Easy Banana Nut Muffins

IMG_8868Banana Honey-Nut Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 55 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

FOR THE MUFFINS

  • 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • large eggs
  • 2 to 3 overripe bananas (mashed)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (low fat is fine)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
    2. Make the walnut topping: In a small bowl, toss the nuts with the honey and cinnamon until the nuts are evenly coated (the mixture will be sticky). Set aside.
    3. For the Muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and honey until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated between additions. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream) and beat until blended (the batter will look grainy; that’s okay). Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended.
    5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin (the cups will be very full) and sprinkle evenly with the nut topping. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden and domed, 25 to 28 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Once Upon a Chef’s Jennifer Segal

Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

  • Serving size:1 muffin
  • Calories:302
  • Fat:15 g
  • Saturated fat:6 g
  • Carbohydrates:38 g
  • Sugar:21 g
  • Fiber:2 g
  • Protein:5 g
  • Sodium:216 mg
  • Cholesterol:52 mg

 

Autumn Gingerbread Muffins

Celebrate Fall and the Holidays by serving these adorable gingerbread muffins. These molasses and ginger treats are easy to make and add a festive look to any table. Serve them alone or with lemon curd. Trader Joe’s offers a great gingerbread mix that makes serving these cuties a snap.

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Autumn Gingerbread Cakelets

Yield: 16 Cakelets (144 calories each)

Ingredients
1 box Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Baking Mix
1 large egg
1/3 cup canola oil
¾ cup water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray cakelet pan with Trader Joe’s Canola Oil spray and sprinkle lightly with a few pinches of flour.
  3. Combine egg, oil and water in a bowl and then add mix. Fold together gently until ingredients are moistened. (don’t over-stir as the cakelets will become more dense).
  4. Fill the molds of the cakelet pan no more than ¾ full to avoid overflow. I use a tablespoon and then spread mixture to level tops and fill corners of each shape. Tap the pan firmly a few times on countertop to remove air bubbles.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of a cakelet comes out clean.

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  1. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack.
  2. Serve with lemon curd if you wish.   Yummy!

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Note: My cakelet pan is made by Nordic Ware.  Any muffin or cakelet pan works well too.

Mom’s Cranberry Bread

Mom's Cranberry Bread

 

This is an easy quick bread that is a staple at our house during the holidays.   The hard part is letting it fully cool before slicing as the delicious aroma has everyone in the family sneaking into the kitchen to grab a taste.  Let them indulge.  After all, it is the holidays.

 

Mom’s Holiday Cranberry Bread

1 ¼ cups cranberries (halved)
½ cup walnuts (chopped)
2 cups flour (sifted)
1 cup sugar (reduce by 1/4 cup if you prefer less sweet)
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening or butter (softened)
1 egg (well beaten)
1 tsp. grated orange peel
¾ cup orange juice

 

Directions:

Continue reading

Grandma’s Butter Horns

Grandma's Butter Horns
These buttery delicious crescent rolls are requested every year around the holidays by everyone in the family.  My daughters look forward to baking them with my mom every Thanksgiving.  They are irresistible right out of the oven.  Yummy!

Grandma’s Butter Horns

4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 block of cake yeast
1 cup milk
1 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions Continue reading

Handmade Pretzels

...made these with my niece and nephew yesterday.

…made these with my niece and nephew yesterday.

Handmade Pretzels

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup warm water (as hot as possible from tap)
  • 1 packet active instant yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 11/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 3¼- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + more for the counter surface to knead
  • 1 large egg, beaten plus one more egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon of cold water
  • coarse sea salt for sprinkling
  • cinnamon sugar mixture for sprinkling

Directions: Continue reading

Grandma’s Butter Horns

Grandma's Butter HornsGrandma’s Butter Horns

4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 block of cake yeast
1 cup milk
1 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. salt

Break yeast into cold milk and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients and shortening as if for pie crust.
Beat the eggs well and add to milk/yeast mixture.
Mix this with flour mixture.
Set overnight to raise (doesn’t need to be especially warm).
In the morning, divide dough into four equal parts and roll each out on a floured board or silicone pastry mat.
Spread thin layer of butter onto entire round and then slice into 8 pieces like a pie.
Roll each from wide end to small end and turn under placing on a cookie sheet.
Let them rise again, covered with alight towel.
Bake in 375-400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
Serve warm.
Oh so yummy!

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