Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Winter Warmers: Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Scones

There's nothing quite like biting into a warm scone, and this one has all the fall flavors you love along with a soft and moist texture and a bit of healthy grains. Pumpkin pie spice for the win!





Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Scones


It's cold and rainy today and I have a pot of soup on the stove cooking away, so I thought I would do some baking and of course pastries come to mind.  I'm feeling a nice cup of tea maybe with Chai spices to go along with some scones.  Not basic scones.  Let's bake warm and inviting Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Scones.  Perfect with my tea, or coffee if you'd like.  So grab that extra can of pumpkin puree leftover from Thanksgiving and let's get baking.  

Scones are part of the quickbread family and are easy to throw together.  One bowl and a few simple ingredients is all you need and you'll have a tender dough made in no time.  Then you can just make drop scones like I did today and not fuss with rolling out the dough and cutting it.  They're rustic, they're quick, they're heavenly!

Enjoy!








What Ingredients do I need?

  • all purpose flour
  • white whole wheat flour
  • sugar
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • cinnamon
  • ginger
  • nutmeg
  • unsalted butter
  • pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • eggs

Substitutions and Variations

  • Use only all purpose flour
  • substitute pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 teaspoons for the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg
  • substitute brown sugar for regular granulated sugar.
  • Brush the top of the scones with milk, then sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar. You can also top with cinnamon sugar, or Demerara sugar. 
  • Use a bench knife or a sharp knife to cut each round into six triangular wedges. Placing the formed scones on the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for 15 minutes will give you a better rise and a flakier texture.  Try this is you have the extra time.
  • Substitute the pumpkin puree for sweet potato or butternut squash puree (mashed) for a different but pleasant flavor profile.
  • Add Mix-Ins: (add up to 1 cup)
    • crystalized ginger
    • cinnamon chips
    • chocolate chips
    • toasted chopped pecans or walnuts
    • dried cranberries or raisins
    • caramel chips



Kitchen Tips and Notes

  • Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature. Reheat very briefly in the microwave, if desired.
  • Forming scones 3 ways: 1. Dump the dough from the bowl straight on to a parchment lined baking pan.  Using your hands form the dough in to a 5-6 inch circle.  Cut dough in to 6 triangle wedges, pulling apart about 1/2" so there is space when baking.  2. Scoop dough using a 1/3 measuring cup and drop on to a parchment lined baking sheet.  3.  Place dough on a floured board and roll dough to 1/2" thickness.  Cut out scones using a round or decorative biscuit/cookie cutter.
  • Grating butter in to the flour mixture is an easy way to start out with small bits of butter to work in to the flour, and less work in the end!  Once you've grated the butter, you can cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter.  



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Other Scones to try:






Basic Scone Recipe












Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Scones


yield:  8-10 round scones


1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
2/3 cup pumpkin purée
2 large eggs


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.

Using a hand grater, grate the butter in to the mixture.  Work in the butter using your hands until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's okay for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.  The mixture should look shaggy.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and eggs until smooth.  Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until everything is moistened and holds together.

Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup scoop up some dough and form in to a rough circle with your hands about 1/2" thick.  Place it on the parchment lined baking sheet.  Continue making drop scones and placing the scones about 1 inch apart.  Bake for 14-16 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Serve.














Sunday, December 4, 2022

Fall Flavors: Apple Walnut Muffins

The smell of baking apples screams fall to me.  In just one bite, you get a burst of cinnamon and plump, juicy, hot apples!  Get all the fall vibes when baking these Apple Walnut Muffins.  



Apple Walnut Muffins


I haven't brought you a new muffin in a really long time and I thought that with all the fall baking going on it was time to bring an easy yet tasty muffin in to the mix.  This one has great big chunks of apples in it and it's spiced with cinnamon to bring out the fall flavors.  It's melt in your mouth good and a muffin the whole family will be craving.

Muffins do double duty in our house.  We eat them for a quick breakfast during the week, but we are also known to eat one for a snack with a hot cup of tea or coffee.  This is a small batch of 6 muffins but double the recipe if you want more.  This muffin is sure to give you all the fall feels!

Enjoy!




What Ingredients do I need?

  • eggs
  • low-fat milk
  • canola oil
  • all purpose flour
  • sugar or alternative sugar 1:1 ratio (for Keto, low carb)
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • honeycrisp apple (medium size)
  • cinnamon
  • walnuts

Substitutions and Variations

  • Doing a Keto diet or want lower carb? Use an alternative sugar of you choice as a substitute.  I like King Arthur's sugar alternative.
  • Use white whole wheat flour in place of the all purpose flour
  • Make mini muffins or small loaves instead





Kitchen Tips and Notes


  • 1st rule of thumb when making muffins is not to "overmix" the batter.  You want it batter to just come together.  Little spots of flour is okay.
  • To get high muffin tops turn your oven up to 400 degrees.
  • Make sure you are using fresh baking powder.  To test put 1/2 teaspoon into 1/4 cup of boiling water.  If it bubbles, you are good.
  • Double the recipe for 12 muffins.
  • Muffins can be frozen individually and kept for 3 months.

  • Fill the muffin tin almost to the top for nice big muffins.





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More muffins to make:

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins - Lower Carb Version



Vanilla Chai Muffins

Cranberry Orange Muffins - Small Batch

Mexican Hot Chocolate Muffins










Apple Walnut Muffins 


Makes 6-8


1 egg
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup King Arthur Baking sugar alternative
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small honeycrisp apple, cored and chopped in medium chunks
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin or donut hole pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl add the egg, milk, and oil. Mix together using a whisk.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Stir just until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in chopped apples and chopped walnuts, holding a few back to add to the tops.

Using a cookie scoop, add batter to a muffin tin to make 6-8 muffins. Add a few chopped walnuts to the top of each muffin.  Bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the tin. Remove from the pan and serve.











Saturday, November 26, 2022

Winter Warmers: Lasagna Soup

Craving a good lasagna but don't have the time to spend making it?  Try my Lasagna Soup.  It has all the flavors of your favorite lasagna but made in half the time!   


  • Lasagna Soup


It's not winter yet, but it's been so cold around here that I'm bringing on the winter dishes that keep you warm.  Soup is a go to in our house.  This one is quick and easy to make and tastes like lasagna in a bowl.

There is something comforting about pasta, beef, tomatoes, spices, and cheese that when combined in a soup it screams comfort food.  This one pot meal is a winner so be sure to try this recipe soon.

Enjoy!


What Ingredients do I need?

  • ground sirloin
  • yellow onion
  • garlic
  • diced tomatoes (canned)
  • tomato paste
  • tomato sauce
  • beef broth (low sodium if available)
  • Italian seasoning
  • lasagna noodles
  • Ricotta cheese
  • Parmesan cheese



Substitutions and Variations

  • Use Italian sausage for the beef
  • Use chicken broth in place of the beef broth
  • Use malfada pasta instead of breaking the lasagna noodles


Kitchen Tips and Notes

  • serve with a salad and some garlic bread
  • leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for several days
  • Use a large dutch oven for a one pot meal.  Here's the one I use.


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Lasagna Soup


    1 pound 10% lean ground sirloin
    1 cup diced yellow onion
    salt & pepper
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
    1 8 oz can tomato sauce
    1/4 cup tomato paste
    32 ounces low sodium beef broth 
    2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
    6 uncooked lasagna noodles, broken in to pieces, or malfada pasta

    Topping:

    1 cup ricotta cheese
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    1/4 teaspoon salt


    In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, brown beef and onion over medium-high heat, adding salt and pepper for seasoning. Add the garlic and cook for about 30-60 seconds. 

    Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, and Italian seasonings. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add in broken lasagna pieces. Reduce heat slightly and cook for about 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    For the Cheese Topping: In a small bowl, mixture together the ricotta, Parmesan, and salt.
    To serve, spoon soup in a bowl and top with a dollop of the cheese mixture. 
     












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