Secret Recipe Club: Brown Butter Granola Breakfast Cookies

For the last few months, I've only been blogging once a month with my Secret Recipe Club group. I hate that I am not posting regularly (owing to many reasons), but I am grateful to SRC for keeping me posting at least once a month. But I have to take a break even from SRC because it just isn't fair to the other members when I'm not posting regularly. August will be my last SRC post. I will be applying for a break from the group. I hope to be back to blogging in a few months.

This month, I just LOVED the blog I was assigned to. Not only did I find some awesome, mouth-watering recipes, but I also found so much that built me up in my spirit. Jessie Weaver is a gorgeous woman of faith, an awesome mom, wife and cook and I don't think you will be disappointed with the range of posts you will discover on her amazing blog. Thank you for everything, Jessie. I love what you write, and you have a regular reader in me!

If you've visited my blog before, you probably know all my love for breakfast baking. It's more like an obsession. Muffins, scones, rolls, quick breads - I've done it all and I do it waaaaay more often than I care to admit. I found a few awesome recipes in these categories on Jessie's blog - the gingerbread white chocolate muffins, the chai spice scones (another SRC recipe) and a few more, but there was one that grabbed my attention. I saw the words 'brown butter' in the title, and I was sold.

Brown Butter Granola Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from this recipe on jessieweaver.net
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly whisked
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 cups whole wheat flour (I used 2 cups wheat and 1 cup all-purpose)
1 cup granola (I used an unsweetened chunky one with slivered almonds, walnuts, raisins and oat clusters)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup oatmeal
3 tbsp coarse flaxseed meal

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and prepare a cookie sheet by lining with greaseproof paper or Silpat.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter on low heat stirring until it is all melted. Allow it to keep cooking on low heat until the butter browns and gives off a heady, nutty aroma. This could take 10-12 minutes, and while it doesn't need stirring, you will need to watch it the whole time. It can go from browned to burnt in a matter of seconds.
3. Set the brown butter aside for 10 minutes to cool.
4. Stir in the honey, salt, baking soda, cinnamon powder and vanilla extract.
5. Add the eggs and buttermilk and stir well to combine.
6. Stir in the flour, granola, chocolate chips, oatmeal and flaxseed meal. Mix well.
7. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheet. Allow some space between each cookie and the next. If you're shaping them by hand, form 2 inch sized balls and slightly flatten on the baking sheet. I got about 30 large cookies from this recipe.
8. Bake in batches, allowing each batch to bake 15-18 minutes. The cookies will be golden brown on the bottom and slightly risen.
9. Allow to cool on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Serve fresh if possible. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

I didn't make many changes to this recipes. Just added some oatmeal instead of the oat bran she recommends (I didn't have oat bran at hand), and some flaxseed meal. And I just mixed everything in the same saucepan in which I made the brown butter. It really is an amazing one-bowl recipe!

All of us absolutely loved this recipe! The cookies are not too sweet, have an amazing aroma and flavor and texture - crispy on the outside with a soft center, studded with nuts, raisins and chocolate chips. How could breakfast get any better! Thank you, Jessie! We LOVED this recipe :)

I will be back in August for one last SRC post. See you all then!

An InLinkz Link-up

Secret Recipe Club: Bacon Cheddar Cornbread

I get so excited every time the reveal date for the Secret Recipe Club rolls around. It is just so much fun to see who has been cooking and what everyone's been cooking! I missed having SRC in January, but it was our month off for the year. And now I'm back and ready to go!

When I received this month's assignment, I was in awe of the site. The site has so much going on, and in a great way! And when I read the 'About me' section, I knew just why. She isn't a just a blogger like me; she's a blogger who is a professional trained chef! I'm so happy to introduce you to Chef Becca from It's Yummi! She's just amazing, and SO versatile. Whether it's a fancy dessert, an elaborate main course, a simple starter or a healthy snack - she's got it all! Visit her and I know for sure you won't be disappointed with what you find.

As always, I had a rough time trying to pick just ONE recipe from Chef Becca's blog. So I ended up making two this time around. Actually, originally picked only one - a cookie recipe. Unfortunately, I neglected to take pictures before I put the cookies out when some friends came over. I figured I'd take the pictures after they left with all the leftover cookies. Well, who would have thunk there would be no leftovers! I recommend her Triple Chocolate Cookies, for sure! She has some fabulous muffin recipes too! I have several bookmarked!

The recipe I finally made for this month's reveal was her Bacon Cheddar Cornbread. It was my birthday on Saturday, and I decided to make one of my favourite meals. So we ate this yummy cornbread with my Beef and Navy bean Chili and it was oh so yummy!

Chef Becca uses her homemade Bisquick mix in this recipe. I just halved her Bisquick mix recipe, used what I needed for this recipe, and stored the rest in the fridge for later. So convenient!

I just combined 4 cups all purpose flour, 2 1/2 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar. Then, I rubbed in 1/2 cup unsalted butter until I had a mixture that resembled fresh bread crumbs. Since I used butter instead of shortening, I store this mix in the fridge.

Bacon Cheddar Cornbread
Adapted from this recipe on itsyummi.com 
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups of homemade Bisquick mix (see previous paragraph)
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup creamed corn
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Method
1. Into a 9x5 rectangular glass baking tray, or a cast iron oven-safe skillet, put 1 tbsp of butter. Place this into an oven and begin to preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the baking mix, the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Combine the egg, creamed corn, milk and oil in a medium bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Stir in the chopped bacon and the shredded cheese.
6. Remove the hot baking dish from the oven. Pour the batter into the tray over the melted butter.
7. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Serve warm with extra butter, and some honey, if desired.

We ate this cornbread straight out of the oven with super spicy chili and we really, really enjoyed it!

The flavours are amazing, the cornbread is moist and the salty bacon is just perfect with the corn. So tasty! Or should I say SO YUMMI! My older daughter loved snacking on these beautiful squares of cornbread even after she was done with dinner. Definitely a keeper! Thanks Chef Becca! :)

I always enjoy the recipes my fellow bloggers from Group B cook up! To see what everyone else has made, check out the links below! :)

An InLinkz Link-up

DIY Series: Homemade Pancake Syrup

This pancake syrup was made because I just had to! For some reason, the price of good pancake syrup TRIPLED in a matter of weeks. I am not really the kind of person who pinches pennies, but I couldn't imagine paying that much for a bottle of syrup!

We use syrup at least once a week around here. When I decided to look up the recipe for syrup, I just couldn't believe my eyes. It was SO SIMPLE! I looked at the ingredients listed at the back of the syrup bottle and there were around 15 ingredients listed - most of which had chemically names. This homemade syrup has 6 ingredients, including 2 optional ingredient and water. And I guarantee you won't taste the difference.

The first time I made this syrup was late one night, I think it was around 10:30 PM, when I realized that I had everything ready for my overnight waffles but I had run out of syrup. I was telling my husband that I was probably going to make some caramel sauce or coulis for breakfast because we were out of syrup. During the night, I found this recipe, made it in under 10 minutes and let it cool overnight. The next morning, my husband was halfway through his waffles when he suddenly asked, "Where did you get the syrup? I thought we were out. You couldn't have gone out that late at night! Did you find an unopened bottle in your pantry?" When I told him it was homemade, he was really impressed! He couldn't even tell that it was different from the store bought brand we use.

I've made the both versions - with and without the maple extract - and while the maple flavor is yummy, the vanilla one is just as good, and no one complained about the missing maple flavor. 

Pancake Syrup
Slightly adapted from Taste of Home
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 cup white sugar
A large pinch of salt, (optional but recommended)
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp maple extract, optional

Method
1. Combine the brown sugar, white sugar, salt and water in a heavy bottom saucepan.
2. Cooking on medium heat, bring the syrup to a boil while stirring frequently.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the maple extract, if you're using it.
5. Allow to cool and transfer to a bottle for use.

If you like your syrup pancake thick, reduce the water in the recipe to 3/4 cup. We like our syrup a little runny and so these proportions work well for us. I sometimes add a few extra tablespoons of water. Just remember that the syrup thickens as it cools. So don't let it cook down too much. You could even experiment with other flavors of extracts!

There are a few popular brands like Aunt Jemima, Log Cabin and American garden that make this kind of syrup. It is no substitute for maple syrup, really. But when real maple syrup is very expensive here, and while we are so blessed that we receive a few bottles a year from abroad, it is definitely not enough to last us through the year.

This recipe is just amazing! If you use pancake syrup at home, this is sometime you MUST try. You won't regret it! 

Apple & Oat Muffins

Ah - muffins! My favorite of all baked goods. I don't think it is a secret how much I love muffins. I mean, just look at all the muffin recipes on my blog! And I have so many more muffin recipes I want to share with you.

Today, I want to share a recipe for a simple and healthy muffin recipe. Flavorful, really moist and laced with tart apple and warm spice - I just love this one.

Apple & Oat Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Adapted from this recipe on Taste.com.au
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
3/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 cup rolled oats, plus 2 tbsp for topping
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups natural yoghurt, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
100 ml canola oil
1-2 crisp apples, peeled, cored and grated (I used one Granny Smith and one Red Delicious)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line your muffin tray with liners, or grease & flour them.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and the 1/2 cup of oats.
3. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs.
4. Add the yoghurt, vanilla and oil and whisk well till smooth.
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Stir just until combined. Don't over-mix it or you'll be stuck with tough muffins.
6. Stir in the sliced apple.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup not more that 3/4 full.
8. Sprinkle the reserved oats over the tops of the muffins.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and lightly golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack.Allow the muffins to cool down till they're just warm before serving.

As in the case of most muffin recipes, these muffins freeze great!

Because we had an early day the next day, the previous evening, I grated the apples and refrigerated them in an airtight box. I also combined all the dry ingredient in a jar. In the morning, I let the apples sit out for 20 minutes while I got the batter mixed and the oven preheated. I just stirred together the wet ingredients and added it to the dry ingredients, stirred in the apples, filled, baked and the muffins were done in 20 minutes.

Until next time!! :)

Emergency Red Velvet Mug Cakes

Yes, that IS a real thing!

Haven't you ever had a red velvet emergency? 

If you've followed my blog from the beginning, you probably know how red velvet crazy I am! I've done a lot of red velvet posts. Heck, I had a whole week dedicated to the wonder that is red velvet. 

Lately, I've been hearing people say "oh this red velvet is just a fad. What's the big deal about it anyways?" I say they've been eating their red velvet at the wrong places! Good red velvet just cannot be dissed!! If it is the food coloring bothers you, as it often does me, just omit it! Or go easy on it. Most of the time, when I make red velvet just for the family, I skip the color altogether. Doesn't affect the taste at all!

So back to my emergency. This particular day, also know as today, I had two feverish kids with runny noses that wouldn't stop whining. It took me hours to get them to finish just half their lunches! The dog peed inside the house. In the midst of all this, I went to the supermarket and came back with three bagfulls and without the ONE thing I went for! Now, if that isn't a red velvet emergency, what is? Pray tell. 

Emergency Red Velvet Cakes

Makes 2 small coffee mug cakes

Adapted from a recipe by Teri Lyn Fisher found on buzzfeed

Ingredients

1 large egg

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp (or less) red food coloring

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp buttermilk (or whisked yoghurt)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1-2 tbsp cocoa powder (I prefer less)

1/4 cup self raising flour

(Or 1/4 cup all purpose flour mixed with 1/4 slightly heaped tsp baking powder)

A pinch of salt

1/4 tsp apple cider (or white) vinegar 

Method

1. In a small bowl or a large mug or measuring jug, whisk together the first five ingredients till smooth. 

2. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk till smooth. 

3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir till combined. 

4. Divide the batter between two coffee mugs. 

5. Microwave each cup separately for 1.5 minutes until the top of the cake is springy to the touch. Add another 30-60 seconds if needed. This will depend on the wattage of your microwave. 

6. Serve topped with cream cheese frosting, whipped cream or white chocolate ganache or just white chocolate shavings. 

This makes just enough for two and is extremely satisfying. As you can see, I topped it with just white chocolate shavings. I didn't have the energy or time to make anything more elaborate. 

The cake is amazing, and not just for a mug cake. It is a superior cake. It is super moist, amazingly flavorful and makes you go mmmmm. 

I settled down on the couch with a mug and spoon and I had barely taken two yummy spoonfuls when a pair of small hands carrying a pink spoon appeared out of nowhere, grabbed my mug and disappeared with a strange giggly-sniffly sound. Thankfully I had a back-up mug. Whew!

So when you have a day like mine, take five minutes and make yourself this mug cake recipe. You'll be glad this recipe makes two!