Zucchini Muffins with Lots of Other Stuff

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Over the years, this has become my go-to recipe for zucchini muffins. I've  made these hearty gems for over 20 years now, and if you glance through the ingredient list, you'll see why my children use to call them "kitchen sink" muffins. Not, mind you, for their scrumptious taste, but because I put everything but the kitchen sink into the batter. I know you will like them. While they are a bit heavier than the usual breakfast muffin, they are moist and delicious and also keep well. That's important when a recipe makes 18 muffins. The recipe is simple enough for young cooks to prepare and if you use a box grater to shred the zucchini, they can be made without special equipment. I spray the paper liners to keep the muffins intact when the liners are peeled back for eating. It's not necessary, but it does make for nicer looking offering. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how they are made.

Lemon Pecan Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I needed something to put out for a get-together tomorrow afternoon. Most of the gals who'll be here will have fruit, but I wanted to have something a bit more tempting for those who look forward to cake or pastry. I must also add that I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen this afternoon, so I decided to make this quick and flavorful bread which is very simple to prepare. It is sweet, but barely so, and I must admit that it's the lemon sugar glaze that makes this homely loaf a standout. Years ago, the making of lemon loaves was a rite of passage for girls. Most women my age have several recipes for this old-fashioned treat, but the loaves are rarely made these days. I thought it would be fun to reintroduce one variation of this quick bread to my friends tomorrow. I do have a couple of cautions to share with those of you who decide to give this recipe a try. Be sure to toast the pecans. Toasted nuts add enormous flavor to otherwise plain batters and this bread/cake needs the added flavor boost the toasted nuts provide. It is also important to to pour the lemon glaze over the cake while it is still warm so the cake can absorb the syrup. I think you'll like this one. It packs a lot of flavor for something that is so easy to make. I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how the bread is made.

Pecan Sandies

From the Kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had some young helpers today and thought making cookies would help keep them engaged and happy. It was an uplanned visit so I had to make do with the ingredients I had in the pantry, and I was pretty limited in what I had on hand. Without chocolate chips or peanut butter, I decided Sandies would be the easiest thing for them to make successfully. Because they were so young, I needed a recipe just as simple as the cookies. You know the kind, I'm sure. Ingredients were chopped and measured before they began their work so all they needed to do was mix and shape the cookies. They did really well. As you know, Sandies are a buttery cookie whose flavor comes from pecans, and like all nutty cookies, these taste better the day after thy are made. If you don't yet have a favorite recipe for Sandies, I hope you will give this one a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Brown Sugar Scones with Butterscotch Glaze

                         The Get-Together

    The Scones with Buttery Sweet Dough Flavoring

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These scones are such Plain Janes that I hesitated to feature them this evening. I thought about it, but then tossed out that idea because they are so good. I hosted my book club yesterday morning and these scones were one of the items I made for the meeting. I wanted to serve things that were a bit out of the ordinary and these scones certainly filled that bill. I was attracted to the recipe because it called for a flavor enhancer called Buttery Sweet Dough. Another blogger sent me a large bottle of the extract for Christmas, and I thought these scones would be a perfect recipe for its trial run. The scones are easy to make, and while their appearance leaves much to be desired, they are delicious. I made one batch with the enhancer and one without it. They are good either way, but the buttery sweet dough extract adds richness and a bakery butter flavor to the scones that the other batch lacked. I found the recipe for the scones on a site called The Merchant Baker and I followed that recipe to a tee, save for the fact that I refrigerated my dough for about 30 minutes once the butter had been cut in and the dough came together. I think this makes for higher, flakier scones and it definitely makes them easier to roll and shape. I know they are not pretty things, but they are delicious and I hope you'll give them a try. Here is how they are made.

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Here is another scrumptious bar cookie that I recommend you try. If you enjoy "turtle" candy, I know you will enjoy these bars with their layers of chocolate, caramel and nuts. The bars are simple to prepare and the recipe is easy to follow. The cookies will quickly disappear from your Christmas cookie tray. Here is how they are made.

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of William Maple and the Columbus Dispatch

Ingredients:
Crust
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup pecans (halved)
Caramel Layer
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Topping
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) To make crust: In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and butter and mix at medium speed until combined. Press into an ungreased 9-by-13-inch pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over unbaked crust.
3) To make caramel layer: In a saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over crust layer.
4) Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until caramel layer is bubbly and crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let chips melt slightly for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a knife to swirl chips as they melt to cover bars. Cool and cut into bars for serving. Yield: 24 cookies.

                    

                                   Older Posts

                One Year Ago Today:                                                Two Years Ago Today:

            Swedish Cardamom Wreath                         Night Before Christmas Cold Oven Coffee Cake

                Three Years Ago Today:                                                  Four Years Ago Today: 

                       Candied Almonds                                                              Bean Burgers

Apple Pecan Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are looking for something simple to serve on Christmas morning, you might want to consider these pancakes. They lack the eye appeal needed for a company breakfast, but if you'd like to treat your family to something that is out of the ordinary, you might want to give these delicious pancakes a try. They are simple to make and the recipe, which, by the way, can be cut in half, is straight forward and easy to follow. I have, however, encountered one small problem with the batter as it cooks. It contains a lot of sugar and that, coupled with the shredded apples, means the pancakes can burn or char easily. I suggest you use an electric griddle or keep the heat under the skillet you use for stovetop cooking at a moderate level to prevent that from happening. Despite their raggedy appearance, the pancakes are delicious and I know your family will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Cranberry Streusel Muffins for Christmas

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These muffins are an easy addition to your Christmas breakfast table. They require no special equipment to make and they can be mixed in about 15 minutes. The recipe on which they are based came from Midwest Living magazine. Based on my first test results, I've made a few minor changes to the original recipe. My first batch of muffins flat-topped, so in an attempt to prevent that, I gave the recipe another try. Increasing the oven heat to 400 degrees and using less batter in the muffin cups finally gave me dome-shaped muffins. I was able to get 16 muffins from the recipe second-time around. These are tasty, colorful and perfect for Christmas morning. If you are looking for sweet things to make for your sweet things, do give this recipe a try. Here is how the muffins are made.

White Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you have a fondness for German chocolate cake, I suspect you'll love this variation which is made with white chocolate. The cake was the entry of Cheryl Adkins who won 1st place and best of show in the cake division at the Ohio State Fair this summer. Her cake is not difficult to make and the use of white chocolate makes it a bit unusual. If you enjoy really sweet desserts, I urge you to give the recipe a try. Its assembly is straight forward, but you'll want to make sure the pans you use are generously greased. Based on the difficulty I had releasing the layers, I'm also recommending the pans be lined with parchment paper. I have no other cautions to share with you. This is a lovely cake that will appeal to any of you who have a sweet tooth and like "from scratch" desserts. Here is how the cake is made.

Child's Play - Millionaire's Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had an unexpected visitor this weekend, and our unseasonably rainy weather meant my 5 year old guest would have to be entertained indoors. I floated the idea of a tea party, but she thought Shirley Temples would be a better way to go. Now, I'll let her mom and grandmother deal with the long term implications of that, but short term she and I had a mocktail party that left me with a rather large jar of opened maraschino cherries and lots of time to kill. Those awful cherries brought this pie, which has gone through waves of popularity, to mind. It's most outstanding feature is the ease with which it comes together and I thought it would be a perfect project for my guest. Now, whenever I cook with children this young, I stack the deck in their favor. That means I pre-chop and repackage ingredients that they can then measure and fold into the mix. I also try to find dishes that require no cooking and have the children rename them. This dessert, called Millionaire's Pie in the real world, quickly became Pink Princess Pie and it was a great project for a five year old to undertake on a rainy afternoon. She did well! I had to freeze the pie to get it to set before she had to go home, but the kitchen gods were on our side and she got to have a slice with extra cherries of it before she left. If you make sure the pineapple and cherries used in the pie are well drained, you will have no problems with this dessert. It is truly effortless and those of you who like maraschino cherries will be in red-dye heaven. Here is how the pie is made.

Moist and Fudgy Brownie Drops

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This cookie is one of my diet secrets. When I have a craving for chocolate, just one of these rich and fudgy gems satisfies my appetite and helps keep me on the straight and narrow. The cookies, which I think were developed in the Hershey Kitchens, are very easy to make and, more importantly, they freeze well. That means temptation can't lure me into the pantry where access to the cookies would be all too easy and my famous resolve would fade away. The cookies, which are almost a confection, are delicious and intensely chocolate. If you love all things chocolate, I urge you to try them, but be careful not to overbake the cookies. They can quickly go from moist and fudgy to crisp, and while the crisp cookies are tasty, they just aren't the same as the chewier version. I do hope you you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Kitchen Sink Jumbles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am as Rapunzel, but I've been imprisoned by an ice storm rather than a wicked witch or magic spell. The Silver Fox, God bless him, cleared the impressive length and breadth of our driveway, only to find a felled tree at the shared entrance to the road below. The owner of said tree did not share our zeal to remove storm debris and so we sit waiting for him to get his backfield in motion and move the darned thing out of the way. Until the tree is gone I, and by extension the blog, am completely dependent on the contents of my pantry for meals, ideas and photos.  Hence tonight's feature is for a  saucer-sized  cookie, that I call a Kitchen Sink Jumble. As you've probably guessed, they contain everything but  scouring pads, so their name is well-deserved. If you enjoy really sweet treats, you will enjoy this cookie. The jumbles are easy to make and they are good keepers, so if you have bits and bobs of ingredients left from your Christmas baking, this is a great way to use them up. Here is a base recipe that will get you started.  

Countdown to Christmas - Mocha Nut Balls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These cookies are a rather late addition to my Christmas cookie collection. I've been making them for about ten years now and I have yet to serve them to anyone outside my family. While the cookies are not particularly attractive, they are especially delicious, and if enjoy a deep and rich mocha flavor, their appearance will not be bothersome. One bite and you'll understand why they disappear before they can be shared with friends. The recipe originally appeared in Taste of Home magazine and I have made one small change to their recipe. They roll the cookies in confectioners' sugar, while I have opted to coat them with a sugar and cocoa combination. The cookies are rolled in sugar or the sugar cocoa combination while they are still warm, so the exterior becomes goopy when it is first applied. Not to worry. It will dry and the cookies can be be stored in air-tight containers once they are no longer tacky. I do hope you'll give this fudge-like confection a try. You won't regret a moment of the 5 minutes it takes to make them. Here is the recipe.

Mocha Nut Balls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup baking cocoa, divided use
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
2) In another bowl, whisk together flour, 1/3 cup cocoa and coffee granules. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3) Shape dough into 1-inch balls, placing them 2 inches apart apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4) Bake 14-16 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 1-2 minutes. Sift 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar together with 1/4 cup baking cocoa. Roll warm cookies in sugar mixture. Cool on wire racks. Store in an air-tight container. Yield: 4-1/2 dozen.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                          One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

               Orange Cardamom Sugar Cookies                                        Santa Lucia Crown

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                Holiday Breakfast Round-Up                                          Kris Kringle Gingerbread Cakes

Sugar Bush Maple-Date-Nut Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe is an adaption of one that was developed for the Michigan Maple Syrup Association. It is fast and easy to make, but there is, of course, a hitch. The bread should be made the day before you plan to slice and serve it. These flavors need time to meld and ripen and I think the freshly made bread is disappointing. Not so its day old cousin. This loaf is a perfect candidate for a morning coffee or afternoon tea. It travels well and, if properly wrapped, it will stay fresh for several days. I have given the amount of maple syrup used in the recipe as a range for you to use as a guideline. I find 3/4 of a cup of syrup to be too much, but the Silver Fox thinks it is just right. We are, indeed, an odd couple. Let your own taste for sweets be your guide. I also recommend lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Pan release problems have convinced me that the time spent lining them is worth every second it takes. If you enjoy tea breads, I hope you'll give this one a try. The addition of maple syrup makes this old favorite seem new. Here is how the bread is made.

Sugar Bush Maple-Date-Nut Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from the Michigan Maple Syrup Association

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 to 3/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1) Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Set aside.
3) In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over dates and butter. Stir until butter melts. Mix maple syrup and egg into date mixture. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold pecans into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
4) Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over browning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack. Wrap; store overnight before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Zucchini and Caramelized Onion Tart

Two Years Ago Today: French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon

Three Years Ago Today: Blue Cheese Dip

Four Years Ago Today: Crock-Pot Scandinavian Yellow Pea Soup

Dream Jumbles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While you probably called them by a different name, I suspect that most of you have sampled these cookies before. When I was a child, a cookie very similar to this one was served during the Christmas holidays. We called the cookies "rocks" because of their craggy appearance. They were jam-packed with fruit and nuts, and, if I recall correctly, they were also lightly spiced with cinnamon and just a hint of nutmeg. When I saw these cookies in Midwest Living they triggered memories of the nicest sort, but I was a bit taken back by the name they were given. I set off to do some research that might explain why my "rocks" were being called jumbles. Apparently, jumbles can be traced back to the 14th century in the Middle East. They were brought to Europe by the Moors who twisted the them into knots and rings, so pieces of the cookies could be broken off to feed hungry travelers. Over time, the cookies lost their elaborate shape and became lumps of baked dough. Martha Washington had a recipe for jumbles and the cookie was popular in colonial America. In one form or another, the cookie has remained popular for centuries. Now, Martha and her friends had no access to chocolate chips, but they had dried fruit and nuts aplently and their jumbles were very similar to the ones we make today. The recipe to make these gems is a study in simplicity and the cookies themselves are simply delicious. I hope you will give this recipe a try. You will not regret it. Here is how the cookies are made.

Dream Jumbles...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Midwest Living Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup raisins
1 cup large semisweet chocolate pieces
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt and beat until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3) Beat in flour. Use a wooden spoon to fold in raisins, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
4) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks. Makes about 36 cookies.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Rigatoni with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Two Years Ago Today: Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake

Three Years Ago Today: Baked Tomatoes

Four Years Ago Today: Berry Patch Cake

Pecan and Chocolate Chip Squares

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had to smile when I found this recipe on Yahoo's Shine. They were featuring this bar cookie, originally developed for Food and Wine magazine, as part of a collection called "Back-to School Cookie Bars". Now, unless the editor's children are a great deal different than mine were, this cookie will not end up in many lunch boxes. It's a pretty grown-up treat and I think the kids would be happier with the oatmeal or peanut butter variety. Their, teachers, however, would be delighted to have one or two of these flavorful gems along with  their morning coffee. I'm not a big fan of sweet treats, but these cookies have a European sensibility that I really enjoy. They are bearly sweet and the dominant flavor in the cookies is that of the toasted pecans. If you prefer, hazelnut or walnuts can be used instead of pecans, but I'm really partial to the pecan version. The cookies would be wonderful with tea or a glass of sippin' sherry and if you prefer less sweet treats I know you will enjoy these. As you skim the recipe, you'll see that the cookies are made whole wheat pastry flour. If you have it, fine. If not, use all-purpose flour. I think the health benefits of whole wheat pastry flour are overstated, but I keep it on hand because I like the flavor it imparts. These cookies are very easy to make and they transport beautifully. I do hope you'll give the recipe a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Pecan and Chocolate Chip Squares...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup pecans
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup +  2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and and line bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2) Spread pecans in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden. Chop pecans and let cool.
3) In bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat butter and oil with granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth.
4) In a small bowl, whisk flour with baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients into mixer at low speed. Add chocolate chips and pecans and beat just until incorporated.
5) Transfer dough to prepared baking pan and press into an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and nearly set in the center. Let cool completely, then run a knife around edges and invert rectangle. Peel off paper and invert onto a cutting board. Cut and serve. Yield: 24 squares.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Orange Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Two Years Ago Today: Maida Heatter's Popovers

Three Years Ago Today: Tomato Clafouti

Four Years Ago Today: Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

Carrot Muffins

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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you enjoy Morning Glory muffins I hope you will give this recipe a try. Long term readers of One Perfect Bite know that the highest accolade I give a recipe involves my socks rather than stars or other rating equivalents. I had one bite of these muffins, happened to glance down, and, sure enough, my socks were going up and down. These Texas-sized gems are really, really good. They are moist and lightly spiced and I hope that you will give them a try when you get some time to experiment. I found the recipe on La Belle Cuisine and made it exactly as it appeared there. Having tasted them, the only change I would make next time I make them, would be to cut back on the amount of orange zest called for in the recipe. I think a teaspoon would be fine. I used the large holes of a box grater to prepare the carrots, because I like a bit of texture in my muffins and I think the food processor grates them too finely. I do have one caution for those of you who plan to try this recipe. The instructions direct you to fill the muffin cups to the brim. If you do that I guarantee you will have spillover and the muffins will be difficult to remove from the pan. Filling the cups 7/8 full is a much better idea and it will give you one small additional muffin. These are delicious. Here is how they are made.

Carrot Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of La Belle Cuisine

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups grated carrots
1 tablespoon minced orange zest
An 8-ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:
(All ingredients should be at room temperature.)
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously spray 6 giant-sized muffin cups with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
3) In a medium bowl combine oil, egg, buttermilk, vanilla, carrots, orange zest and pineapple. Stir to combine.
4) Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and combine briefly with wire whisk. Stir in chopped nuts. Fill muffin cups to top. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for about 20 minutes longer, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Turn the muffins out onto a wire rack. When completely cool, store in an airtight container. Yield: 6 large or 18 standard muffins.










One Year Ago Today: Strawberry and Rhubarb Pie














Two Years Ago Today: Tortino di Fagiolini















Three Years Ago Today: Penne with Asparagus and Lemon Sauce
















Four Years Ago Today: Potato Gratin a la Flamande