Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Muffins

Tomorrow is my first day back to school after this long break.  

It's pretty depressing, actually. 

But, I have learned a lot of things over the past two weeks...

1) Leggings are most definitely pants. Seriously, my daily outfit during break usually consisted of leggings. What are jeans?  

2) Watching Seinfeld at 2 in the morning is both socially acceptable, and completely normal.  Obviously. 

3) If you are going to be sharing a twin bed with someone, DO NOT lay side by side. Because there is a pretty large chance you will be pushed off of the bed. I may know this from experience.

4) Try not to get involved into family card games. Usually, there will be yelling. I mean, they're all just like you. Of course they all want to win. 

5) There may be a chance you are getting too old to still be playing in the snow. Especially since you do not wear snow pants anymore, and then do a snow angel and almost freeze your booty off. Bad idea. 

6) If you are going ice skating, do not be the guy who skates backwards and almost hits everyone in front of him. OR, be the people who decide to skate so fast past everyone and scare them enough to almost knock themselves over. Seriously. Stahp.

7) Do go to a breakfast restaurant and see a man who looks like Jesus, eating pancakes. Jesus devoured those pancakes.  

8) Finally, always let your muffins lounge in butter. They just beam with joy. Or at least.... you will. 

Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Muffins

For the muffins you will need:

3 C all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom or ground cinnamon

3/4 C plus 2 Tbsp. milk

2 Tbsp. buttermilk 

1/2 C butter, at room temperature

3/4 C sugar

2 large eggs

For the doughnut coating you will need:

1/2 C butter, melted

1 C sugar 

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray 12 large muffin cups.

2. Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom (or cinnamon). In a medium bowl, combine milk and buttermilk. 

3. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream the butter. Turn the speed to low and gradually add the sugar. Mix until mixture lightens in color. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture, mixing just until smooth; do not overmix. 

4. With a large ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them approximately two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are firm to the touch and lightly golden,. 

5. While the muffins bake, set up two bowls to dunk them in. In one bowl you will have the melted butter, and in the other bowl you will have the cinnamon sugar. 

6. Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack. Dunk them in the melted butter, then coat them with the cinnamon sugar. 

* Recipe adapted from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day. 

Caramel-Apple Triangles

Merry Christmas ya filthy animal. 

Caramel-Apple Triangle
You will need:
1 C caramel baking bits, snipped in half
3 Tbsp. chopped dried apples
3 Tbsp. chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 C butter, melted
2 Tbsp. spiced apple cider mix
16 sheets frozen phyllo dough (9 x 14-inch rectangles), thawed
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl combine caramel bits, dried apples, and walnuts; set aside.
2. In a small bowl stir together melted butter and apple cider mix. Unroll phyllo dough; cover with plastic wrap. (To prevent it from drying out.) Place 1 sheet of dough on a flat surface. Lightly brush with some of the butter mixture. Place another sheet on top; brush with butter mixture. Repeat, adding two more sheets of phyllo.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut the layered sheets lengthwise into four equal strips. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling 1 inch from an end of a dough strip. To fold strip into a triangle, bring a corner over filling so the short edge lines up with a long edge. Continue folding the triangular shape along the entire length of the strip. (Fold it like you would fold a flag.) Place filled triangle on prepared baking sheet. Repeat using remaining three strips, then repeat using remaining phyllo, butter mixture, and filling. Brush triangles with remaining butter mixture.
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until triangles are crisp and golden brown. Cool slightly on baking sheet; dust with powdered sugar.

Peppermint Mocha Marshmallows

Oh my gosh.

Is Christmas really next week?

WHAT?? It is?? YESSSSS.

I probably can't explain how excited I am. Really. I'm about to pee my pants. 

Christmas had always been my favorite holiday. For many, many, many reason. You can most likely guess one of those reasons. 

Food. Yes, food. Was it that hard to guess? 

I especially love all the cookies. Cookies are my thing... so is every other dessert.. soo....

Anyways, this year I'm probably the worst gifter ever. I have gotten two people gifts. I have gotten myself many things.... Which is a problem. Which is another reason why I have exactly 5 dollars in my wallet. Does a hug count as a gift? Probably. 

The one and only reason I do not like Christmas is because of Finals.

Do you know what finals are? Here let me explain. 

There are two semesters in one school year, each 18 weeks long. At the end of each semester we have to take finals ,which are exams about all the things we have learned that semester.  So this week I have to take exams in everyone of my classes. That's a lot of work.

I mean we have do 10 page long packets and then have to try and remember what we talked about in August. That was so long ago! Blah. 

 Gotta go study.  Weee.

Peppermint Mocha Marshamallows
You will need:
5 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
1/2 C cold water
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
1/4 C hot water
1/2 C light corn syrup, divided
1 C sugar
1/4 C water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 Tbsp. extra cocoa powder and powdered sugar for dusting

1. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper. Sift 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar generously onto parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the gelatin and cold water. Let soften for five minutes.
3. In the bowl of electric mixer, whisk together cocoa powder, instant coffee, and hot hot water until smooth. Whisk in 1/4 cup corn syrup.
4. Stir together the sugar, remaining 1/4 cup corn syrup, water, and salt in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until it hits 248-250 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, microwave to gelatin on high until completely melted, about 30 seconds. Pour gelatin into the chocolate syrup. Set your mixer to low and keep it running.
5. When the syrup reaches 248-250 degrees Fahrenheit, slowly pour it into the mixer bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 5 more minutes. Increase mixer to highest setting and beat for 3-5 minutes, adding vanilla and peppermint in the last minute. The finished marshmallow should be tripled in volume. Pour into prepare pan, using a rubber spatula to smooth it into the corners. Sift remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder and powdered sugar over top. Let set for 6 hours (or overnight) in a cool, dry place.

*Recipe adapted from Marshmallow Madness by Shauna Sever

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Has anyone else caught the fever?

And I wish I meant Christmas fever...

But what I meant by fever was a winter cold. Same thing. Fever sounded more official..

You know the cold that starts with a sore throat and slowly goes to a running nose and finally ends with a cough that makes you feel like you're coughing up a lung?

Oh you haven't? Well I'm miserable. And I blame my brother.


I was fine just a week ago, but then he had to bring this awful thing into our house. Oh my gosh. Everyone is sick. Except for him, of course, because he's better now. But of course he has to remind us ALL THE TIME. Ugh.

Anyways, it's officially Christmas season!

So... Did I get too excited and listen to Christmas music for 4 days straight? Duh.
Am I just about sick of it now? Maybe.
Will I ever admit it? Of course not!

I also still haven't bought anyone any gifts... Probably because I'm broke. Heh.

Well I could always give them these..

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
You will need:
2-1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C butter, softened
1 C granulated sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 C canned pumpkin
2 C chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixture. Stir in any remaining flour mixture and the chocolate.
3. Drop dough in 2-Tablespoon mounds 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.