LEMON RICOTTA MUFFINS

Ingredients

Lemon Sugar:
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest freshly grated

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour 284 grams
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup milk
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To Make the Lemon Sugar:
Place the granulated sugar and the zest in a small bowl.
Rub together using your fingertips for a few minutes.
Set aside 1 tablespoon of lemon sugar. (This will be used to sprinkle over the muffins before they are baked.)

To Make the Muffins:
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Position rack to middle.
Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (flour, baking powder, salt and lemon sugar) together and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Batter is thick. 
Fill the muffin tins two-thirds full.
Sprinkle reserved lemon sugar over the tops.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until top bounces back when lightly touched.
Remove from heat. Lift out the muffins and transfer to a wire rack to cool off.

Mini Pancake Stacks

From the kitchen of Karen Johnson

Ingredients
1 large egg
3/4 cup whole milk or buttermilk
1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Buttermilk or Farmhouse Pancake & Waffle Mix
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Raspberries, Blueberries, or Strawberries
24 Small mint leaves (optional)
24 Toothpicks
Confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

Beat egg and milk together in a medium bowl. Add pancake mix and blend well. Stir in melted butter and mix thoroughly.

Heat a griddle to 350 degrees. Spoon 3/4 teaspoon pancake batter onto hot griddle for each mini cake.

Cook until golden brown on each side. Pancakes should be about the size of a quarter.

Assemble by stacking cakes four high. Top with a berry and mint leaf. Stick a toothpick through the stack to serve. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve with maple syrup if desired. 

Starbucks Egg Bites

From the kitchen of Tricia Bourke

Starbucks Egg Bites

Ingredients
8 large eggs
⅔ cup whole fat cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
3-4 fresh cracked black pepper
1 ½ cups Gruyère or cheddar cheese shredded
Optional: Spinach or other veggies.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees with the rack placed in the center of the oven. Place a second rack just beneath it and add an empty baking sheet. Add water to the empty baking sheet to create steam.

Spray a muffin pan well with cooking spray and set aside.

Add the eggs, cottage cheese, salt and pepper to a blender and blend for 15-20 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the shredded cheese.

Use a ladle or a measuring cup to scoop the egg mixture into the wells of the muffin tin, filling them no more than ⅔ of the way full. Sprinkle the chopped veggies evenly over the tops of the egg mixture.

With the muffin tin on the middle rack, bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the egg bites is set. Remove from the oven and let cool before removing from the pan.

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Ingredients

STREUSEL

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tbsp butter, melted

COFFEE CAKE

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups blueberries

GLAZE

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1–2 tbsp milk

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan.
• Combine the streusel ingredients and set aside.
• Begin making the cake batter by beating the sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add sour cream and milk and mix until well incorporated.
• Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
• Add the flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.
• Spread half of the cake batter into the bottom of the cake pan.
• Top batter with about half of the streusel mixture, then half of the blueberries.
• Spread remaining cake batter over streusel.
• Sprinkle the top with the remaining streusel and blueberries.
• Bake for 34-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
• Remove from oven and cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. If desired you can then remove cake from the pan.  Cool cake completely.
• Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl.  Drizzle over the cake and sprinkle a few more blueberries on top.

Crepes

A nice simple crepe recipe that you can fill with your favorite fruits or spreads.

1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoon sugar
2 cups flour
3 eggs
4 tablespoons oil
Butter for cooking

Thoroughly mix ingredients together in a blender or mixer.  Let stand for 5 minutes before frying.  Heat a 10 or 12 inch frying pan on medium low.  (A nonstick pan is easiest if you have it.)  Melt a small amount of butter on pan to grease it.  Add a small layer of batter to pan and cook until the top bubbles slightly.  Gently turn and cook the other side a for a minute or two.

Serve with your favorite filling like sugar, Nutella, jam, or fruit.  Simple and delicious!

 

 

Fruit & Yogurt Salad

Ingredients
20 ounce can of chunk pineapple packed in juice, drained, reserving juice
3 – 4 ‘cutie’ oranges, peeled, separated, and cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup seedless red or green grapes
1 apple cored and sliced

Directions
In a small pan, combine pineapple juice and cornstarch.  Bring to boil and cook stirring constantly until thickened.  Cool slightly.

In large serving bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, and vanilla.  Mix in cooled thickened pineapple juice. Add prepared fruit and mix thoroughly.  Cover and chill for about 2-4 hours.

Cinnamon Rolls

A Christmas morning favorite in our house.

Dough
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup warm milk
3 1/2 cups to 4 cups flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Filling
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Directions
Generously grease a 13×9 pan.

In a mixer bowl dissolve yeast in warm milk.  Add 1/4 cup oil, 1 cup flour, rolled oats, sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and salt.  Blend at low speed until combined.  Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Stir in an additional 2 1/4 cup to 2 1/2 cup flour until dogh pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

On a floured surface knead in 1/4 to 1/2 cup additional flour until dough is smooth and elastic.

Roll dough into a 16×12 inch rectangle.  Spread with the softened butter. Combine the remaining filling ingredients and spread evenly over the dough.

Starting with the smaller side, roll up tightly.  Press edges to seal.  Slice into 12 even pieces.  Place cut side up in prepared pan.  Cover and refrigerate dough overnight.

When ready to bake, let rise in warm place for about one hour or until rolls double in size.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Combine glaze ingredients and drzzle over warm rolls and serve.

(Tip: Can be made up to a week ahead.  Instead of refrigerating, seal tightly and freeze.  When ready to use, take out of freezer and let rise several hours until double in size. Continue to baking directions.)

Yum Yum Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of Patricia Fitzgerald

(My mother made this delicious coffee cake regularly. )

Ingredients
1/2 cup Butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Topping
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

With an electric mixer beat butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and set aside.

Pour half of the batter in a greased 9 inch square pan.  Top with 1/2 of the topping.  Repeat with remaining batter and topping.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes.  Serve warm or cooled.  YUM!!!

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredients
1 ¾ cup flour
½ cup sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 egg
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 pkg instant lemon pudding
2 tbls poppy seeds

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin.  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well.  Add egg, milk, and oil and mix just until combined.  Add poppy seeds.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Makes 9 to 12 muffins.

Mushroom Strata

From the Kitchen of Patricia Fitzgerald (My Dearest Mom)

1 pound mushrooms, sliced
16 slices bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons Butter or margarine
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 beaten eggs
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Cornflake crumbs

Butter 9×13 pan. Sauté mushrooms in butter until softened.  Line bottom of pan with 8  slices of bread.  Next layer mushrooms, followed by cheese and then top with 8 slices of bread.  In bowl beat milk, eggs, pepper, and mustard.  Pour over bread slowly, allowing it to saturate.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Remove foil and top with crumbs.  Bake one hour at 325 degrees.

Bran Muffins

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tbls baking powder
2 cups Kelloggs All-Bran Original cereal
1 tsp cinnamon
1¼ cups milk
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine cereal, and milk.  Let stand about 5 minutes or until cereal softens.  Add egg and oil.  Beat well.  Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined.  Add batter to 12 greased muffin pan cups.  If desired, sprinkle top of each muffin with coarse sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes or until lightly browned.    Calories: 160 per muffin.

 

Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal

1 Cup Steel cut oats (Do not use quick or instant oats)
4 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 cup chopped apples (optional)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Serve with dried fruit and nuts.