Zucchini Spice Muffins (or Carrot Spice Muffins)

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After all the cakes, cookies and pies, I figured I should post something that could reasonably be called "healthy" for a change! These zucchini muffins are slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and make a really great breakfast muffin.

To make a delicious carrot spice muffin (similar to carrot cake but less sweet) just use this recipe with carrots in place of zucchini. Since carrots have a natural sweetness, you could lessen the sugar by 1/4 cup if you wanted to.

1 medium zucchini (or two small ones - enough to get about 1 1/2 cups when grated)
2 Cups All-purpose flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
Spices: I like to use 1 whole freshly grated nutmeg. That sounds like a lot, but I love nutmeg. Alternately, you can use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and a dash of clove. The spices are really up to your own taste.
3 eggs
1 Cup Canola Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray or line with muffin cups.

Grate the zucchini with a microplane or the finest setting on your box grater. If the strands of zucchini are very long, you can chop them a couple of times horizontally with a knife. Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and wring it firmly to release the moisture within the zucchini. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and spices until well-mixed. In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs lightly with the oil, then add the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix well and then add in the zucchini last, stirring only until all of the zucchini has been blended in.

Pour into muffin pans and bake 18-20 minutes, until the tops spring back when you touch them gently with your fingertip.

The "Reverse Creaming" Method

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After seeing this technique take hold and become a growing trend, I think it is time to give credit where credit is due. I saw a reputable cooking show the other night where the baker said, "We came up with the idea to mix this cake a little differently - we mix the butter into the flour." And I thought, "You didn't just come up with that!"

Rose Levy Beranbaum rocked the baking world when her book The Cake Bible was published in 1988. In this book, she shared interesting new techniques for mixing and baking cakes, based on a very scientific approach. She had painstakingly researched cakes, breaking down the process like a series of scientific experiments. She came up with an idea that sounds simple on the surface: Mix the ingredients in a different order for better results - specifically, mix all of the dry ingredients together first, then add the butter into the flour so the fat coats the flour. Doesn't sound like anything revolutionary, but to generations of bakers who had always followed the old "cream the butter and sugar together first" rule, this was almost sacrilege. I remember my mother thinking it was downright crazy. I'm sure if my grandmother had been still alive, she would have rolled her eyes skyward and muttered something about the new generation trying out all kinds of weird things!

After flipping through my much-loved copy of The Cake Bible (with many notes in the margins), I cannot find anywhere that Rose actually gives this method a name. I think that other bakers, needing a quick way to reference this technique, are the ones who called it the "reverse creaming" method. In her initial explanation, Rose describes it like this: "In the traditional method, the butter and sugar are creamed before adding the other ingredients. The method I have chosen for my butter cakes is faster, easier, and virtually eliminates any possibility of toughening the cake by overbeating. Creaming still takes place but in a different way: All the dry ingredients are first combined with the butter and a minimum amount of liquid, which coats the flour before adding the remaining liquid ingredients." (From The Cake Bible, Part 1, page 23)

I have tried this method on virtually every butter cake recipe I bake, and it really does work. I do not use it every time, but I use it more often than not. More and more, I am seeing new recipes come out using this method instead of the old-school creaming method, and when I develop my own butter cake recipes, I usually use this method as well. I imagine there will come a day when new bakers using modern recipes will only be familiar with this technique, and creaming the butter and sugar first will be something reserved for cookie making.

Have you tried this technique? What do you think of it?

The Importance of Good Spices

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I never thought it really mattered where you got your spices. I figured whatever was on the grocery store shelf was good enough, you know? But after I started getting my spices direct from the spice companies, I started to notice a BIG difference. The flavors and aromas from these herbs and spices were more pungent, stronger than the ones I had been buying at my local store. I was surprised by the difference. But the most surprising thing I discovered was that these better spices were often  cheaper than the ones on the grocery store shelf! For example, some of the most common herbs and spices I buy are about $1 less when I buy direct from a spice company. And since they taste fresher anyway, it is a double win.

Why is there a difference? It may be because the spice aisle makes up only a small part of your grocery store or specialty store. So spices are only a small portion of their business. Each individual jar of herbs or spices might sit on the shelf for quite a while. Certain ones just don't move fast enough to ensure that what you are getting is fresh. It's as simple as that. When you buy direct from the company, you are getting a fresh product from a source that ONLY handles herbs and spices, so the quality and freshness are guaranteed.

Some of these spice companies have retail stores you can go to, and some of them only offer online sales. If you are lucky enough to have a spice store in your area, you can save yourself the shipping costs. But even when I spend $6-8 on shipping, I generally save money when compared to the grocery store prices - the lower cost of the merchandise makes up for the shipping price.

The other big reason to buy your herbs and spices direct from a spice company is VARIETY. There is a huge variety of items that you've probably never even heard of, and a whole array of unique spice blends that are not available in grocery stores. For example, the Mystic Blue Spice Company offers an array of small batch spice blends and flavored sugars like Lavender Sugar. Penzey's Spices offers four different types of cinnamon. And they both offer great salt-free blends as well.

Order your next batch of spices direct from a spice company and I guarantee you will notice a difference!

Pumpkin Cake with Sage Whipped Cream

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This Pumpkin Cake is a lot like Gingerbread in texture - dense, moist, and best served in thick squares with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top. I love to serve this with Sage Whipped Cream, which is simply regular whipped cream with a bit of finely ground sage mixed in. The flavor of the sage is very subtle, but it gives the whipped cream a unique, interesting flavor. Sage is a versatile herb that is used in every season, but in Autumn recipes it really shines. It goes really well with pumpkin, both in sweet and in savory dishes.

This pumpkin cake would also make a great pumpkin bread if you baked it in loaf pans (you would probably get one regular and one mini loaf out of this recipe). If you are looking for a frosted pumpkin layer cake, see Pumpkin Layer Cake with Maple Frosting in the recipe section.

For the Cake:
1 2/3 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Eggs
1 1/4 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
1 Cup Cooked Pumpkin

Variation: If you wanted to make this into a "Pumpkin Gingerbread," you could increase the ginger to 1 whole teaspoon and add 1 Tablespoon of molasses.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or line with parchment) one 8x8" square baking pan.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir well.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, oil and sugar together. Add the pumpkin in and stir well. Add the Flour mixture to the wet mixture in three batches, stirring well after each addition. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake is done when the center springs back when touched with your finger, or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This is a dense, moist cake and will take a while to be done in the center. Don't rush it or you will have a soggy undercooked middle. Let the cake cool until it is warm but not hot, then cut into squares and top with sage whipped cream.

For the Sage Whipped Cream:
1 Pint heavy cream, very cold
3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground Sage

Have your bowl and a wire whisk chilled before you make the cream. I stick mine in the freezer for twenty minutes. I also put the cream in the freezer for ten minutes or so, just to make sure everything is very cold.

You can use a KitchenAid mixer to whip cream, but whipping it by hand prevents over beating. If you do use an electric mixer, just watch it carefully. Whip the cold cream until it just begins to thicken before adding your sugar and sage.

If you have a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind the sage with the sugar a bit so that the sage gets even finer. If not, don't worry - It will still taste good.

Add in the sugar and sage, then whip again until it thickens to your desired consistency. For this dessert, I like the whipped cream to be just thick enough to not be called "liquid" anymore. I like it to kind of slump over the sides of the cake (see picture at top). But you may prefer a whipped cream that stands up stiffly like this:

Michelle & Stephen's Save The Date Photo Announcements

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Check out these amazing Save The Date Photo Announcements that one of our vendors customized for my sister Michelle and soon to be brother in law Stephen. What a beautiful couple! They are getting married on November 6, 2010 and they are incorporating all of the beautiful fall colors into their theme!! 

Thank you Cutie Pies Custom Creations!!! So Sweet Stationery can customize your photo cards too :)

America's Micro-Businesses Feeling Optimistic into 2013

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Fox Business CEO Newsbrief October 12, 2012

America's Micro-Businesses Feeling Optimistic into 2013 With just days to go before President Obama and Governor Romney face off once again in their second presidential debate, a new poll is showing the very smallest businesses in America leaning left in this year's election.

Featured News High-End Wares With a Utilitarian Twist Entrepreneur Says Romney Has Best Plan for Small Business When It Comes to Business Signs, Bigger Is Better 4 Tips for Starting Your Own Business Featured Blogs Obama Will Double Down on Romney Lies David Asman Congress Calls for Federal Crackdown in Fatal Meningitis Outbreak Elizabeth MacDonald Would You Consider Getting a Prepaid Card? Gerri Willis Latest Videos A Bigger Stage for Your Business Businesses Optimistic? Depends on Who You Ask Want more FoxBusiness.com? Get weekly editor picks from the small business world. This e-mail is never sent unsolicited, you recieved it because you subscribed to receive updates from foxbusiness.com Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy ©2012 Fox News Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Newser Nine at Nine - Nobel Peace Prize Goes to ... European Union

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The nine most recent stories, in your inbox bright and early.

Nobel Peace Prize Goes to ... European Union

(Newser) - As it struggles with internal divisions and an ongoing debt crisis, the European Union has been given a surprise morale boost by the Nobel Committee—plus a $1.2 million prize a few of its members could certainly use. The committee awarded the 2012 peace prize to the 27-member bloc,... More  »

 

Who Won? Call It a Draw

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How Lance Armstrong Got Away With It

(Newser) - Lance Armstrong's oft-repeated claim that he'd never tested positive for doping was the result of some elaborate masking techniques —and some less-sophisticated methods, like hiding from testers, according to a US Anti-Doping Agency report. Cyclists have to keep national anti-doping groups updated on their whereabouts. But if... More  »

 

Panetta Warns of 'Cyber Pearl Harbor'

(Newser) - America needs to beef up its defense or face a "cyber Pearl Harbor" attack from foreign hackers capable of dismantling the nation's infrastructure, Leon Panetta warns. Nations like Iran and China or militant groups could "gain control of critical switches," the defense secretary said in a... More  »

 

Debate's Big Buzz: Biden's Smiles, Smirks

(Newser) - Joe Biden must think Paul Ryan is hilarious, because he was constantly smiling, smirking, or laughing outright at his opponent during last night's vice-presidential debate. It didn't go unnoticed. Twitter lit up with posts about the smile strategy, Politico reports, and it even spawned two, count them two,... More  »

 

Best Buy to Match Amazon's Prices

(Newser) - Best Buy is changing things up this holiday season. Amid concerns over "showrooming"—when customers visit stores, check out products, and then buy them online—Best Buy is set to match online prices, including Amazon's, the Wall Street Journal reports. It's also going to throw in... More  »

 

Rover's Latest Find: Rock Type Not Seen Before on Mars

(Newser) - Curiosity has identified a type of rock that no rover had previously spotted on Mars. It has the same chemical composition as rocks relatively common on Earth, found in rift zones like Hawaii's volcanoes, Wired reports. They develop in high-pressure conditions, often near water, though it's unclear if... More  »

 

Moderator Raddatz Shows How It's Done

(Newser) - As with the Obama-Romney debate, a lot of the post- Biden-Ryan debate talk is focusing on the moderator—but this time they're saying nice things. Martha Raddatz, senior foreign affairs correspondent for ABC, "pursued each man with the vigor of a woman more accustomed to needling foreign leaders... More  »

 

Tom Hanks to Make Broadway Debut

(Newser) - Tom Hanks' collaboration with Nora Ephron has lasted beyond the grave. The actor, who worked with the screenwriter and director in Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, will make his Broadway debut in a drama written by Ephron, who died in June , reports Reuters . In Lucky Guy, which... More  »

 

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Apple Will Unveil The iPad Mini On October 23

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What You Need to Know in Tools Manage your Subscriptions | Unsubscribe view this email online Follow Us Follow Us   Tools Select October 12, 2012   Home Tech/Media Finance Markets Politics Strategy Entertainment Advertising Retail Sports Life Apple Will Unveil The iPad Mini On October 23 Apple's next big product is coming soon. Read » Share this story: Wozniak On The iPhone 5: Apple Has Become Arrogant Says Apple should've made the iPhone 5 even bigger. Read » Share this story: Samsung's Big Problem How big is too big for a phone? Read » Share this story: What's Nokia's Plan For The Lumia Windows Phones? The leaks give us a clue. Read » Share this story: Apple Knew Maps Was Going To Be A Disaster, Say Developers Is the iPhone maker losing its perfect touch?    Read » Here Are The Best Leaked Photos Yet Of Google's New Smartphone Looks good!    Read » SoftBank's Sprint Deal Is A Huge, Global Bet On The iPhone If it goes through, Apple benefits.    Read » A D V E R T I S E M E N T See Also How Apple Will Keep The iPad Mini As Cheap As Google's Android Tablets Cutting out some popular hardware features.   Read »   The Handiest Time-Saving Productivity Tools Huzzah!   Read »   The Problem With The iPod Nano: It's No iPhone The mediocre reviews are Apple's own fault.   Read »   Actually, Android Phones Have The Same Camera Problem Everyone Says The iPhone 5 Has Testing proves it.   Read »   Share: Share: Share: Share: Share the latest business news with your network: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Share via email The email address for your subscription is: dwyld.kwu.6t2wm89o0gw1@blogger.com Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Business Insider RSS Feed   |   Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010