Pumpkin spice muffin opt

Pumpkin Spice Muffins w/Almond Flour

Pumpkin Spice Muffins w/Almond Flour

What’s November without pumpkin? Of course, I needed to come up with a gluten limited recipe to accommodate those needs. And a lower sugar recipe for diabetic concerns was also in order. So, welcome to the results of my successful experiment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Cups Almond Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ Cup Almond Milk
  • 1 large Egg
  • ½ Cup Erythritol
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
  • ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • Spray silicone muffin cups or muffin cups with non-stick spray – enough for 1 dozen muffins
  • Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well, by hand
  • Cut in the butter and work like biscuit dough, so it is crumbly
  • Add wet ingredients and stir well
  • Fill each muffin cup to the brim
  • Bake about 30-35 minutes
  • Allow the muffins to cool completely before serving

Notes

Note: If you make these the night before they will be even better the next morning
Optional: top each muffin with a tsp of chocolate chips and press slightly before baking. 
Add chopped nuts on top.
Nutrition, varies by ingredients, estimated amounts without chocolate chips
Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 110
Carbohydrates 2 grams
Fiber 1 gram
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

What’s November without pumpkin? Of course, I needed to come up with a gluten limited recipe to accommodate those needs. And a lower sugar recipe for diabetic concerns was also in order. So, welcome to the results of my successful experiment

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups of Almond Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ Teaspoon of Salt
  • ¼ Cup of Almond Milk
  • 1 large Egg
  • ½ Cup of Erythritol
  • 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla extract
  • ½ Cup of Unsalted Butter
  • ½ Cup of Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Spray silicone muffin cups or muffin cups with non-stick spray – enough for 1 dozen muffins
  3. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well, by hand
  4. Cut in the butter and work like biscuit dough, so it is crumbly
  5. Add wet ingredients and stir well
  6. Fill each muffin cup to the brim
  7. Bake about 30-35 minutes
  8. Allow the muffins to cool completely before serving

Note: If you make these the night before they will be even better the next morning

Optional: top each muffin with a tsp of chocolate chips and press slightly before baking. 

Add chopped nuts on top.

Nutrition, varies by ingredients, estimated amounts without chocolate chips

Serving Size: 1 muffin

Calories: 110

Carbohydrates 2 grams

Fiber 1 gram

Curry Inspired opt

Curry Inspired Pumpkin Muffins-Low Carb

Curry Inspired Pumpkin Muffins-Low Carb

I love curry. I love Indian foods. And I love pumpkin spice. Why not marry these loves? That is what I did when I came up with this recipe. 

Ingredients
  

  • Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoon Curry Powder
  • ¾ Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 Cup Erythritol
  • 1/4 Cup Stevia
  • 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
  • 6 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Almond Flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Prepare muffin pans with liners
  • With a mixer, blend sweeteners, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and eggs until smooth.
  • In another bowl, mix almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, curry powder, and salt.
  • Mix, stirring dry into wet ingredients.
  • Pour batter into muffin cups. I use a cookie scoop, although the batter is runny.
  • Optional: add toppings.
  • Bake about 30 minutes. Check about 20 minutes, because oven temperatures vary.

Notes

Best when left to sit until cooled (if you can wait).
Store in a container in the refrigerator.
You can use 24 small/mini muffin cups, 24 regular sized cups, or 12 regular sized cups
I made this recipe with 24 regular sized cups. They were shallower, but oh so good.
This recipe will not make fluffy muffins. If you change the flours, maybe it will. They are denser, but flavorful as well as filling. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

I love curry. I love Indian foods. And I love pumpkin spice. Why not marry these loves? That is what I did when I came up with this recipe. 

Ingredients

  • 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoon of Curry Powder
  • ¾ Teaspoon of Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 Cup of Erythritol
  • 1/4 Cup of Stevia
  • 1 Cup of Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 Cup of Coconut Oil
  • 6 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup of Almond Flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Prepare muffin pans with liners 
  3. With a mixer, blend sweeteners, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and eggs until smooth.
  4. In another bowl, mix almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, curry powder, and salt.
  5. Mix, stirring dry into wet ingredients.
  6. Pour batter into muffin cups. I use a cookie scoop, although the batter is runny.
  7. Optional: add toppings.
  8. Bake about 30 minutes. Check about 20 minutes, because oven temperatures vary.

Best when left to sit until cooled (if you can wait).

Store in a container in the refrigerator.

You can use 24 small/mini muffin cups, 24 regular sized cups, or 12 regular sized cups

I made this recipe with 24 regular sized cups. They were shallower, but oh so good.

This recipe will not make fluffy muffins. If you change the flours, maybe it will. They are denser, but flavorful as well as filling. 

Opt Focaccia

Fun Flavorful Focaccia Bread

Fun Flavorful Focaccia Bread

Ingredients
  

  • 1.75 Cups Water
  • 4 Cups Flour
  • 2 Tsp Sugar
  • .25 Ounce Dry Active Yeast
  • 7 Tbsp Olive Oil 2 in the dough 2 for the bowl 2 for the pan 1 for the vegetables
  • 2.5 Tbsp Sea Salt 2 for the dough .5 for the vegetables

Instructions
 

  • Put the water in a microwave safe bowl and place in microwave for 40 seconds.
  • Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved
  • Put the water in a microwave safe bowl and place in microwave for 40 seconds.
  • Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved
  • Add the yeast and stir
  • Let it sit until it bubbles and gets frothy (approximately 15 minutes)
  • Grease a large bowl with two Tbsp of the olive oil and set aside
  • In another large bowl combine the flour, salt and two Tbsp of olive oil
  • Pour in the yeast water solution
  • Mix until you have a formed ball
  • Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough to activate the gluten. You want to manipulate it until it has no more bumps or cracks
  • Add the dough to the bowl with the olive oil, cover it with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rise for an hour. Your dough should double in size.
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
  • Grease a 9×13 baking pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the dough
  • Make sure it reaches all the corners of the pan poke little finger ridges all over the top
  • Decorate your bread with the vegetables and herbs
  • Drizzle the a little extra olive oil over the vegetables and add a little more sea salt
  • Bake 25 minutes or until it is golden on the top and bottom.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/4 Cup of Water
  • 1 Teaspoon of Sugar
  • 1 Packet of Bread Yeast (2 if Expired) or .25 Ounces of Beer Yeast
  • 3 and 1/4 Cups of Flour (add a tablespoon or 2 more if needed for proper consistency)
  • 2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt Plus 1 Teaspoon Reserved for Over the Vegetables
  • 1/2 Cup of Olive Oil Plus 2 Tablespoons Reserved for Over the Vegetables
  • Various Cut Vegetables ( I used peppers, onions, tomatoes)
  • Various Fresh Herbs ( I used rosemary, oregano, thyme, dill)

Instructions

  1. Put the water in a microwave safe bowl and place in microwave for 40 seconds.
  2. Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved
  3. Add the yeast and stir
  4. Let it sit until it bubbles and gets frothy (approximately 15 minutes)
  5. Grease a large bowl with the olive oil and set aside
  6. In another large bowl combine the flour, salt and two tablespoons of olive oil
  7. Pour in the yeast water
  8. Mix until you have a formed ball
  9. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it is gluteny has no more bumps or cracks
  10. Add the dough to the bowl with the olive oil, cover it with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rise for an hour. Your dough should double in size.
  11. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
  12. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the dough
  13. Make sure it reaches all the corners of the pan poke little finger ridges all over the top
  14. Decorate your bread with the vegetables and herbs
  15. Drizzle the olive oil over vegetable and add your sea salt
  16. Bake 25 minutes until it is golden on the top and bottom.
flour butter baking

What Have People Been Learning to Bake During The Quarantine?

As we are all staying home during this Covid-19 situation, it is only natural people are going to want to learn new things. Here at Love of Food Magazine we have been trying out new foods, a kitchen gadget that we have had for a while and even did a Facebook Live event around Eggs.

Now whether by choice, necessity or plain boredom many others have been trying out the culinary arts and exploring their talents. We thought it might be fun to see what people are baking. Since it has been such a short period of time since the quarantine started and we thought it might be a while before we could conduct a large enough poll, we turned to Google trends to get an idea of what people were trying.

flour butter baking

What have you been baking?

Since 30 days ago, we definitely saw a huge spike in interest of “how to bake”, so we knew we were onto something. Our question is what are people trying?

We had started out with “how to bake” but found it to be a smaller sampling than “how to make”, Ultimately we went with the latter for these findings.

With just a little more research, we came up with a list of baked items that people were interested in and went from there.

Across the Country, States fluctuated with interest. In some more than others. But in the end, the overall winner was Bread. Ha!

Now even with that, Bread did not win in every state. Sometimes it was cake that won out. The depth of color relates to the percentage of searches for that particular item.

data map baking united states during quarantine 2020
Statistics sourced from Google Trends

Across the United States, we used the dates of March 21, 2020 – April 19, 2020. Here are the winners in order of popularity.

  1. Bread
  2. Cake
  3. Cookies
  4. Pie
  5. Pizza Dough
  6. Brownies
  7. Biscuits
  8. Cupcakes
  9. Muffins
  10. Cinnamon Rolls
  11. Scones
  12. Biscotti

Being as this is a food blog in North Carolina, we thought we would see what was popular here in our state.

It would seem NE North Carolina near Virginia Beach is very heavily into baking cakes. As are the Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte areas. Now people in Asheville and the Coast lean toward making bread where as Wilmington…well, they seem to be making cookies even more than cake.

baking in north carolina during quarantine 2020
Statistics sourced from Google Trends

No matter if you are baking or cooking, it is always fun to try new things. We hope you will share your test creations with us on Facebook.

Butternut Squash Lasagna 1023 (13)

Butternut Squash Lasagna w Sausage and Sage

  • 1 Large Butternut Squash
  • 2 Cups of Chicken Stock
  • 5 Mild Italian Sausages
  • 8 oz. of Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese
  • ½ Cup of Fresh Sage (chopped)
  • 1 Stick of Butter
  • 2 Eggs Beaten
  • ½ Cup of Heavy Cream
  • 1 Small Onion
  • ½ Apple (chopped)
  • 1 Box of No Bake Lasagna Noodles
  • ⅓ Cup of Olive Oil
  • ½ Teaspoon of Salt
  • Pepper to Taste
  • ½ Cup of Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  1. Prepare the squash by peeling and cubing squash into ¼ inch chunks,  discard seeds.
  2. Toss in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
  3. Roast on a lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes until softened and set aside.
  4. Remove sausage meat from the casing and discard the casing, brown the sausage meat and when meat is half browned add onion and apple until all meat is browned and apples are soft, then remove from heat.
  5. Prepare the sage butter sauce by melting the butter at medium-high high heat in a frying pan. 
  6. Add the sage to the butter and let it crisp as the butter browns, set aside to cool. 
  7. To prepare the cheese, mix the ricotta and beaten eggs with the cream and sage butter mix.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  9. Assemble the lasagna by adding a small amount of squash mixture to the bottom of a baking pan.
  10. Add the first layer of the no bake lasagna noodles.
  11. Spread the cheese mixture and then drop dollops of squash and spread evenly. 
  12. Drizzle a bit of chicken stock on top and grate some Parmigiano Reggiano.
  13. And repeat layers until pan is full, ending with the pumpkin and lastly the cheese.
  14. Drizzle last of chicken stock and add a handful of mozzarella cheese, sprinkle some grated Parmigiano Reggiano, some cinnamon, salt and pepper.
  15. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, longer if you have a deep dish.

Tips and Variations

If cooking longer than 45 minutes cover with tinfoil for the first 20 minutes.

For a leaner option substitute turkey sausage for the mild Italian sausage

For a vegetarian option replace chicken stock with vegetable stock, and omit sausage.

final Opt Whoopie

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients
  

For The Pies

  • 1 Tablespoon Ginger
  • 3/4 Tablespoon Clove
  • 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 3 Cups Canned Pumpkin
  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 2 Eggs

For the Filling

  • 6 Ounces Cream Cheese softened
  • 3/4 Stick of Butter softened
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 and 1/2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

For the Pies

  • 1 Tablespoon of Ginger
  • 3/4 Tablespoon of Clove
  • 2 Tablespoons of Cinnamon 
  • 1 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
  • 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup of Vegetable Oil 
  • 3 Cups of Canned Pumpkin
  • 3 Cups of Flour
  • 2 Eggs

For the Cream Filling

  • 6 Ounces of Cream Cheese (softened)
  • 3/4 of a Stick of Butter (softened)
  • 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 1 and 1/2 Cups of Confectioners’ Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

For the Pies

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, set aside.
  3. In another bowl mix the brown sugar and oil, then add in the pumpkin.
  4. Next, add the eggs and vanilla
  5. Add in the flour mixture 1/4 at a time until it is all mixed in.
  6. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, 1 inch apart.
  7. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until a toothpick can be inserted into the center of the cookies and comes out clean.
  8. Cool completely before filling

For the Cream Filling

  1. In a stand mixer add the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla, add in the confectioners’ sugar slowly in batches of 1/4 at a time, use a low speed.
  2. Beat until smooth.
  3. If your filling is runny, place it in the freezer or refrigerator before filling the pies.

To Assemble The Pies

  1. Fill a pastry bag with the filling and drop a large dollop onto the flat side of half of one of the pies. Press down with the other half making a sandwich.
  2. Refrigerate the whoopie pies for at least 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

English Muffin Pizzas

  • English Muffins (sliced)
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Choice of Cheese -Mozzarella, American or Provolone
  • Garlic Powder
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Choice of Toppings (I used bacon but another meat or vegetable can be a good choice also) 

 

  1. Toast the English muffin prior to making the pizza.
  2. Add the tomato sauce.
  3. Add your choice of cheese. 
  4. Add the spices.
  5. Top the muffin with your meat or vegetable. 
  6. Place in the toaster oven and broil for 4-5 minutes. 
Crescent Roll Pizza Calzone

Crescent Roll Pizza Calzone

  • Can Crescent Roll Dough
  • 1 Pk Pizza Cheese
  • 1 Pk Sliced Pepperoni
  • 1 8 Oz Jar Pizza Sauce
  • 1 Tbls Butter
  • 1 Tsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • ¼ Tsp dried parsley
  • ¼ Tsp Garlic Powder
  1. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet
  2. Pop open can of Crescent Roll and just tear in half, leaving rectangle shape
  3. Align Rectangles to form a star shape having bottom edges all meet in the middle
  4. Spread 2 Tablespoons of sauce in the circle and spread around using back of a spoon
  5. Cover the sauce with 1 cup of cheese and layer the pepperonis on top.
  6. Repeat this for a second layer
  7. Fold the edges of the dough to meet in the middle
  8. Melt butter in a small dish and combine the parsley, garlic and parmesan cheese
  9. Brush this melted butter mixture over the top of the calzone
  10. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes
  11. If the dough starts to darken just put a piece of tin foil over the top (don’t tuck) just lay over the top this will stop the dough from getting darker but ensuring the dough fully cooks
Opt New York Crumb

New York Style Crumb Cake

New York Crumb Cake

Ingredients
  

For The Cake

  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Cup Milk
  • 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
  • 4 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

For The Crumble

  • 3 1/2 Cups Flour
  • 2 Cups Light brown sugar
  • 3 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 3 Sticks Unsalted butter melted
  • Confectioner’s Sugar
  • ½ Cup Maple Syrup

Instructions
 

  • Grease a baking pan (minimum size of 9×13)
  • Combine all the dry ingredients together for the cake; flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt
  • Combine all the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl; milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly while mixing thoroughly. You can do this by hand or with an electric beater
  • Consistency of batter will be more like a thick muffin mix, pour into your baking pan and spread evenly.
  • Now time for the crumble topping; mix the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon together.
  • Pour the melted butter over the top slowly and mix together, you want a consistency of wet sand.
  • Lightly sprinkle the crumble mixture to the top of the raw batter
  • Cook in the oven at 325 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, use the toothpick test to ensure no batter sticks and the toothpick comes out clean.
  • Poke the cake with a fork approximately 10-15 times all over
  • Drizzle the maple syrup all over the cake
  • Dust with confectioner’s sugar and it’s ready to be served
  • Enjoy!

Video

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Untitled design (10)

Cheesy Turkey Sausage Grit Casserole

  • 1 Roll of Turkey Breakfast Sausage
  • 1/2 of a Large Onion or 1 Medium Onion 
  • 4 Oz. of Cream Cheese Softened
  • 1 and 1/2 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 3 Eggs 
  • 1 and a 1/4 Cups of Instant Grits
  • 32 Ounces of Chicken Stock ( I like to use my own as it adds so much more flavor but store-bought can work also).
  • 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt 
  • 1 Chicken Stock Boullion Cube or Packet (I used the gel chicken stock cubes) 
  • 1 Tablespoon of Red Pepper Flake
  • 3/4 of a Teaspoon of Onion Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil 

 

 

 

 

For the Meat Mixture

  1. In a frying pan sweat the onion in a bit of the olive oil, add as needed
  2. Once the onion is translucent, pull it from the pan and set it aside
  3. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the turkey sausage, breaking it up as it cooks down.
  4. Drain any water the turkey releases and set it aside for flavor or to deglaze the pan later if necessary. 
  5. Add the red pepper flake, onion powder, and garlic powder to the meat. 
  6. Continue to break up the turkey meat into little tiny pieces and cook until you get some good crispy bits from the smallest pieces. 
    Once done set them aside to cool

For the Grits

  1. Boil  1/4 cup of water and the 32 ounces of chicken stock with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 
  2. Add the grits slowly as they will bubble up
  3. Add the chicken stock cube
  4. Stir them consistently at first and then turn the heat to its lowest setting and cover, just stirring occasionally until the grits are the proper consistency, then remove from heat.  

For the Cheese Mixture

  1. Mix the eggs, cream cheese and most of the shredded cheese together reserving some of the cheddar cheese for the topping.  
  2. Fold the sausage and onions into the cheese mixture and set aside
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  4. Generously spray a casserole dish or tin foil pan with non-stick cooking spray
  5. Layer the pan with the meat and cheese mixture first and add the grits to the top
  6. Sprinkle with the remainder of the cheddar cheese on top.

Optional: You can add a few pats of butter and or to make it look pretty you can sprinkle some paprika and or dried parsley on top.  You can also reverse the casserole by placing the grits on the bottom and the cheese on the top, either way, it is delish! 

Bacon Crack

  • 1 Lb. of  Bacon 
  • 25-30 Butter Crackers
  • 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar 

I have now made these several different ways. The first time I tried butter crackers and saltines.  I do not recommend using the saltines.

I have also tied a quick cook method.  The butter crackers tasted good, but not exactly how I remembered having them at that Super bowl party. 

My friend Amanda, who made them for the party suggested I try using a low and slow method.  This time wrapping the bacon around the cracker with the brown sugar cradled inside.

She did not steer me wrong, the butter crackers turned out even better!

I will share both the fast and slow methods with you and let you decide.

Quick Cook

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
  2. Put the bacon slices on the cracker and sprinkle a little brown sugar on the top. 
  3. Cook for 25 minutes 

Slow Cook 

  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
  2. Put the brown sugar on the cracker and wrap bacon around the cracker.
  3. Cook for 2 hours minimum. 

Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes

  • 2.5 Lb. Bag of Small Baby Potatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon of Fresh Garlic (chopped)
  • 2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoons of Italian Seasoning
  • 2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt
  • 2 Teaspoons of Cracked Black Pepper
  1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Clean the potatoes using water. Use a cloth or a brush and pat them dry.
  3. Combine all the ingredients together and mix thoroughly.
  4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes.