Sweet Potato Muffins

Holidays are approaching, which means it's beta carotene season in Doc Thelma's Kitchen.  First up is a new muffin recipe for me.  I am making sweet potatoes in preparation for Thanksgiving and, as usual, overestimated the number of potatoes needed.  This in a nice way to use an extra cup or two.

• 1 cup mashed baked sweet potato
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper cups.  In my tins, this recipe makes about 18. Beat together briefly eggs, sour cream, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.  Add sweet potatoes and blend. Mix dry ingredients and spices, add to bowl and stir just until combined. Fill cups 3/4's full; bake 15-20 minutes. Remove and cool.

Glaze (optional)

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients until smooth, drizzle over cooled muffins.

Frozen Dinner Rolls

I made these for my first Thanksgiving dinner as a new bride, and many times since. Very convenient since you can make several weeks in advance, then freeze until the day you bake.

• 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 packages yeast
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 eggs

In large bowl, mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Heat water, milk and butter to warm (120-130 degrees (butter will likely not melt), add to flour and beat 2 minutes with electric mixer. Add eggs and 1/2 cup more flour, beat another 2 minutes. Add 3-4 cups more flour gradually, to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic.

Cover and let rest 20 minutes, then punch down. Shape into rolls... I like to do crescents. Freeze on cookie sheets, then store in plastic or tupperware.

When ready to bake, remove, place on baking sheet and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cranberry Nut Bread

A frequent Christmas present.

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1 cup chopped cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix dry ingredients. combine egg, orange juice and orange peel, add to flour mixture and stir just to moisten. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees 30-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out dry. Makes one large or 2 small loaves.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

A great use for old or bruised apples.

• 1 1/2 cup flour
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1/3 cup oil
  
• 1-2 cups diced apples
  

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix egg, oil and milk, beat lightly. Add to dry ingredients all at once, along with apples. Stir just until moistened. Spoon into 12 paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

A recipe from my daughter's Sunday school teacher.  My daughter loved this and it was the first indication I had that she would eat zucchini. This, plus the zucchini parmesan muffins below were two ways I partially disposed of Zucchini-Zilla.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
  
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
  
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
  
• 1/2 cup oil
  

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Make a well in the center. Combine eggs, sugar, zucchini, and oil, mix thoroughly. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir all just until moistened. pour into two greased loaf pans, bake 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Let sit overnight.

Zucchini Parmesan Muffins

A friend from church gave me a huge zucchini from her garden. This is one of the uses I put it to.

• 2 eggs
  
• 3/4 cup milk
  
• 2/3 cup oil
  
• 2 1/2 cups flour
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
  
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
  
• 2 tablespoons ground fresh basil
  
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  

Grease 24 muffin tins.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Beat eggs, then stir in oil and milk.  Mix all dry ingredients, then add gradually to egg mixture, mixing until almost smooth.  Fold in zucchini and basil. Fill muffin tins half full, top with a pinch of cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. 

Mimi's Holy Bread

For full effect, go here to see illustrations of how to put this together.  A great loaf for people who don't thing they have time to make bread.  I envision stuffing this full of savory meats and cheeses and taking it the next time I take a meal to a family with a new baby.

• 3 1/4 cups flour
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 packet rapid rise yeast
  
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
  
• 1 cup warm water
  

Mix 2 1/4 cups flour and next three ingredients, add butter and warm water and work into soft dough.  Add more flour (enough to keep it from getting sticky) and knead for 4 minutes.  Sprinkle more of flour on surface and roll into 13 by 9 inch rectangle.  Don't worry if you don't use all the flour.

You are now ready to add fillings.  According to Mimi, a wide variety are possible, both sweet and savory.  Some recommendations:

• 3 tablespoons softened butter plus cinnamon sugar
  
• pesto, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomato
  
• sausage and provolone
  
• pizza sauce, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese
  
• pesto and mozzarella
  

For spreadable fillings (butter, sugar, pesto etc, spread over entire surface of dough. Make cuts across both long edge of dough, 1/3 the way across.  Pile any chunkier fillings (meat, cheese) down the center, uncut strip.  Bring opposite strips together across dough, pressing so that fillings are wrapped in dough and top has a braided appearance.  Look at Mimi's pictures to see how it's done. Brush top with melted butter or olive oil.

Let rise on cookie sheet set above casserole dish of hot water 15-20 minutes.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

There are lots of recipes for this floating around, but here's my favorite. Moist, holds its shape and slices well, with a cake-like texture.

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 pound pumpkin (15 oz. can is fine)
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

Mix oil with sugar, beat in eggs. Stir in pumpkin. Mix dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture alternately with water. Bake in greased, floured pans about one hone, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Makes 2 large or 3 small loaves.

Monkey Bread

My 7-year old son prepared this for a Cub Scout requirement. Delicious hot from the oven. Halving the recipe gives a good, family- sized loaf; use the full size for a crowd. Fun with kids because there are lots of little dough balls to roll.

• 3 10-oz (or 4 7.5-oz.) cans refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar

Separate biscuit dough and divide each piece in fourths. Mix sugar and cinnamon in bowl; roll each dough ball to coat. Drop in a greased and floured bundt pan. Melt butter and mix with brown sugar; I dump any leftover cinnamon sugar into to mix. Pour brown sugar mixture over dough balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool 5-10 minutes in pan, then invert onto plate. Break pieces off to serve.

Lemon Muffins

A favorite for church breakfasts; unfortunately it's getting harder to find the lemon yogurt at the grocery stores.

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 1 beaten egg
• 8 oz lemon-flavored yogurt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine dry ingredients with lemon rind. Mix egg, yogurt, butter and lemon juice, add to flour mixture and stir until moist. Bake in greased muffin tins at 400 degrees 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Fill cups half full. Makes about 20-24 muffins. Top with a thin coating of lemon glaze.
Lemon glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Stir until smooth, spoon over cooled muffins.

These are great as mini-muffins, too. Reduce cooking time to 10 minutes or less.

Missing Link Scones

Hillbilly Jedi describes these as "the missing link between the scone and the Southern US Biscuit." I made them for dinner tonight and they were quite tasty. I got the recipe from her blog; her source is "How to be a Domestic Goddess."

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 4 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tbsp shortening in teaspoon-sized lumps (I used my small cookie dough scoop for this!)
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 large egg, beaten (for egg-wash)

Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar together. Cut in butter and shortening, then work with hands until mixture is like damp sand. Add milk all at once, stir briefly into a soft dough and knead a few times on a floured surface. Like all biscuits, it's important to handle the dough as little as possible. Roll about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick and cut with 2.5 inch crinkle-edged cookie cutter. Place in greased baking dish close together; they should rise and touch when baking. Brush with beaten egg. Bake 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Hillbilly Jedi recommends serving them with "Thunder and Lightening" (aka clotted cream and molasses) but standard biscuit fixins' work too.

Optional additions:

For Fruit Scones

• 3 oz raisins OR
  
• 3 oz dried cherries and zest of one orange (I may try miniature versions of these for Christmastime)

For Cheese Scones

• 3 oz grated sharp cheddar (Next time I make a brunch meal, I'm going to try these and serve with Virginia ham)