oatmeal muffins...

I have a picky eater at my house. She doesn't "do" sandwiches. She loves muffins, though, so when I saw this recipe I thought it might be a good addition to her lunchbox. One batch makes 18-24 muffins so I freeze them and pop a frozen muffin in her lunch. 

These are perfect for a weekend breakfast/brunch, as well. 

The recipe has a lot of steps but each one is easy. Plus, when you get so many for your efforts it's worth it.

2 T butter

2 cups oats 

Melt butter over medium heat and toast oats until golden, 6-8 min.*

*(I usually skip this step)

Place oats in food processor and process to flour. Add:

1 3/4 cup flour 

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp baking soda 

Pulse to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl mix 1 1/3 cups brown sugar and 6 Tbsp melted butter. Stir until lumps are gone.

Add 1 3/4 cups milk and 2 beaten eggs. Mix to combine. 

Add dry ingredients in two stages (folding in with a whisk), turning and shaking off of whisk as you go. Let batter sit for 20 min.

Topping:

1/2 cup oats 

1/3 cup flour 

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Pinch of salt 

4 Tbsp melted butter 

Stir to combine 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tins really well. Fill muffin cups to the top with batter. Top each with 2 Tbsp topping. Bake 18-25 min. Rotate pan halfway through baking. Let cool in pans for 10 min on top of cooling rack.

If freezing, let cool completely and place 9 muffins in a gallon sized freezer bag.

Recipe source: Americas Test Kitchen 

sour cream coffee cake muffins...

12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream (I used reduced fat)
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Line muffin cups with paper liners.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.
Spoon half the batter into the cups and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the cups, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

This is another favorite Barefoot Contessa recipe. Her original recipe calls for making a cake in a tube pan. I don't have a tube pan, so I made muffins instead (I got 24). Next time I will swirl the streusel throughout...you know, get a little in every single yummy bite! I will be purchasing a tube pan, though for the next time just so I can try it that way, too. The original recipe also called for a glaze made with pure maple syrup drizzled on the top...yum! I omitted this step, but I'm sure it would just have added to the deliciousness of the finished product. Very moist, very, very good. I also LOVE any recipe that can be considered a breakfast food OR a dessert!!!

(24 muffins-5pt each)

more muffins...

It was my turn to host our monthly neighborhood cooking group and the theme for April was muffins. There were some fabulous contributions and I wanted to share the recipes!

*chocolate chocolate chip mini muffins*

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

Combine above ingredients in a large bowl.

1 egg

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Whisk egg, milk and butter in a medium bowl. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and stir well. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees: 10 min for mini muffins, 20 min for reg. muffins. (48 mini, or 24 reg)

*buttermilk muffins*

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp margarine, softened

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Add all ingredients in order given and mix well. Sprinkle with sugar before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min in greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Makes 1 dozen

*raspberry lemon muffins*

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup veg oil

1 egg

3 egg whites

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp lemon extract (optional)

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

In large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In a med bowl whisk together wet ingredients until combined. Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in raspberries. Put into greased muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.

For my contribution I just used a basic muffin batter recipe and divided the batter into four separate bowls and added:

bananas & walnuts

blueberries

chocolate chips

almond extract & poppy seeds

To make four different muffins.

*basic muffin batter*

3 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup milk

Stir together dry ingredients. In a different bowl, cream together sugar and shortenint. Add eggs and mix well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min.

cinnamon heaven...

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

***

1½ cup sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

2 sticks butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin cups. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening, then add eggs and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

These are to die for...they taste like a cinnamon sugar doughnut, seriously...I made them into mini muffins (cuz, you don't eat as much or feel as guilty if they are smaller, right?) This would make a fantastic Easter morning breakfast. You could make the batter the night before, then the next morning just let it get to room temp before baking. There is an obscene amount of butter and sugar used...just don't think about it. Work out extra hard at the gym the next day...whatever.

recipe adapted from the Pioneer Woman

muffins...& more muffins...

*banana spice muffins*

3 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup dried banana chips

Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a different bowl, cream together sugar and shortening, then add eggs and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, top with broken banana chips. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Alright, so this muffin batter is really just a vehicle for whatever kind of muffin additions you are attracted to...blueberry, cranberry (dried), spice, chocolate chip (yum!!), etc. You can play around with the spices: removing, adding to, adding vanilla or orange zest (again, yum!!)...whatever! This muffin batter really is a winner in my book. They look like professional muffins when they come out of the oven. They freeze really well, too. I actually got about 18 muffins after adding the bananas.

next...

*cinnamon bran muffins*

3 cups All-Bran cereal (original)

1 cup boiling water

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients, set aside. In large mixing bowl pour boiling water over cereal and mix until cereal has absorbed water and is a little mushy. Add remaining wet ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients a little at a time until combined. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min. or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

OK, the coolest part about these muffins is that the batter can be stored in the fridge and the muffins can be microwaved, yes, microwaved a few at a time. The first pic (of the 1/2 eaten muffin is a microwaved one). I know it sounds weird, but it totally works. Here's how:

double up two muffin papers and fill 1/2 full with batter. Microwave for about 35 sec. for one muffin, and 45-50 seconds for 2-3 miffins. Take note...microwaves vary, so test this out a couple of times. If it doesn't work the first 2-3 times, don't swear, just try again. The tops of the muffins will be bubbling slightly, and may even be a little doughy in spots, but they will set up if you leave them alone for a minute. If the microwave thing doesn't work for you...just bake them. These will freeze well, also. ( Thanks to my sister-in-law for the recipe!)

In case you were wondering how I justify all of this baking...

...I have very lucky friends and neighbors!!