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Pumpkin Walnut Muffins

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PumpkinMuffinFINALR

When the cold weather starts rolling in and fall is in the air I immediately start making baked items involving pumpkin.  It’s mandatory, isn’t it?

A few years back I posted my favorite pumpkin spice bread recipe, it’s my go-to pumpkin bread.  This year I made a few changes to that recipe and turned that delicious bread into adorable muffins.  I even bake them up in cupcake tins for a smaller portion size (pictured above).  I find that the muffin and/or cupcake shape is a bit more transportable than the loaf and who wouldn’t appreciate that?  Running out the door?  Just grab one and go.  And let’s face it, they are very cute.  Nothing makes me feel more like a kid again than eating cupcakes.  Spread some cream cheese frosting on top of these cuties and just try to not eat five of them.  In one sitting.

These muffins are very moist and the addition of the walnuts provides a wonderful crunch.  In my opinion they are terrific eaten as-is.  But if you so choose, feel free to slice open and slather on some butter.  Or top with some regular cream cheese.  Or better yet – spread that cream cheese frosting on top.

Go ahead, bring out that kid in you!

Here’s what you need to make approximately 12 cupcakes or 8 muffins…

Recipe

1 cup regular flour

2/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4  teaspoon salt

1 and 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned unsweetened pumpkin

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus a few extra for topping

1 large egg, room temperature

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Spray muffin tin or cupcake tin with cooking spray.  If using a cupcake tin, add your cupcake liners if you so choose.

Mix first seven ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk until well combined.

Combine sugar, oil and pumpkin in the bowl of electric mixer.  Beat at medium speed until smooth.  Add egg, beating until well blended.  Gradually add dry ingredients, beating at a low speed until blended.  Add chopped walnuts to the batter and gently fold in using a spatula or wooden spoon.  Transfer batter to tin.  If you want them to look extra special place a few broken pieces of walnuts on top of each.  Not only does this make them look great but it also lets people know there are walnuts inside!

Bake for approximately 20-35 minutes, depending on the size of your tin.  You want them to be golden on top, firm to the touch and a when you insert a wooden pick in the center it comes out clean.  Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove from pan and allow to cool slightly.

Dig in!

 

Pumpkin Walnut Muffins
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup regular flour
  • ⅔ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼  teaspoon salt
  • 1 and ⅓ cups sugar
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned unsweetened pumpkin
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts, plus a few extra for topping
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Spray muffin tin or cupcake tin with cooking spray.  If using a cupcake tin, add your cupcake liners if you so choose.
  2. Mix first seven ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk until well combined.
  3. Combine sugar, oil and pumpkin in the bowl of electric mixer.  Beat at medium speed until smooth.  Add egg, beating until well blended.  Gradually add dry ingredients, beating at a low speed until blended.  Add chopped walnuts to the batter and gently fold in using a spatula or wooden spoon.  Transfer batter to tin.  If you want them to look extra special place a few broken pieces of walnuts on top of each.  Not only does this make them look great but it also lets people know there are walnuts inside!
  4. Bake for approximately 20-35 minutes, depending on the size of your tin.  You want them to be golden on top, firm to the touch and a when you insert a wooden pick in the center it comes out clean.  Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove from pan and allow to cool slightly.

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Cookies, good cookies, make me so incredibly happy.  Deliriously happy.  I think they are a perfect treat.

I have been making these particular cookies for several years now.  Every time I have that craving for a delicious cookie this is the recipe I reach for over an over again.  Why?  Because they are a wondrous combination of all that is good in this world.  First, chocolate.  Enough said.  Second, nuts.  I love the chocolate and nut combination.  Lastly, the surprise ingredient…bananas!  It is this trifecta that knocks these cookies out of the park.

When biting into these babies you are almost confused whether or not you are eating a cookie or a banana bread.  It’s got a hint of banana bread taste with the texture of a cookie.  Perfection!

As far as cookies go, I’m a crunchy girl.  Not overly crunchy, but I do love the outside edges to have that amazing crispyness while the inside is still soft.  To me, that is the perfect cookie texture. And that is exactly what you get with these .

Every time I make these cookies the first few bites are spent with me moaning and rolling my eyes into the back of my head.  That’s what these cookies do to me.  I think my husband is slightly jealous.

Here’s what you will need to make about 30 cookies…

Recipe

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 medium bananas)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4 inch chunks

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Method

Whisk flours, salt and baking soda in a small bowl, set aside.  Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add the egg and vanilla.  Mix until combined.  Add  in banana.  Add the flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.

Turn off the mixer.  At this time add the oats, chocolate and walnuts to the bowl.  Turn the mixer on very low just to mix the final ingredients into the batter.  Literally I only let it mix for about 4 or 5 turns of the paddle.

Using an ice cream scoop drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart.  Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, approximately 20-25 minutes, depending on  your oven.  I would check in on them after about 16 minutes, just to be safe.

Allow the cookies to sit and cool on the baking sheets for 3-4 minutes, then transfer them to wire cooling racks, just like this…

Use all the self control you can muster to allow these things to cool before eating or else you will burn your precious tongue.  I say this from experience.

Thank you to Martha Stewart for this recipe.  You are a cookie genius.

 

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup mashed bananas (about 1½ medium bananas)
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into ¼ inch chunks
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Method
  1. Whisk flours, salt and baking soda in a small bowl, set aside.  Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add the egg and vanilla.  Mix until combined.  Add  in banana.  Add the flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
  2. Turn off the mixer.  At this time add the oats, chocolate and walnuts to the bowl.  Turn the mixer on very low just to mix the final ingredients into the batter.  Literally I only let it mix for about 4 or 5 turns of the paddle.
  3. Using an ice cream scoop drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart.  Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, approximately 20-25 minutes, depending on  your oven.  I would check in on them after about 16 minutes, just to be safe.
  4. Allow the cookies to sit and cool on the baking sheets for 3-4 minutes, then transfer them to wire cooling racks.

Chicken Salad

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ChickSaladFinalR

It’s always a challenge for me to figure out what to make for lunch.  Usually I’m having some type of leftover from the night before but when I have no leftovers in the fridge I’m stumped.

I was always turned off by tuna salads and chicken salads growing up for one main reason…excessive mayonnaise.  Can’t stand it.  I see the container of the stuff in the deli, want to give it another try, take the plunge and then end up hating it.  Thick gloppy mayo, ugh.  I’ve had luck in creating my favorite tuna fish sandwich ever, so I ventured out to try to create a chicken salad.

I love chicken.  Whenever possible I buy organic chicken and 9 times out of 10 I get the split chicken breasts on the bone with the skins on and bake them in the oven.  Perfection every single time.  Succulent.  Not exactly sure if the reason is because the chicken is organic or because of the way I’m baking it (or a combination of both).  Whatever the reason, I’m happy about it.

With all that said, I knew that would be how I would actually cook the chicken.  Then I set out to decide on the other ingredients, keeping flavor, texture and color in mind.  I finally decided on shredded carrots and chopped celery.  I always love the crunch and flavor of a nut, so I chose walnuts for this chicken salad.  And the herb….knew it had to be dill.  I love dill.

Now the serious stuff – the glue that holds it all together.  The component that will make or break the chicken salad.  I knew I could not tolerate thick mayo, so I tested out a few combinations of yogurt and mayo combined and finally arrived at a perfect combination.  You can use regular yogurt, but I prefer the consistency of Greek yogurt.

You might be thinking it is a bit strange to add yogurt to a chicken salad, but I’ll tell you, it works.  It is light and provides a great tang to the sandwich, pairing  wonderfully with the dill.   This yogurt mixture would also be great as a dip for cut up veggies.

I love this chicken salad so much, I find I’m making it once a week.  I make extra and keep it in the fridge (it lasts for a few days).  It’s delicious in between two slices of hearty, whole grain bread…equally delicious eaten by the spoonful right out of the container.

Here’s what you will need to make approximately 3 medium sandwiches…

Recipe

2 large split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

2 tsp chopped dill

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 medium carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp mayo

2 tbsp chopped dill

small squeeze of lemon juice

salt & pepper

olive oil

your favorite bread

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put chicken breasts in a baking dish, sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until skin is lightly browned and juices run clear.  Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, add the shredded carrot and chopped celery to a large bowl with 2 tsp of dill and the toasted walnuts.  Mix well.  Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the Greek yogurt, mayo, 2 tbsp chopped dill and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove the skin and pull all the meat off the bone.  Cut into medium sized cubes and place into a separate bowl.  Allow chicken to sit for a few minutes to cool off completely.  Drain any excess chicken juice from bowl.  (Draining the juice is an important step, this will eliminate the yogurt dressing from getting too watery).

Add cubed chicken into the bowl with the carrot and celery mixture.  Mix well.  Add the yogurt mixture to the chicken until it reaches the desired consistency.  I usually add half the mixture first, then mix.  I add the remaining yogurt a spoonful at a time so it doesn’t get too creamy.

Place a few mounds in between slices of your favorite bread and enjoy!

 

Chicken Salad
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 large split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
  • 2 tsp chopped dill
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)
  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp mayo
  • 2 tbsp chopped dill
  • small squeeze of lemon juice
  • salt & pepper
  • olive oil
  • your favorite bread
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put chicken breasts in a baking dish, sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until skin is lightly browned and juices run clear.  Allow to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, add the shredded carrot and chopped celery to a large bowl with 2 tsp of dill and the toasted walnuts.  Mix well.  Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl combine the Greek yogurt, mayo, 2 tbsp chopped dill and lemon juice.  Mix well.  Add salt & pepper to taste.