The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [372]
cornbread muffins
MAKES 12
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the muffin tin
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 large eggs
1½ cups buttermilk
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush a 12-cup standard muffin tin with melted butter; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, scrape in the vanilla seeds; add the eggs and buttermilk, and whisk to combine. Pour over the flour mixture. Add the 5 tablespoons butter, and stir until blended, using as few strokes as possible.
3. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, filling each cup three-quarters full. Bake until golden and firm to the touch, 17 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.
irish soda bread
MAKES ONE 7-INCH ROUND LOAF
Graham flour is coarser than regular whole-wheat flour, which also works. If you use the latter, substitute ½ cup wheat bran for ½ cup all-purpose flour.
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup whole-wheat graham flour
2½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
12/3 cups buttermilk
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or your fingertips, blend in the butter until it resembles small peas. Add the buttermilk all at once; stir with a fork until the mixture holds together.
2. In the bowl, pat the dough into a dome-shaped loaf about 7 inches in diameter. Lift out the dough; transfer to the lined sheet.
3. Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour. Cut a ¾-inch-deep cross in the top, reaching almost all the way to the edges. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until deep golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
buttercup squash tea bread
MAKES ONE 9-INCH LOAF
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan, room temperature
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup Roasted Squash Puree made with buttercup squash (recipe follows)
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan, and set aside. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, squash puree, melted butter, and ¼ cup water. Fold the squash mixture into the flour mixture. Stir in the pecans.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Turn the bread out onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.
roasted squash puree
MAKES ABOUT 2¼ CUPS
3 pounds squash, such as butternut, orange Hokkaido, or buttercup, halved and seeded
Canola oil, for baking sheet
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the squash halves, skin side up, on an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fork-tender, about 1¼ hours. Remove from the oven. Turn over; let stand until cool enough to handle.
2. Scoop the flesh into a food processor, and discard the skin. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate squash puree in an airtight container up to 4 days or store in the freezer up to 1 month.
pumpkin molasses tea bread
MAKES ONE 9-INCH LOAF
We used apple juice to sweeten the bread, but this recipe is equally tasty made with orange