March seems intent on going out like a lion; a dreary, rainy lion.  But we just have to remember that the rain is what makes everything so green and beautiful in the spring.  And we promise, spring IS coming!! It will look something like this:

April will be coffee tasting month here at Brampton.  We thought it would be fun and informative to ask our guests for their input on different coffees that we have used in the past few years.  We all have our favorites that will be put to the test.   It can be challenging to taste-test coffee:  what to use for a pala  te cleanser: plain bread, something sweet, or a forkful of scrambled eggs??  What about regular vs. decaf?  We don’t want our guests all revved up and unable to relax!! Ah, the difficulties of being an innkeeper…

One of the very best accompaniments to coffee are these pecan shortbread cookies.  Like any good shortbread, they  melt in your mouth and are addictive.   Try them at home and see for yourself!

Pecan Short Bread

Makes 18

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (bake in 325 oven for 10 min. Be careful not to burn the nuts)

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a bit more for preparation

¾ cup confectioners sugar

½ cup cold (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

In a food processor, pulse pecans until medium to finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In the food processor, blend flour, sugar, butter, and salt until dough barely holds together. Add reserved pecans. Pulse 2 or 3 times, just to incorporate.

Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. If dough is sticky, dust with a hint of more flour. With a fork, prick dough several times across top.

Bake until lightly golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Use foil overhang to lift shortbread from pan onto cutting board. With a serrated knife, carefully cut warm shortbread into 16 squares. Cool squares completely on a rack before serving.

Can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days however they never last that long at the inn!

Now that March is here, everyone is suffering a bit from cabin fever: all that snow and shoveling and mud and muck.  It’s enough to make anyone wish they were living in the Keys!  But, spring is right around the corner we are oh, so ready for it.  That includes all our critters, too.

As many of you know, we are animal lovers here at the Brampton.  Danielle and Michael live with and cater to two Cairn terriers, Muffin and Charlie.  Rita supports two mutts, or to be politically correct, “composite breeds”, Dalia and Sidney, along with two inside only cats, Leo and Junior.

Of course, all our guests are familiar with Slipper, the cat concierge extraordinaire (just don’t ask him to get our of your way while you carry your bags up the front steps!)  But did you know that we have a pet friendly cottage just waiting for you and your four-legged friend?  Russell’s Cottage is the home away from home for many of our regular 4 legged guests.  There is Tweed, the border collie from New Jersey;  Sadie the terrier from Virginia; Abigail and Fiona, the schnauzers sisters from Baltimore; Molly the Burmese mountain dog, whose parents got married here, and whose grandparents are frequent guests;  and Izzy, the chocolate lab puppy, whose picture you can see on Trip Advisor.

Separate from the main house, but just a few steps away, Russell’s cottage is private and comfortable.  It has a king sized bed, a wood burning fire place, and a large bathroom with an oversized tub and shower.  There is also a small private sitting area behind the cottage.   Brampton’s 25 acres are great for leashed dog walking, and Chestertown itself is a very dog friendly town.  Many shops have resident dogs or cats and when the weather permits it, there are even outdoor dining areas that will allow your well-behaved dog to sit with you while you dine.

In the area there are plenty of places to go with your dog:

One of the most popular spots around is Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge, just south of Rock Hall, and about a 15 minute drive from the inn.  There are trails and observation areas where you will see all kinds of water fowl, ospreys and bald eagles.  Your leashed dog will enjoy the opportunity to smell new smells and maybe even take a dip in the water.  Many trails end up near the river or bay.

 http://www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck/

Another beautiful spot is Adkins Arboretum, a 400-acre native garden and preserve.  There are 4 miles of paths and your leashed dog is welcome!  It is particularly nice on a hot day, as most of the paths are under the canopy of large trees and nice and shady.

 http://www.adkinsarboretum.org/

There are other spots we’d be happy to share with you if you are traveling with a furry friend.  We even bake our own dog biscuits to welcome them!  Here is a recipe for you to try at home. They smell so good when they are baking, you might even want to taste it yourself…

CHEESEY DOG BISCUITS

2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4-5 tablespoons water
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper.

Combine flour, cheese, garlic and oil in a food processor. Cover and process until mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.
While machine is running, slowly add water until mixture comes together in a ball. 
Remove from machine and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness on lightly floured surface.  Cut out with bone shaped cookie cutter or into any shape you want. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.  Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.  Refrigerate or freeze.
 

2010 has blown into town with a lot of wind and cold temperatures, hasn’t it?  It’s the best weather for staying at Brampton, sitting in front of a fire and sipping something warm.  Be sure to check out our Last Minute Specials button on the home page for our current deals.This month’s recipe is for our favorite oatmeal cookie, and believe it or not, it is probably sitting in one of your kitchen cabinets right now.  If you have a box of Quaker Oats, then you have the recipe:  it’s printed on the bottom of the lid!  They call them “Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies”, I guess because they get eaten up so quickly.  It really is the best oatmeal cookie and doesn’t need any improvements but, we always like to add our own twist to things.  See the end of the recipe for our special variations.

QUAKER OATS OATMEAL COOKIES

½ pound sweet, unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract1

½ cups all purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups Quaker Oats (quick OR old fashioned, uncooked)

1 cup raisins

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and set aside.  In the bowl of a mixer use the paddle attachment to beat the butter and both sugars together until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour mixture slowly and mix well.  Stir in oats and raisins and mix well. Using a 1 inch ice cream scooper, drop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet about 1 ½ inches apart.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes or until just starting to brown. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes then move to cooling rack.
Makes about 4 dozen.
Suggestions: Omit the raisins and add your favorite dried fruit, chopped. Add chocolate chips and/or toasted nuts. Add butterscotch chips. Omit raisins and add white chocolate chips and dried cranberries (Rita’s favorite!) Use your imagination, add what you like and enjoy!

In November, the weather finally starts to behave like winter is coming.  It’s 54 degrees today and there is a little chill in the air.  (Okay, so yesterday it was in the high 60’s:  maybe that’s why today seems so chilly!)  One way to warm up is with spice. Specifically, ginger root: fresh, dried, ground, candied, we use it every way there is. 

Three of Carole’s favorite (and the guests’) recipes all contain ginger, and are perfect for this season. They make a nice alternative to the pumpkin and apple and cranberry that is so abundant at this time of year. Not that we don’t love them, too.  OK, so we love everything!!

 Orange Maple Ginger muffins are are always a hit at breakfast. The overall flavor is subtle and folks always ask what’s in them.  They are moist and delicious, especially right out of the oven.  They call for dried, ground ginger.

The Lemon Ginger muffins, however, call for fresh ginger root and lots of fresh lemon zest and juice.  They are intense and bursting with flavor.

Then there is the all time, Best Ever Ginger Cookie:  it can’t really be called a ginger “snap” because it’s chewy rather than crispy.  When these are baking, the aroma is incredible.  These call for crystallized ginger and if you make them once, they will forever be a part of your cookie repertoire.

 So here are 3 more recipes for you to try.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

BRAMPTON’S LEMON GINGER MUFFINS

Yields 12 regular or 8 giant muffins

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

1    1-inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated

2    lemons zest only

1    stick    unsalted butter at room temp.

1    cup     granulated sugar

2    large   eggs at room temperature

2    cups    unbleached flour

½  teaspoon salt

1    teaspoon  baking powder

1    teaspoon  baking soda

1    cup     sour cream at room temperature

½   cup     fresh squeezed lemon juice

2    tablespoon   granulated sugar

Mix fresh squeezed lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Set aside. Spray muffin tins with non-stick baking spray. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add grated ginger and lemon zest. Add one egg at a time incorporating the eggs well into the butter/sugar mixture. Add 1 cup of flour mixture alternating with ½ the buttermilk mixture. Repeat until all is incorporated. Do not over mix. Distribute batter into muffin tins. Bake for 18 to 20 min. until golden on top. Remove from oven and brush with reserved lemon juice/sugar mixture.Let stand for 10 minutes before removing muffins from tins. Serve and enjoy!

BRAMPTON’S ORANGE, MAPLE, GINGER MUFFINS

Yields 12 muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2          cups    all-purpose flour

½         cup     firmly packed brown sugar

2          teaspoon ground ginger

2/3       cup  cold butter

½         teaspoon  baking powder

½         teaspoon baking soda

¼         teaspoon salt

½         cup     buttermilk

1/3       cup     real maple syrup

1          large   egg

1          tablespoon maple flavoring

1          tablespoon  grated orange peel

For the glaze:

1/3       cup     powdered sugar

½         teaspoon  grated orange peel

2  to 3 teaspoons  water

Grease 12 muffin pans. Combine flour, brown sugar and ginger in medium bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup crumb mixture for topping. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to remaining crumb mixture in bowl. Combine buttermilk, maple syrup, egg, maple flavoring and 1 tablespoon grated orange peel in small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to crumb mixture in bowl; mix just until combined. Spread batter into prepared pans; sprinkle with reserved topping mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely. Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon orange peel and enough water for desired spreading consistency in small bowl. Drizzle over cooled muffins.

THE BEST EVER GINGER COOKIES (from Ina Garten)

We love Ina Garten’s cookbooks. Not only are they very pretty to look at but her recipes are wonderful. If you don’t already have them and you are as avid a cookbook collector as we are they are a must have for your cookbook library.

Yields about 16 cookies.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with Silpat liner or parchment paper.

2 ¼ cups flour1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1

½ teaspoons ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup molasses

1 extra large egg

1 ¼ cups chopped crystallized ginger

Extra sugar for rolling the cookies

In a large bowl, sift together first 7 ingredients. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the brown sugar, oil and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes.  Switch speed to low and add the egg.  Beat for one minute, then stop and scrape down sides of bowl.  Beat for another minute.  Slowly add the dry ingredients with mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes.  Add the crystallized ginger and stir until combined.Using a 1 inch ice cream scooper, portion out balls of dough.  Roll each one between your hands to round off the edges and then flatten slightly.  Press each side into the extra sugar and place on cookie sheet.  Bake for 13 minutes.  The cookies will be slightly “crackled” and soft.  Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.As with most cookie doughs, this recipe can be doubled or tripled and the unbaked, sugared cookies frozen until needed.  There is nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked ginger cookies!!

Foliage season is upon us and it has turned out to be a terrific show.  The sugar maples are a kaleidoscope of colors and they look stunning from the windows of the Green Room, and everywhere else for that matter!  This is also our first full weekend of fireplace season, which means Michael is busy building real wood fires for the rooms.  The weather is a bit rainy and gloomy, just right for staying in and relaxing by the fire.As soon as the fall weather hits, we start thinking about these muffins.  They are one of our most requested recipes and so delicious there is no reason not to make them all year long!

It’s peach season here at the inn. Carole has been making peach jam all day.  They have been showing up at breakfast in fruit salads, roasted with amaretti cookie crumbles on top, and baked into tea breads.   Danielle likes to make her  jam with some vanilla bean and freshly ground nutmeg.  Mmmm, it is so fragrant.   Last weekend we did a nice take on “stuffed” French Toast and it seemed to be a hit.  Here is September’s recipe share.1 loaf day old Challah bread, or other thickly sliced bread5 eggs1 stick butter, melted and cooled1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for dusting1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon nutmeg2 cups half & half4 large peaches, peeled and sliced1/2 to 3/4 cup  peach jam2 tablespoons orange juicebutter for cookingSlice the Challah into 1/2 inch thick slices and set aside.In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla and nutmeg and mix well.  Add the half & half, mix well and set aside.In a smaller bowl, combine the peaches, orange juice and jam. Set aside.When ready to cook, submerge slices of bread into egg mixture for about a minute. Set griddle or pan over medium  heat and place butter in pan. When butter starts to sizzle, pan fry the bread slices for about 2 minutes on each side.  Lower the heat and cook through.  To serve: place one slice on plate,top with peach mixture and place another slice on top.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar.Enjoy!

There are a lot of recipes out there for spiced nuts…all perfectly fine recipes. But there’s one that I have been carrying around and making for a few years that is really great: everyone loves them-they are sweet and spicy at the same time, and completely addictive.  I always give credit where it is due but unfortunately, I absolutely could not remember where it came from.

The other day I was thumbing through an hors d’ oeuvres cookbook and it jumped out at me…”Spicy  Almonds”, page 83,  in none other than, of course, Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres  from 1984!!  I should have known it was hers. 

So now I can attribute them to her every time someone asks for the recipe and here it is for our August Recipe Share.

Spiced Nuts à la Martha Stewart

2 cups whole almonds, preferably blanched (or any combination of nuts you like)

3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

1/3 plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a medium sized stainless steel bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon sugar with the salt, cumin and pepper flakes.    Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil. Set both aside.

Heat oil in a large, heavy pan over medium high heat.  Stir in almonds to coat with oil.  Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the almonds, trying not to create clumps.  Shake pan and stir occasionally, until the sugar caramelizes (usually about 5-7 minutes, depending on your heat).  As soon as the sugar is a light amber brown color, carefully pour almonds into bowl of spices and toss immediately, until nuts are covered with spices.  Pour out onto lined sheet pan to cool.  (If you omit this step, you will have a large, lovely clump of spiced nuts!)

When completely cool, they can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days.  

Though, I can almost guarantee you they won’t last that long!!

Enjoy!

Rita

Danielle has always been a big fan of using everything up and not letting anything go to waste.  This month’s recipe is a good illustration of that ethic:

Poached and Roasted Pears with a Blueberry Sprinkle

I love to serve this fruit dish because it’s very elegant. Instead of using blueberries you can substitute fresh raspberries.  Or for a totally decadent breakfast treat, top the pears with melted dark chocolate.

Serves 8

4          cups    water

1          cup      sugar

2                      lemons, zested and juiced

4          large    Bartlett pears, ripe but still firm

½         cup      coarse sugar

1          cup      blueberries, rinsed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 9×13 Pyrex glass dish with non-stick spray.

Wash, core, peel and halve the pears. Keep peels. Discard cores.

In a large heavy bottom stainless steel pan, heat water with sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and pear peels and boil for 2 min.

Add the pear halves and boil for 10 minutes.  Gently remove pear halves and place round side up in the prepared Pyrex dish. Keep poaching liquid for other use. See below.

Sprinkle top of pears with half the coarse sugar. Roast for approx. 10 min. until cooked al dente. Remove from oven and let cool.

While the pears are roasting sprinkle remaining sugar over washed blueberries.

To assemble put each half into a dish and sprinkle with prepared blueberries and serve. Enjoy!

(You can poach the pears the day before and keep them in their poaching liquid over night. The next day remove them from the liquid and place them into the Pyrex dish to be roasted. See above.)

To the leftover poaching liquid add another cup of sugar and cook for another 20 min. more. Remove from heat and let the liquid cool in the pan.  Measure 3 ½ cups of syrup and add ¼ cup of “Poire William” brandy. When the syrup is cooled strain into a 1 quart mason jars and close with a screw top. Refrigerate until ready to use. This syrup has a wonderful pear and lemon flavor and is absolutely delicious over fresh fruit salad.  Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

ENJOY!

Well, the month is almost over but we still have a recipe for you to try out.Carole has been making these cheese puffs forever and folks always want the recipe, so here it is:

CAROLE’S CHEESE PUFFS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees                                              Yield: approx. 6 dozen

1          crusty French baguette

16        oz.       Cream cheese, soften

5                      green onions finely chopped

6          tbsp.   Mayonnaise

5          drops  Tobasco sauce (or to taste)

1          cup     grated Parmesan cheese

                        Soft butter to butter bread rounds

Cut baguette into thin slices. Lightly butter each slice. Bake until barely golden.

Remove bread slices from oven and let cool. Do not turn off oven.

Mix cream cheese,  onions, mayo, tobasco and parmesan. Spread one teaspoon  of this mixture on un-buttered side of each bread slice. Bake 10 min. until just puffy.

This makes quite a large batch, enough for a big party; you can divide the recipe in half or even quarter it for a smaller batch.

Let us know how you like them…

This month’s recipe is a favorite of Rita’s; and because we’ll be having biscotti at the Taste of Chestertown, we thought it was appropriate.

Don’t forget: send in any recipes you’d like us to try and if we use it at the inn, you’ll win 2 mugs.

ALMOND BISCOTTI

2 large eggs                                        2 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup sugar                                       1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ cup vegetable oil                            Pinch salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract                1 cup almonds, roughly ground

½ teaspoon almond extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine wet ingredients and whisk together until blended.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the almonds.  Add dry mixture to the first bowl and stir until a sticky dough forms.

Dust work surface with flour.  Remove dough from bowl and knead together a few times adding flour to your hands as necessary.  Form the dough into a rectangle or log shape and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake approximately 30 minutes.  The dough will spread out as it bakes. Log should feel firm to the touch in the center when it is ready.  Remove from the oven and let cool about 10 minutes or until you can easily handle the log.  Place the log on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut slices across the log about ½ inch wide.  Place the slices back on the sheet pan and return to oven to bake again about 10 15 minutes longer, or until the biscotti are firm and dry, but not beginning to brown. 

Let cool completely.

These keep extremely well in an airtight container.

Enjoy!