Gingerbread Scones for Christmas Morning

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These scones would make a nice addition to any holiday table and I think you'll find they'll have a special appeal to those who prefer a pastry that is only moderately sweet. Molasses and ginger in two forms, ground and crystallized, are combined to make a spicy breakfast bread that is quite simple to prepare. Better still, if you are pressed for time, the scones can be made well ahead of time, frozen for up to a month, and then reheated when you are ready to serve them. Frozen scones should be wrapped in foil and warmed in a 300 degree F oven for about 20 minutes before you need them on the table. I like to serve this seasonal treat with a slightly sweetened whipped cream cheese or a spreadable European butter. I do hope you'll give this simple recipe a try. Here is how the scones are made.

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been busy baking cookies for a realtor open house we'll be having week after next. While I prefer freshly baked cookies, the cookie I'm featuring tonight is earmarked for the freezer. My left eye has stabilized, so we can finally proceed with the transplant for the right eye. I'll be out of commission for a while, so I'm trying to get my house in order, cookies and all, before the "thou shalt nots" kick in. Obviously, one limitation will be the amount of time I can devote to the blog. Using a combination of old and new, I hope to schedule posts for the days I can't access the computer. That, anyway, is the plan. Should I miss a day or two, I hope you'll understand. I want to share these delicious molasses cookies with you, as well as the realtors, because they are so simple to make. They require no special equipment, save for a bowl and wooden spoon, and while the cookies look crisp, they are actually soft, chewy and undeniably delicious. My only caution is a reminder not to over-bake them. I pulled the cookies in these photos after they had been in the oven for 8 minutes. I let them cool on the baking pans for about 10 minutes more before I transferred them to cooling racks. At that point,  you should be able to move and lift the cookies without them bending. The recipe for these gems comes from Bon Appetit magazine. If you are looking for an easy cookie recipe, I hope you'll give this one a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Maple and Molasses Baked Beans

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...No trip to the Cape Cod would be complete without sampling the baked beans for which New England is famous. There are two types served in this region of the country and the identification of either can be muddy. Fortunately, I had some help. I got to spend some time with an oysterman - actually a woman - who was also a guide at one of the local museums. Now oysters and beans have little in common, but in the course of our conversation, changes in the American diet came into play. She noted that there was a time when dishes like oyster stew, baked beans and mac n' cheese were the meal rather than part of it. While oysters dominated the conversation, we kept returning to what was once a staple of the island locals, suppers of baked beans and brown bread. There are two types of beans served here. Classically, Boston baked beans are made with molasses, while the New England variety is made with maple syrup. The muddy part of this comes when ingredients are mixed and the bean pot contain elements of both. The beans we ate on the island contained both syrup and molasses and were much sweeter than those we normally ate at home. They were also cooked in a different manner than any I had prepared before. The beans were delicious, but I must admit, that to my taste anyway, they were a bit too sweet. The next time I make these I'll cut back on the amount of molasses that I use. Other than that, this is a near perfect recipe and I recommend it to those of you who are trying to contain your food costs. These beans are a perfect feature for Frugal Friday and I think you will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Boston Baked Beans...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Heather and Martha Zschock

Ingredients:
2 cups dried navy beans, rinsed
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup light molasses
1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 cup salt pork
1 onion quartered

Directions:
1) Place beans, water and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large ovenproof kettle. Bring to a boil, than reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1-1/2 hours.
2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Drain beans, reserving liquid. Return beans to kettle.
3) Combine garlic, maple syrup, molasses, mustard and reserved 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl and mix well. pour mixture over beans. Addjust enough bean cooking liquid to cover beans. Score salt pork. Poke pork and quartered onion into middle of beans.
4) Cover pot and place in oven. Bake for 3 hours, checking every 45 minutes to make sure beans are covered with liquid. If needed, add more reserved cooking liquid to cover beans. Yield: 6 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

Two Years Ago Today: Stovetop Barbecued Chicken "Ribs"

Three Years Ago Today: Schnecken

Frugal Foodie Friday - Molasses-Glazed Pork Chops

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our local warehouse store stocks large single loins of pork that are between 2 to 2-1/2 feet long. I buy one or two of them whenever I shop there and break them down into meal-size portions when I get home. The loins are a tremendous bargain and they make for some great meals that are perfect for Frugal Friday. The recipe I'm featuring today is a variation of one that appeared in Eating Well magazine. The first time I prepared the chops I knew the recipe was a keeper. It is hard not to like a dish that is easy and delicious as well as cheap. I know you will enjoy the chops, but I have one huge caution to share with you. It is really easy to overcook thin-cut chops and if you do that, you'll end up with tough and dry pork. Please follow the times suggested in the recipe below. While I use light molasses to prepare the chops, a darker variety can be used if you prefer the taste. This is a nice recipe and it is perfect for those who have limited food budgets. I hope all of you will give it a try. Here's how the the chops are made.

Molasses-Glazed Pork Chops...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Eating Well

Ingredients:
2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 thin-cut boneless pork chops, (16 ounces), trimmed of fat
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup light molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

Directions:
1) Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Add pork, and cook until browned and no longer pink in middle, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
2) Add shallot, jalapeno and garlic; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add molasses, vinegar, mustard and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes.
3) Return pork and any accumulated juices to pan and turn to coat with sauce. Serve the pork with sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

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Three years Ago Today: Tomato Herb and Blue Cheese Pizza

Fast and Easy Whole Wheat and Molasses Quick Bread

My Thought for the Day can be found, here. If you like it, give us a thumbs up and share it with your friends.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."Home again, home again, jiggety jig." Just in time to learn that rain, which admitably was fierce, caused our block party to be cancelled. While I was sorry I wouldn't be able to touch base with the neighbors, I was awfully glad I could take another day to become reacquainted with my kitchen. The Silver Fox volunteered for dinner duty, so while he pulled the elements of our dinner from the freezer, I put my feet up and relaxed. He chose some chili and a lovely quick bread that works well with any dish you that you might normally serve with cornbread. The bread is a Mark Bittman creation and I originally found the recipe in the New York Times. If you enjoy quick breads and are not put off by the flavor of molasses, I hope you'll give this recipe a try. The loaf is sliceable and many like to use it for sandwiches. I find that the flavor of molassses overwhelms the innards of most sandwiches, so I don't use the bread in that way. I do, however, like to eat it out of hand with butter or cream cheese, and have found that leftovers make fabulous toast. I prefer to use the more subdued flavor of light molasses when I make this bread, but if you enjoy the full-bodied flavor of molasses, by all means, use the darker varieties. Here is how this simple substitute for cornbread is made.

Fast and Easy Whole Wheat and Molasses Quick Bread...from the kitchen of Onee Perfect Bite courtesy of Mark Bittman and the New York Times

Ingredients:
Oil or butter for greasing pan
1-2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt, or 11/2 cups milk and 2 tablespoons white vinegar (see Step 2)
2-1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup molasses

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-by-4-inch or 9-by 5-inch loaf pan, preferably nonstick.
2) If you're using buttermilk or yogurt, ignore this step. Make soured milk by warming milk gently - 1 minute in microwave is sufficient, just enough to take chill off - and add vinegar. Set aside.
3) Mix together dry ingredients. Stir molasses into buttermilk, yogurt or soured milk. Stir liquid into dry ingredients (just enough to combine) then pour into pan. Bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Yield: 1 loaf.

Suggested Variations:
Lighter Whole Wheat Quick Bread: Use 1-1/2 cups whole wheat and 11/2 cups all-purpose flour; omit cornmeal. Substitute honey for molasses. Beat 1 egg into wet ingredients in Step 3. Proceed with recipe.









One Year Ago Today: Strawberry and White Chocolate Cream Cheese Dessert Squares

















Two Years Ago Today: Spiked Pink Lemonade
















Three Years Ago Today: Asparagus and White Bean Salad














Four Years Ago Today: Old-Fashioned Blueberry Crumb Bars

Double Ginger Snaps

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It somehow all gets done, and while I had my doubts this year, the house sparkles and the decorations, save for a small glitch with the color of poinsettias that were delivered, are everything what I wanted them to be. Christmas has come to this Oregon hillside. We've even had a bit of snow and for the last two mornings, the ridge line that fronts our home has been a pristine white. Oregon snow, at least at our elevation is a rare and short lived event, so it is especially nice to have it fall at Christmas time. The baking for our Sunday brunch is done and the breads and cookies I'll be serving are in the freezer waiting for the big thaw. The savories will involve a last minute push, but I'm up to that now that I can see all else is done. I'm actually looking forward to my own party. As I surveyed my kingdom tonight, I realized only one thing kept the moment from being perfect. The house needed cinnamon and ginger to balance the fragrance of the fir that was permeating the rooms on its first floor. The double ginger snaps I'm featuring tonight come from a recipe developed for Williams-Sonoma. They are next to no work to make, so I decided to bake a batch. While I combined wet and dry ingredients, the Silver Fox chopped ginger and our combined effort put cookies in the oven in less than 20 minutes. We were like kids waiting for them to cool. Simplicity has become important to me as I grow older and I love easy recipes that produce delicious result. This is one of those recipes. It makes a chewy, fragrant holiday cookie that I think you'll enjoy. My only caution regards the amount of time it takes to bake them. Time in the original recipe was grossly understated and my cookies needed almost 20 minutes to bake. These are wonderful with milk or a freshly brewed cup of coffee. I do hope you'll try the recipe. The cookies are easy to make and they are a wonderful old-world addition to your holiday cookie tray. Here's how they are made.

Double Ginger Snaps ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg white
3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup coarse sugar crystals

Directions:
1) Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
2) Sift flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir oil, brown sugar and molasses until they are well blended. Add whole egg and beat to combine. Stir in flour mixture
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the oil, brown sugar and molasses until well blended. Add the whole egg and stir until blended. Fold in flour mixture, then stir in crystallized ginger.
4) Beat egg white in a small bowl. Spread sugar crystals in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls with dampened hands. Brush each ball lightly with egg white and roll in sugar to coat lightly.
5) Place cookies 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until tops of cookies are set and crackled, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove cookies from pans and place on wire rack until completely cool. The cookies will firm as they cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

One Year Ago Today: Figgy Pudding

Two Years Ago Today:  Fresh Fettuccini with Corn Pesto

Three Years Ago Today: Linzer Cookies

Baked Indian Pudding

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... I suspect I'm about to make a fool of myself. Despite that, I'll continue on, sure in the knowledge that I am in the company of good friends who won't judge me too harshly. Here's the deal. Last weekend, I was blog browsing and found a recipe for (American) Indian pudding on a site I like and trust. It looked delicious and as I read through the ingredient list I realized, that despite my years in the kitchen, I had never made or tasted this dessert. It was a perfect weekend to give it a try. Which I did. The thing is, I don't know if my pudding was a triumph or a tragedy. I know it was delicious and redolent with spices, but its texture was not what I anticipated and I suspect that this was my bad. I searched the internet trying to find a blurb that described the texture of the finished pudding. If one exists, I couldn't find it, so here comes the part where I make a fool of myself. Despite 3 hours of cooking and an hour of rest, my pudding was like a soft polenta that had a very thin crust. It certainly didn't look like any of the photos I found while surfing the net. I thought it was to runny to serve, but rather than toss it out, I decided to see what would happen when it was chilled. Several hours later, I pulled it from the refrigerator and the once polenta-like mass had set and now held its shape. It looked a bit like bread pudding. I quickly warmed a serving, topped it with a scoop of ice cream and had a taste. It was delicious. Its appearance left much to be desired, but the combination was lovely and the dish had wonderful flavor. My problem is that I have unresolved issues with its texture and appearance. I hope a few of my Yankee readers will bring me up to speed. Should the pudding be loose or firm? This is a dessert that did not move westward with the pioneers and we, out here in the diaspora, are clueless. Your input would be appreciated. At any rate, here's the recipe I used to make the pudding.

Baked Indian Pudding...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Yankee Magazine and Linda Thompson

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each of ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup cream

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a sauce pan, bring 3 cups of the milk to a boil. Mix 1 cup of cold milk with the cornmeal and stir slowly into the hot milk. Cook on low for 20 minutes, stirring often.
2) Add butter, sugar and molasses. Remove from heat. Add salt and spices. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup hot liquid to eggs, stirring constantly. Stir tempered eggs into cornmeal mixture. Pour into a 1-1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes during the first hour. After 1 hour, pour cream over top of pudding but do not stir. Continue cooking until top is set, 1 to 1-1/2 hours longer. Served warm topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Cook's Note: I used light molasses and golden brown sugar to make this pudding. The color, I'm sure, is better with a full-bodied molasses and dark brown sugar. Those flavors, however, are too strong for my palate. If you are watching calories or fat grams, milk or light cream can be used in place of the heavy cream.








One Year Ago Today: Broccoli Pesto and Pasta with Pesto and Peas

















Two Years Ago Today: Cranberry Bread Pudding with Orange Hard Sauce

Anadama Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I don't know how or when it happened. After years of going "over the river and through the woods" there came a day when I, ready or not, like it or not, was the grandmother to whose home the revelers cometh. I know it's terribly unsophisticated to celebrate this meal, but I'll tell you up front that I love it, if for no other reason than the wonderful aromas that emanate from the kitchen as this dinner comes together. Christmas builds to a olfactory crescendo with aromas that are released over a period of days. Not so Thanksgiving. This is an all or nothing affair. The assault begins with breakfast bacon and continues through the day as the aroma of bread and pie and turkey and cider meld into a harmonious union that could put the orchestration of a symphony to shame. Thanksgiving is not a difficult meal to prepare; it's as easy to make for twenty as it is for two, but it does require a game plan and a bit or organization to pull it off. I do a great deal of the work ahead of time. Today I made our rolls, both Anadama and potato, and enough pie crust to last us through the Christmas holiday. Everything is in the freezer waiting to debut on the big day. The pie crusts will be rolled and filled on Thanksgiving morning. I pre-bake the rolls. We talked about Refrigerator Potato Rolls last year. Since then I've resurrected this wonderful recipe for Anadama Rolls. The recipe appeared in Bon Appetit over a decade ago. I really like these rolls. There is something especially fitting about rolls made with corn meal and molasses for Thanksgiving day. Symbolism aside, the rolls are really wonderful and they are not hard to make. I know you'll like them. Here's the recipe.

Anadama Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup warm water
1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons)dry yeast
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten to blend
2 teaspoons sesame or poppy seeds

Directions:
1) Bring milk, 1 cup water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook until mixture thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in molasses and 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool until thermometer inserted into center of mixture registers 115°F, whisking often, about 15 minutes.
2) Pour 1/2 cup warm water into small bowl; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until yeast dissolves and top looks spongy, about 10 minutes. Stir yeast mixture into cornmeal mixture. Gradually mix in 4 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, to form soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour onto work surface. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour by tablespoonfuls if needed, about 10 minutes (dough will remain slightly sticky). Form dough into ball. Coat a large bowl with butter or shortening. Add dough to bowl and turn to coat dough with butter or shortening. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
3) Punch down dough. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Coat each of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with butter or shortening. Roll dough into 18-inch-long log. Cut into 18 equal pieces. Using floured hands, form each dough piece into ball. Place 9 dough balls in each pan, spacing apart. Cover each pan loosely with towel. Let rolls stand in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Brush rolls with egg glaze. Sprinkle with seeds. Place rolls in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350°F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature. Wrap rolls in foil and rewarm in 350°F oven 10 minutes.) Serve warm. Yield: 18 rolls.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
The Way the Cookie Crumbles - Cinnamon Rolls
Pinch My Salt - Sweet Potato Buttermilk Rolls
Cooking By the Seat of My Pants - Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting