Lime Raspberry Swirled Blondies

 

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to the blog, "Baking and Creating with Avril."  When you read her profile, you'll find that it's short and sweet.  She states that she started her blog to share her love of being in the kitchen.  Then, once you start perusing her blog, you'll find that it's totally sweet and anything but short.  She has recipes that will have you bookmarking for days, which naturally made it difficult to choose just one to share.  As a result, I went ahead and made TWO of her recipes instead - the Cranberry Almond Cake, and the Raspberry Swirl Blondies.

I dressed up the blondies a bit by adding some lime zest to the batter.  Just so you know, the batter will not look like a lot when you put it into the pan (I almost thought about making more), but it puffs up beautifully in the oven.  Once baked, I finished them off with drizzled white chocolate and chopped almonds.  The flavor combo of the raspberry and lime was fantastic!  And the blondies themselves were chewy, cakey, and melt in your mouth good.  I would love to try these out again using a different type of jam, maybe blueberry, or apricot, yummmmy!!!

Thanks Avril for giving me a keeper of a recipe!

Raspberry Swirl Blondies (adapted from Baking and Creating with Avril)

1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. lime zest (I added this)
1/3 c. raspberry jam

white chocolate, melted for drizzing
1/4 c. chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line an 8x8 pan with foil.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Rub the lime zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant.  Combine the sugar with the melted butter, then beat in the egg and vanilla.  Stir in the dry ingredients.  Spread evenly into the pan and dollop with the raspberry jam.  Use a butterknife to swirl it into the batter.  Bake for 25-30 min., or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool, then drizzle with the white chocolate and sprinkle with the chopped almonds.  

An InLinkz Link-up

Mushroom Orzo - SRC

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Mellissa's blog, A Fit and Spicy Life.  Upon visiting her blog, you'll notice that she does a lot of cooking.  And to balance out all that good eating, she also does  a lot of working out.  Add those two things together and that is how she came up with the name of her blog.

Upon searching through her blog, I saw a lot of recipes I wanted to try such as the Roasted Red Pepper and Ricotta Chicken, Ginger Lime Beef Stir Fry, and her S'mores Granola Bars.  But, the one that caught my eye the most was her mushroom orzo.  I remember when I was a kid, I did not like mushrooms at all.  But, fast forward to the present and I can't get enough of them.  Plus, I just happened to have some orzo in the pantry as well.

Apparently, when making this, I didn't read the instructions quite as well as I should have.  So, I missed the part where it said to actually cook the orzo before you add it in.  As a result, I added the orzo into the pan, uncooked, and then wondered why it wasn't getting soft, even after the liquid was gone.  Perplexed, I just kept adding more broth, as though I was making risotto, until finally, one extra cup of broth later, the orzo was finally done.

 

Although I made that one small mistake, the orzo still turned out fantastic.  It amazed me how the mushrooms added such a bold, rich flavor to the dish.  In fact, I didn't even need to add a lot of salt, just a mere pinch, which is always a good thing since I try to keep my dishes low in sodium.  Top it off with a little cheese and you've got a dish that will leave you craving for more. 

Mushroom Orzo (adapted from A Fit and Spicy Life)

3/4 c. uncooked orzo
3 c. mushrooms (I used criminis)
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/4 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper to taste
parmesan cheese 

Melt the butter in a skillet.  Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and let cook on medium-high heat till they release their liquid.  Add the broth, vinegar, and orzo.  Keep cooking and stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Keep adding more broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring frequently, until the orzo is soft and cooked through.  Top off with cheese if desired.  

An InLinkz Link-up

Honey Garlic Glazed Meatballs - SRC

 

After a good long break, it was time to get back into the swing of things with the Secret Recipe Club.  And, to make the new year even brighter, we're starting it off with some new members.  Yay!  It's always a lot of fun to be able to "meet" new people via their blogs and to have a fresh batch of recipes to choose from.  Speaking of recipes, this month I was assigned to the blog, "Colie's Kitchen," and holy smokes, she has a TON of recipes.  It was like an encyclopedia's worth of gastronomic goodies.  I've often had trouble narrowing things down in the past, but this time, the task seemed almost impossible.  What about her Honey Garlic Glazed Meatballs, Beef Asian Meatballs, or the Meatball Sub Casserole?  My gosh, that's just the meatballs!  Then, I began looking at her chicken recipes.  There was Salsa Chicken Casserole, Crustless Pot Pie Over Biscuits, and Mushroom Spinach Chicken.  Can't forget the veggies either:  Sesame Roasted Carrots, Parmesan Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Garlic Balsamic Glazed Mushrooms.  At the end of this fine, virtual feast, I came to dessert - Nilla Wafer Banana Bread.  Oh, I have died and gone to foodie heaven.

But, who is "Colie" of Colie's Kitchen, you ask?  Let me introduce you!  Her name is Nicole and she is well-rounded in every sense of the word.  Mother, wife, college student, couponer, crafter, scuba diver, snorkeler, and, of course, cook.  She even plays ice hockey.  Yes, she does it all!  I highly encourage you to visit her blog and see all the delicious goodness in person.

 

It was a tough job narrowing down my recipe list, but I finally decided to go with the Honey Garlic Glazed Meatballs.  They looked simply irresistible.  And believe me, they were!  The sauce was slightly sweet, tangy, and finger-licking good.  I added some cayenne pepper to kick things up a notch too.  There was enough for my dinner one night and, even better, enough for leftovers the next two days too.  I enjoyed every single meatball and wished I had more of them when they were gone.  I'm definitely going to add this to my list of keepers.

Thanks Colie for your amazing meatballs!

Honey Garlic Glazed Meatballs (slightly adapted from Colie's Kitchen)

1 lb. cooked meatballs
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. honey
3/4 c. ketchup
3 Tbsp. soy sauce  
cayenne pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients for the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the meatballs and cook until nice and hot. 

       

An InLinkz Link-up

White Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread - SRC Cookie Carnival

Ooohh, Christmas is getting closer and that means it's time for Christmas cookies, lots of them!  Every year, I give away dozens of them to neighbors, co-workers, and friends.  Naturally, I also keep back some of them for my family too.  So, I am always on the lookout for new recipes to make and add to my list of faves.  That's why, when Sarah from the Secret Recipe Club came up with the idea for this Cookie Carnival, I eagerly joined in!  What is the "Cookie Carnival" you ask?  Well, the members of the Secret Recipe Club once again received another person's blog to peruse and pick a recipe from it to make.  But, the catch is that it has to be a cookie recipe.  Then, today, we all get to show off the newest addition to our Christmas cookie platters.

I was assigned the blog, Dessert Before Dinner.  With a title like that, I think I've found a kindred spirit in Stephy.  And if you go check out her blog, you'll see that she has no shortage of dessert recipes.  The girl means business!  She has everything from the classics, like Lemon Meringue Pie and Watermelon Sorbet, to more exotic recipes like Yuzu Wasabi White Chocolate Macarons and Grapefruit Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting.  From perusing through her blog, I came to see that she's a person who is bold, daring, and inventive.  She's knows what she likes, but she's also not afraid to try new things and see where her foodie ideas will take her.  You go girl!

 

This time, I opted for one of her classic recipes, Tartine Bakery Shortbread Cookies.  And oh boy were they ever good.  These shortbread cookies are thick, super buttery, and just sweet enough.  One bite, and they absolutely melt in your mouth.  You'll find yourself reaching for one after another until all you have left is crumbs.  And believe me, you will devour the crumbs as well.  I decided to be a little inventive too and dipped these into white chocolate, then sprinkled them with crushed peppermint candy for a festive, Christmas-y touch.  Simply delightful!  I will definitely put this recipe into my Christmas cookie collection to make every year from now on.

 

Thank you Stephy for the fantastic recipe!

Tartine Bakery Shortbread (slightly adapted from Dessert Before Dinner)

1 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp. salt (I increased this to 1/2 tsp.)
1 3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. flour
1/3 c. sugar + more for sprinkling

Cream butter and sugar together.  Mix in the flour and salt until well combined.  Press the dough evenly into an 8x8 pan and sprinkle with more sugar.  Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes until golden.  Slice while still warm.  Remove from pan once cookies are completely cooled.

If desired, dip the cookies into melted vanilla candy coating and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Let sit until the coating sets.   

Blogger:

An InLinkz Link-up

Thai Turkey Meatballs - SRC

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Andrea's blog, "Adventures in All Things Food."  In actuality, I imagine that Andrea's life itself is full of adventures.  Not only does she have three lovely children, but she's raising them on her a farm.  That means that she picks her own food, fresher than any supermarket's, preserves it, and provides her family with delicious things to last them the whole winter.  In addition, she loves the fact that she's able to also provide her children with "a memorable childhood."  While I'm sure it's a lot of work, from the look of the family pictures on her blog, it looks like they also make the work a lot of fun.

After looking through all her wonderful recipes, I originally wanted to make her Chocolate Brioche.  However, since I needed dinner more than I needed bread, I ended up making her Thai Grilled Chicken Patties.  I'm a big fan of Asian food and they sounded so flavorful what with the inclusion of jalapenos, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce.  Not to mention, Andrea added some grated zucchini and carrots which gives a nice boost of veggies to up the healthy factor.  I did make several changes to the recipe.  First, I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken since that's what was available in my supermarket.  Then, I formed the mixture into meatballs instead of patties.  Finally, since I don't have a grill, I just baked them in my oven.

 

I admit, that I did leave out the fish sauce in these since I just didn't have any and was reluctant to buy a bottle of it just for this recipe.  However, these meatballs were still really flavorful and I loved how the jalapeno and ginger shone in these.  Dipping them into sweet chili sauce as Andrea recommended was also a nice touch.  After enjoying these for dinner one night, I gladly ate the rest as leftovers the following night.

Thanks Andrea for your delicious recipe!       

Thai Inspired Chicken Meatballs (adapted from Adventures in All Things Food)

 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey meat
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. zucchini, grated and drained
1 carrot, grated
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp. lime zest
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (I omitted this)
1 large egg
1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

sweet chili dipping sauce

Combine all the ingredients and mix well.  Form into meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Bake at 350F for 20-25 min. until cooked through.  Serve with sweet chili dipping sauce.

An InLinkz Link-up

Olive Bread - Secret Recipe Club

I confess, I may have gone a little overboard with this month's Secret Recipe Club assignment.  Instead of making one recipe, I tried EIGHT!!!  But, seriously, if you were to go and browse Claire's blog, Claire K Creations, you would have done the same.  She has so many amazing recipes that five is barely scraping the surface of all the yummy things I wanted to make.  Definitely go and check out some of these other recipes on my to-do list:  Dill Roasted Carrots, Greek Almond Crescent Biscuits, and Belgium Biscuits.  You'll be glad you did.  Just make sure to set aside an hour or two if you do because once you start looking at her blog, you won't want to stop.

Now, about Claire herself.  Did you know she lives in Australia?  So cool!  She started her blog to share her love of food with others.  And share it she does!  You'll find recipes that reflect her country's unique foodie culture, such as Anzac biscuits and pavlovas.  But, she doesn't only have Australian recipes, she makes food from all over the world.  I felt like I was taking a little trip just browsing through it all.

Still, I had to pick one to share today.  So, while I also ended up making her Condensed Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies, Orange Cookies, Chocolate Spiced Cookies, Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles, and Hokey Pokey Biscuits, and loved them all, I might add, I decided to share the Olive Bread to start.

You know from my blog's title that I have a major sweet tooth.  But, bread is and always will be my first love.  I love all the types, especially the artisan breads and one that's always caught my eye in supermarkets is Olive Bread.  I've wanted to try it for the longest time, but it's so expensive for just one little loaf that I've simply resisted.  Then, I found Claire's recipe.  It looked so simple and would cost so much less to make it myself that I just knew I had to try it.

The interesting thing about this bread is that you have to let it rise three times instead of the usual two.  But, there must be some sort of magic about the third rise because I came out with a wonderfully soft, fluffy loaf.  The only change I made was to use all-purpose flour since I had run out of bread flour.  The salty bits of olive gave just the right amount of flavor to each bite and every mouthful was heavenly.  I savored every piece of this bread and just wanted to keep on eating it.  It would surely make some awesome sandwiches, but for now, I just enjoyed eating it on its own.  I know it's one that I'll make again and again, and next time I'll even try it with the bread flour.

Thanks Claire for this super fantastic bread!

Olive Bread (slightly adapted from Claire K Creations)

3 c. bread flour (I used all-purpose flour)
2 tsp. active dry yeast (I used 2 1/2 tsp.)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt 
1/2 c. chopped olives (I used Kalamata olives)
 3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/4 c. warm water (110F)


Combine the yeast, warm water, and a pinch of sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  Add in the sugar and olive oil.  Then, add in the flour, salt and chopped olives.  Knead the dough on a well-floured surface until smooth and elastic.  Put the dough into a well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and let rise 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. 

After the first rise, punch it down and knead again until smooth, about 5-10 minutes.  Let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.  After the second rise, form it into a ball and turn it out, seam-side up, onto a well-floured towel.  Dust the top with a bit of flour and let rise again, about 20 minutes, until doubled in size.

Prepare your oven by putting a pan of water onto the bottom rack and preheating to 410F.  Once the dough has risen a third time, turn it out, seam-side down, onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.  Bake for 15 minutes at 410F.  Reduce the heat to 340F and continue baking for 30 minutes, or till golden.   

An InLinkz Link-up

Pineapple Chicken Quinoa Pilaf

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Chef John and Anne's blog, The Saturday Evening Pot.  Seeing as how Chef John graduated in culinary arts, you can bet that you're going to find some absolutely delicious recipes throughout their blog.  And their two children get to be the taste testers.  Lucky!

In going through their blog, I immediately knew I had found THE recipe to make when I saw their Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Rice Pilaf.  I did make a few changes to it.  I used olive oil instead of the bacon, left out the shallot, used quinoa instead of rice, and added some black pepper and red pepper chili flakes to taste.

The result was one yummy dinner indeed!  Mine didn't absorb all the liquid like it was supposed to, but I'm pretty sure that had a lot to do with the fact that I used quinoa instead of rice.  Nevertheless, it was wonderfully flavorful and I found myself going back for seconds.

Thanks Chef John and Anne for your fantastic creation!

Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Pilaf (adapted from The Saturday Evening Pot)

15 oz. can of pineapple chunks, juice reserved and chunks cut in half
1 c. smoked almonds, coarsely chopped (I used sliced almonds)
1 1/2 c. uncooked white quinoa
dash of allspice
1 lb. chicken tenders
3 c. chicken broth
1 c. pineapple juice
black pepper and red pepper chili flakes (to taste)

Form a layer of chicken in a 9x13 pan.  

Put 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a non-stick skillet and heat over medium-low heat.  Add the pineapple and almonds and cook till warmed through.  Stir in the quinoa to coat completely.  Sprinkle with allspice and stir again.  Pour the pilaf mixture over the chicken, then add the combined mixture of chicken broth and pineapple juice.  

Cover with foil then bake at 350F for 1- 1 1/2 hours till all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is completely cooked.  Before serving, sprinkle with black pepper and red pepper chili flakes to taste. 

  

An InLinkz Link-up

Pretzel Nutella Swirl Cookies

Believe it or not, due to a change in circumstances, I once again found myself assigned to the lovely Katrina's blog, Baking and Boys, for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  You mean I get another chance to peruse her never-ending list of ultimate, beyond your imagination, mouthwatering sweets?  You don't have to ask me twice!  Since this is the third time I've had her blog, you probably think that there isn't much more I can say about her, but I think I can come up with a few more tidbits. 

First of all, she has an eagle eye when it comes to finding the newest candy/cookie/etc. that's out on the market.  Whether it be those birthday cake M&Ms or the Coconut Fudge Oreos, you can bet she's already found it AND created some amazing way to use them to kick up a recipe.  As a result, I've made a lot of Target/Walmart runs in the past years just so I could see the deliciousness that she was talking about.

Secondly, she is the Rice Krispie Treat queen!  I kid you not.  I counted no less than 20 different recipes for rice krispie treats on her blog.  They are all awesome looking.  After seeing them, you may never go back to the plain ones again.  Hint:  this is where a lot of those new-fangled Oreos and M&Ms went.

After looking through numerous recipes for cakes, cookies, brownies, and other yummy treats, I finally narrowed my selection down to these Pretzel Nutella Chunk Cookies.  Salty and sweet?  I couldn't resist.  the neat thing about this recipe is that you make the "chunks" yourself by freezing the Nutella and then chopping it up to put into the cookies.  I did just that and had some lovely looking chunks, for about 5 minutes.  It was kind of a warm, humid day when I made the cookies, so the moment I added the cold chunks into the dough, they immediately melted and I got half chunks and half swirls.  Although, in my opinion, that wasn't really a bad thing.  The Nutella flavor became more prominent and the cookies themselves had a pretty marbled look.  All in all, these cookies were absolutely delish!  I'm glad the recipe only makes a small batch because otherwise I wouldn't be able to stop myself from eating even more of them.  

 

Thanks Katrina for your amazing ideas!  

Pretzel Nutella Swirl Cookies (slightly adapted from Baking and Boys)

1/2 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon cake flour + 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons bread flour (I used all-purpose flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
5 tablespoons (2  1/2 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 a large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pretzel balls (I used broken pretzels)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Nutella chunks**

** To make the Nutella chunks:  Spread 1/2 c. Nutella on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet, about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.  Freeze for at least an hour until set.  Cut into chunks and keep chilled until ready to use. 

Cream the butter and sugars together.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.  Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined.  Stir the pretzels and Nutella chunks carefully into the dough.  Scoop the dough into small balls and bake for 10-12 min. at 350F.  Let sit on baking sheet for a couple minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool. 
    

An InLinkz Link-up

Basil Polenta with Roasted Spinach and Tomatoes - SRC

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I received Elizabeth's blog, Food Ramblings.  Elizabeth loves to make recipes that are healthy, which means that her blog is right up my alley.  I love to cook with vegetables and whole grains and her blog is full of recipes like that.  And, if you think that healthy equals boring or tasteless, she will prove you wrong.  I actually couldn't decide between several of her recipes, so I made three, though I didn't get the chance to photograph the other two.  First, I tried her Quinoa Spinach Mac n' Cheese.  Instead of using noodles, it uses quinoa.  Fantastic!  It was such a great change.  Then, I saw her Basil Polenta with Roasted Spinach and Tomatoes.  The pictures alone were enough to convince me that I had to make it too.

The whole dish comes together in less than an hour.  And it is just beautiful with all those vibrant and contrasting colors.  Even better is that it tastes every bit as good as it looks.  I love that I found a new vegetarian recipe to share with my family.  Thanks Elizabeth for your yummy recipes!   

Basil Polenta with Roasted Spinach and Tomatoes (adapted from Food Ramblings)

2 c. grape tomatoes
2 c. fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil

instant polenta
2 tsp. dried basil (I used dried basil instead of fresh)
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese (I added this)
salt, black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Cut the tomatoes in half and lay them out with the spinach and garlic on a baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle everything with the olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.  Bake for 20 min.

Prepare the polenta, as directed, making enough for 2-4 servings.  (I used half water and half skim milk).  Remove from the heat and add the parmesan cheese.  Season to taste.  Top the polenta with your roasted veggies.

An InLinkz Link-up

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes

For this month's SRC, I was assigned to Angela's blog, Spinach Tiger.  Her blog is simply gorgeous.  It's like looking at a cookbook in a bookstore, even better because many of the recipes are her own special creations, so it's really her own unique cookbook.  And, unlike other cookbooks you find where the recipes look good but are practically impossible to follow, have no fear, Angela's recipes are all super easy and anyone can make them.  Did I mention she has her own cooking channel too?  I'm totally impressed!

Her husband is from the South, so her blog likewise, has a lot of Southern influenced recipes, including numerous recipes for the biggest, fluffiest, yummiest looking biscuits ever.  I made her Parmesan Honey Biscuits and they were so fluffy that I would have sworn they were bread rolls.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures because they all got eaten up before I could take them.  But, believe me, they were good.

So, since I missed the photo op on the first recipe, I went ahead and made another Southern based oldie but goodie - Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I decided to do what Angela recommended in another post and turned them into Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes.  I did make one substitution.  Since I had run out of cocoa powder, I substituted one ounce of unsweetened chocolate and removed one tablespoon of butter from the recipe.  It seemed to work just fine.  Now, onto the cupcakes themselves.

 

I apologize, Angela, but I just don't seem to have your touch with these.  They did not come out half as pretty as yours did.  So, to sort of cover up my flaws, I drizzled them with melted chocolate.  As for taste, however, I am sure that these were spot on.  The red velvet taste was just right, that sort of tanginess, a bit of chocolate that's not too overpowering, not too sweet, and moist.  I've been looking for a good red velvet cake recipe, and have tried several others, but I think this is it!      

Thanks Angela for a real keeper of a recipe!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes (adapted from Spinach Tiger)

1 1/4 c. cake flour (I used 1 c. + 1 1/2 Tbsp. flour + 2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. liquid red food coloring
1/2 c. buttermilk (I used 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar + milk to make 1/2 cup)
1/2 c. + 1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar

Cheesecake filling:
6 oz. cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat)
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine the cake flour with the baking soda and salt and set aside.  Cream the butter with the sugar.  Stir in the melted chocolate.  Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla.  Add in the red food coloring.  Add half the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk mixture, and add in the rest of the flour.  Mix in the vinegar.  

For the cheesecake mixture:  Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add in the sugar and mix well.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  Fill each one with 1/4 c. cake batter.  Spoon 2 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture into each cup.  Bake at 350F for 30-35 min.  Let cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before removing.  

Notes:  I had some leftover batter, so I made 12 mini cupcakes.

An InLinkz Link-up

Glazed Lemon Squares

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Cook Lisa Cook.  If you've never seen her blog before, you simply must check it out.  She makes the most delicious things and her adorable daughter gets to eat them.  I must admit, I'm envious.  At first, I couldn't decide whether I should make the Oatmeal Cashew and Chocolate Granola Bars (which look way better than store-bought ones), Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars, White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark, (perfect for Valentine's Day), or her Glazed Lemon Squares.  In the end, I decided on the Lemon Squares, in part because I can't resist anything lemony, and also because these are different from any other lemon squares I've ever made.  Usually, you would top them with powdered sugar.  But, in this case, they're covered with a lemony glaze, giving you a double lemon kick in these bars. 

I loved how these bars came out of the oven with a crackly, crispy, shatter-y crust on top.  Then, hiding underneath is all that soft, lemony, melt in your mouth filling.  But, the glaze, oh the glaze is what makes these bars a star.  You cannot leave it off, the bars would just not be the same without them.  Like I said, it adds another layer of lemon flavor that you just wouldn't get with plain, old powdered sugar.  Plus, the tartness helps to even out the sweetness so that it becomes perfectly balanced.

I made this batch to share with another lemon bar lover and I think she's going to be over the moon to get them.  From one Lisa to another, thanks for the yummy recipe!

Glazed Lemon Squares (from Cook Lisa Cook)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter

Filling:
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
1 c. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine the flour and sugar and cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.  Press the dough evenly into a parchment paper-lined 8x8 pan.  Bake for 15 min. 

For the filling: 
Whisk the eggs with the sugar until well combined.  Add in the lemon zest and juice and mix well.  Stir in the flour and baking powder till well combined.  Once you take the crust out of the oven, pour on the lemon mixture.  Bake 25 min. or until the filling has set up and starts to turn brown.

For the glaze:
Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice till well combined and smooth.  Spread the glaze evenly over the bars once they have cooled completely.  Chill for at least two hours before slicing.

Ginger Crunch Bars - Secret Recipe Club

Have you ever seen Leigh's blog, Chit Chat Chomp?  It's got such a warm, homey, comforting feeling to it.  Looking at the pictures of all the delicious things she makes, you just can't help but sigh in contentment and happiness.  I definitely had fun looking through her recipes.  

I just love the holiday season.  The pretty lights, the cheerful music, and, of course, the treats with their seasonal spicy flavors.  That's why I picked her Crunchy Ginger Slice for this month's SRC.  They are perfect for this time of year - minimal ingredients, super quick and easy to throw together for any party, and the gingery flavor just has Christmas written all over it. 

The only change I made was to increase the amount of ginger powder in the cookie base.  Also, since I didn't have any golden syrup, I substituted with a 50/50 mixture of light and dark corn syrups.  I think the icing was the best part of these cookies.  I don't even know how to describe it.  It's like a ginger candy/caramel that's sweet and sticky, but melts in your mouth.  Simply lovely.  I dressed up the finished bars with some Christmas-y sprinkles and now they're all ready to share with my friends.

Thanks Leigh for a sweet holiday treat!  

Crunchy Ginger Slice (adapted from Chit Chat Chomp)

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened

Ginger Icing:
1/3 c. butter, cut in small pieces
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. dark corn syrup
2 1/4 tsp. ginger powder
3/4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.  Cream the butter with the sugar.  Add the flour, ginger powder, and baking powder and mix until well combined.  Press the mixture into a parchment paper-lined 8x8 pan and bake for 35 min., or until golden and firm to the touch.  Set aside.

To make the icing:  Place the butter, corn syrups, and ginger powder in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 2-3 min., or until butter is melted.  Add the powdered sugar and whisk to combine.  Pour icing over the cookie base.  Chill for 1 hour or until set. 

Peppermint Bliss Bark - SRC

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Wendy's blog, The Weekend Gourmet.  I had a lot of fun browsing through her recipes and, although I saw some tasty-looking pasta recipes, I kept finding myself drawn back again and again to her Peppermint Bliss Bark.  Who can blame me?  One look at hers and you'll see it's stunning.  Not to mention, it's HER original recipe (genius).  So, I bring you Christmas in November.

This bark is so quick and easy to make.  No cooking, no baking, and very little prep time.  I think I whipped up the whole thing in less than an hour.  In fact, the most time-consuming part of it was crushing the peppermint candies.  Seriously, I do not know why someone has not thought to sell peppermint candies already crushed.  Bakers all over the world would be grateful.  I made short work of it though by putting them in a ziplock bag, putting it onto a paper bag in my driveway, and pounding on it with the end of a small dumbbell.  Whatever works, right?

I did make a couple changes to the recipe.  First, I tempered my chocolate so that I wouldn't have to worry about keeping the bark in the fridge to prevent it from melting.  Then, instead of using mini Oreos, I crushed up some regular sized ones since that's what I had.  Otherwise, it was Wendy's way all the way.

Let me tell you, this bark is perfect for the holidays.  It's not only beautiful but absolutely delicious.  There's a little crunch from the cookies, a little chew from the marshmallows, and a lot of chocolatey-minty goodness in every bite.  I loved that the peppermint flavor wasn't too overpowering and that the bark itself wasn't overly sweet like other storebought ones.  I've never made chocolate bark before, but you can bet it's going to be a new holiday tradition from now on.

BTW:  I took some of this to work and it disappeared fast!  They loved it!  

Thank you Wendy for giving me a great idea for Christmas.  Loved the bark!

Peppermint Bliss Bark (adapted from The Weekend Gourmet)

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. mini marshmallows
1 c. crushed Oreos
1 c. crushed peppermint candies
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Melt 1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave.  Remove from the microwave and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips until completely melted.  Add mini marshmallows, Oreos, and 1/2 cup peppermint pieces.  Stir gently to combine.

Spread the mixture evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Melt the white chocolate chips and drizzle over the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup peppermint pieces.  Place in the fridge to help it harden quicker.  Once it's hardened, it can be stored outside of the fridge.  

Blueberry Muffins

For this month's SRC, I was assigned to Ewa's blog, Delishhh, which is the perfect word for it since everything she makes is sensational.  I especially loved looking at her Swedish recipes and still want to try making her Semla one day.  But, for now, I decided to make her blueberry muffins.

Not too long ago, I tried a different blueberry muffin recipe from another site and was extremely disappointed with how they came out.  Those muffins were way too dense.

Ewa's muffins, on the other hand, were sweet, fluffy, and bursting with juiciness from the blueberries in every bite.  They were delicious right out of the oven and just as delicious when they cooled.  I would definitely make these again, and again, and again.  Right now though, I'm off to go get some butter so that I can go and eat up the rest of the muffins in my kitchen.

Thanks Ewa.  Your muffins made for one yummy Sunday morning.

Blueberry Muffins (adapted from Delishhh)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (I omitted this)
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tbsp (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1¼ cups sour cream, plain yogurt or ricotta (I used 1 c. fat-free Greek yogurt + 1/4 c. water)
1½ cups fresh blueberries (I used frozen blueberries)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin (or line with paper liners) and set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl untill combined. Whisk the egg in a separate medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk vigorously until thick, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream/yogurt or ricotta in 2 additions, whisking just to combine, and then add the lemon zest.

Add the berries to the dry ingredients and gently toss just to combine. Add the sour cream, yogurt or ricotta mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together and the berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds. Small spots of flour may remain and the batter will be very thick. Do not overmix.

Using a large spoon or a cookie scoop sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, divide the batter amount the muffin cups. Bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time. Immediately remove muffins to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Spiced Oatmeal Cranberry Apricot Cookies

I have to admit, when I started searching Cupcake Muffin's blog for this month's SRC, I was like a kid in a candy store.  Oohhh ooohhh look at all the yummy cookie recipes, I want that!  Wait, wait, look at all the delicious cake recipes, I want that!  What?  There's more sugary stuff over there too?  What they hey, I'll just take all of it.  Consequently, I didn't make just one recipe from Sara's blog, I actually tried three different ones over the course of the month.  But, one of those recipes was one that she made for her SRC before, so I chose not to showcase that one.  Instead, I bring you some amazing Spiced Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries and Apricots. 

I teach a group of teenage girls and I like to make their birthdays special by presenting them with an assortment of cookies.  Each month, I change things up and try new recipes and Sara's oatmeal cookie recipe looked like just the thing to make.  I didn't have any dried cherries, but I did have some dried cranberries, so I added those in instead.  I also didn't have any cardamom on hand, so I subbed in some ginger powder.

 

These cookies came out just like the ones in Sara's picture, all thick and chewy and full of orange and red bits of fruit that looked like jewels.  My mom saw them cooling on the counter and, after asking if it was alright to take one (she knows I gotta take pics first), promptly declared that they were really good!  I ate one myself and boy was she right.  Even better, these are totally healthy - just bursting with fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C.  Okay, maybe you don't care about that.  In that case, they're bursting with flavor, fruitiness, and spiciness that can't be beat.

Sara, your cookies rock! My tastebuds thank you.

Spiced Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries and Apricots (adapted from Cupcake Muffin)

1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
2 sticks softened butter
1-1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3/4 cups quick oats (not instant oats)
6 ounces dried cranberries
3 ounces dried apricots, diced

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger powder and set aside.
2. Beat together the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate.
3. Add the flour mixture and stir in with a rubber spatula until the flour is mixed in enough not to fly out of the mixer.  Then beat until just incorporated.  Add the oats and beat until just combined.  Stir in the cranberries and apricots with a rubber spatula.
4. Cover the bowl and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with foil or parchment.
6.  Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie, and gently roll into a ball with your palms.  Bake 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies just begin to brown.
 7.   Let cool on a cooling rack. 

Butterflake Rolls - SRC

 

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Meghan's blog, Cupcakes with Sprinkles.  I just love her blog.   It looks so cheerful and her food looks amazingly good.  I thought about making one of her sweets (you know me), but apparently I love bread as much as I love sweets and I couldn't get my mind off her Butterflake Rolls.  Plus, I had just made some peach jam and I needed something to eat it with.

 

What I learned as I made them is that I need to pay attention more to directions.  When I first set out to make the rolls, I just copied down the ingredients, thinking that it was just like all the other bread recipes I had made.  So, as a result, after making the dough, I let it rise for an hour.  That's when I found out I was totally wrong.  When I looked at the recipe again, including the directions, I realized that you're supposed to start rolling and buttering the dough right after you make it.  In fact, the only rise you're supposed to do is after the dough has been cut and formed into the rolls.  Still, I figured, I could make this work.  I took my risen dough, rolled it out, buttered it, folded it, buttered it, folded and buttered again.  The dough began breaking off in layers and was a complete mess and totally unsalvageable.  I would have to start again.  Lesson learned - follow the instructions.

 

The second time around, I followed everything to the letter.  This time, everything came together beautifully and the dough made it into the muffin tins intact.  I was kind of skeptical about only letting them rise once before baking, but if they worked for Meghan, then I trusted that they could work for me too.  Sure enough, once they baked, they were a thing of beauty.  It was like magic.  Instead of the four pieces of dough I put into each muffin cup, the intricate layers of buttered dough had unfolded, giving me even more layers to pull apart and enjoy (kind of like the layers in a croissant).  The bread itself was pillowy soft, buttery in every bite, and paired really well with my homemade peach jam.  Not to mention, since they only need to rise once, they're so much quicker to make!  I'm thinking that these rolls are going to make many more appearances in my house, you know, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and basically any time in between.  Thanks Meghan! 

Butterflake Rolls (adapted from Cupcakes with Sprinkles)

1 Tbsp. yeast
3/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar (I increased this to 6 Tbsp.)
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk (I used 1/4 c. nonfat plain yogurt + 1/4 c. water)
3 1/2 - 4 c. flour
1/4 c. butter, softened

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix yeast in 1/4 c. warm water with a pinch of sugar.  Let sit till foamy, about 5 min.  Whisk in the sugar, salt, and eggs.  Add in the yogurt and remaining water until combined. 

Use a wooden spoon to stir in about 3 cups of flour, adding more up to 4 cups, to make a soft dough.  You want to be able to knead the dough and not have it stick to your fingers.

Knead dough a few times.  Roll it out so that it's a 1/2" thick and spread with a thin layer of butter.  Fold dough in half, then spread with butter, Repeat three more times.

After the final butter and fold, roll the dough out again to 1/2" thick and cut it into 1x2 inch squares.  Place 4 squares upright in each sprayed muffin cup.  Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 min., or until doubled.

Preheat oven to 400F and bake rolls for 10-15 min. until golden brown. 

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Rolls

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Jessica of The Inquiring Chef.  Do you know that she lives in Thailand?  So lucky!  I absolutely love Thai food and I can only imagine the wonderful access she must have to both the food and the exotic ingredients to make it.

Her blog is filled with yummy recipes that she came up with herself and it was with great joy that I chose to make her Barbecue Chicken Sandwich  Rolls.  In case you didn't know, she grew up in Kansas with some great barbecue so these rolls are part of her personality and I wanted to showcase that.  Besides, I love barbecue myself as well as baking bread, so this recipe was perfect for me.

I had some chicken tenders in my freezer, so I poached those and used them instead of roasted chicken.  I also made my own barbecue sauce instead of using storebought.  In addition, I changed the method of making the rolls a little, but otherwise, kept the recipe the same.

Eating these rolls reminded me of my favorite baked char siu bao (now I totally want to fill them with char siu aka Chinese barbecued pork).  The rolls were super fluffy and soft, slightly sweet, and paired deliciously with the barbecue chicken filling on the inside.  My only regret is that I didn't use more filling in the rolls.  But, even then, my family declared this recipe to be fantastic and they thoroughly enjoyed eating them.  I would love to try these rolls with other fillings in them, the char siu for instance or curried chicken or even sloppy joe filling.  The possibilities are endless.

And, speaking of possibilities, since I'm very much a sweets person, I went ahead and filled some of the buns with leftover chocolate ganache that I had in my fridge.  Voila!  Chocolate filled sweet buns.  Spread them with some raspberry jam and ohhh so good.  So, if you do what I did, you'll have dinner and dessert with one recipe.  Can't beat that.

Thanks Jessica for your delicious recipe.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Rolls (adapted from The Inquiring Chef)

3 Tbsp. warm milk (I used yogurt)
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water 
2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (I increased this to 4 Tbsp.)
3 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour (plus about ½ cup extra for shaping the rolls) (I used 1 c. bread flour + 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. salt
2 ½ Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs (separated – 1 for dough and 1 for egg wash)
2 cups shredded and roughly chopped, roasted chicken (I used poached chicken breasts)
½ cup barbecue sauce (can use storebought or your own homemade sauce)

Combine the warm water with the yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 min. till foamy.  Combine the yeast mixture with the melted butter, sugar, milk or yogurt, and the egg and mix well.  Add 1 cup of bread flour and the salt and mix well.  Add the rest of the flour and mix well till combined.  Knead the dough as best as you can until it forms a smooth ball.  Put the dough into a well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Combine the chicken with the barbecue sauce and mix well.     

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using lightly floured hands, remove 1/4 of the risen dough and gently roll it into a cylinder, approximately 8 inches long.  (The dough will be quite sticky, but add only as much flour as you need to prevent it from sticking to your hands.)  Using a knife or dough scraper, cut the cylinder of dough into 8 even pieces. Flatten each piece into a circle. Drop one teaspoon of the chicken mixture into the center of each dough circle. Pull the sides of the dough around the filling and twist them together firmly to seal the chicken inside. Place each filled roll, seam-side down on parchement paper.

Let sit until doubled in size, about 30 min.  Preheat oven to 350F.  
 
Brush the top of each roll liberally with a beaten egg.

Bake until the surface of the rolls are golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:  Alternately, you could fill each piece of dough with a teaspoon of chilled chocolate ganache.  







 

Blueberry Upside-Down Cake - SRC

 

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I had such a hard time choosing what to make from Evelyne's blog, Cheap Ethnic Eatz, that I did not make a decision until yesterday morning.  At first, I was all set on making her chocolate covered peanut butter cheesecake (believe it or not, she made hers in the shape of a fish).  I even had all the ingredients for it.  But, then, at the last minute, I steered in a completely different direction and decided to make her Blueberry Upside Down Cake.  Of course, now, it means I've still got peanut butter cheesecake on the brain, but oh well.

I've made pineapple upside down cake in the past but had never tried it with blueberries.  It was such a nice change.  The blueberries get totally jammy and the lovely golden cake beneath it is the ideal pairing.  It's sweet, but not too sweet, and with all that anti-oxidant filled fruit I say it's healthy, which means that cake for breakfast in this instance is perfectly okay.  Plus, the cake is so versatile that you could add cinnamon, lemon, or oranges to it, something that I intend to do the next time I make it.  All in all, this cake made my Sunday morning a real treat.

Thanks Evelyne for your delicious cake!

Blueberry Upside Down Cake (adapted from Cheap Ethnic Eatz)

1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups blueberries (fresh or Frozen)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
3/4 cup milk (I used 6 Tbsp. yogurt + 6 Tbsp. water)

In 9 inch square cake pan, combine melted butter and brown sugar; spread evenly on bottom. Spread blueberries evenly over top. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift or mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon if using. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Spread batter evenly over blueberry layer.
Bake in 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out on to large flat plate.