Banana Maple Bacon Muffins-Secret Recipe Club

Here it is time for another post for Secret Recipe Club.  This is where I am assigned another blog, go to that blog, find and make a recipe I like, then share the recipe on my blog on a specific day.  The blog I was assigned this time was Jane’s Adventures in Dinner.  This is a Canadian gal who has been blogging since August of 2010, so there were plenty of recipes to choose from.  This, of course, made it very hard to pick a recipe.  Of course, the sweets caught my eye, and I have added several of them to my to-make list, especially Apple Crumble Cake, Fudge Topped Cake and Upside Down Banana Cake.  There were others, but you should go take a look for yourself.

Since I had made a number of desserts recently, in the end, I chose to make something a little more healthy, Banana Maple Bacon Muffins.  I had ripe bananas on hand to use up, and these muffins seemed like they would be something I would like to have on hand for a quick breakfast.  I think bananas, maple and bacon was an inspired combination.  It will be very nice to have these in the freezer.

I did not change the recipe from Jane’s recipe except that my bananas were on the large side so I used 3 instead of 4.  I keep already-fried bacon pieces around and  bacon grease in my fridge from when I do fry fresh bacon so I used those.  The muffins may have been a bit better if I had fried my bacon fresh.  I baked the muffins in my silicone muffin cups.

The ingredient list is right, and there is no leavening in this recipe.  The muffins are more bread-like than most muffins.

Be sure to visit Jane’s Adventures in Dinner to find some great recipes.

Banana Maple Bacon Muffins
4 bananas
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. melted bacon grease (or vegetable oil)
1/4 crispy fried bacon bits
3 c. flour

In a mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth  Add egg and milk and beat well.  Stir in maple syrup, bacon grease and bacon.  Add flour and mix just until flour is moistened.  Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Makes 12

To join in all the fun of Secret Recipe Club check out the information here.  See what recipes other bloggers have chosen to make this month by checking out the links below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Winter Squash Maple Nut Muffins-Eating the Alphabet

This month we have reached U, V, W.  There are only a few vegetables, fruits or grains that begin with these letters so these are some of the hardest letters in the alphabet to find something to blog about.

I checked Veggie Ventures index, and she has nothing listed for U and V.  For W there is only watercress and winter squash listed.  I am not sure that I have ever seen watercress although I have read about cucumber and watercress sandwiches in books.

That left me with winter squash.  Now technically that is a category of vegetable, not a specific vegetable, but since many winter squash varieties can be used interchangeably in recipes, I think winter squash is legal for the challenge.

I happened to have some leftover acorn squash in my fridge so went looking for something to make with it.  When I measured it, I had right at a cup and decided to look at muffin recipes on the file in my computer.

Because I had maple flavor on my mind from yesterday’s Dessert Challenge, when I found a recipe for Maple Pumpkin Muffins that called for 1 cup of pumpkin, I knew I had found the base for my muffins.
I changed the pumpkins to squash, changed the spice from pumpkin pie spice to allspice and added some walnuts for crunch.

The muffins were moist and very good with a subtle maple flavor that paired very well with the squash flavor.  Any mashed winter squash could be used in these.  They would be a slightly different flavor for each one.

Winter Squash Maple Nut Muffins
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 T. baking powder
1 t. allspice
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 c. mashed cooked winter squash or pumpkin
1/3 c. chopped walnuts or other nuts

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and allspice.  Mix well.  In a small mixing bowl, combine maple syrup, butter or margarine and the egg.  Beat well.  Add mashed squash and stir until well blended.  Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture, stirring just until blended.  Add nuts and mix briefly.  Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool 5 minutes and remove from pan.  May be served warm or at room temperature.  Makes 12 muffins.

Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is planning to do this challenge next year which will be year three.  Eating the Alphabet has been a great challenge which has helped me eat a bigger variety of vegetable, fruits and grains.  If you would like to broaden your vegetable, fruit and grains horizon, I strongly suggest that you sign up and follow Meal Planning Magic to get all the details for 2014.

Check out the links below to see what other bloggers have done with the letters U, V, W.

3-Way Oatmeal Baking Mix

Today’s post is part of Commentathon hosted by Blogelina where each of us have pledged to visit all the other posters in the group and leave a comment.  We are hoping for 50 comments each.  Tanya said to do a epic post.  I am not sure that I can do epic, so I am sharing what I started this blog to share:  quick and easy comfort recipes to make cooking easier.  3-Way Oatmeal Baking Mix does just that.

The mix makes oatmeal cookies, muffins and pancakes, hence the name 3-Way.  Of course, the mix can be used to just make cookies if one prefers.

All the individual recipes are basic so they can be varied with additions such as raisins, chopped dates, dried fruits, different kinds of nuts and candy chips.  I used dried cranberries in the muffins and butterscotch chips and toasted, chopped walnuts in the cookies in the photos.

Although you can use all old-fashion or quick oats in the mix, I prefer to use half of each.  I also prefer to toast the oats which helps give the mix a nutty flavor.  To toast the oats, spread two baking pans with 2 cups oats each.  Place in a 350 degree oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes, stirring after every 5 minutes, until the oats are a light golden brown.  Let cool.

If you wish to omit the dry milk powder, use milk in the individual recipes instead of water.

I have been making this mix for years.  The original recipe came from an article in our local newspaper printed in March 1988.  Yes, I really do keep old recipes.

3-Way Oatmeal Baking Mix
4 c. uncooked rolled oats, old-fashioned or quick cooking, toasted if desired
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. unbleached or regular flour
1 c. nonfat dry milk powder
3 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
1 lb. butter or margarine, softened (I use butter)

If you have a large Kitchenaid type mixer, this can be mixed completely with the mixer.  If you have a smaller mixer, it may be started in the mixer, but will probably need to be finished by hand.  Combine oats, flours, dry milk powder, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Put butter in a large bowl of a electric mixer.  Beat butter until creamy.  With mixer on low speed, gradually add as much of the dry ingredients as possible.  If you can add all of the dry ingredients, continue mixing until fine, even crumbs are formed.  If you cannot add all the dry ingredients, finish with a pastry blender or rub mix between your fingers.  Store mix tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.  Makes about 10 cups mix.  Use to make Oatmeal Muffins, Oatmeal Pancakes, and Oatmeal Cookies.

Oatmeal Muffins
1 egg
2/3 c. water
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. sugar, regular or brown
2 1/4 c. 3-Way Oatmeal Baking Mix
1/2 c. raisins or other chopped, dried fruit
1/2 c. chopped, toasted nuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, lightly beat egg with the water and vanilla.  Add sugar  and Mix, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in raisins or other fruit and nuts if using.  Spoon into 12 medium muffin cups.  Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown.  Makes 12 muffins.  Note:  these muffins do not rise very high, if you want higher muffins, fill only six muffin cups or double the recipe.)

Oatmeal Pancakes
2 eggs
1 c. water
1 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. 3-Way Oatmeal Baking Mix

Beat eggs with water until well blended.  Stir in brown sugar and Mix, beating until fairly smooth.  Let batter stand 5 to 10-minutes to allow it to thicken.  Spoon batter onto a heated, lightly greased griddle or skillet making 3-inch pancakes.  Cook until all bubbly on top, turn and brown on second side.  Remove and keep warm.  Continue until all batter has been used.  Makes 8 to 12 three-inch pancakes.  Note:  For lighter pancakes, separate eggs, mixing egg yolks with the water.  Beat egg whites until moist peaks form and gently fold into pancake batter after 3-Way Baking Mix has been added.

Oatmeal Cookies
1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon or other spice of choice (optional)
1/3 c. water
3 c. 3-Way Oatmeal Baking Mix
1 c. raisins, chopped dates or other dried fruit, candy chips (optional)
1/2 c. chopped, toasted nuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, beat butter or margarine with brown sugar.  Beat in egg, vanilla and cinnamon, if using.  Add water and beat well.  Stir in Mix until well blended.  Add in raisins, dates, dried fruit or chips and nuts, if using.  Drop by rounded teaspoonsful 2-inches apart onto a well-greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 12 to 14minutes.  Remove cookies to a wire rack,  Cool and store in covered container.  Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

Do you make homemade mixes?  If so, what is your favorite mix to make.  If not, who not?

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Coffeecake Muffins-Guest Post

Today Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker brings her wonderful recipe for Coffeecake Muffins.  If you haven't visited her blog, please go check it out.  She has lots of wonderful stuff there.  I have been a follower for several years.  Tell you a little secret about this recipe.  When it arrived, I just couldn't wait to make it so I have a batch of these with me to snack on while we're on vacation.   Here's Kristen!

Hello! I am so pleased to be here at Grandma Loy's today. She has been a long time participant in my monthly Improv Cooking Challenge and has been a guest on my blog, so I am so happy to be able to return the favor. I blog over at FrugalAntics of a Harried Homemaker with the motto: delicious doesn't have to be expensive. I just sent my oldest son off to college and have four kids left at home ranging from 11^th grade to 2^nd grade. I am all about saving money and still enjoying life.

Today, I brought you a batch of Coffee Cake Muffins. Portable breakfasts are a big hit with my teenage boys. They like to sleep as long as they can on school days, hopping out of bed with only a few minutes to get out the door. I always feel better when they at least grab a muffin or two to eat on the way to school. These muffins were adapted from The Muffin Tin Cookbook by Brette Sember. I do a handful of cookbook reviews every year and this one was a favorite.

Coffee Cake Muffins:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup sugar + 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup melted butter

2/3 cup milk

1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line 12 regular muffin cups.

Combine flour, ½ cup sugar and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, combine egg, vanilla, melted butter and milk.

Add dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups.

Combine the cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar.

Sprinkle it evenly over all of the muffins.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick.

I hope you like them!!

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+

Hey, everyone, do make these, they are delicious.  Thanks Kristen for coming by and sharing such a great recipe.

Secret Recipe Club-Butterscotch Blondie Mini Muffcakes

The blog that I was assigned for January for Secret Recipe Club was Bizzy Bakes.  Since I have been up against bandwidth issues with my ISP I did not have a chance to explore the blog as much as I would have liked.

I did, however, find two great potato patty recipes and a whole page of links to muffin recipes.  When I saw Butterscotch Blondie Muffins listed on that page, I knew that was what I would make.  After all who can resist a blondie or a muffin?  I am definitely going to explore this blog further when I get through this ISP thing.

I made a few minor changes which is why I named my recipe Butterscotch Blondie Mini Muffcakes.  A year or so ago, Tiffany from Eat at Home and I had a email conversation regarding what to call those recipes that seemed to be between a muffin and a cupcake.  Muffcakes was the result of that conversation.

I used an egg instead of the egg substitute.  I baked the batter in a mini muffin pan and instead of stirring in the butterscotch chips, I just placed a butterscotch chip on top of each muffin.  I had hoped that the chips would remain on the top, but they sunk into the muffins.  Next time I will use two chips for each muffin cup and push them into the batter to cover them.

Hubby really liked these, especially the butterscotch chip center of each mini muffin.

Butterscotch Blondie Mini Muffcakes
adapted from Bizzy Bakes
1/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 large egg at room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
36 butterscotch baking chips

Melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Stir in brown sugar, egg and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir flour mixture into butter/sugar mixture just until flour is moist.  Batter will be somewhat stiff.  Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.  Drop batter by teaspoonsfull into muffin cups.  Push two butterscotch chips into each muffin.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool and store in a zip top bag to keep muffins moist.  Makes 18 mini muffins.

Cooking with the Journal-Cereal Muffins

Life happened yesterday.  My mother, who is 92 and suffering from congestive heart failure, collapsed and had to be admitted to the hospital with too much fluid on her lungs.  She is doing OK, and we realize how fortunate we are to still have her.  Blogging definitely comes after life and family, so posts may be a little erratic for awhile.  

I do want to say "Welcome" to my new followers; and, as always, thank all of you who take time out of your busy lives to read my posts.  I am most humbled.

I did make muffins the other night so had this ready to post today.  This recipe comes from perhaps the thinnest of the Farm Journal Cookbooks, “Homemade Bread”, 1969.   It can be made with several kinds of cereal including whole bran, corn flakes, and Cheerios.  I am sure that other “flaked” cereals could be used by using the same amount as the corn flakes.  This is a nice use for that last couple of cups or so of cereal that no one has eaten.
 
The recipe includes variations for blueberry, apple, pineapple, bacon, and cranberry (a nice use of leftover cranberry sauce).  Since I have a lot of apples on hand (we are in the middle of apple picking season here), I made the apple variation.  My hubby likes his muffins with butter and jam, but I liked them just fine plain.

Cereal Muffins
Homemade Breads
Farm Journal Books, 1969
1 1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. whole-bran cereal, or 2 c. Cheerios, or 3 c. corn flakes
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1 T. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Combine milk and cereal in a large bowl.  In another bowl mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Add beaten egg and vegetable oil to milk and cereal and mix well; add dry ingredients.  Mix only until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Fill greased muffin cups almost full.  Bake in 400 degree oven 20 to 25 minutes.  Makes 12 medium-size muffins.

Variations:  Add any of these to batter before adding dry ingredients.
Blueberry:  Add 1 c. fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries or 1 c. well-drained canned blueberries.
Apple:  Peel and finely dice 1 medium apple (3/4-1 c.).  Toss with 2 T. sugar and 1/2 to. cinnamon.
Pineapple:  Add 3/4 c. well-drained crushed pineapple.
Bacon:  Add 4 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled.
Cranberry:  Add 1 c. whole berry cranberry sauce.

Breakfast Bread Pudding Cups-Make Ahead

First,  I just have to share a picture of my silicone muffin cups.  Aren’t they cute?  These are by Wilton and can be purchased very cheaply at JoAnn’s or Michael’s with their 40% off coupons.  You use them just like regular muffin pans, but can put them on a cookie sheet to bake.  If you spray the cups with non-stick spray they will peel right off whatever you are baking.

If you like bread pudding, you will like this idea.  I am sure that it is far from original, but is such a good, inexpensive, and versatile idea, it is too good not to be shared.  These little pudding cups are great for breakfast on the go. Today I made both sweet and savory which we will eat tomorrow morning before leaving for the church youth group water play day.

This uses up any bread that is beginning to get stale.  I use white breads, cinnamon bread, and even buns in the sweet versions.  I like whole wheat or other whole grain breads in the savory versions.  Use the larger amount of bread for a firmer cup.

All kinds of things can be added.  In the sweet version: chopped nuts, finely chopped fresh or dried fruit, any flavor baking chips, maple syrup or other flavored syrup, white or brown sugar, spices, etc.  In the savory version:  ham, breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, bacon, chicken; any shredded cheese, finely chopped onion, peppers, veggies, spices and herbs.  I usually brown up 1 pound of sausage with my choice of veggies, divide that into four parts and keep in the freezer.  I just thaw in the microwave when I want to use it.

This is what I made today:

Maple Bread Pudding Cups
4 –5 c. bread cubes about 1/2-inch cubes.  (6  to 7 slices)
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. milk
1 t vanilla
1 T. maple syrup
dash salt

Mix bread cubes and brown sugar together in a large bow.  Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, maple syrup and salt together in a small bowl. beating until well combined.  Pour egg mixture over bread mixture and combine well.  Generously grease 12 muffins cups.  With a ladle spoon pudding mixture into the cups, filling almost completely full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until pudding tests done.  Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before removing from cups.  Eat warm or cool and store tightly covered in refrigerator.  May be eaten cold or heated in the microwave 15 to 20 seconds.  Makes about 12.

Southwest Bread Pudding Cups
1/4 lb. breakfast sausage
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c. finely chopped red pepper
1/2 t. seasoned salt
1/4-1/2 t. ground cumin
4 c. bread cubes, about 1/2-inch (6 to 7 slices, preferably whole grain)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. milk

Cook sausage with onion and red pepper until sausage is brown.  Add seasonings and mix well.  Place bread cubes and sausage mixture in a large bowl.  Mix well.  In a small bowl, combine eggs and milk and mix very well.  Pour into bread mixture and combine well.  Grease muffins cups very well.  Ladle pudding mixture into cups, filling almost all the way to the top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until pudding tests done.  Let stand 5 minutes before removing from cups.  Serve warm or cool and store tightly covered in refrigerator.  May be eaten cold or warmed in microwave 15 to 30 seconds.  Makes 10-12

Play around with these.  Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar on the top of the sweet version, add some corn to the savory version.  See what you can come up with.  Add more or less bread/milk to get the texture you like.  Enjoy.

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