Like so many people I have been cooking, baking and eating up a storm during quarantine. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to stop. Being that I love to cook and eat, there has been an onslaught of deliciousness and just when I am about to hang my apron up for a few days, I am triggered by yet another recipe. The latest treat I dished up is Olivia Culpo’s Carrot Cake. I came across this recipe while watching one of her Instagram stories and oh my, is this cake amazing.
I love a good cupcake. There is something about a fluffy, decadent, sinful piece of heaven that makes me want to melt and immediately cheat on an otherwise healthy day of eating. And you know what? It’s worth it. Every. Single. Time. No regrets – ever. The one time I don’t like to buy those delicious cakes is when I need to bring a lot of cupcakes. A couple of dozen cupcakes can cost a pretty penny which is why I LOOOOOVE this recipe for Extreme Chocolate Cupcakes. It is moist, delicious and you won’t believe how easy they are to whip up.
Banana Muffins, Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins – nothing new, nothing fancy, but oh so delicious. I have tried numerous recipes looking for the perfect muffin and this is it and I have to add that my boys love them. Like, really, really love them. Whenever I ask them what they want for breakfast these Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins are in their top three items they will ask for. And….I have to admit they are one of my favorite breakfasts as well.
I was given this recipe by a teen that used to watch my boys. He was telling me about these amazing muffins that his mom always made and actually had the image of the recipe on his phone. He said that so many people asked for the recipe after tasting the muffins that this is how his mom would give out the recipe.
These are a basic banana muffin – but a really, really good muffin. There is no fancy ingredient or big secret, just the perfect combination and proportions for a scrumptious treat. They are moist and fluffy, but not dense or dry. I attribute the perfect, moist texture to using oil instead of butter. While butter gives great flavor and I would never use anything else for cookies, these muffins benefit in a major way from using oil. I also find that the rich, delicious flavor of the bananas is elevated by using oil.
These are great any time and keep well, but are especially fantastic right out of the oven. There is nothing like watching the steam escape the inside of the fluffy muffin as chocolate chips slowly melt onto the delicate crevices. When I feel like being a real rebel I love to slather mine with butter. Nothing like some additional fat added to the all-purpose white flour baked goodness to really put you into a full on food buzz.
Have you ever slaved over a meal only to have your family either not eat it or simply give you that indifferent look while they force it down? If you haven’t you’re lucky, however unfortunately I have had this scenario happen to me more than once. I can’t begin to explain my shock when I made this Super Simple Spaghetti Bolognese that my crew loved. In fact they claimed this was the best bolognese I have ever made. Uh, ok…noted, I will never slave over my more complex bolognese sauces in the future.
So let me explain how this Super Simple Spaghetti Bolognese recipe came to be. I became discombobulated and dizzy on Monday. I thought I was just experiencing a bad headache, however when I continued to feel like I was on a moving boat on Wednesday I decided to go to the doctor. I can’t tell you how relieved to find out I had vertigo. All I can say is I was sooooooo happy to be diagnosed with a medical condition and know that this was not all in my head.
Since I wasn’t able to get to the grocery store for some fresh ingredients (and because my family had not had a home cooked meal in days) I decided to throw together a spaghetti bolognese. Ingredients are simple pantry staples and there is no lengthy simmering of sauce and because I used 93% lean ground turkey the meal was low fat as well.
So here is my recipe for Super Simple, Fast, Budget Friendly Spaghetti Bolognese. I hope you enjoy!
I adore chocolate chip cookies, so when I saw the recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cornstarch I knew I had to give them a try .
I have made countless batches always searching for the next best recipe. I am sure I will try other recipes on occasion, however this is hands down a new classic for me. I got this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction website. Click here to see her recipe as well as her absolutely stunning pictures.
There are several differences in this recipe compared to others I have tried – the three being that you use melted butter instead of softened (which means NO mixer needed!!!!), one egg and a yolk as opposed to two eggs that most recipes call for and 1 1/2 tsp. of cornstarch. I was a bit skeptical at first, however these have come out heavenly again and again. The recipe calls for 1 cup of chocolate chips. I like to mix this up with part dark chocolate, part milk chocolate and part cacao nibs (to sneak in a little added health benefits.)
These cookies are chewy, soft and incredibly delicious. They remind me of a Mrs. Fields cookie, but without the $2 price tag. I hope you try these out and let me know what you think.
CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES (uses cornstarch) – adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
INGREDIENTS
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, cacao nibs and/or some M&M’s
DIRECTIONS
Toss together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in the chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.Roll the dough into balls, about 1-2 tablespoons each. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
