Fall Inspired Muffins...

The smell of sweet spices, pumpkin, and apples wafted through my apartment as the perfect day began with baking muffins for breakfast. 

Streusel and Spice Pumpkin Apple Muffins

A moist muffin with a strong flavor of pumpkin and hint of apple…delicious!

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 18 muffins

 

Muffin Batter and Streusel Topping 

 

Batter is ready, time to fill the muffin cups...

   

 Filled two-thirds full, Generously add the crumble topping

 Before baking...

 After baking!

 The Finished product!!!

 

Streusel and Spice Pumpkin Apple Muffins

A moist muffin with a strong flavor of pumpkin and hint of apple…delicious!

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 18 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:
1 1/2  cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cups of canned pumpkin
½ cup vegetable oil (3 oz)
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup green apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces (1 large apple)

Streusel Topping:
4 Tbs flour
8 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces

Directions:

For the muffins, in a large bowl, combine and sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.  In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined (Tip 1). Fold in apple pieces (Tip 2).

For the streusel topping, in a small bowl combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter pieces in with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Fill a muffin tin with muffin cups and then spoon in the batter (about two-thirds full) and sprinkle generously with the streusel topping mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes * or until a toothpick insert comes out clean.

Tip 1: You never want to over-mix muffin batter. If you stir too much, the muffins will not rise properly coming out rather flat and unrisen. Stir just enough to combine the dry and wet ingredients and incorporate all the ingredients and then place the batter into the muffin cups.

Tip 2: “Folding” ingredients means you are using a spatula to just turn the batter so the apples get dispersed in the batter but you are not using a stirring motion. The purpose is to keep the structure of the batter without over beating.

*There is nothing worse than dry muffins so if you are not sure if they are done, if anything pull them from the oven. I say Gooey is always better than dry and crumbly.

Focaccia and Vinaigrette Cooking Class with Chef Brenna Bowers...

I was asked to be the special Chef Host for a College Cooking class offered at PLNU for the college students, November 12, 2010.

I had the privileged of teaching twelve lovely women how to make... 

Homemade Rosemary Focaccia and a Tangy Vinaigrette Dressing 

 

Beginning to make the Rosemary Focaccia Dough

   

The necessary ingredients for the Focaccia and the Menu

     

Chopping the Fresh Rosemary (Left), Making a "well" to add the wet ingredients to the dry (Right)

Kneading and forming the Focaccia

Adding fresh Rosemary to add a wonderful flavor

Drizzling olive oil and sprinkling with Sea Salt right before baking it

I get to explain the baking process and the finishing touches of the bread.

 The Focaccia was placed into the oven and in the mean time I began to teach about the vinaigrette.

Students worked in pairs to make their dressings and taste-test of course!

        

The finishing touches to the perfect Vinaigrette

Just as we finished up the dressings, the Focaccia bread was ready to be pulled from the oven.

 

Then came dinner time, time to taste and eat!

  

     

Fabulous! Nothing quite like it!

 

Overall a wonderful class an opportunity for me to share my passion of cooking with others!

Superfood Green Monster Muffins...

I know what you are thinking…. “Come on Brenna! Let’s be real here and make something tasty!”

Well let me reassure you that these are, TASTY LITTLE GREEN MONSTERS!

These muffins were created for a few purposes:

1) to be a tasty treat

2) to be a healthy snack

3) to use up our bananas- that are quickly over-ripening

Check out the hunks of banana!

This recipe not only utilizes your old bananas but also has a serving of veggies and healthy ingredients that are necessary for your body's daily needs.

This recipe offers benefits including:

Spinach adds Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium

Banana adds Vitamin B6, Potassium

Flax Meal adds fiber and Vitamin E

Cinnamon improves energy and circulation

Blended Spinach

Dry ingredients

Wet ingredients, before the addition of the blended spinach

Batter placed into muffin tins, two-thirds full

Crumble Topping placed on the batter before baking

This is what it looks like after baking....see how it has risen!

Superfood Green Monster Muffins

A healthy muffin with spinach and ripe bananas

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes:10 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons flax meal (optional)

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup brown sugar *

¼ cup white sugar*

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon maple flavoring

1 cup packed baby spinach leaves

3/4 cup ripe banana, mashed (2 small ripe bananas)

1 egg

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Crumble Topping:

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoon wheat flour

1 Tablespoon quick oats

1 ½ Tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

Muffin:

In a small bowl, combine all the dry ingredients including the wheat flour, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until mixed evenly.

In a blender, add the oil, lemon juice, honey, vanilla extract, maple flavoring, and spinach. Pulse until it is a puree (adding the mashed banana only if the mixture is not wet enough to mix properly).

In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana, egg, and Greek yogurt. Mix in the spinach puree and walnuts. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, stirring as little as possible. Place into a muffin tin that has either been greased with oil spray or lined with muffin liners (fill only 2/3 full).

Crumble Topping:

Combine the dry ingredients and add in the butter pieces. Using a fork, press the butter into the dry ingredients to form a crumble mixture, about the size of a pea. Sprinkle on top of the muffin batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*Sugar Substitute/Reduction: I found that when making this recipe for kids they preferred the recipe with a 1/4 cup of both brown and white sugar for the perfect sweetness. But recipe also comes out wonderful with the following substitution:

 Substitute ¼ cup white + ¼ cup brown sugar for 2 Tablespoons of honey + ¼ cup white sugar.

This will result in muffins with just a hint of sweetness but really cuts back on the sugar intake.

 Now go get into the kitchen and whip up some Green Mosnters! Don't let the color get the best of you, they are delicious, I promise!!!

Scrumptious Scones

Calling all my friends!!!!

It is just so fun to spend quality time with friends for brunch and tea. What a perfect way to catch up from busy schedules and a beautiful way to start off the week.

Try this recipe I created just for this kind of occasion… 

Shortbread Scone with a Berry Compote and Fresh Whipped Cream 

Author: Brenna Bowers

Serving: 12-15

A delicious dessert or brunch item made of a crumbly yet moist scone topped with fresh seasonal fruits and homemade sweetened whipped cream.

Roll out the dough to a 1/4" thickness and slice in sections

Bake the scones until they are golden brown.

Top with a generous portion of sweetened whipped cream and the berry compote.

Scone Ingredients:

1 egg

1/4 cup butter (half a stick), melted

1/3 cup milk

½ tsp almond extract

¼ tsp vanilla

¼ cup sour cream

2 cups flour

1 ½ cups oats

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

¼ tsp cassia cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

Scone Directions:

Place the oven to 425 F degrees.

In a large bowl, beat  the egg until frothy. Stir in melted butter and the rest of the wet ingredients. In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix together. Pour the dry ingredients into the  wet ingredients slowly and stir until just combined. Roll it out on a floured surface and form into two 6-7 inch disks (using more flour if the dough is too sticky or sticking to the board or rolling pin). Cut into 6-7 wedges per disk. Place on a greased pan and brush with milk then sprinkle with granular white  sugar. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut in half when they are still warm or else you must serve them whole. When the cool they get more crunchy so best if you under bake them.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream
dash of vanilla

dash of cinnamon

3 Tbs powdered sugar

Beat the heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar on high with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. 

Berry Compote:

1 cup fresh raspberries

2 Tbs granular sugar

1/2 cup blueberries

1 banana sliced

Blend the raspberries in a blender with the sugar. 

Assembly:

After having cut the scones in half, top each one with fresh the whipped cream, raspberry puree, blueberries,  and sliced bananas.