multigrain banana muffins with chocolate chips

The promise of warmer weather has not yet arrived and so my baking continues.  Hot muffins fresh from the oven are what I like to serve my little ones to help them start the day (it helps this mama too).

As you can see above, I baked some of the muffins with paper liners (I like using these) and others without.  These muffins have such a tender crumb that I would advise the use of paper liners.

My recipe is adapted from the Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins by King Arthur Flour

1/2 cup melted butter or cooking oil of your choice
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup mashed very ripe banana, about 2 medium of 1 1/2 large bananas
1 large egg (preferably free ranging)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk or half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons Bob's Red Mill Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
1 cup Ghirardelli mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup rolled oats
Streusel topping, if desired

1.  Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir with a whisk.
2.  In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar for approximately 3 minutes.
3.  Beat in the mashed banana, the egg, vanilla and the milk.
4.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat to combine.
5.  Stir in the chocolate chips and oatmeal.

At this point, you could scoop the batter into your muffin tins, top with streusel (if desired) and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven.  I like to make the batter up the night before and store it covered, in my refrigerator.  The next morning, I bake and serve these delicious muffins.

Do you have a favorite muffin or breakfast recipe?

Ferment: Sourdough Starter

I am joining Tara Austen Weaver in her Sourdough Challenge found on her blog, Tea + Cookies.  My house is kept at a balmy 67 degrees in the winter, so I used her oven light method for my heat source.  I kept checking the temperature of my empty, light on oven throughout the day and was worried that I couldn't keep the starter at the recommended 70-80 degrees.  As seen in my photo above, I gave the starter a jump start in my open slow cooker, using the "warm" setting to get the starter to 80 degrees.  My meat thermometer is pierced through the plastic wrap, which is loosely covering my canning jar filled with starter.  I moved it to my unheated oven, where the light for the oven has kept it at 80 degrees.  I used 1/3 cup of rye flour and 1/4 of reverse osmosis water from our tap.  Let's hope this works!

 I have been reading about making a special sourdough starter, Biga, which uses grapes as part of the starter.  Our grapevine produced very well last summer and I hope to create my own biga this year.  I really like the thought of having a flavorful sourdough uniquely made by the fruits of my labor, so to speak.

Winter grapevine

Pizza will be the first use of my (hopefully) successful sourdough starter later this week.  I've placed my order for more spelt flour from our local coop and like spelt's multi grain aspects without being too heavy.  Other recipes that I hope to try:

Berkeley sourdough bread

Sourdough Black Forest Cake

Cranberry-Oat Sourdough Scones

Are you tempted to join the sourdough challenge?

{lemon love}

Lemons are playing a prominent role in our dishes these days.  This time of year really needs lemon's spark and it's cleansing abilities.  I keep one on the cutting board most days to add slices to water, tea, salads and fish dishes.

Here are some of the dishes that we hope to try soon:

::  Avgolemono by Cat Cora

::  This drink by Leon via Simply Cooked because we've had a rough weak, healthwise

::  Lamb Stew

I can't think of the last time that I made lemon bars and I'm looking for an interesting new recipe (maybe with a gluten free shortbread as it's base?).

What ingredient is prominent in your cooking these days?

New Year's Day Eggs

Our first eggs of the year.  My photography does not do justice to the brilliance of the blue egg that was laid by one of our hens.  One of the lovely eggs was used for the Sweet Potato Caramel Cakes by One Haute Plate.  I substituted one whole baked sweet potato for the canned sweet potato called for in the recipe and also used my vanilla scented turbinado sugar for both the cake and the caramel.  They are delightful little cakes (shown below, dressed in -- yes-- a princess cupcake liner) and I think they would pair well with a stabilized whipped cream topping, as they are tender and light.



create::inspire

An unexpected day at home--alone--finds me:

::  making these amazing treats

::  enjoying this performance by Wilco

::  loving this canning/preserving resource

::  imagining this chai steeped in hot apple cider (locally sourced, of course!)

::  reminiscing of this weekend's great performances (and more to come)

::  feeling somewhat selfish as I relish in this "me" time and tended to my home with the candles lit....

Princess Party Cupcakes

This Sunday was filled with tiaras, tulle, glitter and some amazing Strawberry Cupcakes made from this book.  I am usually one to change up the ingredients--swapping out all purpose for white whole wheat flour or adding ground flax seed.  This time, I stayed true to the recipe with the exception of this addition:

Dehydrated strawberries came to mind for giving these cupcakes an extra punch of strawberry.  I used my mortal and pestle to grind them into a fine powder, then added 1/2 cup to the dry ingredients for the batter.  More dehydrated berries (approximately 1/4 cup) joined the chopped strawberries for the meringue buttercream.

Happy fairy princesses gobbled them down, followed by dancing together in the living room.
How do you turn up the flavor in your recipes?

Baked Potato Pizza

In my quest for fun and wholesome meals, I have also been looking for shortcuts as I juggle home and work life.  Recipes that are not strict with ingredients, that welcome what I have on hand and the little hands that want to help. 

I start with a dough made from scratch--a no knead dough--that works in my refrigerator overnight.  It was inspired by Martha Stewart's Basic Grilled Pizza Dough from Everyday Food July/August 2010.  I like to experiment with various flours and I store my flours (with the exception of all purpose) in the freezer.  I also buy my yeast in bulk and store it in the freezer.  Be sure to have all of your ingredients at room temperature as yeast likes warm environments.  Here is my spin on the recipe:

1 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons local honey
2 1/4 teaspoons (or 1 quarter ounce packet) active dry yeast
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl
Sea salt and black pepper
1 cup (5 ounces) white whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
Penzeys Pizza Seasoning (or your own combination of dry spices which may include ground fennel seed, Greek oregano, garlic, basil, crushed red pepper, and cayenne red pepper)

1.  In a medium bowl (I like this one), whisk the warm water and honey together.  Sprinkle the yeast onto the water mixture and let stand until foamy, approximately 5 minutes.

2.  Whisk oil and 1 teaspoon salt into the yeast mixture.  Add flours and stir with a wooden spoon.  Your dough should not look dry, if so, add a tablespoon of water.  I actually like a somewhat wet dough.

3.  Drizzle oil over the top of the dough (which has not left the bowl) and turn to coat, making sure that oil is also covering the sides of the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap or if you're using the bowl that I like, place the lid on.

4.  Refrigerate dough overnight.  The next morning, punch down the down and replace cover.  Return dough to the refrigerator for a second rise.

5.  One hour before baking, take the bowl out of the refrigerator and remove the lid.  Punch the dough down and allow to come to room temperature.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees and oil a jelly roll pan.

6.  Press the dough into the jellyroll pan.  If it is stubborn, let it rest while you gather your toppings.  When you have pressed the dough out, sprinkle it with the Penzeys Pizza seasoning.  This is the base of your pizza.

Toppings (to be baked):
Cheese of your choice.  I have used mozzarella, farmer's cheese, and sharp cheddar for this recipe.
1 medium potato, peeled and thinly sliced (have you tried this tool?).  Again, experiment with various kinds or just use your favorite potato.
Bacon, thinly sliced and sauteed crisp.
Spicy Smokey Kale Chips from this inspiring couple.

Arrange these on your pizza crust and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.

Toppings (to add after baking):
Garlic chives.  Snip the chives with your kitchen shears over the hot pizza.  Inhale.  Do you smell their garlic loveliness as they hit the heat of the pizza?
Sour cream
A lightly dressed salad has often found itself on top of my baked potato pizza.

What ingredients are you inspired to use on your next homemade pizza?