Cherry-Orange Muffins

We bought two 3 oz packages of gourmet dried tart cherries and dried blueberries. Sunsprout, a company based out of Lancaster, PA, distributed the fruit; the following recipe comes from their packaging. I made mini muffins instead of regular-sized ones and adjusted the baking time accordingly.

CHERRY-ORANGE MUFFINS

makes 12 muffins (or about 3 dozen mini muffins, in my case)

2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 c dried tart cherries
3 tbs grated orange peel
1 c milk
1/4 c butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt

To premoisten dried cherries, pour boiling hot water over dried fruit and cover for 15 minutes. Drain. This will help maintain the moisture meant for the prepared recipe.

In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Combine separately: milk, melted (not hot) butter, and egg.

Gently add the liquid ingredients to the dry mixture. When just moistened, gently fold in the premoistened dried cherries and orange peel. Fill paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven 18-22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from pan and serve warm.

2 Variations on Banana Bread

This particular recipe comes from "The Martha Stewart Cookbook: Collected Recipes for Every Day."

I made two large loaves: one with 1/2 c of chopped pecans and the other with 1/2 c of semisweet chocolate chips. The photos depict what remains of the chocolate chip banana bread loaf!

BANANA BREAD

makes 1 large loaf or 4 small loaves

1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan or several smaller pans.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well.

Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the butter mixture. Blend well. Add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir well. If using, stir in the nuts or chocolate chips and pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Challah French Toast

I picked up a loaf of challah at my farmers' market and have been using it to make Challah French Toast. I even eat it for dinner!

The following is an Ina Garten "Barefoot Contessa" recipe; however, I scale it down to make fewer servings. You can use regular large eggs and adjust the recipe according to your taste. When the challah is soaked in the egg mixture it becomes very delicate, so be careful transferring it to the pan or else the slice may tear.

CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

makes 8 large slices

6 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 c half-and-half or milk
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbs good honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 large loaf challah or brioche bread
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil

To serve:
Pure maple syrup
Good raspberry preserves (optional)
Sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4" thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.Heat 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

Dried Cranberry Scones with Crystallized Sugar Crust

For the past few months, I've been subletting an apartment, and I tend to rifle through the cookbooks that have been left behind in the kitchen. It's not as creepy as it sounds: I'm friends with the people from whom I'm subletting!

In particular, I like to peruse a glossy tome entitled, "Once Upon a Tart...Soups, Salads, Muffins and More from New York City's Favorite Bakeshop and Cafe." Once Upon a Tart is a charming neighborhood haunt in SoHo, located on the corner of Prince and Sullivan Streets.Of this scone recipe, Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau, the authors and cafe owners, note, "We sprinkle it with coarse sugar, to give it texture and sparkle and a little extra sweetness to contrast with the tart cranberries. You can substitute dried sour cherries or candied lemon or orange rind for the cranberries in this recipe." See their candied ginger variation at the end of the recipe.DRIED CRANBERRY SCONES WITH CRYSTALLIZED SUGAR CRUST

makes 8 scones

3 c unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more to flour your hands to roll out the scones
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
20 tbs (2 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 c cold buttermilk
3/4 c dried cranberries
1 large egg whisked with 1 tbs cream or milk (for an egg wash)
1 tbs or more granulated or raw sugar for sprinkling

Position your oven racks so that one is in the center, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl of the food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse to mix. Add the butter to the bowl all at once, and run the food processor for 15 seconds. Switch to pulse, and continue pulsing until there are no chunks of butter left and the butter and flour are integrated into moist crumbs. Be careful not to mix the butter and flour until they form a dough or paste. Remove the blade from the food processor, and dump the crumbs into a big bowl.

In a separate, small bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Whisk in the buttermilk, and use the whisk to stir in the cranberries.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with flour-butter crumbs. Stir the dough with a wooden spoon until it just comes together and there is no trace of flour visible. You don't want to work the dough a moment longer than necessary.

With a little bit of flour on your hands, scoop out a small handful--about 1/2 c--of dough with your hand or a big spoon, and roll the dough until it forms a ball. Drop the dough onto your baking sheet, and press it into a 1 to 1 1/2" thick dish with the heel of your one hand. Leave 2" spaces between the pressed disks.

Use a pastry brush or a scrunched-up paper towel to coat each scone with the egg wash. Sprinkle each scone with a thin layer of sugar.

Place the baking sheet on the center rack in the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the scones are golden brown and a small knife or toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to allow the scones to cool for a few minutes. Lift the baking sheet off the rack, and use a metal spatula to transfer the scones from the baking sheet to the rack, or directly to the dish from which you'll be serving the scones. Serve fresh out of the oven or at room temperature.

VARIATION:
CANDIED GINGER SCONES

Add 1 tsp ground ginger to your dry ingredients, and substitute a cup of candied ginger, chopped, for the dried currents. We love this with a cup of hot chai tea.

Blueberry Muffins

I made these muffins a few weeks ago, and they were a big hit among my housemates. According to "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook," tossing the blueberries with some of the flour mixture helps keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins as they bake. You can also opt to add 1/4 tsp of nutmeg if you are so inclined.

I'm not lactose-intolerant, but, lately, I've been experimenting with soy milk for its health benefits. For this recipe, I substituted 1/2 c of Silk brand vanilla soy milk for regular milk. It made the muffins extra dense and delicious!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

makes one dozen

1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 c fresh blueberries
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c milk (I used Silk brand vanilla soy milk)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss the blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 tsp of the flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and blueberries.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined; do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn the muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Irish Oatmeal

Several days out of the week, I eat McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal for breakfast. It's hearty and healthy: the 100% Irish wholegrain oats contain neither sodium nor cholesterol. Each 1/2 c serving contains 2g of soluble fiber, which reduces the risk of heary disease, and only 2g total fat. Although it's tasty when eaten plain, I prefer to get creative with toppings and mix-ins!To prepare it, add 1/2 c of oatmeal to 1 c of cold water or low-fat milk in a deep microwaveable bowl. Stir and place bowl in microwave. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on strength of unit. You can also prepare this the traditional way: on a stovetop, add 1/2 c of oatmeal to 1 c of cold water. Boil and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. If you add the liquid to the oatmeal a few minutes prior to cooking, it will cook quicker.Stir for a few seconds before eating. Today, I ate mine with sliced organic plums and peaches:Other topping variations:

- Granulated or brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Honey
- Fruit preserves
- Dried fruit
- Toasted nuts
- Chocolate chips
- Salt, for a grits-like savory taste
- Milk
- Soy milk
- Half-and-half
- Yogurt
- Plain or flavored kefir