Heart-helper Muffins

I have found a bunch of delicious recipes in the USA Weekend insert in the Sunday paper. This one was a hit with my husband.

Oatmeal Apple Muffins

1 egg
3/4 cup fat-free half and half
3 Tbs. canola oil or olive oil
1/3 cup Splenda or sugar
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tb. baking powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsps. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, beat together egg, half-and half, oil and Splenda (or sugar). In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Fold egg mixture into dry mixture, just to moisten.

Fill non-stick muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Other recipes from USA Weekend at allrecipes.com

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

I first ate this recipe when my sister in law made them on a visit we had to Missouri. Hers were light and fluffy and so much better than the canned Pillsbury version that I typically feed to all my guests. I remember asking her to send this recipe to me.

Sunday I found an email she had sent me in 2005 with the Cinnamon Roll recipe and decided that it was time I tried it.

At 40 it was the first time I had ever actually made any type of bread product with yeast!!!

2 packages of yeast
2/3 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soft margarine
2 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
6 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of cinnamon

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add warm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, margarine, shortening, eggs & 3 cups flour. Mix together well. Stir in remaining 3 cups of flour. Turn onto floured counter top and knead until smooth and elastic ( about 5 to 10 minutes). Cover and let rest 20 minutes. Roll into 12 x 20 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 to 3 tablespoons margarine. Mix cinnamon with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and sprinkle across dough. Roll it up. Cut in 1 inch slices. Place in greased pans cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. When you are ready to cook them take out of refrigerator and let rise 30 to 45 minutes. Then bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mine were good but not as fluffy as my sister in laws. I will try this recipe again that is for sure.

Things I learned:

Not to use so much flour on the counter top for rolling. When I rolled the dough up the edges were just too floury. I tried to wipe a lot of it off but I couldn't do it completely. I wonder if I used some butter on the outside edges of the dough before cooking?? I'll try it and let you know.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

After after nine years of marriage, our fifth move, and being unemployed at the moment; I am taking the time to try out some recipe’s that I have been tearing out of magazines. My ideal recipes have always included anything available in the freezer section, deli case, or a ready made box (i.e. pre-mixed). It was even better if it would go in the microwave. So here is my log of the recipe’s I try, how easy they are to fix, and what my husband or guests responses to them are.

First out of the gate is Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from the “Libby’s Pumpkin Sensibly Delicious Recipe Selections”.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1 can (15 oz) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Grease thirty-six 2 ½ inch muffin cups or line iwth paper bake cups.
COMBINE all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and alt in medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large bowl. Add pumpkin and oil; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until moistened. Stir in morsels. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans

Nutrition Informatin per serving: 200 calories; 90 calories from fat; 10 g total fat; 2.5g saturated fat; 25 mg cholesteral; 140mg sodium; 26 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 16 g sugars; 3 g protein, 30% Vitamin A

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