2009 Nov 7

Happy Belated Halloween!

Posted in baking, dessert, holidays

I’m going to have to blame my lateness on my current situation: my over a week long illness that’s taking its precious time and does not seem to want me to get better yet. It made my Halloween preparations and plans very difficult, but I still managed somehow, even though I did have to give up a few things I wanted to get done. It was especially frustrating last week because I had started getting sick last Monday and miraculously the next morning I was all better, but the sneaky little bugger came back with a vengeance the next day and since then I have been battling it for almost 2 weeks now.

Anyway, on to what I was able to accomplish during my sick week. I was able to sew part of my Halloween costume. I was little red riding hood and I decided to sew my own cape. It came out pretty well, I’m just thankful I didn’t mess it up (it was my first time sewing anything). I baked two items out of the three items I had planned for Halloween, and I also managed to give out Halloween candy.

This year I decided to try out some new recipes. I baked Buttermilk Spice Muffins (the exact recipe from Mimi’s Cafe, I couldn’t believe they just posted it on their website) and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. The Buttermilk Spice Muffins were good, although next time I might double the spices. Unfortunately, I personally can’t tell you how good the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins were. By the time I made these, I couldn’t really taste anything anymore, but my friends seemed to like them so there’s a good sign! I’ll have to try baking them again when I’m not sick.

Buttermilk Spiced Muffins

Buttermilk Spice Muffins

Halloween Mini Muffin Liners

Mini Halloween Liners

My Little Red Riding Hood Basket Filled with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My Little Red Riding Hood Basket Filled with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins


Here are the recipes:

Buttermilk Spice Muffins
(from a Mimi’s Cafe Recipe)

Ingredients:

Batter:

  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ½ cup Butter or margarine
  • 3 Eggs
  • 2-½ cups Flour
  • 2 tsp. Baking soda
  • 1 tsp. Nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. Cinnamon
  • ¾ cup + 1 tbsp. Buttermilk

Nut Topping:

  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Walnuts (finely chopped)
  • ½ tsp. Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. Nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, cream the sugar and butter together. Add eggs and beat one more minute.
  2. In a separate bowl, sift the flour together with the baking soda, nutmeg and the cinnamon.
  3. Add flour and buttermilk to the first mixture, mix at low speed until smooth. To avoid lumps in the batter, add the wet and dry ingredients alternately, in small amounts.
  4. Make the nut topping: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
  5. Grease muffin tins or use paper baking cups. Fill each cup 3/4 full of batter. Add a full, rounded tablespoon of nut topping on top of each muffin cup of batter. Bake immediately at 375° for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown or the topping will sink to the bottom of the muffin. Makes about 12 standard size muffins.

Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
by iheartdessert

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 1/2 heaping  teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 heaping teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line mini muffin pan with mini baking liners.
2. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, eggs, and oil together. Add canned pumpkin and water.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg together.
4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Dredge chocolate chips in 1 tsp of flour to prevent sinking. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Fill the muffin liners until almost full. Bake for about 15 mins.

3 Comments

  1. Alex said,

    November 8, 2009 9:27 pm

    Hey! I know this was a few entries down but I don’t know if you check those comments… I saw that you want to know how to make the Olive Garden breadsticks and I have a recipe that is supposed to be the copycat of it from Food Network Magazine…never tried it but it looks like it could be right! 😀

    Olive Garden Breadsticks

    For the Dough:

    1 pkg active dry yeast
    4 1/4 cups all purpose flour-plus more for dusting
    2 tbsp Un-salted butter softened
    2 tbsp sugar
    1 tbsp fine salt

    For the topping:
    3 tbsp melted butter-Unsalted
    1/2 tsp kosher salt
    1/8-1/4 tsp garlic powder
    pinch of dried oregano

    1. Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer, sprinkle in the yeast and ste aside until foamy. About 5 min. Add the four, butter, sugar, fine salt, and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp warm water. Mix with paddle attatchemnt until a slightly sticky batter forms. 5 min.

    2. Keand the dough by hand on a foured surface until very smooth and soft, about 3 min. Roll into a 2 foot long log, cut into 16 1 1/2 in long pieces. Knead each peace slightly and shape into a 7 in ong bread stick. Arrnage 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth, let rise until almost doubled (45 min).

    3. Preheat oven to 400, and brush the bread sticks with 1/2 the melted butter then sprinkle with 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Bake until lightly golden (about 15 min), meanwhile mix the remaining salt with the garlic powder, and oregeno. When you take the breadsticks out of the oven brush with remaining melted butter and “seasoned salt”.

  2. iheartdessert said,

    November 9, 2009 12:55 am

    thank you so much for the recipe! definitely going to try it out!

  3. Alex said,

    November 10, 2009 9:22 am

    You’re welcome! Sorry for the typos, did it too fast: ste=set
    foured=floured
    pease=piece
    ong=long

    XD

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