baking – Shawn Cornell

Cornbread Mini Muffins

July 9, 2015 by Shawn Cornell 1 Comment

Last night I hosted a planning meeting for a fundraising gala for The Canadian Society for Mucopolysaccharide & Related Diseases, a non-profit that I have recently become involved in. We were meeting around dinner time and I thought it would be nice to have some light snacks for everyone while we discussed our plans for the October event. I was asked for this recipe last night, so I thought I would also share it with you.

I have made these muffins for many years and as with much of my baking it has slowly changed into what it is today: a perfectly savoury mouthful that is easy to bake and forgiving with substitutions. Try a different cheese or adding cooked bacon to totally change the taste.

Ingredients:

½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ cup corn flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons honey

1 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided in half

1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only

½ cup chopped spring onions, divided in half

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter mini muffin trays, this mixture makes about 48 mini muffins.

Combine flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in bowl of your mixer.

Combine eggs, sour cream, milk, honey, and half of the melted butter in separate bowl.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix until just combined.

With mixer on low, add leeks, half the spring onions, and the cheeses.

Mix until completely combined.

For a more rustic looking muffin use a spoon to fill the muffin trays, or use a piping bag for more uniform looking muffins.

Sprinkle the muffins with remaining spring onion.

Pour 1 teaspoon of melted butter over each muffin.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until they begin to brown.

Mini Key Lime Pies

February 27, 2015 by Shawn Cornell Leave a Comment

I have always liked the sweet creamy tartness of a good key lime pie. The thinnest of slices of this southern delight is the perfect punctuation to any meal, but is especially nice after fried chicken or anything remotely greasy. Served cold from the fridge it is equally wonderful to combat a hot summer’s day as it is to remind one of summer’s delights in the depth of winter. If you can find key limes in your grocery store give them a try, otherwise use a bottled key lime juice.

Several years ago a friend served these delicious mini key lime pies that she had made using a special mini cheesecake pan and I immediately bought the pan and set out to recreate the recipe. The size is perfect for a single serving and gives those who want more the chance to ask for seconds. You can also make this recipe in a 9″ pie pan – double the filling for a deep dish pie.

Ingredients:

Crust:

¾ cup of graham cracker crumbs (1¼ cups for 9″ pie)

3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter (5 tablespoons for 9″ pie)

1 rounded tablespoon of granulated sugar (2 tablespoons for 9″ pie)

Filling:

300ml can of sweetened condensed milk (This is the same as a 14 oz can in the US, they measure by weight)

2 large egg yolks

½ cup of key lime juice

Method:

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix ingredients for crust in bowl with a fork till combined.

Fill each indentation in the cheesecake tin with heaped tablespoons of crust mixture. Divide any remaining between them.

Tamp down crust with fingers or shot glass.

Bake in middle of oven for 6-10 minutes till crust looks golden. Keep oven on.

Rest on cooling rack till cool. Keep oven set to 350°F.

Filling:

Completely combine sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks in bowl using wire whisk.

Add lime juice and continue to whisk until ingredients combine and the mixture thickens slightly.

Fill each indentation with 2 tablespoons of filling, wiping off any drips.

Bake in oven for 8 minutes. (or up to 12 minutes for 9″ pie)

Cool on rack until room temperature.

Allow to completely set in fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

Serve with berries or whip cream, or both.

Basic Banana Bread

February 16, 2015 by Shawn Cornell 8 Comments

When I first started baking I wanted simple, easy recipes to follow. I sought out recipes that worked every time and that could be altered or added to without fear of complete failure. You see, every time I would psych myself up to actually bake my own dessert or bring home-made cookies to a potluck I would be reminded that, unlike cooking, baking was a science. I would end up with a knot in the pit of my stomach and give up the dream. Dropping by the local bakery was easily explained and no one was the wiser to my complete lack of skills in the science of baking. This banana bread was my first real success in baking and it is straightforward and simple – so simple in fact that you’ll be left wondering if you’ve forgotten an important step. The key to this loaf’s moist deliciousness is using frozen bananas that have been thawed and a bit of melted butter. You can embellish this bread with the addition of chocolate chips, walnuts or even poppy seeds but I prefer it unadulterated.

Ingredients:

4 previously frozen ripe bananas with all juices

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Put bananas in stand mixer or large mixing bowl and mix/mash until bananas are broken apart.

Add remaining ingredients to bowl and mix until combined.

Pour mixture into buttered 9″ loaf pan.

Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.

Rest on cooling rack.