Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

I’m feeling the need for comfort food and these muffins have just the right amount of sweet, spice and crunch to make me happy :o)

Muffins
2½ cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Streusel Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans
4 Tbl cold butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 375°. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in pecans. Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups approx. 2/3 full.

In small bowl, for streusel topping, combine brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly. Spoon heaping tablespoon over batter in muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes until center of muffins are set. 

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Graham Cracker Coconut Bars

Just five ingredients and you have Graham Cracker Coconut Bars, YUM!

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups shredded coconut
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate candy bars

Preheat oven to 400°. Line 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. In a bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs and coconut. Pour in sweetened condensed milk and melted butter, stir until well combined. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake 12-15 minutes, just until edges are barely starting to turn golden. Remove and cool completely. Melt milk chocolate bars (can use  1 cup milk chocolate chips) slowly in microwave until just melted and smooth. Spread evenly over cooled bars. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Chill until chocolate is set. Holding edges of foil, remove bars from pan onto cutting board. Peel back foil from sides and cut into bars.

Chocolate Nutella Granola

Is granola still healthy if you add Nutella and chocolate chips? All the healthy elements are still there so let’s say yes! We love to eat it by the handful, yesterday we had it with vanilla yogurt and berries, and today I added banana and vanilla almond milk and had the most delicious lunch.

5 cups crispy rice cereal
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup rough chopped pecans
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbl cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. In large bowl, mix together crispy rice cereal, oats, wheat germ, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, dates, dried cranberries, and cinnamon. In saucepan, melt butter, Nutella, and brown sugar together. Add maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread out evenly on two cookie sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 8 minutes, remove and gently stir and spread out again. Bake another 8 minutes, remove, gently stir and spread out again. Bake 8 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in airtight container. Eat as a snack, in a bowl with milk or on top of ice cream, yogurt, you decide.

Nutty Chocolate Chip Banana Bran Muffins

Sometimes I’m in the mood for healthy and low calorie, that is when I bake something like Bran Muffins. Today I throw all those cares to the wind and bake a bran muffin with sugar, chocolate and lots of nuts. I fool myself with the words banana and bran, that there is some health benefit in there somewhere. My workout tonight will have to be a little longer, but that’s OK, my craving is satisfied. ;o)

3 bananas, medium, mashed
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup All-Bran cereal
1¾ flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400°. Coat 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
In large bowl, stirring by hand, combine banana, eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, vanilla, brown sugar, and All-Bran cereal. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; add to banana mixture. Stir just until all is combined. Stir in chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts. Scoop mixture into prepared muffin cups, they will be full. Sprinkle some mini chocolate chips and nut pieces on top if desired. Bake 20-22 minutes.

Other Muffins:

    

    

    

    

 

Chocolate Crunch

An excellent addition to your dessert table. Or, just make it and stand in the kitchen and eat it!

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl oil
1 cup chopped nuts (*macadamia, almonds, pecans, walnuts or peanuts)
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1 cup white chocolate chips

Line a cookie sheet with foil. In a double boiler, slowly melt semi sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, butter and oil. Stir and heat just until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Let cool  to tepid. Stir in nuts, rice cereal, and white chocolate chips. Spread into even layer of desired thickness in prepared pan, recipe will not fill the pan. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or until set. Break or cut into desired pieces.
*I used a mixture of macadamia and almonds

More Candy!

Pecan Toffee

Cool Mint Oreo Fudge

Crisp Chocolate Truffles

Pecan Caramels

Rocky Road Fudge

Brownies Supreme

In my mind and taste buds, these are Brownies Supreme. A mixture of dark chocolate, chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. What is your idea of a supreme brownie?

Brownies:
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1½ cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13″x9″ baking pan with foil (leaving overhang on each end) and lightly spray with non stick spray. In large bowl, stirring by hand, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in eggs one at a time. Add flour, cocoa, dark cocoa, and salt; mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Toward the end of brownie baking time, start preparing frosting.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

In saucepan over medium heat, bring butter, evaporated milk, and sugar to boil. Boil for about 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Pour and spread over cake as it comes from the oven. Cool completely, remove from pan to cutting board using foil overhang. Carefully peel foil away from sides and bottom of brownies and cut into squares.

One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Oatmeal M&M Cookies

Two Years Ago: Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats

Three Years Ago: Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

Four Years Ago: Brownie Cookies w/Toffee

Southern Praline Bars

Our son has been in South Carolina serving a mission for our church for two years. He comes home Thursday! In honor of him, I am posting a southern recipe. Southern Praline Bars, they taste like pecan pie in a graham cracker crust, so easy and delicious!

Whole graham crackers, enough to make a layer in a sheet pan
1½ cups butter
1½ cups brown sugar
2 cups chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a sheet pan with foil, leaving overhang on each end. Place graham crackers in a layer completely covering bottom of pan. You will have to cut some crackers to make them fit, a fun little puzzle. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and whisk in brown sugar. Bring mixture to rolling boil, stir in pecans and boil for 2 minutes; stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla (careful, it will bubble up when you stir in the vanilla). Pour mixture over the graham crackers, working quickly but gently to spread mixture evenly. Bake for 10 minutes. Entire surface will be bubbly. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes. Using foil overhang, remove bars from pan to large cutting board. Gently peel foil down from sides of bars, cut into squares and cool completely. You can also drizzle them with melted chocolate!

One Year Ago: Breakfast Pizza

Two Years Ago: Nutter Butter Chocolate Cake

Three Years Ago: Peanut Butter Chocolate Sweet Rolls

Four Years Ago: Dark Chocolate Cookies

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

This is a winner! Moist, flavorful, beautiful, tall bundt cake with toffee bits, pecan pieces, and caramel sauce. This cake might almost make you forget about chocolate!

Brown Sugar Pound Cake:
1½ cups butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 cup whole milk
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 (8 oz) pkg toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray bundt pan with nonstick spray and sprinkle with flour. In large bowl of mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Mix in eggs one at a time. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, mix until well combined. Mix in toffee bits and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 75-85 minutes, until pick inserted in center comes out clean (I had to bake mine about 90 min). Cover cake during baking if starts to get too brown. Cool cake in pan 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Put cake on serving plate and drizzle with caramel sauce. Cake recipe from ladybehindthecurtain.com.

Caramel Sauce:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbl butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine sweetened condensed milk and brown sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat whisking constantly. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla. Drizzle sauce over cake while it is warm, it thickens as it cools.

One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Cookies 52

Two Years Ago: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls

Three Years Ago: Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Pecan Toffee

One more for the cookies plates. This is easy!

 

2 cups pecan halves
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Arrange pecans on a silpat lined baking sheet (or use wax or parchment paper). In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, water, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 300° on candy thermometer. Pour in a small stream evenly over pecans. Quickly sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over toffee. Let sit to set up. Break into pieces when completely cooled and chocolate chips are solid again (they melt just enough while sitting on the warm toffee to adhere to the candy).

One Year Ago: Gingerbread Kids

Two Years Ago: Frosted Chocolate Mint Cookies

Three Years Ago: White Chocolate Candy Cane Fudge

Chocolate Fudge Pie

I love making pies! So many flavor combinations. Each one is a work of art, carefully crafted for your loved ones’ eating pleasure. Definitely an activity that makes me happy.

1 unbaked 9″ pastry shell
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut in chunks
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 450°. Line the unbaked pastry shell with foil and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil. While shell bakes, make filling. In a saucepan, whisk eggs and sugar. Add butter  and chocolate chips. Cook over medium heat  whisking constantly until butter and chips melt and mixture is creamy and coats the back of a spoon (about 4-5 minutes). Stir in pecans and coconut. Pour filling into pastry shell as it comes from the oven. Turn oven heat down to 350° and bake pie for 20-22 minutes more. Serve warm or room temp with vanilla ice cream and a glass of milk!

One Year Ago: Cranberry Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Two Years Ago: Sweet & Savory Sausage Stuffing

Three Years Ago: Crispy Crunchy Peanut Butter Brownies