Lowfat Apple Banana Cherry (ABC) Mini Muffins Recipe

I've always loved applesauce banana bread but recently received a 4lb bag of dried cherries and have been trying to figure out how to go through them all (I also made homemade rum cherry ice cream).

Lucky me, I just happened to have 2 leftover ripe bananas and my snack standby -unsweetened applesauce. That's about all you need to make this easy, no-guilt muffin recipe with applesauce, bananas, and dried cherries. There's no butter and no oil in the recipe, with the only fat coming from the eggs. I added a touch of nonfat Fage greek yogurt to add a touch of richness - but that's healthy too!

I guess I could have made full sized muffins, but the mini ones are so much cuter and easier to share. Hope you enjoy these reduced fat ABC mini muffins (applesauce, bananas, & cherries) - they're a healthy snack!

Lowfat Apple Banana Cherry Mini Muffins: bananas, applesauce, dried cherries, nonfat greek yogurt, eggs, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg

Lowfat ABC (Apple Banana Cherry) Mini Muffins

Yields: 48 mini muffins (2 pans) or 12 regular sized muffins

Ingredients

• Dry
• 1 3/4 cup (219 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (67 g) brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp saigon cinnamon (or regular)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1/2 tsp salt

• Wet
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe bananas mashed (a little less than a cup)
• 2 tbsp nonfat Fage greek yogurt (or your brand of choice)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• Stir In
• 1 cup dried cherries (can substitute other dried fruits like cranberries, blueberries, etc. I add a lot because I like the chew but feel free to reduce)
• (Optional - 1/2 cup nuts of your choice)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add in mixed dry ingredients and mix together well. 
4. Stir in dried cherries
5. Spray mini-muffin tins with non-stick baking spray with flour
6. Pour batter into muffin tin - about a tbsp each so that batter comes just under the edge
7. Bake for about 16-18 minutes, until toothpick inserted is clean.

Note: These muffins can be frozen and defrosted, just like your favorite banana bread recipe.

The Best Breakfast Egg Casserole - Texas Eggs Recipe

Texas Eggs are a Thanksgiving tradition in our household passed down over the years. You make it the night before, and bake it the morning of Thanksgiving for a fuss free, filling breakfast that keeps the kitchen clean for Thanksgiving cooking. Another bonus is that it gets the oven warm and prepped!

Now, this 16 egg casserole recipe may look like a heart attack on a plate, but having this once a year is so worth it. Just invite more people over to help feast on the rich, savory, creamy goodness of the egg casserole. But don't forget - the reheated leftovers are EVEN BETTER so don't worry if there aren't many to enjoy together.

Texas Eggs Recipe 
Ingredients

¼ cup butter
½ cup flour
1 qt whole milk
3 oz dried beef*, diced
½ lb bacon, fried & crumbled (make sure this is crispy)

16 eggs
½ tsp salt
1 c evaporated milk
¼ c butter

Sprinkle of paprika

Directions - Day 1

• Cook the butter, flour and whole milk until thick. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon and it will look sort of like gravy.
• Add the dried beef & bacon and set aside

• Whip together the eggs, salt & evaporated milk.
• Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the egg mixture and scramble eggs until they just start to set.

• Butter a 9x13 pyrex pan and layer as follows:
• First a thin layer of sauce
• Next all the eggs
• Top with the rest of the sauce
• Sprinkle with paprika
• Cover and refrigerate overnight

Directions - Day 2

• Bake 275°F 1 hour – let stand at least 5 min before cutting

*Dried beef can be found in the grocery aisle usually near the canned goods like canned tuna in regular grocery stores (eg Safeway, Walmart, Lucky, etc. NOT organic places like Whole Foods) The brand that is usually available is Hormel's, or you can order it online. There is no substitute so make sure you find it!

Low (er) Fat, Tender Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

I won't pretend that these biscuits are without fat, but given that they are made with 1% buttermilk, it makes me feel better that they are "low fat" biscuits :) More importantly, others won't be able to tell that they are "healthier", and an added bonus is that they are very easy to make! 

Adapted primarily from a highly rated Cooking Light biscuit recipe, I added additional best practices from other biscuit experts that I incorporated. I learned that making good biscuits is all in the handling of the dough, so hopefully these tips will help you avoid dry and crumbly biscuits.

Tip: While these are very easy to consume, I highly recommend eating these in moderation as your belly will get full from them! My friends and I love these and hope you do too :)

Lowfat Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Makes approximately 12 2-inch biscuits
(recipe easily doubles to make ~12 3.5" biscuits)

• 9 oz all-purpose flour (I highly recommend weighing this as extra flour makes for dry biscuits!)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp chilled shortening, cut into small pieces (I use Crisco)
• 3/4 cup 1% buttermilk (make sure you shake before measuring)
• 3 tbsp honey

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (425 if you are making 3.5" biscuits)
2. Prepare butter & shortening into small pieces and refrigerate to ensure they are chilled.  (Note: you can use all butter or all shortening but I like the combination of both. The shortening creates a flakier biscuit)
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

MIXING

1. Cut in butter & shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. It's ok if there are a little pebbles of fat left. Chill for at least 10 minutes.
2. Whisk buttermilk and honey until well blended (Note: I do this in a 2-cup Pyrex so it's easy to measure and pour), then place in the fridge to chill as well.
3. After ingredients are chilled, create a crater in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the liquid mixture all at once into the crater.
4. Use a fork to mix everything together as quickly as possible, starting from the center and bringing flour in, until just moist. It's ok if there's a little flour left, but you don't want a lot.

FOLDING & CUTTING

1. The next few steps are critical. Do not overwork the dough or else you'll get less tender biscuits. I also think this folding method from Cooking Light is the easiest to follow.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to make sure any extra flour is incorporated.
3. Pat dough with your fingertips into a 1/2" thick 9x5" rectangle (18x10" if you're making larger biscuits). Dust surface lightly with flour.
4. Fold dough into thirds, as if folding a piece of paper to fit an envelope.
5. Pat dough again into 1/2" thick 9x5" rectangle (18x10" for larger biscuits). Dust surface lightly with flour.
6. Fold dough into thirds.
7. Pat dough to a 3/4" thickness into a shape where you can maximize the number of biscuits, depending on your biscuit cutter size. 
8. Cut dough with your preferred biscuit cutter. Make sure to press straight down, and do NOT twist the cutter. You can also cut your dough into squares if you prefer.

BAKING

1. Place dough rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet with the edges just touching. This helps the biscuits to rise and also helps them to stay more tender. (Note: you can reshape the scraps and bake, but these won't be as tender)
2. Bake for approximately 12 minutes on the top oven rack. For larger biscuits, rotate pan about halfway through. The biscuits should be cooked after ~12 minutes, but check a scrap to be sure. If the biscuits are cooked inside but not quite golden on top yet, use the broiler for 1-2 minutes (while watching carefully!) to create the color.
3. Remove from pan and cool 2 minutes on wire racks before serving.

These biscuits are really best on the same day, but are still pretty tasty the next if you store them in a ziplock bag. I have also freezed them after bake for future consumption. Enjoy alone, with jam, or get creative! I served these with a homemade Korean-inspired fried chicken slider.

Homemade Lowfat Buttermilk Biscuits

Lowfat Buttermilk Biscuits: all-purpose flour, 1% buttermilk, butter, crisco, baking powder, salt, honey

East Meets West Fried Chicken Slider on a Biscuit

East Meets West Fried Chicken Slider: fried chicken, homemade Korean inspired  bbq sauce, homemade pickles & fresh lettuce on a biscuit

German Chocolate Cake Without Nuts and Ganache Frosting

This is how I like my German Chocolate Cake - no nuts, and frosted with chocolate ganache.  After doing some research, this recipe is mostly based on the version from Joy of Cooking, but with my own little tweaks. Of course, if you like nuts in your german chocolate cake - you can definitely add the pecans back in! 

I also learned that German Chocolate Cake isn't technically from the Germans, it was just a type of sweet chocolate invented by a man named German. :) I think the cake is sweet enough though so my choice was to use dark chocolate (about 58% cacao) instead. Trader Joe's sells their Pound Plus (17.6 oz) Belgian baking chocolate for $4.99 and it works great!

This recipe may look long, but it's worth it! I tried to break out the steps as much as possible for this one :) I hope you enjoy!

German Chocolate Cake: dark chocolate, butter, cake flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, salt, coffee, evaporated milk, sweetened coconut, heavy cream, baking soda

German Chocolate Cake Recipe
2 9-inch round layers

• Group A
• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (make sure you measure after you sift)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

• Group B
• 4 oz dark baking chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup warm coffee (I use strong french-pressed coffee)
• 1 tsp vanilla

• Group C
• 1 cup buttermilk (I used reduced-fat buttermilk and think it's just as good, but you can use regular)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (I start with cold butter from the fridge)
• 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) sugar 
• 4 large egg yolks (save the egg whites, you'll use them later)

• Group D
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar

1. PREPARATION
• Preheat the oven to 355, you'll reduce this to 350 to bake at as soon as you put the pans in. The extra 5 degrees helps to ensure your cake starts baking from the start at 350.
• Have all the ingredients at room temperature, with the exception of butter if you're using a stand mixer. I've found that this helps to ensure the butter doesn't break.
• Grease and flour 2 9x2inch round cake pans, or line the bottoms with parchment paper. I don't recommend lining the sides with parchment as these can cause the cake to bake unevenly.
• If you use parchment, save the scraps to use while frosting later.
   
2. GROUP A: DRY INGREDIENTS
• Whisk together sifted cake flour, baking soda and salt until thoroughly blended
   
3. GROUP B: MELTING THE CHOCOLATE
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer.
• Combine chopped chocolate and coffee in a heatproof bowl that will fit on top of your saucepan.
• Place the bowl on the saucepan and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Stir in vanilla
• Remove bowl from saucepan and set aside
   
4. GROUP C: MAKING THE BATTER
• Have buttermilk measured and ready to go on the side
• Cut cold butter into 1 inch chunks.
• Using a stand mixer with a flat beater, beat butter until creamy and pale.
• On high speed, gradually add 1 3/4 cup sugar (about 1/4 cup at a time) and beat until light and fluffy.
• Beat in 1 egg yolk at a time until all 4 are incorporated.
• On low speed, add in the melted chocolate mixture and beat until just incorporated.
• Add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 parts
• Beat until smooth and make sure to scrape the sides down as appropriate.
• Transfer all of the mixture into a large, wide bowl. You'll use this to fold the meringue in later.
   
5. GROUP D: MERINGUE
• Use a clean mixer bowl with a flat beater, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed.
• Beat until peaks are stiff but not dry.
   
6. C+D: FINISHING THE BATTER
• Use a rubber spatula to fold in 1/4 of the meringue into the chocolate batter mix.
• Fold in remaining meringue.
   
7. BAKING
• Divide batter among pans and spread evenly across the tops. I generally measure both pans on a scale to ensure they are equal.
• Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes
• Let cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.
   
8. COOLING
• Lightly spray cooling rack with baking spray.
• Run a thin knife around edge of pan, invert on to a cooling rack, peel off parchment paper, and turn the cake right side up to cool.
• Wait till cakes completely cool before frosting.
   
9. ASSEMBLING THE CAKE
• Start this process only after cakes and filling have cooled.
• Cut each cake into 2 halves, using a rimless baking sheet or flexible cutting board (reserved for baking only) to help remove the layers.
• Split filling into 3 batches (I measure this on a scale to make sure it's even)
• Starting with the 1st layer on a 10 inch cake round, use the 1st batch of filling and spread evenly across the cake. Leave about a 1/3 inch edge as the filling will push out when you add on the additional layers. 
• Repeat with next 2 layers of cake. Place the 4th cake layer on top.
• Trim the edge of the cake with any uneven edges. Doesn't have to be perfect as the edges will get covered with ganache later.
   
10. FROSTING THE CAKE
• Place your parchment pieces around the bottom edge of the cake to protect the cake round.
• Pour a little ganache on to the top of the cake, just to create a thin smooth layer to cover any crumbs. Use a spatula to help smooth out if necessary. Let cool for a couple minutes to set.
• Make sure the remaining ganache is nice and smooth, but viscous (this will make sure it creates a thick layer), reheating over the saucepan if necessary.
• Pour remaining ganache onto the cake slowly, positioned right above the middle. Let the ganache drip over the edges.
• Go back and smooth out the edges so that the sides are frosted. Don't touch the top as this should be smooth!
• Next time, I plan to add chocolate sprinkles on the sides of the cake too.

Coconut Filling Recipe (Nuts Optional)

About 3 1/4 cups

• Group A
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk (you can also use heavy cream)
• 3 large egg yolks, beaten together
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
   
• Group B
• 1 2/3 cups flaked sweetened coconut (I use Baker's Angel Flake)
• OPTIONAL: 1 1/3 cups chopped pecans (Reduce coconut by 1/3 cup if you choose to use nuts)

1. GROUP A: MAKING THE BASE
• Combine all Group A ingredients in medium saucepan
• Cook mixture over heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbling gently on the edges.
• Reduce the heat to low and cook/stir for another 2 minutes
• Remove from heat.
   
2. FINISHING THE FILLING
• Stir in coconut (and pecans if you prefer)
• Let cool until spreadable.

Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Frosts 9-inch cake.

• 7 oz chopped bittersweet or dark chocolate
• 7 oz heavy cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (this helps the ganache maintain a shiny appearance)

1. Place chopped chocolate in heatproof bowl
2. Heat heavy cream and butter in a saucepan until just boiling.
3. Remove cream mixture from heat and pour immediately over chopped chocolate.
4. Whisk until ganache is smooth.
5. Let rest for a few minutes before starting to frost cake.