Butternut Squash Muffins

SQUASH! We cannot get enough.  My kids love it, I love it and thankfully it is in abundance this time of year.  I saw this recipe for butternut squash muffins and made them yesterday afternoon.  By 6pm the muffins were gone and then we all ate butternut squash pasta :)  

Butternut Squash Muffins

1 cup mashed roasted butternut squash
1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (optional, can use 1.5 cups all purpose flour)
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tbls melted butter
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

First roast your butternut squash. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Cut your squash in half the long way, coat with a bit of olive oil and place in a pan. Roast for about 30-40 minutes until it is nice and soft. Let it cool for a bit, then scrape the insides into a bowl. 

Preheat the oven to 400.  Whisk together the dry ingredients.  Beat the egg, then stir in the milk, butter, and roasted butternut squash.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and DON’T MIX TOO MUCH (will make your muffins heavy and they are already pretty heavy), just until they are combined

Pour into greased or papered 12-muffin pan (I used paper but I think greasing would have been better for these muffins – if you do use paper make sure the paper coordinates with your blog’s logo)
Bake for 20 minutes. These muffins will look done on the top, but may need a minute or two more to bake, you want them fully cooked on the inside since they are sort of rich and heavy. If you take them out too early they will be a bit rubbery (though still yummy).
Let them cool completely before eating.

Banana Zucchini Bread

As the end of summer approaches, there seems to be an abundance of zucchini around. We unfortunately did not grow any this year, but people are always bringing in their extras to work that I snatch up. I am a sucker for banana bread and zucchini bread separately, so why not combine the two?? The result?, this delicious recipe.  It is a combination of a couple of different recipes I have tried, with an attempt to make it a little healthier. The result is delicious and the loaf does not last long between Chris and myself.

Yields: 2 loaves, Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

2 bananas

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup pecans or walnuts

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two bread pans and set aside. In a bowl mix together dry ingredients and set aside. 

Using a standing mixer whisk eggs. Add sugars and oil, whisking until smooth. Add bananas. Then add dry mixture until just combined. Fold in zucchini and walnuts.

Divide batter between bread pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Let cool on drying rack for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Low Fat Blueberry Banana Muffins

We had a family wedding outside of San Francisco last weekend, which was incredibly fun!  We spent the 2 days leading up to the big event, enjoying all that San Fran has to offer. Not surprisingly,  my tour of the city focused on visiting different bakeries, restaurants, and watering holes.  I had more pastries in a 48 hour period than I usually eat in a month, and every single one of them was delicious and totally worth it.  Unfortunately for me this type of indulgence cannot be continued back in Wi, unless I want to pull out the maternity pants, so when my body went through withdrawal from not eating flaky chocolate filled croissants, I decided to give these low fat muffins a try.  The recipe does not call for any butter or oil, and they still taste delicious.   We blew through a dozen in 2 days!




Low Fat Blueberry Banana Muffins - Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction
2 and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or mix of whole wheat and all-purpose)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed (or dark brown sugar)
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large very ripe bananas)
1/4 cup nonfat vanilla greek yogurt (or any yogurt)
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 and 1/4 cup fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray 15 muffin tins with nonstick spray.* Set aside.
In a large bowl, gently toss the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together until combined. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the honey and brown sugar together - it will be thick and lumpy. Try to get out as many lumps as you can - a fork works well to break it up. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, and beaten egg. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently begin to fold it all together. It will be very thick. Add the milk slowly and continue to gently mix the ingredients together. The milk will thin everything out, but the batter will still remain thick. Gently fold in the blueberries. Do not overmix the batter, which will lend tough, dry muffins.

Divide the batter between 12 muffin tins. Fill all the way to the top.  Bake for 17-18 minutes until very lightly browned on the edges. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow the muffins to cool completely.

Each muffin is 131 calories each based on using nonfat vanilla greek yogurt and unsweetened almond milk. Muffins taste best the next day, like most banana bread recipes. Muffins remain fresh and moist stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well, up to 3 months.

Evidence that I could not control myself at Tartine!

strawberry rhubarb hand-pies

Hand pies are the perfect picnic dessert, especially for the upcoming holiday weekend!  They are easy to transport, they require zero utensils (or plates for that matter), you just grab and enjoy.  I combined a few different recipes to make these strawberry rhubarb cuties, and they were delicious!

Crust
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small cubes
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk 

Rhubarb Filling
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

1 cup finely chopped fresh rhubarb

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

To assemble
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
Coarse sugar


Make pie dough: Whisk together flour, zest, sugar and salt in the bottom of a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the biggest pieces of butter are the size of tiny peas.  Gently stir in 3/4 cup buttermilk with a rubber spatula, mixing it until a craggy mass forms. Get your hands in the bowl and knead it just two or three times to form a ball. If it doesn’t come together, add remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does, then gently knead again. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten a bit, like a disc. Chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to two days.

Make rhubarb filling: Place rhubarb , strawberries, cornstarch, orange peel and sugar in a small-to-medium saucepan with sugar and stir to combine. Cover and cook at medium-low heat for 15 minutes, no need to stir. Increase the heat to medium, remove the lid and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rhubarb is broken down and ideally thick enough that if you run a spoon across the bottom of the pot, you can see a trench quickly form and disappear.  Spread mixture on a large plate in the fridge or freezer to cool quickly, then scrape into a bowl. Keep cold until needed; it will be thicker and easier to “scoop” onto the pie bases.

Assemble pies: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line two to three baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat your remaining egg and 1 tablespoon water and keep aside with a pastry brush.

Flour your counter and start rolling your dough by pressing down lightly with the pin and moving it from the center out. Roll it a few times in one direction, lift it up and rotate it a quarter-turn. Continue to do, roll a couple times, lifting the dough and rotating it until the dough is just shy of 1/8-inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or glass, cut dough into circles. 

Brush half the circles very, very lightly with the egg wash; these will be your bases. Cut a small vent in the other half of the circles; these will be your lids. In the center of each egg washed square, put a small dollop (2TBS) rhubarb filling. Top each filled base with a vented circle. Press outer edge of top and bottom all around to seal with your fingertips; a fork will work as well. Transfer pie to a baking sheet, spacing 1-inch apart. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Repeat with remaining dough, including second half from fridge, and fillings.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden, and even more brown at edges. Transfer to cooling racks and cool to room temperature before serving.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Looking for a coffee cake to go with your easter brunch? You must try this recipe that I found in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.  This coffee cake is buttery and delicious, making it absolutely irresistible and perfect for brunch, dessert or a snack.

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

Streusel
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted, chilled butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your 8-inch square baking pan, by lining with parchment, and buttering the bottom and sides. Set aside. In a bowl, mix flour cornmeal, baking poser and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment beat the butter at room temperature with the sugar until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Mix in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl in-between. Add vanilla and zest.  Turn the mixer to lower and mix in 1/3 of flour mixture. Mix in all of the sour cream, and then 1/3 of flour, scraping the sides of the bowl.  Mix the remaining flour mixtures with the blueberries and fold into mixture.

Fill prepared pan with batter, evening out the top using a spatula. Mix streusel topping in a separate bowl mixing well with fork or pastry knife. Sprinkle over top of batter. Bake for 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy your weekend!

banana coconut muffins

Coconutty Heaven. 

My rotten bananas were turned into coconutty heaven.

That is all I am going to say except for MAKE THEM. 

Banana Coconut muffins

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe bananas, mashed (3/4 cup)
6 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg

1/2 cup greek yogurt (I like use banana or coconut flavored)!!
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin cups with liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, yogurt, vanilla, and 3/4 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.

Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

buttercream topped sugar cookies

Well, I tried to be healthier like Bridget and it lasted a day.  I guess I could blame it on the fact that I needed to bring a treat in to Franny's school, or that it is Valentine's day and we should all get a free pass.  Whatever the reason for my failure, I am so glad that "failure" = buttercream covered cookies.

Directions:

Take your favorite sugar cookie recipe, shape to your desire, bake and and slather  it with buttercream (see recipe below).  

* Put more buttercream than you think you should on top of the cookie.  You will not regret it.

Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp almond extract
4-5 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
2-5 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Beat the butter and salt until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream. Sift the sugar and then add cup by cup until you have reached the desired sweetness. Beat the frosting 15-20 minutes.  Add more cream as needed.

Happy Heart Day!!!!

skinny peanut butter banana muffins

I usually feel bad about myself after Bridget posts a recipe. For example, I post about snicker doodles and she follows-up with a post about pineapple, carrot juice (I scarfed down 5 cookies, she had 2 glasses of juice).  She is always taking sugar and butter out of her recipes, while they are the rock-star ingredients in mine.  Maybe that is why she has glowing skin, abs of steel, and endless energy.  OR maybe it is because she isn't parenting 2 toddlers.  The jury is still out, but in the meantime, I am going to make an effort to be more like Bridget.

For my inaugural bridget recipe, I decided to try these skinny peanut butter banana muffins from Sally's Baking Addiction.  I made a few slight substitutions - almond butter for the peanut butter and almond extract instead of vanilla - and they turned out awesome!!  Maybe healthy isn't so bad?!  I'll let you know if my abs are flatter tomorrow.

OH - Hey, I go through stages where I am obsessed with certain products from Costco.. 

Here are two of my most recent obsessions that everyone should try:

1. Dark Chocolate Covered Coconut - Need I say more?

2. Natural Apple Chips - no sugar, no preservatives, just apples.  My girls love them and so do I!

Classic Snickerdoodle

I love fancy.  and I can love fussy. BUT, I do not believe that fancy & fussy = better, especially when it comes to desserts.

The girls and I made these snickerdoodles this week.  Nothing fancy and nothing fussy, but they tasted just like they always do...soft & chewy, buttery, with a hint of cinnamon.  YUM


Snickerdoodle Cookie (Martha Stewart's Cookie Book)

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

- – -
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 20 (1 3/4-inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

banana date flaxseed bread

We just got back from visiting our Pitty/Patty in sunny Florida! It was so nice to escape our crazy Wi winter and it was a great reminder that we will soon (5 months from now) be able to go outside without down, wool and huge snow boots.

The only thing I missed when we were gone, aside from the men we left behind (dan and wally), was baking! So, when I came home to a cold house (the thermostat was set at 55) and saw a bunch of brown bananas in our fruit bowl, I left the suitcases in the hall and whipped up a few mini loaves of this delicious and protein packed banana bread. The flaxseed gives this bread a nutty flavor and the dates and bananas give it a subtle sweetness.

Banana Date Flaxseed Bread

Recipe makes 1 - 8x4 inch loaf (or 3 mini loaves - baked for 40 minutes)

1/2 cup flax seed - ground
3 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flax seed
1 cup chopped pitted dates

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan. Use an electric coffee grinder or food processor to grind 1/2 cup flax seed; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together banana, oil, sugar and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground flax seed and 1/4 cup whole flax seed. Gradually stir flour mixture into banana mixture. Fold in dates. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Big news this weekend.....I came in second in our Village Chili Cook-off! I know, I am kind of a big deal now, but I promise to not let this new found fame go to my head.

I used B's Bison Chili Recipe found here, and substituted chipotle chili powder for the ancho powder. DELICIOUS!

Today, I have moved on to sweeter endeavors and made these yummy chocolate chunk blondies from Ina Garten's Fool Proof.  You probably have everything to make them in your pantry, so try them tonight.

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks, such as Nestle's



Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 12 x 2 inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the bowl. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and with the mixer still on low, slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold the walnuts and chocolate chunks in with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes exactly. Don't overbake! A toothpick may not come out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into bars.

whole-wheat carrot & applesauce muffins

I stumbled across the website 100 Days of Real Food on Pinterest last year and I turn to it whenever I feel like I need purge my life of sugar and processed foods.  There are a lot of great (and easy) recipes that are good for the whole family, so you should definitely check it out! 

I made these whole-wheat carrot & applesauce muffins this morning and there are only 3 out of the 12 left. The perfect breakfast, snack or treat, and you can feel good about eating it. 

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened (but not melted)
½ cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup carrot shreds (I used a cheese grater)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper, foil, or silicone liners, and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

In a large bowl fitted with an electric whisk (or beaters), mix the butter, honey, egg and vanilla together on medium speed. Turn the speed down and slowly add in the flour mixture until well combined. The batter will be fairly thick at this point.

Using a spatula, carefully fold in the applesauce and carrots. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes and muffins are beginning to turn golden brown on top.

Chocolate Cherry Scones

Happy New Year everyone!
2013 is long gone and 2014 is off to a frigid start.  The forecasted high for Monday is -11. Needless to say we are spending a lot of time indoors, eating to stay warm.

Bridget gave me Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery Cookbook for a hostess gift (thanks B!!) and I made these chocolate/cherry scones for New Years day bunch.  The scones turned out delicious - they were moist and sweet enough to be served as a dessert.  

I love these scones.  I love Thomas Keller. I love wool socks. I love hot coffee and somehow, despite my headaches over the past few weeks, I still love champagne!!

*** This recipe takes some advance prep. Cherries need to be refrigerated over night.    

 

Chocolate Cherry Scones
(Bouchon Bakery Cookbook)

MACERATED CHERRIES

1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs + 2 tsp of Kirsch (optional)

1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried tart cherries

SCONES
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
9 Tbs cold, unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

CHERRY GLAZE

3/4 cup powdered sugar
5 Tbs reserved strained cherry syrup
2 Tbs heavy cream

To make the macerated cherries, combine water, sugar, and Kirsch in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cherries and return to a simmer, then remove from the heat, add vanilla and let cool. Transfer the cherries and their liquid to a covered container and refrigerate overnight.

To make the scones, Set a mesh strainer over a measuring cup and drain the cherries. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the liquid for the glaze.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and Kosher salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into tiny pieces and add it to the flour mixture with the paddle attachment until the whole mixture is crumbly and evenly combined. Pour in the cream and mix together with a wooden spoon, or with your hands, if it's easier, as the batter will be thick and heavy.

Next, add the chocolate chips and drained cherries, then transfer the dough to covered container and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Remove the dough from the fridge and using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter into 12 balls. Set the balls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and then put the whole cookie sheet in the freezer for at least 2 hours but overnight is preferred.  

Remove cookie sheet from the freezer and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tops are golden brown. 

While the scones are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of reserved cherry syrup in a small bowl. Slowly add the cream, and add any additional cherry syrup to maintain the consistency of the glaze, or to add more flavor.  When the scones are finished baking, take them out of the oven an immediately brush them with several coats of glaze. Cool completely and enjoy!!!

healthy oat & date muffins

Last night I made Giada's panettone bread pudding (i will  make again and post - it was amazing), but today I decided to go with a healthy muffin recipe, that I found in Women's Health.  I made a few alterations and I am super happy with the result.  The muffins have a natural sweetness, vs. the desserty sweets I have been eating so much of lately. This is the perfect treat to grab on your way out the door in the morning.  They are filling, low fat, full of fiber and the flax even adds protein!



Ingredients
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 Tbs ground flax seeds
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
15 dates finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 egg beaten
4 Tbs coconut oil
2 Tbs honey
1/2 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine oatmeal and milk in a bowl and let soak.  In a separate large bowl, mix flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and dates.

In another bowl, combine egg, oil, honey, and applesauce.  Add to oatmeal mixture, then stir in flour mix.

Spoon batter into a muffin tin sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.  Cool on a wire wrack.

Chocolate Nutella and Sea Salt Fudge

Rewind to a month ago, I would spend the girls' nap time working out, cleaning, sewing, stalking people on Facebook, you know the usual stuff. For the past week, my "nap times" have solely consisted of baking, baking some more and then "testing" all of the baked goods.  Yesterday I made peanut butter blossoms (an oldie but a goodie) and I took a stab at making a new treat, Chocolate Nutella & Sea Salt Fudge.
Yes, it does taste as amazing as you would imagine.  

I definitely licked the spoon, and bowl clean.

Chocolate Nutella & Sea Salt Fudge
1 Tbs butter for greasing the pan
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz high quality bittersweet 60% chocolate chips
1 cup Nutella, room temperature
3 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp sea salt

Grease the bottom and sides of a 8x8 inch baking pan.  Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides.

In a medium glass bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, chocolate chips, Nutella and butter. Form a double boiler by setting the bowl over a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be low enough that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.  Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spread the top smooth with a spatula and sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours.

Once the fudge is chilled, run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge.  Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the fudge out. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into 3/4 inch squares.  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

I made this cookie for the first time yesterday and it is already a favorite with my girls. They are bite-sized, colorful and buttery with a peppermint kiss. What more could you ask for in a Christmas cookie?! 

This easy (and very quick) recipe is from Sally's Baking Addiction. Her blog has some amazing looking cookies on it right now!

Ingredients
10 Tbs unsalted butter, softened to room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
sprinkles
24 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Using a hand-held or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 5 full minutes, scraping down the sides and the bottom as necessary. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, beating on medium-high until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. In a medium bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed until fully combined. The dough will be very thick. If the dough is extremely sticky, chill for at least 45 minutes.

Roll dough into balls, a little less than 1 Tablespoon of dough each. The dough may seem dry, but the warmth of your hands will allow it to come together in a ball. Roll into assorted sprinkles and bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look very, very under baked. That's what you need. Do not over bake. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Press a Hershey Kiss into the center and immediately put the cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 minutes. Doing this will prevent the kiss from melting. Cookies remain fresh tightly covered at room temperature for 1 week.

White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Going to bed last night, I vowed not to eat sweets during the upcoming week. Now I find myself trying to determine what goes into the category of "sweet".   Do snacks like chocolate covered raisins, frozen yogurt, hot chocolate and granola count as a sweet?  Not in my book.  

Some people might say that it gets trickier when trying to decide if items such as gingerbread and shortbread are sweets, but once again, I have decided NO, they are not.  I wouldn't count whole wheat bread or 9 grain or even white bread as a sweet, so why would shortbread or gingerbread be a sweet?! 

With this rationale, I had zero guilt when I made (and ate) these delicious White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread cookies today. 

White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

(recipe - Better Homes & Gardens)

Ingredients
1/2 cup of maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup of cold butter
12 ounces of white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
2 teaspoons of shortening
White nonpareils and/or red edible glitter (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well.
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

  

Gingerbread - Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am struggling with the fact that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away.  The late Thanksgiving has really caught me off guard, so instead of coming to you with tidings of comfort and joy I bring tidings of panic and stress. My Christmas cards arrived today (LATE) and the machine that cut them, chopped off a big chunk of the wording.  AHHHHH.  I called the company and they told me that they should have them done by late next week - the 21st??  WHAT?!  I have been so busy doing random, but very important holiday related things, sewing, baking, gifting, (oh and taking care of my kids) that Dan had zero pairs of clean underwear to take on a business trip...oops. So, In an effort to remain sane and to ensure that I enjoy Christmas, I have decided 3 things. 

1. I need a boot to drink my morning coffee out of, so I have enough energy to get through my day
2. Dan might have to start doing his own laundry

3. I need to slow down, and remember what this season is really about.....eating. 

Try these. They are awesome (and very fast to make)

GINGERBREAD & DARK CHOCOLATE  MUFFINS

3 cups all purpose flour (or white-whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup  milk
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with muffin liners.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the molasses and butter on high for about 1 minute in the microwave. Stir until thoroughly mixed together. Set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, egg, yogurt, and milk. Pour into the butter. molasses mixture and whisk until everything is incorporated. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until  combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be very thick and lumpy.

Fill your muffin tins to the very top and bake for 20 minutes at 350F.  Muffins are finished when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Don't forget to make my favorite eggnog and cranberry muffins this holiday season (recipe here).  AND, if you love the combo of ginger and chocolate try these and these!