Muffins/Scones

Apricot and White Chocolate Scones

(makes 8 large or 10 smaller-sized scones)

2 ½ sticks butter, diced and chilled

4 C flour

¼ C sugar

2 T baking powder

2 t salt

4 eggs, in a pourable container

Zest of 1 orange, added to eggs

1 C white chocolate chips

1 C dried apricots, diced

Heavy cream

Egg wash

Raw sugar for sprinkling

Place diced butter in the freezer while you prepare other ingredients. In a stand mixer bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix together well using the paddle attachment. Add chilled butter and pulse mixer to coat the butter with flour mix. You may need to break up any big chunks of butter with your fingers. Remember to work fairly quickly. You want the butter to remain cold. Add apricots and white chocolate. Pulse again to evenly mix. Pour eggs into flour mix one at a time, pulsing to mix. Remove the paddle attachment and use it to scoop to the bottom of the bowl to get the flour that is not mixing. Attach paddle and drizzle in heavy cream slowly while pulsing mixer with short bursts. Mix should just hold together. I often work with my hands at this point. Just add a smidge more cream if dough is to dry. If dough is too wet, add a smidge more flour. Hope you guys are comfortable with the term smidge! Gather dough into a ball and place into a 10 inch cake pan that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Press evenly into pan. Invert pan onto a floured board. Cut into 8 or 10 wedges. Place scones on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Brush with egg wash. (1 egg and ¼ C of heavy cream, beaten) Sprinkle each scone with raw sugar. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 25 minutes. Rotate halfway through cooking. Scones should just be set to the touch. Touch the thickest part of the biggest scone. It should feel set and not loose.

After scones have cooled a bit (5 minutes), remove to a wire rack for further cooling. These are so perfect served warm. If you serve the next day, reheat in a toaster oven. Scones are optimal shortly out of the oven.

Orange Pecan Muffins

(makes 12 medium-sized muffins)

2 C flour

¼ t salt

1 t soda

¾ C pecan pieces, toasted

1 stick butter, soft

1 C plus 1 T sugar

Zest of 1 large orange

2 eggs, room temperature

1 C sour cream

Raw sugar for sprinkling

May 20 031

In a bowl, combine flour, salt and soda. Whisk to combine. Add pecan pieces to bowl and stir to coat with flour.

In a stand mixer bowl, add butter and sugar. Using the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until smooth and airy. Add zest and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour and sour cream to the butter mixture alternately beginning and ending with the flour mix. The stand mixer should be on its lowest speed. Finish incorporating with a spoonula.

Portion batter into a muffin tin that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Sprinkle muffin tops with raw sugar. Place into a preheated 375 degree oven. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate pan and bake for an additional 12 minutes. Muffins should be just set to the touch. Careful not to go by color. Always touch the tops. Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan. Remove to a wire rack for cooling. The dough can be made ahead and baked off when needed. Good for several days.

Banana Walnut Bread

2 ½ C flour

2 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 C toasted walnut pieces

½ C coconut

6 very ripe bananas, baked and cooled

2 C sugar

4 eggs, beaten

1 T vanilla

1 C vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, soda and salt. Add walnut pieces and coconut. Mix well. In a separate bowl, add bananas and sugar and mash well with a potato masher. Leave some chunks of banana. Add vanilla and eggs to banana/sugar mix and continue to use the potato masher to incorporate. Add oil. Mix. Add banana mix to dry mix and use the masher to blend ingredients together. Portion into baking pans. This recipe makes 6 medium-sized breads or 2 large. The batter can also be used for muffins.

For the six medium-sized breads, place batter into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate and bake for another 20 minutes. Bread should just be set to the touch and slightly pulling away from the sides. Cool for 20 minutes before unmolding.

For the bananas: Prick six ripe bananas with a fork. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and place into a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cooling before using. They will be black and very sweet!

Streusel Topping

2 sticks butter, melted

½ C toasted sliced almonds

½ C toasted walnuts

½ C toasted pecans

¾ C old fashioned oats

¾ t salt

¾ t nutmeg

¾ t cinnamon

¾ C sugar

¾ C light brown sugar

1 ¼ C flour

In a mixing bowl, combine salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, both sugars and flour. Mix well. Add nuts and oats and mix again. Add melted butter to the flour nut mix and stir. Spread mix onto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator. Once the mix has hardened, break up the mix into pieces and place into a food processor. Pulse until a nice crumbly texture is achieved. The mix can store in the refrigerator for several days or you can freeze the streusel for several weeks. Pull it out and top a muffin, coffee cake, or pie. Delicious and worth the effort.

Chunky Apple Raisin Muffins with Streusel Topping

(Recipe makes 24 small muffins)

3 C flour

1 t cinnamon

1 t nutmeg

2 t baking soda

1 C golden raisins

1 C vegetable oil

2 C sugar

2 extra-large eggs

1 t vanilla

Zest of 1 orange

2 C applesauce

1 large apple, chunky dice

Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and soda in a bowl and whisk well to evenly incorporate. Add raisins to flour mix. Using your fingers, separate the raisins and evenly coat them with the flour mix.

Place eggs, vanilla, and zest into a pourable container.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar and oil. Beat on medium high speed with the paddle attachment. Slowly drizzle in the egg mix. Continue to beat until airy and well combined.

With mixer on the slowest speed, alternately add flour mix and applesauce. Do not over mix. Finish incorporating by hand.

Using an ice cream scoop, portion out batter into a muffin tin coated with non-stick baking spray. Fill them 2/3 full. Push 3 or 4 cut pieces of apple into the batter. Sprinkle streusel topping on each and place in a 400 degree oven for 13 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so until tops are just set to the touch. Allow to cool before removing from the tin.

Bacon, Cheddar & Scallion Scones

(makes 8 large scones)

2 C flour

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

1 t black pepper

1 ¼ sticks butter, chilled and diced

2 eggs

1 C crispy bacon, diced

2 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated

3 scallions, finely chopped

heavy cream

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix well with your paddle attachment. Add diced pieces of very cold butter and pulse your mixer to coat butter pieces with the flour. Add one egg, pulse again. Add second egg and pulse again. Break up any large lumps of butter. Minimize your pulsing. Add bacon, cheese and scallions to the mix. Pulse machine again while drizzling in heavy cream. Add just enough cream for the dough to come together. Not dry, not wet. Gather the dough together and press it evenly into a 9” cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Invert the pan onto a cutting board and cut the circle into 8 wedges. Brush the scones with heavy cream and egg. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in a preheated 425 degree oven. Bake for 12 minutes and turn your baking sheet and bake for an additional 12 minutes or until golden brown.