Showing posts with label bakery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bakery. Show all posts

Monday, February 3, 2014

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Gingerbread Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with paper liners (12 regular size or 24 mini sized).

Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together. Separately, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and egg. Add half the water then half the dry ingredients and repeat, stirring between each addition.

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (less time for the mini sized) or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven then place them on a rack to cool for 30 minutes.

Ice these with cream cheese frosting for a yummy holiday treat.

Berry-Lemon Scones

Berry-Lemon Scones

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 Tablespoon lemon juice plus enough milk to equal 1 cup
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (zest)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 egg white
2 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat over to 400. Spread a large sheet of parchment paper on countertop.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add butter, mix with pastry blender of fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gently stir lemon juice-milk mixture into dough, along with blueberries, lemon peel and egg, just until combined.
3. With floured hands, pat half of the dough into a 7-inch circle on one end of the parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar. Cut halfway down but not through each circle. 6 wedges for each round. Slide paper with dough onto baking sheet.
4. Bake at 400 for about 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool slightly. Pull apart at cut lines. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Basic Oatmeal Muffin

Basic Oatmeal Muffins 

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 well-beaten egg
1/4 cup salad oil or melted shortening

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a regular sized 12 section muffin tin and set aside. Combine oats and milk and let sit 5 minutes. Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Add remaining wet ingredients to the oat/milk mixture and stir to combine. Add wet to dry. Stir just till moistened. Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the tin. Cool on a wire rack.

* I double this recipe to make 12 Texas sized muffins.
* I add 1 cup of "extras" per recipe for fun like blueberries, raisins, walnuts, and cranberries, chopped dates, cinnamon and chunks of peeled and diced apple, etc.
* Sink a spoonful of your favorite jam into the middle of these muffins before baking for a soft sweet treat in the middle of the muffin after it bakes. I like apricot or raspberry.
* This is also yummy topped with brown sugar topping

Brown Sugar Muffin Topping

This is just a simple topping to place on top of your baked goods for a little extra something. Works wonderfully on oatmeal muffins!

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon butter, melted

Combine in a small bowl using a fork to blend the ingredients. Use to top your favorite muffins before baking. I use the back of a spoon to make a "dent" in the top of the muffin batter and spoon this topping into the dent. Bake per the muffin recipe.

Pie Crust

Pie Crust

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
6 to 7 Tablespoon of ice water


Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut the fats into the dry as quickly as possible handling the dough as little as possible. Toss in the cold water using a fork to "fluff" the mixture adding only enough water for the dough to hold together. Press the dough together with your hands quickly and wrap it in wax paper and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Makes two crusts.