Monthly Archives: October 2016

Banana Peanut Butter Blondies

 

We celebrated a special birthday yesterday at work! One of the birthday girl’s favorite combinations is banana, peanut butter, and chocolate! But than again who doesn’t love this happy marriage of flavors. I know Elvis did as well hence the name!

Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time: 35 minutes

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cooking spray a glass 9 by 13 glass baking dish. Set aside. 

Recipe yields: 32 blondies

Ingredients:

2 (4) inch ripe bananas, mashed  (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 (1/4cup) stick unsalted butter, room temperature 

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup mini chocolate covered Peanut butter cups or mini buckeyes

Directions:

In a electric mixer bowl, cream together the sugar, bananas, peanut butter, butter and vanilla. Gradually on low speed, add one egg at a time. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Fold in the mini peanut butter cups. Evenly spread the batter into a lightly sprayed baking (9×13) pan.

Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and edges start to brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Once completely cooled store in a sealable container. 

Tip: These are best served with some ice cream :)

Pizza Stew


The other day I was meeting with a client and we were talking slow-cookers and warm fall recipes. She explained to me this marvouis idea of pizza soup. 

My client went on to tell me she makes the soup thick to serve almost as a gravy over baguettes or crusty bread. Well she had me at slow-cooker and I told her I would have to make this creative twist on a classic comfort food this weekend. 

Let me just say it’s so easy… bonus you can all your favorite pizza toppings. 

Prep time: 10 minutes       Cook time: 8 hours

Yields: 6 servings (1 heaping cup)

Ingredients: 

2 cups of cooked crumbled Italian sausage

1 cup cup of Italian hard pepperoni sliced and quartered 

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup diced red pepper 

1/2 cup diced onion

1 (2.25) can of sliced olives, rinsed & drained 

1 tablespoon of pizza seasoning

1 large can (22.3 ounce) of condensed  tomato soup, healthy request

1 cup of tomato sauce (we used our favorite)

12 ounce of water 

1 ounce of pesto (our recipe)

3/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

2 large baguette, cut into 2 slices 

4 quart slow-cooker

Directions:

1.Place the first 11 ingredients into the slow-cooker & give it a good stir. Place the lid on the vessel. Set the crockpot to low for 8 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to broil. Portion out 6 servings into individual ramekins. Place one piece of baguette into the ramekin to submerge and top with two tables of cheese. Place the ramekins on sheet a baking pan. Allow to bake for 2 minutes. Remove from oven with caution & enjoy!


Baked Apple Pie Spiced Cider Donuts


Apple Cider is a highly anticipated seasonal beverage in our household and an assist to many fall home cooked dishes.  I can find a way to add it to just about anything. Whether the recipe be a sweet baked good or savory dinner dish. 

A breakfast of donuts must be one of my husband’s favorite morning treats. He also loves fresh cider. This breakfast donut combines the two for a satisfing starter for the fall weekend. 

This recipe yields: 14 Donuts using the Wilton Donut baking dish

Prep time: 30 minutes  Cook time: 9-10 minutes

Prework:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and generously spray baking pan with cooking cooking, set aside. 

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry

1 teaspoon apple pie spice 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 kosher salt

1/2 cup apple cider reduction (directions below)

1/2 cup sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1/2 cup low fat buttermilk 

1 egg

Apple Pie Spice Sugar, recipe below

Apple cider reduction ingredients:

1 1/4 cup 100% apple cider 

1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick)

Directions for reduction:

1. Place apple cider, cinnamon stick in a 1 quart sauce pan and place on low to medium heat for 30 minutes until product yields 1/2 cup reduction. Discard the cinnamon stick.

Apple Pie Spice Sugar:

3/4 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon of apple pie spice 

Directions:

1. Place the sugar and apple pie spice in a shallow container and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Directions:
1. Place the first 5 ingredients into a medium bowl. Whisk together thoroughly & set aside. 

2. In a large bowl, mix the cider reduction, sugars, vanilla, canola oil, and buttermilk. Lastly add in the egg & mix. 

3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix enough to wet all ingredients; however, caution not over mix. 

4. Place the batter into a piping bag with large round tip. Portion out the batter evenly into the donut pan. 

5.  Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes. 

6. Allow Donuts to rest in pan for 1-2 minutes before inverting the pan and placing the on wire rack. 

7.  Dip the warm Donuts into the apple pie spice sugar bath. If the sugar dust does not want to stick spray the Donuts with some cooking spray prior to dipping. Dip both sides of the donut.

*Tip the Donuts taste the best the day they are made. Make sure to store in a sealable container. 

Apple Cider and Honey Biscuits

October is here which means fall is in full swing. I love the fall colors and harvest.  Apple butter is one of my favorite things to make with local fresh apples and if I am lucky my grandfather’s apples from his orchard.

The combination of apple and cinnamon simmering is purely divine to me. Nothing says home and comfort like some freshly made baked treats with mother natures resources.

Happy Fall!!

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Recipe yields: 16 small biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoons of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon of apple pie spice

1/3 cup of cold unsalted butter

2 teaspoons of pure honey

3/4 cup of apple cider 100%

1-2 tablespoons, scant skim milk for brushing

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter & honey until mixture resembles sand like texture. Stir in cider just until moist.  Place batter onto a lightly heavily floured surface and knead 4 times.
  2. Roll out to 1/2-in. thickness; cut with a 2 inch. biscuit cutter. Place on parchment paper lined  half sheet baking pan.
  3. Brush with milk and plan in preheated oven at 425 degrees
    for 10  minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with apple butter.

Cocoa Beet Scones

My mom and grandpa combined gave me around a half bushel of beets. I love beets and for the last month. I have been eating one a day.  Beets are rich in folate, fiber and potassium. A lot of people dislike beets, but I believe that is because they have ate them from the salad bar and they are canned subpar. Quite frankly they haven’t tried my homegrown roasted in the oven to perfection. 

I roasted several last weeeknd and I made a vow, that I will not can them. This is my second take on using them to add moisture to baked goods. A few weekends ago I added puréed Beets to my sister’s vegan birthday cake. Roasting beets and adding them to baked goods opens the door to endless opportunities to add moisture and sweetness naturally to foods.

Yields:16 serving 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/4 cup of canola oil

1/4 cup of light agave nectar

1/4 cup of raw sugar

1 cup of roasted beet puree

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla

1/3 cup of pistachios, chopped: plus another 1 tablespoon of pistachios chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cooking spray mini scone pan with cooking spray. 
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, ground chinese 5 spice, and kosher salt. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl mix oil, sugar, puréed beets, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Pour the dry into into the wet batter and mix to combine. Mix until no dry residue remains.  Fold in pistachios into the batter. Save 1 TB to sprinkle right before placing into oven.

Place the dough evenly into the mini scone pan. Sprinkle with leftover pistachios. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. Allow the scones to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and invert onto wire rack. Serve warm. 

Enjoy!