Happiness Project#51: Cinnamon Roll Crumb Cups!

January 27, 2015 Leave a Comment

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Guess what, my friends. Sometimes even I mess up a recipe. Sometimes quite tragically. Enter the Cinnamon Roll Muffins that I had foolishly attempted at 10pm last night, while I was what I like to refer to as being “stupid tired.” You know that tired which overcomes you at 8pm when you’re a Mother of a 23mo Toddler, after being pulled out of bed at 7 in the morning by little hands that want to go, go, GO? THAT tired. Where I tend to just kinda loose all sense of rhyme or reason. And willpower. Must not ever forget the general lack of willpower. You hear me, Mamas?

Anyhow, so last night. Cinnamon Roll Muffins. Fail. Not so much in the taste department but tragically & irreversibly in the prettiness department. To the point where I almost wanted to toss the whole batch. Until I actually tasted one of them, that is. Which, fortunately, saved this entire recipe. Because guess what? These sad, flat-toped muffins still tasted very, very good! Can I get a Hallelujah?! Hallelujah! Which got me thinking. About (my favorite) white coffee mugs. And spoons. And drizzle. Because let’s be real here, photography prettiness really does matter and can be JUST as important as the actual recipe itself. Truth.

Hence, this re-invented Cinnamon Crumb Cup recipe! Which became one of the best mistakes I’ve ever made thus far in my many kitchen adventures!

Cinnamon Roll Muffins (which will become crumbs very soon):

2-1/2 cups cake flour plus 2 reserved tablespoons

1 cup granulated sugar

pinch of kosher salt

1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 cup butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons fresh ground cinnamon

For the Icing Drizzle:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350D. Butter and lightly flour a 12 cup Jumbo Muffin Pan, tapping out the excess flour from the pan.

Firstly, in a small bowl, combine the fresh cinnamon and the 2 reserved tablespoons of flour. Mix and set aside.

In a 2nd (large) mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Whisk to fully incorporate.

On a stand mixer, in another large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed, for a few minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in each egg, one at a time until fully incorporated, followed by the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Drop the mixer speed to a lower setting and gradually add in the flour mixture. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Lastly, add in the whole milk, a half cup at a time, until just incorporated.

Onward to the swirly part! Using a Tablespoon, drop 2 tablespoons of the muffin batter into each muffin round. Drop in a large pinch of cinnamon on top of the muffin batter. Followed by, again, dropping in another 2 tablespoons of muffin batter on top of the cinnamon layer. Now grab a butter knife and gently swirl the batter and the cinnamon layer together. This will create a messy marbled look. Key word: messy.

Pop the pan into the oven and bake for 21-23 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the muffins center come out clean.

The resulting muffin tops will look slightly flatter than a traditional dome shaped muffin (due to using cake flour instead of all purpose flour). Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before gently extracting each of them onto a wire rack.

Now here’s the part where I became a tad bit creative. Even though I could have just eaten up those flattened muffins as is, the photographer in me wanted something a bit more ascetically pleasing. Which meant crumbling up each muffin, with my fingertips, and then spooning those lovely crumbs into my favorite coffee mugs. Followed by drizzling each of those lovely cups of crumb with a super messy glaze.

Because drizzle, people! Drizzle! How can you not have a cinnamon roll without it’s glorious sugar topping?? You. Can’t.

And this powdered sugar glaze is ridiculously easy to create, too! So no excuses!

To create the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and the whole milk into a medium size mixing bowl, and whisk a couple of minutes until a shiny glaze forms. And then, drizzle!

Ha! So there you have it. Mix, bake, drizzle and serve. A mistake well worth anyone and everyone’s breakfast table!

Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast Snacks! Tagged With: ,

Happiness Project#50: Funfetti Bundt Cake!

January 12, 2015 2 Comments

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I’ve been having a very difficult time recently, being alone everyday, particularly as a Mom. Before I had my Baby Girl, I loved being alone & spending more time at home than anywhere else. I was content with my husband and my books and my favorite tv shows. It was ME, then. The NOW me, though, is very (surprisingly) different than that once-comfortable house hermit. Mostly because of my Daughter. Who has changed me, in the best of ways. Thanks to her, I now understand the importance of getting both out of the house and out of my normal comfort zones. For once, I truly enjoy long walks in the sun. And going to the local zoo. And chasing birds. And riding carousels. And simply taking our time while doing whatever it is that we’re doing. Because, yes, my friends, children change EVERYTHING. Something that I am eternally thankful for.

Anyhow, even though I’ve discovered a new found appreciation for expanding my daily boundaries, up until recently, I felt perfectly at peace with it being just my Daughter & I. Going out and about and exploring the world (all over again for me) together. Even when we were traveling down south, every month, to see my older sister and her three boys, once a month seemed perfect. Until now. Now, I want to be around my sister and nephews all the time. For myself and my Baby Girl. The connections that both Ari & I have with my sister and her boys are unlike any that we have here (even with the Family that we have within our immediate area). The experience of being a Family with a child, while being with another Family with a child, or children, is incomparable to anything else. With my sister and her boys, I KNOW love. Constant, empowering, comforting love. Where we play and sing and dance and laugh and truly enjoy every moment together. Even when we’re out running multiple errands. Even when we’re saying nothing at all. So whenever that one magical week ends and my Daughter & I drive back home, I end up feeling how I am today. Sad, alone and little lost. Like a huge piece of my Heart is missing and the day is a little less bright without it. A feeling that I sometimes have for days. Which gets worse at night, when the house is quiet and everyone else is asleep. When I have nothing else to think of but memories.

So to always commemorate the memories that my Daughter and I have created with the Cooper Family, I’ve decided to share one of my favorite cake recipes. A recipe that always reminds me of my sister and her three loving, affectionate, absolutely amazing boys. All who I love and adore like no other. With one of the happiest candies ever created: sprinkles. Because how can you not see rainbow sprinkles and feel Love?

From my heart to yours, may this bright and cheerful bundt cake always bring you happiness, my friends.

For the Cake:

2-1/2 cups cake flour, sifted

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

pinch of kosher salt

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 cup rainbow sprinkles

Preheat your oven to 350F. Butter and flour 1 fluted bundt cake pan. Depending on what type of bundt pan you use, the bottom part of the cake will reflect how light or dark the cake pan is. Hence, since I used a very dark bundt pan, this particular cake ended up being quite brown on it’s bottom (shown in the above featured photo).

In a stand mixer, on medium speed, beat together the flour, sugar, oil, baking powder, vanilla extract and salt, until gently mixed throughly. Drop the mixture speed down to a slower speed and add in each egg, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Now, slowly add in the 1 cup of whole milk, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, once or twice to ensure that the batter doesn’t become lumpy or unmixed. Mix for 1 minute until thick and smooth.

After taking your bowl off of the stand mixer, gently fold in the 1 cup of sprinkles. Followed by pouring the funfetti batter into the well buttered & floured bundt pan.

Pop your bundt pan into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry. Let cool on a wire rack, still in it’s pan, for around 30 minutes to an hour until the cake is cool enough to unmold from the pan.

Now here’s where you get to be choosy. Vanilla Glaze or Dusted Sugar? Such a difficult dilemma. *wink* If you end up wanting to apply a thin vanilla glaze versus a fine dusting of powdered sugar, for the glaze you will need:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

In a medium sized bowl, add in all three ingredients and whisk together until you’ve reached a desired consistency. If your glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar for thickness. If your glaze is too thick, add in a couple of tablespoons of milk to thin it out. And then, drizzle! Drizzle away!

Oh and don’t forget to sprinkle. Again. Because there’s no such thing as too many sprinkles. Not in my life =)

P.S. After creating this blog nearly 3 years ago, THIS is my 50th recipe post! Exciting!

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Happiness Project#48: Eggnog Snowflake Cookies!

December 23, 2014 Leave a Comment

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Tomorrow! Tomorrow is always that one special day of the year that I look forward to the most! Not because of bows or tags or pretty wrapping. But because I get to spend an entire 3 to 4 days with my favorite souls on earth. My Mom, my two sisters & my three awesome nephews! My Family. My Heart. We’re not one of those families who puts much weight into giving that “perfect” gift or any gifts, actually. Well, okay, with the exception of gift giving for the kids, that is. Because kids should be a little spoiled this time of year. Just a little bit, right? With us adults, though? No thanks! That’s one of the many things that I adore about my Family’s beliefs. Christmas isn’t about gifts. It’s simply about being together. For food and dancing and games and recipe adventures. When we’re finally all together, the circle is whole and my heart is complete. And there’s no happier place on earth.

So in preparation of Christmas Eve festivities, I wanted to make a special cookie that embodied so much of the joy and elation that I feel when my Family is finally all together again. And since Eggnog is my Husband’s favorite holiday drink, I started there. And ended up with pretty blue sprinkles and shimmering white cake dust. The result? Snowflake perfection. That tastes just like Christmas! And Home. And best of all? Just like Family.

For the Cookie Dough:

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch of ground cinnamon

pinch of kosher salt

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons eggnog

Snowflake Glaze:

The whites from 1 egg (only the egg whites)

White cake dust, which you can find at Michaels Craft stores or most cake decorating shops

Blue sugar crystals

Ready? Let’s get Christmasy!

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt together. Set aside.

Using the bowl on a stand mixer, or by hand held, beat the butter  and two sugars together, until light and fluffy.

Add in the egg and beat until well combined. Follow by slowly adding in the flour mixture and mixing until just incorporated.

Now, scrap down the sides and bottom of the bowl to form a rough shaped dough ball in the center of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Why 2 full hours? Because if the dough isn’t chilled long enough, it will be too soft to roll out and cut shapes with. Which can be very, very frustrating.

Before you’re ready to start rolling out that well chilled dough, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats.

Now to the rolling and shaping! On a cold, lightly floured work surface (preferably marble), roll up half of the cookie dough into a large ball and then firmly roll out into a 1 inch flat circle. Using whichever cookie cutter shape you like most, shape, shape, shape away! Continue to roll out & shape the remainder of the chilled dough, until you have filled up both of your cookie sheets.

*Quick Tip: Remember to lightly flour your work surface between each division of balled dough. Otherwise, the dough will stick to the work surface and become super messy to lift up.

Pop your cookies into the oven and bake for 9-10 minutes, until the edges become slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Ready for the super pretty part of this recipe? Let’s go!

Crack the 1 egg, and in two small bowls, divide the egg white from the egg yolk. Using a fork, whisk up the egg white for a couple of seconds.

Using a small pastry brush, lightly coat the tops of each cookie with the egg wash. The egg wash will give your cookies a lovely subtle shine. Follow by sprinkling each cookie with a little bit of the white cake dust. Ending with an additional sprinkling of blue sugar crystals. Or whatever colored sprinkles you like. That’s what’s so wonderful about Christmas cookies! You can use whatever colored sprinkle you want and the end result will still be decisively merry and bright!

And there you have it! With a little bit of elbow grease and a whole lot of Love, you can share the very best of Holiday cheer, rolled up into one yummy treat.

From my Family to yours, Happy Holidays, my Friends! xoxo

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Happiness Project#47: S’mores Blondies!

December 17, 2014 Leave a Comment

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S’mores. EVERYONE in my family really, REALLY likes S’mores! Though LIKE perhaps, is much too small a word. Love is a more accurate description. Or single minded obsession even. Since we’re being so honest about it. And over Thanksgiving weekend, ALL they talked about was wanting S’mores. S’more. S’mores. S’mores. Even after I had slaved away creating an 8 inch Lemon Vanilla Cake for them, which also happens to be another of their favorite flavors. Pft! Lemon! So to appease this single-minded Family obsessive, I quite literally steam rolled into this new recipe. One that didn’t quite go as planned the first time around. Because, yes, my friends, there IS such a thing as TOO many marshmallows. Trust me. There is. So don’t do it. Just. Don’t.

However, coming up with a S’mores recipe even better than my previous S’mores Cookie Sliders, was no small feat. My Family expects perfection and perfection they shall have! Okay, okay, this perfection snobbery is all mine, not theirs. Not theirs in the slightest. Just another beautiful, unique thing about my Family. We’re more about Love and Togetherness verses expectation and perfection. Because perfection, as the saying goes, is boring.

Anyhow, I’m assuming, at this point, that you’d really, REALLY just like this recipe. And so it shall be.

For the Blondies:

8 tablespoons salted butter, melted

1 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

S’mores Topping:

2 regular sized Hershey bars, broken into pieces (approximately 1 cup)

3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly butter or spray an 8×8 inch baking pan. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

By handheld or stand mixer, blend the butter and brown sugar together for a few minutes. Beat in the egg and then the vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add in the salt and then the flour, until just incorporated.

Pour into the pan, using a spatula to gently press the batter into the pan’s edges.

Set your timer for 20 minutes. Pop the Blondie batter into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

While you’re waiting for the Blondie bottom to half bake, prep the two ingredients needed for the S’mores Topping.

Halfway through baking, at 10 minutes in the oven, pause your 20 minute timer and remove the half set Blondie batter from the oven. Lay out each broken Hershey chocolate piece on top of the Blondie, in whatever pattern you’d like, followed by gently pressing the mini marshmallows in between whatever spaces are available between the chocolate pieces.

Once you’re happy with laying on that S’mores topping, pop the pan back into oven. restart the timer and let bake for the remaining 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool throughly in the pan, on a cookie sheet, before cutting up into 12 bars. Store airtight, for up to 3 days.

So what do you think? This S’mores Blondie might not be the prettiest but as long as it tastes yummy then that’s all that really matters, right?

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Happiness Project#46: Classic Peanut Butter Cookies!

December 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

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Alright! Alright! After 3 of my friends contacted me within this past month, asking for my well-loved Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, I’ve finally decided to blog it out for them, and well, everyone else, too. Just so I can make finding it (& keeping it) much easier for everyone interested, myself included. Since we all know how crazy a Mother’s life can be during the holiday season, after all. Without the extra madness of hunting down one’s favorite recipe.

The story on this forever favorite home cookie of mine? Years and years ago, before I had gone to Pastry School, I wasn’t able to bake ANYTHING without burning it. Especially cookies. Just between you and me, I couldn’t bake a decent enough cookie to save my life. I didn’t have the patience required, at that point, to truly LEARN and FEEL the craft of baking. Because once you’ve discovered the passion for kitchen wizardry, all you really need to be truly good at it, is the patience to learn the basic baking techniques needed within any staple recipe and the importance of practice. Practice truly does make perfect. Trust me. You have no idea how many hours of the night that I’ve spent in my tiny, little kitchen, re-doing a recipe over and over and over again, until I got it just right. That’s just how it’s done, my friends.

Anyhow, after tweaking this cookie recipe 3 or 4 times, I finally got it just right. Being the super pastry snob that I am, after all. *wink* So from my kitchen to yours, (& all of those 3am baking sprees), here it is!

1/2 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature

1-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling and sprinkling

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat your oven to 370F. Dust two baking sheets with granulated sugar or fit with a Silpat baking mat. Seriously, people, go out and buy a Silpat baking mat! It will make all of your baking experiences so much easier (& cleaner). Just do it!

In a large mixing bowl, by handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed for a few minutes, until fully incorporated. Add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder and mix well. After scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add in the egg and vanilla extract. Slowly, beat in the flour until just incorporated. Chill your dough for 10 to 20 minutes (especially, if it’s too soft to handle), until it’s firm enough to shape. If you’re planning on using fun cookie cutters, let the dough cool in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes so that’s it’s stiff enough to roll out evenly.

*Tip: most cookie doughs will gradually warm up when being handled for extended periods of time, so don’t hesitate to pop the dough back into the fridge to cool again between filling up each cookie sheet.

Now comes the fun part. Let’s get rolling! By hand (or small cookie scoop), roll the dough into 1-1/2 inch balls. Roll each ball gently into reserved granulated sugar until fully coated. Place up to 12 cookie balls onto each cookie sheet. Using a fork, gently flatten by making crisscross markings. Pop the cookie sheet into the oven, one sheet at a time, and bake for 8-9 minutes, until the bottoms are slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Sprinkle or dust lightly with more (yes, more!) granulated sugar. Though you don’t really NEED to add more sugar. They’re quite yummy as is. I personally just really like that extra pop of sugar on top! Never said I was sensible now, did I? Ha!

There you have it, all of you cookie monsters! The best of all things classic! Happy Baking!

P.S. DO NOT consume these cookies if you’re trying to avoid yummy, sugary temptations. This cookie is NOT at all a good addition to my own Menopause diet. Trust me.

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The Stealthy Kitchen Mama Photo-shoot with So Cute Photo!

August 4, 2014 2 Comments

A couple of months ago, I had come up with the idea of doing a SKM photo-shoot with my (now 16mo) Baby Girl. I wanted to celebrate the inspiration behind first creating my recipe blog, nearly 3 years ago to date.  3 years ago, due to severe pain from Endometriosis, my husband & I had been struggling to become pregnant. And, in ways, this blog, at first, was my way of coping with that struggle. Until, shortly after it’s creation, I miraculously became pregnant. And although my pregnancy was high risk, involving a very traumatic surgery at 4 months along, being so severely sick on a daily basis that I was bed ridden 60% of my entire pregnancy, as well as having pneumonia when I gave birth to my Daughter, I KNEW that she was bound & determined to have her place in this world, no matter how my own body struggled. And take her rightful place, she has. And every day that I am with her, I am a better person because of her. My beautiful, determined, happy-go-lucky, sassy Little Girl. So I did this photo-shoot, to honor the one who captured my heart and saved my soul; My Baby Girl. Without further adieu, it would be my honor to introduce her to you…

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This is just one of the many reasons why I LOVE being a Mother to such a happy little spirit! Her contagious curiosity makes everything new and exciting, especially, in the kitchen.

SO MUCH THANKS to the BRILLIANT So Cute Photo! My friend, Brenden, has been taking photos of my Baby Girl since she was first born and I adore, not only all of her work but also her incredibly friendly & open-hearted personality (even more so)! It’s not always an easy thing to find a photographer who shares in your own happiness, as well! Brenden, at So Cute Photo, always knows the perfect way to capture the moment. So much so that when I first received this file of photos, I became teary-eyed over quite a few of these. Thank you, Brenden, for always capturing the heart of my Baby Girl and showing the world the true beauty of Motherhood.

http://www.socutephoto.com

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Happiness Project #38: The PERFECT Peanut Butter Brownies!

July 12, 2014 7 Comments

 

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Brownies. Let’s talk about Brownies. Brownies…perplex me. Because they’re very much like a cake yet flat, with a decisively fudgey texture. And by the way, how wonderful of a word is fudgey? It just screams summer days, languishing on the front lawn, with a scoop of half melted vanilla ice cream dripping joyfully down your fingers. Well, it does to me, anyway. Anyhow, back to the ever so elusive Brownie. I’ve been trying to create the PERFECT Brownie for well over a year now. No matter how many recipes I’ve tinkered with, nothing has just WORKED. Really? But for heavens sakes, why not, you’re wondering. The honest truth? I’m a brownie snob. In the worst way. They’re either too cake-like or too fudgey. Yet never both. And BOTH is what I want. So you can probably imagine how frustrating this year long quest of mine has been. Or ridiculous. Depending on how you see it. To make a long story short, about a month ago, I finally (FINALLY) figured it out. The PERFECT Brownie. With peanut butter, just because. And yes, I am still dancing my silly Happy-Happy-Mama Dance. Because this Brownie is THAT good. Don’t believe me? Try it. You’ll see. Ready?

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1/3 cup for coating pan

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray or butter a 9×11 inch baking pan. Or use a 12 cup muffin pan, like I did in the above photo. Sur La Table has a lovely 12 cup square muffin pan by Fat Daddio which you can find on their website. Evenly coat the buttered pan with 1/3 cup flour and tap out any excess (flour). Set aside.

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the chopped chocolate and butter until fully combined. Once melted, transfer to a medium sized mixing bowl and let cool slightly.

Stir the sugar and peanut butter into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon until just combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.

In another small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixer, until just combined. Pour the brownie batter into your buttered/floured pan, spreading evenly, making sure to reach into each corner.

Bake for 19-20 minutes, until a toothpick, inserted in the center of the pan, comes out clean.

Cool throughly, on a wire rack, before cutting up into 12 bars. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Or your favorite peanut butter frosting, like I did. We all know that there’s no such thing as too much chocolate with peanut butter.

And there you have it, my friends. A little bit fudgey on the inside and a little bit cakey on the outside. Perfection? I think so.

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Happiness Project #37: Baked Tuna Casserole!

July 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

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Whoa! Another Dinner Dish?! All in the same month?! Why, yes! Yes, indeed, my friends! This Mama’s on a mission! To bring some dinner to the table! And highchair. And possibly, a dog dish, as well. Though, not ALWAYS to the dog’s dish, mind you. And since, I really, REALLY like the idea of all-in-one Casserole’s for my family, I went scouring the internet and Pinterest for my next (hopefully rather) easy dinner dish. Now before you go on judging me, I am NOT ashamed to admit to being somewhat of a Pinterest nerd either. So there! Enter, the simplest version of a Tuna Casserole Recipe I could set my eyes upon. With peas. Again. Yes, we really like our peas in this house. I chalk it up to how small & Toddler friendly they are. Though, next time I may add in some fresh Broccoli too, since I didn’t happen to have any of America’s favorite veggie tree on hand last night.

Hmmm, speaking of last night, which was the 4th of July here in my neck of the woods (or more accurately, city), my kitchen ended up becoming a bit…crowded. By my very scared and horribly trembling Beagle/Terrier Canine Child, Chloe Girl. For SIX hours! SIX hours worth of loud, booming, the-sky-is-very-likely-falling neighborhood fireworks. Which I was NOT happy about it. At all. Yes, I understand that everyone wants to eat, drink and launch very pretty sparklies. But for SIX hours?? At the expense of everyone else around them, who might (just might) have sleepy babies and nervous dogs?? Until 2am?? Apparently. Like I said, by 11pm last night, I was NOT pleased. And had a very terrified Chloe Girl huddled up in the kitchen corner, pressed up against my legs. Which made using the stove a little crowded.

Anyhow, even though I was understandably half distracted by comforting my Chloe Girl as well as tinkering with this particular recipe, all while convincing myself NOT to run out into the street, welding a large knife (because I was THAT enraged by all of those inconsiderate neighbors of mine), I did eventually manage to get this Casserole in the oven. Hallelujah. Which, even today, is still being very happily consumed. So to all of my fellow Mommy & Daddy friends out there, with too much to do in the day and not enough free time spent in the kitchen, this easy, relatively all-in-one recipe might be exactly what you’re looking for! Well, besides more sleep, that is. *wink*

Pinch of kosher salt

2-1/2 cups elbow macaroni pasta

1 cup breadcrumbs (my husband prefers Panko breadcrumb so we nearly always have a couple of boxes of this laying around)

5 to 6 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons, plus 2 tablespoons (reserved) fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1-1/2 cups whole milk

3 (6 oz) cans solid light tuna, packed in water, drained and fluffed with fingertips

1-1/2 cup frozen peas or 1 cup broccoli, thawed

Once all of the ingredients are gathered and prepped, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to it’s packaged instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

In another small bowl, toss together the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, until just coated.

In a medium sized pot, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add in the flour and whisk to combine with the olive oil. Once combined, slowly add in the broth, followed by the milk. Whisking continuously, bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover, stirring every minute or so, until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. Stir in the the pasta, tuna and peas, until fully, evenly coated.

Spoon out your casserole mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish and top with the lemon tossed breadcrumb mixture. Slid this on into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the crust on top is lightly browned and bubbling.

Transfer to a wire rack before sprinkling the reserved 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the crust. Let cool for a good 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Such a lovely, easy Dinner Dish. Perfect for any last-minute occasion. Happy Cooking, my friends!

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Happiness Project #36: Baked Tuna & Veggie Mac and Cheese!

June 20, 2014 Leave a Comment

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3 months later & I’m FINALLY back blogging! Not because I haven’t wanted to be baking & blogging these past 3 months (because I HAVE actually been baking) but mostly because being a semi-active Mom, battling her way through a whole whirlwind of physical struggles, in light of having a wonderfully SUPER active 15mo Toddler, doesn’t leave me much energy or time to blog as well. Even during the two days a week where I DON’T have my Mischief Maker with me. So in lieu of (very normal) Toddler tantrums and the decision to decline ever single event invitation we were invited to this month (once again, my apologizes to those who so graciously invited us to such lovely summer events), I’m finally making the time to do some much needed catch up. With a very messy kitchen paying the ultimate price.

So what HAVE I been up to these past very blog-free months, you ask? Why, Peanut Butter Brownies, Cinnamon Roll Mini Cakes as well as a very special Flower Garnished Vanilla & Lemon Celebration Cake, to tease you with just a few. None of which I’ll be sharing today. Shocking, I know. Though yes, the aforementioned recipes will be blogged very soon, I promise. Right now, though, I’d like to share a very NEW & EXCITING kitchen adventure with you! A DINNER adventure! Yes. Dinner. Something that I just DON’T do. Until now. Which is kinda a big deal for me, especially as a wife and mother. Instead of those oh-so predictable spoonfuls of sugar or cake flour or chocolate, this lovely dinner dish demanded cheese and noodles and tuna. Which I very happily, though a bit nervously, obliged to. And WOW, was this one of the best Mac and Cheese dishes I have EVER wrapped my stomach around! It’s THAT good! Thanks to my lovely blogging friend, Kelsey, over at her fabulous lifestyle blog, Oddly Lovely. Which you should browse through. Now. Or at the earliest connivence. There’s a blog post there for just about any subject that you could ever be (or want to be) into! Especially if you’ve never met her Dog, Ru, yet. Trust me. You’ll want to. Anyhow, after repeatedly eyeballing Kelsey’s very delicious looking Baked and Breaded Mac and Cheese Recipe, I (quite literally) dragged & pushed myself out of my usual kitchen comfort zone and did it. One of my very first home-made Dinner Dishes. Which was WONDERFUL! Cheesy, but not TOO cheesy. Delicate but hearty at the same time. With the perfect amount of surprising crunch, thanks to those well-needed breadcrumbs. And even though I threw in some frozen peas, white tuna and a teeny bit of lemon juice, this Baked Mac and Cheese Dish was perfect, all on it’s own. So with much (MUCH) delight, here it is!

Bake Tuna & Veggie Mac and Cheese:

8 ounces of macaroni (I used Rotini pasta because I have this thing for the cuteness of curls)

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt)

black pepper to taste (a pinch)

1-1/2 cups reduced or low fat milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2-1/2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar

2/3 cups bread crumbs

*1 cup frozen peas

*9 oz can of tuna, drained

*2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent the pasta from further cooking. Set aside.

Over a large skillet, set to medium-high heat, add and melt the butter, stirring so that it doesn’t brown. Once melted, add in the flour, salt and pepper. Mix with the butter until it reaches a nice & smooth consistency.

Gradually add the milk and heavy whipping cream into the saucepan, consistently stirring over the course of roughly 5 minutes. While stirring, bring the mixture to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to mediuim-low and cook for 10 minutes, still stirring to prevent the mixture from hardening. Now gradually add in the the shredded cheese, in small handfuls, mixing and waiting until each handful is melted before adding another. Once melted, turn off the burner. Pour in the cooked macaroni and stir throughly to create an even coating. Once you’re happy with your now fully coated macaroon, add in (first) the drained tuna, and then the frozen peas. Mix each addition well within the cheesy macaroni. Pour your macaroni mixture into a lightly buttered (or sprayed) 9×11 baking dish. Using a tablespoon, drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice evenly over the entire dish. Followed by a sprinkling of breadcrumbs to finish the dish up. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the breadcrumb topping becomes slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, on a wire rack, before digging in. Even though you might be chomping at the bit as soon as this yummy loveliness comes out of the oven, never fear. A few minutes won’t hurt anyone. Especially if you have a Toddler (or wiggly dog) underfoot. Trust me.

For explore all of Kelsey’s lifestyle adventures, go to her blog, at the oddlylovely.com

Filed Under: Baking, Dinner Dishes Tagged With: , , , ,

Happiness Project #33: Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins!

February 2, 2014 3 Comments

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Okay, I have a confession to make. Even though I LOVE (LOVE!) all things chocolate, you know what I love just as much? Strawberries. Plump, juicy, sweet strawberries. I can very easily settle down with a entire bowl of this fruit and eat them all. Every. Single. One. Without feeling a single twinge of shame. It’s a strawberry, for heavens sake! Natures all-natural, guilt free form of dessert indulgence! Right? Right! And please don’t delude yourself into thinking that you’re above consuming an entire bowl of these lovely, ripe beauties. Because we all know the honest truth. *wink wink*

Fortunately, even though it’s technically winter here in California (all of my California friends know why I’m laughing at the word “technically”), there are still a few hole-in-the-wall type markets who just so happen to carry (unusually ripe) baskets of this lovely fruit. Hallelujah, I say! A kitchen without strawberries is just as sad as a kitchen without chocolate or coffee. Terrifying thought, I know. So after quite joyfully picking up all of the supplies I needed for muffin making, you know what transpired shortly thereafter? Not only did my Baby Girl fall (very) sick (enough so that it was scary to me), but I, too, very quickly followed suit. To the point where even though I’m on 3 different prescriptions, I’m still mostly-in-bed a-sick after 6 days. No. Fun. My Baby Girl though is feeling much, much better and already frolicking around in her usual contagiously joyful manner. Which, to me, makes EVERYTHING better. Anyhow, to make a long story short, right up until today, those happy-go-lucky strawberries sat very quietly in my fridge, waiting to be freed. Hence, these pretty little muffins. With cream cheese spread. And my (rather) simple version of heart shaped strawberries. Want? Here you go…

For the Muffins:

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar, plus 3-4 tablespoons for tossing

3 eggs

1 large egg white

1 cup whole milk

1-1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups finely chopped strawberries

Firstly, finely chop or slice up the strawberries (after removing their green heads) and gently toss them in your reserved 3-4 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Otherwise, they will taste somewhat wet & slimy within the actual baked muffin. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Fill up two cupcake pans with paper baking liners.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder until well mixed. Set aside.

In a bowl on your stand mixer, cream together the butter and 1-1/4 cups sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add all 3 eggs, plus the egg white, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. After dropping your mixture speed to a lower setting, slowing add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the 1 cup of whole milk, always starting with and ending with the flour mixture. Once gently but fully combined, grab a spatula and mix in the chopped & sugar tossed strawberries.

Using a large spoon, scoop strawberry batter into each paper liner, filling to the top edges. Pop the two pans into the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, until the muffin top edges are a very light golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack, while you’re preparing the cream cheese spread.

For the cream cheese spread, you’ll need:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1-2 tablespoons whole milk (optional)

In a large, clean bowl on a stand mixture (or by hand held) cream together the butter and cream cheese until nicely blended and smooth. To avoid any clumping, scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Drop your mixer to a slower speed and add in the 2-3 cups powdered sugar, mixing until well combined. For a silkier texture, add in up to 2 tablespoons of whole milk.

Spread or frost your strawberries to your hearts contentment! Or if you’re not keen on cream cheese, you can also sift some powdered sugar onto each muffin instead!

Bam! Fruity Muffin Happiness! For everyone!

Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast Snacks! Tagged With: , ,
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