Category Archives: Breakfast

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

14 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Breakfast, Easy, Sauces

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This year, Lulu’s apple tree went crazy! We had tons of apples in the middle of the summer. They weren’t very big at first, but there were so many that we needed to do something about it. They were small and tart yet perfect and beautiful. Over the years, I have found Northwest gardening can be very strange…We got our fall apples super early yet my heirloom tomatoes didn’t seem to ripen until mid-September. Regardless of the unpredictability of our gardens, there is nothing quite like picking fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs from your yard and feeding your family with them.

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For someone like me it’s hard not to just make apple cake and tortes and crisps and everything in between…but a lot of baking recipes don’t use enough fruit to get you through your bounty before things start taking a turn for the worse…so this was the year it was time to make apple butter.

I wanted to find an apple butter recipe that could go straight to the fridge or freezer, no hardcore canning skills required. Something easy like my mom’s strawberry freezer jam. The crazy part is this recipe was even easier! Throw apples, sugar, and some spices of your choice in a slow cooker. Turn on. Walk away. Maybe stir it every few hours if you are feeling crazy. The biggest effort you have to make is coring, peeling, and dicing your apples. If you have a spiralizer, your job just got way easier.

This recipe is very adaptable, depending on what kind of apples you use. You can choose to add more of less sugar depending on how tart your apples are, and no one is going to get mad if you decide to add some nutmeg or allspice to your mix. Right now we are spreading our apple butter on toast and mixing it into greek yogurt. I’ll update you with more ideas down the line!

Recipe
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
By Baked Northwest
Makes 4 (12 oz) containers of Apple Butter

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds of apples; peeled, cored, and diced
  • 2 cups of sugar (can use more or less here, depending on how sweet your apples are)
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Place the apples in a slow cooker. If you have a 6 quart slow cooker like me, it will be very full. Don’t worry – the apples will cook down by more than half. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a bowl and pour mixture over the apples in the slow cooker. Mix well. Cover and cook on high for one hour.

Reduce the heat to low, stir mixture again, and cook for another 9 hours. This can be done overnight, but I found I liked being able to stir my apple butter every few hours during its low cook time, I think it made the mixture smoother in the end. At the end of about 9 hours the mixture should be thickened and dark brown. You should be able to stir the mixture and have a great consistency without having to use a blender or anything.

Turn off the slow cooker and spoon apple butter into sterile containers. Refrigerate or freeze. You should definitely give some to friends as well.

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Go-To Zucchini Bread

11 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Easy

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This year I was determined to find *THE* zucchini bread recipe. One that used loads of zucchini (4 whole cups to be exact), could make 2 loaves but also translate into muffins (or in this case, mini loaf pans), and one that would be great either on its own or with fun extras like chocolate chips or nuts. The great news is I found my recipe…and I think I like it best plain and boring, all on its own.



After making this recipe several times I finally got around to taking pictures with a batch where I added chocolate chips. The great thing about this recipe is you can easily adapt it based on your current mood. It’s perfect on its own, but some great add-ins I tried were nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, and sesame seeds (all on different occasions, not in one batch). I found whole wheat flour gave it a little more substance but while flour was fine too.

Recipe
Go-To Zucchini Bread
By Baked Northwest
Makes 2 large loaves

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour (can sub white flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 cups grated zucchini, dried out slightly (from about 2 medium zucchinis)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit of your choice or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

A note on the shredded zucchini – I shred mine, and put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight. This gets some of the moisture out but not too much. You can definitely use your shredded zucchini right away, I would just make sure to blot out the excess moisture with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray 2 9×5 inch loaf pans or tins with cooking spray and set aside. Beat the butter and sugars in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the oil and vanilla and stir to combine.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and stir together. Add the zucchini, nuts, and any additional fillings you may be using and stir. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. They will only be a little over half full. Bake until the bread springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing and serving. This bread freezes well and tastes better the next day!

 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

27 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by in Breads, Breakfast, Side Dish, Thanksgiving

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I think this was the first recipe I ever Pinned on Pinterest, and I seriously took way too long to finally follow through and try it out. But hey, since 95% of recipes that people pin probably never make it to the oven, I consider this a win!

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I’m no biscuit expert – this blog is called Baked Northwest after all, and this area of the world isn’t exactly known for biscuits. In fact, I can’t really say I’ve had many good biscuits in my life, they always taste so boring and bland to me. But these! They come out this beautiful orange hue and have SO much flavor. And they are a pretty versatile vessel for whatever you want – ham, honey, butter, jam, fried chicken, savory or sweet! An no worries on the little chunks of sweet potato flecked throughout the biscuits – it’s a very good thing. Continue reading →

Blueberry White Chocolate Scones

25 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Seattle

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Let’s talk scones. Out of the bajillion recipes out there, I have found the only one I will ever need. Actually, my Aunt Tricia found it, has made it countless times, and will continue to make it because these scones are just that good. I’ve never been a fan of the coffee house scone that’s dry and could practically be used as a hockey puck. To me, scones are meant to be adorned with butter and jam, like the Fisher Fair Scones so many people in the Seattle area grew up with. Continue reading →

Thirsty Thursday | Extra Boozy Bellinis

24 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Boozy, Breakfast, Entertaining, Holidays

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When I was pregnant, I fantasized about having a fizzy Bellini around Christmas. Since my original due date was December 22nd, I was really hoping for a Christmas Bellini, it was all I wanted! Things have a funny way of working out, don’t they? Turns out I could have started drinking Bellini’s in mid-November, but of course, I didn’t get around to making one until Christmas anyways.

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Recipe
Extra Boozy Bellini’s
By Baked Northwest
Makes 6-8 Drinks

Ingredients

  • One (1 lb.) bag of frozen peaches
  • 1/2 cup triple sec or other orange liqueur
  • 1/4 cup vodka
  • 2 tbsp. peach jam or preserves
  • juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp.)
  • Champagne, Prosecco, or any other Sparkling Wine for serving

Directions

Add the peaches, triple sec, vodka, peach jam, and lemon juice to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. You can add extra booze (or water) to the mixture if it’s too thick, the mixture should be a smooth, but slightly thick consistency. The goal is to have a nice boozy smoothie!

Add the mixture to a pitcher and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When ready, pour mixture into champagne flutes to fill about halfway. Top with Prosecco to serve.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

10 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in Baking, Breads, Breakfast

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Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

As if Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread wasn’t enough…I had to go ahead and make some extra chocolately zucchini muffins. These muffins can also be made as chocolate zucchini bread, but I have a special place in my heart for chocolate muffins. We all know a certain wholesale store sells some of the biggest and best chocolate muffins ever…but it’s hard not to feel guilty when indulging in a giant 1 pound muffin that’s 90% butter. Continue reading →

Plum Poppyseed Muffins

13 Monday Jul 2015

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Plum Muffins

When we bought our house a few months ago, our spacious backyard was definitely a great selling point…What we didn’t notice was the big plum tree quietly sitting there, just waiting for us!

Plum Tree

Now, we have so many plums we don’t know what to do. Except bake, of course. I have never gone out of my way to make anything with plums, let alone buy them. I think they are a fruit that tends to get overlooked. Or maybe I have just avoided them over the years. When I was a kid, maybe five or so, I was walking down by the lake with my mom and aunt. My mom found a plum tree, picked one, and was so excited about bringing it home. I proceeded to ask if I could see it and then threw it in the lake. I thought it was hilarious…but really I was just the worst. I have brought it up to my mom, who doesn’t seem to remember the whole ordeal. I was probably a little jerk too many times for her to keep track of it all. Now we have a tree, giving us too much fruit, so I guess I’m way overdue to make my mom some muffins. Continue reading →

Pull Apart Mini Cinnamon Rolls + News!

12 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Entertaining, Holidays

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Cinni Mini Pull Apart Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls may be my ultimate weakness. It is hard for me to resist a soft, gooey, sweet roll when I wake up in the morning and am vulnerable…everyone is more vulnerable in the morning, right? I have been waiting for an “excuse” to find a good go-to cinnamon roll recipe for awhile. One you can tweak with fillings depending on your mood or the season, one that isn’t too complicated, one I’ll use over and over.

Cinnamon Rolls!

For this particular “occasion” I knew I wanted to make tinier rolls, maybe ones you could almost just pull out of the pan with your hands and eat in one or two bites…because they are so good you’ll probably have to eat them immediately with reckless abandon instead of taking the time to grab a plate. You can also choose to go the classier route and get a knife and fork…but that’s not something I’m doing much of these days because… Continue reading →

Coffee Squares

24 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, LuLu's Classics

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Coffee Squares

This is one of our family’s oldest recipes that we continue to make again and again. We think it originally came from a neighbor in the late 1950’s or early 60’s. Grammy used to make it for the whole family, my mom held up the tradition when I was a kid, and the recipe is still going strong!  It’s a total classic in our family. Continue reading →

Churro Rum Baked Donuts

05 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by in Baking, Boozy, Breakfast

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Churro Rum Baked Donuts

Another day, another food holiday…out of all of the ridiculous food “holidays” out there, I’d have to say National Donut Day is probably the most legit. Why? Because: A.) Donuts are the BEST
B.) You have an excuse to eat one of the best foods ever created
C.) Lots of your favorite donuts places are giving out free donuts!

Rum Churro Baked Donuts

Oh, and my instagram feed has been blowing up over it all week. Nobody got this excited for National Burger Day, just sayin’. For my first official celebration of Donut Day, I chose to bake some at home. A donut pan was a wedding gift I gave to myself, since part of me was a little too embarrassed to register for it. I now realize how crazy I was being – everyone needs a donut pan! They are inexpensive, and if there is going to be a guilt-free way to eat donuts, it’s when you bake them. Plus, this recipe is a cinch to make.

Churro Rum Donuts

For my next baked donut extravaganza, we will need to talk about the correct spelling…is it donut or doughnut? Doh!

Churro Rum Baked Donuts

Recipe
Churro Rum Baked Donuts
Makes about 18 donuts
By Baked Northwest

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups milk (I used nonfat, but whole or any other milk would work)
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp dark Rum (such as Meyers)
  • Baking spray

For the topping:

  • 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp dark rum (optional)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a donut pan well. If you have more than 1 donut pan, use them both! I had to do 3 batches in the oven because I only have 1 donut pan.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In another smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and rum. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until combined.

Spoon the batter into the baking pan, filling each one about three-quarters full. Careful here, if they are too full you will not have a hole in your donuts when they come out of the oven! Bake for 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

While donuts are baking, make the topping: Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a small saute pan with the rum. Let the butter melt completely and get a little bit bubbly before turning off the heat. Stir well to make sure the rum is incorporated. Combine the cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl or a plate (whatever will be easy to dip your donuts into).

Remove donuts from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes. You may want to use 2 wooden skewers to loosen the donuts around the edges, mine didn’t fall out of the pan, they had to be finessed a bit before removing. Remove donuts onto a wire rack with some wax paper or a baking sheet under it, to catch little bits of cinnamon sugar after we dip them!

Dip each donut into the butter, then into the cinnamon sugar mixture, I just dipped the tops, but you can certainly do both sides if you are feeling wild.