tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53387164169486369912024-03-27T07:14:01.679-05:00The Misadventures of Myrtle GraceA little punch, a little baking... a little fun.... mostly misadventures....erindekkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09866576059616050601noreply@blogger.comBlogger1260125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-84132866925213446102024-03-26T14:00:00.006-05:002024-03-26T14:00:00.141-05:0018 Pounds of Sprinkles<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zcKmGFk7FeQzv8egNlNyBf-8qMN_OacGYliyxOAdOqusuD0H7-Ufg7xxOmtTYtf1RT7VnM1hzWq8M3wOdMftSO2e_3Q-X0xL8JABaB7WdpAIIqxNuO-BfS5SIr8YZiSAdcETOE6SGoxfM43Jgyq6Oa7VvcThmMpbBnbSCMtYSS80tHuN5wsMbz9BAZTF/s1540/SprinkleCookie.jpg"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zcKmGFk7FeQzv8egNlNyBf-8qMN_OacGYliyxOAdOqusuD0H7-Ufg7xxOmtTYtf1RT7VnM1hzWq8M3wOdMftSO2e_3Q-X0xL8JABaB7WdpAIIqxNuO-BfS5SIr8YZiSAdcETOE6SGoxfM43Jgyq6Oa7VvcThmMpbBnbSCMtYSS80tHuN5wsMbz9BAZTF/w438-h438/SprinkleCookie.jpg" width="438" /></a></div>I do love a good sugar cookie - especially one I don't have to roll out and cut, that's a pain in the butt. I'll say it - cut out cookies are not my favorite - by any means. Give me a cookie I can scoop with my new terrible cookie scoop (new one on order and this one is heading back), add some sprinkles and away we go. This recipes does need some fridge time, but you scoop it first so those dough balls can hang out for a few days if you need them too - which is great when you have a lot of baking to do but want to do some early prep. My kids aren't fans of chocolate and let’s be honest - a lot of cookies are chocolate. This one? A great sugar cookie with sprinkles! I had actually made these for Christmas - but would you know that? Of course not!! I didn't have Christmas sprinkles and couldn't find any holiday jimmies in the stores... trust me I tried. But in the process of looking for sprinkles I did discover that I could buy 6 and 18 pound packages of sprinkles on Amazon. Can you imagine 18 pounds of sprinkles? I could can them, and put them in my basement with all my other canned goods! Imagine going to that canning exchange? "Oh I made salsa", "I made jam", nope, not me, I pour sprinkles in a jar!! Amazing. Maybe if I'm really good this year Santa will bring me 18 pounds of sprinkles!! I can only hope!<br /><br />Drop Style Christmas Sugar Cookies<br />1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)<br />1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature<br />3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar<br />1 large egg, at room temperature<br />1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />1/2 cup (80g) sprinkles, plus more for topping*<br /><br />Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.<br />In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.<br />Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in 1/2 cup of sprinkles. Dough will be thick and sticky. Scoop large sections of dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough each) and roll into balls. For extra sprinkle goodness, lightly dip the tops of the cookie dough balls in more sprinkles. Place dough balls onto a large plate or lined baking sheet.<br />Cover and chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (and up to 4 days).<br />Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.<br />Arrange chilled cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.<br />Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.<br />Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-57609362788709327002024-03-22T14:00:00.008-05:002024-03-22T14:00:00.241-05:00Not orange... just cinnamony delicious <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTtiOw-KafPhcsG9ANxc1QZSKNNnxQITLjmAMcaEUX_yl6U8sx_KJmv8cULa2CmYWHbffUAzijxP4FsswBwbha3_e2VdX5xCi4NTa_bibcYmNS2rgW7lHg8dj0hCv7OfEB59V3yJrYxvtOOO3Pcs33-lGuICfKwczxS2_3QilLY-XgLF_UcflVptom03S/s1540/Cinnaburst.jpg"><img border="0" height="455" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTtiOw-KafPhcsG9ANxc1QZSKNNnxQITLjmAMcaEUX_yl6U8sx_KJmv8cULa2CmYWHbffUAzijxP4FsswBwbha3_e2VdX5xCi4NTa_bibcYmNS2rgW7lHg8dj0hCv7OfEB59V3yJrYxvtOOO3Pcs33-lGuICfKwczxS2_3QilLY-XgLF_UcflVptom03S/w455-h455/Cinnaburst.jpg" width="455" /></a></div>If I had to pick a favorite flavor I'm pretty sure it would have to be cinnamon. When given a chance to make a breakfast anything - it will probably be with cinnamon. This cinnamon chip bread has been on my list for a while but all I had were the Hershey's chips... no thanks... Andy does NOT like them... I tried making my own one time... they worked - kinda? And have also been sitting in my fridge for over a year - maybe I should toss this... anyway... I bought myself several pounds of GYGI chips (https://www.gygi.com/Cinnamon-Baking-Chips-2-Lb.-Bag) and they are like magic. They are tiny and amazing. Not weird orange but cinnamon goodness.<br />This bread is... amazing. It puffed up beautiful - we sliced and toasted it up for breakfast and we could NOT stop eating it. I might even split it into 3 loaves next time because the slices have muffin tops and did not want to fit into the toaster. This is also perfect bread to make French toast. I see some French toast coming!!<br /><br />Cinnamon Chip Bread <br /><br />Ingredients<br />1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast<br />1/2 cup + 2 1/2 cups very warm water divided<br />1/4 cup honey<br />2 tbsp canola oil<br />2 1/4 tsp salt<br />7 cups all purpose flour<br />2 cups Orson Gygi Cinnamon baking chips<br />2 tbsp melted butter for the crust<br /><br />Instructions<br />Combine 1/2 cup of warm water, the yeast and squirt of honey. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until nice and bubbly.<br />Add the remaining warm water, honey, canola oil, salt and 4 cups of the flour to the bowl of a stand mixer.<br />Using the dough hook, knead until the flour is incorporated.<br />Add 2 more cups of flour, kneading until incorporated and then slowly add in the remaining cup of flour.<br />The dough will be tacky to the touch, but shouldn’t stick onto your finger if quickly touching the dough. The dough will stick to the bottom of the bowl, but should clean the top of the sides.<br />If your dough is too wet still, slowly add more flour, a few tbsp at a time until the dough is tacky to the touch.<br />Add the cinnamon baking chips and knead for an additional 5 minutes.<br />Transfer the dough to a greased large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.<br />Transfer the raised dough to a floured surface and divide the dough in half. Work with one half at a time.<br />Flatten the dough, pressing all of the air bubbles out of it.<br />Then fold the dough in half and pinch together the seam, repeating this process until you have a tight bread loaf. You may need to turn the ends under in order for it to fit into your bread pan.<br />Place inside a greased 9×4 bread pan.<br />Repeat with the other loaf.<br />Cover and allow the dough to rise for an additional 45 min.<br />Preheat the oven to 375° F. Allow the bread to continue rising while the oven is preheating.<br />Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.<br />Take out of the oven and brush with melted butter.<br />Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the top.<br />Allow the bread to cool in the bread pan for 30 minutes before cutting.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-67911818189373383132024-03-19T14:00:00.008-05:002024-03-19T14:00:00.144-05:00Baking for fun and for cinnamon <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXs18aOBKf5xLgifhOOUHhHA_iOi2kocn8O7rYL9SFWvNZPvbbC92Zi9jmt7xwiv12qEk8801jnvfDNc_FJl533GygwdOLodGsOGlQZIbcXnBpAyepwMUiJo3ua4G5Yz29r1CrTEQIwMdv2MbNjeRz1Hi4FeqRQA0YrbLyteSaGvF8ffya4ZPIXnURqzG/s1540/CinnamonBread.jpg"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXs18aOBKf5xLgifhOOUHhHA_iOi2kocn8O7rYL9SFWvNZPvbbC92Zi9jmt7xwiv12qEk8801jnvfDNc_FJl533GygwdOLodGsOGlQZIbcXnBpAyepwMUiJo3ua4G5Yz29r1CrTEQIwMdv2MbNjeRz1Hi4FeqRQA0YrbLyteSaGvF8ffya4ZPIXnURqzG/w427-h427/CinnamonBread.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>The last version of Twisted Croissant Bread I made was a huge hit in my house - so when I saw there was a cinnamon sugar version? Yes, oh my yes... It took a few weeks for me to get my stuff together to have some time to bake for fun. I opted to make is Saturday for Sunday morning breakfast. I put the loaves all twisted and delicious in the fridge overnight. I woke up at 5 Sunday morning - of course why not? - so I ran down and tossed them in the oven with the light on to come to room temp. I promise I do try to sleep, I just don't... These baked up brown, melty, and amazing. The smell in our house... Wow. This was amazing... I do have some left overs... I plan to slice it up and make some French toast later this week. Imagine the amazingness of these bread as French toast?! I'm not sure that can be a lose situation. I mean... who knows. <br />Rolling out this dough is a sticky business and my butter packet kinda got out and made some mess - but really... it was not a big deal - at all. Scrape it up and roll it back in. I loved that I could make this Saturday and bake it Sunday. Made for a VERY taste Sunday morning treat. <br /><br /><div>Cinnamon Sugar Twisted Croissant Bread <br /><br />Butter Packet: <br />1 cup salted butter, cool room temperature <br />¼ cup granulated sugar <br />1 tablespoon ground cinnamon <br /><br />Dough: <br />2 cups warm water, 105-110 degrees F <br />1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast <br />2 tablespoons granulated sugar <br />1 ½ teaspoons salt <br />4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting <br />Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling<br /><br />For the butter packet: grab a piece of parchment paper about 16 1/4-inches by 12-inches (doesn't have to be exact, but should be close to those dimensions). Fold the two short edges of the parchment in toward each other about 4 1/2 inches. They will overlap a bit. Crease the edges well. <br />Keep those edges folded in and fold the top and bottom edges in about 1 3/4-inches. It should form a little parchment packet when folded with the center rectangle dimensions about 8 1/2-inches by 7-inches (see note below for a visual). Set aside. <br />With an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), whip the butter with the granulated sugar and cinnamon until well-combined. <br />Unfold the parchment. Scrape the butter into the center square. Fold up the packet using the pre-creased folds and flip over so the folded edges are on the bottom. <br />Use a rolling pin (or press with your hands), lightly roll the softened butter into a thin sheet so it reaches all the edges of the parchment packet and has a relatively even thickness. Chill in the fridge until firm. <br />For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the water, yeast and sugar, and let sit until foamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and flour and mix until a soft dough forms that clears the sides of the bowl. Add additional flour, a little at a time, if the dough is sticking to the dough hook or sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft but not overly sticky. <br />Knead for 3-4 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover the bowl or transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled, about an hour. <br />Lightly deflate the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Roll into a rectangle about 18-inches by 11- or 12-inches. <br />Take the butter packet out of the refrigerator, and unfold the parchment (but leave the butter on the parchment paper). Place the butter packet face down on the center of the rolled out bread dough. Peel the parchment carefully off the butter leaving the butter sheet on the dough. <br />Work quickly and don't over work the dough during the next couple steps of folding and rolling so the butter doesn't get too soft! <br />Fold one short side of dough about halfway to 2/3 over the butter. Fold the other short side of dough over the butter, overlapping the first folded side by about an inch. <br />Fold the top and bottom edges over about 1/2- to 1-inch and press to seal. <br />Fold the dough in half (from right to left or vice versa) once more. Starting in the center, roll the dough out into a long, thin rectangle, about 8-inches by 22-inches. If the dough springs back when rolling, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to let the gluten relax and roll again. <br />Fold one short edge of the long rectangle into the center. Repeat with the other short edge so they meet in the middle. Fold the dough in half (from one of the short sides). Let the dough rest for 2-3 minutes. <br />Prepare two half sheet pans by lining with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (400 degrees F for a darker crust). <br />Roll into a 12-inch or 13-inch square. If the dough springs back when rolling, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to let the gluten relax and roll again. Cut the square into four strips. <br />Take each strip, twist it 3-4 times and place on the prepared sheet pans (two strips per sheet pan, spaced several inches apart). <br />Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy (the dough can rise in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours – when taking out of the refrigerator, if it hasn't risen enough, let it come to room temp and continue rising until nearly doubled). You don't want to let these loaves rise in an overly warm spot or the butter will melt before it hits the oven and you won't get the flaky, buttery layers. <br />Bake the loaves until nicely golden, 20-22 minutes. <br />Immediately out of the oven, use a pastry brush to brush any leaked butter on the sheet pan over the top of the loaves. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with cinnamon sugar. <br />Serve warm or at room temperature. Bread can be sliced or torn into pieces.<br /></div>Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-91497306384196829352024-03-15T14:00:00.001-05:002024-03-15T14:00:00.131-05:00Sticky hot fingers<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIH3dbKyKTYc_wyCmBGmtvB3rY_QKE5e14ZlBvvo5WIVY9XHboJ9apD9rVBqAqds19d9logcQ-BxS2QHMzoE5KPGJoY-OlyBwyS_nVQ_jWC2eKdZZm03P6ZGgpGB1FHm6vcQp5kbCuHr3I7egN9F_dqRrUo8ACMVhb8VSczix6-18Zj02WXJVmZBxIwQfE/s1540/Pretzels.jpg"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIH3dbKyKTYc_wyCmBGmtvB3rY_QKE5e14ZlBvvo5WIVY9XHboJ9apD9rVBqAqds19d9logcQ-BxS2QHMzoE5KPGJoY-OlyBwyS_nVQ_jWC2eKdZZm03P6ZGgpGB1FHm6vcQp5kbCuHr3I7egN9F_dqRrUo8ACMVhb8VSczix6-18Zj02WXJVmZBxIwQfE/w462-h462/Pretzels.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>Recently my family went crazy for faux caramel corn that I made with corn puffs. I saw this recipe with pretzels and decided they might like this too. While my kids aren't huge fans of chocolate - they do seem to love caramel. This toffee was a stick mess to make. Baking and leveling the pretzels was somewhat painful on the fingers but we pushed through and made these amazing butter toffee pretzels. I even took a tray and drizzled some chocolate on them - not all of them - just some. They were snacking these off the pans all morning while I waited for them to cool to put them in containers. Now I hear crunching walking past and know they are sneaking them past me. I take that as a compliment. I love when I make something and they enjoy it. <br /><br />Butter Toffee Pretzels <br />8 cups (15 ounce bag) miniature pretzel twists <br />1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, packed <br />½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) salted butter <br />½ cup (170.5 g) light corn syrup <br />½ teaspoon kosher salt <br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract <br />½ teaspoon baking soda <br />Preheat oven to 250°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. <br />Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place pretzels in it. Set aside. <br />To a large saucepan over medium heat, add brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. This can take up to 8-10 minutes. Once boiling, remove from heat. <br />Whisk in the baking soda, continuing to whisk until the baking soda is dissolved. The mixture will bubble up and become foamy. <br />Pour the toffee mixture over the pretzels. Gently stir until all pretzels are coated. <br />Pour the coated pretzels evenly onto the two lined baking sheets, spreading them out into a single layer. <br />Bake for 60 minutes, gently stirring the pretzels occasionally, until darkened and dry. <br />Let the pretzels cool to room temperature before serving, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping. Enjoy!Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-8871188578088532012024-03-12T14:00:00.010-05:002024-03-12T14:00:00.169-05:00Friday Night with Stephanie <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmD4MTroOt-pQHGpmGagRNZmkDZGZW6qp6mWbjGjqpnE_NN8986zWl399DbXMQIgZRfTq528KRqhblP0O3JuIkrX2vDg3pcL13WX0J9PMsDkplGmwftGiJHF2MczsixpFySZGoHacoAqCO3EXww57q3El4bUBih9VzBnYNNq3alB7vMwAHIXF4TmLgvhK/s1540/ApplePorkChops.jpg"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmD4MTroOt-pQHGpmGagRNZmkDZGZW6qp6mWbjGjqpnE_NN8986zWl399DbXMQIgZRfTq528KRqhblP0O3JuIkrX2vDg3pcL13WX0J9PMsDkplGmwftGiJHF2MczsixpFySZGoHacoAqCO3EXww57q3El4bUBih9VzBnYNNq3alB7vMwAHIXF4TmLgvhK/w484-h484/ApplePorkChops.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>A half a pig is a lot of meat... not as much as a quarter of a cow - but certainly enough. Since we have fresh beautiful pork chops and apples still from our tree that need to go - this recipe seemed like a winner to me. It has a LOT of herbs and spices but it all worked together and was great. I even made this on a Friday night after a long hard week, it was amazing. Everyone pitched in - peeling sweet potatoes, nipping beans, setting the table. Everyone together made a great dinner. <br />We used 3 bone in chops and had extra sauce. I think you could do some potatoes and use the sauce to dress potatoes and veg to - we just aren't those people... at last me and the kids aren't... we like things separate. Certainly a winning meat that we will do again. <br />Oh and our pig's name is Stephanie. This summer when we were talking about getting this meat - the kids named the cow Jeffrey and the pig Stephanie. Yes... it's very weird. Just saying. <br /><br />Apple Pork Chops <br />4 pork chops, see notes <br />Salt/Pepper <br />1 teaspoon Italian seasoning <br />1-2 tablespoons olive oil <br />½ cup dry white wine <br />2 tablespoons butter <br />3 cloves garlic, minced <br />1 apple, sliced. <br />Sauce <br />2 cups chicken broth <br />3 tablespoons cornstarch <br />½ chicken bouillon cube <br />2 tablespoons honey <br />1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar <br />1 teaspoon brown sugar <br />½ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, dried oregano, mustard powder, onion powder, parsley <br />¼ teaspoon EACH: ground sage, cinnamon <br />1 pinch nutmeg, no more than a small pinch <br /><br />Season each side of the pork chops with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. If possible, let them sit out at room temp for 35-45 minutes. This will give the salt a chance to penetrate through the meat and flavor it. It will also make the pork juicier. If you’re short on time: Season the pork chops just before searing. <br />Combine the chicken broth with the cornstarch and mix until well combined. Make sure the broth is not warm/hot so that you don’t activate the cornstarch. Mix in the remaining sauce ingredients and store in a cool place until ready to use. <br />Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork chops and sear 2 at a time for 2-3 minutes on the first side, and 1-2 minutes on the second side. Extra thick cuts can be seared a little longer, and smaller/leaner cuts can be seared more quickly. Set aside and let rest. <br />Turn the heat off and add the wine. Set heat to medium and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, the brown bits add more flavor to the sauce. <br />Add the butter and garlic. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. <br />Add the chicken broth mixture (from step 2 of prep work) and bring it to a boil to activate the cornstarch. It will thicken rather quickly once a boil is reached. Once desired thickness is obtained, reduce to a simmer. <br />Add the pork chops (and any juices from the plate), along with the apples. Spoon the sauce on top. Note: The apples will soften better if they're submerged in the sauce. <br />Cover and simmer gently for 5-8 minutes, or until the apples have softened and the pork is nearly 145° F. <br />Remove from heat and let the pork chops rest for 3-5 minutes, the internal temperature will increase a few more degrees and the juices will absorb.Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-86348902264542988362024-03-08T14:00:00.007-06:002024-03-08T14:00:00.139-06:00It's all in the chips...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBvn9b9SwquSAhG19i-lhlvwJvQLaXFxhNELIDvNWQSTRHMqJS49g1uv3KNScKyeUHhlfsi2qbDFi9yFnqds7t-HuMXbzeXngolPRzpecoWWauqW1HIs44r7tHdLDPSibU3BlCN9PvcKqB_8ObHXwjvd_i0HjMFNbdDSfXPmXWd29oiu39X8yWKrc2H0z/s1540/Scones.jpg"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBvn9b9SwquSAhG19i-lhlvwJvQLaXFxhNELIDvNWQSTRHMqJS49g1uv3KNScKyeUHhlfsi2qbDFi9yFnqds7t-HuMXbzeXngolPRzpecoWWauqW1HIs44r7tHdLDPSibU3BlCN9PvcKqB_8ObHXwjvd_i0HjMFNbdDSfXPmXWd29oiu39X8yWKrc2H0z/w496-h496/Scones.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>My favorite times to bake are when I'm not rushing and just baking for fun. These scones were baked for fun - not for any reason. I told the kids I didn't care if they ate any of them or just had cereal - these were for me. Andy is VERY leery of cinnamon chips. They Hershey variety are... weird. they are greasy and orange. These are from gygi.com and are SO different. They bake up like little pockets of cinnamon sugar goodness. So different than the Hershey's. Andy tasted a little bite and went back for an entire scone. Nicholas ate one warm and declared them amazing. Even Bronwyn ate a bite and said it was amazing. These are legit. These will be made again - and these chips purchased over and over - for sure. I will absolutely sit with a cup of chai tea and dip one of these into it, or just warm it up and eat it warm for dinner... like I did last night. So good.<br /><br />Cinnamon Chip Scones <br />3 ½ cups (497 g) all-purpose flour <br />⅓ cup (71 g) sugar<br />2 teaspoons baking powder<br />½ teaspoon baking soda<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized chunks<br />1 cup cold buttermilk<br />½ teaspoon vanilla extract<br />¾ cup (128 g) cinnamon chips (see note)<br />2 tablespoons butter, melted<br />Granulated sugar for sprinkling<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.<br />In a food processor (see note if you don’t have one), combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is cut into smaller pieces – don’t overprocess here; the butter should be no smaller than pea-sized pieces.<br />Add the buttermilk and vanilla and pulse a couple of times until the dough starts to come together; don’t overmix – it’s ok if there are dry, crumbly spots here and there. Remove the blade and add the chips, using your hands to knead them in a bit. Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with 1-2 tablespoons flour and combine the dough and chips together with your hands, kneading briefly, just 2-3 times, until it comes together. Pat and lightly press the dough into a long rectangle, about 15X3-inches.<br />Cut the length of dough into triangular wedges, about 12-14 and place on the baking sheet, about an inch apart. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.<br />Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until just lightly golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-24410844381790396232024-03-05T14:00:00.004-06:002024-03-05T14:00:00.150-06:0017 years or 17 seconds <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNcpyVt7jv8fz_t3NjNBsMEy5N39QixLz2r3Xsig3Yr81EVuhRJWj_zWwr8N0Zqy7MgmXPtuHQX1znPI-mNTYba_79koKkQ2qwwVdipGK9H87ompavTn19dcYppo0p5yRGtE97kMgQgpGPMvBR7XLkjmb3b3l786rOmpAXdtXeYzU9N9WawmxfMaNniAu/s1540/Jarcookies.jpg"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNcpyVt7jv8fz_t3NjNBsMEy5N39QixLz2r3Xsig3Yr81EVuhRJWj_zWwr8N0Zqy7MgmXPtuHQX1znPI-mNTYba_79koKkQ2qwwVdipGK9H87ompavTn19dcYppo0p5yRGtE97kMgQgpGPMvBR7XLkjmb3b3l786rOmpAXdtXeYzU9N9WawmxfMaNniAu/w434-h434/Jarcookies.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>I'm still looking for a jar cookie mix that fits in the jar... I gave another one a try since I figured it had less than 2 cups of flour it might work. I had some time on a Tuesday after work to bake them up. Recently I had to get a new cookie scoop after almost 17 years with my trusty scoop. I accidentally dropped the other one and popped the pin out and could NOT for the life of me get it realigned. So I ordered a new one... a Wilton brand scoop. I figured why not pay for the good one hoping to get another 17 years out of it... well I got 17 seconds. It came out of the package terrible.... then I got 2 cookies scooped and it was misaligned and got stuck. So... fail... requested a replacement and used my spoons again. I've learned that I'm a much better cookie baker with my scoop. I'm not very consistent and make a giant mess. These cookies are the winner. They fit in the jar, they bake up a little flat - but that honestly could be the margarine I used and not butter because well... I'm a house without butter at the moment. I don't even know how that happened to be honest. That will be fixed today. I left the cookies on the tray to cool and everyone tried to snag one as they walked past. They are pretty delicious. Love it. I found a winner!! Now I need to do the math how much ingredients do I need to make 30 of these jars.... Yay math! <br /><br />M&M Cookie Mix In A Jar <br /><br /><div>Ingredients <br />1 ½ cups all purpose flour <br />1 teaspoon baking powder <br />½ teaspoon baking soda <br />¼ teaspoon salt <br />1 cup Holiday M&M’s or chocolate chips, see note <br />⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed <br />½ cup granulated sugar <br />1-quart Mason jar <br />Instructions <br />Assembling jars: <br />Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Pour into the bottom of a 1-quart mason jar (I rolled up a paper plate to use as a funnel). Top the flour mixture with M&M’s, dropping them in lightly, so that they don’t sink into the flour. Top the M&M’s with brown sugar, and then granulated sugar (use a spoon to carefully scoop the sugars into the jar). Seal with the lid and decorate with ribbon and fabric (see note). <br />Recipe to include with the jar (see note): <br />In a large bowl, whisk ½ cup of melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1 large egg, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add the contents of the jar and gently stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined (dough will be crumbly). Chill for 30 minutes. <br />Form golf ball sized portions of dough, pressing firmly as you form the ball. Place the dough balls onto lined baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers of the cookies are still slightly underdone. Place baking sheets on a rack to cool.</div>Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-39201174929465300602024-03-01T14:00:00.006-06:002024-03-01T14:00:00.267-06:00The secret to cookie success... it's not me...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEnPjk-jzUW70ql1vC3abz3pxR2Z7moUXNzS26Hqb7mo1NEUYPVVj6iKOd3v2VrZOwa1jDOYodftyKuShda3DW7zM1OJr8g1d8ZdQCyKOMU-NuofH3gQ-IOPzMY_tzOt14iMJoNpIDajiipOnkQXxooM0lRUhRZpb7xdSpCwVbmpjBDgizZ9KED-hden7/s1540/AppleCiderCookies.jpg"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEnPjk-jzUW70ql1vC3abz3pxR2Z7moUXNzS26Hqb7mo1NEUYPVVj6iKOd3v2VrZOwa1jDOYodftyKuShda3DW7zM1OJr8g1d8ZdQCyKOMU-NuofH3gQ-IOPzMY_tzOt14iMJoNpIDajiipOnkQXxooM0lRUhRZpb7xdSpCwVbmpjBDgizZ9KED-hden7/w422-h422/AppleCiderCookies.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>I'm not sure I've ever baked a more flat cookie. Maybe it was because I made the dough ahead and refrigerated it for a few hours? Maybe because I used water and apple cider mix instead of actual apple cider? I'm not sure, at all... but wow were these flat. Also my size was terribly inconsistent since I dropped my trust scoop on the floor and it broke. I spent 45 minutes trying to get it back together and failed horribly... tossed it in the recycle bin and used spoons... LOTS of weird sized cookies. I hadn't realized my consistency had a lot to do with my scoop. I also couldn't get these off the pan. I had to let them cool entirely on the pans before I got them up. Aside from all that drama people really liked these cookies. I passed as I'm not great with apple cider aka allergies aka stupid... I brought the extra cookies to work and they flew off the tray. I'd say that's worth your effort to make these!<br /><br />Apple Cider Cookies<br />2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 tablespoon cornstarch<br />2 teaspoons baking soda<br />2 teaspoons apple pie spice<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />3 tablespoons instant apple cider mix, divided<br />1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature<br />1 cup white sugar<br />1/4 cup apple cider<br />1/4 cup molasses<br />1 large egg<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1/4 cup white sugar <br />3 tablespoons Dixie Crystals Gold n Natural Turbinado<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, apple pie spice, salt, and one tablespoon instant apple cider mix. <br />In a large bowl, cream together butter and one cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add apple cider, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat until well combined.<br />In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, two tablespoons instant apple cider mix and turbinado.<br />Scoop cookie dough with a medium-sized cookie scoop and place directly on prepared baking sheet. Leave room for spreading. This will be a softer dough, so a cookie scoop is a must. Sprinkle tops generously with sugar mixture.<br />Bake for 10 minutes and then let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-58576888822457497872024-02-27T14:00:00.001-06:002024-02-27T14:00:00.258-06:00Be kind to yourself...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEbj6xx9HZi9SFXsdVXvRbB5piS4m_MwrC7J8JxmbZ0T7D8esRuVdZ22RsEd2eybh0RU-jWhwaLM3zUKl3dCmn-HthLBkhSJVOb9WLOLSz0fl4gYmAL_xPZ4dK1iG7kbcJ-6N4muUsSd4IZL7CK3y2CCtuRoxwSEFwhR3c0GPsIl5uJutE9NsdDyuWCzW/s1540/Foccocia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1540" data-original-width="1540" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEbj6xx9HZi9SFXsdVXvRbB5piS4m_MwrC7J8JxmbZ0T7D8esRuVdZ22RsEd2eybh0RU-jWhwaLM3zUKl3dCmn-HthLBkhSJVOb9WLOLSz0fl4gYmAL_xPZ4dK1iG7kbcJ-6N4muUsSd4IZL7CK3y2CCtuRoxwSEFwhR3c0GPsIl5uJutE9NsdDyuWCzW/w438-h438/Foccocia.jpg" width="438" /></a></div><p></p><p>On Mondays I try to be very kind to myself. My weekend self looks ahead to Monday and says "Oh... we can do better" and has a plan so Monday dinner is easier. This time was a crockpot soup recipe which was very nice but I wanted some fresh bread to go with it. Andy loves Focaccia. I saw this overnight recipe and thought it would be perfect to bake up Monday afternoon for dinner with soup. We had not had a hard freeze yet so I still had a good amount of herbs outside. I used Rosemary, Parsley, Oregano and Chives. Instead of just salt I used garlic salt to seal the deal with my kids. They'll eat almost anything if it has garlic salt on it. I was impressed with my air bubbles and likely would have had more if I had more patience - but we were hungry and needed to get moving. This is a super easy recipe - YES you have to measure on a scale - it's really not that hard... and it's more accurate so there's that.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Overnight Focaccia</p><p><br /></p><p>480 grams all-purpose flour</p><p>390 grams warm water (100°F)</p><p>14 grams diamond crystal kosher salt</p><p>14 grams sugar</p><p>2 grams instant yeast (⅔ teaspoon)</p><p>40 grams olive oil</p><p>For topping </p><p>3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)</p><p>1 sprig fresh rosemary</p><p>1 teaspoon flaky sea salt</p><p>¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper</p><p>1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning blend (optional)</p><p><br /></p><p>Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top, then pour warm water and olive oil directly into the center of the dry ingredients. Mix with your hands or a sturdy wire dough hook until completely combined. The dough will be sticky and very messy. With a damp hand grab a corner of the dough and stretch it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat to gather the dough in a loose ball in the center.</p><p>Cover and rest 5 minutes.</p><p>Dampen your hands and repeat the folding process, grabbing a corner of the dough, stretching it away and then down over the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl and repeat with each side of the dough.</p><p>Cover and rest 15 minutes.</p><p>While the dough rests, spray a 9x13" high-sided baking pan with non-stick spray, making sure to get the sides too. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil in the center, and tilt the pan to spread the oil out.</p><p>Repeat the folding process one more time. The dough should be much smoother, stronger, and stretchier this time.</p><p>On the final fold, flip the dough over so the seam side is down. Then slide the folded dough out of the bowl and into the oiled baking pan.</p><p>Cover and rest 8-12 hours at room temperature.</p><p>An hour before you plan to bake the focaccia, preheat the oven to 400°F. The focaccia should have relaxed and filled out the pan and look bubbly and jiggle slightly if you shake the pan. If it hasn't filled out the pan, use oiled fingers to gently lift and stretch the dough into the corners. Cover and place the pan on top of the stove while the oven preheats. The ambient warmth will give the yeast one last boost before baking.</p><p>30 minutes before baking, top and dimple the focaccia. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the surface of the focaccia. Use your fingers to gently rub it around, then poke your fingers straight down until they hit the bottom of the pan. Repeat this all over the dough. Don't overdo it — you don't want to knock all the air out! Finish with fresh rosemary, herbs, freshly cracked black pepper, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Cover and let rise until ready to bake.</p><p>Bake. Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top. If it browns unevenly, rotate the pan after 20 minutes and bake a few minutes more. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely (or almost completely) before serving.</p><div><br /></div>Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-70754086738695608122024-02-23T14:00:00.004-06:002024-02-23T14:00:00.122-06:00Warm Spices on a Cool Day<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrEmrEeGzs90JfcirxEvZjRzP0NVch63OavdscWOEaUZAGZJYB8fYnDDIfjRt8kuWAS2ddcYBqCtePCWrZvBripCRztoNDG6eTZxQqJD7JVczxx_rAKV6KxQgACt1OIFlOmf_X_Kya7u3jcakuUdyYwd7nCLa0KJ3unGaLqx8l8CzTWFEoSGEz6fnlSRB/s1540/Pumpkin.jpg"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrEmrEeGzs90JfcirxEvZjRzP0NVch63OavdscWOEaUZAGZJYB8fYnDDIfjRt8kuWAS2ddcYBqCtePCWrZvBripCRztoNDG6eTZxQqJD7JVczxx_rAKV6KxQgACt1OIFlOmf_X_Kya7u3jcakuUdyYwd7nCLa0KJ3unGaLqx8l8CzTWFEoSGEz6fnlSRB/w440-h440/Pumpkin.jpg" width="440" /></a></div>I am not one to be on the pumpkin spiced latte train. I don't understand people flocking to pay stupid money for a drink that mostly is warm spices and not necessarily pumpkin. I saw these cookies and with only a third of a cup of pumpkin, it feels silly to list them as pumpkin cookies. If you are like me and not a super fan of pumpkin - fear not - these cookies are amazing. These are more about the spice, oatmeal, and glaze more so than the pumpkin. These were not the cookies I thought would fly off the plan - but they ended up being that. Certainly a delicious treat to enjoy on a cool crisp day or a hot summer one. Just darn good cookies.<br /><br />Iced Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies<br />Ingredients<br />For the Cookies<br />2 ½ cups old fashioned oats<br />2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour<br />1 tablespoon baking powder<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />¾ cup 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, melted<br />⅓ cup pumpkin puree<br />1 ½ cup granulated sugar<br />1 tablespoon molasses<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />2 large eggs<br />For the Icing<br />2 cups powdered sugar<br />1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />4 tablespoons water<br />1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.<br />In a medium sized bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.<br />In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, pumpkin, sugar, molasses and vanilla extract. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.<br />Fold in the dry oat mixture, using a wooden spoon (or a silicone spatula) stirring until thoroughly combined.<br />Drop dough by (heaping) rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. I use a medium sized cookie scoop for this.<br />Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until browned. Let cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool an additional 5 minutes.<br />Once cookies are cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, water and vanilla extract until smooth.<br />Generously frost each cookie (watch video to see how I dip them) and allow the glaze to harden completely before storing. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-74692160602192137272024-02-20T14:00:00.010-06:002024-02-20T14:00:00.137-06:00Carb Delicious Fluffy Buns<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0S8JvzfwOIGUHicUib1MJ60V0WUXSLZ3aP8ufkv0_X0Rjbh4KXFY2J2VHcDCxItTDJeMU755lCdIkCkRjBZ3SP7QXopbwjnsPdhauOJc1AQr4gTdY5RBkKHF8emD62pVtxN5MaqXZhg7MeqjZuwCD-_cMmmF8vaa4CK24R_KrKHEyUn3rWgLqmb8jTfNq/s1540/30minrolls.jpg"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0S8JvzfwOIGUHicUib1MJ60V0WUXSLZ3aP8ufkv0_X0Rjbh4KXFY2J2VHcDCxItTDJeMU755lCdIkCkRjBZ3SP7QXopbwjnsPdhauOJc1AQr4gTdY5RBkKHF8emD62pVtxN5MaqXZhg7MeqjZuwCD-_cMmmF8vaa4CK24R_KrKHEyUn3rWgLqmb8jTfNq/w411-h411/30minrolls.jpg" width="411" /></a></div>Things I know to be true... I am an overthinker and also I make too much food when company comes. We had planned a weeknight for friends and their kids to come for dinner, in my meal prep ways, I'd already made the main dish, we'd set the table, cleaned the house, and made the dessert... so when they had to cancel because of sick kids that morning of... I had extra... because I'm extra sometimes. I had planned to make this roll recipe but then our friends had a loaf of bread they were going to bring, so I scrapped it... well now they weren't coming and my folks were... time to make the rolls! These short rise recipes do not always work. There is a lot of yeast in this recipe, so I'm guessing that helped. I mixed it up and ran outside to move a giant pile of cut bushes that we set out for the chipper last weekend... who knew that the chipper stops running in our town before the leaf sucker... hrm... anyway... I had to move them to make room for my folks to park. Now they get to sit in the back corner of the yard until April... Note... today is November 3... so it'll be a LONG winter with a mountain of branches... Anyway... came back inside to bake these rolls and they were amazing! They were nice and fluffy! I used garlic salt instead granulated garlic, used our "fancy" wedge of parmesan and grated it on top, and some dried parsley. Why yes we do have a fancy wedge of parmesan... only because the store didn't have pre-shredded or grated so I had to get a wedge. It's lasted amazingly long so maybe that's honestly worthwhile. News you can use. Anyway... These buns were amazing. I had two! They were great with our soup and the kids loved them too. My insulin dependent father wished he could have two, but alas carbs are the enemy.<br />Enjoy these carb delicious fluffy buns.<br /><br />30-Minute Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls<br />Ingredients<br />1¼ cups warm water 115-125 degrees<br />¼ cup granulated sugar<br />2 Tbsp. yeast - instant or platinum works great<br />⅓ cup canola oil<br />1 tsp. salt<br />1 large egg<br />3½ cups all-purpose flour<br />4 tbsp melted butter<br />2 tbsp granulated garlic<br />1/4 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese<br />2 tsp parsley<br /><br />Line baking sheet with parchment or non-stick liner- set aside<br />Combine yeast with warm water & sugar in a large bowl - allow to proof approx 2-5 minutes<br />Add in oil, salt, egg & flour & mix until combined. (adding a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.)<br />Separate the dough into 16 equal-sized pieces & shape into rolls. (see notes below about kneading the dough)<br />Place on the prepared baking sheet & let rise approx 5-10 minutes in a warm place. (I usually turn on my fireplace & set them on the hearth to rise).<br />Brush the raised rolls with melted butter & sprinkle with granulated garlic, cheese & parsley.<br />Preheat oven to 375ºF.<br />Bake rolls for about 18-20 minutes.<br />Spread additional butter on top before serving.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-91223287824428441712024-02-16T14:00:00.001-06:002024-02-16T14:00:00.127-06:00Cucumbers are not cookies<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbu9JaWJvvU0wude6dUpJIzj6x9vkXRXw9AqNid1y-RznEnuKSI3evb64k0wWGkg4dZML7Woc1niEuaj7wYUjQqhLgs2dRAOq8mL1ouWpT5lOieEhhyffwusrF8N_qW7x1zMVbzAhXba3pes-dy3o1SYyshn8cJiHPO5zjMdp_mBtuz6KDxvpnd9Bu2GV/s1540/Cookies.jpg"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbu9JaWJvvU0wude6dUpJIzj6x9vkXRXw9AqNid1y-RznEnuKSI3evb64k0wWGkg4dZML7Woc1niEuaj7wYUjQqhLgs2dRAOq8mL1ouWpT5lOieEhhyffwusrF8N_qW7x1zMVbzAhXba3pes-dy3o1SYyshn8cJiHPO5zjMdp_mBtuz6KDxvpnd9Bu2GV/w470-h470/Cookies.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>New chocolate chip cookie recipe and it's a winner. It's such a winner. We were making treats for a meeting at our house and in my favorite meal prep way, I made these a week before and froze the dough balls. To be honest I had to refrigerate the dough to even get them to be dough balls... The warm brown butter really makes this batter slide and ooze all over the place so I tossed it in the fridge first to firm up a bit, then scooped out my cookie dough balls then tossed them in the freezer on a tray. Baking day I set the trays out on the counter to thaw all the way - then baked these babies up. They turned out way more brown than I'm used to - probably the brown butter and brown sugar, but oh are they soft and delicious. It took Andy a few days to even try them since he was convinced they were a different kind of cookie - one that last time we put in a container that smelled like cucumber salad - I swear it was washed - and now he has PTSD for those cookies. But these are different!!! Finally he ate one and now he can't keep his mits out of the container... same with Bronwyn. That girl may say she doesn't like chocolate but she sure loves a good chocolate chip cookie! these for sure are a winner and awesome that they freeze great for warm baked cookies any time.<br /><br /><div>Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies<br />1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />1 ½ cups light brown sugar, lightly packed<br />2 ½ cups all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />½ teaspoon baking powder<br />3 large eggs, room temperature<br />2 teaspoons vanilla<br />12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped<br />flaky sea salt, for topping<br /><br />In a stainless steel skillet (or another light-bottomed pan) over medium-high heat, melt butter, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will begin to foam, which signals the water in the butter is boiling off. (Watch closely at this stage.) Tiny brown specks of milk solids will begin to appear at the bottom of the pan; constantly stir and scrape these off using a spatula so they don't stick.<br />As soon as the butter turns chestnut brown and smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the browned butter into a heat-safe bowl.<br />To the hot browned butter, add the brown sugar, stirring to combine. Set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.<br />To a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.<br />Once the butter mixture has cooled, add eggs and vanilla. Whisk to combine.<br />Using a rubber spatula, gradually mix in the flour mixture.<br />Fold in the chopped chocolate.<br />Using a 3-tablespoon scoop, drop balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the dough balls and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 24 hours.<br />Remove the chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking the cookies.<br />When ready, preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.<br />Place the dough balls onto lined baking sheets, leaving about an inch between each cookie. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. (I prefer these slightly underdone, so I will start checking at 10 minutes.)<br />Remove from oven. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on the tops of the warm cookies.<br />Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.<br /></div>Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-66182274917507023372024-02-13T14:00:00.008-06:002024-02-13T14:00:00.158-06:00Yay for trying new things - pass on next time!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKHgnc1myjmLY28hG38wKTcGwE25jOMcMdNBoDtTYbK8_vKpHHjZYKThmI1tufZz5RcMt7VobGPc5W253I82bt9jzdS81UIbT4i1QWIVQ_6YTl4V3732tPpmepd5vmZrhq3nlijOQa7Pe20pTKGlr_4pH4x_NaUWVvZWGHskjmy-3adukIorEfAlMIPAv/s1540/CrescentBake.jpg"><img border="0" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKHgnc1myjmLY28hG38wKTcGwE25jOMcMdNBoDtTYbK8_vKpHHjZYKThmI1tufZz5RcMt7VobGPc5W253I82bt9jzdS81UIbT4i1QWIVQ_6YTl4V3732tPpmepd5vmZrhq3nlijOQa7Pe20pTKGlr_4pH4x_NaUWVvZWGHskjmy-3adukIorEfAlMIPAv/w403-h403/CrescentBake.jpg" width="403" /></a></div>This is a recipe. I'm not going to say my family loved it. I'm also not planning to tell you they hated it. They all said - that's yellow and... interesting. The source of this recipe I should have realized... ALL her food is yellow... all of it... it's also super rich and creamy... another red flag. No one really thought this was too creamy - but it had no texture other than soft. I added chopped green onion because I thought we needed some color and possible the hint of a veggie. <br />The recipe calls for an 8 count and 4 count crescent roll tubes. Tell me where on earth you've shopped and found a 4 count... yeah... nowhere... that's dumb. I used two 8 counts. Also it talks about cutting the triangles in half. um.. HOW? and wrapping the filling with the dough? How? I did not cut them - just wrapped them and plopped them in a pan, did the best I could. <br />Will I make this again? Nope. Nicholas thought I should - but he also said that about broccoli cheddar soup then melted down when I DID make it again and said he hated it why would I make it again... so... I read the room... it was a onetime try - yay for trying new things - pass! <br /><br />Ham & Cheese Crescent Breakfast Casserole <br />16- oz cooked ham chopped <br />¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese <br />¾ cup shredded swiss cheese <br />8- oz cream cheese softened <br />1 Tbsp dijon mustard <br />1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce <br />1 Tbsp brown sugar <br />¼ tsp onion powder <br />1 (8-count) can refrigerated crescent rolls <br />1 (4-count) can refrigerated crescent rolls <br />1 Tbsp poppy seeds <br />5 eggs <br />1½ cups milk <br />Instructions: <br />Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. <br />Mix together ham, cheddar, swiss, cream cheese, dijon mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar, and onion powder. <br />Separate crescent rolls into 12 triangles. Cut each triangle in half, forming two triangles. (24 total) Scoop one tablespoon of ham mixture on the long end of each triangle. Roll up crescents and place in baking dish. Sprinkle tops of crescents with poppy seeds. <br />Whisk together eggs, and milk. Pour over crescent rolls. <br />Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until egg mixture, is set.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-43891782015500678802024-02-09T14:00:00.007-06:002024-02-09T14:00:00.140-06:00Prepping for Christmas before Halloween <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggf4XcwWctkzUjBK4MImUlUube7nvFdA_CQSW8TbVByLyOlDIZ78E9JgPcLQl9A0hcgac9KwHe2ffAdrZLp2E51A0nxd-4tY-eB9V9ft3dgDwRsuB1Sc4721XcnW1k2Az8q2R8aCDTS7f8cqztC9gs9WD8f-KgTHFLIFY8kVCW3hd5zzbi3P7EHE8OV8Rm/s1540/CookieMix.jpg"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggf4XcwWctkzUjBK4MImUlUube7nvFdA_CQSW8TbVByLyOlDIZ78E9JgPcLQl9A0hcgac9KwHe2ffAdrZLp2E51A0nxd-4tY-eB9V9ft3dgDwRsuB1Sc4721XcnW1k2Az8q2R8aCDTS7f8cqztC9gs9WD8f-KgTHFLIFY8kVCW3hd5zzbi3P7EHE8OV8Rm/w444-h444/CookieMix.jpg" width="444" /></a></div> I am on the hunt for a giftable jar cookie recipe. For our girls club Christmas party I like to have stations so the girls can cycle through, make an ornament or two, make a treat, play a game, do a service project, etc. It splits them up and makes the night more fun. As of this writing it's October and yes I'm planning for December - that's how I roll, always. I tried this recipe out to see if it was a winner. It absolutely was, but it didn't fit in my container... so well working on that part. I love that all you make the dry mix, send it home, and the girls can make cookies with their family for Christmas. This recipe was an absolute hit with my family, it was easy and not many things needed to be added, just melted butter, vanilla, and an egg. This isn't my only test, I have another on the horizon - we'll see if that fits the bill or not.<br /><br />Cookie Mix in a Jar (giftable)<br />Ingredients<br />2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (265g)<br />1 Tablespoon cornstarch<br />½ teaspoon baking powder<br />½ teaspoon baking soda<br />½ teaspoon salt<br />½ cup dark brown sugar¹ firmly packed (100g)<br />½ cup light brown sugar¹ firmly packed (100g)<br />¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)<br />1-1 ½ cups mix-ins I used a blend of Christmas-colored M&Ms, semisweet chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips.<br /><br /><div>To be added by gift recipient:<br />12 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted<br />1 large egg<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br /><br />Instructions<br />In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and whisk until well-combined.<br />Use a large spoon to spoon the flour-mixture into the bottom of your mason jar. Tamp down to pack down the flour as much as possible. Use your spoon to create a straight line of flour directly against the glass (so you have nice, even layers) but don’t worry if some of the flour in the middle is uneven or mounded. If you happened to get a lot of flour on the sides of the jar, you can use a paper towel or pastry brush to wipe down the excess flour.<br />Add dark brown sugar to the jar and use your spoon to firmly pack over the flour. Again, aim for clean straight edges against the glass.<br />Top with light brown sugar and firmly pack over the dark brown<br />Top with granulated sugar.<br />Top sugar with add-ins, filling to the very top/brim of the mason jar. You want all ingredients to be tightly packed in so they don’t shift during any transportation.<br />Top with mason jar lid and seal tightly. Print off printable instruction tag (find link to printable in the "equipment" section at the top of the recipe) and attach to jar with baker’s twine or ribbon.<br /><br />Instructions for Gift Recipient:<br />Preheat oven to 350F. Let butter cool until no longer warm to the touch. Stir together cooled butter, large egg, and vanilla extract. Add all ingredients from jar and stir well until completely combined (make sure to break up any clumps).<br />Drop by rounded 1 ½ Tbsp-sized scoops onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet and enjoy!</div>Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-70544370793950773572024-02-06T14:00:00.005-06:002024-02-06T14:00:00.139-06:00Changing my mind about gravy<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_ngFfgT4XSUmoJwtl_d4DrBXnFBXNfdS9yX_GOuxucHh60SvCeHZcwa0YYY9ln6YICUU9rHnoUGdJdW3cQpuJrc3qY3yGcobzvJFkAjD8tMY8c_OiTYU8fHgvgwrtK_9iA43CX9HlCQOBwC7BFIGpl2gBRmeNjGzfI3Dvd03UczSO3N9IMgKc2FCsckU/s1540/BiscandGravy.jpg"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_ngFfgT4XSUmoJwtl_d4DrBXnFBXNfdS9yX_GOuxucHh60SvCeHZcwa0YYY9ln6YICUU9rHnoUGdJdW3cQpuJrc3qY3yGcobzvJFkAjD8tMY8c_OiTYU8fHgvgwrtK_9iA43CX9HlCQOBwC7BFIGpl2gBRmeNjGzfI3Dvd03UczSO3N9IMgKc2FCsckU/w478-h478/BiscandGravy.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />Something I did not grow up eating was biscuits and gravy. We were not gravy people - well, my mom was a gravy person but one one else was. Last Thanksgiving my dad turned into a gravy person only because my turkey was THAT terrible and dry. But get back to the recipe at hand. I was never a breakfast meat kind of girl. Just not my thing. Andy will eat it - even at hotel continental breakfast where it looks like chunky wallpaper paste. No thanks. When we were in Iowa my friend made biscuits and gravy and well... when that's what's for breakfast that's what you have. It was delicious! Call me surprised. I asked her for her recipe - it's painfully simple but so good. I made it for dinner one night - knowing it could be risky so I made some scrambled eggs and a fruit salad to go with it... but everyone loved it. Turns out - we are biscuits and gravy people.<br /> <br /> Biscuits & Gravy<br /> <br /> 1 lb breakfast sausage<br /> 1/4 cup flour<br /> 2 1/4 cups milk<br /> Biscuits baked according to directions <br /> <br /> Brown sausage - do not drain. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour milk - whisk as you pour. Cook until thickened. Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-21804013205111225352024-02-02T14:00:00.007-06:002024-02-02T14:00:00.152-06:00Not just kind of amazing...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYAbUv6Y5EHd24KvJBpQsNjfTJc9fm7I1P3EvpZdNNCnxCljl8ShQKEMMeiBrEPj4nrtiiqmWYd02eM2ca74LDFyYZQzLTlbMfhh_PNhxCFx27a2Yw3RGy79mgiiC5IAOaik4WEL2nuPn6sEU99wQ3TEB5gRC1mjF-V72xQRjtZcCQrE3-E0LZkgWzkRl/s1540/BakedSpaghetti.jpg"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYAbUv6Y5EHd24KvJBpQsNjfTJc9fm7I1P3EvpZdNNCnxCljl8ShQKEMMeiBrEPj4nrtiiqmWYd02eM2ca74LDFyYZQzLTlbMfhh_PNhxCFx27a2Yw3RGy79mgiiC5IAOaik4WEL2nuPn6sEU99wQ3TEB5gRC1mjF-V72xQRjtZcCQrE3-E0LZkgWzkRl/w426-h426/BakedSpaghetti.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>My Saturday self was awfully nice to my Monday self - yet again. This time - Baked Spaghetti. Mondays feel a bit nutto... work, school, lessons, orchestra, play practice, helping out with projects at church - and you want me to make dinner too? Oh really. So my Saturday self said... oh I'll make this delicious meal for you - tuck it into the fridge - then you can pull it out - bake it - warm the house and make it smell amazing at the same time. Done and done. Also it will provide LOADS of delicious left overs. Thank you Saturday Self! I've made spaghetti pie before and this is similar - but a twist - it has ricotta instead and is slightly different. At first I was afraid the sauce was way too much but it was actually perfect. I used my biggest baking dish and it worked perfect. I work in the office on Mondays - so I had Andy take it out at noon and just set it in the oven to be less cold. He started the oven later and by time I got home - it was well on its way to being dinner for us all. I don't think I'll ever tire of meal prep. I know some people hate it. They don't like cooking at all - why would they want to do it on the weekend? I can tell you that I would rather prep 6 meals on a Saturday than deal with them during the week when life is crazy each day in its own way. For me - this works and I'll keep proclaiming how awesome it is... because let's admit - it's kind of amazing. <br /><br />Baked Spaghetti <br />1 lb spaghetti <br />1 lb lean ground beef or Italian sausage <br />1 tablespoon olive oil <br />1 yellow onion, chopped <br />3 cloves garlic, minced <br />28 ounces marinara sauce <br />14.5 ounces diced tomatoes <br />1/2 teaspoon dried basil <br />1/4 teaspoon dried oregano <br />1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes <br />Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste <br />1 cup ricotta cheese <br />1 large egg <br />1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese <br />1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided <br />Extra parmesan cheese and fresh basil, for garnish <br /><br />Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. <br />Cook the spaghetti to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. If the noodles are going to be sitting for several minutes, you can drizzle a little olive oil over them and toss so they don’t stick together. <br />Place the beef or sausage in a large skillet and cook over medium heat. Break up with a wooden spoon while cooking. until browned and no longer pink. Drain off excess fat and transfer to a plate that has been lined with paper towels. Set aside. <br />In the same large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. <br />Add the marinara sauce, tomatoes, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Turn to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir the cooked beef or sausage into the sauce. <br />In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and Parmesan cheese. <br />Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place half of the cooked spaghetti noodles on the bottom of the pan. Pour half of the meat sauce over the noodles. <br />Spoon the ricotta cheese mixture over the sauce and use a spatula to spread it in an even layer. Top with ¾ cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. <br />Add the remaining spaghetti and then the rest of the sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. <br />Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired. Cut into squares and serve warm.Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-30769473609369186912024-01-30T14:00:00.011-06:002024-01-30T14:00:00.148-06:00Ignore the measurements... pick the biggest apples!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuFaeeYard4U0AOJ2OPY_Oqi-bfmOsQX-iXn3Hf1xJA0WS_MOunyeKfB6IQPeD8zExA6hRjwKwBLiPMsNpsvJ9Fqz1vXrYZWgFPR13uY7rmeLt5qpv_L_OJGAXepbjsJ2GmwOnmU6Eh682GSzbaqSdU-xjaBH1STG0AmEVFDoYzHNKts8D5S234qEXrJf/s1540/ApplePie.jpg"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuFaeeYard4U0AOJ2OPY_Oqi-bfmOsQX-iXn3Hf1xJA0WS_MOunyeKfB6IQPeD8zExA6hRjwKwBLiPMsNpsvJ9Fqz1vXrYZWgFPR13uY7rmeLt5qpv_L_OJGAXepbjsJ2GmwOnmU6Eh682GSzbaqSdU-xjaBH1STG0AmEVFDoYzHNKts8D5S234qEXrJf/w416-h416/ApplePie.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>If there's one pie Nicholas will devour - it's Apple Pie. He also loves to make it. All my life I've made the apple pie from the Betty Crocker Orange cookbook from the 1970's. Every time I make it - it's wet on the bottom. Time for something different. This pie recipe is a tad different, you cook the filling for a little bit - before it goes into the crust, get a jump start on things. Since Bronwyn has been our social butterfly lately - weekend nights out at parties and friends, we needed a Nicholas night in. He went and picked a big bowl of apples in prep for our pie. We picked the biggest - completely ignoring the weight and cups in the recipe - we did 8-9 of the biggest apples we had - which were really big. He peeled, I cut and cored. Teamwork! He latticed his first pie and egg washed it too. I even let him stay up late to see it come out of the oven. It was a giant masterpiece. A very tall pie. As it cooled it sank a bit - but the lattice stayed high and proud. We waited until the next day to cut into it - it's delicious, not wet at all, just all around great pie. I may have a new standard apple pie recipe and for sure an apple pie baker!<br /><br />Apple Pie <br />Store bought Pie Crust <br />8–9 large apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices (11–12 cups, or 1375–1500g total)*<br />1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar (or packed brown sugar)<br />1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)<br />1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice<br />1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />1/4 teaspoon each: ground allspice & ground nutmeg<br />egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk<br />optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust<br /><br />Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir the apple slices, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg together until thoroughly combined.<br />Optional pre-cook: Pour the apple filling into a very large skillet, or dutch oven, and place over medium heat. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until the apples begin to soften. Remove from heat and set aside. This step is optional, but I’ve found it makes for a juicier, more flavorful filling because it helps begin to soften the apples. If you can, take the few extra minutes to do this, because the flavor is worth it!<br />Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).<br />Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish that’s 1.5 to 2 inches deep. Tuck the dough in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust. It’s ok if it is still warm from the precooking step.<br />Finish assembling: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips of dough; in the pictured pie, I cut 12 1-inch-wide strips. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. (Here’s a lattice pie crust tutorial if you need visuals.) Use a small paring knife or kitchen shears to trim off excess dough. Fold the overhang back towards the center of the pie, and pinch the edges to adhere the top and bottom crusts together. Crimp or flute the pie crust edges to seal.<br />Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using.<br />Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Note for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning. Continue baking the pie until the filling is bubbling around the edges, 35–40 more minutes. This sounds like a long time, but under-baking the pie means an unfinished filling with firm apples with paste-like flour. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Tip: If needed towards the end of bake time, remove the pie crust shield and tent an entire piece of foil on top of the pie if the top looks like it’s getting too brown.<br />Remove pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. Filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it.<br />Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-91424508792404042032024-01-26T14:00:00.009-06:002024-01-26T14:00:00.149-06:00Yeast is amazing. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTlZmZhdN6t137_9MxWap4E4wWboJykh9Ml_MrT5HQtqO6VslVZ_F16Pmq3MYc4zL2kDXS1czSj8yIBPBFY_auKzbT3TvnpGyW3AnsmEEJtByhpU1TkxHiPmutWKEbH0iSZOt3cp8k6xf1BzaEiiR7pJASwwREmEjUOjFRD1pf99XnZjMntoXrbptp023/s1540/CinnamonRolls.jpg"><img border="0" height="507" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTlZmZhdN6t137_9MxWap4E4wWboJykh9Ml_MrT5HQtqO6VslVZ_F16Pmq3MYc4zL2kDXS1czSj8yIBPBFY_auKzbT3TvnpGyW3AnsmEEJtByhpU1TkxHiPmutWKEbH0iSZOt3cp8k6xf1BzaEiiR7pJASwwREmEjUOjFRD1pf99XnZjMntoXrbptp023/w507-h507/CinnamonRolls.jpg" width="507" /></a></div>The past few weeks feel like we are go go go all the time. At least two things every night and all the errands to run on my lunch and after work. It doesn't seem to stop. So Saturday when we planned for some vaccines, I didn't plan much for after. What better to do than to bake something fun. I've wanted to give the butter block another try since my last attempt went well. While the layers in the final product weren't as clear as last time - the layers were worth their effort and the rise these rolls had was amazing. They were soft and flakey and so good. The glaze was fine - but I would have preferred something cream cheese based - Bronwyn was thrilled I didn't put the glaze on all of the rolls in the pan, Andy was content with the glaze amount. All in all it was a really fun bake. Watching them rise up and over the glass dish was amazing. Yeast is amazing. Let's do more bakes just for fun!<br /><br />Croissant Cinnamon Rolls<br /><br /><div>½ cup butter softened slightly<br />1 cup milk<br />⅓ cup all purpose flour<br />1 packet instant yeast<br />¼ cup warm water<br />4 cups all purpose flour<br />½ cup granulated sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />¼ cup canola or flavorless oil<br />½ tsp fine sea salt<br />Filling<br />½ cup butter<br />1 cup brown sugar<br />1 tablespoon ground cinnamon<br />Glaze<br />1 ¼ cups powdered sugar<br />2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste or extract<br />Pinch fine sea salt<br />2-3 tablespoons milk<br /><br />In a pot, whisk together the ⅓ cup flour and the milk. Let cook until thickened, stirring as needed. Set aside.<br />In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the yeast and warm water, sprinkle a pinch of sugar over it and stir. Leave it until it foams, about 3 minutes.<br />Add the flour, and remaining dough ingredients to the bowl then add the flour paste. Knead on medium for about 5-7 minutes until the dough comes together in a sticky ball. Set in an oiled bowl and cover to rise for about 2 hours (until doubled in size).<br />Meanwhile make the butter block:<br />Spread the butter into a thin layer between two sheets of parchment paper, do your best to get it to be about 9x12”. Set it in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes before you start folding.<br />On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 13x18”. Place the butter about half an inch from one side of the dough. It might take some work to get it off the parchment, do your best. Use your fingers to smear it into an even layer.<br />Fold the dough in half, like you’re closing a book.<br />Use your fingers to press the edges so the butter stays sealed.<br />Now fold it like a letter, bring the bottom third up and over the middle.<br />Then the top over the middle as well.<br />Now fold the dough over itself like you’re closing a book again. Wrap in plastic wrap and set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest.<br />Roll out the dough again into a large rectangle, as thin as you can get it (aim for another 13x18 but it probably won’t go that far).<br />Fold it over from one of the shorter sides over the middle (like a letter but vertical).<br />Fold the other side over the middle.<br />Fold the bottom up so you have more of a square.<br />Wrap in plastic wrap and set in the fridge for about 45 minutes.<br />Melt or brown the butter, then combine with the sugar and cinnamon.<br />Try rolling out the dough into a large rectangle again, if it is very tough and resists cover it with a tea towel and let it rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes. You can also try stretching it with your hands & knuckles like a pizza dough.<br />Grease a 9x13 cake pan (I like to use the back of the butter wrapper).<br />Spread the filling over the dough and roll it up into a log.<br />Use unwaxed dental floss to slice the dough into about 1” rounds. Place each round into the pan, leaving an inch between them.<br />Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for 12 hours.<br />In the morning, take the pan out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes.<br />Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the rolls for about 40 minutes, until dark and golden.<br />Whisk all the ingredients together then spoon and spread over the rolls.<br /></div>Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-1509038925765222892024-01-23T14:00:00.006-06:002024-01-23T14:00:00.143-06:00Sliced apples bring back childhood memories <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYXBiGjqdiaS4skvmQG02YbnjkSOKbVzRVc4j-VoC7zgV9hqCn1Ob2GGJUvZkvG0M8KAh9R3_OL_Ve5MymhW5-pslqSNciJ6fKhX97xNy7Jk03UuWipbUE8FABvK3gEk0t_daONTUZt7zn55mnMOXgXn9jEJ-eeXhSeyRSHqAMyCPeK4bAIIFz5WHJy5B/s1540/SpicedAppleRings.jpg"><img border="0" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYXBiGjqdiaS4skvmQG02YbnjkSOKbVzRVc4j-VoC7zgV9hqCn1Ob2GGJUvZkvG0M8KAh9R3_OL_Ve5MymhW5-pslqSNciJ6fKhX97xNy7Jk03UuWipbUE8FABvK3gEk0t_daONTUZt7zn55mnMOXgXn9jEJ-eeXhSeyRSHqAMyCPeK4bAIIFz5WHJy5B/w489-h489/SpicedAppleRings.jpg" width="489" /></a></div> We are that family... the one that has an apple tree in the yard - but still goes to the orchard to try out all the apples and even buy a bunch to bring home, even though we have a tree loaded with apples. Since our discovery that our producing tree is NOT in fact the Honey Crisp - we were in search of apples that were sweet and crispy. Back at home - we had ripe apples on the tree that needed some love. I remember when I was a kid my mom would buy jars of spiced apples - they were as dark red as a beat but spicy and sweet. I went hunting for a recipe and found this one. It has an odd ingredient... candy red hots. Being September - those aren't the easiest to find so I bought some cute expensive bottles of them. I did find some of my apples to be a little too big for this project, ha! I settled them into the jar with some force. I also did not have a cheese cloth or a cute tea ball for my cloves. I had the bright idea to use a coffee filter tied at the tope - that worked great - until the bottom seem burst and there were cloves everywhere. Good thing we like cloves because they got included in the jars too - why not? I had a few extra slices that did not fit in jars - but no worries, my family members ate them as soon as I put them in the bowl. I did two recipes - using the same syrup. Second time I added food coloring for that nostalgic look of the rings. I'm pretty sure I didn't add enough to saturate but they sure look pretty. I saved all my extra syrup in case we need to make a few more batches with more apples that are on their way to ripe - a fun delicious project.<br /><br />Spiced Apple Rings<br /><br />6 lbs firm tart apples/such as granny smiths (max.diameter 2-1/2 inches - approx 12 apples)<br />6 cups sugar<br />3 cups water<br />1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs white vinegar (5% acidity)<br />1-1/2 Tbs whole cloves, in cheese cloth or tea ball<br />1/3 cup red hot cinnamon candies (or 4 cinnamon sticks)<br />1/2+ tsp red food coloring (optional, they do make organic)<br />Fruit Fresh *optional, to prevent darkening<br /><br />Yield: About 5 to 6 pints<br />Procedure: Wash apples. To prevent discoloration, peel and slice one apple at a time. Immediately cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, remove core area with a melon baller and immerse in ascorbic acid solution such as Fruit Fresh. (I used my apple peeler to peel/core/slice) To make flavored syrup, combine sugar water, vinegar, cloves (placed in cheesecloth or a tea ball), cinnamon candies, or cinnamon sticks and food coloring in a 6-qt saucepan/pot. Stir, heat to boil, and simmer 3 minutes. <br />Drain apples, add to hot syrup, and cook 5 minutes. Fill jars (preferably wide-mouth) with apple rings and hot flavored syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air from jars and adjust headspace once again, wipe rims well before applying lids. Process in a Boiling Waterbath Canner for 10 minutes or according to your local altitude/regulations. <br />Once timing is up on canner, let the jars set in your canner with burner off and lid removed for an extra 5-10 mins to help prevent against siphoning, carefully remove jars from canner and let cool in a draft free area for 12-24 hours before washing, labeling and storing sealed jars. Any jars that are unsealed need to be refrigerated and eaten first.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-52623143684144037752024-01-19T14:00:00.010-06:002024-01-19T14:00:00.138-06:00Where's the beef? in our freezer....<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxPpx0S49ZAn5-H2dysehRuzSA6Y_Ko7KmUCjhfzLoRIcGUP3KwIVjXZ4UGm9Fh4xp6hH5H2OiVE4N-f1hDOUtkwo4bD3Sp7xcE5HuDFj-5lG22HfBYoivX_nUD33PFxtDIQ9ZKm7Fm6HKNz2b-aUk3IBR56gNyD4Axg9FnTjVd3gRgBrfnhzbAPkH-iO/s1540/BeefTips.jpg"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxPpx0S49ZAn5-H2dysehRuzSA6Y_Ko7KmUCjhfzLoRIcGUP3KwIVjXZ4UGm9Fh4xp6hH5H2OiVE4N-f1hDOUtkwo4bD3Sp7xcE5HuDFj-5lG22HfBYoivX_nUD33PFxtDIQ9ZKm7Fm6HKNz2b-aUk3IBR56gNyD4Axg9FnTjVd3gRgBrfnhzbAPkH-iO/w488-h488/BeefTips.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>Since we bought a quarter cow I've had to increase our beef consumption in the house - especially knowing a half a pig will soon be ready for pick up and need room in our freezer. Also crockpot recipes are lifesavers in our somewhat hectic schedule at the moment. I was able to prep these a few days ahead which worked out well because on a night I planned for left overs - we had no left overs. Seems like one growing boy in our household has been doing his best to grow taller and eat us out of house and home. Oops! That means less leftovers for leftover night. Thankfully this was ready in the wings and easy to toss in the crockpot. It was the second time that week we had garlic butter noodles so the kids were thrilled. The mushrooms were great in this - thankfully I have a family who likes a bit of fungus in their dinner - because it's so good. Where will the beef be in next week's dinner? Who knows, but I'm sure we'll have some.<br /><br />Beef Tips<br /><br />1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup<br />1 package onion soup mix<br />2/3 cup water<br />2 pounds lean stew beef, cut into 2-in. cubes<br />1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />2-1/2 cups cremini or baby bella mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-in. slices<br />1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced<br />3 cloves garlic, minced<br /><br />Combine the cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix and water in a slow cooker. Whisk until well combined.<br />Season the meat with black pepper. Put the meat, mushrooms, onion and garlic in the slow cooker and stir everything together to coat the meat and veggies. Put the lid on the slow cooker and leave it to cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until the beef is tender.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-6956940329323636982024-01-16T14:00:00.010-06:002024-01-16T14:00:00.138-06:00Because Chocolate Chips and S'mores should be friends. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8jFTLzTugtxbOXfNwQ3srM7ngIhyLVUHcNV0thHwSWJsBltOl6eGIrwOwTP2SZChyphenhyphenyqLDvW34YMV1bv5UFrf6FZ_t_npJv0jSig4r1qa_mcystm7dmtyR6q7eZVnMRM7ONvOEZZWz8y6sefF4BBRh7xr-6P2S-LQkeU_YRNWdG8HqpTKc4DCsM8eMbE5/s1540/SmoreBars.jpg"><img border="0" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8jFTLzTugtxbOXfNwQ3srM7ngIhyLVUHcNV0thHwSWJsBltOl6eGIrwOwTP2SZChyphenhyphenyqLDvW34YMV1bv5UFrf6FZ_t_npJv0jSig4r1qa_mcystm7dmtyR6q7eZVnMRM7ONvOEZZWz8y6sefF4BBRh7xr-6P2S-LQkeU_YRNWdG8HqpTKc4DCsM8eMbE5/w465-h465/SmoreBars.jpg" width="465" /></a></div>When a special aunt turns 40 and has a s'more birthday party, it seems like the appropriate dessert to bring is s'more themed. These cookie bars fit that bill perfectly. Also - their base is chocolate chip cookie, so that was an extra win with my girlie. These were easy to toss together and bake up for a fun treat. They also were well received which was the best part. The graham cracker crust was so easy to lay in the pan and mix the marshmallows into the batter. Easy dessert and we had everything in the cabinet. <br /><br />S'mores Cookie Bars<br />7-8 graham crackers (full, unbroken rectangles)<br />1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed<br />2 large eggs<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br />3 cups all-purpose flour<br />3/4 tsp salt<br />3/4 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />1 cup mini marshmallows<br />2 regular sized (1.55oz) Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars, broken into squares<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 13x9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the sides.<br />Place graham crackers in a layer covering the full pan, breaking graham crackers into sections as needed to fit properly.<br />In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix and scrape bowl.<br />In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.<br />Evenly distribute the dough on top of the graham crackers and press flat. Top with additional mini marshmallows if desired.<br />Bake at 375˚F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Cover with foil if cookie dough browns faster than center bakes.<br />Remove from oven and place chocolate bar pieces on top while still warm. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before lifting bars out of pan to cut and serve. NOTE: Chocolate bars may stay quite soft and melty at room temperature.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-60884377157175864002024-01-12T14:00:00.001-06:002024-01-12T14:00:00.145-06:00Mise en place makes everything easier... except the dishes...<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvxrTotKCKndeFuniAiWp8avv_EIubnmmCAthEcgF7EMZreENa1elqAJl48M-p52TGKhOon_1ppzC2tRKYC6tNWf4Sm3ykiz_KWH8xqXecoTsWs8hC5aNuWQWtNp4UNC-qV4sttps7eaIxI23VJDG-EFwC3CXbvd8PlH01ZtWbnZ2NU4saC4lyZLyRoMH/s1540/chickenMush.jpg"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvxrTotKCKndeFuniAiWp8avv_EIubnmmCAthEcgF7EMZreENa1elqAJl48M-p52TGKhOon_1ppzC2tRKYC6tNWf4Sm3ykiz_KWH8xqXecoTsWs8hC5aNuWQWtNp4UNC-qV4sttps7eaIxI23VJDG-EFwC3CXbvd8PlH01ZtWbnZ2NU4saC4lyZLyRoMH/w494-h494/chickenMush.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>Tuesdays have become my new recipe day. I work from home so I can start working on things right at 2:30. I also can meal prep a little for later in the week. Last night was making a meal for Friday for the crockpot and making a bar recipe for a birthday party on Thursday... making some salads for my lunches - AND making this amazing Mushroom Chicken dish. I've been learning the art of mise en place - measuring all my ingredients before I start cooking, getting everything together in front of me. It makes for a LOT of dirty dishes but it makes cooking so much easier. I know I'm not forgetting anything and everything is right there. I am thankful for the dishwasher because oh man the mess of dirty dishes it creates! I did make a few subs with this. I used two containers of mushrooms mostly because we love mushrooms - I used the baby portabella because they were on sale. I did not have any chicken stock - oddly enough... so for the sherry I used a bouillon cube, half a cup of water, butter and garlic. It worked great.<br />We had garlic butter noodles with this because I knew my family would love those and be so excited for dinner no matter what I was making. Bonus was they loved the chicken and mushrooms too. Yay for another good one for the rotation. I will say it's not super easy. More pounding the chicken, dredging, frying, etc... but in the end it's worth the work. <br /><br />Mushroom Chicken<br />10 oz. mushrooms, button or baby bella work well<br />2 Tablespoons salted butter<br />2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts<br />Salt/Pepper<br />½ cup all-purpose flour<br />3-4 Tablespoons olive oil<br />Sauce<br />2 ½ cups beef broth<br />1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 tsp better than bouillon<br />1 teaspoon soy sauce, can sub Worcestershire sauce<br />1 teaspoon onion powder<br />½ teaspoon EACH: mustard powder, dried thyme<br />½ cup dry white wine, see notes<br />3 cloves garlic, minced<br />3 Tablespoons cornstarch<br />1/3 cup heavy cream<br /><br /><br />Prep Work<br />Combine beef broth, chicken bouillon, soy sauce, onion powder, mustard powder, and thyme. Set aside.<br />Combine cornstarch with 3 Tablespoons of cold water in a sealable container and shake to combine. Set aside in a cool place.<br />Gently rinse mushrooms and pat completely dry. Slice if needed.<br />Slice the chicken lengthwise into 2-3 thinner slices. Pound with a meat tenderizer if needed, the chicken will plump up more when cooked. Aim for ½ inch thick slices.<br />Cook the Mushrooms<br />Melt butter over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Allow them to brown on each side for 3-4 minutes, undisturbed. Sauté in batches if needed, leaving space around them will allow them to crisp up more. Add a little more butter and/or a splash of olive oil during cooking if needed. Remove once golden brown and set aside on a plate.<br />Dredge/Sear the Chicken<br />Lightly sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and tap off excess.<br />Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 pieces of chicken, leaving room around each. Sauté for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden brown crust has developed. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of chicken.<br />Pro Tips: Make slight adjustments to the heat, (up or down), as needed during cooking. Add an additional splash of olive oil if needed throughout cooking. Try to leave the chicken undisturbed as it cooks to get a nice crusty sear.<br />Deglaze the Pan<br />Turn the heat off and remove any excess oil, but leave the brown bits in the pan. (This is called “fond” and will give the sauce plenty of flavor.)<br />Add the white wine and the garlic and set heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble gently until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.<br />Finish the Sauce<br />Add the beef broth mixture and increase heat slightly to bring to a gentle boil. Let it bubble and reduce for 10 minutes.<br />Shake the reserved cornstarch mixture and slowly add it to the bubbling sauce, stirring continuously, until incorporated. The sauce will thicken pretty quickly. Reduce heat to low.<br />Slowly add in the cream, stirring continuously. Add the mushrooms.<br />Add the chicken back to the pot along with any juices from the plate. Spoon the sauce on top. Cover partially and let the chicken heat through for 5 minutes or so. Serve with mashed potatoes or Buttered Noodles and roasted green beans or asparagus.<br /><p></p>Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-64351295990516529652024-01-09T14:00:00.002-06:002024-01-09T14:00:00.147-06:00When in doubt - wrap it in pizza dough<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRDfbhaFqxMV1Kly1FSHNUGNU-NOlzXvqAgyD5-ao7GLZaxUnqY9wjuFfQ5P3XBSwvXMmZ-TIJY6FIfnGDmf5U1s4n2GEhg6SICrKjhAfS_dNZ8k51NzcDdm_ekGpPtjLauI3qnWuJYb4VwkYjXzc3GN14Hvlea4Gxe8OJvP_UPoc5wtampAgb1kkO8nz/s1540/Stromboli2024.jpg"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRDfbhaFqxMV1Kly1FSHNUGNU-NOlzXvqAgyD5-ao7GLZaxUnqY9wjuFfQ5P3XBSwvXMmZ-TIJY6FIfnGDmf5U1s4n2GEhg6SICrKjhAfS_dNZ8k51NzcDdm_ekGpPtjLauI3qnWuJYb4VwkYjXzc3GN14Hvlea4Gxe8OJvP_UPoc5wtampAgb1kkO8nz/w430-h430/Stromboli2024.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>This recipe has been on my list for a long time. I'm not sure why I kept shoving it back because honestly it was so simple. I used a frozen hunk of pizza dough from the store. Aldi sell them now which is great. Often I'll check to see if they are still frozen, if so - grab a couple! Sometimes they are growing and rising right out of the box at the store! This recipe can be customized how ever you see fit. All the deli meat could be changed, you could add mustard if that's your think, sautéed veggies? Sure! A little sauce if that's how you like things. I kept it simple thinking my family might want to dip in pasta sauce - no one did. They all loved it as it was. I know Andy likes a dish when he keeps whittling away at it, take slice by slice. Then declared - "the left overs are perfect for my lunch tomorrow". Yay! Let's wrap more things in pizza dough - what's next?<br /><br />Homemade Stromboli<br />1 ball of pizza crust dough <br />3 tablespoon butter (unsalted, melted)<br />2 cloves garlic (minced)<br />2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)<br />8 ounce deli meat (such as ham, salami, or peperoni slices)<br />6 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese<br />6 ounce shredded cheddar cheese <br />4 green onions chopped<br /><br />Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.<br />Mix Butter and Herbs: In a small bowl add the melted butter, garlic, parsley and whisk well.<br />Prepare Dough: Unroll the pizza dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a brush, brush the ½ the butter mixture over the entire surface of the pizza dough to within ½ inch of the edges. <br />Layer Filling: Layer with meats and shredded mozzarella cheese, leaving a 1-inch border around.<br />Roll up the Dough: Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side, then pinch the seam to seal. Tuck the ends under and place it seam side down on the prepared baking sheet.<br />Brush with Butter: Brush the top of the roll with remaining butter mixture.<br />Bake and Serve: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with parsley if preferred. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-59997724446638475372024-01-05T14:00:00.002-06:002024-01-05T14:00:00.141-06:00Baking for IT People is easy<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ThkqiBvuYNxTqYyl2d3AdtjvQbG863QFhbfJECXlM2SDlLGNqvRUqOvdV6RuU60VkCh37X-zlMDgIXDGEVc0w8Ml6ZOLx-uYyBOWNJ_PICIs58EM64QEF2Q7ATTxvKHLSCsMp-ZH8OTEP-Pgt6N4e6X4qKnQvlZWt9bhtiFycZQKtUT-GVkbp1f5fCGx/s1540/AppleMuffins2024.jpg"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ThkqiBvuYNxTqYyl2d3AdtjvQbG863QFhbfJECXlM2SDlLGNqvRUqOvdV6RuU60VkCh37X-zlMDgIXDGEVc0w8Ml6ZOLx-uYyBOWNJ_PICIs58EM64QEF2Q7ATTxvKHLSCsMp-ZH8OTEP-Pgt6N4e6X4qKnQvlZWt9bhtiFycZQKtUT-GVkbp1f5fCGx/w430-h430/AppleMuffins2024.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br />So I often bake for work... because if anyone truly appreciates baked goods... it's IT people who live on a consistent diet of coffee and Dunkin Donuts... I'd been trying to make these muffins for a few weeks because we had apples from our tree but just hadn't gotten to them. We were making apple sauce - from apples from Michigan - because that's how I roll - and decided to take one more step and make the muffins for work. I texted my boss about it... mostly because he claims I only bring baked goods when he's traveling. Which isn't necessarily true... I mean he does travel a LOT... I can't help that my itchy to bake and his travel schedule aren't really synced. I texted asking if he would be in the office or if he'd be giving me sass... he'd be there! Yay! Meanwhile he was at a rock concert - I was at home being a homesteader - canning applesauce and baking muffins at 8 PM on a Sunday night... Anyway. These muffins came together quickly. Yay for Andy's quick thinking putting the cold butter near the hot canning jars so it could soften for me. Use all that heat! These muffins were a huge hit. Someone said they tasted like pumpkin. Um.... No? All those warm fall spices get a weird rap with pumpkin when they are rightfully paired with apples. The original recipe called for maple icing - nope... vanilla works for me. An easy recipe and oh so delicious. <br /><br />Old Fashioned Apple Muffins<br /><br />Muffins<br />2 ⅔ cups (333 g) all-purpose flour<br />1 ½ teaspoons baking powder<br />¼ teaspoon baking soda<br />2 teaspoons apple pie spice<br />¾ teaspoon kosher salt<br />¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />⅓ cup (73 g) vegetable oil<br />½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar<br />⅓ cup (67 g) light brown sugar, packed<br />2 large eggs, room temperature<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 cup (245 g) buttermilk, room temperature<br />Apples<br />4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, finely diced<br />4 teaspoons granulated sugar<br />4 teaspoons apple pie spice<br />Glaze<br />2 tsp vanilla <br />2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />½ cup (62.5 g) confectioners' sugar<br /><br />Preheat oven to 425°F and line a muffin pan with liners.<br />In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt.<br />In a large bowl, mix together the butter, oil, and sugars until smooth.<br />Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.<br />To the wet ingredients, add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Set aside.<br />Apples<br />In a small bowl, mix together apples, granulated sugar, and apple pie spice.<br />Gently fold apples into muffin batter.<br />Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. (They should be filled to the top of the muffin liner!) Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter. As the muffins are baking, make the glaze.<br />Glaze<br />Melt butter, stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla<br />Drizzle the glaze over the warm muffins.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5338716416948636991.post-71497377789807237332024-01-02T14:00:00.003-06:002024-01-02T14:00:00.152-06:00The next great Raatjes Baker<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLR_9-9q_IMeq0nG8yMCgg82jY4tjLwGYdRgQeUHAL1r7oiF5_FdBkoFFJ3aNtitQ9epPLl3jQzVvbpE95gYd_BD_57A9ApoPWb_KbiwEdUrLRRFm08skUMd3QoPBFeSnbRJCvjvTYhPuoiJYFhje9nIBhTlHrTvX-IJhmhflPSLBgKkO9ke8bcwO2Kfb/s1540/AppleDonuts2024.jpg"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLR_9-9q_IMeq0nG8yMCgg82jY4tjLwGYdRgQeUHAL1r7oiF5_FdBkoFFJ3aNtitQ9epPLl3jQzVvbpE95gYd_BD_57A9ApoPWb_KbiwEdUrLRRFm08skUMd3QoPBFeSnbRJCvjvTYhPuoiJYFhje9nIBhTlHrTvX-IJhmhflPSLBgKkO9ke8bcwO2Kfb/w466-h466/AppleDonuts2024.jpg" width="466" /></a></div>Often I have grand bl baking plans for the weekend and certainly did... until Nicholas saw these Apple Cider Donuts over my shoulder on my phone and decided these were a must bake for us. So, set aside the other recipe I'd planned and let's bake these! He did most of the measuring and mixing - I helped here and there to mitigate mess or clean up. he even piped them into the fancy donut pan we have... we actually have 2 pans... one that makes 6 donuts... and one that does 20. Because if you are going to make donuts- you should make donuts! These worked out great - I even used the apple pie spice I had made a LONG long time ago. I didn't write a date - it could have been at the old house... which was 10ish years ago? It likely was older than Nicholas... hey, it smelled good and worked great - judge you not. Nicholas declared these amazing and a keeper of a recipe. We all enjoyed a warm one from the oven and he ate them for breakfast the next day! He's turning into quite the baker!<br /><br />Baked Apple Cider Donuts<br /><br />1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) apple cider<br />2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />1 teaspoon apple pie spice<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted<br />1 large egg, at room temperature<br />1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar<br />1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar<br />1/2 cup (120ml) milk, at room temperature<br />1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br /><br />Topping<br />1 cup (200g) granulated sugar<br />3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />3/4 teaspoon apple pie spice<br />6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted<br /><br />Reduce the apple cider: Stirring occasionally, simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over low heat until you’re left with about 1/2 cup. Start checking at 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc until you have 1/2 cup (120ml). Mine takes about 20 minutes. If there are any spices or solids on top of your reduced apple cider, leave them. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.<br />Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.<br />Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.<br />Whisk the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together. Pour into the dry ingredients, add the reduced apple cider, and whisk everything together until smooth and combined. Batter will be slightly thick.<br />Spoon the batter into the donut cavities—for ease, I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling about halfway.<br />Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned. To test, poke your finger into the top of the donut. If the donut bounces back, they’re done. Cool donuts for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining donut batter.<br />Coat the donuts: Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice together in a medium bowl. Once cool enough to handle, dunk both sides of each donut in the melted butter, then generously in the apple spice topping.<br />Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.<br />Erin Raatjeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01289745104210324713noreply@blogger.com0