Whole Wheat Banana Granola Mini Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana Granola Mini Muffins!

These little banana bites of heaven have everything in the cupboard. I make these every year for one of my co-workers birthday’s. They are her favorite treat. This year I decided to make them as mini muffins.

Recipe yields 48 mini muffins

Ingredients;
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup AP Flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce
1 egg
1/4 cup & 1/8 cup skim milk
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 medium ripe bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup your favorite granola
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line 48 mini muffin tins with paper-liner and spray with Pam Cooking spray.

3. Sift flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and nutmeg. Set aside.

4. In a stand mixer combine, oil, applesauce, mashed bananas, milk, vanilla and egg. Mix but do not over mix.

5. Add in two parts the dry ingredients mixture.

6. Mix until incorporated but do not over mix.

7. Fold in granola, coconut, and walnuts.

8. After thoroughly combined, use a number 60 scoop to portion out your mini muffins.

9. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Check using toothpick method.

Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie oh my!

Key Lime Pie Oh my!

My mom’s birthday was this weekend! One of her favorite desserts is Key Lime Pie! This recipe was thrown together rather quickly for her special occasion. It’s very simple and a crowd pleaser. The recipe below was adapted from a Taste of Home recipe in this past May’s issue. Here is the link . I made a few changes since my mom doesn’t like macadamia nuts and I didn’t have short bread cookies. I also reduced the calories by substituting a few of the full fat products to either fat free or reduced fat products.

Ingredients:
•1 can of non fat sweetened and condensed milk
•1/2 cup fresh Lime Juice (key lime if possible)
•8 once block of reduced fat free cream cheese (softened)

Crust:
•1 1/2 cup of crushed whole grain graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted in salted butter
1/4 cup sugar

Directions for crust:
Preheat oven to 350.

Place graham crackers in food processor. Pulse until fine add sugar, add melted butter.

Press graham mixture in 9″ pie dish. Bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Direction for lime filling

Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.

Add the lime juice and milk. Mix until incorporated.

Using a spatula spread evenly the lime cream cheese mixture into the cooled pie crust.

Add the lime juice and milk. Mix until incorporated.

Let sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to set. The add whipped cream to top and serve.

Fresh whip cream topping
1 cup of whipping cream
1 heaping Tb of confectioner sugar
1 tsp of Pure Vanilla

Directions:

Beat cream in cold metal bowl until soft peaks form, add sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly over cool pie.

Rhubarb Spice Cookies

Rhubarb Spice Cookies

This recipe was inspired by my grandma’s zucchini cookie recipe. When I went back home for a visit this past Sunday my grandpa gave me more rhubarb. Plus two plants for me to start growing the vegetable in my own garden. I can only hope to have a green thumb like him someday! I am terribly excited to grown my own rhubarb!! My husband chopped up 9 cups of rhubarb tonight for us to freeze. So you will see more posts on rhubarb no doubt.

Yields 4 Dozen using a number 60 cookie scoop.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 Cup AP Flour

3 TB of ground Flaxseed

1 Tsp of ground Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp of ground Clove

1 Tsp of Baking powder

1 Tsp of Baking soda

1/2 Tsp of Salt

1 Cup of Granulated Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tsp of pure vanilla

1/4 Cup Canola Oil

1/4 Cup butter (unsalted) (1/2 a stick)

1 Cup of Rhubarb chopped

1/2 Cup of chopped walnuts

1/2 Cup of mini Cinnamon Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Throw cut rhubarb into 1/4 cup of sugar and toss to coat. Set aside.

2. Place in mixing bowl butter and remaining (3/4 cup) sugar mix to cream.

3. Add oil, egg, vanilla, and mix.

4. Mix in the chopped rhubarb.

5. While mixing creamed mixture, in a separate bowl sift together flaxseed, both flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves.

6. On low speed add in two separate batches the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.

7. Once mixed until all ingredients incorporated detach the whisk attachment.

8. Fold in the cinnamon chips and chopped walnuts.

9. Place parchment paper on 1/2 sheet cookie pan and place 12 cookies to a sheet. Using a number 60 scoop bake for 14 minutes

Enjoy!

Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Pizza

I am always looking for a new pizza dough recipe. I tweaked this one from Anne Burrell’s recipe in the June FN Magazine.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/grilled-pizzettas-with-parmigiano-prosciutto-and-arugula-and-with-taleggio-and-puttanesca-recipe/index.html.

Dough:

1 cup warm water
3 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil

1. Place yeast, sugar or honey and warm water in small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes or until foams.

2. In stand mixer place flours, salt, and form a well with the flour.

Pour oil in center

Attach dough hook and mix on low speed at first and slowly add the yeast mixture.

Knead mixture with dough hook until ball forms.

Place dough in a oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise for and hour in a warm place.

Divide into 4 portions

Place in ziplock bags and let rise another hour.

Now is a good time to preheat oven with pizza stone in oven at 500 degrees.

After the oven has preheated for an hour. And dough has risen for second time throw extra dough in freezer for another day.

Roll dough out on lightly floured surface.

Place on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent sticking and toss onto baking stone. Bake for 2 minutes.

Pizza Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup of pizza sauce
1-2 teaspoons of pasta sprinkle or Italian seasoning
4-5 slices (1/8 inch) Fresh Mozzarella (blotted to remove excess moisture)
6 leaves of fresh basil
Fig balsamic (optional)

Directions:

Sprinkle pasta sprinkle evenly on pizza crust.

Add the sauce spread evenly with spatula.

Add Mozzarella Cheese on top evenly.

Throw back in oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Throw on basil and drizzle fig balsamic.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Mini Oreo Cupcakes with Oreo Buttercream!

Happy Fourth of July Chocolate Mini Oreo Cupcakes

I don’t know about you but my husband’s favorite generic cookie is an Oreo! What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July with Americans favorite cookie flavored Mini Cupcakes! Happy Fourth !

3/4 cup Ap Flour
1/3 cup high quality Dutch cocoa
(penzey’s is my favorite)
3/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Cups of granulated sugar plus 2 tbs
1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla
1 egg
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions for Chocolate Minis

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sift dry ingredients together in one bowl. Whisk wet ingredients together in another larger bowl. Once incorporated add dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Don’t over mix.

Line 30 mini cupcake liners with papers liners and Do Not Spray with cooking spray. Use number 60 scoop to portion out perfect sized minis. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes in oven. My oven only takes 11 minutes. Check minis using toothpick method at 9 minutes. Once toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven. Immediately remove minis from pan to stop baking.

Wait until cupcakes are completely cooled on wire rack before icing.

Oreo Buttercream
6 cups of Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla
9 TB of Cream
8-10 Oreos (place in food processor and crush)
1 stick of butter ( 1/2 cup ) room temperature
2 Ounce of 1/3 Fat Reduced Cream cheese room temperature

Directions for Oreo Buttercream
Cream the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add one cup of powdered sugar at a time until incorporated. Mix slowly! Add liquids mix. Lastly add crushed Oreos add more cream as needed to desired consistency.

Yields 30 mini cupcakes using a number 60 Scoop

Chocolate Zucchini Whole Wheat Muffins

My husband and I went to our local farmer’s market yesterday after our bike ride. We bought their homegrown zucchini in bulk. I love baking with zucchini. I made these this morning for my 19 month nephew. He loves his vegetables! Hopefully he will love these too!

Ingredients:

1 cup of Shredded Zucchini (blotted well with paper towel to remove moisture)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup AP flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon vietnamese cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and line 12 standard cupcake liners.

1. Sift dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

2. In a separate larger bowl mix wet ingredients (except the zucchini).

3. Now add wet mixture to dry mixture.

4. Once mixture is mixed well.

5. Now fold in zucchini.

6. Make sure zucchini is spread out evenly throughout batter.

7. Spray liners with cooking spray. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each cupcake liner.

Rhubarb Cardamon Whole Wheat Scones

Good Morning! What’s baking?

I just placed these scones in the oven.

Ingredients:

2 cups Rhubarb chopped
1 1/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 Cup of AP flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1teaspoon of Cardamon ground
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of heavy cream
One stick of butter cup chopped (1/2 cup) Unsalted
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla
1 TB of vanilla sugar & 2 TB of sugar
1/4 cup of sugar

Dusting:
1.5 TB of vanilla sugar
2.5 TB of sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. In a small bowl take chopped rhubarb and coat well with 1 tb of vanilla sugar and 2 TB of sugar. Set a side.

3. In a separate bowl sift together both types of flour, salt, cardamon, 1/4 cup of sugar and baking powder.

4. Cut butter into the flour mixture.

You can use a pastry cutter for this but I prefer using my hands. Cut until butter is in pea sizes.

5. Add rhubarb and liquids.

6. Use a spatula to mix. And knead until dough form and everything is incorporated. Don’t over knead/mix.

Make sure no flour is left behind.

7. Separate dough evenly into a Pam Spray coved scone pan.

Looks like this

8. Now sprinkle with dusting sugar

9. Bake scones for 20 to 24 minutes on 425 or until golden brown.

Yields 16 to 20 scones depending on the size of your scone pan. As pictured the scones are 2.5 by 2.5 by 3 inches.

Special note: next time I make these I am going to try using fat free half and half to decrease the saturated fat content.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Whole Wheat Shortbread

Strawberry Rhubarb Shortbread

My grandpa gave me fresh rhubarb from his garden this past weekend. I couldn’t wait to use it. I love baking with rhubarb!! I have made rhubarb muffins, rhubarb cupcakes, rhubarb bars, rhubarb pancakes but never have I made shortbread using rhubarb. We had a very special birthday in the office today so I researched for a new rhubarb recipe to try and when I came across this recipe for Rhubarb Shortbread I had to give it a whirl. This recipe was adapted from a recipe on PBS’s website http://www.pbs.org/food/kitchen-vignettes/rhubarb-cardamom-shortbread-bars/. The original recipe called for a few different ingredients so I switched it up slightly since I didn’t have spelt flour , cane sugar, nor did I have red wine on hand.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 Cup of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 Cup AP Flour

A pinch of salt

1 Teaspoon of baking soda

2 Teaspoon of ground cardamom

2 sticks of butter (unsalted and brought to room temperature)

1 Cup of Sugar

2 Egg Yolks

Baking dish needed: 10 inch tart pan

Rhubarb Compote:

2 Cups of Rhubarb Chopped

1/2 cup Strawberries chopped

1/3 Cup of Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Water

1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla

Directions for the Dough:

Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, cream the butter until fluffy.

3. Add the eggs yolks one at a time and sugar and mix well.

4. Add the dry ingredients ingredients and combine the two until a soft dough has formed.

5. Form the dough into two balls, make sure to form one larger than the other.

Wrap the dough in plastic cling wrap and place in freezer for 30 to 45 minutes. them for a minimum of 30 minutes.

6. For the Compote: Place a 2 quart sauce pan on low heat, add water, sugar, strawberries, rhubarb into the pan. Make sure to stir often. Add the sauce to come to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low continue to stir often.

7. Remove from heat after thickened and stir in the vanilla. Place the compote in a freezer safe bowl and sit on ice in the freezer for at least 30 to 45 minutes to cool completely.

8. Preheat oven to 350. Once compote is cooled get the larger piece of dough out of the freezer and start to grate with larger holes on a grater directly into a Pam Sprayed 10 inch tart pan.

9. Pat down the dough into the pan lightly.

10. Spread the rhubarb compote over the first layer of dough evenly. MAKE sure to leave a least a half inch from the perimeter to prevent leaking on the outside.

11. Now take out the second dough ball and grate over the top of the rhubarb compote.

12. Pat down the dough very lightly. You will still see some compote poking through but it is okay.

13. Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 until the entire top is evenly golden brown.

14. Allow the pan to cool completely before cutting into this delightful treat.

Resourceful and Flavorful Leftover Hamburger Lasagna

Resourceful and Flavorful Leftover Hamburger Lasagna

I came up with this recipe because I HATE wasting food. We had a cookout the other night so we had some leftover hamburger patties from the picnic. I love using leftover hamburger patties for cheeseburger pizza, cheeseburger calzone or even throwing the crumbles in mac and cheese. This recipe came to mind when I was trying to clean out the refrigerator to get rid of a large pasta sauce jar. The first time I ever made this lasagna, I was hesitant to tell my husband what was in it, but when he said how good it was I had to tell him. Now this recipe is a tradition following hamburgers on the grill.

Ingredients:

5 oz 94% Fat Reduced Burger crumbled (my husband makes his with Worcestershire sauce, montreal steak seasoning, and garlic salt)

5 Lasagna Noodles ( I used whole wheat)

2 Teaspoons of pasta sprinkle or italian seasoning

2 Cups of Marinara Sauce (Check out my recipe from a few days)

1 Cup Fat Free Ricotta Cheese

3/4 Cup of Colby Jack Cheese

3/4 Cup of Italian Blend Cheese

3/4 Cup of Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees.

2) Cook the noodles as the pasta box reads and drain and blot

3) Place 1/2 cup of marinara on the bottom of a glass dish 9 by 7 inches

4) Cut lasagna noodles in half and place 3 in a row

5) Place 1/3 cup of ricotta cheese spread evenly over the noodles. Also sprinkle a 1/4 cup of each Colby, mozzarella, and italian blend cheeses.

6) Sprinkle hamburger crumbles over the cheese (only half the patty)

7) Pour another 1/2 cup of marinara sauce over the cheese and beef.

8) Place 1.5 noodles over the sauce (cut same as noted above).

9) Repeat steps 5 through 7 and this time sprinkle 1 tsp of pasta sprinkle or italian seasoning evenly over the sauce.

10) Repeat steps 4 through 7 and add an additional 1 tsp of pasta sprinkle or italian seasoning over the sauce.

11) Bake for 25 minutes covered with foil

12) Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes

13) Sprinkle with freshly grated parm cheese and enjoy!

Yields 6 Servings!

Copy that Local Favorite Marinara Sauce

We were so excited to find out the family owned grocery store where we grew up started carry our favorite restaurant marinara sauce. Whenever we go back home I have been bulk purchasing the spaghetti sauce. The downside is the spaghetti sauce is almost 6 dollars a jar! Yikes….

My husband and I love trying to make our favorite restaurant “copy that” recipes. When I know we can perfect it on our own with a little practice. So we thought we give this recipe a try. This is take one on our marinara sauce.

Ingredients:

2-8oz Cans Tomato Sauce ( I used Hunts)

1-28oz Can Tomato Puree ( I used Walmart Trade Name)

1/4 C Olive Oil ( I used our favorite Trader Joe’s Authentic)

1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1/8 Tsp of Baking Soda (to cut down on the Acid from the tomatoes)

5 spins on the Pepper Mill of Pepper ( I use heavy duty Penzey’s Pepper Lovers ) http://www.penzeys.com/

2 Garlic Cloves (straight out of mom’s garden)

1/2 Tsp Thyme (dried)

1/2 Tsp Basil (dried)

1/2 Oregano (dried)

2 TB of Sugar

1/8-1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes (We used penzey;s Hot Pepper Flake so to your taste)

1 TB Locatelli Romano Cheese ( We purchase from the Strip district) None of that Kraft “Stuff” Please!! http://www.pennmac.com/page/458/strip-district-partners

1) Start with a 4 quart sauce pan and heat the pan

2) once the pan is heated add the oil on medium heat once the oil is heated add the minced garlic and cook until lightly browned and aromatic. Watch it will burn before you know it.

3) Add the tomato purée and sauce.

4) Next add the seasons, sugar, cheese, and baking soda.

5) Turn down the heat to the lowest setting on your stove. Cover stockpot and stir occasionally. Let simmer on low for 90 minutes. The longer the better for a dark, flavorful sauce.

6) Enjoy

A Pinch of Luv

from scratch baking and cooking blog

Whole Wheat Banana Granola Mini Muffins

Key Lime Pie oh my!

Rhubarb Spice Cookies

Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Pizza

Chocolate Mini Oreo Cupcakes with Oreo Buttercream!

Chocolate Zucchini Whole Wheat Muffins

Rhubarb Cardamon Whole Wheat Scones

Strawberry-Rhubarb Whole Wheat Shortbread

Resourceful and Flavorful Leftover Hamburger Lasagna

Copy that Local Favorite Marinara Sauce