BREADS AND MUFFINS

Whether from a box mix or from scratch, muffins make a great mid-morning snack with a cup of coffee. Muffins are easy to make and lend themselves to many ingredients. The warmth and aroma from the oven are welcomed, especially on a cold winter day. Muffins keep well and are ready to eat anytime of day or night. A quick zap in the microwave enhances the flavor. When muffins have a streusel topping they are extra enticing.

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS WITH CHOCOLATE STREUSEL

Streusel:

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

Muffins:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Quaker oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 cup regular or mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 medium muffins cups with paper baking cups.

For streusel, combine all ingredients in medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
For muffins, combine flour, oats, chocolate chips, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl; mix well. In medium bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, oil and egg; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not over-mix.)

Fill muffin cups nearly full. Sprinkle with reserved streusel, patting gently. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 5 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm. Store cooled muffins tightly wrapped at room temperature. Makes 1 dozen.

APPLE STREUSEL MUFFINS

Streusel topping:

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Muffins:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup chopped apple (about 1 medium)
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

STREUSEL TOPPING: Combine sugar, butter and cinnamon in small mixing bowl using finger or pastry blender. Add pecans and mix well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups.

MUFFINS: Stir together flours, apple, sugar, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl. Beat egg in separate bowl; stir in milk and oil. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients, stirring just until blended.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Sprinkle evenly with streusel topping. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

SWEET POTATO PECAN MUFFINS

Pecan streusel topping:
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon cold butter
Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 sweet potato (8 ounces), cooked and mashed
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease the muffin tins.
PECAN STREUSEL - In a medium-size bowl, combine all the ingredients except butter. Use your fingertip to work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly and forms tiny pea-size clumps. Set aside.

MUFFIN - In a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. In a medium-size bowl, whisk the sweet potato, eggs, vegetable oil and milk until blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined; do not over-mix. Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling them three-quarters full. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the pecan streusel topping over each muffin. Bake muffins for 25 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly pressed, or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place muffin pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins to the wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12 muffins. (These muffins keep well for several days.) Store in an airtight container at room temperature; or for longer storage, keep in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

HAWAIIAN CORNBREAD

3 C Bisquick
6 T yellow corn meal
1 1/4 C sugar
1 C milk
3 eggs
3 sticks of margarine or butter
Mix the Bisquick, corn meal, and sugar together. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, and eggs. Add these to the dry ingredients and mix well. Melt the margarine. Add this to the above mixture (make sure this is the last thing you add to the above ingredients after the milk and eggs.) Mix well and pour into a greased and floured pan. You will need a 9X13 pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Baking time is 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

ANGEL BISCUITS

2 pkg. dry yeast
1 C Crisco
1/2 C warm water
2 C lukewarm buttermilk
1/4 C sugar
1 t soda
5 C self-rising flour
Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Cut Crisco into flour. Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Mix buttermilk and yeast mixture with flour mixture. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Roll out, cut and bake as regular Parker House rolls. Bake at 450-F until brown. May be cooked immediately or stored covered in refrigerator for as long as a week.

CINNAMON ROLLS

Place 1 Bag Rich's Frozen Rolls in tube or bundt pan
Pour on 1 pkg Butterscotch Pudding Mix (the kind you have to cook)
Sprinkle cinnamon, until brown
Add nuts, if you like
Drizzle on 1 C Sugar stirred in 1/2 C melted butter
Cover w/aluminum foil pressed down on it and let rise (overnight or all day)
Bake 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Recipe contributed by Charlotte

CRANBERRY NUT BREAD

2 C all purpose flour
1 C sugar
1-1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t soda
1 t salt
1/4 C shortening
3/4 C orange juice
1 T grated orange rind
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 C chopped nuts
1 C coarsely chopped cranberries

Sift the first 5 ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Combine juice and rind with beaten egg. Pour all at once into dry ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten. Fold in nuts and berries. Pour into a 9x5x3 inch pan or 2 pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour until golden brown. I prefer 2 pans. Remove from pan and store overnight for easy slicing.

HOT ROLLS

2 pkgs dry years
1 C warm water
3/4 C sugar
2 t salt
2 eggs
3/4 C vegetable oil
1 C warm milk
5 C flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat eggs, sugar, salt and oil. Add cooled milk, yeast and flour, adding flour alternately with liquid. Beat well after each addition. After finishing mixing, let stand with cover over it for 10 minutes. Knead well. Let set in warm place until doubled in bulk. Make into rolls or put into refrigerator until ready to use. Rolls must rise until doubled in bulk. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

CHEDDAR GARLIC BISCUITS

2 C buttermilk baking mix (Bisquick)
2/3 C milk
1/2 C shredded cheddar
2 T melted butter
1/8 t garlic powder

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix buttermilk baking mix, milk and cheddar cheese to form soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cooking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Mix butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits. Makes 9 biscuits.

PUMPKIN SPICE BREAD

3 C sugar
1 C vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (16 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
3-1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t ground allspice
1/2 C water

In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to the pumpkin mixture alternately with water. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; cool completely. YIELD: 2 loaves.

QUICK HOMEMADE DONUTS

Use cheap refrigerated biscuits, like Pillsbury, ten to a can usually. Doesn't matter if it's plain or buttermilk, but do NOT use the flaky ones.

Poke a finger in the center of each biscuit and pull wide to stretch it. It will get smaller as it cooks. Or if you like donut holes, cut holes out with a shot glass.

Deep fry donuts (and holes) in your Fry Daddy about a minute to a minute and a half til golden in color. Drain on paper towels. To coat, shake in bags of sugar or cinnamon-sugar or powder sugar.