Orange Muffins - Two Ways

I recently got some crystallised ginger to make some Grasmere gingerbread but have been experimenting with using it in other recipes. It worked really well in these new twists on a muffin favourite of mine.

There are two sets of ingredients but the method section is the same.
Each set of ingredients yields 12 muffins.

These are great served warm.

Orange-Cranberry-Ginger Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup crystallised ginger, chopped
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple-sauce or canola oil
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 banana, well mashed or 2 eggs
Cooking spray
1 tbsp. turbinado sugar

Orange-Ginger Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup crystallised ginger, chopped
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple-sauce or canola oil
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 banana, well mashed or 2 eggs
Cooking spray
1 tbsp. turbinado sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a muffin tin with unbleached paper liners.

2. Combine flour and the ingredients up to nutmeg in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

3. Combine brown sugar, oil or applesauce, orange rind, juice, and eggs in a separate bowl; stir with a whisk.

4. Add the juice mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into the muffin cups. Sprinkle the batter with turbinado sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Reference:
Based on Orange-Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins from the January/February 2008 issue of Cooking Light.

My Changes:
*Used crystallised ginger in place of some or all of the dried cranberries.
*Replaced half of the cinnamon in the orange-ginger version with ground ginger.

The June Gloom Cure-All

Here in San Diego we often have overcast skies (caused by the marine layer) during the late spring/early summer. In May, we call it "May Gray." In June, it becomes "June Gloom." Yes, living in paradise is awful! How do we manage to live through this for 2 whole months? ;)
These muffins just might be the magic elixir that takes away all the dreary yuckiness that comes with living by the coast!
No matter the weather, these sunny muffins are sure to brighten anyone's day.

Note: I used cow's milk and dairy yogurt to make these but they are extremely easy to convert back to a vegan baking recipe since they are already egg-free. Just sub non-dairy yogurt and milk.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (they are vegan if you use non-dairy yogurt)
1/2 cup fat-free milk (again, vegan if you choose a plain or vanilla non-dairy milk)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (omit if you use vanilla yogurt)
1 tbsp. ground flaxseed (a coffee bean grinder is a great tool for grinding these)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, squeeze out and reserve all the juice (do not use fresh pineapple, it will interfere with the leavening process)
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1 generous tsp. grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with unbleached paper liners.

1. Whisk the yogurt, milk, vanilla if using, and ground flaxseed together in a large bowl.

2. Squeeze the pineapple really well to ensure that you've removed all the juice. Add the pineapple pieces to the bowl along with the reserved juice, carrot, orange zest, raisins, cranberries, and coconut. Whisk thoroughly.

3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk just enough to moisten all the dry ingredients but do not over-mix.

4. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and then bake for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Reference:
Carrot-Pineapple Sunshine Muffins from Veganomicon.

My changes:
I subbed 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup cranberries for the 1/2 cup raisins called for in the original recipe.
I added 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
I added 1 tsp. vanilla extract since I used plain yogurt.
Changes to try in the future: Use half whole-wheat flour, half all-purpose. Add in some cardamom/sub it for the cinnamon. Sub fresh grated ginger for ground ginger. Actually make them vegan with almond milk and non-dairy yogurt. Try them with golden raisins/try mixing it up with other dried fruits.

Note:
These do not rise much (in fact, they're pretty flat!)
Feel free to fill those muffin cups full of batter (the batter, by the way, tastes great!)

Lickety Split

It has been muffin madness in my kitchen lately with three new muffin recipes this last week! All successful despite some weird yield amounts (which may have a lot to do with all the additions I made to each one). These ones are probably my favourite of all of them!

These started out as a banana-split muffin recipe so I wanted to keep the ice-cream parlour theme going as I made a couple changes. To do that, I added in some extra nuts and flaked coconut. Next time I may try some crushed pineapple and I'd also like to add some wheat germ (nothing to do with the ice-cream theme!)
I can't wait to enjoy these for breakfast during the week.

This made 12 standard-size muffins (even though I halved the original 12-muffin recipe!)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 very ripe bananas, smushed up
1/4 cup firm tofu, smushed up (egg substitute)
1/4 cup turbinado (raw) sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (butter substitute)
1/2 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3/8 cup non-dairy, semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/8 cup dried Bing cherries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup coconut

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with unbleached cupcake papers or lightly grease with vegetable oil or non-dairy butter.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, combine the mashed bananas, mashed tofu, turbinado sugar, olive oil, and vanilla.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the banana mixture into the well. Stir to combine but be careful not to over-mix. Gently stir in the chocolate chips, nuts, cherries, and coconut.

4. Scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling each muffin cup about 3/4 full. Bake the muffins at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack (but make sure you try one while they're still slightly warm!)


Reference:
This recipe is based on the Banana-Split Muffins recipe from the November/December 2008 issue of VegNews magazine.

My changes/additions:
*I used half-and-half on the flours - 1/2 cup whole-wheat and 1/2 cup all-purpose (original called for all whole-wheat flour).
*I added the pecans, coconut, and cinnamon.
*I changed the method around a bit.

Tip:
Really make sure you smash that tofu up! My taste-test muffin had little white chunks in it :) Hmmm... I wonder what that could be? Obviously, it won't change the taste at all but you'll want to try to avoid that, especially if you're serving these to others.

Fruit and Nut Muffins

These have all sorts of things going on - it's like every bite has a new flavour to taste! These muffins are based on a recipe for muffins using just two types of dried fruits so I added in another fruit and some chocolate chips for a little extra oomph!

Despite being really tasty, these also have tons of nutritional benefits. While dried fruit often gets a bad rap for being so full of sugar, it is natural sugar and none of that high-fructose corn crap or over-processed refined sugar. Plus, dried fruits are a decent source of non-heme iron which is important for vegetarians and omnivores alike.
The nuts add healthy fats; the dark chocolate has antioxidants; and the lack of dairy makes these suitable for people who cannot tolerate lactose.
All that makes these a yummy, portable, and healthy breakfast treat!


Makes somewhere between 12 and 24 muffins
(Again with the funny amounts! I halved a recipe that said it would yield 12 and still got 12! Thank goodness I like them... and muffins freeze well!) The amounts below reflect those from the original recipe, they are not reflective of my halved amounts.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, include the juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (I like the dark amber variety)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup dried Bing cherries, cut up into quarters (if using whole cherries)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with unbleached cupcake papers or grease with a little non-dairy butter or canola oil spray.

1. Combine the almond milk, pineapple (don't forget the juice), olive oil, maple syrup, and agave nectar in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Make a well in the dry mixture and then pour in the milk and pineapple mixture. Stir until just combined, being careful to not over-mix. Gently stir in the fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips.

3. Spoon the muffin mix into the prepared muffin pan. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Reference:
This is based on the Fruitcake Muffins recipe from the November/December 2008 issue of VegNews magazine.
My changes included adding in the cranberries and chocolate chips; using half maple syrup and half agave nectar (instead of just maple syrup); and using all-purpose flour in place of a mixture of oat flour and whole-wheat (next time I might try it with half whole-wheat, half AP).
I'd like to try adding in some rolled oats in place of some of the flour.

Spicy Double-Chocolate Muffins

Another success in the vegan baking department. :)
I have today off work (hence all the blog updates) so I decided to try out some new recipes. I made these and another (equally yummy) batch of muffins that I'll blog in a little bit.

These are nice and light with just enough spiciness (I actually might add just a drop more of each one next time). I didn't really notice the cayenne in the muffin I taste-tested but then again, I am one of those who loves spicy pepper with dark chocolate (mmm... mole sauce). If anything, it probably works to bring out the chocolate flavour (as would a bit of espresso or other strong coffee). The cayenne is optional so if you're a bit sketchy about hot pepper and chocolate combinations, you can leave it out. :)
The nuts and chocolate chips are a nice surprise (especially when the chips are still melty!)

This will make anywhere from 12-18 muffins
(I halved a recipe that supposedly yields 12 and got 8... I seem to have that problem with vegan baking recipes! The amounts listed below are based on the whole [yields 12 muffins] recipe).

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/8 cup agave nectar
6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (check the label to make sure it is non-dairy)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (you know you want to try it!)
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. freshly-ground flax seeds (buy them whole and grind them using a coffee grinder)
6 tbsp. water
1 cup low-fat almond milk (or other non-dairy milk: soy, hemp, rice, etc.)
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter, melted (I always like original Earth Balance)
1/2 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips (most semi-sweet chocolate chips are dairy-free but do a quick label check to be sure)
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with unbleached cupcake papers (or lightly grease the cups with non-dairy spread or canola oil spray).

1. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, and salt.

2. Whisk the ground flax and water together in a small bowl (a fork or mini whisk will do the trick). The mixture should be light and creamy.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flax and water mixture, almond milk, melted butter, and agave nectar. Add this combination to the dry mixture and stir until they are just combined (see those ugly pointy tops on my muffins? Those are the result of over-mixing! I'm always guilty...)
Gently stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

4. Spoon the mixture into the muffin pan cups (it will be runny). The cups should be about 3/4 of the way full of muffin mix. Bake about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Reference:
Based on the recipe Hearty Spicy Cocoa Muffins from The Joy of Vegan Baking.
I made these my own by subbing agave nectar for granulated sugar and ground flaxseed and water for the Ener-G egg replacer and water (flax adds healthy omega-3 fats and is a more "whole" ingredient than commercial egg replacer). I also used both pecans and walnuts (as opposed to just one or the other).
I'll try adding some dried fruit next time!

I can't believe it's not butter... or egg!

Mmmmm! These little muffins are so fantastic!

One of my favourite things about vegan baking (other than licking the spoon) is that the end product is always so light and moist. I think there is this terrible misconception that the lack of egg or real butter would make it heavy as a brick and dry... not from my experience!
Another joy of vegan baking is that non-dairy milk (unopened) has a fairly long shelf life so you can always have a "box" of almond, rice, or whatever milk in the pantry. Same with many vegan egg substitutes (flaxseeds, for example, are good for up to 2 years!) So convenient :)

These are also quite healthy - no hydrogenated fats, low cholesterol (if any), all the great benefits of ginger (it's helpful in warding off colds so it's good this time of year), and flax seed which is a good source of fibre and Omega-3 fatty acids.

The muffins are wonderful just as-is but I highly recommend them heated through with a little non-dairy butter. Even better - add some marmalade or other jam, too.

PS - Do not try to substitute dried, ground ginger for fresh. It won't do these justice at all. And you will thank me for pointing that out when you experience the lovely smell that occurs when that ginger starts spinning around in your food processor :)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. ground flaxseed (equiv. of 2 eggs) *See note on flaxseed below*
6 tbsp. water
1/4 cup finely minced fresh ginger (I may have used more - I just had a chunk of gingerroot and used the whole thing)
1 cup granulated sugar (I always use evaporated cane juice sugar since I know it's not refined in a non-vegetarian manner)
2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter (I really like Earth Balance - the whipped stuff is not good for baking, though!)
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond but you could use hemp milk, soy milk, rice milk...)
Juice from 1 lemon

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Remove the skin from the ginger (a small metal spoon does a great job!) and then chop the ginger into smaller pieces. Throw the pieces into a food processor and pulse until well chopped. If you don't own a food processor, you could use a Microplane grater or fine box grater. Remove from the processor and set aside.

2. Add the ground flaxseeds and water to the food processor bowl and pulse until you have a thick and creamy mixture.

3. Combine the ginger and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and is combined with the ginger. This only takes a couple of minutes. Set aside to cool and stir in the lemon zest.

4. Stir the salt, flour, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

5. In a large bowl, beat the non-dairy butter until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until well-blended. Add the flax mixture and stir well then add the non-dairy milk and lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Add the dry ingredients as well as the ginger-sugar mixture. Stir until just blended.

6. Spoon into prepared muffin tins (I love to use my ice cream scoop for this). Bake 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
*I always seem to end up with more batter than I need with vegan baking recipes.

*Note on flaxseeds:
Tiny little nutrition powerhouses!
Flaxseeds are an excellent (mercury-free!) source of Omega-3 fatty acids but you won't get that benefit unless you grind up the seeds. Buy whole flaxseeds (Bob's Red Mill has them) and then grind them up as you need them. A coffee grinder does a great job of this.
But now you're saying "well, what the heck else do I do with this bag of flax?!" I like to grind some up and add 2 tsp. to my daily mid-morning oatmeal. You can also sprinkle them on salads, soups, in smoothies, or on cold cereal.
PS - not sure it's necessary but once open, I store my bag of flaxseeds in the fridge.

Reference:
Ginger Muffins from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Raspberry Smoothie

I wish I'd realised I had this smoothie book while I was on antibiotics a couple weeks ago! I was really hoping for some more adventurous ways to eat yogurt... these would have been great! Oh well... :)

I had to have some dental work done today (just a bit of a follow-up to a root canal I had last week - hence the antibiotics) so I figured that was as good an excuse as any to reward myself with a smoothie! Well, I got home around 11 and was starving but still numb. This was a nice way to tide me over until I could eat something a bit more substantial.

Makes 2 small smoothies

Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 cup frozen raspberries
3/4 cup frozen strawberries

Method:
Place all the ingredients in the blender and pulse until smooth/most of the chunks have been broken up. Serve immediately.

Reference:
Based on the Raspberry Cream recipe from the book Smoothies and Ice Treats by Lindsay Barnes and Any Shawgo.

Strawberry-Orange Smoothie

In my quest to use up stuff from the kitchen, I have rediscovered the joy of smoothies! :)
Part of this was cleaning up my cookbook shelf and finding a smoothie book I forgot we had!

This one was fantastic!

Makes 1 1/2 high-ball sized smoothies
(no idea how else to measure that! I'd say it was enough for 2)

Ingredients:
1 cup non-fat or low-fat vanilla yogurt (you could use soy vanilla yogurt to make this vegan)
1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
4 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

Method:
Stick all that in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Enjoy.

I'm dying to try this with some frozen raspberries or blueberries in place of the strawberries. Or, how good does a triple berry smoothie sound? Yum! :)
Ooh, and how about adding something fun like a splash of rum, vodka, gin, or tequila? ;) Hey, I'm on summer break, I can play! ;)

Reference:
"Super Healthy Shake" from the book Smoothies and Ice Treats by Lindsay Barnes and Amy Shawgo.

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Mmmm... nothing says summer like fresh blueberries! These muffins are vegan (and soy-free), low-fat, and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids due to the addition of ground flax seeds. They are also full of blueberries which makes them a great source of antioxidant vitamins! They totally feel like cheating, though ;)

I really don't think the flax seeds affect the taste at all (they do make the muffins look darker) but if you choose to leave them out, use 2 cups of flour instead of only 1 2/3 cups. Flax seeds can be found at health/natural food stores (I get the Bob's Red Mill ones - they can often be found in bulk bins, too). If you have a decent regular grocery store in your area, you may be able to find them there, too.

My changes from the original recipe are in purple. One additional change I will make in the future will be to use fresh lemon juice in place of the lemon extract.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup ground flax seeds (I buy the whole flax seeds and grind them in the coffee grinder. They won't provide the nutritional benefits if they are un-ground).
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Zest of 2 organic lemons (my Microplane is my best friend!)
3/4 cup agave nectar (or 1 cup granulated sugar)
1 cup non-dairy milk (rice, soy, almond)
1/3 cup canola oil or applesauce (this serves as the "egg")
1 tsp. pure lemon extract
1 tbsp. white distilled vinegar
1 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin pan.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, flax seeds, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest.

3. In a large bowl, combine the agave nectar, "milk", oil or applesauce, lemon extract, and vinegar. Mix well. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture until just blended (you may have to work out a few lumps). Gently fold in the blueberries.

4. Fill muffin tins about two-thirds full. Bake until the muffins are lightly browned and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Feel free to lick the spoon - there's no egg so you won't get sick (and the batter is super-yummy!)

5. Let sit for 5 minutes after removing from the oven. Remove the muffins from the tin and cool completely.















Reference:
This recipe was found in the book The Joy of Vegan Baking which was a gift from Nestie Widdel22 so thanks to her. :)
In my opinion, the joy of vegan baking is being able to lick the spoon/bowl/etc... ;) Plus it's so darn yummy - you'd never guess these were egg- and dairy-free!

Blueberry Breakfast Bars

These yummy bars are very nutritious! They are filled with wonderful blueberry antioxidants and provide a nice dose of protein. Blueberries are also a source of fiber and are low in calories. Despite the use of 3 eggs, I cut these up quite small so they are still relatively low in fat (only 1-2g sat. fat per bar; around 7g total fat).

The combination of dried and fresh blueberries makes these doubly delicious and the crust is amazing!
The photo does not do them justice... lol

Serves 16/Makes 16 bars

Ingredients:
~Crust~
18 graham crackers (according to the original recipe, whole wheat ones are the best. Honey, I couldn't find whole wheat crackers, ones are also yummy!)
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar (see note below)
1/8 tsp. salt

~Filling~
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon peel (I always use organic citrus when I need the peel)
3/4 cup dried organic blueberries (a 1/4 lb. package was perfect!)
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh organic blueberries
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (see note below)

Method:
*Before you begin, soak the dried berries in a little lemon juice (additional to that listed in the ingredients) for 30 minutes. Drain the liquid before adding to the recipe.

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Process the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground (you will need about 1 1/3 cups crumbs). Add all the remaining crust ingredients and pulse just until combined. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and bake 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and 1/8 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Beat the eggs, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and lemon peel in a large bowl at medium speed for 1 minute or until frothy and the sugar is dissolved. At low speed, beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until blended. Stir in the dried blueberries and lemon juice. Pour the filling over the cooled crust; sprinkle with fresh blueberries and walnuts.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the top is light brown and the edges start to brown. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cut into 16 bars; cool completely in the pan (about 1 hour).

Notes: *Brown sugar rave - Just a quick product rave! I've been using "Wholesome Sweeteners" sugars for a while now and just got their brown sugar after running out of some national brand (I'll protect the not-so-innocent by letting the company remain un-named). Wow! I've never had such molasses-rich brown sugar. Yum...
It's organic and certified fair-trade (yeay!) Plus, it is processed without any animal products/by-products so it's suitable for vegetarians/vegans.

*Toasting walnuts - To toast walnuts, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until pale brown and fragrant. Cool.

*Changes I'd like to try :) - The original recipe listed several other options for these bars.
~Soak the dried berries in orange juice for 30 minutes; drain.
~Substitute chopped pecans or slivered almonds for the walnuts.
~Replace the fresh blueberries with raspberries.

*Organics - I realise some people scoff at organics and think they aren't worth the expense. I happen to not feel this way! I can't always find organic everything but I do always try to buy certain things organic. This includes berries, anything I'll be eating/using the peel from, etc. Not only are they healthier, they taste better, and have a lower environmental impact than traditionally-grown products.
Just to add to the rave, organics are also more likely to come from sustainable farms as well as being more likely to be produced fairly. *Jumping down off soapbox* ;)

Reference:
This is the Double Blueberry-Lemon Breakfast Bars recipe from the June/July 2008 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine.

Breakfast Quinoa!

Further proof I could eat quinoa three meals a day... as if we needed further proof of that! This was a delicious, protein-packed breakfast! Add even more protein by sprinkling on some chopped nuts (about 1/4 cup for 2 servings).

Please note, I marked this as vegan. However, I then went ahead and made it with cow's milk! Not exactly vegan (unless, of course, you are a calf..)
To make it vegan, please make sure you use non-dairy milk (rice, almond, soy, hemp).

OK, I added the fake daisies to attempt to make the photo a little more interesting... I think all they achieved was making it cheesy! Sigh... I am just not cut out for fun food photography! lol

Creamy Quinoa with Dried Cranberries

Serves 2

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vanilla soymilk (plus a little more for serving)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp. raw sugar (turbinado sugar)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Method:
1. Bring the soy milk, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa and cranberries, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer 15-20 minutes (until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender, stirring occasionally).

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg. Serve warm with additional milk and optional nuts.

Reference:
From the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

Banana Nut Muffins (Vegan!)

I love banana bread and will sometimes deliberately buy ripe bananas just so I have an "excuse" to make it (like I need an excuse!) This weekend, I decided to try out a new spin on the banana bread recipe I've been using for years to make these muffins. They are so full of banana flavour - really wonderful! :) They have wheat germ so they are a great source of vitamin E and folic acid.

Makes 12 large muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (superfood!)
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (superfood!)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup mashed banana (about 2-3 medium bananas) - I like to think bananas are a superfood!
1 additional banana, mashed (egg substitute) - superfood! (eggs are a superfood, too, if you choose to make this non-vegan)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup applesauce (you could also use 1/4 cup cooking oil if applesauce is unavailable)
1 tbsp. raw turbinado sugar (optional)

Method:
1. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper or foil cupcake cases. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, wheat germ, and walnuts. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.

3. In another bowl, combine the bananas (including the "egg" banana), brown sugar, granulated sugar, and applesauce. Add this banana mixture all at once into the well in the dry mixture. Stir until just moistened - the batter will be lumpy.
**Do not overmix as this will create tunnels and pointy tops on your finished muffins.**

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin (an ice-cream scoop is your friend here!) Sprinkle the unbaked muffins with a little turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Reference:
The basic banana bread recipe (and cooking times) are from The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1996 edition). I got the inspiration to add the wheat germ and turbinado sugar from Cooking Light's Orange-Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffin recipe which I love so much! The nutmeg and brown sugar additions were just last-minute changes I decided to try out - thank goodness they worked! I know messing with baking recipes can be a bit risky!

Orange-Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins

My goodness, these are tasty! I've sort of nicknamed them "Super-Food Muffins" since they are packed with antioxidants from the fruits and vitamin E and folic acid from the wheat germ. :)

I wanted to try these out since I love all combinations of orange and cranberry and thought they would be a yummy breakfast treat. The nutmeg and cinnamon add a nice spiciness which goes great with the fruity flavours. I'm very lucky to have parents with a great organic garden who live very close by so I had lots of yummy navel oranges that I got to use in these! Mmmm...

The recipe is from Cooking Light but I changed them a bit. I made these vegan by substituting mashed-up bananas for the eggs. I also used apple-sauce in place of the oil but feel free to use eggs and oil if you'd like. Either way, they are super-healthy.

They are very good warm so plan on giving them a quick zap in the microwave the next morning :) Or just eat them all fresh from the oven! hee hee ;)

12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ (the original recipe called for raw but I used the toasted stuff) - it adds a great nutty flavour
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown)
1/4 cup apple-sauce or canola oil
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 banana, well mashed or 2 eggs
Cooking spray
1 tbsp. turbinado sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (original said 375 but I bake everything at 350!)
Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or fill wells with paper or foil cupcake holders.

2. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

3. Combine brown sugar, oil or applesauce, orange rind, juice, and eggs in a separate bowl; stir with a whisk.

4. Add the juice mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into the muffin cups. Sprinkle the batter with turbinado sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Reference:
The original recipe is from the January/February 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Spicy Tofu Scramble

So I have a LOT of tofu left over from the vegan stuffing/dressing I made and have been trying to think of interesting ways to use it up! I love tofu in stir-fries but the silken tofu just doesn't hold up so well in those types of dishes. Knowing it makes a great egg substitute, I decided to try it to make "scrambled eggs."
This was so yummy - I couldn't tell it wasn't really eggs! The texture was just a bit off but since tofu takes on the flavours of whatever you mix it with, you can't taste it. It's a pretty versatile dish - you could warm up tortillas and fill them with this and some salsa; just throw some salsa on top of the scramble; or serve this with cheese - dairy cheese would not be vegan but would be appropriate for ovo-lacto vegetarians or you could keep it vegan by using soy cheese. You could also mix in some vegan breakfast sausage that has been browned. I bet this would make a great substitute for the eggs in huevos rancheros or alongside some breakfast potatoes. I'm currently hunting for some great potato recipes so I can make some with rosemary and lavender. You can also use different spices to change up this recipe (I'll have to try those and post some more!)
This recipe is also great for people who are looking for a low-fat or low cholesterol alternative to an egg breakfast.
Ooh, I just realized I have mushrooms I could have added to this.. boo! Guess I'm making it again tomorrow :)

Serves 1 (my husband refuses to try anything that has been in the vicinity of tofu so I got to enjoy this by myself! It's easy to multiply if needed).

Ingredients:
1/8 yellow onion, diced
1/8 green bell pepper, diced (I have some frozen tri-coloured peppers that I got at Trader Joes. They are great to just dice up and throw in dishes like this!)
1/4 block silken/soft tofu, drained and pressed between paper towels
1 tsp. olive oil or vegan margarine (Smart Balance or Earth Balance are two that I've used and work well for cooking)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp. turmeric (this is optional so don't worry if you don't have any - it does give the great yellow colour, though!)
Couple dashes hot sauce
Fresh/refrigerated salsa (I don't use the shelf-stable salsa. The fresh stuff just tastes a million times better!) Pico de gallo would also work well here!

Method:
1. Slice tofu into 1-inch cubes and crumble slightly with a fork.

2. Heat oil or margarine in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and tofu. Raise heat to medium-high and sautee for 3-5 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Reference:
I found this recipe by doing a Google search for tofu scramble. :) Gotta love Google! Here is the original recipe.

Chilaquiles!

I worked at a Mexican restaurant for a little while during college and remember having chilaquiles for the first time at a brunch we had there... wow! Mexican breakfast food is so wonderful! I recently found this recipe in my lovely "San Diego Restaurant Cookbook" and had to try it. The recipe is from the El Pollo Grill restaurants.

Chilaquiles in Red Sauce
Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 medium-sized tomatoes, I seeded mine then cut them into strips
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 serrano chili pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups water
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup oil
1 dozen corn tortillas, each cut into 8 pieces
4 eggs, beaten
Additional diced onions
Grated cotija cheese (or any Mexican cheese - asadero, Monterey jack, queso quesadilla. Good ol' cheddar makes a fine substitute if that's all you have. You could also do a mix of several cheeses).

Method:
Prepare Sauce:
1. In a blender, blend the tomatoes, tomato paste, chili, salt, and 1 cup of water.

2. In a medium skillet, saute the onions in some of the oil until the onions become translucent. Add the tomato mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you start the chilaquiles.

Prepare Chilaquiles:
1. In a large skillet, heat the rest of the oil for about 10 minutes. Add the tortilla triangles and cook until they are crispy and medium-brown in colour (you want them to be crispy so they don't get too soggy later on). Do not let the tortillas burn. Remove the tortillas from the oil and place them on a paper towel.

2. Add the beaten eggs to the tomato sauce and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Add the fried tortillas and 2 cups of water. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with a garnish of diced raw onions and cotija cheese, if desired.

I didn't take any photos, because it really does not look all that appetizing! They do taste so good, though, and really that's all that matters! Enjoy!

Reference:
Croce, Ingrid (2005). The San Diego Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes from America's Finest City. Avalanche Records and Books: San Diego, CA.

Best.Muffins.Ever

Wow! These are good. While I was making these, I started thinking about all the cherry desserts I love - Cherry Garcia ice cream (my fave!), cherry cobbler, cherry pie, cherries just by themselves... so many good ones!
I got the inspiration for these from Annie on the nest but then I used my own recipe which I just tweaked a bit. Decided it would be better to use ingredients I already had than to run to the grocery store! If the recipe sounds familiar (!) it's because I used the recipe for my double-chocolate banana and double-chocolate strawberry breads; used cherries for the fruit and cut the cooking time to suit the muffin-sized pans.
Here they are. I made 12 good-sized muffins with this recipe.

Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil or apple sauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped fresh cherries (the original recipe called for 2/3 cup dried cherries if you'd prefer to use those)
1 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Method:
1. If you are using fresh cherries, you will want to start by washing and drying them and then chopping them up. It's a bit of a bugger to cut them because of those pesky cherry pits... An easy way to do it is to pretend the cherry is a miniature avocado - take a knife and cut from the top to the bottom of the cherry (cut through to the pit) and all the way around (I would describe it as cutting from the north pole to the south - OK, so I'm an elementary school teacher/I have odd ways of describing things!). Wiggle the two halves of the cherry apart then use your knife (careful!) or a finger to remove the pit. The nice thing about this recipe is that it doesn't matter what the cherries look like since you can't see them amongst all the chocolate! Chop the cherries up into whatever sized pieces you'd like.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake papers or use cooking spray to grease the muffin pan "holes" (can't think of the name of those things!)

3. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, and oil at medium speed until mixed. Beat in the vanilla.

4. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; beat into the sugar/egg mixture at low speed until it is just combined. Stir in the cherries and chocolate chips. I highly recommend using a wooden spoon or a rubber/silicone spatula to mix in the chips and fruit.

5. Spoon the batter into the lined/greased muffin pan. Bake 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean (I usually test it on the two muffins in the center of the pan). Cool them for 10 minutes in the pan then cool completely on a wire rack.


I'm thinking these would be wonderful with a scoop of Cherry Garcia ice cream.. :) I tried it.. they were wonderful with a scoop of Cherry Garcia. Ok, ok, I confess, I used generic "Cherry Garcia" (!) they were still good. RIP Jerry!!

Reference:
The original recipe can be found at: Annie's Eats.

Where's the Coffee???

Funny story - I've always thought coffee cake would be made with coffee... guess not! I'm making one for a church coffee hour this weekend and had to search for a recipe - can you believe none of my cook books had one?
Here's the recipe I found on allrecipes.com... no coffee, but it does sound tasty and easy to make!
Just pulled this out of the oven - it looks and smells amazing! Photos coming soon!

Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1 cup plain yogurt (the original recipe called for sour cream but I realized I didn't have any so I subbed yogurt)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar (yes, in addition to the cup above. You need them separated).
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Method:
1. Place a rack on the lowest level of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch tube or angel-food pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup of sugar and the butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Finally, stir in the water, vanilla, and sour cream or yogurt. ***If you are using a KA/other stand mixer to mix this cake, I do not recommend using it to mix in the water/vanilla/yogurt mix! I did this and it made a huge mess. Instead, mix it in by hand until it's not so runny, then return it to the stand mixer to work out the lumps.***

3. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon. I actually split this into two batches - 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon each - this way, I had equal amounts for the center of the cake and the top. Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the nut mixture over this layer. Top the nut mixture with the remaining cake batter and sprinkle the top with the remaining nut mixture.

4. Bake for 50-60 minutes on the lowest rack of the oven (50 and it was perfect in my oven) - I checked it with a cake tester for done-ness. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

The cinnamon-sugar and walnut topping was really delicious! I really think it made the whole cake! I wish I had a photo of it after I cut into it... the middle layer "swirled" a bit so it looked almost like a marble cake - very pretty!

Reference:
The original recipe was Coffee Cake Supreme which was posted on All Recipes by Allison O'Brien.

Ladies... Start Your Coffee Makers!

Sorry, not a coffee recipe...! It is; however, something wonderful to enjoy with a coffee. The first time I made biscotti I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. I had been "scared" of it for years and finally took the plunge. Very tasty. These recipes are from Nick "God of Cookies" Malgieri's book "Cookies Unlimited."

According to the book, the word biscotti means "twice cooked." Just thought I'd throw in a free Italian lesson for you there!

Please by sure to read "Tips for Biscotti" at the bottom of this post.

***Orange and Almond Biscotti***
Just made this today - they are heavenly. So, I hunted high and low (well, 3 grocery stores *including the "ritzy" one near my parents' house, and my mom's cabinets - she has all kinds of weird baking stuff! - I could not find candied orange peel to save my life. :( Oh well, I decided to just get some chunky marmalade and dig the bits of orange peel out of that.. almost the same thing! We'll see how it works... It works! I ended up using a bit less than 2/3 of a cup with the marmalade - really great!
I bet this would be amazing with a nice iced coffee - nothing fancy; just strong brewed coffee with some milk/cream poured over ice. Nice summery coffee break.

**Probably should have taken that broken one out of the photo! lol... these were so delicious - nice and light and quite tender for a biscotti. The marmalade worked wonderfully!**

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup whole blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup candied orange peel, cut into 1/4 inch diced pieces (see note above - I subbed 1/3 cup plus about another 1/6 of a cup of orange marmalade. I just did my best at pulling out the pieces of orange peel. Worked really well!)
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange

Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).

2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

3. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir well to mix.

4. Cut the butter into six or eight pieces and add to the bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Reach down to the bottom of the bowl and make sure no dry ingredients "escape" the butter (what is this? Alcatraz?!) Rub and distribute the butter evenly until there are no longer any large pieces of butter and the mixture is cool and powdery.

5. Add the almonds and orange peel to the flour and butter mixture and toss to combine.

6. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest and add the dry ingredients. Use a large rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together until they form a dough.

7. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and press it together. Shape the dough into a 12-inch cylinder and divide it in half. Roll each half under your hands to re-form it as a thinner 12-inch cylinder. Place the logs on one of the prepared pans, not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the logs.

8. Bake the logs for 25-30 minutes or until they are well-risen, well-coloured, and firm when pressed with a fingertip. Place the pan on a rack to cool.

9. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven but leave the temperature at 350 degrees. Place each of the cooled logs on a cutting board and slice them diagonally every 1/3 inch. Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. You don't need to leave space between them - they will not spread. Bake the biscotti for 15-20 minutes or until they are well toasted. Cool on the pan on a rack.

10. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.

***Classic Tuscan Biscotti a.k.a. Cantuccini***
This will make 60 biscotti.
Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whole unblanched almonds
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).

2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon; stir well to mix it all together. Stir in the almonds.

4. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to stir the eggs into the dry ingredients. Continue to stir until a stiff dough forms.

5. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Roll each half under the palms of your hands into a cylinder a little shorter than the baking sheet. Place the logs of dough onto the baking sheet, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten the logs.

6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the logs are well-risen and have also spread to about double their original size. The logs are done if they feel firm when pressed with a fingertip. Place the pan on a rack and let the logs cool completely.

7. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven but leave the temperature at 350 degrees. Place each of the cooled logs on a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/3 inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. You don't need to leave space between them - they will not spread any more. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are well-toasted. Cool the pan on a rack.

8. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.

***Chocolate Chunk Biscotti***
Makes about 60 bisotti
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted after measuring
2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 ounces milk chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).

2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

3. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; stir well to mix. Stir in the sugar and chocolates.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla and using a large rubber spatula stir the eggs into the flour mixture to form a dough.

5. On a lightly floured surface, press the dough together - it will be sticky. Flour your hands and the surface lightly, but do not add any more flour to the dough. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log the length of your pan. Place the logs on a pan, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Press down lightly with the palm of your hand to flatten the logs (use a dry brush to remove excess flour if necessary). Bake for about 30 minutes, until the logs are well-risen and have also spread to about double in size. The logs are done when they feel firm when pressed with a fingertip. Cool the logs on the pan.

6. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the baked logs diagonally about every 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Return the biscotti to the pans, cut side down, and bake in the 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are dry and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

7. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.

***Tips for Biscotti***
These were some handy hints and tips I read in the "Cookies Unlimited" book. Useful for those trying biscotti for the first time.

*If the dough seems soft, it is correct. Do not add extra flour to the biscotti doughs or your resulting cookies will be cement-like (not exactly the effect we're shooting for here!)

*If you need to flour the work surface to handle the dough more easily, do so. When the dough is safely on the pan just brush off the excess flour with a dry pastry brush.

*Make sure you bake the biscotti enough the first time around. If the centers of the logs are not baked through, they will compress when you slice them (sink like a souffle) and harden during the second baking (there's those cement cookies again!)

*Use a really sharp knife to slice the biscotti. Cutting with a dull knife will make the log shatter.

*The thinner you slice the biscotti, the more pan room you will need for the second baking. Malgieri suggests one cookie sheet per log of biscotti.

*Watch the biscotti carefully during the second baking. Most biscotti have a fairly high sugar content and will burn easily if left unattended.

*Cool biscotti on their pans - the extra bit of drying time will make them even crisper (this is what you want for a "dunking" cookie).

*Biscotti are the perfect "keeping cookie" - just be sure to store them in airtight containers and away from humidity.

Reference for recipes and "Tips for Biscotti" section:
Malgieri, Nick (2000). Cookies Unlimited. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.: New York, NY.

Breakfast Smoothie

This makes a nice alternative to a bowl of cereal!

3 oz. plain yogurt (about 1/3 cup)
1 banana cut into chunks
3/4 cup strawberries or raspberries
1/16 cup milk
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 cup ice

Really easy - just throw it all in the blender and mix until it's well-blended. Enjoy :)