Chocolate Cupcakes

I've had this recipe for a long time, but the original just called for dusted powdered sugar on top. I've been waiting until I remembered to actually write down my own frosting recipe to share, since powdered sugar alone just didn't cut it, in my opinion.

Original cupcake recipe: Cooking Light
Frosting recipe: mine
yield: 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

Frosting:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
2 Tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cupcakes, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.
3. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in chocolate. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, combine butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar in a medium bowl; beat well with a mixer on medium speed. Add vanilla extract, salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk, mixing well. Gradually mix in remaining powdered sugar and as much of the 1 tablespoon of milk as is necessary until frosting is a good texture for spreading. Top each cupcake with frosting and enjoy!

Granola Bars

Back when I was still nursing Lane, I was always in search of healthy snacks, because I was starving all the time. This is my take on a random granola bar recipe. Feel free to mix up the "add-ons"...different nuts (I used cashews the last time I made them), chocolate chips, all raisins or cranberries, etc. These are really, really good...not too sweet, crunchy, and just all together yummy. Make sure you have the full amount of honey...I was a bit short the last time I made them and they turned out a bit dry (as seen in the above photo).

yield: 20 bars

2 cups oats
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup wheat bran or wheat germ, or 2 Tbsp of each
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil; coat with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix together oats, flours, and next 8 ingredients (through cinnamon). In a separate small bowl, mix together oil, honey, egg, and vanilla, stirring well with a whisk. Pour oil mixture into oat mixture and mix well. Press into prepared pan.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350° or until bars are golden brown. Cool completely; turn out onto a cutting board and cut into bars.

Buttermilk Quick Bread

This bread is just a little sweet and it's got a spongy texture. It uses things you probably have in your pantry/refrigerator, and is so quick and easy to make. It may be a new staple around here when I want a quick bread to go with dinner!

Original recipe credit: Cooking Light
yield: 1 loaf

2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour through salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Combine buttermilk, butter, and egg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
3. Spread batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Apple Buttermilk Custard Pie

This is an old standby of mine: an apple pie that's better served cold than warm, and definitely doesn't need ice cream. It's been on the blog for almost 3 years now, but in light of a new camera and therefore a better photo, and a recent desire for apple pie, I'm highlighting it today.

Original recipe credit: Cooking Light
yield: 10 servings

Filling:
6 sliced, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 2 lbs)
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Streusel:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 Tbsp chilled butter

1 9-inch pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Place apples, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in non-stick skillet. Cook 10 minutes or until apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Pour into prepared pie crust.
3. In medium bowl, combine remaining sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, salt and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Pour over apple mixture. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes.
4. While pie cooks, make streusel. Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut butter in with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly. Store in fridge until pie is done baking for 30 minutes.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Sprinkle streusel over pie. Bake for 40 minutes or until set. Let cool at least an hour before serving.

Braised Balsamic Chicken

I made this for dinner tonight and it. is. yummy. Kind of tangy but not too tangy. Light and healthy. (We ate it over brown rice and with green beans.) Easy. Delicious. I will be making it again.

Original recipe credit: allrecipes.com
yield: 6 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano

1. Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle each chicken breast with pepper and place on top of onions/garlic; cook 5 minutes on each side.
2. While chicken cooks, combine balsamic vinegar, diced tomatoes, basil, and oregano in a small bowl, stirring well. Pour over chicken, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until chicken is done.

Barbecue Sauce

Ahh, the elusive quest for a good barbecue sauce recipe. We always liked Sweet Baby Ray's in the States, but here when the desire for barbecue hits I have to make my own sauce. It's taken me a few months to meld various recipes together into one that we like that can be made with things bought here. Finally, success.

yield: 3 cups

1 cup ketchup
200 grams (4/5 cup) tomato sauce
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp apple vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion flakes
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp chili powder

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine ketchup, tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, and molasses. Heat until boiling; add remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Reduce heat to low; simmer at least 20-30 minutes or until thickened.

Coleslaw

I've been trying for awhile to perfect my coleslaw recipe... something not too runny, not too sweet, not too onion-y (I don't like raw onions), etc. Here's the final result. Yum.

yield: 12 1/2-cup servings

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp vinegar (I used apple vinegar)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6 cups shredded cabbage
2 carrots, finely shredded

1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, and next 6 ingredients (through pepper). Stir in cabbage and carrots. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.