During the cold weather we’ve been having, I’ve been baking some muffins, and one of the kinds I’ve made are these Apple-Bran Muffins. I’ve always liked the taste of bran muffins, but I like them even better with fresh chopped apples baked in the batter! The chopped apples add just a little more touch of fruity sweetness to this lightly-sweet muffin and also give it a little more texture. Continue reading
Cornbread muffins are so good with chili and soup in the cooler weather months. But when you add crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onion, it really takes them to the next level! Continue reading
Peach season came and went so fast I didn’t get a chance to bake any recipes with fresh peaches! But I still wanted to bake something with a peachy flavor. I thought one of the complimentary Fruit & Maple Spreads I received from Polaner® would be a great thing to try in Continue reading
Christmas would not be Christmas without any gingerbread treats. And these gingerbread scones, topped with coarse sugar that adds a nice sparkly touch, are definitely a treat–especially for breakfast or brunch. They’re not really sweet enough to be considered a dessert scone, but they have a rich gingerbread flavor and are great in the morning with some coffee or tea.
I just saw the movie The Man Who Invented Christmas and it’s the perfect movie for this time of year! It’s about how Charles Dickens came to write his much-loved classic, A Christmas Carol. It will certainly get you in the holiday mood, kind of like how eating gingerbread-flavored things can get you in a holiday mood. Hmmm…I wonder if Dickens happened to have any gingerbread scones as he was writing his story?
GINGERBREAD SCONES by NancyC
Makes 8 large scones
- 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg, separated
- Coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In large bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a medium size bowl, mix the molasses, milk, vanilla, and egg yolk (save the egg white for later). Stir this mixture into the crumbly flour mixture, forming a crumbly dough.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead about 6 times. Pat into an 8-inch circle on prepared baking sheet, then cut into 8 wedges (if you don’t want the wedges to bake together, separate them by about an inch on the baking sheet).
Beat egg white well, until foamy, and brush over scones. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake at 350˚F for 20 to 22 minutes, until set. If you hadn’t separated the scones on the baking sheet, they will have baked together, so you can slice them where you had cut them before baking. Serve scones warm or let cool.
Have you made any gingerbread goodies this season? Or have you seen the Dickens movie?
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I’ve been so glad to see fresh cranberries at the grocery store these past few weeks! I just had to make something with fresh cranberries and muffins seemed like a good idea. I added some orange extract to give these muffins a subtle orange flavor. You could also add some orange zest if you wanted to.
These muffins bake up with nice rounded tops and have lots of cranberries and pecans in every bite! These are great for a Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast or brunch, or for anytime in the fall or winter, for that matter. They also make a nice snack or dessert if you’re wanting something a little less sweet. You could probably substitute dried cranberries for the fresh, but I’ve always made these with fresh–I like their slightly sweet, tart flavor!
CRANBERRY PECAN MUFFINS by NancyC
Makes 24 muffins
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure orange extract
- Optional: 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries (or substitute dried cranberries)
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.
In large bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In medium bowl, mix milk, butter, orange extract, and eggs. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined, then fold in chopped cranberries and pecans and stir until evenly distributed in batter (be careful not to overmix). Batter will be thick!
Spoon batter into the lined muffin cups. Bake at 350˚F for 22 to 25 or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pans for a few minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire rack, or serve warm.
Do you have your Thanksgiving menu planned out? Are you making anything with fresh cranberries for your special meal? Whatever your plans are, have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Let us be thankful…. HEBREWS 12:28
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