Cake Fridays

These pancakes were a HUGE hit!  I made them for the kids since they had a snow day and they had four each!  They enjoyed them plain, which made my job a lot easier, since my son always wants pancake sandwiches with peanut butter or cream cheese, and my daughter likes syrup which we all know turns into a sticky mess.  So this breakfast proved to be filling, clean, and perfect for the sweet teeth in my household :)

Here is the recipe.  

Cinnamon Sugar Pancake Muffins

When I told my husband about this recipe, he asked, "What are pancake muffins?"  I didn't have an answer for him!  I suppose it's the drizzle of maple syrup you pour over the muffin when serving to your family or breakfast guests.  Regardless, these are absolutely divine.  Light and fluffy from the buttermilk, these muffins stand tall like puffy clouds.  Spicy and sweet from the cinnamon and brown sugar, these muffins keep you coming back for more.  If you're feeling really adventurous, slather some cookie butter on one of these. Complete bliss :)  

Here is the recipe.

FYI: I substituted 3 T blood orange olive oil for 1/4 C melted butter.  My muffins baked for 18 minutes.  I also didn't use quite as much of the cinnamon brown sugar mixture in the middle of the muffins but chose to save some to sprinkle on the tops.  It's all about presentation!

Cheese Buttermilk Bread

We have so many sweet breads around here that I was craving a savory one the other day.  I decided on this cheese buttermilk bread.  I have to say, this bread makes the most incredible grilled cheese sandwich. Take 2 slices, add a slice of American cheese between them, oil up the outsides and cook in your favorite skillet.  Cheese on the inside and cheese on the outside :)  This bread is also great as salad croutons. Cut 2 slices and cube them.  Toast on a tray in the toaster oven until golden brown and crispy.  Add them to your favorite salad and you have the perfect addition to your bowl of veggies.

Here is the recipe:

Cheese Buttermilk Bread

1 1/4 C flour
1 C bread flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1/2 t ground mustard
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese

Whisk together in large bowl.  Set aside.

2 eggs
1 1/4 C buttermilk
2 1/2 T olive oil

Whisk in 2 C glass pitcher.  Add to dry ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.    

Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies

We loved these cookies!  Rich and fudgy, not to mention bursting with peanut butter flavor.  The ultimate combination comes together in a sweet little package.  Nothing is better than chocolate and peanut butter.  Nothing.  

View recipe here.

Oatmeal Mondays

Quick Oats Kitchen Sink Cookies

1 1/2 C quick oats
3/4 C flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon

Whisk in large bowl.  Set aside.

1 stick soft butter
2/3 C brown sugar

Cream in stand mixer for 2 minutes.

Add:

1 egg
1/2 t vanilla extract

Mix well.  Add dry ingredients to mixer.  Stir to combine with mix-ins.  *I used 1/4 C mini chocolate chips, 1 snack size package M&M candies, 2 snack size packages Skittles, and one small box strawberry Nerds.  Use a small ice scoop to portion out the cookies.  Roll them into balls and place them on greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.  Let cool on pans 5 minutes then cool completely on wire racks.  Makes 2 dozen.        

*Feel free to use any mix-ins you'd like!  I used some leftover Valentine's Day candy :)

Perfect for the Oscars!

I don't know if you've heard but the Oscars are on tomorrow night.  That means the finest in drinks, apps, and desserts will be served to celebrate the star studded event.  These fudgy red velvet bars with cream cheese glaze are no exception.  They will add tons of glitz and glamour to your spread.  I mean look at how pretty they are:

Dense and not too sweet, with just a hint of cocoa flavor, these bars applaud the most coveted of Southern desserts: red velvet.  The lush but not too rich cream cheese glaze softens their firm texture. Don't get me wrong, the flavor is amazing but what I take away from this dessert is the balance of textures. Cool and creamy meets firm and solid...almost sounds like a movie trailer! You may just be thanking your host when she serves these bars so have your acceptance speech ready.  Trust me, make these bars and you and your guests will feel like stars on the red (velvet) carpet.  Just don't forget your million dollar dress and diamond earrings :)

No Bake Treat

No Bake Coconut Trail Mix Bars

3/4 C each unsalted peanuts, dried cranberries, and unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 C sweetened condensed milk
1/8 t salt

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Press into a loaf pan.  Refrigerate for several hours or until set, then cut into 6 bars.

Enjoy :)

Chai-Spiced Apple Oatmeal Bread

My husband bought me whole cardamom pods at a local spice shop so I knew I had to make this bread.  We couldn't wait to shell the pods and grind up the seeds.  Fresh cardamom smells amazing!  It is one of the most fragrant spices I've had the pleasure of putting my nose to :)  That along with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg really make this bread shine.  My only complaint is the texture.  I think it needs some tweeking since it fell apart out of the loaf pan and had an underdone ribbon running throughout.  The flavor is delicious, but I don't think I'll be serving this bread to company.

View the recipe here.  

Another Pumpkin Recipe

But this time, donuts!  Here is the recipe I followed.  I substituted dried cranberries for the chocolate chips and pressed 2 pecans into the tops of some before baking for visual appeal.  My 15 donuts baked for 12 minutes. You've got to try these!

Oatmeal Mondays

I know Mondays are devoted to eating right and that means oatmeal in the morning, but I couldn't resist! These pumpkin pancakes are the finest ones out there.  They should be referred to as "primo pumpkin pancakes." These triple "p" delights are aromatic but not too spicy, fluffy but not too light, solid but not too dense. Sweet, unparalleled discs of love, I chose to serve these today and not on Valentine's Day because we were all getting over the flu and nasty colds.  This morning, our tastebuds were ready and our tummies were growling so what better way to answer that call of hunger than with these scrumptious delights.  Gosh I love pancakes and these drowned in real maple syrup are the best.

View recipe here.  

Noteworthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Whether it's on the back of the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag or handed down from your great grandmother, chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate comfort food.  Some like their cookies soft and puffy, while others prefer chewy and flat.  These cookies are a good blend of the two.  Chewy, check.  Kind of flat, kind of puffy, check.  Soft, check.  But not like a soft cake.  More like a soft, melt in your mouth feeling.  These cookies are big (be warned!) so one will cure that chocolate chip cookie craving.  To guild the lily, try adding chopped walnuts and raisins. When I was eating these, I imagined a nuttier, sweeter flavor but trust me, on their own, they are fabulous.

View the recipe here.  

Cranberry White Chocolate Pecan Bread

Cranberry White Chocolate Pecan Bread

254 g flour or 2 C
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Whisk in large bowl.  Set aside.

1 C buttermilk
2 flax eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 C oil

Whisk in glass 1 C measuring pitcher for easier pourability.  Add to dry ingredients.  Fold in 1/2 C chopped pecans and 1/2 C dried cranberries.  Pour batter into greased loaf pan.  *Sprinkle the top of the bread with 1/2 C white chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 degrees for 44 minutes.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes and then turn bread out onto wire rack to cool completely.  

*Next time I bake this bread, I am going to make a white chocolate glaze to pour over it. This can be done by melting 1/2 C white chocolate chips and 1 T buttermilk over a double boiler.  The glaze ensures that the chips won't burn or get gritty.  The bread was fine the way I made it but I think the presentation and flavor of the white chocolate chips would really shine as a glaze.    

Mixed Berry Mini Muffins

I made the most mouthwatering mini muffins and donuts the other day.  I was eager to use my coconut oil and this recipe looked so healthy and refreshing from the mixed berries.

Mixed Berry Mini Muffins
adapted from Michele Cranston's Seasonal Kitchen

1 C buttermilk
3.5 oz coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 flax eggs
2 t vanilla extract
2 1/4 C flour (280 g)
2 t baking powder
3/4 C brown sugar
1 3/4 C frozen mixed berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk the buttermilk, oil, flax eggs and vanilla in a glass measuring pitcher for easier pourability.  In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and brown sugar.  Stir in the frozen berries so each one is coated with the flour mixture.  Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl.  Fill 24, greased mini muffin cups 3/4 full with batter.  Bake for 12 minutes.  They will be light in color but don't worry, they are cooked through.  The mixed berries make them appear wet and underdone but they will set up in the baking pan and after 10 minutes, cooling on a wire rack.  With the remainder of the batter, grease your donut pan and make 6-8 donuts, depending on how much batter you put into each cavity.  These are divine cold, right out of the fridge or warm, nestled in Greek yogurt and rubbed with butter.  Enjoy :)        

Orange-Cream Cheese Biscuits

I made these biscuits and they were amazing!  Tart from the orange juice, sweet from the orange marmalade, flaky from the Bisquick mix, and slightly rich from the cream cheese.  No need for butter on these but if you'd like that salty bite, slather it on.  Something fun and different for a weekend breakfast. I hope you'll try and make these today!

View the recipe here.  

Cake Fridays

Cookies and Cream Cake

I made some changes to the original recipe you can view via the link below.  I only used 6T butter and did not add any sugar when melting the cookies and cream chocolate candy over a double boiler.  I also only added 1/4 C mini chocolate chips to the top of the cake when it came out of the oven, in addition to the 7 oz of sweetened condensed milk.  I froze my cake once it cooled (still on the base of the springform pan) so the chocolate chips would set up.  Enjoy :)

View the recipe here.

My Chunky Muffins

Healthy, no fuss muffins that will have everyone smiling at the breakfast table.

My Chunky Muffins

1 t pumpkin pie spice
254 g flour or 9 oz or 2 C
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 T baking powder

Whisk in large bowl.  Set aside.

1 C buttermilk
1 egg
3 T canola oil
1 t vanilla extract

Whisk in small bowl.  Pour into dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Fold in:

1/4 C chopped dried cherries
1/4 C chopped pecans
1/4 C chopped banana chips

Fill 12 greased muffin cups 3/4 full with batter and bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 11 minutes.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

I don't typically make banana flavored baked goods because one, the banana flavor can be overpowering and two, we rarely have old bananas kicking around.  But when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  It's a classic flavor combination and a snack enjoyed by kids and adults alike.  Nothing like banana slices slathered with creamy peanut butter.  Yum!  So if you're a lover of bananas and peanut butter together, you will be sweet on these cookies. They are dainty and soft with just a little bit of crumb to them.  The dash of demerera sugar before baking puts them over the top and will have you going back for more and more. These light and airy cookies are very addictive!  I highly recommend eating these cookies with a tall glass of chocolate milk.

View the recipe here.      

Oatmeal Mondays

I took the plunge and bought coconut oil.  I had to see what all the craze is about.  I made mixed berry muffins first and they turned out great!  Delicious, slight coconut aftertaste that elevated the mix of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.  I'll be posting about them later in the week.

But for now, super simple oatmeal idea.  Add a small dot of coconut oil to your warm bowl of oatmeal and stir it around to melt the solid oil completely. If you're feeling really adventurous, add some pineapple chunks, unsweetened shredded coconut, and a pinch of ground ginger.  Tropical, fruity, rich and creamy, this is a bowl of oatmeal worth waking up for.

Chocolate Gingerbread

I heart this bread.  I love it so much that I made it twice in 3 days!  I typically gravitate toward molasses, ginger flavored breads but this one is different.  It has the addition of both cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips.  What could be better?!  Here is the original recipe and my version is below.  Enjoy :)

Chocolate Gingerbread

1 C + 1 T flour or 135 g
1/2 t baking soda
2 T cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 t salt

Whisk in large bowl.  Set aside.

3 T canola oil
1/2 C brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 C buttermilk
1/3 C molasses
2 T flaxseed meal

Whisk vigorously in 2 C glass pitcher.  Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Fold in 2 T chopped, crystallized ginger and 1/2-3/4 C mini chocolate chips.  Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 38 minutes.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.