I call these Suuuuuuuuuuper Good Cookies

Last summer, I came across this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies and I was intrigued. I'm not really a pretzel lover (except the freshly baked doughy, salty kind) so I thought of other salty snacks. I have heard tale of people using potato chips in cookies, but I wanted to try panko crumbs. I liked the idea of the texture and saltiness that this would lend to the classic, steady, wonderful Chocolate Chip Cookie. I also added a few ingredients from my other favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe—the comination which I think makes a soft, chewy, chocolatey, semi-salty Suuuuuuuuuuper Good Cookie.

When I made these for my dear friend Jessica and her family, her son went crazy for them. After quite a bit of scientific research (aka: taste testing), we decided it's the best cookie dough you'll ever have. That's right, I said it, and I ain't backing away from it. I just dropped that gauntlet, and that mic. Now get to your own Very Official research and let me know what you think!

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces, or 200 grams—yes, my Europe is showing) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup panko crumbs

2 bars of good semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks (I use 70% cacao)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with silpats or baking paper. 

Whisk flour, baking powder, wheat germ, flax seed, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.

In another bowl, beat butter until soft and creamy. Add sugars at medium-low speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. 

Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats, panko, and chocolate, and mix until well incorporated. Seeing as how I'm lo-fi now with my lack of kitchen gadgets, I get in there with my hands and make sure there's no flour pockets left.

Roll dough into three equal sized logs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight (but eat some of that first—f'reals). Once properly chilled, cut off pieces that are about 1/2" thick and round the dough. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart, 8-12 per sheet—they will still spread a lot.

Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are deep golden brown, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Let cool completely before gently moving cookies to wire rack. They will be fragile, especially on the edges.

**Side note, the dough freezes really well, too. So I like to keep some cookie dough in the freezer that I can bake up for any occasional company or visitors that may come by (hint, hint).

streusel coffee cake

When I was in New York last year, I finally got to try the Clinton Street Baking Company for breakfast. I wanted to eat every single item on the menu. My Mom has had the cookbook for a while, so I knew I needed to go to the real thing while I was there. It was a crazy wait, but like all good things—worth it. My parents gave me the cookbook this year for my birthday and I couldn't have been more pleased. I am so excited to make everything from this book! I found this recipe for Buttermilk Streusel Coffee Cake and I knew I had to make it. I didn't have buttermilk, which was a problem, but I did have greek yogurt and some left over half and half from another recipe and decided to take the gamble and substitute this concoction for buttermilk. The gamble paid off, everyone loved the cake, and now I have a new favorite in the arsenal of breakfast coffee cakes.

Streusel Coffee Cake, adapted from Clinton Street Baking Company

Streusel Topping

3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup graham-cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Cake

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup half and half or milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan. Mix all the Streusel Topping ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

For the cake, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, two at a time, mixing until well blended. Mix in the greek yogurt mixture and vanilla extract. Sift together and sir in the remaining dry ingredients. (Mixture will be very thick, almost like cookie batter)

Fill the pan halfway with the batter. Sprinkle with two-thirds of the Streusel Topping. Add the rest of the batter. Top with remaining on-third streusel.

Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (My bundt pan may have been a little small, cause some of the batter spilled over while baking, so make sure you have the right size pan and put foil on the bottom of your oven, just in case.)

Cool. To unmold, place a plate firmly on top of the pan and flip, being carful to preserve the streusel.

blueberry peach crumble

So... peach season... it is upon us with all of it's glory. If there was one perfect thing that Mother Nature ever put forth on this earth, it is the glorious peach. It's like happiness, sunshine and summer—all in one place. It makes everything that accompanies that much better. Waffles? Check. Sweetened Condensed Milk? Check. Check. My face? Triple check. For these peaches however, I chose blueberries. In my humble opinion, crumbles and crisps are the best way to devour these amazing summer fruits. I adapted this recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod and shared their splendor with the Summer Olympics (let's take a moment and pour some out for the hole that has been left in my life since they ended) and some friends. Good times were had.

Blueberry Peach Crumble

Ingredients:
3 cups blueberries
4 cups peeled and sliced peaches
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose Gold Medal Flour

For the crumble topping:
1 cup all-purpose Gold Medal Flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
10 tablespoons cold butter, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine blueberries, sliced peaches, lemon juice, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and flour. Gently toss until fruit is well coated. Let the fruit mixture sit while you prepare the crumble topping.

3. For the crumble topping: in a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir together with a whisk. Mix in the butter with your fingers until the mixture comes together and you have big crumbles.

4. Place the fruit mixture in a 3 quart ceramic or glass baking dish. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit. Place the pan on a baking sheet pan lined with a Silpat or parchment paper and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

apple streusel coffee cake

(pic via Instagram)

I really super hate grocery shopping, so I seem to always run into the problem of, "I want to bake something, but I am out of ingredients x, y, and z, but dangit, I really want to bake something!" So, when I'm looking for a treat to concoct, I tend to look for recipes where I can easily swap ingredients— or that call for items that I already have on-hand. Recently, I was gifted a few cookbooks (lucky me!) and one of these wonderful new books is a breakfast cookbook called, The Perfect Start To Your Day. My friend who gave this to me knows me very well. My friends can attest that I think breakfast is pretty much the best. Always n' forever. Me + breakfast = true love, etc. So, this cookbook led me to this recipe for Apple Streusel Coffee Cake. I easily adapted the recipe to fit my pantry-deficit needs and here you have it! Awesome breakfast cake in no time! It's a win for us all.

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake, adapted from The Perfect Start To Your Day

10 tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup almond meal
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 golden delicious apples, thinly sliced

topping:
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon water
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°, grease and line 8" round pound with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and almond meal in a small bowl. Add to butter mixture. Stir in greek yogurt until incorporated. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced apples on top. Spoon remaining batter on top. 

To make the topping, combing the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and incorporate the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the water and pecans and break into lumps. Sprinkle over the cake evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

re-post: peanut butter banana chocolate chip cake

Since I posted about this cake, the last time, I've made a few changes—thanks to my sisters. They made it a bunch, but thought it would work better in a 9x13 pan, and doubling the topping. This is still one of my all-time favorites, and with the new adjustments, it's a dream come true. Such great flavors and textures, all working together to make my tastebuds so, so happy. So, do yours a favor and make this. Make it now.

For the cake:
4 very ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups chocolate chips

For the topping:
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Grease a 9x13 square pan. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon—then add to the banana mixture. Add the peanut butter and when that is combined, add the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and granulated sugar. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan, then sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

cinnamon chocolate mousse pie

This last Saturday, I entered a food contest called Füd Feud, in the dessert category. I wanted to re-make this Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse Pie but doctor it up a little bit. So I re-worked the recipe and came up with something I'm REALLY happy with. It's richer, more decadent, and even more legit. So legit, in fact, that it won the Taster's Choice award for the dessert category! I'm so pleased! Thanks to my helpers and tasters and supporters. It was a fun experience! So, if you feel like knocking anyone's socks off anytime soon, maybe try out this recipe. It makes one large pie, or five smaller 5" pies (with some leftover cream, which goes great with strawberries, bee tee dub).

 Finished pie with chocolate shavings.

 Pre-baked shells.

 Yummy, slightly salty meringue.

 The baked meringue, painted with chocolate.

 Some serious chocolate mousse.

 Topped with cream.

All finished up.

 Ready for the contest!

Winnings!

Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse Pie

5 5"-inch pre-baked pie crusts
2 eggs, separated
1/2 t. vinegar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup mascarpone
1 cup sugar
1 t. cinnamon
Chocolate shavings (optional)

Beat together egg whites, vinegar, and salt until stiff but not dry. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff. Spread meringue over bottom and up sides of pre-cooked pie shells. Bake in 325° oven for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside and cool. Melt chocolate chips with milk. Lightly beat egg yolks and whisk into chocolate mixture until well blended. Spread 4 T. of chocolate mixture over cooked meringue. Set aside the rest to chill. Beat together heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar and cinnamon until very thick. Divide cream into two portions. Fold one half into the chilled chocolate. Pour this mixture evenly over the chocolate painted pie crusts. Add the rest of the cinnamon cream on top. Top with chocolate shavings, if desired. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

cinnamon toast bread pudding

She did it again!

My sis wrote a rad post and made something super delicious and made me feel like I should just hand over the blog to her, cause seriously, I want to make these things and eat them voraciously. Also, remember how she's a writer and I'm not? Now I'm off to go find something with cinnamon and sugar...



My family totally dissed me today.

While on the elliptical this morning I was watching one of my favorite to-exercise-to
shows, Sunny Anderson’s Cooking For Real (don’t ask me why or how watching food
motivates me to exercise in any way), and I was inspired to make this incredible looking
bread pudding and skillet egg dish for dinner. Being an eat-breakfast-whenever-you-feel-
like-it kind of person, I immediately went to the store (after taking a shower) and bought
all the needed ingredients for my breakfast-for-dinner meal.

Little did I know that the husband and three of four kids would golf all afternoon, only to
text me at 8pm with the news that they WENT OUT TO EAT.

First I was angry. But after my first serving of bread pudding, I only felt sorry for them.
See for yourself! Oh, and this is an adaptation of Sunny’s dish, only because I wanted a
more cinnamony crust (more cowbell) and less custard, plus I thought I was feeding six.
Also, Sunny added grapes in her custard…and cooked grapes just seem wrong.

Cinnamon Toast Bread Pudding

Ingredients
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
8 (1-inch) thick slices French bread
5 eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
juice from 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla
maple syrup, for drizzling
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Microwave for about 15 seconds
to slightly melt butter for easier spreading. Generously butter both sides of French bread
with butter mixture. Toast on a baking sheet in oven about 8 minutes, or until bread turns
golden brown. Set aside. When slightly cool, cut toast on a diagonal into triangles and
arrange in prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, yogurt, orange juice and vanilla. Pour

over bread slices in baking dish. Let rest 10 minutes for bread to absorb some of the egg
mixture, gently pressing down a few times to help absorb. Bake 20-25 minutes until crust
is golden and crispy in parts and custard is set. Remove from the oven, drizzle with maple
syrup and dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

Adapted from Sunny Anderson on The Food Network.

granola pie

My oldest sister had been telling me for a while that I needed to try this recipe for Granola Pie that 2.0 made for their family before. For some reason, I slept on it trying it. I guess the title Granola Pie doesn't quite indicate just how amazing this pie is. It's like Pecan Pie and Toll-House Pie had a gooey-mouthwatering pie baby. A pie baby that I want to adopt, then consume on the regular. It's an amazing comfort food dessert. Warm, rich, chocolatey, scrumptious. So, the next time you want people to have to pause after taking a bite, just to function, make this pie. Then work out a lot afterwards.

Adapted from Pillsbury

Ingredients:
1 Pie crust
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Nature Valley® Oats 'n Honey crunchy granola bars (2 pouches from 8.9-oz. box), crushed (3/4 cup)*
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

*To easily crush granola bars, do not unwrap. Use rolling pin to crush bars.

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate.

In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter on high 50 to 60 seconds or until melted. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup until blended. Beat in salt, vanilla and eggs. Stir crushed granola bars, oats and chocolate chips into brown sugar mixture. Pour into crust-lined pan.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream. (I added cinnamon to my whipped cream.) Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.

**disclaimer, all my photos are taken with my phone, until I get a nicer camera, my pictures will be not that awesome. 

Blackberry Crisp

I made a New Year's resolution, which I never do, cause I just don't like setting myself up for failure. But, I have been thinking about doing this for a while, and I don't think it will be too crazy, so... New Year's Resolution 2012: try one new recipe a week. It could be any kind of recipe, dessert, snack, dinner, beverage, anything really. Since I sometimes (usually) get stuck in my Favorites Zone, I thought this would be a good exercise for me. (Probably the only exercise I'll get this year, let's be real.) Since blackberries were on sale at the store, I thought I'd make something new with them. When I was on vacation, 2.0 (remember my SIL) make a yummy Blackberry Crumble and I've been wanting to eat it every day since. I didn't have time to ask her for her recipe, so I looked up some options, and nothing totally worked for my time frame, so I used the base of one, with a modified topping from my Great Grandma's Apple Crisp recipe. So, I count this as new, and very, very delicious.

Blackberry Cobbler

Base:
4 cups fresh blackberries (about 18 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
Grease an 8x8 pan; preheat oven to 375. Stir blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons flour, and the lemon juice in a bowl; set aside. Combine the ingredients for the topping well and pour on top of the blackberry mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden on top, and the blackberry juice is bubbling.

apple butter

Remember my influx of apples? Well, this is part two of Apple Fest, 2011. I've talked about apple butter before, and it's delightful. This apple butter turned out different than the last batch. I may have cooked it too long, but this stuff is much thicker. I was nervous about that, but then I tried it. It is almost like bread candy. Cinnamon apple bread candy. Yep, I just blew your mind. Now go blow someone else's mind. (Also! This makes a wonderful Christmas gift.)

Ingredients:
5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

(I found the recipe found here) 

**PS- if anyone has any diabetes or celiac friendly recipes or sites they can recommend, can you send them my way? 

apple coffee cake with crumble topping and brown sugar glaze

 (photo from my instagram)

Recently, I had an influx of apples, thanks to an awesome neighbor, and I was looking for yummy ways to use them up. I was talking to my sister-in-law (2.0) and she suggested a cake that my oldest sis likes to make. So, like the homegirl she is, she emailed me this recipe so I could try it. Well, I sure am glad I did. It's definitely not low in sugar, but it's high in awesome. It's a great holiday party cake, so bring this with your ugly Christmas sweater to your next party!

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

Cake: 
1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples
 
Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
 
Brown Sugar Glaze:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter. 

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly.

Oatmeal Cake with Pears

It's comfort food season, and pear season—which, in my opinion—go hand in hand. I had some pears that I wanted to use up and I was trying to think of the best way to do so. I remembered my sister-in-law's (and her mom's) famous and amazing Oatmeal Cake. They have always done it in a bundt pan, but I figured I'd try this cake with pears on the bottom, in a 9x13 pan. It was magical! Seriously, this is one of my favorite cakes ever. It has so many of my favorite elements, cinnamon, oatmeal, coconut, pecans, caramelized goodness, and now pears. Make this cake! Your everything will thank you!

Oatmeal Cake with Pears (slightly adapted from my sis-in-law's recipe)

1/2 c. butter

1 1/4 c. oatmeal

1 c. boiling water

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

4 Pears, peeled and sliced thin 

Butter a 9X13 cake pan. Line bottom of the pan with prepared pears; set aside. In a bowl melt butter and combine with oatmeal, add boiling water, let sit for 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour batter over pears and bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until golden and cake springs back at your touch.

Topping

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 c. coconut

1/3 c. butter

1 cup pecans (chopped well)

Heat the butter, sugar, and heavy cream until the mixture begins to bubble on the sides, making sure that the butter is completely melted (do not bring to a boil). Fold in pecans and coconut and pour over hot cake. Place under the broiler (lo broiler) for 1-3 minutes and watch carefully so that the coconut doesn’t burn. The topping should bubble and become somewhat caramelized. Put this in your face as soon as humanly possible.

blueberry peach crumb muffins

When blueberries are on sale, I can't seem to help myself from buying as many as possible. So, due to my recent influx of those little blue bits of glory, I needed to find an awesome blueberry muffin recipe. I've made a lot before, but when I saw this recipe from The Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri, I knew I had to try it. I'll be honest, he had me at "Crumb Topping".  Also, I needed to add peaches, cause well, peaches are awesome. Do I really need another reason? Didn't think so. Without further ado, here is the recipe...

Blueberry Peach Crumb Muffins
(This says it makes 12 standard muffins, but I definitely had batter leftover. I bet it could make 18, with my muffin tins)

Crumb topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level off)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Muffin batter:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level off)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, barely softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 pint blueberries, rinsed, drained and picked over (I personally would use more than this next time)
1 peach peeled and diced


1. Preheat oven to 375°

2. For the crumb topping, combine the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Melt the butter in a small pan. Remove from the heat, then add the brown sugar to the pan of melted butter and use a small heatproof rubber spatula to stir them together. Scrape the butter and sugar mixture into the flour mixture, stirring it in until the flour es evenly moistened. Set aside while preparing the muffin batter.

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix.


4. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowls of an electric mixer fitter with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until well mixed and a little lightened in color. Beat eggs one at a time, beating smooth after each.


5. Decrease the mixer speed to low and beat in 1/2 the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and beater.


6. On low speed, beat in the milk. After the batter has absorbed the milk, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Stop and scrape down the bowl and beater again.


7. Add the blueberries and peaches to the bowl and beat them into the batter on the lowest speed for no more than 2 to 3 seconds, to crush some of the berries slightly.


8. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to give a final mixing to the batter.


9. Divide the batter equally among the cavities in the muffin pan. Break the crumb topping into small crumbs with your fingertips and scatter over the top of each muffin. Bake the muffins until they are well risen, feel firm to the touch, and the topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack.

zucchini banana bread

(sorry about the crappy phone photo)

Zucchini season is here! And there is a LOT of it. I had the pleasure of receiving some gigantor garden variety zuccs recently and had to find a load of zucchini recipes to use up the copious amounts of the veggie I now had in my possession. The first recipe is yummy, moist-deluxe Zucchini Bread, adapted from Southern Plate: Classic Comfort Food That Makes Everyone Feel Like Family. It's sooooo good, you must try it! 

Zucchini (with banana and coconut - added by me) Bread.
makes 2 loaves

3 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/2 c. greek yogurt
2 t. vanilla extract
splash almond extract
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 mashed banana
1/2 cup coconut
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 4 x 8-inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, beat the banana till soft. Combine with the eggs, oil, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, zucchini and coconut. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix all ingredients together.

Pour into the pans and bake for 1 hour, or until the centers are no longer soft.

PS: If you haven't tried Banana or Zucchini Bread toasted with butter, you are missing out, so go fix this mistake!

PPS: If you are trying to save your extra shredded zucchini for later, do not use a food saver, if you have one. I learned the hard way that you just need to measure it out into ziplocs and not try to be fancy and food-save it, unless you want green juice all over everything.

UPDATE: pumpkin bread pudding

Ok, seriously dudes, you need to make this. It will blow people's minds and you will get marriage proposals (sort of a true story there, folks). I made this again recently, but I changed a few things from the last time, and it's even better than before. It was gone within minutes at the party I brought it to. So, I'm re-posting the recipe with the changes. There was always a lot of custard left over and I felt like that was wasteful so I cut that part of the recipe down by 1/4 [(fraction math is so hard.) I had to ask my Dad for help because my brain doesn't work that way.)] I also added a water bath, which I think added a lot to the texture. This is a thing of beauty. Take my word for it... or just make it and see for yourself.

Pumpkin bread pudding recipe:
6 Large eggs
2 2/3rd(-) cups milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1(+) cups whipping cream
3/4 t. vanilla
1 1-lb loaf pumpkin bread (Use this recipe, as it's the best ever. Also, the recipe makes two loaves, so I made the whole recipe and just did one plain for the bread pudding and added a pecan/brown sugar streusel for the other and it was ridiculously good, especially paired with my ginger pear butter I just made)

** (Because of the divisions by even numbers with the odd number amounts of milk and cream, I put in a plus or minus to indicate that it is a bit more or less than the listed amount.)

Butter a 3 quart baking dish. Whisk eggs in large bowl to blend. Add milk, sugar, cream, and vanilla. Whisk to blend well. stir in bread. Let sit covered, in the refrigerator, for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven
to 350°. Scoop coated bread chunks into prepared baking dish, push down the bread crumbs, compacting the mixture. Add a little extra custard on top, and press down some more. Toss any extra custard. Fill a 9x13 pan filled halfway with water and place on the bottom rack, place the bread pudding on the middle rack. Cook for 1 hour, 45 minutes, or until it is set. Before serving, dribble some cinnamon caramel sauce over the top. Freak out.

Cinnamon Caramel Sauce Recipe:
1 cup (packed ) golden brown sugar
1 cube butter
½ cup whipping cream
¾ t. cinnamon

Stir brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add cream and cinnamon and bring to simmer. simmer until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1 ½ cups, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

all-day apple butter

 The first thing I made in my crock pot is this "All-Day Apple Butter", from this cookbook my parents gave me called, "Fresh From The Vegetarian Slow Cooker". I've been wanting to make crock-pot apple butter for so long, ever since my old, super crappy crock-pot burned a first attempt a few years ago. Burned apples are just sad. So, I went for it right away with my shiny and new crock-pot. Apple butter is such a comfort food, so of course I want to eat it in mass quantity. Also, it makes a delicious gift, which is always helpful this time of year. I highly recommend this fantastic recipe.

3 pounds cooking apples, such as Granny Smith, Rome Beauty or Gala, cored, left unreeled, and cut into eighths

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup apple juice

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 ground cloves

Combine apples, brown sugar, apple juice, and lemon juice in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours, until the apples are very soft.

Remove the lid, turn the heat setting to High, and stir in the spices. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 2 hours (I did this about 3 hours because it didn't look thick enough), stirring once about halfway through, if possible, until the mixture thickens.

Press the apples through a metal strainer into a large mixing bowl to remove the peels, or process the apples through a food mill. (I actually just used my immersion blender blend everything together, and that worked perfectly)

After cooling to room temperature, the apple butter may be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator in clean jars, where it will keep for several weeks.

wheat germ chocolate chip cookies

My sister offered to make me dinner a few Sundays ago, and asked if I could bring a treat. I figured this would give me the opportunity to actually bake again and try my current obsession, a recipe that is like my personal form of crack: the Wheat Germ cookie at Specialty's Bakery. The best part about my traveling situation right now is that I get to eat all my favorite foods, including this ridiculous cookie. I found a recipe online that claims to be the same as Specialty's. After searching online for a recipe I found this one, which seemed to be fairly close. While this cookie is pretty exceptional it's not quite the same. I must figure this out, many test batches must be made…
(note: with my add-ons/changes in parenthesis, it actually is fairly similar)


Also, sorry there is no picture, I couldn't get any pictures taken in good lighting, but I figured a post with no pictures is better than no post? Maybe?

3/4 cup old fashioned whole rolled oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour (I used 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour, and 1/4 cup almond meal)
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup raw wheat germ
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes (I would chop this up or use flaked coconut so it's in smaller pieces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (I would actually use half of this next time I make these)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
(I added 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons honey)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (Specialty's uses mini chocolate chips)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used very, very finely chopped pecans)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray (not required if your using non-stick pans or a silpat)
2. Mix oats and flour in a medium bowl. Add baking soda and salt and whisk until mixed in. Whisk in wheat germ, flax and coconut.
3. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnut pieces using a wooden spoon or spatula. Chill the dough in a refrigerator for at least 1 hour. The dough should be firm before proceeding with step 4.
4. Force a spoon into the dough to remove about 2-3 tablespoonfuls per cookie, at least 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies, until firm around the edges and golden on top, about 12 minutes. (I actually decided to bake for 9 minutes on the second batch and preferred that). Remove baking sheets from the oven immediately and cool the cookies for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks with a spatula to cool.

**Specialty's version of this cookie is tall and rectangular. If you prefer that shape then mold the chilled dough into a 2" x 2" rectangular log and cut into 1.5" pieces to form the cookie. (I will try this note from the original author next time, I think).

pecan pie bars

i made food for an event last night for mondo fine art. i was dumb and didn't bring my camera, but i took a couple of shots with my phone. i made pumpkin bread pudding with cinnamon caramel sauce, gingerbread chocolate cookies and pecan bars.

i've been wanting to make pecan pie bars for ages now, but whenever i've tried one of these bars at a bakery or restaurant, they seem to be really dry and not have the consistency anywhere near pecan pie, so i was put off. and as i've noted before, i looooooove pecan pie. love. (love). but i couldn't be daunted for too long, so i did some research and created a fusion between a few recipes. and someone in this room (me) is happy with the result.

i got the crust recipe from the lemon bars on brown butter shortbread recipe from tartine that i posted before. and i got the filling recipe from my mom who found it in but i doubled it and made a couple of tiny tweaks. use an egg wash on the crust to keep the filling from seeping into it too much. you just put an egg white on the crust and swish it around till it's covered the entire surface of the crust, then you pour off the excess then bake.

crust:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp.

filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup corn syrup
4 eggs, room temp.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 1/2 cups pecans

pour the filling on top and bake for 50 minutes at 350°. after the bars cool for 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges to make them easier to get out later. i think these taste best when they are made the day before and served cold. 

 

halloween 2009: doughnuts and wassail

it seems as if i've become a bit of a party pooper in my old age. the last thing on the planet i want to do is don a costume and party hop on halloween. i want to make the traditional doughnuts and wassail and watch cheesy movies with friends. i really wanted to re-learn the thriller dance but that was as festive as i was feeling. the thing is, it was a ridiculously enjoyable day and night. which goes to show, it's not where you are but who you are with, and what you are eating. that's sort of a saying, right? i didn't get a chance to take images of these recipes last year so here is some photographic evidence of doughnuts and wassail.

the doughnuts actually turned out better than they ever have before, which was a nice treat for me.


here is the recipe:

beat till frothy:
3 eggs

add, beating well:
1 1/4 c. sugar

add, stirring well:
2 T. melted butter
1 c. milk

stir in:
1 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. nutmeg
2 t. cinnamon (i like to add a little more)
4 c. flour (probably added more like 5 1/2 cups when all was said and done)

mix well—can chill for easier handling. Fry at 375° (i tried that first but it seemed too hot so i dropped it about 100°) until done.


here is the wassail recipe:

1 quart water
2 1/4 c. sugar
10 cloves
8 allspice berries
2 sticks cinnamon
1 piece of candied ginger
2 quarts apple cider or juice
1 quart orange juice (i like the extra pulp kind)
2 c. lemon juice

mix water and sugar; boil for 5 minutes. remove from heat. stir in cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon and ginger. let stand 1 hour or more. strain. stir in apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice. serve warm.

guest posting: pumpkin pancakes

check out my latest post on yourheartout.com. pumpkin pancakes and cinnamon syrup. the love affair with pumpkin continues...