Strawberry Poppy Seed Muffins

Strawberry Poppy Seed Muffins

You Need:

16 oz strawberries (approx 1 1/3 cup pureed)

1 tsp lemon juice

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 tblsp poppy seeds

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

half & half

Muffin Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Line muffin pan with baking cups.

Puree the strawberries & lemon juice in food processor.

Mix together the strawberries, egg, oil, sugar & sour cream until well blended.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt & poppy seeds- add to the strawberry mixture & mix until just evenly moistened.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full (i got 16 muffins)- bake for 16-18 min.

Allow to cool on a wire rack or wax paper. Once cooled- spoon on the glaze & let set (for at least 20 min)

Glaze Directions:

Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, splash of vanilla, 1 tsp lemon juice & a few splashes of half & half together in a small bowl. You can make the glaze as thick or thin as you like. I made mine on the medium thickness side- enough to drip onto the cupcakes but not run off.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Banana Pancakes

i have an excess of strawberries in my fridge thanks to BJ's- and i've got 3 very ripe bananas & no desire to make bread. i'm also dreaming of spring/summer- so i wanted something fruity & light.

these were perfect. seriously. amazing.

Strawberry Banana Pancakes (adapted from Williams Sonoma)

You Need

2 tblsp butter (melted & cooled)

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tblsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 small (very ripe) banana, peeled

1 cup thinly sliced/chopped strawberries

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1 small banana, sliced

1 cup strawberries, sliced & tossed with 1 tblsp sugar & 1 tsp lemon juice (place in the fridge)

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt- mix well.

Mash the banana in a small bowl, add the eggs, milk & vanilla & mix until well blended.

Add the banana mixture & the butter to the flour mixture. Gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined (the batter will be a bit lumpy)

Fold in the sliced strawberries:

Heat up 1 tblsp of butter in a large frying pan (medium heat) and ladle about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake (i used my cookie scoop & scooped about 2 scoops per pancake)

Cook about 2 minutes per side (you'll see bubbles forming on the upside of the pancake- that's when it's time to flip)

Remove the pancakes to a plate (i line a plate with foil & pop it in the oven or microwave to keep them warm- the microwave is obviously OFF as is the stove)

Continue to add butter & cook until all the pancakes are done & the batter is gone (waste not, want not)

Pop a few pancakes on each pate, top with the sliced bananas & the strawberries & syrup (or powdered sugar- etc etc)

Enjoy!

These are SO good! i felt incredibly healthy eating them too (even though they're probably not).

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

i love bacon. i love chocolate chip cookies. so- wouldn't i love chocolate chip cookies with bacon??? yes- yes i would. so i made these & they were awesome. i do prefer a flatter/chewier cookie- so next time i'm going to toss the bacon into my Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe & see if i like that better. but these were fabulous as well.

Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the candied bacon:

8 slices thick cut bacon

1/2 cup brown sugar

For the cookies:

2 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tblsp vanilla extract

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semi sweet choc chips

Preheat oven to 350

Place bacon on a foil lines baking sheet & liberally sprinkle with the brown sugar:

Place in the preheated oven & back for about 18-25 min until the bacon is brown & crisp (make sure to turn the bacon over after about 10 min)

Remove the bacon, allow to cool & chop it finely.

Reduce the oven to 325.

Sift the flour & baking soda & set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter & sugars. Add the vanilla & egg & egg yolk & beat until light & creamy. Add the flour to the wet mixture & mix well. Add the bacon & chocolate chips & stir until just combined.

Place golf sized balls of dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets & flatten slightly. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.

Remove, allow to cool for 1-2 minutes & then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

p.s. the candied bacon alone is freaking amazing. i couldn't stop eating it. the perfect mix of salty & sweet!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

i adore these cookies. if a cookie & a brownie had a baby, it'd taste like these. they're crispy on the outside & chewy inside- literally almost perfection. i'd make them more often- but then i'd weigh 400 lbs. they're that good.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

You Need:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours (i made these after exactly 4 hours & had no issues with handling the dough)

Preheat oven to 350 Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls with lightly oiled palms (i sprayed my palms with Pam). I used a cookie scoop to portion the dough, a tablespoon or rounded teaspoon would also work depending on what size you like. Coat each ball in confectioners’ sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets. [Alternatively, try other ingredients like cinnamon-sugar or sprinkles.]

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes (i cooked for 11). Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

try not to eat them all.

i made one big one with white sugar & chili powder. oh my. i'm going to make more of those next time!

Pie Crust Apple Turnovers

i had leftover pie crust that i didn't want to toss- so apple turnovers it was.

Pie Crust Apple Turnovers (enough for 2 1/2 large turnovers)

You Need:

Pie crust (i had enough for a 1 9in single crust pie)

2 cups chopped apple

2 tblsp brown sugar

2 tblsp white sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tblsp butter

Directions: Pre heat oven to 375. Roll out the pie crust into large squares & set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set Aside.

Mix together all of the ingredients except the butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove & add the apple mixture. Saute on medium-low until apples are tender (about 5-7 min)

Place the apple mixture into a bowl & let it cool completely (i popped it in the freezer for a bit)

Once cooled- place a few tblsp in the middle of each pie square. Fold over & crimp the edges- brush with egg white, sprinkle with raw sugar & bake in the oven for 15-20 min.

some stuff will seep out- it's ok. embrace it- scrape it off & eat it.

Enjoy!

Quick Pizza Calzone

crescent rolls are like magic. you can turn them into dinner with minimal effort- thats why i keep 2+ cans in my fridge at all times. it's simple science.

Quick Pizza Calzone

1 can crescent rolls

2 cups shredded cheese (any kind)

1/2 cup chopped pepperoni

1 cup pizza sauce (i doctored some tomato sauce with garlic & italian seasoning

Directions:

Take the crescent rolls out of the can- knead & roll out into a large rectangle. Place onto a foiled baking sheet. In the middle of the dough- spread the sauce, cheese & pepperoni.

Fold the dough over onto itself (like a pocket) and pinch the seams.

Cut a few slits into the top & bake for about 15-20 min @ 375 (per the can directions)

Remove from the oven & let sit for about 5 min.

Slice & enjoy!

Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Casserole

i needed a quick dinner the other night. i also needed to get rid of the incredible amount of broccoli i'd accidentally purchased. my bad.

Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Casserole

2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces (1/2 cup panko bread crumbs - optional)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter, melted; plus two tablespoons chilled
1 garlic clove, minced
2 pounds broccoli (about 3-4 medium heads of broccoli), florets cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tblsp onion powder
1 1/4 cups white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Pulse bread, panko, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and melted butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add garlic. Set aside.

Steam the broccoli for about 5-7 min (until bright green & semi cooked)- Melt remaining butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion powder & rice, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, half-and-half, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Toss in the broccoli about 5 min before rice is done. Take off the heat & stir in cheddar cheese, cayenne, remaining parmesan.

Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes. Serve.

this was awesome. seriously. if you toss in some chicken you could call it a day.

Cinnamon Quick Bread

so quick. so easy. it's my go to bread when i need something fast for breakfast/snack. just makes sure it's done cooking (may take longer than 45 min)- yeah. it's no fun when you cut into it & realize it's so not done. at all.

Cinnamon Quick Bread

You Need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil

3 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk, egg and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and remaining sugar.

Grease the bottom only of a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Pour half of the batter into pan; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Carefully spread with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

whenever i have leftover mashed potatoes, i start drooling when i think about making potato pancakes. they're so simple & good.

and i pretend they're good for me. because potato is a vegetable. right?

Mashed Potato Pancakes

You Need:

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 large egg (lightly beaten)

6-8 tblsp flour

1-2 tsp onion powder

salt & pepper (to taste)

oil/butter for frying

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed potatoes and egg. Add the flour and onion powder and mix all together well. Add salt and pepper to batter if desired.

In a large skillet or on a griddle, heat vegetable oil/butter (i use both- about 3 tblsp or so) over medium-high heat. Dollop batter onto the heated surface in heaping tablespoons like pancakes). Flatten each dollop slightly with the spoon to create the cakes.

Cooking time = golden brown on each side. So eyeball it- anywhere from 2-4 minutes or so.

i like to eat them straight up- or with eggs over easy & cheese. or anything for that matter- they're awesome.

Enjoy!