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Persimmon Cornmeal Muffins

Persimmon Cornmeal Muffins

 If I had to choose one favorite fruit during the winter season, it would be persimmons.  I personally tend to favor the fuyu variety over hachiyas because I prefer a slighter firmer bite to the fruit.  Usually persimmons don’t last long enough around here for me to bake with them, but I recently discovered a sale and came home with enough persimmons to fill our entire fruit bowl.  Adding persimmons to these simple cornmeal muffins was the first idea that came to mind.  As it is when baking and roasting other types of fruit, the sweetness of the persimmons is pleasantly intensified after baking.  These muffins are whole grain, naturally sweetened, and have fragrant citrus undertones.  Baking a batch of these muffins is a bright and cheerful way to begin the day, especially on those cold and gray mornings.

Persimmon Cornmeal Muffins

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Persimmon Cornmeal Muffins
Serves: 12 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons white chia seeds
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ⅓ cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1½ cups spelt flour
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • zest of 1 orange
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1-2 oranges)
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups peeled and diced fuyu persimmons (about 3 persimmons)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter or line a 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the chia seeds and milk. Allow mixture to stand for 10 minutes to thicken.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, spelt flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Add the orange zest, orange juice, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla to the chia seed mixture and whisk together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Gently fold in persimmons.
  5. Divide muffin batter among prepared muffin cups.
  6. Bake 30-33 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
adapted from Amy Chaplin's At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen


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Chocolate Swirl Bread

Chocolate Swirl Bread | Gather & Dine

There’s nothing quite like a loaf of warm freshly baked bread out of the oven.  It’s cozy, comforting, and satisfying on cold chilly days.  Add some deeply flavored dark chocolate to that and it becomes heavenly.  This chocolate swirl bread is so much fun to make even more fun to eat.  It has some resemblance to a giant cinnamon roll and some resemblance to pull-apart bread.  I used a combination of all-purpose and white whole wheat flours, along with a bit of rye flour for some added depth of flavor.  It’s filled with layers of chocolate, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. Using a high quality chocolate makes a difference since the chocolate plays such an important role.  Use the best that you can find.

I’m off now to spend time with my sister’s family for the week and I am hoping to slow down, refresh, and take in the hope and peace of this season.  Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and wishing you all great joy during this wondrous time of year.

Chocolate Swirl Bread | Gather & Dine

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Chocolate Swirl Bread
 
Ingredients
Dough
  • 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • ¾ cup whole milk. warmed to about 110 degrees
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup rye flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Filling
  • 3.5 ounce dark chocolate bar, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Finishing
  • egg wash (1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
  • powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir the yeast and sugar into the warm milk. Allow mixture to rest and become foamy and frothy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolk and melted butter to the yeast mixture.
  2. In the bowl of a large stand mixer, stir together the flours and salt.
  3. Using the dough hook with the stand mixer running on low, gradually pour in the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough becomes smooth, but still soft and damp. Shape dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, and then cover. Allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1-1½ hours.
  4. While dough rises, prepare filling. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate, coconut sugar, and cinnamon.
  5. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a 9-inch cake pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 18 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread butter evenly on dough. Sprinkle filling evenly over the butter, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Carefully roll up length-wise and pinch the edges together to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut log in half length-wise. Pinch two ends together and then twist the bread by gently lifting one strand over the other strand until you reach the end of the log. Form a circle and pinch the ends together to connect.
  6. Allow bread to rise again until an indentation remains after touching, about 45 minutes.
  7. About halfway through the second rising, preheat the oven to 375.
  8. When bread is ready to be baked, lightly brush with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 30 minutes and dust with powdered sugar if desired. This is best served slightly warm out of the oven.
Notes
adapted from Take a Megabite, originally from Joy the Baker
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Maple Apple Breakfast Bread

Maple Apple Breakfast Bread | Gather & Dine

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever.”  Psalm 136:1

Today I give thanks for God’s steadfast love enduring even in the moments when I am most unlovable and for His love that carries me through all of the joys and struggles of life. His love endures forever.

Leaving you with a simple recipe for this Maple Apple Breakfast Bread that we’ve been enjoying as our happy start to our past few days.  This bread is whole wheat, naturally sweetened, and a festive way to transition from fall to winter.  I used a combination of white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour to keep the texture light and and the buttermilk makes the bread incredibly moist and tender.  I finished it off with a coconut sugar glaze that soaks into the bread ever so slightly.  We loved this glaze, but a light dusting of powdered sugar would also be nice alternative to the glaze.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Maple Apple Breakfast Bread | Gather & Dine

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Maple Apple Breakfast Bread
 
Ingredients
Bread:
  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1¾ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup usalted butter (8 tablespoons), melted
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • 3 eggs. lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2½ cups chopped peeled apples, I used Pink Lady
Glaze:
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • 1-2 teaspoons water
Instructions
Bread:
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter or spray a 8½-inch bundt pan.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
  3. in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir together until just combined. Fold in chopped apples.
  4. Bake for 50 minutes -1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in pan and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Glaze:
  1. Whisk ½ cup coconut sugar in a blender on high speed until it becomes powdered sugar.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the powdered coconut sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of water until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.
Notes
adapted from The Black Dog Summer of the Vineyard Cookbook

 

 

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