Thursday, October 24, 2013

Peanut Butter & Jelly & Banana Muffins

I made these as a snack to bring along to a bachelorette party, and they were SO GOOD.

Tip: Don't put the sugar on top if you arent going to eat them soon. I put them in a big baggie, and the tops sorta turned to mush, because the sugar got soggy.

( recipe from Java Cupcake)

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups ripe bananas (4-5 small bananas - I like chunks of bananas, so I don't over-mash mine)
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups fresh raspberries (not frozen)
  • 1/4 cup coarse sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw or Turbinado sugar)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake/muffin tin with liners. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, buttermilk, peanut butter and melted butter.
  4. Add the eggs and sugars to the wet mixture and whisk until smooth.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and fold together with a spatula until just combined or until only a few flour lumps are visible.
  6. Add the raspberries and gently fold into the batter. NOTE: Do Not over mix! You don't want to break up the raspberries or work the flour too much.
  7. Gently scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin filling no more than 3/4 full. Top each muffin with the coarse sugar.
  8. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the muffins and the tops are golden brown.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before running a butter knife along the edges of the pan and inverting the bread onto a wire rack to cool completely.

One Pot Pasta

This pasta is RIDICULOUSLY easy. (pic and recipe by the linked Lottie and Doof)

Throw a bunch of crap in a pot and cook.

DONE.

You can kinda customize it, too. Add a bunch more herbs, if you want.

It turns out oddly creamy. I think from keeping the starches in the water from the noodles.

One-Pan Pasta (adapted slightly from Martha Stewart Living)
  • 12 ounces linguine
  • 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/2- 3/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • Lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and water in a large straight-sided skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls, and garnish with basil. Serve with oil and Parmesan.


IMG_9653

Monday, October 14, 2013

milk chocolate mousse with coconut whipped cream.

Holy crap, I am SO far behind on this blog!!

This recipe is from How Sweet Eats.

It is DELICIOUS. It's crammed full of coconut, though, so not exactly a good diet dessert. I almost found the coconut in the mousse AND the coconut in the whipped cream to be a little over the top. I think next time I would put regular whipped cream on it, but I would fo sho put the coconut whipped cream on something else.

ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
directions:

8 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
2 large egg yolks
2 cans full-fat coconut milk, cold (refrigerated overnight)
Combine chocolate, water and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for 30 seconds again. Stir constantly until all chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
While the chocolate is cooling, take one can of coconut milk out of the fridge. Open the can and discard the liquid, then scoop the firm coconut meat into the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until completely whipped and thick. Set the bowl in the fridge.
Add egg yolks, sugar and remaining water to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved, mixture is opaque and light yellow and has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in melted chocolate mixture. Place saucepan in a bowl of ice water and whisk constantly until chocolate is cooled.
Remove whipped cream from the fridge and fold it into the chocolate mixture. Once whipped cream is completely folded in, evenly pour mousse into either two or four glasses. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
A few minutes before serving, remove the other can of coconut milk from the fridge and whip the cream just as you did earlier. Once whipped, add in powdered sugar and beat just until the sugar is incorporated. Top mousse with the whipped cream and extra chocolate shavings if desired.
[adapted from taste of home]