Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (268 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
It can be difficult to muster enthusiasm for a slice of zucchini bread, especially if the bread is your typical bland loaf. We wanted a zucchini bread worth making and eating, one that boasted a moist, but not wet, crumb and was subtly spiced with great summery zucchini flavor. To start, we discovered the downfall of many zucchini breads—the excess moisture from the zucchini. Shredding the zucchini and then squeezing it in paper towels not only rid the zucchini of excess moisture for a drier loaf, but also intensified the zucchini flavor for a better-tasting bread. Many zucchini bread recipes use oil, but we found butter improved the flavor of the bread. Zucchini is subtle, so cinnamon and allspice, along with lemon juice, perked the flavor up further, as did the tang of yogurt, which we preferred over milk (too lean and bland) and sour cream (too rich). We tried sprinkling the loaves with nuts, but we preferred them the old-fashioned way, stirred into the batter for nutty flavor in every bite.
SERVES 10
Small zucchini have smaller, drier seeds than large zucchini and are preferred in this recipe. If you are using a large zucchini, cut each zucchini in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out and discard the seeds before shredding. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8¹⁄
2
by 4¹⁄
2
inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than advised in the recipe.
2 | small zucchini (1 pound), trimmed |
2 | cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour |
1 | teaspoon baking soda |
1 | teaspoon baking powder |
1 | teaspoon ground cinnamon |
1 | teaspoon ground allspice |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
1¹⁄ | cups (10¹⁄ |
6 | tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled |
2 | large eggs |
¹⁄ | cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
¹⁄ | cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse |
1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8¹⁄
2
by 4¹⁄
2
-inch loaf pan. Shred zucchini using large holes of box grater. Squeeze shredded zucchini between several layers of paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
2.
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in large bowl. In medium bowl, whisk sugar, melted butter, eggs, yogurt, and lemon juice together until smooth. Gently fold shredded zucchini and yogurt mixture into flour mixture with rubber spatula until just combined (do not overmix). Gently fold in pecans.
3.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out with few crumbs attached, about 1 hour, rotating loaf pan halfway through baking.
4.
Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool for 1 hour before serving.
Fold ³⁄
4
cup golden raisins or dried cranberries into batter with pecans.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Cornbread can be sweet and cakey (the Northern version) or savory and light (the Southern version). We wanted a combination of the two. And most important, we wanted our cornbread to be bursting with corn flavor. The secret was pretty simple: Use corn, not just cornmeal. While fresh corn was best, frozen was nearly as good and pureeing the kernels in a food processor made them easy to use while eliminating tough, chewy kernels. Buttermilk provided a tangy flavor, while light brown sugar enhanced the naturally sweet flavor of the corn. For a thick crust, we baked the bread at a higher than conventional temperature, producing a crunchy crust full of toasted corn flavor.
CORNMEAL—CHILL IT
Most people store cornmeal on a shelf in their pantry—just as they would sugar or flour. But cornmeal contains natural oils that will go rancid in as little as three months. (Whole wheat flour also contains natural oils that can go rancid quickly.) We prefer to transfer both cornmeal and whole wheat flour to zipper-lock bags and store them in the freezer. Stored this way, they should both keep up to one year.
SERVES 6
Before preparing the baking dish or any of the other ingredients, measure out the frozen kernels and let them stand at room temperature until needed. When corn is in season, fresh cooked kernels can be substituted for the frozen corn. This recipe was developed with Quaker yellow cornmeal; a stone-ground whole grain cornmeal will work but will yield a drier and less tender cornbread. We prefer a Pyrex glass baking dish because it yields a nice golden brown crust, but a metal baking pan (nonstick or traditional) will also work. Serve with a flavored butter (recipes follow).
1¹⁄ | cups (7¹⁄ |
1 | cup (5 ounces) cornmeal |
2 | teaspoons baking powder |
¹⁄ | teaspoon baking soda |
³⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | cup packed (1³⁄ |
³⁄ | cup frozen corn, thawed |
1 | cup buttermilk |
2 | large eggs |
8 | tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled |
1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined; set aside.
2.
In food processor or blender, process brown sugar, corn kernels, and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined (corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.
3.
Using rubber spatula, make well in center of dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to barely combine. Add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and smooth surface with rubber spatula.
4.
Bake until cornbread is deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire rack, and turn right side up and let cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer, and serve. (Leftover cornbread can be wrapped in aluminum foil and reheated in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.)
Reduce salt to ¹⁄
2
teaspoon. Add ³⁄
8
teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine, and 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese to flour mixture and toss well to combine. Reduce brown sugar to 2 tablespoons and sprinkle 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese over batter in dish just before baking.
Reduce salt to ¹⁄
2
teaspoon. Reduce buttermilk to ³⁄
4
cup and add ¹⁄
4
cup maple syrup to food processor along with buttermilk in step 2. Add 5 ounces fresh or 4 ounces (1 cup) frozen blueberries with melted butter in step 3. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons granulated sugar over batter in baking dish just before baking.
8 | tablespoons unsalted butter, softened |
¹⁄ | cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine |
4 | teaspoons light molasses |
2 | teaspoons sugar |
¹⁄ | teaspoon vanilla extract |
Pinch salt |
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip butter on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add pecans, molasses, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whip until combined, about 15 seconds, then increase speed to high and whip until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
8 | tablespoons unsalted butter, softened |
2 | teaspoons sugar |
1 | teaspoon grated orange zest |
¹⁄ | teaspoon vanilla extract |
Pinch salt |
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip butter on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and salt and whip until combined, about 15 seconds, then increase speed to high and whip until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
8 | tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature |
1 | tablespoon honey |
Pinch salt |
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip butter on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add honey and salt and whip until combined, about 15 seconds, then increase speed to high and whip until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
REVIVING CRYSTALLIZED HONEY
If kept tightly capped in a moisture-tight container, processed (pasteurized) honey can be safely stored at room temperature for about two years. (In the test kitchen’s experience, however, it can be stored for even longer without flavor degradation.) Honey might become cloudy or crystallized, but that doesn’t mean it has gone bad, and there is an easy way to reverse its condition. Place the opened jar of honey in a saucepan filled with about an inch of water, place over very low heat, and stir often until the crystals melt. You can also heat the opened jar in the microwave in 10-second increments, stirring intermittently, until it has liquefied.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
While all cornbreads are quick to make and bake, there are two very distinct styles: Northern and Southern. We set out to make a classic Northern version. It needed to be slightly sweet, light in texture, and on the thicker side (compared to Southern versions which are often only about 1 inch thick). Traditionally, Northern cornbread recipes combine white flour and yellow cornmeal, and we found a 1:1 ratio was best for good corn flavor and light texture. We wanted our cornbread to be sweet but not like dessert; we tested recipes with honey, molasses, and light brown sugar, but in the end settled on granulated sugar. Just 4 teaspoons lent the right hint of sweetness. Equal amounts of milk and buttermilk lent rich flavor and slight but not overwhelming tang.