When it comes to breakfast baked goods, my husband makes fun of me for “making cake for breakfast.” I can’t deny that muffins and quick breads have some of the same ingredients as cake–flour, sugar, eggs, etc., but you know what else has cake ingredients? Whole wheat bread! Tortillas! Granola bars! And nobody gets on their case, now do they? What Anthony doesn’t realize is that I’m actually a bit of a secret killjoy when it comes to breakfast baked goods. Typically, I tinker with recipes that call for mostly cake ingredients to decrease fat and sugar and add fiber. As a matter of fact, I spent last night adapting the heck out of a grapefruit poppyseed muffin recipe to make it reasonably healthy–applesauce for butter, white whole wheat flour for all-purpose, halving the sugar–and no one was the wiser. It turned out delish.

That being said, though, there are times when a special occasion calls for basically, well, making cake for breakfast. A special occasion like Christmas morning, perhaps. This eggnog quick bread is just the delightful kind of sweet treat a momentous breakfast or brunch needs. Rich and buttery with the signature nutmeg-laced rummy goodness of eggnog, it’s a unique way to enjoy a classic Christmas flavor in a different form. My husband enjoyed it so much, he asked me to make it for his entire company. And while it can be adapted to healthy it up (cutting back the sugar, subbing applesauce for butter, light eggnog for full-fat, white whole wheat for regular flour), just this once, I’m going to let it be what it is and….

 

P.S. Is it too late to add this mug to my Christmas list?

P.P.S. Merry Christmas to you and yours from A Love Letter to Food!

Eggnog Quick Bread
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

scant 1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. eggnog
1 1/2 tsp. rum extract
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5″ loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, eggnog, rum extract, and vanilla and stir to combine.
3. In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely and store tightly wrapped with foil. (This bread will keep either on the counter or in the fridge.)

Makes one 9 x 5″ loaf.

I realize that if you’ve been going to restaurants and/or shopping at grocery stores these last few weeks as September has unfolded into October, you’ve probably been beaten over the head with pumpkin products at every turn (figuratively, not literally…unless you shop for groceries on a Japanese game show). And if you follow any recipe boards on Pinterest, I’ll bet you could fill a book with all the pumpkin-based recipes in your feed…an all-pumpkin cookbook, that is. But can I clutter up your brain with ONE more pumpkin recipe? I have a legitimate reason for doing so (in addition to having jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon long ago and never looked back). Tomorrow, my family departs for central Illinois to visit my dad, step-mom, and grandparents. What does central Illinois have to do with pumpkin recipes, you may ask? The answer: Morton, Illinois–the “Pumpkin Capital of the World.”

Some cities or towns like to self-apply “XYZ Capital of the World” titles a little too liberally. Like, is Corsicana, Texas really the “Fruit Cake Capital of the World”? I guess that depends on the people who live there. But Morton, Illinois lays claim to its title by rights. The Nestle/Libby canning plant in Morton produces 82% of the canned pumpkin in the world. Now THAT’S a LOT of pumpkin. The town also hosts an annual pumpkin festival that would make any die-hard pumpkin fan lose her orange-tinted mind. Pumpkin bingo, a pumpkin parade, the “Pumpkin Classic” 10k, and a “Pumpkin Idol” sing-off are just a few of the events. So since I’m visiting the legit Pumpkin Capital of the World tomorrow, I think I have earned the right to share these pumpkin chocolate swirl muffins today.

As you can probably tell by their name, these little breakfast treats are a yummy blend of hearty pumpkin and sweet chocolate. To me, there’s also something irresistible about the visual appeal of any swirled baked good, and these are no exception. Every bite yields a slightly different amount of pumpkin and chocolate. In fact, they kind of remind me of the old “box of chocolates” line from Forrest Gump. Life is like Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins-you never know what you’re gonna get. Life is also just a little bit better with fresh-from-the-oven muffins on a fall morning.

So grab a mixing bowl (or two–this is one of the few muffin recipes I’m willing to use two bowls for) and give these a whirl–or a swirl, I should say. They would make a fun addition to a fall brunch, or a fitting breakfast for Halloween morning. And just remember, if you make them with canned pumpkin, there’s an 82% chance it came from Morton, Illinois.

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins
(Adapted from Love from the Oven)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
scant 1 c. pumpkin puree (half a 15-oz. can)
2 eggs
1 1/3 c. white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
3 Tbsp. milk
1/3 c. cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix butter and yogurt with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Mix in sugars and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla, pumpkin, and eggs and mix until well combined.
3. Make a well in the center of the batter. Pour in flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix until just combined.
4. Divide the batter equally into two bowls. Into one bowl add cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and gently mix. In the other, add milk and cocoa powder and gently mix.
5. Fill muffin cups with half chocolate batter and half pumpkin batter to about 2/3 full. Use a knife or toothpick to swirl batters together to your liking. Bake in preheated oven 15-17 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

As much as I love baked goods for breakfast, I tend to shy away from making scones. In my experience, scone recipes usually turn out a product I’ve come to think of as “Butter Bombs for Breakfast.” I’m all for using and enjoying butter (sometimes in higher quantities than I should), but when my breakfast leaves me feeling like there’s a lead weight in my belly, it’s not the greatest start to the day. When I was younger and less concerned about my health, I used to stop by Starbucks at least once a week for coffee and one of their scones–maple was always my favorite–for breakfast. Beyond savoring the super-sweet taste, however, I don’t recall ever actually feeling good on those mornings. In fact, there were several times I felt kinda nasty. No wonder, I guess, when you take in 55% of your daily saturated fat value at breakfast. As I’ve become more conscientious about my eating habits, I’ve dropped the Starbucks breakfast habit, and have almost never made scones at home…until now.

Not long ago I came across this recipe for blueberry scones using a mix of white and whole-wheat flour, Greek yogurt, and only 3 tablespoons of sugar and butter in the entire batch. Not bad compared to traditional scones, I’d say! No fist-sized-clump-of-fat-in-your-gut feeling after eating one of these. And it turns out they actually taste great, too. Chewy, full of blueberries, and just sweet enough: there’s a breakfast I can get behind.

So when your Starbucks scone craving rears its ugly head, give these a try–you may even prefer them.

Blueberry Scones

(Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. butter, softened or melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
cooking spray
1 1/2 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, vanilla, butter, and egg. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just moist but still slightly crumbly. Gently fold in blueberries.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 8 times with your hands. (I do this in the bowl, not on a floured surface, and it does just fine.) Form dough into a 8-inch circle and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut into 6 wedges and separate slightly.
4. In a small bowl, combine white sugar and cinnamon. To top scones, spray tops with cooking spray, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the scone tops are golden brown.

Makes 6 scones. For best results, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I’ve been a member at Lifetime Fitness for several years, and their classes consistently kick my butt. When the weather is too brutal to run or bike outside, I tend to stick with group fitness classes to keep myself in check. (If our garage was air-conditioned, I’d be happy to run on our treadmill–nothing beats running in your underwear while getting your Beyonce jam face on to “Run the World”). During the summer, though, I do what I can to get to barre and yoga classes with some regularity. But the other day I decided to change things up a bit in the ol’ workout routine. The time had come to finally try spin class.

Upon arriving to the class, it quickly became clear that I was the sole first-time attendee. Everyone around me was adjusting their funny little mini-bikes to custom measurements like professional bicycle tailors. I don’t know if I just got a lemon, but I could NOT figure mine out. When I turned to the lady next to me to ask for help, she gave me a look of grave concern and mumbled something about getting the instructor. That’s when a voice next to me said, “Sarah!” And lo and behold, it was Jen, one of my good friends, whom I somehow hadn’t even noticed on the funny little mini-bike right next to me. She twisted and pulled at my bike until it became rideable. By that time the class had started, so I climbed aboard and soon we were off to the (stationary bike) races!

So you know how I said the classes at Lifetime consistently kick my butt? Well, this class knocked it into another dimension. My butt was beaten senseless. Figuratively and literally–those saddle seats are quite unforgiving. By ten minutes in, the sweat was pouring in my eyes. By the thirty minute mark, my flat-ironed hair had turned back to its natural curl, having gotten so drenched with sweat. The instructor, who I know in person to be a friendly, mellow woman, seemed to release her inner banshee drill sergeant to egg us on for 60 minutes. The hour was a surreal mix of disco lights and screaming. (Yes, there was a disco ball. Yes, there was screaming…mostly from the instructor, but possibly also some from my corner of the room.) There was also a music video mix tape playing on a screen above the instructor’s head. Inexplicably, she had chosen to splice some saucy Rihanna video with some kind of promotional video for Ireland. Irish jig music blasted over images of Lord of the Dance and pints of Guinness. As I pedaled mercilessly on my mini-bike, I kept thinking “Ride for Ireland!” like some kind of inspirational mantra.

The other thing I kept thinking was, “Damn, I’m glad I ate a good breakfast this morning.” Because if I hadn’t eaten these hearty pineapple carrot muffins that morning, I would probably not be alive to write this post today. I would be a puddle of goo on the floor of Studio 2 at Lifetime Fitness. Thank goodness for the wholesomely delicious blend of fruit, vegetables, and grains that gave me the sustenance to walk out of that spin class instead of be carried out on a stretcher.

 

These hearty-but-not-heavy muffins could be adapted in a variety of ways: the pineapple could be left out, the whole wheat vs. white flour proportions could be adjusted, etc. I give them my stamp of approval for breakfast–and certainly breakfast before a butt-walloping spin class.

Carrot Pineapple Muffins
(Adapted from Food.com)

Ingredients:

2/3 c. sugar (can be a mix of brown and white)
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. grated carrots
1 c. frozen pineapple chunks (or canned, drained)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, and applesauce. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

3. In a small bowl, combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture until just combined.

4. Add carrots and pineapple, stirring until well distributed (but don’t overdo it or muffins will be tough!)

5. Spoon dough into muffin cups, filling to the top.

6. Bake 20-22 minutes.

Makes about 10 large muffins.