Category Archives: Bread

Four Berry Muffins

Posted in AP's Favorites, Bread, breakfast, brunch by

This is one of my favorite recipes from my well-loved Ina Garten cookbook, Barefoot Contessa At Home. I use a mix of whatever berries I have available and these easy muffins turn out delicious every time.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1-1/4 cups milk
  • 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups of fresh berries (any combination of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries)
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.  In another bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and melted butter.  Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined.  There will be some lumps but don’t overmix the batter!  Add the berries (cut up strawberries if using) and sugar and stir gently to combine. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups to fill the liners.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.

Makes 18 mouth watering muffins!

Easy Banana Nut Muffins

Posted in AP's Favorites, Bread, breads, brunch by

IMG_8868Banana Honey-Nut Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 55 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

FOR THE MUFFINS

  • 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 to 3 overripe bananas (mashed)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (low fat is fine)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
    2. Make the walnut topping: In a small bowl, toss the nuts with the honey and cinnamon until the nuts are evenly coated (the mixture will be sticky). Set aside.
    3. For the Muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and honey until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated between additions. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream) and beat until blended (the batter will look grainy; that’s okay). Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended.
    5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin (the cups will be very full) and sprinkle evenly with the nut topping. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden and domed, 25 to 28 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Once Upon a Chef’s Jennifer Segal

Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

  • Serving size:1 muffin
  • Calories:302
  • Fat:15 g
  • Saturated fat:6 g
  • Carbohydrates:38 g
  • Sugar:21 g
  • Fiber:2 g
  • Protein:5 g
  • Sodium:216 mg
  • Cholesterol:52 mg

 

Autumn Gingerbread Muffins

Posted in Bread, breads, dessert, holiday favorites, sweet treat, trader joes by

Celebrate Fall and the Holidays by serving these adorable gingerbread muffins. These molasses and ginger treats are easy to make and add a festive look to any table. Serve them alone or with lemon curd. Trader Joe’s offers a great gingerbread mix that makes serving these cuties a snap.

DFTSI Autumn Gingerbread Cakelets_6630-1

Autumn Gingerbread Cakelets

Yield: 16 Cakelets (144 calories each)

Ingredients
1 box Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Baking Mix
1 large egg
1/3 cup canola oil
¾ cup water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray cakelet pan with Trader Joe’s Canola Oil spray and sprinkle lightly with a few pinches of flour.
  3. Combine egg, oil and water in a bowl and then add mix. Fold together gently until ingredients are moistened. (don’t over-stir as the cakelets will become more dense).
  4. Fill the molds of the cakelet pan no more than ¾ full to avoid overflow. I use a tablespoon and then spread mixture to level tops and fill corners of each shape. Tap the pan firmly a few times on countertop to remove air bubbles.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of a cakelet comes out clean.

DFTSI Autumn Gingerbread Cakelets_6621

  1. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack.
  2. Serve with lemon curd if you wish.   Yummy!

DFTSI Autumn Gingerbread Cakelets_6631-1

Note: My cakelet pan is made by Nordic Ware.  Any muffin or cakelet pan works well too.

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

Posted in appetizer, Bread, chicken, entertaining by

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

Need an easy appetizer for a party?  Try this one.  It’s always a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

2 flatbreads (sold at specialty stores and some grocery stores)
1/4 cup shredded chicken breast
2-4 T. BBQ sauce (I like Trader Joe’s Bold and Smokey Kansas City Style)
5-8 sprigs of fresh cilantro
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3-4 thin slices of a small red onion (peeled)

Directions:

Place the flatbread on a cookie sheet and place in a 350 degree oven for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread a thin layer of bbq sauce on the flatbread.
Add shredded chicken and red onion slices.
Add a thin layer of mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and edges of bread are lightly browned.
Remove from oven and add fresh cilantro leaves.
Slice and place on a serving dish and serve immediately. Enjoy!

PSST! Shred the chicken from a leftover piece of grilled chicken breast from the night before or cut from a roasted chicken from the deli section of most grocery stores.  If you can’t find flatbread, you can use a lavosh bread instead.

IMG_2194

Valentine Twist

Posted in Bread, holiday favorites by

 Want a unique way to tell your crush that you care?  Try this simple recipe.

Pretzels for My Valentine

Yield: 8-16 pretzels (depending on size)

Ingredients:

1 package of dry yeast
1 cup warm water (as hot as you can)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine (softened)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 egg
3 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Plus…

1 egg yolk
1 Tablespoon cold water
1 teaspoon coarse salt (optional)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

 

Directions:

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