Pumpkin...pumpkin...pumpkins!

"Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns."

George Eliot

 I have been having such a good time in the kitchen lately! Infact I have just  been having a good time. I am in love with this weather and want to breathe in every bit of fire red leaves, cool crisp mornings, and delighted little faces as they discover the world of pumpkins. 

I want to share a Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe with you! The pumpkin and the hint of cinnamon and nutmeg are just too much! But then the cinnamon cream cheese spread is the 'it' of the recipe!

For the muffins:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup canned pure pumpkin

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl; set aside

In a separate bowl combine pumpkin, melted butter and eggs in a small bowl; stir until well mixed. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until just combined... 

remember we love texture

Put batter into muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 22-23 minutes (My oven has been cooking hot, I ended up only cooking mine for about 18 minutes... don't let them overbake)

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Melt the butter in a separate bowl. Dip tops of warm muffins in butter and then in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Don't you love the pumpkiny robe in all of my morning pictures!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread

1 3oz pkg cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1 Tbsp (or so) brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Blend all ingredients until creamy and smooth.

Then... if this wasn't pumpkiny fun enough! The very next morning I used the remaining cinnamon cream mixture. I got a delicious loaf of chunky cinnamon bread from Kneaders. Spread the creamy mixture on one slice and topped with another slice of bread. Dipped them in a mixture of eggs and half-n-half, cooked until all gooey and brown. Of course I topped it with my buttermilk syrup! 

Try it... you'll like it!

Breakfast

I love breakfast! I am constantly on an expedition for new breakfast recipes. Right now I am in love with peaches... so combination peaches and breakfast.... what else? Peach Pancakes.

You will need:

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup fresh peaches, diced (if you don't have fresh peaches, you can sub canned)

Add all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Beat the eggs in a large bowl until fluffy. Whisk all ingredients together, except peaches, just until smooth.

Fold in the diced peaches.

Grease and heat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat.

Pour slightly less that 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto hot skillet.

Cook until bubbles begin to form on top and pancake is puffed and dry around the edges.

Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. 

Aren't they pretty, crispy around the edges, peaches peeking through...

Top with sliced peaches and syrup (buttermilk syrup of course!)

Hurry and try them before the peaches are gone.... 

Chicken Pasta Salad or Banaberry Muffins

I have been contemplating which recipe to share today... a breakfast dish or chicken salad???

I am thinking I should do the muffins first, because if there are any muffins left from breakfast they are delicious served with the pasta salad for dinner.

With our wild windy weather with rain splashing here and there - every day, I am also wondering if I should be cooking something warm and comforting. But no, I am not giving in to the weather. I am going to live like it is just a regular warm, summer day that lends to swimming pools, park playing and runs along the canal trail. So for today....

Bananaberry Muffins

2 cups flour

2 Tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter (room temperature)

2 eggs

1 cup ripe mashed bananas (or 2 medium sized bananas)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup fresh blueberries (rinse and pat dry)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line tray with muffin cup papers

This is one of the secret key ingredients - cake flour!!! It is a must

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together with a wire whisk

This is a great way to use your bananas that are getting too ripe to eat but not brown enough to throw out

Fresh blueberries are the greatest, yummiest, anti-oxidant tasting fruit ever!

And butter - do you know anything that butter doesn't make taste better!

So begin with mashing bananas and placing in a mixing bowl

Next add the butter, eggs and vanilla

Mix on low until just combined

Slowly add the dry ingredients to this.

Mix until all ingredients are combined but don't be afraid to leave some texture!

Fold the blueberries into this delightful batter

Spoon into muffin tins and place in preheated oven

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

They don't get golden brown so keep your eye on them

Sprinkle with sugar upon completion

Serve warm with butter...

I'm just sayin'

Baked French Toast

I made this french toast for breakfast this week, and I just have to say - it is so good it is just ridiculous. The great thing is you do the work the night before and then wake up the next morning and bake it - ta da deliciousness! This may be our new Christmas morning breakfast!!!

1 loaf Crusty Sourdough or French Bread

8 whole eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp vanilla

Grease a 9x13 pan

Tear bread into chunks and place in dish

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla

Pour evenly over bread

Cover tightly and store in the fridge overnight (or a good 4 hours)

See how easy that was!

Now for the topping (yipee!)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

It is just so pretty!

Now take 1 cube of cold butter and cut it into cubes

Get your cool mixer upper thingy and go to town.

You can use a fork if you do not own one of these mixer upper thingy's

You want your mixture to kind of look like little pebbles

Place in a ziploc baggie and put in the fridge overnight too!

That was fun and easy!

The next morning set your alarm for one hour earlier than you need to be awake.

You can do this part with sleepy eyes

Get the bread mixture out of the fridge and your ziploc baggie with the topping

Evenly place the topping over the bread.

Then place the dish in a cold oven

Bake at 350 degrees

Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture

Bake one hour for a firmer texture.

I baked this one for 70 minutes, 10 minutes to compensate for the cold oven and 60 minutes for real cooking time

Scoop out individual portions

Top with buttermilk syrup (or whatever kind of syrup you love)

Buttermilk syrup recipe can be found on Pancake post

A little fruit is optional

Love, love, love it!!!

Blueberry pancakes

I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast today. I found the recipe on Martha Stewart and with my newest love of blueberries decided to give them a try. They are full of healthy ingredients and so on their own are wonderful. However, for family added to-die-for homemade buttermilk syrup and they were just delicious. Thanks Martha!

Blueberry Pancakes
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/8 cup ground flax seed
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups (1 pint) blueberries

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, flax seed, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda

In another bowl whisk together milk, butter and egg

Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined

Mixture will be lumpy

Now for the best part!

Drain your plump, fresh, delightfully healthy blueberries

Heat your griddle to about 250 degrees. Spray with cooking spray (or melted butter, yum)

Spoon batter onto griddle 1/3 cup at a time.

Sprinkle with blueberries

Cook until edges are set, flip and cook until golden brown

Now for the syrup!

In a saucepan add:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cubes butter

2 Tbsp white corn syrup

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Let it simmer, boil for 2-3 minutes

Remove from heat and add 1 tsp baking soda

Spoon over just about anything!