Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Cookbook (4 page)

1.
In a large bowl, stir flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt until blended. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk and melted butter until combined. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients, stir just until smooth.

2.
Preheat oven to 250°F. Lightly coat a heavy large skillet with oil; warm over medium heat. Drop batter by ¼ cupfuls into skillet. Sprinkle each pancake with 1 tablespoon blueberries. Cook pancakes about 2 minutes per side, until bottoms are golden brown. Transfer pancakes to large baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter and blueberries, adding more oil to skillet as necessary.

TIP

These hotcakes are substantial enough to serve at dinner. Just substitute crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese for the blueberries. Top with sliced scallions and serve with sautéed onions and bell peppers.

1.
Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, cinnamon and salt. In small cup, heat honey or maple syrup in microwave just until warm. Fold honey into oat mixture, stirring to coat well.

2.
Evenly spread granola on two large rimmed baking sheets. Place in oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes, carefully stirring granola often so it doesn’t burn. Rotate pans after stirring. Granola is done when it seems lightly browned, mostly dry and no longer sticky. Let granola cool 15 minutes on baking sheets; pour into large bowl. Stir in dried fruit. Press mixture into bowl with back of a spoon; this will form some clumps. Let cool completely before sealing into an airtight container.

TIP

Warming the honey makes it easier to blend it into the oat mixture.

1.
Melt butter in an 8 or 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk eggs, salt and pepper until frothy.

2.
Once pan is hot, add eggs; let sit for 3 seconds, until edges begin to set. Using a spatula, draw cooked egg to center of pan. Tilt pan so uncooked egg runs to bare spots. Repeat process all around edge of pan until omelet is just set.

3.
Sprinkle ham and cheese evenly over half of omelet. Cook 10 seconds, or until of desired doneness. Run spatula around pan to loosen edges. Jerk the pan sharply to move entire omelet. Tilt pan, resting edge of pan on serving plate. Gently slide omelet onto plate, using spatula to fold omelet in half. Sprinkle with chives and serve hot.

TIP

Omelets cook best if you wait until the pan is hot before adding the eggs.

1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a large (10-cup) tube pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Dust pan with flour. In a small bowl, combine nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon for topping and set aside.

2.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended, and stir in vanilla. Alternately add sour cream and dry ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

3.
Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the topping over the batter. Spoon remaining batter into pan. Sprinkle with remaining topping.

4.
Bake 1 hour 5 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run a knife around the edges to loosen from pan. Remove pan sides. Run a knife under cake to loosen from pan bottom. Carefully lift cake out of pan. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

TIP

You can substitute plain yogurt or low-fat sour cream for the sour cream.

1.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a standard muffin tin with cooking spray.

2.
In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, fold in buttermilk, melted butter, molasses and beaten eggs until blended. Let mixture stand 10 minutes to absorb liquid. Gently fold in raspberries.

3.
Drop batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 15 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife around muffin edges to release from pan. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

TIP

Not in the mood for muffins? You can easily make this recipe into cornbread. Just pour the batter into a greased heavy 9-inch skillet and bake for about 25 minutes.

1.
In a glass measuring cup, microwave milk and butter until butter melts.

2.
In a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed, combine yeast and warm water; let sit for 5 minutes. Beat in ½ cup granulated sugar and eggs at low speed until blended. Beat in salt, warm milk mixture and 2 cups of flour until blended, about 1 minute. Switch to dough hook attachment. Add 1 ¼ cups flour, and knead at medium-low speed, adding up to ½ cup additional flour if dough is sticky. Mix until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes.

3.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Transfer dough to a large, lightly oiled plastic bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let dough rise until double in size, about 2½ hours. Punch down center of dough. (At this point, dough can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)

4.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

5.
For filling: In a small bowl, mix
¹
/
₃
cup granulated sugar and cinnamon.

6.
Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar filling, leaving a ½-inch border along one of the long sides. Roll, beginning with the long side of the rectangle opposite the ½-inch border. Using fingertips, seal edges firmly to form a seam. (Do not seal ends.) Using a serrated knife, cut dough log into 12 even rolls and arrange in prepared pan.

7.
Cover pan with plastic wrap; let dough rise until double in size, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Set oven rack to center position.

8.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Invert rolls onto wire rack; cool 20 minutes.

9.
For the icing: In a small bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Place rack over a piece of wax paper; reinvert rolls onto rack. Using a spoon, drizzle icing over rolls with spoon.

TIP

If you like, after the first rise (Step 3), cover the dough and refrigerate overnight. Continue the recipe the next day.