The post Super Seed Truffles first appeared on dramatic pancake.
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Last year, I took some food photos for my lovely and talented friend Alex, who runs an amazing bakery based in Chicago. After the shoot, she sent me home with a bunch of goodies, including a small, clear box of these truffles tied up with a pretty pink ribbon. Among all the things she gave me—we’re talking cheesecake, brownies, an assortment of kickass cookies—these were the last thing I got to trying. But once I did, boy did these go FAST! They’re a little creamy, almost like fudge or cookie dough, and they’re packed with nutrient-dense superfoods:
- Chia seeds: rich in antioxidants, omega-3s and fiber; great source of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and manganese; contain all nine essential amino acids
- Flax seeds: high in omega-3s, B vitamins, magnesium and manganese; great source of fiber and antioxidants; contain all nine of the essential amino acids
- Hemp seeds: contain all nine of the essential amino acids, plus vitamin E and trace minerals; balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats
- Cacoa nibs: even better than dark chocolate, they contain magnesium, fiber, iron, antioxidants and naturally mood-boosting compounds
- Cinnamon: shown to help improve cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and boost cognitive function and memory
- Almond butter: high in the monounsaturated fats associated with reduced risk of heart disease; great source of vitamin E, antioxidants, magnesium and potassium
I’ve made these several times now since Alex gave me the recipe. They’re filling, portable, easy to make, and they come together in just 10 minutes. Yum!
Small but MIGHTY!
- 1 cup almond butter
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 6 pitted dates
- ⅛ cup flax seeds
- ⅛ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup cacao nibs
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 cup hulled hemp seeds
- In a food processor, pulse together the almond butter, cranberries and dates. Add the remaining ingredients, excluding hemp seeds, and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Roll into tablespoon-sized balls, then coat them in hemp seeds. Store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to a week.
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]]>The post Cassandra * Old Fashioned Banana Cake first appeared on dramatic pancake.
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Cassandra: “This cake is from an old, battered copy of the Settlement Cook Book, once owned by my grandmother, who passed away at a very young age. The cookbook was first published in 1907, declaring “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!” on the opening page. It includes recipes for things like a “Noodle Ring” (fried noodles, butter and breadcrumbs in a greased ring mold) and “Frozen Vegetable Salad” (in which fresh vegetables are frozen with gelatin and served with boiled mayonnaise—whatever that means!).
Some of the dishes you would never make today, but others have stood the test of time. My mother loves the simple banana cake, and my father makes it for her every year for her birthday, frosting it with a smooth lemon buttercream adapted from Laurie Colwin’s gingerbread recipe. It’s delicious and so easy. Since spring is around the corner, I decided to decorate the cake with edible flowers (surprisingly inexpensive) and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.”
Lemon not your thing? The frosting from this cake would be a great alternative.
Three Quick Questions…and Cassandra’s Answers
It’s your last meal. What do you have?
Beef bourguignon and my dad’s apple pie with whipped cream.
Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?
A spoon, so I could eat ice cream.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
Laurie Colwin’s Home Cooking.
*Cassandra’s a great baker, but she’s also a talented singer. Check her out here or, if you’re in Los Angeles, see her perform at the Hotel Cafe at 9 p.m. on March 28th (the release date for her new EP!).
- ½ cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- 1 cup over-ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 bananas)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ cups pastry flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- juice of half a lemon, or more to taste
- Make the Banana Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. In an electric stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lightly beaten eggs and the sour cream. Beat well; then add the bananas, vanilla, pastry flour, salt and baking soda. Stir to combine. Pour batter into two 8" round cake pans (or just one 9" pan for a single-layer cake), and bake until cake is a deep golden caramel color and tester comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Lemon Buttercream Frosting: Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and lemon zest, then add sugar little by little until well incorporated. Add lemon juice and more sugar if needed. Frost the cake after it has cooled completely.
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Astrid: “This healthy green smoothie is my favorite go-to breakfast and snack. I call it my ‘salad in a straw.’ It has a ton of vitamins and fiber, so it keeps me full for hours and gives me the energy to power through my day. I like to add Udo’s Oil 3-6-9 Blend, cinnamon, chia seeds, flax seeds and bee pollen for an extra nutritional boost.”
As a highly sought-after fitness model, celebrity trainer and Barry’s Bootcamp instructor, looking good is Astrid’s job—and I’ll take any tips she wants to give me. Thankfully, it didn’t take much coaxing to sip on this delicious, antioxidant-packed smoothie with a host of health and beauty benefits. Weight loss/weight maintenance? Check. Improved digestion? Check. Clear skin and increased energy levels? Check and check.
Cheers to getting your green on!
Three Quick Questions…and Astrid’s Answers
It’s your last meal. What do you have?
Almond butter. It’s my chocolate.
Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?
My Vitamix. You can make anything in that thing.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
It’s between Juliano Brotman’s Raw: The Uncook Book and Kimberly Snyder’s The Beauty Detox Solution.
*For more on Astrid and her work, be sure to check out her website: http://www.astridswanmcguire.com/
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 3-4 stalks celery
- two handfuls spinach
- 1 apple, cored and chopped
- 1 banana
- juice of ½ fresh lemon
- a few sprigs cilantro
- a few sprigs parsley
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- Optional: 1 tbsp Udo's Oil DHA 3-6-9 Blend
- Optional toppings: sprinkle of flax seeds, chia seeds and/or bee pollen
- Add water and chopped head of romaine to blender. Blend at a low speed until smooth. Add celery, spinach and apple, and blend at high speed. Add cilantro and parsley, then finish with the banana, cinnamon and Udo's Oil, if using.
- Top off each serving with a sprinkle of any or all of the following: flax seeds, chia seeds and bee pollen. Cheers!
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Alex: “When I was younger, my parents showed me how to cook a variety of breakfast items, but the one that really stuck with me was the “gashouse egg,” or egg in a basket. I liked the idea of cooking everything together in one pan with the egg becoming part of the bread. Over time, I began experimenting with putting meat and cheese on it, but it never felt complete. Then years ago, I began eating avocado and hot sauce with bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches and realized that those flavors could be applied to the gashouse egg.
The flavors of this dish came from several iterations over time, and the implementation is my solution to finding the most cohesive method for keeping the ingredients gelled together. The avocado spread not only adds a good California-style flavor, but also helps the ham and cheese stick to the bread. Also, I took a page out of my wife’s book by saving the circular bread cutouts. However, rather than placing the cutouts on top, I put them on the bottom to keep the ham and bread slightly elevated (ensuring it doesn’t stick to the skillet). Finally, baking makes everything taste better, and this recipe is certainly no exception.”
Three Quick Questions…and Alex’s Answers
It’s your last meal. What do you have?
Bring me the heaviest, meatiest, red-sauced pasta dish.
Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?
My speakers.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
Giada’s Kitchen: New Italian Favorites. Giada has a very good take on Italian food, and her recipes are always delicious.
*Alex is founder of the innovative and addictive plug.dj, a real-time, social media experience that combines music and video discovery in a fun and interactive online environment. Don’t miss it!
- FOR THE AVOCADO SPREAD:
- olive oil
- 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 whole shallot, peeled and minced
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne
- FOR THE GASHOUSE EGGS:
- 4 slices of your favorite bread
- 4-8 slices swiss cheese
- 4-8 slices honey-maple ham
- olive oil
- 4 eggs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a ovenproof skillet over low heat. While heating, add the avocado and lime juice to a small bowl and toss together.
- Add the shallots to the skillet and cook until lightly brown, then add the pepper and cook for about 30 more seconds. Pour into the bowl of avocado along with the salt, cumin, and cayenne. Mash and mix into the consistency of a spread.
- Using a shot glass, small cookie cutter or a knife, cut circles into the bread slices, reserving the removed pieces. Spread the avocado mixture on top of the bread. Layer the cheese, more avocado spread, and ham—in that order—on top of the bread. Finally, coat one side of the removed circular bread pieces with the avocado spread and place that side down on the center of the bread (on top of the ham).
- Add a splash of olive oil to the same skillet as before, making sure the bottom is fully coated in the oil. Return the bread to the skillet, ham-side down. Very carefully, crack an egg into the circular holes of the bread, making sure that they stay entirely on the bread. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes until the egg-whites are cooked through and yolks are still runny.
- Serve with the remaining avocado spread and hot sauce on the side.
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Dana: “With the help of my husband and the data I had collected on food remedies, I created a healthy snack loaded with nuts, fruit, oats, and flax seed. My diagnosis of breast cancer in 2004 when I was 4 months pregnant with my second child left me with few noninvasive treatment options. In an effort to reduce risk, I started introducing more natural foods into my diet that were high in fiber and antioxidants, and low in fat and sugar. My love of sweets made this a challenge, but these muffins satisfied my sweet tooth and boosted my health. I have shared the muffins with friends and family and everyone loves them. I am happy to be cancer-free and healthy!”
Three Quick Questions…and Dana’s Answers
It’s your last meal. What do you have?
An arugula salad with nuts, fruit and goat cheese topped with blackened tuna, plus a glass of chardonnay, chocolate-covered strawberries and a hot cappuccino.
Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?
My iPhone that is charging on the counter, and maybe a banana if it isn’t too ripe. 
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
I don’t really have a favorite other than my personal collection of recipes I made in college. I tend to substitute a lot of ingredients with healthier options when I use a recipe, and I usually combine ideas using multiple sources.
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¾ cup quick oats
- ¾ cup soy flour
- ¼ cup flaxseed
- 1 egg
- 1 cup over-ripe, mashed banana (this is usually 2-3 bananas)
- ½ cup skim milk
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp honey (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup dried fruit and/or dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat egg and add bananas, oil, milk, vanilla extract and honey. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir in walnuts, dried fruit and chocolate chips, if using. Bake in greased muffin pan for about 18 minutes until golden brown.
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]]>The post Jason * Roasted Garlic and Brie on Baguette first appeared on dramatic pancake.
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Jason: “I started making this years ago whenever I needed something to bring to a party. People seem to like it, and now it’s sort of expected of me.”
There’s a time and place for complex, fussy food, but summer is certainly not it. The season of simplicity–of juicy peaches, crunchy corn on the cob, and flame-licked barbecue–calls for easy dishes you can pull together quickly. This is one such dish you should be adding to your arsenal of go-to party appetizers. Not only is it guaranteed to be a hit, but it’s barely even a recipe: just nutty, caramelized roasted garlic, creamy brie cheese, and chewy toasted baguette. With ingredients like these, a little work goes a long way.
Three Quick Questions…and Jason’s Answers
It’s your last meal. What do you have?
Pizza from Giardini in Brooklyn.
Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?
My dogs, Eddy and Bear. They’re always in the kitchen, especially when they’re not supposed to be.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
I don’t use a lot of recipes but there are certain dishes I’ll make a lot–things like pizza, spaetzle, and goat cheese and tomato pasta.
- 2 large heads of garlic
- olive oil
- Kosher or sea salt
- 1 large crusty baguette
- 1 package (about 8 oz) good brie cheese
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice your garlic heads, width-wise, into halves. Drizzle each half of exposed garlic cloves with some olive oil, then sprinkle with Kosher or sea salt. Put the garlic halves back together and wrap each head in aluminum foil. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until fragrant.
- Meanwhile, slice your baguette into ¼-inch rounds. You can butter the rounds and toast them under the broiler on a baking sheet after you remove the garlic, but it's not necessary. If you do choose to toast the baguette, keep a close eye on it to ensure it doesn't burn.
- When garlic is finished baking, remove from oven and unwrap the foil. Set the garlic on a tray or cheese board with the brie cheese, sliced baguette, and a couple small knives for serving. Let people scoop out garlic as they wish, place it atop the baguette slices, and spread with brie cheese. Alternatively, you can remove the garlic cloves before serving and place them in a small bowl.
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I love the idea of a taco salad, don’t get me wrong. But I’m often left disappointed by what is all too often a sizeable—yet flavorless—mass of meat and beans sitting on a mound of soggy romaine. I had just about given up on the zesty, spicy salad of my dreams, when I stumbled unexpectedly into a veritable jungle of flavor known as the Antique Taco Salad from Antique Taco in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. This is my recreation of the salad with just a few minor tweaks.
You’ll have to forgive me for forgetting to include what might be the most traditionally taco thing about this salad—the tortilla strips—and use your imagination to envision what it would look like had I actually remembered such a crucial crunch factor. Whoops! I would say this is more of a taco salad in the abstract, since you won’t see many of the usual suspects here (beans, meat, salsa), but you will find all kinds of other goodies with a Southwestern bent: spiced peanuts; diced red pepper and onion; crumbly, salty Queso Fresco; sweet fresh strawberries and sliced avocado; and a sparklingly light pomegranate dressing. The resulting salad is the perfect blend of both flavor (salty, sweet, spicy) and texture (juicy, creamy, crunchy).
In other words, my taco salad dreams have come true at last.
- FOR THE SPICED PEANUTS:
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ cup peanuts
- FOR THE POMEGRANATE DRESSING:
- 3 tbsp pomegranate juice
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
- FOR THE KALE SALAD:
- 2 bunches Lacinato or Curly Kale—stems removed—chopped into small pieces
- 2 ounces crumbled Queso Fresco or Cotija cheese
- ⅔ cup sliced strawberries
- ½ an avocado, peeled and cut into small cubes
- ½ cup tortilla strips
- 1 medium red pepper, finely diced
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup spiced peanuts (see ingredients above)
- Make the Spiced Peanuts: Preheat oven to 300°F. In a small bowl, whisk together all spices. In another small bowl, toss the peanuts in a teaspoon of olive oil until thoroughly coated. Add the mixed spices and toss to coat. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper, and bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Make the Pomegranate Dressing: Add pomegranate juice, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and a dash of salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl. Whisk together. Continue to whisk, slowly drizzling in the olive oil until blended. Set aside.
- Prepare the kale salad: First, remove the kale leaves from the tough kale stems. Discard the stems. Gather your kale leaves onto a cutting board, and tear or cut the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces. Place in a large mixing bowl and thoroughly toss with the pomegranate dressing, starting with a little bit and adding more as you like. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale, scrunching handfuls at a time until you notice the kale becomes darker in color; this will help to soften the kale and improve the taste. Once you’re done, set the kale aside and let marinate in the dressing while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Add remaining ingredients to kale salad, along with the spiced peanuts, and toss together. Enjoy!
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Justin: “This recipe came about when my wife and I decided to grow Swiss chard in our garden. Chard grows really, really well, and we had so much of the stuff that we didn’t know what to do with it. We tried sautéing it with some garlic and olive oil, and that was pretty good. Then we used it on top of a pizza, and that was okay. And then one day, we landed on burritos. They turned out so well that we’ve made them over and over again and haven’t changed a thing.”
Last Monday after I finished work, I didn’t much feel like taking a train to Roselle, a suburb 45 minutes outside of Chicago. But when you hear talk of life-changing, mind-blowing burritos at the other end of that ride, you just don’t walk away. You drink a cup of coffee, you pull yourself together, and you go.
This is one of those rare, wonderful recipes that is not only savor-every-bite delicious, but also quick, balanced and flexible. The pinto beans are really the foundation of the burritos, and they deserve more credit than they’re typically given. They’re inexpensive. They’re hearty. They’re healthy. And they pair really well with bacon, another key component of these burritos. Toss in a handful of rainbow chard in vibrant electric hues, plenty of spice, and a sprinkle of salty Cotija cheese, and you’ve got yourself a winning combination.
Three Quick Questions…and Justin’s Answers
It’s your last meal. What do you have?
These burritos. Definitely some chips and salsa, some guacamole. And beer.
Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?
I’d probably grab our big cast-iron skillet because we use it for everything…then again, it’s probably the one thing that would be totally fine in a fire. But we use it every single day.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
We don’t use cookbooks all that often. If I really need to figure something out, I’ll look it up on the internet, but otherwise, we’re pretty experimental with our cooking.
*Justin is a professional photographer who does incredible work. If you’re looking for inspiration, I highly recommend browsing his site: www.justinbparis.com
- 2-3 strips bacon, diced
- 2-3 swiss chard leaves, chopped
- 16 oz can pinto beans, drained
- a few dashes dried Epazote
- a few dashes Hawaiian pink sea salt, or to taste (may sub regular sea salt or Kosher salt)
- a few dashes crushed Aleppo pepper, or to taste
- 2-3 tbsp sour cream
- 2 large tortillas
- ⅓ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- optional add-ins: avocado, salsa, hot sauce, etc.
- Add the diced bacon to a large, heavy pan, and cook over medium heat until it just begins to brown. Add the chopped Swiss chard and sauté with the bacon until soft and wilted. Stir in pinto beans, salt, Epazote and Aleppo pepper. Cook and stir until the beans are hot and everything is mixed together. Spread 1-2 tablespoons sour cream onto each tortilla, cover each one with half the pinto and chard mix, and sprinkle each one with half of the crumbled Cotija. Roll it all up! Enjoy.
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Jess: “Last school year I was saving money to go to Italy for a 5-week cooking program. I didn’t have a paying job and if I wanted to keep baking after school, I wouldn’t have time for one anyway. That’s when it hit me: why not sell what I was baking to kids at school? For six months I became a walking bake sale. After a while though, I got tired of rolling out cookies and cutting out Rice Krispie treats. One day, I decided to change it up. I’d never liked cupcakes, but what if I made mini cakes? Mini rainbow cakes! Two of my best friends came over to help make the new dessert. The minute the cakes were done, we knew they’d be our signature treat. To name the cakes we combined the first letters of our names (Maisie, Tiff and Jess), and called them EmptyJay’s (for M, T, and J)! High schoolers are used to paying change for bake sale items, but these were the first item I could price at $2 each and sell out of completely! By the time summer rolled around, I had reached my goal of a little over $2,000, and I got to take that trip to Italy.”
The fact that these multi-colored mini cakes paid for a trip to Italy should tell you something right away: these are some seriously awesome sweets. And if you’re still not convinced, consider the source. Jess Dawson is only 17 years old, and while most high school students spend their afternoons surfing the web or chatting on the phone (and maybe doing some homework?), Jess can be found baking up a storm for two of Chicago’s most renowned chefs, Gale Gand and Sarah Grueneberg. The girl is a rockstar.
EmptyJays combine three colorful layers of vanilla bean pound cake, held together with a smooth and creamy vanilla frosting. This is the chance to let loose your inner child…or make an actual child very, very happy. Get creative. Mix and match colors. Go for an ombre effect. The options are endless, and baking these adorable little cakes is almost as thrilling as eating them. Enjoy!
Three Quick Questions…and Jess’s Answers
It’s your last meal. What do you have?
Gale Gand’s pea dip, pig face (yes, pig face) from Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat, sushi, coconut cream pie, and Gale’s banana cream pie.
Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?
If I were being nice I’d say the fish…but I really enjoy my red stand mixer with a clear glass bowl that Gale gave me for getting good grades.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
Our family cookbook. It’s a compilation of favorite recipes, some from my grandmother, some from my mom, and now some from me.
*To see more of Jess and what she’s baking these days, be sure to check out her website: http://livininthekitchen.wordpress.com/
- FOR THE VANILLA BEAN POUND CAKE:
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (pure vanilla extract works, too!)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup whole milk
- food coloring (3-6 different colors)
- FOR THE FROSTING:
- 2 cups butter (4 sticks)
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract (may sub pure vanilla extract)
- 2½ tsp salt
- Make the Vanilla Bean Pound Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 (18x13) rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper and grease with baking spray. Using a standard mixer with paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on high speed for about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour and baking powder and whisk to blend. Turn the mixer on low, adding the flour mixture and the milk alternately in 3 additions. Mix just until combined. Divide mixture evenly into separate bowls; the number of bowls depends on the number of dyes you want to use. Dye each bowl of batter with a different color; a few drops per bowl should be sufficient. Stir just until dye is incorporated into batter and the color is uniform. Spread the different colors, one at a time, in sections on sheet trays. Don't leave any room between colors, they should come right up to one another. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. When the cakes are done, you'll notice the edges begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pans. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting and assembling.
- Make the Frosting: Cream the butter for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until blended. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Mix for another 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the EmptyJays: Using a round cookie cutter (any size!), stamp out as many circles from the cake as you can. Wipe the cookie cutter with a paper towel between cuts to ensure that each cut-out is nice and clean. Fill a piping bag with the frosting, using tip #30 if you have it. Starting close to the edge of one of your cake cut-outs, but leaving a little bit bare, begin piping in circles until you reach the center of the cut-out. Place a different colored cake cut-out on top of the frosting, and repeat the piping process. Finally, add a third, different colored cake cut-out. In the middle of the top cake cut-out, pipe a blob of frosting by applying pressure and then lifting upwards. Then, tracing the edges of the blob and starting at the bottom, pipe the frosting around and around until you reach the top—then swirl! Repeat the process for all remaining cake cut-outs.
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]]>The post Jonathan * South African Buttermilk Rusks first appeared on dramatic pancake.
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Jonathan: “Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my extended family in South Africa. This rusk recipe, from my aunt’s mother, “Granny Rae,” reminds me of the fun times of my childhood. I can vividly remember my aunt and uncle always having a huge round tub of these rusks sitting on top of the kitchen cabinet.”
Here’s the thing about these rusks–these unassuming, rather plain looking buttermilk biscuits. At first bite, you probably won’t think much of them at all. “Hmm, they have a nice crunch,” you’ll say, and you’ll think you’ve had enough. And then, without even realizing it, you will find yourself reaching for another. Dipping it into your coffee, turning it sweet and cake-like. And then you’ll have another, because that crunchy, faint sweetness, the softening to the hot coffee is totally addictive in the best possible way.
When the rusk batter comes out of the oven, it looks like a giant cake…
…The “cake” is then sliced into pieces and baked a second time until crisp, crunchy and golden.
Three Quick Questions…and Jonathan’s Answers
It’s your last meal. What do you have?
An ‘everything’ bagel with lox. And definitely coffee.
Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?
My grind and brew coffee maker. Everything else in there I can live without.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
That’s tough–I’d say Joy of Cooking is probably the one I reference the most.
- 2 cups (4 sticks) margarine (may sub butter)
- 2⅔ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ½ - ¾ cup milk
- 8 cups self-rising flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 cups bran flakes (any brand cereal will do)
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine. Add sugar and mix well. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add a spoonful of the margarine and sugar mixture to the eggs, stirring quickly. Repeat with a few more spoonfuls of the margarine/sugar mixture, making sure to keep stirring. Return to large saucepan and stir to incorporate. Add the buttermilk and a ½ cup of the milk. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well. Stir in bran flakes. Batter should be thick and heavy, but if it is very stiff you can add another ¼ cup of milk.
- Pour batter into a greased 9x13 cake pan and bake for 1 hour, or until top of cake is golden brown and tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack.
- Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Allow cake to cool completely. Cut into half-inch thick strips and place onto greased baking sheets in a single layer. Place in oven, keeping the oven door propped open slightly with a wooden spoon, or allow tray to slightly block door from closing.
- Bake for at least hours 8 hours, and up to 12 (these can bake overnight) until rusks are dry and crunchy, and golden but not brown.
- Dunk into coffee or tea, or enjoy them on their own!
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