Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted: May 10, 2012 Filed under: Cookies | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, banana, chocolate chip, cookie, nuts, oatmeal 1 Comment »
Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed light-brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. coarsely chopped nuts (e.g. walnuts, pecans), toasted
Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and nuts.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.
Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.
Blackberry Cornmeal Cupcakes
Posted: April 16, 2012 Filed under: Cupcakes | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, blackberries, cornmeal, cupcake, fruit, unfrosted 1 Comment »
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. fine-ground yellow cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
7 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
About 12 oz. blackberries
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 16 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 1 c. + 2 tbsp. sugar. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter; pour over flour mixture, whisking to combine.
Fill each lined cup with a scant 1/4 c. of batter. Top with blackberries (~3 to 4 per cup), then sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tbsp. sugar.
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until tops are evenly browned. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Keep up to 2 days at room temperature in airtight containers.
Banana Cream Pie
Posted: September 5, 2011 Filed under: Pies | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, banana, cream filling, fruit, pie Leave a comment »
Ingredients:
1 9-in. pie crust dough (Click here for my favorite recipe!)
4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
3 c. whole milk
2/3 c. sugar
5 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
7-8 medium ripe bananas
1 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-in. round, a bit less than 1/4-in. thick. Fit dough into a 9-in. glass pie plate. Trim crust to a 1/2-in. overhang, then crimp edges. Prick dough all over with a fork. Brush the crimped edges with the whole, beaten egg. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Line chilled pie shell with parchment paper, leaving a 1-in. overhang. Fill with pie weights. Bake until the edges of the crust are just beginning to turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights, then continue baking until golden all over, another 15 to 20 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool completely.
Fill a large bowl with ice cubes for an ice bath, and set aside. In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. In a saucepan, whisk together milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil) and cook, whisking constantly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour about a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper, then whisk in the remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan, then cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Set the bowl in the ice bath until completely chilled, about 30-40 minutes. (You can keep the covered custard in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)
Cut 3-4 bananas into 1/4-in. slices, slightly on a bias. Arrange the slices in the cooled pie crust, overlapping so as to completely fill the crust. Cover with the custard, smoothing into an even layer; place in refrigerator as you make the whipped cream. Combine cream and confectioners’ sugar in large bowl; beat until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream on top of custard. Refrigerate the assembled pie, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Just before serving, cut remaining bananas in half crosswise, then thinly sliced lengthwise. Arrange in slightly overlapping rows on the top of the whipped cream.
Blueberry Muffins
Posted: June 15, 2011 Filed under: Muffins | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, blueberry, breakfast, fruit, muffin Leave a comment »
Ingredients:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. fresh blueberries
1 c. sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of unbaked muffins
2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 tsp. flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.
In large bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle some sugar over the batter at this point; it’ll add a nice sparkle and crunch to the baked muffins.
Speaking of baking, bake the muffins, rotating pan halfway though, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean—about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cream Cheese Swirl Blondies
Posted: August 1, 2010 Filed under: Brownies & Bars | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, blondie, brownie, cream cheese Leave a comment »
Ingredients:
11 tbsp. unsalted butter (1 stick + 3 tbsp.), room temp.
1 2/3 c. + 2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
6 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1/4 c. granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8×8-in. pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy removal later. Butter lining (but not overhang).
Make the blondie batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 2/3 c. flour, baking powder, and salt. In a larger mixing bowl, mix 9 tbsp. butter with the brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Mix in 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla until combined. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture until well combined.
Make the cream cheese swirl: In a new medium bowl, place cream cheese, granulated sugar, 2 tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. flour, 1 egg, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla; mix until smooth.
Pour half of the blondie batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Spoon two-thirds of the cream cheese mixture on top and carefully spread. Drop dollops of the first batter over the top, spacing about 1 inch apart; gently spread. With the remaining cream cheese mixture, drop dollops over the top, about 1 inch apart. With a butter knife, swirl cream cheese into the batter by running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through all layers.
Bake until lightly brown and cake tester comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan about 15 minutes, carefully lift out using your handy-dandy parchment overhang. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days; they can be kept at room temperature or chilled in the fridge.
Individual Cookies & Cream Cheesecakes
Posted: April 2, 2010 Filed under: Cupcakes | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, cheesecake, cookies & cream, cupcake Leave a comment »
Ingredients:
42 Oreo cookies (30-35 left whole, 12 coarsely chopped)*
2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 c. sour cream
Pinch of salt
*The original recipe says it yields 30 cheesecakes, but the Brigade found that, even by filling the tins to the top, it made 35. (Luckily, we had some extra Oreos on hand.) They sunk a bit as they cooled, but not much more batter could’ve fit into each cup. So, use your best judgment when filling!
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
Beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Gradually add sugar; beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs slowly. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22-25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate in tins at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.
Spiced Stout Cupcakes
Posted: February 7, 2010 Filed under: Cupcakes | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, beer, cupcake, glazed, spiced Leave a comment »
Ingredients for cakes:
3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. + 1/8 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 1/4 c. unsulfured molasses
1/2 c. + 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. orange zest
1 1/4 c. (10 oz.) stout beer (Brigade beer of choice:)
Ingredients for glaze:
2 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 c. stout beer
Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. (Yields 28 regular cupcakes, but if you need to feed a crowd, you can turn these into mini cupcakes, too.)
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix on medium-low speed the oil, molasses, brown sugar, whole eggs & yolks, zest, and stout until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined.
Pour batter into paper-lined cups, filling roughly 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating tins halfway through baking time. Remove from oven when cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Turn out the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze: Once the cakes have cooled completely, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 1/4 c. beer to make glaze, and drizzle over cakes.
Unglazed cakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers. Once glazed, keep the cakes at room temperature. Eat the same day as glazed.
Strawberry Jam Teacakes
Posted: January 30, 2010 Filed under: Cupcakes | Tags: a Martha Stewart recipe, cupcake, fruit, glazed, strawberry Leave a comment »
Ingredients for teacakes:
1 c. unsalted butter
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. orange zest (about 1 large orange)*
4 eggs, separated
1/2 c. milk
1 c. strawberry jam (Brigade jam of choice:
Ingredients for citrus glaze:
1 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. orange zest
3 tbsp. orange juice
*Any citrus zest/juice can be used in this recipe. The Brigade went with a classic strawberry-orange combination, but feel free to be adventurous and test out some nifty new jam-and-zest combos.
Making the teacakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 16-18 standard muffin tins with butter, then coat with flour.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream butter, sugar, and zest until pale and fluffy (medium speed), then add the egg yolks, one at a time. Scrape down bowl as necessary. Then reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to soft peak stage. Fold this into the batter.
Time to fill the pan: spoon roughly 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of batter into each prepared cup. (Again, this will vary depending on just how large you want your teacakes.) Make a little indentation in each dollop of batter, filling with about a tablespoonful of jam. Then top with another 2 tablespoons or so of batter, to cover up the jam completely.
Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for even baking. Once you remove them from the oven, run an offset spatula around the edges of the pan and transfer to cooling racks immediately.
The glazing: Once the cakes have cooled completely, whisk together all the glaze ingredients, adding more sugar or juice to reach the glazing consistency you want. Then glaze away! I found the best way to do this is to keep the teacakes on the cooling rack with a sheet of wax paper underneath to catch the glaze drippings; then just drizzle as much glaze as desired onto each cake. The cakes aren’t very sweet, so the glaze is a nice addition.
Martha recommends storing the final product in a single layer at room temperature in an airtight container for no more than 2 days. But these things are good, so I doubt they’ll last 2 days.
