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Archive for the ‘Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries’ Category

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , , , on May 21, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

Have you made a trip to your local farmer’s market yet this season? I have not, but I can’t wait. Maybe this weekend we’ll make our first trip there. Visiting the farmer’s market definitely makes me think of summer, and I am so looking forward to the summer months filled with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, days spent at the park and pool, and evenings spent relaxing outdoors. Plus there will be my summer break from teaching. I’m really ready for that, too. It will be nice to have more time to spend with the kids and to just not feel so rushed all of the time.

I wish I had made these muffins with fresh blueberries, but instead I made them with frozen because that’s what I had available. They are delicious either way, but frozen can’t compare to a plump, fresh juicy berry. I love to use Greek yogurt in my muffin batter because it provides a little tang and creaminess and helps keep the muffins moist. These Blueberry Yogurt Muffins have a hint of lemon, and are a treat for breakfast or a light snack.

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups (11 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (I like 2%)
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • Zest of 1 medium lemon (about 1 tsp.)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 8 tbsp. (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, milk, and lemon juice. Set aside.
  4. In another small bowl, use your fingers to blend the lemon zest with the sugar until fragrant.
  5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and lemon-sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.
  6. Add in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the yogurt mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. (The batter will be quite thick.) Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the blueberries.
  7. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling almost to the top. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen.

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Oatmeal Muffins with Apple

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , , , , on January 31, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Oatmeal Muffins with Apple_6551

Muffins, along with cookies, are one of my favorite things to bake. They’re easy to make and are perfectly portioned little morning snacks. My sister was searching for a healthy oatmeal muffin recipe, but having trouble finding what she wanted. I was excited for the challenge of creating an oatmeal muffin that was not only healthy but also crave-worthy.

I’m very happy with the way these muffins turned out, and my sister loved them too. You might think an oatmeal muffin would be dense or heavy, but these are neither. The muffins have a light texture and are filled with plenty of oats. I used applesauce to help keep the muffins moist, and this also allowed me to get away with only using ¼ cup of butter. I made a few batches of these, some with apple pieces and some without. They were delicious both ways, and would also be great with raspberries or blueberries.

Oatmeal Muffins with Apple

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

For the Muffins:

  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ cup (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup peeled apple, cut into ¼-inch pieces

For the Oat Streusel:

  • ½ cup oats
  • 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.
  2. Combine oats, applesauce, and milk in a medium bowl and set aside for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the muffins.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix on medium-low speed until well combined; mix in vanilla extract. Add in the oat mixture and mix until combined.
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low and add in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the apple pieces. Scoop muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 of the way full.
  6. To prepare the oat streusel, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Use your fingers to mix in the butter pieces until they are evenly distributed and the mixture clumps together. Sprinkle topping over the muffins.
  7. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then remove muffins to the wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen original.

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Blueberry Donut Muffins

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , , , , , on January 16, 2013 | 2 Comments »

blueberry donut muffins

Good morning! (or afternoon, or evening, as the case may be). Can I interest you in a muffin? How about a blueberry donut muffin? Drizzled with a sweet and tart lemon glaze? I thought so.

I’ve been stumbling upon recipes for donut muffins for a while now, and once I saw these lemon glazed blueberry donut muffins I couldn’t hold out any longer. I needed to find out what a donut muffin tasted like. I baked up a batch of my very own, whisked together the glaze ingredients, and dipped each muffin top into the glaze.

My first thought? These really smell like donuts. I don’t think the taste is all that similar to a donut, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious. Like donuts, these are light and tender on the inside, and both the blueberry and lemon flavors come through nicely. So although these may not satisfy your craving if what you really want is a donut, they are still a blueberry muffin worth making, especially fresh from the oven and dripping with sweet lemon glaze. Yum.

Blueberry Donut Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. warm water

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugars. Use your fingers to blend together the zest and sugars until fragrant.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the lemon sugar, butter, and canola oil until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
  5. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups nearly to the top.
  6. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are pale golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Place the muffin tin on a wire rack to let the muffins cool slightly before glazing.
  7. Meanwhile, mix up the glaze by whisking together all of the glaze ingredients until smooth.
  8. After the muffins have cooled in the pan for 5-10 minutes, dip each muffin top into the glaze and place on the wire rack. Once the glaze has hardened, you can either leave the muffins as they are or dip them a second time.
  9. Serve warm. Muffins will keep at room temperature, wrapped airtight, for about a day.  Stored in the refrigerator, they will keep for a few days.  (I froze some, and even though glazed muffins don’t generally freeze well, these were still delicious defrosted from the freezer.)

Source:  My Baking Addiction.

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Banana-Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, Snacks, tagged , , , , , on January 11, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

banana-apple cinnamon muffins, Kristine's Kitchen

The other day, I found myself with a bunch of ripe bananas in my fruit bowl. I have a number of different ways that I like to use up over-ripe bananas, but really wanted to try something new. I decided to whip up a batch of banana-apple cinnamon muffins, and I’m so glad I did!

These are my new favorite banana muffin. They are moist, full of the flavors of banana and cinnamon, and I just love the pieces of cooked apple that are scattered throughout the muffins. I ate one warm from the oven, and just had to have a second. I couldn’t resist. :)

I’ve made these muffins with both pink lady and granny smith apples, but I’m sure your favorite would work well too. A little Greek yogurt mixed into the batter does amazing things for the flavor and texture of the muffins, but if you don’t have any you could substitute regular plain yogurt or sour cream.

banana-apple cinnamon muffins, Kristine's Kitchen

Have I mentioned that I like to freeze my muffins right after cooling them so they stay fresher longer? Muffins make a perfect grab and go breakfast or snack, so I always try to have a stock of them in my freezer. These banana-apple cinnamon muffins are definitely going to be favored in my muffin baking rotation. I’m already scheming about how to acquire more over-ripe bananas so that I can make another batch.

Banana-Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup peeled apple, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 medium apple)

 Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, yogurt, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the mashed banana. With the mixer on medium-low speed, mix in the banana mixture until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in apple pieces.
  5. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake 15-20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen original.

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Pecan-Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Orange Glaze

Posted in Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , , on January 2, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

pecan sour cream coffee cake

Are you one to make New Year’s resolutions? I like to look at the new year as an opportunity to reflect on goals that I have for myself, rather than making strict resolutions. This year, when I think about what I’d like to accomplish, the theme is consistency. I’d like to consistently exercise at least 3 (well preferably 5 but I’m trying to be realistic :) ) times each week. I’d like to be more consistent with devoting time to this blog and posting regularly. Most importantly, I want to remember to enjoy each day, because although the individual moments of the day have their ups and downs, we need to cherish the time we spend with family and friends.

What do I not plan to do once 2013 is here? Stop baking delicious treats, because consistency also means balance and enjoying a little something sweet each day. This pecan-sour cream coffee cake was a great way to ring in the new year with something sweet. The pecans are toasted, finely ground, and then mixed into both the cake batter and a streusel layer throughout the middle of the cake. An orange glaze adds just the right touch of sweetness to finish off the coffee cake.

pecan sour cream coffee cake

Pecan-Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Orange Glaze

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients:

For the streusel:

  • 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup pecans, toasted, cooled, and ground fine*

For the cake:

  • 16 tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups sour cream
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup pecans, toasted, cooled, and ground fine

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • Zest of one orange
  • 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

  1. Make the streusel: Combine the flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Make the cake: Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray or grease with softened butter.
  3. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
  4. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pecans until combined. Add the butter pieces and half of the egg mixture and carefully beat on low speed until the mixture begins to come together, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining egg mixture, and beat on medium speed until the batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes (scrape down the sides of the bowl again as needed).
  5. Pour 5 cups of the batter into the prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to smooth the surface. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter and then cover with the remaining batter, spreading it evenly.
  6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 50-60 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then carefully invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
  7. Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, and orange juice together in a medium bowl. Using a fork or small whisk, drizzle the glaze over the cake. Enjoy!

*Note: You’ll also need 1/2 cup toasted, cooled, finely ground pecans for the cake batter. Be sure to toast them and grind them all at once to save time. A food processor works well for grinding the pecans; grind them until they are sandy and fine, but do not overprocess or they will form a paste and clump together.

**Make ahead note: The unglazed cake can be cooled completely, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 1 month. To serve, thaw the cake, still wrapped, at room temperature, then remove the plastic wrap and glaze.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Best of America’s Test Kitchen, 2007.

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , , on October 19, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Have you done any fall baking yet? I’ve been slow to get into the idea of fall being here this year, possibly because we’ve still been having lots of warm weather. We did have a few cool days last week, but now we’re back to temperatures in the 80′s. I’m fully enjoying the sunshine and warm mornings at the park while we still can.  Soon enough I’ll get to savor fall’s crisp air and rainy afternoons spent indoors with a cup of tea.

These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are the first treat I’ve baked with pumpkin this season. They do require a little more effort than most muffins because there are three components to mix up: the pumpkin batter, a cream cheese filling, and a streusel topping. The three different parts are what make these so exceptional, though, so it’s well worth the extra time in the kitchen. Be sure to plan ahead, as you’ll need to freeze the cream cheese filling for at least 2 hours before you can bake the muffins.

The muffins are perfectly spiced and the cream cheese filling is a sweet little surprise to complement the pumpkin muffin. One batch makes 24 muffins, and while that may seem like a lot, I recommend baking a full batch because these freeze really well, plus if you share a few you’ll make someone very happy. :)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:

For the cream cheese filling:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree (one 15 oz. can works well)
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

For the topping:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 5 tbsp. flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

  1. To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.
  2. To make the muffin batter, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.
  3. To make the streusel topping, combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
  4. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the streusel topping over each of the muffins.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Source: Annie’s Eats

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The Best (Healthy) Banana Blueberry Muffins

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , , on October 7, 2012 | 1 Comment »

I have a number of great blueberry muffin recipes that I turn to time and time again. But, since I love to try new recipes, I didn’t hesitate to try these banana blueberry muffins. They came with great reviews, plus I liked that they were a healthy version of a muffin, made with oats and whole wheat flour.

I enjoyed these every bit as much as I hoped I would. They are moist and tender with just the right amount of sweetness. The banana flavor is there but not overpowering, and I appreciate that the recipe calls for frozen blueberries, which I always have in my freezer.

The next time you go to bake a batch of blueberry muffins, I hope you will try these. They freeze well, making them an ideal breakfast snack to grab as you head out the door on a busy weekday morning.

One year ago:  Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

The Best (Healthy) Banana Blueberry Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used plain Greek yogurt)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup quick or regular oats
  • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 ripe bananas, lightly mashed
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 tsp. all-purpose flour

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, yogurt, and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. In a blender or food processor, process the oats until they are finely ground. Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt, and pulse a few times until combined.
  3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. Mix in the lightly mashed bananas. Stir in the milk and vanilla.
  4. Toss the blueberries with the 2 tsp. flour and then gently fold them into the batter. Divide batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, originally from Everyday Food.

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Strawberry Muffins

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , on August 10, 2012 | 1 Comment »

I love weekend mornings. This past Saturday, Julia and I were at the farmers’ market bright and early. There are a few different farmers’ markets in our area, and this time we went to the one in our local downtown. It’s small as far as farmers’ markets go, usually with only one or two vendors selling each type of fruit or vegetable.

We bought some strawberries that were perfectly ripe and sweet. They needed to be eaten quickly though, because they were so ripe they only lasted a few days. We probably could have finished them by snacking alone, but as I was drinking my coffee Sunday morning I got the urge to bake some muffins.

The batter for these muffins smells amazing. Once I smelled the batter, I couldn’t wait to taste the muffins. They are sweet and a little bit reminiscent of strawberry shortcake. Perfect with a cup of coffee, these strawberry muffins are a sweet little breakfast treat.

One year ago:  Banana Cinnamon Muffins and Blueberry Scones

Strawberry Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes about 20 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups plus 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • Generous 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (approximately 8 oz. by weight, after hulling)
  • Sugar, for sprinkling tops (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray or line with paper liners.
  2. Mix 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  5. Beat in half of the dry ingredients, followed by a third of the yogurt. Add the remaining dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the yogurt, until incorporated.
  6. Toss the strawberries with the remaining 1 tbsp. flour. Gently fold the strawberries into the batter. (The batter will be very thick.)
  7. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Sprinkle the tops lightly with sugar, if using.
  8. Bake for 8 minutes and then decrease the oven temperature to 375 and bake for about 12 more minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. The muffins are best eaten the day they are made, but are also good on the second day. They freeze well.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

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Baked Maple Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , , , , , on June 29, 2012 | 3 Comments »

A donut pan is one of those kitchen gadgets that always looked like it would be fun to own, but was probably not something that I would buy for myself. So I was super excited when I won a donut pan that Tracey was giving away on her blog! It arrived in the mail on Friday and I made my first batch of donuts on Sunday morning. They were really easy to make, and while they aren’t health food, they’re not too bad, either, since they’re baked and not fried. Thanks again, Tracey for the fun giveaway!

I made these maple donuts with cinnamon sugar and they turned out really good. I had actually bookmarked the recipe in the middle of the night while feeding William. Lately, I’ve been catching up on some blog reading during nighttime feedings. :) One night at 2:30 a.m., I saw this recipe and immediately craved one of these donuts. The maple flavor turned out to be really subtle, but I liked how I could taste the vanilla Greek yogurt that’s used in the batter. Since the donuts are baked, they are more like cake donuts, but with a much lighter texture than the cake donuts you buy at the store. I dipped my donuts twice in the cinnamon sugar and they ended up with just the right amount of sweet coating.

Making my own baked donuts at home was a fun way to begin my Sunday morning. I’m looking forward to trying out other recipes soon!

One year ago:  Peach and Raspberry Crumble

Baked Maple Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Printable Recipe

Makes 6 donuts

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 (6 oz.) container nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a wide, shallow bowl stir the cinnamon and sugar together. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, canola oil, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just incorporated. Do not overmix. (The batter will be thick.)
  4. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag (or resealable plastic bag and then snip off one corner). Pipe the batter evenly into the 6 wells of the pan, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake donuts for 8 to 10 minutes, until they’re golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the donuts to cool for just a minute or two before flipping them out onto the rack.
  5. When the donuts have cooled enough to handle (just another minute or two after you flip them out), working with one donut at a time, brush the top with melted butter and then dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture. The sooner you eat these donuts, the better they are, but they are still tasty for a day or two after baking.

Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

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Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Scones, and other Pastries, tagged , , on April 19, 2012 | 3 Comments »

As my due date approaches, my nesting instinct has kicked in, compelling me to organize, clean, and do other tasks around the house to get ready for baby. Maybe what they call nesting is real, or maybe it’s just a myth, but either way, over the past few weeks I’ve felt the need to clean out the refrigerator and freezer, organize my desk, update my photo albums, make sure my recipe binder is up-to-date, and keep the house clean and tidy. And that doesn’t include all of the getting-ready-for baby tasks that I’ve enjoyed doing, especially washing, folding, and putting away all of those cute little clothes, washcloths, blankets, and burpcloths. How come laundry is so fun when it’s in preparation for a new little bundle?

Besides cleaning and organizing, I think the nesting instinct is also making it really hard for me to resist baking. For someone like me who loves to bake, and share the treats I bake on the blog, there’s only so long I can hold out before I have to get into the kitchen. I chose this recipe because it makes small, portion-controlled muffins with some pretty healthy nutrition facts.

These muffins are made fully with whole wheat flour, have only 1/3 cup of sugar for all 12 muffins, and use very little butter. The muffins are loaded with banana flavor and are super moist, thanks to the banana and applesauce in the batter. A few dark chocolate chips are mixed in, too, and we’ve all heard how good dark chocolate is for you, right? ;)

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Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe medium bananas
  • 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 oz. (about 1/3 cup) dark chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.
  2. Mash bananas in a bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the egg and beat at medium speed. Add banana, apple sauce, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until well combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
  4. Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips; do not over mix.
  5. Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in muffin tin before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Slightly adapted from Skinnytaste.

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