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Recipes

No-Knead Bread

 

The smell of freshly baked bread through the house.  Doesn’t that make you feel warm and fuzzy all over? Yeah me too! I just dislike all the kneading and rising…. I found this no-knead recipe in a Mother Earth News magazine years ago and was hooked after the first time I made it.  It’s basically set it and forget it, for like 14-20 hours.  It’s a very simple recipe, keeps well up to a week in a ziplock bag, and is delicious toasted.  This is not your sliced Wonderbread. It is chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, in other words a slice will keep you going.  The bread is cooked in a dutch oven (cast iron pot) and that is what gives it the wonderful texture.

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No-Knead Bread

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Serves: 4-8 Cooking Time: 30 minutes(+overnight to rise)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
  • 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water

Instructions

1

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently until well incorporated (mixture will be soft)

2

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a large towel and let sit in a warm spot for 14-20 hours. I usually start the bread at night and finish it next day.

3

Let dough out of bowl on lightly floured surface and fold onto itself a few times

4

Place dough on a floured tea towel and fold.

5

Place back into bowl and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours.

6

30 minutes before time is up, place dutch oven (cast iron pot) in oven that's been preheated at 450F.

7

Remove pot from oven, lightly sprinkle bottom of pot with flour and drop dough inside.

8

Place lid back on pot and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

9

If you like a crispier crust, you can remove the lid after 30 minutes and further bake for another 10-15 minutes.

10

Enjoy!

Notes

*I use a 5.5QT pot, the smaller the pot the more height you will have to your bread and vice versa.


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Recipes

Linzer Cookies

 

Who’s ready for Christmas? I think I almost am…..there always seems to be something else that needs doing.  It’s always fun  baking with the girls, and these cookies end up on our table every Christmas.  They look fancy but are not difficult to make, and are great for gift giving.   Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Linzer Cookies

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Serves: 2 dozen cookies Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup almond flour, toasted
  • 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • Jam of choice for filling (I used seedless raspberry jam)

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 350F.

2

Place the almond flour on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3

Toast flour in oven approx 5-7 minutes. Check and mix frequently because it will burn quickly.

4

When light golden in color remove from oven and let cool.

5

Increase oven temperature to 375F

6

In a standard mixer beat the butter, sugars, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until fluffy and lighter in color.

7

Add in the cooled almond flour, all purpose flour and egg.

8

Mix until dough forms, about 2 minutes.

9

Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

10

Place a long piece of parchment paper on the counter and place half of dough on it. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and roll the dough between them.

11

Cut dough into desired shape. I used a 2 inch biscuit cutter for top and bottom. For the top part I also cut out a shape into it. Make sure you cut equal number of bottoms and tops since they will be sandwiched together.

12

Bake cookies for 8 minutes and place on cooling racks. Let cool completely before filling.

13

Warm the jam of your choice in the microwave until slightly runny, about 1 minute.

14

Sprinkle powered sugar on all the tops.

15

Place about 1/2 tsp jam on each cookie bottom and place the cookie top on it.

16

Store cookies in airtight container. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!!


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Recipes

Orange Cranberry Scones

 

*Please note, the following post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”  Disclaimer

Tangy dried cranberries and luscious orange make these scones hard to keep around for long. They are great for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea, or anytime you like.  So simple to make and they keep  for quite a few days in a tight sealed container.  If you’re looking to give a delicious gift to a special someone, these would be it.

 


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Cranberry Orange Scones

Servings: 16 scones
Author: WhollyCupcake

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/3 C heavy cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 C whole milk cold
  • 1 tsp natural orange extract
  • 1 C dried cranberries

Instructions

  • 1
  • Preheat oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
  • 2
  • In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, and baking powder
  • 3
  • Add butter to the bowl and crumble mixture with your fingers until crumbly. Add the cranberries
  • 4
  • In a medium bowl whisk the heavy cream, egg, whole milk, and orange extract
  • 5
  • Pour wet mixture over the dry and gently knead into a ball, you might need to add a bit more four since mixture will be soft and slightly sticky
  • 6
  • Place dough of floured surface and cut in two equal parts
  • 7
  • Flatten disks and cut each into 8 wedges (like cutting a pizza)
  • 8
  • Place wedges on baking sheet, brush with heavy cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar
  • 9
  • Bake 15-18 mins until light golden
  • 10
  • Get your kettle on and enjoy these delicious scones!
Categories
Recipes

Chocolate Ganache Mini Pies with Maple and Sea Salt Pecans (Gluten-Free)

 

I had enough dough leftover from my mini pumpkin pies recipe to make another batch of mini pies. I love pecans but not pecan pie, and chocolate and nuts are my weakness.  The filling for these is super easy to make, and the only thing you have to bake is the crust. You can also make a 9 inch pie if making individuals ones is not your thing, all instructions are the same.

Preheat oven to 375F and have handy two muffin pans

Chocolate Ganache Mini Pies with Maple and Sea Salt Pecans (Gluten-Free)

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Serves: 15-20 Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • Pie Crust(see my post on gluten-free mini pumpkin pies for recipe)
  • Maple and Sea Salt Pecans
  • 1 Cup raw pecan halves
  • 2 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
  • 2 pinches Sea Salt
  • Ganache Filling
  • 8 oz semisweet chocolate chopped
  • 4 oz dark chocolate chopped
  • 1 1/4 Cup heavy cream

Instructions

1

Maple Pecans

2

Place pecans in skillet and roast on low-med heat until slightly fragrant, about 5 mins

3

Drizzle maple syrup over pecans and sprinkle with the sea salt

4

Using a wooden spoon gently stir the pecans and roast for about 2 mins more until caramelized. Be careful because they burn easily.

5

Remove from heat and spread on parchment paper to cool

6

Pie Crusts

7

Prepare pie crust as for the mini pumpkin pies (see recipe on my blog)

8

After you have placed it in the muffin tins, gently pierce each crust with a fork to prevent it from puffing too much during baking

9

Place in preheated oven and bake 25 minutes until slightly golden, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack thats been placed on top of a baking sheet

10

In the mean time prepare the ganache

11

Chocolate Ganache

12

Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat on medium until slightly hot

13

Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl and gently pour the hot cream over it

14

Whisk until smooth and silky, cool for about 2-3 minutes

15

Assembling the Pies

16

Gently pour the ganache into the crusts, taking care not to overfill

17

Place them in the refrigerator and chill for about 20 mins until ganache is set

18

Decorate each mini pie with the pecans

19

Keep pies in the fridge, bring to room temperature before serving.

20

They are rich and decadent and delicious with a cup of coffee

21

Enjoy!😁

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Recipes

Gluten-Free Mini Pumpkin Pies

 

*Please note, the following post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”  Disclaimer

I’ve been nursing a cold for almost a week, but Thanksgiving waits for no one! So this year I’ve been assigned dessert duty….again.  I love baking so I’m not complaining in any way.  Since my mom has celiac disease and cannot eat anything with gluten in it I make the holiday desserts gluten-free so she can enjoy them as well.  This year I’ve made mini pumpkin pies, first because I think they are easier to eat when they are individual, second it makes me feel a bit less guilty about eating pie, and third, they are adorable looking :). When baking gluten-free I use either Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour or Cup4Cup. I used a muffin tin to make the mini pies, no need to grease the pans beforehand since the dough has butter in it. The pie crust recipe will make two 9in crusts.  I used one to make the pumpkin pies, I got about 20 mini pies out of one crust.  The other crust I used for chocolate ganache mini pies. If you’re only using one of the dough disks, you can freeze the other and use in the future.

mini pumpkin pies

 

Preheat oven to 375F and have handy two regular muffin pans.

 

 

 

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Gluten Free Mini Pumpkin Pies

Servings: 0 mini pies
Author: WhollyCupcake

Ingredients

  • Pie Dough
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 stick cold butter cut into small cubes
  • 1/3 cup or more ice water
  • Filling
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 can pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • *1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • *1 tsp ground ginger
  • *1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • *1/4 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

  • 1
  • Pie Dough
  • 2
  • In a large bowl sift the flour, sugar, and salt.
  • 3
  • Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture.
  • 4
  • Using a fork or pastry blender cut the butter into the flour until you have pea sized chunks of butter incorporated into the flour mixture.
  • 5
  • Drizzle the ice water over the flour mixture and continue mixing until smalls balls form.
  • 6
  • If they start sticking together, you’ve added enough water, if not then continue drizzling small amounts of ice water until dough coheres. Since we are using gluten free flour, you might have to add a bit more ice water than stated amount to make it cohere.
  • 7
  • Divide your dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap, pressing dough into disks.
  • 8
  • Refrigerate for about 20 mins.
  • 9
  • Pie Filling
  • 10
  • Place eggs, sugars, pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla, and spices in a medium bowl.
  • 11
  • Whisk until smooth
  • 12
  • Refrigerate while your dough chills, this helps infuse the flavors more
  • 13
  • Making the Pies
  • 14
  • Take out one of the dough halves from fridge
  • 15
  • Sprinkle gluten free flour on your work surface and a little bit on your rolling pin
  • 16
  • Gently roll out the dough to a 10-11 inch circumference
  • 17
  • Using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass slightly bigger than muffin tin opening, cut circle into the dough
  • 18
  • Place rounds into muffin tin, the sides will automatically overlap
  • 19
  • Continue re-rolling leftover dough and cutting into circles
  • 20
  • Take out the pumpkin filling from the fridge and pour it equally into each crust until close to edge
  • 21
  • If you have leftover dough you can make little dough cutouts like I did and place on top of filling
  • 22
  • Place muffin tins into preheated oven and bake 25-30 mins until set and crust is slightly golden around edges
  • 23
  • Serve with whipped cream
Categories
Recipes

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

 

This recipe is quick and easy to make when you are strapped for time.  Turn it into sandwiches for lunch the next day.

Preheat oven to 500F and line baking sheet with aluminum foil

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

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Serves: 6-8 Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Pork Tenderloins (approx 2 1/2 lbs)
  • 4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Sea Salt
  • 2 Tsp Ground Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
  • 2 Springs Fresh Rosemary stripped and chopped

Instructions

1

Trim tenderloins of any silver connective tissue and place them on foil rimmed baking sheet.

2

Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and gently rub it into both side of tenderloins.

3

Drizzle olive oil coating both sides.

4

Sprinkle tenderloins with the salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary.

5

Roast in oven for 20 mins.

6

Rest meat about 5-10 mins before slicing.

 

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Recipes

Curried Brussels Sprouts

 

*Please note, the following post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”  Disclaimer

Yes, I will brag that my kids are the kind of kids that ask for Brussels sprouts, and why shouldn’t they? If done properly they can be a delicious addition to your meals.  For this recipe I tossed the Brussels sprouts in turmeric and garam masala to give them a nice mild flavor and warmth.


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Curried Brussels Sprouts

Serves: 4-6 Cooking Time: 30 mins
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Servings: 0
Author: WhollyCupcake

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Brussels sprouts washed and cut in half
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 Tbsp garam masala

Instructions

  • 1
  • Preheat oven to 375F, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  • 2
  • In a large bowl toss all ingredients well to combine and (this might sound weird) taste the seasoning off your fingers and adjust if you need more.
  • 3
  • Make sure you wash your hands first before mixing again 😁
  • 4
  • Bake for about 30 mins until sprouts are tender but still crunchy.
  • 5
  • Enjoy!
Categories
Recipes

Rustic Apple Pie

 

We just returned from a relaxing, nature-filled week in Nothern Idaho.  The beautiful fall colors and the fresh crisp air was a welcome site from the smoke-filled air we’ve been having here in the Bay Area from the unfortunate Wine Country Fires.

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The apple tree in front of our house produced a spectacular amount of delicious apples (not sure what type they are.)  It’s unfortunate that most of them had fallen to the ground by the time we got there, but I was still able to collect a large bowl full of decent ones to use in this rustic apple pie. It looks like the wild turkeys found the apples irresistible as well!!!

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Rustic Apple Pie  (makes one 9 in. pie)

For the dough

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 stick cold butter
  • 1 /3 cup ice water

In a large bowl sift the flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture.  Using a fork or pastry blender cut the butter into the flour until you have pea sized chunks of butter incorporated into the flour mixture.  Drizzle the ice water over the flour mixture and continue mixing until smalls balls form.  If they start sticking together, you’ve added enough water, if not then continue drizzling small amounts of ice water until dough coheres.  Divide your dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap, pressing dough into disks.  Refrigerate for about 30 mins. Preheat oven to 425F

Apple Filling

  • 5-6 medium-sized apples, cored, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a medium bowl mix the cut apples with the rest of the ingredients, gently stir with a spatula.  Let sit about 15 mins for flavors to infuse.

Roll the dough disks and place one of them into the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan.  Place the apple filling inside. Cover with the top crust.  Seal and crimp edges together with your fingers or a fork.  Cut steam vents in the top crust and sprinkle with sugar.  Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 30 mins.  Reduce heat to 350F and continue baking for additional 30-45 mins until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown. Cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

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Categories
Recipes

Rustic Pumpkin Pie

 

Savory pumpkin pie, doesn’t it look absolutley delicious? Thank you Tammy for sharing your recipe!

Categories
Awards

One Lovely Blog Award

 

I want to thank Vero from With Colors and Canito in the Kitchen for nominating me for One Lovely Blog Award. What a wonderful surprise!!!! Thank you Vero! Please check out her awesome blog filled with delicious and authentic recipes.

 

 

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The Rules for the Nominee are as follows:

  • To accept this award some of rules should be followed:
    *Each nominee must thank the person who nominated them and link their blog in their post.
    *They must include the rules and add the blog award badge as an image.
    *Must add 7 facts about themselves.
    *Nominate 15 people to do the award

7 Facts about Me:

  1. I love cooking and especially baking!!!
  2. I’ve been an Emergency Room nurse for 15 years and still going…….don’t know how
  3. I wish there were more hours in the day so I could pursue ALL the hobbies I love.  I crochet and have an Etsy shop where I sell my handmade items.
  4. I was born in Europe and moved to the USA when  I was 10 yrs old.
  5. Traveling is my passion! If I had the funds I would be a permanent nomad.
  6. I speak 3 languages
  7. My dream is to buy a farmhouse and live off the land, but be close enough to a city where I can shop and explore.

I nominate the following blogs

Cooking with Aunt Juju

Chef Kreso Recipes

Sweet and Spicy Living

Koalified Baking

Ronit Penso