First Look, Then Cook

Sweet Streusel Muffins

Published on February 23, 2011February 25, 2011 by Dawn3 Comments

Before I say anything else, my daughter saved these muffins. Yes, I am serious. So, things have been pretty busy lately, so busy that I haven’t had a lot of time to bake. My blog is definitely suffering…as well as my family, but don’t worry, I have some plans to bake for our temple auction – and boy have I picked out some goodies. Let’s hope they turn out well. I just love baking things for the first time when they are to be used for raising money, no stress at all…

Ok, back to my daughter saving these muffins. I was baking muffins for my other daughter’s Valentine’s Day breakfast, when my older daughter walked into the kitchen. She wanted to know what I was making, and at that point I was sprinkling the streusel topping on the batter before covering the topping with more batter – and I have to admit, the topping did not look right, I couldn’t believe there was no butter. I was just about done when my daughter took the book where the recipe was – The Wooden Spoon Bread Book – and informed me that I forgot to turn the page. She was right – and there was the last ingredient – the butter. I love this book – everything I make from it comes out wonderfully – but the recipes are printed differently. Instead of listing all of the ingredients first, then giving you the instructions – it mixes everything up. So you will get a few ingredients and then instructions on what to do with those ingredients, then some more ingredients, and some more instructions. It is great – as long as you read the recipe entirely before starting – which of course I failed to do.

So – fortunately she caught me at the perfect time. I made another batch of topping – and I was good to go. The muffins turned out beautifully – and very delicious – not too sweet, and perfect with a nice cup of coffee, or glass of milk if you happen to be under 10. I highly recommend them, but remember to read the whole recipe first…

Ingredients

muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup milk

topping

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini mufin pan. Sift together and set aside the flour, salt and baking powder. In a mixing blowl, beat the egg and stir into the egg the sugar, oil, milk, and sifted dry ingredients in that order.

Make the streusel topping by combining the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers or cut with a pastry blender.

Spoon a teaspoon of batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle a teaspoon of topping in each cup. Divide the remaining batter evenly and spoon over the streusel in muffin cups. Divide the remaining streusel evenly and sprinkle over the top of the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Makes 24 muffins.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Sweet Streusel Muffins

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

Published on February 19, 2011 by Dawn8 Comments

It has been a little while since I tried to pull meat loaf past my kids. It is hilarious how they love hamburgers and meatballs, but when it comes to meat loaf, there is an instant aversion. I am not sure what it is about it – but I need to get them over the hump. Meat loaf is just so easy – much easier than making a bunch of meatballs, and more flavorful than normal hamburgers. Plus, I don’t have to have buns around – although I was seriously thinking about serving this meat loaf on a bun, just to see if they would notice…but I know better than to try that one.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light and the word “minis” caught my eye. Maybe if I made mini meat loaves, instead of one big one, they would think they are just huge oblong shaped meatballs? So I tried it, and it worked. It also could have been the cheese chunks in the middle – cheese is like butter in my house – everything is better with cheese. So I wouldn’t say that my girls were telling me this is the best meal they have ever had, but they did eat everything on their plate – which is definitely a compliment. Oh, I should also let you know – since they are both anti-condiments – I didn’t put ketchup on theirs, and that also helped. So – at least now I know the secret of making meat loaf for kids – it’s meat loaf minis!

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (about 1 ounce)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
3 ounces white cheddar cheese, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently.

While breadcrumbs cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining ingredients. Shape into 6 (4 x 2-inch) loaves on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; spread 2 teaspoons ketchup over each. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until done.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

Sautéed Chicken with Sage Browned Butter

Published on February 15, 2011February 15, 2011 by Dawn8 Comments

Chicken shows up on our dinner menu at least once a week, more often than not, two times. I love how versatile chicken can be – I can make fajitas one night, and lemon chicken the next – and it is a completely different meal. Unfortunately though, my kids are not as thrilled as I am. I often get, “We always have chicken…” Or, sometimes I get, “Of course we are having chicken, what else is new?”

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light and for some reason it stayed in my head – without even ripping it out of the magazine and putting it in the pantry. The other night, I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner – and when I looked in the refrigerator, there were two items that called out to me – chicken and sage, left over from a chicken saltimboca I made the week before. This recipe seriously took me no more than 10 minutes and we were sitting at the table enjoying our meal. The kids loved it – and what is not to love – everything is better with butter…everything. So what do you think is for dinner tonight?

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 sage sprigs
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Fresh sage leaves (optional)

Preparation

Place each breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan.

Add butter and sage sprigs to pan; cook over medium heat until butter browns. Discard sage. Add shallots and thyme; cook for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; cook for 30 seconds. Serve with chicken. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Sautéed Chicken with Sage Browned Butter

Butterscotch Pots de Crème

Published on February 12, 2011 by Dawn1 Comment

It’s almost Valentine’s Day – a day like most holidays that somewhat resolves around food. This holiday in particular though resolves around sweets. Most people gravitate towards chocolate – which I can completely understand, but what about trying something new this year?

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and saw this as a challenge. Make a light Pots de Creme? How could you? There is no way this can taste good, just no way. But, I was determined to try – I love butterscotch, and love custard, so I figured I had nothing to lose. Amazingly, they came out wonderful. The first surprise was that all the ingredients below made this somehow taste like butterscotch with very little butter. The second surprise was how creamy the custard was! I couldn’t believe it – it was definitely rich, and with a touch of whipped cream on top, it was heavenly. Even my husband who doesn’t like butterscotch, thought it was delicious. For 200 calories a pot, you cannot go wrong here.

But, if you just can’t let go of the traditional Valentines fare, how about this…my absolute favorite – and also a light version. With the little hearts on top, it is definitely screaming out for Valentine’s Day…

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
7 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon dark molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°.

Heat milks over medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan to 180° (do not boil). Combine brown sugar and next 5 ingredients (through egg yolks) in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk. Gradually pour 1/2 cup hot milk mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Divide mixture evenly among 6 (8-ounce) custard cups. Place cups in a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan; add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake at 325° for 24 minutes or until center barely moves when cup is touched. Remove cups from pan; cool on a rack 20 minutes. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Place cream and powdered sugar in a bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Top custards with cream.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Butterscotch Pots de Crème\

Italian Beef Stew

Published on February 9, 2011February 9, 2011 by Dawn5 Comments

Lately I wouldn’t say that my kids have been overly thrilled with the meals I have been making. It’s not that they don’t like them at all, but they seem to find something every night that doesn’t make them happy. I think I am a pretty decent cook, and they should be thanking me every night for putting a home cooked meal in front of them, but I guess when you grow up with that, you don’t really appreciate it.

We had a little talk, and I explained to them that there would be no more complaining. If they didn’t like what was on the table for dinner, they could have cold cuts. So far, things have been going pretty well. For the most part they have been eating everything I make for dinner – whether they are loving it or not. I saw this recipe in Cooking Light (which I adapted slightly below), and thought they would love this. It is simple, not a ton of vegetables, and made with beef – their favorite meat. Wow, this was incredible – such a delicious stew. The icing on the cake for me was the polenta I made with black truffle oil…unbelievable. The girls took one bite though and asked for cheese on top. “Mommy, everything is better with cheese.” Well, I caved, but in my mind, the stew couldn’t be any better.

Ingredients

7 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into cubes
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
1 pound crushed tomatoes
14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with basil
1 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, quartered
3/4 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preparation

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion and chopped carrot; sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure.

Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 5 minutes). Return meat and the onion mixture to pan. Add tomato and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and stir in sliced carrot. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and parsley.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Italian Beef Stew

Crème Caramel Bread Pudding

Published on February 6, 2011February 7, 2011 by Dawn8 Comments

Bread pudding, comfort food at it’s finest. As a kid, bread pudding completely grossed me out. I couldn’t understand how you could make a delicious dessert out of a loaf of bread. It just didn’t seem right. For many years, I stayed away from it – even as an adult – bread pudding was not my idea of a wonderful treat.

About five years ago I was at a very good local restaurant, and on the dessert menu was Banana Bread Pudding. Now I thought to myself, this is something worth ordering. Banana Bread combined with a custard all baked together, now we’re talking. I loved it – it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and it was served with caramel drizzled on top – I basically licked the plate clean.

That’s all it took to get me started on bread pudding – just wait until next fall when I post my Pumpkin Bread Pudding… I saw this recipe over a year ago in Bon Appetit, and it sat in my pantry waiting for me to make it all this time. I just had to wait for the right occasion, and make sure I had a lot of people to serve. After about a year, and it was still in the pile, I figured I just had to bite the bullet. The next occasion that came up, that was it. So, I brought it to my daughter’s book group – warning people that I was only going to bring an adult dessert. Well – not only did the mom’s love it – but the girls loved it also. It came out perfect – and tasted just like the most wonderful french toast with maple syrup on the bottom. It was crispy on the top, soft and rich on the inside, just the way I like it. Good thing I finally came to my senses.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
4 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes crustless egg bread (such as challah or brioche)
7 large eggs
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 pinches of salt

Preparation

Spread brown sugar evenly in bottom of 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish (or other 9- to 10-cup dish). Sprinkle bread cubes evenly over. Combine eggs, cream, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl; whisk to blend well. Pour custard through sieve over bread in dish. Let pudding stand 30 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Place baking dish in roasting pan. Pour enough lukewarm water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake pudding until set, brown on top, and small knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in water 20 minutes.

Spoon bread pudding into dessert bowls and serve warm.

test-kitchen tip

To keep the water in the roasting pan from boiling (which would affect the texture of the pudding), add several ice cubes to the water every 10 to 15 minutes to bring down the temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Crème Caramel Bread Pudding

Mexican Chicken Casserole with Charred Tomato Salsa

Published on February 2, 2011February 2, 2011 by Dawn18 Comments

It’s almost Superbowl Sunday – a day that for me is really all about the food. For my husband, it is definitely about the football – so usually I look forward to an afternoon in the kitchen, cooking up different snack foods, and trying new things. This year though things are going to be just a little different…my daughter’s friend is in a local production of Willy Wanka, and she just has to go see her. Sunday is the only time that works for our schedule…and surprise surprise, there were plenty of tickets.

So, instead of this coming Sunday in the kitchen, I spent last Sunday in the kitchen, whipping up all sorts of great stuff. I found this recipe in Cooking Light, and thought it would be perfect for watching the big game. The charred tomato salsa was really interesting – and so delicious – I was licking the leftovers from the cuisinart bowl. This is super easy to put together, and bakes up really nicely. It definitely serves a crowd also – we only ate half for dinner (4 of us), and I have the second half in the freezer for another night.

Happy Superbowl everyone – I am embarrassed to say that I don’t even know who is playing, but I can think of lots of wonderful food to make – like this, and this, and this, and this…

Ingredients

Salsa:

8 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 seeded jalapeño pepper, quartered
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Casserole:

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (10-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

To prepare salsa, combine first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare casserole, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup onion, corn, zucchini, and bell pepper; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through green chiles); sauté 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.

Spread 1/2 cup salsa over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of tortillas over salsa. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with 3/4 cup salsa. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of each cheese. Repeat layers, starting with remaining tortillas and ending with remaining cheeses. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes until bubbly.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Mexican Chicken Casserole with Charred Tomato Salsa

Blanchard’s Caribbean Cornbread

Published on January 30, 2011January 30, 2011 by Dawn14 Comments

When my mother likes something at a restaurant, she has no fears about asking for the recipe. My step-father tells a story about one night when they were at one of Todd English’s restaurants – she loved the Vanilla Souffle so much, the next thing he knew, she was back in the kitchen talking to the pastry chef. Occasionally she will send me one of her finds, and I can usually count on the fact that it is going to be good.

This recipe came from Blancahrd’s Restaurant in Anguilla – and I must say, it is definitely one of the best cornbread recipes I have ever made. It is extremely moist and and just the perfect sweetness – there are bits of corn, but not too much – everything about this recipe is wonderful. I must say though, it is super rich – one small piece is really all you need – so one batch does go a long way. What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is – and how well it freezes. So no need to worry if there are leftovers – in fact, that’s what I plan for – to go with all the soup and stews I have in the freezer…

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal (such as Arrowhead Mills)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar, scant
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups cream style corn
1/2 cup (small can) crushed pineapple, drained well and squeezed
1 cup shredded jack or mild cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9″ square baking dish.

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and set aside. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. (The mixture may appear curdled at some point, and that is OK.) Add the corn, pineapple, cheese, and mix to blend. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.

Bake until a tester is clean and the cornbread is golden brown on top, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Serve warm.

To freeze, make sure the cornbread is at room temperature, then double wrap it with plastic wrap. If you are looking to make a double batch, you must use a larger pan than 9×13.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Blanchard’s Caribbean Cornbread

Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Warm Indian Spices

Published on January 26, 2011January 28, 2011 by Dawn18 Comments

I don’t exactly remember the first time I had Indian Food, but it was not love at first sight. I remember going to an Indian Restaurant when I was in high school and thinking it was ok, but that I would rather be eating Chinese Food. Then years went by before I tried it again, and that’s when I fell head over heels. Everything I ate so was incredible, I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. I was hooked – all of those spices, and tender chunks of meat – delicious. I could go on and on…I was blown away.

A few years later, I met an Indian women at work – and we became good friends. One day she invited me over to her house for lunch – her house was very close to where we worked. I had no idea what to expect – but she served the most wonderful lentil dish that she had made the night before. While we were waiting for the Dahl to warm up, she took some dough out of the refrigerator. She took some, rolled it into a small ball, then started to roll it out with a rolling-pin. Very quickly, she flattened this ball into a perfect circle – just like a tortilla. She place it onto a hot fry pan and waited for it to puff up – home-made chapatis right before my eyes. We dipped the chapatis into the Dahl, with some chutney she placed on the table – and it was the most perfect lunch ever. I never wanted to leave.

My college roommate sent me this cookbook for my birthday – The Family Dinner by Laurie David – and as I was looking through it, this recipe caught my eye – it was the warm Indian spices that lured me. I then read the list of ingredients, and knew I had to make it. This is a delicious hearty stew that is perfect for a cold winter evening. The coconut milk was a wonderful addition, and made it slightly rich and deep in flavor. Ok, so I still haven’t been brave enough to make chapatis yet – but hopefully soon – they would have been perfect with this stew…

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon good quality garam masala
1 cup diced carrots
1 large potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or light coconut milk)
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until wilted and golden, then add the garlic, ginger, and spices and stir for a moment until they are fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices, as this will make them bitter.

Take half of this mixture and set it aside for later. Add the carrots, potato, lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, and stock. Let the stew simmer, without a lid, for about 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are tender.

Fold in the remaining onion-and-spice mixture. Add the peas to the stew last to keep their brilliant color. Simmer for another few minutes until the stew is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Warm Indian Spices

Classic Gingerbread Cake

Published on January 22, 2011 by Dawn4 Comments

Is there a rule about posting gingerbread cake after the holiday season is over? Am I breaking some type of blogging etiquette? I apologize if I am, but I was just way to busy in December to make this, and I couldn’t let it wait until next year.

I saw this in Cook’s Illustrated, and it was the beer that did it for me – not just any beer, but Guinness Stout. Then I started thinking that maybe this could be a type of St. Patrick’s Day cake – and as such, I am giving you all lots of warning so you can prepare to make this for your St. Pattie’s Day celebration. It is fantastic. It is so rich and spicy, yet decadent at the same time – like there is some really expensive chocolate in that cake. No – it is all the stout’s doing. It gives it that deep rich almost chocolately flavor. I actually brought some pieces to a meeting at work – knowing it would be a long afternoon – and people raved about it. Well – whether it is for St. Patrick’s Day coming up, or for next December – now I have a great recipe for Gingerbread cake. Do you want to know the best part? The recipe doesn’t call for a whole beer, so you have to drink the rest while it is baking…

Ingredients

3/4 cup Guinness Stout
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup mild molasses
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pan
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper (optional)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

Preparation

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

Bring stout to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (mixture will foam vigorously). When foaming subsides, stir in molasses, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until dissolved; set mixture aside. Whisk flour, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pepper (optional) together in a large bowl; set aside.

Transfer stout mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, oil, and granulated ginger until combined. Whisk wet mixture into flour mixture in thirds, stirring vigorously until completely smooth after each addition.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and gently tap pan against counter 3 or 4 times to dislodge any large air bubbles. Bake until the top of the cake is just firm to touch and a toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cook cake in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 16 large squares.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Classic Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

test-kitchen tip

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this:

Ingredients

Preparation

Share this: