Morning Glory Muffins

In our quest for healthier eating this year, I'm taking old recipes and reducing fat and sugar where I can.  It was fairly easy with these muffins but I wasn't sure I could keep the good taste coming.  I cut the oil by half (replaced with applesauce) and sugar by a third.  I reduced the eggs to only one and replaced one cup of flour with whole wheat.   I was surprised by how good these were - much moister than original recipe with more flavor. 

These muffins pack a wollop of goodness in them - grated carrots, apples, walnuts, raisins and coconut.  Pecans and sunflower seeds would be good too as would a sprinkling of turbinado sugar on top.  I won't be going back to my old recipe.

Morning Glory Muffins

1 egg

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. applesauce

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 c. flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

2 c. grated carrots

1 grated apple

1/2 c. coconut

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. raisins (soaked in hot water & drained)

2 t. vanilla extract

Whisk egg, oil and applesauce in mixing bowl.  Beat in sugar and gradually add flours and baking soda.  Stir in carrots, apple, coconut, raisins and nuts along with extract.  Fill muffin tins full and bake at 375 for approximately 20-25 minutes.  Yields 12 large muffins

Mango-Banana & Strawberry Smoothies

One morning on the way to work, I stopped at a garage sale and snagged a brand new smoothie maker for $3.00.  The girls were so excited and I went to work making smoothies that very morning.  Since I make a TGIF Brunch every Friday for the girls, I decided to add a smoothie bar to the buffet.  Strawberry seems to be the favorite but I added a Mango-Banana flavor which in my opinion is way better.  So why not combine them all - not all blended together but layered like a parfait?  Pretty, delicious and healthy to boot.

Cinnamon Chips

In downtown Holland, Michigan, there is a delightful restaurant-cafe called Alpen Rose that has wonderful baked goods.  A while back I tried their Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies and vowed immediately to duplicate them at home.  I had never baked with cinnamon chips before and not every store stocks them, but you can find them at Meijers.  Cinnamon Chips look just like mini chocolate chips but are flavored little bits of cinnamon and sugar.  They make wonderful little additions to cookies, muffins, scones, quick breads and pancakes.  I first tried the recipe on the back of the package but it didn't produce the thick, chewy cookie I was looking for.  Since I have a wonderful Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie recipe, I simply added the cinnamon chips for a dense, chewy bakery-style cookie.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cinnamon Chip Cookies

2 c. flour

1 t. each baking soda and baking powder

1 t. salt

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. crisco

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

3 c. oatmeal

1 1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. or more cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside.  Cream butter, shortening, sugar and brown sugar well.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix.  Stir in dry ingredients just until mixed in, then add oatmeal and cinnamon chips.  Drop generous scoops of dough onto greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

Every friday we have the TGIF Brunch at the sorority and I love to come up with new pastries.  The cinnamon chips were an excellent addition to this scone recipe and something the girls had never had before - they loved them.  Score!

Cinnamon Chip Scones

1 c. cinnamon chips

2 c. flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. butter

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

Cut butter into dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form.  (pastry blender works great, but your fingers will do just find)  Beat milk, egg and vanilla together in small bowl.  Gently mix wet ingredients into the dry and stir till coated.  Turn out onto lightly floured counter and  form into ball.  Transfer to parchment lined cookie sheet and gently form into 9 inch circle.  With knife cut into triangles but do not seperate. Sprinkle with raw sugar if desired.  Bake in preheated 375 oven for approximately 20 minutes.  Serve warm. 

More Pumpkin Goodness

Every Friday we have a TGIF brunch at the sorority house.  The girls look forward to it as the first step into the weekend and a few say the weekly breakfast reminds them of home.  This week I offered Granola Buttermilk Pancakes using my homemade granola and also Pumpkin Pancakes.  The girls were equally divided on their favorite, but the pumpkin get my vote.  Incredibly moist from the pumpkin and slightly spicy, they filled the kitchen with a welcoming cinnamon and spice aroma.  Bring on the weekend.



Pumpkin Pancakes for a Crowd

                                            8 c. flour                                            2 t. salt

                                            3/4 c. brown sugar                             6 c. milk

                                            3 T. baking powder                            4 c. pumpkin puree

                                            1 T. baking soda                                 4 egs

                                            2 t. cloves                                           1/2 c. oil

                                            2 T. cinnamon                                     1/2 c. vinegar

                                            2 t. ginger

                                            Mix all wet ingredients together in large bowl and add sifted

                                            dry ingredients.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Cook on hot griddle.

                                            Serves approximately 20.

Crunchy Granola

After making numerous test batches of granola, this hit the mark.  It's a basic recipe that can be altered depending on your available ingredients, but I have found that the more nuts and seeds you put in all the better.  For the crunch factor, make sure to stir the mixture once while baking, but after you take it out of the oven let it cool completely without stirring it.  It will have break into nice big chunks of granola.

BIG BATCH GRANOLA!!

24 c. oatmeal

1 1/2 c. pecans

1 1/2 c. walnuts

1 pkg coconut

4 c. sunflower seeds

3 c. butter

1/2 c. oil

3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. corn syrup

2 T. cinnamon

2 T. vanilla

2 c. raisins and/or craisins

Heat butter, oil, sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon and vanilla in pan until melted and bubbly.  Pour over dry ingredients and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, stirring once.  Let cool and toss in raisins before storing.