Take a Megabite

Pumpkin Cookies

It’s really fall now, so it’s time to do the following:

1. Go to the cider mill and chug so much cider that I have an ocean-like stomach where surfing is possible.
2. Pick apples and come home to promptly make: pie, apple dumplings, apple butter and more.
3. Make a pumpkin variety of everything sweet and savory.
4. Adopt homeless pumpkins as often as possible.

Today was a pretty gross day. Cold. Rainy. Soggy. This day really needed a pretty pumpkin something to cheer it up.

These cookies are like a pumpkin party where butterscotch chips and chocolate chips dance like they mean it until the wee hours then promptly go home and eat these cookies for breakfast.

Pumpkin Cookies
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (I used half wheat flour)
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1 t soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper; spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until lightened in color; about one minute. Add canola oil, pumpkin and vanilla and mix on a low speed until combined. Stir in butterscotch and chocolate chips.
3. Using a 1/4 of a cup scoop or floured measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the cookie sheets leaving about 2 1/2 inches between cookies. Smooth them out into a slightly bigger circle and bake until tops are firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 14-16 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack and sprinkle with powdered sugar if you’d like.

Corn Tortillas

There are a couple things that I’m spoiled about.

1. Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam
2. Corn Tortillas for taco night

I really don’t like to buy strawberry jam ever. Growing up we had a never ending amount in the freezer. When I moved out there was a moment when I ran out of my strawberry jam and bought some… big mistake. So now I make it too.

Another thing is these corn tortillas. Whenever we had tacos, my  mom would make a ton of these corn tortillas, aka taco shells. I remember eating them too fast because I loved them too much to casually eat. That and the fact that I grew up in a family of six and wanted to make sure I got my share.

Once you make these, you’ll understand.
You’ll want Taco Tuesday to be a national holiday.
I’m just saying.

Corn Tortillas
Recipe from my childhood

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2-3/4 t salt
• 5 1/2 T corn meal
• 3/4 cup corn starch
• 1 cup milk ( room temperature)
• 2 T vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Beat eggs and add salt. Add corn meal and whisk until combined.
2. In a separate bowl (warm the milk for 30 seconds unless it was really room temperature) add the corn starch to the room temperature milk, one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition.
3. Pour the milk mixture and vegetable oil into the egg, salt, corn meal mixture and whisk until mixed. It will be a thin crepe-like consistency.
4. Pour 1/4 of a cup into the center of an oiled iron skillet at a medium/high heat. Cook until the top is bubbly and almost done (about 1 minute). Flip until bottom is done, about one more minute. Continue process for the rest of the batter, whisking the batter now and then. Makes enough for four. If using an iron skillet you will probably not need to re-oil the pan at all throughout cooking.

I made a half recipe last night since it was just Jacob and myself. If you have a big group double it like you mean it.

Lemon Curd Tartlets

Someday I hope to have an oven that fits the big cookie sheets. Currently my oven is small and sassy.
Someday I’ll eat these tartlets for dinner; you might be tempted to do the same…
Someday I will make homemade lemon curd for these guys.

Today, however, I used Trader Joe’s Lemon Curd which comes in a jar that deserves respect. So much so that I’ve been saving this jar for just the right recipe and didn’t want to merely use it on a whim. I did taste it a week ago and I almost fell in love on the spot. If you love lemon bars as much as I love lemon bars, you’ll love this remix.

Lemon Curd Tartletts
Recipe idea from my mom

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1 jar of Lemon Curd (10.5 oz)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour and powdered sugar.
2. Rub the butter into the sugar and flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, and there are no butter bits bigger than a pea. Drop about a tablespoon of the crumbs into each mini muffin cup pressing onto the bottom and up the sides.
3. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove and press center of each cup down with a shot glass and then bake for 1-2 more minutes. Remove and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before lightly loosening each tartlette crust with a knife and placing on a cooling rack.
4. Using a small sandwich bag with a corner trimmed, pipe lemon curd into each mini crust. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Makes about 30 little tartlets. Mine made 31. The 31st was burnt a smidgen though. My oven has an attitude, for real.

Do you kinda see what I mean about this jar? To me it looks like it should have lemon potion in it, but what do I know?

Perfect Pie Crust + Pie Crust Cookies

I remember this time when I was a kid and it rained on the day we were supposed to go to a water park. Major disappointment. I remember this other time that they didn’t have French Silk pie at Baker’s Square. Another disappointment. I made a strawberry pie last night that was also a bit disappointing. It wasn’t sweet enough and to be honest, I don’t feel like the pie recipe is worth posting…but that crust….man. That crust is good!

Oh! And the pie crust cookies!
Amazing.

Perfect Pie Crust (makes one double crust)
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t salt
• 2 t sugar
• 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 T ice water

Directions

1. Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, salt and sugar). Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time until forms a nice dough.
3. Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
4. To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round, or until about an eighth of an inch thick. Press into pie pan crimping at edges.
5. Fill pie shell with favorite bake-able pie ingredients. Roll out second dough round and cover pie in any of a few ways! Lattice top, solid top with a few knife slits, or my personal favorite: cutting shapes with a cookie cutter and overlapping the top covering it. (OR simply freeze the second half for another pie on another day.)
6. Bake according to pie recipe you’re making.

And of course if you have any dough to spare you have to make pie crust cookies!

Pie Crust Cookies
Recipe from my Mom

Ingredients:

• spare pie crust dough
• cinnamon + sugar

Directions:

1. Roll out the excess dough, sprinkle excessively with cinnamon and sugar.
2. Roll up and slice and place in a cake pan.
3. Bake for a fraction of the time the pie’s in the oven. Five to ten minutes depending on the temperature of your oven.

Korean Zucchini Pancakes

I’m a bit absent minded, sometimes.

Once, I didn’t realize that I had my dress on backwards for a whole day. I’m pretty sure it directly contributed to me napping after work, waking up at 7pm thinking it was 7am and eating breakfast. My mom called. It was extra weird because it’s an hour earlier in Minnesota… I thought she was calling at 6am, her time.

Mom: “What are you doing?”
Me: “Eating breakfast.”
Mom: ” Isn’t it night there?”

I, of course, finished my breakfast.
I really look forward to breakfast, and especially Peanut Butter Puffins. Even though it was 7pm.
What’s the deal?

When I write recipes down on post-its at the computer and walk to the kitchen to prepare them, I’m guaranteed to miss a few things. Why? I have no idea? Am I in a hurry? Probably. Do I own a working printer? No. I’m going to do my best to have accurate ingredient lists along with directions. Trust me.

Speaking of trusting me…these are really good. Amazing, even.

I’ve been daydreaming about this recipe for a week straight. It was even more amazing than I imagined. It seems Elliot’s daydreaming about that pancake right there, too. They’re worth dreaming about, but really they should get out of your dreams and into your kitchen.

Korean Zucchini Pancakes
Recipe adapted from Frownie Brownie

Ingredients:

Pancakes -

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• salt and pepper
• 2 small zucchini, julienned*
• 4 scallions minced
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
• canola oil for frying

Dipping Sauce -

• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T rice vinegar
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, water, baking powder, eggs and salt and pepper to taste. thin batter with a little more water if desired. Stir in zucchini, scallions and garlic.
2. Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a large skillet. Drop pancake batter by 1/4 cup in skillet; quickly spread out using a wooden spoon to make as thin as possible. Fry for about two minutes on each side pressing down with spatula to compress, or until golden brown and crisp.
3. Make dipping sauce: combine soy sauce, rice vinegar and a few grinds black pepper in a small dish.
4. Eat like you mean it.

* I grated half of a zucchini and half of a small squash using the biggest side on my grater.

Sugar Donut Mini Muffins

Why does the wind always blow the opposite way than my hair is parted?
Why does Elliot think that his anger at squirrels will result in a treat?
Why buy black corduroys when you can get mustard yellow?
Why eat cereal for breakfast when you have sugar donut mini muffins?
Why wouldn’t you make these?!

These are most amazing right out of the oven, just after they are rolled in sugar.
You can really taste the nutmeg in these guys. So take a nutmegabite. You’ll be glad you did!

Sugar Donut Mini Muffins
Recipe adapted from Baking Bites

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 t ground nutmeg
• 1/8 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 t vanilla extract

PLUS:

• 2 T butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease muffin tin(s) with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in color.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into egg mixture and stir to combine. Add canola oil, milk and vanilla extract.
4. Divide batter evenly into 24 mini muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. (I used my cookie scoop)
5. Bake for 10 minutes (rotating half way through) or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour remaining sugar into a small bowl. When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter. Remove from the pan by twisting gently and roll the top and sides in sugar. Cool on a wire rack and then promptly eat ten.

Makes 24 donut hole-esque mini muffins.

Speedy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

When I was first out on my own I realized I needed some pantry items. I went to the grocery store to get some necessary spices. I looked carefully at all of them, and I left with cinnamon sugar. That’s right. Premixed cinnamon and sugar in a nice little spice container. So there you have it. I have priorities.

These are speedy because they require no kneading and a mere 15 minutes to rise. Rumor has it they can run a mile in 3 minutes too. I’m just saying.

I had some family in town this weekend and a early Saturday morning. I opted to make these friday night for our 6:30 am wake up call. I reheated them slightly in the morning, drizzled cinnamon icing on top and we were on our way.

Easy, delicious, and perfect for a quick breakfast that gives you the same flavors as cinnamon rolls, and what’s better than a cinnamon roll?!

Speedy Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker + Baking Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 t active dry or rapid rise yeast
• 2/3 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Filling aka Brown Sugar Cinnamon Goodness

• 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  

Cinnamon Icing-

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tbsp milk or cream
• pinch – 1/4 t cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk, then stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth. Let rest for 15 minutes.
2. While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly.  Divide the batter between 12 greased muffin cups. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly onto each muffin and press in lightly with your fingers or swirl in with back of spatula.
3. Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F. Bake for about 20 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
4. Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon together to form an icing and drizzling it onto the muffins. Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.

Mini Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with “Oh My Ganache” Frosting

You should probably know a couple things. I can be terribly impatient. I occasionally panic right before a recipe does what it’s supposed to. I’m also a mess when I stir. I’m pretty good at stirring in a way that splatters ingredients impressive distances. This frosting is beaten for quite awhile, and my cupboards and countertops and shirt and floor were freckled with chocolate when I was done. It turned out delicious though. These cupcakes are soft and perfectly rounded too. The frosting is light and dreamy. They were a match that was meant to be.

I made these cute little guys for a baby shower, and she is not finding out whether she’s having a boy or girl until she meets him/her.
So here you go. Pink and blue with hearts!

And, here’s Elliot making sure they are pretty enough to bring to a baby shower.

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Hello, Cupcake!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 T) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 t vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the mini muffin cups with paper liners. (Makes about 4 dozen mini cupcakes.)
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating until just blended. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Using a cookie scoop, or a teaspoon fill the paper liners two-thirds full. Bake for 9 – 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from baking pan, place on a wire rack and cool completely.

“Oh My Ganache” Frosting
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients:

• 16 oz mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 16 oz (2 cups) heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Measure out the mini chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl.
2. Heat the heavy cream in a quart-sized, microwavable container and microwave for 3-4 minutes on high, or until it just beings to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for two minutes. Whisk until all the chocolate is combined with the cream and no lumps remain.
4. Allow to come to room temperature, about 2 hours. Once at room temperature, beat on high in a circular motion until lightened in color and slight peaks form when the beaters are lifted from the chocolate. (May take anywhere from 5-10 minutes.) Refrigerate for a few hours for easier piping. I refrigerated mine overnight and found it was too firm for piping or spreading. I then microwaved it for only 5 seconds and stirred until softened, and then it piped fabulously.

P.S. I had quite a bit left over, so either make the whole recipe and plan on having extra for some other delicious treat or cut it in half, and you should be fine.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping & Brown Sugar Glaze

I remember this episode of Garfield from when I was a little girl where there was free ice cream in the park, and he kept going back for more by wearing a fake mustache, a hat, sunglasses, or other various disguises. Speaking of disguises. This is a dessert disguised as breakfast. Make it for house guests this lovely Labor Day, and you’ll be glad you did. People might even put on fake mustaches when they go get piece number three.

I thought about remaking this into muffins…but there’s something about the middle piece of a coffee cake that held me back. I’m not always a fan of apples baked into cakes, but this is delicious. It’s a brown sugar cinnamon cake with crumbled goodness and then even more brown sugar drizzled on top. I happen to love brown sugar and the glaze put me over the top in my need to make this. I was daydreaming about it, and it sure didn’t disappoint.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze
Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse . Bam?

Ingredients:

Cake -

• 4 T unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened +1 t
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 heaping cup of chopped apples, peeled for sure (about 1 large apple)

Crumble Topping -

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 2 T unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze -

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 t vanilla extract
• 1 T water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 baking dish with one teaspoon of softened butter.
2. Make cake. In a large bowl cream together four tablespoons of softened butter and brown sugar. Add egg, beat. In a small bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another small bowl whisk together sour cream and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternating with sour cream and vanilla. Fold in apples. Pour into prepared baking dish, spreading to edges.
3. Make crumble topping. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs and sprinkle on top. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden and set. Cool 10 minutes.
4. Make glaze. In a small bowl combine sugar, vanilla and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle cake with glaze and let harden slightly. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes for easier serving. (Simply double if you want to make it in a 9 x 13 pan.)

The smell of this baking is like going to the cider mill for the first time when the leaves start changing.

Texas Flour Tortillas

Sometimes you have to splurge. You need to get those boots for autumn’s sake. You really should get the $8 drink at happy hour, and you most definitely should get $10 cheese if you plan on making these homemade flour tortillas to be filled with a salad* for your lunch.

Jake made the best salad. He’s the savory to my sweet.

Make a breakfast burrito! Make a salad wrap! Make fajitas! Make up a reason!
What I’m trying to say is: these tortillas are REALLY good. You should probably make them pronto.

Texas Flour Tortillas
Recipe from Jessica who made and loved these first
& The Homesick Texan and The Border Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 2 t vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup warm milk

Directions:

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil. Slowly add the warm milk. Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed. Knead for a minute on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft. Place dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 2o minutes.
2. After the dough has rested, divide into eight sections, and roll them into balls in your hands. Place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be too elastic to roll out properly.)
3. After dough has rested, one a a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. Don’t overwork the dough or it will be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
4. In a dry iron skillet heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
5. Keep cooked tortillas covered with a towel until ready to eat. Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
6. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

*The salad: yellow and red cherry tomatoes, red peppers, avocado, fresh dill, chick peas, chopped spinach, green onion, chevre, aged vermont cheddar and Jake’s signature vinaigrette. YUM.