Southern-style cornbread

From Cook's Illustrated

Makes one 8-inch skillet of bread. Published May 1, 1998.

Unlike its sweet, cakey Northern counterpart, Southern cornbread is thin, crusty, and decidedly savory. Though some styles of Southern cornbread are dry and crumbly, I favor this dense, moist, tender version. Cornmeal mush of just the right texture is essential to this bread. Though I prefer to make cornbread in a preheated cast-iron skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or 9-inch square baking pan, greased lightly with butter and not preheated, will also produce acceptable results if you double the recipe and bake the bread for 25 minutes.

Ingredients

4	teaspoons bacon drippings or 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1	cup yellow cornmeal , preferably stone ground
2	teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/4	teaspoon baking soda
1/3	cup water (rapidly boiling)
3/4	cup buttermilk
1	large egg , beaten lightly

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 8-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon fat (or vegetable oil) in heating oven.

2. 2. Measure 1/3 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Mix remaining cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.

3. 3. Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/3 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg. When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot bacon fat (or melted butter) from the skillet into the batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and instantly turn cornbread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.

Individual Yorkshire puddings

From Cook's Illustrated

Serve with Prime rib roast beef with jus.

Serves 12.

Prepare the Yorkshire pudding batter after the beef has roasted for 1 hour, then, while the roast rests, add beef fat to the batter and get the puddings into the oven. While the puddings bake, complete the jus. An accurate oven temperature is key for properly risen puddings, so check your oven with an oven thermometer before making this recipe. Work quickly to fill the muffin tin with batter, and do not open the oven door during baking.

Ingredients

3	large eggs , at room temperature
1 1/2	cups whole milk , at room temperature
1 1/2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
3/4	teaspoon table salt
3	tablespoons beef fat

Instructions

1. 1. Whisk eggs and milk in large bowl until well combined, about 20 seconds. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl and add to egg mixture; whisk quickly until flour is just incorporated and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cover batter with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.

2. 2. After removing roast from oven, whisk 1 tablespoon of beef fat into batter until bubbly and smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer batter to 1-quart liquid measuring cup or other pitcher.

3. 3. Measure 1/2 teaspoon of remaining 2 tablespoons beef fat into each cup of standard muffin pan. When roast is out of oven, increase temperature to 450 degrees and place pan in oven to heat for 3 minutes (fat will smoke). Working quickly, remove pan from oven, close oven door, and divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Immediately return pan to oven. Bake, without opening oven door, for 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Remove pan from oven and pierce each pudding with skewer to release steam and prevent collapse. Using hands or dinner knife, lift each pudding out of tin and serve immediately.

Christmas cardamom bread

Our family has a tradition of making cardamom bread every Christmas, and I spent a few Decembers trying out different recipes. I'm quite happy with this recipe, although next time I would add more cardamom.

This is my version of a challah recipe.

Adapted from I Am Gluten Free

1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (120 degrees)
1 ½ cups cornstarch
¾ cup white rice flour
½ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
3 tablespoons almond meal or instant milk powder
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dry potato flakes or potato flour (not potato starch)
1 tsp cardamom, ground
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup honey
4 eggs + 1 extra egg yolk, at room temperature (reserve the white)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
extra sugar
slivered almonds

1. Add yeast and sugar to warm water. Cover with plastic wrap. Put in oven with oven light on for about 10 minutes or until frothy. Oven should not be turned on yet!
2. Mix cornstarch, white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, almond meal, xanthun gum, salt, and potato flakes in a heavy duty mixer.
3. With mixer running, add yeast mixture, then add melted butter and honey.
4. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
5. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes – batter will look like pudding.
6. Spoon batter into greased 9" spring form pan or 9x5 inch loaf pan or an angel food pan.
7. Smooth top surface of batter using WET hand.
8. Cover pan with plastic wrap sprayed underneath with Pam type spray so it won't stick to batter as it rises.
9. Let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes or until it reaches the top of the pan. The rising will change depending on the humidity and temperature of your room.
10. Using a fine serrated knife, cut 2 diagonal lines across top of bread about 1/8 inch deep (allows steam to escape).
11. Whip the egg white, and brush the top with it. Then sprinkle liberally with sugar and slivered almonds.
12. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Cover with foil after first 20 minutes if top gets too brown.

Tips:
1. To proof the yeast, empty the packet into the water. Add sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and put in your oven with the pilot light on. (The oven shouldn't be on yet).
2. If you don't have time to allow the eggs to come to room temperature, put them in a small bowl filled with warm water. Allow to sit in the water for at least 5 minutes before cracking.
3. Turn oven on for 30 – 60 seconds, then turn off and use it as a warm place for the dough to rise.