Apple Spice Muffins

After making about a thousand batches of mini pumpkin muffins and a few hundred batches of banana muffins using basically the same recipe, I also decided to branch out into some of the apple variety. Actually, it wasn't so much of an intentional branching out as it was desperation after running out of canned pumpkin and ripe bananas.

For my first batch I strained the applesauce through a coffee filter overnight to get a cup of applesauce about the consistency of canned pumpkin. I then used some of the cloudy apple-water for the added 2 tbsp of water that the original recipe calls for. Feel free to go this route!

Mini Strawberry Tarts

Raise your hand if you're sick of hearing me talk about cleaning out my pantry before I move across the country! Let me tell you, I'm waving my own hand pretty violently. I'm SO ready to go...and I still have four more weeks! AH!

In any case, I think this is one of the more successful of my recent experiments. I made some changes to the recipes that originally inspired this, because *GASP* I ran out of sugar! And I'm cheap and don't buy fresh strawberries very often. But I DID have a big bag of frozen strawberries from a few weeks ago when I mistakenly thought that they would help me turn down the ice cream that my husband was buying. Ha.

The good news is that my ice cream indulgence meant that I had plenty of strawberries for these cute little strawberry cream pies!

Earthy Cookies

These cookies were born from a desire for something mildly healthy that would use up some ingredients that we won't want to lug around with us when we move back across the country in a couple of weeks. For a cookie with no butter or anything, I'm pleased. But then again, I don't mind an earthy thing every once in a while. If you have more of an incurable sweet tooth, these might not be for you.

Holey White Batter Bread

For a year or so now I've been looking for a white bread recipe that's fluffy enough to rival store bought sandwich bread. I'm the chewy, crusty baguette type, but my husband wants soft squishy bread for his sandwiches, and I've never managed to make it happen for him.

This bread is one of my many attempts, and I sincerely enjoyed the final product. My husband didn't try a single piece. Gah. Not that I blame him. It was obvious that it wasn't going to have the texture he was looking for. It wasn't chewy, crusty either, but it sure was a nice loaf of bread anyway! And the low-maintenance aspect of it definitely won me over.

Burger Buns

I have a thing for meat. Maybe it isn't very feminine. Maybe people think I'm always on a low-carb diet or something. Well, considering how many batches of muffins I've made recently, that might not be true. 

In any case, a good burger must have a good bun. Soft, squishy, able to hide out in the background and let the burger take center stage. You know how it goes.

These buns are just about perfect. They could be a tad squishier to be honest (maybe I'll let them rise longer before hitting the oven? And/or add substitute some potato flakes into to the dough?), but for the most part, they made my dreams come true.

Little Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Though I do already have one Lemon Poppyseed Muffin recipe up here, after some experimenting I found that I like this one SO much more that I just had to share it! It's an adapted version of the original, and the old post now has a link here to the new-and-improved version.

Humble Offering of Bran Muffins

Dear Food Blog,
I've been busy. Oh, so busy. Please forgive me for not offering you any yummy treats. I've made a few, and shoved them in my mouth as I ran out the door. Please accept this one humble photo.

These are mini Kellogg's All-Bran Everyday Muffins, straight from the website, which is mostly done in flash or something so I couldn't get you the link. They were good, but a tad...rubbery. If I'd had enough cereal left (and enough time) I might have tried some changes.

So please, please forgive me until I return again with something spectacular.

Love,
Me.