Happy Valentine's Day Papa and Gogo

Sara's Pumpkin Muffins

RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN MUFFINS
From Gourmet November 2006
Adapted from the American Club
Makes 1 dozen
Active time: 15 min.
Start to finish: 1 hour



INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpking (from a 15-oz can) (I accidentally put the entire 15 oz. can in, with no ill effects at all)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice (a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice)
1.25 cups plus 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Equipment: 12 foil or paper muffin liners; a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups



DIRECTIONS:
Put oven rack in middle positiona nd preheat oven toe 350F. Put liners in muffin cups.
Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1.25 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then spinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wodden pick or skewer inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature

Taunya's Birthday Cake recipe

This is a cake entender recipe.  You add the following ingredients in addition to all that is already listed on the cake box.  I've only used it with a white and yellow cake mix so far but I think it is supposed to work for most cake mixes.  We thought it made thecake taste better.

 

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1/2 package pudding (flavor of your choice)

 

Here is a recipe for a great buttercream icing.  It is fabulous for decorating.  It actually called for a lot more shortening then I like so this recipe is my altered recipe.  Before I reduced the amount of shortening it left a film of shortening in our mouth after every bite.  Yuck!  My kids and Jonny actually really like the flavor of this icing. 

 

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 cup shortening

3/4 tsp. butter flavoring ( you can get this at Michael's or Walmart in the cake decorating section)

1 tsp. vanilla (I use Wilton's clear vanilla)

1/4 tsp. almond extract

2 pounds powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

Water as needed (I usually end up using around 2 tablespoons or so)

 

Combine butter, shortening, and salt.  Mix about 5 minutes on low.  Add almond, butter and vanilla extracts.  Mix together well.  Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time and mix well.  Add water as needed. 

 

Another tip:  If you are frosting a cake, do a crumb coat first.  This means to do a quick frosting, nothing pretty, then put the cakein the freezer for about an hour.  This will seal in the crumbs so when you do your final coat of frosting the crumbs will not mix in. 

 

Wednesday Breakfast: Baked-oats

One of my very favorite breakfasts. We like to make it the night before, add a little extra milk, cover the bowl and put it in the fridge. But it can be made right before with no problems.

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 to 3/4 white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix.
Add...
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 beaten eggs
1/4 c butter, melted
zest of one orange

Mix.
Preheat oven to 350. Spread into a greased jelly roll pan (small cookie sheet OR 9x13 or larger glass pan. Just depends on your desired thickness) Bake 15-18 min.

Serve hot or cold. With milk or not. And snack on it all day, or morning rather. It won't last.

Sunday Breakfast: Wheat Pancakes

We've fallen into a pattern for a specific breakfast each day of the week and Wally knows the drill. In fact, it's how he is learning days of the week. If we are cooking waffles, he says, "It's Saturday!" or these pancakes "Sunday!" I think this recipe is from a cookbook; we just have it in our heads. Hope this doesn't count as copyright infringement. They are very yummy; the pancakes that brought me bake to pancakes. Approx cost: less than $1.00

Sunday Pancakes
1/3 white flour
1/4 wheat flour
2 Tbl sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1cup milk
2 Tbl melted butter.

Mix. Pour. Flip. Eat.

Sweet Potato Burrito

My favorite food discovery of 2011. We discovered this in Texas while looking at the old Kindwood 2nd ward recipe book. I try to make these once a month and make enough for two other meals; they freeze so nicely. We usually don't have all the spices on hand but have found them to be just as yummy sans mustard and soy sauce.We also like them on the small tortillas as you get more crunch per bite. Make and enjoy! Approx cost: $5.00 (which lasts us two and a half nights)


Sweet Potato Burritos
1 T Vegetable oil                                                                             
1 onion chopped                                                                           
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed (or made from scratch, bulk beans)
3 T chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp prepared mustard
3 T soy sauce
4 C sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in beans and heat until warm.  Remove from heat and stir in chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.  Add just enough water so that soices dissolve.
   Divide bean mixture and *mash sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas.  **Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style and bake or freeze.  Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven and serve.


*We microwave 3-4 (for a half recipe) for 7+ minutes then take the skins off and mash them all in a bowl.
** We prefer mozzerella cheese. And because we're cheap we just buy 3 cheese sticks and shred those.

Cinnamon Bread

1 1/4 cup warm Water
3 T Butter (melted)
3 1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Yeast
3 T Cinnamon

Mix 1/4 cup water and yeast together (with a bit o' sugar) and let sit until foamy. Combine dry ingredients. Mix yeast and dry with melted butter and 1 cup water. Mix. Makes 1 large loaf or two small. Bake at approx 375 for I don't know how many minutes on a regular oven (our is tempermental; good luck)