Quick Jalapeno Cheddar Buttermilk Bread

Another pinterest recipe success - an incredibly helpful link to a basic buttermilk quick bread (for when your milk or kefir milk or yogurt has soured) that can be easily modified into a variety of sweet or savory loaves. Another life lesson in the kitchen for me: do NOT replace a specified freshly chopped jalapeño quantity with the same quantity of canned jalapeño! Common sense would say to use less, but those of us not quite on the ball forget that a greater amount of spiciness/pepper exists in the canned version which leads to a super spicy buttermilk quick bread that only the wife can eat.... oh well, next time I'll get it right.

Buttermilk Quick Bread with Cheddar and Jalapeno

• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 c. buttermilk (or sour milk or kefir milk or yogurt with a bit of water)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil (or unsalted butter, melted)
• 1/4 c. minced jalapeno pepper (or 1/8 c. canned jalapeno pepper)
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 - 2 tsp cumin seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x5 loaf pan.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together. Whisk the wet ingredients together (including the jalapeno)
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, gently folding in the cheddar cheese and cumin seeds at the end. (don't overmix!)
4. Scrape batter into pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
5. Let loaf cool 15 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling.

Friday afternoon muffin bake

Despite the fact that it's one of the sunniest days I've yet to see this spring, and sun is glistening on the fresh snow in the distant mountains, I am inside baking. No complaints though because if I need to run to the store in the middle of a recipe, I don't need gum boots, a rain slicker, and an umbrella! And I can go bask outside on a lawn chair (admittedly still wearing a hoodie and jeans) with a book while the muffins are in the oven.

 This recipe is based on Anne's Bran Muffin recipe from The Grand Central Baking Book. I'm not sure how their muffin recipe yielded 12 muffins unless they have giant muffin tins, so that's the reason for the extremely odd number of muffins produced below. I would rate these muffins a success! An aside to baking: while most recipes say to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, I always do the reverse, using a large bowl to hold the mixed dry ingredients and a smaller bowl to hold the wet ingredients. No baking items have been injured in this manner.

Buttermilk Bran Muffins (makes ~18-19 muffins)

1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter 
1/3 c. molasses
2 large eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. yogurt (alternately just use 1 1/4 c. buttermilk)
1/2 c. applesauce
3/4 c. wheat bran
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. - 3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. raisins (or currants or chopped dried apricots)

(1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line two muffin tins with paper liners. Whatever cups you don't end up filling, remove liners and put a bit of water in.
(2) Whisk sugar down through applesauce together and add wheat bran in to soak.
(3) Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a bowl (reserving walnuts and dried fruits for later).
(4) Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined. Add the nuts and dried fruits in. This batter appears very runny compared to other muffin batters, but it works. You can always add in a little extra flour if you really want to.
(5) Scoop batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup 3/4 full (or as close as you can get!)
(6) Bake for 25 min until edges are browned and the centre of the muffin springs back when gently poked.

Semi-Famous or Something Like It

Okay not even really close to semi-famous, but I had to preen a bit this week as one of my friends asked for my buttermilk-chai-ginger scone recipe to prepare for a party of moms. It was such a smash hit that they want to publish it in their little neighborhood newsletter! How's that for satisfaction? So although I don't have any photos of the recipe as made yet, I will go ahead and post the recipe in case anyone else needs it!

Buttermilk-Chai-Ginger Scones 
2 c. all purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/3 c. sugar
a dash of salt
1/2 - 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/3 c. butter
1/3 - 1/2 c. diced candied ginger
1 c. buttermilk (I rarely buy buttermilk and just use 1 c. milk to which 1 Tbs. vinegar, white or cider, has been added and let sit for 5 min or so)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Sift dry ingredients together and cut in butter until the dough has a similar texture to coarse cornmeal with small pea-sized pieces of butter floating around. Stir in the candied ginger.
Pour in the buttermilk and mix in using no more than 10 strokes. As little handling as possible means a more tender dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3-5 times until it comes together. You can add a bit more flour if too sticky.
Pat into a round about 1 - 1 1/4 inch thick and cut into 8 wedges. Place on baking sheet and make sure to leave room between the wedges as they will expand. Bake for 20-30 minutes (tops should be golden brown) and remove from oven. Let cool. Stores well in ziploc plastic bags for 3 days.