Milk and Honey Poppy Seed Muffins #Improv

After totally neglecting the Improv challenge for the last few months, I am happy to say that I'm back in the saddle!  For those not in the know, the Improv challenge is a fun way for us to play with our food. Each month our fabulous new leader, Lesa from Edesia's Notebook, provides us with two ingredients with which to make marvelous creations. This month our theme is Milk and Honey...such a tasty combo! Interested in participating? Go ahead and visit Edesia's Notebook...you don't even need a blog.

How fitting is it that my husband brought home a carton of Almond Milk with a Hint of Honey?!

 I honestly didn't know what I was going to make until I started gathering my ingredients. Of course there was honey, but I also grabbed a bottle of poppy seed and some frosted flakes. Muffins were in the works!

Milk and Honey Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk or almond milk
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons poppy seed
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup crushed frosted flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.; line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, combine the milk, eggs, coconut oil, extracts, and honey. Stir in the poppy seed and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk mixture and stir until just moistened (batter will be lumpy). Spoon batter into cupcake liners. Sprinkle the frosted flakes over the muffin tops.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched.

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 45 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 65 mins.

The cornflakes give the muffins a little crunch....

Perfect for breakfast!

Or dessert...

Check out what everyone else has made with Milk and Honey!

***CORRECTION made from original post ---should be 1 egg, not 2!****

An InLinkz Link-up

Okay...I admit it. They are the 7-Up Biscuits that have been all over the Internet for quite sometime. This is so not my original recipe but, frankly, I can't for the life of me figure out who to thank for these babies. As you will see, however, I did put a small spin on them.

A few simple ingredients and a few minutes is all it takes for awesome biscuits....

I am not a good biscuit maker. Canned biscuits have always been my friend. So what made me try my hand at biscuits? On a Thursday night? Why the monthly Improv challenge, of course. Sponsored by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, the monthly Improv challenges us to take two assigned seasonal ingredients and make something wonderful. This month's theme? Lemon and Lime!

Lemon-Lime Biscuits

By Inspired by Several Internet Recipes
Published 05/16/2014

A few simple ingredients (including your favorite lemon-lime soda!) results in the best tasting biscuits ever!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup lemon-lime soda
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel, optional
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.; spread the melted butter in a 9" baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cut the sour cream into the baking mix. Add the soda and the lemon and lime zest, and stir just until the mixture is combined (it will be sticky).
3. Generously flour a large sheet of parchment paper or a silicone mat. Scrape the dough onto the prepared surface and sprinkle with more flour. Gently roll out the dough. Make 9 biscuits, using a 2 3/4-inch biscuit cutter. Arrange the biscuits in the prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden.

Yield: 9 Biscuits
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: biscuits, easy, bisquick, 7-Up, lemon, lime

The added lemon and lime zest brightens up the flavor...

Easily double the recipe and use a 9 x 13-inch pan, if desired.

It doesn't get much better.....

Check out what everyone else is making with Lemon and Lime:

An InLinkz Link-up

Dark Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt....#improv

It's the third Thursday of the month...this can only mean that it's an Improv day! Improv is a monthly blogger challenge put forth by the lovely Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Each month Kristen gives us two seasonal ingredients with which we are to create something wonderful. This month our theme is Ebony and Ivory!

Of course I went for the chocolate....why wouldn't I? Actually, a few months ago I had created a Sea Salted Dark Chocolate Cookie. I loved them, but I forgot to write the recipe down and I couldn't remember where I got the inspiration. So, I Googled. What I found was a pretty good sounding cookie from a certain Martha Stewart. You can find her recipe here ------ >  XXX  Of course I had to put my spin on things (not to mention make it an Ebony and Ivory themed cookie), so I changed it up. Here's what I made:

Dark Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt

Printable Recipe

1 cup flour

1/2 cup dark cocoa (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (60% Cacao), melted

2 teaspoons espresso powder or instant coffee

1/2 cup good quality white chocolate chips

2 oz good quality white chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and the coconut oil for several minutes or until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Stir the espresso powder into the melted chocolate and add to the sugar mixture. Fold in the flour/cocoa mixture just until completely blended; stir in the white chocolate chips and chopped white chocolate. 

The coconut oil can make the cookies spread, so be sure to chill the dough for a few minutes after you've dropped them on the cookie sheet. 

Drop the dough by tablespoons (I use a cookie scoop) onto the prepared pan. Sprinkle each mound of cookie dough with a little sea salt. Chill the dough for a few minutes before baking (so the cookies don't spread too much), then bake for 10-12 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

It might be worth your while to pour a glass of milk before you dig in....

Perfectly fudge-y in the middle.

Okay--wipe the crumbs off and let's take a look at what everyone else is making---

An InLinkz Link-up

Blueberry Bread and Butter Pudding....#improv

Welcome to the February edition of the Monthly Improv Challenge, hosted by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker . For the uninformed, the Improv Challenge is a monthly party where everyone uses the same two ingredients in different wild and crazy ways. This month's theme is Bread and Butter---how fun is that?!!

Before you get too excited, I didn't get very wild and crazy this month. Rather, I went for some good old comfort food.

How many of you have had extremely poor weather lately?--raise your hands. Yup--I thought so. One of the best ways I know of to soothe the weather blues is to make comfort food. Pudding made out of bread is one of the best comfort foods I know, so that's what I made. Bread and Butter Pudding. With blueberries. And it was wonderful.

Blueberry Bread and Butter Pudding

Printable Recipe

1 loaf thin sliced, firm white bread, 16-18 slices (I used Pepperidge Farm White Sandwich Bread)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup blueberry jam

1 cup blueberries

6 eggs

3 cups milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees; spray a 9X13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Spread half of the bread slices with about a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of jam. Top the buttered bread with an unbuttered slice. Cut each sandwich in half, diagonally. 

Arrange the sandwich halves evenly in the casserole dish, standing some upright, if needed. Sprinkle the blueberries over the bread.

My casserole dish is slightly smaller than 9X13, so I had to stand up some of the sandwich halves....

Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla; pour evenly over the sandwich halves. Let the mixture sit for about 20 minutes to allow the eggs/milk to soak into the bread.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the custard is set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm or cold.

Simple. Awesome. Comfort.

The only thing that would have made this better would have been some warm blueberry sauce. Alas, I did not make any, but this recipe looks good: Warm Blueberry Sauce. Make it and let me know how it is. In the mean time, check out what everyone else is making with Bread and Butter.

An InLinkz Link-up

Cardamom and Orange Pull-Apart Bread #Improv

Oh my—it is good to be back! I didn’t realize that I haven’t posted for over 2 months..yikes. For those not in the know, I had the good fortune of being chosen a finalist in the 46^th Pillsbury Bake-Off, so I’ve been a bit preoccupied. What a fabulous party Pillsbury puts on-- I didn’t bring home a prize, but the whole experience was just amazing. I plan on sharing some stories and some great recipes in the near future, but for now let’s get on with some baking!

It’s perfect that the first recipe I’m going to tackle is an Improv challenge sponsored by Kristin of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Each month Kristin gives us two ingredients to get creative with. This month we have Cardamom and Orange, two of my favorite flavors (as evidenced in my Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe: Orange Cardamom Blueberry Crostata!).

Have you been seeing a slew of  pull-apart bread pins on Pinterest? I think I might be a little late to the party, but I've been wanting to try a pull-apart bread for awhile since they look so yummy. This is my perfect opportunity. 

Orange Cardamom Pull-Apart Bread

Printable Recipe

Dough:

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel

2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast

3-3 ½ C flour

1 t. salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Filling: 

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Frosting:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons orange juice

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease a large loaf pan (9").

Heat the milk, butter, sugar, vanilla, and orange peel over medium/low heat until the butter begins to melt and the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and allow it to cool to 115 degrees F. (bathwater warm). Whisk the yeast into the milk mixture and let it stand for 5-10 minutes, or until it starts to foam. 

In the mean time, whisk together 3 cups of the flour and the salt in a large bowl.  Add the eggs and the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and, using the paddle attachment, beat for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is shaggy. Switch the paddle out for the dough hook and continue to knead the dough, adding additional flour as needed, for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl, turning it over once. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about an hour or until double in size.

I love the orange color.....

Gently deflate the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface (I use a Silpat) roll the dough into a large rectangle. Brush the melted butter over the top. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom and sprinkle all of it evenly over the melted butter.

 Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 6 strips, then carefully stack all of the strips into one stack. Cut the stack of strips into 6 slices. Place the stacks of dough, cut side up, into the greased loaf pan (I staggered mine). Allow the dough to rise for about 20 minutes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes; cover with foil if it darkens too quickly. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Frost while warm.

Carefully stack 'em, then slice 'em again...

Be careful not to crowd the dough...you want to leave enough room for it to rise.

The top may get a little dark in color, but be sure not to under-bake or the middle will be doughy.

I may use more orange juice next time to make more of a glaze...

For the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and the orange peel. Add enough orange juice until the desired consistency is reached.

I spooned the frosting into a baggie and snipped the end...this made it easier to drizzle on the warm bread.

So good...and best eaten warm. Oh, go ahead and slather some more butter on it...

Now, let's take a look at what everyone else is making with Cardamom and Orange!

Vanilla Glazed Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This month the Blogger Improv Challenge features two of my favorite ingredients: Chocolate and Vanilla! Improv, if you are not in the know, is a foodie challenge hosted by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Each month Kristen selects two ingredients for us to work some magic with.

Chocolate and Vanilla may be two of my favorite ingredients, but that doesn't mean it was easy to come up with a good idea for this challenge. Let's face it--adding a dash of vanilla extract isn't exactly creative. So, I took a quick inventory of what I had and went from there....

This part was easy...I have Costco sized vanilla in my cupboard....

This coconut milk had Vanilla written all over it...I had to use some...

White Chocolate Chips just plain look vanilla-y...and I'll need some Dark Chocolate, too.

Honestly, I didn't come up with an idea until yesterday, when I saw a post on Facebook from King Arthur Flour---a beautiful picture of Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread. As luck would have it, someone at work brought in a rather large yellow zucchini that was now resting in my refrigerator. Don't you love it when worlds collide? I had vanilla stuff, I had chocolate stuff, I had zucchini, and had a recipe from King Arthur Flour...

Vanilla Glazed Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread (adapted from King Arthur Flour)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1/3 cup cocoa

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini, gently pressed

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate candy bar

1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate candy bar

Glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tablespoon butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons vanilla flavored coconut milk (or regular milk)

Preheat the oven to 350°F; lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth

.

Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, instant coffee, cocoa, and flour, mixing until well combined.

Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the bread for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack. Cool completely. Drizzle with glaze.

For the glaze, combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over bread.

The glaze is totally optional, but it sure does look nice.

So fudgy and good!

Now check out what everyone else is making with Chocolate and Vanilla!

Peach and Basil Salsa.....#Improv

Welcome to another round of the Improv Cooking Challenge....this month our theme is Peaches and Herb(s)! Improv is a monthly blogger event sponsored by the fabulous Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Each month Kristen gives us a two ingredient seasonal theme to work with. Peaches and Herb has almost a musical sound to it, no?

As luck would have it, the fruit stand down the street had some peaches that were just perfect. I had already decided that basil (my favorite herb) would be the best match for my peaches and I also found some heirloom tomatoes.

To be honest, I was thinking more along the lines of a peach and basil galette, or a basil-steeped custard with caramelized peaches. Unfortunately, the heat got the best of me and I refused to put the oven on. I needed easy and I needed fast. A quick search for "Peach and Basil" on the Internet  brought me to a fantastic sounding salsa.....

Although I'm not one for following recipes, I made this one pretty close to the original. I didn't grill my own corn (I used Trader Joe's frozen grilled corn), and I subbed my heirloom tomatoes for the one whole tomato...oh yeah, my onion was a white, sweet onion, not red. So easy and so tasty. Did I hear you ask for the recipe? You can find it here: Grilled Corn, Peach, and Basil Salsa by Sweet Tooth Love.

What could be more perfect than a Peaches and Herb Salsa? How about a little Reunited?

Please check out what everyone else is making with Peaches and Herb!