Blueberry Coffee Cake

 Not only did I get to make this from blueberries we actually grew in our garden but Chris said it was one of the five best things I've ever made! 

Cake:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 TBSP baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

5 TBSP butter, softened

1/4 cup buttermilk or thin yogurt

3/4 cup whole  milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

lemon zest

2 cups fresh blueberries

Cream butter, lemon zest and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. 

Mix dry ingredients together in small bowl with whisk. Remove a spoonful of the flour mixture and toss into blueberries.

Add half of flour mixture into creamed butter and egg. Mix in buttermilk. Then mix in rest of flour. Fold in blueberries. 

Pour into greased and sugared square baking pan. 

Bake at 375 for 55-60 minutes, or until pick comes clean. 

Immediately start making streusel topping and put on top of cake as soon as it is ready. Then continue baking.

Streusel: 

1/3 cup each: flour, sugar and brown sugar

 lemon zest

5 TBSP butter, softened

Cut butter into remaining ingredients.

Cool cake on rack until it's cool enough to drizzle on glaze.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

pinch salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

5 tsp lemon juice

Eat slightly warm. 

Pumpkin Butter Muffins

 I really love this muffin! I know this sounds strange, but I was inspired by this soap I bought at Bath & Body Works. Don't worry... It doesn't taste like soap. LOL

It was also my first time using my new silicone muffin cups, which, by the way, work great! 

These taste a lot like mini pumpkin coffee cakes. They stay moist for days and have a hint of coconut... You know, the soap. ;) 

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Mix dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture. 

2 cups pumpkin butter (or pumpkin puree)

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (can substitute with vanilla)

/1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk the wet ingredients together and pour into the flour well. Mix until just combined.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full.

Combine brown sugar with a little white sugar. Mix with pumpkin pie spice, to taste.

Sprinkle generously on top of muffins.

Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. Then lower oven temperature to 350 and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean. 

Cool in wire rack. 

These are good warm or at room temperature. 

Quick & Easy Rice Pudding

About two years ago, I posted a recipe for stovetop Norwegian-style rice pudding. It took quite a while to make and it was a bit too smooth for me. I like my rice pudding with a little more texture. And on cold winter mornings, I don't want to spend 40 minutes standing at the stove.

So here's my super quick and easy version to do with leftover cooked white rice.

This isn't really a recipe, it's more of just directions. You can do this however you want to your taste...

Put some cold, cooked white rice in a small saucepan.

Cover it with sweetened vanilla almond milk.

Simmer and stir constantly on medium-high heat until it is thick.

Serve hot with desired toppings. I like butter, cinnamon sugar and dried cranberries...

Overnight Oats

This is a quick, easy breakfast that has almost endless possibilities: pumpkin butter, jams, fresh fruits, curd...

pumpkin butter

blueberry lemon curd

chocolate banana

strawberry jam

Just follow this simple formula for whatever you choose.

Mix equal parts of oats, yogurt, and milk. Stir in whatever add-ins you want and 1 teaspoon of chia seeds.

Cover in small jar or bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Apple Cider Donuts

I really wanted a good apple cider donut recipe. I tried one and it was a total flop. So I just tweaked one of my other recipes and it worked. This is a nice small batch of donuts which is a good thing because you really have to eat them right away. They do not hold.

First: Pour 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1/2 cup line. Let sit for 15 minutes. Stir.
Next take 1 1/2 cups of apple cider and boil it on high heat until it has reduced to 1/2 cup. Let it cool to the temperature of your hot tap water.
Then pour 1/2 cup of the hot apple cider into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of yeast on top of the water. Sprinkle 1/8 cup flour on top of yeast. Lightly mix and let sit 5-10 minutes, it will start to get foamy.
Add the milk and the following ingredients to the yeast and cider mixture.
3 Tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour (I used a bit of whole wheat flour, too)
Stir to make a soft dough. Add more flour if needed to make it stiff enough to knead.
Knead for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Knead in more flour if it is sticky. You will end up using about 2 1/2 to 3 cups total.
Roll out to about 1/2” thick. Cut out with donut cutter. (I used a biscuit cutter and an apple corer for the centers)
Place on baking sheet, cover with thin towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 30-45 minutes. (I turn my oven to the lowest temp for about 5-10 minutes while kneading and then turn it off)

before rising

(I also used the scraps)

Heat oil in deep fryer to 375.

Carefully place donuts, a few at a time, into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and then flip to cook the other side. Watch them carefully! They cook kind of quickly and turn dark. I think it is due to the cider in them. 

Place on a paper-towel lined plate to drain. 

Then toss in sugar mixed with a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

You can also make a glaze from sifted confectioners sugar and apple cider. Pour over while donuts are still hot.

Norwegian Style Rice Pudding

This probably isn't terribly authentic but it makes a delightful breakfast served warm with melted butter and cinnamon sugar on top.

3/4 cup short-grained rice
1 1/2 cups water

Bring to a boil. lower heat, cover and simmer for 13 minutes.

Mix:
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
ground cardamom, to taste
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Add milk mixture to the rice, 1 cup at a time. Turn to medium heat and stir and cook until thick before adding the next cup of milk. This will take about 40 minutes or so.

Remove from heat.

Serve warm with melted butter and cinnamon sugar on top.

Chill leftovers. Can be served cold or reheated in microwave.

Apple Friendship Bread Muffins

I finally found a variation that I like. Best one yet. 

! cup Amish Friendship Bread starter

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 small box of vanilla pudding & 1 butterscotch

1 small finely chopped apple tossed with 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon sugar

1/2 cup toffee bits

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts 

Add ingredient to starter, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. 

Streusel:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

2 Tablespoons butter

Mix dry ingredients and then cut in butter.

Put into prepared muffin tins. Bake at 365.  Bake for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with streusel and continue to bake for about 15 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.

Apple Fritters

This is a variation of one of my boys’ (and my dad’s) favorite breakfast foods. And just the thing to make when you have a bunch of apples!

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 Tbsp oil

Whisk these together in a bowl.

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 Tbsp sugar

Whisk in flour 1/2 cup at a time. Add remaining dry ingredients after first cup of flour is mixed. Mix until smooth.

Stir in 1 medium apple, peeled and finely chopped.

Drop into hot oil heated to 375. Cook until golden brown on all sides. Turn while cooking if necessary.

Remove from oil and let drain on plate lined with paper towels.

Toss while still hot in a bag of cinnamon sugar.

Eat right out of the bag! :o)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

This summer has been glorious and sunny! If only every summer in the PNW was like this!!! In celebration of yet another sunny morning, I took some homemade strawberry freezer jam out (made with strawberries from my own garden no less) and created this…

1 1-lb loaf Italian bread

1/2 cup strawberry jam (I think it would be pretty tasty with orange marmalade instead)

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/8 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Slice the bread into 9 slices. Cut each slice in half, making a pocket. Do not cut them all the way through! I made all my pocket slices before cutting them into thin slices all the way through…

Mix the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest with electric mixer until smooth. Spread it inside of each slice of bread.

  Next, spread a thin layer of jam on top of the cream cheese.

Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla well. Pour into shallow pan for dipping.

(I made too much egg, so I changed it in the recipe)

  Dip each piece of bread in the egg mixture on each side. Don’t soak it too much! Place on a preheated and lightly greased griddle. I set mine at 350.

Cook until both sides are browned.

Serve immediately dusted with powdered sugar.

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones

I have been making GF things for my friends for a long time. But before now, I have always made flour-free foods. This time I decided to try my hand at truly GF baking.

I wasn’t sure how it was supposed to taste, so I sent it off to my GF tester (aka – my son’s fiancée). She and her sister gave it a “thumbs up”, so here it is…

First I settled on a GF “Bisquick” alternative. I used the one here at glutenfreerecipebox.com.

Then I just used that as a base for making scones.

I’ve made scones often enough that I knew what they needed, so I just improvised from there. A little of this, a little of that, butter, cream, cranberries, orange, and of course, powdered sugar glaze, and I had a batch of scones that looked good enough to fool anyone. ;o) Just kidding! But they did look gorgeous!

Now no one needs to feel left out of your next traditional English tea party…

2 cups GF baking mix

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup heavy cream

zest and juice of 1 small orange

1/2 cup dried cranberries

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix baking mix and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Mix in cream, until dough is very well mixed. (I use my hand for this step). Knead about 5 times in bowl.

Pat into a circle about 1” thick. Place on a greased or parchment-papered baking sheet. Cut into 8 wedges, separating them a bit but leaving in a circle.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown and pick comes out clean.

Let cool on wire rack for about 30 minutes.

Whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth to make a glaze that is just thin enough to drizzle over the scones.

Let cool until glaze sets.

Store in airtight container.

Apple Cheddar Sausage Balls

I love apple in my sausage! While I’m not fond of cheddar cheese and apple pie, I did wonder if they would pair well together with sausage???

Yup! They do!

These sausage balls are perfect to pair with eggs and toast for breakfast or make into patties for a breakfast sandwich on a biscuit. (That’s what I’m trying next…)

2 pounds breakfast sausage (if you’d like trying to make your own, you can try my recipe HERE)

1/2 cup finely chopped apple

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup fine bread crumbs

1 cup shredded cheddar (I used a 3 cheddar blend of sharp, mild & white)

Mix well together. Form into balls. Bake on greased or parchment-papered baking tray at 350-375 for about 30 minutes or until they temp at 165.

Pumpkin Butter Scones

A crisp fall day of watching BBC with a friend calls for a cup of maple cream tea and a batch of pumpkin scones. I have a freezer full of pumpkin butter, so I made up a recipe for these little gems. Just the perfect thing for the Call the Midwife Christmas special!

2 cups flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter

1/2 cup pumpkin butter (I used this orange bourbon recipe. But you could use this one or this maple one or any of your favorites.)

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut in cold butter until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Whisk together pumpkin butter and egg. Add to flour mixture. Stir well to combine.

Knead a few times on a floured surface.

Place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Press into a circle about 1/2” thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Separate them slightly from one another.

Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Let cool on rack.

Make a orange spice glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Add orange juice until it becomes a good consistency for drizzling over the top of the cooled scones.

Drizzle over the scones when they are warm but no longer hot. Eat right away or wait until the scones have gotten to room temp and glaze has set.

Blueberry Lemon Streusel Muffins

This is a simplification of a recipe I found on Pinterest. I am going to write it in steps so that no one will be as confused as I was when I made it. It has quite a few steps (but still less than the original recipe) and dirties quite a few bowls but, thankfully, it was worth it in the end… My quest for the perfect blueberry muffin may be over???

 

Step one: Combine 1/4 cup sugar and the zest of 1 lemon in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step two: Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl. Mix in 3 Tablespoons melted butter until it turns into pea-sized pieces.

Step three: Mix 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

Step four: Whisk together 2 eggs and 1 1/8 cups sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup melted butter and whisk until combined. Whisk in 1 cup buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Step five: Take the lemon/sugar combination and sift out the lemon zest through a fine sieve, reserving the sugar for topping the muffins. Stir the sugary lemon zest into the flour mixture.

Step six: Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the egg/sugar mixture. Mix until it is just combined. The batter will be very lumpy. Don’t worry, you don’t want to mix it too much!

Step seven: Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, toss them with 1 Tablespoon of flour before folding in.

Step eight: Fill 12-15 prepared muffin cups. Top each with streusel and a bit of the lemon sugar. Bake at 425 for 17-20 minutes or until the tops are firm and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan and another 5 minutes on wire rack. Eat warm.

Blueberries & Cream Instant Oatmeal

I posted the recipe for homemade instant oatmeal almost 5 years ago and have made countless batches of the stuff. I have not, however, varied much on the kind. Apple Cinnamon has been the favorite and the one variation I have made every single time but once when I made Maple & Brown Sugar out of my homemade maple sugar.

This time I made more Maple & Brown Sugar and really went out on a creative limb and made Blueberries & Cream.

I put the blueberry oatmeal in blue jars… Wasn’t that clever of me??? LOL

I’m the only one who has tried it so far, and if it stays that way it will be just fine by me! :o)

Take one cup quick oats and blend on high in a blender or food processor until powdery. Mix with 2 cups of plain quick oats and 1 tsp salt.

Add  the following:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 - 1 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup powdered milk

Store in an airtight container.

 
Pour desired amount into a bowl. Add boiling water until it is the desired consistency.