Peach Shortcake

My dissertation director loves peach cobbler.  I made a peach dump cake last semester as an attempt at bribery, but she missed out on it because she was out of town.  This time I brought my peach baked goods directly to her.  Tricky.

I have been told that my strawberry biscuits taste like kolaches, another of my dissertation director's weaknesses.  When I found a sad and forgotten can of peaches in my pantry, I decided to make a peach version (there really weren't enough peaches for cobbler).  I used the Bisquick short cake recipe which is why I feel safe calling these shortcakes even though they are NOT really shortcakes.  They are the lazy woman's version of a shortcake.  I can't layer stuff.  Too much effort.

Peach Shortcakes
1/2 can peaches, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 cup bisquick (I used heart healthy)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash nutmeg
 raw sugar for the tops

1.)  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2.) Drain and rinse the peaches.  Chop them (I did it in the strained, which probably wasn't the best idea) and pat them dry.  You could probably pat them dry, then cut them on a cutting board, but see my previous comment about my laziness.

3.)  Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

4.)  Add wet ingredients.  Mix until it just comes together.  Over mixing is super bad.

5.) Fold in the peaches.  I actually threw them in the bowl first without thinking and it was fine.

6.) Drop by the tablespoon onto a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the tops with raw sugar. I made two batches.  The recipe makes about a dozen.

7.) Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

These are best when they are fresh. The good news is the recipe is easily cut down. 

Peanut Butter Strawberry Muffins

My roommate had some strawberry muffin mix that she did not want.  I had a banana that was super ripe.  It seemed meant to be: strawberry banana muffins.  What is that you say?  My title for this post is not strawberry banana muffins?  You are right.  It is BETTER. 

Peanut Butter Strawberry Muffins

2 packages Martha White Strawberry Muffin Mix
1/4 cup PB2 peanut butter powder
1 banana
~1/3 cup milk

Crumb Topping

2 tablespoons butter, cold
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon PB2

1.)  Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a twelve cup muffin tin.

2.)  Smash the banana together with the PB2 in a medium bowl.

3.) Add the muffin mix.

4.)  Add the milk.  This was a bit of an estimate.  1/3 cup is not enough, but 2/3  cup would be too much.  It depends a bit on the size of the banana you use as well.

5.)  Fill the muffin tins equally, approximately 2/3 full.

6.) Make the crumb topping by cutting the butter into the dry ingredients.  I admit that I eyed this more than measured it.  It is a very approximate thing.  You just want it to come together in crumbles.  Cold butter (not softened, not melted) is very important.

I just used a fork since I was using a small ramekin to make the crumb topping.  You can use a pastry cutter or two knives, but I am always more successful with the fork.

7.)  Sprinkle the topping over the muffins.

8.)  Bake according to the package directions (14-17 minutes).  A toothpick stuck in the center should come out clean (unless you hit a strawberry bit).

I did manage to wait until the muffin cooled to the point of safety :-)  However, it was a very difficult action. 

I think I got the most compliments on these from everyone.  My roommate gave me the mix because she is giving up flour and potatoes (this will never happen for me), but they smelled so good baking, that she ate one.  I dropped the rest off at the Writing Center at 12:30, and by the  time we closed at 5, there was one left. 

Blueberry Coffeecake

I have dinner with friends about every two weeks.  I wanted to bring something this time, but I was not the assigned cook.  My plan was blueberry biscuits, similar to my strawberry biscuits.  However, it turned into coffeecake in my travels :-)

Blueberry Coffeecake/Biscuits (if you don't put them too close together)

2 tablespoons light sour cream (or greek yogurt)
1/4 cup milk (I used vanilla almond milk)
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup Bisquick (I used heart healthy)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or some more, depending on how blueberry-y you want it)

melted butter for brushing the top of the biscuit
1 tablespoon sugar for top

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (unless you are travelling with them like me) and spray a pan.  I used a little casserole dish (hence the coffeecake), but I usually use a sheet pan to facilitate biscuits better.

Mix the light sour cream, milk, and orange extract together.  I used a little less milk to begin with (about half, because I added the sour cream), but that was too dry.  I estimated the rest.

Add the dry ingredients.  Don't overmix.

Fold in the blueberries.

Drop on your prepared pan. If I successfully make biscuits and not coffeecake, I shape them a little more.  I was in a hurry, though.

Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.  I was a little butter crazy.  Also, I should have known this would not turn into biscuits.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.  It will take longer as a coffeecake :-)

We ate all of this.  Really that isn't too bad, calorie wise.  Still, I think that is a sign that this was good.

Light(er) Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I went to a friend's house for Easter dinner.  While I agreed to bring deviled eggs, I felt like bringing dessert, too.  Dessert is fun (not that the eggs weren't).

I had some carrots, so I decided to make a carrot cake. It seems like the perfect spring dessert.  However, it is generally horrible for us :-(  I tried to make it a LITTLE better.

Carrot Cake

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash ginger
2 eggs (6 tablespoons egg beaters)
1 container light vanilla greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups shredded  carrots
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon rum (optional)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting

2 ounces light cream cheese (I used greek yogurt cream cheese)
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (this is approximate)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cake:

1.) Soak cranberries in rum.  I was a little lax in this, because it was a last minute decision.  The longer they soak, the better.

2.)Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a square pan (8x8 or 9x9).
3.) Sift together dry ingredients (through ginger).

4.) In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs and greek yogurt.

5.) Add the carrots, pineapple, coconut, and cranberries to the egg mixture.

6.) Add the dry ingredients, in thirds, to the wet, mixing between the additions.  Do not overbeat or your cake will be tough.

7.) Fold in the chopped walnuts.
8.)  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  For me, it took about 35 minutes, but it depends on the size of your pan and the accuracy of your oven temperature.

Cool the cake completely before icing it.

For the frosting:

1.) Soften the cream cheese and butter.

2.)  Using a handheld mixer, whip them together.

3.)  Add the vanilla.
4.) Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and cinnamon.

5.)  Drizzle in milk and mix it in.
6.) Adjust with more milk or sugar as necessary for your desired thickness.  I wanted a pretty sturdy frosting, so I needed more sugar.

7.) Frost the cake.  I kept it in the pan for easy travel, but there was enough frosting for the sides if I wanted a nicer presentation.

8.)  Add chopped walnuts to the top of the cake, if desired. It looks nice, and it warns people that there are nuts in it (when you are taking it somewhere you are uncertain about nut allergies).