Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

photo via smitten kitchen

Last week, I hosted a baby shower for my best friend, Katie. It was a definite success and I was so happy to be able to prepare some delicious food and fun games. The shower was at 10:30am, so we dined on brunch foods, including eggs with salsa, fruit, doughnuts, veggies, cranberry punch and baked goods. I re-vamped this yogurt bundt cake to include raspberries instead of strawberries, and found a new whole wheat muffin that is moist and delicious.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen to be 100% whole wheat

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Bake Time: 15-20 Minutes

Total Time: 30-35 Minutes

Yield 18 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, divided

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup (8 oz.) buttermilk or yogurt

2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside. In a large, cream the butter using electric beaters and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Mix in the buttermilk gently (apparently the buttermilk can cause the mixture to curdle if you overbeat). Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks. 

Divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin cups and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top of each unbaked muffin. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400 degrees, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Enjoy!

Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls

If you add vanilla pudding to cinnamon roll dough, it makes the dough really soft. This cinnamon roll is chewy and soft and lovely. I can't wait to make these for my family on Christmas morning. (Except I'll do all the prep work the night before, of course.)

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Yield: About 24 cinnamon rolls

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Rising Time: About 2 hours

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS:

{for the dough}

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons active-dry yeast

2 Tablespoons sugar

3.5 oz. package instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

6+ cups flour*

{for the filling}

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

{for the frosting}

8 oz. cream cheese**

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups confectioner's sugar

2-3 Tablespoons milk

*If you'd like to increase the amount of fiber in your diet, use half whole-wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. 

**For a healthier option, use neufchatel cheese.

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Stir until dissolved and set aside. 

In a large bowl, take vanilla pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add butter, eggs, and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour and knead until smooth, being careful not to overflour the dough. It should be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. 

Once dough has doubled in size, divide into two equal parts. Roll dough onto a floured surface 17 x 21 inches in size. Take a half cup of softened butter and spread it over the dough. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle half the mixture over the top. Roll up very tightly. With a knife, put a notch every 1 1/2 inches. Cut with thread or serrated knife. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet about about 1 inch apart. Repeat this process with the remaining dough. Cover rolls and let rise until doubled in size again.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden. (Do not overbake.) 

To make the frosting, combine butter and cream cheese and mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again. Then add milk for desired consistency.

Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting. 

Whole Wheat Waffles

My favorite breakfast items are those that require syrup to eat them. This can be a problem as those are often the least healthy. Well, let me present you with a gorgeous, healthy, and delicious way to eat waffles. 

Start with whole wheat waffles (recipe below), top with 3 large dollops of yogurt (I used peach), add fresh berries, then drizzle with maple syrup. Good morning to you!

From The Laidlaws

Yield: 6 Belgian-style waffles

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: About 5 minutes per waffle

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups lukewarm milk

2/3 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat waffle iron while you make the batter. Whisk together the egg, milk, and butter. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir until just combined. Pour 1 cup of batter onto a greased waffle iron and cook as directed by the instructions for your waffle iron. 

If you have leftovers, wrap each waffle individually with saran wrap and place in a large ziploc bag. Keep in the freezer. When ready to eat, unwrap waffle and heat in the microwave for 90 seconds.

Cinnamon Bread

  There's something about the true simple taste of cinnamon. It's one of those nice, "home-y" smells. While I do not particularly care for cinnamon scented candles, I love the smell of real cinnamon baking in the oven. When I was a kid, I would often make myself a "treat" by buttering up some warm toast and sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on top. (Oh wait, I just did that the other night!) Let's get back on track. This bread is home-y delicious.

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk*

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

4 teaspoons margarine

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and sugar one 9"x5" loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, measure flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, beat oil, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients until just incorporated.

Pour into prepared loaf pan. Smooth on top.

Sprinkle topping over smoothed batter. Using a knife, cut in a light swirling motion to give a marbled effect.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Bread is done when a knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool, serve and enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

It is the season of strawberries and I love it. Bundt cakes are just so pretty and I love the slices they create. With a slight hint of lemon and the creamy texture of yogurt, this cake is fresh, moist, and it screams summer. You have to be careful with this cake, though. Similar to the white chocolate raspberry bread pudding, it makes a great breakfast!

From A Spicy Perspective

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 Tablespoons lemon juice, divided

Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 oz. plain or vanilla yogurt

12 oz. (about 2 cups), fresh, diced strawberries

1 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. 

Sift together 2 1/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, blending until just incorporated. 

Toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/4 cup flour. Gently fold them into the batter. 

Pour the batter evenly into the bundt pan. Bake in pre-heated oven for 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  

Allow to cool 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely. Mix together the remaining 2 Tablespoons lemon juice with 1 cup powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

White Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding

Some foods are a bit more difficult to photograph than others. Bread pudding is one of them. I can only hope that this photograph does justice to the decadent, comforting, and mouth-watering taste and texture of this delicious white chocolate raspberry bread pudding. It is really, really good, and it gets better with age. I made it with the intention to eat it as dessert (which I did), but the last 4 mornings in a row I've found myself dishing this up for breakfast. The chocolate in this recipe is really subtle, so it doesn't feel overly indulgent. Such a great way to start the day.

Are you ready for another amazing fact about this recipe? It is BETTER with stale bread. One of my biggest annoyances and challenges as a cook is not letting food to go waste. So when you buy a french loaf and it starts to get stale, don't fret! Make bread pudding!

Just one day after I made this, I watched an episode of Kelsey's Essentials where she made a tres leches bread pudding in a slow cooker! It looks equally delicious. Check it out here.

From Maureen Wittman

INGREDIENTS:

1 loaf of french bread (16 oz.)*

1 cup of white chocolate chips (or the whole bag if you're really feeling chocolate-y)

1 pint of fresh raspberries (this is two of those small rectangle packages)

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

*I used a whole wheat french bread loaf and it is delicious and nutritious!

DIRECTIONS:

Cut up the bread into bite-size pieces. (This recipe works best when the bread is stale.) 

In a bowl mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and sugar. Pour over the bread and let sit for an hour to allow the bread to soak in the liquid. You can also do this ahead of time (or the night before) and let it sit covered in the fridge.

Fold in the chocolate chips and raspberries. 

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray and put the bread pudding into it. Put dabs of butter all over the top. 

Place into a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. 

Let cool and enjoy!!!

Sour Cream Biscuits

I just finished reading a novel, written by my grandfather, about his own father, who died three months before his birth. My great-grandfather, Lionel, grew up in Morgan, UT and at the age of 10, moved to Idaho where his father settled the town of Parker (Parker is my maiden name). My great-great-grandmother, Eliza Ann, was quite an inspiring figure, adjusting to many changes and always providing a comfortable, welcoming home to friends a family who needed love and support. Reading about Eliza Ann inspired me to cook simple, country food. In the book, my Grandpa mentions how, after dinner, Eliza Ann would give her husband biscuits with jam to satisfy his sweet tooth. So simple. So delicious.

From: Razzle Dazzle Recipes
Makes 4 biscuits

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup self-rising flour*
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

*As a substitute for self-rising flour, place 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to equal 1 cup.

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. 

In a bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add sour cream and oil. Stir until moistened. Turn onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and easy to handle.

Roll out dough to a 3/4 inch thickness and cut with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. (Or divide into four separate "balls" using your hands and flatten down, like you would if you were making peanut butter cookies.)

Place on a greased baking sheet and lightly spray tops with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden-brown.

Whole Grain Banana Bread

Remember when I said I'd be cooking a lot more with 100% whole wheat flour? Well, here you go.

Apparently this recipe is inspired by banana bread that is sold along the famous Road to Hana in Maui. Mmmm... doesn't that sound delicious? I opted to leave the chocolate chips and walnuts out of my version of this, hoping to find a simple, delicious, wholesome banana bread recipe and this is it! I found it on the first try! Yay!!!

 

This is super moist, delicious, and nutritious.

From WholeGrainGourmet.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed over-ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot (not boiling) water
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter.

Combine flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter, honey, and sugar, and beat for two minutes. Add the eggs and lightly beat until just combined. Mix in bananas and vanilla. Do not overmix. Gradually beat in the flour mixture in thirds.

Dilute baking soda in 1/4 cup hot water, then beat into batter.

If using, stir in, by hand, the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 325 degrees for 52 minutes. (I know every oven is different and 52 minutes seems quite 'exact'. But this was the directions stated in the original recipe, and it was the perfect amount of time for me. This said, I still recommend checking at about 47 minutes for doneness, by inserting a knife to see if it comes out clean.)

Place on a wire rack to cool and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Oatmeal Pancakes

A couple weeks ago, we ran out of white flour. Since we are grocery store procrastinators in this household, this meant I had to withhold making any recipes that used white flour for about two weeks. Luckily, we did have whole wheat flour, so I used whole wheat flour for several recipes, like the lovely pancakes you see above. 

Despite finding whole wheat flour a great substitute when used as a smaller ingredient (like as thickening for a sauce, or as a batter for breaded chicken), I was excited to finally get white flour back into my kitchen. 

Fast forward to the grocery store, Baking Needs aisle. I am perusing the items and mention to Brad that we only have whole wheat flour and I need white flour. He says to me, "Wait, why do we need white flour? Let's just use whole wheat." "Well it just doesn't rise up the same as white flour and there's a different consistency to it", I reply. And then we both think about it and he says, "Well, whole wheat tastes really good. I like it." And I add, "it is a lot healthier than white flour." 

And we end up walking out of the grocery store with another package of whole wheat flour, continuing to leave our house void of the white version. 

And so the whole wheat journey begins. We'll see how this goes. (Even though I think I will most definitely be using some white flour to make Linda's delicious orange rolls sometime soon--referenced here.) 

But these pancakes, they are healthy and DELICIOUS and filling and the perfect wake-me-up breakfast. I recommend making these on a Saturday, freezing the pancakes you don't eat, then toasting up the frozen pancakes throughout the week for a fast and nutritious breakfast on a busy morning. Ahh, life's little shortcuts.

Adapted from Aarean at Just Cook Already

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups regular oats

2 cups buttermilk*

2 eggs, whipped

1/4 cup melted butter

1 - 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon plus 1 dash cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon salt

*If you don't have buttermilk, then substitute with white vinegar or lemon juice and regular milk. For one cup, place one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one cup line. Let stand for five minutes, then use as much as needed.

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together and scoop batter by 1/4 cup-ful onto a well-greased griddle over medium-high heat. When bubbles start to pop, flip pancake. After 30-45 seconds, remove from heat and place on a plate.

Serve with Annie's Syrup and enjoy!

Sweet Orange Rolls

Does anyone else receive oranges in the toe of your stocking on Christmas? Here's a great way to use up those sweet fruits. Orange rolls. My friend's mom, Linda, makes the most amazing orange rolls that are a smaller, slightly less-indulgent version. I LOVE them. And I would love to learn how to make them (Amy or Linda, if you are reading and want to send me the recipe, I would not be upset. If it is a family secret, I understand.) 

These rolls, however, are ooey-gooey, cream-cheesy delicious. Just make sure you have a glass of milk close by.

Adapted from Kelsey Nixon

INGREDIENTS:

{dough}
3 .25 oz. packets active-dry yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for brushing
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, beaten
4-6 cups flour, plus more if needed

{filling}
3/4 cup sugar
zest and juice of one orange
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

{glaze}
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons orange juice
3 Tablespoons sugar
orange zest

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the instant yeast and warm water. Let it activate for 5 minutes until bubbly. Stir in the honey. Using an electric mixer on low speed, add 1/2 cup melted butter, 2 teaspoons salt, and eggs. Slowly add the flour, cup by cup, until fully incorporated and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with saran wrap, sprayed with cooking spray. Let sit in a warm place, until dough has doubled in size.

On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a 15 by 11-inch rectangle. In a mixing bowl, add sugar, orange juice, and half the orange zest. Spread the softened, unsalted butter over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle orange sugar evenly over the dough.

Starting with the long side, roll up dough tightly, ending with the seam side down. Cut 18 slices, each about 1/2 inch thick. Place in 2 9x13-inch greased pans and cover with a kitchen towel or saran wrap. Let rise about 15-20 minutes in a warm place. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake in the oven until tops are golden-brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, brush tops with melted butter, and cool on a cooling rack.

For the glaze: in a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, softened butter, orange juice, orange zest, cream cheese, and sugar. Mix until well blended. When rolls are cooled, dip tops into glaze and let set on a serving plate.

Enjoy!

Good Old-Fashioned Pancakes

Nothing tastes better on a rainy Saturday morning than warm pancakes with delicious syrup. Growing up, I never tasted anything different than Bisquick pancakes. Don't get me wrong, I think Bisquick pancakes are great, but in my effort to learn to make more things from scratch, I discovered this amazing pancake recipe and I don't think I'll ever go back. These pancakes are simply perfect.

*From allrecipes.com

Yield 9 pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center and add milk, egg, and melted butter. Mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

German Pancakes/Dutch Babies

Anyone else into the World Cup? I married a pureblood German (a variant pronunciation of Fishback is Vischbach.) So, needless to say, we are excited about Germany's chances in the World Cup. (Although I'm torn about Spain vs. Germany, given my love for España...hmmm.) On the day Germany beat Argentina 4-0, I made German pancakes. I've since learned that these are also referred to as "Dutch Babies." Oh, and what do you know, the Dutch just beat Uruguay today to make it to the World Cup Finals! So, whether you're cheering for the orange and blue, or the red, yellow, and black, whip these up for your World Cup match! (That rhyming couplet was unintentional, but very cool.) This breakfast dish is a thicker, puffier, more protein-filled version of pancakes and we like them! I hope you do too.

*Recipe from Jenna at Just Cook Already

INGREDIENTS: 

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

3 Tablespoons butter

berries or apricots for the topping

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and place a heat-resistant skillet or baking dish in the oven to heat up. After about 5 minutes, put butter in the pan to melt.

Add three eggs and the sugar to a blender and mix on low speed for about 1 minute. The eggs should be light colored and bubbly. Then add flour and milk and blend on low speed for 10 seconds, until evenly mixed. 

Take skilled or baking dish out of the oven, making sure butter has melted, and carefully pour the batter into the skillet or pan.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the sides and middle have puffed and browned. Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup or powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Have a delicious morning!!

100% Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

When I graduated college and started working, I discovered this wonderful thing called Saturdays. Instead of worrying about an assignment I had due or, as more often was the case, my volleyball game prep schedule, I discovered that I could spend an entire Saturday relaxing, without a watch, without worrying where I had to be or what I had to do. For me, that meant time to cook or bake something delicious for breakfast. This weekend that came in the form of 100% whole wheat cinnamon rolls.

Which brings me to cinnamon rolls. I've had a love/hate relationship with them for the past few years. They are so amazingly tasty in my mouth, but then five minutes after I eat one, they are so amazingly heavy in my stomach. Enter whole wheat flour. This recipe creates a delicious taste in my mouth and has enough fiber to start breaking down the goodness in my stomach quicker than its average white flour counterpart. Yippee!

*Adapted from Heavenly Homemakers

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon (1 packet) yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons sea salt

4-4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

butter 

salt

(for the "innerds"):

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

(for the frosting):

3-4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup very warm water, 1 Tablespoon yeast and 1 teaspoon honey.  Stir this together and let sit for a few minutes while you do the next step.

Melt a 1/2 stick of butter in a large saucepan. Add 1/4 cup honey, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/4 cups of milk. Heat this over medium heat for about three minutes (to 120 degrees).

Pour milk mixture into yeast mixture and stir. Stir in 4 cups of flour, two cups at a time. Add more flour if the consistency feels too soft.

Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, either using your hands, or a kneading attachment on an electric mixer (yes!). Invert dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Once dough has risen to about double in size, punch down the dough and knead our all the bubbles. 

On a well floured surface, roll dough into a nice, big rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.

Using a pastry brush, spread melted butter over the rectangle. Then sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the rectangle.

Roll up the dough. Using a serrated knife, cut into slices, about 1 inch thick. Place rolls side by side in a baking pan. Let rise for another 1/2 hour.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Make frosting. Beat all ingredients in a bowl until well mixed. Frost generously on rolls.

Simple Blueberry Muffins

I've mentioned before that we love blueberries in this house. In addition to the amazing antioxidant and vitamin C content, they taste delicious. I like to think of both blueberries and grapes as nature's Skittles. I made this recipe late one evening, brought a muffin to Bradford straight from the oven, and he reacted, "Mmmm, they melt in your mouth." (Success!)

*Adapted from Tasty Kitchen Blog

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 cup flour

2-1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 whole egg

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

1 cup blueberries (or other fruit... I think strawberries, raspberries, peaches or apples would all be de-lish)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins with butter or margarine (not cooking spray).

Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (egg, milk and oil). Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Mix only until flour is moistened. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Spoon by heaping tablespoon into each muffin tin until about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes about 10 muffins.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Monkey Bread

A few weeks ago, my friend's facebook status about baking sparked a delicious memory about a whole-wheat, home-baked cinnamon roll I ate ONE TIME after a volleyball match, and have ever since been looking to re-create the taste of in my mouth. This Monkey Bread recipe, adapted from smittenkitchen.com was the closest thing I could mimic. It's a slightly different presentation than the traditional cinnamon roll, but at the heart, it is cinnamon-cream cheese-doughy goodness that doesn't make you feel horrible about eating it because it is made with whole wheat. I highly recommend checking out smittenkitchen's tutorial before making this. For visual learners, like me, the pictures help a lot.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

4 Tablespoons butter, divided (2 Tablespoons softened, 2 Tablespoons melted)

1 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)

1/3 cup warm water (also about 110 degrees)

1/4 cup sugar

1 package rapid-rise yeast

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface

1-1/4 cup WHOLE WHEAT flour

2 teaspoons table salt

Brown Sugar Coating

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

8 Tablespoons butter, melted

Cream Cheese Glaze

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 Tablespoons powdered sugar, plus extra if needed

2 Tablespoons milk, plus extra if needed

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Get started

Adjust oven rack to medium-low position. Turn oven on to 200 degrees. When it reaches 200, turn it off. Butter bundt pan with 2 Tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.

Make dough

In large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well and add the milk mixture. Use a spoon or electric mixer with dough hook to mix until smooth. Knead until smooth and satiny and shape into a ball. Coat a bowl with non-stick cooking spray and place the dough ball into the bowl. Spray the top of the dough with non-stick cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the warm, turned-off oven until dough doubles in size, about 50-60 minutes.

Make brown sugar coating

Make brown sugar coating by placing melted butter in one bowl and brown sugar and cinnamon in a second bowl.

Coat the Dough

Once dough has risen, flip dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into an 8-inch square. Use a pizza cutter or knife to divide the dough into 64 small squares. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and using a fork, dip first into the melted butter, then coat with brown sugar mixture and place into the buttered bundt pan. Repeat this with all 64 squares.

Rise Again

Cover bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough has risen to about 1-2 inches from the top of the pan, about 50-70 minutes. (Having a warm oven really helps with the rising.)

Bake!

Remove pan from oven and turn oven to 350 degrees. Once oven is warm, place pan in oven and bake until top is deep brown, about 30-35 minutes.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn onto surface and allow to cool another 10 minutes before applying cream cheese glaze.

Make Glaze

To make glaze, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and light. Add milk and vanilla. Drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread and ENJOY! Serve warm. :)

Annie's Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cube margarine/butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Start melting butter in a saucepan. When almost all the way melted, add sugar and cream. Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add vanilla and soda.

xoxo -from the kitchen of Annie

*recipe from the lovely Annie Pinegar

Perfect Fluffy Omelet

I never knew how to cook light and fluffy eggs, until now. Apparently the secret is water and lemon juice.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 cup water

1 tablespoon (or less) butter

sea salt

Filling:

whatever filling you desire

Directions:

Mix eggs, lemon juice, water and pinch of salt with a fork. Melt butter on a small skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted, pour egg mixture on the skillet. As eggs start to cook, very carefully lift the edges of cooked eggs, and let the uncooked portions of the mixture drain into the naked portions of the skillet. This helps to cook the omelet more evenly. Once eggs seem mostly cooked, add cheese and whatever filling you want to one half of the skillet (I like feta cheese and tomatoes). Cook for 30 more seconds and carefully flip one half of the omelet onto the other. Slide onto a plate and enjoy!

*adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook