Brittany's PantryWhole Wheat Cornbread
Brittany wrote this on 18 May 2011
cornmeal, whole wheat flour
I have been trying to get this recipe made for months. I have had it printed out from the Eating Well website which, by the way, is fantastic. Anyone interested in food that tastes great but has a healthy twist will LOVE the website, the magazine, the emailed newsletters; all of it. If you have never heard about it, you can take a peek here. But anyway, I printed it and then lost it, and then found it again, then lost it again. Then we tore apart our house and I couldn’t make it anyway, and then I was looking for it, and then I found it. It is so simple, I find it a little embarrassing that I haven’t made something like this before.
I was once told, after I had been asked if I liked cornbread-to which my answer was of course yes-that I actually liked “that northern cornbread.” When my brow furrowed in response, I was informed that the cornbread I liked wasn’t real cornbread, but the fluffy, cake-like, sweet stuff they eat in the north. You see, I am from Minnesota, and I was having this conversation with a lovely middle-aged woman from the deep south. Southern Mississippi, to be exact. And she was right! Her family (her daughter actually) introduced me to the wonderful creation that I call ‘Southern Cornbread.’ The batter, nothing too sweet or too light, is actually poured into and baked in a hot, oiled, cast-iron skillet. It pops out of that skillet all round and crunchy, just begging for black-eyed, purple hulled peas. Scrumptious.
But for now, I am going to leave that method to the experts. My apologies to any out there who think it is a crime to eat tall, light, sweet cornbread, but this is how we eat it in the north! And by golly, I like it! When the occasion calls for it, I even smother it with butter and honey *gasp* or jam, (no swooning, please!) although this batch was made to accompany a light salad for supper.
And my son woke up early from his nap to help me mix it up!
This recipe has all the simple goodness of cornbread, but is wonderfully healthy. And you can’t tell the difference in the slightest! Next time, I am going to use a flax egg in the recipe and see how it turns out, and for those of you who have no idea what that means, stay tuned. Also, if cooking with whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour is your ‘page turner’, here is a great place to start! In the meantime, enjoy! And happy baking!
Whole Wheat Cornbread
Adapted from Eating Well
1 1/4 c yellow cornmeal
3/4 c white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
3T honey or sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/4 c buttermilk
2 T canola oil
In a medium bowl whisk together all dry ingredients, including the sugar if you are using it. In a large measuring cup or separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, oil, and honey, if using. Add the wet to the dry and mix just until combined! Pour batter into a sprayed 8-inch square baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.
The normal things kept me from blogging this week; internet was down, sites were down, house projects needed finishing, my husband and kids were in a race Saturday morning (in the rain no less) and life generally got in the way. Now, it is Sunday afternoon and I have a ton of stuff to do before we leave town on a mini stay-cation tomorrow. But you, dear readers, are on my priority list. Don’t you feel blessed? 🙂
I was reading this blog the other day and have been pondering the subject matter ever since. You should definitely read it (and all the comments, they are really fun) but the basic gist of it is that we all have something that is our ‘page turner’. A technique or ingredient that makes us-wait for it-turn the page whenever we see it in a recipe or cookbook. Some examples were puff pastry, saffron, any recipe that called for deep frying, that sorta thing. But what really surprised me was how many people said that cream of tartar scared the begeezus out of them. Seriously? Cream of Tarter? Like, the white stuff in the back of my baking cabinet that looks like baking soda or powdered sugar? It is so innocent! So unassuming! Are there more of you out there who are intimidated by this small container of powder that has the ability to make egg whites bend to your every will and desire?! Sheesh! I had no idea!
Let me put your fears to rest! Behold my new favorite recipe! Psst…it contains cream of tartar!!
I had to make it several times just to be sure that it would be a good one to share with you. I know! I know! The things I do for you guys! And after much tasting and sharing of it with my friends and family-they too were very put out with taste testing- we have come to a decision: this is fantastic! It will make your skirt fly up and your hair blow back. It will knock your socks off and float your boat. It will…well you get the picture. There aren’t words for how wonderful it is. The first batch vanished several minutes after the first cut was made and while I would like to tell you that there were a dozen people here that night eating dessert, that would be misleading. Because there were really only a few of us and we at it all anyway. I turned to my husband and said, “I must make this again. Now.” And I did. And shared it with a different group of people (an even smaller gathering, if truth be known) and we at it all again. ALL OF IT. I think the chocolate ganache on top must have some sort of magical power…
So here it is. I won’t keep it from you any longer. Dust off that jar of cream of tartar (check the expiration date please!) and conquer your fear. You can check out the basics of this magical ingredient here. For the present time though, just know that it will help stabilize your egg whites making this recipe a cinch to make. Please note that this recipe, like all angel food cakes, is baked in a tube pan. A tube pan looks like this:
It has a hole in the middle and the sides are straight. Ignore a non-stick version; you actually want an angel food cake to stick. They are inexpensive and available almost anywhere. Also, this recipe calls for A LOT of egg whites. Use the real thing, not the pasteurized ones from the carton. What do you do with all the egg yolks, you ask? I recommend strawberry ice cream, but that’s just me…
And if, after eating this cake,you are still in any doubt about the stellar capabilities of cream of tartar , you can always use it to make your own baking powder. Yup. No joke. If you ever find yourself out of baking powder, as I did not too long ago whilst in the middle of making pancakes, just mix 1 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp cream of tartar together. Yield: 1 T of baking powder. But I’m warning you. It makes you feel a little like a mad scientist to mix your own leavening chemicals. *insert evil laugh*
I would love to know what your ‘page turner’ is! Comment below and if I can, I will try and feature a recipe just for you! Unless, like me, you don’t even want a recipe that calls for fresh vanilla bean because you like the flavor of pure vanilla extract better. Hmmm…what is my page turner…
Black & White Angel Food CakeRecipe adapted from Ina Garten
2 c sifted superfine sugar (see note below)
1 1/3 c cake flour
1 1/2 c egg whites, preferably at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs)
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c coarsely grated semisweet chocolate (This is easiest on the biggest side of your box grater. The same one I use to grate cheese.)
Ganache Topping:
1/2 lb semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c heavy cream
Mix 1/2 c of the sugar with all of the flour and sift them together 4 times. Yes, this seems excessive, but it is needed to achieve a nice smooth batter. Set this aside. Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs form medium-firm peaks. They should just barely hold their shape. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Beat on high speed for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Add the vanilla and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it very carefully into the batter with a rubber spatula. Keep adding the flour in 3 more additions, sifting and folding until it’s all incorporated. Fold in the grated chocolate (see above pics). Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert the pan on a cooling rack or flat, heat proof surface (see pic). When cool, run a thin knife around the cake to remove it from the pan.
For the chocolate ganache, melt the chocolate chips and cream together in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each one, just until the chocolate is melted. Pour the ganache over the top of the cooled cake and cover the top completely, allowing it to drizzle down the sides.
Note: Superfine sugar is just what it says it is: sugar that is finer than regular granulated sugar. Usually it is called for in recipes when the sugar needs to melt fast without a lot of heat. The use of it here makes for a light cake with a smooth, fluffy texture. No graininess, like with some angel food cakes. But I hate to make an extra trip to the grocery store to buy it so I usually just make my own. For this recipe, add 2 1/4 sugar (this will yield the 2 c needed for this recipe when the texture is finer) to your food processor and blast away. Let it run for a few minutes and you are good to go.
Sweet Veggie Pasta Salad
Brittany wrote this on 9 May 2011 broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, pasta, tomatoes
Do you really need a Fry Daddy?
That is what those things are called, right? The deep fryers that people give out as wedding gifts and that to my knowledge, nobody actually purchases to use in their kitchen? Raise your hand if there is one taking up space in the back of your pantry, top cupboard, or storage closet!
I do not have my hand raised. My husband and I were one of the lucky couples who had friends and family that exercised restraint and only gave practical wedding gifts. Of course it may have been the fact that Michel’s address at the time was the USS Topeka (not much room for storage in a submarine and they really frown upon keeping things like blenders and toasters in your rack) and my address was the same as 3 other girls just off the UW-STOUT campus. And may I just say, praise God for having best friends/roommates who were neat and organized! Recognizing our unique circumstances our guests were absolutely lovely and we got everything we needed; nothing more. Well, that is if you don’t count the neon blue sign in the shape of a moon that I got from my brother. With his trademark crooked grin he claimed it was for mood lighting. What a romantic…
Anyway, after watching a home improvement show that included cleaning out the kitchen cupboards (yes, they had a Fry Daddy) I thought to myself, “Why are they still holding on to that?” It had been a wedding present and they had kept it for decades, never using it once. If this sounds familiar, I am here to set you free. Two little words that will make your life sooo much easier.
Good Will. Yes my friends, it is time to embrace spring! And as long as your are cleaning the fridge and wiping down the baseboards, I implore you to empty your kitchen cupboards too. Thinking of all the unused items and wasted space in your kitchen makes me a little claustrophobic. It is OK for you to donate something that you will never use! Really! I promise! Don’t bother keeping seven of the same spatula or that really nice Precious Moments serving bowl from Aunt Mildred. Its time. Listen to Michael Jordan and Just Do It!
And by the way…
As long as you are digging around in your pantry, pull out the ingredients to make the dressing for this pasta salad! While there are bazillions of pasta salad recipes out there, no one wants to go to a pot luck dinner or summer BBQ and eat a salad filled with strange ingredients leaving people to wonder, “What the heck is in this??” This has familiar ingredients that appeal to everyone, has beautiful color, and an unexpected twist that can be refreshing next to an endless sea of potato salads and hot dogs. And although I love my Margarita Pasta Salad, sometimes you need to do something a little different. Yes, I admit, it looks a little bit boring. Didn’t your Mother ever tell you that you should never judge things by their appearance?! But don’t worry. The dressing is the redeeming feature; surprisingly sweet and only a little tangy. It makes for an addictive side dish that pairs wonderfully with just about anything you can think of. And best of all, no dairy! Meaning it can be served chilled or at room temperature.
I even photographed it in a Tupperware container, just to show you how great it travels. Well, OK…more because that is how I stored it in my fridge and less for travel, but you get the point.
Sweet Veggie Pasta Salad
Adapted from Ashley Dennis
Feel free to use any bite-sized pasta for this recipe. I had the spiral stuff, so that is what I used. And I was out of grape tomatoes, but I usually add them too.
Dressing:
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c canola oil, olive oil, or a mix of the two
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/3 c red wine vinegar or other sweet vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb bite sized pasta (rotini, medium shells, macaroni, penne, penne rigate, rigatoni, etc) cooked according to package directions
carrots, diced
grape tomatoes
broccoli, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
cauliflower, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
purple onion, diced (optional)
Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk together. Pour over pasta and veggies. Toss well.
Love a Good Recipe?
Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Brittany, and I share tested, trusted recipes you’ll love. I prepare & photograph food, obsess over the perfect recipe, and enjoy grins of delight when I serve up something awesome. Enjoy!
