Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Lemon / June 28, 2016 by Amy Cantu

I had this lemony, moist, squidgy, lightly gritty polenta cake stuck in my head. I knew just how I wanted it to look, taste, and feel in my mouth, but I was having trouble actually baking it. This one took three tries, but the results were totally worth it. I tried it as a loaf cake first, but the middle kept sinking, and the top was unattractively mottled dark brown. The Polenta Cake might seem plain Jane and suspiciously like cornbread, but I promise that its humble looks are deceiving. The olive oil and yogurt keep this Polenta Cake moist and just a bit dense, the lemon lends a bright citrusy flavor, and the polenta adds texture and earthiness. I love it on its own as a snack cake, (I'm determined to make "snack cake" a cake genre,) drizzled with a lemon glaze, in a trifle, or as it is here - topped with billows of lightly sweetened whipped cream and ripe summer fruit. The genius of Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Lemon is in its simplicity.

Notes: Polenta Cake with Olive Oil and Lemon is perfect for making a Berry Trifle because it's sturdy and textured enough to hold together under the many layers, but also moist and delicious all on its own. If you're not feeding a crowd, the cake can just as easily be sliced into squares and topped with whipped cream (or ice cream!) and any in-season fruit. In the winter, it would be lovely with poached pears or an apple-cinnamon compote - YUM!

Oatmeal Fruit-Nut Bars / April 3, 2016 by Amy Cantu

Notes: These oatmeal fruit-nut bars are essentially a bowl of oatmeal in a bar form. In other words, they are not really like granola bars. The are soft, not too chewy, and taste like my favorite bowl of nutritious oatmeal, loaded up with dried fruit, seeds or nuts, and touch of maple syrup. Store cooled and cut bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in a sealed container for up to 4 months. Defrost frozen bars in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.

Hot Cross Buns / March 26, 2016 by Amy Cantu

Notes: You can start these buns the day before a couple different ways. The first way - make the dough and then let rise overnight in the fridge for the first rise. Bring the dough to room temperature, and continue with the recipe by punching down the dough and shaping into the small rolls. The second way - follow the recipe through shaping the dough into small rolls. Cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the fridge overnight for the second rise. Bring the rolls to room temperature, and if they are not double the original size, let rise until they are. Continue with the recipe as written.

Read More: In the Kitchen Now - Hot Cross Buns

Loosely adapted from Nigella Lawson's cookbook, Feast.

Time: 1 hour active time, 2 1/2 hours inactive time
Yield: 12 buns

For the dough:
2/3 cup milk, plus extra as needed
1/4 cup unsalted butter
zest of 2 clementines or 1 small orange
1 clove
1 vanilla bean
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoon (1/4 ounce) instant yeast
3/4 cup mixed dried fruit (I used dried tart cherries, cranberries, and raisins)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 egg, at room temperature

For the egg wash:
1 egg, beaten with a little milk

For the crosses on the buns:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons water

For the glaze:
runny honey, for brushing

Split the vanilla bean in half length-wise using a small, sharp knife. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod into a small saucepan and drop the vanilla bean pod in too. Stir the milk, butter, zest, and clove into the saucepan, and heat over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat and let cool until mixture is just warm to the touch (about 110 to 115 degrees F).

Combine bread flour, instant yeast, dried fruit, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a medium bowl, if kneading by hand). Remove vanilla bean pod and clove from the milk. Beat a room-temperature egg into the warm milk mixture, and pour into the flour bowl. Knead using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or by hand), adding additional warm milk 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems dry. Keep kneading until the dough is silky and elastic (about 5 minutes or a little longer by hand). Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or butter. Form the dough into a ball and place inside the greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (like an oven with the light turned on or a sunny window) to rise until double in size (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.

Punch the dough down, and knead it again by hand until it is smooth and elastic - 2 or 3 minutes. Divide into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat, so that there is a little space between them. Using the back of knife (any one will do), score the tops of the buns with the imprint of a cross. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rise for about 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy and roughly doubled in size.

Make an egg wash by beating one egg with a bit of milk. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash. Then, mix the flour, sugar, and water into a smooth, thick paste. Using a squeeze bottle or teaspoon, dribble two lines over the buns in the indent of the cross. Bake buns for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

When the hot cross buns come out of the oven, brush each one with a little honey to give them a sweet and shiny disposition. If the honey seems too thick, microwave the honey for 10 seconds to help liquefy it before brushing. Buns are best eaten the first day as is, or still warm and slathered with a pat of butter (my favorite). The next day, toast the buns and eat with a bit of butter and jam.