St. Patrick's Day Chia Seed Pudding

I feel like I'm always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to food fads. What's in today, is out tomorrow. There has been a cupcake craze, the bacon craze, kale and green smoothies everywhere and the list goes on and on. Chia seeds have been around for quite a while, but I'm a novice when it comes to this ingredient.

I've known of chia seeds since I was little and chia pets made regular appearances in commercials. I did own a couple of them over the years and let me tell you, they never worked for me like they did on TV (#majorfail). So yes, I knew about chia, but it never crossed my mind to eat them. 

For the last year or so, I've seen more and more recipes including these little seeds pop up all over the internet and they began to peak my interest. I started to do some research on them and to my surprise they are a super food. Who knew that these little buggers are chock full of Omega 3, can balance your blood sugar, keep you full longer, add age-defying anti oxidants as well as many other health benefits.  Color me impressed!

So I figured I'll "ease" into it by starting with a fairly basic recipe for Chia Seed Pudding. There are a lot of recipes for this, but the gist is pretty much the same. Almond milk, yogurt, some kind of natural sweetener and of course chia seeds. Mix it up and let it sit overnight. The seeds do their magic thing after a few hours and you have this amazing concoction that is incredibly tasty on top of being healthy.

With St. Patrick's Day only a couple of weeks away I decided to add a little whimsy by matching my fruit topping to the colors of the Irish Flag. Kiwis, bananas and mandarin oranges along with a few toasted almonds for added crunch completed the pudding. The verdict: So freaking good! I think I have a new breakfast favorite and I can't wait to make this again. What a great way to wake up your family on St. Patrick's Day with this healthy breakfast.

St. Patrick's Day Chia Seed Pudding
~makes 4 servings~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup plain (2 percent) Greek Yogurt 
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 cup chia seeds
3 small kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 large banana, peeled and cut into slices
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges (no sugar added), drained
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
2 tsp. pure maple syrup

Directions:
In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, the vanilla extract and the 1/8 teaspoon of salt until just blended. Whisk in the chia seeds; let stand 30 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, in a small bowl, toss the toasted almonds with 2  teaspoons maple syrup. Set aside. Spoon the pudding into 4 glasses or bowls. Top with kiwis, bananas, and mandarin oranges.  Mound the almonds on top and serve.

Slightly adapted from: Giada De Laurentiis

Blueberries and Cream Muffins with Lemon Glaze

When it comes to grocery shopping, I'd like to think I'm a pretty organized person. I write out a list and mostly stick to it. The only exception is Costco. I can never leave that store without a few additional items in my cart that are new to the store or that I find while browsing the aisles.

A lot of times that also means I find inspiration for new recipes by discovering ingredients while out shopping. It is often that these finds will make my wheels start turning and I come up with ideas on the spot. Usually my poor husband is on the receiving end with recipes spewing out of my mouth as we continue our grocery haul. I do have to give him credit though, he always listens patiently and gives good constructive criticism, but I'm sure many times he would rather roll his eyes at his crazy wife.

Finding a big bag of dried blueberries at Costco was my inspiration for today's recipe. I kept thinking along the lines of cookies, but after inspecting my pantry and seeing a big jar of coconut oil and a bag of white chocolate chips the idea for a muffin recipe was born. While most blueberry muffins are made with fresh berries, the dried version works extremely well in this recipe and adds a lot of flavor without adding the extra liquid or discoloring the finished product. The addition of coconut oil over a more traditional canola oil added the slightest hint of coconut without overpowering the finished baked good, along with giving the muffins a light and airy texture.

A simple lemon powdered sugar glaze provides a nice contrast of flavors while adding a bit of tartness to the muffins, but you could certainly serve them as is. This recipe got two giant thumbs up in our family and has since been added to our favorites list.

Blueberries and Cream Muffins with Lemon Glaze
~makes about 15 muffins~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup milk (almond milk is ok)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
For the muffins: Pre-heat oven to 375° F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners OR grease well. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.

In another bowl combine eggs, sour cream, coconut oil, milk, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 

Fold in blueberries and white chocolate chips.

Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups filling each about 3/4 full and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

For the glaze: Whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins.

Notes: I used Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin coconut oil in these muffins. I found my giant container at Costco, but you can also find it online.

When using lemon zest in a recipe, I like to use an organic lemon. Most grocery stores carry them and they don't cost much more than conventional ones. 

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Tomorrow I'm having a surgical procedure. Nothing huge, but I will receive general anesthesia and will most likely be quite uncomfortable for a few days. Stuff like this tends to give me a little bit of anxiety in the days leading up to it. To keep my mind of off things, I headed into the kitchen over the weekend to work on some recipes and posts so you guys would be well entertained during my "down time". Working in the kitchen, concentrating on a recipe, always has a calming effect on me and helps me to clear my head and this time was no different.

First thing I made was this Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake that I found once again on "Tasty Kitchen". It struck a chord with me right away for its flavor combination, but also for the simplicity of the recipe. Another bonus: getting rid of some of my very last frozen berries, which is perfect since fresh berry season is just around the corner. The cake is made quickly with just a few everyday items. Once baked, it almost appears like the cake has layers because of the blueberries sinking to the bottom and the taste is very reminiscent of an old fashioned cake you would find in Grandma's kitchen. The cake crumb is just lightly sweetened with hints of lemon throughout, without the citrus flavor being too overpowering. The buttermilk ensures a light and fluffy texture and the juiciness of the berries works perfectly. To top it all off, the cake has a crunchy sweet crust from sprinkled on sugar which is added right before baking. The sugar crust also helps balance the sweetness level.

This cake is simply wonderful for breakfast or even dessert, especially when enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. Since I made this on the weekend it was an amazing early morning treat that everyone in the family gave the thumbs up to. This recipe worked great with the frozen berries and there was minimal "bleeding"; however, I'm really looking forward to making it again when fresh berries are in season. Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake; it's a good thing!

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken

5 ounces fresh (or frozen, un-thawed) blueberries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches, mixing until just combined. Carefully fold in berries.

Pour batter into cake pan, spreading and smoothing the top. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35* minutes. Remove from oven  and cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Invert onto a plate and cut into 8 slices.

*When using fresh berries start checking the cake after 20 minutes 

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen

Snickerdoodle Muffins

I bookmark and print out a lot of recipes almost daily. There are so many fabulous bloggers and blogs out there that have appealing dishes, that my list is ever growing. Unfortunately, it also means there are not enough hours in the day to make all of these delicious sounding and looking dishes. If there was, I'd be in serious trouble and probably would be spending more time at the gym than in the kitchen anyway. Every once in a while though, I look through my piles of papers or bookmarks to try something new. This week was the perfect opportunity to make some muffins. The kids were on spring break and had been begging me to fix some muffins for breakfast. Looking for something that could be made quickly, I remembered a recipe for Snickerdoodle Muffins which I had printed out a while back from Tasty Kitchen.

I made Snickerdoodle Cupcakes almost a year ago and the entire family loved them, but they are hardly what I call breakfast appropriate. These muffins seemed to fit the bill a little more. Now, don't get me wrong, they are still not healthy, but they are a great occasional treat. The dough comes together quickly, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla are mixed with flour, baking soda, baking powder and cream of tartar. The addition of sour cream and buttermilk are what makes these muffins light as a feather though. The dough is fairly stiff once it is all mixed together and this is were the real fun starts. You drop "blobs" of it (a 3 Tbsp. ice cream scoop works great) into a cinnamon sugar mixture and carefully roll the dough around in it to make sure it is coated on all sides before carefully placing it into a lined muffin tin. Then, another sprinkle of cinnamon sugar is applied on top before being baked.

These muffins bake up beautiful. The top starts to crackle and gets a nice little cinnamon sugar crust. The muffins itself aren't overly sweet, but have a great flavor because of their "bath" in the sugar mixture. The inside of the muffins are incredibly delicate and light, they literally melt in your mouth. Huge hit with the entire family and they are perfect with a cup of coffee, tea or cocoa, which is how my crew decided to enjoy them. This recipe got two thumbs up all the way around, or in the words of my 13 year old "Mom, these muffins are super duper delicious!"

Snickerdoodle Muffins

 ~makes 20 muffins~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk

For the topping:
2/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have smooth batter, making sure not to overmix.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Use an ice cream scooper (I used a large 3 tablespoon one) and plop a scoop of batter into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll the batter in the sugar and cinnamon. Place the ball into the muffin liner.

When you have completed all of the muffins, sprinkle the leftover cinnamon sugar onto the tops of all of the muffins.

Bake the muffins at 350 degrees F for about 15-18 minutes or until they are golden on top and just baked through.

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Remember how incredibly proud I was of my little lemon tree, which produced more fruit than ever this year? Well, I got quite the reality check when my neighbor knocked on my door a couple of weeks ago with a HUGE bucket full of lemons, inquiring if I would like some of those lemons and that she had plenty more where those came from. Her bucket surely put my little tree to shame. However, I didn't waste any time to answer yes and was "convinced" to take some lemons off her hands. I kept thinking of all the sweet dishes, savory dishes and lemonades I could possibly make with this abundance of citrus. Faced with the extremely hard task of what to use my bounty on first, I began searching the internet for lemon desserts. No sooner had I started looking than when I found this great looking and sounding recipe for a lemon poppy seed loaf. I have loved the combination of those two for a long time and have made Dorie Greenspan's Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins countless times since I first featured them on my blog.

This recipe comes courtesy of Joyofbaking.com.  This bread uses a slightly different method than what I have been used to. Instead of creaming the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy before adding the eggs, this recipe goes about it in a reversed way. All the dry ingredients are mixed together before adding all of the softened butter and half of the egg/milk mixture. The premise behind this method is that it will reduce some of the gluten formation and with that produce a wonderful quick bread that is almost velvety in texture. What also sets this bread apart is a simple glaze of fresh lemon juice and sugar which is cooked until syrupy, and then brushed over the freshly baked loaf that has been poked with a wooden skewer. By doing so the lemon flavor will penetrate throughout this already wonderful bread and you will get full on, mouth-puckering lemon flavor without adding any artificial lemon extract and as an added benefit it will make this bread even more moist and tender. Each and every bite is loaded with a citrus explosion.

This recipe makes one loaf. Mine turned out a bit short since my loaf pan is slightly bigger then what the recipe calls for, but that certainly did not affect the taste one bit. The first time I made this bread, it was gone in the blink of an eye (I'm talking less then 12 hours). I've baked several of these loaves since, giving some to neighbors (especially my lemon bearing friend), friends, colleagues, high school kids and teachers. As soon as I bake one of them, it pretty much disappears and it is safe to assume that this recipe has been an absolute hit with everyone who has been on the receiving end. I'm even going as far as saying that this recipe has replaced my previous favorite, which happened to be Dorie's lemon poppy seed muffins. I'm pretty sad since my lemon abundance has come to an end and I will have to wait almost a whole year before being able to reap the benefits of  the lemon trees in my neighbors backyard again. So Tahnya, if you are reading this, I'll be more than happy to take some more off your hands next year. Deal?

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

~makes 1 loaf~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the bread:

3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin of the lemon)
3 tablespoons (30 grams) poppy seeds
13 tablespoons (184 grams) unsalted butter, softened

For the lemon syrup: 

1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice 

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (8 x 4 x 2 1/2 inch). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until combined. Add the softened butter and half the egg mixture and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about one minute. (This aerated and develops the cake's structure).  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating about 30 seconds after each addition. (This will strengthen the structure of the batter).

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may have to cover the bread with buttered foil after about 30 minutes if you find the bread over-browning.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with about half the hot lemon syrup. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert onto a greased wire rack. Brush the remaining syrup onto the bottom and the sides of the loaf. Re-invert the bread so it is right side up and then cool the bread completely before wrapping. Store for a few hours before serving to allow the lemon syrup to distribute throughout the loaf.

Adapted from: Joyofbaking.com

Apple Toffee French Toast Bake with Apple Syrup

 

Sometimes I happen to find recipes in the strangest places and those turn out to be the best ones. Today's recipe came in a little Magazine that Costco puts out for their members called Costco Connections. I was doing a quick thumb through before putting it in my recycling pile and that is when this recipe caught me eye. After reading through the recipe I knew I had to make this for my family. Apples, toffee and french toast? There was no way this could go wrong. Hold on, there is also cream cheese and toffee bits in the filling? And the finished bake is topped with an apple syrup? Sold, sold, sold!

This is definitely not a weekday recipe (unless you are on vacation or you like getting up really early), but more of a weekend breakfast/brunch item. The preparation is pretty much a cinch, but you do have to let the casserole soak overnight, plus count in the baking time the next morning. French bread is cut into cubes, half of the bread is layered into a greased casserole dish before topping it with a tart apple variety (I used Granny Smith) that has been chopped. Cream cheese is then mixed with brown sugar, white sugar and apple juice until creamy and smooth and then English toffee bits are stirred in. This mixture is spread over the apples and finally the other half of the bread goes on top. The whole casserole gets an egg/milk bath and is placed in the refrigerator overnight to soak and let the flavors mingle. The next morning, after letting the dish come to room temperature, it is baked until the eggs are set. Meanwhile the apple syrup is prepared. It is simply apple juice, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice which are brought to a boil and finally butter is incorporated.

Wow, wow, wow! This is pretty much one of the best sweet french toast bakes I have ever made. It is wonderfully crunchy on top, creamy in the middle with just a hint of toffee, tart apples and a custard like consistency. Absolutely amazing! The syrup just adds another little bit of apple flavor, but this would be just as tasty with maple syrup. With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, many of us will be hosting guests and this French Toast would be wonderful for anyone to wake up to. If you like apples and enjoy breakfasts on the sweeter side, this is one recipe I'm urging you to make this season. I don't think you will regret it!

Apple Toffee French Toast Bake with Apple Syrup

(adapted from "Costco Connections")

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the French Toast:

8 cups French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tart apples, peeled and chopped (I used Granny Smith)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup apple juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

1/2 cup English toffee bits

6 eggs

1 cup milk

For the Apple Syrup:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups apple juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

5 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

For the French Toast: Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan; top with apples. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugars, apple juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth; stir in toffee bits. Spread over apples. Top with remaining bread cubes.

In another large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well blended; pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the French toast is baking, prepare the syrup.

For the Apple Syrup: In a medium-size saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple juice and lemon juice; heat to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minutes, then stir in butter. Serve over warm Apple Toffee French Toast Bake.

Adapted from: Costco Connections

Double Apple Bundt Cake

 
I love Fall. It is most certainly my favorite season. I've always loved everything associated with autumn and this hasn't changed over the years. The smells of cinnamon, and other spices, lighting candles, being able to wear jeans and boots, all those things are special to me. I had to give up a few things that I always enjoyed during this time of year by living in Arizona, like the changing of the leaves or dark, rainy days, but even here fall has it's benefits and there is certainly something to be said about sitting around a fire pit on cooler (like 70 degrees F) evenings and finally being able to enjoy the outdoors without melting.

One of the things I think of immediately when it comes to fall are apple desserts. I love, any and everything apple and always look forward to being able to come up with new recipes and ideas to incorporate them. Since apples harmonize so incredibly well with all of my favorite spices, you will be seeing quite a few apple recipes over the next few weeks. One of the challenges I face when it comes to apple desserts is that my two older ones don't care for the texture of traditional apple pie. With this in mind, I tend to look for recipes that incorporate the apples in a way so that my kids don't complain. 

Dorie Greenspan once again to the rescue. This recipe caught me eye right away because it was a pretty economic cake that only required what I already had in my fridge and pantry. The cake gets double the apple flavor by incorporating not only grated apples, but also apple butter into the batter. Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger only enhance the cake without being overpowering. I left most of the cake as written but made a few tiny adjustments by dusting my Bundt cake pan with sugar instead of flour, soaking my raisins for about 30 minutes in a couple tablespoons of brandy before adding them to the batter, and last but not least, adding a couple of shakes of cinnamon to my glaze.

This cake ended up being the epitome of fall and everyone in the family loved it, even my "cooked apple challenged" kids. Most of all, I was impressed by my "I hate raisins" teenager who exclaimed that by soaking the raisins prior to baking they weren't half bad and she wasn't forced to pick them out of the cake before eating. Now that is what I call success! One small change that I would add the next time (and there will be a next time) is to reduce the sugar by about one third. I thought the cake almost bordered on being too sweet, but that's certainly nothing that can't be fixed. Great cake that will certainly make any cup of tea or coffee just a little bit better during autumn!

Double Apple Bundt Cake
(adapted from Dorie Greenspan)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup store-bought apple butter, spiced or plain (I used spiced)
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and grated (I used Granny Smith Apples)
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (I used pecans)
1/2 cup plump, moist raisins (dark or golden), soaked in 2 tablespoons brandy for 30 min.

For the icing:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 - 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. Dust the interior of the pan with sugar, then tap out the excess. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour; baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

Working with a stand mixer; preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping the bowl as needed, for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth, thick and pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minutes after each addition; you'll have a light, fluffy batter. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the apple butter  don't' worry if it curdles the batter. Still on low, add the grated apples and mix to completely blend. Add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the nuts and brandy soaked raisins. Turn the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top of the batter with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding and cooling the cake to room temperature. If possible, once the cake completely cool, wrap well in plastic and let it stand overnight at room temperature to ripen the flavors. Ice the cake just before serving.

To make the optional icing: Put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and stir in a squirt or two of orange juice. Keep adding the juice a little at a time until you have an icing that falls easily from the tip of a spoon. Stir in the ground cinnamon. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cake, letting it slide down the curves of the cake in whatever pattern it makes. Let the cake stand until the icing dries, a matter of minutes, before serving.

Peanut Butter French Toast

 

Our weekday mornings are hectic to say the least. Everyone is leaving at different times, there is madness galore with people looking for backpacks, water bottles, or homework, and we don't have any time to sit down as a family to enjoy a breakfast together. I usually make sure to have an assortment of cereals in the pantry and also muffins or breakfast burritos in the freezer for quick on-the-go eating. So when the weekend finally arrives, we like to slow things down a bit and enjoy breakfast or brunch as a family.  Weekend breakfasts are a great opportunity to "splurge" a little and eat something we wouldn't normally have for breakfast during the week. It also means, that we can usually skip lunch that day which frees up some time for me in the kitchen as well.

For these special breakfasts, I like to make things like pancakes, waffles, quiches or french toast. Last Sunday felt like a french toast kind of morning, so I looked on the fabulous internet for a recipe. I didn't have to look further than allrecipes.com, which is a great source for so many dishes. I wanted a french toast that was a bit different than our old standby, but something that still could be made quickly and that I knew the kids would enjoy. That is when this Peanut Butter French Toast caught my eye. After reading some of the reviews and the trouble people had in incorporating the peanut butter into the milk and egg mixture, I knew what would solve this problem. I decided to add all the ingredients into my blender just like I did with my peanut butter ice cream a while back, and again this worked like a charm. Fantastic smooth batter ready for dipping. I also decided to go with a typical french bread cut on an angle rather than a plain white bread. After frying the battered bread in a bit of butter, I added sliced bananas along with maple syrup to each portion to complete the presentation.


This recipe would have made Elvis proud, in fact, I think he would have been "All shook up" about it! It was simply wonderful. The bread was cooked perfectly with just a hint of peanut butter, without  it being overpowering. The bananas and the maple syrup were definitely the icing on the cake french toast. All plates were practically licked clean, everyone was very happy and tummy's were full . So, if peanut butter and french toast are your kind of breakfast as well, I would definitely give this recipe a try, it certainly is a new favorite in our home, and has already been requested again.

Peanut Butter French Toast
(adapted from allrecipes.com)
(Printable Recipe)


Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 slices French bread
Butter or oil for frying
Sliced banana
Maple syrup


Preparation:


In a blender add milk, eggs, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.


Heat the butter or oil in a griddle or frying pan over medium heat.


Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan, and cook on each side until golden. Serve hot with sliced bananas and maple syrup.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins

 

My teenage daughter is a self-proclaimed chocoholic. She loves any and everything chocolate, and it usually must be included in her desserts. She will eat other desserts I make as well, but the groaning and grumbling that comes along with anything that doesn't include chocolate is quite humorous. She is the total opposite of my husband who loathes everything chocolate and loves anything made with fruit. As you can see, it can get quite difficult to accommodate both of them while keeping the peace.

A couple of weeks ago when I featured the Orange Raspberry Muffins, I first got dirty looks from my daughter, then lots of begging to find a recipe for a chocolate muffin as well. She was lucky that day and I complied. The recipe comes from one of my favorite and probably most utilized cook books "Baking: From my home to yours" by Dorie Greenspan. Her instructions are always precise and result in great baked goods that are consistent every time. This is a quickly made recipe that doesn't require much more than a bowl, a measuring cup, a whisk, and a spatula.  Chocolate is melted along with butter in a double boiler, and then added to a big bowl which includes all the measured dry ingredients along with buttermilk (which ensures a tender crumb), eggs, and vanilla. More chopped chocolate is added to the mixed batter before dividing it into muffin cups for baking.

This is a terrific chocolaty recipe that satisfied my teens craving. I really enjoyed them as well since I loved the fact that they weren't overly sweet. They also freeze wonderful and still taste great, especially if being nuked in the microwave for a few seconds. They are a great muffin that could almost be classified as a cupcake, but if you stick with the former, there won't be as much guilt attached if you have them for breakfast! So, if you love chocolate, feel free to make this recipe, and remember by adding bittersweet chocolate, one might argue the "health benefits" of this delight!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Melt the butter and half of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; or do this in a microwave. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a  rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being through - a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffins cups.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a think knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Adapted from: Baking: From my home to yours

Orange Raspberry Muffins

If you've been following my blog for a bit, you know how important a good breakfast is in our house. I have a few things that I make over and over like the Morning Glory Muffins, the Strawberry Oatmeal Smoothie (especially in the summer), and my freezer always has Breakfast Burritos in it. For me, it is important that my family always has the opportunity to grab something on the run that is made with wholesome, fresh, and most importantly, natural ingredients.

School is starting up again, so I was busy this weekend baking a couple of different muffins for breakfast variety. I always bake my muffins and then end up freezing most them. This way, they can either be taken out the night before to thaw on the counter, or the kids can "nuke" them for a few seconds in the microwave and are good to go. Freezing them works out perfect for us since there always seems to be something available to eat, and I don't run into the problem of food spoiling or getting stale before it can be eaten up.

Both of the muffins I chose were out of Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From my home to yours, and they are simply wonderful. The first one, which I'm featuring today, is an Orange Berry Muffin. Dorie's original recipe called for blueberries, but since I had just purchased fresh raspberries, I decided to go that route.

The muffin is made quickly and without dirtying a stand mixer. All you need is a couple of bowls, a whisk, and a spatula. The recipe has you using orange zest, which gets rubbed into the sugar (one of Dorie's trademark moves), along with the juice of the orange. Buttermilk, with the acidity of the orange makes these muffins very tender. A little bit of honey, and a very small amount of sugar (only 1/3 cup) make these muffins perfect for breakfast and let the fruit be the real star of this recipe.

These muffins were hands down one of the best fruit muffins I have ever made. I loved that they were tender, and juicy, but not too sweet. In fact, they were perfect, especially when enjoyed with a cup of coffee in the morning. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I can't wait to try these muffins again with blueberries, blackberries, or even cherries.

Orange Raspberry Muffins

(adapted from Baking: From my home to yours)

(Makes about 16 muffins)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

About 3/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons honey

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups raspberries - fresh, preferably, or frozen (not thawed)

Decorating sugar, for topping (optional)

Preparation:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter or spray the molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance or orange strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy and bubbly, and that's just the way it  should be. Stir in the raspberries. Dived the batter evenly among the muffins cups.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. If you want to top the muffins with decorating sugar, sprinkle on the sugar after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes. When fully baked, the tops of the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

Breakfast time is serious business at our home. My kids are unhappy if there isn't a good variety to choose from. They are quite satisfied if I have a couple of cereals to chose from or my breakfast burritos are in the freezer. I also tend to make muffins and freeze those for easy grab and go breakfasts, but with the temperatures outside being already hot in the morning, breakfast isn't as appealing as usually.

Since I believe that a well balanced breakfast is important to start the day right, I'm trying to come up with different choices for those already steamy mornings. This is where the Strawberry Oatmeal Smoothie comes in handy. This smoothie is very easy to make, super filling, and perfect even if you are on the go.

The ingredients in this smoothie harmonize well together, but it also lends itself to a variety of different ingredients. Look at it like a blank canvas and just pick and choose whatever sounds good to you and your family. For example: soy milk, replace it with regular milk or almond milk. Don't care for bananas? Use a different fruit. Don't have strawberries? Go with raspberries or blackberries. Instead of honey, use brown sugar, white sugar, maple syrup or agave nectar. The possibilities are endless.

This smoothie has been a staple for breakfast and even a few lunches for a couple of weeks now, and so far the kids have not grown tired of it and all it's endless combinations. The recipe makes 1 very large or two smaller smoothies but can easily be doubled. 

I hope you'll give this smoothie a try and enjoy it for your next breakfast as much as we do.

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

 ~makes 2~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup Vanilla soy milk (I use the light kind)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 banana, broken into chunks

14 frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 to 1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

In a blender add rolled oats. Process until almost powder like. Add soy milk, yogurt, banana, strawberries and blueberries, vanilla and honey. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe