Morning Glory Muffins

I've really been in the mood for a good muffin lately. A super healthy, packed with goodness muffin that I can have for a weekday breakfast on the go without feeling bad about questionable ingredients. So when I found this recipe I was anxious to try it out.

After I made a few modifications to bump up the health factor, I was SO pleased with how this muffin came out. Carrots, apples, golden raisins, and whole wheat flour are only a few of the healthful ingredients in this muffin. I actually feel good about eating it because not only is it just delicious tasting, I know that it's packed with goodness.

The muffin itself is perfectly sweet (using agave nectar, not white sugar) and very moist. The almonds add wonderful texture and the cinnamon is a great addition to the flavor of the muffin.

All in all, I absolutely loved this muffin, as did my co-workers...who could not believe it was actually healthy. Which is fine by me.

Ingredients
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple (I used granny smith), peeled, cored and diced
1 cup golden raisins
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 small handfuls of Raw Almonds, chopped finely and divided
about 4+ tbsp. wheat germ, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a muffin tin with nonstick spray, or use paper cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, applesauce, agave nectar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Set bowl aside.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat and all purpose flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and about 2 tbsp. wheat germ. Stir in carrots, apples, 1 small handful of chopped almonds and raisins. Then stir in egg mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

In a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, combine the rest of the chopped almonds and 2 tbsp wheat germ. Heat until wheat germ is very lightly toasted, and then top the muffins with the toasted wheat germ and almonds.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

I yielded 24 muffins that were on the smaller side.

Apple Butter

One thing I wanted to do with my mass of apples was to make Apple Butter this year. I overcame my fear of canning when I made my homemade pickles over the summer, so I was excited to jar the apple butter as well.

I chose this recipe because it didn't require the use of a food mill since I don't have one, nor do I want to buy one. Looking back, I'm sure I could have used any Apple Butter recipe and just pressed the apple mixture through a sieve instead of running it through a food mill like I did for this one, but I liked that there was no mention of a food mill in the recipe itself!

This recipe was great. I used the stovetop directions because it was quicker, and it was really easy and fun to do. The only part that is tedious was peeling, coring and chopping the apples, but this little tool came in very handy for that and made the process much easier.

The apple butter itself is smooth and rich, with great subtle hints of fall flavors and spices. Spread this apple butter on toast, English muffins or even pork chops to bring the flavors of autumn to your meal. This recipe is certainly a keeper...I've already made it 3 times this year alone! Additionally, you don't need to jar the apple butter (although it makes great gifts)...you can also put it in a bowl and refrigerate for up to a week. Enjoy!

Recipe can be found at www.MyRecipes.com and is from Cooking Light.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

The other day my husband asked me to buy some cinnamon raisin bread at the store for breakfast. I was sick of cereal so I definitely complied. Well after I ate some and realized how good it was, I decided that I definitely needed to make my own!

This recipe was great. The bread was fluffy and rose nice and high. Although keep in mind it does make 3 loaves so the dough was busting right out of my standard Kitchen Aid mixer during kneading! But I definitely think you need to make the who 3 loaves. By the time you make one for yourself, give one to your neighbor and then bring one into work you are all out!

This recipe was certainly a winner in my book and pairs perfectly with a hot cup of tea in the morning. This would also be great to bring to a brunch. I will definitely be making this again.

Ingredients
Source: Recipezaar, Recipe # 98867

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup warm water (must be between 110-115 degrees)
2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup raisins (I used 2 cups which was just enough, in my opinion 1 would have been far too few)
8 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I omitted)

Directions
Warm the milk in a small sauce pan on the stove until it just starts to bubble, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.Let cool until lukewarm, about 120-125 degrees.

Dissolve yeast in warm water (I also added a pinch of sugar) and set aside until yeast is frothy, about 10 minutes or so (make sure your water is at the correct temperature or the yeast won't activate.) Then in a large bowl (I used the bowl of my KA mixer) mix in eggs, sugar, yeast mixture, butter, salt and raisins. Then stir in the cooled milk slowly so you don't cook the eggs. I also added a pinch of cinnamon to the dough itself.

Add the flour gradually to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until smooth. (I mixed and kneaded with the dough hook of my KA mixer). Place in a large, buttered, mixing bowl and turn to grease the surface of the dough.Cover with a warm, damp cloth and let rise (I like to let my bread rise in the oven with the light on. It has just the right amount of heat and keeps the bread out of drafts.) Allow to rise until doubled, usually about 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Moisten the dough with 2 tablespoons milk and rub all over the dough with your hands. Mix together 1 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon and sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the moistened dough. Roll up tightly (the long way). The roll should be about 3 inches in diameter. Cut into thirds, and tuck under ends and pinch bottom together. Place loaves into well greased (you can use Crisco or butter for this) 9 x 5 inch pans and lightly grease tops of loaves. Let rise in warm place, uncovered, again for about an hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped (mine were done after about 35-40 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool on rack.

Take melted butter and spread over tops of loaves (I omitted this step) After about 20 minutes, lay loaves on their sides and remove from pans.Allow to cool before slicing.

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

I have to admit, I'm one of "those" people who don't eat breakfast. I know, so shameful. The main reason is because I really dislike breakfast foods, as I've said before. Eggs, pancakes, waffles, yogurt; yuck. However, when I came across these Muffins on the Two Peas and Their Pod blog, I decided that I'd like to try them out. I have been making a very strong effort to eat healthy lately (to improve my lifestyle and because I've got a beachy vacation in the near future!) and I know that breakfast is a very important meal.

These are really good! They have a wonderful flavor and don't taste healthy even though they are! I followed most of the modifications that Maria of Two Peas and their Pod made, and also added slivered Almonds which adds some wonderful texture to the muffin! Enjoy!

Ingredients
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Originally from Joy the Baker

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (I didn't have any buttermilk so I mixed 1/2 tbsp white vinegar with 1/2 cup skim milk)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used 1 cup)
Handful of slivered Almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with paper cases or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl combine applesauce, buttermilk, sugar, oil, egg, and extracts. Make a well in dry ingredients and add applesauce mixture. Stir until just moist. Fold in berries and Almonds. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. I got 20 muffins that were on the small side.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Cool on rack. They also freeze very well!

Breakfast Tart

As soon as I saw this recipe in my latest Williams-Sonoma catalog, I knew I had to try it. I for one am not a big fan of breakfast foods, but I am a fan of Puff Pastry and Bacon! Plus my husband was out of town for a week so I wanted to make him a special breakfast Saturday morning.

This tart was absolutely divine. It was really easy to make and just came out perfectly. I will most certainly be making this again on "special" mornings like Christmas, Easter and Birthday mornings! However, the calorie count is something I really don't want to think about. This is, however, an absolutely delicious, special breakfast that I will be making again!

Ingredients:
Source: Williams-Sonoma

1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water
3 oz. crème fraîche
2 oz. shredded Gruyère cheese (I used Danish Fontina cheese)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
3 eggs
10 fresh chives, cut on the bias into 1/2-inch lengths

Directions:

Thaw the puff pastry dough according to the package instructions.
Preheat an oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

On lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Using a paring knife, score a border 1/2 inch in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick the center of the pastry. Brush the border with the egg wash and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

(Note: I like a really thick crust so I used one sheet of pastry (didn't roll it) and then 1/3 of another sheet and pressed them together. I then cut another 1/3 of a sheet into strips and used that to form my crust. It worked out very well but made much too much for just my husband and I!)

In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the crème fraîche mixture on the pastry, keeping the border clean. Lay the bacon on top, slightly overlapping the slices. Bake the tart for 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a level heatproof surface. Using a fork, prick any large air pockets in the pastry. Crack the eggs onto the tart, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 7 to 10 minutes.

(When I put the tart in for the 2nd time, I covered the crust with foil. I really didn't want it to burn so this worked out well!)

Transfer the tart to a platter, garnish with the chives and serve immediately. Serves 4.