The first time I made biscuits, I was in my teens — or maybe younger — and used the same mix we made pancakes from. After spying the recipe on the box, I couldn’t help but try making them — even if it felt a little illicit to be using our pancake mix in a different way. I measured and mixed, feeling like I was doing something incredible. They were dropped from spoons in lumps on baking sheets and baked. Then, the next time I made them — feeling a little adventurous — I mixed in some cheddar. There was such joy when my family oohed and aahed over the rough-shaped lumps of biscuit.

Little did I know that biscuits are among the fastest and simplest baked good you can whip up. Also, it’s easy to make them a little more shapely.

Making biscuits is one of my very favorite things to do in the kitchen. I love the way a few very simple ingredients come together to create flaky, fluffy little bundles of bread-y goodness. There’s something about the feeling of dough in the hands that is both calming and enlivening. I typically use a set of fluted biscuit cutters when making biscuits, but you can use clean cans, jars or even cookie cutters to cut your biscuits.

If you’ve never made biscuits from scratch, I cannot tell you enough how easy it is — and how worthwhile. My favorite recipe for biscuits is a simple Baking Powder Biscuit recipe that I adapted from a 1926 cookbook. They take minutes are are perfectly flaky on the outside and soft on the inside.

I adapted that recipe for these little raisin biscuits.

When I was challenged to create an appetizer using raisins for the Amazing Apps Culinary Challenge that’s part of Eat Write Retreat, I immediately started thinking of breads — focaccia, French, rolls … but I kept coming back to biscuits. Even as I made plans for a chicken dish, I kept thinking about little biscuits dotted with raisins.

And finally, I just made it happen.

These Itty Bitty Raisin Biscuits are a fabulous cracker alternative for cheese plates — with a touch of sweetness and a lot of fluffy goodness, they are a nice constrast to sharp cheeses like asiago or cheddar.

Also, I am speaking at Eat Write Retreat in about a week and a half. Let me know if I will see you there!

Disclosure: I was provided with goodies from California Raisins and OXO that I used while making these biscuits. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are my own.

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The last three months of 2012 brought so much difficulty, grief and heartache. So when 2013 rolled in on Tuesday, I had some pretty high expectations for it — and I wasn’t about to enter 2013 without whatever extra luck we could manage. In planning the menu for our annual New Year’s Day Family Meal, I took lucky foods into account. This year just has to be better.

Among our lucky dishes was cornbread, which is considered auspicious because of it’s golden hue. I magnified it, adding kernals of corn to the batter. And it took on a healthier note by replacing half of the sweetener and butter with mashed banana. The remaining sweetener is honey — another lovely golden food.

This was a huge hit — in fact, I think it might be our new favorite cornbread.

Eat. Live. Be.

You might remember that Cate, Patsy, Joanne and I did this #eatlivebe thing back in 2011 and for a little in 2012. Well, back in November, we decided to revive it again for 2013. We discussed the hows and whys and were all gung ho … and then everything happened. Until yesterday, I’d forgotten.

But since health is among the foremost of my New Years goals, I still wanted to participate — even if my first post is a wee bit late (sorry girls!). So, on with it, right?

For 2013, my health goals are simple:

1. Use that Gym Membership — I have belonged to a gym since summertime when I went pretty religiously. But belonging and going are two different things. In 2013, my goal is to go to the gym at least two times each week — it’s two more times then I am going now.
2. Find and Stick to an Eating Plan — Since I prefer to eat a variety of foods, most diets don’t appeal to me. But tracking what I eat does work for me, as long as I stick to it. I need to find a tracking program that will work for me with an easy interface. I’ve used several that I’ve liked in the past, but really what’s most important is that it work for me now.
3. Lose, Lose, Lose — In the past, I have set lofty weight loss goals. These numbers, however important, haven’t helped me. This year, my only goal is to lose weight. It really doesn’t matter how much as long as the scale goes down.

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As I stood at the stove this morning, heating water for oatmeal and listening to the kids, I realized that we are finally there — the last day of 2012. I smiled, watching the bubbles form and rise in the pot. While I know it’s just a day, the symbolic change of 2012 to 2013 brings with it hope, possibility and the promise of a fresh start. We can leave the disasters and tragedies of 2012 behind and step into 2013 with a clean slate.

And I, for one, will be starting 2013 with a lot of lucky foods. These Cheddar Ham Rolls are the perfect little appetizer for New Year’s celebration, especially since pork (ham) is considered to be a lucky food for New Years. Who doesn’t want to start the New Year with a little luck?

These rolls are more appetizer than breadstuff — filled with melted cheddar and leftover ham, they are substantial, but small enough to be eaten in just a few bites. And they are prime for dipping too (who doesn’t love dipping?!?). And since they are so quick and easy to make, you could totally whip up a batch on a whim tonight or tomorrow.

Making these rolls, which are a delicious dipper appetizer, is pretty simple. You cut dough (I use premade Pillsbury pizza dough) into 12 pieces. Each one is topped with ham and cheddar. Then you fold the dough around the filling, press to seal and bake.

Serve them with barbecue sauce for dipping (or honey mustard, if you prefer).

Wishing you a very happy, joyous and fun-filled New Year!

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Disclosure: I was compensated by Pillsbury for the creation of this recipe. All opinions are my own.

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The wreath outside our house has a red and white striped bow that I made from ribbon and jewelry wire. It doesn’t have the strand of twinkling lights though. Our lighted garland, which we spent at least an hour trying to hang unsuccessfully on temporary hooks, sits curled on a chair. It never lit up the porch this year. The big plastic snowman, lighted candy canes, reindeer and sleigh remain in the attic. There was no fun scene outside this year.

And yet, we have found the merry.

Today, the kids and I will bake cookies, build gingerbread creations, wrap presents and go to a Christmas Eve service. We’ll read The Night Before Christmas, and leave out cookies and milk for Santa. And they’ll wear special new pajamas, a surprise evening present just for Christmas, to bed.

There will be smiles, laughter and dancing in the kitchen. It is going to be grand.

There was a time over the last 10 days or so that I wasn’t sure I could find the merry for this holiday season. Crushed below the enormity of what happened, it seemed like the holidays would miss that special spark. But yet we’ve found it in little moments that build to be such big ones. It’s in the spontaneous singing of Feliz Navidad after a Christmas pageant rehearsal and the delivery of Christmas cookies. It’s in the hugs and warmth between neighbors and friends — and the kindness shared all over. And it’s even in the 26 luminaries, traditionally used for our town’s Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, that we’ll light outside our house today.

In truth, we didn’t need twinkling lights or weeks of shopping and baking to make this holiday merry and meaningful. It is both of those things without trying.

If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you and your family have a truly merry and bright Christmas day tomorrow. And if you don’t, I hope you still have an amazingly wonderful day.

Now, onto the bread …

Raspberry Walnut Buttermilk Bread is a moist bread that’s perfect toasted for breakfast. I heat slices for a few minutes at 350 degrees and then spread our favorite butter on. This bread is lightly sweet and dotted with tart raspberries and meaty walnuts. These pleasant contrasts in flavor and textures make it special and just right for any morning. And with those festive colors … well, why not whip up a loaf for tomorrow?

Quick breads (made with good flour like Gold Medal!) are a super simple way to make homemade bread without a lot of fuss — and they are so delicious spread with butter for breakfast. What’s great is that there is no rising time needed, so they really do live up to their name. Just mix and bake.

Who wants a slice?

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Disclosure: I was compensated by Gold Medal for the creation of this recipe. All opinions are my own.

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When I bought three pounds of cranberries for Thanksgiving, I knew I would only use two pounds for the duo of cranberry sauces I was making. Still, cranberries aren’t as readily available for much of the year, so if there was ever a time to enjoy them, it’s now. And I thought maybe — just maybe — I could find a way to use that third pound. Of course, I totally did.

Hello, my dear cranberry muffin.

Paige spotted these lovely little cranberry muffins dotted with white chocolate coming out of the oven and immediately asked for one. Girl loves muffins, and with the vivid red berries in these, she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into one. Can you blame her?

But these muffins are more than their pretty exteriors. Tart, juicy cranberries mingle with creamy, sweet white chocolate in the lightly sweetened, moist muffin. It’s a happy celebration of contrasts — perfect for kicking off your Monday with a glass of milk (or, ahem, a cup of coffee, as I do).

Heaven.

One little hint though: make sure you lightly grease your muffin liners (yes! the liners!). These cranberry muffins want so badly to stick to them even when cooled. But a light rub of oil or butter fixes everything.

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When I arrived at my children’s school yesterday for a parent-teacher conference, the teacher’s aide from my daughter’s class was waiting in the hallway to give the teacher something. She’s a kind woman, closer to my mother’s age than my own, who bears a striking resemblance to my friend Elayne who passed last year. I swear, I do a double take every time I see her. We got on the subject of Thanksgiving — you know, the holiday that’s now only five days away an d that I have been writing about for the last three weeks here (and even longer elsewhere)? Then I had to confess: I hadn’t finished my menu yet.

Yes, me.

Even as I write about stress-free ways to tackle making Thanksgiving dinner this year, I have been ignoring my own plans. I just wasn’t ready. Beyond this blog, this has been a really difficult month. There’s a lot going on beyond the confines of food and children — things that I just can’t talk about. I hate to be cryptic, but I just can’t share. Not this time. Don’t worry — we’ll be okay. Soon, I hope.

Despite this last month, Thanksgiving isn’t a stress for me though. I’ve prepared Thanksgiving dinner for the last eight years. It comes together like clockwork, falling into place right when I need it to. It comes with a satisfying feeling of “I’ve got this.” And I really do. Yesterday, after talking to her, I pulled together my menu for this year. It’s a combination of tried-and-true favorites that we have every year with a few newer (and well-tested) recipes too. It’s going to be good. Delicious. Comforting. Just what we need right now.

Thanksgiving shouldn’t stress you out either. It’s arguably the biggest dinner of the year — but that doesn’t mean that you have to go crazy with dishes well beyond your comfort zone that trip you up and keep you on edge. Stick with things you know and love. Keep it simple — even if you make a dozen dishes like I do. And plan ahead to make a lot of them a day or two in advance. And include some easy delights — like these Buttery Garlic Asiago Crescents.

These garlicky, cheesy rolls can be whipped up almost effortlessly in the space of time between when you remove the turkey from the oven to rest and when you carve it. They are best served piping hot from the oven so procrastinate a little on this one. Better yet, delegate this to a willing kitchen helper — They take a mere 10 minutes to fill with butter, garlic and cheese, roll up and slide into the oven. In under 25 minutes, they are ready for your table.

See? Easy. Delicious. Simple.

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Disclosure: I was compensated by Pillsbury for the creation of this recipe with Pillsbury Crescent rolls. All opinions are my own.

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Who loves blueberries? We do! Blueberries are so good for you, filled with antioxidants, so my family has them regularly. When eating blueberries, I love those big, round sweet ones plucked fresh from bushes that are best in the heat of the summer when they are fresh. If they aren’t sweet, they just don’t hold the same allure. In baking though, everything is different. The sweet berries can get lost in the shuffle. Instead, I prefer tart little wild blueberries for baked goods. They’re a good contrast to the sweet of breads, muffins and pancakes. (Hint: buy wild blueberries frozen and keep ‘em on hand for whenever the urge strikes!)

Tart little wild blueberries are perfect  in this sweet whole wheat bread. Actually, it’s half whole wheat, which allows it to both have the nutritious whole wheat factor and also be a lighter, springier crumb than an all-whole wheat loaf would have. It’s the best of both worlds, really. And this blueberry-dotted bread is perfect for having on hand for school day mornings. Just toast up a slice, spread on the butter and enjoy (with a glass of milk or OJ, naturally).

We’re now two weeks into the school year, and starting to adjust to the new flow of things. It’s a lot different though. Not only do we have the summer/school year adjustment happening, but the new school schedule is so different that I find myself jumping thinking we’re late for the bus or whatever. I’m hoping one of these days, when the earlier bus rolls through that I won’t have a few moments of panic like has been happening (read: OH no! The kids!), though it’s never my kids’ bus.

Speaking of the kids, I still astonished that Paige is in kindergarten — and I can’t seem to stop saying so. For awhile, she humored me but now we’ve reached the okay-mom-enough stage where she pretends she doesn’t hear me say it. It’s probably better, and maybe it will mean I can move on and stop saying it sooner than later. She hopes. But really, wasn’t she just that itty bitty baby that I brought home from the hospital? Where did the time go?

Now, go make some bread.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Bread
yields 1 loaf

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 8.5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy — about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. With the stand mixer running on its lowest speed, add a little at a time until incorporated. Add the blueberries and beat briefly to combine.

Pour the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer.

Bake for about 1 hour, until golden and cooked through.

Let cool completely before slicing.

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Happiness is a warm muffin on a Sunday morning. It’s curling up in a chair with a good book and relaxing while you enjoy it. And, for the home cook, it’s seeing people go back for seconds, eagerly licking their sticky fingers after devouring your freshly baked muffins.

These Banana Toffee Muffins are happiness inducing. The banana flavor is light and dotted with sweet chocolate-y toffee bits. The muffins are moist and light. And they do make people go for seconds.

To make this muffin batter, I used a trusty old hand mixer, but you could totally do it in your stand mixer if you prefer. Either way, it takes less than 10 minutes to mix up and shove into the oven to bake. Gently of course.

Make sure you fill these about 3/4 of the way full. It will give the muffins that lovely domed top when they are all baked up.

Tell me you don’t want one of these babies.

Banana Toffee Muffins
yields about 16 muffins

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup Domino Light)
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 8-oz package milk chocolate toffee bits, like Heath (1 1/3 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 16 muffin slots with muffin liners.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer (or do it in your stand mixer) until light and fluffy — about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and blend until well-combined. Add the bananas and blend again.

Add the flour and baking powder to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add the toffee bits and blend to combine.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 of the way full with batter.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

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A Note and an Announcement

There are two things I wanted to share that just didn’t fit into the flow of this post, so I figured a little aside was perfect for them.

First, on sponsored posts. Over the last few weeks, I have had an incredible number of sponsored posts to share here on Sarah’s Cucina Bella. I thank you for your support and interest in them. When selecting which sponsored posts to do, I take a few things into account: is it a good fit for this site (and for me), can I create something of value for my readers through the post and will it allow me the freedom to share bits of myself within the confines of the project. Recipe projects are usually a no-brainer. But sometimes, it’s fun to branch out with reviews and DIYs too. But I say no to a lot of opportunities too. I am extremely selective about what I say yes too. Also I try to schedule these posts out over time, but I can’t always control when a client needs them published — that’s why so many have appeared lately. I don’t intend that to be a new norm here though.

Second, and this one is super exciting for me, I have launched a new site that I would love for you to check out. It’s called Sarah by the Sea and it’s a lifestyle blog about the joys of living and working by the beach — and the quest to live by the beach year-round. On there, you will find everything from Beach Book Reviews to day trip ideas to DIY projects. Please check it out and let me know what you think. This project is super important to me, since the beach is my happy place. I can’t wait to live there full time someday.

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Disclosure: Although I mention Domino Light in this post, I was not compensated for creating this or asked to post this recipe. I am posting it because it’s simply too good not to share.

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“Will, Will! We’re having that bread Mommy gave us yesterday for breakfast with strawberries!” Paige chirped to her brother after sneaking a peek at the counter where I was preparing breakfast. There were smiles and dashes for the table. Then the “mmms …” I don’t think I will ever tire of hearing Will say, “Mommy, this is great.” (For the record, when something isn’t great, he tells me.)

This bread is significant to me because it’s been awhile since I last baked. Between traveling and work, it fell by the wayside. But I’ve missed it a lot. This was kind of like the gateway bake … preparing for more. If all goes well, my cookie jar will be filled this weekend for the first time in too long. But for now, I baked this moist bread swirled with chocolate and banana.

I’ve been planning to make banana bread for longer than I care to admit. In fact, I experimented with banana muffin tops not too long ago hoping they could be an easy faster alternative. They weren’t. The recipe with pretty good, but the muffin tops were a fail (we had to eat them with a fork right out of the pan).

This recipe is based my favorite banana bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread. Everyone has their favorite banana bread recipe, and mine is usually dotted with bits of chocolate and meaty walnuts. But this time I wanted something a little different — a little banana, a little chocolate without the nuts. So I went for a marble-style bread. Believe it or not, it’s pretty easy. You make the bread batter and then separate out a cup. The cup of batter becomes the chocolate variety and the remainder is mixed with mashed bananas for the banana half. Then you add both to a baking pan, swirl it a bit and bake.

Who could say no to such a beautiful golden loaf? The kids were so excited when they caught a whiff of the sweet aroma from the kitchen. I can’t blame them. I was too.

Tell me about your favorite banana bread — or better yet, share a favorite recipe!

Chocolate Banana Marble Bread
yields 1 loaf

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan with cooking oil spray. Set aside.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating well each time. Add the vanilla to the mixture and mix well on medium speed until smooth.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer running on its lowest speed, add the flour mixture to the bowl little by little, until just combined. Remove 1 cup of batter from the mixer to a large mixing bowl. Add the mashed bananas to the mixer and mix well until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.

Stir the cocoa powder and oil into the batter in the bowl until evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan. Drag a knife through the batter a few times.

Slide the pan into the preheated oven and cook for 45-50 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before slicing and serving.

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Poor ricotta cheese. It’s usually made with the leftover whey from making other cheeses but is rarely a destination food unto itself. Really, ricotta cheese is highly underrated and underutilized. Generally left to tango with marinara in baked ziti or spread on lasagna noodles all whipped up with egg and Parmesan or sweetened and piped into a cannoli, it’s rarely left to its own devices to please. While people happily cut slices of fresh mozzarella (which shares some of the same flavor profile) and spread cream cheese on bagels, ricotta is under-appreciated and forgotten. But ricotta is something amazing on its own. It’s rich, with a hint of sweetness and a fine but every-so-grainy texture. I prefer the cow’s milk version, but you can find ricotta made with goat’s milk or sheep’s milk or buffalo milk as well.

And if you are feeling very adventurous, you can try making your own homemade ricotta.

Lately, I’ve had ricotta on the brain, wanting to give it an opportunity to shine. So when I was working on a pasta recipe last week where the roasted garlic tomatoes rocked and the pasta dish itself didn’t, it immediately occurred to me that I could salvage my efforts by plucking the best part of the recipe out and using it elsewhere — as part of a crostini topping.

Crostini is a fun little class of appetizers built on crunchy slices of bread. They are eaten in just a couple bites, letting you get the full effect of a dish without a lot of effort. This one starts with unadulterated ricotta cheese spread on toasted slices of French bread. Use as much as you please — we like a good smear of it. Then a garlicky roasted tomato is placed on top.

Though my kids can be funny about bread, not always enjoying it — especially when it’s crunchy — they inhaled the flavors and textures in this dish. Paige‘s favorite part? The ricotta. Perhaps it won’t be so under-appreciated in this household anymore.

What do you think? Should ricotta be a little more used and appreciated, beyond the confines of the usual suspect dishes?

Garlic Tomato Crostini with Ricotta
serves 4

1 pint grape tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 sprigs thyme
ricotta cheese
1/2 loaf French bread cut into 1/4 inch slices (approximately)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the tomatoes in cool water, drain and add to an oval baking dish. Sprinkle with minced garlic and salt and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the sprigs of thyme into the dish and give it a good shake to distribute the seasonings.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tomatoes burst when touched with a spoon. With a firm hand, crush all the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, spread ricotta cheese, to taste, onto each of the French bread slices (you will need as many slices as tomatoes — roughly 30-35). Then spoon a tomato and a little of the juice from the baking dish on top. Arrange on a serving plate.

Enjoy.

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