Tag Archives: Breakfast

Cream Cheese Muffins | amybites.com

Cream Cheese Muffins

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Yeesh. The site is still a mess, I know. There’s still a chunk of posts I have to restore manually, one-by-one, and then of course the look of the site. Please try to ignore that and focus on these muffins. They’re my new favorites and I’ve been itching to share them.

Cream Cheese Muffins | amybites.com

These muffins are so simple, but so wonderful. One morning I was running late for work (story of my life) and totally forgot to eat breakfast, so I stopped by the deli to pick up a muffin. I saw cream cheese muffins, which is something I was totally unfamiliar with up to that point. My first reaction was, “Boring.” But something made me take a second look. I ended up trying it, and I was instantly obsessed. I knew I needed to make them at home. They’re super moist and slightly tangy from the cream cheese with a bright lemon zing, flecked with beautiful vanilla bean. Sweet but not too sweet, with a crunchy raw sugar topping. They’re the perfect breakfast or snacking muffin—so simple and delicious on their own, but easily enhanced with a spread of your favorite jam.

Cream Cheese Muffins | amybites.com

You can even put the jam in the muffins. I was intrigued by some blueberry-chocolate jam at the farmer’s market a couple weeks ago, so I bought it with the sole purpose of baking it into these muffins. And it was fab. Simply fill the muffin cups halfway with the batter, add a teaspoon of your favorite jam, and cover with the remaining batter. You can even stir fresh fruit into the batter! These muffins are simply the perfect base for your favorite fruit flavors. You must try them this summer.

Cream Cheese Muffins

Adapted from A Family Feast
Makes 12 muffins

  • 3 cups flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup low fat milk
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
  • ¼ cup of turbinado sugar
  • Optional: ¼ cup of your favorite jam or preserves
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a muffin liner inside each opening of a muffin pan. Spray each liner lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Add flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
  3. In a small bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until well-combined. Add to flour mixture and whisk together.
  4. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and lemon juice and stir. Let sit for several minutes until slightly curdled.
  5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese until light and creamy. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Add milk mixture, vanilla bean paste and melted butter and mix thoroughly.
  6. In 3 batches, add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture, mixing after each addition until just incorporated.
  7. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the batter evenly into the 12 prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops generously with the turbinado sugar. If using jam, fill each cup halfway and add about a teaspoon of jam, then top with the remaining batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are firm and just beginning to brown.

 

 

Polenta Hearts and Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

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Polenta Hearts and Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Like I said in Sunday’s post, I mostly love Valentine’s Day because it’s an excuse to eat heart-shaped things and sweets. But as much as some of us would like to, we can’t just eat dessert all day, holiday or not. Chocolate for breakf

ast sounds awesome in theory, but isn’t quite so awesome in practice. That’s why I thought I’d post an easy, healthy, savory recipe that’s also festive. These adorable parmesan polenta hearts are perfect for breakfast in bed with your sweetheart, or even a stress-free homemade meal—no reservations required. Of course, this isn’t just a Valentine’s Day meal; skip the heart-shaped cookie cutter and this is a perfect everyday dish.

Polenta Hearts and Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it’s cheap. Polenta, a couple eggs, and canned tomato sauce are not only worth pennies, but they’re also easy to find—and you might already have all of the ingredients on hand. If you’re tightening your belt, this meal sure beats a fancy prix fixe meal at a restaurant. And it couldn’t be easier. Just cook up some instant polenta, add some Parmesan cheese, and spread the mixture on a cookie sheet; let it cool and cut out large heart shapes with a cookie cutter. While the polenta is cooling, saute onions and garlic and add tomato sauce. Then, stir in Italian seasoning and a pinch of sugar and you’ve got a great, quick marinara. Let it simmer while you poach (or fry) a couple of eggs. Plate and serve. See? Easy, but impressive.

Polenta Hearts and Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Polenta Hearts and Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Serves 2

  • ½ cup instant polenta
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ⅓ cup diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup organic canned tomato sauce
  • Pinch sugar, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 eggs, poached*
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the polenta: Prepare a baking sheet by placing a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone mat on it. Set aside. Add polenta and ¼ teaspoon salt to 2 cups boiling water. Stir constantly until done, 5 minutes. Immediately add Parmesan cheese and stir until combined.** Spoon polenta onto prepared baking sheet and, using a rubber spatula or offset spatula, spread it out so it’s about ½” thick. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator for about 10 minutes or until polenta is set.

For the tomato sauce: While polenta chills, prepare tomato sauce. Add olive oil to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium low. Add canned tomato sauce and Italian seasoning and stir; taste and add a pinch of sugar if needed. Simmer for about 5 minutes (or until heated through) while you prepare your eggs. Keep warm until ready to serve. When ready to serve, spoon sauce onto two plates.

To serve: When polenta is set, remove from refrigerator. Using a large heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut two hearts out of the polenta and use a spatula to lift them onto two plates. You will not need all of the polenta; use smaller heart cookie cutters to cut out more for serving or reserve remaining polenta for another use. Top the plated tomato sauce with a polenta heart and a poached egg for each plate. Salt and pepper to taste.

*Don’t know how to poach an egg? Here’s a tutorial from Alton Brown. You can also fry your eggs instead.

**If you aren’t making heart-shaped polenta, this is the point where you can just spoon the polenta onto plates without chilling or shaping. Alternately, you can cut out circles or squares instead of hearts.

Polenta Hearts and Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Polenta Hearts and Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce nutrition

Marbled Banana Bread | amybites.com

Marbled Banana Bread

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I like your standard, plain banana bread as much as the next person—which is to say, I could take it or leave it. What really floats my boat is banana bread with chocolate chips. There’s just something about banana and chocolate together—it’s one of those classic combinations. I almost feel guilty that I’ve been making this crazy good marbled chocolate banana bread for several years and have never shared it with you. Whenever I bake a loaf, its beauty is immediately destroyed as soon as it exits the oven because it’s almost impossible to resist a warm, fresh slice. It never lasts long enough for photos. But I made a point of preserving this loaf at least until it was fully cooled and photographed so I could finally, at long last, post the recipe.

Marbled Banana Bread

What we have here is a pretty standard banana bread recipe. It’s lightened up with nonfat greek yogurt, and an egg plus some liquid egg whites. I’ve also used white whole wheat flour, which is camouflaged really well here. In banana bread, I find the mild nuttiness the whole wheat adds is welcome. To make the chocolate portion, you simply melt semisweet chocolate chips and mix them with a portion of the batter. Swirl the regular and chocolate batters together and bake. Just over an hour later, you’ll have a beautiful loaf of banana-and-chocolate deliciousness. For its incredibly moist crumb, perfectly crunchy crust, and rich chocolate swirl, this banana bread gets top honors from me.

Marbled Banana Bread

Marbled Banana Bread

Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 1 9×5″ loaf, 16 slices

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 1½ cups mashed ripe banana (about 3-4 bananas)
  • 1 egg + ¼ cup liquid egg whites*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
  • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
  2. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add banana, egg and egg whites, vanilla, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
  3. Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 9×5″ loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Store in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to a week.

*Note: Alternately, you can use 2 eggs or ½ cup egg substitute.

Marbled Banana Bread

Marbled Banana Bread nutrition

Pumpkin Pancakes | amybites.com

Pumpkin Pancakes

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I know, I know. Pumpkin is so over. The season for blogging pumpkin recipes is past. It’s against the rules to blog about pumpkin in January. Blah, blah, blah. But the thing is…not all of us are totally pumpkin-obsessed. If you’re like me, you probably still have a lonely, sad can of pumpkin just chillin’ in the back of your pantry. And if you don’t use it now, you won’t remember to use it until, like, July…and then you really can’t blog about it. So here are some pancakes. They’re easy and delicious. They’re packed with fiber and protein. And there’s pumpkin in them. And no, it’s not fall anymore. Embrace it.

I actually made this recipe for the first time back in November for my boyfriend’s birthday breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out, so I kept the recipe in my back pocket and recently revived it for a quick and delicious breakfast-for-dinner. As a pumpkin enthusiast, my boyfriend loves these. As someone who’s pretty “meh” on pumpkin, I love these. The pumpkin flavor is definitely there, but it doesn’t smack you in the face with it squashiness. Instead, it’s all about the spices that make pumpkin such a comforting flavor: cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. The cakes themselves are super fluffy, light, and just slightly sweet, creating the perfect vehicle for maple syrup. Whether you’re looking for an excuse to stock up on pumpkin again or you’re just looking for a way to use up that last, lonesome can, these pancakes are the way to go.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Adapted from AllRecipes
Makes 12-16 pancakes, serves 6

  • 1½ cups 1% or skim milk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine. Batter should be thick but smooth.
  2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or similar-sized spoon or cup, scoop batter onto the griddle, spreading out gently with the back of your scoop or spoon so the pancake is about 4 inches in diameter. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Tip: To keep finished pancakes warm while the rest of the batch is still cooking, I put my oven on the lowest heat setting (usually 170º-200º depending on your oven) and place the pancakes on a cookie sheet or oven-safe plate in the oven until I’m done cooking.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

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amybites_poppyseedbread-title

Poppy seed-studded baked goo

ds are a divisive subject. You’re either a lemon person or an almond person. For most of my life, I’ve been staunchly pro-almond. I’ve only recently come around to citrus in general, but it took me longer still to come around to lemon-flavored sweets. I’d still pick an almond

poppy seed muffin over a lemon one almost any day, but I’ve learned to appreciate the sweet and sour alternative. I’m an equal-opportunity poppy seed eater now. If it has poppy seeds in it, I’m on board. Do poppy seeds serve any purpose other than providing a delicate “crunc

h” with every chew? And getting stuck in your teeth?

Even if they’re just for show, poppy seeds sure do make for delicious muffins, cakes, and quick breads. This one included! The base is a simple lemon quick bread lightened up with greek yogurt, and I topped it off with a lemon-vanilla bean glaze that’s made with a little cream cheese. The glaze is totally optional, of course, but its sweetness—combined with the slight tang of the cream cheese—is a perfect complement to the tart lemon flavor. The cake itself has a dense crumb but isn’t heavy, and it’s super moist. And the glaze keeps helps to keep it that way. The beauty of quick breads like this is that they’re satisfyingly sweet, but also light—so you can enjoy a slice as a snack, for breakfast, or dessert. I do love a triple threat.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Adapted from Allyou
Yields 1 9×5″ loaf, 12 slices

FOR BREAD:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • ¼ cup nonfat greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup 1% or skim milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

FOR GLAZE:

  • 1½ tablespoons cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • Splash 1% or skim milk (as needed)
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. Using electric mixer, cream unsalted butter, sugar and lemon zest on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in greek yogurt until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla bean paste. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in lemon juice and poppy seeds.
  3. Pour batter into pan and bake in center of oven until a tester inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let loaf cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out onto rack. Cool completely.
  4. For glaze, combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla bean paste in a small bowl and stir until combined. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in a splash of milk if glaze becomes too thick. Pour over cooled cake.

    Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins | amybites.com

    Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins

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    I recently found myself with an extra two-pound sweet potato. Yes, two freaking pounds. One potato. The size of my head. A girl can only eat so many sweet potato fries. (Ok, that’s a lie. I never get sick of those.) Since I’ve only ever used sweet potatoes for savory applications, I decided to make purée out of my giant sweet potato and bake something. My mind immediately leapt to muffins. Using sweet potatoes is a great way to make a wholesome and not-too-sweet breakfast muffin. And I adapted this delicious oat-walnut streusel to make a potentially blah muffin into something super special.

    The muffin base is incredibly moist and fluffy, just sweet enough, with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. The delicate crunch of the nutty, toasty, buttery streusel is the perfect way to top it all off. And as we all know, sweet potatoes are incredibly nutrient-rich, so it’s a great way to inject some of that healthy goodness into your (or your unsuspecting family’s) breakfast routine. Complex carbs with a cause!

    Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins

    Makes 12 muffins

    For the streusel
    Adapted from this Cooking Light recipe

    • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
    • ¼ cup oats (quick or old-fashioned)
    • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • Dash of salt
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
    • 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

    For the muffins
    Adapted from Rachael Ray

    • 2 cups white whole wheat flour*
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon grated cinnamon
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
    • ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
    • ⅓ cup maple syrup
    • ¼ cup canola oil
    • 1 cup puréed or mashed sweet potato
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prepare a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray or paper liners. Mix all streusel ingredients together in a small bowl until well-combined. Set aside.
    2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well-combined. Form a well in the center of the flour mixture. To the well, add the remaining ingredients. Mix until just combined.
    3. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over each muffin. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a tester comes out clean or muffins spring back to the touch. Cool in pan for 5 minuts, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    *Note: Since these muffins have a delicate flavor, the slightly more assertive taste of the white whole wheat flour does come through here more than it does in some other types of recipes. If you or your family are sensitive to the mild wheat taste or aren’t used to it, I’d recommend using all-purpose flour instead.

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    Double Power-Packed Granola | amybites.com

    Double Power-Packed Granola

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    Yes, this granola is double power-packed! That sounds hyperbolic, but it’s true: this granola has two of everything. Two grains, two nuts, two seeds, and two fruits. Double the everything. Double the delicious. This recipe started out as an attempt to make some “energy bites,” but I quickly realized that I was forcing this granola to be something it wasn’t. It just wasn’t fair to the granola or to me. So I gave in. Don’t you love happy kitchen accidents?

    This granola is indeed packed. We have oats, millet, pecans, almonds, pepitas, sesame seeds, dried cranberries, and dates. It’s a veritable smack in the face of nutrition and energy. I’m a sucker for complex textures, and this does not disappoint. The oats and fruits are chewy, the nuts provide crunch with a little give, and the sesame seeds and millet are little pops of super-crunch. The flavor is toasty and nutty with just enough sweetness, vanilla, and cinnamon flavor. This would be perfect for sprinkling over your morning yogurt or throwing into a trail mix. And it’s super easy to make.

    Double Power-Packed Granola

    Yield: Approx. 12 servings

    • 1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
    • 1/2 cup millet
    • 3/4 cup pepitas
    • 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
    • 1/4 cup chopped dates
    • 1/4 cup Craisins
    • 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
    • 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • Pinch salt
    • 1/2 cup agave syrup or honey
    • 2 Tablespoons canola oil
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
    2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well incorporated.
    3. Spread mixture into 8×8″ baking dish lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until just lightly browned on edges.*
    4. Allow to cool completely. Turn mixture out into storage container and break up into clumps with hands. If desired, spread out on a baking sheet and return to the oven for an additional 15-25 minutes for a drier, crunchier granola. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

    *You can skip baking completely if you like. The baking step allows the granola to dry out, form larger clumps and adds more of a toasted flavor.

    Note: You can really substitute any grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you prefer. Go crazy! If you add more/less of anything, note that the liquid amounts may need to be adjusted.

    Walnut Streusel Quick Bread

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    This week, I’ve been wallowing in my sickness and bachelorettehood (I have a cold and my boyfriend’s been out of town). However, I just had to pop in and share a quick recipe with you. Bad news: no step-by-step photos because obviously, that would interfere with my quality wallowing time. The good news is that this recipe is super easy. Oh—and sorry, boyfriend, but there is none of this bread left for you when you get home tomorrow. Oops!
    .
    You know when you get a new issue of a food magazine, flipping through casually, and there’s always one recipe that stops you in your tracks and you say, “I have to make this right now“? This was that recipe when I downloaded the new issue of Cooking Light on my iPad this past weekend. They had a whole section on quick breads, and they all looked amazing, but I just had a feeling about this one. This bread is basically a loaf coffee cake, which means I’m 100% on board. It reminds me of my mom’s coffee cake, which is the best thing to be reminded of. As soon as I read the ingredient list, I literally stood up, took the iPad into the kitchen, and started baking.

    Look at the carmelization on this streusel. It’s a beautiful thing. The base is light, delicately sweet, and spongey, and obviously streusel makes everything better. The walnut-oat streusel is a little unique and completely delicious. The top layer of walnut-cinnamon streusel creates a crunchy, crumbly crust on with a little bit of chew from the oats, and the middle layer of streusel creates sweet, moist swirls throughout the bread. Hit the jump for the recipe!

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    Oatmeal Peanut Butter Snack Bars

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    My Labor Day was blissfully free of labor. Some of you probably had super fun barbecues or hung out on the beach, or maybe you travelled to see family out of town. I did none of that. Nope. Too much work for me. In fact, the only laboring I did was over my KitchenAid mixer, and it took all of 5 minutes.

    This is one of my very favorite recipes from How Sweet It Is. The first time I made these bars a few months ago, I promptly made them about 5 more times in rapid succession, never stopping to take photos for this blog. A pan of these never lasts long in our house. They’re perfect for snacking, desserting, breakfasting—anytime-ing. Not too sweet, super peanut-buttery, chewy, soft, and chocolatey. They take mere minutes to throw together, so there’s no excuse for you to not make these right now.

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    Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Hole Muffins

    I originally intended this post to be a savory dish to give you a break from all the sweetness around here lately. I was going to post a lovely spring pasta, but when I made it I forgot to add any vegetables whatsoever. So it was just like, pasta. I just forgot to put anything else in. When I took a bite, I instantly remembered and audibly groaned. Where is my brain lately?
    .
    So that pasta will have to wait until another time. I’m pretty sure everyone likes the sweet stuff better anyway, right? Here’s another treat inspired by the Back in the Day Bakery cookbook, but per usual, I made some modifications to healthify it. The result was perfectly fluffy cake doughnuts in the form of mini-muffins, dipped in cinnamon-sugar and absolutely irresistible. I honestly didn’t think these would be anything special since they’re so simple, but dang, were they good. We couldn’t stop eating them!

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