Pumpkin Spice Donut (muffins)

I actually made a Muffin tin Monday meal this morning...scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes with syrup, apple sauce and pineapple all nestled in my Wilton Fall silicone tins...the ones with leaves and pumpkins...but the picture looked awful. I'm still working on how to take pictures without a flash...without a tripod. I borrow my brother's tripod often, but when it's not here, my pictures are fuzzy...so I'm posting a muffin recipe instead.

The original recipe calls for a Donut pan...I used my mini muffin tins instead because I have them and I like the bite size convenience. This recipe made 4 dozen mini pumpkin donut muffins. I found the recipe on  a blog that sent me to Blue Eyed Bakers. I can't remember the other blog.

They were amazing fresh out of the oven dipped in melted butter and cinnamon sugar, but the next morning, the cinnamon sugar had melted (I guess) and they were still good, but not great. They were soggy and sticky and a mess for my boys to eat. I'm thinking that they were still too hot when I left the house and covered them with syran wrap? So I sugared 2 dozen and froze the other 2 dozen unsugared  and I'll try them this weekend and leave them uncovered and let you know! 

My go to recipe has been Tasty Kitchen's "muffins that taste like donuts". They are amazing, so I might just go back to that recipe for holiday gifts. 

Petite Pumpkin Spice Donuts

For Donuts:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

For Coating:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven 350 F. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, careful not to over mix.

Using a pastry bag or a steady hand and a spoon, fill each donut cup with the batter.  The donut cups should be fairly full, but not overflowing. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed (if you're using a larger donut pan, allow them to bake for 12-15 minutes).  Turn donuts out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

While the donuts are cooling, melt butter in one bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in another.  When donuts are still hot (but not too hot to touch), quickly dip each donut in melted butter, then coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Serve immediately.

*Note: If you're not going to serve the donuts immediately, you can bake them up to a day in advance and store them in an airtight container.  Do not coat them in the butter/cinnamon-sugar mixture until just before serving or they may get soggy.

You can also adapt this recipe for mini muffins.  Just bake muffins for 10-12 minutes then follow the same procedure for coating.

I'm joining StoneGable for On the Menu Monday. Enjoy the recipes!

I also plan on trying these recipes for the holidays! What is your favorite holiday treat recipe? I'd love to know! I've hosted or cohosted a cookie exchange for the past 4 years and I love seeing the creativity unfold around the holidays. I wish y'all lived closer! I'd love to have you join us!

Christmas Crack

Coconut Joy Candy

Cookie Balls 

Foodie Friday...Family Favorites

Cornbread Dressing

1 pan cooked corn bread

2 links of mild Italian Sausage out of the casings

1 apple chopped

1 onion chopped

3-4 ribs of celery chopped

handful of dried cranberries

chicken stock

butter

salt & pepper, fresh thyme and sage 

In large skillet cook sausage and then set aside. Add half a stick of butter to pan, and cook celery, onion and apple (add salt and pepper now) til soft. Put sausage back in the pan and add the cranberries. Crumble corn bread into the pan. Add chicken stock to cover, a little more butter and stir everything to coat.Add herbs.  Put mixture in a buttered baking dish and cook on 350 til golden. Enjoy! We ate this with pork chops this week! I'll send out my great grandmother's Oyster Dressing recipe closer to Thanksgiving. My mom has made it every holiday for my entire life and was published in Rachel Ray Magazine a few years ago for one of the winning holiday recipes!

Fantasy Fudge

 3 cups sugar

3/4 cup margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 12-oz. (340 g) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 7-oz. (198 g) jar Kraft Marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Traditional method:
Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan; bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla beat till blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.

Cranberry Pineapple Salad

1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Crushed Pineapple, in juice, undrained

2 pkg.  (3 oz. each) JELL-O Raspberry Flavor Gelatin

1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce

2/3 cup  chopped PLANTERS Walnuts

1 DOLE Apple, chopped

I added Mandarin oranges

DRAIN pineapple, reserving juice. Add enough water to reserved juice to measure 2-1/2 cups; pour into saucepan. Bring to boil. Add to dry gelatin mixes in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved.

STIR in pineapple, cranberry sauce, nuts and apples. Spoon into a beautiful bowl.

REFRIGERATE 2-1/2 hours or until firm.

My Bama's Salad

• This is the recipe we grew up with...
  1 package of lime jello
  1 package of cream cheese softened
  1 medium can of diced pears
  Make jello according to package. When almost congealed, add cheese and beat til fluffy. Add pears and pecans and let set. Done. Enjoy. (I think when I made it I used the pear juice to make the jello.)
  
  
  
  
  This is the recipe for Pear Lime Gelatin Salad from Taste of Home
• 1 can (15 ounces) pear halves
• 1 package (3 ounces) lime gelatin
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
• 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, well drained
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted, divided
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 
  

• Drain pears, reserving juice; set pears aside. In a small saucepan,
• bring juice to a boil. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Remove from
• the heat; cool slightly.
• In a food processor, combine pears and cream cheese; cover and
• process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in gelatin
• mixture until blended. Stir in the pineapple and 3/4 cup pecans.
• Fold in whipped topping.
• Pour into an ungreased 11-in. x 7-in. dish. Refrigerate until set.
• Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Cut into squares. Yield: 8 servings.

I've made and eaten and enjoyed both versions!!

These recipes are some I've been eating every year since I can remember. I love that my great grandparents on both sides of my family started my culinary heritage almost a hundred years ago...These recipes are classics that I hope your family will enjoy too, for many many years to come. This is how I celebrate the season. I cook and I remember my family and how each individual means to me. Happy Fall Blessings to you and yours!

I'm joining these blogs!  Enjoy

Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

Miz Helen for Full Plate Thursday

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

Something borrowed...a fall tablescape

     Many of you know we moved over the summer, and with that move we gained close access to my parents. They live just across a main street only half a mile away. With that said, it's rather easy for me to go over there and ask to borrow something..sugar...wine glasses...Mimmie's silver. My mom is very giving and knows that after the pictures are taken, the borrowed items will return...unless she says I can keep them:)

 These pretty amber jeweled wine stems are hers. I actually told her to buy them years ago...clearance at Target...

 I 'borrowed' my saucers to break up the reds between the berry bowl and salad plate and I 'borrowed' these beaded poinsettia napkin rings from my Christmas stash. I thought the gold complimented the wine stems beautifully. And Kathleen, I think you'd be proud I paid 29 cents each (90 % off of $2.99 after Christmas clearance at Target years ago!) 

 The mosaics and red hurricanes are from my Christmas stash...Pier One and World Market years ago

The silver salt and pepper grinder belonged to my great grandmother.    

    I bought this beautiful doily from Susan at My Place to Yours 

She has beautiful things in her etsy shop!

   the rest...

linen place mats--from a friend (Romania)

Silver--my grandmothers

Red glass dinnerware--Target Christmas clearance years ago

Ecru napkins--wedding gift

Saucers--Marshall's years ago, gift from my mom (tea set)

Happy Fall!!! Happy November!!!

I'm joining these blog swaps. Please go to their sites and check out the great ideas!

Susan from Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

From Russia with Love...

My sweet mom bought me this beautiful Russian Blue and White Sugar from her latest trip to St. Petersburg. She and my dad are both retired and travel somewhere every year. 

She is always on the look out for something pretty. I love this piece. I have a sugar from Romania too, so I love the beauty of each piece. 

We celebrated my brother's 40th birthday last night.
My parents were in Russia on his birthday, so we waited til they came home, rested, celebrated their grandson and then had Murphy's birthday dinner.
My brother is low key, to say it best...no big parties or balloons, no jokes or pranks...
just a dinner with his family.

 I thought this runner was appropriate to have just enough fall colors for an October birthday and yet has hints of blue to compliment the Blue Willow and Indies Blue dishes. 

 I set the table again this morning with these water goblets, white napkins and candles.

  

  

 

  

   

  Since my boys sat with us, they used Fall melamine plates from Target. I served salsa in this Blue Willow gravy boat. My brother's favorite meal is fajitas!

  I found this Romanian butter dish at Marshall's years ago. I LOVE it!

 Apple Pie with a Strudel Topping (recipe to come)

Rattan Chargers -- Walmart

Churchill Blue Willow 

Johnson Brothers Indies Blue bread plate

Romanian Water Goblets -- Marshall's years ago

Cobalt Wine glasses -- Pottery Barn years ago

Gibraltar Water Goblets -- HEB grocery

Silver dessert forks and teaspoons -- my grandmother's

Flatware -- Target years ago

Blue napkins -- Tuesday Morning

White napkins -- Estate Sale

Napkin rings --BBB wedding gift

Centerpiece bowl --my mom, World Market

Red Hurricane -- World Market clearance years ago

Runner -- World Market clearance years ago
I'm joining these great blogs for their weekly blog parties!
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesdays
BNOTP for Tablescape Thursdays

Muffin Tin Monday~~Happy Halloween!

 Today, my boys had salami skewers on a bat pick, pb&j sushi rolls, apple, pumpkin marshmallows with another bat pick, colby jack cheese with a jack-o-lantern pick and chocolate chip cookie acorns!

My HEB had a handful of these cute muffin cups again. These are red bees??? it looks like a stinger on the bottom! and the orange cups are from World Market, last year.

 A bento friend gave me the Halloween picks and the BIG bat came off the cookie...it was a big cookie from the store by mom got free, so we ate some then cut the rest of into acorns for lunches!

I'm joining MTM for Muffin Tin Monday!

Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing, Goat cheese and Pears

You must try this salad...if you like spinach, bacon, pears, goat cheese...sweet and tangy vinaigrette...

it's for you! This is one way I like to use traditional fall flavors of pears and cranberries.

 The vinaigrette is made in the bacon grease. Take the bacon out, add a squeeze of mustard, a squeeze of honey, a splash of vinegar, and a pinch of salt, pepper, parsley, a little onion and whisk til you like the consistency.

 before the bacon was crumbled on top...

 I layered the spinach, sliced pears (with a squeeze of lime) goat cheese and dried cranberries. The warm dressing wilts the spinach a little...perfection!
I remember seeing a Food Network Christmas special a couple years back...Michael Chiarello made a similar salad, but this is the only recipe I found online.

I'm joining the Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays...
and Stone Gable for On the Menu Mondays