Pumpkin Scones and Making Your Own Buttermilk

On November 9th, 2009, I declared that I was on 'Mission Scone Mastery'. Three months, 2 days, and 0 scones later, I am ready to recommit to the Mission.

And to prove it, I made some pumpkin scones. They came out with a very light, delicate flavor. Not too sweet, so they would be good in the morning. And, since you make them with pumpkin, they have a little bit more of a bready/biscuity texture than some other scones. Also nice for the mornings.

But, pumpkin scones aside, I have some life-changing information about buttermilk to share with you. Life-changing.

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't always have fresh buttermilk lying around in my frig. So, what do you do when you want to make scones or biscuits or muffins or anything calling for buttermilk, and you don't want to go to the store?

You make your own.

As long as you have milk and either white vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice, you are in business.
Apparently, you can make buttermilke with milk and one of the aforementioned acids. Just add 1 tablespoon of the acid to 1 cup of milk, let it stand for 10 minutes, and bingo-bango: buttermilk! As I said, life-changing information here.

Back to the scones... and to making the scones. The first thing to do is cut up the butter and put it back in the frig. You want it as cold as possible for the flakiest scones possible.
Then, if you need it, make your buttermilk: I used 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 Tablespoon of cider vinegar. And let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
Next, get your dry ingredients together: flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk those up.
Get out your butter, and add it to the dry ingredients.
Now, use your pastry blender, and cut the butter in.
You are done when the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Now, add in some chopped, toasted pecans and raisins. (Its easy to toast nuts: put them in a dry skillet over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. They are done when you can smell them. I think pecans, especially benefit from toasting.)
Stir that up.
In another bowl, mix together your pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Make a well in your dry ingredients, and pour your wet ingredients into the dry.
Stir until just combined. Overstirring is a very bad idea. And don't worry if the dough is sticky, it should be.
Now, you are going to want to get the dough out onto a floured surface. Speaking of floured surfaces... do you know about Silpat counter mats? Silpat mats are silicone, heat resistant mats that can fit inside baking sheets. They act as a non-stick surface, performing the same function as parchment paper. But Silpat also makes counter mats:
That's right, it is a mat big enough to cover your counter. Just imagine how easy it makes clean up. And look how much fits on it!
I am madly in love with my Silpat counter mat, and I think the world should know.

Back to the pumpkin scones... Once the dough is on your floured surface, you want to lightly knead it four or five times. Bust out your ruler. Then pat it out into a circle that is 7 inches across.
And 1 1/2 inches high.
Cut it in half, and then cut each half into four wedges. You may need to flour your knife if the dough is too sticky.
Get those on a parchment lined baking sheet, and put that baking sheet inside another baking sheet. And, if you were following the recipe, you would now coat each scone with an egg wash. If you, um, fail to read directions and overlook this step, don't worry. They will come out just fine. The egg wash is mostly to make them shiny and pretty.
Pull them out after 20 minutes, when they are just lightly browned.
Then put them on a wire rack to cool.
Something tells me Mission Scone Mastery is going to be a marvelous part of 2010.

Pumpkin Scones (from joyofbaking.com)
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted and chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/3-1/2 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup canned pumpkin**
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Egg wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk or cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into flour with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins and pecans, if using. In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla and then add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each halt into 4 pie-shaped wedges. Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.

Place the baking sheet inside another baking sheet to prevent the bottoms of the scones from over browning. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

*You can make your own buttermilk: for every 1 cup of milk, add 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes.
**I would have liked a little more robust pumpkin flavor in these scones, so next time I may try adding more pumpkin

No-Knead Bread Updates

Oh... Jim Lahey... that marvelous baker-man. If I were a poet, I would write him an ode.In the meantime, I will write a blog about him and his fantastic cookbook: My Bread.

If you don't have this book, buy it. Not only does it have step by step instructions and pictures for basic no-knead bread, it is chalk full of recipes for no-knead variations (like Walnut Bread, Whole Wheat Bread, Almond-Apricot Bread), pizzas, focaccias, sandwiches, and stuff to do with stale bread (like Pappa al Pomodoro and Bread Pudding).

Buy it. I baked a basic no-knead bread using his recipe and it came out incredible, because he's incredible.

Now, for some no-knead updates. I have included a few tips on basic no-knead bread from his book, a chart for timing no-knead(!), and his recipe for basic no-knead.

First of all, he recommends that you use bread flour: he argues that it gives your bread a more chewy texture. I tried it this go round, and I am sold. Bread flour from here on out:
Another helpful tip: if you have a Le Creuset Dutch oven, the nob is only guaranteed to 375 degrees in the oven. So, Lahey recommends that you simply unscrew the now with a butter knife or screw-driver and plug it up with foil. Brilliant.
Wait.. what's that? That isn't an orange Dutch oven, you say. That's right folks, welcome to the Bicoastal Chef's fold my new red 3 1/2 quart Dutch oven.:
Part of the reason I got this Dutch oven is because Bittman recommends that you use a smaller pot if you want a rounder, more boule like bread. And that sounded exactly like what I wanted. Larger pots yield a flatter kind of bread, which is delicious, but, you know, flat.

Next, I would like to share with you a chart. Yes, I just said 'a chart'. While making no-knead is a cinch, calculating the timing of it can be, well, challenging for a philosophy graduate student. So, I made a chart (seriously).

Start_________________ 8 pm / 9 pm / 10pm
End of 18-hour rise______ 2 pm / 3 pm / 4 pm
End of 2-hour rise_______ 4 pm / 5 pm / 6 pm
After baking 45 minutes___ 4:45 / 5:45 / 6:45
End of 1-hour cool_______ 5:45 / 6:45 / 7:45

(if you are using the Bittman recipe, add an extra 15 minutes to the 2-hour rise stage)

And, finally,
Jim Lahey's No-Knead Bread (from My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method)
Ingredients:
3 cups (400 grams) bread flour
1 1/2 tsp (8 grams) table salt
1/4 tsp (1 gram) instant or other active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups (300 grams) cool (55 to 65 degrees) water
wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting

Directions:
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Make sure it's really sticky to the touch; if it's not, mix in another tablespoon or two of water. Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel, or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature (about 72 degrees), out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size. This will take a minimum of 12 hours and (my preference) up to 18 hours. This slow wise- fermentation- is the key to flavor.

When the first fermentation is complete, generously dust a work surface (a wooden or plastic cutting board is fine) with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough onto the board in one piece. When you begin to pull the dough away from the bowl, it will cling in long, thin strands (this is the developed gluten), and it will be quite loose and sticky- do not add more flour. Use lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula to lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.**

Place a cotton or linen tea towel (not terry cloth, which tends to stick and may leave lint in the dough) or a large cloth napkin on your work surface and generously dust the cloth with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Use your hands or a bowl scraper or wooden spatula to gently lift the dough onto the towel, so it is seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Fold the ends of the towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, making an indentation about 1/4 inch deep, it should hold the impression. If it doesn't, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees, with a rack in the lower third position***, and place a covered 4 1/2- to 5 1/2-quart heavy pot in the center of the rack****.

Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel, lightly dust the dough with flour or bran, lift up the dough, either on the towel or in your hand, and quickly but gently invert it into the pot, seam side up. (Use caution- the pot will be very hot). Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly. Don't slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.

*Lahey calls for bread flour and it is worth it.
**Bittman has you let the dough rise for 15 minutes before you shape it into a ball
***This is different from Bittman's recipe
****I used a 3 1/2 quart pot and I ended up with a round, boule like bread.

Giada's Lemon Ricotta Cookies with a Lemon Glaze

Giada, it has been far too long.
How could I leave your cookbooks unopened when recipes like 'Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze' are just begging to be made?

Fortunately for us all, Giada's Kitchen was openend, Lemon Ricotta cookies were made, and my future with Giada looks bright.

Now about these cookies... I love these lemon-glazed lemon cookies. They are just brimming with sunshiney-lemony flavor. And I think of these as 'fancy' cookies. The ricotta gives the cookies a slightly cakey texture, and the lemon glaze looks and tastes great. So, if you are looking for a cookie that is easy to make, but a touch fancier than regular cookies... these are a ringer.

Nothing about these cookies is difficult. Thank you, Giada.

Start with a lemon assembly line. Zest a lemon.
Roll that lemon to release its juice and juice it. And juice more lemons until you get 3 tablespoons (this took me 1 1/2 lemons).
Now, mix your dry ingredients together: flour, salt, and baking powder.
In a large bowl, combine your room temperature butter and sugar.
Mix that for at least 3 minutes.
Now, add your eggs in one at a time.



Next up: add in your ricotta, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix that up.
It will not be smooth.
Now, put down your mixer and grab a spatula. You want to mix the dry ingredients in by hand: this way you don't run the risk of overmixing your batter and ending up with dense, chewy cookies.
Mix just until everything is incorporated.
Leaving some room between each cookie, you want to spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter per cookie onto parchment lined baking sheets.
(Just a hint: if you have a 2 tablespoon coffee scoop, use it. I have a 2 tablespoon coffee scoop. It would have been perfect... except I totally forgot I had it.)

Bake until the edges are just golden brown. The top of the cookies won't brown, so the edges are all you have to go by.
Now, let those cool for at least 20 minutes on the baking sheet. After they have cooled, you can move them to a wire rack. You should probably put some parchment under the rack (to catch any runaway glaze).
For the glaze, you need to zest another lemon and get 3 more tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Stir that together with some powdered sugar.
And, there you have it: simple as can be lemon glaze. See how easy it is to make things fancy?
A note on the glaze: you want the glaze to be spreadable, so if it is too stiff, feel free to add some water. If it runs down the side of the cookies, that isn't a problem. You put that parchment paper under the rack, why not use it, right?

Get out a 1/2 teaspoon. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of glaze onto your cookie.
And use the back of the teaspoon to spread the glaze.
Let the glaze harden for 2 hours.
And then... enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze (from Giada's Kitchen)
Makes 44 cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese (at room temperature, if you think about it)
Zest of 1 lemon*
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough onto the baking sheets using about 2 tablespoons for each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges.** Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

While they cool, combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir until smooth.*** Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the glaze onto each cooled cookie and use the back of the spoon to spread it to the edges. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies in an airtight container.

*For this recipe, you need the zest of 2 lemons and a total of 6 tablespoons of lemon juice. I was able to get that amount from 3 lemons, but I would have 4 or 5 lemons on hand just to be on the safe side.
**When I made these in Colorado 15 minutes was perfect. But this time in California, it took more like 17-18 minutes. I think having all the ingredients at room temperature, should help keep the baking time around 15 minutes.
***If the glaze feels stiff and unspreadable, add a little water until it is the right consistency.

Surprisingly delicious: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

If you are like me, you are probably thinking, banana bread... with chocolate chips? Banana bread with walnuts, fine. Banana bread with pecans, great. But why in the world would you add chocolate chips?

Then again, if you are like me, you are probably thinking, did someone say chocolate?

So, if you find yourself doubting the brilliance of chocolate chip banana bread, I understand. But, I'm telling you, get ready to be pleasantly surprised: this bread is completely delicious.

I generally mistrust things labeled banana 'bread': so often, it is really cake masquerading as 'quick bread'. But this banana bread is different: it is actually a sweet bread. You could eat it for breakfast. I did eat it for breakfast. And it was perfect.

Not only is this bread delicious, it is so easy to make. As with all quick breads, as long as you have two bowls and a spatula, you are in business.

Start by melting the butter, so it can cool by the time you add it to the other wet ingredients. And, I have finally found my favorite way to melt butter on the stove-top: cut it into 1/4 inch pieces or so. That way, it melts quickly, and you don't have to worry about any of it browning before the rest has melted.
Next, in a large bowl, mix up your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. I didn't add any spices: I only wanted pure banana-chocolate goodness in this bread.
Now, grab your bananas.
Peel them, and put them into a different bowl.
Here's the fun part: mash them up. I like to use a potato masher, but a fork would do just fine.
Once those are well mashed, add in your melted butter, slightly beaten eggs, and vanilla.
Next, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. The well helps you mix the ingredients together more quickly. And, have you ever started pouring a batter into a mold, when you realize that the dry ingredients on the bottom of the bowl, aren't mixed in? Well, the well-method helps with that too.
Pour in your wet ingredients.
Now, the next step is crucial: do not overmix the batter. Stir until everything is just combined. Then put down that spatula and walk away. If you stir it too much, your quick bread will end up chewy and dense. Keeping this in mind, I started to wonder why wait until everything is incorporated to add the chocolate chips? Isn't that just asking for the batter to be over-stirred? So, this go round, I started mixing everything together, and about half way through I added the chocolate chips.
But upon reflection, why didn't I just added the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients to begin with? Next time...

Gently stir that all together, until you can't see any flour. The batter will be lumpy, but that is how it is supposed to be.
Pour that into a greased loaf pan. And bake it off.
Let it sit in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing it.
And, there you have it, a surprisingly wonderful chocolate chip banana bread.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (adapted from joyofbaking.com)
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks*
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack to middle position. Grease 9 x 5 loaf pan, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth). Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes and then remove the bread from the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

*For chocolate chips, I like Ghiradelli 60% cacao