Which was a good thing, because the Oven-Baked Bang Bang Chicken Wings were already in the oven! That’s how we roll.

If we don’t have an ingredient or element of a recipe my first thought is always “how do you make that from scratch?”

In this case, a key ingredient in Bang Bang Sauce is Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.

There’s an addictive quality to sweet and spicy foods. And salty sweet too. Our tastebuds clearly enjoy getting a workout.

Here’s how the Easy Homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce came together!

To begin, bring water and rice wine vinegar to a boil. Then add sugar, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and ketchup and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in cornstarch and whisk until well combined. Return mixture to a boil over medium heat and allow to cook down for an additional 7-10 minutes.

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce has the right balance of acid, sweet and heat. It’s a wonderful dipping sauce (good-bye Duck Sauce) and pairs perfectly as a glaze with baked salmon, stir-fried shrimp, or fried chicken!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Easy Homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce has the right balance of acid, sweet and heat. It’s a wonderful dipping sauce (good-bye Duck Sauce) and pairs perfectly as a glaze with baked salmon, stir-fried shrimp, or fried chicken!

Course Sauce

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger or 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 minced garlic cloves or 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon natural red food coloring optional

Instructions

• Bring water and rice vinegar to a boil. Whisk in sugar, ginger, garlic, ketchup, red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat. Whisk in cornstarch, then return to a boil and cook down for 7-10 minutes until reduced by almost half. Store in a jar in refrigerator for up to a week.

The post Easy Homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

The ingredients are simple yet the sour cream & fresh dill dressing brings a lovely full flavor to this chilled salad. This salad, also known as Gurkensalat is fresh and light and makes a perfect side dish.

The Sour Cream & Fresh Dill Dressing

For the creamy dressing start with a base of sour cream. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper & lots of fresh dill.

We use white distilled vinegar but have seen variations of this recipe using cider vinegar. I’m certain that would give a refreshingly different taste.

For the German Cucumber Salad

I like to use English cucumbers because the seeds are very small and have less moisture. There’s no need to peel them either which makes this salad that much easier. We used a mandolin to thinly slice them and added a little white and red onion.

Once the dressing is added I like to chill the salad for a couple hours before serving. The cucumbers really take on the nice tart dill flavor.

Creamy German Cucumber-Dill Salad is best enjoyed within a few hours of dressing, but will keep in the refrigerator a couple days if needed.

Check out a few of our other Oktoberfest inspired recipes.

• Wienerschnitzel
• Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage
• Warm German Potato Salad
• Sauerkraut
• Simple Sage Brown Butter Spaetzle

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Creamy German Cucumber-Dill Salad (Gurkensalat)

This simple Creamy German Cucumber-Dill salad, also known as Gurkensalat, is fresh and light and makes a perfect side dish.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine German/Austrian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time 2 hours hours

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Cucumber Salad

• 2 English cucumbers sliced very thin
• 1/4 cup or more to taste red or white onion sliced very thin

For the Dill Dressing

• 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons, plus more for garnish fresh dill chopped
• 2 Tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For Cucumber Salad

• Thinly slice cucumbers and onion using a mandolin or very sharp knife.

For the Dill Dressing

• Combine all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the sliced cucumbers and onions 2 hours before serving. Adjust salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh dill to serve.

The post Creamy German Cucumber-Dill Salad (Gurkensalat) appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

They come together quickly with simple ingredients and are always a favorite apple season treat!

Did I mention that September 17th is National Apple Dumpling Day?!!

This recipe has been around a long time and was always a favorite. I remember my work bff making them 20+ years ago in our office break room kitchen.

The ingredients stuck with me as well.

Apples, canned Crescent Rolls and Mountain Dew. Plus a good bit of butter, sugar and cinnamon!!

You can shake your head at these ingredients, but once you take a bite of the warm pastry wrapped apples swimming in a heavenly caramel sauce….you won’t judge!

Making the Salted Caramel Sauce

This is meant to be a rustic recipe. I mean the word ‘Easy’ is in the title so let’s not work too hard. For the sauce simply melt the butter with the sugars, vanilla and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

How To Assemble the Apple Dumplings

• Peel, core and cut apple into 8 wedges
• Open the crescent rolls and lay them out flat
• Place an apple at the wide end of each crescent roll
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped walnuts
• Roll and place in buttered pie plate

• Pour caramel sauce over dumplings
• Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the dumplings
• Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes until deep golden brown
• Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream

I’m here to tell you that your kitchen will smell like a million bucks! Hell, your whole house will be swirling with the aromas of sweet baked cinnamon caramel apples.

You’ll want to serve these Salted Caramel Apple Dumplings in bowls, drizzled with the heavenly syrup and topped with vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts (if you like).

This is a recipe the whole family will love. It’s perfect for entertaining and can be partially prepped ahead. Wait to add the caramel sauce and Mountain Dew until just before baking.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Easy Salted Caramel Apple Dumplings

These Easy Salted Caramel Apple Dumplings are mouth-watering and delicious!! They come together quickly with simple ingredients and are always a favorite apple season treat!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Dumplings

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, core, and cut ito 8 wedges
• 1 8 count can crescent rolls I used Pillsbury Grands Crescents
• 1 stick salted butter (8 Tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or apple pie spice divided
• 6 ounces Mountain Dew or other lemon lime soda
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a pie plate or 9×9 baking dish.
• In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until butter has melted. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, open crescent rolls and lay flat. Place an apple wedge at the wider end of each crescent roll. Sprinkle with cinnamon and a teaspoon of chopped walnuts and roll. Place into buttered pie plate. Repeat with remaining seven apple wedges.
• Pour caramel sauce over apple dumplings. Then pour Mountain Dew around the edges of pie plate. Bake for 40-45 minutes until dumplings are deep golden brown. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream and chopped walnuts.

Notes

Recipe adapted from various versions across the internet.

The post Easy Salted Caramel Apple Dumplings appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

She thought of us when she saw it in a magazine and cut it out for me. It’s been laying on my desk patiently waiting.

The ingredients are quite basic, most well stocked pantries could handle. The instructions are straight forward, albeit there is yeast and resting/rising involved. However I’m certain most modest cooks could tackle this recipe.

Yet day after day, week after week, I avoided eye contact. What was it about this recipe that I was avoiding?

Oh I knew. Deep down I knew. And I’m here to admit to you.

I’VE NEVER MADE A CINNAMON ROLL.

Nope, not one.

Like you, I’ve seen hundreds of cinnamon roll recipes floating around the internet. I’m fairly sure there are Pinterest boards entirely dedicated to this delicacy. Yet I have managed to avoid making them until now.

Fear of failure is the only thing I can think of that has kept me from attempting this family favorite breakfast treat. But on this day I’m going in!

Making the Dough

Step 1 of the instructions is to “dissolve yeast in warm water and cream until foamy.” Sounds simple enough. The picture above is the 3rd attempt at foamy, which also included sending my husband to the grocery store to buy more heavy cream. That’s how committed I was to making this Giant Cinnamon Roll.

As it turns out the problem was not the temperature of my water and cream. Remember last year when covid first hit and everyone was home. We were all working on our honey-do lists, organizing closets, and baking bread. All that bread baking created a yeast shortage. Not sure the exact facts but my grocery stores were out for weeks, maybe longer. I finally broke down and ordered a 1 pound package of instant dry yeast online. That’s a lot of yeast and the same yeast I was using for this recipe, some 15 months later. There was no foamy action happening.

I thought about backing out. I mean this was part of why I have avoided making cinnamon rolls in the past. He must have seen the look in my eyes when he said “I’m going back to the grocery store to buy you fresh yeast.”

Bless him!

The moral of the story….face your fears & use fresh yeast.

As you can see in the above pictures I achieved “smooth and elastic dough” as Step 2 instructed. The dough also doubled in size and rolled out nicely into a 12″ x 15″ rectangle. The pizza cutter trick was brilliant too. Things were going my way. Confidence filled the air.

I rolled each 2-inch strip around the previous, creating a beautiful giant cinnamon roll, which doubled in size again! The magic that only fresh yeast can deliver (and an hour in a warm spot).

Making the Homemade Caramel Sauce

But then came the homemade caramel sauce. Good God. “Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat until it turns light amber.” Amber was no where to be seen. My sugar crystalized and turned to sugar concrete. Two batches in and we’re going with homemade “golden” syrup. It was buttery, sweet and delicious. One day caramel I’ll get you, but not today!

Recipe Note: because this recipe calls for caramel sauce I didn’t want to leave you hanging. But clearly I’m no expert. Here is a great link on how to make Quick and Easy Caramel Sauce. The trick….resist the urge to stir.

The Results

This iconic cinnamon bun, also known as a cinnamon swirl or danish was a giant hit with the whole family, including Ms. Pat. The dough was buttery crisp on the edges with a light center and a wonderful cinnamon flavor swirled throughout. I’m already thinking about my next attempt and how I’ll approach it with conviction.

Today marks what would have been my mom’s 90th birthday. Without question she would have loved this cinnamon roll. I have a folder of recipes cut, torn, rewritten from magazines and newspapers that mom knew I would like. It’s time for me to tackle the next one!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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How To Make a Giant Cinnamon Roll

This Giant Cinnamon Roll was a hit with the entire family. The dough was buttery crisp on the edges with a light center and a wonderful cinnamon flavor swirled throughout.

Course Breads, Breakfast, Brunch

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Rise Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Leah Rekau, Milwaukee, WI

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1 pkg. (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast be sure yeast is fresh
• 1/2 cup warm water 110° – 115° F.
• 1/2 cup warm heavy whipping cream 110° – 115° F.
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg beaten
• 3 Tablespoons butter melted

For the Cinnamon Filling

• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Caramel Topping

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

For the Cinnamon Roll

• Dissolve yeast in warm (110° – 115° F.) water and cream until foamy. I verified the temperature with my instant read thermometer. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir in yeast mixture, beaten egg and melted butter. Add enough remaining flour to create a soft dough.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour if mixture is too sticky. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch x 15-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into (6) 2-inch wide strips. Roll one strip and place in center of greased 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Wrap remaining strips around center. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake until golden brown about 35-40 minutes.

For the Caramel Sauce

• To prepare the topping, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook undisturbed until it turns light amber, about 8-9 minutes. Resist the urge to stir. Add butter, stirring vigorously. Remove from the heat, add cream and continue to stir vigorously. Cool slightly. Pour 3/4 cup over cinnamon roll. Serve with remaining caramel sauce.

The post How To Make a Giant Cinnamon Roll appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Such a sweet way to incorporate my recent fresh fig score!

And boy are they delicious! The tender crumb is sweet and buttery and the jammy fig layer has a nice hint of lemon.

I wanted to keep this recipe simple and easy to recreate, so I let my food processor do most of the work. Here’s how we break it down.

You’ll have your Crumble and you’ll have your Fig Filling. Both are made in the food processor.

For the Crumble

• Flour, sugar, butter, and baking soda go into the bowl of a food processor
• Pulse until well combined
• Spread half of the mixture in a buttered parchment lined 8″x8″ baking dish
• Pour remaining mixture into a bowl and reserve
• Wipe food processor bowl clean

For the Fig Filling

• Fresh figs, lemon zest, sugar and flour go into the bowl of the food processor
• Process on low for one minute until figs are well blended
• Spread fig mixture over crumble crust

For the Topping

• Take the remaining crumble topping and squeeze handfuls to form clumps
• Place clumps on top of fig filling
• Continue until all crumbs are used
• Bake at 375 degrees F. for 60-65 minutes until lightly golden brown
• Allow to cool completely before cutting

Fresh Fig Crumble Bars have a coffee cake feel about them and are perfect for breakfast. I actually shared them with my neighbors one evening and they were a yummy evening sweet treat.

I’m already thinking about how I can incorporate other fresh seasonal product into crumble bars. Peach Crumb Bars anyone?

If you love figs like we do check out our Prosciutto Wrapped Mascarpone Stuffed Figs of Love!

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Fresh Fig Crumble Bars

Boy are these Fresh Fig Crumble Bars delicious! The tender crumb is sweet and buttery and the jammy fig layer has a nice hint of lemon.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword Baked Goods, Fresh Figs

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Crumble

• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the Fig Filling

• 8 ounces fresh figs stems removed
• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 zest of 1 lemon about 2 teaspoons

Instructions

For the Crumble

• Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray an 8"x8" baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray again.
• Place the crumble ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until butter and flour are incorporated well. Pour half of the mixture into bottom of prepared baking dish. Pour remaining mixture into a bowl and wipe out food processor bowl.

For the Fig Filling

• Add Fig Filling ingredients to the food processor bowl. Blend on low speed for 1 minute. Pour fig mixture over crumble base and spread out to edges.
• Take the remaining crumb mixture and squeeze a handful at a time so clumps form. Place them on top of fig layer. Repeat until all remaining crumb topping is used. Bake for 60-65 minutes until lightly golden on top. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

The post Fresh Fig Crumble Bars By Popular Demand appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Our first attempt at making ice cream in a Ziploc bag was the night I discovered Thin Mints in the freezer.  It was late.  For some reason we decided we couldn’t have one without the other.  The ice cream was a success. 

Monday morning at the water cooler I shared my story and was surprised to learn how few of my coworkers had heard of this quick & easy process.  So I’ve decided to join the ranks of many who have posted these 5 simple steps.

Step #1 – Gather Ingredients

Gather Ingredients (cream, sugar, vanilla, Kosher salt, quart & gallon Ziploc bags, crushed ice, towel)

Step #2 – Mix Ingredients

Mix Ingredients (combine cream, sugar and vanilla in quart sized Ziploc bag, seal well and shake gently to combine.  Slide quart bag inside gallon sized Ziploc bag then fill with ice and add 1/2 cup Kosher salt).

Step #3 – Shake

Shake (I called Batman to help with step #3.  The ziploc bag with ice/salt gets very cold, I suggest rolling it in a bath towel, then twisting the ends creating handles).  Now click here and prepare to shake, shake, shake.  Shake Your Booty.  Do this for about 10 minutes.

Step #4 – Check Cosistency

Check Consistency (if too soft, keep shaking.  When desired consistency is achieved turn bag inside out and scrape ice cream into a freezer container.  Keep frozen until ready to use).

Step #5 – Enjoy!

Enjoy!  (now is when you can add mix-ins like crushed Thin Mints, or chocolate chips, or sliced strawberries to name a few.  Or you can serve Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with warm Peach Buttermilk Cobbler (which is how our second attempt came to be).

The post Homemade Ice Cream In a Ziploc Bag appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Chocolate lovers dream.

It’s like brownie meets fudge meets chocolate cake.

Every bite is meant to be savored and that I shall do.

Did I mention that it’s a 5-Ingredient super simple recipe (thank you What’s Gaby Cooking)!

Classically this cake is served with a dusting of powered sugar and fresh raspberries.

I made a gorgeous silky smooth Raspberry Puree (getting a little fancy) which looks so pretty on the plate.

Wouldn’t this make a beautiful Easter Dessert? It smiles of Spring.

And then there’s the decadent caramel drizzle version topped with scoops of ice cream.

Sometimes less is more I know.

But sometimes a celebration is in order and you just want to go big!

There was an evening last summer, much to the kid’s delight, that we made a Flourless Chocolate Ice Cream Cake. Big fun!

No matter how you serve it, whether you follow a Gluten Free diet or not, Flourless Chocolate Cake is a legitimate treat and one of my favorite Adventures in Chocolate.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

No matter how you serve it, Flourless Chocolate Cake is a legitimate treat.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 large eggs

Optional Toppings

• Powdered Sugar
• Fresh Raspberries
• Raspberry Puree see Recipe Link in post
• Caramel Sauce
• Scoops of Ice Cream

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter 10-inch springform pan, then line bottom with parchment paper. In a heavy sauce pan over low heat, melt butter with chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Whisk in sugar and cocoa powder until smooth. Add eggs and whisk until mixture is combined well and smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife around egde of pan then release pan sides.

Optional Toppings

• For Powdered Sugar with Fresh Raspberries, using a fine mesh strainer dust top with powdered sugar and decorate with raspberries and raspberry puree.
• For Caramel and Ice Cream, it's best to scoop ice cream balls several hours in advance and refreeze them so they hold their shape. Drizzle cake with caramel sauce and top with ice cream balls.

The post Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Cake appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Or elevate a bowl of ice cream.

Or swirl into a frozen cocktail.

Fresh Raspberries, sugar and lemon juice pureed in a blender or food processor, then pressed through fine mess strainer to remove the seeds.

The result is a silky smooth, slightly tart, vibrant sauce.

Just a few drops of this luscious sauce will transform a Flourless Chocolate Cake plate.

And a spoonful of this gorgeous silky smooth raspberry puree over Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is dreamy.

A little raspberry love swirled into ice cream will elevate your ice cream sandwiches!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Fresh Raspberry Puree

Fresh Raspberry Puree is such a lovely way to add a finishing touch to a dessert or elevate a bowl of ice cream or swirl into a frozen cocktail.

Course Sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh raspberries
• 2-3 Tablespoons sugar depending on desired sweetness
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional) depending on desired tartness

Instructions

• Place ingredients in a food processor or blender; puree until smooth. Strain sauce through fine mesh sieve, pressing with a rubber spatula until only seeds remain in strainer. Discard seeds. Store raspberry puree in refrigerator for up to a week.

The post Raspberry Purée or Raspberry Coulis appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Does anyone else buy boxes of “Little Bites” muffins for their kids (big or small)??

I can’t believe I’m admitting it – not because I’m a packaged food snob, but because muffins are so darn easy to make at home!

These bite sized homemade Double Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins are moist and cake-like, studded with chocolate chips throughout. They are a tasty grab-n-go snack, lunch box treat, or Sunday morning get ’em out of bed to start the day kind of breakfast.

We first made this recipe back during the summer of covid-cooking (2020).

In May, after being in quarantine for two months, we as a family decided to take on an ultimate cooking challenge.

Every recipe cooked was an entry to win the grand prize. Little did we know that we would cook our way through an entire cookbook (132 recipes) in just 50 days. Each one of them documented on Instagram @lemonythyme.

Covid Cooking 2020

This beloved cookbook titled “Eat What You Want” is by What’s Gaby Cooking.

It’s hard to precisely put into words how profoundly this cooking expedition shaped our lives during these challenging and difficult times.

• Let’s just say we simultaneously strengthened our family bond and our love of food
• We shared the love with neighbors we hadn’t previously had the time to get to know (many special deliveries were left on doorsteps and passed over fences)
• No doubt we challenged our cooking abilities
• All of us stayed mostly positive when a sea of negativity was brewing in the world around us
• We discovered a competitive over-achiever lay under the surface in each of us
• Without a doubt, we ate the most delicious dishes all prepared in our own kitchen

And while we were not chosen as the grand-prize winner of her competition, in our book this family adventure was Winning!!!

You can find our amateur how-to cooking video saved under stories on Instagram. @lemonythyme “Kids Cooking”

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Double Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

These bite sized homemade Double Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins are moist and cake-like, studded with chocolate chips throughout.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vbegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk only
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheast oven to 375° F. Spray 4 mini-muffin tins with cooking spray (48 muffins total).
• In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder with 1/4 cup cocoa powder. In a separate small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup cocoa powder with hot water until smooth.
• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and yolk, and vanilla on medium speed until combined. Add the cocoa powder/water mixture and beat until just combined. Now alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream in three additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir in 1 cup of each kinds of chocolate chips, reserving a 1/2 cup of the mini chips to sprinkle on top before baking.
• Bake in center of oven about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick instered in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Store in an air tight container or freeze in small batches.

Notes

This recipe can also be made as one dozen standard sized muffins (30 minute bake time) or 6 jumbo muffins (40 minute bake time).

The post Double Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Nothing sings summer quite like fresh juicy peaches. Pairing the sweet peaches with ginger simple syrup introduces a lovely depth of flavor you’ll really enjoy.

I LOVE Mojitos!!

As we head into Labor Day Weekend, for some this will mark the end of summer. Not the case here in the Peach State however, where summer will carry us well into October. So while we’re still hanging on to sunny skies and juicy peaches let’s sip on a Peach Mojito shall we?!!

Mojitos are quite simple and easy to make.

The Classic Mojito contains fresh mint, lime wedges, and simple syrup that are muddled together then topped with white rum and a splash of club soda.

So crisp and refreshing…and kind of begging for some flavor inspiration in my humble opinion. My Mojitos typically include mint and lime, but then I like to add another fresh seasonal fruit like peaches, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, cranberries, grapefruit…..

Then comes the simple syrup.

Perhaps the easiest way to infuse a layer of flavor that will delight your taste buds. For this recipe I simply add sliced fresh ginger to my sugar water and simmer for about 10 minutes. Once strained and cooled it’s ready to flavor your Peach Mojito or stir into iced tea or drizzle over pound cake.

The key to a good Mojito is all in the muddling (don’t worry if you don’t own a muddler, the end of a wooden spoon works well in a pinch). Muddling extracts all the juice and flavor from the fresh mint (or herbs of choice), lime wedges and seasonal fruit pieces. I add the simple syrup before muddling so the flavors marry nicely.

Then a nice shot of rum is poured into an ice filled glass (or not – these are quite delicious as Mojito Mocktails), topped with the muddled juices and a splash of club soda. With all the flavored sparkling waters on the market shelves we subbed bubbly peach water for the club soda. It was peachy perfection!!

It has been the summer of peaches for us! Perhaps because we’re home more and not traveling, we find ourselves at a local farmers market most every weekend. And when the peaches are this gorgeous how can you not bring home a sack full. You may recall a little Bacon Wrapped Bourbon Glazed Grilled Peach recipe we shared – before summer is officially over we’ll be sipping on a cocktail version of this recipe. I’m thinking a Grilled Peach Bacon Old-Fashioned ;)

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend. We’re planning to spread some chalk art cheer throughout our neighborhood, while sipping on Peach Mojitos! May your labors of love bring you joy. Cheers!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best, Libby

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Peach Mojito {with Ginger Simple Syrup}

Pairing the sweet peaches with ginger simple syrup introduces a lovely depth of flavor you'll really enjoy.

Course Drinks

Servings 2

Ingredients

For the Ginger Simple Syrup

• 1 2-inch piece of ginger peeled and sliced
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

For the Peach Mojito

• 1 fresh peach
• 1 lime
• 6-8 fresh mint leaves + two sprigs for garnish
• 4 ounces white rum
• 1 can peach sparkling water or club soda

Instructions

For the Ginger Simple Syrup

• In a small saucepan, simmer water, sugar, and fresh ginger for 10 minutes. Strain into a glass jar and cool.

For the Peach Mojito

• Cut half of the lime into circles and the other half into wedges. Cut half the peach into half-round slices and the other half into small chunks.
• In a tall glass, add 3-4 lime wedges, 6-8 fresh mint leaves, the peach chunks, 2 ounces simple syrup and muddle until juices are released from lime and peach.
• Fill two glasses with ice, add a lime round or two and a couple peach slices to each glass. Top each with 2 ounces of rum, half of muddled fruit mixture, and a splash of sparkling water (or to taste). Garnish with peach, lime and fresh mint sprig. Cheers and Enjoy!

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