There is definitely a chill settling in, making it the best time to bake up warm Apple Pecan Muffins. These lovely, tender muffins are packed with apple and warm fall spices, making them perfect with your morning tea or coffee.
It’s the grated apple in this recipe that makes them tender and delicious. Shredding the apple allows for even distribution throughout the batter better than chunks and creates a moist and tender muffin. These muffins are also nicely plumped and studded with pecans. There is enough batter to fill the muffin tins very full, so don’t be skimpy. You’ll want to add about a third of a cup of batter to each muffin tin. You can use paper liners or scoop the batter into a generously buttered pan. But know that if using paper liners, you must let the muffins cool completely before removing the liner or the muffin will stick to it. Buttered tins work just as well, and you’ll be able to eat them slightly warm out of the pan.
You’ll want to try these muffins with my Pumpkin Spice Honey Butter for a real treat. It’s a great combination and a blast of fall spice to help keep the chill away. Enjoy!
2mediumgranny smith apples, peeled and gratedabout 2 cups
1/2cupchopped pecansOptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F and set oven rack to the middle position.
Generously butter 12 non-stick muffin tins or line with paper liners.
In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and allspice. Set aside.
Melt butter and cream together with both sugars. Whisk in eggs one at a time until incorporated and light in texture. Stir in vanilla.
Add 1/3 of the milk and then 1/3 of the flour mixture whisking to combine. Repeat, alternating the milk and flour. Stir in grated apples and chopped pecans.
Scoop the batter evenly between the prepared muffin tins using approximately 1/3 cup of batter for each. The tins will be quite full.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400°F and then reduce the temperature to 350°F for an additional 8-10 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Notes
-muffins baked with paper liners need to cool completely before trying to peel off the paper and prevent them from sticking to the paper.-the chopped pecans are optional.
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I’m a PIG! At least that what my friend and co-worker Yanan tells me, and who knows the Chinese zodiac better than a person born and raised in China? It’s a lucky sign/animal Yanan tells me, but being called a pig certainly doesn’t have the best ring to it. However, I must confess I have been known to be a little piggish when it comes to food LOL! Today’s Crispy Wontons are inspired by Yanan and the upcoming Chinese New Year on February 12th.
Yanan can make the best pork dumplings and steamed buns and has been my inspiration and guidance for this post. She is always willing to teach, lend a helping hand, and has a huge heart. I can say with some honesty that my wonton making has improved with her recommendations and practice from making this post. However, it will be some time, if ever, that I can proclaim to be a pro at Chinese cooking. I will at least say it is fun to practice!
Yanan and her family immigrated from China to Quebec, Canada in 1999. They had to learn French in a French-speaking province, find employment and make their way through endless challenges in a new country. Yanan was a teacher in China and already knew technical English, but learning Americanized English was a thing of its own. The slang, profanity and innuendoes still took some learning. The tones in the Chinese language are very prevalent when she is speaking English today. They provide a level of entertainment because her tone can change with each word, leaving you to wonder if she is being passionate, angry, or simply excited about something.
From Quebec, Yanan and her family moved across the country to the province of Alberta. She found employment with the Correctional Service of Canada and eventually became a co-worker of mine. She is a joy to me, and I consider myself lucky to call her a friend. Happy New Year Yanan!
Line a large baking tray with parchment and fill a small bowl with cold water.
In a medium bowl add all ingredients except wrappers and canola oil. Mix gently until well combined.
Lay 8-10 wrappers on a flat surface. Place approximately 2 teaspoons of pork filling in the center of each wrapper. Moisten the outer edge of the wrapper with water using your fingertip. Fold the wrapper in half diagonally, pressing lightly on the edges to create a good seal. Dab both lower corners with water and bring both lower corners across and together pressing lightly to hold. It will look like a bishops hat. Place prepared wonton on the baking tray and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Keep the wrappers and prepared wontons covered with a clean damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
Attach a candy/high-temperature thermometer to the side of a large pot at least 9" in diameter. Add enough canola oil to come up a minimum of 3 inches. Heat oil to 350°F.
Carefully drop wontons into the hot oil, about 8-10 at a time depending on the size of your pot. Cook for 2 minutes per side until golden. Remove with a mesh/slotted scoop to a paper towel-lined tray. Repeat with remaining wontons, adjusting temperature as you go to maintain the 350°F.
Serve immediately with plum sauce, sweet chili sauce or a soy dipping sauce.
Notes
-Wontons can be shaped in a variety of different ways. I like to use the simple folded triangle method which resembles a bishop's hat, however, any shape will work. Three varieties are shown in the post.-Alternatively, you can use an electric deep fryer set at 350°F to cook the wontons.
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These slightly chewy, a little bit crunchy Nut Butter Granola Bars are the perfect snack or grab and go breakfast. As the name implies, they are made with nut butter, and my personal preference is natural chunky peanut butter. I’ve also made them with almond butter, which is tasty too, however the peanut flavour really comes through when using peanut butter and it’s a great flavour that marries up nicely with the honey. So tasty!
From this recipe, you get 16 nicely sized bars that wrap and freeze well for those of you who like to get a little meal prep done. If it’s likely that your hungry family will hoover through these is a short time, they’ll last for several days in a sealed container at room temperature.
Nut Butter Granola Bars are gluten-free, packed full of protein from the goodness of nuts and egg whites. The fat from the peanut butter and ground-up nuts helps to keep you feeling full and dried fruit and honey give a little chewiness and natural sweetness. There’s no excuse not to have a batch of these ready for snacking, enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange nuts and pumpkin seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10-12 minutes until golden, stirring once. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, reduce the oven to 300°F. Spray a 13x9" pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper, overhanging the long sides.
Using a food processor, pulse cooled nuts and 1 cup of oats until a sandy consistency and no large pieces of oats remain. Transfer to a large bowl, along with the remaining cup of whole oats. To the same bowl stir in dried fruit and oil (chop any dried fruit bigger than a raisin).
In a medium saucepan whisk together honey, salt and vanilla over medium heat until at a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes until bubbling vigorously and smells like caramel.
Add peanut butter to oat mixture along with the hot honey and stir to fully combine. By adding together, the hot honey will help melt the peanut butter. Whisk egg white in a small bowl and stir into oat mixture until fully incorporated.
Scoop into prepared pan and pack down firmly and evenly. Using the bottom of a measuring cup helps to compact the mixture and get it flat.
Bake until golden and no longer sticky 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before scoring into 16 pieces (2x8). Let cool completely in the pan before lifting out using the parchment overhang. Cut along score marks into bars.
Recipe Notes
-don't skimp on the amount of listed salt.
-I used a combination of almonds, pecans and cashews.
-cut bars can be wrapped and frozen, kept in a sealed container for up to 1 month.
-cut bars will last for about 5 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
-other nut butter such as almond butter work well too.
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It’s still summer, thankfully! So this means there’s still time to enjoy these delicious Creamy Lemon Pops. This week in central Alberta the weather is scheduled to be one of the nicest of the summer, assuming the weatherman gets it right of course!! It’s crazy to think people can predict the weather 30 years from now with global warming but can’t seem to predict two days out. It’s frustrating, to say the least, when trying to plan activities and having a very short summer season. But all my mumbling aside, these Creamy Lemon Pops are packed with lemon flavour from fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. They’re creamy and delicious but not overly sweet, which makes them great in hot weather.
The recipe is a riff on a Semifreddo, meaning half-frozen and like custard-style ice cream. I’ve gone and added yogurt and lightened up on the sugar to make these lovely treats. They’re super creamy and indulgent, making them great for kids and adults alike. So go ahead and treat yourself while the sun still shines this summer, enjoy!
In a small bowl whisk together egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Place the bowl over a double boiler, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat over medium, whisking constantly until mixture registers 170°F, about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and place in the fridge while proceeding.
Whip heavy cream until firm peaks hold. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Using the same beaters, whip the warm egg yolk mixture until creamy, lite, and cool/room temperature to the touch, about 4 minutes. Stir in Greek yogurt until combined.
Fold whipped cream into egg mixture until combined. Divide evenly into 8-80ml popsicle molds. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. Run warm water over the popsicle molds to loosen slightly before pulling the popsicles out. Popsicles will last for a week if kept covered and in the mold.
Recipe Notes
-If preferred, remove all popsicles at once and store them in an airtight container for up to one week.
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It’s time for a little blog cleanup, so I’m picking away at updating and putting a polish on a few of my older posts. Today’s cleanup goes back to 2016 with these wholesome, rustic and vegan Pumpernickel Seed and Nut Crisps. Not only are these crisps beautiful with their dark cracker base they are also delightfully healthy with no added fat, eggs or dairy. I find some of my great recipes get left in the dust, never to be made again because my head is down and focused on always creating NEW content. Doing a little blog cleanup allows me to go back and redo the recipes, reminding me of just how good they really are.
In this recipe, I used nuts and seeds that I had on hand, but you can certainly change them up to whatever is your favourite. I love these Pumpernickel Seed & Nut Crisps because of their texture which is crispy, yet still, some bites give a little chew. The currents are a nice addition because their size adds just the right amount of sweetness without becoming overbearing. Enjoy!
In a large bowl whisk together all ingredients until just combined.
Spray 2 8"x4" loaf pans with non-stick spray and divide batter evenly between them. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack to room temperature. Once cool, remove loaves from their pan and place in the freezer for about an hour to help firm up for cutting.
Reheat oven to 300℉.
Remove from the freezer and cut each loaf into 1/8" slices. You should get approximately 30-33 slices per loaf. Lay each slice flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip each piece and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes (they will continue to crisp up as they cool). Remove from oven and place each slice onto a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Recipe Notes
-Any seeds and nuts can be used, but in this recipe, I used a combination of currents, pine nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pepitas.
-Regular 9"x 5" loaf pans can be used, however, I used 8" x 4" foil loaf pans because they are narrower and therefore produce a slightly taller cracker and the loaves pop right out of the foil pans.
-Freezing is only required to assist in cutting even thin slices. If you are good with a knife, feel free to skip this step.
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