A Hint of Spice

These muffins remind me of fall season when apples and pumpkin are in season.I have tried this recipe with fresh apples....making applesauce at home and then making pumpkin puree at home and it turned out to be tooo good to be true,but then for saving time I have also used store brought applesauce and pumpkin puree and they are just as scrumptious.This recipe makes quite a few muffins ,so I freeze them or make two loaves of bread.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoon's melted butter or cooking spray( for greasing the muffin cups)
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter,softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup apple juice,cider or orange juice
1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease 12  half cup muffin cups.Sift together the dry ingredients.
2.Beat the butter and sugar for about 2-3 minutes.Add the eggs,applesauce,pumpkin,and vanilla and beat lightly.
3.Alternately add some of the fry ingredients  and pour in some of the apple juice or cider,beating until smooth.Fold in raisins.
4.Spoon the batter into greased muffin tins,filling each cup two-thirds full.Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes,or until puffed and a toothpick comes out clean.
5.Cool for few minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a rack for cooling.Serve the muffins warm or at room temperature.
6.The same batter can be used to bake Pumpkin Applesauce bread by baking in two 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pans for 5-60 minutes.Cool,remove from the pans ,cut into slices and serve.
7.The muffins and the bread freeze very well.For doing that wrap the bread in a piece of aluminium foil and then wrap the cling wrap tightly around.
'njoy!!!

Tips:-
1.The recipe calls for softened unsalted butter .Well there are two ways to go about it.You can leave the butter at room temperature to softened or in the microwave if you are in a hurry.I prefer the first option as it ensures that the cakes,muffins,bread etc are soft.
For more baking tips see this,and this.

When you hear or read the word "Bread",the image that pops up is a loaf of bread...for me it is sandwich bread.Banana bread is a bread that contains mashed yellow Bananas.The difference in the baking technique of a Banana bread and any other loaf of bread is that in Banana Bread the leavening agent is Baking Soda instead of Yeast.
             There are many versions of Banana Bread available.Some us sour cream,some use eggs,some don't.Some recipes use brown sugar and egg whites.I tried many recipes but none came up to par.Then last summer my sister-in-law baked her special Banana Bread and ....you had to see it to believe it.My DH was fighting everyone else for every single slice.It was so moist & ......(wait guys my mouth is watering).I baked a batch of this wonderful banana bread ,as a "Thank You" gift for the wonderful staff at Tanvir's pediatrician's and it was an instant hit.
   In case you are wondering what does "Hap's" mean.....that's my sister-in-laws  sweet small name.She is known to everyone as Harpreet.The credit of this recipe goes to her.

3 Ripe Bananas (the riper, the moister the bread!)
2 Eggs
1.5 cups Flour
1 tsp of Flour(for Walnuts)
4 oz. Butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts
1.5 cups Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (optional)
Pinch of Salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
Additional Butter for baking dish

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degree Faranheit.
1.Sift flour,cinnamon powder and baking soda together and reserve.
2.Roughly chop the walnuts and roll them in 1 tsp of flour.This ensures that the walnuts don't sink to the bottom when you mix them in the batter.

3. In another bowl, stir sugar, eggs, vanilla, and butter until they are mixed well.
4..Incorporate flour, and stir until smooth.
5.Mush bananas with a fork and stir into batter.
6.Then add nuts and stir well.(Reserve few walnuts for sprinkling on top)
7. Butter two loaf pans (or other baking dish if you don't have a loaf pan) and pour in batter.
8.Sprinkle the reserved walnuts on the top of the batter.
9.Bake for about 55 minutes.Start checking the bread for doneness after 45 minutes.This is becuase the baking time varies from one oven to another.The banana bread is baked when the tip of a knife or toothpick comes out clean and dry.
10.Let cool off for about ten minutes and then remove from baking dish. You can serve this warm or room temperature.
'njoy!!!

This was my Entry for the cooking event Fruits,hosted by the orkut community IHM.


TIPS:-
1.The same batter can be used to make choclate chip banana bread.Just mix Choclate chips instead of walnuts.
2.The same batter can be used to make banana muffins.Send those as treats to your kids school or as Food gifts.
3.Prepared Banana bread freezes well,(if by any chance you have any left,which I seriously doubt).So when you are next making a loaf, just make some more, pack it tight and freeze it. Afterwards you can use it anytime you decide. It makes a great hostess present to take along when you're invited to somebody’s house.

GOOOOOOOOOOO Nuts!!!!

Not in literal sense !!!!People associate nuts with high calories,but eat them in moderation and they are high source of protein,fiber and antioxidants.So how to reap the healthy benefits of nuts....hmmm "Moderation" is the word my friends.Instead of adding nuts to your daily diet ,use them as a replacement for foods high in saturated fat and limit the intake of these nuts to 1-2 oz per day.
Now moving on from health talk......these spicy sweet nuts are really yummy,easy to make.Serve them as appetizer in a party and they'll be an instant hit.You can also use them as a in-between-meal snack.


Ingredients
1 & 1/2 cup pecan halves
1 & 1/2 cup almonds
1 cup unsalted peanuts
4 tsp Salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp grated nutmeg(or nutmeg powder)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper( or red chilli powder.You can increase or decrease the amount according to how spicy you want it.)
1 tsp allspice powder
1/3 cup maple syrup ( you can also use 1-2 tsp of sugar according to how sweet you want the nuts)


Directions
1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
2.Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray and spread the nuts .
3.Let them roast on for around 20 minutes.(Keep checking the nuts so that they don't burn.Gently stir the nuts.)
4.Take the nuts out from the oven and add Salt,Black pepper,Nutmeg,Cumin Powder,Cinnamon Powder,Cayenne Pepper,All Spice powder,Sugar(or maple syrup).Mix the spices well on the nuts and roast the nuts agin for around 10 minutes.
5.Allow to cool and store them in an airtight container.They Keep well for a month(if they don't end up in somebody's stomach before than.)
'njoy!!!

Note:-
1.Instead of using 1 & 1/2 cups each of pecans and almonds,you can try 1 cup of each and add 1 cup of walnuts or cashews.
2.Great hostess gift.Store them in air tight container and decorate with a ribbon bow.I gifted these in a christmas container ,to one of my son's therapists and she loved it.