Baked Ranchero Eggs with Blistered Jack Cheese and Lime Crema

May 13, 2013 by

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I procrastinate about the strangest things- namely, buying things for myself. This is not a budet thing. This is a laziness thing. And it applies to all objects I consume in my life- clothing, body products, household items, you name it (well, except for food- that clearly does not apply). For instance, I have been planning to buy this hat from Emerson Fry for a good month. Four whole weeks, people! What’s stopping me? Hard to say. I should probably stop writing this blog post and just buy it right now, but I won’t. I will get to it… at some point.

So this little annoying scenario? Same thing happened with The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. That thing has been on my to buy list since the darn book came out and I just got around to throwing it in my Amazon cart last week. I’m a good six months late, right? And the worst part is that every single recipe in this book is pure gold. My meals over the last few months would have been far tastier had I only had Deb’s brilliant book in my hands. I have a feeling we’re going to need to re-name Mondays “the day Clara shares her next favorite recipe from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” day.

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First recipe up- these killer Baked Ranchero Eggs. I love this recipe for many reasons. First, it’s approachable. This sentiment really applies to the entire book. One of the things I love and appreciate most about Deb’s recipes is that she has this way of making all her dishes feel incredibly doable. Not all cookbooks do that for me. Does that ever happen to you? I find most Mexican recipes either feel tricky or have a laundry list of ingredients, too daunting to even attempt to tackle. This recipe totally trumps both those concerns.

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Second, this dish is awesome for a brunch crowd. You know I love anything with components that can be made ahead, and that can be easily brought together at the last minute before guests arrive. It also keeps really well and it super satisfying is leftovers.

Lastly, homemade tortilla chips. Why in the world have I not made these before?!?! They’s so incredibly easy and truly better than anything I’ve ever had out of a bag. Thanks, Deb, for waking me up to that phenomenon (among other things)!

Here’s to a great week, friends!

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Baked Ranchero Eggs with Blistered Jack Cheese and Lime Crema slightly adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Serves 6

Ranchero Sauce:

  • 1 28 oz. can whole fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, roughly chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed and peeled
  • 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • several pinches salt
  • handful of fresh cilantro

Crisp Tortilla Chips:

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 4 small (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into strips
  • salt

Remaining Ingredients:

  • 12 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded jack cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • juice of 1 lime
  • fresh cilantro

Preheat your oven to 450°.

Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, and salt to your blender, and blend until smooth. Pour sauce into a 12 inch skillet and add in black beans. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes until sauce has slightly reduced.

Meanwhile brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Place the tortilla strips in a single layer- brush with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Baked for 4-6 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove from oven and preheat broiler.

Make the crema: In a separate bowl mix together the sour cream, juice of one lime, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat. Crack the eggs individually into the pan, distributing them as evenly as possible. Return to heat, cover pan, and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, until the whites are nearly but not completely opaque. Sprinkle the surface with the cheese and place plan under broiler for 2-3 minutes, just until cheese is blistered and bubbly.

Garnish with dollops of crema, broken pieces of tortilla, and fresh cilantro.

4 Comments

Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar & Buttermilk Baked Donuts

April 8, 2013 by

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Yesterday I managed to go to Ikea and make it out in less than two hours. I’m going to see that as a huge win, especially since it included visits to the kitchen, framing, rug, and outdoor areas. I went to stock up a few items that I’ve been meaning to get forever (like this milk frother- obvi), but the most exciting purchase was our patio furniture! I got us a portion of this sofa, a pinky red lounge chair, and two other outdoor folding chairs for guests. Now all we need is a little outdoor coffee table and we’ll be completely ready to entertain al fresco. Truthfully though, I’m just as excited to hang out there throughout the week, whether we’re just eating a simple weeknight dinner or enjoying our morning coffee on the weekends. These donuts would go perfectly with the latter. So irresistible and light, my only hesitation is that one donut and coffee would likely turn into four donuts and coffee. My advice? Invite friends when you make these guys!

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Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar & Buttermilk Baked Donuts slightly adapted from Ina Garten’s Foolproof
Makes approximately 12 donuts

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or can use whole milk)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • seeds scraped from one vanilla bean

Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray the donut pan with non cooking spray (or rub with canola oil, which is what I did).

Sift together the dry ingredients for the donut. In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just combined. Fill the wells of the donut pan 3/4 of the way with batter (I poured my batter into a large ziploc bag, snipped a corner, and used that method to get the batter in the pan). Bake for 17 minutes until golden brown and a tooth pick or cake tester comes out clean. Let rest in pan for another 5 minutes and gingerly loosen them from the pan.

Set up a bowl for your melted butter, and another for you sugar mixture. For the sugar mixture, combine the sugar and cinnamon first. Then work in the vanilla seeds with the back of a fork. Dip the donut first in the butter on both sides, and then in the cinnamon sugar.

17 Comments

Buttermilk Biscuits with Blueberry Butter

March 18, 2013 by

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I have a serious thing for butter. Like serious.

Senior year of college I went to South Beach on spring break with a bunch of friends. We rented a condo with a “full” kitchen, thinking we’d save some money by cooking a bit. Cooking consisted of making ramen and eating it out of water glasses (because there were no bowls), so needless to say there wasn’t too much going down in the kitchen. But before we left I had visions of whipping up big breakfasts for the group before heading to the beach everyday. And that breakfast prep would require butter. Not a ton- just a stick or so to get us through the week. So why buy a full pack when we got there? No no no- I would just bring a stick of butter in my suitcase. Makes perfect sense, right? Yeah, my roommate pretty much vetoed that plan.

So needless to say I kind of love butter, and this recipe really brings out that love by having it be the star in both the biscuits and the biscuit spread The combo brings together to of my absolute favorite food bloggers- Deb and Ashley- so you really cannot go wrong here. I’d recommend either doubling the batch of biscuits or planning on making some pancakes that same week to use up all the butter. Or you could just slather it on toast- that would be pure heaven.

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Buttermilk Biscuits from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 10-12 biscuits

  • 2 1/4 cups  all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 9 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 °F and cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large, wide bowl. Using fingertips or a pastry blender, work butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, Add buttermilk and stir until large, craggy clumps form. Reach hands into bowl and knead mixture briefly until it just holds together.

Transfer dough to floured counter and pat out until 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (err on the thin side if uncertain, as the tall ones will literally rise and then tip over, like mine did the day I photographed these). Using a round cutter (2 inches for regular sized biscuits, 3 inches for the monstrous ones shown above), press straight down — twisting produces less layered sides — and transfer rounds to prepared sheet, spacing two inches apart.

Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve warm.

Blueberry Butter from Not Without Salt

  • 1 stick butter, salted (or add 1/4 tsp salt), softened
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Confectioner’s sugar
  • 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Combine the butter and the sugar. Mash the blueberries with the butter until the butter is lightly colored from the blueberry skins. You still want to maintain lots of nice blueberry chunks, so be careful not to over mash. Store in the fridge for up to one week.

7 Comments

Tart Cherry & Walnut Granola

January 14, 2013 by

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Shortly after we rang in the New Year I  mentioned that I’d be taking some time in January to talk about some of my habits as they relate to diet, exercise, maintaining balance and so forth. Today I want to talk about diet – and not even really that, more so how we eat. Before I dive in here I want to say it is no way my role to tell you exactly how to eat. Everyone has different dietary needs, preferences, and beliefs and my sole goal for sharing mine is to simply say what works for me, perhaps impart some wisdom, and hopefully spark a dialogue.

So! Real talk? Every time I hear someone say they’re changing the way they eat, whether that means going vegan, paleo, vegetarian, gluten free- you name it, in my head their reasoning for doing so often boils down to one key  reason and goal. And that is eating less processed food. More whole and fresh ingredients. I totally believe in that kind of eating, and there are a variety of ways to go about it- so yeah, good stuff, totally on board.

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The problem I see though – and why I think we latch on to the confines of these strict diets- is that our definition of what processed food is, is completely out of whack. Things that boast whole grains, needed nutrients, fiber and the like are often really processed and don’t necessarily constitute real food. And we’d be much better off eating a vegetable or whole food to get those nutrients rather than something that’s been “injected” with them.

I’m starting with cereal because they can be the biggest offenders when it comes to processed food posing as good for you, real food. Now don’t get me wrong. I love me some Honey Nut Cheerios and will indulge in them from time to time, but please. Full of good for you grains? Ok maybe but add in 20+ preservatives your body doesn’t need. Yes, some cereals are much better than others but the best thing you can do is make your own! And homemade granola is oh so delicious. Most big brand granola is really high in sugar, making it not so good for you, but when you make it at home you can control everything that goes into it- specifically the sugar. I loved dried cherries and the buttery texture of walnuts, so I put the two together. But certainly feel free to just use my proportions and cooking method, and make it your own way.

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Back to this real food bit. I realize everything is processed to a certain extent. I’m also not saying to never indulge because I definitely do so- most frequently in the form of boxed mac and cheese and once in a blue moon, a bag of Doritos which is gone in five seconds in our house. But it’s the everyday stuff where we can make better choices- like buying real lemons instead of bottled lemon juice, buying bread from a local bakery, using real parmesan cheese, cooking with fresh vegetables instead of canned, eating eggs instead of the liquid whatever it is, and don’t even get me started on margarine. I really could go on. And I’m kind of holding back here because I don’t want to offend anyone, but this stuff drives me insane, and simultaneously breaks my heart. The best thing we can do for our bodies is to nourish it with fresh and whole ingredients, and while I realize people have been forced into these low carb, no sugar, low fat, etc crazes, the best thing we can do is the following (said so eloquently by Michael Pollan)- “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” It’s that simple.

I’ll leave you with one more excerpt from Mr. Pollan which really summarizes my frustrations, and hopefully gives you something to think about the next time you go to the grocery store:

Once, food was all you could eat, but today there are lots of other edible foodlike substances in the supermarket. These novel products of food science often come in packages festooned with health claims, which brings me to a related rule of thumb: if you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.

Sorry for the novel, friends! Now go make that granola, ok?

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Tart Cherry & Walnut Granola
Makes about 9 cups

  • 4 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/3 cup wheat bran
  • 1/3 cup ground flax seeds
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp salt (do not skimp!)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg white, beaten (optional- but produces bigger clusters)

Preheat your oven to 300°.

Mix together all dry ingredients and set aside. Combine the oil and maple syrup, pour over dry mixture and stir well to combine and evenly coat all ingredients. In a separate bowl beat an egg white until it’s white and foamy, pour over granola mixture and stir well.

Line a deep, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pack in the granola. Bake for 1 hour, stirring oats every 15 minutes. Once granola is finished baking, remove from oven, let cool, then cover and let sit for several hours (preferably overnight), so the oat clusters form. Note- it is perfectly acceptable to eat the granola right away and not wait a few hours, the clusters just won’t be as big. Enjoy!

11 Comments

Maple Bacon Oatmeal

January 7, 2013 by

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I always find the best recipes come out of nowhere, when I’m making something I never even intended to put on the blog. In fact, I had big plans to post a recipe for a Tuscan white bean and kale soup today but, truthfully, the photos came out horribly! I’m feeling the need to re-work my photo styling/ figure out a better way to deal with the winter lighting. I love the warmth of the photos from this sour cream coffee cake, but that was taken in my mom’s kitchen- so yeah, need to work on recreating that.

But I digress….let’s talk about oatmeal! Before you go running to the hills because I put bacon in this oatmeal and you’re trying to eat well in the new year- hear me out. There is only one slice per serving, and I used organic nitrate free bacon so we’re not talking about the worst thing for you. Add in some slivered almonds and flaxseed and you’ve got a hearty but not overly indulgent breakfast to fuel you through the morning. I had planned to add sautéed apples but didn’t realize I was completely out, so feel free to add that in to give it some fruit content. But even without, this breakfast is definitely one of those reason to get out of bed in the morning meals. And I definitely need that when it’s a balmy 30° outside. Oh January…

More killer oatmeal! Apple Pie Oatmeal, Bruléed Pumpkin Oatmeal, Creamy Blueberry Steelcut Oats

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Maple Bacon Oatmeal

Serves 3

  • 1 cup scottish oats (could also use rolled or steel cut)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 slices thick cut organic bacon
  • 2 T flax seed
  • 3 T slivered almonds
  • maple syrup and cinnamon for serving

Begin frying the bacon over medium low heat, cooking for about 5 minutes on each side until the bacon is nice and crisp (the key to cooking bacon well and not burning it, is to do it low and slow).

Cook the oatmeal according to the package instructions, but for every cup use two cups water and one cup milk. Once the oatmeal is cooked whisk in the salt and flax seed.

Once the bacon is finished cooking pat dry and slice into small pieces. Divide the oatmeal among three bowls. Top each with one slice chopped bacon, one tablespoon slivered almonds, and a bit of maple syrup and cinnamon. Serve immediately.

9 Comments

Let’s Talk About You (and Coffee Cake)

January 3, 2013 by

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I realize this decadent sour cream coffee is probably the last thing you want to see after all the holiday cookies and cakes, but I couldn’t help but share. The photo just came out so well! That and when you are ready to take a break from your post holiday detox, this cake is a phenomenal way to start. Just make sure you have 10+ people around because this thing is downright huge.

Now, moving on to more important matters. I want to talk about you. Up until recently I had this funny idea in my head that if I put it to you guys- ie asked you what you wanted to see around these parts, that the question would in some way suggest I was unable to come up with content on my own. I know, really silly. And maybe kind of selfish? In any event, now I’m asking. So the first part of your assignment is to tell me the following: What makes you come to CC everyday? What do you want to see more or less of? And most importantly, what do you want to see that’s not here right now? For those of you who have left comments and questions- no worries I’ve got you covered, but if you haven’t shared your opinion before, hop to!

Number two! Yep, I’m feeling pretty demanding today. Can you tell me who you are? I know some of you, but there are thousands- and well, I want to know more! What’s your name? Where are you from? What do you love to eat? Did you see Les Mis? Or anything else you’d like to share!

I appreciate you all so much and without you, well, CC wouldn’t even be possible. So in 2013 I want to make sure I know you all better- and we’re covering what you want to read! Sound like a plan? Let’s do it.

Oh! And coffee cake recipe below.

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Mom’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake from Shutterbean
makes 12-16 servings

For the Cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons each vanilla & water

Maple Frosting/Glaze

  • 1 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325°.

Beat butter and granulated sugar together until light & fluffy. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition. Stir in the sour cream. Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt together and blend into mixture.

Combine nuts, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the batter into a grease, flour-dusted 10 inch tube pan or bundt pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nut mixture. Continue layering to make three layers of each, ending with the nut mixture. Blend vanilla and water in a bowl and drizzle it over top.

Bake cake for about 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 20 mintues on a wire rack, then remove from the pan.

In a small bowl, mix the confectioners sugar, maple syrup & vanilla together to make the glaze.

With a spoon drizzle glaze on top of the cooled cake and serve.

21 Comments

NYC Entertaining: A Holiday Bagel Brunch

December 18, 2012 by

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I am so excited to bring you guys the next edition of our NYC Entertaining series! When Jen and I were dreaming up concepts for our holiday post, we got really fixated on the idea of doing a bagel brunch. The concept obviously feels very New York, but I also love it, because, well- it’s easy. It allows you to create an incredibly festive menu totally worthy of company, but doesn’t require a ton of work on the part of the hostess. It would be perfect for a late Christmas morning breakfast, or an indulgent New Year’s day brunch. Everything can be purchased and prepped ahead, and only requires a few last minute things to execute the whole meal. We know you’re gonna be eager to throw this brunch yourself, so here’s how to bring it all together!

  • The week of I picked up my supplies- smoked salmon, fresh herbs, cream cheese, clementines, coffee, champagne, and so forth. I’ve provided a full grocery list below. I bought everything ahead except for the bagels as I wanted those to be super fresh.
  • The night before I prepped my pickled onions and herbed cream cheese. Since most of the elements of the brunch are store bought, it’s nice to have some homemade touches. This herbed cream cheese is truly to die for- you could even make extra and package it up in little jars for a party favor. And the pickled onions make a great condiment and add such a gorgeous pop of color to the table. Both take less than an hour to pull together.
  • The morning of I walked around the corner to my favorite bagel place and picked up an assortment of fresh bagels. If that’s not convenient for you, you can buy the bagels ahead and freeze them. Remove them from the freezer first thing when you get up that day and let them defrost on the counter.
  • Two hours before I set the table, prepped my platters and toppings, and put them back in the fridge to stay chilled.
  • 1 hour before I cut my bagels (first in half, then down the center), brewed a big pot of coffee, got some classic holiday tunes going, lit my candles, and positioned all the food on the table.

Once guests arrived I popped the champagne and began mixing up cranberry mimosas. They’re just like regular mimosas except we swapped in cranberry juice and garnished with fresh cranberries to create a truly holiday feel. To see how we pulled this whole table together- including how to safely put the toaster directly on the table, head over to Jentertaining. Jen’s giving you all the details on how to style this festive feast in no time, and for very little money I might add. Here’s to easy entertaining during the holidays!

Other NYC Entertaining Post: A Rooftop Dinner Party & Girls Night In

Photography by John Dolan

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Grocery List (serves 8-10 guests):

  • 8 mixed bagels
  • 3 8 oz packages cream cheese
  • 8 oz smoked salmon, cut into pieces
  • 2 beef steak tomatoes, thinly sliced and cut in half
  • capers
  • apple cider vinegar
  • 1 red onion
  • fresh chives
  • fresh dill
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • lemon and extra dill for garnish
  • coffee, cream or milk, and sugar for your coffee tray
  • 1 box of clementines
  • Cranberry mimosas: champagne, cranberry juice, and fresh cranberries for garnish

Below are the recipes for the onions and cream cheese. Along with your herbed cream cheese, also include a bowl of plain cream cheese on the table.

Pickled Red Onions adapted from Gourmet

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Blanch one sliced red onions in a small saucepan of boiling water to cover for 1 minute and drain in a colander. Then return them to the pan and add a 1/2 of cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and just enough cold water to barely cover the onions. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer the onions 1 minute. Transfer the onions and brine to a glass jar and chill (you can remove some of the brine if it’s too much for the glass). Serve the onions from the jar for your guests. They’ll also keep for weeks in the refrigerator, and can be used in salads, sandwiches, and anything else you can dream up!

Herbed Cream Cheese

  • 16 oz softened cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Place in serving dish, cover in saran wrap, and let chill for at least one hour or overnight before serving.

10 Comments

Roasted Cranberry and Winter Citrus Muffins

December 17, 2012 by

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It’s no secret around here that I’m an absolute Greek yogurt addict. I ate it for breakfast with homemade granola for probably two years straight. I love making salad dressings with it. It’s always present in my smoothies. And to top it all off- I love using it in baked goods. I find muffins and quick breads to be really good candidates when using Greek yogurt instead of oil or butter. So when Chobani offered to send me a variety of their yogurts, I knew I wanted to put it towards a holiday baked good perfect for Christmas morning. I also had a hankering to work in cranberries, since that’s something people always seem to have an abundance of this time of year. I took raw cranberries and roasted them to prep them for the muffins- but you could always use homemade cranberry sauce you already have on hand. I finished off the flavor profile with some winter citrus in the form of fresh clementine juice and Chobani’s pineapple yogurt. I have to admit, I’m pretty proud of these little guys- they turned out even better than I imagined! They’re the perfect holiday bite, whether you’re serving them for breakfast or brunch, or enjoying them as an afternoon snack alongside some hot mulled cider.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

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Roasted Cranberry and Winter Citrus Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

For the muffins:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup Chobani Pineapple yogurt
  • juice from half a clementine
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the roasted cranberries:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cranberries
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • juice from the other half of the clementine

Roast the cranberries: Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small baking dish toss together the cranberries, clementine juice, and sugar. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and browned a bit. Set aside to cool. Lower oven to 375°.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs and vanilla. Stream in the melted butter slowly, whisking as you pour so the butter doesn’t harden. Then beat in the milk, clementine juice, and yogurt.

Scrape the cooled cranberries on a cutting board. Give them a rough chop. Then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture over the cranberries, and mix together a bit on the cutting board. You want the berries coated so they don’t sink to the bottom of the muffins. Scrape the berry mixture off the board into the wet ingredients, and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until just combined.

Grease a muffin tin with unsalted butter. Divide the batter between the 12 cups, and bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops of the muffins are golden brown. Serve immediately, or store on the fridge for up to 3 days.

Disclaimer: Chobani graciously supplied the yogurt for this post but I was not compensated. I’m a big lover of their products, thus all words are my own.

10 Comments

Homemade Maple Pumpkin Cream Cheese

October 22, 2012 by

Aaaah… I am coming off of such a weekend high. The weather has been just gorgeous in the city. It’s definitely that time of year that makes me feel so incredibly lucky to call this place my home. Friday we met friends in the neighborhood for $5 cocktails and burgers. Delicious. Saturday we met up with out of town friends for an indulgent lunch at Noodle Bar, and then digested with a walk on the High Line and along the Hudson. Saturday night we hosted friends for dinner- I made my go to roast chicken and buttermilk mashed potatoes. And Sunday? A movie in bed, some apartment tidying, a manicure, and some gym time. Talk about weekend perfection!

I know I’ve been inundating you guys with pumpkin recipes- but I couldn’t resist this one! This cream cheese is so simple, and would the perfect complement to a fall bagel brunch. It’s the perfect topping for whole wheat or cinnamon raisin bagels, or these delicious Pumpkin Bran muffins from Friday.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Maple Pumpkin Cream Cheese

  • 1 8 oz package cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 T pure maple syrup

Let the cream cheese cheese soften on the counter for 1-2 hours. In a bowl beat together all the ingredients until fully combined. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge.

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Pumpkin Bran Muffins with Almond Streusel Topping

October 19, 2012 by

If you had read all my posts last week, it would have seemed like it was pretty smooth sailing over here. There was some killer pumpkin oatmeal, a drool inducing grilled cheese, some gorgeous candlelight inspiration, and the last of the photos from our recent trip to Italy. And everything was technically fine, I was just in a funk. A major funk. One night I got dinner with two friends and I shared with them my not so pleasant mood as of late, and how I felt like such a hypocrite because from the blog, it seemed like I was one chipper bunny over here.

I know I’m not the first one to experience this. But even though I am a blogger, I can easily forget that all bloggers have their bad days too, even if they aren’t sharing it. All of this is to say, that there are a lot of beautiful things on this blog- I love creating them, I love sharing them with you, and I love blogging overall, but I do have rough days even if it isn’t portrayed here. Days where I find myself welling up in tears for no particular reason. Days where I don’t feel like getting out of bed. Days where I have arguments with my boyfriend. And days where I feel frustrated by blogging. I just wanted to make sure you knew that. Ok? Ok, great.

On a more upbeat note, I made you muffins! Muffins packed with pumpkin and an addictive streusel topping, but that are still actually good for you. Make them this Saturday- you won’t regret it. Have a wonderful weekend! xx

Pumpkin Bran Muffins with Almond Streusel Topping inspired by Espresso & Cream
Makes 18-20 large muffins

For the muffins:

  • 1 1/2 cups wheat brand
  • 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin purée
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 T molasses (optional)

For the streusel topping:

  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Mix together the wheat bran and buttermilk and let rest while you prep the other ingredients.

In a separate bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients minus the sugar. In another large bowl beat the eggs. Then mix in the oil, vanilla extract, molasses, pumpkin, and brown sugar. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the wheat bran mixture to the wet mixture and fold to combine. Add in the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined.

Make the streusel: Toss together the dry ingredients. Cut in the cold butter with your hands or a fork until the mixture resembles the size of peas.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin tins almost to the top with batter. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of streusel on top of each muffin- you don’t need to measure perfectly. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then serve immediately.

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