Baking ...

Being faced with a broken dishwasher and a sick child, I thought I'd distract myself by writing a bit ...

I love to cook and bake! Not only because I love to eat delicious foods, but also because the act of cooking (or baking) gives me an opportunity to slow down and think. J and C S want to help most of the time, but being reluctant to give up "my" time, I often encourage them to go play instead.

This weekend, however, we had plenty of time so we decided to make Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins together ... the most delicious Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins. I came across this recipe in the Everyday Food magazine and it seemed like a fun one to do with kids as there are many "easy" activities. I took some pictures on the way ...
If you are interested in the recipe for this delicious fall treat, here it is (or you can also get it from the Everyday Food website):

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups.

Batter: In a medium bowl whisk together 3 cups of flour, 2 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp of coarse salt, 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp of ground allspice.


In small bowl whisk together 1 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree and 1/3 cup of buttermilk.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 1/4 sticks of butter and 3/4 cup of light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time. Add flour and pumpkin mixture (alternating) and beat to combine.

Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 - 35 minutes.

Sugar coating: combine 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and 2 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Let muffins cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove the muffins from pan, brush all over with melted unsalted butter (you will need 1/2 stick in total), then toss to coat in sugar mixture.

ENJOY!!