Bran Raisin Muffins

Don't knock the bran muffins till you try them! They are a huge hit for breakfast with Jacob and such a quick, easy breakfast or snack in his lunch (and mine!).  One muffin will fill you up for the morning.  My original recipe had 1/3 cup molasses for the sweetener, but it needed to just be a tad sweeter.  The molasses did give it an excellent flavor, so next time I’ll follow the instructions below for a sweeter muffin.

Dry Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup course bran flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup raisins

Wet Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar, or to taste

1/3 cup molasses

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with Pam Cooking Spray for Baking.

2. Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat together the wet ingredients another bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, combine the ingredients swiftly, stirring and folding rather than beating and stopping as soon as all the dry ingredients are moistened. The batter should be lumpy, not smooth, and thick but quite moist; add a little more milk or other liquid if necessary.

3. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling them about two-thirds full and handling the batter as little as possible. (If you prefer bigger muffins, fill 8 cups almost to the top; pour 1/4 cup water into the empty cups.) Bake for about 20 -25 or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before taking them out of the tin.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Tis the season! Well, not really since this October Sunday is current 85 DEGREES outside.  I refuse to let the warm weather take me out of the fall / baking mode.

Trader Joe's now has their Organic Pumpkin Puree's available, so muffins/breads immeditaely popped into my mind.  Such and easy thing to pack in a toddler lunch box for a nice healthy snack.

Recipe Note:  Your house will smell AMAZING when these cook (even on a hot October day!)

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
3/4cups sugar
1/4 cup honey (alternatively you can just use 1.25 cups sugar)

Topping:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar


DIRECTIONS:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven toe 350F. Spray muffin tin with Pam Cooking Spray for Baking.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice in a small bowl.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, 3/4 cups sugar, and honey in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

For topping: Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Carrot Pineapple Muffins

We made these this weekend, thanks to the recipe from Weelicious.  They weren't to bad ... I got the thumbs up from Jake and Grandpa Johnny too!

Pineapple Carrot Muffins (Makes 14 Muffins)
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Wheat Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Honey
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Pineapple, chopped fine and drained well OR 1 8 oz Can Crushed Pineapple, drained well
1 Cup Shredded Carrot (about 2 Large Carrot)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees,
2. In a large bowl combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine the butter and honey using a whisk.
4. Add the eggs and whisk to combine.
5. Add the vanilla, pineapple and carrots to the butter mixture.
6. Stir in the dry ingredients, making sure not to over mix.
7. Scoop the batter into regular size, paper lined muffin cups.
8. Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool and serve.

Blueberry Sourcream Muffins

Do you want your house to smell amazing?? Then you need to make these muffins.  I made these blueberry muffins in hungry hungry jacob sized servings (mini-muffin tin).  These are perfectly sweet, a bit tangy, light and all around delicious muffins!

adapted from Cooks Illustrated Classic Blueberry Muffins

2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1	tablespoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	large egg
1	cup granulated sugar (7 ounces) + more for dusting at end
4	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4	cups sour cream (10 ounces)
1	cups fresh blueberries (frozen can be substituted if fresh aren't in season, just don't defrost them)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.  I use Pam for baking.
   
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Whisk egg in second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 2 or 3 steps, whisking to combine after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 steps, whisking just to combine.
   
3. Add berries to dry ingredients and gently toss to combine. Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds (small spots of flour may remain and batter will be thick). Do not overmix.  Sprinkle sugar over each muffin (light dusting).
   
4. Use two spoons to drop batter into greased muffin tin. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Invert muffins onto wire rack, stand muffins upright, and cool 5 minutes.