Cinnamon Raisin Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love these pancakes and serve them often when my family visits. The Silver Fox and I have also been known to enjoy them when we're having breakfast for dinner. The batter, even with the addition of raisins, makes light and moist pancakes that are a bit out of the ordinary. However, it's the warm cinnamon syrup that makes this combo a truly dynamic duo. Strangely enough, the pancakes and syrup are easy to make. I found the recipe for them on the Food Fanatic site and I've found the recipes there to be flawless. I have, however, changed the order of execution when I prepare the recipe, and make sure I have the syrup ready to go before I mix and grill the pancakes. It makes for a stressless finale. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. The pancakes are filling and delicious and the syrup would please even ambrosia dependent gods. Here is how the combination is made.

Hollywood-Style Hot Cross Buns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There is no truth to the rumor that I'm on a quest to find the world's greatest Hot Cross Bun. It may, however,  be true that I'm infirm of purpose when I find a new recipe for them that looks better than my current favorite. I think that's what happened here. I was lured by a gorgeous photo and then roped and tied by the name, Hollywood's Hot Cross Buns. My first thought was California but I quickly learned I was way off base. As it turns out, Paul Hollywood is an English baker and celebrity chef, who best known for being a judge on the BBC One's The Great British Bake Off. Pictures of his Hot Cross Buns are all over the internet and while his buns, which require 3 rises, are more time consuming than most to make, I can tell you they are delicious and worth every second they take to assemble. They are my favorite, at least for this year. I'm not going to repeat the history of the buns tonight, but if you are curious, I included it in my first post about them and you can find that information, here. I hope you will give tonight's recipe a try. The buns have a decidedly fluffy texture and the dried fruit and spices give them a well-developed flavor. The dough is quite damp, so you will want to oil the surface on which you knead it to prevent sticking. Rest assured, if you keep at it, the dough will come together and you will have lovely fragrant buns to serve your family and friends. Here is how the buns are made.

Smoky Bow Tie Pasta with Brussel's Sprouts, Chorizo and Raisins

As the days shorten, I start to prepare more substantial meals for my family. Soups, stews and pastas move in to take the place of lighter summer fare. The pasta I am featuring today was developed for the McCormick Go4Gourmet promotion and they are sponsoring this post.

McCormick herbs and spices have long been a mainstay of my pantry. They are readily available and I know from experience that they are dependably fresh and of top quality. Equally important is the company's ability to communicate with its customers. They keep coming up with  fantastic new recipes and spice blends that the adventurer in me simply can't resist. So, I watched with interest when McCormick launched a challenge called Go4Gourmet. You can imagine how thrilled I was when they asked me to create a recipe for the current round. My recipe had to include chorizo, Brussel's sprouts, smoked paprika and chicken stock.

The ingredients I received for the challenge included a jar of McCormick's smoked paprika. I planned to use it as the flavor base for my recipe. I thought it would work well with the Spanish chorizo and allow me to create a one-dish meal that was filling, earthy and vaguely old-world, but without ties to a specific cuisine.

You'll need a large skillet and a 5 to 6-quart pot to make this family meal. The sausage is browned and the Brussel's sprouts are braised in a broth that develops a vague smoky sweetness as it simmers. While it bubbles away, water can be brought to a boil for the pasta. The dish can be on the table in about 45 minutes. Be sure to serve it with lots of crusty bread and a large chopped salad.

Smoky Bow Tie Pasta with Brussel's Sprouts, Chorizo and Raisins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
6 to 7 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups 1 (14.5-oz.) can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
12-ounces bow tie pasta (farfalle)

Directions:
1) Heat butter in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add smoked paprika and diced chorizo. Saute until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
2) Add Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to skillet and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add raisins, chicken stock and liquid smoke. Lower heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and shake dry, then return it to pot. Add sprout mixture, including liquid, to pasta and toss to combine. If mixture appears dry, moisten with some reserved pasta water. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

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Dream Jumbles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While you probably called them by a different name, I suspect that most of you have sampled these cookies before. When I was a child, a cookie very similar to this one was served during the Christmas holidays. We called the cookies "rocks" because of their craggy appearance. They were jam-packed with fruit and nuts, and, if I recall correctly, they were also lightly spiced with cinnamon and just a hint of nutmeg. When I saw these cookies in Midwest Living they triggered memories of the nicest sort, but I was a bit taken back by the name they were given. I set off to do some research that might explain why my "rocks" were being called jumbles. Apparently, jumbles can be traced back to the 14th century in the Middle East. They were brought to Europe by the Moors who twisted the them into knots and rings, so pieces of the cookies could be broken off to feed hungry travelers. Over time, the cookies lost their elaborate shape and became lumps of baked dough. Martha Washington had a recipe for jumbles and the cookie was popular in colonial America. In one form or another, the cookie has remained popular for centuries. Now, Martha and her friends had no access to chocolate chips, but they had dried fruit and nuts aplently and their jumbles were very similar to the ones we make today. The recipe to make these gems is a study in simplicity and the cookies themselves are simply delicious. I hope you will give this recipe a try. You will not regret it. Here is how the cookies are made.

Dream Jumbles...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Midwest Living Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup raisins
1 cup large semisweet chocolate pieces
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt and beat until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3) Beat in flour. Use a wooden spoon to fold in raisins, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
4) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks. Makes about 36 cookies.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Rigatoni with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Two Years Ago Today: Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake

Three Years Ago Today: Baked Tomatoes

Four Years Ago Today: Berry Patch Cake

Figgy Pudding

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."Now, bring us some figgy pudding and bring some out here". I'm sure you've heard this secular carol, but have you ever had the pudding the carolers demanded as a reward for their singing? Both the carol and the pudding have stories that are intertwined. In old England, groups of traveling singers would entertain the wealthy for food or pay. These groups were called "waits" and they were extremely popular at Christmastime. There was a Christian tradition of showering them with gifts to thank them for their music. "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" is one of the songs they used to regale their listeners and Christmas pudding is one of the foods used to reward them for their performance. The tradition and this carol were resurrected in Victorian England by carolers who included the song in their repertoire. The distribution of the pudding is even older than the carol and dates back to to 16th century. At that time, the Catholic Church decreed that it should be made on the Sunday before the beginning of Advent, also known as Stir-Up Day. The pudding traditionally would contain 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles. Every member of the family was expected to help stir the pudding , rotating from east to west to commemorate the path traveled by the Magi as they searched for the Christ child. As time went on, coins and other small treasure were buried in the batter and steamed with the pudding. These tokens were thought to bring luck to the person who found them. I've shared another version of Christmas pudding with you, as well as one for a Three Kings Cake that is intended especially for children. I wanted to try a new version this year and as soon as I read Dorie Greenspan's recipe I knew I found what I was looking for. It sounded delicious, though the amount of brandy and rum used in its preparation, make it a truly adult affair. There are lots recipes that soak fruit before adding it to the ingredient mix. The figs and raisins used here are truly soused. If quizzed, many folks express their dislike of fruitcake or Christmas puddings. I'm not a missionary and my intent is not to dissuade them, but I'd love to have them try this version before they completely rule out those desserts. This pudding is like a spice cake that is used to hold fruit and nuts in suspension. It is really lovely. I made two changes to the recipe that I have not noted below. I used a well greased pudding mold instead of a bundt pan to make our pudding. I also added a cup of toasted walnuts to the batter. I flamed the the figs and raisins as suggested by the recipe and I will flame the pudding at the table when I serve it on Christmas Day. I hope you'll give this a try. I think you'll love it. It is a perfect way to end an English-style Christmas dinner. Here's how it is made.

Figgy Pudding...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:
12 plump dried Calymyrna figs, snipped into small pieces
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark rum
1/3 cup cognac or brandy
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 (packed) cup brown sugar
2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (made from about 8 inches of baguette)
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried cranberries
Optional: 1/3 cup brandy, cognac or rum, to flame the pudding
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or applesauce for serving

Directions:
1) Getting ready: You’ll need a tube pan with a capacity of 8 to 10 cups — a Bundt or Kugelhopf pan is perfect here — and a stock pot that can hold the pan. (If you’ve got a lobster pot, use that; it’ll be nice and roomy.) Put a double thickness of paper toweling in the bottom of the pot — it will keep the pudding from jiggling too much while it’s steaming. Spray the tube pan with cooking spray, then butter it generously, making sure to give the center tube a good coating
2) Put the figs and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and, keeping an eye on the pan, cook until the water is almost evaporated. Add the cognac or brandy, rum and raisins and bring the liquids back to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, make sure it’s in an open space, have a pot cover at hand and, standing back, set the liquid aflame. Let the flames burn for 2 minutes, then extinguish them by sealing the pan with the pot cover. For a milder taste, burn the rum and brandy until the flames die out on their own. Set the pan aside uncovered.
3) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt and keep at hand.
4) Working in a mixing bowl with a whisk, beat the eggs and brown sugar together until well blended. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the bread crumbs, followed by the melted butter and the fig mixture (liquids included). Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently mix them in — you’ll have a thick batter. Fold in the cherries and cranberries.
5) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and seal the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Set the pan into the stock pot and fill the pot with enough hot water to come one-half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the baking pan. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot tightly with foil and the lid. Lower the heat so that the water simmers gently, and steam the pudding for 2 hours. (Check to make sure that the water level isn’t getting too low; fill with more water, if necessary.)
6) Carefully remove the foil sealing the pot — open the foil away from you to protect your arms and face — and then take off the foil covering the pan. To test that the pudding is done, stick a skewer or thin knife into the center of the pudding — the skewer or knife should come out dry.
7) To remove the pudding from the pan (a tricky operation), I find it easiest to carefully empty the water into the sink, and then carefully ease the baking pan out on its side. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the pudding cool for 5 minutes. Detach the pudding from the sides of the pan using a kitchen knife, if necessary, then gently invert it onto the rack. Allow the pudding to cool for 30 minutes.
8) If you’d like to flame the pudding — nothing’s more dramatic — warm 1/3 cup of brandy, cognac or rum in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the warm liquid over the top of the pudding, and then, taking every precaution that Smokey Bear would, set a match to the alcohol. When the flames die out, cut the pudding into generous pieces. Actually, there’s so much fruit in the pudding, the only way to cut neat slices is to make the slices generous. Serve the pudding warm with whipped cream, ice cream or apple sauce. Alternatively, you can cool the pudding completely, wrap it very well in several layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to two weeks. When you are ready to serve, butter the pan the pudding was cooked in, slip the pudding back into the pan, seal the pan with foil, and re-steam for 45 minutes. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.








Baby Jesus Birthday Cake















Christmas Pudding

Chicken Picadillo with Chili Lime Sauce - A Crock-Pot Meal

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Recipes for picadillo, a Spanish hash, can be found in Mexico, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and South America. The version I'm featuring today is an amalgam of recipes from various countries. I first sampled it at a luncheon held at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York City. The luncheon was part of an award ceremony sponsored by Rival, the company that makes the Crock-Pot slow cooker. On that occasion it was served as an appetizer. I served it this past weekend in large muffin-size tortilla cups. It was part of a tapas-type meal that we enjoyed as we watched the Academy Awards. This is an effortless dish that will really delight folks who love crock-pot meals. As nearly as I can determine, the recipe came from BBQ Pit Recipes, a cookbook distributed by the Crock-Pot Brand which, unfortunately, is no longer available. There are no tricks to making this. The chicken goes into the crock and is covered with a chipotle sauce that's made special by the addition of creme fraiche and lime. At the four hour mark, the chicken is removed from the pot and pulled into shreds. It's then returned to the pot to cook for another hour. It can be served over rice or with tortillas. I go the extra mile and make easy tortilla cups for serving. I warm 6-inch flour tortillas in the microwave for 20 seconds and then place them over inverted custard cups. The cups are used to help push the tortillas into Texas-size muffin pans. I bake the cups in a 375 degree F. oven until they are golden brown. I let them cool slightly before removing them from the pans. They can be made ahead of time and stored in air-tight contains or bags. While the cups are for show, the picadillo is delicious. I really hope you'll try this. I promise you won't be sorry. Here's the recipe.

Chicken Picadillo with Chile Lime Sauce inspired by BBQ Pit Recipes

Ingredients:
Chili Lime Sauce
1-1/2 cups creme fraiche ( 3/4 cup sour cream mixed with 3/4 cup plain yogurt may be substituted)
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 t0 1/2 teaspoon sambal or chili paste to taste
Pinch of sugar
Chicken
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any visible fat
2-1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup raisins
2 chipotle peppers in adobo
1/8 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup chili lime sauce from above
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) To make chili lime sauce: Mix creme fraiche, lime juice, sambal and sugar together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
2) To make picadillo: Rinse and dry chicken and place in stoneware of a crock-pot or slow cooker. Combine tomatoes, raisins, chipotles, vinegar, chili lime sauce, cinnamon, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor and pulse to blend (do not puree). Pour over chicken and toss to coat. Cook on Low for 4 hours or until chicken is very tender. Using tines of 2 forks, shred chicken and cook for 1 hour more. Serve in tortilla cups or over rice. Top with reserved chili lime sauce. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Cuban-Style Picadillo - A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa
Picadillo Dreams - La Cocina de Leslie
Turkey Picadillo - Gina's Skinny Recipes
Picadillo - Sweet Bites
Picadillo or Cuban Minced Beef - Chow and Chatter
Picadillo with Mexican Rice - Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
Picadillo - Food and Wine
Pork Mango Picadillo - Simply Recipes
Fast and Easy Dinner: Chicken Picadillo - Yum Sugar
Chicken Picadillo - Laura Rebecca's Kitchen
Cuban Picadillo - Gina's Skinny Recipes

Spotted Dog

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If my mail is any indication, many of you are curious as to how the English version of Irish soda bread came to be called Spotted Dog. Surprisingly, no one seems to know for sure. My research came up with a lot of guesses, some educated, others not. We know for certain that a staple of old English kitchens was a steamed pudding that, when made with raisins, was called a Spotted Dick. While many are offended by the name, linguists seem to agree that it really was derived from the word pudding. According to Dex at The Straight Dope, over the course of time, pudding became puddink, puddink became puddick and puddick , finally shortened, became dick. Fortunately, there was another version of the pudding whose name could offend no one. It was made with plums and suet and it was called a Spotted Dog. Why? From this point forward all the information you receive will be the product of my, as yet, undocumented imagination.













The pudding, and later the bread of the same name, bear spots like those found on a Dalmatian. Looking at these photos I have no trouble understanding why the bread, too, was called Spotted Dog. I personally think Dalmation Bread would have been a better, more expressive name, but then no one ever listens to me and, as a result, we still have these awkward language situations that must be dealt with. More's the pity :-). Today's recipe is for an embellished Irish soda bread. It contains raisins and caraway seeds, but it is less rich than many of the versions that are popular today. I like to view it as a historical footnote that falls somewhere between yesterday's wholemeal bread and the lovely cake-like loaf that Ina Garten makes here. Here's the recipe for those of you who are curious.

Spotted Dog...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup golden raisins
1-3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
1) Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Butter and Flour a large baking sheet. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, caraway seeds and raisins. Add buttermilk and stir until dough is moistened, but still lumpy.
3) Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead with floured hands until dough is less sticky but still soft, about 8 times. Divide dough into two pieces and form each piece into a ball. Pat each ball into a domed 6-inch round on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 4-inches apart. Cut a large 1/2-inch deep x in top of each loaf with a sharp knife or razor blade. Brush both loaves with melted butter.
4) Bake until golden brown and bottom of loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Yield: 2 6-inch loaves.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chocolate Soda Bread - Real Epicurean
Browned Butter Soda Bread - Vanilla Sugar
Authentic Irish Soda Bread - Confessions of a Kitchen Witch
Oat Soda Bread - 101 Cookbooks
Irish Soda Bread - The English Kitchen
Brown Bread - David Lebovitz
Soda Bread - Farmersgirl Kitchen
Irish Soda Bread Scones - Brown Eyed Baker
Irish Soda Bread Scones - Smitten Kitchen
Caraway Soda Bread - Simply Recipes
Oats and Honey Irish Soda Bread with Raisins - Baking Bites

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Turkey Meatballs with Lemon-Garlic Yogurt Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am prone to wanderlust. When the siren calls, I seek one of two things. It's occasionally the lure of brighter lights or a bigger city, but more often than not, especially these days, solitude better meets my need to cast away. Silence paves the way for reflection. Insight and serenity follow and they are my fresh air, my cosmic oxygen. My Valentine, bless him, has brought me to Loon Lake for the weekend. At this time of year, our only neighbors are the loons and save for their keening wails, silence and solitude reign supreme. The weather today was glorious and though a front has just moved in, we are warm and dry and very well-fed as we sit in this tiny cabin that teeters on the edge of the world. Bob has the fire blazing and the wind and rain are beating a steady tattoo that will have me sleepy well before my bedtime. I'm mesmerized by the artillery-like barrage that pine cones, loosed by the wind and pelting rain, are making as they bounce off the metal roof. There will be a mess for someone to clean up tomorrow, but for tonight all's right with my world. I have a lemon pie, and a special one at that, waiting to set, but it won't be ready in time for tonight's post. Fortunately, I can share tonight's dinner with you. I suspect many of you have read, or are at least familiar with, Molly Wizenberg's cookbook "A Homemade Life". While her recipes are wonderful, I'm always struck by her facility with language and the restrained power of her words. I have come to love her writing and her blog, Orangette. Hers, is one of the few books that has made from the library stacks to my personal collection. The meatballs we had for supper came from her book. While they are delicious, they are hard to categorize. They are vaguely Greek and definitely have their roots in Mediterranean kitchens. The ingredient list will be surprising to many. While the meatballs are made with pine nuts and raisins, they serve to make the recipe unique and add a texture and sweetness that makes an otherwise ordinary dish special. I mixed and formed the meatballs yesterday and brought them with us to be cooked. That gave all the flavors time to develop and made for a very tasty supper. While I served the meatballs on pita bread, it is not necessary and they do quite well on their own. The meatballs can be baked if you are watching your diet. I prefer them fried, but to each his own. These are very easy to make and can be assembled in less than 30 minutes. I promise you the flavor is unique and the meatballs are delicious. Here's the recipe.

Turkey Meatballs with Lemon-Garlic Yogurt Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Molly Wizenberg

Ingredients:
Meatballs
1-1/4 pound ground turkey thigh meat
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup cup golden raisins (chopped if large)
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon-Garlic Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek-style if possible)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) To make meatballs: Combine turkey, onion, egg, cilantro, nuts, raisins, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and cumin in a large bowl. Mix just until ingredients are combined and evenly mixed. With wet hands form the mixture into 1 to 1-1/2-inch balls. Set on a tray. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill until ready to sauté.
2) To make sauce: Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt in a small bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
3) To cook: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, and sauté meatballs in batches, so as not to crowd them. As they begin to color, turn them regularly so that they are golden on all sides. They should be done when they are evenly browned and feel medium firm, but not hard when touched. Place on a paper towel to catch excess oil. Serve hot, warm, or cold with yogurt sauce. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Italian-Style Turkey Meatballs - My Kitchen Adventures
Cheese Stuffed Turkey Meatballs - Sydney's Kitchen
Mario Batali Meatballs - Made Famous By
Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs - Being Suzy Homemaker
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Blue Cheese Dip - My Kitchen Adventures
Swedish Meatballs - The Galley Gourmet
Porcupine Meatballs - The Daily Dish

Morning Glory Muffins - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The original recipe for these muffins was published by Gourmet Magazine in 1991. Ten years later Pam McKinstry's recipe was chosen one of the magazine's 25 favorite recipes from the past 50 years. Since then, many have tried to improve the recipe. While they may have made the muffins a bit healthier by reducing fat and using whole grain flours, the "improved" versions of the muffins do not, in my opinion, match the flavor of the original. A lot goes into these muffins, but they are very easy to prepare and they stay fresh for several days after they've been made. The most irreverent of my children has a special name for any food that can be made or ordered "with everything". As a result, you will occasionally hear references to garbage pizzas, burgers and muffins in my house. I hate it, but what can you do? These muffins escape that designation, but just barely. Adding one more thing to the ingredient list would take it over the top and it, too, would find itself on the "garbage" list. Before that happens let me give you the original recipe. As a point of reference, these muffins are more like an apple cake or pudding then a standard breakfast muffin. They are delicious. Here's how they're made.

Morning Glory Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Gourmet Magazine and Pam McKinstry

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups sugar
2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
3/4 cup raisins, light or dark
1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 cup (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Position a rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin pans with paper liners. Set aside.
2) Whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add coconut, raisins, apple, pineapple, carrots, and nuts, and stir to combine.
3) In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with the oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
4) Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling to top of each cup. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack to finish cooling. Yield: 16 muffins.

You might also like these recipes:
Raspberry Streusel Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Lemon and Blueberry Cake Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Blue Corn Muffins - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday