Spiced Buttermilk Muffins

Posted by: Maggie

I don't know about you guys, but I waste a metric crap-ton of buttermilk. I buy it constantly for baking muffins, quick breads, cupcakes, etcetera, but never manage to use up a full container before its expiration. I had a nearly full carton of it left in my fridge after making these pancakes for Jeff and I last weekend. I assumed it would go to waste like it always does, but as luck would have it, Kristina posted an amazing looking recipe for Spiced Buttermilk Muffins and rescued my buttermilk from its garbage can fate. 

There's just one problem...I made these in an attempt to use leftover buttermilk, but now I'm going to buy MORE buttermilk, specifically to make these moist, flavorful, and delicious muffins again and again. Sigh. It's a vicious cycle.

Here's what you'll need for 16-18 muffins:

For the muffins:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk

For the streusel topping:

1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1 heaping teaspoon ground allspice

Combine the ingredients for the streusel topping in a bowl, and set aside.

Line muffin tins with paper liners, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, allspice, and cinnamon. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the creamed butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, beating slowly until just combined.

Fill prepared muffin cups three-quarters of the way full with batter. Top with streusel, and bake immediately (so the topping doesn't sink.) Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tins, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Source: My Life as a Mrs., who adapted these from Mimi's Cafe

Super Bowl Recipe Roundup!

Posted by: Maggie

Hurray! The Super Bowl is this Sunday, which means it's the end of football 'til the fall, which also means that I get the undivided attention of my boyfriend again. I have lots of fun activities planned to fill our now empty Sundays, such as, hand holding, meaningful talks about our feelings, and long walks on short piers.

Errr, not that we really spent Sundays during football season together anyway. He usually hauls ass out of here at noon on Sundays to watch football on his comically oversized television back at his place. And we probably won't be spending Sundays together even now that football is over, because there's surely some other sport that he'll be watching, like hockey, or synchronized swimming, or badminton.

Oh well. I can't hate on football too much since like I said before, the Super Bowl is a day to watch funny commercials and eat good food. Therefore, I wanted to give you a list of some snacks, dips, and football friendly food we've posted in the past that would be perfect for game day!

Baba Ghanoush  (<--Reminds me of a random reference in one of my fave movies, see 2:49)
Beef and Bean Chili 
Chipotle Chicken Drumsticks
Fried Mozzarella Sticks
Hummus
Onion Dip
Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Spicy Roasted Chicken Wings
Spinach Dip (Cold)
Spinach Dip (Hot) (<--My version of heaven involves a spinach dip pond, and a canoe made from a baguette)
Sweet and Sour Meatballs 
Sweet Potato Chips
Taco Dip
Warm Blue Cheese and Bacon Dip (<--Worst food photo EVER, but deeeeelicious)

What are you planning on making for the Super Bowl? Share in the comments; I always need new appetizer/dip/snack ideas!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Posted by: Maggie

While I never post a recipe on here that I don't absolutely love, most of the baked goods I share aren't made with my own personal tastes in mind. Jeff doesn't like my favorite dessert combination of peanut butter and chocolate, and since I typically pawn off my desserts on him so I'm not tempted to eat them all, lots of the baked goods that I post are things I know he'll love. 

If this blog was strictly about Maggie-friendly desserts, it wouldn't be an actual blog - it would just be a live streaming webcast of me face-planting into a bowl of peanut butter frosting and violently exploding all over my apartment a la Mr. Creosote. (<--Don't click there if you're about to eat, or just finished eating. You've been warned. If you know who Mr. Creosote is without clicking, consider yourself my new best friend.) 

This is the first dessert recipe in awhile that I made specifically for me. I love and adore peanut butter, want to have a civil union with cheesecake, and would happily make brownies my prison bitch. A recipe combining my three twisted desires clearly needed to be made.

These do not disappoint. In fact, I don't ever want another dessert again. I'll stick a candle in this as my birthday cake in a few months. When I get married? I want my husband to feed me a big 'ole slab of this during the reception. Next time I make them, I might add peanut butter chips to the brownie portion. If it's possible to improve these, that would be the way.

Please go make these now. Thanks.

Here's what you'll need:

For the brownies:

14 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the peanut butter cheesecake swirl:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 metal baking pan with foil, and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and microwave on 50 percent power, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. This takes about 3 minutes in my microwave.

In a large mixer bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and sugar. With a mixer on medium speed, beat in melted chocolate mixture. Beat in cream cheese until fully incorporated. Add in eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat thoroughly after each addition. Beat in vanilla and salt. Lower the mixer speed and add flour until just combined.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Now, make the peanut butter cheesecake swirl. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar for 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated.

Drop the peanut butter mixture over the brownie mixture in blobs, and gently swirl with a knife or a skewer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until center is just set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I tested these at both room temperature and chilled, and preferred the cold ones!

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Source: Annie's Eats, who adapted them from Kitchenist