Jan16

Fruit & Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

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Fruit & Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
Fruit & Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

This week’s post (yes, I am trying to keep up with the “post a week”) was last-minute, to say the least. I picked up a Good Housekeeping Cookbook, saw this recipe and thought it would be perfect for a cold, rainy holiday morning. Plus I knew I was going to dump on everyone and meet a friend at Starbuck’s for some “me” time.

The most complicated thing about these muffins was the shredding of fresh fruit. The actual recipe uses apple, but I only had one, and didn’t want to use it for this, so I used a pear… since I had three of those… I suppose any fruit would do. The recipe also called for walnuts – which someone apparently ate all of over the past few days. So I subbed some dry cranberries for the nuts. Needless to say, this recipe falls under the “adapted from” category as you will see my changes noted.

The muffin is moist, dense and filling (note 2 cups of oats!). Your options for fruit and nut combinations are nearly endless. So far, they have held up well and even my picky kids ate one without complaining that it tasted healthy. Make extra or freeze the leftovers for a quick, on the go breakfast!

Fruit & Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

(adapted from Good Housekeeping’s Supermarket Diet Cookbook, Winter 2011)

  • 2 cups oats, old-fashioned or quick cooking
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (160g)
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup buttermilk (I used lower fat)
  • 2 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup shredded fresh fruit (1 large pear or apple will do)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (I used dried cranberries)
  • 1 handful white chocolate chips

 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 standard muffin-pan cups, or line with paper liners.

IN a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, with a fork, beat buttermilk, oil and egg until well blended; stir in shredded apples. Add apple mixture to flour mixture and stir just until the flour mixture is moistened (the batter will be very thick). Stir in chopped nuts.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan and drop 5 or 6 white chocolate chips onto the top of each muffin. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Mine actually took 21 minutes exactly. Remove pan and remove muffins immediately. Serve warm or freeze for a quick breakfast.

Calories: 210, 7 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 33 grams carbs, 18mg cholesterol, 320mg sodium, 3 grams fiber, and 5 grams protien. – Note these are for the original recipe, it does not taking into account my changes, although I am sure it is close.

Jan8

Sweets to Celebrate the Playoffs…

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Sweets to Celebrate the Playoffs…

Sadly, our home team will not see the NFL playoffs… again, at least not from field level. Actually, I really don’t care much about NFL football, I am more a high school and college fan. I just can’t appreciate the site of grown men running around knocking each other down. That is not the point of this post however…. Have you ever had a Oreo Truffle? They are an easy, three ingredient candy that is rather difficult to screw up. They can be easily adapted for different affairs. I’ve seen them at birthday parties, baby and wedding showers and holiday events.

This “adaptation” fits right in with the ongoing playoffs and would be a great addition to your Superbowl party. You could even choose candy melts in your teams colors for dipping. I didn’t have any colored melts, just some chocolate bark. Shaping them like football’s makes an unbiased candy that can be enjoyed by both teams.

Classic Oreo Truffles (original recipe from Kraftfoods.com)

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Oreo cookies (originals)
  • 1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
  • Dipping chocolate: Milk Chocolate and White

Directions:

Finely crush the Oreos and mix with the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 1-inch balls*. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, then remove and shape into oval football shapes. Return to fridge until the chocolate is ready for dipping.

Melt the dipping chocolate according to the package directions and dip the balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour or until the chocolate has set. Melt white chocolate and pipe on as pictured. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

*I used my food processor to both crush the Oreo’s and to combine with the cream cheese. The Kraft recipe doesn’t call for them to be refrigerated, but this is helpful in keeping the shape and setting the chocolate.

Jan1

The Cake That Almost Wasn’t

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The Cake That Almost Wasn’t

Happy New Year!

I didn’t exactly keep up with the Jones’ (of blogging) and post any end of the year top 10 or 20 lists, I did however enjoy reading through them! I had some memories from the year and some recipe ideas for the new year.

Instead of searching through my archives or little read or seen posts, I got to baking. The decision to make this cake was a last-minute one I found after looking through my new Food Network Magazine (which I highly recommend). In the readers letters section I saw a comment about a cake that ran in their October magazine. My husband and I would be attending a party that evening and I knew right away this cake would be my choice to bake and bring to the party.

The cake portion was not complicated but the caramel topping was time-consuming. All in all it came together nicely. The “almost wasn’t” came in while the cake was in the oven. About 15 minutes into baking the power went out. It was a beautiful, warm sunny day, so I knew weather probably was not a factor. Then we heard sirens… All I could think about was this cake that I needed in just a few short hours, and the prep that had gone into making it. Turns out a transformer had blown and caught fire. No biggie, except for the fact that it knocked out power to what seemed like half of the city (slight exaggeration here). I had waited long enough and knew I needed a hot oven, and soon. Calling around I found no one nearby who had power. The decision was made then to pack up the half/baked cake and head up to my office, about 4 miles away.

Of course about 5 minutes after I arrived my husband called and said the power was back on. I wasn’t driving back home again, so I sat in a cold dark building and waited what seemed like hours. Ok, well one hour. We were supposed to be at this party around 6 p.m. and it was now after 5 and I was still waiting on a cake and completely unprepared to go. Shame on me, I left the office, oven on, cake in the oven, and ran home to grab the family and a change of clothes. Then we returned to grab the cake (which was cooked perfectly) and headed straight to the party. Ugh

So long story short – power outages stink, especially when you have food in the oven. Now on to the cake:

The cake is a dense “pound cake” like cake with a hint of cinnamon when served resembles highly that of a caramel apple. I guess that’s where it gained its name (duh!). I am sure if you wanted to cut down the prep time, a purchased caramel sauce would suffice. Here is the recipe. Hopefully if you decide to make it, the cooking process will go easier than mine did.

I’ve added a link to the recipe on Food Networks website, they have some step by step pictures available too. Again, Happy New Year from my oven to yours!

Caramel Apple Cake (link to recipe here)

From Food Network Magazine, October 2010, pg 142

For the Caramel and Apples:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 large Golden Delicious apples

For the Batter:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs

Directions:

Butter a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan. Make the caramel: Cook the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is dark amber, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the cream and 4 tablespoons butter (it will splatter) and cook, stirring, until combined, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let sit 1 minute. Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until set, about 30 minutes.

 Cut 3 apples into quarters and cut out the cores with a paring knife. Arrange the pieces skin-side down in the pan (overlapping them slightly) to form a ring about 1/2 inch from the edge. Save any pieces that do not fit for later. Halve the remaining whole apple crosswise. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or measuring spoon, leaving the stem on the top half. Chop the bottom and any of the leftover quartered apples into pieces; set aside. Arrange the apple top, stem-side down, in the center of the pan. If the quartered apples shift, just push them back into place.

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, orange juice and vanilla. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Slip them into the mixer bowl, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula.  

With the mixer on low-speed, add half of the sour cream mixture, then half of the flour mixture. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; finish combining the batter by hand. Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Top with the chopped apple. Bake on the middle oven rack until the cake is brown on top and springs back when pressed, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (don’t worry if the top is dark). Cool in the pan on a rack.

**Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a skillet wide enough to hold the cake pan. Carefully run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan several times, then rest the pan in the water to soften the caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the water and dry. Invert a plate on top of the cake, then flip over the cake and plate. Using pot holders or a towel, wriggle the pan off. Soften the reserved 1 1/2 cups caramel in the microwave, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the cake with some of the caramel. Slice and serve with the rest. (I only used about 1/2 of the reserved caramel and um, serve this cake warm with some ice cream and you will get new friends.)

Note: On their website some of the reader comments spoke about finding (or not finding) the correct size pan. I didn’t either. I found an 8″ x 3″ pan, and a 10″, but not a 9″. So I used a 9″ springform pan that I lined with heavy foil. It worked perfectly and I was able to omit that last step of simmering water to loosen the cake from the pan.

Dec27

Two Cookies!

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Two Cookies!

An annual Christmas tradition that my kids count on every year is baking and decorating cookies for Christmas with thier cousins. This year was no exception. Except for the fact that the kids decorated all but two cookies before I could get to them, I would say that decorating was a success. Our “artists” ranged in age from 9 to 17 years old. While they decorated, my sister in law and I prepared our Angel Wings (see this post, they are awesome!).

I tried another new sugar cookie recipe this holiday. They were excellent for keeping their shape when baking and the taste was mild enough that being loaded with frosting didn’t give you an overwelming sugar rush. I’m not sure I will ever settle on a rolled sugar cookie recipe, but this one has made it’s way to the top of my list. It is very easy to prepare and rolled well. It was rather sticky when first being rolled, but what sugar cookie is not? With the right amount of flour added it rolled easily. I found the recipe from a third party link here, at Tidy Mom (and I believe she got it from Bake at 350).

Here is the recipe:

Vanilla Almond Butter Cookies

yields approx 30-35 large cookies or 60 smaller cookies 

  • 6 Cups Flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Cup butter
  • 1½ Cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 Tbsp milk
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • ½ tsp pure almond extract

 Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream sugar and butter, then add eggs and extracts. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Refrigerate for at least an hour to ease rolling and cutting. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 10-12 mins. Remove and once completely cooled, decorate with royal icing or fondant.

Now, the title of this post is “Two Cookies”, so here is the second one. It is a very, very common recipe found at probably most blogs and recipe sites. My oldest daughter really wanted to make these and we literally started them about an hour before we were scheduled to meet for Christmas dinner. They are really easy and the ingredients are common pantry staples.

No-Bake PB Choc-Oat Cookies

  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 3 cup oatmeal
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup butter
  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Directions:

 Measure peanut butter and oats, set aside.

Combine all other ingredients in medium saucepan over med-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and oats. Quickly drop cookies onto wax paper and let cool. (I use a tablespoon size cookie scoop).

Dec27

Our Holiday Table

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Our Holiday Table

Christmas in our family is quite traditional, as far as dinner is concerned. Only one of the recipes in this post are new to us and our table. Even though any of our kids could recite what will be on the table, and who will be preparing it, it just wouldn’t be the same if we switched things up. We talk about it every year, but never do.

For the main courses are ham and turkey. My sister-in-law cooks the ham, and we grill the turkey at our house. I began grilling the turkey several years ago when I ran out of oven room. Grilling the turkey, I have found, yields the most moist white meat of any cooking method. It is very simple, a little butter, salt and pepper on and under the skin along with about 3/4 of an inch of stock in the pan. Covered then slow cooked with only the outside two burners on and in about 3 hours, a beautiful golden brown bird emerges!

Cinnamon Kissed Cranberry Sauce

For the Cranberry Sauce, I prepared a recipe first used at Thanksgiving. I found the recipe over at Recipe Girl and it is not only easy but blows the canned stuff out of the water. It is also great with a little butter on a biscuit or toast in the morning. I highly encourage trying this recipe.

Now, for the best part. Dessert. I made the Browned Butter Pecan Pie (that I made last month) from Cookie Madness, No Bake PB Oatmeal Cookies from well, anywhere, but I have my own recipe, a great sugar cookie (that I will post later), and our family tradition of “Angel Wings“. The Sour Cream Pound Cake, Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie played an essential part of this holiday meal too. Needless to say, I have a TON of dessert leftover in the freezer.

It was a wonderful holiday but I must say that I am relieved that it is over. The pressure involved in food preparation and making three growing kids happy have worn me out. I am looking forward to having the rest of the week off and doing, well, nothing.

Happy New Year to all!

Dec23

Chocolate Fix – Fixed

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Chocolate Fix – Fixed

 

Need a boost this time of year? A chocolate indulgence? This little number here will keep milk farmers in business. It’s the classic sheet cake and it delivers. I’ve made a similar cake before but the base was from a cake mix. I’m really trying to convert to a non-cake mix baker, but often time does not afford me that opportunity. Thankfully, this is a straight forward recipe with ingredients most likely in your pantry. It is Ree Drummond’s, a.k.a. “Pioneer Woman”, recipe which she refers to as “The Best Sheet Cake. Ever.”

Prep. Bake. Enjoy…

Here’s the recipe taken directly from her site. I left out the pecans, I am not a nut lover, sorry. She has some beautiful step by step pictures at the link too…

  • FOR THE CAKE:
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoons Salt
  • 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
  • 2 sticks Butter
  • 1 cup Boiling Water
  • ½ cups Buttermilk (I used the vinegar/milk method too)
  • 2 whole Beaten Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • _____
  • FOR FROSTING:
  • ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
  • 1-¾ stick Butter
  • 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
  • 6 Tablespoons Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

    • Preparation Instructions

    In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

    In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
    Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

    In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

    While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

    Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

    Dec13

    Bakerella Pays a Visit!

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    Bakerella Pays a Visit!

    Ok, maybe not in person, but Bakerella’s Cake Pops book made its first, and definitely not last, appearance in the kitchen. I actually received my book the day it was released but had not had a chance to create anything from it. I’ve made cake pops before, but some of her creations are just amazing.

    Well, this past Saturday my daughter and I went looking for Christmas gifts for her friends. You know, even dollar stores will set you back when it comes to presents… then we had this wise idea to prepare sweets for them… namely, cake pops! We were just going to do a “plain old” pop, then I saw how easy the trees would be. Now granted, our last-minute decision didn’t allow me to find all the necessary decor, so we improvised. I still thing they turned out great. My daughter did the majority of the work, I just dipped the pops in the candy coating. We tweaked the shaping slightly too, but without Cake Pops, there wouldn’t have been anything.

    They are just slightly tedious, but we completed 48 of them in about 90 minutes. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we did seeing the real thing. Check out the link to her site or pick up one of her books, you won’t be bored, I promise!

    Dec12

    Flat Broke Chocolate Cake

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    Flat Broke Chocolate Cake

    Back in September, King Arthur Flour’s baking blog “Baking Banter“, posted this long time favorite recipe… They refer to it as a Cake Pan Cake, but I’ve heard it call Krazy Cake, Emergency Cake, Funny Cake etc… I allude to this being a “Flat Broke” cake because of its origins to the Great Depression, when the price of butter and eggs gave this recipe a boost of popularity.

    Call it what you’d like, it’s really good, and really easy… it’s even allergy friendly because it doesn’t contain eggs. I made the recipe “last-minute” in place of a sour cream pound cake that my husband had requested… seeing as I had no sour cream, eggs or softened butter.

    If you want a moist, chocolate cake that yields “frosting optional” results, this one’s a keeper…

    One Pan Cake ~ A King Arthur Flour Original

    • 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup cocoa
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 tablespoon vinegar
    • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
    • 1 cup cold milk (other suggestions on their site)

    Pre-heat your oven to 350°F.

    Measure all the dry ingredients into an 8″ or 9″ round or square cake pan; if you use an 8″ pan, make sure it’s at least 2″ deep. Blend the ingredients together thoroughly with a fork or whisk and scoop out three holes, or indentations.

    Pour the vanilla into the first hole, the vinegar into the second, and the vegetable oil into the third.

    Take the cup of cold liquid (water, coffee, milk, etc.) and pour it directly over everything in the pan. Note: If you’ve used espresso powder, adding coffee will make this a mocha cake. Stir all the ingredients together with your fork until they are well blended.

    Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve right from the pan; warm from the oven. Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

    I doubled the recipe, making two 8″ rounds, and layering and frosting with a cream cheese frosting. And in preparation, as suggested for “clean release”, I used a mixing bowl and poured the batter into prepared pans.