Coffee Cake Muffins

I gave this recipe its name because the resulting muffins remind me so much of a good coffee cake.  Delicious golden cake, with a swirl of cinnamon and pecans throughout, and a cinnamon pecan streusel topping.   They're rich and a little pricey to make because of the pecans, but oh so worth it for a special occasion.   This recipe makes about 15 muffins.

INGREDIENTS

Filling:
1 cup of pecans, chopped fine
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
Combine and set aside


Muffin
3 cups flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
Beat eggs with milk and sour cream.   Mix in melted butter.   Pour into the well in the dry ingredients and fold together just until moistened.
Grease muffin tins generously.   Fill each muffin tin about 1/3 full of batter.   Top with a generous teaspoon of the pecan mixture.   Spoon more batter over top until muffin tins are 3/4 full.   Sprinkle another generous teaspoon of  pecan mixture over top.   Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and springs back when touched.
Allow to cool for five minutes before trying to remove from muffin pans.
Bet you can't eat just one!!

The White Oak Inn 
http://www.whiteoakinn.com
Yvonne Martin
Bed and Breakfast Foodie
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My new favorite gadget...

I love gadgets. Drop me off at a kitchen store and I will spend hours going from one corner to the next discovering all the new inventions out there to make my life easier. I don't usually buy much because, in the end,I many things are just as easy done the old way.
There are notable exceptions. The microplane is something I will not do without and actually replace them with a new shiny one almost every year. My newest favorite is one I have been looking at for a long long time but kept thinking, why spend the money when you can really do this just fine by hand.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I was in this amazing Restaurant Store near Lancaster PA, (The Resturant Store by Clark Restaurant Equipment)  I love it there, much like my husband loves hardware stores, this to me is an afternoon of pure bliss. I saw lots of things I sure would love and could use but in the end came home with this little yellow lemon squeezer, some small glasses for individual trifles and a few small odds and ends. In the weeks that followed I have totally fallen in love with this lemon squeezer thingy. Granted, I use a lot of citrus. Lemons, limes, oranges.... all of them go into baked goods, drinks and fruit recipes. We do lemon brandied apples often this time of year and this little gadget has made that process a snap.. and no seeds.
If you are looking for a nice little hostess gift for a friend who loves to cook, this is the ticket. Find them at TJ Maxx or Marshalls, William Sanoma or any old kitchen store.  Buy a few. You will love them as much as I do.

Stay tuned to the 8Broads for more favorite gadgets. In March I am visiting the International Housewares Show in Chicago. I am positive there will be a "must have" something there that I will be dying to share.




Swiss Woods Bed and Breakfast
http://www.swisswoods.com
 Debbie Mosimann
 one of the... 8 Broads in the Kitchen
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Quince Apple Chutney: A Great Pancake Topper or Side Dish

Last week the grocery store carried fresh quince, so I bought one. I had no idea what to do with a quince, so my first move was to ask the 8 Broads. The primary two responses were to use quince for jelly or applesauce. Last night I experimented, and today a fresh batch of Quince Apple Chutney was served atop Whole Wheat Pancakes. Plates licked clean. This dish is perfect as a winter fruit appetizer or side dish, too.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 quince, grated
2 apples (granny smith or braeburn), peeled, cored and diced
1/4 sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


 DIRECTIONS
 Put all ingredients in a small heavy saucepan, and cook over low heat. Stir occasional, and cook until the apples become slightly translucent. Remove from heat. Serve warm or chilled.

Lookout Point Lakeside Inn
 http://www.LookoutPointInn.com  
Kristie Rosset
Bed and Breakfast Foodie
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Monte Carlo Sandwiches-- a lower fat twist on the Monte Cristo

On Sundays after church, I used to love going out to eat and often ordered the Monte Cristo Sandwich. Yum! But as an innkeeper, I do not deep-fry anything. So in seeking a lower-fat alternative, we created these tasty sandwiches that our guests and staff love. Of course, a slight name change was in order, too. :)  Think of this dish as a savory French Toast.


INGREDIENTS

8 thick slices, French bread
4 eggs
1 cup milk
dash of salt and pepper
1/2 pound deli turkey, thinly sliced
1/2 pound deli ham, thinly sliced
4 slices provolone cheese

Raspberry Jam

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk eggs, milk and salt and pepper.
Place 3 thin slices of turkey atop a slice of bread, add one slice provolone cheese, then top with 3 thin slices of ham. Top with 2nd piece of bread. Dip sandwiches into egg batter, allowing bread to soak up egg mixture. Place on medium hot griddle until golden, then turn and cook on other side until golden brown.

To finish the sandwiches, bake for 4-5 minutes by placing sandwiches on a rack on a baking sheet in 350 degree oven.

To serve, cut in half and sprinkle with powdered sugar. These sandwiches are great dipped in raspberry jam, so serve a small ramekin of jam. Herb roasted potatoes are a great companion.

Serves: 4 persons


Lookout Point Lakeside Inn
http://www.LookoutPointInn.com  
Kristie Rosset
Bed and Breakfast Foodie
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Baked Scrambled Eggs

This recipe is like that "little black dress".  It just plain goes with everything!
Guests love it and our Staff is always hopeful that there are some leftover for their break!
And, just like that favorite dress, this "accessorizes" so well.  We will often add fresh herbs (dill, parsley, tarragon...whatever compliments); fresh asparagus; tomato; sweet red peppers; spinach or arugula.
This is also the basis for our Miller Muffin---a homemade English Muffin topped with the eggs and either smoked salmon or bacon.
We have used this recipe so often, the original paperwork is long gone.  But credit should go to the "Ultimate Innkeeper", Joan Wells, formerly of The Queen Victoria in Cape May, New Jersey.
We hope you'll enjoy!
 --- INGREDIENTS ---
12 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup half and half
3 Tablespoons melted butter
12 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (opt)
salt and pepper to taste

--- DIRECTIONS ---
Preheat oven to 350.
Soften the cream cheese in the microwave.   Blend in the half and half once the cheese is softened.  Microwave again at a low setting so the mixture is warm.
In a nonstick sprayed 9x13 glass baking dish, add the melted butter.
Put the cream cheese mixture and the eggs in the baking dish and stir lightly until blended.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes--stirring after the first 8 minutes and then every 5 minutes until the eggs are set.
Just before fully set, add the parsley.
Serves 6-8
---  The William Henry Miller Inn http://www.millerinn.com Lynnette Scofield Bed and Breakfast Foodie
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An easy way to remove pomegranate seeds!

Sylvie, our Inn Kitchen Queen, loves to find a way to make things easier (and better) in the kitchen.  (She is the person who tried the avocado "swim" and it certainly worked!)
We are using more and more pomegranates.  We love them for their flavor; their healthiness; their easy accessibility and of course, their crunch!  Sylvie removed the seeds so easily the other day. We wanted to share it.
DIRECTIONS
Place a pomegranate on the cutting board and cut the fruit in half cross-wise.  In other words, you want the stem at the bottom and top.  Cut through the middle.
In a good sized bowl, give the fruit a really good "rap" on the bowl and voila!  The seeds will end up in the bowl.
Couldn't be easier!  If you have more seeds than you can use at the moment, just freeze.

The William Henry Miller Inn http://www.millerinn.com Lynnette Scofield Bed and Breakfast Foodie
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