Blueberry Peach Yogurt Muffins

Almost every recipe that contains yogurt warns you NOT to use fat free yogurt. Well, this time I rebelled and I used *gasp* fat free yogurt in these muffins and they turned out great!

I've noticed that muffins with some kind of topping always look more elegant and professional. I usually try and top my muffins with either a smattering of rolled oats, nuts or streusel.

These muffins were delightfully light, fluffy and so so moist (probably from the addition of orange juice in the batter). Best of all, they rose sky high and kept their wonderfully domed shape even after they had cooled. I was quite impressed by their appearance and was definitely proud to bring these in to work.



Blueberry Peach Yogurt Muffins
Makes 12 | Adapted from Canadian Living, Apr. 2004

2 1/4 cup flour, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup yogurt, peach/vanilla/plain (I used fat free)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup diced peaches (I used canned)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided
1 tbsp sugar for topping

In large bowl, stir 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, juice and oil; pour over dry ingredients. Toss blueberries and peaches in remaining 1/4 cup flour (to prevent the color from bleeding). Add this fruit-flour mixture and 1/4 cup walnuts to the batter and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.

Spoon into greased or lined muffin cups, filling to top. They will be quite full but that's OK! Topping: combine 1/4 cup walnuts with 1 tbsp sugar. Sprinkle topping over the muffins, pressing walnuts in slightly so they stick.

Bake in centre of 375 degrees F until golden and tops are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes then transfer to rack to cool completely.

Apricot Orange Yeasted Coffee Cake

Sweet yeast dough is my ultimate favorite thing to bake. It's like a blank canvas, screaming to be painted on with a multitude of fillings. It's an invitation to go crazy with shaping ideas. From giant cinnamon buns to teeny individual rolls, it's so versatile.

I don't like fresh apricots but give me the dried ones and my oh my am I a happy girl. Here I paired them with orange and used them to fill this yeasted coffee cake. It might sound complicated but it's really not. It starts out like a cinnamon bun but then you cut it lengthwise instead of crosswise. See my Cinnamon Chocolate Twist for a picture of how it's done.

There is a lot of filling in this recipe and it might seem like too much at first but once it's baked the filling gives a lovely moistness to the cake and you get a taste of the sunny orange/apricot flavor in every bite with texture contrasting crunch from the slivered almonds on top. The orange glaze melts into the cake enhancing its moistness even more.



Apricot Orange Yeasted Coffee Cake
1 - 9" Cake | Dough adapted from Flo Braker

Sweet Yeast Dough
About 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs, room temperature

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1 orange, peeled and pith removed
Zest of 1 orange
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Topping
1 tbsp orange juice
Approx 1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp sliced almonds for sprinkling

1. Dough: Stir together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, add the water, and set aside until warm (120-130 degrees F) about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract.

2. Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer, add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 2 more tablespoons flour and mix until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.

3. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and center the dough on the flour. Knead gently until smooth and no longer sticky, about 1 minute, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour (only if necessary) to lessen the stickiness. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover the bowl plastic wrap and rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45-60 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for the next step. While the dough is rising, make the filling.

4. Filling: In a small sauce pan combine water, sugar, oranges and apricots. Cook on low until apricots are softened, adding more water if necessary, stirring frequently until thickened and reduced. Remove from heat and stir in zest, vanilla and cinnamon. Cool then transfer to a blender or food processor. Pulse until pureed.

5. Shaping: roll into a 30-by-9-inch rectangle. Spread filling evenly. Beginning at the long end, roll up tightly, as for a jelly roll. Pinch the seam to seal. Some filling will probably ooze out but you can just scrape it up and put it on top of the coffee cake afterwards once it's in the pan.

After you roll it up, cut it in half lengthwise, giving you two long 30-inch pieces. Carefully turn the halves so that cut sides face up. "Braid/twist" the two halves together and join the ends, pinching them to form one ring, keeping the cut sides up so the filling is visible. Transfer the ring to a greased 9 or 10" spring form pan. Scoop up filling that oozed out during the rolling process and put it over the cake. Cover and rise for 30-40 minutes until it almost reaches the rim of the pan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees or other method of testing for doneness. You might need to turn the oven down to 325 degrees F or tent with foil if browning too quickly. While cake is baking make the glaze by combining all the orange juice and icing sugar to reach desired consistency. Set aside. When cake is done remove from spring form pan, cool slightly and drizzle with glaze and slivered almonds.

Espresso 3-Bite Fudge Brownies

Coffee has been making an appearance in my baking quite a lot lately. It is a flavor that I have come to love crave. Today coffee got paired with the humble brownie for an amazing pick-me-up: chocolate and coffee and lots of both! I call them 3-Bite brownies because they're like the slightly bigger and bolder cousin of 2-Bite Brownies.

Feeling adventurous (or maybe just supertired!) I upped the ante by adding 2 Stok caffeine shots. Each non-dairy creamer-sized serving (13 mL) has the caffeine of 1 shot of espresso with only 10 calories. When you add them to your coffee you can't taste them but you sure can feel them! Tip: If you want to try them without buying a whole case, they have them at 7-eleven right beside all the International Delights creamers and syrups at the coffee bar.

I baked these in silicone muffin liners. After they were baked I froze them for about 30 minutes so they popped out of the liners easily. If you dislike coffee or prefer a milder brownie, use water instead of coffee and omit the coffee powder.





Espresso 3-Bite Fudge Brownies
Makes 12 | Adapted from Canadian Living

3/4 cup regular cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder (heaping)
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup hot, strong brewed coffee or espresso
1 tbsp espresso powder or instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Chocolate Frosting (optional, recipe link below)

1. reheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl combine cocoa, coffee powder and baking powder; mix to combine. Add hot coffee; mix well with a wooden spoon to dissolve. Add melted butter, sugar and vanilla. When combined then stir in eggs with a wooden spoon. In a sepasrate bowl whisk together salt and flour then add in the chocolate mixture(batter will be on the thin side). Mix in mini chocolate chips and/or walnuts.

3. Fill each of the muffin tins almost to the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until muffins are done (toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it) don't over bake! (might take a little longer, depending on how full the tins are. Cool then frost with Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting.

Papa John's Chicken Club Pizza and Pizza Crescents

My 3 year old started preschool last week, right after his third birthday. I've now got to pack him lunch (aww!!!) This might sound odd, but paking lunch makes me feel like a 'real' mom. I love waking up early to put an ice pack and juice box into his insulated lunchbag along with a little treat - fruit snacks or mini brownies or a smartie cookie. I'm sure the novelty of packing lunch will wear off eventually but for now I'm loving it. It makes grocery shopping even more fun looking at things he might like to eat and all the little "snack packs" of his favorite foods.

I had a little ball of extra pizza dough which I made into mini pizza crescents for Zach's lunch. He loved them! And so did I. Just roll out the dough thinly into a circle, spread lightly with pizza sauce, sprinkle with cheese, cut into wedges, roll up and bake.



In my opinion, the sauce can make or break the pizza. It's so easy to go wrong with sauce as I know personally. Too sweet, too sour, too tangy, too thick, too thin, too bland, too salty. However, I am happy to announce that as of today, my search is over! I have tried so many different recipes out there from America's Test Kitchen to Wolfgang to Cooking Light. They all were missing something and I had to keep looking. This recipe is perfect in taste and consistency. I double the batch and freeze it or use as dip for breadsticks.



Papa John's Pizza Sauce
1 cup

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can tomato paste or puree
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Freezes well.

Papa John's Chicken Club Pizza
Toppings for 1 - 14" pizza



1/3 - 1/2 cup Papa John's Pizza Sauce
1 cup Grilled Chicken Breast, chopped (or rotisserie chicken breast)
1/2 cup Crumbled Bacon
1/2 cup Ham, chopped
1/2 cup Diced Tomatoes
2 mushrooms, sliced
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

Spread sauce on semi-baked pizza dough. In a bowl toss all topping ingredients together and sprinkle evenly on top of pizza crust. Bake on a pizza stone (if you have one) at 450 degrees F until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, 8-10 minutes, maybe more.

TWD: (Jam) Thumprints For Us Big Guys

Mike of Ugly Food Dude selected Thumbprints For Us Big Guys on page 164. Check his blog for the recipe.

Jam thumbprints - an oldie but a goodie. Isn't it funny how foods go in and out of style just like clothes do? I used to see these more often but lately they seem to be a thing of the past and only make appearances at Christmastime. Maybe it's time for a thumbprint revival!

I think they are also called birdsnests in other parts of the world? My mom saw them and said, "Oh, birdsnest cookies!" Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Oh yes. Whether you call them thumbprints or birdsnests, they are just as yummy. My favorite is raspberry jam but the platter looks pretty if you use different colored jams like blackberry or apricot.

Sweet Muffins

I am so glad I stumbled upon this book, The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. It has a lot of easy to follow recipes that produce great results, such as this recipe for sweet muffins. This recipe, like many of the others in this book, lends itself nicely to variation and improvisation. There's another baking group out there called Sweet Melissa Sundays, kinda the same idea as TWD and as tempted as I am to join, I don't think I can make the time committment necessary right now. Boo... maybe in the future though.

I chose the peach version of this muffin. The delicious, perfume-like smell of orange zest filled my kitchen and when they came out of the oven I was impressed by how much they rose. I've always had problems with my muffins appearing squat and flat and nothing like the storebought variety.

Sweet Muffins
Makes 12 | Sweet Melissa Baking Book

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature (more or less depending on juiciness of fruit)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh fruit, cut into 1/4-to-1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar* or granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Before you start: Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with muffin papers (or butter and flour the cups or spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray).

Procedure
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth–no lumps. Whisk in the heavy cream and milk until combined.

3. Add the zest to the flour mixture and with your hands, gently rub the mixture together, releasing the oils and breaking up the bits. Add the fresh fruit and gently toss with your fingers to combine. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Pour the butter mixture into the center of the well and, using a rubber spatula, gently pull the flour mixture into the center of the well until just combined.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup until full. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and sprinkle with sugar. Let cool to warm.

Variations
Fresh Peach Muffins: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the flour mixture. Decrease the milk by 2 tablespoons. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest to rub into the flour mixture. Add 1 cup peeled diced fresh peaches to the dry mixture, and proceed with the batter. Fill the prepared muffin cups and sprinkle on cinnamon sugar, if desired. Bake as directed.

Strawberry Muffins with Fresh Lemon and Rosemary: Decrease the milk by 2 tablespoons. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest and 3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary to rub into the flour mixture. Add 1 cup diced fresh strawberries to the dry mixture, and proceed with the batter. Fill the prepared muffin cups and sprinkle on vanilla sugar, if desired. Bake as directed.

* To make vanilla sugar, combine the salt and scraped pod and seeds of 1 vanilla bean with 8 cups of sugar. Rub them together with your hands. Store in an airtight container.

Sponge Cake with Mango Mousse Filling

I think this cake ended up being 6 inches tall! It was truly statuesque. The sponge cake recipe from the Joy of Cooking is a staple in my recipe repertoire. It's great on its own but it is also versatile as it complements any filling.

I took my inspiration for the mango mousse filling from those Asian bakery-style cakes with mango or strawberry mousse fillings. The sponge cake wasn't quite as light as Asian cakes but the mousse was excellent. I highly recommend using canned mango puree/pulp (in the ethnic foods aisle, indian food section) as it is usually sweetened already so you don't have to worry about adding any extra sugar to the mousse. This stuff is so good. You can use the extra mango pulp for smoothies, ice cream, milkshakes or in my favorites: Mango Cheesecake.



Have your egg whites at room temperature before starting this cake, the secret to perfect sponge cake is to beat your egg yolks until very thick and lemon-coloured.

Never-Fail Sponge Cake
Makes 2 - 9" rounds | Adapted from JOY

6 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/3 cup room temperature water
1-2 tablespoons lemon or orange zest (optional)
6 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set oven rack to middle position. Line the bottoms of two 9" round pans with parchment. (I wanted a taller cake so I used two 7" pans and had some leftover batter for a cupcakes) Leave sides ungreased.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl beat egg yolks until thick and lemon coloured (the egg yolks must be thick - beating time should take about 5 minutes or more). Add in sugar, vanilla and lemon juice; beat until thoroughly blended and no sugar granules remain (about 5 minutes).
Add in sifted flour mixture alternately with water; beat until just blended.

3. In a large bowl beat room temperature egg whites with cream of tartar until quite stiff; gently fold into the flour mixture. Transfer to the ungreased pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Cool completely in the pans upside down on cooling rack before removing.

Mango Mousse Filling
approx 3 cups

1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup mango puree (I use canned puree)
Sugar to taste (if mango puree is not sweetened)
1 tbsp gelatin powder
2-3 tbsp hot water

1. Dissolve the gelatin powder in hot water. Add more water as needed but try not to water it down too much. Add liquified gelatin to the mango puree and mix well.
2. With very cold beaters and bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Strain mango-gelatin mixture and add to the whipped cream. If there are large chunks of gelatin left in the strainer put them in a bowl and microwave just enough to melt. Add to the bowl and continue to beat to a mousse consistency.
3. Use to fill the cake or transfer to pretty serving dishes. Refrigerate.

Cocoa Espresso Bundt Cake

When my son saw this sitting on the couter he exclaimed, "It looks like a giant donut!" He's totally right! While that wasn't the look I was going for, I do think the giant donut look is pretty cute and it's an idea I might use for future birthday cakes.

The flavor of this Bundt cake is perfect for coffee lovers. There's just a hint of chocolate, almost unnoticeable, but with both instant coffee powder and fresh brewed coffee, it's the coffee that really stands out here. With its simple flavors and ease to make, this cake is perfect for anytime.

Now, let's talk about the frosting. I love sour cream chocolate frostings because they are not overly sweet due to the offsetting effect of the tangy sour cream. This frosting is so smooth to work with and best of all, it behaves like a crusting buttercream. The slight crust on the buttercream gives way to a creamy chocolate which melts on your tongue. Amazing.





Cocoa Espresso Bundt Cake
1 - 10" Bundt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. In a large measuring cup dissolve baking soda in water, then add coffee, instant coffee powder and vanilla.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the cocoa, then the egg yolks one at a time. Alternately beat in the flour and the coffee mixture just until incorporated.
4. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly but carefully fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
5. Pour batter into a 10 inch Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack. Frost completely cooled cake with sour cream chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
Makes 2 cups

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. In a small sauce pan, over low heat, melt chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth.
2. Remove pan from heat, blend in sour cream, vanilla and salt.
3. Gradually beat in enough confectioner's sugar to get a spreading consistancy.

TWD: Toasted-Coconut Custard Tart

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie is hosted by Beryl of Cinemon Girl who picked the Toasted-Coconut Custard Tart on pages 344 and 345. Thank you Beryl for picking something I wouldn't normally pick on my own and for pushing me out of my baking comfort zone.

For once I didn't change a thing about the recipe. I followed all the directions and ingredients to a T. If you like coconut cream pies, you won't be disappointed by this tart.


Before covering with whipped cream


Coconut Custard, cooking in my dutch oven.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl

This is my first recipe from the well known book - Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, probably most famous for the "Baked Brownie" (which I have not tried yet but is on my list. After making this recipe - a classic sour cream cake with a twist - I'm eager to see what else these boys from Baked have up their sleeves, so you will likely be seeing more recipes from this book soon. The addition of cocoa to the cinnamon swirl was an unexpected yet very welcome deviation from the classic.

The cake was really moist and easy to transport too. Beware, it makes a huge cake! It's baked in a 9x13 pan but it rises so high that the end product is about 3 inches tall. I managed to cut 24 good sized servings.



Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl
9 x 13 pan | Adapted from the Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Crumb Topping
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chunks (Original recipe calls for pecans)
6 tablespoons cold butter

Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp cinnamon

Cake
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Crumb Topping: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in bowl of food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mixture looks like pebbly sand. Mix in the chocolate chunks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl: Mix ingredients in small bowl.

3. Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×13" glass baking pan. (Glass works better as the cake edges brown too quickly with metal). Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Scrape down bowl and add sugar. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl as needed.
Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl before each addition and beating only until each addition is just incorporated. Do not overmix.

4. Pour 1/3 of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle half of the chocolate cinnamon swirl mixture over batter, covering the entire surface of the batter. Spoon another 1/3 of batter over the swirl mixture and spread it evenly. Top with remaining swirl mixture, then the remaining 1/3 batter, and spread the batter evenly. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the batter.

5. Bake in the center of the oven for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cover with foil if browning too quickly. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.