mini apple crumbles

i was going through my stacks and stacks of magazines sometime last week and ran across a recipe for mini apple crumbles. yes, i've got piles of shape, marie claire, better homes & gardens, 7x7 and ca home & design magazines just to name some that i've left it piled on (and some i have yet to go through them). i guess i'm still one of the few left who appreciates actual printed materials over those ebooks or e-zines. okay, going off topic here. yes, as i was going through one of my shape magazines from a few months back, i noticed a recipe for mini apple crumbles. i think it must have been shape's november 2013 issue. leafing through the pages and seeing that, a lightbulb went in my head. well, hello… we've got a bunch of oatmeal lying around, i could actually put some to use with this recipe! so off i went with it.

okay, i've actually adapted the recipe a bit because i didn't have any maple syrup on hand or couldn't be bothered with the spices that were in it. but overall, the recipe was pretty straight forward. so go ahead and bake some. these make for perfect little one-bite treats and are great for parties or any occasions. :)


these one-bite mini apple crumbles make for the perfect little party treats and has only 95 calories.


this recipe is super simple to make. i love how you get many different kinds of texture, crunch and flavors from just one tiny bite.

mini apple crumbles
recipe from shape magazine's november 2013 issue

crumble topping:
cooking spray
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
1/3 c maple syrup
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

apple filling:
2 firm apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 tablespoons maple syrup

directions:
preheat over to 350°F. lightly coat a 12-cup mini muffing pan with cooking spray and set aside.

to make the crumble topping, combine oats, flour, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. stir in maple syrup until well coated. use a fork to smash the butter pieces into the oat mixture until crumbly. Set aside.

to make the apple filling, add apples, maple syrup, and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan. cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. remove from heat and let cool slightly.

meanwhile, place 1 teaspoon of the oat mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup. see your fingers to gently press down to form  a solid crust. Place 1 tablespoon of the apple  mixture over each and top with remaining crumble distributing evenly among all muffin cups.

bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. remove from oven, let cool to room temperature, then use an offset spatula or a butter knife to gently remove from pan. serve at room temperature.

makes 12 mini apple crumbles. enjoy!

nutrition facts: 95 calories; 3 g fat; 18 g carbs; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 22 mg sodium; 20 mg calcium

chocolate-cinnamon cupcakes with mocha buttercream frosting

is it february already? and valentine's day is around the corner?!! alright, i haven't baked cupcakes in like forever. it's only fitting i make some (mini) chocolate cupcakes again, just in time for valentine's day. yes, i made some last year as well, in addition to the super popular (on pinterest) mini creme brulee cupcakes. those are pretty awesome as well.

to change it up a bit, i decided to add a little cinnamon to the usual (eggless) chocolate cupcake recipe. according to m, the cinnamon didn't come through a whole lot. i guess you could sort of tell it's there, but not really because once it's baked the chocolate and coffee flavors overpower the cinnamon? i don't know. so if you really like cinnamon, i say add in another teaspoon or so. otherwise, the recipe the way it is below will do just fine. and if you're a coffee fan, the mocha frosting is perfection. chocolate and coffee? done.

alright, below's the recipe if you'd like to bake some for this upcoming valentine's day or any day. i say it works for any occasion. so go ahead. they're super simple to make and the end results are always stunning... delish! enjoy and as always, happy baking!


who doesn't want to get some mini chocolate cupcakes this valentine's day? these are the perfect little gifts. we gave some away to c's teacher as an early valentine's day gift.


i love how festive and valentine-y the added heart sprinkles are in these mini cupcakes.

chocolate-cinnamon cupcakes with mocha buttercream frosting

chocolate cupcakes:
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp vinegar

mocha buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp instant coffee
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk

directions:
for the cake: mix all ingredients together until moist and well blended. put in mini cupcake cups (1/2 full) and bake for 17-18 minutes at 350 degrees F.

for the mocha buttercream frosting: using a handmixer or in a stand mixer, mix all ingredients together until you've reached the right consistency for buttercream. if it's too thick, add in a little bit more milk. if it's too thin, you can add more powdered sugar. once everything looks good, pipe/frost and enjoy!

chocolate cake recipe makes about 16 regular cupcakes (or 45-50 mini cupcakes). buttercream frosting should make enough to frost all cupcakes (well, at least when i did it).

12 days of christmas baking - day 10: eggnog cinnamon-nut bread

i couldn't help it but crave some kind of cakey bread. so this afternoon i decided that i would make some. with some eggnog in the fridge i wanted to experiment a little bit and decided on an eggnog bread. well, the end result wasn't exactly what i was hoping. you couldn't quite taste the eggnog once the bread is baked. so to even add a tiny hint of the eggnog, i drizzled it with a little eggnog glaze (unpictured, unfortunately). that did the trick a bit. the bread itself is very good, with or without the eggnog glaze.

below's the recipe should you want to try it. i love baked cakey breads. they are so good toasted with a little spread of butter. mmmm... yum! :)


the eggnog in this recipe doesn't really come out a whole lot so you can always drizzle it with an eggnog glaze. that's what i did after i took these photos, to bring out the eggnog flavor a little more.


the cinnamon and nut in this recipe gives you the nicest aroma when the bread is baking in the oven. smells so yummy and it really is yummy!


all sliced and ready to eat!

eggnog cinnamon-nut bread
recipe adapted from better homes & garden

ingredients:

• 1-1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup eggnog
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

eggnog glaze (optional):

• 1-2 tablespoons eggnog
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the bottoms and 1/2 inch up the sides of three 5 3/4x3x2-inch loaf pans or a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup of the sugar, the nuts, and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In a medium bowl, combine egg, eggnog, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).
3. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle with half of the nut mixture. Top with the remaining batter and the remaining nut mixture. Using a narrow metal spatula or table knife, cut down through batter and pull up in a circular motion to marble.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes for 5 3/4-inch pans (55 to 60 minutes for 9-inch pan) or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on racks.
5. If you want to add the eggnog glaze, mix the two ingredients together and drizzle it on top (use less eggnog if you want a thicker glaze). Then wrap and store overnight before slicing. Or if you're like me and can't wait, then just wait until the glaze set before slicing. Enjoy! :)

makes one loaf, about 12-14 servings depending on how you slice it.

check out last year's day 10 recipe: chocolate chip cookies with nutella & sea salt