Archive for ◊ February, 2010 ◊

08 Feb 2010 Crumbly Topped Banana Muffins
Author:  |  Category: Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Muffins  | Tags: , , , ,  | 2 Comments

I bought a bag of over-ripe bananas about a week ago. They weren’t that ripe at the time. I was going to make banana cream pie with them, but then all the kids left and there was no one here to eat banana cream pie, except me, and I am having a hard enough time fitting into my pants as it is. Then the banana bag ripped and rapidly blackening bananas cascaded over my counter space. There was nothing to do but start baking. I started on banana muffins last night, two kinds. These crumbly topped ones are delicious, and they are still moist and yummy the morning-after. In fact, they are so good that I just dropped off half a dozen at my doctor’s office… I’ve got my fingers crossed that there will be a rapid return on my investment…

Crumbly Topped Banana Muffins

For Muffin
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups of mashed banana (that was only 3 of the ones on my counter…)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup veg. or canola oil or melted butter

For Topping
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 T. flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 T. melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 10 muffins cups with paper liners. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another bowl mix together mashed bananas, sugar, egg, and oil or melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture. Do not beat, stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups. In another bowl combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir and mash with a fork until small crumbles form. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the batter in the muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.

Yes, you should definitely make these. Thanks for stopping by!

06 Feb 2010 Chocolate Chip Cookies with Four Variations
Author:  |  Category: Cookies & Bars  | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,  | One Comment

My recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies…, the only one I’ve used since 1981.  I haven’t even looked at another chocolate chip cookie recipe since then. This recipe makes a straight-up chocolate chip cookie; nothing fancy, just pure goodness. The ingredients are butter, sugar, chocolate, and flour with a leavening agent and some eggs thrown in. No spices. The cookie is not cakey.  It’s not crisp. It’s slightly crunchy around the edges, slightly chewy in the middle, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  Like I said, pure goodness!   This recipe doesn’t fool around either.  You start with a pound of butter and end up with about 6 dozen good sized cookies. (They freeze well.  They travel well, too.  My son in college is getting 3 dozen by US Mail for Valentine’s Day.  Shhhh.  Don’t tell him 🙂

Pure Goodness Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb. salted butter, at room temperature (there is no other salt in the recipe, so don’t use unsalted butter)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 T. vanilla extract
6 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
12 oz (about 4 cups) chocolate chips (semi sweet is usual choice, but some people prefer milk chocolate, or a combination)
2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl.  Beat with a whisk to aerate then set aside. In another bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds, add in white sugar and beat for 2 minutes, then add in brown sugar and beat for 3 additional minutes or until light and fluffy.  Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually add in flour mixture to creamed egg-butter mixture.  Once the flour has been incorporated stir in 12 oz (about 4 cups) chocolate chips. Scoop about 1 T of dough for each cookie and place onto ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheets.  For a more refined looking cookie, roll the balls and then flatten slightly with the heel of your palm.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 – 12 minutes.  I bake mine, in my current oven, for 11 minutes, which means I take them out of the oven when they still look a smidgen-and I mean a smidgen-undercooked.  Cookies firm up on cooling.  Cool on trays for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Makes approx. 6 dozen good sized cookies.

Chocolate Raisin Cookies I love chocolate covered raisins, and Chocolate Raisin cookies are one of my all-time favorites.  Omit the nuts, and use 3 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk) and 3 cups raisins. YUM.

Mixed Chip Cookies My daughter Abby uses 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup milk chocolate chips, and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. In high school, she was famous for her chocolate chip cookies. She rolls the cookies in nice neat balls, flattens them, and then tops them with one of each kind of chip…to die for!

M&M Cookies Mix in 2-3 cups of the chocolate chips, roll dough into balls, flatten a bit, then press 3-5 M&Ms (depending on the size of the ball) into the top of each cookie.  The M&Ms can be color coordinated to the holiday…red and green M&Ms for Christmas; pink, red and White for Valentine’s Day; orange, purple and black for Halloween; pastels for Easter…

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies For Christmas, of course.  In place of nuts stir in 2 cups coarsely crushed candy canes.  Be sure to bake on parchment covered cookie sheets.

Thanks for stopping by!  What variation is calling out to you?

05 Feb 2010 Swedish Butter Cookies Three Ways
Author:  |  Category: Cookies & Bars, Sweets  | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,  | 2 Comments

The weekend is upon us and it sounds as if it’s going to be cold and wet almost everywhere. Let’s make cookies!  Here is my favorite recipe for butter cookies. It’s an easy one, and the cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  I have been baking these cookies exactly as the recipe specifies since the mid-1980s when my friend Kathy gave me the recipe (which she acquired from one of her students).  Just a few days ago, emboldened by all the foodie pages I have been looking at, I decided to play with the recipe a bit.  What fun!  One version, adding lemon peel, was only so-so, but the other two were excellent.  Now I am anxious to create a coffee/latte version. If I get one to work, you can be sure I’ll post it.  Let me know if you come up with any winning variations…, but don’t miss the originals, they are to die for!

Swedish Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat butter and sugar and corn syrup together with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes.  Stir in flour and baking soda.  Divide dough into 4 equal parts.  Roll each part into a roll about 6 inches long and 1 inch thick.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Cookies will spread a lot, so space them equidistantly. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 20 – 25 minutes.  Cut bars, at an angle, into slices while still hot.  I cut off the rounded ends, then slice each roll into 6 slices to make 2 dozen cookies per batch.  Cool on paper towel.

Coconut Butter Cookies (my favorite version)
Mix dough as above, adding in 1/2 tsp coconut extract with corn syrup.  Cover each roll with 1/2 to 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut.  Press coconut on roll, slightly flattening the rolls in the process.

Nutty Butter Cookies
Substitute 1/3 cup brown sugar for the 1/2 cup of white sugar.  Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds with flour.  Partially flatten the rolls before baking (with nuts, the dough doesn’t spread as much). Bake at 325 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes.

Lemon Butter Cookies
If you want to try it, I just added the grated rind of 1 large lemon… But the results weren’t nearly as tasty as the original version.  You simply have to make the originals!

What do you think?  Are you going to try this?
Whatever you decide, thanks for stopping by,

05 Feb 2010 Shredded Beef Sandwiches
Author:  |  Category: Crockpot, Main Dish, Red Meat, Sandwiches  | Tags: , ,  | Leave a Comment

Here’s one more recipe suggestion, tried and true and oh so easy, for a Super Bowl party. On your way home tonight (game day minus two) pick up a 3-4 lb. beef roast, any kind–bottom round or rump are fine–just get whatever is on sale. Tonight, put the roast in a crockpot with 1/2 cup of water (and nothing else) then mix up the sauce and refrigerate. Tomorrow morning (game day minus one), shred the beef, mix with the sauce, and refrigerate the whole thing overnight to blend the flavors. Game Day, reheat meat and sauce in crockpot for 3-4 hours. Put the crockpot on the coffee table with some tongs, hamburger buns (or the smaller dinner rolls) and desired toppings (if any) of pickles, raw or sauteed onions, sliced tomatoes, and mayonnaise (I like mine “straight up”, no garnishes!). Fans can make their own BBQ Beef Sandwiches whenever they feel the urge.

Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches

For Beef
3-4 lb. beef roast, any kind, bottom round or rump work well (Last time, because it was on sale,  I used a tri-tip roast)
1/2 cup water (I suspect beer can be substituted, but I haven’t tested this)

For Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
2 T. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 medium onion, finely chopped, and sauteed
1/2 cup water

Place the roast in a crockpot with 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for approx. 10 hours. In another bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Go to bed. When you get up, remove the meat from the crockpot and shred with a fork, discard any chunks of fat. Combine shredded beef with the sauce. Stir well. Refrigerate meat/sauce mixture, covered, for 24 hours or so. Return shredded meat to crockpot and cook for 3-4 hours on low. Serve on rolls* with sliced pickles, sliced tomatoes and mayonnaise (if desired). Makes approx 16 sandwiches.

*I found mini-hamburger buns at Trader Joe’s.  $1.20 for a package of 8…, but at that price, you can buy regular hamburger buns and use a circle cutter to cut them down to the size you want! (The buns were plain, and a bit dry and firm, not nearly special enough to make them worth an extra trip to TJ’s, but not bad enough to avoid either!)

Thanks for visiting!

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