Cinnamon

SRC: Apple Cinnamon Muffins

~ lk529 ~ 21 Comments

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It’s Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day! In the Secret Recipe Club, each participating blogger is assigned a blog from another participating blogger and secretly searches their site for something to recreate. The accompanying blog post then goes live on reveal day! So while I was immersed in my assigned blog, someone else was picking through mine! I’m so excited to be part of this group, to see what on my blog peaks other’s interests and to stumble upon new blogs and new recipes.

This month I was assigned the blog Life on Food written by Emily. (Emily was charged with my blog last month!) Emily has been blogging since 2008 so there was an incredible recipe index to search through. She has a few different ways to search through her files: by course, by key ingredient, alphabetically, and the most intriguing by cooking method.

I took the alphabetical route and almost stopped at “A”! I didn’t, though, and after making my way through I had 11 recipes to decide between! I was all set to make Maple Cinnamon Quick Bread until I realized it was a previous SRC post. As I had cinnamon on the brain, I wanted to make her Apple Cinnamon Donuts (although mine would have been mini muffins) but I couldn’t fine apple cider in stores just yet – don’t worry, it’s almost fall. As you can see I took the “next best thing” and went with Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

In retrospect I should’ve gone with a savory item on my list because the amount of baking that’s been happening in my kitchen is completely uncharacteristic of me! Caramelized Brussels Sprouts will definitely need to happen next time my in-laws are in town, Angel Hair with Corn, Feta, and Tomato would be perfect for this summer’s produce, and that 1905 Dressing sounds like a much healthier option to muffins…

IMG_5369But who doesn’t love muffins!? Especially when they’re bursting with apples! My little man definitely approved.

This recipe makes 12 large muffins.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 C flour
  • 1 C white whole wheat flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 C unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 apple, peeled and diced

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tray with liners.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the applesauce to the stand mixer, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in the diced apple.
  5. Divide batter evenly between the 12 muffin tins. Bake 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly.

*This recipe is adapted from Emily at http://lifeonfood.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html?recipe_id=6043170*

Apple Cinnamon Muffins for Secret Recipe Club from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in the Secret Recipe Club this month click here:

Cinnamon Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

When we went to the Farmer’s Market in Virginia we picked up a carton of cinnamon peanut butter. If you’re a frequent reader then you know of my cinnamon obsession. How was I to pass up cinnamon peanut butter?! This peanut butter created by Sprelly is thick in texture so I thought the best way to use it would be to heat it up to make it more spreadable. I thought about making an ice cream with it (and still might!) but when my friend was hosting a “Going to the Movies” game night I knew immediately that I’d make popcorn! Funnily enough, she was also providing four different popcorn flavors to munch on – one of which was a peanut butter and honey. I’m pretty sure we followed the same recipe! Her peanut butter coating did coat the popcorn better, and I’m going to guess that’s because she used a creamy peanut butter. This popcorn can be stored in an air tight container and will stay fresh 2-3 days.

Cinnamon Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn

Ingredients:

  • canola oil, enough to coat bottom of pot
  • 1/2 C unpopped popcorn kernels
  • 1/4 C honey
  • 1/4 C cinnamon peanut butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (I used Nielsen-Massey)
  • salt, to taste

Steps:

  1. Put canola oil in pot over medium high heat along with 2-3 kernels of popcorn. Cover and stand by. Once you hear the kernels pop, add the 1/2 C of popcorn. Cover and cook over medium heat until popping slows. Gently shake the pot during the popping process so as not to burn the popcorn at the bottom. Remove from heat and remain covered until popping has ceased, unless you want to be pelted with popcorn. (If you have another method of popping popcorn, feel free to use it.) Place popcorn in a large bowl. Note: It is highly suggested you remove any unpopped kernels as they’ll be hard to pick out once mixed with the peanut butter coating. 
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine honey and sugar. Allow to simmer two minutes. Immediately add the peanut butter and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, if the mixture hardens simply reheat. You can also add some more honey if needed.
  3. Pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn and toss to coat.
  4. Spread popcorn onto baking sheets to allow it to set. Store in an air tight container for up to three days.

*This recipe is adapted from Rachel at http://www.rachelcooks.com/2013/07/08/peanut-butter-popcorn/*

Cinnamon Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn Sew You Think You Can Cook

*This recipe is adapted from Rachel at http://www.rachelcooks.com/2013/07/08/peanut-butter-popcorn/*

#SundaySupper: Tropical Food

~ lk529 ~ 38 Comments

Today #SundaySupper gathering together for a virtual luau of sorts and enjoying a wonderful selection of Tropical Food. Be sure to scroll past my recipe(s) for great recipes filled with coconut, pineapple, and mango. A big thank you to Marlene of Nosh My Way and Cindy of Cindy’s Recipes and Writings for hosting this bash!

Like most, my mind first traveled to Hawaii given the theme, but I wanted to do something different. As much as I enjoyed our vacation to The Big Island a couple of years ago, I took the opportunity to create a recipe from a different island in the Tropics.

The Tropics fall between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and create a belt around the middle of our planet.

The Dominican Republic happens to fall in this tropical region. I’ve been wanting to explore more Dominican food as my father’s family is from there. When we left Illinois when I was in 2nd grade we were also leaving his parents so I didn’t get to experience, at least in memory, a lot of Dominican cooking. The only thing my mom made were rice and beans and the closest we’d get to the cuisine would be the occasional Cuban fare at a nearby shop. When we would return to visit, my parents would always request mangu for breakfast from my grandfather. When I made Chicharrones de Pollo for my Dad’s birthday (a report from my father tells me my bites of chicken were too small) I knew I would have to try more Dominican food as we greatly enjoyed it.

That was a long story to tell you that my recipe today comes not from Hawaii but from the DR.

Majarete is a corn pudding made with lots of cinnamon. I’d never had it, and my dad hasn’t either, but it sounded fun so I thought I would give it a go. My favorite thing about this recipe is how simple it is. It can even be made with a baby in one hand. (In related news, I think my little man is getting over his fear of the blender!)majarete pudding | sew you think you can cook

Even in all it’s simplicity, I still managed to mess it up. Never having made pudding before, I pulled the concoction off the heat too quickly and we were left with a corn drink. I probably could have returned it to the stove and let it cook and thicken some more, but I thought it’d be much more fun to turn the majarete into majarete ice cream!

Majarete Ice Cream

Ingredients:

  • 3 C corn kernels
  • 2 C milk
  • 1/4 C water
  • 3/8 C sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 cinnamon sticks

Steps:

  1. Put corn, milk, water, sugar, cornstarch, and ground cinnamon in a blender. Puree until smooth. Strain into a saucepan and discard the solids.
  2. Add a pinch of salt and the cinnamon sticks to the corn milk and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. (If making pudding, make sure it coats the back of a wooden spoon.)
  3. If making pudding: Pour into serving glasses or bowls. Allow pudding to cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and allowing to chill in the fridge before serving. Optional – serve with a little grated nutmeg.
  4. If making ice cream: Pour into a glass bowl. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge until completely cold.
  5. Follow your ice cream maker instructions. Freeze ice cream. Allow ice cream to soften on the counter 5-10 minutes before serving.

*This recipe is adapted from Clara at http://www.dominicancooking.com/964-majarete-corn-pudding.html*

majarete ice cream | sew you think you can cook
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Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

CIC: Cardamom and Parsnips

~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

CIC-header

Happy Crazy Ingredient Challenge day! I wasn’t sure I was going to make it this month again. Strange things were happening behind the scenes in the Facebook world where the group votes on ingredients and we keep track of the events. If you’d like to join our fun monthly challenge contact Dawn from Spatulas on Parade at spatulasonparade[at]gmail[dot]com!

I was looking through my planner last week and realized I hadn’t written down the winning ingredients for April’s CIC event. Off to the Facebook page I went desperately searching for the answer. I found it. Parsnips and Cardamom.

I’d only ever had parsnips once before – roasted with carrots, potatoes, and a whole chicken – I recalled liking them. Cardamom was a spice I didn’t have in my collection. I’ve always thought I had it and then every single time realized it was coriander in my pantry instead and would always substitute with a combination of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Thanks to a Kroger gift card I got for Christmas, which I only use for fun ingredients which I’d normally find substitutes, I coughed up the $9 for a bottle of cardamom. And that was the sale price!

I wanted to do a play on carrot cake with today’s ingredients. I decided to go with oatmeal. I whipped together a very quick baked oatmeal recipe, added shredded parsnips, dried blueberries, and of course, cardamom. It can be served warm in a bowl with some milk or eaten as a flour-less oatmeal cookie bar!

Parsnip and Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C quick oats
  • 1/2 C dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 C shredded parsnips (peel the parsnips first)
  • 2 tbsp dried blueberries
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 C milk
  • 1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×9″ cake pan.
  2. In a large bowl combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, parsnips, and blueberries.
  3. In another bowl whisk together egg and milk. Add in the cooled butter.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and press into the prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until set.
  5. Allow oatmeal to cool slightly before cutting into bars. Eat as is or warmed with milk.

*This recipe is adapted from Taste of Home at http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/baked-oatmeal*

Parsnip and Blueberry Baked Oatmeal | Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge click on the link below.

Cinnamon Biscotti & A Baby Shower

~ lk529 ~ 27 Comments

Biscotti Baby Shower

Surprise!

Today I have gathered some of my favorite bloggers to help me celebrate a very special friend of mine. Tara! Tara is the host of Tara’s Multicultural Table.

When Tara was pregnant with her son Evan I threw her a surprise baby shower. So keeping with tradition I thought it’d be fun to throw her another surprise shower. Now that we live in separate states this shower would be virtual. Cinnamon Biscotti | Sew You Think You Can Cook 3 If I thought keeping a secret the first go around was difficult it was nothing compared to this time! Both being food bloggers we’re constantly in communication about what we’re cooking up in the kitchen.

I wanted to have a theme for this online party. I thought about tapas – tying in to Tara’s blog’s theme. But then into my email should come another biscotti recipe from Tara. Tara loves baking – cookies, scones, breads. While I’d never made biscotti before I thought it’d be a perfect theme! Because biscotti are twice baked cookies and this is Tara’s second baby!

I baked two different recipes for this event. I really wanted to make Tiramisu Biscotti.

The first time Tara and I ever worked together in the kitchen, before we had blogs, we tried our hands at a tiramisu cheesecake. Tara wanted to do everything from scratch – including the lady fingers. Well, we pretty much failed at that endeavour. The lady fingers simply didn’t have the texture required for breaking down into cookie crumbs to form the crust. But we powered through. The cheesecake filling part was quite delicious.

tiramisu BiscottiMuch like our first tiramisu adventure, mine too wasn’t a complete success. The biscotti, while perfeclty delicious were burnt along the edges and simply didn’t provide very appetizing photographs – and I took 31 photos! The white chocolate chips in the cookie turned a little yellow too and didn’t give quite the effect I was thinking they would. I would have loved to simply remake them and pull them out of the oven sooner – but I didn’t have the ingredients on hand and guess, what, it was snowing. I will remake these some day and they’ll be honored with their own blog post – and better photos. We really did enjoy these biscotti!

It was back to the drawing board and now with a slightly limited baking pantry. And then I found gold. Cinnamon biscotti. I have a very large obsession with cinnamon and could not pass this recipe up! Cinnamon Biscotti | Sew You Think You Can CookThese cookies didn’t turn out perfectly either – we cut them a little too thick and baked them a little too long. (I should have just followed the instructions – these cookies continue to harden once they’re out of the oven.) I know biscotti are supposed to be a hard cookie – perfect for dunking in coffee or tea – but these were too hard. They could not be enjoyed solo. As I don’t drink coffee, I ate mine with a cup a milk. And when the cookie was gone I was left with cinnamon milk to drink!

I would like to give a big congratulations to Tara. If you don’t follow her on Instagram you really should! (@taramctable) Her account is full of beautiful food photography and the occasional photograph of her adorable children and puppies. If you do follow Tara, you’ll have noticed that her precious child entered this world early a week and a half ago. (which means that I am now behind on her baby quilt! And I thought I was doing so well. The fabric is all cut and the sewing is underway)

So today’s suprise baby shower is more of a welcome baby party!

I would also like to thank my food friends in helping to celebrate Tara today! Please check out the beautiful cookie spread we have assembled for this event. You’ll find the list after my recipe.

Cinnamon Biscotti

Ingredients:

  • 6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 C sugar, divided use
  • 2 eggs, divided use
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 C flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tsp cinnamon, divided use

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together butter with 1 C sugar until fluffy. Add 1 egg and the egg yolk, mix until combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 tsp cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer in 3 batches, mixing until combined before incorporating more.
  4. Shape the dough into a log about 10 inches long and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  5. Beat the last egg and brush the cookie dough.
  6. Make cinnamon sugar: wisk together the remaining 1/4 C sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle some of the sugar over the cookie dough, reserve the rest.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes.
  8. Slice dough into 3/4″ slices on the diagonal. Place cookies cut side down onto the baking sheet. Top with the reserved cinnamon sugar. Bake 15 minutes more. Allow to cool.
  9. Enjoy with coffee, tea, or milk.

*This recipe is adapted from Joan at http://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/2012/12/cinnamon-sugar-biscotti/*

Cinnamon Biscotti | Sew You Think You Can Cook 2

And don’t forget to take a peek at what my other guests have baked up:

Biscotti Bites from Nicole at I am a Honey Bee

Blueberry Pecan Biscotti from Renee at Magnolia Days

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti from Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Dark Chocolate Orange Biscotti from Amy at Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Green Tea Biscotti Cookies from Rebekah at Making Miracles

Jam-Filled Mandelbrot from Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Maple Walnut Biscotti from Sally at Bewitching Kitchen

Nut-Free Anise Biscotti with Chocolate Chips from Susan at The Wimpy Vegetarian

Orange and Dark Chocolate Biscotti from Lynsey at Lynsey Lou’s

Parmesan-Peppercorn Biscotti from Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Tangelo, Date, and Almond Biscotti from Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Spa Water from of Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

Yeast-Free Cinnamon Rolls

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

I trust you all had a happy Valentine’s Day and a nice weekend cozying up. If you have President’s Day off and haven’t come down from that sugar high yet, I’ve got the perfect breakfast to enjoy with your loved ones.

Cinnamon rolls are usually our Sunday morning breakfast – without fail. Although, I’m talking about the ready made dough in a can. Unless it’s Christmas – then I’m making Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls with my mom. While those are seriously the best cinnamon rolls, they require a lot of time and a good amount of effort. Not ideal for a weekly breakfast.

When I saw these easy cinnamon rolls on Fantastical Sharing of Recipes‘ Best Breakfasts of 2014 Countdown I had to make them. And make them I did. That weekend! There isn’t any yeast to proof or dough to rise. And it uses buttermilk! We’re new lovers of anything buttermilk in our breakfast batters/doughs. I will say that I found the clove to be too strong for my taste, Stuart quite enjoyed it though.

Yeast-Free Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 C brown sugar
  • 1/4 C + 3 tbsp sugar, divided use
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 7 tbsp butter, melted, divided use
  • 2 1/2 C flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 C buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 C powdered sugar

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. In a bowl combine brown sugar, 1/4 C sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 tbsp melted butter with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, whisk together flour, remaining 3 tbsp sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the buttermilk and 2 tbsp of melted butter. Knead dough until it comes together around the dough hook and is smooth.
  4. Roll dough out on a floured surface into a 12″ x 8″ rectangle. Brush the dough with 2 tbsp melted butter and press the brown sugar filling over top. Roll the dough lengthwise and slice into 8 rolls.
  5. Place rolls cut-side down in a lightly greased 9″ round cake pan. Brush the tops with the remaining butter. Bake 20 – 25 minutes.
  6. Make the glaze: whisk together cream cheese, milk, and powdered sugar. Pour icing over cooked and slightly cooled rolls.

*This recipe is adapted from Sarah at http://www.fantasticalsharing.com/2014/03/quick-easy-peasy-buttermilk-cinnamon.html*

Yeast-Free Cinnamon Rolls | Sew You Think You Can Cook

 

Red Hot Popcorn

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

My favorite snack hands down has to be popcorn. I’ve had my eyes set on making this red hot popcorn for quite some time and when we were invited to a hot cocoa party I knew this was exactly what I’d be bringing with me.

If you send treats to school with your kids for Valentine’s Day this popcorn would be a fun and different snack to break up all the chocolate and sweathearts candies.

While the beautiful color of this popcorn lends itself perfectly for Valentine’s Day enjoyment this sweet and spicy snack can be enjoyed all year round. Particularly if you like those red hot cinnamon candies!

Red Hot Popcorn

Ingredients:

  • canola oil, enough to coat bottom of pot
  • 1/2 C popcorn kernels
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/8 C corn syrup
  • 3 oz red hot candies

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  2. Put canola oil in pot over medium high heat along with 2-3 kernels of popcorn. Cover and stand by. Once you hear the kernels pop, add the 1/2 C of popcorn. Cover and cook over medium heat until popping slows. Gently shake the pot during the popping process so as not to burn the popcorn at the bottom. Remove from heat and remain covered until popping has ceased, unless you want to be pelted with popcorn. (If you have another method of popping popcorn, feel free to use it.) Place popcorn in a large bowl.
  3. In a saucepan over medium high heat melt together butter, sugar, corn syrup, and red hots. Carefully pour over popped popcorn and toss evenly.
  4. Spread popcorn out onto large baking sheets. Bake 20-30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. Allow popcorn to cool before serving.
  5. Popcorn will keep in an air tight container for 3-4 days.

*This recipe is adapted from Jaime at http://momstestkitchen.com/2014/02/red-hot-candied-popcorn.html*

Red Hot Popcorn | Sew You Think You Can Cook

You might also like: Red Velvet Puppy Chow

Braised Chicken Thighs with Cinnamon and Tomato

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Alex Guarnaschelli is one of those Food Network stars that I would just love to meet. I stalk her instagram account and Facebook page to see everything she’s cooking up in the kitchen. My favorite posts are those in which she states her cravings – from bacon and pancakes, to ice cream and salad. I even follow the instagram account for her restaurant Butter. As if eating at her establishment wasn’t already on my bucket list, seeing photos of gourmet burgers, elegant breakfasts, and creative desserts makes me wish I could hop on a plane to NYC at the drop of a hat.

Two Christmases ago I received her first cookbook, Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to Cook. I’ve already shared her Breaded Chicken with Mustard and Sherry. Today I’m sharing another chicken dish. Alex titled this recipe Braised Chicken Legs with Ginger and Tomato. I’ve renamed it as you can see in today’s post title. I bought only thighs for this dish as a combination of thighs and drumsticks wasn’t available at my grocery store. I also found that the cinnamon flavor profile was stronger than the ginger. You might think it’s weird to cook chicken with cinnamon, but trust me on this one. No, trust Alex! She says:

“[My mom] edited an amazing Indian cookbook that made her revise the chicken tomato combo and add hauntingly flavorful spices like cinnamon, which evokes the sweetness of the tomatoes.”

I hardly ever cook with chicken thighs. My mom is a bone-less, skin-less chicken breast kind of girl and so that’s what I am also accustomed to, and what I usually buy when chicken is on my list. It’s easy. Because using dark meat isn’t something I’m exactly comfortable with, I’m never convinced I’ve cooked it completely. White meat is more obvious – zero pink and juices run clear. Dark meat doesn’t turn white. And when there’s a bone involved there’s usually some red/pink close to the bone which always makes me paranoid that I didn’t really cook it through all the way. I bought a giant pack of chicken thighs though, so there’s lot of practice in my future.

For this dish, I was really excited when my chicken skins were crispy after browning them. But then they get braised and that crispy skin is no more. Keeping the skin on the chicken though helps ensure that the meat won’t dry out.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Cinnamon and Tomato

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1″ piece of ginger, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 C white wine
  • 1 can (14 oz) peeled whole tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp butter

Steps:

  1. In a large, high-sided skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Season both sides of chicken with S+P and red pepper flakes. Add to the hot oil skin-side down. Brown for 8 minutes, flip and cook another 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  3. Add the onions and stir in the cumin. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger and garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Add in the white wine and cook until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and cook simmer 10 minutes.
  4. Gently break up the tomatoes. Return the chicken to the pan. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
  5. Stir in butter and remove cinnamon and bay leaf. Serve with wild rice.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Cinnamon and Tomatoes

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

CIC: Cranberry & Gingerbread Spice

~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

CIC-header

It’s been quite a while since I’ve participated in the Crazy Ingredient Challenge – 4 months to be exact! The problem with squash and melon allergies is that come Fall I have to hide under a rock.

December’s ingredients though are ingredients that I can not only eat but ingredients I even like! They also happen to be ingredients we’ve seen before. Last November we paired Gingerbread Spice with Onion, when I made a very festive onion jam. This July we put Cranberries with Shallots and I made delicious Brussels sprouts.

The combination of two sweet ingredients, cranberries and gingerbread spice, wasn’t as tricky as the two challenges mentioned above. But fun all the same. I was really tempted to make gingerbread cupcakes with a cranberry cream cheese frosting, but we really didn’t need anymore sweets around right now. I thought about going the breakfast route, with cranberry syrup and gingerbread waffles. But this is a crazy ingredient challenge and I already have gingerbread waffles on the blog!

Then, thanks to my wonderful neighbors, I got the idea to do applesauce. Last week we were hit with a stomach bug and my neighbors put a little care package on our front step – soups, sodas, crackers, and applesauce. Applesauce is now my new go-to snack during the day. (It has replaced raisins, if anyone’s curious.)

This cranberry applesauce would be a great alternative to cranberry sauce on your holiday table. Using gingerbread spice instead of cinnamon gives it more of a festive flair.

Cranberry Applesauce

Ingredients:

  • 3 apples, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 C fresh cranberries
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 3/8 C water
  • 1 tsp gingerbread spice

Steps:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to medium low and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash to desired consistency and allow to cool.

*This recipe is adapted from Martha at http://www.marthastewart.com/326493/cranberry-applesauce*

cranberry apple sauce

To see the other bloggers who participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge click on the link below.

#BundtBakers: Autumn Harvest

~ lk529 ~ 24 Comments
BundtBakers

This month #BundtBakers is welcoming Fall with some beautiful bundts. #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. This month’s theme is Autumn Harvest and our creative host is Tux of Brooklyn Homemaker.

Our theme allowed for a lot of posibilities – from apples and pears, to pumpkins and carrots, to cranberries and figs.

My very first #BundtBakers recipe, my Busia’s Fresh Apple Cake, would have been a perfect fit here. I did stick with apple but added dried cranberries too! I’ve been wanting to try baking with applesauce and this recipe allowed me to do just that. Busia’s sister-in-law even thought I had used her recipe! The addition of the dried cranberries gave it a freshness and tart bite.

Dad and I disagreed on whether or not this cake needed frosting. I found it to be perfect just as is – to me, it’s almost like a banana bread instead of a cake. I may or may not have had it for breakfast…  I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think – to frost or not to frost?

Applesauce Cranberry Bundt

Ingredients:

  • 2 stick butter
  • 2 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 C flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 1/2 C cinnamon applesauce
  • 2 C dried cranberries

Step:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease bundt pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and spices.
  4. Add in the flour and applesauce alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.
  5. Fold in the cranberries.
  6. Pour into bundt pan and bake 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F, gently cover with aluminum foil and bake another 20-25 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly.

*This recipe is adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/applesauce-raisin-cake/*

Applesauce Cranberry Bundt

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. All recipes and photographs can be found on our individual blogs, on our Pinterest board, and the #bundtbakers homepage.

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

Sweet Potato Brioche Bread by Jane of Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Pumpkin and Chocolate Bundt Cake by Aisha of La Cocina de Aisha

Applesauce Walnut Raisin Cake by Rene of Magnolia Days

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt by Tara of Noshing with the Nolands

Fig and Caramelized Walnuts Bundt Cake by Beatriz of I Love Bundt Cakes

Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake by Kaylin of Keep it Simple, Sweetie

 Sherried Pumpkin Bundtlettes by Laura of The Spiced Life

Sweet Potato Pecan Spice Cake with Toasted Pecan Glaze by Stacy of Food Lust People Love

Harvest Bundt Cake by Tammy of Living the Gourmet

Pumpkin and Apples Bundt Cake by Kathya of Basic N Delicious

Old Fashioned Kushaw Bundt by Margaret of Tea and Scones

Pumpkin Espresso Bundt by Kelly of Passion Kneaded

Spiced Harvest Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze by Tux of Brooklyn Homemaker

Applesauce Spice Bundt Cake by Carola of En La Cocina de Caro

Carrot Bundt Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Cassandra of Cassie’s Kitchen

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake by Terri of Love and Confections

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Pomegranate Syrup by Patricia of Patty’s Cake

Chocolate Caramel Apple Bundt Cake by Teri of The Freshman Cook

Mini Apple Cobbler Bundt Cakes with Cinnamon Glaze by Lauren of From Gate to Plate