The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (120 page)

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

1
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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 juice or cranberry juice.

Soft butter, for the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup molasses

½ cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup Pumpkin Puree (recipe follows), or canned

2 tablespoons apple juice

½ cup roughly chopped dried cranberries

½ cup roughly chopped walnuts

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup honey

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 5 × 9-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the molasses, sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and apple juice. Add the flour mixture; mix until combined. Fold in cranberries and walnuts. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the bread sit for about 10 minutes, and then turn the bread out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.

3.
While the bread cools, make the frosting. Combine the cream cheese and honey in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until smooth and well combined. Once the bread is completely cooled, spread the top with frosting. Serve.

pumpkin puree

MAKES 3 CUPS

1 3½-pound pumpkin, such as Small Sugar Pie, cut in half

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the pumpkin cut side down on a baking pan; roast until tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool. Using a large spoon, scrape out and discard seeds. Remove the flesh; transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely pureed without any solid pieces, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate up to several days or freeze up to 1 month.

jalapeño corn muffins

MAKES 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the tin, melted

¾ cup nonfat buttermilk

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed light-brown sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels

Unsalted butter, for serving

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin tin with melted butter, and set aside. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and sour cream in a medium bowl until combined, and set aside. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, jalapeños, and corn in a large bowl until combined.

2.
With a rubber spatula, fold the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture until well combined. Fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the tin 5 minutes. Turn out into a basket or bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel; cover to keep warm. Serve with butter.

olive oil biscuits

MAKES 26

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup dry white wine

¼ cup sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed, plus more for sprinkling

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the oil and sugar on medium speed, about 2 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the lemon juice; add to the oil mixture along with the wine, sesame seeds, zest, fennel seeds, salt, and white pepper. Beat until combined. Add the flour, and beat until just combined.

2.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 2 teaspoons water; set aside. Form the biscuits by rolling tablespoons of dough into 5-inch logs and joining the ends to make circles. Brush the tops with egg wash; sprinkle with sesame seeds and fennel. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Bake the biscuits until lightly browned, about 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

potato focaccia

MAKES ONE 12 × 18-INCH LOAF

Fingerlings are grown in yellow, pink, and blue varieties. For a special touch, use an assortment of them. Any small potatoes will work just as well as fingerlings.

7 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the bowl and plastic wrap

1 pound assorted fingerling potatoes

4½ teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning

1 envelope active dry yeast (1 scant tablespoon)

6 cups all-purpose flour

1½ tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

Freshly ground pepper

1.
Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 12 × 18-inch rimmed baking pan, and spread all over using your fingertips; set aside. Place half the potatoes in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water; place over high heat. Add 3 teaspoons salt when the water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain in a colander, reserving the liquid. Pass through a potato ricer or a food mill and into a bowl; set aside.

2.
Place ¼ cup reserved warm liquid into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle in the yeast, and stir well; let stand until creamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 2¼ cups more reserved liquid, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the reserved mashed potatoes; beat until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and remaining 1½ teaspoons salt; add to the potato mixture. Mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 3 minutes. Change to the dough hook, and knead on medium-high until the dough is smooth and elastic and is slightly tacky when squeezed but does not stick to your fingers, 4 to 5 minutes.

3.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, and knead into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.

4.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the dough evenly in the prepared baking pan. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until the dough has filled the entire pan and has increased in size by about one-third, about 30 minutes.

5.
Using a mandoline or a knife, slice the remaining potatoes into very thin rounds. Transfer to a bowl. Add half the rosemary and 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the potatoes well.

6.
Remove the plastic wrap; dimple the dough with your fingertips, leaving deep indentations. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Gently press the reserved sliced potatoes into the dough. Sprinkle with the remaining rosemary. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven; transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm.

julia dunlinson’s potato griddle scones

MAKES 16

These British scones, created by the mother of
Martha Stewart Living
design director James Dunlinson, resemble small, thick pancakes.

1½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the griddle

½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface

1 teaspoon salt

Butter and jam, for serving (optional)

1.
Place the potatoes in a small saucepan; cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until very tender, about 12 minutes. Drain; transfer to a medium bowl. Using a potato ricer or a food mill, mash the potatoes (you should have 5 cups mashed). Add the melted butter, flour, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Transfer to a clean work surface; knead until smooth, being careful not to overwork the dough.

2.
Heat a griddle over medium heat. Roll out the dough to ¾-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a 2½-inch cookie cutter, cut out rounds, and prick with a fork. Lightly butter the griddle; cook the scones in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel, keeping the scones covered while cooking the remaining scones. Serve warm with butter and jam, if desired.

buttermilk biscuits

MAKES 15

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 cups buttermilk

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2.
Add the buttermilk; stir just until the mixture comes together; the batter will be sticky. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface; use your floured fingers to pat the dough to 1-inch thickness. Use a 2½-inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits, as close together as possible to minimize scraps.

3.
Transfer to a baking sheet; bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven; cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.