Morning Glory Muffins February 28, 2012

These muffins are delicious.  The mixture of the shredded carrots and apple along with the coconut, walnuts and raisins adds great flavor and keeps them very moist.  They may take a few more minutes than other muffins to whip together because of the shredding but worth the work!

This recipe came from, once again, King Arthur Flour!  I hope sometime during my life I will have a chance to head to Vermont to visit their bakery store and school and THANK them for all the great recipes they provide!

(Picture from King Arthur Flour)

Morning Glory Muffins

1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) raisins

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat  (I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat)

1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (7 ounces) carrots, peeled and grated

1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and grated

1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) sunflower seeds or wheat germ, optional

3 large eggs

2/3 cup (4 5/8 ounces) vegetable oil (I omitted the oil and used 2/3 cup applesauce instead to make them healthier)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup (2 ounces) orange juice

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line it with papers and spray the insides of the papers.

In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak while you assemble the rest of the recipe. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts, and sunflower seeds or wheat germ, if using. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange juice. Add to the flour mixture, and stir until evenly moistened. Drain the raisins and stir them in. Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan (they’ll be full almost to the top; that’s OK).
Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until nicely domed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes in their pan on a rack, then turn out of pans to finish cooling.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Chocolate Chip Shortbread February 25, 2012

Here is a great shortbread recipe that you can whip up in literally minutes!  At least the hands-on work is really quick – the baking is about 20-30 minutes.  I have not made too many shortbread recipes, but after making this one I want to keep making it!  If all shortbread recipes are this easy – it could almost substitute a chocolate chip cookie in my house…ok not quite substitute the chewy yummy chocolate cookies, but definitely be made more often than they have been.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels, divided

Combine first 2 ingredients in a medium bowl; add butter and vanilla, and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended.  Stir in 1 cup chocolate morsels.

Press dough into an ungreased 9-inch square pan (I used 8-inch pan so mine ended up a bit thicker than the original recipe and took 30 minutes to cook); prick dough with a fork.

Bake at 325° for 20 minutes (up to 30 minutes) or until lightly browned. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup morsels over top, and spread to cover (I let me shortbread cool and dipped one side in the chocolate). Cut shortbread into 25 (about 1 3/4-inch) squares; cut each square into 2 triangles. Let cool 30 minutes in pan before removing.

Recipe adopted from myrecipes.com

Broccoli, Grape and Pasta Salad February 22, 2012

Here is a new salad to take with to your next potluck.  It is similar to a Broccoli Cauliflower Salad that shows up every now and then at potlucks or family events I attend, but it has a few different ingredients that changes it up enough to be a different salad for people to try and hopefully love, as I did!

Broccoli, Grape  & Pasta Salad

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 pkg farfalle (bow-tie pasta)

1 lb fresh broccoli

1 cup mayo

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan for 5-7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Prepare pasta cooking until al dente.

Cut broccoli florets from stems and cut florets in small pieces.  Peel away tough outer layer of stems and finely chop the remaining stem.

Whisk together mayo and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the broccoli, hot cooked pasta and grapes and stir to coat.  Cover and chill 3 hours.  Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

Recipe from myrecipes.com

Cinnamon Bread February 18, 2012

This recipe came from the King Arthur Flour website.  I have really been enjoying their recipes and comments people make on this site.  The King Arthur Staff respond promptly to any questions that reviewers have about a recipe.  They even have a hotline you can call or chat on-line with.  I’ve only used their on-line chat once and would use it again when I need to!

This is the first time I made Cinnamon Bread that the cinnamon is actually swirled into the bread.  I’ve made a Cinnamon Raisin Bread before but the cinnamon and raisins have always been mixed into the dough from the start.  I used my bread machine to whip this dough together which made it easy to put together but you can also use a kitchen aid or your own hands.  I was extremely pleased with the outcome of this Cinnamon Bread.  It was delicious!  So soft and fluffy and I love how it pulls apart where the cinnamon is swirled in.  I’ve only eaten it fresh but look forward to trying it toasted and also when it’s a few days old, as french toast bread.

I’ve made three changes to the recipe which all seemed to work out great and I would use the same substitutes again.

1.  didn’t have potato flakes in the house so I substituted mashed potato (no add-ins)

2. decreased the butter, as suggested by a reviewer when using mashed potatoes

3. made 1 1/2 times the filling, yum, definitely delicious that way!

Now I’m just trying to figure out what the potato/potato flakes do in the bread.  Any idea?

Oh yes, and one last thing, as you can tell in my picture my bread seemed to sink a bit after I baked it.  I had a good feeling even before putting it in the oven that it was maybe going to do that – I will blame it on OVER rising…oops!  Still delicious though!

Cinnamon Bread

Dough

1/4-ounce packet “highly active” active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water*

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (4 T)

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes (3/4 cup mashed potato)

*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

Filling (made 1 1/2 times )

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons all purpose flour

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, to brush on dough

1) If you’re using “highly active” or active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you’re using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you’ve made a smooth dough. Adjust the dough’s consistency with additional flour or water as needed; but remember, the more flour you add while you’re kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be. If you’re kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, until it’s nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Rising may take longer, especially if you’ve kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy.

4) While the dough is rising, make the filling by stirring together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.

5) Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat it into a 6″ x 20″ rectangle.

6) Brush the dough with the egg/water mixture, and sprinkle it evenly with the filling.

7) Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log.

8) Pinch the ends to seal, and pinch the long seam closed.

9) Transfer the log, seam-side down, to a lightly greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan (I used 2 – 7 x 3.5 inch pans). Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap.

10) Allow the bread to rise till it’s crested about 1″ over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Again, it may rise more slowly for you; let it rise till it’s 1″ over the rim of the pan, even if that takes longer than an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

11) Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after the first 15 minutes. The bread’s crust will be golden brown, and the interior of the finished loaf should measure 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.

12) Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

Recipe from King Arthur

Fireside Coffee Mix February 14, 2012

I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a while.  I’ve been enjoying it so much this winter.  It is called Fireside Coffee Mix.  It is similar to hot chocolate with a little twist.  Also, I’m sharing some cute Valentine’s Cookies with you because it is, after all, Valentine’s Day!

The coffee mix recipe came from a friend.  The cookie recipe came from Macaroni and Cheesecake, a blog I really enjoy.  The cookies turned out very good, but of course the next time I would make a few minor changes, which I will tell you in parathesis.

Fireside Coffee Mix

2 cups instant hot chocolate mix

2 cups lite coffee creamer powder

1 cup instant coffee (decaff or regular)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

Combine all above ingredients and store in an airtight container.  Add 2-3 T to 1 cup of boiling water.

Lofthouse Cookies

1 C. butter

2 C. sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 C. sour cream

5-6 C. flour, until desired consistency for rolling (Only mix in 5 cups in the batter-leave out the remaining cup until the next day when you are rolling the cookies out)

Cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs and sour cream.  Mix in dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Preheat oven to 425ºF. Roll out dough to a 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness using a generous amount of flour.  Cut out shapes and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes.  Cool on wire rack. Frost and decorate as desired.

Frosting

4 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup shortening (I would use butter next time, made both a shorterning frosting and butter frosting in the same day and definilty liked the one made with butter better)

5 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners’ sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Recipe from Macaroni and Cheesecake

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries, Banana and Chocolate February 7, 2012

I have nothing to compare this recipe to – it’s the first time I have made a baked oatmeal.  The result was delicious!  The sweetness of the chocolate complimented the strawberries and banana perfectly.  The oatmeal wasn’t overly sweet but had great flavor and texture.  I threw the base ingredients together the night before, then whisked the wet ingredients the morning I was baking it.  I would make this over and over again.  I made half the recipe and baked it in a large bread pan.

This recipe came from Inspired Taste.

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries, Banana and Chocolate

 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice (I used cinnamon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup walnut pieces, chopped

1 cup sliced strawberries

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups milk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

Preheat oven to 375°F and generously spray the inside of a 10-1/2 by 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, Chinese five spice, salt, half the walnuts, half the strawberries and half the chocolate. (Save the other half of strawberries, walnuts and chocolate for the top of the oatmeal).

In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.

Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, walnuts and chocolate on top. Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shimmy/shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar on top then place back in the oven under the broiler and broil for 20-30 seconds. Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of sugar or drizzle of maple syrup.

Recipe from Inspired Taste

S’mores Cheesecake Bars February 3, 2012

I think I have made cheesecake bars before.  I want to say Cookie Dough Cheesecake bars…oh yes, here they are:  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars.  Not quite 3 years ago.  After making these S’mores Cheesecake Bars – it inspires me to make more cheesecake bars than actual cheesecakes.  I do love cheesecake but the bars seemed to take a lot less time, probably because they are not quite as thick (actually ALOT thiner than my Snicker’s Cheesecake).  I may have to give some Snicker’s Cheesecake Bars a try sometime.

Back to the S’mores Cheesecake Bars.  They turned out beautifully.  The crust was perfect, the cheescake was just the right texture and taste and the marshmellows added a nice touch.  I realized a day after I made them and was eating them that I forgot to add the chocolate drizzle on top (although now that I look at the recipe, it was optional).  Oops.  Oh yes, and as I was torching my marshmellows….a few of them caught on fire — eek!!!  At first…but then it was like I was celebrating my birthday blowing all the flames out :) Good culinary times.

The first time I served these I served them with a fork.  Didn’t work so well – they ARE called bars – so I’d say just pick it up and eat it!

The recipe came from Annie’s Eats.

S’mores Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used semisweet)

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup sour cream

½ cup marshmallow cream

2 tsp. cocoa powder

¾ tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Topping:

1½ cups mini marshmallows

Milk chocolate chips, melted (optional)

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line an 8×8″ baking pan with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a small bowl.  Stir together with a fork until well combined.  Press the mixture in an even layer into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Bake 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack while you prepare the filling.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚ F.

To make the filling, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and marshmallow cream.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, 1-2 minutes.  Blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and eggs until incorporated.  Stir in the melted chocolate until well blended.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake about 30 minutes, or until the center is just set (does not jiggle when shaken gently.)  Remove from the oven.

Evenly top the cheesecake layer with the mini marshmallows.  Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, just long enough so the marshmallows begin to melt into each other.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the tops of the marshmallows.  (Alternatively, this can be done underneath the broiler with a very watchful eye.) Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, drizzle with melted milk chocolate if desired.  Transfer to the refrigerator and chill 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.

Recipe from Annie’s Eats who adopted from Sugar Plum