Doughnut Muffins

We just had another exciting week with visitors here in Dallas.  The day after my sister and brother-in-law left us, Josh's parents arrived to meet Baby Eli and hang out with Knox, too.  

We have LOVED all the time we've been able to spend with our families this summer...it doesn't always work out like this for us.  It has been a special summer.

 

While Josh's parents were here, I made my newest favorite muffin recipe...these doughnut muffins. 

I think I love them because they remind me of the homemade donuts the older ladies in my town always made for us when I was growing up.  These muffins are reminiscent of old fashioned homemade donuts...only much faster and easier to make.  I found the recipe on the King Arthur baking blog.

 

The only problem I have with this recipe is that my favorite part is the top half, the half dipped in the melted butter and cinnamon sugar.  It just melts in your mouth!  I wish that every muffin could have TWO top halves.  :) 

But I did discover a remedy to this problem...just mix up a little extra cinnamon sugar and sprinkle it on the bottom half of your muffin before you eat it...with a little butter, if you're feeling especially indulgent.

 

 

  

Doughnut Muffins

Batter:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups flour 
• 1 cup milk

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Batter

• 2 ounces butter
• 1 3/4 ounces vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 ounces brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 11 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 8 ounces milk

Topping

• 1 1/2 ounces melted butter
• 1 3/8 ounces Cinnamon-Sugar Plus or cinnamon sugar

Directions:

 

1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.

4) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

6) Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

7) Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

8) Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

9) Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar...that's what I did.

10) Serve warm.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

This is one of those posts I almost don't want to write because any description or photo of this coffee cake can't do it justice.  This is my mom's recipe and it is the best. coffee cake. EVER.

I LOVE rhubarb.

Usually I want it straight up.  I would choose straight rhubarb pie over strawberry rhubarb pie any day.  

But this is one instance when the strawberries should not be left out.  And the result is pure heaven.

This is a breakfast we beg my mom to make every time we go home.  She even made this for Josh at Christmas time this past year, on special request, even though it was obviously the wrong season for it.

When we went to Vermont this time we were very sad to hear that rhubarb season was already over.   

But mom was ready for us...she had frozen some. :)

Look at those frozen beauties.

 
So we got to have another strawberry rhubarb coffee cake after all. 

My mom is usually the one who makes this for us but since a cute little blond haired boy woke me up very early one morning I decided to do the honors this time.

Still half asleep.

We haven't had much luck finding rhubarb in Texas, but after writing this post I think I'm going to go from store to store on a serious rhubarb hunt this weekend.  We need to have one more taste of this deliciousness before summer is over.
 

Hmm, I wonder what's in here!

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffeecake

FILLING*

2 1/4 cups rhubarb, sliced

12 oz. frozen strawberries with sugar, thawed (or 1 1/2 cups fresh plus extra sugar)

1 1/2 Tbl. lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

*We usually double this filling recipe and freeze half of it to make another coffeecake later!  

Cook berries and rhubarb, covered, over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes or until thick.

CAKE

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. 

Combine dry ingredients.  Cut in butter till crumbly.  Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and mix till combined.

Spread half the batter in a greased 13x9 inch pan.  Spread strawberry/rhubarb filling over top.

Spoon remaining cake batter in small rounds on top of filling and smooth slightly to partially/mostly cover the filling.

TOPPING

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Combine flour and sugar; cut in butter.  Sprinkle over top of coffee cake.

Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes.

Eat it while it's still warm!

Beer Batter Waffles & Father's Day

This was a special Father's Day for us because Josh's whole family was in town. 

We don't usually get to celebrate Father's Day with Josh's dad and both of his brothers!!

As you can tell, it's been a blast: :)

It has also been a special day because it is Josh's first Father's Day with a little guy around to call him "DaDa."

Aren't they handsome?

I love watching Josh as a Daddy.  There is nothing like it in the whole world. 

Whenever they are playing, or tickling, or snuggling...

...it makes my heart melt.  ♥

Josh made a big batch of special waffles this morning for the whole gang, and they were a huge hit.  Especially with the guys.

The beer made them light and fluffy in the middle, the honey made them crispy on the outside.  Win win. :)

I think these waffles might have to become a Father's Day tradition. :)

Josh's Father's Day Beer Batter Waffles

• 2 cups flour
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  
  Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. Combine flour, beer, butter, milk, egg yolks, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl; stir until the mixture is smooth. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter. 
  
  Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle the batter into waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.   

The other highlight of our day was calling this guy...

My Dad.  

Whom I love "all the bunches in the world and more!" and will always look up to.  He is home in Vermont patiently waiting for the arrival of Grandson #2. :)



I am so thankful for the amazing men in my life, and for a day to celebrate them.  I am so blessed.

Happy Father's Day!!!

Mini Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Breakfast Frittatas

I have a tendency to create a lot of unnecessary stress for myself.  It's something I am seriously working on this year...relaxing and enjoying life rather than being uptight and stressed all the time about things that don't even really matter.

But I'm a work in progress.

Last week when I was getting ready for Girls Weekend I spent a long time searching out recipes and planning an elaborate menu for the weekend.  I love to cook, and I wanted to make a special menu for a special weekend.

But when Josh realized what I was doing he said, very gently, "You want to be a Mary, not a Martha this weekend, don't you?  The girls won't be here very long, I don't think you are going to want to spend all your time cooking..."  

And I looked up sheepishly and answered, "Um, yeaaaah...I guess you're right."

He was.  

Sometimes I need reminders like that.  

So I scratched that super time consuming menu and decided to serve simpler dishes that I could make ahead...like this green chile soup, this pizza dough, and these carmelitas.

And it was a good thing, because we had WAY too much talking and playing with babies to do to leave any time for extra food prep.  :)

The only thing I really left to whip up while they were here were these frittatas, which were quick to make and really delicious.  

I love that they are baked in individual servings, it makes them extra fun.  They were a huge hit with the girls and this is definitely a recipe I'll be making again!

Mini Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato 

Breakfast Frittatas

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup packed fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 whole eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 8 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 425°F. Coat 4 small baking dishes with cooking spray. Set aside. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook shallot until soft but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Lightly whisk eggs and egg whites in a bowl. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, basil, spinach mixture, salt and pepper. Spoon into baking dishes; bake until firm in the center, 14 to 18 minutes.  

So there you have it...some beautiful frittatas that still allow you be a  Mary host. :)

Puffed Apple Pancake

This was my Mother's Day breakfast.

Made by Josh and Knox.

(Mostly Josh) 

Just for me!

(Although I did share some with the two of them.)

And it was soooo good.  

My favorite thing to order at The Original Pancake House is always their baked apple pancake but I think I will never need to go there again now that Josh found this recipe. :)  This is a less sickly sweet version and I actually like it better.

Drizzle a tiny bit of maple syrup over it if you wish, but you don't even need any with an extra shake of  powdered sugar.

I am a BIG FAN of Mother's Day!  :)

 Puffed Apple Pancake

• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 12 ounces Golden Delicious apples (about 2), peeled, cored, thinly sliced

• 3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl until well blended. Add flour and whisk until batter is smooth. Place butter in 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Place dish in oven until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove dish from oven. Place apple slices in overlapping rows atop melted butter in baking dish. Return to oven and bake until apples begin to soften slightly and butter is bubbling and beginning to brown around edges of dish, about 10 minutes. 

Pour batter over apples in dish and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake pancake until puffed and brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.  Serve warm. 

Dutch Baby with Lemon Sugar (Happy Easter!)

I have been thinking about this recipe for weeks...I knew I wanted to make it for Easter breakfast.  

Yay, Easter finally arrived!  

I found the recipe on Epicurious a couple of years ago and have made it several times.  It's delicious.  The lemon zest in the sugar topping just gives this dutch baby something unexpected and fresh and extra special. 

Special enough for a special Easter breakfast!

Enjoy!

Oops how did that get in there?!

 

Dutch Baby with Lemon Sugar

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 3 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes
• 2/3 cup whole milk at room temperature
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Accompaniment: lemon wedges & fresh berries

Put 10" cast iron skillet (or pie plate) on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Stir together sugar and zest in a small bowl. 

Beat eggs with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and frothy, then beat in milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and continue to beat until smooth, about 1 minute more (batter will be thin). 

Add butter to hot skillet and melt, swirling to coat. Add batter and immediately return skillet to oven. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18 to 25 minutes. 

Serve immediately, topped with lemon sugar and berries.

Happy Easter!

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."

Matt. 28:6