Baking for Dummies Read online

  Per serving: Calories 254 (From Fat 120); Fat 13g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 18mg; Sodium 118mg; Carbohydrate 31g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 3g.

  Crumbcake

  Looking for an easy recipe to share with others? Tender, moist cake topped with crumbly cinnamon and nuts, this is always a crowd pleaser, especially on Mondays when co-workers are missing their weekends.

  Preparation time: 20 minutes

  Baking time: 45 minutes

  Yield: 24 2-inch squares

  Topping:

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

  2 tablespoons butter, cut into four pieces, softened

  1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  Cake:

  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

  1 cup sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  3 eggs

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon ground allspice

  1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-x-9-inch baking pan.

  2In a small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon flour, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the topping. Mix well and set aside.

  3Prepare the cake: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

  4Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

  5Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice and add to the butter mixture. Mix in the sour cream.

  6Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter evenly with the topping.

  7Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack before cutting.

  Vary It! Try folding 1 cup of fresh blueberries into the batter before you pour it into the pan.

  Per serving: Calories 178 (From Fat 83); Fat 9g (Saturated 5g); Cholesterol 44mg; Sodium 133mg; Carbohydrate 22g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 3g.

  Sweet Chocolate Chip Pull-Apart Bread

  Some people call this monkey bread. I find it a lot of fun to make and to eat, and who can resist the goodness of chocolate? This sweet, chocolaty bread drizzled with butter and cinnamon is hard to resist. Instead of cutting it, you pull it apart with your hands — make sure to lick them clean when you’re done!

  Preparation time: 20 minutes

  Baking time: 30 minutes

  Yield: 16 balls

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  3/4 cup sugar

  1 tablespoon baking powder

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 5 pieces

  1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

  2/3 cup milk

  1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  3 tablespoons melted butter

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan.

  2In a mixing bowl or in a food processor, combine the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt.

  3Using a pastry blender or a few pulses of the food processor, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. See Chapter 3 for tips on using a pastry blender. Stir in the chocolate chips and milk to combine.

  4Divide the dough into 16 balls and place in the prepared baking pan (the balls will touch).

  5Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Drizzle the balls with the melted butter and sprinkle them with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

  6Bake for 30 minutes, until light brown. Cool in the pan set on a wire rack before removing from the pan.

  Per serving: Calories 205 (From Fat 85); Fat 9g (Saturated 5g); Cholesterol 17mg; Sodium 150mg; Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 2g.

  Savory breads

  Savory breads are usually served with a meal instead of as dessert or a sweet treat. Savory quick breads are perfect for the hurried cook who wants to offer homemade bread without fussing with yeast breads. Boston Brown Bread is nice with a hearty bowl of chili or soup, and the Southern Corn Bread goes well with baked or barbecued chicken.

  Boston Brown Bread

  The whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, and dark molasses make this a rich, satisfying bread.

  Preparation time: 15 minutes

  Baking time: 1 hour

  Yield: 24 servings

  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  3/4 cup sugar

  1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

  1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  1/2 cup cornmeal

  2 cups whole-wheat flour

  3/4 cup dark molasses

  1 egg, lightly beaten

  2 cups milk

  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-x-5-inch loaf pans.

  2Sift together 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cornmeal and whole-wheat flour. Add the remaining 1 cup all-purpose flour, molasses, egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla, mixing only until all the flour is moistened.

  3Pour into the prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove the bread from pans and cool on a wire rack.

  Vary It! Stir in 1 cup of raisins or walnuts (when you add the flour) to add extra flavor.

  Per serving: Calories 174 (From Fat 45); Fat 5g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 22mg; Sodium 241mg; Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 3g.

  Southern Corn Bread

  Looking for a tender, sauce-sopping bread for your next barbecue? Down South, they preheat the pan the corn bread goes into. If you have a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, by all means break it out for this recipe.

  Preparation time: 10 minutes

  Baking time: 20 minutes

  Yield: One 8- or 9-inch corn bread

  2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

  2 cups finely ground cornmeal

  4 teaspoons baking powder

  1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  1 1/2 cups buttermilk

  1 egg, lightly beaten

  1Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the butter or vegetable oil in the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan (or a 10-inch cast iron skillet) and place it in the oven while it heats for about 3 minutes (if you’re using butter, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn).

  2In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

  3In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk and egg and add it to the cornmeal mixture. Stir just to combine; do not overmix.

  4Pour the batter into the preheated skillet or pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the corn bread in the skillet for 20 minutes before serving.

  Tip: If you can only find coarsely ground cornmeal, you can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of the coarse cornmeal in place of the finely ground cornmeal.

  Per serving: Calories 120 (From Fat 27); Fat 3g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 24mg; Sodium 456mg; Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 4g.

  Making the Perfect Muffin

  Making a tender, moist muffin is really quite simple, but not knowing the proper technique can result in tough, smooth-topped muffins. The secret to bumpy rounded muffin tops and a moist inside is to avoid overmixing the dough and to use only a bowl and a spoon for mixing. Don’t use a handheld or stand mixer. When you combine the flour mixture with the liquids, just give it a few (no more than five) good turns with a sturdy wooden spoon. There will be, and should be, a tiny bit of unmixed flour in your batter, and that’s okay. Believe it or not, the batter will “finish mixing” in the o
ven, and the unmixed flour will not be present in the muffin.

  If you blend your batter until it’s smooth and uniform, you’ll have made a cakelike batter, which will result in tougher muffins with peaked or smooth tops — not desirable for most muffins. You want to have slightly rounded, bumpy-topped muffins baked to a golden brown.

  Preparing the pans

  The easiest way to prepare muffin tins is to use paper liners. Just pop the liners in and fill three-quarters full of batter. You don’t need liners in order to make muffins, though. Just grease only the bottoms of the muffin cups (the sides of the cup should be left ungreased), unless the recipe calls for the entire cup to be greased. Not greasing the sides actually gives you a better-shaped muffin.

  When you’re filling muffin cups, fill the cup only three-quarters full of batter. Overfilling muffin tins will result in the batter spilling on top of the muffin tins — plus, your muffins will be oddly shaped. You may even have batter drip to the floor of the oven, which is always an unpleasant mess. Wipe off any batter that has spilled onto the top of the muffin pan before baking them.

  As soon as the muffins are done baking, let them sit for just one minute to set and then remove them from the muffin pan. They should just tumble out when the pan is inverted; however, if some of the muffins are reluctant to come out, just run a butter knife or a thin metal spatula around the cup to loosen the muffin. If you leave muffins to cool in their cups, they will become a bit soggy from the trapped steam.

  Going mini

  The standard muffin cup is 2 1/2 x 1 1/4 inches; however, almost every muffin, cake, and quick-bread recipe can be baked in mini-muffin, mini-Bundt, or mini-loaf pans. To determine the amount of baking time needed for these sizes, measure the volume of your baking pan as follows:

  1.Fill the pan to capacity with water.

  For muffin tins, fill just one cup.

  2.Pour the water into a glass measuring cup and measure the liquid.

  The amount of water equals the capacity of your baking pan.

  When you use alternative baking pans, you not only have to adjust the amount of batter you use in each pan, you must also alter the baking time of your recipe. Table 12-1 presents some guidelines. Bake your mini creations at 350 degrees, and always check them after the minimum time given.

  Table 12-1Adjustments for Alternative Pans If Your Pan Holds . . . Use This Much Batter And Bake For . . .

  1/4 cup 3 tablespoons 10 to 15 minutes

  1/3 cup 1/4 cup 15 to 20 minutes

  1/2 cup 1/3 cup 15 to 20 minutes

  3/4 cup 1/2 cup 20 to 25 minutes

  1 cup 3/4 cup 30 to 35 minutes

  Magnificent muffins

  The recipes in this section are sure to become favorites.

  Blueberry Muffins

  Tender muffins are studded with juicy blueberries in this recipe, which comes from my grandmother’s sister, Liz. She used it when she was a pastry chef in a little café. I modified it a bit to make these muffins very easy to put together. You only need one bowl and a spoon for mixing. See the color section for a photo.

  Preparation time: 15 minutes

  Baking time: 20 minutes

  Yield: 24 muffins

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  1 cup sugar

  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

  1/2 cup milk

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  2 eggs, lightly beaten

  2 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (not packed in syrup)

  1Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line two 12-cup muffin cups.

  2In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder; set aside.

  3In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and eggs. Mix to combine.

  4Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir just to moisten the dry ingredients. Fold in the blueberries just to combine. Don’t overmix.

  5Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full of batter. Bake (both pans side by side is okay) for 20 minutes or until golden brown. A wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean when the muffins are done. Let the muffins rest for 5 minutes on the cooling rack before removing them from the pan.

  Tip: If you have greased all of your muffin cups and then find your batter does not fill all of them, pour a few tablespoons of water into the greased empty cups to prevent them from burning while you bake. Just remember, when it’s time to remove the muffins from the pan, not to invert the pan to release them or the water will spill out, too!

  Per serving: Calories 122 (From Fat 41); Fat 5g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 29mg; Sodium 41mg; Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 2g.

  Corn Muffins

  Little bits of corn enhance the flavor of these muffins. They’re great for a picnic or to serve with a piping-hot bowl of chili. Split a muffin in half and smear it with butter for a real treat.

  Preparation time: 10 minutes

  Baking time: 15 to 20 minutes

  Yield: 12 muffins

  1 cup milk

  1/3 cup vegetable oil

  2 eggs

  1 1/4 cups cornmeal

  1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  3 tablespoons brown sugar

  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  3/4 teaspoon salt

  1 1/2 cups corn kernels, frozen or canned (drain if canned)

  1Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.

  2In a large bowl, beat together the milk, oil, and eggs with a wire whisk. Stir in the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Fold in the corn kernels. For folding tips, see Chapter 5.

  3Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups — they should only be three-quarters full. Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

  Per serving: Calories 206 (From Fat 72); Fat 8g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 38mg; Sodium 216mg; Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 5g.

  Gingersnap Muffins

  Full of molasses and cinnamon flavor, these muffins are delicious with marmalade or make a terrific snack when eaten plain. They also go well with pumpkin or squash soup.

  Preparation time: 20 minutes

  Baking time: 14 to 18 minutes

  Yield: 30 muffins

  1/4 cup sugar

  1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

  2/3 cup light molasses

  1 egg

  1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

  1 teaspoon cinnamon

  1 teaspoon ground ginger

  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

  2 1/2 cups flour

  1 cup sour cream

  Powered sugar, for garnish (optional)

  1Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line muffin cups.

  2In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, butter, molasses, egg, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and lemon peel. Beat until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes.

  3Add the flour and sour cream. Stir with a spoon until the ingredients are moistened and just combined.

  4Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, about two-thirds full. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Garnish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, if desired.

  Vary It! Make minis! Reduce baking time to 11 minutes. The yield will be 4 dozen.

  Per serving: Calories 117 (From Fat 45); Fat 5g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 19mg; Sodium 73mg; Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 2g.

  Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

  In my mind, nothing says good morning like these tender, sweet lemon poppy seed muffins. When zesting the lemon, be sure to avoid the wh
ite pith, which will lend a bitter flavor to the muffin if used.

  Preparation time: 10 minutes

  Baking time: 15 minutes

  Yield: 12 muffins

  1/3 cup buttermilk

  1/4 cup vegetable oil

  1 egg, lightly beaten

  2/3 cup sour cream

  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  1 teaspoon lemon extract

  1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  1/4 cup poppy seeds

  1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

  2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.

  2In a large mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, egg, sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Add the flour, poppy seeds, lemon peel, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix with a spoon just until moistened.

  3Fill the muffin cups about three-quarters full. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the pans and cool the muffins on a wire rack.

  Per serving: Calories 160 (From Fat 83); Fat 9g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 24mg; Sodium 249mg; Carbohydrate 16g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 4g.

  Biscuit Basics

  Fresh, hot, fluffy biscuits are a dinnertime dream for me. I went to college in North Carolina, and living in the South for four years taught me a thing or two about biscuit-making, such as using flour made from soft winter wheat to produce a more tender and lighter biscuit than those made with all-purpose flour. If you want to taste the difference, look for White Lily brand flour (or call 423-546-5511 for ordering information). You can also use cake flour in place of all-purpose flour, measure for measure, for a lighter biscuit.