Zucchini Blueberry Muffins

Are you losing inspiration with your summer produce? It happens to the best of us. It can be easy to just saute the squash or boil the corn. But let's not allow this moment to pass us by! Summer only comes once a year, eh, yeah... once a year! Take advantage of vegetables and fruit and their peak of perfect. Get a little creative. Like these muffins.


Shredded zucchini has this impressive ability to make baked goods moist. These muffins took all of the shredded zucchini's moisture and put it to good use. This muffin is light and incredibly moist. It's the perfect agent for plump blueberries and softened butter. And guess what, this muffin is sweetened with honey. No sugar at all. Maybe the lack of sugar can motivate you to slather on some butter on the finished muffin?




2 cups flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

Set oven to 350 degrees. Line one muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the grated zucchini, olive oil, honey, eggs and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add the zucchini mixture to the flour mixture and stir together until flour is completely moistened, but not overmixed. Fold in blueberries.

Scoop muffin batter into muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm.

Yields 12 muffins.

Rookie's Notes: I made these, we ate a few and then I froze the rest. They make for a quick breakfast. Take a frozen muffin and put it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Ding! Breakfast.


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Easy Maple Pecan Sticky Buns

I feed a baby every two hours. We sit on the couch and either stare around the room as I scrutinize my pathetic efforts at decorating or we watch TV. Over the last few weeks, I have been keeping up with the Kardashians. Kourtney is my favorite. I have also been at home with Giada and in the emergency room with JD and Turk. But Violet seems to have terrible timing. She always has to eat along with the Neely's. I truly can't handle the Neely's. Seriously, take your ham and get a room.


One afternoon during four ounces of warm Similac, we watched Ina. She made a quick sticky bun using puff pastry. And it was then I knew that I had to make my own version. This is that version. Light, crisp, buttery puff pastry, pure maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. These are so sticky and sweet and about 1 million calories a piece.




For the sticky part:
10 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. With a rubber scraper, mix well until smooth. Divide butter mixture between 12 muffin cups. Set pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set pan aside.

For the buns:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Set oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry, with folds going left to right. In a small bowl, combine butter and maple syrup. With a pastry brush, brush mixture onto puff pastry, leave a small 1/2 inch border all the way around. Evenly sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. From the bottom up, gently roll up the puff pastry. Slice into 12 small rolls. Place one roll into each muffin cup, on top of the butter mixture.

Bake sticky buns for 30 minutes, until browned. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then invent sticky buns onto the parchment paper. Allow to cool for an additional 10 minutes. Eat carefully, they are fiercely hot.

Yields 12 sticky buns.

Rookie's Notes: Sometime soon, I am going to write a post about my fancy maple syrup that I don't share with my children. It is the best maple syrup I have ever had. Great maple flavor and it also sort of tastes like bacon.


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Fresh Raspberry Butter

There was an emergency on a large scale. A true red alert. Lindsey called me as soon as she heard and made sure I was aware of what was going on. She didn't want me to be misinformed or mislead. She wanted to make sure that I was kept abreast of the situation.

Fresh raspberries were $.88 at Sunflower Market.

I rushed to the scene. My heart was pounding as I walked through the doors. I walked straight back to the produce section to see the damage. And then I saw it with my own eyes. Lindsey was right. There they were, in plain site. Cases of fresh raspberries, marked down, right down to their skivvies.

I bought an entire case. A little over 4 pounds. I carefully set them on my passenger seat, tempted to buckle them in. I brought them home and they sat on my kitchen counter and they stayed there for two days. They were snacked on and thrown into smoothies. A few were called and chosen to set atop some chocolate cupcakes. The rest were carefully frozen in single layers, making their final rest in a ziploc bag to be loved and cared for through the bitter cold winter months.

Before the bulk of the berries were frozen, one container was swirled with softened butter and sugar. It was then swathed on top of warm buttermilk biscuits. What a joy. It was like raspberry jam, but butter. The berries were tart and the butter was melted, right along with my heart.



1 cup softened butter
1 cup fresh raspberries (1 6 oz container)
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Serve at room temperature.

Yields 1 1/2 cups

Rookie's Notes: This goes on buttermilk biscuits beautifully, but of course on top of all sorts of other things. Toast, pancakes, waffles, muffins, French toast, cornbread. I made this butter and then took half and froze it. I think it will be the perfect day-brightener in the cold, bitter, harsh, rotten, evil, heartless winter months.


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Blueberry Muffins

Something to treasure. Quiet mornings alone.

It's when Violet wakes up around 6:00am and is ravenously hungry. Once she is fed, I wrap her back up, go downstairs and put her in the swing. The house is quiet and the floor is cold. The dishwasher is full of clean dishes and the sink is empty. The toys are put away and the dryer isn't running. The TV is off and all I can hear is the soft clicking of Violet's swing.

It's the calm before the storm.

The storm of Van's diaper being changed and his firm demand that he has chocolate syrup in his sippy cup of milk. The storm of Jack wanting to watch "Franklin" and snuggle under a blanket and not be disturbed. The storm of Violet wanting attention at the exact moment the eggs are to be scrambled. It all seems to explode at the same moment. Everyone, even the eggs, needing my attention in unison.

A few mornings ago, I enjoyed the nothingness before everyone woke up and I made these perfect muffins. These muffins who's recipe is fail-proof. Every blueberry needs a muffin for a friend. They all need a chance to live to their fullest potential by experiencing life inside the warm softness of a muffin. A muffin not overly sweet. A muffin moist and light. A muffin topped with sugar before baking. This is one such muffin.


This recipe is so incredibly delightful due to the sour cream in the batter. Moist and fluffy. The method to putting this batter together is simple as can be and you most likely have everything in your pantry and fridge right now. And hey, if you don't have blueberries, nothing is wrong with some chocolate chips and orange zest or maybe some almonds and canned pineapple.



1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries (or one 6 oz container)
Sugar, for sprinkling on top (use whatever sugar you want. White, brown, turbinado)

Set oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray the pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together with sour cream, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Stir butter mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Batter will be thick.

Divide the batter among muffin cups and sprinkle on about 1/4 tsp of sugar on top of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Yields 12 muffins or 6 jumbo muffins (which is what I did).

Served with this: a banana and a glass of orange juice.

Rookie's Notes: Instead of sprinkling on some sugar before baking the muffins, I used this stuff. My Aunt Robin is a Pampered Chef executive and she likes to send me and my sisters fun stuff. This is one of them. Sweet Honey Vanilla Sprinkle. It was so great on top of the muffins. I can't wait to find more uses for it. Like the back of the bottle says to use it for grilled fruit. Hello delicious.



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Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Muffins

Sometimes I like to show up The Man. I like to prove to the food industry that anything they can do, I can do better.

The other morning, I saw on ad online for Betty Crocker's whole wheat chocolate muffin mix. "Bah!" I said. "What's the point of whole wheat when you have a hefty list of preservatives to accompany it!?" So to the kitchen I went to make some whole wheat chocolate muffins sans partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, modified corn starch, sodium aluminum phosphate, corn syrup solids, soy lecithin, monoglycerides, xanthan gum, artificial color, sodium stearoyl lactylate, datem, sodium caseinate and artificial flour.

Moist, chocolatey, delicious.

Sure some of that stuff isn't harmful, but I still don't like consuming things that I don't see on the shelf at the grocery store or I can't pronounce with ease.



4 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Set oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, add chocolate. Melt and stir to combine. Set aside.

Into a bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder. In a medium bowl whisk together melted chocolate, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Add sour cream mixture and chocolate chips to flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Divide the batter among muffin cups (this batter is thick and will not run easily like other muffin batters) and bake for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove muffins and cool completely on a cooling rack.

Yields 12 muffins.

Herb Garden Buttermilk Biscuits

My little baby boyfriend. He liked the biscuits, but mostly liked crumbling them up into a kajillion crumbs and throwing them all over the floor. When are we going to be done with this phase? I am sick of sweeping the kitchen 3 times a day. But then again, Van loves making a mess and it is mildly cute.


Speaking of Van, he now has a buzzed head. Last Saturday, I went to my sister Haley's house to give it a good deep clean before she has her baby. She is due anytime now and can't quite bend down and clean her baseboards. Anyways, Ethan had the boys all morning and I came home to the sound of the buzzer in the bathroom. Van was in just a diaper and sitting on the counter. Ethan was meticulously buzzing Van's little coconut head and Van was holding surprisingly still. The result? A little brother who looks just like a big brother.


This is nothing but my regular buttermilk biscuit recipe, but with some chopped fresh herbs in them. Ethan loves my regular buttermilk biscuits, but with all these fresh herbs, he wanted to kiss me. These biscuits are moist, soft and savory and so good with some butter.


1/4 cup cold butter
1 1/4 cup cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (Whatever you've got. I used basil, mint, marjoram, oregano and parsley)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp melted butter, for brushing onto the tops

Set the oven to 500 degrees. Cut butter into small chunks, place in a bowl and return to the fridge.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Process until well blended. Add butter and fresh herbs and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Turn on processor and pour in buttermilk. Mix until dough comes together in a loose ball. Dump dough mixture out onto a floured work surface. With floured hands, lightly knead dough a few times until it is fairly well blended. Pat out into a square about 3/4 - 1 inch thick. Cut into 9 squares. Place cut biscuits together on the baking sheet so that the sides are touching. Brush tops with melted butter.

Bake biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and brush with more butter.

Served with these: minted pea soup

Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

Not sure if you ever noticed, but a little while ago, I posted a survey asking what Rookie Cookie readers want to see more of. The most profound answer was healthier options. Looks like some of you have a conscience, which is a very good thing. As obnoxious and overbearing as it is, the big push for healthier options lately is spot on. I am not going to change what I post and what kind of blog this is, but I will try and post healthier things. Whether it is using more grains or recipes for employing those garden vegetables, I will see what I can do. This recipe should have us on our way.

I wish I could remember where I got this recipe. It's from a blog and I tinkered with it a bit, but not enough to call it my own. I sure wish I could remember where I got it. Oh well. Like I said, I tinkered with it a bit. I used blueberries, but you can use whatever berries you want. I would have used raspberries because the grocery store had the most enormous raspberries. But I came back the next day and they were gone. But the blueberries looked lovely as well, so they were added to these.



2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
Raw sugar for sprinkling, optional

Set oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, orange juice, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together well. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until all the flour has been incorporated. Fold in berries.

Using a large spoon or an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup almost to the top. Sprinkle tops with raw sugar, if wanted. Bake for 20 minutes.

Yields 12 muffins.

Glazed Lemon Scones wih Candied Ginger

This whole week is lemon posts. And after blazing through all my lemons from my trip to California, I am over them. I have a permanent lemon taste in my mouth. I have drank more lemonade than water. I have cut myself a kajillion times while trying to get all the zest off those lemons. My paper cuts have been screaming at me for days. I am over lemons. But maybe you aren't, so enjoy this whole week.

I should have made these way back during Mother's Day. Scones are feminine it seems. Especially when being infused with lemon and crystallized ginger. As if those additions weren't enough, there is a lemon glaze drizzled on top. See, feminine.


Crystallized ginger is ginger that has been candied. Instead of making my own, Trader Joe did it for me. I bought some when I went to CA, among all sorts of fun little things that I either can't find in Utah or they are too expensive. Some of the things I got were some saffron, polenta, lemon curd, dried mangoes, and dried plantains. Slowly you will see me using the stuff I bought.

This recipe is Alton's (first name basis here), but with a few changes. The scones were kind of hard to handle because there wasn't enough flour in he dough. But I worked it out. Once you have your ball of dough and it seems a little wet, sprinkle on a little bit of flour and gently work it in. Gently is the key word.



2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 3 lemons
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp shortening
3/4 cup whole milk (this is the part I changed. AB has heavy cream, but I had whole milk. Van's beverage of choice)
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
2 lemons, juiced
1 cup powdered sugar

Set oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and lemon zest. Mix well. With a pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening. In a separate bowl, combine milk and egg then add to dry ingredients. Stir in crystallized ginger. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into triangles. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

While the scones are baking, make the lemon glaze. Combine the lemon juice and the powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Once scones are cooled, drizzle with the lemon glaze.

Lemon Pecan Tea Bread

Sometimes, you just need a cup of tea. My Grandma Sally would make tea for us. I remember having tea on her back patio in the afternoons while my younger sisters napped.

My sisters in-law love tea, especially Melissa (married to Ryan). She knows all the tea houses in the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. She just had a baby girl in December and she is so excited to introduce her to the finer things in life, including tea.

My older sister Megan is a tea lover as well. Her favorite is the Yogi Egyptian Licorice. Have you ever had that stuff? Intoxicating I tell you.

If you are like the loved ones I know and you like tea, try this bread at your next tea time. Light, lemony and a bit of crunch from the pecans.



1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch bread pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold in the pecans, lemon zest and juice.

Pour batter into the prepared bread pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

These biscuits don't taste like sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes are there to add moisture. And moist they are. Eat them as you like, but I prefer them cut in half, toasted and slathered in raspberry jam.



2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk
4 cups self-rising flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp sugar

Set oven to 400 degrees.

Put the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and fill with water. Set over high heat and boil until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes until smooth, but a few chunks remain.

Add the butter and milk to the potatoes and whisk until combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda and sugar with a rubber scraper. Once the dough has come together and all flour is incorporated, turn dough out on to a floured surface. Knead a few times until the dough is smooth. Shape the dough into a disc about 3/4 inch thick. Cut circles with a biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Remove and place biscuits on a cooling rack.

Brush with melted butter if desired.

Cranberry Bread

Did you know you can freeze cranberries? You probably did, but I didn't. There were cranberries in the freezer. They probably didn't have any other fate then cranberry sauce next Thanksgiving. Well, I saved them from the sauce and allowed them to make a permanent residence in some bread. And good bread at that. The top is sprinkled with raw sugar and that makes the top crunchy. The bread it's self is very sweet, but it is just right because it is the perfect companion to the super tart cranberries.

And...

Dear Caitlyn,
You should have answered your phone that one night. I had a little loaf of this for you. But you didn't answer so I gave this luscious bread to Mom. Sorry.
Love, Whitney



4 Tbsp butter
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole milk
1 bag (12 oz) cranberries
Raw sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top of the bread

Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch bread pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine butter, egg and milk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with a rubber scraper. Fold in cranberries. Batter will be thick.

Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top with raw sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and cool right side up for another 30 minutes.

Corn and Black Bean Muffins

Ever heard of Dorie Greenspan? She is the queen of the baking world. I don't think anyone makes more wonderful food than she does. Around the internet, you might seen an occasional blog that has an entry titled, "Tuesdays with Dorie." Yeah, she even has her own baking day of the week. She is just that big.

This is her recipe for corn muffins. I changed a thing or two, but it is mostly hers. Listen to me, I talk about her like we are friends or something. Anyways, I served these with some awesome meat loaf and roasted carrots.

These muffins are incredibly moist and buttery. The buttermilk gives them their softness. I added a grind of black pepper to the tops of my muffins before they went into the oven. It gave the muffins the slightest hint of spice.



2 cup flour
2 cup cornmeal
6 tablespoons sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cup buttermilk
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 large egg
2 large egg yolk
1 15 oz. can corn
1 15 oz. can black beans

Set oven to 400°F. Spray two 12 muffin pans, or fit the molds with paper muffin cups.

Working in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In a large glass measuring cup with a spout or in another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, egg and yolk. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with a rubber spatula, gently stir to blend. Stir in the corn kernels.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Pull the pan from the oven and carefully lift each muffin out of its mold and onto a rack to cool.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This is what yesterday looked like. Lovely, isn't it. I love it now, but I am sure I won't in a few months. For now, we will enjoy it.

It seemed appropriate to make something warm and yummy on a day like this. As I was in the kitchen, it snowed off and on. They sun would come out and then clouds would roll in and there would be a quick white-out. And then the sun would come out again. It was awesome. And all the while, Jack was in the backyard, all bundled up pretending he was dying. He is really into fake death right now.



2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pans
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9x5 inch bread pans and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves and whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. While the machine is running, drizzle in the oil. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the vanilla to the buttermilk. Slowly mix the flour mixture into the beaten butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 parts, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold the zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter. Divide the batter between the bread pans. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans before unmolding and slicing.

Rookie's Notes: The whole complicated instructions of adding the flour and buttermilk is simpler than it seems.
Add a 1/3 of the flour, mix.
Add 1/2 of the buttermilk, mix.
Add a 1/3 of the flour, mix.
Add the rest of the buttermilk, mix.
Add the rest of the flour, mix.
See, easy.

Pesto Rolls

Here is another recipe made from stuff that the Pillsbury people sent me. I think Ethan ate all of them but two.



1 tube Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations
½ cup pesto, fresh or prepared
½ cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (jarred)

Set oven to 375 degrees.

Roll dough out onto a cookie sheet. Spread pesto evenly over the dough. Sprinkle red bell peppers over the pesto. Starting at a short end and roll dough up to the opposite end. With a serrated knife, slice the roll into 10 slices. Evenly set slices on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Rookie's Notes: The Crescent Recipe Creations dough is the regular crescent dough but without the perforations. Cool huh? No more pinching the perforations together!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Very moist and fluffy. I wish Ethan would have been home for these. This type of biscuit is right up his alley. They are now my staple biscuit recipe. They come together quickly and bake quickly. Just 10 minutes. Only 10 minutes and then you have a warm canvas for a slathering of soft butter.



1/4 cup cold butter
1 1/4 cup cake flour
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp melted butter, for brushing onto the tops

Set the oven to 500 degrees. Cut butter into small chunks, place in a bowl and return to fridge.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt until very well blended. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in buttermilk and stir lightly until dough comes together in a loose ball.

Dump dough mixture out onto a floured work surface. With floured hands, lightly knead dough a few times until it is fairly well blended. Pat out into a circle, 3/4 - 1 inch thick. Dip cutter into flour and cut biscuits without twisting the cutter. Form the dough scraps into an extra biscuit-like shape instead of re-rolling the dough. Place cut biscuits together on the baking sheet so that the sides are touching. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.

Bake biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and brush with more butter.

Yields 8 biscuits.

Rookie’s Notes: I don’t have a biscuit cutter, so I used a drinking cup. And I am sure you have the same one. One of the neon IKEA kids cups. You know the ones I am talking about. If you don't want to go to the trouble of a cutter, shape the dough into a big square and cut the dough so you have square biscuits instead of round.

For an herb version of these biscuits, click HERE.

Apple and Carrot Bran Muffins

This is a request from my cousin Lindsay. She has been in search of a good bran muffin recipe. I like this recipe because it has ground flax seed, of which I have a crush on right now in my life. The apples and carrots add sweetness and make the muffins moist.



1½ cup flour
¾ cup ground flax seed
¾ cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1½ cup shredded carrots
2 apples, peeled and shredded
¾ cup chopped pecans
¾ cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flour, ground flax seed, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in large bowl. Stir in carrots, apples and nuts.

Combine milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until moistened, but do not over mix. Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Yields 18 muffins.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

In nursery at church, Jack has learned a song that goes, "I like to sing. I like to sing. Sing, sing, sing." Well, I have learned a new song too. "I like muffins. I like muffins. Muffins, muffins, muffins."

This is yet another variation of my favorite basic muffin recipe I have used on here a ton of times.



1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup small diced strawberries
1/2 banana, small diced

Set oven to 400 degrees F and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (or spray the muffin cups with non-stick spray).

Into a bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Melt butter and in a small bowl whisk together with sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir butter mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Fold in strawberries and bananas.

Divide the batter among muffin cups (this batter is thick and will not run easily like other muffin batters) and bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Oh how I love muffins. It is kinda sorta like eating a cupcake for breakfast. This is a variation of the basic muffin recipe I have posted before. I am here to tell you that recipe is pretty flexible. I added all sorts of things to these and they were still delectable.



1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and small diced
Streusel topping (recipe follows)

Set oven to 400 degrees F and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Into a bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Melt butter and in a small bowl whisk together with sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir butter mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Add diced apples.

Divide the batter among muffin cups (this batter is thick and will not run easily like other muffin batters). Generously sprinkle each muffin with the streusel topping (you won't use all the topping) and bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces

In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment of a mixer, cut in the butter to make a crumbly, sandy mixture.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Once again, using some of the Hartman's lemons. As apart of this whole pregnant "thing" I am in the middle of, I have started to want to organize and clean things. Like my pantry. I sorted through all the spices I have and found a jar of poppy seeds I forgot about. The best part about poppy seeds is picking them out of your teeth after you have finished eating. It's the muffin that just keeps on going and going :)



1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 Tbsp lemon zest

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a standard 12-well muffin pan.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and lemon juice.

Make a well in center of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk mixture into the well. Add the melted butter and use a rubber spatula to blend with quick strokes, being careful not overmix the batter; it should still be slightly lumpy.

Gently stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each well 3/4 full. Bake until slightly puffed and golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Cooking time may be a little longer if you are baking jumbo-sized muffins. Lightly sprinkle sugar over the tops of the muffins, if desired. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool slightly on a wire rack.

Orange Blossom Bread

I like going to the grocery store and looking for ingredients I have never used, like orange blossom honey. This cake is lightly scented with orange and very moist. I am really going to love it toasted and buttered for breakfast tomorrow morning.



1 cup orange blossom honey
4 large eggs
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch baking soda

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together honey and eggs until thoroughly integrated. Stir in orange zest. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add slowly to egg mixture. Add the mixture to the pan and bake. After 30 minutes check for doneness with a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean, you are done. If not, give it another 5 minutes and check it again.

Rookie's Notes: When you are measuring out the honey, spray the inside of your measuring cup with non-stick spray first. It will make it a lot easier for the honey to slide right out.