The Simple Foodie

I'm a lover of food, especially sugar. I'm a fitness fanatic, runner, Fitness/Bikini Competition competitor. I love welcoming friends and family into my home and entertaining. Obviously, I believe in balance and all good things in moderation! So, after compliments on my easy-elegance entertaining style and many questions along the lines of 'how did you make that?', I've decided to create a blog for my simple creations for snacks and appetizers (that's right, not giving away all of my baking recipes here). Yes, I'm a blogger now!

Any of my friends will tell you that I enjoy being 'hostess with the mostess.' My style of entertaining is that of simple elegance; meaning, few and simple ingredients and low-fuss preparation that results in an impressive presentation. Baking is my true love, but cooking, especially appetizers, is also a fun activity for me. Because I enjoy healthy food and tasting the actual ingredients, I prepare simple dishes with fewer ingredients and more importantly, fewer steps. The result: quick, yet impressive presentations and dishes that are seasonal, flavorful and easy.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Homemade Donut-muffins

It's been entirely too long since my last blog (and a lot of chicken breast and cucumbers while training for a fitness competition), but I'm back.  And, I've been asked to bake for a bake sale at work tomorrow.  Since coworkers are bringing donuts in, I thought that I'd stay 'in theme' and created these Donut-muffins.  Pretty simple.  I hope that you like them and that they sell like 'hot-cakes' tomorrow.  Have fun making your own favorite flavors for the icing!


From top, clockwise: Cherry glazed, maple glazed, white chocolate and milk chocolate glazed.

Donut-muffins

Muffins:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix cracker crumbs, sugar and baking powder in large bowl. With electric mixer, blend in milk, egg and honey until well combined.

Spoon batter into mini muffin cups, filling almost completely (this will yield tall and rounded tops).

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let stand five minutes, remove from pan and allow to cool completely before icing.

Makes 5 and a half dozen mini muffins


Icing:
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 of cherry liquid (or other desired flavor.  For maple, I used 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup.  For milk chocolate, I melted 1 cup Hershey's milk chocolate chips.  For the vanilla, I melted 4 ounces vanilla almond bark.  You may need to add more/less for desired consistency).

Blend powdered sugar and desired flavoring until desired consistency is attained.  For easy icing, dip and twirl each mini donut-muffin into icing and then set upright on wax paper until dry.  Serve when completely dried.

Here I've sampled the maple glazed....mmm!