I suppose I could have made pumpkin tartlets with the leftover canned pumpkin from when I made the biscotti. It would have meant actually calculating how much tart crust to make. I just wanted something sweet and easy to nibble on. These won't win any bake contests, but they're easy to make and when they're warm, the muffins are pretty good on a cold, breezy weekend.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger
1 c. cooked pumpkin
2 eggs
1/3 c. olive oil
For this batch, I used the entire leftover can of pumpkin which was roughly 11 oz (from a 15 oz can).
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Whisk the dry ingredients together so that the spices are evenly disbursed.
2. Stir in pumpkin and eggs until the mixture neither looks runny nor like there's egg white everywhere.
3. Fill prepared muffin tin (either use paper muffin cups or lightly butter the muffin pan) so that each muffin opening is 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they look done. Let cool on a rack.
This batch didn't get to cool and I'd already eaten two of the muffins before remembering to take photos, which eventually will get posted.
Kitchen Note: Moonfish
This fish, a random shopping cart item at Fubonn, gets its name from having a whitish, almost opalescent sheen to its rather smooth skin. Because of its thin frame and lack of exterior armaments (scales, spines), one would assume this is a fish found in tropical or temperate waters. It actually looks like something one might find in an exotic aquarium. But, nonetheless, I found it in the freezer aisle at the Asian grocery store.
The fish would probably taste great skewered and roasted over an open fire. It has lots of small bones and there isn't a whole lot of meat to it. Eating it reminded me of perch, an equally bony fish that is the equivalent of a sunflower seed (lots of work, little reward). I've only cooked up the first of the two that came in the pack and it tastes ordinary, like the "white fish" you'd find in a breaded, fried fish fillet.
I braised (poached?) it in some olive oil and Chinese rice wine with a sprinkling of Himalayan pink salt. That was probably not the right approach for the fish. It might have been better to bake or steam it because the skin stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Ahh, what to do with its companion...
[Updated: 12/2/2010] When this fish cooks, it smells a lot like the "fish powder" condiment (not furikake) that is used on Chinese rice porridge (xi fan, also known as congee). For the second fish, I cooked it over rice in the oven. In retrospect, I think that moonfish would make a great fish stock type of fish because it's very bony and with the right mix of spices and salt, you'd get a very flavorful broth out of it.
I made the brown basmati rice (a long grain) the way Alton Brown does, heated in a foil-covered baking dish at 375 degrees F for about an hour. Because I am cooking for one, I don't really like reheating leftover rice, so I try to minimize it to a meal or two.
In my pantry, I have Mexican saffron which is several iterations cheaper than real Spanish saffron (from Spain). I picked up a few ounces of it several years ago, probably from hole-in-the-wall spice shops in California.
1 c. brown basmati rice
1 1/2 c. water
pinch of saffron
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
In a small saucepan, bring water, saffron, butter and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over rice in a baking dish.
Wash the moonfish and gently place on top of the rice. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for an hour. The essence from the fish adds a nice layer of depth to the rice that makes it more flavorful.
If you have sweet potatoes on hand, these bake in the same amount of time at the same heat setting as the rice.
I made a special sauce for the fish, which is a variant on the soba noodle sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
Bring ingredients to a simmer for about two minutes (long enough to infuse the sauce with garlic flavor) and pour over fish.
The fish would probably taste great skewered and roasted over an open fire. It has lots of small bones and there isn't a whole lot of meat to it. Eating it reminded me of perch, an equally bony fish that is the equivalent of a sunflower seed (lots of work, little reward). I've only cooked up the first of the two that came in the pack and it tastes ordinary, like the "white fish" you'd find in a breaded, fried fish fillet.
I braised (poached?) it in some olive oil and Chinese rice wine with a sprinkling of Himalayan pink salt. That was probably not the right approach for the fish. It might have been better to bake or steam it because the skin stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Ahh, what to do with its companion...
[Updated: 12/2/2010] When this fish cooks, it smells a lot like the "fish powder" condiment (not furikake) that is used on Chinese rice porridge (xi fan, also known as congee). For the second fish, I cooked it over rice in the oven. In retrospect, I think that moonfish would make a great fish stock type of fish because it's very bony and with the right mix of spices and salt, you'd get a very flavorful broth out of it.
I made the brown basmati rice (a long grain) the way Alton Brown does, heated in a foil-covered baking dish at 375 degrees F for about an hour. Because I am cooking for one, I don't really like reheating leftover rice, so I try to minimize it to a meal or two.
In my pantry, I have Mexican saffron which is several iterations cheaper than real Spanish saffron (from Spain). I picked up a few ounces of it several years ago, probably from hole-in-the-wall spice shops in California.
1 c. brown basmati rice
1 1/2 c. water
pinch of saffron
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
In a small saucepan, bring water, saffron, butter and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over rice in a baking dish.
Wash the moonfish and gently place on top of the rice. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for an hour. The essence from the fish adds a nice layer of depth to the rice that makes it more flavorful.
If you have sweet potatoes on hand, these bake in the same amount of time at the same heat setting as the rice.
I made a special sauce for the fish, which is a variant on the soba noodle sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
Bring ingredients to a simmer for about two minutes (long enough to infuse the sauce with garlic flavor) and pour over fish.
Cornbread for T-day Stuffing
This cornbread recipe comes from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food
("Cornbread No Chaser") and has been only just slightly tweaked. I lowered the required heat, muckied about with the ingredients and order of operations.
What better way to stuff a bird than to use a somewhat, but not really traditionally bread for stuffing? For this year's Straggler's Thanksgiving hosted by my more adventurous cooking sibling, we used cornbread as the bread base for stuffing the bird. Here is the recipe for it the cornbread. I suppose it could be eaten as is.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. cornmeal, medium grind (stoneground)
1 1/4 c. whole organic milk, heated to a simmer
1 c. unbleached wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt (because it was what was on hand at the time)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
1/4 c. fresh or frozen cooked corn kernels, thawed and drained (optional)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
One 10" cast iron skillet
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and leave skillet in oven while mixing the cornbread.
1. In a small saucepan, heat milk until almost boiling. Remove from heat and stir in cornmeal. It's not all that important to let it sit in the milk for Alton's recommended 15 minutes since the cornbread isn't the final product output.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a smaller bowl, beat together oil and eggs.
4. Add the smaller bowl to the larger bowl and add the cornmeal/milk mixture. Mix until well combined. It won't be smooth nor runny and you'll have to spread it around in the skillet before it bakes.
5. Remove skillet from oven (with oven mitts!) and melt 1 tbsp butter in the skillet.
6. Empty cornmeal mixture into skillet and spread around with a spatula until the surface looks nearly even. Neatness does not count since you'll be crumbling this later after it cools.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is lightly golden brown.
Try to not eat this before it's made into stuffing or you'll have to make more cornbread. I made two batches of this for a 15# turkey.
("Cornbread No Chaser") and has been only just slightly tweaked. I lowered the required heat, muckied about with the ingredients and order of operations.What better way to stuff a bird than to use a somewhat, but not really traditionally bread for stuffing? For this year's Straggler's Thanksgiving hosted by my more adventurous cooking sibling, we used cornbread as the bread base for stuffing the bird. Here is the recipe for it the cornbread. I suppose it could be eaten as is.
 |
| Crumbled bits of cornbread for turkey stuffing |
1 1/2 c. cornmeal, medium grind (stoneground)
1 1/4 c. whole organic milk, heated to a simmer
1 c. unbleached wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt (because it was what was on hand at the time)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
1/4 c. fresh or frozen cooked corn kernels, thawed and drained (optional)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
One 10" cast iron skillet
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and leave skillet in oven while mixing the cornbread.
1. In a small saucepan, heat milk until almost boiling. Remove from heat and stir in cornmeal. It's not all that important to let it sit in the milk for Alton's recommended 15 minutes since the cornbread isn't the final product output.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a smaller bowl, beat together oil and eggs.
4. Add the smaller bowl to the larger bowl and add the cornmeal/milk mixture. Mix until well combined. It won't be smooth nor runny and you'll have to spread it around in the skillet before it bakes.
5. Remove skillet from oven (with oven mitts!) and melt 1 tbsp butter in the skillet.
6. Empty cornmeal mixture into skillet and spread around with a spatula until the surface looks nearly even. Neatness does not count since you'll be crumbling this later after it cools.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is lightly golden brown.
Try to not eat this before it's made into stuffing or you'll have to make more cornbread. I made two batches of this for a 15# turkey.
Pumpkin Cranberry Biscotti
This isn't the cookie-like Americanized textured biscotti that Trader Joes has; this "cookie" is rather hard and is best dipping it with hot tea or coffee. It's a pretty simple recipe with simple ingredients and simple steps. It's certainly different than the super sweet treats that are typically made for T-day weekend.
Ingredients
3 c. unbleached wheat flour
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (see below)
1/2 c. cooked pumpkin, fresh or canned
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 c. dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp butter, melted (optional)
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Lots of websites and cookbooks give different ratios for this spice blend. This blend works for pies and cookies.
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter.
3. Add in pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Mix together wet with dry ingredients until well combined.
4. Take a large glob of dough and shape it into a log. Flatten it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. The "logs" should be about 3-4" wide (this will become the length of the finished cookie) and no longer than 12" long (so all the dough will fit on one baking sheet).
The dough logs should not be touching each other as the baking powder will cause the biscotti to rise slightly. Bake for 25 minutes and remove when logs are slightly browned on top.
Slice logs diagonally (?) using a very sharp knife or serrated knife, the latter will cause tears in the dough if you rush cutting these.
5. Place slices cut-side down onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until dry. Can let cool in oven on the baking sheet or removed to cool on a wire rack.
Ingredients
3 c. unbleached wheat flour
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (see below)
1/2 c. cooked pumpkin, fresh or canned
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 c. dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp butter, melted (optional)
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Lots of websites and cookbooks give different ratios for this spice blend. This blend works for pies and cookies.
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter.
3. Add in pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Mix together wet with dry ingredients until well combined.
4. Take a large glob of dough and shape it into a log. Flatten it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. The "logs" should be about 3-4" wide (this will become the length of the finished cookie) and no longer than 12" long (so all the dough will fit on one baking sheet).
 |
| Unbaked "logs" of biscotti |
Slice logs diagonally (?) using a very sharp knife or serrated knife, the latter will cause tears in the dough if you rush cutting these.
5. Place slices cut-side down onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until dry. Can let cool in oven on the baking sheet or removed to cool on a wire rack.
 |
| Biscotti ready for second baking session |
White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
I'm not terribly fond of nuts in my cookies, nor of white chocolate. This particular cookie is a friend's favorite and I made it for him. I had a pretty good idea what the ingredients tasted like, but never actually had eaten the cookie before. So yes, this is another one of those recipes made with some degree of success without much tasting context. It's basically a sugar cookie with nuts and white chocolate mixed in, what could possibly go wrong?
Ingredients
1 c. unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks)
1 c. unbleached granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
3 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c. white chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. Macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. If you are making this batch in winter, you might find that waiting for the butter to soften is an exercise in Zen cooking; you could melt the butter in a small saucepan and let the butter cool to room temperature before mixing it with the sugar. Cream butter and sugars together in a mixing bowl.
2. Add an egg, one at a time, and beat well. Add vanilla extract and beat again until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, add flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until the flour is incorporated. Add white chocolate chips and nuts to mixture and mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
7. Cool on a wire rack before gifting or serving.
Ingredients
1 c. unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks)
1 c. unbleached granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
3 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c. white chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. Macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. If you are making this batch in winter, you might find that waiting for the butter to soften is an exercise in Zen cooking; you could melt the butter in a small saucepan and let the butter cool to room temperature before mixing it with the sugar. Cream butter and sugars together in a mixing bowl.
2. Add an egg, one at a time, and beat well. Add vanilla extract and beat again until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, add flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until the flour is incorporated. Add white chocolate chips and nuts to mixture and mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
7. Cool on a wire rack before gifting or serving.
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