cinnamon – Page 4 – The Pajama Chef

SRC: Coconut Curry Popcorn

April 6, 2014August 28, 2014 Sarah

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Secret Recipe Club! For the month of April, I was assigned Leandra’s blog, Love & Flour. Leandra lives in Charlotte, and claims to have a dual affiliation for/affliction of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators. My husband says this is absolutely impossible, but he is a diehard Buckeye so that’s to be expected I suppose. 🙂 I’ve long admired Leandra’s blog because of her lovely photography and creative recipes, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to make something from her blog! I was quite torn between many delicious dishes like this unique Popcorn Bread, a lovely Sparkling Rosemary Grapefruit Soda, or a scrumptious-looking White Texas Sheet Cake. In the end, I went with ease and simplicity, but just because this recipe came together in about five minutes flat does NOT mean it is lacking in any way.

No, actually this Coconut Curry Popcorn has big flavor and has absolutely revolutionized my popcorn habit. Normally I’m a butter ‘n salt girl. I pin all sorts of popcorn recipes but haven’t ever made any of them. So making this popcorn seasoning was a step of faith… and truth be told, I was kind of SCARED to try it.

How ridiculous is that? I love coconut and I love curry, but I think I was just terrified that I’d ruin a perfectly good batch of popcorn with a weird seasoning. To be fair, I have curried myself out in the past but I haven’t had any in awhile so I figured I’d be safe now. But Leandra described this popcorn in such a way that I absolutely HAD to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did. It’s everything good at once… salty, sweet, spicy. This seasoning certainly has a little bit of kick to it, but the sweetness and warmth from the sugar, coconut, cinnamon, and ginger provide an awesome balance that is way too addictive for my taste. I’m glad this recipe makes a lot [even after I cut it down from the original] so I can keep some in the cupboard for easy access every time a craving strikes.

Thanks for the great recipe, Leandra! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars
two years ago: Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing
three years ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Coconut Curry Popcorn [from Love & Flour]
click to print

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
popped plain popcorn

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except popcorn in a food processor, then pulse until coconut flakes are broken down. Toss over popcorn, then store remaining seasoning in an airtight container.

Time: 5 minutes.
Yield: 1/2 cup popcorn seasoning.

Be sure to check out all the other SRC recipes for the month at the link below!

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Breakfast, Recipes, Spreads

Strawberry Yogurt

March 5, 2014March 3, 2014 Sarah

Ben and I are yogurt-a-holics. Seriously, at any given time we have about half a shelf of our fridge full of yogurt. Tubs of plain or vanilla. Individual cartons of sundry flavors. It is insane! For awhile, I even made our own yogurt in the crockpot, then strained it out to make homemade Greek yogurt. While that stuff was good, it was time consuming and I fell out of the habit. But our other habit [buying a bazillion flavors at the store] is expensive. What’s a girl to do? Make my own toppings, of course!

Back in the days of homemade yogurt I purchased multiple flavors of jam to stir into homemade yogurt. That was easy, but pricy, and took up tons of valuable fridge space. This time, I had some frozen fruit for smoothies and made up a quick strawberry puree with just a bit of sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Hardly a recipe, yobut this sauce is a perfect addition to those store bought tubs of plain yogurt and I thought some of you may enjoy it too! Lately I’ve been prepping mason jars of strawberry yogurt on the weekend and enjoying them at work all week long. For an extra treat, add some homemade granola or a few mini chocolate chips! Yum!

one year ago: Cumin-Scented Cabbage Salad
two years ago: Extraordinary Grilled Cheese
three years ago: The Best Egg Salad I’ve Ever Had

Strawberry Yogurt
click to print

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen strawberries
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
32 ounces plain yogurt [regular or greek]

Directions:

In a nonreactive saucepan, combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to let berries defrost, then set over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and berries begin to break down. Gently break larger berries apart with a wooden spoon. Pour into a small bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, divide yogurt between 6 containers [1 cup/8 ounces each]. When strawberry sauce has cooled, top yogurt with 2-3 tablespoons strawberry sauce. You may have a little sauce leftover. Cover and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.

Time: 60 minutes [10 minutes active].
Yield: 6 servings yogurt, approximately 1 cup strawberry sauce.

Cakes, Desserts, Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cake with Nutella Frosting

October 11, 2013October 11, 2013 Sarah

Ohhh, pumpkin spice. Is there a better fall flavor? I think not. Especially when paired with not just one, but TWO kinds of chocolate–mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and Nutella. This cake is basically gonna rock your socks off. It’s rich and moist [sorry, it is] with a perfect crumb texture that you will not be able to stop eating. Or at least, I couldn’t. The sprinkles on top make it even better!

I think this cake was the first pumpkin recipe I made this fall, and I am so glad it turned out! See, I adapted the recipe from another favorite–Banana Chocolate Chip Cake. Usually improv recipes work out, especially if there aren’t tons of changes, but ya never know.

As I whipped the cake together [literally whipped, this cake takes about two seconds to throw together], I worried that it wouldn’t bake right or something. A few years ago I had a horrible experience with a pumpkin bread recipe I adapted from a banana bread and just didn’t want a repeat of that. I didn’t need to worry though. This cake was just a dream. Perfect warm out of the oven, perfect frosted, perfect as a snack, perfect as breakfast, perfect as dessert. Perfect, perfect, perfect. When can I make it again? Or more importantly… when will you make it?

The flavor of fall and the flavor of chocolate. How can you go wrong? Especially when you add in my new favorite rich and creamy Nutella frosting. You know how smooth Nutella is by the spoonful? Well, adding cream cheese and butter and sugar, milk, and vanilla too makes it even smoother. 🙂 Be really careful when you’re frosting the cake–make sure to save enough for the cake. This frosting has a way of ending up in your mouth instead. It’s really bizarre, I say. But that’s okay–the cake is made with white whole wheat flour and a vegetable, so it’s healthy, right? 🙂

This is a cake I’d highly recommend if you like cake. Or pumpkin. Or chocolate. Cause it is just darn good. Enjoy those sprinkles too! 🙂

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cake with Nutella Frosting [cake adapted from Banana Chocolate Chip Cake; frosting is a TPC original]
click to print

Ingredients:

for Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cake

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree [not pumpkin pie filling]
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

for Nutella Frosting

a generous 3/4 cup Nutella
4 ounces cream cheese, softened [regular or Neufchatel]
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar [perhaps more]
2-3 tablespoons milk [perhaps more]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside.

Combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low for a minute to combine. Then add pumpkin, milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on low until incorporated. Increase to medium speed and beat for 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pan, then bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely, then frost.

To making frosting, whisk together Nutella, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar by the half cup and milk by the tablespoon, whisking well in between incorporations. Add additional powdered sugar and/or milk to reach desired consistency.

Spread on cooled cake, then top with sprinkles or more chocolate chips. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Time: 45 minutes [10 minutes active] + time to cool.

Yield: 16-20 servings, depending how you cut it.

Linked up with: Foodie Friday, Weekend Potluck.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

August 30, 2013August 30, 2013 Sarah

The end of summer is always bittersweet. I love fall–everything about it [except football haha] is so great… sipping on a pumpkin spice latte while on a long walk with my husband, going to an apple orchard, baking on a chilly day… ahh it is just so wonderful. I could go on and on. But summer holds a special place in my heart too, especially since living in Bloomington, IN.

The farmer’s market in Bloomington is just excellent. Ben and I have perfected our routine to enjoy it almost every week that we’re in town. We get up early, drive to the farmer’s market, go for a run, and then head over to the market for coffee and a sweet almond roll [me] and a BBQ sandwich [him]. After eating our treat, we wander through the market and buy all sorts of delicious produce for the week! Gorgeous tomatoes, boatloads of fresh basil, the best sweet corn I have ever had, crisp cucumbers, and juicy peaches have been our favorites as of late.

Usually those peaches don’t make it much past Monday, but recently I was a little overzealous with my peach purchase and baking with them was a must! And what a treat these Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel were! They were absolutely scrumptious. Roasting peaches just makes them extra sweet and tender, and folded into a vanilla-y muffin batter, I might even call them divine. The crisp cinnamon walnut streusel just was the icing on the cake [the topping on the muffin? :)]. If you make one more thing this peach season, make these soft, fluffy, fruity muffins! I insist!

one year ago… Brown Rice, Feta, and Tomato Salad
two years ago… Healthy Fried Rice
three years ago… Cornmeal Pizza Dough in the Breadmaker

Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel [from HealthyDelicious]
click to print

Ingredients:

for muffins

3 large peaches, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces [~2 cups]
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups plain Greek yogurt [fat free or low fat]
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for streusel

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peaches in a small baking dish and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, line muffin tin with paper liners and prepare muffin batter.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together yogurt, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Fold wet ingredients into the dry.

When peaches are roasted, fold them in as well and divide between muffin cups, filling nearly to the top.

Then, turn oven to 400 degrees.

Make the streusel by stirring together sugar, brown sugar, walnuts, flour, and cinnamon. Use a fork to mix in melted butter, then evenly top each muffin.

Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving. Can be kept at room temperature in a sealed container or bag for up to 3 days, then freeze leftovers.

Time: 70 minutes [15 active].

Yield: 12 muffins.

Linked up with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.

Bars, Cheesecakes, Desserts, Recipes

SRC: Churro Cheesecake Bars

August 5, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

I absolutely love being in the Secret Recipe Club! Getting to peruse another blogger’s favorite recipes and then pick one to make secretly is just so fun… and delicious! This month I was assigned to Lesa who writes the blog Edesia’s Notebook. Lesa has been blogging since 2007 and has literally hundreds of recipes to choose from on her site. It was kind of overwhelming… in the best way possible, of course! Lesa is a mom of two adorable little girls, and a variety of recipes that kids and adults will love, both sweet and savory. Perfect!

This month, I left the final decision to Ben. He had his choice of cookies, pancakes, and cheesecake bars. Apparently it was no contest. Cheesecake bars it was! But not just any cheesecake bars–Churro Cheesecake Bars! A layer of creamy vanilla cheesecake is sandwiched between a cinnamon sugar crust reminiscent of everyone’s favorite Mexican pastry. These bars are so utterly amazing that I could hardly believe how quick and easy they were to make!

The shortcut to these fabulous bars is using a seamless crescent roll dough sheet. You could totally make your own dough, but I certainly took advantage of this easy option. 🙂 And don’t worry if you accidentally rip your sheet trying to get it out of the tube… it’ll work juuust fine, even a little torn, haha. I swear, I almost always have issues with so called “convenience” foods. Does anyone else have this problem, or is it just me? These Churro Cheesecake Bars are sweet and rich. They come together in a snap and are great for a party because a little goes a long way. We loved them and hope you will too! Thanks, Lesa, for a great recipe!

Churro Cheesecake Bars [from Edesia’s Notebook]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 [8 ounce] cans refrigerated seamless crescent dough sheet
2 [8 ounce] packages cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir and sprinkle half evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Unroll one of the crescent dough sheets and lay it over the cinnamon sugar.

With a mixer, beat together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and egg until smooth [about 2-3 minutes]. Pour filling over dough, smoothing with a spatula if necessary. Unroll the other dough sheet and gently place over filling. Top with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before cutting, then store in the refrigerator.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 24 servings.

Notes: If your dough sheet tears, even the top one, it’s not really a big deal. Patch it together as best you can and the cinnamon sugar will help cover up the mess. 🙂 These bars can be served warm or cold, but we liked them best warm.

Be sure to check out other recipes from other SRC members here today too! 🙂