Muffins? Yes please!

Muffins are very versatile since you have so many options of what you can mix in. My favorite muffins are blueberry muffins, the next favorite? Pumpkin Muffins! I  know it's not fall, but for me pumpkin is used all year round :o) Plus. these muffins have an added bonus, chopped apples. It gives these muffins a nice texture once its baked and since it's packed with apples these muffins are healthier.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffin

Muffins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups 100% Pure Pumpkin

2 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

Streusel Topping

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease or paper-line 24 muffin cups. Combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine pumpkin, eggs and oil in medium bowl; mix well. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling three-fourths full.

For Streusel Topping

Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over muffin batter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly.

*I doubled the streusel topping so I don't run out of the streusel for all the muffins. 
*For the mini muffins cut the baking time in half. 

Better late than Never...

I know this post is incredibly late, but it's better late than never!

One of my favorite cookies to make are cut out cookies. Why? Because it gives me a chance to create cookies of all shapes and there are sooooo many ways to decorate them. So is it surprising that I made heart shaped cut out cookies for Valentines Day? Absolutely not. It's definitely more time consuming than other cookies, but the end result is just fabulous.

For these cookies I just added some cocoa powder to a regular cut out cookie recipe and used white chocolate or royal frosting to decorate them. The chocolate cookie + white chocolate/royal frosting combo was  amazing :o)

Freshly baked and cooling on parchment paper 

Chocolate Heart Cookies Drizzled with royal frosting or dipped in white chocolate

Chocolate Cut Out Cookie (Variation of Alton Brown's recipe) 

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, cocoa powder and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Cream Cheese Goodness Cookies

I love cream cheese anything (ex: bagel and cream cheese, baked potato cream cheese soup, spinach dip using cream cheese, etc) So when I saw a Rugelach recipe using cream cheese I had to make it. I made this during the holidays and it was such a hit that I was asked to provide this recipe time and time again.   I hope everyone enjoys making these cookies as much as I do :o)

1 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour

1/2 cup finely chopped dates

1/2 cup finely chopped shelled pistachios

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add flour; stir until well blended. Shape dough into ball; divide into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into ball; flatten into 1/2-inch-thick disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling.

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 2 cookie sheets with shortening or spray with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix dates, pistachios, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the cinnamon and 1/4 cup butter until well blended.

On floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll out 1 disk of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness, forming 12-inch round. (Keep remaining disks of dough refrigerated.) Sprinkle 1/4 of date-nut mixture onto round; press into dough slightly. Cut round into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge from curved edge to point. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Clinton Street Bakery Biscuits

If you know me, then you know that I have a serious addiction to biscuits. I'm talking about biscuits that are slightly crunchy on the outside, fluffy and moist on the inside. The kind of biscuits that you find while having brunch at restaurants. The kind you don't want to stop eating but you have to because the calorie content is  ridiculous.

I have...that...recipe.  I came across the Clinton Street Bakery cookbook while browsing around the library last year and found the Buttermilk Biscuit recipe they serve in their restaurant. I've never been to the bakery but I've  heard they have the best biscuits in New York City. Ever since I found this recipe, it is the only one I ever use.
If you're a biscuit fanatic...I bet my bottom dollar you'll love this just as much as I do.

I just baked these this morning, and I just had to share :o) Enjoy!

Clinton Street Bakery Biscuit 

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting  

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed 

3/4 cup buttermilk  (or 3/4 cup cream)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the cold butter and work it into the flour mixture, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse pea or dime-size crumbs. Be careful not to overwork the mixture or the butter will soften too much. Add the buttermilk, and use your fingers to combine it into the dough. Powder your hands with flour if the dough gets too sticky. The dough should just come together, do not over mix. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and form it into a ball. Lightly knead the dough 2 or 3 times until combined. (The biscuits can be baked the next day, if desired. Dust a sheet pan and the top of the dough with flour and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, overnight. Then bring the dough back to room temperature.) Pat the dough into a 3/4 to 1-inch thick rectangle. Use a 2 to 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out several biscuits (do not twist the cutter, cut straight down). Place them on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Gather the dough scraps, smooth them out (lightly knead if necessary), and pat the remaining dough into another 3/4 to 1-inch thick rectangle or circle. Cut out more biscuits, and then repeat again if necessary to use remaining dough. Do not over work the dough each time, or the final biscuits will be tougher. Lightly dust the tops of the biscuits with a sprinkle of flour. Bake the biscuits, rotating the pan front to back halfway through, for 15 to 22 minutes (depending on their size), or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.

**If the dough is too dry add a little more buttermilk or cream so the dough comes together.

Chili? No way...Taco Soup for me!

For the last couple of days, I've been tinkering back and forth about whether I will make the usual chili or make taco soup. I went with the ladder and have no regrets. It's very similar to chili...except it uses taco seasoning and ranch dip blends to add flavor. This soup is ridiculously amazingly delicious! Really warms you up down to the bone in the winter.

Paula Deen's Taco Soup 

2 pounds ground beef   (I used 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef that is 96% lean) 

2 cups diced onions

2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles

2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles

1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional

1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional

1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

Corn chips, for serving

Sour cream, for garnish

Grated cheese, for garnish

Chopped green onions, for garnish

Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.