Fruit

Breakfast Skillet

February 7, 2012 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I have to apologize. I feel like I have been holding out on ya’ll. It’s not intentional or anything, I promise. I’ve been making this breakfast skillet over and over for the past several months now and I’m addicted. This recipe has quickly become a favorite of my family. I enjoy this meal for many reasons but mainly because it doesn’t keep me standing over the stove and away from my family. The hardest part about this breakfast is waiting on it to finish baking. We make the most of the waiting time by spending time together, playing and finding fun activities to do until it’s time to eat!

Why do we love this so much? For a couple of reasons: 1) It’s so quick and super easy to prepare. 2) It’s very easily adapted to suit tastes, types of fruit in season, and whatever you may have on hand. So far I have made this with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and most recently a combination of cranberries and apples. The buttery biscuits, cinnamon and sugar help to offset the tartness of the cranberries and raspberries. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing with different fruits and flavor combinations, I have so many more variations I can’t wait to try. This has become a staple in our breakfast menu and a hit with everyone who has tried it, as well. I am sure this will be just as big of a hit in your house as it is in ours!

Breakfast Skillet

Ingredients:

For the Streusel Topping-
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2-1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

For the skillet cake-
1 (12ounce) can buttermilk biscuits (or 2 small cans)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Cup fruit, dried, fresh or frozen
1 Small apple, thinly sliced*

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

For the Streusel Topping-
In a small bowl or food processor combine 4 tablespoons butter, granulated sugar and cinnamon. With a fork, mash the butter and stir until ingredients are completely combined.

For the skillet cake-
Place skillet over low-medium heat. Place 2 tablespoons of butter and brown sugar in skillet and stir until butter is melted and ingredients are combined. Remove skillet from heat.

***If you are using apples, place 1/4 of the slices on the bottom of the skillet.

Place biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle ¾ of the fruit over the biscuits. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the biscuits. Sprinkle the rest of the fruit over the sugar mixture.

Place in oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the biscuits are cooked and the sugar mixture has melted.

Recipe source: Adapted from Paula Deen

Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread

November 10, 2011 by Lynsey 1 Comment

Banana’s. Strawberries. Brown butter. On their own, each of these are delicious and have a very distinct flavor. They are wonderful in baked goods, breakfast dishes and perfect for a snack. But lets talk about dessert for a minute. First and foremost, I love dessert, I mean anything sweet but we’re going to get kind of flavor specific for just a second. I am a huge fan of banana bread, banana milkshakes, banana whoopie pies, strawberry shortcake, strawberry cake and strawberry ice cream…just to name a few. Honestly, I’m a fan of anything that incorporates any of these flavors.

What is the common element in all of these? They just incorporate one of these three ingredients. So what could be better than just a banana dessert or just a strawberry dessert? What about a dessert that not only includes bananas, but strawberries and brown butter? To me, that sounds absolutely divine and that’s what been done with this bread!

I’ve been a brown butter fan for a long time…if you haven’t tried it you must and I promise you will be addicted to! Browned butter adds so much flavor to any dish, and it goes well with both sweet and savory dishes. I love the nutty flavor it adds to this bread. It gives it so much depth and adds a hint of caramel flavor as well. This pairs well with the tartness of the strawberries and the sweetness of the bananas.

This bread is definitely sweet enough to be served as a dessert, but could easily be enjoyed as a snack or even breakfast. I think this would also be wonderful as a muffin, and perfect for breakfast on the go. I can’t wait to make some more!

Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread

Ingredients:

6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 Cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/4 Cups mashed bananas, about 3 ripe bananas
3/4 Cup chopped strawberries
1/4 Cup sliced strawberries
1 Tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Large eggs
2 Cups all purpose flour
3/4 Cups brown sugar
1 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 Tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan and set aside.

For the brown butter-

Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to crackle and foam as it melts. Once the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown. Swirl the butter around the pan as the butter cooks. Once the butter is brown and begins to smell nutty, remove from heat and pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool.

For the bread-

Wash, chop and slice strawberries and set aside. Mash the bananas and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in the brown sugar and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Add the cooled, brown butter and whisk together. Fold in the mashed bananas. Once combined, add the flour mixture and mix the ingredients together. Fold in the diced strawberries, do not over stir.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Place half of the sliced strawberries on the battter in the pan. Spoon the remaining batter into the pan, and top with remaining sliced strawberries.

Place the bread in the oven and bake for 50 minutes (or 1 hour), until bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread rest in the pan for 15 minutes; then invert on a wire rack to allow to cool completely.

Place in an air-tight container to store.

***This bread also freezes well.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from Joy the Baker who’s recipe was inspired by Amateur Gourmet

Baked Oatmeal

November 8, 2011 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Lately recipes for baked oatmeal have been popping up all over the blogasphere. After seeing this on several blogs I knew I had to try it out and see what all the hype was about. Boy, I can now say I see why this has been showing up pretty much everywhere I look. I have been missing out. I have always enjoyed oatmeal as a traditional breakfast dish as well as a quick fix for supper, and of course I’ve also enjoyed it in cookies! Although bland on it’s own, oatmeal is a blank canvas and can be jazzed up by a multitude of spices, fruits and various other “toppings”.

Until now, I had never tried baked oatmeal. Don’t ask me why, I just hadn’t. I can honestly say I should kick myself for not attempting this until now. Not only was I holding out on myself, but on my family. I love this recipe for many reasons. First, and most importantly is for taste. Secondly; it is so easy to assemble. Third; it is so versatile and the flavor combinations can be easily adapted to suit your tastes as well as the season. So far I have only tried the original, blueberry banana combination, and loved it. I can’t wait try try other flavor variations, I am thinking something pumpkin for fall!

Each bite was packed with so much flavor. The natural sweetness from the fruit along with the touch of maple syrup is all this dish needs to be a satisfying meal. Enjoy the leftovers for breakfast throughout the week since it reheats well and is just as delicious the second…and eve third time around. Don’t hold out on yourself, or your family, for as long as I did. You have to go make this now! I promise it will become a staple for your family just as it has mine.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 Cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 Cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted, divided
1/2 Tsp baking powder
3/4 Tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 Cup maple syrup
1 Cup milk, almond milk, or coconut milk
1 Large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 Tsp vanilla extract
2-3 Ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1/2-in. thick
1 c. Blackberries (fresh or frozen), divided

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly grease (or spray) a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir together.

In a cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.

Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe source: seen on Kelsey’s “Apple a Day” originally from Super Natural Every day by Heidi Swanson

Grilled Peaches With Cream

August 10, 2011 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

What comes to mind when you think of summer? For me it’s light, fresh foods; strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, corn on the cob, and the list goes on and on. Summer is the time to relax, enjoy the fresh fruits and veggies from the garden and fire up the grills for all of those wonderful summber bbq’s. As much as I love fall and all the foods that go with it; I can never wait for summer to roll around. While summer is should be winding down; it’s still hot as ever, our garden is still producing goodies, and the grill is still being fired up.

We have been using our grill quite a bit this summer along with grilling the normal summer foods, I’ve also been trying a few new foods on the grill. I have had a blast experimenting with new recipes and I still have some more I want to try before summer comes to an end. (Let’s enjoy it while we can because when winter gets here we’ll be wishing it was summer all over again!)

I have always seen people make grilled fruits and grilled desserts but I’ve never attempted them. I guess I’ve always been a little intimidated by grilling different things, other than meats, on the grill because some of the other foods are so fragile. I do, however, love the taste of grilled fruits (especially pineapple) so I decided to overcome my fear and attempt to grill fruit. When I came across this recipe for grilled peaches and cream, it looked delicious and yet simple enough for me to attempt and not get overwhelmed. When trying new techniques (or basic techniques using new foods), I like to start out small and simple and then move on to the bigger things. These peaches were the perfect “starter” recipe for me to start grilling fruit. These were incredibly simple to prepare, not a lot of ingredients and simply delicious.

I love the taste of these peaches. They are packed full of flavor. They are sweet, juicy, and smokey all at the same time. The peaches themselves are devine; but after topping them with fresh whipped cream and honey…can I just say WOW? These are incredible. These are the perfect way to end a summer meal; they are sweet and enough to quench your sweet craving yet light enough so you’re not weighed down after a meal. You definitely won’t be able to get enough, and you’ll literally be licking the plate to make sure you have consumed every last drop of juice, honey and whipped cream! My mouth is watering as we speak…and I can’t wait for more.

Grilled Peaches and Cream

Ingredients:

4 Firm fresh peaches, halved, pits removed

1/2 Stick unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp honey

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium high.

Combine melted butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Dip the cut side of each peach into butter mixture then place on the grill. Grill over direct medium for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate to cool slightly.

While peaches are cooling, combine heavy cream, vanilla, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat, gradually increasing speed, until soft to stiff peaks form. Spoon over warm peaches, drizzle with extra honey, and serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Peace, Love and French Fries, featured on The Novice Chef

Roasted Strawberry Lemon Ice Cream

July 19, 2011 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I scream, you scream we all scream for ice cream!

It’s national ice cream month and what better way to celebrate than with homemade ice cream. I love making ice cream, the more I make it the more I love it! Although I have never met an ice cream flavor I don’t like, I love making it because you have total control over the ingredients and flavors. What could be better? Another plus about making your own ice cream is you can make smaller batches of ice cream, this way you can go through each batch faster than the huge store bought cartons and try make more flavors to try!

I love strawberries and I love lemons, and the combination of the two are incredible! When I saw the recipe for this ice cream it moved to the top of my list. I love roasting vegetables and love the flavor of the roasted vegetables but I have never thought of roasting fruits. I’m not sure why it’s never crossed my mind but when I saw that this recipe called for roasted strawberries I was intrigued. Roasting these strawberries in the sugar mixture only helped to intensify their sweetness. I tested a strawberry, or two or three, when I took them from the oven and they were delicious! I could have eated the entire batch of roasted berries but I knew I had to stop so I could make this delicious ice cream! I’m so glad I refrained from eating the entire batch because this ice cream was fabulous. It was light and creamy, yet refreshing at the same time because of the bright fruit flavors. The flavor of lemon really came through, and while it was delicious, next time I will use more of the strawberry puree to get a little more strawberry flavor. This is the perfect dessert for these hot summer days we are encountering and the perfect way to end any meal.

Roasted Strawberry Lemon Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Roasted Strawberries-

1 Pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 Cup sugar
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tsp lemon zest

Ice Cream Base-

1½ Cups whole milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
4 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
1 Tsp fine sea salt
1¼ Cups heavy cream
1 Cup sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
¼ Cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

For the strawberries-

Preheat the oven to 375.

Combine the strawberries with the sugar in an 8 inch square glass baking dish. Roast until just soft, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Puree the berries, lemon zest and lemon juice in a food processor. Measure ½ cup of the pureed berries; refrigerate the rest.***

***I will use a cup or more of the puree next time
For the ice cream-

Mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
In a 4 quart saucepan, combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup and bring to a boil over for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Return to a boil cook until slightly thickened,about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Gradually add the hot-milk mixture to the cream cheese, whisking until smooth. Add the reserved ½ cup strawberry puree, lemon juice, lemon zest and the buttermilk and blend well. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister of an ice cream maker and spin until thick and creamy.

Pour into a well sealed container and place in the freezer.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Eggshells Kitchen Company

Cranberry, White Chocolate and Pumpkin Muffins…and a Giveaway

June 30, 2011 by Lynsey 16 Comments

I love the taste of pumpkin, I know it’s a flavor that is mostly associated with the fall but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be enjoyed throughout the entire year. I love muffins, they are so versatile and can be either as either a sweet or savory dish and with any meal of the day. I love what might considered “traditional” flavored muffins, such as blueberry, strawberry, oat bran and so on but I also enjoy experimenting with different flavor combinations. I have done exactly that with this recipe. Most people that heard this flavor combination gave me a funny look at first, but once they tried it they really enjoyed it and even asked for the recipe! I love this flavor combination; I love pumpkin anyway but paired with the sweetness of the white chocolate and the tartness of the cranberries; it’s unique but so delicious!

~~Now onto the giveaway. The giveaway will be for a $15.00 giftcard to~~ ~~Penzey’s.~~ To enter the giveaway please leave a comment telling me what your favorite spice is and even what your favorite recipe is using the specific spice, links welcome! To gain an additional entry “like me” on Facebook and then come back and leave a comment telling me that you “like me”.

~~Giveaway ends next Friday, July 8th at 11:59P.M.~~

Cranberry, White Chocolate and Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1 Can pumpkin
1 Stick (1/2 Cup) butter
1 1/4 Cup sugar
2/3 Cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp salt
2 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
1/4 Tsp allspice
3 Eggs
1/4 Cup sour cream
6 Oz White chocolate chips
1/2 Cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt, flour, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.

Place butter and granulated sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer, cream ingredients together using the paddle attachment. Add brown sugar and combine with other ingredients, then add eggs, one at a time, until all ingredients are incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture and combine. Add pumpkin and combine and then the rest of the flour mixture. Once ingredients are mixed, add the sour cream and mix on low until incorporated. (If mixture is too wet add a little more flour) Turn mixer up to medium-high and mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until aerated.

Stir in the chocolate chips and cranberries by hand. Make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated throughout the mixture.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan, place in oven and cook for 18-22 minutes, until muffins spring back and are golden brown. Remove from oven, dip tops in sugar in the raw, and place on cooling racks. Allow to cool completely then place in an air tight container to store.

Recipe Source: A Lynsey Original

White Cake with Apricot Filling

June 8, 2011 by Lynsey 5 Comments

Over the past few weeks I’ve been keeping my oven and mixer extremely busy. I’ve had the privilage to make cookies, cupcakes and cakes for various occasions and have enjoyed every moment. I look for any excuse to get in the kitchen and bake something and I’ve had more than my share of opportunities lately. I’m not the only one who loves it when I bake, Tucker’s face lights up when he sees the mixer and he now moves his hand in a spinning motion to tell me to turn it on…absolutely precious. So back to the topic at hand. My brother’s girlfriend’s favorite cake is a white cake with apricot filling and buttercream frosting. Sounds easy enough, right? Well it is when it’s not a person’s absolute favorite dessert that comes from a bakery that makes sweets that are sooooo good that I could only hope to make things that taste half as good theirs, oh and not to mention this is for a person who means the world to my brother. So it is an easy task except when all of those things are standing in your way.

So, since I had a very hard task in front of me I knew I needed a cake recipe that was out of this world. The first place I started looking was the What’s Cooking board on The Nest. Those girls are incredibly talented, so resourceful and not to mention have some fabulous blogs, I knew they would point me in the right direction. After hearing recommendations from them I decided to research their top recs as well as read over some cake comparisons on Bridget’s blog, The Way The Cookie Crumbles. I love reading her blog and I especially enjoy all of her recipe comparisons. If you are ever undecided about which recipe to use for a specific dish go to her blog to see if she’s done a comparison, she won’t lead you in the wrong direction! After reading what she had to say about each recipe, I knew I couldn’t go wrong with any of the compared recipes but it helped me choose the one I wanted to make for this particular occasion. For this special occasion I decided to make Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake. Although now I am looking for reasons to try the other two compared recipes because they look and sound delicious as well.

I was so happy with the way this cake turned out. Not only did I make 2, 9 inch round cakes to fill and stack but I also make some cute, little mini cupcakes for Tucker to take to daycare…plus I needed to be able to do some QC (quality control) to ensure the taste and texture were perfect. The mini cupcakes were incredible; they were light, fluffy so moist and airy but packed full of flavor…they were like sweet little pillows! I’ve never had a cake this moist that was so light and fluffy. I can honestly say this was one of the best cakes I’ve ever had and ever made. Although this cake is terrific alone, the apricot filling and buttercream frosting make it that much better. I mean, can you really go wrong with buttercream? I think not.

So if your looking for that perfect dessert, no matter what occasion, this is the cake for you. This cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It’s not overly sweet; the apricots add so much flavor but they have a little bit of a different flavor that helps cut the sweetness from the cake and buttercream. This is one of Spencer’s new, favorite flavor combinations and cakes. Believe it or not, he was skeptical of the flavors at first.

So let’s get on with the good stuff!

Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake-

2¼ Cups (9 ounces) cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ Teaspoon salt
1¼ Cups whole milk or buttermilk
4 Large egg whites
1½ Cups (10½ ounces) sugar
2 Teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 Stick (8 tablespoons/4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ Teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the buttercream frosting-

1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4-5 Cups powdered sugar
4-5 Tbs milk
1 Tsp vanilla

For the apricot filling-

2 6oz packages dried apricots
1 1/2 Cups water
2 Tsp grand mariner (optional)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2-3/4 Cups granulated sugar

Directions:

For the cake-

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round piece of parchment paper that has been buttered as well. Place the prepared pans on a baking sheet and set aside.

Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl, set aside.

In a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or other large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter to the sugar mixture and with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is well combined, then add the rest of the dry ingredients. Finally, beat the batter on medium-high for 2 minutes to ensure it is thoroughly mixed and aerated.

Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch (a thin knife or toothpick inserted into the centers should come out clean).

Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes to release them from the sides of the pan, remove cakes from pans and remove parchment paper. Invert the cakes and place on cooling racks and allow to cool until room temperature.
(the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

For the buttercream-

Place the butter in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar and whip until incorporated, then add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk and whip until combined. Gradually add 2 more cups of powdered sugar and beat on high for 1 minute, until fluffy and aerated. If the icing is too thick add a little more milk, if it’s too thin add a little more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large tip, I used the star tip. Lay one of the 9 inch rounds on a cake board and pipe a rim of frosting around the top of the cake, leaving a little space between the edge of the cake and the rim of frosting. Spoon the desired amount of filling inside the frosted rim then place the remaining layer of cake on top of the filled layer and slightly press. Frost the out side of the cake as desired.

For the filling-

Place apricots and water in a small saucepan and allow to stand, covered, 2 hours. Simmer for 20 minutes on very low heat, tightly covered or until apricots are soft.

Place apricots and remaining liquid in a food processor and puree. Add Grand Marnier, lemon juice and sugar, mix with several on-off turns. Add a little more sugar for a sweeter filling, if desired.

Place in a air tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Recipe source:
cake-Dorie Greespan, as seen on The Way The Cookie Crumbles
apricot filling- Wilton
frosting-a Lynsey original

Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes with POM Buttercream Frosting

February 25, 2011 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

In honor of Heart Health Month and Valentine’s the people at POM Wonderful are holding a cupcake contest. When I heard about this I was all in! I love experimenting with new flavors and I love cupcakes, for me, this was a win win situation. I get to try a new product, well new to me, and I get to make cupcakes! Why not enter? Not only would I have a sweet treat to enjoy and share for Valentine’s but POM offered to donate $1.00 to the American Heart Society for every recipe entered.

When I came across this contest I was so excited; the hardest part was deciding what kind of cupcake to make. I had countless for different flavor combinations; some including chocolate while others included lighter flavors such as lemon and blueberries. I decided to make a recipe with a lighter tasting recipe to compliment the POM buttercream frosting. This cupcake is wonderful alternative for dessert since there is so much chocolate during the month of February, you can’t have Valentine’s without chocolate! The cupcake was light and fluffy and full of flavor; the sweetness of the blueberries and sharp, tartness of the lemon topped off by the buttercream with a hint of sharp pomegranite flavor, absolutely delicious. This is a dessert that hits every sense on your palette and leaves completely satisfied…except for the fact that you could continue eating until there are absolutely no cupcakes left! Isn’t that the problem with every dessert though, it’s just so good that you don’t want to stop eating? That’s why they say eat dessert first! This is one dessert you don’t have to feel guilty about because it’s got fruit, so it’s completely healthy and good for you, just like drinking a diet coke cancels all the fast and calories from eating a Big Mac with large fries…haha!

The POM Wonderful, pomegranite concentrate, was wonderful. I tested it by itself and the flavor was absolutely wonderful. I have also visited their website to get ideas for more recipes to use this product, I can’t wait to use this in savory dishes. I know this will add tons of flavor, without all the work, and result in a wonderful dish. This is a great way to add more flavor and a different flavor to your meal without a lot of added expense. I know I’m always looking for new ways to add flavor and I have definitely found a product that does just that.

Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes with POM Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes-

1 1/2 Cup cake flour
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 Medium egg
2/3 Cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
3 Teaspoons lemon zest
3 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup blueberries*

POM Buttercream Frosting-

2 Sticks butter, room temperature
3 Cups powdered sugar
1/4 Teaspoon lemon zest
4 Tablespoons POM concentrate

*To ensure the berries stay whole and do not discolor the batter, place them in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. This will ensure they stay whole while stirring them into the batter.

Directions:

For the cupcake-

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; whisk and set aside.

Place butter in a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment beat the butter for 30 seconds on medium-high. Add the sugar and beat until creamed, about 1 minute. Add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting with the dry ingredients and ending with the buttermilk. Once ingredients are incorporated remove batter from the mixer and add the blueberries and gently stir the berries in.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into each cupcake liner. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and place on cooling rack, let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting-

Place butter in a bowl of a stand mixer, fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and beat the butter for 30 seconds on medium-high. Add the lemon zest, powdered sugar and POM concentrate and whisk on medium-high until all ingredients are incorporated and until fluffy.

Place in a piping bag and frost cupcakes as desired.

Product disclosure:I was contacted by Kristen from POM Wonderful, who asked if I would be intersted in in having a bottle of POM Wonderful, pomegranite juice concentrate, to try for myself. Since I have been interested in this product for quite sometime, and since I love pomegranite, I knew this would be a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of. I received a bottle of POM Wonderful for free, in exchange I amy trying/testing the product in many recipes and writing my own recipes including this product.

Recipe Source: A Lynsey Original

Cinnamon Apple Cake

January 24, 2011 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

What could be more irresistable than apples, cinnamon and brown sugar? In my opinion, there’s not a lot that can top this cake except for enjoying it on a cool, winter day! I love the smell anything cinnamon any time of year, but especially during the cooler months. There is just something so comforting about the smell of cinnamon; it makes me feel so warm and cozy even on the coolest of days. This Cinnamon Apple Cake not only embraces those smells that are so comforting to me but it also includes flavors and taste that accompany these wonderful fragrances. This is not only delicious but makes your entire house smell soooo good while it’s baking.

I love this cake; it’s so light and fluffy but has added texture from the apples and pecans. Every bite is packed with so much flavor, and the flavor is enhanced by the fresh apples in every bite. This cake is to apples what banana cake or bread is to bananas; although fresh apples can be used this is also a great way to use up those apples that have been sitting around a little too long and have passed their prime. Another plus about this cake is that it’s so easy to mix up; the most time consuming part is waiting for it to bake! Enjoy this easy and delicious cake warm, right out of the oven or at room temp, you simply can’t go wrong either way.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup oil
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups brown sugar + 1 Tablespoon
1/2 Cup sugar + 3 Tablespoons
3 Cups flour
3 Cups apples, chopped
1 1/2 Teaspoons baking soda
2 Teaspoons salt
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Teaspoon nutmeg, grated
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Cup nuts, chopped (your choice, I used pecans)

Directions:

Place sugars, oil, butter and eggs in a bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium until combined and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

Add 2 cups flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, nuts and apples, mill well. Add the remaining cup of flour and mix.

Flour and grease a bundt pan. Pour batter in the pan. Mix 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 3 tablespoons sugar together and sprinkle over the batter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from oven, let cake set for 3 minutes then invert onto a serving dish and let cool completely before covering.

Recipe source: my mom

Daring Bakers April Challenge-Toffee Apple Pudding

April 27, 2010 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet.

I love being part of the Daring Bakers because I always learn something from the challenge and there are a lot of time it pushes me outside my comfort zone when it comes to cooking and trying new things in the kitchen. This month was no exception, I was really excited when I read about this months challenge and what it entailed, not only were we challenged to work with an ingredient that is not common in the states but we were also challenged to make a dish that is not common here. We were challenged to use suet to make a British pudding dish which could be either savory or sweet. The options were endless as far as the combinations and varieties of puddings that could be made, and there were multiple ways this dish could be cooked. I really enjoyed this challenge but I was kind of disappointed because I wasn’t able to find any suet so I used Crisco, which was one of the alternative ingredients that was suggested in case suet wasn’t available. Not being able to find the suet was the only problem I ran into; everything else went well and I was really happy with the outcome. I made a sweet pudding this time, but I’m still going to be on the look out for suet and once I come across some I want to make a savory pudding. The toffee apple pudding I made this time was great; the apple filling was so delicious and the crust had a great flavor!

Some of you reading this are probably wondering what suet is, so before I go any further I will share a brief description.

Suet (/ˈsuː.ɪt/) is raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys.

The primary use of suet is to make tallow, although it is also used as an ingredient in cooking, especially in traditional puddings, such as English Christmas Pudding. Suet is made into tallow in a process called rendering, which involves melting and extended simmering, followed by straining, cooling and usually a repetition of the entire process.

Unlike tallow, suet that is not pre-packed requires refrigeration in order to be stored for extended periods.

Suet is essential in traditional English steamed puddings, and in the pastry for steak and kidney pudding, in which a pudding bowl is lined with the suet crust pastry, the meat added and a lid of suet crust tightly seals the meat. The pudding is then steamed for approximately four hours before serving in the bowl on the table. Suet pastry is soft in contrast to the crispness of shortcrust pastry.

Suet is also an ingredient of traditional mincemeat (fruit mince).

Suet should not be confused with beef dripping, which is the collected fat and juices from the roasting pan when cooking roast beef and is not rendered.

Due to its high calorific content, suet is used by cold weather explorers to supplement the high daily energy requirement needed to travel in such climates. Typically the calorie requirement is in the region of 5,000-6,000 KCals per day for sledge hauling or dog-sled travelling. Suet is added to food rations to increase the fat content and help meet this high calorie requirement.

Information take from: Wikipedia

Now, on to the challenge!

Toffee Apple Pudding

Ingredients:

180 Grams self-rising flour
Pinch of sugar
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
90 Grams shredded suet (I used Crisco since I couldn’t find suet)
Cold Water to mix (I did half water, half milk for a richer crust)
4 Cooking apples; peeled, cored and sliced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
120 Grams dermerara sugar
1 Tablespoon golden syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift the cinnamon, sugar and flour together and then mix in the suet. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until a stiff dough forms.

Grease a pie plate and line the plate with half of the mixture. Add the chopped apples, lemon juice and half of the sugar. Cover with the remaing dough, moisten and press the edges to seal.

Bake for 20 minutes then spread the syrup over the top of the pie and sprinkle with remaining sugar and place back on the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and eat hot.

Recipe Source: Pudding Club

To see other variations of this dish visit this months host: The Lilac Kitchen

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