Category Archives: Bread

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Veronica

Did I scare you off with the word healthy? For those who are still reading, I have a nice treat in store for you! I whipped these babies up because I had some seriously overripe bananas begging to be used and also scored three pints of blueberries for $1.50 each at Aldi (love Aldi!). These are healthy in every sense of the word: whole wheat, all-natural, sugar-free, and low fat. Each muffin comes in at just 3 Points Plus. And yes, they are quite delicious! Maybe not delicious in the same way that a white, sugar-sweetened blueberry muffin with streusel topping is delicious, but delicious in a way that makes you happy not only in your mouth but in your overall sense of well-being.

I calculated the nutritional information for the recipe using both Truvia and sugar (since most people probably don’t have Truvia sitting around in their home), and either way the muffins come to 3 Points Plus. If you like baking sugar-free, I encourage you to try Truvia because in my experience it acts like sugar in baking, unlike many substitutes. (I’ve used it before in my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and Apple Cake Mabel, both with excellent results.) It is all natural, coming from the stevia plant, so you don’t have to be scared of any side-effects. There are none! It is the only all-natural calorie-free sweetener out there (stevia, not Truvia. There are many sweeteners made from stevia and Truvia is just one of them.)

I often complain to other bloggers when they fail to describe how their recipes taste because that is what I care about most when reading a recipe on a blog, so I’d better include my review too, lest those bloggers I’ve ticked off with my whining come back to haunt me. ;) The banana flavor doesn’t come through at all on the first day, it just naturally sweetens the muffins and makes them moist without a lot of added fat. Somehow the banana flavor develops overnight because I could faintly taste it when eating the leftovers, which were just as good. I also couldn’t detect the mace so I wouldn’t say it’s essential. I just threw it in on a whim. I thought the sweetness level was just right–not too sweet and not under-sweet. The texture is very moist, tender, and the whole grain makes them a little more hearty than I’m used to, but they seem more wholesome for it, which I like. The only thing I’d change next time is adding 1/2 cup more blueberries to make the muffins larger without changing the calories much (plus the blueberries add a lot of sweetness), and perhaps sprinkling a little sugar over the top of each before baking to make them prettier. What I liked most was eating them warm so that the blueberries burst in my mouth and hot juice squirted out. Oh, so delicious.

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

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3 medium over-ripe bananas
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons Truvia, or 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon mace (optional)
1 ¼ cups white whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup fresh blueberries (please try 1 1/2 cups!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 12 muffin cups with paper; set aside. Get out your overripe bananas and peel them into a large bowl.

When I said I had overripe bananas, I meant really overripe. There’s no reason why you can’t use black bananas in baking. The older they are, the better they are for baking because they get sweeter and have more banana flavor (in this case, that doesn’t affect the flavor of the muffins but it’s great for banana bread). You’ll only need three unless you’re doubling the recipe. I happened to make this recipe twice because I put too much liquid and not enough flour in it the first time, so I was glad to have just the right amount of bananas to make another batch and perfect the recipe.

As you can see, the insides are nice and golden and very soft.

Mash ’em up.

Stir in the buttermilk, oil, Truvia (or sugar), vanilla, salt, and mace.

Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and stir until moistened but lumpy.

It doesn’t need to be any more mixed than this because you’ll be stirring it more when you add the blueberries. The more you mix muffin batter, the tougher the muffins will be.

Stir in the blueberries.

Using an icecream scoop, divide the batter between prepared muffin cups. (I didn’t take any more pictures for some reason so just imagine one of the finished batter, and one of the filled muffin tin before baking. Thanks. :)) Bake 15-20 minutes, until done. Cool on wire rack for a few minutes before serving. Cool leftovers completely and store in a Ziploc bag or airtight container.

Makes 12 muffins.

Per muffin: 100 calories; 2.8 g fat; 17 g carbohydrates; 2.3 g fiber; 2.4 g protein; 3 Points Plus

Made with ½ cup sugar in place of Truvia: 133 calories; 2.8 g fat; 25 g carbohydrates; 2.3 g fiber; 2.4 g protein; 3 Points Plus

Recipe by Veronica Miller

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Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Lighter Fare and tagged all-natural, blueberry muffins, diet-friendly, healthy, low calorie, low-fat, Sugar-Free, white whole wheat. Bookmark the permalink.

Honey Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Veronica

My Dad used to make what I thought was one of the most delicious meals ever out of torn Ezekiel bread pieces, a sliced banana, and natural peanut butter all mixed up in a bowl together and drizzled with honey. Sweets were a rarity in our home so when he let me try this, I was thrilled because I felt like I was eating dessert. This was how I was introduced to the trifecta of banana, peanut butter and honey and I’ve been a fan ever since.

I first made these muffins in miniature form almost a year ago when I had a single overripe banana and wanted to use it in something before it started growing white stuff. (I’ll include that recipe too for those interested.) It was only natural for me to reach for the peanut butter and honey, and I was really pleased with the result. I’ve made many subsequent batches, adapting it on a larger scale to make the standard dozen since the small batch doesn’t last long enough to suit us.

This is a straightforward recipe, no fancy ingredients, naturally sweetened, and it’s all mashed and mixed together in one bowl using a single fork. The result is a moist and flavorful muffin with the perfect balance of banana, peanut butter and honey.

By the way, these healthy, low-sugar muffins are dog tested and approved! My Jessie is such a treat snob that when she approves something I’ve made, you can bet your pup will most likely dig it too. For doggies, you can bake them up in mini-muffin tins, depending on the dog’s size. Or just share yours, which is what I like to do. That way I feel justified when I reach for a second one, since I didn’t eat all of the first. :)

Honey Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

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3 medium overripe bananas
¾ cup peanut butter
¼ cup honey
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with papers or spray with oil.

Peel bananas and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork (you should have about 1 ¼ cups of mashed banana), then mix in the peanut butter with your fork until well blended. Next mix in the honey and once the mixture is uniform in color, stir in the milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Measure in the flour and baking soda, and stir with your fork just until mixed. The batter will be thick but try not to overwork it to get it mixed. It’s OK if a few lumps remain. Using an ice cream scoop, divide batter between muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle nuts in the middle of each muffin (nuts will spread out as the muffins bake). Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean, and remove to cooling rack. Leave in tin for five minutes, then remove to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Per muffin: 196 calories; 9 g fat; 26 g carbohydrates; 2.4 g fiber; 6 g protein; 5 Points Plus

Honey Banana Peanut Butter Bites

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1 medium overripe banana
¼ cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 12 mini muffin cups.

Mash the banana in a medium bowl an stir in the peanut butter, honey, and buttermilk. Stir in the remaining ingredients just until moistened. Divide between muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes (or until done) and remove to cooling rack. Leave in tin for five minutes, then remove to cool completely.

Makes 12 mini muffins.

Nutrition Info (per muffin): 66 calories; 3 g fat; 84 mg sodium; 77 mg potassium; 9 carb; 1 g fiber; 2 g protein; 2 Points Plus

Recipes by Veronica Miller

**Veronica’s note: to make these into vegan muffins, replace the honey with agave nectar, the buttermilk with non-dairy milk, and the baking soda with baking powder. I have done this and they are equally delicious, though I do prefer the honey flavor with banana and peanut butter.**

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Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Dog Treats, Lighter Fare, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged banana, diet-friendly, dog friendly, dog muffins, dog treats, honey, honey banana peanut butter muffins recipe, low-sugar, mini, muffins, natural, naturally sweetened, peanut butter. Bookmark the permalink.

Homestead Cornbread

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Veronica

After posting the recipe for a lighter Northern cornbread, I got some feedback I wasn’t expecting. Namely, from readers informing me that cornbread wasn’t made with flour, only cornmeal.

What?

I mean. WHAT?!

How could this possibly be? Mom made her cornbread with whole wheat flour. Every cornbread recipe I’ve ever seen includes flour. Why have I never heard of cornmeal-only cornbread?!

I scoured the internet for a cornmeal-only recipe, and came up empty. I consulted a friend in Kentucky who told me that cornmeal-only cornbread is a Southern thing (and she also told me I had to use buttermilk) so I searched for “Southern cornbread.” Every recipe had flour. So I searched for “buttermilk Southern cornbread.” All had flour. Desperate, I just did a generic “cornbread” search and yielded the same results. The only difference in the vast amount of recipes was the amount of cornmeal and flour, the type of milk used, and whether or not there was sugar added.

I remembered that my cornmeal sack had a cornbread recipe on the back so I consulted that. Score! It was called “Homestead Cornbread” and only called for cornmeal, but it called for regular milk and Carla had specifically told me I had to use buttermilk. She also insisted I top it with real butter. Carla is from the South and she knows what she’s talkin’ ’bout so I decided I’d better come up with my own recipe (and top it with real butter) to make her happy.

You know southern women. They’re all charming and “bless your heart!”…until you try to serve them sweet cornbread with whipped honey butter and then the fangs come out! Or so I imagine, based upon how heated the North & South cornbread debate can get. ;)

*Disclaimer: I apologize to any Southern women reading this. I was totally only saying that to amuse the Northerners. Please don’t bite me!

So I got to work and made us a big ‘ol mess of beans (I’m trying to talk like Paula Deen since I’m doing the whole Southern cornbread thang here), because that’s just what you eat with cornbread (or am I wrong about this too?), and baked up my version of REAL southern cornbread.

Until I made this, I was convinced that the sweetened, moist stuff I’d been making lately was an abomination and I should be ashamed of myself for stooping so low as to make something that you didn’t have to drown in butter to keep from choking down. That’s just how cornbread was supposed to be. Dry and unsweet. But now I can officially say (my apologies to the Southern folks) that I’m a true Northern cornbread convert.

Now, this stuff is wonderful if you do indeed slather it with a generous amount of (real) butter, and even better with some honey (I guess I missed the sweetness), but without them it is a little dry and crumbly. What do you expect? There’s no flour in it! But if you were raised on this kind of cornbread, and are looking for a recipe and discovered them hard to find, I’m going to include it here for you because I realize that folks are loyal (except in my case, apparently) to the foods they were raised on. And this one is especially good for crumbling over your beans, which means you can get your cornbread and beans in every bite! I love that. Oh, oh, oh! This one would also be superb for making cornbread stuffing. Mmmm….is it too early to start planning Thanksgiving dinner?

Homestead Cornbread

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2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder (such as Rumford)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs (unbeaten)
2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Add milk, egg, and oil and mix well. Pour into well-greased 8-inch square pan (the batter will come up high but don’t worry, it doesn’t rise much) and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cut into rows of 4×3 to make 12 squares.

Per serving: 120 calories; 4.2 g fat; 17.4 g carb; 1.5 g fiber; 3.7 g protein

*Veronica’s notes: it’s important to use aluminum-free baking powder in recipes calling for more than a teaspoon, otherwise you will get an unpleasant metallic aftertaste. If I were to make this again, I’d bump up the oil to 1/4 cup to make it a little more moist. To make this with regular milk, use 5 teaspoons of baking powder and omit the baking soda.

Recipe source: adapted from the back of a Shawnee Best yellow cornmeal sack.

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Posted in Bread, Lighter Fare and tagged baking, buttermilk cornbread, cornbread, cornmeal only, recipe, southern cornbread, unsweetened. Bookmark the permalink.

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Veronica

This isn’t my favorite bread, but it does have a great, wholesome & hearty flavor. It is an excellent loaf for slicing and making sandwiches. My favorite use for it is making grilled cheese sandwiches, and I also made some yummy ham and cheese melts (with apricot preserves spread on the insides) that this bread was wonderful with. This makes a very large, tall loaf, so if you prefer you can make two smaller, shorter loaves with the dough as I chose to, which makes the bread go further, although your sandwiches will be smaller. I’m on a mission to lose these last 15 pounds so the smaller sandwiches totally fits in with my plan! I love it when I can eat real food (read: non-“free” stuff. Free is good as long as it’s not associated with fat or sugar!) and stay within my calorie budget.

Be sure to check out the recipe source at the end–this gal has tons of healthy, delicious recipes! I won her low-fat cinnamon rolls in an online bake sale auction and I have to say they are crazy good. I never thought to replace butter in the filling with applesauce–brilliant!

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

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2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
3 tablespoon molasses
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 cup rolled oats
4 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon salt

For optional topping
1 egg, beaten with a teaspoon of water
2 tablespoons rolled oats

Butter a large bowl and a 9″ loaf pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl or food processor fitted with a dough hook, mix together water, yeast and molasses. Allow the yeast to stand for 5 minutes until it begins to bubble. Add the whole wheat and bread flour, the oats and the melted butter. Stir to combine. Cover with towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Add in salt and then mix until dough pulls away from sides and becomes a ball. You can add a tablespoon or two of flour or water if necessary. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5-10 times. Place into the large, buttered bowl. For the first rise, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few times. Put the dough into the buttered bowl, cover with a towel, and leave it to rise for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Turn dough out onto floured surface after first rise. Shape by folding into a square, folding top down towards center and bottom up towards the center. Pinch the new top and bottom together to seal, roll to shape and place in the loaf pan, seam side down. Allow to rise in a warm place, covered with a towel for one hour or until dough rises an additional half its size. Preheat oven to 400° F. Right before placing in oven, brush egg wash over the top of the loaf and sprinkle on the rolled oats. Bake for 40 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. The loaf slices best when at room temperature.

Veronica’s notes: I substituted rapid-acting yeast as usual, so I mixed it in with the dry ingredients and then added the wet–no proofing necessary. You don’t technically have to do two rises when you use rapid-acting/instant yeast, so you can just shape it into a loaf and let it rise once before baking, but I usually go ahead and do two rises anyway to develop a more yeasty flavor.

I calculated the nutritional information based on making two loaves and dividing each into 14 slices. Per slice: 111 calories; 2.7 g fat; 21 g carbohydrate; 2.2 g fiber; 3.4 g protein

Recipe source: From Apples to Zucchini

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Posted in Bread, Lighter Fare and tagged Bread, diet, healthy, homemade, low calorie, nutritious, oatmeal, oatmeal sandwich bread recipe, wholesome, yeast. Bookmark the permalink.

Lighter Northern Cornbread

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Veronica

The civil war may have ended over 100 years ago, but there are still some battles between the north and south that continue to rage. The cornbread issue, for instance. It basically boils down to unsweetened (the south) versus sweetened (the north). (Isn’t it ironic that the issue of the iced tea is the opposite, the south preferring sweetened?) I was raised on a hearty whole wheat, unsweetened variety, and loved smothering it with butter and eating it with pinto beans during the cold winter months. But now that I’m an adult and making my own cornbread, I most often make the northern kind since my hubby won’t eat the other. I’m Switzerland–a fan of both, which is apt since we live in the middle of the US and aren’t really in the north or the south.

For you that enjoy northern-style cornbread, you can find the absolute best recipe here, but if you’re looking for something a little lighter, I’ve come up with a great one for you that won’t disappoint!

Lighter Northern Cornbread

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1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat milk
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350; grease a 9×9 pan and set aside. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and stir. Add wet ingredients and stir just until mixed (it’s OK if there are some lumps). Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cut into rows of 4 x 4 to make 16 squares.

Per square: 137 calories; 5.5 g fat; 19 g carbohydrate; .8 g fiber; 3 g protein

Recipe by Veronica Miller

Out of curiosity, how do you prefer your cornbread and tea? Sweet or not?

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Posted in Bread, Lighter Fare and tagged cornbread, diet, light, lighter northern cornbread recipe, low calorie, sweet. Bookmark the permalink.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Low-Fat, Low-Sugar)

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Veronica

Although I’ve been eating healthier for the better part of eight months, you might not have been able to tell that by the recipes I’ve been posting. I figured it was about time I get to it and share some more of the low-calorie love. We all need balance, and I’d say after my last brownie post, you’re due something a little on the lighter side.

I wanted to participate in this week’s BSI (blogger secret ingredient) contest, this week’s ingredient being yogurt, so I dug my container out of the fridge and decided to whip something up with the bananas that were rotting on the counter. (Bananas that are nearly rotten give the best flavor for banana bread!) I’ve also been experimenting with baking with Truvia and have had good results when combining it with a little sugar in recipes, so I decided to do that here too. Thus this delightful bread was born!

This is a moist loaf with a wonderfully sweet banana flavor. The chocolate chips are a nice little bonus. Though it doesn’t quite compare to my favorite banana bread, it is still really delicious and I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about having two slices for lunch, spread with a thin schmear of peanut butter (my favorite way to eat this bread)!

This would be a good recipe to turn into muffins, and it would be easier to get even portion sizes that way too. Plus, you wouldn’t have to bake them as long, which translates to a center that’s even more moist!

V’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Truvia
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups mashed overripe banana (about 3-4 bananas)
½ cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” loaf pan with cooking oil and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk to combine. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients. Add wet to dry, stirring until nearly mixed, then fold in the chocolate chips. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 1 loaf, 12 slices. Per slice: 155 calories; 2.6 g fat; 35.6 mg cholesterol; 113 mg sodium; 32 g carbohydrates; 1.4 g fiber; 4 g protein

Recipe by Veronica Miller

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Favorite Banana Bread & Spices Giveaway Winner

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Veronica

First off, congratulations to Amanda, the winner of my spices giveaway! Check your email, Amanda, and send me your address so I can get them in the mail to you.

Now on to this banana bread. I started making it this summer and since the moment the first loaf came out of the oven, it became my favorite banana bread. In fact, I made it three times that first week because my family just couldn’t get enough. Which is one reason why I never got a very good photo of it. It seems to disappear before I have a chance to grab my camera.

Atypical of most banana breads, it has a fine, light texture and has a crispy, buttery crust. It is super sweet and with a perfect banana flavor. The only problem I have with it is that it bakes up flat. I even bought new baking powder and soda, and still, flat. I think this must be the result of the same thing that happens with “sad” cakes (the ones that sink in the middle) that have a high ratio of fat and liquid to dry ingredients. But, just as sad cakes are incredibly moist, so is this bread. And I seem to be the ONLY person that can’t bake it up with a dome on top. Check out the original recipe to see Mel’s pictures. And then check out my friend Cheryl’s loaf of this bread. They’re beautiful. Maybe it’s the climate here, or our altitude, or perhaps my kitchen is cursed, but based on the other photos, I’d have to say your loaf will probably bake up much nicer than mine.

And even if it doesn’t, it will disappear just as fast. It’s wonderful!

Buttermilk Banana Bread

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1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I use about 3 average-sized bananas)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 1 large (9 1/4 X 5 1/4-inch) loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla until the batter is well mixed. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Mix until well combined. Divide batter into greased and floured bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe source: My Kitchen Cafe

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Posted in Bread, Breakfast, My Favorites, Sweets and tagged baking, banana bread recipe, cake-like, light, not dense. Bookmark the permalink.

Eggnog Pumpkin Bread

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Veronica

It usually takes me months to get around to posting a recipe, but I couldn’t wait with this one. I made it today, and I’m posting it today because I’m durn proud of it! I threw a bunch of stuff together in a bowl and was delighted when it came out even better than I expected.

It started with the marked down holiday baking stuff last year. I can never resist it. Among bags and bags of peppermint baking chips, I bought maybe ten boxes of pumpkin spice pudding mix, having no idea what I was going to do with it. (Making pudding with it would be too obvious.) Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I bought some eggnog because I can’t resist that either. I have to have at least one glass of eggnog a year. I love it. However, I don’t need a whole half gallon all to myself and my husband won’t touch it, so I now had two things I wanted to include in a recipe in order to get rid of them–pumpkin spice pudding mix and eggnog. And then I found the finishing touch–something I’ve been scouring the store shelves for for two years! Cinnamon baking chips. I was ready to bake, baby.

The loaves came out super-moist thanks to the pumpkin and pudding mix…and maybe the rich eggnog and oil had a little to do with it, too. :) There is a good balance of flavor between the pumpkin and taste of eggnog, enhanced by extra rum and nutmeg. The cinnamon chips are perfect with the flavor of the bread but they can be left out if you prefer. I hope you try it this holiday season!

Eggnog Pumpkin Bread

I weighed my flour and sugar as I measured them so I could be sure to get the same amounts the next time I make the bread. If you don’t have a scale, be sure to scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and level it rather than scooping it with the measuring cup, or you may get too much flour in the recipe, resulting in heavier, drier loaves.
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3 cups (13 ¾ oz) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (11 ¼ oz) granulated sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package Jello Pumpkin Spice pudding mix*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 ½ cups eggnog
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon rum or 1 teaspoon imitation rum extract
1 (10 oz) bag cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9×5 loaf pans; set aside.

Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs and add the eggnog, pumpkin, oil, and rum. Beat until incorporated and smooth. Pour liquid into the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Add the cinnamon chips and fold them in until combined.

Divide batter between prepared pans and bake 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack ten minutes, then remove from pans to cool completely on rack.

*You could probably substitute another flavor of pudding mix, like vanilla, if you can’t find the pumpkin spice, and just add some extra spices to the batter to make up for it not being in the pudding mix.

Recipe by Veronica Miller

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Posted in Bread, Sweets and tagged baking, eggnog, eggnog pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice pudding mix, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Sedona Cream Scones

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Veronica

I adapted this recipe from Carole Walter, who adapted it from the recipe used at Shugrue’s Hillside Grill in Sedona, AZ (hence the name, although these are probably nothing like the original recipe now that it’s been adapted twice!). These scones are so soft & tender, they practically melt in your mouth! I’m in love. Try them with lemon curd. You will fall in love too!

Sedona Cream Scones

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3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder (preferably aluminum-free)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ c (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk (reserve white for egg wash)
1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water, for egg wash
1 T sparkling sugar

Position rack in the middle of oven. Preheat to 375 degrees F. Have ready a large, ungreased cookie sheet.

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the butter and mix for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until the mixture forms pea-size bits. Whisk together the cream, egg, and egg yolk. Stir it in by hand, just until it forms a dough. Sprinkle flat surface with about 2 tablespoons flour. Empty dough onto surface, and, with floured hands, knead five or six times. Press into a 12″ circle or square. Cut the circle into four triangles, then cut each triangle into thirds, or cut 12 square pieces from the square. When placing on cookie sheet, invert each scone, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 5 min before loosening with a thin metal spatula. Serve scones warm. If baking ahead, warm the scones in a 300 degree F oven before serving. Store in an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 days. These scones may be frozen.

Recipe source: adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More by Carole Walter

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Pumpkin Spice Bagels & Pumpkin Butter

Posted on October 23, 2010 by Veronica

Dave from My Year on the Grill chose leftovers as this week’s “ingredient” for the Blogger Secret Ingredient contest (aka BSI). Since I often make dishes with leftovers, I had a tough choice choosing which one I’ve made lately to post. And since the things I made with 28 egg yolks leftover from my huge white birthday cake all included lemon, I chose to post something more season-appropriate.

Don’t you hate it when a recipe calls for 1/2 cup of pumpkin, or any other measurement other than the entire can? Drives me crazy! After using 1/2 cup for some yummy bagels, I decided to use the leftover to make pumpkin butter so I could smear that on the bagels with some cream cheese. The bagels are good by themselves, but even better with the pumpkin butter! And don’t worry, your pumpkin bagels will not be as dark or flat because you will not mess up the recipe by adding so much water that you have to add in 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour to stiffen it back up, and you will not forget to put in half the yeast. Although these mistakes made the bagels more dense than I would have liked, they were still quite tasty and I will definitely make them again.

Pumpkin Spice Bagels
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2/3 cup warm water 110°)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups bread flour (I used all-purpose)
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 egg white
1 tbsp cornmeal

In bread machine pan, place water, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, spices, flour and yeast in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into nine balls. Push thumb through centers to form a 1-in. hole. Stretch and shape dough to form an even ring. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Fill a Dutch oven two-thirds full with water; bring to a boil. Drop bagels, two at a time, into rapidly boiling water. Cook for 45 seconds; turn and cook 45 seconds longer. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Whisk egg white and remaining water; brush over bagels. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place bagels 2 in. apart on prepared pan. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 9 servings.

Nutrition Information (provided by a Taste of Home): 1 bagel equals 180 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 273 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein

Recipe source: Taste of Home Healthy Cooking, October/November 2010

You can see other spreads I made with leftovers in the background: lemon curd (made with leftover egg yolks) and apple butter (made with leftover applesauce)

Pumpkin Butter
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Leftover pumpkin (you should have a heaping cup)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Whisk together in small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced half.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups

Nutrition information per tablespoon (calculated on Sparkrecipes.com): 19 calories, 0 g fat, 2.4 mg sodium, 36.8 mg potassium, 6 g carbohydrate, 5 g sugar, 0 protein

Recipe by Veronica Miller