How To: Flax Eggs

Happy Mother's Day! If that doesn't apply to you, then Happy Sunday!

I love eggs. I would eat them 3 times a day, if I could, but Joel isn't as big of a fan of them as I am, so I basically only reserve eggs for breakfast on the weekends. I still go through more eggs than one probably should, which sometimes leaves my egg carton empty. That poses a problem because I also like to bake, and baking usually requires eggs. For mother's day, I baked up a delicious breakfast treat that I will be sharing later in the month. Since I didn't have any eggs in the house, and I didn't have time to run to the store to buy some, I decided to try making flax eggs as a replacement. I had heard about them in several recipes before, and since I happened to have ground flax seeds in my freezer from some smoothies I made, it was perfect timing to try them. After sitting for about 15 minutes in the fridge, I was amazed at how similar the consistency of the flax eggs was to that of real eggs. My baked good came out of the oven just as perfectly as it would have if I had used real eggs. Now that I know this trick, I may use it for all of my baked goods!

1 tablespoon Ground Flaxseed or Flaxseed Meal
3 tablespoons Water

Mix the water and flaxseed in a bowl and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Whisk once more and use in place of eggs in baked goods.

SOURCE: Bob's Red Mill

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

While I've been enjoying smoothies for breakfast lately, I still prefer baked goods for breakfast because they are generally portable, filling, and sweet. I came across these muffins while searching Pinterest and was intrigued by the addition of the oatmeal and yogurt. These muffins are delicious! They have exactly what I look for in a baked good; they are portable, they are filling, and they are sweet, but not overly sweet! Best of all, these muffins are relatively healthy! With fibrous oats, protein packed yogurt, fruit, minimal butter, and no oil, you can feel good about yourself when you start your morning off with one of these muffins!

2 cups Flour
1 cup Oats
2/3 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cups Greek Yogurt
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons Butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Blueberries (I used frozen, but the original recipe calls for fresh)

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla until combined. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stirring until incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spoon the batter into each lined well. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Makes 12-14 muffins.

SOURCE: Domesticated Academic

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

When Joel and I went on our honeymoon to San Francisco, we made sure to stop at The Buena Vista every day for an Irish Coffee, despite the fact that it was July. There was something therapeutic about watching the bartenders making their specialty drink; line up a bunch of mugs, drop a few sugar cubes in each one, dump a shot of Jameson over the sugar, pour a fresh pot of coffee over the top going down the line of glasses like dominoes, and top with freshly made whipped cream. Yum! In honor of St. Patrick's Day, and because I had a bottle of Jameson in the liquor cabinet, I decided to make these adorable little cupcakes. I made them in a mini-bundt cake (or fancy donut) pan and filled the center with the frosting. There was plenty of frosting left over to add to the top as we were eating them. They were a delicious St. Patrick's Day cocktail and dessert, all wrapped up in one treat!

For the Cupcakes:
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Boiling Water
2 tablespoons Instant Espresso Powder (I used 1 packet of instant coffee, which was much less than 2 tablespoons, but still worked out fine)
1/4 cup Whole Milk, at room temperature (I used Half and Half)
1 stick Butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
2 Eggs, at room temperature

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup, add the espresso powder to the boiling water and whisk until combined. Cool to room temperature, then whisk in the milk. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by 1/2 of the espresso mixture, followed by 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by the remaining 1/2 of the espresso mixture, and end with the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Divide the batter between lined wells of a cupcake pan (the batter will make between 12-15 cupcakes, each filled about 2/3 full). Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to wire rack sand let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes before removing them to the racks to cool completely.

For the Frosting:
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream (I used 1 container, which only had about 1 cup)
4 1/2 teaspoons Confectioners' Sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons Whiskey

Add the heavy cream and the confectioners' sugar to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer until medium peaks form. Add the whiskey and continue beating until the mixture just barely holds stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe the frosting onto each of the cooled cupcakes. Dust with additional espresso powder for garnish, if desired.  

SOURCE: Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes with Peanut Butter-Oreo Buttercream

My brother's birthday was a few weeks ago, so my mom had us all over for dinner to celebrate. I volunteered to bring dessert and texted him to see what he would like. His response was "something oreo-like" and then later, he said "oreo based, peanut butter based, anything really is good"…hmm. Two years ago, I made him this oreo cake, which was delicious, but a little time consuming. I set out to searching and decided on cupcakes. Not only are they easy to transport, but they were also easier to share leftovers with work colleagues, because let's face it, who is going to want a piece of half eaten cake when they can have their own fresh cupcake? I decided to use this recipe as my post for First on the First this month because the theme was cake decorating, and while I have decorated cakes before, I have never made a "fancy" frosting. Between the frosting, the way it was piped, and the peanut butter cup garnish, I thought that my cupcakes were decorated quite nicely!

For the Cupcakes:
24 Oreos Halves, with cream filling attached 
2 1/4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
8 tablespoons Butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups Sugar
3 Egg Whites, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 cup Milk
20 Oreo Cookies, coarsely chopped

Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo half in the bottom of each liner, cream side up. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir together with a fork and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat until just combined, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a  rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bak et at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the Frosting:
1/2 cup Butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup Shortening
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
2-3 cups Powdered Sugar
2-3 tablespoons Milk
Pinch of Salt
3 tablespoons Oreo Crumbs

Separate about 8 Oreos and discard the cream filling. In a food processor or a bag, crush the cookies into fine crumbs. In a large bowl, beat the butter and shortening, on high, until fully combined, then beat in the peanut butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and the salt. Beat the mixture on low, slowly increasing the speed to high, and continue beating for 2 minutes. Add more powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have reached your desired consistency. Add the cookie crumbs and beat on high for 2 minutes. 

SOURCE: Cupcakes from Annie's Eats, Frosting from Saifou Image

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins [no egg]

Back in September, I ran a half marathon at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA with my friend Alaina and her friend Maggie. I had meant to post this recipe right away, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle and forgotten about for several months. Since we were traveling for this race, and since we were going to have to leave the hotel very early to get to the race (I'm talking 4am), I wanted to bring something that we could enjoy for a pre-race breakfast. Collectively, one of our favorite things to eat before a run is a banana with some peanut butter, so I wanted to incorporate those flavors into a something portable, like a muffin. Since I had no eggs in the fridge, a quick google search for no-egg banana muffins brought me to this recipe. Sounded good! After baking them up and letting them cool, I wrapped them and put them into a "good luck" box for each of my friends. In the box, I included the muffin for breakfast, a Luna bar for a snack, and a bottle of beer to enjoy post-race. Of course, I brought extras of all of those things, especially since our guys were nice enough to come with us, wake up early with us to drive us to the park, and wait around during the race for us, cheering us on for the 2 seconds it took for us to pass them and the 2-hours or so that it took for us to finish! (I promise that we'll try to find a race a little closer to home this year, guys!)

1/3 cup Applesauce
1 cup Sugar
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1-2 teaspoons Vanilla
3 Bananas (very ripe), mashed
Peanut Butter Chips

Line a muffin tin with paper liners (alternatively, grease an 8x4 loaf pan). In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, sugar, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir to combine. Blend in the mashed bananas. Stir in a handful of peanut butter chips. Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into each of the wells of the muffin tin. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (if making bread in a loaf pan, bake for about an hour). 

SOURCE: Barely adapted from The Fresh Loaf

the "good luck" box