You are probably stopping by to see what I did for TWD this week, well sadly I didn’t do it. I thought I had granola but apparently not. And since I put it off until Monday night(when it cooled down around these parts) it didn’t get done. But if they are anything like the granola cookies I made awhile back I am sure they are great.
Back to school time is here. The aisles at Target are filled with back to school supplies that I must admit I still go through. It’s been 4 years now since I stopped teaching yet the school supplies still keep sucking me in. I am quite sure I do not need the Sharpie markers, the crayons and the Hello Kitty folder that I bought the other day. But I could not resist.
Most of my teaching friends in Arizona are already back and soon to follow are my Washington teacher friends. It’s the time of year that you love and hate all at the same time as a teacher. You are hopeful(especially if you had the class from hell the year before) that you will have a great year. You are excited to do all the things you said you were going to do last year and didn’t. Excited to do the lesson plans you tagged and put in a folder but didn’t find until the Summer when you were going through stuff. Excited to get your classroom in order. Excited to get back to the school cafeteria tater tots(that might have just been me).
But your oh too short Summer has passed. You have to figure out how in the heck am I going to get myself out of bed at 5:45am when I have been sleeping in every day till 11am? You start to panic slightly when you hear that you are getting “the” kid that gave last years teachers daily headaches and a few more gray hairs than the average 20 something should have.
When I was in Portland in April we went to Powell’s Books. It takes up an entire block. We didn’t drive there(a mistake) as the hotel was not too far and I didn’t figure there was a cookbook there that I didn’t have. LOL. Wrong. For though I had most of the current cookbooks that I wanted they had many a used cookbook that I felt I needed. 17 to be exact. Most of them major old school cookbooks, like Good Housekeeping and Fanny Farmer. I love those kind of books. Made for back in the day when people actually entertained and had dinner parties. My poor husband got stuck dragging those books about 12 blocks and grumbled the whole way.
The other day he asked if I had ever made anything from those books. I had. But it got me going through them again. I was looking at quick breads in the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. All the quick bread recipes didn’t have butter which was interesting to me. In fear that my bread(which turned into muffins) would be too dry I did add some Mascarpone cheese to it. I also added more sugar as 1/3 cup was not cutting it for me! Even with the more sugar these were still on the less sweet side and would make a good back to school treat. If you want to add glaze like I did that is simply 1/3 cup seedless blackberry jelly melted in a saucepan and then add 1 cup powdered sugar. Pour over muffins.

For all you teachers(and principals, counselors, teacher aides, school nurses, etc) heading back into the trenches…hope you have a great school year!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¾ cup peanut butter
1/3 cup plus 2 TBSP Mascarpone cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole milk
1 egg, well beaten

1 small jar seedless blackberry jelly(or any jelly of your choice), you will have leftovers

Preheat oven to 350F.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add peanut butter and Mascarpone cheese. Mix until well incorporated.
Add the milk, egg and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated.
Grease and flour a standard muffin pan(I used square ones). Fill each muffin tin up 1/3 of the way full. Add a large TBSP of blackberry jelly. Spread it around with your fingers. Cover the jelly with peanut butter dough. They do not rise very much so you can fill the muffins to almost the top of the muffin hole(leave a little room).
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test to see if done by using a wooden skewer and inserting it in the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean(there will be jelly on it though) then you are good to go.

Dough recipe adapted from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, 1951

So one of the best things about going home, other than of course seeing my darling parents(loving you family) ;) , is raiding my mom’s cupboard for all her homemade jam. My mother’s yard is filled with a myriad of fruit from blackberry bushes to cherry trees she does have quite the variety…she even has a pear tree.
My mother and I share a love for so very few things. When my mother shops for me she always tells me that if it physically repulses her she knows it must be something I like. This is how she has shopped for me for years, it is in her defense, a system that seems to work quite well. But when it comes to food we do share a quite a few loves…nutmeg being one of them. Nutmeg is both my mother and I’s favorite spice. I use it in so many things, both savory and sweet. I feel it is highly underused.
So in my mother’s experimenting in jam making she decided to add nutmeg to her pear jam one year, and oh my, was that a good choice. So whenever I am home I either steal(yes, stealing is wrong kids, don’t do it…leave it to Peabody only to steal jam) or beg to get the pear nutmeg jam and the currant jam. Both of which my mother tries to weasel out of not giving me. She plays the guilt card and I play the guilt card right back…resulting in me getting my jam. I left this time with not one, but two jars of pear nutmeg but just one red currant(so that must be savored).
Fall has been on my mind a lot as of late. I did a Fall Foods shoot and every since then I have been wanting all Fall foods. I even went so far to burn my pumpkin candle. Oh Fall, please hurry up.
With Fall on my mind, my mother’s pear-nutmeg jam came out of the cupboard. I saw a blackberry jam cake(which I have already made a version of that) but this one had a caramel sauce, and I thought that sounded perfect for pears. And it was perfect.
I made my caramel on the light side since I added some jam to the glaze as well and wanted those flavors to not be overpowered by the caramel. You can make your caramel darker, especially if you are not adding jam to the glaze.

Pear-Nutmeg Jam Cake with Pear-Nutmeg Caramel Glaze

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¾ cup buttermilk
¾ tsp baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 cup superfine sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
¾ cup pear-nutmeg jam
½ tsp vanilla extract

Pear-Nutmeg Caramel Glaze(recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour a 9-inch Bundt pan(I used mini ones). Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
Combine buttermilk and baking soda and let stand for 7-8 minutes.
Cut butter into 1-inch pieces and place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth and lightened in color. Add the superfine sugar, 1 to 2 TBSP at a time, taking 3 to 4 minutes, then add the brown sugar, taking 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bowl down.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then blend in the preserves and vanilla.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture, dividing the flour into three parts and the buttermilk into two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until blended after each addition. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth top with the back of a spatula and bake for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. The mini ones took about 40-45 minutes. The cake will be done when the top is firm and the sides begin to release, and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.
While cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. When ready to glaze cake, invert it onto the rack, gently lift off the pan, and place the rack on a rimmed cookie sheet.
Immediately pour the glaze over the warm cake. Work quickly as glaze begins to harden as soon as it is  poured on the cake.

Pear-Nutmeg Caramel Glaze

¼ cup superfine sugar
¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup strained powdered sugar
1/3 cup pear-nutmeg jam

Have ready a pastry brush and glass of cold water. Combine the superfine sugar and the lemon juice in an 8-inch skillet set over low heat. (Wet the brush and gently brush the sides of the pan occasionally to remove any stray sugar crystals)
Continue to cook the sugar on low heat until it is melted and turns a caramel color(I went for a less darker color). As the edges begin to deepen in color, do not stir the syrup. Instead, carefully tilt the skillet and slowly swirl the syrup around the pan until it is evenly browned. Remove from the heat and add the cream, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. Blend in the powdered sugar and jam. Keep warm until ready to use int a skillet filled with 1-inch of hot water.

Adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins and More by Carole Walter 2007

So people are making a big deal over how much Olympic phenomenon Michael Phelps eats in a day. All over the news they have been showing what he typically eats for breakfast everyday:
3 Fried-Egg Sandwiches (complete with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayo)
5-Egg Omelet
Coffee (2-3 cups)
Bowl of Grits
3 Slices French Toast topped with Powdered Sugar
3 Chocolate Chip Pancakes
I think with proper training, I could work up to that. Though I think I would have to have my eggs scrambled for the fried egg sandwiches and I would substitute the tomatoes and fried onions with bacon. How can he not eat bacon? Why I could be half way to being an Olympic athlete.
Apparently though he works that all off by working out 8 hours a day. Heres where my Olympic dreams might be dashed. Eight hours in a day? I can get that in a week…surely that counts, eh? After looking at all of the Summer athletes I am thinking I could still hold out for Discus, Archery or one of the Shooting events. No offense to some of the competitors but they don’t seemed to be in quite tip top shape as some of the other athletes there at the games. And of course for the Winter Olympics I could always do curling. I’m not bad…unless you have me keep score. Somehow I can’t do that. But I do throw me a good stone I tell ya.
So many people when watching the Olympics get inspired to get in shape. Me, I got inspired to make Michael a meal he could get his 4000 calories in without having to eat so much. I’m here to help you Michael, let me help you. Let me help you. My only request(husband don’t read this part) is that you have your shirt off while while you eat my French toast in front of me.

Mascarpone Maple Syrup Stuffed Brown Sugar Pecan Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread French Toast with Maple Syrup Cinnamon Honey Sauce

1 loaf Brown Sugar Pecan Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread(recipe follows)
1 batch custard(for dipping french toast in)(recipe follows)
1 batch Mascarpone Maple Syrup Filling(recipe follows)
1 batch Maple Syrup Cinnamon Honey Sauce)recipe follows)

Brown Sugar Pecan Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

1 ½ cups rolled oats
1 cup boiling water
¼ cup water
2 tsp dried yeast
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup canola oil
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar(I use dark)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 spray bottle of water

bread filling:
1 TBSP melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar

 
Set aside ¼ cup rolled oats. Place the remaining oats into a medium bowl. Cover with boiling water. Mix with spoon to moisten all oats. Let bowl sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Place ¼ cup of warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Mix with a whisk to dissolve yeast. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add soaked oats, buttermilk, canola oil, brown sugar, both flours, and salt. Using the hook attachment, mix on low speed for 1 or 2 minutes to combine ingredients. Increase speed to medium and mix for about 10 minutes. Dough will be wet at first, but will eventually from a ball. Ball will have a satiny finish and will bounce back quickly when poked with finger.
Place dough in an oiled, medium bowl and over with plastic wrap. Proof in a warm room, 70-75F, for about an hour. Dough will almost double in size.

Pull dough from bowl onto a floured surface and flatten it with your hands, releasing excess air bubbles. Form dough into a 12 x 6-inch rectangle and position it so that a long side is facing you. Spread melted butter evenly(as best you can) onto the rectangular dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar, followed by the cinnamon and then pecans. Fold the 2 short ends of the dough onto the top so they meet in the middle. Starting with the closest end, roll dough away from you into a log. Let loaf rest on its seam for a few minutes.

Transfer dough to an oiled 9 x 5 x 4-inch loaf pan, seam side down. Using your hands, push down on the dough to make sure it extends to all corners of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm room for 35-45 minutes. Loaf will rise to slightly above the top of the pan.

While loaf is proofing, preheat oven to 385F.

Remove plastic wrap and mist top of loaf with spray bottle of water. Sprinkle with remaining oats(I skipped this part this time around). Place pan on center rack of oven an bake for approximately 1 hour(I put a pan under the loaf pan since there was brown sugar and butter in the bread filling, good thing as I did get some dripping). Top and sides of finished loaf will be deep golden brown. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the sides of the loaf to release from the pan. Invert to remove loaf.

Source: Bread recipe is adapted from Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook by Leslie Mackie with Andrew Cleary, 2003

Dipping Custard

4 eggs
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup maple syrup
½  tsp vanilla
½  tsp cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients with a whisk in a medium bowl until fully incorporated. Place mixture into a 9-x-13 inch pan to make dipping easy.

Mascarpone Maple Syrup Filling

½ cup Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat until fully incorporated.
Making the French Toast
Spread about 1 ½  TBSP of  the mixture on a slice of bread. Top with a second piece of bread (like a sandwich). Repeat this process 10-12 times until the mixture is all used.
Dip the “sandwiches” into the custard mixture. Cook on a lightly greased(with butter) griddle until golden brown, turn to cook the other side. Keep the cooked “sandwiches” warm by placing them on a baking sheet in a warm oven(200F) Top with Maple Syrup Cinnamon Honey Sauce.

 
Maple Syrup Cinnamon Honey Sauce

¼  cup unsalted butter (½  stick)
¼  cup brown sugar
¼ cup creamed cinnamon honey(or just regular honey with 1 tsp cinnamon)
¼  cup maple syrup
¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Combine the butter, brown sugar, honey and maple syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add heavy whipping cream and whisk until fully incorporated. Remove from heat and pour over French toast.

Well this weeks TWD pick was by my food blogging friend Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity. I think Dolores makes more of my baked goods for her office mates than any other reader of mine. She chose Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream. Which would be great minus the whole I am allergic to blueberries thing.
So I looked at the recipe. I decided I would do my own this week. Another inspired recipe like I was doing there for awhile. A Vanilla Bean Marionberry Caramel Swirl Ice Cream to be exact. It’s a vanilla bean base(still using some sour cream like the original recipe) with crushed marionberries added and then ribbons of caramel folded it. It was darn tasty. I ate it for breakfast. Afternoon treat. And some after dinner.
There really isn’t much to say about this ice cream other then damn it was good. End of story.

Vanilla Bean Marionberry Caramel Swirl Ice Cream

Vanilla Bean Base

2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup organic sour cream(I use Nancy’s)
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 vanilla beans, split and beans scraped out, reserve pods

Place 1 cup cream into a medium saucepan.
Add the vanilla beans and pods. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and let vanilla beans steep for about 30 minutes.
Place back on medium heat and add sugar and salt. Whisk until sugar has dissolved.
Add sour cream and whisk until incorporated. Add remaining cream and heat for another 2 minutes over medium heat.
Pour mixture into bowl and let chill mixture for at least 3 hours.
Transfer mixture to the frozen ice cream maker bowl using a strainer to discard the vanilla pod.
Churn ice cream according to your ice cream makers manufacturer’s instructions.

Marionberry and Caramel Swirl

1 cup marionberries(or blackberries), crushed with a fork
½ cup caramel sauce(I use Fran’s), warmed so that it is fluid

After the ice cream has churned. Remove from ice cream maker bowl and place in a large bowl. Stir in marionberries so that they are fully incorporated and the majority of the ice cream has turned a purple color. Using a spatula, gently fold in the caramel.
Pour into a freezer container and freeze until hard, about 2 hours.