Strawberry Banana Muffins

Strawberry Banana Muffins

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1/2 c sour cream or yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 c strawberries, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put liners in a standard muffin pan or jumbo like I used above. With a mixer beat the butter and sugar until creamed and then add the eggs one at a time until well combined. Combine the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until light and mixed well. Add slowly to the butter mixture and mix well. Add the banana, sour cream and vanilla until just mixed together. Fold in the strawberries. Divide amongst the muffin pan filled about 2/3 full. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick has some crumbs clinging.
Great served warm!

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

So I have been very absent lately! We moved and have limited Internet access among other things and just have not found time to blog lately but really want to get back into it. I thought this was a good opportunity to start it up again. I saw a recipe that inspired this in CountryLiving magazine. They really did turn out great and are not a dry scone which I love!

2 c flour
3 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs poppy seeds
1 tsp powdered lemon peel (from Penzey's)
(If you don't have this you can use 1 Tbs fresh zest)
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/2 c milk
1/4 c lemon juice

In a large bowl combine the first 6 ingredients. Working with your hands combine the butter into the flour mixture until it is like coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir until just combined then add the lemon juice to make a soft dough.
Turn out on a lightly floured surface and form into a disk where the dough is about 1 1/2 inch thick. Cut into eight wedges and transfer to a lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Let cool.
Make a glaze with about 1 c powdered sugar and 1 Tbs lemon juice. Alter the ration until you get the consistency you like for drizzling. Drizzle the glaze over the scones and let dry about an hour. Serve at room temp or warm. Fabulous!

Savory Breakfast Bread

So I am back at it with Friday Baking with Not Quite June Cleaver. I took a bit of a hiatus due to being busy but I made the breakfast bread this weekend and I had some this morning with a cup of coffee and it was good. Kind of a different recipe than I have made before but it turned out very savory and filling.

Savory Breakfast Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1/3 cup chopped red peppers
9 eggs
1 cup soft butter
3 tablespoons mustard
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
2 cups Gruyere cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

In a bowl combine the flour, thyme, chives, baking powder and red peppers. Mix together, in a separate bowl combine the eggs, soft butter and mustard. Mix till well blended. Add in the freshly ground pepper and stir. Pour the wet ingredients into a large bowl. Pour in half the flour mixture and mix just till blended. Add in the chopped ham and the cheese. Mix together. Add in the rest of the flour mixture and stir just till mixed. Do not over mix. Pour into 2 greased medium 8×4 loaf pans. Bake in a 375F oven for 30 – 35 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans.

I made mine in a 13X9 pan and it took about 35 minutes as well. I would also beat the butter and the mustard and then add the eggs to combine. The butter didn't mix in as well with the eggs in all at once.

Savory Breakfast Scones

This week on Friday Baking with Not Quite June Cleaver I made Savory Breakfast Scones. They were very good and tasted great warm out of the oven for breakfast. I split up the work and cooked the bacon and shredded the cheese and measured out the dry ingredients the night before and then when I woke up I finished them and we could have them hot and fresh. It is definitely a good one to take on a camping trip or something like that!

Savory Breakfast Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (freeze butter for 15 minutes for “chilled” butter)
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tsp water

Preheat oven to 400. use a full tablespoon for a wonderfully peppery background or reduce by 1 tsp for less pepper flavor.
Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl on low speed. With mixer running, gradually add cubes of butter until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour – butter bits about the size of small peas.
Add grated cheese and mix just until blended. (This can also be done by hand: In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Gradually cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in cheese.)
Add green onions, bacon and 3/4 cup of the buttermilk to flour and cheese mixture. Mix by hand just until all ingredients are incorporated. If dough is too dry to hold together, use remaining buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball.
Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a lighter-textured scone. Remove dough from bowl and place it on a lightly floured flat surface. Pat dough into a ball. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten dough into a circle about 8 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 8 to 10 equal wedges, depending on size scone you prefer.
Whisk egg and water in a small mixing bowl to combine. Brush each wedge with egg wash. Place scones on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Rolls

This week on Friday Baking with Not Quite June Cleaver I made Pumpkin Rolls. They were very good warm and then we had them as a breakfast sandwich this morning. Very good!

Beer Bread

This week on Friday Baking with Not Quite June Cleaver I made beer bread. It was quite yummy and Jake and I ate it warm out of the oven with chili and soup.

It was a really simple recipe and I was able to throw it together quickly and have fresh bread. Will definitely work it into the repertoire!

Beer Bread

Preheat oven to 375.

3 cups flour (spoon into measuring cup…don’t dip and measure!)
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 TBSP sugar
One 12 ounce bottle or can of beer ~ light or dark
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix dry ingredients and beer. Pour into a 9″ loaf pan you sprayed with cooking spray. Pour melted butter over the batter. Bake 1 hour. Cool slightly in the pan and remove loaf from pan and let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting. This is a fairly crumbly bread but it is so tasty!

Soft Pretzels

This week on Friday Baking with Not Quite June Cleaver I made the soft pretzels. I was torn as to which recipe to pick but I have never made pretzels before and thought it would be fun. I actually really had fun with it and they turned out really well! I am now thinking of what variations I could do on them, like a sweet version would be really good. I also enjoy jalapeno pretzels so I would love to try that out sometime. The possibilities….

I decided to add poppy seeds to mine with some salt since I like that and I am not as big of a salt fan. I also didn’t have pretzel salt so I used kosher and tried to wing it. They turned out good and tasted great hot out of the oven with some mustard! They were definately worth the effort to make and I will definately make them again.

Soft Pretzels
Makes 12

* 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (1/4 ounce)

* 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

* 2 teaspoons sugar

* 1 cup warm water

* 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

* Vegetable oil, for baking sheets

* 3 tablespoons baking soda

* 1 tablespoon pretzel salt

* Assorted mustards, for serving

Directions
1. Mix yeast, coarse salt, sugar, and warm water in a small bowl, whisking until sugar dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.2. Mix flour and cayenne in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.3. Slowly pour yeast mixture over flour mixture, stirring to combine. Using your hands, gather dough together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it is no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic, and let rise for 30 minutes.4. Cut dough into 12 pieces, and roll each into an 18-inch rope. Form a U shape with 1 rope, and twist ends together twice. Fold twisted portion backward along center of U shape to form a circle, then gently press ends of rope onto dough to seal. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet, and repeat. Let rise for 20 minutes.5. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add baking soda. Boil pretzels in batches until puffed and slightly shiny, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to wire racks to drain. Return to baking sheet, sprinkle with pretzel salt, and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Pretzels will keep, uncovered, at room temperature for up to 12 hours. Rewarm in a 250-degree oven if desired, and serve with mustards.

Baguettes and Blueberry Pie

For this week on Friday Baking with Not Quite June Cleaver I chose to make the baguettes as well as the Blueberry pie. We enjoyed the baguettes this past weekend warm with jam and then I made a bread pudding with the leftovers on Monday with dinner. It was very good! Jake really enjoyed it but he doesn't like the harder crust on a baguette but he enjoyed it hot out of the oven.

I made the pie to take with us on out 4th of July camping trip. I haven't tasted it yet but it looks very good! The edges got a little brown but oh well... I am sure it will still get eaten just the same!

Have a very Happy 4th of July!