Sunday Brunch (9 page)
Authors: Betty Rosbottom
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup/120 ml sour cream
1 egg
1 cup/170 g chopped dates
⅔ cup/70 g coarsely chopped pecans
¼ cup/60 ml hot water
1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/gas 6. Butter and flour the cups of a standard-size muffin pan, use a baking spray, or line them with paper cup liners. Depending on the size of your muffin tins (they can vary from ⅓- to ½-cup/75- to 120-ml capacity), you may get 10 to 12 muffins from the batter.
2. Zest enough lemons to yield 1 tbsp and juice enough to yield 5 tbsp/75 ml.
3. Place the lemon juice, brown sugar, butter, and honey in a medium, heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter has melted and the mixture is well blended and hot, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, and lemon zest. Whisk in the honey mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just blended. Add the dates, pecans, and hot water and mix 10 seconds; the mixture will be lumpy. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-fourths full.
6. Bake until the muffins are puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm. (The muffins are best served hot from the oven. However, they can be baked, cooled, covered with foil, and kept at room temperature 4 hours ahead; reheat, wrapped in foil, in a preheated 350-degree-F/180-degree-C/gas-4 oven for 5 to 10 minutes.)
Twice-Ginger Gingerbread Muffins
Gingerbread, that universal favorite, gets a new look and takes far less time to bake when prepared in muffin tins. These irresistible muffins, which rise above the rims of the molds but do not spread out as much as traditional ones, are extra rich and have a deep-brown hue thanks to plenty of dark brown sugar and molasses. There’s also a double dose of ginger in these little cakes; ground ginger is added to the batter, and halfway through the baking, chopped crystallized ginger is sprinkled atop each muffin.
Makes about 18 muffins, to serve 9
PREP TIME:
15 minutes
START-TO-FINISH TIME:
50 minutes
MAKE AHEAD:
Yes
12 tbsp/170 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
2 ¼ cups/285 g all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¾ cup/150 g packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup/180 ml unsulphured molasses
1 cup/240 ml boiling water
¾ cup/45 g coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
1. Arrange a rack at center position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C/gas 4. Butter and flour the cups of two standard-size muffin pans, use a baking spray, or line them with paper cup liners. Depending on the size of your muffin tins (they can vary from ⅓- to ½-cup/75- to 120-ml capacity), you may get 18 to 19 muffins from the batter.
2. Sift together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg into a medium bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and brown sugar until well blended and smooth, about 3 minutes, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then reduce the speed to low and beat in the dry ingredients. Add the molasses and beat for several seconds until blended. Then add the boiling water and beat a few seconds more until blended. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-fourths full.
4. Bake until the tops are set but the mixture beneath is jiggly, about 10 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and sprinkle the crystallized ginger over the top of each muffin. Return to the oven and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 9 to 10 minutes more.
5. Remove and cool in the tins for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The muffins can be prepared 2 days ahead; cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.)
Tart Cherry and Almond Muffins
Bursting with multiple flavors of cherry, orange, and almond, these muffins are especially moist and turn a beautiful golden brown as they bake. A generous amount of almond paste keeps them from becoming dry, while the dried cherries and orange juice provide tart and sweet notes.
Makes 10 to 12 muffins, to serve 5
PREP TIME:
15 minutes
START-TO-FINISH TIME:
1 hour
MAKE AHEAD:
Yes
6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter, melted and kept hot, plus more for the pans
1 cup plus 2 tbsp/125 g all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
6 tbsp/90 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ cup/115 g dried tart cherries
½ cup/100 g sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
One 7-
OZ
/200-g package almond paste, crumbled
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp grated orange zest
1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C/gas 5. Butter and flour the cups of a standard-size muffin pan using a baking spray, or line them with paper cup liners. Depending on the size of your muffin tins (they can vary from ⅓- to ½-cup/75- to 120-ml capacity), you may get 10 to 12 muffins from the batter.
2. Bring the orange juice to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the cherries; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the almond paste and melted butter in a large bowl until well blended (the mixture will still have some small pieces of almond paste). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the cherry mixture and orange zest. Add the flour mixture and mix until just blended. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-fourths full.
4. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean but slightly moist to the touch, about 20 minutes. Serve warm. (The muffins can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool and wrap the muffins in foil and store at room temperature. Rewarm in the foil in a 350-degree-F/180-degree-C/gas-4 oven for 5 minutes.)
These petite, light-golden biscuits take their name from their soft, airy interiors. They’re quite versatile for brunch as they can be served warm in a napkin-lined basket accompanied by butter and good jam, or used for mini-sandwiches. For the latter, fill them with shaved country ham and chutney or pepper jelly, or stuff them with crispy bacon, sharp white cheddar, and sliced apples. During the holidays, thinly sliced turkey, watercress, and cranberry relish make a tempting flavor combination.
Makes about 20 biscuits, to serve 10
PREP TIME:
15 minutes
START-TO-FINISH TIME:
30 minutes
MAKE AHEAD:
Yes
3 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled, cut into large pieces, plus more for the baking sheet
2 cups/255 g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp solid vegetable shortening, cut into large pieces
½ cup plus 2 tbsp/150 ml cold milk, plus more for brushing the biscuits
2 tbsp country-style Dijon mustard
1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/gas 6. Lightly butter a large, heavy baking sheet.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and blend for 5 seconds. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until crumbly, stopping the machine and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and mustard and very gradually pour this over the flour mixture, stirring until just moistened. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently just until the dough comes together. Roll out the dough to a thickness of ½ in/12 mm and cut out rounds using a 2-in/5-cm cutter. Gather together the scraps and continue to roll out the dough and cut additional rounds. You should get about 20 biscuits.
4. Place the biscuits 1 in/2.5 cm apart on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with additional milk. Bake until light golden, about 14 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
In my quest for the perfect popover, I had to put in a call to my longtime friend and colleague June McCarthy. The former chef to several Ohio governors, and an especially gifted baker, she did not disappoint. Her popovers, prepared with extra eggs, really do rise sky-high and are richly browned and crisp on the outside, with airy, tender interiors. Don’t be tempted to take them out of the oven early, as they need the full baking time to cook all the way through. And while they make a glorious addition to a bread basket, you can also turn them into a main course. Remove their tops and spoon your favorite filling inside, then set the tops back on, slightly askew.
Makes 6 large popovers
PREP TIME:
5 minutes
START-TO-FINISH TIME:
50 minutes
MAKE AHEAD:
No
3 eggs, preferably large
1 cup/240 ml whole milk
4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter, melted and kept warm
½ tsp salt
1 cup/115 g all-purpose flour
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
A popover pan with six cups (see
cooking tip
)
COOKING TIP:
If you don’t have popover tins, you can substitute six custard cups that are about 3½ in/9 cm high and 3½ in/9 cm wide at the top. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and put in the oven for 5 minutes. Continue with the recipe as directed.
1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C/gas 7. When the oven is ready, place the popover pan in the oven for 5 minutes while you make the batter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 3 tbsp of the melted butter, and salt until frothy. Gradually whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth.
3. Quickly remove the pan from the oven and close the oven door. Immediately drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp butter among the cups. Divide the batter evenly among the cups and put the pan back in the oven, quickly closing the door. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C/gas 5 and bake, undisturbed, for 45 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately.
Lusciously moist and lightly infused with espresso, this dense coffee cake is a definite crowd-pleaser. A mixture of brown sugar, toasted pecans, and butter is used as a filling and also as a topping to add extra flavor and texture. An espresso-cream cheese glaze reinforces the coffee theme. The cake is baked in a 9-in/23-cm springform pan with a small ramekin set in the center—an easy alternative if you do not own a baking pan with a removable tube insert. You can make this tempting confection a day ahead, but you’ll need plenty of willpower to resist sneaking a bite!
