Apple Pie Muffins

At our favorite restaurant one night Dennis and I had the most amazing apple cake.  I thought about trying to find a similar recipe to make for breakfast out but thought a muffin would make more sense (not that there’s anything wrong with eating cake for breakfast).  Muffins are such a great breakfast food since you can freeze whatever you don’t eat, then take one out whenever you want some home baked goodness.

I gave one of these to Dennis warm out of the oven and was hoping he’d give me a bite.  Apparently that wish was in vain because he gobbled the muffin down in about 4 bites.  As I gazed wistfully at the few crumbs left over he assured me that the muffin was very, very good.  So at least there’s that.

Apple Pie Muffins (From AllRecipes.com)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk combined with 1 T lemon juice)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups diced apples (about 1 large apple.  I used Granny Smith and would recommend using a tart variety)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, stir together 2 1/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar until sugar has dissolved. Pour into the flour mixture and sprinkle the diced apple into the bowl as well. Stir just until everything is blended. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups about ¾ full.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour and cinnamon.

Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of melted butter while tossing with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle this over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

I don't know why I even ask Dennis what he wants for a weekly treat because inevitably his response involves chocolate or marshmallows.  I thought I had exhausted most of the possibilities to put these two flavors together, but when I saw this recipe from Martha Stewart I couldn't resist trying it out.

This recipe might look a bit complicated (I had a bad experience with frosting once) but it’s fairly simple and the final result is a knockout.  I worried that the cookie might be too sweet, but it provides a perfect contrast to with the marshmallow and chocolate frosting.  I love the fact that this recipe can be adapted to your tastes also.  If you don’t want marshmallows, maybe throw in a peanut butter cup or Hershey kiss.  They are called Surprise Cookies after all!

Chocolate Surprise Cookies (from Martha Stewart)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.

Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop dough onto ungreased or lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 7 to 9 minutes.

Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

The Thursday before Valentine’s Day I realized I had no heart cookie cutters.  Uh-oh.  Luckily my wonderful husband didn’t balk at paying for extra-fast shipping so I could have them by this weekend.  Of course he knew what his reward would be, a batch of cookies baked up just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Roll-out cookies bring back memories of Christmas and rolling out sugar cookies with my Mom.  Those cookies were typical sugar cookies: crispy, buttery, perfect topped with some sprinkles and dunked in milk.  These cookies are the opposite of those, cakey and moist with a deep chocolate flavor.  I topped some with turbinado sugar to give them a bit of crunch which Dennis said he appreciated.  The best thing about this recipe is that it’s adaptable for any holiday (or lazy weekend).  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

Turbinado sugar or sprinkles (optional)

Whisk dry flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in mixer. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Roll out cookie dough on floured counter or Silpat (I found rolling it out on the Silpat much easier – you just have to do the dough in batches to fit it on the mat). Cut into desired shapes.  Top cookies with turbinado sugar or sprinkles if you so desire.  Bake on a lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes, until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Granola S'mores Bars

It's easy to look through my past posts and see a theme with many of them. Any recipe that incorporates marshmallows and chocolate is put at the top of the to-do pile, and usually with great results. This week's recipe was no different.

The recipe takes the basic elements of s'mores but puts them into an easy to eat treat, no campfire required. The addition of oats gives the bars a nice crunch and also helps balance the sweetness of the marshmallows. I'm always a bit nervous bringing my treats into work (such pressure!) But these went over like gangbusters. Not only were all the bars eaten by the second day, but my boss said they were one of his favorite treats that I've brought in. I hope he remembers that when it's time for my yearly review.

Granola S'more Bars (from King Arthur Flour Baking Companion)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons golden syrup

2 1/4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt and stir together the butter, sugar, and syrup, cooking until the sugar has dissolved.  Stir in oats, flour, salt and graham cracker crumbs.

Press about 3/4 of the mixture into a lightly greased 9x9 pan.  Let cool completely.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top, then the marshmallows.  Top with remaining crust mixture.  Bake the bars for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let them rest for 20 minutes, then cut into squares while still slightly warm.

Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints

I’ve mentioned numerous times that Dennis loves raspberry and chocolate (Exhibits A,  B, and C).  And originally I was planning to make a lighter treat this week to welcome in the New Year and help us recover from gorging on Christmas cookies.  But then I came across this recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprint cookies and I put my “healthy” plans to the side.  There’s always next week, right?

I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate (blasphemy, I know) but even I had to admit these cookies were insanely good.  The actual cookie was so fudgy it resembled a brownie more than a cookie.  The raspberry preserves helped balance the sweetness of the cookies and you were left with one killer flavor combination.  I’ve already been instructed to add these to the “Must Make Again” list. 

Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints (Adapted from All American Cookie Book)

6 ½ ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, broken up

1 stick unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons raspberry preserves

1 ¾ cups flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large, microwave safe-bowl, microwave the bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate and butter on full power for 1 minute.  Stir well.  Continue microwaving on 50% power, stirring at 30-second intervals.  Stop microwaving before the chocolate completely melts and let the residual heat finish the job.  Let cool to warm. 

Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until well blended.  Using a spoon beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Stir in the vanilla.  In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the 2T raspberry preserves on 50% power until just fluid, about 1 minute.  Stir the preserves into the chocolate mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips to the chocolate mixture and stir just until well blended.  Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 ½ hours or up to 8 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 325.  Line several baking sheets or coat with non-stick spray.

Use a cookie scoop to shape balls of dough, then place on the cookie sheets.  Press a well into the center of each ball and place about ¼ teaspoon of preserves in each well. 

Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or just until they feel firm when pressed in the centers.  Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack.