Pumpkin and Ginger Scones - New York Times Recipes for Health

Pumpkin and Ginger Scones

New York Times Recipes for Health

Howdy! It's definitely pumpkin season. And what goes best with pumpkin? Of course, my favorite flavor: Ginger!

This is an easy recipe from the New York Times. And get this - it's a RECIPES FOR HEALTH! Whoo hoo. Using whole-wheat flour, buttermilk and only a 1/2 stick of butter (I've made scones with a stick of butter and a cup of cream), these are lower in fat. The pumpkin puree is great for adding flavor with no fat. Each scone is only 143 calories & 4 grams of fat.

You can make them in a food processor or by hand. I made them before work one day - they baked while I took a quick shower.

The recipe calls for candied ginger. Sometimes, that is a term used interchangeably with crystallized ginger, so I'm not sure if this is what the author wanted. I've seen candied ginger that was poached in syrup and not as dry as the crystallized ginger with a coarse sugar. Anyway, I used crystallized ginger and it was great.

The recipe yields 12 scones. I made two small rounds and cut each into 6 scones. Um, there are 11 on this tray because I had to eat one for quality control purposes. :)

My friend Agnes made a cute Halloween pillowcase...perfect to bring along trick or treating! Thanks Agnes! What are you going to be for Halloween?

Healthier whole wheat pumpkin scones. Go for it!

Recipe: Pumpkin & Ginger Scones
Recipe adapted from New York Times Pumpkin and Ginger Scone by Martha Rose Shulman, Nov 22, 2010

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour (I used Trader Joe's)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger (I used Trader Joe's Crystallized Ginger)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk together the flours, salt, ginger, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. I made my scones by hand and used my fingers to cut the butter into the flour - until it resembled very coarse cornmeal. You can also pulse the butter and flour mixture in a food processor several times until it's the consistency of coarse cornmeal
4. Beat together the pumpkin purée, buttermilk and maple syrup in a small bowl. If making these by hand, add liquid mixture and crystallized ginger to the flour & butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or fork until it barely comes together - don't overmix. If making these in a food processor, add liquid & crystallized ginger to the bowl and pulse just until the dough comes together.
5. Scrape dough and all the little flour bits onto a lightly floured surface, and gently shape into a rectangle or round about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes. I made two equal rounds and cut into 6 pieces each. Place on the baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned bottom and top. Cool on a rack. Enjoy!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake - NY Times

Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake

On my last trip to San Francisco, I lounged in my friend Sumi's beautiful sun-filled apartment reading the New York Times and drinking tea. I love vacations that include lots of lounging and napping. I came across this recipe for Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake in the New York Times, clippped it out and brought it home to make!

I made half the recipe and filled a 5" round pan. I didn't have the fine cornmeal called for in the recipe, so I tried processing some regular cornmeal. I don't think that made much difference (perhaps it was my small food processor), so next time I'll take awesome cookbook author Alisa Huntsman's @janeofmanytrade recommendation and get corn flour instead. It's so cool when I ask something on Twitter and a super nice pastry chef writes back! Alisa, totally owe you a bundt cake :)

I think there is nothing prettier than blood oranges. They are the sassy ones in the citrus family.

Recipe: Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake
From the New York Times Dining Section, Jan 16, 2013, D2

270 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons - divided), at room temperature
130 grams light brown sugar (about 2/3 cup)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (I used a meyer lemon)
2 medium-sized blood oranges
122 grams fine cornmeal (about 1 cup) (I used regular cornmeal that I whizzed around in the food processor for a bit. I don't think that helped much...next time, I'm going to get corn flour)
65 grams all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
8 grams baking powder (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
2 grams fine sea salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
200 grams granulated sugar (about 1 cup)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream (I didn't have any sour cream so I used some Greek yogurt)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. (I made HALF the recipe and used a 5" round cake pan)
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice; stir until sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Scrape mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
3. Grate zest from the oranges. Cut away the skin and white pith. Slice into 1/4" wheels, discarding seeds. Arrange oranges on top of brown sugar mixture in a single, tight layer. I cut some pieces to fit in the pan.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a bowl of a standing mixer, rub the sugar together with the orange zest. Then cream together 2 sticks (225 grams) butter with the granulated sugar. Beat in eggs, one a time, then beat in sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla. Fold in the dry mixture by hand.
5. Scrape batter into pan over oranges. Transfer to oven and bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (I didn't note how long I baked the 5" round cake - but check early). Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife along pan’s edges to loosen it; invert onto a platter and cool completely before serving.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler Cake - NY Times Recipe

Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler Cake

New York Times recipe

I have an affair with nectarines every summer. My little summer romance. I adore the nectarine. I like the peach too, but I love the nectarine's smooth skin. It also makes it easier to bake with since I don't bother peeling nectarines.

Here's the third nectarine recipe I've posted in the last couple months...and I have one more in the hopper. Yes, I love the nectarine!

This recipe, from the New York Times, is super duper easy! You don't need a mixer and you don't have to mix much of anything! A layer of brown butter is placed on the bottom of your pan and a batter goes on top, followed by the nectarines that have been cooked on the stove top for just a bit. Although you might be tempted to mix the butter into the batter, don't...and you'll be rewarded with a yummy dessert.

Recipe:
Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler Cake from the New York Times
A version of this recipe appeared in print on July 27, 2011, on page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler/Cake.

3 cups fresh nectarines or peaches in 1/2-inch slices, or a combination (about 1 pound) (I used 4 medium nectarines)
5 ounces sugar (about 3/4 cup) - Divided into 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces flour (about 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sliced almonds (I used Trader Joe's sliced almonds)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the fruit slices, 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer, then take the pan off the heat.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until it smells very nutty, turns golden, and flecks of dark brown appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the brown butter into an 8 by 8 baking dish. (I did mine in reverse order, using the same pan. First, I made the brown butter and poured it into the baking dish. Then, I rinsed the pan and used it to cook the fruit a bit in step 1).

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour the buttermilk into the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the batter on top of the brown butter, use a spatula to even out the batter but be careful not to mix it into the butter. Scatter the nectarine slices and juice on top of the batter without stirring. Sprinkle with the almonds, nutmeg and Demerara sugar. Bake until golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad