Golden Nugget Muffins (Small Batch)

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Spring has sprung and I'm lovin' it!

The temperature is moderate, the birds are singing, and there are butterflies everywhere!  Springtime has definitely come to Southern California!  We had such a raining winter season that it caused a superbloom here.  The flowers are popping, and all the trees are budded out.  We even found hidden bulbs in our backyard this year that produced daffodils we didn't even know we had!  And let me tell you about the butterflies!  Oh my gosh....we have soooooooooooo many butterflies it is amazing.  They claim that all the rain caused a super crop of monarch butterflies and they are just flying everywhere on their migration north.  Amazing and beautiful!

Golden Nugget Muffins (Small Batch)

All this great revival of life has made me so happy!  I'm also happy because of the produce that has popped up in the grocery store.  Yes! to springtime fruits!  Berries are in season as well as these beautiful golden nugget tangerines.  I found these gems a few years ago at out local farmer's market and have been eating them every year since.  I think they are the sweetest tangerines around.  They are in their peak season from March through May so grab them while you can.  

Since I bought a ton of these tangerines on my last trip to the grocery store I thought I would make some wonderful muffins featuring these beauties this weekend.  What's better for a Spring breakfast than some hot muffins bursting with the sweet bits of juicy tangerines.  Nothing!  At least for today!!!

What if I can't find Golden Nuggets?  If you can't find Golden Nuggets you can use any sweet tangerine that you like.  I highly suggest you look for these thought because they are shockingly delicious and you need them in your life!

What items do I need?  

• Mixing bowl - you will need a good mixing bowl to make the muffins.  I like porcelain or glass bowls.  This is one that I use as a mixing bowl as well as a salad serving bowl.
• Wooden spoons - perfect for mixing all your ingredients together.
• Paring knife - You will need a good small knife to cut the tangerine bits. I love this one.
• Muffin Pan - This recipe make 6 muffins and I use these pans the most.
• Orange Extract - I use Nielsen Massey Pure Orange Extract.  The flavor is outstanding!  If you want to use vanilla instead that will work in a pinch however, the orange flavor will not be as prominent.

This recipe makes a small batch of 6 muffins which is perfect for a weekend treat.  If you want to make 12 muffins, so you can eat them during the week, just double the recipe.  These will easily keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days, and freeze wonderfully.

I use my base muffin recipe here that can be made into a gazillion different muffins.  It's a slightly sweeter muffin and with tender bits of tangerine running through them.  It's heaven!

Take time to enjoy the spring bounty of fruits and vegetables available right now starting with these muffins.

Enjoy!

Other Springtime Treats using Oranges/Tangerines:

• Tangerine Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry
• Orange Salad with Arugula and Spinach
• Simple Asian Salad
• Orange Iced Tea
• Blood Orange and Pear Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Golden Nugget Muffins (Small Batch)

serves 6

1 egg
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 Cup sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. Orange extract (such as Nielsen Massey)

1 t golden nugget zest

1 golden nugget, peeled and chopped into small bites

Place egg, milk and oil in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until light. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the citrus zest and orange extract. Stir just until moistened. Don’t overmix…batter should be lumpy and a little thick. Fold in chopped golden nugget bits.

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

Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 min. Allow to cool 10 minutes.  Serve.


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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.

Raspberry Swirl Lemon Quick Bread

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I'm loving all the fresh berries and citrus this season!

When the sunshine hits I'm a sucker for citrus.  I change everything up on the house to the scent of fresh lemons and oranges.  My kitchen soaps, hand soaps, laundry detergent, household cleaners, and even my ice cream turns in to oranges and lemons!

Another favorite of mine is berries.  All of them.  I just tried my first mulberry at the farmer's market the other day and it was divine!  Picking up fresh berries to bake with is the best.  This week we came across the most succulent raspberries I've ever seen, and promptly bought several pints to snack on and cook with.

RASPBERRY SWIRL LEMON QUICK BREAD

Mom was always making quick breads growing up and her love of lemons inspired this dish. One of her favorite quick bread is this Lemon Tea Bread.  My love of raspberries put my own spin to bring this just over the top.

Today's quick bread is all about citrus and berries.  Bright lemon with tangy swirled raspberries are folded into a simple quick bread that you can make in a bowl!  No mixer for this one!  This quick bread is something I make for breakfast on the weekends when we have time to relax and enjoy a leisurely meal.  It's like eating a slice of sunshine and will brighten your morning and your mood!

Enjoy!






Raspberry Swirl Lemon Quick Bread


1/3 c canola oil
1/2 c Splenda Sugar Blend (or 1 cup granulated sugar)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c 2% milk
1 T lemon zest
juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar

Add oil, and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Pous batter into a greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loaf pan.

In a blender, blend the lemon juice, raspberries, and sugar. Blend until smooth. Take one ounce of the raspberry mixture, and drizzle lightly on top of the cake batter. Use a toothpick to swirl into the batter. (Save the extra raspberry sauce for ice cream!)

Bake at 350° for 1 hour until golden on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the bread cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve.

Mom's Old Fashioned Country Zucchini Bread

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There's nothing better than quick breads from my childhood.

Mom used to make them a lot and I'm fond of them all, but when it's late summer/early fall I get a craving for a cinnamony zucchini bread.

You see, it doesn't taste like zucchini, and the texture won't let you know there's zucchini in there either.  However, like carrot to a carrot cake, zucchini produces a moist and tender cake like bread.  

So digging through my mom's recipe archives I went and dug up her Old Fashioned Country Zucchini Bread.  This is the perfect bread for this time of year.  The winds are blowing, there's zucchini everywhere, and cinnamon flavors warm you up and make you all cozy.  

This tender, rich, and sinfully delicious Zucchini Bread can be perfect for breakfast, a snack with coffee or tea, or a warm dessert.  

Enjoy!

Mom's Old Fashioned Country Zucchini Bread

Makes 1 8x4" loaf

2 medium sized zucchinis 
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Spray an 8x4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Trim the stem and root-end from the zucchinis and using a food processor using the shred blade, grate the zucchini.  You should end up with about 3 cups of shredded zucchini.

Place the grate zucchini in a clean kitchen towel over a bowl and all to drain while you put together the other ingredients. 

In a large bowl add all the dry ingredient.  In a small bowl add the eggs, oil, and vanilla.  Whisk to combine.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  

Gather the towel with the zucchini and squeeze to extract as much liquid from the zucchini as possible

Add the zucchini, nuts, and raisins to the mixture and gently fold in just until it is all distributed and combined.  The mixture will not be very wet, more crumbly.  Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and pat the top to even out.  

Bake for 60 - 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown.  They will be crunchy on the top and tender on the inside.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Kitchen Note:  This bread will keep in an airtight container for several days. You can also freeze a loaf or slice by wrapping them in cling wrap and then foil.  Freeze up to 3 months.

Brown Sugar-Sour Cream Banana Bread

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How are you liking our Daylight Savings time?  I'm always bummed when I wake up and we've lost an hour but I really love the lighter evenings!

So being bummed when I woke up I decided to bake something for breakfast (or actually brunch by the time I got up, oops!...) from a new cookbook I inherited bought recently.  It's called Bake Good Things by Williams-Sonoma:  Simple Techniques & Foolproof Recipes for Everyday Eating.

This book will bring your baking level up a notch by teaching you different baking techniques.  The book is full of recipes to make cookies, muffins, cobblers, pies, cake, cupcakes, biscuits, breads, & pizzas!  YUM!!! 

The book is broken up into sections that concentrate on a certain baking technique.  I immediately went to the section on Muffins & Quickbreads (my favorite).  To quote the book:

"Muffin-making requires three basic mixing techniques:  creaming the butter, combining the dry ingredients, and then blending them together with some form of liquid".

So I decided to make their Brown Sugar-Sour Cream Banana Bread. We always love a good banana bread, and this sounded delicious.  (Trust me it is....!)

BROWN SUGAR-SOUR CREAM BANANA BREAD

The recipe made 2 loaves but I scaled it down to make 1 loaf which is plenty for us to, with leftovers for several days.  This also includes bananas, with are a healthy ingredient to bake with.  The lend natural moistness and will replace heavy oils.  Who doesn't love healthier baking??  You will want over-ripe bananas that are mashed really well with no lumps remaining.  I use a fork, but a potato masher works great as well.

The bread turned out really moist with the addition of sour cream along with the bananas. It's simple to mix together and uses pantry staples. We just loved the flavor and texture of this bread.  A hint of cinnamon and nutmeg add a nice deep earthy flavor.  To add some decadence, dark chocolate chips can be added to the batter if you like.  I kept it simple this time around, sticking to recipe.  I use this loaf pan, which has served me well, but this is also a really good pan to use.

This light, moist and crumbly bread will have you reaching for the coffee and a good book! 

Enjoy!




Brown Sugar-Sour Cream Banana Bread

slightly adapted from Bake Good Things

makes 1 loaf

cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 large, extra ripe bananas
1 egg, large
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbls unsalted butter, melted
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x5" loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a bowl, sift together the flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In a large bowl, whisk together the bananas, eggs, brown sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and melted butter.  Add the flour mixture and whisk to combine. (Don't overmix - only until combined)

Add the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with turbaned sugar.  Baked until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Let the banana bread cool slightly in the pan, and on a wire rack, then turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Nutella Swirled Peanut Butter Banana Bread

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Baking in the fall and winter is the best!

Especially on a weekend morning.

The kitchen is all cozy and warm from the oven, and then you get to eat something that's warm and toasty along with your morning coffee or tea.  Oh, it's just the best feeling, don't you think?  It reminds me of baking with my mom when I was growing up.  Dreaming of muffins and quick breads and pies, Oh My!

Today is all about quick breads though.  I just love them.  They are really a form of cake, in between a muffin and a cake I would say.  They are very easy to throw together.  I think the hardest part is waiting for them to bake, because they do require usually around 50-60 minutes in the oven.  Waiting, waiting, waiting....when will the magic happen?

But when that hot, steamy bread comes out of the oven and the aroma fills the air, oh boy....look out.  Heaven is visiting you! 

NUTELLA SWIRLED PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BREAD

Quick breads come in so many varieties.  Banana bread is a standard and is very popular.  Some of my favorite quick breads are Apple Cider Quick Bread,  Strawberry Banana Bread, and Cranberry Orange Quick Bread.  Today we are talking chocolate and peanut butter banana bread.  And not just any chocolate, but Nutella...swirled in the quick bread.  Oh boy!  Just thinking about the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, warm from the oven is making my mouth water!

You, your family, and your kids are sure to love this breakfast treat.  It's not only for breakfast though.  It makes a good after school snack, and it's great with afternoon tea.  Dessert, "Yes Please..."  This is good any 'ole time in my house.  Here's a secret...we've been known to snack on this in bed, crumbs and all.

So make sure to try this right away.  It's the perfect weather for a warm, fresh from the oven, quick bread. 

Enjoy!






Nutella Swirled Peanut Butter Banana Bread


3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c canola oil
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c Reese's Peanut Chips
3 Tbls Nutella

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set it aside.

In a medium bowl, add together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, whisking to blend. In a large bowl, add mashed bananas, oil, egg and sugars.  Stir until combined well.

Add the flour mixture into the banana mixture stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in peanut butter chips.

Spread batter into pan. Drop 3 tablespoons of Nutella on top of bread in a row. Swirl with a knife.

Bake for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in loaf pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges remove from loaf pan, placing on a cooling rack.  Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes and then slice with a serrated knife.