September is a month full of mixed feelings. Some relief from the summer heat but also a shift in the days schedules from a no rules summer to sharpening pencils and meeting up on the bust stop. September always felt more like a "new year" for me as my mom was a teacher and I have spent most of my life in school in some way. The beginning of the school year felt more of a transition than January 1st. The change in weather, the change in the outdoor colors here in Maryland and starting back into a predictable routine is almost calming.
There are many beautiful foods to celebrate this month to start the new school year off sweetly. September is national honey month to honor all our little pollinators who made the growing season a success.
Very Easy Honey Lemon Cake
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 tbs honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Lemon Glaze
- 6 tbs butter melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbs lemon juice
Instructions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease tin and set aside. In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat butter, sugar and honey. Add eggs. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually fold into in to wet mixture. Fill tins 3/4 full and bake 17 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Invert onto plates and cool completely. Glaze: In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
Stone fruits, like peaches, plums, cherries, and apricots are members of the rose family (along with almonds) and are ending their season now. Often so ripe in September you can smell them at the farmers market before you see them - these fruit are versatile and can be used in both baking and savory cooking.
Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs
Ingredients for glaze:
- 2-3 lbs of skin on chicken thighs
- 1 (12 oz) jar of apricot jam
- 2T apple cider vinegar
- 4 T Butter (yes, 4 tbs)
- BBQ Dry Rub (of your choice, or listed below)
Instructions: Heat a pan over medium high heat and melt the butter completely, add the apricot jam and the apple cider vinegar and reduced heat to simmer until well combined and reduced which is about 10 min. Separate into two bowls or jars and set aside.
Dry Rub Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 to 3 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Use immediately or store in an airtight container. Place chicken in a plastic bag. Sprinkle dry rub and toss until all pieces are evenly covered.
In The Oven - > Preheat oven to 400ºF. For easy cleanup, line a baking sheet with foil and nonstick spray. Place the chicken thighs skin side up and bake for about 10-15 min until the skin is crispy. Use one bowl of glaze to then coat (brush on or dip chicken using tongs and then discard this bowl of glaze) the chicken and place back into the oven. And continue to bake for another 20-25 min until internal temperature is 165F. Use the second bowl of glaze to coat chicken to serve.
On The Grill - > Preheat grill to medium (350º to 450ºF). Place the chicken thighs skin side up and bake for about 10-15 min until the skin is crispy. Use one bowl of glaze to then coat (brush on or dip chicken using tongs and then discard this bowl of glaze) the chicken and place back into the oven. And continue to bake for another 20-25 min until internal temperature is 165F. Use the second bowl of glaze to coat chicken to serve. Note that larger pieces of chicken will require additional grilling time.
Starting school can always be a tough transition, prepping breakfast and having a nice after school snack to decompress after learning all day can help the first few weeks run smoothly. These cherry vanilla muffins and stone fruit and Greek yogurt popsicles are fun to make with kids and is something for them to look forward to. After school the pops fruit and protein will carry them to dinner and they feel like they are having a treat. You can also use frozen or precut fruit from the store also for ease.
Cherry Vanilla Muffins
Ingredients:
- 8 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (approximately 1 3/4 cup)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (make your own: 7 oz milk and 1 oz white vinegar and let set for 10 min)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbs pure vanilla extract
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus more for greasing the muffin pan)
- 3/4 cup finely chopped cherries (either sweet or sour)
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease muffin tins. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry followed by the butter and cherries, using a spatula to stir the ingredients together until just combined. The less you mix, the more delicate the muffins will be. Evenly scoop the muffin batter into the prepared pans, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then remove carefully from the pan. You can also freeze or refrigerate.
Stone Fruit Pops
Ingredients
- 2 nectarines
- 2 plums
- 2 mangos
- 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt (if you choose to use vanilla yogurt, you can omit the honey)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions: Remove stones from fruit and peel from mangos and add fruit to blender and blend to the consistency you like, leaving a bit of fruit pieces is nice. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk and honey. Layer fruit and yogurt mixtures in popsicle mold as desired. Freeze until set.
