December 25, 2024

Gingerbread Cupcakes

November 24, 2015 by

2014-11-30 20.38.40

For our family’s Thanksgiving Feast (as the grandchildren call it!), we always divvy up of the different dishes that make up our spread.  This year, Robert and I are hosting the Feast at our home, so mine is the turkey to prepare (I always use Alton Brown’s Brined Turkey recipe), along with gluten-free gravy and the stuffing (see my recipe I shared here a couple of weeks ago).   My daughter, Kassia and her mother-in-law Mary Ann are divvy-ing up the sides and salads!  And we each are making a dessert…these spicy-sweet Gingerbread Mini-Cupcakes are my contribution.  Oh, they are so darling!  And just the perfect mouthful (and I mean FULL).  <Of course you certainly could make these in a standard cupcake size, too!>

For those of you who are just beginning to follow the path of gluten-free baking, try this recipe.  When I first made these cupcakes, I used a ‘gf all-purpose flour blend.’ You can pick up a box in the gluten-free section of almost any grocery store. However, if you have a pantry filled with jars of different gluten-free flours, I used ** 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup hazelnut flour).  Note that these cupcakes are dairy-free if you prepare them with coconut oil…and of course no whipped cream!

This is a quick recipe to pull together…and the mini-cupcakes only take 10-12 minutes to bake.  We will have ours with Spiced Whipped Cream (see the recipe  here).  But they are equally yummy with a cream cheese frosting or a simple buttercream frosting, too.  Enjoy!

2014-11-29 22.51.34

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

ingredients:
1+1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend **(see above)
1+1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water

directions:

  • set out the butter (or coconut oil) and egg to come to room temperature
  • fill muffin/cupcake tins with liners (mini = 30; regular = 12)
  • preheat oven to 350
  • mix flour(s) and spices together in a small bowl
  • with mixer, cream together butter (or coconut oil) and sugar
  • add egg, then molasses; beating ‘til nice and creamy
  • microwave the water in a measuring cup ‘til boiling; remove and <carefully> stir in the baking soda; set aside to cool slightly
  • add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, and blend for about 1 minute ‘til it all comes together
  • continue to blend while pouring in the water; beat for an additional minute or so (batter will seem thin but it very quickly thickens up)
  • fill lined cupcake tins about 3/4 full with batter
  • bake minis for 10-12 minutes (regular-sized for 20 minutes), or ‘til firm to the touch and slightly browned
  • take pan from oven and immediately remove cupcakes to a cooling rack
  • once completely cool, frost as desired

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Gingerbread Cupcakes

April 14, 2015 by

Many of you have gone on Spring Break or are anticipating taking a vacation this summer. It is a time to refresh spirit, soul, and body. Over the next couple of weeks, our faithful bloggers will be taking a ‘spring break’ from writing so that they can come back to us refreshed and freshly anointed.
However, Girlfriends’ Coffee Hour website won’t ‘go black’! We will be revisiting some of our favorite blogs and daily devotions which have blessed us in the past. We pray that each of you, our faithful friends and readers, will continue to start your day meditating on the devotionals and songblogs, and be encouraged and blessed.

Let’s give each of our bloggers a big round of applause, a hug,
and the rest they so deserve. God bless you, ladies!

2014-11-30 20.38.40

For our family’s Thanksgiving Feast (as the grandchildren call it!), we always divvy up all of the different dishes that make up our spread.  This year I was happy to prepare a side dish (Quinoa Veggie Salad w/ Orange Vinaigrette), the beverages (one <adult> choice of which was Apple Cider Sangria), and a dessert…these spicy-sweet Gingerbread Mini-Cupcakes. Oh, they were so darling! And just the perfect mouthful (and I mean FULL).  <Of course you certainly could make these in a standard cupcake size, too!>

2014-11-27 13.11.15

For those of you who are just beginning to follow the path of gluten-free baking, try this recipe.  When I first made these cupcakes, I used a ‘gf all-purpose flour blend.’ You can pick up a box in the gluten-free section of almost any grocery store. However, if you have a pantry filled with jars of different gluten-free flours, I used 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup hazelnut flour).  Note that these cupcakes are dairy-free if you prepare them with coconut oil…and of course no whipped cream!

This is a quick recipe to pull together…and only takes 10-12 minutes to bake. We enjoyed ours with Spiced Whipped Cream (see the recipe from last week’s blogpost here).  But they would be equally yummy with a cream cheese frosting or a simple buttercream frosting, too.  Enjoy!

2014-11-29 22.51.34

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

ingredients:
1+1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend **
1+1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4T butter, room temperature (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water

directions:

  • set out the butter (or coconut oil) and egg to come to room temperature
  • fill muffin/cupcake tins with liners (mini = 30; regular = 12)
  • preheat oven to 350
  • mix flour(s) and spices together in a small bowl
  • with mixer, cream together butter (or coconut oil) and sugar
  • add egg, then molasses; beating ‘til nice and creamy
  • microwave the water in a measuring cup ‘til boiling; remove and <carefully> stir in the baking soda; set aside
  • add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, and blend for about 1 minute ‘til it all comes together
  • continue to blend while pouring in the water; beat for an additional minute or so (batter will seem thin but it very quickly thickens up)
  • fill lined cupcake tins about 3/4 full with batter
  • bake minis for 10-12 minutes (regular for 20 minutes), or ‘til firm to the touch and slightly browned
  • take pan from oven and immediately remove cupcakes to a cooling rack
  • once completely cool, frost as desired

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Roasted Butternut and Apple Soup

January 7, 2015 by

Did you know that January is National Soup Month?  That is a fact that my husband does not let me overlook.  He loves soup…and would eat soup every single day!  Here on our healthy but oh-so-yummy! segment of the At Home w/ GCH blog, we are celebrating our third annual Soup-Palooza!  Each week this month we will feature soup, soup, soup...and soup!  Use the search feature here on our website to explore other soup recipes that Dana and I have posted in the past.

This week’s recipe spotlights three ingredients that are good for you, and really yummy, too: butternut squash, organic chicken meatballs, and baby kale. Interesting combination, you say? You betcha! I do believe this soup would be equally delicious without the chicken meatballs…making it perfect to serve as a vegan dish.  This soup also freezes (and defrosts) beautifully!  A note on the chicken meatballs: There are a number of brands out there to choose from.  These are the ones that I use…they have no preservatives, no filler, and are organic.  This company offer quite a variety of products—meatballs and sausages.

Enjoy…see you back here next week with another soup!

2015-01-05 12.51.20

Butternut-Apple Soup with Chicken Meatballs

ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
cinnamon
1 teaspoon EACH sea salt, freshly ground pepper (I use lemon-pepper blend)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 pkg chicken apple meatballs, cut in quarters
1 small onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, thin slices
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use jarred)
1-2 teaspoons herb medley of your choice (thyme, tarragon, crushed rosemary, marjoram)
1-2 large apples, peeled and cubed
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple cider
1+ cups water (optional)
baby arugula
finely shredded sharp Cheddar (optional)

directions:

  • preheat oven to 4002014-12-31 17.26.48
  • line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • cut butternut squash in half; clean out seeds
  • peel the skin; cut the squash into 1+1/2″ cubes
  • place in large mixing bowl along with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a couple of good shakes of cinnamon, and the seasonings; mix together and pour onto lined baking sheet
  • roast for 20 minutes or so ‘til the butternut yields easily when you pierce with a knife; remove from oven and set aside

meanwhile…

  • heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in medium stockpot
  • add cut-up chicken meatballs and saute ‘til lightly browned (6-7 minutes)
  • remove from pan and add the onion, celery and carrot; cook about 5 minutes until vegetables are starting to get soft and caramelized
  • add herbs, apple chunks, garlic, season w/salt and pepper saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly
  • add stock, water and cider; stir to bring together
  • bring to a boil and add roasted butternut squash
  • reduce heat to medium low and let simmer about 30 minutes
  • using immersion blender (or carefully in a blender/mixer), puree about half the veggies, leaving the rest whole
  • adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking, adding up to 1 cup of water (or additional broth) to thin it out if you prefer
  • add in the browned chicken meatballs and heat through

to serve:2014-12-31 18.57.10

  • put a bit of raw baby arugula (I put in a small handful) in the bottom of your mug or soupbowl; ladle the finished soup on top
  • taste for additional seasoning (arugula will make it peppery!)
  • finish with a sprinkle of shredded cheese, if you like

   ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥ 

God loves you!   ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

December 1, 2014 by

2014-11-30 20.38.40

For our family’s Thanksgiving Feast (as the grandchildren call it!), we always divvy up all of the different dishes that make up our spread.  This year I was happy to prepare a side dish (Quinoa Veggie Salad w/ Orange Vinaigrette), the beverages (one <adult> choice of which was Apple Cider Sangria), and a dessert…these spicy-sweet Gingerbread Mini-Cupcakes. Oh, they were so darling! And just the perfect mouthful (and I mean FULL).  <Of course you certainly could make these in a standard cupcake size, too!>

2014-11-27 13.11.15

For those of you who are just beginning to follow the path of gluten-free baking, try this recipe.  When I first made these cupcakes, I used a ‘gf all-purpose flour blend.’ You can pick up a box in the gluten-free section of almost any grocery store. However, if you have a pantry filled with jars of different gluten-free flours, I used 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup hazelnut flour).  Note that these are dairy-free if you prepare them with coconut oil…and of course no whipped cream!

This is a quick recipe to pull together…and only takes 10-12 minutes to bake. We enjoyed ours with Spiced Whipped Cream (see the recipe from last week’s blogpost here).  But they would be equally yummy with a cream cheese frosting or a simple buttercream frosting, too.  Enjoy!

2014-11-29 22.51.34

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

ingredients:
1+1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend **
1+1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4T butter, room temperature (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water

directions:

  • set out the butter (or coconut oil) and egg to come to room temperature
  • fill muffin/cupcake tins with liners (mini = 30; regular = 12)
  • preheat oven to 350
  • mix flour(s) and spices together in a small bowl
  • with mixer, cream together butter (or coconut oil) and sugar
  • add egg, then molasses; beating ‘til nice and creamy
  • microwave the water in a measuring cup ‘til boiling; remove and <carefully> stir in the baking soda; set aside
  • add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, and blend for about 1 minute ‘til it all comes together
  • continue to blend while pouring in the water; beat for an additional minute or so (batter will seem thin but it very quickly thickens up)
  • fill lined cupcake tins about 3/4 full with batter
  • bake minis for 10-12 minutes (regular for 20 minutes), or ‘til firm to the touch and slightly browned
  • take pan from oven and immediately remove cupcakes to a cooling rack
  • once completely cool, frost as desired

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Cinnamon Baked Apple Chips

July 24, 2013 by

If you are looking for a healthy snack that is easy to make, this is it!  Anything with cinnamon satisfies my taste buds!  That’s why this recipe really appealed to me!  It’s great for you, and for the kids; plus it is just so easy to make!!  Make a few ahead of time and keep in a Tupperware-type storage container.

For this recipe, I am referencing ingredients for just one serving.  You will use one small Gala apple for each person that you are serving.

 

Cinnamon Baked Apple Chips

Ingredients:

1 Gala Apple, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon Splenda

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
  • Spray a cookie sheet with Olive Oil Cooking Spray.
  • Place sliced apples on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon and splenda.
  • Bake in 225 degree oven for 1 hour.
  • Remove from oven, and place sliced apples on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.

ENJOY!!

 

Cinnamon Apple Chips

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At Home With GCH: Cinnamon Bun Cake

February 20, 2013 by

I don’t know about you, but I love the smell of cinnamon ANYTHING wafting through my house! So when I found a recipe for a cinnamon roll cake, I knew I had to take it and make it my own!  I hope you enjoy this recipe for Cinnamon Bun Cake as much as my family and I did!

 

Cinnamon Bun Cake

Cake:

3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

4 teaspoon baking powder

1.5 cups milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

.5 cup butter (1 stick), melted

Topping:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoons cinnamon

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray, or grease and flour it. Set aside.

For Cake: In your mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. When it is combined completely, slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared pan.

For Topping: In a large bowl mix the butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy. Drop spoonfuls over the batter and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

566435_10151714303108858_2139789690_n

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

 

FOR GLAZE: In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the cake. The glaze can be drizzled when the cake is warm or cooled.  I prefer it when it is cool, but it will work either way.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Enjoy!!

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? – Crockpot Apple Oatmeal

January 1, 2013 by

photo 3

I love this recipe!  You can throw all the ingredients in the crock pot before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning, breakfast is ready!  I made this Christmas Eve night and we woke up to a wonderful smelling house and had a delicious breakfast ready to go!  Because who wants to cook on Christmas morning?  This would also be perfect for Sunday mornings when you don’t want to cook before church.

What you need:

Two sliced apples (I used Golden Delicious)

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

2 tbsp butter

2 cups oatmeal

4 cups water

crockpot

Directions:

Throw the sliced apples, the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter in the bottom of the crockpot.  Then pour in the oatmeal and then the water on top.  DO NOT STIR.  Cook overnight 8-9 hours on low.  Makes about 4 servings.  Depending on your tastes, you may need to add more sugar or butter to your individual serving 🙂

That’s it!  Easy peasy… and delicious!

God is great, God is good… let us thank Him for our food!

<3 Shauna

PS – you can also find Shauna on her personal blog at www.workhomeplay.net.

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