Small Batch Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

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I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with love, family, friends, and lots of good food!

Let's talk about leftovers.  One of the best things about the Thanksgiving feast is all the leftovers that you can eat for days! Don't you agree?  Some just love having another plate of that turkey dinner with all the sides and a slice of pie.  Some want to re-create those leftovers into a totally new dish like my Turkey Tex-Mex Quesadillas, Turkey and Swiss Panini, or my Turkey Wild Rice Soup.  These are great ways to use that leftover turkey, but what do you do with extra cans of pumpkin?

Well, I have several ways that you can use a can a pumpkin!  Let start out with a breakfast dish.

SMALL BATCH PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

These are perfect to whip up on the weekend or anytime over the cold winter months.  The kids LOVE them, and they are great for quick breakfasts on the go, or as a little sweet something with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon.  This is a small batch of 6 muffins which is just perfect when you want just a little something.  

The pumpkin flavors pop in this moist muffin that's studded with mini chocolate chips.  Heaven!  The combination of pumpkin and chocolate is hard to beat.  I used mini chocolate chips so that the chocolate flavor is plenty throughout the muffing although you can use regular chips if you like.  Dark chocolate chips would be awesome as well. 

What equipment do I need?  I always keep this six cup muffin tin on hand for small batches.  It works perfectly.  I also can't make muffins with out my trusty scoop.  This is a "necessity" for even sized muffins in my house! Other staples such as this and this help make baking easier.  

This recipe won't use up that whole can of pumpkin, so make sure to save the rest in a sealed container in the refrigerator so you can make my next pumpkin recipe coming up!  

Enjoy a hot breakfast and the flavors of the season.  These muffins will leave you wanting more!




Small Batch Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

yield: 6 muffins

1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

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

In a small bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, egg, and vanilla.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.  Stir to combine.  Add wet ingredients and mix until the flour is just blended.  Don't overmix.  Fold in mini chocolate chips.

Scoop batter into 6 muffin tin wells.  Bake for 20-22 minutes.  Remove from the oven an cool on a wire rack.  Serve with butter if desired.

This post contains affiliate links to items you can purchase, in which I get a small amount of compensation for at no cost to you. I bring you items that I actually use that are of great quality that I can pass along suggestions to you.

Whole-Grain Harvest Nut Banana Bread - King Arthur Flour's Bake the Bag!

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I started a new baking challenge from King Arthur Flour to bake items using their White Whole Wheat Flour. The challenge is called Bake the Bag and they send you a recipe each week where you bake bread, cookies, etc from the flour bag until you've used the entire bag.

What a great way to find some new recipes while gaining experience in baking with white whole wheat flour!  You can join this challenge as well by signing up on their site here.  

First up is this Whole-Grain Banana Bread.

This bread is fabulous!  Very moist and tender with a nutty, earthy flavor profile that screams Fall! 

What is Banana Bread?

Banana bread is a form of quick bread (no yeast involved) that is of cake like texture...or like a large muffin, that is baked in a loaf pan.  You use really ripe bananas to moisten the bread and give it great flavor as well.  I know people that buy bananas just to make banana bread rather than eating them!  Do you do that?

Can banana bread be customized?
Once you have the basic recipe down, banana bread can be made a million different ways.  You accomplish this by adding in "add-ins" like cinnamon, chocolate chips, cranberries, or any dried fruit.  You can also change the fat used in the recipe by substituting sour cream, yogurt, applesauce...etc.  This recipe calls for nuts as optional ingredient and I like a good nut in my banana bread.  Since I didn't have a whole lot of walnut I decided to put a mix of nuts in my bread.  Pecans, walnuts, and sunflower seeds made for a wonderful harvest mix and give this bread a great nutty, earthy flavor!

Whole-Grain Harvest Nut Banana Bread

Banana bread is typically served as a breakfast bread but can also be served warm with ice cream for dessert.  Oh yum!  I totally suggest that you try it toasted with a little spread on top for a nice change as well. 

What equipment do I need?

Need a good loaf pan?  This one is the one I use all the time.  For a more economical version, this one is really nice to have.  You will also need a good rubber spatula such as this one or this one.  Plus, a wonder mixing bowl is a must!  Options such as this one, and this one are perfect.  

Banana bread is the bomb!  You must have a good recipe in your recipe box!  You're gonna love this banana bread and this recipe will become a favorite in your house like it did mine.

Enjoy!

Whole-Grain Harvest Nut Banana Bread

source:  King Arthur Flour

2 cups thoroughly mashed banana; about 4 or 5 medium bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour or Premium Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nut, a mix of pecans, walnuts and sunflower seeds 
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan; if your pan is glass or stoneware, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Weigh your flours; you’ll find their weight by toggling to “ounces” at the top of the ingredient section above. Or measure them by gently spooning them into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chopped nuts into the banana mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
4. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the batter.
5. Bake the bread for about 60 to 75 minutes, until the bread feels set on the top, and a paring knife (or other thin knife) inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter). If you have a digital thermometer, the bread's temperature at the center should register about 205°F. If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the final 15 to 20 minutes of baking. Note: If baking in a glass or stoneware pan, increase the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Remove the bread from the oven. Cool it in the pan for 15 minutes, then loosen the edges, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.
7. Store leftover bread, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

Cranberry Walnut Muffins

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Fall reminds me of certain flavors.  Earthy whole wheat flour, cinnamon, pumpkin, apples, and cranberries come immediately to mind.  So today we are going to enjoy a recipe that has some of those flavors to get you in the mood for fall.


I used to work in the MGM Production plaza which was a complex of business headquarters.  It was a great complex and had a building with a food court that housed many different eateries.  One I particularly remember is the Coffee house that was open at the crack of dawn serving coffee drinks and some yummy pastries. 

I remember the day that I tried their Cranberry Walnut Muffins.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  A piping  hot muffin filled with crunchy walnuts, juicy plump cranberries, and a hint of cinnamon.  It was earthy, comforting, and oh so satisfying.  That muffin became a daily habit/ritual of mine for quite some time.  So much that I can still taste them all these years later.


It's wonderful how food brings back memories don't you think?  They can trigger all sorts of happy and sad times.  It's a powerful sensory experience when food is linked that way.

So I've decided that enough time has passed since I had my favorite indulgence and I've recreated that muffin at home.  No longer will I be deprived of that comfort feeling I had when biting into that hot muffin!  Today I'm sharing that with  you so that you too can enjoy the comforting feelings.


I took my basic muffin recipe and added some whole wheat flour for earthiness, along with some walnuts for crunch, cranberries for a flavor pop, and a dash of cinnamon.  I made these in an autumn shaped muffin tin of leaves, acorns, etc....but don't despair, they work perfectly in a regular shaped muffin tin!

Try these warm and comforting muffins this weekend.  The aromas that will fill your kitchen will make the masses come running for breakfast!


Enjoy!



Cranberry Walnut Muffins

yield:  6 muffins

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup Canola Oil

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place egg, milk, and oil in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until light.  Add flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  

Stir until moist. Fold in walnuts and cranberries.  Don’t overmix…batter should be lumpy and a little thick.

Spray a non-stick muffin pan with cooking spray.  Divide batter amongst 6 muffin cups filling most of the way full.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 min.

Breakfast Baking with King Arthur Flour: Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

We have something new in our neighborhood call "The Village".  It's a outdoor street-like restaurant and shopping area filled with new things...and Sur La Table!

I was so happy to get a Sur La Table in our area.  A foodie's candy store is always a kitchen store.  Plus, with the benefit of an onsite cooking classroom in the back I was in heaven! Browsing through the classes offered I spotted one where they partnered with King Arthur Flour to present a fun, hands-on class featuring Breakfast Baking.

If you don't know about King Arthur Flour, you are missing out! King Arthur Flour is America’s oldest flour company, founded in Boston in 1790 bringing top-quality flours to bakers in the United States. Today they reside in Vermont and produce some of the best flours I've ever used.

When I discovered King Arthur's All Purpose Flour I was making a family favorite of homemade egg noodles for a large group of people. The result from this flour was the most tender, soft noodles I've ever made. I've been using King Arthur's flours ever since. 

So I jumped at the chance to attend a backing class in conjunction with King Arthur Flour.  It was fabulous.  We made 3 different baked items in about 2 1/2 hours. Today I'm bringing you an autumn twist on a coffeecake, Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake.  

This is the perfect breakfast or dessert dish.  It has a wonderful Streusel topping with a cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle of the cake.  I love the pumpkin flavoring and the cake turned out moist and tender.  Just perfect.  Another plus it that it doesn't make a ton of cake so I'm not tempted to keep eating it day and night!  It takes a 9" round cake pan or you can use a loaf pan if you prefer.  Just the right size in my book.

Try this wonderful cake and let me know what you think. Remember to try King Arthur Flour as well.  You will definitely enjoy the product it produces.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

PREP:   20 mins. to 30 mins.
BAKE:   40 mins. to 45 mins.
TOTAL: 60 mins. to 1 hrs 15 mins.
YIELD:  about 12 servings


Topping
2/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional
4 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, optional

Cake
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8" square pan or 9" round pan.

2) To make the topping: Whisk together the sugar, salt, flour, spice, and nuts. Add the melted butter, stirring just until well combined. Set the topping aside.

3) To make the filling: Mix together the brown sugar, spice, and cocoa powder. Note that the cocoa powder is used strictly for color, not flavor; leave it out if you like. Set it aside.

4) To make the cake: Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.

5) Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.

6) Pour/spread half the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it all the way to the edges. If you have a scale, half the batter is about 13 1/2 ounces.

7) Sprinkle the filling evenly atop the batter.

8) Spread the remaining batter atop the filling. Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter, as though you were making a marble cake. Don't combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter.

9) Sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan.

10) Bake the cake until it's light brown on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.

11) Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve the cake right from the pan.

Yield: 1 cake, about 12 servings.
Source: www.KingArthurFlour.com   Published: 11/02/2013

Apple Cider Waffles with Cinnamon Honey Butter

Every year I buy a BIG jug of apple cider because I just love apples.

We have a wonderful local farm that presses their own apples and makes the most wonderful cider that I just can't resist.  We will have hot apple cider on cold nights with a cinnamon stick swizzle or cold cider for breakfast.  Just about any way we can get it.  The trick comes in when we haven't made a very large dent in the jug of cider! 

That's when I get creative and start dreaming up uses for it in other dishes.  I've tried a cider sauce with pork chops...yum!  Cider muffins with nice big apple chunks which were delishhh.  And today I'm making Apple Cider Waffles, a little jazzed up with a Cinnamon Honey Butter.  Ahhh! the flavors of apples, fall, and comfort food all rolled into one.

This was rather easy to do.  I just tweaked one of my favorite waffles recipes to include the apple cider and some fall spices.  Then I decided on a special butter, a compound butter.  Have you ever made one?  They sound complicated but trust me...they are not.  Simple to through together and any leftovers keep in the frig for quite awhile.  Doesn't get much better than that!

I hope you enjoy your weekend waffles.  Put a little apple in your life.  Oh! and make sure to come back and tell me how they turned out!

Apple Cider Waffles with Cinnamon Honey Butter

serves 4-6

Butter:

1/2 stick or 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
1 tablespoons honey
a pinch of ground cinnamon 


Waffles:

1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup apple cider

Combine the butter, honey, and cinnamon, in a bowl. This may be served at room temperature. To save butter place on a piece of plastic wrap and shape in the form of a log rolling up the butter in the wrap. Twist both ends to tighten and continue to twist so that the butter compresses into a log. Butter may be stored in the refrigerator.

To make the waffles, preheat your waffle iron and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the egg and apple cider and mix to combine.  Batter may be a little lumpy.  Pour batter into waffle iron and cook according to waffle iron manufacturers directions.  Remove from waffle iron and serve warm topped with cinnamon honey butter and syrup.