Author: Lynn

Almond Butter & Apple Sandwich

~ Lynn ~ 15 Comments

I’m moving in two weeks. I thought that once I had sold the condo my stress level would go back to normal, but that hasn’t been the case. I’m a giant ball of nerves right now. I haven’t been sleeping well, and my eating habits have been less than ideal. I have a feeling I won’t really relax until all the papers are signed. Until then, I think the best I can do is watch what I eat, and try and get as much sleep as I can.

This is an attempt at healthy eating. It’s nothing special, just some toast with almond butter, apple slices and a drizzle of honey, but it’s better for me than eating the entire box of chocolates I was actually craving. I don’t think I’ll be able to post much in the next couple of weeks. My days are filled with work, organizing, and packing. There’s not much time to cook, and there’s no space for pictures. Once I’m settled in I’ll be back with some new posts.

In the mean time, if anyone wants to do a guest post let me know!

Strawberry Ricotta Streusel Tart

~ Lynn ~ 15 Comments

All over the blog world, people are writing about cooking and baking with fresh, local, Spring produce. Here, the grass just turned green about 2 days ago. Fresh produce is still a few weeks away. The posts I’ve been reading from points south of here had me longing for fresh strawberries. The giant California strawberries we get all year here just weren’t going to cut it. Compared to a Quebec strawberry, the California ones are quite bland. I’m sure it has something to do with the shipping. How could a berry travel so far and still taste good?

Instead of patiently waiting, I opened up my last jar of homemade strawberry jam and started to experiment. In the past I haven’t done much inventing, but I have to say this was a lot of fun. I actually put my face right up to the oven window as it baked; I was so excited to try it.

What I decided to make was a strawberry and ricotta tart with a streusel topping. I have to say it turned out pretty darn good. The jam added a great hit of strawberry flavour, the cheese layer was surprisingly light, and the almond meal in the crust added a really nice texture. Next time I might add a little cream cheese to the cheese to give it a little tang.

Strawberry Ricotta Streusel Tart

Crust:

  • 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into cubes
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg

Topping:

  • 1 cup strawberry jam (or jam of your choice)
  • 550 g ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and almond meal together. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut/rub the butter into the flour until the mixture just holds together when squeezed and there are no large chunks of butter. Add the vanilla and the egg, stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture just comes together.
  2. Press half the dough into a greased 9 inch tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  3. Make the cheese filling. Place the ricotta, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir until well combined.
  4. Once the dough crust has chilled, spread the jam over the crust. Top with the cheese mixture. Crumble the remaining dough over the cheese. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F, bake for 40 minutes until golden. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Enjoy!

Egyptian Date Crescents

~ Lynn ~ 27 Comments

During our baking marathon last Friday my mom and I also made some cookies, including these Egyptian Date Cookies. We make them every year at Christmas and Easter for my dad. As we shaped these Egyptian cookies, my mom told me stories about what Easter was like when she was growing up in Poland. There was so much cooking and baking to do, the whole family would work for days in advance. Everyone you saw was invited to Easter dinner, and often people you hadn’t seen would just show up, so they had to be prepared for a lot of guests. On Easter Sunday no work was done. Everyone would go to church and then families and friends would all get together to celebrate.

Things are a little different now, as it was just my immediate family at our celebration this year. We still had quite a feast though. First was breakfast made up of Polish sausage and ham, rye bread, hard boiled eggs, and babka. It’s a very Polish meal. Then after a quick visit to the Saint Joseph Oratory on Mount Royal (a beautiful basilica with very challenging steps leading up to it, every time I go I hear the Rocky theme music in my head), we got to work on dinner. Roast lamb, stuffed vines leaves, rice, potatoes, salad. Then came my favourite part, dessert; a light cake and these cookies.

One of the advantages of having my mom around while baking is that I was able to take “how to” pics. Here’s a visual on how to form the crescents:

Egyptian Date Crescents

Makes about 50 cookies

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 lb butter at room temp, cut into pieces
  • 1 tsp rose water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 package pressed dates
  • icing sugar for coating
  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Using your hands, combine the butter and flour until it holds together when squeezed and there are no large pieces of butter.
  3. Add the rose water and milk. Stir until well combined. The dough should have a play dough like consistency.
  4. Take about a tablespoon of dough, form it into a ball. Press the center of the ball down, creating dent in the dough. Place a small amount of the pressed dates into the indentation. Close the dough up, then twist into a crescent. (See pictures above)
  5. Bake for 15 minutes, until the bottom of the cookies are just golden.
  6. Let cool completely, then cover in icing sugar.
These cookies will keep in an airtight container for about a week.
Enjoy!

Easter Babka Three Ways

~ Lynn ~ 21 Comments

Happy Easter!

This year Easter is going to be at my place. Normally we would have it at my parents, but their oven broke and won’t be repaired in time. Most of the prep is still being done by my parents. Right now they are marinating a huge leg of lamb that will be roasted here tomorrow. My mom is also taking care of the pierogi, and the stuffed vine leaves (we have a multicultural Easter, part Polish, part Egyptian). All of the baking was done here yesterday. My mom came over around 10 and we baked all day.

The first thing we made were the Babkas. Babkas are a traditional Eastern and Central European yeasted sweet bread that are served for Easter. The traditional version is flavoured with dried fruit. That’s what my mom always makes. This year, I wanted to try something a little less traditional, chocolate babka.

My mom wasn’t super enthusiastic at first, but then I reminded her of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine tries to buy a chocolate babka. Everyone loves chocolate babka! That helped convince her. Once we decided to veer from the traditional, my mom suggested a third option, poppy seed babka. 

So we made all three.

We made one batch of dough and divided it into three, using a different filling for each. In the traditional version, we used raisins and dried apricots soaked in rum. For the poppy seed version we used a store bought poppy seed paste that also had raisins and candied orange peel. The chocolate version was originally based on Smitten Kitchens technique. Unfortunately, the dough we used could not hold up to the weight of the chocolate and sort of .. imploded. So this morning I made another chocolate babka. This time I used Smitten Kitchens dough recipe and just added chunks of chocolate. Her babka dough is very similar to a brioche recipe. Although it tasted very good, I found my moms recipe much easier to work with. My moms also has a much lighter texture. I can understand now why her chocolate babka didn’t implode, the dough is much stronger.

This basic dough can be used with any filling or flavourings. It makes enough for three loaves.

Basic Babka Dough

  • 5 tsps dry active yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 8 cups all purpose flour, divided
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups milk, warm
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tsps vanilla
  • 2 tbsp dark rum
  • zest of one orange
  1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Add a pinch of sugar and set aside for the yeast to dissolve. Note, make sure the water is below 105 degrees F, otherwise it might kill the yeast.
  2. While the yeast is dissolving, whisk the eggs slightly.
  3. Put 6 cups of flour and the salt in the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl if kneading by hand). Create a well, and pour in the eggs, yeast, warm milk, melted butter, vanilla, and rum. Add the orange zest. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, then place in the mixer with the dough hook attached and knead. Slowly add the remaining two cups of flour. Knead for 10 minutes. If kneading by hand, this will take about 30 minutes.
  4. If using dried fruit or chocolate chunks, add them to the mixer at this point and knead until combined.
  5. Divide dough into three and place in separate greased bowls. Cover with plastic wrap let rise for an hour until doubled in bulk (or overnight in the fridge).
  6. Punch down the dough. If using a filling like the poppy seed paste or a chocolate spread, roll the dough out into a rectangle, spread the filling over the dough, then roll the dough tightly like a jelly roll.
  7. Place dough in a loaf pan, baking sheet or bundt pan. Cover, and let rise for 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350.
  9. Bake the babka for 15-20 minutes, then lower the heat to 325 and bake for another 15 to 20. Note, if using a loaf pan it may take a few extra minutes. When done, the bread will sound hollow if tapped.
Enjoy!

Orange Madeleines

~ Lynn ~ 17 Comments

I’ve had the hardest time trying to write this post. Usually I have an anecdote or something to say, but this week I’ve got nothing. I made madeleines because I wanted to bake something pretty, and I wasn’t in the mood sprinkles and icing. I served them to a friend who came over for coffee. We discussed hypothetical home purchases and gave each other hypothetical high fives while eating these yummy treats. That’s it.

Madeleines are basically little sponge cakes baked in special scalloped molds. I used David Lebovitz’s recipe, swapping out the lemon for orange. Despite his intentional vagueness, I found the recipe pretty easy to follow. Madeleines seem tough, but if you trust your baking instincts you’ll do fine.

In other news Danielle of Runs with Spatulas has been kind enough to give me the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers blog award. I really enjoy her blog, she has great recipes and gorgeous photos and I’m so happy she likes mine too! To accept the award, it needs to be passed on to 15 other bloggers and I need to share 7 things about myself that you don’t know.

  1. I’m generally very quiet, but I have a loud laugh. It might be annoying.
  2. Birds creep me out. Like a lot. They could peck your eyes out! Have you seen The Birds (or read the short story)?
  3. When I was a kid I thought eggs made my ears itchy so I refused to eat them. I only recently started eating them again.
  4. I am an amazing car singer. I’m especially good at 80’s power ballads.
  5. I’m only attracted to jerks. If I’m attracted to a guy who is not a jerk, he must be unavailable somehow (the most recent examples of this are recently divorced and lives far far away).
  6. My left leg is longer than my right leg. I found this out recently from the osteopath I went to see for my headaches. Why he was looking at my legs when my head was the problem, I do not know.
  7. I don’t like marshmallow filled chocolates, but I like marshmallows and chocolate. And I like s’mores.

So there you have it; 7 things about me you didn’t know before.

And now the important part, the 15 blogs I’d like to share the award with:

Kristel of Kristel’s Kitchen

Azmina of Lawyer Loves Lunch

Lilian of Sweets by Sillianah

Victoria of The District Chocoholic

Mardi of Eat. Live. Travel. Write 

Linsdey of Gingerbread Bagels

Sommer of A Spicy Perspective

Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food

Christine of With a Bowl of Rice

Janice of Kitchen Heals Soul

Karen of Tasty Trials

Katrina of In Katrina`s Kitchen

Kim of Liv Life

Terra of Café Terra

Rachel of Baked By Rachel

Orange Glazed Madeleines

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
  • zest of one orange, divided
  • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoon freshly-squeezed orange juice
  1. Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge or freezer.
  2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt for 5 minutes until frothy and thickened.
  3.  Sift the flour and baking powder in the egg mixture, using a spatula to fold in the flour.
  4. Add half the orange zest to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Fold just until all the butter is incorporated.
  5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour enough batter into the molds to fill them 3/4’s of the way once the batter has spread from the heat of the oven. As David says, it’s not brain surgery.
  7. Bake for 8-9 minutes.
  8. While the cakes are baking, make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, orange juice and remaining zest.
  9. Remove the madeleines from the oven and unmold by tilting the baking sheet onto cooling rack. Once they are cool enough to handle dip into the glaze, covering both sides of the cakes. Place the madeleines back on the cooling rack until the glaze has set.
Enjoy!

Boston Cream Pie

~ Lynn ~ 24 Comments

Boston Cream Pie and I have a long and happy history. I’ve mentioned before that my family used to rent a cottage in Vermont. Way back in the day, we would head over the to Grand Union in Newport for our weekend groceries. To be honest, I don’t really remember enjoying grocery shopping as a kid, probably because my parents wouldn’t buy the variety pack cereal. That’s not to say they never bought me treats. This particular Grand Union had an in store bakery, and in that bakery were the greatest Boston Cream doughnuts I have ever had. Those doughnuts were the highlights of many weekends. The Grand Union closed years ago, but Boston Cream is still my first choice when a selection of doughnuts is around.

Since my doughnut experience is pretty limited, I decided to try the original Boston Cream Pie for my friend Frank’s birthday. Frank is one of the few people I know who loves custard/pastry cream as much as I do. Clearly we were meant to be friends. This was my first attempt at it, but all of the elements were familiar to me. It’s just sponge cake, pastry cream, and ganache. I used this recipe from Gale Gand. It tasted wonderful. I really liked the sponge cake, it had a great texture to it. I did have some issues though, the biggest being the cream oozing out of my cake. I could tell it was going to be a problem as soon as I poured the chocolate on. I snapped a picture as fast as I could, then watched in horror as I lost about half the cream. I’m not sure if there was anything I could do to prevent it, other than adding gelatin to the cream. The other issue I had with the recipe was the quantity of ganache it made. I had at least a cup left over, 8 ounces of chocolate is much too much to cover a 9 inch cake, so in the recipe below I cut the quantity down.

Boston Cream Pie

Recipe by Gail Gand

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup cooking oil
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pastry Cream

  • 2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces white chocolate, melted (optional)
  • 1 tbsp Grand Marnier  (optional)

Chocolate Ganache

  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream, boiling
  1. Make the pastry cream. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla to boil. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together, mix in the cornstarch making sure there are no lumps. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the warm milk to temper the eggs. Stir in the remaining milk. Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan. With heat on medium, whisk until the cream has thickened. Mix in the butter, white chocolate, and Grand Marnier. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cooled ( at least one hour)
  2. Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in the well. Beat until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Fold the flour/egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Pour into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  3. Make the ganache. Cut the chocolates into chunks. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is shinny and smooth.
  4. Assemble. Slice the cake in half. Spread the pastry cream on the bottom half of the cake. Put the top half of the cake on, then pour the ganache over the top. Cool in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set.

Enjoy!

Bacon Jam

~ Lynn ~ 46 Comments


Yesterday was a beautiful day. For the first time this year I was convinced that winter will end soon. It was also the first time in weeks that I didn’t have a visit scheduled for my condo. I was really looking forward to spending the day in my kitchen, cooking and baking up a storm, but the weather had me conflicted. How could I waste such a beautiful day inside? This internal debate raged for most of the morning. And then a compromise was reached. I would walk to the grocery store to pick up everything I need. The walk would satisfy my need for time outside, and then I would get to create something wonderful in my kitchen.

This really was something wonderful. I had never heard of bacon jam until I started reading this months Food and Wine. As soon as I saw it, I knew something had been missing from my life. I had to have some. They recommend a brand available in the U.S only. In general, I  think jam is one of the easiest things to make at home, so I set out trying to find a recipe. I wasn’t going to let where I live keep me from my bacon jam!

I found several recipes, but the one that appealed to me the most was this one from Not Quite Nigella. I liked its simplicity; there are only a few ingredients, but each of them packs a punch. As with most jams, this one is quite easy to make, although a little time consuming (two hours, largely unattended). While you’re making it, your entire home and everything in it will smell like bacon. No need for bacon perfume. For step by step pictures, check out the original post from Not Quite Nigella.

The end result is a sweet yet savory jam, with a hint of smokiness to it. It was definitely worth the time to make it.

Once your bacon jam is done, you’re going to eat some of it with a spoon. That’s ok. Then you’re going to wonder what else to do with it. I suggest putting it in sandwiches or making this Bacon Jam Bruschetta. It’s just cream cheese (or goat cheese), bacon jam, and greens dressed with oil and lemon juice. The tanginess of cheese and the sweet smokiness of the bacon jam compliment each other perfectly.

Bacon Jam

Recipe from Not Quite Nigella

  • 500 g bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 cup strong brewed coffee
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • Tabasco sauce to taste
  1. In a large, heavy bottomed pan, fry the bacon in batches. Remove the bacon from the pan, and pour off all but 1 tbps of the bacon fat (bacon fat can be reserved for other purposes, like a pie crust)
  2. Turn the pan heat to medium high. Add the onion to the pan and fry until translucent. Add the minced garlic, frying until fragrant.
  3. Return the bacon to the pan, along with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally, and add 1/4 cup of water every 25 minutes or so.
  4. Once cooked down, puree the jam in a food processor until it reaches your desired consistency (more or less chunky).

(Note: the original recipe called for 3 tbsp brown sugar, I forgot to add it and still found the jam delicious)

Bacon Jam Bruschetta

  • Bacon Jam
  • Baguette, sliced
  • Cream cheese or goat cheese
  • Salad greens
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon juice
  1. Spread the cream cheese on the baguette slices. Top with bacon jam.
  2. Dress the greens with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Place a small amount on the bread.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Almond Granola Bars

~ Lynn ~ 25 Comments

I did something stupid last week. My cousin and I have been discussing going on a trip this summer. I haven’t booked anything yet because my condo is still not sold. On Wednesday I was having a bad day so I decided to pretend that I actually am going away, and I went bikini shopping.

It’s been a few years since I bought a bikini; I know I’ve gained some weight in those years, so I tried one size bigger than what I used to buy. Disaster. I was popping out and bulging over all over the place. It really was horrifying to see.

I did not buy a bikini that day.

The experience did have a positive side. It motivated me to start going to the gym again. Because of my commute to the office, it’s easiest for me to go early in the morning. I get up around 5:45 and I’m at the gym by 6:30. After my workout I hope on the bus and head to the office.

To keep myself going after my workout, I need a snack I can eat easily on the bus. I used to buy granola bars, but the amount of sugar in them defeats the purpose of working out. Instead I’ve started making my own.

The recipe still needs some perfecting, the bars sometimes break apart when I’m cutting them, but I decided to share the recipe anyway. If any of you have made granola bars, I’d appreciate any tips you might have.

Cranberry Almond Granola Bars

  • 1 ¼ cup oats
  • ¼ cup bran flakes
  • 1 tbsp flax seeds
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup chopped almonds
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  1. Preheat the oven to 325. Line an 8 x 8 in pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the oats, salt, bran flakes, flax, chia, cranberries and almonds together.
  3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter then add the maple syrup, almond butter and vanilla. Stir until combined.
  4. Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture. Stir until all the oats are covered.
  5. Pour the oat mixture into the prepared pan, spreading the oat evenly.
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned.
  7. Let cool completely. Using the overhang from the parchment paper, pull the granola out, and cut into bars.

Enjoy!

Stove Top Mac & Cheese

~ Lynn ~ 21 Comments

Have you ever heard those stories about people who win the lottery multiple times, yet still end up broke? Those stories fascinate me. I like to think if I ever won big I would use the money wisely, but it’s entirely possible I’d spend it all on shoes. At work we play the lottery whenever the jackpot is big. Even though we all know we’re probably just throwing away our money, no one in the department wants to risk being the only one who has to show up at work on Monday morning.

That’s not to say I’ve never won anything. Last Friday I found a penny, picked it up, then won a free coffee from Tim Horton’s Roll up the Rim. Free coffee makes me ridiculously happy. And in December I entered the Holiday Recipe Exchange from Good Life Eats and My Baking Addiction with my Maple Butterscotch Pudding. Thanks to your kind votes I won a gift package from Kerrygold. The package had TONS of cheese and a selection of butter. Looking at all the cheese I received I knew I had to make something with it. The first thing that came to mind was Macaroni and Cheese.

I’m not going to say this is the best recipe ever, because I’m sure there are many of you out there who make a mean mac and cheese, but it was definitely the best I’ve ever made. I used Kerrygolds Garlic and Herb Butter to make the roux, and their Red Leicester cheese in the sauce. It’s a mild, cheddar like cheese with a nice tang to it. The sauce was pure cheesy goodness. I can’t wait for my next Kerrygold experiment!

Stove Top Mac & Cheese

  • 1 pound macaroni
  • 2 tbsp Garlic and Herb Butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups milk (warm)
  • 7 oz Red Leicester Cheese (or sharp cheddar)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Cook the macaroni as per package instructions until al dente.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large sauce pan on medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until it starts to bubble slightly. Add the warm milk. Lower the heat to medium and stir constantly until the sauce begins to thicken (about 5 minutes).
  3. Once thickened, add the cheese and stir until completely melted. Taste the sauce, add salt and pepper if necessary.
  4. Drain the pasta and toss into the sauce.
  5. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Banana Nutella Muffins

~ Lynn ~ 49 Comments

One year ago today I wrote my first post for this blog. When I started I really never thought anyone would read it. For a couple of months I was writing just for myself and the two other people I had told about the blog. Then I discovered Foodbuzz, and was introduced to a wide world of food bloggers. They were kind and supportive, and I like to think that some of the people I’ve “met” through Foodbuzz are my friends.

When I started writing the blog, I had a hard time coming up with what to say. What is it people want to read? Then I came across this quote:

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.  ~Cyril Connolly

It helped me realize that writing for some imaginary potential audience won’t work. This blog is a place for me to share my experiences with food, recipes I enjoy, and the occasional anecdote about my day. It’s an escape from the day to day more than anything else (sometimes I even write my posts while at work when I need to clear my head; sshh, don’t tell anyone!)

I’ve been fortunate enough to get a few subscribers and regular readers. I want to thank all of you for reading my ramblings and sharing your thoughts with me. Your comments are always very much appreciated!

My original plan was to remake the Amaretto Cheese Tart I wrote about in my first post. An unexpected condo visit on Sunday changed my plans. Instead I’m sharing these Banana Nutella Muffins with you. They seem fitting since muffins are probably the baked good I make the most.

I was hoping for more of a Nutella swirl look to them, but I over-mixed the batter and lost the swirl. It’s ok, they still taste great, and the Nutella drizzle on top completely makes up for the lack of swirl inside.

Don’t worry, I’ll make the tart soon!

Banana Nutella Muffins

  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt (anything but fat free)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Nutella, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 ripe but firm banana for garnish (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 375. Line a 12 cup muffin tin.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flours, baking powder and salt together.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the mashed banana, butter and egg together. Stir in the yogurt and vanilla.
  4. Mix the wet into the dry until just combined. Stir in the Nutella.
  5. Pour batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin. Top each muffin with thin slices of banana.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
  7. Once done, cool on a wire rack. Drizzle with Nutella.

Enjoy!