Orange-Graham Muffins & Orange Tea

A healthy breakfast full of the sunny flavor and scent of oranges

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here is the ROUNDUP

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This is my entry for the Weekend Breakfast Blogging event hosted this month by Suganya of Tasty Palettes and initiated by Nandita of Saffron Trail. Suganya’s theme is “Healthy Eats”.

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These muffins contain no eggs, no dairy, and just a minimal amount of sugar and shortening (olive oil). Graham flour provides fiber and freshly squeezed orange juice gives flavor and a moist, tender crumb. The tea is infused with fresh orange slices, and it is so flavorful it does not require any additional sugar.

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From the original recipes by:

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Alice Bradley In: “Sunkist Recipes. Oranges-Lemons”, c1916—USA

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and

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Mrs. J. L. Lane In: “365 Orange Recipes: an orange recipe for every day in the year”, c1909—USA

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Ingredients

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Orange-Graham Muffins

1/2 cup (65 g) flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp (25 g) sugar

3/4 cup (100g) Graham flour

Grated rind 1/2 (organic) orange

7/8 cup (205 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (1 cup minus 2 tbsp)

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp (30 ml) shortening (extra-virgin olive oil)

Orange Tea

1 thin-skinned (organic) orange

1 qt (1 l) freshly brewed hot tea

Make the Muffins: Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C); if you have cast iron muffin pans preheat them in the oven as well.

Sift flour, salt and sugar; add Graham flour and grated rind of orange. Dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice stirring
until it begins to get frothy, then add the shortening. Pour orange juice mixture onto flour mixture and mix well, then pour the batter quickly into (hot), greased muffin-pans, place the pans in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 400°F (200°C) and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Make the Orange Tea: Slice the orange into paper thin slices, discarding the seeds. Place the slices into a glass jug and pour the hot tea over them. Serve hot or cold and sweetened to taste.

Lincoln Cake

A moist, buttery cake with a delicate lemon scent

 

I recently read a very interesting post about a luncheon menu for Presidents’ Day written by T.W. from Culinary Types. Every dish featured in the menu was gorgeous, but I was particularly interested in the Lincoln Cake, created in 1865 to commemorate President A. Lincoln. The recipe was published in Godey’s Lady’s Book, while Sarah J. Hale was the magazine’s editor.

The cake is very nice, with a moist crumb and a texture reminiscent of traditional pound cakes, with a pleasant lemon scent. It keeps fresh and moist for a relatively long time, and it is even better after a day or two.

From the original recipe by Sarah Annie Frost

In: “The Godey’s Lady’s Book Receipts and Household Hints”, 1870—USA

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 cups (400 g) sugar

1/2 cup cup (113g) butter

1 cup (237 ml) milk

3 cups (375 g) flour

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp (organic) lemon extract

All ingredients must be at room temperature.

Sift the flour with the baking soda and cream of tartar.

Cream the butter at high speed until fluffy, then add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, still beating at high speed. It is important not to add the sugar all at once or the mixture will be heavy instead of fluffy, which will compromise the cake’s final texture. Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, add one egg and beat well until thoroughly mixed, then add the second egg and the lemon extract and mix well.

Add 1/3 of the flour (sifted with cream of tartar and baking soda) and mix it at the lowest speed. Add 1/3 of the milk, in a thin stream, mixing it in at low speed, then increase the speed to high and beat the mixture till light and creamy. Add 1/3 more of the flour , then 1/3 more of the milk, and mix as described above. Add the remaining flour and then milk as described before. Beat the mixture for 3 minutes at high speed, until creamy and light.

Pour the batter (which might look like it is too liquid, but that is how it is supposed to be) into a 5.4 x 9.1 inch (13.6 x 23.2 cm) loaf pan, lightly greased. I find that lining the pan with aluminum foil and greasing the foil liner makes it much easier to unmold the cake.

Place the cake in a cold oven and set the temperature  at 300°F (150°C) and let the cake bake for about 2 hours, or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, than unmold it and let it finish cooling on a rack.

P.S. Louise of Month of Edible Celebrations suggested baking the cake at very low temperature and starting with a cold oven. If the oven is too hot, because of the high amount of sugar in the ingredients, the cake will brown too fast on the outside and remain raw in the center.

 

 

Mrs. Ewing’s Creamy Cocoa

A perfect cup of hot cocoa: creamy, smooth, and not too sweet

 

From the original recipe by Mrs. Emma P. Ewing

In: “Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes”. Walter Baker & Co., Ltd–1909, USA

Ingredients

1/2 cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (65 g) flour

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp (3 g) salt

1 quart (950 ml) boiling water

1 quart (950 ml) boiling milk

Whipped cream (optional).

 

Sift together cocoa, flour, sugar and salt and put mixture in a saucepan. Add gradually boiling water and mix well (an immersion blender works wonderfully for this). Boil, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add boiling milk and stir well, then simmer five minutes more, stirring constantly. Serve with whipped cream if you like.

Mint Julep

The coolness of mint is balanced by the tartness of lemon in this very pleasant and refreshing drink

This is my entry for the Monthly Mingle event (the theme for September: Liquid Dreams) hosted by Meeta at What’s for Lunch, Honey?

From the original recipe by Maria Willett Howard

In “Lowney’s Cook Book” 1907–USA

Ingredients

1 bunch of mint (I used chocolate mint, a cultivar of peppermint)

2 cups (500 ml) ice water

lemon juice to taste

2 cups (400 g) sugar

4 cups (1 liter) water

To serve: plenty of crushed ice & fresh mint leaves to decorate

 

Make the mint water: place ice water and mint leaves (well washed) in a blender and blend till the leaves are liquefied, place the mint water in a glass container and refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Make the syrup: dissolve the sugar in 4 cups of water and boil for 5 minutes, let cool then refrigerate in a covered glass container, overnight.

Assemble the drink: Mix the syrup with the strained mint water and add lemon juice to taste. Serve with plenty of crushed ice and a sprig of fresh mint.