September 24, 2012
Pumpkin Pancakes
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
pinch of ground clove
½ teaspoon salt
grated rind of one orange
4 eggs, separated
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 ¼ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove until combined in a large bowl. Add the grated orange rind.
Separate the eggs.
Whisk the yolks with the melted butter in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla.
Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff, about 2 minutes.
Mix the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Gently stir in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the pumpkin mixture. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. Cook on a lightly buttered cast iron skillet or griddle.
Serve with cider or maple syrup.
September 10, 2012
This hasn’t been a good corn year in the Hudson Valley – too much early heat, too little rain. We began getting corn in June, and by now the corn is tough and not much for eating straight off the cob. But this starchy corn is great for corn pudding, the last golden bite of summer.
There are dozens of great corn pudding recipes, but this one is my absolute favorite. I like to grate some of the kernels and leave a few whole, so you get the occasional pop.
You’ll need six ears of corn, three quarters of a stick of butter, a cup of cream and five eggs. This is not a diet dish, but it will make 6 people deliriously happy. It’s a great side dish at dinner, and leftovers, reheated, make a spectacular breakfast.
Using a box grater, coarsely grate the kernels off four ears of corn. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from two more ears.
Put the cobs into a large skillet with a cup of cream and cook over low heat until the cream is reduced to between 1/2 and 3/4 of a cup, and has been infused with the flavor of corn.
Combine the corn kernels with 2 tablespoons of sugar, a quarter cup of flour and a teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the infused cream. Break in five eggs, one by one, stirring to incorporate.
Put 6 tablespoons of good sweet butter into a cast iron skillet or an 8 inch square pyrex pan and put it in a 350 degree oven until it has melted. Pour the butter into the corn mixture and give it a few good stirs. Pour the corn mixture back into the skillet or baking dish, and bake for about an hour, until it has turned golden and set.