The Frugal Foodie Cookbook (22 page)
4 eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canola oil
2 cups raw carrot, grated
1 large apple, peeled and grated (try Gala)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in orange zest, walnuts, coconut, rolled oats, raisins, and pumpkin seeds. In separate bowl, lightly beat eggs; whisk in vanilla and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir until just combined. Add carrot and apple; mix well. Spoon batter into muffin cups; bake 20 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks for several minutes and serve.
Luckiest Muffins
price
$12
servings
12
price per serving
$1
T
hese fun-loving, bright muffins are great for kids and holidays, especially around St. Patrick’s Day. The marshmallows melt into the batter, so you end up with rainbow-streaked muffins that are as festive as they are delicious.
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup butter
cup superfine sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups marshmallows from Lucky Charms
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Mix flour and baking powder together in large bowl; add butter and rub into mixture. Stir in sugar. In separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, and vanilla; stir into flour mix. Fold in charms until combined; spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes, until well risen and golden. Transfer to cooling racks for several minutes and serve.
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
price
$12
servings
18
price per serving
$.70
T
hese cupcakes are inspired by one of our favorite cold treats: Creamsicles. Alanna has always been a big fan of the orange-cream combination—she even used to put vanilla ice cream in her orange juice when she was little. These cupcakes are a classier way to capture the essence of the Creamsicle, with a pure vanilla cake and a creamy orange frosting.
1½ cups self-rising flour
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FROSTING:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6–8 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
1 teaspoon orange zest, grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop red and yellow food coloring (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. In small bowl, combine flours; set aside. In large bowl, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Incorporate dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with milk and vanilla. Spoon batter into cupcake papers ¾ full. Bake 20–25 minutes, or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling racks for several minutes before frosting.
For frosting, cream butter with hand mixer in medium bowl. Gradually add 4 cups sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each (about 2 minutes). Add orange juice, zest, and vanilla. Add remaining sugar until frosting reaches your desired thickness. If desired, add food coloring and mix thoroughly. Frosting can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
PB&J (Hold the Crust) Muffins
price
$12
servings
12
price per serving
$1
T
hese muffins are a beautiful adaptation of the classic whole-wheat peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They are moist, soft, and very much a muffin—not too sweet, but so good. We enjoy the warm, wheat taste, and the consistency is perfect despite the fact we don’t use butter and choose reduced-fat peanut butter. These are simple and delicious, much like the sandwich that inspires them.
2¼ cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter substitute, melted and cooled
½ cup reduced-fat crunchy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 cup skim milk
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. In medium bowl, combine butter substitute, peanut butter, eggs, and milk; whisk together until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture; stir into batter. Fill each tin halfway with batter, add heaping teaspoon of jelly, and fill to top with more batter. Bake 17 minutes, or until knife comes out clean. Transfer to cooling racks for several minutes and serve warm.
PART III: DESSERTS
COOKiES
AND BARS
Chocolate-Covered Toasted Rice Treats
price
$12
servings
12
price per serving
$1
W
e know these are special because Alex’s Colombian grandmother, who makes the best homemade arepas and empanadas ever, reported that these treats were the most delicious things she has tasted in her entire life. They are simple and fun and go well with any topping imaginable.
3 tablespoons butter
1 bag marshmallows
1 box toasted rice cereal
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini M&Ms
1 cup Heath bits
1 cup sweetened coconut
Melt butter in large pot. Add marshmallows; stir until melted. Add cereal; stir. Spread into 9" × 12" baking dish; allow to cool. Once cool, cut into small rectangles. In microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until fully melted (or melt slowly in a double boiler so chocolate doesn’t burn). Dip treats into melted chocolate; place on parchment paper. While chocolate is still warm, sprinkle with M&Ms, Heath bits, or coconut. Allow chocolate to harden in cool place; serve.
Chocolate-Dipped S’mores
price
$6
servings
8
price per serving
$.75
W
e foster a true love of s’mores. It’s not a seasonal love where we’ll make a few sandwiches per summer, but rather a love
so
real that in the winter we resort to making them in the microwave or toasting marshmallows on chopsticks over a gas stove (not an activity we recommend). These updated s’mores are a perfect frugal dessert for guests who are young at heart.
1 cup marshmallow fluff
8 graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon cream
Spread fluff on a graham cracker; top with another graham cracker. Mix chocolate and cream in microwavable bowl; melt in microwave (heat about 2 minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir, or melt gradually over a double boiler). Dip graham cracker and fluff in melted chocolate; let cool on wax paper. Serve when chocolate is hardened.
Chocolate-Marshmallow Brownies
price
$12
servings
12
price per serving
$1
W
e’ve tried many from-scratch brownie recipes that are too cakey or too dense or too sweet or too gooey; this one is just right. The consistency of the brownie is perfect, and the marshmallow and fudge layers are truly the icing on the cake. We advise making the brownies the day before you plan to frost them so they have enough time to cool.
½ cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
¾ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon vanilla
30 marshmallows, cut in half
FUDGE FROSTING:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. In small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in sugar until just dissolved; immediately remove from heat. Pour into medium mixing bowl; beat in eggs 1 at a time until mixture is glossy. Add dry ingredients and vanilla. Bake 15–18 minutes in greased 9" × 9" × 2" square pan. Remove from oven; cover with marshmallows. Return to oven 5 minutes. Cool completely, several hours or overnight. For frosting, melt chocolate and butter in small saucepan. Pour into mixing bowl; add vanilla, milk, and sugar. Beat until smooth. Spread over brownies, allow fudge to harden, and serve.
Chocolate Meringues
price
$8
servings
6
price per serving
$1.35
W
hen you’re making flan, save the egg whites for these simple meringues.
4 egg whites, room temperature
teaspoon salt