One Perfect Bite: cinnamon chips

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Cinnamon Chip Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While I must admit these taste more like cupcakes than muffins, they are, quite simply, delicious. Add to that the fact they are easy to make and you have the start of a really great breakfast, brunch, or morning coffee. I'm generally not a fan of muffins because I prefer the less treacly taste of scones and morning sweet breads. These, however, gave me pause for thought. I love cinnamon and these have that in abundance. They also have a wonderful texture and a crumb that makes them perfect to serve with morning or evening coffee. While I am lazy and prefer to make giant or Texas-size muffins, those who prefer the standard-size variety will find this recipe accommodating. Do make sure you thoroughly grease the pans you use, and if you prefer to use cupcake liners, make sure you spray the interiors of the paper liners with a nonstick spray to assure easy release. I really liked these muffins and will make them again for morning meetings or coffees. I think you will enjoy them as well. Here is how they are made.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Pumpkin-Pecan Squares with Cinnamon Chips

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My calendar looks like a checker board and there are times the scramble to honor the commitments I've made looks like a bad vaudeville routine. I'm told my two first words were taxi and yes and I've been cursed ever since. Today's recipe was originally made during a time crunch and chosen because it was so simple to do. I continue to use it when I'm pressed for time, and while it is not my favorite recipe, these pumpkin squares have attended a lot of meetings and pot-luck suppers. The recipe was originally developed by Martha Stewart. I've changed it slightly because I thought her version was too sweet and that other ingredients overwhelmed the flavor of the pumpkin in the bars. The original recipe can be found here. Those of you who like your sweets really sweet will enjoy these. They are moist, cake-like and mildly flavored. They are perfect with afternoon tea or coffee. If your tastes run to less sweet European-style pastries, you might want to take a pass on this recipe. The greatest virtue of these bars is the ease with which they can be prepared. Here's the recipe for those of you I haven't scared away.

Pumpkin-Pecan Squares with Cinnamon Chips...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup cinnamon chips
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.
2) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3) With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in cinnamon chips and pecans.
4) Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
5) Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.