Fall Flavors: Pumpkin and Eggnog Swirl Muffins

I've carried over my love of Fall pumpkin flavor through the winter holidays by making a warm, tender muffin that is not only pumpkin but is also swirled with eggnog cream cheese!

Pumpkin and Eggnog Swirl Muffins

Every Fall I love to indulge in all things pumpkin.  Pork and Pumpkin Stew, Farmstyle Pumpkin French Toast, Essential Pumpkin Bread, and we can't forget my special Pumpkin Pie with Orange Marmalade...yum!  But maybe easiest of all are pumpkin muffins.  

I love having a warm, tender muffin in the morning for breakfast, especially on the go.  These are spiced just right and so moist.  It's the best way to enjoy to seasonal flavors in one.  Possibly the best pairing if I do say so myself!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• eggs
• milk
• canola oil
• flour
• pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix!)
• baking powder
• salt
• pumpkin pie spice
• cream cheese
• vanilla
• nutmeg
• cinnamon

What different ways can I serve muffins?

• breakfast
• brunch
• snacks
• with coffee or tea
• dessert
• perfect for grab and go breakfasts or snack
• bridal showers
• baby showers
• garden tea parties
• Fall tailgating

Substitutions and Variations

• You can do 1/2 the amount of flour in whole wheat flour if you like

• Substitute 1/2 cup of sugar for the brown sugar

• Use rum extract instead of rum for an alcohol free receipe

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.

• Purchase a 6 well muffin tin for small batches.

• 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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Pumpkin and Eggnog Swirl Muffins

For the filling:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Tablespoon dark rum or rum extract
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon

For the muffins:
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

To make the filling, whip the softened cream cheese with a whisk or hand mixer until very smooth and creamy. Whip in the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, rum, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 6 well muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.

To a large bowl add the egg, milk, canola oil and pumpkin puree. Whisk to combine. Add the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Take out about 1/4 cup batter and set aside. Divide the remaining batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Use a spoon to poke a deep cavity in the center of each muffin, and fill this cavity with the chilled cream cheese mixture. Put a tablespoon of the reserved batter on top of the filling.

Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve.

Fall Flavors: Roasted Beet Panzanella Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

With an array of fall flavors such a golden and red beets, gorgonzola, homemade croutons, and pecans this variation on a Tuscan bread salad is dressed up for the winter holidays thanks to a cranberry-juice vinaigrette!

Roasted Beet Panzanella Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and while I make all our traditional foods that everyone loves I also add 1 or 2 new side dishes for that year's menu.  It's a great way to try out new combination of flavors amongst all the standards.  I usually try a new salad and a new vegetable dish.  Today we are focusing on the salad.

Panzanella is a Tuscan bread salad that uses day old bread typically with tomatoes, onion, and cucumber.  Great for summer, but for the fall this variation uses special fall and winter treats!  Imagine a salad with beets (both golden and red), homemade croutons, gorgonzola cheese, and pecans and is topped by the most exciting vinaigrette that is made with cranberry juice! 

This salad is soooo yummy!  Don't skip the vinaigrette either...it bring bright flavors to the earthiness of the salad ingredients and makes it pop!  This will bring great flavor and that extra special something to all your winter holidays.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• arugula and spinach mix
• fresh mint
• beets
• shallots
• French or Italian crusty bread (for croutons)
• gorgonzola cheese
• pecans
• dried cranberries
• olive oil
• cranberry juice
• red wine vinegar
• honey

Substitutions and Variations

• Use a mix of herbs such as parsley, mint or dill instead of the arugula spinach mix

• Use fresh dill along with the spinach/arugula

• Use another base such as romaine, green or red leaf lettuce

• Boil the beets instead of roasting them

• Use dried cherries

• Use goat cheese or feta, or leave it out

• Use walnuts or hazelnuts, or leave them out

• Although homemade croutons are really good and simple to make, you could use a good store bought crouton

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Make the dressing first since you will use this to marinate the beets, shallots, and croutons when roasting.

• Be cautious about using unsweetened cranberry juice.  Your vinaigrette will be very tart and may need to be balanced with more honey.

• Shallots roast quicker than the beets, so add them with the croutons

• Use a large roasting pan covered with aluminum foil that is sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Red beets tend to stain your pan and this makes for easy clean up.

• Wear gloves when cutting red beets to avoid stains.  They will also stain wooden boards and plastic, cover with waxed paper before cutting to avoid stains.

• DON'T SKIP the Vinaigrette!  This really brightens up the earthy flavors in this salad.

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Roasted Beet Panzanella Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

serves 6

Vinaigrette
⅓ cup cranberry juice
⅓ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad
2 medium red and 2 medium golden beets, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 shallots, cut into wedges 
4 cups 1-inch artisan bread cubes (french bread or Italian crusty bread will work well)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 cups arugula spinach mix

1/4 fresh mint, chopped 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 15x10 sheet pan with aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick spray and set aside.  For dressing: In a small bowl whisk together cranberry juice, vinegar, honey, olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper.

Place red beets and yellow beets side by side on a sheet pan, without touching to avoid bleeding.  Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of the vinaigrette tossing each section to coat. Roast 20 minutes, stirring once. Place shallot sin the middle of the pan; drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the dressing, and bread cubes on the far end of the pan.  Toss with 2 Tablespoons of the dressing.  Roast another 15 minutes until beets are tender, bread is toasted, and shallots are roasted.  If shallots are done before the beets, remove them to a bowl and continue roasting. 

Add arugula/spinach mix to a large bowl along with the chopped mint.  Top with beets, shallots, and croutons. Add dried cranberries, pecans, and Gorgonzola cheese.  Serve with remaining dressing. 

Fall Baking: Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

Bursting with the fall flavor of apple cider, these delicate muffins taste just like your favorite Apple Cider Doughnuts.  No one can resist these muffins, hot from the oven!

Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

It's time to do some Fall baking and today we're talking muffins.  Simple and quick you'll have these in the oven and made in under 45 minutes.  I look forward to going to a local farm stand every year during the Fall season, specifically to get fresh apple cider.  There is nothing better, apart from a juicy whole apple, than fresh pressed apple cider.  We always buy a large quantity of it so that apart from drinking it warm, and cold (and spiked) I love to bake with it, and that's what we are doing today.

Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins are all around the internet lately so I thought I would join in the celebration and bring my version.  This uses my basic muffin recipe with the addition of apple cider, apple cider concentrate, and cinnamon.  The topping is cinnamon and sugar which creates that "doughnut" effect that makes this unique and special.  You only need 1 bowl to make these, so let's get baking!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• egg
• apple cider
• canola oil
• boiled cider (optional)
• flour
• brown sugar
• baking powder
• salt
• cinnamon
• white sugar

Substitutions and Variations

• Make mini muffins instead of regular size

• Add apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon in the muffin and/or in the topping

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.

• Purchase a 6 well muffin tin for small batches.

• 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.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to emails at the top of this page and follow along on Facebook,  and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.

Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

small batch - 6-7 muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tablespoon boiled cider (optional)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

2 Tablespoon butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl add the egg, apple cider, and oil and boiled apple cider (if using). Mix together using a whisk.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir just until combined. Do not over mix. 

Using a cookie scoop, add batter to the individual muffin tins.  Bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the tin. 

In a bowl add sugar and cinnamon, stirring to combine.  Brush the tops of each muffin with the melted butters.  Dip muffin tops in the cinnamon sugar mixture, covering well.   Serve warm or at room temperature.