Pumpkin Week: Pumpkin Muffins

Day four of pumpkin week and the baking continues. The fact that I have a week's worth of pumpkin recipes is very telling of how things have been in my life lately. I am a stress baker and I bake a lot when I am stressed and need to relax. Last week was one of the most stressful weeks for me; I had cranky children, a bad attitude about school, and was driving all around Miami for my internship. Baking gave me about 30 minutes of peace each day. This week has been better so my baking has toned down a bit but I have still managed to bake twice this week.

Now, these muffins. I wanted a pumpkin muffin, but I wanted a healthy pumpkin muffin. I also wanted something that combined banana and pumpkin. I came across this recipe and tweaked it a bit. The muffins could have been a little sweeter, but topped it with some honey butter made them taste much better. This was a good muffin, but it wasn't the type of muffin you eat when you want a sweet fix. Good thing I have six cans of pumpkin puree so I can keep tweaking the recipe until I get it just right.

 

Day 1: Pumpkin Bread

Day 2: Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Day 3: Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Muffins
Source: Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
Makes 8 muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp allspice

1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 Tbsp dark brown sugar 

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg white, slightly beaten

2 Tbsp canola oil

Extra oatmeal, for sprinkling on muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 8 muffin cups with paper cups or spray with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl mix flour, oatmeal, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a separate bowl combine pumpkin, mashed banana, brown sugar, almond milk, egg white and oil. Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full so that each is even. Sprinkle a tiny bit of oatmeal over each top of the muffins. Place into the oven and bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean.
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Guest Post: Gluten-Free Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

Eating gluten-free can be a challenge at times. If you're new to things, it can take some getting used to. However, there is no reason that a gluten-free lifestyle should mean boring meals or difficult recipes. This blubbery corn muffin recipe is easy to do and very versatile. Change out the blueberries for cranberries and add two extra tablespoons of sugar, or replace the blueberries with three fourths of a cut of raspberries (my personal favorite). Make these fresh and delicious muffins for a tasty gluten-free breakfast or save them for an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons tapioca flour (plus 2 more tablespoons for dusting the pan)
1 and ¼ cups finely ground yellow cornmeal (the finer the ground, the more moist and tender
your muffins will be)
2/3 cup while rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 and ½ teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
4 large eggs
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries (around 5 ounces)

For equipment, you will need a muffin pan with 12 cups

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and position the rack in the lower third of your oven. This will ensure that your muffins are evenly cooked and that the tops do not burn. Butter the muffin pan and lightly dust each space with tapioca flour, brushing off any excess flour that is on the pan.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all of the dry ingredients, including the tapioca flour, cornmeal, rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, in a medium sized bowl mix together the butter, milk, maple syrup, and four eggs.

With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the already mixed wet ingredients into the mixed dry ingredients. Continue to mix these components until everything is fully combined. Now, gently fold the blueberries (or whatever other berry you chose) into the mixture.

Now fill each muffin cup (after it has been buttered and dusted with flour) with batter until they are each about ¾ of the way full. Place in preheated oven and bake until tops are domed up and feel springy when you touch them (obviously use caution touching hot muffin tops). Stick a toothpick in the center of a muffin and see if it comes out clean without any batter residue. If the toothpick is clean, your muffins are likely ready. The baking time should be around 15 minutes, but can vary depending on your individual oven. Let muffins cool in the pan for at least five minutes and then remove from pan.

Enjoy!

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

TWD: Corniest Corn Muffins

I'll keep things short and simple. I love this week's selection. This is the first corn muffin I've made from scratch that I actually plan on making again. It was delicious and perfectly corny. Because I like my corn muffins sweet, I added creamed corn instead of the kernels since I find creamed corn to be sweeter in taste.

Thanks to Jill of My Next Life for making this week's selection. Make sure to go to her blog for the recipe and to head over to the TWD site so you can read up on everyone else's reactions to these muffins.

Banana Ricotta Muffins

One of the things I love about baking is its use of ingredients that have passed the normal eating stage. A prime example of this is bananas. I love them and Cati adores them but there is always one or two bananas that go beyond the point of eating with enjoyment. These bananas are too ripe and mushy to eat but just right for baking. I usually make a banana bread but I came across this recipe for Banana-Ricotta Muffins and thought they would be perfect for breakfast. The muffins were delicious and addictive. The ricotta makes the muffins really light and moist. I think I just might want to add ricotta to every banana thing I bake from now on.

Banana-Ricotta Muffins
Source: Adapted from The Chubby Vegetarian
Makes about 18 muffins

2 large bananas, mashed
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3-4 Tbsp raw sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cupcake/muffin pan with liners.

In a large bowl mash the bananas. Add the milk, ricotta cheese, canola oil, vanilla, and sugars. Combine using a hand mixer.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the banana mixture and combine until well mixed. Stir in walnuts.

Pour batter into cupcake/muffin pan. Sprinkle each muffin with raw sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Serve and enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

You will have to take my word when it comes to this recipe because I messed up when it came to taking pictures of these muffins. The one muffin I set aside to be my model just happened to be the one muffin that only had THREE blueberries in it and by the time I went to take pictures of it, all the other muffins were long gone. All the other muffins were loaded with blueberries and were deliciously tart. The one thing I learned from this blueberry-lacking muffin is that the base is perfect for the addition of other fruits.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins
Source: Allrecipes.com (here)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
\1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

A Real Winner: Banana Muffins

I don't remember the last time I made something that had as good of a reception as these muffins. Everyone loved them and everyone wanted seconds (and thirds and fourths). These babies tasted like a banana bread in muffin form but better. The main problem I have with banana bread is that it has to be eaten quickly before it gets sticky. Does that happen to anyone else? The top of my bread gets sticky if we haven't eaten the bread within a day. That didn't happen here. The sugar topping sealed the muffin and made this muffin all the more sweet and it added a bit of crunch. I added walnuts because I love the combination of walnuts and bananas and this added another flavor and texture dimension to these amazing muffin. This will definitely be my go to banana muffin recipe.

Banana Crumb Muffins
Source: Allrecipes (here)
I got about 16 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Cracked Pepper Cheddar Muffins

I gave this recipe a try and it's not exactly a loser, but it's also not exactly a winner. I thought it would be a good recipe because you really can't go wrong when cheese is involved but I think that may have been part of the problem. The cheese just didn't stand out enough. Despite the amount of cheese, I found these muffins to be bland and dry. They kind of tasted like days old corn bread instead of a cheddar muffin. I'm sure that adding more cheese or even substituting the cheddar for a stronger, more pungent cheese would make this recipe a real keeper.

Cracked Pepper Cheddar Muffins
Source: Taste of Home
Makes 12 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 egg
1-1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and pepper. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cheese.

Fill muffins cups coated with cooking spray two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

TWD: Allspice Muffins

Are you in need of some food that's going to make you warm and happy? If so, you absolutely must try these muffins. To me, they are the essence of fall. The allspice makes these muffins smell fantastic and gives them such a subtle nutmeg-cloves taste. The muffins are soft and fluffy and have just enough sweet, crunch with the streusel topping. This is the kind of muffin that reminds you of how good it feels to stay bundled up inside when the temperatures start to drop and it makes you think of the leaves changing. Maybe I'm stretching here and maybe I am missing the true fall season, but these muffins remind me of everything I loved about fall.

A huge thank you to Kayte of Grandma's Kitchen Table for making this week's selection. Make sure to head over to her blog for the recipe and to head over to the TWD site to read about others experiences with this sweet treat.

FINALLY DONE!

Oh.My.God. The past two and a half weeks have been exhausting. I am drained and never want to look at another law book in my life. I know that won't happen because I still have 2 more years left, but a girl can dream. I am finally done and I can officially wave goodbye to first year. There were times where I didn't think I could make it, but I did and I never want to do it again. I am looking forward to a few months of not thinking about school, but more than anything, I am looking forward to the Big Move. Tomorrow is a big packing day and now my focus is switching to getting ready for the movers. I can't believe I am done with first year. I can't believe we are leaving Boston. And I can't believe we are moving back to Miami. Life is changing quickly and to celebrate all the good things I made muffins. I had starred this recipe in my reader a while ago and this recipe seemed perfect for celebrating. The muffins did not disappoint. Not only were they gorgeous to look at, but they were absolutely delicious. The muffins were fluffy and sweet and while the name includes doughnut, these babies are more like snickerdoodle muffins. I promise you will like these :)
Doughnut Muffins
Source: Genesis of a Cook (here)

Muffin
3 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar, plus 1/8 cup of sugar
1/2 tbs. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

Topping
1/4 cup butter, more if needed
1 cups sugar
1 tbs. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with muffin cups.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Combine the vanilla, milk and heavy cream.

With a spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix.

Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, about 25-30 minutes.

To finish, melt the butter for the dipping mixture in a small bowl. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

Beautiful sugar crystals. A bite...

Apples in the Morning

I am making progress! One morning I woke up in the mood for apple muffins and came across this recipe on AllRecipes.com. I omitted the strudel topping and just topped the muffins with sugar and they came out sooo good. I used McIntosh apples and they added another layer of sweetness to the muffins that made it hard to resist just eating one muffin.

Apple Muffins
Source: AllRecipes.com (here)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped apples

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Peek-a-boo muffin

Getting ready...

...Mmmm

Enjoy!