Easy and Quick Chocolate Chip Muffins

I've always enjoyed making muffins. They can be sweet or savory and are easy to share. Muffins are also portion controlled (unless you eat multiples at once). I recently came across a very easy recipe from Lily Ernst (Little Sweet Baker) that is very forgiving and are made from ingredients that I usually have on hand. These have been very popular with family and co-workers and only take 30 minutes to make (that includes baking).

Here is the recipe for Chocolate Chip Muffins:

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

'Wet' Ingredients:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
1 cup sugar
buttermilk (or regular milk)
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients; set aside.
2. In a large bowl (I cheat and use a Kitchen Aid mixer), mix together the 'wet' ingredients.
3. Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the 'wet' ingredients until just mixed (Note: I have made these in a hurry and over-mixed them in my mixer - they turned out fine).
4. Grease muffin tins (12) and fill the tins with your mixture. For larger muffins, fill all 12 so they are very full. If you like smaller muffins, you can fill the tins about 3/4 full and get around 16 muffins. If you do this, watch your bake time!
5. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F; cook for 5 minutes.
6. Decrease heat to 375 degrees F and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from muffin pans and allow to cool. If you aren't going to eat them right away, make sure that they are fully cooled before storing them.

These are delicious as-is, but I'd also love to add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to the mix! Enjoy for breakfast, as a dessert, or just a snack!!

Perfect (and Beautiful!) Banana Muffins

I love bananas and eat them almost daily.  However, when it comes to banana flavored stuff, I'd prefer to pass.  I don't know what my problem is, but I do not like banana bread, banana muffins, etc.  My sister is even worse--she doesn't like bananas in any way, shape, or form.

Because I am a big banana eater, I often end up with leftover bananas that turn soft and brown on my counter.  I hate to throw them out because my husband LOVES banana bread, muffins, etc.  I had four well-aged 'naners on my counter the other day and decided to try out a recipe I found in Nigella Kitchen (see Monday's Cookbook Corner for a book review).  The result?  Muffins that were easy and fast to make that looked amazingly beautiful.  My husband loved them, as did my parents.

Make these when you want something homemade that doesn't take a lot of time (if you like bananas, that is!)

CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS

3 very ripe or over ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin cups.
• Place bananas in the bowl of a freestanding mixer; turn on to mash up the bananas.
• With the mixer still going, add the oil followed by the eggs and sugar.  Combine well.
• In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, and baking soda). Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, beating gently.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups (note: the muffin cups will be filled up, almost to the top).
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until muffins are dark, rounded, and peaking (as Nigella says) "proudly."  Let cool in the muffin tin  for a few minutes before taking the muffins out of tin and cooling on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

NOTES:

• These really are some of the easiest, prettiest muffins I've made in awhile
• My husband has requested the addition of walnuts and/or chocolate chips the next time I make these--I think both sound right!
• Since my husband and I are on Weight Watchers, I ran this through their recipe builder.  One muffin is about 6 points...in case you care!

A Simple and Easy Taste of the Season

On one of my recent trips to the grocery store, I looked over the seasonal display and found Pumpkin Scones by Sticky Fingers. I love their other scones and have found them to be incredibly easy to make - add 3/4 cup of water, mix with a fork, then scoop spoonfulls onto a greased baking tray; cook for approximately 15 minutes and you have delicious scones. I also really like the flavor of pumpkin and thought that I would give these a try.

I am really glad that I did! These were super yummy and followed in the tradition of the other Sticky Fingers product line. I made these while my son was getting ready for school and put a little bit of butter on them when they came out of the oven. The smell was definitely of Autumn and the flavors were delicious. I enjoyed mine with a hot cup of coffee. My mother thought that they could use raisins (I disagreed and this one and thought that they were wonderful as-is) and she also ate hers with some cream cheese (that actually looked good).

Anyway, if you enjoy pumpkin flavored breads then keep your eye out for this mix. Again, I am always happy with the Sticky Fingers products and highly recommend them!

Eat Healthy: Cran-Bran Muffins

If you read my other blog (my makeup blog), you may know that I'm on something of a health kick lately.  Over the past weekend, I wanted to bake something healthy and decided to whip up some Cran-Bran Muffins.

I like bran muffins.  I like the nutty flavor, the dense texture, and all that fiber.  These muffins came out sweet and flavorful.  Sure, they'd be awesome with a slathering of really good butter, but they're not bad as-is, either.  They're especially good warm, so eat them right out of the oven or toast them up a bit.

The only thing I didn't love about these muffins is that they cooked up rather small.  Maybe next time, I'll make fewer muffins and fill the tins a little higher.  I might also work on lightening up the batter (cake flour instead of regular flour?  I don't know!)

This recipe comes from Cooking Light.  The only change I made was to use Craisins instead of raisins.  Use what you want, and add any seasonings you might want.  This would be good with some grated orange (with the craisins) or with some nuts and spices.


Cran-Bran Muffins, Makes 12

1 cup All Bran cereal (the kind that looks like twigs)
3/4 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup craisins
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. Combine cereal and milk in a bowl; let stand 5 minutes.  Add craisins, honey, oil and egg; stir well.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. 
4. Pour the flour into the cereal mixture and mix until just moist--but be sure not to over stir!
5. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 of the way up.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes (or until muffin springs back when touched lightly in the center).  Serve warm.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Since Aidan and I went blueberry picking last week, we have lots of fresh, juicy, delicious berries to eat! I was flipping through various recipes and remembered this one from my favorite cookbook, The Southern Living Cookbook.

I have made this recipe before, but I have never used fresh blueberries. It is a really easy recipe and the muffins are really good! They have lots of berries, are soft and tasty, and have a crunchy streusel top. They make a wonderful breakfast or dessert and really compliment coffee!

Muffin Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen can also be used)

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 cup butter, softened

• Cream butter; gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, beating well.

• Combine 2 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and fold in blueberries.

• Spoon batter into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and cinnamon; cut in 1/4 cup butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle on top of muffin batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately. Yield 1 1/2 dozen.
  

Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Non-Dairy Brownies, Are They Good?

I recently started a new job (yeah!!) and one of my co-workers has a gluten food allergy. One night we decided to have a gluten free dinner - that was easy, we had taco salads (super yummy and gluten free thanks to corn tortilla chips). I wanted to also have something chocolaty for dessert and I found Pamela's Chocolate Brownie Mix (that is gluten and wheat free) and thought I would give it a try.

These were very easy to make. I used the directions for the original oil recipe:
1 bag of Pamela's Brownie Mix
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a lightly greased square pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 18 minutes, then let cool. Cut into squares and enjoy!

I ended up cooking my batch for an additional 5 minutes (my stove usually takes a bit longer) and I let them cool for about 2 hours before I cut them. They were moist and filled with chocolate chunks and very good for a mix. I can't say that I missed the flour or wheat and felt that these were a great substitute! My one complaint is the price, almost $8.00 at Safeway, but if you can not eat wheat, gluten, or dairy I would spend the money to get my dessert fix!

When Life Gives You Bananas...

Make banana bread!

I'm funny about bananas. I like to eat them when they're in their normal, banana-y state. But squish up a banana and turn it into bread or muffins, and I'm out the door. I hate banana flavored stuff, even if the banana "flavor" comes from the real deal.

My husband, on the other hand, loves bananas and banana flavored foods. Since I had more than a few overly ripe bananas lying around on my counter, I decided to be a nice little wifey-poo and whip up some banana bread for the Mister.

I borrowed Nigella's Banana Bread recipe from How to Be a Domestic Goddess...but I made a few changes. Here's what I did:

BANANA BREAD
1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs4 overly-ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup chopped walnuts plus 2 Tablespoons
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter a 9 x 5 loaf pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well to combine. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat together melted butter and sugar. Add eggs on at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add bananas and mix well.

Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts, the chocolate chips and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture and stir well to combine.

Pour batter into the loaf pan. Tap the pan on the counter to settle the mixture. Top with the remaining 2 Tablespoons walnuts.

Bake at 325 for 1 to 1 1/4 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the loaf pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool. Slice as thick or as thin as you'd like.
Variations:

• Nigella recommends soaking 1/2 cup of golden raisins in 3 ounces of bourbon or dark rum in a small saucepan. Bring the alcohol and raisin mixture to a boil; remove from heat and cover. Let the mixture sit for 1 hour off heat, allowing the raisins to plump up and absorb the alcohol. Drain and then add to the banana mixture in place of the chocolate chips. I don't do this because my husband loathes raisins.
  
• You could make muffins instead of a loaf. Just use a muffin tin and watch the cooking time.
• For more fiber, use whole wheat flour.
• Try some spices: cinnamon, cardamom, etc. would probably work.
• Up the chocolate factor by replacing 2 Tablespoons of flour with 2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder.
  

One Of My Favorite Desserts: Black Bottoms

Growing up, there has been an on-going debate in the house on how to properly eat a black bottom cupcake. One camp (my Dad's) likes them fresh from the oven with the cream cheese and chocolate chips melting. The other camp (my sister's & myself) prefer them cold, with the cream cheese and chocolate chips formed and solid. Either way, these are one of my favorite desserts and will always bring back good & tasty childhood memories. So whip up a batch and join the debate - warm or cold!

Filling:
1 egg
1, 8 ounce cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar

• Combine then add 6 ounces chocolate chips.

Cupcakes:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Combine and blend well.

Directions:

• Fill muffin tin with foil or paper cupcake liners.
• Put cupcake mixture into liners, 2/3 full.
• Drop a tablespoon of filling into cupcakes, do not blend.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
• Refrigerate when cool (these can also be frozen).
  

Dream Squares

Pumpkin Dream Squares

We have had these for dessert quite a few times and they are moist and delicious. The actual name of the recipe is Apple Dream Squares, but I have used all sorts of fruit butters to make them and apple just seems to be restrictive.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound margarine
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup apple butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts
powdered sugar

• Place the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly.

• Add all at once brown sugar, apple butter, eggs and chopped nuts. Stir with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are moistened and blended.

• Place mixture in a greased 9x13x2 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until center tests done with a toothpick.

• Cool, cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.

Notes:
I have used apple butter, pumpkin butter and cranberry butter to make these and all have turned out delicious! These also always take longer than 30 minutes (at least in my oven) - they usually need another 10 minutes to fully cook. I also think that some raisins would be a nice touch - I never add them though because when these are made, half of the family would not like the addition! Finally, the type of nuts I use are pecans - I think that they have the best flavor with the fruit.

Delicious Buttery Bars

Mom made these last week for a dessert. When I first heard her describe as "strawberry bars" I wasn't too excited, then I had one and then another. They turned out to be very delicious and melted in my mouth with a cup of coffee. I also really liked them for breakfast the following morning.

Mom definitely turned me into a strawberry bar convert. She got the recipe from Land O'Lakes and the original recipe calls for raspberry preserves (Mom substituted strawberry), but you could use your favorite and I am sure it would be equally good!

Old-World Raspberry Bars
Crumb Mixture:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup Land O'Lakes butter, softened
1 egg

Filling:
1 (10 ounce) jar raspberry preserves or your favorite flavor preserves

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixer bowl, combine all crumb mixture ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is crumbly (2 to 3 minutes). Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture; set aside.
2. Press remaining crumb mixture on bottom of greased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. Spread preserves to within 1/2 inch of edge. Crumble reserved crumb mixture over preserves.
3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely; cut into bars.

These pack well and would make you the hero of the office if you brought them in to share during a coffee break!

Just in Time for St. Patty's Day

A few months ago I was flipping through my copy of Feast by Nigella Lawson. I came across many recipes I wanted to try, but was especially intrigued by her Chocolate Guinness Cake...so much so that I added "MAKE NIGELLA'S GUINNESS CAKE" in my calendar on my iPhone.

Since St. Patrick's Day is just a few days from now, I decided to make this black beauty over the weekend. I served it to my family and received rave reviews. My dad even said it was the best chocolate cake he'd ever had. Not bad. The Guinness adds a depth of flavor to the cake that's subtle but delicious. You won't bite into this and say "wow--this takes like beer", but there is a malty, nutty, deep flavor that's very good.

This is one of the easiest cakes I've ever had the pleasure to make. The ingredients are few and simple, and I really think it makes a difference to use the best ingredients possible. Make sure you use full-fat sour cream (I used my mom's favorite brand, Daisy)--cakes are never the time to skimp on flavor just to save a few calories.

Before you get cooking, take time to read over the recipe. I prepped myself before turning on my oven or stove. I had everything ready and waiting for me so I could work fast. The cake batter comes together extremely fast, so being set up ahead of time really helped.

Here's the recipe. This is a new family favorite and I imagine I'll be making this many, many times.

CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE
Makes 1 9" cake (about 12 slices)

Cake Ingredients
1 cup Guinness
1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Getting ready

• Preheat oven to 350. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• Measure out cocoa and sugar--stir together in a small bowl and set aside.
• In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.
• In a third bowl, mix the flour and baking soda together. Set aside.

Making the cake

• Pour the Guinness into a large, wide saucepan. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, letting the butter melt. Whisk from time to time.
• When the butter is melted, add the cocoa and sugar to the pan. Whisk well. Pull the saucepan off heat.
• Add the sour cream/eggs/vanilla mixture to the Guinness and cocoa powder mixture in the saucepan; whisk well.
• Add the flour/baking soda to the saucepan and whisk together quickly.
• Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake 45 minutes to an hour. The cake will pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted to the center should come out with a few crumbs on it.
• Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for several hours. Remove the sides of the pan, flip the cake over, and remove the bottom of the springform pan. Peel off the parchment paper.
  
• When the cake is completely cooled, set it on a cake plate or serving plate to ice.

For the Topping
Note: You don't have to add the icing, but it's really, really good. Plus the lovely white layer of icing on top of the black cake sort of looks like a pint of Guinness.

8 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

• Place the cream cheese in the bowl of your mixer and beat for a few minutes.
• Add the confectioners' sugar and whip well.
• Pour in the heavy cream and continue to mix until the icing is smooth and spreadable.
• Ice just the top of the cake as you like.
• Devour!
  

Cookbook Corner: Small Batch Baking

I've mentioned it before, but I am a cookbook fiend. I have zillions of them lying around and I really believe that you can never have too many. It's just not possible.

I also think it's not always fair to judge a book by its cover. If that were the case, the scary lady with the tiny cakes on the cover of Small Batch Baking would have scared me off for sure. But I'm glad I didn't let her get in my way because this book fits a niche.

I live in a two person household and I love to bake. What I don't love, however, is having dozens of cookies, pounds of cake, or tons of muffins to eat. With just two people, we never get through a full batch of anything and that means I'm giving stuff away or throwing stuff away. Not cool.

What to expect: The first part of the book gives hints for baking for less than an army. Debby Maugans Nakos has a technique for baking cakes in recycled tin cans, which is both frightening and frugal. The rest of the book is broken down into the following chapters:

• Beautiful Small Cakes
• Pies and Tarts
• Cookies and Bars
• Crumbly, Sweet and Fruity: Cobblers, Crisps, Crumbles, and Shortcakes
• Baked Puddings
• Sweet and Savory Muffins and Breads
• Valentine Specials
• Holiday Goodies You Can't Live Without

Best recipes:

• Chocolate Birthday Cake with Double Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting, page 16
• Bake Sale Lemon Meringue Pie, page 130
• Flaky Cherry Cobbler, page 220
• Rustic Bacon Biscuits, page 318
• Peanut Butter Tarts, page 374
• Southern Pecan Pie, page 430

Complaints: Apart from the scary lady on the cover? I don't love the cookie section of this book. The recipes yield less than half a dozen cookies and that seems, well, like a waste of time. There are no photos in this book, which doesn't really bother me, though it would be nice to see some of these things in their final form.

Deliciousness Scale: 3 spoonfuls of yum out of five. Like I said, this really is a niche book, but it works for me and my family.

Details: This review is based on the 2004 edition of Small Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos, ISBN 9780761130352.

Cookbook Corner: Baker's Companion

Continuing on the baking kick I've been on lately, I thought it would be a good time to introduce you to one of my favorite baking cookbooks. If you ever want to buy me a cookbook and you're not sure what to get me, a baking book is always a great idea. I have many a baking book, and as a rule I love them all, for different reasons.

This book comes from The King Arthur Flour people, and if you've ever used King Arthur flour, you know how nice their products are. They also have a really fun shop in Vermont that I look forward to visiting when I'm back in the Green Mountain State. These people know their baking stuff...if you just follow their advice, you're going to do just fine.

A lot of people are intimidated by baking, but I really think that's silly. When it comes to doing it right, just be sure to read the recipe through a couple of times before you get cooking and take your time.

Now on to the book!

What to expect: The book starts with a great overview on measuring, and even if you're an experienced baker, you can learn a thing or two by reading this section. The rest of the book is broken down into chapters filled with recipes on:

• Breakfasts
• Fried Doughs
• Quick Breads
• Buckles, Cobblers, and Crisps
• Crackers and Flatbreads
• Yeast Breads
• Sourdough
• Cookies and Bars
• Cakes
• Pies, Tarts, and Quiches
• Pastry and Viennoiserie

Best Recipes: here are five of my favorites:

• Cinnamon Puffs, page 67
• Scallion Cheddar Scones, page 121
• Devil's Food Cake, page 345
• Almond Puff Loaf, page 99
• Basic White Bread, page 198

Complaints: There are not a ton of pictures in this book, and when it comes to baked goods, looking at them is so inspiring. Oh well. Also, you really, really, really need to read the full recipes through at least once or twice so you know what's going on. They don't specify if butter or other ingredients should be at room temperature, so reading the full recipe is mandatory. But the pros with this book outweigh the cons.

Deliciousness Scale: 4 spoon fulls of yum out of 5. I think this would be an awesome wedding or housewarming gift.

Details: This review is based on the First Edition of the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, ISBN 0-88150-581-1, published in 2003.

Baking Essentials

I'm on something of a baking kick lately. I am not sure why, exactly, but I do find a great deal of peace in baking something yummy. Baking requires you to slow down, to take your time and work through a process. And once you're done, you end up with great smells coming from the oven and (hopefully) something delicious to munch on. Baking is exact, but it's like a marriage of chemistry and magic. And that's always fun.

There are a ton of gadgets and do-dads that make cooking easier, but here is my list of absolute baking essentials:

• Measuring tools: at very least, you should invest in decent measuring cups and spoons. I prefer stainless steel because they seem more official. They also clean up easily and seem like they'll last longer than plastic (that's just my humble opinion). You'll also need something to measure liquid. For this, I like Pyrex glass measuring bowls. I have several different sizes of these and I recommend you get a 1-Cup, a 2-Cup and a 4-Cup for your kitchen. Remember: the Pyrex measures can go into the microwave, so they're super handy. Plus the large size allows you to mix up batter which is convenient. I've tried the angled liquid measuring cups, but I don't think they're very accurate or easy to use.
  
  
• Decent scale: You don't have to spend a ton of money on this, but like I said earlier in the week, using a scale to weigh your ingredients is faster, easier, and more accurate than measuring by volume (that said, you'll still need to get decent measuring cups and spoons!).
  
  
• Quality pans: Spend a tiny bit more (and go to a more specialized kitchen store) and get heavier pans that seem more sturdy and less likely to warp over time. You'll want (at very least) a normal sized cupcake pan (or two), 8 or 9-inch round cake pans, a brownie pan, and a loaf pan. I like the professional line of products by Chicago Metallics because they're reasonably priced and good quality. Nordicware also rocks.
  
  
• Sheet/Cookie pans: Again, I really think it's better in the long run to invest in good quality stuff. Buy at least two half sheets and you should be set.
  
  
• Cooking racks: I have two wire cooling racks, but I really think I should get one or two more. They're useful for cooling, but you can also put them inside your half sheets if you're cooking stuff like chicken (it lets the fat drip away from the meat--I do this when I cook chicken legs/wings in the oven). I am not a big fan of the stacked cooling rack, though they save counter space...I suppose.
  
  
• A decent mixer: I take it for granted that everyone has a Kitchen Aid mixer in their house--probably because I think everyone should have one. I got mine for a high school graduation gift, and I adore it. I use it constantly and can't imagine not having one. If you don't have a Kitchen Aid, at least invest in a decent electric hand mixer...it will save you hours of mixing by hand.
  
  
• Good bowls: Use whatever you like, but make sure you have a decent set of bowls. I have glass, stainless steel, and melamine bowls and each serves its purpose. I am not a huge fan of ceramic bowls--they tend to chip and don't stand up for the long haul.
  
  
• Spoons, scrapers, etc.: You can never have enough wooden spoons, rubber spatulas, or stainless steel tongs, in my opinion. You'll also want a good whisk and a bench scraper in your collection.
  
  
• Rolling pin: I prefer a rolling pin without handles. I rarely use my rolling pin because I have yet to become an enthusiastic pie/pastry maker. But still, it's good to have one around because using a wine bottle to roll out dough only goes so far.
  
  
• Pastry brushes: I can't stand silicone pastry brushes for baking, but many people swear by them. I always have a couple brushes around--in different sizes.

This should get you started, but this is just a bare bones list. There's a ton of other stuff that could be mentioned, but I'll save that for another time. What's your favorite baking tool? Leave a comment and let us know!

Measuring Up

Quick question: when you bake, how do you measure out your ingredients? Do you use measuring spoons and cups (measuring by volume), or do you use a scale (measure by weight)?

Until recently, I always brought out my mismatched measuring cups and banged up measuring spoons to make sure I had the right amount of ingredients. I filled cups with flour, scraping off the excess with a knife. I used my Pyrex measuring cup to dole out a cup of milk, a 1/2 cup of water.

But now? Now I've found a better way.

Thanks to my sister for buying me an awesome birthday gift, I am making a big switch. Instead of measuring out ingredients, I am going to--when possible--weigh them instead. According to the baking gurus (the folks over at King Arthur Flour), weighing out ingredients is much more accurate. Apparently, measuring cups can, by law, vary up to 12%. I never knew that before, and in some cases, that 12% might make the difference between a light fluffy cake and one that's more like a hockey puck.

The scale my sister bought me is from Salter, and it lets me do a lot. I can put my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl directly on the glass scale, turn it on, add a few scoops of flour, and get an accurate read (in ounces) on the digital display. I can also switch the scale from ounces to fluid ounces if I am measuring liquids. I think measuring by weight is not only more accurate, but also faster, easier, and less of an ordeal.

If you're really into baking, you should consider making the investment and buying a quality scale. It will change the way you work! And, if you're interested, here are some common conversions:

• All-Purpose Flour (1 Cup): approx. 4 1/2 oz. (this can vary depending on what kind of flour you're using. Refer to the conversion chart that comes with your scale.
• Granulated White Sugar (1 Cup): 7 oz.
• Brown Sugar (1 Cup): 8 oz.
  
• Butter (1/4 Cup/4 Ts): 2 oz.
• Honey (1/2 Cup): 6 oz.
• Almonds, Whole (1/2 Cup): 2 1/2 oz.
• Almonds, Sliced (1/2 Cup): 1 1/2 oz.
• Chocolate Chips (1 Cup): 6 oz.
  

The Devil Made Me Do It

My birthday was a couple of days ago and I must say that as an adult, it's hard to think of things to ask for. So when the family asked me for a list, I could only think of kitchen things. I asked for (and got) good quality cake pans, spring form pans, stainless steel mixing bowls, and a killer kitchen scale. It makes a difference to have higher quality things to work with!

To test out my new goods, I whipped up a Devil's Food Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. This recipe is from King Arthur Flour's Baking Companion. I followed the recipes to the letter, but I have a few suggestions on how to improve things.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

• 12 Tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks--I use unsalted butter for baking. This should be at room temp)
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt (use normal table salt--not kosher or sea salt--for baking)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs (these should be at room temp)
• 1 1/2 cups milk or water (I use whole milk for baking)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease and flour (or use cocoa powder instead of flour so you don't get any white residue on the outside of the cake) two 9-inch or two 8-inch cake pans (this can also make a 9 x 13-inch sheet cake or about 24 regular sized cupcakes).
   
3. In large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, baking soda, and vanilla until fluffy and light, about 5 minutes. You should really let your mixer do it's job here. Give it time to fully incorporate the ingredients.
   
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa.
5. Add eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition (again, let your machine have time to fully incorporate each egg).
6. Slowly blend 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, then 1/2 of the milk, another 1/3 of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Also, you may want to give the mixture a final stir by hand.
7. Pour the batter evenly in the prepared cake pans. Tap the pans on the counter a bit to help settle the batter.
8. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes (longer for sheet cake, a bit less for the 8-inch or cupcakes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan.
   
9. Remove cakes from oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them from the pan.
10. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups (1 pound) confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup milk (you may need to increase the milk to up to a total of 10 Tablespoons)

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and vanilla.
2. Add confectioners' sugar in three parts, alternating with milk, stirring until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
3. Frost cake as desired.

VARIATIONS

• If you don't want the peanut butter frosting, pick whatever you like best.
• Next time I make this cake, I am going to add some instant espresso to the mix to really bring out the chocolate flavor.
• I used whole milk, but I wonder if buttermilk or sour cream would give the cake a bit more tangy-ness. I'll have to give that a try!
  

Keep the Home Fires Burning

Valentine's Day was Sunday, and many people went out to celebrate the Hallmark holiday in fancy-schmancy restaurants. My husband and I are never ones to follow trends, so instead of eating out, we opted to spend the evening at home. We cooked a dinner together and had a lovely, quiet night.Not knowing what we wanted to have for dinner, we made a pit stop at the Safeway and wandered around aimlessly. We spotted a display of pre-measured, pre-packaged spices on recipe cards from McCormick (called McCormick Recipe Inspirations). My husband was intrigued, so we grabbed the packet for Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Potatoes (they also have packets for Quesadilla Casserole, Apple Sage Pork Chops, Garlic Lime Fajitas, Spanish Chicken Skillet, and Shrimp and Pasta Primavera). We also snagged some chicken and small red-skinned potatoes and headed for home.
My husband is not a cook. He amazing at many things, but cooking is not one of them and that's ok. But he decided that he wanted to help put dinner together. He diced up the potatoes and tossed together the chicken pieces and potatoes with the pre-measured spices and some oil. It was super easy and he had fun getting his hands dirty.
The dinner cooked up quickly and easily and resulted in moist chicken with crispy skin and tender but pleasantly crunchy potatoes. The seasoning was excellent and the meal was perfect. I know it's a gimmicky product, but I must say that the McCormick Recipe Inspirations card was a good find. The recipe on the back can be used over and over with the spices I have in my pantry. Sometimes when my hubby and I go on vacation, we rent a house at the beach. I could see packing one of these Recipe Inspiration cards with us to make for an easy but yummy meal on the fly.

While at the grocery, my husband requested that I make up a batch of Red Velvet cupcakes. Who am I to deny my husband something sweet on Valentine's Day? After we prepped the chicken, we whipped up Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for dessert. I use a recipe from the food blogger at Vanilla Garlic. Click here to get the recipe for yourself. These cupcakes are super delicious, so I highly recommend you check it out.

I hope you all had as nice of a Valentine's Day as we did!

Yum for Breakfast...or Any Time!

My mother stole this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and all I can say is: Thanks, Mom!

If you're looking for an easy, super yummy recipe for something that can be eaten for breakfast on the run (or for a middle of the afternoon pick me up), give this one a try.

The ricotta cheese makes the difference, so use the best quality you can find. Don't substitute vanilla extract for the almond. The almond gives these muffins more depth and a much better flavor. And the sliced almonds on the top toast as the muffins cook, so they'll be crunchy, toasted and super nutty. This really is one of my favorite muffin recipes.

LEMON RICOTTA MUFFINS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar or more as needed for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup thinly sliced almonds

1. Directions Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to blend.
   
3. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the ricotta. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and almond extract.
   
4. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended (the batter will be thick and fluffy).
   
5. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
   
6. Sprinkle the almonds and then the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar over the muffins.
   
7. Bake until the muffins just become pale golden on top, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Cookbook Corner: Savory Baking

I love baking cookbooks. I have several and always want more. Over the holiday shopping season, I noticed that March Cech's Savory Baking: Warm and Inspiring Recipes for Crisp, Crumbly, Flaky Pastries was on several "best of 2009" cookbook lists.

I am more of a fan of savory snacks and was excited by the prospect of a book dedicated only to less-sweet baked goods. Thankfully, my husband picked up a copy for me and I am eager to get baking!

What to expect: This book includes 75+ recipes and several color photos. The author takes normally sweet baked foods and puts an interesting savory twist on them. She also goes beyond just baked savory treats and includes a few items that could be main course dishes in their own right. The book starts off with the normal explanation and information about equipment and techniques and ends with a section on various accompaniments like sauces, spreads, chutneys, and dressings.

Best recipes: There are plenty of recipes I'm anxious to try, like:

• Sour Cream and Dill Muffins (page 35)
• Onion and Sherry Cream Turnovers (page 64)
• Portobello Mushroom, Rosemary, and Shallot Cream Clafouti (page 101)
• Thyme, Lemon, and Sea-Salt Shortbread (page 124)
• Black-Rimmed Pistachio Wafers (page 137)
  

Complaints: None! Though I'd love to see more recipes and more photos. Maybe they'll do another version of this book since this one has done so well.

Deliciousness scale: 4 spoonfuls of yum out of 5!

Details:
This review is based on the 2009 edition, ISBN: 9780811859066

Baby Got Bundt

Every Christmas Eve, my husband and I go out to dinner together then drive around to look at Christmas lights. This year my poor husband didn't get home from work until 9:30 pm, so I went out with my parents, my sister, and my nephew to a yummy Italian place. After a lovely dinner, we drove around to look at Christmas lights then came back to my house for a homemade dessert and our annual ornament exchange.

After a big carb-filled Italian dinner, the last thing I wanted was something cloyingly sweet or super heavy. But everyone told me they wanted something chocolaty for Christmas Eve dessert. My solution? A simple but delicious chocolate Bundt cake.

I got the recipe (below) from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book and didn't make any changes. It turned out to be a very moist, chocolaty cake that was plain, simple, and delicious.

RICH CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee
3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan per the note below. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together and set aside.
2. In another medium bowl, combine the cocoa, chocolate, and instant espresso. Pour the boiling water over the top, cover, and let sit until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk the mixture smooth and set aside to cool. When cool, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until combined, about 1 minute. (The batter may look curdled.)
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the chocolate mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and all of the remaining chocolate mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just incorporated.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan and tap the pan gently on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway though baking.
6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving.

A note about preparing a Bundt pan:
To ensure that your cake comes out of the Bundt pan neatly, follow this awesome trick:

• Mix together 1 Tablespoon melted unsalted butter with 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (or flour if you are making a non-chocolate Bundt cake) to make a paste.
• Use a pastry brush to thoroughly coat the entire Bundt pan--don't forget to do all the sides, the nooks and crannies, and the center tube
  

Other notes and variations:

• Trust your electric mixer and really give it time to do its job. Don't rush the mixing process in step 3.
• Don't leave the coffee out of this cake. The only way I like coffee is in a mug with no cream or sugar; I am not a fan of coffee-flavored stuff. However, in this recipe the coffee enhances the richness of the chocolate and doesn't leave behind a strong coffee flavor.
• Serve the cake with whipped cream, if you like that sort of thing.
• You could probably play around with some of the flavors in this. You could add orange, almond, or other types of extract.
• If you want to get fancy, you could probably frost or glaze this cake, but that takes away from its simplicity.