Tag: Flour

Eggnog Date Nut Bread

Note: I was sent a copy of Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk (paid link) in order to write this post for an Eggnog Date Nut Bread. Opinions are mine alone.

We hosted Christmas this year for the first time, so my house is stocked with half opened and half eaten, well, everything. My husband, a lifetime grazer, is in his element, but I am still trying to best use up ingredients to make new recipes, like using up any remaining eggnog to make this Eggnog Date Nut Bread!

Eggnog Date Nut Bread

I had exactly one cup of eggnog left in my fridge, so when I was paging through Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk (paid link) and found this recipe for Eggnog Date Nut Bread that uses one cup of eggnog, it felt a bit like destiny.

Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk is filled with Father Dominic’s favorite tips and tricks for baking, so this cookbook is a lovely read. He even includes substitutes for common ingredients, hints for kitchen organization and storage, advice on the best baking tools for the job, and fun historical facts and kitchen wisdom.

Some of you may know Father Dominic Garramone, known as “The Bread Monk,” from the PBS cooking show Baking Bread with Father Dominic that aired from 1999 to 2001. He also has a number of cookbooks (I have another cookbook I’m excited to share with you in the new year). I recently was lucky enough to catch him at a virtual event hosted by the Hillside Public Library and loved hearing about his passion for baking.

This specific recipe for Eggnog Date Nut Bread is found in the “Food Holiday Mash-ups and Recipes for All Seasons” chapter under December and doesn’t require yeast to make, or any kneading at all.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting pan
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup chopped dates
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Continue reading Eggnog Date Nut Bread

Ube Crinkle Cookies

Inspiration for new recipes to share on this blog can come from almost anywhere – local restaurants, family traditions, cravings, and sometimes even mystery novels. The latter is where I found inspiration for this recipe for Ube Crinkle Cookies!

I have been reading a mystery series written by Mia P. Manansala. The first book, Arsenic and Adobo (paid link), introduces the protagonist and narrator of the series, Lila Macapagal. Lila, an avid baker, has recently moved back to her hometown, and is helping out at her Tita Rosie’s struggling restaurant. When her ex-boyfriend, a local food critic, dies suddenly, Lila becomes the top suspect and has to start her own investigation to prove her innocence. Throughout the story, Lila bakes up delicious desserts, infusing Filipino flavors into some seriously amazing sounding baked goods.

One in particular stuck out to me: Ube Crinkle Cookies. I’ve made a few crinkle cookie recipes on this blog so you know I love a good crinkle cookie. I’m sure ube crinkle cookies isn’t a new idea, but it’s new to me, and I knew I had to make these!

Ube is a sweet purple yam with a slightly nutty and vanilla flavor which lends itself perfectly for desserts. The bright purple color of ube makes it particularly wonderful for use in crinkle cookies. The contrast with the white powdered sugar makes these cookies a real showstopper!

I couldn’t get the idea of these Ube Crinkle Cookies out of my head, I had to make them! These cookies are made with Ube Halaya and Ube flavor. Ube Halaya is mashed purple yam combined with condensed milk. Ube flavor, or extract, obviously adds more ube flavor, but it also contains purple dye in it to amp up the color. Both ube halaya and ube flavor can be found at most Asian grocery stores.

There are a couple of tools that I suggest using to make this recipe:

Let’s get baking!

Ingredients (makes about 40 cookies):

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 (12 oz) jar Ube Halaya
  • 1 tablespoons ube flavor
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Continue reading Ube Crinkle Cookies

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been making this chocolate chip cookie recipe for years, and I always get compliments on how soft and chewy these cookies are. So yes, I am hereby declaring these the BEST chocolate chip cookies!

I’m actually surprised I haven’t posted this recipe before. Recently, I made a batch of these chocolate chip cookies, and one of my friend’s kids liked the recipe so much that she asked me for the recipe, and I realized my mistake. So, I am finally rectifying that issue!

This recipe is really easy to make, and the dough doesn’t need to rest in the fridge before baking! I do strongly suggest that you let the butter and egg come to room temperature though, it will make for a better cookie texture.

Ingredients (makes about 2 dozen cookies):

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Continue reading The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

Spiced Walnut Peach Mini Bundt Cakes or Muffins

Note: I was sent a copy of Muffins (paid link) by Cyndi Duncan and Georgie Patrick in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

One of the best perks of being a food blogger is the ability to receive and review cookbooks. Not only are they a great source of inspiration for me and my cooking journey, but they also provide a little peek into other fellow passionate cooks and bakers.

This latest cookbook, Muffins (paid link) by Cyndi Duncan and Georgie Patrick, focuses on one of my favorite foods. Muffins are one of my go-to choices for food prepping for the week.

From comforting favorites to spicy surprises, Muffins cookbook includes delicious recipes for more than 70 nourishing breakfast staples, fruity bites for brunch, and savory morsels that go great with soups and salads. The cookbook also includes ingredient substitutions, helpful baking methods, and other useful kitchen tips.

 

As my husband was paging through the cookbook, their recipe for Spicy Peach and Nut Muffins caught his attention. I used that recipe as inspiration to make these Spiced Walnut Peach Mini Bundt Cakes. Mini Bundt Cakes are essentially fancy muffins anyway, don’t you think?

And, if you have no interest in my fake fancy muffins, no worries! I’ve included info below to make these as normal muffins by using a cupcake pan.

Ingredients (makes approximately 12 mini Bundt cakes or 18 cupcake-sized muffins):

Cakes/Muffins:

  • 1 (15 oz) can peaches
  • ~3/4 cup buttermilk (see directions below)
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:

  • 4 tablespoons reserved peach juice
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Continue reading Spiced Walnut Peach Mini Bundt Cakes or Muffins

Pumpkin Snickercrinkles

Note: I was sent a review copy of Fabulous Modern Cookies in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

I am well aware that people have strong feelings about pumpkin/fall/cooler weather recipes this early in the year. It technically isn’t even fall for about another week. But I’ve shared pumpkin filled recipes much earlier in the “season” than this so I hope you’ll give me a pass again, especially for these pretty little Pumpkin Snickercrinkles.

I found this recipe for Pumpkin Snickercrinkles, which is a mix of a traditional crinkle cookie and a snickerdoodle, in the recently released cookbook Fabulous Modern Cookies: Lessons in Better Baking for Next Generation Treats (paid link) by Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin.

With bold and fearless suggestions, Taylor and Arguin, scientists turned bakers, explore the deep-in-our-heart love of cookies as well as the philosophy behind them.  Does a cookie always have to be round, sweet, or soft?  Breaking down the essential rules, ingredients, and equipment needed, Fabulous Modern Cookies demystifies the cookie and provides home bakers with fun and unique cookie recipes.
Filled with 100 recipes, Chris and Paul also provide “Cookie Bytes” – short tips, tricks, helpful techniques, and explanations to demystify the science of baking.  The recipes are grouped in chapters like Bar Cookies; Drop Cookies; Rolled Cookies; Filled, Stuffed and Sandwiched Cookies; Savory Cookies and Slice-and-Bake Cookies.
This recipe for Pumpkin Snickercrinkles can be found in the Drop Cookies chapter. Although this recipe is a bit more involved than most drop cookie recipes I’ve made in the past, the result is absolutely worth it!
Ingredients (makes about 3 dozen cookies):
  • 2 1/4 cups flour, divided
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Continue reading Pumpkin Snickercrinkles

Banana Walnut Bread

I recently came home after a weekend trip to some of the saddest looking bananas I’ve seen in a long time. Which means I spent my Monday making this super delicious Banana Walnut Bread!

This recipe largely uses typical pantry items, so the next time you find yourself with overripe bananas, there is a good chance you will already have everything on hand to make this banana bread — if you don’t have any walnuts, you can substitute another nut or omit them completely.

If kept in a sealed container at room temperature, the bread will last for 4 days so it’s perfect for breakfast for most of the week!

If you want to store it longer, you can also freeze the bread by wrapping it completely in plastic wrap before adding to your freezer.

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium very ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Continue reading Banana Walnut Bread

Chocolate Coconut Cake

I originally made this Chocolate Coconut Cake for my dad for his birthday a few years ago. Since then, my parents request it any chance they get!

The recipe is a chocolate cake that substitutes coconut milk for regular milk in the recipe. It is then topped with a coconut cream frosting and some coconut flakes for extra coconut-y goodness!

Cake:

  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened (or margarine to make dairy free)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk

Frosting:

  • 4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened (or margarine to make dairy free)
  • 2 16 oz boxes (about 8 cups) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (5.4 oz can) coconut cream

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup coconut flakes

Continue reading Chocolate Coconut Cake

Walnut Whiskey Cake

Whiskey Cake is something that has shown up to family gatherings since before I can even remember. My mom makes this cake for basically all extended family celebrations, and it has become a favorite of mine. Recently, we were celebrating a friend’s birthday and I thought a Walnut Whiskey Cake would be the perfect birthday cake for him!

My version is a bit different than the one my mom makes, but the general gist is still there. I added some candied walnuts on top because, why not, but feel free to omit them.

The best part of this recipe is it is made with cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix, making this cake both super easy to make and incredibly moist! Using a Bundt pan makes this cake look like it took you all day to make, but the hardest part of this recipe is patiently waiting for the glaze to soak into the cake before removing it from the Bundt pan.

Walnut Whiskey Cake Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
  • 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
  • 2 oz whiskey or bourbon

Glaze:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz) whiskey or bourbon
  • the juice of 1/2 orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Candied Walnuts:

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Continue reading Walnut Whiskey Cake

Lemon Blueberry Drop Scones

Lemon and blueberry is such a solid combination. I’ll basically eat any baked good with those two flavors together, which might be why I already have shared a lemon blueberry pancake, cupcake, and icebox cake on here already! So when I saw a recipe for Lemon Blueberry Drop Scones on Taste of Home, I wanted to try them. I messed with the method of their recipe and adding a bit more lemony goodness through lemon extract because I really wanted that flavor to come through.

These are super easy and rustic looking scone recipe. The more misshapen they are, the better they look!

Ingredients:

Scones:

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup lemon flavored yogurt
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract (paid link)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup blueberries

Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • the juice of 1/2 a lemon

Continue reading Lemon Blueberry Drop Scones

Coconut Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I have been trying to get back in the habit of making a few make-ahead meals on weekends to make weekdays a bit more manageable. While looking through old recipes, I came across a recipe I made nearly a decade ago for Coconut Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. I decided to revisit the recipe, adding a bit more lemon flavor through the addition of lemon extract (paid link). These yummy little guys are the result!

Ingredients (makes 12 cupcake-sized muffins or 6 large muffins):

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and allowed to cool slightly
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature, or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce to make vegan
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 cup whole milk, or coconut milk to make dairy free/vegan
  • the zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Continue reading Coconut Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Irish Plum Pudding

In the 11 years I’ve been writing posts for this blog, I have never posted on Christmas Day!

This year, I decided to finally rectify that and bring a recipe for a Christmas Pudding. Plum Pudding is quite a misnomer (at least to us Americans) – it does not include any plums, and pudding is actually a cake, not a custard-like substance. The method of cooking the plum pudding was new to me too; you actually steam it on your stovetop rather than bake it!

This recipe for Irish Plum Pudding is adapted from a cookbook I have owned for a while (Christmas Flavors of Ireland– paid link), although, I have to admit, I think I royally Americanized the recipe into something different. So, here’s my American Not-Plum Bundt Cake!

Note: You’ll need a 6 cup bundt pan (paid link), and a pot large enough to fit the bundt pan inside (I used a large pot I use to make tomato sauce).

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup dried figs, chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/4 cup candied cherries (paid link), halved
  • 2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons candied lemon peel, chopped
  • 1/3 cup spiced rum
  • the juice and zest of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup stem ginger (paid link), finely chopped
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored, and grated
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional Bourbon Butter, for serving:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon

Continue reading Irish Plum Pudding

Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

 Note: I was sent ingredients from Plugra Premium Butter in order to make this post. Opinions are mine alone. Ingredients included: 1 bar unsalted Plugra Premium Butter,1 container of the Spice House’s Vietnamese Saigon Cinnamon, Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate, and Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract.

Do I have a tasty recipe for you today! I was contacted recently by Plugrá Kitchens with a delicious sounding brownie recipe (these Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies) using some of my favorite ingredients, so I knew I had to share it. This brownie recipe is based off the flavors of Mexican Hot Chocolate, which is a hot chocolate that is spiced with cinnamon and sometimes a little bit of chili to bring additional warmth and heat. 

Plugra Kitchens was nice enough to send me a package with the best goodies to make these brownies, including (of course) Plugrá Premium Unsalted Butter, Spice House Ground Saigon Cinnamon, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, and Balrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate.

Plugrá Butter is an awesome ingredient to use for baking. Made by Dairy Farmers of America, its slow-churn and extra creaminess has the perfect balance of moisture and fat for use in baking. The Spice House‘s Vietnamese “Saigon” Cassia cinnamon is the strongest and sweetest cinnamon in their collection. The Vietnamese cinnamon bark is ground in house to produce a dark, rich texture that is fiery and fragrant, making it perfect for these brownies. My love of Nielsen-Massey‘s Madagascar Bourbon is well known to those that frequent this blog. Their Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla extract is made from premium, hand-selected vanilla beans cultivated in Madagascar, the world’s leading supplier of high-quality vanilla. It then utilizes a slow, cold extraction process to gently draw out and preserve all 300 natural vanilla flavor notes to create the richest tasting vanilla. Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla has a flavor profile that is full, sweet, creamy, and mellow with velvety after-tones. Valrhona Chocolate has been a partner of artisans of taste since 1922 and is a pioneer and reference in the world of chocolate.

With ingredients like that, you know this recipe is going to taste good! I adapted the recipe a bit, but the overall gist is still there. These Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies are soft and chewy, with a subtle warmth and heat that pairs really well with the richness of the chocolate.

Ingredients (makes 18 servings):

  • 1 (8 oz) bar unsalted butter, like Plugrá® European Style Butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, like Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, like Saigon cinnamon from the Spice House
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup dark chocolate, like Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate, chopped

Continue reading Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate Creme De Menthe Cookies

Note: I was sent some baking tools from OXO in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

It’s that time of year again – OXO’s Bake a Difference Campaign is live! Every year, OXO supports Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and the fight against pediatric cancer. Before I share my cookie recipe, I wanted to tell you a bit about Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer (CFKC) is a nonprofit founded by two OXO employees after their son, Liam, was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Through grassroots bake sales across the country, CFKC raises funds to develop new, improved and less toxic treatments for childhood cancer. Liam Witt’s legacy lives on as the organization works toward a cure for pediatric cancer, helping children and families everywhere.

Every year, OXO supports CFKC by encouraging people to bake and share. OXO sent me a bunch of baking goodies to help me get my creative juices flowing so I can share a new cookie recipe. This year’s kit included a 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set, Silicone Baking Cups (paid link), Non-Stick Pro 2 Piece Sheet Pan Set, and 3-Piece POP Round Canister Graduated Set.

For every cookie baked, OXO donates $1 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer up to $100,000, so here is my new cookie this year to support the cause and spread the word!

Here are some of my old cookie swap and Cookies for Kids’ Cancer posts, in case you’re in a baking mood:

To help support, you can also register for the Bake a Difference campaign and host a virtual bake sale or an in-person event!

Moving to this year’s cookie: These Creme de Menthe Cookies are chocolate crinkle cookies with a chocolatey mint center. It is based off a cookie recipe I found in an Amish Community Cookbook (paid link) I’ve had for years.

Ingredients (makes about 3 dozen cookies):

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coffee
  • 1 teaspoon coffee extract (can substitute vanilla extract)
  • 1 (12 oz package) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup Andes mint baking chips (paid link)

Continue reading Chocolate Creme De Menthe Cookies

Pumpkin Roll

I can’t believe I’ve never shared a pumpkin roll recipe on this blog! For someone as pumpkin-obsessed as me, I’m happy to finally rectify that!

This recipe is a mostly classic recipe, with the addition of chocolate chips into the cream cheese filling. I made this for Thanksgiving, and my aunt who hosts it enjoys pumpkin-chocolate combinations, so I made this one for her.

This pumpkin roll recipe has been developed to be made in a half sheet pan (paid link).

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Continue reading Pumpkin Roll

Frosted Pumpkin Brownies

For those that follow me on Instagram or Twitter, it comes as no surprise that I am a huge fan of pumpkin recipes. In fact, I have over 30 recipes that use pumpkin on this blog!

So hopefully you’ll allow me to add another one to the list: Frosted Pumpkin Brownies!

So when I had a nagging sweet tooth recently, I figured it was time to also feed my pumpkin need. This recipe for Frosted Pumpkin Brownies is comprised of a chewy, chocolatey brownie topped with a nice thick layer of pumpkin buttercream frosting, resulting in a decadent treat for the chocolate and pumpkin lovers in your life.

Ingredients:

Brownies:

Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (note: can also just use 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices, if preferred)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar

Continue reading Frosted Pumpkin Brownies

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