Anadama Bread

 

This is a classic New England bread and has been around kitchens for generations. It is a very simple bread but the taste is amazing, rich from the molasses and a nice texture from the cornmeal. You will love it.

Ingredients

2-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour ( used unbleached white)

1/2 cup of cornmeal

1-1/2 teaspoons of yeast

1-1/4 teaspoons of salt

1 cup room temp water

1/4 cup molasses

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, salt, yeast) in the bowl of a stand mixer

In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix the water, molasses, and melted butter until molasses is dissolved

Using the dough hook, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, on low speed, until everything is hydrate and a rough dough forms, about 2 minutes

Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for about 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic

Transfer to a lightly floured surface, knead by hand for about 30 secs and form a ball. Place the ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rise until double in size, about 90 minutes to 2 hours. 

Grease a 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 in loaf pan and sprinkle with cornmeal

When ready, turn out on a lightly floured surface and form your loaf (google if you aren't familiar with forming a standard loaf). Place the loaf in the pan to rise, 30-60 minutes, it should be covered with lightly greased plastic wrap while rising. It is ready when a poke by your knuckle leaves a lasting mark that doesn't pop right back. 

Mist the top with water just before you put it in the oven, bake for about 40 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees. 

Turn out on a rack to cool. 

Note: I'm sure this could be done by hand as well, you will likely need to keep wet hands handling the dough, but no reason it should not work, after all I'm sure the early days of New England were a bit short on stand mixers :-) 

Caramelized Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Every once in a while over the years I would have a chocolate chip cookie somewhere and go WOW, that's a good cookie. Mine were never the same. Finally I came upon this recipe and we have become addicted to these cookies, they are easily frozen and can be eaten right out of the freezer. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup of butter (softened)

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

a good pinch of salt

1 cup of chocolate chips (plus a bit more for topping)

Instructions

In a mixing bowl beat the sugars and butter until fluffy, then whisk in the egg and vanilla

Mix the flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the dough comes together and nothing is dry

Now stir in the chocolate chips (maybe taste a few in the process to be sure they are okay) 

Put the dough in the fridge to chill for thirty minutes

Preheat the oven to 374 degrees. 

After 30 minutes, scoop the dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets (makes between 28 and 32 cookies in my experience) remember they will flatten so not too close together. 

Press the cookies down and top with 3 or 4 more chocolate chips

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, cool on a rack, you can eat them in a matter of minutes.