Hi friends– My most frequent “stress dream” is always the same. I’m working on dinner for a crowd waiting hungrily in the next room, and I can’t get it done– I’m trying to summon up dinner from 2 oranges and a can of beans or I’ve lost the turkey…
Well, my nightmare finally came true! The family was here for a birthday dinner and I realized when it was bout time to eat that my oven was dying! The roasting potatoes and the corn soufflé was totally raw!! Ugh.
The bad new is a couple days later I was having 30 friends for breakfast and no oven— The good news is that the world’s best neighbor Trisha let me use her oven. The crazy news is her house is in the middle of a total remodel, so I was dashing in and out amid the construction crew with tins of muffins and pans of coffee cake…
But it all came out OK (Thank’s Trisha!!)– and these are the muffins– good for a post Thanksgiving breakfast to use up that leftover pumpkin. They are delish!
PUMPKIN PECAN BRAN MUFFINS
Streusel:
4 tab. butter, melted
6 tab. brown sugar
2 tab. white sugar
6 tab. flour
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
Muffins:
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup currants
First make the streusel. Melt the butter in a mixing bowl (microwave). Then stir in the 6 tab. brown sugar, 2 tab. white sugar and 6 tab. flour. Chop the 1/3 cup pecans and set all this aside.
In a larger mixing bowl, stir together the pumpkin, egg, 1/2 cup brown sugar and canola oil. Them mix in the 1 cup flour, wheat bran, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
Last, fold in the peans and currants.
Spoon the thick batter into 10 to 12 muffins cups lined with cupcake papers*.
With your fingers, break up the streusel into coarse crumbs over all the muffins and then sprinkle the 1/3 cup chopped pecans over the top.
Pop them into the oven at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes– until they are firm to the touch.
Delicious hot from the oven, or cooled with a bracing mug of tea.
*If you live in socal– Sprouts has the best muffin papers– a pretty light brown parchment, slightly waxed to the muffins never stick.
Nice healthy treat.
Nice neighbor Rhonda, do you have new oven for Thanksgiving? That happened to me one year on Thanksgiving, half raw turkey, my oven was still working but barely it took a very long time for the turkey to get done we ended up eating very very late. Happy Thanksgiving.
Oh forgot to mention, love the muffins they look amazing.
thanks S!
Hi Suzanne– She IS the best neighbor– and NO– no oven yet. The Kenmore service man came and said they don’t have the parts to fix my oven anymore!! and it’s only 6 years old. So Larry is trying to track down the part online– I’m working with my toaster oven and Trisha’s next door.
That sounds awful to have the oven prob on Thanksgiving, of all days!! Glad you did come up with dinner in the end! Are you cooking a feast this year– going to someone’s house???
We’re headed up to SF with all of our kids/grandkids together for the first time since Christmas 2009! I’m jumping up and down happy! Hope you have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving Suzanne!
Great story, Rhonda!! and those muffins look absolutely wonderful!
Hey Daisy– it was a funny story– but the really bad news is that the repair man said they don’t make the part we need to fix it anymore. ugh. So we may have to buy a hole new stove– and this one is only 6 years old. Meanwhile I’m cooking in my little toaster oven!!
I’m actually in a similar situation… we gutted the kitchen and thought the stove looked ok, but as I’ve tried cooking on it, something doesn’t seem right – the burner keeps turning on & off no matter what setting I put it on. With all the other things we had to replace, I was really hoping we could avoid buying a new stove; but now there’s a possibility we might have to buy one after all!
So sorry! I guess this time I can really say,I know what you mean! Who needs extra expenses when you are in a new house and remodeling? Hoping for the best on this one!
These look so wonderful, Rhonda, and certainly worthy of a Thanksgiving breakfast!
Thanks teresa– love, love all the pumpkin desserts on your blog! It’s a great baking time of year!
I just made them this morning as a nice edible breakfast! They are so delicious too! 🙂 x
Thanks Sophie!
Rhonda ~ So very sorry to hear of the oven saga! Ouch, from one baker to another. It is amazing though how one comes up with alternatives when pressed on every side. Perhaps you could borrow a roaster oven from your church or a friend. They are quite handy. When you get passed the shock of it we can commiserate together. I have a story or two very similar to your story. Tea, toast and tales! 🙂 Hope Larry’s search is productive. Perhaps he will find a junk yard with the parts. Blessings, and prayers, 😛
Hey Brenda– yep, so far no luck. I made cranberry bread in the toaster oven today and it was a little charred on top!! Happy travels to see you kids!! Hope it’s a cozy thanksgiving with them– lots of hugs and food!
Thanksgiving was marvelous in VA with all the kids. We ate and ate and ate! I like your idea of soup to regain some eating restraint. Hope your Thanksgiving was ever joy filled. Can’t wait to try your cranberry bread…hope your oven is fixed soon too. You would think that Kenmore would have a stove graveyard with used parts! hugs and thankfulness
Glad to hear your Thanksgiving was great. Grown up kids are so fun and interesting! We did the eating and eating thing as well– So now I’m back to “My Fitness Pal”– writing down every dang calorie that crosses my lips. Hopefully, I can keep things under control until I start overeating at Christmas!
W.O.W. yummmm
thanks!!
Yummy yummy!!
These look delish. I know it was crazy and chaotic, but you will always have a good story to tell 🙂 -Kat
Yep, it was crazy and actually a lot of fun.