Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

One of my favorite fruits are Apples and they are currently in season. My local Stop & Shop has great prices right now on New York Apples so for the past three weeks, I buy a bag and end up with many Apples. I found this recipe online and baked Cinnamon Apple Muffins last weekend. The muffins were moist and super yummy bursting with Cinnamon spice and bits of Apple in each bite. Recipe from Add A Pinch: (http://addapinch.com/cooking/cinnamon-apple-muffins-recipe/). I skipped the Cinnamon/Sugar topping, since the muffins are divine as is, but see the recipe if you want to add it.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins right out of the oven

Ingredients
2 cups All Purpose Flour + 2 teaspoons for coating Apples

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon for coating Apples

2 cups Diced Apples (5-6 Apples)

1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, softened

1 cup Granulated Sugar

2 Large Eggs

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Milk

Cinnamon Apple Muffins close-up on cooling rack

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray muffin tin with Baking Spray or coat with Butter and Flour, getting rid of excess Flour.

Peel and remove core (I use a corer) and dice Apples. In a medium size bowl, using a spatula coat Apples with Flour and Cinnamon. Put aside for now.

In a large bowl, sift together Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Cinnamon and combine with a spatula. Put aside for now.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins, yum!

In a stand or hand held mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together Butter and Sugar on medium speed, about 3 minutes.

Add Eggs one a time fully incorporating before adding the other.

Add Vanilla Extract and mix until combined.

On low speed, add Flour mixture, alternating with Milk until combined. Do not overmix.

Turn off mixer and with a spatula, fold in diced Apples.

Use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to fill muffin tins, filling until 3/4 full.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool in tins for 10 minutes and run a knife or small spatula around the edges and remove from tins and place on cooling racks to finish cooling, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy warm with your favorite cup of coffee, cover in container and keep at room temperature. No need to refrigerate.

Makes 12 muffins.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Crawdad's Classics Steak & Burger Gourmet Seasoning

Crawdad's Classics Steak & Burger Gourmet Seasoning

Turkey Cheeseburgers with Crawdad's Classics Steak & Burger Gourmet Seasoning

Tennessee based, Crawdad's Classics graciously sent us some products to cook with for the blog. We just finished the Steak & Burger Gourmet Seasoning and we used it on turkey burgers (see photo), pork chops, and steak (see photo). This versatile seasoning has exceptional flavor and complimented all the meats we used it on and also gives meats a flame broiled taste. The ingredients are: kosher salt, black pepper, dill seed, coriander seed, red pepper, green pepper, garlic, onion, spices, soybean oil, natural flavors.

Broiled steaks with Crawdad's Classics Steak & Burger Gourmet Seasoning

We broiled the steaks bone-in thin butcher shop beef rib in the oven by seasoning both sides with the Steak & Burger Gourmet Seasoning without adding anything else since we wanted to taste the spices. My wife usually cooks our steaks by seasoning both sides with kosher salt and cracked black pepper and adding a little worchestershire sauce. To a skillet, add a little vegetable or canola oil and when hot, add one tablespoon of butter and place steaks right over it. Right before you flip the steaks, add one more tablespoon of butter for the other side. The hot skillet gives the steaks a nice sear. The steaks always come out juicy and full of flavor. Just adding the Steak & Burger Gourmet Seasoning was a test to see if the flavors from the spices shined on their own. The steaks were juicy and we were pleased with the results. When we made pork chops and turkey burgers, the seasoning complimented the meats perfectly.

This blend is better than McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning by a long streak. We highly recommend Crawdad's Classics Steak & Burger Gourmet Seasoning, and it belongs in every meat lover and BBQ aficionados pantry. The seasoning is all natural and gluten free, and the first in a series of product reviews from Crawdad's Classics with more sauce and rubs upcoming.

For further information and to order, please visit: http://www.crawdadsclassics.com

Like Crawdad's Classics on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrawdadsClassics

-Allen/Two Frys

Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce

Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce

Chicken Wings with Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce

I happen to love sauce with big flavor and a subtle heat profile while my other half Allen loves big flavor and heat to the extreme. With Sweet Heat Gourmet's Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce we both went nuts for it. We first used it on chicken wings and this week, I made a butter sauce and slathered it over pork chops. Both recipes tasted great and were simple to do.

Based in Pennsylvania, Sweet Heat Gourmet use locally sourced ingredients from Jade Family Farm in their products and we like to support companies like this. The ingredients in Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce are: red currants, tomato puree, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, golden raisins, fresh cherry juice, worchestershire sauce, water, balsamic vinegar, mustard powder, shallots, chipotle and salt. I got a subtle hint of smokiness from the chipotle but no heat, and the flavor of the currants are prominent as they should be since they are the star ingredient. The brown sugar, raisins and cherry juice bring out the sweetness but are balanced by the vinegars, tomato puree, worchestershire, mustard and shallots, which enhance the flavor profile. We both give this sauce our stamp of approval, and recommend you add it to your pantry. All in all, the ingredients are balanced and this is a versatile sauce that will compliment steak, chicken, turkey, sausage or fish. I think it would go great with chocolate cake as well. Hmmm...

Chicken Wings with Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce, yum!

Chicken Wings with Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Wings

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, coat wings with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Liberally add Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce.

Add wings to baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes, turning wings half way.

My Pork Chop with Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce

Pork Chops with Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce
Ingredients
Bone-In Pork Chops

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

Kosher Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

1 tablespoon Butter

Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce

Directions
Add canola oil and heat skillet to medium.

Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.

When skillet is hot add pork chops, sear and cook until done. Time depends on thickness of the chops. Our chops cooked in 14 minutes.

In a small sauce pan on low heat, add butter and a liberal amount of Red, White and Black Currant Awesome Sauce. Stir with spoon and heat until you reach a creamy consistency. Adjust amount of butter and sauce according to amount of pork chops you cook.

When the chops are ready, pour sauce over them and serve immediately.

To order and for further information, please visit:
http://www.sweetheatgourmet.com/

Like Sweet Heat Gourmet on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SHGourmet

Enjoy!

-Sophia and Allen/Two Frys

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, yum!

My nephew was heading back to college this weekend after spending the summer home. Recently, he told me his favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin, so I baked some Friday night. I sent him off with lots of cookies to munch on while he gets ready for the semester. Good luck on your junior year nephew! The texture of the cookies are soft and chewy, and the taste is just divine. As the cookies were baking, it reminded me of when I worked at Mrs. Fields Cookies in my teens and how I loved that smell (and eating them too). These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are great warm, and go perfectly with an ice cold glass of milk or your favorite coffee.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, soft and chewy goodness!

Ingredients
2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, softened

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar, firmly packed

2 Large Eggs

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

3 cups Oats (not instant)

1 1/2 cup Raisins (I used California Raisins)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, cooling

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Kosher Salt. Put aside for now.

Using a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed, cream Butter and Sugar, about 2 minutes. Mix well until smooth and creamy. Add Eggs one at a time until combined and then Vanilla. With a spatula, scrape sides of bowl to ensure ingredients are incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients (Flour mixture) little by little until incorporated.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, cooled and ready to pack away for my nephew

Using a spatula, fold in Oats and Raisins.

Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon form ball of dough, place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets lined with parchment paper and press dough down lightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes (my cookies took 11 minutes to bake).

Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Yields 36 cookies.

Recipe from: http://www.food.com/recipe/oatmeal-raisin-cookies-35813

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys