Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

These are great for breakfast or a healthy snack.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pice spice; set aside. Combine brown sugar, while sugar, applesauce, pumpkin, buttermilk, and eggs. Mix until well blended. Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in craisins and nuts.

3. Divide batter into muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes. Cool in the muffin pan on a wire rack before removing muffins.

Makes 12 muffins. Ready in 40 minutes.

*pumpkin pie spice substitute: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

English Muffins

Luckily for us, and you, there is a great recipe to make your own english muffins. They are so good! I could eat the whole batch in one day. Try them!

1 3/4 cups milk, warm

2 TBS sugar

2 tsp instant yeast

3 TBS butter, softened

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 to 4 1/4 cup flour, all-purpose or whole wheat

1 tsp baking powder

Combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Cover with a towel and let proof for 5 minutes. In a electric mixer with the dough attachment add remaining ingredients and mix throughly for about 5 minutes. Do not add more flour, the dough will be sticky. When mixed scrape dough from the bowl one a lightly floured counter top. Fold dough over a few times until it forms a smooth ball. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and lay out on a surface sprinkled with corn meal. Roll out to desired thickness. (The muffins rise a little so roll them about 1/4" thinner than what you would like the finished product to be.) Cut out circles with a 3" cutter. Re-roll and cut out the leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for 20 minutes.

Heat frying pan to low-med heat. Sprinkle pan with cornmeal. Cover pan and cook muffins for 6-7 minutes on each side.

Cool on a cooling rack. Store muffins in fridge or freezer.

Wheat Rolls

Wheat Rolls

2 (.25 oz) packages active dry yeast

1 3/4 warm water

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 egg beaten

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

1. In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Mix sugar, salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Or, let kitchen aid knead it with the dough attachment. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

3. Punch down dough, cover , and let rise in warm place until doubled again, about 30 minutes.

4. Grease 2 dozen muffin cups. Punch down dough, and divide into two equal portions. Roll each into a 6X14 inch rectangle, and cut rectangle into twelve 7X1 inch strips. Roll strips up into spirals, and place into muffin cups. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise uncovered in a warm place 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

5. Preheat oven to 400˚. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from over and brush with more melted butter.

You can also roll dough into little balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Ready in 3 hours 5 minutes. Serves 24 rolls.