Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

For the life of me I cannot remember where I saw this recipe, the excitement of giving this a try got to me and I have forgotten.  Was it Pinterest? Was it from another blogger?  I have not the foggiest notion.  Luckily the blogger was kind enough to boldly plant her logo right in the front corner of a most delectable picture of this amazing crisp.  This past Saturday morning I made Slow Cooker Apple Crisp with a recipe from The Taylor House and it was a delicious success!

I admit my picture is not nearly as good as hers but in reality the taste is just as described so I totally count that as win.  I have often avoided fruit crisps; recipes that yielded way too much product, too much bad for you tainting the good for you in the fruit and oats, and a less that stellar wet crust or runny fruit.  This recipe had a few simple ingredients and lots of great apples plus the slow cooker method had me intrigued.  I have been cooking more from scratch as one of my goals in 2015 and I have been proud of the results, which is why I had the courage to give a fruit crisp another go, especially when this unique recipe came across my computer screen.

I used my small crock pot, three quart sized to be exact and this recipe filled it almost to the brim.  At first I was both skeptical and concerned with the paper towels under the lid.  I wasn't sure that the towels were going to keep the steamy wetness off my crust and I thought it was too close to the crust that it would stick and ruin the whole dessert.  I should have known.  As the crisp cooked the amount of water coming from that luscious fruit proved that the towels were necessary as well as a fantastic idea.  Additionally, the fruit cooking down yielded plenty of space so that the towel did not touch the crust and get it overly moist. The Taylor House did not lead me astray and this crisp recipe will stay as a regular in my house!

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

6 tart apples, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup Old Fashioned Oats
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter

Place the sliced apples in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Mix the oats, flour, sugar, and spices until blended.  Cut in the butter forming a crumbly mixture.  Pour the topping mixture over the apples, I had to tap it down a touch to get it to fit in.  Place paper towels, I would go with two layers, over the top of the slow cooker and then the lid.  This step really does make the difference.  Cook on low for four hours.  Serve hot plain or with ice cream!

   
I hope you will give this yummy recipe a try, I'm sure it will be a crowd pleaser. I know it will be part of my Thanksgiving meal from now on!

Have a tasty day,
Kelly
     

HTTC - Molasses Sugar Cookies

Fall is by far my favorite season.  The changing of the leaves is the most gorgeous reason we have to look forward to cooler temperatures after the glory of the summer heat.  But beyond the yellows, reds, oranges, and golds, we get even more reasons to love fall: pumpkins and squash, adorable little kid costumes during Trick-or-Treating, fall baked goods, hoodies, and possibly the best reason after those amazing leaves is the local fall festival.  I live out in the country and we are inundated with them during the month of October.  Hay rides, antique sales, and craft fairs are the staples of any fest, flesh it out with a carnival or possibly a tractor show and you have your Saturday planned out in rural NW Illinois. 

You can start a great fall fest morning with a rampant increase in Garage/Yard sales to catch the crowds, the wonderful aroma of fresh apple cider doughnuts sold by the local Boy Scouts or Kiwanis group, and finally a tour of the craft show at the high school equipped with the ever present bake sale to help raise money for worthy group.  This small town bake sale is where I got my inspiration to back up some yummy fall flavored cookies.  While my husband and father were off perusing the finest farm tractors the 1930’s and 40’s had to offer I took in the crafts and baked goods.  The craft fair had the normal offerings: Pampered Chef, booths full of knitted and crocheted items, smooshed wine bottles turned cheese trays, tied fleece blankets, and for some reason a guy who did custom paintings of sports figures, he did great work, but had a few to many Green Bay Packer Players displayed for a craft fair in Illinois.  Go Bears!

 There was a very nice quilt show tacked onto the craft fair.  The organizers wanted each person to vote for their favorite and even gave you a latex glove if you wanted to touch the quilts, to turn them over and admire the back or delve deeper into the stich patterns.  I voted for one that was an appealing mix of off white, a soft pink, and a sage green, the creator had named it “spumoni”.  Anita had recently taught me how to paper piece a quilt block so this show turned out to be much more interesting than I had originally thought it would be.  Seeing how I could manipulate the patterns in blocks to create a wondrous work of art proved quite the joyous adventure!   

 I had wandered a school full of pillow covers and handmade bird houses, I had admired hours of planning and stitching of fabric, I even managed to check out a few tractors in the ever present battle of red vs green, after all that I thought deserved a treat in the form of a bake sale goodie.  This one was to benefit the marching band, and from the looks of things the every parent had brought the A game.  Cakes and pies, brownies and cupcakes, popcorn balls and candies, snack mixes, and cookies of every kind all offered up by teenagers in ridiculously loud homemade band t-shirts.  I did not know they still made puffy paint.  We got some oatmeal raisin cookies and some small molasses buttons.  I adore molasses cookies but I never think to make them, well after I ate one of those buttons I was sold.  I was inspired to make a big chewy molasses cookie with lots of spice and fall flavor.  This whole recipe mixes up in a sauce pan but makes three dozen cookies, saving you from having to get out the mixer.  I added a candy corn to add a bit more fall feeling to the cookies, and because I love how cute candy corn is!

Molasses Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup soft butter
1/3 cup of you favorite type of molasses
1 cup sugar
1 egg, or egg substitute equivalent
1/4-1/2 tsp ground cloves (1/2 tsp will be quite strong)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
Candy corn, optional

Melt the butter over low heat and let cool.  Add the molasses, sugar, and the egg and beat well. Mix in the cloves, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.  Mix in the flour.  Chill in the pot for 60-90 minutes, it won't be overly firm.  Preheat oven to 360.  Roll into 1 inch balls and toss in sugar, you do not need to flatten.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Press a candy corn into the center of each cookie when they come out of the oven before you cool them on a rack.  Store the dough in the refrigerator between batches. Makes 36+ cookies.

I will never forget to make molasses cookies again with how easy and tasty this recipe is. So chewy and full of depth, each bite makes me happy! I hope your fall baking makes you feel happy and full of life, the way fall should.   

Kelly   

Zucchini Spice Bread

I decided to welcome fall and at the same time avoid watching the Bears/Packers game with some baking this past weekend.  We put up all the Halloween decorations on Saturday so it was starting to get moving in the Summer is over let’s bring on Fall kind of direction in our household.  Apple picking is just around the corner along with pumpkins, corn stalks, squash, and apple cider doughnuts.  Even though Christmas is already out in the stores, taking up valuable Halloween decoration and candy space, and I swear Pumpkin Spice Lattes have been out since the end of August, I have been looking forward to refreshing cold glass of apple cider to acclimate myself to the new season. It is still a bit too warm for the latte, no offense you pumpkin spice lovers out there, your crisp temperatures will come.

I love all the flavors of the fall season.  They are more deep and aromatic than then fresh bites of summer, but not as heavy and sweater inducing as winter eating.  Cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg mixed in with brown sugars and rich butter create a dense taste that is both warm and inviting after a day spent outdoors picking pumpkins and hanging up spooky ghosts that creep out the neighbors and at night.  This quick bread has a very dark color with all the fantastic spices but don’t let it fool you, it is at home with a nice smear of whipped cream cheese and that cold glass of apple cider or warmed with a bit of butter and the spiced latte of your choice.  I have even toasted a piece or two for a comforting breakfast.

It uses some of that zucchini that might have been squirreled away in your freezer from the summer’s bounty or from fresh bought at the store which can still be found a good price.  If using frozen zucchini don’t be afraid to pour off some of that extra liquid but not all of it, we don’t want a dry loaf.  The recipe is very forgiving when it comes to the spices. Sometimes I cut back on the ginger and add in a bit more cinnamon for a richer flavor that is less reminiscent of spice cake and is more like apple pie.  I have a cooler oven so I bake my loaf 5-10 minutes longer than the recipe calls for and since it is a dark batter you have to keep an eye on it, checking it often with the toothpick.

Zucchini Spice Bread

1 large zucchini grated or 2 cups grated

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. white sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs or egg equivalent

1&1/2 cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1&1/2 tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

¾ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs. In a smaller bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt.  Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir to combine well.  Stir in the grated zucchini.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes.  Cool in pan 10 minutes then cool fully on a wire rack.

This baking adventure turned out much better than the Bears/Packers game; at least if you were a Bears fan, sigh…..  The leaves are changing and the Halloween decorations are beginning to appear around the neighborhood.  Soon it will be time for hoodies every day and my favorite crafting time of year, the Howl-oween Tricks and Treats Craftathon!          

Happy Fall Y’all!

Kelly

Lemon Zucchini Loaf Love

I don’t know about all of you but I am still working through my summer zucchini bonanza.  Those big yacht-sized ones will keep for weeks, patiently waiting to be shredded for bread and muffins.  While too big and fibrous for frittatas and stir-fries, the big boys will never be turned away when offered up by generous neighbors, they can be stored for an extended period of time to keep the summer seasonal baking alive until fall comes. I learned this year to cut out the porous core with the seeds to keep from shredding them into the finer textured quick breads like the lemon one below.  The guinea pigs love the cores and make quick work of them when offered up as the daily veggie treat.  But if I am making a hearty loaf that can stand up to a good smear of whipped cream cheese I will go ahead and leave them in for bite and loaf stability.

I wanted to try a new zucchini recipe or two this year to keep it exciting and keep my poor husband from suffering from zuc burnout like last year.  I made tons of quick breads, frittatas, muffins, stir-fries, and even grilled it up on the bbq.  A new recipe I tried that really woke up the taste buds and didn't make you feel like you were eating yet another heavy spice laden slice of quick bread trying to hide the fact that it contained zucchini was this Lemon Zucchini Loaf.  I wanted one that was bright and fresh but did not have a gaze on top. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good glaze; it can truly take a loaf from a simple snack and elevate it to cake status.  But this loaf was going to get sliced and packed in my husband’s lunches and a glaze would end up adding a soggy factor that I didn't want since it could end up sitting in a truck for several hours before being eaten, we do have to keep up "the wife who bakes the yummiest things for her husband" ideals.  If I was serving this at a party or event I would definitely splurge and top this wonderful bread with the tart and yummy glaze.

This recipe yields a dense loaf that is very reminiscent of a pound cake but without the butter.  The lemon is bright and clean and coupled with the density make this almost dessert like without a heavy sugar load.  With only one cup of shredded zucchini in the recipe this loaf could be baked anytime of the year when you need a little something for a treat or to give as a gift.  The recipe is from Sunny Creek Farms.

Lemon Zucchini Loaf

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, or egg substitute equivalent

1/2 cup canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 tablespoons lemon juice)

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan; set aside.  In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.  Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t over-mix.  Pour batter into prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  My oven runs a little on the cool side so I bake for 55 minutes.  This loaf does not really get a golden top while baking but the sides get a nice caramel color to them. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

This bread isn't too sweet and the lovely lemon flavor really shines through.  Brunches, Sunday mornings, or hostesses with the mostesses would all benefit from this simple slice-able treat.  I think I will go cut a slice and try to move on through the paper-piecing technique Anita taught me this past weekend.  She is such a great teacher and my star piece makes me very happy!  I am going to work on learning how to make my own piping to finish it into a pillow cover that I promise to share, but I have to finish it first! Good thing for baked goods and rainy days, they make for great crafting!

Keep it homemade out there, I know you will!

Kelly    

Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies

As you know I bake my husband treats for him to take to work in his lunches instead of buying him stuff.  If we do buy stuff he always picks the big sugar items, he loves the junk food.  At least if I make him cookies I know whats in them and can feel good about that.  He asked for dolled up Peanut Butter cookies so I dressed them up with white chocolate chips.  He thought the addition was a real winner!

1 stick soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, or egg substitute equivalent
1 tsp vanilla
1/ cup peanut butter, chunky or creamy
1&1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 to 1 cup white chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 375.  Lightly grease two cookie sheets, or silpat those bad boys up.  Cream the butter and the two sugars, add in the egg and vanilla and mix again.  Add in the peanut butter and mix lightly.  Toss in the flour, soda, and salt and mix until almost together.  Dump in the amount of white chips that makes you happy and then mix until all combined.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place on the cookie sheet.  Use a fork to flatten the cookies into the perpendicular look on the sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes for soft and chewy or 12-14 for crisp and brown.  

Keep warm and bake on my friends!

Kelly 

Petite Blueberry Banana Breads

Animal House Shelter, which is my local animal rescue, always hosts a picture with Santa for pets and kids to help raise money.  While taking pictures with the big guy or looking for that new best friend they sell baked goods to earn a little more for the shelter needs.  I baked some small loaves of banana bread and decided to perk them up with some Michigan blueberries.  I wrapped them up with wax paper and string to make them look cute and hopefully worth a few dollars to the shelter!

Petite Blueberry Banana breads

1&1/3 cups (2 large) mashed very ripe banana
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, or egg substitute equivalent
2&2/3 cups Bisquick
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, if frozen rinse and drain

Heat oven to 350.  Grease bottom only of four small loaf pans.  Mix all ingredients except Bisquick and blueberries until blended.  Partially stir in Bisquick than add in the blueberries and finish mixing.  Divide among the small loaf pans.  Bake 40-50 minutes, start checking at 40.  Let cool in pans 10 minutes then remove to rack to fully cool.

I hope you enjoy the recipe and have a safe and healthy Holiday season!
Kelly

Peanut Butter Shortbread Dog Cookies

A great big THANK YOU to all our past, present, and future Veterans.  You make our country so very proud!  A long weekend makes for some free time that needs an activity.  What eats more time than some hard core baking.  We made soft pretzels, crackers, and muffins.  But the one I want to share with you today is a quick peanut butter shortbread dog cookie that we made to satisfy our fur kids.  The dough is flakey in the beginning but don't let that deter you from giving this recipe a try.

 

Peanut Butter Shortbread Dog Cookies

 

3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

1/4 +1/8 cup milk

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and baking powder.  In a small bowl, whisk peanut butter and milk until smooth.  Make a well in the flour mixture and gradually stir in the peanut butter mixture until well blended.  Using your hands work the dough into a ball.  The warmth of your hands will help make the dough more workable, if you use chunky peanut butter don't be shocked if your peanut nibs come popping out, you can just roll them back in.  Knead the dough ball on a floured surface for two minutes.  With a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut the dog cookies into your favorite shape, I used a little heart cookie cutter.  Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with foil, parchment paper, or silpat.  Bake for 15 minutes at 400.  Cool on a rack and store in a sealed container in the fridge.

It took less than one cookie for everybody to be into these new treats.  Out with the store bought cookies in with the shortbread for my doggers! All the mixing, cutting, and baking took less than one hour.  Why not bake up a batch for your fur babies?

 

 

Keeping them happy,

Kelly, the origami ninja





  

 





Peanut Butter Banana Bread

It is FINALLY getting a little crisp here and I could not be more ready for it.  Football is being played at colleges and in major cities across the country.  Tailgating is in full swing.  Team gear is being worn in all the most garish of hues and in the oddest of types.  No one wants to put on the full Darth Vader outfit and go out to cheer for the Oakland Raiders in 95 degree heat.  When I represent for the Bears I am hoping for some chill in the air so I don’t overheat in my sweatshirt or Harry Potter type scarf in the old navy and orange.  So with all that I welcome the fall cool with a happy heart.  Cool temps=good baking.

Pumpkins are just around the corner, and with them will come pumpkin baking, roasting of seeds from the plethora of squashes available, and recipes involving leftover Halloween candy.  I don’t know about you but I have never had any leftover Halloween candy so I don’t’ really have any recipes that would call for it. 

To get my freezer ready for this wonderful fall bounty I need to clean out a summers worth of frozen bananas.  My husband eats two a day, but sometimes during the garden harvest months he has other fruits to eat and he forgets to eat both.  He still buys the same number every week so I end up with a few over-ripe ones at the end.  I have dedicated bags in the freezer for the brown spotty bananas to be used in baked goods.  I toss them in the bags with the peels on and let them sit until needed.  Three fully defrosted bananas are the same as the 1&1/2 cup mashed banana called for in a recipe.  You just squish them out of the peel into the batter as it mixes and they disintegrate right into the mix. Delicious!

As I have several bags of these frozen fruits it’s time to start the banana bread baking bonanza. I make several different flavors like chocolate or peanut butter as well as plain and freeze the baked loaves for later.  You never know when you might need a quick something to bring to a potluck or as a thank you to the neighbors for saving your mail.   

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

1&½ cups mashed banana, or three previously frozen bananas fully defrosted

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup chunky peanut butter

3 Tbsp butter melted

2 eggs, or egg substitute equivalent

½ cup sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1&1/2 cups flour

¼ cup wheat germ or ground flaxseed

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.  Combine the first five ingredients, through eggs, in a bowl and beat at medium speed.  Add in both the sugars and beat until blended.  Combine the flour and the remaining dry ingredients, through the cinnamon, in a separate bowl.  Add to the banana mixture and beat until blended.  Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool ten minutes in the pan, remove and cool completely on a wire rack.  



This recipe makes a tall thick loaf that goes a long way.  Great for breakfast or a snack or what have you.  The peanut butter taste is noticeable but not overwhelming and I think kids would like the change of pace.  I hope you are all looking forward to fall and all the beauty it brings!

Keeping it nutty,

Kelly, the origami ninja

 

Oatmeal Raspberry Cake

As the zucchini infestation continues in our neighborhood I thought we needed a break in the sweets arena so I thought I would try a non-zuc baked good this week.  I had a recipe for an oatmeal cake that really sounded different.  Its a dense cake that at the same time has a neat crumble to it.  The original recipe called for chopped up fresh cranberries and orange peel.  It also had a thick sugary glaze that had orange juice as the base.  All of that put together makes me think of a Christmas cake, very sweet and very jolly. 

It is still to hot to be thinking Holiday baking even if the decorations are already showing up in the stores.  I thought about how to lighten the flavors for a more summery bite and remove a bit of that sweetness.  Folks are still all about swimsuits and short dresses, we aren't quite ready for heavy sweaters to cover up an overindulgence or two, thus a simpler cake, but one with grand flavor.  I took out the cranberry and added in some whole frozen raspberries.  I took out the orange in the cake and got rid of the frosting altogether. 

While the cake as it was will be great for colder months, and I plan to make it as such during that time, the current changes produced a wonderful summery cake.  I am the first to admit that I am not yet at the level of culinary skill to completely re-write a recipe to suit my needs but I am proud that I can give it a tweak or two and have it come out yummy, even if the berries do turn the cake blue and pink!

Oatmeal Raspberry Cake

2&1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
1&1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, or equivalent egg substitute
1 cup milk
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, or any berry of your choice

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.  In a bowl stir together 2 cups flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add in the sugar and beat until combined.  Add in the eggs and beat again until combined.  Alternately, add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture beating on low speed after each addition until combined.  Toss the raspberries with the 1/4 cup reserved flour to coat well and fold all of it into the batter.  Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for ten minutes then remove and cool fully on rack.   

I can imagine this cake would be tasty with any type of berry, or a nice mixture of several kinds.  I have several cups of frozen blueberries that may fall victim to this recipe, though I don't think I would get any complaints if they did.  I hope your gardens are overflowing and that you and your are enjoying the bounty of the summer!

Keeping it fresh,
Kelly, the origami ninja



   

Choclate Zucchini Bread

Oh how the quest continues, the search for that Holy Grail of recipes, that elusive one that promises to use up that immense zucchini you have staring at you from the big bowl in the kitchen.  It taunts you doesn’t it? Leering at you with that bright green freckled skin, taunting you with its sheer size.  How will you ever use me up before I go rotten and play havoc with your sense of frugality?  Will your husband divorce you and your children run away to grandma’s because you served them poorly hidden zucchini one too many times? Oh Mother Nature, why is the asparagus so short lived and fragile while the zucchini perseveres during droughts, hurricanes, and possibly coming of the four horsemen of the apocalypse?  She answers back with a knowing smile, much like that of the Mona Lisa: because of its versatility!

While I may not have located that singular recipe that can use 100 pounds of zucchini in a single serving I have come upon one that comes close to a more realistic expectation of a massive requirement.  Four cups! Four glorious grated cups of zucchini go into this recipe, which gives it a moist density like that of a homemade chocolate cake, but at the same time does not overwhelm the bread with veggie pungency.  I have three loaves of other zucchini breads in my freezer and for the sake of my husband’s sanity I wanted to do a chocolate version for some variety.  So I hunted the internet for one that was going to be rich, required only simple ingredients, and used lots of the green giant torpedo giving me the stink eye from the fruit bowl in my kitchen.  Enter: a post on Simply Recipes that met all my requirements and then some.  The post pointed out that this recipe is using fresh in season zucs that have lots of soaked up moisture, leading to the tasty spring of the bread. Recipe makes two loaves.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

·         4 cups grated zucchini (from about a pound and a half of zucchini)

·         2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (use natural unsweetened cocoa, NOT Dutch processed)

·         2 teaspoons baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

·         2 eggs, or egg substitute equivalent

·         3/4 cup unsalted butter (12 Tbsp or 1 1/2 sticks), melted

·         1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

·         1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Place the freshly grated zucchini in a sieve over a bowl to catch any excess moisture as it drains. If for some reason your zucchini is on the dry side, hydrate the shredded zucchini by soaking it in water first, and then place in sieve.  Preheat oven to 350 with a rack positioned in the middle.  Grease two loaf pans with spray or butter.  Vigorously whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk until there are no more clumps and the ingredients are well combined. In a separate large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until smooth, about a minute. You can do this with an electric mixer on medium speed, or by hand with a wooden spoon. Add the melted butter, instant coffee granules, and almond extract and beat until smooth.  Mix the grated zucchini into the sugar egg mixture. Add the flour to the zucchini mixture in 3 additions, stirring to combine after each addition.  Work quickly, and divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. (Work quickly because once the dry ingredients have mixed with the wet ingredients, the leavening has begun.) Place into the oven. Bake for 50 minutes at 350°F, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out cleanly and easily. Remove to a rack. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then run a blunt knife around the edges to separate the bread from the pan. Remove from the loaf pans and let cool completely on a rack.

The resulting bread is quite good with a bit of whipped cream cheese spread on a slice almost as a frosting.  The loaves hold together well and look pretty, each slice showing off the dark chocolaty texture.  I chopped up some little dark chocolates that I needed to finish off and tossed them into the flour mixture just to add a tiny surprise every now and then.  You could easily add nuts or fruit as well.  I think I may try it without the cinnamon next time; I am not a fan of it combined with chocolate, but that is in all things not just this recipe.  I thought I was going to have to leave out the coffee too but it really did help perk up the cocoa.  My husband gave it two thumbs up which makes me very happy since he has been taking all these baking projects to work day after day in his lunch as a snack and has not complained once.  He says his co-workers want some too!

If you have a delicious zucchini recipe we would love for you to share it with us either by email or drop us a comment with a link to it. We will gladly try it out and credit you up on the blog! I hope you have been enjoying all the wonderful fruits and veggies of the summer and trying all kinds of new recipes and cooking techniques with them as well.  Stay creative and safe this summer!

Keeping it baked,

Kelly, the origami ninja

The zucchini adventure continues......

As the name of the post suggests we are carrying on the great Summer tradition that is know as "finding new ways to cook that giant zucchini I found hidden in my garden".  When I told my husband I had another recipe for him to try he came into the kitchen with this sad man face on and asked in quiet tones "it's not zucchini pancakes again is it"?  Poor guy, I love zucchini pancakes, not like the sweet breakfasty ones but more like a potato pancake with shredded zucchini instead.  You put a little feta in there and serve it with a tatziki sauce and you have some tasty stuff.  I guess I have served that one a bit too much lately.

Well the new recipe for him to try was a sweet muffin that had nuts and chocolate chips in it.  Would he like it? Did he approve? After eating another zucchini laced food would I walk into my kitchen and find a murder scene with my giant veggie as the victim? Nope, no veggiecide would take place, he was safe from a future behind bars.  He loved the muffins all warm with a bit of butter on them and has been happily taking them to work in his lunch.  The chips stay whole in this and add just a touch of chocolate.  This is a very sticky batter and I was not happy at how hard it was to get these guys out of the muffin tin.  I will be making these again but I will definitely be using cupcake cups for them next time.  These treats have some good alternative sugars in the recipe and even have so oatmeal.  Nuts, oatmeal, and chocolate chips: all equals a very tasty muffin worthy of a giant veggie found hidden under those huge green leaves.

Zucchini-Oatmeal Muffins

• 1/2 cup 
• 1/4 cup pecan halves, or nuts of your choice
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 large egg whites ( I used four servings of the vegan egg replacer for both the eggs and whites)
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 cups grated zucchini, (about 1 medium)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 16 muffin cups with cooking spray or line them with paper liners.
Spread rolled oats and pecans on separate areas of a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool. Chop the pecans.  Stir together all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, toasted oats and pecans in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, apple butter and oil in a medium bowl. Stir in zucchini. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Super good with butter or whipped cream cheese.  I hope you are enjoying your summer veggies and crafts. Keep it fresh, fun, and carefree everyone!
Kelly, the zucchini farie

Summer equals zucchini cook off

We are in the thick of zucchini season and I hope you are all surviving the veggie onslaught.  Did you know there is a National Slip a Zucchini on to Your Neighbors Porch Day? This season is all about a wonderful green powerhouse that is so versatile that you can cook with it every week all Summer long and never run out of recipes.  I plan on bringing lots of zucchini yumminess your way for as long as I can, and I as I have been given three huge zucs that will not be that difficult of a task.  Lets start of with a savory one.....

Curried Zucchini and Couscous

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium zucchini, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup water

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2/3 cup whole-wheat couscous

1 cup grated carrot

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted 

1/4 cup golden raisins

 

 

  

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.  Add water, lime juice, curry, cumin, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.  Add the couscous and carrot to the bowl with the zucchini; stir to combine. Top with raisins and almonds.

 

You cannot know how fantastic this is unless you make it! Don't be shy, eat up that zucchini.

Keeping it green,

Kelly, the origami ninja

Lentil Cookies

Do not let the name frighten you, these cookies are a wonderful sweet treat.  My husband likes to take a granola bar type snack item in his lunch everyday.  I really don't have the heart to buy boxes of preservatives wrapped in up in foil when I could make him something with more flavor and better nutrition.  After watching an episode of the Cooking Channel's Spice Goddess the host's Lentil Cookie recipe fit that bill to a tee and then some.  The recipe makes 24 large cookies so I can have one for breakfast and he can have one for a snack and have more than enough for a few weeks.  These are chock full of really tasty and good for you things, especially the nuts and seeds!

Lentil cookies
1 cup cooked, smashed lentils, still warm
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, or egg substitute equivalent
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup quick rolled oats
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream the smashed lentils, butter, and sugar until well combined.  Blend in the egg, followed by the flour, baking soda, salt, and vanilla.  Now mix in the goodies: oats, pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, and chocolate chips, the dough will be very thick.  Divide the dough, which is very yummy, into four sections.  On a greased cookie sheet divide each section into six cookies.  No need to really flatten them out too much, they are better all mountainous looking.  Bake at 375 13-18 minutes, keeping an eye out for your favorite level of doneness.

These really do make a great breakfast with a glass of dairy or soy milk! You can substitute all kinds of nuts and seeds and fruits and still have a wonderful cookie too, the dough is so forgiving.

I hope you give them a try!
Keeping it fiberful.
Kelly, the origami ninja

Quick summer birdy and a savory pie

We in the Craft Club are a very lucky bunch, we have our own crafty supply benefactor.  A friend of ours has a very creative mother who is slowly sorting through her past endeavors into different craft loves.  As she sorts through we get all the items that have moved out of her realm of interest to add to our fun! We got another donation this past week and I got right into it and nabbed up some great stuff for a craft a little birdy told me about.  I got this little guy on the "cheep" at Michael's.  We went in just so my husband could use the restroom and ended up with two cute birds.  My husband said it was an expensive bathroom trip. In the craft gifts we received was a bag of Spanish moss and some great little twig things that are fantastic in the tiny pot.  He makes me smile every time I see them, they are just so cute!

Additionally, I found a wonderful quiche recipe that had some nice bold flavors in it.  Since my sweet husband puts up with all of my craft and costume plans he deserves some good man type food for dinner.  Give this one a go with some salsa and salad for a really good supper

South of the Border Quiche
1/2 lb chorizo sausage
1 pie crust in a 9 inch deep dish pie plate
2 tbsp cornmeal
3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 beaten eggs
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Remove the sausage from the casing and brown in a skillet until crumbly, drain well.  Prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust with a fork and bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned, cool.  Sprinkle the cornmeal in the bottom of the baked crust and then sprinkle in the sausage followed by both cheeses.  Combine the beaten eggs and the soup and pour over the cheeses.  Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes until a knife inserted  into the middle comes out clean.  Cool for ten minutes before slicing.  This is good eating folks!

I hope the summer is going well for all of you out there.  Keep it safe and fun!

Keeping it baked,
Kelly, the origami ninja

Japanese Red Bean Rice Cake

Since this year I am all about the new cooking adventures, I FINALLY tried making this cake.  I have had this recipe in my "try me soon" pile for years now having been shown the glory of this dessert by a supervisor who has mastered all things Asian cooking.  This is for you Lin!

Japanese Red Bean Rice Cake



Ingredients:

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups milk
1 14-18 oz sweet red bean
1 box Mochiko brand sweet rice flour
2 tsp. baking powder



In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and canola oil and then mix in the milk.  Add rice flour and baking soda, mixing well.  Stir in the can of beans.  Grease two quickbread pans, or one quick bread pan and four mini-loaf pans, and bake at 350 for around 50 minutes, making sure the middle of the cake cracks and turns golden brown.

 

This is a great recipe, but a tip to enjoying it to the fullest, eat the cakes at room temperature.  If they are coold the taste is really muted and faint. Give new cooking and ingredients a try, it sure is tasty!

 

Keeping it yummy,

Kelly, the origami ninja







Greek Almond Cookies

Last week at work we had a potluck to celebrate our email switching over to a new provider.....a bit sad, yes I admit, our IT people are a tad on the odd side.  But it gave us a chance to have some good food and chit chat about whatever and whatnot, a.k.a good yummy fun times.  The theme was Greek and I was in charge of the sweets factor.  I wanted to try something new and I had a nice new can of almond paste in my cabinets so to the interwebs I went to find a cookie to suit my sugar needs.  I found a wonderful recipe on a Greek food blog, truly the best place to find a recipe if I do say so, and the pictures that when with it had me sold in a heart beat.



Greek Almond Cookies

1 can (227 grams) almond paste
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 egg whites (I used egg substitute for three eggs here)
1/2 cup ground almonds
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Whole or sliced almonds for the top of the cookies (optional)


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well.  I found the almond paste to be too stiff and I couldn’t get it to mix well with all the other ingredients just by using a spoon and stirring by hand, so I emptied the “dough” into the bowl of my food mixer and beat until well combined.  I will admit the dough tastes amazing.  Fill a piping bag with the dough and pipe rounds of “dough” onto the baking sheets (or use a tsp sized cookie scoop/spoon to do so).  Top with sliced almonds, or a whole nut right in the center.  Bake the cookies for 10 to 14 minutes until golden around the edges; cookies will still be soft when you remove them from the oven but will harden as they cool. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before devouring them with both hands.  My cookies don't look anything like the ones on the blog, hers look so pretty, I am betting because of the egg substitute.  But man-oh-man did they taste good!

Please go check out this wonderful blog full of yummy Greek food ideas: Kali Orexi. 

Keeping it international,
Kelly, the origami ninja



Garden Harvest Bread

It seems a bit early to be whipping out the word "harvest" being that it is still August, but this cake/quick bread is too good to pass up.  It has yummy carrot, zucchini, and apple in it with lots of great walnuts.  So yes, it is a very fall baked good, but if we all try it now we will be able to bake and freeze a bunch of it when we have more veggies than we know what to do with.  Some of you may even have some of these ingredients coming out of your ears already depending one your location or mad gardening skills.  So amongst all the canning, freezing, jarring, crock potting, and pickling you have planned for the upcoming months of produce proliferation try baking some of this bread to get the house smelling ready for fall.

I am one of those people who will eat the same thing for breakfast for weeks at a time and then I will get bored, switch to something new, and then eat that for several weeks, and so on, and so on.  I have just gotten off of a whole grain toast and slice of cheese kick and I wanted something sweet that I could put cream cheese on, but not feel totally horrible about after I finished eating it.  So I dug this tasty treat out of an old cooking light, traded out the eggs for some egg replacer, used whipped cream cheese, and ended up with a wonderful rich breakfast that isn't too bad for me at all.  Oh the glory of the whipped cream cheese........

Garden Harvest Bread

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated peeled Granny Smith Apple, or whatever kind you have on hand
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted if you like
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, or egg substitute to match

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the grated apple, grated carrot, shredded zucchini, and walnuts to the dry mixture and toss well.  In a small bowl combine canola oil, milk, and eggs/egg substitute and mix with a whisk.  Stir wet ingredients into the veggies and mix until just combined.  Coat and 8 x 4 loaf pan with cooking spray.  Spoon batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove cake from pan. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

I didn't really think there was much of a difference between grated and shredded until this recipe.  Now I know that grating is much finer compared to shredding, but that both taste great when mixed into quick bread.  Do you have a favorite recipe that uses up all your garden produce, we would love to taste it!  Send us a recipe so we can taste it and share with all the rest of the produce loving populace out there.

Keeping it yummy,

Kelly, the origami ninja

Creative Cookie Crafting

MMMM cookies! So as I have been crafting along, still working on that bookshelf, I realized I had been neglecting my baking.  I wanted to try a new cookie recipe, but not just any old one would do.  I wanted something fresh tasting for spring, but something I could at least pretend was decently good for me in terms of a cookie.  I found a recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate cookies and though it would fit the bill nicely, both oatmeal and cranberry were in the name, that screams good-for-youish cookie to me!

This recipe said it made two and a half dozen but I ended up with four dozen little yummy cookie jems which equals plenty to share.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

2/3 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1&1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1&1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 oz dried cranberries

2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Beat butter and and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs, mixing well.  Mix oats, flour, salt, and baking soda together and add into the wet ingredients in several batches mixing well after each.  Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden delicious brown.  Cool on a wire rack or stuff into face while hot.

Sage and Abby tried to argue that the white chocolate was ok for dogs but to no avail.  I hope you all are cooking up some great recipes in your kitchens! Let us know what you have made lately.

Keeping it cookies,

Kelly, the origami ninja.