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Lemony Lemon Brownies

Lemony Lemon Brownies

Lemony Lemon Brownies

The “Brownie” Batter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour {King Arthur All-Purpose Flour}

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt {Sea Salt}

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

 

Tart Lemon Glaze

1 rounded cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoon lemon juice

8 teaspoons lemon zest

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease/Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter/cooking spray and set aside.

 

Zest and juice two small/large lemons; set aside. {whatever you have}

 

In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.

 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

 

Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will be dry. {even with the yummy glaze}

 

When brownies are cooled completely, make the glaze…sift the powdered sugar, add lemon zest and juice, and whisk together all three ingredients. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula. Let glaze set. Spread the remaining glaze over the bars, and let it set. This glaze does not harden like most. Cut into bars, and serve!
Well Loved Banana Bread

Well Loved Banana Bread

5 very ripe bananas

4 eggs

1 C. shortening

2 1/2 C. white sugar (or try 1 C. white and 1 C. Brown Sugar)

1 T. vanilla extract

3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease 2 – 9×5 inch loaf pans. In a medium bowl, mash bananas and stir in the eggs until well blended. Set aside. In large bowl, beat shortening and gradually add sugar. Stir in vanilla and banana mixture. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; blend into batter. Add walnuts if desired. Divide between the prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Blueberry Bran Muffins II

Blueberry Bran Muffins II

Blueberry Bran Muffins21 1/2 cups unprocessed wheat bran or oat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup 1% milk or unflavored soymilk
1/3 cup honey
1 ripe medium banana, mashed with a fork
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries or other berries

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat 24 nonstick miniature muffin cups with cooking oil spray. In a medium bowl, combine bran, flour, flaxseed, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another medium bowl or in a blender, combine the milk, honey, banana, egg, olive oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in one-third of the liquid mixture. Using a spoon, stir until smooth. Add remaining liquid mixture and stir just until combined. Add blueberries and stir again, but do not over mix. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake about 8 minutes, or until the tops spring back when pressed gently in the centers. Do not overbake. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the cups. Serve warm or cool completely on the rack. Make-Ahead Tip: To freeze these muffins for later use, wrap cooled muffins tightly in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags. Freeze for up to three months.

Yield: 24 miniature muffins
Calories: 63
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 2.7g

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Lemon Crinkle Cookies½ C. Butter, Softened
1 C. Granulated Sugar
½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 whole Egg
1 tsp. Lemon Zest
1 T. Fresh Lemon Juice
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Baking Powder
â…› tsp. Baking Soda
1-½ C. All-purpose Flour
½ C. Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping tsp. of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. If using a non stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Bacon Popovers

Bacon Popovers

1 C. all-purpose flour

1 T. cooking oil or bacon drippings

2 eggs, beaten

3 slices bacon (or 3 T. grated Parmesan cheese)

1 T. shortening

1 C. milk

 

Cook bacon until crisp; drain, reserving 1 T. drippings, if desired. Finely crumble bacon. Set aside. Using 1/2 tsp. shortening for each cup, grease the bottom and sides of six cups of a popover pan. (Or, use six 6-oz. custard cups. Place greased custard cup in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan.) Set aside. In a mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, and oil or bacon drippings. Add flour and bacon or Parmesan cheese. Beat with a rotary beater or wire whisk until mixture is smooth. Fill the prepared cups half full. Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 40 minutes or until very firm. Immediately remove popovers from the oven and prick each with a fork to let steam escape. (If crisper popovers are desired, after baking, prick the popovers, turn the oven off, and leave popovers in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes more or until of desired crispness.) Serve hot.

Apple Cake with Lemon Sauce

Apple Cake with Lemon Sauce

4 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. packed brown sugar

1 C. butter, softened

1 recipe Lemon Sauce (see recipe below)

2 C. sugar

4 C. diced, peeled apples

1 T. ground cinnamon

Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until just combined. Spread half of the batter into prepared pan. In another bowl, stir together the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spread mixture over cake batter in pan. Dollop remaining batter over the apples. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Serve warm squares of cake topped with warm Lemon Sauce. ÂLemon Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 C. sugar, 3 T. cornstarch, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir in 2-l/2 C. water. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in 6 T. butter or margarine, 1 tsp. grated lemon peel, and 1/4 C. lemon juice. Makes 3-1/2 C. sauce.

Bruce’s Prize Winning Cheese Scones

Bruce’s Prize Winning Cheese Scones

12 ounces self raising flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3 ounces butter or margarine

11 ounces strong grated cheese

6 fluid ounces milk

1 dash pepper

2 tsp. mustard powder

Sieve the flour and dry ingredients. Mix in the butter or margarine. Add grated cheese, mix well then add the milk in slowly. Mix into a dough, pat with hand then cut into shapes. (I like to add cheese to the top of the scone too). Bake in the oven at 450F until risen with lightly golden tops.

Zucchini, Dried Tomato, and Cheese Muffins

Zucchini, Dried Tomato, and Cheese Muffins

2 1/2 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 C. freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 C. finely chopped dried tomatoes
1 T. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
tsp. salt
1 C. milk
1 C. tightly packed coarsely shredded zucchini
2 large eggs
1/4 C. olive oil

Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray muffin cups (12 regular or 24 miniature) with cooking spray. Combine flour, grated cheese, dried tomatoes, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until blended. In a separate bowl stir the milk, zucchini, eggs, and oil until well blended. Add to the dry ingredients all at once and fold together just until evenly moistened. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin C.. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes for regular muffins, or 11 to 12 minutes for the mini muffins. Cool muffins on a wire rack before removing from pan.

Yield: 12 servings
Calories: 166
Fat: 6.3g
Fiber: 1g

Chocolate-Raspberry Buttermilk Cupcakes

Chocolate-Raspberry Buttermilk Cupcakes

1 1/4 C. flour
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 T. extra-light olive oil
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. seedless raspberry jam
1 T. confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin-tin cups. with paper liners. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat butter, oil, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. On low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon one-third of batter into muffin cups. Make a small well in batter. Dividing evenly, spoon raspberry jam into each well. Spoon remaining batter evenly over raspberry jam. Bake 20 minutes, or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust tops of cooled cupcakes with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Yield: 12 servings
Calories: 167
Fat: 5g
Fiber: 1g

Banana Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Banana Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

1/3 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed French bread (about 2 (1-ounce) slices)
Cooking spray
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 banana)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fat-free caramel topping
Powdered sugar (optional)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Place 1/2 cup bread cubes into each of 2 (8-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 tablespoons milk mixture over each serving, and top with 1/4 cup banana. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar. Repeat procedure with remaining bread and milk mixture. Chill 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until done. Spoon 1 tablespoon caramel sauce over each serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Yield: 2 servings
Calories: 297
Fat: 4.5g
Fiber: 2.3g

Olive Swirl Rolls

Olive Swirl Rolls

3 tsp. olive oil, divided
1/4 C. chopped shallot or red onion
11/2 T. chopped fresh or 11/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 (4.25-ounce) can black olives, drained and finely chopped (about 3/4 C.)
3/4 C. bottled roasted red and yellow peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
Coarse salt to taste
1 loaf frozen wheat bread dough (such as Rhodes), thawed per package directions
1/4 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Vegetable cooking spray or canola oil

Preheat the oven to 325F. Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 2 tsp. oil and the shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shallots begin to soften. Stir in the next three ingredients; cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the olives, peppers, and vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12- 3 9-inch rectangle. Spread the olive mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle 2 T. of the cheese over the olive mixture. Roll the dough up lengthwise (like a carpet) and pinch the ends closed. Slice gently with a serrated knife into 1-inch-width rolls; place the rolls on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray or oil. Brush the rolls with the remaining tsp. of oil and cover with plastic wrap; let rise, away from drafts, for 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Uncover the rolls and sprinkle with the remaining 2 T. Parmesan cheese. Bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Note: These rolls freeze well.

Yield: 12 servings
Calories: 144
Fat: 4.8g
Fiber: 1.8g

Cranberry Muffins

Cranberry Muffins

1 1/2 C. unbleached white flour
1 C. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. unsweetened applesauce
2 T. canola oil
1/4 C. orange juice
1 tsp. orange extract
1 C. fresh cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flours, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the dry ingredients slowly to the large bowl and mix until blended. Do not over beat. Pour the batter into 12 nonstick muffin C. and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove muffins from oven and let cool slightly. Remove muffins from pan and let cool completely. To lower the calories even more you can substitute Splenda for the sugar.

Yield: 12 servings
Calories: 152
Fat: 4g
Fiber: 2g

Jamaican Banana Bread

Jamaican Banana Bread

Cooking spray
2 tablespoons stick margarine, softened
2 tablespoons tub light cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons dark rum or 1/4 teaspoon imitation rum extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons margarine
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons dark rum or 1/8 teaspoon imitation rum extract
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside. Beat 2 tablespoons margarine and cheese at medium speed of a mixer; add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (banana through vanilla); stir well. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Stir in 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup coconut. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 375° for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. Combine brown sugar and 2 teaspoons each margarine, lime juice, and rum in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook 1 minute; stir constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons each pecans and coconut; spoon over loaf.

Yield: 16 servings
Calories: 187
Fat: 5.4g
Fiber: 1.1g

Cardamom Banana Bread with Pistachios

Cardamom Banana Bread with Pistachios

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, sour cream, and cardamom; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in pistachios. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool bread completely on wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 servings
Calories: 185
Fat: 5.5g
Fiber: 1.3g

Herbed Vegetable Spiral Bread

Herbed Vegetable Spiral Bread

1/2 C. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 C. canned Mexicorn, drained
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 loaf (1 lb.) frozen bread dough, thawed
1T. cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a bowl, combine the mozzarella, corn, Parmesan, parsley, garlic and seasonings; set aside. In a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Spread cheese mixture over dough to within 3/4 inch of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams and ends to seal. Sprinkle a large baking sheet with cornmeal. Place dough seam side down on baking sheet; tuck ends under. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled; about 35 minutes. Brush with egg. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Yield: 16 slices
Calories: 107
Fat: 3g
Fiber: 1g

Baked Sugar ‘n’ Spice Doughnuts

Baked Sugar ‘n’ Spice Doughnuts

Cooking spray
2 C. reduced-fat packaged biscuit mix
1 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 C. buttermilk
1/4 C. egg substitute
Red-fat biscuit mix or all-purpose flour
1 T. margarine or butter, melted
2 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick coating; set aside. Combine the 2 C. biscuit mix, 1 T. sugar, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Combine the buttermilk and egg substitute in another bowl. Add all at once to dry ingredients; stir just till moistened. Knead dough on a board sprinkled with additional biscuit mix or all-purpose flour for 10 to 20 strokes. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter. Remove the centers and reroll. Place doughnuts on prepared baking sheet. Bake in a 400º oven for 10-12 minutes. Combine the 2 T. sugar and the cinnamon. Brush tops of doughnuts very lightly with melted margarine or butter and dip tops in cinnamon mixture. Serve warm.

Yield: 9 doughnuts
Calories: 140
Fat: 3g
Fiber: 0g

Apple-Brie Braid with Almonds

Apple-Brie Braid with Almonds

1 (1-lb.) loaf frozen white bread dough
2 T. butter or stick margarine, divided
4 C. finely chopped peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 1/4 lb.)
1/2 C. packed brown sugar, divided
3 T. chopped slivered almonds
Cooking spray
4 oz. Brie cheese
1 tsp. all-purpose flour

Thaw dough in refrigerator 12 hours. Melt 1 T. butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; sauté 10 minutes. Add 1/4 C. brown sugar; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in almonds. Roll dough into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spread apple mixture lengthwise down center of dough. Remove rind from cheese; cube. Arrange cheese on top of apple mixture. Make diagonal cuts, 1 1/2 inches apart, on opposite sides of filling to within 1/2 inch of filling. Fold strips alternately over filling from each side, overlapping at an angle. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine 1/4 C. brown sugar and flour in a medium bowl; cut in 1 T. butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until combined. Sprinkle over top of loaf. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 16 servings
Serving size: 1 slice

Calories: 162
Fat: 4.7g
Fiber: 1.3g

Chive Popovers

Chive Popovers

Chive Popovers

refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray
2 large eggs
1 C. unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. 1% lowfat milk
1/4 C. minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400°F (200 C°), Gas Mark 6. Lightly coat 8 popover cups, muffin cups, or custard cups with cooking spray. In a food processor or blender, combine eggs, flour, and salt. Process until well blended, 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour in milk through the feed tube. Process until smooth. Stir in chives. Fill prepared C. with batter, filling to 1/4-inch below the rim. If using individual cups, set them well apart on a baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. (Don’t open oven door while popovers are baking or they will fall.) Remove from oven and run a sharp thin-bladed knife around the edge of each popover to loosen. Invert into a basket and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings
Calories: 83
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 0g

Speckled Corn Bread

Speckled Corn Bread

1 tsp. stick margarine or butter
Cooking spray
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/3 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal mix
2/3 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt margarine over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. sauté corn and bell pepper for 8 minutes or until corn is lightly browned and bell pepper is tender; stir frequently. Cool. Combine vegetable mixture, cornmeal mix, flour, sugar, and ground red pepper in a large bowl; add milk and egg whites, stirring until moist. Pour batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Note: Substitute 1 1/3 cups plain yellow cornmeal, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt for 1 1/3 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal mix, if desired.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Calories: 100
Fat:1g
Fiber: .5g

Orange Devil’s Food Cake

Orange Devil’s Food Cake

1 package (18 1/4 oz.) reduced-fat devil’s food cake mix
1 carton (8 oz.) nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 C. orange juice
1/2 C. water
egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs
2 T. unsweetened applesauce
2 T. grated orange peel
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Glaze
1 C. confectioners’ sugar
2 T. baking cocoa
2 T. orange juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, combine the first eight ingredients; beat on low speed for one minute, scraping the bowl constantly. Coat a 10 inch fluted tube pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over cake.

Yield: 12 servings
Calories: 243
Fat: 4g
Fiber: 2g

Blueberry Bran Muffins

Blueberry Bran Muffins

Blueberry Bran Muffins2 C. fresh blueberries
1 1/2 C. all bran cereal with extra fiber
1 1/2 C. plain soy milk (or skim milk)
1 large egg
1/3 C. canola oil
3/4 C. Splenda
2 T. freshly grated orange zest (colored peel)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. whole wheat pastry flour
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 C. chopped pecans

Wash the blueberries, then remove the stems. Lay the berries on a paper towel to dry. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease your muffin tins or line them with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cereal and the soy milk; soak this mixture for about 15 minutes. Stir in egg, oil, Splenda, orange zest, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nuts. Gently stir in the blueberries. All at once, add the dry ingredients to the cereal mixture. Gently stir, just until blended. Do not over-stir! Too much stirring destroys the light texture of muffins. Spoon the batter into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes, until the cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Yield: 18 muffins
Serving Size: 1 muffin

Calories: 140
Fat: 8g
Fiber: 4g

Rum-Soaked Sponge Cake with Tropical Fruit

Rum-Soaked Sponge Cake with Tropical Fruit

from Cooking Light, September 2003

Cake:

Cooking Spray
1 C. Flour
1/4 tsp. Vanilla
Dash Salt
4 lg. Eggs
1/2 C. Sugar
1/4 C. dark Rum
1 14oz. can fat-free Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 5oz. can Evaporated fat-free Milk

Fruit:

1 C. cubed Pineapple
1 C. cubed peeled Kiwifruit
1 C. cuped peeled Mango
1 T. sugar

Custard:

1/4 C. Egg Substitute
2 T. Sugar
1 T. Cornstarch
1/2 C. skim Milk
1/4 tsp. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To prepare cake, coat a 9″ round cake pan with wax paper; coat wax paper with cooking spray and set pan aside. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Place 1/4 tsp. Vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed 2 minutes. Gradually add 1/2 C. sugar, beating until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Sift flour over egg mixture, 1/4 C. at a time; fold in. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutse or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool cake in pan on wire rack. Combine the rum, condensed and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Pierce top of cake in several places with a skewer. Pour rum mixture evenly over top of the cake in two batches, beginning at outer edge and working inwards. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Run a knife around outside edge of cake. Place a serving plate upside down on top of cake; invert onto plate. To prepare fruit, combine all fruit with 1 T. of sugar and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To prepare custard, place egg beaters in a bowl and set aside. Combine 2 T. sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Gradually add 1/2 skim milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat’ cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Slowly stir in one-fourth hot milk mixture into egg beaters. Once that is mixed in, add the egg mixture into the hot milk, stirring constantly, to prevent curdling. Cook over medium heat one minute or until thick. Remove from heat and spoon into a bowl and place into a large ice filled bowl for 10 minutes or until custard comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 tsp. vanilla; spread custard over cake. Serve with fruit mixture.

Yield: 12 servings
Serving Size: 1 cake slice and 1/4 C. fruit

Calories: 255
Fat: 2.2g
Fiber: 1.2g

Fresh French Bread

Fresh French Bread

Fresh French Bread3 ½ C. all-purpose Flour
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Instant Yeast
Scant 1 ½ C. Warm Water
1 T. Olive Oil

Combine flour, salt, and yeast in food processor; process 5 seconds. Slowly pour in water as machine is running. Process another 30 seconds until dough forms a shaggy ball. Transfer to large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 3 hours. Divide into 3 balls; let rise, covered, another 30 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on counter; flatten each ball into a 8 x 10 rectangle and fold short ends to middle, sealing seam. Spread towel on counter and lay loaves on towel, seam side down. Allow to rise another 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 450. Score each loaf down the center with a sharp knife. Brush with olive oil and bake on lightly floured baking sheet for 25-35 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Banana Snacking Cake

Banana Snacking Cake

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 C. Fleischmann’s margarine, softened
1 1/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. Egg Beaters 99% Real Egg Product (3 eggs)
1 1/4 C. bananas, mashed
2/3 C. plain nonfat yogurt

In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat margarine and sugar until well combined. At low speed, blend in egg beaters and bananas. Add flour mixture alternately with yogurt, mixing until smooth. Stir in walnuts if desired. Spoon batter into greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired before serving.

Blueberry Turnovers

Blueberry Turnovers

Crust:
1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
2 T. (1 oz.) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 T. butter
Dash of salt
1 T. ice water

Filling:
2/3 C. blueberries
1 1/2 T. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 tsp. sugar, divided

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring C.; level with a knife. Place flour, 2 T. sugar, cream cheese, butter, and salt in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, add ice water through food chute, processing just until combined (do not form a ball). Press the mixture gently into a 3-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; place each portion between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Roll each portion into a 5-inch circle. Place dough in freezer for 5 minutes or until the plastic wrap can be easily removed. To prepare filling, combine blueberries and next 4 ingredients (blueberries through juice) in a bowl. Working with 1 dough portion at a time, remove plastic wrap from dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, and brush with egg white. Spoon about 2 T. blueberry filling onto half of circle. Fold dough over filling, and press the edges together with a fork to seal. Place the turnover on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat turnover with cooking spray, and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. sugar. Pierce the turnover with a fork. Repeat procedure with remaining dough, egg white, filling, and sugar. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack. Note: Expect the blueberries to ooze out of the crust a little during baking.

Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 turnover

Calories: 177
Fat: 5.8g
Fiber: 1.1g

Lemon Pistachio Biscotti

Lemon Pistachio Biscotti

2 1/2 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch salt
3 fresh lemons
3 large eggs
1 C. crushed pistachio nuts
powdered sugar, for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pepper and salt. Finely grate 1 T. of zest from the lemons and set aside. Squeeze 4 T. of juice through a strainer and reserve. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, lemon zest and juice together. Add this to the flour mixture along with the pistachios and stir until a stiff dough forms. Scrape the dough onto a lightly sugared work surface and divide it into 4 pieces. Roll each piece with the palms of your hands into a log slightly shorter than the length of your cookie sheet. Place two logs on each cookie sheet, several inches apart (the logs will double in width). Bake for 15 minutes, until the logs feel set or firm to the touch. Set the cookie sheets on racks and let cool. Reset the oven to 300°F. When cool to the touch, place the logs on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice them into 1/2-inch diagonal slices. Lay the biscotti out on the prepared cookie sheets in a single layer and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until they are dry and lightly toasted. Cool completely. Store in an airtight tin or plastic container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Yield: 72 Biscotti
Serving Size: 3 biscotti

Calories: 120
Fat: 3g
Fiber: 0g

Eggnog Cupcakes with Eggnog and Orange Buttercream Frosting

Eggnog Cupcakes with Eggnog and Orange Buttercream Frosting

1 C. butter (room temperature)

2 C. sugar

4 eggs separated (room temperature)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 C. all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

pinch of cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 C. eggnog

1/2 C. butter (1 stick)

1/2 C. shortening

4 C. icing sugar

1 tsp. orange extract

6 T. eggnog

Orange icing colouring (just a tiny bit!)

Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line muffin tins.  In a large bowl, cream together first portion of butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 4 or 5 minutes). Add two egg yolks and mix for an additional minute. Add remaining egg yolks and mix for an additional minute. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Alternate between adding dry ingredients the eggnog to the butter mixture, a little bit at a time. In small bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, add about 1/2 C. of the egg whites to the mixture and fold in gently, to separate and lighten the batter. Add remaining egg whites and fold in gently until no white streaks are present. Fill C.cake tins half full and bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the Cupcakes comes out clean. Allow Cupcakes to cool in the pan for ten minutes before removing to a wire wrack. Allow to cool completely before decorating. For the frosting, mix remaining butter and the shortening in a medium bowl until light and fluffy (about three minutes). Add orange extract and mix until combined. Add icing sugar a little at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Once all of the icing sugar has been mixed in, add eggnog 1 T. at a time until icing has reached desired consistency. Mix in a small amount of orange coloring to achieve a color that will contrast with the white icing sugar dust, but is not too dark. Frost Cupcakes using a 1M tip to make a swirl and dust with icing sugar by placing a few T. of icing sugar in a small strainer and gently tapping the side.

Green Chile Cheddar Braid Bread

Green Chile Cheddar Braid Bread

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup soft butter or margarine
3 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Green Chile Filling (recipe below)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 T. butter
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 can diced green chile

In a large bowl of electric mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Blend in milk, eggs, butter, sugar, salt, and cumin. Blend in 2 cups flour, 1 cup at a time. Beat on medium speed of mixer 3 minutes, scraping bowl often. With heavy duty mixer (Kitchen Aid with Dough Hook or wooden spoon) blend in remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto floured board, and knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turn over, and cover. Let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hrs. Meanwhile, prepare Green Chile Filling. When dough has risen, punch down and turn out onto floured board. Roll to a 9 X 30-inch rectangle. Crumble filling over dough to within 1 inch of edges. Starting from long side, roll up tightly. Moisten edge with water and pinch together firmly to seal. Using a floured sharp knife, cut roll lengthwise in halves. Carefully turn cut sides up. Loosely twist the two strips together, keeping cut sides up. Transfer to greased and floured baking sheet, and shape to a 10-inch circle. Pinch ends firmly together. Let rise in warm place, uncovered, until puffy looking, about 45-60 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake 5 minutes longer, until browned. Makes 1 10-inch twist. Green Chile Filling: Sauté onion and garlic in butter until soft but not browned. Cool. Mix in cheddar and chiles. Cover and chill.

Soft Pretzels with Roasted Jalapeño Cheese Sauce

Soft Pretzels with Roasted Jalapeño Cheese Sauce

These pretzels are best eaten when they are freshly made. So to make them for a crowd, make the dough then form and freeze the pretzels in advance of your party. This will also give you a good opportunity to double or triple your dough in case you need a lot of pretzels. Instructions for boiling and baking from the freezer are below.

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees F) pretzel
1 T. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
22 oz. all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
2 T. butter, melted
Pretzel, Kosher, or course sea salt

2 small jalapeño peppers
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
8 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (not package pre-shredded cheese – shred your own)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt
To make the pretzel dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the water, sugar, yeast, and salt on low speed for 10 seconds. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour and butter. Mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Place a barely damp towel over the dough and the formed pretzels to prevent them from drying out while you form the other pretzels. At this point, you can freeze the formed pretzels on the baking sheets. Once completely frozen, transfer them to a large zipper bag and continue to freeze until you need them. Use within 2 months. To make the pretzels: Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an wide 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. If you’re freezing your formed pretzels, skip this step now and continue with it when you’re ready to boil and bake your pretzels from the freezer. Using a flat spatula, gently lower the pretzels into the boiling water and boil them for 30 seconds. If boiling the frozen pretzels, add them to the water directly from the freezer – do not thaw them – and boil for a total of 45 seconds. Depending on the size of your pot, boil 2 to 4 pretzels at a time. Remove the pretzels from the water using the spatula, drain as best you can over the pot, and place them on the baking sheets. Brush the top of each pretzel with some melted butter and sprinkle with the pretzel/Kosher/sea salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. If the pretzels were frozen, bake for an extra 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly brush pretzels with the remaining melted butter immediately after you remove them from the oven. Serve warm.

To make the cheese sauce: Set the jalapeño on a baking sheet and roast under the broiler until blackened on all sides, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you roast them over a gas burner on the stove, turning with tongs. Place the jalapeños in a heatproof bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to cool for 15 minutes then with a paper towel, peel and discard the blackened skins off leaving just the fleshy peppers remaining. Slice, remove and discard the seeds, and roughly chop the peppers. Set aside. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the chopped jalapeños to coat with the butter. Whisk in the flour, coating the peppers, and cook for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk until no lumps of flour remain. Stirring constantly, bring the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the shredded cheese until all of the cheese has melted. Stir in the cilantro and add a pinch of salt, if needed. Serve warm. The sauce can be kept warm for 15 to 20 minutes over very low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave on medium power at 30 second intervals.

Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Straws

Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Straws

Sweet-and-Savory-Cheesy-Bacon-Wrapped-Puff-Pastry-Twist-1511 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded (or a mix of your favorite cheeses)
26-30 pieces thin cut bacon (or 18 pieces of thin cut bacon sliced in half lengthwise)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced (may sub sage or thyme)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. Open one sheet of puff pastry on a cutting board. Brush the surface lightly with some of the beaten egg. Sprinkle with your desired amount of cayenne pepper (I did 1 teaspoon per sheet of puff pastry). Sprinkle surface with 1/2 cup of cheese to evenly cover entire surface. Dust a rolling pin lightly with flour and then roll the rolling pin over the cheese to gently press the cheese into the puff pastry. Cut the puff pastry into long 1/2-inch-wide strips and then take each strip, fold in half and pinch the ends together. Now gently twist each strip several times. Take a piece of bacon and wrap it around the twisted pastry and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and bacon until everything has been used. Add the brown sugar, rosemary, salt and pepper to a shallow bowl or pie plate and toss well. Now carefully take each bacon wrapped pastry one at a time and dip it through the brown sugar mixture, using your hands to coat all over the twist. Place each twist back on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining twists. Bake the twist for 30 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. My bacon took 50 minutes to cook, but it was on the thicker side. I would start checking them at around 30 minutes and then every 5 to 10 minutes after that to make sure they are not burning. Once the bacon is cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes. Then use a spatula to carefully lift the twists off the baking sheet. Serve!

Green Onion Sesame Rolls

Green Onion Sesame Rolls

scallionbunsFor the Dough:
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
1 egg
2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

For the Filling:
Several stalks of green onion
1-2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with water)
Black and white sesame seeds to garnish

Dissolve the sugar in warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Let rest for 10 minutes or until foamy. Combine and mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, egg, and butter to the dry mixture. Mix the dough until it comes together. Move the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead for several minutes until dough is smooth. Add additional flour as needed. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow it to double in size, roughly one hour. (You can also refrigerate the dough overnight, but make sure to let dough sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to warm up before rolling). Punch the dough with your fist. Roll the dough into a rectangle of approximately 1/3 inch thick. Spread the olive oil and sesame oil onto the dough. Sprinkle the salt and green onion evenly over the dough. Roll and cut the dough into 16 pieces. Line two loaf pans with parchment paper and place 8 rolls into each pan. Cover the pans with a damp cloth and let the rolls rise in a warm place for approximately 30 minutes. Brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle the tops with black and white sesame seeds. Bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a roll comes out clean. Serve with dinner or enjoy as a snack!

No-Knead Olive Bread

No-Knead Olive Bread

Basic No-Knead Bread

5 cups flour (or flours) of your choice
1 T. yeast
1 T. salt
1 to 2 cups water

Roasted Garlic and Black Olive Bread
to the basic recipe add:

1 cup pitted black olives
1/3 cup peeled roasted garlic cloves; about 1 head roasted garlic

Combine all ingredients except water in a large bowl. Add water and mix with one hand, adding water until the dough just barely forms a ball and there are no little dry bits hanging out in the bowl. Depending on how moist the olives and garlic are, the amount of water can vary from 1 cup to 2 cups. This dough should feel too wet to knead and like biscuit dough in moisture content. Cover the bowl with a layer of plastic wrap; and let the dough rise at room temperature overnight, until the surface of the dough has risen and is flat, not rounded. For those who have worked with traditional kneaded dough, this will look like a disaster. Just wait, it will be fine. Place a Dutch oven (an oven proof pan with a lid) into the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Shape the dough into a round boule by tucking the dough loosely under itself; place the loaf in a bowl lined with parchment paper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again until doubled, another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Slash the tops of the loaf with a sharp knife and transfer the parchment paper and dough to the hot Dutch oven and cover with the hot lid. Bake until the exterior is golden brown and the bottom is firm; about 50 to 70 minutes (no peeking for at least the first half hour). Remove from both the oven and the Dutch oven and let cool before slicing.

Roasted Garlic Bread

Roasted Garlic Bread

4 Cups bread flour (or 2 Cups bread flour and 2 Cups whole wheat flour)
1/2 Tsp. instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
1 1/2 Tsp. salt
2 1/4 Cups room-temperature water
2 whole heads of garlic
1 T. olive oil (for roasting garlic)
Pinch of salt (for roasting garlic)
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting loaf

To roast garlic, slice the very top of the head off, revealing all the individual cloves. Then wrap each head in foil and drizzle in a tiny bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Wrap these little packages up and bake them at 350 degrees until the garlic is really fragrant and tender, about 30 minutes. If you want to test them, you should be able to easily slide a knife into a clove with almost no resistance. Let the roasted heads of garlic cool for a few minutes and then you can squish out each clove of garlic from the papery stuff. For bread dough, combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the roasted garlic and mix it in with your finger tips to make sure it’s evenly distributed. Add water and stir until blended; dough will be really wet and saggy. It’ll smell like roasted garlic though which is a good thing and you should be able to see tiny pieces of garlic in the dough. Cover this with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 14-18 hours. When its surface is dotted with bubbles, the dough is ready. At this point you need to form the loaf. Basically, just lightly flour a counter and pour the dough onto the surface. Gently fold it over itself a few times and then form it into a rectangular loaf. Sprinkle a clean towel with a good layer of cornmeal or semolina flour and lay the loaf on the towel, seam side down. Dust with additional corn meal or semolina. Cover this with another clean towel (or just fold the towel over onto the loaf). Let it rise again for about 2 hours. Dough should have more than doubled in size. At least a half hour before dough is ready, preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Put a 5- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Put the lid on the pot and cook it for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook the loaf for another 15-20 minutes until the loaf is a deep dark brown. Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing into it.

Gruyere Popovers

Gruyere Popovers

2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Coarse salt
6 large eggs
Unsalted butter, softened, for pans
1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese (3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together milk, flour, and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk in eggs (mixture will be lumpy). Heat two 6-cup popover pans in oven for 5 minutes. Generously brush cups with butter. Fill each cup a little more than halfway with batter. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out popovers. Serve warm.

Cherry Muffins with Crumb Topping

Cherry Muffins with Crumb Topping

6a00d8341c63d853ef00e54f1411958833-800wi1 C. all-purpose flour
3 T. light brown sugar
2 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
6 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 C. canola oil
3/4 C. whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries (try to use 2 cherries per muffin)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners or spray 2 muffin tins with cooking spray. MAKE THE CRUMB TOPPING: In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the melted butter, then pinch the mixture until it forms pea-size clumps. MAKE THE MUFFINS: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and canola oil and beat with a handheld electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat in the whole milk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and beat at low speed until the batter is smooth. Stir in the cherries. Spoon the batter into 18 of the cups, filling them about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of each one and bake for about 30 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

DSC_050913 eggs
2 C. grated zucchini
2 C. sugar
1 C. vegetable oil
1 T. vanilla
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C. chocolate chips (I used the darkest one I could find)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl beat the eggs until foamy. Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Mix in the zucchini and oil. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins and bake until golden and muffins spring back to a light touch. About 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Streusel Baked French Toast Sticks

Cinnamon Streusel Baked French Toast Sticks

brazilian-cheese-bread2 cups finely grated fresh Parmesan (or Pecorino Romano)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sour manioc starch (povilho azedo)
3/4 cup manioc starch or sweet manioc starch (povilho doce)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of black pepper

1. Place the Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor. Add the eggs and yolks and blend until you have a smooth paste, about 1 minute. Place the two types of manioc starch and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Place the milk, water, and oil in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Immediately pour the milk mixture into the starch mixture, all at once, and turn the machine on at low speed. Mix until the dough is smooth and the starch is completely incorporated, about 2 minutes. Pause the machine and add the cheese-egg paste, scraping it directly into the manioc starch mixture. Add the nutmeg, cayenne, and black pepper, and mix the dough at low speed until it turns a pale yellow, about 10 minutes. You are trying to develop the structure of the dough by kneading it slowly. The dough should feel a bit sticky and moist. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly coat your hands with olive oil (or flour them with manioc starch), pinch off walnut-size pieces of dough, and roll them between your palms. Alternately, you can use an ice-cream scooper to make 1-inch balls. Place them on the parchment, leaving 1 1/2 to 2 inches between the rolls. Bake the cheese rolls in the oven until they puff up and are lightly golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. To ensure even cooking, rotate the pan once during baking time. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the rolls in a basket lined with a napkin. Serve immediately, while they are still at their warmest and chewiest.

Corn & Rye Muffins

Corn & Rye Muffins

1 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. rye flour
1/2 C. stone-ground cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
2 to 4 T. sulfured molasses
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs or 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites
1 C. milk
1/3 C. corn or canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray muffin pan. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wets in another, then combine both of them and stir together quickly. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full and bake until they’ve risen and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

French Toast Breakfast Muffins

French Toast Breakfast Muffins

528309_597620340249616_2136955186_n1/3 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg (preferably room temperature)
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. milk

Topping (option: cut topping in half*)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir just until combined, but still a bit lumpy. Do NOT over mix; over mixing will ruin the texture of the finished muffins. Also? Don’t over mix the batter. Finally, don’t over mix. Scoop batter into muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray. Using a large ice cream scoop, I got 8 medium-large muffins out of this batter; I think you could get 10-12 muffins by distributing the batter a little less generously. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they just start to turn a bit golden at the edges. For the topping, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place melted butter in another small bowl. Dip the warm muffins in melted butter (you can dip just the top, but it’s even tastier to dip the whole muffin!), then dip/roll the muffin in cinnamon sugar.

Rainbow Cookies

Rainbow Cookies

cookie_rainbow_main2 large egg
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoon granulated sugar (5-1/2 ounces)
2 teaspoons lemon zest, from 1 lemon, freshly grated
2-1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces)
1 teaspoon large egg white , lightly beaten
Food coloring: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple

 

Place eggs in small saucepan, cover with 1 inch water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill small bowl with ice water. Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs to ice water and let stand 5 minutes. Crack eggs and peel shell. Separate yolks from white; discard white. Press yolks through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl.

Add sugar and lemon zest to a bowl. Use finger tips and rub the mixture until in resemble pale yellow wet sand.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar mixture, salt, and cooked egg yolk on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl and beater with rubber spatula. Turn mixer to low, add vanilla, and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer; add flour and mix on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Using rubber spatula, press dough into cohesive mass.

Divide dough in six equal portions; add food coloring to each piece and mix to achieve desire color. Roll each portion, on a piece of plastic wrap, into a long strip about 3 x 11 inches, 1/4 inch thick. Wrap each strip with the plastic wrap and chill until firm, about an hour.

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Place purple dough on a cutting board and brush with egg white. Place blue dough on top of purple and brush with egg white. Repeat with remaining dough in the order of green, yellow, orange and red (see photos). Using chef’s knife, trim edges and slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rectangles. Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets. (If dough is too soft when slicing, chill it for an additional 20-30 minutes.)

Bake cookies for 14-16 minutes, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using thin metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.