Blueberry Muffins with Crumbled Topping

I've been making these blueberry muffins for as long as I can remember. I love the crumble topping on them. Of course I always have to double them because they get eaten pretty quickly. Makes for a great go-to breakfast.

Blueberry Muffins

1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
3/4 c. blueberries (I mostly use frozen)

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
Cream butter, sugar, eggs and lemon juice. Slowly add the flour mixture until smooth. Fold in blueberries.

Place scoops of the batter into the muffin tins. Then top with the following topping:

1 T sugar
2 T chopped walnuts
1/4 t. cinnamon

Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Almond Joy Green Protein Shake

Wow! This is packed with protein. And even more impressive is the taste!

I have been hooked on making this shake for lunch every day for the last two weeks. I haven't tired of it. I added spinach to it today to add nutrients. Of course, it didn't compromise the taste either. If these online calculators work this gives you as much as 43 grams of protein.

1 5.3 oz. container of Coconut Greek Yogurt
1/4 c. milk
1 cup ice
1 scoop of Chocolate Protein Powder
1/8 c. almonds
1/4 c. fresh spinach

Place all into a blender until fully blended.
Garnish with some coconut if desired.

You might just get addicted to it not only because of its taste, but its ease to make.

Strawberry Layer Dessert

This is a recipe we normally make with peaches with a few adaptations. However, since my hubby is a peach snob and only likes them when they are freshly picked off our trees, we have to dream about the peach dessert. So, this strawberry dessert had to step up to the plate and be the star this spring.

Strawberry Layer Dessert

Make a crust consisting of the following ingredients and press into a 9x13 pan:
3 c. crushed graham crackers
1 stick of butter, melted

Set the pan aside

In a saucepan boil together:
2 c. water
2 T cornstarch
1 small package of strawberry Jell-o

Add
1 c. sugar once it has boiled for a few minutes

Stir in
5-6 cups of strawberries, sliced

Let this mixture sit while you make the next cream cheese mixture.

Cream Cheese Mixture:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese

Combine the above and then add:

1 12 oz. container of cool whip

Now, the assembly:

First we mentioned the graham cracker crust. On top of it, add the cream cheese mixture. Then finally add the Strawberry Mixture.
Place in fridge and let chill for at least 3 hours.

Enjoy!

Man-Catching Brownies

Whether these work at catching a man or not remains to be told. I do know that it catches some young boys in my kitchen. These moist brownies with hidden nuggets of chocolate chips and nuts will catch anyone lingering by this plate of goodies.

Man-Catching Brownies

30 Kraft caramels, unwrapped

2/3 cup of evaporated milk, divided

1 15.25-oz pkg German chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup milk  chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease a 9x13 baking pan. In a small saucepan, melt the caramels and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk slowly, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix, melted butter and the remaining 1/3 cup of evaporated milk to make a dough. Press just over half of the dough mixture into the greased pan into an even layer. Bake this in the oven for roughly 7 minutes. 

Remove the pan from the oven and pour the caramel mixture evenly over the dough. Top with the nuts, chocolate chips and whatever dough mixture left over. 

Return the pan to the oven and bake another 10 to 11 minutes until brownies are set. 

Makes about 16 squares -- which roughly will feed perhaps 5 people after the chef has her few first. :) 

Enjoy!

Quick Salted Caramel

Keep that candy thermometer stashed in your drawer. Better yet, if it were my house, this caramel can be made faster than it would take you to find your candy thermometer. The only problem is, these caramels can disappear just as quickly.

Be prepared to be blown away on how quick and delicious this recipe is.

Salted Caramel

¹⁄₄ cup butter
¹⁄₂ cup white sugar
¹⁄₂ cup light Karo syrup
¹⁄₂ cup sweetened condensed milk 
Kosher salt

Place all the ingredients in a large, microwave-safe dish. Microwave on full power for 5 minutes and 50 seconds (that's the perfect time for my microwave -- you can play with your timing). Stop every minute to stir the mixture around.

Once the five minutes of cooking is done, place in a well-greased or buttered baking dish (I use a little smaller than a 9x13 baking pan). Immediately top with Kosher salt. Sea salt is too fine and gets lost. Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting into small pieces. You know, the smaller the better so you don't feel guilty for going back for more. 

Enjoy! Caution. They are addicting.
 

Cheddar Apple Bread

I found this recipe years ago as I was beginning adulthood and looking to improve my stash of recipes. Cheese and apples have always been two of my favorite foods; I thought they sounded tantalizing together, so I made it and was hooked. You may cringe at the thought, but as they say, don't knock it 'til you've tried it.


2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. milk
1/3 c. margarine, melted
2 c. (8 oz) Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 1/2 c. Chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples


Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk and margarine. Mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees in greased and floured bread pan for 65 - 70 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Italian Cream Bundt Cake

When in high school, I worked at a restaurant that served the most delicious Italian Cream Cake. I would pray the frosting would accidentally fall off the serving spatula onto my finger where I would be left with the only solution: to lick it off.

Although this recipe doesn't match up to the same cake I remember, it's still good and far prettier than the cake in my memories.

Italian Cream Bundt Cake

2 c. sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c. coconut
5 eggs, separated
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 T baking powder
3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Cake Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. coconut


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter with sugar and add vanilla. Then add the 5 egg yolks.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: sifted flour, baking powder and soda.
Add dry ingredients to the mixture a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk (about 1/4 cup at a time)

Mix in walnuts and coconut

Gently fold in the egg whites.

Spoon then batter into a generously greased bundt pan.

Bake for about 60 minutes.

Let it cool for 20 minutes.

Icing:
With a hand blender, cream the cream cheese with the whipping cream. Add powdered sugar. Blend. Spoon the frosting into a quart-sized ziplock back. Snip of a small corner of the closed bag to use as a pastry bag. Drizzle lines of the frosting over the bundt cake. After the first layer, add the coconut and the chopped walnuts. Apply another layer of frosting.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. After of course, you look at how pretty it is.