English Muffins!

We all associate certain foods with memories. Around winter time/the holidays, my favorite foods are white grapefruit, the family frosted sugar cookies, and raisin english muffins. My mom for at least one winter of my life, I think year 11, purchased what felt like an endless supply of raisin english muffins and I decided that was my food of choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I remember curling up on the sofa, it's snowing, I'm enjoying a buttery muffin, and watching the Rankin/Bass production of Rudolph, probably chasing the muffin with a grapefruit. Since going gluten free (Food For Life makes a GF raisin english muffin), I haven't had much of a chance to eat those types of foods. Even when not eating/buying Gluten Free, I refuse to pay nearly a dollar per muffin, so instead I decided to make these at home. I modified the recipe from The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, 1935.

1 cup of bread flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 scant Tablespoon of instant-rise yeast

Mix together in large mixing bowl or kitchen aid mixer bowl.

1/2 cup scalded milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

In a Pyrex 2 cup, scald the milk in the microwave. Add the cup of water, salt and sugar, stir. Combine with flour/yeast mixture, beat well. Let rise to double in bulk, about 30-35 minutes. Add:

3 Tablespoons of Canola (or other mild flavored) oil
1 cup of bread flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of raisins (optional)

Let your kitchen aid knead the dough thoroughly, 5-10 minutes, till the raisins start falling out of the dough. Let rise till double, another 30 minutes.

The key to a good rise is to boil a pot of water on the stove while the dough is kneading, transfer the covered dough, and the pot of water to your oven.

Sprinkle a work surface with cornmeal and roll out dough till 3/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a cutter, or a clean can from your recycling bin.

Heat a large heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Butter well, and fry muffins in pan for 15 minutes, turning several times during cooking. You want to bake them, but not severely brown the muffins. If your muffins are getting too brown, turn them more frequently, turn down the heat, or transfer them to the oven at 375 degrees F. for the remaining cook time. The slower you cook them the fewer the nooks and crannies, but they still taste just as good. Makes 16. I like to then toast mine on the top and smother in salted butter. My mom likes hers with butter cinnamon and sugar.

Potato Pancakes

I have been obsessed with these ever since childhood. Each potato with mixture will make 3 4-inch pancakes.

1 medium potato
1 egg
1/2 Tablespoon of any kind of flour (even Gluten Free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Canola Oil

1. Start by peeling and grating the potatoes. If you are lucky like me you have a food processor that will shred for you.
2. Spread out the shreds on a brown towel or a towel you don't mind turning brown. Fold and roll the towel so you can wring out the shreds. You will be surprised how much liquid can come out of potatoes.
3. Dump the shreds into a bowl and mix with other ingredients.
4. Spoon into a hot skillet that has just enough Canola oil to cover the bottom. Press out into 1/4 inch thick, round pancakes. Fry over medium to medium high heat till golden, flip and fry the other side.

Serve hot. These are great by themselves, Tom likes them with Bavarian style Sauerkraut, I like them with cream cheese, lox, and finely sliced red onion. If you are an onion fan, try adding some finely diced onion to the potato mixture.

Buckeyes

An Ohio tradition, these little peanut butter and chocolate balls represent the state’s namesake.

1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter
1 scant cup of all-natural peanut butter
2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
3 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/10 of one block in a package of Paraffin

Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugar and roll into one inch balls. Set on a cookie sheet and freeze (about 4 hours). Melt the chocolate and paraffin in a double boiler stirring to blend. Using two spoons gently set the peanut butter balls down into the chocolate and scoop chocolate up to the balls leaving a dime to quarter size part of the peanut butter ball exposed. Remove from chocolate and set back on cookie sheet to harden. Makes 35-40.

These will keep wrapped in your freezer for a looooong time if you have the will.

Winter Faerie Cookies

Like most of my favorite recipes I stumbled upon these while trying to make something else. In necessity I substituted the two key ingredients in this shortbread cookie and created something my mom can’t get enough of.

3-1/2 cups of white all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
or
3-1/2 cups of Gluten-Free all-purpose baking mix
½ tsp salt (optional)
1-1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
1-1/2 cups of white granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lime or lemon peel
2 cups dried cranberries
Small bowl of milk
White granulated sugar for cookie tops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar; beat in the eggs one-at-a-time; beat in the lime juice and peel. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and lastly the cranberries. Using your hands roll the dough into 48 Tablespoon sized balls and place on cookie sheets evenly distanced. Using a heavy bottomed glass, dip bottom into milk, then sugar and press cookie balls out until ¼ thick. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly colored. Transfer to wire cooling rack. Makes 4 dozen.