Lemon Sesame Seed Muffins

It doesn’t have quite the same ring as lemon poppy seed muffins, but I assure you the taste will not disappoint. I’ve been in the mood for all things lemon as the weather has started to warm up, and these muffins seemed like the perfect treat. They are sweet, but not overly so, and light enough that they can be enjoyed for breakfast and dessert alike. A touch of turbinado sugar in the simple glaze adds a wonderful crunch to round these muffins out beautifully.

Lemon Sesame Seed Muffins with Sparkling Vanilla Glaze

Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup black sesame seeds (you could use white sesame seeds, but I like the color)

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

1 1/3 cups non-dairy milk

1/4 cup sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp turbinado or other large grained sugar

1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease or fill with muffin liners a 12 cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sesame seeds, and lemon zest.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, non-dairy milk, sunflower oil, and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet mixture into dry mixture, and stir just until combined and no large lumps remain.

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup almost to the top.

Bake at 350 °F for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Once muffins are cool, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, nondairy milk, and vanilla extract until completely smooth, then stir in the turbinado sugar.  Try not to eat all of the glaze right from the bowl. Dip the top of each muffin into the glaze, or drizzle it on with a spoon. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

Have you been inspired to bake by the warmer weather? Any suggestions for great lemony dishes? I highly suggest making lemon oatmeal, it’s become my new favorite breakfast.

Because cupcakes are always a good idea…

It has certainly been a while since I last updated this blog, and I must admit I’ve missed it a great deal. I’ve still been an avid lurker though; I simply must keep up with all of your wonderful creations (although at some points, my google reader got the 1000+ mark, oops)! You’d think that after taking in all of the fantastic dishes around the blogosphere, I’d be inspired to come back with something different. Instead, I bring you one of the most classic flavor combinations around: chocolate and peanut butter (in cupcake form, no less). So, while these may not be the most innovative cupcakes around, they are sure to please most anyone’s palate. Especially my parents’, who were the lucky recipients.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Peanutbuttercream (yes, one word)

Cupcakes

1 cup almond milk (soy milk or rice milk would work, too)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sunflower oil (melted coconut oil would work, too)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened

1/2 cup crunchy no stir peanut butter

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp almond milk (plus more if needed)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin, either by oiling lightly or placing muffin liners in the wells, or use 12 silicone muffin cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, sunflower oil, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Pour the dry mixture into the wet and stir until no large lumps remain.

Spoon the batter into muffin liners until they are 2/3 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove to wire rack to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) combine the Earth Balance, peanut butter and vanilla extract. Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, and 1/3 of the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Alternate adding the almond milk and the rest of the powdered sugar until completely homogenous, then beat for another minute or two, until fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes, or store in the fridge for later use. You may have to let the frosting come back down to room temperature before frosting your cupcakes if it is in the fridge for a significant amount of time.

Also worth noting: Gatsby says, “Meow.”

Soft Ginger Cookies

It seems as though I took a bit of an unexpected holiday break from blogging.. sorry for the absence, but I’m back with much food to share. My friend and I decided to do some Christmas cookie baking one afternoon, and I stumbled across a recipe from David Lebovitz for nonfat gingersnaps. The cookies use applesauce, cooked down, to achieve a satisfyingly chewy texture.

Soft Ginger Cookies

Adapted from David Lebovitz

2 tbsp ground flax

6 tbsp water

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup applesauce, cooked down to 1/4 cup

1/3 cup barley malt syrup

2 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup additional sugar for rolling cookies

Combine flax and water in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat brown sugar, applesauce, and barley malt syrup on medium speed for five minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add flax mixture and beat for another minute.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture until completely incorporated. Place batter in the fridge for at least an hour to chill.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Pour the sugar onto a small plate.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of batter and dip them into the sugar, then roll the batter into balls. Place the batter on the cookie sheets with at least 3 inches between each.

Bake for about 13 minutes, or until the centers of the cookies feel just about set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes about 20 cookies.

Rye Bread

A few months ago, I picked up a bag of rye flour.  Since then it was thrown into the cupboard and slowly made its way to the back of the shelf, where I all but forgot about it until last week.  Justin has a certain affinity for caraway, so when he mentioned that he had a craving for the spice, I quickly remembered that lonely bag of rye flour and promptly decided that rye bread was on the menu for the day. With only a few hours on my hands I wanted to find a recipe that was relatively simple and required little attention.  To my delight, I came across a recipe on Pete Bakes for a no knead rye bread.  The recipe originally comes from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and produces a loaf that could compete with that of any bakery.

No Knead Deli-Style Rye Bread

Makes 4 loaves

3 cups tepid water

1 1/2 tbsp yeast

1 1/2 tbsp fine sea salt

1 1/2 tbsp caraway seeds, plus more for sprinkling

1 cup rye flour

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

cornmeal for sprinkling

1/2 tsp cornstarch for wash

Combine yeast, salt, caraway seeds, and water in a large bowl. Stir in rye flour and all purpose flour with a wooden spoon until incorporated, then cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest at room temperature for about two hours.

Dust the dough with flour, then cut off 1/4 of the dough and dust with more flour.  Roll the dough into a ball, then shape into an oval loaf.  Place on a cornmeal dusted surface (a pizza peel if you are going to transfer the dough to a baking stone, or a baking sheet) and allow to rest for another 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place an empty broiler tray on the shelf underneath the one you intend to bake on.  If you will be using a baking stone, place it in the oven to heat up.

Combine the cornstarch with enough water to make a paste, then whisk in 1/2 cup water and microwave for 60 seconds. Brush the cornstarch mixture on the top of the loaf, then sprinkle on caraway seeds.  Make a few deep cuts in the loaf with a serrated knife.

Transfer dough to baking stone or place baking sheet in the oven. As you place the bread in the oven, pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray and promptly close the oven door. Bake for 30 minutes, until deeply golden.

Allow to cool before serving.

Chocolate Spiked Sunflower Butter

A few months ago, I finally took a plunge and bought sunflower seed butter from, of course, Trader Joe’s.  After all, everything I’ve ever bought from Trader Joe’s has turned out to be delicious.  Chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and turbinado, anyone? How about some triple layer hummus, or delicious bruschetta for when your home-grown tomatoes are long gone. I dug into my new jar of sunflower butter with such enthusiasm, you’d think I hadn’t eaten in weeks. Needless to say, I decided that I must recreate this heavenly spread in my own kitchen.  Better yet, I decided I had to recreate it, and also include chocolate.

Chocolate Spiked Sunflower Butter

1 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, roasted

75 grams (about 2/3 cup)  chopped dark chocolate, I used 70% cacao

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

sweetener, to taste

If your sunflower seeds are raw, spread them evenly on a baking sheet and roast at 300°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. If your seeds are pre-roasted, skip this step.

Pour all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes.  Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Store in a glass jar in the fridge.  It will harden when cooled, but comes back to its original texture nicely  when heated slightly.

I enjoyed my first (okay, second) taste with a plate of sliced bananas. Simply perfect.

Do you like to make your own nut and seed butters? What is the most interesting flavor combination you’ve come up with?

Garlic-Mustard Seed Gomasio

I’ve always wondered why Gomasio, a traditional Japanese condiment sprinkled on everything from grains to vegetables, has never gotten more popular in the US.  Maybe it’s because it doesn’t look all that exciting, or perhaps because the condiments we use are generally in liquid form, like mustard (course grain or spicy brown are my top choices) or hot sauce (Cholula is my favorite). If you haven’t tried gomasio yet, you are in for a wonderfully delicious surprise. It also helps that gomasio is a snap to make and you probably have all of the ingredients in your cupboard right this moment. By the end of this post I guarantee you’ll be running to the kitchen to make yourself a batch.

Traditionally, gomasio is made of toasted sesame seeds and salt simply ground together.  There are countless variations to be made; I’ve seen garlic and seaweed varieties in store. I, however, decided to throw some mustard seeds into the equation, which proved to be amazingly satisfying.

Garlic-Mustard Seed Gomasio

1/3 cup sesame seeds (you can use any variety; I used a combination of black and white)

2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tbsp sea salt (I used Maldon)

1 tbsp garlic powder

Combine the sesame seeds and mustard seeds in a skillet and toast over low heat, stirring often, until the seeds become brown and fragrant.  You will hear some popping; don’t worry, this is normal.

Remove the seeds from heat, allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then pour into the bowl of a mortar and pestle (my choice) or spice grinder along with the sea salt and garlic powder.  Grind until most of the seeds are broken apart.  Do not grind the seeds to a powder; you are looking for a bit of variety in texture.

Store in an airtight container and sprinkle on anything and everything.

Lately I’ve been using gomasio to season hato mugi, an heirloom barley, as well as to sprinkle over roasted sweet potatoes.  I’ve also been meaning to use gomasio on oatmeal for a delicious savory breakfast.

Have you tried gomasio, or made it yourself? How did you like it. If not, what are your most used condiments?

What is one to do

…with leftover peanut butter cup filling, you ask? Well, there are several options.  The first, and probably most insane option, would be to throw it away.  We don’t waste food here. Second, you could eat it straight from the bowl, which I must admit, I absolutely contemplated.  Third (third time’s the charm, right?) you can make cookies.  That’s what I did at least.

My original plan was to make peanut butter cup, a lot of them. But, it appears that I underestimated the amount of chocolate I would need, leaving me with a surplus of this delicious peanut butter filling.  I had been meaning to make cookies all day, and realized that there was no excuse now; my cookies were half mixed already.

I had about 1/4 cup of peanut butter filling left, to which I added about 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour, a sprinkle of baking powder, a dash of salt, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a splash of almond milk.  I mixed this together, ensuring it had that slightly sticky classic cookie consistency, then rolled the dough into balls, flattened on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and baked at 350°F for about 12 minutes, until the edges were beginning to brown.

If you ever find yourself in a dire situation such as this,  I highly recommend you go the cookie route.  It’s extremely easy, and even more satisfying.

I also made the aforementioned peanut butter cups, which you should probably make too.  They are very simple, but I added a little twist to the peanut butter filling.

Reese’s peanut butter cup filling has a certain grainy (in a good way) texture that I’d not been able to achieve in my homemade peanut butter cups, until now.  I simply ground up about 1/3 cup rolled oats in a food processor and stirred them into 1 cup of peanut butter, along with some powdered sugar until I got a thicker consistency.  I poured a layer of chocolate (your choice, I prefer very dark chocolate) into cupcake liners and placed in the freezer for a few minutes to set up.  Meanwhile, I snacked on some melted chocolate (this may explain the problem discussed earlier in the post). Once the chocolate was set, I rolled the peanut butter mixture into balls, pressed flat onto the layer of chocolate, and covered with more chocolate.  For instant gratification, you can attempt to eat the peanut butter cups at this stage, but for a more solid product, put the peanut butter cups back into the freezer for a few minutes to completely set, and enjoy!

What are some of your favorite ways to use leftovers, sweet or savory?

A Look Back

In the depths of my recipe box (read: google reader/bookmarks) are countless recipes I’ve tried and loved, as well as (exponentially more) recipes that I’ve been meaning to make for ages. Today I’d like to share some of these recipes with you, and hopefully get around to making some of them for the upcoming holidays.

If you’ve made any of the recipes I’ve posted, please, let me know how you liked them!

Recipes I’ve successfully made (or adapted) and thoroughly enjoyed

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apples from 101 Cookbooks – I’ve made this one countless times; it’s the dish that convinces those who “hate” brussels sprouts, that they in fact love them.

Warm New Potato Salad with Grainy Mustard from Gourmet – A great, simple winter side dish.

Broccoli Crunch from 101 Cookbooks – Mine was more of a multi-vegetable crunch, but it was delicious nonetheless.  The almond butter dressing is wonderful to use in other vegetable dishes, as well.

Aloo Gobhi Stuffing from Gourmet – I made this for Thanksgiving last year to change up the menu a bit.  Everybody was very pleasantly surprised, and I may make it again this year.

Holiday Bundt Apple Cake from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs – My mom used to make a caramel apple bundt cake that I’d been trying to emulate for a while.  Once I found this recipe I knew my search was through.  I highly recommend this cake.

Gazpacho Salsa from Bon Appetit – Another recipe that I’ve made time and time again. It’s a great alternative to the regular salsa you usually have laying around.

Seeded Flatbread from 101 Cookbooks – Another winning recipe from Heidi Swanson. This flatbread is hearty, chewy, and had a great crunch from the seeds.

Maple Cornmeal Cookies from Serious Eats – Extremely easy and even more delicious, these maple cornmeal cookies may look boring, but they taste quite the opposite.

Salted Pistachio Brittle from The Kitchn – This one needs no explanation, just make it.

Amaretto Spiked Chocolate Mousse from 101 Cookbooks - I’ve made both the amaretto version as well as a matcha version of this mousse, and both were more luscious and silky than you could ever dream of.  If you want a quick dessert that will put that chocolate craving to rest, look no further.

Recipes I’ve had bookmarked for ages but haven’t gotten around to yet

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Curried Oatmeal from Tea & Cookies

Hob Nobs from Tiny Urban Kitchen

No Bake Pecan Brittle Bars from Have Cake, Will Travel

Inside Out German Chocolate Cake from Gourmet

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Cauliflower with Sweet Potatoes from The Cooking Channel

Japanese Inspired Quinoa from Chocolate and Zucchini

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Warm Butternut Salad with Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs

Do you have the same recipe backlog issue that I do? If so, how do you make a point of making some of the recipes you’ve bookmarked? Have you made any of the recipes I’ve posted here; did you like them?

First Ascent

If you’re reading this, stop right now and turn on the travel channel. An amazing documentary series, First Ascent, is airing this very moment!

Ascent

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Today’s post is a bit out of the ordinary, but considering my goal to incorporate climbing into ‘Scend Food, I think I’m right on target.

Most of you, I’m sure, have never heard of Steph Davis (unless you’re a climber), but she is a woman worth knowing about.  Steph is one of the foremost female climbers on the scene today, having made first free ascents and first female ascents of a number of impressive routes throughout the world. She is also notorious for her free-solo climbing (using no ropes or other protection).

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What are Steph’s other interests, you ask? Well, going hand in hand with climbing are BASE jumping and, perhaps the most awesome of all, wingsuit flying.  Steph has a vimeo account with tons of great footage of her climbing, jumping, etc., if you are interested (which I’m sure you are by now!)

In addition to being an amazing athlete, Steph is also a great writer, and has written a book called High Infatuation, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and highly recommend for anyone to read, climber or not.

Want to know another exciting fact about Steph? Okay: she’s a vegan, and quite vocal about it! On her blog, High Places, Steph shares many wonderful recipes; she even makes her own soymilk! She is an advocate of eating whole, unprocessed foods, which I, and I’m sure many of you, will identify with.  It’s wonderful to see such a strong climber who is also a vegan. If any of you are interested in her take on nutrition as it pertains to sports, she has written about it here.

After perusing the recipes on her blog for a while, I’ve found one that I’m surely going to try, and you probably should too.  Her original post can be found here, but I’ll repost the recipe as well.

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Ginger Banana Muffins (wheat-free and refined sugar-free)

1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger

1 banana

1/2 cup soymilk

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp xanthan gum*

1/4 cup potato starch

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup millet flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup walnuts

*The the xanthan gum, potato starch, brown rice flour, and millet flour can be replaced with 1 cup unbleached all purpose/whole wheat flour, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a standard muffin tin.

Mash the banana with the ginger in a large bowl.  Pour in soy milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and flax and mix to combine.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until incorporated.

Drop the batter into prepared muffin tin and “bake at 350 for a while,” I’m guessing 12-15 minutes, but we’ll all have to experiment!

Are any of you into the outdoors, whether it be climbing, hiking, etc? What about “extreme” sports? I’d love to hear about your interests!