Orange-Vanilla Muffins

I can hardly believe that Spring (notice I had to capitalize it) is finally here. After such a long winter, I'm ready for something a little sunny. Sunny? What I mean to say is fresh, light, and...well..citrus-y. Not to worry--chocolate is never very far away from me--let's just change things up a little for now.

Just look at how refreshing this orange looks! I used one large orange for this recipe.

I'm a little schizophrenic eclectic when it comes to food. One minute I'm all about healthy and the next I'm stuffing my face with muffins. Seriously, though, look at all of the vitamin C going into this batch of Orange-Vanilla Muffins...... 

A little yogurt and coconut oil makes these even healthier. Believe it. Negates the sugar and white flour. Still feel guilty? Swap 1 cup of  white whole-wheat flour for 1 of the cups of all purpose flour.

My inspiration for these citrus-y muffins came from a new flavor of yogurt that I found while I was at the grocery store....Orange Vanilla. I love that flavor combination. It reminds me of creamsicles. I couldn't wait to try it in a recipe. Feel free to sub plain or vanilla yogurt if you can't find this one.

Orange-Vanilla Muffins

Printable Recipe

1-2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest, divided

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (5-6 oz) container Orange-Vanilla Greek yogurt (sub plain or vanilla, if desired)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

6 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.; line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons orange zest and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Place the yogurt, egg, orange juice, and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl or large measuring cup. Use a fork to blend the mixture. Microwave on high for 30-40 seconds, or until the mixture is at room temperature (and the coconut oil stays melted). Stir in the vanilla and the remaining orange zest. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula until just blended--batter will be lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups. Sprinkle the sugar/orange mixture over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

How would you like to wake up to these??!!

The orange infused sugar on top gives these muffins a nice crunch...

Soft and orange-y--just like I wanted them to be!

What's your favorite spring food?

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!

Orange Cardamom Blueberry Crostata

WooHoo! I done did it! Well---almost. You are looking at a semifinalist finalist (!) in the 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off®! Have you heard of this contest? It is probably the most famous cooking/baking contest in the history of cooking/baking contests. No lie. Take a look at this:

This year's contest is a little different from before....the public gets to vote on the recipes! Pillsbury actually chose 60 recipes in this round of Simple Sweets and Starters, but only 34 of us will get to go to the finals. One thing that hasn't changed is that the grand prize is still $1 MILLION. You heard right. I said $1 MILLION. Before I beg for your vote, let me tell you a little bit about my recipe.....

The theme this year is simple. We can only use a maximum of seven ingredients, two of which have to come from the Pillsbury list. Regular table salt, pepper, and water are free. Oh...and prep time is limited to under 30 minutes, not including baking or cooling time. Whew. Tricky stuff, but not really so hard.

One of my favorite Pillsbury products is the pie crust. Seriously, I always have a box or two in the fridge. I do know how to make my own pie crust, but I don't always have the time. Plus, it's a lot less messy to roll out a Pillsbury crust. I'm all for less messy....so that's what I started with.

Start out by softening the crust for a few minutes, just like the package says. Then roll it out onto a parchment lined baking pan. Oh...and set the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Next, measure out 1/2 cup of Smucker's Orchard's Finest Pacific Grove Orange Marmalade Medley (Have you tried this stuff? Wow...it's so good!) into a medium sized bowl.  Then, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom.

Blueberries might just be my favorite fruit....

Carefully fold 2 cups of fresh blueberries into the preserves......

......and spoon it all in the middle of the pie crust dough, leaving a 2" edge.

Next, fold the crust over the filling, pleating the dough as necessary. 

Slightly beat one egg yolk with a couple teaspoons of water and lightly brush it over the edges of the crust. A sprinkle of sparkly, coarse sugar is the finishing touch. Who doesn't like sparkly?

Bake the crostata for 17 to 23 minutes or until the edges are browned and the filling is bubbly. Cool for a least 30 minutes.

How's that for a quick dessert that is fit for company? I think you need to go vote right now, don't you? You can get a printable recipe and show your support by visiting BakeOff.com. You will need to register and there is only one vote per recipe. If you see another recipe you like, go ahead and vote for that, too. Voting is open until 11:59 a.m. CST on June 27, 2013. Feeling inspired? On July 4, you can enter your own recipe into the Quick Rise and Shine Breakfasts category.

Update: This girl is meeting the Doughboy in Sin City---I'll keep you all posted!

Dark Chocolate and Orange Muffins....#Recipesfromtheheart

"Today's event is being hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita's Cocina. They teamed up with their blogger friends to help raise awareness and support for Cancer and Hospice today in memory of Kim's dad. We encourage everyone to read the posts and share their own experiences with cancer. We also would like to encourage everyone to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, the American Cancer Society and also to the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. Hospice was a key element during Kim's father's battle with cancer. They made it possible for Kim to care for him at home. So please show your support and donate if you can. You can also contact your local Hospice and donate directly to them if you wish. A little goes a long way!"

Cancer awareness is a subject near and dear to my heart, as well. My mother passed away from complications of cancer (she had both ovarian and colon cancer) when I was just twenty years old. Last year, I lost both my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law to breast cancer. Since my mother-in-law's mother also had breast cancer, there are three generations of women in my husband's family that suffered from it, making me fear for my daughter. Cancer in our family isn't limited to females though, as my father-in-law succumbed to lung cancer soon after my husband and I were married.

When you read Kim's story of her and her father's journey through cancer, you will be heartbroken. Cancer not only robs it's victims of their health, it also robs the victim's entire family...of their sense of well-being, for lack of a better word. It is tough, tough, tough to care for an ailing human being, but when that person is a parent or other family member it is so draining. I thank my sister for being there for my mother through the very end. I was in college and barely aware of all she went through. My time came many, many years later when I cared for my mother-in-law.

My mom in the kitchen...I love to remember her this way.

I pondered for a while over what kind of recipe I should share for a cancer awareness post. Should it be healthy? Should it be something a cancer patient could eat? In the end, I decided that it might be too difficult to decide what a good food for a cancer patient is...there are way too many variables. Let's concentrate instead on the caregivers or the family members that are involved with caring for someone with cancer. For sure they could always use a pick me up, no? So, I decided that a treat was in order. These muffins, full of dark chocolate and fresh orange flavor, may not be health food but they sure are tasty and will be a welcome treat for anyone.

Dark Chocolate and Orange Muffins
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3.5-4 oz. premium dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg, room temperature
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.; line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon of the orange zest with 1/4 cup of the sugar; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar together. Stir in the chopped chocolate; set aside.

4. Add the buttermilk, the egg and the orange juice to a large, microwave safe measuring cup. Use a fork to blend the mixture. Microwave for about 30 seconds, or just until the mixture is at room temperature; stir in the melted coconut oil, the vanilla, and the remaining orange zest.

5. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula until just blended. 

6. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups. Sprinkle the orange-sugar over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Two of these bars of chocolate from Trader Joe's were perfect....

Please check out the stories of all of the #recipesfromtheheart bloggers. You are sure to be inspired:

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Home-made Strawberry Topping by Cravings of a Lunatic

Chili Verde by Juanita's Cocina

S'Mores Brownies in Jars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Dark Chocolate and Orange Muffins by The Dutch Baker's Daughter

Boston Cream Pie by Pass The Sushi

My Fathers Day Recipe Round Up by Curry and Comfort

Tropical Smoothie by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

Mini Gugelhupf by Masala Herb

Sauteed Strawberry and Sugarsnap Salad by Cook The Story

Cranberry Cashew Breakfast Muffins by In Fine Balance

Arugula Salad with Sundried Tomatoes and Mushrooms by Crazy Foodie Stunts

Spicy Beef Sliders by Katie's Cucina

Thai Red Curry Soup by Damn Delicious

Suman (Sweet Rice and Banana Leaves) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Fresh Vegetable Salad by White Lights on Wednesday

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Sundae by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Cinnamon Chip Cookie Butter Bars by The Messy Baker

Berry/Cherry Fro-Yo Ice Cream by Cookistry

Honey Beer Bread by Hungry Couple

Cinnamon-Chocolate Chip Pancakes by The Spiffy Cookie

Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars by Sweet Remedy

Cookies and Cream Brownies by Cooking in Stilettos

Blueberry Lemon Cake by Roxana's Home Baking

Angel Cake by Ninja Baking

and

Knit (or crocheted) Grey Brain Cancer Mustache Pin by Knit, Purl, Damn!

Now, to add a little excitement to our cancer awareness post, look at what KichenAidCanada has agreed to give to one of our readers (!):

"Enter for your chance to Win an Artisan® Series KitchenAid®  Stand Mixer in the color of your choice (there are 26 to choose from) as well as an Ice Cream Maker Attachment. A sweet choice for all,  this creative attachment features the largest ice cream bowl capacity in the industry. Prepare 2 quarts of ice cream, sorbet, gelato or other frozen desserts. We're pleased to announce the giveaway is open to Canadian residents, as well as U.S. Residents. Winner will be chosen and announced during the pinchatlive event, described below. Winner will also be notified via email and has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond another winner will be chosen. 1 Stand Mixer and 1 Ice Cream Attachment are being given away as a group, not 1 per blog just to be clear for our readers. 

There are bonus prizes for the pinchatlive event. We are giving away 1 Vanilla Infused Gift Box Set, 1 Lemon Infused Gift Box Set and a $30 Amazon Gift Card.  In order to participate in this event follow the Pinterest Board #recipesfromtheheart. Hop on the Pinterest board on June 22 at 2 pm Est to follow along. We'll ask questions and those who comment are entered to win the bonus prizes. There will be a G+ Hangout on Air during the event as well. Winners of the pinchatlive event must be Canadian or U.S. residents.

Visit Facebook.com/KitchenAidCanada and click on the “More than a Mixer” tab to explore all 12 attachments available for the KitchenAid® Stand Mixer."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Orange-White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cinnamon Rolls

I hope you'll forgive me for being just a little slow in posting this recipe. It's not that it's not a good one...in fact this is probably the yummiest cinnamon roll I've made. For sure, it's my favorite so far. So, why the hesitation? Frankly, it's because I'm on a diet going through a lifestyle change. Not to worry--I haven't completely abandoned the "good stuff". After all, my motto is "everything in moderation". It's just that I'm still in the beginning stages and, while most of this batch is resting in the freezer, it's a little painful looking at the picture. Please bear with me as I learn the moderation process.

I think orange zest may be one of my favorite flavor additions...this roll is full of it!

Orange-White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cinnamon Rolls

Printable Recipe

Dough:

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
1 egg, slightly beaten

3-3 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1/4 cup cold butter, cut into 4-5 pieces
1 (3.5-4 oz) bar premium white chocolate
1/2 cup diced macadamia nuts

Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

2-3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 375 ° F.

 Heat the milk, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and orange peel in a small saucepan until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool until temperature is about 110 degrees F (like bathwater warm).

I started early on with the orange flavor by putting some in the warmed milk.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour and the salt.

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk mixture with yeast, egg, and 2 cups of the flour mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. (Alternately, just use the dough hook on your mixer and let the mixer knead the dough for about five minutes).

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean damp towel. Allow dough to rise until double, about 1 hour.  In the mean time, process the brown sugar, cinnamon, orange peel, and white chocolate in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until incorporated.

Roll out the dough into a 12 X 9 inch rectangle (I like to do this on my Silpat). Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch edge. Sprinkle the diced macadamia nuts evenly over the the filling. Roll up the dough from the long side and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces and place into a greased 9 X 13 inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled (or refrigerate overnight).

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and frost while warm.

For frosting, beat the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl. Add the orange peel and vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar and orange juice, beating to desired consistency.

I've said it before--the frosting is the best part.

Hint: to avoid over-consumption, wrap each cinnamon roll in plastic wrap and freeze. To serve, simply nuke the frozen roll for 30 seconds.

Orange-Cardamom Rhubarb Muffins

I love Greek yogurt. I love muffins. I love muffins made with Greek yogurt. There. I said it. 

I spotted a 12 pack of yogurt at Costco and just had to buy it. Take note of the Blood Orange flavor. Blood  Orange? Wouldn't that be good in a muffin?

What else would taste good with Blood Orange yogurt? Rhubarb? Why, yes. I happen to have a few stalks. 

Let's try a muffin with Blood Orange yogurt and rhubarb. It might just work.

Orange-Cardamom Rhubarb Muffins
Printable Recipe

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1" pieces (about 3 stalks)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 (6 oz) container Chobani Blood Orange Yogurt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange peel. Stir in the rhubarb and set aside.

In another bowl, or large measuring cup, blend the egg, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and mix until just blended.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly over the tops. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden and firm to the touch.

I used a cookie scoop to get the batter into the cups evenly.

Allow the muffins to cool for just a few minutes; serve warm.

Another muffin for my repertoire. Now I have my eye on the Black Cherry Yogurt....

Which flavor yogurt would you like to see in a muffin?

Dave and Paul's Compound Butter

Dutch Pancakes with Oddly Orange Compound Butter

Have you noticed how real butter has been making a comeback? It seems like ever since the Julie/Julia movie a few years ago, people have been giving themselves permission eat the real deal. And it makes sense, doesn't it? Used in moderation, you can't beat the taste. Along with butter's re-emerging popularity, comes a whole new variety of compound butters. What? Compound butter?  You know--it's butter with all sorts of flavors mixed in. I, myself, mixed some butter with honey and cinnamon to put on my waffles for the Pillsbury Bake-Off. It's good stuff and the possibilities are limitless.

A couple of months ago (ok..I do procrastinate), I was fortunate enough to receive samples of some fantastic compound butter from Dave and Paul's LLC. They describe themselves as "two blokes building business blending butter" --isn't that fun?

It was kind of hard to decide which flavor to use first...the Oddly Orange won out, but, truthfully, my husband dipped into the Green Garlic before I even had a chance....

I wasn't real sure what to expect when I heard that one of the flavors was called Oddly Orange, but I like orange, so I was game. It turns out that Oddly Orange is a great combination of butter, orange, and cranberry. It's so good you can literally eat it with a spoon. I decided to make some Dutch Pancakes, though, and really give it a workout. :)

Oh my. This was tasty. And as good as it was, I also enjoyed a couple of pancakes with the Mighty Maple. No need for syrup. Now, imagine either one of these butters on something savory, like veggies. Dave and Pauls actually included a cookbook with the package of butters and it was chock full of ideas. There are recipes for Fish Burritos with Green Garlic Butter, Scrambled Eggs with Calcutta Curry Butter, and Roasted Bacon (!!) with Mighty Maple Butter. Seriously....

So, I have to apologize for waiting so long to post about this deliciousness. What was it exactly that made me get my act together? Well, the hubby and I quickly devoured two of the containers of butter, but I was smart enough to tuck the Calcutta Curry and the rest of the Mighty Maple into the freezer (they keep in the freezer for 6 months). Tonight, I dug out the Calcutta Curry....I had been planning to make some tomato bisque and I think it will make a great topper...but I had to try it right away. So, I heated some refrigerated ravioli and topped it with a little of the butter....

In about 5 minutes, I had drool-worthy food. I was reading up on this particular flavor in the Dave and Paul's Cookbook, and I found that they actually import the curry powder from England in order to get the right flavor. Now, I really want to get that tomato bisque made...this will be so good to use as a topper, no?

I'm a little sad that I can't find Dave and Paul's Compound Butters in the stores, here. As a matter of fact, they are based in Montana. The good news is that you can order any of the butter compounds right online at Dave and Paul's LLC and I also see that they are moving to California! You Californians are so lucky....

Disclosure: I was given samples of Dave and Paul's compound butters to try. My opinions, however, are all my own.