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Health professionals claim that it increases productivity, aids in weight control and lowers your risk of heart disease. No, we’re not talking about the latest miracle drug; we’re talking about breakfast. Kick off your morning with some fresh, warm baked goods, with ingredients like cranberries and pumpkin that are just right for autumn.
Cranberry-Almond Sour Cream Muffins
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup butter, melted
½ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup sliced almonds, divided
½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a sifter and set aside. Beat together eggs, melted butter, sour cream and almond extract in a large bowl, just until melted. Stir ½ cup almonds into egg mixture. Spoon, or glop, about two tablespoons of batter into each greased muffin tin. Glop about one tablespoon of cranberry sauce into each one and then cover them with the remaining batter. Sprinkle tops of muffins with remaining almonds, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Pumpkin Bread
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup canola oil
1 15-ounce can 100-percent pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and oil. Add pumpkin and beat until mixed. In a sifter, place all remaining ingredients except nuts. Sift into egg mixture. Beat for 2 minutes, then stir in nuts. Pour into two greased loaf pans and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pans and continue to cool. When cool, store in an airtight container. PN
Recipes courtesy of Carol Frey, metro Atlanta resident and author of “Have You Considered Cooking?” and “The Grits Shall Rise Again!” With cookbooks that are as entertaining as they are practical for the kitchen novice, Frey serves up some favorite Southern recipes with a “handful” of fresh ideas and a “pinch” of humor. To order autographed copies online, visit www.carolgfrey.com.
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