Category: Breakfast

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread

This is the ultimate chocolate chip bread! There are no cookies in this recipe, but it tastes so much like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread is the perfect name for it. Brown sugar, vanilla and semisweet chocolate chips really help to mimic that beloved chocolate chip cookie flavor. I love the big pockets of chocolate that come from using jumbo chocolate chips, but of course you can use regular or mini chocolate chips if you prefer.

I typically wait until a loaf is cooled off before slicing it, but in this case, I wanted to capture the melted pools of chocolate for the video. The fresh baked chocolate chip aroma was so heavenly, that it took all of my willpower not to immediately devour the entire loaf! It’s easier to slice a fresh baked loaf when it’s cooled off. But if you want to experience the melty chocolate chips, warm your slice in the microwave for 8-10 seconds.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread

A moist, tender loaf cake with brown sugar and chocolate chips that tastes just like chocolate chip cookies
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cups (223g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, room, temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (118ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • ½ cup (113g) sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (9 oz or 255g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon all purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line the bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cups (223g) flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the milk and sour cream together.
  • Add the flour mixture to the batter in two additions, alternating with half of the milk mixture after each addition. Beat just until combined. Do not over mix.
  • Set aside a handful of chocolate chips for the top of the loaf. In a small bowl, toss the remaining chips with 1 teaspoon flour, making sure to coat them all, then fold them into the batter. This will help to prevent them from sinking. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Top with the reserved chocolate chips.
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 325ºF (165ºC) and continue baking until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45-50 more minutes. Cool the loaf in pan for 10 minutes then turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack.

Notes

*If you want to use mini chocolate chips, use one cup (6 oz or 170g)
Keyword cake, chocolate chip

Blueberry Ripple Scones

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Blueberry Ripple Scones

Once there was a blueberry scone. She was good and reliable. One day she felt bored and tired of her soggy blueberries. She thought about her friend, the other blueberry scone. The one with the dried blueberries. The shriveled up blueberries reminded her of raisin bran. “It’s time for a change,” she thought. So she grabbed her friend, and they headed over to Brownie Mischief for a makeover.

That’s how Blueberry Ripple Scones were born, at least in my imagination. These scones are the new and improved, elevated version of blueberry scones. They have a ribbon of sweet blueberry compote swirling through the tender vanilla dough, making them look beautiful and taste delicious. Although the blueberry compote is quick to make, it requires a little more effort than simply folding blueberries into the dough. But it’s definitely worth it. I like to make my compote the night before, then it’s ready to go when I make my scones in the morning.

Blueberry Ripple Scones

Vanilla scones with ribbons of sweet blueberry compote and crunchy sugar topping
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 8 scones

Ingredients
  

Scones

  • 1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 oz or 226g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 oz or 100g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup (4 oz or 113g) cold heavy cream Plus more for tops
  • ¼ cup (2 oz or 57g) cold sour cream
  • ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) blueberry compote Recipe below
  • coarse sugar for tops

Blueberry Compote

  • ¾ cup (4 oz or 113g) blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions
 

Scones

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  • Work the butter into the flour with your fingertips or with a pastry blender, until pea size pieces form.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla.
  • Stir the cream mixture into flour mixture until a shaggy dough is formed.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into an oval. Spoon dollops of blueberry compote onto the dough. Fold the dough over onto itself 3 times.
  • Form the dough into a 1-inch thick round, about 6 1/2-inches in diameter. Cut the dough into 8 wedges.
  • Place the scones 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Chill the scones in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  • Heat your oven to 375ºF. Brush the tops of scones with heavy cream. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  • Bake until the edges look golden brown, about 18-22 minutes.

Blueberry Compote

  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries start to release their juices.
  • Turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Notes

*To find coarse sugar, click here.
To find purple coarse sugar, click here.
Keyword blueberry, scones

Glazed Lemon Muffins

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Glazed Lemon Muffins

However your day is going today, it’s about to get better. I can confidently say these lemon muffins are some of the best you will ever taste. Follow the recipe exactly, weigh your ingredients and you’ll be enjoying these soft, tender muffins in no time. These delightful muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch or an anytime snack. I love enjoying one with a cup of strawberry green tea or chamomile tea.

Glazed Lemon Muffins

Soft, tender lemon muffins glazed with lemon icing
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

Muffins

  • 2 ¼ cups (288g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (198g) sugar
  • Zest of 2 medium lemons
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
  • 1 cup (8 oz or 227g) sour cream, room temperature

Icing

  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) melted butter
  • 2-3 tablespoons (15-45ml) fresh lemon juice

Instructions
 

Muffins

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a 12-serving muffin pan with tulip baking liners.* (You can also use standard muffin liners. They hold less batter so you may end up with a couple of extra muffins.)
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest, with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated. Add the extracts and beat until combined.
  • On low speed, mix in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with half of sour cream after each addition. Mix just until combined. The batter will be thick.
  • Divide the batter evenly into muffin liners. (If using standard muffin liners, fill 3/4 full.) Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 5 minutes. Turn the oven heat down to 350ºF (180ºC) and continue baking the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 12-16 more minutes. Do not over bake.
  • Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely. Brush icing onto the muffin tops with a small pastry brush.

Icing

  • Whisk the powdered sugar, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of lemon juice together until smooth. Add additional lemon juice until your desired consistency is reached.

Notes

*To find  tulip muffin liners, click here.
To find floral tulip muffin liners, click here.
Keyword lemon, muffins

Cinnamon Crumble Scones

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

The weeks following the winter holidays always feel peaceful to me. The rush is over and it’s time to catch my breath and rest. When it’s chilly and raining outside, I love spending time at home curled up in my coziest fluffy pajama bottoms and fuzzy socks. Give me a blanket, 75 pillows, a warm cup of tea and these Cinnamon Crumble Scones for ultimate coziness!

The crumb topping on these scones will remind you of a cinnamon crumb cake, which makes them extra nostalgic and comforting. The technique of folding the dough over itself gives them a flaky layered texture. For the tenderest scones, make sure not to over work your dough.

To watch Instagram reel, click here. To watch extended TikTok video showing baking process, click here.

Cinnamon Crumble Scones

Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 8 scones

Ingredients
  

Crumb Topping

  • ¼ cup (1 1/8 ounces) all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cinnamon Filling

  • ¼ cup (1 3/4 ounces) brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Scones

  • 1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup cold heavy cream plus extra for tops
  • ¼ cup cold sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Icing

  • ½ cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1-2 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, sugar cinnamon and salt.
  • Work in butter with your fingertips until it looks like wet sand. Press together to make dime size chunks.
  • Set aside in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cinnamon Filling

  • In a small bowl, mix filling ingredients together until well combined.

Scones

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Work butter into flour mixture with your fingertips or with a pastry blender until pea sized pieces are formed.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla extract.
  • Stir cream mixture into flour mixture a little at a time until dough comes together. If your dough is too dry add 1-2 more teaspoons of heavy cream.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold dough over onto itself a couple of times.
  • Pat dough into an approximately 9 x 5-inch oval. Spread cinnamon filling on half of the dough to within 1/2-inch from the edges. Fold dough in half bringing short ends together. Press edges to seal.
  • Shape dough into a 7-inch round, about 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 8 wedges. (Or 6 wedges if you prefer larger scones.)
  • Pinch the pointed tip of the wedges and tuck under to seal. This helps to prevent the top layer from sliding off while baking. Place wedges about 2-inches apart onto prepared baking sheet.
  • Brush tops of scones with heavy cream. Top with crumb topping. Bake until light golden brown, about 18-22 minutes.
  • Transfer scones to a cooling rack to cool. Drizzle with icing.

Icing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, butter, 1 tablespoon of milk and vanilla. Add additional milk until desired consistency is reached.
Keyword cinnamon, scones

Sweet Cornbread Muffins

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

These soft, tender, fluffy, sweet cornbread muffins are my favorite version of cornbread ever! No hate to the crumbly, savory cornbread that some people prefer. I like that too! Coincidentally, the latter has fans who leave the most heated comments on my cornbread posts. Maybe their cornbread is making them cranky. This cornbread recipe is delightful and would cheer up anyone, especially when it’s served warm and slathered with butter and honey. Positively divine.

I used a square muffin pan because it makes the muffins look absolutely adorable. The pan is also known as a brownie pan. The pan details are in the recipe notes. Feel fee to use a standard round muffin pan instead.

Sweet Cornbread Muffins

Soft, tender, fluffy, sweet cornbread muffins
Print Recipe
Servings 12 square muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups (11 1/4 oz or 319g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 ⅓ cups (9 3/8 oz or 266g) sugar
  • ½ cup (2 1/2 oz 71g) cornmeal
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups (12 oz or 355ml) sour cream
  • ½ cup (4 oz or 118ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • ¼ cup (2 oz 57g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 12-serving square muffin pan, also known as a brownie pan.* (You can also use a traditional round muffin pan. The baking time may be a little shorter.)
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, oil and butter until smooth.
  • Add egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix just until combined. A few lumps are okay.
  • Transfer batter to prepared pan, filling wells halfway full. (Fill 2/3 full if using a round muffin pan.)
  • Bake until edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 17-20 minutes. Do not over bake.
  • Let cool in pan for 5 minutes them transfer muffins to a cooling rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

Notes

*I used a Fat Daddio's square muffin pan. It's available at kitchen stores and online.  If you can't find that one, Chefmade also makes a good one. The cavities on that one are a little smaller, so the baking time may be shorter. To find it, click here.
If you're using a dark colored pan, reduce your oven temperature to 325ºF
Keyword cornbread, muffins

Butterscotch Bread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

What’s better than the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking or of fresh coffee brewing? The aroma of this warm, sweet buttery loaf of Butterscotch Bread is so heavenly that I’m convinced that angel grandmothers bake this on a regular basis in heaven. The rich scent is accompanied by a soft, tender bread topped with a silky butterscotch glaze.

It all starts with browning your butter first. It adds a nutty, deep butter flavor. When browning your butter, use a light colored saucepan so you can see the visual clues. You’ll see it start to foam and brown specks will collect on the bottom of the pan. It will smell nutty and fragrant. Keep a close eye on it. It can go from brown to burnt in a quick second. When your brown butter has cooled to room temperature, the rest of the recipe comes together quickly. You can also brown your butter a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperate before using.

This delightful bread goes well with coffee or tea and is just as delicious the next day. Store covered at room temperature.

 

Butterscotch Bread

by Mari Vasseur
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Butterscotch Bread

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine seat salt
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (177ml) buttermilk

Butterscotch Glaze

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (59ml) heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Butterscotch Bread

  • In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until brown and fragrant. When brown specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, immediately transfer the butter to a small bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, beat the brown butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions. Mix just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan. Bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 38-43 minutes.
  • Let the bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, them turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Top the cooled cake with two coats of butterscotch glaze.

Butterscotch Glaze

  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for two minutes.
  • Turn the heat down and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Keep stirring until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
  • Transfer the butterscotch glaze to a small bowl and let cool until thickened.
Keyword butterscotch, cake, loaf

Blackberry Cornbread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

This sweet Blackberry Cornbread is super easy to make. It makes a delicious breakfast, brunch or side dish. It’s so good served with Blackberry Honey Butter. I love baking my cornbread in a cast iron skillet. It gives the cornbread a crisp, rustic crust. You can also use a cake pan if you prefer. (The baking time may vary.) Make sure not to over bake your cornbread since overtaking will dry it out. Use fresh, ripe blackberries when they’re in season. You can also use frozen blackberries or fresh or frozen blueberries. Skip the macerating step if you’re using blueberries or frozen berries.

Blackberry Cornbread

Sweet cornbread studded with ripe blackberries
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cups (158g) AP flour, sifted (plus one tsp for the blackberriesAP flour, sifted (plus one tsp for the blackberries)
  • ⅔ cup (132g) sugar
  • ¼ cup (35g) cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup (170g) sour cream
  • ¼ cup (57ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 ¼ cups (6 oz or 170g) ripe blackberries, divided (Cut large berries in half)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8” cast iron skillet* or an 8” round cake pan.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil and melted butter until smooth. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until combined. A few lumps are okay. In a small bowl, gently toss one 1 cup (136g) of the blackberries with 1 tsp of flour. Gently fold the berries into the batter.
  • Transfer the batter to the skillet. Top with the remaining blackberries. Bake until the top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-43 min. Let cool in the pan 10 min. Serve with Blackberry Honey Butter** or honey if desired

Notes

*To find an 8-inch cast iron skillet, click here.  
**To find the Blackberry Honey Butter Recipe, click here.
 
Keyword blackberry, cornbread

Spinach Bacon Soufflés

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

If you’ve ever gotten up early enough to grab one of those delicious breakfast soufflés at that popular bakery cafe, then you might just love this recipe. There are plenty of copycat versions online, mostly using refrigerated crescent rolls. I love crescent rolls and you can make a pretty close copy of the originals with them, but why not take them up a notch? In my humble opinion, using puff pastry makes them so much better! These pretty little soufflés will puff up and get golden brown and crispy. You can also personalize each one. Try swapping out the spinach and bacon for your favorite omelet ingredients, such as chopped ham, chives, jalapeños or whatever you like.

 

Spinach Bacon Soufflés

by Mari Vasseur
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 4 soufflés

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon minced onions
  • 1 tablespoon minced red peppers
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • ½ cup (118ml) whole milk
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup (57g) shredded Colby Jack cheese
  • ¼ cup (28g) shredded parmesan cheese, divided
  • ⅓ cup (14g) diced fresh spinach
  • 2 slices cooked bacon, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Grease four 8-ounce (227g) mini pie dishes* or ramekins.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry sheet to a 10-inch (24.4cm) square. Cut into four 5-inch (12.7cm) squares. Place one square in each prepared dish. Dock the bottom of each one by poking holes with a fork.
  • In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and red peppers and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the flour and cook 1-2 minutes more.
  • Slowly stir in the milk. Use a whisk if the sauce seems lumpy. Cook until the edges start to bubble and the sauce thickens. Stir in the salt. Remove from heat.
  • In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs. Set aside 1 tablespoon (15ml) of beaten eggs in a small bowl for the tops of the soufflés. Add about a third of the sauce mixture into the medium bowl of eggs and whisk until combined. Add the egg mixture back into the saucepan and whisk until smooth. Stir in the Colby-Jack cheese, half of the parmesan cheese and spinach.
  • Ladle the egg mixture evenly into the prepared dishes. Top with the bacon and the remaining parmesan cheese. Fold the pointed ends toward the center. Brush the folded pastry edges gently with the reserved beaten egg. Bake until golden brown and puffy, about 25-30 minutes.
  • You can serve the soufflés warm in the pie dishes or remove them from the dishes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

To find the mini pie dishes I used click here.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Mini Muffins

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Pumpkin Cinnamon Mini Muffins

My mom had a cupboard in the kitchen containing a few old cookbooks that she rarely used. As a child, I used to enjoy perusing them and looking at the baked treats. Some of the cookbooks were so old, they had black and white photos or even just drawings of the food. The ones with drawings interested me because they often depicted smiling children enjoying the treats.

When I started learning to bake, I found a recipe for French Breakfast Puffs in one of those old books. The title sounded so fancy, but they were really just simple muffins dunked in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. I have no idea what the name of the cookbook was or what happened to it, but the delicious muffin recipe stuck around for a while. I’ve tweaked the recipe so many times over the years, and most recently, I added pumpkin to it. These Pumpkin Cinnamon Mini Muffins are one of the best versions I’ve created. The inside texture of the muffins is soft and moist and it contrasts nicely with the slight crunch you get from the cinnamon sugar on the outside. They look so cute too, like little pumpkins, and they definitely make children smile!

To watch the Instagram video of these mini muffins being made, click here.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Mini Muffins

Soft, tender pumpkin mini muffins rolled in cinnamon sugar
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 22 mini muffins

Ingredients
  

Muffins

  • 1 ½ cups (190g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup (113g) canned pure pumpkin purée Not pie filling

Topping

  • ⅔ cup (132g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) melted butter

Instructions
 

Muffins

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour a 24-serving mini muffin pan.* Do not use muffin liners. (The muffins need to form an outer crust. This prevents them from absorbing too much melted butter later in the recipe.)
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg and pumpkin purée until smooth and well combined. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. The batter will be thick.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, filling the muffin cups about 2/3 full. (I ended up with 22 muffins.)
  • Bake until toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean, about 10-13 minutes. Do not over bake! Be diligent, since over baking can happen very quickly with mini muffins. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the muffins out and place on a cooling rack.

Topping

  • Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl until well combined.
  • Briefly dunk the warm muffins in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar.

Notes

To find the mini muffin pan I used, click here.
Keyword muffins, pumpkin, pumpkin spice

Peaches and Cream Loaf Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

Every peach season, I get excited by the abundance of peaches at my local farmers market and I end up buying way too many. So if you’re like me and you have ripe peaches sitting on your counter, turn them into peach purée. I love adding peach purée to my iced tea or adding it to desserts like this moist, tender cake. This is one of my most popular cake recipes on social media, and for good reason. It does not disappoint! To watch the TikTok video, click here.

Peaches and Cream Loaf Cake

Moist, tender peach cake with peach cream cheese icing
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 1 ¼ cups (5 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
  • 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup peach purée, divided (About 1 1/3 cups peeled, sliced peaches puréed in a food processor or blender)
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract

Icing

  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons reserved peach puree
  • 2 tablespoons diced peaches

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  • Set aside 2 tablespoons peach purée for icing.
  • In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, remaining peach purée and extracts until smooth.
  • Add flour mixture and beat just until combined.
  • Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 38-45 minutes.
  • Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Spread icing on cooled cake.

Icing

  • In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
  • Add powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of peach purée. Beat until smooth. Add additional peach purée, if needed, until desired consistency is reached. Fold in diced peaches.
Keyword cake, peach

Lemon Scones

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Lemon Scones

Yellow is the color of happiness and sunshine. These adorable Lemon Scones will bring you a burst of lemony brightness even on the grayest day. The pretty, vibrant yellow sparkling sugar adds a pleasant crunch to the tops. It’s a nice contrast to the soft, tender interior of the scones. These little gems would shine on any breakfast or brunch table. I served them with blueberry jam and green tea, which was so delightful, I’m still smiling.

 

Lemon Scones

by Mari Vasseur
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 12 scones

Ingredients
  

Lemon Scones

  • 1 ¾ cups (223g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (50g) sugar
  • 7 tablespoons (99g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • Zest of 2 medium lemons
  • ⅔ cup (156ml) cold heavy cream plus more for tops
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
  • Yellow sparkling sugar*

Icing

  • ⅓ cup (40g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon heavy cream
  • 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions
 

Lemon Scones

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar until well blended
  • Work the butter and lemon zest into the flour mixture with your fingertips or with a pastry blender until pea size chunks form.
  • Stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice until a shaggy dough is formed. If your dough seems too dry, you can add 1-2 more teaspoons of heavy cream.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over onto itself a couple of times. Do not overwork the dough.
  • Pat or roll the dough into an 8-inch round, about 3/4-inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 2" or 2 1/4" inch round cutter.**
  • Place the scones about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with heavy cream. Sprinkle generously with sparkling sugar.
  • Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 16-19 minutes.
  • Cool completely on a wire rack. Decorate with icing.

Icing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream and enough lemon juice to form a stiff icing.
  • Transfer the icing to a piping bag or a plastic zip bag. Snip off the tip of the bag. Pipe lines in a spoke pattern onto the scones.

Notes

*To find the sparkling sugar I used, click here.
**To find the cutter I used, click here.
Keyword lemon, scones

French Toast Cubes

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

French toast in all forms is welcome here! Everything from classic French toast to stuffed, sticks, bricks, casseroles and even cubes. I came up with this recipe for French Toast Cubes after I had a French toast brick at a restaurant. I like the idea of tall, thick pieces of French toast, but the cubes are a bit more manageable. This is a fun to make, well-loved recipe. I love to serve the cubes with warm maple syrup and fresh whipped cream.

French Toast Cubes

Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 8 cubes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 loaf unsliced bread such as French bread or Japanese milk bread
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup whole milk or half and half
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF. With a serrated knife, cut the bread into eight 2-inch cubes.
  • In an 11 x 7-inch baking dish, whisk tougher the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt.
  • Coat all sides of the the bread cubes with the egg mixture. Let the cubes soak up all of the liquid.
  • Fry the cubes on a hot buttered griddle until all sides are golden brown.
  • Transfer the cubes to a baking sheet with a wire rack. Bake until the cubes are puffy, about 20 minutes.