Category Archives: Quickbreads and Muffins

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Also known as Lactation Muffins.

I know this goes against current recommendations for weight management and health…but I’ve become a bit of a night-eater. This happened shortly after giving birth, when Lucy demanded to eat herself, every two to three hours, regardless of the time. And so I’d leave my bed in the middle of the night to nurse her in the living room, where I watched old episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress” and “Seinfeld.” After a week or two of doing this on a near-empty stomach, I realized that I needed to feed the both of us…and these banana oatmeal muffins were born.

Oats do wonders for nursing moms. Throw in some flaxseed and brewer’s yeast, and you’ll have muffins that rival any lactation cookie on the market. But even if you aren’t nursing a child (which I realize most of you are not), these muffins are packed with nutritional goodness, and they taste delicious too. Nutty, moist, and slightly sweet, these would be the perfect snack to enjoy in the morning or late afternoon.

There isn’t a lick of sugar in this recipe (refined or natural) which means that these would also be a great treat to offer to a toddler or child. I make a batch EVERY single week, and I’ll eat one or two in the middle of the night (because at 8 months postpartum, I’m still nursing Lu at least twice after her bedtime).

It doesn’t matter why you make these muffins or what time you eat them. They’re wholesome and delicious. I have a feeling they might become a weekly practice for some of you too.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins (aka Lactation Muffins)

4 large bananas, very ripe

1/2 cup apple sauce

4 TBSP melted coconut oil or butter

1 egg

2 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)

2 tbsp brewer’s yeast (optional)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup whole oats

1 diced apple (granny-smith or pink lady)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners or grease well. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in apple sauce, melted oil/butter, and lightly beaten egg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in oats.

Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, being careful to not overmix. Gently fold in diced apple. Divide batter into muffin pan and bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.

Naturally Sweet Banana Bread

In a few weeks I’ll start teaching again. I’ve accepted a part-time position at Pikes Peak Community College, where I’ll teach three sections of Composition and Writing. I’m eager to get back into the classroom…but I’m also nervous to see how I’ll balance motherhood with lesson planning, grading, and writing. For the past several months, I’ve been working as a freelance food photographer (so in many ways, I’ve been balancing home/work since Lucy was only a few weeks old!), but I feel a little more daunted by this teaching position. Please send good, calming thoughts my way!

In the meantime, I’m baking food that makes me feel good. I find myself drawn to the recipes of my childhood (apple pie, banana bread, cinnamon bread) but with a desire to reduce the overly-processed ingredients. Ryan and I would eventually like to have another baby, which means I want to spend the next couple of years rebuilding my nutritional stores. Healthy fats, fish, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, and organic meats will be the main-stay of my diet….with sweet treats like this banana bread thrown in.

I have made this naturally sweet banana bread TWICE in the past week. For a girl who loves trying new recipes, this says something. This banana bread is moist with the perfect amount of sweetness. And guess what? There’s no refined sugar in sight. Just 3 or 4 ripe bananas and a mere 1/3 cup of high-quality maple syrup. I promise…you won’t miss the white stuff. Because nothing irritates me more than biting into a muffin or quickbread and tasting SUGAR instead of the fruit or spice its supposedly featuring. Blueberry muffins should taste like blueberries. Cinnamon bread should taste like cinnamon. Apple pie should taste like apples. And banana bread? Banana bread should taste like bananas.

This is my favorite banana bread recipe (naturally sweetened or not). I hope you’ll try it because I know you’ll love it as much as we do. (And did I mention this is a one bowl recipe? You just can’t beat it). I hope everyone has a beautiful and warm Monday!

Naturally Sweet Banana Bread

3 or 4 large, ripe bananas (the browner, the better!)

6 TBSP organic butter, melted

1/3 cup pure maple syrup (steer clear of the imitation)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute whole wheat flour here but expect a denser, slightly drier bread)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment or grease well with butter. Set aside. In a large bowl, mash together ripe bananas. Stir in melted butter and maple syrup. Mix until well-combined. Add in vanilla extract and lightly beaten egg. Stir. Sprinkle baking soda, salt, and cinnamon over banana mixture. Fold flour into bananas and stir until just combined. Scrape into prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Apple Almond Quickbread

We bought our first Christmas tree on Saturday. A full and fragrant Douglas fir. Ryan and I been married for nearly five years, but we haven’t felt the urge to decorate until now. Having a child has changed many things…and we’ve officially added boxes of gold and silver ornaments to our inventory.

As I type, I hear Lucy fussing in her bedroom (she isn’t one for early bedtimes anymore). Ryan goes to tend her, and so I stop what I’m doing for a few seconds to listen to his soft voice soothe our daughter. I look over at our just-lit Christmas tree. We’ve hung ornaments from both our mothers’ homes. A few garlands made from paper are draped over the fir’s branches. As of today, we don’t have any presents under the tree, but I know they’ll start accumulating in the days ahead.

In a few moments, I’ll make a cup of tea and enjoy a slice of this Apple Almond Quickbread. This simple loaf tastes like Christmas to me. Warm and spicy, this dense and sweet bread goes well with a hot drink and freshly decorated tree. And the crisp apples along with the crunchy almonds make for a perfect and beautiful topping.

In the days ahead, I’ll share the traditions we’re beginning this holiday season. I would love to hear what you and your family does to celebrate!

Apple Almond Quickbread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoons clove

1/4 teaspoons nutmeg

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup applesauce

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 apple, empire or gala work well, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9 x 5 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease paper and pan with butter to prevent sticking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat oil, applesauce, eggs, and sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes. Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring until just moist. Spread batter into prepared pan. Arrange apple slices down the middle of the pan (the apple only needs to be inserted into the batter about 1/4 inch) and sprinkle sliced almonds on either side.

Bake Apple Almond Quickbread in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Blueberry Rosemary Scones

What lies ahead for us this week? Dinner with friends…two much-needed coffee dates…La Leche League…a night out with Ryan…memoir writing…bread baking…curtains (yes, I’m going to attempt to make curtains yet again). The list goes on, but I’ll spare you the more arduous tasks. Without a doubt, a full week.

To make an already busy week feel even more daunting, we’re exhausted. It’s Sunday evening, and our sweet daughter DID NOT get the memo about the time change. For the first time, Ryan and I did not receive that much-coveted extra hour of sleep. And from what I’ve been told, we probably won’t for a very long time.

Thankfully, we had these blueberry rosemary scones to make our early Sunday morning feel a bit brighter. As much as I love blueberries during the summer, there’s nothing like that bright burst of blue to whisk away the chill of a fall morning. These scones are subtlety sweet and made all the more flavorful with fresh rosemary. Our kitchen smelled heavenly as they rose and baked in our oven. And who doesn’t like seeing plump berries and sprigs of herbs on their counter?

A few pointers if you’re making scones for the first time: don’t overwork the dough, use a very sharp biscuit cutter, and be sure that your oven is thoroughly preheated. If you follow these steps, your scones will rise wonderfully (and who doesn’t prefer a well-risen scone?)

I’m entering these blueberry rosemary scones in a contest put on by the US Highbush Blueberry Council. Visit their website for more great recipes!

Blueberry Rosemary Scones

8 ounces all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (4 TBSP) butter, cubed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 cup half-and-half (or heavy whipping cream)

1/2 cup winter fresh blueberries

1 egg yolk and a little milk, beaten together (for glaze)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingers, rub in butter until the mixture resembles small peas. Add in the sugar, chopped rosemary, and blueberries.

Make a deep well in the flour and pour in milk to make a soft, spongy dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until just smooth. Press into a square or circle, about 1 inch thick, and use a well floured biscuit cutter to stamp out rounds (alternatively, you can use a knife to cut your scones into those classic wedges).

Brush the top of the scones with the lightly beaten egg and milk mixture. Sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until well-risen and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack or serve warm.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Simple Vanilla Glaze

Lucy goes to bed before eight now. The night we put her to sleep at 7:30 (and she stayed asleep the entire night) felt nothing less than miraculous. Those three or four “babyless” hour swell with possibility. Especially since Lucy has also entered into a phase where she likes to be held, by me, ALL THE TIME. I am thankful for this evening reprieve, but I’m also overwhelmed with the choices. Should I spend those hours with Ryan? Should we pour ourselves glasses of wine and watch a Woody Allen movie? Or should I steal away into my office, where I can write and read and work on the development of my craft? Or what about baking? On Friday night, I spent those three hours making crepes and decorating my niece’s 11th birthday cake. Not to mention the question of friends. Should we invite Troy and Sarah over? Should one of us go out and meet someone for coffee?

Motherhood has made me life both bigger and smaller. Its expanded my world and taught me what it means to be selfless. But its also made my world smaller…I have so many ideas, so many ambitions, and I’m realizing that I simply can’t do it all. On mornings like today, those limitations feel crushing. I can barely carve out time to write, and so I have this memoir sitting on my desk, just waiting to be finished. It stares at me every day as I bounce Lucy on an exercise ball or as I rock her back and forth in my arms. I remember the first year of my MFA. How foolish I was to not spend more time writing! The luxury of selfish living is becoming more and more apparent. And then there’s my desire to delve deep into the world of photography. So much to learn, so much to experiment with, and yet I only have a few hours each evening to myself.

But then I hold my baby in my arms. I feel her body grow heavy as she falls asleep nestled against my chest. I picture the smile that crosses her face when we dip her into the warm water of her evening bath. And I hold onto those sweet glances she gives me when she nurses. Yes, Lucy limits me. I can’t do all the things anymore. But she’s also teaching me to prioritize. She’s helping me find that which brings joy, that which fulfills the hidden places of my heart. I’m doing away with busyness and finding meaning. And so in these three precious hours tonight, I write. I write for you, and I write for me. I ignore dirty dishes and the cat hair collecting on our living room floor. I sit with a cup of tea, one of these pumpkin spice doughnuts, and a thankful heart.

As many of you know, I’ve been working with McCormick this past year. With the fall months ahead of us, I’m pulling out my favorite spices. Cinnamon. Cloves. Nutmeg. Cardamom. These pumpkin spice doughnuts felt like one of the best ways to welcome fall. I added teaspoon after teaspoon of spiced goodness. My kitchen smelled like my grandmother’s house on Thanksgiving day. When I pulled my doughnut pan from the oven and saw the rich golden color of these round doughy treats, I smiled. Mornings have become my time to bake. Because not only is Lucy going to bed at 7:30…she’s also sleeping in until 8:00. I’m really a lucky woman!

And then to make these gems even better, I whipped together a simple vanilla glaze. Pure vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and a dash of cream was all I needed. I colored the glaze orange, in honor of Halloween (and the hoards of children that I know will soon be knocking on our door). While you probably can’t ever consider doughnuts “health food”, I love that these pastries are baked, not fried. The pumpkin makes them moist, the spices make them flavorful, and the glaze makes them festive. Really, you can’t go wrong.

Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts with Simple Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée

1 teaspoon McCormick cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon McCormick nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon McCormick cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground McCormick ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

Simple Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 TBSP heavy cream

1 teaspoon McCormick vanilla extract

3 drops yellow food color

1 drop red food color

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two standard doughnut pans. (If you don’t have doughnut pans, you can make these in standard muffin tins. They just won’t be doughnut shaped…they’ll still be delicious though!)

Beat together the vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth. Stir in flour until just combined.

Use about 1/4 cup of batter to fill each doughnut well. They should be about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the doughnuts to cool for about five minutes before loosening the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, adding more cream to reach the desired consistency. Add food color. Drizzle glaze over cooled doughnuts and serve with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate.