Apple Coffee Cake & Pepper Jack Muffins + {Gooseberry Patch Hometown Christmas Giveaway}

Today I have another tasty review and giveaway for y'all.  If you're looking for a festive holiday cookbook packed full of Christmas recipes, then Hometown Christmas is for you. This beautiful homespun cookbook has everything you need to get you through the holiday baking season.

Christmas is my favorite time of year especially for cooking and baking. Christmas is the time of year when I think back to when I was a little girl and all the holiday recipes my mom made every year.

Hometown Christmas is packed with over 200 scrumptious recipes and heart warming memories of Christmas at H♥ME.

Grab a mug of cider or hot chocolate and curl up and enjoy 7 delicious chapters of this festive cookbook!

1. Breakfast with Santa
2. Sledding Party Warmers
3. Old-Fashioned Christmas Dinner
4. Open House ....You're Invited
5. Tree Trimming Treats
6. Slow-Cooker Comfort Food 
7. Come Home For Christmas

You can also visit the Gooseberry Patch You Tube Channel and see 7 Hometown Christmas recipes prepared by Vickie and Jo Ann themselves. I can't wait to try the Hearty Pizza Soup and the Scalloped Potatoes & Ham. Gooseberry Patch also has a Pinterest board with more wonderful recipes from Hometown Christmas. Click the Pinterest link above and follow along. 

 

Now it's time for me to share the recipes that I tried from Hometown Christmas. The first recipe was for this delicious Apple Coffee Cake from Chapter One. This recipe comes from Robin Horst in Virginia Beach, VA. 

Robin says that her Grandma Helen made this coffee cake every year when she came to visit. You can use apple, pineapple or even peach pie filling. I found that this coffee cake taste even better the second day around. 

Grandma Helen's Apple Coffee Cake

1 - 18 oz package yellow cake mix
3 - eggs, beaten
1 - 21 oz can apple pie filling
1 - teaspoon vanilla extract
1 - cup all purpose flour
1 - cup sugar
1/2 - cup butter

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. In a bowl combine dry cake mix, eggs, vanilla and pie filling: mix well. Pour batter into two 9x5 inch loaf pans sprayed with non stick spray. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar and butter. Blend with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. cool; remove from pans. Keep well wrapped. Recipe yields: 2 loaves.

The recipe states to bake the coffee cake in two 9x5 inch loaf pans. I use one large loaf pan and used the remaining batter to make mini coffee cake loaves for gift giving. Just wrap in clear sacks and attach a ribbon and a gift tag. I also added a mini ornament to add a festive touch. This coffee cake freezes very well.

Second on the list was these yummy Pepper Jack Corn Muffins pictured above. A pan full of these warm muffins pairs wonderfully with your favorite chili or taco soup. I baked my muffins in my cast iron popover pan, because besides popovers it also makes wonderful cornbread muffins. This recipe was submitted by Vickie herself.

Pepper Jack Corn Muffins

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 - teaspoon salt
1/4 - teaspoon baking soda
2 - eggs, beaten
3/4 - cup sour cream
1/4 - cup vegetable or canola oil
1 - 14 oz can creamed corn
3/4 - cup shredded pepper jack cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, salt and baking soda: set aside In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, creamed corn and 1/2 cup cheese; add to the cornmeal mixture. Stir with fork just until moistened. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups filling 2/3 full. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes until golden brown. Recipe yields 12 muffins.

I couldn't imagine the holiday season without a Gooseberry Patch Holiday Cookbook in my kitchen. Not only do they have fabulous recipes, but their cookbooks also include so many affordable craft and gift ideas sprinkled throughout the cookbook. I have so many simple ideas saved that I can't wait to try. 

Hometown Christmas is available at
Gooseberry Patch, Amazon, Walmart, Cracker Barrel and various other retailers.   

Hometown Christmas Cookbook Giveaway

In addition to providing me with a cookbook to preview, Gooseberry Patch also gave me a second copy to use in a giveaway to one lucky Mommy's Kitchen Reader. 

1. To enter the giveaway just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite Christmas recipe that reminds you of Home. (mandatory entry)
2. For a Bonus entry tweet the following (leave a separate comment): Stop by @mommyskitchen to win a copy of Hometown Christmas from @gooseberrypatch. #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/lvqkasc

Contest is open to US & Canadian Residents only due to shipping charges. I will choose one random winner using random.org. If you post a anonymous comment please leave your email address in your comment, so I can contact you in the event that you're the winner. Contest begins today 12-22-13 and ends of 12-31-13. I will contact the winner by email. Winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Gooseberry Patch. I was provided with a copy of Hometown Christmas for purpose of this review as well as a second copy to use in a reader giveaway. All opinions stated above are 100% entirely my own.