Christmas Carols: Dreaming of a White Christmas and Orange Muffins

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
just like the ones I used to know---
Where the treetops glisten and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
with every Christmas card I write:
May your days be merry and bright,
and may all your Christmases be white.

Every year, my kids wish for a white Christmas.  As of this year, they average a 54% success rate.  I, on the other hand, always wish for the same thing: a baby grand piano.  My success rate: zilch.  I'm thinking I should start wishing for snow instead. 

 

This year, however, I'm just wishing for a perfect Christmas Day---the kind of day filled with children's laughter and family memories and lots and lots of good food.  I'm counting on Santa to jump start the laughter and stories with Christmas gifts, but it's up to me to provide the food.

I made the mistake of heading to the grocery store today, hoping I would find some sort of culinary inspiration for the big day.  Imagine 3,087 shopping carts and their frazzled drivers in one super market.  One woman was singing tone-deaf Christmas carols at the top of her lungs in the deli.  An aisle over, I saw a man throwing whipping cream by the armfuls into his shopping cart.  And a lady behind me in the checkout was having a loud, running conversation with herself regarding my shopping items, her shopping items, and the checkout display of peppermint tootsie rolls.  I guess shopping a few days before Christmas just brings out the "crazy" in some people.  

Me included.  

Somewhere in aisle 9, I panicked as I watched people frantically piling candied fruit and hams in their carts.  Rather than landing on the perfect Christmas meal shopping list, I simply grabbed what was closest to me and left the store.

I came home with a bag of tater tots, a gallon of milk, and a frozen loaf of Sara Lee pound cake. 

I don't know why I over-think this every year, but I do.  I should just stick with tried and true comfort food like this . . .

This makes a moist and dense orange muffin with a fresh and tangy glaze.  Not only are these lovelies the perfect brunch item, but they are also the perfect way to use up any oranges or clementines you have lying around on your kitchen counters.  

Glazed Orange Muffins  

(adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

Makes 2 dozen muffins

Ingredients 

1 cup milk
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1½ tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
zest of 1 orange (or 3-4 clementines)

Glaze

 
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange (or clementine) juice
1½ cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line 24 wells of a muffin pan (or pans) with paper liners.  Mix dry ingredients in and then add wet ingredients.  Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet.

To make the glaze, combine the orange juice, powdered sugar, and orange zest in a small bowl.  Whisk together until smooth, adding more juice if necessary to achieve your preferred consistency.  Drizzle the glaze over the muffins while they are still warm.  Allow the glaze to set before serving. 

Even though our Christmas menu isn't boding well after today's shopping trip, I have a feeling that these muffins just might inspire the family bonding I'm dreaming of.  

If nothing else, maybe they'll be the perfect accompaniment to tater tots.

Happy Christmas brunches to you all!

Fall Poetry: Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Among the Rocks
By Robert Browning
Oh, good gigantic smile o’ the brown old earth,

This autumn morning! How he sets his bones
To bask i’ the sun, and thrusts out knees and feet
For the ripple to run over in its mirth;

Listening the while, where on the heap of stones
The white breast of the sea-lark twitters sweet.

That is the doctrine, simple, ancient, true;

Such is life’s trial, as old earth smiles and knows.
If you loved only what were worth your love,
Love were clear gain, and wholly well for you:

Make the low nature better by your throes!

Give earth yourself, go up for gain above!

So one day, I was making a bunch of syrups- coconut, peach, buttermilk, orange, and dutch honey. (I will post those soon) And I wanted to make some apple cider syrup, but I was out of apple cider/juice/concentrate. So I thought to myself: I bet pumpkin syrup would taste great! Well, I was RIGHT! I just messed around and made up a recipe. It is so yummy and spicy, and it turns this into THE ULTIMATE Fall breakfast! Trust me, you will be looking around for a turkey and cranberry sauce when you finish this, because it just feels like Thanksgiving. I will definitely be pulling this one back out for our Thanksgiving breakfast.

Pumpkin Pancakes with
Pumpkin Spice Syrup,
Maple Brown Sugar Whipped Cream,
and Toasted Pecans.

I know. I am drooling too, and I just finished eating! Here are the recipes:

Pancakes:
I used my Mom's pancake recipe (Click here) and added a cup of pumpkin, and a half teaspoon of freshly grated ginger, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg. I also had to add a little more milk, but that's something you can just eyeball until your batter is normal pancake consistency.

Maple Brown Sugar Whipped Cream:Take 2 C of Heavy whipping cream. Add 1/4 tsp Maple extract and 1/4 C Brown sugar. Whip to stiff peaks.

 

 Pecans:

spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until just fragrant. You do not want to burn pecans. They are no bueno, trust me.

 

Pumpkin Spice Syrup:

1 C Corn Syrup

1 C Sugar

1/4 C water

1 C Pumpkin

1 tsp. Freshly ground ginger (I freeze mine and grate it on a microplane)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg, freshly ground
1 tsp. Vanilla

Heat corn syrup, water, and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and add all other ingredients except vanilla. Boil for 3-5 minutes, stirring, and being careful not to burn. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Syrup will thicken upon cooling.

And here's a printable tag for your jar of syrup :) Circular frame courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

 

This syrup would make a GREAT neighbor gift :)

Happy Eating!

From My Front Porch to Yours
Common Ground
French Country Cottage
Stuff and Nonsense
At the Picket Fence
Funky Junk Interiors 
Six Sisters' Stuff   
StoneGable

Beatrix Potter's Easter: Blackberries and Cream

 I AM sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.

His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter!

``One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time.'' 

 BUT Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries, for supper.

The End.

-Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit"

I want you to know that I DO NOT pass on recipes on this blog if I feel like they just turned out "okay." If I am definitely going to re-make something (And in this case, probably about three times this week,) then I share the recipe. Because I want you to have the joy of Blackberries in sweet cream soaked bread, with a crispy top, drizzled in white chocolate cream.... I might have to make more right now.

*This is an adaptation of the "Kneader's Raspberry Bread Pudding" recipe.*

Blackberry Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Cream Sauce

3 Cups of Blackberries
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1/4 C. White Grape Juice
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Cream
1 Egg
1 loaf of crusty bread (I used 2 small loaves, but just judge what will fit into a 9X9 pan)

Mash the blackberries, sugar and grape juice together.
Mix the Milk, Cream, & Egg.
add them all together with the bread broken into one inch crumbs.
Let it all soak for a while, and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.

White Chocolate Cream Sauce
1 stick unsalted butter
2 TBSP flour
1 1/2 C milk
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C White Chocolate Chips

Whisk butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat until it's just starting to change color. You do NOT want this to turn brown, you just want the flour to cook so you don't taste flour paste. Then whisk in the milk and sugar, and cook until it thickens. Add the vanilla and white chocolate and whisk until it's all incorporated. Drizzle over the bread pudding and enjoy!

The Ultimate Seal of Approval.

Linking Up:

Today's Creative Blog -Lil Luna - DIY By Design - Savvy Southern Style - Blue Cricket Design -