What's Baking: Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins

Trying times call for comforting food, and these Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins fit the bill perfectly. 

It typically takes me a little longer to get back into the blogging groove after the holidays, but this year it's been harder than usual.

Let's just say that when you're worried about the potential end of democracy in your country, whether or not you should be stockpiling food, and the general loss of decency and civility in both politics and everyday life, writing a little post about something I cooked seems just a tad inconsequential.

I spent the day after the inauguration at the Women's March On Chicago. It felt good to be part of such a large group of like-minded people. I nearly cried at the sight of so many people streaming in to gather together to fight the disastrous policies of this administration. Some signs were funny; others were poignant. I left the march feeling uplifted that we were not alone, and there are plenty of decent people left in this world who care about the future of this country.

And then Monday happened.
And Tuesday.
And fast forward to Friday.

It seriously frightens me to think where this country is headed and who is pulling all the strings. I prefer the America that is inclusive. That cares about the environment. That has empathy. That is open to immigrants and the diversity of experience they bring to this country. That supports the marriages of my gay and lesbian friends. That doesn't discriminate based on religion or ethnicity or gender identity or sexual orientation. That doesn't mock others. That gives a woman the right to control her own reproductive organs. That makes everyone's ability to exercise their right to vote easier, not harder. That worries over gun violence in this country. That wants to help people rather than hurt people. That upholds the separation between church and state. That doesn't value money over human life. That provides healthcare to those who need it. That values science. That values public education. That rewards people for the skills they have, not the people they know. That thinks for the future and not just the present. I want the America I grew up in and has provided me with so much.

The long and short of it is, I'm worried. And I'm not sure what to do about it, other than resist and protest in whatever way I can, whether small or large. 

And in the meantime, I can't let myself drown in fear. And that's where I hope this blog can come in this year. I've always retreated to the kitchen when I need a break from the stresses of life. The meditation of baking is often my solace when I'm overcome with emotion or feeling stagnated. So, today, I return to the kitchen to bake. And roast. And mix. And stir. And find a way to have hope for the future.

Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins (printer-friendly version)

makes 12 muffins

1 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray each cup generously with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add together the cornmeal and buttermilk. Let sit for 5 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and sugar. 

4. Add the egg and olive oil to the bowl with the cornmeal and buttermilk. Stir to combine. 

5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Gently stir in the frozen corn kernels. Distribute the batter evenly into the 12 prepped muffin cups. (Each cup should be about 3/4 full.)

6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Serve warm or re-heat before serving.

What's For Breakfast: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pancakes

Looking for a sweet and tangy way to start your day? Look no further than these mouthwatering strawberry-rhubarb pancakes. 

Those ruby-red stalks have finally found their way into the marketplace up here in the Northwoods. And while I typically reach for a dessert recipe when it comes to this tart ingredient, this time around I was in the mood for a breakfast treat.

Enter these strawberry-rhubarb pancakes with strawberry-rhubarb sauce (I'm all in when it comes to the strawberry-rhubarb flavor combination). The base of this recipe is my standard buttermilk pancake recipe. To each round of pancake batter on the skillet I added a teaspoon each of chopped strawberries and chopped rhubarb. Then, right before serving, everything gets slathered in a scrumptious strawberry-rhubarb sauce, still warm from the stove.

What is your favorite way to use rhubarb?

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pancakes (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 pancakes

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the skillet
1/2 cup finely chopped rhubarb, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries, divided

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and whisk until just combined. Then stir in the melted butter. Do not over stir!
4. Melt the butter in an electric skillet heated to 350 degrees. Add about 1/3 cup of batter in rounds to the skillet. Top each pancake with about 1 teaspoon each of the chopped strawberries and chopped rhubarb. Flip when the pancakes when bubbles form and the batter looks matte in appearance. Cook for an additional minute or two. Serve immediately with warm strawberry-rhubarb sauce (recipe below) or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce (printer-friendly version)
makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Add the rhubarb, water, and sugar to a small sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Continue simmering for five minutes.
2. Add the strawberries and continue cooking over medium-low heat for another five minutes, or until the strawberries are tender. Lightly mash the strawberries and rhubarb with the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla. Keep warm until ready to serve.

What's For Breakfast: The Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Me and pancakes go way, way back. Pancakes were almost always on the Saturday morning menu at our house. With Car Talk in the background, my Dad made the batter and manned the spatula for flipping duty, though I would hop in to make a batch of my favorite silver-dollar-sized pancakes before all the batter was gone.

So many years later, and pancakes are still one of my favorite breakfast treats. Although, given our busy weekends, we eat pancakes more often for dinner than for breakfast. But, when a lazy weekend morning beckons, I like to put pancakes on the menu. And when I have buttermilk in the fridge, it's buttermilk pancakes all the way. I've tried a bunch of recipes in the past, and this recipe, which hails from the blog oh, sweet basil definitely is at the top of the list. And no, you don't need to adjust your screen -- our pancakes are typically that yellow. Gotta love fresh eggs from our chickens -- their orange yolks are amazing.

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes (printer-friendly version)
makes 12+ pancakes

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the skillet

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and whisk until just combined. Then stir in the melted butter. Do not over stir!
4. Melt the butter in an electric skillet heated to 350 degrees. Add about 1/3 cup of batter in rounds to the skillet. Flip when the pancakes when bubbles form and the batter looks matte in appearance. Cook for an additional minute or two. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

(adapted from this oh, sweet basil recipe)

What's Baking: Blueberry-Lemon Scones

I am a total sucker for a fresh-baked pastry chosen straight from the bakery case. The one thing (okay, one of the things) our small Northwoods town is missing is a bakery. There's nowhere in town that I know of where I can pick up a truly-delicious fresh-baked donut. (The donuts for sale at our local chain grocery store leave a lot to be desired.) A Dunkin' Donuts is opening in town soon, but, truth be told, I'm much more of a fan of small ma-and-pa type donut shops. 

Long story short, if I want a fresh-baked treat in the morning, my best option is to just bake it myself. Hence I recently baked up a batch of these delicious blueberry-lemon scones. While scones are typically a rich, buttery treat, I wanted to make a more healthful option (since I knew most of them would be consumed by me...) so I found a recipe that subbed in Greek yogurt for some of the butter. While these scones may be a little healthier than others, they are just as flavorful as their bakery-made brethren. 

Blueberry-Lemon Scones (printer-friendly version)
makes 8 scones

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons raw cane sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup plain low- or non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup organic buttermilk

zest of one lemon

1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen also work)

1 tablespoon organic heavy cream
1-2 teaspoons turbinado sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
3. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter cubes into the flour mixture.
4. Add the yogurt and buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Gently stir in the lemon zest and blueberries.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface. Gently pat the dough into a circle about 1" thick. Use a sharp knife or pizza roller to cut the round into 8 slices. Place the slices onto the prepped baking sheet. (Carefully use the knife to lift the slices from the work surface, if you find they are sticking.)
6. Brush the top of each scone with heavy cream and then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to let cool completely.

(adapted from this Cookie+Kate recipe)

What's For Breakfast: Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes

Growing up, pancakes were traditionally the Saturday morning breakfast-of-choice as my Dad wielded his spatula over a sizzling griddle. So, it goes without saying that pancakes are often found on the weekend breakfast menu at our house. This week, I decided to try out my gluten-free all-purpose flour mix in a buttermilk pancake recipe, and it did not disappoint. Topped with a pat of butter and a quite-generous drizzle of pure maple syrup, these buttermilk pancakes are certain to satisfy.

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes (printer-friendly version)
makes 12-14 pancakes

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups low-fat cultured buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter for the skillet/griddle

1. Preheat an electric skillet or griddle to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and sea salt.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and (cooled) melted butter.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir vigorously to combine.
6. Melt about 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter on the preheated skillet. Use a 1/4-cup measure to pour the batter onto the skillet. (You should be able to fit about four pancakes per batch.) Flip the pancakes when bubbles form on top.
7. Cook for an additional minute or two, or until the other side is lightly browned. Remove the pancakes from the skillet and place on a plate.
8. Put the plate in a oven set at around 200 degrees (or in a warming drawer) to keep the pancakes warm while you make the rest of the batch.
9. Serve with pure maple syrup add additional pats of butter.

What's Baking: Simple Buttermilk Biscuits

I made brisket for dinner the other night (recipe to come soon), and while it was cooking away in the oven, I asked a friend (and coworker) what I should serve on the side. (iChat is such a lifesaver during a long workday -- Leroy isn't much of a conversationalist.) Since my friend is from South Carolina, I figured he could provide expert advice on sides for the Southern dish I was cooking. He immediately suggested buttermilk biscuits, so I knew I'd have to bake up a batch. (Once fresh buttermilk biscuits are mentioned, nothing else comes close.) A quick trip to the grocery store, and I had the key ingredient (read: buttermilk) in hand.

Though I've made buttermilk biscuits in the past, more often than not they have turned out as flat, dense discs of dough. I didn't have much time to dedicate to baking up the biscuits (I figured I'd bake them once I took the brisket out of the oven, as it required a 30-minute rest), so I knew I'd need a fairly drama-free recipe to work from. A quick Google search for "easy buttermilk biscuits" brought me to a recipe posted on Completely Delicious. This recipe originates from The Gourmet Cookbook, and it is definitely a keeper. For once my biscuits came out nice and fluffy and full of delicious buttery flavor. Though we typically have yeast rolls on Thanksgiving, I'm thinking maybe this year these simple buttermilk biscuits should find their way onto our holiday dinner table.

Simple Buttermilk Biscuits (adapted from this Completely Delicious recipe)
makes 8 biscuits

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
3. Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbles. Add in the buttermilk and stir until the dough forms into a ball.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Fold the dough over itself about six times. Then use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 1/2" thickness. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out eight biscuits from the dough.
5. Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on the prepped baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Store any leftover biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.

What's On the Side: Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

I really love mashed potatoes. (Earth-shattering news, I know.) Quite possibly, they are my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner and the main reason why I like a roasted chicken dinner -- I'll take any excuse to make up a batch of mashed potatoes as a side. My Dad makes the perfect mashed potatoes -- creamy, buttery, and not mashed too much. Of course, making really good mashed potatoes requires a generous amount of milk and butter, so as much as I'd like to eat them all the time, it typically takes a special occasion (or truly tasty main dish) for me to whip up a batch on the side.

Rather than try to match my Dad's mashed potato-making skills, I decided to try out a new recipe. As luck would have it, I had some buttermilk in the fridge, so I used my Internet-searching skills (highly-honed!) to find a buttermilk mashed potato recipe. As is often the case, Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) came to my recipe rescue. I basically halved her original recipe, since I didn't need to make a mountain of mashed potatoes for D and myself. These mashed potatoes are super-delicious. The buttermilk adds an unexpected tang to the potatoes, and the butter and milk add plenty of creaminess as well. I would definitely use this recipe again -- next time I think I'd stir in some chopped roasted garlic and fresh herbs, such as thyme, chives, or rosemary at the end. Yum!

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (printer-friendly version)
makes four servings

kosher salt
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cubed [peeling is optional; I prefer to leave the skin on]
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup organic skim milk

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

freshly ground black pepper
coarse sea salt

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the cubed potatoes and bring the water back to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and place them back in the pot.
2. Add the butter and milk to the pot with the potatoes. Use a masher to roughly mash the potatoes. (I prefer chunky mashed potatoes; if you prefer them to have a smoother texture, you could use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes.) Stir in the buttermilk with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 (adapted from this Ina Garten recipe)

What's For Breakfast: Buttermilk Waffles

D requested waffles for breakfast on Sunday morning, which prompted no complaints from me. Since I had some buttermilk in the fridge leftover from making buttermilk pancakes last weekend, I figured if it works for pancakes, it must work for waffles. I found a Martha Stewart recipe that looked quite simple to follow, and I subbed a few things here and there according to what I had on hand. (I also cut down on the egg and butter amounts to make the waffles just slightly healthier; I think I'm still slightly traumatized from discovering the calorie content of my favorite Belgian waffles served in the cafeteria back in my university days.) These waffles have a light cinnamon flavor and taste delicious doused with a generous helping of pure maple syrup.

Buttermilk Waffles (printer-friendly version)
makes six waffles

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, browned, and cooled
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated, room temperature
1 cup low-fat buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup organic skim milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Melt the butter in a small sauce pot over medium-high heat. Continue melting until the foam begins to subside and the crackling slows down. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl (including the brown bits!) and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, skim milk, and vanilla extract. Carefully stir in the browned butter. It is incredibly important that the butter has cooled to prevent the yolks from cooking in the mixture.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. In a small bowl (or using an electric mixer, which would be less of a workout), beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula.
6. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Spray a pre-heated waffle iron with cooking spray. Place about 1/2 cup of batter into the center of the iron and bake until the waffle is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Place the finished waffles onto a plate in the preheated oven to keep warm. Continue making the waffles until you are out of batter.
7. Serve the waffles with maple syrup, butter, and/or your favorite fruit sauce.

(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)

What's For Dinner: Buttermilk Roast Chicken

The benefit of having a food blog is that it forces me to constantly try new things. Sure, chicken legs aren't a wild and crazy ingredient, but aside from when they've been attached to a whole chicken, I haven't cooked them before. (Which, okay, I'm (dear god) 35 -- shouldn't I have cooked chicken legs at least once in my life already?) Truth be told, meat with bones involved (particularly when you are supposed to eat it by hand) kind of skeeves me out. I think eating one too many barbecue ribs put me on the pathway to becoming a vegetarian in my previous foodie incarnation over a decade ago. That and ordering a Quarter-Chicken Platter at Aunt Catfish's while on vacation in Florida one winter -- seeing literally one quarter of a chicken (bones and all) on my plate sent me off the deep end. I'm pretty sure I didn't touch the thing. (I suppose that's what I get for ordering chicken at a restaurant known for its seafood.) Oh, sweet food memories.

But, I digress. Somewhere along the way I came across the idea of marinating chicken in buttermilk, and a quick recipe search led me to a post by Deb on Smitten Kitchen. I had also been eyeing a recipe posted by Nigella, which Deb had adapted for her post. The most important thing to know about this recipe is that you need to account for marination time in the buttermilk brine. Both Nigella and Deb suggest a minimum of two hours, but 24-48 hours is preferable. I roasted my chicken legs over two days, so the first batch had about an 18-hour marination, and the second set had about a 42-hour marination. Both batches were super-flavorful and moist as all get out. Once the chicken has marinated, cooking it couldn't be easier. Lining a baking dish with aluminum foil makes clean-up a breeze, too.

Also, no judgement if you opt to eat your chicken legs with a knife a fork. No judgement at all. :)

Buttermilk Roast Chicken (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings
Note: This recipe requires 2 to (preferably) 24 hours of brining time

2 cups buttermilk
5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated raw sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (about 10) organic chicken legs
extra-virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt
fresh parsley, coarsely chopped (for garnish)

1. Prepare the brine by whisking together the buttermilk, garlic cloves, salt, sugar, paprika, and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Pour the marinade into a gallon-size plastic zippered bag. Add in the chicken legs and swish around the brine to evenly coat the meat. Remove any excess air from the bag and zipper it tightly closed. Place the bag on a plate and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
3. On day two (or three), preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
4. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. (I cooked my legs in two batches, so I used an 8" square baking dish.) Place the chicken legs in the baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and coarse sea salt.
5. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until the interior temperature reaches 165 degrees and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

(adapted from this Smitten Kitchen recipe)

What's For Breakfast: Buttermilk French Toast with a Caramelized Banana Citrus Rum Sauce

Some people impulse-buy packs of gum or candy bars at the grocery store checkout; apparently I am easily wooed by carbs. On Friday, while picking up a few items at our local natural foods store, I couldn't help but add to my shopping basket a loaf of freshly-baked challah bread from the bakery counter (conveniently located next to the check out). I knew in an instant how I would be using the tasty loaf of egg bread -- it would have a starring role in a French toast recipe on Sunday morning. 

I have featured French toast recipes on the blog several times before -- such as this one for sourdough French toast or this one which features brandy and a lemon zest, or this yummy recipe from Alton Brown. I wanted to do something different this time around, and after a quick look in my fridge, I decided it would need to use buttermilk. Apparently using buttermilk isn't an incredibly novel thing to do, as a quick Google search yielded pages of links. I opted to work off this recipe from Sprouted Kitchen for the French toast and I used a Williams-Sonoma recipe for the banana citrus rum sauce. 

And, oh, man, was this French toast good! The caramelized bananas, simmered in a sauce made from brown sugar, freshly-squeezed orange juice, and a teeny bit of rum, completely negated the need for maple syrup. (Although, hey, adding a little (or a lot, no judgement here) of maple syrup on top certainly wouldn't hurt.) In fact, just as we were finishing up our breakfast, one of D's colleagues pulled up with two just-bottled jugs of maple syrup in tow (from trees just tapped this past week) -- its slightly caramelized taste was a delicious addition to a second helping of French toast (good thing I made extra!).

Buttermilk French Toast with a Caramelized Banana Citrus Rum Sauce 

(printer-friendly version)

make 2-3 servings

For the French toast:

2 eggs

3/4 cup low-fat organic buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons raw honey

pinch of ground cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon orange zest

4-6 slices challah or brioche bread (leave the slices out overnight or lightly toast in a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes before using)

1. Preheat a griddle to medium high heat. Spray the griddle with cooking spray right before grilling the slices of bread.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

3. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, salt, and orange zest.

4. Place the slices of bread, two at a time, into the custard mixture. Let the bread sit in the custard for about 1 minute per side. Allow any excess custard to drip off before placing the slices in the hot skillet.

5. Bake for two minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Place the cooked toasts on the prepped baking sheet.

6. Repeat the above steps until all the bread slices have been grilled.

7. Bake the French toast in the oven for 10 minutes.

For the caramelized banana citrus rum sauce:

3 bananas, sliced diagonally

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons rum

1. While the French toast is baking in the oven, prep the banana citrus rum sauce.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Add the banana slices and cook each side until browned, 1-2 minutes per side.

4. Sprinkle the bananas with brown sugar and stir until melted.

5. Carefully pour in the orange juice and rum.

6. Simmer until the sauce has reduced slightly, 1-2 minutes.

7. Serve the banana sauce immediately over the just-baked French toast.

What's On the Side: Mashed Potatoes

Whenever roast chicken is on the menu, you can be assured that mashed potatoes will also be on the table at my house. For our Thanksgiving meal, I opted to follow a recipe to make "Two-Toned Mashed Potatoes." This recipe called for both Yukon Gold and Sweet Potatoes. I used Wisconsin-grown organic Creamy Gold potatoes and organic jewel sweet potatoes. However, my mashed potatoes lacked the two-tone coloration as my sweet potatoes were decidedly not orange on the inside. Regardless of their lack of orange pigmentation, they still added plenty of sweet potato flavor to the dish. I think the real highlight of this recipe is the addition of buttermilk, a smidgen of Greek yogurt, and a smattering of onion powder. I think this will be my go-to mashed potato recipe from here on out -- and I can assure you that they are just as good when just one type of potato is used, too.

Mashed Potatoes (printer-friendly version)
makes about six servings

1/2 tablespoon organic low-fat cultured buttermilk
1 tablespoon nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 pounds (about 3 medium-size) Wisconsin Cream Gold (or Yukon Gold) potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 pounds (about 2 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2/3 cup organic low-fat cultured buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

pinch ground black pepper

pinch salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1. In a small container, stir together 1/2 tablespoon buttermilk, 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt, and onion powder. Cover and refrigerate the sauce until ready to use.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chopped potatoes and leeks and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12-15 minutes.
3. Drain and return the vegetables to the pot.
4. Add in 2/3 cup buttermilk, butter, and the prepared sauce. Mash with a potato masher. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Garnish with the chopped chives and serve immediately.

(adapted from this Eating Well recipe)

What's Baking: Buttermilk Biscuits

To round out our roast chicken dinner on Sunday, I knew I had to serve buttermilk biscuits. I suppose it would have been easier to just bake the kind that comes in a canister, but that wouldn't exactly be the less processed choice. Of course, by the time I had decided to make some biscuits from scratch, I was already headed home from the grocery store. So I turned the car around, purchased a jug of buttermilk, and was on my merry way. With just six ingredients, these biscuits are just slightly more difficult to make than the ones that pop out of the can -- and with a short bake time, you can make them right after you take the chicken out of the oven, so that they'll be done right when the chicken is carved -- perfect!

Buttermilk Biscuits (printer-friendly version)
makes 10-12 biscuits

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes and frozen
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to combine the ingredients.
3. Add in the frozen butter cubes and pulse until the flour mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Add in the buttermilk, and process until the dough just comes together into a ball. The dough will be wet and sticky.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.
6. Use your hands to pat the dough until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough a few times and then press it down until it's about 1" thick.
7. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. (I apparently lack a biscuit cutter and/or just couldn't find it, so I used the open end of a round glass to cut out my biscuits instead.)
8. Place the biscuits close together (so that they touch) on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Serve immediately.

(adapted from this Food.com recipe)

What's Baking: Spiced Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Another weekend, another coffee cake. The weather over the weekend cooled significantly from the soaring temperatures we had during the week, so I threw my plans to make a pitcher of sangria out the window and baked up a warm coffee cake instead. The perfect accompaniment to a lazy morning and a hot cup of coffee!

Spiced Buttermilk Coffee Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes eight servings

1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
zest from one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup candied ginger chips, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a medium-sized bowl. Stir together with a fork.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, buttermilk, and lemon zest.
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
5. Spoon the batter into a greased 8"x8" glass baking dish.
6. Make the crumb topping by combining together the sugars and flour. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and candied ginger. Stir in the chopped pecans
7. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly over top of the batter.
8. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
9. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

What's Baking: Cinnamon Buttermilk Coffee Cake

We finally woke up to a few inches of snow on Saturday morning. I was almost convinced we were never going to see the white stuff this winter! For some reason, the presence of snow made me crave a slice of coffee cake, so I quickly set to putting one together. Simple as ever, with a few new ingredients -- this time I opted to replace most of the milk I usually use with buttermilk. I also added a generous amount of chopped pecans to the topping. D said this coffee cake was the best he's ever had -- so I have a feeling my substitutions were a brilliant idea!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Coffee Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes eight servings

1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup skim milk
zest from one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl. Stir together with a fork.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, buttermilk, and skim milk.
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
5. Stir in the lemon zest and ground cinnamon.
6. Spoon the batter into a greased 8"x8" glass baking dish.
7. Make the crumb topping by combining together the sugars and flour. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir in the chopped pecans
8. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly over top of the batter.
9. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
10. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.