Maple Sugar Cornbread

Mr. C. cutting brats and veggies

And checking the soup

The final product

OK, yesterday Mr. C. decided he wanted to fix dinner. (This doesn’t happen very often, and usually only if I’m ill, super busy, or have spent way too much time in the kitchen already and one more meal would drive me over the edge. (This too, doesn’t happen very often. But when it does, Mr. C. either offers to take me out, or he cooks dinner while I read a book, take a nap, or partake of an early double martini!)

Anyway, last evening he made soup – Bratwurst, Cannellini Bean, and Veggie Soup. He made this particular soup, mainly because we had leftover cooked brats in the freezer that had been there for a while. And Mr. C. is wonderful at keeping a close eye on the freezer contents. While I could go 6 years without noticing that forlorn, freezer burned, “whatever” lurking behind newer purchases. (I am not proud of this BTW.) (But it is the truth!) But back to this story.

As with most soups that include dried beans, you must start your soup early in the afternoon if you plan to eat dinner at any time before 9:00 pm. So, while he was chopping veggies at around 2:00 pm, I decided to make cornbread to go along with the soup. But why this cornbread when I already had so many other cornbread recipes already on this site?  

Our dear friend Jim had recently made cornbread using maple sugar. (Yup, I didn’t know such a thing existed either.) So, the last time Jim and Margo were over for dinner, he brought his bottle of maple sugar along for me to try. Well, boy howdy, I’m here to tell you, if you like slightly sweet cornbread that comes with its own maple syrup flavor, this is the recipe for you. And not only is the flavor marvelous, but the texture of this cornbread is divine. And we all have Sue from theviewfromgreatisland.com site to thank. I did change the quantity of maple sugar and the preparation guidelines a bit, but the rest is all on Sue. But the real hero is Jim. So, once again, oh mighty master of all things culinary, thank you for sharing this new-to-me ingredient. (And yes, you can find maple sugar on Amazon.)  

So, do not wait. Do not pass GO. Do not put off making this easy to prepare cornbread. Especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner. I can’t think of a tastier or easier to prepare bread to serve with turkey. Unless of course you are serving cornbread dressing. Then I would have to admit, two cornmeal dishes would be a bit of an overkill.

And before I’m done praising this cornbread, I should also mention that it is perfect with a side of eggs and bacon for breakfast. However you choose to serve this bread, you and your family are in for a treat.

Well, Mr. C. is off to make music at a retirement home in Seattle. I usually go to his gigs with him, but I have stopped going to retirement homes. The residents either think I’m one of them, or the people who run the place want to sign me up! I keep explaining I’m only 80, but they still insist on sending me home with a brochure!

So, instead, I will stay home and keep the home fire burning. (In my case, keep the thermostat set at 70-degrees.) And write up this recipe and post pictures of Mr. C. while he’s away. After all – while the cat’s away (and Mr. C. is a cool cat), the mice (Max, Miles, and I) will play!

But before I let you go, let me tell you about the book I just finished. (Actually, I’m not sure I finished the book, or the book finished me. It was a tough read from start to finish. But I am so glad I read It.) The name of the book is The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.

Set in the year 1327. Franciscans in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns to the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, and the empirical insights of Roger Bacon to find the killer. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey (“where the most interesting things happen at night”) armed with a wry sense of humor and a ferocious curiosity.

So, there you go. A book, the likes of which, I have never read before.

And as always, peace and love to all. And Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

1 c. fine corn meal

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed  

¼ c. maple sugar*

¼ c. granulated sugar

1 T. baking powder  

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

¾ c. buttermilk  

¼ c. real maple syrup

2 lg. eggs  

cooking spray

Lightly coat a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  

Whisk the corn meal, flour, maple sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.   

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Then whisk in the buttermilk, maple syrup, and eggs.   

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Lumps are fine.

Scoop and spread the batter out evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 350-degrees and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Serve warm, or heated in your microwave, or at room temperature. Great when served with room temperature butter. Or for a special treat, drizzled with warm maple syrup.

*Maple sugar is a natural sweetener made from boiling maple syrup until the liquid evaporates and granular sugar remains. Maple sugar has a distinct maple flavor and can be used as a replacement for other sugar products like granulated or brown sugar.

Bread, bread, bread. I know, I know, I know! Another bread recipe, but what can I say? I love bread and I have this compulsion to keep nagging at you to make your own bread for 2 very good reasons. 1) Homemade bread is delicious and doesn’t contain any nasty chemicals. 2) Homemade bread is inexpensive. (Using this recipe, the total cost of making this bread is under a dollar. About 64 cents for the flour, less than a penny for the salt, 20 cents (at the most) for the yeast, and about 4 cents for the olive oil.) Now, where can you buy 4 small loaves of French baguettes for that price? Amen!

Anyway, yesterday I was in the mood for French dip sandwiches. I had leftover flank steak (recipe to be posted soon), onions to caramelize, a couple of slices of pepper-Jack cheese that needed to be used, and a great recipe and makings for au jus (Homemade Au Jus – no Drippings Required). But what I didn’t have was baguettes. And you really cannot make French dip sandwiches without some kind of firm, crusty bread. So, that left only two choices. Send Mr. C. to the store for costly baguettes or make my own. No contest there. And since many of my favorite baguette recipes call for an overnight rise, I had to come up with a recipe that could be ready, start to finish, in less than 4 hours. And the recipe you find below is what I came up with.

So, if you too ever find yourself with no baguettes, but an urgent need for some, give this recipe a try. Easy to prepare, inexpensive, and perfect for French dip sandwiches.

Well, tonight we are going to a local production of the comic opera Falstaff. I can hardly wait. Not only do I love opera; I love that this production is in Mount Vernon rather than Seattle. (No offence, Seattle, but you do know you are becoming more difficult to navigate, with all your one-way streets, bus only lanes, bike only lanes, especially in the dark.) So, I am ready to have a nice dinner out, then drive to McIntyre Hall, park in an easy to enter and exit (and free) parking lot and arrive home 30 minutes later. Ah, the blessings of living in a rural area. Can’t be beat!

On that happy note – as always – peace and love to all.           

1½ c. warm water

2½ tsp. instant yeast*

1¾ tsp. kosher salt

4 c. bread flour, or more if needed

extra virgin olive oil 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the warm water and instant yeast with your dough hook and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt and enough flour to produce a shaggy dough. (The dough should be tacky but not sticky.)

Pour a bit of olive oil in the bowl, and using your hands and a stiff spatula, form the dough into an oil covered ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, punch down the dough and cover with plastic wrap again and let rise for 1 hour.

Divide dough in half. And then halve again. Shape dough into 4, roughly 10-inch-long loaves with rounded ends. Place on a parchment paper lined baking pan or pans, cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray, and let rise again until almost doubled – about 30-45 minutes.

Once doubled and just before placing in your pre-heated oven, sprinkle each baguette with flour and slash each top 3-4 times with a bread lame or serrated knife.

Spray loaves with water and place them in your pre-heated 450-degree oven. Set timer for 20-25 minutes. Bake for 5 minutes and spray with water again. After another 8 minutes spray again with water.

Bake for a total of 20-23 minutes or until baguettes are brown and crusty and have reached an internal temperature of 210-degrees.

Remove from oven and cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.     

To make the dough ahead, after forming the dough into an oiled ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge. The next day, punch it down, let it rest for about 10 minutes, and then shape.

*I always use instant yeast whether it is called for or not. But I also always treat it as just regular active yeast. This means allowing the liquid and yeast to mingle for a minute or two to prove to me that it (the yeast) is still alive and willing to work with me. Trust but verify.

Well, it’s November 6^th, and I am currently wearing black. I am in mourning for our nation and especially for the millions of people whom I fear will be adversely affected by the presumptive winner of the presidential election. And although I briefly considered starting my day with a double martini, I decided that it would in no way help our nation and might have some kind of adverse effect on how I make it through the rest of the day. I have really never started my day with alcohol except for adding a little Jack Daniels to my coffee while camping with Dan and Evelyn. (BTW – Thanks Uncle Dan and Auntie Evelyn (my kids’ auntie and uncle) for all the wonderful times we have shared over the years.)  

So, instead of feeling sorry for myself (and every other conscientious person I know), I’ve decided to dwell on the one bad thing that might not happen because of who won the election. There might not be any rioting or killing because some stupid idiots with guns and a feeling they had been cheated out of winning again, might just stay home and reflect on the many wonderful new things that might be coming their way. Like no social security, their affordable health plan revoked, school lunch programs for their children abolished, Medicaid eliminated, more people allowed to roam free with semi-automatic rifles, etc. etc. Now, isn’t that enough to make any “right” minded American happy?! OK, I’m done now. (Well, almost!) And no, I don’t really feel any better. But I had to say what I had to say anyway. But on to this recipe……

Every time I make Curried Pumpkin and Peanut Soup (recipe on site), I always have about a cup of pumpkin puree left over. And although I could just use it in the soup (no one would know the difference), that little bit of extra pumpkin becomes a challenge. And I love cooking challenges.

So, this time I decided it was time for a new breakfast bread. But one that also included chopped pecans, grated carrots, and zucchini, because, well, why not? (Plus, I had a small zucchini that needed to be used.) I went online and found the basic recipe on the whatsformeat.blogspot.com site. I made several changes, including adding a crumble topping, but thanks go to the owner of this site for the basic recipe.

So, if you too love a warm piece of quick bread for breakfast (or anytime really), then give this recipe a try. The bread is moist, tender, and full of flavor. And I promise you, your children will never know they are eating their veggies.

Well, that’s it for today. It’s going to take me a while to get used to the new regime. It probably isn’t going to affect people who have enough money to weather the storm. I’m not worried about that demographic. I fear for those who are poor, ill, aren’t white, not heterosexual, not happy in the body they were born with, pray to a God that isn’t recognized by some people in our country with narrow minds and no empathy, a women’s right to care for their own body, immigrants, and anyone who is in the least bit free thinking. Or has ever crossed paths in a negative way with our new ruler.

So, my hope for myself and all who share my worries is that we can divest ourselves of agony over situations out of our control, bitter feelings toward others with different perspectives, and just go on loving and taking care of each other like we always have. And that’s going to be hard. (At least it’s going to be very difficult for me to find forgiveness in my heart for people with only their own selfish agenda in mind.) But that’s really all we can do, my friends. Forgive, forget, stay positive, stay caring, and get on with our lives.

And as always, peace and love to all.

For the crumble topping: (I suggest you make this first so it can get cold in your fridge while you put the bread part together.)

2 T. packed brown sugar

3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

2 T. unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the cold butter and using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into the brown sugar mixture until pea-size crumbles form. Or do what I do, dump the whole mess in a small food processor and whirl until chunks form.

Refrigerate until ready to use. (The colder the topping, the less likely it will sink into the bread while it is baking.)

For the bread:

½ c. vegetable oil
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. brown sugar

3 lg. eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. grated zucchini, patted dry with paper towels
1 c. grated carrot, patted dry with paper towels
1 c. canned pumpkin puree

¾ c. chopped pecans
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
1 T. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt

(And I have no idea why the spaces. I can’t figure it out. And I’m too tired to play with it any longer.)

Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or 2 7-inch loaf pans. Line the bottom(s) with parchment paper. (After I place the parchment paper in the bottom of the pan or pans, I turn it over. This way the parchment paper is lightly greased on both sides to allow the baked bread to easily be lifted out of the pan and the parchment paper off the baked loaf.   
Beat the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla together in the bowl of your stand mixer until smooth, creamy, and yellow.

Add the zucchini, carrot, pumpkin, and pecan pieces and mix until well incorporated. In a separate bowl whisk the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Scoop into prepared pan(s). Top with the crumble topping mixture.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 40-55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. (You might want to check after 40 minutes, because all ovens are different and if the topping is getting too dark, you might want to cover it loosely with aluminum foil.)

Remove from oven and set on a wire rack. Let sit for about 15 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan or pans. Let cool completely before storing in a Ziplock bag or airtight container.

It is never easy to figure out exactly what to serve with soup. But at our house, there are two options that always work for us – garlic bread or cornbread.

So, when I was planning to serve soup at a recent JazzVox concert at our home, I decided to use my recipe for Garlic Bread from Scratch (recipe on site) and instead of cornbread, I thought cornmeal biscuits would be easier to serve. (Spreading butter on cornbread can be kinda messy.) So, based on a bit of research, I came up with the recipe you find below for a biscuit containing cornmeal which provided our guests with a surface on which to easily spread soft butter. And then I thought, why not flavor the butter, because I can’t be the only person who loves not only butter on my cornbread, but a bit of honey or maple syrup too! So, there you have it. The method to my madness!

For this event, I made the biscuits quite small (I used a two-inch biscuit cutter), because they would be easy to eat and because they looked so darn cute on a serving plate.

So, next time you serve soup, you might want to give this recipe a try. Yummy biscuits and the compound butter is really delicious.

Well, my work here is done. And the rest of my day is free of encumbrance. The only decisions I need to make today are 1) which book to read next and 2) what to cook for dinner?

And speaking of books, I just finished (for the second time), Gail Honeyman’s novel entitled Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. It is the kind of book that inspires the reader to strive to be a better person and to have compassion for others who might behave and act strangely. I absolutely suggest you read this book. And speaking of suggestions…..   

Please vote for the rights of others in the upcoming November election. For democracy, and civility, and compassion. Our nation is on the brink of losing the fundamental right to freedom. Freedom to believe as we choose, to care for our own bodies as we choose, and to assist those who were not born with the advantages that some of us take for granted.

Peace and love to all.   

CORNMEAL BISCUITS

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed  

1 c. yellow cornmeal

2 tsp. granulated sugar or maple sugar (if you are using maple syrup in your compound butter)

1 T. baking powder  

1 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. kosher salt  

½ c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1⅓ c. whole buttermilk

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your food processor, whirl the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt together.

Add the cold butter and pulse until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add the buttermilk to the flour mixture and pulse just until combined.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough with floured hands until about ½ inch thick.

Using a 2½ to 3-inch floured biscuit cutter, form and place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. (After cutting the first round of biscuits, pull the remaining dough into a ball, pat out again, and cut more biscuits until all the dough is gone.)     

Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until just set. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature. Great smeared with Honey or Maple Syrup Compound Butter. See the recipe below.

HONEY OR MAPLE SYRUP COMPOUND BUTTER  

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

⅓ c. honey or maple syrup

2 T. powdered sugar

¼ – ½ tsp. flaky sea salt  

Beat the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer using the paddle attachment for 1 minute on medium speed or until the butter is completely smooth and creamy. Add the honey or maple syrup, powdered sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of the flaky salt.

Beat at a medium-high speed until the mixture is completely smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until the butter is completely smooth and creamy. Taste. Add more salt if desired. (For the creamiest and fluffiest compound butter, beat for 3-4 minutes.) Scoop into a pretty serving bowl.

Cover tightly and store it in your refrigerator.

Always serve the compound butter at room temperature.

Well, while I still had a few of the fresh peaches Mr. C. brought home the other day, I decided to make a peach quick bread for our upcoming trailer trip. (I like to have tasty baked breakfast treats tucked away in our trailer freezer so that I can make each breakfast a bit different than the one I served the day before.) And no, I had never thought to make a peach quick bread before I came up with this recipe. But after going online and reading several recipes for peach bread and cake, I came up with the recipe you find below.

And oh my, it was such a lovely surprise when it actually worked. But then, how can you go wrong with fresh peaches, pecans, and a bit of bourbon to bring the whole taste sensation together?

So, if you too love peaches, bourbon, and a quick bread that is sweet, but not too sweet, then give this recipe a try. The bread is moist and very flavorful and easy to pull together. Who could ask for anything more?

Well, Labor Day is over and it’s back to school for all the kids in our neighborhood. And I’m sure I heard a big sigh of relief this morning from all the parents for whom the summer had been plenty long enough, thank you very much! I know if it had been my kids going back to school, I probably would have gone outside and joined the celebration. Not that I didn’t love my little darlings, but I would have taken it for granted that they would be safe and cared for at school. If only that were the case today. Today I would wonder if my kids really were safe at school. Cared for by their teachers – yes. Safe – not so much.

I can only hope that in my lifetime there will be action taken to help everyone in our society be safe. That mere condolences and prayers after a mass shooting, for example, become a thing of the past. That action replaces complacency (forget which political party you represent), compassion replaces greed (does any one person actually need billions of dollars), and that people start to work together for the common good. (I know this will never happen, but an old gal can dream.)

So, while I’m dreaming, I wish nothing for you but love and peace. (And a delicious quick bread in your future.)

For the crumb topping:

2 T. packed brown sugar

3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

2 T. unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the cold butter and using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into the brown sugar mixture until pea-size crumbles form. Or dump the whole mess in a small food processor and whirl until chunks form.

Refrigerate until ready to use. (The colder the topping, the less likely it will sink into the bread while it is baking.)

For the bread:

⅓ c. granulated sugar

⅓ c. brown sugar

3 T. whole milk

1 T. bourbon (or more whole milk)

¼ c. canola oil

2 lg. eggs

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. pecans, coarsely chopped

2 lg. peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into small chunks

In a large bowl, stir the sugars, milk, bourbon, oil, and eggs together. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon together and add to the sugar mixture. (The batter will be quite thick.)

Carefully fold in the pecans and peaches until thoroughly blended.

Spoon the batter into 1 standard 9×5-inch loaf pan or 2 7-inch loaf pans that have been lightly greased and the bottom of the pan or pans lined with parchment paper.

Evenly top the dough with the cold crumb topping.  

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 50-60 minutes for a large pan or around 35 minutes for the smaller pans. Or until a pick inserted into the loaf or loaves comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing. (Don’t eat the parchment paper.)  

OK, if you have ever dined at a Red Lobster restaurant, then you have probably made as big a pig of yourself as I have when a basket of their cheesy garlicky biscuits is set in front of you. If you haven’t gone crazy like me, then frankly, I don’t think we can be friends! Because anyone who doesn’t think these are the best biscuits, they ever tasted, is way beyond me culinarily. In fact, as my daughter Paula would say – these biscuits are simply life-changing!

On our way home from a family reunion in Oregon a couple days ago, we stopped at the Red Lobster in Kelso, Washington for a quick lunch. I was hungry for a Crab or Shrimp Louie. And what better place to find a Louie than at a restaurant specializing in seafood? Well, as it turned out, I would have had the same luck if we had stopped at McDonald’s. Not a Louie to be had. But I’m telling you the truth, the cheese biscuits saved the day for me.

So, of course, when I got home, I decided that I had to learn how to make these biscuits. So, the recipe you find below is what I came up with after reading 436 copy-cat recipes I found online. (Apparently, I am not the first person to decide these biscuits just must be a part of their life!)

If you too think cheddar garlic biscuits are the be all and end all, then let me recommend you give this recipe a try. Besides being beyond delicious, they are very easy to prepare. You don’t even have to roll out the dough. Or get out your mixer. Just plop blobs of the dough on a baking sheet, throw it in the oven, and wait the interminable 14 or so minutes until the biscuits can be removed from the oven, slathered with more garlic butter, and devoured before any of the rest of your family is even aware that you have been in the kitchen!

There are just those times when being able to produce an edible that is really amazingly delicious is the greatest feeling in the world. And when the said item is as easy to build as one of these biscuits, I get super/supper excited to be able to share the recipe with you.

So, next time a biscuit would be the perfect addition to a meal, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, give this recipe a try. You and your family are in for a treat. That is, if you deem it necessary to share with your family. If not, they will never know what they missed, and I’m sure as heck not going to tell them! This can remain our little secret.

So, regardless of whether your little shoulder angel or devil wins, I wish peace and love to all.

For the biscuits:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed  

1 T. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp. granulated garlic

1 packed c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

½ c. (1 stick) melted unsalted butter

1 c. buttermilk or whole milk (or a combination)

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and granulated garlic together in a large bowl. Stir in cheese.

Combine melted butter and buttermilk until small lumps form. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Don’t over mix.

Using a #16 ice cream scoop (¼ cup) or two soup spoons, drop quarter cup balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 14-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Meanwhile make the topping.

Remove from oven and slather the hot biscuits with the topping.

For the savory garlic topping:

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. granulated garlic

Whisk together just before biscuits come out of the oven.