Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

Cranberry Muffins

I always pick up bags of fresh cranberries at this time of year, both to make cranberry sauce for Christmas dinner and for baking. (Btw, it is soooo simple to make your own from-scratch cranberry sauce there is no need to buy it in a can. The recipe is usually on the back of every bag and it takes only a few seconds to mix water and sugar and add the cranberries. It boils gently for ten minutes and then can just sit there to cool and thicken. It tastes wonderful and no jelly texture! You can find the instructions HERE.)

Cranberries are extremely healthy for you so I have been exploring ways to incorporate them in our diet more often. Obviously it has been a super busy few weeks and I realized the bag I had in the fridge was getting a little soft. The family loves to have muffins wrapped and ready in the freezer for their lunches at work so I searched out a quick and simple muffin recipe to use up what I had on hand. Very often cranberry muffins and quick breads actually use DRIED cranberries so I was happy to find THIS RECIPE from Ocean Spray for fresh cranberry muffins. (You can also use frozen cranberries too!). 

With a basic batter of standard ingredients this is a fast and easy recipe to make. Sugar, butter, eggs, and milk combined with dry ingredients is the cake-like vehicle for the delicious tart fresh cranberries. I don't eat much white sugar or flour these days but I just had to make an exception when these babies came out of the oven, fresh, tender and warm. They were absolutely scrumptious and that bit of zip from the tart berries was perfect. So good! An added bonus is that the coarsely chopped berries tinge the batter a festive holiday pink and add a pop of red in the baked muffin. Absolutely recommend this recipe 100% and it will become a 'laminated' regular for this time of year! Don't forget to use your parchment muffin paper liners too!!

I am busy with last minute baking as we wait for the rest of the kids to arrive for the holidays. It is so exciting and I am really looking forward to being together!

Parchment Baking Cups

I always prefer to line my muffin tins with paper cups but it's been more difficult to find the giant size ones I like. The large sized ones just aren't quite enough to cover the standard muffin cup pans I own and contain the oversized muffins I love to bake. When I saw these PaperChef large baking cups made from parchment paper I was super excited! They are non-stick and I couldn't wait to try them. I just happened across them while in Wal-Mart and they caught my eye so I picked up 3 boxes.

When I opened them up at home I was a little disappointed to find they were really small, despite the red LARGE on the packaging. They barely covered the bottom of each muffin cup, let alone the width of the space. However, when I tried them, expecting it to be a messy affair trying to spoon in the batter, I was so pleasantly surprised that each paper instantly expanded to accommodate the muffin mix.

After baking and cooling, the papers peeled away flawlessly from the muffins and there was absolutely zero sticking. I hate when I have to pick off half the muffin from the paper! These are now my favourite kitchen addition and as soon as I go back to the store I'm stocking up. It never fails that when I find these awesome products they disappear and I can't get them again so they are worth stashing away in my pantry in bulk. I am thrilled with this find! It's also great that they are made in Canada and are inexpensive.

In my next post I will share the most incredible Cranberry muffin recipe I used to re-test the parchment papers - an extremely delicious, festive, and pretty experiment!

Julie Daniluk's Ginger Cookies

I have a cup of tea almost every afternoon and I usually enjoy a crispy treat along with it. Being of British heritage, a good biscuit is always welcome and I often have gingersnaps on hand. There is nothing wrong with having a small, sweet cookie as a pick me up but I was certainly willing to try Julie Daniluk's Gluten-Free Ginger cookie recipe.

The biscuits are made simply with almond butter and almond meal, ginger and cinnamon, with a touch of flax and vanilla, sweetened with honey. Now that I have been eating so much 'cleaner' I don't miss the super-sugary treats and any cravings I may have had have all but disappeared. I really love these ginger snaps and they are just right to have with my cuppa tea.

They are crisp and gingery, so that fits the bill, and although they are not sweet like a store-bought cookie, I am very satisfied in terms of having a treat in the afternoon. My only disappointment is that I can't serve them to my almond-allergic hubby so I have to save them all for myself. I've also determined that I could easily eat the whole batch rather quickly so I do still limit my portion sizes somewhat. It is also quite an expensive recipe to prepare since almond butter and almond meal are not cheap, even if purchased in bulk. When I baked these cookies the first time I only made 1/2 the recipe to make certain I liked them before investing the ingredients of a whole batch. Actually, having just 12 cookies instead of 24 kept them fresh for me to eat for the week. I need some more almond products and then I will be making them again as soon as possible!

If you'd like to try them, you can find the free recipe over at Julie's website, HERE.

Coconut Paleo Pancakes

Here's a recipe I had to try, Coconut Paleo Pancakes. We are big pancake fans and I'm always willing to experiment with a recipe. Hey, that's how I found our current favourite, Apple Oatmeal Pancakes with Ground Flaxseed. I've been making a double batch of them every Saturday because even the kids LOVE them! You never know with food until you try, right? Might be a dud or might become your newest go-to meal!

The coconut pancakes fell somewhere in between. I really enjoyed them and they are easy to make. The batter is strange in that there is only 1/2 cup of coconut flour in the recipe it is quite runny in consistency. I would say they came out more like a cross between a pancake and a crepe. With 6 eggs in a batch, they are quite eggy as you would imagine and not too fluffy. However, the flavour was great and the coconut oil on the pan gave them (as is my husband's preference), a nice, golden brown surface. Surprisingly, they did have texture and weren't completely flat.

The only issue I have is that there's a balance for me between ingredients that are healthy and calorie load. These puppies were pretty high in points compared to other pancakes (which are already a weekend brunch splurge when it comes to Weight Watchers), so I have to be mindful of frequency and quantity when it comes to something like a flapjack made with 6 eggs and coconut fat.

Like everything, all in balance and moderation and no eliminating anything! You can find the recipe and how-to video from Julie Daniluk's website, right HERE. 

Hemp Hearts, Meals That Heal Inflammation, and Julie Daniluk

I have renewed passioned for healthy eating after watching nutritionist Julie Daniluk's many television appearances and videos posted on YouTube.  Julie is an author, speaker, and personality who promotes a 'live-it' theory of nutrition. As opposed to a 'di-et', Julie writes and speaks about superfoods which nourish and heal the body, based on medical information and ancient practices.

I just ordered the first of her three books, Meals That Heal Inflammation, because it got great reviews and has so many recipes to try. Her other two books are more centred on slimming meals and detoxing so I am focusing on the first book initially to expand my knowledge and get my 'feet wet'. I've already printed off some free recipes and a shopping list from her website to experiment with before the book arrives.

In many of Julie's appearances she enthusiastically talks about, and recommends, Hemp Hearts. My daughter has been eating them for a long time but I'd never tried them. I'm not a huge fan of chia seeds but hemp hearts are nutrition superstars and have a pleasing, nutty flavour similar to sesame seeds. They can be sprinkled on salad or in yogurt, but the easiest way for me to eat them will be in my morning cereal. I did add some to my favourite BRAN MUFFIN RECIPE and while I didn't notice any change in the taste, I know that the nutrition is boosted even further with the healthy add-in.

I'm very excited to receive the book and will post my review. In the meantime, I will be watching more videos and reading more of Ms. Daniluk's blog posts. She definitely has a lot of energy and looks amazing! She has even appeared on Dr. Oz and seems to be everywhere these days as she promotes her newest book, Hot Detox. While some of the recipes I've seen her demonstrating are a bit 'out there' ingredient-wise, I feel I can always learn something new and take away what I want for myself. Even if I only take advantage of some of the new foods and methods, any change to combat inflammation is a good one in my view...and so far I'm enjoying the hemp hearts!

Easiest One-Pot Pasta and Broccoli

If I haven't convinced you to take a look at the Skinnytaste Fast and Slow cookbook, this recipe might convince you. It doesn't look or sound like a fancy pasta dish and there are only 5 basic ingredients, but Gina Homolka's Easiest One-Pot Pasta and Broccoli is so surprisingly yummy!

It is also a one-pot, simple and fast meal to make so that gives it extra credit in my kitchen on a weeknight. Basically you add broccoli florets to the pasta shells while they boil, thus cooking both at the same time. While they drain after cooking (make sure to reserve some of the cooking liquid), fresh chopped garlic cloves are sautéed in olive oil until soft and fragrant - only for a minute or two. Add back the pasta and broccoli, a bit more olive oil, some excellent quality grated Parmesan or Romano, salt and pepper and stir. The idea is to break up the broccoli (which is now very soft) so that it becomes part of the sauce. That reserved cooking water can be added back (a half cup to a cup), to loosen the sauce and make the whole pot a tasty, garlicky, fabulous pasta.

My whole family really loved this recipe and I will certainly be whipping it up again on a busy night. It is so easy to make and deceptively delicious. Ms. Homolka notes that the leftovers are great reheated but once again, we didn't have any! Maybe I'll make a double batch next time! I know this book is going to become one of those dog-eared, stained, well-loved cookbooks on my shelf and I'm having a great time working my way through all the recipes I want to try. Weather like today (cold, rainy, dark) makes me just want to hunker down and play in my kitchen. I've got this year's fruitcake in the oven, jar salads in the fridge, and some butternut squash simmering for lunch (post to follow!).

Slow Cooker Apple Pie à la Mode

Here is another great dessert idea from SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow (by Gina Homolka). This is so easy and compared to a proper apple pie, a pretty healthy way to enjoy the taste (and aroma!) of a fall favourite.

The recipe for Slow Cooker Apple 'pie' is simply a combination of 1/4" thick sliced apples, brown sugar (I don't like too much), a tablespoon of cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and if you choose, some kind of topping. I ate mine plain right out of the crockpot but ice cream or frozen yogurt (or regular yogurt for that matter) tastes amazing too, according to the fam.

If you have any leftovers (sadly, we didn't!) I believe Ms. Gina when she says the apple filling is also awesome over waffles, pancakes, or on oatmeal for a delicious breaky. I can't wait to make it again and it's really not that much of a wait as the 'high' setting cooks the apples to a tender, bubbly concoction in a couple hours.

Baked Oatmeal

I love porridge for breakfast, I love oatmeal cookies, and I love granola bars. When I saw a recipe for Baked Oatmeal I had to give it a try since it's pretty much a combination of all those oat-y foods I enjoy. I found a couple similar recipes and picked THIS ONE from Allrecipes. Really, it was just a starting point for me since I ended up tweaking it to make the baked oatmeal more to my liking. It was useful to use the recipe for quantities and baking instructions but intuitively, and after reading several reviews, I knew there was way too much sugar and fat in the original (for me). Once you are comfortable baking and cooking it's easy to make adjustments to a dish in order to customize it.

I used about 4 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of butter for the entire batch of oatmeal. I added a variety of fruit, including raisins, apricots, and a diced fresh apple. The oatmeal smelled so lovely while it baked and once it had cooled, I cut it into 12 portions. My first taste was right out of the pan but I did actually have a square the next morning, heated and served with milk. The baked oatmeal definitely works either way, cold or hot, portable as a quick on-the-go energy snack or in a bowl with milk as a cereal.

My version was not very sweet at all, and I am okay with that. You might want to add more (in the recipe or on top after baking if eating it as a cereal) if you like it sweeter or follow the Allrecipes instructions exactly the first time to see how it works for you. I wrapped up the squares and froze some for a later time to grab and go. I've never tried the store-bought Nature Valley soft-baked Oatmeal Squares but I assume this baked oatmeal is very similar, but with the ingredients controlled by you. I will be making these again for sure!

Apple Coffeecake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumb

My nephew's darling girlfriend (who happens to be an amazing baker!) made this Apple Coffeecake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumb for us a couple of holidays ago and my hubby has been dreaming about it ever since. We visited with the family this Thanksgiving and while she didn't bring along the coffeecake, she did present some gorgeous pumpkin cheesecake squares and blueberry loaf (equally drool inducing). I was reminded of the apple cake and asked (again) for the recipe.

As soon as we got back home I had to make the cake. I used the recipe shared from Serena Bakes but cut it in half and used a loaf pan. I know myself too well and having a 9x13 tin of this scrumptious dessert would be way too hard to resist!

The loaf turned out perfectly, with big chunks of tender apple and the most incredible, buttery-sugary crumb topping. I seriously could not stay away from it. I had a bit of trouble slicing the loaf but that was due to a). the big pieces of apple getting in the way of the knife, and b). not waiting until the loaf was cool to cut it. It smells so fantastic while it bakes so being patient enough for it to cool completely was a problem.

This is definitely a special (read: high sugar/high calorie) treat for once in a while but my DH has been working so hard lately that I knew he needed a much-loved cake to come home to. Give this easy recipe a try. Whether in a loaf pan or the full monty 9x13 cake, the apple, cinnamon, and crumb are the perfect combination.

Cloud Bread

Have you ever heard of Cloud Bread? I hadn't but learned about it from the Weight Watcher app. It's an egg white, low carb, bread substitute and it sounded so interesting I knew I had to bake it. I got the basic recipe from All Recipes and mine turned out exactly as it should. Stiff egg whites are folded into yolks combined with sugar and a bit of cream cheese. You get 6 rounds from the recipe and it's very quick and easy to make.

I tried a 'slice' plain and it was definitely unique. It is soft, fluffy, but does have texture and a bit of structure. I was expecting a cross between a meringue, a Yorkshire pudding, and a chiffon cake and I would say it is most like the cake. I also put some jam on a bite and that was good too!

I'm not sure if you could make a hearty sandwich on this kind of bread but as a side with soup, spread with your favourite toast topping, or a light sandwich filling, it could totally work. It tastes rather neutral so savoury or sweet, either way this simple Cloud Bread is a low carb alternative to yeast bread.