Maple Yogurt Muffins with Pecans

Happy Thanksgiving!

My dad is in town for a couple of days for a nice, fun filled father/daughter vacation. I know he likes pecans and I wanted to make something we could bring to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. When I saw these muffins I knew I had a winner!

This recipe is also a good one for using up any leftover pecans from Thanksgiving baking.

And now for your enjoyment: A special something from my past. A Thanksgiving poem I wrote in 4th grade.

Thankful for the food we eat
Happy 'cause it's turkey meat.
Apples, bananas, grapes
None are for the apes.
King on high we praise thy name
So you love us all the same.
Giving us our food to eat.
In every room it's very neat.
Vistors coming now.
In the living room we eat the cow.
Nothing better than cherry pie.
God, I hope I never die!
(copyright Erika Beth 1992)

I hope you laughed a little at that and I hope your holiday is filled with tons of mirth and joy!

Maple Yogurt Muffins with Pecans (from and now for something Completely Delicious)

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup real maple syrup

1 cup plain yogurt

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup pecans, chopped and around 16 pecan halves for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or grease with butter and dust with flour.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook until browned, swirling the pan as necessary to promote even cooking. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the browned butter, maple syrup, yogurt, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar. baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the wet ingredients all at once and stir until just combined. Add the chopped pecans.

Fill the muffin pan with the muffin batter, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Top each with a pecan half. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12-16 muffins.

Bake well and prosper!