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Apple Cinnamon Oven Pancake

November 3, 2011 ·

I can still remember the first time I made this pancake.  It was many years ago, after I moved into my very first apartment.  I had purchased a Betty Crocker cookbook, and for whatever reason, out of all the recipes, the Puffy Oven Pancake jumped out at me.  I was hosting a brunch to show off the new place, and thought it would be a perfect dish to serve.  You know it’s a winner when after so many years, the memory of this pancake is fresh in my mind. 

Over the years, I have made a few tweaks to the recipe.  It is very easy to make and yields an impressive looking result.  The pancake is light, and with the delicious cinnamon sugary apple topping, additional toppings are not necessary. 

Apple Cinnamon Oven Pancake
2 tablespoons butter (I use light)
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium apple, thinly sliced (any variety, I used granny smith)
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
  2. Put butter in a 9-inch pie plate and put in the oven to melt.  
  3. Mix sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk eggs.  Add buttermilk, and whisk until blended.
  5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in flour until blended.  Batter will be lumpy, be careful not to over mix.
  6. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over melted butter.  Top with apple slices.  Pour batter over apple slices.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until pancake has puffed up and is golden brown.  Invert on to a serving platter and cut into wedges. 

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Scones

October 14, 2011 ·

A few weeks ago, Mike was out for a fun evening with the guys.  Meanwhile, I was home alone (well, Adam was home too, but sleeping).  Of course, I got the itch to bake something.  I found myself with leftover pumpkin and leftover buttermilk, along with some leftover cinnamon chips.  Sounds like I had the makings for the perfect pumpkin scone!

I sent a scone with Mike to take to work the next day. Shortly after he left, the phone rang. It was Mike and he said ‘I’m not sure how you’re going to take this..’    Um, ok?     ‘but I think this scone is the best thing you’ve ever made!’ Yay!  This was my first attempt at making scones, and I am so glad they were a hit!

The cinnamon chips are amazing with the pumpkin in these scones.  I suspect any chips, or even dried fruit, would be good though.  The base recipe is just that good.  I lightened things up by using my baking BFF, light butter.  I used 2 glazes – plain and spiced, and have written the recipe below with the full amount that I used.   While the glazes were really good, truthfully these scones can hold their own sans glaze.  Another time I would use half the amount (or simply go without), because I prefer something a little less desserty.  If glaze is your thing, then have at it, because they were fabulous!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Scones
Yields 8 scones

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 cup (1 stick) light butter, cold and cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (or white chocolate or butterscotch chips)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze – optional – see recipe below

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a food processor, pulse flours, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda until combined.  Add cold butter pieces and pulse until combined and butter forms small pea-sized chunks.  Pour into a large bowl and stir in cinnamon chips.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla.  Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients and gently fold until dough comes together.  (be careful not to over mix). 
  4. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet.  Press and form dough into a 8 to 9-inch round.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely and cut into 8 slices.

GLAZE:

Plain Glaze:

2 tablespoons skim milk
1 cup powdered sugar

  1. Whisk together milk and sugar until combined.  With a pastry brush, brush glaze over cooled scones.  Repeat until all glaze is used (or until desired coverage is achieved). 

Spiced Glaze:

1 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

  1.  Whisk together milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice.  Pour glaze in a plastic bag.  Cut off a corner of the bag and pipe spiced glaze over scones, as desired. 

Note:  Let glaze(s) set before eating.

Adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Joy of Baking

Filed Under: bread, Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

September 16, 2011 ·

One of my favorite things about birthdays is birthday cake. Especially making birthday cakes! The birthday person chooses a cake or simply gives me inspiration.  Then I try to make the best cake I can.  When it came time to choose my birthday cake, believe me, it was a tough decision. My head was still in zucchini-mode. I love pineapple, and I love cream cheese. So I was on zucchini, pineapple, and cream cheese mission. Seems easy enough, right? 

I researched a few recipes until deciding on this one, and made a few changes, reflected below.  The frosting is a nice balance of cinnamon and cream cheese and the perfect complement to the cupcakes.  There are chunks of pineapple and hints of coconut and zucchini in the cake.  They are healthy and come in under 200 calories.  Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting made the perfect birthday treat!

* REMINDER:  MAGAZINE GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT!  GO HERE TO ENTER!  *

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields 18 cupcakes

Cake:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt  (optional)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini (squeeze out some of the moisture)
20 ounce can of pineapple tidbits or crushed in juice, drained (I used tidbits for chunkier pieces)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 18 standard muffin cups with paper liners (fill the empty cups halfway with water). 
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt (if using) and cinnamon.  Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Add zucchini and pineapple and mix until combined.
  4. Add zucchini mixture to dry ingredients and gently fold until combined.  (Note: Batter will be thick).
  5. Divide batter evenly among 18 muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting:

8 ounces Neufchâtel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. 
  2. Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes, as desired. 

Note:  If not serving immediately, cupcakes/frosting should be refrigerated.  Otherwise, the frosting gets too soft.  When serving after refrigeration, let cupcake sit out for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.  (They are good straight from the fridge, however…if you can’t wait like me!)  🙂

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cupcake and 1/18 frosting)
Calories: 190 ~ Fat: 6g ~ Carbs: 33.6g ~ Fiber 2.9g ~ Protein: 3.2g

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins

September 8, 2011 ·

If there is one thing we always have plenty of in this house, it’s bananas.  Whenever we run low, Mike is quick to run to the store to replenish our stash.  It didn’t take him long to learn that there is no such thing as too many bananas.  A surplus of bananas means baking bananas, which means treats!  As I write this, I have a bowlful of overripe bananas waiting to be mashed, whipped, mixed, baked into something delicious.

To completely change subjects – have I told you about my baking chip collection?  I have a thing for baking chips.  I love buying chips in anticipation of creating new and exciting treats, but life (i.e. a busy toddler) usually gets in the way of those plans.   I decided it was time for a self-intervention.  I must begin baking my way through this collection,…starting with these cinnamon chips.

So the two stories come together…in the form of Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins.   These muffins are a delicious and healthy option, made partly with whole wheat flour.  They are also made using 3 bananas, which means you can use less oil.  The cinnamon chips add just a little extra something that make these muffins special.  But if cinnamon is not your thing, these would be great with chocolate chips (mmm, or even peanut butter chips!).

These muffins are moist and delicious.  They are all I hoped for and more…yet I ended up doing more with them.  I made half of the recipe as just Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins.  Tomorrow I will share with you what I did with the other half of the recipe! 😉

Banana Cinnamon Chip Muffins
Yields 12 standard muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 ripe mashed bananas
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup cinnamon chips (or chocolate chips)

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease or line 12 standard muffins cups.  Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the bananas, oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until combined. 
  4. Fold banana mixture into flour mixture until just blended (do not over mix).  Add cinnamon chips, and fold gently until combined.
  5. Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Keep Your Diet Real

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,