I wanted to bake a treat for my daughter and her husband to take home after our Friday Thanksgiving dinner and I wanted it to be something they both would enjoy. My son in law can be rather fussy when it comes to eating.
There is not a lot he will eat that is out of the ordinary. He is a simple meat and potatoes kind of a guy, and he doesn't even eat a lot of those. My daughter ends up cooking two separate meals most nights.
I thought he might like brownies. He always takes those Little Debbie's kind of cakes to work in his lunch every day. How much better is a homemade brownie than those!
And how much better than a homemade brownie are Mississippi Mud bars! Sinful and indulgent, I cannot think of too many people who would not enjoy Mississippi Mud bars. To do so would be indecent and not human!
Mississippi Mud Bars are decadent fudgy brownies, studded with plenty of toasted pecan nuts and topped with a sweet layer of melted marshmallow and a rich chocolate fudge icing! What's not to like about that!
I made a small batch of a recipe that I found for Mississippi Mud Bars in Southern Living, Comfort Food. This was another one of my cookbooks that I chose to replace here in Canada.
Its a brilliant cookbook, filled to overflowing with fabulously delicious Southern Comfort foods. How everyone down there isn't as wide as a house, I will never know!
Anyways, I thought a full recipe would be far more than my daughter and her husband could cope with, or should cope with so I cut the recipe in half with great success.
Yes I did taste them. A woman's got to do what a woman's got to do. Its a dirty job but somebody's got to do it. I was only too happy to step up to the plate.
After all I wouldn't expect anyone to eat anything I wouldn't eat, right? My only regret is sprinkling milk chocolate chips on top. They came off looking white in the photographs and I can promise you they were not white.
They weren't even actually needed. I was trying to dress them up a bit. Chocolate things can be notoriously difficult to photograph. I thought it would help.
I hope you will forgive me for making something that doesn't look nice in photographs anyways, look even worse! Don't let that deter you from making them. They are gorgeous!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE MISSISSIPPI MUD BARS
Nothing too spectacular. Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way! (That's my motto most of the time!)
For the brownie base and marshmallow topping:
- all purpose flour (plain flour in the UK)
- unsweetened cocoa powder (not chocolate drink mix, they are not the same thing)
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- melted butter
- large free range eggs
- vanilla extract (I always use the pure stuff)
- miniature marshmallows (I like the all white ones)
For the frosting:
- melted butter
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk, you could also use half and half or single cream)
- vanilla extract (again I use pure)
- icing sugar (also known as powdered or confectioner's sugar)
HOW DO YOU MAKE MISSISSIPPI MUD BARS
The hardest part of making these lush bars is keeping your hands off them until everything sets up!
The base for these is essentially a rich fudge brownie. If you can make a brownie then you can make these. The dry ingredients are whisked together and then you whisk in the melted butter, eggs and vanilla, whisking only until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
You then stir in the toasted nuts. I always toast my nuts as you know. It just makes them taste nicer. Toasted nuts taste better. (8 to 10 minutes, spread on a baking sheet in a moderate oven. Let them cool before using.)
You then spread the batter into your prepared pan. I butter the pan and also partially line it with baking paper, so that there is an overhang on two opposite sides.
This just makes it so much easier to lift the finished bars out of the pan. I am all for ease when it comes to things like this. So just spread the batter in the buttered/lined pan and bake.
While they are baking put your frosting together as you will be needing it not too long after your brownie base is baked.
The brownie base is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, with only a few crumbs clinging to it. They should not be gloopy in the least.
Once that happens you just scatter the marshmallows over top and return them to the oven for a minute or two.
You don't want the marshmallows to brown at all. You just want them to melt until they are ooey and gooey.
Once that has happened, take them out (they will be all puffy) and then spread the frosting over top of the warm marshmallow. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it.
I found the easiest way to do this was to dollop blobs of the frosting over top of the batter here and there, and then just spread it over with the back of a metal spoon. It worked really well.
The frosting is as easy to make as beating the ingredients together with an electric hand whisk until smooth and spreadable.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Use cocoa powder and not chocolate drink mix. Chocolate drink mix is considerably sweeter than cocoa powder and has a completely different consistency which just won't bake the same. The two are NOT interchangeable in my opinion.
Sift your cocoa powder. Cocoa powder can be really lumpy and doesn't mix in well, so sift, sift, sift. Nobody wants to bite down on a lump of cocoa powder. It won't taste nice and it will be unsightly.
Always toast your nuts when baking. They just taste better.
Don't overmix your brownie batter. You just want it smooth and homogenous. You don't want to overdevelop the gluten in the flour. This results in a tough brownie.
Sift your icing sugar to get out all of the lumps. Nobody wants to eat a lumpy frosting and it just doesn't look nice.
Don't sweat it if your icing doesn't completely cover the marshmallow. It is okay if a bit of mallow peeks through. That's just the nature of mud. Trust me, they will still be delicious!
Try (if you can) to leave them overnight before cutting into them. You will get much nicer cuts. Lift them out of the pan to cut. In an eight inch square pan, four cuts one way and 3 cups the other will give you 12 nice, decently sized squares.
Trust me, these are so sweet you won't want huge pieces. Break out the milk, because a nice tall glass of cold milk goes really well with these!
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! (And leave off the chocolate chips unless you like really sweet things!)
Mississippi Mud Bars (small batch)
Yield: 12 bars
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 32 MinTotal time: 42 Min
Deep dark, chocolatey and decadent delicious! Oh my goodness!
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 3/4 cup (110g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (4 TBS) cocoa powder (Not drinking chocolate)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, melted
- 2 large free range eggs, beaten lightly
- 1/2 TBS vanilla
- 1/2 cup (60g)chopped toasted pecan nuts
- 1 1/2 cups (75g) mini marsmallows
For the frosting: (makes 1 1/4 cups)
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 2 1/2 TBS cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 1/2 TBS evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
- 1 3/4 cup (225g) icing sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin. Line it with baking paper, giving yourself an overhang to lift the cooled squares out with.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir everything together until smooth. Stir in the pecan nuts.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the marshmallows over top and return to the oven for one to two minutes to melt the marshmallows.
- Remove from the oven and carefully spread the frosting over top of the marshmallows. Cool completely and cut into squares.
- To make the frosting beat all of the ingredients together with an electric mixer at medium speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Beat at high speed until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup. For years and years I have read about the wonderfulness of Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Spice Syrup, Pumpkin Spice Latte's, etc. I never quite got it.
My friend Sharon in the UK was going on and on about how much she loves Pumpkin Spice anything and so I thought I would see if I couldn't find a recipe to share with her for Pumpkin Spice Syrup.
This one I am sharing today has been adapted from one I found on the BBC Recipe page, and I don't mind telling you it is delicious!
Not only that but it is relatively easy to make and uses ordinary every day ingredients. It makes about a cup of syrup and will keep for about a week in the refrigerator. It is just a nice size for you to feed all your pumpkin spice cravings!
It is perfect for enjoying spooned onto ice cream, and sundaes. For blitzing into milkshakes.
Drizzled over pancakes and yes, for those Pumpkin Spiced Lattes everyone is crazy about! (I make mine with hot chocolate as the church I belong to doesn't do coffee or black tea.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE SYRUP
I bet you have everything you need in the kitchen right now. Simple ingredients.
- granulated sugar (I use the organic because it is not as refined)
- soft light brown sugar
- warm baking spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg)
- water
- pumpkin puree
I am loving being back in the land of pumpkin again. In the UK pumpkin puree was always difficult to find, although it had become a lot easier to get my hands on it the past few years.
Most of the time I lived there I could only access it through an American Grocery Supply source and at a premium price. The last few years I was able to find it in a few grocery shops, but again, always at a premium price.
I think as more people demand it, it will lower in price and become much more available. Its a supply and demand thing. I was able to find it in Aldi a few times when I was there and Lidl. When I did see it, I tended to scoop it right up!
Pumpkin puree is one of those things that you never have any problem using up. I use it for things such as Spiced Pumpkin Spread (so good on biscuits and rolls), Impossible Pumpkin Pie (oh so tasty), Pumpkin Orange and Cranberry Bread, Pumpkin Pie Roll Ups, Pumpkin Streusel Cake, and Pumpkin Butterscotch Bread to name just a few of the pumpkin recipes I have shared on here through the years.
I have never had a Pumpkin Spiced Latte, but people say they are delicious. I have made a hot chocolate one, and have shared my version of that and the regular latte in the recipe notes below.
I have to say that the hot chocolate one was very tasty!
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE SYRUP
You might think it is a really difficult thing to make, but trust me, its really very easy. It is basically all in the timing.
Everything for the syrup basically gets stirred together in a saucepan and then heated to dissolve both of the sugars. It uses both white and brown sugars.
A quantity of water is added to them and then they are heated along with the warm baking spices and some pumpkin puree over medium heat until the sugars are completely dissolved and no longer feel gritty. I then let the mixture come to the boil.
You then reduce the burner temperature to a fast simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until it achieves the right consistency. If you think you have reduced/thickened it too much, it is a very simple process to add a bit of boiling water to it to thin it down to the right consistency.
You do need to stir it frequently to make sure it doesn't catch and burn. Nothing tastes worse than burnt sugar and it would taint the whole mixture.
There would be no coming back from that. None whatsoever.
This is really good as a sundae syrup. Spooned over vanilla ice cream and topped with candied pecans or walnuts, with perhaps a few ginger biscuit/cookies on the side.
Its also great on pumpkin pancakes or waffles. Just like you would any other pancake or waffle syrup.
I can promise you that you won't have any problem using it all up. You may even find yourself making more or even doubling the recipe so that you can gift a friend with a jar of it.
Happy Pumpkin Spice season!
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Yield: a generous cup (250ml)
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min
Fragrant spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves are happily married together in this delicious syrup which actually contains real pumpkin in it. It is easy to make and it tastes amazing. Check the recipe notes to find out how to make your own Pumpkin Spiced Latte.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) organic granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 TBS tinned pumpkin puree
- generous half cup (125ml) water
Instructions
- Measure all of the ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to the boil and then cook over medium low heat until both sugars have dissolved and you have a thin syrup.
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Pour into a clean, sterile jar. Tightly cover and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes:
To make a Pumpkin Spice Latte, heat 1 cup (240ml) milk with 2 TBS of the syrup in the microwave for about a minute and a half to two minutes. Pour into a blender and blitz until frothy. Alternately you can hand whisk it by hand or with an electric mixer until frothy. Pour into a large mug and top up with hot strong coffee or hot cocoa. Top off with a dollop of whipped cream and an additional drizzle of pumpkin spice syrup. Serve immediately.
You are probably asking yourself right now, what is a muffie? Its another word, modern slang, used to describe Muffin Tops.
Made famous by Panera Bread, muffies are just the tops of the muffins, which have long been held to be the most delicious part of any muffin.
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com
This Pumpkin Muffie recipe is the most delicious muffin top recipe you could ever want to bake and to eat. I kid you not.
I adapted the original recipe from a page entitled Lil Luna. The original recipe made a dozen muffin top. I can't possibly eat a dozen muffin tops and so I adapted the recipe to make only six.
Six beautiful pumpkin and spice flavored, cinnamon streusel topped muffin tops.
Moist and delicious from the pumpkin. Flavored with warm baking spices, but that is not all.
I also got two beautiful normal sized muffins. I dare to suggest that the original recipe makes more than twelve muffin tops when using a muffin top pan. I used the proper suggested measures in mine and had extra batter.
This batter I baked in two custard cups to make two additional muffins. Not a problem because my daughter and her husband are coming over this afternoon for an early Thanksgiving dinner, and I will probably gift them the muffins to take home with them when they leave.
I dare say nobody will complain. Every time I bake muffin tops I am reminded of the Seinfeld Episode about Muffin tops. Episode 21 of Season 8.
While eating the top off a muffin at J. Peterman's book signing, Elaine tells Mr. Lippman, who is publishing the book, that someone should open a store selling just the tops. Lippman, stealing her idea, starts a business called "Top of the Muffin to You!".
I won't spoil it for you by telling you the rest.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STREUSEL TOPPED PUMPKIN MUFFIN TOPS
I can almost guarantee you have everything you need to bake these muffin tops in your kitchen right now, except for maybe the pumpkin, which can be very easily picked up at the shops.
- all purpose flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- warm baking spices
- baking powder and soda
- salt
- canola oil
- eggs
- pumpkin puree
For the streusel topping:
- old fashioned oats
- flour
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- toasted walnuts
- melted butter
Don't worry if you don't have a muffin top tin. You can bake these on a baking sheet. Just be sure to line it with some baking parchment.
You also need to leave plenty of space in-between for the dough spreading a bit when baking. I dare say as well, if you want to you can bake the whole mix as muffins. You will probably get about 8 medium to large muffins. (Just a guess.)
HOW TO MAKE THE MUFFIN BATTER
This recipe varied a bit in how it is put together from the regular way of making muffin batter. You begin by mixing both sugars and the oil together in a bowl. It was quite thick. Make sure you mash any lumps in the brown sugar out.
Once you have blended them, you need to stir in the spices, soda and baking powder. This gets mixed together in a bowl first. Make sure you blend them really well together so that the leavening gets mixed evenly throughout.
Up to this point, it won't look like any muffin batter you have ever seen. This is all about to change when you beat in the egg and the pumpkin.
Make sure you use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same thing. Pumpkin puree is just cooked pumpkin, which has been drained and pureed and is quite thick.
The pie filling will have other things added to it.
These get blended in well and then you simply stir in the flour. I stirred it in just until it was evenly mixed with no floury streaks. As with any muffin a few lumps are quite acceptable and in fact desireable!
The muffin batter then gets spooned into the prepared pan (s). And the streusel gets sprinkled on top.
HOW TO MAKE THE CINNAMON OAT & NUT STREUSEL TOPPING
This is also very easy to make. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle the melted butter over top.
Mix everything together until you have a crumbly mixture, perfect for sprinkling.
Unless you are a total glutton you will probably have some leftover muffies to store. You can easily store them in an airtight container with some paper toweling in between the layers to absorb any moisture that might develop and make them soggy.
You can also freeze these, tightly wrapped, in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months. Simply thaw and warm in the microwave for about 15 seconds on high. Delicious!
You can also, likewise, freeze the leftover pumpkin from the tin. I place it into an airtight container and then pop it into the freezer ready to thaw out and use in my future baking endeavors.
Oh, I do so love the autumn when we can freely indulge ourselves in all things pumpkin and pumpkin spice, don't you?
Streusel Topped Pumpkin Muffies
Yield: Makes 6 muffies (plus 2 regular sized muffins)
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
These fabulous muffin tops are autumn favorites with lots of moist pumpkin goodness with a crunchy buttery sweet oat and toasted walnut streusel topping!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 3 fluid ounces (85ml) canola oil
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- scant cup (1/2 of a 15 ounce tin/212g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 3/4 (245g) cup plain all purpose flour
For the streusel topping:
- 4 TBS old fashioned oats
- 3 TBS flour
- 3 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 3 TBS finely chopped toasted walnuts
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 2 TBS butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter a six hole muffin top pan (see notes for alternative instructions), along with two medium muffin cups.
- Make the streusel topping by combining the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl with the nuts. Drizzle the melted butter over top and combine all together to give you a crumbly topping.
- Mix the spices, baking powder, soda and salt for the batter together in a small bowl.
- Whisk both sugars and the oil together in a bowl. Stir in the spice mixture, mixing well to combine. Beat in the egg and pumpkin puree until smooth. Stir in the flour just to combine.
- Spoon by heaped 1/4 cupsful into the prepared baking tin.
- Divide the remaining batter between the two muffin cups. Sprinkle a portion of the streusel topping over each. (You may not need it all.)
- Bake the muffin tops in the oven for 15 minutes until done and the tops spring back when lightly touched. The muffins will take about 20 minutes.
- Tip out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Delicious. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes:
If you don't have a muffin top pan you can still make these muffin tops. Line several baking sheets with baking paper. Drop the muffin batter onto the baking sheets by 1/4 cups full, leaving plenty of space in between. Bake time is the same.
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