French Toast Bread Pudding Muffins

Last month, Stacey made the trip from the cities to visit for the weekend.  We invited her down since we needed help with hostessing at my dad's retirement party.  I like to try out new recipes when she is visiting. It's a change for me to cook for more than two, and since Stacey doesn't cook much, it's extra fun for me to make different types of recipes.

Since we were gong to have a busy schedule with my dad's party, I really had to take the opportunity to make something fun for breakfast.  I new it was going to be the muffins I had found on Pinterest. Heather's French Press had shared French Toast Bread Pudding Muffins. That's right. All that breakfast goodness put into a muffin.

They are delicious. Moist. So much breakfast goodness baked into one little cup!  We did have a little problem with the bread pudding sticking to the paper liner, so next time I think I will try greasing the muffin tin. My other tip for you is, while the muffins are baking, make some bacon!

French Toast Bread Pudding Muffins (Adapted from:  Heather's French Press)

1 loaf English Muffin Toasting Bread
4 eggs
2 cup milk (I use 2 %)
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Cut loaf of bread into small cubes; put in medium bowl.  Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. Let set 15 to 30 minutes, or until most of the egg mixture has been absorbed.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners, or grease tins. Fill each tin 1/2 to 3/4 full.  Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!! 


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Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake

Sometimes, you find a recipe that you just know you have to try! That's what happened when I found Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake. I was craving spring flavors and truth be told, I had never had a Meyer Lemon before. I have read many recipe's calling for them, I see them at the co-op, but I had never actually tried one before. This was the time to finally try them!

The coffee cake was delicious. LOTS of struesel. If you love struesel, then this is a recipe you have to try! I do love the Meyer Lemons. I will be trying them again in my next lemon recipe.

Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake (Source: Bake, Run, Live.  Adapted from: Martha Stewart)


Streusel Topping:
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter

Cake:
2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons Meyer lemon zest (you will need 4 to 5 lemons)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Greek yogurt

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice


Struesel Directions:
In medium-sized bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until it resembles small pebbles. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease a 9-inch angel food cake pan, set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of bowl. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the Greek yogurt.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the chilled streusel evenly over the batter. Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center, comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, run a knife along all the edges of the pan. Remove the outer ring and let cool completely. To remove cake from bottom of pan, run a knife along the center tube, then gently slide two large wide spatulas between cake and pan. Carefully lift from pan, and let cool on rack.

Glaze Directions
Shortly before serving, whisk together the powdered sugar and the Meyer lemon juice, in a small bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.


Printable Recipe

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Maple Syrup Granola

It's time for the monthly Surprise Recipe Swap. This month I got to check out Heather's blog, Bake, Run, Live.  Heather had so many great recipes to choose from, I really had a hard time deciding. So, I picked two!  I'll share the second one, a little later on, if that's ok with Heather.

What I chose for today was Heather's Maple Syrup Granola. The week prior to finding this recipe, we had an Amish man stop in at our office selling fresh Maple Syrup. We only use pure maple syrup, but I have never had syrup that fresh! I knew I wanted to use this syrup on something other than pancakes. At least part of it! So, when I found the Maple Syrup Granola, I new that was the destination for my syrup!

This was my first time making granola without peanut butter, so I was a little hesitant. Sometimes I need that little nudge to try a new recipe. I can really get hung up on a favorite recipe and stick with it forever. I am glad for the nudge on trying this recipe, it is delicious! I used some ingredients that were new to me, and it was a complete success. Coconut Chunks are my new love, and I wish I new that coconut was in that form a long time ago!  This granola was great to snack on, or put on top of yogurt. Some went into a batch of cookies, which was an amazing addition to cookies! I think my favorite way to use this granola was on top of frozen vanilla bean yogurt. YUM!

Maple Granola (Slight adapted from: Bake, Run, Live)


3 c. rolled oats
1 c. dried unsweetened coconut chips
1 c. chopped walnuts
2/3 c. pure maple syrup
1/3 c. coconut oil, melted
1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. sea salt (original recipe called for 1 teaspoon)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. dried cranberries (or raisins if you prefer!)


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the dried cranberries. Mix until everything is well combined. Spread evenly onto baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. After 40 minutes, add cranberries and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool. Store in air tight container.




Interested in Secret Recipe Swap? Each month participating bloggers get assigned to another blogger and have to pick and cook a recipe from our partners blog!

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Gram's Buttermilk Pancakes

One risk I have run into with raising our own chickens, is serving eggs to often for breakfast! Truckin' Man is pretty good at letting me know when he needs a change up in our menu plan! Today, was one of those days. He wanted pancakes, so I got out my Grandma's recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes. She gave me this recipe about a year ago when I was complaining about always being out of pancake mix when the mood struck to make them. I haven't bought a mix since. 

These are so simple, you don't need a box mix. Don't have buttermilk on hand? You can make a buttermilk substitute in just 5 minutes with milk and vinegar or lemon juice!

Grams' Buttermilk Pancakes
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk**

Mix dry ingredients.  Add eggs and buttermilk to dry mix. Mix until combined,there may be a few lumps.

Bake on hot griddle.

Buttermilk Substitute: For two cup of buttermilk, add two tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measure cup. Fill cup to equal two cups, with milk.  Let set for 5-10 minutes. Add to recipe as needed. 

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Peanut Butter Granola

I am such a grazer. Most days I could get by without any meals, if I had enough food to graze on. Every time I go through the kitchen, I need a bite of something. This can be a nasty habit depending on the snack and food choices we have on hand! I am always on the lookout for bite size snacks that can help me stay away from the sugar cookies!

I stumbled across this yummy recipe and fabulous blog, thanks to Pinterest. Pinterest is the new go to website, isn't it?? Delightful Country Cooking has some wonderful recipes, you should check them out!  I tweaked her recipe, for my Peanut Butter Granola, that is my new addiction!

Peanut Butter Granola (adapted from Delightful Country Cooking)

3 c. old-fashioned oats
3/4 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1 1/4 c. honey
1 c. Grape-Nuts cereal
1 T. melted butter

1/4 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. ground flax seed
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried bananas, chopped into small pieces

Combine oats, almonds, and sunflower seeds.  Spread on cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.

In large bowl combine Grape-Nuts, butter, peanut butter, ground flax seed, cinnamon, and honey.  Add the oatmeal mixture; mix until well coated.  Spread on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.  Cool.

Once cooled, break the granola into small bits and stir in dried fruit**.  Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 months.  

**If you would like to make your own dried bananas, follow the instructions that Delightful Country Cooking has on her recipe. Simple, and fantastic idea!

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Peanut Butter Muffins

Is this really January weather? We made it to 45 degree's in Southwest Wisconsin today. These temps sure makes keeping the outdoor wood boiler going a lot easier for me. 

This "spring like" weather is also changing our breakfast eating.  We aren't so much wanting the hot breakfast everyday, but getting back into our muffin groove.  We love muffins.  They travel well, which is essential for us and the trucking part of life.  But, I do a lot better at my portion control when I have a muffin.  Whatever works, right?

When I found this recipe for Peanut Butter Muffins I had to try it.  I had never thought of peanut butter as a flavor for a muffin. Guess I have been missing out!  These were super easy, and fast! I could easily whip these together in the morning, and have them ready before I leave for work. That's saying how simple these are, because believe me...  I don't leave a lot of time for extra's in the morning :) 

Peanut Butter Muffins  (adapted from Gooseberry Patch-"Seasons for Sharing")

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. sugar

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1/2 c. peanut butter (recommend using crunchy)

2 T. butter

3/4 c. milk

2 beaten eggs

In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Cut in peanut butter and butter with a pastry cutter or fork, until coarse crumbs form.  Stir in milk and eggs just until moistened.  Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  

Makes one dozen muffins.

***Note ***I used creamy peanut butter, but will use crunchy peanut butter next time to bump up the peanut flavor another notch.

Saturday Morning French Toast

I really do like French Toast, but I will admit it.... I am a bit of a French Toast snob.  I am so fussy about how it is prepared, more fussy than with almost any other food.  When we go out to our local diner for breakfast, and my boyfriend orders the French Toast, I just shake my head in disappointment.  I bite my tongue though, I don't need everyone else to know that I am such a snob.  My boyfriend knows this fact, accepts it, and still loves me despite it.  

I have been making French Toast this way for years now.  I absolutely can not have it made from sliced sandwich bread.  Please don't hate me for this, it's just how I am!  Anytime we have leftover crusty bread, I throw it in the freezer to have waiting for a yummy breakfast destiny. French and Italian bread's are what I have used.  I would love to try it with a Ciabatta bread, but haven't accomplished that yet.

It's not an exact recipe as the milk and eggs needed can vary on they exact bread you use.  Please give it shot, it won't disappoint you!!!

French Toast

4 slices day old crusty bread (about 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick)

3 Eggs

1/2 c. Milk

1 T. Flour

1/4 t. Cinnamon
1/2 T. Oil

Toppings
Maple Syrup
Powdered Sugar
Butter

Preheat skillet over medium high heat. In shallow bowl, combine  eggs and milk.  Add flour and cinnamon. Whisk all together until it is smooth and you have no flour lumps.  Add slices of bread to bowl, let soak for about 1 minute on each side.

Add oil to pan and let heat for one minute.  Add 2-3 slices of bread to pan.  Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. 

(Note: If your bread really soaks up the mixture, just add more egg and milk)