Breads and Muffins Archives - Crafty Cooking Mama

The Rachel Sandwich

May 16, 2018 by Amanda 1 Comment

This post was sponsored by Dave’s Killer Bread as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Today I’m sharing with you one of my favorite sandwiches – The Rachel! Plus get to know my all time favorite bread!

I’ll admit, I’m a bread snob. It’s not only because I’m an avid baker. The majority of sliced bagged bread that you find in the store is equivalent to cardboard. Seriously.

I’ll share a funny (actually not so funny) story with you. A friend’s son did a science fair project a few years back. He was studying molds on breads. He wanted to see how it long it took various types of breads to grow mold. Various samples included homemade white bread, homemade wheat, store bought sliced white and wheat.

The homemade breads, as you would expect, grew mold within a weeks time.

The store bought white and wheat NEVER grew mold. In 6 weeks time – the breads never grew mold. Eeeeek!!!!

I will NEVER forget that when I shop for bread.

Back to my bread snob status. I would love to bake every loaf of bread my family eats – but it doesn’t happen. I’m shooting about 70/30 – in favor of store bought. That’s life. So when I buy sliced bread, which is a main part of many of our meals, I make sure it’s not just an empty filler lacking nutrition. Oh, and I prefer to skip the mystery preservatives of those cardboard immortal type breads.

So I’d like to introduce you to a bread that is SUPER nutritious & delicious. The bread that I buy – the bread that I feed my family. I LOVE it! Say hello to Dave’s Killer Bread. I’ve been a fan of this bread, and the bagels, for quite some time.

Dave’s Killer Bread is the #1 selling organic bread brand in the country. Still not familiar with it?

Every loaf of Dave’s Killer Bread is USDA organic and Non-GMO project verified. My personal favorite – Dave’s Killer Bread’s 21 Whole Grains and Seeds – is loaded with 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 250 mg of Omega-3, and 22 grains whole grains. Oh, and that’s just the nutritional stats for one slice!

Seriously, that makes a slice of bread one killer breakfast. That ho-hum cold cut sandwich at lunch – it’s now seriously nutritious. Dinner…the possibilities are an endless powerhouse.

Not only is Dave’s Killer Bread’s 21 Whole Grains and Seeds good for you – it’s absolutely delicious! It’s hearty, filling and has just a touch of that homemade sweetness.

This bread isn’t something you’ll have to hunt down at a health food store. You’ll find a full selection of Dave’s Killer Bread’s while your shopping at your local Walmart.

I know there’s a million different sandwiches I could make with this bread…but today I’ll share one.

The “Rachel”. It’s the Reuben’s lighter sister – perfect for warm weather eats. Sliced turkey, a fresh & simple coleslaw, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing – oh, and maybe a slice of avocado or some bacon if you’re feeling extra adventurous.

Happy Eats!

-Amanda-

Head over to Dave’s Killer Bread’s to learn more about 21 Whole Grains and Seeds – plus nutritional info, the company history ( second chances – it’s awesome), recipes & merchandise.

You’ll find the full line of Dave’s Killer Bread’s at your local Walmart!

My Favorite Rachel Sandwich

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

My favorite sandwich - The Rachel.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breads & Muffins

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

2 slices of Dave’s Killer Bread’s 21 Whole Grains and Seeds
sliced turkey
coleslaw - homemade recipe below
Swiss cheese
thousand island dressing (optional)
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

*Note* When I make this sandwich - I like to make it BIG. Amounts of ingredients will depend on how hearty of a sandwich you like. I used approximately a ¼ pound sliced turkey, 4 slices of Swiss cheese and more coleslaw than most normal people would consume.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add both slices of bread to pan - not on top of each other.
Place cheese on each slice of bread, still open face.
Cook until cheese is melted and bottoms of bread are golden brown.
Remove bread and assemble sandwich - turkey on the bottom, top with coleslaw and a drizzle of thousand island dressing.
Cut in half and enjoy!

Easy Homemade Coleslaw

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

A simple coleslaw made with pantry staples.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Veggies

Serves: 1 pound

Ingredients

1 pound bag of shredded coleslaw mix
½ cup REAL mayonnaise (none of that sweet stuff)
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine mayo, vinegar, sugar, pepper & salt in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk until smooth.
Add coleslaw mix, stir until thoroughly combined.

The Rachel Sandwich - grilled with swiss cheese and topped with turkey & coleslaw | www.craftycookingmama.com

Chocolate Banana Nut Bread

October 5, 2017 by Amanda 14 Comments

A delicious, moist, easy to make chocolate banana quick bread. Made with cocoa powder & applesauce – this decadent bread is almost guilt-free.

This was originally posted on December 12, 2014. I’ve updated the photos during some rainy day baking 🙂

It’s a miracle, once again, that this batter even made it into the loaf pan. Mixing this up, my daughter and I can’t keep sneaking spoonfuls of it. It’s like a banana brownie batter…yum.

I crave this bread often. I’ll cruise the produce section looking for ripe bananas so I don’t have to wait days and days for the bananas to get extra ripe or “rotten” as my daughter refers to them. This chocolate quick bread eats almost like a cake. The rich chocolate banana flavor, the texture and the scarce amount of oil – you’ll be amazed!

I used to make this bread with just the vegetable oil. I tried substituting applesauce for the oil but wasn’t happy with the results. The happy median is replacing half the oil with applesauce. Substituting half the amount with applesauce makes the bread a bit healthier and keeps it moist without it getting “gummy”. As for nuts, I prefer this with walnuts. You’ll notice in my photos I used almonds this time, only because I ran out of walnuts. Truth be told, I sit here right now looking at a pretty bowl full of nuts on my table. I was just too lazy to crack, pick and crush the walnuts. I had a bag of slithered almonds ready to go, with no work involved, so almonds it was.

Feel free to throw a cup of chocolate chips in the mix to make it extra rich.

This is nice and easy to throw together. Whisk dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and mix in eggs, oil and applesauce. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture. Do not over mix. Pour into your loaf pan, sprinkle some nuts on top and throw it in the oven. You’re done.

This should be finished in about 55 -60 minutes, just check with the almighty toothpick test. I cool it for about 20 minutes on a wire rack, remove the bread, and finish cooling on the wire rack.

I love this bread for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or a snack. Any or all of the above in one day would suit me just fine. It’s perfect served as is, with a big glass of milk.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy baking!

Amanda ♥

5.0 from 4 reviews

Chocolate Banana Bread

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

A delicious, moist, easy to make chocolate banana quick bread. Made with cocoa powder and applesauce - this decadent bread is almost guilt free. Don't waste those brown bananas anymore!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breads & Muffins

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

1½ cup all purpose flour
1⅓ cup sugar
6 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa (heaping)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 large very ripe bananas
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup apple sauce
2 tablespoon walnuts, almonds or other nut, crushed
(optional) 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°
Grease/spray a loaf pan.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder. I use a whisk.
In a small bowl mash bananas with fork or your preferred method.
Mix eggs, oil and applesauce into mashed bananas.
Add mashed banana mix to flour mix. Stir until blended - do not over mix.
(optional) Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake for 55 - 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let it cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy : )

Moist Chocolate Banana Quick Bread | www.craftycookingmama.com

Rye Bread

January 27, 2017 by Amanda 1 Comment

A wonderful all-purpose, basic rye bread. Dense but soft and loaded with flavor. Makes great loaves or rolls. Simple & delicious ♥

It’s a New Year and there’s not a whole lot of new stuff going on around here. Each year I half heartily resolve to become more organized and each year I fail miserably. I guess it’s kinda my thing to constantly be behind schedule and scramble around searching for misplaced things.

Some exciting news! There has been a wonderful new addition to my kitchen appliances – The Bosch Mixer ♥

Much thought went into what mixer was right for me and the work I need it to do. I’ve burned up too many mixers to mention and we decided to invest a little more money into something that would be the work horse I need.

So, you ask, what do I need all this power for….?

Bread. I love making bread. It’s truly my favorite thing to bake, but I’ve slowed down on making it BIG time the past few years. It’s almost embarrassing to say, considering I’m pretty young, but I’ve worked hard in my years. I have arthritis in my hands and wrists so serious kneading kills me. Serious kneading also kills a lot of stand mixers which has culled my joy of bread baking.

No worries though, I’m back in the game. The first thing I baked was pumperknickel and numerous ryes. We’ve been eating so many loaves of rye and I’ve been trying to find the best “all-purpose” rye. Something that is great thrown into a loaf pan and sliced up for sandwiches, made into rolls or shaped into rounds and served with cheese or soup.

I think I found it….for now. Bread making is an ever evolving love 😉

Oh, and if you don’t have a heavy duty mixer, you can certainly get your hands dirty and get busy kneading. I still do it when I can! Rye is extra sticky, so keep flouring your work surface and hands.

The bread baking is on again! That’s something to toast to in the New Year!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Baking ♥

-Amanda-

Rye Bread

Prep time

150 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

3 hours 15 mins

A wonderful all-purpose, basic rye bread. Dense but soft and loaded with flavor. Makes great loaves or rolls. Simple & delicious!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breads & Muffins

Serves: 3 loaves

Ingredients

1½ cups warm water (110°F)
2 packages of dry yeast (or 2¼ teaspoons x 2)
1 cup warm milk
⅓ cup molasses
3 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 cups rye flour
4½ cups all-purpose flour + extra for dusting & kneading
1-2 tablespoon melted butter (OPTIONAL)

Instructions

I use a stand mixer for this recipe, but you can just as easily do this by hand. Rye dough is sticky stuff, so plan to flour your hands & work surface often.
Dissolve yeast in warm water. I combine the two in my mixer and mix with dough hook until dissolved.
Add milk, molasses, oil, salt, eggs, caraway seeds and flours.
Using mixer & dough hook, mix on slow/medium speed for 6 - 8 minutes. If you're kneading by hand, knead for about 10 minutes.
Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft free spot for about an hour. The dough should double in size.
Flour your hands and work surface. Shape dough into 3 loaves. I use greased loaf pans and free form the loaves. You can also shape the dough into rolls if you'd like.
You can dust the tops of loaves with flour before rising OR brush with melted butter prior to baking (after rise).
Cover again and let rise for an hour. The loaves will double in size.
Preheat oven to 350° F. I prefer to use a baking stone, so preheat stone if using.
Slash tops and brush with butter (if using).
Place free form loaves on baking stone or place loaf pans in preheated oven.
Bake loaves for about 45 minutes, rolls for about 12 minutes. Loaves should sound hollow sounding when tapped.
Transfer bread to cooling rack. Cool, slice and enjoy. Store in an airtight container or bag. Rye stays delicious for days - I actually prefer it the day after baking.
If you're not going to bake 3 loaves of bread right away - you can store left over dough in the fridge, covered, for about a week.
Enjoy 🙂

Perfect, simple & delicious Rye Bread | www.craftycookingmama.com

Chocolate Chip Granola Scones

December 7, 2016 by Amanda 4 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SimplySatisfying #CollectiveBias

Chocolate Chip Granola Scones made with Quaker® Simply Granola Oats. A little crisp on the outside – soft, tender & crumbly in the inside. Perfection ♥

It’s officially December – the most wonderful time of the year. The holiday season is upon us and decorating, baking & wrapping are in full swing in my home.

Sometimes we’re so busy with our schedules and holiday preparations that we lose sight of the little things and the little moments during the holiday season.

Like winter break. The kiddos are home from school for over a week. It’s a great chance to spend some fun time together.

I try to make our breakfasts a little more special on days off. I have absolutely no problem admitting that we eat cold cereal during the week for breakfast. Weekday mornings are chaotic so we keep it quick & simple.

So when we’re all home, a special breakfast is a nice way to spend laid back mornings together. Even better when the kids can help out. Scones are fun (and easy) to make – kids love getting their hands dirty – mixing, shaping, patting and cutting the dough.

I combined two of our favorite breakfast foods – Quaker® Simply Granola and scones. The results are delicious breakfast perfection ♥

Quaker® Simply Granola is a delicious and satisfying way to fuel up for the day. Loaded with crunchy granola clusters, fruit and nuts – this is whole grain goodness at it’s best. We love both Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Honey Raisin & Almonds and Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Apples, Cranberries & Almonds that we made a batch of scones with each granola. We still can’t decide on our favorite : )

There really is something magical about a fresh, warm scone. A little crisp on the outside – but soft, tender and crumbly in the inside. Served with a cup of tea, coffee or even a sippy cup of milk – it’s wonderful.

You could go ahead and make a drizzle for these if you’d like, but we prefer our scones with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar before baking and served with butter, jams and fruit butters. The simple pleasures in life….

I hope everyone enjoys their family time together this holiday season.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Baking ♥

-Amanda-

What are your favorite holiday baking traditions?

Visit here for more inspiration and all kinds of Quaker® #SimplySatisfying recipe goodness!

Visit here to purchase Quaker® Simply Granola or learn additional product information.

Chocolate Chip Granola Scones

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Chocolate Chip Granola Scones. A little crisp on the outside - soft, tender & crumbly in the inside. Perfection ♥

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: baked goods

Serves: 10 scones

Ingredients

2 cups flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup salted butter, cold & cubed
1 heaping cup Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Apples, Cranberries & Almonds OR Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Honey Raisin & Almonds
½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F
Line a baking sheet/pan with parchment paper. I use a pizza pan.
In a large mixing bowl - whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
Using a pastry blender, cut in cubed butter until texture is of coarse crumbs.
Break up any large clusters of granola. I pour it in a sealed sandwich bag and press down on it a few times with the measuring cup.
Stir granola & chocolate chips into flour mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, egg & vanilla extract.
Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. Stir until combined - do not over mix.
Press out ball of dough directly onto parchment lined pan. Press into 8"-9" circle.
Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Using a pizza cutter (or knife if you don't have a pizza cutter) slice scones into 8 slices.
Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until tops are just light golden brown.
Remove from oven and transfer scones, still on parchment paper, onto wire rack.
Scones are best served a little warm & with butter, jams & fruit butters. Scones are best eaten the same day as baked, but can be stored covered for a day or two.
Enjoy : )

I found Quaker® Simply Granola & all my baking supplies at my local Walmart store.

Cheddar Cheese Quick Bread

November 4, 2016 by Amanda 47 Comments

A garlicky cheddar quick bread ready in about an hour from start to finish. Easy, cheesy, foolproof – delicious! Carb lovers unite ♥

Bread has always been one of my favorite foods. Not the hohum loaves you’ll find at most grocery stores, but the soulful, artisan varieties made with love in bakeries and home kitchens.

If I had the time, I would bake bread every single day. Time is something I’ll never have enough of and bread is probably something I shouldn’t be eating every day anyhow 😉

But when you need bread, you need bread. On some occasions there aren’t hours to spare.

Quick breads are great for those last minute bread needs, whatever they may be. It takes just minutes to put together. No rising, no kneading – just mix it up & bake.

That being said, quick breads and yeast breads are certainly different. A quick bread is dense, moist & even crumbly at times – more along the lines of a tender biscuit. A yeast bread is lighter and far more complex in taste & texture.

You can get pretty creative with this bread. Add fresh or dried herbs, like parsley, chives or Herbes de Provence, or add more spices – like dried minced onion or powder, more garlic. Switch up cheeses or add olives, sun dried tomatoes, dried beef – anything your heart desires. Just watch that you don’t overdue the amount of liquids. Quick breads are (almost) fool proof. My next go at this bread will be a “Pizza Quick Bread”. Stay tuned 🙂

This bread is wonderful eaten as is or with a generous smear of butter. I serve it with breakfast, as a snack or with a big bowl of soup or a hearty dinner.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

4.9 from 14 reviews

Cheesy Cheddar Quick Bread

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour

A garlicky cheddar quick bread ready in about an hour from start to finish. Easy, cheesy, foolproof - delicious!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breads & Muffins

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups shredded cheddar, I prefer sharp
1 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoon butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° Grease/spray a loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder and salt. Stir in shredded cheese. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg & butter.
Add liquid ingredients to bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Spoon/pour into loaf pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes. Top should be a golden brown.
Cool on wire rack. Remove loaf from pan, slice & serve.

A garlicky cheddar cheese quick bread ready in about an hour from start to finish. Easy, cheesy, foolproof - delicious | www.craftycookingmama.com

Ebelskivers | Danish Pancakes

August 3, 2016 by Amanda 10 Comments

Ebelskivers. If you don’t know them, now’s the time to get in the know. These small, round Danish pancakes can be filled with anything your heart desires – jam & chocolate chips being the usual favorites.

Whew – it feels like I haven’t written here in quite sometime. I missed it! Life happened. I spent a few weeks dealing with some health issues and then took a much needed family vacation. Healthy and relaxed – I’m back 🙂

Baking failures. Cocktail failures. Dinner Failures. I’ve had them all the past few weeks. I suppose I was trying too hard. Too eager to get back into the swing of things.

I was feeling very uninspired. I spent an afternoon running simple errands and came home exhausted. It was late and we still didn’t have lunch. My daughter suggested ebelskivers. We haven’t made them in quite some time – I was feeling inspired.

Ebelskivers. You either know them or you don’t. They’re a small, round filled Danish pancake. Think a warm, filled munchkin in pancake form.

There are as many ebelskivers recipes as pancake or waffle recipes. I’m confident that they all work – it’s just about personal preference on taste and texture. I prefer buttermilk in all pancake & waffle recipes. I also choose to separate the eggs and beat the egg whites – I feel the finished product is lighter and fluffier this way. I know many folks just use boxed pancake mix – if boxed pancake mix is your thing then go for it.

You can go ahead and fill these. Or not. Seriously though, one of the biggest joys of these little balls of pancake goodness is the filling. Sweet or savory – use anything you’d like. Household favorites are various jams and chocolate chips. Ricotta cheese with chocolate chips were my all time favorite. This time around we made one batch with fig cocoa spread, a strawberry honey jam and chocolate chips.

Flipping these little buggers is an art of it’s own. I do a three point maneuver. After the bottom of the ebelskiver is golden brown, I use chopsticks to turn it until the batter pours into the bottom of the mold. After set, about a minute or two, I turn the ebelskivers the remainder of the way and finish cooking. When done, I use a small plastic spoon to remove. Everyone has their own crafty way of flipping ebelskivers. Honestly, you have to make a few batches to figure out what works for you. It’s tricky, but not difficult.

Serve these with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and get to eating. If you’re making them unfilled, then serve with syrups, jams, chocolate sauce…

I’ll admit, ebelskivers are a bit fussy. I’m not usually one with much morning cheer, so this isn’t something I make for breakfast. I enjoy making these for brunch or an unexpected sweet snack.

There is a special pan required to make ebelskivers. You can find them online for $15 – $30- here’s the one I use from Amazon. Norpro Nonstick Stuffed Pancake Pan, Munk / Aebleskiver / Ebelskiver. Keep your eyes open though – I got lucky and found mine at a thrift store years ago for a few bucks! My daughter insists that she can make these with her cake pop maker. We haven’t tried yet – but I think she’s right.

Happy ebelskiver making! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

-Amanda-

5.0 from 2 reviews

Ebelskivers - Danish Pancakes

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

Ebelskivers. If you don't know them, now's the time to know. These small, round Danish pancakes can be filled with anything your heart desires - jam & chocolate chips being the usual favorites.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 21 - 24 pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
vegetable oil or softened butter for greasing pan
jam or chocolate chips for filling
powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.
Separate eggs, set whites aside.
Whisk in egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth & thoroughly mixed - some lumps will remain.
In a separate bowl, using electric mixers, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold whites into batter.
Grease each well of the mold with oil or softened butter using a pastry brush or paper towel.
Heat pan up over medium heat.
Pour batter into each well, filling about half way. I use a small ladle.
Fill with about half a teaspoon of jam or a pinch of chocolate chips.
Top with additional batter - I fill ⅛" from the top.
Cook until bottoms are golden and sides are set, about 3-4 minutes, then, using your method of choice, flip pancakes and continue to cook until bottom is golden - another 2-3 minutes. I use 2 chopsticks to maneuver and flip each ebelskiver. I also do a "3-point turn" when I flip them. Whatever works for you.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Remove each pancake and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or syrups. Enjoy.

Ebelskivers - Danish Pancake Bites - Filled with jams & chocolate chips

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Banana Nut Muffins

March 21, 2016 by Amanda 110 Comments

Banana Nut Muffins. Quick, easy, moist & full of flavor. These delicious muffins are one of my all time favorites – soon to be yours, too!

I have these Banana Nut Muffins baking in the oven, right now this very moment. Let me say…the aroma is absolutely intoxicating! I’m practically floating thru the house into the kitchen following the scent trail. (There was a cartoon character who used to do that. For the life of me, I can’t remember who it was!?)

There are many recipes that are so normal, so common, that at times they get overlooked. The basics. Shall we go back to basics for a bit?

The basics shouldn’t be overlooked. These recipes are foundations that can be built upon with countless variations. Switch up fruits, fats, flours – the possibilities are endless.

I make these banana nut muffins often. They go together quickly, are moist, delicious, full of flavor and stay fresh for days. They’re great for breakfast, dessert or a sweet snack. I hear muffins like this freeze well, but they never last long enough to make it to the freezer.

These muffins take just minutes to put together and 25 minutes to bake. Probably takes less time & effort to bake a batch then it would to get dressed and head out to a bakery and buy a few. How’s that for keeping it simple.

Onto nuts – to toast or not to toast. Really, this all depends on your tastes and what you are making. A lot of people will insist that it’s a must for the best flavor – but that just isn’t always so. I toasted the walnuts for these muffins, this time. Sometimes I don’t – really, the sprinkling of walnuts on top of the muffins get toasted nicely without any extra effort. More “for instances” you say…? I would toast macadamia nuts in a cookie but wouldn’t toast walnuts in a Turkish walnut cake. See – it’s all in your preferences.

I hope you enjoy these muffins. Quick, simple and delicious – it’s everything you want in a Banana Nut Muffin!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

4.9 from 33 reviews

Banana Nut Muffins

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

40 mins

Banana Nut Muffins. Quick, easy, moist & full of flavor. These delicious muffins are one of my all time favorites - soon to be yours, too!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breads & Muffins

Serves: 1 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
(You could use 1½ cup all purpose flour without any whole wheat flour if you'd like)
1½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup), melted
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
¼ cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup - 1 cup walnuts (toasted if you'd like)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk flours, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Melt butter. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Mix in butter, both sugars, milk, egg and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until just combined - do not over mix.
Fold in half the walnuts.
Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased or paper lined muffin cups.
Sprinkle remainder of walnuts over top of muffins.
Bake for about 22 - 26 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Let muffins rest in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.
Enjoy 🙂

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins | Whole Wheat Breakfast Muffins

January 4, 2016 by Amanda 20 Comments

Healthy Breakfast & Snack Muffins. Made with whole wheat flour, bananas, peanut butter & honey – these are filling, delicious & nutritious!

Hello 2016. This will be the best year EVER. Why….because it really does get better every year!

I suppose most people start off the new year with a list of resolutions. Any day is a good day for positive change – whatever is that motivates you is a wonderful thing! I try to work on things I need to achieve on a daily basis. I have quite a list of things I need to work on – there’s always room for improvement!

That being said, you don’t have to worry about any crash or fad diet trends happening here. I always have and always will enjoy a diet of varied eating habits, all in moderation. Lots of real deal baking, healthy(ish) baking, meats & poultry, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free – I do it all 🙂

My first recipe of the year is pretty random, simply meaning it wasn’t chosen because it held any type of significance to the New Year. I made it because I had whole wheat flour and bananas that needed to be used up.

This is a “healthier” baked good that’s actually really good. You could go ahead and junk it up with some chocolate chips and such – but it’s really not necessary. This muffin has plenty of flavor all on it’s own. It’s soft, moist and very dense. I love this muffin for breakfast, a snack or even for a quick missed meal – it will fill you up!

By now I’m sure we’re all aware of the list of benefits whole wheat flour has to offer. I try to work some into my baked goods when possible. In the case of these muffins, I went all or nothing with the whole wheat flour. This recipe is from a very health conscience friend of mine. Although I’ve always enjoyed her original recipe, it needed to be sweetened up just a bit to get the kiddos interested in it 😉

I hope 2016 will be a wonderful New Year for everyone. Why not get it started with these Whole Wheat Muffins for breakfast. Thanks so much for stopping by – Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

4.7 from 7 reviews

Peanut Butter Banana Whole Wheat Muffins

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

Healthy Breakfast & Snack Muffins. Made with whole wheat flour, bananas, peanut butter & honey. Filling, delicious & nutritious muffins.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breads & Muffins

Serves: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ - 1 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on taste)
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
⅓ cup oil (i use avocado or coconut - use what you prefer)
2 medium bananas, mashed
1½ cups milk
4 tablespoons raw honey
crushed walnuts (optional)
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt & cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
Using a pastry blender, cut in peanut butter and oil until the mixture is pea sized crumbs.
In a separate bowl, beat together mashed bananas, milk and honey.
Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined.
Let mixture rest for about 5 minutes. Stir again.
Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin cups. I fill these almost completely (less than a ¼" space) - they will not rise a whole lot.
If using crushed walnuts, sprinkle on tops before baking. If using turbinado sugar, carefully sprinkle tops about halfway thru baking.
Bake for 15 - 18 minutes or until tops are a light golden brown and set.
Remove from tin and cool on wire rack. Enjoy 🙂

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Drop Scones

December 22, 2015 by Amanda 5 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MeAndMyTea #CollectiveBias

Bite sized Cranberry Chocolate Chip Drop Scones. Easy, quick and perfectly delicious. Wonderful for Tea Time or any occasion ♥

Life can be hectic. It gets busy, crazy & stressful. This is life. If we can’t find our way thru the rough patches how are we to ever fully appreciate the joyous & glorious moments. It’s bittersweet, baby.

Stress is, without a doubt, one of our worst enemies. It causes some major wear and tear on our minds and bodies. Stress is, of course, an unavoidable and constant factor in our lives. It is not going away. So we all must find our own methods to cope with daily stress.

I’ve learned that the best thing I can do for myself is to make time for myself. I know, it’s easier said then done. I’m busy, you’re busy, we’re all busy. I’m not talking weekend getaways, I’m talking 10-15 minutes a day.

My time is tea time. It’s a simple way to relax, rejuvenate and reflect upon my day.

During the holidays, when we have friends and family visiting, moments to myself are just not happening. During these occasions, I love to have a proper tea time. It’s not complicated or fancy. Just friends and family sharing tea, a bite to eat and conversation. It’s an enjoyable and relaxing moment shared together.

My long time favorite tea – Bigelow Constant Comment Tea. It’s a black tea with hints of orange and sweet spiciness. Although I drink it year round, it just happens to be the perfect flavor tea to serve during the Holidays!

I like to bake a simple, sweet snack to accompany tea. Scones are my go to, of course. Tea and scones just go hand in hand.

These scones are quick and easy to throw together. They don’t involve much fussing – just mix, drop them on cookie sheets and bake. They’re best served warm and on the same day.

The cranberries in the scones and the orange spiciness of the tea pair up fabulously together. Scones are traditionally served with butter and jam, but these scones have so much flavor, I doubt anyone would be interested in any condiments. Have sugar, honey, cream and lemon slices on the table to serve with the tea. Most people prefer tea plain, but some like it a little sweeter.

I hope you have a wonderful tea time and a wonderful holiday season! Thank you so much for stopping by! Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

Head over to Bigelow Tea for All Things Tea!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Mini Drop Scones

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

25 mins

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Drop Scones. Easy, Quick, No Knead Scones. Tea Time or Anytime Scones.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breads & Muffins

Serves: 30 scones

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
⅓ cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup butter
⅓ cup milk
⅓ cup orange juice
1 cup cranberries, halved or chopped
½ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°
Grease/spray cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt & baking soda.
Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until texture is of coarse crumbs.
Add milk and orange juice and stir until just combined. Do not over stir.
Stir in cranberries and chocolate chips.
Drop heaping teaspoonfuls on cookie sheets, about 2" apart.
Sprinkle a pinch of turbinado sugar over each scone.'
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until a light golden brown.
Remove from cookie sheets right onto serving platter. These are best served warm and same day. These little scones are packed with major flavor each bite. They're best eaten plain, but serve with jam and butter just in case.

Artisan Bread | No Knead Bread

December 12, 2015 by Amanda 83 Comments

No Knead Artisan Bread. Easy and effortless to make. Yields a crusty, chewy, beautiful bread. One of our favorites!

This is something I make so often I almost forgot to share it. This is my normal, go-to, everyday bread recipe – you’ll find this dough in my fridge at just about any given time. It really is a sure thing and it’s just about effortless to make. No kneading, machines or wizardry involved. Just mix everything up and let it rise.

I hesitate to call this a “beginner’s bread” because it’s a wonderful bread for bakers of any and all expertise. That being said, it’s certainly a great way to introduce yeast breads to a hesitant or newbie baker.

This recipe yields 2- 3 loaves of bread, depending on the size of loaf that you prefer. We’re total gluttons when it comes to fresh bread so this dough makes 2 hearty loaves for us.

The remaining dough may be stored in the fridge and used over the next week or so. The dough is so much easier to work with after it’s been refrigerated, so I often make this ahead of time, let it chill in the fridge and it’s ready to go whenever I need it.

Funny enough, out of all the breads I bake, this bread (the easiest to make) seems to get the most compliments. It’s crusty, dense, chewy and soulful. It’s an all purpose kind of bread – we love it with soups & stews, pasta & sauces or with cheeses, butter or dipping oils.

I often get asked if whole wheat flour can be substituted. I’ll be honest and say I prefer this bread made with strictly all-purpose flour. If you’d like to work some whole wheat flour in, I would recommend subbing in no more than 2-3 cups.

This No Knead Bread is a must try! It’s simple, delicious – it won’t disappoint! Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

My friend Jade shared this recipe a few years back. She loves it, I love it and I’m betting you will too! Her recipe was adapted from “The Kitchen Counter Cooking School” by Kathleen Flinn.

4.7 from 19 reviews

Artisan Bread | No Knead Bread |

Prep time

3 hours

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

3 hours 30 mins

No Knead Artisan Bread. Easy and effortless to make. Yields a crusty, chewy bread. One of our favorites!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Breads & Muffins

Serves: 2-3 loaves

Ingredients

3 cup - lukewarm water (about 100°F)
2 packets of yeast (1½ tablespoon)
1½ tablespoon kosher salt
6½ cup all-purpose flour, unsifted
additional flour for dusting
cornmeal for dusting

Instructions

Combine the water, yeast, and salt in a 5 quart bowl. Stir to mix. Add all of the flour at once and mix with a spoon until the dough is wet and sticky with no dry patches. Cover with plastic wrap, but do not seal airtight. Let it rise for about 2 hours at room temperature. If you are not using it immediately, refrigerate the dough, loosely covered, for up to a week.
To make a loaf, sprinkle some flour onto the surface of the dough. Scoop up a handful of dough about the size of a grapefruit (or bigger - depends if you want 2 or 3 loaves). Rub the dough with a layer of flour while gently stretching the top around to tuck the sides into the bottom to form a round, smooth loaf. Put the loaf on a cutting board dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking. Let it rise, uncovered, for at least a half hour or as long as 90 minutes. The loaf will plump but not change radically in size.
About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a metal pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Put the baking stone on the middle rack.
Dust the loaf liberally with flour. Slash the top with a cross or three lines with a razor or sharp knife and slide it onto the preheated baking surface. Carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray or metal pan and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the crust is browned and the loaf feels light and hollow.
Cool on wire rack. Enjoy 🙂