Whole Wheat Granola Muffins

Sometimes I just stand quietly in the doorway and watch my kids.  When the days seem filled with rushing around and it seems like the people in my family barely notice each other, I try to purposely stop and simply take notice. 

My baby girl is at the age where she is beginning to understand how to play by herself so she'll wander around with her stuffed animals or books talking her secret little language to herself.  She pretends to read the books and she gives her animals huge hugs and kisses complete with a loud and thrilled "MWAH!" with each kiss.  It's the sweetest thing to watch, truly, and it makes me thankful that she came along when she did to remind us all how happy we can be.  She is so blissful and genuine and full of unconditional love.  It's pretty amazing.

Then I watch my boys standing still, running, being big brothers and I am amazed all over again.  My middle guy is still so adorably snuggly in one moment and thoughtful and grown up sounding in the next.  He struggles sometimes like when he's trying to learn to read (in two languages at once but he's doing great) and I love that he still needs and wants my help.  But then he blows me away with what he knows and how fast he can do math.  He's at this perfect age and I just don't want him to get any older.  Is that possible?

Of course, if I could stop my kids aging I probably wouldn't.  Because it's so cool to get to watch them grow into real people with thoughts and feeling all their own.  My oldest son is a, gasp and moan, tween.  Did you know boys do the tween thing too?  And that they are just as moody and unpredictable as girls?  I.  Had.  No. Idea.  He's also hit the age where I'm not allowed to hug him anymore or tell him that I love him.  Or so he thinks- it hasn't stopped me yet.  Despite being stuck in this horrible hormonal no-man's-land, every once in a while a take a quick look at him and I can see this almost adult-ness about him.  The little boy roundness is all gone and there's the shadow of the man he'll grow to be.  Sort of the opposite of Peter pan, you know? I can rely on him and have thoughtful conversations with him.  Why on Earth would I want to stop that from happening?

I've found myself doing this a lot lately.  Just watching.   It makes me so grateful for the gift of these people in my life.  I think I will do it more often.  I take a lot (an understatement) of pictures of my kids.  We get to have so many adventures here that I want to capture.  But watching is different.  Instead of just taking pictures of my kids I'm actually seeing them.  And that's really all any of us want, right?  To be truly seen by the people that we love.

Whole Wheat Granola Muffins 
Makes 12 muffins. 
For the printable recipe, click here. 

This is a very comforting muffin.  Great for the quiet moments at the start of a day.  But it has the added bonus of actually being healthy too.  Yippee!  I make my own granola and keep it in a jar on the counter, so that's what I use for my muffins.  It's a pretty simple granola- a little maple syrup, pecans and pumpkin seeds, oats and dried cherries.  It's based on a basic outline in Maggie Batista's book Food Gift Love.  You can use your favorite granola but this muffin works better with a simple granola rather than one filled with a ton of mix-ins.  In the recipe for the muffins I give a range for the milk measurement.  Every yogurt is different and you don't want one that is too runny.  But if the batter is too stiff after mixing in the lesser amount go ahead and add in the last two tablespoons.  I like to finish the muffins with a sprinkle of granola before tucking them in the oven.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup granola
1 1/3 cups Greek-style yogurt
6- 8 tbs whole milk
1/3 cup neutral flavored oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line standard muffin pan with muffin cups or lightly butter.  Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the  flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.  Stir in the granola.

In a separate bowl mix together the yogurt, oil, vanilla and 6 tbs milk.  Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry.  If the batter is very stiff or dry stir in the remaining two tablespoons of milk.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle with a bit of granola or raw sugar if desired. 

Bake for 16-18 minutes.  Muffins are down when the tops are gently browned and spring back to the touch.  Cool the muffins in the pan on a wire rack.  Muffins will keep for up to three days in an airtight container but are best eaten within 24 hours.

Lemon Zucchini Bread {Revisited}

A dear friend of mine recently sent me a text asking for a recipe I shared a few years ago in the early days of this page.  Someone had gifted her some zucchini and having tasted my version of zucchini bread once-upon-a-time she was looking to make it for herself.  The only problem was that she couldn't find the recipe anywhere on my page.  Not a trace of the delicious lemony zucchini bread popped up in any of her searches.  Curious, I did a bit of digging myself (it's my blog so of course I can find it right?)

Smitten Kitchen's Apple & Honey Challah "Muffins"

My post on my personal Facebook page yesterday morning:

                "Why do I feel like I have completed some amazing feat by just getting my kids
                out the door in the morning? I'm spent."

It's funny how something so simple can resonate with so many.  I even got comments and likes from those friends I never hear from but know are lurking somewhere out there in the Facebook shadows.  As one friend put it, "You just summed up motherhood."  And now that I'm back at the beginning of the journey with our new baby girl I'm finding I'd forgotten just how much of a juggling act it can be.  Some days I feel like I am the whole circus combined into one exhausted act.  I can juggle, walk the high wire and tame the lions all in the same day.  Sometimes more than once!  Only I don't look nearly as good in a leotard as those Cirque du Soleil girls do (but oh, how I wish....).

I do have to admit, however, my juggling act isn't always the best (almost as sad as my post-baby body in the aforementioned leotard).  Sometimes those little balls just won't stay up in the air no matter how much I try.  A few fall before I can snatch them back up.  Lately one of those fallen balls is my kids' breakfast- especially on those rushed weekday mornings.  It's nearly impossible to get a healthy, warm breakfast on the table for my two bigs while simultaneously nursing or changing their baby sister who seems to always be hungry at the most inconvenient times.  So those poor boys are reduced to grabbing whatever they can pop in a toaster or pour in a bowl.  It's hard for me to watch. 

I don't have a solution for my juggling woes.  Just a few really awesome catches every now and again that make me feel like Barnum and Bailey might actually be calling me up sometime soon after all.  These sweet little "muffins" are one of them.  I took one of my favorite recipes and made it easy for my kiddos to grab in the mornings when I'm not around to help them out.  Challah is a beautiful bread enriched with eggs and honey and with the abundant apples in season right now folded right into the dough these little rolls are truly my idea of a perfect breakfast alongside a cup of cold milk.

I'm not going to give you a recipe this time around because I truly did nothing to alter the original recipe in it's brilliance.  So instead I will give you the link to Deb at Smitten Kitchen's recipe (so click here now!) and tell you that it makes 2 dozen "muffins" if you make the whole recipe.  Follow Deb's recipe until you get to the step for the braiding of the dough.  Instead of cutting the dough into 4, cut it into 24 equal pieces.  Place those pieces of dough into buttered muffin tins and continue on with the recipe as written.  I halved the recipe this time around and ended up with 12 of the most beautiful breakfast treats around.

Liege-style Belgian Waffles

We've done enough traveling around Europe in the past 9 months that I feel like a seasoned tourist now.  You learn quite a bit about how to be an efficient packer, how to find the best hotel deals and where to find the best food in town by visiting 6 counties in that short amount of time.  A lot of the knowledge comes from each experience but here's my #1 little travel hint for you- ask the locals.  I always carry guidebooks with me (the Rick Steves' ones are my favorites) after having done hours of research online before heading off to our destination.  But none of that compares to the years of experience that someone who lives and works in a place can offer you.  Even if that local is wearing a hat in the shape of a giant wheel of Gouda cheese and handing out samples of said delicious cheese in the town's market square.  Trust me, he'll know the best tucked away place for a good meal that will cost you way less than anything you'll find in the touristy areas.  Don't be fooled by his silly headgear and trust that he will lead you to the best grilled cheese sandwich ever. 

In that same vain, I have learned to take a walk just a block or two away from the big attractions in order to find the really good stuff that the locals hide from the tourists.  Case in point- the waffles trucks in Bruges.  If you're ever in Bruges and looking for a Belgian waffle (and why wouldn't you be?), don't go for any of the little waffle shops in the main tourist areas.  The waffles are not fresh and you'll spend way more for one that will only serve to disappoint you.  Instead, look for an odd little yellow van with a sarcastic and multi-lingual waffle chef serving up the best waffles I've ever eaten.  And I mean that with total sincerity.  Even my husband, who would pass by a carb loaded dessert for a slab of bacon in a heartbeat, was in love with these confections.  Most of us know Belgian waffles as the fluffy golden waffles served at brunch buffets.  But these waffles were so much more.  So much better.  Crispy on the outside and buttery tenderness on the inside with this almost-burnt-sugar-caramelly thing happening.  To die for...

I took a picture of the yellow van in case I ever have the pleasure of going back.  But in the meantime, I've worked up my own version to make at home that is oh so close.  It's just missing the magic of being in a foreign city awaiting a ride down a beautiful canal.  That will just have to remain in my memory and imagination.

Liege-style Belgian Waffles
Makes about 18 4 inch waffles.
For the printable recipe, click here.

These waffles are a two step process that I actually find to be easier than traditional waffle making.  They are a yeast based waffle which gives them a sort of malty background flavor as well as the necessary lift.  Whip the batter up the night before your big breakfast and then all you have to do is stir in the sugar in the morning and get to the waffle baking.  Speaking of the sugar, the secret to these waffles is the Liege sugar crystals you use.  They are large chunks of sugar usually called pearl sugar.  These can be tricky to find (though here in Europe it's a lot easier- in my German store they're called hagelzuker, or hail sugar).  You can get the sugar in IKEA stores or online at Amazon.  Though I have been told that coarsely breaking up sugar cubes works pretty well or even using coarse turbinado sugar comes close to the real thing.  I haven't tried those methods, but maybe they'll work for you if you can't find the pearl sugar nearby.  You can use any type of waffle maker, you don't need a Belgian waffle maker.  I use a 2 tablespoon ice cream/cookie scoop to scoop out the batter (it's like a thick cookie batter) and place it just a bit off center towards the back of the waffle iron so that it doesn't come squishing out of the front when I close the lid.

2 tsp active dry yeast (1 envelope)
1/3 cup lukewarm water
2 tbs milk
1 1/2 tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup room temperature butter
1/2-2/3 cups pearl sugar

** I am giving the directions assuming that you have a stand mixer.  If you don't (like me), you can do all of the mixing by hand with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula.  It's just takes a bit of elbow grease and patience.**

In the bowl of a stand mixer stir together the yeast, water, milk and sugar.  Let this mixture stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast and start it's activation.  It should be a bit bubbly.  Stir in the vanilla.

Using the dough hook, stir in the flour on low speed until it is fully incorporated.  With the mixer on, slowly begin mixing in the butter 2 tablespoons at a time.    Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap and let stand on the counter until the dough doubles in volume or refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to bake the waffles, heat your waffle maker according to the manufacturer's directions.  Stir the pearl sugar into the waffle batter and let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes.

Scoop the batter two tablespoons at a time onto a lightly buttered waffle maker.  Close the lid and let cook for 4-5 minutes or until the waffles are golden and the center is cooked through.  Serve the waffles warm with a dusting of powdered sugar or smear of jam or Nutella.

Extra waffles can be kept in the refrigerator for a day or two in an airtight container and reheated gently in the oven or toaster.

Grilled Goat Cheese with Hazelnuts and Basil Honey

Last week was a wonderful whirlwind of a week.  My family and I spent 7 days touring some of the most beautiful spots in Western Europe and places that I never thought I'd get to see.  Canals, castles, cathedrals, vast tulip fields and the North Sea were the highlights of our trip through Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands.  And even with all of the anticipation before the trip, we were not let down in the least by what we got to see and experience.

The sights were not to be outdone by the food (and beer!) that we got to taste along the way.  I think my favorites tastes were in Belgium.  I love what they can do with their world famous beer, whether in a stew with tender pieces of beef or saucing the most perfect confit of rabbit.  And the waffles.  Oh!  The waffles.  We had the best Liege style waffles from a little van in the Burg platz in Bruges.  I will perfect that recipe for special mornings here at home, promise. 

I think the best surprise for me, both in the feel of the city and it's food was Delft in The Netherlands.  Delft is tucked in right next to the big, bustling international city of The Hague and couldn't feel any more opposite from its neighbor.  We arrived on a rainy afternoon to a sleepy city greeting us with it's cheerful signature blue and white pottery and cheese shops filled to the brim with giant wheels of Gouda-style cheese.  After buying a perfect little Delftware Dutch shoe and sampling our fill of cheese we found a great local favorite for lunch.  My pick on that day was the perfect topper to the sweet afternoon in the city- a grilled sandwich made with Dutch goat cheese, hazelnuts and something described as basil honey.  I was totally intrigued.  And hooked with the first bite, the sum being so much greater than the parts.  Thank you Delft for a new favorite.

Grilled Goat Cheese with Hazelnuts and Basil Honey
Makes one sandwich, but easily multiplied to make as many as you like.
For the printable, click here.

This is an incredibly simple sandwich with components that seem like they would never work together.  But they do, trust me on this one.  And the basil honey that so intrigued me?  Turns out it was nothing more than local honey blended with basil.  So easy, but it really makes the sandwich.  You can make this sandwich with a panini press or in a cast iron skillet. 

For each sandwich you'll need:
2 slices of good bread like a ciabatta or peasant loaf
1 ounce of soft goat cheese (perhaps a little more if you're using the longer middle slices of your loaf of bread)
1 tbs coarsely chopped hazelnuts
1 1/2 tbs light flavored honey
1 tbs chopped basil
a touch of butter for the pan

Heat the panini press or cast iron skillet.

Toast the hazelnuts in a small skillet over medium heat until they just begin to turn a light golden color.  Remove from the heat.  In a separate small bowl mix together the honey and basil.  You could blend them together if you like, but it isn't a make or break to the end result.

Spread the goat cheese on one slice of the bread.  Sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts.  Spread the basil and honey mixture on the second slice of bread.  Place the second slice of bread (honey side down) over the first and press together.  Lightly butter your pan or panini press.  Place the sandwich in the pan or panini press and cook until lightly toasted and the cheese starts to get a bit melty.  Don't forget to flip and press your sandwich with a spatula if you're using a cast iron pan!  Slice in half and serve warm.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Popovers

Okay, so I need some back up.  Please.  Because I can't be the only person who does this.  I know it's not possible.

Am I the only person who consistently attempts to pin the same things more than once on Pinterest?  Clearly I know what I like, so that has to be a good thing.  But I get so annoyed with myself when I see that pesky little note..."Pssst...looks like you've already pinned this..."

This time it was even worse (or more embarrassing maybe?).  I pinned this recipe TWICE IN THE SAME DAY.  Or I tried to, at the very least.  My memory has been pretty much nonexistent ever since the birth of my first child, but really?  I can't even remember something I saw earlier in the same day? 

My husband and I have this little running joke.  He says that I gave up half my brain to our oldest son, so that after that I was only working with half of what was, admittedly, a pretty good brain.  Using that same theory, half of what was left was given over to our second little man.  Which left me with only a quarter of the original.  Even if I were a genius, which I certainly was not, that's not a whole lot to work with.  I can't remember anything these days.  Now here's the thing.  We've got a third kiddo on the way (like how I slipped that one in there, didn't you?) so that poor little one is cursed with only being blessed with 1/8 of my starting brain power and I'm left with the other eighth.  We're both doomed.  I'm so sorry little one...

So here goes.  I'm giving my memory a break and just making these delicious popovers.  Twice in the same day has to mean that I really, really want to make them...

Strawberry Cream Cheese Popovers
Makes 12 muffin sized popovers or 6 standard sized popovers.  Adapted from In Sock Monkey Slippers via Jamie Oliver.
For the printable recipe, click here.

I love popovers.  They're super easy to whip up and a great vehicle for anything you'd like to drizzle into them.  They have this great hollow space inside that's crying out for honey.  I didn't do much fooling around with the original recipe.  I didn't have the goat cheese (which sounds delish and I'd still love to try it), but did have cream cheese hanging out in the fridge so I made the switch and was not disappointed with the result.  I may or may not have forgot I was halving the recipe, ehem, accidentally doubled the volume of cream cheese called for and think that's what caused my popovers to look a bit more like Mt. Vesuvius that I would have liked.  So I corrected that for you in the recipe below.  I really, really, really recommend a drizzle of honey over a warm popover with the first spring strawberries you can find.

2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
4 ounces room temperature cream cheese
2 tablespoons honey
¾ cup fresh strawberries, diced

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly butter your muffin tin or popover pan.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until just warm to the touch, about 110 degrees.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

In a larger bowl*, whisk the eggs quickly for a few minutes until they are foamy.  Slowly pour in the milk while still whisking.  Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated.  It's okay if there are still a few lumps in it.

*You can also mix the batter in a blender or with a stand or electric hand mixer following the same steps.  It incredibly adaptable to whatever you have on hand.

In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese, honey and strawberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans until each cup is 3/4 full.  Evenly spoon a small amount of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each cup.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Then, without opening the door, turn down the oven's temperature to 375 degrees.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes for muffin-sized popovers and 30 minutes for standard sized ones.  The finished popovers will have puffed and be golden brown on top.

Serve warm with a drizzle of honey.

Buttermilk Scones {A Tuesdays with Dorie Post}

I have a serious obsession with, no, addiction to scones.  They are ones of my all time favorite breakfast foods.  And that's saying something because I absolutely love breakfast.  Especially when I get to linger over a great spread with friends or (on really special days) the quiet of my child-free home after dropping my kids off at school. There's just something about the light of the morning, a good book, a cup of steaming tea and warm, flaky scones that makes my day start in just the perfect way.

My favorite scones have always been ones made with a copious amount of butter and cream.  I've made versions with Meyer lemon, chocolate chunks, and even pumpkin.  They always turn out just the way I like them- light and fluffy with plenty of rich flavor.  So when these scones turned up in the Tuesdays with Dorie schedule I was a bit skeptical.  How well would buttermilk do the job of replacing cream?  Would the scones be too much like biscuits and not enough like the scones that I love?

I am now officially a convert.

These buttermilk scones were every bit as good as the cream based scones that I usually make.  And I just loved the idea of creating the jam-filled pinwheel shaped scones.  They were absolutely delicious, if a bit messy to fill and cut.  I filled mine with home made fig jam, but I'm positive the scones would be just as wonderful with any berry flavored jam or even lemon curd (Oh!  Now there's a great idea I just came up with.).

Can't wait to see what other wonderful variations my fellow bloggers came up with?  Check them all out on the Tuesdays with Dorie page!

Buttermilk Scones
Makes 1 dozen triangle shaped scones or 24 spiral ones.  Recipe from Baking with Julia, edited by Dorie Greenspan.
For the printable recipe, click here.

I rarely ever follow a recipe exactly, but found little need to make any changes with this one.  I did cut back on the butter needed to brush the tops (I only used about half of what the original called for).  This recipe makes quite a few scones- directions for freezing uneaten scones are at the end.  If I were to make these again, and I'm sure I will, I would probably halve to recipe.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted cold butter (6 ounces), cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk 
1 tbs grated orange zest or lemon zest
 
2 tbs. unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
1/4 cup sugar, for dusting the tops
(If making the spiral scones)
4 tablespoons jam or jelly, and/or 4 tablespoons diced or small dried fruit, such as currants, raisins, apricots, or figs
 

Position the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together with a fork. Add the cold butter pieces and, using your fingertips (the first choice), a pastry blender, or two knives, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  It's OK if some largish pieces of butter remain-they'll add to the scones' flakiness.

Pour in 1 cup buttermilk, toss in the zest, and mix with the fork only until the ingredients are just moistened--you'll have a soft dough with a rough look. (If the dough looks dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.) Gather the dough into a ball, pressing it gently so that it holds together, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead it very briefly--a dozen turns should do it. Cut the dough in half.

TO MAKE TRIANGULAR-SHAPED SCONES, roll one piece of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick circle that is about 7 inches across. Brush the dough with half of the melted butter, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and cut the circle into 6 triangles. Place the scones on a parchment lined baking sheet and set aside while you roll out the rest of the dough.

TO MAKE ROLLED SCONES, roll one piece of dough into a strip that is 12 inches long and 1/2 inch thick (the piece will not be very wide). Spread the strip with half of the melted butter and dust with half of the sugar. If you want to spread the roll with jam and/or sprinkle it with dried fruits, now's the time to do so; leave a narrow border on a long edge bare. Roll the strip up from a long side like a jelly roll; pinch the seam closed and turn the roll seam side down. Cut the roll in half and cut each piece into six 1-inch-wide roll-ups. Place the rolled scones cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. Repeat with the remaining dough.
 
Bake the scones for 10 to 12 minutes, until both the tops and bottoms are golden. Transfer the scones to a rack to cool slightly. These are best served warm but are just fine at room temperature.

If you're not going to eat the scones the day they are made, wrap them airtight and freeze; they'll stay fresh for a month. To serve, defrost the scones at room temperature in their wrappers, then unwrap and reheat on a baking sheet for 5 minutes in a 350°F oven.

Baked Yeast Doughnuts with Blood Orange Glaze

Those hands.  Those sweet little boy fingers.  I've used my little man's hands a few times in photos for this blog and the results are always so captivating to me.  I don't know that you can get any more pure than little hands helping shape dough or adding ingredients to a bowl.  They just want to help- be in the mix- and it's always a joyful experience.  The photos are some of my all-time favorites because they capture such important yet small moments. 

But they're no longer the chubby little toddler hands, dimpled and clumsy, that used to love holding onto my index finger as we walked along together.  These hands have more slender, sure and independent fingers than they did even a few months ago.  Fingers that hesitate a moment before gabbing onto my hand as we walk home from school.  They now wield scissors with abandon and accuracy (for better or worse) and would much rather stack LEGOs than help his mom in the kitchen.

Here's the thing, though.  The little guy is still just 4 years old so there are times when he wants to be considered a "big boy" like his 9 year old brother, and times when he's still, blessedly, just a little boy.  He likes to twist his hair between his fingers (and gets mad if it gets cut too short to be "twirled") and stick his first two fingers in his mouth when tired.  Signs that my sweet little mama's boy is still in there somewhere despite his desire to grow up as quickly as he can.

When he agreed to actually stand still for three minutes and help me take photos of these sweet little doughnuts, I grabbed my camera as fast as I could.  I know those moments of patience for me and my desires are going to come less and less frequently as he grows up and I want to capture as many of them as I can.  Besides, it's really hard to get a four year old to stand still with a handful of warm, sweet-glazed doughnuts.  (Full disclosure, it would be just as hard to get me to stand still with these babies in my hand too.) 

Baked Yeast Doughnuts with Blood Orange Glaze
Makes about 3 dozen 2 1/2 inch round doughnuts.
For the printable recipe, click here.

These doughnuts are based on the sugar and spice doughnuts I made about a year ago.  They are wonderfully tender and delicious and just as good as their fried counterparts.  I like to make them small because, sadly, they don't keep too well after baking.  The small ones just seem to go faster than big doughnuts.  My guess is that it's just too easy to pop one in your mouth as you walk through the kitchen so everyone is tempted to grab one on the go.

1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk, heated to 115 degrees
1 tbs active dry yeast
2 tsp freshly grated orange zest
2 1/2 cup to 3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup room temperature butter, cut into cubes

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tbs fresh blood orange juice



In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg and sugar together until the sugar dissolves.  Add the milk, vanilla, zest and yeast and mix on medium speed until blended.  Add 2 cups of the flour a 1/2 cup at a time with the mixer on low speed.  Beat until the dough is thick and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Switch to the dough hook.  With the mixer on medium add the chunks of butter one piece at a time, beating until no large chunks of butter are left, 3-5 minutes.  Reduce the speed to low and add additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough gathers around the hook and comes cleanly off the sides of the bowl.  You want a soft, moist but not overly sticky dough.


***You can also do all of this by hand in a large bowl.  Follow the same steps simply using a wooden spoon to do the mixing.  Do the final mixing with your hands if it becomes too difficult to use the spoon***







Lightly butter a large bowl and turn the dough into the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight (or, if making right away, place the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough double in volume, about 1 hour). 

When you are ready to bake the doughnuts, pull the dough from the refrigerator (or from your bowl on the counter) and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to 1/2 inch thick.  Using a round 2 1/2 inch cutter, cut the doughnuts out.  Place the doughnuts on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart from each other.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 30-35 minutes for refrigerated dough and 15-20 minutes for room temperature dough, until nearly doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while the doughnuts rise.

Bake the doughnuts for 5-8 minutes until they are lightly golden. While they are baking, mix the powdered sugar and 3 tbs of the blood orange juice in a shallow bowl.  Add any additional juice in small amounts until you have a smooth, spreadable glaze.  When the doughnuts come out of the oven, immediately dip or drizzle the baked doughnuts with the glaze.  The doughnuts are best eaten right away.

Pumpkin Scones

There are some days when I can see the eye rolls from my husband and sons even when my back is turned.  Another new recipe?  Can't we just have something we KNOW we like for dinner tonight?  Just once this week, please?

I don't mean to experiment on my family so much.  Or, at least, I don't start out intending to turn them into dinner-time guinea pigs but that's how it ends up most days.  I can't help it.  I see so many possibilities when I stand in front of the produce section and butcher case.  And most of those possibilities are not meals that have landed on my table in the past.  Why limit myself to what I've already tasted and tried?

But there's something to be said for the familiar.  And we all know it.  It's the reason comfort food exists.  And the reason why so many of those dishes we turn to when we need a break or a lift are the same ones time and time again.  We know exactly what we're getting when we reach for our favorite chicken noodle soup, mac and cheese or peanut butter sandwich.  It's always the same and there's comfort in that.

Back in the US (when I needed a few minutes of quiet to myself) I'd sneak off to my nearest Starbucks, order a chai tea and pumpkin scone and find a cozy table in the corner.  It's one of my favorite indulgences and one that I desperately miss living in Germany.  I know it seems silly.  I'm in Europe for goodness sake and there's a bakery on almost every corner!  Why on Earth would I miss the ultra-commercialized tea and scone when I could have so much better.  But that's the thing.  What I can get here may be better (and most assuredly is in most cases), but it's just not the same.  And even in the midst of my giddy joy in finding something new to try at the market or finding something fabulously different in a bake shop window I still miss the familiar from time to time.

Pumpkin Scones
Makes 9 3-inch scones.
For the recipe, click here.

This is a pretty simple scone to make and is based on my favorite cream scone recipe with a few modifications.  The dough is pretty wet, but isn't too difficult to work with.  Just give your counter a good dusting with flour and you're in business.  These scones make missing America  just a little less difficult, but even if you have a Starbucks nearby knowing how to make our own is still a good thing.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
a pinch of ground cloves
1 tbs baking powder
6 tbs cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tbs
1/3 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix!)
6 tbs honey
1 large egg

For the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
enough cream to create a drizzle-able consistency (1 to 2 tbs)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick liner.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, spices and baking powder.  Using your finger tips, a pastry blender or two butter knifes cut the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces resemble the size of peas.

In a separate bowl stir together 1/2 cup of heavy cream, the pumpkin, honey and egg.  Add all but 1/4 cup of the cream mixture to the dry ingredients and using your hands or a wooden spoon gently stir.  If the dough will not hold together when pressed add half of the remaining cream mixture.  Give the dough a few more turns in the bowl, adding the rest of the cream mixture as necessary to create a soft and slightly sticky but not overly wet dough.  Turn the dough out onto a well floured counter.  Gently pat the dough together into a ball and then pat the ball into a 9 by 9 inch square.  You can use a biscuit cutter to make 3 inch round scones or using a knife cut the scones into triangles.  I like to cut my dough into 9 square scones.  Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the remaining heavy cream.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the scones no longer feel wet to the touch and the edges have gone golden.

Let the scones rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.  In the meantime, make the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, spices and 1 tbs of the heavy cream.  If the glaze is too thick to spread or drizzle stir in up to another tbs of cream.  When the scones have cooled completely, drizzle them with the glaze and give them a few minutes for the glaze to set up.

The scones will keep for 2-3 days if kept in an airtight container.

Blueberry Lemon Lavender Scones

I think that if I have to say goodbye for a little while, it might as well be with a recipe for one of my favorite breakfast treats- scones.  Since goodbyes can be so terribly difficult, a treat to go with them may help to ease the blow just a bit.

And the goodbyes have already started.  My boys and I have already said goodbye to our next door neighbors who won't return from vacation before we hop aboard a plane bound for Germany.  It was sweet to watch the awkward hug between my 8 year old son and their 10 year old daughter and the huge bear hugs between my little one and his best 14 year old buddy.  They are the closest to sisters my boys will ever have, as well as having been the best playmates, babysitters, and calming influences a mom could ask for.  I know we will never have neighbors like this sweet family again though I am certain we are all better for having met them and gotten to know each other.  So while I am heartbroken to be leaving, I am also grateful for having had the opportunity to become neighbors and friends.

And the goodbyes will continue for the next couple of weeks.  We have planned gatherings with work friends- a beach party that is sure to be at the top of the list for favorite evenings here in SoCal.  There are sleepovers where the presence of my oldest has been requested.  I think the reality of the situation is just hitting his friends and they can't seem to get enough play time in before we go.  I am grateful for the distraction- hopefully there won't be enough time for sadness and tears.  I know there will be some, and it probably won't hit us until we're sitting in a hotel somewhere in Stuttgart and the adrenaline from the pre-move festivities and trip begins to wear off.  That's when it will sink in that we have to start over from scratch and I will begin to truly miss all that we have left behind.  Until then, all I can do is make the best of what little time we have left here.

I will miss this space too.  I have no idea what lies ahead for my blog.  I simply know that, for now, my posts will be few and far between as I travel to my new home and set up shop in a foreign place.  You'll see me pop in from time to time.  Perhaps I will have a recipe from the road (a little something I've stumbled upon that I just couldn't wait to share) or maybe with some photographs of highlights from the trip or can't-be-missed sights in my new home.  I really don't know when, but I will be back.  That much I can promise.

Blueberry Lemon Lavender Scones
Makes 10 to 12 scones.  Adapted from Joy the Baker.
For the printable recipe, click here.

It's taken me a while and several experimental tries to enjoy lavender in cooking.  It's a very "in" ingredient right now.  I see it all over the place, from flavoring cocktails to baked goods.  For my taste, its one of those ingredients for which a little goes a long way.  Too much and you end up with something that has a decidedly soapy flavor.  I'm not sure anyone would enjoy that.  But I have found that if used with a gentle hand, lavender compliments the flavors of lemon and berries very well.  In these scones the flavor is subtle but discernible, just exactly as it should be.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs fresh, food-grade lavender or 2 tsp dried lavender
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg, lightly beaten
zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)

1 beaten egg and sugar for brushing the tops and sprinkling

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, lavender, baking powder and baking soda.  With a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter until the pieces are the size of peas (though having a few pieces a bit smaller is perfectly acceptable).

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon zest and buttermilk.  Gently stir this mixture into the dry ingredients until you have a soft dough that just holds together.  Carefully stir in the blueberries.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead it together a few times.  Pat it down to a 1 inch thickness.  Using a 2 inch round cutter, cut the dough into circles or cut into 2x2 inch squares with a knife.  Place the scones about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.  Gather any scraps and reshape to the 1 inch thickness.  Cut scones from the remaining dough.  Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake the scones for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Serve warm.  The scones will keep for a day or two in an airtight container, but they will be at their best when fresh out of the oven.

Tomato and Cheese Galette {A Tuesdays with Dorie Post}

As I sit here trying to organize my thoughts this evening, I am eating a bowl of my Mom's homemade chicken and orzo soup still buzzing with excitement from a fun night out.  I was invited to the Friends and Family preview evening for the newest Whole Foods to open up in the area.  That's a post for a different time, but let's just say that I found myself giddy to be standing in a grocery store being poured a local pinot noir at a bar built into an Airstream.  It was really fun (and the pinot was excellent!).

The sight of all of the signs pointing out the locally produced (and hyper locally as well- that means within a 5 mile radius of the store) fruits and veggies, wine, cheese, granola and other spectacular looking foods was wonderful to see, but it did make me a bit sad.  Sad that in just a few short weeks, I'll be leaving it all behind.  That's not to say that I am not in anyway looking forward to the adventures in my near future.  I fancy myself riding my bike to the local butcher, dairy farmer and Saturday market and filling up my wicker basket with all I need for the week's meals.  But I will definitely be missing my garden and the fabulous produce that we have such easy access to here in Southern California.

Most of all, I will miss the tomatoes.  I planted a full garden's worth earlier in the spring knowing that I wouldn't likely be around to enjoy the fruits of my labor.  But I couldn't bear to see the garden's brown earth remain barren where in the summers past they had been covered in cucumber vines, herbs and stakes tied with branches holding up the most beautiful of tomatoes.  The first of this years crop are just beginning to find their way into the light.  The cherry tomatoes are hanging on the vines, small and still green, but with the promise of something much more. I was hoping to have a tomato ready to eat before I moved, but I guess that's just not in the cards.

I can imagine the dark red heirloom Riesentraube tomatoes- growing right next to a patch of basil- would have been just perfect in this sweet little tart.  It's a savory tart, almost like a fancy pizza, with a crisp and flaky crust.  I'm so glad I found it.  Perhaps one day soon, in the warmth of a late European summer afternoon I might pull another out of my new (and tiny) German oven.  For now, I'll have to be happy with making the best of the few early tomatoes I can find in my own SoCal Saturday market instead.  Sad to be leaving but happy to have been here to experience it in the meantime.

Tomato and Cheese Galette
Makes 1 8-inch galette.  Adapted, only slightly, from Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan.
For the printable recipe, click here.

This is a Tuesdays with Dorie post, so there are plenty of other pretty pies to check out on the official page.  I decided to vary the cheese selection a bit, thinking that fontina would make a better partner for the mozzarella that the monterrey jack that was called for in the original.  I was pleased with the result and my boys enjoyed nibbling on the extra pieces of fontina as the galette baked.  That's a win-win in my book.  Oh, and the crust is to die for.  Just saying.

1 recipe of galette dough (recipe follows)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (finely shredded) or torn
2 to 3 ripe plum tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 tbs grated parmesean cheese

Preheat the oven to 400° and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle that’s about 1/8 inch thick. The dough is quite soft so make sure to lift it now and then and toss some flour under it and on the top to prevent it from sticking everywhere. When you’ve accomplished the above dimensions, move it to your prepared pan. The best and easiest way to move this dough is to roll it up around your rolling pin and then unroll it onto the prepared baking sheet.

In a bowl, toss the mozzarella and fontina cheeses and basil together and then sprinkle it over the rolled out dough, leaving a 2-3 inch border. On top of the cheese, place the tomatoes in concentric circles, again leaving the couple inch border. Fold the uncovered border dough up over the filling, allowing the dough to naturally pleat as you work your way around the galette.  Sprinkle the parmesean cheese around the fluted edges of the crust.

Bake the galette for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the cheese is bubbly. When it’s done, allow the galette rest on the sheet for 10 minutes. Cut apart with a knife or pizza wheel and serve.

Galette Dough:

1 1/2 tbs buttermilk
2 1/2 tbs (approx.) ice water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbs cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
 3 1/2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 4-5 pieces

By Hand:
Stir the buttermilk and ice water together in a small bowl and set aside. Then, in a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt and stir with a fork to mix. Drop in the butter chunks and toss them a round a bit to coat them with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour, working for butter pieces that range in size from bread crumbs to small peas.

Add the cold water/sour cream mixture into the dough 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork after each addition to evenly distribute the liquid. When all the mixture has been added, the dough should be moist enough to stick together when it’s pressed; if it’s not, add in more cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Use your hands to gather the dough together.

When you’ve gathered it together into a cohesive ball, press the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.

In a Food Processor:
Stir the buttermilk and ice water together in a small bowl; set aside. Put the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in the work of a processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse to combine. Drop the butter pieces into the bowl and pulse 8 to 10 times or until the mixture is speckled with pieces of butter that vary in size from bread crumbs to peas. With the machine running, add the buttermilk mixture and process just until the dough forms soft, moist curds.

Remove the dough from the processor and press it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.

Strawberry Poppy Seed Muffins

There's something about your kids being sick that makes you feel helpless as a parent.  The kind of helpless that makes you start crying for seemingly no reason at all as you make a PB&J that you are hoping and praying one of your littles will feel well enough to eat.  Because after 5 days of stomach bugs and fevers that spring up out of nowhere, eating half a sandwich would be such a huge deal.  And maybe, just maybe, that helpless feeling will go away soon.   Feeling that you are absolutely powerless to make your child feel any measure of comfort may just be one of the worst things a parent can experience.

When my little one was sick last week, it was an emotionally and physically exhausting experience.  At one point while his stomach was rocking and rolling on him, he said to me "I'm scared".  Scared because he didn't understand what was happening to him.  He felt powerless to control his body and to him that was extremely scary.  And I could do nothing but rub his back and let him know that the feeling would go away.  It was the very epitome of helpless.  So when his big brother came home from school Thursday afternoon with a fever, I went over the edge and started bawling over a peanut butter sandwich.

So imagine my joy when both boys woke up the next morning fever free and with hearty appetites.  So I celebrated with a sweet breakfast to satisfy my sweet boys.  And these muffins hit the spot.  No longer feeling helpless, I was doing what I know how to do in order to bring comfort to my children.  That's the best feeling in the world.

Strawberry Poppy Seed Muffins
Makes 1 dozen.  Adapted from Feisty, Frugal & Fabulous.
For the printable recipe, click here.

4 tbs butter, softened
4 tbs cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbs poppy seeds
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

2 tsp sugar for the tops

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line the wells of a muffin tin with muffin papers or spray with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese.  Add the sugar and beat with the butter mixture until fluffy.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and poppy seeds.  Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir to incorporate.  Stir in half the milk.  Repeat the alternating additions of dry ingredients and milk.  Stir in the vanilla then gently fold in the strawberries.

Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups.  Sprinkle with the reserved sugar.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove the muffins and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Rustic Potato Loaves {A Tuesdays with Dorie Post}

There are times when words just don't do justice.  This is one of those times.  The aroma of fresh baking bread, the crack of the crust as you break through it, the taste of melting butter on the warm, soft interior.  I can't come close to describing with words what my senses took in as I baked and ate these wonderful (and surprisingly simple) loaves.  I think I may have to add this bread to my list of favorites...No I'm sure of it.

I loved this recipe, even the way it was written.  Any recipe that needs to tell you to "have faith" is not written for those who come to it with any fear.  So have no fear, it will work, I promise.  It was an interesting method, different from any bread I've made before, but it turned out beautifully.  Not able to leave any recipe as is, I decided to add chopped rosemary to half the dough and chopped chives and cheddar cheese to the other half.  I enjoyed each just as much as the other.

It's an easy bread to make, if you just have a little faith that the odd method will work.  For the full recipe, click on over to our host for this week, Dawn of Simply Sweet.  And check out the loaves of the other bakers over at the Tuesdays with Dorie page.