Blueberry Muffins

It’s that time of year when I start getting anxious to get some fresh, local fruits and vegetables.  Unfortunately living up north, we still have a wait before we’ll see any of those.  Luckily, I still am working though my stash of frozen blueberries from last season.  Hopefully I can time it so I run out of them just as I am able to get some more. 

You almost can’t get any better than a fresh blueberry muffin.  These are topped with a simple mixture of lemon zest/sugar.  So fresh and delicious and full of blueberry flavor – you would never know they were frozen blueberries.   Enjoy!

Ingredients

Lemon-Sugar Topping

• 1/3 cup sugar
• finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Muffins

• 2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1 1/8 cups sugar plus 1 tsp.
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Rinse remaining cup berries under cold water and dry well.

5. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Toss dried blueberries in flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture into blueberries and flour mixture until just moistened.

6. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

7. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Cooks Illustrated

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Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

I feel so lucky that a Penzeys spice shop opened up in my area – and even more so that its close enough to my work to run over there during my lunch break.  Penzeys fans will know that they send great coupons with their catalogs and all of their spices are top quality.  Recently they gave out a large jar of their cinnamon-sugar mix.  Aside from having a nice piece of cinnamon toast or topped on oatmeal, I was itching to bake something with it.   These muffins were the perfect easy muffin and really showcased the cinnamon sugar.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 2/3 cup sugar & 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon mixed together (or a cinnamon-sugar mix)
• 6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

3. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.

4. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.  Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

7. Put the melted butter in another small bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly, then tap it to remove excess sugar. Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack. Repeat with the remaining muffins. Let cool completely before serving.

Source: Williams-Sonoma

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Lemon Poppy seed Muffins

You can’t go wrong with a basic lemon poppy seed muffin.  These are just a little bit better with the addition of a lemon glaze on top.   I made these in my mini-muffin pan, but they work just as well regular sized.  I’ve actually made these a few times already – just never gotten around to blogging them.  It think its finally time to change that!

Ingredients

For the muffins

• 2/3 cup sugar
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

For the icing

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2-3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups (or use a mini muffin pan, it will make at least 24 mini muffins). 

2. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong.  Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

3. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter together until well blended.

4. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend.  Don’t worry about being thorough - a few lumps are better than over mixing the batter.  Stir in the poppy seeds.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (10 to 12 for mini muffins), or until the tops are golden and a thick knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.  Cool the muffins completely on the rack before icing them.

6. To make the icing: Put the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice.  Stir with a spoon to moisten the sugar, then add enough additional lemon juice, a dribble at a time, to get an icing that is thin enough to drizzle from the tip of the spoon.  You can then drizzle lines of the icing over the tops of the muffins or coat the tops entirely.

Source: Baking: From My Home To Yours, by Dori Greenspan  pages 10 & 11

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Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Muffins

It’s pumpkin time!  I still have a few cans of pumpkin I hoarded from last year – so I see lots of pumpkin treats in my future.   Luckily pumpkin not only makes baked goods super moist – its good for you too! 

See the pumpkin in the background – its actually a glass pumpkin that I made while visiting the Corning Museum of Glass recently.  Well, I helped make it – it wouldn’t have turned into a pumpkin had I not blown into it to create the shape.  I highly recommend a visit to this museum if you are in the Upstate New York area – lots of interesting displays and interactive demos.  I can’t believe it took me so long to actually go there considering its not that far away from Buffalo. 

Here’s a close-up of my masterpiece   

And the insides of the muffins (made with real pumpkin –not a glass one) – the pecans really helped with the texture contrast – the muffins were so soft and moist that the crunch of the nuts are perfect.

Happy Fall!

Ingredients

Bread:

• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Topping:

• 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. toasted pecan pieces (taken from pecans above)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the pecans on a baking sheet, and toast them in the oven for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chop the pecans coarsely. Set aside 3 Tbsp. of the toasted pecans for the topping.  Keep the oven on the same temperature for the muffins.

2. Grease 12 standard-size muffin cups with butter or nonstick spray.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, pumpkin and water, and whisk until combined.

4. Stir in the flour, baking soda, spices and salt just until combined.  Gently stir in the 5 Tbsp. of pecan pieces.  Divide evenly among the muffin cups (I was able to get 10 muffins)

5. To make the topping: Stir together the sugar, butter, cinnamon and the reserved 3 Tbsp. of pecan pieces in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle the topping evenly over the muffins before baking.

6. Bake the muffins for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source: Ezra Pound Cake

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Morning glory Muffins

I get quite a few cooking magazines in the mail – and even though I read a ton of food blogs – I love sitting down and flipping through my latest Cook’s Country, Cooks Illustrated or Everyday Food magazine.   These muffins immediately caught my attention – not only because of their appealing name – they are chock full of tons of things I love.  They have carrots, coconut, apple, pineapple, walnuts and raisins.   I also feel that a food processor is a must with this recipe – or else you will be doing a lot of chopping and shredding on your own.  I am not lying even with the food processor – these muffins do take quite a bit of prep work to get made, they are surprisingly involved for a muffin.  Luckily they came out super moist and really flavorful – definitely worth making your morning glorious by eating one! 

Ingredients

• 3/4 sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple
• 1 Granny smith apple, peeled, cored and shredded
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (2-3 medium sized)
• 1 cup golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

2. Toast coconut in a dry skillet on medium heat until golden brown.  Place in food processor.  Then toast walnuts in same skillet until toasted.  Place in food processor.

3. Process coconut and walnuts until finely ground.  Add flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and pulse to combine.   Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

4. Shred apple in now empty food processor (with shredding blade) and set in a large fine-mesh strainer set over a liquid measuring cup.   Add pineapple to strainer.  Press fruit dry – juice should measure about 1 cup.   Bring juice to a boil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat and reduce until 1/4 cup.  Let cool slightly.

5. Combine juice with melted butter, eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine. 

6. Shred carrots in now empty food processor (with shredding blade).

7. Combine wet and dry ingredients until just combined.  Add in pineapple-apple mixture, carrots and raisins. 

8. Divide evenly into muffin cups.  Bake for 24-28 minutes until toothpick comes out clean when pressed in the center of a muffin.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then cool completely on wire rack.  

Source: Cook’s Country April/May 2011

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Coffeecake Muffins

I am a sucker for a good crumb topping – put it on anything and I’ll enjoy it (well, maybe not everything).  These ingenious muffins – not only have the perfect crumb topping – it is also mixed throughout the batter.  Why did I not think of this myself?   Making these also reminded me that I haven’t made my favorite coffee cake recipe in forever – so I really need to get on that stat! 

The other thing that I loved about these is that they are entirely made in the food processor.  You first make the crumb topping and then the rest of the batter – no dirtying both the food processor and mixer.  And less dirty dishes is definitely a win-win in my book. 

So grab your morning (afternoon or evening) cup of coffee and enjoy these muffins.  I know I sure did.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces and softened
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
2. Process nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in food processor until nuts are the size of sesame seeds, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and set aside.
3. Return bowl and metal blade to food processor, add flour, granulated sugar, and salt and process until combined, about five 1-second pulses.
4. Sprinkle butter evenly over flour mixture and process until butter is oat-sized, about eight 1-second pulses.  Remove 1 cup of the flour-butter mixture and stir with fork into reserved brown sugar mixture until combined to make streusel.
5. Set aside 3/4 cup of streusel for muffin batter and remaining portion for topping muffins.
6. Add baking powder and baking soda to remaining flour mixture in food processor bowl and process until combined, about five 1-second pulses.
7. Whisk together sour cream, egg, and vanilla; add to flour mixture. Process until batter is just moistened, about five 1-second pulses.
8. Add 3/4 cup reserved streusel to flour mixture and process until just distributed throughout batter, about five 1-second pulses.
9. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups and sprinkle with streusel, pressing lightly so that streusel sinks slightly into batter.
10. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with several crumbs clinging to it, about 18 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffin tin on wire rack for 2 minutes, then remove and cool on wire rack until ready to serve.
Source: Cook’s Illustrated as seen on Amber’s Delectable Delights
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Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

 

Sometimes my husband asks me to make treats for some of the groups he works with and I don’t always get enough advance notice to plan ahead.  So I have to try to figure out what I make with what I have already in my pantry.  Luckily I am well stocked in the pumpkin department – since I bought an excessive amount when it was finally back on the store shelves.   And I always keep craisins around to add to my salads.  So this combination of pumpkin and cranberry was absolutely perfect – and the muffins were soft and so delicious.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

makes 18 regular sized muffins

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• Cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. 

3. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Add 1 cup canned pumpkin, milk and eggs; mix until just moistened.

5. Spoon into greased or paper-lined cupcake pans, filling 2/3 full and top with cinnamon sugar.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: adapted from This way to his heart

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Concord Grape Muffins

My family has a problem – we cannot pass up a deal.  We recently went to a local  “Grape Festival” – which was super lame and there were no grapes for sale!?!  So on our way home we were determined to find some local Concord grapes, which are in season now – and are only found for a short window of time.  So when we asked the man at this roadside farm stand we passed how much it cost for the large bushel of grapes – and he said “$10” – we were SOLD!     This above photo may not look too imitating – but we split this bushel between four people and I still ended up with 28 cups of Concord grapes, when all was said and done!  It didn’t help that I ended up with the basket and everything that was left for the sole reason of “Well, Christine – you like to cook – so you’ll figure out what to do with them”. 

If you’ve never had a Concord grape – you are really missing out.  They are a true grape flavor and are unbelievably delicious.  The problem is that there are little itty bitty seeds inside – so you have to either remove the skins and cook the pulp and strain out the seeds OR slice them in half and pick out the seeds.   Either way, they do require a bit of prep before you can use them.  Luckily I have experience, since I’ve been making grape pies for several years.  So in addition of two batches of grape pie filling (that I have in my freezer for Thanksgiving), I made several other goodies – since I was determined not to let a single grape go to waste.  And these muffins were the biggest surprise for me – they were super simple to make – and so delicious.  I cannot wait to make them again.     

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 cup whole milk
• 8 ounces halved and seeded concord grapes
• 2 tsp. coarse sugar, for sprinkling tops

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º F. Line 12 standard size muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. Add butter and using a pastry blender, or your fingers, blend until it forms a sandy-looking mixture.

4. Pour in the milk and stir, using a wooden spoon, until just mixed and there are no visible traces of flour.

5. Gently fold in the grapes. Spoon into the prepared muffin tins and sprinkle tops with an even amounts of coarse sugar.

6. Bake 20 minutes, until tops are golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean (it's okay if there's grape jam on it). Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Source: In Jennie’s Kitchen

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Zucchini Muffins

Well, apparently it is zucchini week on my blog since my post yesterday used zucchini and so does my post for tomorrow :)

These muffins are the perfect way to use up some zucchini – you could also make this into a bread – but I like muffins better for convenience.  They bake quicker and are easier to eat too.   There is some lemon zest in this recipe – which really imparts some fresh flavor – so definitely don’t cut that out!  Enjoy one of these before summer is over in a few weeks!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pound zucchini, washed and dried, ends and stems removed, cut in half lengthwise and seeded if using large zucchini, each half cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped coarse
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Grease the bottom and sides of 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.

3. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the zucchini and 2 tablespoons of the sugar until the zucchini is coarsely shredded, twelve to fifteen 1-second pulses.

4. Transfer the mixture to a fine-mesh strainer set at least 2 inches over a bowl and allow to drain for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a cooling rack and cool completely. Transfer the nuts to a large bowl; add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until combined. Set aside.

6. Whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and melted butter in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.

7. After the zucchini has drained, squeeze the zucchini with several layers of paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

8. Stir the zucchini and the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened.  Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.

9. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least one hour before serving.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated via The Way the Cookies Crumbles

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Peach Blueberry Streusel Muffins

I have been blogging over 9 months and I have yet to introduce any recipes using my favorite food item – fresh, local, peaches.  The key word is local – since peaches are pretty much inedible otherwise.  So I have to wait all year until the end of July/beginning of August rolls around and I can finally indulge in the tastiest fruit on the planet!  So now that peach season is in full swing – I have been enjoying them in my yogurt every morning for breakfast and I have begun using them in as many recipes as possible.  So every Friday until I run out of time and peach season is over – I am going to share a new recipe using my favorite ingredient. 

First up, are these peach blueberry streusel muffins.  Wow – they were delicious and so easy to whip up.  I love muffins with a streusel topping and peaches and blueberries go really well together!  Enjoy! 

Ingredients

(makes 10 muffins)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted & cooled
• 2 Tbsp. buttermilk
• 1 medium sized peach, pitted & chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Streusel topping:

• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 Tbsp. cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. 

2. Coat 10 muffin tins with baking spray or line cups using liners.

3. Combine all dry ingredients, flours through cinnamon in a large bowl.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt and eggs together.

5. Gently fold the yogurt-egg mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the melted butter, chopped peaches and blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

6. To make the streusel topping: In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in pecans.

7. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.

8. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffins comes out clean, approximately 25-30 minutes.

9. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Delish

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Maple Syrup Pancake Muffins

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for awhile – I mean a pancake in a muffin cup – why didn’t I think of this?!  It’s ingenious!  I made two types of these – blueberry and mini chocolate chip.  I can’t decide which one I liked better.   These are perfect for a quick breakfast-to-go or for a nice brunch.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

makes 12 standard muffins

• 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

For the Maple Glaze: 

• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan.  The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that.  Remove from heat at this point and let cool slightly.

3. Whisk milk, egg, yolk, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined.  Add the brown butter and stir to combine.

4. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl  Add milk and butter mixture all at once and stir gently to combine.

5. Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly.

6. Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.

7. While the muffins are baking make the maple glaze. 

8. In a small saucepan simmer maple syrup and lemon juice, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick syrup.  This will take about 15 minutes over a low flame. 

9. Remove from heat and wait for the muffins to finish baking.  When muffins are out of the oven and cool enough to handle, poke a few holes in the muffin top with a toothpick.  Brush glaze on top of each muffin and repeat until you use all of the glaze.

Source: adapted from Joy the Baker

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Double Chocolate Butterscotch Muffins

If you can’t tell already from reading my blog - I really love to bake.  And if you are also a baker you know – sometimes you just get the urge to bake and absolutely nothing you can do will stop you.  After I saw this recipe on one of my very favorite cooking websites (the kitchn), I had to make them that very same night.   Especially since I already had all of the ingredients I needed in my kitchen.  My gut instinct was right – they muffins were absolutely delicious.  I am still thinking about them – and I want to make them again soon – they are a perfect way to start your morning off right!

 

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line muffin cups (I had enough batter for 16 muffins) with papers liners.

2.  Melt butter in a small microwaveable bowl and allow to sit and cool slightly while you combine the other ingredients.

3.  Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to combine, breaking up any extra-large clumps of brown sugar.

4.  Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl (including melted butter), adding vinegar last. Stir quickly to combine and add to dry mixture. Stir mixture with a wooden spoon until the wet and dry ingredients come together.

5.  Add in the chocolate and butterscotch chips and stir to distribute. Using a large cookie scoop, divide batter between the 16 muffin cups.

6.  Bake for 17 minutes until tops of muffins lose their shine and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Source: the Kitchn

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English Muffins

Who knew that homemade english muffins were so easy to make!  Not really any more difficult than any other yeast bread recipe.  My husband and I both really enjoyed these - I made a ham/egg/cheese sandwich with mine and he likes just butter on his.  Any way you cut it - these will surely brighten up your morning routine.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
• 1 Tbsp. butter (at room temperature)
• 3/4 – 1 cup milk (at room temperature)
• cornmeal for sprinkling

Directions

1. In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  Mix in the butter and 3/4 cup of the milk.  Add the remaining milk if the dough is too dry.

2. Switch to the dough hook and knead over med-low for about 6 -8 minutes. 

3. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and roll to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour or until doubles in size.

4. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls.  Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray or lightly coat with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Move the dough balls to the baking sheet evenly spaced apart (giving them room to rise more). Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for another hour.

5. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F and heat up a skillet on medium heat on the stovetop.  

6. Brush the skillet with oil and gently transfer the dough balls to the skillet three at a time.  Allow them to cook on the skillet for 5-8 minutes, until the bottoms are nicely browned.  Carefully flip and cook the other side for about 5-8 minutes more. They should flatten as they cook.

7. When the muffins look as if they are about to burn, remove them from the skillet with a spatula and transfer quickly to a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 5-8 minutes. Do not wait until all of the muffins have been cooked on the skillet before moving them to the oven – as the first batch is baking, move the second batch of muffins to the skillet.

8. Transfer the baked muffins to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

Source: Peter Reinhart - The Bread Bakers Apprentice

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Pina Colada Muffins

I had three very ripe bananas ready to be used and I didn't want to make the ordinary banana muffin or bread so I stumbled upon this recipe.  These muffins were delectable!  I loved the combination of banana, pineapple and coconut on top!  I ate one of these every morning for breakfast for a week and they still tasted moist and delicious by the end of the week.   This is definitely a recipe that I will be making again - hopefully soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. rum
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup crushed pineapple
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• sweetened shredded coconut -for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, rum and mix to combine. 

3. Add the bananas, pineapple and eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.

4. In a separate bowl combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix only until combined.  

6. Gently fold in toasted pecans.

7. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin tins and top each with a sprinkle of coconut. 

8.  Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean in the center of a muffin.

9. Cool in pan for 5 minutes - then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Adapted from Cathlin Cooks 

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Apple Cinnamon Butterscotch Muffins

I was in the baking mood one evening - and I could not stop thinking about these muffins once I saw them on Annie's Eats.  I realized I had all of the ingredients on-hand except for the dried apples for on top - so I just decided to slice an apple really thin with a mandolin and it worked out great.   My husband brought these to a group he was working with the next morning - and they were a huge hit!  I can't wait to make them again - they are the perfect mid-morning snack on a chilly day (but hopefully the chilly days will end soon!!)!

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup old-fashioned oats
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup applesauce
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup butterscotch chips
• ¾ cup chopped apples
• 1/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped 

For topping (optional):

• Dried apple slices (or thinly sliced apples) 
• Cinnamon-sugar

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Spray 2 muffins pans lightly with cooking spray (total of 18-20 muffins) Set aside.  [I used paper liners - but I found the muffins stuck to the paper - so next time I will just cook these directly in the pan]
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix lightly with a fork to blend. Stir in the oats. 

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and smooth, 1-2 minutes. 

4. Beat in the applesauce, eggs and vanilla extract until incorporated. 

5. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and beating just until incorporated. 

6. Fold in the butterscotch chips, apples, and toasted pecans with a rubber spatula. 

7. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. 

8. If desired, press an apple slice into the top of the batter in each cup. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar. 

9. Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from  Sugar Plum

 

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Chocolate Chip Muffins

We love chocolate chips in anything.   These are some really easy, moist muffins that are quick to pull together at the last minute.  And they make a great mid-morning snack.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk (I used skim)
  
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Line 16 muffin tins with paper liners.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together with a whisk. 

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. 

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition. 

6. Mix in the vanilla until well blended.  

7. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Add the milk and mix until just combined.  Mix in the rest of the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. 

8. Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.

9. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin liners.  

10. Bake for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

11. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

As seen on Annies Eats  , originally from Williams Sonoma


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