Brownie Little Bites

I love having a good recipe that uses my starter.  These are great.  If you are a sourdough fan, Acts of Sourdough has amazing recipes.

Ingredients:

⅔ cup all purpose flour plus 1 Tbsp for Utah altitude 

½ cup cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ cup coconut oil

½ cup butter melted

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup sourdough discard

Instructions:

Melt your butter and coconut oil together and letting it cool slightly.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your cooled butter, coconut oil, and eggs until combined. Add the brown sugar and mix until light in color. Add in the sourdough discard and mix until there are no more streaks.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

Grease your mini muffin tin and spoon a tablespoon of batter into each well.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes until fully cooked.

Maple Glazed Apple Blondies

Ingredients:

Blondies

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Apple Filling

2 large apples chopped finely

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Maple Glaze

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 and line an 11x spray with pan with cooking spray

Apple Filling:

On med-low heat, cook apple filling mixture for about 3-4 minutes. Pull off heat and allow to cool.

Blondies:

Cream butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in brown sugar and granulated sugar, and mix until well combined.

Add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add in salt and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and cinnamon together. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.

In the bottom of the pan, spread half the blondie batter evenly, using an off set spatula.

Spread apple filling all over the layer.  Top with remaining blondie batter and spread evenly.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Maple Glaze:

Melt butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon over low heat. Once melted together, pull off the heat. Sift in powdered sugar, and whisk until fully combined. Allow to cool for 8-10 minutes so the glaze can thicken.

Allow bars to cool for about 10 minutes, then pour the glaze over the bars and allow it to set.

Apple Cider Margarita

Ingredients:

Sugar Rim:

2 Tbsp. Cinnamon and Sugar 

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

Margarita:

2 oz. apple cider

1 oz. silver tequila

1/2 oz. orange juice

1/2 oz. orange liqueur

Splash of sprite

Directions

For the sugar rim: Put cinnamon and sugar in a shallow dish. Put the maple syrup in a separate shallow dish. Dip the rim of a glass in the maple syrup, then into the spiced sugar, turning to coat; set aside.  

For the margarita: To the base of a cocktail shaker add the apple cider, tequila, orange juice, and orange liqueur. Add ice, secure the lid, and shake until very cold. Fill the rimmed glass with ice and pour in the shaken cocktail. Top with a splash of sprite

Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins

Full credit or blame as the case may be for this one goes to Sally.  Do NOT skip the icing.  

Ingredients

Muffins:

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c canola oil

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 c milk

Crumb Topping:

3/4 c all-purpose flour

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c packed light brown sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Maple Icing:

1 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 14

Make the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.

Spoon the batter into liners, filling them almost full.

Make the crumb topping: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Using a fork, lightly mix in the melted butter until crumbs form. Don’t over-mix. Spoon crumbs evenly on top of the batter and gently press them down into the batter so they’re snug.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425° then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21-22 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin pan as you make the icing. *For mini muffins, bake for 11-13 minutes at 350°F the entire time.

Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together until combined and smooth. Drizzle over muffins and serve warm.

Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Tomato sauce / Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

Olive oil

Tomatoes, wash, cored and quartered

Bottled lemon juice

Salt 

Put tomatoes tossed in olive oil on a cookie sheet skin side up.   Bake at 425° until the skins are darkened and starting to peel. Approximately 30 to 45 minutes.  Puree tomato and basil in batches in a blender.  Bring to boil and then simmer to desired thickness.  

I used the crock pot on low for about 12 hours.

Before filing each jar with tomato sauce, add lemon juice, salt and any other herbs desired to the hot jar in the quantity specified below:

Add lemon juice

Per Pint: 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice

Per Quart: 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice

Add salt 

Per Pint: ½ tsp

Per Quart: 1 tsp

Ladle hot sauce into prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot sauce. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process pint jars for 35 minutes and quart jars for 40 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store. For each quart jar of thin sauce, you'll need about 5 lbs of tomatoes.

For pasta sauce I add a row of fresh basil for roasting as well as cut up onion (as much as you would like).  When blending I add minced garlic.  

Adapted from Ball Canning recipe 

Salsa

INGREDIENTS

7 cups diced, seeded, peeled and cored tomatoes (about 5 lb or 15 medium)

6 green onions, chopped

4 jalapeno peppers, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white vinegar (5% acidity)

2 Tbsp bottled lime juice

2 Tbsp minced cilantro

2 tsp salt

Combine ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer to desired thickness.  

Ladle hot salsa into a hot jar leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling-water canner. 

Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process pint jars and half pint jars for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed.

Adapted from Ball Mason site

White Fish

Often times when I make salmon for Scott and , Rayce would prefer to have some type of breaded white fish. This is my go-to recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest 

1 1/2 lbs white fish

1 1/3 c crushed potatoe chips*

2/3 c crushed corn flakes

1 tsp season salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp pepper 

1/3 c butter milk

4 Tbsp butter, melted

Combine the butter and buttermilk. 

Add the fish and toss to combine and wet all the fish. 

Add the potato chip and corn flake crumbs, seasoned salt, cayenne and pepper to a large bowl. Stir to combine. 

Remove each piece of fish from the buttermilk mixture, and dredge through the crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. 

Place on the prepared baking sheet.   Lightly spray the fish with cooking spray or a mist of olive oil. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 450.  Be careful not to over bake this, cooking times will vary depending on the size of your fish.

*If I have potato chips, otherwise I use all corn flakes. Turns out great either way.

Chicken Pasta Salad

This is my go to at Hug He's for dinner.  Yummy.  Recipe credit to Six Sisters.  They have amazing recipes.  I find myself looking for random ingredients I need to use on their site and customizing one of their recipes around them quite a bit lately.

Salad:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)

2½ c bowtie pasta (cooked)

2½ c tri-color rotini pasta (cooked)

1 c broccoli (chopped)

⅔ c carrots (chopped)

1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

Dressing:

1 c sugar

1 c red wine vinegar

1½ c olive oil

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp pepper

1 tsp tabasco sauce

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine your chicken, pasta, broccoli, carrots, and kidney beans. Mix until fully combined.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together your sugar, red wine vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and tabasco sauce.

Pour the dressing mixture over the pasta mixture, and toss.

Store in fridge for 30 minutes  Serve cold or warm.  This is one of those recipes that is just as good the next day for lunch.

Pesto

Soooo much basil in my garden this year.  This is my favorite way to use it.  Recipe credit to another favorite Sally's Baking Recipes.  Anytime I am baking something this is my first go to for a recipe that amazing.

Ingredients:

2 c fresh basil leaves

1/3 c pine nuts

1/3 c shredded parmesan cheese

3 small cloves garlic 

1/3 c olive oil

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Pulse the basil, pine nuts, cheese, and garlic together in a food processor or blender.

Scrape down the sides, then add the oil, lemon juice, and salt. 

Pulse until everything is blended together and relatively smooth. Add a drizzle more olive oil to thin out, if desired.

Add pepper (and/or more salt) if desired. I always add a pinch of pepper.

Store pesto in a jar or sealable container, tightly seal, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Notes:

Storing & Freezing Instructions: You can store this basil pesto in a jar or sealable container, then tightly seal and refrigerate for up to 1 week. To prevent browning, pour a layer of olive oil on top of the pesto before sealing. Freeze the pesto for up to 2–3 months. You can freeze it in greased ice cube trays and thaw small portions at a time. Let it thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Zucchini Bread

This recipe is why I grow zucchini.   It is Rayces' constant summer breakfast request.  Another great one from PW.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

2 large eggs

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini, packed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter or spray the inside of a 9-by-5-inch inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the chocolate chips 

In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, brown and granulated sugars, and vanilla. Stir in the zucchini. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. 

Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top all over with the coarse sugar. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until slight crumbs remain on a toothpick when stuck into the middle of the loaf. 

Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. 

Cover and store leftover the bread at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week