apple

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

I love a good broccoli salad and I am not afraid of mayo.

But I know many people who aren’t as in love with the condiment as I am. And that’s okay.

I settled on bringing broccoli salad to Easter dinner as my contribution. I was going to use my go-to recipe, which involves pasta, but then I found a non-mayo recipe on Pinterest. Those stalkers knew just what I would like!

My favorite thing about this broccoli salad is that there’s lots of fruit involved – apples, blueberries, and cranberries! The poppy seed dressing is sweet and tangy and a perfect compliment to both veggie and fruit. It gets bonus points for sunflower seeds.

I’m sharing the recipe today with some other Festive Foodie bloggers in honor of National Picnic Day, which is today April 23rd. I think this salad would be great for any picnic or potluck!

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2 small heads broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 large apple, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 C blueberries
  • 1/2 C dried cranberries
  • 1/4 C sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 C diced red onion
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice, divided use
  • 1 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 C honey
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli, apple, blueberries, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and red onion with 1 tbsp lemon juice.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, remaining lemon juice, poppy seeds, and vinegar.
  3. Pour dressing over salad to taste (I had a little dressing leftover) and serve.

*This recipe is adapted from Kristine at https://kristineskitchenblog.com/no-mayo-broccoli-salad-blueberries-apple/ *

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing for National Picnic Day from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other great picnic worthy recipes:

Asian Slaw by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Bánh Mì + A Wine Suggestion by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Broccoli Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Chicken BLT Shaker Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Deviled Eggs with Horseradish and Dill by Palatable Pastime

Florida Stone Crab Claws with Key Lime Mustard Dipping Sauce by Family Around the Table

Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad by Books n’ Cooks

Marinated Three Bean Salad by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Roasted Corn Salad with Chile Vinaigrette by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Southern Crispy Oven Fried Chicken by Everyday Eileen

 Thank you, Ellen of Family Around the Table, for hosting this National Picnic Day event.

#AppleWeek: Apple Pie Bread

~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

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Welcome to the final day of #AppleWeek hosted by Carlee of Cooking with Carleee! Over 2 dozen bloggers have been celebrating the humble apple and elevating it into over 80 sensational recipes.

For my final offering of the week, I went with a dessert. While, the recipe title says “bread,” there’s no fooling. This “bread” is a cake. It starts by creaming together butter and sugar. Don’t be fooled by the loaf pan, you’re having cake for breakfast and it’s fantastic.

Apple Pie Bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 C flour
  • 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 C brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • 1 apple, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 C milk

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9″ loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated. Add in the flour and baking powder, mixing until combined. Add the milk until the batter is smooth.
  3. In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom.
  4. Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with half of the brown sugar mixture and half of the chopped apple. Repeat with the remaining batter, brown sugar, and apple.
  5. Bake 40 – 45 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from Ashely at https://wishesndishes.com/cinnamon-apple-pie-bread/*

Apple Pie Bread for #AppleWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

When I received the Sandwich Hero knife from Chicago Cutlery for #AppleWeek I knew my final recipe just had to be a bread (okay, cake) of some kind. This knife has all sorts of hidden special talents and can handle most any task in the kitchen. For the use of cutting this bread/cake, it handled the mission wonderfully. I could cut through the sweet treat without crushing it or mashing the apples into the crumb.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a knife block from Chicago Cutlery, and check out some great apple recipes:

Apfelstrudel Recipe (Apple Strudel from Scratch) from House of Nash Eats
Apple and Onion Cornbread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Apple Butter Cheesecake from The Redhead Baker
Apple Chicken Stew from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Apple Cider Dark & Stormy from The Crumby Kitchen
Apple Mincemeat Pie from Palatable Pastime
Apple Pie Bread from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Apple Pie Pancakes from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
Apple Praline Bread from Family Around the Table
Apple Stuffing Crusted Pork Chops from Caroline’s Cooking
Battered Chocolate Caramel Apple Slices from The Freshman Cook
Caramel Apple Pull Apart Bread from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Apple Crack Slaw Eggrolls from Dad What’s 4 Dinner
Cinnamon Apple Donuts from Daily Dish Recipes
Diminutive Caramel Apples from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Easy Caramel Apple Butter from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
Fast and Easy Peanut Butter Yogurt Fruit Dip from Cooking With Carlee
Mom’s Apple Cake from Books n’ Cooks
Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples from Simple and Savory
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples from Feeding Big
Savory Apple Turkey Brie Galette from Bear & Bug Eats
Swiss Vegetarian Autumn Lasagna With Apples & Squash from All That’s Jas

Disclaimer: Thank you to #AppleWeek Sponsors: Rodelle, Dreamfarm, Casabella, Flahavan’s Irish Oatmeal, Pryex, Chicago Cutlery, Rainier Fruit, and Veggie Wash for providing prizes for #AppleWeek free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #AppleWeek. All opinions are my own.

#AppleWeek: Apple Cinnamon Rolls

~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments

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It’s the second day of #AppleWeek and time for my first recipe! I will be sharing three recipes throughout the week and decided to break them into a breakfast dish, a savory dish, and a dessert.

I’ve already done a German apple pancake this year, so naturally the next logical step is cinnamon rolls.

We love cinnamon rolls and when I make them from scratch the weekend just seems that much better. Instead of going with my typical Christmas morning cinnamon roll dough, I opted for a more busy morning friendly recipe – one hour cinnamon rolls.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients for Rolls:

  • 1 C warm milk (105-110 deg F)
  • 4 1/2 tsp instant yeast (I used Red Star Platinum)
  • 1/2 C sugar, divided use (I used Dixie Crystals)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 C vegetable oil
  • 4-4 1/2 C flour
  • 1/3 C butter, at room temperature
  • 1 C brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 apple, peeled and finely diced

Ingredients for Icing:

  • 1/4 C butter, at room temperature
  • 2 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 C powdered sugar

Steps:

  1. Dissolve yeast and 1 tbsp sugar into the warm milk. Let proof 5 – 10 minutes.
  2. Place 4 C flour, remaining sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the yeast mixture and stir on low. Add the egg and oil. Once the dough starts to come together switch the paddle attachment for the dough hook and knead 5 minutes. Add flour 2 tbsp at a time, as needed. Let rest 5 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
  4. Roll dough out on a floured surface into an 18″ x 24″ rectangle. Spread the dough with the softened butter. Distribute the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly, pressing lightly. Add the diced apple.
  5. Roll the dough lengthwise and gently pinch the seam closed. Cut into 1 1/2″ cinnamon rolls. Place cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 – 25 minutes, until lightly golden.
  6. Make the frosting: In a medium bowl, whip together the butter and cream cheese using a hand mixer. Add in the corn syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix until incorporated. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  7. Allow cinnamon rolls to cool slightly before frosting.

*This recipe is adapted from Lauren at https://www.laurenslatest.com/1-hour-cinnabon-cinnamon-rolls-best/*

Apple Cinnamon Rolls for #AppleWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Dreamfarm provided #AppleWeek bloggers with a set of their Levups and a set of Levoons and my kids instantly became obsessed with them (see!). Firecracker can’t wait to help with baking even more than usual when I pull out these helpful gadgets.

Dreamfarm

When it comes to baking, precision in measurements is key to achieving that perfect cake or bread. These products help make that possible. They have a leveling scraper that you can pinch across the top of your measuring cup/spoon. It’s pretty fun. (Check out my Instagram video of the Levups in action here!)

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for your own set of Levups and set of Levoons, and check out some great apple recipes:
Apple Almond Butter Manchego Grilled Cheese from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Apple Almond Chicken Salad from Books n’ Cooks
Apple Bacon Jam from Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
Apple Cinnamon Rolls from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Apple Fritter Pie from Dad What’s 4 Dinner
Apple Nachos from Simple and Savory
Apple Pecan Chicken Salad from The Chef Next Door
Apple Turnovers from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Applesauce Cake with Soft Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting from Cooking With Carlee
Autumn Apple Sipper from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Bavarian Apple Oatmeal Streusel Cheesecake from All That’s Jas
Caramel Apple Cupcakes from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Grilled Apple Tossed Salad from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Mini Apple Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel Topping from Family Around the Table
Nutmeg Apple Conserve from Feeding Big
Red Cabbage with Apple from Palatable Pastime
Roasted Apple and White Cheddar Soup from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
Sauerkraut & Sausage with Apples from House of Nash Eats

Disclaimer: Thank you to #AppleWeek Sponsors: Rodelle, Dreamfarm, Casabella, Flahavan’s Irish Oatmeal, Pryex, Chicago Cutlery, Rainier Fruit, and Veggie Wash for providing prizes for #AppleWeek free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #AppleWeek. All opinions are my own.

Autumn Salad

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

After a few weeks of less than healthy eating I was craving a good salad. A salad that would qualify as dinner.

I immediately went to my vegetarian/vegan cookbook,  The Vibrant Table. Most of the recipes I was itching to make were better suited for spring and summer produce, but I found a beautiful autumn salad that caught my eye.

Autumn Salad | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

This salad involved a lot of ingredients that we love – beets, Brussles sprouts, apples and pears. I had to swap the use of squash for sweet potatoes due to my allergy, but it worked perfectly, and also falls under the favorite food category. Persimmons were called for as an optional ingredient for adding to the salad and conveniently I had one sitting on my counter from the farmer’s market.

If you’ve never worked with a persimmon, I suggest you find one while they’re readily available this fall. It’s a fruit (berry, technically) that looks like an orange tomato. I thought it had a taste vaguely similar to a sweet apple but with a texture of a grape without the “pop.”

I was bummed to omit the pear as my husband grabbed the last one for his mid morning snack, but honestly, there was enough going on in this salad that it wasn’t missed.

As mentioned, there’s a lot happening in this salad. It’s not one to be whipped up 15 minutes before you’re hungry.

The night before I cleaned and prepped the Brussels sprouts, toasted the pecans, and roasted the beets.

Day of, I roasted the Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and apples. Made the dressing. Warmed up the beets. And assembled the final product on a bed of spinach and arugula.

Autumn Salad

Ingredients for salad:

  • 1/2 C pecan halves
  • 2-3 mini red beets, quartered
  • 4-5 mini candy beets, quartered
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
  • 2 apples, sliced in wedges
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 pear, sliced (optional)
  • 1 persimmon, sliced
  • 3 handfuls baby spinach
  • 2 handful baby arugula

Ingredients for dressing:

  • 1/2 C roasted apples
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  4. Put red beets in a foil pouch, toss with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, S+P. Put candy beets in a separate foil pouch, toss with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, S+P. Roast 35 minutes, until tender.
  5. Place apples in a baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
  6. Toss Brussels sprouts and sweet potato with remaining olive oil, S+P, and paprika. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 10 minutes, flip, roast another 10 minutes, until tender.
  7. Make dressing: Blend 1/2 C roasted apples, molasses, vegetable oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil. If needed, add up to 2 tbsp water to thin the dressing.
  8. Assemble salad: Place roasted veggies and fruit, nuts, and fresh fruit over a bed of spinach and arugula.

*This recipe is modified from The Vibrant Table*

Autumn Salad | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Pork and Apple Meatballs

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

It was the game day after our apple picking adventure and we were in need of something a little more substantial to munch on during the Michigan game. We had a lovely platter of cheese, crackers, and apple slices and my baked buffalo cauliflower. We actually kept a portion un-coated in the batter and I might even like them better sans-breading. (Gasp!)

It was decided that I should go ahead and make some meatballs. With an abundance of apples sitting on the table I thought it’d be a good idea to use them! Pork and apples are a classic combination that works well in meatball form, too.

We had mixed reviews on whether or not these appetizers needed a dip. While everyone enjoyed them plain-Jane, my husband couldn’t help himself from grabbing some honey. That man puts honey on just about everything.

Pork and Apple Meatballs (with honey) | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

My aunt couldn’t understand why they’d be served with anything and preferred them as is. I found that serving them with the honey we purchased at the apple orchard helped highlight the pork flavor and provided a sweetness that amplified the apple.

An Original Recipe

Pork and Apple Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1 pkg (19 oz) Italian sausage
  • 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped or grated
  • 2-3 tbsp diced red onion
  • 1 egg
  • S+P, to taste

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients until just incorporated. Form into ping-pong sized meatballs.
  3. Place in a lightly greased casserole dish and bake 20-30 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 160 deg F is reached.
  4. Serve with a drizzle of apple blossom honey (optional).

Pork and Apple Meatballs | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

#BundtBakers: Healthy Sneak, Cheat, or Substitute

~ lk529 ~ 8 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostThis month’s bundt theme is quite fun! Andrea of  Adventures in All Things Food challenged us to “healthify” our cakes in a sneaky way. She inspired us to stealthily add in some veggies, find a healthy way to eliminate oils or sugars, or even experiment with an arguably more wholesome flour option.

#BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

I wasn’t sure I’d get a chance to participate this month. We’ve had a lot of travel recently, going to Northern California for a wedding followed almost immediately by a trip to Lake Geneva.

I’ve mentioned the lake house before, but in case you’re new to Sew You Think You Can Cook, I spent my childhood summers at my grandparents’ summer home at the lake. When my parents purchased the home before my grandma passed away, I looked forward to getting to continue the tradition with my children. We even had Firecracker’s first birthday there! I didn’t think we’d get a chance to go this year having to travel from California, but we made it happen. And I’m so glad we did. Firecracker is old enough to truly enjoy the lake and just as I did, jumped off the pier into his grandfather’s arms.

I hadn’t baked my bundt before these vacations and was going to have to simply sit this event out. Fortunately there was a bundt pan tucked away in a cupboard, here! A beautiful, old Nordic Ware original.

With plans to make my buffalo cauliflower for game day, we had the vegetable on the mind. Off to Pinterest I went to uncover a chocolate cake. We added some freshly picked (a story for a future post!) apples to the cake, too.

The resulting cake is a dense, almost fudgy, cake. Funnily enough, the presence of cauliflower was apparent only if eaten cold. It wasn’t abrassive enough to say, “Hey, there’s cauliflower in here.” but just enough to know there’s “something different” about this cake. 15 seconds in the microwave and no one would be any the wiser. Not even a 2 year old.

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You might wonder why we even ate the cake cold in the first place.

The answer is one that every food blogger can relate to. Needing to take a picture! The cake was completed and frosted after sunset. My dad told me I had to include this part of the story in my blog post. The fact that he couldn’t dig in to chocolate cake the day it was made! Yes, I received a lot of heat for having to wait until morning.

It’s okay though, the boys had me up way before anyone else so I snapped some photos in the early morning sunlight.

Choco-flower and Apple Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

  • 2 C cauliflower florets
  • 1/2 C vanilla yogurt
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 1/2 C vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 C flour
  • 1/2 C cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 C buttermilk
  • 1-2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced

Steps:

  1. Boil cauliflower until fork tender. Puree in a food processor until smooth.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat together the yogurt, sugar, and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add in the vanilla and pureed cauliflower.
  5. Mix 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Add 1/4 C of buttermilk, stir until combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredints and buttermilk. Fold in the chopped apple.
  6. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool before turning out of the pan.

Cinnamon Caramel Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 C brown sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 C powdered sugar

Steps:

  1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Pour over cooled cake.

*These recipes are adapted from Kate at http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/chocolate-cauliflower-cake-with-salted-cinnamon-caramel-icing-the-blogs-2nd-birthday/*

choco-flower-apple-bundt-cake-with-cinnamon-caramel-frosting-for-bundtbakers-from-sew-you-think-you-can-cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Almond Bundtlettes by Bea and Mara at I Love Bundt Cakes

Avocado Mini Bundts by Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Black Forest Tomato Bundt Cake by Shilpi at Simplyveggies

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm

Easy Orange Bundt Cake by Nichole at Cookaholic Wife

Fall Fruits Bundt Cake by Rebekah at Making Miracles

Flourless Chocolate Bundt Cake by Colleen at Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Secret Spice Yoghurt Cake by Jane at Jane’s Adventure in Dinner

Tunnel of Fudge Cake by Bee at The Queen of Scones

Vanilla Bean Malt Bundt Cake by Felice at All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Whole Wheat Banana Bundt Cake byAnshie>at Spiceroots

#BundtBakers: Apples

~ lk529 ~ 21 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostCan you believe we haven’t had an apple themed #BundtBakers yet?! I can’t. I love using apples in baking, often using applesauce in lieu of oil. My very first post shared with this great group of bakers was my grandmother’s Fresh Apple Bundt Cake. I’ve used apple cider and even filled a bundt cake moat with apples.

#BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. So who do I have to thank this month for picking a perfect theme? My blogging buddy Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm!

I thought about the ingredient. Apples. And I thought about one of my favorite afternoon snacks – apples and peanut butter! There are countless peanut butter cakes out there on Pinterest. I decided on this particular peanut butter cake and added some apple-ness to it. I used apple juice instead of coffee in the cake batter and folded in diced apples. For the glaze, I again used apple juice, this time instead of milk. The overall apple flavor is quite subtle, but the bites with apple in them are sublime.

I baked this cake while my husband was on a work trip. The consequence being that it never made it to his office to share with coworkers. I definitely started my mornings that week with a slice of Apple & Peanut Butter Bundt Cake! And I’m not even sorry about it.

Apple & Peanut Butter Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook (3)

 

I stored this cake in the fridge, simply to keep it away from the fruit flies that keep frequenting my abode. Turns out a downside to no air conditioning combined with healthy (cake excluding) eating means there’s always a fruit fly or twelve finding their way back in through the screens on the open windows.

I quite enjoyed the cake eaten cold, but my husband preferred it heated in the microwave. Yes, I did save some cake for him. Though he likes to pretend that I didn’t. Not having told him what was hiding underneath the aluminum foil in the fridge. With all his complaining he sure enjoyed his fair share after the boys fell asleep!

Apple & Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 C sugar-free apple juice
  • 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 C brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 C flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 C buttermilk
  • 1 -2 Granny Smith apples, chopped

Ingredients for glaze:

  • 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
  • 1 C powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp apple juice

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease a bundt pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the handle attachment, beat together the melted butter, peanut butter, and apple juice until combined. Add in the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk until well combined. Fold in the apples.
  3. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 50 – 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool before unmolding.
  4. Make the glaze: Using a hand mixer, beat the peanut butter in a large bowl. Once softened, add the powdered sugar and half of the apple juice. Continue adding apple juice 1 tsp at a time until glaze is smooth and reaches desired consistency. Pour glaze over cooled cake. Note: Any leftover glaze goes very nicely with freshly sliced apples!

*This recipe is adapted from Monique at http://divascancook.com/peanut-butter-cake-recipe-peanut-butter-frosting-easy/

Apple & Peanut Butter Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook (2)

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Apple Almond Coffee Cake with Honey Glaze by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Apple and Toasted Pecan Bundt Cake with Rum Syrup by Patty’s Cake

Apple Crumble Bundt by Jane’s Adventure in Dinner

Apple French Cruller Bundt Cake by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Apple Honey Blossom Bundt by Living the Gourmet

Apple Sharlotka Bundt Cake by Spiceroots

Apple Spice Bundt with Salted Caramel Sauce by kidsandchic

Apple Streusel Bundt Cake by The Freshman Cook

Apple~Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by The Queen of Scones

Chocolate Chip Apple Cake by Making Miracles

Cinnamon Apple Streusel Cake by Tea and Scones

Cinnamon Pecan Applesauce Bundt Cake by Magnolia Days

Clotted Cream & Apple Spice Bundt by Baking in Pyjamas

Double Caramel Apple Bundt by The Crumby Cupcake

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Apple Bundt by Food Lust People Love

Jewish Apple Cake by I love Bundt Cakes

Jewish Praline Pecan Apple Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Lighter Jewish Apple Cake by Cookaholic Wife

#MuffinMonday: Apple Blackberry Muffins

~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

fb5cd-muffin2bmonday2bcrop#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins to brighten their Mondays. There isn’t a theme to #MuffinMonday posts so anything goes, as long as it’s a muffin!

You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

I am sharing with you this month a muffin I made way back in May after one of our weekly trips to the Farmers Market. I had picked up some blackberries from one of my favorite vendors for my husband. I am not the biggest blackberry lover mainly due to their texture. I didn’t think my husband would actually eat the entire carton of berries before they started to spoil so I decided to make muffins with about half of them. While assembling all of the baking supplies and getting my little helper situated, he started eating all of the berries! I knew I couldn’t use the fruit in the muffins, now; anything healthy my picky eater will willingly eat is all his! We had frozen blackberries for smoothie making, so I carried on with my muffin plan.

You’ll notice the recipe doesn’t call for any butter or oil, making them a little bit healthier than most breakfast treats I bake. I mean, there’s still sugar and syrup involved so it balances out, right? The downfall to not having butter or oil in the recipe means they’ll stick to muffin liners, so be sure to spray them as you would a non-lined muffin tin.

Apple Blackberry Muffins (toddler) Sew You Think You Can Cook

Firecracker really enjoyed these muffins. I’m pretty sure he had 3 in one day.

I froze half of the muffins and had a quick morning snack throughout the month, I simply popped them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

This recipe makes 2 dozen muffins.

Apple Blackberry Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 3 C whole wheat flour
  • 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1 large apple, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 1 C milk
  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 C cinnamon applesauce
  • 1/4 C maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 C blackberries, chopped

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin, even if using liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add the apples and toss to coat until evenly distributed.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar. Mix in the milk, yogurt, applesauce, syrup, and vanilla.
  4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the blackberries. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way.
  5. Bake muffins for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake another 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.

*This recipe is adapted from Sally at http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/10/14/sky-high-blackberry-apple-muffins/*

Apple Blackberry Muffins for #MuffinMonday from Sew You Think You Can Cook

And don’t forget to check out these other muffin recipes:

Cappuccino Chip Muffins by Palatable Pastime

Cheesy Chile Corn Muffins (Gluten Free) by Farm Fresh Feasts

Cinnamon Swirled Muffins by Passion Kneaded

Fresh Peach Muffins by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Lemon Meringue Muffins by Making Miracles

Phase 3 Muffins by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Raspberry Mini Muffins by Food Lust People Love

#MuffinMonday: Apple Carrot Muffins

~ lk529 ~ 15 Comments

Muffin Monday

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins to brighten their Mondays. There isn’t a theme to #MuffinMonday posts so anything goes, as long as it’s a muffin!

You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

My cookbook library received a well deserved expansion this past Christmas and we excitedly started cooking out of them immediately. One of the books I received was a signed copy of Giada’s Happy Cooking. This cookbook is quite different from her previous cookbooks in both feel and format. Looking through the book makes me feel like I’m going through a beautiful magazine instead of a book book. There’s even a very honest introduction written by Giada.

The first thing we made were the black bean brownies. All I can say is these were… different. To be fair, we changed it up and used a can of refried black beans instead of regular black beans. Stuart took the interesting result to work for others to try our experiment. Successful wouldn’t be the term to describe that baking adventure! Maybe we’ll give them another go and follow her recipe exactly.

Apple Carrot Muffins for #MuffinMonday from Sew You Think You Can Cook (2)

Today’s muffins came from Happy Cooking. I did have to use all AP flour because I was out of wheat flour and omitted the flax meal. As always, I used cinnamon applesauce in place of the unsweeted regular applesauce called for. I also substituted golden raisins in place of dried goji berries. (I wouldn’t recommend shredding baby carrots, but you do what you gotta do!) Even with my changes, these muffins were definitely successful!

This recipe makes one dozen muffins.

Carrot and Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
  • 1 C dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 C cinnamon applesauce
  • 1/4 C apple juice
  • 1/2 – 2/3 C shredded carrot
  • 1/4 C golden raisins

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Add half of the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix until combined.
  4. Add the applesauce and apple juice. Mix until incorporated.
  5. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined. Fold in the carrot and raisins.
  6. Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin.
  7. Bake 18 – 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly. Allow muffins to cool in the pan 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

*This recipe is modified from Giada’s Happy Cooking*

Apple Carrot Muffins for #MuffinMonday from Sew You Think You Can Cook (1)

And don’t forget to check out these other muffin recipes:

Blueberry Cornmeal Sourdough Muffins from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins from Palatable Pastime

Cinnamon Molasses Muffins from Passion Kneaded

Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins from Making Miracles

Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Chocolate Muffins from Food Lust People Love

Sour Cream and Green Onion Corn Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Spicy and Sweet Hummus Muffins from Kelli’s Kitchen

Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

#FreshTastyValentines: Roshambo

~ lk529 ~ 24 Comments

LogoWelcome to day one of #FreshTastyValentines, a blogging event headed up by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. To kick off the week I’ve made a cocktail perfect for your Valentine’s Day brunch (and a bonus recipe for pancakes).

When UncommonGoods signed on as one of our event sponsors I knew I wanted to make a cocktail because they have an incredible selection of gifts to keep any home bar and kitchen uniquely equipped (here). UncommonGoods (www.uncommongoods.com) is a web-based marketplace offering creatively designed, high-quality merchandise at affordable prices. One of the incredible prizes to win during this week’s event is a $150 gift certificate at their site. With your shopping spree you can find incredible glassware in which to enjoy my Roshambo cocktail or your favorite bottle of wine (here) or discover ways keep your drinks cool without watering them down (here).

Because we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day this week I limited my cocktail recipe search to red or pink beverages. With a big move approaching in the Spring I also added another restriction so as to not buy any new liquor. The discovery of the Roshambo couldn’t have been more perfect. It is a sparkling wine based cocktail which fits in beautifully with Valentine’s Day. This cocktail is a beautiful accompaniment to your Valentine’s breakfast.

This recipe makes two servings.

Roshambo

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 C apple juice
  • 1/2 C cranberry juice
  • prosecco or champagne

Steps:

  1. Place sugar, water, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow simple syrup to cool completely. Remove cinnamon stick.
  2. In a small pitcher combine 1/4 C cinnamon simply syrup with the juices. Keep cold until ready to serve.
  3. Pour juice mixture into glasses and top with prosecco.

*This recipe is adapted from Eva at http://1bigbite.com/2013/11/roshambo/*

Roshambo for #FreshTastyValentines from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more Valentine’s recipes today:

Thank you to #FreshTastyValentines sponsors for providing bloggers with samples and products to use for #FreshTastyValentines recipe development without additional compensation. All opinions stated are those of the bloggers.

This blog post also comes with a bonus recipe for pancakes!

Cinnamon Sour Cream Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 C whole wheat flour
  • 1 C all-purpose flour
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 1 C milk
  • 1/2 stick butter, melted

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  2. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream, milk, and melted butter.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry.
  4. On a hot buttered griddle drop 1/2 C of batter into pancakes. Flip pancakes when batter starts to set and bubble form in the center of the pancake. Cook until both sides are golden brown.

*This recipe is modified from Kelley at http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/2015/11/creme-fraiche-pancakes/*