Traditional Hot Cross Buns

I am quite late with this particular post.  Not only is Good Friday (the day when tradition dictates that Hot Cross Buns appear) past, but Easter has passed as well.  Such is my life at the moment.  Posting anything at all is a bit of a stretch.  Posting something in a timely manner probably isn’t going to happen.  But since Good Friday and Easter will come around next year—and I will be making these every year from now on (they’re that good!)—I’m going to go ahead and post the recipe now.

As a lover of English foods in general, for many years I was a bit mystified by the popularity of the Hot Cross Bun.   I have made them on more than one occasion.  And I’m sure that I probably had a commercial version when I was living in London.  But I don’t ever remember having one (mine, or otherwise) that impressed me too much.  I knew this could only be because I hadn’t been to the right place…or found the right recipe.

Since I wanted to love them, (What’s not to love about the idea of a soft, slightly sweet, slightly spicy, roll—filled with dried and candied fruit?) last year, as the Lenten season drew to a close, I finally decided to do some serious research and try them again.  I turned first to the recipes and writings of Darina Allen (of the Ballymaloe House & Cookery School in Ireland).  I can think of no better living resource for the traditional foods of the British Isles.  Then, while poking around on line, I ran across a recipe (also from Ireland) that looked promising from a place called the Firehouse Bakery. 

The two recipes are not dissimilar, but I liked the method that Patrick Ryan (of Firehouse) used for incorporating the butter.  Somewhat like a brioche, the butter isn’t added until the gluten begins to develop in the kneaded dough (after 5 minutes or so).  This method takes a bit longer—and requires a stand mixer—but ultimately allows for better gluten development (fat is a gluten inhibitor).  I used this method for the pumpkin dinner rolls I posted a few years ago, and I love the light and tender results.   There is a great vimeo available on line of Ryan making his rolls.  It is very instructive. 

In the end my recipe was basically a combination of these two.  My greatest change was to switch to all-purpose flour from the strong/bread flour called for in their recipes.  I may be wrong, but my suspicion is that American all-purpose flour has a protein content that is fairly close to (although not quite as high as) British “strong” flour.  It is always difficult to translate a recipe from one country to another because of the differences in the ingredients.  I thought erring on the side of a lower protein flour (with the all-purpose) would be better than using one that had more protein (American bread flour).  The latter might have made the rolls too hard.  A Hot Cross Bun is supposed to be soft.     

I did look at other British recipes…and a few American ones…mostly to get a feel for the range of butter and sugar and quantity of spice and dried fruits.   There was a fair amount of variation among recipes in this regard.  In the end, I went on the high side with butter, sugar and dried/candied fruit.  These are the things that make them special for the holidays, in my opinion.  My rolls are not too sweet or too rich—but they are definitely not plain.   I can see how they would seem quite decadent—and a welcome treat on Good Friday—after the traditional Lenten fast from dairy-rich foods.

You will find that most American versions of these buns are topped with a piped cross of powdered sugar frosting after they have been baked.  I have never seen a British recipe finished this way.  Traditionally the buns are topped with a couple of strips of crossed pâte brisée/pie dough…or a piped “liquid cross”…prior to baking.  Some recipes slash each proofed roll in a cross (similar to Soda Bread)—but this doesn’t seem to me to be the norm.  I ended up using the Firehouse bakery “liquid cross” …mostly because I was curious about it.  It was like nothing I had ever worked with.  I’m so glad I tried it.  It is very easy to make.  And since it is baked on, it can’t be smeared or smudged off.  It also looks pleasingly neat and precise.

And for Americans who are used to using the term “bun” to refer to something that you fill with a hamburger or a hot dog, according to Elizabeth David (English Bread & Yeast Cookery…among others), in the British Isles a “bun” is a ‘small, soft, plump, sweet, fermented (yeasted) cake.”  There are of course loads of traditional English breads that fall into this category: Chelsea Buns, Currant Buns, Spice Buns…and Hot Cross Buns…to name a few.  So even though Easter is past for the year, you could still make these delicious little rolls.  Just leave the liquid cross off and you’ll have a Spice Bun.  Or make them with all currants and you’ll have a Currant Bun.   Either would be delicious with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea.  Or do as I do and enjoy them with your breakfast (they freeze beautifully).  And then, when Easter rolls around again next year, the making of the buns will be easy and you can focus on learning how to make and pipe the cross. 

 

 

Hot Cross Buns

454 g. (4 c.) all-purpose flour  

75 g. (6 T.) sugar

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. allspice

2 T. warm water

7 g. (2 1/4 t.) instant or active dry yeast

1 large egg, beaten

240 g. (1 c.) whole milk, tepid

Zest of one orange

85 g. (6 T.) unsalted butter—cool but malleable, cut into 6 chunks

170 g. (1 c.) mixed dried and candied fruits (see notes)

1 egg beaten with 1 t. of water and a pinch of salt for egg wash

50 g. (1/2 c.) cake flour

50 g. (1/2 c. less 1 T.) all-purpose flour

40 g. (1/3 c.) powdered sugar

60 to 75 g. (4 to 5 T.) whole milk

28 g. (2 T.) water

25 g. (2 T.) sugar

Place the flour, sugar, salt and spices in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Place the water in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water.  If using active dry yeast, let it sit for a minute or two to soften.  Add the egg, milk, orange zest, and dry ingredients.  Using the dough hook mix on low speed (no. 2 or 3) until the ingredients are homogenous (a minute or two).  Increase the speed to medium (no. 4) and mix until the dough is just beginning to pull away from the sides—about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the butter while the mixer is still running and continue to mix for a minute or two, stopping to scrape down the sides a couple of times, until the butter is absorbed.  Continue to knead until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl and is smooth, velvety and elastic—about 6 to 8 minutes.  

(The first time you make this, waiting for the dough to come together will be an act of faith.  But eventually—and suddenly—it will.  If your butter is warm...or very soft...it will take longer.  Resist the temptation to add more flour.  This is a soft sticky dough.)  Add the dried fruits and continue to mix until distributed throughout the dough.

Lightly butter a large bowl.  Butter your hands.  If the fruit is not well distributed, scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl and onto a lightly floured surface and use a bench scraper to help mix and fold until the fruit is spread uniformly throughout the dough.  Using your (buttered hands) form the dough into a ball by stretching the surface around to the bottom four or five times, rotating the ball of dough after each stretch.  

Place the ball in the buttered bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise at a warm room temperature until doubled in bulk—about two hours.  

(At this point you may form the rolls—or chill the dough over night and form the rolls in the morning.  If chilling over night, deflate the dough before covering the bowl with plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator.)

Scrape the dough out onto the counter and deflate.  Cut dough into 16 equal portions (about 70 g. each).  Round each piece into a smooth ball.  (The dough will be only slightly sticky—and should be very manageable.  You should only need a whisper of flour…if any at all.) 

Place the formed rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading them out evenly so that they (hopefully) won’t touch when they bake.  

Cover loosely with sprayed plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size—about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

When the rolls are almost fully risen, mix the cake flour, powdered sugar and 4 T. of the milk.  You should have a stiff mixture.  Add a little more milk only if it is too stiff to pipe.  Scrape into a piping bag fitted with a scant 3/16-inch tip.  Carefully brush the rolls with egg wash. 

Pipe crosses on the buns.  

Bake in a preheated 375° oven until golden brown and cooked through—about 15 to 20 minutes.

While the rolls bake, bring the water and sugar to a boil.  When the buns are done, transfer to a wire rack and brush immediately with the simple syrup.  Serve warm…or room temperature…with butter.  Makes 16 large buns.

Notes:

• If you have any candied orange peel left from the Christmas holidays, use some in these buns. I like a mix of 1/4 cup each diced candied orange peel, dried currants, golden raisins and dried cranberries.
• Recipe adapted from the Firehouse Bakery and Darina Allen.
• I have made the “liquid cross” with 100 percent all purpose flour and with half cake, half all purpose. It is much better when made with half cake flour—less stretchy and easier to pipe. Also, the all all-purpose version becomes a bit hard/crisp when baked—giving it a discernibly different texture from the bun.

Printable Version

Bucatini with Cauliflower, Broccoli, Pancetta, Pine Nuts & Currants

While seeking out recipes for an upcoming class, a pasta with what to me was an unusual combination of broccoli, cauliflower, pancetta, pine nuts and raisins (!) caught my eye.  I am always on the lookout for pastas that incorporate seasonal vegetables—particularly those that include combinations of vegetables.  Having pastas like this in my repertoire helps me to use up the inevitable mish mosh of odds and ends of different vegetables that can accumulate in a household of one or two.

But I have quite a few pastas in my “go to” recipe file that include broccoli and cauliflower.  I was mostly intrigued by this recipe because of the inclusion of raisins—something that I often put in a salad...or grain pilaf…with cauliflower or broccoli, but not something I think I have ever put in a pasta with them. 

As it turns out, the combination of raisins (or currants) and pine nuts is a hallmark of classic Sicilian cooking.  Particularly when paired with something salty (like pancetta, anchovies, capers, etc.) they make for an interesting interplay of sweetness in all kinds of savory dishes.  (Other flavor elements that frequently appear—and add to the complexity of flavor—with these two include fennel, orange zest, hot pepper flakes, garlic, rosemary, parsley and saffron.)

Of course, it makes sense that slightly bitter vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower would be enhanced by this combination of pine nuts and raisins.  But as I discovered, they should be incorporated with a light hand—truly as an accent and not a main ingredient.  That first recipe that caught my eye was completely out of balance.  I suspected this was the case as I looked at the list of ingredients, but forged ahead anyway because I trusted the chef who wrote the book.  All I can say is that the half cup of raisins called for (in a recipe for 3/4 of a pound of pasta) was overwhelming.  I added more pancetta than the recipe called for…and it still wasn’t enough to balance the sweetness of the raisins.

But I liked the idea so much that I persisted.  I found a much more balanced recipe for this combination of ingredients in Janet Fletcher’s Four Seasons Pasta (a book worth owning if you love pasta) and used it to correct the recipe that originally caught my eye.  The final recipe is filled with lively flavors and is very satisfying…and a nice change from some of my old broccoli and cauliflower pasta standbys.   

Bucatini with Cauliflower, Broccoli, Pancetta, Pine Nuts & Currants

 

3/4 lb. large cauliflower florets (see notes)

1/2 lb. large broccoli florets (see notes)

3 T. currants

2 to 2 1/2 oz. pancetta, minced

2 to 3 T. Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced  (1 t.)

1 t. minced rosemary

1/4 t. hot pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1 lb. bucatini (or gemelli…or orecchiette)

2 T. unsalted butter (optional)

3 T. toasted pine nuts

2 to 3 T. minced flat leaf parsley

1/2 to 2/3 c. toasted coarse breadcrumbs (see notes)

Ingredients for pasta for one (1/5 of the recipe)

Bring a large (6 to 8 qt) pot of water to the boil.  Salt well.  Add the cauliflower and cook until just tender to the tip of a knife (you want it to be soft, but not mushy)—about 5 minutes.  Lift out and spread on a towel.  While the cauliflower cooks, cut any thick stems away from the florets of the broccoli.  Drop these stems in the same water that you used to cook the cauliflower.  After three minutes add the florets.  Continue to cook until the broccoli is just tender (same texture as the cauliflower).  Lift the broccoli out of the pan and add it to the towel with the cauliflower.  When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.  You should have a rough mixture of small and medium pieces of cauliflower and broccoli. 

While the vegetables cook, make the sauce.  Place the currants in small ramekin or custard cup and add enough boiling water so that the currants are just covered with water.  (You can just ladle in some of the vegetable cooking water if you like.)  Set aside.

Place 2 T. of olive oil and the pancetta in a large sauté pan set over medium low heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is rendered, beginning to crisp and is turning golden brown.  

Add the garlic, rosemary and hot pepper flakes and cook briefly until fragrant.  Remove from the heat and add the currants along with their soaking liquid.  Stir and scrape to release any caramelized bits of pancetta from the bottom of the pan.  Set aside in a warm spot while you cook the pasta.

Cook the past in the same water that you used to cook the vegetables.  About 3 or 4 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, return the pan with the pancetta and seasonings to moderate heat and bring to a simmer.  Add the cauliflower and broccoli and toss/stir to coat the vegetables with the flavorings.  If the pan seems dry, add a small ladle of pasta cooking water to the pan…you definitely don’t want the vegetables to be soupy or soggy, but neither do you want the pan to be so dry that the pancetta/garlic mix is burning or without the fluid means to coat the vegetables.  When the vegetables are hot through, reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep the “sauce” warm while the pasta finishes cooking.

When the pasta is al dente, drain well, reserving some of the pasta water.  Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce.  If the sauté pan is not large enough to hold the sauce and pasta, return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in and scrape in the sauce.  (Add a splash of pasta water to the sauté pan and swirl it around to get all of the sauce and add it to the pot).  Add the butter (if using), the pine nuts and parsley and toss/stir until the butter is melted and the noodles are coated with a light fluid sauce and all the flavorful bits.  If the pasta seems dry or tight, add some of the pasta water (again, just enough to help the flavorings coat everything in a light fluid sauce—the liquid shouldn’t be pooling in the pan).   If you like, add a good drizzle of olive oil.  Toss again.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Divide the pasta among 4 to 6 plates and scatter the toasted breadcrumbs generously over each serving.   Drizzle with more olive oil and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

Notes:

• This dish can be made with all cauliflower or all broccoli…or some of each in proportions that please you. You will need 1 1/4 lb. combined weight of the two. I prefer a slightly larger quantity of cauliflower (which is why I have called for 3/4 lb of cauliflower and only 1/2 lb. of broccoli).
• Leave the cauliflower in very large florets (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches across) so they will cook uniformly without becoming mushy. 
• The recipe directs you to cut the broccoli stems away from the florets because the florets will cook very quickly and the stems will take longer. Adding the florets for just a minute or two—after the stems have been cooking for a few moments—will prevent them from becoming soggy.
• To make toasted breadcrumbs, cut the crusts off of some day old/slightly stale bread (choose a substantial loaf of some kind—like French farmhouse…or a good baguette) and process in the food processor to form coarse crumbs. Spread the crumbs in a small baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in a 375° to 400° oven and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown—about 5 to 10 minutes. Toasted breadcrumbs may be frozen. To use, just scoop out what you need and set in a warm place to thaw (or re-toast briefly in a hot oven).

Printable Version

Kale Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing, Currants & Sunflower Seeds

I made a trip to the farmers' market last Saturday morning.  During the summer months, this is a weekly occurrence, worthy of a mention along the lines of "I got out of bed this morning."  During the winter though, this has not been the case.  Up until this year it wasn't possible for me to go—there was no market to go to.  But this winter, the market I started going to early last summer (The Brookside Farmers' Market) started hosting a bi-monthly, indoor, winter market.  I went to the first one...and I loved it. I had every intention of faithfully going for the duration of the winter.  But since it wasn't part of my routine...  it just didn't happen.  I have no excuse.

But this past Saturday, I returned.  And I was so glad I did.  I came home with leeks, beautiful little sweet potatoes, broccoli greens (a new one for me), and Tuscan kale.  I used the sweet potatoes first...they were perfect for roasting (their size and shape made beautiful little medallions).  I am using the leeks today—in a simple potato leek soup (perfect for our late winter snow day).   The broccoli greens ended up in a garlicky braise with a handful of chickpeas.  Since I was unfamiliar with this green, I had asked the grower about it (always a good idea).  He told me they were most similar to Collard greens...although the tiny leaves were tender enough to throw in a salad.  My bag of greens was a mix of large and small, so a simple braise seemed like the thing to do (again...it's always a good idea to at least use a process that is familiar to you if the ingredient is not).  I thought they were delicious...and very nice served over a mound of bulgur and topped with a fried egg.

I decided to use the kale raw, in a salad.   This is unusual for me.  I know that kale salad is beyond hipster at this point...almost to the point of being passé (so I am definitely late to the party).  It just so happens that I really like cooked kale.  I have of course eaten...and made...kale salad.  It's just not the first thing that leaps to mind when I have kale on hand.  But when I got this kale home and looked at it, I knew it really belonged in a salad.  It was just so tender and beautiful. 

I don't know why, but I started thinking recently about a salad that I used to make for myself in college.  I think it's fair to say that it's no secret that I spent the early years of my life actively avoiding vegetables.  By the time I got to college I must have been aware that there was benefit in vegetables...and salad...so I occasionally made myself a salad at the salad bar.  Although, I managed to avoid all the raw vegetables that were on offer:  my salad of choice was a small amount of lettuce (probably ice berg...it's really hard to say...this was long before the day of the now ubiquitous "mixed baby lettuces"), creamy blue cheese dressing, salty roasted sunflower seeds and dark raisins.  Even back then, this salad hit all my favored flavor and textural buttons: salty...sweet...crunchy...chewy...creamy...  with the nice pungency of blue cheese thrown in for accent.  The lettuce was just the delivery system.

I'm not sure why I never recreated this salad before now, but it occurred to me as I thought about kale salad that kale would be an admirable green with which to make it.  The substance and texture of kale are sufficient to stand up to the actual physical weight of the seeds, raisins and heavy dressing.  Moreover, I thought the mineral-y tasting—slightly pungent...slightly bitter—raw kale would be enhanced by these salty, sweet and pungent additions.  And it was.

In the unlikely event that you are new to kale salad, one of the great things about it is that it can be dressed ahead.  In fact, it really should be dressed at least an hour or so before you plan on eating it.  If you dress it and eat it right away, it is just way too chewy.  Eating it becomes a lot of work...and as you chew you really do have the feeling that you are eating it "because it's good for you".  I admit that I have very little patience for that kind of eating.  Food should be enjoyable and delicious!  Dressing the kale ahead will make it so that it is as enjoyable to eat as it is delicious.  Frankly, kale is substantial enough that you can dress the salad a day ahead and it will be even softer....but still not soggy.  Depending on your textural preferences, you might even like it better on the second day.

If you have a winter market in your area, I encourage you to make a point to give it a visit.  Doing so will give you a sense of what grows...and even thrives...in your area during the inhospitable months of winter.  It's also a great opportunity to support the people who work so hard to bring you beautiful local produce during the spring, summer and fall.  And in the winter, you will probably get to sample some of the things they make with what they grow...baked goods, jams (I picked up some local apple butter last week), pickles/fermented foods, etc....in addition to all the squash and root vegetables that have been kept in appropriate winter storage.

And if there is not a winter market in your area, you should definitely make a trip to the store to pick up some Tuscan kale (and any of the other ingredients that you might need) so you can make this salad.  You might even be able to get someone who doesn't like vegetables to give it a try.

Kale Salad with Roquefort, Sunflower Seeds & Currants

When I was in college, I made this salad with dark raisins.  In its reincarnated form with kale, I make it with currants—which seem a bit more refined—instead.  But if you have raisins on hand, you can obviously use them. 

1 large bunch Tuscan Kale, stems stripped and leaves cut cross-wise into scant 1/2-inch wide ribbons (you should have about 5 oz of trimmed kale)

Salt & freshly ground pepper

1/3 c. toasted and salted sunflower seeds

1/3 c. dried currants

2 T. finely minced shallot, rinsed thoroughly in cold water and pressed dry between paper towels 1/3 to 1/2 c. creamy Roquefort dressing (see below)

Roquefort crumbles for garnish

Wash the kale in several changes of water and spin dry.  If time, chill briefly (this will help it to crisp up and dry a bit more.)

At least an hour before you plan to serve the salad, place the kale in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and scatter a quarter cup each of the sunflower seeds and currants over the kale along with the shallot.  

Drizzle a third cup of the dressing over the contents of the bowl, and using your hands, toss the salad, massaging the leaves a bit as you do to make sure they are well coated with the dressing.  Add more dressing if you like.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Cover with plastic and chill for at least an hour. 

To serve, re-toss, adding more dressing if necessary.  Mound the salad on individual plates or in a serving bowl and top with a scattering of the remaining sunflower seeds and currants.  Garnish with Roquefort crumbles and serve.  Serves 4 to 5.

Creamy Roquefort Dressing:

You can of course use a purchased blue cheese dressing for this salad...but I really don't recommend it.  Homemade blue cheese dressing is simple to make and oh so delicious—particularly if you make it with a good Roquefort cheese.

1 T. red wine vinegar

a small clove of garlic (just a small amount), smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

1/4 c. mayonnaise (60 g.)

1/4 c. sour cream (60 g.)

1 oz. Roquefort

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Place the red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in the garlic. Whisk in the mayonnaise and sour cream until smooth.  Add the cheese, placing it at the side of the bowl, and begin to mash it with the back of a spoon or a fork, gradually incorporating the mayonnaise-sour cream mixture into it.  Continue to mix until the dressing is homogenous. Your goal is to incorporate the blue cheese in such a way that the dressing is smooth and creamy.  If you make a larger batch, you could do this more efficiently in the food processor, but this small batch wouldn't work very well in a large food processor. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Makes a generous 2/3 cup dressing.

Note:  This is the identical to a recipe I posted a few years ago except that it has more vinegar.  I found that my normal blue cheese dressing wasn't quite sharp enough for the kale.

Printable Version

Simple Carrot & Apple Spice Muffins

I have always loved the idea of the famous "Morning Glory" muffins. Who wouldn't like the idea of a cinnamon scented muffin...loaded with carrots, apples and pineapple...as well as coconut, nuts and dried fruit?  Unfortunately, my love of the idea has never translated into making them. 

Part of the beauty of muffins is that they are quick to make.  If indeed they are made using the "muffin" method, they are among the quickest to make of all the quick breads.  If you have to run out and get special ingredients...they sort of cease to be quick.  And therein, for me, lies the problem.  I just don't keep some of these items—coconut and canned pineapple, to be specific—on hand.   

For many, this issue of a trip to the store would probably not be something to even think about.  But in my world, muffins are almost always something I make on the spur of the moment.  For example... when it's ten o'clock at night....and I discover that I have allowed my supply of coffeecake, tea breads and scones in the freezer to dwindle to nothing....and I am facing a morning without cake.  This is the moment for a muffin.  And it is not the moment when I am going to run to the store.

Even so, the idea of this old favorite is so appealing that when I began to think about a muffin recipe that I could include in an upcoming breakfast breads class, it was this muffin that came to mind.  Since I still wanted a recipe that I could make with things I keep in my pantry, I decided to adapt it a bit...omitting the coconut and the pineapple....and in the end the nuts too.  I actually think it would be delicious with nuts...but I seem to put nuts in everything, so I decided to leave them out of this particular recipe.  If you want to add some, a half cup of toasted chopped pecans or walnuts would be perfect. 

Besides tweaking the amounts of the basic ingredients (flour, leaveners, spices, etc.), I only made a couple of other significant changes.  First, I substituted brown sugar for part of the granulated white sugar.  Brown sugar adds moisture and intensity of flavor and seemed like a good fit for the spices, carrots and apples.  I tried it once with all brown sugar and don't really recommend it.  The resulting muffins were so moist as to be almost damp...even though they were fully baked.

The other major change I made was to use olive oil instead of vegetable oil.  I remembered how nice it was in Gina DePalma's zucchini cake (that I made last summer) and felt like the spices, brown sugar, carrots and apples could all stand up to its naturally more robust flavor.  It worked beautifully, giving the muffins more depth of flavor and a pleasant, slightly bitter edge.

I am super happy with these muffins.  They use only staple ingredients that are part of the standard baking pantry...and fresh ingredients that most people will have during the winter months in their produce bins (carrots and apples).  Currants might be outside of the range of "standard" for some, but you can of course use dark or light raisins instead.  Best of all, these muffins are everything a good muffin is supposed to be:  a quick to make, sweet and tender, little bite of cake.  

Simple Carrot & Apple Spice Muffins

170 g. (1 1/2 c.) all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

65 g. (1/3 c.) brown sugar

100 g. (1/2 c.) granulated sugar

135 g. (2/3 c.) olive oil

150 g. (1 1/3 c., lightly packed) shredded carrots (from 2 large carrots)

85 g. (1/2 c., lightly packed) shredded apple (from half of a large apple, peeled and cored)

60 g. (1/2 c.) currants

Place the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend.  Set aside.

Place the eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to break up the eggs.  Add the sugars and whisk until smooth.  Add the oil while whisking constantly.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth, homogenous, and thickened.  

Add the dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula.  When the dry ingredients are almost absorbed 

add the carrots, apples and currants.  

Continue to fold, just until blended. 

Using a 1/4 cup (2 oz.) sized ice cream scoop, divide the batter among twelve muffin cups that have been lined with foil or paper liners.  The cups will be almost full.  

Transfer to a 350° oven and bake until golden brown, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean....about 25 to 30 minutes.  Let the muffins cool in the pan for five minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  The muffins will keep well at room temperature...(if stored air-tight) for a couple of days.  Freeze them for longer storage. 

Makes 12 muffins.

Notes:

• If you like, add 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts.
• If you don't have currants, substitute dark or golden raisins
• Use any crisp, juicy, flavorful eating apple that you like (you will have half an apple to snack on after making the muffins).  I have made these with both a Golden Delicious and a Pink Lady.  
• These muffins are even better the next day...moister and more flavorful.

Printable Recipe

Baked Apples

My mother doesn't like to cook very much.  It's not as if she isn't a good cook.  I have always thought that her pie crust could rival that of just about anyone...I still remember sampling the chef's demonstration Quiche Lorraine at the Cordon Bleu and being a bit disappointed since the one I had been eating all of my life—prepared by my mother—was better.  It is probably more likely that like so many wives and mothers of her generation, after twenty some years of preparing three meals a day for a large and often oblivious family, she just decided there were other things she would rather be doing.   

She still cooks occasionally...and I am always glad when she does.  Once, many years after she had sort of hung up her apron—and several years into my professional cooking career—she surprised me by making baked apples for a special birthday breakfast for me.  I had never had a baked apple.  (I'm not sure why she had never made them before.)  It was simple and delicious....made even better by the fact that it had been prepared with love, just for me. It was "Mom food" at its best...which is, I suspect, what most of us mean when we call something a "comfort food".   So, a few months ago, when I decided to offer a class this year called "Comfort Foods of Winter", baked apples were at the top of the recipe list. 

The recipe I'm sharing today isn't exactly the same as the one my mother makes (I don't think I make anything exactly the way someone else does)...but it's very close.  I have increased the sugar just a bit...and added some dried fruit.  But those are fairly negligible changes. 

The main thing I do differently is I score the skin of the apple in several places before I put it in the oven.  When an apple bakes, the flesh expands and puts pressure on the skin.  This inevitably leads to a "blow out" when the skin splits to relieve the pressure.  Scoring the skin allows the flesh and the skin of the apple to expand together, making for a much more attractive final result. 

The apple on the right was "scored", the apple on the left was not.

The other major change is that I remove the entire core, all the way down through the blossom end of the apple.  Most recipes direct you to leave the apple intact on the bottom so that the filling won't ooze out.   But I don't like to run into the hard blossom end while I'm eating my baked apple, so I remove it.  I plug up the resulting hole with bits of seed-free apple flesh that were removed with the core. 

Even with these two changes—which are mostly cosmetic—the baked apple itself is essentially the same as my mother's.  And same or not, for as long as I continue to cook, I know that every time I make a baked apple, it will remind me of a special breakfast...prepared just for me...by my mother.   

Baked Apples

4 T. (1/4 c.) packed brown sugar

1/4 c. quick (not instant) oats

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/8 t. ground cloves (or nutmeg, if you prefer)

a pinch of salt

2 T. cold butter, plus 1 t. for "dotting"

1/4 c. finely chopped toasted nuts and/or dried fruit (optional—see notes)

zest of 1 lemon or 1/2 of an orange (optional)

4 large apples—something juicy and flavorful that will hold its shape and   flavor when cooked...like a Jonathan, a Jonagold or a Braeburn

1/2 to 1 cup apple cider, apple juice or water

Place the first five ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork or your fingers until homogenous.  Cut the 2 T. of butter into four slices and add to the bowl.  Using your fingers, rub the butter in until the mixture is clumpy.  Toss in any nuts, dried fruit or zests that you are using.  Set the mixture aside while you prepare the apples.

Basic filling ingredients: oats, brown sugar, butter and spices.

Basic filling with added chopped pecans, currants and orange zest.

Butter an shallow baking dish that will hold the apples without touching...an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish works well.  Set aside.

Wash the apples.  Using an apple corer or a melon baller, core the apples.  If an apple will not sit level, cut a thin slice off the bottom to stabilize it.  If you like, use a vegetable peeler to peel away a strip of skin around the hole at the top of the apple—this isn't strictly necessary, but it is attractive.  Using a sharp paring knife, score the skin of each apple from top to bottom in four places—spacing the cuts an equal distance apart.  Finally, using some of the seed and skin free bits of apple that were removed with the cores, plug up the hole at the bottom of each apple.

Place the apples in the prepared dish.  Fill each apple with a quarter of the reserved filling, packing as necessary so as to use all of the filling.  

Cut the remaining teaspoon of butter into four pieces and place a piece on top of each apple. 

Add enough apple cider to the dish to come up to a depth of 1/4-inch. 

Cover loosely with foil and place in a 350° oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover the dish and baste the apple with the liquid in the dish.  Continue to bake until the apples are very tender all the way through—another 15 to 30 minutes depending on the variety and size of the apples.  The apple will have puffed, the flesh may have begun to ooze in spots and the skin will be a bit wrinkled.  Let the apples cool briefly before serving.  They are best when they are warm, but they are good at room temperature too.  Serve with some of the syrupy juices from the pan spooned over.  They may be served with ice cream, whipped cream or custard sauce for dessert, but I like them best with plain yogurt for breakfast.

Notes:

• You may make as many or as few apples as you like.  The recipe multiplies and divides easily.  For one apple, use a pyrex custard cup to bake the apple.
• The filling you use can be varied to suit your taste and your pantry.  A plain baked apple with just butter, brown sugar and oatmeal is delicious.  But you may add spices and zests as you please.  A tablespoon per apple of chopped toasted nuts, or dried fruits (or a combination) is a nice addition.  A variation I particularly like (using the quantities in the above recipe) is 2 T. chopped toasted pecans, 2 T. dried currants and the zest of half an orange.

Printable Recipe