Local Food by Local People / Dec/Jan 2012
It Takes a Bakery
Kendra Williams readily admits, it’s not her love of sweets that drives her desire to open a bakery; it’s her love of the at-risk youth that she intends to employ. Still her creativity and meticulous taste-testing yield amazing recipes, and, lucky for us, she generously shares them.
Oatmeal Cherry Nut Cookies Baked: New Frontiers In Baking By Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 ¼ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 ¾ cups rolled oats 1 cup (8 ounces) dried cherries ½ cup (4 ounces) chopped toasted walnuts
1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom together and set aside. 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla, and beat for 5 seconds. 3. Add half of the flour mixture, and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, add the oats, and beat until just combined. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the cherries and walnuts. 4. Cover the bowl tightly, and refrigerate for 6 hours. 5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 6. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. With the palm of your hand, gently press each cookie down so it forms a cylinder shape. Do not press too hard, and do not press it flat. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies just begin to brown. 7. Remove the pan from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Red Velvet Cupcakes United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State By Warren Brown
10 ounces (2 ¼ cups) cake flour 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 teaspoon salt 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) superfine sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 whole eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 ounce red food dye 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 335 degrees, and place the rack in the middle position. For cakes, line the bottoms of two 9-by-2-inch round pans with parchment. For cupcakes, spray a cupcake pan with nonstick oil-and-starch spray, and line the cups with paper liners. 2. Measure the dry ingredients and wet ingredients into separate bowls. Whisk each to combine. 3. Measure the butter and sugar into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together on low speed for about 5 minutes. 4. Add the eggs one at a time to the well-creamed butter and sugar. Beat in the dye. 5. Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients, about a quarter at a time, until mixed. 6. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, and bake for approximately 30 minutes for the cakes or 20-24 minutes for the cupcakes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, and the surface is even but not very dry. 7. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting cake onto a flat surface. Cool completely before frosting.
