Applesauce Muffins

Delicious! If you can get your hands on some chunky applesauce, it's worth it.

2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/3 cups unsweetened applesauce, room temp
2 large eggs, room temp
1/3 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup, room temp
1/3 cup milk (dairy or nondairy), room temp
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup mix-ins (raisins, dried cranberries, chopped pecans or walnuts, etc.)
optional: 3 Tablespoons chopped sliced almonds and/or 1 Tablespoon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners. If using cupcake liners, spray the liners too.

Whisk the flour, oats, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the applesauce, eggs, oil, honey, milk, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir a few times, then add the mix-ins. Fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.

Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Top with oats and a light sprinkle of coarse sugar, if desired. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-21 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 11-13 minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time.)

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling or enjoy warm.

Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, then transfer to the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Raised Apple Cider Doughnuts

½ cup warm water
2¼  tsp yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, room temp
1  tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp cloves
3 cups apple cider (reduced to 1 cup)
4 Tbsp butter, softened
vegetable oil

1. Combine water and yeast and ½ cup flour in a bowl of mixer, mix until combined. Let proof for 10-15 minutes.

2. Add egg and spices to the proofed sponge and mix until incorporated. Add reduced apple cider, butter, and 2 cups of flour. Once incorporated, add one cup flour and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl (add more flour if needed). Knead (mix) for 4-5 minutes. Set aside and let rise until doubled.

3. Put dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out to ½-inch thickness. Cut out doughnuts. Set on a baking sheet and let rise for 20-30 minutes.

4. Pour 2-3 inches of oil in a cast iron skillet, deep fryer, or electric fryer. Heat to 350º. Carefully drop doughnuts into your fryer. Let them cook for about 30 seconds on each side, or until they are golden brown. 

5. Dust doughnuts in cinnamon sugar and enjoy!  

Shortcake with Strawberries

For many years, my husband would ask me to make him strawberry shortcake for his birthday and I’d turn my nose up and say, “Are you sure?” What was wrong with me? I should have been willing to make him anything he requested because it was his birthday, even if it didn’t sound very good. But guess what? Strawberry shortcake is delicious. Don’t be like me, make it soon and you won’t regret it.

For dough:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

4 tsp sugar

1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces

Lemon zest of one lemon

3/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup cream

For fruit:

1 1/2 lbs strawberries (or any fruit really)

3 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice (from half a lemon)

Whipped cream:

1 2/3 cream

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup sour cream

DOUGH

1. Set oven to 400 degrees F and line baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a silpat). Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a bowl. Mix. 

2. Cut butter into small pieces and mix into flour mixture with fingers making pea-sized bits and flat pieces while mixing. 

3. In a separate bowl, whisk cream and sour cream together. 

4. Create a well in the dry ingredients and pour the cream/sour cream mixture into the well. Mix (but don’t overmix!). 

5. Pat the dough into a square 1” thick. Cut it into four pieces. Stack the pieces on top of each other and flatten making a rectangle about 8”x4”. Cut into eight pieces. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar per biscuit. 

6. Place biscuits on baking sheet and then in the freezer for 10 minutes to ensure biscuits rise instead of splay when baking. 

7. Bake for 20-22 minutes. 

FRUIT

8. Cut up fruit and mix together with sugar and lemon juice. Let sit while biscuits bake. 

WHIPPED CREAM

9. Using an electric mixer (or your most powerful arm), whisk together the cream with vanilla and sugar added. When almost mixed to the point where peaks are beginning to form, add the sour cream and whip to peaks (I prefer to mix a bit beyond this, but do what you like). 

PLATE

10. Let the biscuits cool for 15 minutes. Cut the biscuits in half with a serrated knife. Place whipped cream then strawberries on bottom half (be generous), then top with the other half. 

11. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from bonappetit’s recipe of

Simple Strawberry Shortcake. 

Pumpkin Cake

I've made this as a cake and frosted it with cream cheese frosting (see below), and as a pumpkin bread with chocolate chips in it. Both are equally delicious (and, as a pumpkin bread, better than the recipe I posted in 2014).

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 ground cloves
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (or a 15 oz can)
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan (or small bread pans).

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a large bowl; set aside. 

3. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. Batter will be thick.

4. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-36 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.

5. Remove the cake from the oven and set the entire pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. Frost if desired.

Cream cheese frosting

8 ounces regular cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sourdough Crackers

Another simple and delicious way to use your sourdough start discard. 

1 cup mature sourdough start (stirred down)
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp herbs de Provence (thyme, basil, fennel, lavender) or similar

1. Preheat oven to 325° and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Melt butter in a bowl and add 1/4-1/2 tsp salt and herbs; mix and let cool slightly. Pour 1 cups sourdough start into butter and mix well.

3. Spread evenly over parchment paper with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes, then take out of the oven to score with a pizza cutter. Bake an additional 20+ minutes until lightly golden.

4. Cool and store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

(More) Chocolate Cake

This is a combination of Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate Cake" and the Devil's Food Cake from America's Test Kitchen—the best of both worlds.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plain cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 milk
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350° with rack in the middle position. Grease (and flour) two 9-inch round cake cans and line the bottom of each pan with waxed or parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.

3. Beat butter in a medium bowl at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat at hight speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. add eggs, beat until combined. Add sour cream (or yogurt), milk and vanilla and beat until combined.

4. On low speed, add cocoa powder until combined. Add the flour mixture just until combined (do not over beat). Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again, and stir boiling water in to thoroughly combine.

5. Divide batter evenly into pans and bake for 26-30 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each pan and invert cake onto a plate. Peel off the paper and re-invert onto a wire rack. Cool completely and frost. 

Sourdough Waffles

Now that I'm in the sourdough business, I've been trying different recipes for using up the extra starter. This is by far the best one! There is so much flavor in these waffles and they are perfect for a Belgian waffle iron.

for the sponge

1 cup water
2 cups milk
1 cup sourdough starter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour

for the batter

1 ½ sticks (12 Tbsp) melted butter
4 eggs, room temp
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoon baking soda
(optional) ½ teaspoon nutmeg
(optional) 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Mix water, milk, sourdough starter, and flour together in a large bowl to make batter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until filled with large holes and bubbles—4 hours to overnight.

2. When you are ready to cook, whisk melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl, then fold into the rested sponge. Add the salt and the baking soda (and spices) to the batter and mix to combine.

3. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

4. Pour batter onto preheated iron and bake until crisp and golden.

5. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Mediterranean Chicken

This main dish is fool proof and oh, so tasty. It will elevate your dinner!  

6 chicken breasts (or thighs)

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup red wine vinegar 

1 cup pitted prunes, diced

1/4 cup capers with a bit if the brine

1 bay leaf

2 Tb Italian seasoning (a mix of oregano, sage, rosemary)

2/3 cup green olives, halved

5 cloves garlic, minced

Put all contents in a bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put all contents of bag in 9x13 pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes. 

Note: your young kids may scoff at the appearance of the final dish (cooked prunes and olives doesn’t make the cleanest looking dish). But if they can muster the strength to try it, they will enjoy it! I have three boy who will attest to such an outcome :)

Persimmon Bread

Got persimmons and don’t know what to do? Make this bread! Unbelievably good. 

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1-2 tsp vanilla

1 cup puréed persimmon (about 4, soft & ripe)

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

*3-4 thinly sliced persimmon 

1. Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in eggs, then vanilla. 

2. Mix in the persimmon purée. 

3. If desired, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together separately; add to the wet mixture. (Another method to use is putting the flour on top of the wet mixture and then adding the rest of the dry ingredients to that flour pile, then mixing. This helps save a dish and doesn’t mess up the bread.)

4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure the bread is baked through. 

*optional: add slices of persimmon to top of bread for a festive look. 

Dairy Free Rice Pudding

This delicious dairy alternative is warm and creamy.  
Just what you need for a cozy dessert.


1 can full-fat coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 cups coconut water*
1 cup white rice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
optional:
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp orange zest


1. combine coconut milk, coconut water, rice, syrup, and vanilla in a pot and bring to a boil.  Make sure you stir often to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
2. Turn down the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.** Continue stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Remove pot from heat and add a pinch of salt to taste and more maple syrup if needed to achieve desired flavor.  Add other flavorings here if you'd like.
4. Let pudding cool a bit to thicken. Chill or serve warm. Enjoy!

*you can also use the same amount of unsweetened nut milk of your choice if you'd rather.
**pudding thickens considerably after being taken off the heat.  Consider this when you are deciding when to finish simmering.

Cinnamon pull aparts

Using homemade dough makes these pull-aparts a special treat. So easy. Time involved: about 1.5 hours. 

3-1/4 to 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 packet yeast (or about a Tablespoon)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter OR margarine
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed, light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter 
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk

Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast and salt in a large mixer bowl and stir until blended.

Combine milk, water and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15 second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (120° to 130°F. Butter won’t melt completely).

Add to flour mixture with egg. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.

Add 1.5 cups flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally.

Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and dough springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes. For filling, combine sugars and cinnamon in a shallow bowl

Cut dough into 36 pieces.

Dip each piece into the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place in fluted tube pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray.

Sprinkle pecans in between each layer of dough balls.

Combine any remaining butter and sugar and drizzle over rolls.

Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake in preheated 375ºF oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

Cool 5 minutes in pan, then invert on serving plate.

Prepare the Frosting: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk, beating until well combined. Gradually add more milk, one teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle icing over warm pull-apart bread. Serve immediately.

Recipe taken from mybakingaddiction.com with minor adjustments made. Perfect recipe!

Halva Icing

This recipe hails from a dessert called Tahini Chocolate Icebox Cake from Fine Cooking magazine. It yielded a chewy overly-sweet loaf-like thing that was not impressive. However, the dessert was made partially using a tahini/whipped cream concoction that was absolutely delicious. 

The mixture of tahini with whipped cream and sugar reminded me of halva and I think it would be a tasty icing for a chocolate cake.

A note: Because this uses a whipping cream base instead of butter, a cake iced with this will be light and fluffy but need to stay fairly cool so it doesn't melt off. Keep the cake in the fridge until ready to serve.

3 cups heavy cream, cold

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup well-stirred tahini

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Remove from fridge, add the cream to the bowl and whip on medium speed until just thickened, about 1 minute.

Add the confectioners' sugar, tahini, vanilla, and salt, and whip the cream on medium-high speed until it hold stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. 

Keep refrigerated until ready to ice your favorite chocolate cake. Enjoy!

Healthy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Just the taste of fall you need and kids love ‘em!

3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

4 Tbsp milk

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Dash of cloves

Dash of ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour, wheat or white will do

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 oz. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 

2. Mix the wet ingredients together. Then add sugar, salt, and spices. 

3. Mix in dry ingredients. 

4. Scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Using a cookie scoop is preferred. However, if you want the cookies to look more flat, flatten them before baking as they will keep their shape very well while baking.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, then let set for 5 more.  

Enjoy! You can freeze these as well with excellent results.