Happy Holidays: Cranberry-Orange Muffins for Christmas Breakfast

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...

Ho Ho Holy crap, have I been busy. I don't mean to be neglectful.

I've been working full-time (for the first time ever) as a restaurant baker for the past few months, and I haven't quite figured out how to manage everything. You see, Mr. Beta works mornings and I work nights, so the only time we have together is on the weekends--which I magically have off. So it's not that I don't love you guys and want to fill your tummies with ooey gooey goodness, I'm just learning to be a real grown-up.

We moved to a big-kid apartment at the beginning of the month, and I decided that was a great opportunity to try to start things up again. More space for more cooking toys means more kitchen play time. And, hopefully, that means more time for Baking Beta!

Anywho....

Ever since I can remember, my family had Christmas brunch/breakfast. We always had eggs, sausage, coffee, clementines, and something I baked. Most of the time, our muffins came out of a box--usually Krusteaz cran-orange or blueberry because they were super yummy and moist. But given my new position, I thought I would start making my own Christmas muffins from scratch. And what better holiday combination is there than cranberries and orange, both of which are in season this time of year?

A bonus to this recipe is that these muffins are pretty low-calorie. Fewer than 200, in fact. For those of you who don't know, I lost quite a few pounds after my freshman year in college, and I am in no hurry to see them come back, so I try to find and create recipes that won't hurt my waistline. This is a good one. Rather than using sugary dried cranberries, this one uses fresh cranberries. They are oh-so-tart and tasty!

Testing 1..2..3: No-Bake Clean Eating Key Lime Pie

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...

So, first, a life update.

After two weeks here in DC, I found a part time job. The next week I got another one. Two weeks later, the second job offered me a full-time position. I am now officially a pastry baker.

Also, we got a cat. This is him. His name is Bilbo and he is a handsome devil. He is also much, much naughtier than his namesake

This is all in under two months in this city. Crikey.

New Apartment, New Cooking Toys, New Recipe: Gorgonzola-Rosemary Scones

Friends, Romans, Countrymen....

I'm baAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaack!

After a number of months of seemingly endless holiday weeks at work and preparations for a life-changing move, my head is now suitably screwed on and I am ready to tickle your tastebuds again.

Yes, my new permanent location is in our nation's capital with Mr. Beta, in our *ahem* cozy 500-square-foot apartment. But it's all good.

Today, we're looking at a bit of a departure from my normal fare. You won't see a scrap of sugar (or its chemical cousins) in this here recipe. We're making things SAVORY. I needed to mix things up.

 Eh heh heh. Pun. Sorry. Moving forward.

Shortbread Sammies: So Easy Even a CaveMAN Can Do It

Friends, Romans, Countrymen....

Here's the list of things I should be doing more of:

1. pleasure baking 
2. taking pictures of said pleasure baking 
3. posting aforementioned pleasure baking and related pictures to my blog

Here's a list of things I should do less of: 

1. watch Law and Order: SVU reruns on Netflix 
2. drink Diet Coke (that New Year's resolution lasted about two hours) 

But Valentine's Day is coming. And I can't possibly abandon you fine folks for another holiday. So today I bring you a recipe so simple that you should e-mail it to your non-cooking partner (for the sake of simplicity, I am going to say the man in your life) and tell him to make these blasted things for Valentine's Day. 

Or make them for yourself for Singles Awareness Day, depending on who you are.

These are shortbread sandwiches, and they will be your Valentine...even if that special someone won't.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies: or, Why Citrus Belongs in Everything

Friends, Romans, Countrymen

Let me start by apologizing for my absence. Holiday season in the bakery has me pulling overtime and up at hours that don't even qualify as morning yet. So, sorry, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I am sure, in my absence, you found yourself wondering what my favorite Italian cheese is. (Or at least this is what I imagine.) The answer to your burning question? Simple, versatile ricotta. It is one of a number of reasons I will never be able to suck it up and become a vegan.

I also imagine you wondering what my favorite fruit is. The answer to that question is, naturally, anything citrus. Tangerines, clementines, lemons, limes, grapefruit---I have even tried tangelos. The natural tangy sweetness of citrus makes me salivate. Pity my keyboard.

A Reasonable Indulgence: Cleaned Up Blueberry Cheesecake

Friends, Romans, Countrymen....

Let it never be said that I am not a good big sister.

My brother's birthday gift to me was a springform pan. For those who don't do what I do, that is a pan particularly designed to make delicate cakes, like cheesecake. With a traditional cake pan, you have to flip over the pan and pray the layer doesn't stick or break. The sides of a springform detach from the base, leaving the cake unscathed.

I knew he wanted a cheesecake. But since he's a juvenile diabetic, I had some reservations. I aim to please--so I found a recipe for a less-nutritionally-bankrupt version of the popular dessert. By forgoing the crust and lightening up the filling (fat-free cream cheese and yogurt rather than a lot more full-fat cream cheese), I assuaged my guilt and was back on the path to sister of the year.

Butterscotties Cookie Bars

Friends, Romans, countrymen....

Sorry for the long absence and lack of baked goodies. I've been unwell--recuperating from surgery and now from a cold that was a long time coming--so I haven't been terribly active. I mean, I've been baking: soda bread muffins, peppermint candy cookies, gingerdoodles. But I haven't had the energy to make a big production of it.

Anyhow, I come bearing recipe.

Sometimes I don't feel like shaping my cookies. Rolling them into balls, using a scooper...just don't want to. Enter the cookie bar.

Anything you put in a pan and ignore sounds lovely to me. It seriously cuts down on my involvement in the process, and sometimes we just need that. I decided to make these butterscotties. They're sort of a strange hybrid of blondies and butterscotch cookies, and so they intrigued me.

Without any further ado....

Butterscotties:
2 1/4 C. APF
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 C. butter, softened
1 1/4 C. light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1/2 C. butterscotch chips
1 1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1/2 C. chocolate chips (optional)



Preheat your oven to 350F.

Cream softened butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of a mixer. Meanwhile, sift the APF, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.

Action shot! I used the good camera today.

Your butter/sugar mixture won't be as fluffy as it would be if you were using regular granulated sugar. But it will smell better. These puppies have a lovely caramel scent.

Next, add the vanilla and blend. Pour your sifted dry mixture in and mix until it's combined. I find it easiest to add it a little bit at a time to avoid flour kickback. That's just messy.

Take the bowl off of the stand mixer and get ready to use your muscles. Add the butterscotch chips and walnuts to the dough and stir them in until they're pretty well distributed. The dough will be thick, almost paste-like.

Chunky

I switched the ratio of butterscotch chips to walnuts in my dough. That is, I did 1/2 C. walnuts and 11/2 C. butterscotch chips. Why? Well, for two reasons: first, I didn't buy enough walnuts. Oops. Second, I wanted those chips out of the house so I didn't eat them.

It doesn't really matter. Do as you wish.

Grease a 13x9 pan. Drop the dough into the pan and spread it with a metal spatula. It's not as easy as it sounds...or at least it wasn't for me.

If you're using them, sprinkle the chocolate chips along the top of the butterscottie dough. The dough will rise up around them as it bakes. They're more of an accent than anything else. It appeases those who can't eat an un-chocolatey baked good.  I think the dough looks a wee bit like some vast alien planet. Made of cookies. Hey, it could happen.


Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine took about 32 minutes to bake.

Pull the pan out of the oven and let it rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes before cutting the giant cookie into little cookie bars.


I don't think I need to tell you what to do with it from there.


Gotta swish, jellyfish.

BB