Lemon Sugar Crusted Blueberry Muffins

While I was at my mom's in Utah, I had a lemon blueberry muffin from Costco. Naturally, since it was from Costco, it was amazing. That's why I was so struck by this recipe when I saw it on Melanie's blog, My Kitchen Cafe.
And yes, it's a keeper. Next time I think I'll try subbing a couple tablespoons of applesauce for butter, and I'd like to add either some lemon zest or lemon extract straight to the batter. Nonetheless, it's perfect as is, too.

Since the recipe is a bit involved and Melanie explains each step so darn well, I'm just going to send you straight HERE for the recipe.

Need to use up your leftover buttermilk? Try this wonderful buttermilk banana bread (also from Melanie!) and these delightful whole wheat pancakes.

Buttermilk Banana Bread

My husband devoured this bread.

I loved it too.
I think it's the buttermilk—my new favorite ingredient. Don't ask me how, but it adds a hint of tartness, sweetness, and creaminess all at once.

This recipe is from yet another awesome food blog, My Kitchen Cafe. (Thanks, Melanie!) I've never tried a light variety of banana bread like this one, but now we can't get enough. It has a milder banana taste than some banana breads, and the crust is buttery deliciousness.

I substituted 3 tablespoons of applesauce for 3 (out of 8) tablespoons of butter, and I honestly couldn't tell. (The last time I made this recipe I didn't make the substitution, so I do have something to compare it to, by the way.)

Buttermilk Banana Bread
From My Kitchen Cafe

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas (About 3 average-sized bananas)
4 tablespoons buttermilk
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash baking soda

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until combined. Poor batter into a greased and floured bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the loaf immediately and let cool on a wire rack.

It's bread is fantastic as is, but for a sweet twist, I added a buttermilk glaze. Mmmm!

Buttermilk Glaze
Start with 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 Tablespoons buttermilk. Whisk to combine. Add a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, depending on your preference. You may have to add more buttermilk or sugar until you get a good consistency.

Simple Honey Wheat Bread

Sorry to post another bread recipe so soon, but I am in love with this recipe. I can't help but agree with the 353 reviewers on allrecipes.com who gave this recipe 5 stars. It's fabulous!

Beware: This makes a lot of bread. Three loafs, to be exact. My kitchen aid mixer was full to the brim with dough, but it all worked out in the end. My friend Amber and I had a bread-baking day, and we each went home with one BIG loaf and a mini loaf, thanks to my cute mini loaf pans.

This bread's texture is fantastic—moist and tender—and the hint of sweetness is exactly what I look for in a homemade wheat bread. And don't forget to try it as toast!

3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast (equal to two 2-oz. packages)
2/3 cup honey, divided into two
5 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 Tablespoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

2. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 3 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead in additional wheat flour (1/2 cup to 1 cup) until the dough just pulls away from the counter, but is still sticky to the touch. Place in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

• If you're mixing in an electric mixer, you can skip adding the flour by kneading on a floured surface and instead add the flour directly to the bowl as the mixer does the mixing. The point of this step, by the way, isn't kneading; it's incorporating the remaining flour. Just make sure the dough pulls together.
  

3. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Remove from pan to cool loaves on a wire rack. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard.

If you're timid when it comes to making bread, read this fabulous tutorial on breadmaking: "For Beaming, Bewitching Breads."

Enjoy the bread and be proud of your domesticity!

Light Wheat Bread

A born-and-raised Arizona girl, I could never truly enjoy living in a cold climate; it's just not in my blood. But during our years in Utah and Indiana, the one thing that would make me sad to see winter go was the fact that I could no longer bake as an excuse to heat up the house. I mean, who doesn't love leaving the oven door open after you pull something warm and satisfying out? Clearly, baking in the summer does not have quite the same effect!

What can beat the smell of freshly baked bread? (Well okay, you could probably persuade me about pie or cookies or something, but you get the idea.)

I have an all-time favorite white bread recipe that I plan on sharing before the winter is over, but for today, it's all about the wheat flour. Since I didn't grow up eating homemade wheat bread, I'm taking it slow--hence the title, "Light Wheat Bread." I also used King Arthur's White Whole Wheat Flour, which is deceptively white in taste and color but still has all the fiber. (Don't ask me how they do it.)


Well, without further adieu, here's the recipe:

Light Wheat Bread
From the lovely Smitten Kitchen
2 1/2 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (In my case, King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons powdered milk
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 Tablespoons shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

1. Stir together the bread flour, wheat flour, sugar (if using), salt, powdered milk, and yeast. Add the shortening/butter, honey (if using), and water. Mix until it comes together. If some flour remains in the bottom, add a bit more water.
   
2. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or about 6 minutes by machine. Lightly oil a large bowl, toss the dough to coat, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
3. After it has risen, remove the dough and press it into a rectangle on a floured surface. The rectangle will be about 3/4 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 to 10 inches long. Working from the short side, roll up the length of the dough, pinching the crease with each roll you make. Pinch together the edges on the last roll, and place that face down in an oiled bread pan. Mist with spray oil.
   
4. Let rise for about 60 minutes (maybe even less), or until the dough crests the top of the pan.
   
5. Preheat to 350, and place bread pan on a sheet pan on the middle rack. Bake for 30 minutes; then rotate the bread 180 degrees for even baking. Bake for another 15-30 minutes. According to Smitten Kitchen, "The finished loaf should register 190 degrees F in the center, be golden brown on the top and the sides, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom."
6. When finished baking, remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a rack for 1-2 hours...if you can wait that long!
   

Low Fat Cornbread

I'm a little obsessed lately with substituting applesauce for the fat ingredient in baked goods. Gingersnaps, banana bread, oatmeal cookies, and now, cornbread. The great news is that it works! I never substitute all of the fat, just most of it. Like in this recipe, which called for 1/2 cup of oil, I used 6 tablespoons applesauce and 2 tablespoons canola oil. And the cornbread is fantastic!


1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs (I used two egg whites and one egg, to lower the cholesterol.)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat to 400. Combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for five minutes. Grease a 9x13 pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

If you already have a favorite cornbread recipe, you're welcome to share it in the comments! And you could always use your tried-and-tested favorite but try switching out most of the oil for applesauce. I couldn't even tell a difference!

If you're looking for an easy meal idea, tonight we served the cornbread with barbecue chicken and mushrooms. I often throw a couple chicken breasts in the crockpot, salt and pepper them and slather them with barbecue sauce, some shots of hot sauce (I use Frank's) and a few shots of Worcestershire. Cook on low for a long time to get the chicken fall-apart tender. Toward the end, I throw in some sliced or halved mushrooms. The moisture in the crockpot cooks them nicely, and it saves me from cleaning another pot!

Low Fat Banana Bread

After tasting this recipe, you'd never guess that it has almost no fat. Egg whites and applesauce take the place of a yolk and butter. It's such a great autumn snack. Enjoy!


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1 cup banana, mashed
1/4 cup applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a loaf pan. (I use canola oil spray.) 
2. Stir together the first five ingredients. Then add the eggs whites, banana, and applesauce. Stir just until combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake for 40 minutes. While bread is baking, make a streusel topping out of about a 1/4 c. sugar, 1 t. cinnamon, and 1 T. butter. (I use 1/3 less fat margarine for this.) Cut the butter in with a fork until the butter clumps are about the size of small peas. 
4. Sprinkle streusel topping over the bread, and cook for 10 more minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

I always add an extra teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves because I like mine to have a little more spice to it.