keston cobblers' club - beam

strawberry cheesecake streusel muffins

           from the recipe critic.

Muffin batter:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups strawberries cut into small pieces

Cream Cheese Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp beaten egg 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Streusel:

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp butter

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

2.  In a mixing bowl (for the muffin batter), sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, beat the milk, oil, egg, vanilla and sugar.  Stir the dry ingredients in the milk mixture gently but do not over mix.  The batter should be slightly lumpy.

3.  For the cheesecake mixture beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.

4.  For the topping, mix together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  With a fork blend in the butter until it looks like coarse sand.

5.  Scoop a tablespoon of the muffin batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Sprinkle a few pieces of strawberries and then add about 1/2 tablespoon of the cheesecake mixture.  Sprinkle some of the streusel topping on the cheesecake filling, followed by another layer of the muffin batter.  Add a few pieces of strawberries on the top and lastly sprinkle with the cinnamon streusel.  

(In case you are re-reading that a bunch of times like I did: that's muffin batter, strawberries, cream, streusel, muffin batter, strawberries, streusel).

6.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and transfer them to a wire rack.

cheese manicotti - freezer meal

1 8-ounce package manicotti

1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese

2 cups cottage cheese

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3-4 cups Spaghetti sauce

Do not cook manicotti. Combine all ingredients except manicotti and spaghetti sauce. Grease foil pan(s). Cover bottom of pan with spaghetti sauce. Stuff manicotti with cheese mixture. Arrange on spaghetti sauce in pan. Pour spaghetti sauce over all. Cover with heavy freezer foil. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, top with more Mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts. 

florence and the machine - cosmic love

daughter - youth

geppetto & the whales - 1814

west african sweet potato and peanut soup

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.


2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled, quartered, and sliced thin
3 tablespoons peanut butter
black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro


1. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add onion, brown sugar, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, coriander, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.


2. Add the broth, water, sweet potatoes, and peanut butter. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook, partially covered, until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 25 to 30 minutes.


3. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, then return to pot. (At this point, the soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat over medium-low heat.) Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir in the cilantro, and serve.