Snickerdoodle Muffins

I served up these muffins at my holiday brunch back in December and they were a huge hit. Since the winterness doesn't seem to be going anywhere for a while, I think these little confections of nutmeggy goodness are still seasonally appropriate. Though the original recipe deemed them Breakfast Muffins since they do sort of taste like an old-fashioned donut, after I told Lauren about them and her response was "you mean they're like a snickerdoodle?" I realized that these were in fact just like a snickerdoodle and should be named accordingly. In addition to the name, I made a few subtle changes to suit my own tastes (like adding a bit less nutmeg than the original recipe calls for). Don't they just look good enough to eat?

Snickerdoodle Muffins
*Adapted from Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
1 1/2 C plus 2 tbsp flour
3/4 C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C milk
1 egg, beaten
2/3 C butter, melted & divided (divided means just that - you will use some of this at different times during the recipe, not all at once!)

Topping:
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups of the paper or foil variety. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add milk, egg and 1/3 cup melted butter. Mix thoroughly. Fill muffin cups 1/2 way and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When muffins are almost finished baking, mix sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a small bowl for the topping. When muffins are finished, remove muffins from tin (carefully, as they will be hot-hot-hot!). Dip in remaining 1/3 C melted butter and then roll in the topping mixture. Serve with a glass of cold milk and get ready for the 'mmm's' to start rolling in. Though muffins can be oversized and super filling when purchased at Starbucks or something of the sort, these are just the right size and oh-so-light.

So what do you think? Are you a muffin person? What's your favorite kind? Berries? Chocolate? Do you have any muffin recipes to share?

Psst...looking for more muffin recipes? Check out this one.

Pan-seared Tilapia & Rice

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Mine, which has extended into Monday, included a girls brunch and Castle marathon, lots of movies, lunch in Hoboken and a simply delish steak dinner at home last night. Needless to say, this morning will be filled with healthy foods and hitting the gym hard. Speaking of healthy foods, today I'm showing off one of my favorite light dinner recipes. It's pan-seared tilapia, and though I'm typically not one for fish unless it's of the shrimp-crab-lobster variety, this recipe has won me over in a big way. Take a look...

Pan-seared Tilapia & Rice
*Adapted from Weight Watchers (yep, and it's one of their better ones)
1 lb. tilapia filets (or any white fish that you prefer)
3 tbsp flour
1 C white wine (any kind you'd drink, I usually prefer Sauvignon Blanc)
1 tomato, any kind, chopped
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
capers (I like a lot, so no measurement...use whatever you want)
olive oil
2 tbsp butter or light butter
kosher salt & pepper
Cooked rice
In a dish, combine flour, salt and pepper. Very lightly coat filets in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a skillet, just enough to coat the bottom. Cook filets 2-3 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, white wine, garlic, basil, capers, and tomatoes. When fish is finished cooking (there should be a nice crispy brown crust on the fish), remove from pan and keep warm (I usually put on a plate and loosely cover with foil). Pour wine mixture into the skillet on medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Turn off heat, add butter and mix until melted.

To serve:
In a shallow bowl or small plate, put a scoop of rice on the bottom. Put fish over rice and pour the wine sauce over top. It should look something like this:

So what do you think? Do you ever cook fish at home? I'll admit, I shied away from it for a long time...until I found this recipe of course. Do you have any other fish recipes to share?

Just Call Me Sweetie

Valentine's week continues, and this time we're talking sweets. Sugar cookies, to be exact. And these are pink, heart-shaped, oversized, and beyond easy to boot. There's just something about a giant sugary cookie, don't you think? Whether you're spending the day with a loved one, with friends, or even solo, these cookies are a simple treat for all to enjoy, even beyond the big V...and everyone can make them. Let's get down to it...

Easy Sugar Cookies - Valentine's Day Edition
*Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis
1 tube Pillsbury cookie dough (I used sugar, but any kind you like will work)
1/4 C+ all purpose flour
Red food coloring
Sprinkles, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or any other flavor you want to add

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cookie dough and flour. I used my trusty stand mixer (I rave about this little baby here), but my gut tells me mixing it in a bowl with a good old wooden spoon will work just as well. Add 4-5 drops of food coloring, depending on how 'red' you want it. I wanted a soft pink so 4-5 drops worked just fine. Next, add any other extras that you'd like. I split my dough into thirds; one for semi-sweet chocolate chips, one for white chocolate chips, and one for coconut. Take your dough and roll out onto a wooden board or counter top that is generously floured. Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough. Using a cookie cutter (I just so happen to have a heart one), cut out your cookies. You know the drill: roll up the scraps, repeat.

Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with sprinkles if you so choose. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until they look done. This isn't an exact science. Depending on how thinly I rolled the dough, the cookies browned at different rates - which is also why some of my gorgeous pink confections have brown undertones. Just a note of caution: I made the mistake of thinking sugar cookies would be similar to butter cookies, where they don't really puff up or take up any additional space other than what the initial dough occupies. I was wrong. On the first batch, I placed them too close together and they ended up looking like this: Let sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. If done properly, they should look like this: Isn't she pretty? To make these even more decadent, try topping them with a bit o'frosting. I will likely freeze some of these and frost them on Sunday for a fresh taste. I'm trying out pomegranate cream cheese frosting...say it with me, 'mmmmm'. So what kind of sweets do you look forward to on Vday? Cookies? Cakes? Chocolate truffles? Hershey's Kisses? 

Psst - if you missed any of Vday week thus far, check out It's a Date and Gorgonzola Fig Crostini!