Apple-Pecan Muffins with Cinnamon Topping

I had some apples left over from a previous dessert I made and so I made these.  These are really moist and full of flavor.  You could probably substitute a different fruit (banana, peach, blueberry etc) and also change the type of nuts.  I made these in two different type of muffin pans, a large muffin pan and also a PopOver Pan,  just for something different.  Hope you give these a try.

 

Pop-Over Pan

Large Muffin Tin

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (I used 1/2 n 1/2 and water 1/4 cp each)
1 1/4 cp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temp
1 3/4 cp AP flour (you could use 1/2 AP flour 1/2 whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3-4 granny smith apples, peeled, sliced and chopped
1/2 cup Pecans (or your choice of nuts...optional)

Cinnamon crumble topping
1/4 cp white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 TBL AP flour
2 TBL cold butter grated.

Direction:
Preheat oven to 375°.  Spray pans or use liners, set aside.
In a large bowl. cream together 1/2 cp butter, 1 1/4 cp sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.   Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  In another bowl mix the dry ingredients and then stir in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until it's incorporated.  Fold in the apples and nuts.  Scoop into muffins tins and fill 3/4 full.  Lightly sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon crumble.
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool and enjoy.

To make the topping:
In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients, then grate the cold butter into the mixture and using a pastry blender, mix until mixture resembles small peas.  I actually use my hands for this, works much better.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You L♥ve.
D♥onna

Magic Cake

I happen to see this on Pinterest and knew I just had to try it.  This past week we celebrated yet another birthday and thought I would make this along with the apple turnovers the birthday boy requested.  This cake has a custard type filling in the middle that just happens, like magic.  It's a bit on the bland side but JR said it was really good and reminded him of a cake he has eaten when he was a kid.  I think the center reminds me a bit of Flan.  IMP is was ok but he loved it so that's what was important.

Ingredients:

4 eggs (separate yolks from whites) at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup  sugar
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup of all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm * I used 1/2 n 1/2 and water*
powdered sugar for dusting cake

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish.
Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until egg whites are stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla extract and continue beating for another minute or two after which you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Another variation to folding in the egg whites would be to add a third of the egg whites and gently whisk them in to the cake batter, then reverse the process and add a bit of the cake mixture to the egg whites and gently whisk in, repeat until all cake batter has been whisked in.
Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The baking time could vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.
Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU L♥ve.
D♥onna

LC tortilla roll ups

This is a great lc snack and oh so easy to make.  You only need a few ingredients and it takes no time at all to put together.  This would be great for Super Bowl Sunday for your friends that LC.

2-3 Flatouts (LC) either the plan or Italian Flavor
(these can be found at your local grocery store, usually by the deli dept)
4oz cream cheese soft
1 small can of diced black olives
1 small can of diced green chilli
1/2 lb. of thin sliced deli ham

Spread the cream cheese on the flatout, add the ham, then put the olives and green chilli and roll them up.  Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for about 2 hours.  Remove and slice, arrange on a platter....enjoy.  It's that simple.  You could make them a bit spicier and hotter if you want by just adding some diced Jalapeno's.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy and healthy New Year.  I know I did, had such a great time with my son, daughter in law and my two grandchildren.  I miss them so much, wish they were closer.  :(
Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things You L♥ve.
D♥onna

Some Christmas Cards

Every year I make Christmas cards for myself, my daughter and my sister in law, so I thought I would share some I made this year.  I will be heading off to see my son in a couple of days to spend the Christmas Holiday with him and his family.  Am excited to see my other grandchildren.  It's rough when you only get to see them twice a year.  Wish they were closer.  I wish everyone a Healthy, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Donna

Cauliflower Bake

This is the side dish I made for Thanksgiving.  With all the great food there is to eat on that day it's always good to have a Low Carb choice too.  Eating the LC way I have found that eating tooooooooooooo much cheese does make my weight fluctuate, so I try to keep it to a minimum and only have about 2 oz maybe a couple times a week in my salad.  This is an easy recipe and one worth making.  You could change the veggie if you want.  This recipe is based on a potato recipe I used to make.  Sure hope you give it a try.

Ingredients:
2  heads of  cauliflower cut into  florets
4 oz shredded mild cheddar cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella  cheese
4 oz block cream cheese, softened
1/2 - 3/4 cup half and half
2 bunches green onions, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
6 - 8 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 clove garlic chopped
1/2 stick butter
1/2 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
4 oz velvetta cheese
1 - 1 1/2 TBL Garlic Herb seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° .
Steam cauliflower florets until tender. don't over cook it will cook more while in oven.  Drain to be sure you get as much moisture out as possible.
In a large skillet melt the butter, saute the onion and then add the garlic.  Add the cream cheese , when that is almost melted add 1/2 the half and half and add the rest of the cheeses and the rest of the half and half.  Cook until all melted.  Crumble the bacon into cheese mixture.  Butter a casserole dish and add the cauliflower and then pour cheese over the top.  Mix so it's all combined.  Top with LC pita pieces.

Cover dish with foil or put lid on if it has one   and bake for 25 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Fruit Tart

This is the dessert I made for my son's fiance' birthday last week.  I also made the second version for Thanksgiving.  This really is an easy dessert to make and only involves the cooking of the crust.  You could use any fruit you like and best of all this would be great when those fruits are in season.  It's such a refreshing treat.
Sure hope you try it.

Crust:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries
Glaze
1/2 cupUnsweetened apple juice
1 TBL corn starch
1/4 sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.
For the glaze: Combine the apple juice, cornstarch, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.
Keep the tart in the refrigerator  Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

I also made a strawberry pineapple one for Thanksgiving, that also was a "big" hit.

 Thanks for taking time from you busy day to stop by.  Remember to always Find the time to Do All the things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all my family and friends and all that visit my blog a very Happy Thanksgiving.  May your day be filled with laughter and good memories and don't forget the L♥ve.  Be thankful for all you have.  I am so blessed with great family and wonderful and caring friends.
This is the first year I can remember in over 40 years that I didn't cook a turkey today.  We are going to my son in laws family for the afternoon.  Should be a wonderful time, we will all be together.  Wish my son and his family were closer would be wonderful to have the entire family gathered at the table.
My son and his wife have an anniversary, I think it's today. (if it was earlier sorry I missed it but was thinking of you) If you see this Monica and Danny congrats on 19 years of marriage and wishing you many more.  Love Mom
Donna