be more adventurous. Basically when I have gone, I’ve eaten beans, rice, and tortillas. When I was growing up I also ate lots of beans, rice, and tortillas. The beans were almost always black beans, the rice was almost always white rice, and the tortillas were always (ALWAYS) corn tortillas. Depending on the meal they were either store-bought or homemade. I actually don’t think flour tortillas are part of most cuisines in Latin America, except perhaps in Northern Mexico. Since a lot of food blogs give most of their attention to flour tortillas, I thought I’d give a little corn tortilla love today.
Corn tortillas are not made with cornmeal. In order to make corn tortillas, you must use masa harina, which is a corn flour that has been treated in a special way with limewater. You could make it yourself… if you work in a masa harina factory. The brand we used growing up is called Maseca, and I believe it is the most commercially available brand, but the one I found in my Whole Foods (my local supermarket didn’t stock it at all) is called “Masa Brosa.” Basically to make the dough for tortillas, you just mix the masa harina with warm water. It is very simple, not because it’s a mix but because tortillas are a very simple food. The tricky part is not making the dough too dry or too wet. I’ve found the best way to do this is to add the warm water slowly using a measuring up in one hand, and mix the dough with the other hand until the consistency seems right (that’s right, by hand, not with a spoon).
One you’ve got the tortillas down, a whole world opens up. You can make pupusas, which are filled tortillas that originate from El Salvador. You can make tamales, which are little packets of meat filling wrapped in corn dough and corn husks and baked. The possibilities are endless. I highly recommend it. In addition, you have bragging rights because it really is authentic and it seems no one in the country does it anymore. Corn tortillas are best made fresh though, so don’t try to just keep a bunch in the fridge.
Real Corn Tortillas (Makes 8-12 tortillas)
Heat a griddle or pan over medium heat.
Pour 2 cups of masa harina in a bowl. Slowly add 1 1/4 cups warm water, using your free hand to gently stir the dough so that it absorbs the water. You might need more or less water. When the dough starts to hold together, stop adding water. It should not be crumbly, but should also not be too sticky.
Divide the dough into 8-12 even balls and cover with a damp paper towel until ready to use.
I made a half recipe
To roll out the tortillas, you can either use your hands (labor-intensive), a rolling pin, or a tortillas press, which you can find in Latin markets. It looks like this:
If using a rolling pin or a tortilla press, I recommend putting some plastic wrap on your work surface and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking.
When you’re ready to make the tortillas, lightly brush your hot griddle with canola oil, form the tortillas one at a time, and put them on the griddle. After a minute or two, or when the edges of the tortillas begin to look dry, flip them. Wrap the warm tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep warm until it’s time to serve.
I served these tortillas with leftover roast pork and freshly made black beans (gently boiled for hours with an onion, garlic, and the bone from the roast pork, salted and peppered in the last half hour). They are also great with eggs in the morning, perhaps with a little Hot Sauce. A little mexican or mozzarella cheese wouldn’t hurt either.
The Winning Pumpkin Cookie
Here it is, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. After a week and 6 or 7 batches of pumpkin cookies or varying quality, I’ve finally found a method that makes me happy. The result is a wonderfully soft, pumpkin-y cookie that isn’t too sweet and is perfectly spiced. Additionally, the dough lends itself both to the sugar-crusted drop cookie method AND to the rolled out and cut with a cookie cutter method. Reminiscent of a ginger cookie, don’t feel guilty about eating 1 or 2 (or 7) of these because they are also very low in fat and sugar, thanks to the naturally moist nature of pumpkin.
By cooking the pumpkin in the butter, you benefit both from the caramelization of the butter and the intensification of the pumpkin flavor due to evaporation of water. I also recommend sauteing some fresh ginger to bring out the ginger flavor, but adding 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger in with the dry ingredients works in a pinch. I found that adding a little more salt to the recipe counteracts the bitter flavor or the pumpkin, and that using whiskey instead of vanilla complements the pumpkin and spice nicely. Finally, I opted to use only white sugar because brown sugar overpowered the pumpkin too much. I added a little maple syrup as well. I hope you like them as much as I do!
Andrea’s Pumpkin Spice Cookies (Makes about 60 cookies)
In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger (see note above) and saute for about a minute, until fragrant. Add 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) and 2 tablespoons of whiskey (I used Jack Daniels). Cook the pumpkin until the butter is absorbed and the puree is less watery. In the end, you should have about 1 cup of pumpkin mixture. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
In a large bowl, stir 3/4 cup of white sugar into the pumpkin mixture. Add 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup. Add 1 egg and stir until just combined. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, in about three additions, stirring until just combined each time. Wrap the dough with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350. Place a sheet of parchment paper on two baking sheets.
You can make these cookies two ways.
Sugar-coated drop cookies
Pour 1/4 cup of sugar into a small bowl.
A drop a teaspoon’s worth of dough into the bowl of sugar, coating completely. Using your hands, roll the dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, then press the ball with your finger to flatten it slightly. Repeat for the rest of the dough, leaving about an inch between balls of dough. They will spread, but not too much, so you can fit a lot of cookies on one sheet. I fit 30 cookies on mine. Bake for 12-14 minutes, turning the cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let cool. These cookies are actually best the day after they are baked.
Rolled cookies
These cookies are great for parties, or for decorating.
Sprinkle some flour on your work surface. Take the cookie dough out of the fridge and lightly dust with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is evenly about 1/8 inch thick, being careful not to let it stick to the work surface. Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut cookies and place them on baking sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch between cookies (they will not spread too much). Bake for about 10 minutes, less if you like them doughy. Let cool completely before decorating, if desired.
I’m doing some experimenting
A quick update: I’m on the search for a perfect pumpkin cookie. I’m making the recipe myself. I am also trying to limit the fat and sugar, since I feel pumpkin lends itself to such a recipe, though in my internet searches I haven’t found any such recipe, which is why I’m writing it myself. So far I’ve tried a chocolate chip cookie base, which failed miserably:
These cookies turned out tasting great, but having a oddly dense texture which was unappealing. They kind of look like raw cookie dough, don’t they?
Next, I tried making them using a gingersnap-type recipe.
These were a great improvement in texture, but the flavor left a little to be desired. I’m trying to develop a recipe that really brings out the pumpkin flavor, and these tasted too much of spice. I know I’m headed in the right direction though because I brought all the cookies to running club this morning and people raved about them.
The fun thing about developing a recipe is that I get to play chemist. With the latest batch of cookies I played with using melted vs softened butter, and using granulated sugar vs a brown sugar/granulated sugar mix. I had a lot of fun, but in the end there wasn’t a big difference between the cookies, so I think I have to take some bigger risks. Next I am going to go easier on the spices and try adding some rum to the mix instead of using vanilla. Don’t worry, once the recipe is perfect, I will post it. Hopefully right in time for the height of pumpkin season.
Chili My Way
Did you grow up on chili? Me too. Was your chili made with kidney beans and ground beef and cumin? Oh. It was? Oh. My family’s weird.
My dad makes chili a certain way. It involved cubes or pork and pinto beans and lots of onions and some canned tomatoes. There are peppers and not too many spices. And there’s garlic.
I was sort of craving that. But also a little lazy and cooking for just me and I had no beans soaking and I was at the grocery store without his recipe exactly with me. Also, I didn’t feel like having onion breath for hours and hours and hours. So I made his chili my way, in a small batch, using (gasp) canned beans. Forgive me, Papa. I served it with oven crisped tortilla chips and red wine. I sprinkled with with some mexican cheese. I ate the leftovers a couple days later served over rice. Delish.
Andrea’s Weird Chili Concoction (4 servings)
Mince two cloves of garlic and thinly slice 4 green onions. Mince a jalapeño. Trim the fat from a pork chop (or some other lean cut of pork that’s cheap) and cut it into bite-sized cubes.
In a large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. Add the jalapeno and stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the garlic and green onions and stir for another 30 seconds. Add the pork and stir until just barely cooked through. Add a 14-oz can of diced tomatoes to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add about a teaspoon each of thyme and sage and a grind of black pepper. Add a can of black beans and a can of pinto beans, both rinsed and drained. Bring everything to a simmer and cover. Cook gently for at least 30 minutes, so the flavors get absorbed. After about 10 minutes of simmering, start salting and tasting until the flavors are to your liking. Don’t burn your mouth!
Serve hot with tortilla chips, corn tortillas, or rice. Try adding other ingredients to the chili and let me know what works! It’s a cheap quick dish that lends itself to many variations and changes, so go ahead! Go wild. Just, please, no cumin, kidney beans, or ground beef. That’s not what this chili is about.
