Chunky Apple Muffins

Hey all. I made these muffins the other day and was really happy with them. The original recipe is a Martha one (obv), but I modified it to make it better.

·      Vegetable cooking spray

·      2 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and grated

·      1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped

·      3/4 cup sugar (brown, if you like)

·      1 cup all-purpose flour

·      1 cup whole-wheat flour

·      1/2 cup rolled oats

·      2 teaspoons baking soda

·      1/2 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt

·      2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·      1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (omit if serving to children under 3)

·      2 large eggs

·      1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

·      1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (I browned mine)

·      1 tsp vanilla extract

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12-cup standard muffin tin with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add diced apple and walnuts, if using; toss to coat.Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and butter in a small bowl. Gently fold buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until muffins are brown around edges and spring back when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Let muffins cool slightly, about 5 minutes, before turning out of tin onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Chunky Apple Muffins - Martha Stewart Recipes

Buttermilk Panna Cotta

I just tried this dessert and I am in love. It's creamy and smooth, with a slight almost cheesy quality from the buttermilk. It's also incredibly easy, and only has a few ingredients.

Ingredients

Serves 6

* 2 cups nonfat buttermilk

* 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin

* 2/3 cup heavy cream

* 3/4 cup sugar

* 1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered, or any other berries on hand

Directions

1. In the top of a double boiler (not over heat), sprinkle gelatin over 1 cup buttermilk; let stand to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring cream and scant 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Add to gelatin mixture. Place over simmering water; whisk until gelatin dissolves, 5 minutes. Stir in remaining cup buttermilk. Pass mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Divide among 6 four-ounce ramekins or small bowls on a baking sheet. Cover; refrigerate until set, 4 hours.

3. Meanwhile, sprinkle strawberries with remaining sugar; let stand about 1 hour.

4. Unmold by dipping ramekins briefly into hot water and running tip of a knife around edges; invert onto plates, and serve with strawberries and their juice.

Jenalle's Note: I thought it was a tad on the sweet side, but this is obviously personal preference. You could cut the sugar to 1/3 cup to make it a bit more tangy. I also used frozen, unsweetened raspberries that I thawed and spooned overtop without adding any extra sugar. The tart strawberries were a nice contrast with the creamy base.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Thai Coconut Peanut Stir-fry

Hey guys. I made this the other day and it's something different and really yummy.

It's also a 'clean' meal, since we have all recently learned about this.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Boneless skinless chicken tenderloins or breast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 3/4 c of peanut butter (I use the organic kind with just peanuts)
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chili sauce
• 1/2 tsp red pepper
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• Rice - basmati or jasmine

Directions:

1. Cook chicken in pan until fully cooked. Set aside. Cook rice according to instructions.

2. Add onions and garlic to pan. Cook until soft. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, chili sauce, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, brown sugar and sesami oil. Stir. Stir in coconut milk.

3. Add brocoli and any other desired vegetables.

4. To assemble, put a bed of rice on a plate. Top with fresh bean sprouts and ladle on peanut sauce.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

2 TBsp warm water

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp warm buttermilk

2 tbsp honey

2/3 cup rolled oats (not instant) plus extra for topping

1+1/2 cup bread flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

2 TBsp melted butter

Method :

1. Dissolve the yeast with the water in a small bowl and leave for 10 minutes until foamy. Mix the honey with the melted butter in another bowl. Stir together the flours, the oat and salt in a mixing bowl ,then add the yeast and the honey+butter mixtures along with the buttermilk into the flours mixture, mix with a dough hook to form a ball and knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl , cover and let it rise for about 1-1.5 hours or until double in volume.

2. Turn the dough out onto a working surface and knead for a minute to deflate the dough. Shape the dough into a loaf and place in a 8 1/2 inch greased loaf pan, cover and let rise for ± 45 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut the bread lengthwise, brush with an eggwash and sprinkle some oats over the top before baking.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, turn out on a wire rack to cool before slicing and serve.

Rhubard Pie

Serves 10, Prep: 30 min, Total: 6 hours

• Pie Dough
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 3/4 pounds (about 6 cups) rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup (or 2/3)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• Orange zest 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. with rack in lowest level. In a large bowl, toss rhubarb with sugar, cornstarch, orange zest and salt. Pour into pie shell; sprinkle with Crumble Topping. Place pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
2. Place pie in oven; reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake until topping is browned and crust is lightly browned, about 1 1/2 hours. (If topping or crust begins to brown too quickly, tent with foil.) Cool completely before serving.

 Crumble Topping

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, light-brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. With your hands, work in butter until large, moist clumps form. Chill, covered, until ready to use.

 Source: Everyday Food (with small changes)

 

Coconut Cream Pie

This pie is to die for...one of the best coconut cream pies I have tried. It would also be amazing with bananas layered on the crust before you pour the cream on, to make it a "Toasted Coconut Banana Cream Pie" (my Dad's favourite). I substituted the gingersnap crust for a regular graham cookie crust. Enjoy! -Jenalle

(Courtesy of "Sugar" with Anna Olson)

Gingersnap Crust

• 3/4 cup + 1/3 cup unsalted butter or vegetable shortening at room temperature
• 1 cup golden brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup fancy molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• sugar, for coating

Coconut Filling

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups coconut milk
• 2 whole large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted

Cream Topping

• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon skim milk powder
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted

Directions

To Assemble

1. For gingersnaps, preheat oven to 350 °F. Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Stir in fancy molasses and beat in egg. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Add to butter mixture and stir just until blended. Shape spoonfuls of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and press flat with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and remove from baking sheet to cool.
2. For crust, grind cooled cookies finely and measure out 2 ¼ cups of crumbs. Melt remaining 1/3 cup butter and stir into crumbs. Press into a 9-inch pie pan (or 2 6-inch springform pans) and chill until ready to fill.
3. For filling, stir sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a heavy-bottomed saucepot. Whisk in coconut milk, whole eggs and egg yolks. Heat custard on low heat, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and continue whisking until custard thickens and becomes glossy, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and strain. Stir in vanilla, butter and coconut and stir until butter has melted. Pour immediately into chilled pie shell, let cool on the counter for 15 minutes, then chill completely before topping with cream, at least 4 hours.
4. For cream topping, whip cream to a medium peak, and whisk in sugar and skim milk powder (the skim milk powder stabilizes the cream). Top coconut custard with whipped cream, and sprinkle remaining toasted coconut on top as garnish.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon*

1 tsp. ground ginger*

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 extra-large egg

1/4 cup regular unsulphured molasses (blackstrap is too strong for this cookie*

Granulated sugar (for coating cookie dough before baking)

Non-stick vegetable spray (optional, for coating the scoop)

Heat oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone pan liners or aluminum foil (if using foil, grease foil with 1 Tbsp. butter or solid vegetable shortening). Set aside.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl with mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. With mixer on medium speed, beat in the egg and molasses, then increase the speed to high and beat about 1 minute longer, until the mixture no longer looks curdled. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula several times while mixing.

Mix in the flour mixture on low speed. The batter will be rather stiff. Place some granulated sugar on a small plate or saucer. Use a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop or a measuring cup to form 1/4-cup portions of dough. (Spray the cup or scoop with the optional non-stick vegetable spray to make it easier to release the dough.) Transfer the dough to your hands and roll each portion into a rough ball, then roll each ball into the sugar. Place six sugared balls on each baking sheet, spacing them evenly, because they will spread during baking.

Dampen your fingers with water and press down lightly on each cookie to flatten it a little and dampen the top. Refrigerate one filled baking sheet while the other bakes.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and are firm to the touch. Rotate the sheet 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.

Makes 1 dozen large cookies.

*Jenalle's ideas: Double the cinnamon and ginger, and make sure you don't use too strong of molasses