By Nastassia on December 10, 2012
I hate to admit this, but I may have overdone it with the sweets lately. Between Thanksgiving and a recent donut binge I think I need to ease up just a bit. So for today’s muffins I cut back the sugar and I added nuts for protein. I’m still going to enjoy muffins, but just a touch healthier than normal. Almond meal and flour go into these nutty banana muffins along with tangy yogurt and a splash of Macallan 12 for good measure! The ripe bananas make up most of the sweetness with just a bit of brown sugar to round everything out. I topped them with almond slivers to add a little crunch. It’s a one bowl muffin that whips up in no time. Pair it with a rich cold brew coffee and you’re in heaven. Hopefully this will be my only treat for the day if I can be good.
Happy Monday!
Banana Almond Muffins
ingredients:
4 very ripe bananas
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ tablespoons of greek yogurt
¼ cup melted butter
1 tablespoon whisky (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup of light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup almond meal
¼ cup almond slivers (optional)
directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin pan. In a large bowl mash the ripe bananas, leaving it chunky. Add the egg and yogurt and whisk to blend. Next add the melted butter, whisky and vanilla extract and whisk to blend. Then add the sugar, baking soda and salt and whisk until incorporated. Sift in the flour and add the almond meal. Gently fold batter together. Do not over mix. Fill muffin pan with batter ¾ full. Top with almond slivers. Bake on middle rack for 18-20 minutes or until muffins spring back when gently pressed. Rotate pan half way through baking. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Posted in Sweet Recipes | Tagged almond meal recipe, banana almond muffins, banana muffin recipe, healthy muffins, muffin mondays |
By Nastassia on December 7, 2012
Sunday (December 9th) is National Pastry Day! It seems like there is a holiday for every type of food product out there, in fact it seems like everyday is a food holiday. BUT there are two of these food holidays that I completely support – National Pastry Day and National Doughnut Day. Both two very important holidays wouldn’t you say?
So in honor of National Pastry Day I offer you some wonderful pastry selections to drool over! Sweet to savory there is a pastry out there for everyone. What are you waiting for? Go celebrate, every day can be National Pastry Day with the array of awesome pastries LA has to offer.
Recently opened Copenhagen Pastry offers traditional Danish pastries. If you love custard or almond you will love their plethora of pastry because almost each and everyone has either almond or custard or both. The Spandauer has a custard center with tucks of almond pastry lining it’s outer ring of delicate puff pastry. Sweet and simple.
Sycamore Kitchen offers some tasty crostatas, scones, muffins and tarts. In the mornings I love the blueberry almond finanicer, it is sticky chewy and sweet or the sour cherry scone with all of it’s crumbly goodness. In the afternoon I like to treat myself to a brown butter mini date bundt cake, I’m addicted!
Who can deny the beauty and pleasure one gets from biting into a croissant! Buttery folds of danish dough. Fill it with ham and cheese and it gets even better! A flaky mess on your lap that leaves your smiling with delight and Proof has a good one. Get their early when they are super fresh!
While it is no secret that I love EVERYTHING at Short Cake, surprisingly I often order the comte thyme croissant. The savory nutty cheese mixed with the fresh thyme fold perfectly into the braided croissant. Each bite is magical (and messy). Perfect for those savory pastry lovers.
Tierra Mia‘s guava and cheese pastry is incredible. I love the combo of guava with sweet cheese, it is tropical and satifying. A magical pairing with their coffee.
If you frequent the Sunday Hollywood Farmers Market they you are certainly familiar with Valerie Confections. One of my favorite stops in the market I love their seasonal selection of pastries. If you are a fan of scones their sour cream is to die for, but sells out quick. My favorite is their rotating selection of hand pies. The pies are buttery, flaky perfection. And hey since Sunday is National Pastry Day and the same day as the market so here you go, no excuse not to celebrate!
Posted in Sweets in LA | Tagged Comte Thyme Croissant, Copenhagen Pastry, guava cheese roll, ham and cheese croissant, hand pies, Hollywood Farmers Market, National Pastry Day, Short Cake LA, spandauer, Sycamore Kitchen, Tierra Mia LA, Valerie Confections |
By Nastassia on December 4, 2012
I don’t know if you noticed, but I kinda missed Muffin Monday. I just couldn’t find time to bake muffins, gasp! But even though it is Tuesday we should still celebrate with something sweet and baked in a muffin pan. So happy Tuesday I baked you some super easy morning buns. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa on my flight over to Denver. In the episode Ina Garten make these incredibly simple sticky buns using store bought puff pastry. I had two thoughts when watching this 1) this is awesome now I can have yummy sticky buns in the morning withouth all the work and time and 2) is this actually going to be good that looked a little too easy. So here it is and it was good. Really good!
I just love that you can wake up just a little earlier than usual, throw these together and enjoy hot and fresh sticky buns in the morning. It doesn’t have to be a production and it is still just as satisfying. Fifteen minutes of prep time and thiry minutes in the oven. You can get dressed while they’re baking and when you’re ready to head out the door they’re ready too. I threw in some orange zest to brighten the flavors and omitted the usual nuts. More of a morning bun than sticky bun. Go make some easy morning buns you deserve a mid week treat!
Morning Buns (recipe adapted from Ina Garten’s Easy Sticky Buns)
Ingredients:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (you can leave this on the counter the night before)
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted (you can leave this in the fridge the night before to thaw)
For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon orange zest
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
In a bowl combine the 12 tablespoons softened butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 tablespoon of orange zest. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful – they’re hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper.
Posted in Sweet Recipes | Tagged easy morning bun recipe, ina garten recipe, morning buns, sticky bun recipe |
By Nastassia on November 19, 2012
It tastes like a pie! And a muffin! But serioulsy, it tastes like apple pie. Warm apple pie if you eat them hot out of the oven like it did. Two wonderful buttery worlds collide and the resulting muffin is everything you need this Thanksgiving. Thick juicy apples rolled in a sweet spicy mix of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. It all comes together to form a delicate muffin. The brown sugar oat crumble on top is the perfect pie (muffin) crust. Make sure to leave your apples in fairly large chuncks so they do not disappear into the muffin. This is afterall all about the apples. I used some beautiful tart honey crisp apples in this muffin.
If the thought of baking a pie for Thanksgiving is a little daunting, then why not bake apple pie muffins instead? I mean who doesn’t love muffins? I do!
Apple Pie Muffins
recipe adapted from My Baking Addition
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg
¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
½ cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 cups peeled, chopped apples
for the topping:
½ cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a large bowl whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk together the egg, sour cream, milk, butter, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Pour wet batter into dry ingredients and stir until just combined, do not over mix. Gently fold in apples. Fill muffins cups to the top.
In a small bowl stir together brown sugar, flour, rolled oats and cinnamon. Drizzle melted butter over the top and mix until blended. Sprinkle crumble over top of the muffins. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed. Cool on wire rack. Store at room temperature.
Posted in Sweet Recipes | Tagged apple muffin recipe, Apple Pie Muffin Recipe, apple pie muffins, Fall muffins, muffin recipe |
By Nastassia on November 14, 2012
Sometimes you just need cake. But sometimes you are too sick to go out for a slice so you have to make it yourself. This happens to you right? Or is it just me? Well sick at home and craving cake I decided to put my fresh orange juice and some Satsuma mandarin oranges to good work.
Hot out of the oven, I drizzled an orange glaze over the top of the cake and topped it with some zest. The cake is buttery soft with delicate hints of the orange. I love how it isn’t too sweet. The wonderful smell of winter citrus is intoxicating.
Now this is my kind of cold remedy!
p.s. if you aren’t too sick to go out for a slice of cake check out my guide below to some of the best slices of cake in L.A.
http://my.citysearch.com/guides/364/have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too.html
Orange Sour Cream Cake (recipe from www.eatingoutloud.com)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange zest
Orange Glaze
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tsp. fresh orange zest
Cake Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease pans with butter and lightly dust with flour. In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Slowly add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined.In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients, mix until smooth. Add orange juice and zest, mix to combine. Place into prepared pans. If baking in 1 pan, bake for about 1 hour or until cake tests done. If baking in 2 pans, bake for about 30-35 minutes or until cakes test done.
Glaze Instructions
Whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest until a think glaze forms. Drizzle over the cake once cooled.
Posted in Sweet Recipes | Tagged Let Me Eat Cake, orange cake recipe, orange sour cream cake, orange sour cream cake recipe |
By Nastassia on November 12, 2012
The recent crisp cool air makes me crave warm comforting spices and desserts of stewed apples or pears. This time of year I just love the smells of nutmeg and cinnamon and cardamom that seem to come with the holidays. This morning still warm and snuggly in my pjs I baked up some pear cardamom coffee cake muffins. They were perfect for a cold morning with a hot cup of tea. I think I may bake them again for family in a few weeks for Thanksgiving, they were so good.
The coffee cake strussel is sweet and crumbly and gives great textural balance to the fluffy muffins. The pears come out buttery soft and practically melt into the muffin. And can we talk about the cardamom? Pear and cardamom, I think they really like each other and it shows. This pairing is nuanced and wonderful. Turn that heater on and enjoy some warm muffins this morning!
Pear and Cardamom Coffee Cake Muffins
(recipe adapted from Food & Wine apple crumb coffee cake muffins)
STREUSEL
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
CRUMB CAKES
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg, beaten
2 large pears peeled and finely diced
MAKE THE STREUSEL Preheat the oven to 350°. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour with the brown sugar and salt. Add the butter pieces and mix at medium-low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal; continue mixing the streusel until very small clumps form. Transfer the streusel to a large plate and refrigerate until it is well chilled, about 10 minutes.
MAKE THE CRUMB CAKES Line 18 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners. Spray the liners with vegetable oil cooking spray. In the mixer bowl, combine the flour with the granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the butter pieces and beat at low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream and beaten egg and beat until the batter is smooth. Add the diced pear and beat just until incorporated.
Fill the muffin cups halfway with the crumb cake batter. Press the streusel into clumps and sprinkle on top. Bake the crumb cakes in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until risen, golden and springy to the touch; rotate the pans halfway through baking. Let the crumb cakes cool slightly before serving.
Posted in Sweet Recipes | Tagged holiday muffin recipe, muffin mondays, Pear Cardamom Coffee Cake muffin recipe, Pear Cardamom Coffee Cake muffins, pear muffin recipe |
By Nastassia on October 29, 2012
Tis the season for pumpkins, it is my favorite time of year. I swear I could eat pumpkin everything all year long. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pasta you name it, you add those tasty orange gourds and I’m there. And now that I think of it, pumpkin is probably one of the rare foods that I enjoyed as a kid and still love just as much now. You know what I mean? When you were a kid maybe you despised having to eat brussel sprouts, but pumpkin pie was a different story. There is just something about that spiced pumpkin flavor that is so appealing.
To start off the week right I baked you some simple and sweet pumpkin muffins. They exude bright pumpkin spices: cloves and allspice, nutmeg and a touch of ginger. They are fragrant and flavorful. The addition of molasses ties everything together and gives the muffins a cozy earthiness and warmth. These muffins are perfect with a hot cup of tea on a chilly morning. Go ahead and gourd yourself!
Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.
Pumpkin Muffins (recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger)
Cooking spray
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, molasses, oil and 1 egg until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.
Posted in Sweet Recipes | Tagged muffin monday, pumpkin muffin, pumpkin muffin recipe, pumpkin recipe |
By Nastassia on October 26, 2012
This week LA is graced with the one week pop-up of New York’s Big Gay Ice Cream Truck and boy is this girl excited. I’ve already made one visit to the truck with friends and we waited over a half hour for their soft serve delights. It was worth it. I’m planning visit number two this afternoon. Fingers crossed they have their Monday Sundae this time!
The Big Gay Ice Cream truck is a NY fave offering a variety of soft serve cones and sundaes. The truck is adorned with rainbows, unicorns and Bea Arthur, it is just fabulous. They are best known for their ‘salty pimp’ flavor: vanilla soft serve piped with dulce de leche sprinkled with a generous amount of sea salt and coated in chocolate. It is sweet, salty and wonderful.
We also enjoyed the Bea Arthur cone. Upon first bite it may seem a touch boring, but don’t give up hope the crushed nila wafer coating lends a buttery sweetness to the soft serve.
To end it all we had the Mermaid sundae. Fresh lime curd coated soft serve dusted with graham cracker crumbles. Delicate and light. I enjoyed the sundae, but I missed the cone.
The best part of all are the cones. So salty and delectable. The salty pimp cone was oozing dulce de leche. By the time you get down to the cone it is slightly tender from the melting soft serve. Crunchy yet soft, sweet yet savory bites. I savored the cones.
LA you have two more days to find Big Gay and get some soft serve love so what are you waiting for. Sure there are lines, sure it is just soft serve, but it is fun tasty tasty fun! Check out their website for their weekend stops.
Posted in Sweets in LA | Tagged Bea Arthur soft serve cone, Big Gay Ice Cream, Big Gay Ice Cream truck LA, Big Gay Ice Cream truck NYC, salty pimp soft serve cone, the Mermaid sundae |
By Nastassia on September 20, 2012
I am eating my way through Istanbul and in search of Turkish donuts… wish me luck!
photo credit: Ernie Hairina blogspot
Check out this great blog post for a look inside Istanbul.
Posted in Sweets I Eat When I Travel | Tagged dessert Turkey, donuts in Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey, Turkish donuts |
By Nastassia on August 30, 2012
Ube: Filipino purple yam, or as I like to think of it sweet purple heaven. Confused by the color or the name? Don’t be shy, just trust me and order an ube shake. You will love it. Ube and coconut ice cream and a little bit of milk meet a blender and something magical happens. Sweet purple milkshake heaven. You can experience this piece of icy cold heaven at the Oinkster in Eagle Rock.
Everytime I go to the Oinkster I order an ube shake. I usually pair it with an original pastrami sandwich and their insanely addictive Belgian fries. I am hardly able to walk out I’m so stuffed, but even bursting at the seams it is impossilbe to go to the Oinkster without getting an ube shake. Ube shakes make for the perfect ice cream break!
Posted in Sweets in LA | Tagged Filipino purple yam, milkshakes Los Angeles, the Oinkster, ube, ube ice cream, ube milkshake |
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