Mini Lemon(ade) Muffins

Spring has arrived.

I think it's safe to say we're finally in the clear of any reappearance of old man winter (he was stubborn this year!!)  I'm in love with this time of year: open windows, green lawns, blooming flowers.  Jackets get tucked away, shorts replace sweaters on closet shelves, "Boy Meets Grill" gets pulled from the kitchen cabinet, late night ice cream runs get made.

Mango salsa starts to sound good again, homemade salsa in general starts to sound good again (when doesn't it though, really?), even a fresh, crisp salad begins to tempt me (ok, I'm not one to order salad when dining out, but Panera's BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad could make me a convert).

Today I want to spread a little springtime lovin' with these little lemon muffins.  With just the right amount of citrus, and a super moist crumb, they are probably the best muffin I've ever put in my mouth.  Consider this my love muffin.

Mini Lemon(ade) Muffins

Makes approximately 36 mini muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon lemon rind (about half a lemon)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk

Prepare 36 mini muffin tins with liners or spray with cooking spray.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, lemon rind, and sugar.

In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, and milk.  Slowly add the oil mixture with the mixer on low speed until blended and smooth.

Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden and center of muffin springs back with lightly pressed. 



Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese

Remember that righteous mac and cheese from January?



[see this video-- at 3:30]

Well Nathan happened to request it this weekend [and I responded a lot like Monica at 3:43], but I decided to kick it up mexican style in honor of Cinco de Mayo.  Lucky for us, this version didn't end in wicker shoes and the Psycho theme song.  Instead, we got cheesy shells with a fajita flare. 

Think noodles tossed with onions, bell pepper, chicken, green chiles, cumin, paprika, pepper jack, and sour cream.  If that doesn't scream the Fifth of May, I don't know what does.  So lose the tortilla and pull out a bowl because mac and cheese just got loco!

Comprende?

Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese

Serves 4

6 ounces pasta shapes, such as shells
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken
1/4 cup sour cream
3 ounces shredded (or finely diced) sharp cheddar cheese*
3 ounces shredded (or finely diced) pepper jack cheese*

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to the package directions just until al dente.  Drain well and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in another large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, red bell, and salt and pepper and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Mix in the garlic, and saute 1 minute more.  Stir in the cumin, paprika, and green chilies.  Toss to coat and heated through.  Remove from heat and add the chicken, sour cream, hot pasta, and cheeses.  Mix until well combined. 

Transfer to a lightly greased 7x11-inch baking dish (8x8 is good too! or I opted for four of my Le Creuset Soup Bowls).  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until slightly browned and bubbling.  Let cool briefly before serving.

*For the cheeses involved in the recipe I head to the grocery deli.  They will kindly slice you the ounce amount you need (in a quality brand nonetheless!), which means it's already measured come cooking time and no waste!!

Adapted from Annie's Eats.

Strawberry Cake White Chocolate Blondies

Oops! I did it again...


Strawberry style.

My co-workers made me do it.  And they voted these even better than the cake batter version.

After receiving rave review after rave review, I caved and promised to whip up another batch for everyone.  People were actually racing to these.  Some people stayed late awaiting my arrival so they could snag one.  Others told me to hide them.  Others advised me not to tell anyone.  No lie.

This time, though, I thought I'd mix things up a bit and opted for strawberry batter tossed with white chocolate chips.  The sprinkles stayed though because well...I pretty much love sprinkles!  They're happy and fun and that little sugary crunch makes everything better.  (ps if you ever bring me a donut, make sure it has sprinkles on it.  oh, and that it's a yeast donut.  with white glaze.  kthanksbye.)


i'm bringing chocolate cupcakes to work in the morning.  my friends are getting spoiled.

Strawberry Cake White Chocolate Blondies

Makes one 7x11-inch pan

1 box strawberry cake mix

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1/3 -1/2 cup milk (I used almost 1/2 cup-- maybe 6-7 tablespoons total)

1/2 cup sprinkles

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x7 baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl, adding the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense and thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown (I stopped at 25*). Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.

*The blondies will look like they are not fully done because the center will be quite gooey, but that’s what you want! After about 30 minutes of cooling, they will be easy to cut using a serrated knife.

*Do not use black sprinkles swirled into the blondies. It will turn the batter black before baking.

 Adapted from my Cake Batter Blondies which were adapted from here!

Cake Batter Blondies

I'm totally popular.

Like, for real. 

So a girl I work with had a little birthday hoorah this past weekend (at a crazy cool mexican restaurant in Fort Worth- if you're ever in the area and craving fajitas- GO! for the atmosphere if nothing else), and being the baker I am, I refused to show up empty handed.  I initially had something else in mind, but the gorgeous weather had me planting flowers instead and before I knew it, it was 7 o'clock at night and the oven wasn't even preheated.  Shame.  So....Plan B: confetti cake blondies.  Because no birthday is truly complete without chocolate and sprinkles.

As I walked into the restaurant and plopped my tupperware down on the table, the oohs and ahhs began and the fingers started reaching.  These guys were demolished in no time.  Luckily, I planned ahead and saved a few at home for Nathan and me, but when I went in to work on Monday, a coworker mentioned he needed another one...bad.  Well, I'm a sucker for compliments, so I made sure to dive into our stash, wrap one up, and bring it the next day.  Unfortunately for the receiver, two other employees spotted me with it and the three of them had to share.  I think I heard the words "incredible brownie" uttered roughly fourteen times that day.

I'm like, totally serious.

Cake Batter Blondies

Makes one 7x11-inch pan

1 box yellow cake mix

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1/3 -1/2 cup milk (I used almost 1/2 cup-- maybe 7 tablespoons total)

1/2 cup sprinkles

1/2 cup chocolate chips (can use white chocolate too/instead!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x7 baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl, adding the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense and thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top (and chocolate chips, if you desire!), and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown (I stopped at 25*). Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.

*The blondies will look like they are not fully done because the center will be quite gooey, but that’s what you want! After about 30 minutes of cooling, they will be easy to cut using a serrated knife.

*Do not use black sprinkles swirled into the blondies. It will turn the batter black before baking.

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.

Maple Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

This is overdue.

The blog has been on the back-burner to say the least.  You see, I've found a show.  Yes, after months of mourning that Desperate Housewives is officially off the air, running approximately three seasons behind in Grey's Anatomy (I'm sorry, I just can't watch the sixty episodes I've missed, so no more Grey's for me), and waiting out the current lull between Bachelor seasons, nothing has really intrigued me.  I've seen the occasional episode of Bing Bang Theory (I'm confused as to why this is funny), vaguely got into the new Matthew Perry show Go On (which is now being cancelled), and as much as I don't care for Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men just isn't the same.  So now my life pretty much consists of Friends reruns.

Sad life.

Until...The Walking Dead.  We've been running it in this house almost non-stop for the last week.  Started with season one and I'm officially sucked in.  So that's what I've been doing.  Watching zombies eat people, and it's been lovely.  But I thought I'd share a little somethin' somethin' with ya today.  A pancake morphed into cupcake! (like a human morphed into a walker! - i've got zombies on the brain).

I've spruced things up with a little maple extract and a dose of berries but you can leave both out or mix things up however you please (coconut extract and mini chocolate chips sounds divine).  However, let me warn you:  these are not your typical sweet, sugar-infused cupcake.  It is pancake batter in muffin form, therefore very little sugar is in the cake itself so...you MUST top with maple syrup.  And it must be warm, says me.  I like to have a little bowl of hot syrup on the side and dunk each bite in sugary goodness.  Oh yes, pancakes for a snack.  I could get used to this.

Maple Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons maple extract

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with liners and then spray the liners with non-stick spray (important step! cakes will stick to the liners otherwise!).

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; set aside. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the milk and eggs, then stir in the melted and cooled butter and maple extract. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk together until just moistened and combined. Like pancakes, lumps are okay!  Fold in the blueberries.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake until puffed and firm to the touch, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.  Serve with warmed maple syrup!

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker.

Fresh Orange Strawberry Bundt Cake

This is a love hate relationship.

I'll just say it: this. cake. sticks.  I learned this the hard way last year (sorry, mom.  I blamed it on you for telling me to dump it out of the pan too soon.)  The result was one mess of a cake; half on the serving plate, half in the pan.  Unfortunately, I could blame mom again.  I left her in charge of spraying the bundt, afterall (and picking up my dirty dishes, used ingredients, etc.  My sous chef [baker?]).  But I know better.  This cake is just plain trouble.  Not sure if it's the "moistness", the pan itself, or it's just out to get me, but it's a pain in the bundt.

Ok, now that you're probably planning on not making this cake, let me convince you otherwise because this thing is pretty much no less than amazing.  So good, in fact, that after the fall-out last Easter (no pun intended), I was still determined to make it again this year, strictly to reexperience the deliciousness that is this cake.  Super moist, tender, light, flavorful- pretty much all the yummy adjectives that food writers frown upon. 

Don't let the sticky pan issue stop you.  Simply slice straight from the bundt.  Works like a charm.  Or grease and flour the h*$# out of it. 

Fresh Orange Strawberry Bundt Cake

Makes one (10-inch) bundt

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs
Juice of 1 orange

Zest of 1 orange

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 ounces plain or vanilla yogurt

12 ounces fresh strawberries, diced

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in orange juice and orange zest.  Alternate beating in the flour, soda, and salt and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.  Gently fold in the strawberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool for about 45 minutes to an hour in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.  Or slice and serve straight from the pan!

Adapted from Foodista.

Bits and Bites and Peanut Butter

You know the drill: I ramble and post fun links; you browse and pick and choose and click as you wish.  Here we go:

1.  Did I ever tell you Nathan makes his own peanut butter?  Yup, little chef he is.  Simply add peanuts, a splash of olive oil and a dash of salt to the food processor and blend until smooth.  Then he totes it to work, eats it for breakfast, and brags to his coworkers that he knows what a food processor is.
ps don't use the mini processor.  it's a wee bit hard on the motor.

2.  This blog fascinates me as of late.  i'm liking the cereal milk ice cream.  yummmm

3.  Beautiful kitchen redo.  mine??...someday....

4.  Awesome beauty blog I came across recently.  super cute hair ideas girls!

5. Gorgeous cake for easter.  This girl's got talent.  I'm jealous of every cake she's made.  not fair.

6.  How to clean your engagement ring at home.  I do the baking soda/water method and get lots of compliments on my shiny sparkler.  It also helps that Nathan picked out a very lovely ring.  he done good.

7.   Peeps Cake Batter Candy.  We're big peeps-eaters in this house so this wouldn't last a day.

8.  Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake Ice Cream Sundae.  Can't get enough of the skillet!!

9.  Awesome drive-thru prank.  You need to watch this video. Hilarious!

10.  Went to Pei Wei for lunch today (again) and had some good food and good fortunes.  Mine: "Your love of life can carry you through any circumstance".  Nathan's: "This is a night for love and affection."  Oh boy...

11.  And to cap BB off, an awesome quote from the book I'm reading, Gone Girl (by Gillian Flynn- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!):  "Stay away from boys.  They'll either throw rocks or look up your skirt".  Amen.