Pumpkin Muffins

Fall has arrived. We turned the clocks back, the sun is low on the horizon, and all the good movies are starting to show up in theaters. Even though the weather in northern California hasn’t turned cooler, it is definitely fall.

Do you know how else I can tell it’s fall? I am craving pumpkin! I want pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin scones, pumpkin cinnamon rolls and pumpkin muffins. Most baked goods taste better with pumpkin in them. Okay that may be a bit of an overstatement, but I’ll blame fall.

I’ve made these pumpkin muffins a couple of times, and as much as I love the pumpkin in them, it’s the streusel topping that make these muffins so good. Muffin tops (you know, the ones actually on top of muffins) are my favorite part of the muffin, and the streusel on the top of these adds an extra cinnamon and sugar crunch to my favorite part of the muffin.

This recipe makes quite a few muffins, but they are great to share so bake away!

Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

Printable Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 14 ounce can pumpkin puree

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup butter, melted

Topping

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 375° and lightly grease 20 muffin cups. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. In another bowl mix together pumpkin, sugar, eggs and melted butter. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Don’t over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Prepare the topping. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle the topping over the muffin batter. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pans for about 5 minutes and then cool on a wire rack or serve warm.

Makes 20 muffins

Breakfast Casserole

Happy Easter! I hope you are having a wonderful Easter. I just read my Easter post from 2011, and it made me a little sad. In 2011, my Easter table was full—my dad and Lynn joined us, Les had the day off from work and my daughter was still in high school and at home. This year, Lynn, my son and I are having a quiet Easter with my daughter away at college and Les working, but the three of us attended a beautiful mass together and enjoyed a delicious brunch.

I’ve made this Breakfast Casserole countless times, so I was surprised this morning when Lynn said she had never had it. I guess that makes sense, since I tend to make Breakfast Casserole for Christmas breakfast, and Lynn usually comes over in the afternoon on Christmas for dinner. This casserole is perfect for brunch. You can assemble it the night before, and pop it in the oven to bake in the morning. It is savory and delicious and perfect with a sweet roll or a bit of fruit salad. I could also imagine it with a spinach salad with strawberries. Breakfast Casserole is the first to go on a breakfast potluck table.

Breakfast Casserole
Printable Recipe
1 28 oz bag of frozen O’Brien hash brown potatoes
1 lb of bacon, cut into pieces, fried and drained
1 7 ounce can diced green chilies, drained
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the frozen potatoes in the prepared baking dish and top with the green chilies, bacon and cheese. Beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and mustard together, and pour it over the potato mixture.

I usually prepare the casserole the night before and leave it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to cook it the next day. You can also prepare it the same day, but the casserole will take a little longer to cook due to the frozen potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the casserole for 40 to 45 minutes or until the edges are brown and the center is firm.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m going to have to wish you a happy Thanksgiving quickly this year.  I’m actually hosting Thanksgiving. I think this will be only the second time I have ever hosted Thanksgiving. Lynn likes to host, and I like being a guest for this particular holiday, so it’s always worked out. We are struggling with a couple empty chairs this year, so we decided to change things up a bit. My daughter is having Thanksgiving in Montana with a lovely family. I’m sure she is going to enjoy herself, but I’m going to miss her! And, we will all miss having my dad at the table.

Lynn will be over in a couple of hours, and I’m going to put the turkey in the oven shortly. Last night, while I was doing some prep work, I wanted to bake something (part of my baking therapy I'm sure).  Lynn is bringing a couple of pies, so I didn’t want to add another dessert. Les suggested I bake something for breakfast.

I decided to bake this Pumpkin-Pecan Coffee Cake. I love the original coffee cake recipe, but I wanted experiment with adding pumpkin to it. I love this Pumpkin-Pecan Coffee Cake even more than the original. The coffee cake is sweet, moist and flavorful! I especially like the crumb crust this coffee cake has. Happy Thanksgiving!  

Pumpkin-Pecan Coffee Cake 
Adapted from Southern Living’s Our Best-Ever Cakes & Pies
Printable Recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
pinch of salt
¾ cup butter, cubed
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup sour cream
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13-baking pan with cooking spray.

Stir together the flour, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is crumbly. Remove 2 ¼ cups of the butter and flour mixture, and press it evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin, sour cream, egg and baking soda. Add pumpkin mixture to the remaining crumb mixture and stir until just moistened. Pour the pumpkin mixture on top of the crumb crust in the baking pan.

Stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture and pecans on top of the pumpkin mixture.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve.

Cherry-Lime Cream Mini Scones

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I read an article about scones in Slate’s You’re Doing It Wrong column. How are we doing it wrong you ask? I think it’s, as always with food, a matter of taste. English scones, the article says, are more like a baking powder biscuit, while our Americanized version of scones are much too sweet and full of excesses (my wording). The scones I’ve had in English teahouses are light and flakey, and I think they are delicious (though I’m really more fond of cucumber sandwiches). I’m not sure I’m ready to weigh in as to which is better, but I found the article interesting since I had just made a couple batches of these Cherry-Lime Scones.

The only thing these Cherry-Lime Scones have in common with traditional English scones (besides the name) is the texture. These scones are light and fluffy and remind me of the English scones I’ve had in the past, but once you get past the texture everything changes. Cherry-Lime Cream Scones are very flavorful with the sweet dried cherries, tart lime zest and lime glaze. You won’t need jam or clotted cream with these scones, since they are tasty in their own right. So, sit down, grab a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy a couple of these Cherry-Lime Cream Mini Scones.  

Cherry-Lime Cream Mini Scones
Printable Recipe
Adapted from Baking At Home from The Culinary Institute of America
½ cup granulated sugar
3 ¾ cups bread flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons table salt
2 tablespoons grated lime zest, separated
1 ½ cups dried cherries, chopped
2 ½ cups chilled heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons
1 large egg
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of lime zest and the cherries, and blend until combined. Mix in the 2 ½ cups of cream at medium speed until just combined. Don’t over mix.

Divide the mixture into two equal portions and pat out on a lightly floured surface into two 10x4 inch rectangles. Cut the dough rectangle in half lengthwise, and then cut the dough crosswise into four equal portions. Cut each of the eight rectangles diagonally into triangles. Repeat with other portion of dough. You should have 32 mini scones

Place the dough rectangles on a baking sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. Once solid, scones can be place in a freezer bag, and can be kept in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the frozen scones on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.

Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and brush the mixture on the frozen scones. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, and then remove them to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Let the scones cool completely, about 1 hour. Mix powder sugar, 1 tablespoon of lime zest and limejuice. Dip the top of the scones in the glaze and place back on the wire rack. Let the glaze set and serve.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Sauce and Cream Cheese Icing

As I mentioned in my last post, I visited my daughter in Montana for Parent’s weekend. In order to squeeze as much time together as possible, I insisted my daughter get up “early” on Sunday, so she could have breakfast with Lynn and me before we left. She didn’t protest since there was going be more shopping involved as well. We didn’t have time to research breakfast places (when we travel, we like eat at places where we can’t eat at home), and since Lynn and I had to get to the airport before noon, we decided to eat at Ihop.

Lynn and I had some delicious pumpkin pancakes, and my daughter got the French toast Cinnastacks. We shared bites of our breakfast, and my daughter let me dip my pumpkin pancakes in her Cinnastack sauce. Her French toast was delicious with topped with the cinnamon sauce, but the pumpkin pancakes were amazing dredged in the sauce! They tasted like pumpkin cinnamon buns. I knew I needed to recreate the sauce.

There are a few sauce recipes out there, and I don’t know where the recipe for this sauce originated since it was in so many places. After trying this sauce, I think it is a good match for Ihop’s sauce. Serving the cream cheese icing on the pumpkin pancakes along with the cinnamon sauce is absolutely gilding the lily, but my husband insisted it was worth the effort.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Printable Recipe
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of clove
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1½ cup milk

Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove in a large bowl or 8 cup measuring cup. In a small bowl, mix together butter, pumpkin, eggs and milk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Stir together until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
Heat a non-stick griddle on medium-high heat. Add the batter to the pan for desired-sized pancakes. Cook until bubbles no longer flow to the surface of the batter, then flip. Serve with Cinnamon Syrup and Cream Cheese Icing or maple syrup.

Cinnamon Syrup
¼ cup butter (salted)
¾ cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons half & half
1 tablespoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of cloves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Heat butter, brown sugar, half & half, cinnamon, salt and cloves until bubbly and smooth. Add the flour and cook another minute or until thickened. Serve warm.

Cream Cheese Icing
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1¼ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract, and beat for another few seconds or until the glaze is smooth and creamy.

Lemon Thyme Cream Scones

I can’t say that I’ve made scones very often in my life, so I don’t know why I was craving lemon thyme scones.  As I’ve told you before I love anything with lemon.  What I didn’t mention was my new favorite herb is thyme.  I love thyme.  I don’t know if I can explain why (not very convenient for a food blogger), but I think it’s because thyme imparts a complex woodsy flavor to anything.  Lemon and thyme go together especially well too.  Thyme even tastes good in recipes that are slightly sweet like my Lemon Thyme Cream Scones.  Since thyme is my new favorite herb, I have a pot of it growing in my backyard.  I love going into my backyard and picking just the amount of thyme I need for any particular recipe.  I was able to use a lemon from my backyard for these Lemon Thyme Cream Scones too.  I love getting use out of my garden!

These scones are soft and delicate with the thyme adding a lightly herbal flavor, and the lemon adding a tart sweetness.  My daughter loved these scones, and so did I.  I have a few hidden away in the freezer, and I can’t wait to have them again.

Lemon Thyme Cream Scones
Adapted from Baking At Home from The Culinary Institute of America(Printable Recipe)
½ cup sugar
3 ¾ cups bread flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
2 ½ cups chilled heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons
1 large egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and mix until combined, about 1 minute.  Add the lemon zest and the thyme and blend until combined.  Mix in the 2 ½ cups of cream at medium speed until just combined.  Don’t over mix. 

Divide the mixture into two equal portions, and pat out on a lightly floured surface into two 12x2 rectangles.  Cut the dough into triangles, and wrap in plastic and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.  Can be frozen up to 4 weeks.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange the frozen scones on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. 

Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and brush the mixture on the frozen scones.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, and them remove them to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.  Let the scones cool for about 5 minutes and mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice, and drizzle over the warm scones.  Serve.

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

My baby turned 10 last week, and he wanted a sleepover birthday party.  At first I was reluctant, but my daughter had a slumber party for her 10th birthday, so I could hardly refuse to let my son have one.  I don’t know what I was worried about.  Actually, I know exactly what I was worried about.  My daughter’s sleepover was fraught with crafts and drama, and I just didn’t know how a boy’s party would shake out.  Boy’s parties are much easier than girl’s parties!  The boys came over ate pizza, played hide-and-seek and watched Avatar.  They did stay up too late, but that’s what a sleepover is for, after all.   In the morning they ate breakfast, and went back to playing hide-and-seek.  This was my son’s best party yet…

I know what you’re thinking.  Did she actually serve Baked Oatmeal with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote to a bunch of 10-year-old boys?  No, I made waffles, but I wanted to serve this, if only so I could have it again.  I love strawberries and rhubarb together, and the compote with its sweet tart flavors, was absolutely delicious.  The oatmeal was no slouch in the flavor department either.  The cinnamon and vanilla add a sweetness that enabled me to keep the sugar to a minimum.  I added a tablespoon of maple syrup to a cup of Greek yogurt to top the oatmeal and fruit.  I loved this breakfast, and I want this again now!

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
Click Here for a Printable Recipe
2 cups steel cut oats
2 quarts water
2 cups milk (I used fat free, but you could use whatever you have on hand)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
pinch kosher salt

Soak the oats overnight in the 2 quarts of water. 

Preheat the oven to 375°F, and grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Drain the oats and pour them into a large bowl.  In a small bowl lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks, and mix into the oats.  Add the milk, brown sugar, canola oil, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.  Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Serve with strawberry rhubarb compote and top with yogurt.

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
1 lb Rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch slices
1 lb Strawberries, hulled and quartered
¼ to ½ cup vanilla sugar (I store some sugar with vanilla pods to give the sugar a vanilla flavor.)
juice from 1 orange
1 teaspoon orange zest

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Mix together the rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and orange zest, and place in a non-reactive baking dish and cover.  Bake for 10 minutes, and then add the strawberries.  Cook uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft and the syrup is bubbling.  Serve with ice cream or over baked oatmeal.

Banana Wheat Waffles

I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve made waffles.  My kids usually ask for pancakes, so the waffle iron hasn’t gotten much use recently.  But, I woke up Saturday morning, and like Donkey  I said, “I’m making waffles.” 

I don’t know why I decided to make waffles.  I had different plans for my morning, but my waffle craving won out.  These Banana Wheat Waffles hit the spot, and the kids loved them.  They both gave Banana Wheat Waffles their approval.  My son even had the leftover waffles for breakfast on Sunday morning.  Of course, I didn’t tell them I used whole-wheat pastry flour, and they didn’t notice.  I love when I can sneak healthy into their food!

I loved these waffles too.  I love the flavor of banana and maple syrup together.  I usually slice a banana over my pancakes and French toast, but these waffles have the bananas baked right in.  I still couldn’t resist slicing a banana on top of my Banana Wheat Waffles!

Banana Wheat Waffles
Adpated from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
4 egg yolks
3 cups milk
¼ cup canola oil**
1 ½ cup mashed banana
2 egg whites

**Update:  I've changed the amount of oil from ½ cup to ¼ because I made the waffles again with the smaller amount of oil, and I thought they were better with only ¼ cup.

Combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.  In another bowl, beat egg yolks slightly, and beat in milk and oil.  Add mashed bananas.  Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold egg whites into the batter being careful not to over-mix.

Pour ½ to 1 cup of batter into lightly greased waffle iron.  Bake according to the directions of your waffle iron.  Repeat with remaining batter.  Makes 12 4-inch waffles.  Serve with maple syrup and sliced bananas.

Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

For years I had a problem—more of a fear, really.  A fear I refused to acknowledge, but a fear that would regularly freeze me in my tracks.  A fear of…yeast!  Every time I got a new baking cookbook, I would flip through it, skipping over the yeast bread section with trembling hands.  I would move straight to the quick bread section.  I felt at home with quick breads.  I knew how to treat them.  How mix the ingredients, but not to over mix the quick bread batter.  I was in my comfort zone.  Despite my fear, yeast breads called to me.   I was drawn to the cranberry cinnamon rolls in a home-style baking book so heavy with yeast breads recipes I had to get rid of it. 

Then one day, my dad gave me a bread machine for my birthday.  With this gift I began to conquer my fear of yeast bread.  I started with an actual loaf of bread baked in the bread machine itself.  It wasn’t so hard to make, but it wasn’t very good either.  I didn’t like the crust, and what was the big hole in the bottom of the bread? We didn’t normally eat bread with dinner, so the bread was just contributing extra calories we didn’t need.  I gave up making yeast bread again. 

The bread machine sat lonely and sad, until I came across a bread machine pizza dough recipe.  Now, pizza is something we ate often, and creating pizza from scratch was something we enjoyed.  So I began making pizza dough with my bread machine.  Pizza night was fun and exciting, and slowly I began to see yeast not as something to fear, but simply as an ingredient!

The cranberry cinnamon rolls still haunted me.  Why did I get rid of that cookbook?  Could I try the recipe on my own?  Did the recipe use fresh cranberries or dried.  Should I use bread flour or all-purpose?  I needed answers!  Lucky for me, epicurious.com has a recipe for cranberry cinnamon rolls.  I could finely satisfy my craving!  And, I didn’t even use my bread machine!

If you have a fear of yeast, these rolls are a great way to conquer your fear.  Rolls fresh from the oven are worth the effort.  These delicate, tart and sweet rolls are a new family favorite.  The kids have requested them for Easter, and since I don’t fear yeast, I will make them.



Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from epicurious.com

Dough
½ cup warm water (105°-115°F)
2 (¼-oz) packages active dry yeast (5 teaspoons)
½ cup granulated sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup warm milk
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened

Filling
¼ cup water
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, separated
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
1 stick unsalted butter, very soft
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze
1 ¼ cups powered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

To make the dough:  In a small bowl, stir together warm water, yeast and a pinch of sugar, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over)

Put 5 cups of flour, salt, and remaining sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix the dough with the dough hook at low speed until combined.  In a small bowl, mix together the eggs and milk.  Add the egg mixture and the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.  Beat on low until the flour is incorporated.  Change the speed to medium and beat until a very soft dough forms, about 7 minutes.  Add the butter and continue beating at medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.  The dough will be sticky.

Rinse a large bowl with hot water, and add the dough to the wet bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in bulk, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. (I use my microwave.  It is the warmest place in my kitchen)

To make the filling:  Bring water and 1 cup of granulated sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the cranberries and simmer until they begin to burst, about 2 minutes.  Pour though a large strainer.  Reserve the juice for another use, and cool the berries.


To form and bake buns:  Turn out dough out onto a well-floured surface.  Dust with flour and roll out into a 16-inch square.  Brush off excess flour, then spread the softened butter evenly over the dough.  Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar.  Sprinkle evenly over dough, and dot with the cooled and drained cranberries.

Roll the dough, starting with the side nearest you, firmly but not tightly.  Once you have a log, pinch together the seam.  Trim off about 1 inch of each end, discard.  Cut the log crosswise into 12 slices.

Butter two 9-inch cake pans, and place 6 slices into each pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F while the buns are rising.  Bake buns in the lower third of the oven until golden brown and puffed, 30 to 35 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans.

To make the glaze:  Stir together the powdered sugar, milk, orange juice, and zest with a fork until smooth.  Drizzle over the rolls while they are still hot.

Orange French Toast

My family loves breakfast.  Pancakes are my kids’ favorite for breakfast, although my daughter recently began making omelets for herself.  If he could have anything, Les would probably choose Eggs Benedict.  Me?  I would choose French toast every time.  And, Orange French Toast is my particular favorite. 

As a kid, I didn’t like syrup, so French toast with a light dusting of powdered sugar was perfect for me.  My mom just used whatever bread we had on hand, but I loved French toast anyway.  Now, when I make it for my family, I use thicker bread so it can soak up more of the egg mixture.  I also add a hint of orange, and I love the light citrus flavor in this custardy French toast.

Green Chile and Chorizo Quiche

I was going to post another “healthy” recipe tonight, but this quiche was calling to me, and I just couldn’t resist. You can probably guess how well I do with my New Year’s resolutions. Actually, we are already in the second week of January, and I am still bringing my lunch to work, so I'm not doing too badly! It helps I love having leftovers for lunch, and this quiche was just as good for lunch the next day as it was the day I made it.

Simple Pancakes

I made pancakes for breakfast this morning. For years, we were a Bisquick family. Bisquick met our pancake “needs.” It was easy, quick and tasted okay. But, sometimes the kids wanted pancakes, and we would be out of Bisquick, so the kids would have to eat something else. Then a friend told me she made pancakes from scratch, because she always had the ingredients on hand for scratch pancakes, but didn’t always have pancake mix. She gave me her recipe, and I haven’t made Bisquick pancakes since. This recipe is almost as easy, with only a couple other steps, and the results are delicious.

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

What should you do on a rainy Sunday afternoon? Why, bake muffins, of course. That’s what I did with my Sunday afternoon at least. I had six brown spotted bananas no one in my family would eat, and my freezer was already full of what my husband calls our “banana sacrifices.” So, I had no choice but to bake with bananas. I decided to bake a batch of Banana Crumb Muffins. I printed this muffin recipe from Allrecipes.com back in 2002 (I know only because the date is on the bottom of the recipe). I remember making these muffins once before, but after tasting them again today; I wonder why I have any banana sacrifices in my freezer at all. These muffins are fast, easy and tasty.


Banana Crumb Muffins
Adapted from a recipe from allrecipes.com

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 bananas, mashed
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup butter, melted

Topping
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 375° and lightly grease 20 muffin cups. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl mix together bananas, sugar, eggs and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until moistened. Don’t over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

For the topping, mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle the topping over the muffin batter. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Makes 20 muffins