Real Waffles

Wonderful times with my grandchildren these past 5 weeks. One breakfast that was a hit with the Austrian Contingency: Waffles. This is my adaptation of the buttermilk waffles I grew up having. Thanks Mom!

Bamma's Waffles
1 2/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons buttermilk powder
3 eggs
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons cooking oil (canola or safflower)
Heat a seasoned waffle iron to medium hot. In a mixing bowl, whisk milk and buttermilk powder until combined. Add eggs and whisk again. Add flours and salt and soda to bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in oil. Using the proper amount of batter for your appliance size, cook until golden and serve warm with butter, syrup, jam, jelly, compote, chutney (or fried chicken if you're living in the South.) Makes about six 8" round waffles.

Hints: These are not really dessert waffles--they are made without any sugar. I am working on a recipe for the Belgium style dessert waffles with sugar pearls and will share as soon as possible. I seldom have fresh buttermilk on hand but always have a carton of powdered buttermilk in the fridge. It is sold in most grocery stores near the condensed milk, usually on the baking aisle. I have two electric waffle irons and when there is a crowd, I use both to speed things up. One is Belgian style with large, deep squares and one is American with smaller, shallow squares. They both work fine for this recipe. Mine are seasoned well enough that I don't need to add any butter or oil to prevent sticking. You may need to add some or season your iron with some hot fat first.

I love that they call me "Bamma" when they are just learning to talk. Children are such a blessing and then grandchildren make your cup overflow. Lasting joy is found in family! Brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins--Love you all!

Traditional Holiday Fare Made Current

Ok, Ok, I know the abundance of stories and jokes but some of us can appreciate an excellent FRUITCAKE. Here is one that is FABULOUS and you really should try it out, even if you are on the fence about fruitcakes, (it will probably knock you off onto my side--just saying!)

 

Twenty First Century Fruit Cake

2 1/2 pounds candied cherries, pineapple and orange peel mix

         (I use 1 1/2 lbs. red and green cherries, 1 lb. white pineapple, 

           1/2 lb. candied orange peel)

2 3/4 cups flour, divided

1 1/2 cup sliced almonds

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup honey

6 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ginger (powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
6 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place candied fruit in a large bowl with 1/4 cup flour, mix to coat. In a separate mixing bowl, combine butter and shortening and beat until light and fluffy. Add sugar and honey and cream together. Add eggs and salt and beat until thoroughly combined. Mix remaining flour, baking powder and spices together, add to butter mixture and beat well. Add orange zest, orange juice and extract and beat again. Fold fruit mix into batter. Place batter into greased 5 inch mini loaf pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until tops are golden brown and set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Turn out of pans and cool thoroughly. Wrap in plastic wrap to store. Makes 6-7 mini loaves. (Can be made in regular loaf pans and will cook an hour or so.)

Hints: Make sure you get good candied fruit and don't include the syrup if there is any at the bottom of the container. I only like candied orange peel, not the lemon or lime variety, but you may find that an OK substitute. The sliced almonds are by far the best nut to use and I never include any type of raisin but you may like that, too. An orange ginger dessert sauce can be used as a topping when serving if desired.

I based this recipe off Mom's recipe that she would make nearly every year. She would end up freezing some and we would get it out in February for a treat. It would indeed resemble a brick when frozen and generally dried out quite a bit. I prefer to make and serve it close to the same day if possible. It is beautiful and delicious and that is what I'm all about when it comes to cooking and eating well.

Autumn Breakfast

Sweet Potato Waffles
3/4 cup mashed sweet potato (baked or boiled)
3 eggs, seperated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon raw sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tablespoons walnut oil (or canola oil)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or nutmeg)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup flour (can use part whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
For serving:
warm maple syrup
butter
walnut pieces
Begin heating waffle iron. Mix sweet potato, egg yolks, salt, sugar, oil and spices together in a bowl. Beat egg whites in another bowl to soft peaks. Stir baking powder into flour. Add flour and 1/3 cup milk to sweet potato mixture and beat well. Fold about 1/2 cup of mixture into egg whites, then fold the egg whites into the sweet potato mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Gently stir in additional milk if batter is too thick. Open hot waffle iron and spoon batter into sections. Cook according to manufacturer's directions. Serve warm with syrup, butter and walnuts.

Hints: This is a great way to use left over baked sweet potatoes. The lower amounts of spice are just enough to give hints; the higher amounts are for those who like a deeper spice flavor. Adjust according to your taste. Cardamom or mace could be used instead of those spices listed. Experiment! I like the part whole wheat option but have not tried this recipe with all whole wheat yet. The beaten egg whites helps lighten the final product but is not necessary-just use eggs all at once in the beginning. I recommend not cooking the waffles too long-a light golden brown is best. I am sure you could use pumpkin puree or cooked butternut or banana squash in place of the sweet potato.

A great way to sneak a vegetable into someones diet. (Even Bill liked these waffles and he is not very keen on sweet potatoes.) With a side of bacon and a mug of warm cider, they are fabulous on a crisp, clear Autumn morning.

Not From a Cardboard Tube

Cheese Biscuits
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely diced Swiss cheese
1 cup half and half
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles a coarse meal in texture. Stir in cheeses until coated with flour mixture. Add half and half and mix just until dough holds together. Turn out on a floured board. Roll gently to a disc 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut into circles or diamonds and place on an ungreased baking sheet with biscuit sides touching each other. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and serve hot, plain or with butter and marmalade.

Hints: You can use all white flour or all wheat flour if you like. I prefer the combination. Dicing the Swiss cheese makes for bites oozing with melted cheese which I really like but you can shred it as well as the cheddar and get a slightly different texture in the end product. Other semi soft cheese may be substituted for the cheddar and Swiss, such as Gouda, Stilton or even blue cheese. Adding some fresh or dried herbs works great too; like rosemary or thyme or dill. Left overs need to be refrigerated because of the cheeses. Reheating them in a microwave oven works great. Be sure to have the biscuits thick enough so they don't dry out during cooking. Orange marmalade is heavenly but any other jam will be good too. Great for breakfasts, brunches, lunches, tea time or dinner. Or a late night snack. I guess I'm saying they are good anytime!

Sophie and I had a discussion a few days back about my realization that I may be a bit of a food snob. She agreed with me but wasn't too concerned by it. It is just that I generally don't use convenience items like biscuit dough in a tube or pre-made pie crusts, etc. Most of the time these items cost a bit more than making them from scratch and I find the quality and variety is not all that great either. However, I always buy boxed Brownie mixes, jarred mayo, canned split pea soup and store bought croissants. I have attempted to make all of these from scratch and, time-wise, found them all better manufactured by someone else. But, come on--biscuits? They only take a few minutes and are far tastier when they are homemade!

Puff and Stuff

Pate a Choux (cream puff paste)

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Place water and butter in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add flour all at once and stir until thoroughly combined and mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat.  Add eggs all at once and stir until combined--this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Spoon paste onto a greased cookie sheet or use a pastry bag and pipe onto sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown--about 30 to 35 minutes for larger puffs and full size eclair shells (makes 12) and about 20 to 25 minutes for appetizer puffs and mini eclair shells (makes about 36). 

Fill with chicken salad, ham salad, tuna salad, or with sweet whipped cream, custard, or fruit filling. 

Here are two fillings that I use often.

ChickenFilling

1 can white chicken meat (12.5 ounces), drained

1/2 cup finely diced celery

2 or 3 scallions, sliced thinnly

1/4 cup almond slivers

1/3 cup ranch dressing

1/2 an apple, finely diced (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until desired texture is reached. 

Vanilla Custard

1/2 cup cornstarch 

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

1 cup half and half

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Stir in milk and half and half. Heat over medium heat util mixture comes to a boil. Slowly pour about 1 cup of milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour egg mixture back into large pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for another 3 or 4 minutes or until custard has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter. Cool for 15 minutes and then stir well and fill eclair shells.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons coco powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Heat water, butter and coco over medium high heat stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool for 5 or 10 minutes and then stir in salt and 2 cups powdered sugar. Mix well and add additional sugar until desired consistency is reached. Frost eclairs with warm frosting and then chill until ready to serve. 

Hints: This cream puff shell recipe can be found in any comprehensive cook book. It is a basic for French cooking but can be used very creatively. The shape and filling are open to all sorts of interpretations.  Besides cold fillings, I have seen recipes with hot fillings that looked really good, too. The shells can be made a day ahead and stored loosely covered before filling. If you make the large sizes, when you cut the top, you will need to pull out some of the soft insides in order to make room for the filling. Be sure not to pull too much and make a hole in the bottom of the puff.

My Mother used to make eclairs often. The whole family would polish off a batch in no time. Thanks for helping me to appreciate good cooking Mom! Love you!

Popovers

The English get a bum wrap in my opinion. They have a long, rich cultural food heritage yet often get less respect in food circles than the French or Italians. Many dishes from England are tasty, convenient and fun. Popovers are so easy to put together with ingredients that are nearly always on hand. They are a super fun side dish for a dinner party, but I love them as a breakfast food. In this photo, they are just ready to come out of the oven.

Popovers
1 1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tablespoon gluten
1/2 teaspoon salt

Grease and flour 6 popover cups. Pour milk into a microwavable bowl, preferably one with a pour spout. Heat in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes or until warm. Crack eggs into milk and whisk until foamy and well blended. Add melted butter and whisk again. Add flours, gluten and salt. Blend just until flour is incorporated. Batter will be a bit lumpy. Fill cups 2/3 to 3/4 full. Place im a cold oven and turn heat to 450 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Take out of oven and remove from cups. Serve hot if possible.

Hints: A popover pan is not necessary but it makes them a bit taller and some pans taper at the bottom so that the tops appear even fuller. You can also use ramekins or muffin tins. The gluten helps with raising when using whole wheat flour. It is available on the baking aisle of most grocery stores. The oven will just have reached 450 when you turn it down after 20 minutes. You can preheat the oven if you want, if you do, bake for about 15 minutes then reduce heat and bake another 15 to 20 minutes as above.

The hollow insides are tender and a bit eggy. The outsides will be crisp and chewy. Popovers can be made with white flour only (omit gluten), I am trying to use more whole grains thus my version has whole wheat. I haven't tried all whole wheat yet, I'll let you know if they turn out ok. Popovers can be made sweeter by adding a tablespoon or two of sugar. They can also be changed with the addition of a hard grated cheese (Romano) to the batter or lining the cups. They are great plain or with jam for breakfast and are a traditional accompaniment for some meat dishes.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

 

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

2/3 cup mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon buttermilk powder

1 egg

1 tablespoon almond oil (or other vegetable oil)

1/4 cup raw sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix water, buttermilk powder, egg and oil into mashed banana. Add sugar and salt. Stir baking powder and soda into flour then add to wet ingredients along with the oats. Mix just until moistened. Spray muffin cups with non-stick spray and fill cup with batter about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.

Hints: I like to have the buttermilk powder on hand. For muffins and waffles it works great. If I need it for a chilled soup or something that is not baked, I will go buy fresh. This pan is for cake doughnuts that can be baked instead of fried (sad, really). It works great for quick breads that I want to be really quick because of the center post they bake much faster. So in this pan on a convect cycle, I only baked the banana muffins 10 minutes today.

 

My son Scott and I made this recipe up when he was about 11 years old. It was so fun. One of my treasured memories. Muffins can take on any character you want. The basics are liquid, bulk ( flour), rising agent, binding agents, flavorings and finally fat for tenderness. In this case, the bananas serve as a flavoring and contribute to the liquid too. The bulk has oats as well as flour. The egg is the binder. I use both baking powder and soda as rising agents. The buttermilk is a catalyst for the soda; the baking powder is self activated. Make up your own muffin recipe with someone you care about and it will be a favorite for years (and maybe generations) to come!

Almond Poppyseed Muffins

 

Almond Poppy Seed  Muffins

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you like sweeter muffins)

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

4 tablespoons almond oil

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

3/4 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds. Add oil and mix well. Should be crumbly or meal like in texture. Make a well in center and add egg, milk and extract all at once. Begin in center and beat liquids into flour mixture just until blended. Spray 9 regular size muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray (Pam). Fill cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 15 minutes and check by touching top of one muffin. Continue cooking until top springs back and is no longer doughy. Do not overbake. They may or may not be browning on top. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Hints: If your muffin tin has 12 cups, fill the empty 3 about half full of water before baking. Topping each muffin with some sliced almonds before baking is really nice, but I never have sliced almonds on hand. These muffins are full of almond flavor and you could reduce the extract to 1 teaspoon if you want a more subtle almond scent.

I won a blue ribbon at the State Fair for my 4-H muffins when I was about 10 years old. That success was instrumental in my view of my ability to cook, to learn cooking skills and to feel confident in trying out new things. Here's a big thank you to Carol McDonald for all the time and effort she put into our 4-H group.