Gingerbread Waffles

Hey y'all! Today, I have Julie here from White Lights on Wednesday! She's the sweetest, and we've posted on each others' blogs quite a few times before. Like that time she shared these Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies… She's so awesome! :) Today, she's sharing a DELICIOUS recipe on MHP, that I know you guys will love! Be sure to check out Julie's blog today, because not only will it leave you drooling, BUT some to-die-for pancakes are making an appearance today from yours truly!

Hi everyone!  I'm Julie from White Lights on Wednesday.

I'm so glad be to swapping blogs with Sophie today.  

She is just the sweetest!

I wanted to share something seasonal that would scream I-wish-I-was-in-front-of-a-fire snuggling, but a little different.  Then I found these Gingerbread Waffles.  They are amazing!  Breakfast happiness on a fork, full of baking spices and that perfect cozy feeling.  These waffles will leave you feeling like you just got a big hug.  And who doesn't need a hug?

Gingerbread Waffles

Adapted from Sweet and Lovely Crafts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 eggs

1/4 cup molasses

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon groudn nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, add milk and lemon juice.  Stir to combine; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs and molasses, whisk to combine.  Add milk mixture, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; whisk until smooth and spices are incorporated.
4. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in two additions, whisking just until combined each time.
5. Heat waffle iron and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
6. Add 1/2 cup waffle batter to waffle iron and cook 3 to 5 minutes until done and slightly browned.  {I normally use 3/4 cup batter in my iron, these waffles puff up a lot and cook quickly.}
7. Serve buttered with maple syrup and powdered sugar.

Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies

Ugh. You guys… I think I've lost it. IT being my blogging mojo. I don't know WHAT it is. Maybe you guys have been able to tell lately, but I feel like I have no motivation to write. to bake. to come up with recipes. to eat all that sugar. It kinda sucks. Awhile ago, I realized something. I'm prettyyyyyy sure that baking was my way of coping with the move and all the stress. Now that I feel like I'm at home, I feel no need to bake. I'm being totally honest here… If it was up to me, I probably wouldn't even bake more than once a week. BUT since I have some awesome readers who love sugar, I trudge through it.

 

Also, the fact that I can't get my hands on pumpkin, molasses, candy canes, cookie butter, mint extract, fresh cranberries, and all that good stuff kinda ways down on me. Like I'm totally out of the blogging loop and only have a few things that I make. Don't tell me you guys aren't totally bored out of your minds from muffins and oatmeal cookies…  I'm a broken record. 

And let's keep that trend going, shall we? 

Super chewy, yet thick oatmeal cookies, dressed up with some raisins, peanuts, and shredded coconut. And since I used whole wheat flour and oats, these cookies basically count as health food. Right? Right. 

Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies

yields about 2 dozen cookies

3/4 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. wholewheat flour

2 1/2 c. oats

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. shredded coconut

3/4 c. peanut + raisin mix

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the flour, oats, cinnamon, and baking soda. Mix until smooth. Fold in the peanuts, raisins, and coconut. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight. When the dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 350º and grease a cookie sheet. Roll dough into balls and press down slightly. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before moving to a wire rack. 

Cookies… they fix everything. 

Puppy Chow Popcorn

You guys. I have serious issues. 

{promising start to a post, I know.}

You all know the band "fun.", right? I'm TOTALLY OBSESSED. They're super cool and hipster and awesome. In one of the videos though, the guy was wearing something that resembled jeggings. It was a little weird and gross. But other than that- SO COOL! They're music is fun too! Especially "We Are Young"… My word, seriously can't stop listening to it. Like, I listened to it about 10 times while I was doing school today. I'm not even joking! Usually music makes it harder for me to concentrate on whatever I'm doing. But I got 94% on my English test. So thank you fun. !!! 

Aside from my music issue, I have a food issue. A couple weeks ago, I wanted popcorn. Ok, cool, right? Then I figured "What the heck. Everything's better with chocolate!" So boom- chocolate happened. And you OBVIOUSLY can't have chocolate without peanut butter. The two are like BFFS!  BUT WAIT… Puppy chow has chocolate and peanut butter! So after much debating, I melted some peanut butter and chocolate, poured it over the popcorn, tossed it with some powdered sugar. And holy gosh, something amazing happened at that moment. 

Behold! I present you with puppy chow popcorn!

 

I mean, you guys obviously know what popcorn is. Or at least, I hope you do. And you know what puppy chow is… Why not combine the two! With only  4 ingredients, you can whip this treat up in mere minutes… WHICH is a little scary. But hey, it's worth the love-handles. 

Enjoy!

Puppy Chow Popcorn

12 c. popped popcorn

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

In a small bowl or coffee mug, melt the chocolate and peanut butter; about 15 seconds. Stir until smooth. In a large bowl, pour the chocolate/peanut butter over the popcorn. Add in the powdered sugar. Toss until everything is evenly coated. 

Deep Dish White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

I have good news! Wanna know what? I got a 4 day weekend! Which pretty much just translates to sitting around in my sweats and eating chocolate all day. Gahh I loved it. BUT, like all good things, it soon came to an end. Which means I actually have to get up at a normal time, run, shower, and do school… Which also means I spent 8 hours doing school today, and didn't even finish everything. BOOOOOOOO. 

One of my highlights of the weekend- THESE COOKIES. Easily excited, I know. They're so dang good though! I have this recipe for cranberry white chocolate chip cookies that I've been making for awhile now. Given that I can't find most things in season here, and since cranberries are like OHMYGAWWWSHTHEONLYTHINGS that are kinda a winter-ish flavor, I figured I'd use them in a recipe to share with you guys.

Enter THESE COOKIES. They're soft, chewy, and buttery, with some creaminess from the white chocolate, and some tang thanks to the dried cranberries. This time, I switched them up from the original recipe, and decided to plop 'em in a muffin tin. Because let's face it, anything in a muffin tin is usually pretty cute. AND DELICIOUS.

Deep Dish White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

yields 15 cookies 

3/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 egg

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. white chocolate chips

1 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a muffin tin. In a large bowl cream the sugars, egg, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Combine with the flour and baking soda. Fold in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before moving to a wire rack. 

Also… Totally noticed I just posted two cranberry recipes in a row. Sorry but not sorry. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! This morning, I totally forgot it was a holiday. I mean, it's 90 degrees right now, so it kinda makes sense. Sadly, I don't get to stuff myself to the brim with turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, and pumpkin pie. BUT! I still have a load of things to be thankful for. I blogged about them over at Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Hope you all have a fun day today :)

What are you thankful for?

Cranberry Banana Muffins

If you've followed MHP for awhile, you know that I LOOOOOVE muffins. Like, we're talking, with all my heart here. I don't know WHY… I just… love them. They're perfect for a quick breakfast if you're in a rush, microwaved after they've been in the fridge for awhile, or as an afternoon snack! … or lunch. or dinner. or dessert. Really, anytime of the day works. 

One more thing to add to the list of reasons I adore them is that they're pretty easy to make HEALTHY. Of course the muffins that you'll grab at a gas station, bakery, or restaurant probably aren't full of good things. In fact, they're loaded with sugar. But when you decide to go the homemade route, you have the ability to make these into a yummy, nutritious, and filling treat.

Today's muffins are INSANE. I got two texts from friends saying they were the best muffins EVER! Mission accomplished. They're light and fluffy, but dense too, thanks to the greek yogurt in the batter. In the whole recipe there's only three quarters of a cup of white flour and then the rest is whole wheat. With only one third cup of sugar, these muffins get some sweetness from the bananas. I LOVED how the cranberries studded these muffins and got all juicy when baked. DELICIOUS!

I was hoping to have these for breakfasts this week… BUT. They only lasted about 24 hours. Which is a pretty good sign if you ask me :)

Cranberry Banana Muffins

3/4 c. AP flour

1 1/4 c. wheat flour

1/3 c. sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. cinnamon 

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt {or 1 c. milk}

2 ripe bananas {plus one more for garnish, optional}

1/4 c. melted butter

1 egg

3/4 c. dried cranberries

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl, combine the milk, mashed bananas, butter, and eggs. Add to the well in the flour mixture. Add dried cranberries.Stir dry ingredients until moistened. Spoon mixture into a greased or lined muffin tin, filling each 3/4 full. Bake at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and cool on a wire rack. 

This post is being entered in Get Your Chef On :: Cranberries

hosted by White Lights on Wednesday and Four Marrs and One Venus

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Poptarts

First things first. I was going to make this post into a step-by-step. Because… Umm. I totally think you can't read and you need me to explain how to roll out dough, and spoon on a mixture of 3 ingredients. Too easy, I can't even DEAL! 

Anyways. Now that that's over with...

Awhile ago, I was thinking of things I miss… Depressing I know. Things I miss being Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes {if one of you would be every so kind as to figure out how to send me one, I'd love you forever.}, snow, walking around in town without someone coming up to me and saying "Taxi sistaaa!", the beach, Target, an oven that works, and… Poptarts. 

Growing up {heck. I'm still growing up. But ya know…} I used to eat Poptarts for breakfast all the time. The brown sugar cinnamon ones were my absolute favorite and I couldn't hold myself back from the ooey-gooey party goin' on inside. That is until I started caring about what I ate, exercising daily, ya da ya da ya da. 

Well today's recipe obviously is not a healthy one. BUT. It's totally delicious, ridiculously quick and easy, and comes together with only 5 ingredients! 

Winner, winner, cinnamon brown sugar Poptarts for dinner.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Poptarts

recipe adapted from The Baker Chick

makes 6 large pastries

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed {or your favorite homemade pastry}

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

4 tsp. AP flour + more for rolling out the dough

sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375ºF. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry until thin. Cut into 12 squares and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Evenly distribute the filling onto 6 of the squares.  Place a second square of dough on top of each of the ones with filling. Pinch the edges shut with a fork and cut of excess dough. Sprinkle with sugar and slit the tops. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown.