Charles E. Hill 
Restaurants and other food industry players started a hashtag, #CookForUkraineto raise funds for children and families in need.
Archestratus, local Greenpoint favorite, has joined the cause and is hosting a bake sale on Sunday March 6 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the benefit of Cook for Ukraine.
Before the bake sale, two bakers shared their recipes with us. Sarah Goldstone shares her recipe for Nixtamalized Blue Corn Stalks, and Eliza Crane shares her recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Olive Oil Glazed Mini Cakes.
Nixtamalized Blue Corn Stalks
By Sarah Goldstone family_meal_nyca Brooklyn supper club
Ingredients (for 12 stalks):
- 425 grams nixtamalized corn flour
- 225 grams all-purpose flour (more may be needed for the dough to become shaggy enough to form a ball)
- 150 grams of lukewarm water
- 150 grams of lukewarm milk
- 25 grams of olive oil
- 5 grams of yeast
- 5 grams salt (may need a little more to taste depending on how much extra flour added)
REMARK:
For this recipe, you can nixtamalize yourself or buy pre-made masa, or nixtamalized corn flour.
Nixtamalization is a process for preparing corn in which corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually lime water, washed and then shelled.
Nixtamalization Instructions:
When nixtamalizing, use the ratio of 1:100 for lime pickling to corn, i.e. 1 gram of lime pickling per 100 grams of corn.
- Simmer the dried field corn with the lime in water in a non-reactive saucepan, such as a ceramic saucepan. (This is key or you will damage your cookware until the corn is soft.) Depending on how much corn you use, this can take 1-2 hours.
- Leave to infuse overnight.
- The next day, rinse the corn by rubbing it against itself in your hands and drain it.
- Blend in a food processor with a touch of salt and a little water if needed, and it will be your nixtamalized cornmeal.
How to use Nixtamalized Blue Corn Sticks:
- Mix milk, water, yeast. Let rise 10 minutes.
- Combine corn flour, all-purpose flour, salt and olive oil in a mixing bowl. Add the milk mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir. Add additional all-purpose flour until it is well-blended enough to turn onto a surface. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.
- Put the dough back in the ball-shaped bowl, and let it rest for an hour under a cloth, in a warm place.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is about half an inch thick and use a cup, ramekin or cookie cutter to cut out circles. Roll up the scraps until you’ve used all of your dough.
- Let your circles sit on a nonstick or floured surface for 1 hour.
- Using a non-stick (or carbon steel or cast iron) skillet over high heat, cook the shanks on the stove top for about 4 minutes on each side. They should puff up and get a little charred color on each side.
Mini cakes glazed with olive oil and lemon poppy seeds
Note: This recipe calls for a mini muffin tin. If you don’t have one, you can use a regular muffin pan or bake it like a large cake in a tube pan, loaf pan, or 9-inch cake pan. For reference, the adjusted baking time for a large cake is about 30 minutes. Adapted from Maialino. Makes 72 mini muffins.
Ingredients for the cakes:
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 cup poppy seeds (add more or less to taste)
1 1/3 cups (285 g) extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups (305g) whole milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup (60g) fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (55 g) limoncello, Grand Marnier, Aperol, Campari or other liqueur
Ingredients for the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 lemons, juice
3 tablespoons of cream
Dried blueberries or rose petals for garnish
Instructions for the cake:
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Oil, butter or spray a mini muffin pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and poppy seeds. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, milk, eggs, lemon zest, juice and liqueur. Add dry ingredients; whisk until just combined.
3. Place 1 tablespoon of batter in each mini muffin pan (should come halfway up each hole). Cover the rest of the dough and refrigerate.
4. Bake the mini muffins until they have puffed in the middle, the top is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean (about 9-10 minutes).
5. Cool for 5 minutes, use a knife to remove the mini cakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack. Wipe the mold, regrease and repeat the operation until there is no more dough (3-4 times).
Frosting Instructions:
While the cakes are cooling/baking, prepare the frosting.
Note: Store-bought lemon curd might be an easy substitute.
1. In a small saucepan on the stove, whisk the powdered sugar into the lemon juice until smooth.
2. Turn on the heat, bring to a boil and simmer, stirring often, until the mixture thickens slightly.
3. Lower the heat and stir in the cream.
4. Adjust by adding lemon or sugar to desired level of acidity. The icing should coat the back of a spoon.
Decorating instructions:
1. Dip tops of cooled mini cupcakes in frosting and shake lightly to remove excess.
2. Place the dried petal(s) in the middle while the icing is still hardening.
3. Repeat with the remaining cakes, reheating the frosting on the stove if it starts to thicken too much.
