Healthy Muffins #2

Ah, yes, here are the carrot-apple spice muffins from 2015.  I'm preeetty sure that I just found my scribbled notes.   I threw these together, too, but if they were good enough to stuff the notes in a recipe box, then they're good enough to slap on here.

 

 If you end up making something from the notes that I'm preeetty sure belong with these pictures, and your end result is, say, a fragrant and spicy Indian masala sauce, do let me know, will you?  I'll warn the others who come after you. 

I Do Hope This Is the Right Scrap of Scribbled Paper

Makes a whole mess of muffins-- I'm guessing 2 dozen-- so grease 2 muffin tins, please.

- 1 cup butter, softened (I often use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)

- 1/2 cup white sugar (or honey)

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 2 eggs, beaten

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 2 cups flour (or 1 and 3/4 cup flour + 1/2 cup ground flaxseed)

- 2 cups oats

- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder

- 1/2 tsp. baking soda

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups)

- 1 to 1 and 1/2 cup finely grated carrots

- 1 cup raisins

1. Cream butter and sugars (then add applesauce and honey, if using); mix in egg and vanilla, then stir in bananas, grated carrot, and raisins.

2.Combine the dry ingredients and make a well in the center.  Add wet ingredients all at once to the dry mixture, stirring just until  moistened. (Batter will be lumpy.)

In a 400-degree oven, bake for 10-12 minutes or  until done.

Sour Cherry Scones

This began as a great year for cherries until the constant rain ruined most of them, but we were able to squirrel a few quarts away, anyway.  This winter, we'll eat cherry scones with chapped cheeks and noses and remember the glory of mid-spring on Mount Hunger.

Sour Cherry Scones

Note:  These are "sour" cherry scones because we picked ours under-ripe before the birds could steal them.  If you're using larger, sweet cherries, simply chop them up a bit and use less sugar, perhaps 1/2 cup. 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder 

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup cold butter

1 cup buttermilk (I use sham buttermilk. Add enough milk to one tbsp. of white vinegar to form one cup; let sit for a few minutes until curdled)

2 cups cherries, pitted and chopped up a bit if large

In a bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in buttermilk and cherries until a soft dough forms.  On a floured surface, knead gently 10-12 times until no longer sticky.  Divide dough in half; gently pat or roll each half into an 8-in circle 1/2" thick.  Cut each circle into eight wedges.  Separate wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden.

* Just like with biscuits, a "light" hand will make for lighter scones, so don't overknead it and avoid handling the dough any more than necessary.

Easter (or other) Challah Bread

 (Pictures taken hastily before Dad prayed over our Easter feast last year.)











Source: This challah bread is a mash-up of recipes from here and here.

There's something about braiding bread that lifts it to a new level, and since I only seem to braid bread for fancy occasions, it's always special.  Challah is a soft white bread, made rich with egg and lightly sweet, and any leftover slices make killer French toast.


 


Best Challah (Egg Bread)
(Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Joan Nathan)

Time: about 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours’ rising
Yield: 2 loaves
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil or butter, plus more for greasing the bowl
5 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp. salt
8 to 9 cups all-purpose flour

Optional:
1/2 cup raisins per challah, if using, plumped in hot water and drained
Poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling.


1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in water; set aside for 5 minutes until a bit foamy.
2. Whisk oil or melted butter into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading, but be careful if using a standard size KitchenAid–it’s a bit much for it, though it can be done.)
3. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover, and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
4. At this point, you can knead the raisins into the challah, if you’re using them, before forming the loaves. To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. BEFORE READING THIS:  If you're a visual learner, instead, go here.
With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
5. Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.
6. If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Sprinkle bread with seeds, if using. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.
7. Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.) Cool loaves on a rack.
Note: Any of the three risings can be done in the fridge for a few hours, for more deeply-developed flavor. When you’re ready to work with it again, bring it back to room temperature before moving onto the next step.

Rose Petal Muffins (Shout-out to Her Majesty the Queen)

Millie should have been born in the English countryside.  She's always been an old soul with old-fashioned sensibilities, and when she sees recipes in our British cookbook devoted to muffins, she gravitates toward those with rose petals and lavender buds.  Me?  Not so much.

I'm so glad to have her!  Without Mildred commandeering my kitchen, I would never have tasted these lightly sweet muffins, and they really are quite good.  If you don't like the taste of rosewater, simply omit it from the glaze and add flavoring more to your liking, instead (vanilla, lemon, etc.), because while the muffins themselves are not noticeably rose-flavored, the glaze certainly is.

The muffins pair wonderfully with a hardboiled egg and a spot of tea for breakfast, but their impressive presentation would make them perfect for Fancy Teas, as well.

Rose Petal Muffins (source: Muffins by Gemma Reece)

Makes 12

Oil for greasing muffin pan

1 and 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

4 tbsp. butter

6 tbsp. superfine sugar (just whizz granulated sugar in a coffee grinder or blender or use regular)

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. rose water

1 and 3/4 oz. edible rose petals, rinsed, patted dry, and lightly snipped (Millie just picks a few handfuls from here and adds them as she wishes)

Rose petal glaze

7/8 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp. liquid glucose (Millie just uses a bit of milk until desired consistency is reached)

1 tbsp. rose water (or 1/2 tsp. of another extract)

1 and 3/4 oz. edible rose petals, rinsed and patted dry (see above)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Oil your muffin tin.  Sift the flour, baking powder, adn salt into a large mixing bowl.  

In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and superfine sugar, then stir in the beaten egg, milk, rose water, and snipped rose petals.  Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and then gently stir together until just combined.  Do not overstir the batter (lumpy batter is fine).  

Divide the muffin batter evenly between the 12 cups (fill cups about 2/3 full).  Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minuter, or until risen and golden.

While the muffins are cooking, make the glaze.  Stir all ingredients together until smooth.

When muffins are cooked, remove from oven and place on cooling rack.  When cooled, drizzle glaze over tops of muffins and top with more rose petals before serving.

Frosted Lavender Muffins

I already explained Mildred's misplaced birth, so you've probably guessed that she's the genius behind these muffins.

Next time, she wouldn't add so many lavender buds to the glaze (she added more than the recipe called for), and she left the buds in instead of removing them, but these were excellent muffins. The flavor of lavender came through quite prominently in the glaze because Millie left the buds in, but I imagine the flavor would be much more delicate if the buds were removed before frosting the muffins.

Frosted Lavender Muffins

Makes 12

oil for greasing muffin tin

1 large apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

3 tbsp. water

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

4 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. superfine sugar (whizz granulated sugar in blender or coffee grinder or just use regular)

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. dried lavender flowers

Lavender Frosting

7/8 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tbsp. dried lavender flowers

1 tbsp. liquid glucose (Millie just used milk)

1-2 tbsp. milk

The day before you make the muffins (I think Millie just did it the same morning), prepare the frosting.  Place the sugar in a bowl and add the dried lavender flowers.  Cover and leave overnight until ready to use.  

When you are ready to make the muffins, place the sliced baking apple and water in a pan and bring to a boil.  reduce the heat, cover the pan, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the water has been absorbed.  Remove the heat and let cool .  Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a muffin tin.  Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. 

In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and superfine sugar, then stir in the beaten egg, vanilla extract, apple puree, and dried lavender flowers, stripped from their stalks.  Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and the gently stir together until just combined.  Don't overstir the batter (lumpy batter is fine).

Divide the muffin batter evenly between the 12 cups in the muffin tin (fill cups about 2/3 full).  Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until risen and golden.  

While the muffins are cooking, finish making the frosting.  Remove the plastic wrap from the confectioner's sugar/lavender mixture, then sift the mixture into a bowl and discard the lavender flowers (Millie left hers in).  Stir in the liquid glucose and enough milk to make the frosting easy to spread or drizzle.  Cover until ready to use. 

When the muffins are cooked, remove from oven and place them on a cooling rack.  When they have cooled completely, spread each muffin with lavender frosting and serve.  

Millie couldn't wait.  We ate ours warm.  :)

(Mostly) Aunt Karen's Monkey Bread

The first time I made this, the sticky, cinnamon goodness overtook me, and I ended a feeding frenzy by ruefully remarking, "I should never have touched that monkey bread."  This prompted John to share a theological insight about Eve's original sin and her feminine wisdom in recognizing that touching leads to eating leads to regret, which was a morally acceptable result of my gluttony.  (Y'like how I just justified my gluttony?!)

Also overheard at the table the first time I made it were little girls saying,
"Oh, I'm so full, but I wish I wasn't."
"If only I wasn't too full for more."
etc.
etc.

I put this under both the labels "breakfast" AND "dessert."





If these anecdotes don't convince you that Monkey Bread is worth making, I don't know what will! Aunt Karen is to blame for this recipe.  She gave it to me several years ago, and we give her our sticky-fingered thanks.

Note:  To make it easier on  yourself, ignore my directions for homemade yeasted dough and just use 4 cans of store-bought refrigerated biscuits (simply quarter each biscuit with scissors before rolling in the coating).  That's what her recipe calls for, but we never have them in the house, and we always have yeast and flour, so there you have it.






Mostly Aunt Karen's Monkey Bread

For the sweet bread (source-- Mel's Kitchen Cafe):
-  a couple tbsp. of melted butter for greasing the pan
-  1 cup warm-to-the touch milk
-  1/3 cup warm-to-the-touch water
-  1/4 cup granulated sugar
-  2 and 1/4 teaspoons yeast
-  3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-  2 teaspoons salt

For the sticky, cinnamon goodness (Aunt Karen all-the-way):
several tbsp. melted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. ground cinnamon

plus an additional
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar

For the glaze (Also Aunt Karen):
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tbsp. milk


*If using refrigerated biscuits, skip straight to the cinnamon sugar part at #5 after greasing the pan.

1. Grease a bundt pan with melted butter.  Make sure the entire surface (including in between those ridges) is well-greased. 
2. Mix together the milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast.  Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl or mixer. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the liquid mixture slowly, breaking to stir and incorporate (if by hand) or by using dough hook attachment on mixer.  After the dough comes together, mix by machine or knead by hand on a floured surfaced until smooth. If you think the dough is too wet (i.e. having a hard time forming a cohesive mass), add 2 tablespoons flour at a time and mix until the dough comes together.  The dough should be sticky but not wet.  Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat lightly with the cooking spray. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm 'til doubled. ( I usually let my dough rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150-200 degrees and then turned off. Just don't forget to turn off the oven! I warn from experience...)
3. While the dough is rising, mix the 3/4 cup white sugar and 3 tbsp. cinnamon together in a bowl. Place a few tbsp. melted butter for dipping in a second bowl and set aside.
4. Once dough has risen, place on a floured surface and and press it into a rough 8-inch square. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the dough into 64 pieces.(Alternately, just pinch off pieces like I do.  It's messier, but it works).
5. Roll each dough piece into a ball (it doesn't have to be perfect, just get it into a rough ball-shape). Working one at a time, dip the balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into the bowl. Roll the dipped dough balls in the sugar/cinnamon mixture, then layer the balls in the Bundt pan, staggering the seams where the dough balls meet as you build layers. 
6. Then, because there can never be too much when butter and sugar are involved, mix the 1/2 cup melted butter and 3/4 brown sugar.  Pour this mixture over the stacked dough balls.
7. Cover the Bundt pan with greased plastic wrap and let the monkey bread rise until puffy and it has risen an inch or two from the top of the pan, about 1-2 hours. (Skip this part if you're using refrigerated biscuits and proceed to the baking part.)
8. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Unwrap the pan and bake until the top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the monkey bread in the pan for 5 minutes (any longer and the bread will be too sticky and hard to remove!), then invert on a platter or large plate and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.  (Sometimes a few pieces fall off.  Don't fret; just pick them up and plop them back on once the whole thing is out of the pan and on the platter.)
9. Whisk glaze ingredients together until smooth and pour over the warm monkey bread.  Serve to the adulation of anyone with a sweet tooth.

Notes:
*Aunt Karen also adds raisins and curshed nuts throughout while placing the dough pieces into the pan.  We haven't yet tried it like this, but it sounds delicious.

Baked Pumpkin Spice French Toast

Since we omit sweet scones, muffins, and pancakes during Lent, also, I've made sweet breakfasts the last couple of Sunday mornings. Usually, on Sundays, we're scrambling around like mad and eat oatmeal or something equally fast and easy, so this thrills the girls.  This breakfast is perfect because it's assembled the night before.  In the morning, you can pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes for an easy breakfast.

I winged this, because baked French toast dishes, like savory stratas, are hard to ruin as long as you add enough eggs and liquid to soak the bread.  Here's the recipe, to the best of my memory.  Don't fret.  Remember, baked French toast is hard to ruin!

Also, I used a high ratio of pureed pumpkin to milk simply because I have so much in my freezer to use up, but if you're using canned pumpkin, you can substitute milk (or heavy cream, if you're so lucky!) for some of the pumpkin if you need to.

Baked Pumpkin Spice French Toast

-About 1 and 1/4 loaf rustic Vienna bread, cut or torn into one inch cubes (you can use French or Italian bread, too.  Just tear enough to fill a 13X9 baking dish.)
- 1 and 1/2 cups milk
- 3 to 4 cups pureed pumpkin
- 6 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tbsp. vanilla extract.  (My homemade stuff is in a quart jar, and I just dumped in a large glug.)
- 2-3 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- a pinch of ground ginger

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 stick cold butter (8 tbsp.)

For the French toast, arrange the bread cubes in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Combine the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth, then pour over the bread cubes, making sure they're all saturated.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.  Meanwhile, assemble the crumble topping by mixing together the dry ingredients and then cutting in the cold butter until the mixture is formed in crumbles about the size of small peas.  In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, top the French toast with the crumble topping, and bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Lemony Blueberry Bread

 

The first time I made this, I revamped a standard recipe but carelessly burned the loaf.  The second time I made it, I revamped the revamped recipe and achieved perfection, which is not a boastful statement because anyone can achieve perfection when lemon and blueberries pair up.  Give it a try.  I dare you!

 I like my lemon-blueberry bread heavy on the lemon, so be aware that the lemon flavor of this bread is not at all subtle.  (Please don't use this bread in making any analogies about my personality, either.)


Lemony Blueberry Bread 
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 - 1 and 1/2 cups blueberries

Glaze
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup confectioner's sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, lemon juice, and eggs.  In a second bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir into egg mixture alternately with milk.  Fold in blueberries.  Pour into a greased 8x4x2 inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until bread tests done.  *I tent the loaf with aluminum foil after about 45 minutes to the top won't brown over-much.  Let rest in pan for 10 minutes before removing onto plate or cooling rack.   For glaze, mix lemon juice and confectioner's sugar until smooth and drizzle over slightly cooled loaf.

p.s.  If you have fresh lemons available, by all means stir a tablespoon or so of zest into the batter along with the blueberries.


Watch out.







 It disappears quickly...

Day-after-Thanksgiving Pancakes

 

We LOVE these pancakes, all caps required.  If you've never made Candy Squash before, you should.  Do that first.  Then, the day after Thanksgiving, when you still have half a pan leftover, do this.

Mix together

1 and 1/2 cups milk

1 and 1/2 cups leftover candy squash

2 eggs, beaten

3 tbsp. oil

In another bowl, mix together

2 cups flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until combined to make a lumpy pancake batter.  Cook in a pan or griddle as you do regular pancakes.  Then eat.  Admire their fluffiness, their moistness, and their overall deliciousness.  Plan to make twice as much candy squash next year.

(When I haven't had leftover candy squash, I've substituted pureed summer pumpkin or butternut squash, to which I add sugar, spices, evaporated milk, and a bit of egg.  Still works!)

Blueberry Cream French Toast

 

All apologies for the ugly picture.  I had one of the girls hold a napkin behind this just before we gobbled it for Millie's birthday breakfast.  Don't let it dissuade you from this exceptional breakfast!  Also, unless your free-roaming chickens also provide you with shockingly yellow yolks, the bread won't be tinged this brightly.

I've made this several times for special occasion breakfasts, and the fact that it's assembled the night before makes for smooth sailing the next morning.  (Shhh.  Don't tell anyone, but for Millie's birthday breakfast, I assembled it right before baking and just smushed the bread into the egg batter to soak it thoroughly.  It worked just dandy.)

If my approval isn't enough, and you still need some convincing (or a kick in the pants), this recipe was the Grand Prize winner in Taste of Home's "Very Berry" contest of 1996.  Thanks to you, Patricia Walls of Aurora, Minnesota, we have a winner!

Ingredients:
-12 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed (I use rustic bread and don't remove the crusts because I like the texture, plus I'm lazy.  Also, I'm a rebel)
- 2 packages cream cheese (I often use less.  1 - 1 and 1/2 packages.)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I've only ever used frozen leftover from summer picking.)
-12 eggs
-2 cups milk
-1/3 cup pure maple syrup

Sauce: I usually double this, because the following amounts only make 1 and 3/4 cups, and we like blueberry sauce used liberally.
-1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I use frozen.)
- 1 tablespoon butter

Cut (or tear) the bread into one-inch cubes.  Place half in a greased 13 X 9 inch baking dish.  Cut cream cheese into one-inch cubes* and place over bread.  Top with blueberries and remaining bread cubes.  In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Add milk and syrup; mix well.  Pour over bread mixture.  Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Cover; bake4 at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until center is set.

For sauce, in a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and water until smooth.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes.  Stir in blueberries; reduce heat.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst.  Stir in butter until melted.  Serve over the French toast.

NOTES:
I don't like the cubes of plain cream cheese in the French toast.  It seems like too  much straight cream cheese (though I don't have a problem eating cream cheese plain, otherwise; go figure).  I usually cut the amount of cream cheese and add some sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.  Then I drop it by dollops onto the bottom bread layer.

UPDATE: 8/22/20 for Mildred's 18th birthday breakfast.
This is what I do now. It's easier and yummier.

First Layer:
1 and 1/2 loaves unsliced French or Italian bread, torn or cut into 1-inch pieces
18 eggs
3 cups milk
about 4-5 tablespoons butter, melted
generous splash of vanilla

Place the bread in a giant, greased pan (equivalent to 1.5- 2 13x9 pans).
Mix the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla thoroughly and pour over the bread. Smush down/stir slightly to ensure all bread is soaked evenly.

Second Layer:
4 cups frozen blueberries, sprinkled evenly over bread mixture

Third Layer:
1 and 1/2 or 2 blocks cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
about 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup sugar
generous splash vanilla
ground cinnamon

Blend thoroughly and spread evenly over the blueberries.
Sprinkle well with ground cinnamon.

Fourth Layer:
Take remaining 1/2 loaf of bread and cut into one-inch pieces. Mix 6 eggs, 1 cup milk, and a small splash of vanilla together and mix with the bread until bread is moistened. Sprinkle bread cubes evenly over the top.

Put in refrigerator to bake later or bake immediately. If baking later, let it sit on the counter for 1/2 hour before baking. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until top is lightly golden and inside is cooked. The casserole should be fully cooked yet not dry.

This is so good and decadent alone that we don't use maple syrup or blueberry sauce on it.

Kale, Sweet Potato, and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Buildabelly doesn't accurate reflect my family's diet, but, hoo boy, I wish it did!  We'd eat lots o' meat (MEAT!), cheesecake, butter, butter, butter....more butter. Did I mention sugar? Sugar, sugar, sugar.  Sadly, our diets are more lackluster and barren. (What?  Our diet is cheaper and healthier?  Who cares!)  We do have pizza on most Friday nights, which, in summer, we top with all manner of garden vegetables, but in winter, it's cheese pizza every blessed week.  Once in a while I toss on roasted broccoli or caramelized peppers and onions, if we find a good sale, and there's the occasional white spinach pizza for good measure.  Yummy.  Boring.

 Enter kale and sweet potato pizza, a riff on this recipe.
Before you proceed, let it be known that while John and I loved it, the girls would have preferred yummy, boring cheese pizza, but what do they know?

 

Ingredients:

-Your favorite pizza dough recipe (I used 50/50 mixture of white and whole wheat flour)

Topping:

-2 sweet potatoes, sliced thinly (I use a mandoline slicer) tossed with 2-3 tsp. olive oil and a hearty sprinkling of sea salt.  Spread in a single layer on cookie sheet and oven-bake at about 400 degrees 'til centers are soft and edges are lightly golden crisp (in my oven, this only takes 10 minutes or so for thin slices)

-2 onions, sliced into thin rings and caramelized with  2-3 tsp. olive oil 'til sweet and golden brown.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.

-6-7 cloves fresh garlic, minced, and added to onions for last several minutes of cooking until soft

-several generous handfuls kale, torn and ribs removed, tossed with 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. or so balsamic vinegar, and a hearty pinch of sea salt

-shredded mozzarella

Onto your unbaked pizza crust, spread the caramelized onions, spread the kale, layer the sliced sweet potato slices, and top with shredded mozzarella cheese before baking as you usually do.  (High heat oven, baking stone, cookie sheet...you pick!)

 

 

I had intended to add some ground rosemary to this, also, but I plumb forgot.  Next time I will, because (sorry, girls) I will be making this again!