It is the season for cranberries! I love the tartness of cranberries in cakes, breads and muffins. They are delicious and look so festive in this Orange Cranberry Bread. What a treat to serve this holiday season!

Fresh cranberries and the orange juice and zest give this bread a wonderful flavor that is great with your morning coffee or tea.

I used the recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod blog, but added 1/4 cup chopped pistachios into the bread mixture and sprinkled a few on top of the orange glaze. My kind of breakfast!

For the recipe and more information, click on the link below. Enjoy!

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/orange-cranberry-bread/

I love the fall – the cooling weather, the changing colors, plus apples and pumpkins galore! From candles to kitchens to lattes, the smells of cinnamon and fall spices fill the air. These apple oatmeal scones combine toasted oatmeal and apples to create a wonderful fall treat.

Toast the oatmeal until lightly browned and fragrant. Cut up apples and stir in cinnamon and sugar to coat. Whisk milk, cream and egg together. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the oat mixture and 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture.

Pulse dry ingredients together in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Transfer to medium bowl.

Gently stir in apples, then oatmeal until mixture clumps together.

Spray scone pan with vegetable spray and gently divide dough into sections or pat dough out in circle and divide into 8 wedges. Brush tops with reserved egg mixture. Sprinkle with reserved oatmeal and coarse sugar or turbino sugar, if desired.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan or on baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Transfer scones to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

If desired, mix up glaze and drizzle over scones.

Wonderful fall treat for breakfast, brunch – or anytime.

You can use your favorite tart apple. I tried Honeycrisp first, but liked the scones made with Granny Smith apples much better.

The following chart rates apples from Most Tart to Most Sweet.

Enjoy Fall Baking!

Print Recipe

Rustic Apple Oatmeal Scones

Scones made with toasted oatmeal and cinnamon and sugar coated apples.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple, Oatmeal, Scones

Servings: 8 Scones

Author: Mary Beth Carr

Ingredients

Scones

• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon, sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2"cubes and chillled

Apples

• 1 cup chopped tart apple (can leave the peel on)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Glaze

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or cream)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Scones

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread oats evenly on baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant and lightly browned, 7-9 minutes; let cool on wire rack. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. When the oats are cooled, measure out 2 tablespoons for dusting counter and set aside. Spray scone pan with vegetable spray or line second baking sheet with parchment paper.

Apples

• While the oats are toasting, chop up apple and mix with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar. Set aside.
• Whisk milk, cream and egg in large measuring cup until well mixed. Reserve 1 tablespoon in small bowl for glazing and set aside.
• Pulse flour, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in food processor, until combined, about 4 pulses. Scatter butter evenly over dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 12-14 pulses. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl, gently stir in the apple mixture. Stir in toasted oatmeal. Using a rubber spatula, fold in liquid ingredients until large clumps form. Mix dough by hand in bowl until dough forms ball.
• Divide dough evenly into scone pan sections. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of reserved oats over the top.

  If you are not using a scone pan, dust counter with 1 tablespoon of reserved oats, turn dough out onto counter and dust top with remaining 1 tablespoon reserved oats. Gently pat dough into a 7-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or chef's knife, cut dough into 8 wedges and place on prepared baking sheet, spacing wedges about 2 inches apart.
• Brush tops with reserved egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. (Or you could sprinkle coarse sugar or turbino sugar on top).
• Bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Let scones cool in scone pan or on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer scones to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Glaze

• Whisk together melted butter, maple syrup (or cream) and powdered sugar until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if too thin and more syrup or cream if too thick. Drizzle over scones. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe was adapted  from Rich and Tender Oatmeal Scones in The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook.

Is it a muffin or cupcake? If you want it to “sound” healthier, call it a muffin. If you feel more like a dessert, call it a cupcake. Whatever you decide, you will love the mixture of chocolate and banana!

Start by peeling 3-4 ripe bananas and placing them in a gallon ziplock bag. Close bag, remove excess air and seal.

Use your fingers to mash the bananas until they are smooth. This method lets you see and feel any lumps that you need to work out.

Following the recipe, mix the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Spray muffin tins or use liners. Divide up batter equally into about 12-18 muffins. Sprinkle decorating sugar and chocolate sprinkles on top, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

Let cool a few minutes. Delicious warm or at room temperature.

A muffin for breakfast or a tasty afternoon snack. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

A favorite treat at our house! A muffin that could pass as a cupcake!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Banana, Chocolate Chip, Muffins

Author: Mary Beth

Ingredients

• 3-4 mashed ripe bananas (need 1 cup)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Decorating Sugar, optional
• Chocolate Sprinkles, optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare muffin tin with vegetable oil spray, or use cupcake liners.
• Peel ripe bananas and place in gallon ziplock bag. Smash with fingers until smooth. Set aside.
• In medium bowl, beat egg with fork. Add sugar and oil, stir to combine. Add mashed bananas and vanilla. Stir.
• Add flour, salt, baking soda and water; stir gently to just combine.
• Gently fold in chocolate chips.
• Divide equally in muffin tins, about 18 muffins. Decorate tops with decorating sugar and chocolate sprinkles, if desired.
• Bake 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!