Blueberry Coffee Cake

I'm on a little bit of a blueberry kick.  I love anything blueberry!  This coffee cake is full of them and topped with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping.  It goes great with a cup of coffee in the morning and you can eat the leftovers all week!

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour, plus 2 tbsp for tossing blueberries
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

For the topping:
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1)  For the cake:  Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan and set aside.

2) Whisk together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt.  Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until combined.

3) With mixer on low, add in one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk. Repeat with half of the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk, then the last of the flour mixture and mix until combined.

4) Toss the blueberries with 2 Tbsp of flour.  This prevents the berries from sinking to the bottom of the cake and helps prevent them from discoloring the batter.  Gently fold the blueberries into the batter using a rubber spatula.  

5) Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.

6) For the topping:  Scatter the 1/2 cup of blueberries over the top of the batter. Mix the granulated sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.

7)  Bake for about 45-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.  Let the cake cool at least 20 minutes.  It is great served warm or at room temp.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes are a great summer dessert.  They are full of blueberries and the cream cheese frosting adds a richness that makes these cupcakes resemble cheesecake.  This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.  You can half this recipe to make 12 if you would like.  

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 3/4 cups cake flour 

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons to toss with blueberries

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp., cut in tablespoons

4 eggs

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1)  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, combine the flours, sugar, salt, and baking powder on low speed until well combined.  Add the pieces of butter and mix until combined.  

2)  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.  With the mixer on medium speed, add egg mixture in 3 parts.  Beat the batter until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

3) In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons of flour to coat.  This prevents the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cupcake.  Then gently fold in the blueberries to the batter using a rubber spatula.

4) Scoop the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full.  Bake about 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.  Check for doneness buy sticking a toothpick in the center.  If it comes out mostly clean, they are done.  

   

5) LET CUPCAKES COOL COMPLETELY ON A WIRE RACK.  It is important to be patient!  If you start icing your cupcakes while they are still warm the icing will melt and you have a mess.

For the Frosting:

1) Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.

2) With mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar until well incorporated and smooth.  Add vanilla and mix to combine.  Using a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off, or a piping bag, pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcake.  Top with a blueberry if you want.

Enjoy!

Glazed Lemon Cookies

The first time I made these cookies was for Fathers Day because my dad loves lemon desserts.  Brandon and I have never been huge fans of lemon flavored stuff because most have that fake lemony taste, but Brandon always requests these now.  The freshness of the lemon in this cookie is delicious!  It is not overwhelmingly lemony.  The glaze on top adds a little sweetness and makes them look pretty :)  You will need a food processor to make these cookies.  Our food processor was a great investment.  It makes things so much easier, and you can find them pretty cheap.

Ingredients

For Cookies:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp fresh grated lemon zest

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoon butter, chilled and cut into tablespoons

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Glaze:

1 Tbsp cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1)  Process the granulated sugar and lemon zest in the food processor for about 20 seconds until the sugar has turned a pale yellow and is slightly damp.   Then add flour, baking powder and salt and process for another 10-20 seconds until well combined.  Next, add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture looks like bread crumbs, about 15 pulses.

2)  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Turn your food processor on low, and add the egg mixture SLOWLY, with the machine on.  Process about 10-15 seconds, until the dough begins to form into a ball.   

3)  Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log, about 10 inches.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate for about 2 hours.  

 4)  Adjust your oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 325.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

5)  Slice the dough into 3/8 inch cookies (a little less than 1/2 and inch).  Lay the cookies on the baking sheets, about 1 inch apart (they wont expand too much).  Bake until the edges begin to brown, about 13-16 minutes, switching the pans and halfway through.  Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

                

6) For the glaze, whisk together the cream cheese and lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth.  Then add in the powdered sugar and whisk until combined and smooth.  Spoon about a teaspoon on the center of each cookie and spread it over the cookie.  It will take about 30 minutes for the glaze to harden. (Let glaze harden before serving.)

         

Enjoy!!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is one of our favorite week night meals.  It is so delicious and cheesy, however we cannot take credit.  This recipe comes from our favorite food blog SkinnyTaste.  These enchiladas are healthier  than the ones you may get your favorite mexican restaurant, but they are just as flavorful.  We eat them with black beans that we doctor up with some onions, garlic, cilantro and chipotle peppers.   

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (or regular, the chipotle just adds a little smokiness that we like)
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

For the Chicken:
1 tsp olive oil
8.5 oz cooked shredded chicken breasts (2 breast halves)
1 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/3 cup fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
8 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 cup shredded low fat mexican cheese
non stick cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped scallions for topping

1)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  We are going to start with the sauce.  Spray a little oil in a medium sauce pan and sauté garlic until soft.  Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Bring that to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Then set aside until ready to use.  

2)  Now for the chicken:  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Then reduce heat to low and sauté the onions and garlic until soft.  Add the cooked, shredded chicken, tomato sauce, chicken broth, salt, cilantro, cumin, chili powder,  and oregano.  Cook 4-5 mins until the liquid reduces slightly and then remove from heat.

 

3)Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Put about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it up.  Place it seam side down into your sprayed baking dish.  Then top with sauce, then cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy! 

Coconut Crusted Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

This chicken dish is something different from the usual boring baked chicken, and we love any excuse to use Sriracha! The crust on the chicken is light, crunchy and delicious.  It also works well with shrimp and fish.  The sweet, spicy pineapple Sriracha salsa goes great on top!  


Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to season chicken
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 egg whites (you'll notice in the pictures that we used a whole egg because we only had 1 egg, but it is better and healthier with the egg whites.)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup diced pineapple, fresh, canned, or frozen
2 tablespoons Sriracha
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1)  Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

2) Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  Make a breading station by putting the flour in a shallow dish, the egg whites in a separate dish, and the coconut in another shallow dish.  Dip the chicken in the flour, coat both sides, then move it to the egg whites and coat both sides, then dip it in the coconut and again, coat both sides.  Repeat this with each piece of chicken.

3) Place the coated chicken into a prepared baking dish and bake for 25-28 minutes.  Coconut will be golden brown.

4) While your chicken in cooking, start working on the salsa.  Combine the pineapple, Sriracha, and cilantro in a bowl and stir until well combined.  Serve over chicken or on the side.  

Enjoy!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a basic, delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It is easy and the cookies come out thick and soft!

Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1)  Put your oven rack in the lower middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2)   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

3)  In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, granulated  sugar, and meted butter until smooth.  This may take about 1 minute.  Then add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and continue to mix until well combined.

4)  Reduce the mixer speed and add the flour mixture slowly to the sugar and butter mixture until well combined.  Then mix in the chocolate chips.

5)  Working with about 2 tablespoons at a time, roll the dough into balls and place them on the parchment lined baking sheets.  They should be a little larger than a golf ball.   Bake, one pan at a time, for about 20 minutes until edges start to get golden brown.

6)  Let cool on a wire rack and ENJOY!!

Spicy Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage

Let me start this my saying I don't even really like shrimp (it's a texture thing),  but I love this shrimp and grits recipe.  It is adapted from a recipe from Emeril Lagasse. It uses his special mixture of seasonings that he calls Essence.  The recipe for Essence is at the bottom of this page.  I made my Cheese and Scallion Muffins to go with this.   

Ingredients for Grits:
4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 cups stone ground or old fashioned grits
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoon butter (yes 8, this is a "splurge" meal)
pepper to taste

Ingredients for Shrimp and Sausage Sauce:
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 1/2 tablespoons Essence (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoons salt
8 ounces andouille sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced parsley

(This is obviously not all the ingredients, just the chopped veggies needed)

1) For the grits: In a large sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Add the salt and the grits and stir to combine. Let thicken for about 2 minutes, then add the milk, cream, and butter and return to a boil.  Then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until smooth and creamy.  Taste and season with salt and pepper. (While waiting on grits, go ahead and start getting your stuff ready for the shrimp and sausage)

2) Season the shrimp with 1/2 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Chop up the sausage.  Heat a pan over medium-high heat and sear the sausage, cooking about 3 minutes.  remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.  Next add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 2-3minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

3) Add the olive oil to the pan and allow it to get hot.  Add the bell peppers and onions to the pan and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until soft.  Then add the other 2 Tablespoons of the Essence and mix well.  Next add the garlic and cook about 1 minute.  Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook about 5 minutes, until the liquid slightly reduces.  

4)  Stir in the cream, green onions, and parsley into the sauce.  Then add the shrimp and andouille sausage back to the pan. Return to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook until the liquid reduces slightly. Serve over grits.

Enjoy!


Recipe for Essence:
* This makes a lot of seasoning.  We save it and use it to season many things. (We emptied out one of our spices we never really use on our spice rack and filled it with the Essence)

Ingredients for Essence:
 1 1/4 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in container.

Cheese and Scallion Muffins

Now normally when I bake, it is something sweet, but these savory muffins are a delicious side to any dinner.  We are eating them tonight with Brandon's shrimp and grits.  They are cheesy, buttery and delicious.  This recipe makes 6 muffins.  You can double this recipe if you are cooking for more.  A lot of times when baking, half-ing or doubling may not work, but it is fine with this recipe, but there is one important note:  **Do not double the egg, one egg is enough whether you are making 6 muffins, or 12 muffins**

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (a little more or less to your liking, sometimes I add a little extra).
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 scallion, thinly chopped
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1 egg

1)  Adjust your oven rack to the middle position.  Preheat it to 350 and grease a muffin tin.

2)  Whisk together your dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne, and pepper.  When that is well combined stir in your chopped scallions, cheddar, and parmesan.  

3)  In a separate bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients:  the milk, sour cream, melted butter, and egg. Mix until smooth.

4) Pour your wet ingredients into the bowl with your dry ingredients and fold together until just combined.  The batter will be very thick, it's okay, that is how it is supposed to be.  

5)  Grease a 1/3 cup measuring cup and use it to portion out our batter into 6 muffin cups.  Bake for about 25 mins., until golden brown.  Check the center with a toothpick.  If just a few crumbs come out on the toothpick, then it is done.

6)  Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.  

Enjoy!

French Toast

This is my favorite breakfast in the world!  Brandon makes the best french toast and it is really easy and quick.  The trick to this is making sure you are getting the right type of bread.  We use Challah Bread.  It is a soft, slightly sweet, braided bread.  It soaks up the custard mixture beautifully and has a wonderful sweetness about it.  I like to top my french toast with sliced bananas, walnuts, and a little powdered sugar, but it is also delicious with just syrup. 

Serves 2:  4 slices total, 2 per person

Ingredients

Challah Bread

2 eggs

1 cup half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon honey, warmed

2 tablespoons butter

(and whatever you choose to top your french toast)

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the bread about 1 inch thick.  Cut 4 slices. 

2) Squeeze 1 Tbsp honey in a microwavable bowl and warm it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.  For custard mixture, whisk together the half and half, the eggs, vanilla, and warmed honey until well combined.

3)  Pour mixture into a shallow dish.  Dip each piece of bread into the custard mixture.  Flip over and soak the over side.  Let each side sit in the mixture for about 15 seconds.   Place the soaked bread on a wire rack so the excess custard and drip off (I put a paper towel under the rack to catch the mess). Continue until all pieces have been dipped.

4) Preheat your skillet over medium heat.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan.  Place two pieces of the bread in the pan and cook each side for about 2 minutes, until golden brown.  When finished with each batch, place the slices in a baking dish and put them in the oven to keep warm until finished cooking.  Melt 1 more tablespoon of butter in the pan and cook the other 2 slices.

5) Top with whatever you like and enjoy!!