Pumpkin Butter Muffins

 I really love this muffin! I know this sounds strange, but I was inspired by this soap I bought at Bath & Body Works. Don't worry... It doesn't taste like soap. LOL

It was also my first time using my new silicone muffin cups, which, by the way, work great! 

These taste a lot like mini pumpkin coffee cakes. They stay moist for days and have a hint of coconut... You know, the soap. ;) 

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Mix dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture. 

2 cups pumpkin butter (or pumpkin puree)

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (can substitute with vanilla)

/1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk the wet ingredients together and pour into the flour well. Mix until just combined.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full.

Combine brown sugar with a little white sugar. Mix with pumpkin pie spice, to taste.

Sprinkle generously on top of muffins.

Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. Then lower oven temperature to 350 and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean. 

Cool in wire rack. 

These are good warm or at room temperature. 

Blackberry Orange Muffins

After many many years of eluding me, I think I have finally found the perfect berry muffin recipe. They even have a nice round top! :)  Next I will try it with blueberries and lemon and we'll see...

I took some bits and tips from several different recipes and put them together to make these:

Preheat the oven to 425.

Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and sprinkle them with sugar to coat.

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix 2 cups of flour and sugar in large mixing bowl. Mix the last 1/2 cup flour and remaining dry ingredients in small bowl. Then sieve them into the flour/sugar mixture. Mix well.

Make a well in the flour. Pour in the following ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
grated zest from 1 orange

Stir just until mixed.

Gently stir in 1 - 1/2 cups small fresh blackberries.

Spoon into greased/sugared muffin tin.

Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar and top each one with 1 small blackberry.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425. Without opening the oven, turn the temperature down to 350 and bake for about 10 more minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Remove from tins immediately, running a knife along edge to help get them out.

Cool for a few minutes on baking rack before eating.

Blueberry Lemon Streusel Muffins

This is a simplification of a recipe I found on Pinterest. I am going to write it in steps so that no one will be as confused as I was when I made it. It has quite a few steps (but still less than the original recipe) and dirties quite a few bowls but, thankfully, it was worth it in the end… My quest for the perfect blueberry muffin may be over???

 

Step one: Combine 1/4 cup sugar and the zest of 1 lemon in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step two: Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl. Mix in 3 Tablespoons melted butter until it turns into pea-sized pieces.

Step three: Mix 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

Step four: Whisk together 2 eggs and 1 1/8 cups sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup melted butter and whisk until combined. Whisk in 1 cup buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Step five: Take the lemon/sugar combination and sift out the lemon zest through a fine sieve, reserving the sugar for topping the muffins. Stir the sugary lemon zest into the flour mixture.

Step six: Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the egg/sugar mixture. Mix until it is just combined. The batter will be very lumpy. Don’t worry, you don’t want to mix it too much!

Step seven: Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, toss them with 1 Tablespoon of flour before folding in.

Step eight: Fill 12-15 prepared muffin cups. Top each with streusel and a bit of the lemon sugar. Bake at 425 for 17-20 minutes or until the tops are firm and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan and another 5 minutes on wire rack. Eat warm.

Best Banana Muffins

These banana muffins are a just about perfect. They are moist, sweet, tender, light, banana-y… With a cup of coffee in the morning, they can even brighten up a dull rainy day. Yeah, I really like these muffins! If only I could find the perfect blueberry muffin…
The first trick is that you want 2 cups of wet ingredients. I measure them into my 2 cup Pampered Chef measure-all cup.
These are the things you MUST have:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons water
Then add 2-3 mashed ripe bananas.
Fill the rest of the measuring cup with sour cream.

In a large mixing bowl add:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient in the bowl. Stir only until combined. (Think of it more as folding the ingredients into each other) You don’t want to overmix quick breads! Don’t worry if the batter isn’t smooth.
Grease and sugar muffin tins (about 15-18) or use muffin papers. Fill 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with sugar.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425. Without opening the oven, turn the temperature down to 350 and bake for about 10 more minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

I found a recipe for easy pumpkin muffins on Pinterest but was rather disappointed that the recipe did not call for any spices at all… None! Pumpkin, in my book, must have the warm and spicy blend of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg… So, while I liked the idea of the ease and simplicity of the muffins, I had to change it!

Then, yesterday we made a stop at a Wal-Mart just south of us and found their holiday baking display full of baking chips that I had never seen before but HAD TO HAVE! I can’t believe I spent $12 on baking chips, but I knew they will be worth every penny! The cinnamon chips inspired me to make one more change to the recipe. And this morning’s muffins proved I was correct!

Here is my version of easy pumpkin muffins:

1 box yellow cake mix

15oz pumpkin puree (see how to make fresh pumpkin puree HERE)

1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (here is the recipe for my blend)

1/2 cup of cinnamon chips (see picture above)

Mix cake mix, spices and pumpkin together. Stir in cinnamon chips. Spoon into muffin tin and bake at 350 for 15-25 minutes, or until pick comes out clean.

They are moist, light and just the thing to go with a pumpkin spice latte!

Pumpkin Muffins

I got this recipe over 10 years ago when Zack was in preschool. They made them as a class and the teacher sent everyone home with the recipe. They are great for a fall breakfast or snack, as well as a nice dessert when topped with homemade maple flavored cream cheese icing. Mmmmm!

Andy helped me make these, and they turned out great!

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. Cream butter and sugar

3. Stir in pumpkin, milk, eggs and vanilla

4. Add other ingredients and stir
5.Spoon into prepared muffin tin.

6. Bake 5 minutes at 425. Reduce heat to 350, without opening oven, and bake another 10-13 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Donut Muffins

Making these muffins this morning was like taking a trip down Memory Lane. I used to make these quite often when the boys were little, but I can't remember the last time we ate them. After breakfast, I couldn't figure out why I stopped making them.

1/3 cup shortening or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
*melted butter
*cinnamon sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line a 12 cup muffin tin. (it may make more)

Cream shortening and sugar; add egg. Beat well. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; add alternately with milk to egg mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove doughnuts from tins and dip tops in melted butter and cinnamon sugar.