The Flavors of Fall

I just can't seem to get enough of the flavors that Fall brings. (It must be in my genes, my brother is a pumpkin addict.) It is a good thing that you can buy canned pumpkin all year round because there are just some recipes I can't do without, even after October & November come and go. Like pumpkin waffles and pumpkin cookies. Here are a couple of recipes that I recently tried out on my family that we all really enjoyed. The muffins stayed moist for days and were even good cold right out of the fridge. And the soup . . . oh, the soup . . . Let me just tell a quick story.

When I was at BYU I came home for the holidays and somehow got roped into being in a play, "A Christmas Carol," at the last minute because someone dropped out. It turned out to be OK, I had a small, simple part and basically just had to die on stage dressed in a flowy white nightgown. It happened to be President Howard W. Hunter's son's family who was putting this play on and after one of our performances we went to their home for a little social. Sister Hunter served the most delicious pumpkin soup - it was a little sweet, but not too sweet, and it was one of the most delicious things I had ever tasted. Stamped on my memory, I have not forgotten it all these years later. I have been on the hunt (no pun intended) for a recipe that would come close to the flavors I remembered in that pumpkin soup. As soon as I tasted the Butternut Squash soup, my first thought was that this is as close as I have ever come. If you could put the holidays in one bowl this would be it! It would make a perfect appetizer to a beautiful holiday dinner.



Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

2 1/2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 C canned pumpkin
1/2 C oil
2 C finely grated peeled apples

Streusel:
1/4 C sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. cold butter

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the apples. Fill paper lined or sprayed muffin tins 2/3 full. In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon for the streusel. Cut in the butter until it is crumble. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Makes 18 muffins.

Notes: These are pretty sweet muffins! Cake really. I might think about increasing the salt a little next time and maybe even decreasing the sugar a touch.




Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 C peeled and diced butternut squash
2 large apples (any kind) peeled, cored and chopped
3 C low sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 C fresh apple cider (NOT apple juice)
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Stir in onions, cover and, cook 10 minutes. Add squash, apples, broth, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low; simmer, covered, until the squash and apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. While the soup simmers, pour the cider into a medium skillet. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about 5 Tbsp. Set aside. Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Spoon the solids into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Stir back into remaining liquid. Add the reduced cider. Reheat soup and stir in the brown sugar and spices.

Notes: I used one granny smith apple and one honeycrisp. I will consider adding a little garlic next time too. This soup is divine but may be a little too sweet for some. Taste it before you add the brown sugar and decide if you want to add both Tbsp. And I would definitely NOT serve it with the muffins, just in case you were thinking of overloading on the flavors of Fall. This soup needs something truly savory to accompany it. Enjoy!

Mimi's Bran Muffins

I happen to have a fond place in my heart for Mimi's Cafe. Maybe it's because I am a sucker for French Onion Soup and muffins, hot out of the oven - who knows. I love their Honey Oat Bran muffins and I have been searching for a recipe similar to theirs. I've only found one recipe that has even come close and they are really good.

Now normally the words "candy" and "bran muffins" don't go together but let me tell ya - these are like candy! There is a delicious brown sugary mixture that you brush the muffin tins with before you fill them and then when they are done baking you flip the muffins out upside down and they are covered with gooey, stick in your teeth, yumminess! My kids devoured them - well, me too.



Kinda Like Mimi's Bran Muffins

1 C flour
1 C bran (wheat or oat - I used wheat)
4 tsp. dry powdered milk
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 C dark brown sugar, packed (I used light)
1/4 C dark corn syrup
2 Tbsp. molsses
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 C raisins (don't freak out - they get pureed)
1/4 tsp. orange zest
1/2 C water

Glaze:
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp. shortening, melted
2 Tbsp. dark corn syrup
2 tsp. water

Distribute the glaze onto the bottom and sides of 12 muffin tins with pastry brush.
Combine flour, bran, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well and set aside.
Mix together brown sugar, dark corn syrup, molasses, oil and egg in separate bowl until well blended.

Puree raisins and orange zest with water in blender or food processor. Add to liquid ingredients. Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until just moiustened.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Immediately invert onto foil or wax paper to cool. Serve upside down.



Notes: I got my bran in the bulk section of our grocery store - this is not a cereal. It looks kind of like wheat germ. Also, the glaze is more of a paste consistency but a pastry brush worked to get it into the muffin tins. I didn't have an orange on hand so I used about 1/2 tsp. orange extract and it worked perfectly. And lastly, when it says turn the muffins out immediately after baking - they mean IMMEDIATELY! That sugar starts to cool fast and it becomes like cement. I will also spray the TOP of my muffin tin with cooking spray next time so I don't have any muffin tops that stick around the edges. Hope that's helpful. Enjoy!

Go Bananas!

My friend Jenny gave me this recipe and they are SO good. I thought I'd pass them along. Sorry no picture this time - all of the muffins I made are GONE!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I stick butter or margarine, soft
3 oz. cream cheese, soft (I used Fat Free)
1 C brown sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed (I freeze 'em and then pull 'em out to defrost when I want to use one - they hardly need mashing if you do it this way)
1 egg
1/4 C sour cream (Fat Free again)
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar. Add the egg, banana, and sour cream. Combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet to it; stir just until combined. Fill greased muffin cups (you can use cupcake liners) 2/3 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 24 muffins. (These work well as mini muffins too.)

I made these for dinner with Weight Watchers vegetable soup - which is ZERO points!!! And it's yummy. I figured a tasty muffin with some healthy soup was a good trade off.

Can anyone calculate this recipe in WW Points for me with the fat free ingredients?!