Muffin Top

Moving puts quite the stress on a cook, especially one that blogs. Attempting to find new lighting spots, ideal backgrounds, and well in my case… your cooking supplies that are naturally shuffled and shoved ungracefully into your new pantry. And dears, I had a detrimental casualty become known to me last night...

The winds grew cold and misted our once beautiful dreams of consistent spring weather away for the day and I was in desperate need of comfort. Which you know darling readers very well  by now that leads to baking. I wanted something hearty but soft. Morsels that melt in your mouth, texture that tingles the taste buds. Which naturally led me to oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Excitedly I grabbed the ingredients, desperately dripped the last of my vanilla stash in the batter and bounded for my cookie sheet to plop the dough and pop in the oven. However, somehow the little sheet grew legs and decided to move to another apartment. Potentially out of neglect. I guess I cannot blame him, I have been a horrible companion over the last couple weeks while moving. RIP loving sheet, I wish you the best in your new home.

This did not deter me though, no worries friends. C’mon, you should know by now I am bit more stubborn than that. The wheels turned and turned, and turned into a brilliant bonbon of an idea. Muffin tin. Cookie batter. Thick, gooey, muffin/cookie concoction. A cooking tool that would essentially keep them intact while they cool too. See past lava like bake messes.

Mini “Muffin” Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
I don’t know why I haven’t thought to bake cookies in trial in my muffin tin before. I probably could have avoided a lot of oven rack clean up and tears. These little perfections won’t fall apart while dunking in your ice cold glass of almond milk and cooked evenly. I see future chocolate chip “bowls” for ice cream… enjoy.

Ingredients
• 2 cups gluten free flour mix
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups organic brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ sticks butter, melted
• ½ cup organic sugar
• 2 large eggs + 1 yolk
• 2 tbs almond milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
• 1 ½ cups chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 F.

In a bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Beat your brown sugar, butter, and white sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add in eggs, milk and vanilla extract and beat well. Slowly add in your flour mix, carefully not spilling. If you add all at once you WILL decorate your kitchen.

Remove from the mixer and stir in your oats and chocolate chips.

Form golf size balls and place in greased muffin tin, gently patting down the top.

Bake for about 10 minutes, watching carefully for browning. When tops are lightly golden brown, remove and let cool for 5 minutes.

Pop out with a fork gently and serve with a cool glass of milk. Dunk without abandon.

I may not be sad next icky storm that comes through T-town…you know where I will be.

Cluckin' Amazing Cornish Hens

If you want to impress without a lot of frantic fuss, roast a couple Cornish hens. You’ll make Martha Stewart look like an amateur and your guest screaming your praises. I have never attempted roasting a whole bird before so I admit I was a bit of a chicken to try. But oh my dear readers, this was cluckin’ simple.

I have always wondered about these little birds and what on earth they were exactly. So I googled them naturally and found out that alas, despite the name, it is not a game bird but actually a type of domestic chicken. I am not a fan of gamey goods so that pleased me immensely. Fancy name for a simple animal. As I was reading I recalled the Seinfield episode where Costanza was reprimanded at an upper-class dinner for calling the Cornish game hen wrongly "a little chicken”. So make sure when you’re boasting your menu you brand the bird correctly friends. You’re welcome.

Roasted Cornish Hens

I roasted 2 hens with loads of lemon, herbs de provence, garlic and leeks. They were pretty snug in my small pyrex but cooked evenly. I also added a little chicken stock to keep them moist. Next time I will probably cook in a larger dish and add potatoes. I served this dish with sautéed asparagus and wild rice. The stock and juices I poured over the bird and rice before serving.

Ingredients

·         2 Cornish Hens
·         6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
·         kosher salt, ground black pepper
·         herbs de provence
·         I large leek, chopped (white part only)
·         2 lemons, quartered
·         extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Place your birds in a glass pan with about an inch of chicken stock. In both birds insert 2 cloves of garlic in the cavity, as well as the leek and half of a lemon. Coat both with olive oil then liberally massage all spices, covering all of the skin. Place remainder of the lemon around and on top of the birds as well as the remainder of your garlic.

Roast for 65-75 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Let rest for 10 minutes before plating and serving.

Gloat and gleam from all the compliments.