Hearty Pumpkin Muffins

My friend brought me one of these muffins on Monday, fresh out of the oven and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I couldn't stop thinking about it so I harassed her via texts until she finally gave me the recipe because they were THAT good. I made them this morning and they are even better than I remember, if that's possible. They are not dense and heavy, like typical pumpkin goodies can be. They are light and fluffy, yet still hearty enough to keep your tummy happy. I am so happy to share this recipe with the world wide web.

Hearty Pumpkin Muffins

Yield: About 36 muffins  Prep Time: 10 minutes  Bake Time: 20-25 minutes

1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
5 eggs
2 (4-serving) boxes instant coconut cream pudding
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup walnuts (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners or spray with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl or mixing stand, combine vegetable oil, sugar, pumpkin, eggs and pudding. Mix until well blended. Add the small bowl of dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until the flour is fully incorporated. Fold in oats, walnuts and chocolate chips. Scoop mixture into muffin tins (about 2/3 full) and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, then you can devour them ravenously, like I did.

Mmmmmm.... it's finally starting to feel like Fall around here!

Baked Oatmeal

Breakthrough! My 2-year-old ate oatmeal today! Granted, it wasn't the healthiest version of oatmeal, but he got eggs, heart-healthy oatmeal, and calories. It took some time to get him to try it, but he enjoyed it once he did! My husband also gave it rave reviews and he just took a little portion with him on the way to school. Give it a shot for a little variety in your morning breakfast! PS: I got the recipe from the My Kitchen Cafe website.

Ingredients:

6 cups oatmeal (you can use quick or rolled)

2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup oil

2 cups milk

4 beaten eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.

3. Add wet ingredients and stir.

4. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

6. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes to cool before cutting.

7. Serve with milk in a bowl, if desired.

Notes: I halved mine and put it in an 8x8. Mine also took about 15 minutes longer to get done in the middle, but my oven is crap. If you don't wait for it to cool a bit, it will come out in pieces, which is fine if you want to eat it like regular oatmeal in a bowl with milk. It's yummy either way!

Apple Muffins

This is a great recipe if you have apples that are getting old and you don't know what to do with them!

Sift together:
2 cups all purpose flour (you could also use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white flour, or 2/3 cup oat flour and 1-1/3 cup white flour. Grind 1 cup oatmeal in a blender for oat flour)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Stir in:
1/2 cup finely chopped apple

In another bowl, combine:
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil

Add liquid to dry ingredients; stir. Fill 12 muffin cups.

Mix 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Coat 1 cup sliced apple with the above sugar mixture. Press apple slices into batter in cups. Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Banana Banana Bread

I especially prefer this banana bread because it has no nuts or other nonsense involved.
--
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (I melted it to make it easier to mix)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Pour in banana mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes
Yields: 12 Servings

Devil's Food Cake Mix Cookies

1 box Devil's Food cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients together, roll into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then move to wire rack. Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Variations: Add walnuts, pecans, coconut or chocolate chips.

These stay very moist and chewy for a couple of days (if they last that long!)

Candy Cane Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Mix well the shortening and butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt and add to shortening mixture. Divide dough in half.

Blend red food coloring into one half. Roll 1 teaspoon of the red dough and 1 teaspoon of the white dough on lightly floured board into 4 inch strips. Place strips side by side and press lightly together and twist like a rope. Curve top of rope down to look like the handle of a candy cane.

Bake 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove while still warm. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup crushed peppermint stick candy and 1/2 cup sugar (optional).

*These may not be super easy but would be great if you are having a holiday party.

Jiffy Muffin Mix

"Quality and Value since 1930"

And it looks like that is how old this box is but it's actually good! It only costs about 50 cents per box and they give other recipes on the side.

They have a good variety including Raspberry and Blueberry and make easy and wonderful Sunday muffins.

Try 'em out! You won't regret it!

~

1 pkg. Jiffy Muffin Mix

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease muffin pans or use paper baking cups.

Blend ingredients. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Fill muffin cups 1/2 full.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 6 muffins per box.

Cool and serve. Yummy!

Doctored Cupcakes

Credit for this recipe to my friend Polly, who, by the way, made me the best cupcakes EVER on my birthday a couple of weeks ago. For these yummy, easy cupcakes, skip the instructions on the cake box and use the following ingredients:

1 white cake mix

1 C. whole milk

1 stick butter (melted)

3 lg. eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Combine, mix on low 1 min, scrape sides of bowl, mix on medium 2 minutes. Use temps and times on cake mix box.

frosting:

3 C. salted butter

6-8 C. powdered sugar

vanilla to taste (around 4 tsp)

1-2 TB milk

whip it good. Makes a great, yummy, fluffy frosting!

Scones

Everyone I've made these for have really enjoyed them. They're especially delicious because they're baked and not fried!

1 cup light sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1 egg

1. In a small bowl, mix sour cream and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease large baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, & salt. Cut in butter and cream cheese.
4. Stir in the sour cream mixture & egg into the flour mixture until just moistened.
5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface & knead briefly.
6. Roll or pat dough into 3/4 inch thick, round circle.
7. Cut into 12 pie shaped wedges & place 1-2 inches apart on baking sheet.
8. Bake 15-18 minutes in oven till golden on bottoms.
9. Enjoy by cutting in half, spreading butter and topping with cinnamon sugar, or honey, or jam, or any delicious topping! We've found that they are best when eaten warm - whether that's straight out of the oven or reheated in the microwave.

The Best Sugar Cookies

These cookies are perfect for holiday decorating! You can't taste the sour cream at all (I was worried about that initially). This is my new favorite recipe for sugar cookies.


Cookies:

1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
3-1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt


Combine first 5 ingredients in mixing bowl and beat 2 minutes. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt, then add to the other ingredients in mixing bowl. Refrigerate, covered, for at least one hour. Roll out 1/4" to 1/2" thick and cut with cookie cutters as desired. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on baking sheet 2 minutes before moving them to cool on a wire rack.


Frosting:
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 t. vanilla
1-2 T. milk


Mix together powdered sugar and butter with electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. Continue to add milk until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Color as desired for decorating.

Pumpkin Bread or Muffins

1 1/2 cup sugar ( I have also substituted cooking splenda for 1/2 of it)
1 1/2 & 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 pumpkin
1/2 cup oil (I usually use applesauce)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1/3 cup water
2 eggs

Cook muffins at 350 for about 25-30 minutes
and bread for about 40-50 minutes

* For added variety I've mixed in craisins, and or a ripe banana.
** I usually sprinkle the top with "sugar in the raw" for a sweet addition