top shelf oatmeal muffins

extra cinnamon + granola topped variation

there is a bakery in Austin that makes what I consider to be the perfect oatmeal muffin -- kind of plain, lightly sweet, a bit chewy with old-fashioned oats -- nothing fancy, but just right. I think I've come very close to cracking the recipes here. these are just as good, if not just a teeny bit better, in my humble opinion. super-easy to make. give 'em a try!

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant!)
• 1-1/3 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. line muffin pan with paper liners (or butter and flour thoroughly if not using liners. add brown sugar and butter to the mixer, and start blending. add eggs one at a time, then add oats and buttermilk. add flour, kosher salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking powder, and finish mixing when just combined (don't overmix). divide mixture into muffin pan wells and bake for 22-27 minutes, until golden brown on top, and done inside (a clean toothpick emerges without batter or crumbs stuck to it). cool on a wire rack and consume in good health! I used to pay over $1 per muffin; this entire batch of 12 muffins cost around $3 total.

variations -- any one or two of these would work well, or even all at once! 

• substitute yogurt thinned with water or milk to buttermilk consistency
• use a full teaspoon of cinnamon and add 1/3 cup raisins (golden raisins are especially nice here)
• add the zest of 1/2 an orange and add 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• before baking, top each muffin with about 1 teaspoon granola

fluffy, ultra-light pancakes

this pancake batter relies heavily on the interaction between acidic buttermilk and alkaline baking soda for leavening, so it needs to be cooked right away. also, the batter will puff up a bit in the bowl, so be sure to leave a little room for that! they will come out light and tender, like clouds, with slightly crisp edges.

makes approximately 10 pancakes, depending on size

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 2 cups buttermilk (stir, but don't shake before measuring! if you shake it, it gets bubbly and doesn't measure right)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (less if you're using fine salt -- try 1/2 teaspoon to start)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (measured by spooning the flour into the cup measure and leveling off with a knife -- how you measure the flour is very important! don't dip the measure into the flour and level off -- you'll get a lot more flour and the batter will be too thick)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

either pour the melted butter into a medium-large bowl for the batter, or microwave the butter in the bowl to melt it. whisk in the buttermilk, then the eggs, sugar and salt. pour in all the flour, baking powder, and baking soda at once, then whisk in. the batter will form bubbles and foam up a bit -- don't over-mix! you don't want to lose the bubbles. a few lumps are fine. do evaluate the batter to see if it's the right consistency -- add a bit more buttermilk or regular milk if you need to thin it.

to cook your pancakes, heat a griddle or skillet (I like to do two at a time; you do what works best for you!) over medium heat. quickly run the end of a stick of butter over the surface of the hot skillet -- you don't want a lot in there, just a bit. it should foam up immediately, but not burn (adjust the heat if needed). add a scoop of batter (1/2 cup to 2/3 cup per pancake is what I do) and let pancake cook until the edges are set, the bubbles near the edges are set and open at the top, and you can see bubbles throughout the whole pancake. flip with a spatula and check how brown the surface is -- adjust heat if needed. allow the second side to cook for around 1 minute -- to check for doneness, lightly press the edges and middle of the pancake to see if it springs back a bit. if it does, it's done. remove from skillet to a plate, butter the skillet again and continue cooking, stacking them up until you've finished the batter. relax and enjoy with a bit of maple syrup and fresh fruit.

orange-berry buttermilk muffins

2 large eggs
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar (to your taste)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1-1/2 tablespoons citrus zest (tangerine zest is especially good, but orange, lemon or lime zest will also work quite well)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups AP flour
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries or blackberries, or a combination)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

preheat oven to 400°F. line twelve muffin cups with paper liners. lightly beat eggs and sugar together in a large bowl, then add buttermilk, melted butter, citrus zest and salt. add flour one cup at a time and mix until just combined (don't overmix!). stir in baking soda until distributed throughout (batter will start to inflate a bit at this point). gently fold in berries with a spatula. divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups; bake for 20-25 minutes. muffins are done when tops are golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out perfectly clean. cool on racks.

*notes: if you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute milk soured with citrus juice (place 1 tablespoon fresh citrus juice in a measuring cup and add regular milk to reach the 1-cup mark) or yogurt thinned with a bit of milk or water. another option is to use regular milk, and replace the 1/2 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons baking powder, but the muffins won't be quite as yummy nor will they be as tender as those made with buttermilk.

I made a batch of these this morning with tangerine zest and frozen organic blueberries, and I don't care if this is considered bragging -- they're delicious. I didn't have my muffin tin handy when I first experimented with this recipe, so I placed all of the batter into a buttered glass loaf pan. I reduced the heat to 375°F and the loaf browned just a bit before it was completely done inside; next time I'll try baking at 365°F. finally (perhaps needless to say), I used my homemade butter and buttermilk when baking these, but the commercial versions will work just as well.

buttermilk cornbread

this yummy cornbread has been my favorite way of using up all the buttermilk I produce when making butter (see here for my previous post re: homemade butter). speaking of buttermilk: I do think there's a difference between the cultured skim-milk "buttermilk" that's available at the store vs. the real thing, which is the liquid I drain after I churn cultured cream into butter. I like the flavor of real buttermilk, and its consistency is different -- it's thinner than store-bought; just a little bit thicker than fresh milk. the lactic acid content is similar to the store-bought stuff, because I always culture cream before making butter: culturing cream introduces a compound called diacetyl, which is very buttery in flavor. theoretically, real buttermilk may make baked goods more tender, the theory being that certain emulsifiers being released when fat globules in cream are disturbed by churning. all that said: store-bought buttermilk, regular yogurt thinned w/milk to the consistency of buttermilk, or fresh milk with 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice added -- all work beautifully in this recipe; you'll be happy with the texture, rise and flavor of this perfectly balanced cornbread. note: there's sugar in this recipe because I like my cornbread a bit sweet, but if you don't like it, leave it out and reduce the salt by about half.

preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar (any kind of granulated sugar will do)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (or a little less, depending on taste)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 cups cornmeal (Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind Cornmeal is my favorite)
1 cup all purpose flour

butter a cast iron skillet or a 9-inch square baking pan, and put in oven while preheating. combine the butter, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. crack in the eggs and pour in the buttermilk, then whisk thoroughly to combine. add the cornmeal and flour to the mixture, and whisk just until combined. remove pan from oven and pour in the batter (using a spatula to get every bit into the pan). tap gently to level it, then bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until center is set, and a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

possible additions/alterations: I love to add freshly-ground black pepper and a few shots of Tabasco. also, I've substituted olive oil for up to 75% of the melted butter with no problems (it just tastes less buttery, but the buttermilk provides plenty of that flavor). other additions that will always be good include: chopped jalapenos (fresh or pickled), sauteed green onion, fresh or frozen corn, grated cheddar, etc. -- just not too much of anything. the *best* batch I ever made utilized the last of this summer's maque choux -- so good. but even plain, it's still probably the best cornbread I've ever made.

make your own crème fraîche and cultured butter

if you've already mastered making your own yogurt (which I posted about last month), you're ready to start making your own crème fraîche, and from that, cultured butter, which is delicious and surprisingly easy!

first, start by making crème fraîche:

1 quart heavy cream

2 tablespoons either buttermilk or live, active, plain yogurt (homemade or store-bought)

note: I use my homemade yogurt, and it works perfectly, though the buttermilk method also works quite well. if you start making your own butter, you'll end up with your own cultured buttermilk as well! my yogurt, crème fraîche, buttermilk (and to a lesser extent, the butter) all contain the same culture.

sterilize your equipment: thermometer, pot in which you're heating the cream, whisk/or spoon used to add the culture (buttermilk or yogurt). most of the recipes I've read instruct to warm the cream to 110 F first, then to innoculate with culture (whisk in the buttermilk or yogurt) and allow to stand, covered, in a warm spot for 8-12 or more hours. ***yet another "do as I say, not as I do:" I've found that when using UHT (ultra-high temperature) pasteurized cream (which is ALL I can find around here), I don't have to bother with heating the cream at all to start it, so I skip this step.*** I like using my heavy Le Creuset dutch oven for this, even if I'm not heating the cream. my gas oven, which has a pilot light that's constantly on, keeps whatever I'm culturing right at the perfect temperature (about 110 F), and when I use store-bought yogurt, or my homemade yogurt or buttermilk to culture it, it's always nice and thick (like sour cream) and perfectly tangy at 8-10 hours (it seems to take a few hours longer when I've used commercial buttermilk). if I want it more liquid and only slightly tangy, I make sure to check it at 6 hours. any way you like it, culture to your taste, then pack into sterile containers (I use glass canning jars) and refrigerate. it keeps for about a week.

the above recipe makes a LOT of crème fraîche; more than I'd ever use in a week! it's easy to make a half recipe or even a quarter the volume; I make a whole quart so that I can take about 3/4 of it and make my own cultured butter:

3 cups of chilled crème fraîche

salt to taste, if desired

get your equipment set up before you start whipping the cream. you'll need either a food processor or electric beaters and a bowl, a quart or more of ice water in a pitcher, a large clean jug or measuring cup (one that holds 1 quart or more) into which you'll strain the buttermilk, a medium-large fine strainer/sieve and a large bowl in which you'll clean the butter (using the ice water). if you want to add salt to the butter, you'll also need a clean cutting board to knead it in.

I use my food processor to make butter, fitted with the "s" blade. put all of the crème fraîche into the food processor bowl and process for several minutes OR put all of the crème fraîche into a bowl and start beating it with your electric beaters. whichever method you use, be sure to listen to the sound of the cream being beaten. there will be a significant change when it breaks down into butter and buttermilk, and the buttermilk will start to splash around. at that point you will see clumps of pale yellow butter floating in white buttermilk. stop processing, place the strainer over the jug (or large measuring cup) and pour the mixture in. the strainer will catch the butter, and the buttermilk will flow into the jug. pour the buttermilk into a clean jar (3 cups of crème fraîche will yield about a pint of buttermilk) and use in pancakes, waffles, or any other recipe for which you'd use regular buttermilk. you can also freeze it for later use. keep the strainer over the jug and pick up the butter, squeezing out as much liquid as possible, then place it into a bowl and pour ice water over it. knead the butter in the ice water for a few minutes, then pour off the water. add more ice water and knead again; continue pouring off, adding fresh ice water and kneading until the liquid you pour off is clear. at that point, the butter has been cleaned of all buttermilk and will keep well. if you want to add salt to it, you can knead in a small amount (to taste) on a cutting board. shape the butter however you'd like: you can press it into ramekins, or form it into sticks or logs. cover ramekins with plastic wrap, and wrap sticks or logs first in wax paper, then in foil or plastic wrap. I usually keep one stick in the fridge to use and freeze the others until I need them. use the butter as is, bake with it; whatever you'd like. it's heavenly.

I have found that I like to use crème fraîche on my toast instead of my usual butter, especially on good, crusty sourdough bread. the rich, tangy taste is just a tiny bit better on toast than my gorgeous homemade butter, and I figure over time, maybe I'm saving my body from having to deal with a few more grams of fat (not much, but what the heck). the cultured butter I make is even better than cultured butter I've bought at the store (and of course it costs much less to make it at home), and it's also excellent on toast, so if you prefer, make *all* of your crème fraîche into butter.

now I need to find or develop a truly excellent recipe for buttermilk bread, so I can use mine up! the buttermilk that results from making cultured butter is delicious; slightly tangy and very refreshing. I can actually understand why people drink buttermilk now! I usually drink a small glass of it each time I make butter. enjoy!