dynamic duo #oxogoodcookies

Maple peanut butter pie. Are you familiar with this combination?

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slurpy surprise

Sesame soba noodles with chicken. I didn't expect to like soba noodles. My one and only experience with buckwheat (pancakes) was a disaster (hockey pucks).

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#ad wreathed in smiles #LoveThisHolidayTwist

This post is written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. #LoveThisHolidayTwist #CollectiveBias

I think I always got pretty excited about decorating for Christmas, but now that I have my own home, those feelings are amplified.

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piggly wiggly

Maple and bacon taste good together, this much we know. We recently took a little vacation to Duck, NC, and had some maple bacon donuts, further proving the point.

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i got skill(et)s*

*Sadly, they're not multiplying.

I have a dear acquaintance who collects cast iron skillets. She has them hanging on her wall, and I wouldn't be surprised if her whole house isn't slowly tipping over.

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crunch time

Our wedding is in less than nine weeks. Frankly, crunch time has come and gone and the dilly-dallying has to stop!*

*These are most likely words that have been passing through the minds of my mom and future mother-in-law for a very long time...

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pumpkin spice explosion

There is such an obsession with pumpkin spice right now! Lattes, bread, muffins, donuts, even chewing gum--everywhere you look, there's something pumpkin-spiced.

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get ready for some krusteaz!

You guys know I love Krusteaz mixes. I've used them in everything from tamale pie to laced lemon lime bars to coconut almond pancakes.

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whet your appletite

The first baked treat I endeavored to make from scratch was an apple pie. Best to start with something simple, right?

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swimsuit season

Pffffft.

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flapjack* lovers unite!

*In this case, I mean American flapjacks, which are not to be confused with the British type.

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savor the savory

I think those dainty little paper-thin pancakes known as crepes (craps, crehpes, or craypes, depending on where you're located at the time) can be kind of intimidating to make, but I definitely feel very sophisticated when I order them at a restaurant.

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goodness gracious, great balls of fire

For me, the epitome of the marvelous spicy-sweet combination is probably pepper jelly. Homemade is obviously best, but a close second is the batch I recently sampled from The East India Company.

The aspect of it that most stood out to me was the subtle hint of ginger--it was unexpected, and it was decidedly welcome. There's a definite kick from the peppers, too--it doesn't mess around! The flame is properly balanced by the sweetness, however, making for an exciting and satisfying eating experience.

There are many fitting places to make use of a tasty and unusual condiment like this pepper (or, as those Brits call it, chilli) jelly. It's thrilling in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it livens up a baked brie appetizer, and it makes a nice component of a meatball sauce. I might even be tempted to put the spicy jelly on some pancakes, literally making them hot cakes. (That reminds me of a one-liner I recently saw: Signs that things aren't going so well: You can't even sell hotcakes. Ha.) My favorite way to partake of it, however, is slathered atop a buttery biscuit. Eat it. Can't beat it.

I encourage all of you to check out The East India Company--they have a huge range of products, from tea to chocolates to chutney. Hey, if you have to deal with pounds, the money type is better than the weight type, right?

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the fluff factor

I love breakfast. Some days, it's my sole reason for rolling out of bed. I love meals as quick and simple as cereal or shmiscuits and as time-consuming (compared to cereal, anyway) as omelets or muffins.

Pre-syrup smothering.

I think my favorite breakfast of all, however, is a big ol' stack of pancakes. I enjoy many kinds of toppings and fillings--bananas, chocolate chips, blueberries, pecans, peanut butter, butter, maple syrup, and this taste of heaven have all received my official seal of approval.

My latest pancake experiment involved trying to find a way to increase what I like to call the fluff factor. See, I like my pancakes fat like an overstuffed pillow--none of those puff-free discs are welcome on my griddle. I played with a variety of things, like the amount and type of leavening agent, sugar, and fat involved.

The best I've been able to do so far makes use of an unexpected ingredient--coconut oil. At room temperature, this is a solid fat, which is a unique quality for an oil. It's also very heat stable and lasts a long time, even out of the fridge. (So ends your food science lesson for the day.) Please note that you could use any type of fat in lieu of coconut oil, but you won't get that tasty tinge of coconut.

Runaway butter!

The pancakes yielded from this carefully-honed recipe are wonderfully fluffy and flavorful, with the barest, most perfect hint of coconut imaginable. They seem to absorb the ideal amount of syrup, too. I think, for now, my quest for pancake perfection has been satisfied.

Perfectly Poofy Pancakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1-1 1/2 cups milk, depending on the thickness you desire
1 tablespoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted fat, milk, and vanilla until combined. Whisk in your sugar and salt, then whisk in the flour and baking powder. Add more milk if necessary to form a thick yet spreadable batter. Refrigerate for 10 to 20 minutes.
Heat and lightly grease your pan or griddle with butter or oil. Pour the batter onto pan by the 1/4-cupful or, if you're like me, heaping 1/2-cupful. Flip the pancake when the edges start to dry up and bubbles form on the top. Cook for about another minute, or until nicely golden brown.

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it's that time again...

Yep, the pumpkin goodies are out in force.

Here we have yet another example of the growth of my palate (not the roof of the mouth, of course--that'd just be weird--but the whole sense of taste thing) since I've openly declared my distaste for the ubiquitous orange orb in the past. Things, they are a-changin'.

These muffins are awesome. I'll be honest--I think the simple fact that cinnamon* is the prevalent flavor has a lot to do with my high opinion of them. Heck, for all I know, I may still hate pumpkin itself, but the combination of pumpkin and cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg is a winner.

*Speaking of cinnamon, have you seen this? Hilarious.

What's next? Pumpkin pie? Pumpkin cookies? Pumpkin flan? Soup? Profiteroles? Challah? Pancakes? Fudge? I've seen 'em all, and I can't decide. What's your favorite (cinnamon-containing) pumpkin product?

Purdy Pumpkin Muffins
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 (16-oz) can (2 cups) pumpkin puree
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin tin.
Combine the sugar and oil in large bowl to blend; mix in the eggs and pumpkin.
Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Mix in the walnuts and raisins.
Divide the batter equally into the cups.
Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.

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halitosis bad, giveaway good

Just as everyone's feet are hideous (admittedly, some are worse than others), everyone has morning breath. There's no use denying it so don't even try, but there are ways to combat it.

Sure, you could brush your teeth. Yeah, gum and mints are great. However, what if you could eat your breakfast and freshen your breath at the same time? Win win!

Before now, I can't recall ever having had mint in a true breakfast food. No cereals, no muffins, no scones, no maple-syrup vehicles, nothing. I suppose it is a bit strange, but not really. We use chocolate chips in everything from stuffing croissants to sprinkling in pancakes, so who's to say a little mint-chocolate action wouldn't be tasty first thing in the morning?

So I tried it. I tried it, and it was weird. Delicious, obviously, but also weird. I guess for me, the whole 'dessert-for-breakfast' thing takes a turn for the unappetizing when mint becomes involved.

No worries, these made perfectly good snack cakes. Fresh breath any time!

Now, about this giveaway. The fine folks of Snubbr have offered to give one of my readers any cookbook (under $35) of his or her choice, whether the focus is baking, vegan cooking, raw food, or more. All you have to do is leave a comment telling us which cookbook you'd like to win and why and the-powers-that-be will pick their favorite as the winner. Be sure to leave an email address! Comments will close on Friday, July 16th and woefully, this is only open to citizens of the US or Canada.

COMMENTS CLOSED.

Bad Breath Banishers
(adapted from these)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 10 oz. bag Andes baking chips

Preheat to 375°F and grease up your pan of choice, be it a 12-cup muffin pan or mini-loaf pan or something else entirely.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well, making sure all the brown sugary lumps are gone.
In a smaller bowl, mix together the coffee, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until well-combined. Pour this liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir to blend. Stop when the dry ingredients are just moistened and fold in the baking chips. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups or loaf holes and bake for about 15 minutes for muffins, 30 minutes for mini loaves, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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crumby, but not crummy

I'd like to personally thank the chap or dame who first decided that eating cake for breakfast was a good and acceptable idea.



Although I enjoy oatmeal and cheesy grits (especially in the winter) and biscuit sandwiches and heck, even cold cereal as breakfast fare, I think cake is a fine way to go. I can easily convince myself that I'll get my daily dose of protein, vitamins, and other healthy stuff from my lunch and supper.

I love pancakes, but they're not ideal for occasions when I'm in a hurry (although I try my darnedest to give myself plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast). On those days, a slab of coffee cake is perfect.

Like banana bread, gazillions of coffee cake recipes are floating around out there. Some make use of sour cream, others employ cream cheese. Add-ins range from chocolate chips to orange marmalade. Many involve a streusel of some sort (and I would argue that those streusel-less recipes are simply not worth my time, effort, and ingredients...).



Speaking of a tasty streusel, it's by far the redeeming quality of this particular coffee cake. Had it not been so thick and rich and flavorful, I probably wouldn't feel as strongly about the treat as I do. The blueberries are also nice--they're plentiful and provide a nice burst of flavor in every bite. My one gripe would be regarding the cake portion--it was a bit dry. This is undoubtedly my fault--I replaced the sour cream and egg yolk with low-fat yogurt and an entire egg, respectively. Oops.

Crumby Crumb Cake
(based on this recipe, which is based on this recipe)

Crumbs:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cake:
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt, low fat (not recommended in lieu of sour cream)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
To make the crumbs, in a large bowl, stir together the sugars, cinnamon, salt and butter until smooth. Stir in the flour with a spatula. It should look like a solid dough. Pat it down and set it aside.
To prepare the cake, in a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. In a larger bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the softened butter and a spoonful of the yogurt mixture and mix until flour is moistened. Add the remaining yogurt mixture in two batches, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the blueberries over the batter. Using your fingers, break the topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch in size. Sprinkle the lovely crumbs over the blueberries. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

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a different kind of cake

Generally, my order of cake preference would go something like this (from least favorite to tops): cheesecake, bundt cakes, pound cake, cupcakes, sheet cake, layer cake. (Apparently, my love of frosting is quite the driving factor here, making cake simply a vehicle for the creamy, sugar-happy stuff. Driving. Vehicle. See what I did there?)

The list is not set in stone, of course. Coconut pound cake moves up in the order and inadequately-frosted layer cakes move back. Cinnamon-centered anything automatically gets a high ranking, and on it goes.

But wait! Those are all sweet! There are other cakes to be taken into consideration...

Pancakes, for one. Or any type of bean cake-pattie-burger. And we must never overlook the potater cake.

Now, to be fair, there are recipes for true potato cakes, fluffy and probably chocolate-laden. But I'm here to discuss the savory side. You have your latkes (also known as potato pancakes), which are made of grated potato, flour, egg, and perhaps some seasoning and shallow-fried. There are also potato scallops or fritters, which, as I understand it, are common in parts of Australia, New Zealand, and England and involve deep-frying slices of batter-coated taters. (Why these aren't popular in America as well, I do not know.) Another variation from our neighbors across the pond is the Scottish tattie scone, a flatbread-type creation making use of mashed potatoes and a rolling pin.


This is none of those. I suppose it can be considered a combination of latkes and tattie scones, as it consists of already-mashed potatoes that are shaped into patties and pan-fried. Tatkes. That's what they are. Wanna know what else they are? Delicious. Tempting enough to cause one to rouse in the middle of the night and grope blindly to the fridge for a bite. Powerful, I tell you.

Tatkes
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (unless you want to make a batch solely for this purpose, which is completely acceptable and understandable)
1/4 cup flour, or possibly more or less, depending on the moisture content of your taters
salt and pepper, to taste
other seasonings, as desired (I think rosemary is awesome)
oil, butter, or some combination thereof

Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and add a proper dose of fat.
Add the flour, salt, pepper, and other seasonings into the mashed potatoes and incorporate well. Form patties a bit smaller than the size of hockey pucks and let them sit for a few minutes to set up. Gently place the cakes into the hot skillet and let them fry until brown. Carefully flip the patties and then extract them when the other side has browned. Eat 'em while they're hot (or ice-cold as a midnight snack--no one's judging you).

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sticky scrumtrulescence

If I start listing off ingredients like maple syrup, cinnamon, and butter, what probably first pops into your mind is pancakes. (Mmm. Pancakes.) That's the case with me, anyway. Those three components could clearly contribute great things to any number of dishes, am I right? This time, I chose to use their magic on butternut squarsh.


Yes, squarsh.

Process:
1) Wash, peel, deseed, destring-ify, and dice. The peeling is by far the most difficult part, and it's not that bad. Think of it as a pre-treat workout. Here's a quick tutorial.
2) Evenly coat the diced squarsh with a blessed mixture of melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and pepper to taste.
3) Roast at 350F or so for around 30 minutes, or until the goodies are fork-tender.

What a treat this is. Would I rather have pancakes? Maybe. Probably. The point is, if you haven't tried this slimy, satisfying, and yes, scrumtrulescent squash preparation, you must do so posthaste! Posthaste, I say!

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taste & create, lucky number xiii

I don't consider myself to be a superstitious person (although I do tend to knock on wood quite frequently, just in case). I don't toss spilled salt over my shoulder or fret about breaking a mirror. I boldly walk under ladders and encourage black cats to cross my path. And fortunately, I have no problem with the number 13.


It's fortunate in this case because this round of Taste & Create, run by Nicole of For the Love of Food is #13. I was paired with Katie from One Little Corner of the World. Her blog is full of useful and delicious recipes, and even some great tips for entertaining.

I chose to make her Blue Corn Flapjacks. Pancakes of any kind remind Katie of her grandfather and the huge buckwheat pancakes he'd make for her every Saturday. This struck a chord with me because while my brothers and I were growing up, my family had pancakes every Sunday. It was Mamboree's duty for years, and then I took over. So like Katie, I'll probably always associate pancakes with family.


Katie was the recipient of some authentic blue cornmeal from Mexico, but I wasn't so lucky (perhaps it was that salt I spilled yesterday or that mirror I broke back in '97...). I went to two grocery stores and two other stores and finally found some blue cornmeal at Dollar General, of all places. Unfortunately, I don't think its source was blue corn. No, I suspect it was regular cornmeal dyed blue (the presence of FD&C Blue No. 1 in the ingredient statement was a bit of a clue).


Regardless of the source for that cornmeal and in spite of the resulting neon blue hue, the flapjacks were quite tasty. They were fluffy and soft and super absorbent, which I consider an important quality for my pancakes. The more maple syrup they can suck up, the better.

Thanks to you, Katie, I now have a bag of scary blue cornmeal and a killer corn flapjack recipe.

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