THE Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

 

It's been a long time since I have found a THE recipe, but after trying for years to find a good lemon poppyseed bread/muffin, the New York Times recipe is a winner! There's a glaze in that recipe, but honestly, the texture is so good with the perfect amount of sweetness that I didn't bother making the glaze.

NYT Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

2½ cups all-purpose flour 

1½ teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon baking soda 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

¾ cup granulated sugar 

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled slightly 

½ cup whole milk (I used 2%)

½ cup sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)

2 large eggs 

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from 2 large lemons) 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

4 teaspoons poppy seeds (I only had 1 T)

Step 1 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners. 

Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and poppy seeds until well combined. 

Step 3 With a large rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cups and bake until puffed and set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer the muffins, in the tin, to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins and let cool completely on the rack.

Overnight Oats

I spent a LOT of time looking for recipes for overnight oats...I think I had some 40 pins on Pinterest for different flavors. Finally, I cobbled together my own recipe for maximum taste with low calories. Cold oats are the only way I eat oatmeal for the majority of the year in Phoenix.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 T cocoa powder

2 T peanut powder

1/2 frozen banana

1 t chia seeds

Stir and refrigerate the night before.

I like the banana in there because it adds a good amount of sweetness so I only add a few drops of chocolate stevia (honestly, vanilla stevia tastes the same to me in this breakfast).

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

2 T pumpkin puree

1/4 c milk

1 T pumpkin pie coffee creamer

1/2 c oats

2 T toasted pecans to top in the am

I want to mess around with this recipe more, but for now, I can't beat the ease of using pumpkin pie coffee creamer.

Chai Overnight Oats

1/2 c rolled oats

1/4 c concentrated herbal chai tea

1/4 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 c frozen berries

Stir and refrigerate the night before.

Maple Blueberry Overnight Oats

1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1-2 T maple syrup

1/2 c blueberries

2 T toasted pecans to top in the am

Apple Pie Granola

I used Jesseca's Pumpkin Pie Granola as a template for making this apple pie granola. I'm still tweaking it a bit, but it shows promise.

Apple Pie Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 t cinnamon I'm going to try this with 1 teaspoon next time
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts I used sliced almonds
1/2 cup Bare Baked apple chips smashed into smaller pieces again, I might do more here
1/4 cup coconut oil I used canola oil
1/3 cup honey I did 1/4 c and that was sweet enough for me (mostly because I didn't want to dirty another measuring cup)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce I'm thinking of trying this with apple butter next time or perhaps 3/4 c of applesauce instead of 1/2 c

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Whisk together the oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, almonds, and pecans in a large mixing bowl.
Microwave the coconut oil and honey for just a few seconds in a small separate bowl until liquid. Whisk in your vanilla and applesauce. Ok, I didn't read this closely. Honestly, I put everything in the same bowl at once. I did do a lot of stirring because I worried that I wouldn't spread the flavors evenly, but I haven't had a problem doing it this way.

Gently stir your wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated. Spread onto your prepared baking tray in an even layer.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown making sure to stir once halfway through baking. Allow to cool completely on the baking tray before enjoying. I added the baked apple chips after baking and cooling. I really wanted to keep the crunch of the apple chips, and I worried about burning them if I baked them with everything else.

Recipe Notes
For a more clump filled granola make sure you keep the granola in a thicker layer. You may need to increase baking time by 10-15 minutes

Pumpkin Spice Granola

About a year ago, I wrote a book review about Cast Iron Kitchen by Jesseca Hallows, which introduced me to her website, One Sweet Appetite. I have loved making granola ever since Alton Brown introduced me to it, but I really appreciate Jesseca's innovative flavors (LOVE her banana bread granola!) and have begun using the Pumpkin Pie granola template for other flavor experiments like blueberry lemon and apple pie.

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil I used canola oil
1/3 cup honey I did 1/4 c and that was sweet enough for me (mostly because I didn't want to dirty another measuring cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Whisk together the oats, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and pecans in a large mixing bowl.
Microwave the coconut oil and honey for just a few seconds in a small separate bowl until liquid. Whisk in your vanilla and pumpkin puree.

Gently stir your wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated. Spread onto your prepared baking tray in an even layer.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown making sure to stir once halfway through baking. Allow to cool completely on the baking tray before enjoying. I'm not sure why, but this time I had to bake it for over an hour.

Recipe Notes
For a more clump filled granola make sure you keep the granola in a thicker layer. You may need to increase baking time by 10-15 minutes

Apple Crepes

Jaxon found Professor Fizzy on PBS kids.org. He makes healthy food and explains nutrition to the kids in a fun way. (They have lots of cute recipe ideas that kids can help with. Don't try the chickpea cakes, they're terrible)

Our new favorite recipe is for Apple Crepes. Jaxon asks for it every morning.

Crepes (this is my SiL's recipe)

1 C Whole wheat flour (I like white wheat but red works, too)

1 egg

Raw Sugar (I use 1/4 cup but you can use less or none at all)

Milk (we've been off dairy so we used coconut milk or almond milk, but soy and rice would work too)

Orange Zest (if you have it, we haven't used it)

Add milk to mixture until it's a really thin pancake batter. You can make crepes in a frying pan or use a crepe maker like ours (you can borrow it! We got ours for $20 at Tuesday Morning).

Apple Filling (this is also good as a pancake topping)

2 peeled and chopped apples

1/4 C honey

1/2 C juice (we like cherry, but grape or orange work as well)

1 t cinnamon

Cook on med-high heat until apples are soft.

Put on one quarter of an open crepe, fold in half then half again and top with whipped cream!

Asher and Luke's Favorite Pancakes

I don't love these, but maybe it's because the boys (and often I) have had them for breakfast every morning for the past two years. I've learned that one can add 1/2 cup of applesauce or 1 mashed banana for a delicious change, but don't try blueberries or chocolate chips--my kids like they're pancakes without any colored additions to the mix.

Asher's and Luke's Favorite Pancakes
based on Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

2 c all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 beaten eggs, we use egg replacer
2 c soy milk
1 c vanilla soy yogurt
4 T cooking oil

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and slat. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, combine eggs, soy milk, soy yogurt, and cooking oil. Add soy milk mixture to dry mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter will be lumpy).

For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/4 c batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until panckaes are golden brown, turning to second side when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry.

This recipe will feed my kids pancakes every morning for the school week.

Vanilla Oatmeal with Pan-Fried Cinnamon Apples

Finally, I have made a delicious soaked oatmeal. I have to give a major H/T to my friend G for it though. My problem with soaked oatmeal has been how much honey and maple syrup it took to make the oatmeal good. It never occurred to me that pan-fried apples would sweeten it up without massive amounts of sweetener. Now I can add this to the breakfast staples. The ratio is all you need to know to soak oatmeal: for each cup of oatmeal use one cup of water, one Tablespoon of acidic medium, and one or two dashes of salt. The next morning, cook in another one cup of water for each cup of oatmeal you started with.

Vanilla Oatmeal with Pan-Fried Cinnamon Apples

The night before, in a glass bowl:
3 cups of oatmeal
3 cups of filtered water
3 T. whey, lemon juice, whole yogurt, buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, or other acid (I use whey, but Kimi Harris over at The Nourishing Gourmet says lemon juice gives the best flavor)
1 teaspoon sea salt

Cover with a towel and let soak between 12-24 hours.

In the morning, in a cast iron skillet:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or coconut oil (I do a little of both!)
3-4 peeled apples, cut into bite-sized pieces
sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg

Saute over medium heat until apples are browned and softened, stirring occasionally, and the sauce reduces down to a glaze. In the meantime, start oatmeal:

In a saucepan:
3 cups of water
all the contents of your glass bowl from overnight soaking

Bring oatmeal to a gentle bubble and stir constantly. It should only take 3-5 minutes to cook your oatmeal because of the soaking process.

Towards the end of cooking, add:
2 tsp. vanilla
sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg (yes, in addition to the sprinkles on the apples)
up to 1/4 C. honey

Your apples and oatmeal should finish close to each other. Add the apples from the skillet to the saucepan. Stir all together and serve hot. If you like, add some yogurt on top of each bowl of oatmeal, perhaps with a sprinkling of nuts or dried fruit.

Breakfast Strata with Spinach and Gruyere

Lots of steps, but well-worth it!

Breakfast Strata with Spinach and Gruyère
from Cook’s Illustrated via Kate H.
Makes one 8 by 8-inch strata, serving 6

To weigh down the assembled strata, use two 1-pound boxes of brown or powdered sugar, laid side by side over the plastic-covered surface. To double this recipe or those that follow, use a 9 by 13-inch baking dish greased with only 11/2 tablespoons butter and increase baking times as suggested in each recipe.

8–10 (1/2-inch thick) slices supermarket French or Italian bread (6–7 ounces)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 medium shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup medium-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 large eggs
1 3/4 cups half-and-half

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots until fragrant and translucent, about 3 minutes; add spinach and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until combined, about 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; set aside. Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.
3. Butter 8-inch square baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange half of buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of spinach mixture, then 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining spinach mixture and another 1/2 cup cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (see note, above), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
4. Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over surface; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50 to 55 minutes (or about 60 minutes for doubled recipe). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve.

Buttermilk Waffles

I can usually take or leave waffles. They're ok, but usually, the recipes I've tried taste too much like baking powder. I made a batch of these for Asher's preschool class last week with egg replacer ("W" is for "waffle"--my kind of preschool thinking, matching letters with foods!), and wasn't sure how they'd turn out. These are delicious, though. Really, my new THE waffle recipe.


Buttermilk Waffles
Gourmet Cookbook

3 c all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 1/4 c well-shaken buttermilk
1 1/2 sticks (12 T) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat waffle iron. Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Stir until smooth (batter will be thick).

Brush waffle iron lightly with vegetable oil, if necessary, and spoon batter into waffle iron, using 1/2 c batter for each 4-inch Belgian waffle or 1/4 c batter for each 4-inch standard waffle iron and spreading batter evenly (I used about 1/2 c for my waffle iron). Cook according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer waffle to a baking sheet and keep warm, uncovered, in oven. Make more waffles with remaining batter in same manner.

Serve with butter and maple syrup. Actually, I think these would be fabulous with some savory waffle toppings, like ricotta cheese and spinach.

Breakfast Pizza

We had lots of great neighbors when we lived in Boston. Some of our favorites were Dave and Geri who would host a bi-annual LDS General Conference breakfast. Their breakfast pizza and Swedish pancakes were staples at these events, and I remember counting down the days until a Zollinger breakfast.

The pizza is great--so easy and such a crowd please!

Breakfast Pizza
Geri and Dave Zollinger

1 package crescent rolls
5 eggs
1 c hashbrowns, thawed
12 oz sausage
1 c cheddar cheese
¼ c milk
½ t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 T Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage and drain.

Roll out crust on an ungreased pizza pan. Layer sausage, then hash browns, then cheese.

Beat the eggs milk, salt and pepper together.

Pour over pizza. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Herbal Chai Tea

I love me a little Chai tea, but it's really hard to find any that is herbal (that doesn't contain black or green tea). So, I was thrilled when Tracy M posted her Chai Tea recipe, even if it took me three months to make it. Now, Tracy must have more restraint than I do because I made this sweeter. Um, a lot sweeter.

CHAI TEA

A stock pot that will hold a gallon + of water
1/4 cup green cardamom seed pods, lightly crushed to break open
1/4 cup fresh ginger root, chopped, with skin
1/4 cup cinnamon bark, broken into chips
2 Tbsp whole cloves
1 Tbsp whole black Tellicherry peppercorns
3 star anise
1/2 cup honey
2/3 c simple syrup because I didn't want to waste a ton of honey to find out I ruined this tea

Fill your stock pot with one gallon of fresh water. Add everything except the honey and the black tea. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. It needs the time for the spices to release their amazing-ness- but be super careful not to scorch or burn it- a watched pot never boils, and that’s good, you don’t want this to boil. Watch it.

The house will smell amazing. Children and random strangers will follow their noses to your kitchen.

Once you are satisfied that the spices have given up their all, add the honey and loose black tea (or not). Cook for another 15 mintues. If it’s too strong for you, and it will be strong, you can add some water and bring back up to a simmer. Strain entire pot over a sieve or cheesecloth, and discard spent spices.

Serve with frothy milk or soymilk (this one instance where I love soymilk). It will keep in the refrigerator for a while- but it never lasts more than a day in our house. I usually have my chai tea with milk, but I tried the soymilk here. I didn't like our usual Costco generic soymilk with it, but this drink is pure perfection with Silk's "Very Vanilla" Soymilk, which I usually find too sweet. With this tea, though, it adds sweetness and that lovely hint of vanilla. I love this cold, for breakfast.

Blueberry Muffins

From my handy Gourmet cookbook. I have wanted to make these for a while. These, like the Gourmet banana bread, definitely have "more goodness."

Batter:
6 T unsalted butter
1/3 c whole milk all I had was half and half--darn!
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3/4 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
2 c (12 ounces) blueberries I used 2 cups of frozen wild blueberries--much cheaper

Topping:
3 T cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 c all purpose flour
3 1/2 T sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter muffin cups. I used paper liners instead.

Melt butter in small saucepan over moderately low heat; remove from heat. Whisk in milk, egg, yolk, and vanilla until well combined.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Add milk mixture and stir until just combined. My dough was really tight, and I knew folding in blueberries, even frozen ones, would be difficult. I added 3 T more of half and half to loosen the dough. Gently but throughly fold in blueberries.

Divide batter among muffin cups and spread evenly.

Combine all topping ingredients in bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over batter in cups. I might make an additional half recipe of the topping; I'd love to have more crumbs on top.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Then, remove from cups. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Granda's Hootenanny

This is the breakfast I remember waking up to when we went to visit my grandma (we call her "Granda") in Utah growing up. It's neat to have a grandma who can bake cookies while explaining the state of higher education and then, going on to give a feminist critique of the Old Testament. I don't know why we call this dish a hootenanny, but it's just about the easiest breakfast ever. It tastes and sort of looks like a puffed pancake but with less work.

Blend 6 eggs and 1 cup milk

Add 1 c flour
1/2 t salt

Melt scant 1/2 c butter in 13X9 pyrex dish. Add egg, milk, flour, salt mixture (don't stir).

Cook 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

Lemon Curd

For Suzanne :)
Another Gourmet Cookbook recipe and a lovely way to use up extra lemons. Yes, it's tough to winter in Arizona--it's all lemons and pistachios around here.

My friend, Kate H., introduced me to the delicacy of lemon curd one Easter long ago. It's delicious on bread (in place of jam and butter), but it has extra versatility. It can be put in a tart crust and topped with berries for an instant dessert, or even easier, warm it and thin it with a little milk for an easy glaze over angel food cake (a la Rachael Ray).

1 T plus 2 t finely grated lemon zest a reason along to invest in a microplaner
1 c fresh lemon juice 4-5 big lemons
1 1/3 c sugar
4 large eggs
pinch of salt
1 3/4 sticks (14 T) unsalted butter cut into tablespoons

Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, eggs, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisks and first bubbles appear on surface, about 10 minutes. (If you have small children around, this task may prove impossible. I turned up the heat to hurry the process along and ended up with a bit of fried egg. Not to worry, though, everything comes out smoothly once it goes through the sieve.)

Immediately force curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then refrigerate in an air-tight container until cold.

Enjoy quickly! This makes a lot of lemon curd and it only keeps refrigerated for about a week.

Coconut and Macadamia Nut Banana Bread

I love banana bread. Below is an Asher-safe version that I make at least once a month (sometimes, every week) because my kids love it for breakfast.

I'm not usually one to tinker with a favorite recipe, but when I saw this one, I just had to try it. I don't think I use the word, "sublime" much, but it fits for this recipe. Really, it seems a shame to call it plain old "banana bread." Will you think less of me if I can't help but wonder what a drizzle of chocolate ganache would do?

Banana Bread
Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg we use egg replacer
3 medium bananas masher they should be pretty "trouty" as my mom would say
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c oil

Grease 8x4x4 bread pan. In med mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, bakin soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In mixer, combine egg, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.

Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes until knife comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

With a gluten-free baking replacement, this bread can easily be a Top-8 allergy free item.

Broccoli and Red Onion Scramble with Goat Cheese

If I didn't have a kid who was very allergic to eggs, I would make this once a week for dinner. Rachael Ray makes it as a frittata, but I'm too lazy to go and bake the darn thing. So, it always ends up being scrambled eggs with "more goodness" (as my brother, Tom, would say).

2 T olive oil
2 ½ c broccoli florets
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (4 sprigs)
½ large red onion, finely chopped
12 eggs
Splash of cream or half-and-half
Zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon
8 ounces goat cheese

Heat 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add broccoli florets, thyme, onion, salt and pepper. Cook for 6-7 minutes until broccoli tarts to take on a little brown color ans is tender. Beat eggs with salt, pepper, cream, and lemon zest. To the broccoli mixture, add crumbled goat cheese and lemon juice. Immediately add seasoned beaten eggs. Scramble all together.

Makes 4-6 servings.

I got my vegetables mixed up, so the picture has twice the vegetables of what the recipes calls for--still, it was quite tasty. I may just start making it that way all the time.

Julie's crepes

My sister-in-law, Julie (ok, this is her husband's blog, but she makes frequent appearances in it and you can see my cute twin nephews), makes REALLY good crepes--so good that we swallowed our pride and admitted that we had lost the crepe recipe for the 5th time, which is why we haven't had them for so long and why I've guarded the recipe written on a discarded shopping list the entire holiday season.

3/4 c milk
3/4 c water
3 egg yolks
1 T sugar
1 1/2 c flour, sifted
5 T butter melted

Blend all ingredients in blender and refridgerate overnight. Butter the pan (or spray with cooking spray, if you're lazy like we are) and turn to med-high heat. Pour 1/4 c batter and rotate the pan so it covers the bottom. Flip. Repeat.

My family likes Nutella and bananas on ours for Christmas breakfast. Nate's family has a few options:
1) a sprinkling of powdered sugar
2) strawberries and sugar syrup
3) blueberries and maple syrup

Dave, you're the only person who has actually had a Frenchman show you how to make crepes, so fix my directions, please!

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

This is the first Rachael Ray recipe I ever made. I'd make it once a week if it didn't make me run to get the Benadryl just thinking about making it for Asher.

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces, 1/4 cup, chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 really ripe bananas, mashed up
3/4 cup raisins not a fan, so I left them out
1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup, melted, plus additional for buttering skillet

Maple syrup or honey, for drizzling

Mix dry ingredients, the first 7, in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, the next 4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, and then fold in the mashed up bananas and the raisins. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush with additional melted butter. Cook pancakes, each about 1/3 cup, until bubbles form on the top, then turn. Cakes will cook in about 2 minutes on each side. Keep pancakes tented with foil as they come off the griddle to keep them hot. Serve with drizzled honey or maple syrup over the top.

Pumpkin Bread

Arcadia Ward Cookbook, Sharon Williams

The official title of this recipe is Pumpkin Bread with Warm Blackberry Compote, but I've never made the blackberry compote. The bread is so good, I never felt it needed more.

Every fall, I make this frequently, but it's always been hard for me to get the loaf to cook all the way through. It does better in the bundt pan, and still, I have troubles there, too. This year, I had the genius idea to make these into mini-muffins--cuts the cooking time down, and there's more crunchy muffin tops to enjoy.

Also, this is a handy food storage recipe (with the egg replacement, everything is found in the pantry)--because we Mormons love a little (or a lot) food storage :).

3 eggs (or egg replacement equivalent, we like Ener-G egg replacer, found at Whole Foods or Wild Oats)
2 1/2 c sugar
14 oz pumpkin
3 c flour
1 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t ground cloves
1 1/2 t allspice
1 1/2 c walnuts, chopped (optional)

Cream sugar, oil and eggs together. Then, add pumpkin. Mix and sift all the following ingredients (except walnuts) together and then add slowly to creamed mixture. Bake at 350 for 60 to 65 minutes in a large bunt pan. Cool on wire rack.

If you wanted to put this into your 3 month food storage rotation and make it once a week, here's everything you'd need.

Box of egg replacer (it can be used to substitute 100+ eggs in baking recipes)
12 pounds + 3 c sugar12 cans of pumpkin
9 pounds flour
1/4 c salt
1/2 c baking powder
1/4 t cinnamon
approx 2/5 c nutmeg
approx 2/5 c ground cloves
approx 2/5 c allspice

Whole Wheat Pear Granola Muffins

I would guess many of (ok, at least the Arizonans) you are following the sad plight of the Nielsens (btw, there's a fundraising event for them tomorrow). In addition to her family blog, Nie Nie also has cooking blog (vegetarian and healthy--gosh, is there anything she doesn't do?).

Lots of tasty looking dishes. We tried this one last week. I'll admit, I actually did 1 c all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour because I don't love whole wheat. These muffins were so goog, that I think next time, I'll flip the ratios to back to Nie's.