Extra Schmaltz!

Somehow we don't have a recipe for these on the blog, and they're one of my favorites. Think of them as operation icebox muffins - that old apple way too soft to eat? Got a can of pinneaple around? Bam, you probably have what you need for these. I'm also putting this online because the recipe I'm using is printed out and I'm afraid I'll lose it since it turns out fabulously every time. The veggies/fruits in the recipe are subject to what you have and your whims. Personally, I think the pinneaple and coconut are essential to the recipe, and we like the raisins a lot. Otherwise, you can tinker - I've replaced the apple with ripe pear to great effect, I've added a peach, and you can play around further. Ingredients Dry 2 1/4 c. white flour (don't mess with whole wheat, these have plenty of fiber) 1 1/4 c. sugar (don't short this or they'll taste way too healthy. The fruit doesn't make them too sweet either) 2-3 tsp. cinnamon ...

So I've posted a few bread recipes here, but this post is more about my technique, since I've gotten it down to enough of a science that it makes less mess than most bread recipes, and the results are always really good.  I personally do not find "no-knead" recipes to be any less work than "kneaded" recipes - you usually have some step that involves scattering corn meal across half the kitchen, and dish clothes covered in bits of dough. This recipe requires very little kneading, but a lot of time (really, benevolent neglect). However, if you're gonna be home anyway, it doesn't require much effort, so I often make this on a Saturday while grading. I got the basic idea for this approach from a couple books on bread baking. The main thing is that everyone seems to agree that a wetter dough tastes better, has a nicer crumb, etc in the end, and so my approach aims to make a wet bread dough with almost no interaction with it using my hands, and to...

These are truly a labor of love, but the payoff is delicious (also, they freeze well). You could make these with any meat (ie shredded chicken) or even just potatoes or cheese. This uses hot water pastry crust, which rolls out like a dream and holds up well to chunky fillings. The dough I used for these is slightly different than my previous version , so I will post the full recipe. The yellow pepper paste (ají amarillo) I used adds a very nice medium spicy flavor to the filling. I found it at Sun Foods, and it is probably available at most Latino markets. Makes 50 6" empanadas Beef Filling 2-3 lb beef chuck roast 4 medium red potatoes 1/2 c. frozen peas 6 green onions 1c + 2 c. beef bullion 2 packets unflavored gelatine 1/4 c. chopped parsley 1/4 c. aji yellow pepper paste (optional) OR 2 Tbsp. tomato paste + 3 Tbsp. hot water + 1/2 tsp. cayenne 2 Tbsp. white vinegar 2 Tbsp. salt 1 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. black pepper Optional additions: Hard boiled egg sl...

This recipe comes from the illustrious and Finnish-American Natalie Johnson of Twin City Barbell. While protein is important for building muscle, carbs are essential for powering your workout--so what better than some tasty, home-made bread? This is essentially challah, a rich egg bread, with the added deliciousness of cardamom. Don't fret about the braiding--it will look and taste delicious no matter what. Well, except if you accidentally use salt instead of sugar, which Natalie can tell you all about ;) The best flavor is achieved by using whole cardamom pods. Remove the green husks and save the brown, irregularly shaped seeds from inside. Crush with a mortar and pestle (or in a ziploc with something heavy). 4 ½ to 5 ½ cups unsifted flour ½ cup sugar ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds 1 package active dry yeast 2/3 cup milk ¼ cup water ½ cup (1 stick) butter 4 eggs (reserve the white of one egg for egg wash later) 2 Tbsp mi...

These could be made with any berry, or even rhubarb. They yield a tender, moist muffin with medium sweetness and a tender crumb. I used raspberries and blackberries for the ones in the picture. Instead of lemon and vanilla you could go with a cinnamon spice approach instead, and add a streusel topping. 1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar 3/4 c. buttermilk + 1/4 c. heavy cream OR 1 c. sour cream 2 eggs 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. Meyer lemon zest 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. granulated sugar 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2-2 c. berries or rhubarb cut into 1/4" pieces Preheat oven to 375. Place 12 paper liners into a muffin tray. Spray the top surface with non-cook spray for easy muffin removal. Cream together the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix together the buttermilk, cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Mix into the butter and sugar mixture until well combined. Stir together the flour, 1/2 c....

I baked this bread for a family brunch (to go with a frittata and fruit salad). It was a great success. I got the original recipe from Judy Kivi's book, Myths and Recipes of the Last Frontier: Alaska . Ingredients 1 pound chopped dates 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 cups boiling water 2 tablespoons shortening (I prefer coconut oil) 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 4 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup nuts 1 teaspoon vanilla Directions Sprinkle soda over dates and add boiling water. Let stand. In separate bowl, use mixer to cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Alternate mixing in flour and salt and date mixture. Add nuts and vanilla. Bake in 2 loaf tins for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

After a recent visit to North Carolina, where strawberries are already ripe, I was inspired to make this simple but wonderful dessert. Makes six. 1 pint strawberries 1 c. heavy whipping cream, divided 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. sugar, divided 3/4 c. flour 1 egg 3 Tbsp. cold butter 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the strawberries into a bowl and sprinkle with2-3 Tbsp. sugar. Add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon, if you have it. Allow to rest for an hour. Use a fork to crush some of the strawberries. Sift the flour together with the baking powder and salt. Stir in 3 Tbsp. of sugar. Cut the butter in with a fork until it is the size of small peas. Whisk the egg in a cup and reserve a couple spoonfuls of it for later. Add 1/4 c. of whipping cream to the cup and stir. Pour into the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together. Turn onto a flour board and cut into circles or squares. Brush the remaining egg on the cakes and ...

Gotta love Midwestern desserts: easy, delicious, and based on the magic of industrial food science. I combed the internet for a more 'scratch' version of these, but this semi-homemade version would be hard to beat. They are very soft and moist, like muffin tops. Cooooookies 1 box Betty Crocker spice cake mix 1 can pumpkin puree 1 egg 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temp Preheat oven to 350° and place parchment paper on two cookie sheets. Cream the butter until fluffy. Blend in the egg and the pumpkin until smooth. Mix in the cake mix until just combined. Blob the dough (it is fairly runny) onto the cookie sheets at least 1" apart. Bake for 15 minutes until they are set. As soon as you can slide a spatula under half of the cookie and lift it up without it bending and breaking, they are done. Frosting This is made extra special with fancy cinnamon. I used true cinnamon and korintje cassia with vanilla bean syrup. Go easy on the vanilla so it doesn...

I created these (with heavy inspiration from Kramarczuk's) for a German themed dinner party. I made the hard rolls from scratch from the Joy of Cooking recipe, though you could buy them for a faster meal. I couldn't help spicing them up, so maybe they have some Hungarian influence? 1 dozen small hard rolls (see below) 5-6 uncooked bratwurst 1 large can sauerkraut 1 large carrot, grated 1 medium onion, sliced thinly 1/2 c. white wine or vermouth 1/3 c. water 2 Tbsp. oil 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika 2 tsp. sharp paprika 1 tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 2 Tbsp. salt 2 bay leaves Optional: Hot mustard or horseradish from Kramarczuk's Begin by browning the sausages whole in the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot.  Turn the sausage occasionally so that they brown and sear. Once they are browned nicely (they do not have to be cooked through), remove them from the pot and allow them to cool enough to handle. Chop them coarsely. ...

I don't know what people did with pumpkins before they baked them into bars and topped them with delectable frosting, but I'm sure it was a sad era for humankind. Fortunately we have these bars! Super moist, autumnal spices, tangy-sweet, rich frosting. No better way to plump up for winter. Note: these would also be very good (dare I say better? ) with Cooked Flour Frosting , which is not as rich as cream cheese frosting and doesn't require you to remember to buy cream cheese. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom only of a 10 x 13" pan (allows cake to climb up the sides). 15 oz. pumpkin puree (1 can) 1 c. vegetable oil 1 c. granulated sugar 2/3 c. light brown sugar 4 eggs 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. garam masala 1 tsp. salt 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened 2 c. powdered sugar, sifted 1 tsp. vanilla If you are using whole pumpkin, be sure to p...

These cupcakes are completely bonkers. Moist, springy, flavorful, but not overly rich. They are based on my Apple Cupcakes recipe with a vanilla-bean version of Frances Frosting.  The basic principle could be used with any flavor--and I've had it as a sheet cake with orange jello and mandarin oranges, which was fantastic. You can go 100% trailer trash and frost it with Cool-Whip, but I recommend the frosting variation below. You can see the incredibly moist strawberry interior of a completed cupcake in the lower right. 1 recipe Apple Cupcakes (or other white or yellow cake) 1 package strawberry Jell-O 1 c. boiling water 12 strawberry fruit snacks for garnish foil cupcake liners with paper lining pink sprinkles ~2 c. frosting (see below) Place the paper liners in the cupcake pan, saving the foil liners for later. Fill each cup to within 1/4" of the rim. Bake as directed (22 minutes). Allow to cool to about room temperature in the pan. Poke 10-12 holes in each c...

These are based on a Texas sheet cake recipe and turn out unbelievably moist and springy, ready for whatever frosting tickles your fancy. They have the added advantage of not needing the tiresome butter-creaming step. This recipe also makes a great sheet cake, but may need a couple more minutes. Makes 12+ cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350° 1/2 c. unsalted butter (1 stick) 3 apples, peeled 1.5 c. sugar 1/2 c. buttermilk or sour cream 2 eggs 1 Tbsp. vanilla 2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt Grate the apples into a bowl. Squeeze them dry, retaining the juice in a measuring cup. Add water (if needed) to reach 1 c. liquid. Place the juice and the butter into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. While mixture is still warm, whisk in the sugar, then buttermilk and vanilla. Allow the mixture to cool while you sift together the dry ingredients. When it is cool enough not to cook the eggs, whisk in the eggs. Mix in the flour gradually, bl...

I found this recipe partly by experimentation, partly by accident. Baking while distracted, I accidentally added too much flour, which gave the cookies more body and kept them from spreading out too much. I intentionally used part shortening to further prevent spreading, and some corn syrup to keep them moist. I drizzled them with leftover chocolate glaze from Chocolate Meringue Gondolas . If you click to enlarge this picture the cookies look more delicious. Preheat oven to 375° and place parchment paper on two baking sheets. 1 lb. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 4 oz. unsalted butter, softened (1 stick) 4 oz. shortening, softened 3/4 c. white sugar 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. light corn syrup 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used half white chocolate) 1/2 c. roasted walnuts, finely chopped Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and shortening until they ar...

Making pumpkin pie from scratch is all well and good (I see I have a very elaborate recipe for it in my notes), but sometimes you just need/want an easy pie. This is my version of a basic recipe using canned goods. It is for a deep-dish pie crust, so you will have extra if you are using a standard pan. Before... ...After! Preheat the oven to 425° 1 unbaked pie crust 1 can pumpkin 1 can evaporated milk 2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks 1/2 c. plain yogurt 3/4 c. light brown sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. garam masala 1/2 tsp. salt Roll out the crust and place it in your pie pan. Blend together the pie filling ingredients. Pour the ingredients into the crust. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350° and bake for another 40-50 minutes, or until it looks mostly set. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. I love pie!