Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hand-grating on the fine holes of a box grater is the way to go.

Yield: About 12 to 16 3- to 4-inch pancakes


Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour


1 teaspoon baking powder


1/2 teaspoon baking soda


1/2 teaspoon table salt


1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used a smidge less)


1/8 teaspoon ground ginger


2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional, I skipped them)


2 tablespoons golden raisins (optional, ditto)


1 large egg


2 tablespoons packed brown sugar


1 cup buttermilk


1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


2 cups finely grated carrots (from about a 3/4 pound bundle whole carrots)


3 tablespoons butter, for griddle


Cream cheese topping


4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature


1/4 cup powdered sugar


2 to 3 tablespoons milk


1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Dash of ground cinnamon


Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 200°F. This will keep the pancakes warmed as they’re fried in batches.


To make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and, if using, nuts and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in carrots. Stir carrot mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until just incorporated. Let rest for five minutes while you make the cream cheese topping.


To make the cream cheese topping: In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and lump-free. Whisk in powdered sugar, two tablespoons milk, vanilla and cinnamon. If you’d like the mixture thinner, add the remaining tablespoon of milk (I did not).


Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a cast-iron skillet or griddle pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into the hot pan per pancake (to me, this seemed like too little but after experimenting with larger pancakes, I advise you to listen to Joy; It’s a wiggly batter and much easier to and cook in small puddles), flipping once, until pancakes are golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer finished pancakes to a serving dish or tray in the oven, to keep warm while you repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed.
Serve warm with cream cheese topping.

From Smitten Kitchen
Adapted, barely, from the Joy the Baker Cookbook


Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

Peanut Butter Frosting

Makes about 5 cups

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

From Smitten Kitchen

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chunks

The brilliance of these cookies is that they have include two different formats for peanuts–three if you use chunky peanut butter. They’re crisp on the outside, and almost cakey on the inside. Bake a batch and then hide the results in the furthest and most forgettable reaches of your kitchen. You’ll thank me later.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a criss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely. From Smitten Kitchen - Adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Apple Bread

Bread
4 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped (4-5 apples, McIntosh recommended)
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil (canola recommended)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar

Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly grease 2 standard bread loaf pans and set aside.
3. Peel, core and slice the apples.  Cut the apples into good sized chunks, about 1 inch in size.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add the oil and beat until well combined.  Add the vanilla extract, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Beat until thoroughly mixed.
5. Next, add the flour and sugar and mix on low just to blend.
6. Turn the mixer to high and berate until the mixture is smooth; the batter will be very thick.
7. Fold in the chopped apples, mixing by hand so the apples do not break.
8. Divide the mixture between the two pans.  Since the batter is so thick, it is easiest to spoon the batter into the pans.
9. To prepare the topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
10. Cut the butter into the mixture with a fork until all ingredients are moist and crumbly.
11. Sprinkle equal amounts of topping on each loaf.
12. Bake for about 1 hour on the center rack of the oven.  
13. The loaf should feel fairly firm when touched in the middle; if not bake an extra 5 minutes.
14. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
15. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pans.

Salmon with Basil Sauce

A quick sauce of fresh basil, olive oil, and lemon is puréed and then drizzled over pan sautéed salmon to give it a flavorful glaze that enhances the flavor of the fish. Make a side of fresh veggies and give them a drizzle of the lemon sauce as well.

Serve with quinoa on a bed of fresh spinach and use the sauce to flavor it as well!