Friday, October 19, 2012

Cranberry Apple Bread

Julie came home for Columbus Weekend, and she wanted baked goods to bring back to Amherst! This recipe is inspired by Martha Stewart.



Cranberry Apple Bread


1 loaf



4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
12 oz fresh cranberries (1 bag)
2 apples (honey crisp), peeled, cored and diced



Preheat the oven to 350F.
Butter and flour a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix together- with a whisk -  the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix the melted butter, egg and milk. Add the dry ingredients. Fold in the cranberries and apples.

Pour the batter in the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with brown or Turbinado sugar (optional).


Bake for about one hour, or until a tester comes out clean.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies

As most of you now know, I work as Manager at the Mashpee 99 Restaurant. I love it and despite the long hours, I have fun doing it. This month, the 99 Restaurants are raising money for the Boys and Girls clubs around the North East and my participation is in the form of a bake sale! Of course!!!
Time to try new recipes and this one is a keeper!!!!!






Decadent Chocolate Chips Cookies




20 cookies




1 lb (450 g) bittersweet chocolate
4 Tbsp (60g) butter
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1/2 cup (80 g) flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
12 oz extra dark chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan, over very low heat (or over a pot of simmering water), melt the butter and chocolate. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt.

In another bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.

Fold in the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula, taking care not to deflate the batter. Add the dry ingredients also without deflating the batter. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the batter in a shallow dish. Freeze for about one hour.

With a 2-oz ice cream scoop, scoop the cookies on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 13 to 15 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Cranberry Nut Bread

I love Cranberries and could eat them year round. This recipe, inspired from an old issue of Gourmet magazine, is easy and you can have this bread anytime. I love it at breakfast, with a bit of salted butter!
I don't even bother with the one-loaf recipe... !




Cranberry Nut Bread



2 loaves


3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
8 oz butter, cold, diced
zest of 2 oranges
1 1/2 cup orange juice
3 large eggs
2 cups cranberries, half of them chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans.

In a food processor, pulse together the flours, sugar, baking powder and baking soda and salt. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the zest, orange juice and the eggs. Add to the flour/butter bowl and stir until just blended. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts and transfer to the prepared loaf pans and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool and slice!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Pancetta Wrapped Pork Tenderloins

Pork is a very versatile meat and usually easy to prepare. It does have the reputation of being dry, really dry!! If that was true many years ago, times have changed, and so have our way of cooking the beast. It is now all right to leave a little pink in the center of the pork when cooking it. You will not get sick! Please don't cook it to death. It can be so tasty and tender!!
This recipe is from the August issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It worked so well, I didn't change anything!




Pancetta Wrapped Pork Tenderloins



Serves 6


2 nice size pork tenderloins
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
2 Tbsp olive oil
20 slices of Pancetta


Mix the chopped rosemary, herbes de Provence and olive oil in a small bowl.
Rub the tenderloins with the mixture and wrap the pancetta slices around each one. Tie with kitchen twine.

Heat the grill to high. Place the pork on the grill, reduce the heat to medium. Cook evenly all around to get a nice golden crust, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and finish cooking, covered, for another 10 to 15 minutes.


Serve with your choice of starch (potato, rice...) and a sweet sauce such as the Spicy Peach sauce or a plum chutney.