Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

After reading my blog entry about traditional banana bread, my friend Kelly mentioned that she loves to add chocolate chips to her version. This seems like such an obvious pairing and I'm so upset that I haven't played with it before now! (Thanks, Kelly!) Any time that I can play the chocolate card, I'm much more likely to get a favorable response from my little boy... and this recipe was no exception. The thing that I liked most about this recipe was that the muffin itself had much more of a cupcake texture and was very light and easy to enjoy. These are a definite 'make again' for our household.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used a bit more than this!)
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 cup mashed bananas

Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips into a large mixing bowl. Mix well and make a well in the center of the bowl. Beat the egg in a small bowl until frothy. Mix in cooking oil, milk, and bananas. Pour the mixture in the well and mix only to moisten. The batter will be lumpy. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Source: AllRecipes.com

Baked Apple Doughnuts

As we've been working on our cookie bouquets for Valentine's Day, my friend Christy and I have been spending a lot of time together planning, rolling, baking, decorating, etc. What better way is there to spend our downtime while the cookies were in the oven than to bake something else? :) Christy had mentioned that she found this great breakfast option and we decided to play together to make this for the first time. These doughnuts came together quickly and baked right in the oven (providing a slightly healthier option-- at least until we rolled them in the butter, cinnamon, and sugar). We did make one change with the directions. The recipe calls for rolling each baked doughnut in the butter before the cinnamon/sugar mixture. We decided that this would be a bit excessive, so we instead brushed each with the melted butter before rolling in the sugar. This worked just fine and is definitely the way to go in the future. These little doughnuts had a great texture and a wonderfully simple apple flavor. They even passed the picky toddler test in our home!

Baked Apple Doughnuts

1 1/2 cup flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup peeled and grated apple
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter

Stir the first four ingredients and 1/2 cup sugar together in a bowl. Cut in the shortening until crumbly. Stir in egg, milk, and apple, mixing well. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Remove the doughnuts from the pan and brush with the melted butter, then roll in the sugar mixture.

Source: Adapted from A View of America - Recipes

Cookie Bouquets

I'm so excited to share pictures of our new business venture! My good friend Christy and I decided to take our love of baking to the next level by selling hand-crafted cookie bouquets, as well as other cakes, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, pastries, etc. I think Christy said it best with, "If you can dream it, we can bake it!" We took advantage of the Valentine's Day weekend (given that it is a personal favorite of both of ours) and opened up for business. We sold many bouquets, each with our signature raspberry-flavor iced sugar cookies (the icing flavor that we specially designed for Valentine's Day) and a hand-painted pot.

The bouquets were a hit and we are so excited to continue to share these delicious treats. Keep an eye out for our adorable St. Patrick's Day and Easter bouquets, both of which can be ordered for those you love! I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

If you have not already done so, you MUST check out the Pioneer Woman website! In addition to her beautiful photography and hysterical stories, she posts the most mouth-watering recipes with step-by-step, photography-filled directions. This recipe has been on my 'must make' list for quite some time, and had I known how easy it was going to be to throw together, I certainly would have made it before now. Tbe entire cake was put together from start to finish in about a half hour-- including baking time. It's a great quick fix and has a wonderfully rich chocolate flavor. Pioneer Woman says this is the 'best sheet cake ever' and as quickly as ours disappeared, I'd say she's telling the truth!

One hint that the Pioneer Woman offered and came in incredibly useful was regarding buttermilk. Buttermilk is not an ingredient that I typically keep in my refrigerator. She suggests that you fill the measuring cup a little under the 1/2 cup mark (for this particular recipe) and then fill with vinegar to hit the 1/2 cup mark. I used this substitution and it seemed to work wonderfully.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 and 3/4 sticks butter

8 heaping tablespoons cocoa, divided

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

1/2 cup pecans (I omitted)

6 tablespoons milk

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Combine the flour, granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan, melt the 2 sticks butter. Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa and stir together. Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool. In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk. Add the eggs, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While the cake is baking, make icing. Chop the pecans finely (I omitted these due to nut allergies in our house.) Melt 1 3/4 sticks of butter in a saucepan. Add the final 4 heaping tablespoons of cocoa, stiring to combine. Turn off the heat. To this, add the milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir together, then add pecans, continuing to stir. Pour the frosting over the warm cake.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Sweet and Sour Chicken

As explained in an earlier post, I am a huge Chinese food fan but have yet to find great Chinese food on the west side of Indy. I typically prefer a traditional beef and broccoli dish, but my husband always looks for a good sweet and sour chicken. When I found this recipe on Amber's Delectable Delights, I knew it was one that I would have to play with for him! The flavor of this dish was wonderful and certainly reminiscent of some of our favorite restaurants back up north. Amber recommends making an extra recipe of the sauce to pour over the finished chicken and I was glad that I had followed that advice. The sauce has a great flavor and most of the sauce used to cook the chicken was absorbed into it by the time it finished cooking. It was nice to have the extra sauce to pour over the rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn the chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced-- about 6-8 minutes.

Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Cream of Mushroom Soup

When I saw this soup posted on Annie's Eats, I knew that I would be making it in the very near future! I've always been a big fan of a good pot of soup, especially when it is so blistery cold outside! The day I made this, it was below zero outside and snow was blowing everywhere. A big steaming bowl of this soup was the perfect way to warm up! Until this point, I had only had cream of mushroom soup that came from a can (I'm ashamed to admit!). I was really anxious to try this recipe for homemade and it did not disappoint!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

8 ounces white button mushrooms

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided

kosher salt

black pepper

2 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them gently with a slightly damp paper towel. Do not wash them. Separate the stems from the caps. Coarsely chop the stems. Slice the caps, cutting in half if necessary so that the pieces are bite-sized. Set aside.

To prepare the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the chopped mushroom stems, onion, carrot, sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain through a mesh sieve, reserving the liquid but discarding the solids. You should have about 4.5 cups of liquid. If not, add some water to make up the difference.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook over low heat, 15-20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the heavy cream, milk and parsley. Adjust seasonings to taste and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from Ina Garten

Dutch Oven Dinner

This dish is another of the wonderful surprises that we had made for us during my period of bedrest during the last part of my pregnancy. My friend Christy started a special section on her blog called "Sundays for Sarah" through which she had me select some new recipe that she would then prepare for my family each week. Her idea was that people could read the post about the new dish while saying a prayer for my little one. The response was phenomenal and we truly felt everyone's prayers. We are so appreciative for everyone's support!

Dutch Oven Dinner is a recipe that I found on another friends blog, "Annie's Eats." Annie commented that the recipe reminded her of a casserole that her parents would have made. I agree completely and this recipe certainly falls into the comfort food category. It is easy to throw together and simmers for an hour in a dutch oven. It couldn't be much simpler and has great, classic flavors.

Dutch Oven Dinner

1 pound lean ground sirloin

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

2/3 cup chopped mushrooms

2 cups frozen corn

1 package (10-12 ounces) egg noodles

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in a 5 quart dutch oven or a large skillet with a lid. Add the onion, mushrooms, and corn. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread uncooked noodles evenly over the top. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the noodles. Pour the entire can of tomatoes over the noodles (be sure to cover the noodles entirely or else they will get chewy around the edges of the dutch oven). Simmer, tightly covered, for one hour; then let stand 3-5 minutes before serving.

Source: Christy's Kitchen Creations, originally from Annie's Eats