Have a great week, I'll be back soon, I promise!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Gone for a few days...
I really, really wanted to post a dessert I made yesterday before leaving for a short trip. But, being the much organized person that I am, ahem, I put off packing to the very last minute and I'll have to tease you with the idea of a fabulous summery and refreshing dessert recipe coming up in a few days. Hopefully, this little guy will keep you company while you wait...
Have a great week, I'll be back soon, I promise!
Have a great week, I'll be back soon, I promise!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Rhubarb Streusel Muffins
Judging from the heat and humidity we had the last few weeks, I think it's safe to say that summer is definitely here and has conspired against me so that I can't bake. And right when it gets a little cooler and I could stand to preheat the oven, we decided to paint. And not the colorful-artsy-fun kind of painting you hang on a wall. No, more of a the-dining-room-slash-living-room-needs-a-new-coat-of-paint kind of painting. At least we feel like we're in a completely new apartment and once we get those new curtains installed, it's gonna look pretty good too, if I do say so myself.
So, I give you today a treat of a recipe for Rhubarb Streusel Muffins I made a few months ago and never got around to posting. They are not too sweet, not too tart. They get a great crunch from the streusel but stay really moist from all the fruit they contain. And if I can find some fresh rhubarb at the market this weekend, and if the temperature stays a little cooler that 95F in my kitchen, I think I'll be making these again pretty soon!
Rhubarb Streusel Muffins adapted from Marzipan Mom who adapted from epicurious.com
Topping ingredients:
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Cake batter ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil (or 1/4 oil plus 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tbsp confectioners sugar
Preheat your oven to 375F and line muffin-tins with paper cups; set aside.
Start by making the topping: In a bowl, mix together oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and mix well until the mixture forms coarse crumbs; set aside.
And now for the batter: In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together oil (or applesauce/oil mix), eggs, vanilla, brown sugar and granulated sugar; mix well. Switching to a wooden spoon, add the flour and buttermilk in 2 batches, alternating between the 2, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until combined. Add the confectioners sugar to the rhubarb at the last minute and toss to coat the rhubarb well. Add the rhubarb to batter and fold it in.
Now, depending on how big your muffin tins are, you can divide the batter between 12 to 18 muffin cups. Fill the cups about 3/4 of the way full. Crumble the streusel on top of the muffins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Leave the muffins in the pan to cool a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. If the muffins are sticking to the pan, you can use a small knife to loosen them from the pan.
Note: If you don't have quite enough rhubarb to make this recipe, you can use tart apples, peeled and diced, to make up the difference.
So, I give you today a treat of a recipe for Rhubarb Streusel Muffins I made a few months ago and never got around to posting. They are not too sweet, not too tart. They get a great crunch from the streusel but stay really moist from all the fruit they contain. And if I can find some fresh rhubarb at the market this weekend, and if the temperature stays a little cooler that 95F in my kitchen, I think I'll be making these again pretty soon!
Rhubarb Streusel Muffins adapted from Marzipan Mom who adapted from epicurious.com
Topping ingredients:
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Cake batter ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil (or 1/4 oil plus 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 cups fresh rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tbsp confectioners sugar
Preheat your oven to 375F and line muffin-tins with paper cups; set aside.
Start by making the topping: In a bowl, mix together oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and mix well until the mixture forms coarse crumbs; set aside.
And now for the batter: In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together oil (or applesauce/oil mix), eggs, vanilla, brown sugar and granulated sugar; mix well. Switching to a wooden spoon, add the flour and buttermilk in 2 batches, alternating between the 2, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until combined. Add the confectioners sugar to the rhubarb at the last minute and toss to coat the rhubarb well. Add the rhubarb to batter and fold it in.
Now, depending on how big your muffin tins are, you can divide the batter between 12 to 18 muffin cups. Fill the cups about 3/4 of the way full. Crumble the streusel on top of the muffins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Leave the muffins in the pan to cool a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. If the muffins are sticking to the pan, you can use a small knife to loosen them from the pan.
Note: If you don't have quite enough rhubarb to make this recipe, you can use tart apples, peeled and diced, to make up the difference.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops
I'm having the toughest time finding ice-pop molds. I have shopped at countless stores, looked through I don't know how many websites, I can't find the one I want at an affordable price that wouldn't cost me more in shipping and taxes than the actual price of the mold! It doesn't help that I want the Norpro Popsicle Maker. No other one will do. I love the shape and design of it. There's still one store I want to go see and if I don't find it there, I'm giving up.
Of course, lack of an ice pop mold hasn't stopped me from making some anyway. The latest issue of Ricardo Magazine is chock full of ice pop recipes and ideas on how to shape them. My favorite way is to use a loaf pan and wooden popsicle sticks. I lined my pan with plastic wrap to make sure I could unmold my pops easily and voilà! ice pops! I adapted a recipe from Coup de Pouce Magazine and used the fruit I had on hand to make wonderful yogurt pops. They are delicious! I can't wait to try many other variations. I've even served these for breakfast to the kids, they couldn't believe they were having popsicles for breakfast! Hey, it's no worse than a bowl of yogurt with some fruit, right? ;) Bring on the heat!
EDIT: It was brought to my attention by a commenter that I had omitted to explain how to get the popsicle sticks to stand up straight in the loaf pan. I guess I was so excited to share this recipe with you guys, I forgot about that part! I've edited the recipe with the proper explanations, I'm sorry for any inconvenience this slip-up may have caused.
EDIT #2: For those of you wondering where to get food-safe popsicle sticks, I get mine at a craft store. As long as they're plain and not colored, they should be food safe. Here's a link on the subject.
Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops
2 cups vanilla yogurt (not non-fat)
2 cups strawberries, sliced (fresh or frozen)
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Watermelon cubes (about 20 cubes, 1/2-inch each)
8 to 10 wooden popsicle sticks
Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with plastic wrap. Have your popsicle sticks on hand.
In a blender combine the yogurt, strawberries, lime juice and zest. Puree until well combined. Pour the yogurt blend into your prepared pan. Drop the watermelon cubes into the mixture, making sure there are a few cubes in each pop. Cover the pan with 2 or 3 layers of plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the top of the yogurt mixture. With the tip of a sharp knife, make incisions where you want your popsicle sticks to go, spacing them evenly. Place the popsicle sticks into the holes, standing them up straight. Freeze for about 6 hours, until the pops are completely frozen.
When you want to serve your pops, take the pan and run warm water over it to loosen the edges. Take the plastic wrap and lift the frozen "loaf" out of the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut in between the popsicle sticks. There you have it, Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops!
Note: If you use a yogurt with a low-fat content the popsicles will be a bit icy and have a tendency to break easily. They're just as good, just a bit fragile.
Of course, lack of an ice pop mold hasn't stopped me from making some anyway. The latest issue of Ricardo Magazine is chock full of ice pop recipes and ideas on how to shape them. My favorite way is to use a loaf pan and wooden popsicle sticks. I lined my pan with plastic wrap to make sure I could unmold my pops easily and voilà! ice pops! I adapted a recipe from Coup de Pouce Magazine and used the fruit I had on hand to make wonderful yogurt pops. They are delicious! I can't wait to try many other variations. I've even served these for breakfast to the kids, they couldn't believe they were having popsicles for breakfast! Hey, it's no worse than a bowl of yogurt with some fruit, right? ;) Bring on the heat!EDIT: It was brought to my attention by a commenter that I had omitted to explain how to get the popsicle sticks to stand up straight in the loaf pan. I guess I was so excited to share this recipe with you guys, I forgot about that part! I've edited the recipe with the proper explanations, I'm sorry for any inconvenience this slip-up may have caused.
EDIT #2: For those of you wondering where to get food-safe popsicle sticks, I get mine at a craft store. As long as they're plain and not colored, they should be food safe. Here's a link on the subject.
Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops
2 cups vanilla yogurt (not non-fat)
2 cups strawberries, sliced (fresh or frozen)
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Watermelon cubes (about 20 cubes, 1/2-inch each)
8 to 10 wooden popsicle sticks
Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with plastic wrap. Have your popsicle sticks on hand.
In a blender combine the yogurt, strawberries, lime juice and zest. Puree until well combined. Pour the yogurt blend into your prepared pan. Drop the watermelon cubes into the mixture, making sure there are a few cubes in each pop. Cover the pan with 2 or 3 layers of plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the top of the yogurt mixture. With the tip of a sharp knife, make incisions where you want your popsicle sticks to go, spacing them evenly. Place the popsicle sticks into the holes, standing them up straight. Freeze for about 6 hours, until the pops are completely frozen.
When you want to serve your pops, take the pan and run warm water over it to loosen the edges. Take the plastic wrap and lift the frozen "loaf" out of the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut in between the popsicle sticks. There you have it, Strawberry-Watermelon Yogurt Ice Pops!
Note: If you use a yogurt with a low-fat content the popsicles will be a bit icy and have a tendency to break easily. They're just as good, just a bit fragile.
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