Orange Praline Muffins Recipe

Orange Praline Muffins

The flavors of orange and pecan go so well together.  I've had the original recipe for Orange Praline Bread for quite some time.  It was on the Land O Lakes website.  I decided to try the recipe for muffins instead and, of course, I had to add whole wheat.  The orange flavor was predominant as the recipe calls for quite a bit of orange zest.  I also made a little more glaze than the original recipe as I wanted to make sure each muffin had enough of "the good stuff".  Kim, as the official taste-tester, said he would prefer these as muffintops as the best part is the praline topping.  I'll have to try that next time.  Or, if you try it, let me know how it turns out for you.

Orange Praline Muffins

Muffins

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 large egg

1/2 Tablespoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Glaze

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 Tablespoons finely chopped pecans

• Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray 10 muffin cups with nonstick spray.
• In a small bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a large bowl, mix sour cream, melted butter, egg, orange zest, vanilla and sugar until combined.
• Add dry ingredients mixing just until moistened.
• Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.
• Spoon batter evenly into 10 muffin cups.
• Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 5 minutes and remove from pans to a cooling rack covered with a piece of waxed paper.
• In a small saucepan, mix brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter, stirring until well combined.
• Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil (3 to 4 minutes).
• Spoon glaze mixture over warm muffins (or dip muffin tops in glaze) and immediately sprinkle with remaining pecans.
• Allow “praline” to set and ENJOY!

Click her for the Original recipe 

Banana Pancakes with Caramel Banana Syrup

Banana Pancakes with Caramel Banana Syrup

I recently rediscovered one of my old favorite recipes - Banana Pancakes with Caramel Banana Syrup. When I subscribed to Bon Appétit magazine, years ago, I would read each issue cover to cover looking for ideas.  This recipe is from November 2005.  I have slightly adapted the recipe by adding whole wheat flour, salt and baking powder as the original recipe used self-rising flour.  The pancakes are delicious without the syrup, but, the syrup it what makes you say "WOW!"

Banana Pancakes with Caramel Banana Syrup

Yield:  4 servings

Syrup:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large bananas cut into 1/4” rounds

Pancakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 banana, mashed

1/4 cup butter, melted

For syrup:

1. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a large skillet.
2. Boil over medium-high heat until mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in vanilla extract and sliced bananas. Remove syrup from heat.

For pancakes:

1. Whisk flours, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, brown sugar and mashed banana.
3. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until combined.
4. Fold in melted butter.
5. Cook pancakes until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
6. Serve pancakes with heated caramel-banana syrup.

Adapted from:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-Pancakes-with-Caramel-Banana-Syrup-233140

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Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes - Gluten Free

Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

With the abundance of organic local blueberries, I have been trying every variation of blueberry pancakes I can think of.  I have quite a cookbook collection and went through them in search of something special.  I found quite a few variations on a theme combining lemon, blueberries and cornmeal.  After several attempts with varying methods and proportions, this recipe emerged as the clear winner.  You can use regular flour, but, the gluten free version is superior.  Yes, you read correctly, the gluten free version is better than the wheat flour version.  Here's the  exact recipe I used.  Try it and let me know how it turns out for you.

Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes – gluten free

Serves 2 - 3

Juice from 1 whole lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)

7 ounces milk (approximately)

3/4 cup Namaste gluten free Perfect Flour Blend

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest from 1 whole lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
1 egg, separated

Blueberries, fresh or frozen

• Squeeze lemon juice into a measuring cup.  Add milk to make 1 cup.  Set aside for 10 minutes. (Yes, the milk will curdle and get very thick.)
• In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice milk mixture, melted butter, vanilla, egg yolk, and lemon zest.
• Add wet to dry ingredients, stir just to bring mixture together.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg white until shiny and firm, but not dry.
• Gently fold egg white into batter.
• Scoop batter onto preheated, greased griddle and immediately sprinkle with desired amount of blueberries.
• When bubbles start to appear and pancakes are golden, flip and cook other side.
• Serve with butter and maple syrup.

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Blueberry Johnnycakes

Blueberry Johnnycakes

With the abundance of beautiful blueberries this year, I have been revisiting old favorite recipes.  This recipe was one of the first that I shared with guests almost 11 years ago, blueberry johnnycakes.  What are johnnycakes, you might ask?  It is one of the many names given to cornmeal pancakes.  According to what I've read, the early American settlers learned from the Native American Indians how to make flat bread from cornmeal.  It is suggested that cornmeal pancakes traveled well and were called journeycakes, which came to be known as johnnycakes.

Now that you know the history of the word, let me tell you what makes this recipe special.  The combination of whole wheat with the cornmeal gives a wonderful texture and the use of molasses gives a distinctive taste.  I hope you'll enjoy this recipe as much as our guests do.

Blueberry Johnnycakes

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 Tablespoons molasses

1 egg

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries 

1. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3. Mix wet with dry just until combined.
4. Spread about ¼ cup batter per pancake on hot, greased griddle.  Immediately, place 6 – 7 blueberries onto batter.
5. Cook until golden, turn and cook other side until done.
6. Enjoy with a little butter and maple syrup.

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Pina Colada Muffins

Pina Colada Muffin

I was looking for a new muffin recipe and came across a recipe for Pina Colada Muffins on the Welcome Home blog.  Marty has been sharing her mother's recipes along with some beautiful inspirational messages.  I did make just a couple of changes to her recipe.  I substituted coconut oil for the butter, I used drained crushed pineapple in place of the chunked pineapple and I omitted the coconut extract.  Because I used the crushed pineapple, I mixed the pineapple into the wet ingredients before mixing all ingredients together.  The result was a delicious, moist, beautiful muffin.  Hope you like it.  Please visit Marty on facebook and let her know I sent you!  And, thanks, Marty, for a great recipe.

PINA COLADA MUFFINS
Yield:  12 muffins

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 heaping cup sugar
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put muffins liners in muffin tin. Take out buttermilk and eggs, so they can come to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix together flours, salt, baking powder, sugar, and coconut flakes. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, butter, vanilla, and coconut extract. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix or your muffins will be dry. Chop pineapple chunks to make mini chunks and then gently fold into muffin batter. Again, folding just enough to distribute pineapple bits. Sprinkle top with a little coconut that will toast during baking time.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins feel set when gently pressed. Cool a few minutes in the tin and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

http://www.welcome-home-blog.net/2013/06/pina-colada-muffins.html

Pina Colada Muffins

Cold Blueberry Soup on a hot Summer's Day

Cold Blueberry Soup

It's blueberry time here in South Georgia.  I've been stocking up on fresh, organic, local blueberries and the freezer is just about full.  There are so many things you can make with blueberries, besides the obvious blueberry muffins, cobbler, pie or jam.  How about some refreshing cold blueberry soup?

I looked through my cookbooks and online and found many variations of blueberry soup.  I took the basic idea and came up with my own recipe using evaporated skim milk.  Evaporated skim gives it body and texture without the fat of regular milk or cream.  Of course, feel free to garnish the soup with a little whipped cream, sour cream or yogurt to give it a creamier texture.  I created the pretty pattern by swirling some whipped cream (I used a ziploc bag with the corner cut off) and then using a knife to cut in the design.

Cold Blueberry Soup

Yield:  4 large servings or 6 small servings

3 cups fresh blueberries

3/4 cup orange juice

6 Tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice - divided

12 oz can of evaporated skim milk, chilled

Garnish – whipped cream, sour cream or yogurt and fresh blueberries

1. Combine blueberries, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, salt and 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice in a saucepan.
2. Stirring frequently, heat on medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.
3. Remove from heat, and let cool for about 10 minutes.
4. Add 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
5. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender or food processor), process blueberry mixture and lemon juice until smooth.
6. Cover and chill until ready to serve.  (I chilled it overnight)
7. Stir in chilled evaporated skim milk just prior to serving.
8. Serve in stemmed glasses. Garnish, if desired.

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes, you just want a chocolate chip cookie.  You want it now and you want it to be homemade.  I've been holding onto this recipe for several years (I have no idea where it came from) and I decided to try it.  Kim said they were really good, although, not as good as the ones with butter and eggs.  But, for a vegan recipe, he said it was a winner.  Hope you like it!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Makes 8 - 12 cookies depending on size

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup real maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon  molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup chocolate chips

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, molasses and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined. 
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the chocolate chips, and stir through until just well combined (do not overmix).
5. Place large spoonfuls of the batter on the cookie sheet and flatten a little.
6. Bake for 11 minutes, until just golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). 
7. Let cool on the sheet for no more than 1 minute (again, to prevent drying), then transfer to a cooling rack.
8. Let them cool a little before eating.
9. Enjoy!

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