"Just Peachy" Muffins

Unfortunately, I haven't done much baking lately. I did bake banana cupcakes with cream cheese icing a few weeks ago for a party, but they weren't really worth documenting. Although the cupcakes were fine, I was in a rush and used cream cheese frosting from a jar, which I wasn't a big fan of. Once again, homemade is always better.

This week, being peach season in Ontario, I bought a basket of local peaches from the grocery store. Unsurprisingly (since I live alone), I was unable to eat them all before they got really ripe and juicy. This called for something peachy. Being me, the first thing that came to mind was peach muffins. It seems my muffin phase isn't over after all. But who am I kidding? I never really thought it was.

I adapted this recipe from All-Recipes.com, making a few of my own alterations and substitutions here and there to make the muffins a bit more healthy. The results: a moist, peachy muffin with a (strong) hint of cinnamon. (I didn't even alter this part - I was surprised to see that the original recipe called for a whole tbsp of cinnamon).

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2  cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups peeled, chopped peaches (ripe & juicy!)
1 cup mangoes, pureed (I used frozen ones)
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk, if needed (I actually didn't measure)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease muffin cups or loaf pan.

Peel and chop peaches. Try to do this over a bowl or measuring cup to catch all the juice!
Using a blender (or food processor), puree about 1 cup of mangoes. Note, I came up with this idea to increase moisture, since I had some frozen mangoes that were nearing a freezer-burned point of no return. I'm sure apple sauce would work well too - I just didn't have any on hand.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, eggs and mango puree (or apple sauce).

Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture. Pour in the wet mixture, and stir until just moistened. Fold in the peaches (the juice will add some moisture to your batter). At this point, I was concerned that my batter was still a bit too thick, so I added a big splash of milk and stirred gently. I think adding another cup of (juicy) peaches might work even better, and would add a more distinct peach flavour to the batter.

Pour batter into muffin cups (the original recipe yield is 16), or 2 loaf pans. I baked one loaf and had enough batter left for 9 good-sized muffins.

Bake at 350F. In my oven, the muffins were ready in about 20 mins and the loaf was ready in about 45 mins. Other ovens may take up to 1 hour for the loaf - my oven always seems to cook things quickly.
Enjoy!

My first peanut butter & cinnamon creation...

Peanut Butter & Cinnamon Raisin Bran Cookies

This recipe was inspired by a Betty Crocker peanut butter-raisin bran cookies recipe. I won't type the recipe out, because truthfully, I copied it exactly - with one addition. I added about 3/4 tsp of cinnamon to the batter. The cookies are cooling right now, but based on the taste of the batter (a good baker always samples the batter!), I think they are going to be delicious!

My only question as I sit and wait for them to cool? Why I decided to bake on this super hot, humid day in an apartment with no air conditioning. I'm sweating in my apron right now and I can't say it's from exertion...my trusty Kitchenaid Stand Mixer did most of the hard work!!

...about 5 mins later...the verdict: I'd say these cookies are pretty good, but not the best ever. I liked the batter way more before baking, as the peanut butter and cinnamon flavours were much more evident. They are also a bit crispy for my liking, although this could be a product of my hot oven. I'll have to see what others think. In the meantime, this has inspired me to come up with a no-bake peanut butter cinnamon recipe!

Cinnamon-Sugar Rugelach

Rugelach are a Jewish dessert best described as tiny crescent rolls with various sweet fillings. Common fillings include chocolate, cinnamon-sugar, apricot, raspberry, and walnut.

Ingredients:

Dough:
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of coarse salt (table salt works too)
2 1/3 cups flour

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling:
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sanding sugar (that's the coarse, crystalline sugar you often see sprinkled on top of cookies - it withstands heat)

Directions 

1) To make the dough: Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Add sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each one. Add vanilla and salt, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour. Remove from bowl, and divide into 3 pieces on a lightly floured surface. Pat into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight. The cooler the dough, the better.

2) To make the filling, mix together butter, sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

3) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, less than 1/8 inch thick. Brush evenly with cinnamon-sugar filling.

4) Cut the dough circle into 16 equal-sized wedges, like you're cutting a pie. Starting at the base of each wedge, roll towards the centre to enclose the filling, forming crescent shapes. Pinch the corners to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

5) Glaze: Brush tops of rugelach with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

**This recipe was adapted from MarthaStewart.com - I chose to create a cinnamon-sugar filling rather than the walnut one featured in the Martha Stewart recipe.

I have made this recipe twice, and both times I used a variety of fillings for variety. In addition to the cinnamon-sugar filling (my favourite), I also tried chocolate, apricot and raspberry. For the chocolate filling, I melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips (or baker's chocolate squares) with a dab of butter to facilitate spreading. Raspberry and apricot fillings can be made using melted jam (just heat in the microwave for a few seconds and then spread). The first time I made these, I was fortunate to discover that the family I was staying with had a jar of fresh apricot preserves in their fridge, and these tasted much better than the jam I used the second time around. Like (almost) always, homemade beats store-bought!


B'tayavon (bon appetit!)

Homemade Sangria

As mentioned in my previous post, cinnamon sticks are a key ingredient to really delicious sangria. (Whole cinnamon sticks are best, but a dash of ground cinnamon will work in an emergency situation).

There is no "right" way to make sangria. Every glass of sangria I've tried has been slightly different, and some have been much better than others. I can tell you one thing for certain: stay away from bottled sangria and make your own. It's guaranteed to be better.

I have yet to come up with a "perfect" sangria recipe, since (as I mentioned), each one is slightly different than the one before. However, after inquiring with a few bartenders in Spain and Portugal, I have come to the conclusion that I prefer Portuguese sangria.

Here are some of the key ingredients...these are guidelines only - the quantities are up to you! Keep in mind that the quality of each ingredient used will affect the taste of the final product.

Portuguese Sangria

-1 bottle of red wine (preferably something from a warm climate such as Spain, Portugal or Chile). Keep in mind, the better the wine, the better the sangria. However, don't go crazy and use your best bottle, since it's ultimately being mixed with pop - or "soda" to any American readers out there!)
-1/2 bottle (more or less, depending on preference) of 7-Up, Sprite or Gingerale. You may have to experiment, as they have slightly different flavours. I usually use Spritz Up!
-shot of brandy
-shot of Triple Sec
-shot of Porto wine, if available
-shot of Martini Rosso (vermouth)
-orange slices
-lemon slices
-apple slices (finely chopped)
-2 cinnamon sticks

Although this is straying from the traditional sangria recipe, feel free to add any other fruit you wish. I have tried delicious sangria with blueberries (strawberries and blackberries work too), red grapes and even kiwis. Remember to chop fruit into small chunks so that it fits in their glass. I prefer to remove the rinds of orange slices so that guests can eat the fruit easily with a spoon!


Mix together all ingredients except the7-Up/Sprite/Gingerale, and let sit for several hours, or preferably overnight. This will allow the wine and cinnamon flavours to seep into the fruit and vice versa - this is key to delicious sangria. Add the pop just before serving, and stir. Serve in a big bowl with a ladle to facilitate fruit-scooping.

Cheers, santé, salute, salud...and saude!