I have made a lot of versions of cornbread in my life, but this one might just be my favorite. Perhaps because it is my Mother’s recipe.
Her secret? She put a layer of shredded cheese between layers of batter. She also added cream style corn to some of the batter.
You end up with a cornbread that is full of flavor. It is also very
tender and crumbly, but not dry. I baked mine in a cake pan, but there
is no reason you could not bake this recipe in cast iron, if you prefer.
I served this cornbread with a chicken-vegetable soup last night. I had a friend in for dinner. My friend loved it.
I was so pleased. I hadn’t made Mom’s version of cornbread in awhile. I will definitely be making it more often from now on.
My Mom’s birthday would be in a couple of days. To remember her, I will
be posting some of her recipes in the next few days. Stay tuned for some
great food.
Mom’s Cornbread
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
2 T. sugar, optional
4 t. baking powder
¾ t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. half and half
¼ c. oil- or melted butter or bacon fat
4 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1 c. cream style corn
Grease a 9-inch square pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 425
degrees. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl, and set aside. In small
bowl, combine eggs, half and half and oil and beat until smooth. Stir
egg mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Don’t
over-mix. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle shredded
cheese over the batter in the pan. Combine remaining batter with the
cream style corn. Pour this mixture over the cheese in the pan. Bake
20-25 minutes. Serves 8-9.
I needed something to serve with tea and decided to make scones. I am not sure why I decided to use grapefruit in the recipe. It might have been that big bowl of pink grapefruit sitting on the counter.
I started with a scone recipe I had used before, then tweaked it by adding grapefruit zest and juice. I added grapefruit juice and zest every where I could think of.
They came out great and were a big hit with my guests. You could even see a little fleck of pink here and there.
Scones, done right, are very tender. These scones came out just perfect. A little crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Not too sweet and the delicate flavor of grapefruit. So here is the recipe.
Grapefruit Scones
2
c. flour
½
c. sugar
1
T. baking powder
1
t. baking soda
½
t. salt
Zest
of 1 grapefruit
½
c. cold butter
1 egg, beaten
¼
c. half and half
¼
c. grapefruit juice
Topping:
2-3
T. half and half
4
T. sugar
1
T. grapefruit zest
Glaze:
1½
powdered sugar
1
T. grapefruit zest
3-4
T. grapefruit juice
Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner- or grease lightly. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine flour with sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest. Cut in cold butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. In small bowl, combine egg with half and half and grapefruit juice. Add to flour mixture and stir until mixture forms into a soft dough. Mix until combined, but don’t overmix. On lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. Dust an 8-inch round cake pan. Add half of the dough and press in until dough is evenly spread in the pan. Turn the pan over, quickly onto the prepared baking sheet to get the dough out. Note: this part seems a little tricky, but it gives you a perfect 8-inch circle of dough. Don’t under-flour the pan and the dough will come right out. Also, be sure to flip the dough near one corner of the baking sheet, so you will have room for the other half of the dough. Re-flour the cake pan, press in the rest of the dough and flip it onto the baking sheet. Now you have 2 ( 8-inch) circles of dough on the baking sheet- hopefully. Don’t sweat this part. If the dough doesn’t come out easily, just scrape it out of the cake pan, add more flour, return the dough to the cake pan, and try it again. And when you are flipping it out of the pan- do it quickly. If you prefer, you can place the dough on the baking sheet, in two piles, and shape it into 2 ( 8-inch) circles. Using a dough cutter or a spatula, cut each circle of dough into 8 wedges. For the topping, brush the scones with half and half. Combine the sugar and zest and sprinkle over the dough. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Re-cut the scones where you cut them before, and place the scones on a cooling rack. Let them cool a few minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar and zest, then add enough grapefruit juice to make a glaze you can drizzle. Using a small spoon or even a fork, drizzle the tops of the scones with the glaze. Make a pot of tea and eat your scones. Makes 16.
I wanted a lovely meal for a dinner with friends. It had to be special. When it occurred to me to make Chicken Paprikash, I knew I had made the right choice. Chicken, in a sour cream-paprika laden sauce, served over spaetzle. Ultimate comfort food.
I love paprikash, but had not made it in a long time. To save time, I used boneless thighs. Traditionally, bone-in chicken is used. Chicken legs would be my usual choice. The thighs did save a lot of time and they were tender and juicy.
Paprika is made from peppers that are dehydrated, then ground into a powder. There are dozens of types of paprika and it can get confusing. Sweet paprika just means that sweet peppers were used. Hot paprika means hot peppers are the base. The type of paprika is a personal choice. Hungarian is always a classic and will not disappoint. Just know whether you want a sweet or a hot paprika. You probably don’t want a hot paprika for a dish like this. It will make it too spicy. Lots of people like Spanish paprika. I fly in the face of tradition sometimes, by using a California paprika. I have also made my own paprika. If you like the flavor, then you are using the right one for you. To keep it’s flavor, store paprika in the fridge. Paprika can get rancid if stored too long at higher temps.
So here is the recipe. I will admit I didn’t measure the paprika before dredging the chicken in it. Don’t be timid. Use enough to coat the meat. I think the amount I listed in the recipe is pretty close to what I used. I also added some smoked paprika for extra flavor. Not a required ingredient, but I think it was a really good addition. The spaetzle recipe follows as well. Enjoy!
Chicken Paprikash
3-4
T. oil
2
onions, peeled and sliced
1
sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
6-8
boneless chicken thighs* (about 2 lbs., depending on the size)
6
T. paprika
1-2
t. smoked paprika
Salt
and pepper
¼
c. flour
2
c. chicken stock- or a bit more
1-
1½ c. sour cream
2
T. flour, optional
Heat oil in skillet. Cook onions until golden and add peppers. Continue cooking until peppers are tender. A little golden color on the veggies will add more flavor. Remove veggies from the pan and set aside. Meanwhile, combine paprika with seasonings and ¼ cup flour and place in a shallow pan. Dredge the chicken in the paprika mixture. Add chicken pieces to the skillet and cook on high heat. Brown both sides of the chicken. You might have to do this in batches, depending on how much chicken you have. Once the chicken pieces get golden on both sides, turn down the heat and cook until chicken is done, or very close to done. Remove chicken, spoon out any excess fat, and add the stock to the skillet. Heat the stock until simmering. Place sour cream in a bowl and add some of the warm stock to it. If you think the sauce is too runny, add the extra flour to the sour cream mixture. Stir until sour cream mixture is smooth. Turn heat down in skillet to low. Place the sour cream mixture in the skillet and stir until sauce is smooth. Return the chicken and veggies to the sauce and cook, over low heat, until chicken is cooked and heated through. Adjust seasonings. Serve over spaetzle or egg noodles. Serves 4-6.
* Paprikash is traditionally made with bone-in chicken. If you use bone-in chicken, cooking time is longer. I brown chicken legs in the pan, then place them in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking, before returning to the sauce in the skillet.
Spaetzle
3 eggs
1/2 c. half and half or evaporated milk
1/2 t.
salt
1 1/2 c.
flour
Combine all ingredients and let rest 30 minutes. Drop by small spoonfuls into boiling water. Cook until they float and puff up, about 5 minutes. I use a spaetzle maker, which produces smaller pieces. I only cook them a couple of minutes. Drain and serve with soups, stews, sauces or buttered. For the paprikash, I browned the spaetzle, after cooking, in a butter- oil mixture. I also tossed in some fresh parsley at the end.
If you only use parsnips in savory
dishes (or maybe you never use parsnips at all), you might be surprised
to see them used in a dessert.
Truth is, parsnips are similar in flavor to carrots and carrots are
used in cake quite successfully. While not exactly the same in flavor,
think of parsnips as white carrots.
Combined in a spiced batter, they make wonderful cupcakes. Good any
time of the year, they seem especially nice for an Autumn dessert.
I have company coming for dinner later. I had some parsnips, so I decided to make cupcakes for our dessert.
Spiced Parsnip Cupcakes
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 T. ground ginger
1 T. cinnamon
2 t. baking powder
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. allspice
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cloves
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. milk or half and half
2 t. vanilla
2 c. packed peeled and shredded fresh parsnips, 2-3 large
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional plus extra for topping, optional
1 recipe cream cheese frosting- see below
Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 cupcake pans with paper liners- or
grease lightly. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In smaller
bowl combine eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and mix well. Stir egg mixture
into flour mixture until smooth. Stir in parsnips and nuts, if adding.
Spoon batter into the prepared pans, filling half-full. Bake for 15
minutes – or until toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
Cool and frost. Sprinkle with fine chopped nuts, if you like. Makes 24.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 0z. (1 stick) butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
Beat all ingredients together until fluffy. Frost cupcakes and chill until ready to eat.
Winter squash season is here, and I could not be happier. I love the
variety of squash (and pumpkin) at the markets this time of year. They
are both beautiful and tasty.
This dish is a combination of butternut squash with onions, garlic, carrots and finished off with black sesame seeds. It makes a great, seasonal side dish.
I used butternut squash, but you could use any number of hard
squashes, or even pumpkin. If you are looking for a different way to
cook some of those squash- try this dish. I think you might be surprised
at just how good it is.
When cutting up hard squashes, you have to be careful not to cut
yourself. A round, hard squash, with a tough outer skin can be a recipe
for disaster. I trim a small slice off one end of my squash, creating a
flat side. Then I lay it down on that side, to make it more stable for
cutting. With the butternut, once it was sliced on one side, I was able
to cut in in half pretty easily.
To peel a hard squash, so you can cut it into cubes, and use a
vegetable peeler to remove the skin. You will need to run the peeler
over the skin a few times to get off all of it. Then cut into cubes.
Butternut Squash Sauté
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cups cubed fresh butternut, acorn or Hubbard squash or pumpkin
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic; cook and
stir until the onions begin to brown. Stir in the squash, carrot, soy
sauce, salt, and pepper; cook, covered, another 5 to 7 minutes, until
squash is tender. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
There is something about the smell of baking bread that always makes
me remember my childhood, and going to the movies. I know that sounds
odd, but there is an explanation. When I was a kid, there was a
neighborhood movie theater. It was close and we would walk there to see
movies. On the walk home, we passed a local bakery. Late at night they
would be baking bread and other goodies for the next day. The air would
be filled with the aroma of baking bread.
This oatmeal bread is one of my favorites. With the addition of
rosemary and molasses, the bread has an earthy sweetness that I just
love. It is versatile. You can make 2 round loaves, or bake it in loaf
pans, or even make dinner rolls out of it.
Rosemary Oatmeal Bread
5-5 ½ c. flour
1 package active dry yeast
3T. fresh
rosemary or 1 T. dried, chopped
1 ½ t. salt
1 1/3 c. water
¼ c. milk
¼ c. molasses
¼ c. butter
1 egg
1 c. old fashioned oatmeal
In large bowl mix 1 cup of the flour with yeast and salt. In small
pan heat together next 4 ingredients until warm. Pour into bowl with
flour mixture and beat 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup additional flour and egg
and beat 2 minutes longer. Stir in oatmeal and 1 cup more flour and
stir, adding enough flour to form soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured
surface and knead, adding flour as needed until dough is smooth and
elastic. Place dough on a greased bowl, turning to grease top and cover,
allowing to rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Grease a large baking sheet and set aside. Punch dough down and divide
in half. Shape each half into a ball and place on prepared sheet. Cover
with towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake in a
preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until done. Loaves are done
when they sound hollow when tapped lightly. Makes 2 loaves.
This versatile dough can also be shaped into loaves and places in
8×4-inch greased loaf pans. Baking time will remain the same. Dough can
also be divided into 24 equal pieces and shaped into dinner rolls. Bake
rolls at 375 for 15 minutes.
I fondly remember when my Mom used to make this dessert. I think of
her whenever I make it. From a technical cooking standpoint, it’s not
really a chiffon, but that is what my Mom called it, so I will leave it
as Pumpkin Chiffon.
It’s more like a pumpkin pie, without the crust. Super easy to make
and quite tasty. I bake it in a casserole dish but you could also make
it in individual ramekins. This recipe is always a big hit when I make
it for friends.
You could use canned or fresh cooked pumpkin or winter squash, like
butternut or Hubbard. I always cook up and freeze pumpkin and squash for
later use, so frozen would work, too. Because there is no crust, it is
also gluten-free. I sometimes serve it with gingersnaps and whipped
cream. It is a lovely Fall dessert.
Mom’s Pumpkin Chiffon
½ c. applesauce
1 c. cooked or canned pumpkin or squash
¾ c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
½ t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves
4 eggs, well beaten
1 c. half and half or evaporated milk
Stir together first seven ingredients. Beat in eggs and stir in milk.
Place mixture in 1 ½ quart casserole and bake in a 350-degree oven for 1
hour and 15 minutes. Serve alone or with cookies. Serves 6-8.
This pear-studded cake is perfect to have with that morning cup of coffee- or for dessert. The tender cake is topped with a lot of pears, cubes of cream cheese, cinnamon sugar and a vanilla glaze. The taste is amazing. I used Bartlett pears, but any ripe pear would work. The 4 pears weighed about 2 pounds.
I will say up front that this is not the most photogenic cake out there. It comes out of the oven kind of lumpy, from all those pears and the tiny cubes of cream cheese. Once you top it with the cinnamon sugar, and later the glaze, it looks a lot better. It is one of the tastiest, though, and isn’t that what’s important?
So if you want to enjoy one of my favorite Autumn fruits in a new way- try making this simple, tasty pear coffee cake. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Cinnamon Pear Coffee Cake
1 stick (½ cup) butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c. half and half
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
½ t. salt
2 lbs. pears, about 4 large, cored, peeled and sliced *
8 oz. cream cheese, cut in small pieces
Topping
3 T. cinnamon sugar
Glaze:
½ c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
½ t. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and pour into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, half and half, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour directly over the butter in the baking dish, but do not stir. Drain pears well. Add the pears, arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces over fruit. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. When you remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Set cake aside to cool. Make glaze by combining glaze ingredients. Add just enough milk for a nice consistency for drizzling. Drizzle over cooled cake. Store leftovers in fridge. Serves 12.
* To keep pears from discoloring place in a bowl with 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice
This pear-studded cake is perfect to have with that morning cup of coffee- or for dessert. The tender cake is topped with chopped pears, cubes of cream cheese, cinnamon sugar and a vanilla glaze. The taste is amazing.
I used Bartlett pears, but any ripe pear would work.
Why should apples get all the attention- right? Don’t get me wrong, I love apples. It’s just that I love pears, too. I think they don’t get used in baking as much as they should.
I will say up front, that this is not the prettiest cake out there. It comes out of the oven kind of lumpy, from all those pears and the tiny cubes of cream cheese. Once you top it with the cinnamon sugar, and later the glaze, it looks a lot better. It is one of the tastiest cakes, though, and isn’t that what’s important?
So if you want to enjoy one of my favorite Autumn fruits in a new way- try making this simple, tasty pear coffee cake. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Cinnamon Pear Coffee Cake
1 stick (½ cup) butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c. half and half
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
½ t. salt
2 lbs. pears, about 4 large, cored, peeled and sliced *
8 oz. cream cheese, cut in small pieces
Topping
3 T. cinnamon sugar
Glaze:
½ c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
½ t. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and pour into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, half and half, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour directly over the butter in the baking dish, but do not stir. Drain pears well. Add the pears, arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces over fruit. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. When you remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Set cake aside to cool. Make glaze by combining glaze ingredients. Add just enough milk for a nice consistency for drizzling. Drizzle over cooled cake. Store leftovers in fridge. Serves 12.
* To keep pears from discoloring place in a bowl with 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice
This pear-studded cake is perfect to have with that morning cup of coffee- or for dessert. The tender cake is topped with a lot of pears, cubes of cream cheese, cinnamon sugar and a vanilla glaze. The taste is amazing. I used Bartlett pears, but any ripe pear would work. The 4 pears weighed about 2 pounds.
I will say up front, that this is not the prettiest cake out there. It comes out of the oven kind of lumpy, from all those pears and the tiny cubes of cream cheese. Once you top it with the cinnamon sugar, and later the glaze, it looks a lot better. It is one of the tastiest, though, and isn’t that what’s important?
So if you want to enjoy one of my favorite Autumn fruits in a new way- try making this simple, tasty pear coffee cake. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Cinnamon Pear Coffee Cake
1 stick (½ cup) butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c. half and half
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
½ t. salt
2 lbs. pears, about 4 large, cored, peeled and sliced *
8 oz. cream cheese, cut in small pieces
Topping
3 T. cinnamon sugar
Glaze:
½ c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
½ t. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and pour into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, half and half, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour directly over the butter in the baking dish, but do not stir. Drain pears well. Add the pears, arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces over fruit. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. When you remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Set cake aside to cool. Make glaze by combining glaze ingredients. Add just enough milk for a nice consistency for drizzling. Drizzle over cooled cake. Store leftovers in fridge. Serves 12.
* To keep pears from discoloring place in a bowl with 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice
