Baked Doughnuts

Oh la la la la. I have a new doughnut pan, so what do you think I've had for breakfast two days in a row? I love love love this recipe because you can glaze them, sugar them, or dip them in any crumbly goodness you desire.  This is just a basic doughnut recipe which you could play around with and make fun variations! To make these you will need a doughnut pan. Mine came from target and was about $10-$13.

Makes 6 doughnuts

You will need:
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp. milk
1 & 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. melted butter (I always add a little extra)

To start:
1. Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
2. Combine milk, vinegar, egg and melted butter. Make sure you whisk it well so that the butter mixes in completely.
3. in a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix them well. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and whisk until smooth.
4. Fill the doughnut pan. Mine was nonstick, but you may need to grease yours. To fill the pan you can either use a spoon or a piping bag.
5. Bake for 8 minutes in the center of the oven. Allow the doughnuts to cool completely before topping.

I topped some of these by brushing melted butter on the tops and dipping them in cinnamon sugar. On others added chocolate ganache frosting! The possibilities are endless.

Happy baking!

Sugar-Free Panna Cotta

With autumn in full swing and sugary, baked goodies coming out of the oven, it's nice to have something a little lighter to kick the sweet tooth. Of course, you can make this recipe with real sugar; but why not make it skinny! It's not a secret that I love panna cotta, so I wanted to find a way to serve it with an autumn twist!

You will need:
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup half&half
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. Splenda
1 envelope unflavored gelatin

To start:
1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the gelatin into 1/4 cup of the milk.
2. Add the remaining milk, half&half, vanilla and Splenda to a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes.
3. Pour the cooked cream into the dissolved gelatin and stir. Be careful not to stir too hard to avoid creating bubbles.
4. Next pour the mixture into 4 ramekins. If you plan on turning them out, you'll need to lightly grease the ramekins (I suggest coconut oil.) I used a mini leaf and pumpkin mold by Wilton to make mine!
5. Cover the panna cotta and refrigerate over night.

I drizzled honey over these and served them with plum tarts and baked crusted apples! Its was the perfect way to get into the autumn spirit! These are fun for a brunch or dessert, but they're only good covered for about a 1-2 days after made- so eat em' up!

Happy cooking!

Sunshine Sweet Potatoes for Two

Growing up, I never liked sweet potatoes. The other day, a friend gave us a sack full of organic sweet potatoes from his farm, and I thought it was high time I learned to like 'em! I cooked them the way I cook regular potatoes and turnips-- with onions and eggs! At first, this may sound like a strange combination, but they compliment each other nicely.

For potatoes, you will need:

2 large sweet potatoes

4 tbsp. olive oil

1/2  tsp. sage

1/2 tsp. white pepper (black works too!)

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 tsp. garlic powder 

1/2 white onion

For the eggs, you will need:

2 large eggs

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 pinches Mediterranean spices

To start:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. 

2. Wash and chop the sweet potatoes into small chunks, and put them aside in a bowl. Dice the white onion and put it with sweet potatoes. Toss them together with 4 tbsp. of olive oil.

3. Next, the spices (salt, pepper, sage, & garlic powder) need to be tossed in. You may want to combine them together first, to get sufficient coverage. 

4. Pour the potatoes and onions into a pan (I used my skillet,) and use a rubber spatula to get all the spice and oil out of the bowl. 

5. Bake for 25 minutes. Halfway through, shuffle the potatoes and onions around in the pan and turn them over. Be sure that the potatoes are crispy!

6. Fry the eggs during the last 5 or 6 minutes of the potatoes baking. The way I like to fry egg is by letting a tablespoon of olive oil get hot in my pan. Then I crack the egg into the hot oil and sprinkle a pinch of Mediterranean seasonings while the egg is still uncooked. Just leave the egg on the heat to cook through. Move the pan around so the whites are fully cooked. 

7. Divide the potato mixture in half into two bowls, and put an egg on top of each.

I've done this with and without the onions, and it's great either way! The runny egg yolk compliments the sweet potatoes so well! It's a great, southern breakfast dish to enjoy on a chilly autumn morning!

Happy cooking!

Plum Tarts

In case it's not obvious by now, I absolutely love plums paired with short butter crust! This recipe is the perfect thing to ring in the autumn weather! Making pastries can be tricky, but I think you'll find this recipe to be fairly simple!

For the crust:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 stick softened butter
1 tsp. baking powder
1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2-3 tbsp. cold water

For the tarts:
24 plum slices (any color is fine! I used red)
12 tsp. brown sugar (roughly)
1 egg
Brown butter frosting OPTIONAL

To Start:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and 1/3 cup brown sugar.  Cut the butter in using a pastry cutter or large fork. The mixture should be crumbly and clumpy. Add the cold water and knead dough. (If the dough is too dry, add a little more water. If the dough is too wet add a bit more flour.)
3.  Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is about 1 inch thick.  Use a medium sized drinking glass to cut out 8 pastries. Carefully transfer them to the baking sheet. Spread a small amount of brown sugar across the surface of the dough circles.Use the rest of the dough to cut 8 more circles out and place them on top of the other ones on the baking sheet.
4. Make an egg wash by whisking an egg and 2 tsp. of water together and lightly brush the pastries with it. Spread a small amount of brown sugar on top of this layer of pastry.
5. Place 3 plum slices to each pastry, pressing them in slightly.
6. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the pastry is crusty and no longer soft.
7. Allow to cool completely before drizzling with brown butter frosting and serving.

These are so tasty! You can get away with no frosting, but I think it really compliments the tartness of the plum. It had a warm flavor which just reminded me of autumn in the best way. You'll be happy you made them!

Happy baking!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I love oatmeal raisin cookies and always forget how easy they are to make! This recipe calls all for ingredients you're likely to have in you're kitchen! There's nothing worse than having a craving for something but none of the groceries you need to make it.

You will need:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (softened)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 large egg
1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup oats
2/3 cup raisins

To start:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and egg. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and baking powder and continue to mix.
3. Fold the flour into the wet mixture 1/3 cup at a time. Add the oats and raisins making sure they are evenly distributed in the dough.
4. Drop twelve 2 & 1/2 inch dough balls onto your lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 13-15 minutes and allow to cool completely before serving.

Yields - 1&1/2 - 2 dozen cookies

I've been told by so many people that they love these cookies! The cinnamon and nutmeg really make them perfect. This is the ideal recipe to tuck in your back pocket for when autumn rolls around and you're needing something that tastes like fall! I like to pair these with chai tea lattes or coffee. I'm craving cold weather and sweaters just by thinking about these cookies! They're thick and warm and have have all the important qualities an oatmeal raisin cookie should have! I hope you enjoyed this recipe and enjoy these cookies!

Happy Baking!

Yogurt Panna Cotta

I had always only seen or heard about panna cotta, but never tasted or made it! If you want to treat yourself without turning on the oven in the summer heat, panna cotta is a nice cool desert you should consider. Panna cotta is Italian for "cooked cream" and is basically just that!  This recipe uses yogurt, but it is not traditionally made with it.

You will need:
1. (approximately) 10.6 oz. plain Greek yogurt
2. 1/2 cup half and half
3. 3/4 milk
4. 1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
5. 1/3 cup granulated sugar
6. 2 tsp. vanilla extract

To start:
1. Dissolve the gelatin into 1/4 of the milk and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the rest of the milk, half and half, sugar, and vanilla on medium heat. Do not let the mixture boil or simmer. Only leave it on the heat 10 minutes before adding the yogurt.
3. Keep the pan on the heat until the yogurt is fully mixed into the milk.
4. Take the pan off of the heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring for for about two minutes.
5. If you want to turn the panna cotta out of the containers after it's set, you'll want to (very) lightly grease them. Separate the mixture into three containers and cover. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until set like Jell-O.
NOTE: It is important that are no potent foods in your fridge or the panna cotta may absorb the smell.

You can top panna cotta with virtually anything! I used lemon curd and blueberries. I served it as a part of breakfast with a blueberry Dutch baby pancake and my sisters loved it! When someone as picky as my older sister liked this recipe I knew it was a success! I hope you enjoy making this delicious treat and keep cool for the rest of the summer. 

Happy cooking!

Whole Wheat Bread

There's just something so satisfying about making your own bread! This is great bread to have with jam and tea or coffee. It's perfect for serving with breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner! Wrap it in pretty paper, tie it off with a bow and you've got a nice gift for a friend!

You will need:
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 cups whole wheat flour (plus some for sprinkling)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. non-fat dried milk
2 cups + 2 Tbsp. warm water
OPTIONAL
1 egg
salt

To start:
1. In the bowl of your standing mixer dissolve the brown sugar into the oil and water. Sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the liquid. Once the yeast is also dissolved, add the dried milk.
2. Using your standing mixer fitted with the bread hooks, mix the flour into the liquid. one cup at a time.
3. Once thoroughly mixed, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. The dough may be sticky, so you'll want to flour your hands as well.
4. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a room-temperature, draft free place. (an unheated oven works well for this.) Let the dough rise for two hours (or until doubled in size.)
5. After the two hours, pre-heat your oven to 375 F. Grease two 8x4" loaf pans or line them with parchment.
6. Punch the dough down to size. Make sure you flour your hands because the dough is apt to be sticky. Separate the dough into two even portions and place them both in the pans. If the dough is not sreading to edges of the pan, use your hands to spread it out. OPTIONAL- Beat an egg and wash the dough with it. Salt the top of your dough and slash it.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Yeilds 2 loaves.

Happy cooking!

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

My family was needing a little comfort food tonight, and these cookies were the perfect fix.  They're tangy and sweet and so addictive.  They're soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth!! I frosted mine with Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue Buttercream (my newest obsession!)  This icing complements these sweet little cookies perfectly and I strongly suggest using it with this recipe!

Yields 36-48 cookies

You will need:
1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 large egg
3/4 cup almond meal (sifted)
5/6 cup (1/2 plus 1/3 cup) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

To begin:
1. Your cream cheese needs to set out for 25 to 30 minutes before being used.  If it's not soft enough, it will cause the batter to be clumpy. Pre-heat oven to 325 F and line two 9x13 cookie sheets with parchment.
2.  Once the cream cheese is soft enough, cream it together with the sugar, lemon juice, and egg.  Mix well until there are no clumps.
3.  In another bowl, combine the sifted almond meal, flour, baking soda, and confectioners sugar. Add a quarter of the dry mixture to the wet mixture at a time.
4.  Drop dough balls 1 1/2 inch away from each other. The dough should be a little runny, so once it hits the cookie sheet, it will spread itself out.  Bake for 20-23 minutes or until slightly golden on the edges.
5.  Let the cookies cool before removing them from the parchment. If you try to take them off too soon, the bottoms will fall out of them.
6.  Once the cookies are completely cool, ice them with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  This icing is extremely sensitive to heat, so make sure you've allowed your cookies enough time to sit.

I love these cookies! They're fun to personalize and decorate, not to mention soooo tasty! I hope you found this recipe helpful and simple!! Happy baking!

Crepes, ooh la la!

I absolutely love making crepes! They're basically just French pancakes. They're very simple to make and delicious to eat! This recipe makes 12-14 crepes, depending on the size of your pan and how thick you make them:)

You will need:
1 cup flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1  1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
3 tbsp. of melted butter
Additional sugar for sprinkling.

To start:
1. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
2. Pour the milk into a medium sized measuring bowl. You'll want to let the milk sit out for about 10-15 minutes before adding butter. Add the vanilla, eggs, and butter and whisk with a fork. When hot butter comes into contact with cold milk, the butter thickens and ruins the consistency of the mixture.
3. Pour the dry ingredients in with the wet and whisk until there are no lumps.
4. Grease a small frying pan and turn your stove to medium heat.
5. Once the pan is heated, pour about a 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. Tilt the pan until the batter is spread over the whole pan.
6. Let it cook until you can see it solidifying and the edges are slightly brown. Sprinkle some sugar over the surface of crepe then, using a spatula, flip the crepe. Sprinkle more sugar on the other side.
7. Once the crepe is fully cooked on both sides, flip it once more to make sure the sugar melts on both sides.

You can eat these plain or with toppings! Some like jam or chocolate sauce, but I drizzle honey over them and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over that. You can serve them with fruit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! They're simple to make and so tasty! I hope you found this recipe helpful and easy to understand.

Happy cooking!

Glazed Brown Sugar Banana bread.

If you love banana bread, this is the recipe for you! It's sweet and delicious and a favourite in my house! It's pretty simple to make.

You will need:
1. 3-4 bananas (mashed)
2. 1/3 cup + about 3 tbsp. melted butter
3. 1/2 cup granulated Sucralose (Splenda)
4. 1/2 cup + about 5 tbsp. brown sugar
5. 1 cup flour
6. 1 tsp. baking soda
7. 1 large egg
8. 1 tsp. vanilla

To make:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a small loaf pan.
2. Cream bananas and 1/3 cup butter together in a large bowl.
3. Beat in egg, Splenda, vanilla, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Once mixed add in baking soda.
4. Mix in the flour one half cup at a time.
5. Pour your mixture into the loaf pan and set to bake for 30 minutes.
6. While its baking melt the 3 tbsp. of butter and mix with 5 tbsp. of brown sugar. If its too runny, add extra sugar, if its too thick, add more butter. This is your glaze.
7. Once the 30 minutes are over, spoon the glaze to the center of the loaf and spread it. It will run down to the sides on its own, so don't spread it too much.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until bread is golden brown.

It's great with coffee or tea, as a breakfast or desert, morning or night:) I hope you found this recipe helpful and easy! Happy Cooking!

The Best Brownies EVER. (forreal)

These seriously have to be the best brownies I've ever tried. I made a batch for my family to taste and they were so good I just had to make another!

You will need:
1. 2/3 cup un-sweetened cocoa powder
2. 2 cups of white granulated sugar
3. 4 eggs
4. 1 cup all purpose flour
5. 1 cup vegetable oil (melted butter will suffice)
6. 2 tsp. vanilla extract
7. 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
8. 1/2 tsp. salt
9. Two large bowls
10. Two large spoons

To begin:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9x13 pan.
3. In one large bowl mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
4. In the second bowl mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
5. Pour the dry mixture into the egg mixture about a half cup at a time and stir.
6. Once thoroughly mixed, pour into greased pan.
7. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
8. Once finished baking, let cool for about 3 minutes.
9. Cut and enjoy!

I love these brownies because they're better than a box-mix and you get satisfaction of knowing you made them from scratch! I hope you found this recipe helpful and easy. If these aren't the best brownies you've tasted, post your recipe in the comment section:)

Happy Cooking!

Plain Jane Tea Cookies

These cookies are super easy to make and yummy! They're good with coffee, tea, or by themselves! They are also great because they're made of five basic ingredients that you may have already!

Ingredients:
1 cup margarine
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Supplies:
Cookie pan(s)
Two large bowls
Two large spoons

To start:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In one large bowl cream margarine and powdered sugar.
3. In the second bowl mix flour, baking powder, and corn starch.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the first bowl a half cup at a time.
5. Once the dough is thoroughly mixed, roll into quarter-sized balls and place on greased pan.
6. Put the pan(s) in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden.

I hope you enjoy this simple but tasty recipe! I made it with a group of 3rd and 4th graders. That's how easy it is! Have fun with this!

Happy cooking!