Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

Another scone recipe! Sorry, but I'm loving these scones. Flavored with pumpkin and chocolate, these scones are more decadent -- more of a dessert scone. They are still quite good with tea and butter, or a glass of milk! The chocolate chips could easily be replaced with some pecans or dried cranberries, if chocolate isn't your thing.

Makes about 8 medium scones.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
6 tbsp salted butter (or used unsalted and add 1/2 tsp salt)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Cut in the butter, mashing it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers. (This step can also be done with a food processor).

In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, vanilla, and yogurt, whisking until slightly foamy. Pour the mixture into the flour-butter mix, and combine well. Add the chocolate chips, if desired.

Roll the dough onto a cutting board, and cut into triangles or biscuit shapes. Spray a baking sheet or use a silicone liner, placing the scones about 1 inch apart. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until very slightly brown.

Enjoy warm!

Cherry Vanilla Almond Scones

In honor of Kate and William's nuptials (and of course, I got up at 2:30 AM to watch!), I baked up some cherry vanilla almond scones. I'm not much of a scone person, but I have to say, these are amazing! So tart and soft!

Makes about 8-10 scones, depending on how big your cutter.

Ingredients:

1 stick (8 tbsp) salted butter (you can use unsalted and just add 1/2 tsp of salt)
2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 egg
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar. Cut in the butter, and using your hands or a pastry cutter, knead in the butter until the dough resembles crumbs. A food processor might also be used for this step.

In a separate bowl, mix together the yogurt, egg, and flavor extracts, whisking well. Dump this mixture into the flour and butter mixture, and mix until the dough begins to pull together. Mix in the cherries.

Flour a cutting board to roll the dough. Roll out the dough, and using a biscuit cutter, cut out your scones! You can also simply cut them into triangles, but every scone that I had in England was biscuit shaped, so that's how I like them!

Grease a cookie sheet (or use a silicone liner, like me -- my favorite kitchen gadget!), and place the scones on it, spacing about an inch between each. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops start to brown slightly.

Serve with hot English Breakfast tea and clotted cream!

Don't like cherry scones? Want chocolate? My friend Catherine has a great recipe for chocolate chip scones!

Quiche…the answer to leftovers

I know that we all have leftovers that go over, or vegetables that have had a few too many days of hanging out in the fridge and are now less than stellar. Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t keep stuff past its safe to eat date, but sometimes that’s tough. That’s where the quiche comes in. A quiche is simply put, the best way to use a bit of this and a bit of that.


A quiche is sometimes best comprised of the most random items – for the quiche that I made for this post, I used about three mushrooms, a handful of spinach, half of a green pepper, a half cup of shredded cheddar, and salt and pepper. Some other interesting things would have been cooked bacon, a different cheese (gouda sounds good), turkey sausage, kale, red peppers, tomatoes, you get the idea.

So let’s make some quiche!

First, preheat that oven! 375 degree. You will need a pie crust – it can be store bought or homemade. Next, roll out the pie crust, poking holes with a fork to release the air as it bakes (believe me, you want to do this!). After the crust is all ready, crack 6-7 eggs into a large bowl with half a cup of milk, and beat together.

Mix in any ingredients that you would like (cook any meats prior to mixing into the eggs). Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

Bake for 45 minutes, until eggs are nice and fluffy. Serve warm or room temp. This quiche will serve about 6 people. Leftover quiche is great for work lunches and quick breakfasts throughout the week! Enjoy!

Banana-Pecan Oatmeal Squares

So remember the banana-cranberry butter that I made the other day? Here is a fabulous way to use it!

These squares are mind-blowingly good, and although there are a lot of steps, they are pretty easy. These would be perfect for a lunchbox snack, bake sale, or even a quick breakfast pastry!

Adapted from ohsheglows

Ingredients

1 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp milk

1 cup banana-cranberry butter
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts (I used walnuts, but I think that pecans would be better)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter. While it's melting, combine the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, butter, molasses, milk, and extract of your choice. When mixture is frothy, combine with the dry mixture. Grease an 8 x 8 pan, and pour in the mixture, reserving a 1/4 cup. 

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven. Top with the banana butter, the reserved mix, and nuts. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes or so, then place in the freezer for 45 minutes to set the butter. Cut into squares and serve at room temperature. Store in the fridge.

Apple Butter & Pecan Pancakes!

Breakfast is back! (Sorry, I love saying that). So after my failure with the cat treats, I wanted to make something that was pretty surefire, and these pancakes were just what the doctor ordered. Moist, fluffy, and bursting with sweet apple-y flavor, while also elminating the oil and sugar. No syrup needed on these babies (although Steve did, of course). The pecans added a nice bit of variety and an unexpected crunch that really put these over the top.

The star ingredient:

I recommend that you use unsugared, organic apple butter for the freshest taste. This jar was the only one in my local supermarket that did not contain any sugar or HFCS. I plan on homemaking my apple butter when this jar is done. I'll post my results (or lack thereof!).

Anyway, the ingredients:

1/2 cup apple butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (skim, 1%, soy, almond....doesn't matter)
1/2 cup wheat flour (or be a rebel and use unbleached white!)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon, or more to taste
1/3 cup chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, combine with a spoon. In a separate bowl, combine the apple butter, egg, and milk, then combine until the mixture is nice and smooth.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients, taking care not to overmix. After the ingredients have been combined, stir in the chopped pecans.

Spray a griddle (or whatever pan in which you make pancakes), then spoon the batter into circles, flipping when the tops start to bubble. Cook until the tops are nice and brown, and the middle is done.

Makes about 8 medium pancakes.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

I have a confession: I am very picky about jam, and I dislike jelly altogether. I have only specific brands of jam that I will buy, most of them quite expensive. I just don't like all of the HFCS that most brands are dumping into their products these days. I think that fruit is tasty enough without add sugar! I had an abundance of strawberries (it's the season in Southern California), and I happened to have many that were starting to overripen, and would have to be thrown away. So I made jam!  It is very easy, and is much better tasting than any store-bought jam.

Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries, chopped into fourths, with core removed
1 cup white sugar
1 tbsp lime juice

Yields about 2 cups of jam.

Remove the core of the strawberries by cutting off the top and, using a paring knife, remove the white center of the strawberry.

Place the strawberries into a medium saucepan, and add sugar and lime juice. Cook on high, and let the berries reduce for about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The berries will break down. If you like a smoother jam, you may mash the berries as they cook or before boiling.

Once the liquid has thickened, pour immediately into a sterilized glass container and seal immediately, leaving room at the top. Refrigerate immediately for jam to set. If you will not be using the jam immediately, process (place the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes).

Use on toast, biscuits, or the PB & J cupcakes!

Almost Sugar-free, Gluten-free Super Chocolate "Muffins"

I've had a number of requests for some gluten-free recipes. I've never baked gluten-free, and I'm still trying to determine how to create gluten-free baked goods that rise nicely. These muffins are muffins only in the loosest of terms. They are in little cups, are breakfast-y, but contain no flour. They are created using eggs and gluten-free rolled oats. They are excellent little healthy snacks, perfect for after school or coffee breaks. They are very simple to make, and bake up in 20 minutes. Perfect to mix up first thing in the morning, then allow to bake up while you shower!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup GF oatmeal (Bob's Red Mill is a great one)
2 very ripe bananas
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp natural honey
1/2 cup milk (soy, almond, or cow)
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2 tbsp unsweetened, dutch process cocoa
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon (optional, but recommended)

Yields 8 muffins.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mash up the bananas using a potato masher or large fork. Once they are nice and smooshy, stir in the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips, and stir until well mixed.

Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake wrappers.

Stir in the chocolate chips, and spoon into the cupcake wrappers, filling to the top.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days if not eaten immediately!

Sugar-free Orange Muffins

When my sister came to visit recently, she told me about some delicious orange scones that she had eaten with chunks of orange peel that made them so satisfying and yummy. I decided that I really wanted to create a recipe based on her description of the scones, but wanted to try muffins instead of scones, and I wanted to make them sugar-free to make them a bit healthier. I think that I've accomplished that with this recipe. One of the best ways to reduce sugar in a recipe is to replace the butter/margarine/oil with fruit purees. It not only alleviates the need to use butter (unless you are looking for a butter taste -- consequently, this is not recommended for scones), it can also replace or significantly reduce the sugar.

These muffins would be an excellent addition to brunch, or just a nice treat after school.

Ingredients:
1 large orange
1 extra-large egg
1 1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour (could also substitute wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1 banana, preferably browned
1/2 cup natural applesauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp orange flavoring
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
cooking spray

Makes approximately 8 muffins.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, smash the banana using a potato masher or fork (I used my hands!) until it is very creamy. Stir in the applesauce until well combined. Cut the orange into quarters, and squeeze in as much juice as possible, being sure to pick out any seeds. Add the orange flavoring

Add the egg, and whisk until all liquid is well blended, and the mixture bubbles slightly.

In a separate bowl, mix together the remainder of the ingredients.

Cut a few pieces of the rind and chop into small bits. Add about a tablespoon to the dry ingredients.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients carefully, until just combined. Overmixing will make them tough!

Spray a muffin tin, and fill the cups with the batter. Bake for 25 minutes.

Cool on a cooling rack in the pan, remove muffins carefully.

Perfect French Toast

French toast is my absolute favorite breakfast food. It satisfies my craving for sweet in the morning, and it is fast and easy. Like many foods that incorporate spices and eggs, French toast was conceived as a means of using bread that was stale or about to be stale. This recipe is very simple, with all of the flavors combining for a tasty traditional French toast. A cooking tip for cooking pan-fried breakfast pastries (pancakes, French toast, etc.) is to purchase a flat griddle, or use an electric griddle. However, even a frying pan works fine!

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf French bread or other white bread (I used leftovers from the French bread recipe)
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
pinch nutmeg

cooking spray

powdered sugar, butter and syrup for serving

Slice the bread if it is not already sliced. In a medium-sized bowl, break the egg and whisk in the milk until smooth. Whisk in the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Put the griddle or pan onto the stove and allow it to heat using a medium setting.

Dip the bread into the egg mixture, coating each side well.

Spray the pan with the cooking spray, and place the coated bread onto the griddle, keeping the temperature low to prevent scorching.

Flip the bread after 2 minutes, and cook for another two minutes. Place onto a clean plate and repeat with the remainder of pieces.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with butter and maple syrup.

Almost-vegan Banana Bread

Not intentionally almost vegan, but I wanted to play with egg substitutes, and I've found that applesauce is the best replacement. This bread could be made completely vegan by substituting soy milk for the buttermilk. This bread whips up very quickly, but takes awhile to bake, so it will take some planning ahead if you plan on serving it at breakfast or brunch. This bread is also low in sugar and high in fiber because of the natural sugars of the bananas and the wheat flour and oatmeal. Dried fruit and nuts would also be excellent additions, if desired.

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats (I used Quaker)
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, best if very brown
1/3 cup milk, buttermilk, or soy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce

cooking spray for the loaf pan

Optional Mix-ins:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup orange zest
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup currants
1 cup chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel the bananas and place them in a bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the bananas until they are a very thick liquid consistency. Add the remainder of the wet ingredients to the bowl, and stir until they are well mixed.

In a larger bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Once they are mixed, slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. The batter will be very thick.

Spray a loaf pan with the cooking spray, and pour in the batter. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then pop it out and let it cool another 15 minutes.

Slice and serve with butter, if desired.

Fluffy and crispy buttermilk drop biscuits

Biscuits were the first thing that I ever learned to make, and buttermilk biscuits are my favorite. These are easy to assemble, mixed by hand, and require no kneading or rolling!

I'll start by giving the ingredients, then the instructions.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flower

1 cup buttermilk (see tip below)*

1/2 stick or 1/4 cup of margarine

1 tbsp baking powder (NOT soda!)

1 tsp salt

cooking spray for the baking sheet

Makes approximately 16 biscuits.

Turn on the oven and heat it to 450 degrees. While it's heating, start putting the ingredients together.

Like most baking recipes, start by mixing the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, which includes both flours, baking powder, and the salt.

With a fork, mash in the margarine until it is very broken up. Finally, add the buttermilk (using the fork is easiest), turning the dough until it resembles a thick paste. It will be very sticky.

Spray a baking sheet, then using a spoon, scoop out the dough and drop it onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between biscuits. Place the sheet onto the top rack of the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. If you do two batches, be aware that the second batch will not take as long, and you should keep an eye on them to prevent burning!

Pull them out and let them cool before plopping onto a platter for serving with butter, jam, honey, etc.

* Tip: Don't have buttermilk on hand? Use regular milk and add two teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Give the milk a few minutes to "set" and it will work in the same manner as buttermilk!