Friday, November 22, 2019

Cinnamon Belgian Waffles


Ingredients
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 pinch ground cinnamon

Directions
  1. Preheat your waffle iron.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and butter until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cinnamon; stir into the buttermilk mixture. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff. Fold into the batter.
  3. Spoon batter onto the hot waffle iron, close, and cook until golden brown. Waffles are usually done when the steam subsides.
Notes: I doubled this recipe for our family, as it was only 3 servings worth. I assumed about 1/16 Tbsp for each pinch of ground cinnamon, but next time I will add more - the cinnamon flavor did not stick out as much as I would have liked. Overall these were tasty waffles.

Source: allrecipes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Scones


Ingredients
1 1/4 cup Flour
3 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Butter cold and cut into pieces
1 Egg
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 - 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips

Instructions
  1. Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Pulse to blend. Add the pieces of butter and pulse until the butter is mixed well into the flour.
  2. Add the egg and milk and mix just until blended. Add the chips and pulse again. Dump the mixture out onto a floured surface and form into a circle and press until dough is about 1 inch thick. Cut into 6 or 8 triangles.
  3. Transfer scones onto a prepared cookie sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven for 10-15 minutes, until done.
  4. Make a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar, plus just enough milk to get a thin consistency, and drizzle over warm scones. Serve.
Notes: I didn't want to use a food processor so I mixed my dough by hand. These were tasty and not too sweet, but not nearly as good as the mixed berry scones I made earlier in the week. (These were a bit more dense and dry. Would be interesting to make that recipe with cocoa powder and chips mixed in.)

Overnight Oats - Walnut Brownie Blast


Ingredients
1/2 cup muesli
1/2 cup chocolate almond milk (or milk of preference)
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 walnuts, chopped
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate syrup
For topping: walnuts, dark chocolate chunks, unsweetened shredded coconut, chocolate syrup

Directions
  1. In a bowl, mix muesli through vanilla extract (everything but chocolate syrup and toppings) until well combined.
  2. Drizzle inside of jar with chocolate syrup.
  3. Pour in oats mixture, secure lid and refrigerate overnight.
  4. Before eating, top with walnuts, chocolate chunks, coconut, and chocolate syrup. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes: We didn't follow the recipe very closely but this still turned out to be tasty. Our variations: we used coconut milk (leftover from a previous recipe), semi-sweet milk chocolate chips, and forgot to top with coconut or chocolate chips.

Source: Kroger My Magazine mailer

Raspberry Oatmeal Pancakes


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raspberries

Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, mix oats with Greek yogurt and milk. Let stand 15-30 minutes for oats to soften. Meanwhile, in another large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. When 15-30 minutes has passed, beat eggs and vanilla into oat mixture. Pour oat mixture into flour mixture and stir until evenly combined.
  2. Heat griddle over medium heat. When hot, spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter onto griddle and sprinkle each with berries. Cook until pancakes are lightly browned on the bottom, then turn to lightly brown the other side.
  3. Serve pancakes right away or keep warm in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven.
Notes: Pancakes are hard to photograph. Spraying the griddle is important as the raspberries will stick otherwise. Two or three raspberries per pancake is about right.

Ham, Egg, and Cheese Grilled Cheese


Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 slices whole wheat bread
8 ounces Wisconsin cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces thinly sliced ham

Directions
  1. Preheat a waffle iron to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the top and bottom of the waffle iron or coat with nonstick spray.
  2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add eggs whisking, until they just begin to set; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue cooking until thickened and no visible liquid egg remains, about 3-5 minutes; set aside.
  3. Working in batches, place bread into the waffle iron. Top with cheese, ham, egg mixture, additional cheese and remaining bread slices. Close gently and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Serve immediately.
Notes: Using a waffle iron for grilled cheese sounded like fun. We only have a Belgian waffle iron though, and it didn't work as well as I would have liked. The bread slices were slightly too long for each waffle and due to the hinge I couldn't close the lid on all the sandwiches evenly. Lesson learned: cut bread a little, only cook 2 at a time instead of 4, and maybe just use a griddle or George Foreman style grill.

Glazed Mixed Berry Scones


Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour + about 2 to 4 tablespoons for work surface and hands
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold (1 stick)
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream (lite is okay)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping cup mixed berries (if using frozen, keep frozen so berries bleed/run less)
1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest, optional
turbinado, raw, or coarse sugar, optional for sprinkling
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
about 1 tablespoon cream or milk (or substitute with orange or lemon juice)

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, optional salt, and whisk to combine.
  3. Add the butter, and with a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter in. Some larger pea-sized butter clumps are okay; set bowl aside.
  4. In a small bowl, add the egg, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine until smooth.
  5. Pour wet mixture over dry, and fold until just combined with a soft-tipped spatula; don’t overmix or scones will be tough. Dough will be wet and shaggy.
  6. Fold in the berries and optional zest.
  7. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons flour over a Silpat or clean work surface and lightly coat hands.
  8. Turn dough out onto surface and knead it into a 8-inch round, approximately. Dough is very moist, wet, sticky, and tacky, but if it’s being too stubborn or too wet to come together, sprinkle with flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get it to come together and into a round.
  9. With a large knife, slice round into 8 equal-sized wedges.
  10. Using a flat spatula or pie turner, transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet spaced at least 2-inches apart. Do not crowd because scones puff and spread while baking. Tip – try to make sure there are no exposed berries touching the baking sheet because they’ll be prone to burning.
  11. Optionally, sprinkle each wedge with a generous pinch of turbinado sugar, about 1 teaspoon each.
  12. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until scones are very lightly golden and cooked through. (Less time if fruit is fresh.) A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Because they’re baking in quite a hot oven, watch them closely starting after about 15 minutes to ensure the bottoms aren’t getting too browned.
  13. Allow scones to cool on baking tray for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling. While the scones cool, make the glaze.
  14. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and cream (or citrus juice).
  15. Whisk together until smooth. Depending on desired consistency, you may need to play with the cream and sugar ratios slightly.
  16. Evenly drizzle the glaze over the scones before serving.
Notes: These were absolutely amazing! After breakfast I was craving them all day long. The leftovers disappeared shortly after I got home from work. I am new to making scones and didn't know what "shaggy" dough was in step 5, so I don't think I mixed mine well enough before adding the frozen fruit. So I had to do a bit of kneading afterwards and the berries bled quite a bit. Made these colorful and delicious though!

Source: Averie Cooks

Mom's Coffee Cake


Ingredients
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup nuts (chopped)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp melted butter

Directions
  1. Mix together oil, egg, and milk. Set aside.
  2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make well and add wet ingredients. Mix until moistened.
  3. Place in 8x8 pan; sprinkle topping on top. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
Notes: I looked around at other coffee cakes recipes but a lot of them looked way too rich or sugary. This recipe is one Brittany has been making since we got married. (It is yummy.) It tends to dry out so is best eaten quickly.

Source: Brittany's Mom

Friday, November 8, 2019

Poppy Seed Muffins


Ingredients
2 C. flour
1/2 C. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
3/4 C. milk
1/3 C. oil
1 tsp. almond or lemon flavoring
1 egg

Directions
  1. Sift together dry ingredients
  2. In another bowl, mix milk, oil, egg, and flavoring. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.
  3. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.
Notes: I like muffins. Poppy Seed Muffins are actually among my least favorite, but my kids like them. This was my first time making these and I thought they turned out well. The original recipe says the almond or lemon flavoring is optional, but Brittany did not like that I wasn't going to add anything so I went with the lemon.

Source: Brittany has had this recipe printed out forever. Not sure where she got it - probably from her Mom.

Overnight Oats: Apple Pie à La Oats


Ingredients
1/2 cup muesli
2/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup cinnamon applesauce
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. each vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon
1/4 cup diced apple
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
For topping: graham crackers, apple slices, cinnamon stick

Directions
Mix all ingredients except graham cracker crumbs in a bowl until well combined. Place graham cracker crumbs in bottom of jar. Pour muesli mixture overtop, secure lid and refrigerate overnight. Before eating, top with graham crackers, apple slices, and cinnamon stick. Refrigerate any leftovers.


Notes: We tried 4 different varieties of overnight oats all on the same morning. Of the 4 this was our favorite.

Source: Kroger mymagazine that came in the mail a long time ago.

Overnight Oats: Orange Dreamsicle


Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Juice of 1/2 orange
Orange wedges, peeled, for stirring in
2 Tbsp. vanilla yogurt
For topping: peeled orange slices, yogurt

Directions
Mix oats, milk, cream, vanilla, and orange juice in a bowl until well combined. Stir in orange wedges. Line bottom of jar with vanilla yogurt. Pour oat mixture into jar, secure lid and refrigerate overnight. Before eating, top with additional oranges slices and a dollop of yogurt. Refrigerate any leftovers.


Notes: We tried 4 different varieties of overnight oats all on the same morning. We didn't have any oranges so we used juice from a clementine and then added canned mandarin oranges. It still turned out quite yummy, though I think it would be even better with a stronger orange flavor.

Source: Kroger mymagazine that came in the mail a long time ago.

Overnight Oats: Go Bananas Oats


Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 tsp. honey
1 large banana, sliced
For topping: chocolate chips, sweetened shredded coconut, honey

Directions
In a bowl mix oats, almond milk, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and honey until well combined and cocoa powder is thoroughly distributed. Alternate layers of banana slices and oat mixture in jar. Secure lid and refrigerate overnight. Before eating, top with chocolate chips, coconut, remaining banana slices and a light drizzle of honey. Refrigerate any leftovers.


Notes: We tried 4 different varieties of overnight oats all on the same morning. This one is what all the kids picked. They enjoyed it.

Source: Kroger mymagazine that came in the mail a long time ago.

Overnight Oats: Piña Colada Escape


Ingredients
1/2 cup muesli
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp. pineapple juice
1/4 cup pineapple tidbits
2 Tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For topping: pineapple wedges, Maraschino cherries, unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions
Combine ingredients in jar, secure lid and refrigerate overnight. Before eating, top with pineapple wedges, cherries, and shredded coconut. Refrigerate any leftovers.



Notes: We tried 4 different varieties of overnight oats all on the same morning. This was good but our least favorite of the 4. Brittany warmed up some of the leftovers later and said it was better warm.

Source: Kroger mymagazine that came in the mail a long time ago.

Nutella Banana Mummy Rolls


Ingredients
1 package Pillsbury Crescent sheets
1 small container Nutella
2–3 bananas
heaping 1/2 cup powdered sugar
milk or water for glaze
Candy eyes

Directions
  1. Roll out crescent sheet to about 10-11 x 6-8 inches. Slice into 6 equal squares. Lightly score each square in 3 equal sections, vertically (without cutting through the dough). Using a knife, cut horizontal strips about 1/4 inch wide down each side section. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of nutella down the middles section, leaving about 1/2 inch on both the top and bottom and place a slice of banana on top. Fold the right two cut sections over the head and then then alternate right and then left, leaving a small space for the eye section.
  2. Bake at 375 until golden brown, probably about 12-15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool to room temperature. Mix powdered sugar with enough milk or water to form a glaze and then lightly drizzle it over the mummies. Let it dry to the touch and then serve. Makes 6.
Notes: This was our Halloween breakfast. Pictures at the source are more helpful than the text directions.

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls


Ingredients
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
One 2 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
One 15.25-ounce box red velvet cake mix
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook's Note)
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
  1. Whisk the water and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to dissolve; the mixture will bubble slightly. Add the cake mix and flour and stir vigorously for 1 minute until the dough comes together and no dry flour remains; don't be tempted to overwork or knead the dough or it will get very sticky and hard to work with. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until no lumps of sugar remain. Work in 12 tablespoons of the butter and stir until completely combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
  3. Beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, cream, vanilla, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.
  4. Gently deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall back into the bowl, turning the bowl and repeating if needed. Transfer to a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle, pushing the edges towards the center to make the sides straight. Spread the butter-brown sugar mixture over the dough in an even layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges. Starting on one of the shorter sides, tightly roll into a log, pressing the sides occasionally to keep them flush.
  5. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with butter. Cut the dough log crosswise into 12 equal pieces and arrange them cut-side up in the pan, gently shaping the rolls to make them fit in the pan. Let rise, covered, in a warm, draft-free area until almost completely covering the pan, about 30 minutes.
  6. Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
  7. Bake until the rolls are puffed and brick red and the filling is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool until set, about 30 minutes.
  8. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve.

Notes: I recently took over breakfast duty at our house. I am partially obsessed with trying new recipes. This was my first time ever making cinnamon rolls from scratch. I followed the recipe more or less exactly except for the yeast. I think the amount listed here is incorrect. I used the equivalent of 2 packages (1/4oz each). I also waited longer than 5 minutes to let the yeast grow more. It came out tasty but too sweet and heavy. None of my kids was able to finish a single cinnamon roll, and none of them helped eat any of the leftovers. If I ever make this again I will be reducing the butter.

Source: Food Network

Mom's Real Buttermilk Pancakes


Ingredients
2 C. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 beaten eggs
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 C. fresh buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 C. oil

Directions
  1. Sift together dry ingredients in mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Combine eggs, oil, and buttermilk in separate bowl.
  3. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Add a little more buttermilk if batter is too thin.
  4. Bake on hot griddle (350°F).

Notes: We've been making these forever but I've never bothered to add the recipe to the blog. Adding now since I took over breakfast duty last month and like to keep track of what I've made. 

Source: This recipe comes from Brittany's Mom.