My Smoothie Obsession

I drink a smoothie every day for breakfast.  I think it is a great way to start the day and get lots of fruit and veggies in first thing in the morning.  I switch it up all of the time so there is no "recipe".  Here is what my blender looked like this morning:

Yes that is spinach in there, but you can't taste it! I typically use dark berries to hide the greenness especially when the kids are drinking some with me.  Here are the layers:

1 - a 6oz yogurt (I usually use a blueberry or strawberry)
2 - Frozen blueberries (maybe 1/2 cup - give or take)
3 - Frozen strawberries (whole or sliced - about 3/4 cup - give or take)
4 - Liquid of your choice.  Just fill to right below the frozen fruit.  I usually use Simply Orange orange juice 
      but today it was milk
5 - If using milk, add a dash of vanilla paste
6 - 1 banana
7 - Fill to the top with baby spinach (about 1 cup or a little more)

Blend!!

See - no green.  Just berry deliciousness!! That is my smoothie pictured above but my son also had a kids cup full too.  He loves them and has one everyday with me.  These are also great for snacks and even before bed if you are hungry but don't want something heavy. 

If you don't mind the green color, I also recommend just using milk (or almond milk), frozen bananas, spinach and peanut or almond butter.  Yum! 

Get to blending!

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I wanted to make something new today and decided since it was a snowy day and I had a pot of coffee going, biscotti seemed to be the perfect choice.  My mom sent me a White Chocolate Macadamia Biscotti recipe a while ago but unfortunately I didn't have either of the star ingredients on hand.  I did have some mini chocolate chips, so Chocolate Chip Biscotti it was...

Chocolate Chip Biscotti
adapted from Cindy Walter

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (I used salted...it is all I buy)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
2 tablespoons Amaretto
2 1/4 cups uncleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar (I used my kitchenaid).  Beat in eggs, vanilla, and Amaretto.  Add flour and baking powder.  Mix in chips last. 

Butter a baking pan and set aside.  On a lightly floured worksurface, split dough in half to make two logs.  Bake for 25-27 minutes.

When they come out, the logs will still look like they aren't cooked all the way.  That's ok!

Allow them to cool for 5 minutes or so, and then slice using a serrated knife.  I got 10 pieces out of each log (not counting the ends that the kids and I ate).

Bake an additional 8-10 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom.  They should feel firm on the edges.  The middles will firm up more as they cool.  Remove from the pan and place on wire cooling racks.

While cooling, start making the chocolate dip (if using).  I microwaved 2/3 cup of mini chocolate chips with 2-3 tbsp fat free vanilla creamer.  I swear, creamer isn't just for coffee! :) Once all of the chocolate is melted, dip one end of the biscotti in the chocolate and place on a cooling rack covered in wax paper.  This chip/creamer ratio covered 16 biscotti.  I ran out of chocolate chips or else I would have used more.  I think 1 cup chips and 4 tbsp creamer would be perfect for all 20 biscotti.

Allow the chocolate to set before serving.  As you can see, the kids could hardly wait to dig in.  These were a definite crowd pleaser.

*Note - these biscotti are not the crispy kind you buy in the coffee shop. They are firm on the edges but slightly soft in the center. 

Best Cinnamon Rolls EVER

Every year I make cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.  The family goes crazy over them! They are a bit time consuming so if you don't have the willpower to wake up at 5:00AM to start the dough for a normal breakfast, you can always make them for brunch.  I tried an overnight rise on the dough once and it did not turn out for me but feel free to give that a whirl too.  You seriously have to make these cinnamon rolls at least once...they will knock your socks off!

P.S. These can totally be made vegan by using Earth Balance sticks instead of butter, Tofuti Cream Cheese instead of regular, Egg Replacer for the eggs, and sub soy milk for regular milk.  It works perfectly as well.  I've made them both ways!

Cinnamon Rolls

Rolls
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup sugar (preferably unbleached but you can use whatever you have)
1 cup milk (or 1 cup soy milk)
2 eggs (or 2 eggs worth of egg replacer according to box directions)
1/3 cup butter, melted (or 1/3 cup Earth Balance, melted)
4 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt

Filling
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened (or 1/3 cup Earth Balance, softened)

Frosting
4 oz cream cheese, softened (or 4 oz Tofuti, softened)
1/4 cup butter, softened (or 1/4 cup Earth Balance)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
pinch salt

Directions:
Using the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warmed milk and let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).  Using the dough hook attachment, turn the mixer on low and add eggs, melted butter, flour and salt.  Knead about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, not sticky.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to double in size, at least an hour. 

After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured work surface and cover to allow to rest another 10 minutes. 

While the dough is resting, combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl.

Roll the dough out into a large 16x21 rectangle.  Spread the filling ingredients evenly over the dough. Roll the dough snugly and cut the ends off by about 1/2 inch or so (the ends always have less filling! :) Cut the remaining dough into 12 sections using a sharp knife. 

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan with a little more butter.  If you are feeling adventurous, you can also sprinkle a bit more brown sugar and cinnamon in the bottom for extra gooeyness.  Place the rolls in the baking dish and cover again to allow time to rise.  They should almost double in size and take about 30 minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Once the rolls are risen, bake about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. 

While the rolls are baking, mix the icing ingredients together.  Spread the frosting on the warm rolls.

Enjoy these with a steaming cup of coffee and you will be in heaven!