A really quick post about muffins…  These ones were amazing! Light, fluffy, and tender. I made them this past Thanksgiving and everyone loved them. They are very simple both in terms of preparation and taste. The hardest part is perhaps zesting the orange and lemons. There is not much going on in terms of fat either. You could even cut the oil down to 1 tablespoon and it would be fine.

Here is the recipe below… I skipped the candied zest part for ease of preparation, and anyway I’m not a big fan of that stuff. This is from Cooking Light Way to Bake, a book that has proved to be useful for making quick and healthy baked goods.

Click to enlarge

Give it a shot and let me know what you think   I really enjoyed eating these over Thanksgiving. I also made two sheets of Jello and served that as dessert with whipped cream. Did you know they came out with a new Mango flavored jello? It’s pretty awesome.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Granola Bars

Are you tired of recipes with pumpkin?  I hope not, because this is another one, and as long as no one raises a red flag and shouts STOP, they’ll probably keep coming.  You know me and pumpkin by now, so as long as a recipe has the “P” word in it, I’m on it.

These are the BEST Granola Bars I have ever made.  I know that because my husband told me so, and I believe what he says.  :)

Seriously, they are awfully good tasting, but also hold their shape without crumbling and cut nicely when cool.  They make a nutritional after school snack, or lunch box treat.  You can wrap them individually in wax paper or parchment paper and freeze them so they are available to grab on short notice.  Actually mine never made it to the freezer, because as you are chewing the last bite of the first one, your hand will be reaching for another one so in my house they didn’t last long.  Give them a try and I think you’ll agree with me —they are the best!

PUMPKIN BUTTERSCOTCH GRANOLA BARS

YIELD:  makes 20 – 24 bars depending on how you cut them.

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare a 13″ x 9″ pan with a sheet of parchment paper  lining the bottom.

2.  Get these ingredients ready:

• 4 cups oats, preferably old fashioned whole oats, but quick oats work, too.
  

  Get all the ingredients ready in advance.

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups slivered or sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup pepitas ( I used toasted sunflower seeds)
• 11 ounces butterscotch chips ( 1 bag)

3   In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, and vegetable oil, mixing until the oats are well coated.

4.  Add the honey and the  brown sugar, pumpkin and cinnamon and salt and mix to combine.

5.  Add the almonds and pepitas and mix in.

6.  Stir in the butterscotch chips.

7.  Transfer the granola to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.

8.  Bake the bars at 325 degrees for 30 minutes and then press down hard with a spatula.

9.  Bake for another 20 minutes.

10.  Let cool completely before cutting into bars.  Wrap individually and store in an air-tight container, or freeze.

PUMPKIN BUTTERSCOTCH GRANOLA BARS, a delicious snack.

SOURCE:    blog:  Heather Christo Cooks

Pumpkin Ginger Scones

Pumpkin used in baked goods seems to be gaining in popularity.  It is one of the most common flavors of Fall and gets used right through the Holidays.  Most typically it gets made into pies and served as dessert, however I am seeing more and more recipes for pumpkin used in breads, muffins and scones.  I love pumpkin in any form, I am also crazy about scones and as most of you know by now, crystalized ginger.  So when this recipe with those three magic words as its title found its way into my house recently I was preheating the oven before I got to the end of the recipe.

An absolutely lovely breakfast item they are full of flavor from the spices and dried fruit, and they also have a pleasant bite from the ginger bits that will get you going in the morning.  They are extremely easy to mix together, bake up in a jiffy, and you can be enjoying them within an hour.  They are wonderful warm from the oven, but also reheat nicely in the microwave.  This is another recipe you might want to have handy for Thanksgiving morning.  If you are having house guests, set out a basket of muffins and scones, hot coffee and juice and let your guests help themselves to breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

YIELD:  Makes 8 scones

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  

  Essential ingredients: pumpkin, raisins, and crystalized ginger.

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup raisins ( use golden, dark, or some of both )
• 1/2 cup crystalized ginger cut into fine dice
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment, or lightly grease a scone pan.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices.  Cut in the butter until it’s the size of peas.  Stir in the raisins and ginger bits.

3.  Stir the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg together and add to the dry mixture, mixing until the dough comes together.  Pat the dough into a circle on the prepared baking sheet, or scoop into the wells of your scone pan.

4.  Cut the dough into 8 wedges with a greased bench knife or other knife.  Pull the scones back away from each other to give them 1/2″ space between them.  Bake for 14 – 17 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and serve warm or cold.  (They are best warm!)

Fresh out of the oven, just waiting for YOU!

SOURCE:    The Baking Sheet,  King Arthur Flour,  Holiday 2012

On the other hand, I have a very difficult time throwing away food.  I really do think about the starving children in Africa and other parts of the world.  I feel the same way about pouring out a glass of water someone doesn’t finish.   It is a good thing my dogs don’t mind second hand water because we share our unfinished glasses with them.  It just makes me feel better knowing the water is not going to waste when there truly are people without access to clean water in our world.

Oops, sorry, I didn’t mean to get too deep.  I just want to share this great recipe for banana bread.

There are a zillion recipes online and in books for banana bread.  I try many different ones and truly don’t find much of a difference.

The reason I like this recipe is that it does contain less oil/butter than typical recipes.  It also contains flax seed which is so good for you.  This banana bread is extremely moist and delicious,  This recipe is just as easy to prepare as any recipe I have found.  Also, the butter can be melted in the microwave instead of having to be “softened” by sitting on the counter.  Therefore, you don’t have to worry about waiting for the butter to get to the perfect temperature.  You can just nuke it carefully!

This recipe is from Cooking Light.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will share with you the few small alterations I made when making this recipe.  I don’t think they are necessary at all, I made these changes to fit my own family needs.

1. Substituted Light Sour Cream for the non-fat plain yogurt because I didn’t have yogurt.
2. Omitted the cinnamon and allspice because my husband is part of the 0.00001% of the population who hates cinnamon and any cousin of the spice ( allspice, cloves, nutmeg, etc…).
3. Omitted the glaze because I felt it was yummy enough without needing to add the extra sugar.

Banana Bread

(recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com)

Ingredients

• 2 mashed ripe bananas (approximately 1 ½ cups)
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt ( or sour cream)
• 5 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (6.75 ounces)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

 For the Glaze

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons 1% low-fat milk

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Prepare a 9” x 5” loaf pan by coating well with cooking spray.
3. Combine first 4 ingredients (banana through eggs) in a large bowl: beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended
4. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until combined.
5. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
6. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through ground allspice) and mix well with a whisk.
7. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.
8. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
9. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack.
11. Remove bread from pan; cool completely.
12. Combine powdered sugar and milk, stirring until smooth; drizzle over bread.

A great snack to pack in a school lunch!

Recipe by Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light

OCTOBER 2010

Election Day Cake

With tomorrow being Election Day I thought it might be fun to share with you a recipe for Election Day Cake.  No kidding, there really was such a thing–and there still is if you care to make it.

The custom of making a special cake for  Election Day has a long history.  Back in the early days of America, voters would have to travel great distances to cast their ballots, often to the state Capitol.   Since only the men were allowed to vote back then, the women of the hosting towns would serve cake to the visiting voters.  Election Day was a festive occasion calling for a special treat.   The Election Cake ( also called Hartford Election Cakes) is a yeast-raised fruitcake first reported as early as 1771 in New England, and then spreading in popularity across the country to the West throughout the nineteenth century. This cake is not heavy like a true fruitcake, but more cake-like with spices, whisky and colorful dried fruits, making this a delicious and patriotic treat.

The recipe takes a good bit of time to make having several steps to it, but the end result is a very impressive tall, tube cake.  Most of the syrup that the fruits were soaked in is used to brush on the cake as it cools adding some additional flavor and moisture.  A small amount of the soaking syrup is also used to make the glaze topping. With whisky as a preservative and containing a good quantity of dried fruits that have been soaked in the whisky, the cake is definitely a keeper,  I mean it keeps well.

ELECTION DAY CAKE

YIELD:   Makes one 10-inch tube cake or bundt cake

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  

  Cranberries, blueberries, and golden raisins soaked in American Whisky.

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups dried fruit, such as cranberries, golden raisins, and blueberries ( red, white and blue)
• 1/2 cup American whiskey
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 package (3/4 ounce) rapid-rise yeast
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) soft unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar for glaze

PREPARATION

1.  Grease a 10-inch tube pan or spray with non-stick baking spray and lightly flour.

2.  Combine 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar with the water  in a small saucepan.  Simmer over med-high heat until sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from heat.

3.  Place the dried fruit in a large bowl.  Add the sugar mixture and whiskey;  stir and set aside.

4.  In a measuring cup, combine the warm water and milk.

Add warm milk mixture to the yeast and whole wheat flour.

5.  Combine yeast with 1 cup of whole-wheat flour in a medium bowl.  Add the milk mixture and stir in.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup whole wheat flour on top.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup whole wheat flour over the top.

Set aside to allow the yeast to ferment until the  yeast breaks through the surface of the flour, approximately 30 minutes.  This is called a sponge.

“Sponge” is ready, when yeast breaks through top layer of flour.

6.  Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and set aside.

7.  Drain the fruit mixture; reserve the syrup for later use in the glaze.

8.  In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar until light in texture.  Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each addition.

Beating in the eggs one at a time.

9.  Turn the mixer to low speed and add the sponge; mix until fully combined.

Beating in the sponge and  dry ingredients.

Add the remaining dry ingredients.  The batter will be stiff.  Stir in the drained fruit.

Stir in the drained dry fruits.

10. Place the batter in the pan, cover, and set in a warm place to allow the cake to rise, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.***  I gave my dough the full two hours and it doubled in size.

Batter in the tube pan before rising.

11. Meanwhile, make the glaze:  In a medium bowl, combine the 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 Tablespoons of the reserved syrup drained from the fruit.  Stir until smooth and set aside.

12.Bake cake in a 350 degree oven for 45 – 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

A nice, tall tube cake after baking.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.  When cool, lightly brush the cake all over with reserved syrup, and finally top with glaze, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides.

Brush cake all over with the fruit syrup.

Frost with glaze, allowing some to drip down the sides.

A tender cake, studded with bits of fruit, and lightly sweetened by the glaze.

***TIP:  To provide a uniform temperature for yeast doughs to rise, set the bowl of batter on a heating pad set at LOW temperature. The microwave oven provides a draft free place to raise yeast doughs.  Works beautifully!

Cover yeast batter, place in microwave oven on a heating pad set at LOW temperature.

SOURCE:    About.com,    courtesy of Culinary Institute of America

I hope everyone on the east coast is safe after Sandy.  We had a few travails here but our power is back on and our roof leak (thanks to a tree branch) is fixed.  We are very fortunate because we still have family and friends that are without power.  Before the storm came, I baked these delicious Halloween Cut-Out Cookies w/Royal Icing.  I love this Royal Icing recipe because it calls for Meringue Powder instead of raw egg whites.  I added almond extract to the frosting and it really makes the cookies taste a million times better.  You can buy Meringue Powder at Michael’s or any other craft store.  This sour cream cut-out cookie recipe is my Mom’s that she’s been using for as long as I can remember.  These cookies are moist and fluffy… the cookie dough is pretty addicting too.  Happy Halloween!!

Cut-Out Cookie Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Royal Icing (see recipe below)
• Sprinkles for decorating

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and sour cream until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients.  Beat until batter forms.  Place plastic wrap over bowl of stand mixer and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.
4. Remove dough from refrigerator and turn onto a dusted flour surface.  Sprinkle with flour lightly knead.  Divide dough in 2 balls.  Set 1 aside.  With a dusted rolling pin, roll 1 dough to 1/2″ thickness.  Using cookie cutters of choice, press into dough.  Place cookies onto baking sheet.  Re-roll remaining dough scrapes until  used up.  Repeat with second ball of dough.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are golden.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

*Yield:  About 4 dozen cookies (depending on size of cookie cutters)

Royal Icing Ingredients:

To make up for it, I am featuring my Mamma B’s Quick-n-Easy Chocolate Pie recipe. It is partially premade, so that cuts down on time and difficulty. It is tagged “baked-goods,” but it is actually a “no-bake” recipe. It’s even more simple! My Mother-in-Law is one smart lady.

Mamma B’s Quick-n-Easy Chocolate Pie
Makes 1 pie, serving sizes vary according to taste

Ingredients:

• 1 premade chocolate-crumb pie crust
• 1 box chocolate pudding mix, NON-instant (not the teeny box)
• 1 carton chocolate soy milk (household has lactose-intolerant people, and this actually makes the pie tastier)
• Whipped Topping of your choice (optional)

Directions:

1. Read the directions on the chocolate pudding package. whether you use the microwave or stovetop is up to you, both work well.
2. Follow the cooking directions on the chocolate pudding package, using the chocolate soy milk instead of regular milk.
3. Take the packaging off the premade crust, then pour the hot pudding into the crust.
4. Refrigerate the pie until the pudding is completely cool. This will likely take a few hours. (We like to put the clear packaging back on the pie, upside-down, to keep it safe in the fridge.)
5. Cut, top with whipped topping if you wish, serve, and enjoy your pie!

For Variety:
Feel free to use one of the following, or one of your own ideas to change-it-up!

• Bananas! Layer bananas and the chocolate pudding.
• Mint add as an extract or use mint-flavored chips.
• More Chocolate! Feel free to add chocolate chunks or chips to add texture and, of course, more chocolate.

And there you have it! I hope you enjoy this recipe, which is definitely a wonderful “Pie Season” treat!

I remember going to the mall when I was little and splitting one of those gigantic cinnamon buns with my sister.  They were huge, delicious, and always oozing with unhealthy amounts of frosting.  I haven’t had one of those cinnamon buns in a really long time (this is probably a good thing).  But I’ve seen a ton of recipes to bake your own, so I decided to give them a try.  They are a little time-consuming because they require active yeast, but nothing too crazy since the majority of the time is spent letting the dough rise.  And believe me, that extra TLC that you put into baking them will be well worth the effort.  These Cinnamon Rolls w/Cream Cheese Frosting were absolutely mouthwatering!  My hubby, who normally doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, loved them so much that when I suggested he bring them to work to share, he responded quite seriously with “I’m not sharing them.”  Okay then… enough said!

Dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 1 envelope yeast)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Glaze:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For dough: