Authors: Kathy Farrell-Kingsley
The Home Creamery (11 page)
4.
To serve, combine peaches, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Serve waffles topped with peach mixture and mascarpone.
MAKES 6 TO 8
VARIATION
If peaches are unavailable or if you would like to try something different, use 3½ cups chopped ripe cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
VANILLA WAFFLES
To make waffles ahead, wrap cooled, baked waffles individually in plastic wrap and place in airtight freezer bags. Freeze up to 1 month. To reheat, unwrap waffles and place directly on rack in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through and slightly crisp.
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup
HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK (
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39
)
, stirred well
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 egg whites
1.
Coat a waffle iron lightly with cooking spray and preheat the iron. Preheat oven to 200°F.
2.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
3.
Whisk together the buttermilk, milk, oil, vanilla, and egg yolk in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the flour mixture, stirring just until blended.
4.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
5.
Ladle ⅓ cup batter (or amount recommended by manufacturer’s directions) onto the waffle iron. Close the lid and cook the waffles about 4 minutes or until golden. Gently open the lid and remove the waffles with a fork. Serve immediately or transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat with the remaining batter, lightly coating iron with cooking spray each time.
MAKES 6 TO 8
VARIATION
VANILLA PANCAKES
Substitute 2 eggs for the egg yolk and 2 egg whites. Beat the eggs into the buttermilk mixture. (There is no need to whip the egg whites.) Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread thin coating of butter over griddle and let melt. Working in batches, drop batter by ⅓ cupfuls onto the griddle, spacing apart. Cook pancakes until brown on bottom and bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Turn pancakes over and cook until bottoms are brown and pancakes are barely firm to touch. Transfer to plates. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter to the griddle as needed.
BANANA-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Overripe bananas can be frozen in their skins and used for baking. Thaw them just long enough to peel and easily mash them. The buttermilk gives the muffins a flavorful tang.
1¼ cups
HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK (
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39
)
, stirred well
1 cup mashed banana (2 medium)
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup wheat bran
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 12 standard-size muffin cups.
2.
Combine the buttermilk, banana, brown sugar, oil, egg white, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the wheat bran.
3.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the banana mixture and mix just until blended. Fold in the blueberries.
4.
Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Bake about 15 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans and let cool on a wire rack.
MAKES 12
FRESH FRUIT SMOOTHIE
1 medium banana, sliced and frozen (scant 1 cup)
6 strawberries, frozen (1 cup)
½ cup fresh orange juice
1 cup
HOMEMADE YOGURT (
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)
1.
Combine the banana, strawberries, and orange juice in a blender. Add the yogurt and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve right away.
SERVES 2
VARIATIONS
MANGO GINGER
Use ½ cup mango nectar instead of orange juice and 1 cup diced fresh mango instead of strawberries. Add 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.
APPLE-BERRY
Use ½ cup apple juice or cider instead of orange juice and 1 cup fresh blueberries instead of strawberries.
TROPICAL MORNING
Use ½ cup pineapple juice instead of orange juice and 1 cup cubed fresh or canned pineapple in juice instead of strawberries. Add ¼ teaspoon coconut or almond extract.
NO FORKS REQUIRED
The plate and the fork have been removed from the equation with these bite-size, party-friendly appetizers and snacks. They all pack the flavor of a full-size dish into a package that you can pick up or scoop and eat in just a couple of fork-free bites.
Focaccia with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
CHUTNEY CHEESE SPREAD
Once you use homemade cream cheese for making dips, it will be hard to go back to using the store-bought kind. This cheese spread is so easy to make and looks enticing when arranged on a serving plate or cutting board surrounded by crackers and pita crisps.
1 cup (8 ounces)
HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE (
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½ cup mango chutney, chopped
¼ cup chopped salted peanuts or walnuts or cashews
½ cup sliced green onions
1.
Unmold the cheese onto a serving plate and spread it with a spatula to make it flat on top and about 4 inches in diameter.
2.
Spoon the chutney over the top. Sprinkle with the nuts and green onions.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
HERBED GOAT CHEESE BITES
These hors d’oeuvres will disappear quickly. The recipe calls for rolling the cheese balls in finely chopped walnuts, but any nuts, such as pistachios or pecans, will work.
1 cup (6 ounces)
HOMEMADE GOAT CHEESE (
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)
, softened
¼ cup (2 ounces)
HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE (
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, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
½ cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts
1.
Mix the goat cheese and cream cheese in a medium bowl until blended. Mix in the basil and chives until blended. Form a heaping teaspoon of the cheese mixture into a small ball and transfer to a sheet of waxed paper. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture, making about 36 balls in total.
2.
Place the walnuts on a sheet of waxed paper. Roll balls in the walnuts to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or up to 2 days.
MAKES 18 SERVINGS
OLIVE AND CREAM CHEESE TOASTS
Always good and simple to make in advance, these canapés have been in my repertoire for years. I guarantee they will impress even your most discriminating guests.
10 slices firm white or whole-wheat sandwich bread
1½ tablespoons
HOMEMADE BUTTER (
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31
),
melted
¾ cup (6 ounces)
HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE (
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, softened
⅓ cup pimiento-stuffed green Spanish olives, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped scallions
¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
¼ teaspoon ground sweet paprika
2 teaspoons medium-dry sherry
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut 40 rounds from bread slices with 2-inch round cutter and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush the top of the bread rounds with butter and bake until pale golden, about 8 minutes. (Leave toasts on baking sheet.)
2.
Preheat broiler. Mash together the cream cheese, olives, scallions, bell pepper, paprika, and sherry in a medium bowl until blended. Top each toast with 1 teaspoon of the mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan. Broil about 4 inches from the heat until Parmesan begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Serve warm or at room temperature.
MAKES 20
WARM CRAB DIP
Be sure that you have this recipe ready to hand out if you serve it to guests; many will request it. The dip also works with smoked salmon or cooked lobster meat.
4 tablespoons
HOMEMADE BUTTER (
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)
1 large shallot, minced
¾ cup (6 ounces)
HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE (
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)
¼ cup
HOMEMADE CRÈME FRAÍCHE (
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)
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons minced chives or scallion tops
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1½ pounds jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
⅔ cup coarse dry breadcrumbs Pinch of salt
1.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until just beginning to brown, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, mustard, chives, parsley, salt, and cayenne and scrape into a large bowl. Stir in the crabmeat, breaking it up slightly with a spoon. Spread the crab dip in a shallow baking dish.
2.
Preheat broiler. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle the crumbs over the crab dip and broil about 8 inches from the heat source or until the dip is heated through and the topping is golden, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.