cook like james

Pain d’épices is a French spice cake (or quick bread) that is well-known as a Christmas time pastry in the northeast of France, especially in the regions of Dijon, Alsace, and Reims. It’s a classic French recipe that’s easy to make and doesn’t require a mixer. The loaf keeps for a while, improving as the flavors meld and the cake gets denser thanks to the honey. Many traditional recipes use rye flour, but this one from Milk Street Kitchen uses a combination of all-purpose and almond flour which gives it great texture.  Raisins are optional but certainly are a welcomed addition if you use them.

Download French Honey Spice Cake (Pain d’épices pur miel)

228 grams (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour

100 grams (1 cup) almond flour

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground mace (or ¼ teaspoon allspice & ¼ teaspoon nutmeg)

¼ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted, plus more for pan

334 grams (1 cup) c honey

½ cup whole milk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh gingerroot

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 cup raisins (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 325ºF with a rack in the upper-middle position. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger, mace, salt and pepper; set aside.

3.In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and honey until smooth and creamy. Add the milk, eggs, crystallized ginger, fresh gingerroot, and orange zest (and raisins if using); whisk until thoroughly combined.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold only until no dry our remains. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, then bake until rm to the touch and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

Sometimes a half dozen is just enough, and this recipe works well in my Breville Toaster oven. They come together quickly and ideal for using up overripe bananas. Perfectly domed because of the extra baking powder and higher than normal oven temperature, these muffins are moist and feature a crisp sugary crunch on top. (You can substitute thawed frozen bananas; be sure to add any juice that is released as the bananas thaw.

Download Small Batch Banana Walnut Muffins recipe 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon table salt

2-3 very ripe large bananas, peeled and mashed (1 cup)

6 tablespoons plus 1 additional tablespoon sugar, divided

1 large eggs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

Be sure to use bananas that are very heavily speckled or even black; less-ripe bananas will produce dry muffins with less flavor. We like the classic pairing of banana and walnuts here, but you can substitute chopped toasted pecans or omit the nuts altogether if you prefer. (Nut-free muffins will be slightly smaller.)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 6-cup muffin tin. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.

2. Whisk bananas, 6 tablespoons sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla in large bowl until fully combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until fully combined. Stir in walnuts. Using portion scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (about ½ cup batter per cup; cups will be very full). Sprinkle tops with remaining 1 tablespoons sugar.

3. Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 14 to 18 minutes. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is one of my all-time favorite loaf cakes (aka tea bread) that I first discovered at Tartine Bakery in LA. It is dense, moist, tender, and delicious; it’s often sold out at the bakery which is not surprising because it’s just so good! Acclaimed pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt and master baker Chad Robertson shared this recipe in their 2006 cookbook Tartine.  I love the look of quick breads that are baked in a square shaped pullman loaf pan, but you can also bake this recipe in a traditional 9x5 pan or in a small Bundt ban.

One note:  You may be tempted to skip the last step of glazing the entire, warm cake in a citrus syrup – but don’t give in to temptation.  This step is an important aspect of the cake’s perfection.  It seals in the moisture and adds a tart citrus note to the rich, almond-flavored cake.  It takes 3-5 minutes and is more than worth every second of your time.

Download Tartine’s Citrus Almond Poppy Seed Cake recipe

1 Large loaf, at least 8-10 servings

For the Cake:

¾ cup (95 gram) cake flour or all-purpose flour (cake flour preferred)

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

5 Large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) almond paste, at room temperature

1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) granulated sugar

1 cup (8 ounces/225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 16 pieces

1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 tablespoons (20 grams) poppy seeds

For the Citrus Glaze:

3 tbsp/45 ml Lemon juice

3 tbsp/45 ml Orange juice

3/4 cup/150 grams Sugar

Powdered sugar to coat, optional

For the Cake: 

1. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF/175ºC.

2. Butter and flour an 9x5 loaf pan, or 9x4 small pullman loaf pan (if you like square shape)

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt – twice, set aside.

4. In a 4 cup Pyrex or small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla and whisk together until just combined, set aside.

5. Pinch of pieces of the soft almond paste into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (some recipes suggest grating it on a box grater into the bowl, I did not).

6.With mixer on low speed, slowly add the sugar in a steady stream, beating until incorporated.  Don’t go too quickly – you want this mixture to continue to break up in the bowl. 

7. On low speed, slowly add the butter one piece at a time until all of the butter is incorporated (important that the butter is soft room temperature) Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula before continuing.

8. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.

9. With the mixture still on medium, add the eggs in a very slow, steady stream and mix until incorporated. Again, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Turn on the mixer one last time and mix for another 30 seconds.

10. Add the citrus zest and poppy seeds; mixing in with a wooden spoon.

11. Lastly, add the flour mixture in 2 batches. Stirring just until incorporated. Then spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula if you have one.

12. Bake until the top springs back when lightly touched and a cake tester comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for roughly 5-6 minutes while you make the glaze.

For the Glaze: 

It is important to make the glaze while the cake is resting and not before – so wait to do this step. 

1. After the cake comes out of the oven, mix the juices with the sugar to dissolve the sugar, about 1-2 minutes.

2. Invert the cake onto a wire rack placed over a baking sheet or wax paper (to catch any spills)

3. Slowly brush the entire warm cake with the glaze, giving it a chance to soak before adding more glaze, until the entire mixture has been brushed onto loaf.

4. Let it cool completely on the rack. Do not try to move it until completely cool because the cake is too fragile while it is warm. For added beauty and sweetness, dust the entire top with a coat of powdered sugar before serving.

5. This cake will keep well-wrapped for a week in the refrigerator and improves with age as the flavors mature and settle.

This recipe is adapted from one in America’s Test Kitchen magazine called “Nutritious Delicious” and it delivers perfectly moist, tender, and flavorful blueberry muffins.

Download Healthier Whole-Wheat Blueberry-Almond Muffins recipe

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup (1 ounce/28g) sliced almonds, lightly toasted, cooled, and roughly chopped

1 cup (5½ ounces/155g) whole-wheat flour

¾ cup (3¾ ounces/107g) all-purpose flour

¾ cup (3 ounces/84g) almond flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup organic low-fat buttermilk (or 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken slightly)

⅔ cup packed (4 ¾ ounces/135g) dark brown sugar

2 large organic eggs

¼ cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups (7½ ounces/210g) fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin, including top, generously with canola oil spray (if using paper liners, lightly mist liners).

2. Mix together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In separate bowl, whisk buttermilk (or sour milk), brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla together until combined. Using rubber spatula, gently stir buttermilk mixture into almond-flour mixture until just combined (do not overmix). Gently fold in blueberries until incorporated.

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (cups will be filled to rim) and sprinkle with reserved chopped almonds. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 16 to 18 minutes (a few minutes longer if berries were frozen), rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.

5. Let muffins cool in tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

I’m always searching for a great recipe for lemon pound cake, or tea bread, the kind I remember having in Paris, moist but light, and loaded with lemon flavor. This might be the best one I’ve tried, which I discovered on an episode of Milk Street TV called “Baking in Paris”. The recipe is inspired by the show’s visit to Rose Bakery, a cafe owned by Rose Carrarini,  where they sampled Rose’s acclaimed Lemon-Almond Pound Cake. Her secret is to replace some of the wheat flour with almond flour. Almond flour makes the cake's crumb extra tender and moist and gives it a more interesting texture than wheat flour alone. The original recipe uses a traditional lemon drizzle, but I decided to try a rosemary lemon drizzle which I saw John Whaite (English baker who won the third series of The Great British Bake Off) do on a Baking Mad “makeittogether competition The rosemary lemon drizzle soaks into the loaf cake and brings it to another level – an absolutely fantastic combination.

INSTRUCTIONS:

195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

241 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

100 grams (1 cup) almond flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) salted butter, cut into 14 pieces, room temperature

3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Lemon Rosemary Syrup

108 grams (1/2 cup) white sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

1 sprig of rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, dust evenly with flour, then tap out the excess.
2. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla until combined; set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the 241 grams sugar and the lemon zest on low until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add both flours, the baking powder and salt and mix until combined, about 10 seconds.
4. With the mixer on low, add the butter a piece at a time. Once all the butter has been added, continue mixing on low until the mixture is crumbly and no powdery bits remain, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. With the mixer still running, add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix for about 10 seconds. Increase to medium-high and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, 1 to 1½ minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. The batter will be thick.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface, then sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds. Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven to 300°F. Continue to bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean, another 30 to 35 minutes.
7. While the cake is baking, in a small saucepan over medium-low, heat the 108 grams (1/2 cup) sugar, 5 tablespoons of lemon juice and rosemary sprig, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches a bubbly simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside to cool.
8. When the cake is done, cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, then turn it upright. Using a toothpick, poke small holes in the surface at 1-inch intervals. Brush all of the lemon-rosemary syrup onto the cake, allowing it to soak in. Cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.

Tips: Don’t use cold butter or cold eggs. The butter must be softened to room temperature so it integrates into the sugar-flour mixture. And the eggs must be at room temperature, too, not chilled, so they don't cause the butter to stiffen up when added to the mixer. Lastly, don't rotate the cake as it bakes. Jostling the pan increases the chance the batter will deflate, resulting in a dense, under-risen cake.

Delicious muffin recipe from Cook’s Country magazine that is perfect to make around the holidays. Ground ginger and crystallized ginger pack these moist and tender muffins with great flavor. I substituted Saco Buttermilk powder and water for the buttermilk and they turned out fine. The topping Is optional, but adds a nice crunch to the muffin tops.

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)

1 cup buttermilk (or 4 tablespoons buttermilk powder & 1 cup water)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled slightly

For Topping

2 tablespoons chopped crystalized ginger

¼ cup sugar

Be careful not to overmix the batter in step 2; otherwise the muffins will be tough.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice (and buttermilk powder if using) in medium bowl until combined. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and buttermilk (or water if using buttermilk powder) in large bowl until combined. Add melted butter and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous. Whisk half of dry ingredients into wet ingredients until two begin to come together and then add remaining dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined (do not overmix).

3. For Topping: Process crystallized ginger with sugar in food processor until finely ground.

4. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin, will almost fill cup. Sprinkle even portion of ginger sugar over each muffin. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes. Serve warm.

This recipe for "New York-Style Crumb Cake" from Cook's Illustrated reminded me of my years in NYC where you could find big squares of thick crumb coffee cake in nearly every corner deli. It's also reminiscent of Drake's Coffee Cakes - a primarily east coast product made even more famous by a Seinfeld episode. Cook's Illustrated makes it clear not to be tempted to use all-purpose flour in this recipe, the cake flour is essential to producing a fine tender crumb. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute an equal amount of plain, low-fat yogurt. When topping the cake, take care to not push the crumbs into the batter. This recipe can be easily doubled and baked in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. If doubling, increase the baking time to about 45-50 minutes. Cooled leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

1/8 teaspoon table salt  

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and still warm 

1 3/4 cups cake flour (7 ounces) 

Cake

1 1/4 cups cake flour (5 ounces) 

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3.5 ounces) 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda  

1/4 teaspoon table salt  

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool 

1 large egg  

1 large egg yolk  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

1/3 cup buttermilk  

 Confectioners' sugar for dusting 

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish.

3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.

4. Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Using both hands, break apart the crumb dough, rolling the broken dough between your thumb and forefinger to form crumbs about the size of large peas. Continue until all the dough has been broken down into crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over the cake batter, breaking apart any larger chunks, beginning with edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

America’s Test Kitchen recently published a new cookbook called Naturally Sweet (available here) which features classic desserts and baked goods using recipes that rely only on natural, less-processed sweeteners like Sucanat (unrefined cane sugar), coconut sugar, date sugar, honey, and maple syrup. Much attention is focused now on reducing the amount of sugar that we consume in our diets. In a recent NY Times article, it was determined that “the sugar industry paid scientists in the 1960s to play down the link between sugar and heart disease and promote saturated fat as the culprit instead” (O’Connor. “How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat”. Sep 9, 2016) This morning, I decided to try the Bran Muffins recipe and they are truly delicious. Most muffin recipes contain close to 30 grams of serving per serving, but ATK has whittled it down to 12 grams while still maintaining a sweet, moist, well-structured muffin. I highly recommend this cookbook and look forward to trying all of the recipes. One note, I substituted canola oil for the melted butter.

Print recipe - Download Naturally Sweet Maple Bran Muffins 

1 ½ cups flour

1 ½ cups wheat bran

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

½ cup maple syrup

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (or vegetable oil)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ cup of raisins, chopped

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 375 degrees. Grease or spray 12-cup muffin tin, set aside.
2. Whisk flour, wheat bran, baking powder, soda, spices and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, syrup, butter (or oil) eggs, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir liquid mixture into dry ingredients, just until combined. Fold in raisins.
3. Divide batter evenly into prepared tin, an ice cream scoop works well. Bake 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer muffins to wire rack.

March is the perfect time to bake a traditional Irish Soda Bread and after trying several versions, this one from Cooks Illustrated is a favorite. For a more traditional soda bread, reduce the sugar by half and omit the raisins. If you're in the mood for more Irish fare for St Patrick's Day - try making a Guiness Beef Stew or some Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) or take a trip to Dublin and stay at one of my favorite hotels,The Merrion, which I wrote about in an article for Huffington Post - A Visit to the Merrion Hotel

Download St Patricks Day Irish Soda Bread recipe

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 cup cake flour 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar 

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt 

4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter 

1 1/4 cups buttermilk 

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup raisins, golden raisins, or currants (or combo of dark and golden raisins)

1.    Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in large bowl. Work softened butter into dry ingredients with fork or fingertips until texture resembles coarse crumbs.

2.    Add buttermilk, egg, raisins,  and stir with a fork just until dough begins to come together. Turn out onto flour-coated work surface; knead until dough just becomes cohesive and bumpy, 12 to 14 turns. (Do not knead until dough is smooth, or bread will be tough.)

3.    Pat dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches high; place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. Cut a cross shape into the top.

4.    Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into center of loaf comes out clean or internal temperature reaches 170 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes, covering bread with aluminum foil if it is browning too much. Remove from oven and brush with some melted butter; cool to room temperature, 30 to 40 minutes

Corn muffins are so versatile, but many can turn out dry and tasteless. The sour cream in this recipe keeps them moist and tender every time. They’re perfect in the morning with some homemade jam, or serve them at dinner with Chili Con Carne or Chicken Tortilla Soup. To get the best corn flavor, I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal. It comes in a variety of grinds. Fine will produce a tender muffin, while medium grind creates a bit more texture.  You can find Bob’s Red Mill products at most grocery stores or order from their website - http://www.bobsredmill.com

Download My Favorite Corn Muffins recipe

Makes 12 muffins

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)

1 cup fine or medium-ground, whole-grain yellow cornmeal (4 ½ ounces)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1. Place oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line standard muffin tin with papers and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to combine; set aside.

3. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl until well combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar to eggs; whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add half the sour cream and half the milk and whisk to combine; whisk in remaining sour cream and milk until combined.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; mix gently with rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moistened. Do not over-mix. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, dropping it to form mound. Do not level or flatten surface of mounds.

5. Bake until muffins are light golden brown and skewer inserted into center of muffins comes out clean, about 18 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in tin 5 minutes; invert muffins onto wire rack, stand muffins upright, cool 5 minutes longer, and serve warm.