Bran Muffins

 
We love these muffins and it has been a long time since I have made them.  Brandon asked me to make some to take for work, so here they are!  They make 12 BIG muffins that taste AWESOME!

Ingredients

1 c. raisins
1 t. water
2 1/4 c. All-Bran Original cereal (5 ounces)
1 1/4c. flour(6 1/4 ounces)
1/2 c. whole wheat flour (2 1/2 ounces),
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2/3 c.brown sugar (4 2/3 ounces)
3 T. mild molasses (or light)
1 t. vanilla extract
6 T.butter (3/4 stick), melted and cooled
1 3/4 c. plain whole milk yogurt 

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray standard-sized muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine raisins and water in small microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand, covered, until raisins are softened and plump, about 5 minutes. Transfer raisins to paper towel-lined plate to cool.
3. Process half of bran cereal in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute.
4. Whisk flours, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to combine; set aside.
5. Whisk egg and yolk together in medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar, molasses, and vanilla; whisk until mixture is thick, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter and whisk to combine; add yogurt and whisk to combine. Stir in processed cereal and unprocessed cereal; let mixture sit until cereal is evenly moistened (there will still be some small lumps), about 5 minutes.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently mix with rubber spatula until batter is combined and evenly moistened. Do not over mix.
7. Gently fold raisins into batter.
8. Using 1/3-cup measure or ice cream scoop, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, dropping batter to form mounds. Do not level or flatten surfaces of mounds.
9. Bake until muffins are dark golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs attached, 16 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
10. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving

Gingerbread Muffin

Well, I needed to make two kinds of muffins for this baby shower, and Brandon also LOVES ginger, so here's another first for us. The flavor on these was GREAT. A very nice ginger taste and very moist. They were slightly dense, but tasted great in every other way.

Ingredients

2c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 T. ground ginger
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground allspice
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled slightly

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice in medium bowl until combined.
3. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and buttermilk in large bowl until combined. Add melted butter and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous.
4. Whisk half of dry ingredients into wet ingredients until two begin to come together and then add remaining dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined (do not overmix).
5. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes. Serve warm.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Brandon loves lemon poppy seed anything, and I needed to make some muffins for a baby shower, so I thought I'd give it a try. I used Greek yogurt since my local store didn't have any full fat plain yogurt. I think it made them a little too dry. Also, I was expecting them to get this nice brown look, but they were actually over cooked. I should have checked with a toothpick a little bit sooner. I do think I'll have to try them again sometime.

Ingredients

3cups flour
1 T. baking powder 
1/2 t. baking soda
2 1/2 T. poppy seeds
1 1/2 T. grated lemon zest
1/2 t.salt
10 T. butter , softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. plain whole milk yogurt

Directions

1. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray; set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in half of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining flour mixture, followed by half of the remaining yogurt; repeat with the remaining flour mixture and yogurt. Portion the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin.
5. TO STORE: Wrap the muffin tin tightly with plastic wrap sprayed with vegetable oil spray and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. (After the muffin batter is completely frozen, about 6 hours, the batter balls can be transferred to a zipper-lock bag to save space in the freezer. Transfer the batter balls back to an oiled muffin tin before baking.)
6. TO SERVE: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap the muffins and bake until golden brown, 15-20  minutes if refrigerated, or 25 to 35 minutes if frozen. Let the muffins cool in the pan 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

The recipe said these would have a cream cheese filling, but instead they have baked on cream cheese frosting. No worries - it's ALL good! The recipe said it would make 18 muffins; I made closer to 24. I do think that I could have mixed up just a little more of the streusel topping, but all in all, these turned out great!

Ingredients
8 oz package cream cheese
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
3 T. brown sugar

4 1/2 T. flour
5 T. white sugar
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
3 T. butter
3 T. chopped pecans

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. white sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 c. canned pumpkin
1/3 c. olive oil
2 t. vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
2. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
3. For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
4. For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.  The batter will be VERY thick.
5. Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full.  Put a little indent in the top of the muffin batter with a teaspoon, then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter.  Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Muffins

I found this recipe online and thought they sounded great, however, they were okay. I just expected more out of muffins with almond paste, orange zest, strawberries, AND rhubarb. These were good, just not great.

INGREDIENTS

Topping Ingredients

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. cinnamon

Muffin Ingredients

1-7 oz box almond paste

2 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1 t. grated orange zest

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. buttermilk

4 T. butter, melted

2 eggs

3/4 c. strawberries, 1/4-1/2 inch dice

3/4 c. rhubarb, 1/4-1/2 inch dice

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a twelve-count muffin tin or line with paper cups.
2. In a small bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Add almond paste, flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, baking soda and salt to food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until almond paste is finely cut into flour. (Or use a bowl with a pastry cutter).
4. In a medium bowl beat the buttermilk, butter and eggs until well combined.
5. Mix the flour mixture first, then the strawberries and rhubarb. Stir gently until all ingredients are just incorporated. Over beating will make a tough muffin.
6. Scoop batter into muffin tins and sprinkle with topping.
7. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until tops are rounded and muffins are golden.
8. Cool tin on wire rack for 5 minutes. Gently transfer muffins from tin to wire rack to finish cooling. These muffins are especially good served warm.

Mocha Chip Muffins

My husband's birthday is tomorrow, and we will have plenty of time to celebrate with cake in the next week or so, so I decided to try something else baked for his birthday. He loves chocolate and coffee, so how could I go wrong making Mocha Chip Muffins?

They look great and they were very easy to make, even the boys helped out! Best of all, Brandon thought they were great!

Ingredients

3 c. flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

10 Tbs softened butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. plain yogurt

3 Tbs. instant espresso powder

1c. semisweet chocolate chips.

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 375 degrees.
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, set aside.
3. In small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in yogurt, set aside.
4. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Add eggs to butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in 1/3 of dry ingredients then alternate with 1/3 of yogurt.  Continue pattern, until it is all incorporated.
7. Fold in chocolate chips.
8. Spray 16 muffin tins with cooking spray.  Use large cookie scoop to divide batter evenly among cups.
9. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 20-23 minutes.
10. Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
11. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm.