Sunday, October 30, 2016

Caramel Apple Crumb Muffins - SRC

Happy Halloween!!! Can you believe it's Halloween?  Not sure where this year went.

Five Monday's in October brings us a bonus Secret Recipe Club reveal.  I am a bit sad as I write this, Secret Recipe Club is going away.  This will be my second to the last post.  November will be our last posts.  I've been a member since the beginning and it's been such a fun group.  Sad to see it end.  Do you have a fun group you're a member of?  I'm looking for a new one of two to join.

For this month, I was assigned Pale Yellow.  Tracy, the blogger behind Pale Yellow describes herself as,  "Informal science educator/curriculum specialist by day, baking blogger by night, former Michigander, current Rockaway Girl".  I really like why Tracy says she blogs, "In defining what this is blog is, it was effortless to describe what the blog is not: I am not a recipe developer, I am not a baker for hire (although if you ask me nicely, I do take orders), I am not here to quit my day job, and I am not here for shameless self promotion."  Very similar reasons to why I blog, although I would like to quit my day job.

With the theme of this reveal being fall, around here nothing says fall like apples.  Tim went with our friend, Lynn the landscaper, to pick apples.  I'm guessing he came home with 20 pounds?  I was drawn to Tracy's recipe for Caramel Apple Crumb Muffins, a perfect combination of fall flavors.

My muffins didn't exactly turn out like muffins, they were more like a gooey cake.  Absolutely delicious!  Trying to figure out where I messed up and I'm just not sure.  I knew the batter going into the pan was way too liquid.  Rather than adjust it, I decided to go with it and I'm glad I did.




Caramel Apple Crumb Muffins
Recipe Courtesy of Pale Yellow
Yield - 8 muffins

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted & divided
 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  1 cup + 5 tablespoons flour, divided 
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
 2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided 
1/4 teaspoon + a pinch of salt, divided
 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar 
1 teaspoon baking powder
 1/2 cup diced apples 
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk , (I used regular milk) 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/3 cup caramel bits
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F and liberally spray your muffin tins with Baker’s Joy.
  2. Crumb topping - Melt the butter and let cool slightly.  Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, 5 tablespoons flour, oats, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
  4. Mix in 3 tablespoons of melted butter until the mixture is moist.  Set aside.
  5. Muffins - Whisk together 1 cup flour, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and baking powder.  Toss in the apples.
  6. In a liquid measuring cup mix together the almond milk, vanilla, 3 tablespoons melted butter, and the egg yolk.  Stir into the dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the caramel bits.
  7. Spoon into the muffin tins until about half full.  Fill the rest of the tin with the crumb mixture.  Really press the crumbs into the top.
  8. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops are brown and the middle is set.  Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the muffin tin.
  9. Store in an airtight container.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Banana Bread Crumble - Secret Recipe Club

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day!  Not familiar with this fun party?  You can find out more here!  For the month of October, I was privileged to be assigned, Lemon and Cheese, hosted by a blogger from across the pond, as they say!  Nicola is a Librarian in London and loves to cook.  She says " I love any sort of food and trying out new things, but tend to stick to simple cookery, with lovely fresh ingredients as well as a few helpful freezer items! Lemon and Cheese are my two favorite foods so expect a lot of them!". What a creative and fun name for a blog!!!

Nicola has an extensive recipe collection on her blog.  I spent several evenings browsing her blog.  I was thinking I wanted to make something that had an unusual ingredient or was a recipe I wouldn't normally make.  A few Sunday afternoon's ago, our first real fall day, I was in the mood to bake.  I sat down to browse the baking section of Nicola's blog.  When searching for a recipe, I try to locate one where I have the ingredients on hand.  One particular recipe caught my eye, Banana Bread Crumble.  At our house, both banana bread and crumbles are popular, so why not try a recipe that combines the best of both.

We loved this crumble, reminded me of a bread pudding with a crumble on top.  This recipe is a keeper!!!   Served alongside a scoop of chocolate ice cream, delicious!!


Banana Bread Crumble 
Recipe Courtesy of Lemon and Cheese
(Serves 6-8)

140g self-raising flour
200g sugar
240ml milk
113g butter, melted
4 medium-size ripe bananas, sliced
For the crumble topping:
150g light brown sugar
70g self-rising flour
113g butter, softened
90g oats
Preheat the oven to 180C. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and milk until just blended. Whisk in the melted butter.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased 28cm x 18cm baking dish. Top with the banana slices. 
To make the topping, in a medium bowl use a fork to stir together the brown sugar, flour, and butter until it forms a crumbly mixture. Stir in the oats.
Sprinkle the topping mixture over the banana slices. Bake for 40-45 mins or until golden brown.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce if you're feeling wicked