Cranberry Buttermilk Cake

This cake was gorgeous.  It just might be the perfect treat for Christmas morning.  The cranberries are bright bursts of tart juice, the batter is full of sweet orange flavor, and the cake is light and fluffy.  With the cranberries, this isn’t a very sweet cake, so it’s great for brunch or tea.  This is a great winter spin on the Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake I made for Mother’s day in the spring.  If this seems like too much cake for you, you can halve the recipe and bake it in an 8×8″ square pan.

Cranberry Buttermilk Cake

Serves 12-16

Adapted from Alexandra Cooks

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large orange, zested
• 2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a 9×13″ pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.

Cream butter with orange zest and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla, beating well after each addition.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk.  Leave a couple of Tbsp of flour to toss the cranberries in (this keeps the berries from sinking to the bottom), then fold the cranberries into the batter.

Scoop batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Zucchini Cake

So this is one of the desserts I made for Friday night’s Carroll Cafe.  I had made a Cinnamon Sugar Zucchini Cake, and as I was slicing it to serve I sampled a piece and was HORRIFIED by how it turned out!  It was gummy and weird and totally not cake-like.  I’m not sure what went wrong, but I had about 2 hours to come up with a different zucchini cake.  So of course, it was trusty Grandma Helland’s recipe that saved the day.  I adapted Grandma’s Apple Cake recipe and it was a crowd pleaser, as always.

This is a tender, moist flavorful cake that’s prefect for fall.  It’s a nice treat but isn’t too sweet, so it’s perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.  It’s great for a fall treat and is definitely a last minute crowd pleaser.

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Zucchini Cake

Serves 12-16

• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 2 apples, peeled, cored and grated
• 1 small zucchini, grated (can sub two more apples)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a 9×13″ pan with nonstick foil or grease with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix ingredients in order given.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  At about 30 minutes you may need to cover with foil to keep top from browning too quickly.    When cake is done sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar (a mix of about 1/4 cup sugar with 3/4 tsp cinnamon works well, sprinkle to taste).  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Crisp Muffins

These were delicious.  The perfect taste of fall flavors.  Dad said they were the best muffins he’s ever had.  My only complaint is that the recipe only made 10!  Next time I’ll definitely be (at least) doubling the recipe!

These are super moist due to the combination of butter, oil and applesauce.  The fresh apple pieces get tender (but not mushy) and the oatmeal crisp topping adds a little extra sweetness and the perfect amount of chewy crunchiness.  You’ll definitely want to make these this fall.  They’re great fresh from the oven or at room temperature.  But if you think they’re going to last more than a couple of days, make sure you refrigerate them in a ziploc bag, since they’re so moist they won’t last long on the counter.

Apple Crisp Muffins

Makes about 20 muffins

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (2 snack pack applesauces)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups peeled and chopped apple (about 4)

Crisp topping:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt

In a large bowl, mix together butter, oil, applesauce, and sugars until well mixed (the mixture might look curdled).  Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add half the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until just combined.  Add half of the remaining flour and mix again until just combined.  Toss the apple pieces with the remaining flour, then carefully fold the apples into the batter.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 2 muffin trays with muffin cup papers or grease muffin tin generously with cooking spray.

Reusing the dry ingredient bowl, mix crisp topping ingredients together until well mixed and crumbly (I find using my hands is easiest).

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, should be about 3/4 full (a 4oz cookie scoop is the perfect size).  Top with about 1 Tbsp of crisp topping, then bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let muffins cool in tin for about 10 minutes before removing and letting cool completely on a wire rack.

Stovetop Popcorn

Ok, so our kitchen is being redone.  Which is hugely exciting!  But also means that my cooking options are rather limited for the next couple weeks.  I’ll still try to keep up with posting, but they won’t all be recipes.

While we’re trying to clear out the entire kitchen, the last thing I’ve wanted to do is make a big mess by cooking something, so we’ve been eating a lot of crudités and hummus and popcorn.  Popcorn is actually a whole grain, so it’s a great snack option and one serving is 3 cups!  Sister is totally into popcorn, and her popcorn always tastes the best.  So abandon the gross butter-flavored store bought bags of popcorn and spend just a little bit longer making your own on the stovetop.  It’s totally worth it.

Stovetop Popcorn

Serves 4-6

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• about 1/4 cup popcorn kernels (enough to coat the bottom of your pan in one layer)
• salt to taste
• varieties:  paprika, cumin, cinnamon-sugar, dill, flavored salts, salt & vinegar

In a large pot (preferably one with a wide bottom, my pot is about 10″ in diameter), heat oil over medium-high heat.  To test the oil, add a couple kernels to the bottom of the pan.  When they sizzle, add a thin layer of kernels over the entire bottom of the pot.  Cover with a lid and wait until it begins to pop.  Once it starts popping, carefully give the pot a shake.  Crack the lid a little to let some steam out, but be carefully not to get splattered with any oil, or heat by the steam.  Continue to shake the pot every so often until the popping begins to slow down.  When there begins to be breaks in the popping turn the heat off.  Continue to shake the pot until the popping stops.  Quickly transfer the popcorn to a large bowl and season with salt (and spices of your choices).  Enjoy!

Blackberry Banana Smoothie

This purple people eater is a delicious summer-time treat.  It’s crazy hot in the DC area now, so flavorful, nutrient-dense drinks are super appealing.  I used the blackberries Mom and I picked last week (in the rain…so much more pleasant than roasting in the sun).  This is also a great use of bananas that are getting a little too spotty for eating (not ready to make a smoothie when the bananas are?  Peel them and store in a airtight container in bite size pieces for later).  The more spots the sweeter the banana, which works well with the tart berries.  I also added plain Greek yogurt for calcium (twice as much as regular yogurt), and it adds extra creaminess.  I was going to add some frozen spinach as well, but I’m out.  A dash of milk helps it all blend together into thick, creamy, summer-time bliss.  Stay cool.

Blackberry Banana Smoothie

Serves 2

• 1 1/2 cups blackberries
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk (or until desired consistency)
• honey (optional)

Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth.  Taste and add honey if needed.

Roasted Banana Oatmeal Muffins

How do you like your bananas?  I’m a pretty firm believer in eating them when they’re completely yellow, I’ll even take a hint of green.  Once the spots start they’re overripe and I wait until they’re good and splotchy and use them for baking.  Lately it seems like my bananas are ripening faster than ever, and I ended up with 6 baking-worthy bananas that I needed to deal with before the fruit flies got to them.  So naturally, I experimented with them.  I’d seen mention of caramelized banana muffins, which sounds awesome.  But I didn’t want an overly sweet dessert muffin, so I continued to do a bit of searching and found several recipes that recommend roasting.  So with 6 bananas, I tried both.  For this recipe I ended up liking the roasted ones just a bit better (although warning: scooping banana out of roasted banana peel is super unappetizing), the banana flavor permeates the whole muffin, adding just a little extra sweetness.  Caramelized was also good, but there were just bits of banana flavor in the muffin, it wasn’t suffused with the flavor.  If you want to try caramelized, just melt 1/2 stick butter in a large skillet, add the brown sugar and slices of banana and cook for a minute or two.  Otherwise, below is the recipe for just sweet enough, roasted banana muffins that are perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee.

Roasted Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Adapted from Guilty Kitchen

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 ripe bananas, roasted and mashed
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Place bananas on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until black and fragrant.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (oats through sugar) and mix well.

In a large bowl, mix together wet ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just incorporated.

Divide batter into greased muffin tins and bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in tins for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.  This have a lot of moisture in them, so to keep them fresh, store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon poppy seed is my favorite muffin flavor.  It’s been ages since I’ve had one, so I decided it was time to make a batch.  These were very yummy.  The glaze adds quite a bit of sweetness with a balance of tart lemon zest.  The poppy seeds give a nice little crunch to the delicate crumb.  This are great for breakfast or a snack since they aren’t too sweet.  The lemon adds a bright burst of flavor and most of the sweetness comes from the glaze on top.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Makes about 15 muffins (I doubled the recipe and got about 32)

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 lemons, zested
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain yogurt

Glaze:

• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add lemon zest and vanilla extract.  Slowly beat in the dry ingredients, alternating with the yogurt, in three batches.  Mix until just combined.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin (I used a 4oz cookie scoop).  Bake for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the muffins are cooking, whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze.

Once you’ve transfered the muffins to the wire rack, add about 3/4 tsp glaze to each muffin while they’re still warm.

Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Sister came down early to celebrate Mother’s Day, so we had our Mother’s Day brunch a day early.  When we were growing up Sister and I would make breakfast in bed for Mom.  So breakfast foods are our traditional celebration.  This year Mom requested this herbed ricotta tart, and something fruity for dessert (because it’s brunch you totally get a brunch dessert, right?)  So after a bit of Pinterest browsing we settled on this recipe.  It’s a great recipe!  This is the perfect amount of sweet and tart, with a great crumb and a slightly sweet crust.  The blueberries, burst with purple deliciousness and balance wonderfully with the lemon zest that gives this cake a fresh, vibrant taste.

Thanks, Mom for all that you do.  You’re absolutely amazing.  And you have excellent taste in cake 🙂

Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Alexandra’s Kitchen

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large lemon, zested
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (plus a Tbsp for sprinkling on top)
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (1/4 reserved for tossing with blueberries)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease an 8×8″ pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Cream butter with lemon zest until light, add sugar and continuing beating until fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Toss blueberries with 1/4 cup flour (this keeps the berries from sinking).  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Alternate adding in the flour and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.  Be careful to only mix until just combined after each addition.  Fold in the blueberries.

Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with a little sugar.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Serve and enjoy!

Smooth and Creamy Hummus

I might also call this obsessive-compulsive hummus, but I’ll let you decide for yourself what name you’ll call it.  What makes it different, is that you actually peal the chickpeas.  I know, say what?! Peel chickpeas?!  Well this advice comes from the incredible Smitten Kitchen, so I knew the recipe would be great…so while I caramelized some onions, I tediously sat by the sink, peeling chickpeas.  It really didn’t take that long, and by the time I was done I also had beautifully caramelized onions, so it wasn’t a total waste of time.  The end result is a delightfully creamy and thick hummus.  I’ve been eating this for weeks, and am a big fan of the subtle flavors and smooth texture.  This has just the right amount of lemon and garlic to accentuate the chickpeas but not overpower them.  It’s a great dip, and I highly recommend it with veggies for a great, easy healthy snack.

Smooth and Creamy Hummus

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, peeled
• 1/3 cup tahini paste
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (more to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Peel the outer skin off of the chickpeas, discard the skins and toss the chickpeas in the bowl of your food processor.  Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt.  Pulse several times, then stream in the water and olive oil while blending.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Serve with carrot sticks, snap peas, cucumber sticks, crackers, pretzels, and/or bread.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Onion dip was a pretty traditional treat in my family growing up.  It was incredibly easy to make by adding a packet of onion powder to a bowl of sour cream.  And while you can’t get much simpler than that, this dip is a more grown-up, flavor-packed dip.  This takes the magic of caramelized onions (which are really easy to make if you’re patient), and the yummy creaminess of cream cheese and greek yogurt, and turns it into a phenomenal dip (or spread!  this would be killer on a sandwich!).

The key to caramelized onions is low heat for a long time.  I recommend distracting yourself with another task in the kitchen, like washing dishes or starting on another meal, something that you can interrupt to stir the onions occasionally, but will keep you from impatiently waiting on your onions.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Makes about 2 cups

Adapted from Culinary Cory

• 3 large Vidallia onions, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sprinkle of salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz (1 pkg) reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp fat free mayonnaise
• 1 tsp onion powder

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add thinly sliced onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Slowly sauté until onions begin to caramelize and brown, stirring occasionally. When the onions are almost done, add cayenne pepper and Worcestershire, sauté a few more minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise and onion powder.  Once the onions are cooled, add them to the cream cheese mixture and mix well.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Chill for at least 20 minutes before serving.  Serve with chips, crackers or veggies.