Busy Baker Bee

But first, this is my 200th post!! Go blog, wooooo!

I feel like I've been baking up a storm recently. I had some fresh rhubarb I wanted to use, so I made muffins, and I've been dying for some homemade granola lately so I finally did that as well. And that's just the start.

We begin with Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

• 1 cup chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• zest of 1/2 orange (although next time I'd use less, the orange flavor almost overpowered the other fruit)
• 2 tsp sugar
• Combine the above in a bowl and let sit for 30min-1hr

• 1 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c. quick oats
• 1/4 c. APF
• 1 T Sucanant
  
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 T canola oil
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine wet to dry then add in fruit mixture. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray (I use canola oil spray), divide batter into the 12 cups. Sprinkle raw sugar on top.Bake at 375 for 16-18min
Beautiful! I found that these needed a little longer (maybe 20min) because of the wet fruit added to the batter. However it does make for one moist muffin!!

These are AWESOME, I am obsessed. I'll admit they remind me of cranberry orange bread because of the orange zest, so I'd probably do only a couple grates from the orange next time.

Then it was onto the granola.

A Classic Granola:

In a bowl combine

• 2 cups thick cut oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

In a small sauce pan combine:

• 2 T canola oil
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2 T honey
• 1 tsp vanilla

Once heated and thinned out, pour on top of dry ingredients, stir, and spread on a sheet pan (sprayed with canola oil). Bake at 290 for 30-45min...just until golden. Let sit before moving around in the pan to give it a chance to clump.
I've been enjoying this on oatmeal and yogurt all week :)

This week I am also baking cookies for the favor at my friends Bridal Shower this Sunday.

Monday I made the (amazing) dough using this recipe. OMG the dough is insanely good!!!!!
I let the dough chill until tonight when I rolled it out, cut, and baked.
The cookies are going to be frosted with royal icing, and given along with the corresponding cookie cutter!
This will actually be my first go at Royal Icing, but I am pretty patient with decorating so I am optimistic that they will come out alright :) Friday is the big decorating evening.
MMm the apartment smelled like freshly baked sugar cookies!!! Sooooo good.