Self-Frosting Pumpkin Nutella Muffins

Sometimes, in the middle of the night, when I'm only half awake, I get these ideas for things that I want to bake.  Often, by morning, I can't remember what it was.  Sometimes it comes to me again, but other times it is imprinted in my brain to the point of obsession.

I openly blame Maria and Katie for my latest episode.

I've had pumpkin on the brain.  And Nutella.  And ways to use both.  That is Maria's fault with her Pumpkin Nutella Bread.

Then, add on the fact that Katie seems to be eerily reading my mind lately and making it so I don't have to figure out how to make a Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate to sub for that infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte that I won't be drinking (no coffee for this girl) and, well, then you can see easily why I have pumpkin on my mind.

I had thought I took care of at least the Nutella issue the other day with these little cakes (Visitandine) I made for Dorie's birthday party, but apparently not.

So, these muffins were born.  The self-frosting technique isn't a new one.  In fact, thanks to Nic at Baking Bites (who I believe was the first to post Donna Hay's Self-Frosting Cupcake recipe about five years ago) this idea took the food blogosphere by storm.  I felt like it deserved a definite revisit.

This recipe came about from some serious tweaking to my favorite Banana Muffin recipe (which, incidentally works with the Nutella on top as well if you aren't a pumpkin fan).  I love this recipe dearly and end up making them about once a week whenever our bananas have outlived their eating out of hand shelf life.  And, yes.  I usually buy enough bananas to make sure that happens!

Self-Frosting Pumpkin Nutella Muffins

1 - 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons natural (not Dutch) cocoa powder

12 heaping teaspoons Nutella for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line or spray a 12-cup muffin pan, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups evenly (will be about 3/4 full).  Scoop a heaping teaspoon of Nutella onto the top of each muffin.  Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the Nutella slightly around the top of the batter.

Bake the cupcakes for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  Store in an airtight container.

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

I thought with Mother's Day coming up on Sunday I would share three of my favorite brunch ideas for anyone out there who is having a get-together this weekend.

Baked Italian Frittata Recipe

The first dish is this savory baked frittata I made recently for a teacher appreciation breakfast at Aidan's school. It is a mixture of so many good things all put together in one dish. While there is some prep work to put the dish together, you can pretty much make everything and bake it the night before and then just rewarm it the next morning, or bake it in the morning. It is best served just warm or at room temperature.

This version has caramelized onions, applewood smoked bacon, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan. Then I added even more goodness with sauteed mushrooms, roasted red bell peppers and spinach.

Lemon-Raspberry French Toast Strata with Almonds and White Chocolate Recipe

Next up is a sweet option with this french toast casserole or strata that was embellished chopped white chocolate, sliced almonds and fresh raspberries. Then I topped it off with some buttermilk caramel syrup. I served this one to my in-laws a couple of weeks ago and it was an absolute hit!

Cinnamon-Sugar Waffles with Honey Cream and Blackberries Recipe

This last one is a basic, delicious buttermilk waffle that gets a couple of little upgrades with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on top of the batter before closing the waffle iron. Then I topped the waffle off with a thick honeyed whipped cream and some fresh blackberries for a special treat. Making the waffles this way was actually all Aidan's idea, so since a 6 year old came up with the idea, it must be (and was) something that the whole family will love.

Happy Mother's Day to all out there!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Happy Valentine's weekend! In case you still need a gift to give to your sweetie you can always just make your own Chocolate Covered Strawberries. They really couldn't be any easier to make and the results are so rewarding!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

7 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and kept warm

1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

2 oz pink candy melts

12 large strawberries, washed and dried

In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the bittersweet chocolate and shortening, stirring till smooth and mixed together well. Once the chocolate is completely melted and smooth remove the pan from the heat and set aside to keep warm.

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Have your prepared strawberries ready. Poke a toothpick straight into the stem area of each berry, far enough to leave a little handle and be stable. Dip one strawberry at a time in the chocolate, covering the strawberry almost completely - do not cover the stems. Allow excess chocolate to drip off back into the bowl, then place the strawberry on its side on the prepared parchment. Repeat with remaining strawberries. Allow chocolate to set on the berries until hardened.

Once the bittersweet chocolate has set, melt the candy melts in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Once melted, using a fork and drizzle a few streaks of candy melt over each berry. Set baking sheet aside until strawberries set completely - you can do this more quickly in the refrigerator.