Chocolate-bottom Pumpkin Muffins With Orange Cream Cheese

Chocolate-bottom Pumpkin Muffins With Orange Cream Cheese

Tasty flavors are paired together in a chocolate bottom pumpkin muffin. To add a zing of orange, we added orange-floral Fiori di Sicilia cream cheese center. Perfect for any fall breakfast or brunch!

This recipe has three batters and uses a scale to measure in grams for accuracy.

Make the filling
INGREDIENTS
227g cream cheese, at room temperature
50g granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilian extract or orange extract
1 egg white

INSTRUCTIONS
In a bowl, beat all ingredients until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Refrigerate to chill and keep cold.

Make the chocolate batter
INGREDIENTS
29g Dutch processed cocoa
120 g flour
133g light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
85g milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
57g unsalted butter, melted slightly cooled

INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large measuring cup whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine; set aside.

Make the pumpkin batter
INGREDIENTS
134g flour
80g brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
171 g pumpkin purée
1 large egg plus one egg yolk
4 1/2 tablespoons grape seed oil
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup or golden cane syrup
56g whole milk
Softened butter for the pan

INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large measuring cup or small bowl whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, syrup and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Using the softened butter, lightly grease 8 large silicone baking cups set on a baking sheet or a 12-cup muffin pan. Depending on which size cups you use, scoop 2-4 tablespoons of chocolate batter into each of the muffin cups, followed by 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling in the center. Next, cover the filling with 2-4 tablespoons of the pumpkin batter. You may only use half of the center filling. Set aside the rest for another use.

Place in the oven and bake for 18 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted toward the edge, not in the filling, comes out crumb-free. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan or cups and cool completely.

Fig & Almond Coffee Cake

Fig & Almond Coffee Cake

We love getting figgy with this perfect fall coffee cake – fresh Fig and Almond. Perfect with a cup of coffee on a cool morning to get your day going.  

For the figs
1 ½ cups ripe figs
2 tablespoons sugar

For the cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
½  cup sugar
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
¼  teaspoon salt
¾  stick unsalted butter, melted
½  cup buttermilk
1 large egg

For crumb topping
¾   stick unsalted butter, melted
¼  cup packed brown sugar
¼  cup granulated sugar
¾  teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½  cup almond slices

To make the figs:
Chop the figs and place in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons sugar and ¼ cup water. Simmer until the figs are completely broken down to a jammy consistency, adding additional tablespoons of water as needed. Keep warm.

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a spring form pan with parchment on the bottom. Generously butter the sides of the pan and the parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, milk, and egg. Then whisk in flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter into springform pan. Dollop figs all over surface, then swirl into batter with spoon.

Make crumb topping:
Whisk together butter, sugars, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Stir in flour, then combine with your fingertips until they form large clumps. Sprinkle the clumps over top of cake. Sprinkle the almonds over the top.

Place in the  oven and bake the cake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and sides begin to pull away from pan, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes. Release the side of the spring form pan and remove. Cool completely and then remove from the bottom of the pan and the parchment. Slice and serve.

Lemon Muffins with Blueberry Jam Filling and Lemon Buttercream

Lemon Muffins with Blueberry Jam Filling and Lemon Buttercream

Shake the winter blues with these delicious and easy Lemon muffins. They combine the juicy sweetness of blueberries with tangy notes of fresh lemon. Topped with sugar before baking, the muffins have a hollowed out center filled with sweet blueberry jam that’s  topped with a dollop of lemon buttercream icing.

INGREDIENTS
Muffins
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
¼  teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (optional)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest plus 1/4 cup lemon juice
¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
sparkling sugar
½ cup blueberry Jam

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups. In a bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, zest, juice, and buttermilk. Whisk in the melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into dry ingredients, until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full. Sprinkle with sugar and bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Hollow out a small center of each muffin two-thirds deep. Add the blueberry jam to the center of each muffin. Top each center with the buttercream icing.


INGREDIENTS
Lemon Buttercream Icing
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons egg white powder
1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
½ -1 tablespoon cream

INSTRUCTIONS
In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and egg white powder. Gradually beat into the butter until totally incorporated. Beat in lemon extract. Add ½ tablespoon of cream and beat for 4 minutes. If too thick, add the rest of the cream. 

Apple Butter with Sage & Smoked Cheddar Biscuits

Apple Butter with Sage & Smoked Cheddar Biscuits

Delicately flaky, tall, and full of melted smoked cheddar cheese and thinly sliced sage. Perfect for a Fall Breakfast to go along with this easy Apple Butter recipe.

Apple Butter
3 pounds apple, mix of sweet and tart apples, peeled, cored, chopped
3 cups apple cider
1 cup granulated sugar
3 three-inch cinnamon stick
8 whole cloves
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Bring apples, cider, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to a boil in a large wide pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and apples are very soft, about 2 hours. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Blend with an immersion blend or place in a high-speed blender and process until smooth. Place in four one-cup jelly jars and refrigerate or freeze.

 

Sage & Smoked Cheddar Biscuits
4 cups White Lily flour, plus more for cutting 
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups grated smoked cheddar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
¾  cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 ½  cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450˚F. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add cheddar and sage and whisk to combine. Add butter and cut into the flour with butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces butter remaining. Add buttermilk and with a wooden spoon stir until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead just until it comes together.  Gently pat unto a large round. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough to a 3/4-inch thickness. With a floured 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out  the biscuits. Cut until you have 12 biscuits by rerolling and cut scraps. Place biscuits on a baking sheet, 1 ½ inches apart, and bake until puffed and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with the Apple Butter.

Strawberry and Cream Scones

Strawberry and Cream Scones

We’re celebrating National Strawberry and Cream day with a delicious option – classic scones with a perfectly crunchy exterior, soft, sweet fruit-filled interior, topping with a fresh cream icing.

 

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½  teaspoon salt
1/3  cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
½  cup heavy whipping cream, plus more for the top of the scones
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

 

For the glaze:
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
½  teaspoon vanilla bean extract

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.

 

Add to a food processor the flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar. Pulse several times to break up any clumps and combine the ingredients. Add in the cubed cold butter and pulse until you have small pea sized crumbs. Pour to a large bowl and set aside.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, egg, and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the egg mixture over the flour/butter crumbs and gently mix with a wooden spoon until the dough just starts to come together. Add in the chopped strawberries and gently fold them into the mixture. With your hands, work the dough into a ball shape in the bowl.

 

Cut the dough ball  into eight pieces, then form each piece into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Gently  Flatten the ball of dough slightly and leave 2” between each one. Brush the tops of each dough ball with a little bit of heavy whipping cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

 

Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

 

To make the glaze:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract together until well combined and no lumps remain. If the glaze is too thick, add the extra milk or if the glaze is too thin, add a little extra powdered sugar and whisk until it has reached a thick, smooth consistency.

 

Drizzle the glaze over the 8 scones and allow to sit until set. Makes 8 scones.

Toasted Coconut & Pecan Streusel Banana Bread With Brown Butter Icing

Toasted Coconut & Pecan Streusel Banana Bread With Brown Butter Icing

There must be a million banana bread recipes. Almost everyone has a most-loved version, whether it’s passed down in the family or a preferred interpretation. But we think our southern-style recipe might be your new favorite. Our quick bread not only features a delicious banana flavor with a soft cake-like interior, but a streusel topping loaded with toasted coconut and pecans. Then to push it over the top, we added a yummy brown butter icing.

INGREDIENTS
Banana Bread Base
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan, plus ¼ cup melted unsalted butter, divided
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
4 medium very ripe peeled bananas
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup chopped toasted pecans

Coconut & Pecan Streusel Topping
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sweetened, toasted, flaked coconut
1 cup toasted whole pecans,

Brown Butter Icing
¼  cup butter
½  cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons whole milk

INSTRUCTIONS
Banana Bread Base
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×5″ loaf pan then line it with a piece of parchment paper that overlaps on the long sides of the pan. Butter the parchment paper then dust with flour. Remove any excess flour by tapping the pan upside down over the sink.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until smooth then combine with sour cream and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer or hand mixer, beat ½ cup butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 ½ minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat on medium speed after each egg until thoroughly combined. Add banana mixture and beat until just combined about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients in 2 batches, beating on low after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl until fully incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in the pecans. Add the batter to prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula.

Coconut & Pecan Streusel Topping
Stir together melted butter, granulated sugar, firmly packed brown sugar, flour and vanilla extract, when combined add in the toasted coconut and whole toasted pecans. Crumble over the top of the banana bread, pressing in very lightly.

Bake, rotating halfway through until batter is set and a tester inserted into the center of bread comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack at least 15 minutes, run a knife around the bread to loosen it, then using the parchment paper overlaps gently pull the bread out of the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and gently remove the bottom parchment. Cool completely.

Brown Butter GlazeTo make the glaze, add the butter to a saucepan and frequently stir over medium heat until it starts to foam. When the foaming ends, stop stirring, and let it continue to cook until amber brown. Remove from heat, and stir in powdered sugar and then the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make the glaze your desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled banana bread and slice with a serrated knife to serve. Make 12-14 servings.