Apple Pie Muffins

"These Muffins are my salute to Fall this year.  They are full of my favorite Fall flavors-apples, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.  I love that the apples are mixed into the batter and are also baked into the top of the muffins.  YUM!  As if that was not delicious enough, I topped the muffins with a sweet Apple Pie Spice Drizzle.  YUM, YUM!!"

 

1-3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple pie spice*
1 (20 ounce) can apple pie filling, divided
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 Tablespoons milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare muffin tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or lining with baking or cupcake liners.  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and apple pie spice.  Spoon 1 cup of the apple pie filling onto a cutting board and chop into a medium-sized dice.  Add to dry ingredients along with the butter, milk, eggs and vanilla.  Beat mixture with an electric mixer until completely combined.  Using a medium-sized scoop, spoon batter into muffin tins; filling each 2/3 full.  (Batter will make approximately 18 muffins.)  Chop remaining apple pie filling into a medium-sized dice and spoon about 1/2 Tablespoon onto the top of each muffin.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool slightly and drizzle with Apple Pie Spice Drizzle (recipe follows).


Apple Pie Spice Drizzle 
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon apple pie spice*

Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and apple pie spice until smooth.  Drizzle over muffins.

*Substitution:  If you don't have apple pie spice, you may substitute cinnamon.

Hunter's Style Pork Chops

"My family enjoyed this recipe when I was younger and it's a delicious reminder of dinnertime with my Mom, Step-Dad and Sister.  This recipe combines pork, vegetables and a delicious sauce into a family-friendly main dish.  Sit down at your family table and savor this recipe and your family time together." 

  

 

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

4 pork loin chops, each about 3/4 of an inch thick

2 green peppers, sliced into strips

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 pound white button mushrooms, quartered

1-(8ounce) bottle Sweet & Spicy French Dressing (You can also use Catalina Dressing.)

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tomato, chopped

 

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and brown pork chops on both sides.  Remove chops to a plate and add green peppers, onions and mushrooms.  Saute vegetables until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in Dressing, water, sugar, salt and pepper.  Return pork chops to skillet, nestling them into the sauce.  Heat to boiling and then reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until chops are fork-tender.  Add chopped tomato and heat through.  ENJOY!  Makes 4 servings.

 

Serving Suggestion:  Serve with rice or buttered noodles. 

Cinnamon Drizzled Zucchini Bread

"Is your garden overflowing with zucchini right now?  This recipe is a perfect way to use it up.  I took my Grandma's Zucchini & Carrot Bread recipe and twisted it up a little bit by following my Mom's yummy suggestion of adding sweet pineapple to the batter.  To make the bread even more irresistible, I drizzled a Cinnamon Icing over the top.  The result:  The most delicious zucchini bread that I've ever tasted!!!  I hope you think so too."

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

1 (8-1/4 ounce) can of crushed pineapple, drained

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, brown sugar, grated zucchini, crushed pineapple and vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Mix until completely combined.   Divide batter into 2 loaf pans that have been sprayed with baking spray with flour.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Remove from pans to cool completely.  Drizzle with Cinnamon Drizzle (recipe follows).

Cinnamon Drizzle

1 cup Powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
 

Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon.  Drizzle over cooled bread.

VARIATION:  My Grandma's original recipe called for 1 cup of shredded zucchini and 1 cup of shredded carrot.  

Mocha Fudge Brownie Banana Splits

"It was my sweet Hubby's Birthday yesterday and I made him a  yummy treat to celebrate.  He loves the combination of coffee and chocolate and he loves, loves, loves Brownie A La Mode so I put all his favorites together and the Mocha Fudge Brownie Banana Split was born.  !!OH MY!!"


"Banana Split meets Brownie A La Mode"

 

Little Debbie's Large-sized Cosmic Brownies (2 for each serving)

Haagen-Dazs Coffee Ice Cream (2 scoops for each serving)

Dreyer's Double Fudge Brownie Ice Cream (2 scoops for each serving)

Bananas (1 large or 2 small, per serving) 

Spray Whipped Cream

Chocolate syrup

Maraschino Cherries

 

For each Banana Split:

 

Place brownies on the bottom of a bowl (I used a long serving platter which worked perfectly.)  Top with ice cream scoops.  Cut banana in half length-wise and place on each side of ice cream scoops.  Drizzle on desired amount of chocolate syrup and swirl on desired amount of whipped cream.  Top off with maraschino cherries and DIG IN!!!