Banana Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup

After all that holiday baking, it seems like the January Improv challenge came around way too soon. The ingredients for January were bananas and nutmeg, and the first thing those flavors brought to mind was breakfast. Pancakes are a breakfast staple around here, but for Boy Mimi's last day of winter break from school, something a little more special was in order. Light and crispy waffles, with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of home buttermilk syrup, were just the thing. 

The waffles were good, but the real star of breakfast was the buttermilk syrup. It was sweet but not too sugary, and had a nice mild flavor, with hints of vanilla. It was a nice change from the usual maple syrup found on the breakfast table. This syrup is definitely worth making for a special breakfast, and makes an everyday breakfast seem special. 

Banana waffles
Adapted from Sunset magazine January 2005

1 cup flour
1 tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup milk
1 ripe banana mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients.  In another bowl mix together egg yolks, milk, banana, sour cream and butter until well blended. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
In a separate bowl beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter until no white streaks remain.
Bake in a Belgian waffle iron until well brown about 6 to 9 minutes. Keep warm on a baking sheet in 200 degree oven for up to 15 minutes. Serve with slightly sweetened whipped cream and warm buttermilk syrup.
Serves 4-6


Buttermilk Syrup

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Light Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt


In a deep pot combine the butter, sugar, buttermilk, salt and Karo syrup and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the baking soda and vanilla and stir till combined. *The baking soda will cause the mixture to foam to twice its volume, so be sure to use a big enough pot* The color of the syrup will turn to a golden brown. Remove from the heat and continue to stir until the syrup thickens. Let it cool and serve immediately, or store in the fridge in an air tight container. It will thicken as it cools, but you can warm it up in the microwave to thin it out.

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Granola

Whether you eat your granola plain by the handful, douse it with milk, or spoon it into yogurt, good granola can be difficult to come by. Luckily, good granola, with its slightly sweet crunchy clusters and any kind of nuts and fruits you like, is surprisingly easy to make. It takes a matter of minutes to get this into the oven, and in as much time as it would take to get to the store and back, you can have fresh, crunchy granola customized to your own taste. We love the original recipe (below) but also like to throw in some dried cranberries and pecans, and maybe a handful of mini chocolate chips if it's a chocolate kind of day.

Almond Granola with Dried Fruit
adapted  from Cooks Illustrated March/April 2012

1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups slivered almonds, coarse chopped
2 cup dried fruit, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, vegetable oil and vanilla. Fold in oats and almonds until thoroughly coated.
3. Transfer oats mixture to prepared pan and spread across the sheet into a thin even layer. Using a stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes.

When it is cool, break into large chunks or small clusters, gently stir in dried fruit and store in an airtight container.

link:Foodie Friday

White Chocolate Apricot Fudge

Every Christmas our family makes fudge to give away as part of our cookie trays. It was always my favorite Christmas treat as a little girl, and we still use the same recipe that my mom did. It always turns out rich, creamy and super chocolatey. For many years I have wanted to try a white chocolate fudge, but I always run out of time. This year, while flipping though an old issue of Taste of Home Holiday Recipes I came across this fudge recipe and decided that this was the year I was going to make it. It also fits into the December Improv challenge, using both marshmallows and chocolate, so all the more reason to try it. White chocolate always seems so sweet, but I liked the idea of the apricots and walnuts to balance that sweetness. 

I am glad that I finally made time to try this fudge. It was very, very sweet, but suprisingly, we all liked it, and thought it was a nice change from the chocolate and peppermint treats that are everywhere. However, there are a few things I would do differently next time. Some of my apricots were very soft and moist, and seemed almost melted inside the fudge so next time I would choose the firmest dried apricots I can find. Overall, we liked this as a base recipe and might try it again omitting the apricots and adding some dried cranberries and orange zest with the walnuts. 

White Chocolate Apricot Fudge
adapted from Taste of Home Holiday Recipes 2009

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1  7 oz jar marshmallow cream
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots*
3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts*

Line a 9 inch square pan with foil, grease foil with butter.

In a large bowl combine chopped white chocolate, marshmallow cream and salt. Set aside.

In a heavy sauce pan combine sugar, sour cream and butter. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring until soft ball stage, 234 degrees, about 5 1/2 minutes. 

Pour sugar mixture over chocolate and marshmallow cream and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add vanilla stirring to incorporate. Fold in apricots and walnuts.

Pour into pan allow to set over night or until firm. Use the foil to remove from pan and cut into 1 inch squares.

*This is the recipe I made, but next time I would add more of both the apricots and the walnuts and I would finely chop the apricots.
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Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodles

It is just about time to take a look at our Christmas cookie wish list, you know the one where you write down about 100 things you want to make, knowing that you will eventually have to narrow it down to just a few things.    As much as we love snickerdoodles, we don't usually include them in our cookie baskets because there are so many other things we want to make. However, last weekend I needed a little holiday treat to take to some friends, and I knew these snickerdoodles would be perfect. They are a classic cookie and are fast to make. We like ours crispy around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle with a few cinnamon chips added for extra flavor.

Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodles

 

2 ounces unsalted butter

6 ounces vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cinnamon chips

2 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

In a bowl mix together flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt, set aside. Mix butter, shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs , one at a time, beating until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and mix.  Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until all the flour is incorporated. Stir in the cinnamon chips. Roll dough in to small balls (about 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough) roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Set balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. bake in 400 degree oven 8 to 10 minutes, until tops start to crackle, do not over bake, cookies will firm up as they cool.

makes 4 dozen

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Apple Pie Ice Cream

It continues to be pretty hot here in Southern California, but that doesn't diminish our desire for Fall treats. We had some friends over for dinner in the middle of October, but instead of a bowl of soup or a cozy fall meal, we ended up grilling outside because it still felt like summer. For dessert I decided to combine the best of both summer and fall in an apple pie ice cream. This ice cream is cool and creamy, but filled with chunks of warmly spiced apples and topped with a crunchy pie crust crumble. If you want to go all out, a nice drizzle of homemade caramel sauce is pretty good on here too.

Even though we are in November, if it continues to stay so warm, we are going to have to experiment with transforming many of our favorite  fall flavors into frozen desserts!

Apple Pie Ice Cream

Apples:
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
4 medium apples, peeled core and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup apple cider
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the all the ingredient in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until apples are soft and liquid has evaporated. remove from heat and cool. Pour into a food processor and plus a few times to chop apples. Remove 1/2 of apples and reserve. Plus remaing apples to a smooth puree.

Ice Cream Base
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon corn syrup

 In a medium bowl whisk egg yolks, cornstarch and 1/2 the sugar.

In a sauce pan heat the cream, milk, salt, corn syrup and remaining sugar to a simmer. Carefully add 1 cup of the hot liquid into the egg yolk, whisking the eggs constantly. With a wooden spoon stir the hot egg mixture back into the sauce pan with the remaining cream/milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly unit the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Cool for at least 2 hours.

Add custard to the pureed apples in the food processor, puree until smooth.

Process in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

When your ice cream is churned swril in the reserved apple chunks in big streaks. Freeze until firm.

Pie Crust Crumble
Momofuku Milk Bar

1 1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick butter melted
1 1/2 tablespoons water

Heat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until well mixed.  Add the butter and water and paddle on low speed until mixture starts to come together in small clumps.

Spread the clumps on a parchment/silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, breaking up the clumps occasionally.  The crumbs should be golden brown and still slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.

Let crumbs cool completely before using .

When serving ice cream sprinkle each bowl with the pie crust crumble.

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Pumpkin Pie Bars

 

Oatmeal and raisins were the mandatory ingredients for the October Improv Challenge. I usually have a couple of ideas in my mind, and I think them over for a few weeks before tackling my recipe of choice. Even though it is October, it is still so hot in my neck of the woods that I started out making oatmeal cookie ice cream. Every time I make ice cream I think it will be the last time for the year, but if it doesn't cool down soon I'll be making ice cream for Thanksgiving! Despite oatmeal and raisins bringing to mind warm, homey fall flavors in cookies and crisps, I forged ahead with my cool treat and successfully got the ice cream to taste like oatmeal cookie dough.  However, I wasn't quite able to master an oatmeal and raisin add-in that we liked, and kept mulling over ideas that could possibly make it work.

For a few days, about a week ago, we had some rain and clouds and real October weather, so I took advantage of that and decided to scrap the ice cream and go with a fall dessert. Boy Mimi loves anything pumpkin, so I decided to combine a family favorite with the challenge ingredients and came up with these pumpkin bars. They have a chewy cake-like base with a creamy pumpkin pie filling, and it is all topped with a crispy oatmeal-raisin streusel topping. It was a winning combination of cake, pumpkin pie, and oatmeal raisin cookies. Boy Mimi definitely approved and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the oatmeal raisin addition to these bars. Unfortunately we are now back to 90 degrees outside so I may have to revisit that ice cream recipe, but I know we will definitely be back to this recipe, oatmeal raisin crumb and all, in the coming cooler months. 

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Prepare a 9x13 pan by spraying with cooking spray or grease and flour.
Pre-heat oven to 350F

Ingredients:
 2-1/2 cups sifted flour
 1 Tsp. salt
 1-1/2 cups sugar
 2 Tsp. double acting baking powder
 1/4 cup cold butter

Preparation: In a food processor combine flour, salt, suga,r and baking powder and mix well to blend. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the food processor bowl. Cover and process until mixture is very fine. Make sure that the butter is completely  and evenly distributed in the flour mixture. Remove 1 1/2 cups and reserve for topping. To remaining mix add:

 1/3 cup soft butter
 1 egg

 Pulse a few times until combined, but still crumbly. Press into prepared pan.

Filling:

1 large can pumpkin or 28 ounces of fresh cooked and drained pumpkin
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
2/3 cups milk.

To the now empty food processor add all ingredients and process until  homogeneous, and pour over the crust.

Topping
To reserved crust mixture add:

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 soft butter
1/3 cup raisins

In a medium bowl mix all ingredients together to form a large crumb and sprinkle evenly over the filling mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Cut and serve. 
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White Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles

According to the calendar, it's officially autumn, but the 90 degree heat says otherwise. As much as I would love to be roasting squash and baking pumpkin treats, I just can't make myself stand in the kitchen all day with the oven at full blast.

Despite the heat, I couldn't pass up the cans of pumpkin I saw at the store and I knew this recipe would be a great way to ease into fall flavors without too much time in a hot kitchen. These truffles have the spiced pumpkin flavor I was craving, with a little bit of crunch from the graham cracker crumbs and the white chocolate shell. they are easy and delicious, and most importantly, don't require hours in front of an oven!

I used some Halloween colored sprinkles here but I think with some red, orange, or gold dust on top these would make a pretty (and easy) addition to any Thanksgiving dessert display. I know it will be cool enough for pie baking by then, but a little twist on the traditional pumpkin pie is always fun too!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles
adapted from healthy food for living

12 oz. good quality white chocolate
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch cloves
pinch allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
Seasonal sprinkles or edible decorations

12 silicone or foil lined mini muffin cups or other small silicone cups


Melt white chocolate  in the top of a double boiler over medium heat on the stove, stirring constantly until completely melted.  Remove from heat. Using a small spoon, place about 3/4 of a teaspoon of the melted chocolate in a reusable silicone mini cup or into a foil lined mini muffin cup, tilt the cups to swirl the chocolate to cover as much as possible. If necessary, use a paint brush to paint up the sides of the cups with extra chocolate. The chocolate should be thick enough that you can not see through it. You should have left over chocolate when all the cups are done.

Place the cups onto a tray and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until completely hardened.  Remove from freezer (and peel the silicone or papers off of the hardened shells, I did this when I was completely finished with the candies )

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, pumpkin, spices and the vanilla, whisk or beat until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and whisk until combined.  Stir in the graham cracker crumbs

Using a small spoon, gently divide the mixture among the chocolate cups filling to just below the ridge. Smooth the tops to create an even surface.
Re-heat the remaining melted white chocolate if necessary.  Spoon a small amount of melted chocolate over the smoothed filling surfaces, making sure the chocolate reaches all the way to the edges to seal the cups.  Sprinkle with decorative seasonal sprinkles or edible decorations. (here is where I removed them from the silicon molds)

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Foodie Friday

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Butter Cream

There are some ingredients that just belong together, and others that you wouldn't even put in the same recipe. Brown sugar and zucchini, the September Improv Challenge ingredients, kind of fit between those two categories. Zucchini says savory and brown sugar says sweet treats. But there is a gray area where you can sneak some veggies into cookies or a cake and it is still delicious. With that in mind, I went back to an old favorite recipe- Chocolate Zucchini Cake. We usually make it as a coffee cake with a just few nuts sprinkled on top, but this time I turned it into cupcakes, because cupcakes need frosting, and brown sugar frosting is delicious! Sometimes its fun to create something new and unusual with the required ingredients, but sometimes, an old standby with a new twist is just what you need. 

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
makes 12 cupcakes
 
1/4c. soft butter
1/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 c. Buttermilk
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
3 tablespoons Hershey’s cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1c. grated zucchini
1/2 c. chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners
In a small bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt .
Cream together butter, oil and sugar.
Add egg, vanilla and buttermilk to butter and sugar mixture; blend well.
Add dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Add zucchini and chocolate chips, stir until incorporated.
Pour batter in prepared muffin tin.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Cool cupcakes on a wire rack, frost if desired
Brown Sugar Buttercream

2/3 cup butterscotch sauce (recipe below)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup room temperature unsalted butter

In stand mixer with paddle attachment beat butterscotch sauce with powdered sugar and vanilla. Slowly add butter one tablespoon at a time and beat until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.
If frosting is too soft refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes before using. 

Butterscotch sauce

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a heavy bottom sauce pan melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar, cream and salt. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
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