Banana- Nut Streusel Muffins

Banana-Nut Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups of all- purpose flour

1 cup of skim milk

¾ cup of mashed bananas

1/3 cup of packed brown sugar

 1/3 of white sugar

1 tbsp of baking powder

½ tsp of salt       

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 cup of canola/vegetable oil

½ cup of chopped walnuts

2 tbsp of molasses

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Streusel Topping

¼ cup of brown sugar

2 tbsp of all-purpose flour

1 tsp of cinnamon

3 tbsp of butter

¼ cup of chopped walnuts

Streusel Topping Instructions:

Mix all toppings ingredients together in a small bowl, except for nuts. Mix until topping is light and crumbly then mix in nuts, set aside.

Muffin Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups then set aside.

In a large bowl sift flour, sugars, baking powder and salt.  Make a well in the center of the flour mix and set aside.

In, a medium bowl mix together milk, egg, molasses, oil, bananas, and vanilla.  Add the mixture into the flour well and mix all ingredients together. (Don’t over mix.) Then mix in nuts.

Use an ice cream scope and evenly scope the batter into muffin pan’s cups. Sprinkle a layer of the Streusel topping on top of the batter. Gently tap topping into batter twice with the back of a teaspoon.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. (Insert a wooden toothpick into the center of muffins if comes out clean then muffins are done.)

Let muffins rest for 5 minutes then serve.

***Note: If using a large muffin pan preheat to 400 degrees and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Holiday Appetizers

Holiday Appetizers

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 slices of bacon

6 uncooked jumbo shrimp

6 water chestnuts

6 toothpicks

Cracked black pepper to taste

(Increase amounts as needed)

Directions:

Cut bacon into thirds. Lay bacon flat. On one end of the bacon strip stack water chestnut then the shrimp on top.

Use a toothpick to roll bacon over the water chestnut and shrimp. Use the toothpick to secure the bacon around the shrimp and water chestnut.  Sprinkle with black pepper.

Place appetizer into a 350 degree oven and cook for 35 minutes. Remove appetizers from the oven and place on paper towel covered plate.

Serve.

Rumaki

Ingredients:

6 chicken livers, rinsed and trimmed (remove excess fat)

6 water chestnuts

6 toothpicks

2 slices of bacon

Cracked black pepper to taste

(Increase amounts as needed)

Directions:

Cut bacon into thirds. Lay bacon flat. On one end of the bacon strip stack water chestnut then the chicken liver on top.

Use a toothpick to roll bacon over the water chestnut and chicken liver. Use the toothpick to secure the bacon around the chicken liver and water chestnut.  Sprinkle with black pepper.

Place appetizer into a 350 degree oven and cook for 35 minutes. Remove appetizers from the oven and place on paper towel covered plate.

Serve.

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

Ingredients:

6 Little Smokies

6 water chestnuts

6 toothpicks

2 slices of bacon

Cracked black pepper to taste

(Increase amounts as needed)

Directions:

Cut bacon into thirds. Lay bacon flat. On one end of the bacon strip stack water chestnut then the Little Smokies on top.

Use a toothpick to roll bacon over the water chestnut and Little Smokies. Use the toothpick to secure the bacon around the Little Smokies and water chestnut.  Sprinkle with black pepper.

Place appetizer into a 350 degree oven and cook for 35 minutes. Remove appetizers from the oven and place on paper towel covered plate.

Serve.

Whole Wheat Buns

Whole-Wheat Buns

Ingredients :

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup of whole-wheat flour

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ tsp of salt

1 package of active dry yeast

1/3 cup of water (120 to 130 degrees)

¾ cup of milk (120 to 130 degrees)

2 tbsp of molasses

1 large egg, beaten

1 tbsp of canola/vegetable oil

Bread machine

Makes 8 buns

Directions:

In a large bowl mix together flours, brown sugar, yeast and salt then set aside.

In a medium bowl mix together water, milk, egg and molasses.

Add the liquid mixture to the bread machine first.  Then add in the flour mixture. (If dough turns out sticky add additional flour until dough easily pulls away from sides.)

Set bread machine for dough setting. Once complete remove from machine and place on a lightly floured surface.

Punch down dough, knead until dough is smooth and elastic and form a large loaf.  Cut into 8 even pieces.

Spread oil onto the same surface and roll and shape pieces into ovals.

Place shaped pieces on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in a warm place for 20 minutes or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using either a craft razor or a sharp knife cut 4 slashes into the top of each bun.

Place buns into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until browned.

Serve hot or let cool on a wire rack.

Easy Rotisserie Chicken

1 whole chicken

¼ cup of olive oil

Rotisserie Rub

1 tbsp of Lawry’s Seasoning salt

¼ cup of paprika

¼ cup of onion powder

¼ cup of garlic powder

¼ cup of Italian Seasoning

¼ cup of brown sugar

2 tbsp of dried thyme

2  tbsp of dry mustard

2 tbsp of cayenne pepper

2 tbsp of black pepper

2 tbsp of cornstarch

2 tbsp of Buffalo Wing Rub

Rotisserie Rub 

In a medium bowl mix all spices. Place rub in a air-tight container. (Makes about 1 1/4  cup of rub.)

Add 1/4 cup of the rub into a small bowl and mix in olive oil until mixture makes a paste.

 Chicken

Rub rotisserie paste all over chicken.

Either in a oven or on a rotisserie rack roast chicken until its internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.(If using rotisserie rack/oven follow manufacturer’s instructions for roasting.)

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve.