Holiday Breakfast: Blackberry Muffins with a Pecan Streusel

Have any leftover Blackberries or did you freeze any from this summer's bounty?

I froze a lot of blackberries during the summer and I can even find some fresh ones still on the grocery store that look nice and plump.  What to do with your blackberries?  Make muffins, and that's what I did!

I chose this recipe to share with you as an idea for your Holiday Breakfast, excellent on Christmas morning.  They are easy to make but the best part about them is the special flavor combination.  

I haven't made muffins in awhile, so I thought, "today is the day!"  I love a good hot muffin for breakfast and when you have these along with some eggs and bacon or sausage they will just take your breakfast over the top.

Blackberries are tart, and delicious when baked.  They come out all juicy and warm.  These muffins are a great way to showcase this fruit.  Warm piping hot sweet muffins bursting with blackberries.  And then there's the topping...oh the topping.  A warm buttery, sugary pecan mixture on top.  Heaven...Heaven...Heaven!  Make sure not to skip the topping as it makes the muffins special occasion worthy!

Fresh or frozen fruit may be used in this dish.  This recipe is very forgiving and you could use raspberries or blueberries instead, but try the blackberries first!  I tend to make a recipe that produces 6 muffins cause I don't want so many tempting me and MGG.  However, if you are inclined to make 12 muffins (muffins freeze well) you can easily double this recipe and they will work just fine.  

Trust me, you want to make these muffins, they will make your Holiday Breakfast special.

Kitchen tip:  Be very careful when folding the blackberries in the batter to not break any, otherwise you will end up with a purple mess.

Blackberry Muffins with a Pecan Streusel

adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Serves 6

For the topping:

1⁄6 c sugar

1 ½ T flour

Grated zest of 1⁄4 lemon

1 T unsalted butter, melted

1⁄6 c pecans, chopped

For the muffins:

1 c flour

1/4 cup + 2 T sugar

1 t baking powder

1⁄4 t baking soda

1⁄4 t cinnamon

Grated zest of 1⁄4 lemon

1⁄8 t salt

1 egg, beaten

2 ½ T unsalted butter, melted

½  c buttermilk

1 c fresh blackberries

Preheat an oven to 375°F.  Grease 6 muffin cups nonstick cooking spray.

Make the topping:  in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour and lemon zest.  Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Add the pecans and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Make the muffins:  in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt. Make a well in the center and add the egg, melted butter and buttermilk.   Stir just until evenly moistened.   The batter will be slightly lumpy.  Add blackberries and gently fold in.  Try not to break up the fruit.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each to a bit above the rim of the cup. Top each muffin with the topping, dividing it evenly (the sugar will melt and produce a glaze effect).

Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. 

Product Review: Market Classics Harvest Vegetable Soup Mix

One of my favorite stores is Cost Plus World Market.  The treasures you can find at this store are unique and priced right.  I love to browse their kitchenware for unique serving dishes and baking items.

Another area I love to browse is their food section.  Mostly imported items, you can find so many good things here such as spices, sauces, and soups.

Today I've made Market Classics Harvest Vegetable Soup Mix.  They have a great variety of soup mixes, such as lentil, potato, tortellini, and tortilla.  Today I chose Harvest Vegetable.  All these choices and more, for only $3.99.  Great price!  The Harvest Vegetable comes with a blend of vegetables  pasta, and rice.  I added the cooked chicken, the broth and some onion.  What transpired was a nicely spiced chicken vegetable soup.  A blend of carrots, red bell peppers, corn and wonderful seasonings and herb.  This mix makes about 8 1-cup servings.  A good sized portion for about 4 people.  

This was easy enough to make during the week with leftover cooked chicken breasts.  Leftovers were not quite as soupy as the first day due to the rice and the pasta soaking up some of the liquid.  The addition of more chicken broth helped to fill the leftovers out without watering down the seasonings too much.

If you love soup, and want one that quick try this one or grab another flavor at  Cost Plus World Market.  You can find them on line or in the store.

It's always great to find an item that will help you out in a pinch with a good hearty meal.  These soups do just that.  I'm going back to choose some other flavors now...see you!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Need a fall flavored dessert that will feed a crowd?

I have one for you!  It's perfect for a crowd.  It is a cross between a pumpkin pie and a cake.  It is out of this world. Really.

We were having a holiday luncheon at work and everyone was bringing a dish.  So I thought I'd change up the dessert menu a bit from the standard pumpkin pie.  Most everyone loves the flavors of pumpkin, so I went on the search for a different recipe featuring pumpkin.

In an old Betty Crocker recipe book I found these Pumpkin Pie Bars.  Perfect!  And they were made in a 9x13 dish so they would feed a crowd.  Double perfect!

Reading the recipe told me that it would come out as a layered dish.  Part cake and part pie.  The addition of a butter and brown sugar crumble on the top just put this over the edge!  First, the aroma in the house...OMG.  I was walking around just sniffing the air.  WOW!

I couldn't wait to taste it.  As it turned out neither could anyone else.  We had an apple pie, a pumpkin pie, and my dessert.  I must say my dessert was the one with no leftovers!  It was a major hit.  Several people asked to take some home and a couple wanted the recipe ASAP!

So if you want a great dessert for the holidays this is the one.  It would be perfect to take to a party.  Served with a little whipped cream on top, it doesn't get much better than this!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

adapted from Betty Crocker

serves 16

Base

1 ½ cups ready made baking mix

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

½ cup pecans halves

Filling

1 cup sugar

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

3 eggs

Topping

1 cup ready made baking mix

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup butter or margarine

¾ cup pecan halves

Heat oven to 350 degrees.   Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.  In a food processor bowl add ingredients for the base (baking mix, butter, and cup pecans).  Pulse 8-12 times until butter mixture is crumbly and pecans are roughly chopped.  With floured fingers, press mixture in bottom of pan.  Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat filling ingredients with wire whisk until smooth; set aside.  Back in the food processor bowl add the topping items (baking mix, brown sugar, butter, and pecan halves).  Pulse about 10-15 times until butter/sugar until mixture is crumbly and pecans are roughly chopped. 

Pour filling over hot partially baked base. Sprinkle topping over filling.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Note:  If you don't have pumpkin pie spice substitute with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.  If you don't have a food processor you can cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two forks.