Pecan Pie Muffins

 

 

 

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together flour, sugar, and pecans.
Beat eggs until foamy and stir in melted butter. Stir in vanilla.
Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients.
Stir until just moistened.
Line muffin tin with paper liners.
Spray liners with Baker's Joy.
Fill muffin tins with batter until almost full.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350* degrees for 30 minutes.
Makes about 10 regular sized muffins.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Flour, brown sugar, pecans, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract

Mix together flour, brown sugar, and pecans.

Beat eggs until foamy.

Stir butter and vanilla into eggs.

Stir dry ingredients with wet ingredients until just moistened.

Line muffin tins with liners and spray with Baker's Joy.

Fill muffin tins almost full.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350* degrees for 30 minutes

 

Spray liners with Baker's Joy to prevent sticking.

Ham and Spinach Quiche

• 1 pre-baked pie crust
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound ham, chopped
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup cream or half and half
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Saute onions until tender.  Combine spinach with onions and ham
Fill pre-baked pie crust with spinach mixture.
Layer  shredded cheese in pie crust; reserve 1/4 cup for top.
Blend eggs, cream, pepper and salt; Pour slowly into pie crust.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350* for 30 minutes.   Remove from oven and top with reserved cheese.
Continue baking for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

 

pie crust, onion, ham, spinach, cheese, cream, eggs, salt, and pepper

 

 

 

Saute onion, add ham and spinach.  Cool.

 

 

Layer spinach mixture into crust and top with cheese.

 

 

Blend eggs, cream, salt, and pepper.

 

 

Slowly pour custard into crust

Bake at 350 degrees in pre-heated oven.

 

 

Cool 10 minutes before slicing.

 

Fresh or frozen spinach can be used for this recipe.  Defrost and remove all moisture from frozen spinach.  Chop and saute fresh spinach with onions to wilt.   Quiche in photo is baked in a springform pan but a deep dish pie pan may be used.  The garnish is micro-green radishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Igloos

 

• 1/2 cup butter, soften
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 1 package 8 ounce package buttered flavored cookie rings
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 20 maraschino cherries with stems

In a medium bowl cream butter and sugar.  Stir in pineapple until blended.
In food processor chop raisins and pecans until coarse ground.  Stir into pineapple mixture.
Spread filling onto 3 cookies.  Stack and gently press together.  Top with plain cookie.
Repeat until you have 20 stacks.
Let stand 8 hours or overnight at room temperature until cookies are soft.
Just before serving beat cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff.
Frost cookie stacks with whipped cream.  Sprinkle with coconut and top with cherry.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Sugar, butter, pineapple, raisins, pecans, butter cookies, whipped cream, vanilla, coconut, and cherries

 

 

Spread filling on three cookies.

 

 

Stack the filled cookies and top with plain cookie.  Press together gently.  Repeat with remaining cookies.

 

 

 

Let stand 8 hours or overnight at room temperature.  Cookies will soften.

 

 

After 8 hours.

 

  

This makes a pretty dessert for Christmas.  Cool Whip can be used for whipped cream frosting.  It is  more stable than whipped cream and will allow frosting the cookie stacks several hours before serving.  Refrigerate after frosting the cakes.  The unfrosted cookie stacks can be stored two days in refrigerator or frozen for one month, making this a great make-ahead dessert.          

Seafood and Sausage Gumbo

• 3/4 cup of butter
• 1 cup of green onions, chopped
• 1 cup of onions, chopped
• 2 cups okra, chopped
• 3 crabs
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups of tomato juice
• 1 quart water
• 2 cups peeled shrimp
• 1/2 pound of smoked sausage
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon file' powder
• salt
• pepper
• cayenne pepper
• cooked rice

Melt butter in skillet; Saute green onions and onions until tender; Add okra and crab; Add tomatoes
In a large stock pot bring to boil water, tomato juice, shrimp, cook 1 minute
Add vegetables to stock pot
Melt 3 tablespoons butter; Mix in flour and cook over medium heat until brown; Be careful not to burn flour mixture
Add some of the 1st mixture to the roux; Add to gumbo
Brown Sausage; Add to gumbo
Simmer 1 1/2 hours
Serve over rice
1/2 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cup Gumbo

Printable Recipe

I was planning on a different recipe today, but our first chilly autumn day is here. So what could be more comforting than a streaming bowl of gumbo and a loaf of crusty bread.  In Mississippi we are blessed with great seafood and fish.  The Gulf of Mexico has the best shrimp and oysters.  If not available in your area buy wild caught.  You can tell the difference in the finished dish.  I make this recipe during the summer when fresh tomatoes and okra are abundant.  I freeze it for a day just like today.  If making it for freezer don't add the roux or sausage before freezing.  Complete recipe when ready to serve.

Banana Muffins

Easy banana muffin recipe made with sour cream.

 

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Mix bananas, brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth
Slowly add flour until just mixed
Mix in sour cream
Fill prepared muffin pans 2/3 full.
Bake in preheated 375* oven 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center.
Makes 18 muffins.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:

Bananas, Brown sugar, Oil, Egg, Vanilla, Self-rising flour and Sour cream

Mix bananas, brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla in mixing bowl

Mix until smooth.

Slowly add flour until just mixed; over mixing after you add flour will cause your baked goods to be tough.
Stir in sour cream.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake in preheated 375* oven 18 to 20 minutes
Tip: Even if you use cupcake liners spray the liners with Baker's Joy and the muffins will not stick to the paper.

This is the same batter but baked in mini muffin tins.  They make a great mid-morning snack with a cup of coffee.  I rolled the muffins in cinnamon sugar while they were still warm.

 

Self- rising flour was invented in England in 1845 by a baker, Henry Jones.  He received a patent in the USA in 1849.  It is widely used in the South for biscuits and other quick breads.  Southerns prefer a soft winter wheat flour.  Winter wheat produces a light product because of it's low protein and gluten content.  Popular brands are Martha White and White Lily.  Self-rising flour already has the leavening agent and salt added to it.  My mother always bought self-rising flour in 25 pounds sacks.  It came in brightly colored cotton sacks.  My grandmother quickly claimed these sacks.  She carefully washed, starched, and ironed this fabric.  Over the years Granny had quite a collection of aprons, pillowcases, tea towels, and her favorite, patchwork quilts.  Now days I have a collection of different flours in my kitchen each for a different use, but at least I don't have to decide which bag is the prettiest.