Friday, July 27, 2012

Pancake and Sausage Muffins

Yummy note: Seriously, these rock.  I think I saw it before and people called it a “puffin” – basically mini baked pancake muffins!  I’m not sure where I first saw something along these lines, but it is sure genius. Especially when you can bake the sticky gooey sweet syrup right inside the pancake and it doesn't get all over! It is an easy clean up on those busy days! There are a bunch of homemade mix recipes out there, but for our house, pancakes are often a quick meal for us to throw together. Knock yourself out and use a homemade pancake mix if you wish, but the Bisquick worked quick and easy. When we are busy and on the run, the least amount of hassle, the better. Using a premade pancake mix, like Bisquick, it is as easy as 1-2-3 practically to make handheld pancake muffins pretty quick. These are like a meal on the go, when you toss in some precooked sausage or bacon and drizzle in a little syrup. Delicious. Mnnnmnnmn… When I made these, both kids, seriously gobbled down I think atleast 2 muffins. It was a total hit.


Pancake and Sausage Muffins

Ingredients: 
2 cups Bisquick2/3 cup milk (we used soy milk)
2 eggs
about a 1/3 - 1/2 cup of pancake syrup
1 cup of cut up precooked breakfast sausage*
* Could also use various other add-ins instead of the sausage, such as bacon, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, etc..) 



Bisquick mix in the pantry is a staple in my kitchen! 


Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your muffin To make the process even easier, use a large measuring cup or easy to pour bowl to stir the batter up in.

That way you can just pour the mix directly into the tins. Stir together the pancake mix, with the milk, eggs, and syrup. Mix together and pour in greased muffin pan or pour into cupcake liners. 





















Top with already cooked sausage or any other additional add-in you’d like. 
















Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they start to set up and get a little golden brown on top. Remove from pan and serve warm. These little things warm up nicely the next day as leftovers too, if they last that long! :) 















Enjoy with a little butter on top. Best served warm for breakfast, supper, or an anytime treat. 
 
  

Monday, July 16, 2012

Biscoff Graham Cracker Squares

Yummy note: For quite a while, I've seen a bunch of posts using this cookie spread called Biscoff. So a  few months ago, I purchased a jar as I looked a bit into it and realized it was nut and dairy-free! Bonus! That is the perfect combo in our house for the kids. Needless to say, it has since become a staple. My kids love the cookies and the Biscoff Spread. So now I often substitute the Biscoff spread for peanut butter in recipes. So in my cabinet, I had this half package of Biscoff cookies and a jar of Biscoff spread ready to be used... and it was perfect in Vicky's recipe from the blog Avocado and Pesto for Peanut Graham Cracker Squares. I thought that it'd be a nice sweet treat for putting my own yummy twist on it! Vicky from Avocado and Pesto was my luck of the draw for this month's Secret Recipe Club where we get to showcase another blogger's site. Avocado and Pesto had some great recipes like an avocado chickpea pesto salad, a breakfast sandwich with avocados, or peanut butter heath balls!? and the list goes on... Avocado and Pesto just had a site make-over not to long ago, and it looks fantastic, so make sure you check out her updated site! 








Biscoff Graham Cracker Squares

Ingredients: 
1 stick of butter 
1 cup of cookie crumbs - I used about a 1/2 cup of graham crackers and about 1/2 cup of Biscoff cookies crushed to equal 1 cup of crumbs 
1 cup powdered sugar 
1/2 cup Biscoff Spread (or peanut butter) 

Topping: 
2 tbsp Biscoff spread 
3/4 cup chocolate chips 

**Allergy note: I made these dairy-free by substituting the butter with soy margarine and vegan chocolate chips. I also substituted the peanut butter with the Biscoff Spread so that it was nut-free as well. 




Directions: 
Coat a small pan or container (like an 8x8 or 9x9 size) with cooking spray. To make the removal of the squares even better, line it with aluminum foil as Vicky mentioned in her original recipe, but just my luck, I ran out, so I had to just use the spray. It was ok, but I'm sure the foil would have rocked it. Note for next time..

Start by melting the butter and the peanut butter together. Next stir in the powdered sugar and cookie crumbs and mix until it is well combined. Press into your prepared container and chill for about 20-30 minutes until it begins to set up nice. 


Next, prepare your chocolaty topping by melting the chocolate chips and your 2 tablespoons of Biscoff spread together until smooth. Once smooth, pour chocolate topping on top of the cookie crust mixture. Chill until the treats are firm and have set up nicely. Cut into squares and enjoy! 






Sunday, July 1, 2012

Sugar Cookie Bars

Yummy note:
Many family gatherings I've taken along some sugar cookies, you know the rolled out and cut into fun shape ones with cute frosting. They have always been hit with everyone of all ages. However, since the kiddos, I've been keeping an eye on recipes that really help cut some time off my preparation or that seem to be easy to do. I had bookmarked this recipe a few years ago and immediately printed it out for future uses. This Sentimental Sunday is about spending time with family and still being able to enjoy a homemade treat without a lot of time devoted to it. Sometimes it is such a pain to have to make the dough, chill and roll sugar cookies out and then not to mention putting the finishing touches on those cookies can take a couple of hours to complete. But with this recipe, it is so easy, yet sooo unbelievably tasty. They stay extremely soft and can even be kept in the freezer for longevity. They are just perfect to share with others, which is my favorite part of baking! This is super nice for a party as it makes about 4 dozen or so bars, perfect ready to share. I don't think there is much more to say about these wonderful cookie bars, other than to just make a batch to enjoy!



Sugar Cookie Bars
recipe found here from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

For the cookie bars: 
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2-3 tsp. vanilla extract
5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

For the frosting: 
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
5 tbsp. milk
Food coloring (optional)

*Note- I have substituted an equal amount of soy margarine and soy milk in this recipe for the dairy ingredients and still achieved great tasting results for dairy-free options. 

Directions:

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet, about a 13"x18" sized one. Cream softened butter and sugar in a mixer until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one until incorporated. Next, blend in the vanilla. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. 


Spread the cookie dough into the prepared baking sheet and press into an even layer. Note, I had put a layer of aluminium foil on the bottom of the pan as well to have an easier removal of the cookie bar for cutting later. However, you can put the cookie dough directly into the greased pan. Bake only for about 10-15 minutes, or until a light golden brown color. You can test to see if it is done by sticking a toothpick in the center and see if it comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely before applying the frosting.



To make the frosting, beat the butter on medium-high speed in a mixer until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar until smooth. Then mix in the milk and add food coloring to tint.  Spread frosting over the cookie bars in the pan. 



At this point, you can freeze the cookie bars or cut into bars and serve.