Spanish Magdalena Muffins

I had these lemon-scented muffins sometimes growing up in Spain, and as an adult, I was able to find them in Portugal for my kids. Now in Italy, I get them during "Spanish Week" at Lidl, lol. But they're not always available, so when they're not, here is a great, easy recipe for them. They do use a lot of olive oil. That's not a problem for me here; since good-quality olive oil is so inexpensive, and I always have a lot on hand. If you're in the US, a cheaper olive oil would probably work fine. 

Note: Batter must be chilled before baking. 

Spanish Magdalena Muffins

adapted from The Mediterranean 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (210g)
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g), plus extra for sprinkling
Zest from 1 lemon
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (160ml)
1/4 cup whole or 2% milk (80ml)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Beat the eggs. In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed until pale and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.

2, Add the wet ingredients: While continuing to beat the eggs on medium-high speed, pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract, and mix on low until incorporated.
Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and carefully fold with a rubber spatula until the mixture is combined and no dry lumps of flour remain, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.

3. Chill the batter- cover the bowl and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour. About 20 minutes before the muffin batter is done resting, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a standard muffin pan with muffin tin liners. Scoop or pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, dividing it evenly among the 12 wells. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a pinch of granulated sugar.

4. Bake the muffins: Set the muffin pan in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

5. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. The muffins will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

 These bars were quick, easy and delicious. Just what we all need sometimes! I hadn't baked anything in quite a while, due to not having time, and these were easy to do on a weekend. They use ingredients I keep on hand, too.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

¾ cup (170 g) salted butter
½ cup (128 g) creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups (318 g) packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch metal baking pan with foil (optional- I don't use). Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. If not using foil, just spray your baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

 
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl or a pot on the stove, melt the butter. Whisk in the peanut butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour, baking soda and salt until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until no dry streaks remain and the chips are evenly combined.

3. Press the dough evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until set in the middle and lightly browned on the edges. Don’t overbake! Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

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Greek White Bean Soup- Fasolada

I loved this soup- and so did my husband and son. I made it three times in three weeks, I think. It's vegan if made with veggie broth- which I did.  (But the feta garnish makes it non-vegan, obviously.) You could also use chicken stock. I used small white beans for this (navy beans, I think), but I think white cannelini beans would be better for this. I bought some so I have them on hand for next time. I made this No-Knead Bread with it; you do most of the work the night before. The two recipes go very well together. 

Greek White Bean Soup- Fasolada

adapted from By the Forkful

1 white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
600g white beans (2 cans, drained a bit)
400g (1 can) chopped/diced tomatoes
1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Feta to top (½ cup/125g)

Lemon juice, optional
Parsley, to garnish

Extra virgin olive oil, optional 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the onions have softened and then add in the diced carrot and celery and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the dried oregano, salt, and pepper, then stir in the tomato paste and cook it down for a minute or two until the sauce begins to turn fragrant. Add the tomatoes and the white beans, followed by the vegetable stock.  Add the bay leaves and then let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. (I put the lid on here.) 

2. For a thicker consistency, remove 2-3 ladles of the soup and blend it, then add it back into the soup for a creamier sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. (I've never done this, but it would be good.) Top the soup with crumbled feta, diced parsley, optional lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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Tuna Melts

This is a simple recipe and maybe people don't need a recipe for this, but I did, lol, and I've made these often since coming across the recipe a few months ago. They're quick and easy, and it you want them easier, you can mix up the tuna mixture ahead of time, stick it in the fridge, and then use it when you're ready for it. You do have to toast all the English muffins before baking the sandwiches, and it's nice to have a 4-slice toaster for this. I used 4 English muffins for a total of 8 open-faced sandwhiches. 

Tuna Melts

adapted from Food and Wine

1/2 scant cup mayonnaise (try using 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons Dijon or honey mustard
1 (12-ounce) can water- or oil-packed tuna, drained (I just use chunk light in water)
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1/4 red, white, or yellow onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced parsley or 1 tsp dried

1/2 tsp BOTH dried dill and dried tarragon, optional, but very good
freshly ground black pepper

salt, to taste (I don't add any- these are plenty salty with tuna, mayo & cheese)
4 English muffins, split and toasted ( to make 8 halves total)
1-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (can use more or less)

1. Whisk together mayonnaise and mustard in a medium bowl. Add tuna, celery, red onion, and parsley and mix with a fork until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat broiler to high. Spoon tuna salad onto English muffin halves and place on a baking sheet. Top tuna with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. (Optional- heat oven to 400 F or 425 F and just bake these until cheese is melted. My broiler is weird and I don't use it.) 

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Pumpkin Buttermilk Waffles

These waffles are great for fall! I love using buttermilk in pancakes/waffles; they turn out so light and fluffy. These call for just one cup of pumpkin puree; I gave the rest of the can to my dog over a couple days- he loves it and pumpkin is good for dogs. :) 

Pumpkin Buttermilk Waffles 

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 ¼ cups (303 g) buttermilk (see note)
1 cup (245 g) canned pumpkin puree
4 large (200 g) eggs
6 tablespoons (86 g) butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (27 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, butter and vanilla until very well-combined. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon baking soda, nutmeg, salt, ginger and allspice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Don't over mix or the waffles may cook up tough instead of soft and fluffy.

2. Heat a waffle maker to medium. Scoop batter into hot waffle maker and cook until golden. Serve with butter, maple syrup, or whatever you want. 

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Biscoff White Chocolate Bars

Wow- these bars were one of the yummiest things I've made recently. I wasn't expecting them to be SO good- I just was wanting an easy recipe to use up some biscoff that I'd had open for awhile. I bought a giant jar of it and we weren't going through it fast enough. This was the perfect use for it. (I did use my kitchen scale to meausure out 14 oz.) These bars were gone way too fast and there are only 4 of us here. I want to make them again soon.

Biscoff White Chocolate Bars

from Cooking with Karli

1 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
14 oz creamy biscoff spread

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180·C). Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture. This will take about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add in the egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

3. Next, add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt). Mix until incorporated and add the white chocolate chips. Once a soft dough has formed, you will press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a spatula or spoon, spread the Biscoff cookie butter on top of the cookie dough in the pan. (I put the biscoff in a bowl first and microwaved it about 20-30 seconds to soften it slightly. This made it easier to spread. If you do this, watch it as my microwave is very weak and you may need less time.) 

4. On top of the biscoff layer, crumble the remaining cookie dough and press it in slightly. (This part is really hard because the dough is sticky. I didn't get it perfect edge-to-edge because as it bakes it spreads and fills in a bit. So try not to stress. It doesn't need to be perfect.) Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15-17 minutes. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

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Everything & the Elote Greek Yogurt Dip-TJ's Copycat

I tried this dip, from Trader Joe's, this summer when we were in the US. It was good and seemed simple enough to re-create at home. I brought back a few jars of my beloved Elote seasoning, and made this the other day. It was delish with thick corn chips for dipping. 

I used a German brand of Greek-style yogurt for this- it's a bit thinner than the ones I tried in the US. The US ones were so thick, a spoon could stand up straight in them. The German one I like here is more like a sour cream texture. Use whatever you like here- if your yogurt is too thick, you can thin it with milk. I used full-fat, but you can experiment with lower fat or fat free. This reicpe is from the ingredient list on the TJ's dip, plus a few recipes I found online. 

Everything & the Elote Greek Yogurt Dip TJ's Copycat

from around the Web

1 heaping cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup frozen super sweet white OR yellow corn kernels (or canned)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese OR crumbled cojita cheese

2 teaspoons TJ's Everything & the Elote Seasoning Blend

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional

tortilla chips/veggies for serving

1. If corn is frozen, run warm water over it a little strainer and set aside to drain while you make the recipe. 

2. Mix the yogurt, corn (if ready), feta, Elote Seasoning, and cilantro in a bowl. If you didn't add the corn before, add it now. You can eat this right away or refrigerate until serving. I let mine sit overnight. Enjoy!

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Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These were some of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! The brown butter really adds something, and the recipe is pretty easy, using common ingredients, and no chilling of the dough. The flavor and texture is just perfect. 

Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 cup (227 g) salted butter
1 ¼ cups (265 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
2 large (100 g) eggs
1 large (20 g) egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cup (426 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

1.  Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside.

2.  For the brown butter, cut the butter into pieces and add to a 10-inch skillet (preferably light-colored so you can see easily when the butter has browned). Heat over medium heat, stirring as the butter melts so that it cooks evenly. As the butter continues to cook, constantly and slowly stir with a silicone spatula. The butter will foam, sizzle, bubble, and after a few minutes (anywhere from 5 to 8 minute), the solids in the butter will begin to turn golden. Brown butter can burn easily, so don't walk away!
When the butter solids are browned and golden and it smells caramelly and fragrant, immediately remove the skillet from the heat and pour the butter into a large bowl.

3.  For the cookies, to the bowl with the brown butter, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit until just barely warm or cooled to room temperature, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla, and stir until well-combined and the batter is light and creamy. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until a few dry streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly combined. Let the batter rest while the oven preheats.

4.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (Make sure the oven is preheated fully before baking the cookies – if the oven isn't hot enough, the cookies will likely spread while baking.)

5.  Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon size portions (I use a #40 medium cookie scoop) and roll into balls. Place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until the cookies are just set around the edges and a bit crackly on top. For super soft and chewy cookies, don't over bake.

6. Immediately out of the oven, sprinkle a few grains of sea salt on each cookie, if desired. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Everything Bagel Seasoning Mix

Some of my fam has become very fond of Trader Joe's Everything Bagel Seasoning lately. We've been putting in on weekend breakfasts of avocado toast, and in my case, cottage cheese with fresh cherry or grape tomatoes. It's so good on those things! We used up our last bottle a bit ago, and living overseas, couldn't easily get more. So I found a recipe online and tried it. It's very good! That batch is almost gone now, but luckily, a friend in the States send me a supply of the seasoning that should last a while- so exciting! But this recipe is great if you can't buy it already made. 

Everything Bagel Seasoning

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic*
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons flaked sea salt or coarse salt

In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt. Stir until well combined. *If your garlic and onion bits are too large, you may need to blend them quickly in a mini food processor. Store in a sealed jar or container.

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One-Bowl Nutella Brownies

These brownies were so delicious, with a perfect chewy texture, great flavor, and they were so easy to make, too. I topped them with a chopped bar of Ikea Milk Chocolate and some French sea salt.

One-Bowl Nutella Brownies 

adapted from An Edible Mosaic 

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Nutella divided into 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chocolate chunks for topping (optional)
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with a piece of parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides OR just spray with cooking spray- what I did.

2. Melt together the butter and sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl or in a double boiler or a medium pan on the stove. Once the butter is melted, stir very well. Don’t stop when the sugar is dissolved, keep stirring until the mixture looks glossy and thick. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and salt, and then 1/2 cup Nutella. Add the cocoa powder and flour, and stir just until combined.

3. Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Dollop the remaining 1/4 cup Nutella around the top and then swirl it a bit (don’t go overboard and swirl too much or it’ll just mix into the batter).

4. Bake until the brownies are set along the outside, but still look a touch gooey in the center, about 30 minutes, being careful not to over-bake. (If you want to do a toothpick test, the brownies should come out of the oven when they still have some moist crumbs on the toothpick.)

5. As soon as they’re out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chunks on top and sprinkle on the flaky salt. Let them cool before slicing and serving.

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Scotcheroos

This version of Scotcheroos was so good. It's from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. They has some extra things that really bring them up a level. I do have another, older recipe on this blog for these, but this recipe is so much better. I usually don't make things with corn syrup, but these are worth it! You can use part honey.

Scotcheroos 

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

¼ cup (57 g) salted butter
1 ¼ cups (425 g) light corn syrup
½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (320 g) peanut butter (see note)
8 cups (227 g) crisp rice cereal (like rice krispies)
1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips (milk or semisweet)
1 cup (170 g) butterscotch chips

1.  Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with butter or cooking spray or line with foil/parchment and grease the foil/parchment. Set aside.

2.  In a large saucepan or pot, add the butter, corn syrup, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Cook on low heat until the butter is melted. Bring to a simmer and immediately remove from the heat.
Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until well-combined. Add the cereal and stir gently (so the cereal doesn't get crushed) until evenly coated with the peanut butter mixture.

3.  Press the mixture lightly into the prepared pan. Don't press down too much or the scotcheroos will be too firm.

4.  Add the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips to a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 1-minute increments at 50% power until melted. Stir until well-combined. (I just melted on the stove.) Spread the melted chocolate mixture evenly across the bars. Let the chocolate cool and set before cutting into bars and serving.

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Butterscotch Monster Bars

These bars are so tasty, and super easy to make. I've made them twice now. Once, using half peanut butter and half almond butter. Just today, I made them using all almond butter. Use whatever you have on hand. They look ordinary but are really good! Especially with that butterscotch flavor.

Butterscotch Monster Bars

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (255 g) creamy peanut butter OR almond butter
⅔ cup (141 g) light brown sugar

⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (125 g) quick oats
1 ¼ cups (125 g) old-fashioned oats
1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips
1 cup (170 g) butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips or more chocolate chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter, almond or peanut butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt together until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well-combined. Add the quick oats, old-fashioned oats, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and mix until evenly combined.

3.  Spread the dough evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are lightly golden – don’t overbake or the bars might be dry and crumbly. (The middle may not be set all the way.) Cool the bars in the pan before cutting into squares.

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Butterscotch Rice Krispie Treats

These bars were super simple to make, and SO good. I love regular homemade Rice Krispie treats, but these are next level the addition of two simple ingredients (browned butter + butterscotch chips). The fam loved them too. They were gone in no time. 

Butterscotch Rice Krispie Treats
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

½ cup (113 g) salted butter

16 ounces (454 g) large or small marshmallows 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
8 cups (227 g) crisp rice cereal, like Rice Krispies
½ cup (85 g) butterscotch chips

1.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9X13-inch pan. Set aside.

2.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter on low heat and let it cook until the solids start to turn golden brown and fragrant. Add the marshmallows and cook on low, stirring constantly until mostly melted, a few small lumps here and there are ok. Add the vanilla and salt and stir to combine.

3.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the rice Krispies and butterscotch chips. Stir until evenly combined. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and using lightly greased hands or a silicone spatula, lightly press the mixture into the pan (don't smash them down too much or they will be dense). Let cool before slicing into squares.

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