My Recipe Reviews

Recipe Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

desserts

Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies

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Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies

I’m on a cookie kick lately and have been waiting to make these Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies for awhile. It’s a really good, chewy oatmeal cookie base that I dressed up with chopped apple and caramel.

Cookies are so easy to grab and snack on and these are full of good stuff. There’s no granulated white sugar and it’s sweetened from brown sugar and honey. You can really taste the wonderful flavor of that deep, sweet honey, so use the best honey you can for the best flavor.

Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies

These cookies are very soft, so be sure and let them sit on the cookie sheet after baked. If not, they’re so soft that the spatula will destroy them. You don’t want that after all the time you put in cutting those dang little caramels.

I made them rather large, but recommend making them medium-sized. They’re quite sweet and probably a 2-inch cookie is a perfect sized. Have a couple of these Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies with a cup of hot coffee. What a great combination!

Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies

The whole-wheat flour gives the cookie a nice texture and is a touch healthier than using entirely all-purpose flour. With the whole-wheat flour, raisins, cinnamon, and honey, they’re not too bad of a snack for the kids. The caramels – not so much, but they’re a great addition!

These Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies are soft, chewy from the caramels and raisins and then crunchy from the apple.

I use Honey Crisp Apples because they stay crunchy, they’re tart/sweet and they’re perfect for this cookie. Use a Granny Smith or Fuji if you can’t get Honey Crisp at your store.

We’re enjoying these cookies. They’re a nice change from the chips and candy we’ve been grabbing as a snack. We’re trying not to let this stay-at-home create stay-on-hips. Hopefully these cookies will help!

Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies

Want another great apple recipe? Take a look at this Cider Glazed Apple Bundt Cake. It’s amazing.

Oatmeal Caramel Apple Cookies

Oatmeal Caramel Apple cookies

Yield: 2 dozen
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

Chewy, sweet oatmeal cookies packed with apple and caramel.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 C quick-cook oatmeal
  • 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 C whole-wheat flour
  • 7 tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 C raisins (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 C chopped peeled apple (1 large apple)
  • 16 soft caramels, small chopped
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1/2 C canola oil
  • 1/3 C milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
  2. In a large stand mixer bowl, add the oats, flours, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. On very low, mix until combined. Add the raisins, apples and caramels, and mix on low again for about 15 seconds.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, honey, oil, and milk. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and mix on low until completely combined (about 30 seconds).
  4. Drop by tablespoons onto the cookie sheet, leaving plenty of space between each cookie because they will spread while baking.
  5. Bake 12-14 minutes until cookies have turned a darker shade and look just browned around the edges. They should be fairly soft.
  6. Remove the pan of baked cookies from the oven and let them stay on the cookie sheet while you prepare the next batch and they cook. Move the cooled cookies to a cookie rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature on a loosely covered plate for 3-4 days.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

I used a big Honey Crisp apple - they're crunchy, tart and sweet and will hold their shape when baked.

Prepare the chopped apple and chopped caramels before you begin.

Raisins are optional, but recommended.

I used Kraft soft caramels, cut them in half, then each half into thirds (i.e., six pieces per caramel).  

I refrigerated the dough between the batches - that made the dough a little firmer.

Be sure and let them cool on the pan for awhile or they'll fall apart when you use the spatula to lift them.  They're very soft cookies.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 cookies
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 105mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Cookies

Sticky Buns (America’s Test Kitchen)

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It’s finally time for me to learn to make Sticky Buns and there’s no better source to get the recipe from than America’s Test Kitchen‘s top 20 recipes all of time. 

Sticky Buns

This is from Season 17 and is rated 5th overall.  Bret bought a 6-quart KitchenAid mixer for me and these buns are the perfect thing to make on its maiden voyage. (And I do mean voyage – this new mixer is as big as a boat.)

The ingredient list and the instructions look long and involved, but it’s really rather straight forward to create these tasty little buns.

It starts with a sticky dough that becomes a beautiful, silky risen dough that’s great to work with. The stand mixer does all the kneading work, so you can just sit back and take a little nap during the mixing.

Sticky Buns

The buns bake up soft, fluffy, and perfect. America’s Test Kitchen does a great job on the instructions, detailing every step so that even a novice will succeed.

These Sticky Buns aren’t actually dripping with gooey topping. They have just enough to make a perfect, thick layer of caramely and sticky goodness. If you want the buns stickier and gooey-er you can make more topping, although I do think you’ll find this recipe gets it just right.

It’s gonna be hard, but have patience – you need to wait till these buns are completely cooled to eat them. When they’re ready, the ratio of soft, fluffy bun to the layer of gooey caramel goodness is spot-on delicious.

An observation, though, is that they’re best the first day after being completely cooled. If you can’t eat all of them the first day, microwave for 10-15 seconds for the best taste and texture. ATK gets my vote for best sticky buns!

Sticky Buns

This recipe is an investment in time, mainly because of the two rising hours. I enjoyed making these buns, though, and we’re enjoying eating them even more.

Sticky Buns (America's Test Kitchen)

Sticky Buns (America's Test Kitchen)

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

An outstanding version of the standard sticky bun. Soft and tender with a chewy, gooey caramely topping.

Ingredients

  • Flour Paste:
  • 2/3 C water
  • 1/4 C (1 1/3 oz) bread flour
  • Dough:
  • 2/3 C milk
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 2 3/4 C (15 1/8 oz) bread flour
  • 2 tsp (1 packet) instant or rapid-rise yeast
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp butter, softened (ATK recommends unsalted)
  • Topping:
  • 6 tbsp butter, melted (ATK recommends unsalted)
  • 1/2 C (3 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 C (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 C dark corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 C pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)
  • Filling
  • 3/4 C packed (5 1/4 oz) dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. For the flour paste: In a small bowl, whisk the water and flour together until smooth. Microwave in 25 second increments, whisking after each 25 seconds, until stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency with a total of 50 to 75 seconds.
  2. For the dough: In bowl of stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk flour paste and milk together until smooth. Add egg and yolk and whisk to combine. Fit stand mixer with dough hook , then add the flour and yeast. Mix on low speed until all of the flour is moistened, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Stop mixer and add butter. Continue to mix on medium-low for 5 minutes longer, scraping down the dough hook and sides of bowl when needed. Dough will be very sticky.
  3. Lightly flour your counter or marble and scoop the dough on the surface. Knead briefly to form a ball and transfer, seam side down, to a lightly greased large bowl. Spray dough ball lightly with cooking spray and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until just doubled in volume - 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  4. For the topping: While the dough rises, grease 13x9" metal baking pan. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth. Add the water and whisk carefully until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and tilt the pan to cover it evenly. (Sprinkle with pecans, if using).
  5. For the Filling: Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined; set aside.
  6. Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press dough gently, but firmly to expel the air. Working from the center toward the edge, pat and stretch dough to form 18x15" rectangle, with the long end facing you. Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1" border along the top edge. Smooth the filling into an even layer with your hand, then gently press the filling into the dough to adhere.
  7. Begin with the long edge near you and gently roll the dough into a loose cylinder, taking care not to roll too tightly (if too tightly rolled, the rolls with rise upward). Pinch the seam together to seal and roll the seam to the bottom.
  8. Mark the cylinder into 12 equal portions (there should be twelve, 1 1/2" portions). To slice, get a 10 to 12 inch strand of unflavored dental floss, hold it taut, and slip it under the roll to the first mark. Cross the ends of floss over each other and pull, cutting the slice. Repeat with all slices.
  9. Transfer the slices, cut sides down, into the prepared pan with the topping, spaced evenly. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free warm place until the buns are puffy and touching one another, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  10. While buns are rising, adjust the oven racks to lowest and lower-middle positions. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drips. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  11. Bake buns on upper rack until lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Carefully tent the pan with aluminum foil to avoid further browning and bake until center of dough registers at least 200°, 12-15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, remove the foil and let buns cool in the pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Lightly run a butter knife around the edges of the pan, then place a rimmed baking sheet over buns and carefully invert onto the sheet. Scoop up any glaze left in the baking pan onto buns. Let cool for at least 10 minutes longer before serving (best after completely cooled, though).

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

You'll notice the weights of the ingredients in the instructions.  I do weigh them to get the best results and highly recommend investing in an inexpensive kitchen scale.

You can refrigerate the slices in the pan (before the 2nd rising) overnight, for up to 14 hours, then bake them.  To bake, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let sit until buns are puffy and touching one another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Then bake as usual.

Both of the rising times took the entire hour for me.  

ATK recommends unsalted butter, but I use salted.  It worked fine.

I didn't use pecans, but if you do be sure and toast them first (spread on a baking sheet, 350° for 5 or so minutes until you just smell the nuttiness).  It really makes a difference in the taste.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 roll
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 407Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 459mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 7g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© America's Test Kitchen
Category: Breakfast

Brown Butter Orange Loaf

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Brown Butter Orange Loaf

Looking for a special something to take to a friend today, I found this Brown Butter Orange Loaf from the new Joy of Cooking. Actually, the original is called Lemon Brown Butter Loaf, but I went to the refrigerator and realized I only had oranges. That’s OK. I’m the master of substituting and swapping out ingredients and still end up with a successful recipe.

First of all, brown butter takes any recipe over the top. That nutty, buttery flavor just permeates and leaves your guests wondering what that nice rich flavor is. Be patient – an extra 10 minutes is worth the incredible result. (Take a look at my Peachy Brown Butter Bars!)

Brown Butter Orange Loaf

I substituted orange zest and juice for the lemon called for and added a little zest to the glaze, too. When you make baked goods with fresh lemons or oranges, the flavor really comes more from the zest than the juice. Just be sure and zest the absolute outside of the citrus fruit and don’t include any of that bitter white pith.

You don’t want too much zest either or it will also make the baked good bitter. It’s best to go by the recommendation amount in recipe the first time you make it, then experiment from there.

Brown Butter Orange Loaf

This recipe makes a fairly short loaf in a 9×5″ loaf pan, so if you want a taller loaf just make it in an 8″ loaf pan and cook it a bit longer. Don’t over bake this – 48 minutes tops and turn it once while baking.

The texture of Brown Butter Orange Loaf is almost pound cakey, but with a little lighter and looser-textured crumb. It has a fantastic orange flavor, deepened by that wonderful browned butter. The glaze on top is a perfect finish and is needed because the loaf is only lightly sweet.

Make this before citrus season is over. The only reason I can deal with citrus season coming to a close is that those Spring berries will be coming soon!

Brown Butter Orange Loaf

Brown Butter Orange Loaf

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Delicious and orangey and great for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks (16 tbsp) butter
  • 1 C sugar
  • orange zest from 1 orange
  • 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 C buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Glaze:
  • 1 1/4 C powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5" loaf pan and line bottom with parchment paper (will work OK without the parchment paper, but comes out a little more easily).
  2. Brown the butter: Put the butter in a large skillet and cook on medium-low. Stir occasionally, making sure the butter doesn't burn. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, until butter foams up and turns a golden brown. There'll be brown bits in it - that's OK. Remove from the stove and pour into a medium bowl to cool for at least 15 minutes.
  3. Put the sugar and orange zest into another medium mixing bowl and stir until the orange zest is distributed through the sugar (or pulse in a food processor).
  4. Add the brown butter, eggs, buttermilk, orange juice, and vanilla to the sugar/orange mixture and stir until combined completely.
  5. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, using the back of the spoon to mash any flour lumps.
  6. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-48 minutes, turning once during baking. An inserted toothpick should come back with a few crumbs. Cool in the pan on a rack for ten minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the loaf to loosen. Turn out the loaf onto a rack to cool completely.
  7. For the Glaze: Mix together the glaze ingredients (will be a little thick, but will stir easily - add a little more orange juice if you want it thinner). Place the loaf and rack over waxed paper and pour the glaze over the loaf. Leave to set before serving. Store leftover loaf in either a cake carrier or plastic wrap.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Next time I'll make this in an 8" loaf pan so it will be a little bit taller.

You can switch out the orange for lemon (use the zest from 2 lemons vs. 1 orange).

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 297mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 1gSugar: 46gProtein: 6g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Joy of Cooking 2019
Category: Cakes

Small Batch Coffee-Toffee Cookies

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Coffee Toffee Cookies

At the beginning of every year, I put together a list of “to make” recipes. This year’s list ranges from appetizers to main meals, sides, cakes and cookies. This year’s list is incredible and I’ll be cooking/baking from Cook’s Country, America’s Test Kitchen, Taste of Home, the new Joy of Cooking, and Southern Living. Not to mention several Pinterest recipes I’ve had pinned for years now, as well as some recipes from the old standby family cookbook. I’m excited to bring these delicious recipes to you and hope you get to make a few of them!

Let’s get going by making these Small Batch Coffee-Toffee Cookies from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook. I’ve made so, so many recipes from this cookbook and appreciate the smaller portions so we don’t have to eat quite as many leftovers or waste food by throwing it out.

Coffee Toffee Cookies

I adapted these cookies just slightly by adding a bit more flour because the batter was a little stickier than I thought it should be. The end result is soft, lightly sweet, definitely coffee-flavored cookies with crunchy, buttery Heath toffee bits. I increased the amount of toffee bits, too, because I love the flavor.

This Small Batch Coffee-Toffee Cookies recipe makes 12 very large cookies, or 15 large cookies. It’s supposed to be for two people, so I guess that’s fair – 6 to 7-ish cookies apiece? OK, you don’t have to eat them all at once and can save some for later. Of course after I tasted two cookies for quality control and then one while I was taking photos, there weren’t that many left for Bret. Poor guy.

Coffee Toffee Cookies

I really love these soft, coffee-flavored cookies. They’re also a lovely cappuccino-y color. The original recipe calls for espresso powder, but try finding espresso powder in Grand Prairie, Texas. I substituted about half of what it called for with instant coffee granules. Just be sure and make sure they’re dissolved in the water very well before adding the rest of the ingredients.

These are terrific cookies that I’ll definitely make again. I can’t eat too many, though, or I won’t be able to sleep at night. Wonder if decaffeinated instant coffee will work?

Coffee Toffee Cookies

Coffee Toffee Cookies

Small Batch Coffee-Toffee Cookies

Yield: 12 large cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes

Quick and easy soft, lightly sweet, coffee-flavored cookies with a hefty helping of toffee bits mixed in.

Ingredients

  • 1 C plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tsp instant coffee granules (or espresso powder)
  • 2 tsp warm tap water
  • 1/2 C plus 2 tbsp sugar
  • 5 tbsp butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 C plus 1 tbsp Heath toffee bits (plus another tablespoon for sprinkling on top of dough)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In another medium bowl, whisk the instant coffee and water together until the coffee is dissolved. Whisk in the sugar and melted butter until combined. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the 1/4 C and 1 tbsp of toffee bits.
  4. Working with 2 tbsp of dough for each cookie, roll the dough into balls and space at least 2 inches apart on the prepared pan. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining toffee bits and slightly press them in without flattening the balls of dough. (If you have cookie dough left in the mixing bowl, put it in the refrigerator while the first pan of cookies is baking.)
  5. Bake the cookies until the edges are slightly set, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 13 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through baking.
  6. Cool the cookies on the cookie pan for about 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely. These cookies are best completely cooled at room temperature. Store cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The original recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of espresso powder.  I think this would be overwhelming, but if you're reeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyyy into coffee flavor, knock yourself out.

The original recipe also calls for unsalted butter, but I always use salted.

The dough is sticky and will firm up a bit after you blend in the toffee bits.  Just roll it up the best you can.  

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 72Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 124mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© America's Test Kitchen
Category: Cookies

2-Ingredient Puffin Mumkins

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Pumpkin Muffins

You may have seen these little muffins wandering around Pinterest for awhile. A friend of mine, Kelley, sent me the ‘recipe’ for these little 2-Ingredient Puffin Mumkins and said they’re wonderful. 2 ingredients? I’m there.

These are actually pumpkin muffins, but I was trying to tell my husband about them and just couldn’t get the name of them out! So after laughing till we were silly, these yummy little muffins became Puffin Mumkins. The two ingredients, by the way, are pumpkin and a spice cake mix. The dough is thick and sticky, so you get these “rustic” tops to the muffins (but soft, fluffy insides):

Pumpkin Muffins

Really. Just cake mix and a can of plain pumpkin. Stir it up and plop it in the muffin tins, then bake it at 350° for 20 minutes and you have some of the best, softest, most moist and tender pumpkin muffins you’ve ever had. Forget those involved recipes with those pesky eggs and use this one. They are great!

I don’t usually use cake mixes (with the recent exception of the outstanding Frosting in the Cake Cake), but these little Puffin Mumkins are staying in my Fall recipe lineup. If you want to add pecans or raisins, or even chocolate chips, go ahead. They’re very versatile and so, so very good.

Pumpkin Muffins

The recipe that Kelley sent used plain butter cake mix, but I wanted those Fall pumpkin muffins spices so I used a spice cake mix. If you want to use a plain cake mix and put your own spices in, go right ahead. I promise they’ll be good.

There’s no excuse for you to not make these little 2-Ingredient Puffin Mumkins (I’m still giggling). They’re easy, cheap and excellent!

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

2-Ingredient Puffin Mumkins

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Really? Do we need a written recipe for these? OK, well then here it is. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 box spice cake mix
  • 1 16 oz. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin or miniature muffin tin.
  2. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl, then dump in the pumpkin. Either briefly mix with a hand mixer or stir by hand until those little cake mix lumpy things are blended in.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes (don't over bake - they may not look done, but they are). Let cool, then remove from the pan. Store in a sealed container.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The batter is very sticky.  As you can see from the photos, they come out, uh, rustic looking.  If you want, smooth down the tops of the batter in the tins before you bake.  I kind of like that rustic look.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 muffin
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 176Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 320mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Breads/Muffins