Our Most Popular Recipes from the Editors of Yankee Magazine
Our Most Popular Recipes from the Editors of Yankee Magazine [easy-social-share buttons=”facebook,twitter,pinterest,google,mail,print,more” sharebtn_style=”icon” counters=0 style=”icon” point_type=”simple”] Table Of Contents: Breakfasts Breads Soups Main Dishes Desserts Breakfast Homemade Apple Cider Donuts For when you can’t make it to the orchard, here’s a recipe for homemade apple cider donuts covered in cinnamon and sugar. by Aimee Tucker […]
For when you can’t make it to the orchard, here’s a recipe for homemade apple cider donuts covered in cinnamon and sugar. by Aimee Tucker
Visit an apple orchard this fall and you’re just as likely to see folks munching on golden-brown apple-cider doughnuts as you are actual apples. Beyond the standard cake doughnut, cider doughnuts have apple cider added right into the batter, lending a touch of sweetness and a subtle cider tang that most people find dangerously addictive.
Vermont Apple Cider Doughnuts | Favorite Doughnut Recipes
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Fresh and sweet apple cider donuts. Credit: Aimee Tucker
This year I upped the ante and made a batch ofhomemade apple cider donutsmyself using a recipe fromYankeesenior lifestyle editor Amy Traverso’s The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, turning my autumn donut dreams (plus a rough dozen of my family and co-worker’s) into a reality.
Homemade cider donuts start with (what else?) apple cider. Boiled cider lends a stronger flavor, and to make it at home you’ll need to boil 1 1/2 cups of cider down to 1/3 cup before proceeding with the batter, which also gets an extra dose of tang from the addition of buttermilk. The batter (turned dough) will be very soft, so once you start handling it you’ll want to make sure your hands and every surface it comes into contact with are floured.
Even with the flour, you’ll want to send the dough to the freezer or fridge as necessary to keep it chilled and firm for cutting and handling. Also, if you don’t have a traditional donut cutter (who does?), feel free to use two floured concentric biscuit cutters to cut out your donut shapes. Twisting the cutter as you release it will help get a cleaner cut. I kept a small, shallow bowl of flour nearby so I could dip the cutter in it as needed.
Next up is the tricky stage — the frying. I used my large, heavy Dutch oven and it took a gallon of oil to get the correct 3-inches of oil needed for frying. Just try not to think about it…
You’ll want a thermometer here to make sure the oil is hot enough before you start adding the donuts. The kind that clips right onto the pot is best. Once that oil gets hot it’s dangerous and you’ll want to minimize splatter.
Then it’s time to fry up some donuts! Make sure you’ve got plenty of double-layer paper towels nearby to drain off the oil as you remove the donuts from the pot. I used a large slotted spatula to transfer them out and over.
Once the donuts have cooled enough that you can handle them, add a good amount of sugar to a bowl along with a generous few shakes of cinnamon, mix them together, and gave each donut a cinnamon-sugar bath. The donut holes you can roll in the sugar, but for the large donuts just settle them into the bowl, twist them, then flip and repeat.
Of course, you could skip making the donut holes by repeatedly re-rolling the dough and only frying the circles, but sometimes a 2-bite donut hole is exactly the right amount of sugar and grease, so they’re good to have on hand.
Finally, homemade cider donuts taste best when eaten on the day they’re made, or within 24 hours, so make sure you’ve got family and friends to share them with! I know my Yankee co-workers were glad to help me out…I bet yours would, too.
Vermont Apple Cider Doughnuts Recipe
Vermont Apple Cider Donuts
Credit: Squire Fox
Vermont Apple Cider Donuts Credit: Squire Fox
It’s a cider maker’s tradition to use some of the freshly pressed juice to make lightly tangy, apple-scented doughnuts like these. The cider adds more than flavor, though; its acidity makes the doughnuts tenderer. I have two favorite spots for buying these treats: Atkins Farms in Amherst, Massachusetts (atkinsfarms.com), and Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center, Vermont (coldhollow.com). When I can’t be there, I make homemade apple cider donuts.
Total Time:1.5
Yield:about 18 3-inch doughnuts
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
1-1/4 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup boiled apple cider
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Canola or safflower oil (for frying)
Cinnamon sugar (1-1/2 cups sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon) or confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
In a large bowl using a hand-held or standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together sugar and butter until mixture is pale and fluffy, 4-6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating a minute after each. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
Pour buttermilk, boiled cider, and vanilla into sugar/butter/egg mixture. Mix well, and don’t worry if the mixture looks a bit curdled; it’ll smooth itself out. Add flour mixture and combine gently just until fully moistened.
Line two baking sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper and dust generously with flour. Turn dough out onto one baking sheet and pat gently into 3/4-inch-thickness. Sprinkle dough with additional flour, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Remove dough from the freezer; use a lightly floured 3-inch doughnut cutter (or two concentric biscuit cutters) to cut out about 18 doughnuts with holes. (You may gather the scraps and roll again as needed, but you may need to chill the dough more to firm it up.) Place cut doughnuts on the other baking sheet as you go; then transfer to the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up again.
Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels and set it nearby. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat 3 inches of oil to 370° (test with an instant-read thermometer). Drop 3 or 4 doughnuts into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until browned on one side, about 1 minute; then flip and cook until browned on the other side, about 1 minute longer.
Repeat with the remaining dough (if you find that it’s getting too soft as you work your way through the batches, pop it into the freezer again for 10 minutes). When doughnuts are cool enough to handle but still warm, sprinkle all over with cinnamon sugar or confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.
Note: Boiled apple cider gives these apple cider donuts a rich, slightly tangy flavor. You can buy boiled cider at some gourmet and Whole Foods stores; from Wood’s Cider Mill in Springfield, Vermont (woodscidermill.com); or from the King Arthur Flour catalogue. Alternatively, you can boil your own cider by simmering 1-1/2 cups of fresh apple cider down to 1/3 cup in about 25 minutes–it just won’t be as concentrated as the commercial product.
Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
The Boston-based department store may be long gone, but the recipe for sweet and sugary Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins remains a New England favorite. by Aimee Tucker
The Jordan Marsh flagship store in Boston’s Downtown Crossing, c. 1950.
Credit: Public Domain
The Jordan Marsh flagship store in Boston’s Downtown Crossing, c. 1950. Credit: Public Domain
While most New Englanders have memories of shopping at Jordan Marsh, the Boston-based department store that peppered the local landscape from the 1860s to the late 1990s, it is Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins you hear about the most.
Muffins from a department store? Actually, that’s not so unusual. Like nearly all grand department stores of the era, the Jordan Marsh flagship store in Boston’s Downtown Crossing housed an on-site cafe, or bakery, that served refreshments to shoppers. No doubt it offered up a variety of tempting, sugary treats, but a certain recipe for blueberry muffins caught on, making the bakery (and the store) famous.
Back in 2012, Yankee ran an essay by Ann Hood titled “Confessions of a Marsha Jordan Girl,” which recalled how New England’s iconic department stores (both Jordan Marsh and Filene’s) offered a taste of elegance and sophistication to 1970s New England teens. She remembered the Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins like this:
They came all the way from Boston, from the Jordan Marsh bakery. I’d never been to Boston, never been to Jordan Marsh. It loomed large and sparkling in my imagination. I thought it must look like a palace, its floors filled with dazzling mirrors and fancy women spritzing perfume at customers as they passed. We had department stores in Rhode Island, sure—but none that produced muffins the size of those, none the size of Jordan Marsh’s, none that dwelled in a city like Boston.
In the mid-1990s, after more than 100 years of operation, Jordan Marsh (which also included stores in Florida beginning in the late 1950s) was eventually folded into the Macy’s chain, and the glory days of the enormous Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin ended. Thankfully, the recipe lives on (thanks in large part to reprints from The Boston Globe).
Feeling both inspired and slightly resentful that I’d never had one, despite growing up in Massachusetts, I made a batch this week using Hood’s recipe. Some bakers (like Hood) mash up a portion of the blueberries before adding them to the batter to help give it a purple hue, but I was using frozen berries, and they tend to weep color into the batter no matter what you do, so I skipped that step.
The batter, I should also note, is seriously thick. Like cookie dough. Do not be worried.
Out of the oven, the muffins were a lovely golden brown and smelled amazing. I patiently waited the hour specified in the recipe before gently loosening one from the tin, and quickly realized why the wait was so critical.
These muffins are so loaded that there’s an awful lot of squishy blueberry goodness happening inside, and that doesn’t do the best job of holding the muffin together — especially when it’s hot. I normally dislike using paper wrappers when baking muffins or cupcakes, but for this recipe, they’re worth it.
I also realized that I had been a bit conservative when topping the muffins with sugar before baking. Next time I’ll really shake it on.
After all, if you’re going to pay tribute to a famous department store muffin, you might as well go all in, right? You’ve already picked out the dress and the shoes. Why not toss in the hat, gloves, and decorative rhinestone brooch?
Warm and sweet with plump berries and a sugary, slightly-crisp top, these muffins have more than earned their reputation, and I’ll be glad to add them to my muffin repertoire.
Do you remember shopping at Jordan Marsh and enjoying their famous Blueberry Muffins? Ready to bake your own batch?
“What, no mention of the Jordan Marsh Enchanted Village?” some of you may be thinking.
Along with the muffins, Jordan Marsh was also known for its popular annual Enchanted Village holiday extravaganza. From the 1940s until 1972 (and for a brief period in the 1990s) the Boston flagship store in Downtown Crossing put on a huge Christmas display, sometimes taking up an entire floor of the store, including historic scenes with moving dolls, toy trains, and a visit with Santa. After Jordan Marsh became Macy’s, the village spent a few years at odd locations like City Hall Plaza and the Hynes Convention Center, but the cost to put on the display became too great and all props and figures were auctioned off in 2009. They were sold to the equally locally famous Jordan’s Furniture (no relation), where they remain part of the seasonal display at the store’s Avon, Massachusetts’ location.
Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins Recipe
Out of the oven and smelling wonderful.
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Out of the oven and smelling wonderful. Credit: Aimee Tucker
Although the ingredients for Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins may not seem magical, the abundance of berries that can turn the batter a pale lavender and a sugary topping can transport you back in time.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2 cups unsifted flour
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups large fresh blueberries
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar (for top of muffins)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
In a second bowl, combine all dry ingredients. (You can use an electric mixer to combine the dry ingredients thoroughly at this point so that you won’t need to over mix once the wet and dry ingredients are combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture along with the milk and vanilla
Optionally, mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries, and stir in by hand (this will turn batter a light shade of blue and add a touch of blueberry flavor, but this step may be skipped, if you wish). Add the remaining whole berries and stir in gently by hand.
Spray a 12 muffin-baking pan with Baker’s Joy (or other non-stick spray). Fill greased muffin cups.
Sprinkle sugar on top of unbaked muffins.
Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin after several minutes to free it from the pan and cool on wire racks. Muffins may be brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with sugar, if desired.
Additional Notes:
Yankee suggests using paper muffin liners when making these muffins, as the abundance of blueberries makes them especially prone to sticking.
Blueberry Dutch-Baby Recipe
This oven-baked pancake has the drama of a soufflé without any of the stress. Bring it straight from the oven to the table for all to admire—it will deflate fast but remain slightly puffed and delicious.
Total Time:35 minutes
Hands-On Time:15 minutes
Yield:2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425° and set a rack to the lower position. Lightly beat the flour, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. The batter will be a bit lumpy.
Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the batter into the heated skillet and sprinkle with blueberries. Place in the oven and bake until golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately with maple syrup, if desired.
Breads
Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Using fresh summer zucchini and wild Maine blueberries, this Lemon Blueberry Zucchini bread is deliciously sweet and perfect for sharing. by Aimee Tucker
With summer in full swing, it won’t be long before gardens are overflowing and we find ourselves frantically trying to keep up with an overload of delicious in-season fruits and vegetables. This recipe for Lemon Blueberry Zucchini bread was part of a Yankee New England B&B recipe collection, and comes from the 1794 Watchtide…by the Sea! Inn in Searsport, Maine. We love it because it makes terrific use of summer’s bountiful zucchini, wild Maine blueberries, and tart lemon. Why settle for plain zucchini or blueberry bread when you could combine the two, plus a dose of citrus, and get something even more special?
Zucchini is a summer kitchen staple. Among other things, you can slice it up for use in a stir-fry or kabobs, hollow it out and bake it stuffed with tomatoes and cheese, or shred it for use in zucchini fritters or baked goods like muffins, cakes, and quick-breads. When shredding, I like to use my box grater with the largest holes so I’ll get to see plenty of the zucchini in the final product.
Here, shredded zucchini is whisked together with eggs, sugar, oil, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Then, after the dry ingredients are incorporated, a healthy dose of wild Maine blueberries completes the batter. If you can’t get your hands on any fresh blueberries, the frozen variety works fine. Just be sure to add them while they’re still frozen and don’t stir the batter too much. Over-stirring when using frozen blueberries can cause the berries to “bleed,” giving you purple batter, which will visually drown out the beautiful flecks of green and yellow from the zucchini and lemon zest.
Because my loaf pan is a little larger than most, I made one loaf and a half-dozen muffins with my batter. Look at all those beautiful berries and bits of zucchini and lemon!
While it’s sweet enough to eat on its own, a warm slice topped with a little butter is summer quick-bread perfection, and since this recipe makes enough to share, you can either give the extra loaf to a friend, or freeze it for later.
Watchtide’s Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Bread Recipe
This zesty lemon-blueberry-zucchini bread is a hit with guests and freezes well, making it a favorite late-summer loaf.
Yield:2 loaves
Ingredients
4 eggs
2 cups (or less) sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups unpeeled, coarsely grated zucchini, drained slightly
zest of 1 lemon, grated
juice of 1 lemon
3-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (or more) frozen Maine wild blueberries
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the eggs. Add the sugar and beat until well mixed. Add the oil and beat. Add the zucchini, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix well.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, soda, and baking powder and add to the wet ingredients, mixing well. Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured 5×9-inch loaf pans. Bake approximately 55 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of one of the loaves comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes, and then remove the loaves to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Favorite Blueberry Bread Recipe
Favorite Blueberry Bread Recipe
Credit: Jen Perez
Favorite Blueberry Bread Recipe Credit: Jen Perez
This favorite blueberry bread recipe can be doubled or halved to suit your needs and is easy to customize. Try Strawberry-Orange Bread, for example, using fresh strawberries and 1 cup orange juice in place of 1 cup milk. If you use bananas for the fruit, reduce the liquid by a half cup.
Recipe from The Darby Field Inn, Conway, New Hampshire
Instructions
For blueberry bread, sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together.
Cut butter into flour mixture as you would when making pie dough.
In a separate bowl, thoroughly blend eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add blueberries and nuts if desired. (If you use frozen blueberries, it’s better not to defrost them before adding to liquid ingredients.)
Grease bread loaf pans: five 6-1/2×3-inch or two 9×5-inch.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and blend together thoroughly but quickly.
Pour batter into pans and put immediately into a preheated 350 degrees F oven. Bake for 60-80 minutes.
B&M Brown Bread in a Can
As a ready-to-eat version of the regional bread favorite, B&M Brown Bread in a can is a quirky, beloved, and convenient New England tradition. by Aimee Tucker
In New England, one of the most popular varieties of brown bread is made by B&M in Portland, Maine, and it’s sold in a can. It might sound strange to the non-native Yankee to imagine buying bread in a can at the supermarket alongside the baked beans (which B&M also makes with pride), but if you’ve ever steamed a loaf yourself at home, you know it can take awhile, making the a can a handy alternative.
Brown bread lightly toasted and topped with butter.
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Brown bread lightly toasted and topped with butter. Credit: Aimee Tucker
It’s not clear whenB&M(the letters stand for co-founders George Burnham and Charles Morrill) started selling their version of the classic New England bread (a sweet variety made from cornmeal, wheat and rye flours, and molasses), but like itsNecco WaferandMoxiekin, the bread has been around so long it’s hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t for sale. The company got its start back in 1867 canning meats, seafood, and corn, but by 1927 B&M’s brick oven baked beans hit the market, and business (if you’ll pardon the pun) boomed on a national scale. The company was sold several times starting in 1965, but despite new ownership, both the B&M name and the Portland plant have remained.
When eating canned bread (B&M sells the bread in both original and “with raisins” for those that like things sweet), a handy can opener is necessary to first remove both the top and bottom lids, and then, with a gentle shake, the bread emerges and is ready for slicing.
Dense, moist, and made from natural ingredients, B&M’s brown bread is a solid ready-to-eat representative of the classic New England dish. Some folks enjoy eating the bread sliced up as-is at room temperature, but you can also warm it in the microwave or toaster oven. It’s good topped with butter, cream cheese, or jam.
You can also make it a meal by serving the bread topped with a generous ladle of baked beans. Hot dogs on the plate are also not uncommon. In many households, hot dogs and baked beans with brown bread (canned or homemade) was a Saturday night tradition. For many, it still is.
Want to try your hand at a homemade version of steamed brown bread and baked beans?
Granny’s Homemade Brown Bread Recipe
Brown bread is the traditional accompaniment to baked beans, a true New England favorite, but the best homemade brown bread recipe involves steaming the loaf. To rig up a steamer, add 2 inches of water to a large pot; then place a brick or tin can in the center of the pot and set an empty 23-ounce coffee can (or 7- to 8-cup cylindrical mold) on top of it. Cover the pot tightly, and check it every 30 minutes to make sure there’s still plenty of water at the bottom.
Total Time:20
Yield:1 loaf
Ingredients
1 cup graham flour (or use whole-wheat flour)
1 cup rye flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup molasses
2 cups sour cream
1 cup sultanas or other raisins (optional)
Unsalted butter
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and sultanas, if you like, and stir to form a smooth batter.
Butter the mold thickly and add batter (to about one-third of the way). Cover the pan with buttered foil and tie it in place with a string.
Place the mold in a steamer pot over 2 inches of rapidly boiling water (you’ll need to add more water as it cooks). Cover and cook 2-3 hours, until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
Unmold on a cooling rack and let cool slightly. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
Granny’s Homemade Brown Bread
Credit: Heath Robbins
Granny’s Homemade Brown Bread Credit: Heath Robbins
Soups
Old-Fashioned Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
This homemade chicken and dumplings recipe has been passed down through generations and brings to mind the old-fashioned flavors of Grandma’s kitchen.
This version of old-fashioned chicken and dumplings, which we’ve adapted from our friends at The Old Farmer’s Almanac, is a wonderfully efficient way to use a chicken. The whole bird goes into the pot to make the broth, and then the meat is added back in at the end with the dumplings. It’s one of the most satisfying and comforting foods you can make during the cold winter months.
Our readers gave this recipe for old-fashioned chicken and dumplings rave reviews! “These dumplings taste almost identical to my grandmother’s!” “My mom and I always go to Cracker Barrel to get old-fashioned chicken and dumplings. Now we won’t have to.” “I found this recipe a good substitute for my great-grand dad’s recipe”
Old-Fashioned Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Credit: Heath Robbins
Old-Fashioned Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe Credit: Heath Robbins
Total Time: 60
Hands-On Time:30
Yield:Makes 10 to 12 servings.
For the Soup:
Ingredients
1 whole 4- to 5-pound chicken
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 bay leaves
5 tablespoons salted butter
1-1/2 tablespoons table salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
Put the chicken into a large soup pot. Cover with about ½ inch of water and add onion, bay leaves, butter, salt, and pepper. Cover, set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and very gently simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour.
When the chicken is done, transfer it to a cutting board, leaving the broth and bay leaves in the pot. When chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bone in small pieces and set aside (discard bones, skin, and other waste).
For the Dumplings:
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs, beaten
Garnish: minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Put the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the oil and stir to coat the flour, then add the water and beaten eggs. Stir just enough to combine, then knead with clean hands until evenly mixed.
Turn the dough out onto a generously floured board and divide in half. Take the first portion and roll out into a thin rectangle. Slice the dough lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then cut cross-wise into pieces 4 inches long. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bring the broth back to a boil. Drop the dumpling strips into the boiling liquid. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the dumplings are tender (they’ll puff up a bit), about 20 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.
Ruth O’Donnell’s Portuguese Kale Soup Recipe
Ruth O’Donnell’s Portuguese Kale Soup
Credit: Julie Bidwell
Ruth O’Donnell’s Portuguese Kale Soup Credit: Julie Bidwell
The best Portuguese Kale Soup recipe is made with linguica – a spicy sausage. Make a batch and see why they call this soup “Portuguese penicillin”!
Ruth O’Donnell learned to make this Portuguese Kale Soup from her mother, who in turn learned it from her adoptive mother. “My mother always used white beans or dark beans, whatever she had,” Ruth explains, “but probably 50 years ago, I started adding the ‘Bean with Bacon’ soup instead of beans. It’s what gives this soup its flavor.” In addition, what makes this recipe distinctly Portuguese is the linguica—a spicy sausage available in markets on Cape Cod, on the South Shore, and around Boston, but sometimes hard to find elsewhere. If linguica isn’t available in your area, use hot sausage or kielbasa.
Total Time:20
Yield:8 servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 medium-size onions, chopped
1 pound linguiça, sliced, slices halved
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound fresh kale, washed, stems discarded, shredded into small pieces
1 can Campbell’s “Bean with Bacon” soup plus 1 can water (or substitute 1 can white beans plus 2 cups chicken broth)
2 large potatoes, peeled, cubed (russets or your preference)
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add oil and cook garlic, onions, and linguiça slices until onions are soft. Add 4 cups chicken broth and kale. Cover, and let kale cook down, stirring occasionally.
Add bean soup and water (or substitute beans and broth); simmer about 5 minutes. (Add more water if the mixture’s not dilute enough.) Add cubed potatoes. Simmer, covered, 20-30 minutes longer, till potatoes are soft.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread.
Vermont Onion Soup Recipe
Vermont Onion Soup Recipe
Credit: Heath Robbins
Vermont Onion Soup Recipe Credit: Heath Robbins
What makes this “Vermont” onion soup? We took classic French onion soup and replaced the melted Gruyere topping with good sharp Cheddar. We also used a medium-body Marquette wine–made from a North American grape varietal that thrives in cold climates–from Middlebury’s Lincoln Peak Vineyards in the base (though, of course, you can use any red wine). If you’re feeling really ambitious, you could even source all the vegetables and the bread from Vermont suppliers.
Total Time:1 hour 10 minutes
Hands-On Time:40 minutes
Yield:10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
5 tablespoons salted butter
8 medium-size (6 large) red onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
5 medium-size cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups medium-bodied red wine, such as Marquette, Merlot, or Syrah (Shiraz)
2 quarts (8 cups) beef stock
20-24 slices crusty white bread
1 pound aged Cheddar, shredded
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cover the pot and cook until the onions are fully wilted, about 15 minutes. Stir the onions occasionally. Now remove the lid and cook the onions uncovered for an additional 10 minutes; keep stirring them occasionally throughout.
Add the sugar and cook until the onions are very soft and golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the wine and beef stock; stir to combine, and then increase the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 10 more minutes to let the flavors combine. Taste and add 1 to 2 teaspoons more salt as needed.
While the soup is simmering, preheat your oven’s broiler and set a rack 3 to 4 inches from the heating element. Arrange the bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet and set under the broiler until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn the bread slices with tongs, and top them with the shredded cheese. Return to the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted and golden, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Spoon the soup out into serving bowls and top each with a piece of cheese toast; then give each person an extra toast on the side. Serve hot.
This traditional recipe for Tourtiere — meat pie — has a crust so light that it melts in your mouth and can be eaten piping hot from the oven or cold from the refrigerator.
Total Time:3
Yield:1 meat pie, about 10 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds ground pork
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves (or more to taste)
3 cups mashed potatoes
Penny’s Piecrust (recipe below)
1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine pork, onion, salt, and water. Simmer gently, stirring often, until all liquid evaporates, about 4 hours. Stir in spices. Add potatoes and beat well to combine thoroughly. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a pie plate with one crust. Spoon in pork/potato mixture. Add top crust and flute the edges. Brush the top with milk and prick with a fork. Bake 30 minutes.
Additional Notes:
A previous version of this recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes. We have increased the amount to make a fuller, more substantial pie.
Penny’s Piecrust
Ingredients
4 cups flour, plus extra for work surface
2 teaspoons salt
1-3/4 cups shortening
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup ice water
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening, until pieces are about the size of a pea. Add egg, vinegar, and ice water. Work mixture into a soft, cohesive dough ball. Divide in half, and put one half aside for another pie (or freeze). Cut other dough mass in half. On a work surface dusted with flour, roll out bottom and top crusts.Yield: 2 two-crust pies
How to Make Baked Scallops with Ritz Crackers Topping
A reader favorite, this simple recipe for baked scallops with Ritz crackers has stood the test of time. Here’s how to make it at home. by Amy Traverso
Perhaps it’s because the combination of flavors in this simple casserole is so classic—just scallops, lemon, butter, vermouth, and Ritz crackers. Taking a bite of baked scallops is like going back in time, or hopping a fast boat to some seaside restaurant where a ship’s wheel hangs on the wall and Grapenut pudding is still on the menu. In other words, it’s an old-school pleasure, and we mean that in the best possible way. It’s also purely delicious, and incredibly easy to make.
Brown bread lightly toasted and topped with butter.
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Brown bread lightly toasted and topped with butter. Credit: Aimee Tucker
Here’s how to make homemade baked scallops with Ritz crackers in step-by-step photos.
A note on scallops: the best-tasting ones are natural or “dry” scallops, which look like those in the photo below. Many supermarkets sell scallops that come soaked in a bath of sodium tripolyphosphate, which causes them to swell with water, thereby diluting their flavor. You can easily recognize those scallops because of their milky white appearance. Such treated scallops are less expensive per pound (though more profitable for the packer, since you’re paying for more water weight per pound). If you can find natural scallops on sale, you’ll enjoy their superior flavor and texture. But this recipe will work well with either type.
To start, arrange two pounds of scallops in a single layer in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish (our retro enamel pan was a bit smaller, so we used an additional dish for the overflow). Preheat your oven to 325° and set a rack to the second-from-the-top position.
In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers (or similar), and 1/4 teaspoon each of garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle this over the scallops.
Next, sprinkle 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
Sprinkle all over with butter, lemon, and vermouth, cover with foil, then transfer to the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. At this point, the scallops will be cooked through, but if you’d like to brown the top a bit more, turn your oven to the “broil” setting and let the top sizzle for a minute or two (do not move the pan closer to the flame), keeping a close eye on the pan the entire time
Serve the baked scallops hot, sprinkled with fresh herbs like chopped chives or parsley, if you like, and garnished with a bit of lemon.
Baked Scallops Recipe
This easy recipe for baked scallops is delicious and elegant. The scallops turn out perfectly—tender and succulent—making it the ideal dish to serve at a dinner party.
Our testers called this recipe for baked scallops “easy and elegant — great dinner party fare.”
Yield:6 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds scallops (sea or bay)
1 cup crushed Ritz (or similar) crackers
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
Garnish: Lemon slice, chopped fresh chives or parsley
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325º, and set a rack to the second-to-top position.Wash the scallops and pat dry.
Arrange scallops in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, garlic salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the scallops evenly with the breadcrumb mixture, then the Parmesan. Pour the butter over all, then sprinkle evenly with the lemon juice and vermouth. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Turn the heat up to “broil” and, with the oven door ajar, brown the top for an additional 2 or 3 minutes (keep a constant eye on the dish to avoid burning). Serve hot, garnished with a slice of lime and fresh chopped chives or parsley.
American Chop Suey Casserole
This recipe for American Chop Suey casserole is a savory blend of baked noodles, ground beef, and seasoned tomato sauce.
by Aimee Tucker
It’s a comfort food dish with many names, but here in New England, a concoction of noodles, seasoned beef, and tomato-y goodness nearly always goes by one name and one name alone — American Chop Suey. In researching ACS I learned that it goes by by a slew of other names across the country (from Goulash to Chili Mac to Macaroni Red) but while the names may differ, the spirit of the dish remains the same, making it a nationwide (if not uniformly known) favorite.
American Chop Suey Casserole
Credit: Aimee Tucker
American Chop Suey Casserole Credit: Aimee Tucker
So what’s with the chop suey in American Chop Suey? According to The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, “chop suey” is a culinary phrase with Chinese origins, and dates back (in print, at least) to the late 1800’s. It’s thought to be a transcription of “tsa tsui,” which is Mandarin for “a little of this and that.” In time, “chop suey” became a dish containing a loose assortment of bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, celery, soy sauce, and either pork or chicken, which went on to become one of those Chinese-American dishes popular in Chinese restaurants stateside, but likely unfamiliar to a native Chinese diner. Later, another dish of muddled, cobbled ingredients and origins (this time Italian-American) would also carry the “chop suey” name.
American Chop Suey (and its brethren) is an easy, forgiving, and flexible dish, making it one of those meals most of us grew up with, from the kitchen table to the school cafeteria to the paper plate at the church or neighborhood potluck. Yes, this classic beefy-noodle dish can be “classed up” with homemade tomato sauce, fancier cuts of meat, or a handful of kale, but I suspect most of us want it just the way we remember – a quick and easy pot with the comforting blend of noodles, meat, and tomato sauce. ACS is such a New England classic that even Maine’s Stonewall Kitchen sells jars ofAmerican Chop Suey Sauce!
Today’s version mostly sticks with tradition, but since I’ve always found a layer of melty cheese to be a thing of beauty, I decided to bake my chop suey in casserole dish the same way you would macaroni and cheese after it’s turn on the stovetop.
If you prefer to ladle it out of the pot instead, by all means have the recipe end up in a large pot or Dutch oven on the stove rather than a bowl, mix the cheese into the chop suey before serving, and then, for the heck of it, add another sprinkle before handing out bowls. When the cold weather hits in New England and spring is still months away, it’s these comfort food classics that warm us up.
Ingredients
8 ounces elbow pasta
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 green peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 15 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
To make American Chop Suey Casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, then drain and transfer to a large bowl tossed with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the beef, onions, peppers (reserving 1/4 cup for later), and garlic until the beef is browned. Add sauce and seasonings (you may not need the whole jar of sauce depending on how “saucy” you want the casserole to be).
Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the noodles, and mix to combine, then pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle reserved diced peppers and cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
Serve with crusty bread or a side salad.
Classic comfort food! | American Chop Suey Casserole
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Classic comfort food! | American Chop Suey Casserole Credit: Aimee Tucker
Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni is layered with shredded cheddar and fresh breadcrumbs (plus a generous splash of milk) in this recipe for old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese. by Aimee Tucker
It’s been feeling an awful lot like summer lately (after the winter we had this year, I’ve been basking in it like a cat in a sunspot), and the warmer weather got me thinking about the cookouts and picnics to come over the next several months. Inspired, I took a trip to the Yankee archives in search of a favorite summer party side dish, and thought this old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese might fit the bill.
The recipe was first published in February, 2000, but since it appeared in a column about food and memory (an earlier version ofRecipe with a History), it’s actually much older. It was submitted by reader Marlene Keene of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, whose son Eugene loved his Maine grandmother’s baked macaroni and cheese. She remembered it as “a delightful dish, with bubbly cheese melted through the elbow pasta and a crunch topping.” Eugene loved the dish so much that Marlene got the recipe (and the special dish it was baked in) from Gram Meggett herself so she could make it at home. Then, years later, she shared it with us, and we shared it with you!
Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese Credit: Aimee Tucker
After skimming the method, I was intrigued. This was a mac and cheese recipe unlike any other I’d ever made. It called for the normal ingredients (noodles, cheese, breadcrumbs, milk, butter, salt, and pepper) but was constructed very differently than today’s ultra-creamy baked versions.
The biggest difference was that it didn’t start with a roux, which is a thick sauce made on the stove with butter, flour, and milk. Instead, it called for the cooked macaroni to be layered in the dish, lasagna-style, with the grated cheese (only cheddar) and breadcrumbs in alternate layers. Once that was done, the milk was poured over the whole thing, topped with breadcrumbs and butter, and baked.
The result is a texture that’s more like boxed macaroni and cheese (meaning a lot thinner than most baked versions), but still made with “real” cheese and plenty of butter. It’s different, but still plenty tasty, and my household had no trouble speedily working their way through it.
The torn breadcrumbs (I needed a bit more than the recipe called for) are also a distinctly old-fashioned touch. Some people love the hearty crunch they provide, but if you like a crushed cracker or Panko-butter crumb topping, by all means, swap those out instead. Like most macaroni and cheese recipes, this one is pretty much foolproof so long as you like eating a mixture of noodles and cheese…and you do, right?
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Before it became the decadent stuff of creamy, cheesy dreams, many a mac and cheese recipe was simple like this one from theYankeerecipe archives (Feb, 2000). Cooked macaroni is layered with shredded cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs (plus a generous splash of milk) for a home-style version of the classic comfort food. Try it for yourself and see how it measures up to your modern mac favorite.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Credit: Aimee Tucker
Yield:4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
3-1/2 cups elbow macaroni, about 6 cups cooked
4 to 6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups coarse bread crumbs, approximately
10 to 12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste (remember, cheese is quite salty)
1 cup milk
Instructions
Cook the macaroni according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Grease (with butter) bottom and sides of a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Put in a layer of macaroni, sprinkle with cheese, dot with butter, salt, and pepper. Repeat until all ingredients are used up, ending with layer of cheese. Add milk. Sprinkle a good layer of breadcrumbs over the top; dot with butter.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes.
Desserts
Easy Slow Cooker Indian Pudding
Easy Slow Cooker Indian Pudding makes preparing and enjoying this classic New England dessert a snap with a recipe from Plimoth Plantation. by Aimee Tucker
Slow-Cooker Indian Pudding
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Slow-Cooker Indian Pudding Credit: Aimee Tucker
For me, nothing smells and tastes like fall more than a warm bowl of Indian Pudding topped with a creamy, melty scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a classic New England dessert made from cornmeal, milk, molasses and spices that are baked in the oven until set, but the method is tricky enough that most folks look for their Indian Pudding in restaurants rather than at home.
Well, those days are officially over. Thanks to the colonial-era experts atPlimoth Plantation, we now have a trusty Indian Pudding recipe that you can make right in your slow cooker!
In truth, Indian Pudding wants to be in the slow cooker. It’s supposed to sit and simmer for a long time in the oven at a low temperature to achieve a smooth and creamy texture. If it’s rushed, or if the oven door keeps opening and closing, the cornmeal might not break down properly, and your pudding will be gritty. This is why the slow cooker is ideal for good Indian Pudding. With a little prep up front on the stove-top, you can then transfer the batter to the slow cooker for a nice long, slow bake.
Once mine was ready, I spooned a generous amount into a dessert bowl, but it wasn’t quite finished.
What it needed was in the freezer — a thick scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Placed on top of the hot pudding, the ice cream melts and combines with the pudding to form a caramel-colored sauce. For me, this sauce is the very best part of the whole Indian Pudding experience.
Mmmm. As I am fond of saying, this is a dish that’s not going to win any beauty contests, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious!
Dessert (or sometimes breakfast) of colonial champions!
I’m so glad to now have an easy slow cooker Indian Pudding recipe that I can have baking away while dinner is cooking, I’m at work, or out doing holiday errands. Coming home to this is like coming home to the most vintage of New England comfort food.
Plimoth Plantation’s Slow Cooker Indian Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing cooker
2 large eggs
1/3 cup molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Garnish: ice cream, whipped cream, or light cream
Instructions
Grease the inside of your slow cooker with butter and preheat on high 15 minutes.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together milk, cornmeal, and salt, and bring to a boil. Continue whisking another 5 minutes; then cover and simmer on low 10 minutes. Remove from the burner and add butter.
In a medium-size bowl, combine eggs, molasses, and spices. Add some of the hot cornmeal mixture to the egg mixture to temper the eggs; then transfer egg mixture into the pot. Stir in cranberries, if you like.
Scrape batter into the slow cooker (5-6 quart) and cook on high 2 to 3 hours or on low 6 to 8 hours. The center will be not quite set.
Serve warm topped with ice cream, whipped cream, or light cream.
Pudding Recipes | Plimoth Plantation’s Slow Cooker Indian Pudding
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Plimoth Plantation’s Slow Cooker Indian Pudding Credit: Aimee Tucker
The Difference Between a Milkshake and a Frappe
Do you know the difference between a milkshake and a frappe? Read on to learn the New England definition.
By Aimee Tucker
When is a milkshake not a milkshake? In New England, of course, when it’s a frappe (or a cabinet). Confused? Let’s break down the delicious difference between a milkshake, frappe, and cabinet.
According to the American Heritage College Dictionary, a milkshake is a “a beverage that is made of milk, ice cream, and often flavoring and is blended or whipped until foamy.” Unless you live in New England, where a milkshake would never include ice cream. Adding ice cream makes it a “frappe.”
One New England chocolate frappe.
Credit: Aimee Tucker
One New England chocolate frappe. Credit: Aimee Tucker
During my high school and college summers, I worked for a popular ice cream stand, Kimball Farm, in my hometown of Westford, Massachusetts, and like most jobs dealing with food and/or “visiting” customers, I spent a decent amount of time explaining things on the menu. Some questions were normal (What’s in Frozen Pudding ice cream? What’s the Kimball’s Special?) But others were uniquely regional – the kinds of things a local might know (What arejimmies?), but had others feeling puzzled.
What is the number one “from away” question? “What’s a frappe?”
Sometimes it got very “Who’s on first” kinds of confusing. Here’s a typical re-creation:
Customer: “I’d like a chocolate milkshake, please.”
Me: “Do you mean a milkshake or a frappe?”
Customer: “I mean a milkshake – with ice cream.”
Me: “If you want ice cream, you want a frappe. A milkshake just has milk and syrup.”
Customer: “Uhm…I’d like whatever has the ice cream.”
Today I’ve made a classic chocolate frappe with 3 scoops of chocolate ice cream, a generous splash of milk, and thick drizzle of chocolate syrup. I put all of my frappe ingredients into a tall glass fridge jug with an opening that perfectly fits my immersion blender (or “stick” blender), and then pulsed away until I had a thick and rich concoction – namely, a chocolate frappe.
I don’t know why we call the delicious mix of ice cream, milk, syrup, and sometimes malt powder a frappe (pronounced “frap”) here in New England, but when you really think about it, a milkshake shouldn’t be anything other than shaken (NOT stirred) milk and syrup. And a frappe, which sounds funny and looks elegant with those double p’s, must (of course) be the fancier of the two, meaning the one with the ice cream. It makes perfect sense.
Now for those who wonder if a chocolate milkshake in New England is basically just a glass of chocolate milk, the answer is a resounding NO. Chocolate milk is the casual stirring of chocolate syrup into a glass of milk. A chocolate milkshake is the vigorous shaking (or blending) of the two until the consistency is perfectly creamy and a frothy head is formed. I used the same stick blender is a tall glass pitcher to make this drink as well.
Finally, to make matters even more confusing, if you’re from certain parts of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, you order a cabinet.
What is a cabinet? Basically it’s the same thing as a frappe (usually coffee-flavored and made withAutocrat Coffee Syrup), but it got its name because that’s where the blender was kept. We like to keep milkshake-loving tourists on their toes here in New England!
Alice’s Old-Fashioned Whoopie Pies
How a recipe for old-fashioned whoopie pies became one family’s memory to savor. by Aimee Tucker
As a young wife and mother in Peabody, Massachusetts, in the early 1960s, Alice Generazzo wasn’t passionate about cooking, but soon learned that it was enough to make a handful of dishes exceptionally well. Most of them reflected the tastes of her husband’s Italian roots—things like quarts of homemade tomato sauce, thick with sausages and meatballs. But somewhere along the way, a recipe for chocolate whoopie pies also became a family favorite, especially among her five children.
“I always used to tell people that my mother made the best whoopie pies,” remembers her daughter, MaryAnn, and, decades later, she still believes it. Those handheld chocolate cakes filled with thick cream were an eagerly anticipated childhood treat, made only a few times a year for special occasions. “They were so chocolaty,” she recalls, “and we didn’t have to cut them in half to share. They weren’t perfect circles, but they were all the same size, which was probably more important when you’re talking about five kids.”
Alice made her whoopie treats for several years, but eventually, to save time, she switched to graham-cracker-crust pies made with boxed pudding mix. But MaryAnn never forgot the memory of her childhood favorite. Late last year, when she came across her mother’s handwritten recipe card, it felt like a gift.
Now 88, with her baking days behind her, Alice struggles with Alzheimer’s disease and the increasing aches and pains of old age. On a good day, she remembers that MaryAnn is her daughter. On a bad day, it can take a minute. “Having her recipe now is very special, but a little bittersweet,” MaryAnn says. “It makes me feel connected to her, and reminds me of being little and watching her in the kitchen, but it also makes me a little bit sad, because I’d love to know where she got the recipe in the first place, and I wish I could ask her.”
In place of that conversation, she brought the recipe home and framed it. “I’d never attempted to make them before, and I knew I wanted to do that with you,” she says, meaning me, because I’m her daughter.
So that’s exactly what we did one Saturday afternoon. Together, in my mother’s kitchen, we made a batch of Alice’s Whoopie Pies, and then, because you can lose your memory but never your sweet tooth, we wrapped up a few of the best ones to bring to her.
Taking a bite myself, I delight in the chocolate cake and sugary cream, but more than that, I savor the experience. The tradition. And, of course, the love. I think it’s true: You really can taste it.
Looking for a traditional whoopie pie recipe (meaning a whoopie pie filling without Fluff)? You’ve come to the right place.
Rich chocolate cakes filled with a homemade cream filling, these old-fashioned whoopie pies are a favorite for generations of one New England family.
Total Time:1 hour
Hands-On Time:30 minutes
Yield:About 15 pies
For the Cakes:
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract; then add the milk and the dry ingredients, alternating, and mix until just combined.
Spoon heaping tablespoons of batter, roughly 3 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
For the Filling:
Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Combine the flour and milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, like pudding, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and press through a fine-mesh strainer into a mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature.
Once the mixture has cooled, add the remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy and creamy, about 10 minutes.
Spread filling onto the flat bottom of one cake; then top with another. Repeat with the remaining filling and cakes. For a nicer presentation, put the filling into a large zip-top bag, snip off one corner, and pipe a thick spiral onto the flat bottom of one cake, then top with another. Repeat with the remaining filling and cakes.
Maine Wild Blueberry Pie Recipe
Maine Wild Blueberry Pie
Credit: Brenda Darroch
Maine Wild Blueberry Pie Credit: Brenda Darroch
Anyone who has spent a summer in New England knows what a delightful flavor blueberry can be. Perhaps one of the most beloved uses of these berries is in a traditional New England blueberry pie.
This traditional Maine Wild Blueberry Pie recipe brings out the sweet and refreshing taste of blueberries and isn’t overpowered by the taste of lemon or the texture that can come from using too many thickeners. Serve with a tall glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Note: Some folks consider this pie a bit runny, but that’s how many New Englanders prefer it.
Total Time:60
Yield:8 servings
Filling:
Ingredients
5 cups fresh wild blueberries
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon lemon juice
Double-Crust Pastry Dough (see below)
1-1/2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Wash berries, remove stems, and gently stir with flour and sugar. Sprinkle with lemon juice to taste. Set aside
Preheat oven to 400°. Unwrap the larger disk of Double-Crust Pastry Dough and place in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from center, to a 13-inch circle. Peel off top piece of parchment and transfer dough to a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, peeled side down. Peel off remaining parchment and press crust into plate, draping any excess over the sides.
Unwrap smaller dough disk and place in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover with a second piece of parchment. Roll out, working from center, to an 11-inch circle. Set aside.
Pour berries into bottom crust. Distribute dots of butter over berries. Peel one sheet of parchment off top crust. Transfer top crust, peeled side down, to pie; then peel off remaining parchment.
Using a sharp knife, make three slashes in crust to let steam escape. Fold bottom crust up over top crust and crimp to seal. Brush with egg wash; then bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 40-50 minutes.
Double-Crust Pastry Dough
Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
18 tablespoons (2-1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
6-8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt until well combined. Sprinkle butter over flour mixture, and use your fingers to work it in (rub your thumb against your fingertips, smearing the butter as you do). Stop when the mixture looks like cornmeal, with some pea-size bits of butter remaining.
Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water on top, and stir with a fork until dough begins to come together. If needed, add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three times, or just enough to make a cohesive dough. Don’t overmix! Gather into a ball; then divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Press each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Our Most Popular Recipes from the Editors of Yankee Magazine
