Pumpkin Pudding Bread {or Muffins}

 This pumpkin recipe is delicious. Another recipe from another sister-in-law-- they all have the best recipes!  These can be made into bread or muffins. I made these back in August and September....um...yep...just getting around to sharing them with you.  (sorry but that is the way it goes sometimes...)
I have another recipe for my favorite pumpkin bread I'll share later, but this one comes in second. And is it just where I live, or has everyone been having a hard time finding canned pumpkin in the store?? I have been searching all year, and then learned there was a pumpkin shortage, well now that is is available again, I'm stocking up! I love everything pumpkin :)

Pumpkin Pudding Bread/Muffins

5 eggs

1 1/4 cups canola, vegetable oil (or applesauce for lowfat version) ** I do 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil

1 can (15 oz) canned solid pack pumpkin

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 packages (small size) cook-n-serve vanilla or butterscotch pudding mix

**this is the mix, not the made pudding. I prefer the butterscotch, but the recipe calls for vanilla. Do not use instant pudding! Make sure it is cook-n-serve.

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (**I add a little more)

1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the oil (or applesauce) and pumpkin, beating until smooth. Combine the other ingredients, and beat into pumpkin mixture gradually.

Pour in greased loaf or muffin tins.  Make sure you leave room for it to rise. For bread, bake at 325 for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. For muffins, bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes. Each oven varies, so check often - to make sure you do not over or under bake.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Allow to cool completely. (although I usually can't wait for that!) ☺

Want to make this into a sweeter treat? Add some cream cheese frosting! YUM-O!

Mini Caramel Apple Pies

OK this is so YUMMY and so SIMPLE. It is a perfect recipe to have kids help you with! And if you read my blog regularly- and my Sweets on Sunday posts- you know I love using a cake mix :) It sure simplifies things-when you need things to be simple, because your darn sweet tooth can't wait- ha ha.

MINI CARAMEL APPLE PIES:

(ingredients are in bold)

1. Spray muffin tins with Pam butter spray. (want to make it richer- add a little bit of butter to each tin...)

2. Add about 2-4 tablespoons applesauce. Cover the bottom of each tin -about 1/4 inch.

3. Add a few pieces of chopped and peeled apple. I put about 2-3 pieces- about the size of a quarter.

4. Add about 1/4-1/3 cup yellow cake mix. I just put it on and left some space at the top of each one. I didn't measure. Just poured some on top. You can really add as much as you like. NOTE: This is a dry cake mix- as in straight from the box- nothing added.

5. Top with a little pat of butter or margarine and some cinnamon & sugar.

6. To make these into caramel apple pies, not just apple pies, top each with about a tablespoon of Heath Bar Toffee Chips. (can be found by the chocolate chips)

BAKE for 20-25 minutes at 350. SERVE with whipping cream or cool whip.

Watch out....you might not be able to stop at just one. ☻

ENJOY!

Brown Sugar Muffins

Things have been crazy in real life- and I haven't had much time to blog- sorry.

Starting kindergarten, preschool, and many many other things have been keeping me busy!

Here is another fun muffin recipe. These taste like graham crackers. If you want to make them "healthier" since they have a lot of sugar, I suggest adding some whole wheat flour, or applesauce in place of the fat- which I almost always do.

Brown Sugar Muffins

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter (I use applesauce)

1 cup milk

1 egg

3 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin tins. Blend together butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and milk. Sift together the dry ingredients-flour, soda and salt. Add all ingredients together and mix until blended. Spoon into prepared tins, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15-18 minutes.

These were a "pleaser" for the entire family. Enjoy!

Kona Inn Banana Bread {Muffins}

This is my favorite banana bread recipe. And like many favorite recipes, it is one my mom always made, and now I always make. I almost always turn this one into muffins. I love this banana bread recipe because it is pretty much "fail proof" and if you love banana bread, this one is really really good! Plus it is perfect for kids- and my kids eat this right up.  The changes I often make, including how to make this into muffins, are noted at the end.

Kona Inn Banana Bread { +muffins}

2 cups sugar


1 cup shortening


6 ripe bananas, mashed


4 eggs, well beaten


2 ½ cups flour


1 tsp. Salt


2 tsp. Baking soda






Cream together sugar and shortening. Add mashed bananas and well beaten eggs. Sift flour, salt, baking soda together and add. Blend the wet and dry ingredients. Don’t overmix. Bake in 2 well-greased and floured loaf pans at 350 for 45-50 minutes. You can add nuts, raisins, chocolate chips if desired.
For Muffins: Spray or grease muffin tins and fill with batter. For normal sized muffins, bake at 350 Degrees F for about 20-25 minutes.

Other tips/changes for this recipe:

 I substitute applesauce for the shortening, and add ½ wheat flour sometimes. I also add about a cup or two of oats too. I f you don’t have enough bananas, it still works. I have made these with 4 bananas or all 6.  I usually peel and freeze the really ripe bananas and smash those up. It is best to freeze them PEELED. I have also added pineapple to this when I did not have enough bananas and it was still really good. Another substitution I have done is using flax seed meal for the eggs.  You can make these as healthy or as unhealthy as you want, and they always turn out great! If you don't want as strong of a banana flavor, use one or two less bananas. However you make these, I think they are wonderful :)




Enjoy!

Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins {with orange cream cheese frosting}

This recipe comes from my friend JoAnne. She has the best muffin recipes!

This one is SO DELICIOUS! If you don't like cranberries, you could leave them out or substitute something else. I added the frosting- and --whoa-- this could be dessert- or breakfast....or a snack...or a meal. :)

Whatever you want...they are just too too good.

Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins

(I double this recipe)

1 cup oats

1 cup vanilla yogurt-BUT you can use any flavor and it works great

1 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup dried cranberries (crasins)

2 tsp. grated orange peel

TIP: when you peel an orange, throw the peel in the freezer in a zip-lock baggie, and then you can use it later for recipes like this. (got that from the Food Network- and it is a great tip!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Soak oats in yogurt for about 15 minutes. Sift dry ingredients and add oat mixture. In a separate bowl combine egg, applesauce, and sugars. Beat until well blended. Fold in dry ingredients. Add orange peel (grated) and cranberries (crasins). Stir gently until combined. Bake in greased muffin tins for 20 minutes.

Optional Cream Cheese Orange Frosting

1  4 oz. portion reduced-fat Cream Cheese (1/2 a regular package)

1/4 cup butter or margarine softened (but I think I just used a little more cream cheese)

2 TBSP frozen orange juice concentrate

1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

** I never follow a frosting recipe exactly- so this may need adjustments- w/ sugar or cream cheese. --- That is how I do it. :)

Let's Hear it for Homemade Muffins

We eat a lot of muffins around here. And with school starting, muffins are the perfect food.

Why?

Well...IF you make them there are so many reasons why muffins are the best:

*You can eat them on the go

*You can add "healthy" ingredients- whole wheat flour, flax seed, fruit

*They freeze well

*They are portable

*They taste delicious!

*They can be good for you

*Kids love them

*Kids can help make them

*The possibilities are endless!

So this next week, I am going to share some of my Favorite muffin recipes with you!

And...If I can figure out how to use Mr. Linky- or someone can please help this non-computer savvy mom-

I will put a linky thingy where you can link your favorite muffin recipe from your blog!

Hopefully we'll have a bunch of great muffin recipes in the end!

And to kick it off- go grab this great book off your shelf and read it to your little ones:

Happy Baking!