Sausage Pancake Muffins

Today was a day of a lot of firsts for me.  My plan was to make my favorite chicken tortilla soup for dinner but realized I was out of chicken stock and I needed to cook black beans.  Both of which are time consuming.  I have been planning on making stock for the first time but wasn't able to make it in time for dinner.  So, I decided on a  quick dinner before soccer practice.  Breakfast.  My mom told me about a friend of hers making these cute little muffins so I thought I would try them.  I used my favorite buttermilk pancake recipe from www.realmomkitchen.com and Bob Evans sausage.  My kids LOVED these.  Wait a minute... I LOVED these too!!  Pancakes done all at the same time!  Now I can eat with the rest of my family instead of eating and flipping.  I made mine plain as I don't like sausage but I would love them with bacon.  Almost like a McGriddle.  YUM!

Sausage Pancake Muffins

2 C. all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 C. well shaken buttermilk
1/4 C. vegetable oil

Precooked  sausage or bacon

Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease muffin tin.  Mix all dry ingredients in bowl.  In separate bowl mix eggs, oil and buttermilk.  Add wet to dry ingredients and mix till incorporated.  Don't over mix.  Batter will be slightly lumpy.
Fill the muffin tins half way with pancake mix.  Spoon a small amount of cooked sausage on top of the pancake mix.  Bake for 15 min.  Serve with syrup  

~this recipe made 12 regular muffins and 24 mini muffins

Cut out Halloween cookies

Halloween is only a few days away and we have done nothing festive in my house.  September came with slightly cooler weather and I was quickly craving spiced treats.  Pumpkin donuts, chai latte, and apple crisp where just a few goodies that came out of my kitchen.  All of these represent fall to the fullest but they don't represent Halloween.  Last year I ordered Halloween cookie cutters and today I was just in the mood to "cut" cookies.  They require much more time than a drop cookie but they sure are cute!  My little Anna loves to decorate them too.  

Cut out Cookies 

1 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
1 C. butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tarter

Preheat oven to 375*
Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg, vanilla and almond extract.  In a separate bowl mix flour, soda and cream of tarter.  Slowly beat in flour mixture until combined.  Roll into a ball, cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.  
Lightly flour surface.  Divide dough in two parts.  Flour rolling pin and roll dough 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into shapes and place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Do not over bake!  Let cookies rest a few minutes before transfering them to a cooling rack.  Cool completely before frosting.  

*This recipe was given to me by a friend.  Thanks Debbie!!


To create less waste I place dough in a covered bowl instead of wrapping in cling wrap

I ALWAYS bake on stoneware.  Everything just turns out better! 

Here it goes!!

For those of you who know me, you know how much I love to bake and cook!!  For me it is a rewarding way to show off my creative side (since I don't really have a creative bone in my body).  I am super excited to start sharing my recipes and tips with you!  Tomorrow should be my first recipe post.