Aha! Another muffin recipe and this is a yummy one. What is better than cinnamon and toffee? okay, I know…chocolate but that’s another story.
- 7 tbsp. room temperature butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 4 oz. cinnamon chips (new on market here)
- 4 oz. English toffee bits
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (this is a lower temperature than most muffins are baked in). Prepare muffin tins with nonstick spray and set aside.
Combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until pale in colour and smooth in texture.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture in two additions alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir until just moistened and fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full. The batter, of course, will be lumpy.
Streusel Topping
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. softened butter
Cut the butter into the above ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Place a generous tablespoon on top of each muffin and gently press to adhere.
Bake for about 20 minutes (check for doneness) and let stand for about 5 minutes before unmolding on a wire rack to cool.
Chicken Salad Sandwich
Here is a lighter version of the chicken salad sandwich. There is no heavy mayo to cloud the arteries and even children will love it.
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 14 oz. chicken tenders
- 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
- 6 cups of baby spinach, stems removed
- 2 tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar
- 1 french baguette
- 4 oz. thinly sliced provolone cheese
Preheat broiler. Line a cookie sheet with foil and brush with some of the olive oil. Place the chicken in a single layer and drizzle the remaining oil; lightly sprinkle some salt and pepper.
Broil; for about 8-10 minutes until cooked through and beginning to brown.
In a large bowl, toss the spinach, grapes, chicken tenders and the balsamic vinegar.
Cut the baguette in 4 portions, but do no cut right through. Put on the cookie sheet and top with the cheese, allowing to melt. Layer the salad on top in equal portions.
Yummy!!!!
Spinach Salad with a Twist
This salad will serve as a nice lunch with a fresh roll and a glass of wine on the deck or as an appetizer for a beautiful dinner ahead. Serves 4 for dinner or 6 for lunch. In this case, size DOES matter.
- 1 cup shredded crab meat
- 3 hard cooked eggs, shelled and sliced
- 5-6 white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Hellmans mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp. parsley minced
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- Fresh baby spinach, washed, spun dry, stems removed, torn into bite size pieces
On pretty serving plates, place a healthy handful of spinach leaves in the center. In a ‘neat’ way, lay out the egg slices, mushrooms and sprinkle the crab meat on top.
Mix together the dressing until it is well blended and generously drizzle over the salad.
What did I tell you? It is yummy. Oh yes, don’t forget the garlic toast or, better yet, warm slices of focaccia bread.
Swiss, Spinach, Ham Brioche Lunch
This is a GREAT lunch idea! Baby spinach makes it.
- 16 slices of Brioche
- 1 tbsp. mustard
- 16 slices of swiss cheese
- 8 thin slices of black forest ham
- 3 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves
- melted butter for brushing
Spread 8 of the brioche slices with mustard. Next put the ham, cheese and spinach leaves. Top with remaining brioche slices.
Brush both sides of the sandwiches with the melted butter. Using a panni pan or frypan, toast each side until a beautiful golden brown.
If not going to work or driving, a glass of chilled wine is delightful. This would make a great weekend luncheon. Enjoy!
Butter Chicken for the Faint-Hearted
This recipe is very mild and will keep tender tongues cooler and the creaminess of the butter chicken, when paired with jasmine rice, is unbeatable.
Use your slow cooker and it becomes an easy dinner to have when you come home from work. Leftovers are great too!
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. ground cumin
- 2 tbsp. yellow or red curry paste (yellow is the milder)
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
Mel the butter and put in the slow cooker. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken. Add the chicken to the sauce and turn so they are all covered. Place in the slow cooker and cook for about 5-6 hours on low.
Serve with jasmine rice. Voila! Dinner in no time at all. Serve with a salad with a snappy dressing, glass of wine …….what a night!
French Meringue
This is the last of the three meringue recipes. This is the French method. Easy but it does take a long time in a very low oven temperature. You can add colouring and/or flavour of your choice to this recipe and make it your own.
- 4 egg whites
- 2 1/4 cups icing sugar (sifted)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Butter and flour a baking sheet or use parchment paper.
In a bowl, whip egg whites to foamy and sprinkle a little of the sifted sugar at a time, while keeping the speed of the mixer at medium. When it becomes stiff and looks like satin, stop mixing and transfer to a pastry bag. Pipe the meringue using a large round or star tip.
Place tray in the oven and place a wooden spoon handle in the door so it won’t close all the way.
Bake for 3 hours or until completely dry. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperataure.
Swiss Meringue
Yesterday, I put on the Italian Meringue and today we will go with the Swiss method. This one is usually used to bake decorations,and is so suitable for shells and cookies because it is a harder meringue.
Swiss Meringue is made in a double boiler using a candy thermometer that you cook until it reaches 120 degrees. Now you beat it until stiff. This ensures the sugar will be completely dissoloved and stablizes the meringue.
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Combine all three ingredients in the heat-proof bowl of your electric mixer. Place it over a pan of simmering water and beat it until all the sugar has dissolved and the whites are hot to touch. This should take about 6 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until glossy stiff peaks form. This should take about 10 minutes because you start low speed and gradually increase the speed to high.
Use this immediately to make mounds on parchment paper (shells) and bake at 200 degrees for about 35 minutes until dry and hard to the touch.
You just created another success! Coffee anyone?
Cream of Tomato Soup
I know you can just go buy a can of soup and then add either water or milk and it’s ready. Try this one and you won’t want to go and just buy it again. It only takes 30-35 minutes to prepare and so worth it.
- 4 cups chicken stocks
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 small onion, chopped fine
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 sprig thyme, leaves only
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup whipping cream
In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, thyme, pepper flakes and bay leaf. Sweat these off without browning any of it.
Add the tomatoes and stock. Bring this to a full boil then reduce the heat and continue cooking for 40 minutes or so. Remove the bay leaf and now, CAREFULLY, puree the contents. When smooth, add the whipping cream. and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Now, for the ‘take 5’ moment, take:
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbsp. grated lime zest
Whip the cream to stiff peaks, add a dollop on top of each soup serving, and sprinkle some zest over it.
All that is needed is a couple of crackers, glass of chilled white wine and voila!!!! Yummy.
*If you grew too many tomatoes either last year or earlier in the year and froze them. Use them, they make such a difference in pure, fresh flavour.
Lacy Cheese Garnish
One way to “up the ante” on your entertaining, is to make these lacy cheese ‘pillows of air” crackers.
For each guest you may have, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place small handfuls (1 for each guest) of grated Asiago cheese on it and make little circles with your fingers.
In a 350 degree oven, bake until lightly golden, about 7-8 minutes, being careful not to burn.
Transfer to paper towels, then completely cool on a rack. You can either place one of each plate or let your guests help themselves. Either way, you are the big winner……hostess who “took five” more.
WOW!
Macadamia Nut Cookies
This is a super cookie and the addition of white rum makes it a melt-in-your mouth favourite. Yes, it does!
- 1 cup unsalted Macadamia nuts
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
- 6 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. white rum
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- sanding sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for about 7 minutes until a light brown and fragrant. Transfer to a food processor and chop to a fine powder.
In your electric mixer, cream the butter until very light and fluffy. Beat in the salt, rum, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the flour and nuts until the dough holds together. Form dough into two disks, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
On a well floured surface, roll one disk into a 10 inch circle and 1/16 inch thick. The dough will be really fragile but is easily patched or re-rolled. Carefully cut into shapes with 2 inch cookie cutters.
With a thin spatula, transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet and chill. Repeat this procedure with the second disk. Use as much of the dough as you possibley can.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to cooling racks and sprinkle with sanding sugar when cool.
Sweet Potato Rounds
‘Tis the season for many parties and evenings out. If you are planning such an evening or are going to a home where you are all taking something to add to the menu, try these appetizers.
Slice unpeeled sweet potatoes (white ones, not yams -orange ones) in 1/2 inch circles and place in a single layer on parchment lined cookie sheets. Spray a little pam on the parchment and roast until the bottoms are lightly browned in a 400 degree oven. This should take about 23-27 minutes.
You can top these with spicy black beans, crumbled feta cheese and cilantro leaves. You also can try sour cream and a tsp. of salsa or pesto, and any cheese of your choice.
The idea is to make them your own. They are gluten-free and not hard on anyone’s diet. Just place them out on the table, have napkins, plates, serving spoons and let your guests help themselves.
Enjoy!
Crab/Cranberry Panini
The other day, while getting ready for our company, we messed up two (yes, we actually did) recipes of the nests for this recipe. The next day, with a bowl full of this filling, the lightbulb went off and this is what we did…..
The cranberries were chopped fine and added to the mixture. Add enough mayonnaise (not salad dressing) to hold together and take two slices of bread (we used weight watchers multigrain) and make a sandwich….Add a slice of cheese, top with the second slice of bread and put in the hot panini pan.
OMG! This is a new sandwich for us and ever so good.
The recipe for the filling is: Gingered Crab In Potato Nests