It’s zucchini season for me, courtesy of my mom’s garden.

For my first “large” zucchini of the year, I just had to make zucchini muffins. They freeze wonderfully for several months, so when the temperature has dropped and you are missing summer so much it hurts, you can always pull a muffin out of the freezer. I think they taste best if you let them thaw at room temperature, but if you’re in a hurry, there’s always the microwave…

Zucchini Muffins*
adapted from allrecipes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups shredded zucchini

Grease 2 muffin pans or line with paper baking cups. Preheat oven to 325*F.

Sift dry flour, salt, soda, powder, and cinnamon into medium bowl.

Mix eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugars in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Fold in zucchini. Divide batter among pans.

Bake 25-32 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in the pans, then remove muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Several substitutions can be made with this recipe: I’ve substituted 1 cup of the flour with plain whey protein powder to give the muffins a bit more heft for breakfast. I’ve also done half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat pastry flour with good results.

You can also substitute one half cup of applesauce for half of the oil. While I don’t think they taste *quite* as good this way, you probably won’t feel as guilty eating a muffin then.

A good fruit scone is possibly my favorite go-to breakfast treat. In my old age, I often dont want an excessively sweet breakfast (though I do still sometimes succumb), but I do still want something bursting with flavor that pairs well with my morning coffee.

I had some blueberries sitting around in the fridge, and I happened to come across this recipe in an old issue of Martha Stewart Living, when I was searching for a chicken fajitas recipe that I enjoy. I think fate was trying to help me use up the blueberries, since I still havent made the fajitas!

The scones have been made, and still many reside in my freezer, just waiting for the mornings when I need a little bit of a treat. They do freeze well to reheat, simply pop one in a 350*F oven for 10 minutes. For an extra touch of sweetness, dust with confectioners sugar.

Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
adapted from Martha Stewart Living, June 2009

1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup cake flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup blueberries
½ – ¾ cup buttermilk
1 large egg
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg beaten with ½ teaspoon water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375*f. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment.

Add flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S blade. Add butter and pulse a few times until the butter is the size of peas. Remove flour to large bowl, add blueberries and mix.

Whisk together ½ cup buttermilk, one egg, and the vanilla. Pour buttermilk over flour and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together. If the dough is too dry, add a little more buttermilk as needed. Remove dough to a floured surface and pat into a one inch thick round. Cut into eight wedges and transfer to baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

Croissants: buttery, flaky, decadent. And absolutely delicious.

I’ve wanted to make them for ages, but I never seemed to plan ahead enough to make them in time for the weekend. You need to start the dough a day or two before you want to actually bake the croissants, and I used the “not planning” excuse to put off making them. In reality, I was slightly intimidated, though I’m not exactly sure why because I don’t often screw up baking.

Since I currently have some extra time on my hands and am looking for ways to keep myself busy, I decided to tackle croissants over the weekend. After the first bite of layers of buttery richness, I kicked myself for not making these sooner.

Letting the dough sit in the fridge for an extra day or two only resulted in a more complex flavor – sometimes it does pay to procrastinate! I’m telling you, these make the perfect Sunday morning breakfast. You’ll need to get up a little early to do the turns in the dough, but it’s so worth it.

Just a quick note – use a rolling pin with handles so you can make long, even strokes. This will help to ensure an even distribution of the butter.

Croissants
recipe from The Secrets of Baking

For the dough
1 cup cold whole milk
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups bread flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

for the butter block
¾ pound (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, for egg wash
sliced almonds (optional)

instructions for the dough
Whisk the milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer until yeast is dissolved. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and work with your fingers until blended. Add the flour to the milk and knead on low with dough hook for one minute. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3-5 minutes, or until smooth, being careful not to overwork the dough. (If the dough is dry, add a tablespoon of water.)

On a floured surface, shape the dough into a ball. Cut an “X” half way through the dough and wrap well with plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate overnight.

instructions for the butter block
Sprinkle a sheet of parchment lightly with flour. Cut each stick of butter in half length-wise and place on parchment. Sprinkle butter with flour. Using a rolling pin, give the butter a few light bangs to tenderize it. Form the butter into a block measuring 6×6x1 inches.

to laminate the dough
Remove the dough from the fridge. Unwrap it and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll along the “X,” from the center to the corners into a 12 inch square. Place butter block in the center in a diamond pattern. Bring the corners of the dough towards the middle. Press the edges together to seal, leaving no pockets of air. Tap the top of the dough with the rolling pin to help seal.

Roll the dough in the X pattern, always rolling the dough away from you to properly distribute the butter, dusting the dough and board with flour as necessary. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 10×18 inches. Turn the dough so the longer edge faces you and mentally divide the dough into thirds. Roll the first third over towards the middle, and roll the remaining third over on top of the first third (kind of like folding a piece of paper up so it fits in an envelope).

To “lock” the dough, use the rolling pin to gently roll along the edges to seal the dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Repeat the process of rolling out the dough into a rectangle, and folding the edges towards the middle two more times, refrigerating for 30 minutes in between.

Roll dough out into a 20×18 inch rectangle, with the longest side facing you. Use a ruler to mark the sides of the dough at the 9 inch mark; cut along this line to form two rectangles (one above the other), each 20×9 inches. Use a ruler and small knife to mark off the top and bottom of the two rectangles at 5 inch intervals.

Using a sharp knife, cut from the top left corner of the top rectangle to the first mark on the bottom rectangle. Continue moving along the top rectangle, cutting a line to the next mark on the bottom rectangle. Now do the same thing in reverse until you end up with a total of 14 isosceles triangles and 4 small right triangles. Starting at the small end of each triangle, roll the dough up into a crescent shape, sealing the tip well underneath. Place croissants on two baking sheets lined with parchment or silpats.

Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Proof the dough at room temperature for 2.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 400*F. Brush each croissant with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle croissants with sliced almonds.

Bake for 12 minutes on the middle rack, then reduce oven temperature to 350*F and rotate the pan. Bake another 10-12 minutes, or until brown. Cool and serve.

(If making almond croissants, brush each croissant with simple syrup after removing from oven. To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan. Boil until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool.)

The croissants can be frozen up to a month.

I’ve spent the past couple of years searching for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe. It couldn’t be too sweet, too dense, too cake-like, not sweet enough, and it had to have a quality that has you coming back for more.

This recipe is immensely popular, so it’s possible you’ve already seen it or tried it. But if you haven’t, and you love blueberry muffins as much as I do, you’ll want to get thee into a kitchen, pronto! Do yourself a favor and don’t even think about skipping the crumb topping – it’s really what makes these muffins special. I’ve made the topping using all granulated sugar, all brown sugar, and a mix of the two. I prefer all granulated, but really, all varieties are quite delicious.

Blueberry Muffins
adapted from All Recipes

1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 c canola oil
1 large egg
1/3 c buttermilk
1 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and line muffin pan with papers.

2. Combine first five ingredients in medium-sized bowl, stir to mix. In a glass measuring cup, pour in 1/3 c canola oil and large egg. Add enough buttermilk to fill to the 1 c mark. Mix liquid contents with dry ingredients, stir until just mixed. Add blueberries, stir to combine (be careful not to overmix). Fill muffin cups to the top.

3. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 c flour, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Use your fingers to mix ingredients together until a crumbly mixture is achieved. Sprinkle over muffins before baking.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

I used to have a really bad habit. A Starbucks habit. Not only did I endulge my habit every morning on my way to work, but somedays, I would even add a cheese danish to my order. I didn’t particularly even like their sweet dough recipe, but the cream cheese filling? That was a different story. I grabbed a spoon and ate the filling/topping and tossed the pastry portion.

Imagine my excitement when I saw the Barefoot Contessa recipe for Easy Cheese Danish.

Ina usually doesn’t let me down, but I wasn’t thrilled with this recipe. It just seemed kind of flat and rather uninteresting to me. And the filling ran all over the pan. I also tried her ramped up version that had added lemon zest to the cream cheese mixture (it was featured on her show) and followed the recipe exactly…still didn’t like it.

But, if you’re looking for a fast weekend cheese danish, you may want to give this recipe a shot.

Easy Cheese Danish
adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 c sugar
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 T water, for egg wash

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400*F. Line baking sheet with parchment.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in mixing bowl (use paddle attachment if using stand mixer) on medium-low speed until smooth. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, and continue to beat until just combined.

Lightly flour board and unfold the sheet of puff pastry. Dust with flour and roll out into a 10×10 inch square. Cut into quarters and place each quarter onto baking sheet. Place a spoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center of each square. Brush the edges of pastry with egg wash, then fold two opposite corners towards the center, one over the other. Pinch as best you can, then brush the folded portion with egg wash.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through.

4 servings

This was the first loaf of bread I baked when I started my 30 Day Challenge. Because I had planned on making a BLT, I wanted a bread that was both tasty and hearty, something that would stick with me to keep me satisfied.

At first I really liked it. It had the honey wheat flavor that you’d expect, but then I noticed it left a bit of an aftertaste. Now, I’ve had my whole wheat flour for awhile now, and because of a major lack of space in my refrigerator…well, the flour has been in the pantry. All summer. The strange aftertaste could very well be my own fault for not storing the flour properly.

Even so, I did really enjoy this bread toasted in the morning, topped with a little butter and some jam. The bread has enough heft to deliver a satisfying breakfast that will keep you going for hours.

This is a very simple bread to make, so if you haven’t mustered up the courage to tackle a yeast bread, I’d encourage you to try this one.

Whole Wheat Bread
recipe from King Arthur’s Flour

1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the ingredients and stir with a dough hook until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on medium-low, knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy, about 60 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour, or until it’s crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan.

Preheat oven to 350*F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the loaf for twenty minutes. Tent with aluminum foil and bake for another twenty minutes. Test for doneness by tapping the top of the loaf (it should sound hollow) or by inserting an instant read thermometer (it should read 190*F) into the center of the loaf.

Cool the bread for fifteen minutes, then remove from pan to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing and store wrapped in plastic.

I love eggs, but I tend to appreciate them for what they can do, rather than for how they taste.

They are just so darn versatile! In baking, eggs are used as a binder, they are used to provide structure, they are used to make sauces and custards, they are used as a thickening agent…the list goes on. On the savory side, they can be scrambled, fried, poached, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, and they can be cooked as a serving vehicle for vegetables and cheese (don’t you just love omelets and frittatas?).

Nutritionally speaking, they are darn near perfect: some protein, fat, and just a touch of carbohydrate rolled into a neat little package. Even better, eggs are extremely economical, even when you spend a little more to buy eggs that come from humanely raised, pastured chickens. (If you can’t tell what kind of eggs are at your grocery store, check out a farmers’ market – I often buy eggs from a local Amish family.) Personally, I wish I could stomach eating eggs every day for breakfast, but I’ve yet to recover after a year-long low-carb stint several years ago.

However, I do still find eggs to be a wonderful addition to any brunch menu, as well as being a quick dinner on those nights when you’re exhausted. This basic quiche recipe is a favorite of mine; you can mix up the vegetables and cheese based on what’s in season (or just in your fridge), and because there’s no crust to worry about, it’s perfect for those who can’t tolerate grains. It’s simple to make, can feed a crowd or just one, with leftovers to boot.

Crustless Quiche

2 T butter
8 oz chopped mushrooms
2 sprigs thyme
1 c sliced zucchini
½ c chopped red bell pepper
5 oz pkg baby spinach
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
4 large eggs
4 oz half and half
4 oz heavy cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella or gruyere
2 T shredded pecorino romano or parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie dish and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the zucchini and red pepper and cook until tender. Add the spinach and fold to get the warm vegetables on top of the spinach. Cook until it wilts. Transfer the vegetables to the buttered pie plate.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Whisk in the half and half and heavy cream. Whisk in the mozzarella and pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, evenly distributing the cheese as much as possible. Sprinkle the pecorino over the top.

Bake the quiche until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Still a bit miffed about Friday’s muffin disaster, I decided to turn my last zucchini into a loaf. Though I appreciate the convenience of muffins, there’s some very satisfying about sitting down with a cup of tea and slice of quick bread late in the afternoon, or using it, along with coffee set to autobrew, as bait to cajole myself out of bed on a Monday morning.

You can easily turn this recipe into muffins, or even mini-loaves, if you so desire. I use it for all of the above, with great results, as long as I actually have the ingredients I need. Have fun playing around with the flour ratios (I’ve even substituted plain whey protein powder for one cup of the all-purpose flour, to make a more satisfying breakfast treat), as well as the sugar. This recipe really is pretty forgiving, as long as you listen to your instincts.

Zucchini Spice Loaf

Ingredients
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmeg

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup oil (I like canola, but a light olive would work)
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c packed light brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c shredded zucchini

Makes 1 9×5 inch loaf of bread OR 12 muffins & 2 mini loaves

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325*F

Sift dry ingredients into a small bowl, set aside.

Whisk the eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients, stir with a spatula until a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in zucchini until just mixed in. Bake at 325 degrees for 26-30 minutes for muffins, 28-32 minutes for mini-loaves, 60 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean for large loaf.

I have a problem.

I like love to bake. I bake even when I don’t plan on eating what I bake. If I can’t sleep at night, I whip up a batch of cookies, or a bunch of scones – something quick, something easy.

That’s pretty much how I came about making these scones. The many hours of daylight has messed with my system. Also, I’ve discovered that I have bundles of energy when I don’t eat grains or sugar. The result? I don’t need much sleep anymore.

This week I found myself up until the wee hours of the morning, each and every night. And yes, I baked something I wouldn’t be eating, simply to have some fun in the kitchen. I have all of these ingredients, just sitting around, getting closer and closer to their expiration date. If I didn’t do something with them, they would simply go bad. (Incidentally, I have made – and eaten – these scones before, and I can attest that they are delicious. They have an interesting texture, courtesy of the cornmeal, and are wonderfully rich.)

So why not make some?

Chocolate Cherry Scones
adapted from Pure Dessert

1 large egg
3/4 c cream or whole milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/3 c all purpose flour
1/3 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 c cornmeal
1/3 granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 T very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chunks
3/4 coarsely-chopped dried bing cherries

1 egg mixed with 1 tsp milk for egg wash

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Combine flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add cubed butter and pulse a few times until the butter is the size of peas.

Whisk together milk/cream, egg, and almond extract in a liquid measuring cup. Add mixture to flours and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chunks and cherries, fold until combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, form 8 scones onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each scone with egg wash.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden.

This compote is one of my favorite spring/summer treats. Whether you want a cheerful start to your day by spooning it over greek yogurt, or a sinless finish by serving it with a scoop of ice cream, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.

It’s a delicious balance of sweet and tart, everything you’d expect from this classic combination, with an endnote of a little something special.

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
Ingredients

4 stalks rhubarb, chopped
1 quart strawberries, cut into quarters
½ – 1 c sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Place rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in medium sized sauce pan. Cook over medium until bubbly, then reduce heat to low and cook for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and add vanilla, stirring to combine. Cool and store in refrigerator.

Serve over ice cream or plain yogurt.