spiced apple turnovers

“mmmm doughy. i really love dough.”

this is the last week before we kick off the holiday season. so, we had to do something traditional to fall. we’ve done pumpkin, cobbler and salted carmel brownies so the obvious thing left was something with spiced apples. this has been such a busy month for me so i tried my best to create things that were delicious but balanced well for a busy schedule. these turnovers were the perfect choice. give yourself about 30 minutes for this project! that’s all it took.

1 large granny smith apple

1/2 cup applesauce

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

a dash of nutmeg

2 tubes of Grands Jr. Biscuits  (10 per tube)

1 T melted butter

2 T granulated sugar

preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

peel your apple and chop it into small chunks. in a small bowl add the applesauce, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and dash of nutmeg to the chopped apple. mix well.

separate your biscuits and flatten each out to about 5 in. in diameter. take about 1T of the apple mixture, place in the center of your biscuit, fold dough over in half to cover the mixture and pinch the edges together to seal it up. place on a greased cookie sheet.

melt your T of butter and brush on the tops of each turnover. in a very small bowl add the remaining 2/4 cinnamon to the 2 T of granulated sugar and mix together. sprinkle on top of each turnover. throw it in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. once out of the oven, let cool and enjoy!!!

happy fall,

b

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pumpkin muffin…with a twist

“you smell delicious….i will eat you”

i felt bad making this one….don’t get me wrong….i LOVE pumpkin muffins….but one of our favorite taste testers, sara, does not like pumpkin….so i felt bad that she couldn’t partake. but we simply couldn’t get through october without whipping up a little pumpkin something. so i’m sorry sara….we’ll be back next week :)*

for the rest of you pumpkin lovers….here’s a quick and easy treat for you!

i once again hit up smitten kitchen for this recipe…and then added my own little twist.

pumpkin muffins:

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice or more….if you’re not scared of raw eggs…taste the batter and add spice to your liking.
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

preheat your oven to 350ºF.

many of my resources said to be careful not to over-mix the batter….so don’t bother with the kitchen aid or stand mixer on this one…just use an old fashioned whisk and arm power :) begin by whisking together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, spice, sugar, baking soda and salt. in a separate bowl sift together flour and baking powder and then gradually add this to your pumpkin mix and whisk until all ingredients are blended and smooth.

if all you want is a plain jane muffin….you can stop here, add your batter to muffin pan (either well greased or using muffin liners). Make sure the muffin cups are only three-quarters full since you need to give these buddies room to rise. pop them in the oven and bam….they should be done in 20 minutes. check by inserting a toothpick or cake tester, or a fork if you’re desperate….into the center of a muffin…and if it comes out clean, you’re done….if not….give it a few more minutes and check again. once muffins are finished, remove and transfer to a cooling rack. i also opted to top some of mine with cinnamon-sugar…cause who doesn’t love cinnamon-sugar?! pour a glass of milk and enjoy!

BUT…if you’re feeling extra fancy (and i was) you can add a little extra step:

**cream cheese filling:

1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
a pince of salt
a half a cup of cinnamon chips (oh yes….they’re back!)

mix all ingredients, except chips, together till well blended. then add chips. once you have added your muffin batter to your pan, add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture to the top of the batter and bake! these guys might rise a little funny…..but they taste wonderful!

* good news! with extra batter i decided to make some mini muffins. once they finished baking…i dunked the tops of them in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar mixture. i feel like mini muffins are like donut holes….you love them cause they are so tiny…and you probably eat as many of them…that you might as well have eaten a regular sized muffin….but ah well, you’ll never really know :) the good news is….our resident taste tester and pumpkin hater, sara, loved the mini muffins! maybe it was the small size…or the cinnamon sugar but either way….she still got to enjoy the treat on a week when i thought she would have to pass. so there you go…even if you’re not a huge fan of all things pumpkin….this treat can still satisfy!

**this cream cheese trick is one my mom used on cupcakes….i can’t say it’s her recipe though…because when i called my sis to ask for directions…she said “don’t put that on your blog!” :) so….i didn’t even get the rights to my own family’s recipe….and had to go in search of another internet version! haha…maybe someday she’ll let me in on the secret….but i’m sure i will have to “cross my heart and hope to die” promise that i won’t share it!

-L

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peaches ’n cream cobbler

“i just want to swim in this whipped cream”

inspired by the one and only state fair of texas, where i indulged in fried peaches and cream. that’s when it hit me to do this next recipe. and who doesn’t love cobbler of some sort? this recipe might even make my thanksgiving rotation! it’s so easy, super tasty and not everyone loves pie. even if you are not convinced that this should be included in your thanksgiving play list, it’s a must to make at least once. plus you all know that i’m the laziest of birds so this recipe is right up my alley because it really doesn’t get any easier/lazier than this.

2 – 29 oz. cans of sliced peaches in heavy syrup

8 T butter

1 & 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 & 1/2 cups milk

1 cup sugar

ground cinnamon

1 half pint of whipping cream (smallest carton size)

first things first, preheat to 350 degrees. while you’re waiting for the oven to heat up, in a medium sized bowl mix flour, sugar and milk. mix together well. if the mixture is a little clumpy it’s ok. in a large bowl pour the peaches in. once your oven is at 350 place the stick of butter in a 13 x 9” pan and place in the oven. once melted remove from the oven and pour in your batter in over the butter, not mixing them together. with a slotted spoon scoop your peaches on top. then pour the syrup over top of the peaches followed by a sprinkling of cinnamon. don’t worry, as the dough bakes it will rise to the top. cook for 45 minutes.

while you wait, in your mixer pour your half pint of whipping cream and add powdered sugar to taste, maybe a 1/4 cup? i just guessed. it’s more adventurous that way! blend together until it turns into whipped cream. remember our previous chats and keep an eye on this as you are not trying to make butter. so don’t blend for too long. once you’ve pulled the cobbler out of the oven top with whipped cream.

and that’s all she wrote.  it’s so easy it’s stupid easy. everyone should make this at least once. it’s absolutely delicious and best served warm. please enjoy.

-b

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the salted caramel brownie

“i don’t want to finish it…it’s soo good, i don’t want it to end”

fall is officially here! and so are the treats. it’s that time of year that extra brownies can be easily hidden by extra layers…so why not. you have three good months before new years resolutions (aka guilt) kick in. before you know it you’ll be reactivating your gym membership and passing on treats in the name of self discipline….but for now…it’s the season that we all seem to give in to the cravings and get a free treat pass!

as previously posted…the recently discovered salted caramel hot chocolate inspired the search for this post. brown eyed baker gets the credit for this find. she’ll also get the credit when i’m out shopping for jeans with elastic waist bands :) if you’re going to give in to the treat temptations….these guys are a good one to do it on.

they. are. simply. delicious.

this is one of those desserts you take one bite of…and have to stop just to verbally acknowledge how incredibly happy your taste buds are. more that one coworker placed them in their top 5 list (as far as this blog goes) but i think that says a lot for a little brownie. they were super rich (glass of milk required) and the sea salt mixed into the caramel gave them an extra little kick of flavor.  they were also surprisingly easy to make….not as easy as a box…but sooo much better! and you will end up with lots of extra caramel….so grab some apples while you’re at the store.

brownies:

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 eggs
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

salted caramel:

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature

preheat your oven to 350ºF. line an 8×8″ pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. (i loved this tip = super easy cleanup)

i would suggest starting with your caramel, as the longer it cools at room temp, the easier it is to work with. in a 3 quart saucepan heat sugar over medium to medium-high heat. stir as sugar begins to melt. continue stirring until sugar has completely melted and turns a dark amber color. add in sea salt and cubed butter. your mixture will begin to bubble when you add the butter, but continue stirring until butter is melted. remove from heat and stir in heavy whipping cream. again, your mixture will bubble…but mix until all ingredients are smooth. set aside and let cool while you work on your brownies. you can snag a taste or two of the caramel though…just to make sure it’s safe ;)

chop up your chocolates (only semisweet and unsweetened) and combine in heat safe bowl with butter cubes. place bowl over a small sauce pan of simmering water. whisk together as chocolates and butter melt. once smooth add in cocoa powder and whisk till smooth. remove from heat.

in another larger bowl mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. pour in chocolate mixture and mix till blended. sift in your flour and mix again until all ingredients are well blended.

pour half of your brownie mixture out into 8×8 pan. drizzle in about 9 dollops worth of caramel. cover caramel with the rest of your brownie mixture. again, drizzle caramel over brownie mixture…draw about 5 or 6 lines across the top of the brownies with your caramel. take a knife to swirl caramel around haphazardly…or if that makes you uncomfortable…just draw lines perpendicular to the lines you drew with the caramel which makes a nice V pattern across the top of your brownies. if you’re feeling extra crazy…go ahead and sprinkle on a little more sea salt…mmm…you know you want to.

these will bake 30-40 minutes at 350ºF. once you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean…those little buddies are done baking. set your pan, foil, brownies and all on top of a wire rack and let cool for 2 hours before removing and cutting….if you can wait that long. :)

enjoy!

-L

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starbucks inspired….

the salted caramel hot chocolate…..

apparently this little drink has been on the menu for years…but it’s new to my taste buds….and it’s simply amazing. if you haven’t tried it yet, make good use of this season’s brisk mornings (or downright cold, depending on where you are) and pick one up.

as i began to flip through my favorite blogs to turn on the fall inspiration, i saw a little starbucks ad running down the side of someones site….which immediately made me think…..ooooOOOoooo….there must be a tasty treat that imitates this tasty beverage….

stay tuned!

-L

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we’re soooo big!

(this print is thanks to Etsy seller, dazeychic. she has the most adorable prints….and someday i will own them to replace the low res print outs i have hanging above my computer….you should own some too)

B claims to know everything about me…..i like to pretend i’m less transparent than she claims…but usually she’s spot on. today she sent over a coworker in search of a company email we received…i don’t know….a year ago. she sent the coworker to me…cause she knows i don’t delete my emails. i don’t even know how she knows that….but somehow she does. (she might be a ninja….she might be looking over my shoulder right now)

emails aren’t the only thing i don’t delete….my ichat magically saves conversations too….which i have no need for….but has come in handy from time to time (mostly cause i’m the most forgetful person on the planet). every once in a while i think to myself….i wonder what was going on a year ago today….then i can click on that friendly little button…and up comes my life…documented. as i scrolled through the conversations of 10.5.09 i came across a lot of things…an upcoming U2 concert….a sonogram picture of my beautiful (now almost 8 month old) niece charlie belle….with the news “it’s a girl!” and finally some big plans between B and me. as it turns out 10.5.09 was the birth date of the inspiration of lazy bird.

B: Lazy Bird
B: is so cute
L: so cute
L: i’m a big fan of it having nothing to do with bakery items
B: stephen asks, what about ‘the Perch’
B: he is getting into this, hahaha
B: and is sending me all kinds of things
B: I think it sounds too much like ‘the porch’
L: hahaha
B: he’s so funny, he’s trying to say, a place to rest, with out saying lazy
L: hahahahah
B: I think it’s ok to say lazy
L: cause we think it’s ok to be lazy
L: oh man…..
L: we can put the print up
L: about being happier than a bird with a french fry
B: O M G
B: exactly
L: hahaha
L: oh man
L: i love it
B: oh man
B: I LOVE IT TOO
B: ok, so lazy bird or lazy birds
L: bird
L: picture it:
L: a little bird sleeping on his wings pressed together…..like we would with our hands
B: awww
B: stephen use to call me sleepy chicken

fast forward 8 months and the blog was born….but 10.5.09 marks the birth of the great idea!

i’m glad i’m an email/ichat pack rat….otherwise we would never know when our birthday was! happy brithday LB….you’re getting sooo big :)

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