Thursday, January 21, 2021

Cookies and Cream Mini Bundts #BundtBakers

Cookies and Cream Mini Bundts are baked with Oreos and sour cream, then topped with cream glaze and more Oreos, a sweet treat your family will love!
 

I don’t remember when cookies and cream became a thing. It seems like I have loved the flavor forever. 

According to several sources, it was first created by a couple of dairy science students at South Dakota State University in 1979 at the instigation of Shirley Seas, a manager at their campus dairy plant. While they didn’t patent their invention, originally called Oreo ice cream, there were witnesses.

A little research (thanks, Wikipedia!) reveals that it probably came to my notice in 1980 when Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham, a small town about 75 miles from Houston began mass production of cookies and cream ice cream in Texas. It’s still one of top three flavors nationwide from any manufacturer. And right after seriously strong coffee ice cream, it’s mine.

And for the curious, it wasn’t until 1985 and 1997 respectively when Dairy Queen and McDonald’s started serving their soft serve ice cream treats (Blizzards and McFlurries) with Oreos mixed in.

Cookies and Cream Mini Bundts

The pan I used is from Nordic Ware called 65th Anniversary Bundt-lettes <affiliate link - that has a volume of five cups. For the Oreos, I used part of a bag of mini Oreos because they fit perfectly in the baked hole of the mini Bundts, allowing me to add the cream glaze and pop another one on top for decoration. You could also bake this batter as cupcakes, of course. They just wouldn't be as cute. 

Ingredients
For the cake batter:
1/2 cup or 113g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for the pan
3/4 cup or 150g sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
3/4 cup or 180ml sour cream
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups or 156g all purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup or 85g chopped Oreos (I used the minis and cut them each in quarters.)


For the cream glaze:
3/4 cup or 94g powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Optional for decoration:
12 whole mini Oreos

Method
Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180°C. Butter and flour your Bundt-lettes pan. 

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 
 
In a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, for 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg and beat again till combined. 


Measure the sour cream and milk together in a measuring cup. Add in the vanilla extract and stir.


Add half of the sour cream mixture and half of the flour mixture to the main mixing bowl, beating until combined, 


Add the balance of both and beat again. 

Fold in the chopped Oreos. 


Divide the batter between the holes in your mini Bundt pan. 


Bake for about 25-30 minutes in your preheated oven or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top and edges are golden. My oven heats unevenly so I turned my pan around at about 22 minutes so it could brown more evenly. Mine took 30 minutes to bake. 


Remove the mini Bundts from the oven and leave them to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. Run a toothpick around the edges of the pan to make sure the mini Bundts will release then invert the pan to turn the them out onto the wire rack. Cool completely before decorating with the cream glaze. 


To make the cream glaze, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. 

When the mini Bundt are completely cool, put a mini Oreo in each hole. Already so cute, right? I was sorely tempted to leave them just like that but I had already made the cream glaze and glaze is always a good thing. 


Decorate them with the cream glaze - I used a baggie with the corner cut off - and add one more mini Oreo on top. 


Enjoy! 
 

This month my Bundt Baker friends are sharing Bundts baked with nostalgic flavors from their childhoods. Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla for the fun theme and her behind the scenes work. Check out the Bundts below: 
BundtBakers

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin these Cookies and Cream Mini Bundts!

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Monday, January 18, 2021

Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon (Instant Pot)

Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon is rich and flavorful, a hearty comforting meal for cold winter nights, made quicker than usual in an Instant Pot. 

Food Lust People Love: Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon is rich and flavorful, a hearty comforting meal for cold winter nights, made quicker than usual in an Instant Pot.

Normally beef bourguignon requires a long slow braise to tenderize the meat, which is all very fine and well if you have the time. If I’m being honest, these days I mostly do. That said, ever since our kitchen renovation early in 2020 when I was cooking in my Instant Pot in the laundry room, I’ve been enamored with that small appliance. Why not use it? 

The Instant Pot makes short work of a long braise (35 minutes!) and best of all, there’s only one pot to clean. Whenever my mom sees me taking it out, she wonders what my grandmother would have thought of such a thing. As a working woman still expected to put a meal on the table every day, I think she would have been intrigued. I know she used her pressure cooker and this is just a more efficient one. 

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, by all means fry the bacon, brown the beef and sauté the onions and celery in a skillet on the stove, then transfer the whole lot into a slow cooker. Add the stock, wine, carrots and mushrooms and cook on high for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is tender. 

Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon

A traditional beef bourguignon does include mushrooms but they are definitely a supporting player for the star beef. In this recipe, I’ve significantly upped the amount of mushrooms and used “beefier” baby bellas instead of the standard white mushrooms, cutting larger ones in quarters and halving smaller ones. This is a great way to both stretch your beef budget and make this a healthier meal. 

Ingredients
1 lbs 10oz or 740g top sirloin beef
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup or 31g all-purpose flour
Olive oil
3 slices thick-cut bacon, (about 4 oz or 115g) 
2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 7 1/4 oz or 205g)
3 celery stalks (about 3 1/2 oz or 100g)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 9 1/3 oz or 265g)
1 lb or 450g fresh baby bella mushrooms, cleaned
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup or 240ml dry red wine plus extra for the cook
2 cups or 480ml beef broth

For a slurry to thicken the sauce:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water

Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Method
Trim the fat and gristle off of the beef and discard. Cut the meat into small chunks. Sprinkle the chunks liberally with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 


Peel the onion and carrots. Finely chop the onion and celery stalks. Cut the carrot into chunks. 


Trim any hard stems off of the mushrooms and quarter the larger ones. Halve the smaller ones.


Sprinkle the seasoned beef with some of the flour. I have a small sieve I use for this purpose and it works really well to get even coverage. Toss the beef pieces around a little and keep sprinkling the flour on until the beef is evenly coated. 


Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode adjusted to medium heat (the middle light). Fry the bacon in the pot until it is crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a plate and set aside.

Add the cubed chuck to your Instant pot in batches so that you don't overcrowd the pot, and sear it for 3-4 minutes, using tongs to turn the meat and sear all sides.


When the brown crust is formed, it will release from the Instant Pot so just be patient. Remove each batch of beef once seared. Set aside. I piled mine up on top of the bacon. 


Turn the Instant Pot off and add in the onions and celery. 


Let them sit without stirring for a few minutes. The residual heat from the sauté function will continue to cook them and when you do start stirring, you will be able to use a wooden spoon or spatula to free all the browned goodness from the bottom of the Instant Pot. 


Now turn the sauté function back on and set it to low. Continue to cook the celery and onion until they are softened, about five minutes. Add the beef chunks and the bacon back into the pot. Stir well to mix the vegetables and the beef. 


Pour in the stock and red wine. 


Add in the fresh thyme then the carrots. 


Now pile in the mushrooms. Do not stir! For optimum tenderness, we want to be sure the beef is completely covered by the stock and wine.


Cook on the stew setting under pressure for 35 minutes. When time is up, turn the Instant Pot off. Use a towel to cover the steam lever and carefully release the pressure. 

Remove the lid. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef, carrots and mushrooms and put them in a large bowl. 

Food Lust People Love: Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon is rich and flavorful, a hearty comforting meal for cold winter nights, made quicker than usual in an Instant Pot.

According the markings on the inside of the Instant Pot, you should have about 3 cups of liquid left in the pot. Cook on the sauté high setting for about 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by one third, that is to say you will have two cups left. 

Make a slurry of the cornstarch and cold water. Turn the Instant Pot off and whisk constantly as you pour the slurry in. Since the pot is still very hot, it should thicken right up. 

Add the beef, mushrooms and carrots back in and stir gently to coat them with the sauce. Have a taste and add a little fine sea salt and black pepper as needed. 

Food Lust People Love: Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon is rich and flavorful, a hearty comforting meal for cold winter nights, made quicker than usual in an Instant Pot.

Serve with some extra thyme leaves for garnish, if desired. This is great over white rice or mashed potatoes. 

Food Lust People Love: Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon is rich and flavorful, a hearty comforting meal for cold winter nights, made quicker than usual in an Instant Pot.

Enjoy!

It's MultiCooker Monday! Check out all the small appliance cooked dishes my friends are sharing today. Many thanks to our group leader and host, Sue of Palatable Pastime


Multicooker Monday is a blogger group created by Sue of Palatable Pastime for all of us who need encouragement to make better use of our small appliances like slow cookers, Instant Pots, Air Fryers, rice cookers and sous vide machines. We get together every third Monday of the month to share our recipes. If you are a food blogger who would like to post with us, please request to join our Facebook group. 

Pin this Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon!

Food Lust People Love: Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon is rich and flavorful, a hearty comforting meal for cold winter nights, made quicker than usual in an Instant Pot.

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Sunday, January 17, 2021

Peanut Butter Banana Waffles

Peanut butter banana waffles are not only delicious, they are higher in protein and vitamins than normal waffles, making them great to start your busy day.

Food Lust People Love: Peanut butter banana waffles are not only delicious, they are higher in protein and vitamins than normal waffles, making them great to start your busy day.

When our girls were young their daddy took charge of breakfast on school mornings, which was a lifesaver for my sanity. To make his job easier, sometimes I made and froze waffles and pancakes. Just like store-bought, those are easily popped in the toaster and are ready to eat in minutes. 

Homemade buttermilk waffles are also one of our favorite breakfasts for dinner. In fact, over the last few years I’ve shared several waffle recipes you might like:

Also make sure to scroll down to see all the wonderful waffles my Sunday FunDay friends are sharing today.

Peanut Butter Banana Waffles

For this recipe, I used the little bananas that are called pisang mas or gold bananas in Malaysia, Oritos in Ecuador and Ouros in Brazil. They have thin skins and are quite small and super sweet. The reason for their name becomes obvious when you peel them. Check out the golden color! It took four of these little guys to make up a half cup or 120g. Of course, substitute your favorite variety of banana if you can't find these. In my waffle iron, this recipe makes 10 waffles.


Ingredients
1 cup or 125g all-purpose flour
1/4 cup or 30g whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg 
1 cup or 240ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml mashed banana
1/4 cup peanut butter
canola or other light oil for the waffle iron, as needed

To serve: butter and syrup (or honey)

Method
Mix the flours, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. 


In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Whisk in the peanut butter, egg and milk. 


Preheat your waffle iron. 

Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and fold till well combined.


If your waffle iron isn’t nonstick, brush the surface lightly with the oil. 

Use a ladle to fill the waffle iron with the appropriate amount of batter. Waffle irons can differ greatly in capacity so please consult your manual. 


Cook until the waffle is golden brown, approximately 5-6 minutes, depending on your waffle iron. Repeat until all of the waffles are cooked. 

Food Lust People Love: Peanut butter banana waffles are not only delicious, they are higher in protein and vitamins than normal waffles, making them great to start your busy day.

When I plan to freeze the waffles, I like to stack mine up like a house of cards when they are cooked so that they stay crisp on the outside as they cool. I find that when I stack them one on top of the other, the steam created softens them.

Food Lust People Love: Peanut butter banana waffles are not only delicious, they are higher in protein and vitamins than normal waffles, making them great to start your busy day.

Serve the waffles warm, with butter and syrup, if desired. 

Food Lust People Love: Peanut butter banana waffles are not only delicious, they are higher in protein and vitamins than normal waffles, making them great to start your busy day.

You could even add some extra sliced bananas.

Food Lust People Love: Peanut butter banana waffles are not only delicious, they are higher in protein and vitamins than normal waffles, making them great to start your busy day.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay again and my friends are sharing a plethora of waffle recipes! Many thanks to our host, Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.


Pin these Peanut Butter Banana Waffles!

Food Lust People Love: Peanut butter banana waffles are not only delicious, they are higher in protein and vitamins than normal waffles, making them great to start your busy day.
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