Muffins and Scones

Peach Streusel Muffins

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These are perfect to use up those Peaches and Nectarines that are beyond eye appeal for eating but still perfectly good!

Sunshiney Peach Streusel Muffins

I often double my Muffin Recipe and make 20 to 21 larger muffins.

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 large Egg, slightly beaten (Egg Replacer)
3/4 cup Milk (Soy Milk)
1/2 Vegetable Oil (I usually use half oil, half melted butter)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

4 – 5 Peaches or Nectarines, peeled and thickly sliced

Streusel Topping
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Butter, slightly softened

Preheat oven to 400F.
Line muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

Prepare Streusel Topping:
Combine brown sugar and flour together in small mixing bowl.
Cut butter into cubes and toss into the flour mixture.
Rub together until crumbly.

* I make a large amount of Streusel Topping from time to time and keep it handily stored in a Tupperware Round #3 Modular Mate in the fridge.

In large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
Add prepared fruit and toss to coat with flour; make a well in the centre and set aside.
In large pyrex measuring cup melt some butter, add enough oil to measure 1/2 cup; add milk (soy milk), vanilla and egg (egg replacer).
Stir with fork to combine.
Add liquid ingredients all at once to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Use a 5ounce Pampered Chef scoop to fill each prepared muffin cup.
Top with a scant teaspoon of Streusel Topping.

Bake in preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes, rotate pan(s) and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and pick in centre comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in pan(s) on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Turn out and cool completely.
Store in airtight container for 2 – 3 days.

Yield: 12 Muffins

Desserts

Apple Crisp

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Apple Crisp
Apple Crisp

There is something about Apple Crisp that pulls on the heart strings.

4 cups sliced Apples, Peeled, or unpeeled
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Rolled Oats
3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/3 cup Butter

Preheat oven to 375F
Arrange apples in greased 8x8x2″ square baking dish.
In small bowl, combine flour and spices; cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add brown sugar and rolled oats and rub Flour mixture through to coat Rolled Oats.
Sprinkle crumb mixture over apples.
Bake until topping is golden brown and apples are tender, about 30 minutes.
Server warm with Whipped Cream or Ice Cream

Cookies

Rum Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

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1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup lightly packed Brown Sugar
1 large Egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 teaspoons Bundy Rum or Rum Flavouring
2 cups Rolled Oats ( I used 1 cup Old Fashion Oats, 1 cup Quick Cooking Oats)
1 1/2 cups Flour ( I used 3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour, 3/4 cup White Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda pinch of Salt
1 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
pinch of Nutmeg
pinch of Cloves
1 cup seedless Raisins

Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
Lightly spray baking sheets with Veg Oil Spray

In medium mixing bowl combine Oats, Flour(s), Baking Soda, Spices and a pinch of salt; set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
Add egg and continue beating until light and fluffy.
Stir in Vanilla and Rum.
Gradually add in Dry Ingredients, stirring thoroughly after each addition.
Stir in raisins with the last of the dry ingredients.

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough into balls or use a 2 or 3 ounce Pampered Chef scoop to drop dough onto prepared baking trays.
If going it rough rolling dough into balls, flatten slightly with heel of hand.
Bake in 400F (200C) oven for 8 minutes, rotating halfway through baking and continue baking until lightly browned.
Remove from baking trays to cool completely on wire racks.


Cookies

Good Old Fashion Peanut Butter Cookies

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Must give Credit where credit is due. This recipe comes from Cookies, Copyright 1988 by Company’s Coming Publishing Limited 6th Ed. Jean Pare

peanut butter cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 generous teaspoon Vanilla

3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375F (190C) 
Yes, do it, preheat the oven! I turn the oven on and by the time the first batch is ready to go in the oven, the first tray of cookies is ready to hit the oven.
Prepare baking trays…get them out of the cupboard now, while your hands are still clean.
And while you are at it, pour some sugar, about 1/3 of a cup into a bowl and stir with a fork to get any lumps out. Really that is just a ploy to get you to have a fork ready to go too!
Without any further ado…

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Give it a whisk or use that fork you have sitting in the sugar bowl.

In large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until well combined. Add brown sugar and continue creaming for a minute. Add peanut butter and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add Vanilla and cream the whole lot for a few minutes scraping sides and bottom of bowl a couple of times.

Using a wooden spoon or mixing paddle on a mixer, stir in the dry ingredients until cookie dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl. 

Using a #2 (or #3) Pampered Chef scoop portion dough rolling each portion into a ball. Place on ungreased baking trays allowing room for expansion!
Slightly flatten each cookie with fork dipped in sugar. You can make a checkerboard pattern or just press the cookies once…your call.

Bake in preheated 375F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. If baking two trays at a time, rotate mid way through baking time to ensure even browning: top to bottom, bottom to top, front to back.

Remove from oven and let set on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

A few Notes 

Cooking Times :it really depends on the size of the cookie. If they are smaller, they will only take 8 minutes! Be watchful the first time you make them, is my  advice.
Add Ins  
1 1/2 cups mini choc chips.
or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

          

Squares and Bars

Passionfruit Bars

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While living in Australia there was a Passionfruit vine just outside the door which provided and abundant crop! Apparently the pulp freezes really well but I thought I would try using it in different recipes!


Ingredients

  • 1 cup (150g) flour
  • 1 ½ (7 ml) teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ (2 ml) teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (85g) desiccated coconut
  • ½ cup (100g) caster sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) butter, cold, cut into cubes
  • 1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup (125ml) fresh lemon juice (approx 2 lemons)
  • 2 Tbsp passionfruit pulp

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
  2. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with Vegetable oil spray
  3. In medium size mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.
  4. Using pastry blender, cut cold butter into the flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  5. Add coconut and mix well.
  6. Press the crumb mixture into prepared pan and bake in preheated 350F degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly golden.
  7. Remove from oven and cool.
  8. Reduce oven temp to 300F (150C)
  9. In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and passionfruit pulp until smooth.
  10. Pour over base and spread evenly.
  11. Bake in 300F oven for 15 minutes or until set.
  12. Remove from oven, cool completely before slicing.

Welcome to my Kitchen where the most important ingredient is Love.