Enjoy a taste of The Firelight Inn, our Duluth, Minnesota bed and breakfast, right in your own home with our bed and breakfast recipes. Of course, the food tastes its very best when enjoyed in person at our B&B. Please come visit us soon, and see for yourself why guests keep returning again and again to The Firelight Inn.

Carrot Cake

I recently made my mom's recipe of Carrot Cake which follows.  The comments are always the same:  "This is the best carrot cake I have ever eaten!"  Enjoy and share!

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs (room temperature and slightly beat)
2 cups shredded carrots
8 ounces crushed pineapple (drained)
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans (reserve 1/2 cup for sides of frosted cake)
3/4 cup sweetened coconut

Blend the dry ingredients separately from the eggs and oil.  Stir all together.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes in a 9 x 13 greased and floured cake pan.

Frosting: 
1 brick cream cheese (room temperature)
1 stick butter (softened)
1 1/4 teaspoon orange peel
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Blend together and frost cake and enjoy!

The Governor's Peach Pudding

2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
2 cans (1 pound each) sliced peaches, drained and cut into small chunks
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the first five ingredients. Fold in the peaches and pour the batter into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with nuts and raisins. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let the pudding cool slightly and serve in small bowls. Yields 8 servings. This recipe is originally from The Governor's Inn in Ludlow, VT.

Double Orange Scones with Orange Butter

Scones
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar, divided
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped mandarin orange segments, drained
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk

Orange Butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp. orange marmalade

Scones: Combine flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder and orange peel. Using pastry blender, cut butter until texture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in orange segments, milk and egg; mix with fork just until soft dough forms. On floured surface, knead dough lightly 10 times. Roll or pat dough to form 6" circle on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. sugar. Cut into 8 wedges, separating slightly. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Orange Butter: Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in marmalade. Serve with warm scones. 

Pecan Zucchini Bread

2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup loosely packed shredded zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
1 cup Post Selects Great Grains Raisins, Dates, Pecans Whole Grain Cereal
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs, oil and vanilla in a large bowql with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in sugar. Add zucchini and cereal and mix well. Let stand five minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and pecans. Add to cereal mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spread into 8 x 4-inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. 

No-Bake Date Squares

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 (8 oz. package) chopped dates
1 (1 oz.) square semi-sweet baking chocolate
3 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar

Combine butter, brown sugar, dates and baking chocolate in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened (8 to 10 minutes). Stir in all remaining ingredients except powdered sugar. Pour mixture into lightly greased 9-inch square pan. Let stand 2 hours before cutting. Cut into one inch squares. Roll squares in powdered sugar. Makes 81 squares. Tip: serve date squares in small paper or foil cups.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt
grated zest of one orange
1 large egg
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/ cup milk
½ cup fresh orange juice
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
1/ cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 10 standard muffin cups with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Stir together flour, sugars, baking powder salt and zest. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk and orange juice until blended. Add to the dry ingredients; stirring just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Fold in the cranberries and nuts just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim of the cup. Bake until golden, dry and springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Makes 10 muffins.

Ham and Cheese Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

3 cups frozen hash browns, thawed and squeezed dry in paper towels
1 Tbsp. Melted butter
1 tsp. Emeril’s Original Essence
½ plus 1/8 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups half-and-half
1/4 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
4 ounces baked ham, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round glass pie pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine potatoes, butter, Essence, and 1/8 tsp. salt and toss to combine. Add the Parmesan and toss to combine. Press the potato mixture into the prepared pan, spreading with your fingertips to evenly cover the bottom and up the sides. Bake until the potatoes are set and golden brown about 22 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the half-and-half, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the Swiss cheese and ham, stir, and pour into the prepared potato crust. Bake until the center of the custard is set but still slightly soft, puffed and golden brown about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. Slice and serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cheese Danish Muffins

1 package 4 oz softened cream cheese
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk
½ cup melted margarine
1 Tsp. Grated lemon zest
2 ½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
3 ½ Tsp. Baking powder
1 Tsp. Salt

In a bowl cream together cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice. Set aside. In another bowl, beat egg lightly with a fork; add milk, margarine and zest. In another bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg mixture; stir until blended. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling half full. Place 1 Tbsp. Cheese mixture over each; top with remaining batter. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.