kitchen and legs

Copyright © 2018 Dina Paulson-McEwen. All rights reserved.

[kitchenandlegs]

Backtracking to the most recent Kwanzaa, these corn muffins with corn kernels kicked off the eight day celebration by reflecting on unity.

[kitchenandlegs]

Happy December! The months are flying by as my family and I settle back into the East Coast after our MidWest move. I suppose I am a New Jersey home baker now!

These pumpkin pancakes were perfect on a cool, fall morning for sweet and fruity brunch. What kind of pancakes do you like to make for late fall?  

[kitchenandlegs]

L'Shana Tova! I made this apple honey bundt cake extra moist and full of fruit flavor by sweetening it with two bananas, applesauce, and five apples. My vegan vanilla glaze tops it off. (And there is one for the second night in the background.)

[kitchenandlegs]

Cinnamon rolls take two! I added raisins, opted for my almond milk vanilla glaze, and used instant yeast this time. These two hour rolls, adapted from a 90 minute @allrecipes recipe, turned out just the right amount of sweet.

[kitchenandlegs]

Use what you got

I had coffee with a dear friend today, who is also a baker. She is moving cross-country, so she is using up everything she has--e.g., frozen fruit into banana breads.

When it comes to making with what you have, humans have been doing this, out of their own volition/creativity or forced into it, since the beginning. Taking agency over using what you got is powerful. Lack, or few, can drive air, space, time.

[kitchenandlegs]

Happy 2 year old birthday to kitchen and legs! Celebrating with a slice of yellow cake–so sweet, it can be eaten all on its own.

[kitchenandlegs]

The latest craving: cinnamon rolls for *awhile now* and finally decided to spend the 3+ hours to churn out these sweet-full beauties. Of course, topped with a light cream cheese frosting.

[kitchenandlegs]

I have been eying the @allrecipes recipe for moist chocolate chip muffins for a few weeks now... Saturday was the day! These 12 large and 12 mini muffins took less than half an hour to whip up (one batter bowl); I am a big fan of combining wet and dry (gasp!) ingredients at any order, really. Made these super healthy cutting back sugar to half, sweetening with an unsweetened coconut almond milk blend, nonfat plain yogurt, organic coconut oil, and used 1/2 buckwheat and 1/2 whole wheat flour. No one else but me may think these totally hit the chocolate-seeking sweet spot... but sometimes, dessert for one is where it starts.

[kitchenandlegs]

Carrot Cake Quandary (in five parts)

1. Make a huge carrot cake (double decker, 12 servings, etc.) knowing carrot cake is my life and my wife’s pieces are about 1/20 the size of mine.

2. Complain each day the carrot cake is in my house that I am gaining carrot cake weight.

3. Continue eating about 3 - 4 pieces of carrot cake a day.

4. Day three since making carrot cake, finish carrot cake.

5. Feel relieved and happy and sad at the same time. (No one said saying adios to disordered eating was fun…)

6. Wonder how long I will go until I need another carrot cake around…

[kitchenandlegs]

Carrot cake is my favorite dessert, stemming back to early diner days in New York City. Mine is made with whole wheat flour, raw walnuts, natural sweeteners including honey and maple syrup, and reduced fat cream cheese for its frosting finish.

[kitchenandlegs]

Everything turned out delicious! And done in time, which is always the goal 🌟. It was a sweet treat-with-fruity craft cocktail birthday party, full of light and camaraderie.

As for the treats, my wife and I * just * finished the cookies last week. A mental note to (a) self with a sweet tooth: preparing in masse to be sure everyone is sated and has a goody bag option means a potential freezer filled to the brim and the same desserts on (potential) repeat for months.

Eventually, I had to take a break from these treats. (When you’re adding a slice of chocolate chip cookie cake to your daily breakfast, the day just doesn’t feel clear…) The temptation of all that sweet stuff around was high and distracting; also I started craving processed sugar. (Remember I am a healthier baker at my roots, reducing added sugar, subbing in coconut oil, etc., but went full-on with the butter and sugar in these recipes).

I began to give away the birthday dessert, to our neighbors, to a potluck, to a friend for our Oscar night celebration. I gave cookies and cake to our wonderful friends at our local grocery store, who are a part of nourishing our life. In the act of releasing sweet treats to others, there was a calm that started to set in internally.

[kitchenandlegs]

And so, as the evening went on, birthday-euphoria kept me baking...

[kitchenandlegs]

I hope it has been a sweet start to the new year for you!

What have you been baking?

February was a busy month for my sweet treat hands. There were banana breads galore, my mother-in-law visiting (mental note: she only enjoys crispy sweet treats), and my annual birthday party came and went; much like last year, I spent days preparing the birthday treats. In this video, the Friday before my party, I begin my baking expedition of oatmeal raisin cookies, entrée size chocolate chip cookie cakes, blueberry streusel cakes, banana muffins with banana creamcheese frosting, and fresh whipped cream.

[kitchenandlegs]

Celebrate the new year with banana crumb muffins! I baked mine after dinner because muffins for dessert = perfect. Swap in brown sugar for white sugar and use whole wheat flour for the streusel topping and some of the muffin body for a delicious and healthier muffin treat. 

[kitchenandlegs]

To make this lattice crust, I borrowed a technique from working with challah dough. “Wringing out” the dough, then giving it a little twist, works wonders to make a hearty, thick, 3-D lattice top. Top it off with golden brown from an egg wash and crunches of brown and white sugar.

[kitchenandlegs]

A delicious, simple way to use up extra pie crust dough is by making mini pies. After molding the crust into each pie tin, I hand-scooped chopped Anjou pear into each topped with a mixture of white sugar, cinnamon, butter, oatmeal, and a dash of flour. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 F and serve warm.

[kitchenandlegs]

Latest dessert recipe up at @allrecipes

My recipe for Banana Coconut Cake with Vanilla Glaze is live @allrecipes. Try making it at home and take some pictures--let us know how it turns out!