Whole Wheat Biscuits

I woke up this morning and my entire house was freezing. It gave me the perfect excuse to stay in bed an extra two hours--that is only getting up to grab some food and hurry back into my room to comfortably browse the net and read. However, I've yet to figure out how to schedule the a/c//heater system at home to run at the right times that way it'll be perfectly warm and not 60 degrees at 3am.

 Once the heater did come back on...baking ensued! I made it a new year's resolution to bake more healthily due to health reasons...so you will see more sugar-free recipes, or reduced sugar recipes, I will be using more whole-wheat flour, fruits and even vegetables YUM! So keep checking back or subscribe so you won't miss a post!

I am a member of The Daring Kitchen and  this month Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host.. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!
I added a tablespoon of sugar to the recipe because I wanted them to have both a sweet and salty taste.

Whole-wheat biscuits

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons frozen butter
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk (optional, for glazing the tops of the biscuits)

I've seen so many of my fellow baker's baking with this flour that I had to too!

Directions
Preheat oven to 475F. In a mixing bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar. Add in the frozen butter and use your fingers to mix it with the flour and other ingredients. Once your fixture resembles coarse bread crumbs pour in the milk and using your hands fold all of the ingredients. The dough should be sticky and very moist.

Sticky and moist dough

So continue to fold in the flour at least 6-8 times. Get some flour and rub it on your hands so the dough is easier to manage. Separate dough into round balls. I poured a little bit of milk onto each biscuit This recipe will make 6 biscuits, but you can double this recipe to make 12 biscuits, okay! They bake for 8-10 minutes. At 8 minutes be watching them, they should be rising and the tops should have a light brown color.

Six perfect biscuits!!

Make sure to add a little bit of flour to your baking sheet

If you're not sure whether you would like baking with whole-wheat flour I recommend baking these biscuits. I wasn't sure either and whoa, mind was blown they're very, very good!

Carrot Cake Muffins

I'm going to be honest I am a big cupcake and muffin non-believer. I have found great recipes for cupcakes and muffins but for some reason there are no pictures of what the actual muffin/cupcake looks like from the inside!! Am sorry but I need to the the inside of your muffin (go ahead make all the jokes you want), but am serious it may just be me. I just think it's important to see the consistency of the muffin/cupcake from the inside...is it moist,soft and ready to eat or is it hard,doughy ew. Having said that I went on the search for one and found some with no pictures of the muffin from inside :(
Soooo I used a modified carrot cake recipe from before to make these the way I intended. And they turned out just the way I wanted them to which made me so happy especially because while I was making these last Sunday (remember I tweeted y'all pix as it was happening) I wasn't having a very good weekend bleh :( . But all that has passed and all is well with the world again :)

I got a cupcake stand for Christmas from my niece Amy  :)

The inside of my muffin! I loved these they were so soft.

Carrot Cake Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•  3 eggs
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar 
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup golden raisins tossed with 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour (this prevents the raisins from sinking to the bottom of the liner)
• 1 1/2 cups tiny carrot pieces

Popped muffin tops

Directions:


Preheat the oven to 325F.  Place cupcake liners on the muffin pan.
In a mixing bowl mix grated carrots and raisins, add in the oil and let them soak for 5 minutes. In another bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, ground allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Add the flour mixture to your carrot mixture and incorporate well. Add in vanilla extract,eggs and finally the milk. Mix with spatula not the electric mixer, no, no. Just make sure the egg is incorporated do not over mix because that will make your muffins dough-y and bubbly from the inside.

See make sure they are almost filled to the very top

Now you can spoon, I used a measuring tablespoon to scoop into each liner about 3 1/2 tbs. To the near top of the liner that way while they're baking they pop out. Oh yea I used a non-stick muffin pan too. This recipe makes 19 muffins and they bake for 20-25 minutes.

For the moment of truth. This is me showing how soft and moist these muffins were from the inside

Nice!

What I liked most was that not only were they soft and moist but the carrots were truly visible even from the muffin tops and the raisins made them sweet without me having to add anymore sugar.
I hope you like this recipe! :)

Apricot and Pecan with Honey Cheese

For some reason I am finding it difficult to remember my school schedule. It's crazy because I've had far more complicated schedules where I am working, going to school, volunteering AND still manage to have some sort of life outside of all of that. This semester things are more straight forward and simple? I don't know, can't seem to get it down, but then again it was just week one which by the way it felt like the longest week ever not counting that Monday was a holiday. Coming back from a break is tough gotta start breaking in the books again oy vey!

However, I am staying pumped and true to my resolutions!

So because life is pretty straight forward right now for me, I am going to treat you with apricot and pecan with honey and cheese....and wheat crackers...and apples. This recipe is a perfect appetizer, I did this for New Years and it was very good! I mean cheese is good anytime...I love cheese. Cheese on crackers, soup, nachos, chips, pasta...cheese with fruit and nuts soo good :)

 

Apricot and Pecan with Honey Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1cracker barrel cheese bar
• 2-3 small apples
• 1 bag of pecans (diced)
• 1 bag of dried apricots
• 1 bottle of pure honey
• 1 box of wheat crackers

Directions: Okay you want to dice the pecans and cut your dried apricots into slices and then squares first and then mix the pecans and apricots together, set aside. With an apple corer slice apples and set aside. Place cheese on a tray and decorate apples around the cheese and wheat crackers and then top the cheese with pecan and apricot mixture. Immediately drizzle the cheese with honey, quantity is up to you!

I already have some recipe requests from some of you guys! Keep sending them in I'm so excited and look forward to baking them. Not sure how to send in your requests check out my Contact page or go to my facebook page, or click on the flying little bird on this page that will take you to my twitter or you can always send in an email :)

Cinnamon Honey Butter and Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

I love cooking with the people I love. It's fun, you should really try it if you haven't already! Baking and cooking for somebody is great too but not as great as doing it together :)

Uni. is officially starting next Tuesday...am excited, anxious to get yet another semester done and over with but most of all I am relieved that I do not graduate this semester like I should be.
I will however be graduating in December...that is if the world doesn't end...seriously what is that? It seems every other year people dig up some ancient hear-say and throw it in our faces. Tsk, tsk, tsk no the world isn't ending.

And well, while school is still not in session I like to kick back and cook with my boyfriend :)

We decided to make chocolate-chip pancakes with heaps of turkey bacon and OJ. For the pancakes I made cinnamon honey butter which was super easy to make and super tasty.

Chocolate chip Pancake.

Four simple ingredients
 
Cinnamon Honey Butter

• 4 tablespoons butter (softned)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

This recipe was adapted from Kevin&Amanda

Mix it up really good

It may take a while for it to look like this

Cinnamon Honey Butter! Leave to refrigerate overnight

Bahahaha you can't see his face...mystery remains <3<3

Now for lunch we made Turkey burgers with turkey bacon, crinkle cut fries..I have to specify the cut of the fry because they are the best..., sauteed mushrooms and onions, and pumpkin pie milkshakes!!

Brian's Mighty Burger! (The BMB)

That's an egg! :)

My favorite kind of fries: CRINKLE CUT!

Extra Jalapenos...must be mine hahaha

Sauteed mushrooms and onions

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

 We also made pumpkin pie milkshakes recipe adapted from Our Best Bites 

I made a few measurement adjustments since there were two of us as well as reduced the amount of sugar, and also took OBB's advice on how to make it extra thick!!

This is the second time we've made these...YES they're that good! :)

 Pumpkin Pie Milkshake (EXTRA thick)

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/16 teaspoon cloves
• 1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
•   1 tablespoon light brown sugar
•   3 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1-2 graham crackers (crushed, added after pic was taken)

Directions: Just simply add all ingredients to the blender except the graham crackers and the ice cream. Pulse the ingredients, once they are all mixed add 1 cup of ice cream and whip then pulse a little bit Then add another cup of ice cream and whip then pulse and repeat for the last cup. With a spoon mash any remaining bulks of ice cream and voila ready to serve :)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

School is starting soon! Next Tuesday to be exact and I am as ready as can be for another whopping semester! I will be taking pretty interesting classes and finally I will be closer to ending my undergraduate career woohoo!

But as of this very moment I am so tired. It's one of those days where it's been raining and the cold has started to come in and the clouds have begun to cover the sunlight...pretty much it's gloomy! I don't do gloomy very well :(  Seattle readers I don't know how you do it!!

A few months ago Brian and I went to a bookstore, we wandered around the halls of this giant store looking for everything and nothing at all. Nonetheless it's guaranteed that I will walk out of there with something...we were comfortably sitting down this far off bench from which there was perfect sunlight pouring from the window behind us...when Brian reached over to this book cart and handed me a pretty hefty book with golden edged pages...'The Golden Book of Baking'! Best find yet!! :)

So I made oatmeal raisin cookies with a bit of a secret ingredient just because...I mean do I really need a reason to bake...nope!

 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups old fashioned quick oats
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1 1/2 cups rice krispies (cereal) ---> secret ingredient

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Your cookie sheets should be buttered or lined with parchment paper. I like to butter them if I don't have parchment paper at hand. Whisk the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. In a different bowl mix butter and sugars until they fluff  and gradually add the eggs.

Add in the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well. Then stir in the oats, raisins and rice krispies. Once all the ingredients are well incorporated scoop hefty spoonfuls onto your cookie sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes. This recipe will make 30 + cookies.

The rice krispies made these cookies crunchy AND softy-chewy!!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

New Beginnings. This year is the year for new beginnings and like so I will set my this year resolutions online to keep myself in check...because I sort of need it -__-

While there are uber awesome bloggers who will organize their pantry like Caroline or do a cleanse like Hannah I will do something different.

I am a type 1 diabetic and I have been a very naughty girl...well not necessarily I suppose. Last month I went to my endocrinologist and she said I lowered my A1C (the dreaded test that all diabetics fear...why? because while you may 'report' good glucose readings this test is like veritaserum of the blood of every ounce of sugar in the body for the previous 3 months). Long story short I reported a lower A1C but not a perfect A1C f*&*!

My solution: eat better, exercise and a few adjustments to my baking!!! Baking and being a diabetic is not a problem for me. Just because I have a condition does not mean I have to avoid baking...really all sorts of things affect blood-sugar levels...such as stress, a cold, that time of the month, exams, fatigue...I am quite a finely put together walking basket case anything there's an exam...it's old news I've learned to manage my test anxiety on my own. So back to the adjustments mmm cutting back on the amount of sugar and also baking more 'healthy' recipes!! There's plenty out there am sure!

I will keep y'all updated. Also some of you suggested I bake 'sticky toffee pudding' and here it is ta-da

Topped with a bit of heavy cream!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients for pudding

• 5 ounces pitted dates
• 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) butter, plus more for pan
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of ground clove
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt   

                                             

That's some thick sauce y'all!

Ingredients for toffee sauce:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions for toffee sauce:

At medium heat in a saucepan pour heavy cream and add butter and dark sugar let it boil. The sugar will make everything brown, let it boil for about 5 minutes then let it cool completely! The sauce's consistency should be quite thick :) 

Directions for cake:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8x8 baking pan. This recipe is meant to be prepared with a food processor...but I have none :( and at the time of baking both my blender and mixer were broken. As of now only my mixer is broken...tis sad. So I thought well back in the 1700 there were no food processors and people still baked so I did this the ole school way...oh yea!

So in a small saucepan place your dates 5 ounces is about (20-21) dates. Add water to cover all dates and let it boil until they are all soft and almost peeling. Make sure to drain all the water after they've boiled.

In a mixing bowl add butter (softened) and sugar and set aside. In a different bowl place the dates and mush!! Then add mushed dates to butter and sugar and mix until well incorporated. Then add all the dry ingredients mix well. Then add the eggs and mix well after each egg.

I really liked how there are visible pieces of dates it gave it an extra UMPH

Pour batter onto baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes!
When it' finally out of the oven either serve individually with the sauce or pour the sauce over the entire cake to get it all soaked in buttery goodness...which is what I did!!

Absolutely beautiful!

Bake with love :)

Gorditas de Azucar

Happy New Year everybody! I hope y'all had a good time welcoming the new year.
I'd like to say that 2011 was quite a year. I did a lot of things that have shaped me in some way into a better person. I am with the people I love and that makes me happy so all is good.

I spent December 30th exploring my aunt's recipe for gorditas de azucar. Now let me tell you what they are: gorditas de azucar are like a very Mexican biscuit only sweet, but not really like a biscuit better than a biscuit, they're like a welsh cake but not quite...they are their own specimen. I can easily eat more than 2 in a day they're great in the morning with milk or coffee, they're great as a snack or after dinner. And you know they're just the right amount of sweetness....only 1 cup of sugar!

Now there is a recipe for 'gorditas' that are not sweet and you can eat them with meat, beans, cheese, veggies but I'll leave that recipe for another day, ok :) for now here are my sweet cakes.

They are the best when slathered in butter, syrup and jam!

*Note: This recipe makes 40 gorditas of a good size. And if you're surprised at the amount of eggs in this recipe trust me so was I...I'll post the halved recipe for making less than 40...much less :)

Lots of butter y'all

This recipe makes 40!!

Gorditas de Azucar

Ingredients:

• 4 cups pancake flour
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 10 eggs
• 3 sticks of butter (melted)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons milk (for mixing)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup sugar

You will need a griddle or a non-stick pan will work too

Dough should look like this after its been cooled

When it looks like this add the rest of the all purpose flour

Directions:

First you're going to mix all the pancake flour and 2 cups of the all purpose flour. Then you're going to add the baking powder and butter. In a separate mixing bowl, mix all the eggs, milk and oil. Add the honey to the flour mix and incorporate well, add in the sugar to the flour mix too.

Now once both dry and wet ingredients are well mixed, add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and incorporate. You're going to notice that the mixture is kinda looking like pancake mix---you want it to be able to roll and shape it into a small dough ball so this is where you add ---little by little the rest of the all purpose flour (1 1/2 cups). Mix well and it should be dough-y.

Let it cool for about an hour. Then set your griddle or non-stick pan to a medium heat, and once you roll your dough ball and spread it with the rolling pin set it onto the griddle and let it bake for about a minute or two on each side. Make sure to watch them anyway so they won't burn.

Delicioso  ^__^