Homemade syrup

We have an apricot tree. We love it...that is, when it grows apricots. This year we got NONE. Last year, we got like 200. Utah has crazy spring frosts that can be detrimental to early bloomers such as the apricot tree. So sad.

We were pleasantly surprised when a kind soul brought us a big bag of apricots a couple of weeks ago from trees that had made it through the frost. That meant we didn't have to go without our beloved apricot syrup this year!

If your apricots are naturally sweet, you can really limit the added sugar. I like to add as little sugar as possible so I'm not covering my breakfast with candy. The fruit on our own tree is always very sweet and delicious. We prune our trees and thin the fruit. I have gotten away with adding as little as 1 1/2 cups of sugar to my syrup. Many syrup and jam recipes call for equal amounts of sugar and fruit puree. I think that's insane. If your apricots haven't been thinned or ripened, they might have little flavor and require more sugar. This was the case with the apricots that were gifted to us. I had to use 3 cups of sugar.

This syrup, or you could call it a sauce, is delicious. Enjoy!

THE RECIPE:

6 c. apricot puree
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring a pot of water to boil. Set a bowl of ice water nearby. In batches, place whole apricots in boiling water for 1 minute, then remove and place in ice water. This is called blanching. The skins will slip right off the apricots now. They should also break open very easily so you can remove the pits. I never need a knife, but I do get a little messy.

Puree apricots in a blender, then pour into a pot, along with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. The sugar will dissolve, and the puree will eventually boil up then back down. At this point it starts to look glossy and more syrupy. It will never get really sticky, though, like pancake syrup because I don't add enough sugar for that. That's a good thing. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. The syrup can be canned or frozen.

Not your everyday breakfast

This praline french toast casserole makes a delicious breakfast for special occasions. I adapted the recipe from one by Paula Deen. I cut the butter in half and used whole milk instead of half-and-half. I'm sure the original was....to die for. My version is still plenty decadent, and my family loved it. This is a make-ahead dish. It's extremely easy to throw together, but plan for a long bake time. Enjoy!

THE RECIPE:

1 16 oz. loaf french bread*
8 eggs
3 c. whole milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Topping:

1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

The night before serving, rip french bread into chunks and place in greased, deep 9x13 baking dish. Whisk together casserole ingredients and pour evenly over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Combine topping ingredients thoroughly with fork, then cover and set aside for later use. No need to refrigerate. (Or just make the topping in the morning.)

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place casserole, still covered, in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and plop small blobs of topping all over the casserole. It's easiest to just use your fingers. Bake, uncovered this time, for 55 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the middle of a bread portion of the casserole comes out clean. (Paula Deen listed a total of 40 minutes baking time, which was completely off for me. I live at a high altitude, though, so you might want to keep an eye on your dish.)


*I like to rip up my bread a couple of hours before assembling the casserole and leave it on the counter to dry out. Dried out bread often has better absorption. Paula Deen didn't do this, though, so it might not be necessary.

A taste of my history

This bowl is full of nostalgia for me. My Papa (grandpa), who died when I was 13, used to make this rice pudding. It was his specialty. His mother, my great-grandma Pearl, made it before him. It's a little old-fashioned, but we think it tastes great, and it's creamy goodness is imprinted on the memories of generations of Griffins.

Papa made it in a huge stainless steel salad bowl. It was probably the only thing big enough to hold all the milk. In keeping with tradition, I do the same thing. If you have a baking dish large enough to hold the mixture, feel free to try that instead.

THE RECIPE:

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
8 c. whole milk
1 c. uncooked long-grain rice
2 tsp. imitation vanilla (optional)
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large oven-safe bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly, except cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon generously over top. Bake, uncovered, for 2 1/2 hours. Stir once or twice partway through. Pudding is done when rice is tender and milk is mostly absorbed. It will look like there's still a layer of milk on top, but when you stir it, everything comes together in a creamy way. It will thicken a little more as it rests. If you accidentally overcook it, and it's pasty and thick, just add milk. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.


*NOTE: I have modernized this recipe over the years and reduced the sugar. I use short-grain pearl rice, which chefs will tell you is the preferred rice for making pudding. I use only 3/4 cup sugar, which necessitates reducing the lemon extract to 1/4 or 1/8 teaspoon. I make it in a deep 9x13 pan, and cook it for 90 minutes, whisking once at the halfway time. My kids like to sprinkle fresh or frozen berries on top.

Autumn muffins

Remember all that lovely applesauce I made? Well, I used some of it to make a big batch of these healthy applesauce muffins. My family enjoyed them for breakfast several days in a row. They taste healthy and hearty, but they are moist and have a lot of flavor. We were really happy with them. As my husband said, these muffins taste like fall. You can't really taste the applesauce, but it adds great moisture and health value.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. rolled oats
2 c. applesauce
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins, or line with paper liners. In large bowl, mix oats, applesauce, milk, eggs, vanilla, butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda and seasonings. Add dry ingredients to large bowl and stir just until combined. Don't overmix.

Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups (make each about 2/3 to 3/4 full). Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Set the timer a little early and check so you can remove muffins as soon as toothpick test allows. Overbaking will lead to dryness. Makes 24 muffins.

*Note: Refrigerate leftovers after 24 hours so they don't spoil. Reheat them in the microwave. Muffins can also be frozen.

Base recipe came from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Beautiful blueberries

For Mother's Day breakfast, we ate this blueberry strata, which I got from the Kraft website. It's a breakfast you assemble the night before, and it's a snap to throw together. It was good, and we were all happy to have something new, but I have to say it wasn't as flavorful as I expected. We couldn't really taste the cinnamon and syrup added into the egg mixture. The blueberry syrup poured on top, however, made the dish worthwhile.

I would make this again, but I might fiddle around with the recipe. Let me know if you have any suggestions! By the way, my young family only needed half the recipe.

THE RECIPE:

12 slices white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
8 oz. cream cheese
8 eggs
2 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. maple-flavored or pancake syrup
1/4 c. packed brown sugar

Spread half of the bread cubes onto bottom of greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries. Pinch off small chunks of cream cheese and sprinkle around, then top with other half of bread cubes.

Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, syrup and sugar. Pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata, covered, for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 to 35 minutes more, or until center is set. Pour blueberry syrup on individual servings.

Blueberry syrup:

2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/3 c. maple-flavored or pancake syrup

Combine blueberries and syrup in small saucepan and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over blueberry strata.

Citrus kiss

I hope no one will be horrified if I post a couple of belated Thanksgiving recipes. Our menu contained a few first-time items. The meal was voted a success! These orange-kissed sweet potatoes were so delicious. I loved the combination of flavors. I will definitely make them again. The base recipe came from America's Test Kitchen.

THE RECIPE:

4 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks*
1/2 c. brown sugar, divided
2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest, divided
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put sweet potatoes in 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cover very tightly with foil. Bake about an hour, or until potatoes are tender. When done, change oven setting to broil.

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix remaining 6 tablespoons brown sugar with 1 teaspoon orange zest and set aside.

Pour sweet potatoes and any liquid into large mixing bowl. Add orange juice, butter, cream, salt, cinnamon, pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest. Beat with an electric mixer until nicely pureed. Spoon potatoes back into 9x13 pan and sprinkle with brown sugar/zest mixture. Place pan on oven's middle rack and broil on high about 2 minutes, or until topping is browned and bubbly.

*I used three huge sweet potatoes.

Fancy french toast

The gal at Smitten Kitchen came up with an innovative way to make french toast. She calls it cinnamon toast french toast, and it tastes fantastic. You can make it ahead of time, even the night before, then have breakfast ready to go in a flash. I would never have guessed regular, cheap sandwich bread could make such great french toast.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
16 slices white sandwich bread
1 stick butter, softened and spreadable
6 eggs
3 c. whole milk
 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix sugar and cinnamon. Lay bread in single layer on two cookie sheets, then spread butter on each slice. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Toast bread in oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until bread is golden and crisp.*

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Cut two slices of cinnamon toast in half. Arrange toast in two rows, starting with a half slice, then fanning out whole slices and ending with a half slice.

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and vanilla, then pour evenly over toast. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Let stand as little as 15 minutes or as long as overnight. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until puffed and until no liquid seeps out when toast is nudged around in pan. Cut into squares and serve with syrup.

*Switch cookie sheets halfway through if they are on different racks to ensure even cooking. Bake time in this case is more like 10 to 15 minutes.

Cinnamon meets salad

How about a cinnaberry salad for your next family gathering? You can adjust the salad ingredients to suit your fancy. The cinnamon dressing adds a fun and delicious twist. We think berries and cinnamon make a great pair.

THE RECIPE:

1 head romaine lettuce
2 c. packed fresh spinach
1 c. sliced strawberries
1 c. raspberries
1 c. blueberries or blackberries
1 c. sliced almonds, toasted under the broiler
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese (optional)

Cinnamon dressing:

1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Shake of onion powder
1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 c. canola oil

Mix ingredients in food processor or blender, adding oil last. Pour over salad just before serving.

Cinnamon rolls reinvented

Oh dear. It's terribly rude of me to suggest you should have these cinnamon roll pancakes for breakfast, because they aren't very healthy. But you should. You probably have a special occasion you could use as an excuse. Ours was St. Patrick's Day, as you'll see from the picture below with the green glaze. This recipe was delicious. I got it from a website called Recipe Girl. You can go there to find helpful tips for making these.

THE RECIPE:

Cinnamon swirl
Cream cheese glaze
Pancake batter

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. On my electric stove top, No. 4 worked great. Make pancakes as usual, except squirt a swirl of cinnamon onto each when bubbles start forming on the batter. Keep the swirl about an inch away from the edge of the pancake.

Flip pancakes when bubbles pop and bottom of pancake is golden brown. Cook a couple of minutes more, until other side is nicely browned. Wipe out pan with paper towel, then repeat the process. Serve pancakes with cream cheese glaze. Makes about 8.

Cinnamon swirl:

4 Tbsp. butter, very softened
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Stir together ingredients and spoon into a piping bag or thick plastic baggie with tip cut off. Tip should have about a 1/4-inch opening.

Cream cheese glaze:

4 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Milk for thinning

Whisk butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then thin with milk as desired.

Pancakes: (or use your own batter)

1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.

Heaven-sent sauce

The holidays are long over, but I can't help posting this recipe. In an effort to bring a new human into the world, I was sick and vomiting all through the Christmas season, which made food blogging a big no-no. It wasn't fair to this delicious eggnog cake. I could eat the caramel-rum sauce with a spoon. Remember it for the 2012 holidays, okay? Or, make the sauce whenever you darn well please and spoon it over regular yellow cake instead of eggnog cake.

THE RECIPE:

1 yellow cake mix
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. eggnog
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. rum extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat ingredients until smooth. Pour into greased bundt pan or two greased loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Watch carefully and check with a toothpick so cake doesn't overbake. Toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.

Caramel-rum sauce:

1 1/8 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter
3/4 c. cream
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg
1/8 tsp. rum extract

Mix brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add cream, powdered sugar and spices, whisking until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened but still pourable. Remove from heat and add rum extract. Spoon generously over eggnog cake.

Blueberries are in season

My husband made these blueberry-cornmeal pancakes for breakfast a couple of weekends ago. We really liked them. There's only a hint of cornmeal, but somehow it gives a nice touch. And you can't go wrong with fresh blueberries. The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. flour
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk*
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine dry ingredients, then make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside. In another bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add mixture all at once to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Batter should be lumpy. Gently fold in blueberries.

Cook over medium heat on lightly greased griddle or skillet until golden brown. Pancakes are ready to flip when their surfaces are bubbly and their edges are slightly dry.

*Place 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in measuring cup. Add milk to make 1 cup total liquid. Let stand for 5 minutes before using.

Nice buns

This recipe for sticky buns comes from the Whitesides family. It uses Rhodes rolls and is extremely easy to make. Just plan ahead for the rise time. The butterscotch sauce is delicious.

THE RECIPE:

24 Rhodes rolls, still frozen
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 package Jell-O cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Put frozen rolls in greased 9x13 baking pan. Pour butter over rolls. In medium bowl, combine dry pudding mix, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over rolls. Cover with plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray and let rise overnight. In the morning, place baking pan on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes, then invert onto cookie sheet.

Granola girl

I love making parfaits with this homemade granola. It tastes delicious with vanilla yogurt and fresh berries. The base recipe comes from Phemomenon. The granola really is so good. I even like to grab handfuls to munch on. Plus, it is very easy to make.

THE RECIPE:

3 c. old-fashioned oats (not quick)
1 c. raw almonds, chopped
3 Tbsp. wheat germ
1 Tbsp. whole flax seed
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon*
Dash salt
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/3 c. honey**
1 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix oats, almonds, wheat germ, flax seed, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together oil, honey, water and vanilla. Microwave to melt honey. Pour over oat mixture and stir well.

Spread out entirely over large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, then stir with spatula and spread out again. Bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool completely on cookie sheet. Store in airtight container.

*I only wanted a hint of cinnamon, but you could do as much as 2 teaspoons.

**Swirl the oil in your measuring cup, then dump it into the bowl. That way, when you measure your honey in the oiled cup, it will slip out instead of sticking.

A twist on the traditional

I only tried one new recipe for Thanksgiving this year. I made this old-fashioned applesauce pie and then sent it to the party with my siblings. My family and I stayed home and threw up all day. What do you do, right?

This pie is really great, though, for people like me who don't like all the chunks of baked fruit in traditional pies. This pie has all the flavor of traditional apple pie, with the custard-like texture of pumpkin pie. It is a snap to throw together, and it's a fun change from the usual.

The recipe is an Amish one from the book "New Recipes from Quilt Country."

THE RECIPE:

1 pie crust
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. smooth applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together ingredients and pour into pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes. It looks a little wiggly when it comes out. Allow to cool completely before eating so it sets.

Sweet seeds

We carved two big pumpkins this year for Halloween. After that, we had a nice pile of sloppy, gooey seeds. You'll see in the picture above how they ended up. Much better, eh? These cinnamon-sugar pumpkin seeds were pretty tasty. Last year, we tried a savory kind. It's fun to experiment.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. oil or melted butter
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Rinse and drain pumpkin seeds. Just do your best to get the goop off. Lay out on cloth and pat dry. You can leave them to dry, but if you let them dry all the way, they will stick to the cloth a little. Heat oven to 300 degrees. On a cookie sheet, toss pumpkin seeds with oil until well coated. Mix sugar, salt and cinnamon, then toss with seeds. Spread seeds evenly on cookie sheet. Bake for one hour, tossing once halfway through.

Hidden treasure

I have been meaning to post this recipe for a long time. This is a unique pie that got high praise from people who tried it. I have to say it is one of the best I've ever tasted. It's a mixed berry pie, using fresh boysenberries and strawberries from our garden, and here's the surprise: The sweet berry filling is swirled with chocolate! That's why I loved it so much. I'm not normally a big fan of baked fruit. I don't like the chunks, and I don't like tartness. But chocolate makes everything worthwhile!

I made this pie more than once, adjusting the fruit amounts according to what I had on hand. You can do the same. Below, however, is the recipe with the ratios I liked best.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. blueberries
2 c. strawberries, halved
1 c. boysenberries
1/3 c. flour
2/3 to 3/4 c. sugar, depending on tartness of berries
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 to 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Gently mix berries with flour, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Allow to sit while making crust dough. Stir in chocolate chips, then pour filling into bottom crust. Make lattice-style crust on top or whatever design your heart desires -- something that allows ventilation. Brush top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Line outer edges with foil if needed to prevent burning. I didn't need to do that. Let cool completely on wire rack before eating.

Crust recipe:

2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. shortening
1/3 c. cold butter
8 to 10 Tbsp. cold water

Stir together flour and salt, then cut in shortening and butter with pastry blender until you have pea-sized crumbs. Mix in water until dough forms. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface. You'll need two 12-inch circles for a 9-inch pie pan.

*I made it both ways. I liked it with more chocolate, and my husband liked it with less -- he loves baked fruit, though, so he wanted the fruit to shine with just a hint of chocolate. I wanted chocolate in every bite.

Creme de la creme

If you want a creamy and heavenly ice cream that you can't find at the grocery store, make this frozen cinnamon custard. It is truly divine. Eat it as the perfect complement to pie or cake, or just scarf it down by itself. Be sure to say "Mmm" with every bite. That's what we do.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. sugar
3 c. whole milk
4 eggs
2 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a large saucepan (at least 3 quarts), over medium heat, stir together sugar and milk. Bring to simmer. Meanwhile, use a fork to beat eggs into cream, then set aside. When milk simmers, pour eggs and cream into it. Cook, stirring constantly once it gets hot, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This takes some time. You have to be patient and not turn the heat up much or it will burn. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Cool completely.

Use ice cream maker according to directions. For some reason, mine always takes double the time the directions say. The mixture should double in size and be thick and creamy. Pack it down in the can and freeze for several hours or overnight. It will become a delicious and decadent ice cream!

Scintillating cinnamon

These snickerdoodles are so yummy. I could/would/did eat a whole plate's worth in one sitting. They are simple and economical as far as cookies go. Thanks to good old Betty Crocker for this one.

THE RECIPE:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, slightly softened
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, shortening and eggs. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. In separate, small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, then roll in cinnamon mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Even when they are done, they will still seem a little doughy between the cracks on top. Don't overbake, or cookies will be crunchy when cooled. Cool on wire rack.

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater

My new 5-year-old got "The Mother Goose Cookbook" for her birthday. It's a cute little book full of nursery rhymes and their coordinating recipes. Olivia wanted to get right to work. She chose Peter Pumpkin's Pumpkin Muffins, and she helped me the whole way. The muffins turned out very moist and yummy. My husband thought they had molasses in them, so the brown sugar must give them a little kick. But they still don't beat my favorite pumpkin muffins of all time. Sorry, Peter. What's up with your poem anyway? Who keeps his wife in a pumpkin shell?

THE RECIPE:

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. plus 6 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. pumpkin puree

1/2 c. melted and cooled butter

1/4 c. plain yogurt or sour cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 c. warm honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. dried currants (I left these out)

3/4 c. chopped walnuts (I left these out)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour muffin tins. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Add spices. In separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, butter, yogurt, eggs, honey and vanilla. Stir in currants and nuts. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring until batter is just blended. Fill muffin cups halfway with batter, then sprinkle remaining brown sugar on top. Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Makes about 15 muffins.

Easter object lesson

I've seen these fun "empty tomb" rolls on multiple websites. Some people use homemade roll dough, others use frozen roll dough, and still others use refrigerated crescent dough. These rolls are the perfect way to teach the story of Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection to a child. Each roll starts out with a marshmallow inside, a symbol of the body of Jesus. When the rolls are cooked, the marshmallows melt, leaving a hollow roll -- an empty tomb. My almost-5-year-old was riveted on the lesson. She asked me to tell the story again and again as we assembled the rolls. Each ingredient is a symbol.

THE RECIPE:

1 8-count package refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 large marshmallows
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Separate roll dough into eight triangles. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip each marshmallow in butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on triangle. Roll up marshmallow, being sure to seal edges well. Dip tops of dough balls in remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar. Place sugar-side up in greased muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Symbolism ideas:
(Scripture references come from King James version of Bible)

Marshmallow -- body of Jesus
Butter and cinnamon-sugar -- spices and ointments (Luke 23:56; John 19:40)
Roll dough -- linens for wrapping and/or tomb (Luke 23:53)
Oven -- tomb (or you can just have the dough be the tomb)
Hollow roll -- empty tomb/linens (Luke 24: 6; Mark 16:6)