Back at the Bakery

Once I'm able to turn the calendar page from August to September and the days begin to get just a tiny bit shorter, my desire to bake again awakens. Hot ovens don't work well with temperatures edging past 100 here. Needless to say, there's always a long list of baked goods the family wants to see emerge from the oven: Peanut Butter and Jelly bars, Banana Bread, scones and muffins - (we can never keep muffins in the house).

The first batch of muffins on the list - Cranberry Orange. Yum! You can almost kid yourself into thinking these are healthy. 😉 My favorite recipe is from A Kitchen Addiction.

Cranberry Orange Muffins 

Ingredients

ü  2 cups flour

ü  1/3 cup sugar

ü  1/3 cup brown sugar

ü  2 tsp. baking powder

ü  1 tsp. baking soda

ü  ½ tsp. salt

ü  ½ tsp. cinnamon

ü  ½ cup milk

ü  ¼ cup orange juice

ü  ½ cup butter, melted and cooled

ü  2 eggs, room temperature

ü  2 tsp. vanilla extract

ü  zest of one orange

ü  1 ¼ cups cranberries

ü  coarse sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. I love these.

Wisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, orange juice, eggs and vanilla. Add wet

ingredients to dry and stir until mixed together. Add in melted butter and stir.

Gently fold in orange zest and cranberries. 

Divide batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire rack. 

Happy Baking!

Cauliflower - all the rage

A few nights ago, my dear sweet friend and I treated ourselves to an afternoon away - first stop - pedicures, next stop - wine and appetizers. I absolutely love spending time being pampered - it doesn't happen often enough (I know, we all say that), but most of all I love spending time with my sweet friend. So, this was quite the afternoon. We shared some amazing laughs and some amazing wine and we were introduced to a very decadent spin on cauliflower. Yes, friends, I said cauliflower. The best way to describe it is a delicious, creamy cauliflower au gratin, but so much more - heavenly.

Over the weekend, I found myself searching for a copycat recipe. Beware, this could be a very slippery slope. I never found THE recipe I was looking for, but oh my, I found so much more! 

Cauliflower Au Gratin

Creamy Cauliflower Au Gratin - yumminess beyond belief. 

Ingredients:                                                           Topping:

1 head cauliflower, cut in pieces                            1/4 cup parmesan cheese

5 Tablespoons butter                                               2 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour                                                           1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups grated gruyere cheese

1 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon pepper

Steam or boil cauliflower until tender but firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and place pieces in 2-quart casserole dish. In saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Cook about 1 minute, until thickened, whisking continuously. Add milk, cheese, salt and pepper, stir until melted and thickened. Pour over cauliflower. Top with parmesan cheese. Mix bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle on top. Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust - compliments of A Sweet Pea Chef

For the pizza crust:

1 large head cauliflower (to make 3 cups cauliflower rice)
1 egg
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp parmesan, shredded
3 oz goat cheese

For the toppings:

For The Pizza Toppings:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
handful baby spinach
3-4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Turn the cauliflower into rice using a food processor.
Grate enough of the cauliflower to produce 3 packed cups of cauliflower rice.
Lay out the "rice" evenly on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Roast the cauliflower to soften it before creating the crust so place this into the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing every so often.
Once the rice is tender and beginning to turn golden brown, remove the rice from the oven and transfer into a clean, thin dishtowel or cheesecloth.
Wrap up the rice and twist the towel to squeeze any excess moisture out. Be careful not to burn your hands.
Place the drained rice into a mixing bowl, along with the egg, dried oregano, 1/4 tsp,. kosher salt, garlic powder, grated parmesan cheese, and crumbled goat cheese. Mix this together until fully combined.
On a clean, new sheet of parchment paper, pour the rice mixture out and form into a small rectangle.

Keep the dough about 1/3 of an inch thick and try to mold it to be as even and as flat as possible.
Once the crust is fully formed, place back into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is firm and golden brown.
At this point, top with whatever normal pizza toppings you prefer.
Once you have your toppings, place back into the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 6-8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing into quarters using a pizza cutter.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Walnut & Caulifower Tacos

Ingredients:

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower, small, chopped

1 cup California walnut pieces, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

¾ cup onion, minced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

½ cup water

¼ cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin, ground

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 475ºF. Coat cauliflower with 1 tbsp. olive oil; place on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF and toast walnuts for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to pan with cauliflower. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in water, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt; cook until mixture is thick and excess water has cooked off. Stir in cauliflower mixture.
Spoon mixture into warmed tortillas and top with cabbage, cheese, walnuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Walnut & Cauliflower Tacos

Who ever knew cauliflower could be this good?

Spoonfuls of Comfort

It's a week into October and I suddenly have the urge to be in the kitchen - making soup and sandwiches, baking bread and large muffins topped with sugar. Call me old fashioned, but being in the kitchen warms my heart - my home smells like fresh baked goods and the smiles on my boys' faces just are the ... well, sugar on top.

A few recipes that have found their way into our kitchen lately....


Creamy Wild Rice Soup

1/2 cup wild rice
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
2 carrots
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup Philadelphia cream cheese spread
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives

Cook rice, omitting salt. Cook and stir bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Drain bacon on paper towels. Add onions and carrots to drippings in pan, cook for  minutes. Stir in flour. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth and stir, bring to boil on high heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Stir in rice, cream cheese spread and pepper. Cook and stir for 3 minutes until soup has thickened. Stir in half of the bacon Ladle soup into bowls and top off with remaining bacon and chives.

Super yummy!!!

Loaded Potato Soup

1 pound baking potatoes (3 large), cubed
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup cheddar cheese, divided
1 green onion, sliced, divided
1/2 cup sour cream

Microwave potatoes in large bowl on high for 5 minutes, stirring after 2 1/2 minutes. Stir in broth and milk. Microwave 10 minutes, stirring after  minutes. Carefully smash potatoes with potato masher.

Reserve 2 tablespoons each bacon and cheese, and 1 tablespoon onions for topping. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onions into soup.

Serve topped with sour cream and other reserved ingredients.

Now, all I need to do is start baking bread! 

'til next time......

Pumpkin Spice Everything!

Sugar Crusted Iced Pumpkin Bread

Such a wonderful recipe, thanks to Swanky Recipes, made with real pumpkin, warm spices and sweetened with yogurt and topped with a sugared crust icing. Serves 8. This was so amazing - barely lasted a day in this house!

Ingredients

1 + 1.2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 + 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 + 1/2 cup sugar 

1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt 

3 egg whites 

Sugar Crust 

1/4 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 cup canned pumpkin 

1 cup powdered sugar 

6 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or great it. Whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl. Cream together sugar, yogurt and egg whites in a large bowl. Mix in pumpkin pie spice then slowly mix in dry ingredients. Pour into loaf pan. Mix together cinnamon and sugar then sprinkle evenly over the top of bread mixture. Bake in oven for 90 minutes. Half way through, press down sugar crust, if needed. To check for readiness, insert a butter knife into the center; if it comes out clean it's done, otherwise bake a little longer. Allow to cool before transferring to wire rack. Mix together powdered sugar and water to make icing then drizzle over the top.

And then there's coffee.....some days there's one cup, other days there's so much more! As the weather has cooled off a bit, pumpkin spice is back in season. So, kick back, relax and enjoy some coffee and pumpkin bread.

'til next time.....

Old Fashioned Cream Puffs

Anyone who knows me, knows how important our Italian family is to me. Italians are known for their love for one another, great wine and food and those famous Sunday dinners. We may not practice "pasta Sunday" every week in our house, but we are no slouches when it comes to preparing foods, especially desserts. There's one dessert that is especially close to my heart ~ the Italian Cream Puff.
Delicate, puffed pastry encompassing a creamy, custard. YUM!!!!

I used to make them every Easter, as my mother did. It's been two years now, and those HUNGRY boys have been asking for them again, so it looks like my apron might be coming out this weekend. Pair that with a beautiful glass of wine and some Andrea Bocelli singing in the background and I'm all set!

For the Cream Puffs:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sifted flour
2 eggs

For the Custard Filling:

2 Tbsp butters
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Begin by heating the water and butter to boiling in a saucepan. Stir in the sifted flour, all at once.
Stir constantly until the mixture leaves pan and forms into a ball (this will be approx. 1 minute). Be sure to use a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, and let cool.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth after each addition. Beat mixture until smooth.
Drop from teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes in 425 degree oven then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes more.
Remove from oven, cut gash in middle to allow steam to escape.

To begin the custard filling, melt butter in a saucepan. Blend in cornstarch, sugar and salt. Gradually add the milk. Heat to boiling over direct heat. Stir mixture into slightly beaten egg yolks.
Return to heat and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Cool thoroughly. Makes 2 cups.

Fill cooled pastries with custard and enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars....

School has begun, practices are in full swing, nights are filled with homework and I have HUNGRY boys constantly looking for food. When they came home from school a few nights ago to find fresh Peanut Butter & Jelly bars, I actually heard squeals of joy! When they discovered Gramma's homemade jam was in the middle, well, let's just say they were ultimately pleased!

These bars are so easy to make and if you're a fan of peanut butter and jelly, well, these are for you!
Make a quick batch yourself, and you'll see......

8 Tbsp softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup jam (your choice of flavor)

Grease 9/13 pan. Cream together butter and sugar. Add in the beaten egg, vanilla and peanut butter. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and blend. Set aside 1/4 of the dough. Press the remaining dough into the pan, spread the jam on top, then crumble the 1/4 dough over the top of the jam. You may wish to sprinkle in peanut butter chips to the top layer. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Completely cool on wire racks, cut into bars and enjoy. (makes 18 bars)

Super Bowl Sweets

Peanut Butter Football Dip, courtesy of Crazy for Crust

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter (your choice; crunchy or smooth)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (up to 2 cups if needed)
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• Chocolate sprinkles or chocolate chips for the outside of the football
• White chocolate or frosting for the football laces

Instructions

1. Cream butter, cream cheese, and peanut butter until mixed (using a hand-held mixer). Mix in vanilla.
2. Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, and mix until combined. (If you want a stiffer mixture, add the extra ½ cup of powdered sugar.) Mix in chocolate chips.
3. Turn out mixture on a large sheet of waxed paper. Use your hands to form into a football shape.
4. Place the waxed paper onto your serving plate. (It helps if the plate has sides…less mess!) Cover in sprinkles or chocolate chips, pressing them into the surface a little so they stick. Pipe on the laces using melted white chocolate or some leftover frosting and chill until ready to serve.