Date Nut Muffins - Companion Recipe to Ingredient Function Friday, Episode 12

Hello Bakers,

Here is the companion recipe to today's episode. The only chemical leavener in this recipe is baking soda. It is just three quarters of a teaspoon and the lemon juice in the recipe activates it, helping our muffins rise nice and high.

This is an unusual recipe for muffin recipe. Most muffin recipes have baking powder in them and maybe a little baking soda. But not this one. Date Nut bread is not as popular as it once was. In the days of tearooms, date nut bread spread with cream cheese was a regular menu item.

It is so delicious. To give it an update, I have turned it into a muffin rather then a bread. It's probably better this way because when made into a loaf, it is nearly impossible to eat one slice and if you start with the cream cheese forget it.

Easy too and relatively quick. I used my Texas sized muffin pan but a regular muffin pan will work just fine. A mini loaf snack pan is another option. These freeze well too. 

The prize for the first posted photo of the muffins will win a standard muffin scoop! Yay. We have had three winners in the baking contests already. Congratulations to our bakers. So far I have sent prizes to Ohio, New York and Singapore.

Happy Baking! Colette

Equipment: 12 cup muffin pan, 6 cup muffin pan, liners, or mini loaf snack pan, well greased, saucepan, scale, sifter, spatula, scoop

Dut Nut Muffin Mise en Place

Don't forget the lemon juice...(like I did in the mise en place photo)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces water (227g)
• 6 ounces (170g) dates, pitted and chopped, medium fine
•  5 ounces brown sugar (142g)
• 3 ounces (85g) butter, cut up
• 1 ounce (28g) honey
• 1/2 ounce (15g) (1 Tablespoon) lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 9 ounces (255g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces (85g) toasted, chopped walnuts
• Pinch cinnamon and nutmeg

Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top before baking (optional)

1. Bring water to a boil in saucepan, remove from heat.
2. Add dates, brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, butter and vanilla. Stir until butter is melted.
3. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add the egg and mix well. (you can whisk the egg with a fork before adding it to the date mixture.)
4. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Pour the date mixture into a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients. Mix halfway, add walnuts and mix only until combined.
6. Scoop into prepared muffin tins and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. The muffins are done when a cake tester or skewer in the center comes out clean.

Here is what the wet mixture should look like...give it a stir before you add the dry ingredients.

Biscuits! Companion recipe to Ingredient Function Friday, Episode 12

Hello Bakers,

Here is the companion recipe to today's Ingredient Function Friday, Episode 12. In case you missed it you can click on the IFF tab and check it out.

This recipe is from my Craftsy class, 25 Essential Baking Techniques. These are easy and delicious. 

As I said in the segment, this recipe can be customized to be savory, add cheese, chopped crisp bacon, herbs, scallions - anything you want.  

The first baker who posts a photo of their finished biscuits will receive a container of La Baleine Sea Salt! You can post here or email me at BakingwithColette@gmail.com or on any of my social media platforms. FB, Facebook.com/BakingwithColette, Twitter and Instagram: BakingwColette.

Be creative and have fun. Happy Baking! Colette

Yield: 8 to 10, depending on size of cutter

Equipment • Half sheet pan lined with parchment paper • Large mixing bowl • Bowl scraper • Pastry blender (optional) • Sifter • Rolling pin • Biscuit cutters • Bench scraper or chef’s knife • Pastry brush

Biscuit Mise en Place

Ingredients • 2 cups (9 ounces/255 g) unbleached all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • ½ teaspoon baking soda • 1 tablespoon sugar • ¾ teaspoon salt • 1 stick (4 ounces/113 g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled • ¾ cup (6 ounces/170 g) buttermilk, store-bought or homemade, plus extra for brushing

 1. Line half sheet tray with parchment paper.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). For convection 350 F (180 C).

3. Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Cut in the butter with a bowl scraper or pastry blender until the butter looks like small flakes.

Cut in butter and flour

5. Add the buttermilk over the top of the dry ingredients, using the bowl scraper to push and fold the liquid into the flour.

6. If it looks dry add a little more buttermilk (a tablespoon at a time) around the edge the bowl.

7. Continue to mix and fold until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and there is no dry residue on the bottom of the bowl.

8. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and fold briefly until smooth. The dough can also be rolled out and turn twice as shown in the video.

9. Roll the dough out into a 6"x 6" square, measure 1 1/2" squares across and down - this will yield 9 square biscuits. Cut the squares with a dough cutter or a chef knife.

6"x 6" Square

10. Place biscuits on a baking tray, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart and chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

11. Brush tops with buttermilk.

12. Bake the biscuits. Start checking in 14 minutes.

Check for doneness by picking one up - it should feel light and be golden brown in color.

13. Usually, more baking time is needed, reduce the oven temperature by 25 F (15 C) and continue to bake, checking in 5-7 minute intervals.

14. Cool for a few minutes on a rack. Serve warm. Note: Leftover biscuits freeze well. Wrap and hold for up to one month. Thaw and refresh in a 350 F (180 C) oven 5-7 minutes before serving.

Devils Food Cupcakes (cake) with Vanilla Bean Swiss Buttercream

Hello Bakers,

Here is the companion recipe to this week's, Ingredient Function Friday. You now have the last chocolate cake recipe you will ever need. It is an old Cordon Bleu recipe that thankfully was placed in the baking and pastry classes. I changed a few things - the original didn't have vanilla and I reduced the cocoa slightly but that's about it.

It is not French but a classic Åmerican cake and like the rice pudding recipe I posted a few weeks ago, it is one of those recipes that has been around for years. You do not need a mixer to make this but you can use your mixer if you have one. 

Sifting is a good idea here. In the latest episode of Ingredient Function Friday I talked about sifting. If you did not see the episode, click on the video tab up top and it is right there, Episode 10.

One last thing and then you can read the recipe and start getting your ingredients and equipment together this recipe does need Dutch process cocoa. Some good brands are Droste, Valrhona and Cacao Barry, extra brute. Hershey's special dark cocoa will work too and it is available in most supermarkets. 

And last last...I iced these with a Vanilla Bean Buttercream - that is not too sweet. The recipe is below. 

Happy Baking!

Colette

Devil's Food Cake

Makes 1 10” cake or a 13"x9" pan or 18 medium sized cupcakes

Grease pan and line bottom with parchment paper, line 2, 12 cup muffin pans with liners

Preheat the oven 350 degrees

Equipment: Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or 1 medium sized mixing bowl and a whisk, scale, spatula

Ingredients:

• 4 ½ ounces, (128g) eggs
• 12 ounces, (340g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 ounces, (71g) Dutch process cocoa
• ? (12g) baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10.5 ounces, (298g) all purpose flour
• 7 ounces, (198g) vegetable oil
• 7 ounces, (198g) buttermilk
• 8 ounces, (227g) brewed coffee 

1. Sift together the dry ingredients 2x. Set aside.
2. In a mixer with the whisk attachment ribbon the eggs, sugar and vanilla together on medium speed until the mixture is light and well combined (about 2 minutes). Don't over mix. This can be done by hand as well.
3. Whisk the oil, buttermilk and coffee and together. (It is ok if they separate a little). 
4. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the ribboned eggs and sugar.
5. It should go dry, wet, dry, wet and end with dry.
6. Pour the batter into the pan – it will be quite loose.
7. Bake the cake at 350 in a still oven.

Start checking in 30 minutes, (cupcakes take about 20) – the cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

These cupcakes (or cake) freeze very well up to one month.

Not too sweet - VANILLA BEAN SWISS BUTTERCREAM

Equipment: Stand or hand held mixer fitted with whisk attachment, instant read thermometer, scale, whisk, spatula, piping bag and medium star tip to finish. 

Ingredients

•     57 g egg whites
•     136g granulated sugar
•     227g unsalted butter, cut up and refrigerated, Take out the butter when you start cooking your      sugar
•     8g vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

1.          Fill a medium saucepan with 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of water and bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
2.        Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer tted with the whisk attachment and whisk to combine.
3.         Place the bowl over the simmering water.
4.         Whisk gently. Be careful, as the bowl will become hot quickly. Use a towel or oven mitt to steady the bowl.
5.        Every few minutes, check the temperature of the mixture. Once it reaches 145 F, remove it from the heat and place on the mixer, using the towel or oven mitt as the bowl can be very hot.
6.        Stand back a little as the mixture is hot. Turn on the mixer to medium speed and then up to high speed.
    
7.        Whip the mixture until it has cooled to room temperature. It will look thick and like marshmallow creme.
8.         Reduce the speed to medium-high. Throw in pieces of butter a few at a time. As the butter is incorporated, the mixture will resemble thick, fluffy mayonnaise.
9.         Remove the whisk and t the mixer with the paddle attachment.
10.         Add the vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined.

        Buttercream can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours, refrigerated for up to ve days, or frozen for up to one month. Thaw frozen buttercream in the refrigerator. To reconstitute buttercream, mix it with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy and spreadable. 

Snow Day Foccacia

Hello Bakers,

My dear bakers - here is the recipe as I promised you yesterday on Instagram. To reward your baking,  - I will gift the first three bakers who bake this foccacia and post a photo of it on Instagram (tag and DM me please so I don't miss it) will get a brand new 1" Ateco pastry brush. Yay! you know you knead a new one.

My Instagram address: BakingwColette. 

Yesterday, news reports were all about the winter storm that is currently pummeling the northeast, the southeast and Florida. Reading about it, I thought back to the innumerable snow days, I experienced in the eight years I spent on the East Coast, I was inspired to put together this foccacia.

Now that I live in California, I no longer experience snow days. For all their inconvenience, there is something magical about them. Snug and warm in the house, it provides the opportunity to bake something wonderful. The catch is that you can only use things on hand - no running to the store...so this is perfect and the kitchen will smell great. 

Once it is lightly mixed - it gets folded every 45 minutes to 60 minutes. In between folds, you can clean a closet or sit by the fire and knit. No kneading, no fuss and so delicious. No mixer - minimal clean up.

If you are not an olive person, you can leave them out and any herbs will do.  Foccacia is about different textures so that's why will will dimple the dough before baking - just in case you were wondering. 

Here is your recipe and tutorial: Have fun and Happy Baking! 

Foccacia: 

Equipment: two mixing bowls, medium sized, dough whisk or wooden spoon, bowl scraper (optional) quarter sheet pan, lined with parchment paper and painted with olive oil, pastry brush, scale, plastic wrap, proofing bag (optional but convenient)

Ingredients

• 350g water (80 degrees)
• 2g Instant yeast (5g dry active)
• 400g Unbleached bread flour
• 8g salt
• 28g Extra virgin olive oil + extra for the bowl and brushing the top of the foccacia
• Olives, herbs, kosher salt, or what ever toppings you want but keep it simple - "foccacia is not pizza" that is in quotes because I have said that hundreds of times in class.

Foccacia Mise en Place

1. Combine water and yeast in mixing bowl whisk to combine. Let sit 2 minutes.

Water and yeast...let sit 2 minutes

2. Add flour and salt mix until the dough looks like a lumpy but cohesive mass. Just bring it together and make sure the flour is mixed - 2 minutes (even less) with a dough whisk or wooden spoon.

Right before mixing - salt is on top of the flour.

3. Put the olive oil into the second mixing bowl and set aside.

4. Dump the down into the second bowl which has the olive oil in it. As we complete our folds the olive oil will be incorporated - I heard the olive oil question....Cover and let sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes.

5. Now give the dough a fold. Here is the technique in the video.

6. Repeat 3 times. This means the dough will get 3 folds 35-60 minutes apart. Folding strengthens gluten. It's the best way to develop a sticky (well hydrated dough like foccacia). Meanwhile set up your baking pan and prep any toppings. 

7. After 3 folds are complete, gently plop dough onto the prepared pan. Gently coax the dough into the corners of the pan. Place it in the proofing bag with a mug or hot water or tent it with plastic wrap. Let it proof for 30-40 minutes. As it relaxes, you can stretch the dough into the corners but be gentle - don't over stretch.

 Dough plopped onto pan.

In proofing bag with hot water - let sit in there for 40 minutes.

8. After about 40 minutes the dough will look puffy and fill the pan. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil,  sprinkle the top with a blessing of kosher salt, lay on the sprigs of rosemary and dot with olives. Let sit for 10 minutes to adjust the toppings. Preheat your oven to 400 and use the convection setting if you have it. If not set the dial between 400 and 425. Dimple the dough right before baking - pressing in to it lightly with your fingertips.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 and bake another 8-10 minutes. 

Dimpled dough, ready to bake.

The foccacia should be  an all over golden brown. Brush the edges with olive oil. Let cool a little and tear into it. Leftovers freeze well and make great sandwiches. That's another thing they do in Italy with focaccia - it's used to make mouthwatering sandwiches.