Banana Cream Coconut Muffins

Banana Cream Coconut Muffins

Once upon a time there lived a little princess who would not eat slightly over ripe bananas so her mother had to come up with a recipe in order to not have them go to waste.  The little princess loved to bake and use the ice cream scoop.  Her mother's recipe was the answer to the question of what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon.  The little princess, the little prince and their father happily ate the banana cream coconut muffins while their mother enjoyed a few silent moments on her own.  

Ingredients
1 3/4 C flour
1/3 C sugar
2 t baking powder
1 small pkg Banana Cream Instant Pudding mix
1 C shredded, sweetened coconut, divided

1 C milk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C cooking oil
1 t coconut extract
1 overripe banana, mashed
3 T sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, add flour, sugar baking powder, pudding mix and 1/2 C. coconut.  In a large mixing bowl, add milk, egg, oil, and extract.  Mix.  Stir in mashed banana.  Using rubber spatula, add flour mixture and fold in.

Using an icecream scoop, drop dough into prepared muffin tin.  The dough should come a little more than half way up the muffin cup.  Sprinkle with coconut and sugar.

Place muffin tins in hot oven and cover loosely with a large piece of foil.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes or until coconut on top is lightly golden brown.

Remove muffins from the oven and let cool slightly before turning them out onto cooling rack.

Makes 12 standard muffins or 8 large.

Enjoy!

Grilled Indian Flat Bread, Naan

Grilled Indian Flatbread, Naan

This grilled Indian flatbread, called Naan, is very good and mops up all the succulent juices left over that remain on your plate.  I can't stop eating it.  You can serve this up with any meal really and it would be a hit.  They are also a very good partner to wine when served as an appetizer (baby naan).  My dinner guests are always intrigued when you start grilling these up and it's fun to watch their faces when they bite into them. 

Read through steps prior to making.  Makes 12 naan.

Naan

Ingredients

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 C. luke warm water

1/4 C. sugar

3 T. milk

1 egg, beaten

2 t. salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 1/2 C. bread flour

Directions

In a large bowl, include water and yeast.  Gently stir and let stand for about ten minutes, until frothy.  Add sugar, milk, beaten egg, salt, garlic and flour and knead with your hands until combined and you can wrap it in a ball.  Place ball in an oiled glass bowl and cover with a towel.  Set aside for about 1 hour to double in size. 

After an hour has elapsed, punch down dough and tear off small pieces to roll into ball shapes.  Place dough balls on greased cookie sheet and cover with towel for 40 minutes to rise.

Using a rolling pin or your hands, flatten dough in to a flat round.  Grill flattened dough round on hot, prepared grill for about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 on the back.   Serve warm.

Maple Oatmeal Scones

Maple Oatmeal Scones

I made these scones late one evening this week.  Everyone had gone to bed already and I was up trying to get work off my mind.  Before too long, the sweet aroma of maple was drifting though the house. 

A tree line on my property. 
Picture taken in Fall 2009.

As a little girl, I remember being tucked in my bed upstairs for the night and my mother would be downstairs in the kitchen making wonderful things that filled up the house with warmth and dreamy memories.  Oh, my sweet reverie.  The reflection of my history carries me back to a time when my world was carefree, playful and free of responsibility.  I wonder if it is those memories coupled with the fragrance of days gone by that delivers us to that restful state of happiness and blissful relaxation and contentment.  That feeling of being at peace.  The feeling of home.

Barn and Mount Baker, 2009

Ingredients

1 3/4 C. flour

1/2 C. whole-wheat flour

3/4 C. quick cooking oats

3 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 sticks cold butter (1/2 lb), cubed
1/2 C. buttermilk
1/4 C. maple syrup
1 t. maple extract
2 eggs

Glaze
1 1/4 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. maple syrup
1 t. maple extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Using your electric mixer, add the flours, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Blend together until mixed.  Add cubed butter and mix on low until the dough looks like small pieces.  Add the buttermilk, syrup, extract and eggs and blend until just combined.  Do not over-mix or your scones will be tough.  Remove dough carefully from mixing bowl onto floured surface.  Cover hands and rolling pin with flour and roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut in circular shape using large round cookie cutter or in triangles.  Place on prepared cookie sheet.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until edges just start to brown.  When warm, but not hot, drizzle glaze over the tops and let them cool to set.  Makes 18.

Enjoy!

Miniature Popovers and Savory Popovers

Miniature Popovers

Warm.  Simple.  Wonderful.  A lost recipe.  Popovers are considered a thing of the past.  Let's reclaim them.  They are so easy to make and people are charmed when they served up warm either plain or savory.  The reason why they are called popovers is because they "pop over" the top of the pan when cooking.  Several popover recipes tell you to use a popover pan but it really isn't necessary.  You can use a muffin tin, miniature or regular.  I used miniature here.  Accompany with honey, jam or butter.  If you are feeling adventurous and looking for that perfect accent to a homestyle dinner, like pot roast or pork roast, consider making savory popovers to go along side.  Try blending finely chopped oregano or rosemary into the batter and bake according to the directions below. 

Ingredients
1 C. Flour
1 t. Salt
2 Eggs
1 C. Milk
Butter for pan

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Using a whisk, blend ingredients until smooth.  Fold a paper towel in fours and dip in butter.  Smear butter lightly into muffin cups.  Fill muffin cups half way with batter.  Place in preheated oven for 20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.  Enjoy warm.

Opera Pizza Dough

Opera Pizza with Fontina and Sherried White Cream Sauce

(toppings include: artichokes, bacon, baby spinach leaves and quickly sauteed green onion)

My sister and I were in the kitchen cooking all day.  We were thirsty and exhausted.  When we sat down to reflect on our day, I jokingly asked her, "What if we lived long ago and we had to wear dresses and cook for every man we knew?"  She answered, "Then we best be hiding a bottle of booze somewhere."

This pizza dough recipe was a fun adventure.  It turned out so well the first time we made it that I made it again for guests at my Election Night Party last fall.  I call it Opera Pizza because the dough is sophisticated, bold and tasteful.  It could easily be served up at the opera and would land rave reviews from all the critics.  You'll be singing like they do at the opera when your dough rises and your perfect crust pizza is on it's way out of the oven all fresh and bubbly.  Let's roll out the red carpet and get started!


Opera Pizza Dough

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3/4 C. warm water or room temperature beer 

1 package active dry yeast

1 t. olive oil for greasing sides of mixing bowl 

1 t. sugar 

1 t. salt
2 cups flour

3 T. olive oil

Place warm water (or beer) in mixing bowl and add entire yeast package.  Let dissolve.  This step takes about five minutes.  Don't be afraid.  Yeast is great stuff.  Your dough will not rise if the liquid it is dissolved in is too hot or too cold.

Grease bowl for dough to rest in after it is mixed up.  To do this, my mother used to take a paper towel, fold in fours and sparingly add olive oil to it.  She would then use the olive oil towel to wipe down the inside of a big glass bowl.  I have done this for years and I think it is the easiest way to do it if you do not have cooking spray, plus the clean up is a snap.

In mixing bowl, add flour, sugar and salt to yeast mixture.  Add olive oil.  With dough hook attachment, mix until dough forms into a ball shape.  If it is too sticky, add very small amounts of flour and work it in with your hands.  Remove dough from mixer on to floured work surface.  Knead dough over itself until smooth.  Carefully place dough in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Place dough in a warm area to rise.  Rising takes about an hour and it will look like it has doubled in size.  After the dough has risen, punch it down and clear some kitchen space for assembling pizzas.  I have made this pizza the size of a jelly roll pan for large groups (see in pictures here), or personal size pizzas which are fun for parties.  Roll out dough, cover with sauce and toppings as desired.  Place in oven for 16 to 20 minutes for a large pizza and 8 to 10 for a personal size pizza.

In the picture above, I used a white sauce which I found on the internet, but I substituted cheeses and I used sherry instead of white wine.  The flavor was great.  It is good to be on the safe side and try a traditional sauce, but don't be afraid to mix it up!  Try the following web sites for more sauce recipes: foodnetwork.com, epicurious.com, or allrecipes.com.

Bollos Salados Mexicano

Bollos Salados Mexicano

Bollos Salados Mexicano!  Otherwise known as Savory Mexican Scones.  Ole'!  My sister woke up one morning and asked, "Did you make coffee? Want to make some scones?"  I wasn't thinking savory at all.  I'de made a left turn after coffee and was off-roading somewhere in the distant reality.  I'de been up with my son who has decided that daybreak is as good a time as any to announce to the household that he's done sleeping, ready to have breakfast and play with toy cars.  Coffee?  Yes.  Scones?  Yes, go down the street to the corner coffee shop and buy me one for now and one for later.  Staring at her over my coffee cup, I relented.  What else is there to do at 5:30 in the morning? "I'm game."

The scones were a miracle because we threw this recipe together after researching two or three of them on the internet.  They are so good and versatile that we decided they were worthy of making over and over again. I admit, we sort of turned them mexican because it was the only cheese flavor I had other than some gourmet stuff that seemed too expensive to be part of a scone.  I invite you to try the "base recipe"* (that means, add the ingredients right up to the mexican part) and put your own savory ingredients: thyme, rosemary, sage, sausage, ham, grated parmesan, grated fontina, etc.  C'mon.  You know you want to. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3 C. Flour

1 T. Baking Powder

1 t. Salt

1 t. Freshly Ground Pepper

1/4 C. Butter, cubed and refridgerated

2 C. Grated Mexican Cheese

3 or 4 Green Onions, sliced thin and sauteed or a small can of Green Chilies

4 Slices of Bacon

2 T. Sour Cream

1 1/4 C. Heavy Cream

1/4 C. Flour
1 Egg

2 t. water

In a standing mixer with paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder salt and pepper.  Blend ingredients together.  While mixer is running on low, slowly add in the butter cubes one at a time.  The butter and flour mixture should look like course meal with some bigger lumps.

*At this time, you can add any ingredients you want to as I mentioned above.*  If you are going to continue with this recipe, add the cheese, onions and bacon.  Mix until just combined.  Be careful not to over mix as these are scones and they will be tough if you are heavy handed.  Nice and easy.  Add in the sour cream and heavy cream and lightly mix until dough starts forming and you can shape it.  Remove from bowl onto floured surface and shape into flat square, about an inch high.  Cut into wedges.  In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water to form glaze and brush over wedges.  Place wedges on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until firm.  These scones are good served warm.  I have taken them to work with me the next day, but remember to  refridgerate them if they contain a meat product.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bread

"Chockit" is a term for "Chocolate" used often by my two year old who loves it as much as I do! Here is a twist on the original zucchini bread. I am a fool for anything chocolate. This bread is good for breakfast, bringing to work in your lunch bag and using it as a dessert after dinner. That statement is a little ironic for me since I have actually done all three of those in one day. Don't you judge me. Its no secret that I love a good chocolate fix. My kids love it too and they don't even know that it is healthy for them. It is wonderful to have on hand and it also freezes well. This recipe makes two loaves. They won't last long, especially after your household gets a whiff of them baking in the oven! I have found that it is much easier to use a Cuisanart to grate your zucchini. If you grate your zucchini the old fashioned way; by hand with a grater, then someone should be taking you for a spa treatment ....either that or therapy...you decide. All I know is when it's this good, who wants to waste time grating it by hand? Enjoy your "chockit."

Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bread

4 eggs

1 1/2 C. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 Oil

2 C. shredded unpeeled zucchini

1 3/4 C. baking cocoa powder (separated)

3 1/4 C. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 1/2 C. regular or mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease bottoms of 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pans. Use 1/4 cup of the baking cocoa to coat inside of pans so your bread will not stick when you turn them out after baking. In a large bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and sugar well until thickened. Stir in oil, zucchini. Stir in remaining bread ingredients. Do not over mix. If using an electric mixer, stir in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula at the end. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Cool 15 to 20 minutes and remove from pan. Makes 2 loaves.