The Harvest Baker: 150 Sweet & Savory Recipes Celebrating the Fresh-Picked Flavors of Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables
304
The Harvest Baker: 150 Sweet & Savory Recipes Celebrating the Fresh-Picked Flavors of Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables
304eBook
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781612127682 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Storey Publishing, LLC |
| Publication date: | 06/27/2017 |
| Sold by: | Hachette Digital, Inc. |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 304 |
| File size: | 17 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Ken Haedrich is the author of more than a dozen cookbooks, including Pie Academy, The Harvest Baker, Maple Syrup Cookbook, and Home for the Holidays, a winner of the Julia Child Cookbook Award. Founder and “dean” of The Pie Academy, Haedrich is one of America’s most respected food writers and a recognized authority on baking — pies, in particular. His articles have appeared in many publications, including Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Light, and Bon Appétit. He can be found online at thepieacademy.com.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
MORNING BREADS: Muffins, Biscuits, and Scones
It's virtually impossible to have a bad day when you start with a homemade quick bread. Plump muffins, tender-crusty biscuits, rich scones — these simple pleasures get your day off on the right foot and remind you just how good breakfast can be. These morning breads are even more special when they capture a moment in time by featuring the seasonal harvest, the way they do in the following recipes.
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
These are so good that they'll have you counting the days until spring, when you can get your hands on fresh berries and rhubarb again. They're certainly worth the wait. (I will use frozen strawberries when good local ones aren't available, but I find it very difficult to find frozen rhubarb.) Light and cake-like, rich and moist, these muffins are laced with cinnamon, cardamom, and lemon zest, just enough to notice but not enough to interfere with the delicate fruit flavor. A sprinkle of sugar on top gives them a crunchy lid that contrasts nicely with the soft interior. Serve them out on the patio or screened porch, on one of those warm spring weekends that melt away the memory of winter.
INGREDIENTS
* Butter and sugar for the cups
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh rhubarb
• 2/3 cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom or nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and partially cooled
• 3 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• ½ cup diced fresh strawberries
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan and dust each of the cups with a little sugar. Set aside. Combine the rhubarb and 1 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2. Combine 2/3 cup sugar in a mixing bowl with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. Whisk well to mix.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs until frothy, then whisk in the sour cream, melted butter, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the liquid mixture. Stir gently, until just a few streaks of the dry mixture remain, then add the rhubarb and strawberries and fold them in with as few strokes as possible to minimize staining the batter.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the cups. Sprinkle 2 or 3 big pinches of sugar over each muffin. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the muffins are well risen and golden brown on top. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and continue to cool on the rack, bottoms facing up. These are best served warm. Refrigerate leftovers. Reheat leftovers, loosely wrapped in foil, in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 7 to 10 minutes.
Fresh Berries: The Jewels of Summer
Nothing kicks off summer like a roadside sign announcing FRESH BERRIES FOR SALE. For those of us who love to bake, fresh berries are the plump jewels that sweeten our scones and brighten our muffins, the currency that adds immeasurable value to so much of our summer baking.
The first immutable law of berries is this: not all berries are created equal. If they're picked too soon, they won't be sweet and juicy. And if they're flown in from distant lands, they'll be homesick and taste like jet lag. Which leads us to our second immutable law of berries: get 'em fresh and local, straight from the farm if possible. Pick-your-own farms are everywhere these days, and I can't think of a more enjoyable family activity. Better still is a free supply of wild fruit. Years ago, when I lived in New Hampshire, my kids and I knew all the best picking spots. Wild blackberries grew in abundance along old logging roads. We'd thread recycled yogurt containers through our belts, head into the brambles, and in no time flat have enough fruit for a couple of pies.
No matter where you procure your berries, you'll want to keep them in tip-top condition until you use them, which should be as soon as possible — within a couple of days at most.
Handling and Rinsing
As soon as you get your berries home, spread the fruit out on a paper towel–lined baking sheet and remove any debris or mushy fruit. With large strawberries — which typically mark the beginning of berry season — you can cut out soft areas and salvage what's left. Then layer the berries in a colander with an occasional paper towel between them to absorb excess moisture; the colander allows for air circulation and help keeps them fresh. Don't rinse the berries yet. Put another paper towel on top, put the colander on a plate or pie dish, and refrigerate until you're ready to use them.
Contrary to common practice, berries shouldn't be rinsed until just before you use them. Leave the berries in the colander, but remove the paper towels. Give the berries a quick rinse under cold running water, then turn them out onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels. Gently shake the sheet back and forth so the towels wick away as much water as possible.
Adding Berries to Your Baked Goods
Unless I'm in a real hurry, I like to partially freeze my berries before adding them to my baked goods. It won't diminish the flavors of the berries, and a quick hardening up in the freezer will keep them from squishing or falling apart when you mix them into batter or dough. After you rinse the berries and dry them as well as possible (you don't want any extra moisture added to your recipe), spread the berries out, cut or whole, on a baking sheet and place directly in the freezer. If you're using the berries right away, a 30- to 60-minute freeze should be long enough. For long-term storage, freeze the berries for an hour or two, until they're good and firm, then transfer them to plastic freezer bags, seal, and store in the freezer for up to 1 year.
WHOLE-WHEAT BLUEBERRY BEET MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
One of the challenges when you're baking with beets, especially puréed beets, is this: The item in question can turn a pretty shocking shade of red. Or blue-red. Or some similarly off-putting shade — really off-putting if you happen to be a kid. One of the best ways to temper this effect is by using whole-wheat flour, as we do here. You still see a bit of red, but the whole grains give it an earthy, appealing hue. The irony is, when all is said and done, you don't really taste the beets anyway, at least not much; they take a backseat to whole-grain goodness, sweet maple syrup, plump blueberries, and warm ginger. Make these for your favorite blueberry muffin lover; you'll be a hero.
INGREDIENTS
* Oil for the foil sheet
• Butter for the muffin pan
• 3 medium-size fresh beets
• 2 ¼ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream, plain yogurt, or vanilla yogurt
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup vegetable oil or light olive oil
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• Maple Syrup Glaze (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). If the beet stems and leaves are still attached, trim them off where they meet the root. Trim off most of the skinny tail also. Tear off a 12to 14-inch piece of aluminum foil and drizzle the middle with a little cooking oil. Place the beets in the center and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of water. Close up the foil, place the foil packet on a baking sheet, and bake the beets until they're tender all the way through when pierced with a cake tester or paring knife. This could take anywhere from 50 to 75 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. When they are done, open the foil so the beets can cool.
2. When the beets have cooled, remove the skins by rubbing them off with dry paper towels. Cut the beets into chunks and transfer to a food processor. Process to a smoothish purée. Measure out ¾ cup. (Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers for another use. Blend with fresh herbs and cream cheese to make a nice spread for appetizer toasts.)
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan. (You can use muffin cup liners if you like, but you may have to use an additional ramekin or two for excess batter.)
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger in a large bowl. Mix well by hand.
5. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl until frothy. Add the sour cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and beet purée. Whisk until evenly blended. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Stir until everything is dampened and only a few dry streaks remain. Add the blueberries and ginger and fold them in until the batter is evenly mixed.
6. Divide the batter among the cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the muffins feel springy to the touch. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins, and continue to cool on the rack, bottoms facing up. Transfer to a cloth-lined basket, and serve warm. If desired, you can glaze them with the Maple Syrup Glaze, but the muffins should cool to lukewarm first. (If they're hot, too much of the glaze will run off.)
BACON, CHEDDAR, AND FRESH CORN MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
Fresh corn, bacon, cheese — how could these muffins be anything short of fabulous? The bacon's salty bite is really important here, so it's worth taking a few minutes to fry it up. (No cheating with packaged bacon bits. In my lazier moments I've used diced pepperoni. It's okay, but it's not bacon.) These are nice as an accompaniment to scrambled or poached eggs, and they can turn any hearty chili, soup, or stew into a feast. If you want to layer another harvest flavor on top of the corn, sauté cup finely diced onion or sliced scallions in a little of the bacon fat and add it to the batter when you add the corn.
INGREDIENTS
* Butter for the muffin pan
• 6–8 bacon strips
• 1 cup corn kernels, preferably freshly cut
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup vegetable oil, light olive oil, or melted butter
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese,
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and cool thoroughly.
2. Put the corn in a small saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook at a low boil for 5 minutes. Drain the corn, and set it aside to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan.
4. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk well.
5. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl until frothy. Whisk in the milk, sour cream, and oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the liquid mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon just until the batter is dampened. Crumble the bacon into the batter, then add the corn and cheese. Stir just until the batter is evenly mixed.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with a little extra cheese, if desired. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the muffins are slightly domed and the tops are golden brown.
7. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and continue to cool on the rack, bottoms facing up. Serve as soon as possible. Refrigerate leftovers. Reheat leftovers, wrapped in foil, in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 10 minutes.
RICOTTA, LEMON, AND BLACKBERRY MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
Crispy on the outside, with a moist, tender, off-white interior, these muffins are a showcase for your fat summer blackberries. They love lemon, so we include lots of zest; lemon thyme, too, if you have it on hand. Some of the blackberries I get from my brother-in-law's garden are real monsters, and I have to cut them in half before adding them to the batter — feel free to do likewise. Oftentimes I'll end up with leftover ricotta cheese when I make a big Italian meal, and this is a clever way to use it up.
INGREDIENTS
* Butter for the muffin pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup milk
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 2–3 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1–1 ¼ cups blackberries, halved if very large
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme (optional)
• Citrus Glaze (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix well by hand or with a whisk.
3. Purée the ricotta, sugar, sour cream, milk, melted butter, egg, lemon zest, and vanilla in a blender. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the liquid mixture. Stir until everything is dampened and only a few dry streaks remain. Add the blackberries and lemon thyme, if using, and fold them in with as few strokes as possible.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the muffins are well risen and the tops feel springy to the touch and are light golden brown. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and continue to cool on the rack, bottoms facing up. Serve as is, or drizzle a little Citrus Glaze on the muffins before serving.
PEANUT BUTTER AND APPLE CRUMB MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
Muffins are wonderful, but like so many quick breads, they have a limited shelf life before they start drying out. That's one of the reasons I like adding grated fruits and vegetables: their moisture is released gradually into the bread, so the muffins are not as quick to dry out. That's certainly the case with these peanut butter muffins made with grated apple. They're great for breakfast and after-school snacks, and they freeze beautifully. No need to thaw. Just wrap in foil and place in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 15 minutes. Serve warm, with a slather of butter and drizzle of honey, and applesauce on the side.
INGREDIENTS
* Butter for the muffin pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup peeled and grated apple (about 1 large apples)
• ½ cup raisins (optional)
• ¾-1 cup Brown Sugar Streusel
• Confectioners' Sugar Glaze (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.
3. Combine the buttermilk, brown sugar, peanut butter, oil, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Using an electric mixer — a hand-held mixer is fine — beat on medium speed until evenly blended.
4. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the liquid mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix briefly, until only a few dry streaks remain visible in the batter. Add the apple and raisins, if using, and stir until the batter is well mixed.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Top each one with about 1 tablespoon of the streusel, gently pressing it into the batter to partially embed it. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, until the muffins are well risen and a tester inserted into the center of the middle muffins comes out dry. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and continue to cool on the rack. Transfer to a cloth-lined basket and serve warm. If you like, drizzle the tops sparingly with Confectioners' Sugar Glaze before serving.
GLORIOUS MORNING MUFFINS
Makes about 15 muffins
This is my take on the popular "morning glory" muffin, countless variations of which you've probably encountered over the years. In case you haven't, the basic idea is a wholesome carrot cake–like muffin with a laundry list of add-ins, from crushed pineapple to nuts and everything in between. It's a delicious way to start the day, and because they're substantial, one of these with your coffee will hold you over till lunch. They freeze beautifully, so I seal mine two at a time in quart-size freezer bags and take them out the night before I serve them for breakfast. Warm them up, split them, and top with yogurt. This makes a big batch because you'll want extras. Use a second pan or ramekins for the extra batter.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Harvest Baker"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Ken Haedrich.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
PrefaceTool Talk: Outfitting the Harvest Baker's Kitchen
Part 1: For the Love of Bread
1 Morning Breads: Muffins, Biscuits, and Scones
2 Sweet and Savory Quick Breads and Tea Loaves
3 Yeast Breads, Rolls, and Buns
Part 2: Crusty Entrees
4 Harvest Pizzas, Flatbreads, Calzones, and Other Stuffed Breads
5 Savory Harvest Pies: Quiches, Tarts, Pot Pies, and More
Part 3: The Baker's Sweet Tooth
6 Cookies and Bars: A Handful of Harvest Goodness
7 Cakes: Pound, Coffee, Upside Down, and More
8 Sweet Pies and Crostatas
Part 4: Top It Off
9 The Harvest Baker's Pantry: Sauce, Glaze, Streusel, and More
Converting Recipe Measurements to Metric
Acknowledgments
Index
Related Subjects
Customer Reviews
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