1.06.2012

Vanilla Cream Sauce

Original Recipe HERE

I made these waffles, and they were a bust.  Mushy, flat, and a great disappointment in texture.  Taste was pretty good (though note to self: cut down the ginger slighty), so I'll give them one more shot.  But the suggested sauce to serve them with was great.  It tasted very similar to melted vanilla ice cream.  Pseudo ice cream for breakfast?  Yes, please.  I'll be referencing it in the future as an alternative to maple syrup when I host elegant brunches and fancy luncheons.  And they'd also be a good compliment to the frozen Kashi waffles I serve our kids.  Both are equally likely scenarios...  I halved it to feed four people, but the ingredients below are the regular amounts.

Ingredients
2 cups milk [I used a mix of skim and 2%]
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
(1) Add the milk to a sauce pan; heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
(2) Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a separate bowl.
(3) Gradually add dry ingredients to the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens a bit. Do not boil.
(4) Remove pan from heat.  Add butter and vanilla; stir until melted and combined.  Keep sauce slightly warm prior to serving.

Kid Participation: None.

1.05.2012

Spinach Cake Muffins

Original Recipe HERE

The name doesn't sound appealing, and while *N*'s suggestion of "Slime Muffins" doesn't, either, I think it's more fun.  So this recipe may go by that from now on.

This should be a helpful recipe to have whenever:
(1)  I have the urge to bake something and want it to be (1a) easy, and (1b) only comprised of ingredients I already have, (2) I have a surprise 15 minutes of time with just my daughter and want to do something (2a) fun, (2b) easy, and (2c) not very messy, (3) I have a hankering for something dessert-like but know that I'll eat at least 70% of whatever I make, so it needs to (3a) make a relatively small quantity, and (3b) be something I can convince myself is semi-healthy.

These are very basic-tasting muffins, bordering on bland.  I guess they could be dressed up with some sort of frosting, but since they remind me more of a banana or zucchini bread in texture and taste, I left them alone.  The only things I'd change from the original recipe are (1) less (or no) salt, and (2) experiment with some cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup fresh spinach, packed
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease a 24-cup muffin tin.
(2) Puree the first six ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
(3) Combine the dry ingredients in a large separate bowl; whisk well.
(4) Pour the spinach puree into the dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.
(5) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
(6) Bake for 12 minutes [mine were done at 11].  Immediately remove muffins from tin; place them on a cooling rack.

Kid Participation:
* Dump ingredients into bowl of food processor
* Run processor and declare batter "digusting"
* Whisk dry ingredients
* Stir wet and dry ingredients together
* Proclaim the finished product tasty and eat crow pie about the "disgusting" comment