Pumpkin Pecan Crumb Topped Muffins

Yum

Have extra cans of pumpkin?

I'll show you what to do with it.  I always seem to have either an open can or extra cans of pumpkins around.  One good way to save that pumpkin is to portion it into muffin tins and freeze them.  Then you can take out a couple, thaw them and use them all winter in recipes.  Pumpkin smoothie anyone?

Another way is to make my fabulous Pumpkin Pecan Crumb Topped Muffins.  Hot from the oven, bursting with the aromas of fall, these muffins will bring comfort to your soul!  Filled with pumpkin, and spices such cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and topped with a sugary crumble, you will be dancing a jig when you bite into these tender muffins.  

PUMPKIN PECAN CRUMB TOPPED MUFFINS

Perfect for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, or the day after! 

MAKE AHEAD!  You can make these ahead and just reheat them in the oven covered in foil, at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  How simple is that?  Or you can freeze any leftovers to pull out for a quick breakfast on the run during winter.

Any way you serve these up they are a winner!
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pecan Crumb Topped Muffins

Makes 6

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Crumb topping:
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 Tablespoons finely chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cold butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl add flour, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk to blend.  Add the egg, pumpkin, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Stir together just until combined.  Fold in chopped nuts.

In a small bowl add all crumb topping ingredients. Cut in butter with 2 forks or using your hands until the mixture is crumbly.

Using a scoop, fill muffin tins, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, almost all the way full.  Top with crumb topping.

Bake 20 minutes until tops are golden brown.  Allow to cool in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan.  Serve warm.

                  

Small Batch: Orange Pecan Sour Cream Muffins

Yum

Make your weekend breakfast special by making a bakery style treat that's bursting with orange flavor and a bit of crunch from good ole southern pecans.

Last weekend MGG and I decided that we needed to get away for a bit and look at some different scenery. So off we went traveling up the coast for a little day trip. We ended up not far from home in the town of Ventura which is on the coast just north of us.

We spent some time in the quaint downtown playing tourist, which was so much fun.  We took a tour of the Ventura Mission which had a beautiful courtyard and garden which we relaxed in before touring the mission itself and learning of the history around the building of this mission.

After the mission we found a cute local bakery and decided to stop in for coffee and a muffin.  This is where I discovered their Orange Sour Cream Muffins that were so light and tender we instantly fell in love.  Being from a state that grows a LOT of citrus it was only natural to pick an orange muffin.  I knew then that I had to recreate this muffin at home.

This led to my version with a southern spin; Orange Pecan Sour Cream Muffins were born!  These bakery style muffins come out tender from the use of the sour cream.  The orange flavoring is a nod to living in California and I added some pecans for crunch that speak to my parent's Southern upbringing.  Combined together you get a muffin that is light yet homey.  A wonder combination that the whole family will love.

I must say that my version might be "a tad" better than that bakery in Ventura.  I've been making muffins my whole life and these are a new favorite.  I've made a small batch for you here which makes 6 muffins, because, who wants 12 muffins all the time?  A small batch is perfect to feed the family and have few left over.

Try something new this weekend with Orange Pecan Sour Cream Muffins.  Please come back after you make them cause I'd love to hear what you think!  

Enjoy!

Additional muffin recipes:

Bakery Style Banana Nut Muffins

Peaches and Cream Muffins

Simple Blueberry Muffins

Raspberry Sour Cream Muffins

Marshmallow Muffins

Orange Pecan Sour Cream Muffins

Makes 6

1 cup flour
1/2 Tbls baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar 
1 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbls canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla or orange extract
1/2 tsp orange zest
3 Tbls fresh orange juice
1/4 pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 6 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. In another small bowl lightly beat egg. Add in sour cream, oil, extract, zest and orange juice. Beat slightly to mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until moistened. Do not over mix. Fold in pecans.

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pecan Pancakes with a Chocolate Fudge Sauce

Today's recipe is an ode to my Mom with a little nod to one of me.

Mom just loved waffles with pecans.  To tell you the truth I think she just love pecans in anything! They are my favorite nut by far and we use them in baking all the time.  Even though my mom's been gone a few years now I still celebrate the food that she loved by making dishes in her honor.

So today, in honor of my Mom's pecan love, I decided to make pecan pancakes. A nice variation on her pecan waffles.  But these aren't just any old pancakes.  I had to put a little spin on it with an ingredient that I love too....chocolate. YUM!  I love chocolate, especially when it is warm.  Oh for the gooey love of warm chocolate. They go perfect with the pecans!

They are easy to put together using my great Aunt Grace's Farmstyle Buttermilk Pancakes with a few added touches. Create a fudge sauce to go on top and you are all ready for a wonderful breakfast.

What's better than hot, golden pancakes?  Not much!

Enjoy!




Pecan Pancakes with a Chocolate Fudge Sauce

makes: 2-3 servings

1 cup all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 chopped pecans

Fudge Sauce:
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup jarred fudge sauce

Make the Sauce: To a medium saucepan add the syrup and fudge sauce. Whisk together to combine. Heat over a low heat until warm. Keep warm.

For the Pancakes:
In a medium bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Make a well in the middle and add the oil.

In another bowl whisk together buttermilk and egg.

Add to dry ingredients and mix together until just moistened. Fold in the chopped pecans. Batter will be lumpy.

In a pre-heated skillet, (add cooking spray if necessary) ladle batter onto skillet for each pancake. Cook until golden brown and holes begin to appear on top. Turn on the second side and cook until golden brown.

Pecan Orange French Toast

Whenever we go up to Cambria, for a quick vacation we make a point to stop along the way and have breakfast at a favorite restaurant.  

It's a tradition we do each and every trip up north.  The breakfasts and nice and hearty, filled with biscuits and gravy, an omelette, or something decadent like french toast.  

The last time we went I indulged and got an order of french toast, fruit, and bacon. Yum!  It was wonderful and the whole time I was eating it I couldn't quite make out the ingredient that made this french toast just a little more special.  One the way home it hit me!  The flavor of citrus, specifically oranges lingered in the dish.  

I still remember this dish and today I decided to re-create this for our breakfast.  I added the addition of chopped pecan which I think lent a wonderful crunch to the dish.  Oh my! Thick bread slices with a touch of grated orange peel and crunchy pecans make this French toast something special!

I hope you enjoy this for breakfast or brunch soon.




Pecan Orange French Toast 

Serves 6  

4 eggs
2/ 3 cup orange juice 
1/ 3 cup 2% milk 
1/ 4 cup sugar 
1 tablespoon grated orange peel 
1/ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/ 4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
6 slices french bread 
3 tablespoons of butter
3/ 4 cup chopped pecans 
Maple syrup 

In a a 9x13 dish whisk together the eggs through the nutmeg (the first seven ingredients). Place bread slices in the mixture and press into the mixture.  Turn the bread over so both sides soak up the mixture.  

Meanwhile heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Add 2 Tablespoons of butter to the hot pan. Allow to melt and swirl around the pan to cover all the surface area.  Add 3 or 4 slices of the egg soaked bread to the pan.  Cook on the first side 2-3 minutes until golden brown.  Flip bread over and cook for another 3 minutes.  Remove to a plate or platter and sprinkle with chopped pecans.  Serve with maple syrup if desired.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Waffles

Hope everyone had a perfect 4th of July yesterday!

One of my favorite holidays for sure.  We had a great time at the pool with friends, and then on to a delicious grill fest for dinner followed by magnificent fireworks.

Boy, I'm tired today.  I did all the prep work ahead so that my day was open to enjoy party.  Today is my day to relax, and catch up before heading back to work.  My lazy Sunday as I call it.

To start the day off right I whipped up MGG and I some wonderfully delicious waffles.  Something a little sweet to get us going.  Plus I get to break our my new waffle maker!  It's so much fun to get a new kitchen item.  I have this old beat up waffle maker for 100 year and it was on it's last leg.  It was huffing and puffing and I knew it was time to retire.  So I believe that a "test taste" is due, don't you?  

Oh my this recipe!  You will just love the addition of decadent chocolate chips and crunchy pecans.   They give it a hint of sweet along with a nice bit of crunch.  You can splurge every once in a while. Keeps you motivated, I say.  

I hope you enjoy these.  Give them a try for your next weekend breakfast and tell me what you think.

Kitchen Tip:  Freeze leftover waffles and toast them in the toaster for a quick weekday breakfast or snack.  




Chocolate Chip Pecan Waffles

serves 4-6

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
¼ cup sugar
⅔ cup finely chopped pecans
⅔ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 cup butter, melted 
2 ½ cups milk 
2 tsp vanilla 
Additional coarsely chopped pecans and miniature semisweet chocolate chips, if desired 

Heat your waffle maker according to manufacturer's directions. 

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, pecans and chocolate chips.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs, butter, milk and vanilla with whisk. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until moistened. 

Pour batter onto waffle maker and bake about 5 minutes until steaming stops and waffles are deep golden brown. Remove to a tray and keep warm under foil or in a low temp oven. Repeat with remaining batter.  

Serve immediately with syrup and topped with additional pecans and chocolate chips if desired. Repeat with remaining batter.

Summer Salad

Here's the 2nd great dish that's perfect for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.

This salad is one of our go-to salads during the summer months.  We tend to eat much lighter than the rest of the year, and we eat tons of fresh fruits and vegetables. MGG and I love going to local farmer's markets and picking in season items to make for dinner over the weekend.  It's a fun summer pass time.  

This year has been one of the best I can remember for strawberries.  they are so plump and juicy and need no sweetening.  I just can't get enough of them.  My Summer Salad features these wonderful berries and the combination of the sweet berries, tang from Gorgonzola cheese, and crunch of pecans is perfect.  Something you will enjoy over and over all summer.

I also love items that are quick to put together.  Who really wants to spend all day in the kitchen during the summer? Not me!

So make sure to round up your friends this weekend, and bring this salad.  They will request seconds....no doubt!

Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip:  Add some grilled or rotisserie chicken to make this a main course salad.



Summer Salad

serves 6

7 cups of romaine lettuce, torn (1 large head)
1 cup of Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup pecan halves
3 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

In a large bowl add the lettuce.  Layer on the cheese, pecans, and the strawberries. In a small mason jar add the oil, vinegar, salt, mustard, and garlic.  Place lid on and shake to combine.  

Pour dressing over the salad right before serving.

California Salad

Yum

 Happy 4th of July!

So many wonderful memories of this holiday and my childhood.  Joining the 4th of July parade with my bike all decked out with red, white, and blue flags and crepe paper in the spokes.  Then having a great cook out in the back yard and finally going over to the park to lay on a huge blanket and watching the fireworks at night.  Oh, I just love the feeling of this holiday!

These days we often have a pool party and grill prior to watching the fireworks.  Sometimes we have a potluck style get together, other times we have a themed menu.

This year we're having a potluck style get together with many friends.  Each bringing their own favorite dishes.  Tons of food, lots of friends, great fun!

I'm bringing a wonderful salad I call a California Salad.  My inspiration came from a small salad shop that we used to eat at frequently.  They had this salad that was full of fruit, topped with chicken, and had a sweet dressing.  This is my version, and it's perfect for any potluck, or holiday celebration.

To make this easier use leftover roasted chicken, (or roast a breast or two fresh, or pick up a rotisserie chicken!) and slice the breasts thinly.  

Hope you enjoy this salad, it's fresh, light, and delishhh!

California Salad

1 head of Romaine Lettuce, torn

1/2 c Blueberries

1 1/2 c Strawberries, sliced

1 c Pineapple, cut into chunks

1/3 c Mandarin Oranges

1 Roasted Chicken Breast, sliced

1/3 c Pecans Halves 

1/3 c Poppyseed Dressing

Fill a bowl with the torn lettuce.  Add blueberries, strawberries, pineapple and Mandarin oranges.  Add slices of roasted chicken breast on top.  Sprinkle with pecan halves.  Drizzle with poppyseed dressing.  Toss to distribute dressing and serve.

Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

I traded in my normal scrumptious sandwich this weekend for a fresh salad.

Boy, I'm glad I did!

This is my take on Panera's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad which is a killer of a salad. My lives up to it's mentor in every respect. Nicely grilled chicken slices, Fuji apple chips lend crunch (Trader Joe's), while Gorgonzola cheese crumbles add tang. All on a top of mixed spring greens mixed with romaine and some great veggies. Oh, and don't forget the toasted pecans...my favorite. This salad is perfect as a main dish for lunch or dinner The combination of flavors make this a winner, and to top it off the slightly sweet dressing takes it over the edge.

TIPS

Here are some tips from Panera about making fresh salads of your own at home. The beauty of a salad is its ultimate versatility. Whether it is served as a side or dished up as the main course, there’s almost no end to the combinations you can create. It’s really about layering flavors and textures. 

Start with Quality Lettuce 
Don’t be afraid to mix varieties. Tender baby leaves work well in almost any combination: spinach and romaine, for example. Arugula and red leaf is another delicious blend. Try mixing fresh herbs in with the lettuce it will add a layer of depth to the salad and allow you to cut back on extra dressing at the end to enhance the overall flavor. Basil, dill, parsley, mint, and chives are good ones to try.

Add Layers of Flavor
A seasonal approach will help you combine the types of ingredients that go well together. Remember things that grow together go together: carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes; apples and cranberries; mushrooms, spinach, and onions. Another way to build a super salad is to layer complementary regional flavors. Add a little protein to any salad that you want to make a meal. Keep the pantry stocked with nuts, dried fruit, and good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Making your own light dressing lends a freshness to the salad. One of the best dressing is made of olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. It’s simple, fresh, and easy—and delivers a ton of flavor.

Don’t Forget the Croutons
Good croutons come from good bread. They add a lot of great texture to any salad.

Try cubing day-old bread, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper; and toast in a 350°F oven until dry and crispy.

So I hope you enjoyed these tips and try some creative combinations for your salads.

Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

serves 2

Salad:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups of mixed spring greens
2 cups of romaine lettuce, torn
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 of red onion, sliced into rings
1/4 c toasted pecans
1/4 c Gorgonzola crumbles
1/2 c Fuji apple chips

Dressing:
2 T apple juice
2 T white balsamic vinegar
2 T cider vinegar
1/2 t salt
3 t sugar
1 t lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 T olive oil

Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Salt & pepper chicken, and place in skillet.  Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown and then flip over.  Cook another 4-5 minutes until chicken is done and no longer pink inside.  Remove chicken from the skillet and allow to cool slightly.  Once cooled slice chicken into thin slices.

On two serving plates or bowls, divide spring greens, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion rings.  Top each plate with half of the chicken slices.  Add 2 tablespoons of pecans to each plate.  Add 2 tablespoons of Gorgonzola cheese to each plate.  Top with Fuji apple chips, dividing among both plates.

Make Dressing:  In a small mason jar, add all dressing ingredients.  Top with the lid and shake until well combined.  Drizzle dressing over each salad and toss to coat.  Serve.


Linked to:  Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Cranberry Orange Quick Bread

I just love a good quick bread don't you?

One reason, is that they are is easy to make, and quick to pull together.  You can eat if for breakfast, a snack, or serve it for dessert.  What can be more versatile than that?  

I have a collection of quick bread recipes that I've had for years, but one of my favorites, along with my mom's is a Cranberry Orange Quick Bread.  There is just something about cranberries combined with orange that works so well.  To give it a southern twist we always throw toasted pecans in our quick bread for a little crunch.  It's just the best addition.

So when I visited my mom recently, one thing I always do is make some type of sweet to snack on during the week.  This time it was this wonderful quick bread.  Mom likes to toast it with a smear of butter for breakfast.  Yum Yum!  

This recipe goes together quickly and comes out perfectly.  A nice dense cake like bread that is both sweet and tart, and has the perfect crunch!

Hope you take time out to try this family favorite, it's scrumptious!

Cranberry Orange Quick Bread

make 1 loaf
time: 1 hr 20 min.

1 cup low fat 2% milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 T grated orange peel
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Heat oven to 400°F.  Spray a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan with cooking spray.  

Whisk milk, oil, orange peel and egg product in large bowl with spoon. Stir in flours, sugar, baking powder and salt just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in cranberries.

Pour batter in loaf pan.  Tap on counter to remove any air pockets. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours before slicing.