Category Archives: muffins

September 29, 2010

Apple cinnamon bran muffins

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What a fabulous morning for baking. I love getting back from the gym, worn out in a good kind of way, and starting on a baking project. Of course breakfast and a shower come first but after that I’m all over the kitchen!
This morning I went back to what is probably my favorite muffin recipe. It comes from Farmgirl Fare, the first food blog I ever read regularly. I was searching for a bran muffin recipe online a few years back and came across Farmgirl Susan’s Basic Bran Muffin. These beauties are 100% whole grain and use simple, un-messed with ingredients. The basic recipe is easily modified for any fruit or flavor you’re craving and I’ve always enjoyed how the amounts of each ingredient are easy to remember. These muffins have big crusty tops but are moist inside and taste so good you’ll forget how much fiber is in them! I’ve made a blueberry version of these several times, a simple raisin version, and a ginger pear version. Today I decided to give apple cinnamon a try.
Last weekend Lee and I picked about 11 pounds of apples at Biscay Orchards down the road. We’ve been snacking on them all week and I’ve been trying to decide what to bake with them. We picked about half Macintosh and half Cortland. Of course I had to make some muffins and my favorite bran muffin recipe came to mind as a good backdrop for apple and cinnamon. Perhaps later in the week I’ll make something more ambitious. A pie, tart, or cake maybe?
For now, enjoy these perfectly moist, cinnamony goodies crammed full of apples!

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It came to my attention, after baking these muffins, that a bunch of bloggers are celebrating fall by posting apple-related recipes today! Just my luck! Here is my contribution to Fall Fest (see A Way to Garden to find out more).

Apple Cinnamon Bran Muffins
Adapted from Farmgirl Susan’s Basic Bran Muffin

2 cups wheat bran
1 cup oat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon, or more, cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup yogurt + applesauce (The original recipe calls for yogurt. I subbed 1/2 cup applesauce for part of the yogurt this time)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons sweet molasses or cane syrup (The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup. I cut back so the molasses flavor wouldn’t mask the cinnamon too much and because agave is already really sweet)
1/3 cup honey (I used agave)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

2-3 medium-sized apples, depending on how fruity you like your muffins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine wheat bran, oat bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, yogurt, oil, molasses, honey, and vanilla if using.
Chop apples finely. I left the peels on, cut the apples into small pieces, and then pulsed them in the blender a few times.
Fill 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners, silicone cups, or a little oil. This makes 12 really big muffins so the cup will be really full. You could also make more, smaller muffins if you prefer.

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September 24, 2010

Maple almond muffins: a more sophisticated muffin

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        I get excited about almond extract. Pouring teaspoon after teaspoon of vanilla extract gets boring after a while. So, on the rare occasions when I break out the little bottle of almond deliciousness, measure out a spoonful, and smell that fabulous, sweet, nutty aroma…I’m in heaven. These muffins got me excited about almonds, maple syrup, and how fabulous they taste together!
        These maple almond muffins seem like a decadent morning pastry or even a dessert compared to what I usually bake. They include a not-too-sweet batter infused with almond extract and a rich filling made with ground almonds, cinnamon, and lots of maple syrup. The filling creates a layer of crunch and sweetness in the middle of the muffin and bubbles out of the top in occasional mapley spots.
        I could not wait for these to come out of the oven. I tried to distract myself by washing dishes but I kept looking at the clock to see if the time had run out yet. When they were finally done I made Lee have one with me, not that that took a lot of persuasion. We both agree, these are very good. They make me think of elegant brunches and smell so, so wonderful. I think I’ll try to keep the muffin baking smell trapped inside with me all day!
        I actually didn’t change anything about this recipe. Next time I would bake them for a little less time, as they stuck to the wrappers a bit.

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Maple Almond Muffins
From Horn of the Moon Cookbook by Ginny Callan

Muffins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg, beaten

Filling
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup finely chopped or ground almonds
6 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix flours, baking powder, and salt.
In a smaller bowl, combine egg, oil, maple syrup, milk, and almond extract.
For the filling, combine maple syrup, almonds, flour, cinnamon, and butter in a third bowl.
Next, add the liquid muffin ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Line a muffin pan with paper or silicon liners.
Spoon one tablespoon of muffin batter into each cup, followed by one tablespoon of filling.
Finish off with one tablespoon of muffin batter over the filling.
Optional: Sprinkle the top of each muffin with slivered almonds.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (I would tend towards 15, especially if you have a dark colored muffin pan)

Enjoy with a mid-morning cup of tea!

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September 12, 2010

Zucchini date muffins

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Baking is undoubtedly one of the best ways to spend a Sunday morning. The house is just waking up but someone is already concocting something wonderful. I am always motivated to bake in the morning. Exercise usually comes first, whether it’s running, yoga, or a trip to the gym. After a shower I’m fresh and ready to create something in the kitchen. That way I float on a feeling of accomplishment for the rest of the day and have something homemade to snack on.
This morning Lee (the fiance) and I went to the gym midmorning instead of first thing. That meant I had time to bake bright and early. I opted for muffins, of course, and got out a recipe I’d been meaning to try.
I’ve never made zucchini muffins and there were a couple zucchini in the fridge begging to be used before we go away for the week. I ended up only needing one of them, although next time I make these I think I’ll use more zucchini. The orange flavor is very noticeable. I might cut back on the orange zest next time (or call them zucchini orange date muffins).
Lee enjoyed a muffin as part of his sizable breakfast and I brought one along to the gym for a post-workout snack.

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Zucchini date muffins

adapted fromZucchini Date Muffins on Foodista

1 cup wheat bran
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates

Preheat oven to 30 degrees F.
Whisk together wheat bran, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, combine egg, yogurt, agave or honey, oil, and orange zest; blend thoroughly.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring gently until just mixed.
Fold in dates.
Spoon into muffin tin lined with paper, silicon cups, or lightly oiled.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

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September 6, 2010

An end of summer muffin

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A few days ago, when I realized summer was almost over, I decided to create a muffin to capture the essence of summer in Maine.What says summer in Maine like fresh corn, blueberries, and maple syrup?
I certainly didn’t know anything about the local produce up here until I first visited Maine a year ago. Now that I’ve spent the better part of the summer in this northern corner of New England, I know that “native” means “local” as far as food is concerned and native, organic produce abounds. Lobster, of course, is a delicious part of Maine’s food culture. I love lobster but I wouldn’t put it in a muffin. Corn though, I wondered about combining corn with blueberries. Ultimately I decided to give it a go. Why not live dangerously? We can’t eat the same old blueberry muffins every day! I started with the corn bread/muffin recipe in Joy of Cooking and made a few modifications to suit my healthy goals and special ingredients.
I made a trip to a nearby farm stand for local blueberries and picked up some organic, Maine maple syrup there as well. The leftover ear of corn from our dinner the other night was also local. My hosts here have taught me to eat corn whenever we could get it, often a couple ears at a time, as long as it’s in season. They eat corn as kind of a dessert. It cooks in a pot on the stove during dinner and then they serve it up on a separate, clean plate at the end. This ritual seemed a bit strange to me at first. Now that I’m used to it I can’t imagine eating corn any other way. It takes lots of concentration to handle a hot ear of corn so why mix it up with the rest of dinner? I say give it the honor and undivided attention it deserves. In the rare case that there’s some left over, put it in these muffins!

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Maine Summer Muffins

2/3 cup corn meal
1 cup +2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp flax seed meal
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup plain kefir
A generous handful of blueberries (I used about 3/4 cup)
Kernels cut off of one ear of corn

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Combine flour, cornmeal, flax, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk until well blended
In a separate bowl, mix milk, kefir, egg whites, butter, maple syrup (substitute any kind of milk – dairy or not – for the milk and kefir. You can also use plain yogurt instead of kefir)
Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined
Gently stir in blueberries and corn
Spoon batter into an oiled muffin pan, a muffin pan with paper liners, or a muffin pan with silicon muffin cups like I used

Bake for 15-28 minutes or until muffins are slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

These were fabulous plain hot out of the oven but I have a feeling they will be good later with a little cream cheese or even blueberry jam (to really take the blueberries to the next level). Realistically, I’ll probably just eat them plain cause I’m a plain muffin kind of girl.

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