I love muffin Sundays :)

I really really really wanted some banana muffins so I searched for a recipe that was good and I found one that sounded good, and looked good .... and when I made it it was GREAT yum yum yum!

Banana Chocolate chip Muffins :)

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt (I used Activia yum!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large, very ripe bananas
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin tray with cooking spray or line with muffin tins. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, white sugar and brown sugar until well combined. In another bowl, mix the egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla and mushed bananas until mixed thoroughly. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without over mixing. Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and a tester inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack then serve with butter. Enjoy!

This is the cooling rack that Gregory gave me for Christmas, there are 3 in the set and they stack! how fun! :)

These were probably the best banana muffins I have ever made, this recipe is a keeper!

Ohhhhh Cuteness

I have also decided to start taking photos when I am out to supper too. Like a restaurant review of the food. I will never review service here because if you know me at all my track record for good service is not very good .... well Gregory and my track record sucks lol

Here is a dessert I had over christmas when a bunch of friends went out for Louise's Birthday

This was at the Yellowbelly Pub and Eatery. Chocolate cheesecake and this cute little ginger bread men. I fell in love, it was so cute!

Long time, No pictures :(

I have been away from my blog for some time now.. Sorry.

I did make a lot of things this Christmas, and found numerous new recipes that I want to try.

I made :

Gingerbread Men

Sugar Cookies

Melting Moments

4 different kinds of alcoholic truffles

Peppermint bark

Cherry Cake

and Banana Breads for gifts

I have no pictures :( ... I was so busy I didn't even think about taking a picture for my blog until after the fact.

But today I did take pictures :D

Lemon Poppy seed cookies.... you know my love for Lemon Poppy seed anything

Recipe

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1 large egg

For the glaze:
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest and egg until blended. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.

Drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are set and just beginning to brown at the edges (do not let the tops brown). Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack set over wax paper to cool a bit before glazing.

To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add more lemon juice if necessary, just until the glaze has reached a consistency good for drizzling over the cookies. Glaze the cookies and let the glaze set before serving. Store in an airtight container.

I also made Honey Ginger chicken last week.. I didn't save the recipe as it was not very appetizing .... it was kinda too lemony for me ... I need to learn to not add as much lemon juice as anything calls for but I think I can remember the jist of the recipe.

1/2 cup Honey

1/3 cup of something (cant remember)

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 thumb size pieces of Ginger minced (I added some garlic too because I add garlic to everything)

1 cup of water

4 chicken breasts

Cut up the chicken to your desired size, mine was bite sized.

Boil water in a wok.Put chicken and into boiling water and add fish sauce. Leave for 15-20 minutes. then add honey, thing I cant remember and ginger(and garlic) to the wok. Let thicken, stirring frequently so the sugar doesn't burn.

Banana Bread x 2 and Goulash :)

Sooo I wanted banana bread so I can have something for a quick breakfast.

So I made a regular for my dad :) and a Chocolate Chip for me :D

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teasp baking powder

½ teasp baking soda

½ teasp salt

½ teasp ground cinnamon

½ cup margarine, softened

¾ cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 medium, ripe DOLE® Bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

¼ cup sour cream

1 teasp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped almonds or walnuts, toasted

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; set aside.

Beat margarine and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Beat in bananas, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Add in flour mixture; beat until just blended. Stir in nuts.

Pour into 9 x 5-inch baking pan sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.

Bake at 350°F., 55 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes.

Now that it is cooled, I am going to go cut a piece :)

And I need supper/lunch for the week so I made Goulash Yum!!! it just needs a little more ketchup

Goulash ( recipe from my mom)

Cook some ground beef, and garlic.....I just cooked as much as I thought would be appropriate for the pan size. I cooked up two cups of elbow pasta, and put half the pasta in the pan, then the ground beef garlic mixture, and lots of ketchup! Then the rest of the pasta and I mixed. I kept adding ketchup till I thought it was enough, grated some cheese on top and then stuck it in the already 350 degree oven for about 20 min. It was delish! and hopefully it stays yummy for the week.

Little Help :)

**I love baking for many reasons. It's therapeutic, creative, cerebral. Chemistry meets artistry. And then there's the sharing and eating of the results, and well, that just makes you feel good all over. A great recipe is more than just a formula, it's like a character in a great story. Sometimes you stumble across a new recipe that helps you create your own stories and memories with people you love, and sometimes you're lucky enough to be given a recipe that you just know has made memories for people you'll probably never meet. I love that most of all.**

I am searching for the perfect shortbread recipe for Gregory for Christmas .... So this week I am making shortbreads ...if you have any recipes that you think are wonderful pass them along, and when I find the perfect one in my own opinion, I'll post it :)

Thanksgiving

Well for Thanksgiving this year I made two things, one for my sister and the other just because it was so pretty I couldn't resist.

One was Kraft's Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake most everything I make from kraft turns out amazing, other than the things that call for boxed mix, which I usually don't even try cause that's not how I bake.

Ingredients:

18 Peek Freans Ginger Crisps (Crushed, About two cups)

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter melted

3 pkg Cream Cheese softened

1 Cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

3 eggs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Dash ground cloves

Method:

HEAT oven to 350°F.

COMBINE cookie crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1 cup plain batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.

SPOON half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers; swirl with knife.

BAKE 45 min. or until centre is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.

The Second was an Apple Tart Cake, it was just so pretty when I stumbled upon the website that I had to make it. I got the recipe and saw the wonderful pictures on Food Loves Writing's blog, here is her recipe and pictures.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into a few pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 large Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced as thinly as you can into similar-shaped slices (if they’re too thick, they’ll be more noticeable in the finished cake, rather than soft and caramelized)

For topping:
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.

Combine the sugar, flour and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitting with a steel blade attachment (did I tell you I got a food processor for my birthday?? I LOVE IT SO MUCH). Pulse to mix, then add the butter, and pulse until no large lumps remain. Add the vanilla and the egg, and blend well—mine looked a little like cookie dough, but the original recipe likens it to cornmeal, so I’d imagine either is fine. Plop this mixture into the prepared springform pan and spread it evenly around the bottom. Try to form the edges to curve up a little on the sides, like the rim of a very low pie crust.

Starting from the outsides (this is the only way that works for me, and yes, I’ve tried starting from the insides), arrange the apples in a tight, circular pattern. You will feel like there are way too many apples to fit, you really will, but just fit them in there as tightly as you can. It will work.

Slide the pan into the oven, and bake for 45 minutes. While the cake bakes, you can make the topping: Combine the ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk to blend well. Then set it aside.

After the cake has baked for 45 minutes, remove it from the oven and spoon the topping evenly over it. Bake for another 30 minutes or so, until the topping looks set. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and cool for 20 minutes. Then run a thin knife around the edge to release any areas that may have stuck, and remove the sides of the pan. Feel free to swoon at how beautiful it looks—I sure did. Cool completely before serving.

Note: This cake is a perfect make-ahead recipe, which is what I did Friday night, planning for dinner with a friend Saturday. Just wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature until you’re ready to eat it. Oh, and, by the way, it was wonderful with vanilla ice cream on top.

Yield: One cake, about 8 servings

Muffin and Cupcake madness

This is my stand mixer, that is right my very own kitchen aid stand mixer, not my mom's mine :) and it's the pink breast cancer one :) I loooove it, so the very first thing I created with it had to be for someone I love, who else but my friend Erin :)

Soo since my workterm started I have been making alot of muffins... I just love them. But before I get into the muffins I will give you some pictures of the Chocolate mint cupcakes that I made for Erin one of my good friends :)

Adapted From Martha Stewart's Cookbook Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup of Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 lg eggs

3/4 cups buttermilk

3 tbsp veg oil

1 tsp peppermint extract

3/4 cup warm water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract, and the water; beat on low speed until smooth and combined, scraping down sides as needed.

2. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 min. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks to cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

I didn't make the icing because I made so many cupcakes I didn't want to screw up the icing and have to make more, I bought icing from the supermarket and added peppermint extract to it. The purple and green sprinkles I got at the bulk barn for a pretty good price I will definitely buy them again and use them for other creations, like the rainbow star cake I will be making for Krystle soon :)

I don't have any muffin pictures uploaded yet but I will Post the recipes just because i want you to go make them now and love them so much :)

Blueberry Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

ok well the crumble is good and makes it more like a mini coffee cake.....but isn't necessary the second time I made these I just sprinkled some sugar on top and it was scrumptious.

what I have done for different variations....

Blueberry Banana Variation:

I add some vanilla, as well as a banana and substitute in brown sugar for the white and use buttermilk instead of regular milk. I also cut down the amount of oil from 1/3 to 1/4 because it left a oil puddle on the bottom of my muffin pans.

Apple Cinnamon Variation:

I left out the blueberries, and added one cup of chopped apple that I had coated in cinnamon sugar and added about 1/2 tsp or less of cinnamon to the batter. As well I made the same substations that I did for the blueberry banana (buttermilk, brown sugar, cut the oil and a splash of vanilla)

The base of this recipe has so many things that can be done to them .... I think next sunday I will make strawberry chocolate :) yummm

Go make some muffins :)