Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Andrea

Makes 24 muffins

Here’s an easy and awesome recipe to have on hand. First of all, it makes a delicious, ‘loved by everyone’ muffin. Secondly it’s easy, and thirdly, it’s a big recipe and makes 24 regular sized muffins. My mother came across this recipe a few years ago and everyone who’s tried the muffins and the recipe loves it. Don’t let the fact that pumpkin is used throw you off, in fact, don’t bother to tell people it’s pumpkin until after their eyes open wide and they say “this is soooo good”. Great to make when you have a crowd coming, or have to bring treats to a potluck. *A good beginner recipe.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

from A Taste of Home

makes 24 regular size muffins (recipe can be halved)

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 can pure pumpkin (14 oz can or half of the big can (28oz) not pumpkin pie filling)

1.5 cups veg. oil (I used 1 cup of grapeseed oil and 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

2 cups choc chips

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare muffin tins and place muffin tin on a baking sheet.

In stand mixer or with hand mixer, mix eggs and sugar together until well blended. Add in pumpkin and oil. Mix well.

In separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt (dry ingredients). Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. Mix just until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips until well distributed. Fill muffin tin (greased or with muffin liners) to top. Bake in 400 oven for 16-20 mins, until top bounces back when touched, or tester comes out clean.

*you will notice that when baking muffins or quickbreads, the mixing of the wet, then dry, then combining them with minimal mixing is usually the procedure used.

Mix wet ingredients together well

Combine dry ingredients, then mix into wet until just combined

Make sure dry ingredients are mixed in well, but don't overmix.

Fold in chcolate chip or chunks gently.

Fill muffin tins just to top.

Everyone LOVES these muffins.

For the Love of Scones

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Andrea

Scones with butter and jam

Scones

What’s not to like about a scone? They are delicious and tender, plain with butter or dressed up any way you like. Their creation requires a little bit of technique, but it is quickly mastered and so very worth it. Try these plain ones, and once you are comfortable with making them, the sky is the limit as far as modifying their flavour goes. Another benefit: you can make your dough, cut your scones, place on a tray and freeze, then put them in a freezer bag once they are frozen. Pull them out and cook anytime — fresh scones! So. Follow along, and be gentle. The more gentle you are with your dough, the more tender your scones will be.

*for frozen scones, do not defrost, but increase cooking time as needed.

Plain Scones

adapted from Breakfast Lunch Tea by Rose Bakery

makes 12-16 large scones or 24-32 mini scones

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup wheatgerm, whole wheat flour, cornmeal or oat bran (optional) (I used cornmeal)

3 tbsp baking powder

2 (heaping) tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/4 cups milk (lactose free if necessary, soy milk, or regular

1 egg, beaten (to glaze the tops)

butter and jam, to serve

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F, and line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat.

In a large bowl, combine flour, wheatgerm (if using), baking powder, sugar and salt.

Toss in the butter pieces, toss in the flour, and then begin combining it with your fingers. Squeeze the butter, then drop it back in the flour, find another piece, squeeze it, and continue in this fashion until your butter/flour mixture looks like big breadcrumbs (see picture).

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in exactly 1 1/4 cups of milk (300 ml). Use a fork to mix it into the dry ingredients. Finish pulling your dough together using your hands, without overworking it, just until it comes together. If by chance it is too dry, add a little more milk, or if too sticky add more flour. It should not be sticky at all.

On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into a circular shape, about 3 cms thick, then cut crosswise like a pie into triangles. Either make 2 large discs, or 4 smaller discs, depending on whether you want big scones or small scones. (I made small ones here).

Glaze the tops with beaten egg if desired (I didn’t), and bake 12-20 minutes until golden and risen. (these small ones took 14 minutes). Cool a little, then slice and slather with butter and jam. Enjoy with a coffee or tea and a good friend.

Toss butter pieces into to flour mixture

Squeeze butter into flour mixture, drop, and squeeze again

When mixture resembles large breadcrumbs it is ready for next step

Make a 'well' and pour in milk.

Use a fork to mix the flour and milk together. Don't overwork.

Use your hands to put dough together, form into discs and cut into triangles.

Place on baking tray with a little bit of room in between

Bake for 12-20 minutes, depending on size, until golden and risen

Spread with butter and jam. 🙂 Wasn't that easy?

Big, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Andrea

Big, chewy chocolate chip cookies

I’ve probably all made a billion chocolate chip cookies in my life, but I was compelled to try this recipe from Michael Smith’s new cookbook. These are big and chewy with twice as many chocolate chips as you would normally put in – definitely an ‘adult’ size cookie. If you have teen boys – they will probably go insane for them. Best of all, they are easy and quick. Give ’em a try, I’m sure you’ll be changing from your usual recipe, or, if you are new to baking, this will be your ‘go to’ chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Michael Smith’s Kitchen

makes about 22 large (2 1/2 – 3 inch cookies)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (a whole bag)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

With electric mixture, mix together butter and sugar. When well combined, add egg and vanilla. Mix well.

In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture until combined. With wooden spoon, mix in chocolate chips.

Form balls of dough a little bit bigger than golf balls. (50 g). Press down slightly on cookie dough, keeping cookies about 3 inches apart.

Bake for exactly 12 minutes (you may think they look underdone, but take them out anyway). Cool for a few minutes, then remove from pan to cooling rack and cool completely. Enjoy.

mix together butter and sugar. Add in egg and vanilla and mix well.

After gradually adding in flour mixture, add 2 cups of chocolate chips

form into golf ball size (or slightly larger) balls of dough

place on cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Flatten slightly

bake for exactly 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Enjoy

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Andrea

Chocolate Thumbprint

It’s cookie season– a.k.a. weigh- gain season – at least for me, as I simply cannot control myself when it comes to home baked cookies. These are my favourite -a not too sweet shortbread base with an excellent dense texture – then a pop of dark chocolate. Oh my. Love it. Easy too.

Chocolate Thumbprints

adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies

makes 3 1/2 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp.

1 cup icing sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)

2 tsp corn syrup

2 (additional) Tbsp butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

In bowl of electric mixer, beat 1 cup of butter, icing sugar, salt and vanilla on medium speed until smooth, scraping down sides. Beat in flour. Start at a low speed, gradually increasing to medium as the flour becomes incorporated. Mix only until all flour is mixed in.

Form balls of dough with cookie scoop or your hands (about 2 tsp each). Dough will be a little crumbly so press it together. Place balls one inch apart on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and using the end of a wooden spoon, make an indent in each cookie. Continue baking until light brown on the edges. (about 7 minutes more). Remove from oven, and use the end of the spoon to press your indents once more.

Combine chocolate, 2 tablespoons of butter and corn syrup in a small metal bowl over a saucepan with an inch of simmering water. Mix and remove from heat after chocolate is melted and smooth.Cool slightly, then fill indents with chocolate. (I use a baby spoon). Set aside to for chocolate to firm up. Store in airtight container for 3 days at room temperature, or freeze in layers in containers. They freeze really well.

dough will have a crumbly texture, but will come together when pressed with hands

after 10 minutes of baking, make indent, then return to oven

re-indent the cookies after they come back out of oven

melt butter, corn syrup and chocolate in top of double boiler

YUM YUM YUM

Baked Apple Dumplings

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Andrea

Baked Apple Dumpling filled with Pecan Streusal and topped with ice cream

I’d never even heard of apple dumplings until about a year ago from my friend Laurie, who has a French-Canadian background. So naturally, I assumed it was a French recipe — with all it’s appley, sugary, buttery goodness wrapped up in pastry. Further research has done nothing but confuse me, so varied were the theories on it’s origin. Well, whatever, I was obsessed with recreating my girlfriend’s grandfather’s recipe, since she refused to give me any idea how they were made. Various publications have helped me to come up with this procedure/recipe. It involves a few steps, so I suggest making your pastry the day before. (feel free to double this recipe all the way through if you want to serve 8).

Anyway, it’s a special offering. All the components come together to create a delicious, comforting and all around awesome dessert– pecan-streusal filled apples wrapped in a flaky pastry dough, baked and served with a sweet cider sauce, topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Um, hello.

Here’s to Grandpa Latendre. Maybe she’ll let me see the recipe now.

Good For Almost Anything Pie Dough

From Baking, From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Makes one 9-inch single crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water

Directions
1. Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don’t overdo the mixing – some pieces should be the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.

2. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 3 tablespoons of the water. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour, If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough does not look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the work bowl and onto a work surface.
3. Shape the dough into a 8 x 4 square, and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling out.

mix ingredients in processor - do not overmix

add liquid and mix until dough forms, then knead a few times until it comes together

Apple Dumplings

adapted from Cooks Country Magazine

serves 4

2 Golden Delicious apples (large), peeled, cored and split in half horizontally (see picture)

4 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

Topping

1 egg white, beaten slightly

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 425 F. Mix together brown sugar, butter, pecans and cinnamon. Peel and core apples, and slice horizontally (across it’s equator).

Roll out square of dough on lightly floured surface into a 12 inch square. Cut each 12 inch square into four 6 inch squares. Brush edges of each square with egg white and place apple, cut side up in center of square. Pack butter/nut/sugar mixture into each apple half. Crimp together the edges at the top, and cut a vent hole.

Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Arrange dumplings on baking sheet, brush top with egg white and sprinkle with ‘topping’ sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until dough is golden brown – 20 minutes or so. Cool before eating (about 10 minutes, or you’ll burn your tongue). Serve with Cider Sauce and whipped cream or ice cream. See recipe below.

Cider Sauce

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup cider

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp butter

Directions

Bring all ingredients except butter to a boil in a saucepan and boil for 15 minutes, or until reduced to 3/4 of a cup. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.Pour over baked apple dumplings. Dollop with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy.