The Grateful Girl Cooks!

22
Feb
2019

Double Chocolate Scones

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Double Chocolate Scones are easy to make, decadent chocolate scones, filled with white chocolate chips, and drizzled with a simple glaze on top!

Do you enjoy scones? We sure do, in our home! I’ve been making them for YEARS and YEARS, and always love searching for, and trying new scone recipes.

Recently I found an old, handwritten recipe on a 3″x5″ index card I saved at least 15 years ago (LONG before the internet and Pinterest made it so easy to save recipes!).

Unfortunately, I had not written down what magazine, newspaper or cookbook I found the original recipe in, so I can’t give due credit to the original author.

All these years later, I still had not ever made these scones, but they sounded good. So, I made a couple basic changes to the original recipe and ended up with 8 delicious double chocolate scones! Here’s how to make them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Dough

Before making the dough, preheat your oven to 375° F. because you will want it preheated and HOT when you’re ready to pop the scones in!

To make the scone dough, mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.

Cut in VERY COLD butter, using a handheld pastry blender or two forks. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until butter is reduced to the size of peas.

Add plain yogurt and one egg yolk to the mixture in the bowl. Stir mixture by hand, or with an electric beater until blended.

The dough is fairly thick, so if you are mixing by hand, it will take a few minutes to bind together. Add white chocolate chips to the dough and place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.

Knead the dough with the palm of your hand 10 times, folding the dough over, after each time. Do this until the dough comes together in a nice ball.

Pat and shape the double chocolate scones dough out with your hands until it is formed into a 9″ wide circle. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to evenly cut the dough into 8 pie shaped wedges.

Place the eight scones onto an UNGREASED large baking sheet (I used my ratty old pizza pan!). Leave about an inch in between each of the wedges, so they stay separated while baking.

Bake The Scones

Bake the double chocolate scones at 375° F. for 17-18 minutes. When done, remove pan from oven, and let the scones cool for 5-10 still on the pan.

Because ovens can vary in temperatures, I would recommend checking the scones at the 15-minute mark, to check for “doneness”.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and transfer the double chocolate scones from the pan to a wire rack (on top of the wax paper).

TIP: The wax paper will collect any drips when you drizzle the scones with glaze later, making your cleanup much easier!

Glaze The Baked Double Chocolate Scones

Once the double chocolate scones have cooled, it is time to add the decorative glaze! The simple powdered sugar glaze helps make them look good and adds an extra touch of sweetness to the finished scones!

Making the glaze is simple! Mix together powdered sugar and a few drops of water at a time, in a small bowl. Stir. Add a couple more drops of water and stir.

Continue to do this until the glaze is an easy to drizzle consistency. You want it to be not too thick, and not too thin!

If glaze is too thick, add a couple drops of water. Got it too thin? Add more powdered sugar. Use a spoon or fork and decoratively drizzle the glaze over the tops of the scones.

The wax paper below the wire rack will help to catch any messy drips, which will make cleanup much easier!

After glazing the scones, let the icing firm up (it will only take a few minutes), and then you double chocolate scones are ready to serve!

Serve The Double Chocolate Scones!

You can either just pick up a scone and enjoy it, as is, OR you can get all fancy with them! We usually just shove them into our mouths, but sometimes, I want the presentation to be memorable!

Remember… you eat with your EYES first, right? I sifted cocoa powder very lightly on a small white plate and then placed the double chocolate scone on top.

A big dollop of aerosol whipped cream was sprayed next to the scone, and the whipped cream was garnished with a thin, half slice of a Cara Cara orange!

This recipe for double chocolate scones is a KEEPER! We really enjoy them! I even put a few away in our freezer, so my husband and I can enjoy them for another breakfast soon!

Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.

Looking For More SCONE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of fantastic scone recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

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There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
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Original recipe source: Unknown

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Double Chocolate Scones

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

17 mins

Total Time

27 mins

Double Chocolate Scones are easy to make, decadent chocolate scones, filled with white chocolate chips, and drizzled with a simple glaze on top!

Category: Bread/Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: double chocolate scones

Servings: 8 scones

Calories Per Serving: 408 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (very cold)
1 egg yolk , beaten
8 ounces plain yogurt , regular or Greek
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

For Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
water , as needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in VERY COLD butter, using a hand held pastry blender or two forks. Cut the butter into dry ingredients until butter is reduced to the size of peas.
Add yogurt and egg yolk to the bowl. Mix by hand, or with electric beater until fully blended. The dough is fairly thick, so if mixing by hand, it will take a few minutes to bind together. Add white chocolate chips to dough, and stir to combine. Place dough on lightly floured work surface. Knead dough with the palms of your hand 10 times, folding dough over, after each time. Do this until the dough comes together in a ball.
Pat and shape dough with your hands until it is formed into a 9" wide circle. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to evenly cut dough into 8 pie shaped wedges. Put scones on an ungreased baking sheet, about 1" apart, so they stay separated while baking. Bake at 375° F. for 17-18 minutes.
When done, remove pan from oven, and let scones cool for 5-10 minutes, still on the pan. Place a piece of wax paper on the counter, with wire rack on top. Transfer scones to the wire rack. TIP: The wax paper will collect any drips when you drizzle the scones with glaze, making cleanup much easier!
Make The Glaze: While scones cool, mix together powdered sugar and a few drops of water at a time, in a small bowl. Stir. Add a couple more drops of water, and stir. Continue to do this until the glaze is an easy to drizzle consistency... not too thick, and not too thin! Too thick? Add drops of water. Too thin? Add powdered sugar! Drizzle the glaze over the tops of the cooled scones, using a spoon or fork. Let glaze firm up, then scones are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Double Chocolate Scones

Amount Per Serving (1 scone)

Calories 408 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 60mg20%

Sodium 273mg12%

Potassium 249mg7%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 27g30%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 405IU8%

Calcium 133mg13%

Iron 2.2mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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18
Feb
2019

Buffalo Honey Hot Wings

categories: Appetizers, Chicken, Main Dishes

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Buffalo Honey Hot Wings are the perfect appetizer for a crowd! Yummy chicken wings are covered in a mild buffalo honey sauce, and are baked, not fried!

I don’t know what it is about the Super Bowl, but it seems like a great time to eat yummy food, while watching grown men smash into each other and run all over artificial grass with a small little football! My husband and I don’t even watch football. Go figure! We haven’t for years and years, but this year my husband decided to watch the Super Bowl.

Naturally, this momentous occasion called for some delicious food, worthy of the occasion, so I found a great recipe to try on Pinterest! I ended up making two varieties of hot wings. This recipe for buffalo honey hot wings was one of them! Boy, were they GOOD! The chicken wings are coated in an amazing spice mixture, baked (not fried), and then coated with a mild honey, molasses and buffalo sauce mixture, and served! YUM!

NOTE: The recipe, (as written in the printable recipe below), makes 24 hot wings. When I made these, I cut the recipe in half (for 12 wings), since there were only two of us eating, so my photos below will reflect that!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Spice Rub For Buffalo Honey Hot Wings

While the oven is preheating to 400° F, mix together the spice rub for the chicken wings in a small bowl. Easy peasy! The spice rub adds incredible seasoning for the buffalo honey hot wings.

The spice rub consists of brown sugar, baking powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and celery seed. Set the spice mixture aside when done.

Prepare The Chicken Wings

Cover a 9″x13″ cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Method #1: Spray the foil generously with non-stick cooking spray (the spray will help you remove the wings from pan after baking). Method #2: If you have a LARGE ovenproof wire rack, spray it generously with the non-stick spray and place it on top of the aluminum foil.

Rinse, then place the chicken wings onto paper towels, and blot them dry with additional paper towels. Once dry, place half the wings into a large bowl.

Pour half of the seasoning mixture onto the chicken wings in bowl. Mix with your hands or tongs, until the wings are covered on all sides with the spice rub. Place the coated wings onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer (either on sprayed foil or sprayed wire rack). Repeat process with remaining wings.

Bake The Hot Wings

Once all the wings are prepped, it is time to bake them! Put the baking sheet on an upper middle rack of the oven. Bake the buffalo honey hot wings at 400° F. for 45-50 minutes.

Once baked, turn the oven setting to BROIL, and place the baking sheet with the wings 6-8″ away from the broiler element. Broil the wings until they reach the crispness you want, then turn them over and do the same on the other side. TIP: This step will take only a couple minutes. When broiling the wings, definitely keep an eye on them, so they will not burn!

Prepare The Dipping Sauce For Buffalo Honey Hot Wings

While the chicken bakes, prepare the bleu cheese dressing, if you will be serving it on the side to dip the wings in, once done! You can make homemade bleu cheese dressing, but found it quick and easy to use bottled bleu cheese dressing.

I added a couple Tablespoons of crumbled bleu cheese to the bottled dressing, for more flavor and texture! Cover and place in refrigerator until you are ready to serve it as a dipping sauce for the buffalo honey hot wings. NOTE: Don’t like bleu cheese dressing? You can substitute Ranch dressing for dipping the finished wings into, if you prefer.

Prepare The Buffalo Honey Hot Wings Sauce

A few minutes before the chicken wings are done baking, prepare the buffalo honey hot wings sauce. This sauce will be used to coat the baked chicken wings.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix Frank’s ORIGINAL Hot Sauce together with cornstarch, and add this to the pan. Add the honey and molasses, and whisk ingredients together to blend.

Heat the buffalo sauce until it comes to a boil, whisking or stirring often. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, which slightly thickens the sauce, then taste test it. Want it sweeter? Add more honey. Want it spicier? Add more hot sauce.

Once finished cooking, remove the baked wings from the baking sheet and place them into a large bowl. Pour the buffalo honey hot wings sauce over the chicken, and toss the wings (with a spoon or spatula) to coat them with the sauce.

Serve The Buffalo Honey Hot Wings And Dig In!

Arrange the buffalo honey hot wings onto a serving platter. We served them with the prepared bleu cheese dressing, and some celery and carrot sticks on the side!

The creamy “coolness” of the bleu cheese dressing pairs well with the sweet and slightly spicy buffalo wings. The crunchy carrots and celery sticks round out this fun appetizer, and make it look just like a platter of wings you would get at a restaurant!

We truly LOVED these hot wings (they are NOT even too spicy hot!), and I KNOW I will make them again. They would be perfect to serve at any gathering of hungry friends or family! Hope you will consider trying them, too! Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More APPETIZER Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few appetizer recipes you might also enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so. If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
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Original Recipe Source: Jen, at https://carlsbadcravings.com/buffalo-honey-hot-wings-traditional-buffalo-hot-wings-recipe/

0 from 0 votes

Buffalo Honey Hot Wings

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Total Time

1 hr

Buffalo Honey Hot Wings are the perfect appetizer for a crowd! Yummy chicken wings are covered in a mild buffalo honey sauce, and are baked, not fried!

Category: Appetizers, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buffalo honey hot wings

Servings: 24 chicken hot wings

Calories Per Serving: 133 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Spice Rub:

2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground celery seed

For Wings:

24 chicken wings, with skin (approx. 3 lbs.)
2/3 cup Frank's ORIGINAL Hot Sauce (not hot wings sauce)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 Tablespoon butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

While the oven is preheating to 400° F, mix together the spice rub for the chicken wings in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cover a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Method #1: Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray (this helps you remove wings after baking). Method #2: If you have an ovenproof wire rack, spray it with non-stick spray and place it on top of the aluminum foil. Rinse, then place wings on paper towels, and blot dry with additional paper towels. Once dry, place half the wings into a large bowl. Pour half the seasoning mixture onto wings in bowl. Mix, until covered on all sides with spice mix. Place coated wings in a single layer either on sprayed foil or sprayed wire rack. Repeat process with remaining wings.
Bake the buffalo honey hot wings at 400° F. for 45-50 minutes. Once baked, turn oven setting to BROIL, and place baking sheet 6-8" from the broiler element. Broil wings until they reach crispness desired, then turn them over and do the same on the other side. Keep an eye on them to ensure they do not burn!
A few minutes before the wings are done cooking, make the sauce. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Mix Frank's ORIGINAL Hot Sauce with cornstarch, and add this to the pan. Add honey and molasses; whisk ingredients to blend. Heat sauce until it comes to a boil, whisking or stirring often. Turn heat down to a low simmer. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until sauce slightly thickens, then taste test it. Want it sweeter? Add more honey. Want it spicier? Add more hot sauce.
Once done, place hot wings in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over them, and toss with a spoon or spatula to coat them fully. They are now ready to eat! Transfer to serving platter and serve with bleu cheese dressing, carrot and celery sticks! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Buffalo Honey Hot Wings

Amount Per Serving (1 wing)

Calories 133 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 38mg13%

Sodium 442mg19%

Potassium 206mg6%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 220IU4%

Vitamin C 0.4mg0%

Calcium 57mg6%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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15
Feb
2019

Southwestern Chicken Soup

categories: Chicken, Lunch - Quick and Easy, Main Dishes, Soups

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You’ll love this delicious Southwestern Chicken Soup, a Weight Watchers dish with corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado slices!

Recently I tried a new (to us) soup recipe that I found on Weight Watchers. The soup sounded really good, and since it was freezing cold outside (the middle of winter), I decided to make some. A bowl of hot soup really warms a gal up on a chilly February evening!

Whoa! This Southwestern chicken soup tastes amazing! The portion size is large (1¾ cups per serving = 3 Smart Points), and is packed with corn, black beans, tomatoes, in a Southwestern spiced broth. Trust me- this is one flavor-packed bowl of soup!

If you enjoy Southwestern flavored dishes, chances are you will LOVE this hearty soup! It’s very easy to make, so you can be serving up steaming hot bowls of Southwestern chicken soup before you know it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Southwestern Chicken Soup

Place one teaspoon of olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Heat oil on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the pot.

Cook the chicken on all sides, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes. The chicken should be very lightly browned and cooked all the way through. Once the chicken is done, remove it from pan with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate. Set chicken aside until later.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil back into the pan (the same one you cooked the chicken in). Heat oil on medium-high, then add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño to the pan.

Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until veggies have softened up a bit. Add the chili powder, minced garlic, and ground cumin to the pan, and stir to combine. Cook this mixture for an additional 30 seconds once combined.

Stir the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans and corn into the soup. Bring the soup to a boil. Once soup begins to boil, put a lid on the pan, and turn the heat down to LOW. Continue to cook the Southwestern chicken soup on low heat (covered) for about 8-9 minutes. The veggies should be nice and tender at this point.

Add The Cooked Chicken And Finish The Soup

Carefully add the cooked chicken pieces back into the hot Southwestern chicken soup. Stir the ingredients to combine, and continue to cook just until the chicken is fully heated through. It should only take about 2-3 minutes to reheat the chicken.

Remove the pot of soup from the heat, and stir in the fresh lime juice. The Southwestern Chicken Soup is now ready to garnish, then eat!

See all those nice veggies and chicken chunks in this soup? You’re gonna enjoy this!

To Serve Southwestern Chicken Soup

When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Each serving of this hearty soup is 1¾ cups, so full bowls of Southwestern Chicken Soup are in order! Garnish each bowl of soup with 2 slices of ripe avocado, and a few cilantro leaves, and some crumbled corn chips. Grab a spoon and help yourself to a big bite of this delicious Southwestern chicken soup!

NOTE: The original Weight Watchers recipe did NOT use corn chips. I added 3 crumbled up corn chips to each bowl of soup, for a nice looking presentation and “crunch”.

We really LOVED this soup! My husband said this might have become his new FAVORITE soup! Wow! That’s saying a lot, since I make a lot of yummy soups! The leftovers were yummy, too! The soup will keep for 4 days in refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Sure do hope you will consider trying this Southwestern chicken soup. It is incredibly easy to make, and tastes absolutely wonderful. If you follow the Weight Watchers program to track your food intake, this recipe has a value of 3 Smart Points (without corn chips). Have a great day!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of soup recipes published, including:

Grandma’s Southern-Style Chicken n’ Dumplings (my #1 most pinned recipe)
Albondigas Soup
Chicken, Wild Rice and Bacon Soup
Fully Loaded Potato Soup
Mom’s Old-Fashioned Chili

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original Recipe Source: https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/southwestern-chicken-soup/59779f66112c2b4e18b0fd84

0 from 0 votes

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

You'll love this delicious Southwestern Chicken Soup, a Weight Watchers dish with corn, black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado slices!

Category: Entree, Soup

Cuisine: Southwestern

Keyword: Southwestern chicken soup

Servings: 4

Calories Per Serving: 401 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil , divided use
1 pound chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) , cut in 1/2" cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion , chopped
1 small green bell pepper , seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 medium jalapeño pepper , seeded and chopped
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
29 ounces chicken broth (reduced sodium) (this is two 14.5 oz. cans)
14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes , drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels (or fresh)
15.25 ounces canned black beans , drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 medium avocado , pitted, peeled, cut into 8 slices
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a large soup pot, on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to pan Cook chicken on all sides, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Chicken should be lightly browned and cooked all the way through. Once chicken is done, remove from pan, and transfer to a plate. Set chicken aside.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil back into the pan (the same one you cooked chicken in). Heat oil on medium-high, then add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until veggies have softened a bit. Stir in the chili powder, minced garlic, and ground cumin. Cook this mixture for an additional 30 seconds once combined. Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans and corn.
Bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, put a lid on the pan, and turn heat to LOW. Continue to cook soup on low heat (covered) for about 8-9 minutes. The veggies should be nice and tender.
Carefully add the cooked chicken back into soup. Stir to combine, and continue to cook until chicken is heated through. This should take 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat, and stir in the fresh lime juice.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Each serving is 1¾ cups. Garnish each bowl of soup with 2 avocado slices, and a few cilantro leaves. You can also add a few crumbled corn chips (optional) if you want! Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

OPTIONAL: You can crumble up two or three corn chips on top to garnish each bowl of soup. The corn chips are NOT included in caloric or WW points calculation.

Nutrition Facts

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 bowl (1¾ cups + 2 avocado slices per serving))

Calories 401 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 1085mg47%

Potassium 1457mg42%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Fiber 12g50%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 38g76%

Vitamin A 1070IU21%

Vitamin C 41.4mg50%

Calcium 112mg11%

Iron 5.3mg29%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

11
Feb
2019

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

categories: Breakfast, Muffins

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EASY, delicious banana chocolate chip muffins can be ready and on the table in 30 minutes! You’ll LOVE these simple, yummy breakfast treats!

I’ve been making banana chocolate chip muffins for years, because we love them! Recently I tried a “slightly different” recipe I found on Pinterest, which has sour cream as one of the ingredients.

We had some super ripe bananas on the counter that were begging to be used… so they became yummy breakfast muffins!

This recipe is incredibly EASY to make with minimal “prep time” (10 minutes), and the addition of sour cream makes these banana chocolate chip muffins very moist and delicious!

We really enjoyed them a lot, so I want to pass the simple recipe on to you today! Here’s how to make delicious banana chocolate chip muffins.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare a standard sized muffin tin, by inserting paper cupcake/muffin liners OR by greasing each muffin cup. Set the muffin tin aside.

Place very ripe bananas, sour cream, vanilla extract, softened butter and eggs into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to blend these ingredients well. You will still have little pieces of banana in the batter when done mixing.

Add granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda and chocolate chips to the bowl. Stir these ingredients together until batter is fully blended.

Just like that, you have the batter made for these banana chocolate chip muffins! In less than 10 minutes prep time, you are ready to get these muffins portioned out, and in the oven!

Bake The Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pour or spoon the banana chocolate chip batter into the prepared muffin tin, equally dividing the batter into 12 portions. The batter will come up fairly high in each of the paper liners or muffin wells.

OPTIONAL: If you want, you can a few chocolate chips to the top of the muffins before baking (for appearance), but it is not necessary. I did not do this step, as you can see from the photos below.

Bake the banana chocolate chip muffins on the middle rack at 350° F for 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown on top. When done, remove the pan from the oven.

Ready To Be Enjoyed

Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. This recipe makes 12 delicious banana chocolate chip muffins (and they freeze well).

Once cooled a bit, the muffins are ready for you (and those you love) to enjoy! Behold… my cute little banana chocolate chip muffin, on a plate, ready to slice in half and enjoy with a tiny bit of softened butter (and a cup of coffee)!

We really enjoyed these scrumptious banana chocolate chip muffins. My husband really loved these muffins, too, even though he is not the biggest banana muffin or banana bread fan! They were so easy to make and taste delicious!

I gave a few of the muffins to our oldest son to enjoy and froze a few for another time when we want a muffin for breakfast! YUM! Hope you try this EASY and quick recipe! I’m pretty sure you will love these muffins as much as we did!

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.

Looking for More MUFFIN Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of great muffin recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc.
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original Recipe Source: https://designeddecor.com/tantalizing-tuesday-chocolate-chip-banana-muffins/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

EASY, delicious banana chocolate chip muffins can be ready and on the table in 30 minutes! You'll LOVE these simple, yummy breakfast treats!

Category: Bread/Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana chocolate chip muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories Per Serving: 306 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 bananas (very ripe)
3 Tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) , softened
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a standard-sized muffin tin by inserting paper cupcake/muffin liners OR by greasing each muffin cup. Set the muffin tin aside.
Place bananas, sour cream, vanilla extract, softened butter and eggs into a large mixing bowl. Use electric mixer to blend well. You will still have little pieces of banana in the batter when done. Add granulated sugar, all purpose flour, baking soda and chocolate chips to the bowl. Stir ingredients until batter is fully blended.
Pour or spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, equally dividing batter into 12 portions. The batter will come up fairly high in each of the paper liners or muffin wells. OPTIONAL: You can add a few chocolate chips to the top of the batter before baking (for appearance), but it is not necessary.
Bake on the middle rack of preheated 350° F oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. When done, remove from oven. Transfer muffins out of pan to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)

Calories 306 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 50mg17%

Sodium 179mg8%

Potassium 144mg4%

Carbohydrates 47g16%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 27g30%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 330IU7%

Vitamin C 2.6mg3%

Calcium 28mg3%

Iron 1.3mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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08
Feb
2019

Sweet and Sour Pork

categories: Asian, Main Dishes, Pork

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Who needs takeout when you can make this delicious Sweet and Sour Pork (with pineapple, onions and bell peppers) at home in about 30 minutes?

Recently I was taking an inventory of a freezer we have in our garage and found several thick boneless pork chops. I started searching for a “new” recipe I could make to use them and stumbled upon this one for sweet and sour pork on Pinterest.

Note: If you don’t have the boneless pork chops, you can use a pork butt to make this dish, as well!

The original recipe came from Sabrina, on the blog “Dinner Then Dessert”, and I thought it sounded wonderful, since I have always LOVED sweet and sour pork!

Off into our kitchen I went, and in no time at all, we had this wonderful meal for dinner! The recipe is straightforward, easy to prepare, and absolutely DELICIOUS!

It’s fun to be able to share this recipe for sweet and sour pork with you today. If you are interested in reading a few legends about the origins of this favorite Chinese dish, you will want to check out this article.

Scroll Down For a Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Sweet And Sour Pork Sauce

Making the sauce for the sweet and sour pork is easy! Place pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, cornstarch, soy sauce and food coloring (if using) in a medium sized dish. Whisk the sauce ingredients together until smooth. Set sauce aside.

NOTE: Notice the color of the sweet and sour pork sauce. I used the recommended 3 drops of food coloring which helped deepen the color of the sauce.

If you choose to NOT use food coloring, that is totally okay but remember- the sauce will have a bit less color to it!

Preparing The Pork For Cooking

Prepare 3 bowls with the ingredients necessary to coat the pork pieces before cooking. One bowl contains corn starch, one has all-purpose flour, and one has slightly beaten eggs.

Dredge the pork pieces in cornstarch (a couple pieces at a time), then dip in egg to cover, and then coat the pieces in flour. As you finish each of the pieces of pork, place them onto a baking sheet.

Note: This step is fairly messy, as you dip each piece. I use the same hand for dipping. Occasionally rinse or wipe some of the coating off that gets stuck on your fingers!

Cooking The Sweet And Sour Pork

Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 2-3 inches. Heat the oil on medium high heat until it is very hot (but not smoking).

TIP: You will need to cook the pork in batches, reheating oil in between batches! Don’t overcrowd the skillet, because you want the pork to cook evenly on all sides.

Carefully add the coated pork pieces into the hot oil. Cook the pieces of pork for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until the meat is cooked through, is golden brown, and crispy on the outside.

Once done, carefully remove the pork with a slotted spoon (so oil drips back into skillet), and place onto a baking sheet.

Finish Making The Sweet And Sour Pork

In a separate large skillet, add 2 Tablespoons oil, and heat on medium high. Once oil is hot, add the pineapple, bell peppers, and onion. Cook the veggies, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. The veggies should still be tender, but still slightly crisp when done.

Pour the sweet and sour sauce into the skillet. Stir to combine and continue to heat through. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks.

Right before you are ready to serve, add the pork back into the skillet, and stir to combine. Heat only until the pork is heated through, and then the sweet and sour pork is ready to serve!

Time To Serve

Arrange a bed of steamed white rice (or brown, if you prefer that) onto each serving dish and then top it with some of the sweet and sour pork!

There you have it! Sweet and Sour Pork, for the win! I really hope you enjoy this delicious Chinese meal! Grab some chopsticks and dig in! It tastes wonderful!

My husband and I really love this meal. The Asian-inspired sauce permeates everything with wonderful flavor, and the veggies and pork are so good!

I hope you will consider making this delicious classic “takeout” dish for yourself and for those you love!

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.

Looking For More Asian-Inspired Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have many Asian-inspired recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc.
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

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Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: Sabrina, at https://dinnerthendessert.com/sweet-and-sour-pork/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Sweet and Sour Pork

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Who needs takeout when you can make this delicious Sweet and Sour Pork (with pineapple, onions and bell peppers) at home in about 30 minutes?

Category: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: sweet and sour pork

Servings: 6

Calories Per Serving: 458 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Sauce:

1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
3 drops red food coloring (optional-I used it)

For Remainder of Dish:

1½ pounds boneless thick cut pork chops (or pork butt) , cut into 3/4" chunks
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs , slightly beaten
1/4 cup all purpose flour
vegetable oil for frying pork (2-3" deep)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying veggies)
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 red bell pepper , cut in 1" pieces
1 green bell pepper , cut in 1" pieces
1/2 yellow onion , cut in 1" pieces

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the sauce: Place pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, cornstarch, soy sauce and food coloring (if using) in a medium sized dish. Whisk ingredients until smooth. Set sauce aside.
Prepare 3 bowls with ingredients to coat the pork pieces. One with corn starch, one with flour, and one with slightly beaten eggs. Dredge the pork pieces in cornstarch (a couple pieces at a time), then dip in egg to cover, and then coat the pieces in flour. As you finish coating each piece, place onto a baking sheet.
Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of 2-3 inches. Heat oil on medium high heat until very hot (but not smoking). TIP: You will need to cook the pork in batches, reheating oil in between batches! Don't overcrowd the skillet, because you want the pork to cook evenly on all sides. Carefully add the coated pork pieces into hot oil. Cook pork for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until cooked through, golden brown, and crispy on the outside. Once done, carefully remove the pork pieces with a slotted spoon (so oil drips back into skillet), and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat until all pork is cooked.
In a separate large skillet, add 2 Tablespoons oil; heat on medium high. Once oil is hot, add pineapple, bell peppers, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Veggies should be tender, and slightly crisp when done. Add sauce to skillet. Stir to combine, and heat through. Sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks. Right before you're ready to serve, add browned pork back into the skillet; stir to combine. Heat only until the pork is heated through, and then the sweet and sour pork is ready to eat! Serve on top of rice. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation made based on the use of pork butt.

Nutrition Facts

Sweet and Sour Pork

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 458 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 138mg46%

Sodium 290mg13%

Potassium 724mg21%

Carbohydrates 58g19%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 39g43%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 895IU18%

Vitamin C 55.2mg67%

Calcium 66mg7%

Iron 2.8mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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04
Feb
2019

Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate

categories: Beverages

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Make decadent, gourmet Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate from scratch in under 10 minutes! This easy recipe makes 2 servings and is packed with flavor!

I just found out that today is NATIONAL HOT CHOCOLATE DAY while writing this blog post. Who knew? Certainly not me… until a few minutes ago when I saw this “news” on Facebook. What??? I didn’t even KNOW there was such a thing, but I sure do love a yummy mug of hot chocolate every now and then!

Several days ago, it was FREEZING cold outside early in the morning. Having just come in from walking our dog a couple of miles, I was really cold, and knew a cup of hot chocolate would warm me up! I’ve made hot chocolate from scratch many times over the 40+ years we’ve been married, but this time wanted to “kick it up a notch”!

The decision was made to create a Valencia orange hot chocolate, because orange and chocolate is a favorite flavor combination of mine. I’ve used this flavor combo before, in my delicious recipe for chocolate chip orange scones.

For this recipe, I tweaked the “normal” way I make hot chocolate from scratch, and this easy to make hot chocolate is the result! YUM! Best part? I didn’t have get in our car, drive somewhere, and pay close to $5 for a mug of it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate

Place the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, a dash of salt, and 1/4 cup of the milk (save the rest for later) into a medium sized saucepan. Note: The dash of salt helps bring out the flavor!

Whisk these ingredients together. You will notice that there are a lot of lumps while the milk is still cold! That’s okay… they will go away, I promise!

Heat this mixture on medium high heat, continuing to whisk as it cooks. As it cooks and the milk gets hot, the lumps will dissolve into smooth chocolate goodness.

Continue to cook (and whisk) until the ingredients become fully blended, and the sugar has dissolved. Cook only until the chocolate starts to boil.

Once the milk begins to boil, add the remaining 2 cups of milk to the saucepan. Stir, then add the orange zest, orange extract and 2 heaping Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips. The added butterfat from the chocolate chips adds to the creamy chocolate flavor, for sure!

Turn the heat down to a low simmer. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring often to prevent burning, until the Valencia orange hot chocolate is fully heated through, and all the chocolate chips have melted.

Taste Test The Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate Before Serving

At this point, you should taste test a spoonful of the hot chocolate. If you want more orange flavor, add a tiny bit more orange extract. If you want it sweeter, add a tiny bit more sugar (then heat until sugar has dissolved).

Once you’ve fine-tuned the Valencia orange hot chocolate to your personal liking and everything is heated through, remove the pan from the heat. It is now ready to serve!

Serving Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate

Ladle or pour the Valencia orange hot chocolate into two mugs. Garnish each mug of steaming hot chocolate with a nice amount of whipped cream (I used spray whipped cream).

Sprinkle the whipped cream with grated (or zested) chocolate and orange zest. I used a microplane to zest the oranges and a few chocolate chips to make the topping.

Another Way To Serve Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate

Another way to serve the finished Valencia orange hot chocolate is to top it with whipped cream, then shave some chocolate “curls” on top to garnish.

To make the chocolate “curls”, I use a milk chocolate bar (mini sized), and peel off the chocolate curls right onto the whipped cream, using a handheld vegetable peeler.

Whichever way you enjoy your Valencia orange hot chocolate – plain or fancy, definitely top it with some sweetened whipped cream (or marshmallows)! That simple addition, alone, will make every sip of this delicious hot drink even better!

Hope you enjoy this delicious Valencia orange hot chocolate! It is a wonderful, warming drink on a cold winter day, let me tell you! If you enjoy hot chocolate, be sure to check out my posts for Classic Hot Cocoa For 1, AND my blog post detailing how to make popular Hot Cocoa Bombs!

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a great day!

Looking For More HOT BEVERAGE Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several yummy hot beverage recipes you might be interested in, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc.
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

7 mins

Make your own decadent, gourmet Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate from scratch in under 10 minutes! This easy recipe makes 2 servings, and is packed with flavor!

Category: Beverage

Cuisine: American

Keyword: orange hot chocolate

Servings: 2 servings

Calories Per Serving: 268 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
2¼ cups low-fat milk (1%) , divided
1 dash salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 teaspoon orange extract
2 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

For Garnish (OPTIONAL): whipping cream, orange zest, grated chocolate (semi-sweet or milk)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, a dash of salt, and 1/4 cup of the milk (save the rest for later) into a medium saucepan. Whisk ingredients together. There will be lumps while the milk is still cold! Heat on medium high heat, continuing to whisk. As it cooks and the milk gets hot, the lumps will dissolve.
Continue to cook (and whisk) until ingredients are fully blended, and sugar dissolves. Cook until chocolate begins to boil. Once it begins to boil, add remaining 2 cups of milk. Stir, then add the orange zest, orange extract and 2 heaping Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips. Turn the heat down to low. Continue cooking, stirring often, until hot chocolate is heated through, and all chocolate chips have melted.
Ladle or pour the hot chocolate into two mugs. Garnish each mug of steaming hot chocolate with whipped cream, then sprinkle with orange zest and grated (or zested) chocolate. Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: The caloric calculation per serving does NOT include the optional whipped cream, or chocolate garnishes. Also, this recipe is calculated using 1% low-fat milk. Full fat milk will make a creamier hot chocolate, but with additional calories.

Nutrition Facts

Valencia Orange Hot Chocolate

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 268 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 14mg5%

Sodium 138mg6%

Potassium 559mg16%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 34g38%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 520IU10%

Vitamin C 1.3mg2%

Calcium 348mg35%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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01
Feb
2019

Crescent Roll Coffeecake

categories: Breakfast

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It’s so EASY to make this buttery, scrumptious crescent roll coffeecake, using a can of crescent rolls, jam, and a few other common ingredients!

What do you do with a roll of crescent rolls you find in the refrigerator? That was my dilemma recently after discovering a can of crescent rolls in the back of our refrigerator.

They had been “hiding out” in the fridge for a couple of weeks and needed to be used. I knew I didn’t want to simply make rolls for dinner… I wanted to make something more “fun”!

This recipe for crescent roll coffeecake was one I had found on Pinterest and saved, so I pulled the recipe and made a DELICIOUS breakfast for my husband and myself! Talk about EASY! This recipe is just that, and you can even customize it with your FAVORITE jam!

We were VERY surprised at just how absolutely yummy this crescent roll coffeecake was! Here’s how to make it, and I’m positive you will really enjoy it, too!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Crescent Roll Coffeecake

Place granulated sugar, eggs, softened butter, and vanilla extract into a medium sized bowl. Beat these ingredients well, with an electric mixer, until batter is smooth. Stir all-purpose flour into the batter, then set this mixture aside.

Carefully unroll one 8 serving package of refrigerated crescent roll dough onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Separate the dough into 8 triangles, by slicing through the perforations. I found using a pizza cutter to do this was very handy!

Preparing The Crescent Roll Coffeecake

Spread one Tablespoon of jam (or jelly) onto each crescent roll triangle. The coffeecake I made this time used homemade boysenberry jam, but you can use your favorite flavor.

Roll up each crescent roll beginning at the short side, as shown below in the photo. Place each crescent roll (once rolled), into a 9″ cake pan, that has been sprayed with a non stick spray.

You can see from the photo below, that the eight crescent rolls touch the edge of the pan, and all point to the center of the pan. Don’t worry if they look a bit “messy”. They will be covered up!

Spoon the reserved egg batter over crescent roll coffeecake. You should have enough batter to completely cover everything that is in the pan.

Sprinkle the top of the crescent roll coffeecake with chopped pecans (or walnuts). Don’t skip this step, because it will add a nice crunch to the dish! Now the coffeecake is ready to bake!

Bake the crescent roll coffeecake in a preheated 375° F. oven. Bake it for 25 minutes, or until it is golden brown on top and the center of the coffeecake is set.

Once done, remove the pan from the oven, and place the pan onto a wire rack to cool. The photo below shows you what the crescent roll coffeecake looked like, fresh out of the oven.

Glaze The Baked Crescent Roll Coffeecake Before Serving

While the coffeecake is cooling, quickly mix up the glaze by stirring powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl, until smooth.

Once the crescent roll coffeecake has cooled some, but is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the surface of the coffeecake. Let the icing firm up just a bit as the coffeecake continues to cool, and then it’s ready to eat!

Once the crescent roll coffeecake has cooled to room temperature, it is ready to serve! Time to slice a piece! In the photos below, you can see the jam filling, and the buttery, golden brown topping.

The coffeecake slices nicely and holds together wonderfully! Make 8 slices, cutting in between each the crescent rolls, and you’re done!

Grab a fork, and a piece of this delicious crescent roll coffeecake (with a cup of coffee) and DIG IN! It tastes wonderful!

Hope you and those you love enjoy this breakfast treat! My husband and I LOVED this coffeecake, and the leftovers were yummy, as well. Have a GREAT day, friends.

Looking For More Coffeecake Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious coffeecake recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc.
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

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Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Source: thesouthernladycooks.com/2017/04/21/crescent-roll-coffee-cake/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Crescent Roll Coffeecake

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

It's so EASY to make this buttery, scrumptious crescent roll coffeecake, using a can of crescent rolls, jam, and a few other common ingredients!

Category: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crescent roll coffeecake

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 364 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter , softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all purpose flour
8 ounce can crescent dinner rolls (1 can)
1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts) , chopped
8 Tablespoons boysenberry or blackberry jam (or jam of choice)

For Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place granulated sugar, eggs, softened butter, and vanilla extract into a medium sized bowl. Beat well, with an electric mixer, until batter is smooth. Stir all purpose flour into the batter, then set mixture aside.
Carefully unroll one 8 serving package of refrigerated crescent roll dough onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Separate the dough into 8 triangles, by slicing through the perforations.
Spread one Tablespoon of jam (or jelly) onto each crescent roll triangle. Roll up each crescent roll beginning at the short side. Place each crescent roll (once rolled), into a 9" cake pan, that's been sprayed with a non stick spray. Place one end each crescent roll touching the edge of the pan, and the other end pointing to the center of the pan. Spoon the reserved egg batter over the rolls. You should have enough batter to completely cover everything in the pan. Sprinkle the top of the coffeecake with chopped pecans (or walnuts).
Bake in a preheated 375° F. oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and center of the coffeecake is set. Once done, remove from oven, and place pan on a wire rack to cool.

For Glaze:

Stir powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl, until smooth.Once coffeecake has cooled some, but is still warm, drizzle glaze over the surface of coffeecake. Let glaze firm up a bit, and then it's ready to eat! Slice into 8 pieces between each of the crescent rolls, serve, and ENJOY!

Nutrition Facts

Crescent Roll Coffeecake

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 364 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 68mg23%

Sodium 301mg13%

Potassium 67mg2%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Sugar 33g37%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 260IU5%

Vitamin C 1.7mg2%

Calcium 24mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

30
Jan
2019

How To Freeze Bell Peppers

categories: Tip Of The Day

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Learn how easy it is to freeze bell peppers for many months, so they are conveniently available whenever you need them for a recipe!

Do you enjoy learning new tips to make cooking easier? Well, I sure do! In the past I’ve shared several tips (or kitchen hacks) on this blog, to save time and money in the kitchen. It’s always fun to learn new tricks and tips to make kitchen work easier!

Today I want to share an EASY tip that will allow you to have frozen bell peppers on hand ANY TIME you need them for a soup or casserole, etc. By simply planning ahead, you will not need to add one more trip to the grocery store, should you need a bell pepper for a stove top, crock pot or baked recipe!

Scroll Down For A Printable “Recipe” Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Flash Freeze Bell Peppers

Rinse and dry the bell peppers. You can use as many as you want, and can use any color bell pepper. Cut the bell peppers in half, and then remove all seeds and any white membrane on the inside.

Once the peppers have been de-seeded, cut the bell peppers into 2″ wide strips, and then slice each strip into 2″ portions. This is the way I cut the strips, but you can also cut into long, thin strips, if desired. If there’s a lot of moisture, simply pat them dry with a paper towel.

To flash freeze bell peppers, place the dry pieces in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Try to NOT let the pieces touch each other. Place the baking sheet into your freezer, and let the bell peppers freeze (uncovered) for one hour (or more). Using this method is how you will successfully flash freeze bell peppers!

Once the bell pepper pieces are flash frozen, they will feel like little rocks! This is what they looked like, after an hour in the freezer.

Storing Frozen Bell Peppers

Remove the frozen bell pepper pieces from the baking sheet, and immediately place them into a plastic re-sealable freezer bag, remove the air, and seal. The frozen bell peppers will not stick together, because they have been individually frozen! Label the bag, and include the date frozen on it, if desired.

Place the bag back in the freezer, and whenever you need bell peppers for a casserole or soup, etc., you can simply pull out the bag and remove the amount you need! Now you know how to freeze bell peppers! In the past, I have kept them in the freezer and used them, for up to 10 months.

Do You Need To Thaw Frozen Bell Peppers To Use?

No. I throw frozen bell pepper pieces into recipes (such as soups or casseroles) all the time! There’s no need to thaw them before adding them to a recipe. If you need smaller pieces, simply cut them while still frozen. It’s EASY!

For me, it has been wonderful and convenient way to always have frozen bell peppers handy, to add to a recipe if a fresh bell pepper is not immediately available. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have been thankful for this little tip! Have a GREAT day! It’s raining here in Oregon today as I write this blog post. We have had a drier than normal winter here, but we are grateful to have a bit of “liquid” sunshine today!

Interested In More Kitchen Tips?

I have several tips available in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A couple of these handy tips include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

0 from 0 votes

How To Freeze Bell Peppers

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Freezing Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

Learn how easy it is to freeze bell peppers for many months, so they are conveniently available whenever you need them for a recipe!

Category: Tip

Cuisine: American

Keyword: freeze bell peppers

Servings: 1 quart (approx.)

Calories Per Serving: 152 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 large bell peppers , any color

Instructions

Rinse and dry the bell peppers. You can use as many as you want, and can use any color bell pepper. Cut the bell peppers in half, and then remove all seeds and any white membrane on the inside. Slice the bell peppers into 2" wide strips, and then slice each strip into 2" portions. This is the way I cut the strips, but you can also cut the peppers into long, thin strips, if desired. If there's a lot of moisture, simply pat them dry with a paper towel.
Place the dry bell pepper pieces in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Try to NOT let the pieces touch each other. Place the baking sheet into freezer, and let the bell peppers freeze (uncovered) for one hour. When done, they will be hard as a rock!
Remove the frozen bell pepper pieces from baking sheet, and immediately place them into a plastic zip-loc freezer bag, remove air, and seal. The frozen bell peppers will not stick together, because they have been individually frozen! Label the bag, and place the date on it, if desired. They should keep many months in the freezer, if properly sealed.

Recipe Notes

Three large bell peppers will yield approximately one quart sized bag of frozen peppers. The caloric calculation is based on the TOTAL amount, using three large bell peppers.

Nutrition Facts

How To Freeze Bell Peppers

Amount Per Serving (1 quart)

Calories 152 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Sodium 19mg1%

Potassium 1038mg30%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 10g42%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 15405IU308%

Vitamin C 628.3mg762%

Calcium 34mg3%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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28
Jan
2019

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

categories: Asian, Main Dishes, Seafood

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Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles, with shrimp in an Asian-inspired sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles, is a delicious, low calorie dish!

Since receiving a spiralizer appliance with a gift card I was given, it’s been fun to search and try some new recipes using spiralized veggies. We really enjoyed a couple recent meals which featured Kung Pao Zoodles and a delicious Spiralized Carrot Salad in Lemon Ginger Dressing!

This recipe for sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles was a wonderful experiment for me. Using zucchini noodles instead of pasta cuts down on the carbs, and significantly reduces the total calories of this meal.

The large shrimp are a delicious low calorie source of protein, and the amazing Asian inspired sauce only has three ingredients! This recipe is totally EASY to prepare, and tastes GREAT! Here’s how to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Prepare The Zoodles

To make this dish, you will first need to spiralize the zucchini to make the noodles. If you have a spiralizer, process the zucchini using a spaghetti blade, for long noodles. NOTE: If you do not own a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the length of each zucchini, and slice into thin strands (spaghetti sized), if desired.

Place the “zoodles” into a colander, which is set on top of a large bowl. Lightly sprinkle the zoodles with salt, and gently mix to combine. Place the colander of zoodles (and bowl) into a refrigerator. Let the zoodles drain off their excess liquid for about 30 minutes.

When done, remove the zoodles from the fridge. Spread them out on a large dish towel. Blot the zoodles dry with another dish towel (or paper towels), trying to absorb most of the extra moisture. Set aside.

Make The Sweet Chili Sauce For The Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

The sweet chili sauce is VERY easy to make! In a medium sized bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce (I used Mae Ploy), sesame oil, and low sodium soy sauce.

Whisk these 3 ingredients together until fully blended. Measure out 1/2 cup of the sauce, and transfer to another dish, to save for later!

Prepare The Shrimp

Rinse, peel and de-vein the shrimp (removing tails, as well). Drain well, then add the shrimp to the sweet chili sauce in the medium sized bowl. Toss the shrimp, to ensure they become fully coated with the sweet chili sauce.

Cooking Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and turn heat to medium temperature. When the skillet is hot (but not smoking), add the shrimp in a single layer. NOTE: If making extra quantities of this dish, you can cook the shrimp in batches, re-spraying skillet between each batch.

Cook the shrimp on medium heat for 2 minutes, then turn the shrimp over and continue to cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Spoon some of the sweet chili sauce over the top of each shrimp (the cooked side). Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate, and cover, to keep warm.

Turn the heat on the stove up to medium-high, and add the spiralized zucchini to the same skillet you cooked the shrimp in.

Cook the zoodles for 1 minute, then add the 1/2 cup of reserved sauce into the skillet. Give the zoodles a toss, to mix the sauce with the zucchini. Cook this mixture for 2 more minutes, tossing occasionally. Add the cooked shrimp to the skillet, and toss, to combine. Cook the sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles until heated through ( a minute or two).

To Serve Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

When the sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles are heated through, they are ready to serve! Use tongs to place zoodles and shrimp onto individual plates, or into serving bowls. Spoon any of the leftover sauce in the skillet onto the sesame shrimp zoodles, and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

I really hope you will consider trying this delicious recipe for sweet chili sesame shrimp zoodles! We really enjoyed this meal, and trust you will, too! Have a wonderful day, friends.

Interested In More SHRIMP Recipes?

You can find all my seafood recipe in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite shrimp recipes include:

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Recipe Adapted From: https://iowagirleats.com/2017/06/14/sweet-chili-sesame-shrimp-and-zoodles/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

27 mins

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles, with shrimp in an Asian-inspired sauce on spiralized zucchini noodles, is a delicious, low calorie dish!

Category: Dinner, Seafood

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: sesame shrimp zoodles

Servings: 2

Calories Per Serving: 391 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini , end trimmed
7 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce , I used Mae Ploy
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce , or Tamari sauce
1½ teaspoons sesame oil
3/4 pound large shrimp , peel, deveined, patted dry

For Garnish (optional):

1 stem green onion (scallion) , sliced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spiralize the zucchini to make noodles. If you have a spiralizer, process the zucchini using a spaghetti blade. NOTE: If you don't own a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the length of each zucchini, and then slice into thin strands (spaghetti sized). Place zoodles in a colander, set on top of a large bowl. Lightly sprinkle with salt; gently mix to combine. Place the colander of zoodles (and bowl) into refrigerator. Let the zoodles drain their extra liquid for about 30 minutes. When done, spread zoodles onto a dish towel. Blot dry with another dish towel (or paper towels), trying to absorb any extra moisture. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, and low sodium soy sauce. Whisk them together until fully blended. Measure out 1/2 cup of the sauce, and transfer to another dish, to reserve for later!
Rinse, peel and de-vein shrimp (removing tails, as well). Drain well, then add them to the sweet chili sauce in the medium sized bowl. Toss the shrimp, to ensure they become fully coated with the sauce.
Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and turn heat to medium. When skillet is hot (but not smoking), add the shrimp in a single layer. NOTE: If making extra quantities, you can cook shrimp in batches, re-spraying skillet between each batch. Cook shrimp on medium heat for 2 minutes, then turn shrimp over and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Spoon a little bit of the sweet chili sauce over the top of each shrimp while cooking (cooked side). Transfer shrimp to a plate; keep warm.
Turn the heat on stove to medium-high. Add zucchini noodles to the skillet you cooked the shrimp in. Cook for 1 minute, then add the reserved sauce. Give zoodles a toss, to coat with the sauce. Cook for 2 more minutes, tossing occasionally. Add cooked shrimp to the skillet, and toss, to combine. Cook until heated through (1-2 minutes), then transfer to serving plates. Spoon any leftover sauce in the skillet onto the shrimp, and garnish dish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I used 2 green zucchini, and 1 yellow zucchini for this dish.

Nutrition Facts

Sweet Chili Sesame Shrimp Zoodles

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 391 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 428mg143%

Sodium 3002mg131%

Potassium 960mg27%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 36g40%

Protein 40g80%

Vitamin A 590IU12%

Vitamin C 59.6mg72%

Calcium 309mg31%

Iron 5.5mg31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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25
Jan
2019

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

categories: Salads, Side Dishes

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You’ll love this easy to make, delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous and pecan salad, topped with a wonderful homemade orange herb vinaigrette!

Several months ago I discovered “pearl couscous“, or as it is also called “Israeli couscous”. This tiny pasta is called “ptitim” in Israel, and apparently was developed there, back in the 1950’s when rice was scarce. This tiny little pasta is about the size of a pearl, which also helps to explain it’s name.

I had already used this type of couscous in soup, and in another salad. When I found a recipe that closely resembled a salad found at Trader Joes, I saved it to my Pinterest boards. However, I kept “thinking” about making the recipe for a couple weeks, so finally I made my own cranberry orange Israeli couscous!

I made a couple minor changes to the recipe, but found it to be an absolutely EASY and delicious salad to make, in about 15 minutes. Now, we can’t stay out of it (seriously!)… it’s sooo good! Here’s how to make this delicious side dish or salad.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Toast The Pecans For the Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous Salad

This step is very easy to do while the couscous is cooking, which will also save you time. Place the chopped pecans (or walnuts) in a dry skillet on medium heat.

Continue to cook and stir occasionally, until you can begin to smell them. Keep an eye on the nuts while they toast, so you don’t burn them!

This step usually only takes 3-4 minutes. Remove the pecans from the skillet, and let them cool down.

Cook The Israeli Couscous

To cook the couscous, first bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the couscous to the water, and let it cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the couscous is finished cooking, pour it into a colander and let it drain. Place the drained couscous into a large serving bowl.

Add the chopped green onions and dried cranberries to the couscous. It already looks pretty, with the pop of color, right?

Mix together the ingredients for the orange herb vinaigrette in a small container. I used a measuring cup, and simply blended the vinaigrette with a fork, until fully combined.

Once fully combined, pour the dressing over the warm couscous, green onions and dried cranberries. It is best to add the dressing while the couscous is still warm, because it will absorb more of the dressing. Stir well, to blend the salad and coat everything with the dressing.

Add the chopped pecans or walnuts to the couscous, and stir to combine. OPTIONAL: If you are not going to be serving the cranberry orange Israeli couscous right away, you can wait (if you want) to add the pecans until just before serving, for maximum crunch!

Once all ingredients for the cranberry orange Israeli couscous are blended, cover the salad, and let it chill in the refrigerator. This salad is at it’s very best, flavor-wise, after it has time to chill, and the flavors have really developed.

The Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous Is Ready To Eat!

When ready to serve, give it a quick stir (to “fluff it up”), then enjoy this amazing tasting side dish or salad! It is absolutely DELICIOUS!

We “might” have dipped into it for dinner, lunch, and (*cough, cough*) even breakfast! It is so incredibly GOOD.

There will enough couscous for about 10 servings, so there is plenty to go around! Hooray! Now that we have eaten it all, I guess it’s time to make some more! YUM. Any leftover cranberry orange Israeli couscous salad will keep for several days, if placed in an airtight container, and kept in the fridge.

I really believe you will LOVE this delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous salad. Once made, it truly was hard to stay out of it! My fork kept wanting just one more taste, and how could I say no to my fork?

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out ALL of my recipes which are located in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Have a great day, and please come back soon for more recipes.

Looking For More Couscous Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious recipes featuring couscous on my blog, including:

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Recipe Adapted From: http://artisanalfood.blogspot.com/2011/12/israeli-couscous-with-cranberries-and.html

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

5 from 2 votes

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

Prep Time

7 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

15 mins

You'll love this easy to make, delicious cranberry orange Israeli couscous and pecan salad, topped with a wonderful homemade orange herb vinaigrette!

Category: Salad/Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry orange Israeli couscous

Servings: 10 side servings

Calories Per Serving: 320 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups Israeli couscous (uncooked)
1¼ cups chopped pecans , lightly toasted
1¼ cups dried cranberries
3 scallions (green onions) , chopped (white and green parts)

For Orange Herb Vinaigrette:

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola/grapeseed)
1½ Tablespoons white wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar)
1 orange (juice and zest)
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the chopped pecans (or walnuts) in a dry skillet on medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until you can begin to smell them. Keep an eye on the nuts while they toast, so you don't burn them! This step usually only takes 3-4 minutes (to save time, toast pecans while couscous is cooking). Remove the pecans from the skillet, set aside and let them cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add couscous, and let it cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once finished cooking, pour couscous into a colander; let it drain. Place couscous into a large bowl. Add the green onions and cranberries.
Mix together the ingredients for the orange herb vinaigrette in a small container. I used a measuring cup, and simply blended the vinaigrette with a fork, until fully combined. Once combined, pour dressing over warm couscous, green onions and cranberries. Add the dressing while the couscous is still warm, because it will absorb more of the dressing. Stir, to blend the salad.
Add the chopped pecans or walnuts, and stir to combine. Once all ingredients for couscous are blended, cover the salad, and let it chill in the refrigerator. This salad is at it's very best, flavor-wise, after it has time to chill, and the flavors have developed. When ready to serve, give it a quick stir (to "fluff it up"), then enjoy this amazing tasting side dish or salad!

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Orange Israeli Couscous

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/10th of total))

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 4mg0%

Potassium 152mg4%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 75IU2%

Vitamin C 7.8mg9%

Calcium 28mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!