Apple Muffins

More muffins! I’ve been eating them every morning before taking the T to get to the gym at work so I need something as ‘mini breakfast’, ‘pre breakfast’ or ‘breakfast part 1’ whatever you want to call it, otherwise I’m starving at the gym.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar + more for the top
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon + more for the top
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled
• 2 cups apples, grated (I used 3 granny smith apples)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400F.

2) In a large bowl whisk the sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and flour.

3) In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, milk and butter.

4) Mix the wet into the dry. It will be quite dry now.

5) Add the  apple in and mix.

6) Add the batter to the muffin pan, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top.

7) Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8) Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Vegetable and Cream Sauce

The end of the week came and I had some left over vegetables so I thought I would just saute them and have them with pasta. After a bit of cooking I saw that I had heavy cream that I probably was not going to be using for anything else anytime soon (at least soon enough before it expires) so I threw it in too, not expecting much and it was delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 carrot, sliced thin
• 1 potato, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1/4 cup jalapeno slices
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup grated cheese
• pasta

Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a large pan to medium-low heat.

2) Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, but nothing is starting to brown.

3) Add the carrot and potato and salt, making sure they are spread out and not stuck together and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often so they do not stick or burn. If necessary, add a lid to the pan to get them to cook faster.

4) Add the broccoli and jalapenos and cook for 1 minute.

5) Add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes.

6) Add the heavy cream and increase the heat to high.

7) Once it boils, bring it to a simmer and add the pepper and cook until it thickens (or until you’re tired of waiting)

8) Serve on the pasta, covered in cheese and with more jalapenos on top.

Carrot Pumpkin Muffins

I had 1/2 cup of pumpkin left and I wanted to find a way to use it up. I also have tons of carrots, so…

Recipe taken from here, but changed a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBSP oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup carrots (1 medium carrot)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F.

2) Beat the pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and egg.

3) Add the carrots and mix.

4) Add the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and mix.

5) Add to a muffin pan (no need to butter).

6) Bake for 15 minutes.

I found them best heated with butter on top.

Apple Rum Cider

Celebratory drink for getting a job last week. Started this week. Crazy tired all the time now, but I bet it’s from getting used to being up so early and doing stuff all day.

Ingredients:

• 1 shot of dark rum
• ice
• enough apple cider to fill the glass
• juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Directions:

1) Mix all together.

Brown Butter, Carrot and Orange Muffins

I guess you can say these are amazing, because they disappeared via my new roommates. I guess ‘try one’ means ‘eat all but 2’. I’ll be taking all baked goods to my room now…One helped me, because none of them have baked before. Still. The next day I was asked to spend the night showing them how to bake more. No thanks, I have other plans.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 4 eggs at room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• the zest of one orange
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup grated carrots
• more sugar and salt

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a pan over medium high heat. Be careful that it does not burn, but just that the foam rises to the top and the butter is golden brown, about 3 minutes after it melts.

2) Allow to cool.

3) Preheat the oven to 375F/175C.

4) Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger together.

5) In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, orange zest, vanilla and salt until there is a ribbon texture, in that the batter follows the spoon.

6) Add the carrots and then the dry mixture and fold in.

7) Add the brown butter and mix.

8) Butter the muffin pan.

9) Add the batter to the muffin pan.

10) Pinch sugar and salt on top.

11) Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Creamed Corn

To go with the Spinach Dip, and use up more Parmesan, I made this.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn.
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 TBSP mayo, room temp
• 1 TBSP sour cream, room temp
• 1/4 cup milk, room temp
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 TBSP Parmesan, grated
• cayenne

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 400F.

2) Take the corn off the cob, and mix with olive oil and salt and pepper.

3) Spread on a baking sheet.

4) Roast the corn for 15-20 minutes, turning once or twice, until they are caramelized.

5) Mix the mayo, sour cream, milk, lime juice, Parmesan and cayenne.

6) Pour the corn into the mayo mixture and mix until the corn is covered in the sauce. Add more salt and pepper if you like.

Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip

We had lots of Parmesan leftover from having a block with no rind, and then needing a rind and still having a whole block left. I thought this was a good way to use it up.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 20 oz frozen spinach, thawed via the microwave and with the water squeezed out
• 1/4 cup milk
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 425F.

2) Heat the oil in a LARGE pan to medium heat.

3) Add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

4) Add the spinach to the onion mixture and coo for 2-3 minutes.

5) Add the milk and cream cheese.

6) Remove from the heat.

7) Add the Parmesan, Mozzarella, pepper and paprika and mix.

8) Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

9) Pour the dip into the pan.

10) Heat for 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

11) Serve with baguette slices.

Cheesecake Brownies

I wanted chocolate. I still want chocolate. Hmmmm…Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 10 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup + 2 TBSP flour
• 1/4 cup coca powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.

2) Rub butter in an 8 inch pan.

3) Line the bottom and 2 sides with baking paper.

4) Rub again with butter.

5) In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

6) Melt and mix the (8 oz) butter and chocolate in a double broiler, or bowl over a pot of boiling water.

7) Remove from the heat.

8) Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix.

9) Add 3 of the eggs and mix.

10) Add the flour mixture and mix until moist.

11) Mix the cream cheese and 2 oz butter until smooth.

12) Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, egg, and flour.

13) Spoon the chocolate mixture and cream cheese mixture alternately into the pan.

14) Swirl with a knife.

15) Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cream cheese on top should be golden.

16) Cool for 30 minutes in the pan.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Recipe taken from here. Great addition to breakfast during this time of the year.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1) Combine all the ingredients!

Pumpkin Muffins

These tasted like pumpkin bread and were gone quick. I made mini ones so it was 2 or 3 bites and gone.

Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups + 3 TBSP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 + 1/8 cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• pinch allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup + 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup + 3 TBSP canola oil
• 3/4 cup + 2 TBSP pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 TBSP eggs (2)
• 1/2 cups + 1/2 TBSP golden raisins

Directions:

1) Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt together in a large bowl.

2) Mix the sugar and oil until combined.

3) Add the pumpkin and mix until smooth.

4) Add the eggs, in 2 additions.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 additions, scraping the sides.

6) Fold in the raisins.

7) Place in a container that you can cover for 8-26 hours.

8) Preheat the oven to 435F.

9) Spray the muffin pan with cooking oil.

10) Add the batter to the pan.

11) Add the muffins to the oven.

12) Lower the temperature to 325F.

13) Bake for 45 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.