Decadent Pumpkin Muffin

So how was the feast?!  Ours was pretty yummy.  That turkey is powerful stuff- I could hardly wake myself up this morning. :) Well, here is something happy to wake up to.  It is a great, healthy way to use up the other half of that big pumpkin can. (I just made one pumpkin pie, so I had the other half hanging out.)  It doesn't even use oil, and I made it using whole wheat and didn't even put in the 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  It was still great.  These muffins held together really well- a great consistency, and quite pumpkinly-delicious. :)  We ate them for breakfast.

Lyd's Tip:  I like to keep an eye out for discounted yogurt at the grocery store.  Sometimes they mark it down and it still has some time left before expiration.  It is great in pancakes and muffins.  It adds flavor and moisture.

Decadent Pumpkin Muffin (allrecipes)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I made this recipe twice and used whole wheat the second time.  It turned out great.)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups canned pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar (I just left this out.)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup fat free vanilla yogurt

4 egg whites (I just put in 4 eggs- though I'm sure it would be healthier with the whites.)

1 egg

2/3 cup water

1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper muffin liners.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin, white sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, yogurt, egg whites, and egg. Blend the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, alternating with the water, to form a smooth batter. Fold in the raisins. Transfer to the prepared muffin pan.

Bake 16 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Barb’s 10 Grain Muffins

If you know me, you know that I'm always up for a hearty, high fiber muffin in the morning.  One of my favorite breakfasts!  I just made a fresh batch of my Three-Grain Muffins yesterday.  It's a really good recipe- makes a huge batch- which I like. :)  But I realized I had made these a while back and forgotten to post the recipe, so here is YET ANOTHER muffin recipe coming your way. :)

"I love Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain cereal. On the bag was a recipe for some muffins. I made them. OK, but not great. So I did what any other creative cook would have done, I futzed. Trial and error resulted in a fiber-filled muffin that was delicious, moist, kept well in the freezer and best of all, didn’t have the consistency of sawdust."

Barb’s 10 Grain Muffins (penguintrax.com)

• 1 XL egg
• 1/2 cup sugar (I use turbinado)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain Cereal
• 1 1/4 cups sour milk or buttermilk  (to sour milk, mix a generous teaspoon of vinegar into 1 1/4 cups milk)
• 1 large ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup dried coconut (can substitute sweetened & flaked coconut if necessary)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prep enough muffin tins to make 14-16 muffins (line with paper, use silicone liners with no-stick spray, etc.)

Combine cereal and buttermilk and let stand for 10 minutes.

Cream sugar, butter and egg. Add banana. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Add to egg mixture along with the soaked cereal. Mix until just combined.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups.  Bake approximately 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans for 10 min, then on a rack until thoroughly cooled.

These freeze very well.

Lemon Yogurt Loaf Recipe

I kind of have a thing for sweet quick breads.  (Which is why I can only make them every so often. :)  It was fun to try one with yogurt- made it moist and tasty- I also love lemon zest in just about anything!  All in all- a happy loaf and a happy girl. :)

Lemon Yogurt Loaf (Taste of Home)
3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons lemon yogurt, divided (I used vanilla, but added a couple drops of lemon extract)
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered (I didn't have apricots, so I used dried cranberries)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 cups self-rising flour

In a blender, combine 3/4 cup yogurt and apricots; cover and process until smooth. In a bowl, cream the butter and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Beat in the eggs, lemon peel and yogurt mixture; mix well. Add flour just until combined. Spoon into a greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan.
Bake at 325° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine the remaining yogurt and confectioners' sugar; drizzle over loaf. Yield: 1 loaf.
Editor's Note: As a substitute for each cup of self-rising flour, place 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to measure 1 cup.

Banana Chocolate Chip Crumble Cake

Mom pulled out these delicious loaves during a holiday game night, and we were all in heaven.  This is a simple recipe with big results.  Great consistency and the sweet streusel topping is better than "the icing on the cake."  You'll love these loaves for sure!

Banana Chocolate Chip Crumble Cake (or bread)
(From Momma Kaye and Marilyn Wasden)
1 cube butter
1 cup mashed bananas (about two)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour milk (mom uses sour cream, and I imagine buttermilk would do the trick.)

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
*Mix and pour over uncooked batter.

*Combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients separately and combine with wet mixture.  Add sour cream and mix.  Pour into 9x13 baking pan (mom uses loaf pans and I think you slightly increase baking time), sprinkle with topping, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Frosted Banana Bars

Remember that friendly little "cake" competition my hubby and I recently had. Well, this was the prize-winning recipe according to our kids, the judges... and myself. As good as my Buttermilk Pudding Cake was, I'll concede that it was pretty incredible, and he is so careful with measurements and following the recipe, that I'm sure it turned out much better then I could have made it. Well done, Doug! You've gotta try this one! Use us all those brown bananas... or just 2 medium ripe ones. :)

Frosted Banana Bars (Taste of Home)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened or cubed), softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-3/4 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in bananas.
Spread into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to achieve desired consistency. Frost bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3-4 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 148 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 96 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

Here's a little bit of heaven in a loaf pan!!! The glaze is literally "the icing on the cake" knocking an already delicious loaf up a notch and out of the park. My friend Erin brought this by and I pretty much thought I had died and gone to cinnamon heaven! SO GOOD!

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread (Taste of Home)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
GLAZE:
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons milk

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk, egg and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and remaining sugar.
Grease the bottom only of a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Pour half of the batter into pan; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Carefully spread with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.
Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency; drizzle over loaf. Yield: 1 loaf.

Vanilla Pound Cake

This seems like such an incredibly appropriate post for today. My girls watched a “Strawberry Shortcake” episode earlier, and the theme song has been in my head every since, “…That girls so sweet, just like her name…” After watching it with them, (Yes… I watched it with them, thanks to my nursing child, I’m a bit hard up for quality entertainment around here. :) I came to the conclusion that she is a little TOO sweet- unrealistically so. You like a good, positive main character, but she was over-the-top unrealistic optimistic. I guess it is at least wholesome, right? They could be watching worse things, surely. Anyway, regardless of the cheesy cartoon, this is one SWEET dessert. Hard to beat an easy-to-make pound cake topped with yummy strawberry sauce!

Vanilla Pound Cake (marthastewart.com)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix).

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely.

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts

Muffins or Donuts for breakfast? Hmmm… why not indulge in both fairly unhealthy competitors? (I’m sure you would have the full support of your local law enforcement. :) I came across this recipe on goodlifeeat.com and seeing as how I am a pretty big muffin fan, this one was just screaming at me to give it a try. We are not going for healthy here… just absolutely delicious! :) I loved the dense consistency and the cinnamon and sugar coating. It really did remind me of an old fashioned donut or a yummy coffee cake. This made a very tasty addition to the muffin collection! A must try!

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts
from lemanda on Tasty Kitchen

for the muffins:

1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/3 cup Oil
3/4 cup White Sugar
1 whole Egg
3/4 cup Milk

for the topping:

1/4 cup Butter
1/3 cup White Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Grease one standard size muffin pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine. Fill standard sized muffin tin with the batter, using a scant 1/4 cup per muffin (I like to use my Pampered Chef Large Cookie Scoop – perfect size & easy!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a bowl. Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl. Shake muffins out while still hot. Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool.

Makes 1 dozen. You might want to double the recipe. (I think I filled my muffin tins really full, because I was short 4 muffins from a two dozen after doubling the recipe… and I felt pretty ripped off. :)

Blueberry Muffins with Crumble Topping

Yes… you are absolutely right, I will admit that I make a lot of muffins. I can’t help it. I just REALLY like muffins. They always sound good and almost always taste good… especially blueberry muffins… ESPECIALLY THESE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS! Mmmmm. So good. I promise! I have made so many different recipes for blueberry muffins—Emily’s To Die for Blueberry Muffins (from whence came the crumble topping for these, and which I embarrassingly posted twice, I just found out), The Best Blueberry Muffins I Ever Made, Sour Cream Blueberry Bread, Bacon Blueberry Scones, and Good Morning Blueberry Bran Muffins. Can you tell I really like blueberries—and really super-duper like blueberry muffins? :) The first two recipes are my favorites, but I think this one takes the cake…or the muffin in this case, or at least ties with the other two, especially with the addition of crumble topping. A wondrous way to start the day!

Blueberry Muffins (Susanna Tee, 1 Mix, 100 Muffins)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I did half wheat, half white- seems to be a good balance, a little more substance, but not too heavy.)
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• scant 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 6 T oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• zest of 1 lemon (I cannot emphasize enough what a difference this little secret weapon makes! Totally transforms a typical blueberry muffin- don’t leave it out, and if you don’t have lemon, use orange, maybe even lime… it just needs that citrus kick.)

Preheat oven to 400 and grease or line 12 muffin cups. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and blueberries.

Lightly beat the eggs in separate bowl, then beat in the milk, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined- do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups. (Sprinkle on your crumble topping now before baking, if you are adding that.) Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Crumble Topping: (Pretty easy to mix together, and worth the extra 5 minutes!)

Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Healthy Oat & Prune Muffins

Hey- it’s Muffin Monday… or wait, Saturday. :) You won’t feel one bit of guilt eating these healthy muffins. They were surprisingly tasty too! The prunes are actually pretty good in them- they add some moisture. They mix up fast too, which is always nice. A healthy breakfast or snack!

Healthy Oat & Prune Muffins (Susanna Tee, 1 Mix, 100 Muffins)

• 1 cup of all purpose flour (I went ahead and did whole wheat, why not if we’re thinking healthy?)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• scant 2 cups rolled oats
• heaping 3/4 cup pitted prunes chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C.

2. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with cases.

3. Sift together the flour and the baking powder and then stir in the sugar, oats and prunes.

4. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and then add the milk, oil, vanilla extract.

5. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

6. Stir gently until just combined, do not over mix.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until well risen, golden brown and firm to the touch.

8. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Robot Birthday Cupcakes

I have a SUPER creative friend! These are the cupcakes she made for her sons fun Robot Birthday Party, and I just had to share because I thought it was such a cute idea. She just printed off cute little robots and rockets for the colorful cupcakes- it was so fun! The kids made those cute little paper bag robots with foam stickers- it was really cute!

Daring Baker’s Challenge: BLUEBERRY-BANANA FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

WHAT A TREAT! This ended up being a DELICIOUS challenge- I’m a bit late on posting it, because I wanted to use it for my son’s birthday cake. (We have three birthdays right in a row, so a variety in cakes is most appealing. :) Plus he is little enough that he didn’t care.) I had fun trying a filling version of my own that ended up working pretty well- even though it was a little bit of a hot, sticky mess. :) It was quite a bit more runny (because of the mashed bananas) than I think it was supposed to be, but it has such a moist, sweet flavor in the end! It reminded me of the Over-the-Top Blueberry Bread Pudding or the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding I made a while back. (Both of which I liked very much, I might add.) I will say that the texture did not fit what I conjure up to be “coffee cake” at all. It was more like a cinnamon roll. I picture coffee cake to be more like a… well, cake. :) I am certainly not complaining though. Hope you give this one a try- just for fun. It was a lot of work, but a whole lot of delicious, too!

BLUEBERRY-BANANA FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE
Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter
The recipe can easily be halved to make one round coffee cake.

(*Might I add that, as you can see, I didn’t make “rounds of coffee cake.” My filling was just too messy, so I ended up emprovising with cinnamon rolls and little rolled loaves. With a drying middle mixture, I think the “rounds” would be great.)

Ingredients
For the yeast coffee cake dough:

4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour
¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar
¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼ oz.) salt
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast
¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature)
½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature

(I also added a bit of nutmeg to the dough- it gave it a good flavor.)

For the meringue: (I loved the meringue! It was so hard for me not to snitch- I’m pregnant and I’m not supposed to do the “raw egg” thing, but it was too hard! Good stuff!)

3 large egg whites at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sugar

For the filling:

Lyd’s version:

• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white chocolate
• 3 very ripe mashed bananas

Directions:

Prepare the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.

With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup (150 g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.

Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.

Prepare your filling:In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling if using. You can add the chopped nuts to this if you like, but I find it easier to sprinkle on both the nuts and the chocolate separately.

Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue:
In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cakes:

Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).

Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.

Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.

Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.

Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling. These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

(See- check out this oozing mess of sweetness- it just didn’t want to roll up pretty… and it wasn’t. But it made up for it in flavor. :)

He liked his birthday cake, but he really had trouble blowing out the candles. :)

Let’s Go Banana Muffins!

Sometimes I struggle with consistency. I get really good ideas, but they fizzle overtime. You might recall my “Muffin Monday” idea… that lasted one post. However, my love for muffins is unchanging! I have a thing for muffins! If they didn’t take so darn long to make in the mornings, I would have them every day! I like them healthy and I love them not. I like them here. I like them there… I like muffins anywhere! :) These muffins in particular where a complete success! I’m glad I came across such a good recipe. I added chocolate chips, because who, in their right mind, wouldn’t? They were just the perfect consistency, and my husband said they were the best muffins he had ever tasted… I can’t help but love that response. :) I doubled the recipe, but I don’t think they lasted more than a day… yes, we have a problem. (One that I don’t intend to fix any time soon. :)

Makes 12 regular sized muffins.

Banana Muffins Recipe (Joyofbaking.com)

• 1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans (Didn’t do the nuts, just for my hubby.)
• 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour (I made them half whole wheat and half white.)
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
• I added about 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 12 - 1/2 cup muffin pan with paper liners or butter or spray with a non stick spray.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake about 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and then remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If life gives you lemons, make Lemon Loaf…

Here is ANOTHER winner from Megan! She brought this one to some activity a while back (most likely a baby shower :), and I thought it was fabulous! I really love the addition of the cranberries (I think I would add even more- I bet blueberries would be really good too), and I think a little citrus zest can make a world of difference in shortbread and muffins! I recently added some Lemon Extract to my collection, so I did add just a drop of that as well, just to intensify the yummy lemon flavor. It was a good thing I did, because I totally forgot to add the juice over the top. Still fabulous though! Thanks again Megan!

*This recipe made 4 mini loaves.

Lemon Loaf (from Megan Naess)

1/3 c. margarine or butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. Baking powder
grated rind of 1 lemon, and the juice, separated
1-1/2 c. flour
½ c. milk
1/3 c. cherries or cranberries (can use chopped or whole according to preference)

Cream margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs until combined and then add rest. Pour batter into 1 large loaf pan, or 2-3 small pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. When fully baked, remove loaf from pan and pour 1/8-1/4 c. sugar (again, to suit personal preference) dissolved in the juice of 1 lemon over the top of the loaf. Let cool completely.

Cornmeal Muffins

“1 Mix, 100 Muffins”… doesn’t that just sounds awesome! I recently won this great cookbook by Susanna Tee, at Bunco night. This book is full of muffin ideas! From sweet to savory. The beauty of this book is that every single recipe is based on the Basic Muffin Mix. I have had fun getting new muffin ideas! This was the first one I tried out, just because it sounded like it would go well with some soup I made… and because I was reading a “Pioneer… Westward Ho” kind of book, and whenever that happens, I feel like making homemade bread or Jonny Cake, cornmeal mush, or beans and salted pork. At least that was what happened when I read Little House on the Prairie. :) I am looking forward to finding some good new muffins to try out! These turned out great- it was fun to have the whole corn in there. I wouldn’t have thought of doing that. I do like a little bit more sweetness to my cornbread from some reason, so if I made them again, I might add a tablespoon of sugar, but all in all, a great place to start.

Cornmeal Muffins (From 1 Mix, 100 Muffins cookbook)

• Oil or melted butter for greasing
• 1 1/4 c flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 c yellow cornmeal
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c milk
• 6 T sunflower oil or melted, cooled butter
• 1 c frozen corn kernels (I just used 1 can, drained.)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line a 12 cup muffin pan. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper to taste into a large bowl. Stir in cornmeal.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Then Beat in milk and oil. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients, and add the corn. Stir gently until just combined; do not over-mix.

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to touch.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Muffin Monday: To Die For Blueberry Muffins

Doug and I have been watching the TV series "Eureka" on Netflix. I have really liked it so far! It is pretty clean and just fun to watch. In one episode, Vincent (the local chef) has a "Muffin Monday" tradition in his restaurant, and I was totally inspired! I love muffins, and I decided this one is also going to become a tradition! (With a slight bit of flexibility on the day, depending on my ability to deliver. :) My friend Emily sent this recipe to me pretty much a year ago, but I did not forget, and after finally getting around to trying it out... I am really wondering what took me so long!!! This is an excellent, simple muffin mix! I even made it half whole wheat and it turned out great! After you try this one out, you are definitely going to want to start a "Muffin Monday" of your own! :)

To Die for Blueberry Muffins (Emily Goodman)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I did half whole wheat and half white.)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
(I also added some fresh citrus zest- orange or lemon.)
Crumble Topping: (I totally forgot this part- yes, I get a bit absent minded in the mornings- and they were still delicious even without, but I imagine it would be very good with it!)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Ham and Swiss Biscuits

Ham and cheese just belong together, so they make a great match in this biscuit! I don't usually care for biscuit mix recipe just because I don't usually have it on hand, but this one inspired me to find a recipe online so that I could make my own biscuit mix and then make this recipe. It was worth the extra work. Makes a great snack, appetizer, breakfast, or side. Very versatile!

Ham and Swiss Biscuits (Simple and Delicious)
2 cups biscuit/baking mix
1/4 pound fully cooked ham, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (You should know that I substituted Parmesan. I just didn't want to say that too loudly so as not to disturb the title. :)
2/3 cup 2% milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon honey mustard
2 teaspoons dried minced onion

In a small bowl, combine the biscuit mix, ham and cheese. Combine the milk, egg, mustard and onion. Stir into biscuit mixture just until moistened. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 2 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 10 biscuits.

Nutrition Facts: 2 biscuits equals 300 calories, 13 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 883 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 13 g protein.

Biscuit Mix

(This is a picture of my Ham and Swiss Biscuits just so you don't get confused. I forgot to take a picture of the actual mix.)

I can't even tell you how many times I come across recipes that call for "biscuit mix" and feel pure rage! ... I guess that is just something most people have, but "Bisquick" and I didn't even meet until college, and we didn't get along very well when we did. I think I bought a box once, and I always felt guilty when I used. My mom trained us to be anti-crisco and bisquick from the craddle... so, that being said, I get really frustrated when see a beautiful picture of muffins or pancakes and refer to the recipe, only to be haunted by my past nemisis. Soooo... I've found a solution. I wanted to make some muffins really bad, and it inspired me to find this recipe, that worked perfectly for my biscuit mix. It made me very happy. This is an easy one to half too, if you only need a little bit.
P.S. If you are a crisco/bisquick user, we can still be friends... just don't tell me what is in that pretty batch of muffins or pie crust or chocolate chip cookies... deal? :) Innocence is bliss.

Biscuit Mix (cooks.com)

6 c. flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. salt
1 c. shortening (I used butter.)
1 c. powdered milk

Mix ingredients well with electric mixer and store in covered container (this amount is just right for a 2 pound coffee can). When ready to use, add desired amount of water to 2 cups biscuit mix to make 10 or 12 biscuits. If no oven is available bake over low heat in lightly greased heavy iron skillet with lid. Turn biscuits once.

Zucchini Bread

Well- it is that time of year! The zucchini is in full swing and so are my zucchini recipes! I found a few great ones that I can't wait to share, so keep your eye out! You can't go wrong with a "Paula Deen" recipe and this one was excellent. I also added lemon zest and cranberries and I think it was because in my heart, I was pining for my FAVORITE zucchini-cranberry bread recipe. (Sometimes you shouldn't try to branch out if you've got a good thing going. :) This one was really good, but it didn't top Peabody's. Her's is so moist and good, but this one was still super good. I guess what I'm getting at is that they are both winners, but if you have to chose between them, pick the Zucchini-Cranberry Bread. There isn't a wrong answer though. :)

*This recipe made 4 mini loaves and 2 larger loaves.

Zucchini Bread (Paula Deen)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
(I also added dried cranberries because I love them!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Perfect Popovers

I made these for my brother and sis-in-law while they were here for a visit. It made a yummy, easy breakfast for a bigger crew. I don't know if it was supposed to happen, but I had these totally awesome indentations in the bottom that made it perfect for "popping over" (as in up-side-down, and filling up with my Berry Sauce. It was delicious- whether an accident or intended. :)

Lyd's Tip: If you are making these for company, of if you are just busy in the mornings, make these a day or two ahead of time, let them cool, and store them in a ziplock bag. Just microwave them that morning and they are ready to go when you have company. They get a gourmet breakfast and you get the needed "peace of mind" and a bit of extra sleep with the the allusion that you have been slaving away to present them with a bed-and-breakfast meal. :)

Perfect Popovers (William-Sanoma)
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
Unsalted butter for serving (optional)

Preheat an oven to 450°F. Spray the wells of a standard 6-cup popover pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour 1/2 tsp. of the melted butter into each cup. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, then whisk in 2 Tbs. of the melted butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then whisk in the egg mixture. Whisk vigorously until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide the batter among the prepared cups and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and invert the pan onto a wire rack. Let the pan cool, then spray the wells with nonstick cooking spray, pour 1/2 tsp. of the melted butter into each one, and bake the remaining batter. Serve immediately with butter.
Makes 12 popovers.