secret recipe club – Page 5

SRC: Pumpkin Graham Muffins

November 3, 2013August 28, 2014 Sarah

Pumpkin Graham Muffins are a fun twist on everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving pie!

I love muffins! I think I’ve said that about every single time I post a muffin recipe, but I really really do. I love that muffins can be healthy, indulgent, interesting. I love that muffins are so quick to make and that they can be enjoyed for a snack or breakfast or dessert. Yum yum yum. So when I found out that my Secret Recipe Club assignment for the month, the wonderful Kate of Food Babbles, had been an avid participant in Muffin Mondays, I immediately knew that I NEEDED to make a muffin recipe.

Kate is a mom to three and is always whipping up a new, creative concoction in the kitchen. Her photography is excellent, much like her taste in food. These Pumpkin Graham Muffins are no exception. They are basically pumpkin pie, muffinified! Is that a word? It is now! [Kate used the term ‘muffinizied.’ I like that one too!] Using graham crackers in muffins is a genius trick that I will definitely be stealing for the future. These muffins have a great texture and nutty taste that pairs wonderfully with pumpkin and a smattering of fall spices.

The best part of the graham cracker goodness is in the crumb topping–just look at it! Yum yum yum. I couldn’t get enough of it, and neither could Ben. He gobbled his first one down in four bites, if that’s any indication of their deliciousness.

Pumpkin Graham Muffins are a crowd pleaser, so I hope you try them soon. As a lasting testament to their greatness, I think my pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving will feature a graham cracker crust instead of my traditional all-butter crust. I am so excited to try it out because in my book, graham cracker + pumpkin = love. Thanks, Kate!

one year ago: Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta
two years ago: Candy Corn Pretzel Bites
three years ago: Pumpkin Ginger Bread

Pumpkin Graham Muffins [from Food Babbles]

click to print

Ingredients:

for the muffins

2 cups flour [I used white whole wheat]
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup graham crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
dash of cloves
1 cup buttermilk [I used 1 cup skim milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice]
1/2 cup canned pumpkin [not pumpkin pie filling]
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the topping

1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup graham crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin,oil, egg, and vanilla. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way full.

Stir together topping ingredients in a small bowl then distribute evenly on top of muffin batter.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins.

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

Breakfast, French Toast, Recipes

SRC: Baked Strawberry French Toast with Strawberry Maple Syrup

October 6, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

This month for the Secret Recipe Club I had the honor of being assigned to Jane’s blog, The Heritage Cook. Jane does so much for the SRC every month, including serving as the hostess of our group [group A, that always posts on the first Monday of the month] so I definitely wanted to do a good job with her blog. 🙂 Jane lives in California and has been into cooking and baking forever–ever since her Easy Bake Oven. How fun! She has tons of great recipes on her site, including lots of chocolate recipes from her Chocolate Mondays posts. So if you need a chocolate recipe, like pudding, peanut butter-chocolate cookie dip, or cake, Jane is your girl! 🙂 But I didn’t make a chocolate recipe today. I made baked french toast. And it is delicious!

This was one of the last, if not the last meal we made in our old apartment. TEAR! Ha. But I digress… this baked french toast is soft, sweet, super simple to put together. You can mix everything together the night before you want to serve it, and then just bake it up in about 30 minutes in the morning. We topped ours with walnuts and strawberries, and then an absolutely epic strawberry maple syrup. Jane is a genius, I tell ya!

The original recipe used blueberries and pecans instead of my strawberries and walnuts, but I was using up what I had. And it was excellent. I wished I had an orange to grate in some zest–that would have made a great dish even better. The moral of the story is that you can use any fruit and any nut you’d like, and you can have a great, company worthy breakfast in a jiffy. Thanks, Jane! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago… Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
two years ago… Pumpkin, Sausage, & Spinach Lasagna
three years ago… Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Baked Strawberry French Toast with Strawberry Maple Syrup [adapted from The Heritage Cook]
click to print

Ingredients:

for french toast

1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
8 eggs
2 cups milk
3/4 cup brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen

for syrup

1 1/2 cups real maple syrup
1 1/2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

Spread bread crumbs on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour over bread, then cover and refrigerate overnight. It will appear to be very liquidy–that’s okay.

In the morning, top with remaining brown sugar, walnuts, and strawberries. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

While french toast is baking, combine maple syrup and strawberries in a small saucepan and heat on low until warm. Gently press berries with a wooden spoon to break up.

Cut french toast into squares and serve with strawberry maple syrup.

Time: 1 hour + overnight.

Yield: 12 servings.

For more great recipes from this edition of the SRC, check out the links below!

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

SRC: Pumpkin Coconut Soup

September 9, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

It’s no secret that I love pumpkin, and since it is now September, it is perfectly acceptable to bake and cook with pumpkin as much as humanly possible! Right? 🙂 Though I must say that while I love pumpkin so so much, it’s a bit odd to use when it’s 90 degrees and 90% humidity outside. That’s why I was so excited last month when it started to get a bit chilly. See, I was assigned to Leigh’s refreshing, classy blog, Chit Chat Chomp for this month’s edition of the Secret Recipe Club, and I couldn’t get this Pumpkin Coconut Soup out of my head!

Leigh writes from Melbourne, Australia and her recipes and photography [and travel accounts!!] are absolutely to die for. I just have to make this Coconut Mint Syrup Cake asap. I actually planned on making it this month as well, but just ran out of time. Alas, this Pumpkin Coconut Soup is totally worth its own post.

I’ve made pumpkin soup before, and have even made a pumpkin-based stew, but this soup is so unique! Aside from the usual suspects like garlic and onion, this pumpkin soup is spiced with fresh ginger, coconut milk, and shredded coconut for some warm notes. The soup is kinda Thai-reminiscent, and though it is simple and comes together in less than 20 minutes, is very sophisticated. Leigh calls it “luxurious” and I would have to agree.

I should note that I took these photos before pureeing the soup with my immersion blender. At first I didn’t think that step was necessary, but after trying a few bites, realized it really was… I think it was the shredded coconut that did it. No matter though–this soup is a wonderful gateway to fall. Be sure to come back to The Pajama Chef often… more pumpkin recipes are in the works! 🙂 Thanks, Leigh, for the first pumpkin recipe of the season. 🙂 Absolutely delicious!

one year ago… Iced Tea with Ginger-Mint Simple Syrup
two years ago… Pumpkin Granola
three years ago… Tropical Granola

Pumpkin Coconut Soup [from Chit Chat Chomp]
click to print

Ingredients:

29 ounces pumpkin puree [or 3 cups fresh pumpkin, diced]
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 walnut sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
1/2 cup shredded coconut
32 ounces vegetable or chicken stock
15 ounces lite coconut milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine pumpkin, onion, garlic, ginger, coconut, and stock in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk, then puree soup with an immersion blender, or carefully with a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 3-4 minutes or until hot.

Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

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

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! 🙂

Desserts, Pies, Recipes

SRC: Pineapple Cream Pie

July 8, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

It’s a Secret Recipe Club Monday! They are my favorite Mondays so I’m excited. 🙂 This month I made a great Pineapple Cream Pie to share with you. And I wish you were here with me now I so I could give you a piece, because it’s a sweet, creamy, tropical treat. We loved it!

If you’re new, you might be a bit confused. SRC? What’s that? Let me explain. It’s a pretty amazing blogging club. Basically, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

When I was assigned Lisa’s blog, before I even started perusing her recipe index, I knew I had to make a dessert recipe, no question about it. I mean, with a blog called Sweet as Sugar Cookies, how could I not?!? Lisa is such a sweetie [word choice –> totally on purpose!!]. She’s from Hawaii [how cool is that?] and she’s been baking since she was 12, so she has tons of great recipes on her site. Her passions aside from baking include her faith and her family, both of which come through so clearly on her site. When trying to decide what to make, so many things sounded delicious, but I pretty much narrowed it down quickly to this pie or ice cream. I just got an ice cream maker, and have yet to test it out. I think that all of her ice creams sound divine [especially spicy peanut butter, ginger, or cherry] but I wasn’t able to clear the freezer out quickly enough to make that happen. Sad day. So pie it was!! And guess what–making this pie was not a sacrifice at all. It was so tasty!

This Pineapple Cream Pie is a snap to whip up–you basically make a flavorful vanilla pudding on the stovetop, stir in crushed pineapple, and pop it all in a baked pie shell to chill for awhile. When you’re ready to enjoy a huge piece, just top with Cool Whip or whipped cream. I used Cool Whip, and as you can see, it was a little melty. Though this pie won’t win any beauty contests [mine at least… Lisa’s is gorgeous, and she has a great family story to tell about it too. Check it out here!], the taste is just incredible. I made my pie in my fail proof pie crust, but feel free to use your own recipe or even a store bought crust. Ben and I ate this as part of our 4th of July meal, and have been snacking on it ever since. I’ve seriously never had anything like it… I want to say it reminds me of Banana Cream Pie, but it really doesn’t, so you’ll just have to try out this fruity cream pie for yourself. I can just imagine eating it on the beach in Hawaii… how perfect would that be? 🙂 Mmmm. Thanks, Lisa! Enjoy!

Pineapple Cream Pie

Servings: 8-10
Time: 1 hour active + time to chill--at least 6 hours total, can be spread out across a couple days
Print

pie from Sweet as Sugar Cookies, crust from Simply Recipes

Pineapple Cream Pie via thepajamachef.com - a creamy, tropical treat!

Ingredients:

for the crust

8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and frozen for at least 15 minutes, but better 1 hour to overnight
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-6 tablespoons ice water [very very cold water]

[You can also substitute your own pie crust recipe or a storebought crust.]

for the pie filling

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon flour
2 1/2 cups skim milk
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained [crushed pineapple to equal about 1 packed cup]

for topping

6-8 ounces Cool Whip or whipped cream

Directions:

To make pie crust, begin by freezing 8 ounces [1 stick] unsalted butter, cubed into very small pieces. Preferably, this will be done the day before you want to make the crust, but the butter needs to freeze for at least 15 minutes to an hour for ultimate flakiness.

After butter is frozen, combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor and pulse several times. Add half of the butter and pulse 6-8 times, then add the rest and pulse 6-8 more times. At this point, the dough should resemble cornmeal. Add ice water tablespoon by tablespoon, pulsing in between additions. I usually use about 4-5 tablespoons water, and the goal is to make the dough just hold together when you pinch it.

Turn dough out onto a clean countertop and gently knead it together to form a disk. You should be able to see pieces of butter–this is good, and will cause it to be flaky. Cover disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour [or overnight].

When ready to bake pie crust, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Let dough come to room temperature for about 5 minutes, then roll into a 10-11 inch circle on a floured countertop. Transfer to a 9 inch pie plate, then lightly spray with cooking spray and cover with aluminum foil. Add pie weights of some type [pennies, dried beans, rice] to the top of the foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove pie from oven, reduce heat to 375 degrees, and remove foil and pie weights. Return to pie to oven and bake for 12-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown and fully cooked. Set aside to cool while preparing the pie filling. [At this point, crust can be cooled and covered until the next day.]

To make the pie filling, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch, flour, milk, and egg yolk in a large saucepan. Whisk together until smooth–yolks beaten, cornstarch and flour making no lumps. Set saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken as you go, and once boiling, let cook for 1 minute and keep stirring. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla. Stir until butter melts, then add crushed pineapple. Stir and add to baked pie shell.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow filling to firm up, then top with Cool Whip or whipped cream as desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

P.S. For more great SRC recipes, check out the links below! 🙂