Crispy Coconut Orange Marmalade Muffins

I love oranges. And I ADORE coconut--especially toasted coconut. Add these two flavors to a baked good, and I'm pretty much a goner. I canned orange marmalade this winter, and we aren't using it up very quickly. So I decided to use it to flavor a new muffin recipe. 

My dad is visiting this week, so he got to taste some fresh from the oven. His description: "Legendary." Hopefully you'll agree!

Crispy Coconut Orange Marmalade Muffins

Makes 24 

Muffin Ingredients: 

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 small instant vanilla pudding mix, dry

1 cup milk

2 1/2 cups flour (I used half whole-wheat on one batch and they turned out just as well!)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups orange marmalade

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare muffin pans with cooking spray or cupcake liners.

2. In a medium mixing bowl beat softened butter and granulated sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in pudding and milk until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir to combine well. Stir in orange marmalade until well combined. 

4. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. 

5. Prepare topping by stirring coconut, brown sugar, and flour together in a bowl. Pour melted butter on top of this, and stir until well combined. Sprinkle about 1 scant tablespoon on the top of each muffin before baking.

6. Bake muffins for 20 minutes. Remove promptly to cool. 

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Pineapple Gingerbread Bars

A moist, chewy gingerbread crust melds into the sweet, juicy pineapple topping in these delectable bars. This was one of those "necessity is the mother of invention" things that so many new recipes are born from. While helping me put away groceries last weekend, my husband discovered that one of the cans of pineapple had been dropped when it was unloaded. The pop-top lid's seal had been broken. So, I needed to use up a can of pineapple soon.  

After looking for the "just right" recipe and not finding what I was hoping to, I decided to experiment. Often experimenting doesn't yield perfect results--especially the first time. But this was the exception. These are amazing bars. My entire family loved them and had seconds, thirds, and those slivers you cut when you want more, but say you are "cleaning up the edge." 

Here' the recipe: 

Pineapple Gingerbread Bars

Makes 48 bars

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups whole wheat flour (all-purpose is fine)

2/3 cups brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.5 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces

Filling:

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

dash salt

1.5 teaspoons vanilla

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)

Icing:

3 Tablespoons melted butter

1.5 cups powdered sugar

pineapple juice (reserved from can)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line either an 10" x 15" baking dish or two 8"x 8" square pans with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2. Mix dry ingredients of crust together in a bowl or food processor. Add the butter and either cut in with a pastry cutter, or pulse in processor, until mixture is a coarse meal.

3. Press into prepared pans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

4. Prepare filling by beating together all filling ingredients except pineapple until well mixed. Stir in pineapple. Pour over cooled crust and return to oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and cool.

5. Prepare icing by mixing powdered sugar into melted butter. Add pineapple juice by the tablespoon until icing is a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle top of cooled bars . I spooned the icing into a sandwich bag and cut off a corner tip to evenly drizzle. Cut into bars and serve. Store in refrigerator. 

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Parmesan and Scallion Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus is in season, which means not only is it in abundance, but it is typically a pretty good deal at the supermarket. And it should continue to be for a few months.  

Asparagus is one of the few veggies I didn't grow up eating. We ate a variety--okra, rutabaga, beets, and all kinds of squash--but I never once remember eating asparagus. I've asked my parents about this, and one of them (my dad, I think) had only ever had canned asparagus, and so determined he didn't care for it. As a result,  my mom never made it. I think they eat it often now, though. 

Despite my childhood deprivation, I LOVE this vegetable. I actually started a patch of it in the garden of our old house. Hopefully the new owners are reaping the benefits of my labors.  My favorite way to prepare asparagus is roasting it. And this recipe is a fail-safe favorite. The stalks are tender, but not slimy, well-seasoned, and pretty to present. 

Here's the how-to, followed by the recipe:

Cut woody ends off asparagus stalks. In a large bowl, toss together asparagus, scallions, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Spread coated stalks on a roasting pan. Scoop up the scallions and cheese that are left in the bowl and spread across the top of the asparagus.

Here they are, ready to go in the oven. Roast at 450° for 15 minutes. 

Serve warm. Asparagus are one of the few foods that are appropriate to eat with your fingers. Did you know that? I still use a fork sometimes, though. 

Parmesan and Scallion Roasted Asparagus

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh asparagus 

1/4 cup avocado oil (olive or canola work, too)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Pinch of ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3 scallions (green onions), chopped

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Chop tough, woody ends off the asparagus stalks. I usually take about 2 inches off. 

2. Toss all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, completely coating the asparagus in the oil and spices.

3. Spread the asparagus in a row on a large roasting pan. It is okay for them to touch and overlap some.  Scrape the bowl for the excess scallions, cheese, and oil. Spread this across the top of the row of asparagus.

4. Bake 15 minutes. Remove immediately, and serve promptly.  

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Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Waffles

Happy Fall!  One of my favorite Fall traditions is the baking I always do--especially the pumpkin recipe baking! I remember coming home from runs with my dad as a kid and smelling my mom's hotcakes. That was the smell of comfort, of love, of home. 

I recently bought a package of cinnamon chips on a whim. My oldest two went on a run together Saturday morning, and I decided to make pumpkin waffles with the cinnamon chips while they were out, in hopes that they could come home to something delicious. The result?  All I can say is WOW.  My family LOVED these. They are bursting with rich, warm flavor even before you add butter and syrup. The only hang-up is getting full.  

If you've never bought cinnamon baking chips, now is the time to find them (they are seasonal)! Check you grocery store, or you can find them online (Amazon or The Prepared Pantry are options).

Here's the easy recipe:

Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Waffles

Makes 12 large waffles

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon  vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat)

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

13/4 cups milk

1 1/2 cups cinnamon baking chips 

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, oil, and sugar together. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and spices, then beat well. 

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Alternate adding the milk and flour mix to the wet mixture, beating after each addition until it is all added and incorporated.

3. Stir in cinnamon chips.

4. Bake on greased waffle iron. Serve with your favorite toppings. We had butter, maple syrup, and some homemade apple pie filling. Mmm,mmm.

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Bunny in the Carrot Patch Bread

This bread gets lots of "Wow!" and "How?"

And not just because it is fun to look at--it tastes great, too!

To make your own, you will need two loaf pans, a bunny cookie cutter, and two recipes--one for pound cake and one for carrot bread.

If  you need a bunny cookie cutter, I found a set of 3 cute ones for a good price on Amazon

The pound cake (which you make first) came from Divas Can Cook.  I chose it because of it's high-fat content, since it will be baked twice. I altered it just slightly. Here it is:

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, softened

3 cups white sugar

6 eggs, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl cream the butter with the sugar until well combined (about 5 minutes)

2. Add the eggs one at a time and mix completely after each egg.

3. Alternate adding the flour and whipping cream, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans. 

5. Spoon the batter into the pan.

6. Place into a cold oven on the middle rack and turn the oven to 325.

7. Bake for 1 hour and 5-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

8. Let cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing to finish cooling on a cooling rack.

While pound cakes are cooling, make your carrot bread recipe: 

Carrot Bread

3 cups flour (I used half all-purpose, half whole white wheat)

1.5 teaspoons ground ginger

1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 cup canola oil

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups grated carrots

1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans.

2. Stir together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. In a mixer bowl, beat eggs well. Add oil, sugar and vanilla. 

4. Mix dry ingredients into wet.

5. Stir in carrots.

Now your carrot bread batter is ready. Set it aside. 

Once your pound cakes are made and cooled, cut them into slices (almost as thick as your cookie cutter is), and then cut out bunny shapes from each slice. Discard the heels and the excess (I plan to use mine in a trifle). 

I may have snacked a bit on the leftover pound cake. This was one of the BEST pound cake recipes I've ever used. 

Start lining up the bunnies in the loaf pans, standing up.

Here's how they look all lined up.

Spoon the carrot bread batter over the bunnies carefully. If you just dump it right on top, you might have some smashed bunnies.

Put the loaves in the 325° oven. They will bake for 45-55 minutes.

They look like ordinary loaves of carrot bread...

But they are NOT! Look at the cute little bunny inside!

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"BEST ROLLS EVER!"

I love homemade rolls. And, let's face it--who doesn't?!  I have a few recipes in my arsenal that I make from time to time--quick-rise, croissant-style, spoon rolls, etc.

These rolls, however, are my "go-to" recipe. I developed the recipe when we were newly married, and I've been making them since.  This is the recipe that I've shared with people in all the places we've lived (so get ready--if you make these, your friends WILL be asking).  I even taught a class on making these once to a group of stay-at-home moms who were wanting to learn.

Here's what you need: (Recipe's at end of the post.)

Flour, salt, baking powder, yeast, butter, sugar, egg, water. The basics.

Put the yeast and 2 tsp of sugar in the warm water in a large mixing bowl. If you are using a stand mixer--this should be the bowl you use. Let it sit until the yeast starts to grow....

 

....like this. Yours may not look like a doughnut. This is a rare phenomena. Usually it just looks like a big blob of wet, yeasty air.

 While your yeast is growing, melt your butter just until mostly melted (don't boil it). Whisk in the rest of the sugar and the egg. You don't want your egg to cook in there, so make sure your butter isn't scalding hot before you add the egg.

Now mix the butter mixture into the growing yeast water.  It will look about like this. 

Okay, I kinda skip a step here with the pictures because it's not much to see. In a separate bowl mix 4 cups of flour, the baking powder and the salt.   Add this dry mixture to the wet and mix until well incorporated. I use my paddle for this step, then switch to the dough hook for the next step.

Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The amount varies for me each time slightly. This batch took 3 1/2 more cups total. 

Remove the dough and knead it just enough to form a nice smooth(ish) big ball.

 Put a little (1/8 cup or so) oil in a large bowl and turn the dough over in it once to coat it--seam side down. 

Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rise until it's doubled in size. This is about 2-3 hours if it's at room temperature; 1-1.5 if it's in a warm place (like sitting on a warm oven or next to a crock pot). 

Here is the double-in-size dough.

Punch it down. (Like my fist indentation?)

Pull off approximately 1/3 cup pieces of the dough, and turn them in your hands so that you are forming a ball that has a seam on the bottom and is smooth on the top. This picture shows the top and the bottom of a dough ball. You don't want to roll it between two palms like you would play-dough. Imagine you are forming the dough around an imaginary marble or bouncy ball. You want it to cover it and have a seam on the bottom. (I hope this is clear...)

Place them in a greased baking dish right next to each other, but not squished. 

Cover and let rise. I put mine in a warm oven (I heated to 170 before then I turned it off when I put them in). They were doubled in size in 30 minutes. 

Here are the un-baked doubled-in-size rolls.

Hot out of the oven!

Mmm, mmm....

I like to butter the tops before serving. Best served fresh and warm.

 

All plated up. I love a colorful meal. 

Best Rolls Ever

(This is what my son exclaimed at dinner tonight. I thought it made a nice title)

2 cups warm water

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) yeast

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1.5 sticks butter

1 egg

8 cups flour (all-purpose, or combination of all-purpose and whole wheat)

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 cup canola oil

1. Dissolve yeast  and 2 teaspoons of sugar in warm water. Set aside to allow yeast to begin to grow.

2. Melt butter and mix with sugar. Add egg and mix well. Add butter mixture to yeast that has begun to grow. 

3. Mix 4 cups of flour with baking powder and salt.  Add this to the yeast mixture and stir well.

4. Stir in, then knead in 3-4 more cups of all purpose flour--1/2 cup at a time-- to make a dough of even consistency. Form into a ball. Turn over once in a metal mixing bowl greased with canola oil. Cover and let rise until double in size (2 hours on a warm oven, or 3 at room temperature).

5. Punch down , then form 2-3 inch balls and place in greased baking dish. They will more than fill a 9x13. I use an 11x17.  Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes more in warm place--until doubled in size. 

6. Bake at 375 15-20 minutes, until light brown. Butter tops while hot. Makes 2 dozen.

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