Apple Struesel Muffins

After breakfast this morning John said, "That was amazing!" A high compliment of itself, but John rarely even comments on his meals, so you know these have got to be good. See, here's Dalton just waiting to take a bite!

The oiginal recipe is from Baking Bites.

Streusel Topping

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

2 T. butter

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Mix until coarse crumbs.

Apple Muffin

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

2/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/3 c. oil

1 egg

1/2 c. buttermilk (I use milk with a dash of white vinegar)

1 t. vanilla

2/3 c. grated apple (2 small)

These are general instructions for making all types of muffins: Mix wet ingredients (including the grated apple in this case). Mix all dry ingredients. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until moist.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Top with streusel topping and bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

The first time I made these, we didn't have any walnuts. Butter and brown sugar on top = yum!

Mini Beef and Potato Pies

I got this recipe from my cousin Jill, whose pies are much prettier. She adapted it from a book, I adapted it when writing it down, and Kannagi adapted it when making it, so it's been through a lot. These were really delicious, and easy to double and freeze.

Mini Beef and Potato Pies

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, finely diced

1 T. minced garlic

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 c. carrot, diced

1 bay leaf

2 T. oil

2 T. flour

1 c. chicken broth

1 egg

Cook meat, onion and garlic in oil. Sprinkle with flour. Add chicken broth. Simmer 15 minutes. Add carrot, potato and bay leaf. Simmer 15-25 minutes, stirring, until potato is cooked.

Pie Crust

1/2 c. butter

2 c. flour

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt
6-8 T. cold water

Mix all ingredients together. Roll the dough out and cut into 6 inch circles. Put each circle in a muffin cup and fill with meat mixture. Top with 4 inch circles of dough. Brush egg on top of dough.

Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Indian Food: Chapati and Roti Breads

Chapati and Roti are Indian flatbreads - unleavened and cooked on a grill. The main difference between the two is that Roti is brushed with oil before cooking. It's basically exactly like a flour tortillas, though Indians usually use atta, 100% whole wheat flour, and there's no baking powder.

Chapati/Roti Indian Bread Recipe

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. white flour

1/4 t. salt

1 T. oil

1/2 c. water + T or so

Mix the dry ingredients and the oil. Add water and knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and just a a little sticky. Knead for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes.

Break off about a tablespoon of dough and form into a smooth ball. Roll the dough out into a very thin circle.


Cook the chapati on a dry grill. To make roti, brush each side of the flattened dough with oil before cooking on the griddle.

Indian Food: Naan

Kannagi had never heard of naan, so I think it might be a North Indian food. South Indians use chapati or roti to mop up their "gravy" instead.

Naan Indian Bread Recipe

1 T. yeast

1 c. warm water

1/4 c. sugar

3 T. milk

1 egg, beaten

2 t. salt

4 1/2 c. flour

2 t. garlic

1/4 c. melted butter

Mix yeast, water and sugar and let stand 10 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients, except butter. Rise 1 hour. Form into balls. Rise 1/2 hour. Roll balls thinly, brush with melted butter and grill on each side.

Indian Butter Chicken

A recipe for Indian Butter Chicken already exists on this blog. This is Kannagi's version, with added potatoes, because I'd rather eat a potato than a chicken.

1 T. butter

2 T. cashew nut

Fry the nuts in butter and remove.

1 T. butter

1 chopped onion

Add to pan and fry until onion is cooked.

2 T. ginger garlic paste

(you can buy this in a packet, or make your own by pureeing 1 T. garlic and 1 T. ginger root)

Add to pan and fry.

1/2 lb chicken cubes

1/2 lb potato cubes

1/4 t. turmeric

1/4 t. chili powder

1/4 t. coriander powder

1/4 t. garam masala

Add to pan and fry.

4-5 tomatoes, pureed

Add to pan and fry. When potatoes and chicken are done, add:

1/2 c. coconut milk

1 T. chopped cilantro

Heat through.

Serve with rice and naan.

English Muffins

Yep, homemade English Muffins. These are made a lot like pancakes, except that you let the batter rise. They are really yummy, and the kids love them, too. 

English Muffin Recipe

1/3 c. warm water

1 T. sugar

2 1/2 t. yeast

1 c. warm milk

3/4 t. salt

2 c. flour

Mix water, sugar, and yeast and let sit for 10 minutes. Mix in milk, salt and flour until smooth. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.

Scoop 1/4 c. of the batter onto a hot griddle. If batter is too thick, add 2-3 T milk or water. 

Cook until brown on the bottom and set on the top, then flip. Cook until brown.

Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes. Split with a fork, toast and enjoy!

Orange Rolls

We used to eat the Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls quite a lot of breakfast. This week I tried a from-scratch recipe for them and I was pleased at how easy they were to make and how good they were. I think they were also less unhealthy than the Pillsbury ones.

I cut the recipe in half and it made 12 rolls which was plenty for four adults. I also made them the night before, left the rolls covered in the fridge and popped them in the oven the next morning.

This is the first time I've ever had the opportunity to cut rolls using thread and it worked great! I don't make cinnamon rolls, and Kannagi made the dough, so of course it was perfect.

Orange Rolls Recipe

5 c. flour
1 1/4 c. milk

1 T. yeast

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs

2 T. orange zest

1/4 c. orange juice

1/2 c. sugar

2 t. cinnamon

Mix yeast and 2 c. flour. Heat milk, butter and sugar until warm (butter will be almost melted). Add to 2 c. flour and yeast. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in salt, orange zest and orange juice. Add as much of the remaining flour as you can and knead 10-15 minutes.

Rise 1 hour.

Roll the dough into two 9x13 rectangles. Mix 1/2 c. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon. Sprinkle each rectangle of dough with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the dough up jelly-roll style. Cut into 1-inch rounds using a piece of thread.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Orange Icing Recipe

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 t. orange zest

1-2 T. orange juice

Mix powdered sugar and orange zest. Blend in just enough orange juice to make an icing texture. It doesn't take as much as you think!